tour blog 6

This part of the tour was my favorite by far. I got to see some of the coolest things in some of my favorite cities, meet great people, and the guys played some really good shows. When I look back on this part of my life when I was touring, I think these will be some of my greatest memories.

 

January 7

Day off

Kingston, NY

 

Bagels for breakfast in New York! Life is good, my friends :)

 It is slightly strange, but I realize that not until this trip did I take pictures of the band aside from my nightly photo of them on stage. This changes in New York. Hence, many of the following pictures. Also, I apologize because I was super touristy (I might as well have been wearing a fanny pack) and took so many stock tourist pictures. Hopefully you will enjoy looking at them. I know I enjoyed taking them.
 

Band love, in the form of a heart shaped bread tie. One of these parties was open to the love. One was not. You decide who is who. 

Bundling up for our adventure to Big Pink!

 

Big Pink. Pretty awesome!

This is the album cover for Jericho. Looks pretty similar to my pic! Thought that was pretty cool.

 For those of you who don't know (because I admit I didn't know myself) Big Pink is the house near Woodstock, New York where The Band and Bob Dylan recorded Music from Big Pink and The Basement Tapes.  (Both are excellent albums, by the way. I highly recommend you check them out.) It was such a cool moment walking down this tiny, icy road past multiple "No Trespassing" signs to the house where so many legends lived. What if I was standing in the same exact spot as Bob Dylan?! Not likely, but still, a cool thought.

 

 After our Big Pink adventure we went back to Kingston and wandered around the downtown area there where there were a lot of historical things to see. Like oldest building in the US historical. Very, very cool. 

 

Gravestone from 1724

My name is Kelli and I am a journalism nerd.

The Senate House, one of the oldest building in the United States.

   

These are heaven in my fat little mouth.

January 8 

Day off 

New York City (!) 

This was a really big day for the band, as they got to listen for the first time to their mastered album and then had a meeting with a potentially important man to their career. I felt so lucky to be a fly on the wall that day for both experiences. Plus, NYC is one of my favorite cities and I loved just being there.

First listen to the album at a new friend's studio.

Listening to the entire mastered album. Such a cool experience for me to sit back and be a part of.

And finally, we arrived in NYC!

 

Insert sterotypical racial comments here.

Views from our hotel window

Rambling around the city....

Of course we find a country bar in NYC

One coaster is for losers. Cool kids need at least 100.

Subway adventures! Taken right after I fell into the lap of a kind but random hispanic man. Lo siento, amigo.

Not Justin-sized.

Look! I can take the train to Tompkinsville!

@dayna_parrett @CarrieTKentucky @Jennifer_Ann_7 #merlot #hashtag #assface   

Best tweet ever. Love my girls!

January 9
Hill Country
New York City, New York

 

Watching big deals in the works, taking it all in.

"Lexington, Kentucky's killer roots band"

"Another bender night break me, but it's too late to save me right now" amen hellbound. Amen.

 

Just chatting with some fancy pants manager at a bar in NYC, no big deal. Love. My. Life.

 

January 10
Hill Country
Washington, DC

A little more sightseeing as we left the city.

Central Park

Statue of Liberty

Yankee Stadium

Holland Tunnel

This doesn't even look real. Love it.

 

"NYC this morning, DC tonight. It has been a very good day"

Squinting my eyes and watching the Cats play! Bleed blue y'all.

The secret life of a merch girl...coloring behind the suitcase with my bourbon & diet and lots of limes. Bless you, adorable bartender.

And then we had adventures in DC with tour guides who Mama Kelli was not a fan of. And I expressed that. Sometimes the redneck in me just can't be held in.

"This is our nation's capitol!" 

"When Kelli is choosing the music and makes the band listen to DMX and damn it feels good to be a gangsta, the night has gone awry."

It was a fun night though. Sharing my back bench, blasting ridiculous rap from DMX to Eminem on my iPhone, it was a memorable night for sure. 

January 11
The Empty Glass
Charleston, West Virginia

"I've been fighting back a streak of redneck crazy anger all week but if this group of idiots doesn't move up out of my way I'm about to go all Tville on them"

I was tired. I was grumpy. I was hot and these idiots were all up in my business. So I may or may not have kicked a girl all passive aggressively in the back of the knee. But she did move, I will tell you that. 
 

"We have live music here seven days a week, 369 days a year" apparently the year lasts a few days longer in West Virginia... #getmeoutofhere 

January 12
V Club
Huntington, West Virgina

V Club has the best show fliers.

It's been a while since I've had to listen to a shitty local band. I haven't missed it. #earplugsandbourbonplease

So I became a Packers fan this tour after watching much football. It had nothing to do with this man. Ok, that's lies. But come on, admit it. He. Is. Beautiful. And real good at football, right? 

The band dedicated the whole show to me. Makes my tired, pissy mood much improved. Love these guys. #happymerchgirl

Between creepy murderers trying to kidnap me, old men puking and boys who yell like rusty from squidbillies, tonight was...interesting. Now, home to my bed! 

These was some of the most exhausting times of my life, but I loved it even as I started to hate the world in my grumpy state of mind. I am so blessed and extremely lucky to have this opportunity. One day I will think back and realize that these were some of the best days of my life. For that, I am thankful. If I only made more money I would do this forever.