It's November now and this month finds Slow Claw finishing up the last bit of tour dates for the rest of the year as work has begun on a new record that is currently planned on being released next year. Expect more news and updates on the progress of the 2010 release as it takes shape. One final big thank you for all the support of the "Grandfather Clocks" release. It proved to be a successful year for the group and eyes are now focused intently on the next release. Allow James to kindly demonstrate the enthusiasm.
If you follow the SC Twitter account then you already know that there is a new version of "Sprinkle, Sprinkle" that was posted on MySpace. A special thanks to our friend Dr. Tokyo Longarms for his creative contribution to the song.
This week finds us back from some R&R and back to work as we journey north for a couple shows in the mid-west. Tonight will be at the Southgate House but look for us this week in the following cities:
As soon as the tour came, it quickly went. Sad, but not sadly forgotten. And for those who were there to share it with us, we thank you. They say that life is about lessons, moments, and songs. Cherish them, learn from them. Of course, you don't have to take our word for it, just ask Conan.
The Tenant For the last leg of the tour we had the pleasure to travel with some gentlemen from Orlando, Fl.The Tenant, a fairly new project of (ex-Summer Birds in the Cellar member) Brad Register, joined the tour to play some their first live performances with us. At the very least we can say that we were very fortunate to share the stage with these guys. When you have really really really bad experiences touring with other bands, sometimes you have the tendency to keep your guard up when meeting new people. This wasn't the case, in fact it was a breath of fresh air. Brad, Dave, Travis, Chandler. Thank you for being the good people that you are and we look forward to seeing our Florida brethren again very soon. On a side note, we'd like to point out that Travis has the exceptional sword skills that will woo any lady. We love you Travis.
Hamilton Hotel One of our last stops through the Carolinas gave us the opportunity to visit our good friend Joel. He recorded this album called, "Grandfather Clocks". The great thing about visiting Joel is that when you walk into his house, by reflex, you automatically pick up an instrument and start playing it. We can't explain it, but it just happens. If by chance you're able to avoid this musical jamfest that occurs upon entering his residence, there's the distinct possibility you'll be sucked into listening to some of his staggering vinyl collection.
This is the place where we've been touring through for years and every trip we make, we watch our family grow. These are the people who take care of us. Feed us distinct cuisine like homemade chicken alfredo, chicken risotto, or carrot hot dogs. Share their secret family hamburger recipes, make us waffles in the morning, or even pass along that extra cheese shredder they had just sitting around the house. We share stories of traveling or how much we love salty fries and cheesy grits (FYI: Sharp cheddar, American). They are more than willing to share with us their lives, their families, and their work.
And more often than not, they show us how to have a good time.
For that we are fortunate. Fortunate that we have the opportunity to have these people to be apart of our lives. We miss you guys and we'll see you again very soon.
Last But Not Least Before we sign off we have to give a special thanks to our friend Tyler for joining us on the road. Tyler had the privlege to see the ups and downs of tour. Sometimes it can be hard. Hard like when your alternator dies right after leaving a show and you're forced to leave it stranded in the middle of downtown. You return hours later at the crack of dawn to try to stop Ricky Ricardo from leaving you multiple parking tickets only to be standing in the middle of a torrential downpour while you wait for a tow truck to lift Vanna White off to this fierce auto mechanic who somewhat resembles Tony Montana and only takes cash. We hope his time with us will be well remembered in his first venture down south. Although, for some reason, we have the distinct feeling that he may have been there before.
With another week under our belt, we've had the esteemed pleasure to take in some southern east coast culture. Let's take a look at this past week to review some of those life lessons someone can gain while traveling through the mountains to the eastern beachside.
Treasure Hunting. Antique stores are essential when looking for some of that eye-opening nostalgia from the past. Like the saying goes, "They don't make'em like they used to". You can find some real gems in these places and in Asheville, NC; the storeowners are more than willing to bargain with price. If anything, these stores can make you feel like you're Indiana looking for the lost arc. Our find was this September 10th, 1965 issue of LIFE magazine recalling those vivid LBJ days.
Vehicle Safety. Enjoying Labor Day can be an eventful time for anyone. You meet up with friends, pop open a grill, play some cards. You're having a great time until some unsuspecting car performs a hit and run with your parked Ford E350 15 passenger van. This van, cordially named "Vanna White", stood alone off to the side of an empty 25-foot wide road when this guy managed to try out the stability of the rear bumper. Vanna came out unscathed and we avoided one of those awkward vodka moments.
Beware of Your Surroundings. It doesn't take long to be pegged as an out-of-towner while in Raleigh. Walking around the downtown area for a mere half hour can have people coming up to you asking for an autograph because they think you're Johnny Depp from the movie, Blow. At the same time you'll also have city residents approaching you trying to purchase copious amounts of marijuana while thinking you're Boston George himself. It can get awkward. Especially when you have Segway gangs roaming the streets.
