Madison, WI

We arrived in Madison at 5am after an uneventful bus ride. Tonight, after the show, we'll board the bus for the last time! I'll miss the camaraderie, but not the lack of sleep.

My wife noticed that the pictures I posted yesterday included many shots of people sleeping. My intention was to do a whole series of napping musicians to jokingly indicate how tired everyone is here at the end of the tour. Time got the better of my intentions, and I ended up posting the pictures without explanation. Really, we do more than sleep when we're not on stage.

It has been great getting email from so many fans during the last four months. I'm only sorry I couldn't write everyone back. Activity at this web site has increased so much I had to purchase more space and bandwidth, so I could store, and you could download pictures and music. Yesterday (Friday, May 30, 2003) saw the largest traffic to date here, with over 18 thousands hits. It was so much that even though I have more pictures ready to post, I'll have to wait until tomorrow, June 1, because I've exceeded my recently upgraded monthly bandwidth limit!

Thanks again to everyone who's purchased my cds, and especially for the great reviews. If you haven't ordered a cd yet, what are you waiting for? I'd love to sign and send one to you. Use the links to the left to purchase and sample my music. As always, just drop me an email if you're uncomfortable using your credit card over the net. I'll mail you cds, and you can mail me a check.

I'm really looking forward to getting back to my old gigs. I'll update my calendar with the summer schedule in a couple of days. ¶ 6:56 PM

St. Paul, MN

Good afternoon from St. Paul. We dragged ourselves off the tour buses here shortly before 5am today. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and hit the sack immediately for a few hours rest.

Sleep on the bus was elusive last night, being kept at bay by multiple interruptions which included a tremendous thunderstorm, and hitting a deer. The damage to the bus was minimal. Fortunately, the driver is seated high enough off the road that the untimely demise of a rather large buck took place on the bus grill, rather than the windshield.

We had a good show in Milwaukee last night. The arena had a rather unusual dressing room arrangement which routed all the male band members, except the moustached one of course, through the main lobby after the show. As we emerged into the lobby we were all greeted by applause. I signed autographs and met some really nice people until security drove them all out the front doors. I am really going to miss these after show meetings. Oh well, there's always next time.

Tonight's show is the centerpiece of 5 shows in a row and everyone is already feeling a bit ragged. We can see the end though, so it isn't hard to reach a little deeper for a few more shows.

I'm posting the journal now, at 1:07pm central time while using a wireless internet connection in a local Dunn Brother's Coffee shop.The Cafe' o Lait hit the spot.. Within an hour or so I should have some new pictures posted as well. From now on, I'll just post them to the pictures page. You'll need to scroll down for the link that has today's date. After I get those pictures posted I'm going to do a little foot cruising around St. Paul and take more pictures for tomorrow. ¶ 6:57 PM

Green Bay, WI

(4pm) I've been promising will have to wait until another day.

Please poke around the pictures page and notify me of any dead links.

We're less than an hour away from sound check for tonight's show, so I've got to run.

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(8am) I'm still working on the web site this morning, which is about all I did yesterday. I enjoyed taking a long walk with Walter R. last night. We mostly talked about ways for him to get back in "the scene" again when he returns to LA.

One of the issues with doing a tour like this is that you can disappear from your regular gigs. We've been gone since the beginning of January. Prior to the Yanni tour Walter was away with the show "Stomp," so he's been away from his home base for almost a year. He'll be knocking on a lot of doors when he gets home. He's a great drummer and percussionist, plus he's one of the nicest, God-fearing men you'll ever meet. I'm sure there'll be a door ready to open.

Time to put my nose back to the grindstone. Hopefully, I'll finish the computer tasks I started yesterday. Tonight we board the buses after the show for the beginning of the final stretch. We have five shows in a row ahead of us, with overnight bus rides to each city. It is hard to believe this is coming to and end. ¶ 4:00 PM

Milwaukee, WI

It will be a fairly short post today as it is already 4 in the afternoon and we have lobby call at 4:20. I stayed up talking on the bus last night so I slept in late this morning and went for a walk with Walter and Bradley. I have a lot of new pictures that will hopefully be posted by tomorrow.

