May 14, 18, 19, 26-28th, 2009 - Studio Journal Part 2
So we are done with 3 songs...DONE. It feels eerily similar to last year at this time, crunching to be finished by a certain date to please the masses, but this time we hope that the definition of "masses" will be slightly more grandiose. If you want to say it, we finished the "singles" and are now moving on to the rest of the record. Being in the studio is the closest thing to an actual work day that we'll ever have. It's a roll of the dice weather or not traffic on the capitol beltway will be moving or a complete stand still. I bring a bagged lunch and sometimes curse at the boss behind his back!

Chris




May 5-8th, 2009 - Studio Journal Part 1
As some of you may or may not know, LDE is back in the studio re-recording a few tracks and re-mixing part of our "Studio Debut" to be release later this summer on Imagen Records. Singles, including the first "Meet Me In London" we hope to have done as soon as June, and we will of course keep you up to date as we finish up the work and let you know what possible stations it will be spun on. For now though, I want to shed a little more light on the process of recording and mixing in a big room studio with some great people (with great ears).

For me, this first week has been a real treat (and much more to come) since I really enjoy the whole technical aspect of recording. I like hearing the difference microphones and watching the process for recording and analyzing how it is all put together in Pro Tools and on the SSL (Solid State Logic mixing board) and outboard gear. Granted, although I do enjoy having a full hands on experience with our records like with the past four, it is a comforting change playing a smaller roll in the producer/engineer department. I mean really when it is all said and done, I would much rather have other professionals taking care of tasks like recording, gear maintenance, web design, or road managing. I might enjoy the control, but in the end, to be a successful musician, the band and myself really need to concentrate on writing and performing. Another reason why we are excited to be working with great people in the industry.

For now I'll say that our first venture into the studio was a project finding out how much we are going to use from the old recordings, and what new tracks will be cut for your listening enjoyment. Cue Studios in Falls Church, VA is a very convenient and comfortable environment and we are looking forward to awe-inspiring recording to come out of these early summer days. We'll be returning to Cue later this month and wrapping up the first phase by June. Now only if we could the wireless internet password to work, we would be in studio heaven.

Chris



April 23-25th - Week 4 of April Tour: Seton Hill, Edinboro, SUNY, Keuka
With the college shows winding down, and the temperature rising, we headed north to Pennsylvania and New York. Of course we had no such luck in Greensburg with the weather. On such a momentous day, the air was only able to squeak out a mere 45 degrees during our performance. I don't remember playing in that cold of weather is such a long time. We made due with the music while kids broke out the soccer ball and flying discs to celebrate lunch time with us.

The drive the night before left everyone sleepy for the 2 hour drive north to Edinboro, but by the time we got there, we were all in search for some food and drinks. 4 of us made it out to the Copper Coin in downtown to eat wings and drink $3 pitchers. I can't even tell you how cheep that is. We ran into the band Skinny while we were there (they had just played that night at Edinboro U) and ended up closing down the night with them. We all journeyed back to the B & B and took turns playing out of tune songs on the acoustic guitar. It was nice to finally hang out with those guys after a few years of running in the same circles.

Ahead lay a few long drives through upstate New York, but the shows became the pay off, especially Saturday night in Keuka. We set up in this tent down by the lake where a fireworks celebration was to take place shortly after we finished, but before we began, the place was deserted and it looked as though our friendly rain cloud was going to spoil the night. But our luck prevailed, and by the second song, the tent was filling up with enthusiastic students. By the middle of the show, everyone was up and dancing, bringing a memorable show to us from these last 2 months. The fireworks sealed the deal, thundering their way into our last song, bringing me some joy! I don't remember the last time I actually saw fireworks. The last two 4th's have been rainy and I don't plan on going back to Disneyworld.

Chris




April 20th, 2009 - Week 3 of April Tour: GA High, UNC, Broward, Spinnaker
Continuing on our college tour, we made our way through the 3rd loop over to Rome, GA where we played a pair of shows at Georgia Highlands in 2 days. For the second time in as many weeks, I had an amazing pulled pork BBQ sandwich. This time, provided for the students during lunch, Backyard BBQ of Rome gave us something to savor at the end of the dreary days performance. Maybe the Margaritas at Chili's were the perfect end to the day, not sure, but either way, the BBQ was N-I-C-E.

The latter highlands gig was also moved indoors and were were put in the corner of a hallway where we did our best to smile through a toned down, sleep deprived show that would be our first of 2 that day. I slept in the van all the way North to Lake Norman and put forward a much better show that night. Thanks to Michelle for taking us in that night, thanks for letting me cook my tombstone pizza at 4am, and thanks for keeping most of the zoo locked up for the evening.

