NYE

Quasi (as The Who), Shaky Hands, and Inside Voices at Doug Fir New Years Eve. Pre sales are sold out but they are releasing 50 tix tomorrow at 6 at the box office I think. I've got a cold, hoping to be in playing shape by then, taking it easy. It was an eventful year fo' sho. Here's to a perfect 10!

On the Blazers.

Being gone for 10 weeks was not easy. The hardest part was being away from the first quarter or so of this Blazers, my Blazers season. A season of much hope, hype and speculation. Of course before I am even able to watch a full game in the comfort of my own home, there is barely a team left. Outlaw, Batum. Then Rudy, and...Oden. Then Nate, and, you've got to be kidding, Pryzbilla?!!! ( not to mention owner Paul Allen, and Patty Mills) all out for the count.
Then, tonight, Brandon Roy, is out with a (hopefully temporary) shoulder injury. And we have to finish a brutal road trip (I can relate) in San Antonio?!! Can this last? How can it? But this squad tonight,and only in slightly lesser extent last night as well, played with more heart than any Blazer team that has taken the floor this season. The boys came together to win each quarter, each rebound, each possession and finish off an amazin 3-1 road trip and going 4-1 in the last 5 games. Just so happens to be the 5 games AFTER I got back. Coincidence? Nah. Daddy's home.

We're Baaaaaaack

More to come...............

Did It

Bottom of the Hill was kinda crazy. Sold out, which was a nice way to go out. My goal was to get wasted, and it was an unbridled success. Nick stayed w/his fam and the three of us trucked it after the show, and now, home, let the decompress begin. Otis has his winter fur. My room is in a shambles and my plants are dead. Great to be back though. Goodnight.

LA. On the way

Up and about to head to Intelligencia to get fueled up for the drive to SF and then home. Great show last night at the Bootleg Theater. New fave place to play in LA great sound and people. Angus, always the man, hookin us up with the best taco trucks and the sweetest killer accomodations for I don't know how many years running but the guy is a saint. These last few days have been a lot of fun and a great way to wrap up this long road. Tonight at Bottom of the Hill should be fun, then we gonna load right out and try to be in Portland by noon. Lets do this dang thing.

Phoenix, not the band. Are they a dance band?

Rhythm Room. We kinda always kill it here. Tonights greatness, was very much due to the graciousness of new mom to be Aubrey Salter. Long overdue free massage, and damn if I don't feel like a chill ass champ. Big ups to Chris Kirkwood for hangin and makin us laugh our asses off again.Big ups to the return of the 'JOGGERS' liscence plate. Ummmm yea same old story, comin home. Man what a great day off yesterday. It's umm nice in the SW, sun, desert, cactus, y'know that stuff. Hot tubs pools. Massages. I mean sorry gotta go get back on the bus.........and I woke up. So...
It's end of the year list time, and I gotta say it was damn hard to come up w/ a top 10 records of this year.Actually I can't even do 10. 5 tops. New music suucks. This thing that grandmoms and 11 year olds call Indie is OVER it's bloated and bullshit and today's hairmetal (which ruled) wait what?. Then u got you're Jay Reo-tard. Oh genius. I'm a 1/4 of Nirvana but I give u the finger more and piss on stage. Ooooooh! Skuzzzzzzzz punk. whooopidy dooo. Don't get me started. Sports and Steely Dan forever! Grow a pair Grizzly Bear!

Peace

68...

...down. 3.6 to go....................................

Ok City

Had a decent show. Probably the best one at that venue. This tour I've been really noticing the numbers of appearances at certain venues. This was numero 4 for the Conservatory in OkC. The place is slightly improving, structurally, each time, and I guess show wise too. Hard as we tried, no adequate accomodations so, yep all night drive to Austin. Arrived at our friend Laura's at 8am. Yea. feel weird. And of course we play LATE 12:45. Counting the shows in Austin would be impossible with 4 SXSW's w/ 3 bands, and just touring thru here regularly. Dallas tomorrow ALSO w/ an all night drive to follow. Relax day in Las Cruces (thanks dad) then Phoenix, LA, SF all night drive, HOME. Lots o' good friends here. Gonna do my best to have some fun, if it's ok with you.

Tie Rods

Been up since 7am. Killing time, didn't get out of Cinci. Slept in the Firestone parking lot, waiting for them to open. Now killing time in a bookstore until we can pay $450 to get the van back in road shape and head to St. Louis. Oh the joy of it!

