The Bobby Rock Newsletter #79 (10-8-22) - My Past Life as a...
The Bobby Rock Newsletter #79 (10-8-22) - My Past Life as a...
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Hello Friends -
Checking in from the heat of battle this morning in this transportational matrix we know as “life on the road.” More on the craziness in a moment. But first, just wanted to say thanks once again for joining me here in Newsletter land. I don’t take your participation lightly.
Now let’s jump straight in… with this edition having more pics and less text than usual. It’s just the way it worked out this time. Enjoy!
In This Issue:
- Band On the Run - Checking in from yet another crazy-ass Lita Ford excursion this weekend, as I put finishing touches on the very Newsletter you’re reading right now. (Love the pace out here!)
- My Past Life as a Baseball Fanatic - Yes, friends, before drums, it was all about bats, balls, and baseball cards… and my “certain” future as a major leaguer.
- Vegan Adventures at Dodger Stadium - Ok, so maybe Black Sabbath would trump Babe Ruth… but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t remain somewhat of a lifelong baseball fan. Here’s a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what lies beneath Dodger Stadium in "The Dugout Club”… including an impressive amount of vegan options at the buffet!
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Road Update:
Band On the Run
In the interest of full disclosure of the "glamorous life” we’re living out here on the road, here’s the latest:
We played a show last night with BulletBoys and Warrant in Monterey, TN, about 90 miles outside of Nashville. Had a blast, of course. Here's an iPhone shot I took during "Close My Eyes Forever."
However, our hotel was near the Nashville airport so we could more easily catch that 6:00 AM flight on Saturday morning to Allentown, PA. This meant driving an hour-and-a-half back to our digs after the set. No problemo. But a 6:00 AM flight meant a 4:00 AM curbside, which meant a 3:45 AM lobby call. Here's what that looked like (with our guitarist Patrick Kennison on the left and bassist Marten Andersson on the right):
For us weary travelers, airports mean Delta Sky Lounges, and I'm always thrilled to see cool vegan breakfast options there, like this bad-ass vegan sausage on the right. (Been over three decades since I've had "real" sausage, but I'll tell ya, most folks agree, this tastes pretty close to the real deal):
We then flew from Nashville to Atlanta, then Atlanta to Allentown… where we checked into a nearby hotel, then headed to the city of Jim Thorpe, where we will play at Penn’s Peak tonight. Here’s a drummer's perspective shot from soundcheck today:
And now, once I finish typing this bitch up, it will be all about my pre-show protocols and, hopefully, a smokin’ ass set tonight.
That's the latest out here in real-time. Will sleep when I get back to LA tomorrow…
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My Past Life as a Baseball Fanatic
Baseball was my first love, and the Houston Astros were my first team to jump on board with. My family moved from Fremont, CA (near Oakland) in ’69, and the Astrodome was quite a thing back then: the only such stadium of its kind in the MLB at the time. I started t-ball at 6, then played little league every year throughout elementary school.
Plus, I was a fanatic about baseball cards and memorizing stats, especially of all the old-timers like Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner and, of course, Babe Ruth. Even at 8 or 9, I could tell you lifetime batting averages, and how many hits, HRs, etc, for many hall-of-famers. Knew stats on a lot of current players, as well, like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Pete Rose, and many more. And as a player, I took the gig seriously, playing with the neighborhood kids in and around little league activities, of course, but also working on lots of batting and pitching techniques on my own, when necessary.
By this time, my grandparents had moved out from Cali to be closer to us, so my grandpa became a baseball mentor to me, even in his 60s, catching my pitches with his original catcher’s mitt, and offering up tips on batting and fielding. My dad helped out, as well. And yes, I could play! You might even say I was a standout player…. until I got more interested in drumming and started smoking cigarettes and weed—not a good look for a ballplayer!
But I always loved the game and would continue to catch the Astros in and around my touring schedule when I came back to Houston to spend time with my folks.
On that note, here's a little-known “fun fact:" On September 11, 1991—exactly 10 years before 911—I went to a game at the dome with my dad… and caught a foul ball that the Dodger’s Eddie Murray had crushed into the left field bleachers. It was surreal. The ball rocketed right to me! The damn thing probably would’ve hit me in the chest had I not caught it barehanded. Next thing you know, someone from the Astros staff came up to me to get my name, then returned with this “baseball contract.” Apparently, this was standard protocol for anyone who actually caught a foul ball. Trippy…
To this very day, some of my most prized possessions are the three generations of baseball gloves I have:
From L to R, there’s my Grandpa Louie's original mitt (from the 20s or 30s!), my dad’s original Stan Musial model glove (from the 50s or early 60s?), and, of course, the red, white, and blue glove that I used during the last couple years that I still played.
Lotsa history there! Hypothetically speaking, if I were to ever have a baby boy, wouldn’t it be super cool to display these gloves in the kid’s bedroom as a symbolic nod to his lineage?
Which brings things up to the present...
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Vegan Adventures at Dodger Stadium
Ok, so… about the Astros. Well, I was born in Northern Cali, then lived in Houston for 17 years, and now Los Angeles for 37. This means that, at some point along the way, my loyalties shifted to the Dodgers. Don't know what to tell ya. Don’t even know when it happened. I suppose that, as time marched on and my family all moved away from Houston, and my connection to the city began to fade more and more… boom; LA became home, so I guess an eventual transition to the new “home” team was inevitable.
As such, it’s been great to catch some games at Dodger Stadium through the years. And last Tuesday, I even had a chance to experience the hallowed sanctuary of what they call “The Dugout Club.” Think of it as an upscale airlines lounge at the airport (ala the above-mentioned Delta Sky Lounge), but for a baseball stadium, and way more over-the-top. I mean, your seats are within the first nine rows from the actual field, plus you have access to this whole other multi-level buffet/club universe where all food and non-alcoholic beverages are free!
Close to the action!
But what really caught my eye was all of the vegan options. Holy shit! I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised by now. It’s 2022, and we are in Los Angeles. But… it was still really something to see that a significant portion of the buffet was all vegan-friendly. Scope this:
Vegan chili!
+ + +
Don't know how to describe this dish,
but it kicked-ass...especially
the vegan chicken strips in there!
but it kicked-ass...especially
the vegan chicken strips in there!
+ + +
Swedish "meatballs" up in this bitch!
All plant-based...
All plant-based...
+ + +
Somewhere underneath all of that mustard and ketchup
is a world-famous Dodger Dog... vegan-style!
I enjoyed this monstrosity during the game...
and my girl said she could hardly tell the difference
between this one and a real one.
Progress, people!
is a world-famous Dodger Dog... vegan-style!
I enjoyed this monstrosity during the game...
and my girl said she could hardly tell the difference
between this one and a real one.
Progress, people!
+ + +
The chocolate chip cookies and "ginger snap" dealios were excellent,
but the brownies on the right were world-class.
but the brownies on the right were world-class.
+ + +
And, oh yeah… there is some “major league” memorabilia back there, prominently displayed through multiple hallways you can explore. Super bad-ass!
Golden Glove awards
+ + +
Silver Slugger awards (notice our boy, Eddie Murray?)
+ + +
The Big Prize!
+ + +
The Main Man!
Almost got a little choked up
seeing this in person...
Almost got a little choked up
seeing this in person...
A killer experience, indeed!
Now... let's get ready for a memorable playoff and World Series sequence. Prediction? Dodgers vs Yankees in one of the most watched WS we've seen in years, with LA taking it all in 6...
Let the debating begin!
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Thanks again, everybody. Connect next week!
Until then, BR
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