o how i do love this song

also, I'm sorry but with a little effort I hope to be like this girl:

CT4 Tour Blog: Epilogue.

Bellingham/Bothell/Bellevue, WA to Seattle, WA.

@ 550 12th Ave. TONITE!

I had this plan where I was going to write a couple of paragraphs in summation, to end the blog about the tour. Doing so while it's still fresh in my mind is important, too. Today is Thursday July 23, and CT4 is playing a homecoming of sorts at a house space (I think?) on 12th on First Hill. I'm stoked! I haven't shaved yet, and I'm trying to decide what to do in the hour or so I have before Meghan picks me up. We'll see. Fortunately, no one gives a shit but me.

So the thing is, I already gushed during the course of the tour about how much fun it was, how cool we all are, how well we get along, et cetera. I also publicly contemplated feeling old, and foisted haiku on CT4 fans. Sorry.

In spite of the cliches, this tour really was the kind of experience that movies are made of. A pivotal experience for all of us in subtle (or not at all subtle) ways; we had adventures and met kooky characters and became closer and all that stuff, and came out the other side with no damage. PG-13. Maybe I'm confused. Maybe all shoestring style first tours are like this, but to me it certainly felt unique. I can't imagine anything else I could have been doing during those 2 weeks of my life that would have been better. I realize that some people envy my position. But I am rarely this fortunate, so I'm going to revel in my memory, guilt-free.

Having the last show fall through was terrible timing, and I think we all agreed another week would have been sweet. But all in all, we came home wanting more, which is a good way to come home. If my lucky streak holds, I'll get to go out with them again next time..?

I thank you one more time for reading this blog; it was a pleasure writing it. I thank Meghan, Cristina and Valerie for inviting me to join them on the journey, and for making my shoes hurt.

CT4 Tour Blog: Final Haiku

25
Iowa turbines
twist across the countryside;
such gentle giants.

26
Can't sleep in the car;
I'm jealous of those who can.
I could dream all day.

27
My turn at the wheel.
Oceans of earth between us,
but I can feel you.

28
Pacific Time Zone
again and when I get home,
you'll be at home too.

34
Returning from tour,
and all we can do is dream
of more, more and more.

* * * * *

Also, this song somehow became an infectious constant over the course of our 2 weeks:

"Call before you come I need to shave my chocha."

CT4 Tour Blog: Final Leftover Photo Roundup

First stop: Ellensburg Subway.

rest stop.

missoula.

The 'Burban..

In Pierre with Hunter (on left).

write your own punchline.

hands-on healing in minneapolis.

kentucky.

this dog is named ben, after mssrs. gibbard and folds. he lives in birmingham.

immediately after this photo was taken, we all drove into a massive storm. serious.

between memphis and st. louis.

these are everywhere.

wtf is a seagull doing in wyoming? i'm asking you.

magic

cute is what we aim for

boise!

CT4 Tour Blog: YouTube Videos!

I posted some of these directly to blogger initially, but now they're all up on YouTube!

CT4 on the road with MG and the 'Mats:

(filmed on my birthday.)

Click here to see the picture Meghan just took in the video above.

Val eats old crackers sideways on the El:


Connecticut Four in Louisville:


Connecticut Four in Birmingham:


Connecticut Four in Memphis:


CT4 vs. the weather:


CT4 discuss the Midwestern scenery:


CT4 explains Owl Eyes in Logan:

CT4 Tour Blog: 07.18.09

Nampa, ID to Seattle, WA - HOME!
Driving day...

We got up early and headed out quickly. We were fortunate to meet Jeremy's daughter Jo before leaving. Meghan pulled an owl eyes on Valerie while Jo was standing there, and then encouraged her to swat Val with a pillow. What kid doesn't love a one sided pillow fight? The Jensens have a lovely home, and we're very grateful for their hospitality.

Then we just barreled toward Richland. We hadn't heard from the venue, and were feeling out of sorts. I was, anyways. I wanted there to be a last show. I wanted to spend one more night on the road with my friends. But instead it was looking grim. The venue, Ray's Golden Lion, wasn't open yet for the day. To be honest, it was pretty sketchy looking to me anyways. We made some calls, left some messages, and decided to meet up with a friend of Meghan's for lunch. The consensus was if we didn't hear from the venue by the time we were done eating we'd just go home.

I had a garden burger with bleu cheese and got owl eyesed once.

Then we drove back to Seattle.

Along the way, we stopped at a rest stop outside of Yakima. (Question: if Yakima is "The Palm Springs of Washington", as the signs on it's borders state, is Palm Springs the Yakima of California? Perish the thought..) While I was in the rest room, I got a text from Cristina: "Scantily clad girls. Photoshoot. In the parking lot. Omg." I thought it was a joke so I replied "take pics" and took my time coming out. But when I did, I was shocked to discover 2 girls wearing bandanas for tops and a big bald duder with a camera. They were strutting around and he was calling them sexy bitchez and everything. We all literally just sat there on a nearby picnic table and gawked quietly, trying to drum up the courage to ask for a picture with the girls. After a few minutes, a family pulled up with kids, the girls jumped back in their vehicle, and were gone. We cursed the luck and headed home without souvenirs.

