planes, trains and automobiles

feel a flame, fuel a fire. be a spark.

2010-01-25T13:53:00.000-08:00

i am packing for new zealand, which is particularly hard when i keep buying records and listening to them.
i will spend more time in the next 4 weeks traveling to the international date line than traveling home. i will truly be going "back to the future."
i usually spend days before a long trip, making sure all my gadgets and cameras are clean, the batterys are fresh and the memory cards are optimized and formatted.

i had my favorite breakfast this morning consisting of waffles cooked in a toaster, covered in peanut butter, butter and warm maple syrup. that got me off to a good start i think.

i will be gone for a week, and won't be able to be reached, i will miss you.
in the mean time.

feel a flame, fuel a fire. be a spark.

you look as if you are going somewhere.

2010-01-21T11:35:00.000-08:00

well....i know i said i would put more into this blog, but i haven't. i have no excuse. i think i basically lost a sense of value to it. then i was thinking, not everything you do has to have a value, just do it because you want to...

i have had a very busy month off of work, i leave in a few days to start up for the year again, and its going to be pretty intense. in the span of 3 months i will fly over 100, 000 miles and visit some where around 15 countries, land on 4 continents all while working.

i am super glad to get to go to 4 continents, i looked into hitting the poles and apparently its more expensive than you would think. a short jaunt from new zealand will still set you back $4,000 or so.

those trips will have to be put on hold, i hope to get to all 7 before i kick the bucket.
not sure what else to say, but....be careful out there everyone.

sky eats airplane

2009-11-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

thanks to some ingenuity and technology, i can look at the internet on a flight.
the tour ended last night, and i was super glad.
it was one of the best tours i have done mentally, and professionally. not to mention the guys are the best.

think ill go home for a few days and just eat some good food and relax before the next job, which starts in 4 days.

Alone, together

2009-11-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

Being wrapped so tightly in blankets and steel, it's easy to feel fenced off, fenced in.
You become delusional about your own singularity.
You begin to believe you are the only person on this island of asphault and space.
You feel the resonance of small let downs so much more powerfully. The days pass and when a friend you need to see dosnt show up, it feels pretty rough. It feels rough because you have a small window in that city, and if you waste it, it's gone.

Sometimes you only get one night...
And the morning feels lightyears away....

But then you send out a text to a friend who is on a tour,god knows where, and they are feeling the same.

There you are, alone, all of you.
There are people I'm so afraid of never seeing again...I don't like that list being as long as it feels lately.

We are all just waiting...together, alone.
-- Post From My iPhone

days off, and everything in between...

2009-10-25T22:45:00.001-07:00

last week i had 2 days off in new york city. i got to see some dear friends and went to the MOMA.

in my lifetime i have seen 9 countries, 50 states, the mona lisa, the sistine chapel, some original bible translations on parchment. i have seen a lot.
this blog was originally going to be all about those sorts of things. i have found in the difference that life is never about things, but time.

time to see what i have seen is a rare luxury. even for those who do what i do.
i have seen sir kelvins rose garden, but i have also seen just as many beggars and subway cars.

as this year draws to a close i find myself wanting for less and less and just happy to have been on this spinning mass of rock for as long as i have.

i am more thankful for those that see me and let me see them.

next year i shall see even more of this wondrous place we all live on. i guess what i am feeling now, more than before, is that the people i know are worth extra time and effort. even the people i dont know are worth more....a far subway ride on a day off, waiting for a friend in a square....waiting and giving are more than before.

there is so much to do everywhere you live, whether it be in omaha, or in new york city. those who say they are bored, or havnt seen things in their city are wasting away. when did we become so old that we gave up the wonder of driving 15 minutes more, or walking 15 blocks more? when did our horizons end at our doorstep after a long day?
no matter how tired i am, i hope my horizon never ends at my bed when it could end somewhere a little better.
and no, i am not talking about "the small things" im not talking about "big things" im not even talking about "things" all of that is trite and overstated. i only mean to say, a mans reach should exceed his grasp all of his days....no matter how many days he has.

exactly!

2009-10-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

i havnt been blogging lately, but thats because ive been lazy.
and frankly i am tired of it.
so
more blogs to come.

get ready internets.

ramble, and ramble.

2009-09-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

so today i left for tour, and by tour i mean ill be gone till december 17th.

ive nver been so excited to be gone for so long.

i look forward to what the winter will bring me.

life refreshed and finding a new perspective.

an ipod dock i made.

2009-09-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I moved into my first studio apartment, I love music and I wanted a good sounding ipod dock.
I started to shop around and most of the docks that I found were expensive and not very classic looking. Then it occurred to me, what if I built my own?! I have a pretty basic knowledge of circuitry and audio components, so why not?

I remembered seeing an old record player/console at an antique store, and that is when my wheels started turning. My plan was to find a console that worked and modify it to be an ipod dock. However, I quickly found that I was able to make its usage much more than an ipod dock.

I went to craigslist and found a few consoles to go check out, then found one for $175. I went to see it and tested it out to make sure it worked, the last thing I wanted was to replace speakers or other components. I purchased this RCA unit made in 1983, it had an 8 track, AM/FM, and record player.

It wasnt long before I had the 8 track removed and rewired it. Now the dock can charge and play any 5th or 6th gen ipod, or iphone.

Then it hit me....I could also wire it to handle my airport express!

My primary use is for the express now, and I use the remote app. on my iphone 3G to control my itunes wirelessly!

This is a super easy re-purposing of a very cool piece of home audio equipment. The older speakers sound so warm and the teakwood cabinet just looks classy! Now I can chose to listen to my vinyl or my friends can come over and plug in to play anything they want. Not to mention they can just share their itunes libraries as well!

The total cost was around $200 dollars minus the ipod.
RCA cabinet-$175
Ipod dock-$15-on amazon.com
RCA to 1/8" cables-$10

end. period.

2009-08-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

i am sitting on the bus in mountian view, california. there are 3 days left of tour. i am glad as always to finish up. this was the best warped tour so far. i got to hang out with bayside, my old friends, and not have to worry about working.
i have had just a good time out here, and cannot wait.

i fly home for a few days, then hit up another tour on september 22.
its getting easier all the time.
i might be a professional before long!
i am looking forward to what lies ahead.

if life is always beautiful....

