Murray, UT (Murray Theatre)

The last show of the tour was at the Murray Theatre in Murray, UT (right outside of Salt Lake City). The show was awesome! There were about 900 people there. Since it was the last night, bands were playing tricks on each other all night long.

While our guys were on, the other bands got into our van and took out all our bench seats. The put two rows on the top of our van, and the brought the other two rows on stage (during the band's set). It was pretty funny!

During Playradioplay's set, we took the tires off their trailer and rolled them onstage.

My American Heart got it pretty good when their lead singer got "kidnapped" and another guy (who looked somewhat similar) ran on stage and did an imitation of him.

The prank that got pulled on Secondhand Serenade was amazing. There were two big screens (facing the audience) during the show. Well, before Secondhand's encore, some guys from the tour put up a picture of Secondhand's singer, John, in booty shorts and a cutoff shirt. haha. The kicker was that they put "Call Me!" (and listed his real cell phone #) on the screen for the whole crowd to see! He's definitely going to have to change his #...

After the show, we took a big picture of the whole tour. Everyone said their goodbyes and we began our 24 hour drive back home. I got home early this morning. We made great time on the drive!

I can't believe the tour is already over! It went really well. This was definitely the biggest/best tour we've done yet. I hope we get to do more tours of this caliber in the near future!

Colorado Springs, CO (The Black Sheep)

Friday night, we were at The Black Sheep in Colorado Springs, CO. The show was sold out. Everything went pretty smoothly. I had a few friends come out to the show.

We stayed with our good buddy, Matt, after the show. Unfortunately, we only got to sleep about 4 hours before we had to wake up and head towards our next show in Salt Lake City, UT.

Omaha, NE (Sokol Underground)

The Omaha show was decent. It was apparently sold out, but it only looked about half full. The show was at a venue called Sokol Underground. It's basically just a basement of a building.

We all had a good time though. We had an 8 hour drive to the next show, so we drove 4 of it that night...

St. Paul, MN (Riverside Ballroom)

We were in St. Paul, MN the next night. Whenever we hit the twin cities, we always play Minneapolis. This was our first time playing St. Paul. The show was sold out (700 people). It was ridiculously hot in that room!

The show went well though. We had some awesome greek food at a restaurant across the street from the venue.

Madison, WI (Majestic Theatre)

We were in Madison, WI the next day. Every time we're in Madison, we play a venue called "The Loft." This time we played The Majestic Theatre. It was a big upgrade from the Loft!

The show was sold out! It was awesome. The sound was really good and everything went really smoothly.

I really like Madison. I hope we never play the Loft again. Haha! The Majestic Theatre trumps that place..

Morton, IL (New Life Christian Church)

The tour had an off day, so us and Rookie Of the Year shot down to Morton, IL (about an hour from our hometown) to play a one-off show.

The show ended up being a bit of flop, but we still had fun. Our best friends in The Forecast came out to support. We hit up a bar with them after the show and we had way too much fun. It's always great seeing those guys.

Green Bay, WI (Riverside Ballroom)

The Green Bay show was great! There were about 800 people there.

This venue had a lot of history. I talked to the owner for a while after the show, and he had some interesting stuff to say.

Apparently The Red Hot Chili Peppers played there about 20 years ago. Thy did their infamous thing where they come on stage wearing only socks.....well, the police came after them and they ran out of the venue. They got caught! ha. A few months later, they were playing stadiums. Pretty crazy!

Also, Buddy Holly played his 2nd to last show there.

This was our first time in Green Bay, and it was great. I hope we get to go back there soon..

Chicago, IL (The Metro)

We finally played the Metro in Chicago. The guys had been looking forward to this show for a long time!

The show went really well. There was a great crowd and the guys got a great crowd response.

I had a ton of college friends come out to the show. It was great seeing all of them!

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again...I love Chicago! We've got our first headlining show there on September 6th (at Subterranean). I'm really excited for that!

Detroit, MI (The Magic Stick)

Last night, we were at The Magic Stick in Detroit. This was about the fifth time we've played this venue.

Last night's show was definitely the best Magic Stick show we've played. There were about 500 people and the guys got a great crowd response.

After the show, we drove overnight to Chicago.

Our show tonight is at The Metro in Chicago. This is the first time we've ever played there. We were supposed to play there in February with Simple Plan (and the show was already sold out), but it got cancelled last minute.

I think tonight will be a great time. I'm stoked for it.

Grand Rapids, MI (The Intersection)

We were back at the Intersection in Grand Rapids on Thursday. The show was SOLD OUT! (800 people)

The guys played pretty well, but the crowd was pretty dead. We did decent on merch though, so I guess the crowd must have been into it!

After the show, we drove to our hotel outside of Detroit.

Cleveland, OH (Agora Ballroom)

We were at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland on Wednesday. This was the second time we'd been there. The show was pretty solid.

Cleveland has always been a weird city for us. The crowd was decent though.

After the show, we drove to Toledo and got a hotel for the night.

Lancaster, PA (The Chameleon)

Last night was Lancaster, PA. The venue was called Club Chameleon. We'd played here once before on the Mayday Parade tour.

The show ended up being bigger than I expected. There were 800 people there! Everything went pretty smoothly.

I don't really have a whole lot to say about Lancaster, PA. Ha.

We left after the show and drove about three hours. We're in Cleveland tonight, so we figured we would get a head start on the six hour drive from Lancaster to Cleveland.

Tonight should be a fun show. We have some friends coming from Erie, PA. We're looking forward to seeing them.

DAY OFF (NJ)

We had another day off today. We spent it at our hotel outside of NYC. Everyone slept in today. It was great!

This was our last off day of the tour, so I'm glad we got to enjoy it.

DAY OFF (NY, CT, NJ)

We woke up in Albany, NY yesterday. We made a trip to Ken's house. (Ken is the president of the record label). He had a BBQ with the band and some family friends. It was awesome! It was a great way to relax on our day off.

After that, we made our way to our hotel in Newark, NJ (by the airport). It was a solid day.

Clifton Park, NY (Northern Lights)

We played Clifton Park, NY (suburb of Albany) on Saturday. We'd never played there before. The venue was ok, but the sound was pretty bad.

The show itself was pretty good. We got some new t-shirts, which is always nice! We've now selling 8 t-shirt designs, a hoodie, a tote bag, booty shorts, (and shortly we'll have koozies). Pretty cool!

After that show, we stayed at a hotel in Albany. It was another late night! ha

Hartford, CT (Webster Theatre)

We were back in Hartford, CT on Friday. We played the Webster Theatre. This was our second time playing the big room at this venue. (Last time was with Simple Plan in February).

The show was decent. There were a lot of kids. The sound was pretty bad, but the guys still played pretty well.

This was one of the better times I've had in Hartford though. After the show, we went back to Tony T's place. (Tony works at our label.) We were up way too late having way too much fun! It was great.

South Burlington, VT (Higher Ground)

We were in South Burlington, VT last Thursday. We'd never played in VT before. I have to admit, I really like that state! It was really clean and the weather was great. I felt like it had scenery comparable to the pacific northwest.

The show was great. It sold out (about 800 people) and everything. The catering at the venue was awesome. We had halibut, stuffed peppers, and wild alaskan rice. Definitely a nice change of pace from the normal stuff we eat on tour!

After the show, we stayed in a hotel outside of the city.

I hope we get to play in VT again sometime soon! That state is great.

New York, NY (Blender Theatre)

The Blender Theatre in NYC was our next stop of the tour. We got to the city a few hours before load-in and we went to our label. We said hi to everyone and then went out to lunch with them at PJ's (our favorite italian restaurant in NYC). Lunch was great!

After lunch, we went to the venue. The show ended up going really well! The guys played well and they got a great crowd response. Corey did an interview with MTV.com (who also did a review of the show). The review can be found here:
http://yourhereblog.mtv.com/2008/08/07/the-graduate-treat-nyc-crowd-to-a-wet-finale/

After the show, we went out in the city for a while. We hit up Angel's and Kings (Pete Wentz's bar). It was alright. It was really crowded. I hit up another bar nearby called "Hi-Fi" with some friends.

It was a good night!

We left the city pretty late and headed to CT to stay with Tony (from our label).

Phildadelphia, PA (Trocadero)

We played the Trocadero, or "Troc" (as bands and locals call it). This was our first time there. It was sweet!

Philly is always a good time. I'd love to get a day off there sometime....see the city and whatnot. We've been out on South Street before, and that was fun!

In time, I'm sure we'll get to see more of the city.

DAY OFF (Baltimore, MD)

Last Monday, we had a day off in Baltimore. It was great!!! We went to our favorite records store, Soundgarden. We then hit up our a bar and grabbed our favorite Baltimore beer, Resurrection.

After that, we went to Birches. It's a great restaurant that has mind-blowing macaroni and cheese. Unfortunately, it's only a seasonal item, so it was unavailable. We all settled for some cheese fries....they were awesome.

Ahhh, Baltimore is always great. I wish we could go there more often!

