A couple of weeks ago, we announced that a video of Pela playing an acoustic version of Cavalry. No sooner than we announced it, it disappeared. We’re still not sure what happened to it but it has been reposted. It shows the lads playing with Chris Herb, an old friend and bandmate of Billy, who wrote the lyrics. The video is not the best quality but you may never see the song being done this way again.

This will be the last post on this blog for now, but we’ll be back in a couple of weeks when we begin out July tour. Until then, check out the main website for news. Thanks to Brendon, Chris Wilson, Sandman, Jenny, everyone at Worlds Fair, Darren, Maryanne and every one else who helped make the tour a success.

See ya in July.

Photo by Maryanne - check out her Flickr site for LOTS more.

Well….. Here I write for the first time from an actual computer. I’m at home, the van is parked, everyone’s equipment is in their bedrooms, and it’s official… the tour is over.

I could write for pages about all of the good feelings I have right now, but I actually want to start recording so I’ll keep it short (the next album is right around the corner - we’ve got some work to do).

Touring with Electric Soft Parade and Brakes, Brakes, Brakes was absolutely ace. Those guys have their hearts in the right place and really just love what they do. They are great people and great musicians. We couldn’t have asked for more from the tour.

To many, last night show as the Mercury Lounge was the best of the tour. Electric Soft Parade and The Brakes really brought all of their energy to the show, giving a proper goodbye to the US. By the time we got on stage the room was packed (I believe it sold out). We set up our gear, then got off stage so our friendly Space Traveler could introduce the band. It was appropriate to see Space Man up there speaking through his head piece into the mic. He was such a part of this tour and it was perfect to have him back with us on the final night.

The show flowed from song to song with people singing along, clapping, and dancing. The audience gave us more than enough energy to push through the 100 degree temperature on stage. Joyous, celebratory, and ecstatic are a few words I would use to describe our feelings up there. And everything lead up to a grand finale.

Thanks to Matt from ESP, we planned grand gathering on stage to perform our song “Cavalry” to close out the night (and tour). I knew it was a great idea when we talked about it in the green room, but nothing really prepared me for the feeling I got when I saw both bands climb on stage. Matt carried an empty water cooler and a toilet plunger, Tom and Alex grabbed drum sticks, Mark and Eamon grabbed the tambourines, and of course Space Man……… We ripped into the song everyone jumping around on stage beating on Tomislav’s drums, dancing and singing. Tambourines were flying, Alex had a snare drum laying on the stage beating away, and I think Eamon was even singing into the drum mics, avoiding Tomislav’s flailing sticks. At one point Matt and me ended up colliding into one another head first which nearly left both of us on the ground. The feelings of excitement could not have been planned nor recreated – a moment for the memory book of our lives.

And now………

Now we get ready for more shows, and work on more songs for the next album. We want to exceed our expectations with everything we do. And that takes a lot of work.

Thank you everyone that has followed this blog. We hope it has been both entertaining and given you insight into what it is like for a band to tour across the country. We appreciate all of your comments, and all of the pictures you have sent us. We were not alone on this trip, and knowing that there were / are people out there that care about what we do means everything to us. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you…….

The tour came to an end in an all-star jam at the Mercury Lounge in NYC last night. Check back later for a wrap up.

Photos by Maryanne

Pela, Brakes, and ESP played to a packed house at the Mercury Lounge in NYC last night. We didn’t have any writers there but Maryanne, one of New York’s most prolific photographers was there and has a bunch of photos on her Flickr page. Here’s a few samples. She also has a bunch of shots of Brakes and ESP. We expect her to be at tonight’s show too. Good thing she shoots with a digital camera. She’d be bankrupt if she was using film.

The lads are back home and are reconnecting with friends, wives and girlfriends so they haven’t had much time to write about last night’s show at Maxwell’s. Since I’m responsible for keeping this blog interesting, I’ve been tapped to cover for them. It was also the first time that I’ve seen the full tour lineup.

First - Hoboken. I’ve never been there before and I have to say that it wasn’t anything like I expected. What did I expect, you ask? Actually, I never really thought about it but if I did, I guess I would have expected an old city with a photo in every shop of the owner with Frank Sinatra. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by a quaint, modern city with brick sidewalks and cobblestone crosswalks. If it wasn’t so difficult to get there (New York’s problem, not Hoboken’s), I’d love to go back and explore some day. Frank wasn’t far away though; we were just around the corner from Frank Sinatra Dr.