2009-08-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

today is a day off for me in denver, colorado. the warped tour has flown by. i am catching up as days off let you do.

lately it is apparent to me that life is always beautiful, and i have personally felt it change a lot. for the last 5 years of my life it has been a long hard road in some ways. i feel like i am being blessed with things i didnt know existed personally and professionally. there was a time in my life 5 years ago where i definitely felt a change for the worse, i braced for the change and weathered so many storms.

i often feel like i have breached the edges of what i can handle as a man, as a weathered traveler, worker and friend. there are always a plethora of good cheer sayings when times are hard in your life, none of which ever help you feel as though you can survive. i think more and more, lately that those sayings only have resonance to those who have survived a storm of a particular severity. not only surviving the storm, but being able to breathe in the calm following thought it is often brief.

if life is a daring adventure or nothing at all....then my life would be the epitome of that equation.

all of what i have now, and where i am heading is a lovely thing, but so is where i have been.
this is not to say i can encourage anyone in the doldrums or the storm. it is a way for me to say i am what is left after some tough times, and if i am the leftover, then its all not so bad.

i knew at the outset of this year that 2009 would be interesting and forward moving. i had no idea i would be sitting where i am sitting, but i am ever glad to be here. i kind of find a degree of realism in people whose stories about surviving things and how they find happiness only when they dont claim to have any philosophy afterwards.

i certianly dont have and philosophy about happiness, and hardships, other than they do exsist. at the end of the day they are as much a part of life as carbon and oxygen. no differend no better, no worse.
as i write this i can only sum up what i am feeling and thinking with what a very intelligent man once said.

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." - Hamlet

things and stuff, and more things.

2009-07-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

so its been a few days since i last blogged. things have been good and hectic, and that is no excuse. i really want to share more about this strange adventure called warped tour. i have been able to spend a lot of time with bayside. i have eaten chick fil a more times than you can imagine.

i also saw a lot of movies. the best of which is "moon"
its one of the best movies i have seen in years.

the shows have been really good and today i recieved a phone call from a dear friend. a friend who wanted me to know that i had not been exactly the best friends. it didnt offend me to hear this, it humbled me to know that someone cared enough about me to want me around, to know about my life.

we move so quickly sometimes, and we forget to really reach out and just tell people our stories. sometimes, thats all they want to hear. is to just, hear from us.

its a good thing.
i think ill keep in touch more.

tomorrow ill be in charlotte, and there will be old, good friends there, as well as in the southeast in general.
i love the summer, i love this tour this year.

time, and time.

2009-07-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

its been a few days since ive said anything, but i have been in a whirlwind of work and traveling. also i have been battling a cold. yesterday we played cleveland, ohio. it was a surreal show in the fact that i had been recovering from the cold for 15 hours in my bunk before i worked. my managment was at the show, the guy who used to have my job, and about 100 people were watching the show. no pressure right?

in any case the show went off without a hitch.

i am secretly wondering why this summer is cooler than other summers in temperature. it is at least 5-10 degrees cooler in every city.
sort of discomforting, but i am not sure why.

today we hit canada and its been a slow day with lovely weather.
not much to do, other than catch up on internet news, personal emails and such before the weekend.

i will probably play corn toss with bayside later.

other than that life is good, and i mean really good.
i couldnt be more content.

every week is a new challenge and i am up for it.

when worlds collide

2009-07-04T06:04:00.000-07:00

i wake up often in a strange place, a hotel, a bus parking lot, always a different city. i cant help but think that my mind moves as well. there are people i meet that i never quite lose inside, and waking up i still remember them quite vividly. it is a gentle reminder in the middle of a long tour that i am connected, like so many other things in this universe. connected in ways i will never understand.

i was connected to this new job when i got it. i am connected to this festival we are doing today. today is july 4th and its going to be a long and busy day. a good day, but a long one.

i follow Rev. Run on twitter and he often says the most uplifting things. he speaks a lot about memory and moving forward and conquering your goals. it is a mixed blessing to have such a strong memory, it is sweet to feel close to things all the time. i have a huge problem with people who are always trying to forget. we were meant to connect, it is in our nature, we connect in new ways with our technology and our words and our faces everyday.
sometimes we connect in such strong ways that we dont recognize it or we chose to ignore it.

as paul simon once said "i am a rock, i am an island"
noone is truly one of those.
and this morning when i woke up, i felt very strongly so.

and we will rock forever on....

2009-06-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

this week has been very eventful. i started warped tour, lost farrah, and the king of pop.

warped tour has been wonderful so far, bayside is here, and lots of old friends. it is so good to be out with so many good people and bands. this year it is like an actual punk tour. anti flag, bad religion, the ataris, nofx. waking up everyday and watching these epic punk bands shred, is a great way to wake up. it reminds me why i started going to shows in the first place.

tomorrow is the first day off on the tour and we will be spending it in phoenix, the hottest town in america i think.

our tour is already so blessed and i feel like i am finally enjoying all my hard work, and expertise. i feel like a big fish in the big pond finally. not that i am flawless or know it all, but i feel like all of my journeys have brought me to this tour, this year with this band. all i have to do, is be good....

i am thankful.

the sun, the moon and the difference...

2009-06-22T11:41:00.001-07:00

id love to be near the moon.....this satellite from japan just crashed there...it looks great in this video.

.

well on my way.

2009-06-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

so in the last week i finished up my last few days with shinys, and it was no fun to leave them. we played a show in winnipeg on my last night. i stayed up all night and got on a 6am flight to atlanta. i was met on my flight by two young ladies from winnipeg whom i was able to talk to for the duration of the flight. it is pretty rare that you end up talking to someone on a plane these days. they are either tired, grumpy or like me just have their headphones on. it was refreshing to meet two young professional people and talk about what we did for a living perspectively. they were on their way to florida for an event for their company, and i was on my way home to my apartment for 24 hours of rest in my very own bed.

i then got on an airplane on friday and flew to tampa, florida to meet up with some old friends who are new bosses. i went straight from the aiport to work in the heat. the band were rehearsing while i organized and obsessed about how to organize the equipment.

we went to sonnys bbq for dinner after a good long day of travel and work. then yesterday we left florida in a brand new bus.

we are currently in texas now, and it seems every year i get roped into doing warped tour it is with a group of guys that i end up having a blast with. the last two summers i have been with the bigger headlining acts on the main stage at warped tour, it is humbling to be doing that. as the months creep by in this business i find myself more and more lucky.

i wont be in california for 2 more days i dont imagine so i will have a little bit of time in los angeles. i hope i get to see some friends and have some of that lovely sushi they make there.

everyone in the shinys camp has made it known to me that they miss me and want to see me again out with them. i am glad i had the time with them that i had.
but this summer is looking like the best one yet, everyone is so excited and ready for this. i was able to stop and buy all my supplies for a comfortable and easy time this summer.

i am blogging at 70 miles an hour and i feel very much like that good times are coming just as fast.

i am blessed, busy and bustling but blessed.
come say hello to me this summer.

in time

2009-06-17T09:28:00.001-07:00

oh well, and then canada only turns off the sun for about 4 hours in the summer. so last night i drove through the last leg of my canadian journey. i got to the arena and settled into my dressing room, grabbed a shower and stole some breakfast that wasnt mine! it was only 2 bowls of cheerios so i think it is ok!

in any case this is my last day for a while with shiny toy guns. its a bitter sweet thing, like it always, but in the name of progress and making more money i must say adeu!
there are people, and then...there are people that you really miss....i think that we should miss everyone, and really try to connect with every person we have contact with. this business i am in requires that i meet and work with 4-10 new people every day. it has made me more conscious of myself in small moments as i try to reach out to other people from vastly different life experiences.

touring in large part puts a microscope on humanity if you can observe it doing so.
we played a show in regina last night and it was great, i will miss working with these guys, but i am sure this wont be the last time i work with them.

i am gonna go find a tim hortons, and catch up on some emails, then fly to atlanta to be home for 24 hours before warped tour.

i wanna sink to the bottom with you...

