Due to some unforeseen complications, I was only able to make it to Coachella for Sunday, but I definitely packed in all the acts I could. All and all, Sunday was one of the better days on paper anyway. Coachella is a festival of sound and lights unlike any other. Here's what I saw:
The first act I caught was Local Natives. Their debut effort, Gorilla Manor, has definitely grown on me since my first spin with it. I knew they would be something special live, but they definitely surpassed my expections. They played in one of the tents and had a pretty good crowd for that time of afternoon, with great crowd reactions. The fans seemed to feed off their crisp harmonies, which echoed across the tent smooth as silk. The band members definitely had a "I can't believe we're playing Coachella, this has been a dream of ours" moment, and damn near gave me goosebumps in 95 degree heat.
After that, we rolled down to Deerhunter on the mainstage. It was interesting seeing them in the light of day (I had only seen them once in a small club), their form of music seems like it would benefit from the cloak of night. But, surprisingly, the summer sunshine seemed to give them a surfier vibe I hadn't picked up on before. The set's highlight came when Lockett's guitar was malfunctioning and frontman Bradford Cox filled in time with an impromptu acoustic ditty about Coachella and the probability of various children being conceived as a result. Classic.
The choice between Julian Casablancas (from the Strokes) and Jonsi (from Sigur Ros) was tough, but the group went with Julian. He kept up his typical machismo and swagger by donning sunglasses and a leather jacket (in the desert.) Only Julian could make it look like it wasn't even contrived. Dude was probably born in a leather jacket. The set wasn't disappointing. His effortless croon kept things strutting along as they should. Fun. Plus they did a Strokes cover of "Hard to Explain" that rocked. Hard.
Miike Snow. Miike Snow's album has some killer tracks on it. I wondered how the band would present itself live and how electronic the setup would be. Turns out, they perform as a 5 piece live band (with some backing tracks). They really sounded clean and looked sharp. They were wearing white "phantom of the opera" type masks. Classy.
Phoenix. I've seen Phoenix before so I know they can throw down live. There crowd was absolutely massive. I mean huge, the biggest I saw all day (besides Gorillaz). The crowd seemed to know a ton of lyrics and the band seemed to be having the time of their lives. Total victory.
Pavement. Phoenix pretty much jacked Pavement's crowd. I guess even an epic reunion like that can't pull the people from a hype machine like Phoenix. I've always heard that Pavement was never a festival band, and I kind of get it now. Their brand of quirky indie songs are best enjoyed alone in your room as opposed to a big outdoor venue. But still, mad respect for Pavement.
I went to the festival with some friends that are great fans of electronic dance music (EDM.) Although this isn't my particular cup o' tea, I will say that I appreciate electronic sounds and hey, lets face it, sometimes dance music is flat out fun. The Sahara Tent at Coachella is about as fun of a venue for such a thing as you can imagine. A massive sound system that wraps the whole tent. A stage set with lighting rigs beyond comprehension. As the sun was setting, it was time to move to the dance tent.
Orbital put on a solid set. Solid beats. Solid lighting / visual stage production. Then came Plastikman. I guess this guy doesn't really do this performance too often and it was a highly anticipated show that cost many thousand dollars to put on. Whatever Coachella paid for this act, it was well worth it. The DJ was surrounded by a cylinder that covered his entire booth. The cylinder was lit with LCD type screens (or projections) that were not unlike a Winamp "Visualizer"... crazy psychedelic fractal-type images that seemed to ebb and flow with the music's every bend. The images never formed any real object, only colors, lines, swirls and shapes that were like an extension of the music, fascinatingly beautiful and diverse, morphing into different formations for each part / song. Some loonies were passing out kaleidoscopic glasses to everyone in sight for the show (Were they hired by Plastikman to do this as part of the experience? I'll never know.) Regardless, the result was unlike anything I've experienced. A masterful combination of sound, visual and kaleidoscopic madness. I now think I understand this wave of culture, this EDM experience. The EDM regulars seemed to understand how significant this performance was. They deployed thousands of glowsticks and formed a mound of them in the center of the crowd, swimming through them in delight. God bless Coachella. Haven for the crazies.
Thom Yorke. Of course it was amazing. It was Thom Yorke. Couldn't really get up too close cause it was massively populated, but this minimal techno low-key set was very calming after the intensity of the Sahara Tent.
We closed the night out with Gorillaz. It was the final act of the festival and was unrivaled by other performances at the end of the night, so I can't even imagine how many people stood before the great LCD screen that covered the entire Coachella mainstage for this monstrously huge production. Lord knows how much it cost to put on this show. The animations flowed through the entire set, giving the audience constant eye candy for the entire hour and a half set. Gorillaz has never been my thing, but I can honestly say that I was entertained and pleased throughout the duration. It would be tough to hate on.
