UPCOMING SHOWS, LADIES AND GENTS

So we have some shows coming up in NJ in the upcoming weeks. The one above is tomorrow @ Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ with Screaming Females and Black Wine !!!! !!!! Doors are at 8.



This one is April 6th @ Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ, again with our good friends (hope they're not sick of us), Black Wine. Also, Fat Shadow is playing. They're on tour from Bloomington, IN and feature members of The Door-keys and Pink Razors. 8 PM

And then we have this rad-ass show. It's a birthday show for me, Eric (from brick mower/Sun Puddles/myself) and Tim Burke (Backpocket, Sun Puddles, himself) @ Meat Town USA. The show starts at 6:30. Get there early. Also Sundials from Richmond are playing. Do not miss them!


That's about all for now. See ya'll soon.

-Eric

R.I.P. Mitchell Dubey

Last Sunday night, we finished up our tour in New Haven, CT. on Bassett St. @ a house called The Cookie Jar. We met and hung out with the residents, Emily, Andy, and Mitchell Dubey who all cooked for the bands and went out of their way to be beyond accommodating. Mitchell even made us coffee before our set and stood around chatting with us after the show.

Today, it came to our attention that on Thursday night, someone knocked on the door of the Cookie Jar house, forced entry, and fatally shot Mitchell in the chest. As reported, all his roommates were in the house at the time. The person who shot Mitchell has not been apprehended or identified.

Since learning of it earlier in the day, we've all had a tough time wrapping our heads around this. There are many people who are dealing with this senseless tragedy in their own, much deeper way right now. But to know that a life was taken from someone so upbeat, enthusiastic, and generous, whose house we stood in less than a week prior, is something that I'm kind of at a lose of words for. To have shared a fleeting moment, that in hindsight was completely taken for granted at the time, is something too big to comprehend. Mitchell was another in the line of intelligent and inspiring people we've come across in our travels. Someone that you look forward to meeting up with in a couple months when you hope you'll pass through again, never once thinking something like this could happen. Especially, something of this magnitude at their own home that extends kind, helping hands for traveling bands, artists, and friends. Mitchell and his roommates supported others to do what they loved to do. And now that's all changed.

It's something that we like to think can't happen to us in this word. I believe there's a permeating feeling that whatever subculture we've dug for ourselves is ours, and impenetrable by such bullshit. Today was a painful reminder it can all be brought down to earth. The clubhouse isn't shut off from everything. It's comforting knowing that such places exist in the punk/DIY community (or whatever subtext punk falls under), where people can go to be themselves, see bands, talk about new ideas, or shot the shit while outside the rest of the world is going apeshit. It rarely crosses our minds that such tragedy could enter into this circle.

As we were about to head back to NJ on Sunday, I asked Emily at the Cookie Jar house if they usually have a noise curfew. She said they'd let bands play past 10 PM several times but it wasn't a big issue as the cops had better things to worry about in the area. To paraphrase "It's kind of a bad area. But that's the price we pay to have this show house." Hearing this in my head repeatedly today has sent chills down my spine. If only there was something that could have been done to prevent this.

Our thoughts go out to Mitchell's family and friends, and to Emily and Andy from the Cookie Jar house. Please keep an eye out for any possible donations online or in the news to the his family and friends in the days to come.

You can read more about the incident here: http://newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/bike_enthusiast_shot_dead/

And So the Story Goes... East Coast Tour Wrap Up Pt. 2

Day 7- Wayward Council- Gainesville, FL

Took off to FL after my Aunt Nancy graciously treated the four of us to a beyond grand Waffle House breakfast. Headed down to Gainesville through the scenic, winding roadways of central Georgia. Arrived to 80 degree weather. Amazing. We arrived at Wayward Council, as sweet collectively run record, zine, book, and t-shirt shop that’s put on some awesome shows in the past. Mr. Joe Bridge was nice enough to help us out with the show. We were scheduled to play with Hurricanes of Love from Atlanta and Many Mansions from MA. Got to meet Frank Hurricane who showed up and proceeded to greet us with phrases such as “Righteous brothers and sister, it is gonna be a HOLY night foshizelle,” and “Drop Pimp. It’s great to be hangizelle in the Gainesvilleationation.” Hmmm. After a 3 hour electro, folk, acid jam session that consisted of 3 bands, all with the same members, we got to play at the wee-hours of a spring break morning.
Joe apologized, but we all had a good time sipping our beer, talking about nonsense and enjoying the warm night air. Later, Frank Hurricane asked me where we were playing next. I told him that we were going to Jacksonville and our Atlanta show had been canceled. He responded with, “Oh damn, fo’ sho’. Hittin’ up Jackson-vegas! Das gangsta. Sorry to hear ‘bout Atlantweez.” It was a strange night.


