February 18, 2001
I think the majority of the band and everyone who tagged along with us for the trip up to Daytona, had already been up since the day before, in preparation for the gig. I remember that we all had to meet at Diane’s sister house a few hours before dawn. I think we took three or four vehicles for the trip from Orlando. I think that everyone was both extremely excited and extremely exhausted at the same time. I know we were all jacked up about playing in the mid-field section of the most famous NASCAR race track in the world.
It was a very windy morning. I think we must have gotten there around 7-8am. It was February, so it was not warm outside, especially in an open field on a huge stage. It was surprising to see so many race fans already up and ready to party at such an early hour. I think we played three or four gigs that week alone. We even did an early morning TV spot at one of the local news stations in Lake Mary. Yes, it was a very long week.
Nikki and Diane had already acquired the insane talents of Tim Kamak. This guy is a monster sight-reader drummer. He is a melodic drummer and one of the best I’ve ever played with. Nikki and Diane brought me on as their bassist, sometime in 2000. Tim and I could read each others minds - which made things sound real good for the rest of the band. We still needed a gunslinger who could shred the guitar. There was only one person who could fill that spot. They called my buddy, Mike Walker and asked him to join the group for a series of shows. Yeah, the rock band was now formed.
After the shows, Tim and I drove back to Orlando while the others stayed to watch the race. I got home and crashed for a few hours. My phone rang later that day, and it was Diane. She called to tell me that Dale Earnhardt had been killed in the race. It was a very bittersweet day all around.
Here is the original cassette tape set list/information for the show.
Jayla