The Great Consolidation

Evidence of Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:36:00 +0000

Now that I have slept, bathed, shaved, and walked my son, I've been trying to piece together exactly what happened... Lucky for me, road manager/photographer Jaime Lowe and bass player/sleepstalker Gray Robertson both kept a camera handy:
Jaime's photos | Gray's photos

In addition, I've been scanning through some of the tour footage we amassed. Not nearly as much as we'd hoped, but then we were busy hustlin' so it's hard to also document The Hustle whilst hustling. Here are just a few highlights:

Hymn 2: Women's Care in E Flat Major - live at The Space in Portland, ME

90 East - live at West Side Arts in Providence, RI

Are You Brave (feat. Doug Showalter) - live at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood, CA

Bad Rabbits (feat. Matt Fazzi and Isaac Bolliver) - live at Tom, Dick and Harry's in Green Bay, WI

Scared Scared Scared (Challenger Remix) (feat. Matt Fazzi and Isaac Bolliver) - live at Tom, Dick and Harry's in Green Bay, WI

Hope is a Drug (feat. Matt Fazzi, Matt Rubano, and Isaac Bolliver) - live at Tom, Dick and Harry's in Green Bay, WI

Bugguts - live at UMASS Dartmouth in Dartmouth, MA

H.U.G.S. (Ebu Gogo cover) - live at The Venue in Fargo, ND

Sledgehammer (feat. Matt Fazzi and Isaac Bollivar) - live at The Venue in Fargo, ND

Tour Bloopers - live in Corvallis, OR and Arlington, WA

My looping cover of Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:16:00 +0000

We played this song a bunch on tour and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to make a video of the solo version. It was a four day process; programming, rehearsing, shooting and then editing the video, and in the end I would've liked to do it with more than 2 cameras and in a bigger room so that it is more apparent what exactly is going on... but basically it's a beast of a memory game, hitting all the cues with two keyboards and two midi controllers. I did maybe 36 or 37 takes, and this was the best of them. I don't ever want to play this song again now.

Description:
"Gavin Castleton performs a bedroom version of his "Sledgehammer" cover using Ableton Live 8, an FCB1010 midi foot controller, an M-Audio Trigger Finger, a Wurlitzer 200A eletric piano, and a Roland JP8000. All effecting (including the vocoder which is being fed from a vocal delay aux send and the JP8000) is done in Ableton. The audio was outsourced to another computer and multi-tracked for a much improved final mix. Due to a total lack of budget (only 2 "cameras"), there are shots of earlier takes mixed in with the final take footage."

If you enjoy it, share it with your friends.

The Keys to Failure: Tour Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:33:00 +0000

I just completed a 60-date tour around the US in a '93 Plymouth Voyager minivan with a very skilled bassist and drummer, a 70 lb doberman/german shepherd (for the first half) and a tour manager in tow. We were homeless for 77 days in all. It was the single most educational experience in all my 11 years of touring and, for almost all intents and purposes, a success.
Here are some of the many lessons I learned:

THE KEYS TO FAILURE: TOUR EDITION by Gavin Castleton

I. BUSINESS
Simply put, as an independent touring artist you cannot afford to be frivolous about money (unless you are one of those trustafundians from Williamsburg). There is nothing artistic about being fiscally irresponsible, just as there is nothing artistic about being a drug addict... this goes double for those that want to play progressive music - you have to be twice as business savvy if your music is twice as hard to digest as the average musician's. The two opposing perspectives I have always wrestled with have settled into this one congruent precept: idealism in art, realism in business.

A. There are two types of listeners: those that show up, and those that don't.

B. Keep spreadsheets of everything, and record your expenses daily so that you can spot a bad pattern early on.

C. Keep a good list of contacts, both of the shows you did, and the Carrots* you met - color code the shows by how good they were.

D. Help the band you're on tour with however you're able, share floor space and food costs with each other as often as possible.

E. When someone actually fills your rider, leave no crumb behind.

F. Never forget that Merch is where you make the bulk of your money.
   1. Be sure to have credit card capabilities at the merch table: CDbaby swiper or iSwipe for the iPhone + Web Payments Pro (Paypal).
   2. The location of your merch table is as important as what's on it.
   3. In an all ages setting, put out all your merch options, and free items as incentives.
   4. In a bar setting, limit your display to 2 CDs and 2 shirts, and keep the freebies away from drunkards.
   5. Deposit cash often but keep ample bank for change.
   6. Keep track of all sales, look for trends and adjust the display/stock accordingly. Experiment with the display constantly.

