Exploning. Issue #128

If it's true when they say "you are what you eat", then the 10-hour drive back from this weekend's EXPLONE mini-tour has left me a nasty ass DNA makeup of lemon bars, twizzlers, Chex mix, and Whatchamacalits. Gordon, my sugar worm feels like it's Christmas morning. Oh sorry, I mean "Holiday". Never can be too careful you know...

On Friday, my new tenure in the band was tested (I talk a lot in the car) with a few shows over The Pass to the town of Rosyln, WA. If you're not from Seattle, you may know that town name from the tv show "Northern Exposure" that was filmed there. And man, they don't let you forget it. Tried to jack one of the signed posters on the wall but a young svelte and pre "Sex In The City" John Corbett shamed me with his judging eyes. Plus we didn't have room cause the 15-passenger van was packed with guitars, drums, amps, and my assortment of road ready metrosexual travel products.

After a little hairy of a drive over The Pass now beginning to see some of the first heavy snowfall of the year (Patrick's knuckles were understandably white), we arrived at "The Brick" for the show. I had never been to the venue, but it's the one big bar/music venue in town and a beacon of entertainment in an otherwise seemingly sleepy town. As expected, the small town niceties and politeness seeped from the locals and we enjoyed a much needed meal before the show. Both nights of the tour we opened for WILL WAKEFIELD & THE CONGRESS HOTEL; guys I've been acquaintances of for years but never got to talk to much so it was nice to do that. We played well, and the crowd was attentive and into it. Also there was a HUGE drum riser to climb on, spin Josh's cymbals for no reason but to entertain myself (oooohh...shiny), and then jump off of trying to get record air without blowing my knees out of the tops of my thighs.

ROCK.

After the show we were lucky enough to be put up in a loft above the venue for the night where until wee hours of the morning we fell into hysterics making fun of each others lyrics. Truly a traditional music guy pastime and for those who aren't offended like a baby, a testament to how much they are respected...if only to be torn down by goobers trying to make each other laugh. Again, more innocent eyes than mine occasionally read this blog but lets just say that a chorus changed to rhyme with a horrific metaphor including an "amputee and bus pass" left me choking on tears. Good times.

The next morning we packed the van and went to breakfast. Drummer Josh made fun of me for ordering herbal tea and asked if I'd like some pink slippers to go with it. That was ok, until the waitress laughed too and said she'd get them for me after the meal. Tear.

Hit the road again passing in and out of consciousness and listening to Prince on the iPod. I always enjoy listening to non-rock stuff on the day of a show. It helps me personally to make the music I'm playing that night sound fresh. Rarely do I listen to harder or heavy metal-esque music the day of cause it just makes me feel like I'm playing Lisa Loeb tunes no matter how hard I hit the strings. She does have hot glasses though and sang to me personally through the tv as a 14 year-old. Moving on.

That night we booked ourselves a hotel before the show and got a chance to shower off the road funk. I always get accused of taking too long of a shower by tour mates so since I'm not the Dad in the band (Patrick is), I kept the water hogging to a record minimum. Lack of sleep has me operating from a place of unnecessary details so please indulge. Off to dinner at a Mexican restaurant we went before the show and I had to take a look at my morals. What morals? I have a hard and fast rule of no mexican before I play. A food poisoning experience when I was much younger has led me to believe that though chips and salsa are ok, the burrito no cometh between me and a pop song within the same 3-hour period. Awesomely, the best chicken burger I've ever had came out of the deal and momma was satisfied. We then arrived at the venue and refreshingly unpacked the van in 28 degree weather into a cool venue called "John's Alley". The sound guy was called "Vertical Dave" and yes he was...more than 7 feet of vertical at that. If I was in jail, this is the guy whose pocket I would hold to give you a better idea of how tall he is. Protect me, Dave.

The second show went well and despite a table of frat guys giving us stink eye for the first 3 songs I think we won the crowd over. The best part of performing with Explone besides the cool songs and camaraderie is that I can jump around like and idiot without running out of breath to sing. Yeah, pass the donuts. I'd like to think I had a possible Olympic moment that would make Bob Costas proud on the final song. Right before the last chord of the final tune I pulled a big scissor kick, and at the height of the jump, my strap came off which left my body descending and the guitar floating up. From what I can remember I threw my arms up to grab it and came down on one knee proposal style (no tears though) with guitar in had. History has shown that in past instances when this type of thing has happened, I end up playing a chord for the final hit in the key of diarrhea. This time though the prickish French judge may have surprised everyone cause a B-minor bar chord crunched down just in time. Pure reaction then had me stand up fist in air shouting, "YES!" to the confusing of everyone around me. Embarrassing but mentally strutting the rest of the night. If you set your standards low, it's easy to impress yourself. Try it!

