November 22, 2006, 12:28 pm : Recent Road Trip to Cleveland and New York City
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[1]mments
Hey there everyone. Whell whata tour. I hope you were there. We had a blast. Like every tour. I live on Red Bull and Coffee and ya watch out because I have also had a knot in my neck for the last 4 days.
I guess you need water too. It has been a great crick one of the ones that you have to turn at your torso to answer anyone on whichever side. Ya. I think this jesture may be the next big trend, everyone will be doing the ….. eyes first followed by the lips. I dont know why but it is just the way it is.
Chew on that next time you have a crick, its eyes then lips, then the torso turn, yep.
Well, we love Cleveland again, playing “Heroes” for the great people who donaited to Rainbow Babies and Children Hospital. Then hit the road and got into NYC to play The Knitting Factory for the first time.
I have got to say the best aillafle sandwich is still from the Wynibago right outside of The Cutting Room. I think it is in the pie district. Then Yep like usual, we played a secret show at The Barking Spider. just set up percussion and we played.
November 9, 2006, 5:17 pm : Being an Independent Artist
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[0]mments
Hey there everyone. So now we are back on the road. Part of being with an independent label means that the artists picks up some slack and wear a few differnet hats.
So Cory has been playing the booking agent, Manager, Tour Manager and writer.
After a good drive we are in Cleveland. Ready to play for the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital fund raising Gala. This is a phenomenal hospital and a great cause. Under the direction of Debbie Hermann I have written a song just for this event, “Hero’s Are Born.” Keep in contact to hear postings of this song. We are also taking tons of pictures.
Then me and the boys are off to NYC to play a real intimate show at the Knitting Factory as well as the Tin Angel in Philly. Fun stuff. I think we may do a last minute early show at the folk club “The Barking Spider” in Cleveland too, stay in touch for more details.
On another Great note. We had a great meeting with John Gorman whose resume is golden and so big I would not know where to start and John Malm, who managed Trent Reznor aka Nine Inche Nails and Marilyn Manson, as well as a few acts he has now, one of which wrote “Get Yourself a Gun” for the theme of Sopranos. Thanks Johns. Sorry we had to leave so soon, but I am looking forward to talking to you again
And as far as the rest of our readers. I am looking forward to seeing you at a show in your town. Keep in touch. I am loving the comments. Your the best
September 28, 2006, 9:32 am : Doing Road Trips You Meet Crazy People
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[4]mments
Alright, everyone reading this has done a road trip, and everyone has probably had to stop in a sketchy place. Do a little HOVER, and COVER, if you know what I mean. But I stopped in the weirdest place.
I am not even sure what state I was in but I stopped off at a gas station that looks something like a log cabin. On one side is a restaurant with a hostess to lead you off to your booth. The greenish yellow, brown and orange color scheme was something that only the 70’s could come up with. I guess that explains something about me too, but that is a different post. Anyway, if Country Fried Steak and Burgers are not your thing, you could enjoy a game of Asteroids or Pac Man.
Now these 2 games are placed in the corner with a neon sign saying Arcade, swinging back and forth. If you continue to the other side, into the grocery section you will find a few drinks, Coke, maybe Pepsi. definitely no Ice Tea, but then a fabulous selection of cheap Cigars and discount beer as well as a fine array of Womping sticks.
Womping sticks are these small but thick baseball bats. Yep, hanging on what might hang a rotating display of batteries is now leather strapped Wompers. Now if you prefer a good womp there is the foot and a half size or there are smaller 9 inch wompers filled with lead. They all are finely crafted from the best wood available.
WERE THE HECK WAS I, AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT GETS FREAKED BY THAT.
September 25, 2006, 10:23 am : Road Trip - Guess Whose Back?
