November 2 - Highs and Lows

We learned something in Ithaca. We need to start using contracts to get shows. This will save us from the headache of dealing with venues and peoples attitudes that we have no control over. Also we need to play with bands that don't suck. Thanks to Craig, Shannon and their crew for coming out and supporting our New Hampshire show. Also it was a pleasant surprise to see my cousin Jerry rockin to our sounds. Thanks to Nick and the staff at Record Time in Detroit for your support and we can't wait to come back!

The show in Dayton was one of the most memorable for several reasons. It was a Sunday and the crowd was awesome and we gave a stellar performance but after the show as I was loading our trailer in the well lit parking lot 50 feet from the door some scumbag crack heads smashed our passenger window and stole a bunch of stuff from our truck. They were only in there for maybe 30 seconds but they got away with about 5K worth of stuff which will will be sold on the street for 100 bucks worth of crack! Isn't that life though? When things are at their zenith they can come crashing around you. We got the window fixed the next day and are still finding shards of glass in the truck but we have moved on.

If this hadn't shaken us up enough the next show 2 days later in Minneapolis Noel breaks up a mugging we witnessed in the alley before the show. I mean have we not seen it all now? Well no, we have never seen a man eating his own head so I guess no we haven't seen everything. Thanks to all the folks who came out and
thanks to Heather for helping with the gear after the show.

Our Dayton show with Eddie Meidunas and his band Clarence Whorley Project was awesome and we hope all that attended had as much fun as I did drinking and singing along with the bag piper!

Thanks to the great crowd in DC! Getting to see my friends and family was really special and thanks to Patrick for the sweet Marriott hotel hook up. Also thanks to Rex & Nikki and for their hospitality and Murph for a fun night out on the town! Thanks to Niel, Lisa & Abby for helping us with the trailer for our NYC excursion.

We're now hanging for a few days in NC getting R&R but we'll be on our final leg of this tour at the end of this week. - dave

October 10 - Burlesque and Broken Bones

The tour schedule has been a little thin over the last few weeks, what with only 8 shows scheduled. But we generally ascribe to the "quality over quantity" ethos, so somehow we've managed to keep things exciting nonetheless.

Picking up where Noel left off in his last entry, we had a stellar time doing a gig with his brother Michael's band The Kelly Project at their CD release party on Long Island. The show was great despite having to deal with a sound guy who ran the soundcheck like he was trying to coordinate the friggin' Oscars! Nothing like being rushed into setting up for a soundcheck only to be told that we can't change any of the volume settings established by the headliners...thus completely defeating the point of a soundcheck.

Our live in-studio performance at WCWP 88.1fm was a great time. We recorded it on Monday for a late-Tuesday 'live' on-air performance. Through the miracle of radio, we were two places at once...on the air and on the stage at Arlene's in NYC. Arlene's was definitely a tour highlight...a lot of good friends old and new came out to the show, and after playing some empty rooms here and there, a packed show with smiling faces was amazing.

We drove up to New Haven the next day. Pulling into Rudy's, we were greeted by furrowed brows and quizzically tilted heads...never a good sign. Turns out the bookers had booked us for the 22nd, but had accidentally told us the 21st. At least we got a free meal out of it. Of note, the burgers and buffalo wings at Rudy's are fantastic by the way. So the next night we came back, squeezed onto their microscopic stage (couldn't have been more than 50 sq ft...no light show to say the least) and rocked out with guitars just beneath our chins in true Beatles style.

Onto Worcester, MA...we added a last minute show at a place here called the Lucky Dog. On Wednesday nights they do what could loosely be described as a band 'open-mic' night where upwards of ten bands sign up to perform at 8pm, everyone draws lots to determine the playing order, and then everyone plays for like 20 mins each. With a week off, we thought we'd shoot up to Worcester, see what it's all about, and maybe have a few laughs. We get there and it turns out not a single other band shows up for this thing. Well, the bartender/owner is embarrassed and a bit puzzled but basically says, "You're it! Play whenever you want and for as long as you want." After setting up, sound checking, and watching the Red Sox lose, we work our way into the set. A couple of songs into it, with probably 10 guys in the audience, a couple comes into the bar. He's looks to be an ordinary guy in a suit, but seems both overwhelmed and uncomfortable at the same time. She's a pretty woman, but desperate to be the center of attention as she flitters around the bar in that 'everybody look at me' sort of way. Once she sees there's a band onstage, she starts dancing and twirling around and yelling at us like she's trying to tell us something. We're in the middle of a song, playing a set that's basically a glorified rehearsal, so I think 'what the hell' and signal her to come onstage. Big mistake.

