Happy summer everyone!
We have been quiet the past few weeks, but it’s only because we’ve been doing some behind the scenes work getting ready for a bunch of regional dates in August, September, and beyond. Beyond that, we’re still working hard demoing for the new record, but I’m getting ahead of myself . . .
First of all, if you didn’t notice yet, we’re playing tomorrow, July 10th, at the Cabooze for the Harley Davidson Tour featuring The Crave. We have free tickets for anyone who wants to come have a fantastic time, so call us, write us, bump into us outside the venue – whatever works! Every ticket we give away counts as cash in our pockets, so please help us out! Also, we’ll be on KSTP (the local Minneapolis ABC affiliate) tomorrow at 3 p.m. for Twin Cities Live – be sure to watch it and tell everyone you know!
Secondly, as far as big news goes, we’re playing Basilica Block Party this Saturday, opening the main stage for Gavin Rossdale and Missy Higgins! It’s going to be an amazing time and the crowd will be wild, so come be a part of it.
If that’s not enough for you, we’re also being featured on NYC’s Fearless Network Television, which is broadcast all over the U.S. on various stations. A complete list follows the blog, so find your hometown and check it out! It usually airs very, very early Sunday morning (so late Saturday night, more or less). You can check it out the next day on www.fearless.tv, so check it out there sometime on Sunday!
Also, a big reminder to you all for our July 18th show at the Varsity Theater w/ The Effects (Minneapolis CD Release Party), Solid Gold, and Pictures of Then. It’s an 18+ show, doors at 8, music at 9 . . . be there! It’s going to be a fantastic show, and if you haven’t gotten to see any of the other bands play yet, you’re really missing out. It will be a stellar party and a great celebration of the halfway point of summer, not to mention the Effects’ new CD, so come have a ball.
Lastly, I thought this was quite touching. It’s a pretty amazing story so if you have some free time look into it a bit!
Alright, that does it for now. Hope to see everyone out and about at these next few shows, and keep checking the MySpace dates for more and more new regional dates that should be rolling in weekly! We’ll talk soon . . . .
- Joe
Fearless TV Affiliates:
New York, NY WNYW FOX Saturday Night 12:30am
Los Angeles, CA KHIZ Saturday Night 3:00am
Detroit, MI WJBK FOX (Starting Sept. ’08) Sunday Night 1am
Duluth, MN WDIO-ABC Saturday Night 1am
Portland, OR KPDX Saturday Night 11:30pm
Cincinnati, OH WOTH Saturday Night 11:30pm
Grand Rapids, WOOD MI NBC Saturday Night 1am
Norfolk, VA WSKY Friday Night 3am
Las Vegas, NV KVMY MNTV Sunday Night 12am
Jacksonville, FL WTLV NBC Saturday Night 2:30am
Albany, NY WNYA Saturday Night 1am
Mobile, AL WPMI NBC Saturday Night 1am
Honolulu, HI KHON FOX Saturday Night 3:30am
Springfield, MO KYTV NBC Saturday Night 2am
Jackson, MS WDBD WB Saturday Night 1am
Davenport, IA WBQD MNTV Saturday Night 12am
Baton Rouge, LA WGMB FOX Saturday Night 11:30pm
El Paso, TX KVIA Saturday Night 1:30am
Fort Wayne, IN WFFT FOX Saturday Night 4am
Tyler-Longview KFXK – FOX 51 Saturday Night 1am
Longview, TX KFXK FOX Sunday Night 12am
Peoria, IL WAOE Saturday Night 11pm
Fargo, ND KVLY NBC Saturday Night 3:30am
Boise, ID KIVI ABC Saturday Night 10:35pm
Eau Claire, WI WEAU NBC Saturday Night 1am
Atlantic City, NJ WMGM NBC Sunday Night 1:00am
La Crosse-Eau Claire WEAU-NBC Saturday Night 1am
Rockford, IL WTVO-ABC Saturday Night 1am
Columbia, MO KZOU MNTV Sunday Night 11pm
Anchorage, AK KTUU NBC Saturday Night 12:30am
Binghamton, NY WBPN MNTV Saturday Night 1am
Yuma, AZ KECY FOX (also running on ABC DT) Saturday Night 1:30am
Jackson, TN WBBJ ABC Friday Night 1:30am
Meridian, MS WMDN CBS Friday Night 1:30am, Sat. 1am
Charlottesville, VA WAHU FOX Saturday Night 11pm
Morgan City, LA KWBJ Saturday Night 10:30pm, Thurs. 11p
Twin Falls, ID KSAW ABC Saturday Night 10:35pm
Fairbanks, AK KFXF FOX Saturday Night 12:30am
Juneau, AK KATH NBC Saturday Night 12:30pm, Sun. 3:00pm
Omaha, NE WOWT-DT Saturday Night 1am
South Bend, IN WSBT-DT Sunday Night 5:30pm
Youngstown, OH WYTV –DT MNTV Saturday Night 2:30am
Panama City, FL WJHG-DT MNTV Saturday Night 11:30pm
Flint – Saginaw-Bay City WNEM-DT MNTV Saturday Night 1am
