In The Studio
Posted 3/11/2008 by Vagrant_Admin
It's been a little while since we last visited. I took a vacation from my social obligations to write songs and before I knew it I had a batch that was new and intriguing and best of all connected to each other. I have missed you though while I have been working on this music, but I have discovered along the way that it is best for me to push all things to the periphery while in pursuit of new songs. If I don't, I worry too much about some imagined consequence that pulls the song I am working on in an unnatural direction. Our time apart most likely seems longer to me than you, but nonetheless I am homesick for you guys and I am already thinking ahead to an opportunity to share these very new songs with you. So to bring us one step closer, let me share this news with you: John, Scott, Mike and I started in the studio this week with producer Adam Schlesinger. Who knows how long these things will take. The process is an adventure and a mystery in and of itself.
Be good,
Chris
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Posted 11/26/2007 by Vagrant_Admin
Our annual holiday sale means that T-Shirts and Hoods are discounted 15% off! The Wire Tapes: Volume 1, the Dashboard Confessional covers album, is available on a very limited basis. This must have album covers such greats as Weezer's "El Scorcho" and The Counting Crows "Angels of Silences." There's a variety of vintage and new designs from the Shade of Poison Trees solo tour, including clothing and various accessories (pins, tote bag, stickers) available at the official Dashboard Confessional store.
» store.dashboardconfessional.com
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New York Last Show
Posted 11/19/2007 by Vagrant_Admin
I am about to walk on stage to play the last of our NY shows and it is starting to dawn on me that this tour is only a moment from over. I have to tell you frankly that I have never had a finer tour than this one. There are so many reasons.
To begin with, I have spent this tour with so many friends. I have been looking forward to a tour with John Ralston for a long while now. Back in the old days Further and Recess Theory a band comprised of my friends Nathan Jezek, Steve Eshelman, Jeff Snow(later of John Ralston) and John Ralston (later of John Ralston) did a split together (does anyone do splits now?) and toured extensively. Later RT was renamed Legends of Rodeo and toured extensively with me in Dashboard. Last year I scooped John Ralston, the man not the band, into Dashboard for about six months during which John Ralston, the man and the band, opened for a handful of dates. Now I have spent two great months of this fall touring with John Ralston, whose band is comprised of many of my best friends, Dustin, Nick, Jeff, and Dan (who I am in The Andy’s with and who once was the bassist for Dashboard). Still with me? Good.
Then there is Augustana. I have been a fan of this band for about a year and a half, and I have been friends with Dan for about as long. I had hoped that they would fit in with this circle of old friends without feeling left out. They have done more than that, becoming some of my favorite friends and a big inspiration to me musically. They spend equal time chasing fun and honing their musical skills. They are never afraid to have their fun spill into your day. They are so inviting and refreshing to our fans (to quote one fan anyway).
Of course if you were there for the front of this tour, you will remember that Max Bemis joined us for a couple weeks. I have done many dates with Say Anything and our friendship is as genuine as I have had with anyone I have ever toured with. I love these guys. I love their approach to music and the challenges that they raise as they fearlessly change and grow as a band.
Then there are the surprise guests. Fred from Taking Back Sunday has been a friend of mine from years back and has made a solo record, under the name The Color Fred, which I love very much. I couldn’t resist having him join in for the AC show and he is here in the dressing room now with me and Johnny and I am about to invite him to perform one of his songs in this, the last show of the tour.
And, surprise surprise, Adam from the Counting Crows is back here with us now, rehearsing with us for a guest appearance in our mega-encore of five or six songs. All of you know of our friendship but I have to tell you how much it means to me to have a hero of mine join me for one of my shows, in one of my favorite cities, for one of my favorite audiences.
And of course the best surprise of them all was the talented John Lefler. I think it may be no secret to you by now to know that he joined me for a third or so of my nightly set. I haven’t said much about him in these notes to you, preferring to let those of you who didn’t know he would join me would enjoy it for the surprise he was intended to be. There were many days in the beginning of Dashboard that I played truly solo with no other players at all, but only if I didn’t know anyone at all in this or that town. I have always enjoyed inviting my friends up for a spell and a story, and I have always thought of that as something that always made me better. No one has ever made me asgood as my band mates John, Mike and Scott, and no one has been as good as they have as players in this band. Having John on this tour and watching how inspiring his performances have been to you, and I, has made me proud, and no one has ever been as entertaining to me in my life as this guy. I hope you have gotten to know him a little better in this setting.
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New York Last Show (cont.)
Posted 11/19/2007 by Vagrant_Admin
Then there is the audience. Each of the many audiences that I have visited with across the country. How I long for you and love to see your faces. I am thrilled to have been invited to visit with you for a while and toshare my tales and tunes with you. I thank you for listening. I cherish you for your energy and your selfless nature. I am humbled by the way you sing as one, as if into my ear alone. These are the moments that we share that no one can quite understand. There are secrets that we share, there are truths we tell here and there are lies we allow ourselves to believe.
Then there is, of course, you. You, the reader of this note. I know there is more than one of you. Judging by the comments there are atleast like 30 of you. In my mind you and I are becoming friends. I think of you throughout the day. Things occur in my day and I think,"I can’t wait to recount them. It seems like nothings happened till I’ve shared them with you” (cheap I know, but funny to me and I couldn’t resist!)
As for me, I am taking the week off to get ready for Europe. You will be hearing from me while I am over there. I hope you have had fun sharing in these memories with me.
Have a great Thanksgiving. Enjoy your family and friends and send them my best.
I hope this letter finds you well.
Thank you for this.
Chris
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Philly
Posted 11/19/2007 by Vagrant_Admin
As you may know, Philadelphia has been one of my favoriteplaces to play in the wide world. The show was at the Electric Factory, one of my personal favorite venuesfor shows. We had two nightsthere, so I knew I would be in for much fun.
The first show was a fun, particularly the first half, butthe second show was something to write home about. I mean to tell you that I gave everything that I had in meto make this show special. I amnot sure what came over me, but something about it being the second to lastshow gave me this feeling that if I didn’t walk off of that stage barelyhanging onto my voice, than I would have cheated the audience in favor ofsaving it for the last show. Ifelt that I could not do that, so I gave and I gave until I was sure that therewas nothing left in the well. Iloved it. There are nights toremember and this was one of them. When I look back on this fall, this night will be one that I remember asepitomizing the spirit of this tour.
Chris
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Atlantic City, NJ
Posted 11/15/2007 by Vagrant_Admin
I don’t know about you, but I came out ahead in AC. It may be that I never made it to the tables, but it may be because I had a windfall of a show. I was invited out on stage not only by John Ralston, who has invited me on stage many times in our tenure together, but Augustana invited me up for the first time for a song as well. I was honored and it brought a spirited vibe to the whole night.
This set the stage for me to mess around in a lot of ways I wasn’t planning on. I tweaked the set several times on the fly to include what the audience got in their requests (the ones I could hear anyway). What was my favorite part of the night? Right before my set time My friend Fred who I have been friends with for many years and who you know from Taking Back Sunday came to surprise me at the show. I think I have already told you how excited I am about Fred’s new solo project “The Color Fred”. I had to put him on the spot. As I walked to the stage I told him, “Hey Fred, don’t wonder to far from the stage door buddy, you’re on after ‘As Lovers Go’!” He looked unsteadied by my proclamation but he came out with that good old Fred stylehome spun confidence that we all know and love. It was an honor to get to invite you to listen to one of my favorite musicians play one of my favorite new songs during my set, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
On to Philly!
Chris
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