Hey Everyone!!!!

First of all, please allow me to apologize for the lack of blog entries over the past few days. I had fully intended to throw all of you adoring fans the tasty morsels that are our travel annals, yet certain parts of the good ole’ south have been “lacking” in internet connection. Due to my chip sandwich-fueled memory, it shall be relatively easy to recount the events of the past few days in full, panoramic, kick-ass vision.

As of the last blog entry, I left you on early Tuesday night. Late that night our comrade in arms Jersey Dan had shown up at the Mavraganis compound. And just in case any of you ladies are wondering, he was indeed wearing his Mets jersey.

On Monday morning I was awoken by Fro, stating it was time to get up. The plan was that Uncle Sando, Fro, Jersey Dan, and I were to go into New York and the great borough of Brooklyn. On the way to the city we made a couple of necessary pit stops. The first was Kristine’s Dessert Works, which, coincidentally is owned by publicist Emily’s mother. We made sure to stock up on the nutritious essentials such as Cheese Danish, and oversized Double Chocolate cookies. Yes America, we are champions.

After the first pit stop, we were off in search of the legendary gentleman’s club, Satin Dolls. Special note to my Mother who reads this blog: It is a “Gentleman’s” club. You may know Satin Dolls as the “Bada Bing” from the legendary TV show, “The Sopranos”. While the club was not open at this ungodly hour of the morning, we were still able to view the outside, which looks just like the TV show. After taking in the glory for a few minutes, we headed towards NYC.

We entered Manhattan through the Lincoln Tunnel. We probably could have avoided some of the heavy midtown traffic we hit, but where is the fun in that? For all of you that know our good friend Jersey Dan, he was in full form throughout the day, cranking classic rock, yelling out the window at other cars, and playing his imaginary drum kit (i.e. his steering wheel). We eventually made our way over to the Manhattan Bridge, and headed into Brooklyn. Uncle Sando had never been, so we made sure to show him all the sights and sounds we possibly could. The first mission was in search of some true-blue Jewish bagels. Jersey Dan made a slight detour to view the site where the legendary Ebbets field once stood. For all of you non-baseball fans, the ballpark housed the former Brooklyn Dodgers. Now the Jackie Robinson apartments sit where the proud ballpark used to stand.

After Jersey’s little detour we continued our search for true bagels. Living in Boston we are deprived of bread products that even remotely resemble that which a good bagel is supposed to taste like. As we drove through the famous neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Uncle Sando noticed a gigantic dreidel in front of a Hebrew School. You know the big F.A.O. Swartz bear? This dreidel had a lot in common with it. I noticed a busy side street, which we were miraculously able to double park in. As we turned the bend it was apparent that the four of us were just slightly out of place in this bastion of Hasidism. Upon entrance to the bagel shop, this was confirmed. There were about 25 schoolchildren, all dressed appropriately, waiting in line for some bagel action. The older man behind the counter did not seem amused by their age appropriate antics. This scene resembled an infamous Seinfeld skit, which out of good taste, shall not be mentioned in this paragraph. Due to the ornery nature of the cashier, I made sure of what I wanted before my turn. When my turn approached I calmly stated, “An everything bagel with cream cheese and lox”. And to the bakery’s credit, they threw on more lox than this good Catholic boy had ever seen in his life! The whole party of us agreed that New York Jews make a bagel second to none.

We then drove around for a while, crossing over into Queens, then back into Brooklyn. We made our way down the eastern side of the borough towards Southern Brooklyn, specifically the Bensonhurst/Bay Ridge area. We drove under the infamous 86th St. elevated subway (known by many as the site of the chase scene in “The French Connection”). After parking, we headed down 86th street towards the famous Spumoni Gardens, in search of a kick-ass, Sicilian slice. We were not disappointed by any means. The crust was light and airy, while the sauce had just the right amount of zing to it. Unlike many pizzerias, the cheese was not overdone; just enough to make the pizza super tasty. I would certainly recommend Spumoni Gardens to anyone who is ever in the area. You can’t miss the many outdoor tables, and plethora of American and Italian flags flying overhead. All the while we were on the lookout for Pauly Walnuts.

Next stop was the legendary Coney Island. We parked the car, and immediately got in line for a ride on the ever-popular Cyclone. Uncle Sando and I sat in the very back seat, and damn, did we regret it. Going down every hill was kick ass, but as the bottom neared, intense whiplash kicked in. On one of the turns my elbow hit the seat in front of me, causing a big, lovely bruise. After looking at my elbow, I decided to ride it for a second time! After a thrilling few minutes, we walked over to the world-famous Nathan’s hot dog stand. As junk food snobs, Uncle Sando and I were skeptical, yet Nathan’s certainly knew how to throw down the gauntlet. It was a truly tasty dog, and hopefully next time I’m in Coney Island, I will not have a belly stuffed full of bagels and pizza.

With rush hour approaching, the Hassinator (fancy name for Jersey’s old school Taurus) made its way back towards the island of Manhattan. During the journey back we managed to get lost three times in Long Island City. Eventually we made our way over the Feelin’ Groovy bridge and back into Manhattan. We had time for one more stop before load in at the club, so we chose our beloved Rudy’s as that stop. I won’t tell you too much about Rudy’s. Loyal patrons of a great dive bar never reveal all of what makes the bar so great. If you want to find out, you just need to check it out for yourselves.

