and here's that interview...

if you want to read a transcript of the interview, it's here:

joe, mike and myself making a**es of ourselves to a tape recorder, the results of which, in my opinion, are a little bit funny.

and here's that photo...

(see "being interviewed", below)

an ode to mikey...

(mikey showing us his toilet technique he learned while in Israel this January)

truth be told, i gave mike a little bit of flack in that last post of mine, and i felt it was appropriate to counterbalance it with something from the heart. although i try to stay away from friend-labels, mikey is probably my best friend in the world, and i would go completely insane on tour, i believe, if it were not for him. he holds me accountable, he encourages me, he makes me laugh, makes me feel guilty when i eat food that is clearly bad for me, and does all the other things that such a friend should do. if you know mikey, then you know that he is one of the most amazing, loving and gentle people on this planet. if you DON'T know mikey, come to a sherwood show. =) just kidding!

my favorite prayer

being interviewed

february 23rd 2006

It is about 6pm in hotlanta, and as I stand outside with mikey by the RV, I tell him that two nice 18-year old guys are coming to the show tonight for the purpose of interviewing Sherwood for their e-zine, For The Sound. meanwhile, mike, joe and i are all thinking that we need to get some coffee, but with no transportation (other than the monster vehicle we call home) and no coffee in walking distance, things are looking gloomy. then mikey has the idea of asking the interviewers to take us to coffee, simultaneously eliminating our headaches and providing a cozy chatting atmosphere. we all agree it is a great idea, but right before we leave, nate and lucas decide to pin my arms and wrap as much masking tape around my body (READ: around my beard and hair in overlapping loops) as possible. this provides our interviewers with the photo they need for the front page feature: a taped-up me, with my mouth involuntarily pried open by two opposing strands of sticky paper, half mummy, half mountain man, a grinning, mischievious nate smiling by my side.

on the way to coffee (the three of us sherwoods together in the backseat of the sedan while the interviewers chauffer), the jokes are already rolling, and i anticipate a good time.

we land at starbucks (not my first choice, but i try not to be picky), and joe and i pull our usual stunt -- a venti coffee frapuccino split into two tall cups (less than $2 each, but wallets full of coffee goodness!) -- while our new friends pull two tables together to start the interview. this is still a relatively new phenomenon for me, and i am not quite comfortable, but certainly not bored either. the majority of the interview ends up being spent in three-way nerdy jokes between us band members, with a few actual ANSWERS to questions interspersed between wisecracks. at one point, mikey begins knocking on the table as i am answering a question about labels. were i to transcribe this 30 seconds of conversation, it would look like this:

interviewer: so are there any specific labels you are looking at, or are looking at you?
me: ummmmmm (i learned this from speech class), i don't think we are really supposed to name any names...
mikey: *knocks on wood*
joe: mikey, why did you just hit the table?
mikey: ya know, "knock on wood"?
joe: i don't think you quite understand that expression.

at this point, joe is in fact correct, mikey doesn't quite understand it. for the most part, however, questions are answered relatively smoothly -- more often smooth when we aren't trying to be funny. my favorite egotistical mishap (which i hope isn't printed) occurs when mikey fields the question, "why did you guys get a one album deal?" with the answer, "well, we kind of DESERVED it." mikey also chooses at one point to answer the question, "would you rather sign to an indie label or a major label?" by citing that "Dan is a control freak, but he realizes he can't control labels." oh, mikey...how i love thee.

but in general, the interview is going well, joe is laughing a lot, there are numerous mentions of never "hearing organ in the winter" (as a reason our music is connected to the summer so often -- sub question: is it?), to which i can't help but laugh, mainly at the word "organ", which is admittedly childish of me. but there is something childish that tends to surface when i spent time with joe and mikey.

the interview concludes, we sign a phanny pack with a silver sharpie, and we make our way back to the club. all in all, a good time.