Washington DC Local Point TV WJLA Short Form Programming
(The Episode runs every 3 hours)
America One Television Affiliates
(Over-the-Air Broadcast)
FMTV Will Air Tuesdays and Friday Nights at 1am
Memphis,TN WBXP
Southampton, NY WVVH
State College, PA WHVL
Johnstown, PA WHVL
Fresno, CA KJEO
Milwaukee, WI WMKE
Jackson, MS WBXK
Baton Rouge, LA KPBN
West Warwick, RI Cox Sports New England
Plano, IL WSPY
Hammonton, NJ WPSJ
Des Moines, IA KDMI DT
St. Augustine, FL WQXT
Gallup, NM KIAZ
Albuquerque, NM KIAZ
Savannah, GA WXSX
Montgomery, AL WBXM
San Luis Obispo, CA KKJ
North Charleston, SC WJNI
Charleston, SC WJNI
Des Moines, IA WBXF
Omaha, NE KKAZ
Athens, AL WTZT
Boise, ID WBEK
El Paso, TX KDBC DT
Bucyrus, OH WBKA
Muskegon, MI WMKG
Bakersfield, CA KBBV
Portland, OR KORK
Kingsport, TN WKPT DT
Flint, MI WHNE
Clarksville, TN WCKV
Findlay, OH WFND
Boone, NC WLNN
Stillwater, OK KWEM
Victorville, CA Odyssey TV
Canton, OH WIVM
Sioux City, IA KPTH DT
Augusta, GA WBEK
Salem, OR KWVT
East Bernstadt, KY WOBZ
Orlando, FL WRCF
New Orleans, LA WSTY
Martin, KY W32CX
Charleston, VA W32CX
Shreveport, TX K20HL
Huntsville, AL WBCF
Bristol, VA WKPT
Union City, TN WOBT
Paducah, KY WUWT
Denver, CO KUPN
Perry, FL WSFD
Grove, OK KELF
Lewiston, ID KIDQ
Spokane, WA KIDQ
Traverse City, MI
Shreveport, LA KTEV
Bend, OR K48BL
Jasper, IN WJTS
Phoenix, AZ KCFG
Erie, PA Image Channel
Joplin, MO KGCS
Pahrump, NV WHMP
Logan, UT KUTA
Coeur d Alene, ID KTYJ
Spokane, WA KTYJ
Twin Falls, ID KBAX
San Francisco, CA K33CH
Liberal, KS KLKT
Martinsville, IN WREP
Hornell, NY PEISH TV
Phoenix, AZ KXAX
Ponca City, OK KGBN
Elizabeth City, NC W18BB
Yuma, AZ K23BJ
Marshalltown, IA KDAO
Wichita, KS KLKT
Lake Havasu City, AZ K23BJ
Rockford, IL WMKB
Eureka, CA KEAZ
Denver, CO KCXP
Aspen, CO KCXP
Rockford, IL WCRD
Cleveland, MS WHCQ
Shreveport, LA NSU 22
Denver, CO KENY
Clarksdale, MS WPRQ
Rockford, IL WRDH
Denver, CO K27FA
Bainbridge, GA WMGR
Harrogate, TN LMU TV
Nashville, TN CPWS
Rockford, IL WBKM
Greenville, TX GEUS
Phoenix, AZ KVSW
Winslow, AZ KVSW
Webb, MS WEBU
Denver, CO K48BK
Billings, MT KQHD
Phoenix, AZ KNJO
Terre Haute, IN WHFE
Albany, NY Princetown Cable
Jackson, MS Trust Cable
Terre Haute, IN WVGO
Lubbock, TX NTS Comm
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
There's a Starman . . .
Hello friends, family, and fans --
First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who came out to our show on Saturday night w/ Mercurial Rage, The Mood Swings, and the Alarmists. We love to support our friends, and in this case we were very happy and excited to help our Merc Rage buddies get their fantastic new record out in a grand celebration. If you have any awesome pictures from the show, feel free to send them our way or post them in the “fan picture section” of our Facebook page.
Secondly, we just got written up by NPR and they were more than complimentary about us! Read the article HERE and let us know what you think! You can also download Charlatan from the same page, so feel free to do so and tell everyone you know . . .
July is going to be a fun month for us as well – we’ve added dates for Summerfest, the Harley Davidson Rally, Basillica Block Party, and a very special show in town at the Varsity with our good buddies The Effects! We’re going to be doing some heavy promotion for the Varsity show, so if you’d like to help at all get in touch with us and we’ll help you on your way.
There are going to be comp tickets for the Harley show, too, and we’ll be holding a couple events so that people who actually want the tickets can come get them from us personally. The plans are in the works right now and we’ll update you on dates and times as we come up with them.
Oh, and we’re finally going to put in the time and try to get a new song done for the Varsity date with the Effects, and this time we actually mean it. We’ve been rehearsing so it should be ready in time . . . after all, with the 15 some new songs we have in the works, we should be able to share at least one, right?
Lastly, in my new blog tradition, here’s a little goodie I found the other day whilst browsing. If anyone makes it out to Germany or hears of anything like this waterslide here in America, let us know because I want to ride one ASAP. It looks, well, amazing.
