We are in New Mexico right now because we have a couple days off. Our friend and the celloist from the record Nina Lee and her quartet The Brentano Quartet are teaching at the Taos School of Music. It is incredibly beautiful here. We will be playing on the radio here KTAO on Wed. July 30th at 3:30pm if you are around these parts and want to tune in.

Everything has been going well. Some shows are better attended than others, but what can you expect when you play a college town on a monday night? We are so glad to be out on the road and to be meeting new fans of our music as we have been hitting some new markets.

I do miss little Ivan (our dog) and hope that we will be swinging through NYC to pick him up for out last leg out with Lucinda Black Bear. He loves being on the road;) Check out our schedule on www.kaisercartel.com to see new dates that have been posted.

So, we just left a rest area on the border of Iowa and Missouri. There was this medium sized black and white dog running around. I called it over and it only came within a few feet. We started to leave and saw the dog heading for the highway. I asked Benjamin to get on the right side of the dog to try to stop if from getting on the ramp. We successfully got him to go back to the rest area. He ran over to the grass and rested under a tree. I noticed that his back right leg seemed to be giving him some trouble. I didn't know what to do, so Ben said "why don't you go inside and ask about it?" I went in and the grounds keepers told me that someone left him there that morning. Apparently, someone dumped some dog food on the side walk, and the early day workers assumed they were just feeding him. Then they noticed a bit later that the dog was still there. They said they would call the animal services, but Im afraid of what that means. We had no room for the dog in the car, and it just broke my heart to leave him there. I named him Snoopy. We did another lap around to look for him because I thought if I could lure him to me, I would call myself. But he was no where to be found. How could someone just leave this dog? It was probably at least 8 years old. How do people just decide to ditch a dog they have had a long time at a rest area. I know that there will be karma to be paid, so that makes me feel better. I don't think the dog will leave my mind anytime soon. If you're looking for a dog, it's just off of 35 North.

PORTLAND, OR - The Towne Lounge

Our first show of the tour was at lil’ joint in Portland called the Town Lounge. We played with our tour partner Rachel Robinson and a soloist from New Zealand called Bachelorette.

We ran into a few technical difficulties. A broken string before the show, followed by a lack of direct boxes for acoustic guitars, then followed by a pickup literally going dead in the middle of the set. If there was a way to make my drums spontaneously explode towards the end of the set, I would have done it just to add to the rising pile on-stage technical problems. Somehow the audience didn’t seem to mind, and we got a great response inspite of our technical issues.

The after party was a trip to a 24 hour diner called the Roxy. We have to thank our good friend and touring companion Michelle Chapman for providing us with a local cast of characters as the evening’s traveling party.

One of the things I remember most about the diner is a disturbing, warhol-like, multi-colored,portait of Quentin Tarentino that hung on the wall. The Tarentino painting seemed to be watching me as I ate my hash browns and would not let me eat in peace. I had to completely turn my body away from his stare to enjoy my late night snack.

Other than that, I really liked the place, and the company we were in. It was a fun little night out and about in Portland.


EUGENE, OR - Luckey’s

The next day on the road was tough for me. I had come down with terrible cold that gave me headaches, and drained me of energy. All I wanted to do was lie down and sleep, then I could wake up and be rid of the bad dream (and bad health) I was in.

Before leaving Portland, Courtney and I went back downtown to buy a much-needed new pick up for her guitar. Then we got on I-5 and headed down to Eugene, OR to visit my cousin David, his wife Catharine, and their two small kids, Eitan and Zev. We had planned on staying at David’s while in Eugene, and I was looking forward to some catch up.

However, I could barely keep myself upright, let alone hold a decent conversation at David’s house, so I took nap while Courtney and little 2 year old Eitan played together.

The Scene at Luckey’s was low key. It was the first Saturday night during spring break. You can imagine the quiet that can come over a college town. It was a mellow night for us, but there were a few locals at Luckeys who liked what they heard, and let us know after the show. I had a brief burst of energy to chat with the locals, but moments later, I could just barely pack up drums and pack up the car, without falling over on my face.

SEATTLE, WA -Tractor Tavern


My cold lingered on the next day as we made the 4 hour drive up to Seattle. Lead-foot Courtney was at the wheel and we made good time. We had a chance to stop in, and visit hosts Tyesha and Chad. The show was at The Tractor Tavern and we shared the bill with two local bands, Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden, and The Birthdays. We’d heard good things about the Tractor Tavern before going there. Truth be told, it was our favorite venue out of all 3 Northwestern shows.

