2.14.09 - Besancon, France

Tonight's show was in a venue called Le Cylindre. It is a 19th century tunnel converted in to a venue. We're not quite sure what it was used for, or when it was built, but it was very cold and very crowded. A cute, drunk French girl also asked if she could give me the ol' double-cheek kiss. You knew.

"Wanna stay out late and make some bad decisions?" - Joby J. Ford

2.13.09 - Belfort, France

We played at the foot of an old fort. There is a huge stone-carved lion at the top, along with a museum and an amazing view of the city. France is still cool, but it's getting a little weird in these small towns.

2.12.09 - Dijon, France

Dijon is the home of the mustard. I shit you not. We bought a sample pack of different flavored Dijon Mustards at the hotel. Aside from that, pretty lackluster day.

"Listen to Otis Redding, kid." - Lewis Lovely

2.11.09 - Paris, France

Paris. The city of romance. It was a beautiful day in an equally beautiful city. The weather felt more like a crisp October day than the dead-middle of winter. Fanny, a friend of the guys, showed us around. We went to the tower, saw the Moulin Rouge, and unavoidably perused the red-light district, as we were playing a club smack in the middle. Sold out show. Great people. Stellar first day.

It hasn't killed me yet, but give it time...

Greetings from Charlotte, NC. Once again, I haven't written in my online man-journal in a while. Combine terrible internet reception, laziness, and long nights of hanging out mixed with a little bit of party-animaling, and you'll find an excuse why.

This month, I'm glad to say that I'm on the road once again with The Bronx. We're direct support for Every Time I Die on the aptly named November Reign tour. We started off, yet again, in Canada. This time it wasn't too terrible. We were only there for 5 days and hit mostly major cities.

The tour is great. I have no complaints. It's just friends hanging out for a month, traveling together. You really can't beat that.

We're also joined by a young band of stand-up characters, Stick To Your Guns. They give me hope for the generations coming up after me. They're so respectful, kind, fun, and outgoing. They're a far cry from most kids in the 19-21 age bracket, but I'm definitely not going to complain. They deserve every bit of success that comes their way.

On a side note, I have to express how much of an exciting night it was on November 4th. We sat in the venue in Toronto, anxiously awaiting the results of one of the most hyped elections of all time. A small group of Americans and a sold-out Opera House full of Canadians enjoyed a great show and celebrated - ultimately - the election of Barack Obama as the next President of the United States.

I'm not going to lie - I thought there was a chance he would lose. I thought for sure that the election would once again have some kind of fault and maybe even be rigged. But this time, people actually did something. They stood up for what they believed in. They chose a person based on the ideas he represented, and because those ideas give us hope for a better tomorrow. Maybe he won't accomplish any of his goals. Maybe the mess he is stepping in to is too much to make a significant dent in. But thats beyond the point. We'll see a president in office who stands for everything we can hope and dream for. For the first time in a very, very long time, I can say that I'm proud to be American, and the rest of the world is cheering for us.

Cut to the next scene, back to the world of the rock and roll touring machine: This tour is sadly almost over. But I can honestly say that it will be amongst my favorites. We had the fastest load-out known to man so that we could watch the Lesnar/Couture fight. We hung all night in Memphis and watched Matt and Keith do karaoke. We spent 9 hours in Buffalo Wild Wings for Zack's birthday. I finally got my "Beat It!" tattoo from Oliver. And we got to hear the final mastered copy of the El Bronx album. Truly amazing.

So where does this leave me post-November? Home in New Jersey for almost 2 months. But that's not before I fly to Los Angeles for a few days for The Bronx record release show. I'll also try to visit a few choice destinations, work a bit somewhere to get some extra cash, and prep for the long year of touring ahead.

2009. The year of the road warrior.

The Bronx will cover some ground around the world next year, and I'm proud to say that I'll be working hard for them. If you haven't yet, pick up their new record. And keep your eyes peeled for the mariachi record next year.

