login join
Andria Goodrow
Touring: Sponsorship/Marketing

On Tour



I Support:
Boarding For Breast Cancer




taking life for granted

November 20, 2009

This morning I woke up to the horrible news that one of our tour busses traveling in front of us had been in an accident. When I got off the bus we were parked on the side of a highway along with two other crew busses watching the ambulance and fire trucks try to overturn the crashed bus. 

I couldn't believe this was happening, I was in total shock. The driver of the tour bus that crashed was dead, and one other crew member that I knew was taken to the hospital. About an hour after I woke up we moved the tour busses to a gas station and waited for the other bus to be towed to that same spot. 

It was surrea l seeing the news, and locals lurking around the crew and tour busses searching for ANYTHING they could to report back to the news. It really bothered me that in a time of shock and mourning that they would be so intrusive. It also bothered me that minutes after the crash happened stories, and photos popped up onto the internet like wildfire reporting hearsay, and spreading lies. 

My heart goes out to the bus driver's family and friends, as well as our crew that had to live through the crash. I myself have been put into situations while traveling on tour that could have ended in a crash, or death.. I never imagined it would ever hit this close. It really gives me a new perspective on how lucky we all are to be alive each and every day. 

I appreciate anybody who texted / called / reached out to me this morning. Thank you for thinking of me, and checking in. I love all of you.

-A

can't touch this.

November 06, 2009

I just bought an adult hello kitty onesie.. Yes, it's true. Check it out:

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=9797623&l=18bf0443f1&id=541715713

 

BEST THING IVE EVER BOUGHT! 

 

In other news: 15 shows left of the Miley Cyrus Tour. I'll post an update one of these days. 

 

xo

it's only rock n' roll but I like it

September 07, 2009

Happy Labor Day everybody! Hope you're enjoying some nice BBQ (send me some!)

Right now I'm sitting in a hotel room in Totowa, NJ trying to waste away the day until training continues tomorrow. I can't wait to get to Portland, OR for the start of the tour. The entire set up looks really cool! If you're coming out to any of the shows make sure you stop by the Walmart / Miley Cyrus clothing line set-up (we have two identical set-ups that will be on opposite sides of the concorse). You can get your photo taken and upload it directly to Facebook. You can also enter for an on-the-spot ticket upgrade! We'll also be showcasing some of the new Miley clothing for Fall 09' (it's pretty cute stuff). I'll be roaming around during the show working, so hit me up if you'll be out. 

... I'm still waiting for you to send me some BBQ!

xo

I sold my soul to the open road

September 01, 2009

So good news! I'll be out on the Miley Cyrus tour this Fall/Winter working for the sponsor (WalMart / Her clothing line). If you are planning on going PLEASE let me know and come say hello! I'll be working with FIVE guys who are older than me.. it would be nice to see some familiar faces, and have girl talk!

DATES:

September 14: Portland, OR Rose Garden
September 16: Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
September 18: Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
September 20: San Jose, CA HP Pavilion at San Jose
September 22: Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center
September 23: Anaheim, CA Honda Center
September 25: Glendale, AZ jobing.com Arena
September 26: Las Vegas, NV Thomas & Mack Center
September 29: Salt Lake City, UT Energy Solutions Arena
October 2: Omaha, NE Qwest Center
October 3: Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
October 4: St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center
October 6: Auburn Hills, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills
October 7: Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena
October 9: Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena
October 10: Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
October 12: Tulsa, OK BOK Center
October 15: San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
October 18: Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
October 20: New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena
October 21: Memphis, TN FedExForum
October 23: Birmingham, AL BJCC Arena
October 24: N. Little Rock, AR ALLTEL Arena
October 27: Chicago, IL United Center
October 29: Minneapolis, MN Target Center
October 31: Louisville, KY Freedom Hall
November 1: Lexington, KY Rupp Arena
November 3: Washington, DC Verizon Center
November 4: Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
November 5: University Park, PA Bryce Jordan Center
November 7: Newark, NJ Prudential Center
November 8: Newark, NJ Prudential Center
November 9: Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden
November 12: Hartford, CT XL Center
November 15: Cleveland, OH Quickens Loan Arena
November 16: Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse
November 18: Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum
November 19: Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum
November 22: Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
November 24: Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena
November 25: Nashville, TN Sommet Center
November 28: Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena
November 29: Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
December 1: Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
December 2: Miami, FL American Airlines Arena

See you on the road! xoxo

callingallcaptains.com

September 01, 2009

If you guys are into prank calls and your friends like to drink, you should head over to callingallcaptains.com an funny new Marketing ploy Captain Morgan has going on. 

 

Long story short, you fill out some information about your friend, boyfriend, etc. and they'll send a pre-recorded message to their phone. You can preview it.. it's pretty hilarious. Do it, and let me know how it went. :)

The One Love, a place for friends.

August 31, 2009

I think me and fellow blogger Daniel Oakley should be friends. 

Pass it on. 

the ten day pants rule

August 31, 2009

Random thought I had while I changed into my pajamas tonight. Am I so use to working on tours and re-using my clothing (esp. jeans) that when I'm home I'll get a good ten wears out of them before I even consider washing them.. Is that normal?

I'm very OCD with my t-shirt however, one use and it goes into the wash. Heaven forbid I re-wear a t-shirt two days in a row. It's a rare occasion when I'll wear the same t-shirt during the day and then wear it to bed. 

How many days do you wear your jeans without washing them? 

 

speak dumb, like every other one

August 28, 2009

I'm baaaackkk! And I survived yet another summer with the Vans Warped Tour. It's my fourth year working the tour and it almost feels like I've graduated. Does that mean next year I'll be working on another summer tour? Who knows.. but what I do know is that I will only be working on the tour again if my pay is an additional $1/per degree it is over 80* for each day on the entire tour. I'm getting too old and jaded to enjoy hot parking lots with screaming smelly kids. I can dream can't I? ;)

Anyway, Warped has come and gone and I've got something else up my sleeve for the fall / winter. I'll post dates as soon as I can, but needless to say it's going to be an adventure! 

xoxo

ps: how was everyone's summer?

Pass out all the flashlights

June 09, 2009

WHY HELLO!

A lot of things have happened since I've last blogged. It's not my fault this time I swear! I tried to post two different blogs a couple weeks apart from one another and 1. I was having log in problems, and 2. when I went to publish it had timed out. Looks like I'll have to update you with what I've been doing for the past couple of months .. here goes.

1. Worked for David Copperfield as one of his Personal Assistants for seven weeks including his residency in Las Vegas, a west coast tour, and a working trip to his private islands in the Bahamas. What a wonderful learning experience it was.

2. Got hired to Tour Manage the Rock Band 2 sponsorship on the Vans Warped Tour this summer. It'll be my FOURTH year with the tour, so if you're coming out to a show please stop by the tent and say hello! 

3. Got more tattoos.. per usual. I will post the finished product in the upcoming weeks (I still have one more appointment until it's finished). 

That's about as short as I can get with what I've been doing for the past two months. I can't wait for this summer, the Warped family truly is one of a kind!

xoxo

Hollywood's not America

May 15, 2009

I'm watching the sun set from my hotel window in Salt Lake City and it's a beautiful sight. I haven't had the chance to relax and enjoy something simple like the beauty of the sky changing to night in a while. It's refreshing and makes me realize how many things I take for granted each and every day.

A lot has happened this year with my father getting diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, and my twin brother losing his unborn child. Despite the horrible times it all seems to get pushed into the back of my brain as I move forward with my career which preoccupies me with the unimportant.

I've known for years what I wanted to do in life, and I honestly believe the only thing that seperates people from being successful and just getting by is passion. The more I see, the more I know this is true. Believe in yourself, believe in what YOU want, and don't let others hold you back.

I'll be seeing you all soon. (more on this when I can post)

 

The magic of David Copperfield

April 19, 2009

I wrote a blog a few weeks ago about a position I was training for in Las Vegas. It's been two weeks since I arrived in Vegas and I'm happy to say I'm still standing .. I am currently working as a Personal Assistant for David Copperfield.

Now I know the first thought that comes to mind is me lying onstage being sawed in half, however that is far from what I do. I do not assist with any onstage magic as he has his own highly trained magic assistants for that. What I do is anything, and everything you can imagine having to do with the day to day running of his life. I also assist with shows behind the scenes which can get very stressful and hectic due to the precision of everything.

During his residency at the Hollywood Theatre inside the MGM Grand there are 2 shows everyday, 7 days a week. Yes, you got that right .. NO OFF DAYS during his time at the theatre. I've done 12 days, that's 24 shows already and I've never worked this hard in my life, it's truly exhuasting. (In the summer he's got a 39 day run, yikes!)

