Merry

Hey ya'all... resident harp player here....

Just thought I would make a quick post to tell you all a very Merry one.  New Years is generally a bigger deal for yours truely... so look for something good then.  Regardless....

When I was growing up.. back in the day... I was brought up with the whole Santa Claus thing... but the wrinkle was, my Pops letting me hang in the kitchen way past bedtime listening to a guy by the name of Bob Collins broadcasting out of WGN radio in Chi-Town.  A huge blues fan, and generally one of the best DJ's of all time.  Played everything from soup to nuts on the radio...  So as is tradition, even back in the day, at the end of Christmas, Dad and I would call it a night with Eddie C Cambell, playing Santa's messin wit tha kid.  So for the hell of it, I google Bob Collins... and the show they published out on the interweb;  The last show I listened to live with pops....  Unreal.  Get a taste here:  http://wgnradio.com/shows/collins_bob/audio/index.htm  No Eddie C on this night... but regardless... a blast from the past.

With that being said...  Merry Christmas to you all.... It's been a helluva ride... and I somehow think it's just begun.

Best to you and yours.... and remeber, if your reading this.... we are still part of this ride.  Be safe on this holiday, and toast those that have passed, those that are still here, and those that are strangely inbetween.  

All my best....

mouse

It's 3am do you know where your Harp Player is?

Jammin congas with Jon French. That's where.

Well here I am Bloggin again. I don't have mad Madden skillz like Fat Todd but I do have a very humble heart after the bomb ass stuff he said. That's all I can say about that... period.

Tonight's short blog is summed up quite quickly.... with the term humbled.

Last night the Shibs rocked the Alchemy. Small Small bar and we were told we were loud. I'm not going to go into it too much, not really worth it, but if you wanted to see Randy Shib fit in an elevator, you saw it last night.

So off to my point. Tonight I went to Heathers with Jillian and Andi (not Fat Todd, the Judo Champion (not making that up)). Johnny was working and he pours a drink... well a WICKED drink. We leave there and head down to the Waters Edge... this lil dive in Stoughton. Cool Front was playing there and Ironically, this was the first place I had ever jammed live 9 years ago now.... with this band. So, by law, I had to go.

While Jillian took Andi home, this very drunk guy comes up to me, asks if I'm Mike Jr. and proceeds to tell me words that I will never forget. After he confirmed that I'm a midget racer, he tells me that my pops told him that the night I won my first feature was the best day of his life. Now pops never said anything of the sort to me... only said that I was fucking crazy (anyone who reads the blog could have said that) for racing and I should just play some harmonica. Well I am pops... I'm playing some harp. And if your listening... I'm playin the blues for you.

In the end, I jammed some Santana again, Colin thanks for helping me learn the congas Err C-Boogie, and the night was good..... but the random stranger put a tear in my eye... and made me once again realize.. it's all perspective, we are still in the game, still part of the ride, and we should cherish that fact.

Till next time.....

Mouse

The life of Fat Todd...session 1

First and foremost...I want to say congrats to Mikey and Jillian on their engagement. Mike showed me the ring after the show at Lucky's Friday night...very very nice, unlike anything I've ever seen. After knowing Mike for some time now, I've come to realize that when he does something, he does it big. Want to get some booze...Mike gets 5 bottles...one for each of us. Car just got hit by a deer...Mike will fix it for you. Need a plunger...Mike hands you two. Want to get married...Mike designs a ring himself. You get the point. Anyways, after a tough 2 week stretch...I'm glad to see that everything ended up just swell for both Mike and Jillian. Hell yeah man.

So some good things are in the works for The SHIBS...full details are soon to follow...or as soon as I get the word that I can tell the public. We are getting sponsored by Dickies, our publicist Shirley is working on our next tour, and it looks like we are looking to branch out in different regions of the United States. I can't wait.

In other news...I played a video game for the first time in over a year (with the exception of a couple games of Wii bowling, tennis, and MarioKart). Colin and I cranked up my original Playstation last week and played a riveting game of NCAA Football '99. With the score tied up at 16 with just over a minute to play in the 4th quarter and Colin's extra point pending...turns out the extra point is still pending as the Playstation stalled on us...it was pretty old. We were bummed out. However, this past Saturday, we played a little game of Madden '06 on Playstation 2 to settle the score...and I won 46-35. I thought Colin would beat me since he owns Madden...but the win was as easy as a freshman chick at a frat party. Share that simile with your friends and family.

Some things to note...my college friends and I have our 6th Annual Holiday Sweater Party coming up on the Dec. 20th...I'll be sure to blog after that one. Also, it just happens to be the worlds' original sweater party as it all began in 2003. Seems like everyone and their mom has a sweater party of some sort now...but just so you all know...we started it...it's a scientific fact. Also, the Polar Plunge is coming up on Jan. 3rd. This will be my 3rd year jumping...and all for a good cause.

Well that's all I got right now...random thoughts are coming. I have a feeling this blog is going to turn into something we all don't want...random thoughts from Fat Todd...wow...change the title...song done. I love you.

What's that smell... oh yeah.... Another Blog from mouse

Hey y'all. Fat Todd says that he will just start bloggin about what-eva... but he hasn't yet. So here I am with a blog for tha masses.. well the 14 that are followin us.

Never the less... two gigs and some other notes here... Sorry if things are all disjoint.

This past Friday, we played at Luckys. Andy channeled Jason Mraz for the first time. It sounded much better than last practice.. where Andy channeled a rabid duckbill platapuss. Let's just not go there... but Fat Todd and everyone did a heck of a job. The gig was a usual Lucky's gig, with an awesome surprise, my friend Phil and his brother Stevie were in the house, drove up from Joliet, IL area. {old school time.. Asics brothers and Meatball.. ask if you want to know more} never the less, the music was tight, snow fell, no fights, lights fell on innocent people (after their friend fell over them), and people had a great time. I'm truely blessed to be jammin with the Shibs. Far too much fun.

For those that don't know, Friday (Dec 5th) was 2 years for my father winning his battle with ALS (by "winning" I mean dying from). He was far from my father for the last 7 years prior to his passing, he was my best friend. Drinkin buddies, music friend (never missed a concert, never wanted to stop hearing the tunes), and always willing to reach a hand out than to ask for a hand out... He is responsible for my drive, my dreams, and my musical ambition. He did everything he could to give me a good life growing up, and despite some very hard times (long story), I never went hungry as a child (even if it ment hot dogs and steak-ums). When we knew that things were not going to be good, his last request was to have a few, see some racing, and hear the blues. We did just that Sat night. Something that brings a tear to my eyes, he never had the honor of meeting the SHIBS. Their music is amazing, the writing is from the heart, but more than that, they are great people. But I digress...

