This trip back to Narrows, VA was one we were looking forward to.  We had made a surprise guest appearance on our first visit in May for the Narrows HS Prom and we rocked the place and met a lot of great people.  This time it was an outdoor concert and fireworks to celebrate the town's anniversary.  I love fireworks - one of my favorite things.

We played Atlantis on Friday night and tore the gear down after our JagerBlast party with help from Corbin Fitzpatrick, who's been sitting in with us on some of our gigs.  Ayman and everyone were great as usual, and we were packed up and ready to hit the road by 3:15 am.  So T-bone and Corbin jump in Mobizzle and Brian, Bub, D-Rail, Larry and I load up in our other truck and head for the Bluefield exit on the WV Turnpike.  No bathroom/coffee stops, just straight through to Narrows.  We get into town and stop at Burger King for breakfast at 5:30 am and then start looking for our motel...we were glad to be there and fall on the bed for some sleep.  The motel was really interesting and we took a lot of pictures you can look below to see photo highlights. 

Saturday morning we roll out of bed in our usual relatively high spirits at 1 pm and start out to look for the venue. 

We drive a few miles back into town and look for the city park.  And find our stage ready for us.  It was gonna be a neat show because the stage was actually sitting on the edge of a large creek and the park and audience were situated on the bank across from us.  Kids were swimming around and everyone was having a great day.  The sun was shining.  We carried our gear down the bank and across the spring feeding the creek and set up.  It was hot and Brian did get a little red (he burns very easily) but all in all we were pumped for the show and as usual he had it sounding great.

So we sound checked (Bub played the jaws theme) and the people there were groovin' and having a good time and we announced that we would start the show around 7:45.  Larry, Bub, Brian and I left for the motel to clean up and return in 45 minutes and D-Rail, T-Bone and Corbin stayed behind just in case there was a hint of rain like had been forecasted.  We had been rained on two weeks earlier when playing a show in Princeton and had lost a guitar amp (Corbin's - on his first gig with us) and didn't really want it to happen again.  So we were being cautious. 

But, it did happen again.  At approximately 7:00 pm the rain started coming down and the lightning started dropping and we were looking at all our gear set up and ready to go under tarps and some of it sitting in puddles of water.  We were all freaking out a little bit.  But no one left and the crowd waited around along with us to see what would happen.

Wayne and the Park Grounds crew came to our rescue and provided more tarps as we sat for an hour to see if the rain would pass and we could get the show and fireworks off.  Well, at 8:30 pm they called it and we packed up without getting to play and loaded the heavy gear back up the now muddy bank and into the soaked truck.  The park guys were helping us carry everything up the bank and over the guardrail to the truck.  Thanks guys! 

We did have one casualty.  We lost our long time dear and trustworthy friend Nash R. C. to the wet and left him alone and sitting on the empty drenched stage.  You can see him the way we last saw him, filled with garbage and sitting on the back of a pick up ready to be hauled to the dump.  So long!  RIP Nash!

We were all in our gig clothes packing up thousands of dollars worth of wet gear and I bet that was a very funny site.  It had to be entertaining to the people sitting with umbrellas across the bank from us.  That alone would be worth the price of admission.  Seriously, we were all bummed not to be playing and we dripped back to our twilight zone accommodations to regroup.  After a hot shower and hot meal things were looking up and we waited for the next day to see if the sun would shine.  We were all exhausted and pretty much fell asleep without the usual meet and greet party in our hotel room.

Sunday morning around noon we looked out and it was overcast and looking "iffy".  But we headed over to consult with the park manager and see what we could do to set up an alternate site for the show.  We all talked and decided to go ahead and set up the show under a shelter and this worked out fine.  It takes us approximately 3 hours lead time to set up our full show and sound check for the performance, so once we make a decision on where it's gonna be - that's were it has to stay.  (yet it only takes an hour to tear it all down...I've never figured that one out).

Because of all that preparation for more rain, you know the end of this story.  Sunday night it didn't rain and the show went off. 

The people were great.  We had Richard's help selling tons of merch and signing poster and autographs for everybody.  Our fans from the Jr./Sr. prom came out to support us and say hi.    The funnest part for me was when the town police officer stopped by while we were loading up the truck and said "I know you sold at least one CD because I just heard "She Wants to Rock" louder than city ordinance in someone's car as they left the fireworks show", with a smile on his face. 

From the girl at the gas station to the electrician who set up our power that we just happened to run into at Burger King at 5:30 am when we first pulled into town, thanks to everyone in the friendly town of Narrows.  We had a great time playing for you.  (Plus a tip to travelers, we found 2 great restaurants: the Chinese place next to the Food Fair and Annie's home cooking type restaurant that had a killer Sunday buffet, home made rolls and very friendly service.)

You know, there are gonna be bad times.  We all have them.  Our's involves rain usually.  But I guess the moral of the story is we all made it home safe with new fans and new road memories and NO equipment losses which is a minor miracle.  There is usually a bright side (dry side?) to every bad story if you look hard enough. 

Thanks for reading and hope to see you on the road soon.

your friends,

Gina, Larry, Bub and t-bone - Brian and d-rail

the CB's