We'er on the Highway to...the Midwest

"I'M ON THE HIGHWAY TO.....the midwest"
In 2006 Stevie and the Saints had a reunion of sorts. Tinker and I were talking one day about our one tour. He stated that there wasn't a single band during that time that didn't go the same hell as we did.
We were getting good airplay in the midwest at the time so Ken came up with the idea of a tour there and had set up one paid gig...one. To say this was stupid is an understatement, But in fine Saints tradition we charged off to go play for the opening of yet another garage.Only this was not across town it was across the country. Ken had talked Ray into coming along with the mobile stage we used at the Rose Bowl. It would have been the perfect match our music ,Ray's preaching except for one thing we needed support and had none, Despite all this we charged off anyway.
I had tried in vain to convince Ken that there had to be churches out there that would be at least open to inviting us to minister to their youth groups and evangelistic efforts. But Ken wouldn't have any of it. So we had 1300 miles to go to our first gig. By this time I was attending Pasadena Four Square under pastor Ralph Torrez who had come up under Jack Hayford of church on the way. Looking back Ray was also a Four Square pastor. with a few simple phone calls we could have played churches from LA to our first gig.
We headed off the Ray's in Pomona thinking that we would hit the road strait way. We ended up refurbishing the mobile stage that put us 5 days behind schedule. I had given Ken and Ray fairly detailed instructions on what to look for in renting a motor home mainly what kind of hitch it needed to have seeing as how at the time I installed them for a living and knew what kind of poundage we would be pulling. They came back with an older motor home with a hitch I really didn't think would make it. But I was out voted when I suggested they take it back. So finally off we went.
I had never been to that part of the country so it was a big adventure for me. Still being stuck in a rickety motor home...or as Ken would dub it..."The Motor HOE" pulling a stage...we were 70, 80 yards of trouble waiting to happen. Paying for it all on Ken's credit card,faith and very little else. What were we thinking? Despite all this God would take care of us time after time and there would be fruit for His kingdom when it was all said and done. A preacher I would hear years later would say this" Security is the Enemy of Faith" those who are more concerned about security never fully experience the amazing provision of God. And never see Him move in their lives in a way that he would if they Struck out in Faith to serve Him". Here we were doing just that. and God did look out for us.amoung the all the normal gear we took with us Ken brought a video camera. He would be catching nearly everthing on tape as we ventured thru of "Lost in Egypt " tour.
Our first pump in the road happened just outside of Vegas. We broke down in a town called "Baker" they should have removed the r and just called it "BAKE" it was 120 degrees and our carburator decided to give up the ghost. No engine, no air.......we were stranded on the suburb of HELL. Ray thumbed into Vegas and manages to buy the one of only two things that made the rig run that were left in the entire town. Meantime Ken sets up the camera inside the home motor ho and we decide to have church. He says this on tape...."This is were God separates the Warriors ...from...And we go in chorus...."The Wimps" It finally started to rain and this was the first time I ever stood outside in thew pouring rain like a dumb chicken and loved every moment of it.
We got back on the road and drove thru Arizona and New Mexico. I was struck on how beautiful in a red desert sort of way it was. I loved it. We would continue to have problems with the motor ho thru out the trip. When we weren't driving it Ray,myself and Tinker was under it trying to get it to run.
What I soon discovered was we had greatly underestimated both the generosity and compassion of the believers we would meet on the road. Another surprize was how we were percieved. In LA we were just another band trying to get noticed. Once out of LA we were looked in a completely different light. A Band with a record deal getting a regular mention in the rags and on tour. The locals in the know were a bit in awe of us. Something I found amusing considering I still had the 71 Maverick parked outside my stinking cockroach infested apartment and we still had to stand in bread lines on occation.
I won't go into day to day road stories but I will share some of the amazing things that did happen. Shortly after hitting the road when things started gettings hard there was talk of giving up and going back to LA. It was Tink who truely expressed what many in the band felt he said "No one kicks my ass and gets away with it..not even the devil" so press on we did. The tour would be a combination of comedies of errors and miracles.
Back in those days I was sporting a rather large ear ring. The running comment was every time Ray had to ask for help the first thing he would say would be "Steve take out the ear ring I gotta ask these nice strait church people for help" "OK you can put the ear ring back in" all tour long"in and out,in and out".
We pulled into the black hills where we would wind up in a town called Spearfish. The Black Hills were a windy, twisty turny...just plain scary considering we were pulling a 32 ft motor home and a 40 foot mobile stage. We pull out of the hills And right in the middle of main street we lose the hitch. I had told them guys what kind of hitch we needed now they knew why. What tragity it would have been had we lost it while still in the hills. Just so happens we broke down right in front of the Spearfish 4 Square Church. Out came the earring and some one from the church jacked up the van and welded the hitch back on. We played the church that sunday(sans my earring)
We toned it way down but the pastor and his wife along with the congregation were more than generous. And accepted us with open arms. After the hitch got fixed it being a Saturday night and not much to do Ken found a large Taco stand where the teenagers hung out. So up goes the Stage and on go the Saints. A very well known comic from that area who had a son that was strung out happened to be there(small town news travels fast)once we were done playing Ray got up and preached with such power I wanted to get saved all over again! This guys son comes forward and commits his life to Christ. Last we heard he was still clean and still very much saved. The church fed us well and gave a donation and sent us on our way. We had to buy a new carb outside vegas so we pulled this truck shop to get it adjusted now whats funny about this is the guy working on it could have been Rays twin.
The next day we pulled into Sturgis South Dakota. The Worlds largest biker rally. We pull in Tink and I fall out the side door he looks around gets that shit eatin grin on his face and says" We are gonna fit in here just fine" Black leather,cut off levi jackets, big bellies an lots of hair.
There were bikes everywhere. Every type size and shape. From vintage museum bikes to custom racers and all types in between.We connected with the local chapter of the CMA(Christian Motorcycle Association) Our buddy Freddy Z had told us about Sturgis. Sturgis as a city makes 98%of it's yearly budget in the month of August each year.We connected with the head of the CMA explained who we were and how we were looking for a place to set up and play then preach. Let me be very very clear here. This guy was not only no help he was totally useless. He looked and acted as if he would rather be anywhere but there. I LOST ALL RESPECT FOR THE CMA.I just couldn't believe how utterly LAME and in charge some jack ass could be.We found a parking lot set up and rocked. Meantime Ray had found a church and was in his element. Preaching up a storm to a bunch like minded holy rollers.
The next day we loaded up and headed for the kids Dads place Sioux Falls. Cruising down the high way doing 65 I'm in the back sound asleep when "Bang" we lose the hitch,the trailer and the bumper. I go from being sound asleep in the back to being wide awake in the front and wondering what the hell just happened. So here we are sitting in the grass on the side of the freeway wondering what to do next when Ray looks over his shoulder and sees a Catepiller factory. He thinks they got welders big presses etc there. ''''Steve"''....let me guess..out goes the earing again.
Kenny the Kids dad and step mom lived in Sioux Falls. a sweet couple. He sold insurance and she was a bartender at the local country club. We had several gigs to play there. Staying with the Kids folks was an oasis of sorts. They sell this mild light colored beer out there that tastes killer. Plus they Tgrow the sweetest yellow corn. So each night we would grill burgers,drink beer(much to Ray's displeasure)and eat sweet grilled corn. Here is the funny part.The Kids step mom being a bartender knew just about every joke or off color song out there and it was a hoot watching her and Roberts go at it. He would start a joke or an off color song and she would finish it!!! to funny. What I noticed was how humid it was there. I had never been in that kind humidity before( Alaska is a dry climate.) Our contact there had arranged for us to go play a maximum security prison. The next day we rolled into the main yard. Maybe 400 by 400 yards. It was sad for me to think that this yard was all some of these guys would ever see again. We rolled out the stage got ready to play and man was it hot...humid...hot These two inmates brought out two big coolers of ice cold sweet tea!...so off we went and in no time the entire yard of say 300 were standing shoulder to shoulder sweating in the heat while we rocked and rolled and Testified" Finally the band took a breather while big brother Ray started preaching. Mean time I'm standing behind the stage when this Mountain of a man comes up to me. He starts asking me questions about Go,the Bible, Jesus. Hear me folks this guy stood a foot and a half taller than me covered in tattoes. Turns out he was the prison "bill collector". I don't recall what I said but the Chaplin said I had gotten thru to him in a way no one else had. The Chaplin said all the hardness had gone out of his voice as he spoke of the band,his conversation with me and with Christ Finally Brother Ray made an invintation to come to Christ with several coming foward. We ended the day like this. The younger inmates were shouting "More leads!More Leads!More Leads!
So I sat down at the end of the stage surounded by maybe 30-40 guys and I just shredded away for another 30-45 minutes. We signed a bunch of New Testaments and called it a good day.