CinciTucky

I guess we're in a Cinci suburb that's in Kentucky. I DON'T care. I drove almost 8 hrs in a downpour and could give 2 s-hits about any of these shenanigans. It's still raining and reigning. Our tourmates for the next week are doing their thing.......We did ours and I shouldn't have had that Lee's Fried Chicken. Man alive this biz. Just heard Rudy's down for 4-6 weeks. How am I s'posed to get thru this? I kid, it aint all that bad, but man if u knew the kind of crap you have to sit thru/ put up with, many of you know. I dunno maybe it's the midwest, or bands 18-22 or something but my lord, I just think about my grandfather, the only one that I knew, and what he went through in his life, and where he ended up. It helps because he had a crazy life. I don't know the half of it, but in brief, he was shot down in the Korean War, and stranded on an island. Never talked about it, was gruff but also a lot of fun. This is nothing, but I feel like him sometimes w/the agitation I feel from time to time, and this trip has made me a man. Thinking about you Bob here in whateversville, Whatever. I love you, and I'm havin' a scotch on the rocks for ya.

DAY 61, Memphis

Night off last night, Jessica Jones rules, put us up in her new house, and escorted us to see Bill Callahan last night. He played at the Hi Tone, where we will be playing tonight. It was a nice mellow evening and an interesting all around show. The opener, as well as BC's drummer, was Neal Morgan. Just drums and voice. Something close to my heart, and something I've only attempted maybe twice. Was cool, and surprise, lives in Portland, in my neighborhood, and works at the drum shop next door to TIGA. I tell ya this small world of ours. Was nice to meet and talk drums for a bit. I was way too tired to be any more social than I was, which was barely breathin'. The middle band, Lights, was interesting in that throughout the set I would observe: Oh cool, then ooh k maybe not, then alright, oh wait, nope they can't play, oh, they CAN play, hmm. Again, wish I had just a tad more energy to have talked to them as well, I mean they are an all girl band. Callahan was great, nice dance moves, looking fit, and sounded great. I also have to admit that I was comforted by the size of the crowd. There were as many (or I should say as little) folks in attendance as when we were last here with the Thermals, and I think less people than when I was there with Grails. Tonight, big Monday, might not fare so well, but at least we'll be in good company. However, our show is FREE and w/ 2 locals including Jessica. Should be fun. Just straight killing time today. Because it's monday, everything cool is closed. No Stax museum. No best BBQ joint in Memphis up the street. Time is not on my side as far as trying NOT to think about just wanting to get home. One positive factor is after yesterday, only ONE more day off this tour. And after tonight we join the Rural Alberta Advantage. A band I know little about, but they're Canadian (usually meaning nice, though Wayne Coyne might object) and our mates for the next 8 or 9 days. It definitely helps to have familiar faces each day, and folks to help shoulder the brunt of a grinding December tour. So, yea, umm how are things with you? Oh yea? Huh cool, well hope to see you soon then. Ok. yup. uh huh. Bye bye.

Keepin On

So, we're in Atlanta right now. We all slept in the van last night at a rest stop. We haven't done that in so long it was almost fun. Played Charlotte to a capacity crowd of not many. Place was a dump but the staff was nice and played big screen Wii. Played just 8 songs but killed it and played Harry Nillsson's "Jump Into The Fire" for the first time, and it went off pretty well. Baltimore fell into a similar category as far as stage intensity. Played in a restaurant, was ok but we got outta there as quickly as we could. Really we are just trying to take it as easy as we can just trying to stay healthy and sane to get home by the 17th. Tonight is our last night playing w/ DC band US Royalty. I have no idea what to expect. It is a saturday, but shows haven't been particularly well attended since we've been back in the states. People must be saving their Xmas money. I don't really care too much. Of course I'd love a great show or 10, but I just want to get home. We have a day off to get to Memphis tomorrow. definately hitting the Stax museum on Monday, if it's open (please). We missed it last time w/ The Thermals and they rubbed in our faces how great it is.

Don't know exactly what to expect upon return home except, max chilling, cat petting, buddy catching up-ing and putting together a new plan of attack for the new year. And I'm in the market for a guitar. AAAaaaaaaalright...exhale.

Brooklyn

Well, back at it US style. Pretty fun night at the newish Knitting Factory Bklyn. Quite the improvement on our last time there at CMJ where we played for single digits. Earlier in the day had a random Barnhill encounter, lunch in Little Italy, then of course some shoppin'. Bro'd down w/the Tim P and talked Joggers, and of course got nowhere but frustrated. Was nice to play on my own gear again, even though it needs some serious repairing. Another night at Josh's, who opened the show last night splendidly. I love his jams. We're off to Baltimore tonight. Should be interesting, to say the least. At this point, each mile just gets us closer to home. Looks like a nice day here and we don't have to be in Baltimore til 9:30 so I better get after it........