Some pics from z's camera

Southern Force: Ménage à trois

Last night was real cheesy. We played a cool show at The Elbo Room in Columbia, SC. We played with our friend Ryan's 2 bands Pilgrim and Lulo. We spent much time in the green room downstairs stocked with Budweiser. After we played our show, we went back downstairs and there were 3 huge Reggae men smoking blunts drinking our comp beer. Zach talked basketball with them and the upstairs bartender gave us free shots. They liked us! Then we were escorted to another bar called The Whig which was basically just a carpeted basement where we drank for free and were eventually pawned off onto a nice girl who let us stay at her house. Oh lord. Zach and Chris smoked more cheesy that night "than (we) have consecutively in the past two years", and slept in the same bed for the 4th night in a row. Guapo molested Marcus, and left his hairy trail all over the van. This morning we escaped alive, ate some cool sex food at a diner, and drove for 6 hours or something- partially through the snow covered mountains- the first white we've seen this Christmas!

We're all getting pretty cracked out. Tour is a dream. Every new city we enter blurs the memory of the last and in the end it will all be a big pile of stories and scraps of paper and beer cans. It's cool to get drunk for free every night. It's cool to be in a vulnerable situation every night wondering where you're going to sleep- begging audience members through a microphone. WHY does everybody have WEIRD pets? We've also been talking in various accents a lot.

Seriously though, Zach and Chris are in love with each other. They've purchased a few more items for their matching wardrobes. They hold hands in the shower.. you know.






Mmmmm

Some pics

Day 10, 11, 12

Saturday we woke up and got in the van and drove ALL DAY. Most of us ate subway at like 10am. Sleeping in the van, whatever. We finally got to Gainesville, FL and played at a pretty cool venue called The Atlantic. I got sick, so I slept in the van. I thought I was gonna get kidnapped by the crazed florida college hoodlums goin wild on the strip. We slept at Eric and Stephanie's (of Morningbell) house. They had some really cool pets and shit. They gave us bagels then we drove Sunday morning to Savannah, GA where we played at SCAD's (Savannah College of Art and Design) student radio station. Some of you listened. If anyone cares- I think the recording and strange interview is on their website (scadradio.org). Then we went to The Sentient Bean where we set up, ate some sweet hummus plate, drank a LOT of coffee out of this HUGE coffee cup, and played a caffeinated, non-alcoholic, sunday night show. It was pretty fun though, we made a couple friends, met up with Ryann and Jack from Carby, went out to some weird bar called MacDonald's, ate some weird giant pizza slices freshly baked by a real live Juggalo, and then drank beer at Ryann & Jack's WARM house. I'm a freak.

Now it's Monday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECKY! Marcus is reading his new novel (Kite Runner), Zach is doing our laundry and playing in the park, Chris is looking for JOSIE!!!! HELP FIND THAT GIRL. MEDIUM SIZED CHOCOLATE LAB CALL 618 525 1685!!! David is drinking a beer and kickin' ass, and Mary is writing this sexy blog. My current thoughts: need to charge phone. want to take shower. can't wait til bloomington. marcus and david and mary are HUNGRY. SUPER pumped about clean clothes- david's on his last pair of clean socks. Mary and zach have been doing laundry in bathtubs. it's not a true clean though. "it's only like 70% clean" -David Allen.

So, we will drive to Columbia, SC pretty soon. See you in limbo.

Mary Gertrude

p.s. I'm the only girl here. (except for marcus and chris).

Day 9

We just played a house show in Baton Rouge and it was totally fun. Thanks to everyone. There are a bunch of photos from the last few days that will be uploaded soon. We have to get up early and drive the 9+ hours to Gainesville tomorrow to do some Canadian radio thingy and then play at the Atlantic. Party on, we need sleep. Talk soon!

Domino

Before we left New Orleans we stopped at Domino Sound and holy shit it was awesome. We had to wait in the van for an hour for it to open but it was worth it. Zach and I (David) freaked out and got some sweet records.



Now we are in Baton Rouge and are listening to them and it rules. We also finally got to listen to the Follow That Bird! record we got.

