Summer Tour 2003

The summer of 2003 found the I.F.F. crossing two countries playing live at festivals, nightclubs, bars, honky-tonks, pubs and juke joints. From the U.S. west coast thru the south up the east coast and into Canada all the while travelling in an old brown Chevy van. It was a cozy and, at times, sweltering affair with 3 to 4 boys and all their gear packed into the shag rug and wood panelled interior of their air conditionerless, 8 cylinder beast. The van was lovingly nicknamed 'Monkey Shit' after a line from the song "Putnam County" by Tom Waits ("and you climb into the helm of a 1958 monkey shit brown Buick Super and you're on your way home").

The fellas probably could have just flown from events to festivals to club to cities and had a much more relaxing time but they all felt like they needed to see and play in the small places in between. Make new connections and meet new friends and maybe even a few fans while seeing some of the weird and magical places in North America they'd never been exposed to.

It was an interesting tour financially. There were festivals, renegade parties and club events that paid well but there were many nights of tiny venues in between the long drives that yielded rowdy adventures (and some surly hangovers) but paid very little towards the thirsty gas guzzling Monkey Shit. I guess sleeping in the van or at friends (new and old) helped offset some of that cost....

The tour ended up being a one way event. The hired gun bass player (Mike) lived in Niagara-On-The-Lake (near Toronto); Andy was living in Brooklyn at the time so only joined us for the all glory no guts part of the tour; and Ben had decided he didn't like living in the California desert anymore. So Marc did the wonderfully quiet drive back to Homeland California all by his lonesome self.