Last tour blog of the winter.

Well, I have absolutely no idea where to start. Exactly a week from this morning we were on our way to drop off Algernon Cadwallader at an airport just outside of Seattle. The big bye bye. This morning I'm sitting at the corner of 1st and Market in San Francisco writing this on the back of a coupon waiting for work to begin. It's taken a while get things rolling on the final chapter of our tour blog since getting back home and it's mostly do to my not wanting to acknowledge that tour really is over. After solidifying relationships with three awesome dudes through 2 weeks of playing raging shows up the coast every night and waking up every morning free of almost all responsibility we were forced to say good bye with no certain plans in the future to meet up again. Bummer, I guess.

LOOKIN LIKE A BUNCH OF FUCKING SNOWBOARDERS

This January awarded me the greatest winter vacation I've ever had and no amount of bullshit that I experience at work, no debt collectors or exorbitant overdraft fees, not even my broken teeth or any of the stupid relationships I'm sure to engage in come spring, nothing, can ever take these memories away from me. And I guess that's what being in a band is really all about for me. Making lifelong friends and rocking out in the process. Collecting good times and building a shelter to dream in when life is shit.

TOTAL ROCKERS

PORTLAND: DAY ONE

Anyway... The last time I posted to the blog was right after tripping on a bunch of mushrooms in Weed, California. That was the day before driving up to Portland for a radio show with Chelsea at KPSU and a lot has happened and been forgotten since then. Anyway... the KPSU thing consisted of us mostly playing music and not knowing what to say in between songs. Algernon did pretty much the same thing, but Peter said more funny stuff than me between songs. There was not a single slice of pizza at the studio(LAME), but a bunch of strange kids came to hang out and watch us look old which was cool. Chelsea let Joe and I play a song from our other band Weed Hotel. Jackson, from Yi said that our song was extremely disorianting and didn't make any sense. The full set of us and Algernon on the radio plus the Weed Hotel single are going to be put out on a split tape available sometime in the future when I can get my shit togetehr.

Weirdos + Algernon

After the show we got to hang out with some of our favorite people who currently live in the northwest. It's true that every single time we stay at their house on tour, something breaks and the place smells funny when we leave, but they never complain about it and always invite us back. Pizza and drinks. Arcade and Pinball. More drinks. More drinks.

BEST PICTURE I COULD FIND

Walked into a shitty hipster/yuppie bar because I was drunk and dillusional enough to think that it was going to be awesome and we were going to make a bunch of friends. I was wrong and that place was weird in a bad way. Caught the end of a friend's show somewhere else. Danced with strangers. Awesome. Brum got kicked out for I don't know what, but the bouncer was wearing a sailors outfit on and I'm glad he didn't beat me up when I made fun of him for being tough. Back at the house we had a van party in the driveway and pissed off some of the neighbors even though we weren't even really being that loud. Weak. Blah blah blah. Slipped in the mud, couldn't find my headphones, fell asleep to pinnocio and Jacob complaining about how drunk everyone else was.

BLAH BLAH BLAH

PORTLAND: DAY TWO

In the morning I took my first shower of the tour before meeting up with my friend Chrissy for breakfast.

Afterwards, we rode her tandem bicycle to the bluffs and then to Mississippi Records where everyone

else was already thinking about spending money they didn't have. Picked up some awesome tapes including And Justice For All

and Mama Said Know You Out. Drank too much coffee and more blah blahs. Tour was ruling

and everyone was excited about having some time to hang out without a long drive waiting for us at

the end of the day.

MORE PIZZA BEFORE MORE PIZZA

Our show at the Aristery ruled. The people who live their rule. I have crushes on most of them. I would hang out with them on a regular basis if we didn't live 700 miles apart. Epic food fight after the show ruled. Hitting people trying to buy merch with pastries? Multiple times? Too good. Blah blah blah. Cory did an amazing job setting us up this show and I couldn't be happier to have a friend like him in Portland. Actually, everyone that we've formed friendships with in Portland rule and I hope they all know how much their support is appreciated.

