Brent Amaker and the Rodeo Blog

Blog 5?

2011-09-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

I am a tired road worn man. This tour is amazing, but I'm tired of blogging. I've just met my record label prez in person for the first time and it's the highlight of the tour. He is a cool motherfucker. I need to spend some time with him this evening. No time to blog.

See you later. Here are a couple of pics.

Mr. Amaker

Driving in Germany - Tour Blog 4

2011-09-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

I’m in a van somewhere between Fulda and Frankfurt, Germany. Jim, our driver, just let us know that he has to return to Belgium for an emergency. He is leaving the Sprinter van with us. I’m not worried about this because of my crack team of drivers and problem solvers. This is the Rodeo. Benny will drive. Sugar will give him rests. And Johnny will make us all feel like it’s OK. But what’s scary is that we have been pulling over once a day to pour water in the radiator. And there is a squeaky noise under the hood that we affectionately refer to as “the crickets”. It will be OK. I know this because I have traveled the world with these guys. In Bridgeport, CT we had the windows smashed out of our van the day of our showcase at CMJ. We figured it out. Since the band formed we have traveled on planes, trains and automobiles. We have stayed up all night, seen the sunrise, driven without sleep, repaired vehicles, rewired amplifiers, performed with broken gear, and we have always made the gig. Things work out with this band. This will be the same.

It’s now the point of the tour where one day becomes the next and the day before might actually be three days ago. I can’t really tell where we are on the schedule unless I read it on a piece of paper. It’s seems like we have been in Germany much longer than we have. I’m starting to speak in broken English all the time. How you say? Nein sprechenze Deutch. Sprechenze English??

Last night I turned in early at 4:30 AM. The club was still open and music was pumping through the floor of our band apartment. I recall a mattress on the floor, I rolled over, and Benny was yelling at me telling me it was time to load up – 10 AM! Shit, that’s a pretty good nights sleep. The club owner served us breakfast and that’s when we realized that Johnny was not with us. Where the fuck is Johnny?!? Sugar said that Johnny knew the time we would be leaving. He would be back. Johnny is a survivor, so I wasn’t worried about him. But we like having him around and there was a chance we would have to leave him in Fulda. We were prepared to do this if necessary. He’d just have to meet us on down the road. But before breakfast was done, Johnny walked in smiling and making jokes. Suddenly lightness returned to the room. I’m glad we didn’t have to leave the little squirrel behind.

Right now I’m watching Jim explain things to Benny. There is a new thumping noise under the hood that we have not heard previously. Jim says this is no problem, and that it’s just a screw that fell into the water pump. Apparently this is normal and it goes away after 30 minutes of driving. As long as it’s just a noise, we don’t care. Jim is looking after us. We have his phone number and documents for the van. We have the German equivalent of AAA. And we have Benny. Everything will be OK as long as we have Benny.

The wind is blowing in my face. I’m exhausted, but my head is not pounding. I am with my friends and everyone is healthy. And I’m on tour in Germany. Now that I think about it, things couldn’t be better.

Here are some pictures from the last couple of days. Danke for reading.

Mr. Amaker

ps - We have been eating well while in Germany!

Tour Blog 3

2011-09-09T01:41:00.000-07:00

Ostpol = East Pole. This is what I learned from a random local chick before our show. The town of Dresden was controlled by the GDR until the wall came down. You can tell this by the stuff left behind, and maybe even the people (who were totally kick ass folks). Dresden is a beautiful historic city that existed long before the war. It still bears some wounds from the bombing raids of 1945, but it is pretty much restored now. It's a fantastic place. The owners of Ostpol spent two years collecting GDR era Dresden artifacts (furniture, wall paper, fixtures) to create a theme that takes you back in time. Hence the name East Pole. Not the North Pole, or South Pole. The East Pole. There is a lounge and a venue with a small stage. The whole place (including the band flat upstairs) has style. I'd describe it as 1970's eastern bloc sheik. Amazing!

Anyhow, The Rodeo came and destroyed. Don't worry, Dresden has survived much worse and they won't have to rebuild after our visit. That being said, we did our thing. Tiny Dancer had his cigarettes on stage and I smoked about two packs of second hand smoke by the time we finished our set. It was hot and dirty and perfect. We didn't need a hazer for effect. The crowd provided the atmosphere. Dresden rocks.

I've been living out a cardboard box because we needed to use my suitcase for the merchandise. The box was finally falling a part. I just lucked out and found a bag at a store across the street from the club. Yes! It's the small things in life.....
Photos by Johnny Podhradsky

Tour blog #2

2011-09-07T23:41:00.000-07:00

It's weird when you travel through time zones. The first day turns into three days and you tend to lose track of time itself. I'm not sure how long we have been in Berlin, but we have now played three shows, one of which was an impromptu gig in our hotel lobby.

So much has happened in this short period of time, that I can't even start to cover it all. It feels like we have been living in Berlin for a month.

Today our driver Freddy meets with us and we start the ground travel portion of this trip. Freddy arrived from Belgium last night and slept in the van outside our hotel. We haven't met him yet, but he told us that he prefers to sleep in his van. I think that is so he can protect his gear. Anyhow, it'll be cool to meet Freddy today. It'll be cool to get on the road.

Before we do anything else, it's important that I thank those who helped us get here. The band raised money for airfare through a Kickstarter campaign prior to leaving. I was left speechless from the generosity of our supporters. We could not have made it to Europe without that support. The following backers gave big so we could be in Germany today. There were many who helped, but this group gave over $50, or gave of their time in such a way that they deserve special thanks:

Christa Lynn, Peter McGraw, Cathie Blevins, Beau Gunderson, Julie Ho, Shelly Corbett, Selena Whitaker-Paquiet, Dan and Tilly Rodina, Jacqueline Ryall, Christine Ghim, Sara Shields, Quentin Ertel, Darrell Fortune, Super Fun Happy Dog, David Amacher, Unju Kim, Brian Papenfus, Chase & Kate Jarvis, Jason Mine, Lonnie Callies, Leigh Bezezkoff, William D. and Dorothy Amacher, Brian Olson, Steve Crawford, Karsten Kuestner, Spark and Shine Records, Connie Chang, Sarah McGuinn, Janet Hurt, Holley Hawa Son Paramus, Spark and Shine Records, Dirk Schade, Tom Van Laak, and all of the other generous supporters at Kickstarter.

Last night we were up late. We've been staying in an amazing spot called the Michelberger Hotel. This place caters to artists and rock n roll types. The hotel bar is a popular place to get loaded in East Berlin. The neighborhood itself is incredible. We are one block away from the Berlin wall. A bridge leads across a river and on the other side you find West Berlin. Apparently David Bowie lived in this very same neighborhood back when he was writing all of his best music. Crazy shit!

Anyhow, the bar down stairs is happening. As if touring is not enough, we come home after our shows and shit is going down every night. I'm finally adjusting to jet lag, but I'm not sure what time schedule I am on. I think I'll just call it the "East Berlin rock n roll" time zone. Sleep happens anytime you can get it. The day ends when you pass out.

I'm having a hard time remembering all that we have done, so I'm going to just give you a small taste with a selection of photos from the trip. Our band photographer and all around road dog Johnny Podhradsky is responsible for the bulk of this. The rest are from my iPhone.

BERLIN

I'll be checking in and giving you more as I'm able. The internet kind of sucks over here. Hard to predict when I can get a solid signal. I'll get back to you when I can.

Sincerely,

Mr. Amaker

ps - If I misspelled names or forgot anyone, please forgive me. Tough internet connections, jet lag, disoriented. I love you all.

My life, the Rodeo, and Berlin

2011-09-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

What the hell is going on? I’m sitting on a plane, it’s uncomfortable, my head hurts, and I ask this question. What the hell is happening? How did I get here?

Music saved my life about 15 years ago. I didn’t have an illness and I wasn’t saved by the healing power of music. However, long before I got serious about music, I believed I might die of boredom. Or at least become severely injured. Somehow that landed me on a flight to Berlin with 5 cowboys in matching attire. Rewind.

Life was good back in the day. That is, if you define “good” as “safe”. I had a decent job and a house. I had given up any hope of touring with a band when I was in my early twenties. When I had free time, I’d lock myself in the spare bedroom and create my “art”. I’d work all night crafting layer upon layer of tracks using a shitty multi-track cassette recorder. The result, typically a lo-fidelity pile of crap, would find it’s way to a shoebox I kept under my bed. Forever locked away from the world and forever saving me from the possibility of rejection. And when I was done, I’d get up and go to work. I’d come home and mow the lawn. I’d have date night with my wife on Saturday nights. And I would spend Sunday depressed about the prospects of another week of boredom. This went on for ten years.

Somewhere along the line everything changed. I’m not sure if it were the boredom, or any number of other issues I would later discuss with my therapist. But at some point I had had enough, and that existence came to a screeching halt. It started with an extramarital affair, which led to a divorce, which led to relocation to Seattle, Washington.

I didn’t know it at the time, but things other than the affair or the divorce led to the big move. And it wasn’t just a move. It was like fire. Fire is an event, not a thing. And on the day of my move I lit a match. It was the first time in my life I had truly done something on my terms. I was a 32 year old “man”, but had lived my life as a pussy. And in reality, the word “man” didn’t apply to me at all. I was a boy with a bank account, some savings, a wife, a dog, a house, and a multi-track cassette recorder. And in my mind, the only way out of this perpetual cycle of boredom was to fuck someone else’s wife. Shitty move, but it’s my story.

Skip ahead fifteen years. Since moving to Seattle I’ve lived life on my terms. I run a small business that pays the bills, but music is my life. Five years ago I started a Western band called Brent Amaker and the Rodeo. We wear matching cowboy outfits and we play cowboy music. We’re not your average country band. We have songs about whiskey, but we also do a cover of Kraftwerk’s “Pocket Calculator”. We tour the USA and we tour Europe. I have so much of my own personal finances tied up in touring with this band that I might just sink the ship. And I’ve never been happier.

But still I have to ask myself, “What the hell is going on”? Think about it. Right now I’m sitting on a plane to Berlin with five cowboys dressed exactly like me. It’s gonna take 23 hours total to reach our destination. We have horrible connections. I’m sitting in the last aisle seat of a plane directly across from the pisser. It’s been a constant flow of bodies bumping and grinding against me during the first leg of this journey. Every third person that passes asks me about the unexpected gang of cowboys. Are you in a band? What’s the name of your band? Where are you playing? Where are you traveling? Next. Now serving number 34. Did I happen to mention the pregnant lady seated next to me who needs to pee every ten minutes?

With the exception of the occasional female ass pressed gently against my shoulder, it’s been hard to find much joy in this situation. So what the hell is going on? Shit, I don’t know. But I’ll be in Berlin playing music tomorrow. If you compare this to my life 15 years ago, it might qualify as an episode of the Twilight Zone. One man’s life is changed forever. Stricken with boredom and wishing for adventure he enters a parallel universe. It’s a one-way ticket. He can never go back.

Welcome to the Rodeo. Next stop Berlin.

Our friends, family, and fans are helping us get to Berlin.

2011-09-03T17:00:00.001-07:00

The Kickstarter campaign was a huge success! We exceeded our goal and earned a total of $3321 toward our tour. Thank you to each of you for digging deep and helping us out. We will never forget your generosity. It's tough in this economy. I know this, and yet still, our friends, family, and fans came through (BIG) for us. This means more than you can imagine.

I spent the day packing my bags, getting organized, and eating vitamin C. We leave first thing tomorrow morning and travel for almost 24 hours (including layovers) before reaching our destination. This trip is special because it took so many people to make it happen. The Rodeo will deliver. We will make the most of this opportunity. Look for our blog at http://brentamakerandtherodeo.blogspot.com/ AND follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/brentamakerandtherodeo ~ www.facebook.com/brentamaker and on Twitter www.twitter.com/brentamaker. We'll have those rewards / memorabilia promised soon!

Thank you and stay tuned for more. The Rodeo thanks you for your support. Now it's time to get this show on the road.

Take care,

Brent Amaker

www.brentamaker.com

What Album Are You Most Looking Forward To Next Week?

2010-10-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo needs you to VOTE! Magnet Magazine rates most anticipated releases this week. B.A.R. is currently #3 and climbing. Please spread the word, tweet, post, and VOTE today. Thanks!

What Album Are You Most Looking Forward To Next Week?

Cowboys, hippies, and ATV's.

2010-08-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

Everyone seems to have heard about our little incident with "Pissed Off Pete". I keep hearing from folks about how they are SO sorry our show got canceled. They are SO sorry we drove all the way to San Francisco just to be denied. They are so angry at Pissed Off Pete! Well let me tell you, it's never fun to be disappointed but IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. It's just one tour date. It's just one show. And at the end of the day it's usually all a big blur anyway. Fuck it, we're big boys. We can handle it.

They say that when one door closes, another is opened. Sometimes that door is nothing more than an entrance to a bar in the next town. After enjoying Mission district Mexican food, we concluded it was time to get the hell out of San Francisco. Tour mishaps are best digested with a big glass of "get on down the road". How about Oakland? I've never been to Oakland and they certainly must have drinks there. Besides, George Corona III (co-founder of Terrorbird Media) lives in Oakland. We had a plan.

I called George and he was ready to drink. We snagged a room on the waterfront and George met us in the lobby and took us to the Fat Lady. The Fat Lady is a former brothel in the heart of Oakland that has been hosting neighborhood drunks since the turn of the century. Just my kind of place! Me and the band hung out with George and drank the place dry. This was just what the doctor ordered. Terrorbird is now getting started on our national campaign, so we had plenty to talk about. George got a quick lesson on the history of the Rodeo and we got to know the man behind the best independent radio/PR company in the business. Damn, this is getting good! George has got big plans for our campaign and I'm ready to back it up with a kick ass tour.

PRESS RELEASE FROM TERRORBIRD at the link:
http://terrorbird.com/blog/2010/08/brent-amaker-and-the-rodeo-prep-new-album-premiere-new-track-star-in-adults-only-graphic-comic-book/

Nothing like hammering out business in person over drinks. Sure as hell beats the internetz.

Feeling good about the future, I was ready to hit the sack and get some sleep. Before going to bed, I ate the caramel I had been given at Pissed Off Pete's. This was a perfect ending to what started out as a fucked up day. All was now in order.

I woke up rested on Saturday and the band was ready to go. We had a secret show in the hills of Northern California and we had been looking forward to this for a while. You see Johnny Podhradsky (our tour photographer) went up into these hills six months ago and we haven't seen him since. We got a call a couple of months back and he had arranged for us to play a private event (a good paying gig) in a mountain town that is completely off the map. There was no address, no phone number, no details other than it would be a huge party and we would be the entertainment. I trust Johnny's judgment on these things, and honestly I've been a little worried about him. It was time to check in on the little bastard and make sure he was still alive.

We were given coordinates through a series of phone calls from what I can only assume were burners. As we got closer to the destination, cell phone service would disappear and then return. We hit three different pre-arranged spots where service was live. At each of the spots Johnny would call and give us instructions on how to get to his location. Eventually we arrived at a dirt road and this is what we found:

Johnny took off on his little go cart and we followed him in:

Well shit, looks like Johnny caught the hippie virus. This happens if you stay in the backwoods of California for any extended period of time. I am hoping it's reversible, but only time will tell.

The rest of the evening can only be described as GROOVY. We arrived at a beautiful property overlooking 30 acres of fertile land with an ideal climate for growing. There was a big pond, a make shift outdoor stage, generators for power, laser lights, and all the fixin's for a party. I wasn't sure what was going on here, but Johnny had definitely led us to a good time.

We settled in, had some beers, and got ready for an evening of drink, food, and good times.

Tiny Dancer was afraid he might catch the hippie, so he put on his surgical gloves. I think this was a good call given the situation.

I retreated to my green room a took a nap before the show.

And then we rocked it.

I won't go into a lot of detail about the rest of the evening, but let's just say it was interesting. The scenery was beautiful, the people were friendly, and before the night was over it seemed like 75% of the folks on the hill were tripping on something. Maybe it was their reaction to our music, but I have a feeling it may have been something else. This was a show to remember. And what a great example of Rodeo tour strategy. Make new friends, wind up in crazy situations, get some great stories, and bring the music to the people in style. Thanks for the hook up Johnny. You really nailed it this time.

Before leaving town, we pulled Johnny aside for a sit down. We needed to make sure this hippie stuff hadn't made it to his brain stem yet. He was able to handle a lot of complex subject matter during our conversation. I think we may have gotten to him in time. He agreed to get the hell out of there in time for our next tour. We didn't address the pony tail, but I think it will be gone next time we see him. Cross your fingers.

Sleep deprivation and misery rewarded with a caramel treat

2010-08-06T22:43:00.000-07:00

Touring is hard work and doesn't always go as planned. Today was no exception. The Rodeo had to be in San Francisco for a 7pm load in at Pissed Off Pete's. This would mean a 6:30AM wake up call following our 2:30 AM check in at the Jupiter Hotel. I was up until 3:30 AM, so I got a good solid 3 hours of beauty rest. Par for the course.