Our show was a lot of fun. We were playing on Easter Sunday and it was hard to resist doing something festive to celebrate the holiday, so Courtney and I arranged to have an egg hunt in the bar. Michelle Chapman’s Mom, Linda Chapman was kind enough to provide us with plastic eggs, baskets, fake grass, chocolate eggs, and some peeps.

We made the announcement about the Easter egg hunt after our first two songs. It was the first time we ever asked the audience to NOT watch us and do something else. Immediately, we saw audience members scatter around the room to look for eggs. Courtney hid eggs all over the club. And she hid one ‘special egg,’ that contained a KaiserCartel button. Whoever found the special egg, would win a free cd.

The audience was great. Jeff Poteet, our friend from Gibson, was among the people in the crowd. It was amazing to play a responsive, energetic crowd. I felt like we had found a new home away from home @ the Tractor Tavern. In addition, I was feeling a bit better on stage, and a little less-sick than the night before.
Was I finally over my cold?

We had a great time at SXSW. It was a bit of a whirlwind. We took the early flight out of NYC at 5:40am...yes musicians up at that hour is a crime! But it was actually nice because there was no one on the road or at the airport. We could tell already while we were in line, that we weren't the only ones on our way to Austin. I think NYC was taking over the festival this year. We had a layover in Houston, and more musians were on the second leg. I was waiting for someone to break out into song on the airplane.

We got to Austin and had to immediatly take layers off. The weather was beautiful and sunny. We checked into the hotel and headed out to our first show at Threadgills which was a September Gurl party. We played with great bands; Romantica, Steve Paltz, and Samantha Murphy to name a few. We were there for most of the night and then headed home.

The second day we started the day with a short set at the Soup Kitchen. I had never played for a homeless audience. It was a very emotional experience for both of us. They really loved it and we will do it again. Upon finishing, we walked around and saw other people play as well as did some thrifting on S. Congress street. We had dinner with our friend Ryan from Kanagroo Press (amazing screen printer) and with one of our managers, Patrice Fehlen at Magnolia. Great place to eat!! Then we headed off to Trophy's for a two song set in a GoGirls showcase. Right after we played, we busted out of there to try to make it into The Parish where our label mate Cary Brothers and other friends were playing on the Hotel Cafe Tour bill. But, we couldn't get in. You had to have a lamenated pass as well as your wrist band which was pretty jive considering that the SXSW folks only give each band one pass. We ended up going into the Raveonettes show instead. Then we headed over to the Greenroom showcase and saw a great band named the Bedroom Walls. Love them...after that it was sleepy time.

The third day, we went to the Spin party to get our passes and busked outside the place. Direct TV with Rachel Perry (VH1) bumped into us and asked us some quiestions as well as filmed some songs. They had been covering bands playing on the street for the past few days. Then we went into the Spin party. It was 90 degrees outside and we got really hot, so we went back to the hotel to relax before our big bluhammock showcase at the Hilton Garden. The showcase was great! The sound was amazing and we really enjoyed playing with all the other bands on the label. It is a nice thing when you like all the label's choices;) We especially loved Kristoffer and his band. What kickass music, and people! It makes us want to jump on a plane to Sweden right now.

The fourth day and last day was crazy! We played a bluhammock party at the Iron Cactus and got to see our label team and the other artists again. The label had brunch for everyone which was really nice. Then we decided to head back to the other side of town and busk for new members of The Crayons (our stuffed animals that we bring with us). We were given a few new members which you will see very soon. We had lunch at a little place over their with some friends and Lucinda Williams happened to be eating lunch there too. We introduced ourselves. She was super nice! Finally, our last show at the Cock Pit! What a crazy place. The sound man was nice and the place was interesting. By that time we were super tired, so we had a very long dinner and I called it a night. Benjamin went out and saw Ting Ting who we are playing with tonight and some other people. We slept for about 3 hours tops and got on the 5:40am flight back to NYC....with the same people as our flight on the way in! It was a great time and we will look forward to going back next year.

The pictures above are a funny "No Swimming" sign in Florida and one of the beds we slept in while staying in Atlanta....Thank god for good friends! What a room!

