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taz_39 **Disclaimer** The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer.
DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT PERMISSION. Thank you.
This post covers the weekend.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
FRIDAY
Up at 8 to catch up on journal readings, have breakfast, and work on Memphis Foodie Finds. It felt odd not to text "good morning" to Jameson, but he's on a boat somewhere and I didn't even know if he had service, so I waited for signs of life and got some eventually :)
It was rainy and dreary and promised to be that all day. I was very annoyed with myself for forgetting my umbrella at the theater last night, but they had loaner umbrellas at the front desk. The concierge made me hold up my right hand and swear that I'd return it! LOL. I saluted him and marched out the door.
First I went to the theater to see if I could get in and retrieve my own umbrella, but it was too early. I continued down Gay St., which is full of cute little shops and art installments and greenery.
Some pics of Charles Krutch (a local famous artist and photographer) Park, and a sculpture:
First stop was Mast General Store.
This is a regional chain but they have very few stores, and even those are in smaller urban areas so they are not easy to come across. They are like a marriage between a Buc-ee's (without the fast food parts) and a small Bass Pro Shop (without the guns.) You can get regular clothing, hunting/fishing/camping gear and clothing, housewares, canned goods, dishes, knick-knacks, toys, etc.
...but let's be honest: what everyone REALLY goes there for is the CANDY.
They are known for their bulk candy section, featuring big barrels of candy forming two aisles in the middle of the sales floor. Pick what you want and it's measured by weight at the end. I know that 5 Below and It'sugar and other stores offer bulk candy too, but Mast has vintage candies that you usually can't find elsewhere. And it's employee-owned :P
For example, when was the last time you saw THESE bad boys? Caramel apple lollipops. We used to sell these at school as a fundraiser.
Outside of the bulk section I found some interesting milk chocolate shapes.
They had Bigfoot, unicorns, some Tennessee license plates...and this POCKET KNIFE.
I found two Swan Creek candles (a favorite brand) and picked those up, along with more candy than one human could possibly need. But we are in a collapsing democracy and I don't have children so all of my money is MINE, MUAHAHAHAHA.
Onward to Potchke deli for lunch. I had been here in 2023 with Tootsie and very much enjoyed the bright cheery vibe and the absolutely delicious matzo ball soup and beet slaw. I had always regretted not getting the babka buns because they looked AMAZING. This time I was definitely getting one!
They look different now (they used to be shaped in a lattice like this and now it's a rose swirl) but boy do they still look delicious. They had chocolate, orange, and "everything." I got the chocolate.
It's got a hard, caramelized crust of sugar and chocolate on the outside, but the inside is soft and spiced and swirled. I cut it in half back at the hotel and ate half today and the rest will be for tomorrow. Absolutely incredible, not only the decadent buttery and chocolatey flavor but the mix of crunchy and soft fluffy textures. So incredibly good, I'd be happy to eat this every day until I die.
For actual lunch I got the kosher banh mi: soy-marinated sweet potato and bok choy with sriracha aioli, shredded carrot, red onion, cucumber, daikon slaw, and cilantro on sesame bialy.
Again, great textures and packed with flavor. Soft and salty sweet potatoes, crunchy veg, spicy dressing, chewy satisfying bagel. Really delicious and it made me feel somewhat healthy to eat it :p
It was past noon so on the way back to the hotel I swung by the theater again, and someone was there to let me in! Our company management was there working and so was Wardrobe, which reminds me that while I'm out galivanting around, many of my buddies are working hard to keep our tour operational. Being a musician is hard at times, but we are also very spoiled at times. I'm grateful for the work that everyone puts into this show so that we can ALL enjoy the journey :)
Back at the hotel I admired my candy haul!
This is roughly half of what I got (the other half is going in a box in my trunk for future consumption.) Banana toffee Bubs; chocolate and vanilla mini Moon Pies; teaberry gum; caramel apple lolly; mini Sugar Daddy (remember getting your teeth stuck together with those?); Zebra Bars; vanilla Tootsie Rolls; Joyva sesame candies; honey bear lolly; Ice Cube (this was a favorite of my dad's so I got it in his memory); Charleston Chew; fruit nougat/divinity; Chick-O-Stick bite-size; Goetze's caramel creams in strawberry and caramel apple; Goslings ginger beer hard candies; and my very favorite, Sunkist Fruit Gems! I LOVE the texture of those so much!
It will take a long while to get through all of these, but a lot of them can be difficult to find so I'm happy to stock up and carry them with me for a bit. The rest of the afternoon was packing things to go back in my trunk, finishing reading The Way of Kings, and trying to figure out what to do in Atlanta.
