Friday, November 21, 2008 - St. Louis, MO

We broke camp from Tulsa without getting breakfast, which always makes Dan a little cranky.  Dude loves his eggs and bacon, no doubt.  A little down the trail, we stop at the worlds largest McDonald's (Interstate 44, Vinita, OK).  At least, it used to be.  This behemoth of a fast-food restaurant straddles the highway, which makes for an intersting dining experience.  But, it is a McDonald's.  Brett comments that the burger meat is gray.  We have now defined how two colors taste on this tour.


hellboy and i, choking down mcdonalds.

When we rolled into St. Louis, Kyle needed to stop somewhere to get a strap for his saxophone.  He called a Guitar Center and was denied ("Dude, it's GUITAR Center"), but referred to a place called SaxQuest.  We found our way down there and the clerk whose job was ostensibly to help Kyle would not get off the phone for 10 minutes.  What a douche.


hey, what's that arc looking thing over there?

Dan had been going on about St. Louis BBQ for some time, only to find out that he was actually thinking of Kansas City.  D'oh.  We ended up going to Pappy's Smokehouse (3106 Olive St.) whose claim to fame is that they don't really have a closing time, so much as they have an "out of meat" time - when they run out of meat, they close.  Dan performs a "meat check" on the way over, just in case.  When we show up, they're out of ribs, but making more.  Lucky us: these ribs are the bomb.  Their other meats are OK - Dan played the Salt Lick card to get a free taste of brisket - but the ribs were exceptional.  Also, deep fried corn and sweet potato fries are on the menu, both worth checking out.


if there was ever a need for a spokesmodel for barbecue ribs...

Brett's bass player in the Cabdrivers, Jason, met up with us after our BBQ session and we went over to Lemmon's for the show.  He drove two-and-a-half hours to see us play, which is pretty admirable - we're kinda numb to long drives at this point, but that's nothing to sneeze at.  Dan thinks this place is the most "Midwest" place we've played in a long time, and I tend to agree.  It's a little divey, but has character.

INSIDE BASEBALL: OK, we found the trump card to the P&P.  It's called the Triple S: secure, secluded, and *sanitary*.  Lemmon's throws a fakeout on first glance, as the downstairs facility is high-traffic, wide-open, and disgusting.  However, they have private party rooms upstairs, and the shitter up there is a perfect 3xS.  Hell, you can lock the door AND the shitter stall for extra security.  And clean too: sometimes you'll abide a little grime for a private deuce, but this was not the case here.  4 stars (made of TP squares, of course)

Kyle orders a pizza (the bar is giving it to us for free).  It's Chicago-style and huge.  We dare not touch it before the show, lest we become sluggish.  Instead, we watch the Blind Eyes (myspace.com/theblindeyes) who totally rip it up.  It reminds Kyle and me a lot of Ted Leo or The Natural History, which is a good place to be.  Turns out their guitar player Seth is a Bowling Green, Ohio native and knows a bunch of people I do.  Small fuckin' world.

OK, I haven't been commenting in detail on a lot of our sets on this tour, mostly because I don't want to come off as an arrogant, self-centered prick, but we fucking rocked it in St. Louis.  The stage sound was perfect.  We played our asses off and nailed that shit (Dan was on a borrowed drum kit, but he sounded great).  The crowd was really digging it, even giving us some back and forth in the between song banter.  This show was super, super fun.  I had heard some St. Louis horror stories, so I came in with the expectation bar set low, but I was blown away by how great this show, this bar, and these people were.  We are totally coming back, ASAP.


killing it in st. louis.

Bunnygrunt (myspace.com/therealbunnygrunt) finished this show off with an awesome, rockin' set.  Jason, their guitar player, was so enthralled with Kyle's guitar tone during our set that he asked to borrow the Peavey for their set - Kyle obliged, of course.  After loading out, we make a short jaunt to yet another Jason's house (this one, an old friend of Kyle's from Dayton, formerly in the amazing A Ten O'Clock Scholar and currently in The Male Models (myspace.com/themalemodels) so we can crash out for the night.


bunnygrunt: so fun.

We get up early - for tour standards - at 7:30 so we can hit the road for Chicago.  Jason snuck out before we even got up to buy us donuts and make us French press coffee.  Aw, shucks.  Dude, you and Kara are the greatest.


Saturday, November 22, 2008 - Chicago, IL

As previously mentioned, we jetted from St. Louis early and at my insistence.  Whenever I'm in Chicago, I *must* eat at Hot Doug's (3324 N. California Ave.).  Problem is they close at 4 in the afternoon, there's always a ridiculous line, and we woke up 5 hours away.  I made a deal with everybody that they could all sleep on the way to Chi-town and I would drive the early leg.  I get us to Normal (what are they trying to hide?) before Hellboy takes over.

After a quick pit stop at a local Target, we get in line at Hot Doug's.  The wait is just about an hour.  It's fucking freezing out there, but luckily, the building is blocking the wind, for the most part.  I'm starting to get a little nervous: I know Hot Doug's is amazing, but if these guys are disappointed, my ass is grass.  People in line are bitching about waiting in line to get a hot dog.  They don't get it... yet.


it's just like tom petty said...

Finally, we're in the door and that's when the menu takes hold.  What do I choose with options like these?

-Chardonnay and Jalapeño Rattlesnake Sausage with Ancho-Lime Mayonnaise and Smoked Gouda Cheese
-Mandarin-Orange and Teriyaki Chicken Sausage with Sweet Peppadew Dijonnaise and Esrom Cheese
-Über Garlic Beef Sausage with Roasted Garlic Dijonnaise and Wild Garlic Havarti Cheese
-Brandy-Infused Smoked Portuguese Chorizo with Saffron Rouille and Bucherolle Cheese
-Veal Bratwurst with Horseradish Cream Sauce and Applewood-Smoked Cheddar Cheese
-Onion Pork Sausage with Bacon-Garlic Mayonnaise, Duck-Grand Marnier Paté and Truffle-Balsamic Cream
-The Atomic Bomb: Spicy Pork Sausage with Sweet Chipotle Mustard and Finnish Lappi Cheese
-Antelope Sausage with Cassis Crème Fraîche and Danish Fontina Cheese
-Cilantro-Chipotle Smoked Chicken Sausage with Mole à la Carlos and Cotija Cheese

WHAT THE FUCK, DOUG?!?!?!?  Would you prefer to take all my money on a debit card, or in a terrycloth sack with a dollar sign printed on the outside?

I suggest everyone get a regular Chicago dog, one specialty sausage, and we split two orders of duck-fat french fries: Dan and Brett each get the Onion Pork with the duck paté, Kyle gets the Über Garlic Beef Sausage, and I go for the Rattlesnake.  One bite from each of us, and the wait becomes worth it.  What a phenomenal restaurant.  We each spend about $14, eat like gourmands, and walk out happy.  You must go here.


ONE OF US!  ONE OF US!  ONE OF US!


dan and i successfully talked kyle out of putting ketchup on his chicago dog.


pommes frites en gras de canard?  get the duck out of here...

We've got time to kill, so we check out Chicago Music Exchange, which is basically what Dan's vision of heaven must be.  He's so busy checking out vintage guitars and amps that he doesn't find out about their pristine 3xS until it's too late.  We head toward Wicker Park to wander around.  Brett stays in the van to slip into a meat coma, so the rest of us hit up Quimby's bookstore and Reckless Records.  At some point, we realize that we didn't leave Brett the keys to the van (hence, no heat), so we shuffle on back.

Once again, we show up at a locked club (3 times... damn, we're punctual), though they come to unlock it about 5 minutes after we show up.  Ronny's is a weird little spot: basically a tiny neighborhood bar with an attached "garage" where they let bands play.  You don't have to pay to drink there, but you do have to pay to see bands.  They don't really hook up the bands (I think we each got one drink ticket and several "accidental" overcharges), but a place to play is a place to play, I guess.  The Spectacles (myspace.com/thspectacles) start off the show with a nice electro-pop set.  I have to admit that I missed most of it, as I was a) watching Oklahoma embarass Texas Tech, b) chatting, and c) getting drunk.  That said, I got tapped out of a great conversation by three Sowashes in a row, like they wanted me to go do something.  Oh right, I play guitar in this band.  We're a little sloppy, but the kids are alright.  The Prairie Spies (myspace.com/theprairiespies) play after us and rock it, big time.  I heard somebody say that this was their last show - damn, I hope not.  I hope that was just somebody saying something.  Somebody says a lot of things.


rock over london, rock on chicago. peavey: it's loud as fuck in here.


prairie spies.

INSIDE BASEBALL: File under small world after all - Brett's old college roommate from OU is a dude named Egan, who went to high school with yours truly.  He came out to the show with his wife.  I haven't seen him in 11 years.  He looks 11 years older.  I probably do too.  Fuck.

After the show, we head over to Kyle's sister-in-law's place to crash out.  We have stayed in some pretty marginal places on this tour (happily, I might add - anything's better than sleeping in the van), but Rachel's place is like a 4-star hotel.  So comfy, so clean, and a big screen TV to boot.  Awesome!

We get to sleep in for a little while before heading out for lunch.  We got a few recommendations, but decided on Kuma's Corner (2900 W. Belmont Ave.).  Kuma's is basically a metal bar with a chef, and they serve some of the best burgers in Chicago (and big too, 10 oz. patties), almost all of which are named after metal bands.  We listen to Mastodon and Dillinger Escape Plan in the van to get fired up.  This is another long wait (an hour to get a table and another half to get food), but again, worth it.  Dan gets the Yob (myspace.com/yobdoom - Smoked Gouda, Bacon, Roasted Red Peppers, Roasted Garlic Mayo), Kyle gets the Neurosis (myspace.com/officialneurosis - Cheddar, Swiss, Sautéed Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, Horseradish Mayo), Hellboy gets the Melvins (myspace.com/themelvins - Fresh Basil, Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Tomato, Onion) and I get the High On Fire (myspace.com/highonfireslays - Siracha Hot Chili Sauce, Prosciutto, Roasted Red Pepper, Grilled Pineapple, Sweet Chili Paste).  THROW UP THE HORNS!!!


best. burger. names. ever.


the high on fire.  oh, sweet satan...


