4th of July

the 4th used to be my favorite. As a little kid I looked forward to it with great excitement. In my hometown, every year there was a community festival held in the park one block over from our house. They had games and rides and a band shell where teenage bands got to try their best Van Halen covers. It was awesome. Then the fireworks, I loved the fireworks. It was the perfect time for flirting with the girls. If you consider sitting on the bank of a moon lit river watching a colorful fireworks display with 10,000 other people eating cotton candy and drinking can beer, it was very romantic. It seemed that 4th of July stretched a whole week for me. As I got older that week shrunk. With baseball games and part time jobs I didn't get to participate in the "community fest" and was always rushing to get to the fireworks on time. It just wasn't the same. When I left home for college, the 4th got a new lease, because of my best friends mutual interest in the 4th. He hosted a part at his parents lake house just east of where we lived. It was amazing and so much fun. I was the boat captain cause I was the only one who could start it besides my friends Dad, it was a bit tricky. This annual party that started out with maybe a dozen close friends grew and grew in numbers, so much that I really didn't know half the people there. Driving the boat now became a job, and I didn't want it. So the 4th went back down on the list of the greatest days. Pretty much stayed that way for a few years with all the touring, the 4th just became a day you didn't get mail and most of the stores were closed. Well now I think the 4th is having it's 2nd comeback with me. We live in this little village outside of Chicago, I would not call it a suburb because that gives it the wrong connotation, nevertheless they love their 4th of July. Parades, games, rides, and teenage bands get to try out their Fall Out Boy covers ( Give me Van Halen anyday ). and of course they have Fireworks on the edge of the water. I am looking forward to it, especially the cotton candy and can beer.

Superstar

I had a homework assignment last night. I am working on a new website for my current employer's. So I took home the Paul McCartney "US" tour DVD, there is a lot of footage of our big red trucks. Anyway. I think that anyone that is/wants/dreams of being a rock-n-roll star needs to watch this. Sir Paul is truly an amazing man. The video shows his professionalism/humor/compassion it's really great. Required viewing.

Super Night

I saw Superchunk last night. Since I technically got married in 2006, this was the best night of the year so far! I was so excited, I had told Kristin that they were my favorite band, but I don’t think she knew how much I love them. When they played Animated Airplanes Over Germany and I started to sing all the words, I think she got it. I had seen them play at Metro 10 year’s prior and this time was just as great. Especially great because the show was a benefit for the Eff Cancer fund. The benefit was set up by a friend of a friend’s family because of their late brothers love of Superchunk. I didn't know Sean Silver, but I bet we would of been friends for sure. The benefit had a silent auction going, so I donated some of the cool DCFC show prints that I had collected over the past few tours. I think the posters fetched some good money.

Duston Checks' In

I remember this photo being taken, but I had never seen the results. One of those classic DCFC tour moments that included, drinking, boredom, exhaustion and a digital camera. Notice my Musketeer facial hair!

Use Me

So I didn’t sell the car. Bummer. I really thought I had this one sold, but the guy backed out. I can’t blame him though. He and his wife have two kids now and she has one in the oven, thing is she might have two, they are not sure. So if she has twins the Volvo will not have enough room, so they passed. He was very nice and felt really bad for not buying it, he sent me an apology email!

I listened to the best of Bill Withers today on the drive to work. That man is amazing. I love all of it except “ Just the Two of Us” partly because Will Smith ruined that song for me.

Weather Watcher

I love watching the summer storms. There is a beauty in the midst right now. I am supposed to drive to Rockford and finally sell the white Volvo, but I heard there is flooding and power outages there. I started to watch the weather channel in hotel rooms when I was lonely and tired and didn't want to put forth the effort of actually finding a movie on pay-per-view. It was especially fun when the you could tell the excitment of the reporter when a big storm was near. Walla later introduced me to watching C-SPAN for the same hotel room enjoyment. I am telling you, being on tour with Death Cab for Cutie was a CONSTANT PARTY! CSPAN , The Weather Channel and the occasinal joint room pizza/movie party!
I would not trade it for any other.

Chop Chop

Good morning, I trust your journey on the information super highway was nice and fast, and you reached this blog without any traffic congestion, unlike my drive to the city last night. It took me 2 hrs to go 45 miles to get to the Metro. Did I mention how much I dislike Chicago Cub fans? Let me re-state that. I hate drunk, obnoxious , asshole frat boy Cubs fans.

Last night was great because I got to see my good friend Chopper and Keeley. They both are amazing and I was very happy to get to see them. I had not seen Keeley in some time and it was great catching up with him.

Chopper was the first person I have ever hired. When I was given his contact info I was a bit leery. Who is this guy, the only Chopper I knew was that Aussie dude with all the tattoos and used to like to hurt people. Well, on the phone he didn’t sound that tough and his schedule worked out so I hired him on a “see how this works out basis” . Plans were set and Chopper joined us for his first show in NY at Central Park. I remember the first time meeting him. We had flown in from Tokyo and were just a bit jet lagged. When he called from the lobby of the hotel, I went down there half asleep and that other Chopper’s image was burned in my head. A huge sigh of relief came to me when I saw him and he looked nothing like the menacing, no eared vigilante.

How can you not love a guy like this? errr. well I mean how can you not love that you know a guy like this ! Chopper Rules !