The next day we went to breakfast and set out on the 10-hour journey back to Seattle stopping over in Portland for dinner before the final leg back to the Emerald City.
Great trip all in all.

I have the WILLOWS LODGE winery this Wednesday and then a trip down to L.A. for the weekend so that will be fun. Next week, I have my show at KISS CAFE in Ballard with Scott Andrew opening for some overdue All-Ages action and catching up with the influx of people in town for Thanksgiving.





Practicing stomach expansion in anticipation of gluttony,

KS

How to Clear A Dance Floor. Issue #127

I'm happy to announce my final all-ages show for the year on Saturday, November 28th, at the KISS CAFE in Ballard. I know, I know, the all ages shows have been slacking this year but I hope to make it up to the haters at this one. Kirby Krackle bass player SCOTT ANDREW is opening for me and kicking the evening off sexy as only he can at 8:30 with his fun up-tempo songs and infectious laugh. I'll be drawing the set from my solo material and all my albums over the past 5 years including Laymans Terms, Collider, and Kirby Krackle. Maybe even a few few choice covers to get your Stipe on. If you have never been to the cafe before, it's a fun place where dogs are allowed and where I feel lies the best bottled beer selection in the city. The sandwiches are grub worthy as well. I like to consider it one of my hangouts so it's kinda like doing a show in my living room, minus the whole taking your shoes off and leaving a quarter on the hutch. Vacuum bags aren't cheap you know. We did a show there last year the same weekend and it was a blast and packed, so get there a bit early if you want a seat, stool, or strangers lap. I know a few willing to be taken. Not creepy...


This past weekend I was honored to be asked to do the reception music and perform at my friend's Todd and Raechelle Downing's wedding. The wedding took place in West Seattle in a venue called "The Sanctuary". It's a refurbished 1920's home that has gone back and forth it sounds like between being a private residence and a public rental hall. Really old woodwork and seemingly original antique banisters, window frames, and stage gave it a really nice old romantic feeling much like a movie. That works out good for Todd being a director, and the man behind the camera for many of my performance videos you see on the KK site. When they asked me to write a song for the wedding I wanted to do something that sounded like a lullaby and came up with a song called, "Leave The Light On". Having gone through many things in their lives before meeting each other, I liked the idea of each of them being the others "lighthouse" as they navigate through their lives. It actually turned out to be one of my favorites I've written this year even though it's really simple and not too long...and is on ukulele. Doesn't sound Hawaiian though, more like a music box. I'll be recording it soon and putting it up on my site for ears curious. They even had an artist doing caricatures...


All in all the wedding was magical and filled with love in the air the whole night. There was an incident though that left me wondering if I was really there or in a coma creating it all in my head. Let me explain...

The couple asked me to DJ their wedding (i.e. be the official iPod wrangler) to which I said no problem. They supplied me with a list of songs to grab online if I didn't have them in my collection and after a 2-hour iTunes shopping spree the playlist was complete. Well, almost complete. I needed to start filling in the list so we wouldn't have repeats, and so I started scouring my iPod library for only killer, no filler. Ryan Adams? Check. Replacements? Why not? When all was said and done, I noticed that there wasn't much dance music for the hoochie mommas. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about the songs that take a great family party to the next level when the tracks hit; the beats that bring music lovers together regardless of age or musical taste and release dance moves that make you think, "Man, I thought she was a good girl?". We all have an inner freak dancer.

Knowing this, I put together a side dance mix just in case the night went that way but first asked Todd if I could release my secret weapon, Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance". First released in 1990, the song has always been a sure fire crowd pleaser and something that can't really be followed in a mix. The breaking of a fever if you will. I asked my wedding party masters and was told it wasn't that kinda of party which I understood, but just in case anyone needed a chance to "do the hump", it was there to be had.


Fast forward 3 days later and the post dinner dance party was under way. Todd and Rachelle were on the floor, and the conga line broke out 3 songs in so you knew it was gonna be a fun night. Being the keeping of the iPod, it was my job to take requests from older ladies to "turn it down" followed by 30-somethings asking me to "turn it up" throughout the night. Part of the job mang. Things were going great and then my vice "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" hit the speakers and THE FREAKS CAME OUT. Shoes were off, ties were on the side of dudes heads, and great aunts who thought it was a new Tina Turner single were snapping and smiling. Who doesn't think that's one of the greatest songs of all time?! I digress...
What I'm saying is is that the moment had come to take it to the next level and with submarine-esque evasive maneuvers I ran to The Classic to cue up secret-weapon dance mix.

