Chain Reaction

So, Seth had the itch to play a new set of shows, but Jason ended up moving to Arizona to start a recording studio with a friend. So, He enlisted Kevin Foster, who was already the bass player but didn't go on the last tour because he was in a wedding, to play the mandolin, Jeremy Wells of the famed Noggin Toboggan days to play bass along with Justin Sears also of Noggin, to play drums, and then Myself (matt covington) to play the accordian. We had two practices at Seth's studio.....



Seth, Kev, and Jeremy



Justin

The practices were pretty sweet. I think we learned around 6 songs, and we had a show planned for early October in Anaheim, and a venue called Chain Reaction. We were opening for Jonzetta. The day of the show arrived, we drove down and hung out at the venue. A super sweet and energectic band from Utah that happened to play a funky style of 80's rap, super rediculous but amazingly fun...then Jeremy Limpic's cousins band played. He had a really cool voice. And then it was time for our first show with this lineup.



The show was a little rough, and probably not as good as our last practice had been, but there were also some technical difficulties that added to that. The whole keyboard set up was a massive failure. One really sweet thing about the show was that it was broadcast on the web, and my family watched it online.



I think the setlist went something like this:

White Flag
All of Me
Anchor
10 Years and Separating States
Face
Indian Lover

All in all, it was a fun experience.



Jeremy



Seth



Kevin and Matthew

I also would like to say that these pics were taken by some hot babe (my wife) in the crowd and then given to us.

Goodnight.

Days 8-10 (IF THERE ARE NO PICS, DID IT REALLY HAPPEN?)

So, when I lost my camera pack which included the case and battery charger, i thought the camera would make it to maybe day 4, so to get all the proof through pictures that i did, kind of amazed me. But when the battery finally died, it was a bummer. So, We played a show in Colorado that has some pretty sweet videos available on Youtube,



All Of Me



Broadland



Anchor



Photographs

It was a really weird show. It was in a storage unit that had been turned into a venue. It was actually super sweet. A good time was had by all. Seth met up with some friends who took us out to dinner at chipolte, such a blessing. And i got to meet up with my Aunt and Uncle. And then we were off to Salt Lake City for our last show.

We drove through the night, had some scary moments, but made it alive. We played a lot in downtown SLC, they had a pretty sweet train transportation deal, and we had brand new crowd everytime the train came. We got enough money to get home, and enough to have a celebration feast at a local restaurant. We met back up at the venue, which was kind of cool. Kilby Court. Played a decently sweet show. Here's a video of the band playing photographs backstage by request for a couple of fans. Thus proving my ongoing theory that Seth is a sweetheart.



Photographs

We saw a friend from Atascadero after the show, and then we left. Driving through the night, we had a mishap along the way, but we made it home alive and happy. All these things that i've said and typed were all true, no names were changed to protect anyone. This is what happened. Next tour just come to a show so you don't have to wait 7 months for me to report on what happened from memory. Thanks for reading about our short 10 day tour. We had a blast.

Day 7 (Some People Just Have Cold Hearts)

So after having the Colorado show canceled last night, and playing and staying in Kansas City, today was to be our only off day on tour. Now with diesel gas being so expensive back in the summer, we were running real short on cash. We decided that we could ask Rory where would be the best place to play on the street for money. We left Rory's parents around 10 to head downtown. Right by the van were these flowers (hydrangeas) i believe.



A little known fact about them is that they are the favorite flower of my beautiful wife. Also, they don't really grow in the climate we live. One other side note, Seth, Jason, and Myself all have ladies back in California (Seth and Mine both happened to be pregnant) and we were all really starting to miss them really badly. But mushiness aside. The ride to downtown was beautiful.




We parked in a parking garage that literally had, depending on what angle we were driving inside the garage, left us anywhere between a half inch and an inch and a half between the van and the ceiling. We got our things and walked towards the crowds.



There were lots of cool fountains, and in general it felt really good to not have to be somewhere with a deadline, but at the same time, we did need to make a few bucks. So we started strategizing.



