After my day off in Wisconsin Dells, I was ready to take on the last half of the tour.  Our team took on both Milwaukee yesterday and today in Cincinnati beautifully.  That was very much needed rest and relaxation.

In other news, I’ve just been getting homesick lately.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the experience of touring, I love meeting new people, listening to music all day, working and living with my team members, but I miss my friends and family.  A lot of my other team members at least got to/get to see their friends in their home cities about half-way through the tour while my hometown and all my friends are practically the last couple of days of the tour so I have to wait the full two month.  Kind of sucks.  I’ve just been coping and calling them as much as I can.  All I can do for now is wait.

But yea, everything else is going great.  Like I mentioned, I feel re-energized (and feel good that we won’t have any more stretches more than 6 days long…whew).  We only got one more month (actually more like 3 weeks left) which blows my mind thinking of how fast the past month of shows has just flew by,  I still have so many more bands to see, so many more people to meet…I just hope I leave this tour exhausted from all the things I’ve done instead of wishing I had done more.  Which is why I’m going to start today and hit the water park that only open to Warped Tour people!  Tomorrow it’s off to Cleveland to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to check out the Warped Tour exhibit (which I’m REALLY excited about).

O and btw…I just caught myself on Fuse right now dancing on the Family Force 5 stage like an idiot HA!.  I hope everyone is watching clips of us on Fuse, you can watch it all on their website at fuse.tv.   I’m known to some as “the guy on the laptop that opened up Warped Wednesday”, haha.

Alright, to all my So Cal buddies out there, I better see you all at the San Diego or Carson (my hometown!) show!  It’ll be a great welcome home present!

What a week…we have in fact completed the 12 day stretch of touring, and enjoyed some much needed time off in Wisconsin. I got to meet up with my favorite person and visit Beans and Barley (only the best healthy café/ grocery store) today. Consumed an amazing egg white omelet with multigrain toast. I am happy. Recharged.

 The week was intense to say the least. The new Tegan and Sara album came out with a vengeance in my life, and we embraced the Midwest with our dancing, hugs, games, and scintillating conversations about the lies and misconceptions presented by the tobacco industry.

 I have to give a shout out to the people of Minneapolis, Minnesota because I had the best time ever there! Amazing people in the zone all day, and a night on the town to remember. I delighted in some fine dining, checked out an unforgettable jazz club, and generally enjoyed what the city had to offer. I’ll be back to visit this place, no doubt about that.

     We’re going to start heading back to the East Coast, some important dates like the Camden show bordering my hometown of Philly as well as the New York show. I can’t wait to see some familiar faces. Though, the idea of the tour being over in just under a month is an overwhelmingly depressing thought at the moment. This has been one of the most amazing adventures of my life, and I’m looking forward to the rest of this Warped journey.

 Today was the Milwaukee show, another great city with beautiful women surrounding the truck. Some guys followed me to the bathroom and complemented my dancing. Pretty funny. If you are coming to any future tour dates, seriously, come to the zone and see what they were talking about. I’m like Elaine from Seinfeld meets Nsync.

Till next time…I’ll be listening to Tegan and Sara and Straylight Run like a mad woman during off hours…music is after all, the universal language…

PEACE.

Well the tour is almost half over / half through. Last week I was watching Poison the Well in West Virginia and unfortunately lost my camera shortly after. Thanks to Eddie from Buzznet, I was able to buy a new one at Best Buy a few days ago in Chicago.

Now we are in Wisconsin Dells on our very first day off in 12 days. I’ll be home in a week and can’t wait to see my friends, as well as celebrate my birthday in my hometown of NYC! I also managed to catch Kaddisfly perform the past 2 days, which has been one of the many highlights this summer for me.

Only one more month left!

“if we just keep talking,that’s probably going to be your whole blog.”
-Justin

Having just completed twelve days of work straight I can say Justin is wrong as I have much to talk about and will not have to rely solely on his wit and charm to fill these pages. Where to start is the real question. Every day blurs into the next but each day has all sorts of memorable moments. I got see new found glory again yesterday in Chicago and my friend Alex was able to come by the show at the very end and hangout before our very early 9:00 p.m. bus call. He watched Underoath while I caught MxPx’s set and then we both ran over and watched Killswitch Engage. Today Jeremy from Mayday Parade came by the tent and played one of the games with a bunch of kids and also during this stretch my friend Will from Straylight Run came by and had a trivia game with a fan. i am also stoked that my friends Monty jumped on the tour for the next ten days. I haven’t caught their set yet but it is still nice to see more familiar faces walking around this huge place. I also was able to see a preview of the movie Super Bad which was super funny. (har de har har)

I’ve had some trouble sleeping lately and have been getting a bit carsick which is no fun. J9 bought a dream catcher and her bunk is above mine so I am afraid maybe she is sending all her bad dreams down to my bunk. It’s okay though because tomorrow is our first day off and I am looking forward to a real shower and a bed without wheels.

I have to go represent at the kickball tournament which is inside the metrodome today so this is going to be short and sweet.

Locals Only,
TaRa

P.S.
MAPS I got your back!

SAMESIES!!!