Before leaving the Jupiter, I produced a heavy piece of journalism for the West Seattle Fun Blog:

http://www.westseattlefunblog.com/videos/from-the-field-brent-amaker-is-tired-feeling-emotionally-raped-during-first-leg-of-mini-tour

Can you tell I got my beauty rest?

Lucky for me Ben Strehle and Sugar McGuinn like to drive. I headed straight to the back of the Rodeo van and slept for another 3 hours. Thank you Ben. Thank you Sugar. I am older than you and I gratefully accept your display of respect. Now shut up and drive 9 more hours!

We stopped for a rest and I tried to catch Ben as he was sending top secret messages to one of his operatives. No such luck:

We've done this drive before. It's a beautiful drive, but now it's starting to all look the same. When I first moved to the West Coast I was in awe of the beauty here. It's still beautiful now, but something about the repetition of the route has robbed me of what I first saw. Damn, that sucks. Maybe I need to spend more time touring the Red states. Maybe I need another mid-west tour so I can appreciate the West as a virgin. Maybe I'm just hung over.

Regardless, the drive got done and we made it to the bay area just in time. Just in time to get shafted! We rolled in to Pissed Off Pete's, sat down for a beer and found there would not be a show tonight. What the fuck? Are you kidding me? Ben and Sugar just drove 12 hours on three hours of sleep. Tiny Dancer is popping pain pills and hobbling around on crutches so he can play this show. Brian gave up canned tuna for a week so he could be in shape to play drums. No show? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?

Turns out we got caught in the middle of a massive booking vendetta at Pissed Off Pete's. Whoever booked our show is no longer booking this bar. Apparently they booked a bunch of weekends and some of the prior bands didn't show. In and act of retaliation, Pete got Pissed Off and pulled the plug on future shows. Only problem was that no one told us the show was canceled. Pete was not budging and there was no chance of us playing our gig. What a drag.

One of the patrons reached out to us in an act of sympathy. She felt horrible about what had happened and shared that this had been happening to bands for the past few weeks. In an act of mercy she wanted to give us something to make us feel better. She offered me a chunk of bay area hash. I know San Francisco is famous for it's herbal goodies, but hash wasn't exactly what I needed at the moment. I declined. She was persistent and wanted to give me something. She reached in her pocket and told me the only other thing she could offer was her last caramel. I accepted and thanked her for her generosity. It was a little smashed, but so was I. I was touched that she would give me her last caramel. I think I'll eat it before I go to sleep tonight.

The only thing we could do at this point was feed our disappointment. We trotted across the street and grabbed some Mission district Mexican food. I captured a few seconds of the scene:

Well fuck it. Shit don't always work out. I was really looking forward to meeting George from Terrorbird (the P.R. firm for our new release) at our show. Since the show was canceled, we decided to bring the Rodeo to George. We packed up and got out of San Francisco and headed across the bridge to Oakland. George lives in Oakland and we would have drinks with him and crash. Now I'm sitting in my room waiting to meet up. I'll fill you in on the rest later. Hoping for 4 hours of sleep tonight. Giddy up.

Brent

Summer sun and sweat mini-tour.

2010-08-05T18:53:00.000-07:00

I'm a cowboy and I hate summer. Just today I was reminded of the reason we avoid playing shows in the summer. It's fucking hot! Black cowboy wear is great in the spring and fall. In the winter you only need an additional layer and you are ready to go. My formal cowboy suit jacket will do the trick most seasons. In the summer, there is no avoiding misery.

We left Seattle at 3pm today. I got dressed at 10am. By the time we left Seattle I was already smelling like Sugar McGuinn's butt crack. We are just a few miles outside of Portland now. The sun is getting lower. I expect it will cool down this evening. But if anyone gets close enough to smell me, they will know. Cowboys should not tour in the summer. This is a fact. It can not be denied. Still, I have to say I'm glad to be in the Rodeo van heading to an out of town gig. I love this life. I'm ready to tear it up. And I hope all of our Portland fans are ready for us to deliver the stink. Here we come PDX.

xo,

B

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM......

2010-07-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

Or is it? I'm not calm. I'm stressed out. I'm busy as hell! Our new LP comes out 10/19/2010 in the US (Spark and Shine records).

This will be followed by an early 2011 release in Europe. You would think that would leave me sitting around bored anticipating the launch of "Please Stand By". Not so!

Things are getting crazy. Deadlines are approaching. Products are being manufactured. The folks at my new label are busting their asses getting it done. And now we have a larger team with the addition of Terrobird Media - www.terrorbird.com for our press and radio in the USA. This is a big deal.

And as if that is not enough, my band members are falling apart. Literally! Tiny Dancer broke his leg while sexting on a segway.

Can you believe that shit? He knows better than that. No sexting and driving Tiny Dancer! Now he's flat broke, no insurance to cover his medical bills, and looking at 3 months off his feet (which means 3 months off work). He can still play guitar, but this is a financial disaster for the greatest lead guitar player in the business. The whole band has shifted into "save Tiny Dancer" mode. So we are doing what musicians do best and hosting a fund raiser. It's still in the planning phases, but we'll be throwing a big bash at the Sunset Tavern (Seattle) on Saturday August 14th. All proceeds will go to Tiny Dancer so he can dig out and hit the road with the band. Stay tuned for more details.

A week after Tiny Dancer went down, Ben showed up at my house with a brace on his leg. What the fuck? Is the Rodeo cursed? Turns out Ben's injury is minor and was not caused by sexting. He's gonna have to get some shit cleaned out of his knee, but expects it go quickly. Damn it! All cowboys are now on lock down until "Please Stand By" hits the streets. No more injuries PLEASE!

So while cowboys have been occupied breaking their own bones, I've been working hard to get shit done. Most of our fall tour is booked. I'm still trying to fill in Texas and a few other dates. I hope to have a full schedule complete in the coming month. We are hitting most spots from our previous tours, plus we kick it off with an appearance at Seattle's Bumbershoot festival on September 6th. Buy tickets to see us and you can also see Mary J. Blige on the same day. I like that. You can check out the full line up here:

http://sched.bumbershoot.org/

All the hard work is paying off. Spark and Shine is doing it in style and I can't wait. I'm totally excited about the vinyl. It's already in production and it's going to be a super exclusive limited edition pressing. Full color packaging with color inner sleeve, a Rodeo comic book inside, and download cards for digital lovers. There will be 500 printed like this and I expect they will go fast. Stay tuned for information from Spark and Shine if you'd like to pre-order. You can keep up with things at the Spark and Shine site:

http://www.sparkandshine.com/

Here is a little tease for those of you who can't wait. Pink inserts for the center of our vinyl masterpiece:

Consider this one a shout out to the payphones we love so much in Europe:

There is a lot more going on, but some of it will have to be a surprise. Look for us on tour. I'll keep you up to date with stories from the road.

Shit, I can't wait to get back out there. Can't wait to see all our friends around the US. Can't wait to get back to Europe. I better get back to work. There is planning to be done. Tell all your friends around the world to look out. The Rodeo is taking over. And we need your help!

This is a grass roots movement. This is a revolution. All of you are making it happen. You've been spreading the word. You've been showing up at our events in Rodeo attire. You are preaching the gospel of the Rodeo. I thank you for that. It fuels my cowboy spirit. Now let's do this shit.

Brent

Back home in Seattle.

2010-04-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

I am NOT bored with my life. This is a big deal because it's not always been this way. There was a dark period. There was a time when my weekly routine almost killed me. Sunday's were always depressing because I dreaded Monday. Monday represented the start of the weekly routine and the routine was the same every week. I lived in Dallas, Texas. I had a 9 to 5 job at a corporate desk Monday through Friday. I went to work in a suit and came home to a supposedly perfect domestic life. I mowed the yard. I walked the dog. I had nothing to complain about. Life had been very fair with me. I didn't have much of a social life, but I owned a house and I was on the fast track to a successful career. This went on for ten years or more. I hated it.

Life is different now. I just came home from a month long tour with Brent Amaker and the Rodeo. We hit sixteen different states including multiple cities within each of those states. Bed time came around 4 AM. We were back on the road most days by 10 AM. Every morning we woke up in a new location. Every evening we landed in a new nightclub and played our music. The routine was constant. The scenery was constantly changing. Anyone who has ever toured in a band can tell you what this is about. Anyone else would have a hard time relating.

I live in one of the most amazing cities in the world. I say this with some perspective. My band has toured Europe twice and toured the US multiple times. I've also done some traveling on my own. There are very few cities in the world as beautiful as Seattle and I have found none that suit me so well. Seattle is where I come home at the end of the tour. I love it here.

I still have domestic aspects to my life, but I appreciate these things as they keep me sane. My wife is awesome. My dog loves me. I live in a great neighborhood. The only thing I need to do now, is keep it all together. This part can be a challenge. I feel like I'm walking a tight rope and I could fall into oblivion at any time. My reality is not just tied to one place. My reality exists in multiple places and in multiple time frames. Reality exists in chunks of time on tour, chunks of time planning tours, and chunks of time designated for routine tasks at home (earning money, paying bills, keeping the home base afloat). It's a challenge. I'm not bored.

So as I write this, I'm finding myself trying to make sense of it all. It's as if someone gave me a free pass to another dimension. I grapple with this every time I come home from tour. I get to explore this other world with my team of cowboys. I can move in and out of it at will. When I come back to Seattle, everything is the same. Everything is the same except me. I took the red pill. My eyes are opened. Everything is the same except me. Everyone is the same except my traveling cowboy buddies and me. I need to keep it together so people don't find me out. I need to keep a low profile or they will know I'm different. It's not worth the energy to try to explain. Just nod your head and listen to them talk about their lives. Smile and act like you understand. They will never know the difference. Be very quiet. Wait... I think someone is on to me. I've got to go.

B

ps - Kill all germs.

The end - 2010 Spring tour.

2010-03-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

I wish I had the energy for a full tour wrap up. I really do. Touring is exhausting and my mind is completely tapped out. This will be my last tour post and I'll keep it brief.

First I want to say thanks to everyone who came out to each of our shows on this tour. I met so many great people along the way. Some of our shows were big, and some of them were small. But at every show, there was at least one fan who came out specifically to see us and hear our live music. Honestly, this makes it all worthwhile for me. I'll play to an empty room if I know that one serious music fan is there. If you are one of the folks who came out and watched us in an empty room, thank you! It means the world to me.

Secondly, I'd like to thank all of the booking agents, writers, DJ's, and bands who helped make this happen. This is our fourth full US tour and things are starting to get really good. Every time we venture out the tour dates get bigger and better. It can be drag booking clubs and it takes a lot of work. It's not always beneficial for a club owner to take a chance on a national touring act trying to break in to a new market. The pay off usually doesn't come until the return trip. For all of you who gave us that chance, thank you for your help. I can promise you we will keep coming back until it is worthwhile to everyone involved. We're gonna shove this cowboy shit down your throat. You're gonna like it. We're not gonna stop.

After last nights show, we drove it straight from Bozeman to Seattle. That's one hell of a night drive.

I don't have it in me to recap the show in Bozeman, but I can tell you there were a lot of people out. They spent their hard earned dollars to get in the door. They raised hell on a school night. It was a nice way to end the tour.

I'll get back on the blog machine next time I have something worthwhile to tell you. For now I need to get some sleep and try to pull it all together. Thanks everyone. Let's keep it real.

Brent

PS - If you live in Seattle, you owe it to yourself to come out to the High Dive this coming Saturday (4/3) for our show. Brent Amaker and the Rodeo is on fire right now. We've got Bunny Monroe joining us on stage. Ben will be debuting a new instrument: "the tamburger". Hell, he might even do a "tamburger" solo. I wouldn't miss this one. Be there. Don't be a square. Don't be a pussy.

Mitchell, SD

2010-03-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

Mitchell, South Dakota never disappoints. We rolled into town yesterday and knew exactly what to expect. We got a room at our favorite trashy motel (the Siesta). We asked for the corner unit with all the extra beds. They had it ready for us.

The motel staff remembered us from previous tours and welcomed us back. I was a little surprised since a traveling band is not usually the best sort of guest. Never the less, they had our room ready and were glad to see us.

My friend Austin booked the Mitchell show for us after the Moonlight was shut down for liquor violations. They canceled our event just a week before we left on tour. I was really concerned, because the Moonlight is our spot. Austin said not to worry. He would handle it. And boy did he come through for us. Austin and his buddy Aaron coordinated the whole thing on short notice. They found us a new venue and they got us our guarantee. They even came through with press in the local paper and radio play.

So when we got to Signatures, we already knew we would have the support of the town, but we didn’t know much about the venue. Well I’ll tell you now it’s safe to file this one under the category of “happy accident”. Signatures RULES! Here is a pic of me and the owner of the club.

We got to the club/restaurant and Aaron was waiting to greet us. The Rodeo is always looking for a price break on food, so I asked if there were any food discounts for bands. Aaron replied, “Do you guys like rib eye steak?” Do we like steak? Does a cow like to chew its cud? Hell yes! Next thing I know Aaron is ordering up steaks for everyone in the band and throwing it on his tab. Now that is a serious welcome for hungry cowboys. The evening could not have started any better. And them were some damn good steaks too!

By the time we had eaten our food the bar was already filling up. It was becoming clear that this was the big Saturday night event in Mitchell, SD. We’ve always had a lot of support in Mitchell, but people were filing in and I wasn’t recognizing any faces. Looked like the word was out and we would be welcoming a whole new crowd to the Church of the Rodeo. We had a couple of hours before show time, so we decided to run back to our room and relax a bit. In this type of situation, hanging around would only mean a lot of free drinks from friends and patrons. I knew how things would end up and it was way too early to go down that path.

And besides, our oasis at the Siesta was waiting. We needed to make sure we got our full $48 worth and enjoy our little home away from home. We crashed out in our big room and watched Jeremiah Johnson on AMC for the next hour. This was one of the few moments from this month long tour when we actually had a chance to stop and relax. Perfect.

And as expected, the party was on when we returned to Signatures. The opening band “Rubber Gloves” were already into their set, so we made the rounds and caught up with some familiar faces. I even got to meet my good friend Quentin's dad.

All of the drinks were on the house for us. As I talked to regulars, I discovered that this place doesn’t normally host events of this type. Austin and Aaron had brought in a P.A. and our stage was an area on the floor in the corner of the bar. There was even a small light system set up especially for this show. This was going to be rad.

The bar was packed. We could hardly walk through the room without stopping to talk to new fans or old friends. Everyone was getting their drink on and anxiously awaiting our set. It wasn’t long before Rubber Gloves wrapped up, and we were loading our gear onto the imaginary stage.

Here is a little taste of our set.

When we play Mitchell, we always play multiple sets. Because this is our home turf, we play as long as people want to drink. In Mitchell, people want to drink as long as the bar will let them drink. We went on at 11pm knowing that we would be playing music until last call. Here is and example of some crowd response between sets.

They even continue singing the “Rodeo” outro after the music stops.

So this is the way it went throughout the night. We did our usual whiskey baptism and I was extra sloppy. I’m sure everyone went home smelling like a bar room floor. The crowd kept drinking and they kept getting rowdier until some drunk bastard collapsed into my mic stand and broke it over my nose. The band kept playing music and as I struggled to put the mic stand back together. Sugar pushed me out of the way and said “let someone else handle it”. I turned around to look at Ben and he screamed “there’s blood running down your face!” Awesome. I was rocking out in Mitchell and blood was running down my face. This made me really happy.

The band kept it together and some guys jumped up and replaced my mic stand. As soon as it was up, I launched back into the vocals and kicked in the afterburner. I felt like I was living out some crazy cowboy version of fight club. I was ready to kick some ass!

The rest of the set was a blur, but I never stopped to check out my minor injury. Later that night we were having some beers at the Siesta and a big chuck of scab fell off my nose. Thank you Mitchell, SD. You always know how to show this cowboy a good time.

We stayed up late and shot the shit with my good friend Nick and eventually crashed. Our alarms would be going off at 7AM so we could start out on our12 hour drive to Bozeman, MT. This would be the last big push of the tour. Sunday night at the Filling Station and then it’s back to Seattle. Hard to believe this one is coming to an end.

A return to the Motherland

2010-03-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

Minneapolis would be the first stop on our tour of "the big three". We consider the upcoming string of shows a return to the motherland. It’s all originates from Mitchell, SD, but Minneapolis is also part of the story. I'll explain.

When I first moved to Seattle over 14 years ago, I was playing open mic shows at a place called the OK Hotel. This place was legendary. Many of the big grunge acts from the 90’s started at the OK Hotel. The club had a main stage in the back, and a a smaller stage and bar in the front. Every Wednesday they held an open mic show in the front.

I didn’t have a lot of friends when I first moved to Seattle. I spent every Wednesday night by myself at the OK Hotel waiting for my chance to get up on stage and play my songs. I did this for at least six months straight, never opening my mouth to speak to anyone else. I would sit by myself and wait, play my two songs, and leave. Eventually I loosened up enough to get to know some of the regulars. On one of my regular visits to the OK, I met Nick Antonie and Troy Nelson. Troy was a recent transplant from Mitchell, South Dakota and I think Nick may have been visiting. Troy was also performing at the open mic show.

