Chicago, IL

Heading out of Minneapolis to Chicago we had a 6-7 hour drive which seemed like a hop skip and a jump compared to what we had just done coming from Seattle to Minneapolis.

Rolling into town we were definitely pumped to be playing a great city like Chicago; especially on a Saturday night when the place is hopping. We were playing The Elbo Room, a great venue with two floors; bands were playing downstairs and there were bars on each level.

The night was packed with 5 bands starting at 8:30pm and ending at 2:30am. We were headlining so we weren't taking the stage until about 1:15am which gave us plenty of time to relax, grab some food and take in the city a bit before we played.

theWANDAS at The Elbo Room, Chicago ILThe show went really well and was broadcasted live online. I know it was a late night, but those who saw it said they really enjoyed it; which was great to hear. After the show we hung out with the venue staff until the last person left the bar. Everyone at the venue is great and needless to say we'll be back at The Elbo Room next leg of the tour.

Cheers,

Ross 

Seattle, WA

Going into the tour we didn't have a set date for a Seattle show. However, since we were going all the way up to Portland, OR and we have never been to Seattle we weren't going to be stopped. We got invited to play an extended set in a local open mic show, where we could essentially take up two slots in the middle of the night; some great Northwestern hospitality for the Northeastern band.

Given the spirit of the open mic night, we decided to change up the pace a little bit and just have Brent & Keith do some songs acoustically. They played 4 songs from our tour set and 1 brand new one that hasn't been played live yet.

It was a really nice change of pace and we still met a lot of people and made a bunch of new fans. Check out the video below of Please Come Home, acousitc, live at The Skylark Cafe & Club.

Portland, OR

After having such an amazing run in California, it was hard to imagine what Portland, OR would bring. This was the furthest northwest, any of us have ever traveled. The trip from San Francisco, CA to Portland, OR was lovely; rolling mountains, wildlife, the great outdoors.

When we arrived at Kelly's Olympian in Portland we were continuing on our hot streak of great parking spots and snagged one big enough for the bus right in front of the club. After looking up, we saw our name on the marquee; another positive because you know we're actually playing at the venue.

Kelly's Olympian - Portland, OR.

I could be mistaken but with the bar being established in 1902, this was the oldest bar we've ever played at. The place had lively fluorescent signage and a great live room complete with high ceilings and sound dampeners on the walls.

Kelly's Olympian - Stage - Portland Oregon

We were sandwiched in between two other awesome Portland acts; Dr. Helicopter and And, And, And (that's 3 'ands' for you following at home, sorry if my writing is confusing). They were nice enough to let us share the night with them and put us in front of a great crowd.

The night wasn't only great for a monday night; it was great for any night. Now on to Seattle, WA!

Cheers,

Ross

Los Angeles & San Francisco, CA

After a great time in San Diego, we headed north to the city of angels. The balmy weather of the west coast had all of us in a great mood. Knowing that we're avoiding some of the northeast's colder months brings a slight smile to all of our faces while driving up the left coast.

We arrived at Mr. T's Bowl in LA, an old bowling alley that had been converted into a live music venue. The place is a legendary venue with over 40 years of music passing through there. The night was organized with 5 bands each playing a 30 minute set. The shorter set length keeps the night moving and the crowd interested in seeing new music. We assembled a 6 song set and did our best to rock out.

theWANDAS & Fans at Mr. T's Bowl, Los Angeles, CA

It continues to be a great trip because we're meeting so many new fans and seeing old friends who have since moved around the country. Onward and up the coast to San Francisco. We drove for about an hour the night after the LA show to beat the traffic the next morning. We had a solid 6 or 7 hour drive to San Francisco.

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco, CA

We arrived in front of Thee Parkside in San Francisco around 6pm giving us plenty of time to unwind before the show. We ate a quick meal in the bus and did our pre-show vocal warmups. This show was especially fun for several reasons. We were playing a great venue, we had a bunch of old friends at the show (and my parents), we were playing with some great bands; Cannons and Clouds, Low Red Land, and our buddies from Boston, Ketman;  it was the makings of a great night.

After the show we spent the night hanging out with old friends and meeting new people. Yesterday we started to make our way to Portland, OR as we had the day off and about a 10+ hour drive. We stopped at Mt. Shasta, a little less than halfway to Portland.

Mt. Shasta, California

We're playing at Kelly's Olympian on Portland Oregon tonight. We'll see you there!

