As fore-mentioned we were leaving and heading on our way to Fresno from San Jose. If I’m not mistaken this was the first time I was driving the van. I am almost positive of this fact because I have no documentation of this portion of the trip at all. I remember driving through crazy mountains and the front drivers side seat being really fucking hot in traffic. I remember Bo havin to pee like a racehorse at some point. I remember a huge lake thing that was super blue. I don’t remember much else other than the fact that we were warned Fresno could be a little on the sketchy side. We got there and it seemed pretty tame but maybe it was just the area we were in. The show was pretty wack. Best parts of the night: Justin correcting Matt on his title of the record – “I thought it was gonna be called Psychedelic Tits!” – Justin Williams inside a Youth Center. And during So Adult’s set Joe ran up the quarter pipe that was planted on the side of the venue and did a sort of 180 during the crazy noise part of the song. Derek had some amp issues maybe? We played real fast and split right quick making a total of like 12 dollars. Big money, beb. We were on our way to L.A. to stay with the Dulterer’s pal Funds.

We had a nice drive out to LA packed with sleepover discussion from the boys. Once we actually got to Funds’ neighborhood a few of of us headed over to 7-11 for snacks. This Pizza Man “He Delivers” sign was the first thing I saw. Immediately I understood the DFL song for the first time. We saw some interesting things on the walk there and back, once we got back we basically crashed. The next day was to be a big one.

SOAK CITY USAAAAA. We went to a water park, one of the most highly anticipated things on this trip. And totally justified…

Here is one picture of the highlight. This four way tube thing that you got into and blast through a pitch black tunnel and dropped straight down. Once heading down it was like a huge half pipe. Totally awesome all day except most of us got totally roasted by that big yellow thing in the sky. Bobby and Derek were worse off.

Here’s a weird panoramic glitch where Joe just faded into oblivion.

I may have my days off but I think we got Thai food afterwards? Or maybe that was the day before… I don’t know. The food was pretty good out there.

One of Justin’s pics cause I was burnt out. We went and saw The Dark Knight Rises in IMAX in Hollywood later that night making this the mega crazy day of fun activity. Joe and I really enjoy soda beverages, which is why we’re Bubble Dragon (you’ll learn more of that later), and he also has to pee a lot. He pees so much he became a master of peeing stealthily in plain sight. He challenged me to catch him in the act during the movie. He sat next to me and peed into a bottle and I totally did not notice. What a champ!

The next day after getting home at like 3 am. Con-Air doing some post cards. I did not do any this trip cause it fully slipped my mind.

Here’s a painting that was hanging in Zach’s place, I don’t understand it but I love it.

We headed out to enjoy some sandwich / breakfast spot Funds / Zach recommended.

We had to park the van up on a hill so there was a lot of standing around waiting for it to be retrieved.

Bed head Joe. Good look…

Bobby brought out the Waynes World hat! Fuck yes. We had one of those in my house hold too. I remember we ordered it from the rip off tab in the cassette soundtrack or something 90s like that.

Check out the palm trees. Lots of those around.

On our way to this sandwichy spot. I had a super banging meal that morning and an awesome s’mores dessert.

We came back and dropped Funds off because we were on our way to Amoeba and he would not be joining us. Conor stuck his tongue out at Justin.

We thanked Funds for his hospitality and bid him farewell. This would not be the last we saw of him though.

So when I walked into this place I expected it to be Mecca because I’ve heard so many stories. I didn’t find as much as I thought I would straight away. I did end up spending quite a bit and found some really sweet presents for Ms. Chuck D but it wasn’t that immediate like “wow, look at this and this and this!” like I thought.

Here’s some Hollywood ass shit.

Here is some more. A drifter fellow in the Jack In The Box. Big Matt told Matt he had to eat in like 4 fast food places before he left the west coast or he would be disowned. He didn’t make it to one of the four but they’re still cool.

After Amoeba we walked over to a Goodwill in Hollywood.

Joe made the best find obviously… Back To The Future on VHS! Oh and that hat is pretty great too…

Justin and window palm trees outside

Hey there’s that Hollywood sign people talk so much about.

The four-eyed members of the tour went into a photobooth at the shopping area and picked themselves up this little ditty. Afterwards we were on our way to Long Beach to stay with a friend of theirs from the band Merry Christmas (I think). Our show didn’t work out in Long Beach which sucked but they still offered to put us up. Good thing because I got to eat some of the most banging Mexican on the tour twice! Once that night during which an apparent earthquake happened but we didn’t feel it.

One of the best parts about this stop is right here. This fuckin kitty! AHH. It was so cute. This night was fun we did tons of watching viral videos like Let’s Paint, Exercise, and Blend Drinks TV! (which I turned So Adult onto a bit earlier on the trip). We found out later that the people from Let’s Paint.. did a live version of the show at Rasputin in Berkeley like two days after we left. Such a bummer.

I basically spent the entire night playing with this one.

I mean look at that thing.

How could you not bite that

Totally a crazy cat lady. Anyway, it was a good night and I slept in the fart room again which sucked, but at least it was quiet.

The next morning I woke up to a totally new sensation. Was a semi driving by? Nope. An aftershock from the earthquake reported the night before. To Californians it was just like a baby burp but that was a feeling not felt by yours truly before.

