2002 SEPTEMBER TOUR     Wednesday, September 4 - West Chester, PA - Rex's This is like déjà vu all over again, but totally different than the last time we began a tour here in good ‘ol West Chester, Pa. Besides, we’ve got a new album out as of last week (Honey in the Hive) that we’re extremely proud of, and that people seem to dig a little bit. On top of that, we’ve got a new record label in Yep Roc who seem to have their shit together so there’s a whole different energy around the band than the last time we headed off into that great unknown littered with Subways and Days Inns known as “the road.” Tonight’s gig is a tune-up for our record release show in Philly and the touring that will follow. We’re the only band on the bill tonight, which the Own Up Time DJs have been gracious enough to share with us on their usual night here at Rex’s. Ed, Bret and myself meet Scott at the club after an unusually long drive down from Philly (NEVER take Market St./Rt. 3 all the way to the W.C., no matter the circumstances) just in time for soundcheck. Unfortunately the soundman never does seem to get a grasp on things throughout our 45-minute set, and he mysteriously disappears right as we finish. No fooling. There are a couple of bumpy spots in the set, but overall, not bad. A noisy weeknight crowd greets new songs like “Emmanuelle,” and old faves like “Threadbare” quite warmly. We’re assuming they would’ve greeted another new song, “Don’t Know Why,” quite warmly, except that Bret failed to notice it on the set list and skipped right over it. Moral of tonight’s story: sometimes four eyes just ain’t enough. Set List Half-Richard's Forever is not So Long Emmanuelle Make Your Day Ivy Grows What Would it Take A Simple How Are You Bought Your Ghost Summer Can't Have Me Threadbare     Friday, September 6 - Philadelphia, PA - Tower Records Some members of the Lovers (Bret) equate in-store performances with root canal. Some Lovers (me) are down for anything within reason to help spread the word about our little album and don’t think they’re all that bad. None of us know quite what to expect today. WXPN in Philly has been supportive of the album for several weeks already and have been plugging the heck out of this in-store. But it’s the middle of the day on a Friday, and, quite frankly, we’re creatures of darkened gin joints where it’s best that we don’t make eye contact with you until we’re standing next to one another at the urinal, you dig? Turns out, our concerns are all for naught. The folks at Tower couldn’t have been more hospitable, erecting a nice stage for us with a backdrop fashioned after the Honey cover art, and my old south Jersey crony Ronnie Tagg does a bang-up job on sound. A pre-show round of drinks at Oscar’s gets us in the right frame of mind. A good crowd turns out for the 1:00pm performance, comprised of friends, family and total strangers who actually seem to know who the bloody hell were are. We do a Cliff Notes version of what will be the core set for the tour, slipping in the Soft Boys’ “Queen of Eyes” per request. My dad bitches that we don’t do “Minivan Blues.” After I explain to him that we need a piano to pull it off live, I take his gripe as a compliment. Yep Roc honcho Tor Hansen and Red Eye retail rep William Paris play the role of Artie Fufkin, and neither one instructs us to “do a man a favor and kick this ass.” And that’s a sign of a good in-store, kiddies. Set List Half-Richard's Forever is not So Long Emmanuelle What Would it Take Queen of Eyes A Simple How Are You Bought Your Ghost Don't Know Why Summer Threadbare     Saturday, September 7 - Philadelphia, PA - Khyber (record release show) Enter the shower at 5:30, because Scott’s picking me up in the van at 6:15. Phone rings. I’m standing there, dripping wet, naked as the day I was born trying to make sense of the frantic voice on the other end: `accident…. Rear-ended…. Schuylkill… van’s trashed… send help.’ Before I know what hit me, I’m calling towing companies, telling Scott to stay calm, and screaming at the top of my lungs `Why us, why tonight?’ In case you haven’t guessed, Scott was involved in a multi-vehicle accident with our trusted van en route to my place. He’s not hurt, thank goodness, the gear seems to be o.k., and a flatbed is taking Scott and our banged up van (it’s totaled, baby) down to Khyber. I grab Bret; we meet Ed at the club, and have a few beers to dull our misery. Before you can say “liability coverage,” a giant flatbed truck carrying our van brings the Saturday night traffic in trendy Old City to a halt, as we - with the help of the Lenola boys who are opening tonight’s show along with Art Difuria from the Photon Band - grab our belongings from the van, and pass them into the club fireman-style. Once set-up and soundchecked, we’re overcome with a sense of calm, and a realization that van or no van, the show’s gonna go on. And it does. It’s sold out, in fact. Old friends, new friends, and people just curious to see what the buzz is about pack the room. We triumph in the face of adversity and deliver one of the better shows of the tour, definitely our best Philly show ever. I take out my frustrations on my Ludwigs, and, as a band, we’re gelling like never before. “Bought Your Ghost” takes off like a rocketship; the feedback n’ drums freakout at the end of “Can’t Have Me” (a Big Star cover we’ve added to the mix recently) feels unholy; the harmonies in “Make Your Day” are pretty as a picture; and the big rock finish that caps off “Threadbare” puts an exclamation point on a most special evening. What’s that? You want more? Glad you asked. We trot out a medley of Wreckless Eric’s “Whole Wide World” and Alex Chilton’s “Hey Little Child,” and send everyone home with a message of hope: the Soft Boys’ “I Wanna Destroy You.” We drink until they throw us out, and realize this was a truly amazing night that totally could’ve gone the other way. Local Celebrity Watch: Kurt Heasly of the Lilys is denied access to the bathroom after the club is closed. Set List (click to enlarge)     Thursday, September 12 - Raleigh, NC - King's Barcade After a few days off, we solve our van dilemma by biting the bullet and renting a spiffy Ford 15-passenger number, with AC, CD player, cloth seats, tinted windows -- the works. Christ, we should bang up our own van more often. We make the seven-plus hour drive down to Raleigh where we’re opening for labelmates the Mayflies USA on their home turf. We’re greeted by a bunch of Yep Roc/Red Eye staffers and a nice crowd who pay close attention as we do our thing in fine fashion. There’s surprisingly little rust after a few days of inactivity, a sign that we’ve improved immensely as a unit since our first tour. We sell some records, drink some drinks, meet some very nice locals, and head to Mr. Tor Hansen’s house (we can’t believe he’s not sick of us yet) where we’ll be spending the night. Set List     Friday, September 13 - Nashville, TN - Slo-Bar We spend the morning listening to XTC and the Easybeats at Tor’s place while tossing back a nice spread of muffins, croissants and juice. After that, we drive Tor to the Yep Roc/Red Eye headquarters where we do the meet and greet thing with the rest of the staff. Christ, a record label with actual employees, offices, conference room, and warehouse?? We must be dreaming. Today’s drive to Nashville is a long one (nine-and-a-half hours) but navigating our way through the Smoky Mountains at least makes it a scenic hop. We hook up with Centro-matic tonight (our labelmates in Europe) who we’ll be playing with for most of the next week or so. They’re great guys, and a great band, as we’re fortunate enough to witness night after night. The gig’s kinda early to accommodate a later show at the club, so we quickly get in gear and kick out the jams in front of a very receptive crowd, some of whom already seem to know of us. Turns out Glenn Dicker and Marc Schatz from Yep Roc are in town on business and stop out for the gig. Before retiring to Bret’s friend Melanie’s house for the night, we search high and low for a late night snack before finally hitting paydirt at a Jack in the Box. Not, however, before we encounter a handful of good Christian folk (one girl had a baby-t on that said “God Kicks Ass,” or words to that end) outside a TGI Friday’s where the kitchen closes at midnight but the bar stays open ‘til 3:00 a.m. (???!!!). They pop the inevitable question: “Are ya’ll in a band?” Local Celebrity Watch: Former Wilco drummer Ken Coomer turns out for the gig. He’s a helluva nice guy, and, by the looks of things, the mayor of Nashville. All kidding aside, it’s a pleasure to meet someone who’s been a part of one of the best American rock bands of the last 20 years. Set List     Saturday, September 14 - Columbia, MO - Mojo's After yet another breakfast of muffins, croissants and juice at Melanie’s house, we head off in search of bass strings and a magazine