Gotta make it all three days next year. It's an experience unlike any other. Yayyy Coachella.
5.19.2010
4.12.2010
Let's Catch Up
Things have been busy here at A Life of Science camp. Hard at work on our sophomore album, the sequel to The Apneist. The storyline picks up right where the last one left off. The demos we're recording are starting to come together, so I'm sure it won't be long til we hit the studio to record. Feeling great about the whole thing.
In other Apneist-related news, The Apneist novel is nearing completion. We are completing our edits. More news on that to come. As far as the comic book side of the project, our new artist is hard at work on the next chapter, The Apneist Issue #1. Lots of video projects in the works as well. Stay tuned.
The band got together to play some shows over the weekend. We had a venue show on Friday night. It was our first show in nearly 6 months! It felt great. Then on Saturday we played at Suitefest music festival by ASU campus. Great turnout and great show altogether. We played with What Laura Says, Black Carl, The Wiley One, Katastro and Snake Snake Snakes. The pool party was legit too. Here's a few pics:
A Life of Science
A Life of Science
Black Carl
What Laura Says
A Life of Science
We will be heading out to Coachella this weekend to unwind and enjoy life. I'm really amped on the whole thing. Here's my highlights for each day:
Friday:
1. Grizzly Bear
2. Ra Ra Riot
3. Passion Pit
Saturday:
1. Camera Obscura
2. Hot Chip
3. Dirty Projectors
Sunday:
1. PAVEMENT!!!!!
2. Julian Casablancas
3. Thom Yorke
It's gonna be a time. I'll see you all out there!
In other Apneist-related news, The Apneist novel is nearing completion. We are completing our edits. More news on that to come. As far as the comic book side of the project, our new artist is hard at work on the next chapter, The Apneist Issue #1. Lots of video projects in the works as well. Stay tuned.
The band got together to play some shows over the weekend. We had a venue show on Friday night. It was our first show in nearly 6 months! It felt great. Then on Saturday we played at Suitefest music festival by ASU campus. Great turnout and great show altogether. We played with What Laura Says, Black Carl, The Wiley One, Katastro and Snake Snake Snakes. The pool party was legit too. Here's a few pics:
We will be heading out to Coachella this weekend to unwind and enjoy life. I'm really amped on the whole thing. Here's my highlights for each day:
Friday:
1. Grizzly Bear
2. Ra Ra Riot
3. Passion Pit
Saturday:
1. Camera Obscura
2. Hot Chip
3. Dirty Projectors
Sunday:
1. PAVEMENT!!!!!
2. Julian Casablancas
3. Thom Yorke
It's gonna be a time. I'll see you all out there!
1.07.2010
Hot Bizness
Let's start off today with some nice footage from Juan's Basement. For those that are unfamiliar, Juan's Basement is a show where a dude (in Chicago, I think) invites bands to stop by his house on their way through town to record a performance and chew the fat for a while. There's been some pretty rad guests in the past, including No Age, Liars, Broken Social Scene and The Walkmen, just to name a few. This week, Juan had the boys from Vampire Weekend over for a jamboree.
I'd also like to share this video from one of my favorites, Islands. Their third release, Vapours, was not my favorite of their records (even though it is amazing), but I am a faithful Nick Diamonds fan and will give a hearty chance to anything he releases. Not sure how, but they got budding film star Michael Cera (Superbad, Juno) to star in the video, stoned to the gills on LSD. I find this concept very amusing. You might too.
In case you haven't noticed. It's video day :) Here's an oldie but goodie. I chose it because the music and animation are equally innovative and perfectly synced. I'm also a huge fan of the lyrics and message. "Our work makes pretty little homes. Agenda suicide. The drones work hard before they die." None of us want to lie on our deathbed wondering why we worked like stiffs for our whole lives and didn't stop to smell the flowers. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant.
The next video is from my boy Bradford Cox from the band, Deerhunter. His melodies are always intriguing, his lyrics are always dark, and his songs are always expressive and moody. He operates under the name Atlas Sound when working solo (or with musicians other than the Deerhunter members). I was actually a fan of the last Atlas Sound record... pretty solid all the way through. This clip is from Pitchfork's "Surveillance" series, which combines intimate performance footage with random ass surveillance clips. In the clip, Bradford is on his own with a Line 6 looping pedal, throwing down. It's amazing what one man and his pedals can create.