Sunday, November 23, 2008 - Bloomington, IN

We don't really realize that we're running late until we get about halfway there.  That's when it's Dan's turn to shine.  If you want to get somewhere fast.  He's your man.  We make up enough ground that by time we get to Uncle Fester's, it's still locked up.  we have been officially too early for rock and roll 25% of the time on this tour.

Looking to kill time, we wander up the street to discover Kimya Dawson playing at the local theater and Dustin Diamond (TV's "Screech") at the comedy club.  We're not feeling too great about turnout on a Sunday night as there is *no one* out on the streets but us.  We find a coffee shop with a 3xS (last of the tour) and then head back.  Brett, Kyle and I get a bite from Cafe Pizzaria (405 E. Kirkwood Ave.).  We're intrigued by the possibility of stromboli, but when it's brought to us, it's clear that they have no idea what a stromboli is (a turnover, not a sandwich).  Still it fills the void.  Not the best way to go out on this mammoth food tour, but there have been a lot more highs than lows.

Uncle Fester's is laid out a little bit like the Subterranean in Chicago, where there's a stage and a floor downstairs and a horseshoe balcony upstairs.  It's a really neat place to play, actually. (My friend Paul, who used to go to IU, told me otherwise.  He was wrong...)  Lacey Brown (myspace.com/laceybrown) opened the show and didn't stick around too much longer thereafter.  Her loss.  This was the bittersweet, last show of tour for us, and we took full advantage.  No holds barred.  Leave it all on stage.  We got a really good reception from the Bloomington kids, and it made all the difference.  We were kinda on the edge about this show, but I'm so glad it all went the way it did.  The last thing anybody wants is to end a tour on a downer.

Husband & Wife (myspace.com/husbandwife) - man, what can I say - these guys are amazing.  Really good dudes, really great musicians.  We played with them once at Carabar, and I was really impressed then, but seeing them rock the hometown was just beautiful.  Morrow (myspace.com/weatherprophets) finished up the night with a surprisingly rocking set that I enjoyed a lot.

Hellboy got drafted into driving us home overnight.  I slept the entire way, but I'm pretty sure he demolished the entire 4 hour drive by himself.  We unloaded the van at Kyle's house and went our separate ways.

Stats:
18 days
16 shows
38 other bands
13 bars
2 diy spaces
1 record store
12 crash pads
1 hotel room
4 bbq dinners
2 fast foods
1 home cooked meal
5000 miles
0 seconds spent in arkansas


probably not, actually...

Tuesday, November 18th - Albuquerque, NM


at our westernmost.

This is the turnaround point for our tour map.  ABQ is as far west as we go, and once we're done here, we play our way home.  It's starting to feel like we've been out here forever, and we all have an acute sense of how far away from home we are.  Don't get me wrong, we're having a blast, but the road is taking its toll on us.


all this driving has left kyle stunned...


...and dan homesick.

For the second time in 3 days, we show up early enough to the venue that we find it still locked.  We're playing at a community center near the UNM campus (go Lobos), so it's not hard to find a place to eat.  We hit up the Frontier Restaurant (2400 Central Ave SE), a college staple here.  It's a mix of traditional diner food and New Mexican fare.  Brett and Kyle go for the former (burgers) while Dan and I choose the latter (burrito and enchilada, respectively).  Some girl in a hat is giving me the skunk eye.

We walk back down to the Peace & Justice Center, and some people have shown up, so we start our load-in.  The dude from Peaking Lights gives us the bulk of a 30-pack of PBR they had bought for themselves.  The only catch is that we can't actually have beer inside the center.  Improv will be required, so we stash the beer in the van and grab a couple ceramic mugs from the center's kitchen and keep making pit stops to refill them.  At one point, somebody tells Kyle that it looks like somebody pissed in his coffee.  "Busted," but no one really cares.

The girl in the hat is at the show.  She catches Dan and I talking outside and bums a smoke.  Jean proceeds to give us some recommendations on where to get some authetic New Mexican food and where to do laundry.  It turns out we didn't take any of them.  Thanks anyway...

Alan George Ledergerber (myspace.com/alangeorgeledergerber) plays a short experimental set to start the night, followed by Chemtrail Pilot (myspace.com/chemtrailpilot).

*Note to self: go back and do some research and edit in the correct info.  Don't spend as much time in the parking lot trying to get drunk.

INSIDE BASEBALL: Dan, Brett and I are having one hell of a time getting drunk on this tour.  Part of it is that we have a terrible habit of not picking a D.D. before the show starts (thereby causing us all to drink moderately in fear of having to drive to our crash pad), but I think we actually drank enough beer on a nightly basis to build an unhealthy tolerance for it.  Even when we're nipping off of Dan's bourbon, it's still tough to even get a buzz, let alone get sloppy.  Kyle seems to be immune to our affliction, but it's frustrating/frightening for the rest of us.

Nick Angelo (myspace.com/nickalbertangelo) plays a solo set right before us: he's a one-man band with guitar, vocals, and a kick and snare drum on pedals.  He sounds a little like a raspy White Stripes, and his two feet are already a better drummer than Meg.  The organization of this show is essentially anarchy, with each act setting up in a different part of the room.  We spent a little too much time in the parking lot and not enough staking out our space, so we end up setting up right in the middle of the room.  How punk rock is that.  Our set is a little on the laid back side (we did a similar set to the one from the record store in Austin), but tight and fun.  The last two groups, Wet Hair (myspace.com/wethairgoldsounds) and Peaking Lights (myspace.com/peakingfix), both played a similar brand of electronic experimental music.  Unfortunately for them, the crowd really thinned out after our set.  Maybe we scared them off.  Sorry.

After the show, we head to Pita Pit with Scott, Kyle's friend who's putting us up for the night.  We have a weird Led Zeppelin moment: Dan swears I was singing "D'yer Maker" when loading up the van (I don't remember), and while the dude was making my souvlaki pita, guess what song was on?  We head back to Scott's to crash out.  His place is warm and cozy, due mostly to the wood stove that heats the place.  I sleep with my head right next to it.


Wednesday, November 19th - OFF DAY (Albuquerque, NM & Amarillo, TX)

We sleep in and decide on a place for lunch.  Sadie's (6230 4th St. NW, Albuquerque, NM) comes highly recommended for Authentic New Mex cuisine, and it doesn't disappoint.  Dan, Hellboy and I all order the Carne Adovado: big chunks of chile-marinated pork, fried potatoes and beans, smothered in cheese and green chile (Dan gets his con huevo).  Out of sight.  I am the only one to finish my plate, but I've been craving this meal for months.


even though it doesn't look like much, i'm excited...


...but i don't think anybody else knows what to make of this.

We spend the rest of the afternoon doing laundry before hitting the road for parts unknown.  Kyle books us a hotel room in Amarillo, TX, only about 4.5 hours from ABQ.  This is a drive that we're very happy we did at night: Dan pulls off to the side of the road on the New Mexico-Texas border so we can look up at the billions of stars.  Holy fuck.  There's really no good way to describe this feeling.  We're miles from anywhere, the moon wasn't out, and the sky just looks like it has exploded with stars.  You can see the milky clusters with the naked eye.  I haven't seen anything like this in almost 20 years when my dad lived in Arizona.  It's majestic.

Upon our arrival in Amarillo, we remember that we hadn't eaten since lunch.  It's late, so we decide to go on a fast food quest.  We haven't had a single bite of fast food on this entire tour so far, so it only makes sense to indulge in the most ridiculous way possible.  We find a freeway exit with a Wendy's. McDonald's, and Burger King and hit all three.  It's a disasterbacle all around - I think each restaurant messed up our order - but Dan explodes over his M&M Frosty.  You'd think somebody had shit in it for as much as he griped about it. ("$2.50 for a small? The M&M's aren't mixed in! What is this, vanilla?")  Eventually, Kyle offered him a dollar to shut up, which he never paid.  We make it back to the room in time to catch Margot and the Nuclear So and So's on Conan.  Our pal Erik Kang got a lot of face time - way to go, man.

Morning calls, I clean out the van (it's fucking cold here) and once everybody's rounded up, we go to the hotel restaurant: Waffle House.  Dan's been craving the Starbucks of the South for a while, and we finally cave.  I'll give it this: it's comfortable, and you always know what you're gonna get.  That said, breakfast success.


the waffle house experience, defined.

We stop by the Big Texan Steak Ranch (7701 East I-40, Amarillo, TX) on the way out of town.  I've been talking big game about taking the 72 oz. steak challenge.  They have the thing laid out on an altar right when you walk in the door, and, honestly, I think I could do it.  The biggest deterrent right now is that I don't have $72 in case of failure and we do have to get to Tulsa (6+ hours away).  We spend some quality time in the gift shop instead.  Next time, I will conquer this.


if i'm ever in amarillo again, your ass is grass-fed.

We take a detour around Oklahoma City to visit Pop's (660 W. Highway 66, Arcadia, OK), a monument to soda out in the middle of nowhere.  They have something ridiculous like 500 different soda varieties.  Kyle Sowash is in heaven.  We probably spend a good half hour there and leave with no more than 12 bottles.  Brett's drinking one behind the wheel on the way to Tulsa, and a toll collector asks him if he has an open container.  He says we keep the open beer containers somewhere else.  I think I see flashing lights behind us...


decisions, decisions.


pure cane sugar = pure joy.