Day 8- The Underbelly- Jacksonville, FL
The next day we only had an hour and half drive to Jacksonville so we did what any respectable group of 20-somethings would do. Got some beers and hung out at some backwoods train tracks for a while. Living the southern life is nice sometimes.

We arrived at The Underbelly in Jacksonville which is attached to a boho-chic type clothing store. Emily, the girl putting on the show was a sweetheart to us. Got us pizza and more beer. Steve opted to get an authentic Floridian haircut down the block, as K, Chris and I sat around the Underbelly, which was the outdoor stage.
Waited, and waited, and waited, and waited to play. Finally, got to go on around 10 after waiting for, uhhhhh, many hours in the backyard. Equipment went haywire, and I think it’s safe to say the small crowd of DMB-lovin’ locals hated us. Or, peered at us with such thick indifference you could churn it into some sort of batter. After we played, the cops showed up. We all hauled ass out of there. Well, the weather was nice.


Day 9- Everywhere America- Driving
We hit the interstate, trying to make it back up for our NY show the next day. We started doing an all-night drive from Jacksonville, trying to eat miles. Steve was doing a fantastic job into the late hours of foggy road out on I-95. About 40 miles from the North Carolina boarder, a car came racing up to us, and began tailing our vehicle for several minutes. We all made efforts to see if it was a cop or not. Needless to say, we thought someone was fucking with us. As Steve hit the breaks to drop back, the lights went on. YUP, a cop. Steve was asked to step out of the car, and was questioned in the freezing cold for a good 15 minutes. The sheriff of Florence, South Carolina kept insisting he was gonna break out the narcotics canine in the back seat. Fortunately for us non-narcotics carrying motherfuckers, we did not have to empty our vehicle for a search and the cop even asked us if we had stickers. “Breek mowa’ huh. Hope y’all make it beeg sumday.” Thanks officer. Later in the day/night whatever it was, Chris Brown threw my antique McDonalds glasses I purchased back in Virginia in the garbage at a Wawa. “I thought it was a bunch of crumpled up newspaper in the bag,” he said. I miss those glasses.



Day 10- The Cakeshop- New York, NY
Friday, we all traveled into NYC which is always a bitch and a half on a Friday night. When we pulled up to the Cakeshop, K.’s bladder was bursting, and fire trucks blocked off Ludlow street. Steve opted to park while we ran in with most of our gear. About 45 minutes later, we finally meet up with Steve who was able to carry the merch box and his cymbals for several unspeakable blocks. Again, a real trooper. That box is heavy! Great time was had by all, and it was the best Manhattan show I’ve ever played with any band ever. Can’t believe how nice everyone was, from the security guy outside to the bearded doorman. Way to rally around Cakeshop. Pregnant and Black Wine played. Oh what a night. J. Nixon nearly peed on me after the set, busting into the bathroom I neglected to lock as he ran offstage with his own bladder problems. Remember kids, lock the bathroom door, and always pee before you play. OR, live by the credo WhatWouldGGAllinDo (WWGGAD)!


Day 11- The Democracy Center- Cambridge, MA
After a nice stay in Harlem with our friend Jon Z., we headed up to Cambridge to play The Democracy Center. Now, the weather was cold. But stupid me brought a sorry excuse for a jacket with me. You win some, you loose some. Before the show, Steve pulled the car into a supreme spot by the load-in door. We all grabbed amps, walked 30 feet into the building, and walked back out. A minute’s worth of activity. As we exited, I spotted a meter-maid punching in the license plate. “WHOOOA! We’ve been here 45 seconds,” I shouted as change flew from my hands and pockets. “Does not go by seconds. It goes by money,” he informed me. Keep that in mind everyone. Steve avoids having an aneurysm in front of this dignified hall monitor as he slaps the tickets on the windshield. Oh, the law. The show was awesome though. Pat Kelley from Stumparumper came out with the ever-awesome Jayne Ziemba. And it’s always a brick mower honor to play with Young Leaves and Black Wine. BLACK WINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great night of tour, sans ticket. Black Wine leave to go back to NJ. We wave goodbye never to see them again…