I'll check back soon. My New Years resolution was to blog more :P
<3
I'd also like to share this video from one of my favorites, Islands. Their third release, Vapours, was not my favorite of their records (even though it is amazing), but I am a faithful Nick Diamonds fan and will give a hearty chance to anything he releases. Not sure how, but they got budding film star Michael Cera (Superbad, Juno) to star in the video, stoned to the gills on LSD. I find this concept very amusing. You might too.
In case you haven't noticed. It's video day :) Here's an oldie but goodie. I chose it because the music and animation are equally innovative and perfectly synced. I'm also a huge fan of the lyrics and message. "Our work makes pretty little homes. Agenda suicide. The drones work hard before they die." None of us want to lie on our deathbed wondering why we worked like stiffs for our whole lives and didn't stop to smell the flowers. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant.
The next video is from my boy Bradford Cox from the band, Deerhunter. His melodies are always intriguing, his lyrics are always dark, and his songs are always expressive and moody. He operates under the name Atlas Sound when working solo (or with musicians other than the Deerhunter members). I was actually a fan of the last Atlas Sound record... pretty solid all the way through. This clip is from Pitchfork's "Surveillance" series, which combines intimate performance footage with random ass surveillance clips. In the clip, Bradford is on his own with a Line 6 looping pedal, throwing down. It's amazing what one man and his pedals can create.
I'll check back soon. My New Years resolution was to blog more :P
<3
1.06.2010
A New Life
Hello all. Just wanted to check in and let everyone know whats new and awesome in the world of A Life of Science.
We have been hard at work on the follow up to The Apneist. Though we can't reveal the title of the new project just yet, I can tell you that it picks up right where The Apneist 1 left off.
The story for the new project is complete. It finds Jon Tate in a whole new set of adventures. The music side of things is coming along nicely. Almost all of the lyrics have been completed, which of course follow the story. The songs are all picked out and are currently being hammered and chiseled into well-manicured busts, 12 in total. It seems as if this album will have a more tranquil feel, but there will still be moments of heavy-handed rock to express the heavier story elements. There might even be some outright pop and dance moments as well if we are feeling saucy. And we very well may be.
The holidays were lovely and relaxing. Now its back to business. We are currently putting together a 2010 touring and Comicon schedule, so we might just end up in a town near you for an evening of delight. Cross your fingers.
As far as culture, I've been trying to pick up some new music whenever possible....
The new Vampire Weekend, Contra, has been the listen of the week. It's great to see the group integrate more electronics into their skeletal sound a la Rostam's side project, Discovery. The melodies are still catchy as ever. Still plenty of Paul Simon influence. Tough to resist the charms of V Dub. Some standouts are "White Sky," the galloping electronic beauty, which they've been playing live for some time now, as well as "California English," a wound-up schizo-pop song that finds Ezra speedily barking through some heavy voice correction. "Diplomat's Son" is also worth mentioning. It is the most epic ballad on the record using strings and voice loops to croon along at just the right pace.
It is also worth noting that Animal Collective have kept their streak of relevant releases with the Fall Be Kind EP. The first track,"Graze," was instantly familiar. I had listened to it a few times on a two year old live NPR performance from back in the day. It's amazing to think that they're playing their new material out years before it appears on albums. I guess that gives them time to hash out any inconsistencies or flaws in a hands-on way before it hits record. Brilliant. The other track that really caught my ear was "What Would I Want Sky," a sprawling song suite that is downright gorgeous. The last three songs are spacey and characteristic of Animal Collective B Sides. Def worth the listen though. These lads can do no wrong in my book. They've had me since Sung Tongs.
I also picked out some Pitchfork darlings for listening. The Real Estate album is very soothing. I like to have it on as backdrop music because it makes me feel like I'm in the countryside laying in tall tall grass with a glass of sweet tea in my hand. Nothing mind-blowing here, just some lush guitar landscapes and folksy flavor that let you drift away as you zone out on your computer.
I've also been digesting the Bear in Heaven album, Beast Rest Forth Mouth (great album name, by the way haha!) It's dark and brooding with some highly psychedelic atmospheric moments. It's downright chilling/haunting at times, so you gotta pick out the right moment to give it a spin... When you're feeling, uhh... haunted?
That's all for now. Be back soon.
<3
We have been hard at work on the follow up to The Apneist. Though we can't reveal the title of the new project just yet, I can tell you that it picks up right where The Apneist 1 left off.
The story for the new project is complete. It finds Jon Tate in a whole new set of adventures. The music side of things is coming along nicely. Almost all of the lyrics have been completed, which of course follow the story. The songs are all picked out and are currently being hammered and chiseled into well-manicured busts, 12 in total. It seems as if this album will have a more tranquil feel, but there will still be moments of heavy-handed rock to express the heavier story elements. There might even be some outright pop and dance moments as well if we are feeling saucy. And we very well may be.
