hey all, this is Fran. I havnt done the blog thing much so I thought I'd spew a bit here, since perhaps there is actually something to talk about. yes yes!

so we just recently got home from being on a mini tour for a little while. Just a few shows out of town which allowed us to take our beloved van where she loves to be the most--the open road. It was good to get out again. It was a time full of peaks and valley's so to speak. I mean this both literally and metaphorically, as there were times on the road where the shows were either spectacular or no so much, as well as our van literally driving down in valleys and up on mountains (the Blue Ridge of Western North Carolina are rather majestic in a "rolling hill" sort of way, I must say...do visit if you can.)
But regardless, it was good to get out since we truly feel we are at our best as Quick Step John in foreign territory. It's the "stranger-factor" that we seem to thrive on. I digress...

We started things out playing Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, "closing" for .38 Special. For the kiddies, .38 Special is a band with a slew of hits in the 70s and 80s. They have been at it for 30 years. I know this, since they shared this vital knowledge before segueing into one of their tunes on stage. And, I say "closing" for .38 Special, because I will not take the liberty to say they OPENED for us...we played after them. We "closed." moving on...

It was a great show, filled with energy thanks to a giant stage that allowed us to use it, and a Brazillian gaggle of people who probably enjoyed our show more than anyone else we've ever met. So, perhaps we shall book a tour in Brazil. I can think of several reasons to do this, and I shall leave that one open for your imagination.

After a champagne check out, it was back home for a quick respite before heading south to North (and South) Carolina. Things went to plan down there. Good times, good people..HOT weather. 107 degrees at 4 pm in Charlotte...but oddly, less humid than here in Philly. odd.
We met up with some cool bands from Boston, and partied with them a bit. Good fellas. Better accents. Great times. We found out that Greg enjoys Spiked Cranberry Juice. It's good to find out things about your mates on the road. Also, Craig really DOES like to read, Ed doesnt like to sleep much but never ceases to be on his game, and Dave enjoys, well, everything.

Wrapping things up in Bethlehem for Musikfest was the icing on a great week of playing. This is the first time I have ever truly experienced Musikfest. I say this, because I do not count the "hazy" time I was there in College. In fact, I do not count many experiences I had in college do to their "hazy" nature....but again, I digress...

Musikfest was great. We played to thousands of people in the street, and made a lot of new friends. We cant wait to get back there next year...

...and thus concluded a tour of lots of driving, much more of great times, and the sounds of dying giraffes of which I shall never forget. Nor would I want to, because it was a sound, as horrific as it may be, that will remind me of the fun we had that week. (If you would like to know about the sound of the dying giraffe, please see our drummer Dave at any show. Do not be shy, as we will not be shy ourselves to show you.)

...and then there was Radiohead. Radiohead.
This is my favorite band, and if any of you know me, you probably already know this. And if you dont, you may hear this love pop up on occasion on the album, and in my irreverence to my guitars at a live show. Some hate them, but to me, Radiohead serves as the epitome of a band PLAYING their instruments. They work them out every show, massaging them, then beating them down...squeezing and crushing wood, metal, brass and diodes to make just about any sound they can out of them. they dont kiss their guitars...they make them cry and squeal. Buzz. cry some more, then bend them out of tune and back in. The beautiful music that ensues, after such torture, is almost miraculous.

I am not a critic. I do write, and I do love music...so perhaps I can act as one now. Just this once. But this was a great show. Not because they kicked into all their hits with fervor--in fact, they played the entire new album and a sparse collection of older songs, and one could easily tell that they MUCH preferred playing In Rainbows rather then The Bends, or even Kid A. The new tunes were polished, pristine, unlike their usual style of sloppy goodness live. The Bends, the title track off that album, was slow and had an Adam Duritz-like style to it as Thom Yorke sung it with an almost reckless abandon; changing vocal arrangements on the fly...singing off measure. It still ruled. It was The Bends.
National Anthem jumped a few BPM's to sour it into an even more reckless live fashion. It too, ruled. and despite having 2 pianos on stage, Thom Yorke played the tremolo'd Rhodes part of Planet Telex with a tremolo pedal--amazing. Unrehearsed sounding, and absolutely mind bending. par for the course...

Did Zeppelin consistently sound good live? rarely so Im told...but was it ever bad? I doubt it.

The point? Inspiration. Perfect timing too, as we in Quick Step John are moving back into "Making Music Mode" soon. I personally will carry this concert in my mental slideshow as we move into this. I hope for some "precise imprecision," some irreverance...some rough edges. The Highest Lo-Fi you can imagine. There are Logic files being pushed over the net as we speak...each and every one of us to add our own DNA to the Potion...our own drop of salt, or sweat, a tear, or IRREVERANCE.

