DAY 1 CHATTANOOGA TN

We have a bus, it runs, its big its blue its covered in small fluffy white clouds. My dad built bunkbeds inside, 2 double lovebirds on one side, and 3 single lady kickin it on other side. I named the single bunks accordingly: the summer camp catacomb, the harry potter lair, and the crows nest. Haley (back vox) is in the Harry Potter middle bunk and has already sewn a totally cute butterfly plushy toy and pinned it to her inside curtain. It has music notes for wings. Jared & Derek (drums & bass) are sharing the bottom bunk (the summer camp catacomb) I painted it a happy yellow color on the inside, but its on the bottom and slightly resembles a pine wood coffin. Lam (violin) has the crows nest, and his curtains I fashioned from an old hippie blanket with giant pockets on the sides! Its super awesome & super efficient. Christopher (guitar) & I share the top double bunk on the other side of bus, while Orion (theater king) and Steph (theater queen) share the bunk below us. Everything is painted & beautiful and looks like the inside of a really creative kindergardners head on a happy acid trip

The drive to Tennessee was short but semi exhausting. I drove the whole first leg. I was tired from a day of packing & running errands & making sure everything was in order for me & 8 other people. When it got dark & rainy I was nervous, but only had to drive about an hour in that condition. When we arrived to the collective warehouse, we were ushered in by a heavy downpour, sheets of rain rushing across road in front of us. We all wandered inside dripping and waited for the rain to slow. Sondra, the lead singer of a ramones cover band called the whormones (opened the night) also was part owner of the space, a thrift clothing warehouse & music venue. She told us we could all take 2 items for free. I procured some little house on the prairie panteloon ruffle things that look like giant bloomers and are super sweet. Lam scored some super sweet platform sneakers with roller wheels that retract on the bottom!!!! Anyways the night was awesome, the room was lit by little round bulb string lights, the floor giant wooden planks & steel plating, which moved slighty when we rocked out. Lily & the Tigers played a beautiful set, Caseys voice like velvet swimming through the room in soft swells. Her velvet was backed by Ryan Gregory’s violin, jared pepper’s twangy southern butter guitar, adam minceys heavy romantic standup bass, & Peters delicate drums. Bill swooped around with his new camera (lent by the magical conor) and thus began the epic movie.

We drove to murfreeboro TN after the show in the dark , and in the stormyness- bill drove this time (his second time ever driving the bus). We made it to Mike & mitch’s house & fell fast asleep in our bunks, the lily tigers sprawled on floor inside. J