I will be hitting the road with the David Copperfield Tour at the end of this month and the dates include:

4/27 Long Beach, CA
4/29 Reno, NV
4/30 San Rafael, CA
5/1 Bakersfield, CA
5/2 Temecula, CA
5/3 Temecula, CA
5/5 Bozeman, MT
5/6 Billings, MT
5/7 Casper, WY
5/8 Denver, CO
5/9 Denver, CO
5/10 Denver, CO
5/12 Palm Desert, CA
5/13 Palm Desert, CA
5/14 Palm Desert, CA
5/16 Salt Lake City, UT
5/17 Salt Lake City, UT 

So that's what's been going on in my life. I'll keep you updated with fun tour moments the best I can :)

xoxo

I wanted to be a Gremlin

March 29, 2009

This is a scene from The Gremlins childrens book I just found at etsy.com. I'm scared looking at it now, I can only imagine my thoughts about this when I was a child. I remember watching the Gremlins movies and loving them, infact I even wanted to be a Gremlin (yes, that's true). What is wrong with me? I guess this can help explain why at twenty four years of age I have horrible nightmares all the time! 

(If you're into Vintage items, clothing, etc. check out etsy.com, it's my new addiction!)

xoxo

What's the worst that could happen?

March 28, 2009

I woke up this morning to an email concerning a position I had applied for a little over a week ago. I had already done an interview and I was just waiting to hear back. The news? It was good. I will be flying across the country next week for a one-week trial. If the job is a good fit on both ends I'll stay, if it's not, i've got a return flight.

The job specifics make me both nervous, and excited about this upcoming trip. It's a 50/wk + position with potential for years of work. The job would require me to spend 25 weeks out of the year stationed out of a hotel thousands of miles away from my actual home, and the rest of the time I'd be living out of a suitcase on tour. Work is 7 days a week during the 25 week period, and of course tour is tour.. I'd always be on call. It's what I've always wanted, however I always get super nervous before I work a new gig.

I won't go into who this job is for, or what my actual role will be just yet, as my flight is still being booked and well .. things could always change. I am also a little cautious in reguards to this position because of a negative conversation I had with a friend about it. To make a long story short one of his friends had a bad experience working in a similar position with this person (but I have yet to hear her side of things, so I'm not certain about her involvement). So far everything on their end seems to be legit, I haven't had one red flag go up so I'm going into the job with an open mind, and with no expectations. What's the worst that could happen? I'll get to experience a new job, and meet some new people.

I will of course keep you updated with all of the news once I'm actually working the one-week trial. I hope that this is a wonderful job that will open doors for my career .. but if it's the opposite at least it'll be another chapter in my book, right?

xoxo

I'm most likely going to hell if I wear this

March 27, 2009

but I want it just the same ..

awesome!

Feed my Ipod!

March 25, 2009

I'll be the first to admit as far as music goes I've been out of the loop for a while. The only time I actually hear new music is from the bands I'm working with, or run into on tours, and well ... that's just sad.

My Ipod is out of date because the only time it gets fed is when I update it from other people's computers. I'm looking for suggestions on new music that I should be seeking out. My favorite type of music? Anything you'd hear at Warped Tour, and sometimes a guilty (radio disney) pleasure. What can I say? My pop roots shine through from time to time.

C'mon help me out. Who should I be listening to? Who's the next big thing? I need your recommendations!

xoxo

using truth as the illusion

March 24, 2009

I really wish I could write down everything that was happening in my life right now. Maybe I will soon .. however I have to be aware that this is a public forum and anyone can read this blog.

With that said, there is truth in my title ;)

PS: follow me on Twitter @andriagoodrow

xoxox

Remember it's Rock n' Roll .. and you like it!

March 21, 2009

Alright, so I went to two shows this past week and both were very different. Britney Spears, and Motley Crue.

On Monday night Heather and I worked a promotion at the Britney Spears concert in Boston. The Britney Tour is literally like Cirque Du Soleil featuring Britney Spears, it's amazing. The fact that she doesn't sing during any of the show is forgotten due to the crazy production of the tour. They really did take the Circus theme to heart and during her intro my jaw literally dropped. If you get the chance to go see Britney on this tour, DO IT.. the show is insane.

On Tuesday night I went to visit my friend who was working on the Motley Crue tour. Usually being backstage at shows and working on tours isn't that exciting. Yeah, there might be some partying on occasion, but generally it's a whole lot of work, and .10% "party" (at least on my end). This is certainly not the case on the Motley Crue tour. Nothing has changed since they ruled the charts. The sex, drugs, and rock n' roll, motto certainly still rings true with these guys. As I walked down the hall backstage I began noticing all of the guys dressing room signs, the "UN-Dressing Room," the clothing optional dressing room .. and so on. It continued when I went back to my friends bus to visit. As soon as I stepped on the bus I noticed a sign with the title, ATTENTION LADIES!. The sign let all visiting ladies know that they were now on a bands tour bus, and well .. anything goes. Now that they were on the bus it was mandatory they play a game called the Wheel Of MISFortune. At the end of the note it said, "Remember, it's rock n' roll .. and you like it!". I got closer to the "wheel" and started to read what they had written. Grab somebody's package, strip to your underwear, show your boobs .. the normal "groupie" stuff. I couldn't help but laugh and begin to ask about stories that came upon ladies actually spinning this wheel.

As the night went on some of my friends tour-mates tried to convince me to spin the weel .. nice try. I'm a friend, not a lady I told them but secretly hoped some girls would be joining the party so I could see how hilarious this game actually was.

After a lot of Sailor Jerry rum and a lot of walking around the venue, it was 2am, and it was bus call. I said good bye to my friend and realized I probably shouldn't drive home. The next thing I knew it was 8am and I was waking up inside my car .. great. I felt like a train had hit me, but then I realized it was just the Motley Crue tour. They certainly don't mess around.

I'd tell you to go see the show but the tour ended the following day in Portland, ME (worst end of tour city ever). Even if you don't like the band I suggest seeing them on an upcoming tour just for the sake of seeing what real rock n' roll is.. in every aspect of the words.

Glad I made it out alive!

 

"you're so pretty but your tattoos ruin it"

March 19, 2009

That's a quote right out of a good friends mouth about me and my ink. That same quote has been echoing in my mind for a week now and it's driving me crazy.Honestly, that hurt me. I thought that now, in 2009, the majority of people have come to accept tattoos as a form of experession, I guess not. However, this quote didn't come out of a strangers mouth .. it came out of the mouth of one of my best friends, but I beg to differ.

Why do some people find it so offensive when people take pride in using tattoos as a form of expression, an art? It's those same people that see a tattoo on my body and make comments like, "you're going to regret that when you're older," or "you're ruining your body". I do not have any tattoos that are considered offensive, and I will never understand what the big deal is. That's like me walking up to somebody and saying, "wow, I really don't like your hair color" or "man, that jacket really sucks," it's rude and uncalled for.

It's 2009 and the 9-5'ers that find my form of expression too much to handle need a reality check. Yes, I know it's permanent, and I think it's beautiful. I am beautiful.

beware of band guys, and ...

February 26, 2009

tattoo artists!

Tonight one of my friends went to get tattooed at a shop I've been meaning to check out. One of the artists that tattoo's there does amazing traditional work, so I was excited to finally get the chance to chat with him. As the hours rolled on (and my friend was getting tattooed) I got to look at his portfolios, and get to know the artist a little better. He seemed like a great guy, somebody I'd go to in the future for work, and someone I'd hang out with socially for fun. UNTIL all of a sudden he leans in to kiss me. My immediate reaction was to pull back, and I did. I couldn't help but be offended, and laugh at his attempt for a smooch. At what point did he think it would be okay to try that? I never gave off any flirting vibes, all of our conversations were strictly on a new-friend (not "new friend") level.

I guess for some people that wouldn't be a big deal.. but I'm pretty offended. I guess in todays society it's getting harder for guys and girls to just be FRIENDS, at least on the guys part.

Tattoo artists.. just add them to the group of guys that you can't trust.

If love is about giving and recieving

February 23, 2009

shouldn't friendship follow the same rules?

Time changes a lot of things, but it doesn't change true friendship. I guess I shouldn't dwell on the 'friends' that come in/out of my life when they need something, instead I should learn to appreciate those that are there for me through the good and bad.

 

 

 

 

Fuck Cancer.

February 21, 2009

Over the past year my father has been traveling to a hospital in Northern New Hampshire where he's done tests, and some uncomfortable out patient procedures. The only information I've been given about these visits are sugar coated and very vague. My family has always been hugh-hush about situations like this and because of that I can understand more from the silence than I could from any doctor.

I was upstairs cleaning when the call came in. I could tell from the change in my fathers voice when speaking to the doctor that it wasn't good. My father was now officially diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and the reality of the unknown was now clear. When the phone call ended my mother and father had a brief discussion about visiting the hospital to have meetings, and being sent treatment information. Their conversation couldn't have lasted more than 2 minutes and ended with an optimistic, "we'll just wait and see". There was no discussion with me, my brother, or any of the family about the news .. like I said before, it was just assumed that we all knew.

