November 8, 2008
After Vermont, we headed back to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts via the lovely state of New Hampshire. Our friend, Sarah, set us up with an acoustic show with her band, Lovers, Muggers, and Thieves, in an awesome act of last-minute booking help. Before we got to Boston, though, we met up with Mark’s folks for a great lunch and some chill-out/laundry time at their house. Families are awesome.
We got into Somerville and rolled up to the Cantab, making quick work of loading in and relishing our Dunkin Donuts coffee (please sponsor us, thanks). We met up with Sarah, Dink, and Jenny, and hung out until it was time to play. LM&T are great, and they were one day away from a big show at the Middle East. We hope all went well. The show we played with them was really fun, and Jenny took a bunch of pictures that you may find on her site. Thanks, as well, to Greg and the dudes in the Spanish Armada for rounding out the bill and for being wicked nice. We called it in relatively early and crashed with Sarah, getting our rest in before heading back to New York.
Our last show in New York, and last of the trip with Appomattox, happened at Brooklyn’s new Vanishing Point warehouse space. The folks there are wicked nice, but it could be that they have just taken to smiling and nodding to everyone who speaks to them because they’ve lost their hearing in that brutal volume cave. We’ve played loud shows before, but this place was deafening. Our show was double-booked with another 3-band bill, so we combined everything and our bill went on first. It seems that was for the best, because we don’t go over well with the white guys in Euro shades (at night!) with dreadlocks and tight leather clothing. Me You Us Them went on first and killed it, and we got to follow them before Appomattox closed out the night. Thanks to everyone who came to the show and put up with the pain; we had a great time seeing and playing with our friends. The random crazy drunk guy who kept on getting on stage with Appomattox and ended up hugging me and yelling, “I did it! I did it!” had a great time, too.
November 5, 2008
We’re crushing it here in Austin almost as much as Obama crushed McCain. It’s awesome. Now here’s hoping it’s smooth sailing for the next four (eight) years, the change that’s needed informs all foreign and domestic policies, gas prices continue to go down so we can tour more, and no one ever has to hear about Sarah Palin again. On with more tour updates. Hopefully, this won’t be as boring as the last one.
We hit Chicago and drove to Midway Airport to pick up Christy, who would be joining us for eight days on tour. We decided that the best way to spend the afternoon, after stopping by Guitar Center to get sweet deals on all of the latest multi-effects modules from such brands as Line6 (bro!), was to go to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was free, so that was cool, and even though we got there about an hour before closing, we had plenty of time to see all of the lonely, depressed animals. Being on stage every night and having drunk dudes shout “Freebird!” at you can’t be anywhere near as horrible and annoying as being a lion with a few rocks and a tire getting shrieked at by hordes of children.
The show that night was at Ronnie’s, which is a pretty sweet dive. We performed in an old garage, rattling doors and all, that was attached to a bar tended by a man who spoke fewer words of English than he had teeth remaining. It was sweet. Jared and David, from Scouts Honor, were both in attendance, as well as Chef Danielle and Andrew (the better) Bleiman, and we got to play with Australia’s Electric Jellyfish and Chicago’s Cloud Mouth and Bill Tucker. Being the first show back to singing after losing my voice, there were some squeaks, but Jared helped out with some vocals and it was too noisy to hear what anyone was singing, anyway.
Danielle took us and the Jellyfish to the Culinary Institute the next day, so we got to experience some (mostly) awesome food in a nice, scholarly environment for the very affordable price of free. Thanks for that, Danielle. We have come to know some really awesome folks who go out of their way to make sure we’re cared for while we’re on tour. We left Chicago for Dayton, Ohio, and met up with some more of these folks. Our friends from Albuquerque, Sean and Chris, once lived there and were in town to celebrate the marriage of one of their friends. Most of the folks still around after the wedding were, or are, part of a collective of musicians that goes by about a billion names, mainly Giant Jerk. We were put up by Eli, mysterious founder of Giant Jerk and his wonderful family, and we stayed there for two days and nights of food, music, laundry, and food. A show was booked and promoted to glory by the members and friends of this collective, and took place at Canal Street. Thank you to everyone who worked in setting up the show, playing the show, and staffing the club. After a fun show, we headed back to Maison de Jerk and ate too many multigrain chips, guacamole, and leftover wedding cake. We learned nothing from the Denver Pasta Incident.
