Tails from the Road #1 - Sponsored by Digital Rodeo

Tails from the Road #1 – Sponsored by Digital Rodeo

I am honored to be a part of the Digital Rodeo family and proudly pass their name around as I travel the globe spreading the cause of music. Make sure that you visit the Jon Roniger Digital Rodeo Page. Feel free to join the network and the neighborhood. Digital Rodeo is for everyone!!

Flying into Amsterdam is always a treat. Even if you’re not going to spend hours in a local café indulging in the local freedoms, there is always a bit of excitement about being in Europe’s playground. Folks from all around the world come here to let loose for a while. I, of course, am on a mission…a business trip…if you will….and don’t imbibe anymore.
Amsterdam is a great launching pad for any one who is planning a tour of Northern Europe. Easy airport to deal with and all the kids are speaking English. So, while you are completely out of place, there is always some one who can get you on the right track.
Let me begin by saying that I made one of the best touring musician purchases of my entire life recently. My good friend and musical companion Dustin Overbeek turned me on to the GRAMIN Nuvi 270 GPS unit. It has maps of North America and Europe in it. I cannot tell you how this has changed my life on the road. I usually plan for at least 2 hours a day of being totally lost…and I’m pretty good with direction. I got in the rental M&M auto (it’s so small that it’s about the same size as a bag of M&Ms), turned on my GPS, punched in the address of the first venue on the tour and off we go. Never a wrong turn. I actually did make one wrong turn and it recalculated immediately and I was right back on track!!
Anyway, my first show was at a place called DEN HOPSACK in ANTWERPEN, BELGIUM. Hanneke was a fantastic host in a small listening room type of local pub. One of my many under-attended shows, this one was special for me as it was my first live performance in mainland Europe. There about 20 people there but it felt like a good crowd. I sold a few CDs and everyone was generous in the cigar container tip receptacle that was passed around by Hanneke.
I am touring with songs from all of my last 3 records as well as songs from my weekly song mission called “SONGS IN THE RAW”. I sold CD packages with all of my recorded material and people were exited about having all of my musical life in their hands. It is nice to be in a place where, although English is not the national language, they understand what I am singing about and comment on my lyrics and their meaning to them. I cannot say the same about Dutch, Flemish, German or French. I am at a total loss when it comes to understanding and it makes me feel completely inferior. It’s still a bit of a mind bender to be playing your heart and soul out on stage and here some strange tongue at the bar followed by laughter and the occasional glance in your direction. I’m sure it’s all quite harmless, especially after the kind remarks post-show, but it takes me out of my game a bit during the set. I am going to have to work on that. It’s just that it reminds me of when I was working in a restaurant that was predominantly Hispanic in the kitchen. I would walk through the kitchen and they would say something to each other and then laugh as they looked in my general direction. Of course, I ended up learning enough Spanish to fend off the verbal attacks, but it took years and a ton of patience on their part. Unfortunately, I don’t have that luxury here.
I slept through breakfast, as usual, and I’m enjoying some fantastic coffee in a café around the corner from the Hotel where I stayed. The drive to Eindhoven is about 90 minutes and I feel pretty confident that I will be there in plenty of time, thanks to my Garmin Nuvi 270 GPS. I should approach them about a Sponsorship.