To be honest, I didn’t really spend a lot of time thinking about Nick or Troy until several years later. Troy had a band called “First Name Last Name”. At one point we talked about doing a show together. I'm not sure that ever happened (or did it? can't remember), but I kept running in to Troy all over town. Troy would call me up from time to time and ask if I wanted to hang out. I would accept and he’d show up at my house with a carload of friends visiting from South Dakota. Specifically, they were all from Mitchell, South Dakota. This went on for years and every time we hung out, there would be new Mitchell friends. Some would be visiting and others would be new Seattle transplants. Johnny Podhradsky (our cape guy and photographer) was one of the many friends I met while hanging out with Troy.

*photo by Chase Jarvis

So when the Rodeo started up (about four years ago), we booked a US tour. Johnny was going with, and it made sense to book a show in Mitchell (so he could stop in and see some friends). We had a bunch of other tour dates, and I had no expectations for the show. As it turned out it would be the beginning of a beautiful longstanding Rodeo tradition.

During our first visit, we arrived in Mitchell on a Tuesday night and everyone came out. I met family of everyone I had ever met through Troy. I met Johnny’s ex-girlfriends. And most of Johnny’s ex-girlfriends were also ex’s of every other SD dude I know. Everyone knew each other and everyone was all about the Rodeo. We tore the place down. We played set after set of music and poured whiskey all over the bar. It was the single craziest out of town show I had ever experienced.

After that show, the South Dakota connection grew stronger. It wasn’t just about Mitchell anymore. As we continued to tour, I realized that people from Mitchell had moved all over the United States. We had become part of the Mitchell family and the family was ready to hook us up. We would get free lodging, people would feed us, and everyone was looking to take care of the Rodeo. We came to expect a Mitchell connection in every city. It was truly insane. Now I meet people from Mitchell, South Dakota on a weekly basis. They show up at shows all over the country. And when we stop in South Dakota on tour dates, it gets really crazy.

So that brings me to Minneapolis. Mitchell, South Dakota may have been the birthplace of this freaky scene, but Mitchell-ites are concentrated in certain regions of the US. The hot spots on the map are as follows: Mitchell, Sioux Falls, Minneapolis, and Seattle. This tour we would be hitting all four. Minneapolis is the first stop on our journey back to the motherland.

And it was exactly as I expected. As we rolled in to town, I was getting text messages from Nick Antonie. He was driving in from Sioux Falls and bringing all his friends. TJ ,who was already living in Minneapolis, was also waiting for us to arrive. There are too many other SD folks to mention. This was going to be a good night.

Trevor had booked this show. Trevor is a new friend who has no connection to the South Dakota scene (as far as I know). When he found out we were going to be in the area, he asked me if we would play his birthday party at Nomad World Pub. It seemed like a perfect fit for the Rodeo. Trevor's band was also on the bill and I was looking forward to checking out their set.

Before the show, we ran up the street to get some food and play some bingo.

We got back to Nomad to find a packed house and the party was already started. All the Mitchell kids were there, plus a ton of others we didn’t know. We had fans waiting for us to play. The crowd was loose, and everyone having a good time. We hung out, had drinks and watched a whole string of great acts play before us. At one point Nick and I busted into a bar across the street to find more great music.

And when it was time for us to play, it was on! What a fun show. The stage was tall and shaky. As you got near the front it felt like a trampoline. The crowd was packed up front and hanging on every word. What a fucking treat! We ripped through our set and fed off the energy of the crowd. The bar hooked us up with a bottle of jack and we welcomed a shit load of new Rodeo fans to the church. I’m pretty sure I got more whisky on tits and nose holes than anything else. Fuck it. It’s good to get whiskey in places other than your mouth.

After the show, we got back to our room and tried to get a few hours of sleep. At this point my sleep schedule is so screwed up I’m lucky to get three or four hours. I’m not sure how much I got, but it doesn’t matter. We got up the next day and headed for South Dakota. Our next show would be a tiny farm town outside of Sioux Falls at a club called the Phoenix. Let’s do it!

Here is the club.

And the killer sound system.

Here are a couple of our new friends from Harrisburg.

And the stage.

Ben and Bryan were happy to find a pool table.

The Phoenix was another classic South Dakota stop for the Rodeo. The owner boasts that his bar sells more "1800" tequila than any other bar in the region. One of the patrons told me that the owner gives most of it away to pretty girls. He also spends much of every evening taking "1800" shots himself. Here is a pic of some empty's on the back porch.

He made sure we drank some "1800" shots before he would pour us anything else. The guy is a maniac. We hung out with the locals and then ripped into what may have been my favorite Rodeo set ever. I can't tell you what exactly made it a favorite, except everything felt right. The band was on fire. And the crowd was all about it. Half way through the second set we did a whiskey baptism. After I doused everyone in the bar, Nick grabbed me and asked me to pour some for the owner. We found him sitting in a chair drunk at the edge of the stage. Nick prodded him to open his mouth (which he could barely manage at this point), and I poured the whiskey. He took his shot and passed out on the floor. Amazing!

After the show, we caught up with SD family, and met some new friends. We closed out the bar again and then got back to our room. The big one is next. We have to save some energy for this. Mitchell, SD, here we come!

Fighting Tiny Dancer Disease.

2010-03-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

On our way out of Fayetteville we stopped to look for a hood ornament for the van.

Ben tried to make a deal with the owner, but he wasn't having it. We weren't discouraged. The perfect hood ornament was here and we had to find it. After five or ten minutes of rooting around we found our prize.

I'm really happy with how things came out.

With our new mascot affixed to the front of the van, we piled back in and got on the road to St Louis. I claimed my usual spot in the rear. Here's what it looks like back there.

We got another deal on a high-end hotel in St Louis.

At the bottom of the hotel they have a Ruth’s Chris Steak House. We've been eating a bunch of crap on this tour, so I decided to blow the rest of the money left in my account and live it up before the show. Tiny Dancer was too sick, so he stayed behind to catch some sleep in the room. Here is a shot of Benny after he woofed down a medium rare rib eye.

We ripped through a killer set at Off Broadway in St. Louis. It was decent turn out for a Tuesday night and we met some more cool folk. My buddy from college (Steve) came out to support. Hadn't seen him in over 20 years. Always cool to catch up with friends from the past.

We had to ditch out soon after our set to get Tiny Dancer back to the room. He had a fever and was pretty much shot after pouring every inch of his bad self into the show. We took him back to the hotel, and the rest of us hung out in the lobby looking for Mannatech representatives who might want to party. No such luck.

We all woke up the next morning fearing that one of us might be next to come down with Tiny Dancer disease. Bryan was already on his way. I had one bottle of Topo Chico left from a gas station in Texas. I made the mistake of letting Bryan handle the bottle, and I did my best to kill the germs.

At our next stop, we picked up some surgical masks.

Riding in a van with sickies is like a guaranteed ticket to infection. We weren't taking any chances. Sugar bought a case of emergen-c to fight off the demons.

We made it to Chicago and rolled in early at the Redline Tap. Ben and Bryan found the pool table.

And then we grabbed some deep-dish pizza around the corner.

After dinner, Ben and I had a drink at the Heartland Cafe. The same folks own the Heartland as the Redline tap and we got drink discounts. While hanging out, a guy in the bar asked to buy us shots. We never turn down a free drink, so what the hell. Turns out he was the owner of the Heartland Cafe, The Redline Tap, and most of the other establishments on the block. This guy was cool. Ben and I sat and rapped with him for an hour. He told us all kinds of crazy stories about living in the 60's and being an activist. He bought us more drinks and we made a new friend. I love running into cool folks on the road. This is really what it's all about.

Speaking of cool people, we got to hang out with our radio DJ friend Die. She came out with her sister to see the show. We did a radio interview with her from the road (WLUW, Chicago) and it was nice to catch up and see her in person. I also got to connect with more old friends from college (Rick & Scott). I was in bands with both of these dudes! It was awesome to get to reconnect.

Our set at Redline Tap was a blast. Another great weeknight crowd. Another barn burner.

At this point we don't even have to try to put on a killer show. Everything is on autopilot and everyone is ready to bring it. We played our set, mingled a little, and got back on the road. It's like a well oiled machine. Ben got behind the wheel and got us safely to Milwaukee for a few hours of sleep. Next stop Minneapolis!

Psyllium Husk Addiction and the quest for perfect Poop.

2010-03-23T16:27:00.000-07:00

This would be our second trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Last year we played a party at a hair salon and it was a highlight of the tour. A bunch of local cool kids hosted us and the place was packed. This time we would be at the Smoke and Barrel in town. We were looking forward to getting back to Arkansas. This one would surely be fun.

The band got some good sleep in Waco before hitting the road. In fact, I think we may have got our first full eight hours of rest for the entire tour. Damn that was nice. We hit the road around lunchtime and started our routine in the van. Let me fill you in on one of our routines.

It seems like every time we go on tour there is a poop story. Last year Mason overflowed a toilet at an after party in Mitchell, South Dakota. Our host didn’t hold it against us and we’ve been invited back. Nothing like that has happened yet, but for some reason poop has become an obsession with the band. Specifically, “poop quality” has become an obsession on this tour.

Shortly after leaving Seattle, Ben and Tiny Dancer hatched a plan to achieve poop perfection while on the road. Touring is hard on the body and a bad poop experience can be a bum out. The guys stopped at a health food store in Santa Cruz and picked up a large canister of whole psyllium husk.

According to Ben, this is the key ingredient in Metamucil. As opposed to Metamucil, it has no flavor and it’s lumpy. It’s also much cheaper and comes in bulk. This stuff was gonna change everything. It would make us invincible to the rigors of the road. It would make us poop gods.

The daily routine started with Ben & Tiny Dancer. One by one we picked up the nasty habit. Now everyone in the band (except Bryan) is a slave to the psyllium. It’s hard to have just one addict in a band. If one cowboy goes down a dark path, everyone ends up hooked. Each day we take our psyllium husk, and each day we discuss the size and quality of our poop. And god damn it if it isn’t working. We can eat Mexican food every day, drink gallons of alcohol, abuse our bodies in every way imaginable, and the trip to the honey bucket gets better every time! You should see Tiny Dancer. He is smiling all the time. I didn’t even know he knew how. Now I am convinced that you have not seen Tiny Dancer truly happy until you’ve watched him emerge from a truck stop bathroom after a good psyllium dump out. And like the true rock star that he is, Tiny Dancer chugs the dry powder straight from the container and washes it down with a gallon jug of water. It’s incredible! The rest of us use a device we call the “funnel” which is really just a folded piece of paper. Using the “funnel” we can pour the powder into to the small openings of bottled water so we can get our daily fix. The whole thing is really starting to get out of hand. Ben has been discussing the possibility of creating an I-phone app for tracking results. Wish him luck.

Here is a quick video of the boys mixing up the daily potion.

Our manager (Leigh) has suggested that we switch over to the good stuff and look for an endorsement deal. Here is the proposed layout for our van.

I’m hoping I can get the monkey off my back when I get back to Seattle. Do they have recovery centers for psyllium abuse? If anyone knows a good facility, please let me know.

So after we all took care of daily business, we got on down the road and made it to our next show. Here are a few highlights.

Bryan and Ben found the pool table and got to work.

We hung out and got some pizza around the corner from the club.

We had a great show at the Smoke and Barrel. Rox opened with a killer set, and then we tore the place down. The club provided us a bottle of whiskey for the baptism and everyone got trashed. After the show, I hit a club around the corner for a good dose of head banging.

I'd tell you more, but we're rolling into St. Louis right now. Gotta dump out and and get to the club. I'll give you results later.

B

Waking up in Waco

2010-03-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

It's Monday morning and I'm waking up in Waco, Texas. Since I last checked in, we have traveled through three major Texas cities. But I should rewind. I think I left off in Frisco, TX. Our next show would be a Saturday night in Houston.

On our way to Houston, we stopped at KAOS radio in Austin for a SXSW radio appearance. We were on a tight schedule, so it would be quick and dirty. Here is a little taste of our radio show.

After Austin, we would be meeting up with Felipe in Houston. Felipe Galvan is a Texas music icon. He is my friend. I didn't know him before this tour. Felipe was just a guy who decided to book us on a Saturday night at Fitzgerald's. At first I only knew him as the club-booking agent. He told me he liked what we were doing and he was going to match us up with a local ska band that would fill the club on a Saturday night. Houston is a brand new market for the Rodeo and this sounded almost too good to be true. I would find out later that the Ska band he mentioned was Los Skanarles and Felipe was the front man.

And ska doesn't even start to describe Los Skanarles. They are one of the best live bands I have ever seen. Their music bristles with energetic dance-hall rhythms, rockabilly, Latin soul and even a little swing and zydeco, all played with a punk-rock attitude. And man do they have some serious fans! We got the bro hook up on this show. Our first visit to the 4th largest city in the US would be a blow out. Hell yeah! Here is a press shot of Felipe and his band.

When we got to Fitzgerald's Saturday night Felipe was waiting for us at the club.

Fitzgerald's is an amazing venue. I'm not sure what the capacity is, but it's bigger than most of the venues we play in Seattle. There are two floors and two stages. The bigger stage is upstairs. The night we played there was a hip-hop show happening downstairs. We were upstairs on the main stage with Los Skanarles.

We ate dinner with Los Skanarles in the green room at Fitzgerald's (the boys from the band brought us tacos from their favorite Tex Mex joint). When it was time for us to play, Felipe caped me.

And I did the same for him.

Before the night was over, our whole band was on stage raising hell and playing percussion with Los Skanarles.

Here is a photo of me and Felipe hanging out after the show.

We hung out and had a good time that night. I can't remember when things ended, but at some point there was a conversation about Felipe jumping in the van with us and going to our next show. I wasn't sure if this was drunken talk or if he was serious. We dialed him up the next morning, and he was ready to go. Crazy. Let's hit San Antonio!

We picked Felipe up at his house at 9AM. He had gotten home at 7AM. 2 hours sleep! That sounds about right. We were all hungry, so Felipe took us to his favorite spot for breakfast tacos. Felipe ordered a beer with his breakfast. What can I say. Felipe was setting a whole new standard for the Rodeo. This is the spot where we ate.

I crashed hard in the back of the van after breakfast. We were heading to San Antonio for an afternoon BBQ show. My friend Sid was hosting a day show since we needed to be in Austin that evening. Last time we did this, the BBQ was a gathering of hip young artist types enjoying good food and drink and watching music. This time it would be a little different. This time we would be playing a show at the local kite festival.

We rocked the shit outta the kite festival. It was crazy. At one point it was so out of control that tiny children were crawling all over the stage. Right before we launched into "I'm gonna knock you out" two kids crawled on top of my monitor". I reached out to the sound guy and asked for "a little less child in my monitor". A worried mom emerged from the crowd and quickly snatched her kids from the stage. Truly a rock n' roll milestone for the Rodeo.

My friend Sid hooked us up with some cash, beer, and tacos before we had to leave. This guy is a class act. We talked about returning and doing a proper club show next time around. That'd be cool, but we'll have to make some choices. I'd hate to miss the 2011 kite festival. No telling what will happen next year.

Filipe pointed us to a real deal Texas icehouse on the way outta town and we had some more beers.

Our show in Austin was intended to be at Headhunters. A few weeks ago, the booking agent started waffling on the date, and then he stopped returning my calls. Felipe's friend Roxanne suggested we play at Ginny's Little Longhorn instead. Roxanne works at Ginny's and said we might be able to just drop in and play. We headed out to Austin in search of a spontaneous set. We found it.

When we got to Ginny's the place was packed and country music legend Dale Watson was playing. In between songs he was announcing winners of the "chicken shit bingo" game. Here's the way it works. They have a real chicken sitting in a small chicken coup in the middle of the bar. There are numbers on the floor of the coup and the patrons throw food to the chicken to encourage it to shit. If the chicken shits on the number you purchase, you win cold hard cash. Hell, I would have given up my slot at Headhunters just to witness this. Things worked out alright.

Dale Watson ripped through an amazing set of his own country classics and I started to seriously doubt there was any chance we could muscle in on this scene and play music. Felipe told me not to worry. He would handle it.

Felipe disappeared into the crowd and re-emerged a few minutes later with good news. He had talked to the next band (Rick Broussard's Two Hoots and a Holler) and they were gonna let us play a short set during their break. Not only were they gonna let us play, but we could use all of their gear. Goddamn, the Texas hospitality never ends!

We ripped in to a smoking set of our favorite Rodeo tunes and the crowd loved it. We had couples dancing, SXSW scenesters clapping, and camera's flashing during our short power set. Another highlight for me on this tour.

After our set, we said our goodbyes to Felipe and Roxanne and hit the road. We needed to make some time toward Fayetteville. We went a couple of hours up the road and crashed in Waco. And guess what, we actually got a full night of sleep. Weird.

Back on the road now and heading to the next show. I'll give you more soon.

Brent

The past couple of days have been a blur. Good thing we have camera's.

2010-03-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

Howdy. I'm gonna make this quick. We've been operating on about three hours of sleep a night for most of this tour. We're burning the candle at both ends and trying to keep it all together. Here are some moments from the past couple of days.

Ben found a new dolly at a thrift store in Dallas,

....but the store was closed.

Here he is later that day trying to get through a sound check at Poor David's Pub.