On Sat night, I sat in with the first band I ever played live with... Cool Front. But I have bigger news...

After dealing with my singing of Tupleo Honey, the love of my life accepted my proposal for marriage. Brian Moll from Main Street Jewelers did the work taking my vision, adding his thoughts and comign up with a 100% custom ring. J-Bah and Cheryl were there, and the other guys would have been if they could. Needless to say, even without being there, they were part of it.... and she said maybe (and by maybe I mean yes). What a ride.....

Lastly, it's tough to type right now, as my hands are extremely swollen from playing congas last night. Thanks to the SHIBS, Mark Devorak (Sparky from Subatomic. ) I have made some small strides in jamming in the percussion world. Jon, has played with the best world wide in terms of drums, and is one of the best jazz style drummers on the planet. The end result was an amazing Evil Ways. We traded off licks in an appoximate 15 minute drum jam. Add to that the fact that Jon commented to someone in the crowd that jammin on tour has done great things for me musically... just made the night complete.

Can't wait for C-Boogs and I to pull something like that off....

Well I should get some sleep... I have to re-design the group policy at work tomorrow, a major snow storm is heading in, and my back is killing me. The last couple of days have been more than tough... Dad's anniversey, my good friend Tom passing from Heart Failure, my Grandmother passing from diabetes, and Jillians' uncle passing. In the end though, I have to say, I'm blessed beyond words. I have a woman that loves me for me (and if you have been reading the blog, that's an accomplishment), I'm part of the Shibs... a group of guys that I'm not only honored to jam with, because they are not only kick "f*ckin" ass musicians, but people that I can call friends, and I have a roof over my head and food in my stomache. It's all about perspective y'all.

Til Next Time...

Mouse

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving from The SHIBs!

Thanks for all of your support...and eat a lot of food!

We love you,

The SHIBs

Not a Summary of the Tour.... But

Hey Y'all... It's the flowery, wordy, harp player layin down the science on the last couple of gigs. I'm not pullin out my tour summary yet... but I am chattin about the last couple.

So at this moment I can't remember which gigs I have talked about or not... so I'm just going to drop the words on the last times that I can recall. Since when have I been structured?

Monday brought us home. Work and responsibility for me, however a headline at the high noon was waiting. What a kewl night. Thank you all for showing up in force. We put a good crowd in the place and for a Monday night, we rocked the house. A great homecoming for the SHIBS and good music for us all. I was able to sit in with the opener, which was a ton of fun. I am a SHIB as long as I'm allowed to be a SHIB, but I still enjoy playing different music with different people.... Thanks Adam for lettin me jam... and the other Shibs for being kewl enough for letting me jam...

The next night we were in a place that I only dreamed of playing... bigger than the music, I was able to see my Grandmother before she passed. God Speed Grandma. With a heavy heart, I personally was in awe that we were playing Martyrs. The crowd wasn't what we wanted, but those that were there stayed.... I again got to sit in with the opener Jon Drake and had a ton of fun playing that night. Dream accomplished.

The next couple of nights were just amazing. Rocking the heck out of the Up and Under, and the hope is to be back soon... what a great club. We put a ton of people into Lucky's... Jordan and friends... Not to mention Miranda who brought a huge crew and worked her ash off bringing people in.... We are playing better than ever and the crowd seemed to just feed off of us. Add to that I didn't have to defeat the cobra KAI and it was a great night.

To wrap it all up... we put more people than Stella's have ever seen into the bar. My Aunt Jeanie and her friend Tina drove up from Chicago to see us, the crowd was INSANE, Shera and her friend showed up (who I haven't seen in like 3 years), Magdawg and Nick were on the scene... and those are just the tip of the ice-berg. We played out of our minds and it was only rightous to finish the tour as we did.

Sadly, I'm off to a funeral tomorrow afternoon, and a internment on Wed. I promise to work on the photos, and add some to this post... as well as my thoughts on the tour as a whole. It's been a sur-real experience with some of the best guys I have ever had the honor to step on stage with.. C-Boogie, C-Stash, That Homeless Guy included....

Til the next post..... I'm off to work on the pics....

Mouse out.

Southern Tour Wrap-Up

As promised...the tour wrap-up is here. The tour was quite an experience...something not a lot of people in this world get to experience...even it if was on a smaller scale than most tours you and I are familiar with. I must say that it went really really fast...I tried my best to soak in each city, venue, and person we came across...and to keep each experience independent from the rest...but that was hard to do. I remember some stand out moments...but there is so much going on...it kind of meshes all together.

The thing I will remember most about this tour is the people down south. Almost every single person we met down here was nice to us...with the exception of the folks at the P & H Cafe. It was actually quite amazing to me how well we were treated and received...it made me feel comfortable...and I'm sure the other guys felt the same. The pace of life is so much slower down south than it is here in the Madison area. I feel like we are moving at 100 mph all the time, while the people down south are moving at 50 mph. They talk a lot slower, move a lot slower, and don't take things nearly as serious as we all do up here. Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from that.

Southern hospitaltiy is alive and well. The stay with Georgia and Shirley assured that. Two of the nicest women I've met in my life...made us all feel at home when we were far from it.

All in all, the tour was awesome...and I can't wait to do it again. I think it's safe to say that we all became better musicians and performers as a result. Good times.

Favorite Show: Wild Wing Cafe in Savannah, GA

Favorite People: All the people at Leo's Cafe (especially John and Leo)

Favorite Food: The Waffle House in Greenville, AL at 4 am with JB

Favorite Beach: Tybee Island, GA (had to mention it one more time)

Last but not least...thanks to all of you who read the blog along the way. Although quite random at times...hope it was a fun read. If you have any questions for me about the tour...ask. Also, I plan to continue blogging for all who are interested...so keep checking back. The SHIBs need you!

Hippies like our music

Well here we are at the end of the Southern tour...driving back from Indy as we speak.  We will be arriving to Madison around 4:30 in the morning...get some rest...and then play the High Noon Saloon tomorrow night.

Tonights show went much better than last nights show...that goes without saying.  We played a short set which means we got to play our best tunes...and the hippie crowd was happy with what The SHIBs did.  People were dancing...and we got paid!!!!  JB gave in a 7 out of 10.  Good rebound from last night.  Pretty sure we were all anxious to play another show after last night.

