Dear Diary....The last entry

[ontheEdgeof17]

July 21, 2004
The Final Episode...

I’m late again...sorry about that. The last week of the tour was hectic for me, along with trying to clean out all our cases and get everything ready to spend 2 months in storage, to make a long story short, one of our crew went home a week early, so instead of hiring someone to do her job for just 5 shows...I got to do her job...on top of my own job. My days were busy...to say the least. But I’m back, I didn’t desert you.... I wouldn’t dare.

We’ve had six shows since you last heard from me, I’ll give the best recap I can, and then I’ll say farewell. We have a few shows in September, but you’ll have to forgive me as I don’t know that I’ll be providing a report for those shows. So this might be it for me...

Montana is beautiful. The drive from Calgary to Bozeman was unbelievable and breathtaking. I sat in the back lounge and watched the scenery go by for hours.

Bozeman is apparently a very cute town. I personally am not able to verify this, as I slept the whole afternoon off. I had quit smoking a few days beforehand, and for some reason it left me feeling a bit like a narcoleptic. I just fell asleep all the time, where ever I was, what ever I was doing. It was rather odd. Anyway, so I didn’t see Bozeman, but it was a beautiful night and we had a really great barbecue out by the bus.

Denver was the chosen city for our end of tour party. The band, staff and crew all gathered for dinner and drinks. It was a lot of fun. Mick and Lindsey both gave a quick little speech expressing their gratitude to everyone, at the end of Mick’s speech he yelled “are you with me??” We all laughed. A few others stood to say a word, and when our production manager was finished he screamed “The Maaac is baaack!” That also got a laugh. It was nice to see everyone in such a relaxed environment, just hanging out and enjoying themselves. It was also a riot to see everyone put their “good” clothes on...we tend to look pretty grubby most of the time, jeans and t-shirts...but I must say, we clean up nice!

There was however, one let down that night. Mick had a suit he was planning on wearing to the party, I was one of the lucky few to see it beforehand...it was outrageous. Shiny, gold plaid pants with a matching jacket and a gold vest and tie...and I couldn’t wait to see it on him. I was very disappointed to see that he opted to wear something different, and much more toned down. Sigh...oh well.

The Denver show was good, it was our last outdoor gig, and I was feeling a little down about it. This has been my favorite leg of the tour, all the outdoor shows. I love being outside, watching the sun set as the show starts. Working all day in the sun. I’ll miss it. It’s one of the many things I’ll miss.

There must have been some static going on with the ribbons on Stevie’s mic stand, because three times she nearly pulled it over when the ribbons got caught up in her shawl. The first time it happened she nearly brought her mic stand down and she just leaned in to the mic and said “nice save”. The next few times she just ignored it and then turned to make funny faces at us. After Landslide, when she and Lindsey hold hands, her hand got all tangled in the ribbons and therefore Lindsey’s hand got all tangled and it looked like they were going to knock it over again, but for some reason the mic stand gods smiled upon us and all was well. Apparently the mic stand and Denver did not get along well.

Sioux City came and went, we arrived, played a show and left faster than you can blink an eye. But the show went well and the crowd was loud and excellent.

The gig in Cedar Falls was so weird. It was indoors, but the celling was a big skylight. And it was a huuuuge venue, my legs were so tired by the end of the day. Cedar Falls marks the point in time where I started to realize this was all coming to an end. Stevie gave a really lovely speech at soundcheck, she thanked the crew profusely and talked about what a good time this has been and that she would never forget it. (Sniffle sniffle, try to not look like I’m crying...) During the show she dedicated Landslide to the crew, thanked everyone for staying with them all this time, it was very sweet. After load out that night, we said goodbye to a few of our crew that wouldn’t be coming to Santa Ynez with us. It was the beginning of the end. We all stood around the buses while the lighting guys set off fireworks that they had picked up on the Fourth of July. But I’ll get back to that...

We drove to Chicago that night, spent about six hours there and then headed to the airport for our flight to LA, which I spent watching the Live In Boston DVD...Then we hopped on a little prop plane (ugh!) to Santa Barbara, and then a 45 minute drive to Solvang, which is a very weird, albeit cute version of Scandanavia...Who needs funnel cakes when there is a bakery on every corner selling pastries and danishes. Mmmmmm.