The wedding DJ who yelled at me in 2002 for requesting Snow's "Informer" cause "He doesn't play that shit" would have been proud. (?). Beyonce was followed by Timberlakes "Sexy Back", followed by Arrested Development's "Tennessee", followed by Naughty By Nature's "O.P.P." followed by Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and so on...

I was running out of booty shakers so I put my hand on Todd's back and asked/yelled in his ear over the music permission to release "Humpty Dance". By this time time I had enjoyed a few of his beverages and and excited to give birth to what I felt like at the time was my "Manhattan Project", my "Ace In The Hole". If I were Steve Jobs it would be my "One More Thing...". Given the ok from the president, I cued up the song knowing that we were reaching the breaking point and something that would be really funny (to me). I pressed play and 5 seconds into the song...









THE DANCE FLOOR CLEARED.









WTF?! Huh? *Pinch*Who doesn't like "The Humpty Dance"?! That's like hating Oprah. It's like hating Christmas cookies cause "they're delicious". It makes no sense.

Above the sliding bass line I could only hear my friend JD laughing and pointing at me, possibly at the wind leaving my deflating sails or at my jaw now laying on the ground. Head down, I took the walk of shame back to my table and looked around in disbelief. People were still having a great time, the party was still one of the best weddings I've been to, but alas no one was singing about "getting busy in a Burger King bathroom" like I had dreamed of. Sipping my Belgian ale and people watching, the song ended to be followed by Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" from which the dance party resumed. It appears again that when given the chance, Garfunkel trumps Tupac (did you know he was in that group?) every time. The universe is a tricky mistress, and this young jedi has much to learn...

This weekend I'm on the road with EXPLONE for a few dates in Roslyn, WA and Moscow, Idaho. Check their site for details! It will be cold, and it will rock.


Pronounced with an Umpty,

KS

On Point (Trying). Issue #126

My life feels a bit like summer camp lately. Every day I get up, feed the dog, take a shower, and clock in for geek rock merit badge at 10:00 AM with Jim as he and I have been working hard to finish the writing for the new Kirby Krackle disc due out in early 2010.

Last year, we had a pretty lax schedule with writing the debut album since we started in February 2008, and really didn't have any responsibilities with the band other than we knew it had to be done 9 months later in December. This year with all the conventions, shows, and goings on we had a bit of a late start even though we knew basically what we wanted to do and a road map for the second album. The only difference this time was that we had the possible self-inflicted curse of over analyzing the process and the songs; something that was absent on the first disc if only because we had no idea how it would be received. Because of that I felt the album had a kinda freshness that worked well for us in our travels this year. So, what I'm trying to say is how were we supposed to sound like we "didn't care" again when we obviously do? Yeah, tell me if you know cause we don't, but upon solidifying the track list yesterday (whoo hoo!) I'm crazy excited to lay these songs down in the first week of December. Don Gunn will be co-producing the album this time with us after we gelled working on "Ring Capacity" and "Going Home"; both summer singles the KK put out in the summer and early fall. It was really important for me to make this disc the most hard rocking album I'd ever recorded (even more than Collider), but still fun and light-hearted in essence. If these rough versions are any indication, I'm thinking that's just what it will be. Excited! Mucho!


The rest of the month is getting our live band up to speed with the arrangements to take them into the studio as well. I decided to leave the drums and keyboards up to those who actually play them as their main instrument...what a concept, huh? More on this as it develops...

Hope everyone had a good Halloween! Me? I laid low and watched "Blood Diamond". Scary in and unto itself. No trips to Africa in my near future even though I'm 1/8 African American. No, I'm not joking. Seriously. Enjoy my friends Reuben and Lita as they joined up as the newest members of the Dharma Initiative! One season left, and then it's new jobs for them.


This is not Rick James, it's one of the past kings of Sweden. Confused? Me too.


On Sunday, I took a trek down to the Farmers Market in Ballard for a little home-grown goodness and bad white boy dreads. Luckily, the goodness eclipsed the scent of patchouli but I digress. Something about the vendor displays really struck me this time and made me unusually excited to eat a radish and/or a carrot. It had a really old-school vibe and everyone seemed happy on a crisp fall day. Even the guy screaming in the alley. Those were screams of joy. Also, a warning that blueberry vinegar samples, no matter how small, will peel your gums off. Learn from my mistakes. I also






This weekend I will be performing and DJ-ing at my friend Todd's wedding. DJ-ing is a loose term for an iPod operator but even the guy who writes down license plates in the parking garage has to take pride in his work. We all need a task, and if mine is pressing PLAY while scarfing down some risotto then I'm into it fully! I'm sure it will be a beautiful ceremony based around a beautiful meeting of two very cool people.
I love weddings.