After our show, we made our way to the Adolphus Hotel. I took time to hang out by the fountain after we checked in at 1 AM.

Here are some pics of us hanging out around the Hotel.

Ben kept us entertained with his piano skills.

The bar attached to the Adolphus is called the Rodeo Bar. Seemed appropriate for us to close the place down.

There were a group of Japanese tourists who were psyched to see cowboys walking into a bar in Dallas, Texas.

Later that night Tiny Dancer and I got sucked into a conversation with some convention goers from Mannatech. We stayed up to 4:30 AM talking to them about their "product". I'm still not sure what the "product" is, but the whole experience was super freaky. I can't go into detail now, but let's just say that Tiny Dancer and I were lucky to get out alive.

The next day we got to hang out in Denton with Bryan's good friend Andre. We stopped by Andre's music shop and Bryan showed us how to repair a trumpet.

Here are the guys hanging out at Andre's house.

And they fed us.

Another bad ass steak dinner. Hell yeah!

After filling up on beef, we played a show in Frisco, TX at Lochran's.

We are on our way to Austin for a radio show now. After that, we gotta be in Houston for a show at Fitzgerald's. Another busy day in the life of the Rodeo. You gotta love it.

Trash Bar, Humble TX

2010-03-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

We rolled in to Trash Bar late, and I expected the worst. We had just driven 8 hours from Oklahoma. When we arrived at the club the show had already begun. If you don’t know what goes on at this place, it‘s easy to assume you just stepped in to a first class shit hole. From the outside it looks run down and on the inside it’s the same. Most of the mirrors and windows are cracked. People bring their own booze into the bar in brown paper bags. They have one beer on tap: Lone Star. If you want something different, you can bring your own beer and they will throw it in the fridge for you.
Our Seattle friends in the Shivering Denizens got us this gig. They were at the club when we arrived. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to thank them or curse them for setting this one up. It didn’t really matter. We were here and we were ready to do our thing.

The guys were hungry after the drive and Tiny Dancer found a convenience store selling cheap tacos. After checking in with the club, we ventured out to fill our stomachs. I think all of us except Bryan ate. I’m not sure why he didn’t eat. His polyester wranglers are barely staying up at this point. The skinny little fucker could use some food. Oh well. To each his own.

After dinner Ben went straight to the quarter arcade.

Ben was so excited about the quarters, he tracked Bryan down and got him involved. I think this may have been a substitution for the usual pre-show game of pool. They were both fascinated with the shiny coins and hoping to strike it rich. Ben called me a couple of different times to get me involved. I had gotten my fill in Vegas and wasn’t interested.

Sugar, Tiny Dancer, and myself found a Mexican restaurant in a strip mall and had drinks in the bar.

Next we walked to the liquor store and grabbed our own bottle of Ciroc for the show. It was time to do bring some class to the situation. Anytime I'm uncertain about an evening, I like to ask myself, what would Diddy do? In this case the answer was premium vodka.

We returned to Trash Bar and the place had transformed into a total scene. The bar was packed and folks were rocking out to the Shivering Denizens. It seemed everybody was ready to have a good time and the Denizens were killing it. Awesome set!
The place got rowdy and it was at this point I realized that my initial instincts about the joint were flawed.
The Denizens wrapped up and we ripped into one of the raunchiest sets of the tour. None of these people had heard us. We weren’t even listed on the chalkboard at the front door. This didn’t matter. The crowd was loose and they were ready for the Rodeo. We gave it to them hard. They liked it.

After the show, we met Felipe of the band Los Skarnales. They are headlining our upcoming show in Houston (Fitzgerald's, Saturday 3/20).

http://www.houstonpress.com/events/los-skarnales-bo-peep-brent-amaker-and-the-rodeo-1697100/

Felipe was at Trash Bar to meet us and show us a good time. How fucking cool is that? Now this guy is a badass motherfucker, and as it turns out he is a total rock star in Houston. We spent the rest of the evening shooting the shit with Felipe and crew. What a way to welcome Seattle Cowboys to town. Felipe asked if we had a place to stay. The answer was no, and before I could turn around he had set up an after party and found a friend with a four bedroom house who was willing to put us up. These Texans are serious about their hospitality.

The bar closed, and everyone headed to a party at Sammie’s house. I found myself sitting on a patio looking at fire and shooting the shit with a cool bunch of real deal Texans. It felt like home.
It was a fun night and it really brought me back to my southern roots. I could really connect with this bunch and I understood what they were about. It sure wasn’t like this when we toured Belgium. God bless Texas.
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Sweet home Oklahoma

2010-03-17T12:31:00.001-07:00

Oklahoma City was a real treat for me. Not just because we were returning to Hi Lo (one of my favorite spots). And not just because we were playing with Balthazar (one of my favorite acts). But, because my folks live in OKC and when we visit they roll out the red carpet.

We were pretty beaten down by the time we pulled in the drive. Tulsa should have been the stop where we caught up on some rest. We had a four star hotel and nice beds. But it never seems to work out the way you plan. Tulsa was just too much fun. So, by the time we got to OKC, we needed some R & R.

Well the folks never disappoint. We rolled in to town early afternoon and they were ready for us. Mom had a pan of home made brownies waiting and Dad was working on the steaks.

We got hot showers. And then we hung around the house, watched TV, and chilled. What a treat!

Dinner was amazing. Dad busted out the grill even though it wasn’t really BBQ weather. The steaks were big and juicy. Just the way I like em. And it didn’t stop there. We had baked potatoes, salad, corn, rolls, and homemade strawberry jelly. For dessert there was strawberry shortcake. This type of meal is unheard of for a touring band. Thank you Mom and Dad! You made your son and his cowboy friends very happy.

The only problem with making a quick stop at the parents is that it’s just enough goodness to make a guy homesick. We get pretty used to the routine of touring and intentionally keep a busy schedule. Anytime things slow down, you have time to think about shit that don’t need to be thought about. It’s been too long since I’ve seen Mom and Dad and before you could blink an eye we were gone. First thing I’m doing when I get back to Seattle is plan a proper visit to see Mom and Dad. I miss them already.

Our show at the Hi Lo was a barnburner. If you ever happen to pass through OKC, I highly recommend you hit this place. It’s a true Oklahoma City classic. Bands play on Tuesday (only) and they have one of the best jukeboxes around. If like to light up a cig while you have a drink, this is a place where you can do it.

Check it out next time your in town.

We’re on the road to our next show now. It’s St. Patty’s day and we’re playing a St. Patty’s day party at a true Texas icehouse in Humble. I’ll let you know how it turns out tomorrow. Gonna try to catch some z’s in the back of the van. Later.

TULSA

2010-03-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

I'm a born and raised Okie, but I never spent much time in Tulsa. When I was booking this tour, we had an open day that was originally planned as a day off. We don't like to have days off, so I put the word out to some friends. Turns out my friend Alexis who lives in Seattle, is originally from Tulsa. We were hanging out at an Animals at Night show in Seattle and geeking out on the fact that we both grew up in Oklahoma. Next thing I knew we were talking about the tour and she told me she could get me a show. This is tour booking at it's best. It's all about friends and connections.

Alexis put me in touch with Marc (who owns the Crystal Pistol in Tulsa) and he gave us the date. So I've been looking forward to this show ever since I booked it. I love playing in my home state and I regret that I never really hung out in Tulsa when I lived here. Perfect.

We worked hard to get to Tulsa. An all night New Mexico ice storm experience led to an all day drive without sleep. But thanks to Priceline.com (their I-phone app has saved us on this tour), we scored a four star Hotel for $60 a night.

We rolled in to the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 3pm and started napping. Well at least a couple of us caught up on some sleep. Ben and Tiny Dancer can't ever pass up a thrift store. They decided to power through and do some shopping. Check out Tiny Dancer at the bar of the Crowne Plaza after he got back.

Once we got to the Crystal Pistol, Marc took us out for some Oklahoma BBQ at the Knotty Pine.

This place has been around since the 1930's and the food is amazing.

After getting some grub, we loaded in and played some music. I had no idea that Tulsa was so cool! Great folks working at the bar and great patrons. We played our set and then hung out with a storm trooper.

I tried to set up an after party so we could get to know him better. Turns out storm troopers have to get up early on week days to go to work.

We hung out at the bar until after they closed it down. Crystal Pistol is an awesome spot and we really got to know some of the locals. After closing, Marc took us next door to the historic Cains Ballroom and gave us a tour.

Next stop OKC. Gonna drop in on my parents and get some grub before the show. Can't wait!

Freezing snow, ice covered roads, and dried bananas.

2010-03-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

After the Durango melt down, it was good to be back on the road. The next show was happening in Albuquerque at the Atomic Cantina. There was a little snow along the way, but the driving was smooth. Our first stop was a little music store where I found the most kick ass guitar pick ever.

Next order of business: FOOD. Frontier Restaurant was just across the street. Ben’s friend Micah had eaten’ at this place when he was on tour with the Dusty 45’s. We decided we better hit it.

We eat a lot of crap when we are on the road, but this place was a winner. They specialize in New Mexican cuisine. Go figure. Bryan was still operating on about an hour of sleep. I think the food helped a little. Here he is enjoying his first taste of New Mexican.

We got to the venue just in time for Ben and Bryan to enjoy a game of pool. These two try to get a game in every time we stop. I’m hoping they can develop their skills and eventually contribute to our finances by hustling unsuspecting strangers. I’m not sure if they are there yet, but I have hope. I threw down some quarters as an investment in our future.

It was another kick ass show at the Atomic Cantina. People showed up, which is never a given on a Sunday night. And more importantly, everyone in the band killed it. My favorite thing about touring is the way things shape up as you play show after show after show. The set becomes effortless after a while and that’s when things get good. At this show, I felt we really hit our stride. The rest of this tour is gonna be sweet.

When we were packing up at the Atomic Cantina, someone said the roads might be rough ahead. Time for a decision. We either crash with some friends who were offering up some beds, or try to make some time and get part way to Tulsa. With a 10-hour drive ahead, we decide it’d be best to chip away at the drive. The plan was to try to get to Amarillo by 3 AM and get some rest. We had no idea what was ahead of us.

All seemed OK the first half hour. This all changed right outside city limits. I was raised in Oklahoma and I’ve driven in some crazy winter conditions. Ben was behind the wheel and he’s got skills. When we hit the ice and snow it didn’t really strike me as much of a cause for concern. Ben was confident as ever and was keeping the van steady under sketchy conditions. There was a point where we talked about getting off the freeway, but we had barely left the city and it seemed like such a drag to stop early. We put it to a vote and decided to power through.

It wasn’t long after this that the traffic slowed to a crawl. The conditions were quickly changing from snow and ice to ice and more ice. As we inched forward we realized there were as many cars in the ditch as there were on the freeway. This was some serious messed up shit. Even the truckers were in trouble. Things were getting ugly.

One of things I admire about Ben is his positive outlook. As I was sitting in the back of the van freaking out, Ben just kept it steady and reassured all of us that he could handle it. And I gotta say he was doing a great job. We were gonna plow right through this situation if it was humanly possible. There was a point where things even seemed to be getting better. Just when we thought we were going to catch a break, we came to an ice-covered hill. At this point we were moving about 5 miles an hour in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Could it get any worse? Yes. Traffic stopped.

We had 1/3 of a tank of gas, so keeping the van running was not an option. We also realized that for the first time on this tour, we had no food in the van. On top of that all of us needed to pee. This was not good.

This was such a ridiculous situation that we decided to take care of the one thing that was under our control. We may have been cold and hungry, but there was absolutely no reason for us to be uncomfortable from holding in our bodily fluids. One by one five cowboys stepped out of the Rodeo van in freezing ice and snow and whipped out in front of a string of cars with their lights on. I’m not sure what the others cars thought about this sight, but fuck it. We had to pee. We all made it back to the van without slipping on the ice in our leather soled cowboy boots. It was time to hunker down.

It got really cold after awhile. Sugar was the first to notice, since his jacket somehow got doused with water the night before. It was looking like we would be there all night. Ben remembered that he had dried bananas in his suit case. We dug his bag out of the back and shared the bananas to keep our stomachs from growling. Ben doesn't normally share his food, but these were extraordinary circumstances. Tiny Dancer commented that he felt like a member of the crew of Apollo 13. We were cold, isolated, and running through our survival strategies. The hours rolled by as we talked about which person would get eaten first if things got really bad. I was prepared to use my rank as band leader to take myself off the short list if needed. Thankfully, it never came to that. Sometime around 4:00 AM traffic started moving. Yes. It looked like we were going to survive this mess.

Unfortunately this was just the beginning. The traffic was moving, but the weather conditions were getting worse. Snow was falling again and the roads were solid ice. At one point the snow started falling so hard that you couldn’t even see taillights of the vehicles ahead. Semi-trucks were pulling over and stopping. Ben pressed forward and demonstrated driving skills of the likes I have never seen. We were low on gas, so we pulled over at the only truck stop in sight. I wasn’t even certain we could make it across the over pass as snowdrifts were starting to form. Ben made it happen, but when we got to the station we found a wasteland of stranded cars and big rigs. As Mr. Strehle whipped in and out of the lines of vehicles, I started to feel like I was in some sort of a post apocalyptic ice age movie. It took about twenty minutes to get to the gas pump only to find there was no gas. It looked like every vehicle here was staying for the night. Conditions were getting worse and we knew we couldn’t stay. Ben started up the van and we came out the same way we had come in, this time having to dodge vehicles who were getting off the freeway and heading toward us on an ice covered one way road. Ben worked it out and we were back on the freeway with a handful of other drivers who either had the balls or stupidity to stick it out.

Things didn’t get better for a long time. Ben kept a positive spirit and kept the rest of us believing. We were actually worried about getting out of this one alive. Eventually some time early in the AM the falling snow started turning to slush and the roads improved. Our gas got us to the first station outside of the war zone and we fueled up. As we mulled around the convenience store inside we talked to other survivors. Everyone there was looking for food and telling stories. I’ve never been so happy to be alive.

We had to be in Tulsa for a Sunday night show, and it this point we had barely made it through New Mexico. The only option was to press forward. Everyone was thankful that our only challenge now would be sleep deprivation. We are total pros when it comes to operating without sleep. Everything was going to be OK.

When Ben get's hungry.....

2010-03-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

We woke up to a winter wonderland in Durango. Little did I know that this would be an underlying theme for our next 48 hours of travel. I'll tell you more about that later. Road conditions were good even though the night had brought a fresh blanket of snow.
But before we could get out of town, we had to find some food. Ben remembered a place from a prior visit where he enjoyed a breakfast burrito. He was on a quest.

I’m not sure if I’ve covered this before, but I should fill you in on some of the finer points of Rodeo band culture. Ben Stehle is the band problem solver. He always has a positive attitude and he get’s shit done. Ben is especially effective when things get really rough. Especially when others would give up all hope. The only time Ben is not an asset is when he’s hungry. He can get cranky quickly and a downward spiral occurs. Have you ever seen a wet cat? It’s something like that, only maybe more like a wet cat hooked up to a car battery. So when I say Ben was on a quest for a breakfast burrito, I’m not joking . In these moments, everyone knows what has to happen. BEN MUST EAT. FOOD MAKE BEN HAPPY.

We went to what we thought was the burrito joint, but it turned out to be a bagel shop. Tiny Dancer and I were half way done ordering our bagels when Ben realized we were at the wrong place. I turned around and he was gone. The quest to find a breakfast burrito had begun. I knew he was unhappy and I knew I needed to stay out of his way.

While Tiny Dancer and I enjoyed our bagels, Bryan stumbled around in some sort of a sleep deprivation trance. Ben was gone and Bryan was walking in circles. Bryan had slept in the van the night before and he was as cranky as Ben because sleeping in the van meant he didn’t sleep at all. I don’t know where the hell Sugar was, but I think he may have been jacked in to the matrix at a coffee shop.

When I got back to the van, I could see the veins bulging in Ben’s neck. He was waiting for us to return so he could start driving and find his Precious. Ben had information from a source that led him to believe the place with the burritos was just up the street. Tiny Dancer and I jumped in and we went for a ride. No time to get the others. Bryan and Sugar were left behind. Ben’s usual cool and collective driving skills went out the window. The next five minutes of tour bus hell consisted of frequent starts and stops, illegal u turns, and road rage that can normally only be witnessed in Los Angeles. Just when I was about to ask Ben to let me out, he found the place. Success!

Not so fast. These folks in Durango got rules. I’ll let Ben explain it..

Well shit, you can't always get what you want. Sorry Ben. Time to get on the road. Stay tuned. The next 48 hours of travel would make Ben's burrito quest look like small potatoes. It would also give us all an opportunity to see Ben at his best. I'll write more soon.

Brent

Durango, CO & the Summit Tav

2010-03-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

I cut out on you last time without finishing up on Flagstaff. What a great place! The owner of the Hotel Monte Vista (Sean) takes great care of us. We get the royal treatment every visit and he provides us with a guarantee and rooms. This time he even gave us an upgrade and hooked us up with two of his best rooms. Ben and I took the Alan Ladd suite and the other guys got the Presidential Suite. Hell yeah!