The rest of the way we just talked about what was good and bad and stuff, listing off the interesting people and places we traveled. It really was quite an epic 2 weeks, complete with personal epiphanies and adventure. I imagine I'll have some more thoughts on the matter that I'll post as a sort of summation of the tour, so I'll stop here. Besides, I'm typing this on Valerie's laptop the day after we got back, and she needs to drive to Bellingham, and it's getting late, and she's tired/bored, so.

Thank you for reading this documentation of Connecticut Four's Summer 2009 Get Out Of My Life Except For Forever Tour.

CT4 Tour Blog: 07.17.09

Logan, UT to Nampa, ID
@ Flying M Coffeehouse.

Cristina did a load of laundry when she got up, and our host Brian made a pot of coffee, so it was a good start to the day. After a quick jump on the trampoline in the back yard, we headed out of Logan. I discovered last night that my laptop’s wireless capability has somehow been disrupted, which is a bummer. I’m borrowing a machine.

We arrived in Boise in the mid-afternoon, amazed that the temperature is ever hotter here than it was in Logan – it topped out over 100°F. I can now say with confidence that I know what it means, by stark contrast, to say “but at least it’s a dry heat”. Dang!

We parked downtown and found sushi. In Boise! I don’t really like Boise much, given the small amount of time I’ve spent there. It seems like a more-mature Yakima to me, I guess. We drove the scenic route to Nampa, just outside the city, and arrived in the early evening to load in.

Flying M is big and has two main spaces: one where bands play sometimes, and one where they don't. (See the pictures in the previous post.) Connecticut Four went on first, playing to a relaxed audience who watched them while sipping coffee in soft chairs. CT4 had the honor of opening for the daughters of The Very Most's lead singer Jeremy Jensen. They performed with The Very Most as their backing band, and altogether group had its own name, but I didn't catch it, unfortunately. It was incredibly cute and surprisingly good. The Very Most then played a regular set to a full house of kids and parents, sounding even more assured than I've ever heard them.

It was after the show was over that we got the news about the Richland show the following night being on iffy ground. Valerie had contacted some friends in the area to promote the show and got a reply about the venue being closed. We learned that it was not closed but under new management, the bookers who set up our show were fired, and there was a DJ scheduled. The guy who answered the phone at the place kept saying he would call us back.

Jeremy was kind enough to offer us his home as a place to stay, and we spent the evening reminiscing and looking at our laptops. There was a sense of dread and anticlimax in my gut. Nevertheless, we were hopeful.

CT4 Tour Blog: 07.17.09

Logan, UT to Nampa, ID
@ Flying M Coffeehouse.






Well, the tour ended a little bit early. Our last show in Richland was cancelled due to a change in ownership, and no one bothered to tell the band. Meanwhile, my wireless connection has stopped working in my laptop, so accessing the internet to post my last couple blog entries will take time.

The pictures above are from our arrival in Boise and then the show that night with The Very Most. I will post the final couple of blog entries in the next day or so.

CT4 Tour Blog: 07.16.09

Denver, CO to Logan, UT
@ WhySound.

Cristina drove us out of Denver and Meghan kept her company, while the rest of us tried to sleep. After a couple of hours we pulled off at a rest stop outside Laramie and passed out for a while. Meghan cleared herself a nook in the back after shifting around the gear, which was hilarious and adorable. After a few hours, Cristina felt ready to get back behind the wheel, so she drove us into the dawn. We stopped at a podunk gas station for a break, and I took over for the rest of the way into Logan.

Logan is the only city we are playing on this tour where I once lived. It was a long time ago, like 1995, but it’s pretty surreal to be coming back. I hated Utah when I lived there, mainly because I’m not interested in being a member of any organized religion, and Utah is different from other states because the massively dominant culture there is based on a single belief system. That being said, Utah is a beautiful place. Incredibly beautiful landscape. Driving through Wyoming, we began to see mountains again in the distance, which was a good feeling. Mountains = home.

Winding up into the Cache Valley, where Logan sits, I tried to point out bits and pieces of information I have in my head about the place. Mainly this is an odd mix of Mormon trivia and houses I once lived in. One place I was happy to visit again was Caffe Ibis. Back in the day, the Ibis was virtually the only cool place to hang out in Logan. We all had some food and coffee, ran a couple errands, and pulled up to the Cache Valley Mall for our early Hot Topic show. HOT TOPIC DUDES.

One mall looks like another, but they all have their way of reflecting their locale in subtle ways. I can’t really define what made this mall specifically Loganesque, but it was. The employees at Hot Topic were dubious that there would literally be anyone watching CT4 play their pared-down set, so we all made an effort to pull people walking by into the store. Val used her tap shoes and a shaker (which was really my bottle of ibuprofen), Meghan played sitting down with her pedals switched off, and Cristina stood but played quieter. It’s nice hearing the lyrics! Kids started trickling in, along with curious adults. Meghan got the crowd clapping along on “Fiscal Year”, and they yelled on “Shook” – it turned out to be a pretty fun experience. We plugged the show that night, sold a CD, and shook hands and stuff with the people we met.

