THANKS giving

///been a long year of touring and adventures for us here at camp Finn Riggins, but we'd be fools if we didn't acknowledge that it's all been made possible by the help, generosity and support of so many friends, family and colleagues around this great country... in the spirit of the holiday, we're going to do our best to give THANKS to everyone that has played whatever small or big role in helping us do what we do day in and day out...

THANKS to Mike, Deb, Phil, and Grandma Bouiss and Danielle, Alex, Lamar, Marty and Loren. to Bruce, Laura, Nina, Kevin, Heather, Josh, Jared, Gracie, Jacob, Peter, Sasha and Gianna Simpson. to Dave, Sylvia, Karen and Trina Moody. to Dan, Barb, Janet and Jerry Gilbert. to Ed and Anita Jeffs. to Sten, Susi, Bill, Barbara, Scott, Steve and Dorothy Bell. and to all of our other family both near and far away.

THANKS to Brianne and Jared Mees. to the Tender Loving Empire family. to the Grown Children -- Megan, Kevin, Sam, Jake, Jordan, Sean and Brian. to Scott and Michelle Garred and Super XX Man. to Jonny and Boy Eats Drum Machine. to Nadine Mooney. to Bob Keal and Small Sur. to Holder, Teal, Jack and the rest of the Starving Daughters. to Sam "G-Force" Guerrero, Sarah Long, Dave Nuss, Cameron Browne, Hannah from Spectre, Burnside Distribution, Lloyd E. Winter IV, Santiago Uceda, Rusty Jordan, Brent Harada, Jeni Larsen and Julia Green.

THANKS to Neil, Mark and Ben of Low Red Land. to Brian and Lynne of Tartufi. to Bill, Wayne, Josh and Annie of Test Audiences. to Rich, Marc, Barak, Ory and Steve of Woven. to Tony of Orem The Sink. to Corbie and Andy of Where The Buffalo Roamed. to Travis and Ali Ward and Hillfolk Noir.