2009-06-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

well here i am, another day in canada...but today was primarily a driving day and we actually got to the hotel around 4pm.
i got some dennys because like the south, canadians close up early on sunday and there were no other resturants open.
this week has been exhausting for lots of personal reasons, i have really been tested. my mind has been playing chess with the universe for about 4 days now. i am doing well but still have a lot more to get done. these shows were going to be challenging from the start, but they have proved to be the most difficult shows i have had in months. not only from a logistic perspective but from a routine and day to day process as well.

i want so badly for a challenge and when it comes, i best it, and find myself calm the whole time.
i guess i just feel very capable and i know my next week will be challenging with a new band and a new tour.

i am ready.
i am always ready.

whatever comes, let it come.
whatever may come, let it come.

and so and so

2009-06-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

well here we are, another show in canada. its so huge here, someone should hit this place with a hammer there are too many mountians. i have had a very stressful day, we had a keyboard break earlier in the week and got one overnighted to us. however it got held up at customs, thankfully we were able to clear customs 5 minutes before customs closed.

the show went super well and dinner was fantastic. i got to talk to these old semi truck drivers about touring because they have been driving trucks for 15 years or more.

the show was flawless and the band got to play a new song 'major tom', you might have seen the song on a lincoln commercial lately.

i spent over 2 hours on the phone today....sorry phone bill you are gonna be big as hell.
tomorrow we play edmonton....whoop....

not much else to report here, other than trying to mentally prepare for warped tour with some new friends....well old friends....underoath.

i hope america is treating everyone well and the jobs are finding the jobless.

when we all grow old

2009-06-10T22:55:00.001-07:00

so yesterday our bus broke down, and we had to get to a show. we ended up arriving at the show 8 hours late. the kids were superb and great!
it had been a long time since i was so tired and exhausted and just over everything in general.
i hate being worn down so far, but life is a daring adventure or nothing at all....or so the saying goes.

canada is so large and these drives are terribly long, and tonight was the first show with the headliner. british columbia is so beautiful, and everything seems to be green, and there is a chill in the fresh breeze coming from the arctic circle. there are times in everyones life where they are sure they could have easily done something else in life. and today i was certian i could have been a great map maker in the 1800s.

i am tired, so very tired, and the tour is just winding up. i have bags under my eyes, and i am dehydrated a touch i believe. fortunately we have a drive day tomorrow so i can get a good nights sleep.

i look forward to the summer, its heat and hard work always make me feel at the top of my physical ability. but not to the constant sweating.....in any case ben folds posted this picture.

id like to have william shatner as a close personal friend.
who wouldnt.

Success

2009-06-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

So apparently I had not set up my iPhone blogger with the right password.
So
I can now blog at will!

-- Post From My iPhone

sheesh

2009-06-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

i really need to get a mobile blogger that works on my phone. so much has happened this week and i cant keep up with it all.

i am in a hotel in bakersfield, and got to see my best friends in the world this week.
i witnessed a real life miracle.
i drove 1400 miles in 25 hours.

its all been so full and i want to talk about it.
im gonna spend the next little bit finding a blogger on itunes.

i love sleeping after a long, hot day in the sun.

oh how i would love to sail the ocean vast and blue....

2009-05-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

the other day zach mentioned we should get on an ocean liner and sail the atlantic.....not like on a carnival cruise where everyone is wearing flower shirts and drinking corona beers. more like, black tie dinners every night, fine cuisine, and a ship headed to south hampton, england for a few days.

so today i started looking into what it would cost for such a voyage.....and who knows i might just try a journey like this.

i have another week off before our june run, and next weekend i plan on going to see some dear friends.
it is very nice to have an apartment, a place to call home, and a place to hang my hat.
it has been quite a while.

thank goodness for summer, swimming pools and a soft place to sleep that dosnt move all night.

twitter, apartments and other news....

2009-05-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

well.....i moved into a new apartment, finally. hence my absence from blogging world. i got internet today, so expect blogging to become more and more frequent. i just landed from a weekend in st louis. we had a show there with anberlin and taking back sunday. i saw so many good friends. it was truly refreshing. i wish i could win the lottery and make all my friends live together in the same neighborhood....does that make me a socialist? sure but who cares.

i have met the most amazing souls on tour, people who are truly amazing and talented, and they are always so pleasant to be around.
we played early in the day and i got to spend the day with some of the fellows. some of whom i havnt seen in 6 months or more.

its that time of year when job offers start to increase and my sunburn does so as well.

i got a twitter....you can follow me, if you want....kyledestroyer. i will follow you because i want to know what in the twit you are doing probably.

its raining and my huge windows are open....i love atlanta, i love my apartment.....life gets better every day.

i will post pictures soon i imagine.
how are you? i hope you are ok.

the waiting is the hardest part...

2009-05-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

i am in denver layovering, if that is even a word. this tour is over and i have roughly ten days off....then we ramp up for some more dates in june.

i keep seeing people in lines at the coffee shop.
i am in a seat in a concourse.
i am reading my calendar.
i am thinking.
i am making plans.....

we are all waiting, we are all waiting for something.
and in it all there seems to be some great divide....some sweet and sour thing about it.
i am waiting for nothing really when i take a breath, but how much of my days are spent holding on for some answer.

i am not offering advice about it.
it just strikes me right now. we are all waiting....there dosn't seem to be much we can do about it but punctuate our waiting with words and with making things better when we can, by leaving things and people better than we found them.

i don't mind waiting really. i just kind of enjoy watching it all rise and fall. we are all too often just crashing like waves and gathering again and again.

you are always welcome.

2009-05-02T19:03:00.000-07:00

.

its been a few days, and i havn't had internet on this bus. we are in birmingham, a.l. this week was super eventful. i had a day off in washington, d.c., and in nashville, t.n. i spent some time in our nations capitol, and in the heart of tennesee. it was a great week as far as tours go. i actually got to see things i have always wanted to see. i got to see the lincoln memorial, the white house, the national mall.

there is always time for adventure if you can make a little time for it. it is spring all across the country, the temperatures are warming up, and that is a lovely thing.

we finished our set today at the festival and now i have the evening off in birmingham. i wanted to find something to do like a movie, but we are just too far from anything.

in nashville i got to spend a lot of time with an old friend, someone i almost never get to see. in fact, i havn't seen them in a year or more, and i havn't been the best with keeping in touch. it was like a time warp having 2 days with them in their town.
we played a headliner by ourselves and afterwards i felt a touch out of place.
it could have been the fact that it rained all day, or the heat of the club.....im not sure....

i got in a better space today, and having an early show and a healthy lunch makes a huge difference out here....
i say "out here" like it is somewhere different than anyone else....it is just "here" there is nothing else to it.
i think i have said this many times before, but what i do requires me to be constantly on my toes and requires me to have some foresight. having to work with 6 new people every day, and live with your co-workers can be taxing....if you let it be. you must always be aware of whos toes you might be stepping upon, and who might be stepping on yours. so you end up in this mental space where you must always be evaulating the next 4 minutes of the show, the next 4 minutes of the load out, the next meal.

things get complex really quickly, and its kind of surreal how much forethought you must then give to every detail of your day.
complex is good, and it keeps my brain flexible i believe, but it sure can give you mental cramps...

tell me what you need from me....

