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P town shoot out!

Our first show we ever played in America was also our first show with Markus and for those two reasons The Crofoot in Pontiac Michigan will always have a special place in our hearts. Well that and the fact that Greg (the promoter) and the meals he prepares for us are amazing.� This show was pretty funny because when we showed up at the venue there was a line up around the block. We quickly learned they weren�t there for us when we realized the boys had straighter hair than the girls and no one was over the age of 16.� There was an all-ages� emo/screamo/metal/pop show going on down stairs that was loud as hell. It didn�t bother us though and it was pretty funny to watch. The show went well but we decided it would be best to leave right after the show to try and get home to our own beds, after all it is only about a 4 hour drive and it�s a cool feeling to wake up on the floor in Chicago, play a show in Michigan and still be able to make it home to your own bed in Toronto.� The next day was a day off, we got some drinks with a couple Wild Beasts and it was nice to be back in our own city. While we were hanging they explained how we had left the night before at a good time because just as they finished loading out a crowd of frantic people came running around the corner on cue with Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang, 6 shots fired in P town. Luckily they managed to escape safely.

The next day was our only hometown show of the tour and it is always nice to play in Toronto. The show was fun but it just isn�t the same when you know all your friends are just down the street watching Teen Tits Wild Wives at Elvis Monday, but its nice to see some new faces coming out that knew the words. Once again the Wild Beasts played an outstanding set. All in all it was nice to be home for 2 days. Now we are on the way to Allston (which is pretty much Boston) and it�s a fucking snowstorm, hope we make it alive.

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In January 2010 Still Life Still moved to Brooklyn NY for a month to play a slew of shows including a weekly residency at the Mercury Lounge . Aware of the importance of these shows, we wanted to bring our A game so we rented a rehearsal space so we could keep our old bangers in check as well as work on several potential "works in progress" for the new record. Introducing Coral Seed, like most SLS songs it was conceived by Brendan and has since become a more fleshed out tune with that signature Still Life sound. Before leaving New York we felt we needed a souvenir of sorts to remember our progress by, so we decided to record an off the floor video in our NY jamspace, also featuring a sample of our new lighting motif. We hope you all enjoy this rendition of Coral Seed as much as we do!

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Chicago, Chicago, Chicago

Chicago, Chicago, Chicago - one of my favorite cities we get to play. The people are great and the deep-dish pizza is always plentiful.

We arrived in Chicago after a quick drive from Minneapolis which wasn�t too bad after the marathon drive. Schubas in Chicago is a cool club with great mac and cheese. If you ever find yourself there it's worth a try. The show got pushed back a little late which was good and bad. We didn�t really get a sound check but the club was full when we took the stage. The set went pretty good with only minor sound problems beyond our control.

After the show it was party time with Wild Beasts. This was the first time the Beasts didn�t have to wake up early the next day. Funny enough it was the first time we had to but that didn�t stop us, for it was Markus�s birthday after all! After partying with the guys we headed to a friend of ours' apartment where we always stay when coming through Chicago, and after some more drinks and a hookah session my night was done.

The next morning we had to be up early for a 3 hour drive to Rock Island, Illinois for a Daytrotter session. The guys at Daytrotter were awesome. We busted a set of 4 new songs which should be up in April sometime. We can�t wait to hear how they sound and to see ourselves in animated form! Then it was a 3 hour drive back and Chicago traffic sucks, so we missed an interview with Threadless clothing �cause it was just impossible to get there on time. But the guys at Threadless were still nice enough to drop us some free tees at the club which was amazing. This was also the first time we got a real soundcheck all tour and boy did it make a difference! It was our best sounding show of the tour. After the show we chilled with the Beasts for a bit and then left to get some more hookah action and sleep.

Now it�s off to Detroit and after the show we�re driving straight back to Toronto. It�s hard to believe that we made it from LA to Toronto in 10 days with 8 shows along the way...

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Amusement Parks

So we decided to keep driving, and by keep driving I mean we drove for pretty much 30 hours straight from Seattle to Minneapolis, and by we, I mean Eric and Markus - I personally slept. However we did make one stop at a Hooters in Missoula, Montana. We Hotwired a hotel when we were almost in Minnesota and ended up in the Hilton, which was a nice reward after the long drive.

