Joshua James Tour Diary - Tokyo/Baton Rouge - 11/19/09
Tokyo Every time that I get on a plane I accept the fact that I might die. I say to myself “this might be the day that you die”. And then I board the plane.... read more
Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - Tempe/Solana Beach - 11/3-4/09
Tempe, AZ 11/3 8 am flight to Phoenix from the Burbank, Bob Hope Airport, the perfect airport: small, boarding planes off the tarmac up a staircase always feels romantic, somehow. Though the feelings I have leaving home again are far from wistful. Phoenix is in the Desert; it makes Los Angeles look like a rain forest.... read more
Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - Boulder/Fort Collins/Halloween - 10/29-31/09
Boulder 10/29 Dinosaur Jr’s very complicated history somehow all comes together here, in Boulder, Colorado. It’s interesting that it is virtually halfway between Massachusetts and my new home in California. Blee Music, Dino’s management, has masterminded each step of our reunion career: when to record a new record, when to tour. It has brokered nearly every band discussion. As the designated parent, it also absorbs all the ambivalence and occasional yelling. So our appearance at the Boulder Theater is fraught with expectations and concern. Boulder is where the smoking ban began—the ban that has now spread to Italy, of... read more
Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - Boulder, CO - 10/29/09
Wake to a bus disturbance. It seems a wheel nearly shimmed off while we were in route. We are on the side of the highway (I-76), it is sleeting and the smokers are out smoking in the breakdown lane. Murph is wandering on the frontage road attached to his cell phone (I worry that he’ll be hit by a speeding pickup truck; he’s occasionally oblivious to traffic.) We congregate in the front lounge and have a pretty good time considering we are stranded. Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch film with Johnny Depp) is on the DVD player and we appreciate Neil... read more
Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - Omaha, NE - 10/27/09
The building complex for the club (The Slowdown) contains an Urban Outfitters, an American Apparel and the offices of Saddle Creek records, among other left of the dial businesses. A testament to how well Bright Eyes and his compatriots have done? I don’t know and don’t ask anyone about it.... read more
Joshua James Tour Diary - Baltimore, MD - 10/30/09
There isn’t any possible way to properly describe the events that have taken place. I want to. I feel as if I need to. But I can’t, and therefore won’t. There are many adventures I can remember. But even more that I can’t. I am noodling.... read more
Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - Kansas City - 10/26/09
Ah, there’s espresso less than a block away from the bus. They ask me if I want sugar. I’ve never been asked if I wanted sugar in my espresso. In europe, they deliver it with a sugar packet on the side. Never heard of it pre-treated. It costs $1.93, which is, coincidentally, exactly how much a bus-adjacent double espresso is in Omaha the next day.... read more
Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - Dallas/Houston/Austin/Oklahoma City
Four shows playing with Built to Spill and their opening act, Disco Doom (sweet people from Switzerland). A four-band bill. No soundchecks for the missingmen, strict time limits, rush rush. Any groove we settled into by Atlanta is gone. Back to head down, make sure all the cords are plugged in, on and off, hacking through the sets, merch sales plummet.... read more
Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - 10/17/09 - Atlanta, GA
A Halloween parade, a hangover and a "jazzy Jimmy Buffett" in-store performance... read more
Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - 10/16/09 - Louisville, KY
I spent a lot of time in Screwyville 97-99 when Sebadoh were more or less based here. We had a practice space downtown that we shared with Pavement for awhile. It’s a cool place. It’s got a cosmopolitan vibe mixed with the kinda Kentucky you may expect, shotgun shacks and anti-abortion billboards.... read more
Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - 10/15/09 - Chicago, IL
Back at the vic theater. Last time I was here was a Sebadoh show in '96 (?) in which we alienated the big commercial station that sponsored the show, Q101, when a friend ripped down their banner. The promo people at Sub Pop begged me to write a letter of apology. Don't remember if I did or not. I hope i didn't.... read more
Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. Tour Diary - 10/14/09 - St. Louis, MO
Been on tour for well over a week. In St. Louis now: a good place to start a tour diary as any, the gateway city. Sebadoh played our 2nd turbo acoustic (Jason Loewenstein on bass, me on guitar, drums on a boombox) show here six years ago. We sold 50 t-shirts from the stage and a woman was trying on t-shirts, on the stage. Sexy chaos, and one of my favorite shows of all time. This time, dinosaur is greeted by a series of threatening phone calls to the club from a man vowing to “kick our mother fucking asses”... read more
Baroness Studio Diary - 5/27/09
I awake around 7:30 this morning. The same time as yesterday, and the day before that. I believe I have been waking up at 7:30 for a couple months now. We aren’t slated to be at the studio until 11:00, so there is no real reason for my early rise aside from the fact that when I am home, my dog, without fail, pokes his head in the door every morning at precisely 7:30. So now, a thousand miles away from him, I am still waking up at the same time. After the washroom visit, I make my way outside... read more
Baroness Studio Diary - 5/21/09
Texas is big Texas is big. Everything in it is bigger. They say it. You’ve heard it a thousand times. Its one of those cliché sayings that makes you cringe every time you hear it. But, dag nabbit, its true. About three months ago, when we decided that we would be recording our new album with John Congleton, we were under the impression that we would be tracking at a studio deep in the Minnesota woods. The view from the control room looked out over a beautiful spring-fed trout stream and a landscape of mature trees. The forest floor was... read more
Calexico - 11/25/08 - Albuquerque, NM
This is the last day of the tour, and people are packing and getting ready for departure. We've had a great tour thanks to our helpful crew; Joe Puleo (fantasy-baseball expert and fine-deli adventurer), Frank Marchand III (sound man deluxe and fine purveyor of 15-year scotch), Karin Sung (the person with the friendliest smile and laugh, instigator of many a fine celebration) and Jason Yakel (driver, pilot and international man of mystery).... read more
Calexico - 11/24/08 - Denver, CO
Good morning sunshine. Now I know we are nearing home.... read more
Calexico - 11/23/08 - Omaha, NE
Bus driver Jason Yakel is ready to have a beer after his long night of driving through snow and ice. Hopefully this is the last of it as we finally head south on our North American tour. Fortunately, there is a cafe next door to the Slowdown that is serving espresso AND beer. Everyone in our crew is camped at the cafe. It's Sunday morning and the air is relaxed and everyone is recharging their cellular make-up.... read more
Calexico - 11/22/08 - Minneapolis, MN
Football is the focus here. Even before heading to do an acoustic session for KCMP at 10 a.m. with Martin and Jacob, the streets are swarming with team colors. Yellow and Black = Iowa. I think they win tonight, but it doesn't stop the craziness from trying to spread.... read more
Calexico - 11/21/08 - Chicago, IL
Apparently there's been some dangerous drives these past two days through the fresh batch of snow and ice. However, Jason, our driver, has everything under control.... read more
Calexico - 11/20/08 - Pontiac, MI
The downtown is empty. No one is on the streets. We've never played Pontiac but promoter Greg Baise has been telling us about the Crofoot and sure enough the place is sprawling hub for all things nightlife and music.... read more
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