The news has been weighing on my mind reminding me of the times I visited my grandfather in the hospital when I was younger. Because I was so young I never truly understood why he was there. It wasn't until he passed away last May that I found out why I spent so much of my childhood in hospitals. I knew he was sick, but his passing unveiled a history of colon cancer, and breast cancer. He was a surviver, and now my father was going to have to face that same road.

I was told his cancer is very slow moving, and that's good. I've also overheard he will be making decisions about treatment in the upcoming weeks, and months. My best friends mother thinks I should attend these meetings, but I'm not sure I can take that much reality. Being able to understand the severity of cancer, and the sickness that can come with treatment I'm scared. I'm not five anymore, and I know that there's going to be a time when I see my father completely terrified. It doesn't help when I hear my mother say things like, "daddy might lose a lot of weight, so we need to keep feeding him well" or my grandmother (who's husband survived two types of cancer) say, "your dad's going to be very sick". It's not fair.

I am going to remain positive and take it day by day. My heart goes out to anybody who has had to deal with cancer in any aspect of their lives.

I'm in love with Adam Lambert

February 04, 2009

Yes, it's true.

This love could rival that of the love I have for Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. Too bad Mr. Lambert likes the mens...

xoxo

Hot Vibes, 8 years has come to an end..

January 30, 2009

That's right, after eight years the staff has decided to put Hot Vibes to rest. I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad, honestly it feels like I've lost a friend. I spent my entire high school and college career attending interviews, concerts, and events up and down the east coast with hopes that one day I too would be in the "business". Through Hot Vibes I had the opportunity to interview some amazing artists who have all left an impression on me (whether it be negative or positive). It makes me smile to think how much the staff has accomplished over the eight year run, and what the next eight years have in store for us.

Since Hot Vibes began I've graduated both high school and college, and started my own career in the touring industry. I've completed ten national tours, and I am certain it wouldn't have been possible without Hot Vibes.

I'm not going to get overly sad yet because this isn't a forever good-bye, its more of a temporary leave. There has always been talk of a book between Heather and myself and well .. that's all I'm saying.

(head over to hotvibes.com for our good-bye letter)

This entry is for Laila Bagge

xoxo

stuck at the Baltimore airport

January 28, 2009

I arrived in Las Vegas this afternoon from Portland only to find out my connecting flight was canceled, awesome. At first I was upset because this would happen to me, I've always had bad luck with airlines. However, after the initial "what the hell am I going to do now?" thoughts eased up I made the decision to take a flight to Baltimore and spend the night on the east coast with hopes my 7am flight to Manchester, NH will be taking off as expected. Right now I'm laying on the seats with the blanket and pillow Southwest gave me ready to get some Z's. The good thing is I'm safe, and that's all that matters right? Xoxo

3am wakeup call

January 23, 2009

I'm up. Its not even 6am yet, but the line for Dunkin' Donuts is unreal. I'm sitting at gate A16 at the airport waiting for my flight to board. Where am I going? Portland, OR to visit some friends. However I've got 8.5 hours of pure airline fun ahead of me before I arrive at my final destination.FUN TIMES. Xoxo

the revival of a blog

January 19, 2009

How can I even call myself a blogger? Haha. Its been a MONTH since I last logged in and wrote anything, but here's hoping ill become a regular again. I promise a blog tomorrow (when I get on an actual computer), that will most likely be about my newfound love for Morningstar Farms products, mmmmm.

January 19, 2009

How can I even call myself a blogger? Haha. Its been a MONTH since I last logged in and wrote anything, but here's hoping ill become a regular again. I promise a blog tomorrow (when I get on an actual computer), that will most likely be about my newfound love for Morningstar Farms products, mmmmm.

hell froze over

December 19, 2008

I went to a bar the other night and when I handed the bartender my ID he said, "that's okay".. He didn't look at it and still proceeded to serve me. Hell has frozen over! I did just last year get asked by an airline if I was "over the age of 15" .. I'm finally moving up in the world!

Ice Storm 2008: There's beauty in the breakdown

December 16, 2008

I wish I had something clever to write about today. I'm actually sitting in my room wasting time before I head off to see my friend in Portland, ME. He's in town on tour, and I'm excited to see a familiar face in my neck of the woods.

Today the weather is gloomy, and snow/rain is in the forecast. Hopefully the storm we had last week that left 300,000+ people with out power for days. Schools in the area still have not opened, and thousands of people are still without power in the cold weather. I worked at the shelter yesterday that the Red Cross had set up at my old High School. My mom, and the staff threw a Birthday Party for a little girl who was turning ten. I imagine that would be a horrible birthday to remember .. stuck in a High School gym with strangers, and nothing to do. She seemed to like the cake, and the presents (which included a JBros poster, haha).

With that said I'll leave you with some 'aftermath' photos of the ice storm that hit New England. The day after the storm was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen. Even though the temperature was in the teens the sun appeared for almost an hour and turned the wreckage into a beautiful wonderland. All of the trees and streets glistened, and everywhere you went it was 'raining ice'. I could barely make my way through town because of all the fallen trees, and powerlines that were in the road (this is still the case on some streets).. but even though it was such a mess it was one of the most beautiful days I have seen.

Everything is covered in ice!

This was the house down the road from me

Ice did this

xoxo

Please don't forget me

December 11, 2008

Tonight I had one of those moments where everything comes to a complete stop. The type of moment where you finally realize something important, something you'd been missing all along. Its taken me a while to realize that every person who comes into my life has a reason - good, bad, or neutral.. They've all got something to leave with me, and a lesson I can learn from. However, I have a problem with dragging out, and holding onto friendships and connections that have already ended. For what ever reason I am terrified that ill be forgotten so I latch on hoping it can somehow be saved.. but it won't be, because its not meant to be. By doing this I am temporarily content but neglect to see that its a one way street. The other person continues to take from me, yet I receive nothing in return. Its unfair to myself, and I need to let go. Tonight I let go. *sorry if there are no paragraphs, when I update from my blackberry it clumps it together.. Will fix later.

a game for people with too much time on their hands

December 07, 2008

I got this game from Facebook .. and yes, I'm THAT bored.

Step 1: Put your music player on shuffle.
Step 2: Post the first line (unless the first line reveals the song title) from the first 25 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing.
Step 3: Bold the songs when someone guesses both artist and song title correctly.
Step 4: Looking them up on Google or any other search engine is CHEATING!
Step 5: If you like the game, post your own.

1. I lay me down tonight, much further down.

2. Look at us baby, up all night, tearing our love apart.

3. A long day, if ever these questions were yours what would you say? You don't know.

4. Johnny wanna be a big star, get onstage and play the guitar.

5. You're picture in my hand, and I'm at the mercy of your photograph.

6. I said, I still hear the rain, these images that fill my head now keep my fingers from making mistakes

7. I saw shorty dancing on the floor, I'm kinda nervous to approach her though.

8. And you can try to fight this all you want, and I won't be there, I won't be there, when you're all alone.

9. I cashed in all my chips tonight, and combed my hair to look just right because I've been thinking of you and me girl and we've got something going on.

10. Midwest love affair I bend when I am bored, late night liquor blue will lead me to the floor.

11. I wanna crawl into the ground and not come out for thirty seven years when my life runs out, the demon in my mouth it spits words out made everybody hate me, made me kill myself.

12. Don't be sad for us I can honestly say we're walking on, and don't feel bad for us in our time we'll see right where we belong.

13. Pardon me for saying so but you look more pitiful than I had ever imagined, despite perfect fashion

14. A pressure is building I want to break away, motivation is lacking the point starts to fade.

15. We're losing daylight but I can't walk any faster under the veil of dusk we go on.

16. Bathroom stalls and backseats, road side motels is where they'll meet, will they ever learn, ever?

17. Where you are seems to be as far as an eternity, outstretched arms, open hearts, and if it never ends then when do we start?

18. Way back college boy asked to a high school dance, couldn't wait but my date was in my friends pants. (** If anybody knows this you win at life!**)

19. What you, What you see is something that you can't distinguish, something you know that you love.

20. Take me to a hotel room and tie me to the bed of my mistakes.

21. Another day is going by I'm thinking about you all the time, but you're out there and I'm here waiting.

22. When you're only friends are hotel rooms, hands are distance lullabies, if i could turn around I would tonight.

23. Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven?