G. Be transparent about your business with those in the van - that way they're not surprised when they don't get paid much, and you're not surprised when the end of the tour comes and they come looking for the big paycheck. Let everyone know how important it is to stretch money, in real time, and make sure they can see the results.

H. On a big tour, being friends with the crew is of equal or greater importance than being friends with the bands.
   1. They can let your set go over a few minutes, or cut you off a few minutes early.
   2. They work with many many musicians that you would like to hear about you and consider taking you on tour.
   3. You may consider hiring them in the future.
   4. They spend all day with the headliner - a vote of confidence from them is worth a lot more than one from an average citizen.

II. PERFORMANCE

A. Maximize impact.
   1. Get constant feedback from the road manager, band members, and audience members/fans about what songs/moments had the biggest impact. Never stop fine-tuning your show.
   2. Altering your music to appeal to a wider audience is suspect, altering your set list to appeal to the type of people in the room is just logical.
   3. Find rehearsal spaces as often as you can and use them.
   4. In a bar setting, play your loudest song first and your best song last.
   5. The right kind of charisma in a front man has far more impact than the tightest rhythm section.
   6. Write a short loop-able piece of music for every combination of instruments, so that when one someone has a problem the remaining members can immediately provide a soundtrack for the downtime.

B. Know your sound.
   1. Learn the sound engineer's name and use it on stage.
   2. When a sound man tells you your kick drum will be plenty loud in his club without a mic on it, without having heard your music or your kick drum, insist on a kick drum mic.
   3. Bring along everything you need to operate without a soundman: mics, mic stands, extra cables, a portable PA if possible.
   4. Be aware of your buzzy equipment and bring along ground lifts and power conditioners. Don't be in a position to be educated about your own equipment by a sound engineer (but ask her to educate you about hers).
   5. Bring a soldering kit and learn how to use it.
   6. Don't try to fix your equipment before a performance unless you have at least 3 hours of spare time (so you can find a replacement should you make it worse).
   7. Know how to run a small PA.
   8. Have a 2 minute piece of music that you always soundcheck with. Have it start quiet and slowly reach your loudest volume. Have it feature every instrument/patch/effect. If you check with the same thing every night, you will be able to spot abnormalities in the stage sound faster, and adjust for them. And the sound engineer will love you.

III. BOOKING
There are generally two types of venues: those that take care of their musicians, and those that expect musicians to take care of them. Unfortunately, there are far less of the former, but when you do find them, return often, and return that respect ten-fold.

A. Concern yourself with the line-up.
   1. Ideally you want your opening act to be attention-holding but non-threatening to your sales.
   2. House music is more cost effective than a horrible opener.
   3. Don't add local bands to the bill that just played a free show in their town 3 days ago
   4. Don't play on 5 band bills - that's the promoter's way of telling you "nobody draws"
   5. Don't let the club pay a DJ to spin after your headlining set. Bring an iPod and keep that DJ money.

B. Know who you're dealing with.
   1. Ask for a media list from every promoter. If they don't respond quickly with a list attached, then they are probably not a promoter.
   2. When a promoter tells you that the band you're playing with tonight will be "a good fit for you guys," it means he owed them a favor.
   3. When a promoter asserts "I'm an honest guy," that means he's not.
   4. On a huge tour, advance shows with the headliner's road manager, not the club directly.
   5. When you arrive, take stock: do you see any of your fliers hung in the club? Do you see any around town? Did you get a Facebook event invite from the promoter? If you answered "no" to these questions, challenge the promoter fee.
   6. Ask for stuff - if you don't ask for the hotel rooms, they'll never be offered to you. If you don't ask for a band discount on food, you often won't get it.
   7. If you've been doing shows for 13 years and a club offers you a door deal that seems really weird and illogical but they insist that this is how it's always been done, don't play the club. There's a reason most door deals look similar.

C. Don't rule out open-mic appearances - their audiences are 99% musicians, and usually very open minded (the downside is they're broke).

D. Do reconnaissance: if the town is cool but the show sucked, ask everyone where you SHOULD be playing and with whom. Ask your tour mates for clubs that they enjoyed playing in other towns - pool contacts with all the musicians you meet.

E. Proper routing is of equal importance to the actual quality of the shows you play: if you have to drive 16 hours to play a show (there and back), there is not much chance of you coming out on top financially.

IV. MORALE

A. Expect the worst show, and be prepared to play your best show.

B. Make an effort to relax on days off.

C. Value the sleep of your band mates as much as your own. If you're awake before everyone else and aren't late to hit the road, shut up until everyone else is sitting up.

D. If you need sleep, tell your host multiple times before arriving at their house. If they are drunk, tell them you have to get something from the van, and then sleep in the van.