In case you haven't heard, there was a little technical problem with last night's show in Green Bay. During David's didgeridoo solo, which starts the second half of the program, the spotlights went out. David kept performing in the dark and slowly all the lights and video went black. When it came time for walter to start his part, you could hear, but not see him jump onto the stage and start drumming.

After a couple of minutes they turned the house lights on so people could see what was happening. Toward the end of the number, we were told in our headphones to not start the next song. When the song finished, Tommy the sound guy opened the microphone and stated the obvious: there was a technical problem, and would everyone please stand by.

After a minute or two Yanni came out on stage and explained that a transformer outside of the arena had blown and we would be able to continue the show in a few minutes, but probably without lights or video. He asked everyone to just hang tight for a little while as some adjustments were made.

After about five minutes you could see that people were growing restless. All the musicians, except Yanni, were left sitting there on stage with the audience just staring at us. People were milling about, and I saw some people in the front row trying to start the wave, albeit unsuccessfully. Sarah turned to me and said, "Dan, why don't you help them?" That's all it took.

Amazingly, the audience noticed that I was trying to get everyone's attention as the other band members spurred me on. It didn't take long before we had the entire audience performing a loud, and beautifully choreographed clockwise wave. It was so loud that Yanni stuck his head out of the back to see what was going on.

Our clockwise wave worked so well that we stopped it and changed directions. Success again! It was so much fun that we decided to get creative and start two waves going in opposite directions. This was a little tougher but after a few tries, the audience pulled it off! It was a blast. Shortly thereafter they got the lights and video going again and the concert proceeded as planned.

The audience was loose and happy, and it ended up being, in my opinion, one of our best shows. It certainly was the most fun I've had on the entire tour. Thanks Green Bay. You are great! ¶ 6:58 PM

Las Vegas to Green Bay

It is Tuesday morning and we are in Green Bay, having arrived here yesterday evening by private charter. The hotel offers free high speed internet service so I'll be posting some pictures later this afternoon. I also plan to get my fan pictures page working today as well as get all previous picture posts linked to my main pics page.

The Las Vegas show was great. The venue at the MGM Grand was one of the best sounding rooms we've played. The casinos were, well, casinos - crowded, smokey and noisey. The place was packed for the holiday weekend and there were people waiting in lines to lose their money.

Green Bay is of course quite a contrast from the glitz of Vegas. It was pleasant to see Oak and Maple trees again, although the sight of so many green lawns reminds me of the chores that probably await my return home. We have only six shows left, five-in-a-row starting Wednesday evening and then the final concert in Miami a week from tomorrow. I'm sure this week will pass like a whirlwind. Check back this afternoon for another update. - Dan ¶ 7:02 PM

Denver, CO

Angie and Missy (my wife and daughter) joined me in Denver where we rented a car and headed for the mountains on our day off Tuesday. We took 70 west out of Denver and followed directions given to us by one of the video crew guys to a remote area at about 10 thousand feet elevation. Missy and I hiked up a snow covered trail until we were exhausted and took some beautiful pictures that you can see by using the link at the end of this post.

David, Pedro and I visited a great music store called the Denver Folklore Center at 17th and Pearl. Harry, the store's owner, has been in business since 1962. He's a great guy who made Pedro a deal he couldn't refuse on three flutes. I've included some pictures from our store visit.

I had two guests in the audience for last night's show, Missy and Jamie Janover. Jamie Janover is one of the best and most interesting hammer dulcimer players I've ever met. He enjoyed the show and afterward we went out to eat, swapped cds and stories from the road for several hours. I highly recommend his music. I feel safe saying if you like my cd Turning Point, you'll like Jamie's music too. ¶ 7:03 PM

Seattle to Denver

Seattle's show was a high point for me as I had three guests from the Dusty Strings store in the audience. I was surprised at how nervous I felt. We've been playing for thousands of people night after night, but this was different. I have tremendous respect for the craftsmanship and consistency at Dusty Strings, and I wanted to impress them. The show was great and my guests were all grins afterward. We had a photo made after the show which you can see by using the link at the end of this post.