I think me and Derek were the only ones who felt it. He was already awake on his laptop and researched it. Apparently our 9:15ish aftershock was a 4.5 or something. I remember waking up and looking at the sliding glass door of the room I was sleeping in and thinking “should I get in that door frame? Is this serious enough? Should I wake these guys up and ask their opinion?”

Before we left for more tacos and to be on our way to the next spot I took a stroll through the neighborhood to find a cool drink. I had to alert my fellow Bubble Dragon to the existence of a slurpee like beverage. On the walk back I saw fuckin hummingbirds. That’s like nature channel shit. So weird. To be continued soon.

So we’re back in the heat and the AC is finally working. Here is the longer drive I think. I may have misremembered (is that a word?) the length of one of the earlier ones cause I just remember that if I’m looking through this windshield for the first time then it’s Bobby the Beast, Bobby the Best, behind the wheel.

Bobby is a driving animal. He laid out 12 hours easy. I couldn’t believe it. I guess west coast driving is slightly different then east coast because there is more space and less to pass by. Does that make sense?

Either way we were on route to San Jose and Bobby put up with it all. The farts, the loudness, and the Hard Ticket to Hawaii. While we were in Portland apparently Joe met up with a friend to buy a bunch of crazy DVDs from him. Hard to find B and C movies I guess. Derek brought his laptop to be able to do “work” on the road, but it came in handy on a 12 hour drive when everyone behind the pilots seats got to watch this piece of junk. If you have a minute just youtube the skateboard assassin scene and you’ll understand.

We were an hour and a half behind the show so by the time the last band played we still weren’t there until an hour and a half later. Ilya got word to us that people were gonna stick around and party so we basically rolled in and played. Here is So Adult (first night I recorded them) and during their set the power drops out. The craziest shit happened at this show! I was standing there for a minute after loading in and I saw someone I recognized from New York! I don’t know her well but she is a friend of friends and what not. She was like “I saw that there was a band from Long Island but I didn’t recognize the name. Thought it was weird that I wouldn’t know anyone but apparently I do!” Totally fucking random. Only problem is I can’t remember her name because I am the worst at that. I know she lived in one of the 538 places, not the main one or Stolen Sleeves, but that other that did shows sometimes. I think it may be Sandra but I dunno. Anyway…

After the show we ate some banging local Mexican. I do love their Mexican though I am loyal to my authentic Taco Truck. That night we stayed with Derek’s aunt, Tammy.

We got another good shower and plenty of nice space. I slept in the fart room that night seeing as both Conor and Bo were fumigating the room. Derek’s aunt had a bunch of cute kitties and a really awesome but loud pooch. She fed us well in the morning and her son likes hockey. That’s all I remember.

Oh and she had this nightmare of a spider in her backyard. It’s fucking orange. That is not a good sign.

We headed out to what turned out to be one of the better digging days on the trip. Rasputin Music. As we turned the corner in the daylight I realized I may have stayed at a hotel around the corner with my mom and sister something like 20 years ago. I remember it really clearly but who knows.

Posse in effect.

At Rasputin we all made a good haul but the hidden gem was the 50 cent bin. This was one of the only “dollar bins” I’ve ever seen that had actual worthwhile records. Conor is showing the camera the Carly Simon record that we believe certain choices were made for sales because something about the cover art grabs one’s attention. You guessed it, the font choice.

I left with about 50 dollars worth of shit. Awesome stuff that I can’t find on the east coast.

After I left Rasputin I went searching for the other dudes who headed over to a different record store. In the process I stumbled on a yard sale that was awesome. This woman running it was walkin around in a weird bra top with a long sleeve wrapped at her waste with leopard print Hammer pants. She was awesome but declined to be photographed so I snapped a little something for reference.

She had a box of sport photographs which featured a collection of All Star Game stuff with players from The Ducks and The Sharks. The last time I was in San Jose I got some much sick Sharks swag I wish I could time travel just got that stuff.

She seemed really confused as to why anyone would want to photograph a yard sale so I told her it was because we don’t have stuff like this in NYC. She told me a story about how she stayed in the Bronx with a friend in the 80s. She told her friend that she saw a huge raccoon the size of a dog and her friend told her it was probably a rat.

I caught up with the guys at On The Corner Music. This spot was awesome too. I copped a lot of weird hip-hop stuff that is also hard to come by out east.

I was jealous of Conor’s grab… the Whiplash ep for a really good price. We then got talking to the gal running the shop. She was stoked to find out we were in bands. She snapped a picture of us “for the internet” but I haven’t been able to scope it out with my net skills.

She told us she was an artist as well and gave us her card. Look up “Steely Nash” if you wanna hear her voice, which isn’t bad. I asked if I could get a portrait in return for the one she just took of us. She said sure but then the phone rang and we were headed out the door so I grabbed one real quick to which she replied “that’s it? ok!” or something. Anyway cool record store.

On the way back to Tammy’s place someone spotted a little Gecko. Those things are so cute. I wish we had little mutated ones in New York. Cause you know they would be if they lived here. I had to coax it out of the shadows by tipping its tail a bit. Well worth it. After we got back to Tammy’s we were on our way out to The Chinatown Youth Center in Fresno. TBC.