Until next time, cheers!
First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who came out to our show on Saturday night w/ Mercurial Rage, The Mood Swings, and the Alarmists. We love to support our friends, and in this case we were very happy and excited to help our Merc Rage buddies get their fantastic new record out in a grand celebration. If you have any awesome pictures from the show, feel free to send them our way or post them in the “fan picture section” of our Facebook page.
Secondly, we just got written up by NPR and they were more than complimentary about us! Read the article HERE and let us know what you think! You can also download Charlatan from the same page, so feel free to do so and tell everyone you know . . .
July is going to be a fun month for us as well – we’ve added dates for Summerfest, the Harley Davidson Rally, Basillica Block Party, and a very special show in town at the Varsity with our good buddies The Effects! We’re going to be doing some heavy promotion for the Varsity show, so if you’d like to help at all get in touch with us and we’ll help you on your way.
There are going to be comp tickets for the Harley show, too, and we’ll be holding a couple events so that people who actually want the tickets can come get them from us personally. The plans are in the works right now and we’ll update you on dates and times as we come up with them.
Oh, and we’re finally going to put in the time and try to get a new song done for the Varsity date with the Effects, and this time we actually mean it. We’ve been rehearsing so it should be ready in time . . . after all, with the 15 some new songs we have in the works, we should be able to share at least one, right?
Lastly, in my new blog tradition, here’s a little goodie I found the other day whilst browsing. If anyone makes it out to Germany or hears of anything like this waterslide here in America, let us know because I want to ride one ASAP. It looks, well, amazing.
Until next time, cheers!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Never Gonna Give You Up, Never Gonna Let You Down . . .
Hey everyone!
So, it’s been an exciting week! We’ve got some secret news about an exciting opportunity that we can’t just share with you yet, but in the next coming months we might get to be part of a really moving event . . . stay attentive!
OK, so after that big teaser, here’s some more concrete information:
First of all, please tell everyone you know in Minneapolis/St. Paul and the surrounding area about our show at the Fineline this Saturday, June 7th, for Mercurial Rage’s CD release party w/ the Alarmists and the Mood Swings. The show starts about 9:15, so any of you worried about not being able to make it due to the Chris Koza CD Release and This World Fair farewell show will have enough time to scoot on down to the Fineline for a full night of Minneapolis music!
Secondly, be sure to vote for us to play Lollapalooza at Sonicbids and encourage everyone you know to do the same! Click HERE to cast your vote!
Lastly, in WLR news, here’s our newest video blog detailing our latest trip to NYC and Philadelphia, featuring Daniel trying to do some trick pool shots.
Oh, and for a couple goodies, check out this LINK detailing a scientist’s new theory about optical illusions. He claims our brains anticipate the future when it comes to stationary images that imply motion and adjust the image accordingly . . . very cool and interesting when one considers all the tricks our eyes can play on us.
And check out this crazy video of a kid doing some "contact juggling" . . . I’ve never seen anything quite like it and it’s about as near a legitimate “magic” trick as I think I’ve seen . . . maybe it’s totally fake but I’d like to be a believer!
Until next time, remember to vote at Sonicbids and talk up the Fineline show!!!
All the best!
- Joe
So, it’s been an exciting week! We’ve got some secret news about an exciting opportunity that we can’t just share with you yet, but in the next coming months we might get to be part of a really moving event . . . stay attentive!
OK, so after that big teaser, here’s some more concrete information:
First of all, please tell everyone you know in Minneapolis/St. Paul and the surrounding area about our show at the Fineline this Saturday, June 7th, for Mercurial Rage’s CD release party w/ the Alarmists and the Mood Swings. The show starts about 9:15, so any of you worried about not being able to make it due to the Chris Koza CD Release and This World Fair farewell show will have enough time to scoot on down to the Fineline for a full night of Minneapolis music!
Secondly, be sure to vote for us to play Lollapalooza at Sonicbids and encourage everyone you know to do the same! Click HERE to cast your vote!
Lastly, in WLR news, here’s our newest video blog detailing our latest trip to NYC and Philadelphia, featuring Daniel trying to do some trick pool shots.
Oh, and for a couple goodies, check out this LINK detailing a scientist’s new theory about optical illusions. He claims our brains anticipate the future when it comes to stationary images that imply motion and adjust the image accordingly . . . very cool and interesting when one considers all the tricks our eyes can play on us.
And check out this crazy video of a kid doing some "contact juggling" . . . I’ve never seen anything quite like it and it’s about as near a legitimate “magic” trick as I think I’ve seen . . . maybe it’s totally fake but I’d like to be a believer!
Until next time, remember to vote at Sonicbids and talk up the Fineline show!!!
All the best!
- Joe
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Tiny Hats: Now Open Late!
Salamé!
Well, we’ve recently returned from the East coast and are finally healed and rested from four straight days of 4 a.m. bar close and two 24 hour drives. As such, we’ve got some stories to report and a few treats to share with you all.
