Not much to say here. Yesterday was our last day off until we return home. We spent it driving for the most part. Today, we’ll be spending our time eating Kansas City BBQ and seeing the city. Then, tonight we play El Torreon.

There are some people back home who I really miss. And after seeing a lot of the country, Brooklyn is still my favorite place. So, I am definitely looking forward to our homecoming. But, at the same time, it’s also a little sad that our last day off is gone. So far, this has been really tiring, and we’re certainly not getting rich (quite the opposite), but it’s been so much fun, and it’s only confirmed for me how playing music is my life. Being on tour has been better than I ever imagined.

Of course, it’s silly to talk like the tour is over. We’ve got our most punishing leg ahead of us: Kansas City tonight, then Belleville, then Champaign-Urbana, then Chicago, then Chicago again, then Ypsilanti, then Pittsburgh. And then we’re home where we can relax just long enough to change our guitar strings before we hit the Mercury Lounge for our homecoming show with Pilot to Gunner, and Bang Camaro (4/6). So, we’ve got a lot to do before we’re snoozing our way through a Sunday at Lido Bar in Red Hook.

In an unrelated note, the Onion AV Club gave us some press. It was their Denver/Boulder version, who I must say is kind of rough. Out of respect for people who we admire, our friends with, etc, I don’t want to point out the AV Club’s harsher moments.

They were mostly positive about us (”Goes Cube will roll in from New York to pound and howl…” “great band” “honest and intriguing”), but they did say that we are “in need of a better singer.” I’ve certainly never thought I was a good singer in the technical sense. But, I will say that I think my voice (which is mostly my scream) fits with our music. But, hey, maybe I’m wrong. It was the first time we’ve gotten any sort of flat-out negative commentary from the press.

I knew we’d get it eventually (negative press). But I must say I am REALLY happy it was about me, and not my bandmates, who I think are absolutely the most talented people I know. I’m way too protective of them, probably, but I’d be enraged if anyone said anything bad about the bass or drums. As far as their remark about my singing - yeah, I’d rather they just liked all of us. But, really, it’s kind of funny.

OK, Kansas City: You going to treat us as well as Denver or Memphis, or are you going to play us like Bakersfield?

I really do hate to re-post something from another blog, but this clip from Cute Overload (which happens to be one of my favorite blogs) can not be ignored. Let’s put it this way, I either put it on the blog or everybody I know gets some horrible chain email. Anyway, this is possibly the sweetest thing I have ever seen. EVER! So on the blog it goes. Be sure to watch till the end.

This was, hands down, our favorite show so far. We played the Laramir Lounge last night in Denver, and it was incredible. A quick tip of the hat to two of the three bands we played with: Skull Orchard (it was their second show, which was a shock considering how good and loose they were), and We Are! We Are! (these guys were tight as hell, and they sounded - to me - like an instrumental Q And Not U - Different Damage era).

We got on stage after midnight, on a Monday, and we played for an amazing crowd. People in Denver just really like to see rock music, and they have no qualms about how they look when they dance and thrash about.

It was an amazing feeling having so many people dancing and shoving. We even played two encores. After the show, we met a ton of great people, who insisted on buying a lot of CDs and t-shirts.

After the Bakersfield flop, and the San Francisco let-down, this show was olympic in how great it made us all feel.

A quick note:

Goes Cube is probably the easiest band in the world to do sound for. First of all, half the venues we play don’t even have a sound system, and we still happily play. But when we do, all we ask for is that it be loud and thick. We mostly ask for it to be just guitar heavy. We never ask for EQs, or for effects. We never ask for different mixes for different monitors for different band members. Occasionally, we’ll ask for a small adjustment after the first song when we don’t do a soundcheck (seeing as how the first song kind of IS the soundcheck).

So, last night the sound guy left before we even started. And he stayed gone for two songs. Multiple people in the crowd INCLUDING THE PROMOTER were asking for someone to turn up the vocals. So I said, “Is there a soundguy here?” But that wasn’t what pissed me off.

What pissed me off is when he finally came back, and I asked very nicely, “Can we get a little more vocals?”, the soundguy got defensive and caught an attitude. He sneered back, “Oh you mean like how your drummer said he DIDN’T want any vocals at the beginning of the set?!”

That’s when I said, “You know what, man, never mind,” and I kicked over the mic stand.

By the way, when Skull Orchard was playing, you couldn’t hear the vocals and the band asked him to turn it up, he said back, “Why don’t you try singing in the general vicinity of the microphone instead?” instead of doing his job.

So, yeah, the guy was kind of an asshole.

During a watering hole raid in Darwin Australia, the Toad Busters picked up this huge cane toad.