Tour Update...I still haven't shaved my beard...I look good.  Colin has a rad mustache going, JB even has some stubble too...nice.  We look like a legit band now.  Also, JB is going to blog tomorrow...will tell you some stories about things such as the Waffle House in Greenville, a security guard named Leonard, and some things about Fat Todd.

My tour wrap up is still to come...and hopefully some pics will follow...stay tuned.

From somewhere in Indiana or Illinois...I'm out.

WTF?!?!? Summary of last couple gigs...

Ok... ADD time... and time to blog.  Fat Todd is Hungie.. and munching the left over PeeZaa.  Dammit Fat Todd.

So, growing up in the ghetz-o, I have seen my fair share of some wild joints.  The last couple of nights.  WOW.  I'm makin it a point not to repeat things you read in other blogs.  I've felt really bad over the last two gigs, as the bars were far too small to even have me play congas.  Over the tour I think I've made some huge strides on them... and when I can't add to songs I feel like I'm useless to the guys.  IE not contributing to the band.  Ehh  I'm just very very tired right now, and the upcoming gigs, I should be able to rock them out ;)

So Greenville, umm summary?  Security checking for knives at the door and if you had one, they swapped with a gun.  We walked in and immediaely were pointed out as "you must be the band?" But I must say, one of the best gigs of the tour.  Another location that I would term as turned into fans of The Shibs.  People were like who the hell are you... and rocked it at the end.  Colin signed drumsticks, we sold a ton of stuff, made some money for a change, sold cd's, and had people wanting to sign us up for repeat gigs.  No worries it's only 700 miles back :)  Thanks guys for making some out of towners feel welcome.  Add to it, thanks to Art Riejunio www.riejunio.com for some sweet amazing tee's that you will see us rocking back in mad-town, we sent several people to the site.  Shirley and Georgia, if you are keepin track of this.. let him know we have hooked him some sales.  Least we could do for the awesome ass tees.

Tonight.. well.. umm... to not repeat what Fat T-zodd said... it suked.  HARD.  Worst gig of my career playing harp.  People wanted to kill us... Literally.  Fastest Tear down of the entire tour. and I will just leave it as a lesson learned.  Maybe if we were a punk band, we would have had a chance.  Truth be told, well, at least the stash is rockin on C- Boogie.  We will kick ash tomorrow...  7 hours to the next gig....

Wiser Time by the Black Crows makes sense to me now.  Looking forward to rockin with you all back in town...

Mouse out

HEY Y'ALL

Ok y'all...blogging again...I tried to blog last night but the Internet was in and out...so here it goes for two shows.   Last night we played at Front Street Pub in Greenville, AL.  Rolled up to the gig and was throughly scared...not gonna lie...the place reminded me of Klinic in Madison.  Found out that Front Street was the only bar in the entire city of Greenville...and Greenville isn't a very small town...found that quite odd considering Stoughton has like 15 bars and is actually smaller than Greenville.  Much to my surprise...the show turned out to be a great success.  All the people dug us...we played tight...and we sold a bunch of shirts and CD's...hell yeah Greenville, AL.  JB gave it a 7 out of 10...a much higher rating than expected.

As for tonight's show...at the P & H Cafe in Memphis, TN...what a disaster...plus it's really cold here.  Not gonna spend much time on this one...I was actually slightly angered.  JB gave it a 1 out of 10...worst rating so far on tour...and may be the worst show we've ever played as a band...definitely the worst show so far as The SHIBs.  

Tour note...Mike tucks his shirts in his shorts...he's old...jk...not too old...but he does tuck his shirts in his shorts.  Moral of the story is the dude plays the harmonica unlike anybody I've ever heard/seen play harmonica...and that's cool with me.  We are in Indianapolis tomorrow...last stop before we are back in Madison.  It went really fast to tell you the truth...I will blog about my thoughts on the entire tour experience in a few days.  Side note on the tour note...Colin and I are all good for all who are curious...he apoligized for his childish actions and things are back to normal.  

COME TO OUR CD RELEASE PARTY ON MONDAY NOV. 17TH AT THE HIGH NOON SALOON IN MADISON, WI...WE START AT 9PM...DO IT.

The Ocean, its been a while since I've seen

Back on the road after an awesome stint at "Mama's" house (Shirley).  Rolling the windows down near Savannah, Georgia was pretty cool in itself; the warmth, humidity, and ocean air I expect down in Florida.

Before promoting the show and stopping at the hotel I sent us straight to Typee Island so we could walk the beach before the sun went down.  You can never really get tired of the Ocean.  An added bonus, I saw JB's legs when he rolled up the pants...he never wears shorts, so the legs are rare.  

Our hotel, maybe a 1 star...haha, The Thunderbird Inn was a classy joint settled in the ghetto.  But hey, we gotta go cheap.  Wild Wing Cafe is a cool place with good food and a music venue upstairs.  The Jets/Patriots game was on and most were cheering for Favre, making me wish I had my Jets Favre jersey.

The SHOW:

-ranked highest so far by JB, 9/10

-the crowd was awesome and perfectly rowdy

-Pete, our new Savannah friend, went around and collected tips for us...THANKS PETE

9 out of 10

Blogging after the show in Savannah...love this place.  First things first...went to the ocean today before the show...you all are jealous I know.  Anyways...onto the Wild Wing Cafe... 

The place was packed...we played awesome...the service was excellent...everyone that worked there was the bomb.  Bottom line...I love this place.  I would go back anytime...playing music or not.  Everyone dug us...there were hundreds of people in the crowd...Mike has pics to back me on that one.  BEST SHOW OF THE TOUR SO FAR.  I said it...best show yet.  Played well...sold some CD's...met a bunch of cool people...especially this dude named Pete who started a tip jar for us...Pete is in the service...one of the nicest guys I've ever met...I hope I run into him down the line.  All in all, people down South are amazing...so laid back and nice about everything.  I like them!!!!!

JB gives the show a 9 out of 10...hell yeah.  I like JB...we are in good right now...no fights to speak of...but as for Colin...starting to get mad at him...he looked at me weird tonight during one song...I didn't like it.  He has odd facial hair...and he's manipulating JB...not cool with me.  He better lock it up.  JB did make Colin do cartwheels tonight...Colin hit his head on a nightstand.  Til' tomorrow...Greenville, AL.

Some Pics from the Life....

The SHiBs jammin in front of Shirley's house. Kevin Thanks for the trailer...

Gimmie one reason to stay here... and I'll turn right back around. ( reasons below )

Hell Yes...

