No name
Thursday, November 06, 2003
Detroit was awesome. There were a lot of shows going on that night in or around the city though. Vagrant America Tour, Hey Mercedes, and Rooney.... yowzas. I was really surprised at how great the turnout was though. The set was cut a little short tonight so I ended up doing an acoustic performance outside after the show. The "after show" crowd started out very calm and by the end were going absolutely crazy, freaking out running around in circles singing. Tonight began the tour with Maritime and Owen. Both are so great. It was so fun touring with them. Davey and co are funny guys and real nice ones at that. Maritime is great, it's like upbeat jazzy "later stage" promise ring. Check them out! www.maritimesongs.com
Chicago came next. This was the second time TRS made its way through this town and played the bottom lounge. I had way more fun this time around. I've been playing some new songs on this tour, and I remember last time sitting in the van after the show and working on a song called, "I’m doing everything (for you)"- I've been playing this one a lot... Thanks to those who came out!
Champaign, IL
This show was surprisingly a lot of fun! A guy named Andy who has been to about 10 TRS shows and is the king of spreading the word came out and it was a lot of fun. It's always really really cool seeing people dance and sing along...
Iowa City, IA
Gabe's Oasis. This was the 2nd time TRS played here. This show was great! It was in the 20's outside though which was painfully cold so I think I was literally a tad under the weather and didn’t feel that great, so I’m sorry guys! The crowd was crazy awesome tonight - twice as big and twice as energetic as last time. Always awesome.
Today I played an acoustic in-store performance in Lawrence, KS at 7th Heaven. Being that it was announced yesterday, it was quite a wonderful turn out. I'm VERY excited about the show tomorrow night at The Bottleneck. Be prepared for a more "rockin'" show guys. On a different note, it's really cool being back in Lawrence. This town is where I recorded Calendar Days... I remember being really bored and lonely throughout the recording of this record. One evening I went to the KU football stadium, found a way in, and ran around on the field for an hour. I had no idea at the time, but later someone told me that that was crazy and that if I had caught I would have been in deep stuff.
Makes me feel cool, like I beat the law, I think I'm going to buy a motorcycle now...
Just a heads up: It’s looking like shows in Arizona, Utah, California, Japan, and Texas will be happening in December (including a possible homecoming holiday show in Dallas!) But you didn't hear that from me...
:)
Take care and Thanks for visiting!
Friday, October 31, 2003
Hey everybody! This is the first time I've been able to get online, so here are some daily journal entries that have been building up...
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Today is Oct 28th and I am experiencing a wonderful drive from Hartford to Boston. The shows have been really great so far. I’ll try to do a recap of the week in shows:
The first show of the tour began in Johnson City, TN. This was interesting because I hadn’t really ever heard of this city but amazingly enough there were people there ready to rock. The highlight of the set was during the song, “skies so blue” where I jumped off of the stage onto the floor, had everyone make a circle, then people would jump in and do dance moves one after another. It was pretty cool… Thanks for the fun times JC!
After JC it was off to NYC for CMJ. It is very rare to ever have time to hang out in a city when you are on tour, but this time was great… lots of hang time. Trying to find parking spots for my full size van was always a tad difficult, but in the end, all worked out. The first show was at Downtime in Manhattan. I really enjoyed this show. It was hectic setting up and taking down in a frantic rush, but the show was really great in my opinion. It was absolutely freezing outside which added a really cool vibe…
A few days later came the Brooklyn show with Ted Leo and the pharmacists. I saw a really scary street fight pulling up to the club involving a guy taking a big dolly and slamming another guy in the head with it so that was strange, but other than that, it was honor getting to play with so many great bands this night and the crowd was great. Thank you to all who came out!
I drove all through the night to Ithaca where the next show was. We were very privileged and were provided with a hotel at the top of a beautiful hill. The only room they had was the honeymoon sweet which was hilarious… a huge circular bed with a disco ball and a Jacuzzi straight from the early 80’s. Really funny stuff. This show was a blast, everyone was really nice and the show had a very fun vibe throughout the set. Ithaca is beautiful...