I'll step back a couple of days now to talk about previous travels. We arrived early Friday morning in Portland. It was raining and cold. I slept for a few hours in the morning and then went out by myself to explore and find some food. Portland reminds me Seattle, only smaller and on a budget. Despite the persistent drizzle there were many people on the streets and lots to see. I soon learned that there is no sales tax in Oregon, so I decided to shop for a digital camera. I've mentioned before that the camera I've been using on this trip actually belongs to my daughter, Missy, and she wants it back. I found the model I've been looking for and decided that if I skipped a meal or two every day for the next couple of weeks, it would be OK to spend all my per diem money in one shot. I bought the camera.

Our Portland show was a success and we boarded the bus for Vancouver. It was a long night with an hour delay in the middle of the night for the border crossing. I did a lot of walking in Vancouver, no shopping though, I was out of money. Vancouver has some incredible architecture and I walked for several hours playing with my new camera. ¶ 7:04 PM

Portland to Seattle

It is 4:15 in the morning and we've just arrived in Seattle from Vancouver. I didn't have phone or internet access while in Canada so it has been a couple of days since the last post. I have a lot of new pictures, but it will be Monday morning before I'll have time to put the up on net. I'm going to catch a few hours sleep now and then I have appointments all day in Seattle, which is of course the home of Dusty Strings, where my instruments are built. Good morning and good night - Dan. ¶ 7:06 PM

Off to Oakland!

We stayed in Sacramento again last night, and will head to Oakland in a couple of hours to get ready for tonight's show. After the show, we'll continue on to San Jose where we'll spend the night.

The weather here wasn't so great for getting out yesterday. It was cold and rainy in the valleys and snowing over the mountain ranges. I'm told this is quite unusual weather for May in Sacramento.

Angie, my wife, is on her way back to Chattanooga now, where she'll get to see first hand what 12 inches of rainfall has done to our hometown of 17 years. It was strange to watch news reports here in California showing flooding on streets with which I'm quite familiar back home.

My son arrived home from his first year in college this week. Angie has home schooled both of our children and Jeremy was able to start college a bit early. He's in the honors program at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and is planning a career in medicine. He's now a second semester sophomore at 17 years old. I'm unfortunately not going to get to see him before he heads off on his summer job in a couple of weeks. He'll be traveling right up until school starts in August, working at bicycle festivals around the country. Jeremy and I have participated in a few such festivals ourselves so I know he's going to be surrounded by good people.

My daughter, Missy, is away in New Orleans this week cheering on her fellow Chattanooga home schoolers as they participate in the National Mock Trial Competition. Check out the link if you're unfamiliar with this verbal sport. People who've lost hope in today's youth are much like misguided teens themselves - they're just looking in the wrong places.

Traffic on this web site continues to amaze me. There were over 14 thousand hits yesterday alone. It is clear that you want to see as many pictures as possible. I'll continue to do my best to oblige. I need to credit Brad, David and Walter for taking many of the pictures I post as well. We are all sharing our photo's with each other, as well as you.

I'm still finding it impossible to respond to everyone's email. I'm sorry I just can't keep up with it and attend to all the other necessities of daily life on the road. I hope you'll understand, but won't hesitate to drop me an email - I might be able to respond. And I enjoy hearing your reactions to the shows and to this web site.

Thanks to those of you who responded regarding the bird outside my window. It was a Scrub Jay. I knew it was about the size of the Blue Jays we have in the east, but the coloring was quite different. It also wasn't acting 'Blue Jay-like,' which is to say it wasn't pestering other birds and making a lot of noise.

