an incomplete list of superstars along the way. you made these last two years of my life incredible. thank you.

taipei - the first time anyone had brought this sound to taiwan, and i was honored to be your first international guest. whenever one of those new moments comes along you have to treasure it. now we all have internet and everyone is well prepared - we know the songs & sing along. amazing hosts, a tight knit crew of friends who have grown up together in an intense city. shao-yao, dizzy, mei, cho-shen, vivian, i wish you all the best in life. you are superstars. the rest of the crew whose names i didn’t catch. shao-lei! my tokyo savior. a shining light in an unreal city. you are too alive for tokyo. where are you now?? 

beirut - momentum is building. i can’t wait to see how this place is gonna be in a few years. thank you kaotik crew. these guys went all out to put together the most professional, tight show. they did the whole thing 100% legit, all permits, all things watertight. operating this way in lebanon as independent promoters takes major drive! kaotik are accomplishing something powerful by doing things proper. this is about something far greater than the music. this is about building things up for the lebanese people. i can’t wait to go back. when you have that feeling that this whole thing is so huge, so much bigger than any of us,  it infuses the whole show with a certain real energy - and it makes me extremely grateful and happy to be able to help out in whatever capacity i can.

san francisco - if you were there you know. this is the start. feeling like an outsider now in my own country - the animosity boys took me in and reminded me why i love sf. thank you 5lowershop for making everyone feel at home. for the fire, both metaphorical and the physical fireplace warmth stovepipe things you guys have built into the warehouse. always something new going on at the 5shop.

london bang face weekender - the last aaron spectre jungle set. might as well end that project on one of the best shows ever. best vibe, most up for it people, great sound. love you guys. absolutely cannot wait to see you guys again at weekender 2010. this time as drumcorps.

newcastle - halloween parties always rule, but this was the best!! zombies and nurses and zombie nurses. a thousand kids mashing it up in a real life haunted house, amazing sound system. brilliant, shining, warm people… couldn’t have been better. will have to do it again sometime.

rock herk festival > dour festival - two shows on the same day. first up, rock herk - a solid festival run by honest people. their dedication creates a good vibe that permeates the entire place - they care about you. they care about their guests. you feel it and it is a breath of fresh air - it gives you hope. it was also my first experience playing a rock show in broad daylight, which was a little daunting coming from these nightclubs where there are strobes and flashing lights to conceal and flatter. in the daylight you have nothing but your music and your body, raw, exposed, nowhere to hide. no room for error. terrifying. i like that. i had no idea how this audience would react to the drumcorps tunes but you guys didn’t let me down. ruled. later that day bane played on the same stage. i was beyond stoked to share stage w/ one of my favorite massachusetts bands from back in the day - even if a few hours apart - thought about how strange life is, how the circles aren’t that far from each other. alas i couldn’t stay for bane - had to rush off for a 2 am set at dour festival. which was also a blast. that dude in a jane doe tshirt somewhere in the distance. a sea of bodies. the deepest sleep after. thank you belgium.

new zealand - kiwis, you guys are insane. after surviving the glade festival mudbath of 07, i thought i was well prepared this time, even brought my boots… but what i wasn’t prepared for was how completely bonkers hardcore you guys are when it comes to having a good time!! no amount of mud or cold can stop you. dance it off and warm yourselves by the gigantic fire pit, ahh i love nz. thank you to those champions out there who refused to quit. raging in the new year on the end of the world, deep in the soaking rainforest. i still keep finding little flecks of dried mud in my guitar case…

australia - top crews, amazing vibe from the people. newtown and the sprawl. thank you for not stealing my gasoline. big thanks to the sydney crew for throwing an awesome show and then taking me around to the opera house and the touristy stuff. and chinatown snacks. brisbane held it down in fine form too, and were extra kind enough to take me on a little island getaway post gig, some of the most beautiful raw beach coastline ever, dodging stingrays and undertow. hope to see you again soon. yes it really does look like that!

extra 08 shouts to barcelona, tokyo kichijoji, paris, st petersburg, klaipeda, szcecin, nyc barcore. and while i’m at it, 07 shoutouts to tel aviv, kiev, dnepropetrovsk, nyc death by audio, toronto, denver rhinoceropolis, seattle, berlin scharni38, budapest kultiplex, germany fusion fest, nl lowlands fest, uk glade fest!! thank you from the bottom of my heart.  

to the other shows, too many to mention without this turning into a book, you guys rocked. it’s because of your devotion, and a lot of people working hard and thanklessly behind the scenes that i’ve been able to see places in the world i never dreamed i’d get to go to, and i’m never gonna forget it. so grateful. thank you. looking back, those two years alone are enough mileage for five lifetimes. i’m hoping there’s much, much more to come. this is just getting started. see you soon out there.