store, where we can gawk at our four star review and miniscule picture in the new Rolling Stone. That’s right, Ringo. Rolling Stone, ****. Okay, so maybe it doesn’t carry as much weight as it did when those people actually vital to the fabric of our culture were gracing the mag’s cover on a regular basis (Jennifer Love Hewitt’s on this particular cover. We suspect she’s one of the following: Buffy, Felicity, a Gilmore Girl, or a Golden Girl. Turns out she’s an actress/dance pop creampuff who’s in the new Jackie Chan movie. I guess Avril Lavigne was busy), but it still lends a feeling of legitimacy to our racket-making. Scott actually purchases a copy of the mag while I shoplift the latest copies of Grit, Guns & Ammo, Soldier of Fortune, and Jet, just to have a little something to read on the eight hour drive to Columbia. About an hour out, we hit major gridlock on the Interstate. We figure a pie cart hit a vegetable cart in the middle of the road and a major fracas has broken out, but, alas, it’s just an overturned SUV. We get to the gig at the spacious, yet cozy Mojo’s with not much time to spare and learn we’re first on a bill of four (Centro-matic is not with us tonight). The crowd is pretty gosh darned rabid for having no clue who we are and the set goes off without a hitch. Afterward, we sell a nice bit of merch and make small talk with the very nice locals, one of whom tells me we reminded him of Ween. Now that’s a first. And a last. Set List     Sunday, September 15 - Newport, KY - Southgate House Within spitting distance of Cincinnati (trust us, we tried) sits the Southgate House, a spacious, multi-leveled rock room that looks to be a converted mansion from many moons ago. We’re rejoined by Centro-matic for a gig that is, shall we say, lightly attended. To put it another way, we had one more paying customer tonight, than we had stars in the Rolling Stone review. As we’ve learned on past jaunts, you’re gonna have nights like these, so just suck it up and make the best of it. We’re plied with free beer in the dressing room, and since the hotel is right across the street we decide to get our drink on. We make our way upstairs to check out a room full of Stepfordian indie types (it very well could’ve been a Lee Harvey Oswald look-a-like contest) watching a trio of trustafarians make noise on a Casio keyboard and guitars. At least they had a bigger crowd than us. Taking advantage of the club’s superior P.A. and roomy stage, we tear into a set that feels incredible despite the fact that the audience outnumbers us by only one person. We trot out “Give it to the Soft Boys” tonight, which is always a blast to play. Centro-matic follow with a rumbling, dynamic set which hinges on the achingly beautiful voice and songs of Mr. Will Johnson. For the uninitiated, they’re somewhat of a mix between Sparklehorse, Mercury Rev and Crazy Horse, with a decidedly `Don’t Mess With Texas’ resolve, and one of the best drummers in Matt who I’ve had the pleasure of sharing a drum riser with. All off to the White Castle (‘cept me) for a little post-show nosh, and then back to the Travelodge, where, according to Adrian at the front desk, the Vince Neil Band stayed last week. No wonder this place smells the way it does. Set List Half-Richard's Forever is not So Long Emmanuelle Make Your Day Ivy Grows What Would it Take A Simple How Are You Bought Your Ghost Give it to the Soft Boys Summer Can't Have Me Threadbare     Monday, September 16 - Columbus, OH - Bernie's Awake to the sight of two ornery looking fellas vacating a room occupied by a, how you say?, crack-ho. She asks us if we want to party (um, no), swears that Bret looks like “that Beatle guy” (Pete Best?) and finally heads off with a friend to find “some comfort” (we’re assuming it’s of the Southern variety). It’s not even 10:00 am yet. We temporarily part ways with Centro-matic who have vowed never to play Bernie’s ever, ever again. Upon our mid-afternoon arrival, we can see why. G.G. Allin wouldn’t use the shitter in this filthy, tuberculosis-ridden joint. There’s no mention of tonight’s show anywhere in town. At 3:00 pm, the place is festooned with junkies, winos and barstool prophets. We’re expecting Bukowski to come out and challenge us to a knife fight at any minute. Somehow, we feel safe about leaving our gear here. All of us minus Bret, who retires to the hotel for some R&R, are driven around Columbus by my wacky, yet loveable Aunt Della, who treats us to a