Towson, MD (Recher Theatre)

The Townson show was great! We've played Baltimore a lot, but never played Towson.

The venue was great, the show was packed, and everyone was happy.

We staye dwith our friends Julia and Jacqueline after the show. This was the beginning of their three day mini-tour with us...

Richmond, VA (The Canal Club)

Saturday night was Richmond, VA. We played a joint called The Canal Club. I'd heard of this place for a long time, but we'd never played Richmond before.

The venue was decent. Pretty tiny.

Richmond was awesome, but we really wanted to be in Baltimore with our best friends instead.

Norfolk, VA (The Norva)

Last night, we were at the infamous Norva in Norfolk, VA. I'd heard about this venue for a long time. Everyone said that it has the best backstage/green room area......they're right!

There were ping pong tables, pool tables, showers, a jacuzzi, laundry, arcade games, etc. It was insane! The club was really nice.

The show was pretty solid too. After the show, we went to our hotel in Norfolk and chilled for a few hours.

I made the drive to Norfolk, VA today. I'm sitting here at our merch table right now just waiting for doors to open.

My five year class reunion is tonight. I'm missing out, but I'm not too bummed about it. I think five years is a little soon to see what everyone is up to. Hopefully I can make the 10 year!

Greenville, SC (The Handlebar)

Greenville, SC was a good time! We played a venue called The Handlebar (derived from the handlebar mustache). The venue was cool. They had an in-house restaurant, which was great!

The show was pretty solid. Huge stage and pretty good sound. After the show, we drove to Charlotte, NC and crashed for the night.

We woke up the next morning and finished off our drive to Norfolk, VA.

I'm glad we're getting to play all these new cities. Each night, I have people coming up to me saying that they came just to see The Graduate. Pretty cool. I hope we hit the Carolinas again in the near future.

Fayetteville, NC (Jester's Pub)

Tonight, we were in Rookie of the Year's hometown of Fayetteville, NC. The show was decent. The sound at the venue was pretty bad, but that happens from time to time.

We played before Rookie tonight (since it's their hometown and all). I got some sweet Chinese food for dinner. It was a nice change of pace from normal fast food.

We're staying at Rookie's friend's house again tonight. Right now, we're all just relaxing a bit.

Greenville, SC is tomorrow's destination. Ahh this routing makes no sense.

Columbia, SC (Headliner's)

Last night, we were at Headliner's in Columbia, SC. The show was solid! It sold out (750 people). I had a buddy from high school come out to see the guys play. It was good seeing him and catching up.

After the show, we drove to Fayetteville, NC. We got into town around 4am. We crashed at Rookie of the Year's friend's house.

Tonight, we're in Fayetteville, NC. This is Rookie of the Year's hometown. We'll see how it goes!

DAY OFF (Orlando, FL)

We had the next day off. We spent it in Orlando. Our hotel was actually INSIDE of the Orlando airport. I mean, we walked out of our room, took an elevator, and we were by all the terminals. It was pretty crazy!

It was somewhat convenient because we could walk downstairs and hit up a footcourt, etc. I'm not going to lie though, I felt a little bit like Tom Hanks in the movie "Terminal."

We cleaned out the van and got some other errands done. The rest of the day was spent relaxing by the pool and just hanging out. It was great!

Orlando, FL (The Social)

We woke up in Jacksonville and hit up the beach for about an hour. It was great. I swear, something about the beach is therapeutic. Everyone is always in a great mood when we hit up a beach.

We hit up a beachside diner for lunch. It was good!

After that, we drove to our show in Orlando. I was excited for the show because I had a bunch of friends from Tampa coming to it.

The show sold out, which was great. After the show, we hit up a bar with our friends for a while. We then hit up our hotel inside of the Orlando airport.

It's always great seeing my Tampa friends. I miss them a lot, but I know we're all where we should be right now.

Jacksonville, FL (Jack Rabbits)

We hit up Jack Rabbits in Jacksonville, FL the next night. We played this venue a little over a year ago on the Audition tour.

The show was pretty packed! I ran into some guys from a Jacksonville band that I know. It was good seeing them. The show was pretty solid.

After the show, we went to our hotel in Jacksonville. We hung out for a while and then called it a night.

Fort Lauderdale, FL (Culture Room)

The show in Fort Lauderdale was awesome! The room was packed, the crowd was responsive, and the guys played great!

I had a lot of fun that night. Selling merchandise is crazy on this tour! All the bands have deals going on, etc. The nice thing is that everyone is helping each other to sell more stuff. We're doing a 'tour combo' where you can get 4 of the bands on the tour's cd for a total of $20. Pretty crazy.

I love being back in Florida. It's hot, but it's always a good time.

We got a hotel in Fort Lauderdale for the night.

DAY OFF (NC to FL)

We woke up in Charlotte, NC this morning and made the drive to Orange Park, FL (right outside of Jacksonville). We saw The Dark Knight tonight with Playradioplay! and Rookie of the Year. It was really good! I don't think it was as good as all the hype, but it was definitely solid.

We're playing in Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow night. It should be a good one!

I'm stoked to be in Florida for the next few days. There should be some good times ahead!

Charlotte, NC (Amos Southend)

Charlotte, NC is a cool city. We played at Amos Southend last night....the venue was great! Awesome sound and a really cool venue.

We landed a couple rooms at a local hotel called 'The Blake Hotel.' The place was really nice! Swanky rooms.

I hope we come back to Charlotte soon. It seems like a fun city to spend some time in.

Atlanta, GA (Masquerade)

Last night the tour stopped at the Masquerade in Atlanta. This is the second time we played here. This show was a lot bigger than the last show we played at this venue. Everything went pretty well.

I had a good buddy from high school come out to the show. He had never seen the band or anything, so it was cool that he finally got to. I also had a good friend from my FBR internship days come out. It was great seeing her.

After the show, we drove to Greenville, SC and got a hotel. That's where I'm at right now.

We're heading off to Charlotte, NC to go do an acoustic radio performance. It should be cool. After that, we're playing a show in Charlotte.

Tomorrow's an off day. We're going to drive part of the way to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and hopefully stop to see The Dark Knight. I'm stoked,

Mufreesboro, TN (Club 527)

We had a day off on the tour Monday, so we picked up a show in Murfreesboro, TN. I was actually surprised by the club. It was pretty legit!

A few other bands from the tour played the show as well. Matt bought some fireworks at a rest stop on the way to the show.......that turned into trouble right when we got to the venue. Bands were shooting off bottle rockets, throwing m80's, and all sorts of other stuff at each other. It was intense!

After the show, we drove to Atlanta.

Cordova, TN (Skatepark of Memphis)

Tonight's show was at the Skatepark of Memphis in Cordova, TN (and eastern suburb). This was the first show of the tour that wasn't sold out. There were still over 400 people there.

It was really hot in this venue too. The crowd seemed kind of weird. Merch sales were slow.

We're now at our hotel in Memphis. We're waking up tomorrow and driving to our show in Murfreesboro, TN.

Oklahoma City, OK (The Conservatory)

Last night's show was at the Conservatory in OKC. We played this venue about a month ago on the Nightmare Of You tour. This place is small (240 cap.) and run down. Luckily, it was a little cleaner than last time.

The show was beyond sold out. It was insanely hot in the venue! However, we tried to make the best of it. The guys went over well and we did great in merch sales.

After the show, we stayed with some friends outside of town.

San Antonio, TX (The Scout Bar)

We went in to 96.1 FM - The Mix early Friday afternoon. We did an acoustic performance for about 30 listeners from the station in the stations little studio called the "Sprint Mix Lounge." It was actually really cool. Tim got a new percussion instrument called a Cahong, and it really gave a new feel to the songs.

Secondhand Serenade played two or three songs after our guys played. The crowd was really excited to see him play in such a small environment.

After the radio station event, we went to the show. The venue was brand new. It was really nice! The stage, sound, and lighting was awesome! This was good because we normally play some really bad venues in San Antonio. The guys played really well that night and the crowd seemed to think so too.

I finally got our new credit card machine activated and working that night. This was a huge relief to me. I had been dealing with some technical difficulties with the machine for about a week.

The machine is easy to use, and so far, it seems to really boost sales a good amount!

After the show, there was a cover band that played at the venue. We hung around for a while, watched the band, and had a few drinks.

We then left the venue and drove to our hotel in Waco, TX. We stayed there for a few hours and then drove to Oklahoma City.

*Here comes a crazy story: When we were at the radio station earlier in the day, there was a dj there named Russell Rush. I knew the name sounded familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint where I knew it from. Well, we talked for a minute, and he told me that he used to dj in Bloomington, IL (where I went to college). I then put two and two together and realized that I had listened to this guy all time for a few years in college! Crazy that we met each other in San Antonio.

Dallas, TX (The Granada Theatre)

We woke up in San Antonio early on Thursday morning and made our way to Dallas. We did a radio station visit at 102.1FM - The Edge. This is a big station in Dallas. We did the same type of thing as the day before. It was a good time.