After lunch on Wednesday we spent another hour waiting to have our second trailer tire of the tour replaced. In Pembroke, we played the same event we had done the previous year and ran into a few fans that remembered us from said event. Korleen also made the trip from Wilmington to rock with her boys! From there, the next 2 days became a blur of driving and ducks, somehow making it to the gulf cost for our usual 3-day stand at Spinnakers.

Spinnakers highlights: The 3rd and 4th set of all three nights (possible over intoxication), Dave's Photos (which we all hope to see soon...RIGHT??), Karen's amazing lasagna (and all the other food and drink provided), G thang....., Rusty's Mohawk (I hope we have a pic for you soon), Hand Stand solo (I decided to solo by doing flips and hand stands on stage), I won a serious game of poker with 3/5 off suite, and that's all I can think of for now.

It's no secret anymore that we have been in talks negotiating a formal record contract, and most of the weeks on the road were spent reviewing and deliberating about this magical document, that is all together, never that magical. For the drive home, I took the first 4.5 hour shift, and ended up with the last 4.5 hours as well while receiving counsel over the phone. That left me 9 of the 17 driving hours. Hmmmmmm.........Good thing I like staring cross eyed at lines on the road as they pass. Arriving home was mildly anticlimactic since we have to turn around in about 36 hours and do another week, but it is nice to be in my own bed for a night. I think I need to go for a search on eBay.

Chris



April 15th, 2009 - Week 2 of April Tour: Middle GA, Wings, Iain's House
You know you are in a small town when the closest Wal Mart is 30 min away (or a big city, because they don't have Wal Marts there either). Also, why do small Zero star hotels have ironic names like "the Royal Inn" or "the Kings Hotel" and my personal favorite, the "Clean Stay USA." They are always the most dilapidated, towel-stained, low budget establishments in the country. They are .05% better than the rent-by-the-hour NO TELL motels. But alas, we have been graced with a few very nice accommodations on this tour and have been mostly able to spread out and relax when we have not been on the road, which hasn't been that much of the time during the "3 circles and a trip to Florida" tour.

After sending Phil home for his 4-year anniversary, we had a day off just outside the Atlanta airport where our view allowed us to watch 3 planes simultaneously take off with the high-rises of Atlanta as a backdrop for this demonstration of modern air travel. I think I did a Yoga workout, attempting to rid my body of the sickness that had been hampering my upper range of vocals the previous days. Pat and I also tore apart the van doors trying to fix the multiple problems we have been experiencing due to overuse (see March 31st road journal).

The Wings shows each had their issues, BUT it was nice to celebrate Pam's birthday on Friday night in Wilmington. There is nothing I enjoy more than a beautiful night that turns into a violent thunder storm that soaks all of our gear, precisely at load out time. Our "Traveling Rain Cloud" always knows when to kick us when we are down. To make matters worse, we are all allergic to water, so you can imagine that scene???? ?? ?? ? ?????? ? ??

The only redeeming moment on Saturday for me admits the sound system and engineer travesty (there is really no need to document in detail, substitute sound guy = shit show) was my pre show run from the Wing in Mt. P to the top of the bridge connecting us to Charleston. The run was about 6 miles round trip and put me in a much better mood before having to deal with incompetence. Finally, we were able to escape South to Iain's house (fan of the week) for a long night of sleep, and an Easter Sunday day off in Hilton Head. Not much was open, and my poker skills were put hard to the test going heads up with Paterson, only ending in defeat as always.

Records Listened to: The Decemberists (The Hazards of Love), Bon Iver (For Emma, Forever Ago), Ryan Adams & The Cardinals (Cardinlogy), The Nels Cline Singers (Draw Breath)

Movies watched: All 3 Back to the Futures. Harry Potter 4 & 5. 40 Year Old Virgin. The Office episodes online.

Favorite Quote so far: after finishing a song...
Phil: "we are going to do a song off our new record"
Girl in front: "Nooo!! Another Cover Song!"
Phil: "You are the reason why music is dead" (Phil then throws a pick at her. F her)

Chris



April 9th, 2009 - Week 1 of April Tour: GSU, Methodist U, Lander, Dalton State
KATE MONSTER: I wish I could go back to college. Life was so simple back then.

NICKY: What would I give to go back and live in a dorm with a meal plan again!

PRINCETON: I wish I could go back to college. In college you know who you are. You sit in the quad, and think, "Oh my God! I am totally gonna go far!"

