Dispatches From the Portland Love Tour, Part Two-- Local Cut

Dispatches From the Portland Love Tour, Part Two

May 5th, 2009 [7:51PM] Posted by: Casey Jarman | 0 COMMENTS

It has been about a week since we last checked in with the Portland Love Tour (the epic Thermals/Shaky Hands/Point Juncture, WA triumptive currently making its way across the U.S.). Let’s check in, shall we?

MADISON: CROWD SURFING LIVES!

From the files of Shaky Hands bassist Mayhaw Hoons:

Everyone is SICK! Pig flu has swept the caravan. Amanda of PJW has come down with a mysterious ailment that makes her lightheaded and feelin strange. The Thermals have tummy aches. Im snifflin’, Jeff can’t walk, Nick wanders off lost all the time and jake picked up something that makes him super nice and fun to be around. Strange times on tour.

Also strange is the amount of compliments our roadie and merch-hunk Osha gets nightly. “Good show!”, “You kicked ass!”, “Nice Job!” they think he is the band although he looks nothing like any one of us. Are people really watching? Who do they think he is? I’m thinking Jeff.

It’s only day six but i have mentally checked out of normal life already. All the pleasantries of everyday life were thrown out the window miles ago. I feel ready for it, though. Six weeks left! Thousands of miles to drive and millions of things to do. I feel like it’s the best tour I have ever been on. We get along like kids. One big traveling sleep over. Everyday I get to play for a different town, every night I get to hang out with my best friends in the world. It’s amazing. It sounds cheesy, but it’s amazing.

The shows have been great. Thermals fan are serious. The show in Omaha was super fun to watch due to four teens clad in brand new Thermals shirts, air guitaring and pretending to try to touch Kathy’s bass. People pogo, dance and—tonight in Madison—crowd surf. Last time I crowd surfed was at the Offspring (Everlast, Silverchair, Living End, Ozomotli; Salem Armory, 1998). Madison people rule.

Chicago, Ann Arbor and Cleveland in the next few days. More road to cover, more shirts to sweat out, More gas station coffee to choke down.

CHICAGO: NIGHT OF FEVER AND TUMULT!

Trouble in PJWA-town (via text message from Skyler Norwood):

From Easel Ain’t Easy:

thermals!

Review of the Chicago show from ex-Portlander (and ex-Casey Jarman roommate) Aaron McClure:
As a recent transplant to Chicago, seeing my favorite Portland acts on tour is like a care package, and Wednesday was the ultimate thoughtfully-packed box from home. Dubbed the “Portland Love Tour” by the Thermals’ Hutch Harris, it was like a case of Double-Stuff Oreos, a Tiger handheld and every new edition of my favorite comics. Unfortunately, Point Juncture Washington was not able to make it due to illness, forcing an extra-long set from the Shaky Hands. While the boys looked a little road weary, Nick’s warble was impeccable, and Mayhaw’s hair was glorious as ever (in one pic, I caught it tearing a rent in the space-time continuum). Nick’s banter was sharp and playful, shooting down the audiences cracks about swine flu (concerning PJW’s cancellation, NOT due to porcine influenza). All in all, the boys seemed to get a good response; the mixed crowd (including the bros at the table next to me) warmed quickly to them, after a couple of initial cracks about the “epic main.”
The real draw, though, was the Thermals. The Bottom Lounge is a big, cavernous old warehouse space, with one of Chicago’s “El” trains running just feet from its facade, and the Thermals packed every inch of it. Kathy looked adorable as always, making every hipster and even the obligatory random Cubs fan go all googly-eyed. Hutch was sporting Outfit Number 2 (Bert and Ernie rugby shirt; not the plaid button-up). Their performance was flawless, making the crowd throw fists in the air, dancing from note one. The crowd, recognizing the first strains of “Pillar of Salt,” proceeded to sing every word in that raucous chorus that gives you that good lump in your throat. This was the most anticipated show in Chicago of the night; 2,000 miles away from Portland, in the third-largest city in the nation. It was “Critic’s Picks” in every publication I could find and got a double write-up in the Reader, Chicago’s WW parallel. As an ex-Portlander, it is great to be in a city so far away from home in a packed house, realizing that the little punk band that you saw in your friend’s basement are true rock stars, without compromising the things that made you love them in the first place. My only request is: Portland, keep sending those care packages. From my brief glance at the paper today, I can confidently state that this will be a bountiful summer for Portland music here in Chicago.

