Thank you Kris Engelhart for the awesome review of our album, Karma Machine. You can read the review here on the Backstage Axxess website.

Peace!

Kill Ritual partner with ESP/Takamine

We would like to thank the folks of ESP Guitars for the endorsement of their guitar line. Both Steven and Byron received new guitars from them just in time to debut at our Vamp’d show in Las Vegas. Steven received the M-400M BLCM, and Bryon received the EC-1000T/CTM DMZ BLK. David will be receiving one of the Takamine acoustics in the next few weeks as well.

Please visit ESP, they are the home of some amazing artists such as; Jeff Duncan (Armored Saint), Frank Bello (Anthrax), Gary Holt (Exodus) and many other greats, and now to include Kill Ritual on their roster.

March 25th
Our last show has finally come and gone. It was a good tour and I’m grateful that we got to end it in my hometown and at my favorite club. Thank you Korie Koker, Alli Adams, Danny Gentile and the rest of the staff at Vamp’d for your hospitality. Thank you to Ron Sperling of Indee Asylum for filming the show and interviewing the band. Thanks Archer for a kick ass show and congratulations for ending your tour with a bang with us. We appreciate it immensely. And last but not least… thank you to the fans who were there in every city supporting us all the way!

March 24th
We got back to Vegas last night and we were all just too hyped up so we went to Vamp’d to see my buddies in Tailgun who got to open for UFO! Tailgun… my favorite local band, hands down. Thanks for the CD Dru! Vamp’d was packed last night and it was good for the guys to see what they were in for. I introduced them to my favorite soundman on the planet, Jason Froberg, and all of the Vamp’d regulars. I’m sure their heads were spinning with faces and names. I promise not to quiz them. So, all in all, a very good night.

Woke up this morning, very well rested. Victoria is sitting out in the driveway ready to clock on some more miles… sorry girl, this is the end of the road for you I’m afraid. 7000 miles we have been with her but tonight will be her last romp with the boys. Tonight we play Vamp’d with another Bay area band, Archer. We got to hang out with them for a bit last night… they too have been on the road since February. Very cool that they got to play on the Monsters of Rock Cruise. I hope we get to do that someday soon.

So… anyway, tonight is a FREE show… thanks right, Free!! Come see us and Archer. Show starts at 10pm so take a nap if you need too. This will be both ours and Archer’s last show of both of our tours. Guaranteed we’ll be pulling out all of the stops. Peace!

March 23rd
Last night we played The Blooze Bar in Phoenix, very cool venue and it was nice to see a crowd of people out on a Tuesday night. Thank you to Kat and Robert, the owners, for their hospitality. We sold a good amount of merch… the lesson for next time? Make sure we have plenty of CD’s and shirts. For the Vegas show we’re going to have to take orders seeing as we are completely out of CD’s. In the last month we’ve sold over 150 CD’s, 100 or so t-shirts and gave away about 500 stickers. Not too shabby really. Next time we go out I’ll make sure we’ve got at least 500 CD’s and an adequate amount of t-shirts. Our friend Eric got the t-shirts for us, which I am grateful for… the only challenge has been the Large Men’s and Women’s T-Shirts… I had created such a cool design this time around that everybody wanted that and not the old ones. Eric is getting us some by tomorrow.

Sorry for the delayed blog posts… it seems that as the tour winds down so has my motivation to keep up with this. Almost over. Today we head to Vegas, but first I’m going to have to bring Victoria over to the tire shop to see if we can plug the tire… she’s losing air rapidly overnight and if we don’t get her fixed we might be stuck hitch-hiking in the desert. Makes for a cool video though!

Next stop… Las Vegas, Nevada. Home. Come join us Thursday night at Vamp’d. This will be a show you definitely do not want to miss.