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[0]mments
So here we are . Circumstances made playing with the Special Blend Impossible. So I got the old boys back together. Daniel Yusi played guitar, if you have the album check the credits, he is all over them. Marshall Richards played drums, he is one to Google, he has played with everyone. Jeremy Worden played bass, he is a Special Blender not to mention all the great things he has been up to now. Then we had a new comer Eric Kenni, he played Keys. He is the one to watch, he is going to do great things. We also got two wonderful background singers, Jessie and Kendal from Belmont, you two rocked.
Check in tomorrow for the what it was for and were you can see it.
September 20, 2006, 9:18 am : Cleveland Rocks
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[0]mments
I got a hole bunch done and and Monday night I have a phenomenal friend who called me up and asks if I want to hit the house of Blues. She said she will be in the Foundry room. I also have another friend that says great I will meet you up there.
I am running quite a bit late dressed in rock attire, cut off shirt, jeans, running shoes. I find whatever is in the back of my borrowed car to fit the dress code. I was totally thinking HOUSE OF BLUES, ya know Rock, Blues who dresses up besides the blues brothers. NOT SO MUCH.
Me being a typical man when it comes to asking directions, I wandered around for a good 30 minutes going from room to room, thinking where are my friends? Before a matradie asked…..”Are you Cory Ryan” I respond, thinking well yea, this is someone who has been to a show. “Great yea thanks, Where did you see us” He said no there must be a mistake are you here to meet Mrs.. Debbie Hermann and a Sir Josef DelRe. He says, “Please follow me,” so I follow down this long hall way that seems to have NAG CHAMPA incense emanating from its pores. He walks me into a velvet and mahogany lined elevator pushes a series of buttons which can only be described as a code and off I go up into the Foundry Room.
The door opens and the place is packed, everyone dressed to impress on this fine Monday Night Football Evening. This place is swanky, Crème de la Crème. I highly recommend the Chicken wings. But ya got to be a member to order there, we had a great time looked at the Cleveland Skyline, threw a few back. It was a Blast.
Thanks Debbie and Joe. Good Pick
September 18, 2006, 3:40 pm : Did You Get My Good Side @ The Starlight
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[2]mments
Hey there Everyone. Sorry about disappearing. What a wild week. We had to play Starlight Theater this Saturday just before flying to Cleveland for a brief stint.
So 4 days earlier some or most of the Band needed to be replaced. This is quite a feat considering that Ozanam “the non for profit that is putting these thing on changes our set time from 20 min to 1 hour 30 min. That is quite a lot of material for maybe one practice.
Anyway we get it together and NO one is there. We run through our set before hand, the vendors are all set up and 200-300 folks show up. Then the say something is wrong everyone is at the picnic area your going to have to play there.
Outside? No electricity. It was crazy.
Then they move us into the vending area because there was a small PA system. NOT ENOUGH FOR A ROCK BAND but we will make do. Then they close all the doors so no one outside can hear that we are playing, only the vendors.
Waldo Pizza you rock. Atlanta Bread Co., you were the best. That was the extent of our audience and you both were a blast. I hope someone caught my pick “or at least swept it up.”
September 5, 2006, 9:42 am : Live Video on the Dish Network
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[0]mments
Getting Ready for Dish Network. Next Saturday we have to head back to Nashville for a live video shoot. So I am back on the treadmill. Oh, the life of a rock star is a lot of peanuts and jogging. Mmmmm I think this is the life.
Hey write in with your thoughts on what songs we should do?
September 5, 2006, 9:39 am : Road Trip to Omaha…
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[0]mments
Hey there, Another road trip. We just got back from Omaha, All I could think about was the Counting Crows Song. I will tell you what, that is the most pretty drive. Old barns with small ponds and perfect horses. Sometimes I think I should have been a cowboy. But nope, I am loving my suburban musician self.
August 29, 2006, 9:32 am : Road Trip to Cleveland
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[1]mments
Hey there everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to give you a glimpse into my last road trip. Last Friday we jumped into the van to head down to Cleveland. I thought it would be fun to bring the dogs. Yea not so much, it is a 14 hour trip.