Aug. 4, 2007 Birdy's (Indianapolis, IN)
It's always interesting to play at Birdy's. You never know who is going to be there. The demographic is constantly changing. We were unable to have a soundcheck and there were some serious technical difficulties before we played. It always pays to have a soundcheck. I think the soundman Al will make sure to do that the next time.....It was a fun show, but we will be sure to play with my old friends the next time.

Aug. 3, 2007 The Launching Pad (Muncie, IN)
Muncie is a weird city. It's a college town, but it doesn't feel like one to me. I always compare college towns to Bloomington, IN and nothing compares so far. It was a nice show. The Launching Pad is a new all ages place and according to the local police who rolled up to talk to me as I was standing outside, it is welcome to the community. He said that so far Muncie hasn't done anything for it's youth. Therefore, he was glad that this new place existed. We were booked with The Postmarks from Miami, FL. We will be playing with them again in Chapel Hill. They are great people and write good music. We noticed a flyer for Swati (NY) after soundcheck and wanted to support her. Swati was amazing. We had not seen her live yet. She is a bundle of sound for one person. She also played a few songs with a bass player named Taylor. We really liked her personally and musically. The bands we played with at The Launching Pad were, The Postmarks, Rodeo Ruby Love, This Story, and The Extraordinaires. It was fun.

Aug. 2, 2007 Cowboy Monkey (Champaign, IL)
Cowboy Monkey was a surprise. We have never played Champaign before. We had a very warm welcome from the promoter whose band also played. The food was good and the staff treated us well. It was a really nice venue with great sound. There were a lot of people there for the show. Everyone was quiet and attentive. We also played with a great band called Beauty Shop. They have released their records mostly in England. I know we will make a stop here again.

Aug. 1, 2007 The Basement (Nashville, TN)
There are some great vintage stores in Nashville. Hip Zipper is amazing. Everything is so affordable and in great condition. We both bought a couple of things while we were there. If we didn't have an already packed car, we would have bought more. We always enjoy playing The Basement, although we were bummed that Mike Grimey (the owner) couldn't make it. He has a job he does ever other week and it happened that when we were there he had to work. The sound man was an ex-New Yorker and was excited to be running sound for us. I think it reminded him of being at home. The opener Louisa Lopez, was awesome. She had just moved to Nashville from Dallas. Kimberly Quinn, the last person who played, was also a great singer and seemed to be a very "Nashville" style artist. We look forward to our return.

July 28, 2007 Eddie's Attic (Decatur, GA)
Eddie's Attic is our favorite place to play! Eddie is the sweetest guy you would ever meet. Also, he is a big music lover and has been supportive of original music in Atlanta for a long long time. Shalom is the sound man at Eddie's and every time the sound is perfect on stage and off stage. Eddie's Attic is a real listening room and we are always given a show that will be sure to be packed. That is helpful for a band trying to develop a following in a new city. We played with Paul Melancon and The Arts and Sciences. They are amazing! Paul's voice and song writing really blew us away. They are definitely our favorite band that we have played with the whole tour. My friend Lee Cuthbert (friend of 12 years) played in his band on guitar. She has incredible skills. It was such a pleasure to see her play again. She and her girlfriend Andrea housed us for two nights while we were there. They have a little apartment in their basement.

We sold a lot of cds and t-shirts and couldn't have had a better show. The audience was attentive, laughed at our jokes, and cried in all the appropriate places in the set:) A friend of ours Susan (from the Suzi French Connection) said that she was embarrassed to be getting all teary eyed during the set. We are glad when we can have such a strong effect on people. Then the music really means something. We brought a bit of rain with us, but then again, for some reason we always have a bit of rain when we come to Atlanta. We can't wait to come back and hope to do a residency at Eddie's in the near future.

July 26, 2007 Egan's (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
Egan's is a really fun place. We weren't sure what to make of it at first, a show in a college town, during the summer, in Alabama...We were pleasantly surprised, Ashley, the manager of Egan's was excited to see us and bought us dinner. We played after a band called SpotAlbert who were a sort of blues/Irish fusion band. They were ex punk rockers. We really enjoyed their set. Bo was gracious enough to run sound for us because it is a DIY sound kind of place. We were thankful since we aren't that technically inclined. The show was great and the crowd was into our music. Again, we sold a lot of cds and got email addresses for the mailing list. Elliott (from the Dexateens) took us out for a southern style lunch and Bo who worked there on his lunch break, picked up the tab! It was a nice first experience for us in Alabama and we will definitely be back. The picture at the top of the page is Elliot (Dexateens) and his son Grey.