Our gig for that night was scheduled at the legendary Continental. Due to the astronomical rise of rent in Manhattan, The Continental will be closing sometime in September. We considered ourselves fortunate to have a chance to play at this great club before its demise. Opening for us were Boston bands Kidnapkin, The Thickness, and local act Victor Bravo. All the bands kicked ass, and helped make it a great night. We all agreed that the show went especially well, especially for being the first night of the tour. After the show we headed back towards the Mavraganis compound. Awaiting our appetites were cannoli, and a box of brownies. Damn you Kristine. You were surely trying to kill us.

After our fun filled day, most of us slept in till about noon. The rest of the day (Wednesday) was spent chilling. I personally read out in the sun, while munching on cream cheese brownies. Ah, livin’ the life. After a tasty Chicken Al Forno dinner, we were off in pursuit of the next venue for the night, The Brighton Bar in Long Branch, NJ.

Located on the northern Jersey shore, the Brighton Bar is a true New Jersey rock n roll bar: a little dirty, a little dark, and a lot of balls. The stage was big enough to allow for some large-scale, rock swagger. While we played to a smaller crowd, they were nonetheless, as enthusiastic as could be. After the show we all piled into the Sandolorian II, and headed towards Jersey Dan’s hacienda. Of course it took us over an hour to leave Long Branch. Any of you who have spent hours driving in New Jersey know what I mean. Of all the states we drive through on tour, New Jersey, without a doubt, has the most poorly marked signs. We did make it to Jersey Dan’s…at 2:30 in the morning.

The next morning it was rise and shine one again. Our destination was Gaithersburg, Maryland, outside of Washington D.C. Any of you that have traveled the Northeast extensively know that Philadelphia lies between New Jersey and Maryland. This meant one thing…that cheesesteaks must be acquired on the way to the gig. It goes hand in hand with traveling through that part of the country. Afro Mike was a Philly cheesesteak virgin, so it made the trip all the more “special”. Upon parking the trailer and ordering, Afro was not disappointed in the least. According to him, his first time was “Very, very special”. When ordering a Philly steak, many “tourists” make the mistake of asking for too many items, or phrasing their order in the wrong way. Usually the response from the Joe Pesci look alike (and sound-alike) behind the counter will be, “What did you say lady?”

We continued down I-95, eventually reaching Gaithersburg. We were scheduled to play at the Firehouse Cue. Due to our early arrival at the venue we had time to kill. This time was spent playing guitars and drums in the local guitar shop (the store staff sure loved it). After a joyful hour of electronic drum testing, we made our way back to the venue. Following a hearty dinner of turkey and chip sandwiches, we listened to the acoustic hour. I am not sure what was more entertaining, the girl performing her originals and covers, or the creepy drunk guy in the corner that kept asking the girl to play Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell, and more Joni Mitchell. The evening wore on and on. Apparently the sound guy was late, and there had been complications with the booking. We do it all for the glory of rock folks.

Let me pose a question. What do you do when you are at a huge bar with lots of time to kill? That’s right, and we did just that. The band and Afro enjoyed a few shots and beers served by the beautiful, and always-delightful Lisa. Eventually the sound guy made it, and the band Auricle took the stage. They played a set of unique, enjoyable rock. After the Auricle, TIT took the stage. We played a fast, furious, set, which will surely go down as one of our finest ever. The crowd ranked as one of the best I have ever played to in my life. Afterwards we chowed down on burgers, wings, and yes, more beer. In all of our estimations, it was a great night. We will certainly be heading back to the Firehouse Cue sometime in the near future. After the ceremonial packing of the trailer, we headed off towards Sandoland (Northern Virginia for all of you keeping score). After an hour and a half, we made it, and quickly passed out.

The next morning (Friday) was yet another early start. We were treated to a Southern breakfast of champions at the infamous “Red Star” (an Anderson family institution). My breakfast included a cheeseburger with mayo, fries, and macaroni and cheese washed down with a cup of black coffee. Mmm.

What followed was a six-hour ride to lovely Fayetteville, North Carolina. After checking into our hotel, we chilled out at the famous John J’s (the legend returns baby). Once the sun had set, I couldn’t help but notice many women walking up and down the highway. It appeared they were “working for the weekend”. Despite the debonair atmosphere of the neighborhood, we had a great time. The bartender D.J. was a loving mother and wife whose god-given looks would make a woman of any age pea green with envy. She entertained us with stories of Gretchen Wilson, Jaguars, and beer. Her husband John J himself was an imposing, yet upstanding fella who threw a couple of bacon-pepperoni pizzas our way after the set was cancelled for the night (due to lack of a local audience). Despite the cancellation, it was a still a fun filled night full of beer, pizza, and great stories.

The next morning we were up yet again, bright and early. I had to explain to Afro (whose fro holds moisture like a sponge) that this was mild weather for where we where. He couldn’t quite believe it. Luckily the drive to Charleston was only 3 and a half hours. After checking out The Dough (that’s a Dough Rei Me for all your northerners) we decided to chill out for a bit in the center of Charleston. We walked around, taking in all the historical buildings and shops. At a used CD and bookstore I picked up a vintage full color guide to beer around the world. The book cost less than a Big Mac, so I knew the day was already gonna to rock.

