2018...WHAT A YEAR!!!

2018 was a bombastic year!! We took the power of Max to 34 countries! The year started out with Soulfly recording Ritual in LA and ended with its release! We visited the Navajo Nation many times, always grateful to get in tune with the Earth and its original inhabitants! Our friend, VP Jonathan Nez, was voted to be their next President! I admit, I morphed Max into many tunings this past year, but my fave was being on the Soulfly Performing Point Blank Tour!! Hearing that album reek spasms every night was a dream come true for me, since it's my all time favorite record! Seeing Max and our sons on stage was earth shattering every single night!

But to get to the real business of last year, two things were magnificent.....Igor and Aggy's wedding was the first! Having all of our family and our best-est friends together for 3 days in the most harmonious place on Earth Sedona, was the cream in the coffee! Work is cool and I am blessed to have a job I love, but family is first and this was a get together like no other!!!

And the second was the birth of our new granddaughter, Remi Antonia. So innocent. So soft. So delicious!!! Surely new babies are the top block of a pyramid!

So lets tie up our Doc Martens..or Converse, if you prefer. Put on your favorite, well worn band shirt and let's stage dive head-on into 2019!! Life is short! Fear doesn't create! Envy only destroys you! Dare to follow your dreams! If they fail, get back up, dust off your sleeves and reach for the next star! God bless you all.

Class dismissed...

BENEATH THE REMAINS WILL ARISE AGAIN PART 7...THE LAST GIGS

We arrived in Mexico City the day before the show. It's a long drive through rivers of stopped traffic, to get to the hotel from the airport. The last week was many flights and shows nonstop. We knew what to expect in Mexico...sheer insanity from the crowd. Since we did the first Return to Roots show, to these last dates in Mexico, the tour was a giant snowball. It was building momentum and gaining size every new city. By the time we landed in Mexico, the large Circa Voador was sold out!

Monterrey was the next and final stop. Often referred to as The Beverly Hills of Mexico, the city is absolutely amazing! People are kind and take the time to visit with you. The city is clean and calm. Even the lower income ares are colorful and neatly organized!

The show was another pile driver. I swear each day was a louder singalong than the day before!! It was a delight just to see the expressions on the faces of the fans as each song was belted out!


We left for home early in the morning. The long goodbyes and smiles of homesickness-about -to-be-cured faces, fills the minutes on the way to the airport. The sun arises and we say our goodbyes. Big thanks to all the fans who came to see the shows, to the promoters who took care of us and to our crew for always taking the bullets! See you in 2019!

Class dismissed.....

BENEATH THE REMAINS WILL ARISE AGAIN! PART 6

Bogota, Colombia is a beautiful city, situated in the mountains. it is colorful and plentiful! Good restaurants, free and professional medical care and streets bustling with action! The concert was packed! The crowd swarmed in for the band and sang their loudest! One fan approached me and thanked me for making the tour. He hugged me and I felt his tears hit my ear. Did I say emotional people? They have a deep compassion, south of the border! It infects you.

Next stop was Guatemala. I really enjoy visiting this country too! The first thing I think of is color!! Everywhere! It is an artistic environment! The food, the city, the culture ....it's all beaming with color! The local food is delicious, and the people are kind. The show was frantic! There is no taming our Tribe!! They are loyal, generous and inquisitive!

We boarded a bus to make the 6 hour drive to El Salvador. We had never done that before. It was interesting though and I realized one thing about Central America...the countries all twine into the next. They ate squished full of jungles, mountains, great food and color. Color everywhere, especially visible in the local art. The border was a piece of cake. While the band was in the immigration office, we were entertained outside by one of the locals. A leathery old man, barefoot and polite. He was selling ancient pieces of candy on the porch. He asked for my St. John the Baptist necklace, but it is quite sentimental and I couldn't part with it. He did pull his little prayerbook out of his pocket and wink at me, though.

The show was a monster, like all the others! Never a dull second! The crowd rocked yet were well behaved at the same time. Next destination, Mexico and we knew what to expect!! Pure insanity!!

Class dismissed...

BENEATH THE REMAINS WILL ARISE AGAIN! PART 5

We flew into Lima, Peru, arriving in the late afternoon. Leaving the airport, we saw the familiar giant 6 pack of Coke, and Mother Mary and Baby Jesus welcoming us. Peru is deeply convicted to religion, and they do not take it lightly. Familiar sites flashing past us, and some not so familiar side roads through ghettos made the ride interesting! Traffic was crazy and it took us over 2 hours to reach the hotel!

Our friend told us that Lima is nicknamed Lima Grey, and it certainly was grey! It seemed as if the mist from the Pacific never cleared away and blue sky was only in fairy tales.

The show was packed and the line outside the venue was sturdy! It was a mix of fans and families. I couldn't quite figure it out, but everyone was mingling!

We left for San Jose, Costa Rica the next day. We knew what to expect there! Total mayhem!! Also some of the best Heuvos Rancheros ever! Central America has got cuisine down! The fans are like hot peppers...spicy and all Mountain Dewey! They know how to ROMP!!

Costa Ricans love color and hedgehogs apparently, and they sure let everyone know!

We could see a giant volcano overlooking the city, as we were leaving the hotel for the airport. As long as it wasn't erupting, it looked serene and silent. The great Costa Rican climax was in the airport when Max met a soccer coach! Suddenly he jumped over the fence and became a fan, asking for a picture! No time for any life stories though, and we went on our way....Bogota, Colombia was calling!!

Class dismissed....