Sound Shaker loves what he sees... I'm right there with you man. Can't wait to party in Mad-Town with you man.

The Queen is on my right... Georgia on my left. Great people.. Great souls... and one consensus... I'm one crazy guy. Could have told them that :)

Thought I would give you a quick look. Here are some of the best. Well not all the best... but a few. Miss you all... but I'm thinkin I'm half southern.... Food, blues... wow. Stay safe everyone...

Zorro

The SHIBS got a solid day of sloth in today. Pretty much slept 'til noon, then ate some killer southern BBQ ribs and such that Georgia got for us. It was delicious eatin.

As Andy has said, Colin shaved the beard and is going with the mustache. I think it is very Zorro looking, so we need to get him a Zorro mask and a sword to complete the look. I'm digging it tho.

Checked out a movie today, Zach and Miri Make a Porno, which was a funny movie. Then a few drinks before bed. I'm excited to hit the road tomorrow and keep hitting new cities. It is cool to see what we can do in a new city with a fresh crowd. That is really becoming a good focus for us, and the people have been diggin us. Not to mention we are having a blast.

We love you all. Peace, Ryan

Warning, Drunken Mouse on the scene....

Hello everyone. I got everything done with work today and tomorrow is Harks is drivein so here I am a bloggin. I apologize ahead of time, likely not the most knowledgeable and clear blog I have ever written, had a lil wine at Mama's house :)

It's been an amazing ride... and we are still on it. I can't wait to see my friends, Jillian the most, but never the less... I have a puppy, a kitten and a cold one as I type this. Sweet.

So ADD time...

Last nights gig sucked. Ok I know all blogs before this said it rocked, but I thought I played like SHIT. The guys thought it rocked, but I felt bad cause I thought I let them down. I will for sure make up for it down the road, but a pedal broke, I took crappy pics (at the time), and was out of my head that I was playing at the home of WSP (Widespread Panic). So Georgia, one of the sweetest women I have ever met, asked me the other night about something, and I said the one thing I want, and Droho agreed, was some great southern cookin. Damn. All I can say. Damn. After a round of disc golf with Mike Droho this morning, we arrived home to several conferance calls with work... and umm some amazing cookin. Georgia, you know how to treat an ol boy from chi-town right. Best ribs, Fried Okra, Hash brown casrole... Damn. Damn. Did I say Damn Yet? You are far to kind Shirley ( The QueeN) and Georgia.

After I worked far to fuckin much, the Shibs wanted to go see a movie... Not my bag usually, but hell The Shibs rock, gotta go :) Great movie, Miri and Zach was sweet, made me think of Jillian. Not from our major Porn Label.... 4 inches of steel LOL... but cause we were friends first.... and ended up well Nevermind.

We get back to the house, worked on some pics (which you will see in a sec) and played some Zoom Swartz.... I played with wine. Mega fun.

Lucas wanted to jam and I really hate playing music so we sat down and played some music for our Mama err The Queen.. AKA the best host a guy could ask for. Lucas and his whole band are great guys. Jammin with him was a treat.... and an honor. Here's to some future music man. Your song writing is Sur-Real... not to mention you band playing some sick harmonica :)

Speaking of sick... Over the last couple of days I got to know the sound shaker a bit. This guy is the BOMB. Not only is he one of the phatest B-Boxers I have ever met, but the guy is as humble as all get out. His beats are out of this world, he wants to be a member of the CDC (Capitol Dining Crew) and might come over for some football when he is done on tour. Rock it man... have a safe ride, some great music, and catch you back in mad-town. And friend the hell out of him on website. The Sound Shaker....... Search for it... Looking forward to catchin ya back in madtown man.

Speaking of Sick Sick... Mike Droho and the Compass Rose. Disc Golfer (great round... better fishing my friend), and amazing vocalist/guitarist. We will definately be doing some gigs in the future, I owe you a good round of golf, and some good cookin late at night. Thanks for everything man. Look forward to jammin/takin pics/discin down the road. Be sure to catch him soon. I will bug you all with emails about it soon enough.

All Right. One last thing. We are heading back to Mad-Town on the 17th of November. And we need all of your help. Come Welcome us home..... At the High Noon. Official CD release party/tour. Tell your friends, come party with us... promise an amazing set.

Well Peeps.... I have some pics I need to get up. So you can have a lil glimpse into what's been going on.

Miss you all....

Mouse

PS. Today we all jammed Give Me One Reason. You will see the pics. Colin on kiddie key board... Shaker b-boxin, Lucas on guitar, I played some harp, Harkins on Vocals with Lucas... Lets just put it this way. Real. Fuckin. Music. and Rabbits Favorite Song. ( they didn't know that though ) What a ride....... (to be continued)

Who wants a mustache ride?

Colin shaved his beard into a mustache tonight...he looks rediculous. I'm the only one who hasn't caved in to society's pressure to be clean shaven...proud of that. Colin is drunk right now...he just fell over. JB is drinking a Pomegranate Mojito right now...grow up. I'm actually going to call it a night pretty soon here...need to catch up on some sleep. A reminder to all back to home to pick up an Isthmus tomorrow...we have an article in it...should be good stuff. Want to give a shout out to my girlfriend Kristy back home...and I want to thank Georgia and Shirley for everything they have done for us here in Georgia. We head out to Savannah tomorrow...pretty excitied to see Savannah...and Thursday shows are usually pretty good...I'll blog about it tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...stay classy San Diego (and by San Diego I mean everyone back home)

Your Favorite Blogger,

Andy "Fat Todd" Sharp

BBQ !

C boogy here, just got done showering and finally shaved off the beard...feels great but i kept the stash...looks trashy but im down...shirley and georgia are cooking us BBQ for lunch and the whole house smells amazing...they are truly the coolest/nicest people ever ! ! ! ...not sure what today are day off will bring but i bet its going to be better than what will be goin down in WI..jk..but its warmer here !

-Colin

ps...pick up an Isthmus on thursday SHB has an article comin... !

Untitled

Got our share of southern grits, biscuits and gravy this morning.  Georgia and Shirley are truly our road moms.  Today was weird because we didn't have to travel, so we were just chilling at the house.  Got a chance to work on some acoustic versions of our tunes, which we'll play for radio spots in the future.  Like Fearless Radio in Chicago on Nov. 18.