THANKS to Travis Silvers, Milo Duke, Evy Llyan, Hope and Joseph von Stengel, Jeremy Martin, Noah Beck, Ryan and Marisa Gibler, Tune-Yards, Le Fleur, Marty Bauer, Steve Knecht, The Mutineers, Man/Miracle, The Dont's, Nat Baldwin, Asher in The Rye, The Awful Truth, Dylan Clark, The Points North, The Woodrow Wilsons, Kristin Friesen, Hello Shark, America Owns the Moon, Thomas Paul, Piers Lamb, Bob and Heidi Trombley, the Pajamma Jamma Beach Bash crew, Jerome Nobles, Brandon Thompson, Brad Schmidt and the Welgunzer crew, the Hermosa Girls, Absolutely Parched, Bella and Victoria, August and Christie Agosti, Brian and Merry, Run Rabbit Run, Bill and Muddy Waters Cafe, Abigail Noveen and Chris, Tiffany and Eric Carpenter, Wes Wallsworth, Josh Kettleshake, Jamie and the First National, Forrest Collins and Anne Devereax, Tim Hillman and Carrie Jackson, Scott LaBarbera and the Oriental Theater, Larimer Lounge, Jim McTurnan and CAT-A-TAC, Mariah Palmer and Mike and Indy, Barack and Michelle Obama, Gary Vance and Christina Osborne, Burt's Tiki Lounge (SLC), Purr Bats, Laura Goldhamer, Brooks Center Arts in Denver, Paper Bird, The Lisps, Zebra Junction, IQEQ, Ned Evett, Jeremiah, Doug and the rest of Box Awesome, Barometric, Dean Armband, The Oven, Kyle Crawford, Soundpony Lounge, Amy Brown and the Dinosaur House in Fayetteville, Roger + Chris + Ryan + Joe of The Counterlife, Robot Lake Records, The Moving Front, Jamie and the Station House Bistro in Russellville, Stan Strasner of Let's Jam Productions, William Blackart, Fort Delicious, Logan and The Godbey, Fashion Show, Love Baby Blue, White Water Tavern in Little Rock, JJ's Bohemia in Chattanooga, Coy, Antebellum, Justin Ringle, Horse Feathers, Jeremy Sharp and Kevin and Ben, Brian Smith of Telluride, The Burgundy Curtain, The Soul Bar, Kevin and Helios Eye, Shantytown in Jacksonville, David and the 511 House in Florence, Tony and Kelly, The Mountain Yellers, Daylon and Snug Harbor in Charlotte, Leah, Shuffle Magazine, Alanna and Eddie of Jews and Catholics, Black Skies, Tim and Jenny of Captain #1, Jeff and Scott and We VS The Shark and Pegasuses XL, Secret Squirrel in Athens, Werewolves, Celebration of Life crew, Bicycles and Gravel, Gemini Cricket, Jesse and Kathleen, Grey Milk, Kavarna in Atlanta, Ashley, Speedsquare, Radix and The South French Broads, the New French Bar in Asheville, Andy and Horseshoe Productions, Stephanie and Chuck of Stephanie's Id, Cherie, Rachael Dara, The Garage in Winston-Salem, Josh Neas of J's Indie Rock/Mayhem on WQFS in Greensboro, Nyos, The Blind Tiger, Waffle House for late night dining, I Was Totally Destroying It, The Pneurotics, The Nightlight in Chapel Hill, The Reservoir Bar in Chapel Hill, Gray Young, Marty Bauer, The Soapbox in Wilmington, Adam Smith and Ponchos From Peru, The Nothing Noise, The Village Tavern in Charleston, Richard and 21 Eleven in Greenville (NC), Jeff and The Spazz in Greenville (NC), 520 Entertainment, Disco Banshee, Adesola and the East Carolina University entertainment board, R3V3RB in Greenville (SC), Dup and Saint Solitude, The Illbotz, Doug Cheatwood and The Bastards of Fate, Martin's in Roanoke, Jessica Riddle + Kevin + Brian and company at WUVT in Blacksburg (VA), The Lantern in Blacksburg (VA), Dahlak in Washington DC, Michelle and Barack Obama, Paul Mitchell, Leigh McIlvaine, The Village Church in Baltimore, Cameron Blake and his band, Bob Keal, Beatbots, Caleb Stine, the Talking Head in Baltimore, Infinite Honey, Jason Dove, The M Room in Philly, Pat's Kind of Steaks in Philly, Fresh Cut Salads, Gentlemen Christ, Horse in the Sea, Shannon and Evan of Anthropic Records, Cloud Minder, Sharks VS Knives, Mark Sheehan and Sierra Grille and The Elevens in Northampton (MA), Jose Ayerve and the Nuclear Waste Management Club, Watcher, Mark Schwabe, Curious Buddies, Miranda LaPolice, Mike Borden, Connecticut College, Harmony Markey and Moultonborough Academy (NH), The Simpsons, Brett Deschenes and The Buoy in Kittery (ME), Unnatural Witch, Ray Craigie and Belmont High School (NH) concert band and theory class, The Barley House in Concord (NH), Rose Gray, Dana Unger, The Hippo, Amy Newcomb, Jason Mills, Jamie Wiener and A-9 Studios and Alex and family, Langdon St. Cafe in Montpelier (VT), Laura Rosenthal, Neil, Railroad St. House, Lincoln and Hello Shark, Radio Bean in Burlington (VT), Villanelles, Lendway, The Slip, Surprise Me Mr. Davis, The Low Anthem, Eclectic Recording Studios in Burlington (VT), Josh Hirshfeld and the CMJ Music Marathon, Fanatic, Spectre, Merrill and Patrick of Sister Suvi, The Charleston in Brooklyn, Arlene's Grocery in NYC, The Lit Lounge in NYC, Goodbye Blue Monday in Brooklyn, Mercury Lounge in NYC, CMJ.com, sonicbids.com, Amplifier Magazine, Impose Magazine, Lost Dog Lounge in Ithaca (NY), LIZ BAGEANT, Pat's in the Flats in Cleveland, See Urchin, Marie & Cliff Hershman, Sarah Nowicki, Steve (lightning fingers), Brian and palestra.net in Columbus (OH), Tree, Big Dani and Mary, Tree's Farm in Middletown (OH) and the family around it, Burnt Grass, Rhino's All Ages in Bloomington (IN), The Cinemat in Bloomington, Busman's Holiday, Rob Freeman, Sean Magwire, Voodoo Organist, The Elbow Room in Ypsilanti (MI), Child Bite, America Owns The Moon, Tufty and Radio Radio in Indianapolis, The Elbow Room in Chicago, Cal's Liquors in Chicago, Raise High The Roof Beam, Miles from All Things Lucid and Kilo Records, Makeshift Prodigy, Can You See the Sunset (dot com), Violent Vicious and the Vagabonds, Brighton MA, Andre and The Mill in Iowa City, windmills, Anti-Civ Records in MPLS, Themes, Quadruple Double Deuce House in MPLS, Mike Gill and Dead Hipster Productions in Missoula (MT), The Badlander in Missoula (MT), Friend Friend Friend Fest and crew, The Swell Season, The Independent, Brent and The Awful Truth, Agenda Clothing in Rexburg (ID), The Really BIG Show in Pocatello (ID), Poky Free Bikes, Levi Montana Keller and Chenoa and the rest of KISU, Jamie and the First National, Warbonnett, Spondee, The Future of the Ghost, A.W. Feldt, Travis Shipley, Kilby Court in SLC, Will Sartain, The Beauty Bar in Las Vegas, Jah Funky Punkys, The Direct Method, Pulsar Presents, The Prescott Family, Boise Bicycle Project, Sam and Anneliessa and the Visual Arts Collective, Golden Spun, Low-Fi, The Crawlspace in La Grande, Waypoint Studios, Satellite Gallery, Crossing The Blues La Grande Summer Festival, The Crepe Place in Santa Cruz (CA), Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco, Frances Ferrell, Katie Poole, Chrissy Graham, Abbie Anderson, Sarabecca and Girl Genius Promotions, The Stage Door in Mt. Shasta (CA), Charles and Alex's Plaza Restaurant in Ashland (OR), Sam Bond's Garage in Eugene (OR), Millenium Music in Portland, Berbati's Pan, Southern Belle, Newspapers, No Go Know, Willamette Week, Music Fest Northwest, Nick Caceres, The Artisterty in Portland, World's Greatest Ghosts, White Fang, KBOO, Ah Holly Fam'ly, Saw Whet, Slabtown, eremy Petersen and OPB, Dornfeld, The IKE Box in Salem (OR), Breviamor, Insomniac Folklore, Seahorse, Daniel and the Yakima Sports Center, The Dimes, Peter and Great Pacific in Pendleton, Experience Music Festival, Farmer Brown's, Equal Eyes, Jeremiah James Gang, One World Cafe in Moscow (ID), John's Alley in Moscow, 1912 Center in Moscow, Moscow Food Co-op, Bookpeople in Moscow, Friends of the Clearwater, Alan Solan and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Radio Free Moscow 92.5FM Moscow, KUOI 89.3 FM Moscow, Brenda Guettler, Jables, Sara Foster, Kris Pettersen, Mary Packer, Andy Jacobson, Larson Hicks and Sterepathic Records, Voltron, Invincible Dude, Mike Wilson, Mikey's Gyros, Louise, Jerry + Amy + Ben + Abbie McMurtry, Ben Walden, Noel Palmer and Ashley Martens, Eric Martin and Julia, Nate and Carrie Lowe, Brandon Woodland and Nara Croft, Josh Ritter, Prichard Art Gallery, Kenna Eaton, Bart Budwig, and the rest of the awesome Moscow Idaho community!!!... Chrisy and The Empyrean in Spokane (WA), Blakesley Presents, Farm Circle, Cyrus Fell Down, Jimmie Denny, Josh Simon, Hockey, The Finger Complex in Olympia (WA), Shelby and Sundance Kids, Revolt & Virginia, Yoghurt, The Magic Mirrors, Michelle Hazen and Will, Flowmotion and the Summer Meltdown crew, Jessie Duvall, Tony and Skate and the rest of the Hogan's Pub in Clarkston (WA) crew, Kristen Friesen, Lewis-Clark State College, Whiskey Jacques in Ketchum (ID), Buffalo Bites in Ketchum (ID), Mati and Greenscool, RU, Tibby and Dana Plasse, The Mountain Express, Dana DuGan, Heidi and the Wicked Spud, Northern Rockies Folk Festival, Whitney + Greg + Justin + Mike + Harry from Plum TV, Jake and Adam and the rest of the Fresshies crew, Chris Simpson, Jenna, Hallie, Julie, Adryan, Luke, Craig Campbell, David Fox, Mary Poppen and the Music Garden, Erik Gillberg and The Maladies, Kari Haugen, Carrie York, Tyler, Tyson, Jeff & Daniel, Native Landscapes, BB Deck, Julia & Eric, Wes and Marina, Heather and Matt, Lyndsey, The Damphools, Hailey Music Walk, Banditos, The Silver Dollar in Bellevue (ID), Kim Stocking and the Bellevue Labor Day Festival, Hailey Farmer's Market, Ketchum Farmer's Market, Will Caldwell and Ketch'em Alive, and everyone else in the Wood River Valley that continues to support us... Music on the Mountain Festival, Ryan Peck and Music From Stanley at Redfish Lake, Patrick and the Sawtooth Music Festival, Neurolux in Boise (ID), Justin from Too Much Distortion, Gusto's in Boise, the Record Exchange, Amy Atkins and the Boise Weekly, Chad Dryden at the Idaho Statesman, Flying M Coffee Garage in Nampa (ID), The Red Machine, The Very Most, Or The Whale, Boise Community Radio, University Pulse, Jennifer Orr and Backstage Pass, the Boise Beat, Castrati, Craters of the Moon, A Seasonal Disguise, Vanessa and the Garden City Public Library, Brian and Amanda, Matt Connor, Eric Rothwell, Erica Cantrell, Ryan Furniss, Aaron Hird, Sarah Thompson, Sara Sorenson, Kamila, Built To Spill, Travis Barrett, Josh and Kali Malone, Luke Hayhurst and everyone else in the greater Boise area that continue to be a support for what we do...