“It’s huge, to put it mildly,” he said. “The biggest toads are usually females but this one was a rampant male … I would hate to meet his big sister.”

These toads were introduced into Norther Australia in the 1930s (to control cane beetles, which it turns out they had little interest in doing). Instead they have thrived and become a rather pesky non-native species - especially since they shoot toxic juices out of their pores and have no natural predators.

Read full article on Yahoo.

One of my most favorite movies of all times “Cane Toads: An Unnatural History ” (available on netflix!) details the history of the cane toads and the variety of ways in which the locals have responded. From dressing them up and playing with them in the back yard, to smoking them.

The movie left off in the 80’s where the most anybody was doing to get rid of them was run them over on the road. Turns out the toad buster’s patrol is turning them into liquid fertilizer. I actually sort of feel bad for the toads. Poor, huge, nasty, sweet, darling “dairy queen”….

Not that I expect many people are following these posts, but sorry for the delay. It’s been busy, and Internet access has been scarce. Good stuff, bad stuff…

So, first of all, our show at the Viper Room in LA, was really great, I think. Big thanks to SESAC (specifically Josh) for organizing the event and making sure plenty of people showed up. We met a lot of nice folks, and played for an enthusiastic audience that was significantly larger than what we’ve had so far on tour. Also, the sound was extraordinarily good.

We played Bakersfield the night after LA (Friday 3/23). Polar opposite. First of all, Foreign Islands couldn’t make the show, and the venue wasn’t notified (which is understandable, considering they don’t have a phone). So, while we were supposed to play 4th of 5, we ended up having to cover FI’s slot in the bill, and played 2nd of 4. The first band stuck around and watched us, while the crowd of locals hung out outside, drinking beer (it was byob) and smoking cigarettes. One guy from the third band watched us, and was very cool.

But it was frustrating because, well, it’s like you find these places around the country where people just don’t seem to like outsiders. I mean, I’ve been trying to be really nice on these posts, but it’s kind of fucking frustrating, to be totally honest. In Memphis, we played last on a Sunday night with bands we sounded nothing like us, and people were INCREDIBLY open-minded, and we had this amazing show. In Bakersfield, people left and went out to their pick-up trucks before we started playing. Aside from the first band (who we estimate had an average age of 15), not a single person even bothered to say hello.

New York has a reputation for having an exclusive scene that’s nearly impossible to break into - and that’s mostly true. It’s true that it takes a lot of time, a lot of persistence, amibition, etc, to gain any traction in NYC. But it’s also true that most bands in NYC will say what’s up to you. Most will stick around and watch you. And when we have bands from out of town show up, it’s the NYC bands who are first out of the gate to help unload vans, offer places to crash, etc.

So it’s odd to me that when we come to a town like Bakersfield, which as far as I can tell doesn’t have a very big scene, they act more like NYC is rumored to be than NYC actually is.

I should say, though, that the guy who ran the venue was very cool to us, and made sure we got some gas money.

And then we went bowling: The alley was open till 1am (all you can bowl $18/person from 10pm to 1am), but the bar closed at 11pm. WHAT?! What’s more, it was “extreme bowling.” That means, everything was black-lit, and we had to bowl to the sounds of terrible music. I’m fairly certain we haven’t found an alley yet that’s met our expectations. For the record, those expectations are: Decent ball choice, decently maintained lanes, decent prices, and Budweiser availability.

Finally, we bedded down in a shit motel that reeked of mold, and I fucking woke up sick. We weren’t disappointed to leave the next morning.

Next up was San Francisco. I’ve never been there, but I’ve ever heard how cool it is. I must say, it immediately has a different feel than anywhere else in California that I’d been to (El Cajon, San Diego, Los Angeles, Bakersfield). It feels more like…well, it feels more like New York or Chicago. Immediately I liked it. The people also act totally different - again, more like NYC or Chicago.

Foreign Islands met us at the venue - a combination cafe/beer and wine bar/laundromat (awesome) called Brain Wash. They’d been suffering transportation problems, and it finally came to a head: They told us they were packing it in, spending their remaining money on train tickets back to NYC. They had to spend the rest of the night bubble-wrapping their gear, which would be loaded on to 2 separate trains, and then they would get on a 7am train, which would take them to Penn Station about 65 hours later.

Of course, we feel terrible that their van died (and the engine seized). They are our friends, and they are great to hang out with, and an honor to play with. Selfishly, it also sucks because we really would have liked to have played all those dates with them. But there were no other alternatives. They even attempted to buy two vans out in California, but that didn’t work out.

