Day Two. Things are getting easier?!

Well we were on time today and the combined age of my helpers was not a 120 like yesterday, so just like i hoped with each day passing the job gets easier. So many kind and gratious fans in Simspsonville probably shook fifty hands thanking me for such a wonderful meal. Right now i love my job, despite the long hours and fast paced atmosphere. Things are looking on the up and up. For the first time in two weeks of work I finally got to catch more than one full song. I love this job, and i am starting to feel that i had to something right in this life to be able to give good people good things, travel the country, and somehow get paid for it all. Not that my job is easy but the experience keeps paying off any possible negative effects. And if the $100 dollar bill i found when i decided to take the initiative to clean some things, eventhough i didn't have to, then i dont know the meaning of the word "karma". Still terribly exhausted, so i am sorry if my blogs are a little short for the first week. I promise everyone i will get into more details as this crazy journey continues on until then good night my friends, and remember positive thinking is the easiest step towards solving any problem!

Day One two hours late and under the gun!!

So first day of the tour we are running two hours behind schedule due to some trailer tire issues (for the second time). At first look, not a good start. To make things more hecitc, the helpers i had been so eagerly waiting for to make my life easier, were two sweet older ladies who happened to be 55 and 65. Oh crap. Half of my job is lifting heavy things, so needless to say i worked my ass off. The food went great though, still just getting the best compliments ever. So come 11:30 at night i finally finish all of my duties. Zac Brown Band and his openers Sonia Leigh and Nic, and Levi played a hell of a show and Zac Brown Band finished with standing ovations and a thirty minute cry for a second encore. Good way to start the tour despite my diffculties. Not much to report on specifics of the food cause we will be doing the same menu all week long. Sorry really exhausted so this blog is gonna be a little shorter then i'd like it to be. Still just gonna ride the high and take every experience i learn out here to heart, and keep putting my best foot forward.

NEW PHOTOS

Pictures from the first day cooking "our trial run" It was like a crazy episode of Top Chef!

No One Sleeps on Tour

So I am starting to think that no one sleeps on tour. Was up til two this morning and fifty people were still up and running around, then when i got up at 8 today everyone was up already. Well today was the first day of the "eat and greet" menu today, highlighting Zac Brown's recipes, cooking for 75 people in three hours, 8 items, all fresh and homemade. Pork Tenderloin with Zac Brown's sauce Beef Tenderloin with his rub, and his pocket knife cole slaw, Rusty's cheddar stone grits and collard greens, i made the herb vinegarette for a medi salad, fresh bread roles, and cookies. Cant get into the specifics of the recipes for the "eat and greet" cause they will be selling the sauce and rub, but i will fill you in when i get to start on my own recipes for the non-eat n greets. So far it's a lot of damn work, but nothing truly great that you want should never be too easy. That has never made as much since for me until this day. All in all good things. My life will get alot easier when i have some helpers and runners at my disposal to delegate, and hopefully ease my load. Tomorrow is the first day of the tour near raleigh, NC. My day begins when the bus arrives at eigtht, setting up "riders" (-food and beverage requests filled by the venue coordinators for every show) for each of the three tour busses. It's a pretty funny list with some strange requests, some of you may have heard of the green m&m's stories from i believe Alice Cooper, well that is in the "rider" request. Then I immediately go into the prep for the eat and greet, followed by clean up then i should be all done by 8pm (i'm hoping). Then repeat the whole process for the rest of the weeks dates.

I love cooking, so far we have got nothing but the kindest compliments for the food we've done. As far as saying it's the best food they have ever had on a catered venue. lol. We haven't even got to playing around with some realy fun healthy foods yet! I am once again feeling that this is gonna continue to be a surreal experience and one hell of a time. The truly hardest part is being away from my loved ones. If that is the hardest thing to deal with, aside from the hours and stress, then i dont think i could be at all disappointed. Well thanks again as always for caring enough to follow my blog. Look for some more pictures as my job is better understood. Time to crash and kick some ass tomorrow.

NEW PHOTOS

Problems with building a kitchen in a Trailer

So it has been an odd day, probably the last truly easy one I will have for awhile. With all good days problems are always there to be fixed. 70 hours building a kitchen inside a trailer this week and just when we think we are all set, circuit blows in athens today cause we have to much running off of one power line (Not a good thing to say the least), but like any bump in the road it's just a bump. Nothing to freak out over, or let myself get worked up about. The band is ironing out there sound and lights and started with sound checks, but just as we had problems so did they. Georgia is having some of the heaviest rain in months so coordinating this many people in the weather has left them seperated, and made it difficult to get everyone in the same place at the same time. Suprisingly everyone is remakably calm about it all, as they choose to be. Positive attitude goes along way everywhere.

On a fun note we cook our first meals for the band and staff tomorrow, Lunch is Spaghetti with a light homemade spaghetti sauce, with a greek salad, fruit medley, and some rolls. For dinner nothing but comfort with Prime Rib potatos au gratin, sauteed mushrooms and green beans, collard greens, and home made cookies. Sound delicous?? I say yes. Hope the oven is firing up tomorrow or things could change up a bit. All in all good things and good times out here. Everyone is still as kind as can be and we are all getting more comfortable with one another now that we are all remembering each others names and faces. Well a few more things to do today and then tomorrow brings more experience and new challenges. Thanks to you all who became followers of my blog i hope you at very least find it mildly entertaining and amusing.

JP

First day of a New Adventure as a Traveling Chef

Well up after a first night of bunks on the tour bus. Damn it's good being a little guy in one of these, enough room for me to stretch out and still have room for my computer and a drink. Not so lucky for my larger friend (6'3" 250+). Ha score one for the shorties of the world. Everyone i've met is insanely nice. Very much of a peace, love, and family vibe (like hippy but not quite) with road tested experience from Cowboy Mouth to Better than Ezra and Brooks and Dunn. Lots of work to do but i will post again before the end of the day. Thanks for checking out my first blog and i look forward to posting more stories about the way I see life and give everyone a taste of what it's like cooking for a headling band on a National Tour.