Philadelphia, PA & Newark, DE

After we got some sweet relief from the heat via the Jersey shore, we made our way down to Philadelphia, PA. We played a fun little neighborhood bar where we got to see some old friends who came out to the show and some of the guys from the Philly-based band El Fuego stopped by as well. Philly never seems to disappoint.

Up next was our home away from home; Bank Shots in Newark Delaware. For those of you who have followed our tour blog may know that we first landed in Bank Shots by luck when a Pittsburgh show fell through on our first East Coast tour. The guys from the band, Drunk Unkle let us jump on their bill at Bank Shots and we have been best buds ever since. Now it's our 3rd time back and each time has been rowdier than the last.

Along with helping us out with sound and promoting the night for us the guys from Drunk Unkle also caught wind that it was Keith's birthday. In conjunction with an array of free shots and 2 birthday cakes the real surprise came at the end of our second set when the Delaware guys conspired with myself, Brent and Will to attack Keith with a barrage of silly string.

Keith blowing out his birthday candles on tour at Bank Shots in Newark, DE

It was definitely one of Keith's more memorable birthdays (maybe not for him thanks to the double shots) and one of our most eventful shows. We can't thank the guys from Delaware enough; they're just awesome all around. 

Keith getting covered in silly string on his birthday at Bank Shots in Newark, DE

We're making our way to Cleveland to visit some friends on our day off. I don't think I'll be wearing my Lebron jersey this trip!

Cheers,

Ross

Summer touring... Back On the road

It's hard to believe we're back on the road again already. After getting home from SXSW in Austin, TX at the beginning of April the last couple months just blew by. We had a jammed packed schedule in the Northeast which kept us busy.

Our tour got off to a bang playing to the hometown region in Providence, RI and Boston, MA. Being on the road really makes us appreciate the hometown fans more and more. It's great to be able to play to such a receptive and loyal audience. We really can't tell you how much we appreciate it.

After playing the Middle East in Boston, MA we played a 4th of July celebration held at Gillette Stadium. Not only was the show held on a beautiful afternoon celebrating our Nation's birthday but it also set our own personal record for least time between back to back shows. We finished up in Boston around 3am and were up and ready to head to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA at 7am; rock n roll.

theWANDAS at Patriot Place @ Gillette Stadium. Foxboro, MA July 4th 2010

The next day we headed to New York City to play Pianos; a great bar in the Lower East Side. The show was extra fun because our buddies from The Highway got added on as a last minute edition to the bill; so it was great to play with them in NYC after sharing the stage with them, two days earlier in Boston.

Oh yeah, did I mention we're touring in the middle of a massive heat wave. Temperatures hit 107 degrees fahrenheit in NYC; a mere 100 degree difference from our last tour which brought us to New York at a balmy 7 degrees. Last time we had no heat, this time we have no AC.

Keith enjoying one of the cooler moments in NYC on the bus.

After NY we headed south into more heat, however at least we were heading to the Jersey Shore where we could get a bit of a breeze. We played a fun show with some great bands in Red Bank, NJ. Thanks again to Against The Tide for inviting us to play the evening.

We had the next day off so it was a no brainer where we were going; the beach! Luckily we had a friend in the Jersey Shore who invited us to her home where we could go swimming and enjoy some air conditioning. We even lucked out and landed free tickets to see Sting with the New York Philharmonic on our night off. It's great to have friends across the country!

Our view to the beach. Day off at the Jersey Shore

Tonight it's on to Philly. The temperature has dropped significantly. It's now an icy 90 degrees.

Cheers,

Ross

theWANDAS Live Recording at Ralph's - Huge Success!

We want to thank everyone who made last Saturday's live video & audio recording at Ralph's in Worcester, MA such a giant success. The venue was sold out and by far the most packed I've ever seen the place. It was great seeing so many enthusiastic fans in one place.

 

theWANDAS live recording at Ralph's, Worcester MA. Photo Credit: Jim Kusz

From what I've briefly seen, the video looks great. The film crew did a bang up job. We can't wait to share the end product with you. It's going to a take a bit to sort through and edit down so bear with us; hopefully it will be worth the wait.

Thanks again for Ralph's and their great staff for letting us have our run of the place for the night; we couldn't have done it without their help. Thanks to Hard No. 9 and Matt Benoit for sharing the night with us and putting on great performances.

Here's an article in the Worcester Magazine that ran, leading up to the event.

Cheers,

Ross

theWANDAS are the 2010 95.5 WBRU Rock Hunt Champions!