First off, though, a bit of news is in order before we hit the stories, as tour recaps get long and in the current age it’s hard to hold someone’s attention for more than about 2 minutes, so if you want the story, continue ahead. Otherwise, here goes some info:
First off, we’re going to be playing Mercurial Rage’s big CD Release Party June 7th at the Fineline in Minneapolis. It’s going to be a fantastic show and you all should be there (if you’re over 18).
Secondly, we just recorded eight new demos (in addition to the first six we’ve already done), so we’ve got some new tunes in the grinder. Don’t expect to hear anything too soon; just know they’re in the works and we’ve got some great new ideas going. Personally I’m very excited about all the songs, and I think the next album’s sound is starting to congeal a bit. It’s a bit darker, more ambient, more experimental, more varied – everything a good sophomore album should be. But perhaps I speak too soon . . .
As far as video blogs go, we should have a new one up by Sunday, so be on the look out for that. There is some amazing footage from NYC – consider yourselves warned.
Lastly, we’re really going to be hitting the net hard with promo as well as scrapping a Midwest tour together, so anything anyone can do to help with some promo would be great. Join the street team, tell your friends, etc. And keep watching for more dates!
Oh, we’ve got Dan’s Philly History Tour up – watch it here:
Before I start, I’d like to bring to your attention something interesting I learned today: If you’ve ever driven on Chicago’s Skyway Tollway or Indiana’s entire toll system, it turns out you’re actually paying Spanish and Japanese investors who’ve leased the roads for some 99 years, not the state governments. I found this to be obnoxious, especially considering the current economic situation, as it seems very unwise to be handing money overseas like that. If that wasn’t enough, here’s a video that outlines an interesting trans-North American highway system . . . again to be owned and controlled by overseas investors. Watch and be amazed:
Alright, on to the tour recap:
I suppose I should preface all of this by saying that, once again, our great friend RyAnhorn joined us on the trip, as well as my little brother Jimmy who you can thank for the Out of Sight and Charlatan videos. We ostensibly chauffeured him out to NYC so he could hitch a ride out to Western MA to work on an organic farm all summer . . . crazy kid. Oh, and there’s a bit of repeat in the middle as Mike already relayed the Cold War Kids story, but the rest is fresh.
Anyhow, we began the daylong trip at about 6:15 p.m. on Friday night. We gathered some supplies, hit the bank, and got on our way. We hadn’t planned on I-394 (our gateway to I-94 and thus East) being closed down, so we had to take a sketchy alternate route that put us about an hour behind schedule. We grabbed Ryan about 7:30 from St. Paul and were finally on our way. Once we hit Wisconsin we realized it was well past dinnertime so we hit up the old standby – Subway. It was not so glorious.
We continued on through Wisconsin watching Seinfeld DVDs (of note: We finally realized we can hook our laptops up to a power converter to keep them charged and then run a 1/8” jack to cassette adapter into the stereo system for a cinema experience that is very adequate. Why we didn’t come up with this sooner I couldn’t tell you, but it makes the slow times more tolerable. Sadly, the VHS kick might be on its way out). Dan and I traded about 1 a.m. and he took the nasty middle of the night shift we all dread.
After a little snack stop for overpriced beef jerky, we continued on through Chicago and Indiana, paying crazy tolls to foreign investors, and enjoying Gary, Indiana’s odor (well, most of us slept, but I’m sure Dan took that scent in deep). Some Tim and Eric Awesome Show! Great Job was a nice treat before bed as Ryan brought the Season 1 DVD, and over the course of the next five days we probably watched each episode about 13 times. That number is not an exaggeration.
Mark took over in the morning times and the rest of us continued to get some restless sleep. About 2:30 we hit up some lunch on one of Ohio’s many scenic tollway stops, and before we knew it, we were in the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside. Pennsylvania is hands down one of the prettiest states to drive through come spring, with western Massachusetts being its only real rival so far. Maybe one day we’ll remember a camera and take some pictures.
We got to Philadelphia about 5:30, loaded in, wandered, and watched Dan expertly park Betty and the Bullet into quite a tight space. Ryan admitted he’d never really been east of Illinois before, so he checked off his third new state of the day. We played a fun set at Dr. Watson’s and took in some pool and Jukebox action (which hilariously came over the main stage PA while the band after us was playing . . . awkward but it all worked out in the end) afterward with our friends Theresa and Heather who were also nice enough to let us party at their place until all hours of the morning. We drove into Jersey for that, so Ryan got state four, and between Bacardi, Guitar Hero, and some bizarre existential discussion, a great night was had. Cheers you two for the place!
Next day we had some greasy breakfast at Cracker Barrell, said good-bye to our Jersey friends, and headed up to NYC. Check off Ryan’s fifth state and our easiest entrance into Manhattan ever (some 35 minutes compared to the 95 last time), and we were in our favorite city. Faced with a free day on Monday and a 4 a.m. bar close, we knew Sunday night would be fantastic.