March 21st
We spent pretty much the whole day on the road so I missed a day of blogging, sorry about that. We left Pueblo in the morning and decided to take Route 160 through the mountains over across to Durango. I really miss the mountains… I didn’t realize how much until we got up to head out on our drive. It was 30 degrees out but you would never know it because the sun was always there warming your shoulders. If you’ve never felt this sensation of hot and cold together, get up to Colorado. The beauty of Colorado, to me, is the sun. There are are more sunny days in Colorado than most any other state. Especially the east coast. If it snows one day, then the next day the roads are clear and you’re out on your bicycle. Of course you have snow storms there and a few gloomy grey days, but for the most part it is this incredible weather. The whole drive we had beautiful skies with amazing colors all around us. Driving 12hrs was really no problem at all, even at night the sky was on fire with red’s and purples. Magical! If I could convince Taylor to move back I would… I’ve pushed the subject more than once so I don’t touch on it too often. Her heart is set on Hawaii and there is nothing wrong with that. Hawaii has it’s own beauty which I am willing to explore someday.

Eventually, our drive led us to the Four Corners region. If you are unfamiliar with the Four Corners area, it is where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona meet. Read this excerpt of this article below, the Hopi Prophecy, which I believe to be true… We can see today the destruction that the white man has brought upon the Native American Tribes. I sing of this tragedy in the song The Enemy Inside off of our Karma Machine album. You can find the lyrics by clicking this link.

Thomas Banacyca Talks about the Hopi Prophecy

The circle with the 4 and cross within, symbolizes the Four Corners Region (where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico meet – a very high energy vortex). The circle represents no end – the infinite Great Spirit. The Indians believe we are the 5th World of Man. When the 4th World was destroyed (this destruction was foretold), those Indians who had listened were guided to places of safety, underground. After the 5th World was created, they assembled at Four Corners and were instructed to spread out in the four directions (north – south – east – west). Four (4) also represents the four elements in nature: fire, water, air and earth; and the four color races of man…

If you would like to read more about this prophecy, go to this link here. It really is a fascinating story.

We finally reached Phoenix around midnight where we were greeted by Byron’s family. Rhonda fed us and we all eventually drifted off to to sleep. Our next show isn’t until tomorrow night so we get a little more time to lounge around for a day, rest up, recuperate then hit the stage here in Phoenix. This is our second to last show then I am finally home in Las Vegas!

March 19th
I just slept 12hrs. I guess I needed that. I woke up. Pinched myself. Fiancé is still here. 🙂 Most of the family is over at the house. Food is made, the guys are happy and rested. The sun is out here in Colorado so our drive down to Pueblo will be easy. Tonight we rock Phil’s Bar. After this show it will be a breeze… yes, we’ll have a long drive to Phoenix, but we’ll have a couple of days to do it. Same goes for the show in Vegas. The end of the tour and we all survived. Amazing!

March 18th
Never a dull moment.
Last night we left Kansas, left the club around 1am and headed out on the road to get a good headstart on Denver. We figured we’d drive until 3 or 4am, stop at a Motel 6 and then continue further in the morning. Yeah… that didn’t happen. We headed out and never found a cheap enough motel to crash at so we said, what the hell, lets just drive all the way there and crash as soon as we get to my families house.

It started snowing in Kansas…

By the time we made it to the Colorado border, I was driving. I was already exhausted, yet determined to sleep in a comfortable bed. Hell or High Water, as they say. Somewhere around 5 0r 6am the sun peaked over the horizon, it was 19 degrees out and the roads were a sheet of ice. Three or four times our tour van started sliding sideways, the whole time I’m thinking what the guy at BandtoGo told us… “Make sure you do NOT put chains on this Van.” All I could think was, Fuck You… I find chains, they are going on (We never found chains). There must have been at lease 20 cars that had swirved off of the road into the ditches on the side… there were even 3 Semi’s that had jacknife’d off the road. It was stupid, to say the least.

We ended up getting to the house around 10:30am. All of us deliriously tired. As we pull up I notice that the garage door is open and the car is gone, but yet, the driveway has been shoveled? A conscious thief? I got out of the van only to be staring at my Fiancé. Have you ever been so tired that you stare at someone that you know and love and just can’t put two and two together? What is she doing here? She’s in Vegas, but she’s here, so she’s not in Vegas. So I just stared. I am grateful that she is here. It was a very pleasant surprise. 🙂

Our show at the Lion’s Lair was fun. I got to connect with some friends whom I haven’t seen in a while and the band rocked.