Day 12- The Cookie Jar- New Haven, CT
The next day I texted Jeff from Black Wine. They made it home safe, so it turns out we will see them again. Stopped off in Providence to kill time after staying with Christopher from the Young Leaves and his better-half Jill in New Bedford, MA. Had a sick breakfast with them at Lizzie’s diner where Christopher hassled me for ordering rye toast. Apparently, this is not an option in New Bedford. Providence was cool, but man they have some bad coffee. Before our last show of tour, we all decided it’d be nice to have a final drink at classy bar, right around the Yale campus. Unfortunately, ivy league students don’t seem to drink in public, so we all shacked up at a classy Buffalo Wild Wings and had some send-off beers under a giant screen playing the new Punisher movie and a bunch of NCAA basketball. What hipsters we are.
Played our last show at the Cookie Jar house thanks to Emily, Andy, and Mitch, who graced us with a delicious vegan potluck before we played. Met up again with Weak Teeth, the 4 coolest dudes we met back in South Carolina. If you ever get to meet those guys, make sure you can spend the day bullshitting with them. Good gents. Twas the end of the line for both bands on tour. We each gracefully bowed out of the tour life for yet another stint. Drove back home to NJ after the show.

AMERICA!

(all these photos from these 2 blogs were either taken by Chris Brown or Steve).



UPCOMING SHOWS

3/25 @ Court Tavern - New Brunswick, NJ w/ Black Wine, Mattress, Sparkle Shit

3/26 @ Secret Project Robot- Brooklyn, NY w/ In Air, Period Girls, Bacteria, + lots more (PRFBBQ fest, day 3)

3/30 @ Maxwell's- Hoboken, NJ w/ Screaming Females, Black Wine,

4/6 @ Asbury Lanes- Asbury Park, NJ w/ Black Wine, Fat Shadow (on tour from IN)
3/26 @ Secret Project Robot- Brooklyn, NY w/ In Air, Period Girls, Bacteria, + more (PRFBBQ FEST show, day 3)

3/30 @ Maxwell's - Hoboken, NJ w/ Screaming Females, Black Wine

4/6 @ Asbury Lanes- Asbury Park, NJ w/ Black Wine, Fat Shadow (from IN)

And So the Story Goes.... East Coast Tour Wrap Up Part 1

Day 1- Meat Town USA New Brunswick, NJ
Wrote about this in the last blog. Not gonna retell it. Sorry, but you can reread it if you'd like.

Day 2- K & M Bar - Brooklyn, NY
Steve, K., and I hit the road. Played the K & M in Williamsburg Brooklyn. It's a small, dimly lit place off the BQE. Watch for the pierogi sign on the side of the building or you just might miss it. On this night, the tri-state area was getting hammered by a torrential downpour and unforgiving wind gusts. Luckily, a decent crowd came out, including a bunch of friendly faces (no mean punk here). The Grains opened the show, followed by Wagers from Brooklyn. Both tough acts to follow. Especially after eating Crifdogs and drinking pints of K & M house beer (yea, that's what they call it. What is it? I don't know. Probably PBR). Made it out of there looking like flailing sea otters, rain binding our hair to our bodies, and tearing at our faces. Steve even tried building an ark, but we all agreed renacting bible stories on a school night is bullshit.

Day 3- Nacho House- Newark, DE
Headed down the NJ Turnpike toward the Frottage Cottage house in Newark, DE. Oh yea, and before this, we picked up our good friend and fellow Sun Puddles bandmate of mine, Chris Brown (righteously pictured below).