Corky room - out!

Every picture tells a story...

Greetings from Montreal.

It's one of our many days off, so I figured I would write in this thing briefly. We've spent the past 2 days in Montreal. The first day was fun. Bryan, Jorma, Matt and I went to Foufs and met up with Michelle and Amy. Those girls are a blast. We laughed alot, had some beers, and enjoyed late-night pizza and poutine.

Last night we played Metropolis. It was a weird show. We didn't do well in merch, and the girl working for the venue was an annoying piece of gutter trash. I almost flipped out on her when she insulted me at the end of the night. I like Montreal, but some of the people here really know how to push your buttons.

Tonight we'll be going back out with the twins. I'm excited to see more of this city and have a good night out.

But on to the real reason for this update. I took some candid photos of the band sound checking in Toronto and figured I would share them. Not the most spectacular photos, but it's something different than my usual rambling. So now, for your visual enjoyment:

Still I look to find a reason to believe...

It's been a little while, hasn't it?

I'm on the road again. I'm very thankful to be here as well. If I had to sit in New Jersey for another 2 months I may have lost my mind.

I'm currently working for The Bronx. We're doing a full Canadian tour with Bad Religion. I have to say that these dudes are a great bunch. We get along smashingly, and they appreciate my hard work and dedication. Oh, and they truly know how to party. Everyone on this tour rules hard.

However, Canada is kind of a bum-out. We've had merch stolen 2 nights in a row. The people are seriously mentally deficient. The food doesn't taste right. There's rarely something fun to do. And did I forget to mention that the people suck? Because they do. I don't know what I hate more - the south, or Canada.

After Canada, I'll be doing some more touring with The Bronx (a week in October, and all of November with ETID). It's nice to have job security. I've been told that I'll be busy for a long time. That really makes me feel like I'm doing something right. I'm excited to share many more adventures with this band.

And even though I feel like I'm doing something right, I still can't help but wonder what I'm doing with my life. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. And I love touring. But it does get a bit lonely. I wonder when I'm going to settle down and stop wandering. I wonder when I'll be able to pay my student loans. I wonder when I'll meet someone to grow old with and make a few little me's and her's. I'll tell you one thing that I've learned in the last few months: life throws curve balls with ferocious heat, non-stop. Some good, some bad - but all there, all the time.

I've been listening to the new Kings Of Leon record on repeat lately. It's pretty amazing. Usually I don't feel the need to ramble like this, but that album has really spoken to me since I've been on the road with this tour. Pick it up. It might reel you in.

I'd also like to address a somewhat serious but not serious matter that has bugged me just a tad bit. I'm sure by now everyone has heard about the plane crash involving Travis Barker. Before I rant briefly, let me preface it by saying that I don't like any of his current music, did not enjoy and was majorly bummed out and annoyed by his reality TV show. I've never met the man or even been in the same room as him. However, I think it is absolutely rude and terrible that people who I know and call friends think that it might be funny to post bulletins on the internet wishing bad things upon him while being in the hospital, or just saying things that are plain disrespectful. The man is laying in a hospital bed in critical condition. Critical = not good. He is a father. He is someone's son. He is a fellow musician. I know we all have childish humor, and I am guilty of it sometimes as well. But seriously. Let's be adults for once. Let's try to grow up.

On a completely different note, I still think I'll be moving to California in January. My future roommate will be apartment hunting while I wander the Earth like Kane from Kung Fu (except I make money while doing it). Hopefully she finds something sweet. I'm excited to surf and eat breakfast burritos while I'm not touring. If this doesn't pan out, then maybe I'll just move to Beverly, MA. Who knows.

I'll stop rambling. I need to start prepping for the post show turd-rush at the merch table.

We have an 18 hour drive to Toronto tonight. Plenty more time to ponder useless nonsense and over-analyze my life.



I'm too young to feel this old.