ALL: How do I go back to college? I don't know who I am anymore!

PRINCETON: I wanna go back to my room and find a message in dry-erase pen on the door! Ohhh... I wish I could just drop a class...

NICKY: Or get into a play...

KATE MONSTER: Or change my major...

PRINCETON: Or f&$# my T.A.

ALL: I need an academic advisor to point the way! We could be... Sitting in the computer lab, 4 A.M. before the final paper is due, Cursing the world 'cause I didn't start sooner, And seeing the rest of the class there, too!

PRINCETON: I wish I could go back to college!

ALL: How do I go back to college?! AHHHH...

PRINCETON: I wish I had taken more pictures.

NICKY: But if I were to go back to college, Think what a loser I'd be- I'd walk through the quad, And think "Oh my God..."

ALL: "These kids are so much younger than me."

That just about sums it up! Not really, but it's a nice little tune from Avenue Q, a play that I have now seen twice and have immensely enjoyed. I suggest you catch it on Broadway if you have the opportunity. Being around academia this last week HAS brought back many memories for me, but it really just ends there. We got to hang out with plenty of students from a few of the schools, and it is quite nice to see how some things have changed, and yet so many have stayed the same since I was enrolled.

Our trip so far has taken us through 2 GA schools, North and South Carolina, and from large campuses to small. We have had a variety of turn outs, but most of the week has seemed like a blur. I have to keep pulling out the Blackberry and reciting the schedule to the guys so we all know where and what we are doing. In a way it is nice to be super busy and traveling everywhere, but in another, it hasn't been the smartest routing ever. Well who am I kidding, it's been bloody dreadful, but we keep trucking on, hotel after hotel, exit ramp after exit ramp, restaurant after restaurant.

We were fortunate enough to spend a day off in Charlotte, NC with our friends Kristy, Scott, Michelle, Eric, and Ginny, BBQing and playing a large game of Hold em. I'd also like to thank Austin and his friends for hosting us in Dalton, GA where 75 degrees the day before turned into snow. I had my worst Outback Steakhouse meal ever in Greenwood, SC, and my best meal so far on this tour from the Oakwood Cafe in Dalton, GA where an unexpected Pork BBQ sandwich with Mac and Cheese was so good, we went back the next day before leaving town.

These and so many other thoughts are always running through my head.

Chris



March 31st, 2009 - 200,000 Miles: Feels Like 1 Million
It happened today. After 12 grooling hours, a set up, show, take down and lunch, on our way from GA to Charleston, SC, unceremoniously, we crossed the 200,000 mile mark on our odometer. Donnie was happily rolling about 81 mph and I was unfortunately asleep. Phil took a few photos to mark the occasion. Let's do the math. 200,000 miles: divided by 60 (miles per hour) = about 3,333 hours. 3,333 divided by 24 (hours in a day) = 138 days. That means, on average, in the last 40 months, we spent 4.5 of them in the van.

That is some serious time, and that doesn't even include the amount of miles we spent in our own individual cars (about 50,000 miles or 34 days for me) or other people's vehicles, and on planes. We have done some serious traveling and we have many flags in the map to prove it! Cheers to another 200,000, and may our next tour vehicle be a Bus, not bicycles.

Chris



March 25-28th, 2009: West VA, Kentucky, Indiana
If I were a 9-year-old-girl, today would have been one of the most exciting and thrilling days of my short life. I would be drooling and giggly and the day would end with begging my Mom and Dad to buy me a horse, of course not knowing how tragically expensive these massive animals are. But I'm not a 9-year-old-girl thank Obama, I am just a dude that got to see one of the premier horse breeding farms in Kentucky and all of the country. Hill 'n Dale farms in Lexington Kentucky is a gorgeous property full of expensive male race horses settled in for the trade of knocking up female horses for big money, hoping to create championship offspring.

I'll spare you most of the details I learned about the "process", but basically for a price (depending on the horse) an owner can bring in their female horse and have it inseminated. Once the baby (10 month pregnancy) is born, if it stands up on all 4 legs, it's a sale! We got an exclusive tour of the grounds and "process" from out good friend Mike Wlosinski, friend of the millionaire owner. We were lucky enough to have a day off in Kentucky, and shack up with our friends Mike and Cari who were amazing hosts, dealing with every aspect of the rock and roll road lifestyle.

Our West Virginia Tech show went over well, tucked away in the hill side, raining a significant amount of the day. Our Indy show was fun at the Rathskeller although it was only mildly attended because of NCAA and Ron White events close by. But our 2 days in Kentucky were quite fun. This was the first time I or LDE has ever performed a note of music in the state of Kentucky, and why not throw in a day off on the road so we can not make money???