Maxwell’s was smaller than I had thought it would be but it was a terrific place - friendly folks at the door, great food (and, lots of it), an efficient wait staff and a pretty good sound system. Maxwell’s is a legendary club. Rather than going into its history, I’d suggest that you check out their Wikipedia entry.

The show started somewhat late by my standards - I’m normally in bed by 10:00pm - to a rather sparse crowd. First up was Electric Soft Parade. I knew very little about them. I had listened to them on the web and frankly, wasn’t that impressed. Live however, they quickly destroyed my preconceptions. They were tight and very professional, with a harder edge than I had expected. All of them are excellent musicians but the standout, for me, was drummer Mathew Priest, who just may be the reincarnation of Keith Moon. Since the bands are sharing equipment, I was afraid that Tom wouldn’t have anything left of his kit after ESP’s set, but it held up. By the end of their set, I was converted. Check ‘em out - I think you’ll like them a lot.

Pela followed. The crowd had grown a bit by then but was still a lot smaller than I have come to expect at a Pela show. Nonetheless, they put on their usual high energy show. If anything, they’ve elevated the level since I last saw them in April. Despite my warning to Billy to “remember, you have a bum foot”, he ignored it and delivered his usual stomping, climbing, leaping performance; finishing with the now familiar “climbing of the drums”. The only indication of the problem with his foot was an occasional one-footed hop across the stage. It was obviously near the end of the tour and duct tape was in abundance, both on the band and the equipment. If you were worried that the Mercury show would be a little lower key than usual, fear not. Strap your self in; it’s going to quite a ride.

The show closed with Brakes (or Brakes, Brakes, Brakes it you must). I didn’t know what to expect, but the band, led by vocalist Eamon Hamilton and guitarist Tom White quickly hooked me. Hamilton is an incredibly intense singer, reminiscent both vocally and physically, of Michael Stipe. Near the end of the show, he put down his guitar and stood stock still with his arms by his side and rendered a vocal that immediately silenced the crowd and left them hanging on every word. On their final song, both Hamilton and White went mildly berserk, with White leaping into the crowd and Hamilton performing a series of leaps that would challenge Billy even if he had two good feet. The crowd may have been thin, but didn’t lack enthusiasm. It was really great to see people dancing at a show (note to Mayor Bloomberg - please change the cabaret laws to allow dancing in NYC music clubs).

The tour closes this weekend at the Mercury Lounge in NYC. Tonight’s show is sold out, but there are still a few tickets available for Sunday. This is the best show in NY at the moment. Don’t miss it.

Webbie

p. s. Brakes stole the merchandise award with the best concert shirt I’ve seen in a long time.

p. p. s. I almost forgot to mention that Breaks and ESP are great guys. Be sure to talk to them if you get the chance (if you can understand them - they speak a strange language called English).

p. p. p. s. Note to Maxwell’s lights guy - it would be good to light the singer’s face, not his chest.

p. p. p. p. s. I’ve heard a rumor that a certain spaceman may make an appearance on Sunday night.

… and another begins. Pela will be doing a mini-tour in July. The following dates are confirmed and we expect to add a few more soon.

7/11: Black Cat, DC
7/12: Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC
7/15: The Earl, Atlanta, GA
7/18: Schubas, Chicago, IL
7/20: Buffalo Icon, Buffalo, NY

We’re driving home, listening to Tom Petty’s Wildflowers, one of our favorite albums, a real masterpiece.

Tonight we played TT the Bears in Boston. It’s a funny place because the sound sucks on stage, but it actually sounds pretty good to the audience - the classic shitty monitor scenario.

Electric Soft Parade struggled with the sound, which is a shame because they are such a good band. I’ve really developed an affection for there music. They are also such great people.

Not to sound completely cliché, but we totally killed it tonight. We couldn’t hear ourselves on stage, but we gave it everything we had. The audience responded accordingly, probably the best night of the tour so far. Thank you Boston!

Now we drive back to New York. Tired as shit. Billy is resting his foot. Nate’s resting his body. Battered persons from the evening’s events.

Tomislav and I drive along, listening to Tom Petty. Content………….

Ready for tomorrow…..

Sleep well.

E.

Saturday’s show at the Mercury is sold out. There are still some tickets for Sunday’s show but they are going fast. Get ‘em while they’re hot.

John Erwin’s photos from the release party at Great Scott in Allston, MA are posted.