2009-04-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

well it has been a pretty busy week....we hit up canada, and it was a grand time. by grand i mean cold and full of bums and mediocre food....i only ate tim hortons when i was in rochester....so....thanks for not a lot canada.
we came back into the states on thursday and played a show in new york city. i had dinner and some quality time with some amazing people from NC....that was super refreshing. this tour i have a little time to catch up with friends, and i need it.

we then went to new hampshire, and maryland, both days were lovely and warmer than we had been having lately. in maryland we had a rainstorm that nearly wiped the rejects set out, however they were able to play after all.....after the show we had a sand volley ball court near us and the buses..so we all had a bus/watergun/volleyball party.

we are spending a few days away from the tour so the rejects can do videos and tv shows.
their system tech, drew is doing monitors for us and he is riding on our bus. he is a good fellow from chicago, and its cool to have a new face on the bus....

tomorrow we have a day off in washington, d.c.....i cannot wait....i think will go to the lincoln memorial, maybe the smithsonian....who knows....who knows. in any case, the east coast has been kind and the states are getting warmer! i have to go work on some guitars now before our show in boston here.

perfect in some ways.

2009-04-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

well its a day off! it snuck up on me, and thats kind of a good thing. we are in providence, rhode island. i just got some taco bell and have been getting some things in order. i bought an orange julius and that just makes my day.

we have been having better and better shows every day, the crowds are so excited and the bands are so kind. there was a kid at one of the college shows we did who was so excited to be there, and i told them how awesome it was to see someone so happy about seeing a band. i think its something everyone loses....however it was good to see that old smile that people get when their favorite song is played.

i intend to take myself out to dinner tonight to a nice restaurant, maybe even the one in the bottom of the hotel i am at. it is the biltmore hotel and is a pretty amazing place to rest for the day.

i got to call some friends today and catch up.
that in itself was pretty nice.

this is tonight....should it be anything else.

2009-04-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

tonight we hit Chicago, the windy city, the cold city, the city that has inferior pizza to new york city.
we pulled into Chicago at about 11am and by 2pm we still weren't at the venue. our bus is 13 feet tall and there are no bridges that tall on the west side of Chicago apparently, so we spent 2 hours trying to find a route that our bus could travel. a cop finally took one of our guys around and found a bridge we would fit under....good heavens....

in any case, we got loaded in and had an uneventful show, but the kids seemed to like it. the show was at a rather unique venue, called the aragon....i believe they shot the paramore dvd there.

i have been in an odd but productive mood as of late, we hired another backline tech, and that has taken a considerable load off of me. i feel free to be the best i can be finally, and i think it is showing. i was up until last week, the only back line tech out for my band, and it was a handful. we have 15min to reset the stage between our band and others, and it proved to be impossible for me to do. i am only one man, and as skilled as i am...i don't have 8 arms.

this tour is going pretty smooth, and i am glad to be on it, i don't feel challenged by the universe every time we have a show.

after the show my tour manager and i went for some sushi, and it was pretty good. i dont always get to eat the best out here, and for some reason, sushi feels healthy. i should make a more concerted effort to eat better, but, fat is so good.

sis provided me with some chocolate when i got to the bus....that was a miracle, i love chocolate.

now i am in my bunk and tired, i hate cold and the mid west is certainly that.....thank god for the south.

in any case it is time to catch some rest. a security guard joked with me tonight about going out and "partying" i joked back and said i needed to go to bed. they replied that i was too young to turn in early, and i said, 'early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise'

i like that thought the more i think about it.
not that i think is perfectly true, but its an awesome concept.

broken thermostats.

2009-04-13T07:26:00.000-07:00

par⋅a⋅lyze
/ˈpærəˌlaɪz/ [par-uh-lahyz]
–verb (used with object), -lyzed, -lyz⋅ing.
1. to affect with paralysis.
2. to bring to a condition of helpless stoppage, inactivity, or inability to act

i just woke up in a hotel room which has a broken thermostat. i turn the thermostat all the way up to 80 and it has no effect. at this point i have been in this room for around 24 hours, and have made no effort to change rooms. which is supremely strange seeing as i hate being cold more than anything.

it is often with fear and awe that i first face my day. i dont relay this for any reason than to say there is a keen closeness with sleep and fear, with rest and paralyzing inaction.
i have always been aware of this kinship, but always been only subtly curious.

we spent easter sunday in a town in the midwest, everything was closed, nothing happened literally. well, nothing minus getting a character drawn of myself whose results will no doubt be posted soon enough. i ordered a pizza that was mediocre, and barely did anything but exsist in the hotel. i had the television on for noise and the clicking of my numb fingers on the keyboard for comfort.
i am finding myself warmed by the fire of technology more and more often these days.
warmed by it, not enhanced or enamored.

oh but spring time, it always brings with it a breath of fresh air and vigor.
it inspires and rejuvenates....i suppose in this way and many others, that i am no different than a tree.

im not sure where i am going with this, it is probably too early to write a blog.

today the rejects tour resumes and i am excited. this tour is insane and fun and challenging in all sorts of ways.
we are just getting started and i cant wait to see what happens next!

we are in Minneapolis.
i am hungry for breakfast.

and now after writing this i am sufficiently motivated to move to a warmer room.
and a good day awaits me.

so....

2009-04-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

here i go.....iphone is back, laptop is still a little broken....tomorrow is a day off in chicago!
this tour has been pretty awesome so far, and tonight is the first sold out show. the days are much shorter this tour, since we are not headlining!

i just had some leftover chinese food, some sweet and sour chicken hit the spot.

it is so cool to be on tour with a larger band who has so much equipment and gear. i am a nerd i know.

this week has been making me nuts without internet on the bus or my beloved cartoon network. so my nights have been full of watching squidbillies on my laptop until i pass out in my bunk, it makes me have interesting dreams...

i have been listening to norma jean all day....its not my fault....id tour with them again any day of the week....

i will give a better blog later, but its rainy and disconnectie just came on so i have to thrash and by thrash i mean.....relax and watch a movie....

also....i want a norma jean dvd....get on it norma jean.
thanks.

my favorite love....

2009-04-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

i am sitting in the back lounge of the bus....its been a long first day of tour. the bus broke down yesterday, still no time to get a new phone.....for no reason at all i am so bored and restless.

this song is on repeat....

