I need to put more pictures up here. I keep forgetting. Or I'm just lazy. I also keep forgetting what day it is and where we are.
In Wilmington, a wildly inebriated man (of questionable homelessness) put on an amazing display of dance moves. His name was Chopper. I cannot wait to see the pictures that were taken of Chopper's dancing. He also repeatedly requested that we play "Billy Jean." But at the same time, he seemed to enjoy our music. Usually when folk bands get requests for Michael Jackson, it's a bad sign.
Places I want to move: Charleston SC, Richmond VA, Wilmington NC.
A guy today in Hartsville, SC, told us a fascinating story that ended with the phrase, "Five seconds is AN ETERNITY when you're locked inside a clothes dryer." That cracked me up.
He was one of the owners of The Midnight Rooster, a restaurant/bar/coffee shop in Hartsville.
We're playing at South By Southwest on Friday 3/14 and Saturday 3/15.
I think we'll be touring with Brian van der Ark in the fall. That's the latest plan I've heard. Boom.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
More Raising Up
After a week in Virginia, we decided that 7 days was too long without pimento cheese and came back to La Casa De Hew in NC. Last night we played at home for a group of about 15 of my parents' friends. One of the best shows of the tour, it included The Kristy Kruger Band's debut performance of Kool And The Gang's "Celebration" with Kristy Kruger on kazoo. The 30 minute show turned into more like 2+ hours. The festivities were capped with shot-taking and cigar smoking with Pops Hewett at some point in the morning. Then I fell asleep on the floor, watching "The Matrix Reloaded."
The highlights from VA were many - we played at an incredible place in Arlington called The Iota and opened for Brian van der Ark from The Verve Pipe. We'll definitely be doing more shows with him down the road, he's a swell gentleman. "Just a solid dude." There were many superstar sightings - Greg Harrell-Edge's mom; the Himes; Derek Moore; the Williams; The Ess and Sahar; and our lovely host Sarah Rand, her sister, and her crew of like 11 people.
We stayed at Matt Williams's house for a few nights that consisted of hours of Nintendo and playing with his dogs. At Sarah's house, she baked us cookies and got destroyed in our Jeopardy matchup. She was nice enough to show us the sights of Arlington - including The Lost Dog Cafe (I think they help you adopt pets - I don't get it) and The Silver Diner. The latter serves a mean eggs benedict, any day of the week, any time. Sarah's hospitality was remarkable - she made the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the world, and even put them in a lovely tin, complete with that fake pseudo-grass stuff that comes in Easter baskets and doesn't really make much sense.
Richmond, Virginia is beautiful. Old and beautiful. The Camel ("Richmond's Social Oasis") wasn't as beautiful, but was a wonderful way to spend an evening. Right before we started, my friends Andy and Sarah had to leave, cutting the size of the audience in half. I thought we'd be playing for the sound guys. But about 10 minutes into our show, a big crowd came in and I think we ended up playing in front of about 50 people. Intensity.
Dylan and I saw the U2 3D movie in IMAX. Heavenly sensory overload. The only problem was that they didn't spray you with water when there was water splashed on stage, like they do in Muppets 4D at Disneyland.
The highlights from VA were many - we played at an incredible place in Arlington called The Iota and opened for Brian van der Ark from The Verve Pipe. We'll definitely be doing more shows with him down the road, he's a swell gentleman. "Just a solid dude." There were many superstar sightings - Greg Harrell-Edge's mom; the Himes; Derek Moore; the Williams; The Ess and Sahar; and our lovely host Sarah Rand, her sister, and her crew of like 11 people.
We stayed at Matt Williams's house for a few nights that consisted of hours of Nintendo and playing with his dogs. At Sarah's house, she baked us cookies and got destroyed in our Jeopardy matchup. She was nice enough to show us the sights of Arlington - including The Lost Dog Cafe (I think they help you adopt pets - I don't get it) and The Silver Diner. The latter serves a mean eggs benedict, any day of the week, any time. Sarah's hospitality was remarkable - she made the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the world, and even put them in a lovely tin, complete with that fake pseudo-grass stuff that comes in Easter baskets and doesn't really make much sense.
Richmond, Virginia is beautiful. Old and beautiful. The Camel ("Richmond's Social Oasis") wasn't as beautiful, but was a wonderful way to spend an evening. Right before we started, my friends Andy and Sarah had to leave, cutting the size of the audience in half. I thought we'd be playing for the sound guys. But about 10 minutes into our show, a big crowd came in and I think we ended up playing in front of about 50 people. Intensity.
Dylan and I saw the U2 3D movie in IMAX. Heavenly sensory overload. The only problem was that they didn't spray you with water when there was water splashed on stage, like they do in Muppets 4D at Disneyland.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
You're Dreamy Music Was Awesome
One of the benefits of barely eating/sleeping for a month is weight loss.
