Esperanza: Almost Empty and Parked
Food: Unloaded and Scattered Throughout My Kitchen
Miles Driven: 8’953.4
$ Spent on Gas: One Trillion Million Billion Dollars
$ Spent on Tolls: Just over $150
Hours Spent Driving: A lot A lot A lot
CDs Sold/Given Away: Over 200
Cities Visited: 10
Devins Picked Up: 1
Brendans Picked Up: 1
Birds Obliterated By our Windshield: 2
# of Annabel Lee Songs Learned: At Least 2
Daphne Willis: Over it.
Captain Beefs Given Away: 0 (Not Sure Why…)
Best State: Toss Up…
Worst State: Ohio, Easily and Without Question
Best ‘Welcome to…’ Sign: Arizona & West Virginia
Noise Complaints Received: 1
# of Times Parked at Police Stations: 1
Tolls Skipped: 3
Prank Calls: 5
Flies Killed: 19
Truckers Pissed Off: 2
Cows Seen: ∞
Rocks Seen: ∞
Hats Purchased: 4 Each
Babies Stolen: 1 (that we know of)
# Of Crazy People Seen: ∞
# Of Waffle Tacos Inhaled: Too Many
# Of Roadmaps Tours Completed: 1
# Of Good Times Had: ∞
# Of Sad Times Had: 1 (Now)
# Of New Friends Made: Many
# Of Old Friends Caught Up With: Also Many
Amount of Glad We Are that We Could Share This With You: ∞
Thank you for everything, we love you.
Take Care Of Each Other.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Nashville, Y'all!
After a brief overnight stay
At an RV park in Arkansas,
Which consisted of a parking lot
And some power hook-ups,
We finally made our way towards
Nashville.
We arrived fairly late at my friend
Monykah’s house, and she
Immediately made us feel right
At home.
She has made our beds for us
And she had gone out to buy us
Snacks in case we were hungry.
We all got much needed
Showers and we hung out for the rest
Of the night. The next day
We relaxed with Monykah
And her two dogs, Quiggley
And Gulliver. We then went
Out to the Bluebird Café, in hopes
Of playing an open mic there.
The thing with Nashville is this:
Everyone knows that music industry
Executives and talent scouts
Are around everywhere.
So, a place like the Bluebird Café
Is always packed. And there
Are no auditions for open mic night.
Needless to say, we had a fun time.
Did we get to play? No.
Did we see some interesting people?
Absolutely we did.
We then went to a different place,
Where we had been told we could play.
We got there and were told that
We should have been there earlier.
Anyway, the guy was nice enough
And gave us some new contacts so
That we could try again the next night.
We went back to Monykah’s house
And hung out for a while, playing
Some music and relaxing.
The next day was huge, and it was hot.
Get your mind out of the gutter, y’all.
We went to the last bastion of all
Southern fried breakfast lunch n’ dinner
Places with excellent knick-knacks
In the store in front of it and
Rocking chairs on the porch:
Cracker Barrel.
Yep, that’s right, folks. Cracker. Barrel.
We cracked some barrels
And had us some good ol’ country
Home fried cookin’. Just what mama
Ordered. Actually, we got just what we
Ordered. The service was fine.
We left and went back to the apartment.
At this point, I had to venture out to
Wal-Mart to buy a shirt, a pair of pants,
And a tie, because I had gotten notice
That I was selected as one of the top
5 finalists (out of 350 – no big deal)
to become the first Inn-Bedded Resorter
at the Balsams Grand Hotel in New Hampshire.
They would be flying me out there
The next day, so I needed to look
At least marginally presentable.
After the quick trip, Brendan made
Us some of his signature chicken parm,
And it hit the spot.
He used to work for a restaurant
Where they did not trust him to
Do anything but cook chicken parm.
Needless to say, he got pretty good
At cooking chicken parm.
Just don’t ask him to cook
Anything else.
Actually, he can do eggplant parm, too.
After dinner we got our things
Together and went out to the
Douglas Corner Café to play.
We met some cool people and had
A great time.
Then it was off to Rebar to play
A late night jam session.
Again, met some cool
And some drunk people,
And had a blast playing some songs.
Monykah was an absolute saint
During the entirety of our stay
In Nashville. She drove us everywhere,
Made sure we saw all the sights
Of the city, and basically treated
Us as if she was our (very cool and attractive)
Mother. It was awesome.
After we got back to her house
Things began to get a bit melancholy.
I had to leave the next morning at around
5AM, so I would not be seeing the guys again
until Brendan picked
me up a few days later.
We said our goodbyes and shed some tears.
Okay, we shed a lot of tears
And hugged for an awkwardly long time.
Yes, we grabbed each other.
No, it wasn’t weird.
Shut up.
It wasn’t.
It was magical.
I left them alone,
Two musketeers without their
Dartagnan. Two little pigs
Without the little pig who
Has a house made of straw.
Two doors down
Without that one guy
That’s in Three Doors Down.
Two…okay, you get the point.
Nashville treated us well,
And we can’t wait
To return.