24. Everything has gone to pieces, the earth is dying, help me jesus.

25. Look up the stars are fading, and I am still here waiting to see you again, be with you my friend.

* hopefully all of the lyrics are ok .. at least it's what some of it sounded like. Have fun with this pointless game :)

December 6th should have been a full moon

December 06, 2008

Today was extremely weird.. I almost feel like tonight there should have been a full moon, because we all know weird things happen when the moon is full. I had two cancellations of rather important events, and after I was upset they were "back on".I had a fight over a fight, and made up. I finished my tattoo that was incomplete for two years, and scheduled an appointment to add on to it. I made plans to visit somebody who I thought I hated.. And now I find myself listening to some Spill Canvas in an odd mood. I'm not sure what to think about today and the weird mix of emotions that I had Oh well, here's to tomorrow!How was everyones day? Xoxo

death ends a life, not a relationship

December 05, 2008

I forgot how wonderful the book Tuesdays With Morrie (Mitch Albom) was until I was reminded tonight with a quote, "death ends a life, not a relationship". If you haven't read it before, or want to give an amazing gift I would highly recommend it. PS: This is where I'll be this month.. If you are near we should have hangs: December 15/16 - New York City December 19-22 - Springfield, MO

have you seen my cat shnirples?

December 04, 2008

I found this while I was strolling through Urban Outfitters in Cambridge, MA today. It's a picture book for your ... Well I guess it doesn't really need a description:

Hope it made you laugh because I'm still laughing and I'd like to think there's nothing wrong with me.

xoxo

my mother chose a man for me, this could be weird?

December 02, 2008

It's true.

Tonight my mom was telling me how I needed to get out there and meet a nice guy. After telling her there were no nice guys in New Hampshire she proceeded to tell me how she thought the person on my last tour looked like a very nice guy. When I asked her WHO she was talking about she replied with,

"You know.. the guy that sang third" ...

I laughed so hard, "Chris Carabba from Dashboard Confessional?"

She thought about it for a minute and said, "Yeah, he looked nice".

I thought this was hilarious!! I hate to dissapoint my mother, but he's very married.

Any of you know a "nice" man out there? HAHAH.

second and third place will never be enough

December 01, 2008

Its the ever familiar pat on the shoulder after any form of let down or faced rejection. "You'll get em' next time champ," they'll all say with a smile. However you know the next time will be as equally dissapointing, yet you can't resist the urge to jump in. After all you've got a handfull of second and third place ribbons to show for it, and that's not that bad is it? Xoxo

DateAndria.com - why not?

November 29, 2008

DATEANDRIA.COM, why not? (*please note that this website is not a real website)

Most of you know that I travel for a living on music and marketing tours. It's pretty hard to have any type of relationship let alone date anybody when you're only in a city for one night. Sometimes I imagine what it would be like to be a male in the touring business. I laugh at the thought that I'd have "ladies" all over the United States who would come out to visit me each night. Of course, this wouldn't be tolerated if a female did it, nor do I really have it in me to do something like that. It's just a funny thought that occurs everytime I see this situation happen.

These thoughts always remind me of a guy who spent his time travelling to each city looking for a date, his idea was to date somebody from each of the states in the US. He would do radio interviews, and work with other various mediums to pick a "winner" who would then go on a date with the man. At the time this idea seemed silly, but the more I think about it I realize how amazing the idea truly is.

Imagine if I set up a website (dateandria.com) that was catered toward finding me a date in each city I visited on my tours. I'd be able to meet people with such diverse backgrounds, and experience different types of personalities and outlooks. It would truly teach me a lot about myself, and what I'm looking for, and NOT looking for in a relationship.

I've never been able to meet anybody where I'm from that connects with me in more than a "friends" level. It always happens when I'm travelling that I meet somebody who impacts my life and that I connect with. So, with that said .. dateandria.com, why not?

-- Although this idea is only a joke, it would be funny and interesting to do at some point in my life. Imagine the experiences I'd be able to tell about? The thought makes me laugh.

Sylvia Browne said to shrug it off

November 29, 2008

The more I try and delete certain things from my life the more they appear. Why? I'm not sure, but I'm trying my best to shrug it off and continue on.

I told you a while ago that I had purchased a book by Phsycic medium Sylvia Browne called Spiritual Connections. Although I've only read a couple chapters I feel as though it's taught me a lot about myself, and why people come and go in our lives. One of the main reasons I find her interesting is because she says that there are no coincidences in life, that everything is already planned, and charted out for you. That everybody follows a path that has already been laid out before we existed in this life. Even if you don't believe this you must admit that the concept is rather mind blowing.

The book has also given me a lot of insight into my own life, and has actually had an impact on the way I think and react to certain situations. Once I start to feel sad about somebody I've lost, angry about rejection, or even jealous I try to stop myself and realize that everything is happening this way for a reason. If anything is 'meant to be,' then everything will align and it will happen. It's also taught me to learn from everybody that comes into my life - for each person has a purpose and a lesson to teach.

Yeah, yeah, I know .. This might sound like I'm preaching but I'm just really intrigued by her ideas.

On a lighter note I was one of those crazy shoppers at WalMart at 2am this morning. My friend Nickole wanted to purchase a 50" flat screen from WalMart for $800, and because there are only a limited number we decided to go three hours before the sale started. It was a 24 hour WalMart so they let everybody wait inside next to the items and at 5am it's a free for all. The only catch was that all of the on sale items were laid out around the store on wrapped pallets and the only way to find out what was hidden under them was with the map they provided you. I thought this was hilarious!

The amount of people that showed up before the 5am sale was amazing. There were even people waiting in line for PAJAMAS, what the hell? And at 5am all bets were off and the madness began. I've never seen flat screen tvs dissapear so fast. People were pushing them down the isles to the registers, and fitting them into the tiny carts. It looked as though some of the tvs were crowd surfing away because there were so many arms grabbing at them.

I got home at 7am this morning with about 7 cheap DVDs and a present for Nickole. I can't wait for next years sale.. maybe I'll be the one purchasing the 50" tv!

3:39am - the 50" tvs all wrapped up!

a Rockband Tour photo recap

November 26, 2008

All right. In an effort to reclaim my status as a blogger on The One Love (because I haven't been blogging enough) I'm going to do a quick photo post tonight as a recap from the Rock Band Tour. At the end of tours I always wish I took more photos, and this one isn't any different. I never really have time, and when I do I never think to bring a camera. Oh-well, here's a quick recap anyway.. enjoy.

Got hit on by a drunk man (who had the name of a Robot) on an off day:

worked:

Rocked THE ONE LOVE t-shirt on an Arizona off day :)

Dressed up for Halloween (three weeks early) for Panic's tour party & "It's Almost Halloween" music video shoot. I had FIVE HOURS notice of this 'party' and during four of those hours I was working. This is the best outfit I could come up with out of my suitcase in twenty minutes, go me. PS: Go watch the "It's Almost Halloween" video because it's hilarious.

Before Halloween the 'ladies' of the Rockband Tour were going to go with a Golden Girls theme. One of my co-workers found these wigs at a thrift store, and they still smelled like old people. Needless to say the Golden Girls idea was scratched.. but we DID freak a lot of people out this day:

Our bus hosted a tour Halloween party in Virginia on Halloween night. Our bus driver gave us $200 to decorate the inside of the bus and it turned out amazing! I was Freddy Krueger, the female version. Other popular costumes that night included: NKOTB Super Fans, Beer Man, and a pin-up girl. (Here's a photo of my co-worker Lycia, myself, and two of the production ladies before show time)

on the bus:

Reunited with Heather at the Orlando show:

Visited New Orleans *where I got the famous elephant thong!:

Threw some Pepsi t-shirts off stage every night:

and worked some more:

There are a lot of things and people I will miss about this tour. The Rockband family was a diverse and "special" one for sure.

xoxo

 

 

 

 

the unforgettable elephant thong

November 24, 2008

I promised a hilarious story from the Rockband Tour, and well.. here it is! If you read anything I write you should read this because it might make you pee a little, not gonna lie.

 It all started one night when I was telling a story to my friend Bovee (who works with the Plain White Ts) about a male elephant thong I had seen at a shop in New Orleans. The topic of conversation came about because we were getting ready to have an off day in New Orleans and I always think about the thong in reference to New Orleans. We both laughed about the thought that somebody would wear that simply because it looks so hilarious.

 On my off day in New Orleans I spent the day hanging out in the Garden District, and decided to head over to Bourbon St. with some of my bus mates. After dinner and several drinks we found ourselves in a store that sold the ELEPHANT THONG! I couldn't believe it. My bus mates convinced me to buy it for Bovee as a gag gift and I couldn't resist. I texted him that I had a present and hinted at what it might be. I couldn't wait for the show day to come so I could give it to him.

The show day finally came and I decided I'd wait to give it to him until that night because he was spending the night on our bus and some of my bus mates wanted to see the look on his face. That night I presented the gift to him and although he was embarassed he thought it was hilarious and so did we. He ended up trying it on around 3am when he thought everybody was sleeping, I was brushing my teeth in the front lounge when he came out with it on. I thought I'd spit out all my toothpaste, man it was a sight to see. He stood there looking in the mirror (that's located in front of the door) in this tiny little elephant thong. I had my back turned when I told him to go put something on because somebody would probably open to door and see him. He laughed and just as I got done saying that one of the girls on the tour opened and shut the door fast. I heard her laughing and after she collected herself she came out to see. There he stand in his tshirt and elephant thong as if nothing was different. We all laughed for a good five minutes and I knew this wasn't the last I'd hear of it.

