heavens to betsy - June 13, 1992

Preface: This is my tour diary from when I was nineteen. I will try to reproduce it intact, although there are many cringeworthy moments. June 13, 1992 Sat. "We are the lost children" - Roger Nusic We spent yesterday in San Francisco. This area is not like I remember it. It's so spread out but at the same time so connected. The first night's drive was so crazy. Dark, rainy mountains. Then straight to Oakland, Molly's aunt and then stubborn Hannah getting us lost. Tim's, the place we stayed, was a crazy townhouse with a weird guy with a Poison Idea shirt and awesome hair. Some old guy on the couch. The next day we all get burritos in the Mission district, which is totally the poor part of town. So many people asked us for money - mostly black men. There are so many people of color in this area, but the Mission district is mostly black. Fuck this society.
The girls went home to sleep and Dan and I walked through San Francisco. We met up with Candace and she showed us around. We rode the cable cars to the waterfront. Too many tourists, but I think San Francisco is beautiful. Then we went to Gilman St. last night and played with circus tent (ugh) and PMS (rad) and Strawman (yawn). I was afraid before we played that we would be really boring, but as soon as we got on stage all the energy of what we were doing came back to me. We messed up a lot the drums fell over but we totally rocked. We left 'em screamin' for more. So did the Brats. That is the best part of tour. Seeing all the girls rocking out and feeling that energy run through you. Then I can't feel anything else. So many people came up to me and told me how they liked us and good voice and so on....Spray painted love in the grrrls bathroom. The worst part of tour is driving almost dead on the way back but staying at Callie's so nice and comfy.
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Bratmobile/Heavens To Betsy U.S. tour June 1992 Pt. 2 Sacramento/SLC

Sacramento was a momentous show for us. We were playing with Tiger Trap who we were obsessed with. The show was at a cool triangle shaped space and there were lots of kids there including a few from Oakland/Berkeley. For me it was important because I met my future ex husband.

After the show we were packing up and I saw a cute boy on the other side of the room and I barked at him "hey, help me with my stuff." He was sort of shocked but came over. It turned out he was there with Jesse Blatz who one of the others in my group was sweet on (a future ex friend!) We all ended up going back to Rose's cool apartment. She had a pool and everyone went swimming while I talked on the phone for like an hour with Calvin. In the days before email and cell phones the phone was so crucial and we were so new to being in the tour experience we were obsessed with staying connected. But while I was on the phone I was thinking about the cute boy outside swimming. I finally got off, got my suit on and got in the pool. The next 5 hours were totally awesome. Yum Yum donuts, east bay punk stories, holding hands with big thumbs and exchanges of phone numbers. No mentions of girlfriends back in Berkeley though. We set off for Salt Lake City around 11 the next morning. We were going to drive all the way there and stat at the promoter Natalie's house. Because we were in two cars we drove at different speeds depending on who needed to pee the most. My car got there first and the house was dark. We knocked on the door and were greeted by Natalie's boyfriend. It turned out they had gotten into a fight and she had called the cops and I can't remember if she went to the hospital or to a friends house but he let us into her room and we basically waited sort of scared until the other car showed up. Now this part of the story just makes me so annoyed. We were totally conflicted because here we were on the feminist tour of our lives but we were in a house with a guy who had just beat up his girlfriend. Why didn't we just wait for the car and bail and get a hotel? Because we were cheap idiots and we didn't know better. Anyway, by the time the others arrived it was after midnight and also my 21st birthday. Happy Birthday! We got up the next day and wisely decided to go to a motel, although we crammed the 6 of us into one room being the cheap- that we were. The comedy continues as we played a bar in Salt Lake City on my 21st b-day and I didn't drink during this time at all. We had a nice dinner at a Chinese place after the H2B posse confirmed that their order was vegan, much to our chagrin ha ha. The show was with some major label rock band again Erin will have to comment on and I away with a stolen calling card to make my first call to Chris. The next day we stopped by the post office as Natalie had said there was a package waiting for us there and it was a cool present for me from Calvin. Some tapes and stuff that got us through the trip. I remember being happy to be thought of. And we continued on to Sioux City.
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Bratmobile/Heavens To Betsy U.S. tour June 1992 Pt. 1 Olympia-SF

I used to be a terrible sleeper. In preparation for this , my first real "tour" I stocked up on "sleep-eez", wax ear plugs, brought a mat and a lot of desire for comfort. We were a travelling party of 6, 3 bratmobile, 2 heaves to betsy, Hanna Sternshine and her station wagon, and Counter Commons (then known as Dan Hansen) as well as Allison's buick or le sabre or whatever it was, a hamburger on top for extra storage, equipment, some hand screened t shirts and a lot of energy. Allison booked the tour via phone and letter. The plan was to go down to the bay area, over to Chicago via SLC and Denver, Sioux City (more on that later) and wind our way though Ohio and Kentucky to D.C. and the east coast. I actually don't know what that routing was about but we did want to be in D.C. to hang out and try to change the world. We set out from the Martin were I lived and I'm sure started bickering immediately. Of the touring party only Allison, Hannah, Corin, Tracy and I drove, and only a few of us drove stick. Basically it meant we weren't organized by band but by who had to drive and it was slightly chaotic. Heavens To Betsy wouldn't play bars so there were some shows they didn't play with us. The first show was Gilman and it was nuts. Gilman was totally mythological to us, so to play there was a mega achievement. The next night was at the chameleon on Valencia in the mission. This was our first bar show so no H2B but there were luminaries in the audience like Larry and Trent from the Mummies, Alicia aka Miss Murgatroid booked the show and many others although my memory is fuzzy. The third show was in South Oakland at some warehouse where Allison made some typically absurd sexationalist comments in front of my aunt and caused me much mortification.

Erin will remember all the exact dates, faces and names. She can fill in later. Meanwhile I'll continue to give you the tone. More soon!

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