Stats:
Open mics attempted: 4
Open mics played: 2
Friendly people met: a lot
How tired we are: infinity
At an RV park in Arkansas,
Which consisted of a parking lot
And some power hook-ups,
We finally made our way towards
Nashville.
We arrived fairly late at my friend
Monykah’s house, and she
Immediately made us feel right
At home.
She has made our beds for us
And she had gone out to buy us
Snacks in case we were hungry.
We all got much needed
Showers and we hung out for the rest
Of the night. The next day
We relaxed with Monykah
And her two dogs, Quiggley
And Gulliver. We then went
Out to the Bluebird Café, in hopes
Of playing an open mic there.
The thing with Nashville is this:
Everyone knows that music industry
Executives and talent scouts
Are around everywhere.
So, a place like the Bluebird Café
Is always packed. And there
Are no auditions for open mic night.
Needless to say, we had a fun time.
Did we get to play? No.
Did we see some interesting people?
Absolutely we did.
We then went to a different place,
Where we had been told we could play.
We got there and were told that
We should have been there earlier.
Anyway, the guy was nice enough
And gave us some new contacts so
That we could try again the next night.
We went back to Monykah’s house
And hung out for a while, playing
Some music and relaxing.
The next day was huge, and it was hot.
Get your mind out of the gutter, y’all.
We went to the last bastion of all
Southern fried breakfast lunch n’ dinner
Places with excellent knick-knacks
In the store in front of it and
Rocking chairs on the porch:
Cracker Barrel.
Yep, that’s right, folks. Cracker. Barrel.
We cracked some barrels
And had us some good ol’ country
Home fried cookin’. Just what mama
Ordered. Actually, we got just what we
Ordered. The service was fine.
We left and went back to the apartment.
At this point, I had to venture out to
Wal-Mart to buy a shirt, a pair of pants,
And a tie, because I had gotten notice
That I was selected as one of the top
5 finalists (out of 350 – no big deal)
to become the first Inn-Bedded Resorter
at the Balsams Grand Hotel in New Hampshire.
They would be flying me out there
The next day, so I needed to look
At least marginally presentable.
After the quick trip, Brendan made
Us some of his signature chicken parm,
And it hit the spot.
He used to work for a restaurant
Where they did not trust him to
Do anything but cook chicken parm.
Needless to say, he got pretty good
At cooking chicken parm.
Just don’t ask him to cook
Anything else.
Actually, he can do eggplant parm, too.
After dinner we got our things
Together and went out to the
Douglas Corner Café to play.
We met some cool people and had
A great time.
Then it was off to Rebar to play
A late night jam session.
Again, met some cool
And some drunk people,
And had a blast playing some songs.
Monykah was an absolute saint
During the entirety of our stay
In Nashville. She drove us everywhere,
Made sure we saw all the sights
Of the city, and basically treated
Us as if she was our (very cool and attractive)
Mother. It was awesome.
After we got back to her house
Things began to get a bit melancholy.
I had to leave the next morning at around
5AM, so I would not be seeing the guys again
until Brendan picked
me up a few days later.
We said our goodbyes and shed some tears.
Okay, we shed a lot of tears
And hugged for an awkwardly long time.
Yes, we grabbed each other.
No, it wasn’t weird.
Shut up.
It wasn’t.
It was magical.
I left them alone,
Two musketeers without their
Dartagnan. Two little pigs
Without the little pig who
Has a house made of straw.
Two doors down
Without that one guy
That’s in Three Doors Down.
Two…okay, you get the point.
Nashville treated us well,
And we can’t wait
To return.
Stats:
Open mics attempted: 4
Open mics played: 2
Friendly people met: a lot
How tired we are: infinity
If Paradise and Austin fought...it'd be close...
If you were to approach
Me on the street and say
“Hey Martin, what’s the hottest
and most humid American City you could possibly
imagine?” I would say, “Easy. Austin, Texas: the Live
Music Capitol of the World.”
And you would say, “Correct!”
Austin is hot. For Northerners like us
It is almost unbearable.
We got into the city early on Thursday
And, with some help from my friend Blakely,
Found a parking lot. It was a church
Parking lot and we weren’t sure if we would be
Allowed to park there overnight. We called the operator,
Who told us that it would be $20 a night.
He clearly made that number up
Because when I paid him he realized
That I did not have $20 in cash and
Said, “just give me $15, that’s fine.”
Nice move, Baptist parking manager.
The slogan of the church, printed
On their billboard, was:
“University Baptist Church: Going Deep.”
I don’t know what it meant, but
It seemed a bit misplaced.
Anyway, we got to Blakely’s apartment
And met her roommates Sara and Erin.
They are the epitome of Southern Beauties,
And they all say ‘y’all’ a lot.
Speaking of Southern Beauties, Austin
Has the highest percentage of attractive
Girls in the country, based on a survey
That I just made up.
We got showered up and headed towards
A little coffee shop called Flipnotics for an
Open Mic. It was a good time and we handed out
A bunch of CDs. Afterwards we went
To 6th street, which was modeled after heaven.
Bars and beautiful women everywhere.
Guess how much ANY beer cost…
Nope, wrong. $1.
Yeah, you read right. $1.
