Tour Journal
Thousand Dollar Movie
6/29/24 Charlotte NC - Petras
Sometimes ya have a good gig and it was fun and ya have a drink and pack up. Every now and then its extra good and the whole band is on a different level and you feel it deep down in your guts and get home and feel like you gave everything ya had. This release gig was one of the best ones. Very grateful for everyone who was there and all the bands. My favorite TDM show so far.
Photos by @flashed_By_Tuna
6/28/24 Columbia SC - New Brookland Tavern
Oh man, first of two release shows tonight. Always a little more nervous doin the outta town gigs but Columbia is always a really cool crowd and historically dig what we do. In my infinite genius i booked my first jazz bass lesson today that will end right before we leave. So after a rad bass sesh and crammin theory in my head, the boys all meet at my pad and we load up in Leos amazing RV and hit the road. Both shows are with Late Bloomer from here in CLT and the mayor of Columbia Ben Walker. We’ve wanted to gig with the Bloomer boys for awhile and Ben is one of my all time favorite songwriters so very stoked they were all down for a weekend run! Mucho traffic but get to the gig pad easy and Ben waves us into a parkin spot. So this is the first time for us at the NEW New Brookland and its really sick!!!! They had to move from the old historic pad and i will miss the nostalgia but this is a way rad room and it sounds killer with a nice big stage. Late Bloomer kicks us off after sound boss Carlin gets it all dialed in. Great songs and great set as always, really dig this band. Thousand Dollar Movie is up next and we start with a few tunes from Give Me A Year and its feelin great. Dom has the sounds of our city on the drum pad for inbetween songs which always brings a cool vibe. We go into the reason for the occasion and play “Birdfeeder” the new piece that just came out. The boys are cookin and its feelin great. The crowd is super quiet for the quiet parts and not yammerin at all which is a big compliment. Really great crowd and we feel very welcome as always in Cola. Ben asked me to work bass for these shows and i cant say no cos its some of my all time favorite songs. We hit next and its such a blast, ive been listening to some of these songs for over 20 years and they mean alot to me. Lookin at the crowd sing along i can tell they mean alot to them too. Locals Flippants close out the night and they are ROWDY!!! What a set! Lots of hangin from the rafters and crowd surfing and you cant look away cos you dont wanna miss anything. We have a sweaty humid load out and hit the road back home. Really great gig.
Photos by @m.wilsonphoto
Our new EP BIrdfeeder Vol 1 is out now on Four Finger Records!
Dom played Nashville last night and lands at 8am, and I totally wasn't having a panic attack over his flight getting cancelled! Zach picks up the boat at 9 (big big thanks to @oceanicofficial for renting us their van!) and we load up at 10 to head to Wilmington. It has a tape deck!! It's been so long since I've been out with one of my projects for more than a day or two and I'm so stoked. That feeling when ya finally get on the interstate after months of booking shows and promo and all the details and emails is always worth it. Deep down happy in the guts. One or two traffic plugs but otherwise smooth sailing and we go straight to Flaming Amy's for the burrito glory. Flaming Amy's is always mandatory!
Hit some record and comic shops and hear from my old road buddy @daltonthomasmusic is playin' down the street tonight too with @brotherelsey, we stop by and turns out they're tourin' the exact same route as us this week! Wild! They sound great.
Get to @reggies42ndstreet and its a rad spot, reminds me alot of Snug Harbor in CLT.
A little hurry up and wait sesh but we get the stage set up and whheewwww its lookin 'good. Thanks to Zachy for gettin' us a back drop made!
Doggy Daycare kindly helped us set up the gig but unfortunately a member is sick and had to drop out, with 24 hours notice @holyheatmusic jumps on board to open and now we’ll headline. It works out! Holy Heat kicks it off and they absolutely rip, monster bassman! Exercise is next and they're a blast, very cool set. We have a longer set than expected so the boys wanna add a new one we’ve been workin' on and I'm a little nervous cos I don't have it super down but life is short, man. We’re gonna play the whole record all the way through every night plus a few more. Boys are playin' great and we get through Cant Help and the new album and straight into Everything Lasts Forever and Zach starts the intro to the new one and I BLANK. Dom's coutin' me off and it clicks and I'm good. Whew. The new one felt RAD. Oh man. Love playin' with these dudes. Lots of kind words at merch and we load it up and roll very grateful.
Pack up and pet all the doggies at zachys parents pad and shove off to Charleston. Got some killlllller grub and matcha and coffee on the way out at Casa Blanca. The route takes us through Myrtle Beach which will never change haha, what a place. We land at 2pm and go straight to a prac pad cos im playin with Ambyr and the boys tonight as well. Rad songs and everyones soundin killer and we head over to Tin roof. Ive been to a few shows here but never worked a gig and its such a rad spot. Everyone that works there was super nice all night. Locals talk about the stage bein small but yall need to get out more haha, thats a good sized stage compared to most CLT clubs. Everyone gets checks and set up real quick and we got plenty of time to hang til go time. Me and Dom get a good van nap in and its gig time!
