Day 21: Ashville, NC
Welcome
Yesterday we visited a small town in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, and played a show at the Orange Peel.
Our brand new bus came with a brand new driver who I met right after waking up. He greeted me with a friendly smile and a thick Tennessee accent, and immediately told me how much of a fan he was of the New Zealand accent. His name was Deano and this was not his usual bus, his bus was purple. This bus belonged to another driver however and was called Tennis Ball.
This over-sized tennis ball lives up the front of the bus next to the driver.
The fit-out is quite confronting with bright green and yellow trim contrasted with shiny black patent leather upholstery. This was a vehicle designed for luxury though, and it does have few a features that you wouldn’t find in old Golden Sparkle Face.
Extra bathroom
Shower
Larger than normal microwave
Table in back lounge
Hyper-green trim
Fruit bowl
Welcome mat
Brick and alligator shower trim
Monthly and weekly planners
Secret zone
Seatbelts
Deano’s usual bus.
The secret zone.
Gabe was in charge of the daily activity yesterday and had organised us a visit to the Moog factory. Moog is a brand known for producing synthesisers. In fact they produced the first production synthesizer in 1965 and their models have massively influenced the design of analogue synthesizers up to this day. I didn’t really know a lot about synthesisers going in to this activity. My understanding now, is that the creation of sound begins with one or more oscillators which each produce a waveform - a basic tone. This sound can then be altered in many ways such as by modulation (kind of like vibrato), filters to change and shape the timbre, or envelopes to change the attack or articulation.
We began with a look through the factory which took up most of the bottom floor of the building. There were a number of different production lines for different models of synthesiser. I saw people that were simply assembling them from circuit boards that were made overseas. There were also people working away with soldering irons, making circuit boards from scratch for Moog’s more advanced modular synthesisers. All around the factory floor there were shelves and trolleys containing frames, wooden trim, keyboards, and completed Moog synthesisers, all awaiting their next destination.
Next we got to have a look at the Moog Sound Lab. This room contained original instruments from the 1960s and 70s which we were able to play and experiment with. I had my first proper go on a synthesiser and I created some wild and wacky sounds. Here is a video of Jon and I creating a song. Jon is performing the keyboard and controlling the oscillators while I am controlling the arpeggiator.
Inside the Moog Sound Lab.
📷 Getty images/istock photo
Ashville is a town that has a very welcoming feel. Ashville also has the second most microbreweries per capita in the country, with 0.00034 breweries per resident. The main street is dotted with nice bars and eateries as well as a smattering of gift shops and a seemingly disproportionate number of places that sell outdoor clothing. I noticed a lot of decorative wood in all of these places; pallets, branches, and small logs. We were definitely in a mountain town.
We were famished after so much synthesising (synthesis?) so we headed into Green Sage Cafe to get some breakfast. I ordered a Gimme Kale, a dish with scrambled eggs, sauteed kale and onion, sweet potato, and ciabatta. There was also jam served on the side which I made the mistake of thinking was a savoury jam before applying it to one of my ciabatta slices.
The weather was continuing to get warmer as we continued to get souther. It felt like Spring in Ashville. Dogwood trees in full bloom lined the streets and the town was out enjoying the weather. I even had my first shorts day of the tour, a triumphant event.
I was ruthlessly pranked during soundcheck. The culprit is still unconfirmed but I can share that the primary suspect is Liz.
Enjoying the sunset from the venue balcony after soundcheck.
The Orange Peel is quite a renowned venue in North Carolina. It also lies close enough to Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina, that it attracts patrons from well out of town. We conducted an audience survey last night and found that only about five or ten people out of the roughly one thousand attendees lived in Asheville itself.
Sidney Gish opening up the show.
They were a great crowd. The landscape orientation of the room meant that even hecklers right at the back were able to hit you with an incredible volume. I played my first gig in shorts and felt like my onstage agility was through the roof.
If you were reading the blog last year you might remember that when we came through North Carolina we were lucky enough to stay with Gabe’s parents, Izy and Richard. They traveled all the way from Raleigh to come and see our show (and visit their son), and Izy even brought along some extremely dangerous home baking. Here we all are enjoying a nightcap in the main lounge of Tennis Ball.
I’ll leave you with another round of our favourite game, bus or sub?! Answer below for a prize.