There was some spare time between engagements, so Valerie took a nap on a mall couch, Crisitina accessed the Internet, and I ran some more errands with Meghan. It was fun driving around the campus at Utah State University, where I worked in Logan for a while. We noticed the temperature was over 90°F, making Logan officially the hottest stop of the tour. Birmingham and Memphis may have been more uncomfortable due to humidity, but Logan wins the hottest-so-far award.

The show was at WhySound, an all-ages venue that recently also became a recording studio. We met Robert, the man who promoted and booked the show, and loaded into the clean, crisp space.

The first two openers were from Provo, who apparently had a show fall through elsewhere, so they were added to our bill. I didn’t catch the first act’s name, Forest Something, but they are a male/female duo that perform electropop like the Postal Service or Her Space Holiday. I wasn’t paying attention, but I was told that all the songs were spiritually oriented.

Next was OK Ikumi, which was a fellow named Carl playing GameBoy electronic music. I managed to miss watching his brief set (I could still hear it), because a vending machine stole a dollar from me and I was trying to reason with it. Oops. Tour! Salt Mine Circus played next.

When it was CT4’s turn to set up, Meghan and Crisitina decided to play on the floor in front of the stage, which let Valerie play up on the edge, closer to the room. The energy was charged, and within moments of the first note there was, I kid you not, a mosh pit. Okay well it wasn’t proper pit, since it was mostly the dudes from American Attic, but it was still pretty pit-like. I was mpressed that I could stand right in front, however, and never be grazed by a flailing rocker.


The set did rule, as per usual, and after it was over there were calls for an encore – just like in Denver! Leave ‘em wanting more, yes? Toward the end of the set, the band even taught the Loganites the Owl Eyes game we learned from Hunter back in Pierre. We’re trying to help him spread it across the country, but we’ve been neglecting our duties, so there was an effort to make up for it tonight. Trying to explain the rules here feels like a violation of those rules though, so please just find one of us when you see us back home and we’ll gladly explain.

American Attic earned my respect. They play a somewhat disparate style of rock, containing elements of emo, to be perfectly honest, but there are elements of simple pop and even reggae on certain songs. They are all very good at their instruments and have a ton of stage presence (dude jumped off the wall twice!), as well as a charming, self-effacing, humorous banter. They totally won me over. American Attic is on my list of best bands CT4 played with.

After the show ended we met Brian, who owns and built WhySound. He offered us a place to crash, which made us grateful; my attempts to find us a place using my dusty connections was a resolute failure. He has a big home nearby with a huge back yard, a barn, a work shop, a garden, and a basement riddled with couches and beds for sleeping. He’s also got a giant pile of questionably-legal fireworks and evidently very patient and/or tolerant neighbors. We ended the day with explosions and card games.

CT4 Tour Blog: 07.15.09

Des Moines, IA to Denver, CO
@ Meadowlark.

Woke up in a hotel room! The first, and probably only, hotel room of the tour. It was a good call. We scooted out of town a little bit later than planned, and were soon barreling through Nebraska. Valerie found Nebraska very appealing, describing the state’s unpretentious manner, backed with a reliable honesty, as the embodiment of what the Midwest is. I had similar feelings about Iowa, actually. It just seems real and practical and representational of what is good about the word “American”.

We discovered that we will have been in 19 states when this tour is over. It’s rather overwhelming to consider how much ground we’ve traversed in such a short time. This blog, an attempt to capture it all, is insufficient, but I’m doing what I can.

I’ve never been to Denver before, and was hoping to see some of the city, although that wish is not destined to be fulfilled, I’m afraid. Because Logan, Utah is so far away, we already are planning to leave town right after the show tonight in order to gain some ground.

The Meadowlark is a terrific venue for any band to play, with the bar being indoor and underground, and the stage out in the back yard. It is large and airy and feels very much like a really great party setup, rather than a more formal venue. Meghan remarked that it reminds her of the outdoor stage at Boundary Bay Brewery back in Bellingham. (Boy!) The locals hung out casually, sitting at tables all night long. It looks like this:

Connecticut Four was placed 3rd in a 4-band lineup of locals, which made us very happy – local bands draw better than touring bands do when they’re on the road for the very first time. Rooster Brothers were up first, playing a jovial brand of rootsy rock. Not entirely my thing, but damn did the crowd love them. Lots of dancing. Also, we learned later that their lead singer likes to party a lot after he plays a set. So friendly!

Tantric Picasso played next, and they were probably my favorite band that night. They’re one of those experimental pop acts where all the members trade instruments and sing lead on different songs. They clearly are having a lot of fun up there, and I was too watching them.

CT4 looked great on that outdoor stage, and killed it. Again. I know it must seem repetitive for me to say ‘hey they played another great set!’ but...that’s what’s going on! I don’t mind seeing them play these songs over and over, either. I was reminded once again while watching them that this band is great.

Cristina literally got bit by at least one mosquito during the set. This brought her total to over 35 mosquito bites since we started the tour. She has constellations on her leg. She's can handle it of course, but we all feel pretty lousy since we've managed to escape her fate.