Thursday, November 20th - Tulsa, OK

First thing in town, we hit up Wilson's BBQ (1522 E. Apache St.), as recommended by one of our road food books.  Their slogan is "You don't need teeth to eat our beef."  We didn't find it to be that, exactly.  Kyle ordered the brisket, but it wasn't terribly impressive.  Dan and Brett each got bologna, which is supposed to be some sort of regional thing, but mostly it was just a slice of smoked bologna.  I got "hot links" on the recommendation of our waiter, and I'm pretty sure I won.  The real treat here was their BBQ sauce - sweet, spicy and bold.  More flavor, for sure.  The waiter asked me what brought us to Tulsa from Columbus, so I told him we were in a band on tour.  Next thing I know, he's asking for our autographs.

INSIDE BASEBALL: Nobody should ever ask us for autographs.  We are not famous.  If anything, we'd be more famous for our love of food than our music.  We're considering bringing 8" x 10" glossy photos of us to give to restaurant proprietors while out on the road.  That way, they can hang up a picture of the fat, fussy, funny-talkers who are invariably disappointed by every place they eat.

This show got thrown together last minute at the Monolith, a little DIY space in Tulsa.  We basically begged for a show so that we wouldn't have 2 off days in a row, and Lindsey helped us out tremendously.  Thanks!  This was mostly a laid back bill, and we stuck out like a sore thumb.  Mason Remel (myspace.com/masonremel) and Autumn Shade started things off with some nice sets of chamber pop.  We played in the middle and though we were definitely a mismatch with everything else, caught the attention of at least a few people in the crowd.  Low Litas (myspace.com/lowlitas) played a solo set after us and was really impressive.  The night was capped by Normandie Wilson (myspace.com/normandiewilson) who was also fantastic, but suffered from a pretty significant loss of crowd.


duh.

I should probably note that it was colder than the love of Barbara Bush outside.  Dan, Hellboy and I went to a local liquor store to get some beer before the show.  It wasn't until after we made our purchase that we found out about Oklahoma's ridiculous law that full-strength beer cannot be sold cold in stores.  We figured that if we just left the beer in the van, it would eventually cool down to a drinkable temperature.  That didn't happen, but it didn't stop us from throwing them down anyway.

Lindsey came through again, putting us up for the night.  All in all, Tulsa's not a bad town.  We'll definitely have to come through again with a little more notice.


from all accounts, this is not what the tulsa scene is really like.

Friday, November 14th - Houston, TX (DAY OFF)

Our show in Ft. Worth got canceled because - get this - the dude setting up the show couldn't get any bands to play a show on a Friday night.  WTF.  We shook the tree pretty hard to get added to another show, but the best offer we got was in Little Rock, which would have made for two days of hell driving.  I know, the punk rock thing to do would be to "get in the van," but instead we headed for Houston to do laundry.


roll hard.

Original Kyle Sowashes bass player Joseph put us up for the night at his swanky Houston home.  We were pretty bummed about not having a show until we realized what a day off really meant: not having to lug heavy shit in and out of a van.  We went to Goode Co. Texas BBQ (8911 Katy Freeway) with the intent to start our barbecue tour of Texas.  It had come with some hype, but I think we all found it a little underwhelming.  The meat was smoky, but not particularly flavorful.  The pecan pie that Dan and I got, however, was probably the best thing on our plates.  I'm a big fan of pecan pie, and this is one of the better slices I've ever had.

INSIDE BASEBALL: Long drives usually spawn lively discussions, when everyone's awake, that is.  It's about 6 hours from New Orleans to the far side of planet Houston, and at some point Dan and I get into a discussion/argument about whether or not something can be described as having "more flavor" than something else.  Dan says "yes," you can use that as a blanket statement, as in "this brisket has more flavor than that pork." Whereas I say "no," flavor is not quantifiable without a qualifier, like "this brisket has more smoky flavor than that pork."  Dear readers, please take a side and comment below.

On the way back from dinner, we decide to stop and get some beer, even though we're not really in a drinking mood.  We stop at a gas station and Kyle comes walking out with a funny-looking sixer.  Dan spots it first and thinks there's only 4 beers in it.  We realize, upon closer inspection, that Kyle mistakenly bought a 6 pack of Coronitas: 7 oz. bottles of Corona.  He doesn't want to take it back and exchange it, so I ask Joseph if he has any miniature limes at his house.

In the morning, I split off from the group to run a couple of errands.  We picked up postcards in a couple spots on tour, but hadn't gotten around to mailing them, so I stopped by the local post office (I stood in a really long line, it took 25 minutes of my time, but I got them sent out just fine).  I also got sent on a shopping mission by my dad to find a local brand of seasoned meat tenderizer that he says makes even a mediocre steak cut shine.  Upon my return, we're ready to load-up the van and make the trek to Austin.  Dan finds the perfect car-top carrier lid prop stick (the CTCLPS, or catclops - go ahead, picture it) and we head off to the 59 Diner (10407 Katy Freeway) for breakfast.  After learning that we're a band, our waiter, Andy, will not shut up about his own band.  All we're really interested in is food - that's why we're in this restaurant, dude.  Dan chooses wisely and gets the country fried steak breakfast, which was off the hook.  I go with Migas (eggs scrambled with bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, tomato, cheese and tortilla chips) and am not disappointed, but I want what Dan got.  This joint is pretty solid, right down to Kyle's Oreo milkshake.  Thanks for the tip, Joseph.


Saturday, November 15th - Austin, TX

I think we were all particularly looking forward to this tour stop, if only because Austin is one of The Coolest Places In The World (TM).  We park the van on 6th Street and head out on foot in search of adventure.  Dan buys himself a snazzy new cadet hat (black) before we hike down to Waterloo Records (600 N. Lamar).  Record stores are like crack pushers to me, and I tell Kyle that at some point he is going to have to save me from myself.  I scrounge through the clearance bin first and find a Seaweed CD I'd been wanting for only $3, as well as one by The Van Pelt and a Rye Coalition CD from before they became a KISS cover band.  The new records are what always get me though, I had about 10 things in my hand before I finally settled on a 180-gram copy of the new Mogwai album and the new Dianogah CD.  At the checkout, the girl behind the counter asks me if I know anything about Dianogah, and I have a pretty hardcore record geek moment ("Jay Ryan is my favorite poster artist." "I missed seeing them in Lousiville to get this record before it was released to stores." "I am a huge nerd.")  She asks if I wanted the vinyl copy - I looked for it, but couldn't find it - I reply positively and she runs back to get it for me.  Fuckin' A.  I love Austin.

Our show is at Snake Eyes Vinyl, a cozy little record store on the east side (1101 Navasota).  We're relieved to learn this is a BYOB show and not dry, and celebrate by picking up some beer from the carryout across the street.  Stephen and John from Zest of Yore (myspace.com/zestofyore) start things off.  Kyle had heard good things about these guys from Doug Gillard last time we played in New York - Doug had produced their new record, Quality of Life, and played on some of the tracks.  We can't wait to get these guys to come to Ohio.  So good.  We decide to play a more intimate version of our set, starting off with the solo version of "Yr Band Flaked Out On Me" and "Tusk" (the quiet version of "Rumours") before we break into the more rockin' material.  It's a nice change of pace that lets us stretch our legs a little bit, rather than playing the same thing every night. Kyle's old friend Sean Padilla, aka Cocker Spaniels (myspace.com/cspaniels) played a killer solo set that was unfortunately interrupted by some disrespectful dudes.


ze o yo (half of zest of yore)


kyle plays "tusk" to the austinites.


cocker spaniels - sean takes on..

INSIDE BASEBALL: OK, this one isn't really about the inner workings of a rock band.  This is about you Tavis & Ingrid Q. Audiencemember.  If you're at a rock show and you feel the need to heckle the band, consider the following:

1) Playing music on stage in front of people takes balls (or ovaries, in some cases).  Being a snarky dick in the crowd isn't exactly courageous.  If you need the attention so bad, start a band and put on your own shows.  See how you like it when somebody heckles you.

2) Just because you bought a ticket doesn't give you the right to be an asshole.  The person standing next to you spent the same amount of money and probably wants to enjoy the show without your commentary.

3) If you really don't like the band you're watching, you don't necessarily need to tell them so while they're playing.  In fact, you're probably not the only one, and eventually the market will decide if they even have a future.  Shitty bands that don't draw don't get shows, which makes them less a blight on society.

Dan's old friend from high school, Ryan, showed up at our show unexpectedly and offered us a place to crash, as well as pointing us in the direction of some late night food.  Another of Dan's high school chums, Steve, was cooking at the Star Seeds Cafe (3101 N I-35).  Brett and I tried to correct our mistakes from Houston in the morning, so we each ordered the country fried steak.  Alas, we couldn't catch lightning in a bottle, and this version was inferior to the 59 Diner's.

Waking up in the morning, we've got a short list of things to do: go buy a copy of Punk Rock Etiquette by Travis Nichols (myspace.com/punkrocketiquette), one of Kyle's friends from Lubbock (this book is essential, true, and hilarious; check it out); meet up with Sean to get an early version of the new Cocker Spaniels record, and find some BBQ.  We decide on the Salt Lick BBQ (18001 FM 1826, Driftwood, TX): Mapquest can't figure out why we want to go there, so it gives us directions to the airport instead.  

