THE ZIPCODE TOUR

1.    ZIP CODE REHEARSALS AND A GREAT CLUB GIG

We arrived LA on May 8th and I went straight from the plane to the rehearsals at Third Encore in North Hollywood. Great to see everyone again...for the most part it is the same team we’ve had for many years, and it’s like seeing family members after several months of not seeing them.

The guys had rehearsed one day without me, so this was actually the second day of rehearsals for them. We steamed into  a bunch of tunes...I went back to my duties of going over the master list and selecting songs to play. We did around 16 or so numbers. Perhaps a bit ragged on the edges, but we haven’t forgotten them...just need to shine them up and find the groove. The first date we will do is going to be a club show at a place called the Fonda Theater...and while we’ll do some other songs, we will do the entire Sticky Fingers record.

After rehearsals I went back to the Four Seasons hotel (we have the same room as we did before...1601...on the top floor of the southern wing) and walked to Il Cielo restaurant across the street for dinner. Very nice setting under a palm tree canopy with lots of the typical “LA lights”. Nice to be back in a familiar restaurant.

5/9-5/21

The ensuing two weeks we had good rehearsals...going over all the Sticky Fingers songs as well as other material that we are considering for the big stages. Everyone in great form and in good moods. Nice to be back with the family...the crew, staff, AEG folks. Everyone seemed to enjoy the process of the rehearsals. As usual, it started a bit slow but picked up during the course of things and by the end we were all feeling confident and ready to get on the stage.

As for Rosie and I....during our own time outside of rehearsals, we did some “retail therapy” shopping at The Grove, The Beverly Center...I bought some shirts and such...a jacket at Macy’s at the BC. Rosie bought a sweater or two...and we just enjoyed walking around those spots and getting out of the hotel some. I did my workout routine...nice that the gym at the Four Seasons was relatively empty every day...only one or two folks outside myself using it. I feel in great shape, as I ramped up my routine for the tour. Weight work, and treadmill walking. Probably average of an hour to hour and a half 5 days a week.

We revisited some of our favorite restaurants in the evenings...The Red O...great upscale Mexican food; The Sunset Tower Restaurant...great views and excellent food; Talasai, a comfortable Thai place on Sunset with great quality eats; We went twice to the Bombay Palace...fab Indian food, and we’ve become friends with Harveen, the woman that runs it and her husband; AOC, I guess you’d call it American cuisine...not far from out hotel down on 3rd St. One night we were invited by Karl Denson’s manager, Erik Newson, to dine at Tar and Roses...where his girlfriend, Yana, is the manager. That place is in Santa Monica, so a bit of a drive...but it was excellent food and fun company.

I had a nice call from Brian Ray, one of the two guitar players with Paul McCartney. We connected and I got him into rehearsals one day.

Home Away From Home LA

 

Really cool guy and nice to make a new friend. He maintains a band called the Bayonets when not working with Paul...and gave me a cd of their work. Great stuff.

Our friend Ronnie Finestone was in town...and graciously took us to the “Haus of Strauss”...Levi Strauss’ private home where they take in special folks by invitation...musicians, actors, etc...to let them grab some Levi’s wear. I made out like a bandit...3 pairs of jeans, a couple of jackets, shirts, t-shirts...all really great clothes and they were so nice to us. A lovely Scottish girl named Joni took care of us. I love the Levi’s clothes and will get some excellent use out of them....thanks, guys! Ronnie took us out to dinner afterwards....to a place called The Grill near Rodeo Drive on Dayton Way. His brother, Steven, and Steven’s wife, son and daughter came...as well as Dr. Brad Connor, our tour Doc. Had a fine filet minor with bone in....excellent!

On May 20, we played a club show at the Fonda Theater. We had worked up all of Sticky Fingers for the occasion....filling in with some other Stones’ tunes and a couple of covers. Sixteen songs in all...set list was:

RS SET LIST, THE FONDA THEATER 5/20/15

1.         START ME UP

2.         WHEN THE WHIP CIMES DOWN

3.         ALL DOWN THE LINE

4.         SWAY

5.         DEAD FLOWERS

6.         WILD HORSES

7.       SISTER MORPHINE

8.       YOU GOTTA MOVE

9.       BITCH

10.     CAN’T YOU HEAR ME KNOCKING

11.     I GOT THE BLUES

12.     MOONLIGHT MILE

13.     BROWN SUGAR

Encores:

14.     ROCK ME BABY

15.     JJ FLASH

16.     CAN’T TURN YOU LOOSE

It was an incredible night...lots of “star power” in the audience....Bruce Willis, Eric Idol, Jack Nicholson, Lady GaGa and more...many of the usual Stones fans that somehow get tickets to these things...don’t know how they do it, but they do. The place probably held 700 or so...and the event was filmed in “4 D”, whatever that is. It was a performance for the books....band on top of our game and so much fun. There was also a great party on the roof of the Fonda after the gig. I had fun conversations with Bruce Willis, Eric Idol and others that were in attendance. Great fun, and eventually we made our way back to the hotel.

FLO'S AWESOME MINI BACKSTAGE LOUNGE

So now we pack up and move down to San Diego to get back on the big stage...time to take it to the stadiums!