Put em up in the air and wave em like you just don't care,

KS

Mish Mash. Issue #125

I had a fun a relaxed birthday weeked filled with friends both local and visiting, and it was exactly what I needed. Been a while since I had a lazy weekend and mostly ate a lot and vegged around. Kudos (?) to Darci and Nikki for vandalizing my yard in the middle of the night again this year with a mix of streamers, plexi-forks lined up like spears, and inflated balloons. Always fun to practice my stabbing techniques on. Thanks for all the well wishes on the Twitters and The Facebooks. Made for fun reading and felt loved...even had a pie made for me. Good times. :)


The freakishness you see below is a puppet I had made for Kirby Krackle partner Jim by our friends Vicki and Britt, AKA..Uterus Parade. I am a big fan of their skillz and asked them to make a character stuffed "Jim" for his birthday and they knocked it out of the park. After responding to my initial offer with the comment, "This is the douchiest thing we've ever been asked to do...how does ($) sound?", I was happy they were up to the job. The quality of design and stuffing is really amazing and please let me know if anyone else would like to get in touch with them regarding custom work. I was really happy with it and we got a lot of laughs from it. And to answer the girl's follow-up question; no, I didn't make out with it. The End.






Two new performance situations kicked off for me last week. First off, I'll be at Willows Lodge every other Wednesday as a residency through the rest of the year. I play from 5:00-8:00 (happy hour), and will be drawing from all my material in the solo acoustic format. I had a lot of fun this past Wednesday and my next appearance at Willows will be November 4th...

Secondly, on Thursday I made my debut with EXPLONE as their second on-stage guitarist; kind of a "Edgar Martinez" utility man to headcoach Patrick Porter's "Lou Pinella". That's still my Mariners...

Anyways, I've been a fan of Patrick's songs and his work with Explone for years and when he told me he was thinking of expanding his stage sound I told him first, "You're an idiot" (meaning as a fan I didn't want him to take away from his already gorgeous trio sound), followed by, "But if you do it, I want to be the guy". :)
Luckily for me he asked me to step in and the show was a blast. A good experience for me to have a whirlwind learning session up until the show, and to play guitar focused without having to sing for a change. Twice the jumps, and twice the ibuprofen the next day was how it all went down. Fun guys, and fun songs to play. What else do you need?



This week brings finishing a lot of the writing for the new KIRBY KRACKLE album to be recorded in the first week of December, and other random bits I'll go over next week. Still resisting turning on the furnace? I gave up. Weather change is a tempting mistress...

Brrrr...,

KS

Thanks 20's *or* What It's Like To Realize You Didn't Know Crap. Issue #124

This Sunday the 25th I say goodbye to my 20's. Most of the friends I know who have been hitting the same milestone have been bummed about their impending decade shift. Not me. I'm strangely looking forward to it, and though really just a number (R.I.P Aaliyah/Baby Girl), it's been a chance to take a look back to see what it was I did with my time...if anything.

Hmmmm...the obvious things that jump out at me are the adventures in music and art that I've been lucky enough to have. Laymans Terms took me from age 13 to age 24, so quarter-life crisis set in early with the former ending. That was a big milestone and a delayed partial end of youth. I took a break from music but was fortunate enough to get back into it with encouragement from family/friends. To them I am grateful. I had wonderful opportunities to travel that I never had dreamed of...many parts of Canada, Arkansas, Mexico, New York. Maybe not life-changing to others, but I didn't think such travels would come my way, many of which have been a result of my work in the past year with Kirby Krackle. I had great family and friends who exposed me early in my 20's to the power of positive thought, meditation, and manifestation which I know created opportunities that otherwise I wouldn't have had. I learned empathy. I never earned a college degree but like to think I have an A.A. in Rock n Roll...and bullshitting. I made nine albums in my 20's, some of which may not stand the test of time but all of which have led me to make the next one better, and the next better after that. I learned what it was to love an animal more than you ever thought you could. I learned to cook. I was married.

Maybe more important than what I feel I "did", was what I thought I knew 10 years ago...and really that wasn't much of anything; certainly much less that I thought I did. If Doc Brown flew up to me today and said I had the chance to help my 20 year-old self out, I would like to think I would say the following...Well, first I'd say, "That is a dope Dolorean!", but then I hope the following non-sagey advice would spill out...