And there was another surprise. Our good friend Joe Howe (part owner of the Sunset Tavern in Seattle) came out to Flagstaff just to party with us and see the show. He got a room and closed out the night! Man, I love this guy and it was great to get to hang out with him outside of Seattle. Good times to be sure.

The crowd was rowdy and the Monte V and there were a good number of returning fans. Here’s a clip of me entering the room at the beginning of our set.

We had a nice talk with Sean the next morning, and there is talk of having us back for a big music festival in August. I’ll pretty much take any offer to play in Flagstaff and hang out at the Monte V. We still gotta work out the dates, but I’d say there is a good chance we’ll be back this summer.

Durango:

I have been looking forward to the Summit Tav show since I booked it. We have a good deal of support in this town and the local press gives us love. Story from the Durango Herald here: http://www.durangoherald.com/sections/A&E/2010/03/12/The_Rodeo_rides_rhythms_of_real_country_music/)

The local radio station KDUR (www.kdur.org) aired a 30-minute interview previewing our new album and our appearance at the Summit Tav. All indication was that this would be a perfect night.

And it was a perfect night for us as far as the show was concerned. A ton of people came out and we played our Asses off. We had a bottle of Jack on stage for the baptism and people went nuts. For the first time I saw baptism veterans adding stylish moves to their baptismal. Men were dipping their gals in front of me and the girls were opening their mouths like little birds. Kudos goes to the folks of Durango for taking things up a notch. But things got weird after that.

There is a point in every tour when cowboys get tense. We have been doing this long enough that we expect a full melt down to happen somewhere along the road. Any one-band member can be the instigator and when it happens everyone gets sucked in to the drama. We have become such a family at this point, that it’s understood that everyone is entitled to lose their shit at some point. This time around the melt down happened in Durango, and I was the instigator.

I’m not proud of what went down after the show. I have a habit of not speaking my mind until it is too late. There had been a number of things building up that were bugging me. None of them were band deal breakers, but the stress of booking a tour, traveling in tight quarters, and trying to keep it all together financially wears on a guy. It makes it so the small things seem intolerable. I’m sure you might want more details, but there is no need to flesh this internal stuff out in public. Let’s just say I had to say some things and they got said late at night in the middle of the street while were loading the van.

It was loud, it was obnoxious, and anyone who witnessed it would have thought our band was finished. Not so. Like I said, we’ve been through this before. I feel worse for Bryan Crawford because this was his first time to experience the Rodeo melt down. I think he lost some sleep over the whole thing. But you know what, sometimes things need to be said. We all went our separate ways and met back at the room after a little cool down. In the end there was a less emotional (and more productive) talk. We put it behind us. Even Bryan survived this unpleasant Rodeo tradition in tact. Let’s just say this may have been the last missing piece needed for the new guy to earn his stripes. Welcome to the Rodeo Bryan!

This morning we got up, got some breakfast and hit the road. We are driving through snow now, and just coming in to Albuquerque for an early show at the Atomic Cantina.

Tomorrow night we will be in Tulsa. It’s a big drive (10 hours or so??). Better play some music and get back on the road. That’s what we do.

Vegas, Flagstaff, and Durango...

2010-03-13T19:35:00.000-08:00

This band moves fast. We hit a city, do our thing, and get out of town. We won't have any scheduled days off at this point until we return to Seattle at the end of March. That's the way we like it. That's the way we roll.

The past couple of days have been a whirl wind and I'm just now getting to the blog. I guess I left off in Los Angeles. The last thing I remember was soothing my hangover in the hot tub of the Disneyland Holiday Inn at 9:00 AM before we loaded the van. It's rare we stay in a room with hot tub access and I try to get the most out of the amenities. It was nice to get away from the other cowboys and soothe my aching head.

We made it to Vegas without any trouble and got a room at our regular spot, Hooters Hotel and Casino. Hooters is always cheap and hospitable. This time we got rooms for $29.00 a night. Can you believe that shit? A cheap room is critical to tour finances and Hooters is right in the middle of everything (just across the street from MGM). This is our third time to stay here, so it's starting to feel like home.

This would be our first time to perform at the Double Down Saloon. I've heard a lot about this place. People keep telling us to expect a wild time. That's what we live with everyday, so it seems like we'll fit right in. I start things off right by marking my territory.

I like the Double Down. It looks a little rough and it feels like one of our regular spots. They've got one of my favorite slogans painted on the wall. Like a typical tourist, I had to get a snapshot.

I consider it a personal challenge to cram five cowboys on to a tiny stage and this is one of the smallest I've seen. Problem solver Ben Strehle snaps into action and creates a stage extension for my mic stand out of one of Sugar's empty gear cases. What would we do without Benny boy? He's like a walking, talking swiss army knife wrapped in a cowboy suit. God bless him.

Once things were set up we ripped into a single set of my favorite Rodeo tunes punk rock style. Bryan Crawford killed it on the drums and kept us pumping throught the set. It was sweaty and it was good. I did my best to stay atop the tiny stage and keep from knocking Tiny Dancer in the head. After our set, we hung out and met local folks. Do you know how hard it is to meet locals in Las Vegas? More music, more connections, time to go!

Next stop, Flagstaff. After loading the van, I called dibbs on the back seat and curled in to the fetal position. Something about that spot makes me sleep like a baby. Next thing I know we are making a road side pee stop and there is snow on the ground.

Sugar has things set up to get a tattoo when we get to Flagstaff. A friend from our last visit owns a shop and hooks him up with an appointment. This is his second tattoo this tour and he always has to take it up a notch. So do what do you think it will be? Maybe an eagle, or a rose? How about a dragon? Know, that wouldn't be special enough. In a flash of genius Sugar decides to honor the person he loves most and gets a comic book image of himself on himself. Hell yeah! That's the Sugar McGuinn I know and love.

I love the Hotel Monte Vista. This is our third or fourth time to play here. They treat us well, give us rooms, and always show us a good time. And now they've got us on the back of their t-shirt:

We had a ton of fun at the Monte Vista. So much that I don't have time to get into it now. I've got some vids from the show and more pics, but I'm in Durango now and need to get to the Summit to set up. I'll catch up on the rest when I have some more time.

B

ps - The Hotel Monte Vista is rumored to be haunted.

Goodbye La La, Hello Vegas.

2010-03-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna make this quick cuz it's 9 AM here and we have to get on the road soon. Yesterday was another solid stop on the tour. We met more great people and saw some great music. This was our first time in Los Angeles, and as such I consider this a warm up show. If Los Angeles were a woman, you could say that last night we gave her a kiss on the cheek and a back rub. When we come back next time she won't know what hit her. Hell, I might even drop one in the pail.

The Redwood is a great spot in downtown L.A. The interior looks like a pirate ship. It reminds me of an old bar in Seattle called the Benbow Inn. The Benbow was shut down a few years back after the owner died. Apparently the Redwood has been around since the 1940's, but they just recently remodeled and turned it into a den for pirates. I dig it.

Here are a few pics and vids from our evening at the Redwood.

The Kimble County Killers.

Reverend DeadEye

Saying goodbye to new friends after the show.

Short and sweet. That's about right for a Wednesday. The next few days are gonna be crazy. Vegas tonight and then we hit Flagstaff and Durango. Look for a radio interview with yours truly on KDUR in Durango this Friday at 5:30 PM MST (that's 4:30 PM for our west coast friends). You can hear it on line at www.kdur.org. It'll be a half hour program complete with an interview and songs from our unreleased album "Please Stand By". Hope you can make time to give it a listen.

But for now, we're off to Vegas. Gotta get this show on the road.

Brent

The Rodeo wakes up SLO after a day off.

2010-03-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

On our off day, we decided to take it easy and drive part way to L.A. Since we got a late start we only made it as far as San Luis Obispo.

Waking up with this band is pretty much the same every day. Sugar gets up before everyone else and scouts out the neighborhood. By the time the rest of us get up, he has discovered the neighborhood coffee shop. This gives the rest of us a reason to rise from our coffins. Today Tiny Dancer had a gift for Sugar when he returned from his scouting routine.

Today, like most days, we push it to the limit on our check out. We ask for a late check out, but they can only give us an extra 30 minutes which means we have to get out at 11:30 AM. Way too early for a bunch of worn out cowboys. No worries, Sugar knows where the coffee shop is and it's time to get a move on anyway. The two of us get fueled up while the others finish packing. Sugar explains some crap to me about SLO. Seems appropriate given our slow start today.

And I get my coffee and blueberry muffin.

When we get back the others are ready for coffee and food as well. We return to the same coffee shop because Ben wants a breakfast burrito, and they've got em there. At this point the van is loaded and we are checked out, so we just hit it on the way out of town.

Ben get's his burrito and another coffee for Sugar while the rest wait in the van. Bryan is jacked in on his personal world wide web device catching up on some secret spy shit he does on the side. When Ben get's back, we drive two blocks and Bryan asks "Are we gonna stop for some food?". Are you fucking kidding me? We just stopped for food!

God damn it, if I didn't personally know that Bryan was working on some sort of crazy "save the world" top secret stuff, I would have flown through the roof. But because I know his work is important and he really needs some food and coffee, I agree to order the van around the block a third time and we go back to the exact same coffee shop. Tiny Dancer is not happy at this point, but it's important for Bryan to have his food.

Bryan seems happy with his burrito.
After what seems like an hour of driving in circles around San Luis Obispo, we finally get on the road. Time to get out to Anaheim for a show at the legendary Doll Hut!
But hold up. We can't just blow through California wine country without a traditional cowboy wine tasting.

Wine can creep up on you. As we approach L.A. Sugar let's the driver know he's gotta pee. Only problem is that L.A. traffic has already started at 3:30PM. When you're traveling it's important to always schedule your pee's so that they happen in outlying areas. Major metropolitan traffic jams are not a good place for this sort of thing. Sugar knows this. Sugar should have known better. Sugar is forced to wait until we get to the Doll Hut. Here's what happens when we get there.

After Sugar takes care of some business, we find a cheap hotel near the club (Disneyland Holiday Inn) and get some dinner. Sugar expresses his affection for the band here.

The folks at the Doll Hut are awesome. This is a Tuesday show, and frankly it's great to even have a show on Tuesday. Early days in the week are always tough to fill when booking a tour, and nobody wants to have another day off. Tim the booker was so cool about it, he had his own band opened the show for us. They were some bad ass hardcore crazies called DMF (Dirty Mother Fuckers). We watched their set, and then they gave us some love. It may have not been the biggest night ever in the history of the Doll Hut, but we killed it and this sets the stage for some bigger stuff around the corner. Tim is already talking to us about a nice weekend bill with some bad ass local bands in June.

This is honestly the best part of touring. You meet some great people and build connections at every stop. It's not always number of people at the show, but the type of people who come out. We met some good folks on this stop. Here is a little taste of what can happen at the end of the night when on tour with the Rodeo.

Time for me to get up and hit the hot tub at the Disneyland Holiday Inn. We play in downtown L.A. at the Redwood tonight. Looking forward to some more fun.

Later,

Brent

Monday, our only day off. Trouble comes in three's?

2010-03-08T16:56:00.000-08:00

Today is Monday, our only day off of the entire tour. We are only a few days into the trip, but as it turns out the day off was well planned. We spent the first three days doing our biggest drives and getting little sleep. The combination of sleep deprivation and tour acclimation has left us exhausted. The night of sleep in Santa Cruz was well deserved. I woke up and looked out the window of my hotel bathroom and saw a lemon tree. It took me back for a second. I didn't realize we had actually traveled far enough south for lemon trees. I almost stole a few and squeezed out some fresh lemonade.

Shortly after packing up the van, Sugar realized that he had lost his hand cuffs while drinking at the Red Room in Santa Cruz. It's not like Sugar to lose his handcuffs and it's troubling to think someone else might have access to one of the items from his utility belt. The daily mission quickly changed from getting the hell out of town, to locating the missing cuffs.

We went to the club which was locked up and closed for the day. Ben started banging on the door and found a nice spanish speaking gentleman who was doing some cleaning. It seemed like this might be our big break since Ben speaks about 23 words of spanish. Ben went to work, but came up empty handed.

No cuffs. What the hell? I'm pretty sure Sugar's balls are sucking back up inside his body right now. We'll be hitting every pawn shop in California looking for a replacement.

And as if that isn't bad enough, Ben broke his brand new dolly.

They say trouble comes in three's. I'm on the look out for one more disaster today. After that, I'm counting on smooth sailing.

Heading into San Luis Obispo now for an evening of R&R. Wish us luck.

Ben's broken dolly got left in a tree somewhere outside a coffee shop in Santa Cruz.

PDX to San Francisco to Santa Cruz

2010-03-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

Damn, we're only a few days into this tour and it already feels like a dream. We've been going non-stop since we left Seattle. I think I left off in Portland, so I'll bring you up to date.

The drive to San Francisco was pretty standard. Everyone hurt from the prior night, but we all got up on time and powered through. Something about being in the van makes everything OK. It's kinda like being in the womb. Ben and Sugar did the driving and the rest of us tried to catch up on some sleep.

Amnesia is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to play in San Francisco. It's a great room and the people are a blast. This was another good one. Check it out.

Johnny took this photo. That's right Johnny Podhradsky made it to San Francisco just to give us a little tease and then leave us. He's still thinking of joining us on down the road. We'll see about that.

Our friends in Apache Thunderbolt rocked it and opened the show in style.

Here is Bryan's recap.

While the other loaded the van, Tiny Dancer had time to work on his Karate moves.

We had a lot of friends in San Francisco and it took us forever to get on the road. One big surprise was my brother showed up from Dallas, Texas. He came out with my cousin and I had no idea he would be at this show. It was great catching up and seeing him (even though it had to be quick). After we caught up and said our good byes, Ben took over for another late night drive. We got a couple of hours outside of San Francisco and grabbed a room at 4:00 AM. We were up by 7:45 AM and on our way to KPIG for a live radio broadcast.

We met some great folks at the station.

And got some swag for our van.

This was all followed with a set at Don Quixote's. A band from Fresno called Motel Drive opened. Great music and great people. DJ Tom LG spun 45 RPM records. Here he is eating nachos while spinning.

After the show, I lost my god damn Cartier sunglasses. This was followed by an all out band alert level orange gear hunt. We turned the place upside down. Everyone knows how much these shades mean to me. No one at the club had a clue. They were nowhere to be found. Just when I had given up hope, Ben dug my guitar case out of the back of the van and found them (just where I had left them). Jesus, I'm such a douche. That being said, I'm glad to have them back.

We ended up crashing in Santa Cruz and got our first full night of sleep for the tour. After a nightcap, I had some late night breakfast.

Now we are ready to hit the road again. Next stop L.A. Hell yeah.

Tour Blog - One down, twenty-three to go...

2010-03-06T17:16:00.000-08:00

It was a good first day. We started with a pre-tour load out rehearsal in the basement.

Loaded up.

And then we got the hell out of Seattle. Sugar didn't waste any time getting into the zone. It's always good to start the tour with eye panties.

Portland was great. I love this town. We got in late due to some horrible Seattle/PDX weekend traffic. But once we got there, the agenda was clear. Drop the gear, get a room (Jupiter Hotel), eat some free food at Berbati's Pan, see some titties (Magic Garden), play some music, and drink whiskey. Perfect night, right? Berbati's helped us with a bottle of Jack for the set and the baptism was on. We had some great hard core fans come out. What a great way to start the tour. Bryan gives a recap here.

We're on the road heading for San Francisco right now.

Gonna play a show with our good friend Matty at Amnesia. Johnny's coming out to help with the cape. Sounds like he's bagging out on the tour due to some bullshit grown up responsibilities. There is talk amongst the band of a kidnapping. All we got to do is duct tape Johnny and throw him in the van. Once we're out of California he won't look back. Cross your fingers for a successful abduction.

Time to tour......

2010-03-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

Well shit, I guess it's time to get the show on the road. I had a big case of insomnia last night. As in "I only got two hours of sleep" insomnia. I feel jet lagged, hung over, beaten up, and we haven't even left town. This is appropriate, because I'll probably feel this way for the next month. I'm not complaining. It's gonna be a whole lot of fun and I know the routine. Let's do this shit now! Way better to get a move on than to waller in it.

So I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be doing the blog thing again this tour. The boys are coming over to load out in a couple of hours and then we're hitting the road. Stay up with the daily disasters by following us on twitter: www.twitter.com/brentamaker, blogger: http://brentamakerandtherodeo.blogspot.com/, and Myspace: www.myspace.com/brentamakerandtherodeo. We also have a fan page on Facebook: Brent Amaker and the Rodeo.

I'll be posting video, pics, words, and anything else I can float on the world wide web. See you down the road. If you are in Portland, see you tonight at Berbati's Pan.

Brent

photo: Chase Jarvis

Complete list of tour dates!

2010-02-18T13:51:00.000-08:00

It seems like I have been booking this tour forever now. I've been working on it for so long, I'm not sure what I'll do when we actually slam the door of the van and hit the road. I might find myself having tour booking withdrawals. Hell no! That won't happen!! I'm sick of this shit and I can't wait to get out there and play music again. Let's do this shit NOW!

Here is the final list of tour dates. Come see us play music. Come drink with us. Give us a free place to stay. Puke out the door of our van. The Rodeo is here.