One of the things we’ve been discussing here at the latter end of this tour is the role gender has played. CT4 are all women, and they love that fact, but they did not form because they are all women. They formed because they are friends who like playing music together. They are good musicians and songwriters, as all good bands are, and as a result people dig them. But often the compliments they receive from other bands or audience members usually go like ‘hey you rock for girls’ or ‘you play like a man’ or ‘you’re so little but you sound so big!’ or whatever. We know people mean well, but they really don’t realize how unnecessarily focused on gender they are. We see the trend; they see the band.

On top of this, as a dude observing them handle the social aspect of playing a show in a different city every night, it’s fascinating to watch guys interact with them. They see me and wonder if I’m “with” one of the members. They are verrrry friendly in a way that goes beyond natural curiosity, and I know what I’m talking about because I am a guy. Eventually the word “boyfriend” gets dropped and things move forward. But frankly, when stuff like ‘how am I going to fit a dollar bill into those tight pants?’ is said, you don’t need to be a guy to know that’s pretty fucked up. We’ve even come up with a code word we use for an uncomfortably creepy guy, so we know to rescue that person.

Of all the nights on tour so far, Denver was the most tense in terms of testosterone. In that way, it was awkward for all of us to navigate. On the other hand, it was my personal favorite night of the tour for a number of reasons – and the band members agree it was at least a winner, if not the winner. The space was great, the crowd had a lovely vibe, the promoter was generous, the animals have the ability to speak, the streets are paved with gold dubloons, it rained jellybeans, and I’m pretty sure there’s a spot on the corner of the basement bar where magical stuff happens. The bartender was named Gandalf, so.

The last band Pop Rehab were a total piano pop combo, as you might imagine, and they were not shy about showing their Elton John influence by covering “Bennie and the Jets”. We also heard “Werewolves of London” in the mix with their Ben Foldsy originals. Thumbs up!

Overall, it was a weirdly intense but really fun and interesting show. Afterward we mingled with the locals a little bit, thanked the promoter, and packed up. We drove into the darkness in the wee hours.

CT4 Tour Blog: 07.14.09

St. Louis, MO to Des Moines, IA
@ Vaudeville Mews.

Meghan and Cristina got up early and went out to breakfast with Aunt Peggy and Grandma. We packed up and hit the road when they returned, driving north into the perfect American landscape of Missouri and Iowa. It was largely an uneventful drive. There was excitement in the air as this show is with CT4’s pals iji from Seattle, who are themselves on tour for like 10 weeks(!). Keenan (from iji), who used to be in Paxil Rose with Cristina and was once roommates with Meghan, helped get CT4 on the bill. Vaudeville Mews is a great venue on its own, and the fact that it’s an oasis in the middle of the Midwest makes it all the more special for the band to play at.

This was an early, all-ages show, so we arrived in mid-afternoon for load in. There was hugging and high-fiving as we hooked up with iji, and I was extra-extra stoked to discover the big café next door is equipped with free wi-fi. Java Joe’s is large and airy and full of nice locals. I have been dying to sit and stare at the internets for several days now (sad, I know), so it was no time before I was perched on a tall chair posting blog entries and looking at news about Sotomayor’s confirmation hearing. Good times.

Actually, after discussing matters with the band, we agreed to let me take some “Matt time” during their set tonight so I could chill on my own for a bit. So while things got rolling and band members were buzzing about next door, I camped and drank a coffee and put some pictures on Facebook.

Now this means that I took no pictures or video during the set, nor can I describe it. I apologize. Well, actually the bad literally played about 10 feet to my right, and even though there was a brick wall between us, I could hear them just well enough to know which song they were playing. According to them, the set solidified after the first couple-few songs. I did slip in after their set to help load out, and can say definitively there were more people in the audience for the show than any other we’ve played thus far. It was a very successful show for the band, with kids getting their copies of the EP signed, lots of merch sold, and a decent sized chunk of the door – considering this was a 5-band bill, that’s pretty sweet.

Speaking of which, the first band was called Craig!, and I have no idea what they sound like, but I know they were quieter than CT4 because I could not hear them. Watercolor Paintings, from California, who are touring with iji, actually started their set while I was helping load out. They have an orchestral pop thing, with all the members singing choir-style to start things off. Seemed pretty cool. iji were next, and they are twee indie pop. Des Moines’ The Erased Life played last, and I missed out on it. On the bright side, I really enjoyed my time to myself.

At Java Joe’s I made friends with Claire, a nice person who offered her parents’ home to us, iji, and Watercolor Paintings as a place to stay.

Claire + CT4!

Because I am old and grumpy, however, I really wanted to find a place we could be sure to get to sleep – no slumber parties! We also had to get up sooper early for a 9-hour trek to Denver in the morning. We agreed to split a hotel room between us instead, over at the Hotel Fort Des Moines.

The band made sure to get their money's worth.

