I'm going to the midwest and the west for the first time (USA).

In Seattle, we are going to go east 30 mins and see Snoqualmie Falls and some other Twin Peaks stuff. I have no idea what else I will do. I am kind of freaking out!

July:

10th-Columbus OH
11th-Mansfield OH
12th-Flint MI
13th-Chicago IL
14th-Milwaukee WI
15th-Des Moines IA
16th-Joplin MO
17th-Denver CO
18th-Salt Lake City UT
19th-Missoula MT
20th-Boise ID
21st-Seattle WA
22nd-Portland OR
23rd-Redding CA
24th-Oakland CA
25th-San Francisco CA
26th-Los Angeles CA
27th-San Diego CA
28th-Flagstaff AZ
29th-Las Cruces NM
30th-Amarillo TX
31st-Dallas TX

August:

1st-San Antonio TX
2nd-Houston TX
3rd-Baton Rouge LA
4th-Tallahassee FL
5th-Savannah GA
6th-Atlanta GA

LOL you just pissed off the Twin Cities ;-p

Hmm, if you can time it for lunch in OC on the 27th en route to San Diego...

23rd-Redding CA = ???

why not Chico or Humboldt/Arcata?

Redding is tiny and redneck. AaronHZ iirc.

Have to agree with Steve, unless there's a specific reason to be there...

Passed up for DES moines

Oh, boy, Mansfield! You can visit the old prison where they shot "Shawshank Redemption."

21st-Seattle WA

Damn fine cherry pie at Twede's Cafe in North Bend, and piles of memorabilia from the filming, esp down the hallway to the restrooms. If you're a Northern Exposure fan, Roslyn's worth a trip for beers at The Brick.

you should see the Joseph Smith sphinx in Salt Lake & take pictures

driving is fun!

In Portland, on July 22, you can go to Powell's Humongous Bookstore downtown, or, if books are not your thing, I'm sure other portland ilxors will overflow with recommendations for music stores and restaurants. Too bad you are only here for a day and a night.

If you are more into just gawking, you might try going to Pittock Mansion or the Rose test gardens in Washington Park, above downtown in the west hills. Or for real cheap you can just walk across the many bridges and poke around on foot.

Do you hate Sacramento y/n ;_;

with Steve at the wtf at Redding - i hear a lot about the awesomeness of audiences in Davis/Sacramento

I am usually in Flint at least a couple of times a month, can't say I'd really recommend it. Um, it does have a couple of Tim Hortons. That's all I can think of right now.

I have a DJ gig on the 22nd of July in Portland fwiw.

If you're taking 287 from Amarillo to Dallas, you'll pass through Archer City, IIRC. Stop at Larry McMurtry's used bookstore that encompasses multiple buildings.

In Dallas, um... I don't actually know what things people want/need to see here aside from Kennedy Assassination spots.

geez, why did we have to ban gabbneb?

Omg so insanely jealous of this trip!
Wish you had time for olympic peninsula!

Veggie/sarahel seriously OTM w/r/t SAC over Redding. It's a longer stretch/drive but the potential turnout has got to be more substantial.

missoula is nice. you probably won't have much time for hiking, but the bitterroot mtns. are pretty.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/142/385846093_e50aa54bf7.jpg

(that drive from missoula to boise is going to be lot more spectacular than you expect, btw.)

Agreed with tipsy mothra -- gorgeous stretch of country.

Flagstaff - take the ski lift to the top of Humphrey's Peak, go hiking on the extinct cider cones in the checkerboard just east of town, stop in Bookman's for used books/music bargains. The ruins at Walnut Canyon (also the east edge of town) are interesting. Seligman (way way west on I-40, almost to the Nevada border, if you are getting from San Diego to Flag via Las Vegas) has some strange sights, a chunk of Route 66, and the Roadkill Cafe.

this trip sounds RAD (and slightly crazy)

Flint is my hometown. Not much there, except for Angelos and the planetarium.

Send an email when you're near Portland.

You go to Las Cruces right after I move away! Hell's bells.

If you want a cheap/not too far out of the way/delicious place to eat in The Crosses, NM, may I recommend La Nueva Casita? Great New Mexico style Mexican food. Chope's is outside of town by a bit but may be on your way & is (acoording to many) even better. I also like La Posta. There is not a lot to do in LC but eat. My friend built a very tall ice pyramid last week but I am pretty sure it will be melted by the time you show up.

