May 7-10th - Wild Wing Mania
With the sun begging to warm the earth daily, our trip down south marked the start of air conditioning and 3 changes of clothes season. As much as I love summer, I do go through more t-shirts loading and unloading in swamp-like conditions. Passing "South Of The Border" amusement park 4 times in 4 days is just a hint at how terrible our routing was for these 4 shows. Not that gas is getting cheaper, but feeling like you are backtracking is never pleasant.

Not much to mention about Charleston, but we did get a gentleman kicked out of Wilmington. Inebriated and ballsy, some jerk decided he would get up on stage and grab one of Phil's guitars while we were in the middle of the song. We kindly kicked him off stage and asked him to be removed from the property. Unfortunately, his friends got into the action and after it was said and done, some of our fans had gotten involved, bottles were broken on Korleen's head, and it was a regular roadhouse brawl. Sorry to the waitress that got walked out on, we didn't mean to cause any problems, but you can't touch our stuff, there will be problems. Thanks.

Hilton Head was a nice new friend day. We met some very cool people including our favorite Road Tripper Kara from Massachusetts who is still probably out on the road journeying around the US on a whim. A girl after my own wander-lusting heart. The weather there was nice and the stripped down set was a lovely example of how to fit 5 guys on a small stage. I guess the show was good enough, because the next day, Kara and her friend Sarah who works at wings, came down to Savannah to join the festivities. The nighttime show was a joy, and we had a slew of visitors including Kristy and Michelle with their hubbies FINALLY in tow, Korleen, Kara & Sarah, the Alfrey's and a few other old Savannah Faces.

Our Savannah daytime was spent navigating the streets of downtown, and heading to Tybee Island for a humid and overcast photo-shoot. The ambiance was actually perfect, and we landed many great photos including 2 for album artwork. Thanks to Mere for trudging along with the boys all day, and a huge thanks to the Herb and Donna for again welcoming us into their home and preparing a meal for us. We are all eternally grateful.

Savannah was the final show and you know what that means..DRIVE THROUGH THE NIGHT. I think we need more trains in America. I think we have the track, just not the demand yet. Hmm, we'll see something has got to give. As obsessed as I am with transportation, I think we could do better. Another round of Iced Coffee anyone. Oh...Music...Old 97's new record "Blame It On Gravity" ... BUY IT!

Chris



May 2-3rd - One Long Day: Salisbury, MD - Maryville, TN - Roanoke, VA
It was another typical LDE-drive-all-over-the-country-day last Friday and Saturday. We played 3 shows, in 3 states, in 2 days, in 40 hours, with 24 hours of driving in that period, and over 1,400 miles traveled. I pulled into Silver Spring at about 7am, dragging the last 2 hours of the shift, eyes heavy, face dirty, hair sticky, rear end sore, and bladder full. I think we held our own through out the shows, regardless of the drive. I am not so quick to do that kind of maneuver again, but adding the college show at Maryville proved to be a fun time for all the kids involved. It also allowed us to play our first show in the great long state of Tennessee, a state that had been previously illusive besides a major travel highway and home to our stolen and recovered trailer.

Phil got rug burn from the moon bounce at Maryville, I ate 25 times during the trip, and Donnie's new drum cases actually fit into every venue we played. These things are like coffin's. But they are on wheels, making just about everything in our trailer on wheels or stackable on said wheeled items. So, since I didn't take any pictures this weekend, I will make up for it by posting a picture of me with a diaper and baseball cap on.... (not that it makes up for anything)

Chris



April 26th - SudFlood: Blacksburg, VA
The SudFlood Event at Top of the Stairs in Blacksburg was put on by our great friends in Pi Kappa Phi at Virginia Ploy-technical Institute & University (Virginia Tech). The charity concert was put on to benefit the "Push America and the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund." We were very happy to apart of this event with our friends Carbon Leaf and hope to be involved again next year. We played upstairs (naturally) where the floorboards were giving way with the weight of the crowd jumping up and down during our sweat-filled set.

It is always nice when people in the crowd know the lyrics to your songs and are requesting ones you haven't played yet. It's also depressing when it rains on your load out. I wish we made it down to Blacksburg more often, but for now we'll just have to wave as we drive by. Maybe I am strange, maybe I'm a little too obsessed with maps, geography, and directions, but when I stopped for coffee in a town on I-81, the Sheetz there is about equidistant from 2 different exits on the highway. I asked the lady behind the counter if it was faster to go North by driving to the next exit or backtrack to the ramp we came in on. She looked at me and said, "I have no idea which way is North."

I know, not many people can just point North with out a compass or a sign, but I-81 goes right through the town, only North and South, nothing really is going on transportation wise but this Interstate. I guess my expectations are too high, or I am just a transportation nerd. I did backtrack and I am sure that it was a fine choice.

Chris



April 21st - Merch Board: Urbana, IL
This will be my third home-made merchandise board. The first one got crushed by a guitar case, the second was thrown out by the Chicago crooks in an attempt, I am sure, to rid our trailer of any connection to a band or owner. This third work of art was a carefully planned upgrade from my previous 2 novice high-school-shop-class style displays. With ideas and help from Pat, our resident handy man, and a good paint job plus light display from Phil, I would say the three of us made a good looking selling point for our band. I did my measuring and purchasing at home, brought the pieces with us on the road, and today was a perfect time to assemble, paint, and decorate the board with laminated signs and rope lights.

I am proud of our work, now all we need is a new record, Tee shirts, stickers, and other swag to sell. After a hard day's toiling of arts and crafts, it was time for a short dinner and for Phil, a parking lot work out. I admire his motivation. I was up early to run before we left for the day, but this guy pulled out dumbbells while consumers dodged in and out of tanning salons, a grocery store and Papa Murphy's Pizza, which turned out to be a "take home and bake" style pizza joint. What's up with that???? The girl in the store pined us right away as visitors from the east cost, ignorant to all mid ways of food preparation. We all had to settle for produce and sushi.

Has anyone ever used heavy duty spray glue before??? It is amazing stuff. After you spray something and apply it, the glue turns ice cold and bonds super quickly. It is definitly worth the $9 a can it cost.

Chris



April 19th - Crusen's: Peoria, IL
Peoria was an interesting town, a new town for LDE. The temperature was divine and the smell of fresh grass clippings ubiquitous, as I ran around the neighborhood streets adjacent to our roomy comfort suites. (no one had to sleep bare on the floor, just a couch and aerobeds!) Tonight we shared the stage with our friends in Bottle of Justus, a band from the Bloomington/Normal are of Illinois. They know how to put on a show, especially when it comes Journey time.

I find myself staring at the dinner menu, not sure whether to order the double fried shrimp or the Chili Cheese Dog when it occurs to me, there must be a granola bar in the van, and that was my supper. Even on an empty stomach, I was able to rock out in front of a blaring floor wedge that was not to be out done by the sibilant ear stabbing the cymbals were creating. No in-ear's = ringing and deafness for the weekend.

After the BOJ show and free draughts, everyone gave a nod to hanging out downtown at Club Jagier, the last place I wanted to be on earth besides Baghdad. Lets just say the trip had absolutely no redeeming value what so ever, unless of course you count Steak and Shake at 4am. Our weekend continued in Peoria, only to find us in front of a gigantic movie screen watching mediocre cinema and sneaking in watered down Olive Garden coffee in 1980's environmentally extinct styrofoam cups.

Chris