Jimmy met up with his friends after we settled into Mike’s friend Veda’s place in Brooklyn, so us 21+ers sipped some Carlo Rossi and hit the city. We found a great little blues bar somewhere in the East Village after taking Ryan to Times Square and Central Park (tourists), and watched some tunes and drank some PBR (why people in NYC think PBR is kitschy and awesome is beyond us all). I headed to the next-door bar for some $3 rail deals and discovered what might be the only bar in Manhattan that encourages beer pong playing. Go figure. We made some friends, drank til their 3 a.m. close, and headed back next door for some sketchy dancing and more PBR. I obliviously began dancing with some girl who was there with her boyfriend, but I’ll just say it all worked out in the end. Again, we stayed til the regular 4 a.m. close, and somehow found our way back to the subway to Brooklyn. It was the second of the 5 a.m. bedtime nights, but it didn’t quite take the cake.
Next day we got going (slowly) and called our buddy Ari Herstand who was staying somewhere in Manhattan. Before meeting him we hit up an “all you can eat all you can drink for $30” sushi place, and the night began (this was after we finished up that jug of Carlo. Absolutely delicious . . . right . . .). After some three and a half hours we finally got booted (it was apparently only supposed to last for two hours), and we started handing out fliers and CDs to everyone who walked by to promote our show the next day. We visited our friend Michael to see some GTA4 action then met up with Ari and his friends. Thankfully, the video camera was brought out, Tim and Eric quotes flew and swarmed from our mouths, and everyone else was thoroughly confused. We wandered a few blocks to a Karaoke bar and commandeered the place, singing Minnesota hits like Semisonic’s “Closing Time,” Mark tried to sing the Strokes (he was maybe a little toasty by this point . . . video is coming), and we sang our hearts out for a few hours. After trying to find another bar (like it was necessary) and getting booted from some late night eatery, we miraculously got home again and were ready for some sleep.
Tuesday afternoon was fairly quiet. We got up in time to get ready, watch some Seinfeld, and make the surprisingly long drive from Brooklyn to the Annex in Manhattan. We got some skanky Cantonese food, hung out with our publicist Dayna and the band Mayfield from Australia (super nice guys with very decent tunes to boot), and got ready to rock. The show was a blast and we met some new folks, and though the club was cool it was a bit out of our price range. As such, we headed to a club our friend Zach told us about that served free Newcastle. Naturally, we headed in that direction as free is our price range.
After a bizarre encounter with Kirstin Dunst (our friend Michael lit her cigarette and we all failed to realize it was her until we’d walked a distance too awkward to retrace), we got the last of the Newcastles. The club was a bit trendy/crowded for us, so we headed to Rebel Rebel at Lit Lounge to party with our old pal Joey Nova. Between more drinks, go-go dancers, and some more new friends, we had a great time at Rebel Rebel. The rest of the boys headed back early for some White Castle and High Life, but I stayed out into the wee hours. After making some friends from Taipei in the subway station and getting my head caught in the subway doors, I managed to get back to Brooklyn, only to realize I’d gotten off at the wrong station. I knew where I was, and it wasn’t exactly near my final destination. I had no money and no more rides on my Metro Card, so it was a nice long walk home in Brooklyn at 5 a.m. At some point it turned into an early morning jog (I got impatient), so at least I got some exercise out of the ordeal. Go figure.
Wednesday (our last day) was all about more recovery, more Tim and Eric, and an arduous journey into midtown Manhattan carrying our guitars/pedal boards/and Mark’s cymbals (we carried them all through the subway system and down many blocks . . . it gets tiring lugging all that gear around . . . but again, it was good exercise . . .?). We played a four song set for Fearless TV which should air in the next few months (we’ll let you know where and when for each city later on), met some nice folks, and headed home. The journey home was basically the same as the way out there, but in reverse. The only plus was a stop at our favorite Illinois oasis, Belvidere, and some delicious Taco Bell.
I’ve got to start doing these blogs as they occur so they don’t get so long. Cheers and congratulations if you made it through the whole thing – more power to you!
Until later,
Joe
Well, we’ve recently returned from the East coast and are finally healed and rested from four straight days of 4 a.m. bar close and two 24 hour drives. As such, we’ve got some stories to report and a few treats to share with you all.
First off, though, a bit of news is in order before we hit the stories, as tour recaps get long and in the current age it’s hard to hold someone’s attention for more than about 2 minutes, so if you want the story, continue ahead. Otherwise, here goes some info:
First off, we’re going to be playing Mercurial Rage’s big CD Release Party June 7th at the Fineline in Minneapolis. It’s going to be a fantastic show and you all should be there (if you’re over 18).
Secondly, we just recorded eight new demos (in addition to the first six we’ve already done), so we’ve got some new tunes in the grinder. Don’t expect to hear anything too soon; just know they’re in the works and we’ve got some great new ideas going. Personally I’m very excited about all the songs, and I think the next album’s sound is starting to congeal a bit. It’s a bit darker, more ambient, more experimental, more varied – everything a good sophomore album should be. But perhaps I speak too soon . . .
As far as video blogs go, we should have a new one up by Sunday, so be on the look out for that. There is some amazing footage from NYC – consider yourselves warned.
Lastly, we’re really going to be hitting the net hard with promo as well as scrapping a Midwest tour together, so anything anyone can do to help with some promo would be great. Join the street team, tell your friends, etc. And keep watching for more dates!
