Ventura, CA 08/13/2012
Performing in the round with Matt Zeltzer and Dan Grimm at Zoey's Café in Ventura, CA. Photo: Ventura Rocks
Sunday, August 13th was pretty darned near perfect. I got it started by meeting up with my buddy, Matt Zeltzer, at C Street in Ventura, CA for a late morning surf. We were scheduled to share the stage later that night and had been meaning to catch up and surf for ages, so it was awesome to finally be able to carve out some time to get it done. Despite what might have appeared to be weak, gutless wind slop, there were, indeed, a few corners to be schralped… and we did out best. Hey, let’s face it… when you live in a hot, humid, land-locked area like Nashville, TN, any surf at all seems like a dream! Afterwards, we parted ways until the evening. Matt hit up a rehearsal and I sought out some fish tacos at my favorite spot in town, which shall remain nameless to protect my taco supply!
Later in the evening, Matt Zeltzer and I joined up with local songwriter Dan Grimm for a writers round on the acoustic stage at Zoey’s Café in downtown Ventura. As always, the sound was killer, the vibe was awesome, and the stage felt like home. We traded songs for an hour or so, then took a quick break to say hello to some folks in the audience before getting back up there to finish up the evening. By the end of it, I think we logged in around three hours on stage trading songs, stories, laughs, and a few needling jokes at each other’s expense. (The audience was not shy about joining in, either, I have to say…) It was so much fun that I didn’t want it to end, but being a Monday, it was time to pack it up, say out goodbyes, and hit the hay. As I walked out the door with my gear, however, I found the following scene…
Clipped locks, a bent rack, and a missing bike. The only thing left was a sinking feeling in my stomach.
It turns out that, somehow, a bike thief had the nerve to walk up to my truck during my performance (which was parked right in front of the main entrance to the club), use heavy duty bolt cutters to clip through three cable locks, and walk off with my precious NINER One 9. So sad… According to a few fans who had been outside a minutes before I noticed that my bike was missing, my bike was still secured to my truck within minutes of my departure from the venue. Honestly, these guys move with such precision and speed that it would almost be impressive, were it not for the fact that my beloved bike is now gone. After an otherwise amazing day and evening in Ventura, this was a disappointing end to my stay.
One of the last shots of my NINER One 9 from earlier in the tour on Vail Mountain in Vail, CO. If you see this bike on the street or for sale on Craig's List, PLEASE contact me and the local authorities ASAP. I want it back... :(
The next day, before heading down to my show in Los Angeles, CA at Room 5 Lounge, I cruised by all the local Ventura pawn shops and bike shops to notify them of the theft, figure out where it might turn up, commiserate, etc. While there was no news/sign of my bike, I did meet a lot of very helpful people that were both sympathetic and eager to help in any way possible. They are all now on the look out for my rig and will be watching the streets vigilantly. If you’re reading this, and you see this bike on the street anywhere in Southern California (Ventura, Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Los Angles, etc.), please contact me and/or the police with information as I’d like to track down the people that did this and get my wheels back.
BIG THANKS to my friends at Zoey’s Café for putting together a wonderful night of music, as well as Matt Zeltzer and Dan Grimm for sharing the stage and taking the music level up a few notches. These guys really stepped it up in so may ways to help make this a killer evening and I am so very grateful. It was such an amazing evening, even with the stolen bike, and I really can’t wait to do it all again. Until next time, Ventura! See ya soon and… don’t forget to keep an eye on your bikes!
I'm watching you... And, sooner or later... I will find you... Be warned.