Thanks for visiting the official Waylon Speed tour chronicles.

We just got off the road, so please click here to visit us on Facebook for all upcoming shows and tours. You can also  visit our website by clicking here.

Meet us back here for another installment coming soon!

Love,

Waylon Speed
2/12/2013 

      

Day 7 & 8: Smoke Rings, Hills, and Overnight Bird Kills

Here is one last update from the road.

Day: 7

We arrived in Clarksburg, West Virginia, and had no trouble finding the venue. The staff at P.J. Kelly's was friendly and we were quickly reminded how important these types of venues are for touring musicians; offering beds, laundry, instruments, showers, etc. All the stuff to keep you feeling normal. They even permitted smoking. 

Chitwood finally decided to reveal his organ skills. Impressive.

Also, here is a short video of us backing Noah up on one of his new solo songs, 'Falling Fast'.

We made some new friends after the show, and Kelly proceded to make some bets. They involved some type of fancy cherry shots, jagermeister and a plastic cup full of cigarette butts. The bartender (Emily) let us light up in the bar. It quickly turned into a full blown smoke ring event. 

Just so it's known...we have all seriously discussed the idea of quitting smoking recently. But until then, blow some damn smoke rings. 

Day: 8

The show last night at The Mountain State Brewery in WV was outstanding. We couldn't have asked for a better show to end the tour. The folks in WV have been very supportive over the past few years. There is something to be said about a crowd that accepts the music for what it is, rather than what it should be. 

Sorry we missed you this time Willy, but will surely see you next time around. Thank you.

Chitwood and I took the first driving shift. After fueling up, we began winding down through the hills of WV, we quickly passed through Maryland and into Pennsylvania. We told stories, drank shitty coffee and listened to all types of music. Unfortunately, we even managed to hit a bird. Although we are uncertain of what type of bird it was, the imprint left on impact gave us a general idea of size. Kelly believed it to be it an owl, although Chitwood insisted it was an elusive albino Canadian Goose.

We made it safely back to Vermont. We are very lucky to have this band and the families to support it. One more big thank you to all that make it possible for us to deliver our original work throughout this country. 

Love,

Waylon Speed

02/10/2013

Day 6: New Locks, Clear Skies & Busted Cots

We left Roanoke and headed for Asheville. It was a rather rainy drive, and we made the trip in a little over four hours. We ended up getting a cheap room at the same place we got the last tour through Asheville. The LAB on Lexington Ave. was a great sounding room, and we made some new friends from a band called Pick Your Switch. Check them out if you get a chance. We got a board recording and will share it very soon. It was nice to see some old friends, and want to thank them for making the trip. As any band knows, that is how weekday tour shows are made possible. We made it back to the hotel fairly early and listened to the set and assembled our beds. We travel with military cots, and they serve us well. They are truly a bed away from home although one of them is on it's way out. Noah claims to know the ultimate technique to setting them up but still manages to struggle getting the last brace in. Good old fashion entertainment.

We left early and stopped for a new lock for the trailer. This thing is serious, and one might need to physically remove the entire door to gain access.  We just broke through the clouds in Tennessee and are heading towards West Virginia. We love being down here, and look forward to playing yet another new venue for us tonight. 

We bought a few six packs for the cooler before we left, and this is what remains. They might indeed be the coldest beers to date.

We hope all the folks up north dealing with the storm are safe and sound. We miss you all. Let's talk again from WV tomorrow.

Love,
Waylon Speed
2/08/2013 

Day 5: Roanoke and Runnin'

Greetings from Virginia (and the van). While in Pennsylvania, we met for dinner with friends at an old local haunt called The Scarlet D. A place which has harnessed music since the 70's, and one that some of our family was part of throughout those years. We noticed a "Pickin' Party" on their schedule. We ended up meeting the players, and Kelly played Poncho and Lefty with the band. We then all hopped up and played three songs acoustically. Instrumentation: acoustic, electric, bass and harmonica. It was a blast and we enjoyed playing for a different type of crowd in a rural setting.

We departed from Pennsylvania and headed south to Virginia. The south is beautiful, and it's always a pleasant experience for us. As it got warmer the farther we drove, I started to once again notice the increasing number of billboards suggesting rather easy routes to salvation. We even stopped at a truck stop with a chrome shop attached. Everything from fancy semi-truck add ons to airbrushed pictures of horses. We got into Roanoke a little early, and got a Ramada Inn that was probably at it's prime in 1995. Chitwood and I rebuilt one of my tattoo machines, and Noah and Kelly discussed the importance of a smoking room (which it was).

The show at Martin's was fantastic. The staff was very kind and Tony (the sound engineer) was a friend we had met years back at a festival. Small world. It was a long set, so we had the opportunity to play through many old songs including This City from the first album by request. We cleaned the dust off other old songs including, Stump,  Leave Me Blue and Drivin' Fast. We had a ton of fun. For our first time in Roanoke, the crowd was very kind. We met a couple from Vermont and they made us feel right at home. We are very grateful for all the support. Reverend Chitwood even pulled out his old Harmony that hasn't seen daylight in a few months. It sounded damn good. Noah switched over to merchandise after the show, and the rest of us loaded the trailer.