Last night was Hartford at the Hawk’s Nest. This show was a blast! Lots of friends in Hartford came out and a singer/songwriter named Greg Wood opened and was fantastic…
Thanks for the memories Hartford, see you soon…
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Boston (Cambridge) was sooooo great. This was the second time we played the Middle East club in a few months and it was 10 times better this time. The crowd was great, the sound was great, the opening act was great, and I was feeling pretty darn great as well. You guys rule and I can’t wait to come back, hopefully next time it can be at an all ages venue…
Montclaire, NJ :
The crowd was light but so rockin tonight. The 30 something people that were there were so pumped up on happy vibes that it made the show feel really great. Lots of great opening acts tonight! I had a friend tape the event for a possible upcoming dvd release... Thanks for the memories, I know I have it on tape!
Philadelphia, PA
This was the first time TRS played in Philly (home of DJ Jazzy Jeff but more importantly Boys II Men… I was truthfully bummed today when I realized that I forgot my copy of cooley high harmoney…) The show had a different “vibe” tonight. The show was held at a bar and the attendance was light, but it was a good time…. Thanks for coming out to the several of you that did, shows big or small are always amazing to me… always know that...
Tomorrow is Detroit, I'm REALLY excited about this show...
I want to send a special thank you to all that are coming out to these shows and bringing your friends. It means more than I can explain...
Monday, October 20, 2003
Hey Everyone! The new tour has begun and I couldn't be more thrilled about it. It was great to be home for a month or so, but it's so exciting to be back on the road in the fall, playing music, and most importantly meeting amazing people. Tomorrow night in Johnson City, TN is where the official first show of this three-week journey begins. Right now we are in Nashville about to rest our heads at the duplex of the great Ryan and Matt of the great band Celebrity. These people are truly wonderful people. Please check out their band at http://www.iamcelebrity.com
Hopefully, if time permits, I will be posting on this throughout the tour. I tried to make this journal look better, but all I got was blue... I hope you enjoy it!
Until the next post, take care and God bless.
Hope to see you soon...
Hey Everyone! The new tour has begun and I couldn't be more thrilled about it. It was great to be home for a month or so, but it's so exciting to be back on the road in the fall, playing music, and most importantly meeting amazing people. Tomorrow night in Johnson City, TN is where the official first show of this three-week journey begins. Right now we are in Nashville about to rest our heads at the duplex of the great Ryan and Matt of the great band Celebrity. These people are truly wonderful people. Please check out their band at http://www.iamcelebrity.com
Hopefully, if time permits, I will be posting on this throughout the tour. I tried to make this journal look better, but all I got was blue... I hope you enjoy it!
Until the next post, take care and God bless.
Hope to see you soon...
Friday, September 12, 2003
The tour is completed! What a success it was! The last 4 shows went great... First off we have Greensboro North Carolina. This was the second time on this tour that we played at Aces Basement. This show was way better than the last time. A blast was had for sure. Thanks to those who came out!
Next we have Atlanta @ the Echo Lounge. Atlanta is always a blast. This club is great, TRS played here with ASH in May and I was thrilled to come back. I ended up very randomly doing a cover of "Stay" by Lisa Loeb at this show... It went over so well that I played it in Nashville and OKC as well. Thanks to those who came out. Atlanta is amazing...
Nashville came next. I hadn't been to Nashville since I was a little kid. When I came the first time, I went to the grand ole opry and saw one of the Mandrel sisters perform and it was cool…
This show was fun. The place was a very big youth entertainment type facility. I think everybody had a good time. It was a fun show, thanks for coming out!
So finally we have Oklahoma City at the green door. This show was a blast and a great way to end the tour. Everyone was having a good time and we had all got some sleep, which does wonders. I told a story about my dog reecie and how a rattlesnake had bitten her 3 times that day hunting with my dad. I dedicated the song "That's so you" to her. She's totally fine now. The funny part about this is that apparently it sounded like I said "my daughter" instead of "my dog". People came up to me after the show telling me they were sorry about my daughter... haha. First of all, I definitely don't have a child, Secondly, If I did and she had been bitten by a rattlesnake 3 times, I wouldn’t be kicking it in OKC at the green door.... haha. Good times...
