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This night was also the last stop on our little East Coast run (it's funny how a month long tour seems little these days) before we head to South By Southwest in Austin, TX in a couple weeks. There's something about the last show of tour that brings out the best in you. A perfect mix of satisfaction and sorrow.
We met a great band from Orlando, FL called Buffalo Gun who put on an excellent show and gave us some good pointers if we want to hit Orlando the next time we come through Florida.
We drove a couple hours north last night and hit the road this morning. We're passing though from Virginia to Maryland as we speak and the temperature has already dropped 20 degrees since we left Florida. Oh well, Texas is right around the corner.
Thanks to everyone who made it out to see us on this run and to all of the great new people we met. You guys are the best.
See you soon.
Cheers,
Ross
]]>We passed through the Seminole Indian Casino then up to Orlando to visit some of Keith's family. After a few days of beautiful weather our streak had ended as it was raining when we pulled into Jacksonville. Not to worry it was just a passing storm.
We were looking forward to sharing the stage with our buddies in Longfellow Street. As expected, after our set they blew the crowd away. We had a little extra fun and decided to join them onstage for 2 of their songs and have a full on jam session.
As usual Jacksonville, FL never disappoints. We spent the night sharing stories and playing acoustic jams back at the Longfellow Street house into the early morning.
Looking forward Gainesville, FL tonight!
Cheers,
Ross
]]>When we pulled into the parking lot we were greeted by The Bastard Suns; one of the other bands we were playing with that night. It turns out that not only were they being friendly, but they also mistook us for Junkie Rush, the other band that was playing, who coincidentally has the same Gulfstream make and model RV that we have. After meeting the guys and getting some laughs about the mistaken identity we grabbed a bite to eat at one of the nearby eateries.
Brent's dad and step mom have been traveling throughout the east coast and FL for the last month as well and were going to be meeting us at our gig. The funny thing is that they have a near identical RV to us as well. So needless to say when they pulled into the parking lot they got a warm welcome from The Bastard Suns.
The show was great. We had a blast playing and socializing with all of the Boston/northern transplants. It seems everywhere we go there is always at least one, but this place was filled with them. We felt right at home, except for the fact that it was 75 degrees outside. Ah yes, now we're talking.
Cheers,
Ross
]]>We were playing the Star Bar which was the first venue we had ever played in Atlanta. We were thrilled to be back. The room is about a 200 person capacity venue that always seems to be packed with live music enthusiasts. This is the 3rd time we've played Atlanta in the last 10 months and I gotta say I really can't wait to go back. It's just such a great music city with friendly people. The bill for the night was no exception. Lera Lynn started off the night with some great country tunes. We played second to a great crowd and the Aristocrats and Ponderosa followed with face-melting sets. Special thanks to Luis and the Pop Death Squad for putting on the show and having us back.
The only downside to the night was that we had a 10 hour drive to Palm Beach, FL so we couldn't stay and do our usual RV after party. Oh well, there's always next time.
Cheers,
Ross
]]>The night was special, not just because it was Valentine's day, but because we were playing with local favorite and New West recording artist Benji Hughes. We opened the night to a full crowd anticipating a night of good music. After we played, we got to see the friends we've made from the last 2 visits to Charlotte and the new fans who were hearing us for the first time.
After we played, Benji took the stage and delivered two stellar sets. He reminded me of a mix of Leonard Cohen and Julian Casablancas; needless to say that's an impressive combination. Another grand time in Charlotte had by all. We're already looking forward to going back this summer.
Next stop on the tour was a new destination for us; Knoxville, TN. I must say our knowledge about Knoxville prior to our gig was limited to what we learned from The Simpsons episode about their spoof on the World's Fair. We arrived to a chilly 29 degree day. I can't help but feel slightly a little responsible that the same day the band full of northerners arrives, it's freezing outside.