In honor of our punk rock tour, here's a review of the Salt Lick in the style of a Maximumrocknroll record review:

HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the most intense fucking BBQ restaurant EVER!!!!!!!  It's out in the middle of nowhere, so if you don't know how to find it, FUCK YOU!!!!!!!  "FAMILY STYLE" FUCKING SLAYS!!!!!!!!  Chuck just keeps bringing plates full of killer meat until you can't take it anymore.  "Brisket" is the best thing I've ever had in my life, and "The Ribs" and "Sausage" are better than any you've ever had before, punker.  There's some filler ("Cole Slaw," "Bread") but "The Sauce" more than makes up for all that.  I'LL FUCKING PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE IF YOU DON'T GET THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


these guys are clearly not fucking around.


it was hard to get a picture of all the meat, because it kept flying off the platter and into our mouths.


heavenly...


mmm... brisket.


nary a pickle was eaten.


"hey kyle, you gonna finish all that?"


nope.  i surrender.


Sunday, November 16th - San Antonio, TX

Painfully gorged on meat, we hit the road for San Antonio.  This is a mercifully short drive and our first stop is at my cousin Mel's house.  Even with the short drive, I don't think any of us were in condition to do anything but sit and digest.  She and her husband Phil gave us some beers and a quiet place to chillax and let the BBQ stew before the show.  Thanks y'all.

We show up at The Warhol at 6pm to find the doors locked.  An hour and a trip to Starbucks later, we find out that load-in was at 7.  No big whoop.  The venue is little more than a stage and a bar - the perfect punk rock club.  Three local SA punk bands played first: The Bluebonnet Plague (myspace.com/thebluebonnetplague), Stallone (myspace.com/stallonetx), and Joe Lawler and the Mathletes (myspace.com/joelawlerandthemathletes).  Kyle and I started having flashbacks to our high school "punk" days.  We made sure to stock our set with rockers - the opposite of the Austin set - and we got a really nice response from the kids, though not nearly as enthusiastic as they were for The Underground Railroad to Candyland (myspace.com/theundergroundrailroadtocandyland) and Japanther (myspace.com/japanther) - deservedly so, though.


japanther playing telephone with each other


underground railroad to candyland

INSIDE BASEBALL: Some bands go out to the van to "clambake."  The Kyle Sowashes go to the van to eat leftover BBQ and watch the Big Lebowski on an iPod.

After the show, we went out to Chacho's (6757 Poss Rd.) for nachos with Marco from Stallone and a few other people.  Kyle and I killed a big bowl of queso dip pretty much by ourselves, Dan got a bean & cheese chalupa as a late night snack, and Hellboy brought back a giant plate of nachos that was supposedly only a half order.  I wish I had been hungrier.

We get back to Marco's place to crash and the party showed up right behind us.  When you're out on the road, sometimes you want to keep the fun going after the show, but sometimes (like when you're staring down a 7.5 hour drive to Lubbock in the morning) you just want to go to sleep.  Unfortunately, when you jam econo, you don't necessarily have the luxury of quiet solitude at a crash pad.  We sack out and hope for the best.


Monday, November 17th - Lubbock, TX


dan, considering a career in wind farming


not much to do out here but take art pictures of moving trains (good one, brett)

Before we start, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that we made our worst food choice of the entire tour in Sweetwater, Texas.  We stop at a Big K Mart for a $5 Little Caesar's pizza.  As soon as it's plopped down in front of us, we know what a terrible mistake we've made.


goddammit, sowash...

This is Kyle's big homecoming show.  If you didn't know, Kyle was an impresario of the Lubbock music scene for several years, booking bands and running an all-ages show space.  He's right up there along with the city's musical legends, just below Buddy Holly and just above Waylon Jennings.

Kyle's giving us the tour of the town, starting with the AAA - the show space he ran out of a storage garage on the outskirts of town.  Lots of great shows went down here, including The Dismemberment Plan, Wesley Willis, and the Groovie Ghoulies, just to name a few.  Just across the way is "The Strip," which is essentially a back alley in the middle of nowhere that is the only place to buy beer in Lubbock besides bars.  There are approximately 10 beer stores, all with big signs and bright flashing lights that cannot be seen from the highway.

We show up at KTXT (ktxt.net) to do a live interview/performance.  This station reminds me a ton of my old college station (WBGU), with the notable exception that it is in Lubbock, Texas and not Bowling Green, Ohio.  Sammy interviews Kyle and I occasionally chime in - I'm the Flavor Flav (or is that "More Flavor" Flav?) to his Chuck D - and Kyle also does solo versions of "In The Mail" and "Rumours."  Radio drop-ins are always fun, and a good way to drum up an audience for a show.


what's that other mic for?

It's dinner time, and this being Kyle's world, he picks Rosa's Cafe & Tortilla Factory (3115 50th St.).  Wow, what a good call.  Dan gets a steak fajita with - no joke - medium cooked steak.  Kyle, however, makes the perfect choice by getting 12 tortillas, a pint of refried beans, and a cup of queso for something like $5.  With a touch more beans and queso, it'd been enough to feed all of us.  These tortillas are so fresh (made to order) and so good, they're almost to kill for.


kyle named his cat after this restaurant.  no joke.


the tortilla factory (you didn't think they would lie, did you?)

This show was originally supposed to be at a club called the Foundation, but they've had some permit trouble, so this show got moved to Rocky Larue's, a pretty nondescript college bar.  They had the Browns game on when we walked in, so Dan and I made a point of watching it until the first band started.  That band, Icarus Fixed (myspace.com/icarusfixed), really impressed us, and their singer sounds amazingly similar to Columbus musical gadfly and sometime-Sowash Sean Gardner.  Our set is rock solid and we play to a great crowd mix of Kyle's old Lubbock pals and new faces.  In particular, we're goaded on by Dirty Charley, who dashes my hopes of taking the Big Texan steak challenge in Amarillo.


you'd better hope it's dry gas if you plan on riding in my van ever again.

INSIDE BASEBALL: The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo has a 72 oz. steak that you can have for free if you finish it in 1 hour.  Since the New Orleans show, I have been psyching myself up to attempt it, including coming up with strategies to deal with the necessary sides.  When Charley tells us that they don't do it anymore, I threaten to quit the band onstage.  I've got too much emotional investment in this steak and the feat of strength it will take to conquer it.


kyle rocking out with dirty charley

The Dirty Charley Band (myspace.com/dirtycharley) lives up to its name and delivers some rockin' cowpunk, complete with a cover of AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie."  Because this is Lubbock, there's almost a bidding war over where we get to stay, which Noel from Icarus Fixed wins.  Turns out a couple years ago when our friends Miranda Sound had a van break down here, Noel and his crew saved the day, carted their gear around, and put them up until the chariot got fixed.  Good folks here in Lubbock, fo' sho'.


dirty charley will eat your young.

In the morning, Kyle takes us to Josie's (212 University Ave.) for breakfast.  I get the Huevos Rancheros with a side of chorizo: awesome!  Everybody else gets breakfast burritos; Dan being the most adventurous gets chicharron (fried pork cracklins), potatoes and cheese.  The only thing that would make this better is if they used Rosa's tortillas.  C'est la vie.

On our way out of town, we stop at the Buddy Holly Center, because, well, um, just because.  We haven't done anything touristy or historical the entire time we've been out here, so this isn't the worst place to start.  Did you know Buddy's high school girlfriend's name was Echo?  You're welcome...


kyle, after severe emotional trauma at the buddy holly museum.


boo, clovis.

Tuesday, November 11th - Birmingham, AL

Only the Kyle Sowashes can turn a 7-hour drive into an 8.5 hour drive.  After our previously mentioned bourbon search, we stopped at a rest stop to discuss dinner options.  Dan and I had a hankering for Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville, but Kyle vetoed on the grounds of "ring of fire."  Understood.  We ended up eating sandwiches in the van. I brought ham, turkey, Muenster cheese, stone-ground mustard and two kinds of bread (marble rye, and Tuscany): it's a tasty cheap alternative.

It's dark when we get to Birmingham, and I don't think any of us were prepared for it to be "The Pittsburgh of the South."  B-ham is built on the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, and, much like its brother in "ahrns" to the north, it is impossible to navigate.  We quickly discovered this when attempting to find Chris from Baak Gwai's house.  After the street we were ..d names about 15 times per mile, we finally pulled into a gas station to re-orient ourselves.  Dan spotted a dead bird not too far from the car: he's positive that the bird committed suicide brought on by navigational frustration.  Not a good sign.


necronomikids slay/melt...

Finally we get to Chris's place and take a couple bourbon swigs to relax before heading over to The Nick, the sweet little dive bar where we palyed.  Necronomikids (myspace.com/necronomikids) are playing first and totally floor us with their sweet take on surf rock. (Think Man... Or Astroman?)  They play "Popcorn" - the klezmer-influenced synthpop song - as their closer, which kinda blows me away.  Our set is spectacular (Dan thinks differently, but we know better), though not particularly well-received: nobody spit on us or anything, but there weren't a ton of kids watching from the front.  This is also the best on-stage sound we've had all tour, which makes me a much more confident back-up singer.  Once we're done, Baak Gwai (myspace.com/baakgwai) takes over.  I've been looking forward to this show for some time, as they've become one of my favorite bands of late, as well as good friends.  They're clearly owning it, even as a three-piece, but I get the impression that they're not particularly happy with their performance (John, the singer/guitar player, apologizes profusely throughout the set).  If this is a bad night for them, I sure as hell couldn't tell...


love, american-style.


baak gwai is cantonese for "white trash."  fo' real.


and the drunk peeps go: "doo, doo-doo, doo-doo..."

After the show, Chris takes us to Al's Deli & Grill (1029 S. 10th Ave.) for some grub.  It's primarily Greek/Mediterranean, so most of us get gyros, but we're also advised to try the chili cheese ranch fries.  None of us has the courage to throw that gut bomb down our gullets, so we opt for ranch fries instead.  Except Hellboy (Brett's new nickname), who apparently didn't get the memo.  Sucker.

