POZ Road Blog: Beartooth (Update IV)

I did a series of Road Blogs for Property Of Zack on our tour with August Burns Red, Bless The Fall, and Defeater. Here's the fourth installment:

I know what you’re thinking, where was week four’s update?? Or, who is Beartooth?? Or, why am I reading something written by the bassist?? I’ll address the first of these because the other two hurt too much. Now, I turn these tour journals in on Thursdays. As many of you may know, for the majority of readers of Property Of Zack, and for all of its staff, last Thursday was our Thanksgiving Day. A day in which society shuts down to embark on a certain path of uncomfortable feasting with family and friends. Which eventually ends in a tryptophan endured coma. And there’s not much Americans enjoy more than a good excuse to not work and to, instead, indulge. S0 I have a lot to catch you up on. But don’t fret short attention spans; I’ll keep it brief… maybe.

Last week was luckily spent amongst many family and friends seeing as how we spent the majority of it in the good ole Midwest. We had the immense privilege to play House of Blues Chicago two nights in a row and they were some of the most enjoyable shows of this tour so far. Plus it didn’t hurt that we all had a lot of friends and family that just so happened to be in the city at that time so it made it feel that much more comfortable. But it paled in comparison to actually going back to our home state, which we did right after Chicago. 

It’s always great playing back at home on tour and we were able to play there twice in the same week. We happened to be scheduled to play Toronto, ON, CA on actual Thanksgiving Day. And it turned out that we had an off day between Cincinnati and Cleveland. So we coordinated with our vocalist, Caleb’s, parents and set up a big Thanksgiving feast back in our hometown of Columbus. The whole Defeater camp and a few stragglers from August Burns Red and Bless The Fall’s groups were able to make the trip up with us and joined in on the good time. It was two nights and a day filled with gluttony and ping-pong.

Be careful not to blind yourselves from the glare off my Father’s dome piece on the left there. Immediately after the Feast we had a show in Cleveland that was a good end-cap to our three days home. It was a little difficult to leave after sleeping in my own bed again but we had/have the rest of tour to finish up. Plus it made it easier that the day after our Cleveland show just so happened to be in Michigan on the Wednesday before the Ohio State vs. Michigan game. If you don’t like sports, football, or aren’t American I can understand you not having any idea what I’m talking about. However, to us Ohio and Michigan residents that tiny little football game means a great deal of pride. So our guitarist, and my stage right companion, Kamron, Elliot from Bless The Fall, and myself decided to have a little fun with Michigan and put our sporting dominance on display.

(It was Movember, don’t judge me by my moustache.) Luckily people that are really into music usually aren’t that into sports so I don’t think we alienated too many people with our brazen Ohio State “patriotism” behind enemy lines.

This was the last of our American shows before we headed up to Canada for two shows, in Toronto and Montreal. These shows were some of the biggest and most insane of this whole tour. We were very much taken aback by the response we received up there seeing as how we’ve only been up there once before and played in front of maybe 90 kids in each of those areas. It was a crazy experience to say the least and incredibly humbling to be able to play a different country and be able to have a family already set up there. This is an extra thanks to you Canada, we appreciate you.

Next up was our descent down the eastern coast and the beginning of our final stretch of shows to finish up this tour. Dates included playing in Defeater’s home area in Worcester, MA and that place did not disappoint in the least bit. I wouldn’t have been angry if it would’ve been a bit warmer, but it’s winter, what do I know. Next we played at Best Buy Theater in Times Square in NYC. Saying that is still a little surreal and knowing that our bands’ names were plastered on a marquee shooting across all of times square is something I never thought I’d see. As much of a headache as New York can be for a touring band, this was actually one of the easiest trips I’ve ever experienced in my years of touring. And turned out to be a lot of fun.

This capped off the cold shows of this tour as we began to head south where we played Asheville, NC, Atlanta, GA and last nights show in Jacksonville, FL. Asheville was a lot of fun I don’t think I’ve ever been to that town and it was really calm and inviting. A nice reprieve from the craziness that was NYC. And what would one of my journals be without me talking about food (Yeah, I know I talked about Thanksgiving earlier but that’s different. Leave me alone). Asheville also provided us with the food heaven that is the glorious Cook Out. If you’ve never been I suggest you drive to southeastern United States and get you some. It’s a place riddled with deep fried glory accompanied by a large slate of different types of milkshakes and other goodness.