I will say, though, that having the drummer of Quicksand (who now plays drums for Foreing Islands) give you a hug after a set, tell you how great your set was, and then proceed to take your setlist, put it in his pocket and tell you he’s putting it in his tour-scrapboook, is something that’s just really amazing. That’s a not a knock on anyone else in Foreign Islands (all of whom have been in great bands). It’s just that Quicksand is one of those bands I’ve been listening to on a consistent basis for almost 15 years.

Well, so anyways, there it was: before we even had a chance to play with them in San Francisco, our tour with Foreign Islands was over. We wished them restful train rides, sketched plans for some NYC shows, and said goodbye.

With that, it was time for us to play a show. And we were all pleasantly surprised when old friends showed up in support of us. A quick hello to my old friend (since grade school), Meg: great to see you!

Sound-wise, the venue was a disappointment. They had a broken PA, no sound person, and very little space for a band (looking back, it’s probably better suited for the singer-songwriter types). But we were in good spirits, and played the show anyway. For how bad it should have sounded, it actually sounded pretty good, and those in attendace loved it, including the staff, who sent us away with food and water that will continue to last us for days.

But we didn’t have much time to hang around SF. In fact, we had to immediately leave and take a bite out of our 1200 mile drive from SF to Denver. We did just that, and stopped in Reno for the night.

We got to sleep around 3:30am, and were up by 11:00am - me feeling sicker than the day before.

I took some medicine, a ton of vitamins, and we hit the road. I took the first driving shift, and it was such an absolutely gorgeous and interesting drive that I didn’t let go of the wheel till 530 miles later when we hit Salt Lake City. The guys took over from there and got us into Rawlins, Wyoming where we crashed for the night. We covered approximately 800 miles in a day, and fell fast asleep by 2:30am.

I had one of the most vivid nightmares I’ve had in a long time. Which is kind of cool, in an way.

As I type this, we’re making our way into the Rocky Mountains. I feel 90% better, health-wise, and despite the dreams, I feel really well-rested.

Tonight, we meet back up with EarFarm Matt (he’s spent the last couple days with his family). Also, we get to see Kenny’s brother, who now lives there. And we get to play the Larimer Lounge - a place we’ve heard great things about. I am interested to see what the turnout is like this evening, as the Westword (Denver’s version of the village Voice) did a nice article on us, and they supplemented it online with a full transcript of their interview with me. Maybe people will be interested to check out the show. Or maybe it will make no difference, and we’ll play for 3 people.

Either way, I think the mood among us all is a rejuvinated excitement. We had some great shows in California (San Diego and LA) that’s earned us some some great press, and we’ve got some exciting shows coming up (tonight, Champaign, Chicago, and Columbus in particular - not to mention our homecoming show at the Mercury Lounge on 4/6).

Sure, it would have been awesome to have our friends Foreign Islands with us. But, really, this entire tour happened with little to no support from anyone but ourselves and our fans. So, it only makes sense that we go it on our own. We’re used to that.

And some of fly upside-down.

New Mexico was a beautiful place to visit, but the show really sucked. Sorry to be so blunt. We met wonderful people, but in addition to bad sound (the PA was broken), we suffered some equipment problems: Kenny snare head completely exploded, and Matt’s bass amp mysteriously checked out for a few songs (it’s since fine). I suppose we were too loud for the coffee shop folk, because even though they watched and listened, they did so from outside.

But let’s get to the good stuff: San Diego.

San Diego marked the start of our tour-leg with Foreign Islands. We get along really well with those guys, and they consistently put on a great show. Last night, we played the Beauty Bar in San Diego and opened up for them.

I think it’s unanimous that last night was our favorite show of the tour: we played well, the sound was tremendous, and the crowd REALLY responded well. Foreign Islands took the stage after us, and did their thing quite well, too. Overall, everyone was in high spirits and feeling like it was a hell of a Wednesday.

But it didn’t end there. After the show, Matt EarFarm took us to his folks’ house where we’d be staying for the night. But sleep didn’t come before his parents treated us to a feast (buffet style) of miso, sashimi, baked manicotti, sausage, baked chicken, wine, and beer. Amazing.

Then we woke up to fresh coffee, mimosas, breakfast burritos (from scratch), fresh fruit, and more. The Matts took a spin on the PCH, Kenny rested up, and I hit the hot tub.

It was very tough to leave (especially after staying in a disgusting Motel 6 in El Cajon).

But when we did leave, Matt’s Mom (now dubbed “Tour Mom”) sent us away with an assortment of crackers, soups, chicken, energy drinks, Easter Candy (which we are to hide in the van come Easter weekend), and then cards. “Just a little something to help you out for the rest of the trip,” she said. We hugged her goodbye and left in our van. Shortly thereafter, we opened the cards. Whatever shred of good taste I have (or remains after being in a van with three other guys for nearly three weeks) prevents me from saying what was in the card. But I can say that their generosity was enough for us to be speechless for the next 30 minutes.

