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The Weathermen are Yak Ballz, Camu Tao (R.I.P), EL-P, Cage, Aesop Rock, Tame One, and Breezely Brewin

Set my alarm early to do laundry in the hotel as I have no clean clothes once again. It’s so humid and disgusting in New Orleans today. I told Todd he could sleep in my bed while I was out because I didn’t feel like walking over him and his air mattress as I go in and out of the room. When I come back, Cage is in shock and disbelief at manner in which Todd overtook the bed. He was asleep when I told Todd he could so he was surprised at the audacity he thought Todd had, which is funny in and of itself. Chris got up and we hit the continental breakfast and watch people around us as they pick and choose from the usual cereals, yogurts, bananas, waffles, etc. We overhear and older guy at the next table talking about Facebook, and we laugh because there is something strange hearing about people you would never think even know what Facebook is, talk about it to people who definitely have no idea what Facebook is. I imagine this increases popularity but I don’t fully understand what a 50 year old man is doing with Facebook. Maybe in 20+ years I will totally contradict myself. I sit in the lobby and Timmy is roaming around without a cause. He sat down across from me and he looks as if he didn’t get any sleep. I ask him what time do we have to leave and he says 10:30. He walks off and finishes using the net on my own laptop minutes later and head back to the room to see Cage blogging and Todd snoring. I asked Todd, what time do have to be at the van? He comes out of his slumber and says 11. Hmmmmm, Timmy said 10:30. I think to myself I bet everyone in the other room thinks 10:30, because that’s what Timmy told me in the lobby, and they are going to be pissed when we don’t show up until 11. I try and tell Todd that I saw Timmy and he said you told him 10:30 last night before we went to sleep. He doesn’t answer back. I leave to pick up my laundry, come back, and Cage and Todd are up now. Cage reads us his first blog and we laugh at certain things he mentions in it. When we finally get to the van. It’s definitely after 11, and Sean and Chauncey are pacing around beside themselves because they’ve been out here since 10:30. We jump in the van and drive. Everyone is acting weird this morning. We are running late already, have barely any time to eat, and are starving. We pull off an exit to a Wendy’s and grab some fast food. Wendy’s hasn’t tasted this good in a long long time. We drive more and trade stories of past experiences in Atlanta. Some interesting times and stories are seared in our minds forever, especially because Cage and I went to Atlanta many years ago with Camu to play a show. We arrive at the venue a half hour late and they push back doors so we can set up and get situated. The backstage looks like a backroom where mobsters might play poker. Like the Bada-bing in Soprano’s. It has a seedy strip club vibe. Cage walks back from soundcheck and tells me he feels like this place is set up like an underground wrestling ring as if they hold cage matches here, ironically.

Chauncey and I get busy making and drinking some refreshing spritzers, as previously mentioned and decide that our new bandname is called The Backstage Spritzers. I have a couple of these before showtime and we proceed to play to a small crowd, having a good time throughout. During Cage’s set I notice from where I’m standing on the side of the stage watching, that someone walked into our backroom and someone else followed behind them, when the door shut. I walk back and open the door of the room like what the fuck? I see a dude grinning because he knows exactly what was going through my head, and Todd is standing next to him laughing. It’s my boy Steph, aka P.O.S.. He’s in town for Warped Tour and came to the show to say what up. We hug and chop it up for a few. After the show we met some fans who drove upwards of 8 hours to see us. Hearing that alone made it worth it for us to play. We hit the Renaissance Marriott, which is really nice, and while we were checking in some crackhead looking dudes outside started getting rowdy with the valet guy. It was mildly entertaining. The best part was the lady behind the desk saying “oh boy, they’re getting aggressive out there” as she called for security. She said it a few times as things escalated and it made me laugh every time. We dropped our stuff off in the rooms and hit the Landmark diner, fend our way through more crackheads, and it’s back to the hotel.

photo by Eric Johnson

Thank God for decent hotels with comfortable beds. I needed that sleep so bad. Comfort Inn lived up to the name and when we arrived at 5am they had just put out breakfast, which we ravaged like vultures before anyone else. Give it up bitches. Back in the slow van. We hit up a Sheetz. Todd wants to plug his phone in instead of the GPS because the shitty outlets didn’t charge his, and mine for that matter. Cage is getting pissed at Todd because he wants the GPS plugged in and Todd thinks his phone is more important. I decide to nap. We finally get into Ohio and find a cute outside mall called Legacy Village. Cheesecake Factory time. I get the chicken madeira which I always get when I go there and end it with a cherry cheesecake. It was phenomenal and always is. We get to the venue in Cleveland and I remember I’ve been here before. Same venue. CC extended brother Keith Buckley from Every Time I Die shows up to hang out with the boys. Never met him before but it doesn’t feel like it. Either way dudes start drinking immediately. Chauncey is making a nice elixir with Redbull, vodka, cranberry, orange juice and REAL cherries. We spot some Camu tags in this backstage area and take pictures. He always reminds us he’s around, somehow.

photo by Todd Westphal

Time for me to go on and this place is way more crowded than I thought it was going to be from the way it looked earlier. Everyone is pleasantly surprised. I found out that a roll of my stickers got stolen in NY. To the douchebag who did that, you really suck. Got up on stage with Chauncey, it felt good and certainly will get better. This was really the first show of the tour where we are actually away from home and it’s sinking in that we are on the road again. Interestingly we’ve almost all toured on totally different tours with different people before this one. It’s the new cast and a new era of CCWM. Life-party sans buzzkillers although someone always manages to try, unknowingly. Guess some people will never get it. Sean Martin is a musical genius. He plays synths and guitar during Cage’s set and it’s so good. Like really fucking good. After the show, everybody leaves and we take over the club. Chauncey jumps behind the bar and starts making drinks with the Bartender. Shots all around. A toast. So the van situation is getting fixed, hopefully, tomorrow because we have another day off. I want to go to the movies and maybe see Public Enemies while we wait. Next show is my favorite, Chi-town, but before that we’re off again.

art by Alex Pardee

CLICK HERE to purchase

One of two designs to commemorate my dear friend and brother Camu Tao who passed on a little over a year ago.  All proceeds from the T-Shirts will go to his fiance, Gayle, and family.  Please support. 

Second design after the jump
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