Several of you have sent me photos we had taken together at shows. I am working on a page specifically for fan photos so don't be discouraged if you haven't seen your's yet.

See you at the show tonight in Oakland! ¶ 7:09 PM

Oakland to Reno

Friday night's Oakland show got off to a rocky start. As it turns out, the concert was scheduled to start 30 minutes after an Oakland baseball game. That would have not been a problem had the two venues not shared the same parking lot! Most of the concert goers arrived to find the parking lot full. They had to turn around and drive against the traffic flow to a lot that was a long walk away.

As show time rolled around the arena was only half full, and the promoters new that while the show was not sold out, it was expected to be a nearly full house. It was a little disheartening to start the first song with so many empty seats, but we had to get going. For the next 45 minutes people continued to stream in and by the time we finished the first half, it was packed. It was easy to tell that the evening had not started out well for many people in the audience though.

It was a bit of a rough night for me personally as well. I broke a string during every solo I played. I've broken strings before, but never with such consistency and it meant I had to keep rethinking what I was going to play.

By the time the second set rolled around everyone seemed to forget the earlier difficulties and the audience really got into it.

Last night's San Jose concert was a blast - I was rested and everything went right. Just before the show started we noticed a fellow in the audience not wearing a shirt. I joked with Alfreda and Michelle that maybe he thought he'd attended a hockey game, but ended up at a Yanni concert instead - was he in for a surprise. I later found out that he had just had a large soda spilled onto him by accident by another concert goer who felt horrible about the incident. By chance, David Hudson saw it happen, and was kind enough to see that the shirtless guy was given a brand new Yanni T-shirt - just another example of why I think David is such a good guy. If you're thinking, hmmmm, maybe I could try the same thing and score a shirt for myself - please, don't.

I have a slow internet connection today here in Reno so rather than spend the next hour watching a spinning cursor while waiting for pictures to upload, I'm going to go out and get some sun. I should have time to get pictures posted on our day off in Salt Lake City tomorrow. It will, unfortunately, be preceded by a 9 hour overnight bus ride after the Reno show tonight.

One quick follow-up to my previous journal entry. Our Chattanooga home schooled Mock Trial team has done it again -congratulations to the returning National Mock Trial Champions ¶ 7:08 PM

Salt Lake City to Spokane

I promised pictures in my last journal update but was saddened to find I couldn't get a high speed internet connection at our Salt Lake City Hotel. We arrived in Spokane, WA, this afternoon after a pleasant flight on private charter to find luxurious accommodations and free internet access. Make sure you check out the pictures link at the end of this update for some of the best behind the scenes pictures yet. Bradley Joseph took many of these shots and I'm thankful for his sharing. Check out Bradley's web site here.

We had a great show in Reno, but weren't there long enough to really get out and see the area. Salt Lake City was another story though. Alfreda and I split the rental costs on a jeep and headed for the mountains on our day off. We drove up to Snowbird Ski Resort to find it was the day after the last day of ski season and the slopes were empty. It was a beautiful sunny day, in the 60's, with hardly any wind. It was odd to be in so much snow with it so warm outside.

On our trip up the mountain I noticed people walking along the edge of a roaring creek and decided to go back the next morning to see about doing some hiking. I was able to talk Bradley into heading out early with me. We had a great time walking up what was apparently a popular mountain bike trail. The creek was swollen and cold with rapidly melting snow. It made me nostalgic for kayaking with my friend Gibbs.

Bradley and I kept the rental car to the very last second. We caught shuttles back to the hotel in time to rest a while before the show. The Salt Lake City show was a winner from start to finish. ¶ 7:07 PM

Fresno to Sacramento

We have a day off in Sacramento today (Thursday) after an incredible show here last night. I'm anxious to read what those in attendance have to say. The show felt as close to perfect as any we've done to date.