Oh, we’ve got Dan’s Philly History Tour up – watch it here:
Before I start, I’d like to bring to your attention something interesting I learned today: If you’ve ever driven on Chicago’s Skyway Tollway or Indiana’s entire toll system, it turns out you’re actually paying Spanish and Japanese investors who’ve leased the roads for some 99 years, not the state governments. I found this to be obnoxious, especially considering the current economic situation, as it seems very unwise to be handing money overseas like that. If that wasn’t enough, here’s a video that outlines an interesting trans-North American highway system . . . again to be owned and controlled by overseas investors. Watch and be amazed:
Alright, on to the tour recap:
I suppose I should preface all of this by saying that, once again, our great friend RyAnhorn joined us on the trip, as well as my little brother Jimmy who you can thank for the Out of Sight and Charlatan videos. We ostensibly chauffeured him out to NYC so he could hitch a ride out to Western MA to work on an organic farm all summer . . . crazy kid. Oh, and there’s a bit of repeat in the middle as Mike already relayed the Cold War Kids story, but the rest is fresh.
Anyhow, we began the daylong trip at about 6:15 p.m. on Friday night. We gathered some supplies, hit the bank, and got on our way. We hadn’t planned on I-394 (our gateway to I-94 and thus East) being closed down, so we had to take a sketchy alternate route that put us about an hour behind schedule. We grabbed Ryan about 7:30 from St. Paul and were finally on our way. Once we hit Wisconsin we realized it was well past dinnertime so we hit up the old standby – Subway. It was not so glorious.
We continued on through Wisconsin watching Seinfeld DVDs (of note: We finally realized we can hook our laptops up to a power converter to keep them charged and then run a 1/8” jack to cassette adapter into the stereo system for a cinema experience that is very adequate. Why we didn’t come up with this sooner I couldn’t tell you, but it makes the slow times more tolerable. Sadly, the VHS kick might be on its way out). Dan and I traded about 1 a.m. and he took the nasty middle of the night shift we all dread.
After a little snack stop for overpriced beef jerky, we continued on through Chicago and Indiana, paying crazy tolls to foreign investors, and enjoying Gary, Indiana’s odor (well, most of us slept, but I’m sure Dan took that scent in deep). Some Tim and Eric Awesome Show! Great Job was a nice treat before bed as Ryan brought the Season 1 DVD, and over the course of the next five days we probably watched each episode about 13 times. That number is not an exaggeration.
Mark took over in the morning times and the rest of us continued to get some restless sleep. About 2:30 we hit up some lunch on one of Ohio’s many scenic tollway stops, and before we knew it, we were in the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside. Pennsylvania is hands down one of the prettiest states to drive through come spring, with western Massachusetts being its only real rival so far. Maybe one day we’ll remember a camera and take some pictures.
We got to Philadelphia about 5:30, loaded in, wandered, and watched Dan expertly park Betty and the Bullet into quite a tight space. Ryan admitted he’d never really been east of Illinois before, so he checked off his third new state of the day. We played a fun set at Dr. Watson’s and took in some pool and Jukebox action (which hilariously came over the main stage PA while the band after us was playing . . . awkward but it all worked out in the end) afterward with our friends Theresa and Heather who were also nice enough to let us party at their place until all hours of the morning. We drove into Jersey for that, so Ryan got state four, and between Bacardi, Guitar Hero, and some bizarre existential discussion, a great night was had. Cheers you two for the place!
Next day we had some greasy breakfast at Cracker Barrell, said good-bye to our Jersey friends, and headed up to NYC. Check off Ryan’s fifth state and our easiest entrance into Manhattan ever (some 35 minutes compared to the 95 last time), and we were in our favorite city. Faced with a free day on Monday and a 4 a.m. bar close, we knew Sunday night would be fantastic.
Jimmy met up with his friends after we settled into Mike’s friend Veda’s place in Brooklyn, so us 21+ers sipped some Carlo Rossi and hit the city. We found a great little blues bar somewhere in the East Village after taking Ryan to Times Square and Central Park (tourists), and watched some tunes and drank some PBR (why people in NYC think PBR is kitschy and awesome is beyond us all). I headed to the next-door bar for some $3 rail deals and discovered what might be the only bar in Manhattan that encourages beer pong playing. Go figure. We made some friends, drank til their 3 a.m. close, and headed back next door for some sketchy dancing and more PBR. I obliviously began dancing with some girl who was there with her boyfriend, but I’ll just say it all worked out in the end. Again, we stayed til the regular 4 a.m. close, and somehow found our way back to the subway to Brooklyn. It was the second of the 5 a.m. bedtime nights, but it didn’t quite take the cake.
Next day we got going (slowly) and called our buddy Ari Herstand who was staying somewhere in Manhattan. Before meeting him we hit up an “all you can eat all you can drink for $30” sushi place, and the night began (this was after we finished up that jug of Carlo. Absolutely delicious . . . right . . .). After some three and a half hours we finally got booted (it was apparently only supposed to last for two hours), and we started handing out fliers and CDs to everyone who walked by to promote our show the next day. We visited our friend Michael to see some GTA4 action then met up with Ari and his friends. Thankfully, the video camera was brought out, Tim and Eric quotes flew and swarmed from our mouths, and everyone else was thoroughly confused. We wandered a few blocks to a Karaoke bar and commandeered the place, singing Minnesota hits like Semisonic’s “Closing Time,” Mark tried to sing the Strokes (he was maybe a little toasty by this point . . . video is coming), and we sang our hearts out for a few hours. After trying to find another bar (like it was necessary) and getting booted from some late night eatery, we miraculously got home again and were ready for some sleep.