We left the friendly folks of Dayton and headed to Pittsburgh, where we played at the Lava Lounge with Race the Ghost. Before the show, while in CVS buying masking tape, we were approached by a pair of girls who wanted to know whether or not the new tongue piercing one of them just got was “trashy,” and after the show, we received several emails asking if we had “mistakenly” taken a case full of cymbals that weren’t ours. No, we didn’t. Pittsburgh is weird. Luckily, we stayed with Giant Jerk’s brother, and I’m a giant jerk because I don’t remember his or his lovely wife’s name. They also had a rather charming young daughter, and we spent some time with them in the morning before we made the drive to New Jersey. Thanks to them, and, again, sorry that I’m horrible with names.
On the way to Asbury Park, New Jersey, we received several text messages and phone calls from Adam Bedient, telling us that he was already there and awaiting our arrival. By the time we got there, he had been hanging around for about 6 hours or so, and was ready for some action. Luckily, the evening provided its fair share, as we were playing at the legendary Asbury Lanes. This bowling alley was established back in the 60s and, at some point, started booking shows that featured bands playing on a stage erected over the middle lanes. They also have a DJ between sets, a bar, a kitchen, and a fast Pac-Man machine. We played there two years ago and had a blast. This time, we were lucky enough to have a crew come down from Philadelphia to see us play with our friends, Appomattox. We love those guys, and they absolutely slay live. They played a few new jams while the projection screen the venue set up played a DVD of old cartoons. It’s pretty awesome to bowl while your friends play a show a few feet away. We had a great time that night, and we’d like to thank the club for having us back and for treating us so well, and all of our friends for hanging out. After the show, and much transportation deliberation, we headed back to a motel, got rooms, and crashed. Our friend, Mike, felt that he had something to say to Neil, and he did it through his shoes. It was an interesting night for Neil.
From Asbury Park to Boston, for an early podcast with the Band in Boston folks and a rock show at P.A.’s Lounge. Jen and Andrew, who run and record Band in Boston out of their Somerville apartment, are two of the sweetest people we know. They invite bands into their homes and provide equipment for the band to play songs that are recorded to store and stream on their site. The last time we were there, we had stayed up way too late the night before and had been practicing some hard living, in general, and I croaked through almost the whole session. This time, we were determined to have a better performance. It’s too bad I decided to use a fretless bass. Man, I’m a jab. I think we did alright, though, and we had a great time. I have no idea when or if it will be broadcast, but, you know, check out the site and support those folks because they’re awesome. Between the podcast and the P.A.’s show, we split up and met with our families, who had made the trek from New Hampshire and Maine. It was great to catch up with them, however briefly. We love them very much and appreciate their continued support. The P.A.’s show was a lot of fun, as is almost every show we play back in Boston, because we got to see a bunch of our friends and play with some great bands. Ketman and Guillermo Sexo shared the night with us, and they both tore it up. (Look for Ketman to be playing several northern California shows with us in January as they tour the area.) We left the show and headed back to our friend Arpy’s house, where we hung out and crashed.
The next morning, we woke up, ate free baguettes, and drove to Brooklyn for a show at Trash Bar. This was our second show (of five) with Appomattox, but before any rocking could occur, we had to jam on some real Brooklyn pizza. Anna Maria’s, on Bedford, is a reliable favorite. Take note. We loaded in, and took up our places around the bar to watch the Sox lose to the Rays (who ended up doing a REALLY GREAT JOB AGAINST THE PHILLIES, GUYS…jeez) between playing and watching sets. Trash serves free tater tots, so that made the loss a little easier to swallow, especially because it tasted like tater tots. Somehow, ketchup ended up in the candy machine and all over Nick’s hand, which is too bad, really. Nick loves candy and hates disappointment. Couldn’t have happened to a better person. We ended up splitting up for the evening, with some folks raging around New York and others heading to sleep. Thanks to Adam and Taylor for putting us up each night we were in town. They’re stand-up bros.