I can tell you about Les Bois, too, if you have any questions.

where are you playing in denver, rox?

I assume since you're going to Chicago that you already have a place to stay, but we have a nice couch just in case you don't. :)

Redding is tiny and redneck. AaronHZ iirc.

― _▂▅▇█▓▒░◕‿‿◕░▒▓█▇▅▂_ (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, July 6, 2010 7:12 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

we are a metal band

Redding is tiny and redneck. AaronHZ iirc.

AaronHz was in Ukiah iirc.

and yall youd be surprised as to how difficult it can be to get shows in certain towns

booking a tour isnt as easy as booking a vacay, you dont always get to go to all the places you want. hence weird town choices at times.

ive never been to cali and i am excited

ty for all these recommendations btw

This is the Calatrava-designed pedestrian bridge over the Sacramento River in Redding -- they finished it a year or two after we moved, damn it. July 23rd...it'll probably be over 100 degrees in the city, but 15-20 degrees cooler on/around the river.

http://www.reddingcahomes.com/Repository/1/3/6/0/8/6/136086/51b14c77-7eb6-4f09-95e7-b6f3c470c807.jpg

im a pedestrian bridge fanatic

for real

That bridge is the only thing that tempts me to ever go back to Redding.

Buncha views of it --
http://www.google.com/images?sa=3&q=sundial+bridge+redding+california&btnG=Search+images

and yall youd be surprised as to how difficult it can be to get shows in certain towns

booking a tour isnt as easy as booking a vacay, you dont always get to go to all the places you want. hence weird town choices at times.

― roxymuzak, Tuesday, July 6, 2010 9:47 PM (15 minutes ago)

pretty aware of this, actually. not being snarky at all - most of the bands that come through here and friends' bands always end up doing the long haul from Portland to Oakland, and maybe get a house show in Davis or Sac. So kudos to you for getting something to break up that grueling trek.

that wasnt directed to you!!!!

i know that you have 1 (one) clue about shows and all

lolling at "1 (one) clue"

haw

you'll be in the Bay Area the weekend of the Gilroy Garlic Festival!

Hey rox next time you book a tour I will hook you up in the mpls/stpl for sure! Booking dudes at turf club/triple rock/4th street station/hexagon are all old friends that owe me favors iirc.

at least you're skipping Olympia, which is apparently one of those places where other bands "accidentally" make off with your shit

wow ive heard that before. its like a "thing" i guess

I can show you around SLC if you want, would offer a place to stay but I'm crashing a couch right now and thus do not have that authority.

ROXY where are you playing in Chicago?

its on w augusta one block north of cicero, it is a house show at a dude's place called "the old chocolate factory" and i hope it has something to do with r kelly

it might be a v scary place, nick!!

"Argentinum Astrum is crushing blackened aztec tomb metal from Kentucky"

haw.

I hope Roxy and Dr. M get to hang out!

kentucky is making me lol.

Is KY considered more metal than TN?

i dunno.

but i definitely live in tennessee with a member of that ketucky band.

"kentucky" band, that should read

Oh I know.

rox and I have met before, but an 11-inning rain-delayed ballgame scotched my diamond/metal doubleheader :(

you didn't get to go to the show? aw...

Is KY considered more metal than TN?

― jaymc, Friday, August 6, 2010 11:36 PM (2 days ago) Bookmarkp

Kentucky is not considered more metal than anything, but definitely not Tennessee. This is a ridiculous conversation!

ps, i am home now

quick anatomy of my last month, minus the stuff im saving for my (future) therapist
sorry in advance for tense shifting etc