I’m just going to repeat that so it sinks in.
Guess how much beers cost…
Nope, wrong. $1.
$1!
We had a few.
We checked out a few different places
And befriended Josh, the manager of
One of the bars (a place called Peckerheads).
He continued to get us free drinks,
Which we accepted, just out of mere politeness.
Wouldn’t want to be rude to a manager, right?
Towards the end of the night we went back to
The apartment to go to bed.
Blakely’s roommate Sara has many admirable
Qualities, but her best one
Is the fact that she has the most beautiful
Dog in the world: Skylar.
I woke up in the morning, and that beauty of
A dog was licking my face. Great start to the day.
We hung out in the apartment and relaxed
Before heading out to play a small
Show at Fair Bean Coffee. We made some new
Contacts and handed out more CDs.
We then got directions to a small open mic.
The lady who gave us directions said that the
Place was called ‘J-B’s Coffee House, and that it was
On 24th and San Jacinto Blvd.
We drove there. It was not there.
We continued to drive around. It was no where.
We then looked around a little more
And discovered a place called
‘JP’s Java.’ It was not on 24th. At all.
We wandered in there and were
Surprised to find a tiny little room with a bunch of
People reading poetry around a table.
We embraced it and played some songs.
Made some money. Good deal.
That night we were supposed to meet
Up with some new friends
On 6th street. We went.
They didn’t.
However, we still keep in contact with them,
And Emily, Karla, and Mandy
Have become great friends of ours.
They continued to keep track of our tour
And we really appreciate their interest.
If they ever do decide to meet up
With us again, they’ll have
A place to stay.
Anyway, we had nothing to do
So we hung out on 6th street
For a while, enjoying the
Cheap prices.
After a long night of enjoying
Those cheap prices,
We ended up back at Esperanza.
We knew it would be a hot night,
And not in the good way.
We woke up at around 7:30AM
And it was approximately
One thousand degrees.
Not being able to get back to sleep,
We got into Balto
And began to drive.
Well. I began to drive.
Dev and Brendan continued to
Sleep.
Off to Nashville with
A quick stop in Arkansas for the night.
Stats:
# of lovely girls that ditched us: 3
# of lovely girls we have forgiven for ditching us: 0
cheap drinks seen: infinity
cheap drinks purchased: infinity
amount we loved Austin: [ ] x1’000’000
days to go on the tour: not many
miles to drive: too many
money to be spent on gas: too much
good times to be had: a lot a lot
TCOE
Me on the street and say
“Hey Martin, what’s the hottest
and most humid American City you could possibly
imagine?” I would say, “Easy. Austin, Texas: the Live
Music Capitol of the World.”
And you would say, “Correct!”
Austin is hot. For Northerners like us
It is almost unbearable.
We got into the city early on Thursday
And, with some help from my friend Blakely,
Found a parking lot. It was a church
Parking lot and we weren’t sure if we would be
Allowed to park there overnight. We called the operator,
Who told us that it would be $20 a night.
He clearly made that number up
Because when I paid him he realized
That I did not have $20 in cash and
Said, “just give me $15, that’s fine.”
Nice move, Baptist parking manager.
The slogan of the church, printed
On their billboard, was:
“University Baptist Church: Going Deep.”
I don’t know what it meant, but
It seemed a bit misplaced.
Anyway, we got to Blakely’s apartment
And met her roommates Sara and Erin.
They are the epitome of Southern Beauties,
And they all say ‘y’all’ a lot.
Speaking of Southern Beauties, Austin
Has the highest percentage of attractive
Girls in the country, based on a survey
That I just made up.
We got showered up and headed towards
A little coffee shop called Flipnotics for an
Open Mic. It was a good time and we handed out
A bunch of CDs. Afterwards we went
To 6th street, which was modeled after heaven.
Bars and beautiful women everywhere.
Guess how much ANY beer cost…
Nope, wrong. $1.
Yeah, you read right. $1.
I’m just going to repeat that so it sinks in.
Guess how much beers cost…
Nope, wrong. $1.
$1!
We had a few.
We checked out a few different places
And befriended Josh, the manager of
One of the bars (a place called Peckerheads).
He continued to get us free drinks,
Which we accepted, just out of mere politeness.
Wouldn’t want to be rude to a manager, right?
Towards the end of the night we went back to
The apartment to go to bed.
Blakely’s roommate Sara has many admirable
Qualities, but her best one
Is the fact that she has the most beautiful
Dog in the world: Skylar.
I woke up in the morning, and that beauty of
A dog was licking my face. Great start to the day.
We hung out in the apartment and relaxed
Before heading out to play a small
Show at Fair Bean Coffee. We made some new
Contacts and handed out more CDs.
We then got directions to a small open mic.
The lady who gave us directions said that the
Place was called ‘J-B’s Coffee House, and that it was
On 24th and San Jacinto Blvd.
We drove there. It was not there.
We continued to drive around. It was no where.
We then looked around a little more
And discovered a place called
‘JP’s Java.’ It was not on 24th. At all.
We wandered in there and were
Surprised to find a tiny little room with a bunch of
People reading poetry around a table.