We were tired but there is sheer jubilation in our hearts at that very moment as we emptied our wallets and filled our hearts (stomachs). Atlanta followed suit with the past two weeks and compounded on top of them. I can really only speak for myself on this issue but Atlanta was one of the most emotional and intense shows I’ve ever played and definitely the most on this tour for me. Maybe it was the spirit of The Chariot roaming around the halls of The Masquerade (the venue we played). I don’t know exactly why, I can’t pinpoint it, but something more than a band playing and some kids watching was happening in that room and I felt it with every ounce of me. To go off a little from my normal talking points, that’s the reason we love to do this. We as a band get up there to let it all out. And to know that the crowd of people in front of you, who are just like you or me, are letting it all out on the same level you are, is just the most unreal experience. Emotion and passion is what drives us.

We have one more week left of this tour now. As much as my body and mind are both worn out, I can surely say I’ll miss this tour. It has brought out some of the best of people and I thank you for that. But we can wait for my heartfelt and touching goodbye for next week’s installment, assuming that I’ll write another one. But for now stay street.

I call this photo “Snot Rocket.” Shot by Brad Heaton www.BradHeaton.Net

POZ Road Blog: Beartooth (Update III)

I did a series of Road Blogs for Property Of Zack on our tour with August Burns Red, Bless The Fall, and Defeater. Here's the third installment:

Welcome back to the third installment of my weekly tour journal for Beartooth’s tour with August Burns Red, Blessthefall and Defeater. This week has been a tiring one for us all. I hope you like hearing about long, late night drives because this week was chocked full of them. We’ve managed to start the week in warm and sunny Los Angeles, CA to today in freezing and snowy Minneapolis, MN.

So this week started with two shows in the LA area. One in Santa Ana and one in the heart of Los Angeles itself. As a band we had only been to that area once before and it proved to be just as crazy as the last time. It’s nice to feel at home 2,300 miles away from your bed and LA is becoming that for us. So to you guys down there mad props, thanks! The coolest part about the LA shows for me was the one we played right across from the Staples Center. There was a Lakers game that night also so the area was insane. There was a whole ESPN broadcast set up and everything. Kobe said he was gonna come out to the show but who knows man, I guess he was busy. So our merch guy, Vassar, just hung out with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar all night. 

Next was San Francisco which is always a rad city to hang out in, and I have the added bonus of being a 49ers fan to make my visits there all that much cooler. After that started our trek across the majority of the United States. We went from San Fran all the way to SLC (granted we had an off day in between to drive some of the way). The drive was totally worth it too. It’s hard to say this to the fans in Pittsburgh on the second day of this tour but you guys were beat out for most insane show of the tour by the friends in Salt Lake. It was the first show of this tour without a barricade, which just made it so much fun for all of us. I know I can speak for all the guys in the band and say we had the times of our lives. Also sorry to whomever I hit in the head with the butt of my bass. Stage diving with an instrument can be rather difficult. We had ourselves a hell of a drive from there to Denver over night but it was totally worth it for views like these:

And if that drive wasn’t enough we then trucked through an 11 hour one to Des Moines, IA and ended up getting there about an hour before doors. Loaded-in, busted out a sound check and were done in time to actually relax for a second. Des Moines has been one of my favorite days of tour so far. Beyond the stress of trying to make it to the show on time, the city is really awesome and the kids that came to the show were even better. We did get our fat on again at a place around the corner from the venue called Zombie Burger. Three words: Chicken Fried Bacon. All these food places are going to make me 10 times poorer than I already am. 

Remember when I said I would pepper in a pic of Caleb’s toenail that fell off? No? First time reading one of these? Well if you were getting hungry from me talking about food I’m sure I’ve quelled that urging now.

But anyways Des Moines was a lot of fun and now we’re in Minneapolis waiting for tonight’s show. It feels mighty good to be back in the Midwest, snow and all. Until next week!

POZ Road Blog: Beartooth (Update II)

I did a series of Road Blogs for Property Of Zack on our tour with August Burns Red, Bless The Fall, and Defeater. Here's the second installment:

Hey guys back again with another rambling update from our tour with August Burns Red, Blessthefall, and Defeater!

This week has been a weird one for sure. From big to small shows, and birthdays and injured toes. I’m a damn lyricist and you guys had no idea. A lot happened so this might be a lengthy one. But there will be a bunch of photos so you won’t get bored. Or you can just look at those and make up your own story for our past week.