INSIDE BASEBALL: There are many ways to combat gear theft on the road, the safest being a complete load-in of gear into whatever house or hotel you're crashing in.  Oftentimes, bands (ours in particular) are too drunk to go to all that effort, so they resort to the "don't steal me" blanket.  We accidentally left ours at home, so we have to pick one up for a thrift store.  It works like this: you drape a black or navy blue blanket over all your gear in the back of the van so that, at first glance, the van just looks empty.  The DSMB is not exactly a Star Trek-level cloaking device, but it's better than putting a sign on your van that says "Gank our expensive shit."

INSIDE BASEBALL (DOUBLE-HEADER): On tour, showers can be considered a luxury.  I haven't taken a shower since Monday morning, and by Wednesday afternoon, I'm starting to feel "the scunge": a word I thought I made up to describe feeling like you are covered with a sheen of grime, but actually tunrs out to be a real word that means "slovenly person."  There's no time to take a shower before the Tuscaloosa show, so I'm looking for a quick fix.  At the same store where we find the DSMB, I find a Detroit Tigers hat for $3.  Score!

After Dan and Kyle watch American Psycho, Chris takes us out to lunch at Rojo (2921 Highland Ave. S).  The meal starts with some amazing Chorizo Queso dip, and ends with some lively conversation about 2 Girls 1 Cup, which bears a striking resemblance to said dip.


Wednesday, November 12th - Tuscaloosa, AL

It's an easy hour drive to Tuscaloosa until we realize that our mapping system has no fucking clue where our destination is.  T-town is not a difficult city to navigate, as evidenced by the fact that they made it doubly redundant: there's no real designation between east and west, and the numbered cross streets are named the same on either side.  After parking in the church parking lot that Google Maps said was supposed to be a house of debauchery, Kyle called Chris and got the skinny.  Problem solved.

When we show up, there's a rehearsal for a burlesque show going on at the Mellow Mushroom (2230 University Blvd. - Tuscaloosa, not Alberta City).  Not a dress rehearsal, though, so we decide to order some food.  Alex, the bar manager, hooks us up with free beer and a couple of pizzas - we choose the Magical Mystery Tour (portobello and button mushrooms, spinach, feta cheese, jalapenos, and pesto sauce) and the Mighty Meaty (duh).  Very good.  The sauce has a nice sweet/tart balance, the cheese is top-notch, and the topping combinations are complementary and well-thought out.  Brett says they're opening one in Columbus in January, but it's going to be in Polaris.  Bummer.


what kind of mushrooms are these again?  i feel a little blurry...

We decide to play first, on the logic that the local band will keep a crowd. It's raining, so we think that's keeping people from coming to the show.  Even of the 15-20 who did show up, no one's anywhere near the stage, save for Chris and a couple of others intermittently (thanks, dudes).  The lack of engagement is a little disheartening, but I think we played our best set of the tour.  The stage sound was phenomenal; Alabama knows how to run a monitor mix, apparently.  It's one of the realities of touring: all you can do is go up there and do what you do the best you can.  If nobody likes it, that's the gamble you take.  We did sell a little bit of merch, though, so I guess it's not all for naught.  Them War-Cry Mommas (myspace.com/themwarcrymommas) didn't fare that much better with the crowd, but not for lack of trying.  Their Wilco-esque indie-folk was pretty entertaining.


them war cry mommas are actually all 4 inches tall.

Here's the shocker: instead of handing us a bill for all the beer we drank and pizza we ate, the Mellow Mushroom paid us handsomely at the end of the night.  We're definitely not on tour to get rich, but after a show like this, we wouldn't expect to get paid much, if at all.  It's a testament to the scene they're building down here that they treat bands this well.  Amazing place and great folks.

Chris takes us back to his friend Bo's house to crash after the show.  They have a "man room" built out of a shack out back with 3 TVs, video games, darts, recliners, neon beer signs, and a standee of Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban (defaced).  Dan and I stay out there while Kyle and Brett call indoorsies.

In the morning, we head out for breakfast at the Waysider (1512 Greensboro Ave.) on the promise of eating something called "streak-o-lean," which is essentially a thick cut of fatback bacon.  Our waitress regrets to inform us that they are out of it, but I don't buy it: these proud southerners want to keep their secrets from us carpetbagging Yanks.  Dan and I go with the country ham & red-eye gravy, Kyle and Brett each get scrambled eggs and bacon.  We all get cheese grits and some of the best biscuits any of us have ever eaten.  Our faith in the road food bible is restored...


yeah, buddy.


while i perform surgery...


...dan devours.


Thursday, November 13th - New Orleans, LA

First thing's first: the bayou necessitates some pretty heavy civil engineering with all the lakes, swamps and marshlands.  We roll over the Lake Pontchartrain on I-10 into NOLA - that's a solid 10 miles of concrete bridge.  After some battle traffic, we pull up to Chateau de Papa Sowash (Kyle's dad's house) for a home-cooked lasagna meal.  We're pretty hardcore foodies, but sometimes nothing beats a family dinner.


red at night, sowashes delight.

The Circle Bar is really small.  Imagine your living room.  Now add a full-service bar.  The coziness makes even a tiny crowd seem big, and lucky for us there was actually a good crowd even for a reasonably-sized bar.  The Lovie Dovies opened up with a short set: this was their first show ever and they rocked it.  Think Descendents/All-type punk with all the necessary energy and fun level.  We crammed our gear in the tiny room and put on our best show of the tour so far.  The Family Sowash showed up in full force to cheer us on, and we even attracted the attention of some locals.  We were planning on playing this show with a Bruce Sprigsteen tribute band called Nebraska, but instead played with those guys' real band called Rougarou (myspace.com/rougarounola).  Nothing against the Boss, but this was a step up: intense post-rock, amplified by a receptive crowd in a small space.  This is the closest to house show energy that I have ever gotten from a commercial bar.


kyle rocking the small circle.

We loiter a bit after the show, taking advantage of Louisiana's lax liquor laws (drinking on the street is really underrated) before packing it up for the night.  The other bands hook us up for cash, which is always incredibly appreciated.  We really want to get one or both of these bands up to Columbus as soon as they want to be here.


freedom, sweet freedom!

INSIDE BASEBALL: Not to get deep into tour finances, but we've been doing pretty well out here on the road, especially with some very generous bands and venues helping us out tremendously.  I wouldn't normally give an update on how much is in the kitty, but Kyle counted up and we have netted exactly $666.  The band fund of the beast...


say 'ello to mah li'l friend...

In the morning we head down to the French Quarter to take in a little culture.  It's a relatively hot, humid morning on the bayou and we park the van on Canal St.  No sooner than we stop the car, it begins to pour down rain.  No sooner than Kyle buys an umbrella, it stops.  Tourist trap, defined.  We walk down Decatur to Cafe du Monde (800 Decatur St.) for chicory cafe au lait and beignets (fried fritters covered in powdered sugar).  I call the expert for a lunch recommendation and it happens to be across the street: Tujague's Restaurant (823 Decatur St.), which has been serving Creole food in New Orleans since 1856.  Unfortunately, they don't open the restaurant until 5pm.  We end up at Johnny's Po-Boys (511 St. Louis St.), where Kyle gets adventurous and orders seafood gumbo and a soft-shell crab po-boy.  Maybe it's just me, but I'm not usually one to eat something that looks like it was ready to pinch me in self-defense just a couple minutes ago.


waiter, i think there's something in my soup...


the rhythm section gets crabby.  or fishy.  ok, shrimpy...

THIS WEEK IN BASEBALL: Gas prices took a nose-dive at just the right time.  We probably could've taken this tour in a big van and done OK, but we were planning on spending close to $4/gallon on gas, so Love Potion Number Nine and a car-top carrier seemed to be the best economic bet at the time.  We're getting somewhere around 20 miles to the gallon and riding pretty comfortably.  The car-top is a lifesaver for us, but not so much for the hundreds of bugs we have sentenced to death so far.


the kyle sowashes kill bugs dead.

Sunday, November 9th - Columbus, OH

Sleeping in your own bed is always awesome, even if you don't crawl into it until 5AM.

Before I go any further, this has the potential to be the most boring tour diary entry ever.  It should go something like this: I woke up, put on my robe, did the Sunday Times crossword (well, about a third of it, anyway), listened to Stereolab, ate a grilled cheese sandwich, and *oh fuck*, I have to go play a rock show.

That all being said, I'll keep this short.  This was Brett's first show of the tour  Bunnygrunt (myspace.com/therealbunnygrunt) was supposed to play with us, but their van broke down in Connecticut, so it ended up being just us and Heavy Mole (myspace.com/heavymole) rocking the Carabar.  Kyle would probably eat my lunch if I said it to his face, but I never really got into Heavy Mole.  That all changed Sunday night, though.  I was in an entirely different frame of mind, and in that time and place they were perfect.  I admit, I was wrong.  Shit, it took me 7 or 8 years before I "got" Television, so my musical taste is understandibly suspect...

We took advantage of Bunnygrunt's misfortune and played a longer set than usual.  Knowing that the next 14 days on the road are going to be gastrointestinal suicide paired with long strecthes of inactivity, I pretty much made this an aerobic workout for me - plenty of jumping, kicking, windmilling, etc. - and I'm pretty sure I almost knocked Brett out once or twice in the process.  Lonn jumped out of the small crowd to rock the last couple of songs with us.  I know he wishes he could be out here for the long haul, and we'll miss him, but Brett's pretty fun too, I guess...

Oh by the way, not only was Metallica playing Columbus this night (I considered skipping our show, seriously), but The New Bomb Turks announced a surprise reunion show that night too, which I'd imagine sucked out at least a couple kids who would've been out to see us.  Can't say I blame you.  We'll probably play Columbus again before the Turks do.


