"How much are the calendars?"

(I wrote this a few days ago and only just got around to posting it. Ooops.)
 
Sooooo.... that last post was a mushy one, eh? If you'll notice, I posted it at 6am. It was a very late night for me. I was pretty intoxicated. Glad it all came coherently. Since then, I've had some ups and downs, and am now teetering somewhere in the middle. I've got kind of an odd feeling over me most of the time. Feeling not myself. Sort of...out of body. I have some ideas on what's causing it. That's neither here nor there, however.

So we're on the Brand New and Thrice tour. Playing gigantic rooms every night to packed houses. It's a bit surreal. The guys seemed a bit nervous at first, but they're getting the hang of larger stages, barriers, professional sound, etc. It's working out pretty nicely. They've finally decided on an album title. I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone comes out February 23, 2010, on Bridge 9 Records. It was recorded by Mike Sapone, who did both Stateside and ...Is Dead, as well as some Brand New albums. They've started playing a song off of it live called "Not Dead". I think it's going over with the crowd pretty well. It sticks in my head. Then again, so do all of their new songs. I'm excited to see what next year has in store for Josh Spickler and the Stereos.

So I'm with another new group of merch guys, of course. For Brand New there's Mike, and for Thrice there's Dan. Mike does merch for mewithoutyou as well. And Dan was with 3Oh!3 all Summer I believe. Pro merch guys. I'm picking up some tips. One of Mike's signs says, "Think of me like a bartender, but instead of getting you drunk, I get you cloth. Happy Tipsgiving." A good sign is everything.

Which brings me to Merch Table Ettiquette. Here are some do's and don't's of the merch table:

• DO be aware of your surroundings. Don't ask me for Thrice merch. Don't ask Mike for Crime in Stereo merch. It's very simple. We stand in very specific areas and surround ourselves with just our stuff. All you have to do is LOOK.
• DON'T mess up my table. I understand you want to look at things. That's more than fine. Can you at least make some kind of effort to put things back the way they were? Also, quit putting your drinks down on my records.
• DON'T just point and expect me to know what you want. When you just point and say, "That one," it gets us both nowhere. I'm obviously looking at you, not behind me where you're pointing. AND it's pretty hard to tell which one you're pointing at anyway. Be descriptive. "The white one," "The one with the purple guy,"... that lets me know what you're talking about. "That one," does not.
• DO be aware of signs. Most of the time a merch guy will have sizes and prices listed. Look at them. Quit asking for a small when the sign clearly says "L & XL ONLY"
• DON'T ask me to hold the things that you just bought. You bought it. It's yours. Take responsibility for it. If you didn't want to carry your 3-foot poster, then you shouldn't have bought it right then. HOWEVER, should you tip me adequately, I'll be more than happy to watch it for you. This also goes for your coat or umbrella.
• DON'T ask me if we take cards. It's a merch table. Seriously. This is not Metallica. We are not in an arena. Most places have ATMs, but let's be real here. Cash is king. Always and forever. Were I doing merch for Dave Matthews Band or The Jonas Brothers, then yes, we probably would be taking cards. Shirts would also probably be $50, and you'd get a $5 service charge on top of it I bet.
• DON'T stand around and try to talk to me for 30 minutes. Yea, I get that you're being nice. And I'm fine with a little chit chat for a few minutes. But come on, man. If I don't already know you, I really am in no mood or position to try to get to know you right now. In fact, I'll probably forget your name when you walk away. I forget almost everyone's names. (I have a memory problem. That's another story.) I'm doing a job here.
• DO bring me treats. Books, alcohol, and candy would be my preferred treats. Not in that order.

So I've been trying to keep up with TV, but it's difficult. I'm at least on top of 30 Rock (of course). Loving it like always. The Peoples Gaypublic of Drugifornia is a great name. I'm catching up on Dexter which really is one of the best shows out there. It's right up near Lost in my book. Not parallel with, obviously, but it's up there at least. Loving John Lithgow so far. Need to see more of him. And I caught the premiere of Metalocalypse the other night. Goddamn that show is great. What the hell is up with the old guy that always used to say, "We waaaaaaaait...." all ominous-like??? What's awesome is that Adult Swim has proven that 15 minute programming works and can be EXTREMELY successful. I wouldn't be surprised to start seeing more and more of it in the future.

So we're driving to Baltimore right now. Playing at The Sonar tonight, and have tomorrow off. It's been raining for about 24 hours. I wish it would stop. Friday's Norfolk, and I've heard a lot about the venue, The NorVa. Clever name. Apparently there's a steam room though. I'm stoked.

Some shout-outs:

My man Jordan Lyon. Just because.
Brendan and Incendiary. On tour this December. Check it out. Mosh your heads off. http://www.myspace.com/incendiaryhc
Ryan Mac and Fat Scott. Love you dudes.
Bubba. Keep your head up.
The Redskins for winning a game.
Double entendres for being amazing.
Scottie Pippen.
And last but most certainly not least...
Tracky John John and Jimmy Mo.

Until next time...
Keep passing the open windows.