DAY 4 (Sorry, I had to clock in)

This post won't be as long as the others, as i sort of skipped this day. We woke up just in time to miss the free continental breakfast, but the staff was nice enough to let us sneak some cereal. Seth snuck away and made a call to his wife, to wish her good morning.



Things got rolling and we headed to Cornerstone. Today, Lakes had 2 shows lined up, And i think they went something like this: 4:00 p.m. a small acoustic set at the Ephraim booth in one of the merch tents.



Around 4:45 p.m. I'm pretty sure they played at a generator stage called "radio fashion" They guys there were really friendly and the shows went off really well. The only problem was that their stage was wedged in between two hardcore stages, and they were a little hard to hear. The shows went off aparently really well, with some good feedback. Here's a little peek from that show, with the song "Face" from the "Eager Seas" album.



If you don't know, find out. Lakes made plans to do it again the next day, adding one more show on the Chasing Canadia stage. I missed the festivities this day as i was working with one of my bosses, and Seth's "business" partner, (as we like to say, Jeremy Limpic, from the 805 Collective. I met back up with the band as they headed down to the main stage to check out the Almost. So, we did that then made the huge walk back to our booth, sold a little merch, packed up, went to some BBQ chicken place, which ended up having some nice vegetarian meals, and back to the room. I'll have more info for day 5. See you then.

DAY 3 (one of the most memerable 24 hours of my life)

This will forever go down as one of the wackiest days in my life. Where to begin? Lets just start with Seth and Jason finishing off their driving shift again around 5:30 am, and me taking over somewhere just south of Missouri. Everyone was sleeping, and i was talking to my dad on a cell phone...it's not illegal in missouri so relax. I hung up the phone, and Jason awoke. We're driving and all of the sudden, i noticed that there were turtles crossing the freeway and they were just getting smashed.



Pretty weird. Well, Me and Jason are just talkin, listening to tunes (i think this might've been the day that we started listening to Michael Jackson. A lot.) Things were going smoothly, and then naturally, right around 7:30 a.m., the van made a funny noise, and turned off. Me and Jason looked at each other as we coasted to the side of the road.



We woke everyone up, let them know the great news....it was decided we needed to move quickly. I decided that since I was driving, and wasn't really in the band, that i would go find gasoline. So i took off on foot, down a really long road. We seemed to be nowhere, and it was already a little warm and humid. After about a mile, i came upon a church that had someone there. Super sweet. I asked the nice man inside if there was gas within walking distance, to which he explained how about a mile and a half away, i could take a right and then it would only be a few hundred yards. I asked him if i could get a ride, and he explained how he was super busy. Cool. So I'm walking again...make it to "the truck stop" that would change my life forever. The place didn't have gas cans.....so i went into the restroom. I heard weird "noises" and heavy breathing coming from a stall.....I'm not going to explain in full detail what happened, but lets just leave it at, it involved two male truckers, and a really awkward exit from one stall. Needless to say it had me wearing my sad face.



Anyway....Seth and Jacob ended up getting a ride from two really sweet ladies, and coming and picking me up at a different gas station across the road. We got the fuel, they gave us a ride back, we filled up, and now for the moment of truth. The key turn by Seth and........nothing. I now know that when Diesels run out of fuel, it's kind of a big deal. Bummer. So we get towed after waiting for him for an hour (and while we waited, we searched in the tall weeds for turtles until Jacob found a tic on his leg..) His tow truck seats two, comfortably, three nice and snug...so when he said that we all had to hop in, 5 of us, 1 of him, it got really crazy.



Oh, and it was a stick shift. So, he ended up having to take it somewhere, and Seth and Jason went with him while Jake, Becky, and I stayed at "the Truck Stop".