2 back-to-back poker nights, trivia and O rounds at "the rock," and plenty of amazing food and drink at Mike and Cari's rounded out the trip, even though Phil took a buy-in beating by Dave "Shave" Epler on night 2. This little drama ended with a parking lot demonstration of wasting food. Classic.

Chris



March 26th, 2009 - Chris Bruno: If I were "Fan of the Week"

Name: Christopher Michael Bruno

Hometown: Brookeville, MD

First time I ever saw LDE perform: November 23rd, 2003, Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Nottinghams, Columbia, MD. Phil had invited me out to the LDE show since we had exchanged emails about me coming and auditioning for the band. I came out with my friend Kris, sat at a table, Phil introduced me to most of the band (none of which remember) and told the waitress my friend and I were on the LDE tab. We drank, enjoyed a set, he gave me a burned CD of 5 songs (London, Million Ways, No Voy, Kangol, Stranger), left and little did I know what I was about ready to get into!

Favorite LDE song: Sold Out (listen to) Tequila Worms (play)

Favorite Quote/Saying: "This too will pass" ~ Anonymous

Occupation: Rock and Roll guitar player/singer/songwriter/pro tools engineer/graphic designer/web site designer

Do you have any Nicknames: Bruno, BrunoDog, Pup, Face, Brunny, Brun, Baroon 5

How many states have you seen LDE in: 36 (or 2 really, Nottingham's in MD, and Whitlow's in VA, the only 2 shows before I joined)

Any siblings: Brother James (not like Brother James the healer, just a brother named James)

What do you want to be when you grow up: Nomad or Pilot

What was the very first concert you ever went to: Van Halen at Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD

What was the last concert you attended: Conner Oberst, 9:30 club, Washington, DC

Do you collect anything: Everything. Magnets, coffee cups, wine corks, pint glasses, Hard Rock Cafe guitar pins, anything with LDE on it, advertisements, posters, back stage passes, and LOTS LOTS of plastic hotel keys!

Most memorable LDE show: 8x10 CD release show July '08

Do you own any pets: Nope, wouldn't have enough time for one. Want one.

Where were you born: Olney, MD

Favorite childhood memory: Playing catch with my Dad and Bro

Do you, or have you ever played and instrument: umm...Guitar, Piano, Banjo, Mandolin, Lap Steel, Harmonica, Percussion, Drum kit, Bass, Festivus pole, and the bagpipes once.

You favorite feature or quality about yourself: My Intermittent Inspiration

If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be: Home

Favorite Holiday: They are all about the same to me, usually just another gig.

Any Phobias: Broccoli

How many states have you lived in: 2

What was your 1st car: '89 Honda Prelude

Favorite Drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic): Coca Cola Classic

Describe yourself in one word: Distracted

Chris



March 21st, 2009 - Breakfast at Tiffany's, TV, Hiking, Rocking: Roanoke, VA
Somewhere between 3:30am and 4am I start to consider if staying awake till 6am will be better for my voice/sanity than trying to fall asleep for a 2-hour nap. As the rest of the band was already heading to bed and I felt an overwhelming lack of motivation to unholster the Mac, I decided to blow up the Aero and try for some zzzz's. After our first Corned Beef show, we had been treated to a serious breakfast of bacon, eggs, pancakes, fruit, donuts and juice at Tiffany's house and the food was settling nicely, causing the food coma to take me to dreamland. The alarm mine as well have been a prison guard beating my face in after a shiv fight in the mess hall. I got up and had a shower, rallied the troops and rung Rusty with no success.

Our performance on News 7 Roanoke was a bit delirious, but fun overall. We did it low-fi since we had all of our gear set up at the Beef, and made due with percussion, acoustics and a bass amp that couldn't put out enough bass in a pinto. The highlight was definitely "The Spookey" for the outro credits which we not posted online, but thankfully we got a copy on my handheld camera.

Instead of heading right back and sleeping like the rest of the guys (note that Rusty was still sleeping probably at this point) I decided to tag along with Amy K for a hike along the Dragon's Tooth trail in Jefferson National forrest about 30 min away. Once I was on the trail my head was clear of cobwebs and I was excited to scale the rocks and climb to the top of the "tooth." 6 miles later it was time to drive back to Tiff's and get some sleep. The 3 hours I got were not enough to sustain me, and by Sunday, I felt like I had been awake for 10 days straight. 5 is a good number.

Chris