LA-based musician Dawen is one of our favorites, so we were thrilled that he’s the newest guest blogger for our Bands On Tour feature. Learn more about him here and read his past posts from the tour!

I nearly missed my train back into the city!  Misjudged the time and only had 15 minutes to make it.  Major props to the cab driver who booked it as fast as she could to the station!

Because it was the morning, I finally got a chance to see what the Vassar campus looks like during the day.  I Even took a few pics from the moving cab.  The snow from yesterday is melting already!

I ended up making the train on time, thank God!  I think the most stressful thing about the tour so far is the traveling. Without a doubt, it is all the moving to-and-from different places and venues while carrying a keyboard as well as a backpack and puffy winter jacket that exhausts me the most.  Four shows in four days.  Two down, two to go. I’ve hit the half way mark on the New York leg.

Hudson River

However, there is a huge upside to touring and traveling a lot.  You get to see so many different places and experience so many beautiful sites.  I get to play in different neighborhoods in the city, but I also get to see the countryside and landscapes that look so different from Los Angeles or California for that matter.  The train ride down from Poughkeepsie into Grand Central Station was one of the most beautiful rides I’ve ever taken.  I followed the Hudson River all the way back into town.

Now I’ve gotta go prepare for tonight’s big show. This is my first time playing at the legendary Bitter End. Some of my favorite inspirations, Gil Scott-Heron, Donny Hathaway, and my hero Curtis Mayfield have played there. Kind of anxious, now that I think about it. But first, some good Korean tofu hot pot! Going to the BCD Tofu House with some good friends. I know they have this chain in the LA area but I couldn’t resist. Besides, it’s perfect in this cold weather!