Camp on a Dry Night. Camping on a day off is always a good idea. Building a fire. Enjoying nature. Everything seems peaceful. At least that's the way it is until 3am in the morning when you wake up to the sounds of severe thunderstorms crashing above, only minutes later to have your entire tent filled with the torrential downpour that was just released from the sky up overhead of you. Makes you wish you just stuck it out indoors with a movie.
Travel with Good Company. For the Carolina dates we took along an extra hand on our trip. The videographer known as Paul. Clearly portrayed in this picture of Ash from Army of Darkness.
Not only does the man carry the primal skill to throat-grip a grizzly bear and pull it to the ground, a skill most notably acquired from his love of the two Johns: McClane and Rambo, but he also obtains the leadership qualities rivaled only by Captain Marko Ramius played by Sean Connery in The Hunt for Red October.
We'll miss you Paul. On that note, we leave you with a dedication.
We'd like to start off this entry by warning the citizens of eastern Kentucky to be on the lookout for a wild man recklessly driving around the area in a suspicious white van, cutting people off while drinking heavily behind the wheel. Or at least that's what the police officer told us. It's always humorous to see a facial expression of someone who unexpectedly looks into a van full of opened Macbooks. While continuing this trip, we've happened to pick up an extra hand to help us out for our venture to the south.
Tyler, meet the Internet. Internet, meet Tyler.
Tyler's going to be joining us for the rest of the dates in September, playing some songs, and helping us out with our travels. Being a newcomer to the road, Tyler finally has the opportunity to see what we go through on a day-to-day basis and how to collectively work while traveling from city to city. Unfortunately for Tyler, a bit of his equipment ceased to continue working upon his first performance with us. Which brings us to the introduction of our next Tyler.
Tyler, meet the Internet. Internet, meet Tyler.
Not only does Tyler share the same appreciation and taste in facial grooming as us, but also Tyler was nice enough to help Tyler out supplying Tyler all the equipment that Tyler needed to entertain Tyler with Tyler. Proving yet again a gentleman and scholar, we thank you sir for being a helping hand in our debacle while continuing to further our addiction to the Internet.
The kindness in Lexington didn't end there either. We have to give a very grateful shout out to our longtime friend, Brett. A guy nice enough to lend us his video camera for the rest of the September trip. Just some good old fashioned video documentation for the road.
We'll see you tonight "Johnson's Depot". A city known for ties with Appalachian Mountains bootlegging which inevitably lead to the nickname, "Little Chicago". For us, it's a favorite coffee and pie stop.
The past weekend found our travels through the state of Ohio. Crossing over the cities of Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron, and Kent. We have a lot of history with these cities and safe to say it was really good to see some familiar faces. Venturing through Ohio, for us, is that special time to get together with old buddies, family, and reflect on our own life experiences. Like the conspiracy that ankle socks have decreased in size over the past decade when sold in 3-packs or how much of a let down it can be when a company advertises too well.
Ohio is that land where the first cash register was made. The state that still holds the title for having the world's largest basket. A place that introduced teflon, chewing gum, and the automobile self-starter. More importantly, it's the area we grew up as kids knowing as home. You don't have to be a captain in the armed forces to realize where we're going with this.
There's always a great sense of gratitude when we are able to spend time and reminisce. Good-natured family and friends always have a positive outlook on everything no matter how awkward a situation can get. And when we say awkward, we mean like that time Hitler found out what Americans thought of him. It is with that comfort that we will always look forward to those shows even afterwards when we happen to be reminded of our brethren every time we see a piece of cardboard used to stop watermarks.
So with that in mind we'll continue our travels south. To everyone who joined us over the weekend, we miss you and we'll be right back. Keep an eye out for post cards that may show up on your door.
After a successful weekend in Lexington and Louisville, tour has officially started. To recap, a special thanks to Mike and Eddy at The Green Lantern for taking care of us and being such good people. While we were waiting around Uncle Pleasant's the next day, the scent of heated battle was in the air. Patrick, you're a formidable opponent.
On to current events, this evening we will be playing songs in the 3rd largest city in the US.
Chicago.
Stapled as "The Windy City", plenty of people get confused that the city earned it's nickname from all the wind coming in from Lake Michigan. In actuality, the reputation was referenced to all the politicians and residents who have been known to boast about their great city. It was said that word could travel so quickly around the city that it was as if the wind was carrying it. What we can tell you is that "Chi-town" has fascinating taste in food.
During our time in town, we also had the pleasure of stopping by Spank Music and Sound Design. Our friend Tony gave us a tour of the studio and offices where we were introduced to a lot of the staff that were still lingering around. We appreciate him and Brian taking some time out to hang out and chat for a little bit while we indulged ourselves in some of their fine chips and salsa.
The people at Spank were remarkably nice, happy to greet us, and as the business hours winded down for the day Tony decided to take on Chris in some Wii Bowling. Although he failed to mention until halfway through the competition, Tony has the overwhelming ability to bowl a 300. Seriously, the man has his technique down to a science.
So thanks again to the staff for their hospitality. We knew we were in good company when we started to notice all the classic pieces of nostalgia they had laying around the offices.