Athens is a lot like Madison and Tasty World is a sweet venue.  Although "Tasty" world doesn't serve food...hmm.  The place didn't fill up as much as we would have liked.  But we were there to catch Mike Droho & The Compass Rose set, which was f-ing unreal.  Anthony beatboxes and it sounds like a full drum kit up there on stage.  Droho's got some killer vocal range, and mixes in some hip-hop...pretty cool sound so check 'em out.

The locals, Princess Idiot, were heavier rock but it sounded good.  Our set was about an hour, starting with C-stash introducing the band in a heavy Australian-sounding accent: "ay this is Sharp & Harkins Band from Madison, Wisconsin! We've got Andy Sharp and Ryan Harkins on guitar and vocals, Justin Barak on the bass, Mike Adams on the harp, and my name is Colin Schaaeeeffer."  Something like that...it was hilarious.  Our set was pretty solid, even though I played a couple slide songs with one string tuned wrong.....I use different tunings for different songs and I missed a string.  oops

Nice to come home and just go to bed.  At 4:30am.  That is going to bed early now days.  Sleep 'til noon and repeat.  

I'll email our fanlist and facebook, but PICK UP AN ISTHMUS TOMORROW!!  The SHIBS will have an article in there!  

And get as many peeps as you can to our release party in Madison:

MONDAY, NOV. 17th, 9pm @ The High Noon Saloon

Tasty World and The SHIBs

Played at Tasty World in Athens, GA last night...pretty good show...started off by walking around campus promoting it with flyers and demos...Mike called a dude a chick...and then we went to get mexican food at The Taco Stand...cause they have no food at a place called Tasty World????

The Mike Droho Duo went on first...they were tight. Mike's also from Madison, WI...and it's just him and his beatboxer Anothony on this tour...first time I've gotten to see them live...and I was impressed. Check them out if you have a chance! A local band called Princess Idiot went on second...different style of music...more of a hard/metal rock band...good at what they do.
We then went on around 12:30am...started the show off with Colin announcing all of us in a British accent...thought we'd change it up a bit...I think we might start doing this regularly. We played an hour set...I thought it went rather well.

JB gives the show a 6 out of 10 on the SSRS...not bad for a Tuesday night. Special thanks to Sara (Zeimet) and Justin Tilton and Sara's brother Joey for coming out the see us. Once again, always nice when you know someone at the show...hope you all had fun. Sorry this post has little to no humor in it...I just woke up. Maybe I'll blog again tonight.

Ok so here it tiz y'all

As I sit here at almost 5am on a Monday night (I think) I have a chance to catch up on mah blog. Obviously the other guys in the Shibs (you didn't give any feedback now did you... So if you have it GIVE IT DAMMIT) (psst... we like it) have been bloggin away. All good. I, and you for that matter, would likely rather hear from them (cause they rock) than me. Well too bad. The PhotoTag has gotten some of the pics done and is now catching up. I'll give you the take on the past gigs and notes, and then try to blog more often so you get my take. Not promised but will get there. Sorry about the back tracking and the ADD like writing.

Day 3 Blackberry Sux and TN is kewl

After spending the morning in an attempt to get arrested for tap dancing at the UT campus, we learned that this weekend is homecoming… Rock. Tomorrow night will hopefully rock.

In today’s gloom news… sex over 60 is like shooting pool with a rope. Sorry Honey… I only have 29 years left.

The blackberry bug has struck me once again. People can call but I really can’t answer. I’m so freaking glad that I have paid 400 bucks for a POS PDA to fail me when I’m on tour. Ehhh worse things could happen....

Colin (C-Boogie) has just finish his political policy paper on the strife that is currently striking Georga. He feels that is is not the sole responsibility of the US to arm and insure rogue nations. Doing so will only serve to deplete the national resources that we so insensely need at home and continue to esclate already terse relations with the Russians.

It’s 7:34 in the PM and we are chillin at the French Quarter Café. We are playing second of 3 bands and jamming for about an hour tonight. When we showed up it looked as if we would be playing for a gathering of dust mites, but the granny’s that are blue tooth enabled are starting to come out in force. We should have a decent crowd by later tonight when we go on. As we later discovered, this gig sucked. See other blogs. Never the less, I can say we played in Nashville, which is about what you get paid, how you get treated, and the people are generally just there to, well, "make it" Hopefully, we have a better experience the next time we play here


Blackberry has redeemed themselves by given me a schweet bright red World edition blackberry to ease my pain of their sub-standard firmware on the 8330. They have appeared to confirm the bug that a reported months ago.... Thanks to the kindess of TN Verizon Workers.

We decieded to graze here for the night… We all ordered Salt, Colin hooked up the Morton Special, I went with Rock, and Andy dined on Deep Fried. Actually I got the Alligator, which seemed like being adventureous and when I ordered it the waitress said you want WHAT? Always good… Well it wasn’t worth the 11 bucks and I think the alligator is still alive… But I have enough salt to fill the softener at home for a month.

It’s 7:41 in the PM and the the savory salt that we all had for dinner is one upping all of us. I’m running through pics while the warm up band plays. If I had to place them I would say blue olives… Wannabes. The Olives Kick Ash and these guys just seem to be well be, Olives you have them, just don't play the French Quarter in Nashville. It’s amazing playing here but the feeling here right now is one of we are all better than you band. No worries though… The SHB is better than they are… LOL

After rocking the house we got the heck out of there. GAK A bit of my music soul died tonight. In the sense that all the bands "" that played were hell bent on collecting money from the audience. Call me a purist, but if you have to strongly suggest that someone give you $$ for playing, you doing it wrong.

I have to give a shout out to Ashley (buy the new CD she is singing the soulful backups) and her boyfriend. They put us up for the night, delt with all the shit that went down at the French Quarter, and put food in our mouths. Such good people in a town of sharks. Thank you both, it won't be forgotten, and you have a place with us if you ever need one in mad-town.

