Monday, February 1, 2010

dog blog #1: the first few dog days



hello folks. i'm typing to you from the frozen tundra also known as buffalo.
we've hammered through 5 dr. dog sets so far, each one with it's own distinct personality.

revolution hall was my first "real" show, so it's kind of a blur. i remember feeling kind of sick because I inhaled a black-bean barley burger beforehand (alliteration alert). my pre-show coffee wasn't strong enough so I cautiously drank a red bull - my first in about a year or so. it was a good show, but my anxiety was somewhat overwhelming at times. it must've been the taurine shock.

burlington, vermont provided us with frigid air, the return of liggy, backstage catering (served by the lovely jasmine), and the inaugural growlers g-wash. i'll never forget this night! i've always wanted to play the higher ground ballroom. on my first tour with project/object, we played the smaller room the same night as the wildly popular disco biscuits. i never thought i'd play there, but i suppose dreams can become realities if you just speak them into existence.

ANYWAY. general consensus: great crowd + solid set = super-chouette.

lupo's heartbreak hotel has a massive stage. it's about as deep as it is wide. the ceiling is also way higher than you'd expect. you can experience vertigo by looking down from the 3rd floor dressing room! later we ate dinner at Fatty McGee's. fried veggie-mush burger with steak fries. excellent crowd. there were some technical difficulties here and there, but we made up for it with good old fashioned charisma.

syracuse was a rough one for me. i felt like tony danza from "angels in the outfield". my arms were not functioning properly. great crowd though. big thumbs up to strong hearts - the all-vegetarian cafe down the street from our fancy hotel.

OF NOTE: our merch master forrest introduced us to the veracruz breakfast burritos. half of us went vegetarian, the other half ate chorizo. a smelly day. let's just say that the air was awfully "thick" in the van. mexican food seems to be the theme of this tour. we have 500 taco bell dollars. unlimited crunchwrap supremes. enough said.

last night's show at the mohawk place was certainly a turning point for the band. the sweltering heat of the onstage lights helped propel the evening to punk rock heights. great hanging out with the fans afterwards, even though i soaked through my new shirt.

we're moving at a frenetic pace. off to pontiac, michigan.