Angie and I are going shopping today, and then it's on to Oakland tomorrow where she'll catch a plane for Chattanooga, and we'll have another show. The next journal update will be after that show. ¶ 7:10 PM

Los Angeles to Fresno

Sunday was a fun day. I went to Scott Brannon's studio (see previous post) and was amazed what this cat is doing musically. (I've been in California for nearly a week now, so I'm like totally sure I'm using the word cat properly.) Seriously though, Scott was amazing. He's a fellow drummer/hammer dulcimer player and has developed a style of simultaneously playing bass and drums. You'll have to see this to believe it. The five short hours we had available went by too quickly, and we barely scratched the surface of what we could do collaboratively. I look forward to working on future projects with Scott.

Before I knew it, I was on the bus headed to Los Angeles. This was one of our rare daylight bus trips and we all wish we had more of them. The scenery along the California coast line was beautiful, and since we didn't have to worry about bothering anyone who was trying to sleep, we cranked up the volume in the back lounge and enjoyed some music. The ethnic and cultural diversity on this tour is great and so is the music we listen to on the bus.

It was cool and mostly cloudy as we pulled into the Hollywood Bowl parking lot. I quickly found my way to the stage to find that the lack of floor space necessitated a little rearranging of our setup. I was wedged into a tiny space and had to be careful not to step backwards and into Ming's keyboards. There was plenty of room to play though. The sound check took longer than normal and even though the sound never seemed quite right through our headphones, I was told by those who'd seen multiple shows that it sounded great out front. One person said they thought we sounded better there than anywhere they'd heard us.

The outdoor setting was great for photography, and I have the best pictures so far from the tour to ready to post - taken by me, Walter, David and Brad. Unfortunately, my internet connection here in Fresno is slow so I'll wait until we get to Sacramento, Wednesday, to upload them.



Angie joined me for my day off in Fresno Monday, and we took a long drive through the orange groves and vineyards at the foot of the Sequoia National Forest. We eventually found our way nearly 7000 feet up the mountain and in the Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. I'll post more of those pictures tomorrow as well. The picture to the right is of the Tennessee Tree in Kings Canyon. Yes that is snow on the ground and yes, I'm wearing a t-shirt. Oops, I wasn't prepared for that!

We play tonight in Fresno and then board the bus for Sacramento. ¶ 7:11 PM

Anaheim to Pasadena

I'm updating this journal early Sunday morning - early for someone who didn't get to bed until 2am that is.

The audience was off the charts for the show last night at The Pond in Anaheim. I didn't understand why the arena had such a strange name until I noticed the banners there for the NHL team, The Mighty Ducks. Duck pond, I get it. After the show we boarded the buses and headed for Pasadena and our hotel. Here's a picture of Alfreda using her new iBook on yesterday's trip to The Pond.

Fellow performer and hammer dulcimer virtuoso Scott Brannon lives near here, and is picking me up in a little while so we can spend the day swapping war stories, ideas and playing some music. Check out Scott's web site here. I highly recommend his cd, Expeditions. Thank you to fellow player David Cohen for getting Scott and me together.

We have an early sound check this afternoon at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. I've never been to "the bowl," but I'm told fans love it, lighting and sound crews hate it, and musicians and promoters pray for good weather. The forecast looks good for tonight, although it may be a bit cool. This is our first and only outdoor venue on this tour. It should be interesting.

I've played outdoors hundreds of times so I'm very aware how temperature and humidity affects a hammer dulcimer's tuning stability. I know I'll spend intermission tonight re-tuning.

Angie, my wife, is in the process of flying across the country today. I'll meet up with her in Fresno tomorrow morning. I'm very much looking forward to spending time with her as she travels with us for a few days.

It is a beautiful morning here in Pasadena. I took this picture of a bird that was singing outside my window, but I'm not sure what kind it is. Please email me if you can identify it. Also, if you're new to this journal, or if you are a regular reader and haven't identified yourself yet, take a moment and do so today. My email address is dan@danlandrum.com - or you can click here.