The holidays were lovely and relaxing. Now its back to business. We are currently putting together a 2010 touring and Comicon schedule, so we might just end up in a town near you for an evening of delight. Cross your fingers.
As far as culture, I've been trying to pick up some new music whenever possible....
The new Vampire Weekend, Contra, has been the listen of the week. It's great to see the group integrate more electronics into their skeletal sound a la Rostam's side project, Discovery. The melodies are still catchy as ever. Still plenty of Paul Simon influence. Tough to resist the charms of V Dub. Some standouts are "White Sky," the galloping electronic beauty, which they've been playing live for some time now, as well as "California English," a wound-up schizo-pop song that finds Ezra speedily barking through some heavy voice correction. "Diplomat's Son" is also worth mentioning. It is the most epic ballad on the record using strings and voice loops to croon along at just the right pace.
It is also worth noting that Animal Collective have kept their streak of relevant releases with the Fall Be Kind EP. The first track,"Graze," was instantly familiar. I had listened to it a few times on a two year old live NPR performance from back in the day. It's amazing to think that they're playing their new material out years before it appears on albums. I guess that gives them time to hash out any inconsistencies or flaws in a hands-on way before it hits record. Brilliant. The other track that really caught my ear was "What Would I Want Sky," a sprawling song suite that is downright gorgeous. The last three songs are spacey and characteristic of Animal Collective B Sides. Def worth the listen though. These lads can do no wrong in my book. They've had me since Sung Tongs.
I also picked out some Pitchfork darlings for listening. The Real Estate album is very soothing. I like to have it on as backdrop music because it makes me feel like I'm in the countryside laying in tall tall grass with a glass of sweet tea in my hand. Nothing mind-blowing here, just some lush guitar landscapes and folksy flavor that let you drift away as you zone out on your computer.
I've also been digesting the Bear in Heaven album, Beast Rest Forth Mouth (great album name, by the way haha!) It's dark and brooding with some highly psychedelic atmospheric moments. It's downright chilling/haunting at times, so you gotta pick out the right moment to give it a spin... When you're feeling, uhh... haunted?
That's all for now. Be back soon.
<3
12.22.2009
Top 5 Albums of 2009
2009 was a great year for music. I was all over the map with my listening. Here's my year end list for top 5 albums...
1. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
It was obvious to me from the first listen that Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was destined for blog love, indie stardom and car commercials. The whole album is wrapped in a glossy sheen of candied production that makes it tough not to jump on board. Thomas Mars' "of Montreal-esque" croon soars above the crisp "Strokes-esque" pop structures like butter across a muffin. The boys hit the mark on this one, setting a new standard for indie pop records... "effortless" style with undeniably catchy melodies. Home run.
2. The Dear Hunter - Act III: Life and Death
Former The Receiving End of Sirens member Casey Crescenzo's current concept project makes The Decemberist's concept albums seem like elementary school book reports in comparison. Casey's Act III (of a 7 part series!) plays out like a broadway musical on steroids, combining rich classical compositions of strings, synths and bells with cutting edge rock riffs to create an experience that puts you in the driver's seat of a cruel story from ages past. The vocals are flawless in arrangement and performance. The songs are varied and fresh. This is a marvel in production and concept; technically jarring and emotionally stunning.
3. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
One of my favorite aspects of "My Maudlin Career" is its timelessness. Push play now and it sounds like a modern classic. Play it 40 years ago and it would have fit right in with the Doo Wop girl groups of the time. Tracy Anne Campbell's woeful tales of failed romance and longing hit home with anyone who's ever had a broken heart. The soundtrack of heart-wrenching strings, weeping guitar and warm brass lead Tracy's lovesick ballads along a path of sadness with glints of silver lining speckled among the clouds.
4. The Devil Wears Prada - With Roots Above and Branches Below
How did a trendy breakdown album of throat shredding screams, chugs and pinch harmonics sneak into my year end list? Simple. It permeated into my skin and fed the savage beast in me that wants to destroy. It's rare when I can get through a day without blasting through at least one track at high volume. The first minute of this album is so dissonant and horrifying that it hurts your heart to even listen. If you can stick it out, a gorgeous symphony of synths, strings and big choruses will reward you for enduring the violence that stabs its way across the album. The production on this opus dwarfs any post hardcore album this decade. The mathy chug patterns are infinitely fresh. The percussion is above and beyond that of its contemporaries with fills that are as swift as they are powerful. The guitars dance across the battlefield like two doves in love. The bar has been raised.