...It was around this time, we realized that we had pretty much run out of time, and that we could only make it to Cornerstone for the only show in the next four days that was actually going to pay us money, and really the whole reason for this tour, was if Seth returned right now, and we drove between 90 and 100 miles an hour the for about 3 hours. I won't say how many laws were broken, but lets just skip to the part where we were about 5 miles away from cornerstone when we had to get fuel again, and then Becky realized that she had a tick sucking blood from her stomach. Jake removed it using a lighter and a paper clip borrowed from a gas station. We got to the front gate where we were supposed to check in, and kind of just drove right through the check point, around the grounds right to where we had to be, loaded on to the stage, and played about 5 minutes later...



..and the most amazing part was how many kids were there to catch the show.



Two nights in a row, two shows that nearly brought me to tears. The response was so great, the show went so well, there was about 100 kids onstage for the the last song, "indian lover"







stomping and clapping, and just having a great time. A lot of kids bought merch, which really helped us out so thanks....And then we got to relax. I got to meet a bunch of people i really wanted to. Later on in the evening, Seth rocked out on stage with Gasoline Heart



....at one point, Seth created a little pandemonium on stage inciting Louis, Gasonline Hearts singer, to smash his guitar..... Here's a little pic of the guitar that was with Louis during every song he had ever written. RIP. This is the last known photograph.



The crowd definitely got their money's worth from the gallery stage on this day. Sixpence None the Richer played later in the night.


As the day turned into night and we began to wonder aloud where we would be staying for the evening....Becky came through when her friend Chico, through another friend Charlie Peacock, had an extra hotel room in a small town, a few miles away. That means showers. When we got to this glorious room, we were exhausted....but there was still a little more fun to be had. I happen to have sleep apnia and use a mask to sleep at night. It blows air through my nose, and well, you can google it i'm sure. I let the guys try on my mask and see who could keep it on the longest.











Pretty sweet. Amazing day. It's really crazy how hopeless things seemed, and how they worked out to near perfection. Thanks Jesus.

Becky, Lakes Fans. Lake Fans, Becky.

Ok. Day three is coming soon enough, but I thought that i would do something that is long over due. The introduction of Becky. Here's a little background first...For those that came out, to the shows, or have seen the pictures, you may have noticed some slight line-up changes, and different arrangements. Kevin Foster, the bands bass player, had a prior engagement of being in a wedding during the tour and couldn't make it. Bummer. Seth, Jason, and Jacob thought about all the different options that they could do for the tour, at one point Seth even thought about calling the whole thing off, as so many things seemed to be going against the plan of touring. Becky then entered the picture. She had just recorded an album in Nashville (for her band: the Honey Trees with the aide of Jason and Jacob, and it was decided that Becky could play keyboards to mask the loss of bass, and it opened up the door for a lot of options.


The band thought back to their last west coast tour and remembered how the rediculous price of gasoline caused the Band to take their show to the streets as street performers between shows, just to make money for gas. Acoustic instruments, people switching places, amazing harmonies.....This was Lakes like most had never seen them. So, crowd, meet Becky.

DAY 2 (How Far Is It?)

Seth and Jason took the first driving shift, from about midnight until 5:00 a.m. That's when i took over the sunrise shift.



I ended up driving through New Mexico, Texas, and up into the pan handle of Oklahoma. Now i'm not sure how it happened, but for the second time on tour (and on only the second day....i know really terrible odds) the gps brought us to the wrong spot. i mean, it was going to be off by about 4 hours!!! As everyone started to wake up



we realized the blunder and luckily we were only about 3 miles off course, so it ended up not being a big deal. The only problem was that it was now 2 pm and we had about 5 hours to drive still and we thought we were only an hour away. Seth started working the phones, and kept coming up with bummer news. The promoter for the show said that if we couldn't make it in the next hour (impossible!!) then we shouldn't show up at all. Lakes then became bummed.