Unfortunately, a week of ice cream, sleeping, and homecooked meals puts it all back.
As I sit here at my parents' house in Sanford, NC, I wonder why I'm even writing this, since I always imagine my parents as the only people that read it. Hi mom. Hi dad. Thank you for having us.
I think my dad's entire office was in attendance in Charlotte last Saturday night when we played at Snug Harbor. The employees couldn't have been more rude to us, and the crowd was a bit loud, but we had fun, played as loudly as possible and Kristy finally complained about her "ears bleeding because it's so loud." That moment was far too long in coming. Dylan and I were vindicated for asking the daily question of "you ladies like folk rock?"
Wednesday in Chapel Hill we played at a used book/record store where at night they move all of the tables to the back and have bands play. It was one of the less crowded shows of the tour so far (it was also snowing), but we got to browse books from 1908 after soundcheck and listen to Beat Circus from Boston and Crowmeat Bob from Chapel Hill. The drummer for Crowmeat Bob played all kinds of weird instruments like metal globes with a viola bow. Neat.
Then Friday night in Greenville became an instant highlight of the trip. The venue was a pretty cool wine/beer shop in a strip mall, and we were very skeptical when we pulled in and there was no stage and not much space. The guy behind the counter told us we'd play in the corner and that "some people will show up."
The owner then arrived, and told us that we could drink any beer we wanted -- and as much as we wanted. Also neat. I drank one beer from Farmville NC that was 11% alcohol and tasted exactly how I imagine sewage to taste. I stuck with German beers after that.
By the time we went on at 11, we couldn't believe how many people had showed up -- the owner later told us that it was around 100 people and it was the biggest crowd he'd ever had. Earlier in the week, Kristy actually bought me "Norbit" on DVD, leading to more streams of "Norbit" jokes, which once again went over surprisingly well. Nothing polarizes a crowd like Eddie Murphy as a 400 pound woman. There's also no better feeling than playing music for an hour and having some guy approach you with a big smile on his face after the show, but instead of complimenting the music, he wants to give you a hug because he's finally found someone who appreciated Norbit like he does and "is really pissed off because he's been driving around with a NORBIT poster in his car for the last three months because no one would take it from him, and so he finally threw it out four days ago and is furious that he did because he would've given it to you."
Capping off the evening was a wonderful gift from a woman who had been in the store selling clothing/bags that she designed. The shirts were pretty cool, so I told her that after we played, I'd come back and I'd buy one. I saw her leave while we were playing, so I was kinda bummed that I wouldn't get a shirt.
But as we left the stage, one of the store employees handed me the t-shirt I had been looking at and told me that the girl wanted me to have it. What a nice gift. I asked him if he knew her, so I could give her the $20 for it. He said he didn't know her, but that I could call her. I laughed and told him that of course I didn't have her number, and he told me to check the tag.
On the tag was written
"You're dreamy
music was awesome"
along with her name and phone number. Neat.
Of course Kristy and Dylan insisted that what she meant to write was "Your dreamy music was awesome," but I beg to differ. She had clearly run out of space on the line where she wrote "you're dreamy" and she clearly was too overwhelmed by my dreaminess to use any kind of punctuation. So, ha!
Unfortunately, a week of ice cream, sleeping, and homecooked meals puts it all back.
As I sit here at my parents' house in Sanford, NC, I wonder why I'm even writing this, since I always imagine my parents as the only people that read it. Hi mom. Hi dad. Thank you for having us.
I think my dad's entire office was in attendance in Charlotte last Saturday night when we played at Snug Harbor. The employees couldn't have been more rude to us, and the crowd was a bit loud, but we had fun, played as loudly as possible and Kristy finally complained about her "ears bleeding because it's so loud." That moment was far too long in coming. Dylan and I were vindicated for asking the daily question of "you ladies like folk rock?"
Wednesday in Chapel Hill we played at a used book/record store where at night they move all of the tables to the back and have bands play. It was one of the less crowded shows of the tour so far (it was also snowing), but we got to browse books from 1908 after soundcheck and listen to Beat Circus from Boston and Crowmeat Bob from Chapel Hill. The drummer for Crowmeat Bob played all kinds of weird instruments like metal globes with a viola bow. Neat.
Then Friday night in Greenville became an instant highlight of the trip. The venue was a pretty cool wine/beer shop in a strip mall, and we were very skeptical when we pulled in and there was no stage and not much space. The guy behind the counter told us we'd play in the corner and that "some people will show up."
The owner then arrived, and told us that we could drink any beer we wanted -- and as much as we wanted. Also neat. I drank one beer from Farmville NC that was 11% alcohol and tasted exactly how I imagine sewage to taste. I stuck with German beers after that.
