Tour Update
You guys, I think I understand why people tour in busses. After years of starting every show day with a long drive in a minivan, it’s a great pleasure not to be driving at all. We go to sleep after a show and magically wake up in the new place. It’s more expensive than the other way for sure, but it means that I have time and energy for other things during the days. And I think it makes the shows better because I’m not starting every one with the road grumps. Right now I’m drinking coffee on a bus in a hotel parking lot, which may not sound glamorous, but definitely feels that way.
Shows have been wonderful – thanks so much to everyone for coming out to see us. The band has really been clicking lately, and it feels like we’ve been playing together for years. John Roderick and I have been slowly but surely working songs from One Christmas at a Time into the set, and they’re awful fun to play. And of course it’s nice to see all you folks in this part of the country again – it’s been a while!
We’ve been doing these tour bus happy hours. It’s one of the things that I wouldn’t be able to fit in if it weren’t for this bus situation. Now I get to enjoy a cocktail and some conversation with a bunch of strangers on my tour bus right before my rock show, LIKE A NORMAL PERSON. I can tell that some of you don’t really like Manhattans and are just pretending to drink them, but I don’t care because Manhattans are delicious. There’s still time to enter these various contests for the remaining cities.
Yesterday was my birthday. In what has become a long-standing tradition, the superfans from the forums got together and made a celebratory video called JoCo Day. I don’t say it as often as I think it, so it’s worth saying again now: you fans are amazing. Your support over the years is an ongoing phenomenon that continues to surprise and delight me. Thank you.
File under “where do they find the time?”: Susan made 250 cupcakes with different JoCo song themes for the Houston show last night. I’ve never made 250 of anything in my life. There are now an awful lot of cupcakes on the bus. Here are the various species in all their glory:
Perhaps you have been following the adventures of @RealBusPig and @RealBusCat on Twitter. It would take too long to explain, so I won’t. But anyway, big ups to Molly, who sent me this robot cat for my birthday:
And finally, huge thanks to John Paul, who works the Environmental Control and Life Support System desk in ISS Mission Control at NASA, and who took us on an amazing tour of the Johnson Space Center. We were there watching the live feed from emmer effing space while the emmer effing astronauts were going to sleep for the day. Crazytown. Here’s us with the flight director:
So yeah. Going pretty well I guess. Another week of shows coming up…
12/2 Dallas
12/4 Nashville
12/5 Atlanta
12/6 Charlotte
12/7 Orlando (supershow with I Fight Dragons and MC Lars)
12/8 St. Petersburg
12/14 New York City (One Christmas at a Time Show with John Roderick)
Comments
Angelastic says
Glad you liked the video; it was fun making it; each fan does something amazing and I had the fun of putting those things together. Happy birthday!
Does the robot cat have laser beam eyes and microphone ears, like in the song 'Robot Cat' by Logan Whitehurst and the Junior Science Club? :)
If you ever want a tour around CERN, I could probably arrange that; just ask Marian Call what her visit was like. There is a control centre for a particle detector on the space station, so it's almost the same.
Beth Berkland says
Thanks for the update! Have my fingers crossed for Thursday...hope to enjoy my VERY FIRST Manhattan, and i KNOW i will like it! :-)
Susan says
I'm glad you liked them! I did have three helpers, including my underaged laborers. :D We squee'd at dinner when we made it to the blog! We're almost like internet famous for a small fandom!
Susan says
And for transparency - from the receipt of the donation:
Dear Susan,
Thank you so much for your gift of $75.00 to American Humanist Association. Your thoughtful generosity will make an important difference in our growing work.
Below is a summary of your gift.
Amount: $75.00
It was donated in the name of Jonathan Coulton fans of Houston, Texas :)
Brett Glass says
Jonathan, you deserve the support.... You're doing great work and forging a tremendous career. And thank you for assembling a community of absolutely amazing, brilliant, and super-talented fans who are so much fun to play with.
Jim Crider says
Can't speak for anyone else, but I *liked* the Manhattan... :)
Roz Warren says
Drinking coffee on a bus is not glamorous. But it sounds like fun.
ZSandmann says
You absolutely rocked the fancy pants off Austin! My first JoCoSho and not the last! Thanks for making my birthday awesomerererer!
Michele says
I have tweeted #JoCoVisulite several times and its not showing up on the thread! My husband and I are huge fans. Hate that we are missing out on the chance to hang with you.
SSteve says
I have loved Manhattans for many years. My wife and I enjoyed one just two nights ago. (Last night was a Martini.) You should swing your bus through Northern California next time around. Ideally to the Center for the Arts in Grass Valley. Yo La Tengo and Cowboy Junkies both played there this year to very appreciative audiences.