The venue was a lively local hot spot filled with friendly regulars enjoying the free happy hour pizza and the great live entertainment by local act Ben Maney. We were slated to play 2 1-hour sets that night which was fun for us because we typically only get to play for 45 minutes a night. We pulled out a bunch of our songs from our past albums and even threw in a few cover songs.
After we played we chatted with everyone and finally learned more about Knoxville. Despite popular belief (and Simpsons Folklore) there is no wig shop in the Sunsphere.
Next stop, sunny (and hopefully warm) Atlanta GA.
Cheers,
Ross
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Luckily we were heading to North Carolina where we would be safe from the storm. We headed to The Garage in Winston-Salem, not before getting a home cooked meal from my hometown friend Lia, who now lives in NC. We hit the garage on last tour and had a great time. This night was extra special because it was their regular open mic night, but they invited us to perform as a featured guest. Coming up playing music, we've all done a bunch of open mic nights, but over that past few years we rarely get to one anymore. It's really refreshing to see musicians performing purely for the love of music and no other reason; and being involved in the night made it that much better.
theWANDAS at The Black Flower - Raleigh, NC - Credit: Lisa Quinn
After Winston-Salem, we made our way to Raleigh, NC; a new destination for us. Leading up to the show we had heard great things about the venue; The Black Flower. The club is very active in the music scene and welcomes touring acts from around the country. We played with Shawn Fisher and the Jukebox gypsies - an awesome band from Jacksonville, FL who coincidentally are managed by the owner of Jackrabbits, our favorite Jacksonville venue; small world.
Next stop Snug Harbor in Charlotte, NC. See Ya'll there!
Cheers,
Ross
]]>One major difference between now and our fall tour is the cold weather. After spending a bitter cold night in Manhattan. We had to get the heat fixed in our RV to bare the 5 degree weather in the northern part of our tour; sleeping with 3 shirts, 2 sweat shirts, a jacket, hat and gloves, and waking up shivering uncontrollably is even a little too rock and roll for us. Luckily our buddy Stimpy from Paul's Mobile RV Service in RI, was able to get our heat back up and running to make the inside of the RV the toastiest home on wheels on this side of the Mason Dixon line.
Icicles on the RV. A far cry from San Diego 3 months ago.
After our NYC show we were scheduled to hit Philly and Delaware but right in line with the winter cold both of those places were about to get slammed with 30 inches of snow; promptly causing the venues to close down and cancel our shows. Luckily we were able to add another show in New York at The Delancey and sit tight in NY for a few days until the snow blew over.
Next stop was The Brighton Bar in Longbranch NJ on Superbowl Sunday. This place was right up our alley. A nice rock and roll vibe which has housed many NJ greats such as Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. We took the stage right after the game ended and delivered a victory set for The Saints.
We're finally down south in North Carolina ready to play in Winston Salem. It's still cold but no more snow.
Cheers,
Ross
]]>I would say this is one of the most thorough and all encompassing reviews of the album. They seemed to really understand what we were trying to do with the album; which is actually more gratifying than simply receiving a positive review. In this case we went two for two; which is the ultimate reward.
Here's are 2 excerpts from the review. You can read it in it's entirety at the Lore Music Group web site.
With their infectious melodies and catchy choruses, it is hard not to enjoy listening to [theWANDAS]. On their album, the appropriately titled New Wave Blues, The Wandas manage to create their own sound that successfully steers clear of becoming just another pop pick in what seems like an ever-growing landscape of cloned music.
This is not a band resting on its laurels and that is satisfied with getting by with simple pop. The Wandas take the risk of falling under their own weight on “Lose You” with its dramatic outro that pushes their sound to its max that if done incorrectly could have sounded like they were trying too hard, but it manages to work thanks to their laid back demeanor. This is what separates The Wandas from other pop/rock groups today and is an encouraging sign for future development.They are not in your face and pushing themselves on you as many of today’s other acts do. Instead, they have a subtle yet strong reach that lasts.
As always you can download New Wave Blues and all of our other music using the "Pay What You Want" method from smirp.com, and from iTunes as well.
Cheers,
Ross
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