E. Don't date anyone in the van.

F. Tour with people you can relate to: comedically, philosophically, financially, musically, etc.

G. When you get access to a kitchen, use it - not just for the nutrition and cost efficiency, but for the soul.

H. Long drives aren't just bad for the wallet, they're bad for the spirit.

V. VEHICLE
Fuel efficiency is everything. Aside from a massive car accident, gas is the single highest expense on a tour, so your mission is to do everything to minimize the use of it.

A. Stay up on your oil-changes and van maintenance. Whatever the cost now, it'll be twice that if you wait (and your mpg will most likely suffer).

B. Observe the speed limit. "While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas. Observing the speed limit is also safer." - fueleconomy.gov

C. Use cruise control wherever possible, and overdrive gearing wherever possible.

D. On long drives always give yourself two extra hours for a flat tire.

E. Get AAA. Get AAA.

F. Clean out the van at every other stop. Mold leads to sickness.

VI. TRAVEL SAFETY

A. Bring enough earplugs for the whole tour. Buy in bulk and give them out at your merch table (with each mailing list signature).

B. Be sure to have GPS and an iPhone in the van at all times.

C. Be aware of all band members' allergies in regards to housing and hospitality.

D. Be aware of the climate you're traveling through: air conditioning for the desert, heat for the mountains.

E. Bring the same amount of clothes as your band mates and keep your laundry cycles aligned.

F. When in Philadelphia, bring all your equipment with you everywhere you go. Sleep with your equipment.

VII. THINGS I DID WRONG
- waited too long to get medication once my LA Cough started
- talked too much before the shows, even though my voice was already on its last leg
- played shows in the midwest
- played shows in Pennsylvania
- played venues that allow smoking. The potential listeners will never outweigh the hospital bills and damage to my voice.
- failed to warm up my voice properly before every show
- didn't keep a checklist of equipment (cost me about $220 in gas and shipping)
- repeatedly asked for peanut butter on the rider
- didn't use flip flops while showering in the girls basketball team's locker room at Xavier College
- paid $115 to an "independent contractor" for a parking boot in Chicago. When it is not a state-sponsored boot, wait until the guy is gone and take it off with a lug wrench. Or call the police.

* car⋅rot [kar-uht] –noun
1. Someone who asks for a free "demo" to give to his cousin who works for Sony.
2. An audience member (one of four) that promises the next time you return to town (s)he will personally guarantee a sold out show.
3. A person masquerading as a promoter who claims the ability to put together a show for you at a larger venue in town with a big national act that (s)he "is suuuuuuper tight with." Rolling Stone, Spin, and various MTV sister stations will all be in attendance. NOTE: correspondence will slow to a stop as the projected date grows near.

Micropoem: to my room, upon returning home from the war

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:35:00 +0000

you're a monastery of my socks, an ark of my scent

Proof in Polyphony

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:43:00 +0000

The tones I hear are immediately alien to me, but like all hack music journalists, I will hereby attempt to describe one sensation with words designed for another: I hear a bed of harmonies, stacked thin and tall like sheets of wax paper, supporting what is clearly a loan "voice" bouncing around on top. The harmonies sustain and bend in tiny steps like an organ of some sort, but taste like a product of the 80's; like the sawtooth waves of a poorly synthesized string patch. The arrangement and melodic structures are just as alien, clearly organized but not adhering to any rules of American music that I can recognize... unpredictable and unheavy.

As quiet as the night has become, we are still unable to discern the exact source of the music in the Fisher Price city. We crane our necks in every direction but just as a melody rises to meet our ears, a car will buzz by on the busy road up near the house and sweep it upward.

I am content to keep trying but Dave is ready for plan B, "Amplifier. Gavvy, go get an amplifier."
"We'll need another extension chord or something to get---"
"ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF. AMPLIFIER!" he asserts, pointing to the house.

It takes me ten minutes to figure out exactly what the best course of action is for this new mission. I should use condenser mics if I hope to capture such a timid source, but that means I will need a phantom-powered mixer. And if I'm going to go to that much trouble, I might as well try to record it so I can dissect it later (and also present the proof to you, who even as you are reading this, think me a liar). Unfortunately I don't own a nice battery-powered condenser, nor do I own one of those small digital hard disc recorders. I run up to my room, grab my laptop (which, thankfully, is charged), my portable audio interface, a Shure SM57 and an XLR cable, and race outside. I have to stop halfway down the dirt hill leading to the backyard in order for my night vision to catch up. Dave must be watching me because he hisses, "Gavvy, get OVER here." I steer the pile of gear I'm cradling towards his voice and scuttle towards it.