Brent

----------

Tour Dates:

Mar 5 2010 B.A.R. @ Berbati’s Pan, Portland OR (w/ The Villains & Ezra Carey)

Mar 6 2010 B.A.R. @ Amnesia / San Francisco, CA (w/ Apache Thuderbolt)

Mar 7 2010 B.A.R. on-air Radio appearance @ KPIG KPIG FM 107.5 ,KPIG AM 1510,SF KPYG FM 94.9, KZAP FM 96.7i Santa Cruz, California

Mar 7 2010 B.A.R. @ Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, Santa Cruz CA (w/Motel Drive)

Mar 9 2010 B.A.R. @ Doll Hut, Anaheim CA

Mar 10 2010 B.A.R. @ Redwood, Los Angeles CA (w/Kimble County Killers)

Mar 11 2010 B.A.R. @ Double Down Saloon, Las Vegas NV

Mar 12 2010 B.A.R. @ Hotel Monte Vista, Flagstaff AZ

Mar 13 2010 B.A.R. @ the Summit / Durango, CO

Mar 14 2010 B.A.R. @ Atomic Cantina, Albuquerque NM

Mar 15 2010 B.A.R. @ Crystol Pistol Saloon., Tulsa OK

Mar 16 2010 B.A.R. @ Hi-Lo / Oklahoma City, OK

Mar 17 2010 B.A.R. @ Trash Bar, Humble TX (ST. Patties Day bash w/ Shivering Denizens + more)

Mar 18 2010 B.A.R. @ Poor David’s Pub, Dallas TX

Mar 19 2010 B.A.R. @ Lochrann’s, Frisco TX

Mar 20 2010 B.A.R. radio appearance KAOS, Austin TX

Mar 20 2010 B.A.R. @ Fitzgerald’s, Houston TX

Mar 21 2010 B.A.R. @ Sunday Sounds BBQ / San Antonio, TX

Mar 21 2010 B.A.R. @ Head Hunters, Austin TX

Mar 22 2010 B.A.R. @ Smoke & Barrel, Fayetteville AR

Mar 23 2010 B.A.R. @ Off Broadway, St Louis MO (w/Two Cow Garage - Columbus)

Mar 24 2010 B.A.R. @ Redline Tap Chicago, IL

Mar 25 2010 B.A.R. @ Nomad World Pub, Minneapolis MN

Mar 26 2010 B.A.R. @ Pheonix Lounge., Harrisburg SD (w/ The Roller Shop)

Mar 27 2010 B.A.R. @ the Moonlight, Mitchell SD

Mar 28 2010 B.A.R. @ The Filling Station, Bozeman MT

Apr 3 2010 B.A.R. @ High Dive, Seattle WA (W/ NighTrain & Young Evils!)

Apr 10 2010 B.A.R. @ Yakima Sports Center, Yakima WA (w/ Animals at Night!)

Missing track completed with some help from NighTraiN.

2010-02-10T15:47:00.000-08:00

Seattle cowboy outfit Brent Amaker and the Rodeo have been busy in the studio since last summer and are putting the final touches on their third album “Please Stand By” which will be out this summer. One track “Tomorrow” was initially left off the album due to vocal issues in the chorus but has been given new light in the form of a collaboration between the Rodeo and Rachael Ferguson of the all-girl punk rock/funk band NighTraiN. This marks the first time the Rodeo have featured female vocals.

The track was recorded and mixed with local producer and artist Graig Markel at his Recovery Room Studio. Markel will be completing an alternate Animals at Night mix of this song using tracks from the recording session on an upcoming digital EP also featuring remixes of Head Like a Kite, Terri Tarantula, and more.

Rachael’s band NighTraiN will be performing with Brent Amaker and the Rodeo on the last date of their US tour at the High Dive (Seattle) on Saturday April 3rd.

Attached is a press release regarding the track "Tomorrow" by Brent Amaker and the Rodeo featuring Rachael Ferguson of NighTraiN:

Hear new Rodeo tracks NOW here: myspace.com/brentamakerandtherodeo

2009-12-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

Photo by Johnny Podhradsky

The new Brent Amaker and the Rodeo LP is finished! It'll be a while before we get vinyl manufactured and have the whole thing available to the public. There's a lot of work that goes into releasing a record, and I don't really expect us to get everything done and distributed until mid-year 2010. When it comes out there will be a 12" vinyl release, a comic book with digital downloads, a CD, and I-tunes. Shit, I guess that pretty much covers everything.

I don't want to make you wait that long without giving you a teaser. These recordings are REALLY good. I'm proud of what we've done and I'd love for you folks to get a taste. For this reason, I've posted the first two tracks from the album on our Myspace page: myspace.com/brentamakerandtherodeo . Give it a listen and let me know what you think. The first track is an instrumental intro song titled "Jonnny's Theme". It's a tribute to the man who puts the cape on the man who writes the country hits. The other one is titled "Man in Charge".

Photo by Shane Williams

We're doing a big US tour in March and many of the dates are already up on the calendar. Here's what we got so far:

Jan 9 2010 B.A.R. @ the NEW Hell’s Kitchen, Tacoma WA
Feb 6 2010 B.A.R. @ the Summit Ski Area, Snoqualmie Pass
Mar 5 2010 B.A.R. @ Berbati’s Pan, Portland OR
Mar 6 2010 B.A.R. @ Amnesia / San Francisco, CA
Mar 9 2010 B.A.R. @ Doll Hut, Anaheim CA
Mar 11 2010 B.A.R. @ Double Down Saloon, Las Vegas NV
Mar 12 2010 B.A.R. @ Hotel Monte Vista, Flagstaff AZ
Mar 13 2010 B.A.R. @ the Summit / Durango, CO
Mar 16 2010 B.A.R. @ Hi-Lo / Oklahoma City, OK
Mar 19 2010 B.A.R. @ Frisco, TX T.B.A. Frisco, Texas
Mar 20 2010 B.A.R. radio appearance KAOS, Austin TX
Mar 21 2010 B.A.R. @ Sunday Sounds BBQ / San Antonio, TX
Mar 21 2010 B.A.R. @ Head Hunters, Austin TX
Mar 22 2010 B.A.R. @ Smoke & Barrel, Fayetteville AR
Mar 23 2010 B.A.R. @ Off Broadway, St Louis MO
Mar 24 2010 B.A.R. @ Redline Tap Chicago, IL
Mar 25 2010 B.A.R. @ Nomad World Pub, Minneapolis MN
Mar 28 2010 B.A.R. @ The Filling Station, Bozeman MT

Hope to see you along the road.

Brent

Living in a hotel......

2009-12-08T14:38:00.000-08:00

It's weird living in the same hotel for a week. Usually when I'm in a hotel I'm on tour and stay for one night max. Whatever happens is left behind and forgotten. If Johnny drinks too much and starts a wrestling match, it's forgotten. If someone pukes, a minimal effort might be made to clean it up and then it too is forgotten. But living in the same room for a week is different. I have a new perspective on what the hotel staff and residents of each town might experience.

This past week, I've heard at least three different couples screwing in the room next door. The walls are super thin and nothing can be done about it. This doesn't bum me out; it's just a weird look into the habits of travelers. There seems to be a routine. The couple arrives in the room and sorts out all the amenities. They settle in, make some jokes, and then the conversation stops. Soon after that there is some mild moaning and eventually it escalates to full blown banging. Depending on the guest this can go on from 5 minutes to a full hour. There is usually a shower after followed by jokes, conversation, and sometimes bickering before heading out on the town. Most will hit it again before passing out around 2:30 AM, and then once more in the morning prior to check out. The second and third time around is usually a quickie.

I didn't ask for this, but I feel the need to share. I think hotels have this effect on people and even couples in long standing relationships step it up a notch when they are vacationing. Good for them!

My residency at the Jupiter Hotel in Portland has been great. But I gotta say, I'm ready to get back to my life in Seattle. Today is the last day of mixing and I move on to mastering tomorrow at Super Digital. After that I'm driving home! Next time I stay in a Hotel, I hope it will be for one night. It's better to leave everything behind than to collect the memories of others.

Portland Waffles in the mix.

2009-12-04T11:08:00.000-08:00

I like waffles. Not just any waffles, but those hot little numbers that come from a window in Portland, Oregon. I've come to believe that the best reason to mix my new record in Portland is that I can have a hot waffle (from a window) every morning on the way to the studio. This shit is really, really good!

Some will tell you that there are better things to eat for breakfast. In New Orleans everyone is all about the beignet. Well I've been to Cafe Du Monde after a full night of drinking and I'll agree it hits the spot when you are really drunk and really hungry. But it ain't no waffle. I'll take a hot waffle served from a window over them snooty french beignets any day of the week! These folks in Portland are on to something. Will someone please open a waffle window in Seattle? Pleeeeeeease!

Brent

ps - The tracks are sounding amazing. I've been handing a waffle to Jeff Saltzman before he starts work each day. I'm pretty sure you can hear the waffles in the mix. Listen for it when it comes out. The new album is titled "Please Stand By".

....resting up for Portland.

2009-11-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

Heading down to Portland this week to mix the new album. I'm excited for a number of different reasons. Number one is that I'm ready to have this god damn record finished. Number two, I'm mixing with my good friend Jeff Saltzman and I miss hanging out with him. Number three, Jeff Saltzman is one of the best in the business and will make the new tracks sound amazing. Number four, Portland has the best strip clubs in the United States of America and I love titties! Who doesn't love titties?

Number five, I'm mastering with Tony Lash - another friend and Portland music legend. Number six, I forgot. Number seven, Big Molecule (Rodeo "Europe" guitarist) lives in Portland and we get to hang out. Can't wait.

Brent

It's good to see a full calendar!

2009-11-19T11:02:00.000-08:00

I just took a break from tour booking long enough to look at what's on the horizon. Shit, the calendar is filling up fast! This makes me really happy. There is nothing better than looking at the calendar and seeing a busy year ahead. Stay tuned for a new album, more tour dates, more whiskey, and more fun. 2010 is gonna be amazing. Thanks for coming along with us on the ride.

Nov 20 2009 9:00P
B.A.R. @ Boundary Bay Brewery / Bellingham, WA Bellingham, Washington
Dec 2 2009 8:00P
B.A.R. mixing "Please Stand By" @ Portland OR Portland, Oregon
Dec 3 2009 8:00P
B.A.R. mixing "Please Stand By" @ Portland OR Portland, Oregon
Dec 4 2009 8:00P
B.A.R. mixing "Please Stand By" @ Portland OR Portland, Oregon
Dec 5 2009 8:00P
B.A.R. mixing "Please Stand By" @ Portland OR Portland, Oregon
Dec 6 2009 8:00P
B.A.R. mixing "Please Stand By" @ Portland OR Portland, Oregon
Dec 7 2009 8:00P
B.A.R. mixing "Please Stand By" @ Portland OR Portland, Oregon
Dec 8 2009 8:00P
B.A.R. mixing "Please Stand By" @ Portland OR Portland, Oregon
Dec 9 2009 8:00P
B.A.R. mastering "Please Stand By" @ Portland OR Portland, Oregon
Feb 6 2010 10:00P
B.A.R. @ the Summit Ski Area, Snoqualmie WA Snoqualmie Pass, Washington
Mar 5 2010 10:00P
B.A.R. @ Black Horse Saloon, Bend OR Bend, Oregon
Mar 6 2010 10:00P
B.A.R. @ Amnesia / San Francisco, CA San Francisco, Washington
Mar 11 2010 11:00P
B.A.R. @ Double Down Saloon, Las Vegas NV Las Vegas, Nevada
Mar 12 2010 10:00P
B.A.R. @ Hotel Monte Vista, Flagstaff AZ Flagstaff, Arizona
Mar 13 2010 10:00P
B.A.R. @ the Summit / Durango, CO Durango, Colorado
Mar 16 2010 10:00P
B.A.R. @ Hi-Lo / Oklahoma City, OK Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Mar 19 2010 9:00P
B.A.R. @ Frisco, TX T.B.A. Frisco, Texas
Mar 21 2010 3:00P
B.A.R. @ Sunday Sounds BBQ / San Antonio, TX San Antonio, Texas
Mar 21 2010 10:00P
B.A.R. @ Head Hunters, Austin TX Austin, Texas
Mar 23 2010 10:00P
B.A.R. @ Off Broadway, St Louis MO St. Louis, Missouri
Mar 24 2010 10:00P
B.A.R. @ Redline Tap Chicago, IL Chicago, Illinois

***MORE TOUR DATES TO COME!!

In between records and tours

2009-10-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying fall. Last year at this time we were buried in a national tour leading out to CMJ and back. Those were good times for sure, but this year I find myself enjoying fall in Seattle. Leaves are falling, folks are putting on there warm clothes, and the coffee shops are hummin'.

Don't get me wrong, I love being out on the road. We just did a quick trip down to San Francisco this weekend and hit Bend, OR on the way out. These little "one off" tours are always a good time and help justify the investment I made in our 15 passenger Rodeo tour beast.

The drive to Bend was long, but well worth the trip. We played a new venue (for us) called The Black Horse Saloon. The Black Horse claims to be the largest biker friendly saloon in the Northwest. All I know is that Bend, Oregon has good people who love music and a bunch of them came out to our show.

We played a relatively sober first set, until people started bringing us shots of whiskey. Whiskey is an unpredictable thing for the Rodeo. It usually goes one of two ways. Either the audience is seasoned and interested in a big baptism. In this case we'll receive between 20 - 30 shots which is more than enough to share with the crowd. The baptism "is on" and I get the crowd drunk.

Or......, sometimes it happens like it did Saturday night. Good folks enjoying the show see a bunch of cowboys dressed in black and in the spirit of a good time, they bring us four or five shots at a time throughout the set. This can be a disaster, because it's just not enough whiskey to share with the audience. As a result, we're obligated to drink every shot. Wouldn't be polite to leave it sitting there. So the shots keep coming and we keep drinking. Shit happens I guess, and in this case the crowd kept drinking shot for shot and everyone in the club was blotto.

We played a full set of Rodeo standards, drank some more and at the request of the club, played a second drunk set. Everyone loved it, but damn it was tough to keep it together. Good thing the audience was wasted too.

Driving with a hangover is standard operating procedure on tour, but somehow we always manage to have some fun. Nothing like tuning into a "new country" radio station to get you in the spirit. Check out Ben on this one. I think he may have a future career opportunity with Keith Urban:

So anyhow, I won't bore you with the rest of the driving stories you've heard a million times before. Pretty much all revolves around eating, peeing, and buying/reading porn. We made it to San Francisco safely and blew it out big time at Amnesia. Tons of people came out and we played one of our best sets ever. I think I may have spotted a single tear on Sugar's cheek at the end of the set. Priceless!

So back to fall in Seattle. We've got a new album coming out in 2010 with a full length comic as an optional means of getting the MP-3 codes. We're mixing the record the first week of December. Simon Young and Jay Cynik are working hard on production of the comic book now. Here is a little teaser (Pages 1 & 7):

The new material is really good. Can't wait to get it out there, but it takes time to release a vinyl/comic /digital album. Believe me, it'll be worth the wait.

B.A.R. performs with David Allan Coe this Labor Day

2009-09-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

This Labor Day Seattle-based Brent Amaker & the Rodeo shares the stage with legendary outlaw performer David Allan Coe as part of his latest North American tour. Coe, primarily known for penning the anthemic "Take This Job And Shove It" made famous by Johnny Paycheck and also for compositions for artists like Tanya Tucker, recorded over 26 albums in his long career. His often controversial lyrics and rowdy stage appearances have served as inspiration for bands like the Rodeo all over the world.

"We are excited as hell and honored to support legendary outlaw David Allen Coe when he comes to Seattle.
Fans who come out to the show will definitely have an experience to remember. It's gonna be badass!"

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo are gaining a reputation for their raucous, whiskey-infused shows where a growing number of fans participate by emulating the Rodeo's iconic style. Dressed in black from head to toe, the Rodeo offers up original country music classics a la Johnny Cash but delivered in the spirit of Devo, David Bowie and many others who still believe the live show should be, well a show.

The Rodeo have spent the last two years touring the US and Europe in support of their 2006 self titled release and 2008's "Howdy Do!"(http://www.gravewaxrecords.com). This summer they are hunkered down in the studio making a new record, but they have carved out some time for a mini-West Coast tour which included run-ins with fellow Seattlites The Super Suckers and The Valkyries.

This past year B.A.R. gained national exposure on the Showtime series "Californication" and have made appearances at music festivals around the world including CMJ. You can also find them performing in the indie "slasher" feature film "Punch" (http://www.myspace.com/punchbrandfilms) just released on DVD. Director Jay Cynik honored the Rodeo by directing a video for "I'm the Man Who Writes the Country Hits" which won best video at the Hot Rod Monsters Film Festival, and is currently working with the band to develop an adult graphic comic to be released 2010 in conjunction with the new record.