By the time we went on at 11, we couldn't believe how many people had showed up -- the owner later told us that it was around 100 people and it was the biggest crowd he'd ever had. Earlier in the week, Kristy actually bought me "Norbit" on DVD, leading to more streams of "Norbit" jokes, which once again went over surprisingly well. Nothing polarizes a crowd like Eddie Murphy as a 400 pound woman. There's also no better feeling than playing music for an hour and having some guy approach you with a big smile on his face after the show, but instead of complimenting the music, he wants to give you a hug because he's finally found someone who appreciated Norbit like he does and "is really pissed off because he's been driving around with a NORBIT poster in his car for the last three months because no one would take it from him, and so he finally threw it out four days ago and is furious that he did because he would've given it to you."
Capping off the evening was a wonderful gift from a woman who had been in the store selling clothing/bags that she designed. The shirts were pretty cool, so I told her that after we played, I'd come back and I'd buy one. I saw her leave while we were playing, so I was kinda bummed that I wouldn't get a shirt.
But as we left the stage, one of the store employees handed me the t-shirt I had been looking at and told me that the girl wanted me to have it. What a nice gift. I asked him if he knew her, so I could give her the $20 for it. He said he didn't know her, but that I could call her. I laughed and told him that of course I didn't have her number, and he told me to check the tag.
On the tag was written
"You're dreamy
music was awesome"
along with her name and phone number. Neat.
Of course Kristy and Dylan insisted that what she meant to write was "Your dreamy music was awesome," but I beg to differ. She had clearly run out of space on the line where she wrote "you're dreamy" and she clearly was too overwhelmed by my dreaminess to use any kind of punctuation. So, ha!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
North Carolina - Raise Up
The only appropriate headline I could think of.
Onstage at WDVX Knoxville. Photo by our new friend Jack Goodwin.
Onstage at WDVX Knoxville. Photo by our new friend Jack Goodwin. Knoxville TN is our new favorite town. We got to play on WDVX which is a radio station based in the visitors center in downtown Knoxville. It's a daily live music show, that is free to attend. The crowd was interesting - a huge group of (mostly retired and/or independently wealthy) people who come to see the show almost every day. We had a blast and ended up hanging out with a bunch of the people for much of the next two and a half days.
The citizens of Knoxville treated us to lunch, drinks, dinner, and drinks throughout our time there. The show at night was also wacky -- we played at The World Grotto, which is built to look like a gigantic cave underground. People refer to it as "The Fraggle Rock." It's totally weird, but was fun.
On our day off there, we went back to the WDVX taping and saw all of our friends again - and more lunch/drinks/dinner/drinks....by this time they were our family. What a group of swell people. The host of the radio show is a guy named Matt Morelock -- an amazing banjo player, world traveler, and impeccable dresser. Pictures to come. We stayed at his house and he made a very convincing sales pitch to move to Knoxville permanently. We're strongly considering. I paid back his kindness by stepping in an enormous pile of dog crap and tracking it into his house.
Matt's roommate is the member of a fantastic band called The Everybodyfields, and since that band is on tour, I got to sleep in her vacated room. So last night, after our show in Winston-Salem, a girl I ran into was excited to hear that we played at The Garage, because she had just seen "The Everybodyfields there and they were amazing." When she asked me if I had ever heard of the Everybodyfields, I got to tell her that "yes, I've heard of them, and I actually slept in her bed last night." Boom!!! I calmly took a drag from my cigarette, finished my glass of cognac, left a $50 on the bar, and exited.
Yeah, the cigarette, cognac, $50, and exiting are lies, but the rest happened.
We're in my family's apartment in Charlotte right now, eating bagels and doing laundry. The excitement never ceases. It's going to be a week of nothing but raising up and waving shirts around our heads like helicopters.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Fiddle Dave
I'm sitting outside The Jack Of The Wood Pub in Asheville NC right now hanging out with Fiddle Dave. The self-proclaimed "bluegrasstafarian" looks EXACTLY like Chris Robinson from the Black Crowes. I love the Black Crowes more than I care to admit (I guess that's admitting it) and if you had introduced Fiddle Dave to me as Chris Robinson, I would've believed you. There are many men in the world who look like Chris Robinson -- but Fiddle Dave's resemblence is uncanny. Fiddle Dave, about four minutes ago: "Actually, a whole bunch of people have been saying that to me recently. Weird. I guess there are worse people to look like.....stoners have never hurt anyone."
Last night we played at The Town Pump Tavern in Black Mountain NC. It's a really cool pub in downtown Black Mountain, about 15 minutes from Asheville. Fiddle Dave had come out to see us, and he invited us all to the Jack Of The Wood to come play with him during his lunchtime set. We've been here all afternoon playing music and hanging out with him. He plays the mandolin, guitar, and fiddle (duh) and picked up all of the Kristy/Dylan tunes instantly.