I should have connected all my cables inside where there was ample lighting, but I'd been too worried about missing the tiny show. So here I am frantically assembling my portable recording rig using only the screen glow from my laptop. The micromusic comes and goes, wafting by my ears just when I think it's finally over. It soon falls completely silent, but before it does, I'm able to record this.

I go away for measly one tour and this happens...

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:24:00 +0000

KCRW's Top Tune of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:18:00 +0000

I'm happy to announce that KCRW has made my new "Hope is a Drug" single (from the brand new Random Anthems EP) their Top Tune of the day!
Check it out!

Also, take note - most of our remaining dates on this tour have been posted at myspace.com/gavincastleton, and our set times for the Taking Back Sunday tour are posted there as well (since many of the tickets don't reflect the actual door times).

Thank you, carry on!

New Tour w/ Taking Back Sunday, Anberlin, and Fun.

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:49:00 +0000

Today is our first show on the Taking Back Sunday, Anberlin, and Fun. Tour!
We will be opening this tour so it is IMPERATIVE THAT YOU GET THERE AT DOORS (WHICH APPARENTLY IS OFTEN LISTED INCORRECTLY ON THE TICKETS, SO DO YA HOMEWORK) if you'd like to catch our set, playing a set of songs from several releases. Our set will feature members of Taking Back Sunday on guitars, and my new trio.

Thu Oct 22 Xavier University in Cincinatti, OH
Fri Oct 23 The LC Pavillion in Columbus, OH
Sun Oct 25 Crocodile Cafe in Allentown, PA
Tue Oct 27 Pop's w/ TBS Saugut, IL in Allentown, PA
Wed Oct 28 House of Blues in Chicago, IL
Thu Oct 29 University of Iowa in Iowa City, IO
Fri Oct 30 Tom Dick & Harry's in Green Bay, WI
Sat Oct 31 The Venue in Fargo, ND

ticket details can be found here

Newy Newness on the Music Tip

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:07:00 +0000

Arright, so just because I'm in the trenches, shoveling our funk mess to the 4 people in each town that can scrape together $5, eating Subway for both meals/day, hitting the blood bank (in the morning) and sperm bank (in the evening) in every town to pay my musicians, doesn't mean I can't drop some newy newness on that bumcrack.

My new Random Anthems EP drops TODAY on iTunes! Three, count 'em, THREE new hit songs to flip your flip phone. And then, as if that weren't already a broverload, you can now listen to the Director's Commentary for Home on my award winning, M Ward spinning website: gavincastleton.com

Our tour with Taking Back Sunday starts next week, and after that, we hit New England finally. Don't make me bug you about when I'll be playing your town, bug yourself by subscribing to my email list. I won't blast you very often, promise. If you don't make it out for this tour, that's that mattress man. I can't really afford to do this again - thanks America!

PS. I apologize for the tone of this post, it's stupid. But what do you want, I'm in Madison, WI.

West Coast Tour Superlatives

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:58:00 +0000

BEST SHOW: Gallery A.D. in San Jose (honorable mentions to LA, Fremont, and AZ)

WORST SHOW: Corvallis, OR (honorable mentions to Seattle, WA, and Stockton, CA)

BEST LIVE SET: Horsewolf @ Red devil lounge SF

MOST INTERESTING CHORD PROGRESSIONS: Tugboat (Phoenix, AZ)

HOTTEST DRIVE: Phoenix to Vegas

MOST INEBRIATED HOST: Chrissy in Eugene, OR

BEST FOOD SERVER: Tony @ Denny's in Tacoma, WA

BEST HOTEL: Riviera in Palm Springs, CA

BEST MEXICAN FOOD: Taquiera Chihuahua in Santa Monica, CA

NICEST RESIDENCE: Kate and Kevin in San Luis Obispo, CA

BEST HOUSE PARTY: Anthony's house in San Jose

CREEPIEST FAN: scripture-shouting dude from Fresno

BEST GIFT BASKET: Amy, Glory, and Nasa in Fremont

MOST COSTLY MISTAKE: leaving my laptop in Redding

# OF TIMES WE VANDALIZED SARAH'S CAR: 5

MOST PEOPLE FIT IN A SINGLE ROOM @ MO-SIX: 6 + Lumas

BEST FOOT MASSAGE: Dori Busath

MOST LATE NIGHT BOOTY TWEETS: Andrew Tarver

BEST BREAKFAST: Tugboat crew in Tempe, AZ

MOST PLAYED ALBUM ON TOUR: Wallpaper - Doodoo Face

LONGEST EXTRACTION PROCESS: Lauren Coleman from Downtown Brewery in SLO (52 minutes)

