Hi guys --

I'm writing you from the front passenger seat of our touring van on my Sidekick. I hope everyone is doing well. We've been on the road in the Midwest this last week, touring with Dave Matthews Band. They're one of the biggest bands in the world, so it's definitely an honor to play with them. And to watch them play for 20,000 people every night is crazy. Not only are they a great live band, but to see and hear that many people singing along to a song makes you realize the power of music.

So, I'm gonna let you in on a little behind the scenes info.... One of the biggest perks of touring with a big band like that (aside from getting to play in front of a huge audience) is the catering! Big bands can't go out to Taco Bell to grab dinner, so they bring their own team of chefs on the road to keep the band and the crew well fed and happy. Backstage, there's a catering area set up with all the food. And let me tell you, Dave Matthews Band and crew eat well!! We were lucky enough to get to have dinner there the past couple nights. One night, there was a Mexican theme, and I had a lovely salad, tilapia fish tacos with cabbage, tomatoes, and all the fixings, Mexican rice and beans, and a little lemon pie to top it off. The next night was an Asian theme, I had edamame, grilled halibut, wasabi mashed potatoes, a veggie stir-fry, and carrot cake for dessert. I ate way too much, and it was amazing! I'm probably making you hungry, just reading this, but before you go raid the fridge, I'll tell you about our day off yesterday...

I was in the back of the van taking a nap at about 8 p.m. We were driving towards Ohio, and I woke up and saw an Arby's sign. Arby's has those Market Fresh sandwiches that I like, as well as cherry turnovers, which are ridiculous (more food talk). So I told Brad, our guitar player to hit the exit, which was about 100 yards away. We barely made the exit, but we did. And on the way to Arby's, we saw this little Mexican restaurant and decided to stop there. After dinner, we wanted to go see a movie, so the guy at the restaurant told us how to get to a movie theatre. We followed his directions down some back roads. I thought we were lost, but eventually, we came to an area with a mall and a bunch of stores…and there it was in all its glory, the movie theatre!

It occurred to me that all the movies playing were all kinda old, like Ocean's 13, Evan Almighty, the newest Die Hard movie, etc. But I was stoked because I had always wanted to see Ocean's 13 and never got the chance, so I didn't think much about it. But when I went up to the counter to buy my ticket, I was expecting it to be $9, and it was only $1.50!! Apparently, it was one of those theatres that show older movies at a discount. It was a very pleasant surprise, and I've decided that we need more movie theatres like that! Anyway, all in all, it was a good day off!

OK, it's time for me to go, but have a good week, and I'll write more soon!

xoxo,

Vince