Some Long Winters Shows

[John]

OK. Firstly, let me just say how grateful I am to all you inhabiting this Long Winters internet space despite the fact that we, as a band, have provided so little in the way of new information over the last year. I'm not really at liberty to discuss it specifically, but let me just say that we were drafted into working on a public/private partnership in developing a hydrogen fuel-cell technology that can power a range of devices from a common Mp3 player to an Inter-galactic Battle Destroyer at almost no cost to the consumer, and that when this new product is finally released it's going to revolutionize human life on a scale not seen since the Segway human transporter.

Secondly, you may have gotten wind that we are ramping ourselves back up into full touring regalia, with a new line-up and snappy new uniforms, in anticipation of a new Long Winters record after the first of the year. I can confirm these rumors and add that we're also adding pudding to the mix for a crisper crust and moister 'al dente'. With that in mind we will be doing some touring in the second half of September and possibly into October with our good friends, the English band Keane.

Keane, being international sensations, are ferried from gig to gig on cushioned litters piled high with fruit, their equipment lashed to fifty Asian elephants. They only play shows on days deemed fortuitous by their many astrologers. The Long Winters, camp followers to the last, spinning erratically behind like the glowing red familiar in Close Encounters, will be announcing other shows in the weeks to come, but for now here are a few dates for the fall:

9/20/2005 The Tabernacle Atlanta, GA , United States
9/21/2005 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN , United States
9/25/2005 The Pageant St. Louis, MO , United States
9/29/2005 House of Blues San Diego, CA , United States
9/30/2005 Greek Theatre Los Angeles, CA , United States

Obviously there are a lot of places in America between Atlanta and San Diego not represented on this list, and we will endeavor to hit a small selection of them. Unfortunately, one of the conditions of my parole is that I never tour in a straight line, nor by the directest route, so it may come to pass that in between St. Lou and San Diego we play Gainsville, FL and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Although that's unlikely.

[Liesbeth]

I almost missed the Keane part of this message, excited as I was by the prospect of fuel-cell driven pudding, but Keanemusic.com mentions the Atlanta and Nashville dates. To sort of explain my surprise: Keane is the band one of our interns (aged 19) went to see live a few months ago, and after the gig she actually bought the cd because "they had a lot of energy, the singer was really cute and I feel I might actually play the cd, a few times". I felt so lucky that finally one of my colleagues shared the vaguest hint of interest in music. Now we can bond.

More dates. European dates. Pudding!

[Squid]

Man, opening for Keane is truly the new black. I can only imagine the brutal indie bloodletting between the acts clamoring for this coveted slot.* And TLW got it! Fabbo.

It will surely be great exposure. Of a professional nature, of course.
Unless everyone goes trouserless.


*Kind of like the fight scene in <i>Anchorman</i>: GENIUS!

[Karousme]

Nice 400th post, John

You were probably planning that all along

[A Brutaful Smile]

um, hi, so nice to hear from you, been a while, thanks for the news.

now if you could fit in a show here in seattle that would be like so wonderful, really, it would.

and besides, i can't wear my new shirt until you play a show because only long winters fans that hang out here will understand the humor of it and the importance in the fact that i made a sales girl take it off the display because i couldn't leave the store without it.

[Laura Suzanne]

I'm trying to figure out how best to convince
TLW to come to MN. Hopefully it'll work.

[sour29]

Play Ottawa. You can sleep on my couch. No, scratch that. You can sleep in my bed, and I will sleep on the couch. Or the floor, if I have to. Yes, I will. If you INSIST on only playing Montreal and Toronto, I will be forced to travel. Which costs a lot of money and makes me grumpy. I may throw tomatoes. But I will do it, anyhow, because you bastards have me hooked.

The Long Winters : the NEW New Coke.


If you don't play Canada at all, I will be a very sad panda.

[No You Are]

All aboard the emotional rollercoaster....

Long Winters on tour... WOOHOO!!!
Tour stop in the driveable St. Louis..... WOOHOO!!!
Concert on a Sunday, a day that the U of I Volleyball team never plays (as I have to travel with them for my job).... WOOHOO!!!

Due to a scheduling conflict, Wisconsin had to move our game to Sunday the 25th.... the ONLY Sunday game in the Big Ten that whole year.... UNCONTROLLABLE SADNESS!!!!

