T-Bones, Rybeye, and The Tenderloin District

Our show in Fresno, CA was a success!  Not only were able to meet a few new friends, including Lance Canales and his band The Flood, but we also gained a few new fans in the area.  After getting in to Yuki’s house in Hanford, just south of Fresno, at 5am, we took to slumber for about 4 hours.  Then, it was back to Fresno for a radio interview and a quick exploration of the city.  After a plain turkey sandwich dinner in a park, we were bound for Audie’s Olympic Club to play the show.

The band truly can’t thank those who help us along the way enough!  We really appreciate our dear friend Yuki for allowing us to crash all over her floor in her cozy Hanford apartment.  With Deborah by her side, She even prepared an egg burrito breakfast with fresh fruit smoothies for us all just before our departure to San Fran!  Thank you, thank you, thank you…..KEE!  Hooray for Yuki!

I have always envisioned San Francisco as a magical hippy land where the beer flows like wine and the hippy women flock like the salmon of Capistrano!  So, needless to say the expectations within the van were high as we crossed the Bay Bridge into the city.  Our newfound friend Janie Hendrix invited the band to take a sneak peak at the mixing and mastering of a new live album of Jimi himself.  We were able to meet a few people that worked on the Hendrix albums and hear their stories.  As we exited the van into the studio we immediately realized we were in a “sketchy” part of town; better known as the Tenderloin District.  I won’t go into too much detail, but I will say that within the hour of parked on Hyde Street our van was pissed on (more than once), Joe, Rich, and I almost fell victim to projectile vomit from a woman on the sidewalk, we witnessed an arrest, saw a gentleman walking his two dogs and allowed them to drop bombs all over the sidewalk, and were offered any type of drug we wanted…by several individuals.  Schweew!…and survived to tell about it.

After playing at The Utah downtown San Francisco and enjoying the company of a few good friends and loved ones(Carol, Nadine, Shawn and his friends) Rich drove us south until about 6am when it was time to pull over and rest.

The Crooks are currently residing with Chris’ Aunt and Uncle in the Carlsbad area and are attending the AAA-radio showcase The Sunset Sessions.  Tonight we get to bump shoulders with Iron and Wine, K.D. Lang, and Sia.

-Ty