A few new press pieces

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:32:00 +0000

here are a few recent press pieces:
a review of my Hotel Cafe show on Beatcrave
a feature/interview on Purekmagnetik
a review in the Bridgewater State College

Hope is a Drug

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:47:00 +0000

here are the lyrics to the 1st song from my upcoming Random Anthems EP:

you want to quit you wanna give up
you've traveled this far but it's never enough
you've made a few fans but you can't make rent
you think it's deserved 'cause you've given up everything you own
and still no throne

you watch your friends settle, and your enemies rise
every snake in a suit is a break in disguise
you hope the band breaks before the band breaks
cause hope is in short supply

but hope is a drug
hope is a drug that uses you
hope is a drug
food for the vain
it takes what you love
and turns it to work you once were above
but hope is a drug

you try to hold on to what you know:
you leach what you seed, you reap what you sow
the deeper your roots, the taller you grow.
you try to find justice in the unknown

but nothing is fair, and everything's wrong
you fashion your hair, you shorten your songs
you start to use stunt doubles up on stage
You try to force sunlight by wearing shades

but it's a distraction
pulling you far from what you were born and raised to do

Hope is a drug
Hope is a drug that uses you
Hope is a drug
food for the vain
it takes what you love
and turns it to work you once were above
but hope is a drug

now what's that gotta do with your next song?
what's that gotta do with your next song?
the only thing that you can depend on
is what you gonna do with your next song

but what's that gotta do with your kick drum?
what's that gotta do with your kick drum?
the only thing that you can depend on is what you gonna do in your next song...

Tour with Taking Back Sunday: Rags to Riches (or slightly cleaner rags)

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:16:00 +0000

So the strangest thing has happened... the uber-successful rock group Taking Back Sunday has asked us to come on tour with them for a run of shows in October! We will be joined by Anberlin and Fun.. A few of the guys from TBS will be helping us out on guitars so that we can play the material from Home more accurately.

10/22/09 Cintas Center at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH
10/23/09 The LC Pavillion in Columbus, OH
10/25/09 Crocodile Rock Cafe in Allentown, PA
10/27/09 Pop's in Sauget, IL
10/28/09 House of Blues in Chicago, IL
10/29/09 University of Iowa (IMU Main Lounge) in Iowa City, IO
10/30/09 Tom, Dick, and Harry's in Green Bay, WI
10/31/09 The Venue @ Playmakers in Fargo, ND

We'll let you know if we add more dates to this run with them.

E.I.Y. Tour Diary Entry 1

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:05:00 +0000

We're on day five of the E.I.Y. Fall Tour w/ Gardening, Not Architecture driving to Redding for the show at Downtown Eatery tonight. Things are progressing as one would expect for an independent artist who is touring to support an album about zombies and ladybugs: attendance is low (Seattle's show would've had better attendance if we'd played in a port-a-potty), we are sleep and nutrition deprived (last night we slept on a STRANGEr's hardwood floor that may or may not have had chlamydia on it), and, with the exception of Portland, show payouts and merch sales have been horrible (we're down about $1300 so far, and we haven't made any payments on the van yet). The upside is that the trio is really fun to play with and Gray and Eduardo are very solid on this loony material, so stress isn't high on stage. We are also thankful to have my son Lumas with us, guarding the equipment and eating the violent food from Denny's that we're unable to finish.
We are eager to play CA, where folks are more likely to take an interest in something left of center. Brett Michaels is holding up well, getting 21 miles to the gallon and only emitting that burning oil smell every few hours.
We have met several very interesting people on this tour, many of which Sarah (from Gardening, Not Architecture) has captured on camera. We have tried to incite retaliation from Sarah and her indentured servant Andrew by slapping tomatoes and macaroni pasta on the windshield of their bright orange luxury rental (hereby known as "Brett Dennen"), but they have yet to rise to the challenge. Maybe they know that if they step to Brett Michaels they're entering a world of terror.

Tour trio

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:17:00 +0000

This tour will be sick. 65+ days in almost every major city in America. Berklee non-grad Gray Robertson will be joining me on bass, and Eduardo Torres and Javier Torres will be trading off on drums. We're playing songs from Home as well as some unreleased hits. I'm not even mad if you miss this tour, I just feel bad for you.