The next night saw us heading to Knoxville and jammin at Lou's Cafe. As you may have gathered from other blogs, they were the best of the best. Leo, John, and for that matter everyone that came out. I couldn't have been more overwhelmed or felt more at home... unless Jillian and the mad-town gang were there. Some pics are up already, but I'm too tired to post more to this blog right now. The Ships play for 10 like we do for 50 like we do for `10,000. And we played for an amazing crowd on this night. Wise up y'all. and get to Leo's. Amazing Food, Amazing People, and just one of the best places we have been in, shit, I have been in, in my life. You guys rock, and keep diggin, you will get there, just remember the SHB when you pack the place :)

So off we go to the New French Quarter. And again, from the other blogs, you get the idea. We worked the streets for 3 hours before the gig. Least we can do... Funny part? Fire again. See our earlier blogs, never the less, trucks axes, and the smell of smoke... Nice. We ran into Yoko (her Ashville name) in the process of handing flyers to hippies and hobos (seriously). C-Boogie is now Nico, until we leave Ashville. Very Very Very Very Granola town. Hippies (and I consider myself one) but just non-working hobo hippies everywhere. Wild. So we show up, set up, cause we were told to play 2:30 hours, then John Wilkes Booth shows up, and take it from any president... that can't be good. No biggie, we were told we were it but hey, work with it right? After learning that they wanted to "get out of here right away" we proceeded to run sound for them, (thanx Ryan), and after soundcheck, just like a nice band would, they left.... only to start 30 minutes late.... Thanks guys. Regardless the classless moment of the night was from there "fans"... When they were cheering (4 of them) to play an encore, and they said the had to leave... we got a Fuck Them from the fans. Nice....

Want Nicer? Somewhat of a theme has developed... and it's breathtaking... On this night, and not only this night... when we started playing, the staff started calling friends.... add in a Movie Fest of people that were friends with someone at the bar by the second set we had 6 times the people in the bar. Plus, I was able to meet some of Andi's Fam. Class people, but look at Sharp, why wouldn't they be class.

So now you are up to today... And Eddie's Attic. Bar that is made famous by John Mayer as where he basically started it all. Off day for the Shibs, but not for Lucas Cates and his band which ROCKED the place. I took some pics which you will see eventually. Right now this post is far too long and I'm far too tired.

BUT I do have some thoughts of my own... and a "here's my take" shot at all of this.. So prep yo self.. and here it goes....

Over the duration of this trip, I have met and continue to meet such kind hearted people. All Races all Walks.. just people. I will openly admit its damn fuckin tough to choke back the tears when I think of what Dad wanted me to do, and what I am doing. I, wait not I, We have taken the stage on 5 consecutive nights outside of tonigh, and done something that, for me, is sur-real. We have made people feel our music. Alot of gigs left.. which I can't wait for... but this is just too damn cool.

So, I should really end this freaking blog. I'm tired... Very Tired... but wouldn't trade this for anything. As a band we are tighter than you all could ever imagine... every gig we grow and the sound is beyond words... As people we have grown by dealing with the adversity, and the highs and the lows, and as for me... somewhere, in some place... I hope a Rabbit smiles. Because despite missing Jillian beyond words, this is one helluva ride....

Til tomorrow.....

PS... sorry for the poetry

FAQ

Q: Why does this blog often seem like a bunch of crazy schizos with a typewriter?

A: Simply put, this blog is not intended to make sense. It is more an experiment documenting the second by second thought process of the species known as shibolous areoudlse

J-Bah #2

Sooooo...bloggin again. drinkin a Mikes Hard Cranberry Lemonade...I wish it was miller lite, i really like Miller lite (contact www.sharpandharkins.com for sponsorship)...however, tonight me and Fat Todd made up. I bought him a crystal vase to make up for my offensive behavior at Brackins....I dont think he realized that was from Triffanies cuz he broke 5 mins later, and thats okay...I mean twelve grand down the drain on College Ave outside of Eddies Attic...thats fine as long as me and Andy are cool....also I have a full grown beard, I pretty much look like ZZ Top and feel good about it. I saw the Smokey Mountains, and they definitely made me want to smoke! see ya.

-JB (from Andy's account)

Just like riding a bike

Ever ride a bike, then do it again... i dont care. Andy rode a tricycle and the bell sucked, so I didn't see it coming through Shirley's kitchen. Shapeshifter (JB) should have given me a heads up on that. Like an episode of Jackass around here. lovin' it

Good show tonight in Decatur, GA. We didn't play, but we went to an open mic at Eddie's Attic. It was sort of a competition, and Shaun Hopper won the prize. He was kick ass on the guitar and he's touring with Tim Reynolds. Rock on.

tomorrow should be a sweet show and packed, since it is in Athens, GA...so we are pumped for that

miss ya'all back home and you show get your peeps to the High Noon Saloon when we get back (nov 17).

Day 6...JB and I are friends again

Blogging...proud to announce that JB and I are no longer in a fight. He bought me a crystal vase today...I like him...we are in Georgia now...it's pretty cool. Our publicists are nice enough to let us stay at their house for the next three days. Actually, there are 3 bands here tonight...all from Madison. The SHIBs, the Lucas Cates Band, and Mike Droho...cool dudes.

Colin had a funny joke today in the car...I'll tell you all later about it...played phase 1o (a card game) in the car ride from Asheville, NC to Stone Mountain, GA...Colin cheated and won...Harkins and JB don't know that he cheated but he did...hope Colin has bad dreams about that tonight.

We play tomorrow in Athens...should be a good show...right on UGA's campus...we will rock it but that goes without saying.

Tour Update...Colin, JB, and I still haven't shaved all tour... Colin and I don't plan on doing so...JB's facial hair is invisible and he will shave tomorrow and none of us will even notice...Harkins shaved...kinda mad at him...Mike shaved...holy schnikes.

Day 5??????

In Asheville, NC last night...played a show at The New French Bar. Asheville reminds me a lot of Madison, very progressive and lots of hippies and hobos. We got all set up and ready to go, and a local band came called John Wilkes Booth and the Sabretooth came in and said they were supposed to open. Don't think that was their actually name...but whatever. Lead singer looked like John Wilkes Booth. Pics to follow.

We ended up getting on stage around 11:30pm...played two 45 minute sets that went relatively well...and called it a night. Thanks to The Asheville Film Festival Rejects, we had quite a crowd. Talked to some people after the show named John (from Louisville) and Mary Ann (from Germany). They loved our music...Mary Ann actually asked me if we were famous in the States...very nice...and they bought me a $7.50 shot of some Vodka drink...thank you.

Highlight of the night...my cousins and uncle made it to the show. A pic of all of us is directly below this post. I want to thank them for coming out, it was really nice to see some familiar faces in the crowd. JB's SSRS...6 out of 10. Not bad considering the start to the night.

*Tour update*
We don't hate eachother yet. I tried to stab Colin with a pencil yesterday...but that's about it...pretty innocent stuff. Oh, and I'm a little mad at JB from the second night still...and he knows it. He keeps trying to buy me things to make up for it but I'm not letting it go that easy. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to stay mad at him though, his pouting lips are getting to me.