The way I figured it would play out is this: she'd come onstage, dance around and work out her narcissism, get uncomfortable after a little while, and calmly leave the stage to continue annoying the rest of the patrons while her feckless and unfortunate friend followed her around like a shamed puppy. I was only partially right. Instead, she gets onstage, dances around while attempting to grind with all three of us at various points as we're trying desperately to keep focus, and proceeds to flash her breasts to 3 dumbfounded musicians and the previously mentioned 10 man audience, each one now kicking his own jaw. I had two thoughts, the first being, 'oh shit, what have I gotten us into?' and the second being, 'those are definitely fake.' Shamed Puppy eventually succeeds in coaxing her down and Noel, Dave, and I try to get our show back on track. Not 5 minutes later though, she's parading from one side of the venue to the other, losing one piece of clothing after the next (with Shamed Puppy picking up each discarded item as it falls) until she's completely naked and lying face-up on the bar as if she's about to take a nap! The 10 man audience had completely lost interest in us at that point, and honestly, so had we. It was obvious at that point that she must've been a peeler from one of the strip clubs down the street who'd gotten a little too hepped up on goofballs before coming over. We soldiered on through the set with the unspoken agreement that 10 horny guys standing around a naked woman lying on a bar was only going to end badly, so we did our best to try to separate ourselves from the situation with a wall of guitars and noise. Soon, the mood turned predictably sour as she came down off the bar, grabbed her clothes, glared with disdain at her new fans, and chastised herself for having made 'a big mess of things.' I guess if we were going to get upstaged, we'd just as soon have it happen that way, since there's no way to compete with that.

Dave and I woke up the next day to a very panicked Noel saying, 'One of you has to take me to the emergency room...I think I really messed myself up.' Turns out he broke the tip of his right ring-finger after accidentally crushing it in the tailgate of our truck. Fortunately, it wasn't his fretting hand and he had a few days to heal, otherwise we'd be shit-canning the rest of the tour. But some X-rays, some stitches, and $1500 later, he's played flawlessly despite the splint and bandages! A few days off in Boston with our friends Ray and Heather were great therapy as Dave headed back to LA for a friend's wedding and Noel and I pickled ourselves at the downtown pubs.

Capping off our Boston stay with a barn-burning set at TT the Bear's, we were pleased to see so many good friends and fans out at the show. We also got great news from our friend and radio promo guru Steve Theo that we'd cracked the CMJ Top 200 charts...not bad for a band without label support.

There's no way to capture everything that's been going on, so we're trying to hit the highlights...but we promise to try to get these blogs happening a little more frequently. Take care and be well -- rick


September 25th -- Officer Barbrady lives. It’s true.

The character from Southpark is alive and well in Dayton OH. So for those of you who don’t know, we’ve been driving a truck with a trailer across country. The big red machine has been magnificent, but almost met with the most unkindly of demises one late, dark night in Dayton OH.

After playing a great show at the Melody Inn in Indianapolis, I jumped behind the wheel and we hoofed it out to Dayton, OH (about 3 hours). We pulled into town and promptly got a bit turned around as I was relying on 10 year old recollections of a town that I had since burned from my memory (lived in Dayton for a year of my life). Eventually we made it back to the “right” side of town and found ourselves on the Wright State Campus. Once we realized we were someplace we were not supposed to be, we decided to make a U-turn and get the hell out of there. (we’re sticking to that story).

To set the scenery, we’re on a loop road that abuts a huge parking lot to our left. To our right is a hay-covered ground with Utility trucks parked on it. If you’ve ever parked off pavement at a football game, you sort of get the idea. Beyond this hay-strewn patch of land is an downward incline followed by woods. So I’m driving along and then I got the fateful order, “Turn Here.”

Well, I started the turn and everything was going peachy until I realized that I no control over the truck and about 5,000 lbs of metal and equipment were sliding unabated into the woods. It seems that the hay was merely covering about a foot of top soil mud as a water truck had sprung a leak at that spot earlier in the day. Jackknifed and sliding into the woods the car came to a perilous stop. We were safe for the moment…so we thought.