Monday, November 10th - Newport, KY

We have a terrible track record for Cincinnati shows.  We usually play with good bands, but there's just something about Cincy that subdues the vibe of what should be a good show.  Oh yeah, I remember what it is: chairs.  Fuckin' chairs.  You're at a rock show; you're not supposed to be comfortable.  You're supposed to be on your feet like you're part of it, not sitting down being passively entertained.  What the hell?

Dan, Brett and I make the trek down without Kyle, who had some extra tooth cleaning to attend to.  Sean brought him down and joined us onstage tonight.  Man, there are a lot of Sowashes, but only so much space in the van.  When we showed up at the Southgate House, we caught up with Mike from Thistle (myspace.com/thistlewired) who was running sound.  He gave us a couple of suggestions for food and bourbon hunting, but they were all closed.  I'm sure it was just an innocent mistake, but I really wanted it to be a joke, like, "how far can I make The Kyle Sowashes walk in the cold for nothing?"  I, personally, would've found that to be hilarious, and I can't wait to try that out on my roommates.


birthplace of the tommy gun.

INSIDE BASEBALL: Dan would like you to know that he saw a shooting star on the trip down.  He feels this is a good omen for the trip.  I had no idea he was an astrologer.  It's working out pretty well for him so far, at least: after being unimpressed with a new cymbal that he just bought, he's able to return it with no penalty.  Hopefully this good mojo will extend to the drum heads, which will be marginally tuned at best for the rest of the tour.

We ended up at the Pepper Pod (703 Monmouth St.), a 24-hour diner up the street from the venue.  Some comfort food was in order: Dan got biscuits and gravy, Brett got a meatloaf dinner, and I got the country ham breakfast.  The salt-cured ham was really great.  The meatloaf was pretty good.  The sausage gravy, on the other hand, was unspectacular, or as Dan put it, "Now I know what white tastes like."


the loose threads were tight.

The Loose Threads (myspace.com/theloosethreads) played first.  Very nice, punk-influenced indie rock.  It should probably be noted as a matter of record that Kyle Sowash was not present yet at this point.  This is both unusual and unsettling.  With about 2 songs left in the Loose Threads set, he and Sean walk in the door with a tub full o' merch.  We take the stage quick to try to keep the crowd and proceed to play a really sloppy set.  I can't speak for the rest of the dudes, but I was pretty thrown by some volume and feedback issues I was having.  We were also sans-setlist due to Kyle being late, so the between song banter/discussion seemed interminable and made the rhythm of the whole set a little herky-jerky.


dan and sean talk shop.

OK, enough whining.  Hyacinth House (myspace.com/hyacinthhousemusic) closed out the show and we beat a hasty retreat back to Brett Loose Thread's house, with a quick stop at 7/11 to get beer.  It was after 1AM, so the old guy filling up the donuts yelled discouraging words at us: "It's too late, so don't even think about it!"  Our Brett bought a donut, mostly out of spite.

In the morning, we (plus Brett Loose Thread) went to the Echo in Hyde Park (3510 Edwards Rd., Cincy) for breakfast.  We were intrigued by goetta - a kind of ground meat and oat hash - and all but Kyle sampled it.  Pretty tasty, especially with eggs and a dash of hot sauce.

EVEN MORE INSIDE BASEBALL: Dan was on the hunt for some Elijah Craig 18-year old bourbon, so we stopped at the Liquor Barn (3240 Fern Park Rd., Louisville, KY), which was kinda like going to bourbon college.  Dan got what he wanted, plus a bottle of Willett Single Barrel Estate bourbon.  There's a good chance that neither bottle will make it home, and not necessarily due to them being emptied and processed through our livers - the Willett bottle, especially, is unique and fragile.


so, which one of these will get me drunk?

REALLY HILARIOUS THINGS WE SAW ON THE WAY TO BUY BOOZE:
Cox's Smokers Outlet
Coon Hunters for Christ
Big Bone Lick State Park

INAPPROPRIATE JOKE MADE BY REST STOP ATTENDANT:
"Have you ever seen an asshole wrapped in plastic?  Take out your driver's license."

Thursday, November 6th – Athens, OH

We couldn't start this tour until after Election Day because of my job.  As if to underscore the point, I get held up at work on my last day until about 6:30 and have to haul ass back to Columbus, working on my apology to the dudes the entire way.  Chris is playing bass with us tonight (you can take the boy out of Athens, but…) and when I show up, he and Dan and Kyle have already loaded the van.  They are waiting with folded arms and stern looks.  I feel like a giant douche.

INSIDE BASEBALL: Kyle belches something garlicky.  It smells pretty bad.  From here on out, burps are called "mouth farts."  Conversely, farts are called "ass burps."  Try not to confuse the two, because it's not as funny that way.  In fact, it's just vulgar, and you should be ashamed of yourself.

Dan, Chris and I head out on a food odyssey immediately upon landing in Athens.  Chris, who went to college here, had never enjoyed the wonderment of an O'Betty's hot dog (15 W. State St.).  All it took was one Blaze (all beef hot dog, sweet, crunchy cole slaw, and bacon) and he was a convert.


chris and kyle love ACRN.

Lizard McGee from Earwig (myspace.com/earwig) skipped out from work to open the show with a solo set.  He thinks he's so damned clever.  He's right, of course.  His stage banter makes ours look like we're stammering special-ed kids.  Our set is pretty solid.  We even get a request for "Yr Band Flaked Out On Me," which Kyle obliges.  Russenorsk (myspace.com/russenorskband) closes the show to an enthusiastic crowd of about 40.  These kids have some potential to do something awesome.


russenorsk

We decide after the show to bookend the night with another trip to O'Betty's.  Kyle comes along this time – you can't keep a good man from a good hot dog.  It's been a while since I've hung out in a college town on a Thursday night.  I always forget how much drunk college girls love lining up for wieners at 2am.  Yup.


kyle loves putting wieners in his mouth.

This is the first of 4 shows after which we get to sleep in our own beds, but it unfortunately means somebody has to bite the bullet and drive home.  I volunteer as penance for showing up late.  My friend Jon told me to watch out for rampant deer ("The bucks are horny, man."), but luckily we don't encounter any.  Chris is riding shotgun with the duty to keep me awake.  He falls asleep.  Failboat.


Friday, November 7th – Pittsburgh, PA

About a week before the tour starts, Kyle gets a call that the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern caught fire and we wouldn't have a show in Pittsburgh unless we could move it.  We were really looking forward to this show with the Karl Hendricks Trio and our friends Workshop.  Luckily, Modern Formations hooks us up.  Thanks, Jen.  The show must go on.

Tonight is the maiden voyage of Number Nine, our tour van.  Kyle's minivan is just a touch too small for comfort on the long stretches, so I went out and got a bigger minivan with a roof rack so we wouldn't be horribly cramped during the 18-day excursion.  When I show up at Kyle's to load the van, he tells me that Dan's gf Carrie is coming to Pittsburgh with us.  Normally, that'd be no problem, but 9 only has four bucket seats.  We end up shoehorning a small chair in the cargo hold, walled in entirely by guitar amps.  It's not comfortable – at all – but it'll get the job done for one night.

Modern Formations is BYOB, which means we need to find some B, stat.  After load in, Dan, Carrie, Lonn and I make a 5-block trek to buy Yuengling (natch).  $30 for 24 beers isn't exactly a deal – we had to buy carryout because the distributors were closed already – but it's not too bad.  Problem solved.


the green bottle is the secret to my guitar tone.

Workshop (myspace.com/workshoptheband) is a three-piece now, and a pretty good one at that.  They close their set with Silkworm's "Treat the New Guy Right," which leads to Kyle throwing the horns in the air.  We usually draw a pretty receptive crowd in PGH (including former Sowash Sean Soisson, whose house we didn't need to crash at for once) and tonight is no exception.  The main attraction, though, is the Karl Hendricks Trio (myspace.com/thekarlhendrickstrio).  Karl hasn't played a show since November 2007, when we played with them and Bottomless Pit in Pittsburgh.  A little rusty, maybe, but thoroughly enjoyable.


karl doesn't need the green bottle.

After the show, Kyle is being Kyle, so we have to wait for him forever while he talks to people.  We're hungry and want to leave (it's 3.5 hours back to C-bus in the dead of night).  At Kyle's insistence we go to Ritter's all night diner (5221 Baum Blvd.), ostensibly because they have great pierogies.  2 hours later, we have shitty pierogies, subpar flapjacks, and what passes for a milkshake.  We should've gone to Primanti Brothers.  This was a wasted trip for food.

So, at 3:30am, we leave P-burgh.  I drive like a bat out of hell, hoping to get home before the sun comes up.  We succeed, but barely.


Saturday, November 8th – Berkley, MI

Michigan shows are always a little strange.  First of all, there apparently is no place in Detroit proper that books shows – everything happens either in the suburbs, Ann Arbor, or way out in the middle of nowhere like Adrian and Jackson.  Not really knowing what to expect, we show up at Berkley Front (3087 12 Mile Rd.), cautiously optimistic when we see they have 42 beers on tap (good sign).

INSIDE BASEBALL: One of the challenges of being on tour is finding reliable, clean places to deuce.  P&P – personal & private – is the ideal, but in a pinch, you take what you can get.  Bar bathrooms are almost universally bad ideas, and this one is no different.  Dan and I hike across the street to a grocery store, but alas, no public restrooms.  I decide to try 24 Seconds, the sports bar next door to the venue.  A dude inside lets me know that I just missed a Red Wings goal (thanks, buddy... go Blue Jackets) and I beeline for the head.  I have chosen… wisely – the bathroom is secluded and relatively clean.  There's no feeling like this, except maybe winning the lottery.