And slideshow from Mr. McClure:

Thermals Tweet Corner:

From Jake Morris’ blog:

Hi, PJW had to cancel last night due to illness. So we played for an hour, which on paper seemed like a good thing but in retrospect, too much. i don’t think an audience that is not familiar with a band can handle that much music without texting or going to the bathroom for more meth (dude, yes I’m talking about you). But we played fine, but had to pace ourselves. Partied it up at the Secret Squirrel afterwards, where the bartender was awesome and the tunes ,courtesy of Jesse and Mahmood, were sick. A sentiment felt only by the three of us I’m sure. Alrighty then off to Ann Arbor for some college babes. Who wants to bet I end up sleeping next to a dude on a floor instead..huh? huuuuuuuh????? yep.

Oh Yea Game 6! We’re takin whats ours Houston!

ANN ARBOR: The City That Fate Forgot!
Thermals Tweet #2:

From Jake Morris’ blog:

Hey now!
Ann Arbor was pretty much a kick ass fest last night so much in fact that the Blazers season ending loss didn’t send me into a spiral of depression. In fact, I felt proud of the boys on the most fun season as a Blazer fan that I can remember in quite some time. So, PJW had to cancel again (NO!) but rather, this time, TANNING was called upon to deliver in time of crisis, and…I think was…ok. PJW are back and ready to party tonight here in Cleveland though, so we are a family again.
Blind Pig was a dirty muggy mess of goodness, and then we were treated to a sweet version of Beast of Burden by Ann Arbors finest classic rock cover band. If they aren’t known in that way, they are NOW in my book.
Super thanks to the Thermals for letting me play and thanks to all the kind folks who were into the set and want an album.

CLEVELAND/BUFFALO:

Mayhaw made this:

From Jake Morris’ blog:

Great show in Cleveland, crowd surfing, and school dance lighting. After show major sweaty dance party, met some kind souls who drove me way across town to sleep in the van. Awesome people.

Sunny Buffalo, family and friends in attendance, played well but the crowd was dead. Saturday night but you wouldn’t know it. I’m sure they were appreciative, but had a hard time showing it. Down the street lay the ruins of The Aud. Old school hockey arena where I caught Van Hagar, and REM though I spent my money to see Radiohead, circa The Bends open. But instead heard Thom Yorke say “Thank you” as the lights came up. Hated REM ever since. Crazy scene, half of the arena is still standing, looking like Mad Max meets Pink Floyd at Pompeii. Had the luxury of getting hooked up w/ a sweet hotel from my folks. After the show my cousin John and I ran head first into douchebag central AKA a fine establishment known as BadaBing. D-Bags yellin “You Wanna Go?” and their girlfriends jumping in to fight as well. Retreated to a latenight sub shop, which doubled as the end of the night pit stop for lonely heavy girls, one of which body checked me and yelled “Don’t even think of touchin my sub!” while we were just sitting down to wait for our food. I then looked over to see the line up of gals,done up saturday night style, waiting to feed the pain of another fruitless saturday night.

Thermals Tweet #3:

and #4

and #5

and #6

TORONTO: WHOAH WHOAH OH OH WHOAH
Jake Morris in Toronto. Photo by Frank Yang
:

From Skyler Norwood:

From Mayhaw Hoons (belated answers to my Best New Bands questions):

What’s New?
we got a new drummer, tours with meat puppets and the thermals, working on a triple record concept album to be out in the fall

What changed after you were voted Best New Band?
Everyone mistakenly calls us “best band in portland”, makes fun of us, makes us feel like jerks.

NORTHAMPTON: GET ME STONED!

Thermals Tweets #6