Good times definitely sums up this incredibly long/non-stop tour. Once again, THANK YOU to all who came out to the shows. It was such a blessing meeting you and dancing with you guys. It won't be long before it happens again, trust me...
Monday, September 01, 2003
Hey Everybody,
Sorry it has taken so long for a new post, things have been crazy busy. Since my last post, many towns have been played and have all been a blast. At this point of the tour, it’s a very surreal feeling realizing that next week this 60 day non-stop tour will be completed. This has been a total blast. I admit though I am super excited about sleeping in my own bed and hopefully sometime soon finding myself in a situation where I’m doing absolutely nothing. I’ve been working on some new tunes on the road, and being home with my piano with privacy will be such a blast. In this whole trip, there has been only one day off which was spent at Disney World. All days that shows aren’t played generally involve driving incredibly long distances…. But you know what? I wouldn’t trade it for the world…
Since my last post, 12 shows have been played…
First off was Iowa City at a place called Gabes Oasis. It was a great time. There are some really cool people in and around that town that came to the show. There were also really great opening acts this night…
Next we played St. Louis. This show was a blast. At the beginning of this tour, a show was played in Birmingham, Alabama, and some really cool people drove down from St. Louis to join the party. They arrived at this show, but this time they had brought a lot of their friends. These people just wanted to have a good time, which is what TRS is all about. Lots of loud singing and dancing was had and it was great gig…
Next up we have Morton, IL. The show was played at “The Optimist Club” – in the middle of a cornfield. The promoter of this show was a cool guy and some of us went swimming at his house. This was one of the hottest shows of the tour. Surprisingly there were people at this show, no one from Morton itself, but quite a few from cities with a 3 to 4 hour radius. We had a great time.
Chicago was next. This began a 3-day adventure with Duvall (josh and Eli from the smoking popes). I was feeling kind of sick at this show, but the show was still a blast. There was a nice big crowd, which is always amazing. Chicago is a great place with great people…
Milwaukee was the next day at a 21+ bar, which was located 20 minutes away from a venue that was having Radiohead and Steven Malkmus. Because of the circumstances above, the crowd was slim, but that didn’t stop anybody from rocking hard. I had a fun chat with my bud Davey from The Promise Ring who’s new band is called “maritime”. Thanks to those who did come out to this show!
After a long drive, Minneapolis had arrived. This show was at a great club with nice people, which made the gig a lot of fun and comfortable. This was the last night of the 3-day adventure with Duvall/ 2-day adventure with The Stereo. Hugs were given and we all went on different paths after a rocking show with a fun crowd…
Cleveland. The first “out of TX” TRS “fans” sprouted in Cleveland. I specifically remember years ago signing a picture for a girl’s birthday and sending it to her. I felt really cool. She and her friends came to this show and it was a pleasure meeting them face to face. TRS fans are the coolest fans in the world by the way. Its like every one of these shows has been a big room of acceptance and good vibes. Everyone lifts each other up in the crowd and just wants to befriend everyone. I feel so blessed to be a part of it…
This show was actually a really tiny show as far as crowd went, but if there’s a single person in the room having a good time, that’s all that matters. The band Relient K came out to this show and we had some good times together…
The next night was played in Toledo at a place called “The Longhorn Saloon” – it’s exactly what it sounds like. Surprisingly, this was a really fun show with a really great crowd. Thank you!
Hamtramck (Detroit) was played next and this show was AWESOME. Great people at the club, great club, great sound, great show, and most importantly, the partygoers were great. This was a great show hands down. The Real Detroit weekly had some super flattering reviews and previews for the show, which was such a pleasant surprise… Can’t wait to come back.
Next we played at a VFW hall in Chaleroi, PA. It was raining outside and the vibe of this show was quite interesting… people are not allowed to be outside in this town. Seriously, police officers patrol the streets making people go inside. It’s hard to explain but the rain mixed with the town, mixed with the fact that it was at a dim VFW hall made it feel like I was in a dream. Aside from that, A lot of great people were at this show and the show itself was a blast. It was similar to Morton where everyone there basically drove from surrounding towns. People wanted to have a good time and a good time was had I’d say…
Next on the tour was Boston. Sadly the drive took a surprising 13 hours and we pulled up pretty late, just in time to throw the gear on stage and play. After the long drive + the fact that at this point it had been 50 something days in a row non stop took a toll on me. I was feeling very beat at this show, but I tried my best. Earlier in the tour, I met an incredible woman in Connecticut that goes by the name of “the Punk Rock Mom”. She has a terminal illness and has inspired me/as well as many others greatly. Seriously, she’s amazing. She had to leave, but had left me a pie… Thank you so much! After the show, Seth and I couldn't find a hotel and had to sleep in my van in a parking lot...