Back to the lecture at hand. We sit down at the bar and the bartender offers us each a free meal.  Lonn and Dan get burgers, Kyle gets a chicken sandwich, and I get a "Sweet Hot Reuben," which is a stunning combination of corned beef, balsamic slaw, pickles and hot mustard on pumpernickel bread.  Across the board we're impressed with the bar food.  We win the crapshoot.

Berkley Front bills itself as an "American Beer Garden," and their selection is rather impressive, though Dan was surprised to learn that there were shockingly few local brews available.  Once it becomes clear that we're not paying for beer, the stakes get raised – Lonn indulges in La Fin Du Monde, or, The End of the World.  As I type this in the van on the way home, I hope it's not an omen.


do you have any creedence?

Copper Thieves (myspace.com/copperthieves) played first and were giving away free 7"s.  Not their songs, but such classic selections as "Batdance" by Prince, "Tonight" by Kool & the Gang, and "Wango Tango" by Ted Nugent (which Dan scored).  Their set was very good, and reminded us of all the things we like about The Who and The Kinks, right down to their sweet vintage gear.  We played another solid set, but a lot of the crowd disappeared for us.  Maybe they just went downstairs to sample the incredible beer selection.  Can't really blame them.  The Word Play (myspace.com/thewordplay) were after us, and were pretty damned good, though I was kinda sleepwalking through their set.  I made up for it by buying their record with $10 that Kyle found on the ground.


detroit cock city...

It's 2:25 a.m. and for once I'm not the night driver on the trip back to Columbus.  Maybe I can catch a few winks while Kyle & Dan pilot us back...


lonn on me when you're not strong...

Friday, April 4, 2008 @ The Comet (Cincinnati, OH)




The Actors: Dan Bandman, Brian Freshour, Justin Hemminger, Kyle Sowash




The weekend of Sowash birthdays begins. B-Fresh celebrates his B-Day by climbing in the Chevy Venture headed southwest for the Queen City. We make a point of leaving early so we can hit Shake It Records. Brian finds an old Seam record and a couple of other things. Dan buys the Spoon re-package of Telephono and the Soft Effects EP. I spend a vagrant's fortune on vinyl, including Karate's "Fishtank" contribution: eight protest songs, all covers, four of them written by The Minutemen. Awesome.



SandwichQuest2008 continues across the street at the Hideaway, tucked-in next door to the Northside Tavern. We're on the fence about the place until Leslie from the Wussy family welcomes us in. Brian settles on a Grilled Cheese (old men need to eat smaller meals, I guess) while Kyle, Dan and I pick the Cuban: roasted pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, stone ground mustard, and pickle slices pressed between focaccia bread. Oh boy…



There's something a little unsettling about the Comet tonight. First of all, we're running late due to being full of pig. Second, there are three bands on the bill tonight, which means an earlier start. Third, there's no sound guy here anymore, so we're running our own PA. The worst part about playing first at the Comet is that there's usually 25-30 people sitting at tables in the lounge, eating burritos and trying to have a good time. Then some fat band of dorks from Columbus starts skronking away. We can clear that room faster than a beer fart.



We don't drop one of our best sets on the Cincy crowd, but good enough - the Comet didn't revoke our beer tokens or anything. The Fervor are up next and sound really good. Wussy took on the room at the end of the night, fought some technical problems, and just killed anyway like they always do. Chuck played with a beer bottle in one hand or the other for most of the show. Very excellent.



Dan, Brian and I make with the chit-chat with the bar staff while Kyle's off being Kyle. I again draw driver duty, and after a quick burrito break (the Comet is always nice enough to feed us for free, which is great), we hit the road. Eugene Mirman keeps Dan and I awake for most of the trip back, but before I can get us home, I start drifting. We pull off to the side of the road next to a donkey farm, where, no shit, there are donkeys fucking about 25 feet from the van. I wanted to take a picture, but I figure I'd save that one for when The Kyle Sowashes play Tijuana.




the comet, cincinnati, ohio.



Saturday, April 5, 2008 @ The Union (Athens, OH)




The Actors: Dan Bandman, Chris Deville, Justin Hemminger, Kyle Sowash




This is a really big show. Times New Viking, us, and Machine Go Boom in Athens. Wow. Chris is meeting us down there, so Dan, Kyle and I load up the van and take off. Dan and I try to sack out on the way down (since we drew driving duty back from Cincy, we didn't get to sleep much) while Kyle gives an interview with a zine or blog or something in Phoenix. All I remember is hearing Kyle say "Um, I can't hear you too well. Can you repeat that?"



After loading in, Dan and I go search for coffee. We think about hitting up some of the fine local fooderies, but don't want a bloated repeat of the Cincy show, so we just head back to The Union. By the time we get back, some of my friends from Columbus have arrived, including my roommate Nick who would be turning 26 at midnight. Right around the exact same time that I'd be turning 29.



FUN FACT: By the recording lineup, I am the youngest Sowash, which means that if this band is going to be propelled to superstardom, we need either A) a full-force resurgence of '90's indie rock nostalgia, or B) forged Dominican birth certificates.



I hit the water cooler at The Union pretty hard, knowing that there's a 100% chance of inebriation tonight. After a half-dozen cups and the start of Machine Go Boom's set, I can switch to drink tickets. MGB slays again, and even drops a Devo cover on the Athens crowd ("Uncontrollable Urge"). Kyle is passing notes in Biology class by the end of the set.



We eschew the soft-side-of-Sowash songs tonight given our billmates and blast off the set with "The College Try." Somewhere along the line, somebody yells "Two minutes!" at me, and I respond with a high-brow Logan's Run joke. Jared from Times New Viking plops five shots on the stage – two for me and one each for Kyle, Chris and Dan. This is becoming the best birthday ever.



After we're finished, Times New Viking takes the stage to the delight of the Union patrons. I've personally been on the fence about TNV, but this show pushes me squarely into the "fan" column. It's nice to feel like I'm not too old to "get it."



Load-out is done and it's time to hit O'Betty's Red Hot. The Kyle Sowashes used to be a Burrito Buggy band, but one bite of a Dixie dog and we changed our tune. Dan buys me a Dixie (natural casing hot dog, cheddar cheese, chili sauce, onions, stadium mustard) and a Blaze (dog, cole slaw, strip of bacon), and we split an order of fresh garlic fries, cooked perfectly. I can now die happy, or at least sleep off my drinks in the van.





what a bill.


mmm-mmm!


times new viking @ the union, athens oh, apr 5, 2008



Sunday, April 6, 2008 @ CD101 – Independent Playground (Columbus, OH)




The Actors: Dan Bandman, Chris Deville, Justin Hemminger, Kyle Sowash






Tom Butler & Rudy G let us do a live set on their venerable Sunday night indie-rock show. Kyle and I shook off the jitters by hitting Bourbon St. for a couple beers at the Mock Orange/Miranda Sound show before we made our way to the station. My friend Erik was guesting on the Invisible Hits Hour when we showed up, and after Dan showed up with a 6'er, we sent Erik to procure more libations. We set up in the Big Room, in the shadow of thousands of bands that had signed the walls after visiting CD101. We went on at 11pm sharp and played "Free Ride," "Cutout Bin," and "Korea" off of Yeah Buddy, plus "The College Try" and "Closed Captioned For The Hearing Impaired." After we got done, we tagged the Big Room wall and finished off our Great Lakes sampler before packing up and returning to our regularly scheduled life programming.



the kyle sowashes, live on cd101, columbus, oh 4.6.08


this is what justin drew on the cd101 hall of fame. right by the violent femmes, i think.

part four coming soon!

Friday, March 28, 2008 @ Andyman’s Treehouse (Columbus, OH)


The Actors: Dan Bandman, Brian Freshour, Sean Gardner, Justin Hemminger, Lonn Schubert, Kyle Sowash


CD RELEASE SHOW! YEAH BUDDY!


When in the planning stages, we went back and forth on where to have this show, and one of the reasons we picked Andyman’s (besides it’s ridiculously high fun quotient) is because it was the smallest room we could find. We’ve got some very good Columbus fans and friends, but we don’t usually expect all of them to show up when we play. Andyman’s has always been a comfort zone, so if we only got 50 people out to the CD release show, it’d still feel like a victory.

I showed up at 9:30 and could barely find a parking place. This was going to be a special night.

Our good friends Heavy Mole and Miranda Sound got the show started and played fantastic sets to a very crowded tree room. It would have been a very different night if anyone else had played – both these bands are just such fantastic musicians and songwriters, and even better people. Thanks all y’all.

We went all out, breaking "Buddyhead rules" (now know as Yeah Buddyhead rules) left and right. Beards? Check. Matching shirts? You bet. Giant Yeah Buddy banner behind Dan’s head? Oh yeah. We also made and passed out oversized cutouts of Kyle’s face, which made for some funny-by-way-of-creepy moments looking out into the crowd and seeing 20 or 30 Kyles looking back at us.

We played pretty much everything off the new record and a couple of old favorites. The room was so full of people that the sound coming from our amps was getting muffled at the back of the room, and we had that shit *cranked*. Zac Dolby Fucker was standing right in front of my amp all night long, and I have no idea how his head didn’t explode. Toward the end of the set (first encore, maybe? – yeah, we did 2 encores, which is weird), Lonn hijacked the bass from Brian and we did our version of GBV’s "I Am A Tree" – how a propos?!?

Kyle has incessantly (and grammatically incorrectly) referred to this as "the funnest show" he’s ever played, and I think we all feel very similarly. The show was good, but what made it great and special was seeing so many people from disparate corners of the Columbus music scene coming together in support of Kyle and us. The best we can do is say "thanks," but it doesn’t seem to carry the weight of our true appreciation.



sweaty.