When I woke up the next morning and went into the venue everyone had already gotten word of the story. I was laughing all morning during set up, and I could only imagine how bad Bovee was going to be made fun of when he came to load in his gear.

All afternoon as crew and band members passed I heard laughs and elephant references. One of the members of Dashboard even cut out an elephant photo from the newspaper and hung it up on one of his guitar cases while he was tuning them. This gave me a great idea!

How much would it take for you to wear the elephant thong onstage tonight? I said to Bovee.

He instantly shut the idea down saying he would never do it.

How about $100? I replied.

He began to think about it and I knew I had a great dare!

 Me and my co-worker immedietly started to take contributions of $20 toward the Bovee fund. Within five minutes we had over $100 from crew and band members who all wanted to see the elephant thong. One of the techs for Panic threw in $100 as long as he did it, and their security guard offered to throw in another $100 if he did a cartwheel onstage in it. So ten minutes in this was the plan:

$345 would be awarded to Bovee if he wore the elephant thong and tied his tshirt into a half shirt and wore it onstage to do the guitar change before "Hey There Delilah," and kept it on until the last song of the Plain White Ts set.This meant ten whole minutes of him standing on the side of the stage tuning guitars and doing the changes in this hilarious get up. He was in. News quickly spread around the tour and I could not wait until the show.

It was 8:00 and almost time for the prank. I headed down to side stage with my co worker (who held onto the money) and got ready to laugh. Sure enough right before "Hey There Delilah" he stripped down and had the thong on. He headed out onstage to hand the acoustic off to the lead singer and his response was, "Bovee what the hell?" (We kept it a secret from the band for the entire day). After he handed the guitar off he did the cartwheel and took his spot side stage. I was laughing so hard I cried, I couldn't stop. But it got better! When the singer was introducing the band he called Bovee out and introduced him as "Mr. Elephant Dick".. There he stood with the spotlight on him, on the big screen, in nothing but the elephant thong. It was priceless and one of the best end of tour moments I have ever experienced. My co worker gave him the money and he was pleased to have earned $345 for a couple minutes of humiliation. It was well worth the cost of the thong I must say.

There is video I'm trying to get my hands on. If I end up finding it ill surely post it for all to see, its amazing and will make you cry. Hope you enjoyed my story :) Xoxo

spiritual connections

November 21, 2008

So, I'm headed to Barnes and Noble right now to pick up a copy of Sylvia Browne's book Spiritual Connections. For those of you who don't know, Sylvia Browne is a pretty famous psychic (among other things), and I've always wanted to meet her and speak to her in person. The book describes why you meet certain people in your life, (both good and bad), and what meaning each relationship holds. I think it'll be pretty interesting considering I meet a lot of pretty cool people on the road, and always wonder why certain friendships fade, and why another is strong for years after. Ill let you know how it is ;) ANYWAYS.. I'm back from tour, finally. Its been a pretty crazy six months and I can't wait to get back into the touring season early next when it kicks back up. The Rockband Tour was amazing! I met a lot of wonderful people who I hope to work with again. I've also got a hilarious story to tell you about a last day prank. Trust me, its worth waiting for. I'm off to Barnes and Noble, but ill update shortly. Xoxo

the lemon fish

October 23, 2008

check out my new friend!

I found this fish in a tank at the Rainforest Cafe the other day in the Mall of America. I imagine he'd be saying, "uhhhh," or something similar if he were a human. Check out that dumbfounded face, and those killer teeth.

It seems like I have a lot of blogs that begin with "sorry for the lack of updates" so I decided to start with the fish thing first, did you like it :)

It's been about two and a half weeks on the Rockband Live tour and I'm having a great time. There hasn't been a lot of downtime for me which explains the lack of updates/photos/videos, etc. I'm hoping to start updating with more exciting news as the tour continues.

The other night Panic! decided to throw a last minute Halloween party for the tour.. this sounded like a good idea minus the fact that I found out about it at 5pm, and it began at 11pm, awesome. Needless to say I found myself searching through my suitcase looking for an outfit to wear and all I could come up with was a Phillies baseball player. Keeping in mind my Red Sox had just lost that night I put on the costume with a frown and headed to the party with my co-workers. It was pretty fun.. I wish I had taken some photos, I'll post it if I can get my hands on them.

That's all for now.. how has everyone been? Fill me in, I feel out of touch.

xoxo,

A

a drunk conversation in Boise

October 15, 2008

I thought I'd share a story with you via photo because it's that much more hilarious!

On our off day in Boise, ID while waiting for our shuttle back to the hotel a drunk guy came to visit us on the bench. He was pretty insistant that he "saw me last night" however I was in Seattle, WA the night before.

After I calmed down from all of the laughing I realized that all of my tour mates were videotaping and photographing this event. This made me laugh even more! The man kept putting his arm around me, and saying he was going to New Hampshire because that's where I was from, yikes.

The conversation took a turn when I told him that I might be dangerous and have weapons on me .. he told me he might as well. This made all of us laugh. Eventually it got to the point where he kept scooting closer and closer to me and putting his arm around me so I had to get up and leave. He was obviously drunk and thought it would be hilarious to talk to us. OH MAN!

and that's the end to my lovely off-day in Boise, ID! ;)

up next: Salt Lake City, UT

xoxo

there's a birthday in the house!

October 08, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to THE ONE LOVE I am so proud that this website has come so far in the past year. The amount of bloggers and friends that visit this website shows that people are interested in making a difference.. That makes me smile. I'm excited to see how TOL will grow in the next year, and hope to become more involved! Thank you Jade, Cassie and Ben :) *UPDATE: Sorry for the lack of blogs, its been a crazy transition from tour to tour and I haven't been able to hop online for any amount of time (I'm updating via phone right now). We just completed the first show on the Rockband Tour and I'm exhausted! Its the most time I've spent setting up and breaking down, and the least amount I've spent representing a brand, yikes. I will be updating with photos and video (including a bday shout out for TOL) from the tour I promise :) Xoxo

Rockband Live Tour

September 23, 2008

If you are planning on coming to the upcoming Rockband Live Tour w/ Panic! at the Disco, Plain White T's, Dashboard Confessional, and The Cab then PLEASE come say hello. I've formally accepted a position on the tour working as a rep for one of the title sponsors, so I'll be there. Come keep me company, hang out, and cheer me up! My life could use some smiles right now. Below are the dates:

Sun, October 5 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Sports Arena

Wed, October 8 - Phoenix, AZ - Jobing.com Arena

Thu, October 9 - Las Vegas, NV - Paradise Stage at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Fri, October 10 - Los Angeles, CA - STAPLES Center

Sat, October 11 - San Jose, CA - San Jose Events Center

Sun, October 12 - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena

Tue, October 14 - Seattle, WA - Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center

Thu, October 16 - Salt Lake City, UT - The E Center

Fri, October 17 - Denver, CO - Broomfield Events Center

Sat, October 18 - Lincoln, NE - Pershing Center

Sun, October 19 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center

Tue, October 21 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center

Wed, October 22 - Chicago, IL - Allstate Arena

Thu, October 23 - Detroit, MI - EMU Convocation Center

Fri, October 24 - Toronto, ON - Arrow Hall

Tue, October 28 - Bridgeport, CT - Arena at Harbor Yard

Wed, October 29 - Lowell, MA - Tsongas Arena

Fri, October 31 - Washington, D.C. - Patriot Center

Sat, November 1 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Spectrum

Sun, November 2 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center

Tue, November 4 - Atlanta, GA - Gwinnett Center

Thu, November 6 - Tampa, FL - USF Sundome

Fri, November 7 - Miami, FL - Bank United Center

Fri, November 8 - Gainesville, FL - O'Connell Center

Sun, November 9 - Orlando, OH - UCF Arena

Wed, November 12 - Dallas, TX - NOKIA Theatre at Grand Prairie

Thu, November 13 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center

Fri, November 14 - Houston, TX - Reliant Arena

breaking

September 23, 2008

This summer I got the chance to see Anberlin perform acoustic sets in my tent on Warped Tour quite a bit and I became a fan. I'd never really been a fan of their music, but I must say they're great live. I guess the random Anberlin tie-in comes because I had an event at THE Ohio State University today called Buckeye Frenzy where Anberlin, Motion City, and Hawthorne Heights performed. Although I didn't get to see any of the show because I was working I did have a good time on the campus interacting with the college students.

