::TUES 10.23::
okay! here we go.
Aimee and I are sitting in a coffee shop in Bozeman.
We unloaded our stuff at The Filling Station.
I'm opening for State Radio.
They have already pre-sold 100 tix, so should be a great night!
Bozeman is a very good looking college town.
We're lucky, cause it was about 70 degrees today, so no weather - beautiful drive across Idaho and Montana.
pics to come as soon as I upload them and deal.

::THURS OCT25::
I'm sitting at Staisu's in Minneapolis.

Played for like 200 people before State Radio in bozeman. great night!
Then drove and slept then drove and drove to Fargo.
Really fun night with April, Mike, Rob & co.
Here's the journey so far:




::FRI OCT26 MINNEAPOLIS::



more great fall weather. great music last night.
tonight. playing a stage in the middle of the lanes at a rock and roll bowling alley with more great bands.
good times with Spike and Josh of Nomia last night/today.

::MINNEAPOLIS/MADISON::
great fun with Nomia. memory lanes rulz. madison was cuh-razzzzy. halloween party weekend in full effect there. (more on this later, I would like to elaborate) **however - the people at Nottingham were awesome! And I haven't gotten around to posting it, yet, but we were treated to the *very interesting* sounds of Kinit Her at the show. See below. Nottingham is sort of an old castle, so the ballroom is the performance space. yep. very cool.


nov5 okay, it's later...I wanted to write a big rant, but now that I've simmered down since seeing the halloween college partying, I will just say this. Ladies. PLEASE HAVE MORE RESPECT FOR YOURSELVES. Your purpose on this earth is not to be a slutty, drunk date rape victim for wasted dudes. I blame our advertising and Paris Hilton and the Pussycat Dolls and such. Please aspire to think higher than that crap. You can be sexy and sexual and attractive without being slutty and acting clueless. Better to set a positive example for your peers and little sisters and best friends and brothers and fathers and employers and boyfriends. No one will respect us if we don't respect ourselves. yeah! [end rant]



::CHICAGO, LANSING, AKRON::
Chicago - Court from Aid accompanied me on drums. fun night with Joey, Court & co. Lansing was an interesting place. Didn't end up playing there...but! met some great people, stayed at John's with Casper & the Cookies. AWESOME night in Akron playing with Unwed Sailor, Sparrows adn Arrows and Lions from Ohio. Thanks Musica, Dawn, Bojan, Six Parts Seven & co. And especially Brooks who made me laugh harder than anyone has in a long, long time.



::NIAGRA FALLS/SYRACUSE::
on our way to Vermont today!




::NEW YORK:PHILLY::
We stopped in upstate NY to stay with my good friends Kana and Paul for a few days. Rest. Sleep. Home cooked food.
Their son, Grant, is a little prodigy.

Then headed to NYC, which seems dirtier, stinkier and meaner everytime I hit it up. I think my big city days are behind me forever. It's obstacle course driving there the entire time.

I have lots of great friends there, though, so had a good night. Was lucky to have Brian Wolff on the bill who does this with his tuba. What a bad ass.



We crashed at my friend Ian's in Brooklyn. Got some tasty breakfast (the one nyc trait that inarguablely beats out everywhere else - good fucking food: 24/7 and millions of choices). Aimee and I were soooo glad to pull into Philadelphia this evening - relief. Nice to park right in front, be greeted by a friendly M Room employee and see the place is great looking lounge. Ahhhhh. We made it through NYC alive. Can't wait to play the show tonight. (pic on right is bridge into Philly)


:::D.C.:::
We got a flat on the way to DC. I so called AAA. haha.
then : ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
back in normal touring territory.
Great night at Quarry Tavern in D.C.
I hope sweetie pie Nick keeps that place pumping and turns it into D.C.'s new hot indie venue.
They were great to us and have good food, about 874 beers on tap, a well stocked jukebox AND good sound. bingo!
We stayed at Aimee's cousin Eddie's and had time to go see some memorials today in the city.


