DAY 3, continued: (Brian) So much has happened and it’s just the beginning of the tour. I needed a little remedial learning period with my new PC netbook since I’m a Mac guy.

Our first stop was a jumping off day in LA. I spent a scary Halloween renting a car and running down to the official Johnny Rodgers Band instrument case maker, Bruce Lamb, to have him modify my removable neck bass case to make it even smaller and lighter for the trip.It was worth the nearly two-hour trip (each way), the six hours assisting him plus dodging and jumping away from Bruce’s grunting and charging house pet “Tootie,” a HUGE pot-bellied pig! But this innovative system with the Schnitzer/Di Sola RN Upright Bass will be a boon to all bassists traveling! It’s making it possible for the Johnny Rodgers Band to have our REAL sound even while traveling to all these far away locales. A bass guitar or a “stick bass” just wouldn’t be the same thing!Johnny enjoyed his last meal in LA.We’re finding the Fijian people warm, welcoming, and musical. They’re making us feel like rock stars wherever we go. People recognize us from all the advance publicity for our shows and we’ve even heard a radio ad playing Mary Jean announcing the concerts on our way to the capital city, Suva.Shana Bromberg, Manager of Tours for The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad and Jazz at Lincoln Center, has been incredibly good at doing what she does and I don’t know what we’d do without her. The U.S. State Department locals have been great as well. All musicians should have it this good on the road. The Rhythm Road program is the real deal!

Our first shows here were for local school kids and the girls were screaming and cheering as if we were the Beatles in 1964. I think it was the first time I’ve ever experienced the need for ear plugs – not to protect my hearing from our loud amps – to lessen the noise from all the excited shrieking! They were almost louder than we were, like the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. They were very sweet, though, and their enthusiasm warmed our hearts. During a little Q & A at the end of the show, I thought the girl Johnny invited up to the stage was about to faint.

Needless to say, we’re having a great time without even mentioning the great food we’ve been having: fresh seafood and incredible buffets. Best of all, Fiji, it turns out, has a deep musical culture and everyone, it seems, is a great guitarist or singer! So nice to see so much GOOD live music in the resorts, hotels and restaurants. I know we’re going to have a treat when we do our master class on Thursday with the local pro musicians and the university music students. We’re supposed to be the “Masters” in the master class but I’m sure we’ll learn lots from them! Off to get ready for the evening concert at the Suva Civic Center…

(Danny) This morning, we set up for a three-show day at the Suva Civic Center. We played the first one for a group of primary school children. They were screaming with excitement and loved the program. We have the intermediate school next and then a concert later this evening. We are loving all the people we meet here and they are treating us like gold. The kids love our nicknames (Mad Dog, Mud Man, Poppy Sunshine and Cotton Eye). Johnny is doing a great job entertaining the kids. They love his silly dances and funny lines. We’ve had so much fun on stage and are looking forward to the next one. I feel blessed to be on this tour and making these connections. Music is truly a bridge to the heart and it’s a two-way street. I love being here but I miss my family and friends. We are tangled, we are stolen, we are living where things are hidden. (John Doe, The Golden State) ; )

(Later that day…) Wow!!! We just got back to hotel after our second daytime show. As soon as we walked on stage, the kids started screaming and didn’t stop for a second. We actually had a hard time hearing each other on stage. I felt like I needed earplugs because the screaming was so loud! We were laughing and smiling because we just couldn’t believe the Johnny Rodgers Band mania. It was truly one of the most amazing and fulfilling shows I have ever played anywhere. We have one more show tonight for the city and embassy folks. I’m so happy right now, sitting here with a big pot of tea, watching a storm roll in across the bay, clouds obscuring the mountains. I’ll be even happier to be back on stage tonight with my brothers. : )A quick shout out to CKC and her mom: presents in my bags! ; )

DAY 3: (Joe) On October 31st, we took an 11:30 PM flight out of LA bound for Fiji. The flight was 10 hours. How did we arrive in Fiji on November 2nd at 6:30 AM? Even with the time-zone difference and the local time taken into account, Johnny Rodgers Band still can’t figure out what happened to November 1st. And it gets worse. Not only did we lose a day but when I called home to NY, I realized that it was still yesterday there. We’re in the future here! Oh yes, Fiji is beautiful and musical.

We ran into this Fijian string band on our way to Suva, the largest city in Fiji.This is something I knew about but really wanted to see in person. There are guitarists everywhere in Fiji. Many of them play in string bands like this one. It seems that there’s also a rich singing culture here. People sing at family and friends’ parties as a way of life – social bonding. Singing and playing guitar is a form of social currency in Fiji. This is my kind of place – guitar heaven. I wonder how the guitar got to Fiji. And when did it get here?

(Danny) Yesterday, after we played on the radio show at Gold FM, I walked into town to go shopping and met a Fiji man named Rocky. We discussed how blessed we felt to be alive and in such a great place. He walked with me and showed me how to get to the mall. On the way, he showed me a restaurant on a boat docked in the bay, he said this was his favorite place, so tonight we’re going to eat there. He also told me about his village and pointed to the cloud covered mountains across the bay. He said he would come to our concert tomorrow if the weather wasn’t too bad. Before we parted, he reached into his bag and pulled out a wooden mask he had carved and gave it to me after he carved my name and the date into the wood. You hang it over a light bulb and the light shines through the eyes, just as the light shined through his. We were blessed to have met each other and share a connection that goes beyond borders. Everyone we’ve met has welcomed us and treated us so well. I am blessed.