We embraced it and played some songs.
Made some money. Good deal.
That night we were supposed to meet
Up with some new friends
On 6th street. We went.
They didn’t.
However, we still keep in contact with them,
And Emily, Karla, and Mandy
Have become great friends of ours.
They continued to keep track of our tour
And we really appreciate their interest.
If they ever do decide to meet up
With us again, they’ll have
A place to stay.
Anyway, we had nothing to do
So we hung out on 6th street
For a while, enjoying the
Cheap prices.
After a long night of enjoying
Those cheap prices,
We ended up back at Esperanza.
We knew it would be a hot night,
And not in the good way.
We woke up at around 7:30AM
And it was approximately
One thousand degrees.
Not being able to get back to sleep,
We got into Balto
And began to drive.
Well. I began to drive.
Dev and Brendan continued to
Sleep.
Off to Nashville with
A quick stop in Arkansas for the night.
Stats:
# of lovely girls that ditched us: 3
# of lovely girls we have forgiven for ditching us: 0
cheap drinks seen: infinity
cheap drinks purchased: infinity
amount we loved Austin: [ ] x1’000’000
days to go on the tour: not many
miles to drive: too many
money to be spent on gas: too much
good times to be had: a lot a lot
TCOE
The Sentimental Part (Thank You's)
Before I begin working on the blogs and videos for Austin and Nashville, I thought I’d take a quick second to thank all of the people that made this tour possible. Without these people, none of this would have happened, and my thanks cannot be expressed in words. Since I’m not a very good painter, though, and they have yet to produce a keyboard for gestures, I’ll give it a shot anyway:
Charles & Christina Earley:
If the trip were Balto, you guys would be the engine. You provided the backbone to this entire tour, and for that I am as grateful as can be. Not only did you trust two relative strangers and me with the truck, but you made it possible for Esperanza to join us on our journey. You then stocked her with more food than we could ever eat, and sent us on our way. You were always open to our plans and you supported our every move. 8,953.4 miles later, Esperanza is safely parked in our driveway, and Balto is still trucking. Don’t worry, Dad, I won’t tell anyone that the main reason you let us take the truck was that you want to get a new one. All jokes aside, I truly appreciate everything you guys have done for us, and I couldn’t ask for better parents. Thank you.
Mr. & Mrs. Mauch:
Thank you for allowing your son to join me on a month-long adventure, even though you knew little to nothing about me. You supported us throughout the duration of the trip, and for that I’d like to thank you. Of course, you also helped stock Esperanza with even more food – something that we definitely appreciated. You were also kind enough to give Brendan a place to sleep after the two rascals finally arrived back in Red Hook. Thank you very much.
Mr. & Mrs. O’Donnell:
Thank you for letting Brendan join our trip at its halfway point. I know you didn’t really know anything about me or Devin, but you supported your son anyway. I also enjoyed my short stay at your house, and the fact that you (Mr. O’Donnell) shared your chicken parm calzone with me will not be forgotten. I really appreciate it.
All of Our Hosts:
I know I already thanked all of you specifically, but I wanted to make sure that you all know how much we appreciate everything you’ve done for us. We’ve all made great new friends throughout this trip, and we’ve realized how many great people there are in the world. Everywhere we went our hosts treated us like royalty, and we could not have asked for anything more. Thanks to all of you.
All of Our Readers:
Thank you so much for following the tour and watching our journey unfold. You guys caused us to continue to write, video tape, and chronicle our experiences, because you made us feel like there were people who were genuinely interested in what we were doing. Your comments, texts, and phone calls kept us going on the road, and provided us with much needed entertainment on the long drives. By reading the blog and watching the videos, you invested yourself in our tour, and essentially became a very important part of it. Thank you.
Brendan:
Thanks for flying out to L.A. to join us in the middle of the trip. I know it wasn’t the most convenient of things for you, but I’m really glad you came. And not just because it made gas cheaper. You really took the role of ‘manager’ to heart and made the second half of the trip much easier. For those of you who don’t know, Brendan took care of all the little details a manager would normally take care of. He called venues, hotels, RV parks, and he was always looking out for the best interest of the band. Aside from that, he bought a ukulele – a purchase that made for a lot of good times while driving. You were always up for anything, and it was really a pleasure to have you join us on this trip. Thanks BRO.
And last but not least
Devin:
I can’t begin to say how much I appreciated you joining me on this tour. From day one you were 100% involved in bringing my music out to as many people as possible. You have shaped the way that many of my songs evolved, and you were always ready to listen to what I wanted in each song. I had a blast on this trip from the very beginning, all the way to the (perhaps premature) end. I enjoyed your company so much, I won’t even mention the fact that you asked me the following thing on several occasions, just before we went to bed: “Hey man…you want a beer?” and that, whenever I said, “No, I’m good.” You would respond with, “Well how else you gonna go to sleep?” I won’t even mention that. In all seriousness, I appreciate everything you’ve done for this trip, for my music, and for me personally, and I hope we can continue to share our music with the world.
