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A weekend in the life of a roadie

Did I say roadie?
As I sat at the bar with a friend of mine, I looked at the bright eyed smile of a very young patron at Novaks, in St Louis. The young lady asked my friend and me, “Do you guys manage Ronnie?” I grinned and chuckled in return and said, “No, we don't”. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or grimace at her next question. “Are you her roadie?" she asked with an abundance of enthusiasm. No, we are just friends that came down to hear Ronnie perform and wanted to help her out with her stuff. The "stuff", as you will later learn, is quite the heavy load. And so I sat, tossing and turning the term "roadie" around and thinking of my relationship with Ronnie and asking myself, “just how did I get to be here at Novaks in St Louis, Mo. on Friday, March 3rd, 2006?”

To start with, I have to tell you that my "friends" will tell you these 3 things about me. 1- she is a home body. 2 - she's not really a party girl. She has a few Corona's on occasion but she would not likely be the one to "belly up to the bar". 3- she LOVES a road trip, ANY kind of road trip with any one of her friends!

It began at Joey T’s. For some, it was idle conversation, but when I heard those magical words "ROAD TRIP", I just knew I had to go. The yonder was calling me and in my mind I was packing my bag. I always volunteer for road trips not thinking until much, much later about where it is I am going and exactly what the trip will entail. As the departure date neared, I began to anxiously think about "the trip". It would begin on a Friday morning and end that Sunday evening. There would be some partying involved, because after all, we were headed to three of Ronnie’s "GIGS". Ok, I was ready - I can do this.

Ronnie knew that there were two of us that would be traveling to see her in both St. Louis and Peoria and suggested that we ride with her. My clue as to how the weekend was going to go was evident within the first 1/2 hour. After an email or two it was decided we would meet at 9:30am at the McDonalds in Gurnee, IL. So as 9:30 came and went, Ronnie was sitting at the McDonalds just off the expressway a 1/4 mile down the road while we sat at the McDonalds at Gurnee Mills.......neither of us knowing that there were two McDonalds from which to choose.

By 9:50am, we were officially on the "road trip". Ronnie moved her guitar and a couple of other prize items to another location in the van and made room for my friend and me. As I loaded my bags into the van, I couldn't help but notice the various metal containers, stands, lights, and an assortment of leather bags. The van was packed full! I immediately noticed the nice roomy space surrounding the only empty seat in the rear and quickly moved in and claimed it as mine. Little did I know, that seat would be my haven for the next few days.

As I sat in the back of the van, watching the world and traffic pass by, I pondered my relationship with Ronnie. The first time I saw Ronnie perform was about 8 years ago at a back yard party. Her voice and her sound were extraordinary. I bought a CD and, like many of her fans, I asked for her autograph which she graciously provided. I did not hear or see her again until some years later. A group of us spent New Years Eve at Stone Harbor in Wisconsin. My friend said that there was this woman named Ronnie Nyles performing and she's REALLY great! It was history after that. We kept abreast of Ronnie’s whereabouts and went to see her perform on occasion. The occasions to see her perform would increase as she was now playing 15 minutes away in McHenry, Il. at Joey T’s. Sunday nights at Joey T’s was the place to be. We got to know Ronnie on a more social level and met her friends, neighbors, and others that are important parts of her life. I sat and reflected on last summer, having helped her out with a golf outing, still trying to define the relationship. With all of this pondering in the back seat, I began to work up an appetite. Soon enough we would be stopping at a dive bar on route 66 for this really great burger and what would be my very first Corona of the trip. We were now 1/4 of the way in to the first leg of the road trip. After watching a movie, and a little conversation later, we arrived in St Louis.

With the printed "map quest" pages in hand we were quickly making our way to our first stop, Novaks. As Ronnie talked with the staff members, I "bellied up to the bar" and heard the words "Corona" roll off of my lips in answer to the young ladies question "Can I get you something to drink?” It was only 3:30 pm and I was now on my second Corona. We began to empty the van for the first of what would soon be many times. There was much discussion of equipment and just which pieces of equipment Ronnie would need. Although I had helped her load up her van after performing in McHenry, I really had no clue as to what was needed. As Ronnie unloaded various pieces on to the curb, it was easy enough to carry them into the bar. Easy until I stood in front of these two HUGE speakers that had to weigh 9000 tons. You get where I'm going with this? They were VERY heavy. So I grabbed one end, my friend grabbed the other and both speakers were on stage in no time at all. I ignored the very little and very faint voice in my head that was saying "Did you feel something in the small of your back?"

