Andy Fitts

North 196 toward Holland / Grand Rapids

New York had a way of pinching my scribble hose. I’ll start, and end, with some highlights. A full Hall of Williamsburg on a rainy Tuesday night, seeing John Roderick of The Long Winters, meeting John Hodgman (PC), eating plums with Jenn Schatz, listening to Headlights, street fallafel from Oasis, reliable chuckles with Shane and Chelsea, BLT from the Deli next to Mcmanus in Chelsea (the Upright Citizens Brigade mainstay). Dark and Stormy, Arugula Salad, Pizza Bread with Olive oil, and Big City Bday Tiramisu at La Bottega in the Mirage Hotel. Bannanna pudding with nilla wafers and coffee from Billy’s Bakery in Chelsea, an afternoon stroll and the Green Zone, a good hang with headlights in the hotel who had an encounter with alec baldwin where he stood in front of them at the parking meter and couldn’t get the machine to work, turning to them with his Jack Donaughy musk grizzling “this might take a while”. Apparently in the back seat of his car lay the book “The Gift of Fear : Survival signals that protect us from Violence”. Some would call my jaunt to la guardia to pick up Julie distinguished, but really it was much easier than the warnings depicted. I love solo city wanderlusting. We went to central park and ate delicious deli sandwhiches next to the zoo. While we were eating, Tracy Uhllman trundled in a beeline toward us , kind of smiling and staring, and then took a sharp right hand turn and headed her own way. I didn’t recognize her, and J did, but couldn’t remember her name until we were on the west side and looked up in the sky only to see a billboard blotting out the sun with her face and namesake. After a jaunt on Js blistered feet (united didn’t get her bag through the layover, which contained her cute and cozy laceless toms walkin shoes) to the B&H Superstore, we took a train down to Battery Park, where her Uncle Randy lives overlooking Liberty, Ellis, Staten and Jersey. He took us out to a fantastic bistro around the corner in Tribeca called Le Petite Abeille. I love spending time with people who want to live where they live for life. Life without a car, around masses of people everyday. How Exhilerating. The next night we took the L train out to Brooklyn to spend the evening with the band and our aforementioned friends Shane and Chelsea. Beutiful rooftop view, cheese, wine, whiskey, hummous, grapes, crackers, MOUSAKA!!, salad, and Dominican Bakery goods, noteably the guava and cream cheese inspired numbers. Those guys are some fine fine folks. The next morning, I parted with my Julie at our Murray Hill hotel, and our tour resumed onto the homeward bound tracks, eating Cakeman Raven, red velvet, with. (walnuts) Now driving, it’s sunny, the windows cracked, listening to wye oak on my headphones. I miss the rab.

The U.S. Is 45th when it comes to infant mortality, 50th for life expectancy.

It’s an interesting time in America. Some people are terribly angry and concerned about our freedom and how it died a little bit yesterday in the House. It’s fascinating the blithe tone folks use talking about certain European countries, more especially a place like Norway. People that have been there invariably come away feeling like they just walked through some kind of utopian fashion glossy table book. So it’s a monarchy with a constitution and rights for the people. Dude has no obligation to give health care and education to his people other than that it brings him profit. A healthy and educated people are a working people. I overheard BC wondering why it is that people are so vehement about voting against their interest. Premiums are not expected to change much, but what is expected to change has to do with the quality of our coverage. I know people who pay 900 a month for their insurance, but by the end of the year, without any major illnesses or emergencies, end up paying over 4 Gs on top of the over 10 spent in the year from monthly premiums alone. So in effect they just raised taxes, but we just pay those taxes directly to the companies that we choose to receive our coverage through. I’m sure all of this will effect others more dramatically than myself on the immediate, and I’m curious which frontloaded cons are primarily shakin’ miss liberty’s fist for y’all.

Bazan band blazing to Baltimore. Tonight at Ottobar. Had the pleasure of passing through DC today. We haven’t forgotten about our Pentagon Darryl Worley.

Richmond, VA: You’re in another dimension that I don’t ever need to return to.

Just passed by a sign advertising ” ’ It’s All His’ Real Estate “

TONIGHT! Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle !

So crazy how time flies…been on the road for two weeks. Played st louis, and Newport, KY (cincinatti). Sitting now in a Nashville hotel, with just another hour and a half before we head to the exit/in to load in and get ready for the show tonight. So excited to play. I feel so grateful to be doing this. I guess it’s been about 7 years since bazan has played Nashville with a band. Should be well attended…the show had a piece in every weekly paper I’ve seen so far. Had some incredible country fried steak with spinach, mac and cheese, and mashed turnips.

Springfield Missouri last night. Randy Bacon Studios. Awesome PA and the best green room we will have on this tour. Big old tub of hummous and budweiser cans. Night before we were at the Opolis in Norman, OK. We were hungry for Thai, so we at at Phad Thai, one in a string of eponymously titled restaurants we have been noticing. I think it was the previous day’s 12 hour drive that got me feelin sick. Take it back. It had to be vegas. We made it from Phoenix to Amarillo, TX. When we stopped in Flag I realized my wallet wasn’t in my possesion. We are in “the heart of light” here in Springfield. AG headquarters . Gods country. And a pretty decent place if you like hunting and fishing. We’ve finally arrived In the BBQ belt.

Precious photo a please baby vocal warmup sectional at alex’s bar in long beach. There were circa 150 presales and the room was full. A girl in the back really wanted to hear halleluja over and over. I met pancho, saw Jason naumann, and played a really good show. Never wanted you is always amazingly fun to play. Wish Julie was here. Goodnight. (Alex and I jumped the fence to the pool and jacuzi around 230. Tired.)

Today David Bazans record Curse Your Branches is number one on Amazon. Pretty exciting. You can download the whole record today for only $2.99!

Driving 99 south to Visalia. Just passed Lodi, hello seven sutton! Modesto burrito coming up. Being in this band is sublime. I hope Angie comes to the show tonight.

Eugene: just saw a man meditating on a street corner after passing the pizza research institute and a head slumping saddest boy in ever.