We spent the next day hanging around Brooklyn before heading into Manhattan to check out some sweet art, pre-show, and meet up with friends. Mark headed off to meet some friends for dinner while I checked out Banksy’s Pet Shop, which offers a different take on dinner. Definitely check it out while it’s in operation. It’s well worth it. The show was held at the Delancey and it was a pre-CMJ party featuring us, Appomattox, and Mussels. The show was killer and probably one of the best of the whole tour. Great friends, great bands, and an awesome night. Neil’s parents were in town both New York nights, and it was awesome to have them at the shows. Playing New York is always a blast, and it’s due in no small part to the support of all of our friends. Thanks to all of them. We can’t wait to see you again.
The next day, the Low Red Land/Appomattox Fall Mini-Tour hit Cousin Larry’s in Danbury, Connecticut. Thanks to the Sub Rosa Party guys for setting us up and for the support. We were joined by Christian from the band Aloke, who played some solo songs between sets. All in all, a good night, and we capped it off by leaving immediately to drive through the night for an 8:00 a.m. performance in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.
Our good friend and old bandmate, James “Rod” Bentley, is a teacher at the St. Johnsbury Academy and he set us up with a brief, acoustic performance during the school’s morning meeting and a longer, electric set outside of the library in the afternoon. We got into town at about 6:30 a.m., slept for a few minutes, and then got ready for the morning performance. We played 3 songs to a very receptive (and captive) audience, and then passed out in a weird hotel room that was graciously provided. We woke up a few hours later and got ready to play. Vermont is cool and everything, but playing outside in almost-Canada in the middle of October while it’s kind of snowing is pretty brutal. We had a great time, though. Bentley even joined us for a rousing rendition of the classic Faith Dome Complex hit, “Bouncin’ Boy.” Seriously. It happened. You missed it. The staff at the school was awesome, as were the kids. Thanks to everyone at St. Johnsbury Academy for taking such great care of us. We showed our support and appreciation by thawing out and watching “Leprechaun” in the hotel room instead of going to see James coach the freshman football team to an undefeated season. Later in the night, we went over to the house James shares with his wife, Hope, had some pizza, talked about the game, played some music, and went to sleep. We were all pretty wiped out, and it was good to spend some time relaxing with an old friend. A VERY old friend.
More later.
October 31, 2008
We’ve had extremely limited computer access on this trip, resulting in a lack of updates. Apologies. All is well, if that’s any consolation, and we’re currently chilling in Savannah, Georgia. It’s Halloween, and we’re going to head out in a bit to “scare” up some fun. Get it?
Last we checked in, we were moments away from playing an acoustic show at Winning(s?) Coffee in Albuquerque. The show was awesome, and we’d like to thank everyone who came out for spending the time with us. Playing acoustic shows like that is such a great experience, and it allows us to take some time away from turning up and playing loud. So, what better way to follow up a show like that than by playing a late set for Punk Rock Monday? Leonard and the folks at the Atomic Cantina were kind enough to invite us back to play a second show, and we did so, after several inane and depressing “punk” bands. We had a great time and the show was fun, as usual. Thanks to Erica for putting us up both nights, and to her and her husband for being awesome hosts.
After Albuquerque, it was off to Colorado for what would be a three night stand of very special “Evening with Low Red Land” shows. We were the only band booked each night we played in Colorado, but all went well and we got a chance to stretch out our sets a bit. The first night found us in Colorado Springs, at the Rocket Room. The folks there are awesome and they took great care of us. Thanks to Dave and Brooke for coming out to the show, days before their wedding, and for putting us up. Congratulations to the both of them and we hope they live happily ever after. The next day, we headed into Ft. Collins for our second “Live at Lunch” appearance on KRFC. Thanks to Beth for hosting us yet again, and for giving us a place to chill out before our show at Road 34. Everyone at the show was cool, especially the two drunk guys who bought some merchandise before we played and the proceeded to ask the sound guy about “what all those knobs do.” We had folks come from as far as Albuquerque for this show, which was a pleasant surprise, and we had a good time playing the show. Thanks to Sarah for making the trek from Boulder and for hanging out. Thanks to Beth and Ansel for bringing out a crew, feeding us, and Beth, Ansel and Ben for putting us up. We can’t wait to go back to Ft. Collins. Then, it was off to Denver, for another show at 3 Kings. Thanks to the dedicated crew who came out to the show, including our special friend, Dan the Meatna. He’s the best. The Colorado shows were high in folks attending from out of town. We had Albuquerque represented in Ft. Collins, and we had Peoria, Ft. Collins, and San Francisco represented in Denver. After the show, we headed back Dan’s and ate way too much pasta. Isn’t that always what happens?