It took a while to collect ourselves once the show was over, but after the longest food fight ever with the folks that live there and some extra awesome shit talking we finally got to packing up our stuff. Cool. Dropped off the van at our base for the night and walked to a bar where Chrissy was working. I don't remember how many drinks we actually paid for, but I know we all drank a lot. And I know there was quite a few broken glasses and a lot of public urinating and some bro wanted to fight me, but I don't remember why and did we really bring the flag into the fucking bar? I think I was supposed to go hang out with this total babe, but Al accidentally peed on me in front of her and I think that killed the mood. Maybe? Peter definitely did... go home with someone. I think this entry is making us sound like assholes. Oops. Can we stay at your house?

NOT MY BAND

DONT PISS ON THE FLAG DUDE

OLYMPIA: DAY WHATEVER

The next morning all that I wanted to do was get some rest and a good breakfast before taking off for Olympia. Ended up getting up earlier than I thought, but it was for the best and I spent a good part of the morning catching up with my personal journal before going to breakfast. Also tried to read the news, but after just a week and a half of being disconnected I had already began to feel like out of touch while sifting through the headlines.

WE AREN'T THIS BORING IN REAL LIFE

OLYMPIA: DAY WHATEVER

The next morning all that I wanted to do was get some rest and a good breakfast before taking off for Olympia. Ended up getting up earlier than I thought, but it was for the best and I spent a good part of the morning catching up with my personal journal before going to breakfast. I also tried to read the news, but after just a week and a half of not paying attention I was already already feeling severely disconnected while sifting through the headlines.

SEE LOOK ALMOST A HUMAN PYRAMID

Joe and Tank got up fairly early to get breakfast(which ended up just being a bar that serves food) and we misplaced them until we had to leave at the show around 4. It was raining when we got there. The drive to Olympia was interesting. At one of the gas station stops Joe was feeling sick and after walking into to find the bathroom with puke in his beard, all eyes were on him and off me, buying enough time to walk out the door with a case of beer unnoticed.

About an hour outside of Olympia I got a call from the guy putting on our show. He wanted to let me know that the show was still on and that it should be an awesome time, but also that a tree had fallen on the house and. Whatever. By the way, not that it really should matter or anything, but the guy who I was talking to on the phone: Kevin Bacon's son. TRUTH. I'd heard the rumors as far back as 2007 and even have a Choose Your Poison record that he'd put out on Bacon Towne Records, but I wasn't sure if it was a real thing. Well. It is. The offspring of the dude from quicksilver is a punk or whatever. And he did a great job with the show.

SOME SHIT HUH?

The lineup...

Algernon Cadwallader, RVIVR, Big Kids, Foreign Objects, Pink Nightmare, and Outlook.

You've got to be fucking kidding me right? One of the most amazing house shows I've ever been a part of or even just been to for that matter. Everyone who lives at The Swamp House that I met was awesome and I can't thank them enough for helping make this happen and putting up with the overwhelming amount of people that showed up. Thanks!

I was't able to catch too many pictures because I was too busy having a good time and the lens kept fogging up, but here's a few...

HELLA MOIST HELLA AWESOME

(and just cuz... lately I've been getting bummed on people trying way too hard to crowd surf or whatever. Please don't try and do that shit if you're not as light as a beach ball and please don't kick people while they're being forced to hold you up and please be as good at it as Al is)

OUTLOOK IS REAL GOOD

DIDN'T GET CLOSE ENOUGH FOR RVIVR, FOREIGN OBJECTS OR PINK NIGHTMARE FOR PICS, BUT I DID RECORD THEM WITH THIS DUDE

WHO CARES

After the show: Van got stuck in the mud. Old friends had a reunion. A ton of people from the show were at the diner we went to. Insane downpour that lasted all of 60 seconds at the most. Lots of Seahawks jerseys.