After some out loud thinking, and debating, Seth called some Oklahoma natives, who were also really good friends. In about the time of one hour, Joel Limpic, who just so happens to be the brother of Jeremy Limpic (Seth's "business partner" @ the 805 Collective) and does worship music at a big church in OK City, said he could get us a show with as many as 50 people, no less then 5. We took it without blinking. We knew that Joel and Chris Clark (another former SLO native) would take care of us, and make us feel loved. It even brought out Seth out his sad face and into his happy face.




We rolled into town and half the band, Jake, Becky, and Matt (me) went to Chris's house and showered. Jake ended up taking a comfortable nap underneath the




Ezra Clark watercolor. The hospitality and love that was shown to us was very moving, and something everyone needed. The 3 of us returned to the church to find Seth and Jason eating some pizza and salad with Joel.




The show ended up turning out beautifully and recharging everyone. It was even a little emotional, to feel so hot and bummed about missing a show, and wondering how we were going to pay for gas if we skipped a show and had to keep driving to Chicago, and then be so loved and play to so many people who showed up on an hours notice. Joel and Chris we love you guys. Here's a pic shot during the "yeah's" on Indian Lover. Not pictured is Jason on drums, Becky playing a mean tambourine, and Joel doing some background vocals.




in the end this evening will be hard to top on this tour, and the emotional roller coaster ride continued.




After the show we all went back to the Clark's so Jason and Seth could shower, we had some tea, reminisced, and then got back out on the road. I was in and out of conscientiousness as Jason drove, but I remember hearing "Welcome to the Jungle" some R.E.M. and U2, and it seems that their might've even been some Fergie. Ha! Next stop Cornerstone!! Nothing can stop us now. See you on day 3!!!!

DAY 1 (July Tour)

Alright. Lets get down to business. We've been back from the last whirlwind 10 day crazy tour now for a couple weeks, it's about time we get some pics up here. Right?
So, Sunday, June 29th: the band collectively left our beautiful San Luis Obispo county around 6 am with the mission of playing a show in Phoenix that night. About 4 hours after departure, we were driving through L.A. and we were going to pick up one of Jason's guitars which had somehow found it's way to the city of angels, but not found its way back home. We took a wrong exit, drove around Hollywood, made some ill-advised U-turns, and decided to leave Southern California without the guitar. It was around this time that Seth reminded us that there was no a/c in the van...but how bad could it be right? We ate lunch at the yummiest subway that i've ever been too, and continued. Around 1pm we realized that it was ridiculously hot.



Seth had this really great idea, but it didn't catch on. After driving to the wrong place with the help of the trusty GPS (this would become an interesting habit) we found our way. Jason and Matt (let me introduce myself: i'm matt covington. and i came along with the band to help out, keep the mood light, and carry heavy things...and aparently blog) bought some chips and cheese dip which no one else wanted to pitch in for...but then everyone had some. We arived to the venue, Modified Arts, and proceeded to get into a small fender bender in the parking lot that 3 seconds prior to the accident had been completely empty. Jake had been driving, but the whole situation happened so fast. At first we thought disaster.....but



the other party ended up being pretty cool, after a moment of tense uncertainty, and they left after it was realized how minimal the damage really was. Danger averted, so we loaded in. After setting up and getting all the instruments tuned



Seth's friend Chelsea, met us at the venue and then we all went out to an irish pub downtown in Phoenix.



Food was shared, fun was had, onto the show...Back at Modified Arts the show was rolling. Lakes took the stage around 8:30 and after much anticipation, a long, hot (i don't think i really stressed how freaking hot it was) ride, they played the opening chords to a new song called "Broadland".....and then Seth broke a string. Matt managed to change the string in a room in the complete dark, but one thing led to another, and the show was not really the ideal start that the band was hoping for. They still played alright and i think the crowd was into it,



it just didn't feel super good. Well, all we could do was pack up and head to Oklahoma City. It was time for an all night drive. Things could only get better. Some of the tunes we listened to during the drive that day were Augustana, Coldplay, Counting Crows, and then some random DJing by Jason. See you in day 2.