everyonelistens

Tonight I Just Don't Care, I'm Having a Candy Dinner.

So I realize that I haven't written anything in ages. And that really bums me out. For a while there, I was penning daily thoughts, spilling my opinions to all who would listen. I had a rabid reader base of 3 or 4 at one point - I was prolific! Then, The Coming Weak decided we were going to play something like 15 shows in 25 days (while still putting in 40 hours a week and finding time to hit my local Newport watering holes), and I ended up focusing on other things. So here it is, the end of July, and here is your update.

• As I mentioned, the band has been playing an awful lot. We found ourselves traveling all over New England this past month - from New York City to Albany to New Hampshire and everywhere in between. As just about everyone knows, this wasn't my first time in a tour van. But it was the first time I've even been out with my own band, and boy was it a blast. We made a lot of friends along the way, and played a lot of really cool places. There were root beer chugging contests, Mike Tyson's Punch Out! re-enactments, lots of football throwing, and this guy (that's a bicycle tire secured to that gentleman's neck wit ha bike lock, btw.):

• My birthday was this past week. To everyone who wished me well on mah birthday, I thank you! The celebrations started on Sunday the 22nd. We played a show at Club Hell with Hopesfall, The Junior Varsity, and Vanna. Tim and I decided to jointly observe our birthdays on this evening. We had some fans bring us gifts, which fucking RULED. We got a sweet cake (see below), which Tim and I devoured sans utensils, and I also got a rad t-shirt.

• The last highlight I'll, well, highlight is my actual birthday. It was last Tuesday. Motion City Soundtrack was playing in Boston that night. Tim and I had planned on this "birthday date" weeks ago. So we trekked up in the Mini, and found our way to Axis. The Forecast was already on when we arrived, so we missed half their set, but what we did see was really, really good. Although, if the singer and our guitar player Jamie had a skinny-off, it'd be a real close call. After their set, we went up to my friend Ben Are I, who was doing lights for the night, and he brought us up into the lighting booth, which ran along the side of the room and offered us a great view of the stage. Next was The Higher, whose name I won't link because they suck. They were arrogant to the audience aaaand the drummer had fucking pot leaves on his drum set. Like, not stickers, but green sparkle pot leaves inlaid in to the silver sparkle wrap. FTL. Sherwood played next, and they were killer as I expected. Around this time, Jessica Are I showed up, and we all moved to a platform that overlooked the stage to witness the awesomeness that was to be the Motion City Soundtrack set. So they started. And I flipped out. I was screaming every word. I was playing the air drums. Hard. I looked like an idiot. But I didn't care - I was drunk and it was mah birthday. So they officially edged the RX Bandits out of their slot for "The Best Live Band I've Ever Seen." Afterwards, there were some sweet hangs on busses and at bars, and then we drove home, listening to The Agents.

So that's that for now. The next month holds good things for me and the band. We're currently doing pre-production on our EP, which is yet to be titled. In early September, we're going in to Strangeways Recording to record the album. It's going to be engineered and produced by Mike Poorman, who played in Hot Rod Circuit, and has produced TREOS, Paulson, Converge, Piebald, etc. Steve Are I will also be co-producing, although his role will be slightly limited due to his work on the next Monty Are I record and their upcoming tour with Sum 41.

Oh, and yeah, I read Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. Incredible. Simply incredible. And go ahead, make fun. I'll put an Imperius Curse on you and make you kick your own ass.