Why the Red Elvises Need a Vacation
By Willie

While September 1,2000 was not a typical day for the Red Elvises it will demonstrate what they go through to entertain us. Imagine getting up at 6AM and driving to the airport unloading all the equipment you will need getting it checked, being airborne by 9AM. After a four hour flight you land six hours later, claim all your equipment and rent a van to haul it in. Load all the equipment and drive for almost two hours in holiday weekend traffic. Now you have to unload the van, set up all the equipment and do a sound check before getting a 20 minute break.

It's Showtime! Unfortunately most of the crowd hasn't shown up yet because they are looking forward to the headliner. You play an hour and a half set that rocks. Next you have to tear down the equipment reload the van, talk to fans, sign autographs and get directions to the other show you are performing.

After a brisk hour and a half drive in Friday night holiday weekend traffic you unload the van set up and go straight into another hour and a half set. After signing more autographs and talking to more fans it is now almost 2AM local time 4AM by when you woke up, and you still haven't found a room to sleep in. You have to be up by 8AM to catch a 10AM flight back to California to play another show tonight.

As I said this is not a typical day but since March they have had at least 5 times they have played 4 shows in 3 days, one case of 4 shows in 2 days. The day described above is one of six times they have had to fly across at least one time zone to play a show the next day. I would say that there have been about 80 days that they have had to drive 100-300 miles before doing a show again that night.

They have been keeping this brutal schedule for the last three years. This does not include practice, or learning new songs, writing new song, recording or a host of other thing. I don't know about you but in my opinion they deserve a long vacation.