David Allen Coe
Brent Amaker
& the Rodeo
Philo Beddoe
Bullitt County

El Corazon Monday September 7th

$20adv/$25dos

Doors open at 7 PM
Show starts at 8 PM

Tickets Available at
Ticketswest Outlets
& The Door

Photo by Shane Williams

Photo by Johnny Podhradsky

Showtime - Californication Official Site

2009-08-20T16:30:00.001-07:00

Showtime - Californication Official Site

Shared via AddThis

Yesterday's News - Episode 666

2009-08-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

Damn, Vegas was fun! This tour was quick and that was our last show before heading home. We've got two jet setting cowboys taking a plane home after Vegas. Me, Steve, Bryan, and Johnny will get the van and the gear back to Seattle. It'll take us a couple of days, and even though this was a short tour it's always great to get back home.

After dropping the boys off at the Salt Lake City airport, we stopped for some food and enjoyed the fresh air. Tiny Dancer found a farm kitty:

....and we witness a family walking their goats:

Here is a quick look back at some of our memories:

BRYAN & TINY DANCER IN BOISE

BRENT AMAKER AND THE RODEO, Western United States

EATING PIZZA IN DURANGO

SELLING MERCH IN FLAGSTAFF

PLAYING MUSIC IN FLAGSTAFF

JOHNNY TAKES A NAP IN THE VAN

ON THE ROAD

I won't bore you with the rest of the long drive back to Seattle. Thanks for staying up with our adventures.

Our next Seattle show is at El Corazon on Sept 7th. We are playing with country music legend David Allan Coe. This is gonna be a good one, so if you are anywhere near Seattle, come out and drink some whiskey with us.

And stay tuned for our new comic coming out in 2010. Here's a pic of Sugar kicking some ass in Mexico:

Until next time,

Brent

Yesterday's News - Episode 5 "Vegas Baby!"

2009-08-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

It's a typical morning after a show. Cowboys wander the streets of a small town looking for food. Some sleep in, while others make the move to keep the tour rolling. Usually Sugar is the first one up (unless it was a particularly rough night), and you will find him looking for breakfast. I ended up grabbing some food with Sugar and Ben, while the others tended to their hangovers. Tiny Dancer was having a particularly tough time this morning, so it was better that he just walk the neighborhood and chain smoke. We are on to Vegas next and I'm pretty sure Tiny Dancer needs the kitty.

Have I mentioned that our new drummer, Bryan Crawford, has been kicking some serious ass? With only a few shows under his belt, he is living the Rodeo lifestyle and keeping everything together every night. It's tough dropping into this band, and he has done it with ease. Good work Bryan!

On that note, I should say it has been hard to even contemplate a tour with out Mason Lowe. I've learned over the years that we never really replace a cowboy in this band. We just move on to something different. I pretty sure Mason has been on everyone's mind this trip. It was really tough moving on after his departure and it's particularly hard to be on tour without him. The Rodeo marches forward and Mason is one cowboy who definitely left his mark. Here is a little look back at Mason:

MASON SHOTGUNNING BEER IN MITCHEL, SD

ON THE PLANE TO EUROPE.

DRINKING WITH BRENT IN BERLIN.

ON THE BEACH IN CALIFORNIA

OUR SOON TO BE RELEASED COMIC!

If Mason were here, he'd be telling me to cut out the sentimental crap. So I'll get on with the blog - Vegas Baby!

We get on the road and pass the time by checking out some rough mixes from our up coming release. These are brand new tracks!

On our way to Vegas we find our first Adult Super Store and we are excited to stock up on some porn. The porn selection has been scarce this tour, and I've read Tiny Dancer's copy of Sticky Buns about 50 times. We need some diversity in our collection!

So you can imagine my disappointment when we roll into the parking lot to find the porn store is closed and won't open for two more hours. Bummer! That's OK. Things have a way of working out for the Rodeo. Right after we get there, a car pulls into the empty parking lot and a nice lady gets out. We tell her that we are on the road and in need of fresh porn, and guess what? She has a key to the store and is ready to help us out. That's right, an employee of the the Adult Super Store opens two hours early for the Rodeo so we can stock up on supplies and get to Vegas. Now that's hospitality! I didn't catch your name, but thanks for the leg up Ms. Porn Store Employee. The Rodeo won't forget this act of kindness.

After stocking up on porn, we find a little road side stop and grab a beer. This place is a wonderland. Check it out:

We make it to Vegas for a show at the Dive Bar. We've had a tough time communicating with the booker, and to be honest we aren't even sure if this show is confirmed. We decide early in this tour that we would just show up at Dive Bar, start loading our gear in, and assume the sale. They have been good to us in the past, so we are hoping it won't be a problem. WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY WORD FROM THEM THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE A SHOW PRIOR TO LEAVING SEATTLE.

The band walks in the club carrying gear and the bartender yells "Hey it's the Rodeo!" I ask which slot we have and he tells us we are headlining, which means we can play whenever we want. We decide to take the second of four slots and play at midnight. Hell Yeah!

And there's more good news, The Valkyries (from Seattle) are also on the bill. The singer introduces herself and says she's been looking forward to catching one of our shows. It's cool to be running into Seattle folks in Vegas and this is an all girl metal band. Right up my alley and perfect for a Rodeo show!

Here is a clip of me rocking out to the Valkyries following our set:

We also met some cats from L.A. called the Heavy Young Heathens. I traded one of our CD's for vinyl. I've been diggin' on this record ever since we got back from tour. Two guys with a shit load of gear:

After the show we checked in to our favorite place to stay - The Hooters Hotel and Casino. Hooters is right on the strip and rooms are super cheap. We hit the slots and eat some late night food. I won $150 on a $5 slot in a drunk moment of gambling. It pays for the evening. Here are a couple of shots from our late night breakfast:

GOOD NIGHT!

Yesterday's News - Episode 4

2009-08-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning in Durango is good. We are sleeping in hotels this tour! This is a major upgrade from our last string of dates. Everybody got to sleep in a bed and while this doesn't help the hangover, it does help our backs.

The Abbey Theatre was kind enough to let us stash our gear at the venue after the show. This means we gotta wake somebody up to let us in so we can get our gear. After standing outside the club for awhile, I wake up my manager back in Seattle (Leigh). She puts me in touch with someone who can let us in. So we park the van in front of the Abbey and wait. Doesn't take long before we get loaded up, grab a bagel for the road, and get movin'.

The drive to Flagstaff was shorter than the others, so Tiny Dancer insisted we stop for some thrift store action:

Well, a tour is not complete without a good traffic jam. We hit a couple of them on this trip, but the one on the way to Flagstaff was a doozy. Check it out:

Despite this little set back, we make it to Flagstaff with time to spare. Our show is at the Hotel Monte Vista. This is a great roadside stop that gives us free lodging and a place to play our music. It's also known for it's ghosts! Here are some pre-show clips:

And of couse, there was another whiskey baptism. Flagstaff knows how to have a good time!

At some point Johnny and his camera will get on your nerves:

Every proper show should end with a re-cape:

So everything worked out good at the Monte V. We continued to drink into the night and closed the bar down. Good times!

Yesterday's News - Episode 3

2009-08-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

So we wake up in Salt Lake City and we pretty much want to get the hell out of town as soon as possible. Usually when we feel like this it's because of some shit we started. Not the case in Salt Lake Shitty! Not only did this town give us the cold shoulder, but Sugar is flying in at 9:00 AM and we are really looking forward to having the whole crew on board for the tour. So we get up early, get out fast, and skip breakfast.

While we are waiting on Sugar to arrive, Johnny catches me on camera cleaning up some trash:

And the man arrives. We caught it from two different angles. Look how happy Tiny Dancer is to see Sugar:

Tiny Dancer can't wait to show Sugar the new cowboy pillow he found for the van:

Who are we kidding. Can't skip breakfast! Now that we've got Sugar we stop for some AM vittles:

So we eat our food and get on the road. Next stop Durango! We're excited about this show because Durango has been good to us in the past AND we are playing a theater show with Supersuckers. Sweet! We get an hour or so under our belt before the coffee goes straight through us. Everyone's gotta pee and NO rest stop in sight! No worries, we're cowboys:

It's good to pee....

The Rodeo loves touring and we pick something up in every town. We played CMJ last fall and discovered real New York pizza. Since that tour, I find myself constantly looking for good vinegar to throw on top of my New York style pizza. It's never the same, but I keep looking. I should just wait it out for our next East Coast tour, but I keep searching. We had some pretty good pizza in Durango. Johnny captured a candid moment of us eating:

Here is a little slice of our Durango show:

.....and as usual there was a healthy turn out for the Rodeo baptism:

Someone jacked up Sugar's glasses at the show. He talks about it later in the hotel room:

Looks like it's time to turn in.

Yesterday's News - Episode 2

2009-08-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

3 piece Rodeo playing for food in Boise

Day 2

Our day starts in Boise and ends in Salt Lake City. We're itchin' to get to Salt Lake cuz that's where we pick up another cowboy. Ben flies in at 6:15pm, so we gotta make tracks to get there in time.

I'm able to catch a few Zs in the van and in a sleepy state I take the time to rip on Johnny. Check it out:

The drive isn't too bad and we've got extra room due to missing cowboys. We don't waste a lot of time stopping, cuz we want to be on time for Ben's pick up. I'm a little jealous of the fact that he gets to jet in to town with fresh clothes and zero miles under his belt. I'm not so jealous of the fact that he is traveling by himself. It's always more fun to cowboy up when you're in a pack. Here's a shot of us picking him up in Salt Lake.

After picking Ben up, we hoof it downtown to see if we can get into some trouble. Ben is hungry, and he gets cranky when he is hungry. We drive in circles for what seems like an eternity and out of sheer frustration, I book us some rooms at the downtown Marriott. I make a proper entrance. Tiny Dancer helps me with the cape in this one:

As luck would have it, we have a room on the sixth floor overlooking an outdoor concert featuring Sonic Youth. Free concert from the comfort of our room. Hell yeah!

After the concert, the flood gates open around our hotel and to our surprise the Sonic Youth fan base in Salt Lake City is comprised mostly of douche bags. Drunk, or on drugs, countless long hair racist fucks are wandering around yelling profanities. Apparently cowboys aren't welcome in Salt Lake City, and most of the profanities are directed at us. What the hell? The insults are so retarded they don't even warrant a response. We choose to ignore this shit and simply mark Salt Lake City off our list of places we want to visit. Tiny Dancer quips that it might be a good idea to offer up S.L.C. as a target for future terrorists wanting to take out a US city. After debating this comment at length, we decide it may be a better idea to simply add Salt Lake to our black list. I'm certain there are some good folks there who have found a way to live side by side with the concert goers. God help them all.

Here is one of the cowboys enjoying a smoke after the concert.

Yesterday's News

2009-08-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

We just finished a week long jaunt to Durango, CO with several tour dates in between. We crammed so much driving into the short trip that I was unable to blog in real time. The good news is that Johnny brought a new little gadget on the trip that shoots HD video. We caught a bunch of random shit and documented it in a series of short video clips. Starting today I will be posting these clips with some back story each day in a segment titled "Yesterday's News". Here is the first segment. Enjoy!

Day 1 of the summer tour:

Four of us drove the first chunk of the tour (Me, Johnny, Tiny Dancer, and our new drummer Bryan Crawford). Ben and Sugar would be meeting us in Salt Lake City. I Arrived at Johnny's house at 6:45 AM. I expected him to be late, but this time he had a good reason. There was a girl in his bed! Good job Johnny, this is a major improvement over your prior excuses. Here are the first few clips of the day:

Bryan fell back asleep after we called and told him we were running late. This gave Tiny Dancer a chance to smoke another pack of cigarettes.

When you spend hours on the road, it can get a little boring. We spent a good chunk of the first day playing with all the cool features on my new I-phone. Not a very cool cowboy move, but you do what you gotta do to pass the time.

And of course there was some tension.

And some hat pranks. This is a Howdy Don't!

We got some lunch at a taco truck.

But at least Johnny got some sleep.

We made it to Boise that day and played a three piece set at Donnie Mac's Trailer Park Cuisine. Great place. We met some folks and got drunk. Donnie Mac gave us a free meal. Bryan shot some pool.

Johnny dreamed of playing poker, and Tiny Dancer smoked cigarettes "in doors". We brought some bottles of jack in the van, but Boise treated us well enough that we didn't even need to crack a bottle. We passed out in a hotel after tearing it up with the locals. It was a good end to a long day. Oh...., did I tell you how much I love Binaca?

I HAVE A DREAM OF DONUTS AND ROSES

2009-07-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 3 AM to a vivid dream. As of late our fan base has been getting bigger AND weirder. In my dream, the Rodeo was on tour and had an out of town performance. As usual, I was hanging out with Johnny back stage prior to the show. I could tell from the crowd noise a lot of people were in the room. Johnny prepared my cape for the big entrance and the band began to play "Welcome to the Rodeo". I had the feeling it was gonna be another crazy night.

After the music started, Johnny and I entered the room for the cape ceremony. I looked at the stage and found an assortment of offerings from fans. Trays upon trays of DONUTS and ROSES! Sitting right there on the front of the stage were roses by the dozen and glazed donuts stacked on circular bar trays. People were lining up to put more trays of treats on the stage. The offerings were endless. Weird shit!!

I don't think of myself as a prophet, but I've got a feeling I haven't seen the end of this. Why shouldn't the Rodeo be showered with gifts at the beginning of each show? Why shouldn't we have donuts, roses, and whiskey?

I gotta go back to sleep right now. I'll be looking for donuts and roses at our next show.

Brent

PS - WE PLAY IN PORTLAND THIS WEEKEND. HERE IS THE RELEASE:

---------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, June 24th

For Further Information Contact:

Management: Leigh Bezezekoff
leigh@soundandvisionmusic.com

Seattle cowboy outfit "Brent Amaker and the Rodeo" rides into Portland for one night only

Seattle band Brent Amaker and the Rodeo have spent the last two years touring the US and Europe in support of their 2006 self titled release and 2008's "Howdy Do!"(http://www.gravewaxrecords.com). This summer they are hunkered down in the studio making a new record, but they have carved out some time for a mini-tour which includes Portland, OR before gearing up and hitting the road again in 2010.

The Rodeo is gaining a reputation for their raucous, whiskey-infused shows where a growing number of fans participate by emulating the Rodeo's distinct style. Dressed in black from head to toe, the Rodeo delivers original country music classics a la Johnny Cash but delivered in the spirit of Devo, David Bowie and many others who still believe the live show should be, well a show.

"We're always excited to play Portland," growls the enigmatic frontman. "We've had our heads buried in tape for a month now and we're ready to cut loose and have some fun. It's great to be sharing the stage with The Punk Group. This is exactly what the Rodeo is all about!"

This past year B.A.R. has gained national exposure on the Showtime series "Californication" and have made apprearances at music festivals around the world including CMJ. You can also find them performing in the indie "slasher" feature film "Punch" (http://www.myspace.com/punchbrandfilms) just released on DVD. Director Jay Cynik is currently working with the band to develop an adult graphic comic to be released 2010 in conjunction with the new record.

www.myspace.com/brentamakerandtherodeo

Berbati's Pan
10 SW 3rd Avenue
Corner of 3rd and Ankeny
Saturday July 11

$8 Adv
Tickets Available at Berbati's box office & Jackpot Records
Also on-line at www.ticketweb.com

$10 DOS

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo
The Punk Group
Hungry Holler

Rodeo Film Debut in "PUNCH"

2009-05-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo film debut! Rock’n’roll slasher flick “PUNCH” screens in Seattle

Where: Elks Lodge, 301 Queen Anne Ave. N (near Key Arena) When: Saturday, June 6 – 8pm.

Seattle country band Brent Amaker and the Rodeo are appearing in “Punch” a zombie/slasher/hotrod movie by independent director Jay Cynik, showing in Seattle on Saturday, June 6th.

“We play the house band for a zombie bar brawl – I think. My memory is fuzzy,” says Brent. “The 24 hours we spent working on Punch were insane. Showing up on that set was like landing on a different planet. Here’s what I remember: tits, pools of blood, and a weird kid with a corndog.”

In exchange for appearing in Punch, Cynik directed a video for the Rodeo’s “I’m the Man Who Writes the Country Hits,” a not-for-the-squeamish piece that includes many scenes from the film.

“Jay is a crazy high-energy motherfucker. During shooting of the movie, working 20-hour days and putting together animated sequences for the film, he found time to make a dance remix of our Hillbilly song. Now there’s talk of a B.A.R. comic book. Jay’s a little scary. He’s our kind of guy.”

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo will be attending “Punch” in their unmistakable black cowboy gear. For your safety, it is requested that you maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from any member of the band.

Rodeo on the set. Kid Corndog (center). Much more on our day with the PUNCH crew here.

Rodeo NFTN Photo Contest Directions

2009-05-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

Here are the directions for participation in the B.A.R/Noise for the Needy photo contest. If the directions below seem a little complicated, email your photos to brentamaker@gmail.com - we'll put 'em up on Flickr.

1. Upload your photos AFTER June 13, 2009

2. Sign in at to the Rodeo's flickr account here
User ID: brentamakerandtherodeo
Password: bar32509

3. Click on the little arrow next to “You” (under the pink “r” in the flickr logo) and select “Upload photos” from the drop-down menu.

4. Put your name under the photo you submit as a credit. Just to be sure, tag the photos with Brent Amaker and the Rodeo. Be hella cool and remember to logout when you're d-u-n done.