5. Passion Pit - Manners
This album made my list for one reason and one reason alone.... It makes me happy :). Nothing groundbreaking or innovative, just a collection of danceable and highly infectious tracks that makes you feel good all over. The vocals are ridiculous upon first listen, but once you realize that they are coming straight from the heart of frontman, Michael Angelakos, you will grab your balls and sing along convincingly, whether you match pitch or not. Michael certainly doesn't care... He flats notes all over the place and it just sounds charming. It's no wonder that these Boston kids are riding the buzz wave. Well-deserved.
Honorable Mentions:
Miniature Tigers - Tell It To The Volcano
Discovery - LP
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Islands - Vapours
1. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
It was obvious to me from the first listen that Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was destined for blog love, indie stardom and car commercials. The whole album is wrapped in a glossy sheen of candied production that makes it tough not to jump on board. Thomas Mars' "of Montreal-esque" croon soars above the crisp "Strokes-esque" pop structures like butter across a muffin. The boys hit the mark on this one, setting a new standard for indie pop records... "effortless" style with undeniably catchy melodies. Home run.
2. The Dear Hunter - Act III: Life and Death
Former The Receiving End of Sirens member Casey Crescenzo's current concept project makes The Decemberist's concept albums seem like elementary school book reports in comparison. Casey's Act III (of a 7 part series!) plays out like a broadway musical on steroids, combining rich classical compositions of strings, synths and bells with cutting edge rock riffs to create an experience that puts you in the driver's seat of a cruel story from ages past. The vocals are flawless in arrangement and performance. The songs are varied and fresh. This is a marvel in production and concept; technically jarring and emotionally stunning.
3. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
One of my favorite aspects of "My Maudlin Career" is its timelessness. Push play now and it sounds like a modern classic. Play it 40 years ago and it would have fit right in with the Doo Wop girl groups of the time. Tracy Anne Campbell's woeful tales of failed romance and longing hit home with anyone who's ever had a broken heart. The soundtrack of heart-wrenching strings, weeping guitar and warm brass lead Tracy's lovesick ballads along a path of sadness with glints of silver lining speckled among the clouds.
4. The Devil Wears Prada - With Roots Above and Branches Below
How did a trendy breakdown album of throat shredding screams, chugs and pinch harmonics sneak into my year end list? Simple. It permeated into my skin and fed the savage beast in me that wants to destroy. It's rare when I can get through a day without blasting through at least one track at high volume. The first minute of this album is so dissonant and horrifying that it hurts your heart to even listen. If you can stick it out, a gorgeous symphony of synths, strings and big choruses will reward you for enduring the violence that stabs its way across the album. The production on this opus dwarfs any post hardcore album this decade. The mathy chug patterns are infinitely fresh. The percussion is above and beyond that of its contemporaries with fills that are as swift as they are powerful. The guitars dance across the battlefield like two doves in love. The bar has been raised.
5. Passion Pit - Manners
This album made my list for one reason and one reason alone.... It makes me happy :). Nothing groundbreaking or innovative, just a collection of danceable and highly infectious tracks that makes you feel good all over. The vocals are ridiculous upon first listen, but once you realize that they are coming straight from the heart of frontman, Michael Angelakos, you will grab your balls and sing along convincingly, whether you match pitch or not. Michael certainly doesn't care... He flats notes all over the place and it just sounds charming. It's no wonder that these Boston kids are riding the buzz wave. Well-deserved.
Honorable Mentions:
Miniature Tigers - Tell It To The Volcano
Discovery - LP
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Islands - Vapours
12.01.2009
Time Stands Still
Dreadful of me to log off for such a postponed period. My apologies.
So where did I leave off? Buffalo. Yes, Buffalo. An unbelievable time. Played at a venue called Club Diablo that truly lived up to its name. A metal bar that was suited for Halloween year round. Skeletons, gargoyles, spider webs. Great place for a rock show. We played with some pretty badass groups. This is Voyage really tore things up right off the bat. Their electronicore was much appreciated by yours truly (I'm a closet The Devil Wears Prada fan, and these guys strongly resembled them.) The guys were young and excited. Their future is bright indeed. Kept in touch with them too. They emailed me their EP and it was pretty solid.
The band that we set that show up with is called The Bunny The Bear, a skitzo-electronicore band. Their concept is priceless. A big brooding vocalist in a vicious bear mask singing beautiful melodys while a smaller vocalist in a cute bunny mask throats out brutal screams. So fun. The Bunny got black out drunk and spent most of his time in the crowd; pushing, flailing, hitting his head against the wall/ground/stage... even vomiting (and wiping the remnants on the shirt of an unsuspecting girl haha.) Priceless. Great guys. Great times.
