One Week Later

Pics: Antwerpen State Prison show, prisonyard soccer no-no, Cowlick's farewell shot.

Back home now for a week, and I think I've cleared the second hand smoke out of my lungs, pores, hair, and clothes . . . What an experience this tour was. And I appreciate everyone's interest in my bloggings (is that a word?). For that matter, thank you to all friends, family members, and music colleagues for your encouragement in my multifarious music adventures over the years!

Our Antwerpen State Prison show was outrageous . . . really, to the point where we thought the authorities might not release us after the show because we nearly insighted a riot. In addition to Cowlick's originals, we played a bunch of covers Cowlick's style, moving from Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," to Sabbath's "Paranoid," to Petty's "American Girl," the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go" (not really an option the prisoner's have), Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me," the inmates knew words, sang them loudly, while the female inmates in the back row nearly strip-teased, much to the other prisoner's delight. It was out of hand, then we played Prince's "Purple Rain" and, well, that's when we were getting serious about our exit strategy. They loved it all, and wanted all of Belgium to know it. I'll never forget that show. Look out Pelican Bay, here come the Cowlicks!

Antwerpen State Prison is a Class 1 prison, and most prisoners are awaiting trial. It was serious high security, encased in a very old brick compound in the middle of Antwerpen. While loading in, my eye caught a soccer ball stuck in the razor wire -- some unlucky inmate must've shanked that shot during their prisonyard game -- I wonder if he still has both legs . . . The brief discussion about the facility with the Warden was extremely interesting. He loves his job. We love ours, too . . . that is as long as we can come and go from places like that freely.

So many images, memories, sounds, and even tastes and smells left with me from this tour. I'll have fond memories of this first foray into Belgium with the Cowlicks. I was left with the general impression that the Belgians take their music appreciation seriously and, like their beer, they let you know when it's good and demand more and more until the tap has run dry. Encores were requested at every show and we were happy to oblige to keep the vibe rolling. It's not every year you find yourself playing music every night two weeks straight for rooms packed with happy cheering Belgians . . . or is it?

Thanks for reading along!

KEVIN

One Drummer's Perspective

Just as I'm getting used to a few things here -- the network of forested running trails near the house, the co-ed bathroom situation at the clubs where women walk past men at the urinals, sleeping from 3 to 10:00 a.m., the absence of SUVs on the road (gas is approx. $6 per gallon here) -- we have to leave. Today is our last day. Two shows, first at the Antwerpen State Prison, then in Goes, Netherlands. It's been a fun experience and again I'd like to thank my wife Karen for holding down the fort while I'm gone. Despite the fun, I'm looking forward to returning home.

The last few days took us to St. Niklaas, Turnhout, and Herenthout, Belgium, a couple other small towns, another prison, and Enschede, Netherlands. The pics of the perspective from behind the drumset has been my perspective for over 30 hours of performance on this tour. At an average tempo of 120 beats per minute, I've slammed the backbeat on my snaredrum over 100,000 times, and that's not counting all the grace note subdivisions or fills. Constant motion is my norm. I can't say my arms didn't get a workout.

I also want to thank Todd and Mike from the Cowlicks for asking me to join them on this tour. Todd, Mike, Josh and I had some great moments, musically on stage and just hanging out off stage. Music is a team endeavor, and it has been smooth and fun with these guys. And all the appreciative listeners in Belgium and the Netherlands were a great bonus.

I'll try to do a final wrap-up once back home. See ya.

"We want more, we want more!"

I've taken up smoking . . . involuntarily, and it's free! Actually, starting in January 2007, smoking in bars and restaurants in Belgium will be prohibited. I imagine that's some high-impact legislation for a country where it seems like most people smoke. Anyways, I'm feeling, smelling, even tasting the second hand smoke . . . It's OK though, for soon I'll be back in California.

This week's shows took us to Leuven Monday night, a picturesque university town, a small village of 3,000 people called Ottenberg on Halloween, then two shows on Wednesday -- Turnhout and Niklaas. The show in Ottenberg stands out from the others. Folks came from all over to join us in this village's main venue, a fancy barn-like setting, packed with people celebrating the fact they didn't have to work the next day, and very enthusiastic about the music, erupting in a chant of "We want more, we want more" to get an encore.

We've played to some big crowds and some small crowds, and all have been very attentive to and appreciative of the music, which has been great. The added bonus has been the beautiful locations, architecture, and finer details (did I mention Belgian beer yet?) of the venues.

Mike and I trained into Antwerp one day and explored around, and today Josh and I trained to Brussels for the day, back by 6:00 p.m. for pick up for tonight's show (insert sound of whip cracking here). In Brussels we did a fairly thorough walk from Central Station to Le Grand Place (accidentally ending up in a museum with a public health exhibit about syphillis, complete with graphic models), then over to the Musical Instrument Museum, up past the Royal Palace, a couple large parks and through the EU district. The US Embassy was heavily enforced, but I won't digress into an international relations diatribe here, for fear this blog is bugged. Impressive architecture and big city vibe, very different from the country village vibe we've been experiencing alot.

Right now the band is relaxing in the upstairs loft above tonight's venue, the Crossroads, which is indeed at a crossroads somewhere in the Belgian countryside. I'm starting to lose track of locations. That's all for now. More to come. Unless I hear from you that this blog couldn't get much more boring . . .

The pics are of African Drums from the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels, the Belgian Moon on Halloween night, and a back alley scene in Antwerpen.