That night we all went out and got some good meals and a good rest. In the morning we woke up early and headed for the Mall of America, which is this huge mall that has rollercoasters and mini putt and all that kind of shit. There was also a 5-story high jungle gym thing you can climb, it was pretty insane. Needless to say we didn�t stay at the mall very long before remembering how much we hate malls. Then it was back to the hotel for some beers before sound check.

We had time to kill in between soundcheck and the show so we hit an arcade across the street that was classic. I think Derek killed 1000 zombies, he�s got a dead eye ain�t he? Then it was show time, we arrived to an already sold out 7th St. Entry club. There was supposed to be an opening band but they didn�t play so by the time we took the stage people were restless. Our lights seemed to be extra bright on the smaller stage.

The show went really great, we are finally getting the people dancing down here. After the show it was more chilling with The Wild Beasts in our shared dressing room. We really like those guys. If you haven�t checked them out do it right now! This was also the first show of the tour we decided to really party after the show. This resulted in an epic drunken wrestling match at the hotel.

In the morning we pieced together the night before heading out for our 2 day stay in one of our favorite cities, Chicago. It is also Markus� (our sound engineer, tour manager, driver and friend) birthday today so we would like to thank Peter and Jennifer for getting it on 25 years ago. Happy Birthday Marko!

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The Tour Continues

After San Francisco we drove through the clouds and the forests of Cali and into Oregon for our next show at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland which is a really sweet bar that has a little bit of everything, it's a hotel, bar, restaurant and a venue� all in one. Kind of like a Drake Hotel vibe back home in Toronto. We had dinner at the restaurant and after a fir burger and some beers it was almost time to play. This was the first night we shared a green room with Wild Beasts, which was awesome 'cause we finally got to chill with the guys and chat. The show went really well with our best response yet. Portland got down, people were dancing and getting rowdy. After the show we hit the hotel bar with some of the Wild Beasts guys for some beers and got to know each other a little more. The Beasts are cool cats, we're getting along really well. The next morning we got up for our drive to Seattle to find a few rain storms. This was our first time encountering the fury of a west coast rainstorm but nonetheless we made it to Seattle to find the hotel we had booked was a palace (thank you Hotwire!). We stayed on the 28th floor overlooking downtown. We got some pretty funny looks drinking Happy Hour apple-tinis in the hotel bar, then it was off to the venue, Chop Suey, a pretty seedy bar that looked like a Chinese food restaurant. The show was fun and we ending up at a random house party at the end of the night.

Today is a hung over start to a 27-hour drive from Seattle to Minneapolis. Should be a fun one� Right now we�re enjoying the amazing landscapes of the Rocky Mountains. Stayed tuned blog readers, we'll keep �em coming. Oh yah, happy late Valentine's Day and happy Family Day! Here's a couple pics we've taken along the way, check out more on our Facebook page!

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Don't Leave The Hotel At Night

Well folks, the tour has begun. We hopped on a plane Tuesday morning and headed for L.A. After a few crying babies, some burst ear drums and a few shitty movies we were in Hollywood cruising the sunset strip. The next morning we did a 3 song set for the good people at indie 103 that went great.

After that we headed to our first show at the troubadour on Santa Monica blvd. This was our first time meeting and seeing the Wild Beasts who are really nice guys and an amazing band that puts on an epic show. It was sold out and the L.A. crowd was very responsive. We spent the night chillin' out with some cocktails and woke up bright and early for our drive to San Fran. It was pretty sweet, full of green mountains, puke filled tupperwares, orange farms and some of the nastiest looking cow farms we've ever seen. We arrived in town mid afternoon to some sunshine. It was nice enough weather for Derek to strip down to his speedo and go for a dip, beer in hand into the outdoor pool.

Our hotel was a really sweet looking retro place called the phoenix. It had a really raw rock vibe and we definitely recommend it. Just don't leave the hotel at night alone and watch out for hookers. We're not joking. Our second show was sold out again at the Independent. It was the first time we got to try out our new lighting rig and it looks amazing. Currently as I type we are headed for the red wood forests on our way out of California towards Portland. Our time spent in Cali was awesome; beautiful state to kick off the tour.

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