runnin' for my life

Dear Ryan,
What up son!!! I'm writing you from Salem, Oregon, in a cafe on the first actual show of our tour. I just ate a $3 burrito at the restaurant downstairs from the spot where we're playing (ballroom in a weird antique mall, K showcase as part of some city-wide culture festival.. pretty cool) and at this moment i'm feeling like I shoulda spent a few additional dollars on the burrite, if you KNOW WHAT I MEEN!!! Dude, I seriously exclaimed aloud at dinner like some dandy fop in an Oscar Wilde novel when I got your text about the Gories show! I can't believe you got me a ticket to that shit!!! Now I will be homeless thru June, cause I'm not gonna go back to NYC before that. Thank you so so much, that's gonna be the rage to end all rages. check out this sandwich i made, it fully looks a little like i feel right now ^^^^^^^

spending the last week in olympia has ruled a lot, but seriously all i've done is practice with those dudes and learn their songs. last night waaaveesss played and they were ok, but i'd seent hem so much at sxsw i was kinda over it. also realized that it's just slightly better-than-average pop punk and i couldn't stop thinking of Screeching Weasel or Bouncing Souls demos or some shit. we seriously spent so much time rehearsing, that i didn't even get to hang much with Mariella or any of the Oly homies. One night i just stayed at dub narcotic all night after everyone left and recorded a bunch. i was trying to make a song that sounded like Aerial Pink, even though i've never really listened to any A.P. song all the way through. haha... this is what came out:
"I Don't Believe In Miracles"

brett is here and it's been ruling to jam with him again. the way ian works, apparently is to have a concept or a series of ideas and he'll just say "Ok, check it out... it'll be like 'I'M LIVING ROUGH! IN A BAG ON THE STREET!!!' and then..." and he'll vaguely hum a melody and then we'll just jam until it sounds good. it's amazing! we seriously wrote 9 or 10 songs in this fashion in about 48 hours. i did some demos, and this one was the best... DETROIT MUSIC!!! he sang and i played all the instruments cause no one else was in town yet. kinda sounds like a fucked up funkadellic ja,m or something..
Chain & The Gang "Detroit Music (Demo)"
i should probably bounce, cause i don't know where everyone else is and i prob have to play soon. I really miss you and i'm so stoked for the bloomington/nyc/etc shows later this week. we're going back to portland to sleep after this, staying like a block away from la bonita, so i will pour some liquor out for you! keep on killing it in mmichigan and put up some of those new jams soon!!! no presh. haahahah.
talk to you so soon!
love,
fred

oh p.s.- Ian got a bunch of gospel 45s and some of them have kinda been blowing my mind. a lot of it is so samey, but some is incredible. this soul stirrers song is from after sam cooke left the band and they were still on his record label and then just sounded exa ctly like him. the other one is good, too.
Soul Stirrers "Listen To The Angels Sing"
Five Blind Boys Of Alabama "Running For My Life"