THANKS to all the college and independent radio DJs and music directors that have given our records attention and helped get the word out, and to all the other radio shows and stations, weeklies, newspapers, magazines and blogs, reviewers and interviewers that have helped let people know about Finn Riggins and when we're coming to your respective areas... you continue to make a huge difference in our endeavor and we're honored.

THANKS to everyone else that's come to shows, danced, bought cds, shared food with us, shared shelter with us, shared their shower with us, shared ideas with us, and given us your time and energy in any sort of way... even if you're not named here on this massive list for a year's worth of thanks giving, it doesn't mean that you're not appreciated, just that this list is really really long and we're imperfect and very very human. feel free to remind us. and THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. it is because of you that we can continue to do what we love to do. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU.

love
FR

home! final week of tour! pirates! squirrels! colorado! soundpony! fireworks! georgia! nebraska! oklahoma! tennessee! arkansas! buckle up!

///after an epic end to tour in Nederland, CO on Saturday, we woke up Sunday morning and basked in our new found freedom and enjoyed the aftermath with our buddies Forrest + Anne + Tim + Carrie in Ned... at around 1pm, with snow beginning to flurry, we thought it best to hit the road... we had our sights set on home... 13hr and 777mile drive ahead of us... we made great time on clear roads -- best drive through Wyoming ever!! -- and rolled into The Helibase at an easy 2:30am to sleep in our own beds... we took Monday off to rake some leaves and get unpacked, then Lisa and i cruised to Boise yesterday so that my dad and i could go hunting overnight... back in Boise this afternoon and poised for a Thanksgiving Day feast... definitely got the feast rolling on Saturday up in Ned, so we're good and primed... but before we roll in to thnksgvng, i wanted to recap the final week of tour... which was one of the greatest weeks of tour...

11/14/08 Charlotte, NC

we were very excited to be back at Snug Harbor in Charlotte and it didn't disappoint. we played with Black Skies (chapel hill, nc) and Pride Parade (athens, ga) both of which were a little more metal than us, but we all got along great and the place stayed rockin through our closing set... what a rad pirate bar 'ol Snug Harbor is... Daylon and crew have a special thing going. love playing there. they took great care of us and we once again had a great crowd... the place was pretty off the hook... lots of buddies around too... Marty! Corbie + Andy (where the buffalo roamed)! Leah! Josh!... and after the show we cruised about 80min to Spindale to meet up with a buddy from Hailey in the infamous Tyson Deal... she's from around those parts and hauled across the country to catch us before we left them parts... we stayed at her grandma's house that night in Spindale... and took cold showers in the morning since the hot water was non-operational.


11/15/08 Athens, GA

so good to see Tyson... and we were lucky enough to have her cruise to Athens with us... she had gone to school at the University of Georgia in Athens... so she was especially stoked.

round 1 in Athens was a house party / festival that we had been invited to by friends called the Celebration of (Southern) Life Festival... held out in the country north of Athens and modeled after the Celebration of Life Festival that our friend Dylan Clark has hosted up in Massachussettes the last couple of years... he was who let us know about this southern version and it happened to coincide with when we were already going to be there... his band The Points North were in town for it and our mutual friends Captain #1 (who we played with in Athens in the spring) were also a part of it.

we showed up around 6pm to a tight-knit gathering and potluck. the festival was a no drugs no alcohol event, which was great since we had a late night show to play. the evening was packed full of living room entertainment from the likes of Bicycles & Gravel + Grey Milk + Gemini Cricket + I have read other books besides Catcher in the Rye + The South Will Rave Again... it was pretty wild. and homey. we had a great time. we played in the middle of it all. there was body moving. and life celebrating. it was fun. and by 11:30pm we were rolling in to Athens proper to begin round 2.... btw, our friends from Chattanooga -- Jeremy and Ben -- had met us at round 1... and headed in to town with us... oh my...

round 2. our friends from We VS The Shark had set us up to play an after party for the Black Lips show at the 40 Watt and the Grails / Silver Apples show at the Caledonia that night in Athens... our set was at the Secret Squirrel and started around 2:45am. at about 2:15am all the post-shows crowd started to roll into this very well hidden little squirrel hole of a warehouse / house venue. Jeff had procured a keg to lure them in. we were shocked. the place packed out. and crowded the stage. and rocked out hard with us. the walls were shaking. lights were going out. spirits were hangin from the rafters. we slayed until about 3:45am. then local inhabitant of the squirrel -- Wyatt of Werewolves -- closed the night out. epic night in athens. at about 5:30am we went to sleep out in the country north of Athens once again with some of Tyson's friends who ruled -- Samantha + Michael. wow. Jeremy and Ben joined us as well. big sleep over. fantastic morning to follow... breakfast and back porch basking in the Georgia sun.


