T-t-t-tour!

After Colorado Springs, we had a day off to get to Iowa City. The other bands had a show in Denver (we didn’t play since we just played there about a month ago over the summer). That meant they had a loooooooong drive to get to the next show. Wednesday 13 ended up being 4 hours late. They got there when doors were supposed to be opening. The first band was supposed to go on 15 minutes after, but everyone was still scrambling trying to get them loaded in and set up. Luckily they didn’t cut any locals, but they had to cut time off of everyone’s sets (including One-Eyed Doll who already had a short set, due to that weird thing some places do where they kick everyone out then have a late show). It sucked, it was stressful, but we made it through.

Next was New Baltimore, MI! Lots of awesome fans there but a special shout out to Joel, Aaron & Skelly Bordner, and Brad! Aaron loaded me up on new goodies for the merch table :) He also surprised me with a portrait he did of me, and my own copy on the new “Be My Friend” lyric book.

That's ME!!!! :D

Lerin got a super cute cartoon version of herself sticker from a fan. She thinks it should be a shirt. I told her just to print some and hang it up and see if Wednesday even notices, lol. 

You can actually kinda see Sandra!

Open Your Eyes

I really like this one. Maybe I should have watermarked it....

Next was Cleveland. We already do well there and have lots of super fans, but this show was actually being headlined by Avatar.  That made load in and set up a bit crazy, but Cleveland is always crazy. I swear we need a day off afterwards because it always leaves me EXHAUSTED!  It was also SUPER hot in there. After the show I wasn’t sure what I needed more, a shower, food, or to sleep until load in the next day. I ended up going with everyone to get food (Junior had to carry me to the door because my legs and feet didn’t want to do the leg and foot thing anymore), passed out in bed, actually DIDN’T wake up until load in the next day, but took a quick rinse off on the bus anyway.

It was so packed I couldn't watch their show :(

Because of the previously mentioned sleeping until the time I was supposed to be setting up, Indianapolis got off to a rough start the next day. Then on top of that I dropped my phone and cracked it. People have been super amazing and offering to give me their old phones and money towards a new phone. It’s just the outer edge that’s cracked and the phone still works, so no worries. Plus, I’ve been planning to invest in a new phone after the holidays. Maybe I’ll finally join the current times and get a smart phone. Later I went to move my sunglasses and discovered one of the arms was randomly not attached anymore. I found the screw, so it might be fixable. That, and another awesome fan already bought me a new pair. :)

You can see Sandra (sort of) again!

Kim in the crowd, and a guy on the left losing his mind

I tagged a bench!

Zoomed in, Roman looks like he's staring at me!

*Zoomed in* AHHHHHH!!!

Jack (L) & Roman (R) having a moment

Next it was back to Ohio, but Columbus this time, which is actually where Kim was born! There were 3 locals, I don’t know any of their names (SORRY!) but the third had this CRAZY drummer! I couldn’t see him fully from where I was standing, so I asked Sandra if he was actually hitting all of the beats I was hearing. He was! He was playing super fast, but clean. He was pretty epic.

I don’t have any pictures of W13’s set because I was actually dancing in the audience, enjoying the show almost the whole time.

We stayed up late that night hanging out on the bus, which was fine because we had a day off the next day and could sleep in. Of course, that’s the one day I woke up early. I’m guessing the past few days, plus dancing around for an hour and a half, finally caught up with me and I passed out and slept like a rock!

Fan Girl-ing Open Your Eyes on our day off

Why hello again! Welcome back! I know I just did one of these, but we have a driving day off, I’m bored, and I’ve had too much sugar, so you get another update already!

One thing I didn’t get to last blog was how Open Your Eyes has changed their set up a little bit. I’d gotten so used to their set this Spring that I just expect certain songs to start after others. However, this tour they added “Burn Out” to the set list. After the first couple of shows I was trying to figure out if they didn’t play it last tour, or if I’d just gotten used to listening to the recorded version. I finally asked Comron and he said they added it to the set this tour since it’s a heavier line up. I really like hearing it live! (I’m actually listening to it while writing this because it’s stuck in my head and I won’t get to hear it tonight :( )

I already said it last blog, but I love having them back with us! In Billings, MT we had extra time, and Ryan had to fly home for his brother’s Wedding after the show that night, so they practiced some songs with Joe on guitar. I got to fangirl and dance around in the audience.

I’m also finally meeting all of the guys from Wednesday 13. It’s hard because they’re usually either busy working or relaxing on the bus. I’m however slowly forcing my friendship upon them and have successfully stalked all of their unused Instagram accounts.

Back to the shows…. Billings is home to our awesome fan Chad who runs the Faygo Luvers blog. He’s probably part of the reason we played the Gathering of the Juggalo’s this summer.

Chad being a special helper

There was one point during One-Eyed Doll’s set that I ran to use the bathroom and there was a cloud of fog hanging in it from their show. And it’s not a small bathroom. It was really cool.

Some W13 pics (which hopefully aren't as distorted as my preview is making them)!

