Last October, Margie my booking agent e-mailed me and said that my name had come up as a possible Spring ‘11 tour mate for the legendary Exene Cervenka of the band X. I don’t believe I even gave it any thought. I just said “YES!” immediately.

I probably don’t have to state this but I have been a big X fan since finding their ‘Adult Book’ 7 inch (on Dangerhouse Records) back in ‘79 or ‘80 at a record store inReno and even more so, after seeing them perform and carry on like punkers in theDecline Of Western Civilization film. They’ve managed to consistently make great music, make great live shows and I later discovered (thanks to my ex-X-worshiping girlfriend Felicia (name changed to protect the non-innocent), they were great to fuck to.

Over the last few years, I’ve also played a couple of times with John Doe and have come to know just how amazingly cool, humble and gracious of a dude he is in real life. This helped make my overall love for X even more solid and I have always done what I could to spread the good word on them. I even played an X song EVERY week for 3 and a half years when I was hosting my weekly commercial radio punk rock show in Sacramento years back.

I am definitely a BIG fan.



Between last October and early March, e-mails, phone calls and text messages were exchanged between everyone involved in the universes of me and Exene: her, me, my agent, her agent, my record label head honcho. The initial idea was for Exene and I to travel together for 3 and a half weeks through Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, New Mexico, Arizona and California in an RV owned by a friend of hers who would also be handling all the driving.

The concept seemed too good to be true and the second it was confirmed by all parties, I found myself riding on a mini-cloud 9 (cloud 8 & a half?) while going about my life, touring, recording and being a homebody.

Plans did change a few times. Exene contacted me and expressed concerns over rising gas prices and suggested that it might make more sense for us to nix the RV idea and instead take her Ford Flex, sharing driving duties and staying with friends and in hotels wherever we couldn’t find people to stay with. I wasn’t really looking forward to driving through that part of the country (i LOVE playing in those towns along that route but that drive can suck my asshole) but, what the fuck, i’m touring with the great Exene! Fuck it. Yes, I said. I basically said ‘yes’ to everything. I just wanted this tour to happen and I figured now was the perfect time for flexibility in my tour regimentation (wink, wink).

Up until the week I left for Austin, Texas to go meet up with Exene, I really had no clear idea of what was happening. I tried. I e-mailed Exene. Attempted to leave messages on her voicemail but her box was full. I got the distinct feeling that, despite all the dates confirmed, not much else was solidified and truth be told, that isn’t all that uncommon. At least it isn’t in my life.

Exene came to a show I played at the Redwood Bar in L.A. in February of this year. She was friendly and we talked about upcoming plans. We even had photos taken together by some professional photog she knew. It all was looking pretty cool. A few weeks later, after a couple attempts to reach her on the phone, Exene called me and informed me that we were, indeed, taking her Ford Flex and that she’d have a friend with her who would be with and help us up to Memphis where she lives. There, the friend would bail and it would just be Exene and I doing the rest of the tour. 

Admittedly, that idea made me a little nervous but only because we didn’t really know each other and had no idea what it would be like to live together on the road for 2 and a half weeks on our way back to California. Again, i just figured, fuck it. How bad could it be? I’d be traveling with fuckin’ Exene Cervenka!

At home, I got my shit together for the roadtrip. Everyone in my life, particularlyAllyson, knew just how thrilled I was to be doing this tour.  I tour a lot and I have played with some amazing artists (Chuck Ragan, Tim Barry, Joey Cape, Kepi Ghoulie, Frank Turner, etc. etc.) but this one was going to be HUGE, for so many reasons.  Besides traveling and performing with a rock & roll hero, I’d also be given a chance to play in front of crowds filled with people who had never heard of me and who, hopefully, I could win over with my tunes and performance.

On March 18th, had an unofficial (and early) birthday celebration and going-away gig in Sacramento, surrounded by loved ones and good friends and performing with Al and my buddies David Houston,  Alison Sharkey, Kepi Ghoulie and Dino The Girl. It was wonderful and the perfect tour send-off for me.



That following Thursday, I turned 50 and was on a plane heading for Austin, Texas to meet up with Exene and start our tour. I caught a flight to Denver where, upon approach, I experienced some of the worst turbulence I’ve ever experienced. Seriously. I can handle bumpiness pretty well these days, but that turbulence was awful and left everyone on the flight feeling a little fucked up afterwards.

From Denver, I caught a flight to Austin where my good friend Grub Dog was waiting for me. Grub now lives in Austin but is a former Sacramentan and one of the best singer-songwriters on the planet.  We hopped into his mini-van and, after a stop to eat, off we went to his house to crash for the night.

to be continued…….