Well, I hit 9 states this time, three blizzards in Utah and a snow storm in New Mexico and I made it back in one piece! That was one hell of a drive! I saw some breathtakingly beautiful country!

 

The first three nights I spent in Estes Park, Colorado with family. While I was there we visited the famous Stanley Hotel where Steven King wrote The Shining and they filmed the scary as hell remake for TV there as well! Then, on to Las Vegas for a night and stayed with an old friend I hadn't seen in about 13 years! Went out and grabbed a beer, got some rest, and finally made my way out to Los Angeles the next day and met up with my pal Jack Tracy(Aka; Jack The Actor, Aka; Mack Daddy Jack) We hit all the have-to-see places over the next three days including The Pacific Ocean, Venice Beach, Hollywood and all that entails, like Hollywood Blvd, The Sunset Strip and I even went rollin' down Rodeo with a pocket full of...um....change!? Saw the Walk Of Fame and hung out at the Whiskey a Go-Go, The Ritz and The Rainbow bar and Grill where I met Ron Jeremy, Mike Inez(Alice In Chains, Ozzy) and got a picture(sort-of) with Dweezil Zappa!

 

After that I headed back to Vegas to hang out with my good friend Rob a little longer and take in the sights in Vegas one more night, we had a great home-cooked meal consisting of brick-oven baked chickens he raised himself and stuffed bell peppers filled with buffalo meat, exotic rice and lentils. Later we hit the strip and the Palms where T.J. and the band met Vinnie Paul(Pantera) a few days earlier. I didn't get so lucky, but that's ok I've met him already anyway ;-)>  Rob saved the best for last and took me to the coolest place in Vegas, The Artisan! It's probably the only hotel in Vegas that you can't gamble in! VERY COOL! It's also a wedding chapel, but I decided against that, the waitress just wasn't my type, lol.

 

From Vegas I headed out to Mesquite, Nevada to meet up with T.J. and the band and jam a little. I stayed up and hung out for a while but I was pretty wiped out from Vegas so I got some rest and headed for the north rim of the Grand Canyon the next day. Unfortunately the North rim was closed for winter so I headed to the South rim(what a beautiful drive that was!), got in and made my way around the park just as the sun was setting, it was beautiful but awfully cold!

 

Barely made it to Albuquerque that night, the weather sucked! I got a cheap motel and rested up for the drive home. Woke up to a snow storm and had to drive 45mph through the mountains, but I made it home ...well, to the Solo, safe and sound by around 10 or 11pm Monday night. Then on to a nice welcome home jam at Doc's with some of the boy's from Fist Of Rage. Good times, good times!!!

 

I am looking forward to seeing all of you for the Hell or High Water show tonight at Solo!!! Come out and have a beer with me!!!

 

                                      ~Carl

 

 

 

Down For Five will be playing the Jingle Bell Ball at Cain's Ballroom on Friday December 19th With ten other bands including... Texas Hippie Coalition(check out www.myspace.com/texashippiecoalition ), XIT 27, Horse Called War, Eightyproof, Doomsday Junky, Heatfix, Oversoul, On Wings of War, The Dawn Armada and J.A.D.E. This is an ALL AGES show! Tickets for this show are just $13! Buy a ticket from Down For Five and be entered for a chance to win Janna Jordan's Ibanez guitar, worth $600.00!!!

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: WE HAVE TO SELL AT LEAST 50 TICKETS OR WE DON'T GET TO PLAY AT ALL, AND WE WILL BE LIABLE FOR PAYING THE DIFFERENCE!! ! THAT'S $650.00 WORTH OF TICKETS!!! WE REALLY NEED YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS ONE!!! OUR TICKET SALES ALSO DETERMINE OUR TIME SLOT AND WHICH STAGE WE WILL BE PLAYING!!! I HAVE TICKETS ON HAND HERE IN THE BARTLESVILLE AREA AND THE REST OF DOWN FOR FIVE HAVE THEM AVAILABLE TO ANYONE IN THE TULSA AREA AS WELL. PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT ANY OF US IF YOU OR A FRIEND NEED TICKETS!!! 

 

 I WILL HAVE TICKETS ON-HAND TONIGHT(WEDNESDAY NIGHT) AT THE SOLO CLUB, LOCATED AT 408 E 2ND ST. IN DOWNTOWN BARTLESVILLE, FEEL FREE TO STOP BY AND PICK UP AS MANY AS YOU NEED!!! THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT EVERYONE, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU!!!

 

Have a safe and happy holiday season!!!

 

                                                                 ~Carl Lowe