After the visit, we checked into our hotel early and a few of the guys got some sleep before the show. I didn't sleep because I was on the phone trying to figure out why our brand new credit card machine wasn't working. I made some progress with that.

The show was awesome. It was sold out (about 1,100 people). The venue was really cool. Great stage and great sound. The guys' played really well, and they won over a lot of new fans.

After the show, we went back to our hotel. We had to wake up early again because we had another radio engagement in San Antonio the next afternoon.

Corpus Christi, TX (Brewster St. Ice House)

We arrived in Corpus Christi, TX around noon on Wednesday. We did a radio visit to 102.3FM - The Planet. We met the staff and the station and played a few songs acoustic for them. It was pretty cool.

After the station visit, we headed to the show. The venue was big! It was somewhat of an outdoor venue that fit about 1,200 people. Did I mention that the show was SOLD OUT?! Haha. Awesome.

The show went pretty well. It was packed with people and everyone seemed to have a good time.

After the show, we drove back to San Antonio and got a hotel for a few hours. We had another radio visit (in Dallas) the next morning....

DAY OFF (Drive Day)

Last Tuesday was a drive day for us. We had to get from Albuquerque, NM to Corpus Christi, TX. This was a 13 hour drive.

We made about 11 hours of the drive and got a hotel in San Antonio. We woke up the next morning and finished off the drive.

Albuquerque, NM (The Launchpad)

The show in Albuquerque was pretty crazy. It was a smaller room (about 270 capacity) and it sold out. In fact, it was packed to the brim! It was so hot in there.

Everything went smoothly. We stayed in downtown Albuquerque after the show. We woke up the next morning and made our way toward our next show in Corpus Christi, TX.

Tucson, AZ (The Rock)

So we were supposed to play a show in Tucson, AZ tonight. We got to the venue, loaded in, got merch and everything set up, and then the show got cancelled.

Secondhand Serenade (the headliner of the tour) had bus problems and then they got caught in a flash flood. They didn't think they were going to get to the venue in time to play the show, so they called the show off.

We were all bummed out because we were ready to play and there was a good crowd. We understand why Secondhand cancelled and everything though. Our guys played a few acoustic songs. The venue let kids come in and buy merchandise, which was great for us. We made our gas money, so that's good.

We're now just relaxing at our hotel in Tuscon. Our show tomorrow is in Albuquerque. We've got a long drive tomorrow, so we're going to have an early morning.

San Diego, CA (Soma - Sidestage)

Last night's show was at the Soma in San Diego. This was our third time at the venue. The show SOLD OUT! Awesome. The crowd was cool and we did really well in merch. We sold a ton of CD's which was great. I hope we can do this nightly.

After the show, we went and stayed with Jared's older brother's friends. It was a late night! I love San Diego. I hope we get back there soon.

Los Angeles, CA (The Troubadour)

The tour kicked off Friday night at the Troubadour. This venue was the first place we ever played on our first national tour last January (2007). The show sold out! 500 people. The guys played well. L.A. crowds are always kind of weird, but the response was pretty good overall.

After the show, we went back to our hotel in Arcadia. We hit up Denny's for a late night dinner and then went to bed.

I think this tour is going to be really good! The crowds are going to be solid, and the bands seem pretty cool. I'm stoked.

Los Angeles, CA (The Viper Room)

We were in Los Angeles this past Thursday and Friday. Thursday night, we did a showcase at the Viper Room. The club was sweet! I know it has a lot of history to it. Tom Petty played the opening of it in the early nineties. Pretty sweet.

The crowd was pretty small, but the guys played well and sounded great. It was a good warm up for the tour (which started the next night).

After the show, we split up. Corey and Max ate sushi with Matthew (our A&R guy). They saw the guy who plays "Jim" in The Office at the restaurant!

The rest of us hung out with our buddy, Kurt French, from Guitar Center. We went to Santa Monica and had an amazing italian dinner. After that, we went down on the Santa Monica pier and walked around. I'd never been to Santa Monica before...it was nice! I hope we get to go back again soon.

We stayed in Arcadia, CA (about 30 minutes outside of L.A.).

IL to CA (2 Drive Days)

We left Springfield on Tuesday afternoon and headed for California. The Secondhand Serenade tour starts in Los Angeles on Friday. However, we have a private show today (Thursday) at the Viper Room in L.A. It's a free show and it's open to the public. It should be pretty cool!

Anyways, we had about 52 hours to make the 32 hour drive. It was pretty intense, but we did it! We're currently in our hotel room in Barstow, CA (2 hours outside of L.A.).

We're really stoked about this tour. It should be one of our best ones yet! I'll keep you all posted throughout.

New York, NY (Crash Mansion)

The Bang! Tour ended last night in NYC. We stayed an extra day and played a party for a friends at Inklings.tv tonight at the Crash Mansion in NYC. The venue was really cool and the party went really well!

We played with Lannen Fall and Socratic. The Graduate headlined the show. The sound was great and the crowd loved it.

Thanks so much to Inklings.tv for having us play! We had a blast.

And now I can officially say it..........we're GOING HOME tonight!!! Ahhhh. It's currently midnight. We should be leaving the city in the next thirty minutes. We have an eighteen hour drive back home. We're doing the whole thing straight.

This last two and a half months has been a great experience. It's had a lot of ups and downs (as all tours do), but overall, it was a fun time. The was the longest we've ever been out at one time, and I think we did a good job maintaining our composure (and sanity) on the road.

We've got about three weeks at home and then we're hitting the road again for an 8-week full US tour. I better rest up while I can over these next few weeks!

New York, NY (Blender Theatre @ Gramercy)

The tour ended last night at The Blender Theatre in New York City. The show turned out to be pretty big! Nightmare of You is from Long Island, so they definitely had a big draw.

The venue was really nice. Great lights and whatnot. We got to hang out with some people from the label. We also got to meet a few people from Girlie Action, a publicity firm that just jumped on board with us. I'm really excited about working with them. I think they're going to help us out a lot.


Overall, it was a good tour. Everyone was really cool and we all got along really well. We've been out for over nine weeks now, and we're all more than ready to get home for a few weeks. We've got one more show in NYC tonight. It's a 1 year birthday bash for our friends at Inklings.tv. It should be good!

After the show, we're driving straight home. It's going to be an intense drive, but we'll all be hyped up to get home, so it'll be alright.

OFF DAY (MO to PA)

We had an off day yesterday. We drove from MO to PA. We got a hotel in Harrisburg, PA. That's where I'm at right now.

Our show tonight is in North Caldwell, NJ (not too far from NYC). It should be pretty good!

St. Louis, MO (2 Cents Plain)

Wednesday's show was at 2 Cents Plain in downtown St. Louis. We'd never played this venue before. The show was pretty crowded. My family came down for it. We got to go to dinner and catch up on things. It was great to have some time with them. I had a lot of good friends come out to the show too.

The venue was really hot and the sound was sub-par, but the guys still put on a good show.

After the show, we went to a bar a few blocks away called Rue 13. The place was pretty cool! They had cheap drinks and they served sushi. Pretty cool.

I always love playing in St. Louis. We're not hitting it on the Secondhand Serenade tour, which is a bummer. Hopefully we'll be back soon though!

Tulsa, OK (Crush Lounge)

Sunday's show was at the Crush Lounge in Tulsa, OK. We played this venue on the Mayday Parade tour. The show was alright. Pretty small crowd. We actually packed up and left the show after the guys were finished playing. We headed out early because we were driving overnight to Alton, IL.

Oklahoma City, OK (The Conservatory)

The next day we were in Oklahoma City. The show was at a venue called The Conservatory. We played the Bricktown Ballroom in OKC on the Mayday Parade tour, but we'd never played this venue. It was pretty run down! You had to hold your breath if you walked in the bathroom. Not cool.

A buddy of mine happened to be in OKC for a conference, so he came out to the show. It was good catching up with him. He'd never seen the band play, so it was cool that he finally got to see them.

After the show, we stayed with some girls that we know. Nightmare of You stayed with us too. It was a good time! We all went swimming and hot-tubbing.

We're coming back to OKC on the Secondhand Serenade tour...

Dallas, TX (DAY OFF)

After the Austin show, we drove back to Dallas, TX. Well, the city was called Allen, TX to be exact. We stayed with some good friends. It was a great day. We cleaned the van, went swimming, had some great home-cooked meals, and caught up on some sleep.

Great day.

Austin, TX (Stubb's BBQ - Indoor stage)

Last night, we were at Stubb's BBQ in Austin. We'd never played this venue before. It's one of the real popular venues in Austin, so I'm glad we finally got to play there.

There was a good crowd and everyone sounded really good! We all got to eat a free meal at the venue. Man, it's was good!

After the show, we drove back to Ft. Worth and stayed with our buddy, Sean, again. We're at his place right now.

We have an off day today. We're going to stay with a friend in Dallas. Tomorrow's show is in Oklahoma City, so we'll drive there in the morning.

I'm pretty stoked for this off day. We're going to clean out the van and go swimming. Should be productive.

Dallas, TX (Prophet Bar)

Friday night's show was at the Prophet Bar in Dallas. The show was really good! The crowd was really receptive and all the bands played really well.