It truly brought tears to my eyes to read the Gettysburg address on the wall of the Lincoln Memorial. How can that be literally carved in stone right there across from the White House, yet our government's ideals and priorities have strayed so far from its message? You can't get more anti-American than being pro-corporation/big business and controlling the exposed media (watch out! FCC is currently trying to conglomerate media outlets even more b/f end of year aka b/f election year) and passing laws to curb the rights of people based on their sexual preference, economic status or skin color. wtf? Someone needs to walk the current white house on over to the memorial and read the wall to them:


"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. " ABRAHAM LINCOLN (November 1863)


:::BALTIMORE BALTIMORE BALTIMORE:::
Last Night was (so far): BEST sound BEST crowd TIGHTEST bill:
RAILS TO RUSSIA, THE HEAVYCOATS, JASON DOVE & THE MAGIC WHIPS

thanks everyone.


:::RICHMOND & GREENSBORO:::
two art galleries. a welcome break from da clubs.
Cold Toast and Ilad in Richmond were both aural pleasures.
And John's ADA Gallery was a wonderful place to play. Thanks, John!

OKAY. SO STOP THE PRESSES.
Look look look what I've found in the small town of Greensboro, NC.
MOROSE GHOST
Jesse and John put on the best performace I have ever been lucky enough to share a bill with. EVER. Blew me away. I'm wrangling them to the northwest for some touring in the spring. holy shit. really. please friend them and stay tuned....

I was so mesmerized the whole show, this is just a random chunk I managed to get recorded


:::CHATTANOOGA/EVANSVILLE:::
terrific! tuesday and wednesday. very nice turn outs and music folks.
thanks so much everyone. I'm so glad we got to come to your towns.
The last week of shows have been wonderful.
Jesse & John - see you in the spring.
I can't freakin wait to hear your music live again.
Aaron, Caveat Emperor, John/JJ's Bohemia, Zach & Randy, 600 Stanley, Chris @ Boney Junes, Dizzy Hollow and everyone who was with us those nights - great to meet you all.
Here's a couple pics. Boney Junes. Driving through St. Louis.
And I'm convinced Cracker Barrel has a plan for world domination.
Those things are EVERYWHERE. We finally made it to one for breakfast with Zach.




:::OMAHA:TULSA:DALLAS:::
We had a fun few days in Omaha. Played a show friday, went to a Creighton game with my cousin Karyn and her friend Julie Saturday evening. Saw the grandparents (92 & 94 y/o!!) and stayed at my aunt Kath's.
Played Tulsa on Sunday, then came down to Texas through Kansas (sunset picture). Austin in Tulsa has the largest known musical cowbell. The video is part of the song "fingernails." I was in a jamming mood that night and was making up new lyrics and songs and stuff as I went.
Playing in Dallas tonight. Nice litte write up in the critics pick in the Dallas weekly THE OBSERVER. Looking forward to tonight's bill.


hahahaha Aimee's face in that one is hilarious.



:::THANKSGIVING:::
I figured I wouldn't even be getting online today, but here I am. I usually don't mentiont places/nights that are subpar - cause ya know - you move on and have a good show the next night or whatever.
but THE CAVERN in Dallas deserves special recognition here.
I want to apologize sincerely to everyone who came to see me and spent money there last night. The cocky little incompetent sound guy was a joke. They have always had an electrical problem there that makes any electronic equipment buzz. He came up with a different excuse for each band why it was their equipment causing the problem (hey douche - listen to that video up there - that's 3 nights ago at a bar that didn't even have a sound guy. That's what plugged in music through a monitor system is supposed to sound like, FYI.)
It was a great bill (BEAUXREGARD and PET HOSPITAL!!) and I hope we can do it again at a decent venue in Denton another time.