I've got some new shirts too, one designed by Ebu Gogo graphic designer/drummer Brendan Bell. Peep them:

Newy news

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:43:00 +0000

I've been swamped with tour preparations these last two weeks (and months). Here's what I got done:
- finished booking the first half of the E.I.Y. Tour (dates listed below)
- printed two new t-shirt designs for the tour, both of which are ill
- bought a mini van and got it serviced, registered, and am considering insurance. Tentative name for the vehicle: "Brett Michaels"
- finished production on a new EP to be released by Five One in the beginning of October. 3 tracks: Scared Scared Scared (acoustic mix), Shell 2: Nephew of Shell (produced by Zach Lipkins), and Hope is a Drug (produced by Overclock Inc.)
- finished production on a commissioned wedding song for a lovely couple in So. Cal
- recorded Director's Commentary for Home (available soon)
- shaved Lumas' face

This tour with Gardening, Not Architecture is going to be make or break, take no prisoners, knock down drag out, guns blazing, from the hip, no holds barred. I'll be bringing my son, as well as a very able drummer and bass player. We will be performing a magical set of modified songs from Home. We will be sleeping on your floor, bathing in your sink.
After this tour, there is a good chance I will go to the mountains and never return, so if we're playing within 2 hours of you, for heaven's sake, make the trip. For more details for any of these shows, go here. IF YOU'D LIKE TO HELP US PROMOTE A SHOW IN YOUR TOWN, PLEEEEEEASE send an email to info@fiveoneinc.com and let us know where you are!!
Here is the first half of the tour - the second half will cover the midwest, new england, and more.

Wed Sep 9th Hell's Kitchen in Tacoma, WA w/ Madison Drive, At Night
Thu Sep 10th Mr. Spot's Chai House in Seattle, WA (early show 6:45pm, donations, all ages)
Fri Sep 11th Mississippi Pizza in Portland, OR w/ Blue Cranes
Sat Sep 12th Black Forest in Eugene, OR
Sun Sep 13th Downtown Eatery & Libations in Redding, CA w/ Ninja Academy & Ben Henderson
Mon Sep 14th Plea For Peace Center in Stockton, CA w/ Reggie Ginn & Ben Henderson
Tue Sep 15th Red Devil Lounge in San Francisco, CA w/ Ben Henderson & HorseWolf
Wed Sep 16th The Fire Escape Bar & Grill in Citrus Heights, CA w/ Hero's Last Mission
Thu Sep 17th Mojo Lounge in Fremont, CA
Fri Sep 18th LaFayette Community Center in LaFayette, CA w/ Via Coma
Sat Sep 19th Gallery A.D. in San Jose, CA w/ Ben Henderson
Sun Sep 20th Club Fred in Fresno, CA
Mon Sep 21st We are available to play So. Cal
Tue Sep 22nd We are available to play So. Cal
Wed Sep 23rd Party in Hollywood, CA
Thu Sep 24th Viento y Agua Coffee House in Long Beach, CA w/ Lauren Coleman
Fri Sep 25th Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles, CA
Sat Sep 26th Downtown Brew in San Luis Obispo, CA w/ Rx Bandits, Wild Orchid Children
Sun Sep 27th Karma in Victorville, CA w/ Rx Bandits, Wild Orchid Children
Mon Sep 28th Trunk Space in Phoenix, AZ w/ Tugboat
Tue Sep 29th Beauty Bar in Las Vegas, NV w/ Danger Mic
Wed Sep 30th Liquid Joe's in Salt Lake City, UT
Thu Oct 1st Velour in Provo, UT w/ Return To Sender
Fri Oct 2nd Flying M Coffeegarage in Nampa, ID
Sat Oct 3rd Rise Festival in Corvallis, OR
Sun Oct 4th Rontoms in Portland, OR
Wed Oct 7th Mirkwood in Arlington, WA
Thu Oct 8th The Blvd in Spokane, WA

pray for me.

Holey Tour!

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:48:00 +0000

So my big fall US tour with Gardening, Not Architecture is halfway booked, and progressing quickly. Here are the list of dates/towns where we are struggling to secure a show. If you know anyone in those towns that could help, please hit me up (gavin at gavincastleton.com).

Sept 21 - Southern CA
Sept 22 - Santa Barbara, CA
Oct 3 - Seattle, WA
Oct 9 - Boseman, MT
Oct 10 - Bismarck, ND
Oct 11 - Minneapolis, MN
Oct 19 - Dallas, TX
Oct 20 - Jackson, MS
Oct 22 - Atlanta, GA
Oct 29 - Philadelphia, PA
Oct 30 - NYC
Nov 6 - Ithaca, NY
Nov 10 - Denver, CO

I will be touring with a trio, playing some new joints and a lot of songs from Home. You can read more about the tour and see the other show dates here.