Our buddy, Wegs, ran merch for me that night. It was a nice relief. I got to hang out with the bands during the show, which was a good change of pace.

After the show, we drove toward Ft. Worth and stayed with our buddy, Sean. We woke up the next day and drove to our show in Austin.

San Antonio, TX (Rock Bottom Bar)

I'm here at the merch table in San Antonio. It's midnight and the show is coming to an end.

We survived the overnight drive from Tucson. It was pretty intense with no A/C, but we did it.

The venue tonight is pretty run down....they weren't lying about the "Rock Bottom" part. Haha.

We're driving three hours tonight to our hotel in Waco, TX. I'm going to be at the dealership at 7am tomorrow. We're crossing our fingers that they can fix our A/C tomorrow before our show in Dallas. I really hope it happens. It would make our lives much more pleasant.

Well, that's about all I have for tonight.

Tuscon, AZ (Club Congress)

We're in Tucson for our first time ever tonight. The venue is called Club Congress. It's a really cool place. It's connected to a hotel. I believe we're in a very historic area.

Tonight's show is a bit small, but the sound is great, and things are going smoothly. Nightmare Of You is on stage right now. The fun part about tonight is what we're doing after the show....

We have an all-night 13 hour drive to San Antonio, TX tonight. Yeah, not cool. We're going to leave the venue to night and drive straight to San Antonio. We'll still probably only get there a few hours before load-in. Luckily, this is the only overnight drive on this tour that we HAVE to do. (We'll probably drive overnight to St. Louis after the Tulsa show next week, but that's our choice.)

Oh, I forgot to add that I got the A/C checked out today, and they think the compressor is shot. That's going to cost us $1,000 minimum. We're going to have to wait until we get home from this tour to get that fixed.

The next two weeks are going to be pretty rough without A/C, but we'll live. Maybe it'll build character or something.

Besides all the complaining I just did, everything else is good! Haha. I'm happy to be making our way back east....

Tempe, AZ (The Clubhouse)

I'm currently at our show in Tempe, AZ. We're at a venue called The Clubhouse. We played here almost a year ago to the day on The Audition tour. I like this venue.

Tonight's show is pretty decent. Nothing too crazy, but there's a solid crowd and everything is going smoothly.

The drive from San Diego today was pretty intense! The A/C in our van is out, so we were pretty hot. We're trying to get it fixed in the morning. The next three or four days are supposed to be like 95+ degrees where we're going...

We're going to stay in town tonight with some of Corey's friends. We're off to Tucson tomorrow. We've never played there. New city = sweet!

San Diego, CA (DAY OFF)

We had the day off today and we spent it in San Diego. We woke up and went to the beach. It was only about three blocks from where we were staying! Perfect.

I threw on a wet suit and attempted to surf. I had surfed one time before (a few years ago), but I was a little rusty. I didn't do as well I had hoped, but it was still a lot of fun.

The rest of the day has been relaxing. Jared's brother, Jeremy, treated us to an amazing dinner tonight. It was at a Brazilian restaurant in downtown San Diego. The restaurant offered us 16 different types of meats...it was nuts. I tried some new things, which was cool.

We're back at Jeremy's place right now watching a movie. We're getting up pretty early and making the drive to Tempe, AZ. WE're playing at the Clubhouse tomorrow. It's a cool venue. I'm looking forward to going back there.

San Diego has been good to us. I'm excited to come back here in July!

*Thanks to Jeremy and his friends for all their hospitality. We really appreciate it guys!

San Diego, CA (Soma - Sidestage)

Last night's show was at Soma in San Diego. This venue is nice! We played here about a year ago. This show was decent. We had a few friends come out, so that was cool. We played the side room, which holds about 500 people. The main room must hold a few thousand. That's pretty crazy, considering the fact that the venue is in a strip of stores and it doesn't look half as big as it is from the outside.

We're coming back to this venue on the Secondhand Serenade tour. We're playing the side room again, but I have a feeling it'll be pretty packed.

After the show, we hung out at a friend's house. It was a good time.

Chain Reaction (Anaheim, CA)

Last night we were at the Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA. We played this place a year ago on The Audition tour.

The show last night was good! There were about two hundred people there. The guys played well and everything.

After the show, we made the drive to San Diego. We stayed at Jared's older brother's place. I'm at our show in San Diego right now. We're staying in town again tonight. We have an off day tomorrow, so we'll be here all day tomorrow and tomorrow night.

We're supposed to go surfing tomorrow! I haven't gone in a few years, but I'm stoked! We'll see how it goes..

Knitting Factory - Front Room (Los Angeles, CA)

We woke up in San Luis Obispo yesterday morning. We started our van and realized that it stalling when it was shifting between gears. We knew this wasn't good, so we took it straight to a dealership. We got it looked at and we discovered that we were really low on transmission fluid. We got it filled up and we were good to go.

We were pretty late to our show in L.A., but we made it work. The L.A. show was the best show of the tour so far! Biggest crowd and what not. We hung out with our booking agent and some people from our label. It was a good time.

After the show, we went to the famous Mel's Diner. We then made our way to our hotel in Glendale, CA (like five miles from L.A.) We got to sleep in today, which was great.

San Luis Obispo, CA (Downtown Brew)

We played in San Luis Obispo on Thursday. The venue was called Downtown Brew. It was our first time there. The place was awesome! The hospitality was great and the venue was really good. The place was a micro-brewery, so we got to dry some different types of beers. I'd have to say that blueberry was my favorite.

After the show, we made the (1/2 mile) journey back to our hotel. Overall, it was a good night! San Luis Obispo is a really nice town. I hope we get to play there again soon.

OFF DAY (WA to CA)

Wednesday was a drive day. We were in the car ALL day. 9am to 3:30am. Good times. Ha. We were really stoked to finally get to our hotel in San Luis Obispo. We slept in the next day....it was great.

Seattle, WA (Chop Suey)

Tuesday's show was at Chop Suey in Seattle. We had played the El Corazon in Seattle once, but never Chop Suey. The venue was nice! I liked it a lot.

We had some time to kill before the show, so we all went out for sushi. It was good! This show was special because we got to see an old friend. Viper, our driver from the UK, was at the show! He was 'on holiday' visiting the states for a week. He just happened to be in Seattle the night we played there. Most of the guys didn't know he was coming to the show, so they were surprised.

We all hung out with him at the show. It was a great time. After the show, we drove three hours to Portland, OR and stayed with Matt's older brother, Chip. It was good seeing him. We hadn't seen him in a year.

We slept for a few hours, and then woke up and started our 17 hour drive to San Luis Obispo, CA.

DAY OFF (UT to WA)

We had Monday off. We used it as a drive day from UT to WA. It was a 13 hour drive. We got an oil change and ran some errands before we left UT. We got a hotel a few hours outside of Seattle.

Sandy, UT (Solid Ground Cafe)

We're about five minutes outside of Salt Lake City, UT tonight. We're at the Solid Ground Cafe in good old Sandy, UT. We've played Salt Lake City twice, but we've never played this venue. It's cool! It's just a little cafe, but it's nice.

The guys already played and everything went smoothly. Let me rewind a bit though. The eight hour drive here was actually pretty good! The scenery was great! It's nice to finally see mountains again. I swear, we need to get out West more often. I'm stoked for the scenery we're going to encounter on our drive from Salt Lake City to Seattle tomorrow (and Tuesday). I remember that drive last summer. Man, was it awesome. I never knew that scenery like that existed in the United States!

We're staying about forty minutes north of Salt Lake City tonight in a town called Ogden, UT. We met a new friend at the show who was willing to take us in for the night.

We've got an off day tomorrow. We're going to spend most of the day driving towards Seattle (where we play on Tuesday). In a few days, we'll be in Cali!

Denver, CO (Marquis Theatre)

Last night we were in Denver. Man, I love that city! Seriously, Colorado is awesome. I know I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again, but I really mean it. So clean and so beautiful.

The show was legit. Good crowd, guys played well, etc. This was the third time we've played that venue. I look forward to going back there. It's always a good time.

We stayed with our good friend Matt. He moved into a new place, and it's awesome! We woke up early and made our way to Salt Lake City.

Kansas City, MO (Main Street Cafe)

I'm here at our show at The Main Street Cafe in Kansas City, MO. I have to tell you, this venue is awesome!! It's one of my favorite venues we've ever played.

This is the band's first time playing in Kansas City (as a full band). (Corey played here acoustic once...)

Ok, back to how sweet this venue is.....

We rolled up to the place this afternoon, and we weren't really sure what we it was going to be like. It was an older looking building, etc. Well, we walked in a realized that you can't judge a book by it's cover. The place is really nice! Really cool lighting, cool decor, etc. Oh, did I mention how great the hospitality is? The generous people working the show made all the bands a home-cooked meal. It was amazing!

On top of that, this place has a shower and bedrooms. We weren't sure where we were going to stay tonight, but our problem is now solved! Awesome.

