[Archive]
Tour Diary is Here
As promised, the Tour Diary is here. We'll put a bunch of pictures and the diary itself on the site, but for now check out the Free Times online version here http://www.freetimes.com/ . This was our favorite trip across Europe yet, and we'd like to thank all of our old friends, as well as new ones we made on this tour for making it such a great time. There's a lot of text there, so get readin'...
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Preparations for Europe
The Daredevils are in full on Euro Tour preparation mode. Disposable tube socks have been purchased. Sketchy amps have been rented. Christoph has been given The Masterplan. Leo even got his passport renewed. Probably most important, there are some very exciting new Whiskey Wear items being printed as we speak. The exclusive new Will Ruocco designed "Speed Team" work shirt will be available in a variety of colors and styles, as well as the limited edition run of American Apparel "Leo" t shirts. Each one of these shirts is guaranteed to be the best looking piece of clothing in your entire wardrobe, and comes with the Whiskey Daredevil's 100% money back guarantee of turning you into an irresistible icon to the opposite sex.
Fallout from the Dayton gig keeps coming in as Greg and Marty "agreed to disagree" about if the Daredevils had ever been given specific set times/length prior to their Trolley Stop show. However, one thing everyone did agree on was that the Trolley Stop is Dayton's finest place to suck down some suds in the summertime. And with Greg now on the same page with Marty about how they like to run things (Having a set plan as opposed to the Daredevils method of showing up and seeing what the hell happens), everyone is cautiously optimistic about a return gig this summer. We'll get you details as soon as we work something out.
Fallout from the Dayton gig keeps coming in as Greg and Marty "agreed to disagree" about if the Daredevils had ever been given specific set times/length prior to their Trolley Stop show. However, one thing everyone did agree on was that the Trolley Stop is Dayton's finest place to suck down some suds in the summertime. And with Greg now on the same page with Marty about how they like to run things (Having a set plan as opposed to the Daredevils method of showing up and seeing what the hell happens), everyone is cautiously optimistic about a return gig this summer. We'll get you details as soon as we work something out.
Adventure in Uncharted Waters
It was an adventure weekend for the Daredevils as they sped into two cities with little or no existing fan support, with the sole intention of playing somewhere uncharted. Dayton’s Trolley Stop was booked with the help of Justin from the Magpies who highly recommended the charming old venue in Oregon district. What Justin or booking agent Marty didn’t mention was the club’s expectation of either four (4) 45 minute sets or three (3) 60 minute sets of music with no longer than 20 minute breaks in between. (What, are we some kind of unholy cross between a wedding band and the friggin’ Allman Brothers now?)
As the band leisurely set up on the small stage around 9:45p, the bar staff began to melt down. Since most rock shows the Daredevils are a part of start at 10:30 at the very earliest, this behavior seemed very odd to say the least. Soon a document was wildly waved around by the bar manager being referred to as “your contract”, despite the fact no one at Whiskey Daredevil HQ had ever seen or heard of the aforementioned document. Once the terms were revealed, the Daredevils got to work and played basically everything they had ever written, recorded, or vaguely knew. This isn’t like some noodley hippie jam band here. These songs are all about two and a half minutes long. All told, 59 songs were played during the course of the evening. Best moment of the night? When a young girl up front demanded “something we know” and was met with Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” mashed into the Bad Brains “Pay To Cum”. All told, peace was restored and everyone got on the same page. The Trolley Stop is a fine place with a good cast of characters and is highly recommended as Dayton’s top of mind spot for a pint.
Saturday the band continued the journey to the much ballyhooed city of Asheville NC and confronted what can only be referred to as THE PERFECT STORM. What would you say if I told you that the Whiskey Daredevils have never played Asheville or anywhere closer than Winston Salem? How about if I told you they were booked at a brand new club that has just opened on the unfashionable side of town? Now throw in that the weather was a very unseasonable 38 degrees and rainy (which in North Carolina is like 6 degrees and snowing!). Oh, here’s some more good news…The Drive By Truckers have just returned to town as conquering heroes selling out the 600 capacity room on the other side of town. One more thing…Garage rock patriarch Greg Cartwright of the Reigning Sound is spinning records at the hipster spot directly across the street at no cover. Yes, this is not the exact set up you are looking for in a first gig in town.
