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)
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