Day 7&8

After 7 shows straight, we've had the past two days off before we play 10 (possibly 11..) more shows straight. We've stayed in this swank hotel, la belle maison, in downtown New Orleans for the past two days courtesy of my grandpa (thank you!!) and we've have been relaxing hard. We explored New Orleans pretty well, and now we are hanging out with Sarah Jackson in Baton Rouge, drinking lots of coffee and watching Batman Returns. Pretty okay.




We drank too many margaritas at Juan's Flying Burrito..

Visited the St. Louis Cathedral..

And found lots of cool old stuff..

Most notably this portrait of Zach that we thought had been lost, but is actually residing in a GLBT bookstore just outside the French Quarter. Lookin good dude.

Day 6

Played at Circle Bar with some cool dudes, hung out with Lady Capricorn, lots of new friends and old friends, too many free pbr.







You can find me in the tub with a bottle full a bub..

Day 5

Okay okay okay. We've been partyin' instead of bloggin', wouldn't you? We played in Lafayette and to be honest we were expecting a let down (monday night, no local band, etc..) but shit got WILD. Thanks to Katie, Mitchell, Steve, Rat Cat Double Parakeet, the oil rig guy, and the Tennessee Williams girls for treating us right. Lafayette is cool. Also thanks to Jared who let us stay in his beautiful house and probably shouldn't have. He was awesome, and his mystery roommate may be a robot.

Then we drove through the swamps where it seems like everyone (but us of course) was totally drunk, and finally made it to New Orleans. We have all been practicing our Southern accents, and Zach has been coaching us.






Oh yeah, Marcus and I (David) went swimming. Outside. And it ruled.

Tour Date Updates

Three new dates added.. we will now be playing at Kara's Sound House (1150 Park Bvld.) in Baton Rouge LA on Friday the 8th, at the Elbo Room in Columbia SC on Monday the 11th, and at Scotty's in Murfreesboro TN on Thurs the 14th. The shows have been going really well so far, thanks to everyone who has helped us out! We're off to Lafayette to eat some crawdads.

Messin' With Texas

Things got a little wild after the two shows.. Zach and Chris were messin' with Texas and Marcus had his first Falafel.



That's a gyro though, the falafel came later.

Day 4

Austin! We played two shows in Austin last night and it was rad. The first one was a Trailer Space records, it was a cool place and really fun show. Hung out with JJ and Lew and a guy from Alton IL and met lots of nice people.


We played with Follow That Bird! and they were awesome.


They are short so it is hard to see..


We also played with Magic Jewels who had a badass van.



Then we played at Hole In The Wall with Mary's cousin's band, Puff Puff and the Receivers. It was a lot of fun too, hung out with family and some new friends.

Day 3

We're in Texas and it rules. It smells like fire and it sounds like we're in outer space. Drinkin' Lone Star n shit. We played at Rubber Gloves in Denton last night and it was fun, cool venue and lots of nice people.

Then we tried to drive to Austin after the show, but I had caught some intense stomach virus and we had to stop after about 45 min, and I puked in the lobby of a comfort inn. 36 fucked up hours later I am finally feeling like a human again, and cannot wait to eat something.

Yay Texas!

-David

Day 1&2: Hot Springs

Hot Springs fucking rules. Seriously. Sooooo cool! Played at Maxine's, which turned out to be one of the nicest venues with the nicest/coolest staff we've ever played at. They gave us two free pizzas and some sweet beer, both of which we enjoyed in the VIP room while sipping bottles of free Mountain Valley Spring Water behind a velvet rope, safe from the presence of the "little people."

The owners, Kevin and Agnes, stood by the edge of the stage during both our and Bandit Sound's sets and was way into both of us. Kevin collects vinyl from touring bands that play Maxine's and puts them in a crate he plans to give his three year old son when he turns 12. So, little Konrad will be listening to "belle" in 2019... hope he likes it.

Also...

Hung out with Bill aka Billy Spunk of the Blue Meanies and slept on his floor, held our hands in the scalding hot spring water and learned the history of Hot Springs at an old bathhouse that's been converted into a museum.

All said and done one of the coolest little cities we've ever played.