I woke up at 5 a.m. this morning to drive to Iowa, all the way from Cleveland. Cant sleep any more so I guess it is time to recap the last week of tour…
Ill pick up where I left off last time, in New York. I was kind of antsy about this show, as we were booked in a big, nice venue with our name on the marquee and all, and you want the show to do well especially in those kinds of conditions. Fortunately, it was the best show of the tour. Great turnout, and complete nonstop pit. We played well over an hour, and when people got too mosh-weary they formed a giant circle of like 40 people with their arms over each other’s shoulders, just headbanging nonstop. Its always such a cool feeling to play a show like that, I felt like a goddamned conquering hero.
After the show, its off to a nearby bar, with about half the tour, and Chris from Jackson Guitars, and Munsey, who does our radio promotion. I spent the rest of my money on late night beers and some goddamn legit pizza, everyone was in high spirits from the show. More chanting of “ARNOLD! ARNOLD!”, which has become a tour staple. I for one can’t think of a better word to chant. Arnold > you.
We rolled overnight to Albany, and Grace from Landmine Marathon came with us and kept Laux and Adam up with general outrageous chatter and the theme song from Titanic, sung loudly. Loudly enough to wake me up, and I was passed out in the back. We check into a Motel 6 and sleep, hard. It had been raining for hours, and would continue to do so for the rest of the day. Makes everything kind of a bummer. The show wasnt that great, and it was one of those places where the bathrooms are so foul that you have to walk around and find somewhere else just to take a shit. The nearest place I found with a functioning bathroom was like four blocks away. God dammit.
Most fun part about this show was that we tried a couple songs we hadnt before. We did “Echoes from the Void” and the Motorhead cover, “(We Are The) Road Crew” (from our limited Living Weapon 7”), which we have since done a few times more, just ’cause it’s so fun to play live. Thats right!
Hartford, Connecticut by contrast, ruled. The promoter had done a really good job on this show, and a lot of the Massachusetts crowd that we didnt have a show for came out. Lazarus AD continues to blaze it up harder than anyone, ever. It’s honestly fucking crazy ridiculous. I got a gigantic/completely amazing roast beef sandwich. You cant get them like that on the west coast.
Next two shows were both kind of bummers. Rochester and Buffalo are like 50 miles from each other and so I am not sure why we were booked to play both. I watched some X-men and played some Starcraft, got wasted pretty hard before going on in Buffalo (which made the show pretty entertaining), and passed out with my head on the bar right after we finished. When I wake up, the van is in a place I dont recognize. I find that the other bands are parked in the area, and that there had been a big Halloween party that a bunch of the tour went to. Apparently no one in Buffalo knew what a keg-stand was…Well, America Torn Asunder tour 2011 fucking taught them. Excellence.
I took a shower in the house nearby, which was weird since the pipes were old and you had to plunge the shower for it to drain. Still was completely necessary, I smelled of complete rotting death.
Onward to Canada! Goodbye, planet America…
The border is surprisingly not frustrating at all, which is a relief. There’s nothing worse than being held up at the border. I remember one time they took our whole van apart, kept us in a windowless room for 2+hours, and one at a time came in asking for the passwords to our laptops. We are just trying to play a fucking show, dude.
So into Toronto. The cars suddenly have square wheels, and peoples heads are flapping as they talk. We only have two Canadian shows, which is a bummer because Canada is pretty damn good for metal. We needed a Montreal date, as well as Calgary and Edmonton. Since its my only day in Canada, I go straight for some poutine (love it!), and grub out while just roaming the city like a lone wolf for a little bit.
I get back to the show and its doing pretty well. Its at a nice venue full of friendly Canadians. They just tend to be a little more friendly than other folks, and in kind of a funny way. I cant help but love it, but its also my patriotic duty as an American to make fun of it. That night the band’s announcement for the rest of the tour went “From Chicago, America, Diamond Plate! From Phoenix, America, Landmine Marathon! And from atop sticky mountain, god damn America, Lazarus AD!”
I pass out hard again after the show. Apparently some of the rest of the dudes end up at a bar for awhile, and the bartender gives them free weed, just ’cause hes a friendly Canadian. Nice. I wake up in front of another random house in the van, and find that Dylan and Andrew from Landmine are riding with us, Carlos is with Diamond Plate, and Adam is with Landmine. I spend some time sorting things out, trying to get into the house, making sure everyone has their passports, and we leave for the border. This time theres a big ass line, but they dont hassle us at all. Nice and easy.
Last night in Cleveland was pretty nice — a Monday night, but a free show, so the turnout was solid. We have played there 9 or 10 times. Peabodys has this foul smelling scuzzy basement where Ive seen some pretty strange things happen. There was blood all over the walls down there once when we played shortly after Watain — did they sacrifice a fucking goat down there or something? That would definitely be the kind of place to do it in.
We drove through the night to Des Moines, Iowa, where I am now. Long ass drive, I went from 5-9:30 a.m.-ish this morning, and was totally hauling ass. I was the only one up, just cruising and jamming my heavy metal. The tour is mostly over now, which is crazy, just under two weeks to go. These things have a way of feeling so long and so short all at the same time. We still got some prime destinations left, including St Paul, Chicago, Vancouver, San Francisco. Things are looking good, and right now I am invincible to almost any amount of sleep deprivation or alcohol. Feel like I could do this all over again right after we are done.
Oh wait, that is basically what we are doing… Europe Torn Asunder.
See you all next week!
** Warbringer are currently on tour with Lazarus A.D., Landmine Marathon, Diamond Plate
31-Oct Marquis Theatre Denver, CO
1-Nov The Complex Salt Lake City, UT
2-Nov The Alley Reno, NV
4-Nov Funky Winker Bean’s Vancouver, Canada
5-Nov El Corazon Seattle, WA
6-Nov Hawthorne Theatre Portland, OR w/Mayhem
7-Nov Thee Parkside San Francisco, CA
** Warbringer’s new album, World Torn Asunder, is out now on Century Media Records. Click HERE to nab a copy.