There’s little we can do to express our gratitude. We just hope they understand how much it means, how much it helps, and how truly thankful we are.

Tonight is our big show at the Viper Room. We play third of four, and Foreign Islands is also on the bill. I’m trying to keep my expectations in check, but - of course - it’s tough to do that. I want it to be more than just a show. I want it to be more than just a good show. I want it to be a turning point.

I don’t think that’s as crazy as it sounds, though. In addition to how long this show has been planned, how large the guest list is (well over 100), we’ve also gotten a bunch of great press lately including…

A review from PopMatters.com

A Review from the North County Times (California)

An article in the Westword (Denver)

A blog posting on the Westword with a full interview transcript

A review of our San Diego show on a blog called Cat Dirt

Exciting to say the least.

Our first two shows in Austin were somewhat disappointing turnout-wise (very much, actually). But we got to leave on a good note, when we played on 3/16 at Ruta Maya with Takka Takka (they sounded absolutely amazing, and all three of us love the new songs), A Place To Bury Strangers (always incredible), and Foreign Islands (who we’re touring with from 3/21 to 4/1). We had a good crowd, and I (and everyone else we spoke with) really thought our performance was strong.

After the show, I spent time with my family (specifically, my brother, sis-in-law, niece, and nephew). It was doubly nice because A) I feel like I never see them (it’s basically 3 times a year); and B) it was nice to relax in their big, comfortable house. I then spent the night there, and the rest of the guys came over the next afternoon. My brother grilled an assortment of meats while my sister-in-law laid out an endless variety of snacks. My niece (though initially shy) ran around showing off her hat, and my infant nephew napped peacefully through the bulk of it.

And though they insisted we stay, we decided to head out that night and take a bite out of our nearly 700 mile drive to Las Cruces, NM, where we have a show tomorrow (3/19 @ The Bean).

We planned on only driving to Fort Stockton, but Fort Stockton had other plans; all their motels were full-up. So, we pushed on into the night (a very dark night out in the middle of unlit and unihabited west Texas). We ended up driving well over 400 miles from Austin till we hit a place to stay: Van Horn, Texas. Van Horn is a one-street town with a lot of motels (some open, many closed), and little else aside from abandon and demolished buildings.

Last night, we had no idea what the landscape looked like (none of us have ever been to west Texas). But this morning, after a decent sleep, we opened the door to crystal clear skies, desert and to our shock a gorgeous mountain range.

We packed up the car, and took our time heading westward with only 170 miles left. There was a scenic overlook we stopped at (pictures are from there), where Matt EarFarm got some nice footage.

Now, as I type this, I am sitting in a spacious motel room next to a pool in Las Cruces. It’s hot and beautiful out. We have the day and night off. We will swim, we will bowl, and the restuarant next to this place has karaoke tonight. We got a great deal on the room to boot. Our spirits are high as we feel like we’re on a vacation today (as if we weren’t already vacationing by leaving our jobs to go play rock music for a month).

All of us hope this is a good omen: a strong sign for the post-SXSW portion of tour (the portion we’ve been most excited about). But, also, for today, we’ll just have a great time and not sweat it.

Let me preface this post by saying that I really enjoyed seeing the guys in the Midgetmen again. They’re old friends, and we appreciate them setting up the show and having us. Also, it was great to see the guys in the Black Tie Revue again. And meeting Reykjavik! was great. We hope to see you in Iceland (or in NYC).

Now let me say that yesterday I was really hoping the show would be great. It was downtown, it was free, and there was free beer.

But what a letdown. Something went wrong. Something happened. I don’t know. People are frustrating and flaky. I don’t want to go into it. Sorry. This is a pointless post. I’m just frustrated.

Today we play w/ three of our favorite bands: Takka Takka, Foreign Islands, and A Place To Bury Strangers. Here’s my expectation for today: it will be fun. That’s all.

Robots Robots Robots…and more robots! It’s a Friday robot-a-rama on Dark Roasted Blend - my choice for the Awesome Blog of the Month (club).

Each day Dark Roasted Blend posts a new thrilling wonder running the gamut from serious to humorous - be sure to check out the Nuns with guns (Feb. 27) or the World Imbalances Maps (Mar. 5).