Cheers,

Ross

Las Vegas, NV & San Diego, CA

Ok, I know it's been a while, and  last you read we were on our way to Vegas. Well, I'm happy to report we're all in one piece. We didn't hit it big or lose it all. I won a little money the first night playing Blackjack, which helped fund our time there; which was an unexpected treat.

When we arrived we got a great hookup because our producer Patrick Krief's brother Steph lives in Henderson, NV and owns several stores on the Las Vegas strip. As a result he was able to let us park behind his store behind the Harley Davidson cafe' right on the strip. This was huge for us because we had the experience of living on the strip with out spending any money.

Halloween:theWANDAS & Patrick Krief. Outside of Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Questionable costumes

We met up with Steph and Patrick and caught up on band stuff, life, etc. It was halloween and there were definitely some great costumes and just an overall heightened level of enthusiasm; if that's even possible in Vegas. Keith came prepared and brought his vegas lounge singer tux for a costume. With Will bearing a remarkable resemblance to Freddy Mercury we pieced together a costume direct from Freddy's wardrobe circa 1984. Brent and I were struggling for ideas. I threw together a mix which I claimed was Pablo Escobar; although I don't think anyone recognized me. We all agreed Brent looked like a New Orleans trumpet player and that was that.

After vegas we headed to San Diego a couple days early. We decided to pull right up to Pacific Beach and park the bus. We found a sweet parking spot and were beach bums for a couple days. The amount of places we have been able to stay free of charge is probably rivaling a $20,000 vacation at this point. The beach was lovely. Sunny, blue skies, big waves, fish tacos and margaritas... ahh the good life.

Pacific Beach: San Diego CA. My view from the sand

Last night was our first show back after a brief break while on the road. The night was extra special for me as my parents decided to take a tour of the west coast themselves and make it to a few of our shows while they're out here. We were playing a the Ruby Room. This place was awesome. It had a great vibe and sound system. The all (ruby) red decor was reminiscent of a 70's lounge. The staff and ownership were amazing. They were extremely hospitable with everything from letting us park the bus right out front to complimentary drinks.

The show was great. Several old friends of ours who had relocated to San Diego came out to the show and it felt great to get back up on stage. After the show we hung out with new & old friends on the bus in our sweet parking spot. 

Post show bus scene. San Diego, CA

We woke up this morning and headed to LA. Looking forward to another great show tonight!

Cheers,

Ross

Phoenix, AZ

For those of you following at home I apologize for not posting something everyday. We're traveling some vast areas and we're doing a lot of driving. While I may sneak in the occasional text, I'm not ready to full-blown blog while driving a 27 foot vehicle. So I'll have to do my best to summarize when I get the chance to type.

Yesterday we arrived in Phoenix, AZ after a couple days of traveling though the desert. We saw some beautiful sites; mountainous roads, cacti, sand storms, we even drove right by the Mexican border where we could see Texas on one side and Mexico on the other. At one point we had to pull over at a rest stop just to snap a group photo because the sunset was so breath taking.

Benson, AZ Rest stop

We were planning on staying at Linda's (one of Brent's family friends) home in Phoenix. We had a special surprise for Brent. His dad and step mom decided to take a flight out to Phoenix to catch our show and stay with their friend as well. When we got to Linda's Brent's dad and step mom were hiding and popped out to give brent quite the pleasant surprise.

The next afternoon we ate at Alice Cooper's baseball/rock & roll themed restaurant; Cooper's Town "Where Jocks meet Rock". I'd say the motto held up. They had everything from entrees named after athletes and musicians to the staff wearing the signature Alice Copper eye makeup.

After Will and I took a lengthy walk around Phoenix and Keith took a lengthy siesta we made our way over to the Lost Leaf; the venue where we were performing. The venue is a really cool bar that doubles as an art gallery. The space is actually owned by several artists and they give back a lot to the art community. On top of all that, they have one of the best beer selections; over 150 bottled beers. The show was really fun. We played to a lively crowd complete with front row dancers. Our time in AZ was awesome. Special thanks to Linda for all of her hospitality.

Arizona Skyline

We're half way through our tour and we have a few days off. We decided to make our way up to the Grand Canyon today to see some sites. Then we're doing what any self respectable band would when they have time off; VEGAS BABY! We'll be spending Halloween in lovely Las Vegas, Nevada with our friend and Producer Patrick Krief. If you don't hear back from us we either hit it big or lost it all.

