::wheels will roll::
so we are now about half-way through our tour with death cab for cutie. i am sitting in our bus at the merriweather pavillion, just outside of washington DC.
we have been feeing the whirlwind of global warming, political turmoil, synaptic firing and mis-firing and the constant reminder that we are the late bloomer, the perpetual underachiever, the long-lost step cousin.
in short, we have been an "opening band".
to be honest, the shows we headlined in europe in may were not always that well-attended. there was one show we played in birmingham, england in which only a few souls showed up. however, our record was not even released yet in england, so what else can you expect? the record just came out there, so next time we are there we will see what is what. sometimes though, you can feel the strong current of the powers that be holding you back. let us do some general math, shall we: at present, most euro currency is close to 2:1 to US currency, fuel prices are skyrocketing, airlines charge $50-$75 for every extra piece of luggage and sometimes $150 for every piece of luggage over 50 lbs (think of how much luggage/gear a band needs to bring), and guarantees for bands in venues has stayed the same. something does not add up here. how is this sustainable?
so now we return to the relative present. we kicked off the tour with death cab at the sasquatch festival. we were playing a late afternoon time slot, just before the illustrious mates of state. after the struggle of the euro tour, we were happy to see so many faces when we started our set. thousands of sunshine-filled faces. people singing some words they knew, mumbling some ones they didn't. it felt like our saddle had been returned to us.
and now the tour is in full swing. every night, we step onto the stage with the lights a static golden yellow and red. the sun is usually on its way down the horizon, and you can feel the cool wind of the evening beckoning death cab and its legion of fans. i never thought we would play on a tour of this scale, and it really is nice to not only perform as part of the tour, but to also have nightly VIP seats that let us watch as death cab marches on, being a better and better band, even as the years keep moving forward. we are grateful to be just a small part of it.
but for now, the only thing i can think about is that it is noon and already 95 degrees out, and climbing. they say there is a heat wave across the northeast for the next week. heat makes me sleep and sleep makes me fuzzy. but we have a set to play tonight and i must sharpen my focus and remember that when you are the opening band, there are no free rides. you have to earn the respect of those that did not pay to see you. it is a long burn, but well worth it. i think about the job i had before all of this, and i quietly laugh.
luckily, there is AC on the bus. it is monday, and i couldn't be happier.....
26 days ago by zach
so we are now about half-way through our tour with death cab for cutie. i am sitting in our bus at the merriweather pavillion, just outside of washington DC.we have been feeing the whirlwind of global warming, political turmoil, synaptic firing and mis-firing and the constant reminder that we are the late bloomer, the perpetual underachiever, the long-lost step cousin.
in short, we have been an "opening band".
to be honest, the shows we headlined in europe in may were not always that well-attended. there was one show we played in birmingham, england in which only a few souls showed up. however, our record was not even released yet in england, so what else can you expect? the record just came out there, so next time we are there we will see what is what. sometimes though, you can feel the strong current of the powers that be holding you back. let us do some general math, shall we: at present, most euro currency is close to 2:1 to US currency, fuel prices are skyrocketing, airlines charge $50-$75 for every extra piece of luggage and sometimes $150 for every piece of luggage over 50 lbs (think of how much luggage/gear a band needs to bring), and guarantees for bands in venues has stayed the same. something does not add up here. how is this sustainable?
so now we return to the relative present. we kicked off the tour with death cab at the sasquatch festival. we were playing a late afternoon time slot, just before the illustrious mates of state. after the struggle of the euro tour, we were happy to see so many faces when we started our set. thousands of sunshine-filled faces. people singing some words they knew, mumbling some ones they didn't. it felt like our saddle had been returned to us.
and now the tour is in full swing. every night, we step onto the stage with the lights a static golden yellow and red. the sun is usually on its way down the horizon, and you can feel the cool wind of the evening beckoning death cab and its legion of fans. i never thought we would play on a tour of this scale, and it really is nice to not only perform as part of the tour, but to also have nightly VIP seats that let us watch as death cab marches on, being a better and better band, even as the years keep moving forward. we are grateful to be just a small part of it.
but for now, the only thing i can think about is that it is noon and already 95 degrees out, and climbing. they say there is a heat wave across the northeast for the next week. heat makes me sleep and sleep makes me fuzzy. but we have a set to play tonight and i must sharpen my focus and remember that when you are the opening band, there are no free rides. you have to earn the respect of those that did not pay to see you. it is a long burn, but well worth it. i think about the job i had before all of this, and i quietly laugh.
luckily, there is AC on the bus. it is monday, and i couldn't be happier.....