So this tour, concert, phase, or what have you is passed. New tours, phases, concert, and music will be made, completed, executed, and passed as well. Do stay in tune with us, as we will share almost every moment with you.
Thanks for reading this dribble.

...back to reality...

Fran

So tomorrow we begin our journey in our 'Red Dragon' van. If you have ever wondered what it's like to be in a van in a band here's my little take on it......

Like any trip the preparation begins with making sure you have the right music. Fortunately the iPod has made my life so much easier. The hardest part of packing for me used to be choosing the selection of CDs I would be taking. How does one predict ones mood when you are far from home? Fortunately the iPod has that covered but I always check to make sure everything is updated.

Next, you guessed it.... salty snacks. One must always be prepared for that moment when hunger strikes and you need a salty snack. For some reason Beef Jerky is a favorite amongst QSJ. I guess because of it's salty nature and it's ability to keep in any climate. Dave once bought $15 beef jerky on the road. When he asked why it was so expensive the guy behind the counter responded, "cause it's smoke and cured." Dave thought that was a suitable answer and chowed down on his 'premium' jerky only to find out later that he bought $5 jerky. I guess the moral of this story is be leery of overpriced jerky on the road or you can get taken for a chump (not that Dave is a chump he craved a salty snack and I would've paid $20 in his situation, supply and demand). Be prepared for your salty urges is all I'm saying.

Anyways, wardrobe is weird to talk about so I won't. If you have seen us before live you know we wear really unseasonably hot garb. Too bad our clothes don't keep like our salty companion beef jerky. Maybe we need to smoke and cure our stage gear. Who knows?

When on the road we all have all our little jobs. Ed is our maintenance guy. He keeps the Dragon purring and some have remarked when he is driving he is one with the Dragon. Dave on the other hand could make a sailor sea sick when he's driving. However when stopping for gas he keeps the windshield ship shape. Fran's job is to keep us amused with his endless supply of great stories and antics. Craig acts as our mother and cleans up after everyone keeping the van proper. There is a saying that goes, "A clean van is a happy band." ( Not really but sometimes we say it). My job is to tell history and lesser known facts about music that keeps everyone awake when necessary. I also am in charge of our velvet curtains in the van that were 'custom' made for QSJ.

So if you have ever tried to get a group of friends together you know its a difficult task due to everyones varying schedule, jobs etc. Playing in a band is no different. The biggest headache can just be getting everyone someplace at the same time. Our friend Sarah Goodman once remarked getting us together was like "herding cats." That's a great description. We even have assigned numbers to call out when we get in the van like a school field trip. My point of all this is when we get in the van everyone immediately snaps into a great mood. There is nothing like it.

To summarize what could be better than being in a vehicle with your best friends playing music that you are really proud of and enjoy playing.

So my advice to you is before the summer ends grab some smoked and cured beef jerky, your iPod, a vest or two, your four best friends, a conversion van and go on a road trip. You'll be glad you did. Maybe you can come see us play as a destination somewhere between Connecticut and North Carolina.

Stay Frosty,
Greg
xoxoxo

So as you can see by our recent profile pic we've been busy getting ready for our string of shows coming up. Next Saturday we are heading up to Connecticut to play the Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun. We are playing two hours so we are learning some new covers and playing everything off the album and EP. We're looking forward to the Wolf Den and seeing .38 Special as they are playing right before us on the same stage. OK, we're looking forward to gambling as well and whatever trouble I'm sure we will be getting ourselves into.

Recently, it has been a real exciting time for us. We've been hitting the road since the album came out last October and have played at least nine states up and down the East Coast in our van. We've drank too many beers, paid too much for gas and tolls, and made lots of friends . As we approach the Fall we feel we are moving into a new phase of the band. We've got some ideas for videos and we are already starting to get together some new tunes. It's hard to describe but there is a general feeling of optimism and excitement about things to come. We've also not been getting much sleep.......

OK. now for the fun stuff :
-Ed got his hair cut
-Dave has been working on his softball skills as well as his golf game.
-Fran got a new amp with tones that would make you think someone is massaging your earhole (if that's possible)
-Craig has taken apart and put together his guitar rig probably about 1000 times
-Ed has three less keys on his keyboard since the WCL show
-I got an endorsement from Ashdown but they shipped me a broken amp
-We still heart Sonic (mmmm....... breakfast burritos)
- Dave and Ed both enjoy plaid shorts and Hurricane 40s
- Craig got his hard drive working again and found at least 15 new songs he forgot about
-I am walking almost normal again after tearing my achilles tendon last April
- 'QSJ Dropping'- a term to describe when a band (Quick Step John) manages to leave a piece of gear or possession at every venue they play
- making backing tracks and burritos can be very productive at many levels
-Dave got a new snare drum that sounds like someone kissed your earhole ( I think that's possible)


Anyways, that's pretty much it for now. We hope to see you before Summer ends somewhere out there. Now you know why were tired...........


