After a long summer of regional gigging and a grueling September packed with festivals and block parties (i know.. tough life) theWANDAS are back on tour. This time we're hitting the entire U.S. We'll be dropping about 10,000 miles on our new (to us) RV..err... Tour Bus..
The tour officially started on Oct 1st at the Brick House in Dover, NH. Our first time playing the venue and I think our first gig in New Hampshire. For being our neighboring state we don't make it north that often.
The venue was a perfect start to the tour; nice vibe, good layout, good sound, friendly staff. Some of Brent's family made it to the show along with Danielle (our booking agent) and our good friend Jinsen from 28 Degrees Taurus. Gathered in with the local crowd it's always nice to see some familiar faces.
After the show we spent our first night sleeping in the bus. It's a bit more spacious than last tour. Keith and I are still sleeping next to each other, but out of choice, not necessity. Well it's a queen size bed... what would you do?
The next show was on our home turf; Tommy Doyle's in Boston, MA (Harvard Square). The venue has become our go-to spot for good times and raucous shows. We shared the stage with our friends the Jeddo Stars. They played a killer set and really set the mood for the night. They're a great band, with great fans.
The night was truly special. It was great seeing all of our friends and fans who have been coming to shows for years in conjunction with all of the new fans who have been gathering with the latest release of New Wave Blues.
Brent & Keith taking a page out of The Beatles book at Tommy Doyles. Photo by Jesse Power
The set was fun because we played a lot of the newer songs, but when pressed by the crowd for "one more song" we decided to play Promised Me Then; something Will has always wanted to do for an encore since joining the band. After the show we walked across the street to one of our favorite last-call spots; Noir. We spent the rest of the night with friends and loved ones as we won't be seeing them for a couple months.
We're on our way to The Elevens in Northampton, MA one of my personal favorite cities; after spending 4.5 years living in Western MA. I'm sure we'll have plenty of fun tour stories for you. We're just getting warmed up. See you in NOHO.
Cheers,Ross