With all due respect to Billy Joel,

Allentown sucks. Well, that's a bit harsh. But it definitely lives up (or down) to the song, that's for sure. It's kind of depressing. We got in this afternoon after performing in Lakewood, NJ, a city notable for its plentiful population of Hassidic Jews and Mexicans. (The Jews were Hassidic, not the Mexicans) We performed today at the Strand Theatre in lakewood, and the audience was fantastic. The crew, on the other hand, was not. They weren't horrible, either. They were just kind of....lumpy. Or perhaps bumpy, as in on a log. Either way, they were kind of there. But the space was beautiful, and the kids were really into it. We got a girl in the audience to gasp, "Oh my God" at a door creak in Tell Tale, so they were pulled in nice and early. I can only hope that the rest of the week goes as well as the first part of it has. The show on Monday in Philadelphia was also incredible. Another group of kids that were so into the show it really felt like we could do no wrong. It's wonderful to be able to go out on a high like this. Makes it really more of a shame that we're ending early, since the show our audiences are seeing is worth the time to come see. But spring's always tough to get bookings in. I figure the fall tours will fare better.

So here we are in Allentown, PA. Like I said, depressing, but it does contain a great cheap diner. Nick's Diner has really good food for hardly any money. I got an omelette with peppers, cheese, sausage, and potatoes in it for $4. And coffee for under a buck. God bless Allentown. That definitely made me less depressed. :-) After the show tomorrow, we drive into New York (god help us) in order to do a private performance on Thursday. The problem? The show on Thursday STARTS at 8:30. Yes, you read that right. STARTS at 8:30. What the hell are these people doing to us? So this means that we have to load up the truck after tomorrow's show, drive to NY, then UNLOAD and set up at the venue tomorrow night. Oy. What a long ass day that's going to be. It's days like that which make me glad the tour's almost over.  Anyway, that's about all there is to talk about. I leave Saturday morning at 12:05 (well, afternoon, I guess) on Greyhound for Chicago from Boston, and I'll be back in Chicago Sunday. So anyone back in Chicago that wants to hang out and catch up, let me know. We can hang out and have a few drinks or whatever. I know you're all busy, and I wouldn't want to impose, but please remember, I do have Cabinet positions to fill....