Cheers,

Ross

New Orleans, LA

Yesterday we tried to get an early start so we could make it into New Orleans, LA on the earlier side. It was the first time any of us had ever been to Louisiana so we wanted to see some of the sites.

Hand drawn chalk tour poster. Very Cool

We parked the bus in front of the club and proceeded on foot find some dinner. We were parked near the financial district which is very low key after 5pm so at first we were wondering if New Orleans had gotten soft in the past few years, of course we were just out of place. We unknowingly made it to Bourbon Street and realized nothing was tame about New Orleans. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and made our way back to the venue.

Will, Keith & Brent in New Orleans, LA

The place was a small neighborhood bar with great character and friendly staff. After the show we decided to make our way back over to Bourbon street. We walked the street for a while took in some of the nightlife. We certainly lost track of time. Before turning in, Brent and I decided to take a stroll through the casino for some breakfast. We didn't win any money but we had some great eggs!

Cheers,

Ross

Nashville, TN

Heading out on the tour we didn't think we'd be able to hit Nashville, TN this round. A couple weeks into the tour we got an offer to play The Mercy lounge in Nashville, TN. The night is called "8 of 8th" where they feature 8 bands (The Mercy Lounge is off off 8th ave) who come from around the world (literally) to showcase a few songs at one of Nashville's best venues. We jumped on the road from Atlanta and made our way up to Nashville. 

The Mercy Lounge - Nashville, TN

We got into town a day early because we had the next day off. That night we strolled around town looking to experience some of the Nashville nightlife. We walked into an unassuming stone building called The Station Inn. We were expecting to be about 5 people at the bar given it was a Sunday night at 10pm. Boy were we wrong.

We walked in to about 150 people from the ages of 21-80 years old all sitting in long tables like a cafeteria and mis matched smaller tables around the perimeter. After some further investigation we realized the venue was a classic bluegrass joint where several legends had played, along with up and coming acts.

Every Sunday night they host an open bluegrass jam session where people just come and go with their guitars, banjos, mandolins, etc, join in the circle and rock out some great bluegrass tunes. We definitely got a taste of Nashville and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Bluegrass Jam at The Station Inn - Nashville, TN

The next day we took a trip to Grimey's records which is home to several classic and rare albums. Keith picked up a live double disc of The Dears at The Paradise Rock Club from 2005- a show that we were in attendance for.

Grimey's Records - Nashville, TN

That night was the show. The venue was packed with great talent and we made a bunch of new friends. We were happy to be added onto the night last minute and definitely want to go back to Nashville. We're on the way to New Orleans right now; another first for us.

Cheers,

Ross

Atlanta, GA

As we were approaching the south, we were hearing more and more about Smith's Olde Bar in Atlanta. Several bands we had talked to, told us how great of a room it was. Tons of big bands have made their way though there as their careers have progressed; including David Bowie.

Not only were we playing a great room, but we were opening for a great band. The Duhks are an amazing band from Winnipeg Ontario, Canada. They have a bluegrass/afro-beat style that is energetic and contagious. 

Smith's Olde Bar - Atlanta - theWANDAS setup

We had an interesting situation occur when we played. Halfway through "The Lady" the power went out in the club. This was the second time this has happened to us in our career, however this was probably the last place I would have thought this would have happened. We've played at a lot of clubs with shoddy power where I was surprised we didn't blow out the power. This place had top notch sound, lights, stage, etc. so it was totally surprising. We just kept playing and the power kicked back in 3/4 of the way through the song and was received by a raucous round of applause from the crowd; which made us chuckle a bit. After that it was smooth sailing. There was someone in the crowd recording the show. Once we get the audio we'll probably throw it up online for everyone.

After the show we caught up with The Duhks and talked music/touring/life etc. They're a great band and a great group of people.

Sarah Dugas from the Duhks sporting her new WANDAS T Shirt

Looking forward to Nashville tomorrow night.

Cheers,

Ross

Jacksonville, FL

When you're playing different cities and venues every night you end up looking forward to different aspects of the night. Perhaps it's a new place that you've heard good things about, a place you've enjoyed playing before, a big room, a small room, etc. It's all about the experience.