<turns in belt and shoelaces>

Remembering that more dates are to be announced.... EAGER ANTICIPATION, TRYING NOT TO GET HOPES UP AS I HAVE BEEN HURT BEFORE, BUT HOPES CLIMBING ANYWAY!!!!

[dchris]

You said Gainesville and my heart skipped a beat. Oh well. Maybe Orlando?

...or else I'll just have to hit Atlanta again. sigh.

[dear_prudence]

well I for one think that a stop off in sf would be wonderful...
can't neglect lovely san francisco
california...it's a big state...and sf is on the way back, yeah?

[LoveSickJerk]

I've never gone to a show before, where I left before the headlining band went on. There is a first time for everything. Man I hate keane.

If/when TLW comes to a neighborhood near me (Toronto/Buffalo), I will be there! I can't even freakin wait.

To sweeten the pot, if you do play Canada, play Toronto! Even though Sour would have to travel (as I would too), I'll bring up a home cooked meal for the whole band!

[sour29]

How far away are you from Toronto, LSJ?

I wish I had a car. The 4 hours from Ottawa to Toronto would be so much more comfortable if I didn't have to take Greyhound. Then I wouldn't complain (so much). Maybe I could travel to Toronto, see them play there (oh, please, oh please avoid The Opera House like the black plague), tie myself to the roof of their tour van/bus, catch the show in Montreal, and then travel back to school. That would be cool.

[lunarobverse]

I think* that it's well-known and essentially undisputed** that Portland, OR is not really in-between or near anything, so it simply stands to reason that a stop in Portland would automatically satisfy John's requirement to tour in a non-straight line.

Seriously, You can't avoid playing in the Northwest, your very home. I'd make the drive to Seattle, even. Heck, I'd even go so far as the blighted land known as "Spokane" (no offense to Spokanians).

*...at least, I think so.

**See, now, if anyone on the board disputes it, I can dismiss them as the vocal minority. I'm so clever.

[danbot]

Okay, all due respect to Keane, but we'd rather just cut the fat and see you guys. Any chance you'll be playing smaller venues in L.A.?

Danbot

[Moni]

What a nice thread – it’s got pudding, a panda, touring, everything!

we will be doing some touring in the second half of September and possibly into October with our good friends, the English band Keane

At first I thought that was a joke – LW and Keane seemed such an unlikely pairing... I almost went to see them this spring because Rufus Wainwright was opening for them.

Am I wrong or is the Greek Theater a 5000+ venue? That should be a nice exposure indeed, trouserless or not!

[LoveSickJerk]

How far away are you from Toronto, LSJ?

I'm a cool 2hrs away, in Buffalo, NY. I'll be more than happy to share my food with you, and perhaps lodging costs if it comes to that, at this show if it happens in TO.

[nwheather]

I know I live somewhere no one ever tours, but I hope that I at least don't have to go further than Texass. If I do, I hope I have a fucking job by then. I'd love to go back to the Ryman for this, but it doesn't seem very feasible unless I hit the lottery in Texass next month.

All you Northwesterners stop your bellyaching. You've gotten most of the LW shows thus far; let the rest of us have a go! Christ, when they play for you, you get to see them alone in a bar; we have to go to a bloody concert and pay extra for Keane, and some of us have to take a bona fide road trip to do it!

I'm not bitter, not at all, just a lot. Nyah. :)

[sour29]

How far away are you from Toronto, LSJ?

I'm a cool 2hrs away, in Buffalo, NY. I'll be more than happy to share my food with you, and perhaps lodging costs if it comes to that, at this show if it happens in TO.

Or, you could crash on the couch at my parent's place? :) The lodging isn't an issue for me in either Montreal or Toronto, it's all about the bus fare! (Like, $100 return).

[longtimecoming]

John i hope you know i have proudly become a long winters thirsty zombie, it was either that o r hanging out with lestat, and after that whole claudia mess in book one, nah.

in the words of a voice i heard when i drove by a cemetary, "argh,! brains!"


please play seattl eo n a weekend,

your most number one humble fan, julie!

[LoveSickJerk]

...it's all about the bus fare! (Like, $100 return).

Good crap! That's a chunk! It usually only costs a little over 1 tank of gas to get to and from the TO, so it usually sets me back $30 on gas alone. But $100? WOW. I can't even say "Well that's in Canadian Dollars" any more either. You and your strong money.