"You're all adults..." says Officer Cash

This tour has been ridiculous! I have never spent so much time being grateful for what I do. The Atlantic Ocean is crashing on the beach in front of me. The rest of the day will be spent here followed by some stellar cuisine, hitting the town to meet with current and (hopefully) future fans and cheering for Barack Obama in the Indiana and North Carolina primaries. I am eager to take-in inspiring imagery for lyrics to the song “Palm Trees and Flamingos,” which is on the upcoming album. It’s a Steely Dan/Cock Rock inspired tune about a fellow well past his prime who solicits the company of shallow, beautiful women through offers of drugs, designer clothing and the high life. Fun right?

The highlight of this tour thus far is our Saturday performance @ SunFest in West Palm Beach. It might be the best show we have ever played with an estimated 3,000-5,000 in attendance for our set. The festival provided the opportunity to preview a bunch of tunes from the new record with a talented horn section, while also revisiting selections from Breaking Down the Silence, and a cover of Faces’ “Stay With Me” thrown in for good measure. I want to thank Rick Blake and the entire SunFest staff including security, West Palm Beach Police, and the phenomenal sound engineers. Of course, I also want to express my deepest appreciation to everyone who came to the merchandise tent to introduce yourselves and take some photos. We can’t wait to see you all again when we return! (PS- Send those photos of your friends and band members to info [at] jefftuohy [dot] com so we can throw them up on Myspace and Facebook!)

Natasha Bedingfield took the stage afterwards. Our crew had a chance to hear her impressive voice and tight band before sprinting to see my favorite group, The Black Crowes on the WaMu Stage. Chris Robinson still remains one of my biggest vocal influences. Damn, did he sound great! I recommend their new album- Warpaint, especially the tune “Oh Josephine.”

I was ecstatic to reconnect with some friends from Connecticut while in West Palm. It is such a satisfying feeling to meet up with old friends in new places. This is probably why the end of Shawshank Redemption always makes me cry. A barbecue, a set by Matisyahu, ridiculous fireworks displays, and a night out at Bradley’s on Sunday put the finishing touches on an amazing time in West Palm Beach.

The low point of the tour was our bus being searched for four hours by the Virginia State Police. Our apologies to fans in Georgia who were left band-less thanks to “Virginia’s Finest.” We’ll make it up to you when we play Athens this Friday :). I believe the initial officer must have become aroused when he saw a 1977 (though newly refurbished inside) GMC tour bus barreling down the road at a whopping 60 MPH. Not having much to go on, except for stereotypes and profiling, he pulled us over because our “window tints were too dark.” When he heard we were a band on tour, he began an intense search for pounds of drugs…he came up short.

The concert the night before @ Grog and Tankard was a success, especially for a Wednesday night. We played to an audience that included: members of a kickball team, citizens of Germany, and members of a local band called, Knives Out. Our nation’s capitol has been a difficult scene to build for us, but we’re finally getting somewhere thanks to the venue’s support, especially Herb (thanks, bro!) We look forward to playing there again and again to fuller and fuller rooms.

An older fan said our ensemble reminded him of the band, XTC due to the diversity in song styles. I have heard of this band from raiding my Uncle Jim’s compact disc library; a collection that spawned my interest in: Steely Dan, Oingo Boingo, Toad the Wet Sprocket, James Taylor, Frank Zappa, and Spyro Gyra. I remember being in sixth grade and borrowing the Grateful Dead’s, Skeletons in the Closet. As a punk-ass middle school-er, I was into heavy metal. When I saw a skeleton, I assumed the album was going to have wailing guitars, head splitting drums, and a screaming lead singer. They did have the word “dead” in their name, after all. You can imagine my disappointment when “The Golden Road (to Unlimited Devotion)” came out of the speakers. Wow, I have really gone off subject here. To the point, I’ll be borrowing some XTC next time I visit Tom’s River, NJ.

The Beachside Tavern in New Smyrna, FL was a rowdy gig. Every time we’re there, we stay a sick beachside condominium. I ended up jumping in the ocean (again) after our three hour set. This is moronic for two reasons: 1) New Smyrna is allegedly the shark attack capitol of the United States with upwards of 80 attacks a year (from what I’ve heard), 2) The last time I did this I dove and pile-drove my head into a sand bank @ three in the morning resulting in me playing the rest of the tour on emergency-room- doctor-prescribed (ERDP) muscle relaxers with a stiff neck and back. This further proves a college education and the ability to rent a car does not remove the potential of being an idiot.

In closing, I would like to advocate for free podcasts featuring author and spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle, and super-duper respected TV woman, Oprah Winfrey. They are available on iTunes and cover topics addressed in his bestsellers, The Power of Now and A New Earth. Tolle’s work strives to create present moment awareness, referencing teachings from history’s most respected spiritual leaders (JC, Buddha, Mohammed, etc.) It might not be for everyone, but it certainly has enhanced my appreciation for all life has to offer by creating awareness and freeing the mind of useless traffic. If I can do it, anyone can. Trust.

Please stay in touch and feel free to comment. Hope you enjoy the footage of “Bourbon Street” from our SunFest set!

-Jeff