It's the chill in the hollow of my bones thats making my hands numb
And the sound of the windmill but you won't tell me now where it's from
And solitude sounds are making my eyes weep
And tossing and turning I can't make my mind sleep

And getting worked up from people I just meet
And this is the reason I think
It's the ending of careless wants
But you are my favorite love

Can we map the succession, the fever, depression, the bad weeks
It was right in the corridor but left by the river where we'd meet.
And solitude sounds are making my eyes weep
And tossing and turning I can't make my mind sleep

And getting worked up from people I just meet
And this is the reason I think
It's the ending of careless wants
But you are my favorite love

good night....ill be tossing and turning on the south west corner of this country tonight....
restless.

i have a dream

2009-03-31T11:54:00.000-07:00

a soundgarden tribute record.

maybe some day.

i am bored in oklahoma city, its cold and windy, but i had the best steak of my life at a place called "Cattlemans"

life is good....still no phone.
thanks.

alright....

2009-03-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

so two days ago i posted a blog about not letting things getting to you....then yesterday someone stole my iphone....

this is some sort of cruel test, i am sure of it.

i am in LA and i got almost no sleep after leaving miami at 5am...good thing there is an IN AND OUT.....right next to my hotel.....

trade an expensive and impossible to replace phone for a burger....see what happens....im just hoping whoever stole my phone is having fun with her.

its not the phone, its the principal of the thing.....

across the universe.

2009-03-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

today i woke up early, grabbed a shower, and a bowl of cereal, then i did the unthinkable....i fell back asleep when i had a flight at 1:30......what a horrible idea. i needed to leave midtown by 1130am to make my flight. i woke up at 11am....now that might not seem like a problem, however, i had not yet packed. so i rushed to pack and fill out some paperwork for my new apartment. in the process i nearly forgot everything i could possibly need. the next 6 weeks are going to put me back in my touring routine, and forgetting something could mean a lot of headache. it is one thing to go somewhere and stay for a few weeks and need something shipped to you....it is one thing totally different if you are in a different city every day....logistics become a full time job in this business.

one must keep his head on at times like these or he will find himself caught up with a lot of problems......
the airport was a madhouse of delayed flights and all kinds of nonsense....i however avoided most of this, i get real lucky and i dont deserve it.
which brings me to my point today....there is so much that could go horribly awry, and it dosnt....millions of people needing millions of things all to work in a certain way. everything, for the most part, turns out just fine. now i am not saying it works according to all these peoples perfect plans, but basically, things get done and often in spite of our efforts.

its just amazing, i had missed an important window for a flight, and without an effort of my own, i ended up on the next best flight, there was no reason i got on the flight i wanted....it just happened...and the airline didnt even charge me for my bags.

all of this makes me humble and in awe of a universe so immense that we cannot see its depth, and yet....i end up on a plane, when there are 20 other passengers on stand by, and disappointed out to no end.

i cannot help but think that it helps me when things dont go to my plan, i never let it get to me. i just try to figure it out, the next logical step. sure things are disappointing or are very hard, but nothing worth having was ever easy. i think that is true for everything we do....even when you end up on standby at the airport, through no fault of your own....just sit back and take it in stride, have a dr. pepper. it will all be fine....it always is ultimately. if we always got what we wanted, we would never find out new things that were better, and we would only want more anyway.....if nothing else humanity is insatiable....

id like to think that i point my inability to be satiated, towards mental and emotional desire....always moving, and getting myself...."there" wherever "there" is that day....in my business there is no other way to function....it seems to work out just fine for me....

i am in miami, it took me about 4 hours longer to get to the hotel than i wanted, but i found a cuban resturant and didnt have to eat dinner alone.....thats worth it to me....

hey, everyone who blogs sucks because....

2009-03-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

this dude is doing it better....i got nothing on this...

Alfred Sirleaf is a blogger. Not just any blogger - no sir, Alfred is an analog blogger. He runs the "Daily News," a news hut in the middle of Monrovia, the capital of a Liberia, a country on the west coast of Africa. The lack of electricity doesn’t even faze him:

Alfred serves as a reminder to the rest of us, that simple is often better, just because it works. The lack of electricity never throws him off. The lack of funding means he’s creative in ways that he recruits people from around the city and country to report news to him. He uses his cell phone as the major point of connection between him and the 10,000 (he says) that read his blackboard daily.

Not all Liberians who read his news are literate, so he makes use of symbols. Whether it’s a UN or military helmet, a poster of a soccer player or a bottle of colored water to denote gas prices, he is determined to get the message out in any way that he can.

Link | A 2005 article on NYT on Alfred Sirleaf - via Onelargeprawn

well ok....

2009-03-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

so my iphone blogger is being a piece of garbage....hence no sweet stories from SXSW.
i will take time today and tomorrow to post the blogs from austin that my phone wouldnt post...youll get all the tasty goodness but without the immediate satisfaction. in a world of twitter and status updates....try waiting on the stories once in a while....they are better when they have some days and travel on them....

thanks for your patiences....is that a word? it should be...like...plural patience...

the resistance....

2009-03-14T10:19:00.001-07:00

"the truth is rarely pure and never simple" oscar wilde

as this blog lingers i am pursued by the feeling that i should be a little less factual and a little more human. more....honest. i dont think the world needs more honesty per say....i think the world is an honest enough place as it is.

nothing is black in white, everyone has a painful secret or something they cannot tell you.

that shouldnt always be a bad thing.

a friend and i spoke recently of honesty, they informed me that i was not as honest as i could have been in certain situations.....i admitted it, then told them the same of themselves, they were a little offended initially....then they conceded that i too was correct.

the truth, is never one thing or another purely, its complicated to say the least, being blunt and truthful at all times will leave you friendless and love less. discretion is the better part of valor....we are all human, that is the ultimate truth....we all need to spend more than one sentence trying to understand what the truth is.....sometimes it can take me years to get the truth out of something....and i am not yet that old.

the truth is paramount, but its telling it is never simple nor one sided....the truth is....i have a lot of good in me, and so does everyone i hold dear.....the world is better that way. id rather spend my days understanding my friends, than understanding the truth.

my heart is in the right place....it wont ever move, and i am thankful for that. i have tried to make it move, as has the world, and it will not.

i am thankful.
i am truthful, and thats more important than trying to wrest the truth into being one sentence long.

its good to be king

2009-03-12T09:57:00.001-07:00

i have been spending time drinking apple juice, eating chinese and watching star trek. i have been busy this week preparing things for the next tour, it is tedious sometimes, but nothing i cant handle. i have been really enjoying myself on this time off....this is the longest time i have had off in 2 years. it has been amazing for my mental health and bodily health. sometimes it is important to take some time out, and take a deep breath. i think today ill get a hair cut and get some food.