SPACESHIP FOOD

SEATTLE: LAST SHOW WITH ALGERNON

Morning was a short drive. Arrived in Seattle before the afternoon was over. Drove by the venue, but didn't stick around. Went to the park and took pictures that tourist like to take. Ran laps around the big fountain near the space needle. Thought about food. Mini band fight. Shoplifted a disposable camera from the waaaaaaaaaaay overpriced sound museum. Did stuff with it.

THE FIGHT

LOOKING TOURIST COOL

ROCKER GUY

I GUESS THINGS ARE GOING TO WORK OUT

Chris was feeling like shit, so he went back to the van and passed out. I felt pretty bad for him since it was our last day to trip around with our east coast buddies, but I think at this point in the tour almost everyone had been sick at one point or another and it was bound to hit Chris at some point.

We took the van back to a friend's house and lounged.

LOOKS LIKE SOME AMERICAN APPAREL SHIT TO ME

PETE MADE UP SONGS ON A 5ISH STRING GUITAR

IT WAS KIND OF SAD

We also ate pizza, failed at charades, Joe, Al, and I went on a journey, Tank and I smoked in the rain, shared moments of premature nostalgia, got ready to leave for the show really late.

By the time we got to the show people were already showed up, which I guess is never a bad thing. Our contacts at The Black Lodge, Jeff and Kieth, are legit as fuck and had done a bunch of work to the place since the last time that I played there. A small stage now was set up on the wall alongside the windows and I think some extra space was added. Cool. Once again all the bands were awesome. Pink Nightmare got added last second and played first. Livingston Seagull and Jason Clackley were next. By the time we were getting ready to set up, party time had gone into overdrive and Chris had started feeling better.

TIGHT

DISPOSABLE TIGHT

BAND PHOTO

WUTEVER

JASON CLACKLEY WRITES JAMZ

BEER IN YOUR ASS

Show was over. Jeff got Joe and I high. Awesome trip. That night we this happened. No, seriously. We're commandos.

This is examining what "happened" the night before before heading to the airport.

We said good bye, shit was sad.

Joe, Peter, and Tank are amazing dudes.

Hopefully round two happens this Summer with them, 1994!, and Snowing.

We'll see.

PLEASE READ THE TOP OF THIS BLOG FOR EMO STUFF ABOUT SAYING GOODBYE OR WHATEVER.

PS> new songs are on the internet.

fuck you, I'm on drugs

January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th January 12th

Burritos for breakfast. Slow morning, slow rain for a couple hours north. Coldest weather since last winter, added the inner layer to my jacket for the first time this year. Lots of horses, cows, abandoned ranches with sunken rafters and decomposing roofs. Several snack stops between short stories that turned into tougher reading than usual through the winding road to Mt Shasta. No headaches, made the reservation for the motel over the phone. Ready to get weird. Waited around for everything to start working. Dusk was the beginning.

really really comfortable

total babe

ALMOST THERE

uh huh

definitely working

First stop after we checked in was the local grocery store for supplies. Ran part of the way, skipped the other. More beer, lots of different colored fruits, film, and water. Adventure plans panned out for everyone except for Joe and I. I was convinced that I was coming down as everyone walked out the door and I just wanted to lay on the bed upside down with the back of my legs pointing straight in the air. Joe got out of the shower and wanted to make music so we started a band. I'm not sure how we got away with being so loud and obnoxious without anyone calling the police, but we did and we even finished recording a whole song. If you listened to our radio show the other day on KPSU Portland then you heard it. If not, you'll have to wait until the tour tape comes out.

babe flag

fuck you I'm on drugs

Another successful day of tour even we didn't play a show. A lot of really weird shit happened later on in the night, but I don't know how everyone feels about their parts in it so until they give me some kind of consent, I'l just leave it as hey we had a good fucking time in Weed, Ca acting like a bunch of bros, eating drugs and pooring beer in each others asses. High class party time. And I'm really glad that we were pretty much the only people around when all of this happened.