The evening show was good, David (clarinet) was back with us and feeling better, thank goodness. We did have a show hold in a weird spot, a dialogue scene, but it was very brief and I heard later on that some setpiece had been stuck and needed to be un-stuck, that kind of thing. Live theater, baybee!
After the show there was a hang at the Hyatt bar across the street for Josh (Key 2.) He is leaving us to be the Music Director for another show (can't disclose which one yet.) I had a glass of sauvignon blanc and enjoyed chatting and mingling a bit. Made sure to hug Josh and congratulate him of course. At some point everyone clamored, "Speech!" so he said a short and nice "thank you" to us for being wonderful to work with, all the best to everyone, grateful for his time here, etc etc. And after that Josh, Ryu (violin), and Masumi (ensemble) got together for a "Japanese contingent" photo...and insisted that I join as well!! As someone who is "hafu*" and doesn't even look Japanese, while Ryu and Masumi are full-blooded Japanese and Josh is an actual "hafu" who has lived in Japan, I have been kind of shy about considering myself "Japanese" in the same way that these lovely colleagues do. Being included in this photo, and being asked to join actually meant a lot to me. I felt very touched.
(Left to right: Me, Ryu, Josh, and Masumi)
*Clarification of the term "hafu": This word means "half" and was originally used to describe someone that's half-Japanese, but it has come to mean "of mixed heritage" regardless of the actual percentage of Japanese, which is why I use it here to refer to both myself and Josh. I'm saying that we're mixed race.
We are all of course sad to see Josh go...he's been a great musician, a wonderful human, and so easy to work with. I hope he has LOTS of fun on the new show and that it pays off big for him!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY
Awake at 8am. It was still dreary and rainy. I'm still shoving off the dregs of this cold with a lot of nose-blowing, but it should clear out soon. Worked on this blog post, sent Jameson some audio messages, took a short walk to pick up Travel Bagel, and worked on Memphis Foodie Finds.
Our first show went well, nothing to report except that Jameson's dad's brother(?) and wife were there and had a good time. I met with them briefly outside the stage door and thanked them for coming (we don't really know each other well so that was the convo haha.) Back to the hotel for a little chillax and a few pieces of my yummy candies, later dinner and walking back to the theater. The evening show was also good and nothing to report. We tried to take a full-band photo on the stage before the theater was opened to the audience, but Tim got stuck in the parking garage so he didn't make it. I think we will try again tomorrow.
----------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY
Up at 7:30 or so. I know this cold is almost behind me now because I feel like getting up as opposed to feeling like roadkill. Breakfast and light packing and buckled down to finish Memphis Foodie Finds. I am still terribly behind and will have to hustle to do Tempe, Tucson, El Paso, and all the big California cities (the tour is in LA for like two months so that will be a big one.) Packed myself a lunch to eat on the bus tomorrow.
Matinee went well. Someone wanted a photo for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which we took at intermission on the stage behind a curtain. Hopefully I'll have that pic to share with you later.
After the show the band wanted a photo under the marquis. Today is the very last time that all of the OG Beauty and the Beast musicians will be together. That is strange to think about. Sadly I've decided to crop the marquis out because for some reason, maybe the backlighting, it's very blurry and weird-looking. But I still think it's a very nice picture of us.
Before crossing the street back to the theater for the evening show, I snapped this picture.
Inside, our wall tag was ready. My initials should be easy to find because not many people had signed yet.
Josh (Key 2) conducted his very last show tonight. Michael (Key 3) will be promoted to Key 2, and we will have Leslie (vacation sub) here for a week or two until our new Key 3 arrives. I know him from a previous tour but will wait for official announcements to share his name. The last show went well, and during intermission we had a "Happy Trails" celebration for Josh, singing him the song after which he gave a little speech. Connor (Key 1) presented him with a piece of sheet music from the show which we'd all signed, and treats were put out for everyone. It was a really nice send-off. We're gonna miss him.
The rest of the show went normally, all of us probably a bit emotional due to Josh leaving but wanting to do our best for him on his last night as well. Afterward we packed up and hugged Josh one last time.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Monday: Four-hour bus ride to Atlanta (it's actually 3.5 but I've added 30 minutes for Atlanta traffic.) The usual settling in and getting groceries.
Tuesday: Opening night in Atlanta.
DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT PERMISSION. Thank you.