March 17th
Good Morning St. Louis! We took the Hyatt Hotel by storm… hehe. We’ve got our tour van out in front of the Hyatt, bellhops shuttling our gear up to our rooms. Ahhh… this beats the hell out of Motel 6. If I was the suing type of person I would be sending a message and pictures of the one we stayed in Ohio. Mold everywhere… no wonder we were all coughing and hacking for a couple of days. Today I woke up completely clear, stood out by the Gateway Arch and had my coffee and enjoyed the warm sun on my face. This is the life. The only thing better would be if Taylor were here with me. But, distance makes the heart grow fonder, right?

Last night’s show was great… some amazing local bands opening for us at The Firebird. This is a great venue. Definitely check it out if you stop in to St. Louis. Big stage, great soundman… another successful night. Steven and DieTrich are feeling their colds coming on so I’m going to force Steve to let me drive today so he can rest. We’ll need it. We head for Overland Park, Kansas today but the following day we’ve got 600 miles to Denver. It will all be worth it because we’ll be staying at Taylor’s Mom’s house. You know what that means, right? Party!!! Um…. nope. Haha… More like… Laundry!!!!

Next stop.. Overland Park, Kansas! Happy St. Patrick’s Day World! Join us for the celebrations at Jim Kilroy’s Roxy Bar!

March 16th
Last night we played in Indianapolis. The 5th Quarter Lounge is in an old run-down church. Perfect for Metal bands 🙂 The owner, Mona, is just as cool. Thank you for having us. We played with a few other touring bands; Desevren, Hell Came Home, Lydia Cant Breathe, and Dead Horse Trauma. The singer of Lydia Can’t Breathe and I hit it off. He’s out of Florida, where I used to live, and he’s pretty close to where my sister lives so we’ll probably keep in touch in the future. One thing I’ve noticed about touring is that when you run into another touring band, you’ve got a LOT to talk about. It’s nice to talk with somebody else who completely gets it. The local support (or lack there-of), promoters, places to crash, etc. I’ve mentioned this before… It’s not a life for everyone. I have a deep respect for people who have been doing it for years because it’s a delicate balance of personalities, finances, and 100 other things I could rattle off. I am fortunate to have friends that have done this, or are still doing this, that have given me much needed advice. As a singer I have to know when and where to ‘check out’, in our circle of friends in Vegas we call this  ‘Pulling a Jan‘ (If you don’t get it, that’s ok. It’s an inside joke).

One of those artists, I will leave un-named just to avoid name dropping, gave me quite a few tips and tricks which I do my best to follow. Exercise, sleep, wear earplugs, don’t talk unless you need to. A guitarist can play with a hangover… vocalists can’t. Our instrument is our body. I do my best, especially at my age, to keep this temple as pure as I can. I’ll meet new fans, sign autographs and take pictures and then I’ll ‘pull a Jan‘. I’ll either find my way back to the hotel room or I’ll start quietly loading equipment and wait for the rest of the crew to finish whatever they are doing.

Thank you Penny for coming out last night! It was great seeing you and thanks for hanging all night with that band. Sorry I ‘pulled a Jan‘ and crashed, but I know you well… you didn’t need me there to amuse you. 🙂

Next stop… St. Louis!

Mar 16 Firebird, St Louis, MO
Mar 17 The Roxy, Overland Park, KS
Mar 18 The Lion’s Lair, Denver, CO
Mar 19 Phil’s Bar & Music Venue, Pueblo, CO
Mar 20 TRAVEL TO PHOENIX, AZ
Mar 21 TRAVEL TO PHOENIX, AZ
Mar 22 Blooze Bar, Phoenix, AZ
Mar 23 SHOWING THE BOYS VEGAS
Mar 24 Vamp’d, Las Vegas, NV

March 15th
I had mentioned that I was exhausted the whole time we were here in Ohio and now that we are leaving I feel fine. As a general statement, because I’m sure there are some great people here, this place is middle America with shopping malls, Starbucks, Soccer Moms and that eternal buzz of normalcy going around. The hotel room was filled with mold and even though it says no smoking this room probably hasn’t been cleaned in 40 years. We’ve all been hacking the whole time. No offense, but I’m ready to leave Ohio.