11/16/08 Chattanooga, TN

after a nice and lazy morning in Athens, we said goodbye to Tyson and Sam and Michael, and Jeremy + Ben + and us straddled our steeds and headed for Chattanooga... we were pumped to be back at JJ's Bohemia in Chatt where we had a great sunday night show in the spring with locals Antebellum and had really hit it off. they weren't available to play this time around, but Stratton made it out and between him and Jeremy and Ben they helped rally a fun crowd. this time around, we'd combined forces with our old college buddy and former Moscow, ID music scene compatriot Justin Ringle and his new project Horse Feathers. it was fun to see Justin, and in all honesty, an honor to play with him again. i've always dug his projects, all the way back to Two-Play Color and Echo Ave. and he's doing well for himself these days as Horse Feathers' latest album just came out on the highly respected Kill Rock Stars. much deserved.

despite no locals on the bill, between the two of us, we drew really well for a Sunday night in Chattanooga and the show was a blast. really great to meet Justin's partners in crime: Heather + Nathan... and catch up in general... as well as rock it out with our Chatt friends and Rachael who trekked over from Asheville, NC for the night of festivities. Jeremy + Rachael + us hit up the historic and awesome Aretha Frankensteins in the morning for breakfast before hitting the road to Arkansas early monday morning...

HORSE FEATHERS @ JJ'S BOHEMIA in CHATTANOOGA, TN 11-16-08




11/17/08 Atkins, AR

long drive through Tennessee that day was pretty glorious... we almost stocked up HUGE on fireworks but at the last minute, purchase nearing completion, we thought better of it... we'll delve into the black market of fireworks on some other trip... the temptation was magnificent... they don't mess around in on TN.... pretty much every gas station is gigantic and looks like this:
and that's a pretty modest one... show was originally supposed to be in nearby Russellville where we played in the spring, but had to be moved to The Godbey in Atkins, AR... which turned out to be a really sweet spot in a pretty abandoned warehouse... word is is that Atkins used to be a pickle manufacturing mecca until the pickle plant relocated overseas in 2002 so that their pickles could be packaged by cheap sweat labor... and it's wake... awesomeness like The Godbey... and not-so-awesomeness like no jobs for anyone... it's also a dry county, and everyone drives 10miles to giant liquor stores for their medicine... it's all pretty strange... but back to the show... great show for a Monday night. locals Love, Baby Blue and Fashion Show got the night rolling. then we rocked some love songs. then our two-day tour partners who are some of the specialest Arkansasans we may ever know, The Counterlife ruled to close the night out.

seems only fair that they warn you upon entering "the natural state" to buckle up... it's a great place... but it's special, and deserves fair warning...



11/18/08 Little Rock, AR

we made the mistake of passing up on offers to crash and instead went hunting for our second hotel room of tour... and settled for a stanky and nasty Motel 6 north of Little Rock... we might still be scratching from whatever nastiness that place left with us... don't get any wrong ideas, we're clean... but damn, that place was nasty and a waste of $$$$

we rolled in to Little Rock early and cruised the town... the downtown area was struggling to stay alive... Cam and I stumbled upon a men's clothing store going out of business in downtown -- surrounded by boarded up storefronts -- and talked with the clerk of 39 years about the end of an era while we shopped for some fancy man clothes... no scores, but enjoyed the company and the Little Rock history lesson.

show that night was at the White Water Tavern and part of their long running Tuesday night Arkansas Rocker Review series. our buddies in The Counterlife had set it up and recruited locals The Moving Front -- whom we played with in Fayetteville back in March -- to play as well. ended up being an awesome night. The White Water is ran by some high quality folks and we were well taken care of and it was a fantastic crowd for a Tuesday night... maybe the best Tuesday night show ever. really really fun. and on top of it all, at the end of the night our buddy John Duncan -- friend from the Moscow days -- strolls in and surprises the hell out of us... hadn't seen him in like 3+ years... and he just happened to be in Little Rock visiting his grandma and got wind of the show just in time to catch us as we were packing up... we were in shock. we treated it by going to a nearby Waffle House with Duncs and The Counterlife. what a crew! crashed at Roger + Ryan + Joe + Chris's friend Ann's pad. another epic late night adventure and slumber party!

THE COUNTERLIFE @ WHITE WATER TAVERN in LITTLE ROCK, AR 11-18-08



11/19/08 Tulsa, OK

so Lisa's amp had decided not to work at the show the night before... Mark from The Moving Front had loaned her his amp... but we were playing alone at the Tulsa show so we ran around town trying to find someone to work on it before our scheduled dinner date with my cousin Scott and his family... we didn't have any luck, so we went to the Soundpony where the show would be at and tested it out... sure enough, not working still... and then it started smoking... so i quickly unplugged it and called a number i'd gathered earlier for a guy in the area that specialized in tube amps: Rick Potter. he took my call and invited me out to his place immediately. Rick is pretty much my new hero. he stopped his dinner and took me into his garage / shop where he custom builds tube amps and does repairs. he's a longtime guitar player and could relate to our predicament and hooked us up under the emergency at hand. within the hour, he had Lisa's amp fixed and me on my way to catch up with my relatives only about 45min late... awesome catching up with Scott + Tonya + Ali + McKinzie! wish they didn't live so far away, but psyched our line of "work" brought us through Tulsa again so i can catch up with them... i have a feeling we'll be back... Tulsa is fun. and the Soundpony rules.

show that night was at the bicycle bar the Soundpony Lounge again. loved it in March. loved it in November. bartender Eric was a riot, and Brad from Cain's Ballroom next door ripped it up with us late night again and celebrated our mutual love for IDAHO. nice little crowd of quality and goodness. the Soundpony is a place that needs to be experienced, not talked about. so i stop now.
we drove into the night and crashed in the Ghost Ghost for only the second time of the whole tour...