Tuesday afternoon was fairly quiet. We got up in time to get ready, watch some Seinfeld, and make the surprisingly long drive from Brooklyn to the Annex in Manhattan. We got some skanky Cantonese food, hung out with our publicist Dayna and the band Mayfield from Australia (super nice guys with very decent tunes to boot), and got ready to rock. The show was a blast and we met some new folks, and though the club was cool it was a bit out of our price range. As such, we headed to a club our friend Zach told us about that served free Newcastle. Naturally, we headed in that direction as free is our price range.
After a bizarre encounter with Kirstin Dunst (our friend Michael lit her cigarette and we all failed to realize it was her until we’d walked a distance too awkward to retrace), we got the last of the Newcastles. The club was a bit trendy/crowded for us, so we headed to Rebel Rebel at Lit Lounge to party with our old pal Joey Nova. Between more drinks, go-go dancers, and some more new friends, we had a great time at Rebel Rebel. The rest of the boys headed back early for some White Castle and High Life, but I stayed out into the wee hours. After making some friends from Taipei in the subway station and getting my head caught in the subway doors, I managed to get back to Brooklyn, only to realize I’d gotten off at the wrong station. I knew where I was, and it wasn’t exactly near my final destination. I had no money and no more rides on my Metro Card, so it was a nice long walk home in Brooklyn at 5 a.m. At some point it turned into an early morning jog (I got impatient), so at least I got some exercise out of the ordeal. Go figure.
Wednesday (our last day) was all about more recovery, more Tim and Eric, and an arduous journey into midtown Manhattan carrying our guitars/pedal boards/and Mark’s cymbals (we carried them all through the subway system and down many blocks . . . it gets tiring lugging all that gear around . . . but again, it was good exercise . . .?). We played a four song set for Fearless TV which should air in the next few months (we’ll let you know where and when for each city later on), met some nice folks, and headed home. The journey home was basically the same as the way out there, but in reverse. The only plus was a stop at our favorite Illinois oasis, Belvidere, and some delicious Taco Bell.
I’ve got to start doing these blogs as they occur so they don’t get so long. Cheers and congratulations if you made it through the whole thing – more power to you!
Until later,
Joe
Monday, May 19, 2008
New York, Philadelphia and How Cold War Kids Unknowingly Ruined A Set
What's up friends-
We are coming to you direct from lovely Brooklyn, NY and holy shit are we having a good time. It's always so good to be back in New York, and everytime we leave with a bit more knowledge of the city than we previously had! We got here yesterday after a long night of partying in Philly and a greasy Cracker Barrell breakfast (not a great mix), but we still made it out on the town last night. We brought our friend Ryan with us, because he's never been out here before so we had to show him Times Square, Central Park, and the other usual tourist attractions, but then we headed to the Lower East Side for a few drinks, which was great, especially when the sun is coming up when you finally make your way home!
Anyway, getting to the Cold War Kids story, we had just played in Philadelphia at Dr. Watson's Pub, which was really fun, and we made some great new friends and fans! We wanted to unwind a bit after our set so we headed into the adjoining pool room and racked up a game. We wanted some familiar tunes to wake us up so I threw some Cold War Kids on the jukebox. Little did I know that the music was also being pumped through the PA in the other room, while the band after was playing!! No wonder we started hearing people yelling in the other room when I started the music. I, of course, slipped into the shadows to avoid detection and luckily I did. But now it's public, so to the Danny Lynch band, I apologize as I'm sure the quiet harmonies you were singing would have sounded better without Hang Me Up To Dry pumping through the same speakers!!
Well, we are off to go promote around SoHo for our show tomorrow at The Annex, which we are really excited to play. We'll catch up with you soon and let you know how everything goes! Until then, it would be fantastic if you could help us out by clicking on the pic below and voting for us!!
Cheers,
Mike
We are coming to you direct from lovely Brooklyn, NY and holy shit are we having a good time. It's always so good to be back in New York, and everytime we leave with a bit more knowledge of the city than we previously had! We got here yesterday after a long night of partying in Philly and a greasy Cracker Barrell breakfast (not a great mix), but we still made it out on the town last night. We brought our friend Ryan with us, because he's never been out here before so we had to show him Times Square, Central Park, and the other usual tourist attractions, but then we headed to the Lower East Side for a few drinks, which was great, especially when the sun is coming up when you finally make your way home!