Finally, ever since I brought it up over a week ago, there has been a plan for Val and me to go see Harry Potter when it comes out. Well my friends, on 07.15.09 at 12 midnight, we were at the Southridge Mall with a throng of, as Valerie put it, Iowa Potter nerds. It was great! We filed in with the herd and found seats. I had spent some time earlier in the day explaining the rudimentary plot points of the story so we were all ready. A couple seats down from us were some big dudes who were really excited – encouraging everyone to clap when the film began and everything. Also, there was an odd smell in the theater, although that may have just been my own hand I was smelling, as I was using it to cover my nose. Who can be sure? Tour!

Either way, the movie was pretty good. A little more talky-talky-no-action-magic than I was expecting, but I dug it, and Valerie didn’t fall asleep, so I’d call it a success.

CT4 Tour Blog: Leftover Pictures and Haikus

Valerie on her birthday in Minneapolis, demonstrating how to get off of an air mattress:

running through the sprinklers!

the closest I will ever come to being Catholic:

The El:

Birmingham:

heart of the country:

13

At a tourist trap

in Kentucky: dinosaurs?

I prefer blue grass.

14

It's not the heat,

it's the humidity. Oh Lord,

air conditioning!

15

Finally broke down

and got flip-flops in Nashville;

Meg bought cowboy boots!

16

Mrs. B's on Fourth

in Birmingham: our first stop!

Macaroni, dudes.

17

A storage unit,

Humid air, a pack of friends,

a knot in my gut.

18

The Mississippi

sunset is stunning tonight.

Thank you, pollution.

19

One thing the Northwest

and the South have in common:

green stretching for miles.

20

The night air throbbing

with life, so thick with moisture

you're under water.

21

Lightning surrounding

us as we exit Memphis.

True humbling power.

22

Hot and cold, we go

there and back again, like the

air conditioning.

23

St. Louis buses

look the same as those back home:

it's a reminder.

24

Leaving St. Louis

on 64-West when we

see corn, just like that.

CT4 Tour Blog: 07.13.09

Memphis, TN to St. Louis, MO

@ CBGB's.

Gloomy skies greeted us when we awoke in Memphis. Windy's roommate has a young son (4ish?) who kept spying on us through curtains as we got packed up. He was dressed in a superhero outfit and occasionally a mask. We never formally met him, but all the same we left him a paratrooper toy we picked up at a convenience store recently.

Last night I made the error of leaving Valerie's camera at the Buccaneer Lounge, so the 2 of us had to drive back to the venue and retrieve it before bed. Afterward, as we drove around semi-aimlessly looking for food, we watched sky shift and tumble with sooty black clouds and flickers of lightning. Val explained to me, twice, at my request, that it was the result of an ionized atmosphere; extra electrons need to discharge from those ionized particles, and they do so in the form of lightning. (How'd I do Val? That was from memory!)

When we got up this morning, there was a giant, soaking, crackling storm awaiting us on the drive north through Arkansas. We literally drove right through the middle of it all, pelting rain and lighting reaching directly over our heads for about an hour.

After that, the sky cleared and I can't be sure, but that storm either shook all the humidity out, or just being back in the Midwest has rescued us from the soggy air.

Meghan's brother and grandmother and aunt all live here in St. Louis, along with various and sundry other uncles and cousins. Our first stop was to pick up John, Meghan's brother, and get some lunch. We had semi-fancy Italian food, and I discovered my new favorite drink: Fitz's Cream Soda. My new second-favorite: Fitz's Root Beer. I got one of each. They are made here in St. Louis, and they are farking yummy.

We headed to Meghan's grandmother's home, and discovered that someone has chosen to completely rebuild an entire stretch of freeway through the city. It looks like mounds of freeway-shaped mud. There was a mild fiasco navigating around this, but soon we arrived at the large, well-appointed home. According to Meghan the house is used as a refuge for people from around the country whose family members are battling cancer and need a space to rejuvenate. It's basically a bed and breakfast, with lots of rooms and beds and really clean bathrooms, plus kitchen areas and a deck and the like. It is easily the nicest place we've stayed so far, and we've stayed in some nice places. We got a nap in before the show, plus had the pleasure of unloading all of our personal belongings, which meant we didn't have to shift that stuff around the 'Burban outside the venue, which just makes for an easier night. Plus drums were backlined! Score.

CBGB's is apparently somehow NOT a direct reference to the legendary NYC punk venue, but I don't know. We discovered it sits on a block whose cross street is, no joke, Connecticut. Seemed like a good omen to us. The venue itself is being renovated, and it looked it with the large pieces of particle board filling both bay windows that face the patio. Just figuring out which door takes you inside the venue was a challenge.

We got more Italian food, rubbed elbows with Meghan's relatives, and watched the opening act set up. Two women, called Cassie Morgan and the Lonely Pine, played a spare set of folk songs that reminded me of Mazzy Star or Madeline. Very pretty. Cassie is local to St. Louis, and totally worth checking out.

CT4 moved in next. Relatives crowded around the band as they played yet another solid set of aggressive pop. We sold a fair amount of EPs, too.

Amo Joy, from Indianapolis, played next. I sorta missed their brief set, but everyone else in CT4 really seemed to like them. I know that they play a kind of quirky, orchestral pop, and I know that they have extensive and interesting merchandise: an activity book, for one thing.