11/20/08 Lincoln, NE

we were hoping to see our buddy Liz Hitt, but we rolled in late after a long blustery drive through Kansas and she worked late, so we instead settled for epic Indian food in Nebraska... yeah, weird, but truth, at a place called The Oven very close to Box Awesome -- the home of the show that night.

Box Awesome also holds a special place in our heart. ran by quality people (thanks Jeremiah + Doug + Nick + co.!) and a really cool space. once again a pretty small turnout, but atleast the locals we played with were rad. both utilizing loops and doing it well. check out Barometric as well as Dean Armband when you get a chance. dig.

despite Liz's offer of coziness at her place, we opted to get a head start on the big drive to Denver and hit the road after the show and crashed at a rest area on the frozen tundra of Nebraska for one of the coldest nights we've ever spent in the van... we survived, but it was gnar.

we thawed. then hit the road for Denver.


11/21/08 Denver, CO

we had a goal of getting in to town early so that we could catch up with our Pajamma Jamma Beach Bash and Hermosa House buddy Susy and meet her new son Penn... goal was accomplished just after 4pm. so good to see her! doing very very well. nice to meet the young and valiant Penn... all 3 weeks of him. while we visited, we also took the opportunity to take showers for the first time since Little Rock. stanky stank.

show that night was at the Larimer Lounge in Denver and had long been a beacon of awesomeness calling us through tour... it was setup for glory... but then two weeks before the show the headliner Apollo Sunshine jumped ship for the following night at the Larimer and the local behemoth CAT-A-TAC that we'd teamed up with broke up, leaving frontman Jim McTurnan to hold up the fort on his own. so the show had become a promotional debacle, and it showed with the turnout. last minute local additions to the bill The Pseudo Dates were a pleasant surprise as openers, but them and their handful of peeps checked out before The Ocean Bed -- another new local -- took the stage.

all in all, we enjoyed the opportunity to hook up with Jim and to play at the Larimer Lounge. they treated us nicely and we got to rip it up with our pals Tim + Carrie + Brian... who thankfully stuck around for our "headlining" set.

so Denver was a slight disappointment in the midst of a really amazing final week of tour... but the following day and night would make up for it 7-fold.

we stayed with some of our bestest friends in the world that night -- at Mariah and Mike's -- in Boulder despite the full on bark assault from their "guard" dogs when we showed up in the middle of the night... it was intense, and unfortunate cuz it woke up them up...


11/22/08 Nederland, CO final show of our FALL US TOUR

enjoyed a lazy morning as Mariah made us strong black coffee and some eggs and potatoes... then, while Lisa took a nap, Mariah + Cam + I went on an incredible little hike up in the foothills outside Boulder. the weather was pristine. 65 degrees. sunny. no wind. we sat on rocks in the sunlight and talked past, present and future. very grounding moment as the end of tour can sometimes be tumultuous.

not sure we deserve such an incredible day and overall end to tour, but we are very grateful for it and have some of our best friends in the world to thank for it. show that night was at the First Street Pub up in the tiny town of Nederland -- about 30min up a canyon and into the mountains outside of Boulder. no cell phone reception. it had been nearly a year since we last played up there.

our friends Forrest and Anne live right down the street from the bar and had taken it upon themselves to host a Thanksgiving potluck before the show with the help of Tim and Carrie and a bunch of other awesome awesome folks. Mariah and Mike and their freind Adi made it up as well. Forrest and Anne procured a giant turkey and cooked it up as the main course and so many people brought so many amazing things. and afterwards, we celebrated over at the First Street, which on top of our potluck crowd and the "Neddys" on hand, there was a great crowd. lots of dancing and overall enthusiasm. it was incredible. THANK YOU Forrest + Anne + Tim + Carrie + Mariah + Mike + Adi + Jamie + Tory + Jim + Jackson + the rest of the First Street staff + everyone else that made the night an absolutely perfect end to a long and amazing tour and for that matter, year of touring. our busiest yet.

we're still reflecting on it all... CMJ + Obama + DC celebrations + low gas prices (as low as $1.59!!!) + family portion of tour with Jared Mees & The Grown Children + 12,000 miles! + so much more... still processing... more to come... several shows around Idaho in the coming weeks... and NYE at the Crawlspace in La Grande, OR on the horizon...

stay tuned...

///gilbert

cheap gas? atlantic ocean! reservoirs! the carolinas! disasters?

///gas prices have been steadily falling, but when we saw $1.79 we were ecstatic. back in June we were paying $4.79 in California... incredible. been making a huge difference on this tour... granted, no one has any money, so we're not making much.... but still... we're excited about the savings.

just rolled in to Charlotte, NC. bathed ourselves in the Atlantic Ocean off the South Carolina coast yesterday... we're officially headed West from here on out. only 9 shows left. 10 days of travel to go. wowzas. this stage of tour is always a bit strange. mixed emotions about the impending end...

last night was one for the record books. those of you that were there know damn well what i'm talking about... wow. i'll see about tactfully communicating the incredible events, but first, rad show in Chapel Hill on wednesday...

11/12/08 Chapel Hill, NC

played at The Reservoir Bar with our tour buddies Where The Buffalo Roamed and new friends Gray Young. after a Trivia battle of epic proportions, the rock show ensued. go check out Gray Young right now. rad guys. really stellar post-rock trio. we all loved their set. there's a video below that'll give you a good taste.