There were two babies in the audience who tried to dance for most of the time.
I get the feeling there are a lot of people like Fiddle Dave in Asheville.
We're playing on this radio show tomorrow in Knoxville - http://www.wdvx.com. I'm not sure if it's only going to be broadcast live or if it'll be available when we're done. The phrase I've used most on this trip has been "Dylan, you're hogging the god damned blanket", with "I have no idea - I just play the drums" coming in a close second.
Last night we played at The Town Pump Tavern in Black Mountain NC. It's a really cool pub in downtown Black Mountain, about 15 minutes from Asheville. Fiddle Dave had come out to see us, and he invited us all to the Jack Of The Wood to come play with him during his lunchtime set. We've been here all afternoon playing music and hanging out with him. He plays the mandolin, guitar, and fiddle (duh) and picked up all of the Kristy/Dylan tunes instantly.
There were two babies in the audience who tried to dance for most of the time.
I get the feeling there are a lot of people like Fiddle Dave in Asheville.
We're playing on this radio show tomorrow in Knoxville - http://www.wdvx.com. I'm not sure if it's only going to be broadcast live or if it'll be available when we're done. The phrase I've used most on this trip has been "Dylan, you're hogging the god damned blanket", with "I have no idea - I just play the drums" coming in a close second.
Friday, February 1, 2008
An Eventful Week
The shows this week were some of the most fun of the trip so far.
The Strutting Duck lived up to all expectations of ridiculousness. I'm not exactly sure what I want to remember about it.
Eddie's Attic in Atlanta is a really nice place. There's a long line of mugs way up on top of the bar that the bartender would not let me drink out of. After trying and trying, she still wouldn't budge. Finally I got to meet Eddie. I figured since it was his attic, I should bother him about the mugs. He immediately asked me which mug I'd like to use, and I spent the rest of the night drinking out of a massive BUD MAN mug. The only negative part about using the BUD MAN mug was that all the bartenders were very eager to fill it back up. Pictures to follow.
That night we stayed at Dylan's friend Maggie's place in Atlanta. Don't let her pleasant demeanor fool you - she has a HUGE boxer dog named Bruno who will lick, attack, jump on, kick, and slobber all over you as much as possible. Bruno was not a good sleeping companion.
Athens, Georgia was also a lot of fun. Next door to the Flicker Bar is a place called The Trappese Pub which had something like 5000000 beers from around the world. We met two friendly patrons who come in every week and try out the new ones that the bar receives (they even kept a notebook). They recommended something called Avery's Elation or Avery's Ecstasy or something like that, which was probably the best beer I've ever tasted. Ah, here it is.
Because beer does not occupy all the time on the trip, I'll mention that we ate some soul food at the Five Star Day Cafe in Athens, where $7 gets you a pile of chicken/cornbread/hoppin' John/mashed potatoes and who knows what else we ate.
I'm also addicted to Chick-Fil-A. People always insist that In-N-Out should open up more restaurants on the east coast, but I think Chick-Fil-A should be everywhere.
I'm still reading "Atonement."
It's 31 degrees in Nashville right now. My toes are frozen.
The Strutting Duck lived up to all expectations of ridiculousness. I'm not exactly sure what I want to remember about it.
Eddie's Attic in Atlanta is a really nice place. There's a long line of mugs way up on top of the bar that the bartender would not let me drink out of. After trying and trying, she still wouldn't budge. Finally I got to meet Eddie. I figured since it was his attic, I should bother him about the mugs. He immediately asked me which mug I'd like to use, and I spent the rest of the night drinking out of a massive BUD MAN mug. The only negative part about using the BUD MAN mug was that all the bartenders were very eager to fill it back up. Pictures to follow.
That night we stayed at Dylan's friend Maggie's place in Atlanta. Don't let her pleasant demeanor fool you - she has a HUGE boxer dog named Bruno who will lick, attack, jump on, kick, and slobber all over you as much as possible. Bruno was not a good sleeping companion.
Athens, Georgia was also a lot of fun. Next door to the Flicker Bar is a place called The Trappese Pub which had something like 5000000 beers from around the world. We met two friendly patrons who come in every week and try out the new ones that the bar receives (they even kept a notebook). They recommended something called Avery's Elation or Avery's Ecstasy or something like that, which was probably the best beer I've ever tasted. Ah, here it is.
Because beer does not occupy all the time on the trip, I'll mention that we ate some soul food at the Five Star Day Cafe in Athens, where $7 gets you a pile of chicken/cornbread/hoppin' John/mashed potatoes and who knows what else we ate.
I'm also addicted to Chick-Fil-A. People always insist that In-N-Out should open up more restaurants on the east coast, but I think Chick-Fil-A should be everywhere.
I'm still reading "Atonement."
It's 31 degrees in Nashville right now. My toes are frozen.
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