We are off to Asheville, and look forward to playing The Lab which is a new venue for us there. Stay well everyone, and we'll talk to you tomorrow. 

Here is a shot of the dash of our van. Bukowski and ARTnews? What happened to the stack of Hustlers from the old van? 



Love,
Waylon Speed

2/07/2013

Day 4: Pennsylvania Retreat and Beyond

The show at The Legendary Dobbs in Philly was yet another great turnout, and once again reminds us that Philly has become a home away from home for us. Our family offers unconditional support, and for that we are always grateful. Kelly's Creston survived yet another free fall as we ended the set. Impressive.  The new songs are feeling great, and we are definitely collecting some great recordings and live footage from this tour. It will be available in the coming week.  

After the show, we made our way to our Uncle Bill's in New Jersey and smoked our minds with cigarettes and stories that he was telling. It was great to catch up with family. It's uncommon for us to all be in the same room. Much gratitude. 

We then drove to central Pennsylvania (where Noah, Chitwood and I grew up) to attend a service for a family member. Considering the circumstances, spirits were high, and we again saw many familiar faces. It has been an inspiring stop to say the least. 

We are off to play Martin's in Roanoke, VA. We are looking forward to flying south and giving it all we got. Keep in touch and look for live stuff coming soon!

New Boots equal new moves!

Love,

Waylon Speed

2/05/2013 

Day 3: More ink, Old Paintings and Good Sayings.

We woke up in Long Island and headed back into Manhattan. I looked up NYHC Tattoo and realized it was right around the corner from Pianos on Stanton St. It's a famous tattoo shop started by Vinnie Stigma of Agnostic Front and Jimmy Gestapo of Murphy's Law. The shop was filled with hardcore memorabilia and I had the chance to learn a few things from the artists. Kelly and I both got tattooed at the same time. A great start to the day. 

Noah took his camera and headed up to the Museum of Modern Art. He got some great pictures of original works done by Van Gogh and Picasso. He said, "Van Gogh's work was the only paintings in the whole museum that got my heart beating fast."

We loaded into Pianos and witnessed a pop band playing music that was as much out of tune as it was transparent. I am not one to over analyze or judge anyones preference of music, but this was simply the type of band that would have gotten the stage hook in the olden days.

We had a great time playing at Pianos and got a recording of the set. As soon as we figure out how to download the damn thing, we will share a track or two.

After the show, we went to The Living Room and watched Lowell Thompson and Mark Spencer play. It was good fun to have this random crew of Vermont musicians in one spot. Leon jumped up and played piano, Kelly sang a few with Lowell, Noah hopped up and played bass, and as for Mark Spencer... what a phenomenal guitar player. Holy smokes.

We took off and headed towards Philly and ended up staying at the same hotel we stayed at months ago in New Jersey. The mark we made on a tree was still there(along with our parking spot) much to our surprise. 

We are off to Philly and are excited to see our friends and family at The Legendary Dobbs tonight!

Talk to you all tomorrow from PA. So long, and I'll leave you with a quote from The Reverend Chitwood:

"If I had to pick only two albums to own forever, it would be Johnny Winter's first album and Jeff Beck's 'Truth'...everyone should listen to those two albums at least once"

Love,

Waylon Speed

2/02/2013

Day 2: Waylon Speed Takes Manhattan

We had a very smooth trip into NYC yesterday. The show at The Living Room was a lot of fun and we tried out a few new songs that fell seamlessly into place within the set. We gave what we could to The Living Room and wish them nothing but success in the coming months of transition.

I'll get this out right now...Noah is in technology hell this tour already. He has reverted to the amazing technology of the original "smartphones". This whole situation is very entertaining. Although it is certainly a convenience problem, he can't seem to stop being charged up about his things not being charged up. After a trip uptown to the Apple store before the show, he still can't seem to get

anything to hold a charge.

Along the way to 5th Ave, we stopped in St. Thomas Cathedral and heard a choir sing. Amazing architecture and remarkable acoustics. These types of establishments simply have too much of an agenda though.

After the show we landed a nice hotel in Long Island. Without a doubt the easiest accommodations to date considering we have a trailer. If you have a van and trailer in Manhattan, you have two choices; pay out the ass for overnight parking or leave the city. Long Island is a good alternative.

We look forward to the show tonight at Piano's. We are psyched to see our friends Lowell Thompson and Mark Spencer. They play The Living Room tonight and we plan on seeing them and maybe even joining them for a few numbers. Stay tuned everyone and we will have a recap of our final day in NYC tomorrow while traveling to Philly. Take care and thanks for riding along with us.

Love,
Waylon Speed
2/01/2013