Right as we paid the toll for the DE Memorial Bridge I get a call. It's Todd from The Headies and Tit Patrol, who put on the show, informing me that the show was canceled. And then my phone broke up for 10 seconds. Somewhere in there I missed the part where he told me the great people at Nacho House (Katie and Alicia) helped pick up the show last minute across town. Finally, I receive the new address where we're playing. Amazing last minute arrangement. Sunken hearts quickly rise as we pulled up to the coolest garage ever. Seriously, this is a garage right out of a '90s kid's show. One you'd fantasize about talking your parents into letting you live in, where you'd get into wacky adventures Home Alone style.Twas a bit nippy in there though as Exhibit A will lead you to believe.
Later on we stayed with this dude Murph, a sweet Irish soul who was pumped for the St. Patrick's day parade the next day, and celebrated with several rounds of Jameson. No foul there. A neighbor of Murph's threatened to kill me as he charged across DE front porches for talking to his "wife." The lady then informed me she was not his wife at all, and he was just joking around, although two people held him back. I went inside. Murph told me his neighbors were a little crazy. Great night.

Day 4- Concrete Art Space- Virginia Beach, VA
Grab your boards and trunks, because we're going below the Mason-Dixon for a little fun in the sun. Took off for VA Beach baby. Finally greeted by warm weather. Jackets were shed. Sunglasses purchased by some. To kill time, we stopped at a pet cemeray on the wooded outskirts of VA Beach where a circus elephant was supposedly burried. No elephant. Just a lot of pets. A strange mix of excitement and depression ebbs and flows as we look over the graves of such fallen friends as Jangles the dog, and Strudel Decker the Jewish Dachshund.
Got to play Concrete Art Space with You're Jovian & Young Adult Fiction from Richmond. Both were awesome as both bands and people. After the show, the girl collecting door money tried to rip-off the bands. We were about to leave with meager funds when Doug, the bespectacled hero of the You're Jovian crew charged the lady's car and went off about ethics, touring, gas, manners, and other such things. Doug was able to retrieve some additional gas money through benefactory verbal methods. Doug's a great guy. Elliott, Wesley, and Emily made us right at home in their apartment, telling stories of their own nutty neighbors half the night and regaling us with their recent tour stories. Oh wait, here there's the gang of Norfolk folk here!



Check out You're Jovian!

Day 5- The Motorco- Durham, NC
We arrived to more funtastic weather in NC. Made a quick pitstop at an essential, much discussed storefront for a fanboy (and -girl) photo-op (after a 40 minute pitstop in a shady Burger King to try to retrieve wifi and cheap pies)
So after that nonsense was over, we headed to The Motorco. We arrived at the place and walked into a venue that could probably hold 400+ people. We were all a bit uncomfortable about the room-size, 8 foot high stage, and large assemblage of stage-monitors but the sound guy, Robert all made us feel at ease and pointed us toward the DRESSING ROOM!! HUH. Free beer and Monster energy drinks awaited, as well as a toilet. Oh yea, we did that up right. Anyway, definitely the nicest sound guy I've ever met at a place. Seriously, give this dude a medal. Played with Antibubbles who is a great laid back, slack pop band. Dave from Antibubbles set everything up and let us crash on his floor in Raleigh, also a great dude. Hey, there's Dave now!
A night of pasta and malt liquor ensued. No one dies. AND, definitely eat at Remedy Diner if you can. The vegan Reuben and nachos are to die for. I actually thought I was dying later while sitting on a truck-stop toilet (no pictures exist).

Day 6- Suite 8- Greenville, SC
Off to the Carolina that is south of North Carolina. Here we meet up with my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Bob, life-time family friends of my parents who we've given the title of Aunt and Uncle. Yup, a big middle finger to the bloodline. And they just happen to live in the town we're playing (after living in 9 states prior! WTF). Nothing like pulling into town and being greeted with home-cooked vegetable lasagna, chocolate cake, and questions about the family back in NJ. Punk's not dead. Played Suite 8 thanks to the help of Ryan and Kerri from Rubrics. This is what it looked like.
Got to play with The Sinbusters from Lowell, MA and Weak Teeth from Providence. Weak Teeth are a force to be reckon with musically, made of 4 of the gentlest giants around. Thankfully we meet up again down the road, many miles later. Turned into an 8 !!!! band show that somehow remained manageable in a DIY space, and held the attention of the local kids. One of the most fun sets I had on tour. Not sure if Steve can vouch for that, playing in a singular floodlight after loosing his bottle of water. What a trooper.