Last Concert Cafe (Houston, TX) July 25, 2007
We just left Houston, Tx! We had a great show at the Last Concert Cafe. What a wild place. It is like none other that we have ever seen! It is big with an outdoor stage, picnic tables, sand, and great Mexcian food. There are giant hula hoops and the most talnted hula hoopers come and do their thing while you are playing. They enjoyed moving their bodies to our music. Apparently, if they don't hula hoop during your set, that means your music is not welcome! What a cool new way to judge music! Crazy right? Our hosts were Brian and Amber who were more than hospitable! Not only did they set up the show and make the best posters ever, but they let us sleep at their house! We had our own room and they even had a glass of wine waiting for us when we arrived. Amber cooked us breakfast in the morning! Wow, it doesn't get any better than that! We played before a band that plays there every wed night named Pot Roast. It doesn't reference the meat if that gives you an indication. It was funny to play with them after playing with a band called The Chicken Lovers in California...

Austin Java, KUT radio, and ME TV (Austin, TX) July 24, 2007
Boy do we love Austin! The show was fun and we played with an old highschool friend of mine Melinda who has a group called MJ Baby Band. We got free food and drink and the audience was very responsive. Melinda housed us and made us great coffee in the morning. KUT radio station invited us to play a show hosted by Laurie. We were so pleased with how it sounded and the support we got from them.. Kory and Cliff (producer and engineer) were incredibly nice and were a pleasure to work with. We will gvie you a link in the future that you can use when it airs. Lastly, but not least we had the opportunity to play and be interviewed on ME TV! Wow, what a great bunch of people. We will post a video of that once we have it on our hands. We can't wait to come back to Austin for SXSW.

The Cavern (Dallas, TX) July 23, 2007
Dallas is the vintage mecca of the world. We had to say that first! The Cavern is a cool venue to play. The sound was great and we had a nice time there. It seems like the city has lost some of it's music venues, so we are glad that The Cavern is still trying to do their best to get original local and national bands heard in the city of Dallas. Our friend Drew Flemming who we toured in Europe with asked his mom Susan if we could stay with her. She was so nice. It is always a good time to stay with people's parents! We got to see pictures of Drew when he was just a lad, as well as his early drawings and paintings. We particularly liked his painting of the two legged fox.

Murphey's (Memphis, TX) July 21, 2007
This was a wild place. The locals were in full effect drinking whiskey fillled drinks and dancing to anything playing on the jukebox. It was an intimate crowd as we were playing while against an Al Green, and a local favorite named Harlan T. Bobo's cd release party. Half of us went out to see Harlan's show, while the other half slept and watched tv. Benjamin was the half to go see Harlan play. He really liked it and thought it was very original. Brad was our host and they cooked us a mighty breakfast in the morning. People in Memphis love music, so we will be sure to be back to play.

Fitzgerald's (Berwyn, IL) July 20th, 2007
This is a nice music venue. The owner Bill is enthusiastic about music and invited us to come back. We played with DiveBar whom we've played with before, but had to miss their set due to our having a show in one hour at Uncommon Ground. The sound was great as was the audience. We look forward to coming back.

Uncommon Ground (Chicago. IL) July 20th, 2007
It is difficult to play two shows in one night, but sometimes it just has to happen. It was a fun show and our good friend Michael McDermott even came by to show his support! There were a few sound issues with the DI boxes which was a bit frustrating. We ended up playing more of the set unplugged than we had planned. Our friend Matt Suhar housed us that night. He tried to get us to stay an extra day by offering to take us to a pool in the suburbs where wild animals roam free..he kept mentioning the foxes and deer that would walk up to us and let us pet them! Next time Matt, we will stay longer we promise!

Lucas School House (St. Louis, MO) July 19, 2007
The show at Lucas School House was hosted by Playback:STL. We love that St. Louis music magazine. Jim and Laura are such great people. Lucas School House is a beautiful room with great sound and one of the nicest sound men ever. The other bands were awesome and also welcoming. You never know what the other acts will be like. We are excited to come back and play this venue in the future.