nice dinner and fills Scott & Ed in on way too much information about my family. Upon returning to the club, we meet up with a band from Seattle who, as the coin flip determines, will be closing the show this evening. We also encounter an aging queen who asks us all “Does your mother know you’re here?” before flicking his tongue at us in a suggestive manner. It’s clear the guy is in need of a friend, so we do our best to humor him, so long as he doesn’t breathe or sneeze on us. He eventually wears out his welcome when he tries to give the one girl sitting at the bar a neck massage against her will, and he’s put out on his ass. By the time we take the stage, a small crowd has assembled, and all, it seems, are here specifically to see us. They buy lots of merch, offer to put us up next time we’re in town, and make us feel like kings of this shithole (thank you Ryan and Meg). We also meet James Baumann, publisher of the very fine webzine Swizzle Stick, and a supporter of the Lovers since our first record. Kind soul that he is, James helps us load out, and takes us to this very cool out of the way watering hole called the Treehouse. Fittingly enough, there’s a giant tree in the middle of the room going right through the roof. Drinks are on the house and the jukebox is rocking as we end up closing the joint. Oh, and if you’re ever wondering what a band gets paid on a slow night like this, click on the picture below. Our agent still gets his 10%: two bottles. Set List     Tuesday, September 17 - St. Louis, MO - Hi-Pointe Routing being what it is, we head back to the Show Me State for tonight’s show, our maiden trip to St. Louis. We again meet up with the Centro-matic crew who assure us this will be a rocking night. A couple of minor technical glitches aside, we pound out a tight set that gets some feet tapping and some hands clapping, even though Ed starts “Bought Your Ghost” before Bret’s ready. I’m manning the merch table tonight and I get to watch Centro-matic’s set in its entirety. Christ, these boys are good. One of the better bands we’ve had the pleasure of touring with, no doubt. Jeff, a co-hort of our friend Bob Andrews (Centro-matic’s manager and owner of Undertow Records) put us up tonight. He’s dating a St. Louis Rams cheerleader (I’m not even making this up), who, unfortunately, is not waiting for us back at his pad with the rest of her squad, a case of Smirnoff Ice, and a gap-toothed midget. There goes my first letter to Penthouse Forum. Local Celebrity Watch: The inimitable Beatle Bob turns out for the gig, the patron saint of pop in St. Louis, who’s been known to travel thousands of miles for the right show. Lucky for him, we’re just a short car ride away tonight. As is his custom, he dances away and snaps many pictures during our set. Set List     Wednesday, September 18 - Chicago, IL - Schubas We beat a hasty retreat from Jeff’s place as we’ve got to be in Chicago for a 4:00 pm soundcheck at one of our favorite rooms, Schubas. We love the efficiency of this place, but, ouch, a 4:00 pm soundcheck? It goes off just fine and the early start gives us plenty of time to find lodging west of the city as we’re in Cleveland tomorrow. By the time we take the stage, the room has filled up nicely and we’re greeted with the loudest reception of the tour thus far. This is our fifth time through town, so a good bunch of people know who we are and already seem to know the songs from Honey. Unlike past jaunts, we’ve been skipping much of the slow stuff this time around and just letting it rip. It seems to be working as the shows have a kick-ass pacing and feel to them I don’t think we’ve sustained in the past. We’re playing better than ever as a band, and the songs are coming across as such. We’ve also developed a little pre-show ritual where we gather round the acoustic and harmonize, so the pipes are nice and warmed up once we take the stage. It’s only slightly awkward when someone walks in on three gown men going `ahhh’ in unison while one guy bangs on his knees. We end up drinking ‘til they throw us out with friends new and old, and look forward to the next time we get to rock one of the finest rooms a touring band can hope to play. Local Celebrity Watch:. Both Jay Bennett and Edward Burch are in the house tonight, and manage to talk us out of several CDs and t-shirts, gratas. Set List     Thursday, September 19 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Another room we’ve rocked several