Chapel Hill / Durham was a blast. ate BBQ. saw friends. enjoyed the architecture and the scenery. thanks to Marty for hosting us! thanks to John + Joe + Curtis from I Was Totally Destroying It for coming out! thanks to the Q Shack for some incredible pulled pork butt! thanks to Bill for the trivia schooling! here's the video i promised:

GRAY YOUNG @ The Reservoir Bar in Chapel Hill, NC



11/13/08 Mt. Pleasant, SC

long rainy drive down to the South Carolina coast, but as we closed in on Charleston the skies cleared a bit and the rain subsided... awesome drive to the coast and our beach of choice near the Isle of Palms... several bridges over marshlands and channels and rivers... low flying clouds and fog and bursts of sunlight... ships and ports... fascinating landscape...

Cam and i succeeded in our mission of swimming in the Atlantic Ocean while Lisa combed the beach for shells to modest success. Cam swam in his underwear. i unleashed my fur coat. the water was warm. we combed the waves for sharks to no success. oh well.

show that night was at the infamous Village Tavern in Mt. Pleasant... home bar of Band Of Horses... and a place that's seen a lot of great bands roll through it... we were excited to be there and were greeted by a rowdy happy hour crowd that helped us feel at home right off the bat. heckled us from the getgo. and bought merch before we even played. some buddies we'd gained from our stops at the 511 House in Florence, SC came out for the show... thanks Tony + Kelly!!!... we laughed all night with them. and then crashed at their cozy pad and got the full Charleston experience for brkfst. what a rad town. they also got to experience, with us, one of the greatest rock and roll disasters any of us had ever witnessed... they know. we know. if you were also there, you know. if you weren't there and are impossibly curious... drop us a line and inquire and we'll gladly tell the tale... like Lisa said, "the musical equivalent of the Hindenburg". i thought i could tell it here, but i realized that i shouldn't. it was that disastrous. luckily no one is hurt. they are lucky that they aren't. seriously. it got that weird.

here are some more photos of the non-disasters in South Carolina... to further clarify, we were witnesses to said disaster, not involved, so don't worry... we are fine... and since no one was hurt, still laughing and trying to make sense of it all...











this morning, outside of Tony + Kelly's house in Charleston... Where The Buffalo Roamed (corbie + andy) and Kelly are pictured... we parted ways with WTBR today... they will be missed.


sail on young sailors! show tonight is at a pirate bar here in Charlotte, NC... Snug Harbor!!

///gilbert

11/11/08 Winston-Salem, NC. art-o-mat

///had been hearing great things about The Garage in Winston-Salem, NC and we now see why. literally a converted garage, it's nearing it's 10 year anniversary as a music venue. great high-ceiling warehouse type space. nice big stage. nice sound system. class act staff. lots of old knick-knacks all over giving it a very rockabilly bar type of vibe. we were psyched to be there.

show was a lot of fun. Where The Buffalo Roamed stampeded the place with songs of heartbreak and noise states, false prophets and desert landscapes. the Finn Riggins set that followed was a little typically atypical and capped with a rare but room appropriate Beyond City Lines... desert landscapes of our own... and dedicated to Alanna from Jews & Catholics who also grew up in southern Idaho.

three tours through North Carolina and now three shows with Jews and Catholics. and they grow on us more and more everytime. really unique in that it's a duo with electric guitar + vox (eddie) and upright bass (alanna) with a well programmed drum machine. and they rock live. we met them through our infamous and handsomely stellar friend Milo Duke who grew up with Alanna in Idaho Falls, ID. this was our first show with them on their home turf, and despite it being a Tuesday it was super fun. and their set featured a bunch of inspiring new tunes, as well as a killer cover of Hank Williams' "Ramblin Man" which i looooovvvve. and their version was as haunting as it should be. and very venue appropriate.

The Garage is one of the coolest venues we've played. and we've played a lot of 'em. very down to earth and spacious. very audience and musician friendly. highly recommended to all.

here's a video clip of Jews and Catholics playing their intrumental tune "Ambulance"


thank to our buddy Marty for the late night Waffle House slaying of grease food and the cozy place to crash... woke up under these trees in a beautiful Durham, NC neighborhood this morning...


///gilbert

roam ye buffalo roam... the carolinas

///in the aftermath of the big Obama victory and the celebrations that we were lucky enough to be a part of in Washington DC into the wee wee hours that night, we awoke and made our way across Virginia... an absolutely gorgeous drive... sunny and warm and the fall colors were beaming with pride for our country. these are days i will never forget.

it's been a week now.

a week ago, our friends in a little folk noise duo called Where The Buffalo Roamed met us in Blacksburg, VA from their respective homes in Carrboro, NC (corbie) and Asheville, NC (andy) to begin a stretch of shows with us throughout the region. kicked off at The Lantern in Blacksburg, VA thanks to the kind kind folks at WUVT 90.7 FM(jessica! kevin! brian! etc etc etc!). The Lantern was sweet. show was magnificent like all shows are magnificent. in their own little ways. like how tighty whiteys can dangle from man ass while guitar is thrown about in a shredding manner. very Dynamite Club of you sir. WUVT is a magnificently ran student radio station. like none other. and they're in the business of throwing glorious shows too, for that they shall be forever thanked.

but in all seriousness, Virginia floored me. one of the most moving drives across land i've experienced recently, which sort of says a lot, cuz we drive across land with unyielding frequency. and i'm constantly moved by the ever awesome landscape this planet has to offer, but a lot of factors made this particular drive extra magnificent. the Shenendoah River! Shenandoa River Valley! lush and dying into fall all at the same time. sunshine! Obama. etc etc etc. and it's always nice to cap a day like that with a rock show. i could do without the scantily clad spazz punk, but that's just me.

WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAMED @ The Lantern in Blacksburg, VA



>>>begin highlight reel<<<

11/6/08 Grandma's Noise Livingroom @ R3V3RB in Greenville, SC
no lie. grandma was there. and she liked it loud. art space. Saint Solitude (asheville, nc) came and played too. one man indie pop tunes with loops and beats. Dup. good guy. sound was awesome in grandma's noise livingroom. big fan. i fell in love with a lamp. afterwards us and team buffalo nailed some greasey grub at a Waffle House then sailed our respective schooners over the hour or so sea to Asheville, NC and Andy's house for a night of philosophical musing and deep deep sleep.

i love lamp.

