Tour Pt.9

Tour Self Portrait/Going Home.

I'm back in my dorm room. Its been 4 days since I've showered. I'm tired, I have homework to do but I've been editing pictures all day, reliving our east-coast tour. Undoubtedly, we'll be on the road again soon, doing some kind of similar route. We're releasing a split 7" with the Gnarly Whales, which we will be touring to support.

We played in New Brunswick, New Jersey last night with the Frontbottoms. They played in Lowell a little while ago and I coordinated with Brian to set a show up. They are so good. Tyler and I agreed, Brian has a really interesting way of describing things in his lyrics. They have awesome energy. I hope they come back to Lowell soon.

After we left Virginia Beach, we got to drive over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. The Eastern Shore is a weird area of the country. That's where Purdue murders Chickens. People become slaves to Purdue when they agree to raise chickens for them. They take out extensive loans to build the chicken houses and pay gigantic percentages of their income to Purdue in order to pay off the loans. Any updates or maintenance is payed for by the Chicken Farmer and anything done out of line puts them at risk for breaching their contract. Its like share-cropping, except completely condoned by the government (mostly cause Purdue is far more wealthy than the US gov). Its a land of old plantation homes, with acres and acres in between each one. I suppose they feel awfully isolated from the rest of the state out there. There is also a lot of poverty around there and I get the feeling it is the beginning of a corporate takeover.

On a lighter note, it was a really beautiful drive. I was sad to be heading north, away from all of our new friends and wonderful memories. I really hope that some of the bands we played with on tour will make it up our way. I know we're both dying to help people out.

I feel like we were the witness to the birth of some wonderful things for music on the east coast. I have my fingers crossed for the continued success of Internationalist Books, The Hangar, The Great Valley, Artman's Skate/Arcade, The Bathhouse and everyone else who helps make music accessible to everyone. Music builds communities and changes lives. Tyler and I are the luckiest people in the world to be able to tour and bring our music around the country. We wouldn't be able to do it without the communities that welcome us so warmly.

I don't want to be here in my dorm room. It's true that I would rather be on the road, but when I think about WUML, Mt.Vernsworth, the Sockhop, the Ant Cellar, Lowell and Behold, and all the fantastic things that are happening in Lowell, Massachusetts, I realize that we are no different then the places I mentioned above. We are community of people who love music. We want to hear it in Lowell, we want to make it in Lowell. This is our place, and our time to do what so many people around this country SHOULD be doing. There will always be a place for musicians to play in Lowell, and so long as I reside here, there will always be a warm meal and a floor for touring bands to sleep on.

That's all for now. Thanks again to everyone who helped make this tour a success. We weren't disappointed in a single show. I can't wait to hit the road again.