I must admit I was really looking forward to our show in Jacksonville, FL. It was this time on the last tour we were rolling into Florida for our last show of the tour. We met up with some old friends and met some great new people. So, it's no surprise we were looking forward to seeing everyone again. Not to mention, Jack Rabbits is a great place to play.

theWANDAS @ Jack Rabbit's in Jacksonville, FL - Photo Credit: Trey Andrews

Again we played with 2 new bands, and an acoustic act who were great on stage and super friendly off stage. We played a fun set and were able to catch up with the old friends and make plenty of new ones. It was great seeing Trey and Mallory from Longfellow Street, a great band we played with last time. We stayed with my old friend Jay and his girlfriend Claudia who are far too kind to us. They let us stay at their place, made us a wonderful meal and introduced a bunch of their friends to theWANDAS all in one night!

After the show we piled out to the bus and gave everyone a sample of Rhode Island's finest, Narragansett beer and proceeded to take our now quarterly Jack Rabbit's parking lot party photo.

Jack Rabbit's parking lot. Rolling party

We went back to Jay and Claudia's  place where we had a great time with all of their friends. It looks like some of that North Carolina moonshine mysteriously made to Jacksonville, FL after all. 

Cheers,

Ross

Charlotte & Asheville, NC

After a great time in Winston Salem, NC we made our way south to Charlotte, NC. We played at Snug Harbor last April when we were in town and were looking forward to seeing some friends we had made last time. We arrived to Snug Harbor on a damp night and have still not adjusted to the southern clay vs. northern dirt. The stuff gets everywhere and is impossible to clean up.

The night was billed as "Free Pizza Night" which was great for us and for foot traffic. Everyone loves free pizza. Before the show we met the local act One Another and other touring band (from Chicago) Filigar who were sharing the night with us. Both acts were great and we realized we had some mutual band friends with the Filigar guys when they played Boston.

Snug Harbor - Charlotte, NC on a rainy night

The night was a blast. Good tunes, free pizza and we made a bunch of new friends. The next night we were in Asheville, NC. A town we've heard nothing but good things about. Being our first time in the town, we wanted to explore a bit but were limited to the few blocks we were stationed to play at due to time constraints. 

We were playing in a smaller cafe'-styled venue with a stage for performers. It was fun being able to play a smaller more intimate venue and everyone was super receptive to us. We ate a great vegan meal and got some complimentary cookies and brownies to go.

We got a jump on our 8 our drive to Jacksonville, FL and put in 4 hours of night driving, turned in and were up back on the road today. Looking forward to Jacksonville, FL tonight!

Cheers,

Ross

Somewhere in PA

Yesterday we had a day off. This was crucial for two reasons.

1.) We only got a couple hours of sleep the night before and

2.) We were running out of clean clothes.

'Clean' of course is a relative term. I have 2 pairs of pants for 60 days, so technically our clothes are just different levels of drity. Yesterday we were starting to tip the scales in the very dirty direction. It didn't help that Will brought more dirty clothes than clean clothes with him on tour. He's the only guy I know who is using tour to catch up on his house-keeping.

Keith busting out the last of his wardrobe for laundry day

After strolling around PA in our Sunday's best we settled in on a quaint laundry mat and cleaned up our wardrobe. After that we hung out in the bus, watched the Wilco documentary (for the 100th time) and went to bed early.

Good night.

Cheers,

Ross

Philadelphia, PA

Last night was awesome. We got to do something we rarely get to do anymore; play at a house party. We rolled into Philadelphia, PA around 7pm right in the heart of Temple University. The area is considered one of the more dicey part of towns, but everyone was nothing but friendly during our time there. To draw a comparison to Boston, it reminded me a lot of Mission Hill being next to Northeastern University.

The party was a full blown rager 4 Kegs and 200+ people. After talking to the guys who lived there, all Temple students, this is part of their weekly income. There were 3 bands playing including us; both of the other bands were excellent and made the evening a real blast.

It's funny how once you turn 21 years old, you always think of yourself as in that age range. Well, when you're hanging out with 18 year olds you start to realizing you're not a young buck anymore. The night was very inspiring. Meeting a bunch of great kids all eager to hear new underground music, really gives you a boost 10 days into being on the road.

The show itself was unique for us. Will wasn't using his sequencer because of the PA setup and Brent's amp blew out during the first song. While people were tracking down a replacement amp, we played some songs as a 3 piece; a very stripped down performance; but rockin' nonetheless.