Next was Colorado Springs, CO. We don’t tour the Northwest much, but always do well in CO, so I was going to use this show to get a feel for what the tour is going to be like. I was really looking forward to this show because of that, we have a lot of awesome fans I was looking forward to seeing, and the venue is just awesome! Scott, Christina, Tony and the rest of the staff always treat us so well. Scott is actually out on tour right now with Tantric, but flew home that day to spend time with Christina, then found out we were playing that night and came out to the show.

Brock wanted a photo for the blog. Usually I don't let people tell me what to do, but I'll make an exception...

This was also Joe’s debut on guitar for OYE.

Ben Ben helping out on stage

Using our photographer Dennis for a footstool (he took the photo on the new Junior shirt!)

Standing on the drum set...

I didn’t get photos of W13 because I pretty much spent all of their set keeping my merch racks from falling over.  Long story short, my racks were leaning against a folding wall on wheels, and the whole thing fell over several times. After the show Lerin asked why I set up over there instead of next to her. I set up over there because that’s where the loaders had set all of my stuff so I assumed that’s where everyone wanted me. D’oh. It’s cool, Lerin and I hung out and had a dance party across the walkway.

Burn out the candle’s light

Show me how to see day from night, if you

Give me something to make it right

Then God can be my witness

Burn it off one by one

Find out who’s the weakest gun

Then again you are my son

And God can be my witness
~Open Your Eyes - "Burn Out"

The "...And Bloodshed For All" Tour has begun!

Fall 2016 Tour with Wednesday 13 is off to a fun start! These first few weeks we have our old tour buddies Open Your Eyes on tour with us. It’s really great having them back again! Crew is a bit different this time. I’m still here (obviously) and we have Ben back! Jeff couldn’t get time off for this one, so we have Junior’s musician friend John driving. Mike also couldn’t make this tour, so we’re borrowing Open Your Eyes’ sound guy Joe for the lights. He’s also doing lights for Wednesday 13, so he’s working triple hard!

First show was in Spokane, WA. I was setting up when the girl with the wrist bands came over and asked if I was over 21. I told her yes, then asked if she needed ID and had a wrist preference (while holding up my wrists). Apparently she wasn’t listening because she put X’s on both my hands. No big deal, I usually don’t drink while I’m working, and especially wasn’t going to that night since it was the first night. Kim also got X’s because she didn’t want to bother getting her ID and she doesn’t drink anyway. There were a few people there who actually thought we were only like 20… I get told a lot that I don’t look my age (thank you!), but I honestly don’t think I could pass for that young. However, at a later show some drunk guy thought I was only 20. He found out my real age, then wouldn’t stop trying to buy me a drink at the end of the night. I finally had to get Jason to step in and tell him I was working and couldn’t drink. Now I’m debating just getting X’s every night to keep creepers away…

Enough with the negative, on to the positive! A super awesome fan, who goes by Deschamp opened the show for us. He was super entertaining and I can’t wait until I get home and can put his CD on my computer/iPod (I didn’t bring my external hard drive). I hope we come back to Spokane again and he can open for us again!

Mr. and Mrs. Deschamps were special helpers for Be My Friend!

Next we were off to Seattle! This was the first show I could really see W13’s set. In Spokane my merch was set up more in a side room, plus I spent a lot of time talking to new fans. I had trouble sleeping that night because it was the night I realized what an awesome tour this was going to be, and was way too excited. There was also another first for me that night. Kim was doing meet and greet after their set and I was helping people pick out CDs, etc. I looked over, and there was a girl bent over, skirt lifted, and Kim was signing one of her butt cheeks. This may not have been the first time Kim has done that, but it was the first time I was it happen.

One-Eyed Doll!

Some photos of Wednesday 13:

Afterwards, it was on to Missoula, MT. As almost always, they played “Be My Friend.” And as they did last Fall Tour, she had the audience yell “Trick-or-Treat.” She unplanned called me on stage last minute to throw candy out to the audience. It was fun though :) 

Had yet another first this night too. End of the night, I was all packed up and about to go to the bus to do merch numbers, when the male bartender came over and asked for a female’s help… There was a drunk girl passed out in one of the bathroom stalls. I managed to wake her up and get her out. She said she was fine and had a ride, which I really hope she did because she was in no condition to drive home :(

Helpers for "You're a Vampire"

The last show before our first day off was in Idaho Falls, ID. I’d never been here before, and was really surprised by the punk/rock/goth scene they had going on. There had been people dressed up here and there at other shows, but for what seemed like a small town, there were a LOT of people fully decked out, lots of mohawks, etc. Go Idaho! There was also a strangely large number of young children there compared to most shows. Definitely made some adorable new fans :) I was also excited because merch was a all in a line so I could hang out with my friends from OYE and finally get to chat/dance with W13’s merch girl Lerin (She's in a band too, you should all go check out Repulsur!)

Finally got some photos of Open Your Eyes!

Special helpers!

W13 is a very all ages, family friendly, show! (That's sarcasm)