11/7/08 New French Bar. Asheville, NC
best asheville show yet. stayed with our Moscow friend Cherie. she made us spaghetti and caesar salad. and halloween candy. oh wow. met her cats and her housemate Joe the bike mechanic. played with Asheville keys and drum duo heroes Speedsquare thanks to our mutual friends in Stephanie's Id. New French Bar is pretty low-fi, but pretty happenin. lots of traffic. WTBR opened the show on some friendly turf. then put on a dance clinic during the Finn Riggins and Speedsquare set. Optimus Prime helmet ruling all. in the morning Cherie made us egg mcmuffins with her egg mcmuffin maker. and angels sang on high.

this is what North Carolina looks like right now:


it's been that awesome. that's a glimpse. my shoddy digi camera only does it so much justice. on the other hand, this really did drive by us in North Carolina... apparently a new class on the NASCAR circuit:

your eyes do not deceive you. of course that's a giant grocery cart on a trailer that apparently doubles as some sort of racecar. why wouldn't it be?

11/8/08 The Soapbox Wilmington, NC
our marvelous pals in Ponchos From Peru were nice enough to host us in Wilmington once again. show in the spring with them was awesome and we were pumped to be back. they had recruited The Nothing Noise from Chapel Hill but with Wilmington roots to come join the party again as well. and this time the show was upstairs in the juicy part of the venue with the juicy sound and stage. Adam + Matt from Ponchos even made us dinner. tempeh and salad and lots of goodness. we love those guys and there science and sexy ways. their living room is gloriously decorated with band gear and gadgets. i dream of such a place to go home to.

show was super fun as expected, despite the continuing decay of my synth and it's pestiness on stage the last week... morphing patches and pitch in the middle of songs... it's been a bullride with it recently. my calloused hands have barely been able to keep me in the saddle... but i've been managing. that and we axed a couple of synth heavy tunes from the set on the fly... yarrrrrr.

yay for elevators! Matt from Ponchos with all the gear crammed in


PONCHOS FROM PERU @ The Soapbox in Wilmington, NC



11/9/08 day off. Fuquay-Varina, NC
much needed day off. had been two weeks since our last one and would be two weeks until our next one. scheduled it to spend time with Lisa's sister Sylvia, brother-in-law Dave and nieces Karen and Katrina. they're awesome. we had so much fun with them. since our last stop there they'd gotten Rock Band and were all about it. so we all rawked. and they all played hooky on Monday to rawk with us some more.

Cam shreddin some Rock Band drums with the Moodys


daddy long legs in the Moody driveway


11/10/08 Spazz Haus Greenville, NC
our third time in Grvl. first time at a Spazz sanctioned event. it was everything we would expect. holy gloriousness. tiny room. packed. sweaty. rawkous. and awesome. super fun site. we played first. then WTBR. which led into WTBR and myself laying down beats for the 520 MCs. about 2 hours of nastiness. some switcheroos. the night ended with Nolan Smock on drums, myself on keys, Andy or Corbie on guitar and the MCs around 3am. as wild as any house show should be. on a monday. not without drama and not without cops and not without busch light. lots of it.

///more updates soon... including photos and some thoughts about last night's show in Winston-Salem.... at The Garage... so cool. highly recommended.

///gilbert

11/4/08 Washington DC

///OBAMA!!!!

it's now 5am. still up. show at Dahlak was surreal. all the other bands cancelled for a variety of reasons... we were the last band left standing. they fed us. we played very very little. just enough to help celebrate in between speeches. unvelievable night. spent it with my childhood friend Leigh McIlvaine another friend from Idaho Paul Mitchell and our buddies Woven -- Rich, Barak, Steve, Ory, Mas, Mark -- and several strangers of all types at Dahlak, an Ethiopian restaurant in Washington DC on U St. NW...

DC erupted into celebrations all throughout the streets... so amazing. spirits were sooooo high. right after Obama was declared the winner the streets came to life... Cam and Mark + Rich + Barak from Woven helped get the street parties started early with pieces of Cam's drum set outside of Dahlak... corner of 18th and U St NW...



Obama's speech floored me. floored everyone around.
McCain's speech moved me too. good man. intense moment.

U St between 14th and 9th was absolute mayhem for a good chunk of the night... until atleast around 3am. dancing on cars, in the streets, everywhere... everyone high fiving everyone else... hugging... absolutely ecstatic. fireworks, drums, pots and pans, music, chanting, horns honking, and an overwhelming sense of relief and joy. the celebration just took over. the cops were awesome. if they weren't fully taking part, they were doing their best to stay out of the way, keep it alive and keep everyone safe. it was as if this huge weight had lifted off of the nation, off of DC and everyone could breathe freely again... unforgettable...



here's another taste of the massive street party that erupted on U St. it was incredible.



so thankful to have been able to spend this momentous evening in the epicenter of everything that tonight pertained to, but mostly thankful that Barack Obama will be our next president. i'm speechless and still processing... but i truly do feel like the tone of America changed drastically with his election, and for that i'm grateful and extremely excited to see what the future will hold for us all...

lots of love from all of us at Team Finn Riggins on the ground in our nation's capitol during this historic moment in time....

///gilbert

11/3/08 Election Eve. Baltimore. + recap on the last week of shows

///unbelievable show tonight at the Village Church in Baltimore... in Hampden. probably the most gorgeous space we've ever played in. old church from the 1800s. beatiful woodwork. sound was pristine. nice size. it was a perfect place to play on this eve of the election. great mood and energy in the building. local Cameron Blake and his band opened. they were really great. well put together songs and well performed. great spirit. helped set the mood right off the bat. and we have them to thank for setting the show up in this amazing room. nice little crowd for a monday and they were all super nice and generous. really can't say thank you enough.

our buddy Bob Keal of Small Sur made it out as well. chillin at his place right now. so good to see him and to get some hangtime. he rules.

last several shows have all been amazing in their own little ways...