Wild night, But Andy's Fam is supa kewl :)

A quick look at the COOLEST Bar in TN

John, You said you treat us right and you were not lying. Your service and hospitality will be missed. Leo, you have a great manager and a staff you should be proud of. Good luck with the pop conga hit man. Stick with it. Took me a week of annoying Jillian for it to work :)

Own it Tiger... Thanks for being a great sport.

F. T.

..Cboogz is back for one more ya'll...you think you got a cool nickname..yours sucks compared to Andy's new nickname...stay tuned if you wanna find it out...it will be released to the public on the last day of the tour and if you can't handle that you should move to Canada and not be an American....i founded this country on rock and roll...jb tells storys about my chest hair which is just not true ... i waxed earlier this week b4 tour...


FAT TODD

thats his new nickname CHECK IT OUT

C BOOGZ last entry

You know you wanna move to knoxville eh?

ok...this is cboogyz last entry...blogging really takes a toll on your mind and soul...it is both physical and mental...this is hard...when your really not a blogger it shows....and i am NOT a real blogger...ive been hiring homeless people to write all my truth talks so far...alright thats not true...hey nick hows texas i know your reading this shiz...i censor stuff cuz my 5 year old baby Maria Carey is readin this...tonight i rocked so hard that a lady in the front row said she named here baby boy Colin ... that is truth... do you guys wear jammers at night...i don't....alright truth time for real Elena you look good and your a big part of my life...thats truth time...hey nick hows texas..REPEAT...alright folkie folk folk folks...san diego i love you...some people can't handle life on the road ?...give me your tears gypsy...

Cboogs last entry

...or is it


??

From The Mouth of the J-Barak (J-Bizzone)

so this is my first blog..........BLOG...i love blog. Show tonight was fun in case you missed andy's I gave it a 8. Not many ppl there but John at Leo's cafe was the coolest dude in the history of the world..Dollar bills have pics of G. Wash on them...they should be john. If you are in Knoxtown goto Leo's cafe...best goddamn bacon cheesburger and french fries (those were awesome fries) I've had on tour. So I thought I'd tell everyone about my dream cuz I dont really have anything else to talk about.....I'm walking through a forest and I wrestled a bear, and kicked its ass. But when i woke up I was entangled in colin's chest hair. Pretty sweet start of the day. Sorry I havent blogged earlier....but seriously how gay is blogging....anyway I have a travel journal which is pretty much an analog blog, so I've been anti-blog. Somer schavez has been a good day!

From the Road Day 3 enroute to Suk Villa (French Quarter)

Misty Mountains of painted rain
wash away miles of sleep drenched
asphalt beneath our tires....

Hillsides splashed with summers
fallen soldiers, arms barron
after being stripped of
their foliage
defense

After 145 miles of slumber;
lights come up, people cry
as we bare our souls once again.....

Catch Up Time for Mouse

Hey y'all. Ton O blog updates coming up. Last night sucked tonight was amazing. Notes to follow... Just givin a heads up that the ol harp guy was so pissed, he didn't even blog last night. Yep, A-Sharp took care of it all, not that I won't comment, just saying why some of these blogs seem outta place. :)

Knoxville: As good as Jack Daniels

Some nice musical therapy tonight after last night's shananninananangans in Nashville. Felt right at home at Leo's. John and Leo are too kind there, making sure everyone leaves happy. They really love music as much as we do. Thanks for the support and a good night guys and gals of Leo's! I think that with the great people at Leo's they will be an acclaimed venue in Knoxville, as they should be, by the time we drive the SHIBs bus back this way.

We also got an awesome surprise just before showtime. Our booking and publicist ladies, Shirley and Georgia, came to Leo's from the Atlanta area! That's good stuff, considering they put this baby together and we are having an amazing time. The schedule is just taking some getting used to. aka, i need to sleep...Love' em....Loving it...Peace

Check out next Thursday's Isthmus!!!!! We did an interview with them today on the phone, and there should be a sweet write-up in there by Rich Albertoni, who is cool shit.

Leo's Cafe...I LIKE YOU

Where do I start....I'll start with John...the first guy we met at Leo's Cafe in Knoxville...and also one of the nicest persons I've ever met in my life. He knows music too...and I'm pretty sure he liked us. Actually, the service at this place was amazing...unlike anything I've ever seen before.

The food at Leo's was amazing (Leo himself was there too and was a kick ass guy to say the least). I had the Salmon...and it was more delicious than the beer tonight...and that's saying a lot. If you are ever in the Knoxville area, stop at Leo's for a bite to eat. Also, best french fries so far on tour...hands down.

I felt like we legitimately rocked out tonight. Good energy...good times..we did our thing. We signed some T-Shirts and CD's...we rock. I am proud to announce that JB gave the show an 8 out of 10 on the SHIBs show rating system...which will now on be known as the SSRS so I don't have to type it out all the time. We are going back to Leo's Cafe....song done.

Andy

Suchi

I forgot to tell the story about our friends in Maryille, Tennessee who talked about cooking for about 20 minutes.  "What you do is get yourself some good fish like a flounder or snapper, then you slice it real thin.  Put it in some lemon juice and vinegar overnight and it pickles overnight.  IT AIN'T SUCHI NOW, CAUSE IT AIN'T RAW."  

That was just too funny.  Good guys though.  Lot's of southern hospitality around here, and the people are awesome.  Brackin's Blues Bar in Maryville is awesome!

French Quarter Cafe...2 out of 10

I'm going to keep this one short a sweet. We played in Nashville last night, the country music capital of the world. We don't play country music. That wasn't the bad part. We were supposed to go on at 9pm and play for an hour. We ended up starting at 11:45pm and played for maybe 45 minutes.

The place was unorganized, and we didn't end up getting paid...mass confusion ensued. We were ready to go and on stage before the sound guy...never a good sign.

JB gave the show a 2 out of 10 on The SHIBs show rating scale. We didn't lost any equipment...that's one point. And Ashley Sannes came out (who I want to thank and apologize to at the same time)...that's another point. That is it folks. I will not say folks again in later blogs.

