Thank you to all the people we stayed with, played with, or were otherwise helped by on tour:
Mike and the Victory Smokes – we played a rad show together at the Palace Lounge in Missoula, Mt., and were kindly taken in by mr. Mike Victory Smokes at his apartment. A special thank you to Mike's roommates, who were kind enough to let us sleep on their floor and even turned off a movie early so we could crash out after our first long drive. The Victory Smokes are awesome and you should check them out at www.myspace.com/victorysmokes for songs and tour dates. Also, thanks to the guy at that breakfast place who gave us a discount and told us "nice show last night".
Chris' mom in Rapid City, South Dakota – thank you for letting us stay with you. Your dog was adorable, and you had frozen pizzas ready for us. We quoted from "Are You Being Served" for the rest of tour – "turns out he was AC and I was DC!" – thank you so much.
The guy in the hotel lobby in Minneapolis – you sold me a cup o' noodles at one o'clock in the morning and directed me towards a 3-prong jack for my laptop. You were a particularly courteous and attentive late-night hotel employee, and I thank you for your politeness and hospitality. I really needed to use the internet that night, and you were more than happy to let me hang out in your lobby until 4 in the morning. Thank you.
Caroline in Minneapolis – you put us up for the night, having never met us before, as a favor to an internet friend thousands of miles away. What can we say? Thanks doesn't even begin to cover it. You stayed up very late at night to let us in, and pointed us towards local cafes for breakfast in the morning. I wish I could have talked to you more about the books you write, but we were on a tight schedule and had to leave right away. Thank you very, very much; yours was a particularly kind karmic act of hospitality, and fate more than owes you sweetness for it.
Keenan's mom in Chicago – you took us to pizza, let us invade your house for days on end, bought us beer, stocked the fridge, and came out to our show in the city – I even got to watch an amazing lighting storm from your porch. Jan, thank you very, very much for letting us stay with you again this summer, for giving me a ride to the train station, and for everything else. Thank you.
Toledo Kids – Kyle – you let us invade your house for days and days, during an incredibly busy weekend wherein you ran the Toledo Indie-Popfest. James – you stayed up incredibly late to let us in after we drove from Chicago. Kirstie – you let me sleep on your couch and leave my crap in your room for an entire weekend. Grace – you drove me and Keenan all over the place in your car, and showed us the Victorian houses in the Old West End. It was totally awesome.
Everyone from Toledo: we love hanging out with you, love you all very much, and it is a total pleasure to know you. The Hat Company – your set outside a the Toledo Indie-Popfest was one of the very best live performances I saw all summer. I love your band and listen to you guys all the time, and so it was really great to get to see the songs performed so well. I danced, I sang, I was in ecstasy for 25 minutes. Awesome. James and Kyle again - we really great time playing your fest and spending time in Toledo with you. Thank you for everything you've done for us and for all you're doing to build a pop scene for the kids in Toledo. Your band is awesome – go listen to them at www.myspace.com/thehatco. Also, thank you for having such a freaking adorable kitten around the house to entertain us endlessly. We have lots of pictures of her, and Chris is still playing that kitten meow recording on his cell phone. Next time we should set off more tanks. We *heart* Toledo, Ohio.
The Afternoon Naps kids and other Clevelanders– you made Cleveland very special for us this time around. Tom - you showed the rest of the band around Cleveland for the day and came to our show; thank you so very much for everything. Leia - you let us crash at your apartment, showed us Ben Folds Five and Pee-Wee's Playhouse videos, and introduced us to Mr. Frank Sinatra, a big ol' tom cat who was easily one of the best tour kitties this summer. You even gave me a haircut, which has turned out to be one of the very best I've ever received. Even my mom likes it! Also, you invited us to use any and all of the plethora of Aveda products in your bathroom. Now that's what I call hospitality. Your band is great, and we must play a show together soon – www.myspace.com/theafternoonnaps. Eric – you had us on your radio show, let us choose a half an hour worth of songs to play, and said nice things to us. Thank you for having us, and for running a great indie-pop radio show – http://boogiepopwcsb.blogspot.com
Upstate New York – Ray's family friends in Trumansburg, thank you for taking us in sight unseen, letting us stay at your house, and putting out breakfast stuff for us to eat. You live in a beautiful part of the country that I'd never seen before, and so thank you so much for being there for us on our way east. Little touches of home mean so much.
Nadav and other Bostonians – you let us all stay at your apartment and came to our show. I know that you and chris knew each other already, but I had never met you before, so thank you for being so gracious to all of us. Betsy Boston – you came to our show and took some pictures to send back to the TIGs in Seattle. You had to run, so I never got a chance to say "thanks". Guy at the "Convenient Store" down the block – you had the thickest Boston accent I have ever heard, and you made my first visit to Boston somehow more *authentic* or something.