Back at the Dough we had a large pizza. Despite its location in the Deep South, the Dough still makes quite the tasty pizza. After a few PBR’s we were all set to play. Our buddy Stuart opened up for us with his kick-ass rock band, Allnightkungfu. After Stuart warmed the crowd up, we took the stage and played a rousing 45-minute set. It being South Carolina, we were drenched from head to toe by the end of our set. After packing the trailer, and enjoying a few more cold ones, we began the journey towards the other end of the state (new location of Zach and Nick’s parents).

It is now Sunday and we are taking the day to chill out. Tomorrow we are playing in Atlanta, then half the band is off to Nashville for a few days of BBQ and Honkey Tonk (and maybe a little Jack Daniels distillery tour along the way). Fingers crossed, there will be more available internet connections this week. Please know that I am always looking for a connection to get this blog updated. Hopefully this one makes up for the absences of the past few days. Until the next one, keep on rockin!!! And thanks for reading all my ranting and waxing!

-Mikey Q.

Dear Though I’m Told fans,

Hey everyone!!! Due to popular demand, the tour blog is back for the second leg of our summer tour. I promise to work as hard as possible to paint a vivid literary picture of life on road with the illustrious, sometimes dysfunctional, yet always jovial Though I’m Told. I know that I only posted every few days during the last tour, and I understand how this lack of constant poetic waxing was a traumatic event for some of you. Due once again to popular demand, I will try my damndest to post every day I can.

So listen my rockers,
and you shall hear
of our cross country journey,
full of pizza and beer (I wish…)

After months of intense planning, the day of reckoning had arrived. As many of you may know, our longtime friend, “Selfish Afro Mike Davies” joined Team TIT as booking agent/tour manager. Bleary eyed and groggy, we met at the crack of dawn. Visions of caffeine and doughnuts danced in our head. Soon after, good ole Uncle Sando picked us up in the newly christened Exploder II. Ready for action, we headed towards Southern Mass in search of our trailer. Over the hour-long journey, we bore witness to a plethora of “Bullitt”-worthy, “Masshole” automobile-gymnastics (i.e. accidents). Old school TIT fans may know of our recent trailer issues. I am excited to report that our acquisition of the trailer went off without a hitch.


The following is a classified briefing:

At 11:00 hours EST, the Exploder II rendezvoused at “Checkpoint Costco”.

The mission: Apprehension of certain “potentially dangerous” MEATS & CHEESE.

The mission was deemed successful. Team TIT landed in the snack section despite the heavy presence of discount briefs in the next sector. Chips and Animal Crackers were taken into custody and questioned. Despite lack of cause for containment, they have yet to be released by Team TIT. No explanation was given. 10 minutes later, the rogue meats were captured. The slabs of turkey and ham were locked safely in the Exploder II.

Once the packing was completed, we began our journey towards the always-aromatic state of New Jersey. Throughout the trip we were serenaded by the sweet sounds of The Eagles, Roberta Flack, and Pantera.

We made it to our destination by sunset. Destination was none other than the childhood home of Team TIT publicist Emily Mavraganis. We are currently relaxing in front of the TV, trying to regain our strength after a meal of pasta, meatballs, cheesecake, birthday cake, and yes my friends, peanut butter pie. I am off to sleep in a few minutes. Tomorrow we plan to chill out for the day in NYC. The chilling shall be followed by the kickoff show of our summer tour. We would love to see all of our Big Apple fans tomorrow night at the legendary Continental in NYC. For more information, please check out our updated website at www.thoughimtold.com.

Alright everyone, time for some sleep. Check back in tomorrow for a detailed description of our New York show.

Rock on!

Hey Everyone,

Here are some pics from the tour for your viewing pleasure! Click to enlarge.


The Jefferson Memorial at dusk.


The White House with official chopper=BADASS.


Uncle Sando carrying what appears to be a baby rabbit outside of Lucky's.


Rocking out at Lucky's.


Beautiful Charleston, South Carolina.


Private Garden in old Charleson.


Rock Glory.


The DEEP South. Savannah, Georgia.


More rock glory!


The goblet is full.


A pyramid worthy of Ancient Egypt.


Rockin' the beach at Daytona.


Cars dude!!

That’s all for now folks. If you want more pics, check out a whole album at this link:
http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h283/thoughimtold/

More from me in the next few days!!!

-Michelangelo

FINAL TOUR BLOG!!! FINAL TOUR BLOG!!! FINAL TOUR BLOG!!!

Family, Friends, Lovers, Haters, Sisters, and Brothers,

Due to popular demand (who would have thunk), I am blogging again! Our trip was so exhausting that I never finished the tour blog! Ladies do not fear, the final tour blog is here.

Last time I left you we were chilling out in Orlando. I might not have mentioned our celebration the first Sunday night in Orlando. I won’t go into details, but if you want to know all of the Zeppelin-esque stories, ask a friend of the band. Needless to say, the lunch the next day at Denny’s was sorely needed. After Denny’s we watched Clueless on TV and engaged in the never-ending debate of Cher vs. Tai. Laugh all you want.