New York City was super dope. We had Comicon the first 3 days we were there. It was so cold and rainy out that we could barely hang. We wore every jacket and article of clothing we had and were still ice cold. We did get to stop at some really amazing pizza joints though. Must've had a slice every few hours while I was there. Got to have a rich and buttery NY cheesecake while I was there, too. Tasted like silk.
After the long Comicon days and afterparties, the crowds usually started heading to the bars. The nightlife in NY was glorious. We were hanging with a NY native who was able to herd us around like sheep to the destinations of our choosing. "Let's go to a bar with a big beer selection." "Follow me." Subway. Boom. There. "Okay, now let's go to a Hookah bar." Subway. Boom. There. "Okay, let's go to a bar with lots of girls." Subway. Boom. Bar by NYU loaded with girls. "Okay, karaoke bar." Boom. Korea Town. Golden.
We also got to go out one night for our manager's birthday. Went to a little Thai place in the lower east side. Delicious and huge trays of sushi for cheap as hell. Sake bombers. Bliss. Then our manager just had one request... for our guitarist, Anthony, to do a Wasabi snooter in his honor (You've all seen Jackass, right?). Well, he actually went through with it. Despite some gags, he actually kept his dinner down too. Very impressive. We went out around there and saw some legendary places (Cake Shop and a few other notorious venues.) Amazing night.
So, yeah. Now I'm at home in Phoenix recalling all the lovely times the road has to offer. I've been super productive since I got back. Wrote the next Apneist comic book. Started writing the next album / story concept. Got loads of web work done. But damn. I just can't stop thinking about the open road... Where I belong. FML.
Planning a huge 2010 so I can do all the things I want to do. Wish me luck. Back soon. Kisses.
So where did I leave off? Buffalo. Yes, Buffalo. An unbelievable time. Played at a venue called Club Diablo that truly lived up to its name. A metal bar that was suited for Halloween year round. Skeletons, gargoyles, spider webs. Great place for a rock show. We played with some pretty badass groups. This is Voyage really tore things up right off the bat. Their electronicore was much appreciated by yours truly (I'm a closet The Devil Wears Prada fan, and these guys strongly resembled them.) The guys were young and excited. Their future is bright indeed. Kept in touch with them too. They emailed me their EP and it was pretty solid.
The band that we set that show up with is called The Bunny The Bear, a skitzo-electronicore band. Their concept is priceless. A big brooding vocalist in a vicious bear mask singing beautiful melodys while a smaller vocalist in a cute bunny mask throats out brutal screams. So fun. The Bunny got black out drunk and spent most of his time in the crowd; pushing, flailing, hitting his head against the wall/ground/stage... even vomiting (and wiping the remnants on the shirt of an unsuspecting girl haha.) Priceless. Great guys. Great times.
New York City was super dope. We had Comicon the first 3 days we were there. It was so cold and rainy out that we could barely hang. We wore every jacket and article of clothing we had and were still ice cold. We did get to stop at some really amazing pizza joints though. Must've had a slice every few hours while I was there. Got to have a rich and buttery NY cheesecake while I was there, too. Tasted like silk.
After the long Comicon days and afterparties, the crowds usually started heading to the bars. The nightlife in NY was glorious. We were hanging with a NY native who was able to herd us around like sheep to the destinations of our choosing. "Let's go to a bar with a big beer selection." "Follow me." Subway. Boom. There. "Okay, now let's go to a Hookah bar." Subway. Boom. There. "Okay, let's go to a bar with lots of girls." Subway. Boom. Bar by NYU loaded with girls. "Okay, karaoke bar." Boom. Korea Town. Golden.
We also got to go out one night for our manager's birthday. Went to a little Thai place in the lower east side. Delicious and huge trays of sushi for cheap as hell. Sake bombers. Bliss. Then our manager just had one request... for our guitarist, Anthony, to do a Wasabi snooter in his honor (You've all seen Jackass, right?). Well, he actually went through with it. Despite some gags, he actually kept his dinner down too. Very impressive. We went out around there and saw some legendary places (Cake Shop and a few other notorious venues.) Amazing night.
So, yeah. Now I'm at home in Phoenix recalling all the lovely times the road has to offer. I've been super productive since I got back. Wrote the next Apneist comic book. Started writing the next album / story concept. Got loads of web work done. But damn. I just can't stop thinking about the open road... Where I belong. FML.
Planning a huge 2010 so I can do all the things I want to do. Wish me luck. Back soon. Kisses.