We hung out into the wee hours of the morning with our new friends from the city of brotherly love and once again made our home on the street we performed on. After being woken up a few times from the rambunctious locals who had already jumped into the Budweiser at 8am and were knocking on our RV asking us if we were "open for business" or going to "pay rent" for parking on the street; all in good fun of course.

We decided to make our way into our home away from home; Wal Mart and start the day.

Here's a google street view of where we played/slept last night. Rock N' Roll

Cheers,

View Larger Map

Newark, DE

After a great show in Pawtucket, RI we were really looking forward to our date at Bankshots in Newark, DE. Last April when we were touring we had a show in Pittsburgh PA fall through and Danielle's (our booking agent) intern who is familiar with Delaware put out some feelers to see if we could jump on a bill last minute. We heard back from Bankshots and they said we were welcome to open the show.

We weren't expecting much because we were in new territory without a fan base and on a last minute show. The band, Drunk Unkle was cool enough to let us share the stage with them. They're an awesome cover band with a huge fan base and certainly didn't need us on the bill. Nonetheless they were extremely hospitable and treated us like family.

When we were organizing this tour, we new we had to make it down to Bankshots in DE again. After getting the go-ahead from Drunk Unkle, we had our sites set on Delaware. We hit a bit of traffic going through NY and turned a 5 hour trip into an 8 our venture.

We arrived at Bankshots around 8pm. Not only were the guys from Drunk Unkle gracious enough to let us use all of their gear and let us play in the middle of their set at 11pm instead of the normal 930pm opening time slot. Sturdy, the bassist from Dunk Unkle was more than persistent to convince the crowd to buy our cds and merchandise. They played a killer couple of sets and we all caught up on Boston stories; Sturdy is originally from MA.

Sturdy and Angel kept us company in our bus after the show

After hanging with Sturdy and his wife Angel until 4am, we called the Bankshots parking lot our home for the night and turned in. We're playing a huge house party in Philadelphia right now and will be going inside momentarily.

We'll see you tomorrow.

Cheers,

Ross

Pawtucket, RI

Yesterday was a bit of a treat for us. We had the chance to go to the Narragansett Beer headquarters in Providence, RI and meet up with Matt our sponsor rep; thanks to Zack for coordinating as well. After saying hello to the gang, snapping a few photos and getting some sweet new gansett T Shirts, we repacked the bus with 20 new cases of beer. We packed every nook and cranny; I think we'll be finding cases tucked away for the next 5 years.

Matt from Narragansett gives us a proper send off

After we departed Providence, RI. We headed north to Pawtucket, RI. We were playing The Blackstone which is club we've played at before when it was located in Cumberland RI. The new location is beautiful. A spacious room with high ceilings, a big stage and great lighting. We played with some great bands; Volcano Kings, Stalemate, and Roz Raskin and the Rice Cakes. They all put on great performances, which made the night all the more energetic.

It was an interesting night because we've been on the road for over a week, but we still are hitting venues close to home. It was great seeing some hometown fans. Special thanks to Tom, Danny Sweet, Tank, Nicole, Adam, Aaron, Michele, Tom & Nancy for coming out and supporting us on the road. Yesterday also marked an important milestone for us. theWANDAS now have official beer koozies for sale at our shows. Only $2.00 - a small price to pay for cold beer. We've already tested them and give them the WANDA seal of approval; big thanks to Ernie & Jane for delivering the koozies and always being #1 fans.

We're on our way to Delaware to play with our good friends Drunk Unkle who we met on last tour. The koozies will be getting a work out. Totally pumped for the show!

Cheers,

Ross

Danbury, CT

After our chaotic trip out of NY we were looking forward to getting back into our groove of playing some shows. We pulled into Cousin Larry's fairly early so we had some time to make some dinner and relax before the show. Danbury, CT reminds me a bit of Keith and I's home town of Worcester, MA. When we got to the venue the bartender and locals were extremely friendly. We played there last April so we were in familiar territory.

The show was only a two band bill and we were on first, so we were able to take our time setting up our gear which is always nice. The show went off without a hitch and we were able to have a somewhat early night. We rolled back to Wal Mart, watched a couple episodes of The Simpsons and were off to sleep by 1:30am.

Will's Drums. He keeps pictures around for when he get's lonely.

We were up early today as we had to make our way back to RI for our show in Pawtucket and even more important we had to meet with our beer sponsor, Narragansett so we could stock up for the remainder of the tour.

Time to load in to The Blackstone in Pawtucket, RI.

Cheers,

Ross