Andy

cheese danish.com....truth talk number 9.48.39

Yoski...you might know me as colin, you might know me as cstash mcgrath...either way..newsflash the names c-boogy...i have a story to tell you folks...i flippin love cheese danish...and i love the south...kinda...have yet to make a full decision on that...alright welcome to colin's truth talk session number two...check it...tonight Andy said I love you, you might have already heard about it in his blog...either way its a big step for our relationship and im not really 100percent sure how i feel yet...i mean hes cool but relationship? not sure yet...road vodkars tomorrow...im not driving...jk i'll drive...i have yet to drive any vehicle besides a station wagon...my new favorite artist is The Shibs...they will rock your socks off put them back on for you and then rock em' off again...i'm really happy that at this time of my evening i can still put ' in my words...alright here is my southern blog notes...hey y'all ferkin caught me nonstop love fest you or the reason for southern...you're welcome WI...alright the b-mates (band mates for you stupids), are telling me to sign out because they think i suck...jk they told me i jell shit like WELCHES....alright if anybody thinks i should start my own late night talk show email me at cboogyboogfest@cboogyfest.com....check me out tomorrow for another session of cboogy truth talk...ill tell you about life and cheese...


cboogy
colin
schaeffer
Boogy

It's 3am do you know what your PhotoTag harp geek's doing

Posting some freakin pics... Enjoy...

Ok Major Decisions on the Road...

Dateline 7:27 in the PM Some where near Excessive Violence TN

Ok.. more drivel from the band… and we need your feedback. The executive decisions have been made that Valkery Runestone, Valerie Schaffer Band, and the SHiBs are awesome bandnames. The Shibs (Sharp and Harkins International Band) and/or C-Boogie and The Shibs. Should we change are name yo?

Road

After 7.5 hours on the road, we are just 5 miles out of our gig at Brackins Blues Bar. The consensus has been made that Mountain Frost from Aldi’s is actually goat urine with a spritzer of Squirt. Colin has had his teeth removed from the drinking of the sweet nectar of the Mountains, which ironically allows him to blend in with the locals at the gas station we just stopped at. Never smooth to remove the case of empty beer cans from your truck when you are drunk. DAMN THEM SMALL CAN OPENINGS. Given that open intox in TN is legal, it may be road beer time. And I think our new found friend cleaning his truck at this gas station didn't come back from lunch.

From Mike's Mind while Driving

The 80 degree pillar of light
Defeated by the hue of leaves
That have fallen to Autumn attack.

Peaks of past battles etch into the sky
Interrupting the warmth of
A setting sun.

Miles of pavement bask
In what little is left
As night swallows the day.

"I put into Maryville, Tennessee and you wouldn't even come around to see me"... Got some laughs and cheers starting Ben Harper's Steal My Kisses with that line.  Brackins Blues was a cool venue, lots of history, and a great sounding room.  We barely made it with the monster haul to get from Terre Haute, IN through Kentucky and to the Knoxville area.  New band name: C-Boogy and the Shibs.  haha.  Bought gas today for $1.99/gallon...so I filled the van with it, selling it on ebay...peace

THE SHIBS

Early Friday morning, just got back from the gig in Maryville, TN at Brackins Blues Club, and have made the 30 minute drive to Knoxville and our Holiday Inn...a step up from the Super 8. Not a Holiday Inn Express...kinda pissed...but I'm over it.

We straight up were ballin' tonight. It was an older crowd and the place reminded me of Stellas except more bluesy and the fact that many many legends of music have played at this joint. People were diggin' it once again...an old guy in suit bought us a round...two guys talked with to me about real cajun food after the first set...and I talked to a dude named Wayne after the show about life. Drank some Yuengling tonight...my Uncle Bob would be proud.

On a lighter note, we are changing our band name to The Shibs. No questions asked. Song done.

JBones gave the show a 6 out of 10 on The Shibs show rating scale. I disagree with him...it's all because he turned his own bass down because be were at a blues bar. His own fault...that's what I say. I told him to turn it up after the first set...he said no. I even told him that I loved him during 'Everything' and he just snickered at me. I then turned to Colin and said the same thing...of course I got an I love you back right away from him. I think JB was in a bad mood...I'm done. K Byeeeeeeee.

Andy

Terre Who?

Well, show 1...donesky.  Pretty good crowd at The Verve last night.  We promoted the show by handing out flyers at Indy State as the students evacuated their dorm hall because of a fire.  Coincidence?...I think destiny...haha.  By the way, Super 8 in Terre Haute, it is like a five star resort, and I recommend it.?  All I have to say is that I met an Obama supporter in IN, oh yeah.  Go Obama...loving it.  Tennesee=whiskey...lets go

First Day

What up homes...truth talk with Colin...C-Boogy...show was good...got to rock hard and fast..thats what she said...ill let you all know about the fire that happened at dorm 108 tonight when we got here...rip to all those who were involved...we handed out flyers to retarded lunch people....this band is way cooler than yours....alright...truth talk session one is available here...for you...the people...join in for session two posted when you wake up and go to work...free continental breakfast here at super 8..im gonna get toast and grape jelly...think about that...republican chics are ugly

-c-boogy...colin...cstash mcgrath

Terre Haute and The Verve...Great Success

Hello to all who are reading this. It is 3:30 am and we just got settled into a fine Super 8. First things first, the drive down to Terre Haute went very smooth, and we arrived here around 7 pm Eastern Time...not bad. For those of you who don't know anything about Terre Haute, it is home of Indiana State University, which is where Larry Bird went to school. We actually got our picture taken on Larry Bird Avenue, good times. We went to The Verve first, and talked with a dude named Brandon (I called him Brando the whole night) who had a hardcore southern accent. He claimed he was from Appleton, WI, which I didn't buy...just kidding...he seemed like a legit guy. We spent a little time on campus handing out flyers for our show at The Verve, and then went back to The Verve (which was a block off campus) to play some music.

The show was killer to say the least. The crowd was digging it. One guy in the crowd told me that our version of 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' was the best he's ever heard...I agree. Multiple people told me that we were the best band to ever play at The Verve...of course they were probably drunk but I liked it. Everyone at the show was very nice and wanted to talk to us between sets and afterwards. It's always nice to have people that want to interact with you about the music...and about life. Also, JBones gave the show a 7 out of 10 on the SHB show rating system...not bad.

All in all, the show was sweet, the people were sweet, and Terre Haute was sweet. I would come back here again...I'm going to bed now.

Andy

First Night First Blog

Given that this is the first time that I have ever tried to do this, look for this thing to "evolve" as I and the band add to this. It's been a long day of travel and music, and as I sit in the same Super 8 that I have stayed in years past after watching some of racings greats do battle at the action track. It is honestly surreal to me that we are doing this and I'm fortunate enough to share my soul with people across this great country. Sleep calls at this hour, for an 8am conference call will wake me early before we head back on the road for some 7 hours to reach the next gig in TN. All the guys from the band have now been invited to blog, so you'll get their take as well. Photos, more of my thoughts, and a summary of the world to follow... Stay tuned y'all