006 Yes, Michigan

...the feeling's forever! Remember that jingle?

Sheesh, I have so much to say, there's bound to be a "clog in the torso shoot." That's a line from the Malibu Stacy episode of the Simpsons and I love using it whenever it's appropriate. If you send someone an abnormally large amount of text messages in a relatively short time, and that someone claims that only one was received... and then the others come an hour later at the same time... it was probably a clog in the torso shoot. All of the backed up traffic on the constantly de- and re-constructed Borman Expressway leading to Indiana & Michigan? Clog in the torso shoot. I just woke up. It is hot inside. It is hot outside... and it's hard to think.

Yes, Champaign, the feeling's forever! I spent 4 years there living, practicing, recording, and drinking... all while acquiring a worthless degree in communications, and i have a special place in my heart for the damn place. It was nice to be back, and the weather had a lot to do with my mood. I suppose if it was raining or something, i'd be flooded (nice one!) with all of the bad memories. For instance, my journalism professor pulling me aside and saying, "i really think you should start thinking about your grade" or leaving a statistics exam about a minute after it was distributed... or even worse, as a freshman, getting caught trying to sneak into a a frat party... under a fence!

So yes, even though the Courtyard Cafe was infamously too gosh darn big for the amount of people that came to the show, it really felt great. Very personal, and that's the way I like it. And plus, Nathaniel was able to use the standup piano that's up on the stage! And it was swell to see some of my old friends... After the show, we headed over to our pal, Paul's place, which was located smack dab in the middle of fraternity city. (uh oh, here comes another bad memory. one time, again as a freshman, my trusted friend from high school told me to go to this frat party and tell them i was this random person that they were expecting. So i gathered up some people, went up to the door and said "hey, i'm John Q. Whatever, can we come in?" They laughed in my face and said "No you're not." I then laughed in their faces and said "OK, then i'm LEAVING, so there!") At Paul's, we did some recording, devoured some pizza and breadsticks, and i fell asleep to the faint sounds of impromptu jamming of Saves The Day songs... complete with strangely beautiful homemade harmonies. Who was that?

Yes, Urbana, what a fucking dump. I have to mention that before the show, we took a drive around to see how the old Braid house was holding up. The answer is: barely. The poor thing is falling apart. Perhaps it looks exactly the same as it did in 1996, but we were just too buzzed from all the Rhinelander... I also drove by the house where we recorded the first two records and it's just as disgusting. You could easily imagine the house just collapsing if just the right number of pigeons gathered on the roof. In retrospect, what a great disguise for the thousands and thousands of dollars worth of recording gear, huh?

Yes, Chicago, the most beautiful place in the world on April 10, 2005! I was so jealous of Nathaniel's tourmate, Brian, on this day. Why? Because this was his first time rolling into Chicago and what a day! I take such pride in the place on days like this. In fact, I once gave sorta-out-of-the-way directions to a touring band coming in. I knew that some of them had never been here, so i thought it was important that they see the skyline emerge from the interstate 94 vantage point as opposed to the vile Interstate 90 Skyway-by-way-of-Gary vantage point. Don't tell them I told you.

I have a lot more to say, especially about the record fair, so we'll end this day's ramblethon with a

to be continued...