July 11th-Mansfield OH
12th-Flint MI
13th-Chicago IL
14th-Milwaukee WI
^^^^These shows did not occur due to being broken down in Georgetown, KY (which, yes, is a dry county) for 4 days. 3 of these were the shittiest days of my life (no joke), and on the last I just said fuck and walked miles to a Ruby Tuesdays and got completely shitfaced.
15th-Columbus, OH @ the Carabar. It was fine. The singer of the other band's GF knocked my drink over and we ate hot dogs.
16th-Joplin MO - A weird, stinking house where a man has lots of cats and puts on shows every single night. some kind of saint, imo. The bassist of locusta spilled hot macaroni all over my computer while I was asleep, but the blarping sound it made woke me up.
17th-Denver CO - the drive was good. 3 drink tickets. we played with 2 kinda childish screamotional bands. it wasn't hot there and we stayed with a nice man
18th-Salt Lake City UT - we played with altar of plagues who are good as long as you can not see them, which was lucky because it was dark in the room.
19th-Missoula MT - nope, canceled. we went to craters of the moon national monument and slept on lava beds. when we woke up a desert flower had bloomed over our heads
20th-Boise ID - we play with some slipknot sounding bands at a kind of nice bar. one of the bands dedicates a song to "sluts" and one (maybe the same one?) had a drummer who wore a pig mask. i start thinking about my life. we shook a large piece of decorative cutlery off the wall and upset a lot of bar paraphernalia and staff. i threw a huge fit and cried because someone in my band wore a really crappy shirt and i closed the night by screaming "i feel like i just played a show with limp bizkit." a turning point of sorts
21st-Seattle WA - the most scenic drive. we played with a band called streetwalker who were pretty good. it wasn't hot there.
22nd-Portland OR - our guitarist acts like a diva over donuts. andy and i stay at a separate place from everyone else. i stole some spaghetti from a house
23rd-Redding, CA - nope, canceled. we went to crater lake national park
24th-Oakland CA - gilman st, which i wanted to do since i was little. ross from ludicra came to see us, that was nice, and he was nice enough to say that our (terrible) set was good. technical difficulties abounded. though not 1 kid watched our set, many bought our merchandise (skulls). we stayed with a man who had 1 room of his house for bunnies, and another room set aside as a warhammer figure painting station.
25th-San Francisco CA - not a bad show. met sarahel and milton parker. stayed with good friend laurie and went to a metal fest with her earlier in the day = good times and great oldies. high point of trip for me.
26th-Los Angeles CA - band of older men who enjoyed wearing readers over their corpsepaint played and then some kind of crappy bouncer fight ensued and we just str8 up left. can we just
27th-San Diego CA - luckily canceled, we went to ocean beach and my BF and i nearly got "in trouble as sex offenders" <<quoting a lifeguard
28th-Flagstaff AZ - place kinda screwed us, an angry drive to las cruces
29th-Las Cruces NM - played a good show with 1 self-described "black metal" band who actually played stoner rock and were good at it, and 1 really confused pop punk band who all these metal heads were good sports and watched, and then they just split immediately after playing, looking really freaked out. the girl we were staying with threw some kind of weird fit (used to date a dude in band) and her tiny dog stole an entire whataburger from a sleeping person
30th-Amarillo TX - pretty drunk, i rc nothing
31st-Dallas TX - 104 degrees.

August:

1st-San Antonio TX - a good show with good bands. i met a pregnant cat and accidentally stepped on 2 cockroaches with one step. in the morning, my flip flop melted to the asphalt. the drummer of the other band fell asleep on his phone saying "you are very nice but i am very sleepy"
2nd-Houston TX - my favorite show. we played with a great band called paranoid freakout who i loved. good people. then we slept in a practice space...there were 17 of us. i built a fort out of cabinets and blankets and andy and i slept in it. look up paranoid freakout! power violence 4ever
3rd-Baton Rouge LA - a bit crisp. we played with an extremely grim black metal band who sounded badass and looked like regular frat guys. it was weird to look at, but excellent to hear. the next morning we had to stop for 1000 years while singer of other band secured a gator po boy and everyone else complained. i smelled the po boy and it smelled good
4th-Tallahassee FL - stayed and played with a pack of crappy posers who acted really weird about us doing anything (for example, using the bathroom and keeping beer in the fridge, and indeed exiting and entering the house). the singer of the other band peed in his sleep and came downstairs and (in his sleep, and drunk) told me his pants were wet. i said "go back upstairs and go back to sleep." he said "im not trying to be a weiner!!!!" and stomped his foot
5th-Savannah GA - the hottest i have ever been while playing. a really good and well attended show, and we were the only 2 bands that played! although this is the night i punched the guitarist of the other band in the face
6th-Atlanta GA - curtis came and bought me and my boyfriend tahitian treats. v v drunk, can not drive straight home as planned
7th-Knoxville TN - sadly we get too wiided to play as triumphantly as one should when returning from a longish tour, but everyone goes nuts anyway. my friend dan who was on crutches got knocked very far away from where he was standing and his reaction of anger was humorous (he was not hurt (further)). i am glad to be home, and clean, and to be a living being who experiences things

^^^ fantastic

also makes me happy to not be in a band anymore even though we never attempted such an ambitious/foolish tour

ive done a month before, but it was in much more responsible circumstances

you should write a book

one of the bands dedicates a song to "sluts" and one (maybe the same one?) had a drummer who wore a pig mask. i start thinking about my life.