if you would like to see me....here are some places i will be, its not comprehensive, but its a start....id love to see you, so come find me and we can grab some food and break some bread together.
4-Apr SAT Tempe, AZ
5-Apr SUN Albuquerque, NM
6-Apr MON Austin, TX
7-Apr TUE Tulsa, OK
8-Apr WED Kansas City, MO
9-Apr THU St. Louis, MO
11-Apr SAT Milwaukee, WI
13-Apr MON Minneapolis, MN
14-Apr TUE Madison, WI
15-Apr WED Chicago, IL
16-Apr THU Rochester, MI
17-Apr FRI Erie, PA
18-Apr SAT Geneseo, NY
20-Apr MON Providence, RI
21-Apr TUE Montreal, QC
22-Apr WED Toronto, ONT
23-Apr THU New York, NY
25-Apr SAT Towson, MD
26-Apr SUN Boston, MA Middle
27-Apr MON Philadelphia, PA
28-Apr TUE Washington, DC
29-Apr WED Columbus, OH
30-Apr THU Off
1-May FRI Nashville, TN
2-May SAT Birmingham, AL
4-May MON New Orleans, LA
5-May TUE San Antonio, TX
6-May WED El Paso, TX
9-May SAT Los Angeles, CA
10-May SUN Sacramento, CA
11-May MON Vegas/Bakersfield
12-May TUE Ventura, CA
13-May WED San Francisco, CA
23-May SAT St. Louis, MO

2009-03-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

i took a trip to Indiana to make some new friends, i took some pictures as well.....they are more intresting than anything i ever say....

i am sitting on an airplane right now, headed to DC....i might try to cat nap!

who knew you could sneak two carry ons onto a plane? pack light and give it a shot!

she dont believe in shootin stars.....

2009-03-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

"but she believe in shoes and cars,
wood floors in the new apartment,
couture from the stores department....
in the past, you on the other side of the glass
of my memories museum....."

i just watched all of the vh1 storytellers for kanye west. if you know me, you know i am a fan of that fellow. it was a pretty impressive performance, kind of dark, and raw, not really polished.
i still liked it.

he talks a lot about the girl who had hurt him so, and it still visibly effects him.....i cant help but identify with his position, some times there are things you have to get out of your system. i think it does something to you. not everyone can understand it, and they shouldnt have to. there are lots of things people might not understand about you or things you have been through, and...well....thats ok. its just important to realize that there are parts of all of us that we just cant explain...its what makes us tangible people, people who can connect with others.....i guess what i am saying is kanye is pretty awesome and acts pompous but i enjoy the act, because i see something familiar there.

i dont have much to write about this week, i have 2 weeks before i have to work again, so i am basically being a pile of garbage. i find myself reading an obtuse amount and trying to learn how to program iphones for some reason.
at least my boredom is productive.

also i am back to taking french, so that i can "parle" effectively in another language.

elle dosent pour ne pas croire aux étoiles filantes.

2009-03-04T11:19:00.001-08:00

whoa boy i am bored today, time to take a field trip/photo shoot to the local train station.
ill let you know what i find!

everything that happens, will happen today...

2009-03-03T07:53:00.000-08:00

Sweep the dirty stairs, the ones I waited on.
This is just for me.
I felt it watching her.
And It happens too fast, to make sense of it,
Make it last.
It happens too fast, to make sense of it,
Make it last.

Where do you intend to go with dirty dress?
Lead my skeptic sight to the table and the light.
It happened too fast, to make sense of it,
Make it last.
It happened too fast, to make sense of it,
Make it last.
Lead my skeptic sight.
Lead my skeptic sight.

Not asking of me anything, saying nothing about what it means,
without anybody telling me what I should feel.
Not asking of me anything, saying nothing about what it means,
without anybody telling me what I should feel.
What I should feel.
Lead my skeptic sight to the table and the light.

Burritos

2009-03-01T13:45:00.001-08:00

Well last night we finished the last NBC show....it was huge and awesome! I got a solid 10 hours of sleep and felt amazing. Then I went next door to the hotel, and got some vegitarian pad thai. It was awesome and delicious.

We did our set up and then walked down to grab some food. I found a burrito place and...it was amazing!

We went back for sound check and had a ton of problems. None of which were too serious. In any case family of the band came, industry people came, and the show was perfect. Very rewarding for me because I handle the whole stage, if it makes noise I fix it!

I got back to the hotel around 3 and got a solid night of sleep. Me and my tour manager are on the same flight back east. It is snowing in Atlanta, it sucks coming from LA where it's 72 to snow....c'est la vive! I suppose.....in any case I have 3 weeks off then my year really gets started....

Tonight after I land I'm going to make a huge bowl of popcorn and watch adult swim....
Thank god.

-- Con iPhone

something is in the air here....

2009-02-28T09:54:00.000-08:00

so we flew at 6 am to get to LA and drive to Head Mountian i think?? its a ski resort about an hour north of LA.

now keeping in mind, i didnt get to sleep much on thursday night, this was a bum out. do the math....show on thursday ends at 12, and we have to be at the airport at 4 a.m. to check in with our gear.

so back to our story, we land, drive to this mountian and arrive, but there is no backline gear. now for those of you who dont know production of a rock show....which is most people...and you should be glad you dont know this. backline is what makes the show happen....

so here we are, 1 hour from LA and the closest rental shop, 70 miles away, and it is 12 noon. we are supposed to play no later than 4pm.....this is not good. so we make some calls, figure out who dropped the ball and work on a solution, by the time something is come upon it is 230, great.....

however, the solution is this, there is a guy in town who has some gear that will work, which i made the mistake of assuming was communicated someone who knew what they were talking about.

i wont bore you with the details here, but i ended up with the worst possible drum kit, and 2 practice amps that you would find in your pot head 17 year old brothers bedroom.....funny enough, they had to move some bongs out of the way to get some of this stuff for me.

im not knocking pot heads, wait, maybe i am, but drugs alter your perception, thats the point right?
well, all im saying is, when your altered perception of the world affects my day it had better end well, especially when it comes to work.

now here is the conundrum, the pot head gear saved the show and made it happen, however it made me look like a tool for having it on stage....so....am i thankful for the bong water covered drums? yes....and no.....because without the bong water drums i would have had no show, and i had not slept in 35 hours, which would be awesome! .....however, my job as a professional is to keep the show from imploding, so the bong water drums did just that....barely, just barely.

i guess my point is, sometimes you don't know what is gonna save the day, or kind of ruin it , or both.....i cant make a clear call on this one....but i will say this, "thanks pot head in some ski resort town....you made something happen, and that is probably more than you've done all winter."

2009-02-28T09:41:00.001-08:00

it rained at the chicago show 2 days ago, however, i changed the settings on my phone to make the pictures bigger, and sadly they are too big when i post them from my phone.

so now i have a few blogs to catch up on, and forgive the mulitple posts in one day.

this is from thursday....

it is raining here in chicago, the roof is leaking on my stuff.....
thanks nature,

this is me waiting.....

this is some of the art lying around incase you wanted to know what you missed....
which is not a lot, but the art was cool!
NBC was great and made sure i had everything i needed, and the people who came were stoked!

touche!