Last night’s gig was interesting. We played a place called ‘Chuck’s Steakhouse’. I was trying to get in touch with the promoter to find out why there was no advertising for this show and he said to me, “It’s closing in two weeks so they aren’t really doing much.” Geez. The only nice thing I’ll say about this place is Amanda. She was our barmaid. Awesome girl who reminds me of my sister Nicole, and the soundman who tried to give us more power. In the end he told us, “You guys are just too big a band for this room.” You’re not kidding. I couldn’t hear myself at all… nobody could. I had to rely completely on muscle memory. Each of us, Byron, Steve, Alexis and DieTrich could only hear themselves. We were all just relying on the kickdrum.

I’d like to thank all of the people who came to see us and for the merch sales. A lot of them were Byron’s friends, him being from Ohio and to my kindergarden, gradeschool, and high school friend who drove all the way out here from New York to see us… that made it all worthwhile! Thank’s Jim! It was great seeing you again!
Next stop, Indiana!!!

March 14th
I went to Massage Envy this morning for a much needed massage. Thank you ladies! One of the ladies at the counter mentioned to me that she is writing a book on vibrations. Very cool stuff. I’m sure her motivation for this is her son’s fascination with Death Metal. Not my cup of tea, nor hers. I think it’s very negative energy, but, on another note… Yin/Yang… You can’t have one without the other. So the more positive there is out there, the equal amount of negative has to exist. I told her a bit about my story, my sister passing, leaving my day job for this scary world of RnR, and as I’m walking outside in the plaza is that song that is always a reminder to me, an affirmation if you will… Live like you were Dying by Tim McGraw. Thank you Universe!

Now that the boys and I are well rested we go on our next stint of 6 shows, no breaks. Peace of cake! We’ve been fortunate for sure to meet all of these people around the country. All of them have been receptive and the running theme has been, We didn’t know you guys were THAT good. That makes me feel like I’ve done my job. 🙂 We can’t complain at all… I mean, I’ve got a friend driving all the way out from New York to come and see us tonight. How cool is that??

Ok.. now that I’m rested and ready to go again I need to get back and get the merch in order for tonights show at Chuck’s Steakhouse here in Akron, Ohio. Rock!

Mar 14 Chuck’s Steakhouse, Akron, OH
Mar 15 5th Quarter Lounge, Indianapolis, IN
Mar 16 Firebird, St Louis, MO
Mar 17 The Roxy, Overland Park, KS
Mar 18 Seventh Circle, Denver, CO
Mar 19 Phil’s Bar & Music Venue, Pueblo, CO
Mar 20 TRAVEL TO PHOENIX, AZ
Mar 21 TRAVEL TO PHOENIX, AZ
Mar 22 Blooze Bar, Phoenix, AZ
Mar 23 SHOWING THE BOYS VEGAS
Mar 24 Vamp’d, Las Vegas, NV

March 13th
Finally a rest day! I’m just going to lay here like a slug. We need a roadie next time. I’ll post a picture of what we have to load and unload every gig. We’ve got it down to a science now after 11 shows, but still. Mundane routines, anti-climatic moments after getting off stage, signing autographs, selling merch and shmoozing. We are fortunate in a way though… there is always somebody there to lend a helping hand.

Victoria (our Van) is making more noises… we’re thinking its the heating or air conditioner at this point. We’re kind of resigned to just to dealing with her until we get home. Steven has already laid into them… he’s like Peter Grant was to Led Zeppelin.

I know I’ve mentioned this before but… bands supporting headlining acts… stick around please. How would you like it if we didn’t come in to see you while you are playing. Kudos though to Mare Crisium who stayed until the bitter end. I mean, honestly, we’ll play for one person if we have to and the show will be the same as if we are playing to 1000.

March 12th
Last night we played a killer set at The Elbo Room in Chicago. It’s a funky little club down in a basement of the actual upstairs bar. Reminds me of a cavern. Great stage, lights… the works. Load in was a little odd though. No elevators, so we had to hump all of our gear up and down a tight passageway. But, it was worth it. BlackMarket Democracy hit the stage and blew our minds. Great guys, great band and Wow, these guys knocked our socks off… they are a must see if you are in the Chicago area.