We love Wichita. Specifically, we love the folks in and associated with Paper Airplanes. Thanks a million to Marcus for setting us up with an awesome, all-ages show at the Avenue. After arriving in Wichita, we spent some time hanging out with several of the Planes, including some time at a Mexican restaurant where the salsa tasted like marinara sauce. After arriving at the show and loading in, and drawing a mustache on the Tartufi flyer, The Monoplex played to a filling warehouse. We went on in between two of Wichita’s biggest bands, and that’s an awesome place to be. Thanks to everyone who came to the show. We had a blast. After Paper Airplanes played, a sadly-under-attended dance party came and went, and we headed out to a party before going back to Marcus’ and Megan’s for some sleep. The next morning, Marcus and Megan talked about wanting to open a waffle stand while they made us waffles for breakfast. Best of luck to them. We hear they may be moving to San Francisco. Make it happen.
From Wichita to Tulsa, and another show featuring free hot dogs at the Sound Pony. There was some big pop country concert happening right down the street, so there went our crowd. I had started to come down with a pretty gnarly cold, too, and I ended up losing my voice. We toughed it out, though, and rocked through yet another show. Thanks to Ali, Monika, and Katie for their continued support, and for breakfast the next day. We love those ladies.
We booked a last-minute show in St. Louis at the Creepy Crawl, and oh, boy, was it ever awesome. The venue is pretty cool, and the guys who worked there ended up being good dudes. The biggest-drawing band of the night was some high school metalcore band that was handing out Mardi Gras beads. Awesome. After their set, everyone left because it was a school night, and the rest of us played to basically nobody. The German band, Nicoffeine, were wicked nice dudes, and we hope the rest of their U.S. tour went well. We rolled out of St. Louis as quickly as we got there and got a motel somewhere along the way to Chicago.
October 14, 2008
We have been waiting for the right time to announce this, and now that everything has been squared away, we have some big news to share. After several years of hard work and dedication, Low Red Land has agreed to a record deal. That’s right: from here on out, when you see us on tour and you buy a copy of “Dog’s Hymns,” you get a copy of “Weight of Nations” for half price. That’s a freaking record deal if we ever heard one!
Tour update coming shortly.
October 6, 2008
We are sitting in Winnings Coffee in beautiful Albuquerque, New Mexico, killing some time before we play an acoustic show here this evening. Since we’re already in town, and done playing early, Leonard was kind enough to add us on the bill at the Atomic Cantina tonight, so we’ll be playing Punk Rock Monday with a bunch of bands. Should be a good time.
So, here are some long-overdue updates. There’s been a lot going on with the band. We spent the summer recording, mixing, and spending all of our money on our new album, “Dog’s Hymns,” and we figured the best way to celebrate its release was to get out and tour. So, we did.
We left in early September for a brief, action-packed tour of the northwestern United States. We were lucky enough to play 7 of the 10 shows with Cameron, Lisa, and Eric of Finn Riggins. The tour found us hanging out with friends, meeting new people, eating some good food, eating some bad food, tearing it up in the wilderness, and generally having the time of our lives.
The tour kicked off in Oregon. Our friend Joel made the trip up to Portland with us, and we met up with Christy, who came down from Bellingham. We played the Towne Lounge for what was probably one of the last shows at that venue. Angelo told us he was leaving the living, so now bands coming to Portland are going to have to find a new former mortuary to play way too loud for anyone’s good. Thanks to Angelo for all of the support he’s given us, and best of luck to him. Seattle’s show was at the Comet Tavern with the crushing Lake of Falcons and two terrible bands. The show was great and, against Comet form, nothing weird or terrible happened during or after the show. We saw a bunch of friends and met some new folks, and it was an all-around good time. After a day of chilling in Seattle, we headed off to Bellingham for a show at the Rogue Hero. Thanks to Bucketz for taking care of us, and Christy for bringing out the crew. We had a great time playing and hanging out, and this time, no spiders ended up in any shoes.