By dinnertime we decided that some exploring was in order. We left Uncle Sando at the house we were staying at (he was too busy being an Uncle), and headed off towards Disney World. With no intention of paying at all we tried to drive up to certain attractions. No dice. The first hour consisted of Zach turning around and trying to find the way out of the gargantuan Disney lots. We continued taking wrong turns for a good 45 minutes, during which I’m positive more expletives were spat than the “happiest place on earth” had ever witnessed in its entire history. All was well when we spotted a giant McDonalds!!! We were immediately attracted to the gigantic burgers and fries out front! It was agreed that this was a must stop attraction (in other words the only free thing to do at Disney World). Upon ordering we realized that this was by far the cleanest, most well run MackDees we had ever been to (and we have been to our fair share). My Big Mac was on the counter before I could put my card back into my wallet. Thank you Walt, wherever you are. After enjoying our burgers we headed over towards Pleasure Island. The few stores out front were the only other free places in Disney. Zach picked up a Goofy hat for a certain someone at home, and we headed back to the house. After hanging out and socializing for a bit, we all went to sleep.

The next day we headed off early (2 pm) for the world famous Daytona Beach. It took about an hour, and the first thing we noticed upon entering Daytona was the Daytona International Speedway. The only way to describe it would be “F**king giant”. It definitely took a good minute to drive by it. We eventually made our way over the bridge to the beach. Daytona Beach immediately impressed me with its cool vibe. While some fine ocean swimming was first and foremost in our minds, we decided to first locate the Seabreeze Metal Lounge (the site of night II for TIT over Florida). The Lounge of metal was located, and a lounge of metal it was. To get the mental image you need to think back to “The Empire Strikes Back”. Remember Yoda’s hut on Dagobah? Now imagine if it had been all black and even darker. My friends…you have the Seabreeze Metal Lounge. We then went off to the beach in search of a slightly sunnier spot. We found a spot to park and hit the waves, DUDE!!! The water was nice and warm, and since the tide was coming in, we had some nice, crashing waves. We noticed oddly enough that there were not a lot of people on the beach that day. Later that night when we met Zach’s Uncle Mike, he told us that locals wouldn’t go near the water due to the capture of a 300 pound shark the week before! HARDCORE!!! After watching some basketball and eating too many chips everyone passed out.

Got up around noon the next day and got ready for our Miami adventure. The trip took about three hours with Gardner manning the McLeanmobile. Upon entrance into Miami we got off I-95 and commenced the search for Churchill’s (our venue of the night). We immediately learned the Miami is not the best city to get lost in. We eventually headed in the right direction, undeterred by numerous dudes pushing televisions in shopping carts. We eventually found Churchill‘s, which bore an uncanny resemblance in tone to the Seabreeze Metal Lounge. We checked in with the German (although it was a British pub) bartender, and decided we would like to spend our time on the slightly more upscale side of town. We drove through the city center to the famous Miami Beach. To get there you cross a bridge that goes by all these kick ass little islands with gates on them. We made it onto Miami Beach and found an Internet café from which to conduct our daily Internet business. Of course being on Miami Beach felt like being in a subtropical NYC! The Internet café had everything overpriced, and really bad music playing. Oh well…we did it all for the glory of rock. After paying a king’s ransom to use the net for half an hour we went over and chilled on the beach itself for a little bit. The water was clear as the day, and had we not had a gig so soon, we would have definitely hit the water up. We headed back towards the club, through the “historic” Miami neighborhoods.

Churchill’s was dimly lit, which only made the random roaches on the wall more worthy of inclusion as extras in a Vincent Price film. While waiting we were treated to a curry buffet. The curry was damn good, which meant that a damn good car ride was in store for us after that gig. I can’t remember the name of the first band that took the stage. They were local high school students, who played a set of local garage rock. We then took the stage and played to two senoritas, whom as I found out at the end of the show, did not have the best handle on the English language. Does anyone know how to say mailing list in Spanish? We packed up, and decided it was best if we left Miami with our gear and non-chain-sawed limbs intact. It was a long ride back to Uncle Mike’s house, and an even longer rest.

The next day we again woke at a rock star hour, and headed off towards Daytona Beach. After checking into the infamous Seabreeze, some of the guys went for a walk on the beach while Uncle Sando and I stayed and drank some beers with the owners/staff. All I will say is that it was a true metal moment of alcohol fueled the fun. Uncle Sando and I were introduced to the “Chocolate Milk and Vodka Song”. If you haven’t heard it, you owe to yourselves to go and request it next time you are in Daytona Beach. As we were unloading our gear a metal band from Wisconsin pulled up behind us in a black school bus. Amen. We played a set to the other band, Zach’s Uncle, and a friend. Rocked they were. We unfortunately had to leave early dude to one of the band members experiencing stomach problems. We booked it back to our headquarters and passed out.