Becky enjoyed another of the sculptures. It was either song number one or two, but Jacob broke a violin string. Bummer. Jake and I drove to a music shop and they amazingly changed the string and we were back within an hour.



It was pretty sweet. There really weren't a ton of people, but it seemed that those there were enjoying themselves. It made for some really funny moments. If you saw this tour then you know that there was a slightly different arrangement to a lot of the songs. One of my favorite was in "10 Years and Separating States" coming out of the bridge, it went into an accapella chorus with all kinds of harmonizing. Really just gorgeous. And there was this moment where they were playing this song, and the acoustics of the sidewalk and building we were next to was seriously one of the most beautiful things i have ever heard,



and there was this older couple intent on completely ignoring the band. Walking straightfaced right past the band right as they hit the angels descending from heaven part, the couple didn't even break stride or crack a smile. I had goosebumps from the beauty, they had cold hearts and not an ounce of joy. It was great. So we got a tip that a church that Rory had frequented as a youth had a service that would be getting out shortly. We had to act fast.



We made enough to make it to Colorado, but not really enough to eat, and then we met some of the sweetest people that we met all of tour. Plus we got to meet this cutie pie.



There was a great community of friends that enjoyed our playing on the street and invited us back to a house where they ate "zuccizas" (really great invention) and among other things, we all just sat around and jammed.







It was sweet because we played some Lakes songs, some Watashi Wa songs, some Bella Rayne songs, some Honey Trees songs, and then some of the Kansas city peoples originals, and maybe some other covers too. I think for some reason we played the Apartment Song by Tom Petty. Great day, but we had to leave for Colorado Springs. Long drive, some near death experiences, and the bummer of finding out that this night would hold my last picture of the tour. So enjoy this picture of dueling violins. I know we did.



And to all you beautiful Kansas City people that took us in, thank you. And i think that all that playing was recorded, right? I'd love to hear it, just to remember it even clearer. Thanks. Day 8, soon......

Day 6 ( You didn't think we forgot did you?)

I've had a lot of time to think about this tour, and the farther away it is, the more i remember how exhausting, and dirty, and just plain gross we felt leaving cornerstone (and we had a hotel room with a shower), but i was still bummed leaving. it was my first experience at a festival like this, and over all it was a blast. here's a pic of our van the morning of departure.



We were supposed to play a show this night in Colorado but in somehow or another got canceled, so another day of scrambling around and trying to figure out what to do. Of course it all worked out. Rory's parents live in Kansas City, and were nice enough to offer us a night of rest at their house. I can't remember if it was in the Missouri side or the Kansas city side, and i'm sure that's a major catastrophe, but i just don't remember. Here's a few pics of the drive from Cornerstone to Kansas City.



I know I've written a few times about Seth driving crazy - but he got us to quite a few places on time that we probably shouldn't have been on time to. He must have toured before. Here's Jake falling a sleep, with a creep lurking.



And then we having drooling Jake.



At a rest stop, Becky realized that she had brutalized her legs and found herself with a good 'ol tamborine injury.




Along the way Jake and Becky had time to catch up, but it seemed that maybe they didn't really keep Jason in the conversation. Hmmmm. Awkward.



One other funny thing was looking out our window and seeing this.



I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with this, just kinda made everyone in the van laugh. Out loud. For a long time.

Well, we ended up playing a show at this guy's (who we met on tour and hung out with in Rory's hotel room) mom's club in Kansas City. It ended up being a pretty fun show, we played with the Wedding and another band that had a guy from Superchick in it. I know. Awesome.





So, after this show, we went to Rory's parents house, had a great night talking about future huge tours we would go on, and the state of the music industry and other things that we forgot by morning. Thanks to Rory and his parents for the nice beds, couches and floor to sleep on. Good day, i'll blog about day 7 way sooner then in 3 months. Don't you worry your sweet little Lakes loving heads.