We said goodbye to Christy and drove to Moscow, Idaho, to say hello to Finn Riggins. We had 5 Idaho shows scheduled for this tour, so it was great to play those shows and travel the state with a local band. We played two shows in Moscow: the first was the 35th anniversary celebration for Moscow’s food co-op, and the second was one of the smokiest shows we’ve ever played, at a place called John’s Alley. Both shows were great, but the latter left me with a cough and cold that would last me for most of the trip. That didn’t stop us from taking full advantage of Idaho’s beautiful geography, though. We took in bike rides, mountain runs, lakes, rivers, and hot springs. It was fantastic. We crossed back into Washington to play a show at the Empyrean, and things went pretty much the same as they always do at that place. The folks who run the place are really nice and supportive, and it’s always good to see Rhea, but every audience we’ve ever played to there has been Children of the Corn-ishly polite and very obviously doesn’t like our music. Still, they sit, and still, they clap. We got late-night burritos and then headed back into Idaho to stay with Eric’s sister in Couer d’Alene. The next day we drove to Missoula, Montana, for our show at the Badlander. It was another fun show and we’d like to thank Mike, Chris, and the rest of the Badlander crew for being so supportive. It will be nice to get back there, hopefully soon. We finished off the tour with a block of Idaho shows, the first of which took place in McCall. Thank you to Brian and everyone at the Common Ground for having us and for treating us so well, and thank you to the Thomassons for letting us stay in their cabin. Then we headed to Garden City (Boise) and played to a small but dedicated crowd at the Visual Arts Collective. Thanks to Mark and Katie for coming out, as well as my aunt and uncle. The folks who run the Collective were awesome, too. Finally, the tour came to a stop at Pocatello’s First National. We decided to celebrate the show by playing in sports attire, and we had a great time. Thanks to Jamie for having us and for taking great care of us. We ended the night with a Low Riggins Land super jam, which was hilarious and awesome, and something that will almost certainly happen again in the future. There are a few videos from that night, taken by Finn Riggins, on Youtube, so those of you so willing may seek those out to catch a glimpse of the awesomeness.
Thank you to everyone who came out to the shows, and to all of our friends for their love and support. It was great to see you all. It was a great tour and an awesome time, and we can’t wait to hit those places again.
Finn Riggins also posted their take on the tour, which is a lot more interesting than mine and even includes pictures and videos, here. Check it out.
We got home and had a couple of days to rest before we had our CD release show at Slim’s. The night was great, and we got to share the bill with the always-awesome Tartufi and new friends Built for the Sea. The night saw us officially release “Dog’s Hymns,” Built for the Sea release a new EP, and Thread Productions release the third “Dragon Slayers” compilation, featuring some of the best San Francisco and greater Bay Area bands around. Thank you to everyone who came to the show and thanks to the folks at Slim’s for having us and for treating us so well. If only every show could be that cool.
The latter half of September was spent gearing up for our national fall tour, and so the three of us set about working as much as possible, emailing, promoting, booking, printing, pressing, practicing, and all of the other stuff that goes into tour preparation. Now that we’re out on the road, we get to relax a bit and enjoy playing music and spending time together. So far, all has gone well. The tour started last Thursday in Fresno with a show at Tokyo Garden, featuring Them Hills and Rademacher. Both bands were awesome, and Rademacher just released a digital-only EP, “Era.” Check it out. We headed on down to Solana Beach and hit some hellish L.A. traffic, but at least we got to listen to the Red Sox beat the Angels. We played Surf and Saddle with the Howls and Writer. Andy and James are super-sweet dudes, and Shannon, Christina, and a couple of her friends came out. We had a great time, even though the bartender kept on telling us to turn down and we kept on ignoring her. Some folks can’t hang with the rock. The next day, we headed to Tucson, Arizona, and played a pretty relaxed show at the Red Room at the Grill. Thanks to Nicky for having us and for hooking us up with all kinds of hospitality, and thanks to Courtney and Jenna for bringing folks out. We headed out to the desert to stay with Neil’s family friends, the Landaus, and drifted off to sleep watching the classic “Major League III: Back to the Minors.” Then it was off to Albuquerque and the Atomic Cantina. We love playing Albuquerque, and the show totally went off. Bellemah opened with their newest lineup and was pretty as all get-out. Mr. Gnome, a band that we’d been hearing a lot about, played second and crushed. Not only are they both supremely nice people, they’re a great band. Check them out. We got to close the night and had a great time playing. Stue was there, all post-haircut and beardcut, and we didn’t even recognize him at first. Then, he started in with his angry ramblings and we felt right at home. That guy rules.