The next day we packed up and said adieu to Uncle Mike. By mid afternoon we were on the road towards Jacksonville. We made it to the Pit around 7 pm, to find no one there. After about an hour we were told that all of the local bands had cancelled, which is just what you want to hear as an out of state band. Just as we were about to leave a kind local woman who shall be known as St. Barbie, offered to compensate us financially if we stayed. Since she made us an offer we couldn’t refuse, we stayed and played, and watched the band after us (a rockin trio from South Carolina). All in the entire gig went really well. It just added to the vibe that the stage had a fence up. Very rock. Like every night before, we packed up the van and headed back towards our resting point (Orlando that night).

The next day we hit the road around 2 pm and headed to the west coast of Florida. It didn’t take us long until we were in Sarasota. We immediately learned that the west side of Florida is very different from the east side. The vibe is very, very laid back. After locating the venue (Tavern on the Main), we headed towards the beaches. That area of Florida supposedly has the nicest beaches in the world, with the whitest sand possible. We were not disappointed (and we didn’t even go to the one that everybody recommended). The sand was beautiful and I basically went out in the clear, warm water and just stood in it for about two hours. The only downside of perpetually clear water is that you can definitely see the sea life below you. Nothing living to report, but seaweed clumps that sure as hell looked like little sea creature dudes. We chilled out for a bit before heading back towards the Tavern. In the car we had a fine dinner of chip sandwiches (you sure as hell learn to love em on the road). We learned that we wouldn’t be playing until midnight, which meant some chill time for us. I immediately sat down at the bar and enjoyed some Bud while listening to the classic rock on the jukebox. Highlight of the night occurred when “No Woman No Cry” came on, and every guy at the bar started nodding their head to the beat, some smiling into their beers. Thank you Bob. Around 9:30 the first band went on. They played a set of loud, heavy rock. Then our good friends Weszt took the stage and rocked out a full set of “thinking man’s rock”. Then we took the stage and played a high energy set in which Zach ended up singing to the crowd from the bar. I’m not quite sure if they completely knew what was going on or not, but they certainly dug it! Afterwards we watched Dragonfly Ripple rock out some fine, modern rock. All in all it was a great way to end the tour. We made a lot of great new friends and certainly are looking forward to coming back to Sarasota.

After the gig we all changed and got ready for the long journey ahead of us. We stopped off at a McDonald’s for some celebratory WARM cheeseburgers. They tasted gourmet after the past week of cold cuts and chips. Gardner manned the wheel until early morning, when we stopped at a rest stop. This one had everything in it, including guitars and yes, the kitchen sink. After filling up, Uncle Sando took the wheel, and I stayed upfront to keep his old self company. We listened to the radio as the early morning fog descended upon northern Florida. Upon entering Georgia all the radio stations suddenly turned to country and/or worship music. Left without much of a choice we settled upon classic country, which serenaded us with deep cuts by Roger Miller and Conway Twitty. This led to deep philosophical discussions on the name Conway Twitty itself, and the lyrical waxing of Roger Miller: “Roses are Red, Violets are Purple, Sugar is Sweet and so is Maple Surple!!!” We also enjoyed the numerous road signs. I kept asking Uncle Sando to pull over at these truck stops with their American buffets and dancers, but he said no. He wouldn’t pull over for the plantations or antique stores either. This is all while the rest of the guys were sound asleep in the back. We then drove through Atlanta just to say we did. It was decided that we would stop at the next Hardee’s. Unfortunately Hardee’s decided to die after Atlanta, and undergo a rebirth once we made it into South Carolina. We stopped at the first Hardee’s we saw, and indulged in our end of the tour treat…the hallowed “cheese steak cheeseburger”. I kid you not folks at home. And damn was it good. A 1/3 pound Angus beef patty topped with cheese steak. God bless America and our poor, poor arteries. We then drove another half hour to the McLean compound in South Carolina. After taking a quick nap, we left the Brothers McLean in the hands of their parents, and the three remaining Musketeers (myself, Uncle Sando, and Gardner) headed off into the sunset. The drive was pretty uneventful. North Carolina was pretty as usual. Western Virginia (not West Virginia) was dark and desolate. We stopped for gas and a quick bite. I bought a Slim Jim and wrapped it in the remaining bread (I’m sure James Beard would approve). Nothing is as fun as scraping the barrel. We eventually made it to Uncle Sando’s, where we promptly all passed out.

We rolled out around 1 pm the next day, headed for Pennsylvania. We stopped off at a Sheetz for some fine gas station food (sorry Jersey). The drive back was pretty uneventful. New York State was beautiful, and the drivers in Connecticut were just a few notches more aggressive than the southern ladies and gents. Around 10 in the evening we rolled back into our beloved Beantown. Blasting “Dirty Water” by the Standells, we have never felt so happy to be back in Boston. And so ends another chapter in the Though I’m Told saga (I’m sure it will turn out to be a trilogy).

Well folks, there you have it. After I post this I am going to do another blog entry of some select photos, with a link at the end of the entry to a page containing the rest of the photos from the tour.

A special thanks needs to be extended to not only all of our fans who came out to support us, but also to our families and friends who helped us out more times than are worth mentioning. Your love and support means the world to us, and it is what inspires the goblet of rock to stay full and overflowing on a daily basis!

I have much more to tell you about the band, but my fingers are tired and tomorrow is another day.

Until then, rock n roll!!!

Hey Everybody!!!

