JEFF PIKE - ABBA MANIA - FALL 2021 TOUR BLOG - DAY 19

November 15, 2021
On The Road
​The Bus

The bus left late this morning for our long drive to Warren, Ohio, for our show at The Robins Theater on November 16. We had today off, but like all but one of our days off on this tour, it was spent on the bus. 

Even at its best, touring in and of itself is a whirlwind life that is not suited for everyone. People, places, full days, music, venues, hotels, and shows fly by and run together like two colors quickly mixed on a painter's canvas. Time goes by fast. Time goes by slow. Time is forgotten. Bizarrely, time seems to stand still, for you are not at home, and you are never in the same location for more than a day before you are on the move again. Then, when it's all over, you can hardly even remember where you have been and what you have done. I walk in my front door exhausted after a tour. As I put my bags down, it feels like I never left, like I have been gone a year, and I am depressingly at a loss at what to do next. It usually takes me at least two weeks to get my footing back. But for the most part, I do enjoy it. However, I will confess that the older I get, the harder it becomes on my body and psyche. Thus one reason I decided to try writing a tour blog for this tour. On a more positive note, we are blessed to be very well taken care of. We have a team and crew that all get along very well, so time spent traveling is never a problem unless the bus breaks down. Thankfully, our bus did not break down today, and we spent most the day and early evening of it riding from Kansas City, Missouri, to Warren, Ohio. 

I do enjoy touring on a bus as opposed to flying. Yes, it takes a lot longer to get where you are going, but being able to sit and look out the window and watch America go by is soothing for my soul. On days like this, most everyone sleeps late, lounges around, watches TV and listens to music. Sean and I got to know each other a little better today. We talked about music and discovered we both have an enormous love for the guitar playing of Derek Trucks. This conversation led to a long session of YouTube videos of Derek Trucks and The Allman Brothers being played loudly over the roar of the bus. I wish I had recorded it. Outside of that, the day was pretty much uneventful, and it was good to get to our hotel room and crawl into bed—lights out for Benny.