Packing Packing Packing.

It's the night before Anna, Vicky and I fly out to Chicago to meet up w/ the Spires dudes and I've been millin about all day making sure things are set. Everything appears to be in order but I think my bag might be to big for carry on w/ my camera bag stuffed inside. I'm trying to pack light but two weeks is a long time to be gone.

The break down:

(Camera equipment and bag^)***missing from photo: lens cleaner, now in bag, yep!***


(Stuff w/ camera bag all packed^)***missing from photo: tooth brush, fuck it.***


(Fancy new Freight Bag nearly maxed out^) ***is actually a lot bigger than shown***

I'm on my 3rd burrito within the past 24hrs and Alkaline Trio has been on loop all day. I'm probably gonna keep Goddamnit on repeat as we come into O'Hare as well haha. It's only too fitting.

Anyway, the itinerary is really exciting. I'm bringing my laptop so I can clear off my memory cards and I'll be updating this as much as I can.
So stay tuned!

I will miss:
Clam


And me bike





-AL

Happenin happenings!

This Wednesday should be amazing. There's quite a line up at the 10th St house so if you're free be sure to check this out.

Re-posted from Jon:

Also, Wednesday September 2nd!Show at our house with.
The Reed Sea (Portland, indie good times)
The Northern Lights (Oakland, Modest Mouse-ish indie)
Sillian Rail (SF amazing party times!)
Total Bros and Orca Team Split set. (Portland Darlings of fun rock!)

Starts at 7 ish.

1420 10th St(The Hive)
Oakland!

Spread the good word.

-AL

08/14/2009 & 08/15/2009

So everyone is at Jason and Anna's place right now for some pizza campfire or something. I dunno details and I'm feeling to reclusive to socialize... per usual. So...

This past weekend was pretty full w/ shows at The Dog House and The Hive(10th St house). Both very different, both very fun.
I can't remember the full line up at The Dog House but I only shot Git Some. The other bands I wasn't into and I shoot Spires all the time. I'm sure they can play a set and not miss me blinding them for once.

08/15/2009 @ The Dog House
Git Some...



The next night was a little more cozy. Masturi was just finishing up their long tour and it was their first night back in the Bay Area. There were a lot of strange faces but definitely friendly ones.


08/15/2009 @ The Hive
Jon's new band(no name)...


John Cotta...


Masturi...



I'm feeling pretty lazy right now and I still gotta cook, walk mah pup and take a shower so I'm not including links and I'll have the images on my Flickr later.

-AL

NYC OR BUST!!

PHILLY OR BUST!
BOSTON OR BUST!
PITTSBURGH OR BUST!
BALTIMORE OR BUST!
CHICAAAAAGGGGOOOO OR BUST!!

Sooo stoked right now!
Why??
Because I bought my fucking plane ticket to Chicago!


I'm getting to tour around for two weeks w/ ten close friends and see several rad cities for the first time ever on Spires' U.S. Tour. We've been talking plans for this shit for months now and it's finally set. I don't think I can full describe how excited I am. I'm completely broke now so figuring out how I'm gonna make it to school, pay rent, bills and get food is gonna be rough but whatever!
SURFS UP!
GO FAST!!

Spires and Get Some(CO) are playing a show literally across the street from my house(28th and Telegraph) tonight. It's a big blue house across from 528.
There's also a show tomorrow night at the 10th St house.
Between Tounges
Masturi
Moldar
and more!

I'll try and get more info up later. I'm at work and not working. Just being hella stoked. But I gotta start working now if I wanna keep this job.

OK bye now.
-AL

08/08/2009 KLAF 5 and 08/09/2009 @ The Yellow House

OK, I finally have a chance to sit down and sift through all the shots I came back with from the past weekend. This shit has seriously been non-stop. I had to shoot a wedding on Friday, KLAF on Saturday and then the show at The Yellow Room on Sunday.
I'm extremely tired right now and I think I'm getting sick again(would be 3rd time this year). So on that note, I'll just post some photos lacking details(mostly).