10.21.2009
Tour Update
I've been pretty bad about updating this thing with all the madness that goes along with touring. I'll try to recap this week's events as best I can recall...
Rockford, IL was a great stop for sure. Kryptonite Bar was a really rad place. The staff were all really cool and we were really well-received, especially because the owners are into comic books, so our concept definitely appealed to them. I'd love to stop there again next time we tour the midwest. I imagine that place gets pretty rockin on a Friday or Saturday night.
Chicago was amazing as always. We stayed at my friend Kyle's place and it was quite luxurious. We took over the basement, which is super lush. It's even got a cribs-style movie theater for when we had some downtime. We also got to stop at Portillo's for some Italian beef sandwiches. I've been craving them for years since I last was in the Windy City, so it definitely satisfied my urges for that succulent feast. The place we played at in Forest Park was so-so, but we got to share the stage with a rad band called The Sweeps from Chicago. They tore shit up. Especially when they busted out a cover of Arcade Fire's "Wake Up." Dominant.
After the Chi we headed off to Columbus for the Mid Ohio Comic Con. We were lucky enough to stay with a couple at their place in German Village. The neighborhood was amazing... cobblestone streets, tall old style homes, awesome local shops (my favorite of which was "The Book Loft," a 3-story maze of walls of books, dozens of themed rooms, each with their own ambiance).
The couple we stayed with, Phil and Deanna, pampered us all weekend long. They put us up in their attic, which was actually a dope lounge / bar / entertainment area, decked out in sick vintage furniture and 60's style antiques. They cooked for us, fed us beer, showed us around town, and overall were just plain amazing.
The Comic Con was fairly small, but it was a great way for us to get our sea legs for that type of thing.We are all super new to the comic world, so we needed some practice for the big events. We definitely made an impression on anybody that came near us, and we got to do a pretty badass acoustic set in the conference center. Everything was well-received and fun was had by all.
The Monday after Comic Con we hit the OSU campus up to promote for our show that night. The students were all pretty nice, and we met some good people that came to the show. Great day indeed.
Cincinnati was the first hiccup of the tour. The afternoon started off lovely. We found an amazing park in the woods to play some cornhole and had a very relaxing time. However, we arrived at the venue to find that we had been booked to play at 1:30am on a Tuesday with all hardcore bands from out of town with no draw. As we roamed the area outside the venue, the streets were completely empty, with the exception of some extremely seedy looking characters. We all got the same dark feeling in the pits of our stomachs, and mutually agreed that this was probably a dud. We later found out that our show was in the most dangerous neighborhood in America. No joke. Our hotel was pretty ridiculous too. Scott and Anthony went outside the room to have a cigarette and were approached by a crackhead looking to borrow a spoon. I'm sure Cincinnati is a great place, but the area we were in was just plain wretched. To make things worse, a little flu bug descended upon us as of that night.
We headed for Baltimore with much anticipation, ready to get far away from Cinci. The drive was lovely to say the least. It was my first time driving through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland, and I wasn't prepared for such breathtaking scenery. Loved it.
Baltimore is a very unique and fun city. The convention center for the Baltimore Comic Con was right by the harbor, which was loaded up with shops, restaurants and scenery. The Comic Con was much bigger than Ohio, and we got to premiere The Apneist Comic Book. It ended up being a very successful weekend. Over 8,000 people passed through on the first day alone, adorned in wild costumes, armed to the teeth with bags of comics, toys and freebies. The typical fare of Star Wars, Predator and Ghostbusters costumes were present, of course, but my favorite, hands down, was Powdered Toast Man (from Ren & Stimpy). Brilliant.
After a crabcake dinner at the harbor (an absolute must), we settled in for the night to rest up for New York. It wasn't a very far drive. Pulling up to New York City was an unforgettable experience. It doesn't even seem real. We saw Manhattan and the statue of liberty as we drove across the bridge. It felt almost overwhelming. We navigated through the city streets and found the venue, The Delancey, which was actually a really badass place. It is three stories high. We played downstairs, some very eclectic acts played in the middle floor, including a very talented cellist, who had a wicked loop station set up, and built songs from the ground up... big, swelling symphonies. Amazing. We also got to have some bomb New York pizza. Score. Gotta have each area's trademark cuisine. Got to.
Today, we drive out to Buffalo, New York, to play with some hard working bands from our same genre, who seem genuinely nice. Can't wait to rock out with them. It's starting to get pretty cold around these cities, so we are wrapped up in many layers. Today's drive might be the loveliest so far. Dense forests of multi-colored fall trees, bright yellow, burning red, forest green. Just amazing. Stopping for some grub now, then time for my driving shift. Ciao.