If you haven't listened to samples of my music -or better yet, ordered a cd, then what are you waiting for?!?! Thank you for reading - Dan ¶ 7:12 PM

Phoenix to San Diego

We had a great second night of playing at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix. There were even more people waiting as we left the building after the show than there were the previous night. I enjoy meeting new people, even though it is still a little embarrassing for me to sign autographs. The part I don't like is not having time to get to know anyone. I look forward to getting email from fans who share their stories. Here's a note I got after the Phoenix show, I am using it by permission:

You don't know me, but you probably remember signing an autograph for my 10 year old son, Travis, after tonight's show in Phoenix...I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to you and everyone else in tonight's show. You see, exactly three weeks ago today my wife of 18 years passed away very unexpectedly. We both had looked forward to this concert for quite sometime. I almost didn't go but decided to take Travis because he has always been a Yanni fan since he was very young. I was a little hesitant because of not only the memories the concert would surely bring back to me, but also because Travis has a form of autism that makes him very sensitive to sound. Any hesitations I might have had quickly drifted away after I watched Travis' eyes light up from the beginning to the end. It was such a joy to see the music take him to a wonderful place that he has not been since his mother passed away. While I had always believed that Yanni's music was very special, tonight I had living proof sitting next to me.

Thanks to you and everyone else tonight, my son went to sleep with a smile on his face instead of a tear in his eye. I cannot thank you enough...

Sincerely,

~ Douglas D.

Now, does anybody need to discuss why we need music in our lives? I didn't think so.

I promised new pictures yesterday. Click the photo to the right to see a list.

We boarded the buses for the overnight trip to San Diego. I was exhausted, fell asleep quickly, and awoke rested upon hearing people exiting the bus in San Diego around 6 the next morning. I slept so deeply that my ears ached from not being awake to clear them as we crossed the mountains. I heard others complaining of the same thing.

San Diego is another city I'll have to come back to when I can spend more time. There is so much to see, from one of the best Zoos in the world, to thousands of great places to shop and eat.

I promised Alfreda I'd help her buy a computer when we got to California, so she rented a car and we headed to the Apple store. I'm a hunter, not a shopper, and I expected to quickly pop into the store, nail the prey (an Ibook), and leave. Shopping, for Alfreda, is a bit more in depth than that. Two pairs of shoes and some jewelry later, we made it into the Apple Store. She's now a happy Ibook owner and has called about a dozen times to ask advice and say how happy she is. I think she's referring to the computer, but it could just as well be the new shoes.

Alfreda is the second person I've helped by a new laptop computer on this trip. I think it is funny that I've come to be seen as the "go to" guy for technical questions. I constantly remind people that they are getting their technical advice from a dulcimer play they call "mountain man."

While we were out shopping, part of our group headed out on a San Diego Bay boat tour. There was a lot to see as several ships were arriving home from Iraq, and President Bush was flown onto the Ship USS Abraham Lincoln to welcome home the troops.

One of the pictures I posted today was of a carrier pulling into harbor just outside my hotel room window this morning. It was impressive to see the troupes wearing brilliant white uniforms aligned proudly against the ship's entire perimeter railing. The air buzzed with helicopters, jets, and planes dragging "Welcome Home" banners. The sea was equally crowded with well-wishers and coast guard boats.

We have an 8 o'clock show at Cox Arena in San Diego tonight. We get to return to the hotel after the show and won't drive to Anaheim, for the next show, until tomorrow afternoon.

       
The NBA informed Yanni management that they need to have the Arco Arena in Sacramento on Thursday, May 8th. The new date is Wednesday, May 7. If you have any questions regarding ticketing for the new date, please contact Ticketmaster at 916-649-849

Below are a couple of notes I just received from recent CD buyers - do you have yours yet?

Dear Dan,

We got your CD in the mail yesterday and it is absolutely wonderful! We enjoyed it so much that I would like to also request a copy of your other CD "Questions in the Calm."
Thanks again!

Mike ¶ 7:13 PM