After ten grueling days, we have only two more days to accomplish before getting a day (well, actually 12 hours) off. It is slightly disturbing to wake up in a city just to realize that you have no clue as to where in the US you currently exist. As much as I would love to pretend to complain, it has actually been fantastic. We were lucky enough to have the other truth® team help us out in Charlotte, North Carolina. I even received an opportunity to watch a video of Scotty dancing to the YMCA – I am sure he knew that cruise ship training would come in handy and make him the shining star of a wedding. My only major disappointment was when Warped Tour lied and claimed we had a show in Washington, D.C. The show actually occurred in Maryland, which sadly prevented my sister from coming to watch me talk to multitudes of strangers and dance (poorly) in public.
 I have taken a great liking to commandeering Trife’s DJ equipment when he is at lunch; and, by equipment, I mean I replace his I-pod with my own. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoy choosing the songs that blast out of our speakers. I even get permission to dance; however, after ingesting two Red Bulls, my “skills” may be interpreted as a genre of limb flailing. Today remained no exception, as Tara decided to host boy band hour. Nothing is funnier than watching teenage males rock out to Backstreet Boys, N Sync, and Kelly Clarkson. I guess there lives a pop princess in every punk rocker.

Yesterday was my home town show! I was soo excited to be back in the DC area.  It was so awesome to be able to see my friends and family.  I really have to thank all my friends who came out…Ashley, Chris, Bill, Jenny, Molly, Andy, Amy, and most of all my little sister Aly.  All of them made the day so exciting cause I’d be working and then out of the corner of my eye I’d spot one of my friends and get so excited and that feeling happened over and over again throughout the day.  Then to top off the day at night my parents came by and I got to hang out with them.  It was just great to get a little taste of home after being away for a month.  Now just a little over a month and
I’ll get to see them all again. For now, the tour bus is home sweet home and it’s a pretty nice home if I do say so myself.

Peace,

Mickey

So much has happened in a week.

Florida was awesome and beautiful enough to call it “AWESOMELY BEAUTIFUL”.  Miami was VERY beautiful and it was probably the best venue I been to so far with the friendliest people.  It even rained that day and it was still beautiful.  The Ball 4 Real Team even came by cause they were across the street for their event.  It was so much fun having a dance party in the rain.  Afterwards we watched the basketball game with a halftime show and watched the other team work the crowd at the end.  Not to mention we saw their REALLY NICE TOUR BUS! (jealous).  I totally want to go back to Florida.  ESPECIALLY Orlando.  It was such a tease to be in the same city as Walt Disney World and not be able to go.  I did however meet someone who plays Winnie the Pooh!

Next highlight: North Carolina the Ball 4 Real Team came by again and helped us out the whole day and we hung out the whole day.  It was so much fun being 2 teams working the crowd.  We ended the day with another dance party and everyone chilln’ at the BBQ.  It was so great to see them all again and working with them.

Virginia Beach- It is true what they say: Virginia IS for lovers.  The venue was so picturesque like it was right out of a romance movie.  Too bad that was the day I caught a sickness.  It’s been going around lately.  I had to stay in the bus and rest most of the day.

Which brings us to today:  Washington D.C.  I felt better, but I still had a sore throat (on FIRE) the whole day, so I chilled at the merch bucket and DJed a little bit too.  There were TONS of people because we were on a main (tiny) road in the middle of what seemed like a forest.  But one of the main highlights: getting to dance on stage during the Family Force 5 set!  Aww mannn it was awesome!!  It probably made me more sick, but it was sooo worth it.

Soo now I’m on the bus, there’s a party happening outside the bus, and I’m sick.  I took some medicine which will probably knock me out in a couple of hours, so I’m gonna try to have a little fun until that happens.

Anyway, travellin’ up the east coast, getting a bit homesick (and real sick), in the middle of a “12-day stretch”, got one more month until I get back home, and havin’ a good time!

btw…watching NFG at the end of the day NEVER gets old.

It is about 7am and I am handwriting this blog in my journal before I eventually type it into my computer and upload it onto the inter web. There is something organic about feeling a pen between your fingers and relaying information from your mind to the ink on the paper set before you.

 I opened my eyes a bit wider this week as if it was possible after all the self discovery I’ve undergone on this journey. Made some new friends, one very special one in particular, an amazing and inspiring woman. I’m surrounded by them all the time here, my bus mates are certainly perfect examples. They’re complicated, smart, and come from completely diversified backgrounds and yet, we all fit in this setting like a puzzle.
 
 We had a great time in Miami, were joined by our Truth friends from the Ball-for-Real tour, then partied HARD at a club called the Pawn Shop with the rest of the Warped Tour family.

 Yesterday we were in Charlotte, North Carolina where again our Truth counterparts met up with us. Together we gave Charlotte the most ridiculous hip hop dance party I’ve ever been a part of. I danced all day. I usually do.

 Talked to my mom and my friend Dan on the phone yesterday too which was a nice reminder of my core. Looking forward to Milwaukee…About halfway through this stretch of 12 days without a break and so far so good. We’ve started conducting a moment of silence after our 4pm talent competition, which I’ll include a picture of. Hope anyone who reads this is well.

PEACE.

P.S. There are red ants around, but they aren’t biting me. Pretty cool to watch them move.

It’s my birthday soon, I’ll be the big 2-5. If any of my blog admirers read this and you would like to wish me well you can shower me with shampoo, clean underwear and socks, and baby wipes if you attend any upcoming Warped Tour dates…

I’d like to thank the following bands and sponsors for all the clean clothes they have graciously offered me the past few weeks: We Are the Fury, The Spill Canvas, Paramore, It Dies Today, Anberlin, Parkway Drive, PlayRadioPlay!, Meg and Dia, To Write Love on Her Arms, Modern Mischief, Alumni and of course anyone else I am forgetting…

That’s all, see you this summer…