home!

Maaaaan, it’s good to be home. That was a kind of a whirlwind tour, to put it mildly, but it was super fun. Thanks to everyone who came out and sung along. It was literally probably my favorite time I’ve ever had on the east coast. Boston in particular was amazing and it was amazing both nights. Who knew that you beantowners were really as wikkid pissah awesome as you always say you are? Pretty great.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention that I got a lot of great hats, some books and some Natty Boh while I was out there. To those of you who went above and beyond and brought us gifts or bought us drinks a special thanks is in order, so uh…special thanks. Yup. It was a good time.

Man, as one gets a little older some of the more exciting things about touring change pretty significantly, and more to the point, some of the pretty standard, day to day things, things that used to be kind of just part of the general program that you didn’t even hardly pay attention to, become things that either A) suck or B) just brutally ravage your spirit/body. What do I mean? How about this:

When I’m home I eat pretty specific foods and avoid things that are bad for me or generally gross (or delicious) except for in rare instances. I don’t usually eat red meat, cheese, fried shit, white flour, candy, or anything that’s just generally too questionable, and I don’t really drink a ton of beer or sugary cocktails. I also go to the gym every day. This is partly done so I don’t turn into a lard ass, but the big part is the way it all comes together to make me feel.

I’m generally exhausted all the time anyway, but a fairly healthy lifestyle tends to lessen the blow of just getting old quite a bit and it also helps you feel at least kind of good about yourself and like you’re not just shoveling cheetos into your disgusting, deteriorating body and pushing towards an early grave (which is a nice feeling to avoid, especially as a man in your thirties who’s suddenly faced with the fact that he’s no longer young, spry, hip, dynamic, free, or on any sort of fast track [or track of any kind] to success).

Well, on the road that all goes out the window quicker than you can say “I’ll take a beer and a philly cheese steak please!” The first four days of this tour (8 meals!) I ate nothing but cheeseburgers, with the only exception being the aforementioned philly cheese steak, which is beef, cheese and bread, so it’s really pretty much the same thing. I drank a bunch of beer, some soda, I ate ice cream (made out of whiskey! So incredibly excellent) and most devastatingly, I stayed up past midnight every night.

At the hotel in Boston, I got bedbugs from my bed. Toby, who passed out in all his clothes, still doesn’t know if he got them too, but since he and I shared a room, it’s a safe bet that he’s gonna have to burn his couch and shave his dogs now. I woke up e every day sore and discombobulated. I felt tired. I couldn’t sleep in because my kids have trained my body to get up with the sun. My stomach was constantly bitching at me and I smelled like total shit even if I showered (which I didn’t, so whatever).

I can understand being old and touring on a big bus like NOFX or touring in limos, planes and W hotels like Bon Jovi, and I can understand why young bands tour in vans for months at a time, crash on floors and drink beer for breakfast and love every second of it, but man, there’s a weird place in between, a place where you’re not quite making enough to go out to nice restaurants or get nice hotels that don’t have bedbugs (rodeway in by logan airport, by the way has them, just a word to the wise), where you’re too old to feel good after staying up really late and getting shitty sleep and eating shitty food, and where you’re no longer motivated by trying to convert a room full of people into fans, where you’re out there to play for the people who already dig the songs and fuck the rest of em, where it’s really, truly about just playing some notes and singing with your friends, and man…shit hurts. Ugh. I need a colonic or something.

That said, I wouldn’t change a second of the last week. Love you guys! Thanks for coming out and we’ll see you soon.

xoxoxox