Interview with Sarah Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:05:00 +0000

As many of you may know, I will be touring the US this fall with Gardening, Not Architecture. I recently interviewed Sarah Saturday, songwriter for G,NA and founder of earnityourself.com on vidchat. Here are the ghastly results:

Micropoem: to my son, leashed to me in the wild currents of the Clackamas

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:49:00 +0000

if you sink, I sink

Tour Update

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:26:00 +0000

Our big US tour is actually shaping up fairly nicely! Below I've listed the towns where we haven't yet booked a show. If you are able to help us in or around any of these areas, please contact me (gavin at gavincastleton.com). For details on the tour, please check this link.

Thurs Sept 10 - Seattle area
Tues Sept 15 - Santa Cruz, Modesto, or San Fran
Mon Sept 21 - southern California
Tues Sept 22 - San Diego area
Tues Sept 29 - Las Vegas area
Wed Oct 7 - Boston area
Thurs Oct 8 - Connecticut
Fri Oct 9 - NY area
Sat Oct 10 - Allentown, PA
Mon Oct 12 - Ohio
Tues Oct 13 - Chicago area
Tues Oct 20 - Baton Rouge, LA
Wed Oct 21 - New Orleans
Thur Oct 22 - Birmingham, AL area
Fri Oct 23 - Atlanta area
Sat Oct 24 - North Carolina
Thur Oct 29 - Philadelphia

Interview on EIY Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 01:33:00 +0000

You can hear what it's like to wake me up in the middle of the night and ask me about my life and work in the latest EIY Radio podcast here.

MORE TOUR

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:58:00 +0000

It pains me to admit that my touring activity in these summer months immediately following the most important record release of my life is the lowest it's been since I started touring in 1998. The reason is two-fold: 1) I am so broke that I can't do car insurance right now and 2) despite all my efforts, my label affiliation, my national distribution, and my 36 fans, I am still unable to procure the help of a reputable booking agent. It really bums me out. But through the deafening silence of industry folk a single truth is finding its way back to my ears: I can't expect other people to believe in me as much as I believe in myself.
So once again I am opting to book my own tour, and am forced to rely on you out there in bands (or dating someone in a band), or promoting shows, or on college entertainment boards to help me do this with minimal funds and without any corporate leverage. This is a sketch of how I wish it to go:
Wed Sept 9 Olympia, WA
Thu Sept 10 Seattle, WA
Fri Sept 11 Portland, OR
Sat Sept 12 Eugene, OR
Sun Sept 13 Redding/Chico CA
Mon Sept 14 North California
Tue Sept 15 North California
Wed Sept 16 Sacramento, CA
Thu Sept 17 North California or Reno, NV
Fri Sept 18 San Francisco, CA
Sat Sept 19 San Jose, CA
Sun Sept 20 Fresno, CA
Mon Sept 21 Lancaster or Palmdale or Canoga, CA
Tue Sept 22 Santa Barbara, CA
Wed Sept 23 Long Beach, CA
Thu Sept 24 Los Angeles, CA
Fri Sept 25 San Diego, CA
Sat Sept 26 Phoenix, AZ
Sun Sept 27 Flagstaff/Tucson, AZ
Mon Sept 28 Las Vegas, NV
Tue Sept 29 Las Vegas, NV
Wed Sept 30 Provo, UT
Thu Oct 1 Salt Lake City, UT
Fri Oct 2 SLC or Nampa or Boise, ID
Sat Oct 3 Boise, ID or Portland, OR
Sun Oct 4 Portland, OR

WALK LUMAS

Wed Oct 7 NYC
Thu Oct 8 Nyack/Oneonta, NY
Fri Oct 9 Ithaca, NY
Sat Oct 10 Buffalo, NY
Sun Oct 11 Cleveland, OH
Mon Oct 12 Indianapolis, IN or Detroit, MI
Tue Oct 13 Chicago, IL
Wed Oct 14 Madison, WI
Thu Oct 15 St. Louis, MO
Fri Oct 16 Memphis, TN
Sat Oct 17 Dallas or Denton, TX
Sun Oct 18 Austin, TX
Mon Oct 19 Houston, TX
Tue Oct 20 Baton Rouge, LA
Wed Oct 21 New Orleans/Baton Rouge, LA
Thu Oct 22 Birmingham, AL
Fri Oct 23 Atlanta, GA
Sat Oct 24 Charlotte or Greensboro, NC
Sun Oct 25 Richmond, VA or Washington DC
Mon Oct 26 Washington DC
Tue Oct 27 Baltimore, MD
Wed Oct 28 Annapolis, MD
Thu Oct 29 Philadelphia, PA
Fri Oct 30 Boston, MA
Sat Oct 31 Providence, RI
Sun Nov 1 Portland, ME
Mon Nov 2 UMASS
Tue Nov 3 Tewksbury, MA

if you can help put a show together in or around these towns, please contact me at gavin at gavincastleton.com. If you just know the ideal venue for me, let me know.