Ambyr kills it and the songs feel great, havent played with drummerman Justice much since he was a KID and hes a beast and always rad playin with David and Dan. Our turn next and we move a few things around and ready to go! We start with the new one tonight and its a great intro song, then right through the whole Give Me A Year piece, rippppp Everything Lasts Forever and we’re off so Tom Mackle and the boys can close it up. That was a sweaty one! So many kind words at merch while i sling shirts. Love charleston alot.
We get to our hotel for the night and its handicap layout so no bathroom door so we about to get real close as a band 😂😂😂. Watch some South Park and zach starts snoring and sings us all to zonk town.
Get a good sleep in we all needed mucho and head to Taco Boy for lunch before we hit the road. Beautiful freakin day in Charleston and killer tacos per usual. Tons of crazy traffic and rain on the way down but Dom gets us in safe and we head straight to Heroes And Dragons for Doms ninja turtle search and then to Transmission Baracde for some grub and pinball before load in.
Stoked to hit New Brookland Tavern today as they are moving in December and it’ll be our last show on this stage. Been workin this room in different bands and coming to shows here since I was a kid! Glad they will continue in a new spot though.
As soon as we start to load the bottom drops out. Get it all in quick and then the hail starts! Holy moly. The mssv crew (Mike Baggetta, Stephen Hodges, Mike Watt and Miss Hiyori) just rolled up too and its so great to see em all again! Beyond excited to open for them tonight. We all get set up and spiel and catch up and its not too long until show time. Brother Leo could only make this gig on the run and its so great to have him doing his thing with us tonight.
We’re kick it off first tonight and people are super cool and come check us out. We play the record plus Everything Lasts and Pencils Down the new one and just enough time to squeeze in Sweet + Low by Fugazi. Look over and see Mike Watt was catching our set! very rad! He has kind words for the band guys after too. I asked him to sign my bass and we yammer for awhile and its always an honor. Brandy And The Butcher are on after us and they were amazing! Rad local cats. mssv takes it next and everyones jaw is on the floor. Theyre an absolute masterclass in dynamics. Absolute steamroller.
Right before they end the hotel I booked this afternoon OVER THE PHONE called and said they didn’t have any rooms and the person that booked us made a mistake. Welp. We say our byes The legendary Ben Walker is there and offers his couches thankfully and keeps us from sleeping in the van. We hang a little too late and laugh an appropriate amount.
We pop early at Bens house and he makes us coffee cos hes the sweetest baby angel to ever live and we hit the road. Atleast once a tour one must make a bad decision and ours is now.
Wafflehouse.
We have to drop off the boat in CLT (THANKS AGAIN @oceanicofficial !!!!) and pile into Doms suv to finish it out. Thankfully there was enough time to stop by the pad to take a quick nap and we’re off.
@monstercade_bar is always a rad gig. Double duty again tonight workin bass for TDM and @crenshawpentecostal. Super stoked to see those boys! We hit a weird cat coffee shop and smelled the way youd think and hit a few balls at an arcade and we head over. This is our 4th show but we all had tours last week leading up to it and not much sleep so everyones feelin it today. I get some pizza delivered and its go time.
The always amazing @mikbrew is kickin things off. Really dig his music and also him in general! We’re up next and we bring the new record plus a few more. Had to bring my smaller amp tonight and no monitors so definitely missing my ampeg rig but we play great nonetheless! Smaller room/crowd but everyone here is very rad to scope us. I slide all my gear back for Crenshaw next and we pile on stage/infront of it and bring the crazy loud rock set. Felt like a 90s punk show and i was grinnin the whole time. Love those boys. My knees are feelin it haha. We are all zonked so pack it up pretty quick for our thankfully short drive back to CLT.
Got get in late from Winston and hibernate until we head to Tommys. Its an all day local festival called East Side Holiday with indoor and outdoor bands all day. We roll over around 3 just to check out bands and hang but we dont play til 630. Really great seein everyone, feels like ive been gone for months haha.
Easy day, everyone is stickin to the set times and it’s cruisin. We hit at 630 and i look up and its packed with tons of good friends and favorite people and im a grateful dude.
We burn through the record plus Everything Lasts and jamie gives the word we can play some more so we end with Pencils Down. Great crowd!! Load out super fast so the show can keep goin on and sling a ton of merch (tour shirts all sold!) and get all the kind words and im home and in bed at 830. Beyond exhausted but ending the run with that gig at home has me feelin very happy in my guts.