Saturday, March 29, 2008 @ Beachland Tavern (Cleveland, OH)


The Actors: Dan Bandman, Justin Hemminger, Lonn Schubert, Kyle Sowash


We (minus Lonn, plus Dan’s GF Carrie) left early from Columbus so we could stop in Akron for dinner at Luigi’s pizzeria.


FUN FACTS:

· -Luigi’s is the inspiration for Montoni’s Pizza in the formerly funny, now depressing comic strip, Funky Winkerbean.

· -Fans of the strip held a memorial service at Luigi’s for a character who died of cancer.

· -The writers of Funky Winkerbean still meet at Luigi’s every two weeks to discuss storylines.

· -You would be hard pressed to find any evidence of the above at Luigi’s.





Carrie and I each got Ravioli Florentine (tastes like fresh spinach!), Kyle got baked Rigatoni and a salad (that did *not* have a mound of cheese on top of it, which was a big mistake), and Dan got a pizza with pepperoni and sausage. The pizza here was so good, Dan was trying to make a point about something completely unrelated, took a bite and stopped talking, save for an awestruck "Oh my god…"

Bellies stuffed, we made our way to the Beachland. Our show was in the Tavern, but there was a CD release show for a local soul singer in the Ballroom next door, so parking was dicey. We were directed to park in a lot where one of Carrie’s friends had once been mugged. It was suggested to us that we lock the doors and hide anything that could be stolen, so Dan stashed the other half of his Luigi’s pizza, the only valuables left in the van.

The Unsparing Sea started the night off and were really impressive, very pleasant and well orchestrated folk-pop. Our set was pretty loose, at least from the string-y end of things. If you’re in a band and you want to play the Beachland, know this: the place sounds terrific, both on and off stage. Superior job by the sound guy, who was also tending bar and got a good tip from me.

There was a good crowd there all night, most of whom came to see Machine Go Boom. We all think they’re fantastic (and awesome people to boot), but damn, Kyle’s got a heavy man-crush on this band. When he talks about them he turns red and titters like a Japanese school girl. It’s cute. Anyway, they didn’t disappoint tonight – raw energy and hooks for weeks.

We knew Kyle was getting a little too tipsy to drive us back to Columbus, so we drew straws and Dan told me to drive us home.


Thursday, April 3, 2008 @ Acid Fever House (Dayton, OH)


The Actors: Dan Bandman, Chris Deville, Lonn Schubert, Kyle Sowash


Um, somebody else is gonna have to write this one because…

Our guitar player, Justin Hemminger has been keeping a journal of our experiences on the road. Here is the first installment for your reading pleasure:

Friday, March 21, 2008 @ Houseasaurus Co-Op (State College, PA)


The Actors: Dan Bandman, Chris Deville, Justin Hemminger, Kyle Sowash


If you follow the right directions while driving from Columbus to State College, you will come across THE GREATEST STRETCH OF ROAD EVER. I don’t remember where we were (heaven, possibly), but there were no fewer than ten (10) adult entertainment enterprises, including one strip club with a drive-thru. Yes, a drive-thru. God Bless America.


When in Pennsylvania, Yuengling Lager is the official beer of the Kyle Sowashes. After several trips to the Keystone State, we have learned that trying to buy beer as an adult in Pennsylvania is harder than trying to buy beer underage in Ohio. Fun facts:


1. You can buy no more than a 12-pack at a time from a bottle shop, because you cannot be trusted.

2. You can only buy cases from beer distributors, which - I am convinced - do not exist because they are never open.

3. You cannot buy beer from a liquor store, because liquor stores sell liquor, not beer. Duh.


Jordan O’Jordan greeted us upon our arrival at the Houseasaurus, a 2-house co-op housing 19 people. The dinner horn sounded shortly after we walked in and we were treated to French onion soup and rice pudding. As Sowashes will do, we started drinking our Yuenglings while striking up conversation with our gracious hosts.


The first band - made up of house residents - had no name, so we dubbed them both Houseband and Bandasaurus. After some reflection, I thought Band of Houses or Band of Sauruses would be funnier, especially for a young punk band. Unfortunately, by the time this witticism bubbled to my brain, I was too drunk to say it.


We started our set to a handful of kids, including one outspoken "heckler" who made a point of needling us over our capos. After the first song, we heard the less-than-thunderous applause of one person, which seemed a bad omen. Soldiering on regardless, kids slowly made their way down to the basement, and by the end of our set they were demanding an encore, shouting "O!-H! I!-O!" in tribute to our home.


Finished, sitting on the porch in the increasingly chilling night air, we made friends with the locals, including the lone heckler we had won over during our set (though he was adamant that we should become a cover band in order to "get paid"). The co-op let us crash there, and surely, one-by-one we made our way to slumberland. Chris and Dan claimed two giant velveteen beanbag chairs that Jordan referred to as "love sacks." Kyle brought his leaky inflatable mattress, and I was stuck with the love seat, as I often am.



take that, state college!


we’re so blurry.


the kyle sowashes love potato chips.


Saturday, March 22, 2008 @ The Red & The Black (Washington, DC)


The Actors: Dan Bandman, Chris Deville, Justin Hemminger, Kyle Sowash


Through the night, State College was blanketed with snow, so we awoke to our Chevy Venture caked with white powder. We had made plans to meet up with Grandma Sowash (No, not a euphemism - actually Kyle’s grandmother) for breakfast at the Waffle Shop, but the weather kept her from joining us. Dan was especially impressed with the food, most notably the four huge strips of bacon that came with his waffle.


If there is a potato chip heaven, it is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Utz’s, Gibble’s, Middleswarth, Hartley’s – there simply is no higher concentration of delectable junk food in America. We made a fuel stop at a Giant grocery store north of Harrisburg and brought home a bounty of potato chips and Tastykakes. You can keep your Pringles – we eat chips cooked in lard.


We made it a point to get to D.C. in time to see some sights. After finding a suitable parking garage downtown, we made our way down to the Hirshhorn Museum at the Smithsonian, which had a really fascinating cinema exhibit running. Fascinating for me, anyway – Dan was bummed that the American History Museum was closed for renovation. After soaking in some culture, we walked down to the Washington monument, made some sophomoric gestures and then ventured off to find food.


Fun fact: Pierre Charles L’Enfant, a Frenchman who fought for the American colonies in the Revolutionary War, was the principal city planner for Washington D.C. His original vision, in his words, was "to connect each part of the city…by making the real distance less from place to place, by giving to them a reciprocity of sight and by making them thus seemingly connected." Anyone who has ever gotten lost trying to navigate D.C. should blame Andrew Ellicott, who took over the city’s development after L’Enfant was dismissed for demolishing a city commissioner’s house because it was in conflict with his city plan…


The Red & The Black is a nice little New Orleans-themed bar in an especially sketchy part of the District’s northeast quadrant. Case in point: 20 seconds after getting out the van outside the club, we were offered the opportunities to buy sub-market-value cigarettes and a kid’s bike. The guys from The Jet Age were nice enough to help us load in and also let us borrow a kick drum pedal (Dan’s was damaged in transit, we think). Wussy arrived shortly after we did, and it was nice to see some familiar faces. They hadn’t had as much luck as we did in the Keystone State the previous night – Chuck told us their Pittsburgh show was pretty sloppy (which means it was still probably better than average).


Hometowners The Charm Offensive kicked off the show with a solid set of smart, smarmy pop songs. We were next, and I’ll be damned if we weren’t smarter and smarmier. The D.C. crowd treated us very well, which made for a really fun set. Wussy took the stage after us and owned it. Just a fantastic band – damn near perfect. The surprise of the night was The Jet Age: aside from being awesome dudes, they were loud as hell and heavenly talented. After hearing one guitar riff, Kyle told me he was quitting guitar forever. I was fixated on Pete, their drummer, for the entire set. If a man can flail precisely, that’s what he did - amazing to watch.


Chris was catching a flight back home for Easter in the morning, so the rest of us stayed with Jay, Kyle’s old roommate from Lubbock who now lives in Northern Virginia. We woke up way too late on Sunday, watched some sexily disgusting show on cable, grabbed a sandwich from a local eatery (I had a bowl of peanut soup that was sublime), and hit the long, winding road back to Columbus.


take that capitol!


wussy, live in washington, dc @ the red and the black, 3.22.08

Hey there.

So, The Kyle Sowashes now have a music video for a song off our first record called IN THE MAIL. It’s up on Youtube. Go here to watch.

Let us know what you think!!!

Also, we’ve got a new album that comes out this Tuesday. It’s called YEAH BUDDY, and we’re pretty happy with it. We hope you are happy with us. Tonight, we’re having a local release party in Columbus, OH tonight at Andyman’s Treehouse.

If you can’t make it to the show tonight, on Tues. April 1st, it will be available at the following places:

Used Kids Records
Lost Weekend Records
Magnolia Thunderpussy
www.wewantaction.com
www.kylesowash.com
www.amazon.com

If you would like to support your local record store even though they probably won’t have YEAH BUDDY in stock, PLEASE tell them to order it through SOUTHERN DISTRIBUTION.

....or if you’ve given up on physical cds, it will be available for digital downloads/ringtones (no shit....ringtones) at the following.......

Audio Lunchbox
Bell Mobility Full Track
eMusic
Groove Mobile
GroupieTunes
iTunes Music Store
Last.fm Radio
Mix and Burn
mTraks Download
Napster
Navio Download (gBox)
Pure Tracks
Rhapsody
Rogers Wireless
Ruckus Network
SecuryCast Download
Sprint
T-Online
Verizon

And, as always, you can buy them directly from us at our live shows!

Hope to see you at a rock show soon!

-KS