This post covers the weekend.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
FRIDAY
Up at 8 to catch up on journal readings, have breakfast, and work on Memphis Foodie Finds. It felt odd not to text "good morning" to Jameson, but he's on a boat somewhere and I didn't even know if he had service, so I waited for signs of life and got some eventually :)
It was rainy and dreary and promised to be that all day. I was very annoyed with myself for forgetting my umbrella at the theater last night, but they had loaner umbrellas at the front desk. The concierge made me hold up my right hand and swear that I'd return it! LOL. I saluted him and marched out the door.
First I went to the theater to see if I could get in and retrieve my own umbrella, but it was too early. I continued down Gay St., which is full of cute little shops and art installments and greenery.
Some pics of Charles Krutch (a local famous artist and photographer) Park, and a sculpture:
First stop was Mast General Store.
This is a regional chain but they have very few stores, and even those are in smaller urban areas so they are not easy to come across. They are like a marriage between a Buc-ee's (without the fast food parts) and a small Bass Pro Shop (without the guns.) You can get regular clothing, hunting/fishing/camping gear and clothing, housewares, canned goods, dishes, knick-knacks, toys, etc.
...but let's be honest: what everyone REALLY goes there for is the CANDY.
They are known for their bulk candy section, featuring big barrels of candy forming two aisles in the middle of the sales floor. Pick what you want and it's measured by weight at the end. I know that 5 Below and It'sugar and other stores offer bulk candy too, but Mast has vintage candies that you usually can't find elsewhere. And it's employee-owned :P
For example, when was the last time you saw THESE bad boys? Caramel apple lollipops. We used to sell these at school as a fundraiser.
Outside of the bulk section I found some interesting milk chocolate shapes.
They had Bigfoot, unicorns, some Tennessee license plates...and this POCKET KNIFE.
I found two Swan Creek candles (a favorite brand) and picked those up, along with more candy than one human could possibly need. But we are in a collapsing democracy and I don't have children so all of my money is MINE, MUAHAHAHAHA.
Onward to Potchke deli for lunch. I had been here in 2023 with Tootsie and very much enjoyed the bright cheery vibe and the absolutely delicious matzo ball soup and beet slaw. I had always regretted not getting the babka buns because they looked AMAZING. This time I was definitely getting one!
They look different now (they used to be shaped in a lattice like this and now it's a rose swirl) but boy do they still look delicious. They had chocolate, orange, and "everything." I got the chocolate.
It's got a hard, caramelized crust of sugar and chocolate on the outside, but the inside is soft and spiced and swirled. I cut it in half back at the hotel and ate half today and the rest will be for tomorrow. Absolutely incredible, not only the decadent buttery and chocolatey flavor but the mix of crunchy and soft fluffy textures. So incredibly good, I'd be happy to eat this every day until I die.
For actual lunch I got the kosher banh mi: soy-marinated sweet potato and bok choy with sriracha aioli, shredded carrot, red onion, cucumber, daikon slaw, and cilantro on sesame bialy.
Again, great textures and packed with flavor. Soft and salty sweet potatoes, crunchy veg, spicy dressing, chewy satisfying bagel. Really delicious and it made me feel somewhat healthy to eat it :p
It was past noon so on the way back to the hotel I swung by the theater again, and someone was there to let me in! Our company management was there working and so was Wardrobe, which reminds me that while I'm out galivanting around, many of my buddies are working hard to keep our tour operational. Being a musician is hard at times, but we are also very spoiled at times. I'm grateful for the work that everyone puts into this show so that we can ALL enjoy the journey :)
Back at the hotel I admired my candy haul!
This is roughly half of what I got (the other half is going in a box in my trunk for future consumption.) Banana toffee Bubs; chocolate and vanilla mini Moon Pies; teaberry gum; caramel apple lolly; mini Sugar Daddy (remember getting your teeth stuck together with those?); Zebra Bars; vanilla Tootsie Rolls; Joyva sesame candies; honey bear lolly; Ice Cube (this was a favorite of my dad's so I got it in his memory); Charleston Chew; fruit nougat/divinity; Chick-O-Stick bite-size; Goetze's caramel creams in strawberry and caramel apple; Goslings ginger beer hard candies; and my very favorite, Sunkist Fruit Gems! I LOVE the texture of those so much!
It will take a long while to get through all of these, but a lot of them can be difficult to find so I'm happy to stock up and carry them with me for a bit. The rest of the afternoon was packing things to go back in my trunk, finishing reading The Way of Kings, and trying to figure out what to do in Atlanta.
The evening show was good, David (clarinet) was back with us and feeling better, thank goodness. We did have a show hold in a weird spot, a dialogue scene, but it was very brief and I heard later on that some setpiece had been stuck and needed to be un-stuck, that kind of thing. Live theater, baybee!