Soon Ronnie was set up, the sound was tested and with “map quest” pages in hand, out the door we flew to locate the hotel where we would be staying. We had directions from the hotel to the bar, but not the other way around. We were lost and we were only two blocks away from the bar. Reading the directions backwards and not getting anywhere was frustrating the two “front seaters”. I whipped out my cell phone, dialed 411 and was soon talking to the hotel clerk Ray. The poor guy was trying to help us but we were short one key ingredient. We didn't have a clue as to which way was north, south, east or west. After a quick description of the area and three more calls to Ray we arrived at our location. Time was now of the essence. A quick change of clothes and were back on the road. Having rehearsed, with Ray, how we would get back to the bar, we were once again "on the road". It was not long, a little turn here, another turn there and it was very clear none of us recognized where we were. Yes indeed.....we were lost. While the “front seaters” stressed each other out, I again whipped out the cell phone, dialed 411 and was soon talking to Chris at Novaks. Did you ever try to get directions from someone and still you could not decide if you needed to take a right or a left because you could not make out which direction you were coming from?.......oh never mind. With Chris on the phone, standing in the street, we soon pulled up to Novaks. Poor Ronnie-----she had maybe 10 minutes till show time. My sense of humor proved useless.

As I stood off to the side and watched Ronnie's performance, I could not help but to smile. This is really why I came! She is without a doubt a true performer! I love her music and her sound. I could hear her 100 times and it would be like the first.

Well, as she took her breaks and ended her performance there were many people who wanted cd's and other paraphernalia. Ronnie had to quickly tear down and move her equipment out of the way so that the karaoke could start. Tearing down is not something you can help her do. There had to be 800 cords and cables connected to the 300 pieces of equipment that we brought in! It is overwhelming to look at. So I relaxed and made new friends while selling her cd's to people. A half hour later, Ronnie is finished with tearing down and the equipment is packed in the van. The van which was neatly packed and well organized was now a major disaster area. Only Ronnie can pack her van and she just couldn't be everywhere at all times. So, when the performance had ended, well, let’s just say, desperate times call for desperate measures. My friend and I, being the helpful ROADIES that we are, just kind of tossed everything in and then could not figure out why the rear doors would not shut. Well, we went back in to the bar to have a cold one. It was then that I looked at the bright smiley face again and found myself still trying to put a name to my relationship with Ronnie and answer her question as to why I was there......Roadie.......just what was a Roadie?

The next day, after a good night’s sleep and breakfast, we were back on the road again. I called it breakfast, but I later looked back and saw that it was the “last supper.” I would not see real food again until we were back in McHenry, Illinois. At 4pm we rolled up to Sparkys in Peoria, Illinois. Oh my God, I’ve never met more friendly people! Before I could even unload myself from the van, I was being dragged into another bar, next door to Sparkys, having a “Welcome to Peoria” shot of apple pucker mixed with something and cranberry juice. Yes, tonight would be a lot of fun! I soon made my way back to Sparkys and forty minutes later the van had been emptied of equipment and Ronnie was once again tending to the tedious task of connecting the 800 cords and cables to the 300 pieces of equipment. Testing one, two, three........she was up and running. A few more “apple puckers” later we were once again in search of our hotel.

This time we had an escort to our hotel. After going through the McDonalds drive-thru, we had 20 minutes to eat, change and get back to the GIG. The night was a lot of fun. I did not know I could consume that many apple puckers and Coronas. Ronnie’s performance was longer than the night before. Tearing down the equipment didn't start until at least 1am. Her friends in Peoria were there and helped load the heavy pieces and the lighter stuff. There were many containers and bags of stuff. We made it back to the O.K. Corral at around 2:30 am. “Sleep lightly” Ronnie says. “We're having breakfast with a friend at 9:30 am”. Needless to say I was in a coma 5 minutes later.

The last leg. Yes, we were up at 7 am. I was looking at a breakfast that I REEEEALLY did not want to eat. Coke on ice, that is what I wanted, lots of Coke on ice. Soon we were "on the road again". It was a quiet ride to McHenry. A Melissa Etheridge concert DVD played and it passed the time nicely. During the interview that they did with Melissa, she referred to her crew as "her people". I said to Ronnie “there you go.....you can call us Your People". You know, “Have your people call my people, we'll do lunch”......she just laughed.

I, of course had called home throughout the weekend to provide updates as to the road trip and to squelch any concern that I might be overdoing it. "IT" being all that partying that I don't usually do. As I thought about the "last" gig in McHenry, I wondered how much equipment she would need. I never really noticed or paid much mind to exactly what she pulled out of the van. I was praying that it would not be much. I was wrong. I could not imagine unloading and loading all of the equipment alone. I see her perform and think maybe it would be cool to be a performer. Cool to have a great voice, play guitar and sing. It "looks" like it would be cool. But spend a weekend on the road and it's a whole new world.

As we pulled into McHenry, Ronnie’s friends were there to greet us and to see how we survived the "road trip”. We regaled them with our stories. There were lots of helping hands before and after her performance that day. When 8pm came and the last piece of equipment was loaded........I was exhausted. WOW - how does she do it? Although it was, as I call it, "a quiet riot", it was also WORK. When I see her perform the next time it will be with a whole new appreciation for just how much she loves what she does, because she definitely works for it!

So, as a friend, roadie, or "Your People", I would not trade that weekend on the road for anything. I have a new appreciation for all of the work that precedes her getting onto the stage. Although I may not be a “roadie” this weekend or the next weekend, I will definitely do it again.