It is time for Michelangelo’s good-time, southern fried blog entry. We have been having a blast, and it is only fair if I let you in on some of the good times. So sit down, pour yourself a sweet tea, and enjoy.

We woke up bright and early on Thursday morning. Had a few bagels and some black coffee to expedite the wakeup process. The first thing I have learned from touring down the east coast is that the further south you go, the more the coffee resembles water with some dirt in it. We headed off making a stop at the Red Star (Uncle Sando’s Grandmother’s restaurant/former bar). We had a champion’s breakfast of cheeseburgers, fries, and coke (who needs Wheaties when you have grease to fuel the rocking). We left, taking a bagful of fried chicken with us. You can just imagine how great that bag of chicken made the Exploder smell. We slowly made our way through Virginia. Gardner manned the helm of the USS Sandolorean, which translated to everyone else passing out. As we made our way towards the North Carolina border, we literally saw the humidity hanging over the trees (don’t get excited Nacho). When we entered North Carolina we stopped at a gas station for some drinks. I was amazed to find Budweiser bottles shaped like bowling pins (yes bowling pins) for $1.09!!! And to answer your question, yes it was quite refreshing. Got back in the car and headed further south. The car kept getting hotter. This had its pros and cons. The cons would be that we were sweating bullets. The pros would be that our bag of chocolate chip cookies melted to the point of tasting oven fresh! Around 5:00 pm we pulled into North Carolina. After searching for a suitable stopping point for the night, we settled upon the always-ritzy Econolodge. After checking in, we headed over to the venue.

We made it to Lucky’s Pub, only to be greeted by no one. Apparently we showed up too early, so we sat around and listened to some tunes while waiting. If you have never been to the South, you know it’s always hot! And especially now as summer is coming around, its smoldering. Thankfully we were not too far from the ocean, which attributed to the nice breeze. Eventually the guy came and opened the club. Lucky’s had a great stage, and the locals were all extremely nice! The one thing I can safely say about North Carolina is that everyone was super kind to us. We had a great time, and we plan to return to Lucky’s very soon! Then it was back to the motel to crash.

We woke up bright and (too) early the next day. It was off in the caravan of two cars towards South Carolina. The journey took us through historic Wilmington, a nice little southern city with a righteous WWII battleship docked in its harbor! We continued on our journey. The further south we drove, the hotter it got. After crossing the border into South Carolina we drove along the seaside highway through world famous Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach looked like a good time. Lots of BBQ’s, bikers, and beach towels on sale. There were also a noticeable amount of mini golf courses with unnaturally blue flowing water. We continued on. No time for Myrtle chilling on this gig day.

We made it to Mount Pleasant (outside of Charleston) by mid afternoon. We were slightly skeptical when we saw that the venue was located in a strip mall right next to the Piggly Wiggly. Upon entrance all fears were squelched as the venue turned out to be a great place!! Big bar, lots of tables, and a great four-foot stage. After checking it out, the guys decided to go to the beach, and I ventured into downtown Charleston is search of that Southern charm that us Northerners read about so often. I got a map and walked through the historic district. Many beautiful churches and old school Southern graveyards. I then headed through a section of old million-dollar homes, many of which has beautiful closed off gardens. Next stop was the battery, a walkway along the bay. Many old monuments and cannons lined the battery. Then I picked up some dinner at a little café, drank too much sweet tea, and met Gardner to head over to “A Dough Re Mi”. Our man Stewart (the owner) opened for us with his southern rock band. The band sounded great and the lead guitarist looked like a Confederate civil war general! Rock n roll! Then we played a great set, unhindered by my broken 7th string, Uncle Sando’s improperly strung (don’t ask) bass, and the smoldering heat. The local “Battleground Road”, a powerhouse local trio, followed us. Like North Carolina we had the pleasure of making many nice, new friends. We picked up a lot of great fans, and had a blast. We then headed towards Hardeeville, near the Georgia border, for a night’s rest. We were truly sad to have to leave Charleston after having spent so little time there. Zach and I set off in search of food, spotting the “Waffle House”, apparently a Midwestern/Southern tradition. At 3 am in the morning you never quite know what you will see. As we waited for our food the workers behind the line treated us to some fine entertainment. Manager “Ethel” kept throwing crusty barbs at “Denise”, our waitress. In the middle of this was “Samuel” who threw our breakfast burrito from the pan right onto the counter. It was good to know that Waffle House sticks to the state health laws. After witnessing more bitching, we eventually took our tasty, cheap thrills back to the room and enjoyed.

Wake up consisted of a housekeeper knocking on the door. As I opened the door, it felt like looking into a pizza oven. The high noon heat was quite the shock. I quickly closed the door and say by the air conditioner to regain my senses. We hung out for a bit, spending quality time watching “Bible Man” (imagine the Power Rangers meets the Rev. Pat Robertson). Gotta love the Deep South. We then left mid afternoon in search of strings and Savannah. Special thanks towards the McLean family for lending their van to us for this leg of the tour. The extra room and the air-conditioning make this second leg quite the different experience from the first. As we crossed the bridge into Savannah we noticed right away that this truly was a charming southern city. After locating that night’s venue, we drove through Savannah’s historic district. Savannah had a very cool feel. Many old graveyards, homes, and churches gave it its unique feel. Huge oak trees covered in Spanish moss created a roof over the roads. Zach navigated the van through the city to Annie’s guitar shop. We picked up some strings, some sandwiches next door, and headed to the Guitar Bar. The gig went well, considering we played to Zach’s lucky parents. Due to the low turnout for the night (odd considering the excellent ad they ran on that radio for us), we jammed a bit more than we usually do. The highlight of the night was a new version of “Sleigh Dog” which included freestyle versus chronicling the journey of “Nacho The Possum”. After drenching ourselves yet again, we packed the van and headed back to the motel.