WED 10/29/08 Kittery, ME
started the day by visiting with the band and theory classes at Lisa's high school alma mater -- Belmont High School -- in Belmont, NH thanks to her old teacher Ray Craigie. we had a blast. we setup and played right in their classroom... and the kids asked great questions. and we ate hot lunch. my favorite.

ended the day in Kittery, Maine at a new art/performance space called The Buoy that our buddy Nat Baldwin had helped hook us up with. Brett + Al + Jeremy + Ryan and everyone else involved with the space were such good people. we had an amazing time. the show was really fun. we played first. then locals Unnatural Witch played an all improv sound experimental set that was super cool. right up my alley. great scene. i really really enjoyed this show. met some fantastic people. here's some photos and some video of the Unnatural Witch set...







crashed that night with Nat and his girlfriend Laura and his brother Niles out at Nat's grandpa's cabin on the rocky shore of the Atlantic.... with East facing windows. i set my alarm and got up at 6:20am for the sunrise. so peaceful. so awe-inspiring. it was very cold, but worth every moment.









this morning and sunrise was a major grounding moment for me. felt incredible to be there right then aka here right now. complete peace with the moment. thanks to nat and laura and brett and all of you that continue to make it possible for us to do what we do...



THUR 10/30/08 Moultonborough, NH
woke the rest of the crew up and we quickly packed up and embarked on a beautiful morning drive to Moultonborough, NH for an early afternoon show at Moultonborough Academy.
played an all-school assembly at the academy to 300+ kids in their auditorium. and we ate hot lunch again. my favorite. the assemby was a blast. the kids were soooo fun. after the assembly we stuck aorund for another hour and chatted with the music students before school ended.

we were back that night for a night concert in the auditorium. this time with a high school band called The Brewmeisters. they were great and a fun opener for the evening. we had so much fun at Moultonborough Academy. thanks to Mrs. Harmony Markey for making it happen and all the kids that helped make it so fun. especially enjoyed the signing of foreheads that a bunch of kids insisted on... i bet their parents really love us now... :)





FRI 10/31/08 New London, CT
spent the morning with Lisa's family then hit the road for New London, CT for a Halloween show on the Connecticut College campus that our buddy Mike Borden had set up.
show was in The Barn where bands on campus practice. really really cool and cozy space. we got it warmed up with Glitch then Antoinette with Mike on guitar with us -- which was rad. by then some folks started to show up and we rocked for about an hour to a dancey and fun crew before yielding to the spooky forces of the evening and moved on to the various events around campus... Mike took really good care of us in general and even hooked us up with a mix cd for the road.

after the show, cam and i cruised with Mike to the big Halloween dance in the student center. place was packed with drunk college kids in costumes. it was intense. i didn't last long. grinding in hot rooms just isn't my thing anymore. cam on the other hand... :)

SAT 11/1/08 Northampton, MA
great show at The Elevens in Northampton, MA. Mark Sheehan brought us back to town and this time set us up at The Elevens... pretty classy place right in downtown. Mark is awesome and can't thank him enough for the support and for all that he does for independent music in the area... he ended up billing us with two locals releasing new albums.... and sandwiched us right in between them. really awesome show. great sound. great bill. great crowd. all the bands were tight and a pleasure to work with.

Mark Schwaber and his sidekick Sarah Gomes kicked the evening off with a gorgeous set of tunes. I guess they'd recently toured with The Swell Season, who we'd had the pleasure of meeting in Missoula back at the beginning of May... we could definitely sense the similarities.

after them, the first of the two bands hosting an album release party -- Nuclear Waste Management Club -- which is essentially a sideproject for Spouse frontman Jose Ayerve with which he has an all-star group of musicians backing him up including Peyton Pinkerton of the Silver Jews and Ken Maiuri of Pedro The Lion amongst others. super tight. fun to watch. all super nice.

we followed them. our set was a blast. then after us the other local releasing a new album -- Watcher -- closed the night out. also rad. definitely check all these folks out. all fairly hard to describe. all very talented.

after the show we kicked it old school with our buddy Miranda La Police. the awesomest. the most coolest. the most funnest girl on the street. old Johnson State College buddy of Lisa and I. she's le shit. love her. so good to see her and goof off into the wee hours with her again. and she has the coolest apartment with the coolest decor. we had way too much fun


SUN 11/2/08 Philly
we were on a Philly cheesesteak mission. shocked we didn't pursue this mission when we were in Philadelphia in April. nonetheless, we forgave ourselves and were determined to make up for it. we googled the infamous Geno's and Pat's steakhouses and set the GPS directly for them. i was asked Geno's or Pat's? the night before. we chose Pat's King of Steaks based on less flashiness, proximity to our parking spot and less McCain / Palin signs. :)





amazing experience. fastest food ever. and best fast food ever.

show that night was at The M Room again. this time with Horse In The Sea from Chicago who were pretty cool. nice people. pretty poppy Belle & Sebastiany music. also on the bill were two local bands that both reminded me of Ween in their own way, which is crazy, cuz i don't know if we've ever played with a band that reminded me of Ween... and we managed to play with two of them this night... granted, we were in Ween territory, but still. they were definitely both quite different from Ween, but the Weenisms were aplenty. and i was very grateful for them. loved both of the bands. very cool stuff. and super nice people. definitely check out Gentlemen Christ as well as the uber jazzy strange pop and awesome Fresh Cut Salads. it was a fun show, despite being pretty thin on paying customers. thank goodness the bands were cool.

thanks to Shannon from Anthropic Records for helping put the show together. and to Evan and Dave from Cloud Minder for coming out. and big big thanks to Shannon, Evan and Carl for putting us up. and to Vitamins for being a crazy ass kitten and bouncing off the walls the whole time we were there.

11/3/08 Baltimore, MD
that leads us back to where this entry started... i fell asleep in the middle... so now it's last night... amazing amazing show last night. the church space was unbelievable. perfect way to spend the eve of this election. and my dad's birthday, which i was saddened to be so far away for and dedicated the set to him... between that, the space, the election eve, and the opener Cameron Blake, it made for a very inspiring evening.



11/4/08 election day. it's finally here. tomorrow could be a brand new day in America. may it be so. we're headed to Washington DC today to play at an Ethiopian restaurant called Dahlak and presumptively celebrate an Obama victory... can't wait.

thanks for listening. going to post a bunch more photos on our myspace site... and maybe to our flickr site too.

right on.
talk to you soon.

///gilbert