We got into Chicago a little early because we thought we were going to turn in Victoria. Victoria is our tour Van. Although she has been a lovely companion, all the issues with her have been driving us mad. Heat not working in the back, service lights, annoying beeping sounds at random intervals, air leak on the passenger side so its like riding my Harley. And, if that isn’t enough, the TV doesn’t work. You know me, I don’t watch TV but there are 5 guys traveling together. They have to have something to occupy their time. Anyway, we got to Chicago too late so we will have to keep Victoria a little while longer.

When we got close to the venue, and because we had some time to spare we hit this little German bar where most of the patrons were already pretty lit at 5pm. Right off the bat the sarcasm started… my kind of bar. Then, for the first time in my life I sat down to have some Chicago Style Pizza. Delicious… but $40 for a medium pizza was a bit pricey. I wasn’t expecting that. Now we are off to Detroit to play at The Detroit Pub. I’m really excited for this show because I’ll be hanging out with an old Marine buddy who I haven’t seen for years! Horns Up!

March 11th
We never know what to expect when we head into a town and last night was no exception. Chippewa Falls seemed like a sleepy little town… we had the high beams on, driving through the fog looking for anybody. Our first thought was, this is not going to go over well. We were pleasantly surprised (once again) when we walked into Every Buddy’s Bar. My first impression was, “I think the whole town is here.” It was filled up, and they had a huge stage. Wes, the owner was great and extremely accommodating… he understood what being on the road entails. He set us up in the Green Room that had a washer and dryer, couches, mirrors… everything for us to get some relaxation before we get on stage. To date we’ve sold more merch here than any town we’ve been in. Thank you Wes, the staff, the fans, and the support bands. Your town rocks!

I have some bittersweet news… The Modesto, CA gig has been cancelled. Our last show will be at my hometown bar, Vamp’d. Again, it’s bittersweet because nobody wants to have a gig cancelled but I can’t think of a better situation. Ending our Tour at Vamp’d will be epic!

Tonight we will be rocking Chicago. Join us at The Elbo Room and on the rest of our tour!!

Mar 11 Elbo Room, Chicago, IL
Mar 12 The Detroit Pub, Detroit, MI
Mar 13 DAY OFF IN AKRON, OH
Mar 14 Chuck’s Steakhouse, Akron, OH
Mar 15 5th Quarter Lounge Indianapolis, IN
Mar 16 Firebird, St Louis, MO
Mar 17 The Roxy, Overland Park, KS
Mar 18 Seventh Circle, Denver, CO
Mar 19 Phil’s Bar & Music Venue, Pueblo, CO
Mar 20 TRAVEL TO PHOENIX, AZ
Mar 21 TRAVEL TO PHOENIX, AZ
Mar 22 Blooze Bar, Phoenix, AZ
Mar 23 SHOWING THE BOYS VEGAS
Mar 24 Vamp’d, Las Vegas, NV

March 10th
Last night was worth the 9+ hour drive to Moorhead. It seems like the stars aligned. It didn’t hurt that astrologically there was a Pisces New Moon and a Supermoon Total Solar Eclipse. Very few arguments or incidences, the only ones being me and that damned coffee cup holder. 1st the glass tea jar and then right as we’re ready to leave a HUGE cup of HOT coffee drenches my shoes, clothes and lyric book. I think the universe was telling me, “Dave.. can the lyric book. You know this stuff.” I know, but its like Linus’ Blanket. It’s more of a pacifier than anything. I’m learning a lot on this trip about myself as a spiritual being and as a musician. Trust! <– Huge!

Al, the owner of The Garage Bar is awesome. His vision for his club has brought people from around the country to play here, National acts included… not just because they are making the circuit, but because they WANT to play here. To me it was like being back home at Vamp’d. Great P.A. system, Huge stage, lights, fog, merch area… the guy didn’t forget anything. The soundman was just as incredible. Very quiet guy, but you could tell immediately that he was a genius behind the board.

We hit the stage on fire. With 8 shows under our belt we are becoming a well oiled machine… with Alexis on the drum riser, the kick drum was crisp and in your face pure unadulterated power. Byron, Dietrich and Steven… with years of playing and touring under their belt are innately conscious of each other on stage… the three of them natural showmen who know when to lay back or get right in your face. It honestly makes my job easy.

Thanks again Al, we hope to come back again and again.