Charles & Christina Earley:
If the trip were Balto, you guys would be the engine. You provided the backbone to this entire tour, and for that I am as grateful as can be. Not only did you trust two relative strangers and me with the truck, but you made it possible for Esperanza to join us on our journey. You then stocked her with more food than we could ever eat, and sent us on our way. You were always open to our plans and you supported our every move. 8,953.4 miles later, Esperanza is safely parked in our driveway, and Balto is still trucking. Don’t worry, Dad, I won’t tell anyone that the main reason you let us take the truck was that you want to get a new one. All jokes aside, I truly appreciate everything you guys have done for us, and I couldn’t ask for better parents. Thank you.
Mr. & Mrs. Mauch:
Thank you for allowing your son to join me on a month-long adventure, even though you knew little to nothing about me. You supported us throughout the duration of the trip, and for that I’d like to thank you. Of course, you also helped stock Esperanza with even more food – something that we definitely appreciated. You were also kind enough to give Brendan a place to sleep after the two rascals finally arrived back in Red Hook. Thank you very much.
Mr. & Mrs. O’Donnell:
Thank you for letting Brendan join our trip at its halfway point. I know you didn’t really know anything about me or Devin, but you supported your son anyway. I also enjoyed my short stay at your house, and the fact that you (Mr. O’Donnell) shared your chicken parm calzone with me will not be forgotten. I really appreciate it.
All of Our Hosts:
I know I already thanked all of you specifically, but I wanted to make sure that you all know how much we appreciate everything you’ve done for us. We’ve all made great new friends throughout this trip, and we’ve realized how many great people there are in the world. Everywhere we went our hosts treated us like royalty, and we could not have asked for anything more. Thanks to all of you.
All of Our Readers:
Thank you so much for following the tour and watching our journey unfold. You guys caused us to continue to write, video tape, and chronicle our experiences, because you made us feel like there were people who were genuinely interested in what we were doing. Your comments, texts, and phone calls kept us going on the road, and provided us with much needed entertainment on the long drives. By reading the blog and watching the videos, you invested yourself in our tour, and essentially became a very important part of it. Thank you.
Brendan:
Thanks for flying out to L.A. to join us in the middle of the trip. I know it wasn’t the most convenient of things for you, but I’m really glad you came. And not just because it made gas cheaper. You really took the role of ‘manager’ to heart and made the second half of the trip much easier. For those of you who don’t know, Brendan took care of all the little details a manager would normally take care of. He called venues, hotels, RV parks, and he was always looking out for the best interest of the band. Aside from that, he bought a ukulele – a purchase that made for a lot of good times while driving. You were always up for anything, and it was really a pleasure to have you join us on this trip. Thanks BRO.
And last but not least
Devin:
I can’t begin to say how much I appreciated you joining me on this tour. From day one you were 100% involved in bringing my music out to as many people as possible. You have shaped the way that many of my songs evolved, and you were always ready to listen to what I wanted in each song. I had a blast on this trip from the very beginning, all the way to the (perhaps premature) end. I enjoyed your company so much, I won’t even mention the fact that you asked me the following thing on several occasions, just before we went to bed: “Hey man…you want a beer?” and that, whenever I said, “No, I’m good.” You would respond with, “Well how else you gonna go to sleep?” I won’t even mention that. In all seriousness, I appreciate everything you’ve done for this trip, for my music, and for me personally, and I hope we can continue to share our music with the world.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Thank You
As the Roadmaps Tour comes to an end, we wanted to take a few minutes to thank the people that made the tour what it is. We were so fortunate to have a host of incredible hosts (hehe) that truly shaped this trip. Each one of our hosts did everything they could to make our stay with them unforgettable, and they each found a way into our hearts. We consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have made so many new friendships, and to have continued some old ones. As a thank you to each one of you guys, we thought we’d write small individual notes for you. We wish we could do more to show our appreciation, because you’ve really affected our tour (and through that, our lives) in such a positive way. We won’t forget you guys. If there’s ever anything we can do to help you out in any way, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Grace (Chicago):
We rolled into Chicago knowing that we’d have a place to sleep for the night. Little did we know that you would do everything you could to make our stay in your city the most enjoyable it could possibly be. Right from the beginning, when we picked you up in order to find parking, you spared no expense in helping us out with every little detail of our stay. Yes, the parking was a mess, but clearly that wasn’t your fault, and at least now you have a friend at the police department! You organized a great house-show to kick off our tour, and even sneakily got us dinner while we were showering and getting ready to set up. You set the host bar pretty high, and we want to thank you for that.
Brossman/Corcoran Family/Annabel Lee (Mr. & Mrs. Brossman, Oli, Abs, Caroline, Karina, Lena, Matt, Stephanie, Beverly (Seattle):
Above and beyond all expectations, you guys all really made our stay in Seattle unforgettable. For the rest of the tour, whenever we were asked about our favorite places, Seattle came up immediately. From Mrs. Brossman’s delicious family dinners, to the good times at the Reggae-infused Afro-Funk club, meeting you guys was an absolute blessing and we both consider ourselves very fortunate to have done so. Aside from that, the thought of moving out to Seattle has crossed both of our minds in a very serious manner, and your hospitality and overall happiness and helpfulness has a lot to do with that. The Annabel Lee songs stuck with us for the rest of the tour, and we were constantly thinking about you guys, wondering how your respective tour would go/was going. You’re all incredibly talented, and there is no reason for your music not to catch on and grow as you continue to share it with those around you. A heartfelt thanks to all of you – we won’t forget our stay in Seattle.