2009-02-25T15:53:00.001-08:00

i survived a lack luster and uneventful sojurn to Chicago.
i am in a sweet hotel and am about to eat dinner.
tomorrow we play another NBC show.

it is warmer here than i was expecting.
i wonder when all of these older airports will be replaced.
i was at la guardia this morning, and it was appalling how run down that airport is.
it is 2009 and in one of the largest cities in the world the airport is in disrepair and so dated. they have made no effort to modernize or keep it up, i mean i dont have a huge stake in how airports are run or anything, its just a let down to see things neglected.

i just had dinner with my good friend heather, and her man, and her friend chrissy. we went down the street to a bistro and i had a hamburger. it was awesome! the company was great as well. i rarely get to see heather but it is always a good time.....

and when i arrived at my hotel and walked down the hall and saw many of the doors open, doors of the rooms of the band and crew.....theres some sort of drunkeness going on, i can hear them roaming the hallway like zombies.

i think i will try to get some work done and listen to some music.

city of york

2009-02-24T23:39:00.000-08:00

So we did a show today for NBC and it was in a production studio in SOHO.it was a busy day, but everything went well! I am in my hotel about to go to sleep.

New York isn't so bad I decided, but still too dirty for me. I had some good food as always and slept in an awesome bed.

Tomorrow morning I fly to Chicago, it's gonna be a long week after Thursday....sheesh.

Someone should send me an encouraging email, I should send one to someone...

It sure is cold, I can see Brooklyn from here...I'm only a few stops away.

Goodnight everyone

-- Post From My iPhone

Oh technology

2009-02-23T11:02:00.000-08:00

There is no real reason to blog twice in one day...however I got a new blog app for my phone and this is to make sure of works.....

Also...the good, the bad, and the ugly is on....

-- Post From My iPhone

2009-02-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.
"

~ Robert Louis Stevenson.

today i am flying to new york.
wednesday i am flying to chicago.
friday i am flying to los angeles.

if frequent flyer miles were cool points.
i would be so much cooler.

happy monday everyone.

let's go away for a while, you and I...to a strange and distant land...

2009-02-18T16:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to Ryans for his birthday, he is 29, engaged and probably a super hero, but his super power would probably be some sort of warcrafting skill. In any case we drove an hour north of Greensboro to Hanging Rock, its a super sweet hiking hide out! Me and Derrick used to go there with other friends very long ago, and its just a short drive and a fun hike!

So we all piled in his car, grabbed some wendys then hiked up the mountian. It was a good hike and was kind of brisk honestly. However, I manned up and got some sweet lung burn. We got to the top and just goofed off and took lots of pictures.

After we got back to his house we went to a local bar and had dinner, then went to his house and watched "Star Trek" and just hung out some more.

I said all of that to say this....I drove up from Atlanta for his birthday and it was worth it.
I think every one should sacrifice some time for eachother.
It dosnt take a lot....and man it usually ends up a good time with good people.

There are 4 tornados running around Atlanta tonight, so I think I am going to hid in the bath tub for a little while with some chinese.

who knows.

Be careful every one.

blog willfully omitted....

2009-02-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

I blatently did not write a valentines day blog....there were way too many already,.....and if you dont have your own views on love by now, then youre way behind and you should get your life together.

I couldnt be more useless today, I woke up at 745, fell back asleep at 10 am, woke up again at 1pm.
Ate some leftover fish, and bread, but....
thank god there is a "Dirty Jobs" marathon on.

I am driving to NC tonight for Ryans birthday tomorrow.
Get stoked and get your drink on, and by "drink on" I mean dont drink at all.

also.....i have cookie dough, and i am not afraid to eat it.....

ive gotta make some improvements

2009-02-13T11:20:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to blog more, but finding consistent internet and/or time to do it is a challenge to be sure.
I think I will try to get it done on my phone as well to increase my productivity!

In any case I spent the weekend in California, at Mammoth Mtn ski resort. We went up for a show sponsored by Vestal. It was super cold and a super long drive from LA...that we had to drive ourselves and our gear up in 2 passenger vans. We were supposed to be up there for 3 days but some of our people got in late so we spent the first night in LA. Which was fine, I didnt feel like driving after being in a plane for 6 hours already that day. So I just watched tv and went and found some pizza and a dr pepper....

We left the next morning for the resort and spent 6 hours driving through the mountians of southern california....which are pretty, pretty if you take my meaning.

The show went well for the most part, the TSA
sometimes loses things when they "inspect" our stuff so I was dangerously short on some supplies. However the show went well and the kids loved it....we got snowed in an extra day so that was cool/lame because I was anxious to get the return drive done to LA.

In any case I am in Atlanta now and went to see the "Cirque de Soleil" last night it was awesome. It was so cool to see something that you didnt have to suspend your disbelief for. It was truly amazing what those performers can do with themselves and how well they perform....I highly suggest going to see it.

Flying out for shows usually dosnt make me very tired or put me out at all, but the last two days I have been out of sorts because of the red eye flight I ended up taking back east.....its been a while since I have taken the red eye....

Its so strange how quiet everyone gets on an overnight flight....there is this sense of clergy on the aircraft. You can actually hear yourself think, they crew turns the lights out and there isnt any entertainment on. Usually in that situation I would be inclined to turn on my ipod and get lost in some Debussy, but for some reason, I watched 4 episodes of "Deadwood"

and I digress.

I woke up this morning from a dream about working at "Wendys"....that has set my day off thinking about frostys and french fries.....together.....

blogging aint what it used to be...

2009-02-08T07:43:00.001-08:00

this is jeff.
the guy up top with no beard...yea its probably blackmail material, but he was calling bullshit on hot chicks long before any of us had even kissed a remotely cute girl.

the guy in the middle who was happy to be part of our springdale family.

the guy on the bottom right who...is well, a saint or, just mildly inebriated in a horrible bar.

read jeffs blog, its funnier than any little video you find online today by reading reddit.

also...follow it publicly, and comment....lets blow up his spot so to speak.

http://insigniaticcancer.blogspot.com/

im taking a drive up to nashville today, ill be back tonight...yes, tonight. i have to pick up my cello before it goes to craigslist or some such internet swap shop. not to mention i want to play it.

just try not to expect too much from me and you might not be let down....

2009-02-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

Last night I stayed up very late with some friends and we talked about those we care about. It made me realize the reality of the idea....its not enough to be a good man....you must a be a good man who acts.

Living a life caught up in what people do for you is a horrible exsistence. In my line of work, I see people who only greet you because of what you can do for them or what they think you can do for them. I also see it in my personal life....girls who only stay with boys because of what they can do for them, or guys who only stay with girls because of what they do for them....forgone are the real reasons to be with someone or to befriend someone.

How can one carry on for years only concerned with what one person can provide for you?
Is there not much more to our living than being a bottom feeder for what others cast down to us?
Is not love so much more than what someone can buy for you?

I am not even necessarily talking about girlfriend/boyfriend...but friendship in general.
There is this huge gap where people are so selfish and they wonder why this friendship or this relationship just didnt work out....what they don't realize is that they expected those people to give things to them. However, when those people were so unknowingly expected to provide these arbitrary tokens....they were tossed aside because they didn't "come through"

I hate soap box speeches, but it weighs heavy on me to see people tossing aside amazing relationships because of what they "didnt get".
I guess my point is, make sure you aren't being abused in your relationships sure, but look to better those you love....expect almost nothing in return.