Despite these obvious hurdles, the Rocket Club is a really cool joint with a terrific stage and sound system. On top of that, they’ve got an awesome beer selection and a free jukebox with stuff like Husker Du’s “Zen Arcade”, Skip Spence’s “Oar”, and the Mono Men’s “Have a Nice Day Motherfucker” on it. Enough people came into the large room to make it “a rock show”, and the town of Asheville itself is as good as advertised. The people are friendly everywhere we went, and there are tons of places to get a good meal/drink. If I were you, I’d make a road trip out there ASAP. Wander around town in the afternoon and check out the interesting shops. Grab an ostrich burger over at The Admiral, and then catch a show at The Rocket Club. You’ll be glad you did.
A couple dates have moved around in the Europe Tour. Check these out, and plan accordingly. If you’ve ever wanted to go to Europe, now’s the time. Utilize Leo as your cultural guide, and blend into the surroundings like a local. Complete tour details are on the logical page here on the site.
As the band leisurely set up on the small stage around 9:45p, the bar staff began to melt down. Since most rock shows the Daredevils are a part of start at 10:30 at the very earliest, this behavior seemed very odd to say the least. Soon a document was wildly waved around by the bar manager being referred to as “your contract”, despite the fact no one at Whiskey Daredevil HQ had ever seen or heard of the aforementioned document. Once the terms were revealed, the Daredevils got to work and played basically everything they had ever written, recorded, or vaguely knew. This isn’t like some noodley hippie jam band here. These songs are all about two and a half minutes long. All told, 59 songs were played during the course of the evening. Best moment of the night? When a young girl up front demanded “something we know” and was met with Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” mashed into the Bad Brains “Pay To Cum”. All told, peace was restored and everyone got on the same page. The Trolley Stop is a fine place with a good cast of characters and is highly recommended as Dayton’s top of mind spot for a pint.
Saturday the band continued the journey to the much ballyhooed city of Asheville NC and confronted what can only be referred to as THE PERFECT STORM. What would you say if I told you that the Whiskey Daredevils have never played Asheville or anywhere closer than Winston Salem? How about if I told you they were booked at a brand new club that has just opened on the unfashionable side of town? Now throw in that the weather was a very unseasonable 38 degrees and rainy (which in North Carolina is like 6 degrees and snowing!). Oh, here’s some more good news…The Drive By Truckers have just returned to town as conquering heroes selling out the 600 capacity room on the other side of town. One more thing…Garage rock patriarch Greg Cartwright of the Reigning Sound is spinning records at the hipster spot directly across the street at no cover. Yes, this is not the exact set up you are looking for in a first gig in town.
Despite these obvious hurdles, the Rocket Club is a really cool joint with a terrific stage and sound system. On top of that, they’ve got an awesome beer selection and a free jukebox with stuff like Husker Du’s “Zen Arcade”, Skip Spence’s “Oar”, and the Mono Men’s “Have a Nice Day Motherfucker” on it. Enough people came into the large room to make it “a rock show”, and the town of Asheville itself is as good as advertised. The people are friendly everywhere we went, and there are tons of places to get a good meal/drink. If I were you, I’d make a road trip out there ASAP. Wander around town in the afternoon and check out the interesting shops. Grab an ostrich burger over at The Admiral, and then catch a show at The Rocket Club. You’ll be glad you did.
A couple dates have moved around in the Europe Tour. Check these out, and plan accordingly. If you’ve ever wanted to go to Europe, now’s the time. Utilize Leo as your cultural guide, and blend into the surroundings like a local. Complete tour details are on the logical page here on the site.