Bunnygrunt, the local pop band who set up the show, played last. Unfortunately for them, it was only about 3 songs in before the cops arrived on foot. The bartender told everyone the bar was about to close, and then it closed. Abruptly. People streamed out, and within 15 minutes that place was empty except for musicians. I'm not sure, but I think a noise complaint was lodged. I want to believe it was CT4 that inspired it.

We shook hands with and hugged our new friends and returned to our stuff and beds and sleepy dreams. The room the band slept in literally had 3 lil' twin beds for them, like the 3 bears or something. As Goldilocks, I slept in a room on my own with my porridge.

Speaking strictly for myself, I'm starting to feel restless. I love these people I am traveling with, but it is approaching a saturation point. I worry that I'm becoming annoying to them, as well. There's a lot of hugging going on between the band members, and from my observation we're getting along fairly well. But I'm getting grumpy sometimes and just want, like, more time to myself. A vacation from my vacation, as it were. Just a night. Or, as Cristina just pointed out, maybe I just need more hugs.

On a different note: we've decided, I think, to shave this thing off my face together, right at the end of the tour. I don't like it, but I've committed too much time to this thing to shave it now, so it is kind of a symbol of the tour. We're thinking Richland or Nampa, and they'll take razors to my skin, ever so gently. I hope.

CT4 Tour Blog: 07.12.09

Birmingham, AL to Memphis, TN

@ Buccaneer Lounge.

We slept in. Way, way in. There didn't seem to be a serious effort underway to get packed and moving until well into the afternoon. Primarily this is because some of us stayed up late hanging out at the pool with Brandon, Dave and what I hear is Dave's tiny, borrowed argyle swimsuit. When we got up, Trent returned to the apartment with his friend Aaron, and as I was attempting (and failing) to post some video to the blog, they ended up doing mud masks with Val and Meghan.

Tour!

The heat and humidity that morning was something I am simply not used to, but everyone else seems to have some reason to dig it. I'm at a loss. We got on the road and started driving west for the first time since we started this tour. Having progressed beyond the halfway point, it's interesting how we're already having thoughts about returning home, when just days ago the thought of not being on this tour seemed alien. Many people ask us if we hate each other yet. The reply is typically the same, at least from me: we get along entirely too well. There may be the occasional tiff or misunderstanding, but I think it's a vehicle full of level-headed types here.

Regardless, on the one hand there's a part of me (and each of us, I think, but I can't be too presumptuous) that wishes we could be out here doing this forever, or at least longer. We are having a great time, and this constant travel feels romantic and meaningful. It's a Cliff's Notes overview of America, though: we see so much, but only in narrow, hours-long gasps, like a photograph of a place. There's ultimately a sense that we're absorbing a tremendous amount of information. On the other hand, we've now been doing this long enough to feel less tickled by the newness of it; there is a satisfying, yet predictable, routine. We are aware that we are getting closer to home now.

Folks in Birmingham and Nashville warned us to be careful in Memphis, so we were on guard. Chris, a friend who came to the show, told us he has been mugged 3 times in the past year. It's where Dr. King was murdered, which is just a touch spooky. I would prefer to focus on the legacy of Memphis in rock history, however: it was the nearest big city to the blues musicians populating the Mississippi Delta once upon a time. Plus, it is named after an Egyptian city, and has hot wet air that sometimes feels like you are wearing it, rather than breathing or moving through it.

The Buccaneer Lounge can be described as a cross between the Blue Moon in Seattle and the Beaver Inn in Bellingham, then set on a shadowy remote corner in Memphis. There are young regulars and wood paneling, a spot in front of the fireplace for the band to play, a braided hippie sorta helping set up, a dart board, a patio, oil and smoke-laden A/C, and pools of darkness in the corners. We met Bankrupt and the Borrowers (who were hilariously misbilled as "Bankrupt and the Bar Whores"), an Austin band with serious Zeppelin influences - they are heavy and bloozy and the best band we've played with since Minneapolis.

I had to share the duty of gathering the door fee with Bankrupt and the Borrowers' manager, which was kind of weird. I'm a stranger in your city, and you're a regular who doesn't really want to pay anything, but it'll be five bucks to get in. Anyways, Meghan won the rock-paper-scissors match and CT4 went on first, doing a spot-on job as usual. There was a small clot of people there for them, including a a girl who used to live in Bellingham! What a nice surprise.

I took some video, but it will have to wait to get posted - it's 2 songs long and we've learned it takes a long time to upload..

We all got a kick out of the Austin band and their seasoned chops - they do not fuck around. We were assured that if CT4 wants to play Austin next year, they will make it happen. Tour! We loaded out, and in the parking lot Cristina said she saw a cockroach so large, it fell down while running and made a sound. One of them tried to make off with Meghan's pedal box.

The night was spent at Windy's, a relative of Valerie's who lives in Memphis. She has a beautiful home, and that night as we arrived the surroundings echoed with critters and creatures. The South in the summer is rippling with life.

CT4 Tour Blog: 07.11.09

Nashville, TN to Birmingham, AL

@ Uncle Gary's Fun House.