Warm Wishes,
Greg

It's always amazing how a trend can be epidemic and you don't even realize it.......

Recently I have noticed the Tabla has been creeping up on all my favorite new releases.

The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in the classical, popular and religious music of the Indian subcontinent and in Hindustani classical music ( a chipotle pepper is a smoked jalepeano pepper).

Anyways, the new releases I've heard tabla on are the new Alanis Morissette, Death Cab For Cutie, and Coldplay albums. So if you want be a hot session player better start getting your tabla chops up!

So you heard it here first! Put down your Pomegranate Green Tea (an anti-oxidant powerhouse) and go get your tabla on!

Oh and we are playing this weekend too (sorry Dave does not own a tabla ...... yet) !


Hugs and Kisses,
Greg

As you know we have been hitting the road this past year and in August we will be putting the most miles ever on the 'Red Dragon'. God bless her.

We are wondering if we can get some people to help us out in each city we are playing to help hand out fliers, CD promos and put up posters.

In return we will reward you with a t-Shirt, signed CD, and a ticket to the show that you helped promote in your city.

It's gonna be rough traveling because of gas prices so we really want to make our visit to each city really count!

Are you interested or know somebody who likes FREE stuff?

Contact us and we'll get a package to you ASAP!

-QSJ

QUICK STEP JOHN ANNOUNCES EAST COAST TOUR
IN SUPPORT OF DEBUT ALBUM
"THE MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES OF LAST WEEK AND NEXT YEAR"


Philadelphia, PA (July 14, 2008) Even as the gas prices skyrocket, rock band Quick Step John will be hitting the road in the beginning of August in support of their album "The Multiple Personalities Of Last Week And Next Year" and to let fans in other parts of the country have a chance to see them live.

The first single "One By One" was featured on NBC's ER, it also has received regional radio spins as well as in rotation on AOL Radio. Eric Chase of WAEB (B104) in Allentown, PA says "QSJ hit's the bullseye when it comes to putting all aspects of great pop/rock songs together. Sonically and lyrically it falls right in place with the hits we play on B104!"

The tour kicks off Aug 2nd at The Wolf Den at The Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT and ends with Musikfest in Betlehem, PA on Aug 10th (see full list of dates below).

Quick Step John's songs are melodic with catchy songwriting, honest and accessible lyrics and an energetic and unforgettable live experience. They take classic themes like life, loss and love and twist them just enough to make them unique and creative. Their songwriting style has been compared to the Counting Crows and Ben Folds, combined with the biographical lyrics of Dashboard Confessional and Jimmy Eat World, mixed with the guitars and pianos from U2 and Coldplay.


Date Market Venue
Aug 2 (Sat) Uncasville, CT Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun Casino

Aug 6 (Wed) Charlotte, NC The Evening Muse

Aug 7 (Thur) Arden, NC Graffiti Music Hall

Aug 9 (Sat) Fredericksburg, VA Colonial Tavern

Aug 10 (Sun) Bethlehem, PA Musikfest

So if you missed the show on Saturday night you're in luck because Ed Roper wrote a great review and the icing on the cake is he took some phenomenal pictures as well to capture the evening.

Here's the the link:

http://popwreckoning.com/2008/07/15/quick-step-john-world-cafe-live-philadelphia-6-12-08/


Goto our pics section to view the photos.

See you at Steel City!

-QSJ

...try following us on Twitter.

Twitter is this cool networking site that lets you update what you are doing on the fly. Follow QSJ at:

CLICK HERE TO SEE US ON TWITTER


its FREE, and we'll be updating it all the time (several times a day probably :)

follow us on tour at Twitter!

who knows what we'll get into!

Thanks to all those that came out and supported us and hopefully had a good time! It really meant a lot to us............

Special thanks to No Second Troy and Spoons for Adam who in the words of the great late Wesley Willis rocked so hard "it whipped a polar bear's ass."

We posted pics of friends and gratuitous rock shots of QSJ for your enjoyment. If you have some pics of your own we would love to see them too.

Stay tuned for more good news this week and some new blogs.......


Love,
Greg and QSJ

Be Prepared for some good news we have to announce soon.............