5. Go nuts! Lewdness and creativity will be rewarded. Quality is way more important than quantity.

Here is an alternate method with more detailed instructions (remember, you can always just email photos to brentamaker@gmail.com):

1. Go to http://www.flickr.com
Click on SIGN IN
Make sure you are not logged in as any other yahoo user.
If you are, then click SIGN IN AS A DIFFERENT USER
When the yahoo/flickr sign in page comes up clear enter the following username and password:
User: noisefortheneedy
Password: bullshit1707

From here you are in NFTN flickr pool.

2. Upload your pictures by clicking the button that says UPLOAD PICTURES. At this point you will get a chance to tag and add descriptions to each photo. Tag the photos "Brent Amaker and the Rodeo"

3. Now click on the ORGANIZE tab
Under organize, your pictures should appear at the bottom of the page. Select them all and drag them into the gray box in the middle of the page.
When they are all in the gray box then click on the tab near the top of the page that says ADD TO SET. There will be a a list that drops down. Select EXISTING SET.
A box will appear with all of the NFTN sets. Find the NFTN/B.A.R. Costume Photo competition and click ADD. There you have it. Your photos have been added to the set. Log off and act nonchalant.

Confused? Email your photos to brentamaker@gmail.com and we'll put them up for you.

Enough computer crap! Get your costume together and get crackin'!

"Cowboys in Montana" taking another trip around the world

2009-05-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

for further information contact:

Brent Amaker:

brent@brentamaker.com

Management: Leigh Bezezekoff

Leigh@soundandvisionmusic.com

for immediate release: Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Time for your Rodeo geography lesson…
Seattle band’s “Cowboys in Montana” rides back to Europe for
German compilation CD

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo’s song, Cowboys in Montana, has already had quite a life. It’s been the backbone of the Rodeo’s wild live shows across the US, Canada, and Europe. It also appeared on the band’s second album, Howdy Do (2008, Gravewax Records).

Now Cowboys… is going back to Europe to appear on “Ride the Pale Horse,” a compilation of blood-drenched country music on German label Wolverine Records. Copies can be ordered online through Interpunk. “Ride the Pale Horse” is available online now and the CD will be released in stores throughout Europe and the UK on Friday, May 8.

Cowboys in Montana, with odd lyrics like “Wet your whistle in El Paso/Where tequila flows like gin/They make cowboys in Montana/But in Texas they make men,” has been a source of confusion for Rodeo fans all over the world.

“This song is right at home on an international compilation,” says songwriter Brent Amaker. “A lot of people think the lyrics to Cowboys in Montana were written in English, translated into Japanese, then translated back into English by a computer. Interesting theory, but it’s just not true. I say what I mean and I know what I’m talking about.”

Fair enough, Mr. Amaker!

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo have just finished recording their third full-length album and are planning US and European tours in 2009.

Online Orders: http://www.interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=30663&

Wolverine Records: www.wolverine-records.de/

For more information on Brent Amaker and the Rodeo: www.myspace.com/brentamakerandtherodeo

2009 Rodeo Stay-at-Home Tour

2009-04-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

Howdy everybody!

Those of you who saw the Rodeo on our latest US tour or have been caught up in the frenzy of the recent Seattle shows have heard Brent talk about the “second Great Depression.” He usually brings it up at some point in the show and urges everyone to help him “make it bigger and better than the first one.” That line gives a useful insight into Brent’s grasp of history. But more importantly - and more frightening: It’s coming true.

Yes, the band’s unemployment rate is way above the national average. Yes, money is tight and we had to postpone our third European tour (we’ll be back soon, promise). But I can’t believe how great the last few shows have been. Holy shit they’ve been intense – and we’ve gotten accustomed to a certain level of intensity over the last couple years that would crumple weaker men. Clubs have been packed tight and folks are ready for serious fun. The second Great Depression is clearly a pro-cowboy environment.

We're doing our part to keep the whole thing going, even trying out some new stage moves. Brent realized a childhood dream and arranged for a dancing girl to accompany our set at Neumo. All of Brent's childhood dreams involve girls taking their clothes off. Atomic Bombshell Ruby Mimosa went all out, introducing each song with a fresh costume, adding a feminine counterpoint to the all-dude, testosterone powerhouse Rodeo stage show.

Such a doll. This is a good time to mention the ladies. Dig this glorious picture from a recent whiskey baptism:

A sea of female flesh writhing beneath a full tray of whiskey. It really makes a cowboy feel like he’s doing his job.

Here’s Sugar. He’s clearly pulling his share of the weight.

Um… this happened:

Couldn’t leave that out. This is tour-level madness, right here is sunny Seattle! You know, we’ve been roped into some nutty shit in Europe…

...but now, we’re seeing something really unexpected. Nobody expected the B.A.R. Brigad e! Serious fans dressed in far-out Rodeo gear, getting’ loaded and poppin’ caps. Totally unheard-of in Seattle and exactly the kind of thing that is making this new depression so GREAT.

That’s Kitchen Dick Jones with the painted-on mask. He seems to be the ringleader, but very little is known of this mysterious outfit.

We love to get out on the Road-eo. But damn it, nights like these make Seattle hard to beat!

We’re going to head into the studio with producer Tim Harmon to cut our third album. See you on June 13th at the Comet!

Your pal,

Mason

Enjoy the Rodeo from the comfort of your own home!

2009-02-20T12:38:00.000-08:00

This isn't a brazen plug for Howdy Do, although if you got an itch for a great country album, I know where you can scratch it.

Nope, it's a brazen plug for our live performance on KEXP's Audioasis. On Saturday, February 21 at 8pm, tune your radio to 90.3FM or direct your fancy computer to www.kexp.org.

Even though you won't be able to see us, I guarantee that you will be hearing a fully suited up Brent Amaker & the Rodeo. Dig these pictures (by Johnny Podhradsky, naturally) from some recent radio appearances.

This is London, Resonance FM (howdy Martyn!). Benny even sported the mask. That's commitment.

Here are a couple from WLUW in Chicago.

Do you see a white patch on the edge of Sugar's hat? Sugar's the guy on the left, in the front row. It's pretty subtle.

Anyway, that's a piece of toilet paper I quietly laid across his Stetson before Johnny snapped the photo. When I pointed it out to him, he was surprisingly pissed off. Like genuinely angry at my sophisticated joke.

And looking back, I understand why. You gotta respect the hat. You do. But you also gotta flip shit to your band mates. On the Howdy Do/Howdy Don't spectrum, fucking with Sugar's hat was a Howdy Maybe.

If listening to us on the radio leaves you with a powerful desire for the full-on Brent Amaker & the Rodeo experience, we've got you covered. We'll be at Neumos on Saturday, February 28th with the Dusty 45s and North Twin. More on that later!

Your pal,

Mason

Dig in! Rodeo reviews Seattle restaurants

2009-01-29T09:26:00.000-08:00

Some freakazoid gamer blog picked up an old piece Brent and I wrote about our fave hometown places to eat. I can't remember why it was written, but it is pretty helpful if you're visiting Seattle and is good for a chuckle or two.

Dig in!

In my last post, I made a promise not mention my digestive system - you know, to class up the joint. We have a team of lawyers examining whether or not I have broken that promise with this post about food.

Heads up, Portland! Brent Amaker and the Rodeo are coming to town this Saturday, January 31st. We'll be playing at Kelly's Olympian and catching up with Scott "Big Molecule" Swayze.

Molecule is a Portland resident and the star guitarist of our last Euro tour-o. I traveled hundreds and hundreds of kilometres jammed in the back of a van with Scott. We'd roll out at the end of a night, after drinking many litres of free beer. We were packed so tight in that van I could feel Big Molecule's belches developing inside him before he blessed the occupants of the van with them. I could FEEL THEM. I described this to Brent he said, "Aw, that's really sweet. It's just like a little baby kicking inside it's momma."

Your pal,

Mason

2009-01-20T15:53:00.001-08:00

Rodeo saves mountain town from avalanche

2009-01-14T16:21:00.000-08:00

Hi folks, and Happy New Year! It’s gonna be hard to beat 2008 – US and European tours, a new album, videos, radio shows, and electro-hillbilly remixes by actual Germans. Topping 2008 is a tall order but it is, like our photographer Johnny Potbrownie, totally doable.

We kicked things off in 2009 with a show at the Snoqualmie Summit ski lodge. It was a great chance to get out of town, soak up some mountain scenery and slide all over the fucking ice in cowboy boots. While I’m happy to report that we did not sustain any injuries, Tiny Dancer did slip on the ice while loading gear. As his back whacked onto the ice, his big guitar amp hung in the air for a moment then slammed down on his neck. On his neck. Guillotine style. It looked like a fatal blow but he just brushed off the snow, put a fresh cigarette between his lips and continued hunching gear. 100% Rodeo road dog!

This was a rough show for me. I was battling some kind of sinister lower gastrointestinal bug. In fact, this show at Snoqualmie is significant in my mind as the closest I have ever come in my adult life to shitting my pants.

As other performers can tell you, it’s not uncommon to feel the urge to “dump out” before a show. It’s just nerves, usually. Sometimes you can relieve yourself and sometimes you’re a rock club so “authentic” that a dude isn’t even excited about taking a whiz in the filthy bathrooms. 99.99% of the time, it doesn’t matter. The moment you get onstage, the excitement takes over and your own personal biological needs are the farthest thing from your mind.

OR you’re confronted with that 0.01% and you find yourself in the situation I did - actively trying to “hold my fire” and clenching my southern sphincter while jumping up and down on one foot, sweating gallons, playing stand-up drums for the Rodeo. It was probably the 6th or 7th most intense experience of my life – right up there with having a gun pulled on me in 2002.

I toughed it out. I'm a tough guy. I got through the first set without a blowout and prayed for relief before the start of the second. As we have come to know, God smiles on cowboys and I recovered before we had to retake the stage. (I will spare you the details of my recovery, though I offer my sympathy to the janitorial staff at the Summit Lodge.)

That night, I ran into an old friend who used to sell me grass way back in the early ‘90s. Walking down memory lane with my old dealer! I recall his pot as being fine, but what I really remember was that he used to bring over jars of homemade pickles that were so good they started a pickle making obsession in my soul.

Tiny Dancer aka Steve Davis, defiant after his brush with mortality earlier in the evening had vowed to conjure up an avalanche. He was confident he could accomplish this with a blast of volume and high-frequency aggression during his showstopper guitar solo during “You Call Me the Devil.” When the big moment came, after Brent challenged the audience to “look in these eyes!” I watched Steve reach for the volume. His thumb and forefinger hung there above the knob. He lingered for several tense measures and then drew it back his pale, dread hand. No avalanche tonight. The people of Snoqualmie would be spared and instead treated to a killer (but not killer) solo. Super responsible, Steve.

We were all pooped (figuratively) as we rolled back down the mountain, Ben expertly steering us towards Seattle. Brent, the new and proud owner of a teensy little mutt was tired and ready to be home. He announced: “I’m gonna go home, take a big-ass varsity bong rip, and pet my dog until she has a hole in her head.”

It's 2009 friends, get yourselves a copy of Howdy Do! and go whoop it up.

Howdy from the Rodeo’s Disabled List!

2008-12-16T16:00:00.000-08:00

It’s a pretty short list. Just me, actually. I sustained my injury in the line of duty at our Christmas party at Ballard’s wonderful Sunset Tavern.

It was a rare, magical snowy night in Seattle and I was celebrating the special event by chucking snowballs at people who were being shooed out the door of the Sunset at closing time. Ah, it was beautiful – the perfect set-up for an ambush. The bar staff would usher a group of partygoers out the door and I’d jump out from behind a car and unload an armful of snowballs at them.

They’d scatter and I’d howl with delight.

Eventually I grew bored, so I raised my Stetson high above my head and said my goodbyes. Nobody seemed too upset to see me go. I spun around towards my ride and was delivered, courtesy of the icy sidewalk, face-first onto the pavement.

The people who, moments earlier, found nothing funny about being pelted with snowballs thought the sight of a cowboy falling on his face was endlessly entertaining. People can be such hypocrites.

Getting up off the ice and trying very hard to walk away with some dignity, I realized that my wrist huuuurt. This was a “something is definitely wrong” pain. But I’m a suck-it-up dude. I went home, dragged my drums up two flights of stairs and crashed out.

I woke up an hour later with a pain in my wrist so intense that it could have lit up the bedroom. Since then, I have been a one armed man. My right arm (formerly known as my good arm) dangles at my side and aches like the devil - occasionally sending a jolt of searing pain to my torso. Good stuff!

I’m treating this is a learning opportunity. Every boring daily task has become an adventure. I’m writing with my left hand. It takes me 10 minutes to get dressed. I nearly had a breakdown trying to make toast. I need my girlfriend to tie my shoes for me.

This injury provides a chance for a proud man like me to practice being humble. I find that visits to the bathroom are especially humbling.

I finally saw a doctor. They gave me X-rays (inconclusive – thanks, doc!) and a little wrist brace. I was prescribed ibuprofen - Advil. I’d been popping Advil for the last two days with no effect. If Advil worked, I wouldn’t have been bothering with a doctor. I wish I had crumpled up that prescription slip and thrown it in his face.

On my way home from the doctor's office, still in pain, I stopped at the liquor store for a bottle of whiskey. Don’t judge. I need medicine. I'm even gonna try to get my insurance to pay for the booze.

Well, now I’m off the drums for a couple weeks. If any shows pop up, we’ll have to pull a cowboy out of reserve to take my slot. Curtis, keep your boots polished.

Hey, thanks for reading and welcome to the new blog! We have lots of adventures here in Seattle as well as on the road. Shoot, sometimes I just get excited about weird shit and want to share my joy/disgust with other creeps on the internet. Stay tuned!

Mason

First Blog and an excerpt from our tour Journal

2008-12-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

Howdy. We just set up this blogger page. You can expect to see more of our tour journals, and an occasional comment from Brent. Plus you can expect to see a lot of editorial comments from Rodeo drummer (and writer) Mason Lowe.

I'll start by saying Happy Holidays! We're back from our 2008 US tour and just starting the planning process for Europe in '09. It's great to be back in Seattle for a bit. This is a beautiful place at Christmas time. It snowed this weekend and everyone seems to be in the Christmas spirit. We hosted the Brent Amaker and the Rodeo Christmas party this weekend. Black Daisy and the Purrs opened the show and kicked some serious ass. I gave away presents, the guests drank egg nog, and we all listened to classic holiday songs. Before the evening ended The Rodeo laid down some tunes and served up about 40 shots of whiskey.

It's gonna be a great 2009. We just released our new CD "Howdy Do!" on GraveWax Records. As if that's not enough, you can now hear one of our songs on the Season 2 soundtrack for the Showtime original series Californication. It's available on I-tunes now and the CD will be in stores soon. Man, I love that show. Who doesn't like to see a broken hearted man in his 40's gettin' with all the young pussy in L.A.? My kind of show!

Speaking of our new CD, Americana UK took the time to review it. Here's an excerpt:

Quite simply the most horrendous album I’ve ever had the misfortune to hear and review. Gawd help us.
- Americana UK

You can check out the whole review in all it's glory here:

http://www.americana-uk.com/auk/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=4203

I'm going to leave you with an excerpt that Mason wrote during our recent US tour. There are a lot more journal entries up on our Myspace page at www.myspace.com/brentamakerandtherodeo. I'll have them all up for you during our next tour.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo

2008 RODEO US TOUR JOURNAL – 2 BY MASON LOWE
October 16, 2008

Mitchell, SD

Mitchell is the Rodeo's second home town. This is where our friends/video producers Cody and Troy (of Black Daisy) are from. Johnny, too. These cats get a lot of love here and it translates into a town full of kick-butt Rodeo fans. On the last two tours, I listened to Brent and Sugar talk and talk and talk about the 2006 Mitchell show as if it were a profound, mystical experience. Which is pretty annoying, but expectations were high for the show.

And it did not disappoint. On a Wednesday night, the Moonlight Bar was full with friends. During the whiskey baptism, Brent poured an entire bottle of Jack down the throats and over the faces of the fans. It was a great way to bounce back from the grueling, 24 hour drive.

Everything was going according to plan. We were riding high. Then, between sets, I destroyed whatever dignity I had. This is not an easy story to tell but Brent insisted.

A couple of the dudes and I walked to the apartment of a local guy who wanted to share some grass with us. I got pretty stoned. I had to poop. We'd been driving for 24 hours and some needs took a back seat. I did my business and flushed the toilet. Sit-down jobs are never really a picnic when you're high. This became a nightmare. I flushed the toilet and the water filled the bowl and kept rising. And rising. The more I hoped it would just stop, the higher it got. Slo-mo dread. Imagine my stoned horror as I watched water and other stuff crest the rim of the bowl and spill out onto our new friend's bathroom floor. Jesus.

I had to do the right thing. I opened the door and approached our host, "I just took a crap and plugged your toilet and everything got everywhere in your bathroom. It's bad. You can have a free CD." He just smiled and handed me a roman candle and we all walked outside and had a fireworks shootout.

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PS - Please check out our new music video for "When Love Get's to a Man". Get on YouTube and make some comments if you have time. We just put this up and we'd love to get the word out.
Thanks!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkxjAYL50Y8