Where did you play in Boise?

Yeah, I just wanna say: fuck Boise Idaho and everyone who contributed to Roxy having a shitty time.

the singer of the other band peed in his sleep and came downstairs and (in his sleep, and drunk) told me his pants were wet. i said "go back upstairs and go back to sleep." he said "im not trying to be a weiner!!!!" and stomped his foot

was the knoxville show at the Pilot Light?

the singer of the other band peed in his sleep and came downstairs and (in his sleep, and drunk) told me his pants were wet. i said "go back upstairs and go back to sleep." he said "im not trying to be a weiner!!!!" and stomped his foot

i know this guy i think.. didn't he used to live at nijoli's house?

lol - I just looked up Paranoid Freakout - and it turns out i know Al3x who's in that band - super nice guy. I've played in a couple large ensemble gigs w/him

i also managed to sleep through a live set of one of his other band's much to the amazement of everyone else there because it was extremely loud

was it say bok gwai cause i love them too!

alex was my FAVORITE person in that band and my FAAAVORITE person i met on tour!

oh and re: the fuck idaho/crappy time comment, most of this is said with a light heart, fyi

there are a lot of things i am leaving out, though, bc this is the internet. no details here, but there were 2 ass kickings and 2 fired members of bands on this tour. lol

oh and to answer your q, the place in boise was called the red room or something like that? it wasn't a bad place. and the bands weren't from boise, i don't think. it was all touring bands that night. i left out that the bassist of the pig mask band talked to me after and told me we sounded like a slowed down celtic frost, and i was like "cool!" and then he asked me if my band taught me how to play the bass

lol

then he asked me if my band taught me how to play the bass

wow

yes it was say bok gwai! I am really good at sleeping!

he singer of the other band peed in his sleep and came downstairs and (in his sleep, and drunk) told me his pants were wet. i said "go back upstairs and go back to sleep." he said "im not trying to be a weiner!!!!" and stomped his foot

i left something out about this also! this same guy got completely trashed within like 10 mins that night. we left the guys to go to whataburger and he called and said, and i quote, "we're keys needs needs" in a verrrry slurred way.
"i take it you need the keys?"
him: "i can't even see you right noooow!"
me: "we're at whataburger"
him: "can u get me a whatfucker? (laughs)"
me: "lol, can u remburse me?"
him: "do they even have a whatfucker?"
me: "i don't see it on the menu."
him: (hangs up)

he was a lively drunk and my favorite member of the other band

(for what its worth. i did end up physically fighting one of them lol)

also, through the entire tour we listened to "hulk rules"

i continued to think about those squirrel pictures btw - and the one that i thought didn't look like a squirrel - and was trying to conceptually pin down what visual elements signify "squirrel"

i thought about that a lot after we left tbh. and the 2 dogs they snuck into the mix

me and my ex-bf would constantly argue about the visual elements that signify "skull"

oh and for the record, first thing i said to roxy and her bf was, "Is it a faux pas to wear corpse paint with street clothes?"

what was their answer

"You must be Sarah."

we just started talking about it tbh because we had opinions 4 ppl about it by that point in the tour lol

xp lol - yeah, it was "very much in character"

altho that was before the guys literally wearing bifocals over their CP. could not believe it

i think it was the drummer of the last band, right?

he kinda looked like the blond guy with the long hair who is one of the conspiracy theory Three Stooges that are Mulder's friends in the X-Files

seems reasonable for corpses to have vision problems imo

you are kinda supposed to appear as if you do not have eyes iirc. corrective lenses tend to take away from this effect

bifocals are not a very good memento mori imo

was i wearing my memento mori shirt when we met y/n

i don't remember - i just remember you were wearing a pretty skirt and a burzum hoodie

id like to be buried in an outfit fitting that descrip

Ah...Red Room opened right around the time I moved away from Boise.