More tour videos!
http://www.modlife.com/alifeofscience
Rockford, IL was a great stop for sure. Kryptonite Bar was a really rad place. The staff were all really cool and we were really well-received, especially because the owners are into comic books, so our concept definitely appealed to them. I'd love to stop there again next time we tour the midwest. I imagine that place gets pretty rockin on a Friday or Saturday night.
Chicago was amazing as always. We stayed at my friend Kyle's place and it was quite luxurious. We took over the basement, which is super lush. It's even got a cribs-style movie theater for when we had some downtime. We also got to stop at Portillo's for some Italian beef sandwiches. I've been craving them for years since I last was in the Windy City, so it definitely satisfied my urges for that succulent feast. The place we played at in Forest Park was so-so, but we got to share the stage with a rad band called The Sweeps from Chicago. They tore shit up. Especially when they busted out a cover of Arcade Fire's "Wake Up." Dominant.
After the Chi we headed off to Columbus for the Mid Ohio Comic Con. We were lucky enough to stay with a couple at their place in German Village. The neighborhood was amazing... cobblestone streets, tall old style homes, awesome local shops (my favorite of which was "The Book Loft," a 3-story maze of walls of books, dozens of themed rooms, each with their own ambiance).
The couple we stayed with, Phil and Deanna, pampered us all weekend long. They put us up in their attic, which was actually a dope lounge / bar / entertainment area, decked out in sick vintage furniture and 60's style antiques. They cooked for us, fed us beer, showed us around town, and overall were just plain amazing.
The Comic Con was fairly small, but it was a great way for us to get our sea legs for that type of thing.We are all super new to the comic world, so we needed some practice for the big events. We definitely made an impression on anybody that came near us, and we got to do a pretty badass acoustic set in the conference center. Everything was well-received and fun was had by all.
The Monday after Comic Con we hit the OSU campus up to promote for our show that night. The students were all pretty nice, and we met some good people that came to the show. Great day indeed.
Cincinnati was the first hiccup of the tour. The afternoon started off lovely. We found an amazing park in the woods to play some cornhole and had a very relaxing time. However, we arrived at the venue to find that we had been booked to play at 1:30am on a Tuesday with all hardcore bands from out of town with no draw. As we roamed the area outside the venue, the streets were completely empty, with the exception of some extremely seedy looking characters. We all got the same dark feeling in the pits of our stomachs, and mutually agreed that this was probably a dud. We later found out that our show was in the most dangerous neighborhood in America. No joke. Our hotel was pretty ridiculous too. Scott and Anthony went outside the room to have a cigarette and were approached by a crackhead looking to borrow a spoon. I'm sure Cincinnati is a great place, but the area we were in was just plain wretched. To make things worse, a little flu bug descended upon us as of that night.
We headed for Baltimore with much anticipation, ready to get far away from Cinci. The drive was lovely to say the least. It was my first time driving through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland, and I wasn't prepared for such breathtaking scenery. Loved it.
Baltimore is a very unique and fun city. The convention center for the Baltimore Comic Con was right by the harbor, which was loaded up with shops, restaurants and scenery. The Comic Con was much bigger than Ohio, and we got to premiere The Apneist Comic Book. It ended up being a very successful weekend. Over 8,000 people passed through on the first day alone, adorned in wild costumes, armed to the teeth with bags of comics, toys and freebies. The typical fare of Star Wars, Predator and Ghostbusters costumes were present, of course, but my favorite, hands down, was Powdered Toast Man (from Ren & Stimpy). Brilliant.
After a crabcake dinner at the harbor (an absolute must), we settled in for the night to rest up for New York. It wasn't a very far drive. Pulling up to New York City was an unforgettable experience. It doesn't even seem real. We saw Manhattan and the statue of liberty as we drove across the bridge. It felt almost overwhelming. We navigated through the city streets and found the venue, The Delancey, which was actually a really badass place. It is three stories high. We played downstairs, some very eclectic acts played in the middle floor, including a very talented cellist, who had a wicked loop station set up, and built songs from the ground up... big, swelling symphonies. Amazing. We also got to have some bomb New York pizza. Score. Gotta have each area's trademark cuisine. Got to.
Today, we drive out to Buffalo, New York, to play with some hard working bands from our same genre, who seem genuinely nice. Can't wait to rock out with them. It's starting to get pretty cold around these cities, so we are wrapped up in many layers. Today's drive might be the loveliest so far. Dense forests of multi-colored fall trees, bright yellow, burning red, forest green. Just amazing. Stopping for some grub now, then time for my driving shift. Ciao.
More tour videos!
http://www.modlife.com/alifeofscience
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