Winter Tour w/Algernon Step 2.... The Bay blah blah blah

Back home and still on tour is always a weird place to be. Drove straight from Joe's house in Venice to Al's house in Oakland. I think, but I'm not sure because almost a week has gone by now. Arrived at Cloud City in SF sometime in the early evening and loaded our shit right away so as not to waste any hang time. Adam and Clark were setting shit up. Blah blah blah. The inside of their warehouse looks like a scene from Jumanji. If you're on drugs. A bunch of folks came out to the show and we all partied really hard. Playing all ages shows where the crowd in attendance actually is all ages (as in I don't feel old because everyone in the room is 10 years younger than me) rules. More shit happened and then we drove home. I think Koalacaust and Summer Blondes both killed it. Here's a photo of us blah blah blah.

Saturday morning a bunch of folks went to The Hive and cooked breakfast. Comatose persisted until the show at Gilman. Summer Blondes played again, as well as Yi and Sourpatch. Everyone brought serious jammage, but due to a seriously sleepy crowd the show was pretty tame, especially compared to the day before's rager. I didn't really care because I was getting sick and Joe was already in full on sick faced zombie mode. Fun regardless. That night we tried to sneak into playing some house party in Oakland but opted out after casing the place and realizing that if we brought in our equipment there was a good chance that one of the sketchy bros there was probably going to rob us. Passed a group of weirdo 98 style flat bill backpack obviously still live with their parents hip hopper dudes flowing about the streets and looking quasi-tough. Went to another party and hung out for a while. No pizza, but there was tacos.

Sunday morning. I don't remember much of it. I was supposed to screen some shirts. Didn't do it. Maximum hangovers and a day trip to Twin Peaks where we took more group pictures and harassed the other tourists.

Show in Santa Cruz was outdoors. Everyone was really fucking cold. It was good. End of story. Gave hugs to Koalacaust. Everybody stayed in Santa Cruz except for Al and I because we had to go to work on Monday. Biggest bummer of the tour. I think we both got sent home early so... Blah blah blah. Got to San Jose sometime in the late afternoon and the show RULED. The folks who live at Texas Toast in San Jose are one of my favorite groups of people that are active in the punk community and I couldn't have been happier with the way our show worked out. Maybe it's cliche to say this, but that was the most awesome sweaty packed garage show we've had in a long time and reminded me of why I do this in the first place. I was having so much fun shot gunning beers and dancing in the fog that I forget to grab my guitar when we left. Whatever. The folks at the house are holding onto it for me. Algernon slamdunked the shit out of that place.

The next morning we all lagged really hard. Thought about screening those shirts again. Thought about paying the bills. Turned on the shower, but our water heater wasn't working, so I just sat around in my dirty underwear half ready for a shower. Picked up dudes and took off for the show in Santa Rosa. We were late. Missed happy hour at the russian river brewery. The show space was looking high class as fuck. I played on the internet attempting to start some work on the blog but didn't get very far. The New Trust was the only other band on the show besides us and Algernon so music didn't start until a little after nine. 5 minutes before we were supposed to go was when I realized that I didn't have my guitar with me. Didn't do any drugs, didn't have anything to drink. Burned out early. Sara and Josh were nice enough to hook me up with a bunch of meds and apples. The next morning we didn't have a show, but we did have a whole day to lose our minds north on the 5. I was happy to be away from work and away from this guy especially.

The day started out easy. Tacos for breakfast. Rolling hills and no rain. The drive from the bay area to Portland is my favorite on the west coast and I was excited to share it with the east coast folks. Our destination was Weed, Ca where we were planning on getting a cabin or cheap motel for the night. A couple hours from our destination things got really weird. I'll post something about that really soon. Here's some more pictures.

Winter Tour w/Algernon step 1... So Cal

Seriously?

DAMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN Coming down from this is going to be hard. We drove up from LA yesterday morning and played SF Last night. It was awesome, but before I get to tackling last night's monster I'm going to try and start from the beginning. Tuesday morning began at 5:45 am with Jacob picking me up from my house. We grabbed the merch from Al's house and headed for Brum's place. The trip south felt short. We didn't break down. Gas was just as expensive as it usually is. I didn't spend that much money at truck

stops. The Grape Vine wasn't closed because all the snow from the previous couple days was already cleaned off the roads. We were in San Diego ready to start partying with the Algernon dudes by mid-afternoon.