Rest of the tour journal tomorrow.


UPCOMING SHOWS
3/25 @ Court Tavern - New Brunswick, NJ w/ Black Wine, Mattress, Sparkle Shit

3/26 @ Secret Project Robot- Brooklyn, NY w/ In Air, Period Girls, Bacteria, + more (PRFBBQ FEST show, day 3)

3/30 @ Maxwell's - Hoboken, NJ w/ Screaming Females, Black Wine

4/6 @ Asbury Lanes- Asbury Park, NJ w/ Black Wine, Fat Shadow (from IN)

Record Release Recap & Reviews

What's the New York Times saying about our new LP Under the Sink? Absolutely nothing.
How about Alternative Press?... Nope, nothing there either. Surely, the Auto Shopper had a few words to say about Under the Sink. No. Nothing at all.

But right now we're on a break from our tour we're doing this March. So far we've hit up NJ, Brooklyn, DE, VA, NC, SC, and 2 days in FL. Today's a driving day, kicking back and enjoying the perks of the internet that seemed to elude us for several days. Tomorrow night, we resume the last leg of the tour playing the Cake Shop in NY w/ Black Wine, Pregnant, and The New Rochelles. Saturday, we're gonna be up at Democracy Center in Cambridge, MA w/Black Wine, The Young Leaves, and Kill Conrad. Sunday, we wrap things up in New Haven, CT @ The Cookie Jar w/Weak Teeth from Providence.

So, more details to come on the spots we've played and the good souls we've met, as I often enjoy regaling short scroll-like tales of our adventures in America. Tonight, I'd just like to take a trip back to last Wendsday when we did our record release show at Meat Town USA in New Brunswick NJ. Here it is then.

Colleen from Period Girls kicked things off in grand fashion by baking us the coolest cakes ever. Yea, you heard me Cake Boss.



Here's what it looks like when someone holds the cakes...
Actually, looking at this picture just makes me long for a haircut. Seriously, that's ridiculous. I think I should join the army and get some structure in my life. J to the K.

Also, ex wife played there last show ever. Bummer. No picture is around as far as I know at this point.

Period Girls also played.
So did Mountain Dude.

We were also greeted by some old friends who came out.

All in all, it was a great time for us. We hope it was for any and all that came out. Thanks to those who picked up the record. And right now, not sure if there's any pictures of us from this night. But we're ugly anyway.

Finally, Razorcake reviewed our split 7" w/Granny Frost that came out last May. It's pretty hilarious. So without any further ado... Take it easy. See you out there.

GRANNY FROST / BRICK MOVER:
Split: 7"
The record equivalent of a zine written in one night because, you know, it might be fun. Sure, it might be fun, but there’s probably no reason to share it with anyone outside of your immediate punk house or indie dwelling structure. Granny Frost is basically one guy reading/singing in a way that’s supposed to be humorous, but isn’t. Brick Mower plays some combination of experimental rock and indie something-or-other. Blah. –Maddy (Viking On Campus)

It's been a while....

Wanting to update from the road, but no dice!

Wifi has not been good to us.

..........punk rock.

Tour's good so far. Updates coming later. Thanks everyone.

Under the Sink East Coast Boogie/RECORDS!

Hey everyone!
So, after months of preparation, wadding through the Amazon without raincoats, crossing the Sahara with empty canteens, and swimming across the Indian ocean with little more than a box of Saltines, we are finally able to drop a SLAMMIN' record in your lap. The first full-length, Under the Sink is available and ready to ship. It's 300 copies, 120 on mixed-color vinyl, 180 on black. You can pick it up right now on LP or CD over @ http://www.vikingoncampusrecords.bigcartel.com/



To honor this momentous, tear-inducing occassion, we are kicking things off with a record release show, March 9th @ Meat Town USA in New Brunswick, NJ. And on a sad note, this will also be ex wife's last show. Bummer.

Here's a tour flyer of where we're going, and what we'll be seeing.
So right now, we're off the 17th. If anyone wants to pick up a show for us somewhere along the east coast, email us please. Also, just got word the The Handsome Woman show in CT is gonna be moved to a TBA spot in New Haven, CT. Dammit, this flyer is already a sham.

Anyway, see you out there.