About 4 hours into it, one of my Dogs, Gizmo started not feeling good. He was in the back seat alone and he started walking back and forth acting really weird. Then a horrific smell emanated from the rear of bench. I look back and see my dogs jumping up front with us.
Discovering that they are leaving a monstrous liquidy poop in the the back. Realizing which dog was the culperate i let the innocent dog up but left the guilty one back there for fear of an after shock and yes it came covering my back pack and seat.
Oooooo, terrible. The only thing we could do is role down the windows and pray for an exit. When one came we hit the first store we could find which happened to be a Dollar General store. We got so many carpet cleaners and bushes, paper towels and 4 air fresheners. We spent 20 minutes cleaning up getting all we could. Then back into the beast for the rest of the 10 hours in a van that smelled like oranges and dog poop. Bummer.
Thanks Giz!
August 7, 2006, 4:38 pm : Gettin’ Antsy…
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[2]mments
Here I am gettin’ antsy… I totaly need to get back on the road. circumstances have put me back at home and then a lovely case of food poisoning has kept me here. But I have to get back on the road. I have even been back in the van just to get it ready for the next trip.
The label is thinking about doing some really fun shows to really get us close to our FRIENDS. I am totaly stoked.
July 28, 2006, 4:30 pm : Thanks to the New Jersey Transit System
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[0]mments
I would like to thank the New Jersey transit for such a great time. If you were on the 12:30 shuttle 69 then I hoped you enjoyed our alcohol induced sing along of old bosefuses “Why do you Drink” as well as having our drummer doing stand up comedy for the lovely patrons. You were great sports as he was too inebriated to realize that he had been telling the same joke for 7 exits until passing out on a lovely 40 something, stranger next to him. I think as our band is considered, our southern accent is directly proportional to our blood alcohol level, especially Jeremy Worden our bass player from California. Yep his version of Blue Collar Comedy is quite extensive. So Thank you New Jersey Transit!
July 27, 2006, 5:18 pm : Reaching NYC Was A Lesson in the last one there cleans picks
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[0]mments
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to hop in the Band Van and trip on out. Well wonder no longer. Let the not so sweet sent of methane gas fill your nose as the sweet taste of powdered donettes sickens your stomach and your half way there. In a van of six, someone is always busting the wind restriction, quickly followed by a report of the recent transgretions.”someone farted,” “who farted” and it smells like a platapusse just through up, ate it, then discarded it from the other end” This is about a 3rd of the snappy repartay that fills the van.
July 17, 2006, 11:08 am : Road Trip Rocks 3
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[0]mments
From Cory via my voicemail.
Saturday was wild, we had another great practice at the Ultrasound Studios and at night our percussionist was slapped by a pimp that night. More on that later. Wild trip!
July 17, 2006, 11:05 am : Road Trip Rocks 2
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[0]mments
From Cory via my voicemail:
Went to play the Black Potato fest and they didn’t have enough sound equipment for us so we rocked out acoustic, hand people dancing and drank some Dogfish Head Ale, got back in the van and headed into NYC.
Got to NYC. Spent time on a roof-top of a buddies building in Manhattan, had a beer looked at the lights and enjoyed the sky.
Woke up early went to Ultrasound studio for rehearsal, had lunch, visited ground zero. Had a blast!
July 17, 2006, 10:58 am : Road Trip Rocks
Filed Under: On the RoadDiscussion: C[0]mments
From Cory via my voicemail while he is on the road:
Last 3 days have been crazy, took an all night trip from Kansas into Cleveland for our gig at the Beachland ballroom, got in 6 hours practice and had some great Scotties pizza. Phenominal pizza!
Played a great show, made some great new friends, hopped back into the band, threw a mattress in the back and drove all night to New Jersey to a Holiday Inn, the air conditioning and the commode both broke. We are playing the Black Potatoe fest.