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  • Lane's Ultimate Fan Weekend

    Ultimate Fan Weekend 2011
    By Lane on Bass



    (click to enlarge images)

    Greetings and welcome back, everyone. I hope all my Northeast friends have dug out from the snow, and have power again.

    We recently wrapped up Ryan Pelton’s Ultimate Fan Weekend, and boy was it a BLAST! This is my second time through this, and this year was even better than last time. Let me tell you about it.

    First, it was made better by the fact that my sweetie, LJ, was able to attend. This almost didn’t happen… and, to be honest, she probably should have stayed home. True as that may be, we’re both glad she came.


    To explain a bit – as I returned from the show at Penn’s Peak, I got a call from LJ, telling me she was having extreme pain in her lower back. Within minutes of that call, she was on her way to the emergency room, which is where I met her. It turns out that she had a decent-sized kidney stone that had just exited her right kidney, then gotten stuck – hence, the pain. Last Monday we saw the urologist, who confirmed the diagnosis and scheduled surgery for Wednesday. I’m pleased to report the surgery went very well; the doctor called it a textbook case, and said she’d be fine in just a day or two.

    Now, this is the second time she’s traveled to see the band the day after surgery. The first time was back in July, following a shoulder operation. As that last time was very tough on her, I told her – as softly as I could – that I would totally understand if she couldn’t make the trip. “Oh, no! You’re not leaving me home to lie around in bed and feel sorry for myself. I’m going!” And so she came with me.

    We loaded up Betty (my PT Cruiser) early Thursday morning and headed off for a ten hour trip. While LJ may have thought she was holding me up, she was wrong. The stops weren’t much longer than if I traveled solo, and we only made one more stop than I might normally have made. We went to the hotel and I dropped off most of the baggage, along with the Worshipful One so she could get settled in and rest. I then headed over to the venue to load in my gear and prepare for the weekend’s events.

    Once that was done, we all headed back to the hotel to change for dinner with the Sharks (fan club members) who had come a day early. We all headed to the Old Spaghetti Factory for an evening of fun and food. I hate to say it, but I can’t really recommend the restaurant. Other than the cheesy garlic bread and the chocolate cake, the food was bland to the point of tastelessness. Bleh…. But it was a fun time nonetheless, as I got to visit with many of my favorite Sharks. LJ got to see “old” friends while making some new ones.

    After dinner, we got to try out the in-room corner Jacuzzi tub. It surprised the bejeebers out of me to find out we had this extra tub. There was a normal tub/shower in the bathroom. This second tub was in the main room, only a few feet from the bed. I mean, who knew that Days Inn would have a “bridal suite”? It was really nice to soak neck-deep in swirling hot water, letting the bath relax tired, achy muscles.


    The first part of Friday was spent resting, then working on remembering several of the original tunes we recorded during the summer. We hadn’t played the songs since recording, so I had to refresh my memory as to what I’d actually played. Then, about 3:00, I headed to the venue for sound check and preparation. LJ arrived with the Sharks around 6:30; the doors opened a half hour early for fan club members only, so they could get good seats. By show time at 8:00, the hall was packed, including the wrap-around balcony.

    The concert went very well, but by the time it was over, my lower back was killing me. Instead of heading out to party with everyone else, we went back to the hotel where I soaked in the Jacuzzi again… this time for almost an hour. Finally, my muscles loosened up and I could sleep.

    We were up early the next morning, as we had to be back at the venue at 10:30 for the Fan Club Awards Banquet. This was a new event this year, so that we could hand out the fan club awards, and have some time visiting with just the Sharks. Ryan gave almost a dozen awards this year, and every one of them was very much deserved. He then gave each band member a shadowbox commemorating the release of Wash Over Me, our first all-original CD. He had very nice things to say about each of us, but my favorite was about D’arcy Park – our music director and road manager. D’arcy took on a lot of extra work this year – making sure we all got our work done when it came to learning songs, etc., and also acting as liaison with every venue and technical crew during our tours. Let me tell you, it ain’t easy getting all of that done, and she really deserved the credit Ryan gave her.

    The band stayed at the venue to get ready for the Halloween party Saturday night; LJ went back to the hotel to rest, and prepare her own costume. This year, Ryan came as Batman, wearing the most authentic bat-outfit I’ve ever seen. It was truly amazing! The rest of the band came as villians – I was The Penguin; D’arcy was Harley Quinn; Amy was Poison Ivy; Andrew was The Riddler; Jared was The Joker; and Jeff was Two Face. So that she’d coordinate with us, Ryan suggested LJ come as Mrs. Penguin, and let me tell you, she was cute as a button in a tux with miniskirt! April Hammond, president of Ryan’s fan club, also coordinated with us as Catwoman.

    The party was a blast from end to end! We offered games for adults and children, along with a costume contest (judged by the band) and a “guess how many ca ndies in the jar” contest for a big-screen TV. One of the games gave teh winning team of 6 members each a smaller flat-screen TV. The band also performed a short set of Ryan’s originals, which the crowd loved!


    After the party, a bunch of us headed over to Buffalo Wild Wings for some late-night food and a final visit. Then, it was back to the hotel for another soak before bed. The drive home was uneventful, which means it was great. (smile) This week we’re getting ready for our second tour of Utah, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. I’ve got about six million things to accomplish, so I’ll close for now. I’ll write my next tour report once we get on the road.


    Before I close, I want to thank Ryan and D’arcy for all of their hard work. It takes a lot to keep a touring band running smoothly, and the two of them deserve a lot of credit for getting everything done. Thanks also to dozens of Sharks who have been so supportive this year, and again offered me greater friendship than I deserve. I’m really looking forward to another excellent year, filled with great concerts and fun times. I’m a very lucky man to be able to make a living doing something I love. I’m even luckier that I get to do it with – and for – such wonderful people. So thank you, all of you, for helping make my dream come true.

    Until next time,

    Keep Thumpin’!

    Lane on Bass


    Reprinted with permission

    Visit Lane on Bass

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