I got home from tour yesterday. Forty shows in 40 cities across the US and Canada, in 46 days with Kevin
Devine & The Goddamn Band, Bad Veins, and
The Dig. While I'm
ecstatic to be home, I'm physically, aurally, and socially exhausted–a
post-tour-stress syndrome that is almost as gratifying as it is
annoying, because it's a reminder that you, to borrow an sports phrase,
“left it all out there (on the field)” even though you feel like a
hearing-impaired, socially retarded bag of bruises–I'd be lying if I
said I didn't wake up missing it this morning.
And by “it,” I mean the
camaraderie of being with bands and crews, unified towards a singular
goal of putting on the best show we possibly can, every single night. I
miss the budding friendships with the bands we were out with, and hate
that after being totally immersed in those friendships for nearly seven
weeks, we now have to battle the forces of incompatible schedules
and inconvenient geography in order to ever have what we just had. (The
best way I can think of describing this to someone that hasn't toured
before is to have them think of the separation anxiety you'd get after a
week of summer camp when you were a kid–subtract the youthful
cluelessness, add adult social competency, wit and humor, and multiply
by seven.)
Most of all, I miss seeing and being inspired by great
musicians and songwriters playing fantastic songs every night. Being able
to spend so much time with these people, watching them play, picking
their brains about the “how and why” they do what do on a visceral
level, discussing theory (or lack thereof), influences, technique, gear,
etc. is absolutely invaluable to me as a musician. Even though I can't
(or won't) share all of our music nerdery, tour stories and
conversations, I can share music. So here are three songs I've
heard almost every day for the past two months that you need to hear
immediately (if you haven't already).
]
The Dig, “Look
Inside”
These guys were the band I was least familiar with prior to the
tour, but if the past 24 hours is any indication, they'll be the band I
listen to the most from here on out. I cannot stop listening to this
record. I saw these guys play this track 40 times (maybe more if
we're counting soundchecks) over the past seven weeks, and since I got
the Electric Toys record on Monday night, I've listened to this
track (no exaggerating) 33 times. I'm not sure I can give a
more ringing endorsement. It's got everything–energy, outstanding drums
and percussion, an infectious melody and impassioned vocals, a
ridiculously good bass line, gritty distorted Rhodes, atmospheric
synths, a dark hypnotic bridge, and a cathartic outro. Genius. In the 11 years that we've been touring together, I'm not sure if we've
ever played with a more talented group of musicians. Buy this record.
Bad
Veins, “Crosseyed”
Didn't Hear Until 2010, Bad Veins' self-titled album would be on top of that
list, without question. I actually stumbled across them this January via
former-NBA player and ESPN.com columnist, and current author,
flipcollective.com writer and podcaster, Paul
Shirley's Top
10 records of 2009. I've been hooked ever since. Their
record is jam packed with some of the catchiest songs I've heard in
years. “Crosseyed,” in particular, has been stuck in my head for almost
half a year, and it's not going anywhere. It got so bad at a few points
on this tour, that I actually caught myself whistling the melody from
the chorus every time I saw Ben (guitar, keys, synths) or Sebastien
(drums).
Kevin Devine, “I
Could Be With Anyone”
had heard a lot about him and his music via our good friends in Brand New and Manchester
Orchestra, who'd toured with him in the past. Both camps
gushed about how great Kevin and his band were as musicians, and even
more so as people, and they were spot-on. I think every tour has a
“glue” band–the band that holds everyone together, that strengthens the
friendships, that bridges the gaps in personalities–and Kevin and his
band were that band.
They're one of the kindest, wittiest, most thoughtful, and
most positive groups of people we've ever toured with. I think Kevin (a
brilliant lyricist, in my opinion) summed this tour up better than I
could ever hope to in a text he sent me early yesterday morning, when he
wrote, “..the great thing I feel with you guys is that due to the
gradual way that our friendships developed over its course, the tour
feels more like the beginning of actually being friends, rather than a
self-contained thing to be shelved upon completion.” So true. And that's
exactly why I'll always look back on this tour fondly. We could have
been with anyone, but we chose to tour together, and now we all have
friends, music, and inspiration that will last us a lifetime.
