One undeniable truth that I’ve learned from being in a band for the past 11 years is that a three-month tour really makes you appreciate time at home.  It’s not that I don’t love the road…that’s my favorite part of my job…but there’s something special about time at home.  Especially now that we live in Charleston.  When we get back to the lowcountry after being out on tour and I see the live oaks covered in spanish moss and smell the ocean i get rejuvenated.  You can’t really beat the South as far as places to come home to, in my opinion.  We recently returned home from our first trip to Bonnaroo!  It was an amazing experience by all accounts.  We played the first night of the festival, so when we arrived on Thursday morning there was still a lot of setup getting done.  It had rained for about four days straight earlier in the week, so the wardrobe of choice appeared to be bathing suits and rainboots.  I didn’t have my two-piece with me, so I stuck with my jeans.  People were speeding all over in golfcarts, spray-painting various signs and benches, and doing whatever they could to endure the 90 degree Tennessee heat.  Our day was filled with random interviews and promotions interspersed with trips to the catering tent to see how many different ways they could prepare tofu. (That day I counted at least 3) Soon enough it was time for us to get to the stage.  We were performing in one of the three tent stages, aptly named “This Tent,”"That Tent,” and “The Other Tent.”  I made my way backstage to start setting up my drums just as Barroness was taking the stage.  They were METAL!  It reminded me of when I first really delved into Metallica’s black album and then begged my parents to buy me a double-kick pedal.  They provided an excellent drum-setup soundtrack.  Manchester Orchestra took the stage next.  We played a show with them a few years ago at the Georgia Theater. They’ve gotten REALLY good.  Nice gritty rock’n'roll, but with a lot of really cool textures.  We got on stage after they were done and cranked up around 9:00.  The tent was absolutely packed, and the crowd was amazing!  I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many people singing along to our songs.  It was pretty surreal.  Without a doubt it was one of the sweatiest shows I’ve ever been a part of, for us and the audience.  By that point in the night people had sufficiently nursed their sunburns and were ready for a rock’n'roll show.  The energy was very palpable, and we fed off of it.  We cannot wait to come back again next year!  And that’s just the first festival of the Summer!  We’ll be back out there very soon.  Come and say hello.