KLAF 5 was fucking epic. As it has always been in the past. 11 bands, 350+ people or some crazy shit and the canned food drive pulled in two barrels of canned food maxed out. So sick!
If I don't have photos of your band, it would be for one of two reasons.

1) I wasn't really into the set.

2) I was having technical difficulties.

At the end of the wedding I dropped my camera and in the flurry of trying to catch it before it hit the ground I pushed a button that disabled my camera from auto focusing in low light situations. I eventually figured out what I did halfway through KLAF and fixed it but I had already shot several bands. I was bummed to see good compositions out of focus.

Punch...


Spires...


1994!...


Dead To Me...


Touche Amore...

^^^I could not keep the lens from fogging during this set. So annoying.

Broadway Calls


Comadre



During the break the dudes in Punch wanted me to snap a shot of them to document the day as the end of their 6 week U.S tour...



After that a bunch of us decided to head on down toward the beach which was especially rad because I hadn't seen most of these guys since they left for tour. On the way down I got to meet a few kids from L.A. that had been following the Spires/1994! tour around. These dudes were pretty awesome. Glad I got to meet em...




The following night at The Yellow Room was crazy good times. This marked the official end for the Spires/1994! West Coast Tour and Chris and Mike were flying back to PA the next morning. I don't think I've ever sweated so much in a weekend while standing still.

Unrestrained...


Loma Prieta...


Seasick...


1994!...


Spires...


And to top off the night, Chris showed us how dudes get down in Pennsylvania...

HAHAHA^^


As always, more stuff posted on my Flickr. Stuff from The Yellow Room show I have up tomorrow night. I'm too tired now. Also, Git Some is coming back through this Friday and Punch has some shows coming up. I'll post details tomorrow.

Good.
Night!

-AL

07/24/2009 @ Thrillhouse Records SF, CA

Ohhhhhh man. I seriously can't remember the last time I was at a show in the city where there was such a good feeling. House venues don't really exist there and the only places hosting shows for these kind of bands are bars. Which isn't bad but definitely a different environment.
Thrillhouse seems to hit this dead on being a centrally located live-in storefront space hosting the show in their kitchen. Not to mention their super rad, super affordable distro makes me wish I actually had some cash to burn last night.
If you get a chance, definitely check em out. They're not for profit and all volunteer ran. All moneys brought in go directly back into sustaining the space along w/ the bands on the label.

Drowning With Our Anchors... pretty fucking amazing paaar usual.
Spires... never a complaint here. Plus we got to hear a brand new song!
1994!... holy shit! I was into these dudes before they came out and have been looking forward to this for a while, but holy shit. I wasn't expecting that. Super fun band and even radder dudes to hang with.

OK... on to photos. Sometimes I feel somewhat self conscious about wielding such a fancy camera and a flash that resembles a mid evil weapon so I decided to shoot mostly w/ natural light. Lots of blur and ghost like figures. Which isn't bad, right? I mean, it's art, right?

Drowning With Our Anchors...


1994!...

^Mike gets really excited.

Spires...


THE SPLIT IS OUT!


More images are up on my Flickr.


Until next time... keep it real.

-AL

This Friday @ Thrillhouse!!

Spires and 1994! have spent the past several months recording, planning and pulling together a sweet tour/split 12" and it all kicks off this Friday. Spires' songs on this are the first recordings since slimming down to a four piece and they sound great, as they've always have. Anna helped out w/ the album photo and has a lot more similar work up on her Flickr so check it out.


Split record...


Paul put together some rad stuff for the tour poster as well. What a talented bunch haha.



Show details are as follows...


I gotta get back to work so until next time...
spread words.

-AL

OH!! And FYI... Robocop 3 is off this bill. Drowning With Our Anchors are filling their spot. If you missed them last week in Oakland then this is double the reason to make it out. More rad dudes/tunes.

ok bye.