26 days ago by zach
goodbye, evan
we want to let you all know we have some very sad news to share. late last week, our former bass player and friend evan farrell was killed in a house fire accident. for anyone who knew and loved evan, this is a time of profound shock and sadness.
if you ever saw evan play music (with us or with the many other bands he has played with over the years), you would know he was an exceptional and passionate musician. and if you ever had the chance to hang out with him, you would have no doubt been laughing at some point, because he was one of the funniest and most charismatic people ever. always the extravert, evan was meant for the stage. sometimes i almost felt he was from some other time, some other place.
he had more friends than anyone i know. they are all grieving right now, yet also trying to celebrate the life of someone who was so special to so many people.
evan is survived by his wife and two children. a memorial paypal fund has been set up to help his family through this time. anything you can do would be greatly appreciated.
here's to remembering evan and all the people's lives he touched.
6 months ago by zach
we want to let you all know we have some very sad news to share. late last week, our former bass player and friend evan farrell was killed in a house fire accident. for anyone who knew and loved evan, this is a time of profound shock and sadness.if you ever saw evan play music (with us or with the many other bands he has played with over the years), you would know he was an exceptional and passionate musician. and if you ever had the chance to hang out with him, you would have no doubt been laughing at some point, because he was one of the funniest and most charismatic people ever. always the extravert, evan was meant for the stage. sometimes i almost felt he was from some other time, some other place.
he had more friends than anyone i know. they are all grieving right now, yet also trying to celebrate the life of someone who was so special to so many people.
evan is survived by his wife and two children. a memorial paypal fund has been set up to help his family through this time. anything you can do would be greatly appreciated.
here's to remembering evan and all the people's lives he touched.
6 months ago by zach
handsome neck
and so it begins again....
it's easy to get comfortable in your own life and just want to stay home for a little while. but the new record is out and it is exciting to start playing these songs. our friend dominic is playing with us now too, so there's more happening onstage. there's more chaos, i think. more of a feeling that anything can happen at any given moment.
so far, we have played the west coast (san diego up to seattle) and every show has been unique and great. people that have chosen to come out and see the band have had so much energy. we played a show on a monday night in portland, and even though i broke 3 strings, 2 guitar straps, and 1 amp, it was somehow a perfect night. we went to the doug fir after the show, had a bite to eat. thank god we steered clear of the donut onion rings. yikes. some super nice dudes from pretty girls make graves and the blood brothers were there. i think they are in a new band called jaguar love. look out for em.
after our show in seattle, this severely drunk couple walked by us as we loaded the trailer. in a slurred voice, they asked us what our band was called. pat said "pencil neck". "handsome neck?", they asked. "yes, handsome neck", he answered. as they walked away, i heard them laugh and say "great. we're gonna go home and jerk off to your music..."
so there you have it, folks. we are now handsome neck. a new era is upon us.
talk soon,
zach
9 months ago by zach
and so it begins again....it's easy to get comfortable in your own life and just want to stay home for a little while. but the new record is out and it is exciting to start playing these songs. our friend dominic is playing with us now too, so there's more happening onstage. there's more chaos, i think. more of a feeling that anything can happen at any given moment.
so far, we have played the west coast (san diego up to seattle) and every show has been unique and great. people that have chosen to come out and see the band have had so much energy. we played a show on a monday night in portland, and even though i broke 3 strings, 2 guitar straps, and 1 amp, it was somehow a perfect night. we went to the doug fir after the show, had a bite to eat. thank god we steered clear of the donut onion rings. yikes. some super nice dudes from pretty girls make graves and the blood brothers were there. i think they are in a new band called jaguar love. look out for em.
after our show in seattle, this severely drunk couple walked by us as we loaded the trailer. in a slurred voice, they asked us what our band was called. pat said "pencil neck". "handsome neck?", they asked. "yes, handsome neck", he answered. as they walked away, i heard them laugh and say "great. we're gonna go home and jerk off to your music..."
so there you have it, folks. we are now handsome neck. a new era is upon us.
talk soon,
zach
9 months ago by zach
