Rivet Braille

Detroit wheel-snatch:

1. Loosen all the lugnuts. Let them drop to the sidewalk.
2. Walk away. If you have to run, do not go on to step #3.
3. Two of your friends pull up in their truck. They put a jack under the lug-lacking frame.
4. Throw the wheels in the car.
5. Drive away.
6. Call your friend with the crack cocaine

Jack White once had his nuts removed outside the bar we played, the Lager House. He went out to his car sometime between steps 2 and 3, missed the twenty shimmering signs telling him not to drive, and sank right to the ground.

The GM building is creepy. The Mordor of urban America. We all saw Canada for the first time, about a mile across a straight. The band after us at the Lager House had a banjo, fiddle, double bass, guitar, and saw. They played an acoustic show standing in a semi-circle on the floor. It rocked harder than anything I've seen on this tour. The crowd completed their circle, and everyone in the band sang. I should write their band name here...don't think I ever knew it.

Detroit gave way to Cleveland, which gave way to Mr. Gnome's country home. Sam and Nicole let us make some half-drunken noise in their practice space, then shared Youtube videos with us.



The Cleveland show was a blast. Pat's in the Flats was, as it turns out, in the Flats. It seemed to be the only populated building in sight...but a surprising number of people knew where it was. It has a long (one of the longest) histories with punk rock in Cleveland.

In Pittsburgh I got to see my best friend from college. We sat by the river for a few hours, just like we used to in Chicago. The Lava Lounge show was awesome, and we stayed with Nicole and Morgan who live above their pet grooming shop.

Jersey was the 12th show of our 13-night run. The next night, we lugged all our gear down a narrow staircase in the lower east side of Manhattan. We were beat before the show even started. Somehow we still played a good show (we're told). Owen gave us some vital energy.

We relaxed in New York City for two more days, thanks to Andrew and his roomates who let us stay for three nights. Now we descend the East Coast. Our show in Red Bank (NJ) last night was, as crowd response goes, our most successful yet. Spirits are high, and Ben is putting us up yet again in his beach-side apartment. See you in Philly

-Ben