Hello Wanda-Nation,

We are pleased to announce that out of the couple hundred bands who submitted to the 95.5 WBRU Rock Hunt, there is one who can claim the title of the last band standing; theWANDAS!

theWANDAS at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel. Providence, RI. Photo Credit: WBRU

The journey through the semifinals in Fall River, MA to the Finals at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI was nothing short of amazing. We got to see/meet so many awesome bands in the New England area. Our sincerest tip of the cap to the other finalists who shared the stage with us; Keep Me Conscious, Santa Mamba, and You Scream I Scream. These 3 bands put on spectacular sets and could not have been nicer people. Anyone of these groups could have taken the crown, but the Rock Gods smiled on us that night.

Thanks to everyone who has been following the progression and made it out to the shows. The energy at the finals was really breathtaking and we couldn't appreciate it more.

If you live in the New England area or just want to stream it online, tune into 95.5 WBRU because you'll be hearing a lot more of theWANDAS on there!

Cheers,

Ross

theWANDAS SXSW 2010 - Showcase Reviewed

While we were down in Austin, TX for the South By Southwest Music Festival we played 4 showcases. Here is a review of one of our performances. There is an excerpt below but you can read the entire review HERE.

PROBABLY THE BEST LIVE SHOW WE SAW IN AUSTIN -Our St. Patrick's Day got set off with a bang thanks to The Wandas... We are proud to say this Boston act is suddenly (only with much hard work and extensive touring, of course,) one of the best bands in America. As it ended up, they were easily one of the best live shows we saw in Austin last week.

theWANDAS - SXSW 2010 - Photo Credit: 5342 StudiosRead the entire review at Ryan's Smashing Life

theWANDAS advance to 95.5 WBRU Rock Hunt Finals @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel 04.10.10

When we threw our hat into the ring for the 95.5 WBRU Rock Hunt two months ago we didn't give the event much thought. We were on tour somewhere around North Carolina at the time and when we looked at the schedule, we realized we already had shows on 4/5 of the potential Rock Hunt dates.

Assuming that the Rock Gods would sort out the potential scheduling conflicts for us we went ahead on our merry way. When we got the call that we were chosen as 1 of 12 semifinalist out of a couple hundred submissions, we were flattered but figured we'd have to pass because there is no way we could shift around our existing gigs. Well, we lucked out and were selected for the one night we didn't already have a show.

On Saturday night we took the stage for the semifinals after 2 other great young bands finished playing; The Intel & Fighting The Influence. At the end of the night the judges (made up of 4 record label representatives) chose theWANDAS as the band to advance.

So what's next? Less than 1 week after Wilco will be taking the stage at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI, we will be following suit. Along with us will be 3 other excellent New England band's all seeking the title of the 2010 95.5 WBRU Rock Hunt Winner.

We'll see you April 10th!

Cheers,

Ross

 

theWANDAS in The Boston Globe

How do you get a publication that is located 2 miles from your home to write about you? Travel 2,000 miles to Austin, TX!

theWANDAS being interviewed by The Boston Globe: SXSW 2010, Austin, TX. Photo Credit: Kyle Tancrell

We caught up with The Boston Globe down at SXSW at one of our shows. We snapped some photos and did a quick interview. Here's what the globe had to say about us. You can read the entire feature HERE

the Wandas also had a packed schedule, playing shows daily before loading up their 30-foot RV and heading north. The Wandas, whose sound is a dreamy lovechild of rock radio and your grandpa’s record collection, have spent most of 2009 and the early part of 2010 on the road. They have honed their set list down to a well-oiled, high-volume machine packed with 4/4 melodies and a ’50s rock feel. “Lose You’’ is an endearing moment in the live show of the Wandas, with singer Keith McEachern leaping from a croon to a howl in the matter of a measure. “The end of ‘Lose You’ tends to get the crowd going,’’ McEachern says. “That’s where I scream for five minutes. There are pictures on Facebook of me singing that song where you can practically see down into my stomach.’’

SXSW - Finished (and still alive!)

Hey Guys,

So we made it through South By Southwest in one piece. We had two more killer shows. The first being Electric Western and Teaparty Boston showcase. This was especially cool for us  because we were able to represent our awesome hometown publication; Teaparty Boston. Our last show (the 4th of the week) was the Red Gorilla / I love Music Gear showcase. This show meant a lot to us as well as we met the owner (Tony Love) of I Love Music Gear on the road at a show in Dallas, TX and have been in touch ever since. It's great when you can meet people on the road and maintain life long friendships.

theWANDAS at SXSW 2010. Electric Western and TeaParty Boston Showcase. Photo Credit: Laura Hinds

The great thing about SXSW is that so many of the bands we've played with around the country all migrate to Austin to perform. On one day I saw 5 bands we've played with from Georgia over the past year, alone. Never mind throughout the entire week: there are too many bands to mention!

We've got a busy schedule coming up for everyone back North. You can always check our Tour Page for up to date listings.