times before, the Beachland has always been kind to us Lovers. Tonight they’re even kinder by preparing us a catered meal of chicken (my reputation precedes me, apparently) green beans (we’d almost forgotten what vegetables looked like) and rice. Quite tasty and very much appreciated. Unfortunately, neither Centro-matic nor us Lovers turn in a stellar performance tonight. Perhaps the drag of eight shows in eight days, compounded by a fuckload of driving, has finally set in. Bret breaks a string late in the set and the freakout at the end of “Can’t Have Me” never really gets going, but we manage to make it through unharmed. Pete from Uptown Sinclair puts us up tonight, making us food at 3:00 am and letting us use his computer. Truly a kind, kind soul. Local Celebrity Watch: Dave Hill from Uptown Sinclair is also in attendance and we coin all sorts of Ohio-centric terms like an “Ashtabula Sleighride” and a “Medina Mudslide” for supposed deviant acts we know nothing about. Kurt Hernon of Bangsheet fame once again comes out to show his support, and we respond in kind by dedicating “Ivy Grows” to him. Set List     Friday, September 20 - Day off, drive back home to Philly We were originally supposed to be in Buffalo tonight but cold feet on the part of the local promoter has given us an off day, which really isn’t such a band thing. As we’re finishing out this stretch in Boston, then New York, we decide it’s best to just head back to Philly for a night of R&R and wound-licking. Not a bad idea. To help the sleep cause, I popped a couple of Tylenol PM the night before. At least I thought I did. They were actually two percocet. Needless to say, I slept like a medicated baby for pretty much the entire seven- hour drive.     Saturday, September 21 - Boston, MA - TT the Bears The five-plus hour hop to Boston goes rather smoothly and the night off has definitely re-charged our batteries. Unfortunately, we’re bottom of the bill tonight under Centro-matic, a cock-rocking local band, and the stylized pop of the French Kicks, whose drummer/singer is one tall sumabitch (taller than moi, even). No matter. We take the stage just after 9:00 pm and give up the rock in front of a very receptive audience who pepper their applause with shouts for “Threadbare.” By the time we close with said song, the room is damn near full and there’s an air of a job well done as we make way for Centro-matic. We spend the rest of the evening checking out the other bands, chatting with assembled family and friends (Pete, Ed’s old college roommate, is putting us up tonight), and drinking just about all the lukewarm beer we could handle. I feel as if we’re just now hitting stride, but of course, tomorrow will be our last show for a little bit. Sad. Set List     Sunday, September 22 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge A leisurely afternoon drive through New England in the fall turns into a nightmare when we reach the Bronx on 95 and traffic isn’t moving a lick. We fear we’ll make it with barely enough time to set-up, or, worse, that we’ll miss our 8:00 pm time slot entirely. The gridlock finally clears up, and we make it to the Mercury Lounge with time to spare. We again have the dubious distinction of playing first tonight (hopefully, this will soon begin to change), but a very spirited and good-sized crowd makes its way into the Merc’s main room to check out the pop-rock. Tonight’s one of the better shows of the tour as everyone’s playing loose and the sound on stage is stellar. Ed nails the slide part in “Don’t Know Why” like never before, prompting me to drop in a Mick Fleetwood-style fill from nowhere (which, in turn prompts a sideways glance from Bret). And the closing one-two punch of “Threadbare” and “I Wanna Destroy You” is murderous, and I’ve got a crash cymbal dented in two places, and a one-inch welt in my snare head to prove it. We meet up with our booking maven, Kevin French to discuss future plans, watch the Centro-matic bunch kick Texas-sized ass one last time, and then make our way home down the turnpike. But not before posing for this Eight is Enough-style photo. Dick Van Patten would be proud. Set List Half-Richard's Forever is not So Long Emmanuelle Make Your Day Ivy Grows What Would it Take A Simple How Are You Bought Your Ghost Don't Know Why Summer Threadbare I Wanna Destroy You See y'all next time around. - PB     For more pictures from this trip, click here To find out more about Centro-matic, go here