After another great nights sleep we are ready to hit the road once again. Next stop Minneapolis for some amazing food. DieTrich knows the area well and highly recommends that we stop at Little Tijuana’s on the way to our next gig. Can’t argue with that! Then we’re off to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin to play at Every Buddy’s Bar.

Keep an eye on the rest of the dates below. We’ve got a few travel days and would love to meet you all. See you on the road!

Mar 10 Every Buddy’s Bar in Chippewa Falls, WI
Mar 11 Elbo Room, Chicago, IL
Mar 12 The Detroit Pub, Detroit, MI
Mar 13 DAY OFF IN AKRON, OH
Mar 14 Chuck’s Steakhouse, Akron, OH
Mar 15 5th Quarter Lounge Indianapolis, IN
Mar 16 Firebird, St Louis, MO
Mar 17 The Roxy, Overland Park, KS
Mar 18 Seventh Circle, Denver, CO
Mar 19 Phil’s Bar & Music Venue, Pueblo, CO
Mar 20 TRAVEL TO PHOENIX, AZ
Mar 21 TRAVEL TO PHOENIX, AZ
Mar 22 Blooze Bar, Phoenix, AZ
Mar 23 SHOWING THE BOYS VEGAS
Mar 24 Vamp’d, Las Vegas, NV
Mar 25 TRAVEL TO MODESTO, CA
Mar 26 The Other Place, Modesto, CA

March 9th
We had a fun time in Billings and want to give a shout out to the bands that opened for us… it was gracious of them to stay for the whole show… to me that is how a professional acts. Of course, if they have to leave because they are on a deadline, we get that, but not like in [unnamed city] where a band packed their stuff, and shuttled their crowd of friends out of the venue right in front of us and right in the middle of our set? THAT to me is completely disrespectful. I see way too much of this ego bullshit everywhere. I know a lot of major players, I’m talking guys that have sold 100K records or more, and more than a few of them are my friends. They are like a family.. they have respect for one another and actually help each other out in this business. No wonder most of these new bands fail… they pay way too much attention on how fast they play their riffs instead of marketing themselves better. Networking is EVERYTHING in this business. Anyway, enough of that rant. After the show in Billings, after the merch was sold and put away, this dude comes up to me and says, “You guys are from Commie-Fornia, huh?” Now, those that know me, know that I will make light of situations like this, but inside I was saying, “You little punk ass mother fucker. I was in the fucking Marines while you were still sucking your Mamas tit.” Don’t ever judge a book by its cover. It’s a good way to get your ass beaten.

After the show in Billings we headed out on the road of what has been our longest drive, so far. The trip from Billings, Montana to Moorhead, Minnesota is NOT what Google Maps says it is. Not sure about why, but it seems to hit some vortex because this has been the longest, most boring ride ever. There is absolutely nothing in North Dakota. I chuckle when I see a sign that says, “Scenic View 1 Mile”. We are going to pull into Bismarck, ND for some breakfast and then head back out.

March 8th
Yesterday we were on the road for way too many hours with no wifi or cel reception. There is a beauty to that really.We had no choice but to shut down and enjoy the scenery. Montana is beautiful. Beautiful people and some really amazing weather. I’m writing this now from Billings. I’m digging this place. I found a Vitamin Cottage here where I could get some organic fruits and some peanut butter. Yum! I even bought my first spork! Tonight we play at The Railyard Ale House here in Billings.

March 6th
Last night we stayed over our friend Marc’s house in Everett, Washington, just north of Seattle. It was awesome. We took showers, did laundry and slept in comfortable beds. I slept like a baby. I’m refreshed and ready for the next week. Tonight we play El Corazón in Seattle and then we take off immediately after the show because we need to get out to Great Falls, Montana. Lynyrd Skynyrd sang about this… ‘I got 600 miles to ride to do one more show‘… only this drive is 644 miles. May the road Gods be with us tonight because we’re going to be driving for almost 10 hrs. We’ll split it up when we can and take turns driving.