I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty tired. We woke up in Chicago and made the drive all the way to KC. We passed straight through Springfield (our hometown). I even passed the exit to my little town of Rochester. Ahhh so close, yet so far away. We're still out on tour for another three and a half weeks. It's all good though. We're having a good time!

Well, I'm done rambling. I hope we make our way back to KC sometime soon.

*Thanks to all the people at the Main St. Cafe for being so kind. This type of hospitality is rare for bands of our size. We really appreciate it!

Tinley Park, IL (Mojoe's)

I'm sitting here manning the merch table at our show in Tinley Park. Nightmare of You is on the stage right now. They're tearing it up like always. I probably haven't proclaimed it yet, but the bands on this tour are really good! I really enjoy hearing all of them every night.

This is a nice change of pace from some previous tours. The venue here in Tinley Park is called Mojoe's. We were just here about a month ago on the Mayday Parade tour. The venue itself is decent. The sound is shotty. Oh well...what can you do?! Ha.

We're staying in Chicago again tonight. I feel like we can almost legally claim residency in Chicago by this point. We've been there for about four days straight. It's cool though because I love that city. I could definitely see myself living there at some point down the road.

We're waking up real early tomorrow and starting our trek to Kansas City, MO. We've never actually played in Kansas City. We've played Lawrence, KS (about forty five minutes from KC) a few times. I've got some family coming out to the show. I'm excited to see them.

After Kansas City, we're making our way out West. We've got a string of LONG drives ahead! It's going to be intense, but I know we can handle it. We're pretty conditioned by this point.

Chicago, IL (Subterranean)

Tonight's show was at Subterranean in Chicago. This is a newer venue that we hadn't yet played. The show ended up being solid! There were over a hundred people through the door. The guys played well and sounded good,

We're now back at our buddy's apartment (where we've been staying the last few days). We're probably just going to lay low tonight, which sounds good to me!

We're in Tinley Park, IL (Chicago suburb) tomorrow night. We were just there a few weeks ago. Hopefully it's good!

Chicago, IL (DAY OFF #2)

We had our second day off in Chicago yesterday. It was a pretty relaxed day. We hit up some thrift stores on Belmont. I picked up a new bookbag that I'm stoked about. It fits my computer and all my other stuff. Score!

We went out for a while Tuesday night. It was a good time.

Overall, good off day.

Chicago, IL (DAY OFF)

Yesterday we had a day off in Chicago. It was great! We went downtown and hung out. We all picked up some new clothes at H&M. We went to Grant Park, Milennium Park, and Navy Pier. It was awesome.

After that, we went to our friend's apartment and unloaded all our stuff. After that, we went out to a bar for a little while. All in all, it was a good night.

Detroit, MI (Magic Stick)

Last night's show was at the Magic Stick in Detroit. This was the third or fourth time we've played this venue.

The show was pretty decent. There's a bowling alley on the bottom floor of the building, and I wanted to hit that up all night. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. It's all good though....I'm sure we'll be back there sometime soon.

After the show, we drove all night to Chicago. We rolled into the city around 5am.

We have the next two days off in Chicago. It's 11:30am right now, and I'm going to start the day. A few of us are going to go downtown and sightsee. I'm stoked to have some time to hang out in the city!

Buffalo, NY (Xtreme Wheelz)

Tonight is the first night of our tour with Nightmare Of You, Paper Rival, and Edison Glass. The show is at Xtreme Wheelz in Buffalo, NY. We played this venue about six months ago on the Spitalfield farewell tour.

The show is looking to be pretty decent! I know the Buffalo scene has gone downhill in the past few years. There's a decent crowd here. Our guys got cut short a song (because other bands played to long), which makes me mad. I didn't find out they were getting cut short until after the fact.

Nightmare of You is playing right now. They sound good! I really think I'm going to dig the bands on this tour. Their music is a lot different than most of the bands that we've previously toured with. This style is more down our alley (as far as personal preference goes).

Our buddy Matt (from Erie, PA) is on this tour (doing merch for Edison Glass). We also know the drummer from Nightmare of You because he used to drum in a band (that we previously toured with) called Permanent Me. I'm glad we're going to get to hang out with these guys again!

This tour will keep us out until mid-June. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I'll keep you updated!

Green Bowl, OH (Howard's Club H)

We picked up a last minute show yesterday at Howard's Club H in Green Bowl, OH. We had never played this city before.

The show ended up being a bit of a bust. There were only a handful of people there. We did get free food and drinks, and a little money to put into the gas tank. If nothing else, it's another pin to add to the map (of places we've played)!

We did our best to make sure we had fun. Everyone was pretty laid back about it all.

Toledo, OH (Frankie's)

Thursday was the last show of our little headlining run. It was at Frankie's bar in Toledo, OH. We'd played Toledo a few times before, but we had always played at Headliner's. This was our first time at Frankie's. I have to say that I prefer Frankie's over Headliner's. It's a small venue, but the sound and lights are better. For a band of our current size, Frankie's was perfect.

The show was a good time. It was pretty small, but the crowd was good!

After the show, we said goodbye to everyone in 1997 and made our way back to our friends' apartment in Toledo. We stayed there for the night.

We were supposed to have the next day off, but we picked up a last minute show in Green Bowl, OH (about thirty minutes south of Toledo).

Overall, the headlining run went pretty well! I think we all learned some things from it. Hopefully the next time we do a headlining run, it will be on a much bigger scale!

Rochester, IL (HOME - DAY OFF)

Last Wednesday, I got to spend a quick 24 hours at home. It was awesome. I caught up with friends and family, did some laundry, and got a good night's sleep.

It went by really quick, but I'm glad that I got to do it. I won't be home for another month...

St. Louis, MO (Rockstar Nightclub)

Tuesday's show was at Rockstar Nightclub in St. Louis. The show ended up being pretty good! The venue was brand new. There had only been one or two shows there.

The sound and lights were solid. The venue was located in sort of a weird part of town, but I'm sure if they have a lot of shows, people will get familiar with it.

The guys played well and they had a pretty good turnout. I had some St. Louis relatives come out to the show. It was great seeing them. I always love seeing family when I'm on the road.

After the show, we caught a ride back home. We had the next day off, so all of the Springfield guys were going to spend it at home. We were more than stoked!

I love when the guys play in St. Louis. I hope we get to go back there soon.

Alton, IL (DAY OFF)

We spent last Monday in Alton, IL. We had a day off, and it was glorious. Hah. We slept in until mid-afternoon. (The overnight drive always took a lot out of us.) We stayed at Corey's girlfriend's house. It was great.

We had a big BBQ that night. A few of my friends (from the area) came over. It was great to see them.

This was one of the best off days we've had in a while!

Papillion, NE (The Rock)

Last Sunday's show was at The Rock in Papillion, NE (right outside of Omaha). We had a feeling that this show might not be amazing.....and we were right :o) It was the smallest show of the tour. We were all anxious to get the show over with because we were driving to St. Louis (Alton, IL) right after it.

The show ended and we made our way to Alton, IL. It was about a seven hour drive. Well, part way through the drive (at about 4am), we stopped to get gas in a small town in Missouri. We accidentally left the headlights on for a few minutes, and the van battery died. We spents about 45 minutes trying to get a jump. We ended up calling the local police and they helped us out.

We arrived in Alton at about 8am and crashed out until mid-afternoon.

Minneapolis, MN (The Loft @ Barfly)

Last Saturday night's show was at The Loft @ Barfly. The venue was in downtown Minneapolis. We had never played here before.

The venue was basically a big open room. The show turned out to be alright. It was an early one....we were out of there by about 10pm, which was great.

After the show, some of the guys hit up a bar for a few minutes. Max and I walked to find ourselves some dinner. We then drove a few hours to Des Moines, IA and crashed with a friend.

Minneapolis is always a cool city to play in. I know we're coming back there (to St. Paul) on the Secondhand Serenade tour. It should be a good show!

La Crosse, WI (The Warehouse)

The next show was at The Warehouse in La Crosse, WI. We just played this venue literally like about ten days ago. The show ended up being decent.

After the show, we went to a girl from the show's house for a little bit. Her house was crazy! The entire thing was themed kind of like NIghtmare Before Christmas style. It was interesting for sure.

After hanging out there for a while, we drove a few hours to our hotel.

Aurora, IL (Doug's Rockhouse Grill)

Last night's show was at Doug's Rockhouse Grill in Aurora, IL. We'd never played Aurora before, but the show ended up being the best one of the tour so far. There were about one hundred people there. The show had two really good local bands that opened. Check out: They Found Me, They Named Me and Amrita. Both of these bands have a lot of potential.

Everything went smoothly with the show. After it was over, we drove to my friend's house in Rockford, IL and stayed there for the night. That's where we're at right now.

We're going to be taking off here shortly and heading to our show in La Crosse, WI.

Crown Point, IN (DAY OFF)

We had Wednesday off, so we went to Crown Point, IN to hang out with our friends in the band Asteria. It was a good time! We went and grabbed lunch at our favorite Crown Point burger joint, Schoop's. After that, we just relaxed for a while.