(Old Classic) Halloween Hipster Party

We had a day off in Chicago recently, and I spent the evening with a friend of mine named Fire Jay (so named because of his duties as a fireman), who took myself and Joe to a party...a costume party...but no ordinary costume party...a HIPSTER costume party. Below is my attempt at blog photojournalism, replete with descriptions of each photo. These are hipster's at their finest, folks, so revel in it, love it, think about it.



This was my first clue -- hipsters tend to stick to PBR (for cheap nights) or Stella Artois (big rollin' nights...or any night in Capitol Hill, Seattle)

The visual counterpart to the hip music (obscure techno mainly, including the cover of "Money (That's What I Want)" from the Empire Records soundtrack) was a VHS copy of Back To The Future playing silently on the wood-paneled TV:



As i sat in an old, plaid, mostly comfortable armchair, I looked down at the PHONOGRAPH (necessary for any hipster pad) and noticed this sticker, denoting popular hipster politcal leanings:



This caused me to notice other graphics, mainly the art on the walls...



ALF Knit-By-Number Rug (this is actually pretty cool, I will admit...)



...and this one appears to be a Pope juggling five Jesus-On-The-Cross's...so true, man.

So I checked the bookcase...



Yep, five out of fifteen are by Kurt Vonnegut -- and they even avoided the bestseller Slaughterhouse Five!

Since I don't know much about early Devo or black and white photography, I was a bit out of the loop, forcing me to take matters into my own hands...



Happy Halloween, everyone.

Oh, Texas...

I found the following two large stickers on a Flying-J truck stop somewhere near Houston, Texas. I believe they speak for themselves...



- AND EVEN BETTER -

my home away from home

wednesday, february 15th 2006

i would like to describe the bunk in which i live more than half of the year. this will be an exercise for me in descriptive writing, and an exercise for you in understanding the spatial life of a nominally talented nomad.

my bunk is the largest of the living quarters, located in the front of the RV, hanging over the driver cabin, both lookout post and luxury suite. at about 7 1/2' feet long, it is the only bunk in which i can fully stretch out my 6' 2" frame. the ceiling is a dirty sand-colored fiber carpet of some kind, well worn and stained various colors. most if not all of these marks were here when we got the RV, and the origins of them will hopefully forever remain a mystery to me. there are three windows: one on either side of the vehicle, each of which open and are equipped with screens, which are good not only for keeping out bugs, but provide an additional variable which helps one to achieve perfect airflow through the bunk, especially on warm nights, sleeping while another servant-hearted band member drives.

the third window is long and narrow and sprawls across the front of the cabin, through which i can see the road and whatever scenery there may be to take in at any time. this panel, however, is perenially plagued by the remains of large insects -- if they manage to miss the regular windshield, this is where they often end up. no amount of gas station squeegie work ever seems to completely clear up these pockmarks, but the view can be beautiful regardless.

the dark green 70s fabric-covered foam mattress is about 6 feet long, and on either end are about 9 inches of fake wood paneling, perfect for basic storage. (let it be known, however, that "storage" for many people involves an organized system of items placed in specific places for specific reasons, however, when I say "storage", abandon this preconception; think chaos...) on the driver side, where i generally rest my pillow and head, i keep odds and ends -- things i use and need regularly, like my beanie, wallet, screwdriver (for fixing the always broken curtain system which constitutes my only privacy barrier), notebook and whatever book(s) i am currently reading. on the other end are the books i am not currently reading, a hot glue gun and glue sticks (also for the damn curtains), and whatever else may congregate, meaning whatever any other band member tosses there.

my sleeping bag and comforter are generally laid out on the closer half of the bunk for easy access; the front half, closest to the long window, houses my green collapsable laundry box (a wonderful and practical christmas present from Mom), my duffel bag for clean clothes, and an extra blanket for cold nights. also currently located in this half of the bunk is our merch guy Thomas' huge duffel bag (he didn't get the memo to pack light). on the driver side there is also one light, perfect for late night reading.

and that's about it. i am lucky to have such a nice and comfortable place to spend the majority of my time; feel free to ask for a tour anytime.

next issue: the greater RV.