March 5th
Last night we played at The Pin in Spokane. Very cool club… big stage and room. You have to climb a few flights of stairs to get into it so fortunately they had an elevator for us to bring up our 2 tons of gear. My first note of the first song I put my foot on the floor monitor… I should know better than to do that… BOOM! I fell off the stage and into the crowd who graciously lifted me back onto the stage. Afterwards I thanked them for not letting me hit the floor. My better half, when talking to her this morning said that it is called ‘Crowd Surfing’. One of the guys classic response was, “The singer of Kill Ritual fell for me.” No offense. Not my type but you’re welcome. 🙂
There was a woman there with her two kids so we brought the youngest of the two up on stage with us. Alexis propped him up on the drum riser and in front of the drums, then gave him a pair of sticks. The kid sat there through the whole performance wearing these monstrous headphones, the kind that the guys on the runway wear to protect their hearing. After the show, which by the way… thank you Spokane. Great show, great people… so after the show the parents bought them a couple of Kill Ritual t-shirts and CD’s and Alexis signed the sticks. I love seeing young kids get into Rock music. It gives me hope for the future.
We met one of the guys from a band called Resurgence. He had this awesome merch table and told me that he owns a printing business called Artistic Vision. Check out the pictures below… he makes a foldable t-shirt holder that he is doing mass production on. I gave his girl a Kill Ritual t-shirt which she rocked through the whole night and took photos of the band. As every night has been so far, we don’t get to bed until at least 3am. We’ve been fortunate enough to have people wanting us to sign autographs and take pictures with them.
Next stop… Seattle!!!

March 4th
Last night we played a little at The Valley in Tacoma. It was a lot of fun with some really awesome people. Kudos to the chef. Man, that Vegan Melt was amazing and HUGE. Thank you to all of the other bands for coming out and showing us support. You’ve got an awesome town and we hope to make it back someday soon.
Got up this morning and headed out on the road at around 10am and on our way to Spokane. The most amazing sight while going out on my run yesterday afternoon was seeing Mt. Rainier. That mountain looks monstrous in the middle of nowhere. The clouds looming ominously on the top… kind of Lord of the Rings-ish.
Next stop… Spokane, Washington! I’m going to post this before we go through the pass and lose wifi.

March 2nd
Thank you Dante’s for an amazingly warm welcoming. Great bands opening for us here and I got to see some of my friends that I haven’t seen in a LONG time. When we pulled up to the venue, across the street was the most beautiful sight. Voodoo Donuts! It was pouring down on us, but we didn’t care. DieTrich, our Bass player was telling me about the ‘Doyle’ Donut. DieTrich just got off tour with Doyle, from the Misfits and he said that the last time they were here they made a Vegan, Doyle Donut. Pretty fricken cool!
It’s the morning after and I’m sitting in a little coffee shop in Downtown Portland waiting for our Sprinter to get repaired. The Wifi is shoddy and the TV has failed to work since we picked it up in San Francisco. Next stop, Tacoma, WA.

March 1st
Cruised around Ashland today. Love the town. Reminds me of Boulder, Co or Amherst, Ma where I grew up. Rolling hills, great little boutique shops, no Walmarts. Loaded in at Club 66 where we were playing, set up our merch, etc. Talking to the bartender/soundman… Uzi… nice guy. Anyway, Byron and I are sitting there talking to him and I guess he was pretty much unaware that we were even going to be playing there until a few days ago. No marquee, no flyers, banners… nothing but the chirping of frogs in the night. We made the best of it though. One of the local area DJ’s from KSKQ came out to support us. Thanks Wendy! In all, total, there were about 8 people there. Sold one t-shirt. 🙂 Next stop… Dante’s in Portland, Oregon.

February 29th – Leap Year Day
Pulled into Medford, Oregon to the Motel 6. At $45 it was much cheaper than staying in Ashland where we are playing. Not that far away, maybe a 15 minute drive. I’m renaming Medford. I’m calling it ‘Meth’ford. I couldn’t believe the walking dead at the Motel 6. Tweakers everywhere. If you know me well, you know how curious I am about everything. I’m thinking to myself, why would anybody ever put anything like that in their body? I mean, do meth, lose everything. That would stop me in my tracks for sure. Anyway, the boys unpacked, got into the motel room and I crashed in the Sprinter. I almost forgot to mention this. Something that wouldn’t happen anywhere else. Even though none of the band smokes pop, we got a ‘bonus’ payment of… yeah.. you guessed it. Can you say ‘ounce’?

Motel Meth – We’ll leave the lighters on for you.