March 2008

March was a great month.  I feel lucky to have been a part of South by Southwest, to travel down to Texas, and to be around such great music.  

March signified some endings and some new beginnings for me.  It was the last time I played in Southeast Engine, a band that I had dedicated a large part of my life to for almost three years, and it was a time that I returned back to Ohio University as a student (I had taken a year break from studies).

Here are some memories of being a part of Southeast Engine:

1.)  Our first tour in August of '05.  It was just me, Rem, Leo, and Box.  It was sweltering that summer and I was intimidated of being in the band.  We played a hilarious show in Cleveland for a radio station and had an interesting time at a nearby Cleveland Hotel.  Box did tai-chi in the hotel pool at 6:00AM and Leo had his famous "Hello Cleveland" moment.  Our New York show was equally sweaty.  I remember playing "Try" in the basement of the Lit Lounge to about 30 people (which was great being that we were an unknown band from Ohio playing in New York for the first time).  Whether he was inebriated it was hard to tell, but my friend Jeremy approached me after the show and was so complimentary to us it was as if he thought Southeast Engine had invented rock and roll.  This was my favorite memory of the band.  This tour along with the short 10 day tour we did in the spring of '06 were my favorite times on the road with the band.  The tour down south was extra hilarious because Ben Froehlich rode as our friend and confidant, but more importantly our manager.  He offered us invaluable knowledge for weeks, if not years, to come.

2.)The day we heard that Misra Records wanted to sign us.  Disbelief and jubilation followed.  All of a sudden we all started listening to bands on Misra's label.

3.)  Playing CMJ in October of '07.  

4.)  Covering "Margaritaville" on August 17, 2007 at the Union Bar and Grille in Athens, Ohio.

5.)  Playing "Please Come Home For Christmas" at a X-mas show at Donkey in December of '07.  Before the show I purchased 5 Santa hats for us all to wear.  I tried to get the sax solo down for that show as well.

6.) Dressing up in a tight black shirt, a black bandana, black pirate boots, and wearing fingerless gloves for a show at the Union with Southeast Engine back in the fall of '05.

I am sure there are tons more memories but for now,

7.  The CD release show for A Wheel Within a Wheel. 

*****Sleepers*****

This ended up being used for a story in the AthensNews to show how exhausted the band was.

*****Leo means business*****
This is also one of my favorite memories -- we all took dopey photos of each other holding up this giant lollipop I bought from a Cracker Barrel in Texas.  

*****Give me back my milk money!*****

*****It's not fair!*****

*****South by Southwest (band photo in front of a brickwall)*****
These were our official band photos for South by Southwest.  I thought it was funny that they were both in front of a brick wall.  

*****SXSW II (band photo in front of a brick wall II)*****
This was outside of the Victory Grille (I think) in Austin.  I was trying to look like Dustin Diamond from Saved by the Bell.

*****The Human Cannonball*****

Jessie released his record The Human Cannonball when we got back home from South by Southwest.  He is such a great musician and a wonderful human being.  

*****Poor Bastard*****

This has nothing to do with the band but I feel for this dog.  It appears that he had some sort of treatment for his tail.  We saw him on our walk back to the house we were staying at in Austin.