If you can't put a show together but would like to help promote one of these shows, please add myspace.com/gavincastletonmusic and drop us a message regarding which area you could help with!

I thank you and I hope you will come out and see me if I'm passing through, as I don't know how many more of these I can afford.

Award winning website

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:32:00 +0000

My new website (designed by Tyler Finck) has won more awards in one month than my music has in 15 years. However, only a few people seem to have figured out that by sharing it with friends (using option 1) they can get my Nothing Compares 2 U cover for free... Maybe I haven't made it all that clear. So here's your heads up, and here's a list of some of the bigger sites that have featured gavincastleton.com:

dzineblog.com
devinecss.com
thebestdesigns.com
makebetterwebsites.com
blog.css-design.fr
icetemplates.com
blogueando.com.br
webcss.cn
cssstyle.me
net.tutsplus.com
instantshift.com
mixcss.com
onepagelove.com
pixelgangster.de
webdistortion.com
101bestwebsites.com
designbombs.com
cssline.com
cssleak.com
creativeopera.com
creamycss.com
ettf.net
corephp.com
superdesignblog.com
browsershots.org

09-15-2044 Truth Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:55:00 +0000

I arrive at our joint session late - not due to any chemical influence, as I'm sure Sarah has inferred in my absence, but because I couldn't remember the ignition code to the new Cattlebox. After 25 minutes of searching I'd given up and called for a ROE lift.

"We're doing truths," Sarah says to me in a tone that hides none of her annoyance; a 3rd grade teacher tone. She says it like we've discussed this before, so I respond agreeably, "Truths, cool. Sorry I'm late Catherine---"
"It's your dime, Mr. Castleton [she uses my last name to reprimand me, not unlike a 3rd grade teacher] - the one you should apologize to is your [she pauses to remember what the status is] ... your wife, Sarah here."
"Sorry Sarah."
Her mouth says, "It's nothing" while her body says, "It's everything"; she hasn't heard me apologize in so long that her parts can't decide what to do with it. The two 3rd grade teachers share a look that I catch in the wall mirror as I turn to hang my coat. There is so much collusion in this room it's stifling.
"Now, where were we?" Sarah resets.
"Sarah, I want you to take this pad and write out 25 things that you are too afraid to share with... [did she just forget my name?!] share with Gavin."
"Ok."
"And Gavin, take this one and do the same," she hands me a pad and pen.
"What kind of stuff am I writing here? Truths that she can't share with me?" I stall, feigning befuddlement.
"Truths. These are things that you feel strongly about but are too afraid to tell Sarah because... you're afraid to admit them... or you think you'll hurt her feelings... or she'll judge you---"
"We tell each other everything! There isn't one thing---"
she settles a hand on Sarah's knee, "It's just an exercise. Even in a very intimate relationship there are still things we keep hidden from one another---"
"Ok, here I go. Truths. Truths," I begin to play along. This is $400/hr, so I do my best to limit the amount of time we spend listening to Sarah pontificate. I am annoyed at how textbook an exercise this is, but if I'm going to get things back to normal - if I'm going to GET A KEY TO MY OWN HOUSE AGAIN(!) I have to jump through these stupid hoops and at least give off the appearance of cooperation.

My first few truths are, admittedly, sarcastic, but, to my surprise, somewhere after the first few the whole thing becomes a bit cathartic. When Catherine calls "Time!" I've only laid out 24 truths. I spent the last five minutes of the session trying to figure out which of eight remaining truths should be my number 25. I did not have time to notice if Sarah had struggled to complete the task. We gather our things and stand to leave, shaking Catherine's hand. I feel lighter, relieved even. I tell myself I will do this exercise on my own, regularly. "Good session guys, we are making progress. You have to believe that. Now next week we'll exchange lists and discuss." The blood drops out of my face and I lunge for the pad but she anticipates my reaction and pulls back, "Uh, uh Mr. Castleton! You have to TRUST here! This is all about PROGRESS!" It is at this distinct moment that I realize she and my wife have every intention of ending our marriage, and they've managed to get me to pay for the rope I will hang myself with.

BRAND NEW WEBSITE!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Gavin Castleton) — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:57:00 +0000

Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce the first gavincastleton.com facelift since 2004, brought to you by web genius Tyler Finck at sursly.com!!!
There is lots to explore there: you can listen to the entire album for free, download tons of tracks and read about everything GavCaz! Please follow the SHARE link on the right side to send the album to friends FOR FREE!!!