Now we’re just whiling away the hours before the acoustic show, reading books, writing letters, and posting boring updates on the website. Time for coffee.
September 29, 2008
Hey! It’s a new site! Thanks, Sean! What a great friend you are, and what a great company you have! There’s going to be a lot posted to this site in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes peeled. Especially considering…
We’re heading out on tour in a couple of days, heading all over the U.S. (except the northwest). We’ll be on the road from October 2nd until November 14th. We’re touring in support of our recently-released new album, “Dog’s Hymns.” If we’re coming to your town, please come out and say hi. We’ll have copies of the new album, some new shirts, some more new merchandise, and, depending on how long it’s been since you’ve seen us, some new music.
I owe some updates on our recent northwestern tour with Finn Riggins, our album-release show at Slim’s with Tartufi and Built for the Sea, and some other stuff. Things are kind of hectic right now, so just lay off and be patient.
September 18, 2008
Our new album, “Dog’s Hymns,” sees its official release tonight at Slim’s here in San Francisco. Joining us on the bill will be insane crushers Tartufi and Built for the Sea. Thread Productions will also be releasing the third installment in our “Dragon Slayers” compilation series. We go on at 8:00 p.m. sharp, so don’t blow it.
Speaking of blowing it, sorry for the lack of updates. Things have been busy. Soon, I will post a recap of what’s been going on, including our recent Northwest tour with Finn Riggins, and some information on what’s coming up. Also, if anyone is reading this looking for the promised “additional album credits, thanks, and band information” promised inside the “Dog’s Hymns” packaging, please be patient. It’s on its way. Take it easy.
August 11, 2008
It’s technically very early in the morning on the 11th, but for us it’s late in the night of the 10th. We’ve finished mixing the album and we’re currently bouncing the tracks down for mastering. This weekend found us putting in two long days, but they were worth it. The album sounds great, and we’d like to thank Mr. Robert Cheek for all of his help, hard work, patience, and company. That dude’s okay by us. Check out his band, as well. They’re called Bridges By Sunlight and they’re bad good. Some time in the next…oh, I don’t know, hour or so, we’ll head back to San Francisco with an unmastered copy of “Dog’s Hymns.” Sweet.
We played a last-minute show at the Press Club in Sacramento last Wednesday. We’re getting pretty good at bumming out the folks in Sacramento. We played with Bright Light Fever and most of their crowd decided to stay outside during our set, while the rest decided to show up after we got done. It worked out well. We had a great time, though, and we’d like to thank Jeremy, Schuyler, Matt, and friends for showing up. Check out their respective bands, Goodness Gracious Me! and Prieta. The Cheek and his lady were there, as well, and they’re pretty funny together (and drunk).
We’ll be back in Sacramento on Thursday to play Old Ironsides with Goodness Gracious Me! and Them Hills. Girls who want to hear Muse will be bummed.
July 31, 2008
We’re in Sacramento, at the Hangar, hanging out and tracking vocals for the new album. Robert Cheek is in the house and HOLDING IT DOWN like only he can. So, basically, he’s being creepy and pushing buttons while we try our best to make due with the lackluster effort he’s putting into being an engineer. We’re back here in about a week to mix this thing, and then it’ll be off to the presses while we prepare for the impending fall tours.
The album will see its release on September 18th at a very special show at Slim’s with our favorites, Tartufi, who will also be releasing their album “Nests of Waves and Wires.” The night will be rounded out by Built for the Sea, who will be releasing an EP. As if that was not enough, the newly-revived Thread Productions will be releasing the Dragon Slayers, Vol. 3 compilation. Heads will explode.
In early September, prior to the album release show, we will be hitting the northwest for about two weeks of shows. We will have a special tour edition of the new album with us for those shows. Check out the “events” page for more information on where and when we’re playing.
Early October finds us hitting the rest of the country for about a month and a half. There are some big shows planned for this tour, and in all likelihood they’ll be canceled on us at the last minute or something because that’s how life treats us. Still, we hope. We’re ever-hopeful. Again, keep an eye on the “events” page.