If you haven't already you can head over to Anberlin's Myspace account and listen to their new CD "New Surrender" out 9.30 (next week!). I think it's awesome... especially the song, "Breaking" - the lyrics sort of sum up a lot that's been going on in my life right now:

Do you memorize theatrical lines
that seem to lead them in
Play the role with the good girl heart
add the tangled webs within
Who was it that lead you on
that makes you want to hurt me so
Who do you want to forget
who forgot you long ago

xoxo-

Do you still feel him
calling in the air tonight
do you still feel it
seems like you've done this before
You make breaking hearts look so easy
seem like you've done this before
You've got breaking hearts all but down
and you've done this, you've done this before
You make stealing hearts look so easy
Where is the girl I adore
You've got breaking up all but down
I can't love a thief anymore

Do you collect the souls you've lost
in the top of your dresser drawer
count the number of tears displaced
on lonely bedroom floors
where the shape of your heart once was
slowly takes the place of you
will they hold the memories now
of the love I though I knew

Do you still feel him
calling in the air tonight
do you still feel it
seems like you've done this before
You make breaking hearts look so easy
seem like you've done this before
You've got breaking hearts all but down
and you've done this, you've done this before
You make stealing hearts look so easy
Where is the girl I adore
You've got breaking up all but down
I can't love a thief anymore

You make breaking hearts look so easy
You've got breaking up all but down
You make breaking hearts look so easy
Seems like you've done this before
You've got breaking hearts all but down
You've done this, you've done this before

The most you could hope to be
now just a bitter sweet memory

 

Ruby Tuesday(s)

September 20, 2008

Yesterday we departed Maryland and started our journey toward Bloomington, Indiana. As a team we decided to stop in Columbus, OH to rest for the night. We pulled into a Comfort Inn and by the looks of the surrounding area we were SOL for dinner that night.

I did a little research online and found out that there was a Ruby Tuesday 1.2 miles away so Heather and I decided to walk. It took us about 15 minutes to get there but when we arrived it wasn't the food chain at all! Infact, it was a local college bar named Ruby Tuesday. I was so excited when I looked on Google that it didn't occur to me the chain was actually Ruby Tuesdays.. yepp, I'm awesome.

So we walked back toward our hotel and the only other food establishment in sight -- McDonald's. We tried to enter McDonald's and were dissapointed to learn that it was closed for remodeling... WHATT!?

In the end we decided to take a cab ride to the main street a few miles away.. the night ended on a good note at a Japanese Steak House, yum.

<3

ducks invade the gas station!

September 17, 2008

Check out this photo! It's a bunch of ducks hanging out in front of a gas station. Aparently they hang out there everyday.. it was hard to even get gas because they were running everywhere. It's HILARIOUS! They just wait by the door for people to come out hoping they'll feed them. :)

DUCKIES!

the baby kitties come out at nonnies

September 14, 2008

Tonight while me and Heather were walking back from Sushi to our hotel we saw a baby kitty in the middle of the road. It was just standing there all confused and meowing every second, it was SO sad. We walked towards it to see if it was hurt but it ran into the bushes. We walked up to the bushes and tryed to coax it to come to us so we could check it out but all it would do is meow in a loud shreiking way. For a split second it looked like it would come to us, but then it ran further down the street.

We were concerned because the kitten was in the middle of the parking lot and it didn't seem like there were too many houses in the immediate area. We thought of going to WalMart across the street to get it food, but everytime we would get near it would run away. Then it would look back at us and meow until we came close, and then run again! We finally gave up hoping that it would find its home, or mom, or shelter... poorrrr kitty.

A lady in the elevator heard us talking about it and mentioned that it was a feral cat. It would make sense that it was an outdoors cat that was never socialized.. it was probably hanging out there because of all the food shops, it's an easy way to eat at night.

POOORRRR KITTY! :(

don't go away again

September 12, 2008

I want to be more than a phone call at 4am...

Howdy ya'll. Just wanted to check in and let you know about my last night of festivities in Lexington, KY before I head off to North Carolina. Actually there are no festivites going on at all.. just a lot of stress and frustration on the crews end. Recently the higher-ups decided to change the ENTIRE set up of our tour, keep in mind this is three weeks in (with three weeks left) and we're going nuts! I'm sure tomorrow when we unveil the new display we'll be fine.. but right now everything is miscommunicated and unplanned. Oh-well! The tour must go on.

In other news, everybody should check out the band Every Avenue. They were on Warped Tour this summer and I was extremely impressed with their acoustic sets in our tent. The singer (Dave) has an amazing voice and I've been listening to their songs non-stop for a while now.

Checkkk it: myspace.com/everyavenue.

And for all of you All Time Low fans they'll be hitting the road with them shortly so make sure to check em' out when they come to your town.

somebody in Lexington, KY loves me

September 11, 2008

So the weirdest thing happened to me and my friend Heather tonight. We were walking back from the Cracker Barrel to our hotel and I was discussing how I didn't really have any money... then all of a sudden as the words came out of my mouth we found a $1 on the ground. Now, normally I would have been like, "cool!" .. but the fact I was having a discussion about money as we found it weirded me out. I figured it had to be a sign of some sort, but what does it mean exactly?

We decided to head to the corner store and pick up a $1 scratch ticket to see if the luck would continue. I'm sorry to report back that we didn't win anything!

I really hope that the $1 was a sign of more money to come. I'll be crossing my fingers, and Heather will be too! :)

--

I'd like to get really off topic here and mention that if you have Windows Vista Home Pemium or Vista Ultimate you have something on your computer called Windows Media Center (click start menu, you'll see the green button). Click on it and it will open a program that allows you to watch something called Internet TV (under TV& Movies section). You'll get access to some awesome full length concerts like the BACKSTREET BOYS live from London. So even though this speech is really random the reason I brought it up is because I'm off to watch it right now. Here's to those fabulous BSB's!

xoxo

it's electric, the neon hurt inside your phone call

September 11, 2008

A lot of people think that touring in any aspect is full of fun and excitement.. well I hate to dissapoint but right now I'm sitting in bed at the Best Western in Lexington at 1 in the morning wasting two days before my next event.

This is the only tour I've been on where the majority of the schedule consists of driving 4,6,8,10,12 hours to the next event state. Normally I'd be working like crazy, and a) on a bus where I don't have to drive, or b) driving a couple hours after the event is done and working the next morning. It's pretty uneventful and boring, but I won't complain because it's work! ... at least a couple days out of the week.

Lately I've been anxious and a bit stressed thinking about how my life is actually turning out and what will come next for me. I've always wanted to get to the point in my career where I was able to tour year round yet the more that becomes a reality the more I worry. It's difficult to seperate my social life from my work when I'm on the road mostly because that's all there is...work. If something is bothering me I don't have a chance to deal with it, it's always throw on a smile and get to the next event. I'm horrible at keeping in touch with people and that's just because this career choice is like living a fake life. I miss out on all the birthdays, holidays, bbq's and get togethers, and when I finally get time off between tours I get the 2-4-6 month review and that's it. But despite all that and the memories I miss out on I still love it.. is that so wrong?

.. All of this debate is about an upcoming decision that I might have to make. I have the opportunity to take part in another tour as soon as this one finishes. I did Warped Tour for two months, had two days to pack at home, started this tour (which ends on Oct 2nd), and would have to fly out the night of my last event (or early the next morning) directly to training and the start of the other tour, yikes. I guess I should be excited because this time of the year the tours are few and far between. Either way I will keep you updated because my plans after this tour will include travels in some way, shape, or form.

Unil then, Nonnies! (it means good night)

*Nonnies: The word nonnies came from my college rooomate who used it in replace of goodnight. I began using it along with my other roomates and it spread a bit. You should try it and help spread the term <3

 

I'm sick to my stomach

September 04, 2008

I miss my grandfather.

Steve was right

September 02, 2008

Vegas sucked.

It was decided that during our off/drive days that we'd go to Las Vegas to waste some time... that was a $800 decision.

Our trip began with a drive from Tucson, AZ and ended when we checked into Circus Circus (the least expensive hotel on the strip since the company was paying). Heather and I decided that we'd get tattoos in Vegas instead of wasting money on gambling and alcohol. After researching tattoo shops and looking at galleries we decided on Studio 21 Tattoo hoping they'd take us as a last minute appointment. When we arrived on Saturday night we took a cab 2 miles to the shop and were happy with what we saw. We showed them our drawings and booked appointments for the following day (Sunday). Originally my appointment was scheduled from 3-5:30, and Heather's 5:30-9, but that all changed on Sunday. A receptionist called me Sunday morning and told me my artist would be changing. This worried me as we chose the artist (out of available artists for the day) based on his portfolio. I was relieved to learn that Charlie was on my list of tattoo artists who's style I liked for this specific tattoo.

My appointment began a little later than 3 and I was very nervous considering I'd never been to a tattoo artist outside of my state. When Charlie showed me the drawing he made from my original idea I fell in love with it. As a last minute decision I decided to put it on my upper arm vs. inside of my arm. We started at 3:30-ish, and 5 hours of pain later I was finished.