But on the real this week has been insane. We played our first House of Blues date of the tour in Dallas and it was…. well, weird. It was insanely fun don’t get me wrong. The show was incredible and the crowd was gnarly, it was a blast. It was just the most surreal experience for me. Going from playing my first live show ever in January this year, and doing a house show tour to playing at a House of Blues 1,000 miles away from home. And people actually going to watch us specifically. Like I said, surreal.

This was also the show where Caleb’s toenail fell off. Let me retrace a few steps here. I believe it was the first day of tour when Caleb encountered a freak accident where he slammed our trailer door on top of his big toe. After much picking and poking over the next week or so the nail had left this world and moved on to the next and it came off right before we played. I’ll save you the gut-wrenching photo because we do have them. Maybe I’ll pepper it into a later update. This was also the day that we met some nice people who came to the Houston show and brought us a lemur to kick it with before we played. You know like King Julien from Madagascar? Still nothing? Okay here:

Isn’t she adorable? It was a very welcomed pick-me-up for the whole tour package.

We also played in a small room in Austin, TX with our buds in Defeater. It was one of the “Nites” for Fun Fun Fun Fest happening that weekend; basically an after party show. We played after Slayer so you could say we’re just as important or something like that. The show was a blast and at midnight it became our drummer Brandon’s birthday so he pampered himself with this heart attack of a burger from a food truck called Gordough’s around the corner from the venue.

 

That’s a burger with bacon, egg, cheese, cilantro, and guacamole all on a bun made of two donuts. I was literal heaven in food form. But that didn’t end the birthday celebrations. We had an off-day the following day and we drove to El Paso and hit up the quality establishment known as Hometown Buffet. We made a new friend that I’ve come to know as Gary:

And the whole crazy week came to a climatic peak when we had the incredible privilege of catching the last of Blink-182’s string of 10^th Anniversary “Untitled” shows at the Wiltern in Los Angeles. We’re all little fan girls for that band; it playing such a huge part in all of our adolescent musical minds. I remember being nine years old and talking my mom into buying me Enema of the State and having my life changed. It was an epic night to say the least.

Now we start our string of California shows that should give me some more material for this next week but I’ll let you know all about that then. Until then, stay street.

POZ Road Blog: Beartooth (Update I)

I did a series of Road Blogs for Property Of Zack on our tour with August Burns Red, Bless The Fall, and Defeater. Here's the first installment: 

Most of you guys probably have no idea who I am, and have only heard a few things here and there about my band. I’m usually fine being the guy behind the scenes that just does his own thing. But when I was asked to write up a tour journal for POZ I was all over it because I see myself as a modern day Dav Pilkey (look it up you might get the joke). But enough about that, I’ll go into this week’s update.

For being a relatively new band playing out at shows we didn’t know what to fully expect before we started this full national tour with August Burns Red, Blessthefall, and Defeater. But what we ended up getting was the most high flying and intense shows I think I’ve ever even been to. And when I say high flying I really mean it. Since it’s a bigger tour we’ve been battling barricades the whole time. So instead of the normal crowd participation of stage diving we’ve taken it under our responsibility to learn how to fly. Whether it’s off of bars, kick drums, or even the PA speakers. And I think only one of us has hit the ground so far, so that’s a positive. 

Pittsburgh was insane:

Stole this from @bigprox_7’s instagram

Also check this video from our hometown friend @slaughterstatus:

http://instagram.com/p/gTyfdQksEh/

I feel like every band just showed up and were already best friends. Granted I think this is the 100^th or 101^st tour ABR and BTF have done together but that’s beside the point. We were all joking around and throwing stuff at the bands while they were playing on the second day. It’s rad to find the chemistry so quick.

As for day-to-day for the band it’s been pretty routine so far. Wake up get to the venue. I find myself coffee or some crappy diner to eat at, while the other guys sleep forever. I get back and then we’ve started playing soccer in the venues and/or parking lots. I put on a little clinic and show everyone how its done score a few bicycle kick goals. Crowd goes wild. The usual.

On a more sensitive note, we really are incredibly grateful to be able to be out here on this tour. We are entirely humbled to have even been asked to participate. It’s unbelievable that we’re able to travel around this whole nation (and hopefully soon globe) and do what we love. This first week of this tour has been so eye opening for us all. To be with bands that have been doing this for so long and have done it successfully we have picked up a bunch of different tips that might help us hold onto some longevity. I can only hope that it continues. 

Now come out and watch us hurt ourselves some more.