Thursday March 25th - Newport Blues Cafe' (Newport, RI)

Friday March 26th - Playoffs Pub  (Fall River, MA) WBRU Rock Hunt Semifinals 

Saturday March 27th - Tommy Doyle's (Cambridge, MA)

See you there!

Cheers,

Ross

 

 

 

SXSW - Halfway through

We're on day four of our sunny stay in beautiful Austin Texas. The music has been awesome, the weather is perfect and the parties are insane. We Pulled up the RV to a quaint little spot away from the action. Little did we know Levi's was setting up a huge outdoor stage and had Metric playing right in our backyard. Pretty awesome.

We've played 2 showcases so far and both have been great. The first one was a PureVolume event featuring free drinks for everyone in attendance. The lighting rig was setup and maintained by someone who does lights for Cirque du Soleil. Needless to say everything looked and sounded top notch. The venue can hold about 600 people and features acts throughout the week including Jakob Dylan and Neko Case. 

PureVolume Showcase - SXSW Austin, TX 2010. Photo Credit: Laura Hinds

The next night we played the Music Tech Mashup showcase at Rusty Spurs. It was a marathon day of music featuring 45 acts on 3 different stages. Both nights we played with our buddies from back home in McAlister drive. It's always fun to share the stage with hometown bands.

We've got 2 more shows to play and ton of other bands to see. It is Disney World for music lovers down here.

Cheers,

Ross

Gainesville, FL

After our great night in Jacksonville, FL we made our way to our last stop in our Floridian trifecta; The Backstage Lounge in Gainesville, FL. This place was Rock N' Roll at it's finest. $1 beers, a sound system that you could feel in your gut and a stage lighting kit that looks like it was taken from Pink Floyd's Pulse tour.

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 

Jacksonville, FL

We departed Palm Beach and slowly made our way back up to northern Florida. We made sure to go as slow as possible to ensure our maximum exposure to the sun. We decided to splurge a bit and stay at a few campgrounds so we could hit the pool, play shuffle board and horseshoes with other retired couples. 

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

Palm Beach Gardens, FL

We've been hitting a lot of cities which we've played before, however we were on our way to a new destination; Palm Beach Gardens, FL; only the second place we've played in FL (Jacksonville being the first) and just eeking out San Antonio, TX for theWANDAS southern most gig.

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

Atlanta, GA

When we left Knoxville, TN it was snowing. When we arrived in Atlanta, GA it was 50 degrees and sunny. It was finally starting to feel like a southern tour. We rolled into town around 4pm, plenty of time to walk around town for a bit and whip up a batch of my vegan chili in the RV; which we have been living off of for most of the tour.

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

Charlotte, NC & Knoxville, TN

After leaving our new favorite bar in Raligh, NC (The Black Flower) we headed to one of our old favorite places to play in Charlotte, NC; Snug Harbor. It's funny how even being pretty far from home some places just feel like you drove down the street to play a gig. We pulled into our usual parking spot right next to the venue and said hello to the friendly staff and sound guy.

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

 

Winston-Salem & Raleigh, NC

It seems that the sole mission of this tour has turned into avoiding snow. After leaving New Jersey there was a new blizzard rolling through Washington DC and Virginia. We left early to beat this disaster. When we hit DC there was still snow on the highway from 3 days earlier; and a ton more on the way.

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

On the road again...

So we had a couple months to spend back in Boston after our last national tour; boy did that go by quickly. We headed back out on the road at hit The Studio @ Webster Hall in New York City. The show was unique being in NYC but we were playing with 2 great boston bands. McAlister Drive and The Honors. The show was a blast. There was a great crowd and the room sounded amazing.

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

New Wave Blues - Reviewed by: Lore Music Group

1 year after the release of New Wave Blues, the album is still gaining momentum and being reviewed by all different types of publications. The latest is from Lore Music Group.

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

Hello, New England

After 2 months of being on the road we've settled back into our native home of Boston, MA. We're floating around between family, friends, couch surfing, and the RV (of course), but we're sticking in the Northeast for the time being.

The tour was nothing short of amazing. We're still decompressing and taking in everything that happened on the road. So many great venues, bands, fans, stories, oh and that amazing taco place in Chicago that we ate 3 meals a day at for 3 days straight; those sound pretty good right about now.

We've already played 2 shows in Rhode Island since we've been back and have a bunch more to go. We'll be at Ralph's in Worcester, MA this Saturday Dec 5th and then our triumphant return (it's been over 4 years since we've played here) to the Middle East in Cambridge, MA Mon Dec 14th for the Invictus Booking Holiday Jam. After that we'll be back at Tommy Doyles January 8th in Cambridge, MA and then our first show ever on Cape Cod at Tommy Doyle's other location in Hyannis.

We're filling in shows faster than we can list them so certainly check the tour page frequently.

Cheers,

Ross