I lied — I didn’t take a nap like I was going to. I felt this twinge of guilt and because I heard CC blaring out into the street from five stories above, the twinge ate me up and so I went back in to watch CC and Times New Viking. [The crazy rumor goin' round is that TNV are getting signed to Matador?! If that's not true, GC you should totally make it happen 'cause I said so.]

CC’s last few songs were par for course — *Sharkey put the mic down the back of his pants, licked a girl, dismantled Richie’s drum kit tout en jouant and threw it into a garbage can.* The crowed enjoyed it, I think. I know I did!

TNV were supposed to play next but instead it was this dude with a violin making screechy noises a la Raincoats. Cool/Boring? Hard to tell… *Anyway while waiting for TNV all I could hear coming out of any dude’s mouth for a 100-mile radius was about how hot the girl in the band was and her shapely thighs.* [Also, she is a cross between some celeb and Eleanor Friedberger, wrapped up in 90's flannel gear and cutoffs.] When I hear dudes talk like this [and they say this shit all the time], I am glad I’m not attractive, conventionally speaking or otherwise. I would hate to have to be the center of attention like that.

I am sure they all blew their mental load when TNV brought forth the rock, sounding wonderfully scuzzy in that “i am so psyched about playing shows in lofts!” kind of way, with the warm glow of the _Columbus Dispatch_ sign in the background. They are like a directionless Thermals and I kiss the ground they walk upon for simply existing. When I watch kids in the Midwest spazz out during shows, my heart gets all tingly. It’s so easy to lose track of these things on the East coast, where there are a bazillion bands and scenes unraveling on top of each other all at once. Moments like these remind me about why touring is so awesome. [Also: *guys in the Midwest are so hot and polite!* I can only hope that I marry one of you someday.]

That said, I am not sure if it was the show, the Benadryl I took to combat my allergies or the four Starbucks DoubleShot espresso drinks I downed that kept me awake through my nightime drive. Mind you, I love sleep — I’m pretty pro-8 hours a night — but man is *there something so awesome about driving through the US in the dark of night.* The interstate is pitch black, the band is totall passed out [alas, no comments from the peanut gallery] and I have the ipod on Shuffle City. Another plus is being able to take breaks without complaint from everyone, which was a requirement every hour, even if it was just to stretch my legs. Lastly, I don’t know if I’ve ever said this but God Bless the state of Indiana for making the speed limit 70 MPH. I blazed through that state like a hot knife through butter.

I managed to navigate the mess of the Dan Ryan Expressway as the sun was coming up and my “truckers high” was beginning to wear off, just in time to reach the place where I’d be staying for the next day or so. *I slept for 4 hours* and what happens afterwards I shall explain in the next segment.

» Funny story about my first/last visit to Columbus circa 1997: I came out to see Superchunk & GBV play at the Newport. That day _Addicted to Noise_ put out an interview with Bob Pollard where he said he was getting a new band for the next record. However, he failed to inform his current backing band [Cobra Verde] about this and boy oh boy was that backstage tense! However, I had snuck some beers out to my then-boyfriend and his brother, only to be busted for this [keep in mind I was only 19 at the time!]. The club security dragged me up to Pollard’s dressing room, scolded him for letting a minor walk around with booze. Whattanight.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 9th, 2006 at 11:32 am and is filed under on the road.