The evening was real laid back. We just hung out and visited. It was a good off day.

The next morning, we woke up and drove to our show in Aurora, IL.

Grand Rapids, MI (The Intersection - Front Room)

Last night's show was at The Intersection - Front Room. We had just played the big room of this venue like ten days ago. Crazy.

This show was decent. There were about fifty kids at this one too. The show was short and sweet. We were out of there by 9pm. Awesome.

After the show, we went to our friend's house and stayed the night.

We've got another day off today. We're driving to Crown Point, IN to see our friends in the band Asteria. It should be a good time!

Cleveland, OH (DAY OFF)

Monday was our day off in Cleveland. We spent most of the day running errands. My laptop was messed up, so I took it to the Apple store and got it all fixed up. We got an oil change and did a few other small things.

We tried going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but we got there too late. I hope we make it back there sometime soon.

After all that, we drove to Toledo and stayed with some friends.

Cleveland Heights, OH (Grog Shop)

Sunday's show was at the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights, OH. This is probably the fourth of fifth time we've played this venue. The show was pretty decent. There were about fifty people there. The guys had a lot of fun on stage.

The crowd was really responsive, which is always good. After the show, we hung out at the venue for a while. The guys were watching the Cubs vs. Cards game. There was an experimental show going on at the venue. It was pretty weird. It didn't sound like music to me, but hey, what do I know?! Hah

After that, we went to our hotel.

Syracuse, NY (DAY OFF)

We had the day off today. We stayed in Syracuse, NY with our good friends Caleb and Josh (from the band Long Since Forgotten). We go way back with these guys. It's been great catching up with them.

Tomorrow's show is at the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights, OH. We've played this venue like four or five times in the last year and a half. I hope the show goes well!

Overall, today was great. I got some new clothes from H&M, relaxed, and hung out. Off days are good every now and then :o)

Syracuse, NY (Westcott Community Center)

Our headlining stint with 1997 began yesterday in Syracuse, NY. This was our first time in Syracuse. The show was decent.

We had vegan catering. It was pretty good! After the show, we hung out with our friend Caleb from the band Long Since Forgotten. We've know his band since we were in J.A.C.K. They always came through Springfield and played Breadstretchers with us. We hadn't seen the guys in years, but it was great to catch up.

We're now on our off day. We're staying at Caleb's apartment. I think we're going to grill out tonight. It should be fun!

Troy, NY (Revolution Hall)

The last show of the tour was at Revolution Hall in Troy, NY (right outside of Albany). The show was really good! Almost 400 people there. The sound and lights at the venue were excellent.

Corey came out during My American Heart's set and sang part of a song with them. It was pretty cool.

After the show, all the bands went to our hotel in Albany. There was a lot of 'last night of tour' shenanigans. It was a blast. I can't believe we didn't get kicked out of our hotel room. Ha.

This was definitely our best full tour to date. I had a blast. Great people, great shows, great tour!

Lancaster, PA (Club Chameleon)

The Lancaster, PA show was pretty solid. There was a good crowd and the guys played well. We'd never been to Lancaster, but I'd definitely like to go back.

We had some great burritos across the street from the venue.

After the show, we pricelined a hotel in Allentown, PA. We woke up the next morning and made our way to Troy, NY (right outside of Albany).

Good show. Good day!

Pittsburgh, PA (Diesel)

Last night's show was at Diesel in Pittsburgh, PA. We played this venue one other time about a year ago with Punchline. Pittsburgh is their hometown, so that show was great! This show was great as well. There were almost 400 people and everything went smoothly.

This venue is really nice. It's basically a dance club that brings bands in for shows. The lights are the highlight of this place. There are all sorts of crazy designs and things you can have projecting on the wall behind the band. I ran the lights during our guys' set, and it was a good time. I was even changing the lights at the bar. Ha. Good times.

After the show, we all went to our buddy Dustin's house. (Dustin is the bassist from My American Heart....we're on tour with them right now). There was a crazy amount of food and drinks there for everyone. All three bands on the tour came to hang out. We stayed for a couple hours and then made our way to our hotel outside of town.

We woke up this morning and drove to Lancaster, PA for tonight's show.

That's where I'm at right now. The show has been good so far. I'll fill you in with details once it's over...

Columbus, OH (The Basement)

Monday's show was at the Basement in Columbus, OH. Ahhh we love Columbus. The guys always seem to get a solid crowd response there. This show was no exception. There was no local on the bill, so our guys got a good sound check. This is a rare thing for them. The show was really good. It was sold out (300 people) and everything.

After the show, we went to Matt's cousin's house. He made us some amazing chicken wings and mashed potatoes. I love good hospitality! We stayed there for the night. The next morning we woke up and drove to our show in Pittsburgh.

We always have a great time in Columbus. I look forward to coming back.

Grand Rapids, MI (The Intersection)

Last night's show was legit! It was the biggest show of the tour (so far). 660 people rolled through the door. This was our first time playing in Grand Rapids, and it was great!

We're playing a headlining show in the front room of the venue in about 10 days. I hope some kids from this show come back to see us again!

Grand Rapids seems like a sweet place. I'm stoked to go back soon...

DAY OFF (Rockford, IL)

We had yesterday off, so we spent the day in Rockford. We all stayed at my friend's house. It was a great day. We all got to catch up on some sleep. Everyone did laundry too. We're all happy about that!

We went over to another one of my friend's place for a cookout that evening. It was awesome. We ate some great food and had a lot of fun. I'm glad that the band finally got to hang out with my crew of college friends.

*Thanks to all my ISU crew for such a great weekend! We had a blast and really appreciate the hospitality.

I'm now at our show in Grand Rapids, MI. Tonight should be another good one! We're playing this venue again (smaller room) in like two weeks. Hopefully we can hook some kids in tonight and get them back here for our upcoming show!

Rockford, IL (Forest Hills Lodge)

Friday's show was at Forest Hills Lodge in Rockford, IL. We'd never played Rockford before. Man, this show was good! About 450 people were there. The set went over well and everyone had a good time.

A whole crew of my college friends (some of them live in Rockford) came out to the show. It was the first time that a few of them had seen the band play live. I'm glad that they finally got to see them perform.

After the show, some of the guys went to a dance party on Mayday's RV. I went back to my friend's house and hung out with my old crew from college. It was a good night!

La Crosse, WI (The Warehouse)

Last night's show was at The Warehouse in La Crosse, WI. The venue was like 400 capacity, but it was on the third floor of a building. As a result, the fire code only allowed 200 people in the room. The show sold out.

The sound was pretty good. The guys sounded really good too. It was an early show, which was nice. After the show, we just went back to the hotel and hung out.

We're playing this same venue again on 5/9 (on of our headlining shows). I hope some people from last night's show come back to see the guys play their longer set!

Tonight we're in Rockford, IL. The show should be really good! All of my college roommates are coming out to see the guys, so that'll be cool. I'm looking forward to a good night.

Tinley Park, IL (Mojoe's)

Wednesday's show was in Tinley Park (Chicago suburb). We've played Chicago a lot, but never Tinley Park. The show was sold out (450 people).

The show was kind of weird. The guys played well, but the crowd was kind of stale. Some buddies of ours came out to the show. It was good to see them. After the show, we stayed with a friend in Chicago.

Des Moines, IA (House Of Bricks)

The House of Bricks is always a fun venue to play. We've probably played there a good four or five times in the last year. Last night's show there was the biggest show we've ever played at that venue. The show sold out at about 300 people.

As always, I had the restaurant's amazing potato skins for dinner (not sure where those fit into my 'healthy diet' I'm trying to maintain..ha). After the show, all the bands hung out. It was Josh's birthday (Mayday Parade's TM). A bunch of the guys went bowling. Max and I hung out on Mayday's RV with their merch guy, T$.

After that, we drove about three hours to Davenport, IA. We're now on our way to Chicago to do an interview with Fearless Radio (internet radio). After the interview, we'll be going to Tinley Park (Chicago suburb) for tonight's show. It should be a good day!

DAY OFF (Drive Day - OK to IA)

Today was an off day. We drove from Tulsa, OK to Des Moines, IA (where tomorrow's show is). We ate lunch at Panera (second time in two days). It was amazing as always. The drive wasn't too bad. I got a lot of business stuff done.

We're now hanging out at our hotel in Des Moines. It's nice to check into a hotel before 1am! I have a feeling I'm going to get some good sleep tonight.

Tomorrow's show is at the House of Bricks in Des Moines. We've played this venue a good three or four times. I like it a lot. I think the show tomorrow is going to be really good!

Tulsa, OK (Crush Lounge)

Last night's show was at the Crush Lounge in Tulsa, OK. This was our first time in Tulsa. The show was ok. There was a solid amount of people there, but the facility was pretty small. In addition, the soud was pretty shotty.

The guys still went over pretty well with the crowd. After the show, we went to our hotel in Tulsa. We're going to be back at the same venue at the end of this nine week run. Hopefully some people come back to see us!

