Oct. 22nd - 8:47PM. Salt Lake City, UT

Everyone was asleep when it happened. I didn't want to wake up. Moments before I was sleeping so deeply. I was annoyed. I woke to the sound of my friends screaming, various expletives, inarticulate gasps, the sensation of spinning, and the sound of crashing inside and outside the bus. My eyes opened to blackness. I immediately pressed my hands and feet into the roof of my bunk as hard as I could, bracing for what I did not know.
When it ended, when we stopped moving, our driver Jeremy immediately started calling out names, one by one, checking to make sure everyone was okay. It wasn't until I got out of my bunk that I realized how completely unleveled the bus was to the ground. We were almost on our side. The hallway was a mess of luggage and bags. The front lounge was an explosion of food items, appliances, and broken glass. I looked out the front window and saw that our trailer was laying on it's side in front of us, the contents now littering the highway. Jeremy was outside trying to push it all off to the side of the interstate. Everyone got out to help. Although we were in a van accident years ago, this is the first time anything like this has happened to us in a bus. I always sleep with my pants on just in case something like this happens so that the last thing I have to worry about in the event of an emergency is where my pants are.
Apparently, around 6AM we were driving west on I-80 when we hit a patch of ice. Jeremy lost control of the bus and we spun out of control. Our trailer broke free from it's hitch (it actually ripped the hitch clear off) and slammed into the front of the passenger side of the bus as we spun, not completely shattering a window, but cracking it and breaking it out of the frame inwards. The rear trailer door flew completely off and most of our equipment, and merchandise (t-shirts, cds, records, stickers, pins) were strewn out along the road. We landed, with the trailer on it's side in front of us, in a ditch in the median of the interstate.
A light snow was falling from the sky and the cold was biting despite the adrenaline. The eastbound lanes of I-80, the lanes most of our stuff was laying in (not the direction we had been driving though mind you) was closed to traffic. The westbound lane was not, and, as we all scrambled in the breaking morning light to gather our gear on the side of the road, a semi-truck hit the same patch ice we had. It spun out of control, narrowly missed crashing into the bus, and slid into the same ditch a couple feet behind us. At this point a couple of emergency vehicles had shown up on the scene and it was recommended that we stay out of the bus. Jeremy ran back in for his smokes. I ran back in for my cell phone so that I could call Heather. Shortly after another semi-truck was driving by alongside a car. It clipped the edge of the semi-trailer that was stuck behind us and swerved into the right lane, pushing the car driving alongside it off into the snowy embankment. Then, further down the road, another truck started jack-knifing. It slid to a slow halt in the middle of the interstate blocking all traffic behind it. Both sides of the interstate where then closed.
The semi behind us was pulled out of the ditch by a tow truck first. After emptying the remaining contents of the trailer out onto the side of the road, the tow truck then flipped it right side up and dragged it out of the ditch. Then the bus was finally pulled out. Jordan caught a ride into Rawlins, Wyoming, which was the closest town, and rented a U-Haul Truck. We waited there on the side of the road, with the interstate still closed, for him to come back so we could load the U-Haul with our battered and broken gear. Andrew and I drove the U-Haul to Salt Lake City with the bus following behind us. We had to cancel the show tonight. I feel drained akin to jet lag. I am glad to be alive. First and foremost I am glad that we are unharmed, safe, alive.

October 1st through 7th, 2008.

October 1st 2008 - 2:03AM. Birmingham, AL.

After sound check I drove around town with Ryan Russell and took some photos, photos for the purpose of publicity. I appreciated getting away from the venue, seeing some parts of Birmingham that I've never seen before. The city has a certain feel to it that I can't quite put into words. It's the sum of many different parts, the type of business' that comprise the local economy, the architecture of the buildings, the local fashion trends and the landscape. As we drive around I silently cursed myself for not having a more photographic memory to take it all in better. After we finished with photos we ate dinner at The Bottletree Cafe. They have an excellent Buffalo Tofu Wrap.


October 2nd, 2008 - 4:08AM. Driving to South Carolina.

Marty was in the (Young) Pioneers, one of my all time favourite bands. He now plays bass with Ted Leo and The Pharmacists. I talked to him tonight for a second backstage. I tried not to punish him too hard. I tried to play it cool. We usually close our set with a song that references his band, which I brought up to him. He said he was aware of the fact. I felt self-conscious singing it tonight, I imagine I will for the rest of the tour.


October 3rd, 2008 - 2:04AM. Hilton Head, SC.

I watched the first half of the vice presidential debate before our set tonight, I watched the full rebroadcast after. I found myself wanting to physically fight the TV every time Sarah Palin said the word "maverick", every time she winked at the camera, every time she opened her dumb fucking mouth. I hate her face. It is her obvious lack of capacity, lack of intelligence that makes me feel like I have to stoop to throwing elementary school level insults at her.


October 5th, 2008 - 2:51AM. Gainesville, FL.

Tonight's show was somewhat lackluster, something felt off. Maybe it was the venue, the House Of Blues in "Downtown Disney". Maybe it was the fact that last night at Jannus Landing was an amazing rush. I couldn't help but measure the two in comparison while on stage.
I am an honest fan of both Future Of The Left and Ted Leo and The Pharmacists. Sometimes I worry that I don't come off to them as such. I feel like I have a hard time projecting sincerity in person. It's a little easier with Future Of The Left. Since we've toured with them before we already have a relationship. I don't know Ted, Chris, Marty, or James, but I love their band.
Everyone except Andy, Emily, and John went home to Gainesville after the show. Heather and I drove back with Jordan and Sarah. They dropped us off at the Holiday Inn. I haven't been in Gainesville since June.


October 6th, 2008 - 1:09AM. Gainesville, FL.

I met Philipe and Jannick at Leonardo's this morning. They came into town to shoot a piece on Gainesville and my EP for Current TV. We had talked about doing it back in September when I was in Montreal. Philipe's idea was that I would give a guided tour of Gainesville, pointing out areas of both personal significance and spots that are of significance to the local scene and he would mix in some of the music from "Heart Burns". We drove around town for about 2 hours. I showed them No Idea Records, Wayward Council, The Civic Media Center (all of which were closed) and the warehouse spaces on the edge of town where a good majority of Gainesville bands practice. I showed them where the Hardback used to be, where the Ark used to be. I showed them La Casita Blanca, the house where I lived under the staircase when I was 19. I showed them the curb out front that I used to sit on late into the night, watching prostitutes down the street come and go as I wrote lyrics. I showed them the plasma center on Main Street that I used to frequent a couple times a week, selling my plasma for rent and drinking money. And finally I showed them the one and only Laundry mat that I have ever played a show in. The experience was awkward for me and I'm worried that I came across negative at times in answering Philipe's questions about Gainesville.


October 7th, 2008 - 1:00AM. Driving to North Carolina.

My throat is shredded. Today was supposed to be a day off but we ended up booking a last minute show in St. Augustine at Cafe 11. The show was worth it but I could have used the day of rest for my voice. We also missed seeing Jonathan Richman play at Common Grounds in Gainesville. Our next day off is a week away. I've developed a nasty habit of slamming 2 or 3 Red Bulls before playing. It's been my one vice on this tour. It's horrible for my voice, it also wreaks havoc on my stomach, but I love the caffeine high.
I picked up my absentee ballot today.