For the first section of the tour, Al was unable to get the time off of work so Tank from Algernon offered to fill in. Unfortunately, we'd never practiced with him before and had a show just a couple hours away. Being the fucking champ that Tank is, he learned enough of our songs in just an hour and a half to play a full set later on in the night.

The locals on the show that night were Joyce Manor and Koalacaust. If you've never heard of them, do yourself and go find their music on the internet. In the next couple months we'll be putting out a couple split 7"s and those are the bands that we're doing them with. Anywayyyy..... The show at the Che was extremely successful and definitely a good way to start off the tour. Later on in the night, Joe and I got extremely wasted while everyone else got burritos. Fell asleep to Happy Gilmore with all of my clothes on. Fuck Adam Sandler except for that movie.

In the morning Peter, Brum, and I went to get coffee. I almost got a life changing 5 dollar buzzcut. Peter robbed a grapefruit tree. Brum ate a muffin. We started talking about surfing and

then it really happened. Joe's friend EJ is some kind of ultra cool surfer dude that owns a bunch of boards and wetsuits. We cruised to the coast blasting the Beach Boys with the windows rolled down. If the van was a convertible the top would've been down. Judging by the looks we received in the parking lot upon our arrival, I don't think it's an overstatement to say that we looked like a bunch of kooks to all the locals.

Too bad we're actually a bunch of professionals fucking shredders. Towards the end of our session Brum and I caught a huge 40 foot tuber and high fived each other while hanging ten mash potato style all the way to the shore. Needless to say, I can't think of a better way to have spent a winter day.

As the day and night rolled on, shit only kept getting better. Big thanks to Christina, Marty, and Tim at the Warehouse in Chino for putting on one of the best shows I've ever been to, let alone been a part of. A couple hundred people showed up and it seemed like the majority of the people at the show were singing along with pretty much every band. Summer Vacation reminded me of why I fell in love with Superchunk in the first place. Algernon Cadwallader had the whole crowd dancing and hanging from whatever they could get their hands on. At one point some kid

almost pulled a huge light fixture from the roof of the warehouse down onto the crowd. Luckily someone stopped him. After the show we got food somewhere and went back to party with the Koalacaust dudes. There was an awesome dog. We were all drunk. Brum brought part of a palm tree in the living room. We almost broke a bunch of antiques. I got allergies. Sleep.

The morning only got better. I went for a jog on Venice Beach and some guy on roller blades sang a song for me. Joe bought his cd. Took a shower. There was a bbq and bunch of folks from the night before came to hang out again. Joe's dog Shadow, Rules. I'm running late now, so this blog is going to have to start moving a little bit faster. We drove to a show in Garden Grove at a house where an incredible amount of people showed up. This guy Dez did an amazing job making everything run smoothly. Our last night with Joyce Manor and Summer Vacation. Two of the best bands in Southern California right now.

Finally got to see Tiny Lungs play again. First real pizza party of the tour thanks to Omar and Paulo and some other dude that also ruled. A dog named Knuckles. I did a bunch of interviews for my soon to be disaster of a tour documentary. I'm like a baseball dad in heat when I get a video camera in my hands. Someone stole Joe's beer during the middle of Algernon Cadwallader's set. I was naked behind his amp and I swear I wasn't the culprit. We saved Koalacaust from the police at a del taco at 3 in the morning. I passed out on the ground and some bros almost jumped me for filming them pissing on each other. Lilly was singing with Tank on the banjo. Blah. Much love to all of the people in the picture below. And thanks to Jacob(far left) for photo bombing the guy that tried to photo bomb our obligatory hardcore dudes after the show photo. Get the Joyce Manor full length before they get famous and please talk shit when they do. <3

Photo Bombing the Photo Bomber