Here's the thing - I'm on tour. I spent months setting up shows and trying to get together good bands at good venues. FOR THE MUSIC. All I want to do is put on good performances that the audience can enjoy. That's the whole purpose.
Get it?
Just be a bar if you don't give a shit about the music, dear venue.
It's a waste of both of our time.
Oh wait - riiiiiiight......
You need the musicians to lure their fans and friends out to buy your booze.
But then the bar isn't part of the income to pay out for the night...huh.
Other places on this tour with the same policy, for musicians to avoid:
THE DELANCEY in NYC and THE M ROOM in Philadelphia.
Both have very nice bookers and maybe it's cause the rent is high and life is so difficult in the big city, but these are the only places on the whole tour who gave us nothing as touring musicians- no food, no gas money. Even though there was a good amount of people at both shows. Blech!

That's what's so great about touring for this amount of time, though...for every crappy show or place, there are several awesome nights to balance it out.
thank goodness.

On to the turkey.
yay! i think.
stephanie

p.s. It was great to see so many old friends last night, thank you all for coming.

::AUSTIN:IRAAN::
yep. Iraan. population: 1200. We were planning on driving to Ft Stockton tonight on the way to El Paso, but the SNOW! the DARK! the potential ICE! No, let's get back to the snow. It was looking like WARP SPEED STARS in front of the car and kept coming and the tires sounded funny when we hit "water" (ice?!) on the edge and it was extra dark, so we stopped in Iraan for the night. On to El Paso tomorrow.

MOMO's in Austin entered into the top venues of the tour for sound. Thanks James and the killer MOMO's sound system. What a nice venue. nice recovery from D-town. Played with some very nice folks. I guess Patrice was on the Rockstar show, which I wasn't aware of. But, cool! We stayed with my cousin Andy who graciously greeted us at 3am and took us for food at Kerbey Lane.
Also, here's some pictures from the Dallas show that DID sound like it should - me and my dad playing some songs in his backyard. (I'll get over you: THE CAVERN, soon. I'm almost there.)

p.s. This photo journal has primarily been photographed by Aimee. Feel free to send her a message about how much her pics/documentation rule. :)

::EL PASO:snowy driving::
We had to get through a fun storm to get to El Paso, but it was so worth it to play with Ralpheene again!!


now on to Josh & Maypop & co. in Phoenix. hooray!

::ARIZONA:CALIFORNIA::
Good night at TRUNK SPACE. Maypop - you guys sound soooooo good. So cool that I found you on my first SW tour and we stayed friends. I'd like to play together more in the future - maybe a mini SW tour next year sometime?
Most beautiful Sunsets of tour winner: Arizona!
Stayed with my buddy Laz last night & again tonight in San Diego, who conveniently lives right up the street from The Beauty Bar.
Now that the end is in sight - I'm really looking forward to heading back home.
The last two shows with 8mm are the perfect way to finish up the tour.
Chill, good music with lots of old friends in attendance. ahhhhhhh.



:::SAN DIEGO:::
Fab night last night. Good venue, good bands, good crowd. Thanks San Diego!
Now we have to drive to Los Angeles in the rain. Which will be lots of fun.<br>Last show tonight. With 8mm again. Yippee.






:::the end:::
what a tour.
It was so great to see all my old friends/fellow studio movie worker survivors in L.A.
Whit and I stopped in Chico to hang with Aubrey on the way home and had one of the most fun nights of the tour (natch). Hung out at the U. Bar with a million people and then went back to Aubrey and hottie Marc's (sigh) place for some all night hukkah and music.


The weather was god awful the whole way home from Chico, but we made it safely.
Now I will love on you all winter, Portland.
It is soooooo good to see you.

I want to extend a special thanks to Aimee who went on the adventure with me as co-driver, merch girl, roadie assist, etc. There were some challenges I could not have gotten through without her! And it is so nice to have someone along to share the touring experience who enjoys it as much as I do.
(I have been 100% lucky with this on all my tours...so far)

To all the new friends and bands and venues and press and radio from the tour who helped promote and rocked and hung out with us:
THANK YOU.

see you next spring.
stephanie