Last night there was discussion about finding cowboy boots for Meghan, but it just didn't pan out, timing-wise. So Meghan got up earlyish and headed back to Nashville on her own while we stayed back at the house. My honest belief was that there was no way she'd find quality boots at a decent price with only an hour to work with.

As you can see from this pic snapped in Birmingham later in the day, I was wrong. Meghan found a pair of $500+ boots marked down to $150. They are fancy, intricately-designed turquoise numbers that look super cool. I am impressed. We all are.

It was rainy in Nashville as we got started for the day. We knew the drive to Birmingham was short, so we took our time. We had a lovely breakfast with John and Cindy - eggs, cheese, biscuits, jam, etc. Delish. Also, they have a beautiful, big home with a vast yard out back that connects to all their neighbor's yards - no fences! Very cool. We packed and shook hands and hugged and took a picture and got back on the road.

On the way there was discussion about why it was that Birmingham made some of us nervous. Primarily it stems from being about as far away from this place as you can be in the continental U.S. most of the time - Birmingham has this reputation for being a hotbed of the civil rights movement and as such, rife with struggle. As an Asian American, Cristina herself was a just little paranoid about being stared at or worse. Then she just decided that was an uneducated thing to worry about, and decided to relax and have a good time. I would like to add that there were two other Asians in the other bands we played with in Birmingham, plus an African American, who happened to be the first non-whiteys we've played with so far. So there you go.

We got into town early and found food at Mrs. B's on Fourth - it was yr classic southern restaurant. Meatloaf and fried chicken, collared greens and mac n' cheese, green beans, corn, kaBAM it was the real deal, peoples. Even as a mostly-vegetarian I was able to put together a mound of deliciousness for myself. We took it to go.

The show itself was at a storage space our hosts called "Uncle Gary's House of Fun", which is confusingly located at a storage facilty called Uncle Bob's Self-Storage. That's right: an outdoor storage unit, dudes. Apparently this is how they put on shows in Birmingham right now. If you want to attend, you have to punch in a security code at the gate. All the showgoers know this, and even though there are survelliance cameras everywhere, no one cared. I guess many bands rehearse in these storage units, so it was easy to make the jump to hosting shows.

Trent, who is the boyfriend of CT4's friend Aaron back in Bellingham, set up the show. (Trent, by the by, is a fucking awesome dude. Very accomodating and kind to us.) He worked with a tall fellow named Dave to make this thing work. Essentially it was a hardcore punk/metal show, but CT4 held their own. There was a local opener, then CT4, and then 3 touring bands from the Boston area: The Fake Boys, The Bonus Army, and Hammer Bros.

That's Dave there. He's taking these awesome pictures:

The touring acts rolled in halfway through CT4's set. The band greeted them as they arrived: "Hello, other touring bands!" Between us, I think they were making fun of the tardiness. It was, all told, about 15ish dudes, many of them enormous, and covered with ink. I admit to a fair amount of ignorance when it comes to this culture, so I was honestly intimidated. But while their music is thunderous and fast and angry and almost unlistenable (to me, outside of a live performance like this), I thought it was great. They were nice, and they were really good at their instruments. There was this one guy who sorta stomped around and jumped in the air while playing his guitar - it was cool.

The show somehow devolved into a jam session at the end and we vacated for Al's, an incredible 24-hour Mediterreanean place that made us all happy. I grilled Trent on Birmingham history and why Lynrd Skynrd thinks they love the governor there (it has to do with a freeway, actually, according to Trent). We met Trent's friend Brandon, and Emily, the sweet girl who put us up for the night, as well as her friends Madison and Holly.

Emily has a pool in her apartment complex! We went swimming again! Trent took off but we all splashed around for a good while and relaxed in the chloriney water. We really like Birmingham, yo. From a cursory standpoint, where you assess a place based on your gut after seeing just a little bit, Birmingham feels good.

CT4 Tour Blog: The "Beard"

I have not shaved since I quit my job two weeks before the tour began. I have never gone this long without shaving my face in my adultish life. It seems to me that there could never be a better time to attempt to grow my iffy facial hair other than when I am newly jobless and traveling the country with a band for two weeks. That being said, we are also touring in July, and I'm not used to this itchy, odd thing on my face. At times I imagine I can understand what a hedgehog or porcuipine might feel like. Frequently I grumble to everyone that it's coming off as soon as I get home, if not sooner. Sometimes I wonder narcissitically if there's a secret betting pool on whether I'll just suddenly shave it off in some city somewhere. Generally speaking, I also can't seem to stop touching and/or attempting to get all these wiry, scraggly hairs to line up. What the hell am I supposed to do with hair that literally grows in the opposite direction from the ones around them? Cut em off? I don't know. All I do know is that I can't imagine this is helping me meet available women on this tour, the type who are well-meaning but for some reason are drawn to my mysterious charms and et cetera. The band would love nothing more than to collectively be my wingman, but the bottom line is there aren't a lot of opportunities to make new friends while traveling every day, and besides that's not my reason for being here. So.. yeah wish me luck with the beard.

CT4 Tour Blog: 07.10.09

Louisville, KY to Nashville, TN

Driving day.