Anyway, getting to the Cold War Kids story, we had just played in Philadelphia at Dr. Watson's Pub, which was really fun, and we made some great new friends and fans! We wanted to unwind a bit after our set so we headed into the adjoining pool room and racked up a game. We wanted some familiar tunes to wake us up so I threw some Cold War Kids on the jukebox. Little did I know that the music was also being pumped through the PA in the other room, while the band after was playing!! No wonder we started hearing people yelling in the other room when I started the music. I, of course, slipped into the shadows to avoid detection and luckily I did. But now it's public, so to the Danny Lynch band, I apologize as I'm sure the quiet harmonies you were singing would have sounded better without Hang Me Up To Dry pumping through the same speakers!!
Well, we are off to go promote around SoHo for our show tomorrow at The Annex, which we are really excited to play. We'll catch up with you soon and let you know how everything goes! Until then, it would be fantastic if you could help us out by clicking on the pic below and voting for us!!
Cheers,
Mike
Monday, May 12, 2008
Ringtones and Videos!
Hey everyone!
We've got a little love we'd like to send your way in the form of free stuff. Here's what you gotta' do to get yours. Chug on over to http://www.zude.com/whitelightriot and click on our Fanbase badge to sign up for Zude.
Now you're wondering why we want you to join Zude, eh? Well, once you have a registered account you'll be able to click on the RINGTONES button on our home page and start downloading FREE White Light Riot mobile ringtones! That's it, pretty simple.
If you already registered for a FREE Zude account, sweet! You're one step ahead of the game. For those of you who haven't, get your butts over to http://www.zude.com/whitelightriot.
By the way, once you're there, and you've registered for an account, you can also check out the SXSW videos we recorded by clicking on Live at SXSW Music and check out the AMAZING time we had!
Oh yeah, want to hear something else pretty cool? Well, Myxer.com has selected one of our tunes as the Pick of the Day and it's going to be available on Tuesday, May 13th on the HOMEPAGE! Yep, that's right, if you want the special Ringtone, then head on over to Myxer.com on Tuesday and download it to your mobile phone.
Also, check out this new vid we made for our Charlatan video! Enjoy.
We've got a little love we'd like to send your way in the form of free stuff. Here's what you gotta' do to get yours. Chug on over to http://www.zude.com/whitelightriot and click on our Fanbase badge to sign up for Zude.
Now you're wondering why we want you to join Zude, eh? Well, once you have a registered account you'll be able to click on the RINGTONES button on our home page and start downloading FREE White Light Riot mobile ringtones! That's it, pretty simple.
If you already registered for a FREE Zude account, sweet! You're one step ahead of the game. For those of you who haven't, get your butts over to http://www.zude.com/whitelightriot.
By the way, once you're there, and you've registered for an account, you can also check out the SXSW videos we recorded by clicking on Live at SXSW Music and check out the AMAZING time we had!
Oh yeah, want to hear something else pretty cool? Well, Myxer.com has selected one of our tunes as the Pick of the Day and it's going to be available on Tuesday, May 13th on the HOMEPAGE! Yep, that's right, if you want the special Ringtone, then head on over to Myxer.com on Tuesday and download it to your mobile phone.
Also, check out this new vid we made for our Charlatan video! Enjoy.
Monday, May 5, 2008
The Warmth of the Spring Sun Brings Us Northeners Out of Hibernation...
Hello friends-
Finally, we no longer fear the winter walks from our houses to our icebox cars. Spring has arrived. And with it, we have been inspired to write a bunch of new tunes that we are working very hard on! Although we haven't gotten much of a chance to really tour our current full length, Atomism, we want to get a head start on the next one. We are going to continue touring this summer and fall as much as we possibly can to get the word out on White Light Riot, and we can still use all of your continued support to do so. But, as we tour, we will slowly work new songs into our sets here and there to show fans the direction we are heading in, and I must say, we are really liking it. We are going to be heading out East for a week soon, starting with a show in Chicago at Subterranean on May 14th, and we would love to see all of our Chicago friends and fans there! We will then be heading to Philadelpia for a night at Doc Watson's, and then back to New York on May 20th, our favorite of places that we've toured thus far. While in New York, we are going to film a live performance for Fearless TV as well as for Yahoo.com, which should both be a blast. We are really excited to get out and play this summer, and if you know or are in bands around the country, we would love to play with you in your neck of the woods. Until then, check out our latest video blog. Cheers!
Mike
Finally, we no longer fear the winter walks from our houses to our icebox cars. Spring has arrived. And with it, we have been inspired to write a bunch of new tunes that we are working very hard on! Although we haven't gotten much of a chance to really tour our current full length, Atomism, we want to get a head start on the next one. We are going to continue touring this summer and fall as much as we possibly can to get the word out on White Light Riot, and we can still use all of your continued support to do so. But, as we tour, we will slowly work new songs into our sets here and there to show fans the direction we are heading in, and I must say, we are really liking it. We are going to be heading out East for a week soon, starting with a show in Chicago at Subterranean on May 14th, and we would love to see all of our Chicago friends and fans there! We will then be heading to Philadelpia for a night at Doc Watson's, and then back to New York on May 20th, our favorite of places that we've toured thus far. While in New York, we are going to film a live performance for Fearless TV as well as for Yahoo.com, which should both be a blast. We are really excited to get out and play this summer, and if you know or are in bands around the country, we would love to play with you in your neck of the woods. Until then, check out our latest video blog. Cheers!
Mike
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