The Santa Ynez shows were at an Indian Reservation casino. It’s always really hard to work when there is gambling to be done. Luckily, I was so busy that I only had time to lose 200 bucks. Not bad. It could have been muuuch worse, believe me. I was exhausted after these shows, as the “dressing rooms” were really hotel rooms at the other end of the world. So I spent both days running back and forth, up the elevator, down the elevator, through the casino and back, a million times over. Very tiring. Good shows though, a little weird since it was only 1,000 people and we’re used to more like 10,000 if not 15,000. But it was nice, intimate. Stevie dedicated Landslide (or maybe Beautiful child?) to her Dad, who had been with us for a few weeks on this leg. She said “Daddy, you win”. Oh man, bring on the tears!

We also played a little joke on Stevie in Santa Ynez...More often than not, Stevie shows up to soundcheck with curlers in her hair. Usually it’s just one or two in the front, but sometimes it’s a whole head of them. So at the last show, we all (boys included) put a curler in the front of our hair and we all waited patiently for her to arrive. When her car pulled up, she got out and you could see her surprise when she saw one person wearing one, then two people, then three, then EVERYONE. She died. She was taking a million pictures and was laughing so hard she was crying. We were concerned that she might show up with no curlers in her hair, and then it wouldn’t be as funny, but thank god, she showed up with the full set! She made Karen take her picture with everyone and their curlers, the dogs included. Good times.

John even participated in the hair curler antics...we gave him a hair curler with some double stick tape on it. During Goldust Woman Stevie always turns around and does a little dance for John, before she turned to face him he stuck the hair curler to his hat. When she turned around and saw him I thought she was going to lose it. You couldn’t see her face from the audience, but she waited an extra long time to turn back around because she was laughing so hard. At least the Queen Bee has a good sense of humor!

The last show was heart wrenching. I hate goodbyes. I got teary at least a dozen times during the show, and was literally weeping as I said goodbye to people at the end of the night. We walked out of the casino, and the sliding glass doors closed behind me, and just like that...a year and a half later...it was all over.

Which brings me back to Cedar Falls...And to my closing words...

Bear with me for a little flashback...I’m standing in a parking lot behind the venue in Cedar Falls. It is a perfect night. The four tour buses we have called home are parked all in a row. The 40 people I have called my friends and family for the last year are mingling about, talking, laughing, drinking. I am standing alone, forty feet away, watching them all, listening to their familiar voices. There are fireworks going off over my head, huge bursts of color and noise. Yellow sparks are falling from the sky. Rainbow flames are spinning around on the ground. Their laughter and their stories blend together with the fireworks like music and then it all goes silent. I am watching in slow motion as this night is burned into my memory. This night is mine. These people are mine. Their laughter is mine. These memories are mine. These fireworks in the sky are mine. This was all mine, from the first day of rehearsals to the final plane flight home, it is all mine, and I will keep it with me, always.

I do love Fleetwood Mac, and I have loved getting to be a part of their show and their tour. I love the music and I love the band. I am, without a doubt, a Fleetwood Mac fan. But I promise you, no matter how big of a Fleetwood Mac you are...if you had the opportunity to be a part of what I was just a part of...at the end, it wouldn’t be the band or the show that had the biggest impact on you. It would be these people. This incredible group of people, and this experience that has forever changed me. It might sound a little extreme, but that’s because for me, it was.

I thank all of you for coming to these shows and giving me a reason to have this job. I will never, ever forget it.


Once and for all...signing off...

CB



-Curtis

[GardenStateGirlie]

Curtis, thanks for posting. I'm going to miss tour reports from CB. I don't know that anyone else could have done behind the scenes justice as she did.

[amber]

Thanks for posting. *sniff* That made me teary and weepy...
I can't believe it's over, either.
AMber

[Violet]

Ah, man...I'm gonna miss those diaries...but we still have the Q&A coming up from her, right?

Carol

[GODDESS6]

thanx 4 posting, this 1 was so sad, it welled my eyes up w/ tears~ thanx so much cory 4 your time in sending us these diaries & we r gonna miss u so much, u have bcome a legend 2 us fans & it was so very nice meeting u in sioux city, u r VERY KIND!!!~ i really hope u go w/ them in sept & r able 2 report, 1 can always hope!!!~

brightest stevie blessings~
jill

[ShangriLaTroubl]

Wow what a reality check that this tour is ACTUALLY really basically over, except for a couple of shows in Sept
Chris

[Janet]

I love the curler story LOL Great times. Thanks for posting!! sniff sniff I can't wait until Sept!! Thank GOD I have that.

[Patti]

Wow that was great...Cory really should think of writing for a living. I got all teary eyed in the last paragraph. Thank you Cory for all the diaries, we will miss you!

[David]

Originally Posted by GODDESS6

brightest stevie blessings~

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