las vegas: a drummer's unplugged tour
so i'm in las vegas, and man, my arms are still trembling from last night's gig. you know how it is when you're a touring session drummer - the adrenaline is real, but so is the exhaustion. *the palms casino stage has this weird echo that either makes you sound like a god or a broken kazoo, last night was definitely the latter. i just checked the weather and it's a crisp 18°C feels like 17°C, so pack a light jacket if you're heading out. humidity's at 52%, which means my drum skins won't warp but my sweat's gonna evaporate mid-roll.
someone told me that the mirage volcano show is secretly sponsored by headache medication because the bass frequencies make your teeth vibrate. i tried it and yeah, they weren't lying. also heard that the cosmopolitan has a rooftop bar where they play vinyl records from 3am to 5am - perfect for decompressing after shaking your bones for hours. if you get restless, henderson and boulder city are just a quick drive away for some actual silence.
"dude, skip the bellagio buffet unless you wanna feel like a human thanksgiving turkey. i saw a guy try to refill his plate with tongs attached to his forehead."
pro tip: always bring your own earplugs to the lincoln. those speakers? they're designed to rearrange your internal organs. and whatever you do, don't accept free shots from anyone named chad - that's how you end up playing conga drums on Fremont Street at 6am.
check out yelp for late-night guitar shops - some stay open till dawn for touring weirdos like me. also, tripadvisor has this hidden list of venues with backline rentals, but most locals think it's a government honeytrap. pressure's 1015 hpa today, which means the air's thin enough to make your fills sound floaty. humidity's 52% - perfect for not rusting your cymbals but terrible for keeping grips on sticks.
"that mob museum? haunted. saw a snare drum roll itself down the stairs after security went home."
if you're gonna hit caesars palace, wear ear defenders under your hat. trust me. and bring extra duct tape - vegas stages eat hardware like candy. also, never trust anyone who says "this one's easy" - that's your cue to panic. las vegas review-journal has good classifieds for last-minute gigs, though most ads are written in hieroglyphs. vegas.com lists all-ages shows where you can actually hear yourself think. pressure's 1015 hpa - feels like the city's holding its breath. humidity's 52% - perfect for not rusting your cymbals but terrible for keeping grips on sticks.
"heard that the linq* zip line messes with your timing. i tried it and came back playing in 7/4."
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