NYC – Tami - I can't thank you enough for letting Chris and I stay at your gorgeous loft apartment in Brooklyn. I truly enjoyed meeting you and the chats we had on your amazing rooftop were all very nice moments for me. Your cat, "Henwy", was quite a loveable fellow, and if I were him, I'd like sitting on Courtney's luggage all day too. Courtney – you took us into the East Village that first night, and humored me as I wowed around the city, smiling a moony grin. You also gave me a hideously wonderful white spiked wrist bracelet. Hanging out with you is always awesome, and it made New York that much more special for me – AND you brought my forgotten headphones down to Athens for me! Thanks! Travis – I'm sure Ray and Keenan have already thanked you profusely for putting them up at your apartment in Brooklyn, but I'll thank you again for being nice to our band and giving ½ of us a place to stay in New York. Also, thank you for having a functioning air mattress, and for de-complicating sleeping arrangements split between two locales. Thank you. Emily – thanks for "being there" with me. The Cabbie from Ghana – you shouldn't have told me you knew your way around Brooklyn, and you shouldn't have kicked me out of your cab on Bushwick Avenue at 2 o'clock in the morning. I shouldn't have paid you $30, but I was scared that you would kill me if I didn't. I don't thank you for your poor directional skills and increasingly intimidating demeanor, but I do thank you for giving me a memorable story to tell. Bartender at the place near Tami's – you gave me free beer because you were from Seattle. Yes, the Henry Art Gallery is awesome. Thanks.
Neal in Philadelphia – your apartment is awesome, your band is awesome, and you are awesome. Your apartment was so big, I had my own room for the night. You even showed us to a nearby Wa-Wa in the morning before we left, and hung out with us before you had to go to work. Thank you a thousand times over for everything. www.myspace.com/scarymonsterphilly
Athens – there are about a million people to thank. Jason and Kay – you put us up for the first night, let us stay with at Jason's parents' place subsequent nights, and even made time for us to rehearse in your garage. Jason, you proved a more-than-worthy adversary in Andy Partridge geekery. Your band, Casper and the Cookies, played my personal favorite set of Athens Popfest. Kay, you are a rad bass player and a very nice person to know. I really enjoyed getting to know both of you better this summer. Thank you for everything. Ryan – you let me stay at your house, even though you had to work, play a show, finish recording, and plan a move all at the same time. You tickled my feet in the morning and told me about "the birds and the birds". Russian Spy Camera's cover of "Personal Jesus" was even more brilliant when taken in context of our theological discussion the night before. You scolded me like a nervous father when I came home late, and teased me about "the ladies". You are most certainly a good soul and a great friend, and your band kicks ass. Thank you. www.myspace.com/russianspycamera - see them on tour this fall, check the site for dates. Pierre - thank you for buying me dinner and giving me your candid advice. I can't wait for you to hear my next batch of songs. Mike – thousands of billions of things to thank you for, not the least of which being the fact that you put Chris up at your house for the week. You bust my balls quite like no one else. Thank you for putting up with us and letting us play your festival, and for the kind words you said to me after our set. It means a lot.
Huntsville, Alabama – if I grew up in Huntsville, I would freaking live at the Flying Monkey Arts. Thank you all for doing what you do for your community, and for letting us play at your space. Also, thank you to the maintenance staff of the Econolodge, from whom I nicked a "do not disturb" sign. Special thanks to Werner Von Braun and "space camp".
Mario and Bunnygrunt in St. Louis – you guys threw us a show, and Mario, you put us up for multiple nights in your house. Without you, dear Mario, I would have never discovered the awe-inducing wonder that is "Dudes Magazine". Please, check this BITCH shit out at www.myspace.com/dudesmagazine. Thanks so much, I really love St. Louis and it's been a highlight of both of our tours so far. Also, again, Bunnygrunt are awesome and have been forever, and you should listen to them at www.myspace.com/therealbunnygrunt .
Mike and Gi-Gi in Dallas – the English language lacks the superlatives necessary to properly thank you for your hospitality and kindness. Staying with you feels like staying at home, if home were a 5-star resort with complementary meals and booze. Thank you for sharing your extremely rare imported rum with us, thank you for taking us out to a succession of amazing dinners, and thank you for being an oasis of comfort on tour. Chris is lucky to have you as parents, and we're lucky to have you as friends. Your backyard is one of my very favorite places in the world!
Ryan and Jennifer in Austin – thank you for setting us up a show in Austin, and for putting up with not only us, but with all 11 members of Red Pony Clock for a night. Ryan, you're awesome, and I'm glad that I got to see you perform multiple times this summer. We're proud to be on the same label as you. RPC, y'all are adorable and hilarious in equal measure, and we look forward to hanging out with you again soon. www.myspace.com/ryananderson - www.myspace.com/redponyclock
Chris in Denver – thanks for putting us up for a short night in Denver. I'm truly bummed that I didn't get to see you play this summer, and I look forward to seeing your set again as soon as possible. Thank you for all your hospitality both times we've been to Denver on tour. www.indiepages.com/loveletterband
Tish et al in Boise – you left the backdoor open for us, gave us your entire basement, had coffee ready for us in the morning, and your bookshelf was stocked. Thank you for the awesome conversation and the warmness with which you received us in Boise. Though we were all itching to get home, yours was as comfortable as any I've been in. Thank you again, and it was wonderful meeting you.
I'm sure I've left people out, and I sincerely apologize for that. Though I've overused the phrase "thank you" during the course of this post, I'm going to shuck my aesthetic impulse and employ those words yet one more time – to everyone who was nice to us this summer on tour, friends and family alike, bands we know well and bands we'd just met, folks we stayed with last summer and folks we met on the doorstep, and everyone else in-between… Patience Please would like to say, "thank you very much".
And thanks again.
-jordan and PP