Studio 21 Tattoo

The tattoo is for my Grandfather who passed away earlier this year. Along with my parents (and my grama) he helped raise me and my twin brother. I chose to get a Chevrolet logo in the middle of a more traditional piece because he spent 50 years working at Chevrolet. I'm going to add on to it with an anchor at some point to represent his time spent in the Navy.. eventually it will be a 1/2 sleeve, but I've got a while until that happens.

****

Other than getting tattoo-ed Vegas sucked! Our hotel was more like a daycare and at any hour of the day/night you can expect to dodge strollers and out of control kids. I would NEVER take my kids to Vegas, let alone keep them up to 12-1 in the morning at the main casino. If that wasn't bad enough Heather and I got harassed by the "hotel security" because we looked too young to gamble. I understand that they have a job to do, but honestly all you need to do is ask to see an ID from me.. I get really pissed when little comments like "you look awfully young".. jump into the question. I'm glad that you think I look underage but I'm 23 years old and fully willing to spend money in your casino. Some people can be so rude.

Eventually we got bored of drinking Margaritas and the atmosphere of our hotel so we went to bed without any crazy tales to tell our friends back home.

A message to anyone booking a hotel in Vegas, don't go the cheap route and stay at a kiddie theme park ... pay the extra and get into a nice hotel. You'll have a better time, and you won't have to dodge five year olds when looking for a Blackjack table.

xoxo.

"Arizona, it's a dry heat"

August 29, 2008

A LOT of stuff has come and gone since the last time I blogged. The lack of updates recently has been a combination of little time, and my own forgetfulness. With that said I hope to get back on here and update regularly from the road.

Warped Tour is now over. I finished my third summer with the Vans Warped Tour in Carson, CA on August 17th. As always I'm sad that it's over, but completely thankful that I'll get to take showers on a regular basis until next summer. I had an awesome time working for Myspace this summer and hanging out with all my friends and family that came to visit me. I'll miss all my tour friends, but alas I will see all of you next year (don't kid yourself, you'll all be back).

Two days after I got home from Warped Tour I flew back to the West Coast to Oakland, CA where I began my current tour, the Microsoft Great Techexploration Tour. To sum it up, it's a marketing tour that travels to events on College Campuses across the US trying to educate kids on Windows Media Center, and demo-ing Microsoft products like Guitar Hero for XBox.

Right now I'm sitting in my hotel in Tucson, AZ wasting time before I head out into the blazing heat for a three hour set up for our event outside tonight. We'll be at the University of Arizona from 5-9pm along with other vendors.. fun, fun.

Here is a list of dates/schools. PLEASE let me know if you attend any of the listed colleges.. I'll hook you up with an awesome XBox game if you come visit me :)

Aug 25 2008 Caltopia, San Francisco, CA
Aug 27 2008 Arizona State University @ Tempe, AZ
*Aug 29 2008 University of Arizona @ Tucson, AZ
*Aug 30 2008 LAS VEGAS
*Aug 31 2008 LAS VEGAS
*Sep 01 2008 LAS VEGAS
*Sept 4 2008 University of Nebraska @ Lincolnd, NE
Sep 6 2008 University of Kansas @ Lawrence, KS
Sep 9 2008 University of Virginia @ Charlottesville, VA
Sep 13 2008 University of Kentucky @ Lexington, KY
Sep 15 2008 University of North Carolina @ Charlotte, NC
Sep 17 2008 University of Maryland @ College Park, MD
Sep 18 2008 University of Maryland @ College Park, MD
Sep 22 2008 Indiana University @ Bloomington, IN
Sep 23 2008 Ohio State University @ Columbus, OH
Sep 26 2008 Collegefest @ Boston, MA
Sep 27 2008 Collegefest @ Boston, MA
Sep 28 2008 Collegefest @ Boston, MA
Oct 02 2008 ANN ARBOR MICHIGAN
This weekend (Sat night, Sunday, and Monday) I'll be in Las Vegas hanging out wasting time with the rest of my crew. I've got no plans and a pretty open schedule so any recommendations on fun activities would be greatly appreciated. Im looking into tattoo shops.. if I win big on Blackjack I'll definitely be spotting new ink in the near future.
More updates to come soon, promise. :)

7 more shows, and a joke

August 08, 2008

I've been holding back from sharing all of the gross stuff that happens while living on a tour bus with 17 other people.. but I just can't hold back any longer.

If you've ever been/lived on a tour bus you know the #1 rule of the road is NOTHING goes into the toilet except liquid. That's right, no toilet paper, no number 2, just pure number one, and the water that flushes it down. Even the rookies know by now (week 8) that this isn't a rule to be messed with. In fact, anyone caught breaking this rule is fined $250 by the driver for a cleaning fee, yikes!

Despite the fact that everybody on my bus knows this rule there was a little present inside the toilet yesterday afternoon looking up at me waiting to be flushed down. GROSS. At first I thought it was fake and I laughed.. until I got a little closer and realized this was no dud. After discussing with everyone on our bus we figured it had to be somebody from the tour playing a joke on us.. but who??! We have yet to figure this out, but the "joke" was removed via a gloved hand and is now calling the outdoors of Butte, Montana home.

Aren't you glad you wasted a couple minutes reading this story? Don't worry, I'll be updating this blog with a video recap shortly. :)

Canadian McDonalds rocks!

August 04, 2008

Ive successfully made it over the Canadian border and into Manitoba where I'll be staying until 11pm tonight. We're travelling to Saskatoon for a show tomorrow and I'm pretty excited to see this part of Canada. There really isn't a lot to explore near our hotel except the local gas station and a McDonalds. Because it was the closest available food I sucked it up and ordered a Chicken sandwitch this afternoon expecting the worst. I was pleasantly suprised when I tasted the freshness of my sandwitch and even more psyched to see they had packets of vinegar to add to my french fries (SCORE!). All in all it was the best tasting McDonalds meal I've ever eaten .. theres hope for that chain yet.

**

Walking into the hotel this afternoon I realize how different touring is compared to a stationary life. At any given point in time if you asked me the date, the time, or the day of the week I couldn't give you an accurate answer. Every day clumps together into a two month blur where days of the week are erased and the only thing that matters is if you make bus call on time. I eat, sleep, and shower on a schedule.. breakfast is served from 7-9am, lunch from 12-2pm, and dinner from 5-7pm. If I miss any of those windows then I'm on my own for food and chances are the main course will consist of easy mac eaten out of a red party cup. The same goes with showers.. after working a 10.5 hour day I have until 8pm to make it through a sea of girls waiting to take a 5 minute (or under) cold shower before they are closed for the night.

The majority of my day is spent waiting in line for a) food, b) a shower, or c) a bathroom in extreme conditions (100+ degrees, rain/storms, etc). The rest of the time I sit in my tent dealing with screaming little girls, and kids who are "too cool" to be at Warped Tour yet they show up anyways. And at the end of the day when all is said and done I get to go back to a tour bus that sleeps 17 and try to fall asleep over all of the commotion and drunken rambling that goes on in the hallway. Who wouldn't want to do this for a living? .. haha. Here are some photos of a typical Warped Tour day:

Bus 11 - getting ready with 16 other people in the morning is tough..

bus 11

Myspace has acoustic sets and signings all day long .. here's one that Mayday Parade did

Mayday Parade acoustic set

Jacks Mannequin acoustic set

Jacks Mannequin Acoustic Set

Forever the Sickest Kids Acoustic set

Forever the Sickest Kids Acoustic Set

throw in an Anberlin signing

Anberlin signing

and a crazy rain storm.. and you've got a typical Warped Tour day

rain

the end. xoxo.

why do I put myself in these situations?

August 04, 2008

Right now I'm sitting on my bus (with sixteen other people) headed to Saskatoon Canada. Thankfully our twelve day stretch of shows is OVERRR and I can rest while we drive all day. In a couple minutes we'll be hitting the Canadian border for bus inspection, and a passport check to get into Canada. Apparently it's a really small border and there are only two people working ... Warped Tour's got 600-800 people travelling together .. it could be a long wait.

This week on Warped Tour Forever the Sickest Kids was our featured artist and played an acoustic set each day in our Myspace tent. I've got to get offline and get into immigration right now so I'll leave you with one of the videos I took from their acoustic set .. check it here:

Forever the Sickest Kids - Myspace Acoustic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZooLP0Jfb4A

taking it all back

July 30, 2008

I've been awake since 7:30am and been in Warped mode since 8.. it's currently 10:30pm and I've decided I need a break from talking, thinking, and speaking about Warped Tour. So here goes ...

For those of you who don't know (which is most of you) my friend Heather and I started a website 7 and a half years ago called Hot Vibes (hotvibes.com). Although Hot Vibes has currently taken the backseat to our careers in the touring business we both are still passionate about writing and sharing our experiences with others. For years we've toyed with the idea about publishing a book which documents the music/touring business from a females perspective. The reasoning behind the book wouldn't be to make money, or to gain notoriety, but to share stories with others who want to be involved in touring as well. As we continue to grow and learn with each tour we are taking notes that could end up lining the pages of "You Can't Put Groupie On Your Resume".