Oklahoma City, OK (Bricktown Ballroom)

Last night's show was at the Bricktown Ballroom in Oklahoma City. The show was awesome! It was sold out (435 people), and they had to turn away almost 100 more people at the door.

The guys played pretty well, but they had some technical difficulties. Jared's bass kept cutting out. We think he was plugged into a shotty power strip (that the venue provided). We had never played OKC before, but the crowd was really into it. In fact, the guys even played "Justified" because the whole front row was asking for it.

We did our best night yet in merch, which was awesome. After the show, Mayday Parade threw a pizza party for the tour. They ordered a bunch of pizzas, and we all hung out on their RV and grubbed down. It was a good time!

After that, we went back to our hotel and went to bed. Tonight's show is in Tulsa, OK. We've never played there, so we'll see how it goes!

DAY OFF (Oklahoma City, OK)

Friday was a day off for us. We drove from northern TX to Oklahoma City and got a hotel. We relaxed most of the afternoon. It was Tim's birthday, so we all went out to dinner at TGI Friday's. After dinner, we went back to the hotel and relaxed for the rest of the evening. Overall, it was a nice off day.

Lewisville, TX (Fat Daddy's Sound Shack)

Last night we were in Lewisville, TX (northern suburb of Dallas). This town wasn't far from Dallas, but it seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere! The venue was a really big and a little run down. (It was BYOB if that gives you any idea! Haha.) The show was decent. A good buddy of ours from back home just moved to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, so he came and hung out. It was good to see him

After the show, we hung out with the Mayday Parade guys for a while. They're on an RV on this tour, so we all chilled on their RV. Tim (our drummer) turned 24 at midnight. We all celebrated a bit. We eventually drove about fifteen miles north and got a hotel in Denton, TX. Today was a day off. We drove from Denton, TX to Oklahoma City, OK.

We're now hanging out in our hotel in OK City. We'll probably go to dinner and go out for a bit tonight for Tim's birthday. The show tomorrow is in town.

Well today is going to be a pretty relaxing off day. I'm pretty stoked about that. In fact, I think I'm going to head out to go for a run!

Houston, TX (The Warehouse Live - Side Room)

We hit Houston for our second time ever last night. The show was at a venue called The Warehouse Live. The place was nice! Last time we were in Houston, we played at the Java Jazz Cafe. It's safe to say that The Warehouse is way more legit.

The show was great! Lots of people and a great crowd response. All the bands sounded great.

After the show, we went to stay with a new friend. We're at their house right now. Everyone is getting all showered up and then we're heading off for tonight's show in Lewisville, TX (outside of Dallas).

Houston was great to us. I really hope we play here again sometime soon!

New Orleans, LA (House Of Blues - Parish Room)

Day 2 in New Orleans was a good one. We slept in, grabbed some lunch and went to the venue. The show was at the Parish Room at the House of Blues. Man, I love when we play at House of Blues venues! They're always so legit. They really take care of you when you're there.

There were only three bands on tonight's bill, which was awesome. The guys played first and they sounded great. The sound at House of Blues venues is always top notch. The crowd wasn't super responsive, but we did real well on merch. They must've liked it! We ate dinner at the HOB restaurant, and it was awesome.

After the show, we made our way to the hotel right down the street. We're now just hanging out, laying low for the evening. Last night was crazy enough for us. Tonight is going to be a relaxed night. Tomorrow's show is in Houston, TX.

Once again, New Orleans was good to us. I really like this city. I hope we come back here soon!

New Orleans, LA (DAY OFF)

Yesterday was our day off in New Orleans. We rolled into town around 4pm and got our hotel. After relaxing there for a while, we hit up the Harrah's casino for a little bit. I'm not much of a gambler, so I did $10 on slots. That was gone in approximately 5 minutes. None of the guys in the band gambled much.

After that, we headed over to Bourbon St. We first hit up a place called the Tropical Isle. They have these drinks called Hand Grenades. They're too good. Haha.

The other bands on the tour eventually met up with us and hung out for a while. We hit up a few different clubs and watched some bands play. It was a good time!

A buddy of ours (who is now in a band from NY) from our hometown happened to be in New Orleans last night. We went out to his van and woke him up. He came out and hung out with everyone for a while. It was great seeing him.

The night ended when the band decided to play a mean trick on me. Some of them decided to go back to the casino while a few of us stayed on Bourbon St. Well, the guys at the casino called me and told me that one of our guys got kicked out of the casino and was arrested. I obviously believed it and headed back to the hotel to gather up bail money. When I got back, our guy who was 'in prison' actually jumped out of our hotel bathroom. The whole thing was a hoax. I laughed it off and went to bed.

Our show tonight is here in New Orleans at the House Of Blues (Parish Room). It should be great! HOB shows are always fun.

Pensacola, FL (The Red Door)

The tour was in Pensacola, FL yesterday. We played at a newer venue called "The Red Door." The show was pretty good! The sound at the venue was no good, but the guys did their best to deal with it.

One highlight of the evening was that middleweight boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. was at the show. The opening band was on his record label, so he was there for them. We ended up befriending the band and we went to Roy Jones Jr.'s studio after the show. It was awesome! The mixer board HUGE. I've never seen a board that big. We hung out with those guys for a while and then got a hotel.

We stayed up pretty late at the hotel. Today's an off day. We're on our way to New Orleans (where we're playing tomorrow). The next two days should be fun!

Augusta, GA (Club Hollywood)

Last night's show was at Club Hollywood in Augusta, GA. I think it's pretty funny that there's anything with the name 'Hollywood' in Augusta, GA. The show was actually legit though! The guys played well and the crowd was really responsive.

It was kind of crazy because The Masters golf tournament was going on in Augusta yesterday. Luckily, we avoided all that traffic.

There were guys selling hot dogs for $1 behind the venue, so we all hit that up. Man, they were good!

After the show, we drove four hours and got a hotel right after we crossed into Alabama.

We're about to leave the hotel now. I woke up early and ran four miles this morning. I'm feeling great! Tonight's show is in Pensacola, FL. It should be another good one!

Tallahassee, FL (The Beta Bar)

Friday's show was at The Beta Bar in Tallahassee, FL. This is Mayday Parade's hometown. The show was huge! There were about 550 people there! Matt's top keyboard was acting up, so the guys had to improvise a bit during their set. We had never played in Tallahassee (or Gainesville for that matter). It's always nice playing in new cities.

After the show, we drove a few hours and got a hotel in Georgia. It was another good day..

Gainesville, FL (Common Grounds)

So I'm already running a few days behind here...whoops! The Mayday Parade/My American Heart/The Graduate tour kicked off in Gainesville, FL on Thursday. The drive down was good. We got to the venue early and met up with the other bands. We already knew the My American Heart guys, but we didn't know the Mayday guys. They seem really cool though.

The show was great! There were over 400 people there. It was an 18+ show, which was a change of pace for us. We normally play all-ages shows. I had a group of friends from Tampa make the drive up to the show. It was great to see them! I miss that crew.

After the show, we all went out. It was a blast. I have to say that this show was a great way to kick off the tour! If the shows are anything like tonight, we're in for a good run!

Let the Marathon of Tours Begin!

Yesterday we left home for a nine week outing. This will be the longest we've ever been out for a single period of time. We're all really excited.

We've been home since mid-December (besides the week out with Simple Plan in February), so we're definitely all itching to get back on the road.

We're doing three tours over these nine weeks. Here they are (in order):
1. Mayday Parade/My American Heart
2. Our headlining tour with 1997
3. Nightmare Of You/Paper Rival/Edison Glass

Tour #1 should be really good. It starts today in Gainesville, FL. The show should be great!
Tour #2 will probably be pretty interesting. It's our first headlining tour, and we're playing a lot of new cities. Hopefully it goes well!
Tour #3 should be pretty solid.

I'm going to try to post a blog daily . Keep checking back for updates!
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On a non-tour related note, I ran my first half marathon last weekend in Springfield, IL. I had trained for a few months for it, but I really didn't know how it'd go. Well, it went better than I had planned on!

I ran the course (13.1 miles) in 1:33:52 (which is a 7:10 mile pace).
There were 807 runners who completed the race, and I finished 66th.
I was 2nd in my age group (Males 20-24) (There were 31 guys in the division)

Overall, it was a great experience! I hope to do another one (and possibly even a marathon) sometime down the road.

Detroit, MI (St. Andrew's Hall)

Last night's show was at St. Andrew's Hall in Detroit. This was the band's first time playing this venue. The show was awesome! This was definitely the best show of this run. (This wasn't the biggest show or anything, but the band got their best crowd response by far at this show.)

The crowd was way into the band's set. Tons of cheering and a core group of kids chanting along. Corey leaned out into the crowd at the end of their set (during 'Formula')....it was awesome! The crowd loved it. The guys were busy signing stuff and meeting fans for a while after their set. The merch booth was hopping too! I was definitely busy, which was great.

Pierre (singer of Simple Plan) had a pretty bad cold, so he was having some trouble singing. As a result, the band played a shortened set. They made up for it by doing a meet-and-greet after their set.