After the show there was a hang at the Hyatt bar across the street for Josh (Key 2.) He is leaving us to be the Music Director for another show (can't disclose which one yet.) I had a glass of sauvignon blanc and enjoyed chatting and mingling a bit. Made sure to hug Josh and congratulate him of course. At some point everyone clamored, "Speech!" so he said a short and nice "thank you" to us for being wonderful to work with, all the best to everyone, grateful for his time here, etc etc. And after that Josh, Ryu (violin), and Masumi (ensemble) got together for a "Japanese contingent" photo...and insisted that I join as well!! As someone who is "hafu*" and doesn't even look Japanese, while Ryu and Masumi are full-blooded Japanese and Josh is an actual "hafu" who has lived in Japan, I have been kind of shy about considering myself "Japanese" in the same way that these lovely colleagues do. Being included in this photo, and being asked to join actually meant a lot to me. I felt very touched.
(Left to right: Me, Ryu, Josh, and Masumi)
*Clarification of the term "hafu": This word means "half" and was originally used to describe someone that's half-Japanese, but it has come to mean "of mixed heritage" regardless of the actual percentage of Japanese, which is why I use it here to refer to both myself and Josh. I'm saying that we're mixed race.
We are all of course sad to see Josh go...he's been a great musician, a wonderful human, and so easy to work with. I hope he has LOTS of fun on the new show and that it pays off big for him!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY
Awake at 8am. It was still dreary and rainy. I'm still shoving off the dregs of this cold with a lot of nose-blowing, but it should clear out soon. Worked on this blog post, sent Jameson some audio messages, took a short walk to pick up Travel Bagel, and worked on Memphis Foodie Finds.
Our first show went well, nothing to report except that Jameson's dad's brother(?) and wife were there and had a good time. I met with them briefly outside the stage door and thanked them for coming (we don't really know each other well so that was the convo haha.) Back to the hotel for a little chillax and a few pieces of my yummy candies, later dinner and walking back to the theater. The evening show was also good and nothing to report. We tried to take a full-band photo on the stage before the theater was opened to the audience, but Tim got stuck in the parking garage so he didn't make it. I think we will try again tomorrow.
----------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY
Up at 7:30 or so. I know this cold is almost behind me now because I feel like getting up as opposed to feeling like roadkill. Breakfast and light packing and buckled down to finish Memphis Foodie Finds. I am still terribly behind and will have to hustle to do Tempe, Tucson, El Paso, and all the big California cities (the tour is in LA for like two months so that will be a big one.) Packed myself a lunch to eat on the bus tomorrow.
Matinee went well. Someone wanted a photo for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which we took at intermission on the stage behind a curtain. Hopefully I'll have that pic to share with you later.
After the show the band wanted a photo under the marquis. Today is the very last time that all of the OG Beauty and the Beast musicians will be together. That is strange to think about. Sadly I've decided to crop the marquis out because for some reason, maybe the backlighting, it's very blurry and weird-looking. But I still think it's a very nice picture of us.
Before crossing the street back to the theater for the evening show, I snapped this picture.
Inside, our wall tag was ready. My initials should be easy to find because not many people had signed yet.
Josh (Key 2) conducted his very last show tonight. Michael (Key 3) will be promoted to Key 2, and we will have Leslie (vacation sub) here for a week or two until our new Key 3 arrives. I know him from a previous tour but will wait for official announcements to share his name. The last show went well, and during intermission we had a "Happy Trails" celebration for Josh, singing him the song after which he gave a little speech. Connor (Key 1) presented him with a piece of sheet music from the show which we'd all signed, and treats were put out for everyone. It was a really nice send-off. We're gonna miss him.
The rest of the show went normally, all of us probably a bit emotional due to Josh leaving but wanting to do our best for him on his last night as well. Afterward we packed up and hugged Josh one last time.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Monday: Four-hour bus ride to Atlanta (it's actually 3.5 but I've added 30 minutes for Atlanta traffic.) The usual settling in and getting groceries.
Tuesday: Opening night in Atlanta.
no subject
Date: 2026-05-25 03:24 am (UTC)I can give input on some downtown tucson things if you need!
no subject
Date: 2026-05-25 03:36 am (UTC)For Tucson I have currently Barrio Bakery, Five Points Market, Nook, and Scented Leaf, haven’t checked yet whether any of these have closed/are still around. And those are just the places I’ve been to myself, I haven’t started research for everyone yet.
Anything you want to suggest, please do! Just please remember that we don’t have cars and not everyone can afford an Uber so I typically try to stay within 3 miles of the theater with recommendations :)