Hello -
Our tour is over and it went very well.. better than we expected. Touring around SXSW is always tricky and is usually a losing proposition; every band from the northeast is playing the same areas around the same times and there are only so many shows locals will attend on a weekly basis. We had a good stroke of luck and most of our shows went well.
SXSW was great. Got a great response at the Alternative Press party, where we had an inexplicably prime slot. After our set, we loaded up and drove across town to Monkey Wrench Books, where we played a raging "unofficial" show with the thunderous Coliseum. Before our show, I randomly caught the Marked Men play next door at Sound on Sound Records and ran into some old friends. There's something to be said for watching one of your favorite bands absolutely kill in a parking lot on a sunny warm day while you are loading up on beer in the middle of the street. Thanks Austin. You rule.
On our drive from Houston to St Louis (13.5 hours.. gotta love trying to tour the US efficiently) I was stopped by a cop in northeast Texas for doing "62 in a 45". The cop saw our NY plates, pulled all of us out of the van, searched each of us, called for backup (an ex-DEA agent and a K9 unit) and searched our van. Under the front passenger seat, the officer found white powder. You could practically see the boner forming in his tight polyester khakis. Sadly for him, we are not the rock n roll party he anticipated and the powder, which was tested three times, turned out to be a crushed multi-vitamin.
After 45 minutes, we were free to go with a warning. All that bullshit and they didn't even give me a ticket. I almost wanted one at that point. The moral of the story is that it still pays to be a white American with a college degree, even if you're traveling with a punk rock band. It's a fine nation we live in and I feel safe knowing that law enforcement officials are protecting us from the evils of things like potential cocaine residue and touring bands.
In other news, look for us in a shitload of music press this month; Alternative Press, Outburn and Decibel are all running features on us in their current issues. My awkward mug is also on the cover of the current issue of Under The Volcano. Look for a lengthy interview inside as well.
Might as well plug some other shit too: the latest issue of Verbicide features a short piece on us as well as a feature I wrote on Bad Brains bassist Daryl Jennifer.
Busy busy.
Be well,
B
Our tour is over and it went very well.. better than we expected. Touring around SXSW is always tricky and is usually a losing proposition; every band from the northeast is playing the same areas around the same times and there are only so many shows locals will attend on a weekly basis. We had a good stroke of luck and most of our shows went well.
SXSW was great. Got a great response at the Alternative Press party, where we had an inexplicably prime slot. After our set, we loaded up and drove across town to Monkey Wrench Books, where we played a raging "unofficial" show with the thunderous Coliseum. Before our show, I randomly caught the Marked Men play next door at Sound on Sound Records and ran into some old friends. There's something to be said for watching one of your favorite bands absolutely kill in a parking lot on a sunny warm day while you are loading up on beer in the middle of the street. Thanks Austin. You rule.
On our drive from Houston to St Louis (13.5 hours.. gotta love trying to tour the US efficiently) I was stopped by a cop in northeast Texas for doing "62 in a 45". The cop saw our NY plates, pulled all of us out of the van, searched each of us, called for backup (an ex-DEA agent and a K9 unit) and searched our van. Under the front passenger seat, the officer found white powder. You could practically see the boner forming in his tight polyester khakis. Sadly for him, we are not the rock n roll party he anticipated and the powder, which was tested three times, turned out to be a crushed multi-vitamin.
After 45 minutes, we were free to go with a warning. All that bullshit and they didn't even give me a ticket. I almost wanted one at that point. The moral of the story is that it still pays to be a white American with a college degree, even if you're traveling with a punk rock band. It's a fine nation we live in and I feel safe knowing that law enforcement officials are protecting us from the evils of things like potential cocaine residue and touring bands.
In other news, look for us in a shitload of music press this month; Alternative Press, Outburn and Decibel are all running features on us in their current issues. My awkward mug is also on the cover of the current issue of Under The Volcano. Look for a lengthy interview inside as well.
Might as well plug some other shit too: the latest issue of Verbicide features a short piece on us as well as a feature I wrote on Bad Brains bassist Daryl Jennifer.
Busy busy.
Be well,
B
I reviewed Risk Revival in last month's Tsunami Magazine, a free mag over here in Queensland - If you'd like a copy of said review I'll gladly send it your way. And yes, it's a good review.