Moonshine and Minivans: November NW Tour Recap.

That was a tiring couple of days.  This was the last show of this year’s touring cycle.  I guess you could call it the last shows of the extended “Breaking Up With Loneliness Tour” as we’ve been promoting that record primarily through live gigs since the CD release show in December 2011.  For an unsigned, completely DIY indie band, what else is there except touring?  Reviews in newspapers and magazines are basically purchased.  Did you know that?  Just pay the publicist and she/he will get you the reviews.  One quoted us a $7000 price tag for a 3 month campaign.  Hurrah, get my check book!!!  So we hit the road hard, and it’s been a big year for us.  We’ve done shows in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana.  Did I forget someone?  We’re you there?  Are you still wearing your Felsen T Shirt? Is it the last shirt in your laundry rotation?  Or is it your first?  Thank you fans for buying the shirts, CDs and buttons--It really made a huge difference this year.  And thank you also for listening and getting into the Felsen spirit with us at the shows.  Thank you to all the willing volunteers who got in the bunny costume--you’ve entertained many!  We’ve much to be thankful for.  

I’m so tired at present so trying to recap this tour is ahh...kinda foggy. How bout just a verbal montage?   Setting up the gear on the streets of Berkeley and all the potential weird and strange that that can only bring.  breaking in new songs, and dusting off some oldies for a free concert for the homeless and the college kids eating from the yummy food trucks.  multiple shout-outs to Kung Fu Taco got us some free food--breakfast for the following morning in Redding.  Wondering if were gonna have enough money to pull off this 4 day mission of 1600 miles. Seeing those snow capped mountains for the first time Friday morning.  Cristian making us coffee.  Playing an in store at Music Millennium--it was like being summoned to the temple of sound; a seal of approval from the real music lovers not swayed by trends and hipster hoopla nonsense.  Late night gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches on Alberta Street in Portland and post gig talk with beautiful stewardess (high altitude peanut distributor).  Needing to find a liquor store at 9.45am to purchase moonshine--jesus have we sunk this low?  Deciding not to purchase the ‘shine called Death’s Door--we’re dumb but not that dumb. Beautiful English girl who volunteered to wear the bunny suit in Portland--bless your heart. Getting our 45 minute set cut down to 30 mins to accommodate the awesome, hipster darlings headliner.  incredible drive through glacial mountains fresh snow coverage while dressed for a warm day in the bay area and feeling cold for 4 days straight while listening to Frank Zappa and the Mothers Live at the Filmore East. (brilliant, fearless, comical)  Eating breakfast at fav Portland diner--City State Diner and eating right underneath our Accidental Drowning album cover art framed on the wall (diner’s owner is the artist who designed that CD cover).  Cupcakes.  Impromptu jam session in the rec room at host’s house in Seattle.  Played her mom’s classical guitar, Art played son’s drumset, Cristian played the daughter’s bass and Dylan schlepped in his banjo.  “Secret Life of Guns” and unrehearsed, first-ever run through of the Replacements’ “Can’t Hardly Wait”.  Norman the giant Saint Bernard.  Big drum fills.  Strange, surprisingly lovely gig in Seattle. Roomful of tourists. Slightly amused Japanese girls taking photos of us like we were monkeys in a zoo. Amber the birthday girl regaled with the BEE GEE’s “To Love Somebody”.  Amber waves of grain.  Berating and verbally shaming the audience into buying our CD’s  “You got more money on your feet than I got in my bank account”.  The more abuse we gave, the more they loved us and begged for more.  Can’t explain it.  3 encores.  Drunks rolling around on the ground (seriously), acting like animals, doing some kind of yuppie mating ritual??? meanwhile the band plays a song about death, infinity, god, childhood in a mixed up world (Breaking Up With Loneliness).  Heaping more verbal abuse on them--and them loving it?  White guilt? Amps cranked.  It’s revenge of the nerds.  Epic, divine showdown at the O.K. Computer corral.  The haves (them) vs. the have-nots (us).  You’re either with us or against us.  Debuting new song “Rock and Roll's Not Dead” and really finding our stride with this song the further we get into the tour.  Realizing it’s power and deeper levels of meaning in the lyrics and the music.  

“Upload your identity, put it on infinite repeat mode.

Enter your password here, at the beep hit send, then end.  

Type in your secret code, workers working in a catacomb.  

But I’ve gone electric, you will hear your eardrums blown!”  

This is high drama.  Again the epic battle, the fool’s errand.  It’s us (art) versus them (the machine).  Art wins.  Humanity prevails. 14 hour drive home.  Tired. The eagle has landed.  Get out of your space ship it’s time to start work on a new album.