After the show, we started heading toward Chicago. We hit some horrendous weather and got a hotel in Ann Arbor, MI. On our drive, I got a call from Simple Plan's tour manager. He told me that tonight's sold-out show at the Metro (in Chicago) had been cancelled (for undisclosed reasons). This was a major bummer to us. This was going to be The Grad's first Metro show. We understand that things come up though. We're crossing our fingers that the show gets rescheduled for sometime in he next few months.

Overall, these four dates with Simple Plan were amazing! It was great exposure for The Graduate. We can't thank them enough for taking us out with them. Hopefully there will be more Simple Plan/The Graduate dates down the road. Let's keep our fingers crossed on that too :)

OFF DAY (DRIVE DAY)

Yesterday was an off day. We spent the whole day doing an 11 hour drive from Norwalk, CT to Southfield, MI (suburb of Detroit). The drive was fine.

Corey and Max made an appearance on Fox 2 Detroit this morning. They did a short interview and played 'Surround Yourself' acoustic. It went really well!

David Allen Greer was also a guest on the show! We didn't get to meet him, but we were in the same room as him when he did his interview.

We're playing at St. Andrew's Hall in Detroit tonight. This is the same place where Eminem did the rap battle on '8 Mile'. Pretty sweet! Ha.

Hartford, CT (Webster Theatre)

Tonight's show was at the Webster Theatre in Hartford, CT. The guys had played this venue a few times last year. This was the first show we played in Hartford that had more than 75 people. The show was pretty good! There were about 600 people there. The guys played well. The sound on stage wasn't the best, but the guys got through it fine.

Nothing too crazy happened at the show, but it was a good time! We're now on our way to Tony's place (he works for our label). It should be a good time. Tomorrow is an off day. We'll be driving all day. We've got an eleven hour drive to Friday's showin Detroit.

Philadelphia, PA (The Fillmore)

Last night's show was at The Fillmore in Philadelphia. We had never played the Fillmore in Philly before. This venue was great! The show went really well. The guys played well and it sounded great. There were about 700 people there.

The venue was on South St., which is a very happening part of the city. We got Philly cheesesteaks at Jim's. We ate there this summer too. This place is great. You have to order your cheesesteak with cheese whiz. It's so good.

After the show, we went back to NJ and stayed real close to the hotel that we were at the night before. We're now driving to tonight's show in Hartford, CT. It should be a good day!

The Fillmore @ Irving Plaza (New York, NY)

Yesterday was our first of five shows with Simple Plan. The mini-tour kicked off in NYC. The guys had played the Knitting Factory multiple times, but they had never played at The Fillmore. This venue was sweet! It was a 1,000 capacity room and the show sold out! Awesome.

The show was great! These five shows are just The Graduate and Simple Plan, which is pretty sweet.

The guys played well, the crowd dug them, and Simple Plan dug them too! Pierre (singer of Simple Plan) talked about the Grad during his band's set and he said "They're good! Almost TOO good!" I thought that was pretty cool.

A lot of the label came to the show. Our good friends, Julia and Jacqueline came to the show from Baltimore. Our friend, Fiona, came from Philadelphia as well. It was great seeing all of them.

Tonight's show is in Philly. We're just rolling into town now. The show tonight is probably going to sell out. Hopefully tonight's show goes as well as last night's!

Jerseyville, IL (KC Hall)

We played a show in Jerseyville, IL on Saturday, Feb. 16th with Whisperwall and C4. This was Jerseyville's first show in a long time (if not ever). The show was legit! There was a good crowd. It was fun playing in a smaller town. I enjoy small town shows every now and then. It brings us back to our roots.

I had some friends come out to the show. We got some time to hang out, so that was good. We left after the show and got home around 2am. Not bad at all!

Macomb, IL (The Cafe)

The guys played at The Cafe in Macomb on February 8th. Macomb is a college town (Western Illinois University), and this bar was definitely a college bar! The show was really fun. The bar was packed. The guys didn't play until 1am, but it was all good.

After the show, we went to an after party for a few while and then we went home. We rolled into Springfield around 6am.

Overall, it was a really good night. I hope we start playing more college towns. It seems like a good audience for the band.

Crown Point, IN (Hall Of Justice)

The guys played a show in Crown Point, IN on Feb. 2nd with Asteria, Powerspace, Carawae, and Fiction City. The show was great! There were almost 400 people there. The guys went over well.

After the show, we hung out with our buddies in Asteria. We left Crown Point at 4am and made it home around 8am.

Crown Point is always a good time. I hope we get to go back soon!

Bloomington, IL (Holiday Inn Express - West)

This past Friday night, the guys played a show at The Holiday Inn Express - West in Bloomington, IL. The show was put on by two Bloomington girls, Sarah and Paige. It was their Birthday show.

The room the guys played in was pretty small. It could probably fit about 90 comfortably. The turnout ended up being somewhere around 60-70, so the room was pretty full. The guys played well and the crowd liked them. There were a few kids going pretty crazy. There were three solo artists who opened the show (Vince, Brandon Carnes, and Mark Rose). We were the only fully electric band on the show.

After the show, we hung out at the hotel for a bit. The girls hooked us up with two rooms for the night. We had a normal room and a presidential suite! It was awesome. I ended up going out in downtown Bloomington for a while. It was my good friend, Laura's, birthday, so I met up with her to celebrate. We saw Hairbanger's Ball play and it was awesome as always.

After the show I came back to the hotel and crashed out. It was a great night!

Springfield, IL (Club Chrome)

On December 28th, we played a hometown show in Springfield, IL at Club Chrome. This was a venue that we had never played before. It was actually really cool. It fits 1,000+ people and the stage is pretty legit. It's the best venue we have in Springfield right now. I hope we can start playing some shows there...

Anyways, this show was The Junior Varsity's last show EVER. This is a big deal for the central IL music scene. The Junior Varsity were around for about six years, and they were inspirational to a lot of people in our music scene. I know that I was a huge fan of them. I always looked up to them when I was in my old band. They were always a step ahead of us (they had a record deal, toured nationally, etc.). I really really enjoyed this band and hate to see them go.

The show ended up being awesome! There were around 700 people there. This is HUGE for a Springfield show. We've never played for more than maybe 400 in Springfield. I'm sure a big part of the draw was because it was the JV's final show. I believe that we drew a substantial amount of the crowd as well. Our guys played really well and they got the best crowd response they've ever gotten in Springfield. There were some sound issues during their set, but they were minor.

Two other bands (Greenwood and Wise & Burn) were on the bill as well. It was great playing with them. We use to play with Greenwood in our old band....they're really good guys. Wise & Burn is a new hometown band that our friends started. Once they find a lead singer, they'll be set. I look forward to seeing what this band does.

It's safe to say that everyone had a great night! I love when the guys play big hometown shows. We'll have to get another one lined up in the near future!

Peoria, IL (The Vineyard Cafe)

The night after the Quincy show, we played a show at The Vineyard Cafe in Peoria, IL. Our buddies, The Forecast, headlined the show (Peoria is their hometown). Spitalfield and a local band were on the bill as well.

The show ended up being really good. The room was pretty small, but it was definitely packed. I would stay 175+ people were there. The guys played pretty well and the crowd was into it. There was a mic that kept fall off Tim's snare drum, so I had to keep running on stage and taping it down. Eventually, we got it to stay in place.

I really enjoy playing in towns around central IL. We normally do pretty well there and it's just a good place to build up a solid following. I hope that we can play some more shows around the midwest in the near future..

After the show, I went out in downtown Peoria for my buddy, Seth's, birthday. It was a blast! We ended up seeing an 80's cover band called "Hairbanger's Ball." I'd seen this band play many times in college, and alwaysloved it! They're a blast. I also got to hang out with my good friend, Caleb, who was home from Florida (for the holidays). Overall, it was an awesome night!

Quincy, IL (Turner Hall)

The guys played a headlining hometown show at Turner Hall in Quincy, IL on December 21st. The show was awesome! There were 300+ people there and the guys killed it. Our friends, The Forecast, played on the bill (along with two local bands). Half of the proceeds were donated to the Salvation Army. We were able to donate around $1,100 to them! Really cool.

The guys played the longest set they've ever played (about 14 songs). They did played really well and the crowd went nuts for them. This ended up being the biggest Quincy show they've ever played! Overall, it was a great night.

Chicago, IL (WGN TV Performance)

Alright, I've been slacking on keeping up with this blog for about the past month, so I'm going to catch up on everything today...

On December 20th, the guys did a live performance of their cover of "Blue Christmas" on WGN TV's morning show. It went really well! The studio where they performed was really nice. It had an actual stage and everything. (We're normally a little concerned that these TV stations aren't going to have the proper equipment to handle us, but this one definitely did!)

We rolled up to the station at 7am and were out by around 10am! The program they performed on ("WGN in the morning") has a really high viewership in Chicago. Apparently more people in Chicago watch that morning show than Good Morning America! Pretty sweet.

I hope we have an opportunity to play on this show again. It was some great exposure and it went over really well.