Camden and the Timbers Army (Portland):
Thanks for making our stay in Portland unique and unforgettable. We didn’t know what we would be getting ourselves into by staying an extra day, but you promised it would be worth it. You were 100% right. Experiencing the Timbers and the passion that the Army has for its team was incredible. You also made sure we knew that the Timbers Army is completely and radically against any sort of homophobic or racist chants, something that we forgot to mention in the blog, but that certainly deserves to be mentioned. Waffle Tacos ruined our game in the best of ways, and we will never look at a food cart the same way. You also introduced us to Aziz Ansari, and every night after we left Portland, Devin asked me if we could “watch Aziz.” Literally, every night. Thanks for opening your doors, and for getting us off the hook with that $50 parking ticket. You’ve always been a good friend to me, and now you’ve made a new friend in Dev. Hopefully we can come out to visit again.
Hannah & the Honzel Family (Klamath Falls):
Even though our stay in the bustling metropolis that is Klamath Falls, Oregon was very brief, you made sure to make it as comfortable as possible for us. Beds had been prepared for us, and you opened your fridge for us at 2:30 in the morning. You didn’t have to do all the things you did, but it was never even a question for you, and we really appreciate that. Oh, and you made us pancakes in the morning. It doesn’t get much better than that. Was there mold on the maple syrup? Debatable. Did I have it anyway? Absolutely. Okay, you were a little camera-shy, but you really did everything to make our short stay in your “city” a great one, and hopefully we’ll be able to repay the favor at some point in the future.
Ty (San Francisco):
All I should have to mention is that you found us a parking spot for our 40 foot rig in the middle of downtown San Francisco, literally about 25 feet away from your apartment. But aside from that, you ignored the fact that you had to work in the morning and went out with us to experience the city anyway. San Francisco holds a special place in our hearts because we got to meet the fabulous Greg Brown there – a moment that I’m sure you won’t forget any time soon. Your street-side freestyle, while perhaps not entirely blog-appropriate, will bring us entertainment for a long time, I’m sure. We can’t thank you enough for the good times.
Ariadne & Her Roommates (L.A.):
We did not believe you when you said that our rig would fit in your driveway, but you proved us wrong. And then you let us park it there for our entire L.A. stay. You prepared our beds and laid out blankets for us, even though you had to work early the next day. We really appreciate all of your helpfulness, and the fact that you weren’t troubled by our 40-foot inconvenience camping out in your driveway. You supported us with everything and brought your roommate out to our show, even if you were one of about 9 people there. You helped us out so much, and I hope you know that you have 3 different open doors if you ever decide to make a trip out to the East Coast.
Kenn & Katie (L.A.):
I still don’t really believe how much you did for us. You picked us up in your car and acted as if you had been hired as our chauffeur. You drove us wherever we wanted to go, making helpful suggestions along the way. You video taped our performances, including the one in the hills, and supported us with everything we did along the way. You also got to meet Lejon with us – the first celebrity we met in L.A. Your apartment was a fantastic break from sleeping in Esperanza, and you truly went out of your way to give us whatever we wanted. It’s people like you that made this trip as special as it was. We love you. And Katie, too.
Allison & the Wilhite family (San Diego):
You live in a palace, and you were gracious enough to let the entrance bridge down and allow us to pass over the moat and enter its gold-embroidered doors. Your house literally took the breath from our mouths, and the friendliness of your family and friends was incredible. It was as if we had been accepted into the family for a few days, except we didn’t have to do any chores. You and your family did everything for us, from breakfast to an amazing buffet dinner. You really made our stay in San Diego special, and I hope you won’t be disappointed if you come to visit us, because none of us live on top of a canyon.
Blakely & Sara (& Erin) (Austin):
We feel kind of bad because we almost felt as if we invited ourselves into your apartment. We asked to use it for a shower, and then basically just ended up not leaving. You were the best of sports, however, because you totally opened your doors and allowed us to do whatever we wanted. You showed us around and went to our show with us, basically dropping everything you had planned in the process. You showed us the Austin that we wanted to experience, and made sure that we didn’t get to bed before seeing all the things we needed to see. And by that I mean $1 beers everywhere. Austin is as awesome as you’d always said it is, and I’m sorry I ever doubted you. It is incredibly hot, though. We think it might have something to do with the immense quantity of attractive girls. Okay terrible joke, but seriously, thank you so much.