The Chaplin reported several converstions and an all around good impact. That night we had more beer,more corn,more burgers as we listened to Ken and the Kids step mom seranade us with off color songs.We played a pig roast the next day(the gig was boring as hell but the pig sure was good) and that night we went down to a rock club and talked our way into doing a set. What I recall was Tink bringing his own sticks and snare. Tink warned the drummer that he hit hard but the guy said to use his gear. After the pig roast we were chomping at the bit to rock. We TORE THE ROOF OF THE PLACE. On the last song Tink had dented all the cymbles and broke his snare head. I'd say that was a fitting departure to the midwest. I will mention the guys who were running the local Bible book store where "Metalblue" was on sale took us out to this little place in a town called "Tea" for these huge steaks. That was a blessing.

We had to bag our last gig in St Louis cause frankly we were broke. So we pack up all the gear ready for the long haul back to LA. There was this kind brother who ran a shop that did all the brake work for the local police. He custom built us a class 3 trailer hitch free of charge and even took us out to lunch afterward. God's people were good to us there and this time I didn't even have to take out my ear ring. There is one thing I should mention, we were in a service in one of the churches out there where they had invited Ray to preach. Ray was a card carrying 4 square pastor but at heart he was a firery street preacher. I remember during the sermon he goes "If your wife is a bitch it's because you made her one"!! we heard several "amens"on that one but Roberts leans over and says"There goes the offering so I guess you can put your ear ring back on" The next day we were off back to LA. With the new carb and trailer hitch we got home with little trouble. It was an adventure non of us ever wanted to repeat even though it did produce some good fruit for the kingdom.