After a horribly frustrating morning I decided that listening to Brian Eno would be relaxing (Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks anyone?). That got me thinking about Eno and Peter Schmidt’s Oblique Strategies cards. I thought it would be fun to cycle through a couple to pick up my mood. These phrases can certainly be thought provoking and sometimes (well, lots of time) head scratchingly confusing. Here’s some links to online versions:

Oblique Strategies Fifth ed. with graphics

Edittions 1 - 4

I especially like this one - “A slightly tongue-in-cheek rework of the classic strategies”

We played our first Austin show last night. It was a pretty fun show, and we played with 4 other NYC bands, all of whom were really good. A band called Beat The Devil played. Their second song is still stuck in my head. I’ve got to make sure to see them again so I can hear it.

We’re staying at my good friend (and ex-roommate), Darryn’s house. He even still has my old cat, Syntax. Syntax is currently staying at Darryn’s girlfriend’s house, but I’ve been told I’ll get to see her at some point. It’s so great to see Darryn. He’s a good friend, and funny as hell. I don’t see him enough.

We were in Dallas the day before yesterday, where we got to see another old friend and roommate. His name is Ben, and he used to live with both Matt and me. Ben is now a family man with a house a 4.5 year old. They were incredibly good to put us up, and it was great to see them. It’s striking, though, to see how much has changed.

Went bowling before the show. This time at a huge alley in Dallas, and again… no beer (they didn’t start serving till 5). How is it we’ve been to two bowling alleys, and haven’t been able to have a Bud? Weak.

We’ve got two more shows in Austin. I also get to see my brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew. My brother said my niece is in a phase where she yells at everyone and isn’t social at all, so she’ll probably yell at me. I’ll probably think it’s really funny. I can’t wait for that.

I have to say, I’ve been more excited about the post-Austin portion of the tour than anything. Most of it is with an amazing band, Foreign Islands. And we’ve got some exciting shows (like the one at the Viper Room, in LA). But also, we’re going to be heading to Champaign and Chicago - two old hometowns for me and Matt.

I am learning this: I’m not a huge fan of the days off. I like playing. I like moving. I just want to keep going. My concern about Austin is that it will be just one giant mess of bands, too much schmoozing, too much “yeah, you’re awesome, we should hook up in New York, you should come out to this city or that city, we should have a meeting, let’s set a call up…” All fucking empty talk.

Today we’re playing the Rainbow by Rainbow West (RXRW) fest. It’s at a gay bar called the Chain Drive. There are two stages, an indoor stage and outdoor stage. It’s free, and there’s free beer. There are bands from all around the world playing it, and it’s to raise awareness.

I have high hopes for it.

I just stumbled upon these great videos, built through collaborative teams and organized by PSST. They are having a screening tomorrow in NYC. Here are the details:
March 14th at 8:30 PM at Sugar at 311 Church St in Tribeca

How do i get one of these posters?

A bit about them from their site:

The mission of PSST is to produce original short films through the collaboration of different teams of designers, directors, and animators. Each film is comprised of three sections produced by three different teams. This process is the whole idea behind PSST! – a technique derived from the Dadaist game of Exquisite Corpse and the children’s game Telephone and applied to the arts of motion graphics, animation and film-making.

I was tickled to see a new small, independent bookstore open up in the neighborhood. There is hope yet! They have a nice kids section, and used books, cds and dvds in the back. Good Luck! A bit more on this Yelp review.

Pranga Bookstore is located at:
354 Court Street
(between President St & Union St)

Oh my. Oh my. Ohhhhhh my.

Well, we played an art gallery. The space was awesome. Our friend Keenan at SESAC was awesome.

Something happened, though. People got REALLY into the show. REALLY into it. One guy got so into it, he tore down about 7 or 8 paintings and a sculpture and smashed them. At first, we were confused and actually thought that maybe the dude was smashing his own work (he DID smash his own guitar and watch, and he is a local who performs at the gallery). But then when the cops showed up and hauled him off to jail, we realized that he had gone too far.

He had the opportunity to pay the gallery for the art he destroyed (about 1500 bucks), and get himself out of trouble. Instead, he called the cops “fucking pigs” and “communists.” Not good.

We feel bad because one of our closest friends (and Kenny’s and my roommate), Nick, is an artist. In fact, he did the cover art for our record. I know he’d be heartbroken if that happened to his work. Even if someone wrote him a check for it.

Hey, we’re all about just letting go and going out of control, but sometimes shit goes too far. This was a DIY show at a local art gallery showcasing underground artists’ work. Not trying to be righteous about it. It was awesome to see people go crazy, but we don’t want to see damage done to artists or people who support artists.

Ironically, the gallery owner said to us, “Well, that puts a dagger into live music here.”

He had no idea our EP is called “Beckon the Dagger God.”