We’ve played some awesome shows lately. Our good friends from Wichita, Paper Airplanes, were on tour in support of their new album, “Scandal, Scandal, Scandal Down in the Wheatfield.” We were set to play four shows with them, but FATE had a different idea.
Vanessa was kind enough to have us at the Fort Gallery. Saything joined us on the bill and it was one loud, dark show. Mark accidentally broke the only light in the room when he tried to do a magic trick or something, so we played without the benefit of being able to see what we were doing. You’d think that, after years of playing our instruments, we’d have some feel for the things, but you’d be surprised. We still found a way to rock toward the light, and we had a great time. The members of L.A. uber-rockstar bigshot group Dusty Rhodes and the River Band were even in attendance. It was clearly the place to be.
The next night we were supposed to play in Monterey, but Paper Airplanes’ van broke down in Los Gatos, stranding them at various bars and passed out in the backs of strangers’ cars. We continued on and had a really good time hanging out with Cameron and Christy, and playing the show. Thanks to everyone at Monterey Live for being awesome, and to everyone who listened and bought something. Especially the people who bought something.
Since the July 4th show was local, Paper Airplanes had a chance to get their van issues addressed. While that was happening, a monumental rock show went down at El Rio. First and foremost, a huge thanks to Lynne for helping out and being amazing, and for making everything happen. On two stages, San Francisco was treated to Pope of Yes!, I Was Totally Destroying It, a reunited Sky Pilots, Paper Airplanes, Two Sheds, us, and Caves. On top of free barbecue, the folks in attendance couldn’t have been luckier. Thank you to everyone who came to the show and for those who wish to seek them out, there are two videos of us from the show on YouTube, shot by the ever-lurking BrOhio.
After a night of raging, and with a fixed van and a brand new bill, the Paper Airplanes/Low Red Land Summer Tour 2K8 rolled into San Jose, excited to play a fun and enjoyable rock show. Nope.
We saw Paper Airplanes on their way the next day and then brushed up on our acoustic skills for a show in Davis at Sophia’s Thai Kitchen for Mike Leahy’s Cool as Folk. That guy rules, even though we aren’t even in his top friends on Myspace. Ahem. Click on that link and check out his deal. We took the long way to get there, to say the least. It wasn’t a big deal, though, because we were only crammed with our pal Joel and all of our gear into Liz’s Jetta. Mark and I didn’t experience awful back pain or anything. We played with Portland’s Drunken Prayer, two awesome and very nice folks who were on tour from the comfy confines of the Pacific Northwest. Mike took great care of us, the folks who were in attendance were awesome. We even found a drunk from Massachusetts who indulged us in a spirited Boston talk sesh. I got to say “packy.” There were some Australians there, too, and after we talked about boomerangs and being stupid, we were on our way. Again, thanks to Mike, and look out, Davis, we’ll be back.
We followed that acoustic show with another special acoustic show at Cafe Du Nord for Raised by Robots and the Paper Sons tour kick-off show. This time, our friends Maura and Sofia joined us for a few songs on violin and cello, respectively. They are sweet people and they were just totally great. Thank you to everyone who came out to the show, thank you to Parker Street Cinema for also playing, and to Cafe Du Nord for having us. The new, fourth member of Low Red Land (acoustic), Mike Chopko, couldn’t make the show and has since been fired. It’s too bad. He really could have added something to the band. We just can’t abide slackers, no matter how big their hearts may be. Someday, maybe…
We’ve got a couple of shows coming up, one in Sacramento and a special one in San Francisco. We’ll be playing on August 14th with Goodness Gracious Me in Sacramento at Old Ironsides. Our friend Jeremy is the mastermind behind that band and we’re excited to play with them. On August 24th, we’ll be playing the inaugural Treat Street Fair, presented by the hardworking kids in Tartufi and WhizBang Promotions.
To wrap up, thanks to everyone, all 70-something of you, who voted for us in the Deli Magazine’s Band of the (half) Month. We totally crushed all those other dweebs and as our reward, the Deli decided to take the jabbiest picture of us in existence and make it into a banner to display on their site for all of eternity. Hooray. Now, if ever you find yourself wondering, “what’s up with those Low Red Land guys,” you can head over to the Deli’s site and look at that picture and say, “oh, yeah, they’re probably off being jabronis somewhere.”
