Home Arrival. Sustain.

Back home, exhausted.  I'm always way too productive on the day I get home.  Rest is probably more important, but I'm trying to get everything out of the way first.  It's strange to think the next few weeks won't be planned out for me.  Right now I don't have any plans tonight and I'm kinda excited about that.  No day sheet, no show, no fun?  There is so much going on right now, pretty huge.  My throat hurts, but it's just great to be at home for the moment.  It was the best tour of our career, so it's sad to see it end but we'll always look back on all of the good memories.  It's been a long year haul (for the most part), now it's break time.

This is where I exist for the time being:

Kansas City Wasteland

America has some of the worst neighborhoods I have ever seen.  The class separation that exists in this country is mind-blowing.  Urban centers are continually built up and renovated, while all of the poor are forced to flock to super-slums surrounding the perimeter of these cities.  Kansas City sucks, and this area is terrible.  Every building and business is vacant and boarded up - pretty depressing.  There are some places of the United States I really enjoy, but the whole mid-west isn't too great.

I miss Canada, and Tim Hortons.  I've replaced 'Timmy Ho's' with a frequent visit to the Starbucks in cities across the country (triple-grande soy marble mocha!).  It's a great social activity and very delicious.  Looking forward to the wonderful Canadian eateries once I return.  It will also be nice to cook for myself again.  6 more days remain, and then life will change.  Pizza is here, mmmmm.

Raindrops + Sunshowers.

Returning to home in just over a week (9 days to be exact) after a 39 day trip across the United States.  Every climate, weather condition, and form of precipitation has been experienced over the course of the tour.  Overall, it's been smooth, and relatively fun.  It's going to be a strange transition back to the stability of being at home.  I have been away for 95% of the year so far, beginning right after New Years with a flight to Australia.

There are a lot of shows (Converge, Disfear, Destroyer, etc.) in April that I plan on attending - even though it would probably make more sense to distance myself from live concerts after playing one almost every night.  I'm still unsure about going to Coachella, but I have feeling that I will probably end up there.  The time at home seems like a lot, but I know it will go by in a flash.

Time goes by fast.

Sick of being sick, brutal.

My immune system likes to play a trick of me where it pretends like it's doing this great job of fighting off everything until it spontaneously decides to fail.  Although, I've decided ignoring the symptoms of being sick can cure it a lot faster than if I am trying too hard to take care of myself.  I guess this is the result of living in the close quarters with a lot of people who are often sick too.

I'm obsessed with Metalocalypse all of a sudden.  After seeing one episode, I rushed to the store to pick up Season 1 and am now a die-hard 'Dethklok' fan.  It's strange that this show is never played in Canada (or maybe it is, since I am not home long enough to really know what series are actually in syndication), but I never heard of it until now.

I purchased some more music today - there have been a lot of great vinyl finds on this tour.  Idaho never disappoints on the indie-record front.  Music-buying obsession is at an all-time high, and this tour is feeding my fix.  Peace out.

Consciousness.

iTunes blaring rock into the buds of my headphones, computer monitor lighting the 'room', and eyelids held open due to the everlasting ambition of a night yet to be conquered.  Sleep comes at the end when it can no longer be avoided.  I will rest when I need to, but the time to reflect upon everything that is going on sure seems to be few and far between.  There never seems to be enough time in a day to do exactly what I want, so the night gets stretched to far limits of productivity.  Many things are on the horizon and it's an exciting time.  But when does my own life begin to fit into the equation?

Music can be more nostalgic than any tangible item.  Old music can bring back a thousand ideas and emotions in a second.  It's (almost) crazy that I can remember where I purchased most of the music that I own, and can link the times I listened to those particular albums with what was going on around me at the time.  My life has a soundtrack, but fortunately I am in control of the songs that are being played.  Creativity ceases to exist without surrounding aural stimulation.  Music motivates me to do everything that I do in life. I wonder if there is a reason that I am constantly seeking out new music to add to the ever-lasting Personal Soundtrack?

Sleep?  No.  I survived Y2k, what have you done lately?

(Listening to Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People)

Time Travel (Ever heard of it).

I have been compiling photo-blogs from around the world and counting the shows I have played over the past few years.  All of that can be seen here over at my Invisible Ninjas profile.  This year I have already been across Australia, Japan, Canada, and the United States.  In May, I will return overseas (Pacific) to play throughout 14 countries.

My top 5 cities in the world:

1. Berlin
2. Glasgow
3. Los Angeles
4. Perth
5. Toronto

(list appears alphabetically)

Boom. It all begins with some simple text.

This is when we split the atom.  The 'web' has been graced with some new bytes pertaining to the inner-thoughts and ramblings of my mind.  I'm pretty sure I have avoided a formal blog at every chance up until now.  Not quite sure what is so different about today.  Life is certainly taking a few sharp turns.  I probably have more to say now than ever before.  Regardless, the new Destroyer album is fantastic.   There hasn't been too much incredible music this year with exception of - Vampire Weekend, Beach House and Black Mountain.   I've been fortunate enough to catch some life-altering shows: Hayden (live in Toronto at Danforth Music Hall), Wilco (live in New Orleans at Tipitinas).  I think I need to compile a list of the best shows I've ever attended because it's becoming harder to remember all of the different ones.  Off to Seattle in a few hours, Portland today and they really do have the best Vegetarian food in the world.  When will I write again, who knows?  What the hell am I going to do next.  End transmission.