...The one time you don't take a 2nd guitar to a show is the one time you'll break a string and be screwed. EVERY TIME. I know it's a pain...JUST DO IT...

...DO NOT sell your action figures from the 80's. The cycle will return...

...It is better to go big and fail than do nothing at all...

...learn how to shut your mouth...

...learn how to open it...

...Take more poop bags on the walk than you think you'll need...

...It's never wrong to try to develop super-powers, but maybe take a break when your nose starts to bleed, and neighbors start to stare...

...Musicians are crazy, but then so are you. Embrace the craziness of others, just know when to tell it and them to leave...

...Work hard and love hard, even if the end result is unknown...

...Keep wearing your retainer...retainers are sexy...

...Just because you see the best potential in people doesn't mean it will ever come out. Don't take it personally...

...DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY!

...If your gut is telling you something, you better learn to pay attention. Equally related, you may want to stop eating red meat...

...Don't pick at it...

...there is no end to any kind of relationship. It just changes but nothing ever ends...

...Who cares if you can't solo all that well? People want songs they can relate to and hum, not shreddy 32-second notes...

...If she has an Adam's apple...(just kidding)...

...Spend more time with your grandparents. What homemade cookies and canned peaches seem like normal now will one day be more prized than you could ever imagine...

...Trust yourself more...

...make sure your amp is grounded. Bzzz. OW....

...You probably wont listen to me...that's fine. Have fun...DUMBASS.


Thankful to be here,

KS

Except When You Don't. Because Sometimes, You Won't. Issue #123

I was rearranging my lair the other day when I found the Dr. Seuss classic, "Oh, The Places You'll Go" in a tucked away place. When I was a younger I was a big fan of the "Seuss" (not the "Hoff"), and so I opened it up and sat down to read it as an adult. For the first time in a long time, it seemed more than an easy go-to and overused addition to a graduation ceremony speech. Maybe it's due to some recent big life changes and some perspective shifting books I've been reading lately, but this said something to me completely different than it ever had previously. Read up on these 12 font vitamins. This guy knew the stuff to know...


"OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!"

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.


It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And then things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on y our way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes, you won't.


I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.


You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or the waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for the wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be as famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't
Because, sometimes they won't.


I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike,
And I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.


You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never foget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
You're off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!



KS

Long Beach Comic Con. Issue #122

Soooooooooo much drama in the LBC. Well, not this weekend when the Kirby Krackle made our last convention appearance of the year before hunkering down to record our new album this fall.


Jim and I flew into the Long Beach airport last Friday morning fueled on a mix of cinnamon pretzels, hopes, and dreams. After checking into the hotel (which was surprisingly swanky), we made our way to set up the KK booth for the few hours the show was open that late afternoon. It's always nice catch up with the familiar faces in other artists, writers, and hardcore fan goers we've seen again and again all around North America. It's like a traveling circus where you realize you've seen these people in more cities that you've traveled to with your family or closest friends. Everyone has a mutual respect cause everyone is there for the same thing...they love comics...and selling stuff. Let's be honest here. :)


Late that night, Neslon, Bryce, and Scott (the KK live backing band) flew in and we all caught some food before catching the big day ahead and the concert we were planned to rock that next evening.


Jim and I sold albums, shirts, and chatted with awesome fans both new (including Conan O'Brein show regular Pierre Bernard) and old all day. The guys drank beers by the pool, took naps, and relaxed. Is there a problem with this picture? I'm glad it was a vacation for them, and I think it's safe to say we were all excited to be rocking that night in a foreign city.


The concert was great, we had a lot of fans there who knew the songs inside and out, and even had an opening band that dressed up in full sasquatch regalia. "The Abominable Frontman, "Bass-quatch", and "Sascrotch" were monikers the members went by...Harry never did play solos quite as good.


My mom, sister, and bro-in-law also flew into town to see us play and it was dope to have all my favorite people head out to dinner and drinks together afterward. The convention rented all of our equipment for us, so no teardown was necessary. I could get used to that...


The vibe on the last day (Sunday) felt like the last day of Senior year...not absent, but knowing the end of an era (touring under the debut album) was here. This disc took us to cities I have never seen and experiences I had always wondered if I would ever have. I met friends and made lasting relationships that I have taken home with me, and with this show being no exception met cool people and had great times. There's something really great that happens when you have a bunch of people come together around positive art, music, and stories.

That's what it's all about, right?


Hell yes it is,

KS