Monykah, Quiggley, & Gulliver (Nashville):
Continuing the trend our other hosts set, you were absolutely amazing to us. You had beds ready for us and had already checked out many different places in Nashville that we might be able to play. You also went out and got snacks, just in case we were a little hungry. Laramie is a lucky man, and I’m sure he knows it. You drove us around wherever we wanted to go, and you made sure that we didn’t miss the highlights of Nashville, including Music Row, and that awesome frozen yogurt place. Because of the complications towards the end of our trip, you were asked to be very open and flexible, and you never complained about any of our ‘problems.’ We all really appreciate everything you did for us, and we really hope we can repay the favor at some point. Oh, and your dogs are the best. I feel fortunate to be able to call you my friend, and you’ve made 2 new friends in Devin and Brendan, that’s for sure. We wish you all the best with your music, and make sure to let us know if you’re in need of a wedding band…
Our greatest love and thanks to all of you. This tour wouldn't have been the same without you.
Grace (Chicago):
We rolled into Chicago knowing that we’d have a place to sleep for the night. Little did we know that you would do everything you could to make our stay in your city the most enjoyable it could possibly be. Right from the beginning, when we picked you up in order to find parking, you spared no expense in helping us out with every little detail of our stay. Yes, the parking was a mess, but clearly that wasn’t your fault, and at least now you have a friend at the police department! You organized a great house-show to kick off our tour, and even sneakily got us dinner while we were showering and getting ready to set up. You set the host bar pretty high, and we want to thank you for that.
Brossman/Corcoran Family/Annabel Lee (Mr. & Mrs. Brossman, Oli, Abs, Caroline, Karina, Lena, Matt, Stephanie, Beverly (Seattle):
Above and beyond all expectations, you guys all really made our stay in Seattle unforgettable. For the rest of the tour, whenever we were asked about our favorite places, Seattle came up immediately. From Mrs. Brossman’s delicious family dinners, to the good times at the Reggae-infused Afro-Funk club, meeting you guys was an absolute blessing and we both consider ourselves very fortunate to have done so. Aside from that, the thought of moving out to Seattle has crossed both of our minds in a very serious manner, and your hospitality and overall happiness and helpfulness has a lot to do with that. The Annabel Lee songs stuck with us for the rest of the tour, and we were constantly thinking about you guys, wondering how your respective tour would go/was going. You’re all incredibly talented, and there is no reason for your music not to catch on and grow as you continue to share it with those around you. A heartfelt thanks to all of you – we won’t forget our stay in Seattle.
Camden and the Timbers Army (Portland):
Thanks for making our stay in Portland unique and unforgettable. We didn’t know what we would be getting ourselves into by staying an extra day, but you promised it would be worth it. You were 100% right. Experiencing the Timbers and the passion that the Army has for its team was incredible. You also made sure we knew that the Timbers Army is completely and radically against any sort of homophobic or racist chants, something that we forgot to mention in the blog, but that certainly deserves to be mentioned. Waffle Tacos ruined our game in the best of ways, and we will never look at a food cart the same way. You also introduced us to Aziz Ansari, and every night after we left Portland, Devin asked me if we could “watch Aziz.” Literally, every night. Thanks for opening your doors, and for getting us off the hook with that $50 parking ticket. You’ve always been a good friend to me, and now you’ve made a new friend in Dev. Hopefully we can come out to visit again.
Hannah & the Honzel Family (Klamath Falls):
Even though our stay in the bustling metropolis that is Klamath Falls, Oregon was very brief, you made sure to make it as comfortable as possible for us. Beds had been prepared for us, and you opened your fridge for us at 2:30 in the morning. You didn’t have to do all the things you did, but it was never even a question for you, and we really appreciate that. Oh, and you made us pancakes in the morning. It doesn’t get much better than that. Was there mold on the maple syrup? Debatable. Did I have it anyway? Absolutely. Okay, you were a little camera-shy, but you really did everything to make our short stay in your “city” a great one, and hopefully we’ll be able to repay the favor at some point in the future.
Ty (San Francisco):
All I should have to mention is that you found us a parking spot for our 40 foot rig in the middle of downtown San Francisco, literally about 25 feet away from your apartment. But aside from that, you ignored the fact that you had to work in the morning and went out with us to experience the city anyway. San Francisco holds a special place in our hearts because we got to meet the fabulous Greg Brown there – a moment that I’m sure you won’t forget any time soon. Your street-side freestyle, while perhaps not entirely blog-appropriate, will bring us entertainment for a long time, I’m sure. We can’t thank you enough for the good times.
Ariadne & Her Roommates (L.A.):
We did not believe you when you said that our rig would fit in your driveway, but you proved us wrong. And then you let us park it there for our entire L.A. stay. You prepared our beds and laid out blankets for us, even though you had to work early the next day. We really appreciate all of your helpfulness, and the fact that you weren’t troubled by our 40-foot inconvenience camping out in your driveway. You supported us with everything and brought your roommate out to our show, even if you were one of about 9 people there. You helped us out so much, and I hope you know that you have 3 different open doors if you ever decide to make a trip out to the East Coast.
Kenn & Katie (L.A.):
I still don’t really believe how much you did for us. You picked us up in your car and acted as if you had been hired as our chauffeur. You drove us wherever we wanted to go, making helpful suggestions along the way. You video taped our performances, including the one in the hills, and supported us with everything we did along the way. You also got to meet Lejon with us – the first celebrity we met in L.A. Your apartment was a fantastic break from sleeping in Esperanza, and you truly went out of your way to give us whatever we wanted. It’s people like you that made this trip as special as it was. We love you. And Katie, too.
