April 30-Taylorville IL-Playing a solo set and doing merch.
May 1-Kenosha WI-doing merch
May 2-Blackthorn, Joplin, mo-playing with cory branan and carter hulsey
May 14-finals
May 15-John Brown’s last show ever… really this time.
May 16-finals
May 22-Springfield, mo-the bootheel and cropdusters
May23-joplin-same as above.
May 24-pack
May 25-fly out of Tulsa to SF for two weeks.
June 8-return
Went to the Rescue in Kansas city. I’ll hit the high points via a list.
walking 3 miles in Tom’s shoes and knowing it’s not even 1/100th of the walk that most Africans have to take was a humbling experience. (the kid in front of me was a moron and held us up though)
We were rescued fairly early by Switchfoot. Switchfoot held very little cultural signifigance to me personally because I’m not really a Switchfoot fan. I was hoping for The Get Up Kids.
We got rained on pretty much all day… except for during the actual march through downtown KC.
There was some guy playing metal guitar on an acoustic and successfully made me hate him.
Tornado warnings forced us into a parking garage and that was worthless. Too many kids to be stuffed into a fucking parking garage.
visual stimulation:.
Best:
summertime 2 for 1 at KP
my birthday
Steve Wasson
Dave’s wedding
Margaret: the return
conversations about god
Fallout 3
Steve Wasson Scottland Kansas Christmas Party
BMX
Barack Obama
Uncle brian’s guitar
Atticus (he kinda sucked in 07)
Carter Hulsey’s songwriting
Instrumental music (Giants, Caspian, This Will Destroy You, Mogwai, Joy Wants Eternity, etc)
FLANNEL
New friends whom I look up to and respect.
movies: 7 pounds, Gran Torino, Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight, Iron Man,
Worst:
musically this year has sucked (- playing in austin. that = awesome)
By Hook or Crook
Carter Hulsey’s Hair
Girls
Birthday blackout impairing my memory of that evening.
limited fishing time.
the van shitting the bed.
not getting a motorcycle haha.
Carlin dying!
I’ll think of more.
Success? What makes a person successful in what they want to do? I may have written about this before but I keep coming back to it.
I see some of my friends and acquaintances dealing with their success in music and in art in different ways, Some days I see what they do and how they deal… and I dont want it. I dont want any of it if it’s going to make me that way. Please for the love of god if there ever comes a time when I experience the least little bit of success, don’t let it eat at me. Don’t let it make me hate myself and the people around me.
It seems like the main problem is that people expect some level of… something out of you. Expect your time or your love or your approval? I dunno. That’s not the part that scares me. The part that scares me is when you find yourself needing to meet those expectations or even exceed them to a fault. What and who is and are important in your life? When the answer becomes “everyone” you have to stop and ask yourself if it’s “everyone” or “everyone but me?” or even “everyone who expects things from me?”
regardless. I don’t expect anything. just keep that in mind friend.
I’ve been vehemently opposed to the band The Avett Brothers because a lot of my friends swear by them and what I had heard was so-so at best. I’m warming up though. In particular, this song makes me weak in the heart.
I especially like the part about asking his father which brother he loved best. As some of my 3 readers may or may not know I grew up sans a real father. I had men in and out of my life til I was 16 or so but never a bonded male who I felt comfortable around and had a real relationship with. So issues pertaining to fathers and sons etc etc really hit me pretty hard. This one included.
I have like 3 rolls of slide film to develop. puuuumped. I lost my charger for my D200 battery though so… no gusta. It’ll turn up I’m sure… that or I’ll have to buy a new one. c’est la vie.
I rode in a car with a “nobama” sticker on it today. I felt dirty. I like the guy whose car it is but we are on opposite ends of the political spectrum. I think we’ll get along famously as long as neither of us talks to the other one about politics.
listening -
The Avett Brothers – the Gleam II
The Weight – Ten Mile Grace
The Weakerthans – left and leaving
My son Atticus
At about 6am the boy above decided he was awake and wanted some food or to go pee or something… so I got up and went and opened the back door to the yard and said “come on, lets go outside.” about 12 times. He sat by the fridge poking his head out at me basically saying “no dad, I’m good here.” So I walked over to the sink and pulled down the food bag and started pouring he and I a glass of water. I looked down at him ahe he was looking at me… looking at me while he pissed all over the floor. He may as well have been smiling at me (he has an underbite so he probably was smiling actually.) I thought this photo of him sticking out his tongue was appropriate. Between him being a serial pee’er and the cat’s being anarchists, this house may fall to shambles any moment.
last night was one of the best shows my band has played in a year. top three for sure. The guys in the most beautiful losers got shitfaced and slept at the blackthorn for a few hours. I walked home, twisted my ankle and had stupid conversations on the phone til around 3am. I have an open beer on my nightstand that has no drinks taken from it… also a promising sign. It’s nights like last night that make me feel like these three years and all the proverbial miles we’ve put on this band are worth it. We’re coming into our own and I think this is the start of the good stuff. Most solid lineup we’ve ever had and the best groove between all the guys too. We’ll see where it takes us.
for now, how about some magnolia electric company?
I’m a big fan of this band. I used to be pretty disinterested but man… now I’m a fan to no end. I think it’s Songs:Ohia now but it’s the same damn thing.
what I’ve been listening to (no order):
magnolia electric co – Sojourner disks 1-3
Cap’n Jazz – Analphabetapolothology
Ryan adams – heartbreaker
playing with the losers tonight.
just nathan and me, Don’t wanna put too much stress on the new guy. Gotta make sure he’s 110% for the CB show. Start booking June dates in a couple weeks. Lawrence, Springfield and KC are in out immediate future. Maybe Fayetteville too. we’ll see.
things are good. my shoulder hurts for some reason but i’m great. show tonight will be fun.
Dave’s a ripper/shithead
Matt Wilhelm - all you need to know is this is hard and he's really good.
I’ve been sick the last couple days- generally hating life kind of sick, no fun. Other than that I’ve been faring pretty well. Eating better, trying to sleep more, pedaling around on the BMX. I gotta find some cheapo pegs so I can do some fun stuff. I miss my friends. Mitch, Pat, Adam and Jamie as well. I also miss little shitcan skateparks and steve wasson riding his bike drunk.
This bed’s so damn cold it burns to the touch.
I’m taking applications for a bedmate.
Someone to sleep beside on nights that it’s cold.
must love dogs and not scare the bejesus out of me.
must be talkative in a mildly absurd fashion.
apply within.