Although most of my notes do not make complete stories I will leave you with something I wrote a year and a half ago called, Taking It All Back:

It happens every tour. There will always be that one person that you connect with. Somebody who is always there to listen and can make you smile when you're ready to give up. No matter how many times I've told myself not to connect it undoubtedly continues to happen. I've taught these lessons but can never seem to heed my own advice.

Enter Ken, my source for entertainment and companionship for two months, and the reason behind my tour drinking sprees. He was taller and skinnier than past flings, with far less eyeliner to mask his pretty blue eyes. His fluffy brown hair and occasional scruffy face was the key to making or breaking my day. But this time was different I told myself; this time I'm not naïve. It was simply a tour crush, and should never be taken any further than that. The Don'ts constantly ran through my head, "don't trust him, don't fall for him, and don't kiss him" – fuck, I'm in trouble.

At this point in the game I realized that I had gotten myself into something that is always emotionally hard to climb out of. I had let myself get attached to a guy, and all of the stress that comes with it. Sure, I could claim that it's something to help me forget about my past train wreck of on again off again's and expiration dating mishaps, that it doesn't matter, but wouldn't that be lying?

…. BAKERSFIELD, CA

It was 4 o'clock in the afternoon and I had finished setting up my merchandise with two hours to waste before doors. All of the venue staff were unusually friendly and after some gentle coaxing began taking shots of vodka and tequila with us at the bar. It was a relatively warm February afternoon in Bakersfield, California something I wasn't use to experiencing in the winter months. Having grown up in New Hampshire, I was more than happy to spend the day relaxing in the sunshine.

Two drinks, and a lot of laughs later, the doors had opened and I took my place at the merch booth. This began my nightly routine of trying to convince kids to buy my shit … or at least not to steal it. Because all of the shows were all ages I was careful when consuming any adult beverages. However, this venue was a bit different than others. All of the merchandise was in a separate room equipped with a bar, and a DJ booth. It felt more like a party than a show. I guess that's why I felt so at ease with polishing off the bottle of Zhenka that kept my feet company under the table.

This type of behavior was common among tour mates. It was accepted, no matter what day of the week, or time of day it was. After all, touring was our social life, and we all played well together. There's a chance that when you live with me you'll get to see all of my personalities while drunk, angry Andria, sad Andria, or wild Andria – and in Bakersfield it was the latter that shined through.

Carrying out my merch bins with another show complete tears rolled down my face as I scrambled to load out before my new friends got sight of this. A reminder of my ex boyfriend Joe was the situation that ruined a perfectly good night of dancing and drinking. The only solution I deemed fit was adding more alcohol to the problem, and lots of it.

See, Joe is my only true heartbreak to date. He set the standard for what a healthy relationship should be, and I can't seem to get over him. Even though I was only twenty-one at the time he changed my thoughts of never wanting to get married, to when can we grow old together. Everything was great until one morning I awoke to an abnormal message Joe had left on my voicemail while I was away on tour. He was a Jehovah's Witness and his parents were disapproving of my "worldly" behavior.

"I can't be with you anymore, our worlds are too different. Things will never work out", his voiced stressed as he continued, "I'm changing my phone number, I'm sorry".

It's the same "I'm sorry" that echoes through my mind every time I begin to get close to somebody. A constant fear that the past will repeat itself and leave me alone in an emotionless world. All of this was unraveling in Bakersfield and there wasn't any alcohol, or pain killer that could heal it, believe me – I’ve tried.

After wasting the night away at a local bar I returned to the tour bus, with a heightened sense of numbness, a little less cash, and a failed attempt at elevating my mood. Our home away from home was a red Prevost that held a fleet of ten passengers comfortably for the two-month stit. From time to time we would have a guest spend the night, reminding us what sleepovers in elementary school were like. Continuously surrounding myself with people kept my mind off my lacking social life, and what better occupation to do that than the present.

There was nothing to be sad about I told myself, as I ran to the back of the bus. My mascara ran down my face as I collapsed into a pile of clothes that sat on the couch. I was finally working on another tour, new friends surrounded me everyday, and I was happy, yet all I could think about were the words "I'm Sorry". Tears dropped slowly over my trembling body for five minutes before my pity party was interrupted, it was Ken. Another downfall of being on tour is that you're never completely alone. I quickly hid my face in a sweatshirt half embarrassed that someone saw my weakness, and half shocked that someone cared.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a quiet and caring tone.

"Nothing" I managed to mumble between stuttered breaths.

Ken got closer to me and put his hand on my shoulder. I felt a genuine sincerity as he asked me again, "Andria, what's wrong?"

Ken seemed trustworthy and his warmth encouraged me to blurt out all of the "what ifs" from the Joe relationship that spent a year lingering in my brain. What If I converted? What if I was prettier or thinner? What if I obeyed everything Joe had said? Would we still be together? These were questions Ken couldn't answer and insisted it wouldn't make a difference.

"I would gladly take it all back to be with him living happily ever after," I uttered.

Having skipped the emotional part of our break up I often find myself with sudden regret and sadness. It's the regret that makes me jump to silly conclusions about how great life would be if we were still together. When in fact it would be the opposite, and I'm aware of that. I've never been the type of person to conform to anyone idealistic beliefs especially when it's concerning religion. Opening my heart to him left me vulnerable and unsure of myself as a person. It only took traveling the country three times for me to begin trusting my intuition and Bakersfield was a good place to start.

All Ken could do was open his arms and hold me. He spent hours listening to all of the sob stories that I never got to vent, and even shared some of his own. It had finally come out, and felt great to open up. For the first time in a while I felt secure with myself, and comfortable with another male. What happened next could easily be blamed on my blood alcohol level, or the fact that I could have swam home in a sea of my own tears. But when I looked deep into Ken's concerned eyes all I wanted to do was kiss him, and I did. It was the kind of slow and meaningful kiss you'd expect to see in a movie. Perhaps in a high school prom scene, or the final goodbye kiss of the flick. Despite the feeling that came after I knew the kiss was filled with thoughts of others, mixed emotions, and booze from both parties. I had just set myself up for another "I'm Sorry," and this time there was no hiding from the mistake.

Watermelon Margaritas

July 29, 2008

Today is day seven of a twelve day stretch of shows. Normally this would be bearable but this is following a previous twelve day stretch of shows equipped with hundred degree weather, thousands of fans, dirt, mud, and hurricane like storms. I'm tired, but thats Warped Tour.

If you’re coming to any of the remaining shows please say hello to me at the Myspace tent. Each day we have acoustic sets with bands as well as signings that give you intimate access to your favorite acts. We’ve also got computers that let you check your Myspace along with FREE buttons, bandanas, and other Myspace merch.

Here’s a couple photos of Mayday Parade from yesterdays show in Englishtown, NJ:

Mayday Parade - Englishtown, NJ

Mayday Parade - Englishtown, NJ

day six of twelve

July 28, 2008

 

It’s funny how people come and go in your life and reappear when you least expect it. I’ve known Jade since I was in middle school and throughout the years our paths have crossed here and there. Originally I came to know Jade from the pop band No Authority. When I was in middle school I spent every waking hour on the No Authority (.NET) message board where she and I shared the same passion for music. Throughout the years we’ve grown as people and our love for the music business has become more than just a passion, it’s become our jobs.

For the past four years I’ve been working on music and marketing tours traveling the country and spending too much time on busses, planes, and trains. Recently Jade contacted me about blogging from the road on the Warped Tour and I jumped at the opportunity to work with The One Love. I became interested in Non Profit work when I was hired as the Take Action! Area assistant on the Vans Warped Tour in 2006. Since then I’ve gone on to do four tours dedicated to specific Non Profits and I’m looking forward to representing Boarding For Breast Cancer through this medium.

My grandfather passed away a couple of months ago -- he was a World War II Veteran, survivor of Colon Cancer, and Breast Cancer and a die hard Red Sox fan. I remember spending my early childhood years at his bedside in hospitals all over New Hampshire and Massachusetts. My immediate family was very small and consisted of my parents, twin brother, grandfather and grandmother and everything regarding his health

was kept pretty hush-hush from the “twins”. Apparently he was told by doctors that if he lived ten more years he’d be lucky… I got to spend twenty three years with him and I thank god everyday for that gift.

By the time I was eight my grandfather went into remission and was declared cancer free. His doctor told my mother that the only reason this happened was because of the love he had for my brother and myself and his hopes to see us grow up. This is the reason I chose Boarding For Breast Cancer as my organization. I believe in education and awareness for Breast Cancer (as well as any Cancer) and live with the hope of a cure.

RIP Norman Goodrow