The next day we once again woke up early. Before saying goodbye to the McLean elders we went to Shoney’s to celebrate Nicky Walnut’s birthday. The highlight of the “breakfast” buffet were certainly the biscuits and gravy complimented by the fried chicken. Like I said, we are a very health conscious band. After stuffing ourselves like hunting trophies on a wall, we continued south for Florida. The trip was fairly uneventful, marked by many palm trees and giant billboards. We rolled into Orlando early in the evening. Since yesterday we have chilled out, recovering from all the traveling and rocking. The plan tomorrow is to spend the day on sunny Daytona Beach, then prepare for four days of gigging up and down the state. Hopefully I will have better Internet access this week. I will try and keep the blog as up to date as possible. By early evening Gardner and I should have all the pictures up from the first two weeks of the tour. Until next time, keep on rockin.

Hey Everyone. Apologies for not writing for the past couple of days. We have been on the road and away from an internet connection. When I am done with the gig tonight, I will give an epic explanation of our past few days down South.

-Michelangelo

Dude….Choppers.

As many of you who have been reading the blog know, today was our second day in Virginia. After writing to you yesterday afternoon Uncle Sando took us into the “city” of Winchester. We met his Grandparents (Great Grand Uncle Sando on his mother’s side), and had a real nice chat. Then Sando drove us by some Civil War battlefields. There are signs all over the place commemorating battles and troop movements. It was really cool. Just by looking at the fields, you can easily imagine civil war troops trudging over the hills. Then we had a killer BBQ at Uncle Sando’s. To cap off the chill day we hung out with some of Sando’s buddies from back in the day. Good times, great oldies, and cool new friends.

I woke up this morning around about 1:30 (don’t judge me). Came downstairs to black coffee. Sando’s mother had told us that there were breakfast pizzas in the freezer. Intrigued, I got the box out. Apparently it was a breakfast pizza kit. I laid out my little frozen dough, and found the sauce packets. The sauce looked just like that fine cheese you got in the little cheese cracker packs as a kid. Mmmm. In all honesty it looked really nasty. But hey, I eat a lot of things that look less than edible. Piled the cheese and bacon on and baked it. It turned out to be pretty damn good! Made another one for myself and Gardner (Eric for those of you keeping score). We then decided that Zach would go back to the store to buy the guitar that he has fallen hopelessly head over heels for. It was agreed upon that while Uncle Sando drives him to get the guitar, Gardner and I would chill out in DC with the monuments. We left, only to return 10 minutes later due to car trouble. While Uncle Sando fired up the Exploder, the rest of us tried to remember the 1992 dream team. Took us a few minutes, but we did it! Not to toot our own horns, but pretty impressive for four Berklee students. Took off again, fueled by classic rock and the beautiful weather.

Uncle dropped us off by the Washington monument. We picked up some drinks (non alcoholic for the record) and headed over to the new WWII memorial, as we had never seen it before. I have to say we were both extremely impressed. We took a few pics that will be posted once we get a broadband connection. My favorite part was a wall of stars posted over a reflecting pool, with the inscription, “HERE WE MARK THE PRICE OF FREEDOM”. We then walked through the park towards the Lincoln memorial. I forgot how many flies chill down in our nation’s capital. A LOT. The Lincoln memorial was impressive as always. Gardner and I were struck by how many different nationalities were present in the room. People from all over the world intently read Lincoln’s words that are chiseled into the wall. Again, very cool. Next stop was the Vietnam memorial. Not much can be said about it, unless you have been there yourself. Next time you are in Washington you owe it to yourself to go. As always it was one of the most powerful things you will ever see…so simple and moving. Then we headed over towards the White House, and experienced the best moment of the trip thus far.

As we were walking behind the White House we saw one giant presidential helicopter swoop over us. Then we saw that the cops closed off the road behind the White House, so we had to walk around this huge fence to the other end of a field. As we walked around it we saw two more fly in, and one land right on the White House east lawn. Being dudes, we thought this was the coolest thing since Baywatch and the mute button. We were far off, so we couldn’t see who was getting out. A few guys in suits. I checked the news tonight and saw that Tony Blair was coming to the White House tonight for a news conference. I’m sure it was someone really important, due to the two helicopters protecting the one. There were snipers on every roof in the area. Then five minutes later, the chopper revved up the engines, and lifted off, pausing for a second, then flying straight over us. You have to see the pics tomorrow. So after getting over our excitement we headed over to the front of the White House, took some pics, chilled out in a park, and made some calls to family on our phones due to the restored reception of a city. The amazing thing about standing in front of the White House is that you think off all the decisions that have been made at that very place, and all the powerful leaders who shaped our modern world. We capped it off with a meal at McDonald’s, which is probably the most low-key branch of the franchise I have ever been too. We almost missed it. It is right by the White House. Inside they had portraits of all of the Presidents and First Ladies. Then we met up with Zach and Sando, and headed back to the Sando homestead. We stopped at a Sheetz for gas. I had previously thought that Wawa was the dominant force in the American convenience store kingdom. Sheetz hath taken the throne. Super clean, with great options, Sheetz comes out on top. And their iced tea is way better than Wawa. I said it. Sorry Jersey Dan. We then made our way back to Uncle Sando’s. We will be up bright and early to leave at 9:00 tomorrow, for our epic Frodo-worthy journey from the top of Virginia to the bottom of North Carolina. Should be good times. Now I must get some sleep. Take care, and look for some pictures late tomorrow night.