Allison & the Wilhite family (San Diego):
You live in a palace, and you were gracious enough to let the entrance bridge down and allow us to pass over the moat and enter its gold-embroidered doors. Your house literally took the breath from our mouths, and the friendliness of your family and friends was incredible. It was as if we had been accepted into the family for a few days, except we didn’t have to do any chores. You and your family did everything for us, from breakfast to an amazing buffet dinner. You really made our stay in San Diego special, and I hope you won’t be disappointed if you come to visit us, because none of us live on top of a canyon.
Blakely & Sara (& Erin) (Austin):
We feel kind of bad because we almost felt as if we invited ourselves into your apartment. We asked to use it for a shower, and then basically just ended up not leaving. You were the best of sports, however, because you totally opened your doors and allowed us to do whatever we wanted. You showed us around and went to our show with us, basically dropping everything you had planned in the process. You showed us the Austin that we wanted to experience, and made sure that we didn’t get to bed before seeing all the things we needed to see. And by that I mean $1 beers everywhere. Austin is as awesome as you’d always said it is, and I’m sorry I ever doubted you. It is incredibly hot, though. We think it might have something to do with the immense quantity of attractive girls. Okay terrible joke, but seriously, thank you so much.
Monykah, Quiggley, & Gulliver (Nashville):
Continuing the trend our other hosts set, you were absolutely amazing to us. You had beds ready for us and had already checked out many different places in Nashville that we might be able to play. You also went out and got snacks, just in case we were a little hungry. Laramie is a lucky man, and I’m sure he knows it. You drove us around wherever we wanted to go, and you made sure that we didn’t miss the highlights of Nashville, including Music Row, and that awesome frozen yogurt place. Because of the complications towards the end of our trip, you were asked to be very open and flexible, and you never complained about any of our ‘problems.’ We all really appreciate everything you did for us, and we really hope we can repay the favor at some point. Oh, and your dogs are the best. I feel fortunate to be able to call you my friend, and you’ve made 2 new friends in Devin and Brendan, that’s for sure. We wish you all the best with your music, and make sure to let us know if you’re in need of a wedding band…
Our greatest love and thanks to all of you. This tour wouldn't have been the same without you.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thank you and Toodles
Sadly this is the end of the road for our 30 days adventure, but surely not the end to this story. I had such an amazing time on this trip and words cannot begin to describe the effect it has, and will continue to have on my life.
I would like to extend my greatest thanks to Martin for teaming up with me on this trip and for allowing me to be a part of your incredible music. It is very real to me, and I believe in the power of your lyrics, music, and personality. This surely is only the first of many musical escapades for THE Martin Edgar Earley, so hopefully we will soon play together again
This whole tour was planned out at Brother Mikes one night quite informally in fact, and the rest is history. We set out to bring our music to as many people as possible and that is just what we did. However, none of it would have been possible without the help of so many amazing hosts and hostesses across the U.S. so we are currently putting together a formal thank you so hang tight 'cause we have some things to say...!
It's been my pleasure spending these days with Martin and Brendan. Amazing times, amazing music, and some amazing new friendships.
Thanks for following our experience on The Roadmaps Tour.
Love you all.
Peace.
- Dev
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Update
As some of you know, the Roadmaps Tour has taken a
hit due to some unforeseen complications.
I've been selected as one of the five
finalists to become the first
Inn-Bedded Resorter
at the Balsams Grand Hotel in New Hampshire.
So I was flown up there to participate
in a meet and greet day with the other
contestants and the hotel management,
along with the guys from bobdonpaul,
the agency that handles all of the marketing
for the hotel.
"I want the rest of the videos!"
you might say.
Well, I promise they will go up.
But this job has sort of taken priority
for me because I am a broke musician.
Anyway, if you'd like to help me out
with this, please just visit
www.thebalsams.com/resorter
and vote for me.
It really only takes a few seconds,
and you just need to type in your e-mail
address. That's it.
If you're not into clicking on text links,
just click the button below!
Thank you so much, and
please keep checking back for the updates on the home
stretch of the Roadmaps Tour.
TCOE
hit due to some unforeseen complications.
I've been selected as one of the five
finalists to become the first
Inn-Bedded Resorter
at the Balsams Grand Hotel in New Hampshire.
So I was flown up there to participate
in a meet and greet day with the other
contestants and the hotel management,
along with the guys from bobdonpaul,
the agency that handles all of the marketing
for the hotel.
"I want the rest of the videos!"
you might say.
Well, I promise they will go up.
But this job has sort of taken priority
for me because I am a broke musician.
Anyway, if you'd like to help me out
with this, please just visit
www.thebalsams.com/resorter
and vote for me.
It really only takes a few seconds,
and you just need to type in your e-mail
address. That's it.
If you're not into clicking on text links,
just click the button below!
Thank you so much, and
please keep checking back for the updates on the home
stretch of the Roadmaps Tour.
TCOE
Monday, June 21, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
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