We jumped out of the truck to assess the situation. We couldn’t unhook the trailer because of the extra-weight, jackknifed position, and the Jack itself seeping into the mud. Dave and I started unloading the trailer. With the equipment out on the roadside I mustered what some would call super human strength and picked the trailer up over my head and carried it to safety. Actually, it took some doing, but Dave and I moved the trailer from the mud. Rick tried moving the truck, but with tires spinning was hurriedly making his way into the woods. That’s when Officer Barbrady showed up on the scene and thank God for his timely arrival for I do not know what in heaven we would have done without such insightful comments like:

“Looks like you guys got yourself stuck in the mud,” and “How did the truck get there?.” In response to, “ There were no signs that said, ‘mud” or “do not drive here’” Officer Barbrady informed us that, “State property doesn’t need to post signs.” Remember this the next time you’re driving on the interstate. Dave and I covered in mud, stared on in disbelief as we watched this buffoon completely and utterly mismanage the situation. Quite amazing to be honest.

Luckily for us, a few of the night workmen from the campus showed up with a chain and truck and pulled us out of the mud. Thank you to those kind souls, angels who disappeared into the night. As we reattached the trailer, Officer Barbrady took our information and informed us that the university would be in touch to collect money for damages to their hay covered ground.

Fuck him. That what we all thought inside. Dave starting arguing with him, but we all figured that the man with the gun usually wins the argument. We nodded our heads and gave him the finger as he drove away.

We finished packing and I said there’s no way I’m sleeping in a truck tonight, so we made our way 2 miles down the road and checked into the Red Roof Inn. Upon entering the room ($40/night) I said, “this looks like a fucking crack house.” Rick and Dave were already asleep so I hope they read this so they know how funny I really am;) The next morning while talking to the cleaning staff outside the room, Rick and I found out that those rooms are slated for demolition and that they are used by the hookers in town. They are always finding videos and crack pipes and sex toys hidden behind the walls in the handicapped bathrooms. I said, “I didn’t know that there were handicap prostitutes.” We all laughed…Ha Ha…and then we stopped laughing…then we awkwardly walked away from each other.

We still still had the Dayton mall and Columbus Ohio and Batman to get to that night…stories not for the weak of constiution…thank God Katie Meduinas sent us out into battle well nourished and ready – until later -- cheers - noel



September 20th -- How it went down on the way to Omaha and Long Island
I woke this morning on Long Island to my father giving music lessons. Nothing like the piercing shriek of someone struggling through an Irish jig on the tin whistle at 10:00 in the morning. We arrived on Long Island (home of Amy Fisher) on Thursday after making our way across country – Ahh the memories…like a fine, aged box of wine.

So from a 12 year old rock star screamo kid in Omaha to pizza induced fist fights (sucker punch is more like it) in Iowa, to Otto (Indy’s funniest unfunny man) and Officer Barbrady’s mudslides in Dayton, to a toothless and insecure Batman in Columbus…these are a few of the things that will probably survive the test of time for me.

I think Dave or Rick left off with our stay in Grand Junction and Denver, but once again thanks to all the folks out there and we’ll see you all in November. Special thanks to John the Brit and Froggy for being true believers and friends, more importantly friends with a house to crash in;) and Dave Prather in Grand Junction

I’ll try to make this brief, but the last time I had to write an essay, it was already written for me on the internet someplace and my own journal entries through the years seem to read more like the following “ June 21, 2001 – Woke this morning, feel like shit – man, I’m never drinking that much again. Got some coffee, working up the courage to go to the bathroom. So why do I always … damn it, this sucks, I’m not, damn it – not an original thought in my head, fuck it, maybe Saved by the Bell is on…”

So, bear with me;)

Omaha -- We pulled up in Omaha after giving into the magical delights of the Colonel (Sanders that is) and his secret recipe. Does anyone remember when the colonel went all Ghetto in commercials. How insulting that must have been if you were black. The shit white executives get away with these days. Regardless, we pulled into downtown Omaha and immediately were swept away by the utter beauty of the place. Children and mothers dancing in the streets. Lollipop slides and gumdrop rainbows. Koolaide streams and rivers of chocolate. Honestly, we parked in the shadow of the Woodmen building which was made famous by the movie “About Schmidt.” They definitely caught the vibe of the town and when later on in a trip you hear people from Des Moines say, “I don’t know how anyone could live in Omaha,” you get the idea something is up.