PS. Dude, it amazes me how cheap things are in the South. $1.59 for a 24 ouncer of Yuengling. Once again I felt like Donald Trump at the counter of the gas station.

5 States.

What a day on the road. We woke up bright and early in New Jersey, ready to start our journey South. By 10:15 we were on the road. Being in New Jersey, we were quickly lost, circling around a lake for a good hour. We finally found the right highway, driving all the way to Jersey Dan’s house. This of course led to more detours. Jersey is the only place outside of Europe that I have seen rotaries in every town. There are also the infamous Jersey “jug handles”. When making a left turn off most major roads, you must first make a right, taking a half circle so that you are directly facing the street that you wanted to make the left turn onto. What a waste of space and money. We stopped by Jersey Dan’s house to pick up the rest of our gear, packing the Exploder as tight as possible. We then headed over to I-95, with Philly in our sights.

As soon as the Philly skyline entered our view, we of course had to turn the radio up and blast Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom”. We were of course on a mission. We got off the highway and within a few minutes we were parked in front of Pat’s Cheese steaks. For those of you that have never had a true Philly cheese steak, I am sorry. It’s a truly essential experience anytime you visit Philly. There is often the debate as to which is better, Geno’s or Pat’s. These two fine institutions sit directly across from each other, like two lone cowboys ready to duel. I had eaten at Geno’s, but never at Pat’s. Uncle Sando and I decided it was time to settle the debate once and for all. I ran to the line and ordered my Pat’s. I was pleasantly surprised. Pat’s piles more steak onto their roll, and their cheese whiz is slightly thicker than Geno’s, making it the ultimate cheese steak. Although Pat’s takes the cake, Geno’s is still an excellent choice, as the flavors are virtually indistinguishable. As I finished munching down my first steak, I noticed a bar that served beer to go. Within minutes I happily carried back a couple of brews to the car to wash down the second cheese steak that Zach and I split. After finishing the steaks, we headed off, leaving Philly behind, happy as pigs in shit.

We headed further southward, entering Baltimore. Not much to report from Baltimore, other than it was fun to see yet another city. We headed towards Washington DC. As we reached the beltway we stopped at a guitar store that Uncle Sando frequents. There was an interesting selection of used gear. Zach found a guitar that he is considering acquiring. After spending an hour playing different guitars, we headed towards the Sando homestead. Uncle Sando got on I-66, which supposedly heads towards Winchester, his hometown. Things seemed to be going according to plans until I saw a sign for the Pentagon. The next thing we know we are crossing the Potomac as the Washington Monument rises up in front of us. I was sure that Uncle Sando DID NOT reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Apparently he took 66 east instead of west, and we were now in the nation’s capital. After mocking Sando for a good 10 minutes for forgetting where he lived, we decided to drive by some of the monuments. We were lucky to have arrived just as the sun was setting, dusk falling on the famous sights. We drove by the Lincoln memorial and the Vietnam wall. We parked and looked across the water at the Jefferson Memorial. We all agreed it was one of the most beautiful sights we have ever seen. It was one of those “proud to be an American” moments. Then we drove off to see if Dubya would be interested in chillin’ out with Though I’m Told. Apparently he was out of town for the night, so we left D.C. fer’ Virginia. We pulled over for gas about an hour into the state, and were immediately surprised by the drop in beer prices. Under 4 bucks for a High Life six pack!! After living in Boston for three years, we felt like Trump. Got the gas and drove towards Sando’s. Upon arriving we were greeted by a giant possum and a cooler full of beer on the porch. Sando’s parents had already gone to bed, but there was a huge spread of food laid out for us!! Talk about Southern hospitality. Cookies, cupcakes, veggie tray, tuna rolls, chips, and most importantly… a steaming crock pot full of BBQ pork!! It was certainly a good day for food. Later that night, our friend the giant possum showed up again on the porch. Zach tried to talk him into filling the percussion void left by Nacho. Despite a promise of Florida and beaches, the possum declined and crawled back under the porch from whence he came. We then passed out.

Woke up today and had some more BBQ pork and a few mugs of black coffee. We are taking it easy today. Uncle Sando is gonna show us around town. Tomorrow will be a day of work getting ready for the Carolina dates. Apologies for the lack of pictures. We are on a fairly slow connection, so we are working to get them up as soon as we can.

I’m sure I will have some more stories for you tomorrow. Until then, take care.