Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - Dallas/Houston/Austin/Oklahoma City

Four shows playing with Built to Spill and their opening act, Disco Doom (sweet people from Switzerland). A four-band bill. No soundchecks for the missingmen, strict time limits, rush rush. Any groove we settled into by Atlanta is gone. Back to head down, make sure all the cords are plugged in, on and off, hacking through the sets, merch sales plummet.

Dino feels great, though. Any frustration I feel on my own is exorcised with Murph and J. Dino squashes all doubt. It’s the monolith. The force of nature.

Not much band bonding with Built to Spill. They, like us, spend lots of time on the bus and their macbooks. When they play, I am convinced Doug Martsch has an effect on his vocals till I realize everyone is singing every word with him. I experience shameful pangs of jealousy.

In other news: i’m angry and tired, my wife is heavily pregnant (7 months), miserable, our house is falling apart and the appliances are conspiring against her. We phone each other and bitch. Makes it a little better.

Maybe it’s the sugarfree red-bulls I resort to drinking when I can’t find espresso, but my sleep has been shallow and short. Five hours and I’m awake, worrying and seething. Thankfully, my travel-mates diffuse this. The bus feels homey and there’s comedy to be had.

Highlights:

#1. Playing an in store in Dallas at Good Records, I use my ukulele and Tom accompanies on electric guitar. The store is fairly empty, with a high ceiling. My voice rounds the corners and comes back in a nice way. In-stores are like playing in a church for me. I love it for that reason and say as much. This will be the first duo in-store for Tom and I. He’s the bomb. Tom the bomb. I get the new White Denim CD.

#2. A medium rare rib eye steak at a steakhouse chain in oklahoma city (Texas something-or-othe) propels me through the first good solo show in four days. Flesh is better than caffeine? I think it is.

#3. White Denim in Austin. I’ve been dying to see this band since I first heard them. Never thought I would because I never go out (life as a 43-year-old father). They were playing directly across the street immediately following the Dinosaur Jr. set at Stubbs. I walked in and went to the front where they mesmerized me for a full hour. It was ridiculously awesome. Smiled and swayed, some kids danced middle school ’80s-style. W.D. are like Deerhoof, like ZZ-Top, like I could imagine Simon Cowell giving them props for their vocal styling. One of the best shows I have seen in my life. Great end to another trippy day in music city USA.

#4. Watching Apocalypto on the bus and really relating to the wounded warrior racing to save his pregnant wife and toddler Over-the-fucking-top. I want to see Passion of the Christ now. Mel Gibson is a horror-movie master. Who knew?