DAY OFF IN OHIO

Day off in Ohio

A day off on tour is a very precious thing.  On tour days kind of seem to blur together, and the simple luxuries you have at home are no where to be found.  

I was talking to Andre (Our merch guy) on the bus the other day, and asked him, "Do you like touring?"

He sighed.  It was 1 a.m. He had to stay up late counting out merch quantities with the venue and giving them their cut. (At most shows, venues keep a percentage of merch sales.  The standard is usually 20%). Random fact. :)

"Yes and no," he said.  "I miss my family a lot.  I miss out on events. Ya know, birthdays, art festivals, mother's day.  But I like traveling a lot.  I like it too when I'm surrounded by good people."

I smiled. "I miss silly things."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Well, for example, on tour it sucks brushing your teeth.  It's like...you have to go into the bay of the bus to get your suitcase out, dig for your toiletry bag, get your toothbrush out of the weird container, dig for a water bottle in the ice chest, and then brush your teeth outside with your one water bottle to last ya the time.  At home, it's like...the toothbrush is hanging out on the bathroom vanity by the toothpaste by the sink!"  

He laughed.

I know I'm just being silly now, but after a few weeks of tour, the thing I miss the most is just having everything conveniently out.  You need toe clippers, well, they're right here in the bathroom drawer! No big deal!  You don't have to pull 7 other people's bags out to find your bag stuffed in the back of the bay to grab those suckers out.

I hope you don't take this as me complaining about tour.  Because, obviously, I choose tour over any of the other stuff, from the small things like toothbrush convenience, to the big things, like missing my very large family at home in Utah.  But everyday I would choose tour.  Being up on stage is something I wouldn't give up, even though sometimes I get so nervous it scares the crap out of me.  I still want to get right back up on the horse.  Sometimes people ask me, "How did you overcome your nerves/fears."  My answer to that:  I haven't.  I don't think I ever will.  But what I have got control over...is how I let the nerves and fear control me.  They're still there, lurking in the shadows, but I'll still go out on stage with a smile and a big middle finger to them.  Sure, you're still here...but so am I.  

Now, moving on to the present.  Today is a day off in Ohio.  I wake up in my bunk.  It's hot. Someone's snoring.  The humidifier is on but I can tell there's no water in it left.  It sounds funny.  The lights are all off.  I peek out.  Everyone's curtain in their bunk is closed.  No way!  Am I really the first person to wake up today?  I look at the clock on my phone. 9:45 a.m.  I am ALWAYS the last to wake. (Granted, I'm usually the last to go to sleep too.  I've been busy with Korean Rosetta stone so I can better understand my momma)!  

Wait a second...if I'm the first up...that means that I have a chance to be the first person in the hotel room...meaning, I COULD BE THE FIRST PERSON IN THE SHOWER!  That's enough to even pull me out of bed.  We have 9 people with us on the bus. 5 of them, myself included, are band. Andre- Merch dude. Rob - Tech.  Chase - Monitor tech.  Robert - Tour manager. We only get 1 hotel room. (Hey, we're on a budget here!) So...after 9 people get in one hotel room...the chances are, it doesn't look or smell that great later on.  The 9th person to get the shower is never a happy person.  Especially if all the guys shave in the bathroom.  Geez, they leave their hair EVERYWHERE!!!

I quickly put some warm clothes on, get my laundry bag (Yes, laundry is a must on every day off!) and run into the hotel.  I spot Meg on my way in.  

"Why are you up?" she asks astonished.

"I want to take a bath....am I the first one in the bathroom?" (After one person has gone...baths are a no no for me.  I just can't.....ew). 

"Yup you are."

"Excuse me," I say, as I scramble toward the elevator.

And as I'm sitting in the bath tub, a slather of honey on my face, (Home made mask!) and a little bit of lavender oil in the water, I think to myself...Awww, this is the life!  How grateful I am for this bath! 

I hear the door click open.

"Hello?" I call out.

"Just me," Meg says.  "Take your time."

Oh, I will.  I do.  I think about all the things I have to do on this special day off.  A day off is a time to go to the gym, find some healthy groceries, wash and fold laundry, reorganize the messy bus, clean sheets, write blogs to you!, think of songs to cover, wear no make up (yes!) and watch my favorite gooshy mooshy chick movies in the back alone.  Days off are nice days to have some time to yourself.

I turn on some more hot water.  And all of a sudden I get really excited.  I'm on tour!!!  I'm on tour with Blake Shelton!!!  I got to watch Miranda Lambert perform yesterday during his set.  What a performer and singer!  I feel like I've been learning so much this tour just by watching these people that I look up to so much.  I don't think Blake will ever know how much it means to me that he's taken us on tour.  If I truly expressed my feelings to him everyday, I'd just get annoying.  It would be me bursting into tears screaming, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."  But really...at the end of the day, I couldn't be more happy to dig in the bus bay, dig in the toiletry bag, and dig for the water bottle to brush my damn teeth!  

XOX

Dia

P.S.  97.5 WQBE played me song "I will" the other day on radio.  I then quickly tweeted to my followers, "Please call the number to the radio station and request the song again."  I later called up the station to say thanks for playing it.  They told me that they had never had so many consistent callers asking for a song in a long while.  They said I have great fans.  It was at that moment that I realized how awesome you guys truly are.  It almost brought tears to my eyes. I love you!

P.S. My new merch store just finally opened! "RED" vinyls are now available too!  Here is the link!

http://diaframpton.shop.bravadousa.com/Dept.aspx?cp=53475_54575

For Tour Dates: (On tour now!)

www.diaframptonmusic.net