Chasing this idea of one sided expectations is completely out of line.
Love, its work, weather its your best friend whos having a rough day or its your girlfriend of 3 years.
Its tough out there, people are losing jobs and losing faith.....hold each other up.
Stop looking around for what people can do for you....help someone else.

Life isn't what we have, its what we give.

elusive internet!

2009-02-02T23:33:00.000-08:00

So I went to Hawaii for some shows and then L.A. and you wouldnt believe how hard it is to get internet on an island. Its like they barely know what "wifi" means when you ask for it.

In any case it was super rad and the people who put the shows on were super cool.
It was about 80 degrees every day, and I had some super legit sushi!
We did a total of 3 shows, one in Honolulu and 2 in Kona. I arrived on the 27th, so I could have a day to recover from 12 hours in an airplane. When I landed it was partly sunny and super warm, and I was so starved I figured I should eat something quick. The first thing I saw was a Burger King. So I dove head first into a Whopper. Then headed to the hotel which was right on Waikiki beach...the room was awesome, but it started to rain....

Then I layed down in the room and fell asleep after a quick shower to wash the Airplane funk off of myself....I woke up the next day....and it was still raining...the first 2 day were pretty much a bust due to weather.

The second day the band and everyone else started showing up to the hotel so I got my day sheets and started planning the work I would be doing in the next 2 days. Chad and Pope showed up in full tourist gear....flip flops, flower shirts....looking like real pieces of work.....they managed to get hit on by some local men in the bar...so they got some attention out of it I suppose!

The 29th we hopped a small plane in the morning and headed to Kona on the big island. It is the biggest land area of the islands of Hawaii but has almost the smallest population....it is covered in dry lava....it was so beautiful and surreal to see all these houses and business built on top of volcanic rock.

So we set up at the venue and checked into an amazing hotel on the water, I then was forced to Dj the venue till the kids showed up. There was an under 21 show first and then a 21 and up show. Both went pretty well and the kids were stoked that we came. That island dosnt get many shows the venue wasnt very big but it was super nice.
The green room had a massage chair and tons of juice and a bar for the band with its own bartender.

The next morning we hopped back on our small plane and flew back to Honolulu.
We played the "Pipeline cafe" which is a pretty well known venue in Hawaii....

Its late and I just got to Ryans house.....ill update you on the LA show and tell you how I had IN n OUT burger.

Ill do that tomorrow.

2009-01-26T10:09:00.000-08:00

well.....tomorrow im leaving for Hawaii.
so today....im gonna eat wendys .
with zach in chapel hill.

ill be bringing my camera of doom with me to our 50th state of the union.
expect some pictures.

au revoir!

2009-01-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

I just woke up and I am watching the second day of the new presidential term.

It is very exciting.
I can imagine a new golden age in this place we live.

I am about to go to lunch with Ryan.
I just shaved.
I just took a shower.

It will be a good day.
I need to do laundry.....
So when I go to Hawaii I can have clothes that are clean.

Life is good.

disney, disney everywhere.

2009-01-17T23:30:00.000-08:00

Alright, so on Thursday I flew out to LA to do a show at the annual NAMM festival. Its a huge showcase for the music industry, something like 5,000 vendors showcasing new technology and products. It is where everyone comes to schmooze and hang out and connect with sponsors. The Shinys were playing a showcase for one of our main sponsors. We stayed at the Anaheim convention center Hilton.
It was a good time, I got to see a lot of new products, see a lot of famous musicians....GWAR was there so was the drummer for Poison....and across the hall were the crew for Black Label Society. party.....
There were tons of old rockers who have lived in a time warp for the last 20 years, long hair, that is obviously dyed and old enough to be my grandfather.

In any case I ate a lot of overpriced food, saw a lot of people I have worked with and some new sweet musical crap! Not to mention, I also got to see Billy Bob Thorton play some sweet rockabilly, with Unknown Hinson playing bass for him....

So to the good part. Our hotel was adjacent to Disneyland, and as you might know, i love disney....i love it.....so today after our showcase I took a shuttle there....I went in and got a nice dinner on main street, and watched the people walk in and out. Then I rode all my favorite Disneyland rides, Mr Toads, Pinocchio, Pirates. After I rode Pirates, I sat at the cafe near the ride and had some sweet dessert and coffee.
I also got to ride the Finding Nemo submarine adventure ride....that is awesome...i love submarines, someone should buy me one...seriously.

I gotta say, what a great time in L.A.
What a great time in Disneyland.

So tonight Im just in my hotel, catching up on emails and different things because we just got some more tour dates confirmed. That means youll be seeing me soon I should imagine.

Disney is friggin sweet.

slow day, sunday.

2009-01-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

Well its a gloomy Sunday here in North Carolina. I am at my friend Ryans house, and I have basically been organizing my stuff all day. Making "to do" lists. I am so bored, but I shined my shoes, organized my reciepts, got everything ready to get some errands run this week. I am in the living room listening to music as Ryan and his Fiance do whatever it is that engaged people do on Sundays...probably involves talking about the week or mowing the grass. Married dialouge is a mystery to me.

So I just had 2 peanut butter and blackberry jam sandwiches, and a glass of milk....I feel sluggish.
I know this blog is supposed to be about travel and tour, and it will be I promise! I just have a few weeks off! So give me a break! I am getting used to blogging.

Im gonna go look at camera lenses online.
Then go out to dinner for my friend RJs birthday.

Have a good Sunday all you suckers.

also...in addition, by the way.

2009-01-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

I have a budding interest in photography.
Here are some things I have done.

flickr.com/photos/speedbump3030

theres this band

2009-01-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

So as some of you might know I just came off of tour for the year. There was a band on this last leg, they are called "the delta fiasco" they are like a dark, electronic "joy division." You should check them out....if you like good.

I am sitting in Atlanta, Ga, and its a gloomy day, and I just have a sigur ros dvd on as I work on some photos. I am very hungry and I just may walk down to the Chick Fil A down the street and see if they will give me some waffle fries.

I have the month off which is strange for me considering I was on tour from March 15th of last year till December 13th. I am enjoying my time, but I am always working on small projects, weather it is reading up on how to repair things or researching equipment.

Its terribly important to always get better I think.

I am heading out to NAMM next week which will be amazing, I am looking forward to it as I have never been. It is pretty much fashion week for the music industry. Not to mention it is held in LA, and who can say no to "In N Out." Not me, thats for sure.

Seeing as how I have never kept even so much as a journal in my life this is a lot to write in one day.
More to come tomorrow.

2009-01-06T12:38:00.001-08:00

I am a guitar tech. That means I fix guitars for people who play them. So you have probably seen my work and have no idea that I was even there.
Its a new year and I thought I would start a blog about what I do and what I am lucky enough to see and be a part of in life.