But first off, let me say that we did meet some real nice people there. Thanks to Dan for setting up the show and we look forward to coming back. You have a great thing going and we can’t wait to see what you do with the place. The fellas in Hate Motor. Keep rockin’. And the sound guy. Sorry can’t remember your name but you know who you are.

When we pulled in, I saw this little kid (about half the size of me – approximately 3 apples high) riding a skateboard in front of the venue. In fact, a bunch of youngin’s (hooligans as my mother would call them) were hanging out. I figured, “Wow, this is our first all-ages gig.” As we unloaded, the little kid on the skateboard was still hanging around and I thought it strange that this bloke smoked cigarettes and walked around with the swagger of Steve McQueen on his way to the cooler. I think of him fondly as Steve McQueen Fetus Boy – it looked absurd. I walked over to Dave and said, “Hey man, check out that kid…I wish I was that fucking cool.” Dave says, “that’s the screamer.” “What?” “That’s the screamer,” he says. “What the fuck does that mean.” “He screams in one of the bands. That’s his job. He’s terribly proud of it too.”

After playing a great set we were loading our equipment into the truck when the next band started playing (the young kids I had seen before). All of a sudden, this unearthly howl, a shriek like a banshee on acid came wailing from inside the venue doors. The Screamer was on stage. He continued to do this throughout the set. I did not want to even see how he was getting that sound out of his body. It was unearthly. I’ll never forget you Steve McQueen Fetus boy…but then again, maybe the Colonel is really putting some crazy shit in that secret recipe of his.

We pulled into Des Moines after a lovely night stay at America’s finest truck stop. Beautiful accoutrements to say the least. We were supposed to play the show with Mike Pinucus of Honky (formerly with the Butthole Surfers) and Nebula with former members of Fu Man Chu. Honky never showed but the show was a blast anyway, sort of. Hairy Mary’s is an excellent venue located next to Drake University with murals adorning the walls and a Harley positioned behind the bar. We’re hoping for a better turn out the next time through town.

The owners of the venue (very cool people) pointed us in the direction of a late night pizza joint. Pizza sounded tempting but we should have known better than to go to a place that caters to drunks after bars close. As Dave was inside ordering the pizza and Rick and I were outside arguing about the semantics of each others arguments, two very brave young men stepped up to another gentleman and let loose a sucker punch with pop that stunned the crowd and the tag line, “How do you like me now, Bitch.” Then they turned and ran. Such a display of chivalry, they must be fans of the famed Sir Arthur story for sure.

The poor fella crumbled, legs folded and splayed underneath, head bouncing on the curb, blood exploding from his nose…layed out. Rick and I rushed to the guy’s aide as the natives stood around, laughed and ate pizza. When the guy came too, he jumped out and ran to a car, jumped in and sped off…probably for late night tacos.

Next Stop Indianapolis. First off, want to thank Nicole and Joe for all their hospitality. They were very kind for having us, letting us crash, pointing us in the right direction around town. The Melody Inn is an amazing place in it’s own right. It’s been around almost 75 years and used to be a jazz haunt. It was pretty haunting to think that I was playing in the same room as one of my guitar heroes, Wes Montgomery. We also found another great band that you should all check out. Palaxy Tracks from Chicago by way of Austin originally. They have a very cool, definitive style. Look into them for sure.

The night before the show we went to eat at Yats, a Cajun outfit. Honestly, the best Cajun food I’ve ever had. I couldn’t believe I was eating rice and beans and enjoying it, although later that night…well, we don’t have to go there. After that we headed back to the Melody Inn for their Comedy open mike, where the MC was a one Mr. Otto. Otto…well Otto is eccentric. You’d have to see him to know what I’m talking about. Again, we had a great time and we’re really looking forward to a return show in October.

Last stop for this Blog was Columbus, but this one is a bit of a story for sure, so I’m going to finish this one tomorrow – It involves off-roading, handicap hookers, batman (a real man by the way) the Fighting meduinii, marriage proposals, Tullamore Dew shots, and late night drunk calling…ahhh, the good times were never so good – so until next time – cheers and stay cool, stay in school…peace, love and happiness -- noel

Sep 5 - Seattle, Eugene redux, Boise
The other shoe finally dropped yesterday and we lost the other tire on the trailer about 15 minutes outside of Cheyenne, WY on our way to Denver. A lot less panic this time around though, since we'd already been through the routine. After another $100, we were back on the road, barely avoiding a set of storm clouds ready to unload. Apparently the $200 price cut we enjoyed when we bought the trailer wasn't meant to stay in our wallets.

