The Story Behind the Song, “Arizona”
Just over five years ago, I dragged myself out of bed at 2:30 a.m. to hop on a plane for the very first time in my life. Thankfully, I wasn’t traveling alone.
It was January 2020, mere months before COVID overtook the world. My bandmates in Tonemah and I were headed out west to play a couple shows in places far less snowy than Buffalo. The day started when I met up with Tonemah drummer Kris at his home. We then picked up percussionist LP and it was onward to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, maybe with one stop for coffee along the way.
Being new to air travel, I received a little help from my friends in boarding our Southwest Airlines flight to Baltimore, where our second and final flight of the day would be waiting for us. From there, we’d be heading toward a whole new time zone.
Initially, we were supposed to have a show roughly two hours from Albuquerque, New Mexico, in a place called Gallup, but for some reason, it got canceled, and I can’t really remember why.
One still remained on the calendar though, a celebratory performance outside the Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts in neighboring Arizona. Although just one state over, there was about six hours of driving ahead.
Before it all began, LP, Kris and I took a brief rest in Albuquerque’s airport, where we met up with Tonemah bandleader, Darryl. Without him, we’d be missing both a lead singer and a rental vehicle. Fast forward through a couple meals, stops at stores and paradoxical weather patterns, our day of chasing the sun had come to an end, and we settled into our hotel in Phoenix.
That canceled gig in New Mexico actually turned out to be a bit of a blessing, as it had given us an extra day for vacationing. Although Phoenix was familiar to the others, it was entirely different, and very exciting, for me. I had long sought to visit a desert climate. Frankly, I think it was my love for the Tremors series, Tomb Raider video games, and the band Queens of the Stone Age that really sparked and encouraged my desire to see an arid region like this with my own eyes.
We stopped at music retailers, ventured through a local art festival and ate dish after amazing dish. I also found out just how bad I am at disc golf. The backdrop of it all was a 70-degree climate filled with blue skies, cacti and orange trees. How can you beat that in January?
On the day of the Scottsdale festival gig we were slated to play, we were late to sound check. And to add to it, I ended up breaking a string on the mandolin I was borrowing from Tonemah bassist Ernie. It really was only a bump in the road though; mandolins have two of each string, and I was primarily a violinist in the band, anyway.
Despite the few technical issues, I’d say we played a great set. I only wish there was more video out there for me to remember it by! But the concert itself was just a portion of the cherished memories I made in Arizona. The whole experience, exploring a new destination with good friends, was what really mattered to me.
(L-R: Evan Anstey, LP Tonemah, Kris Brayley, Darryl Tonemah, Ernie Palmer)