Lastly Hoboken had arrived. We played at Maxwell’s, which was a total blast. Once again, I was feeling very beat at this show, but still tried my best. Thank you to those who came out to this show! It was so great seeing familiar faces from the knitting factory, the bowling alley show, and the bound brook show from earlier in the tour. If you walked down the street from this club you could see the most beautiful view of New York City… So nice they had to name it twice…
Greensboro, Atlanta, Nashville, and Oklahoma City are the last few shows on this tour. Let’s go out with a bang…
Thanks for visiting!
Bryce
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Monday, August 18, 2003
Hey there!
A lot of stuff has happened since I last posted, sorry about that...
The show at the Troubadour was a lot of fun, thank you guys for coming out. I really love Hollywood. I saw Hillary Duff, I told her I loved her, and she blew me a kiss. Seriously, it was really random. Haha.
The next day was possibly one of the weirdest shows of the tour... wasn't bad at all, just interesting. This show was in Lancaster, CA, and was moved at the last minute to a hotel ballroom. I ended up having to play this show acoustic but it was a lot of fun!
After a long drive, we arrived in San Francisco at the Bottom of the Hill. Alkaline Trio had just played a day show there, and it was really wild because a week before hand we were flying around in planes together in Japan, but had no idea we would be playing in SF on the same day...
This show was a blast. The people at the show had a really good time; it was a dance party. Thank you SF and The Bottom of the Hill!
From there, a long drive was made to Portland. This was a really fun show with great fans in a really intimate club. We played on the floor and it was a good time. Thanks for coming out! Portland is beautiful...
Next day: Seattle.
It was really cool being in Seattle and playing there. This show had the smallest crowd of the whole tour for some reason, but a wonderful time was still had! This was the last night of the dates with the band, Steel Train. Those guys are great musicians and really funny people....
I slept for an hour and proceeded to the airport. Because my first flight had problems, I ended up having to make flights for over 24 hours all the way to Dallas. I made a stop in LA where I was scheduled to have a meeting. The pleasant surprise about this was that Madonna was there. I found myself in a room with Madonna having a chat with her...pretty bizarre stuff...
I arrived in Dallas after 5 am the next morning and directly went to my brother’s college graduation in College Station,TX. Congrats Blake! After being up for an incredibly long time, I finally crashed in my bed around 2 am.
Saturday had come and it was time to play in Dallas. This was an incredibly interesting show. Thirty minutes before we were supposed to go on, the sample machine decided not to work anymore. So I had to play this show completely solo. Although it was completely solo in a small arena, it was a lot of fun. For those who went to the show, you probably saw the scuffle with 2 strangers at the end of my set. It was just a big stupid over dramatic situation. All is taken care of though, amends were made, and that's all I will say about this situation...
A note to the fans in Dallas who went to this show:
I want to apologize if I came off weird in the autograph session directly after the set. This was directly after an INCREDIBLY dramatic 2 hours, and I feel as though I might have come off not so happy to be there. I’m sure you understand, but I wanted to say thanks and sorry... I appreciate you and your support more than you know...
The next morning I missed my flight to Denver and had to catch a later one. This was a blessing in disguise because I got to go sit at Barnes and Noble with my dad and just chill out. I hadn't a chance to chill out in a really long time and it couldn't have come at a better time.
I arrived that night in Denver and was picked up by Seth and co (this guy drove from NYC to LA when the trip to Japan was made – he’s a trooper), and we went to CO springs. This show ROCKED. Everyone was singing and dancing, and it was just a really nice way to start off the new week. Thank you guys so much; I can't wait to come back....
Until next time:
Take care and God bless,
Bryce