The shows have been fantastic...everything ranging from a dress rehearsal witnessed by a precious few to full-blown rock 'n' roll events with stage monitors where we can hear ourselves an' everything! Yes, that's a bit of sarcasm in there, but only for slight, possibly ill-timed comedic effect. Sincerely, the shows have been a lot of fun and we've met many really kind people who truly care about and support independent music...and a lot of people who just seem to get what we're doing. A nice plus.

Seattle was a pleasant surprise with a great turnout of friends and strangers alike showing up thanks to the airplay and support we've been receiving on KEXP. Thanks to our new friends Stars of Track & Field and Mono In VCF for joining us on the bill.

The second Eugene show was um...interesting. A very 'relaxed' show to about eight of the local barflies where problems with the PA finally got figured out with two songs left in the set. All the same, we stretched our legs a little and thanks to Chris for booking us sight-unseen the week prior.

Our first Boise experience was heightened by browsing through one of the coolest record shops ever (Record Exchange), playing some wiffle ball in Capitol Park (Noel won...bastard), and getting a fantastic reception at the show that night. Sold a lot of CDs that helped pay for the tire blowout the next day. The club...Neurolux...great staff, sound, and stage. Can't wait to play there again. Thanks to Adison's Ghost for joining us.

We're in Colorado right now staying with our very generous and very hilarious friend Pete Sheridan for a day off and a few dates around the state this week.

Please bear with us as we get used to this whole blog thing. We're trying to keep these somewhat interesting without getting too much into a laundry list of inane (and redundant) activities and private jokes that are only funny to three guys stuck in close quarters for an extended period of time.

rick

August 30, 2005 -- Somewhere between Portland & Seattle...
Redding was awesome and thanks to Aaron, Brian, Chris, Mark, Ryan and crew at Serendipity for their support and post show party. We can't wait to return! Thanks to new fans Leah, Gracie, Colleen, and Autumn Project, Brilliant Red Lights & Squirrell VS Bear for a great show.

If anyone has photos from our shows or a review please contact us. The trailer seems to be holding up and we've just started enjoying the cooler weather in the northwest as it was 107 during the days in No Cal. We got to eat at the largest Chipotle in Portland so now I don't need to eat for a few hours. It's been really fun not playing in LA as people who see us come up after the show and want to learn more about us. In LA the people only come for their boyfriend/girlfriend's band and then promply leave. Dog eat dog you know?

The Dante's show was really fun and we had a blast after our set watching nude dancers, fire-eaters and assorted sinful things. Thanks to Jason, Nalika and my cousins Ted & Julie for their hospitality and Seeing Blind for playing a great set!

The shows keep getting tighter and more energy packed and we're excited to play Seattle tomorrow. More from the road to come....

dave

August 23, 2005 -- First day of the Tour...

If every journey must exact its price, then how better to begin than on the pre-payment plan?

We expect our fair share of hang-ups, delays, and diversions, although we're certain none of us expected a tire casualty this early. The trailer lost it's portside tire in grand fashion, leaving a spray of melting rubber in its wake and a shower of sparks as the rim dug into the tarmac...less than 3 hours north of Los Angeles.

After 2 false starts loading the trailer before leaving, we began to unload it once again. This time on a 101 degree desert roadside with 20 tons of steel barreling by at 75mph less than 10 feet away. After wrestling with the jack, I disconnected the truck and drove off in search of a replacement. Noel and Dave looked for a
sliver of shade to devise a back-up plan if needed. $100 and an hour later, back on the road, I probably sweat through my shirt three times over. The sunburn took an hour or so to come out.

Late night into Chico listening to 'Coast to Coast' on AM...one of our favorite tour pasttimes. Charles Pellegrino talking about stress cocoons, submersibles exploring the Titanic, and the inverted mushroom cloud of ash and rock that descended on the populace when Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D.

Sleeping in the car in a college town...giggling drunken girls hanging on their even drunker boyfriends, the thump of car stereos rippling a modern display of peacock colors to attract said girls. Dave slept in his sleeping bag on the street under the trailer...at least until the sprinklers turned on this morning.

On to Eugene for a show tonight, hoping for a less eventful trip from here...at least one involving fewer tire incidents.

rick