"Birds! I don't know where you are. But I will find you. I will kick you!" - Valerie

We awoke on the patio, hot and sweaty. Well, I did anyways. I think one of the others did, too. While the patio seemed like a cool idea, and it was certainly our only option besides a motel or something, it still wasn't ideal. For one thing, Matthew has lovebirds that live on the patio. They get pretty squawky in the A.M. Valerie wasn't pleased; none of us were really. Matthew also has a couple parrots he lets fly around his shop before he opens, which is when we were trying to load out. He laid on the couch near the door and instructed us to keep the doors closed as we moved our gear outside.

Once we were done I was more sweaty and/or just plain damp than I've literally been in years. It was amazing. Easily the hottest I've been so far, although Birmingham will turn out to be a close second.

We left Louisville and Kentucky behind us, and headed to Nashville. Valerie's got an uncle in the hospital there, and since we had the day off, it worked out perfectly. I treated the band to Taco Bell because I am a pimp, and then Val went to see her family while we waited. After a short while she called us up, and we joined her and her grandmother in the waiting area.

Valerie's grandmother Rolien was a hoot, and she was kind enough to offer us her hospital hotel room for showers and/or napping and/or watching a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream on tv, performed by puppets. Then she bought us all dinner in the hospital cafeteria, where we met Valerie's Uncle Russ and Aunt Joyce.

We said our goodbyes and drove through Nashville, right down Broadway where all the glittery touristy neony music venues are piled nearly on top of one another. NashVegas! or NashOrleans. Whatever, it was cool. We rolled the windows down and Cristina sang Magnetic Fields songs to the pedestrians with her ukelele, and pretty much everyone in the vehicle resolved to return to Nashville again for a proper stay.

We drove south of the city for about 30 minutes and arrived at the home of John and Cindy, old friends of Valerie's family, who were incredible hosts. They were friendly and warm and put us right at ease. Since it was late, they headed to bed before too long while the band practiced some quieter versions of their songs for the early show in Logan, Utah's Hot Topic store:

CT4 Tour Blog: Supplemental.

We were swimming in the hydrogen-infested fountains of Waterfront Park!

Here's a link to a local blog about people swimming in the same fountain (with pics!) back in 2007.

CT4 Tour Blog: 07.09.09 cont.

Louisville is a big city with a lot of what looked to us like unused space in the downtown area. John back in Chicago described it as a city whose greatness is behind it; we're not sure. We pass Louisville Slugger Field on the way in, where the Little League World Series happens. We pulled up to Derby City Espresso, and found a lovely space to play: a medium-sized cafe/bar with lots of great art, coffee, a patio,parrots and books, and a man named Matthew. He owns and lives right there at DCE, and greeted us upon arrival.

We found Matthew to be, at first, a little bit prickly. He briskly informed us where to set up, how the night would progress, his policy about bands ("if I like you, you're welcome to return anytime. If I don't, you will never be back..." makes sense), and some rather vague ideas for food. Later, after he warmed up to us, he described himself as a curmudgeon, which is part of his charm; we wholeheartedly agree.

In his bathroom he had a picture of Bush which had been treated so you write on it with a dry-erase marker. Meghan immediately went to work:

Here's Matthew's on-display NRA card.

Okay so we headed out for a walk since we were early for once, and all the band members were already gushing about how much they liked Matthew's no-nonsense attitude, Louisville's authenticity, warm weather, honest realness, etc. We found our way to some kind of a large, long public fountain that literally dozens of people were wading in. Children and parents were running in every direction, and we were sorely tempted to hop in. Instead we agreed to return later that night.

We stopped for sammiches, where Meghan was stoked to discover red cream soda for sale, and we headed back to start the show. The opening act was Brian Probus (*Ghost Cloud?*), a local musician who plays simple, folky tunes. He's also quite friendly and cool! MT Asiago played next, a 2-piece of bearded duders who used electric guitar and drums. It was droney and squalling, a kind of post-folk noisefest; I learned that the lead singer purposely updated his set from a quiet, acoustic approach to this, in order to help CT4 seem less out-of-place on the bill.

CT4 started off in what had become a melty, wet heat. They had a lot of fun, and played well. Here's where I was going to post a video of them playing, but videos take a LOOOONG time to load on Blogger apparently. So, I'm sorry. I'll post it when it get home, maybe?

It was after midnight when they wrapped up, and we headed back to the aforementioned fountain to cool down and fulfill one of our persistent tour fantasies: go swimming! Matthew and his friend Rich accompanied us, and we waded in with glee. Well, Valerie was gleeful, Meghan was stoked, Cristina was pleased, and I was feeling a little trepidatious. I can't speak for Matthew or Rich.

Here's Matthew, of Derby City Espresso in Louisville, KY with CT4.

Here's our attempt to recreate this legendary, influential Louisville band's album cover.

It was around this time that we discovered the sign you see in the picture.

It is warning off the public from swimming (remember: we literally saw dozens of people in this fountain earlier in the day). We kept swimming, but it continues to make us wonder what the hell "extra hydrogen" in water means. Is it heavy water? Feel free to explain in the comments if you know.

We returned to the cafe, settled down on the patio, and drifted off into the open air of Kentucky.