Rob's Story:

Day One (Minneapolis, MN): The tour kickoff was at Pirate's Cove. Smelroe and Kjerland didn't show up until after Intendo played and my sister didn't show up at all. I got pretty loaded on PBR and then decided to go along at the last second (due to my serendipitous unemployment). I think I did a pretty good job of drunk packing, although I could've brought more clothing. We finally hit the road after 11pm, and got as far as St. Paul before Smelroe had to stop for gas. For the second time in twenty minutes.

Day Two (Madison, WI and Chicago, IL): We arrived at "The Mansion" really early in the morning. Nice place to visit, I guess, but I wouldn't want to live there. Kjerland and I cooked two pizzas that we didn't eat and I felt like a bastard. In the afternoon we met Graham in Maddy and had a brief scare when Intendo's van seemed to die. Luckily we were all able to pull together and go frolfing. Camaraderie. Later we flyered on State Street and some girl told JK that she didn't like sizzle rock. Around dinnertime we headed to Chicago to stay with JL's friend Kiara (sp?). She was very friendly and had a pretty cool place (I liked her art, although I think I was in the minority). Some people had a TV Party while others of us ventured out on the town. JK and Rocky went looking for a score while Andie, Kjerland, and I tagged along with Kiara to a rooftop party above an art gallery in Wicker Park (I think the place was called Buddy?). The party wasn't that hopping but it was a nice view right next to the L tracks and I enjoyed engaging Kjerland and Andie in a little philosophical discussion about industrialization ("it's like technology vs... horse") and kids who play at being poor.

Day Three (Detroit, MI): This day seems like a void in my memory. Most of it was spent driving from Chicago to Detroit, I guess. I think this was the first day that we got piss poured on the car (thanks, guys). When we finally got to Detroit, we hit up Greektown for the best meal of the trip. We also saw a street musician playing the blues and JK got really into it. Do that thing with your beard. Later on, the promised gig at a "party" turned out to be playing for one metalhead. I think everyone made the best of it, though. During Intendo's set, someone turned on a fog machine and things got hectic. Watching Ross shoot a dart during a breakdown was priceless. Later some of us shot of fireworks while racist motherfuchers from 8 Mile talked some foolishness.

Day Four (Ann Arbor, MI and Milwaukee, WI): Everyone seemed a little dispirited after Detroit and the camaraderie started to unravel in Ann Arbor. Only JK and Andie ended up playing the planned "Go Metric" protest on the quad. Eric and I stayed around for the rally while everyone else dipped to the Fleetwood for some grub. I got to do vocals on "City Sound," which was pretty awesome. A tous les temps; a tous les peuples. It was great to see Louisa again, too, albeit briefly. After Ann Arbor, Intendo (sans Eric) and Rocky decided to part ways with the tour and head back to the Mansion to have an extended TV Party. The rest of us decided to try to make it to Milwaukee to see Henry Rollins and Keith Morris doing Black Flag covers. I believe this leg of the trip was the second time we got piss poured on our car (thanks again). We barely made it to the venue in time, but discovered that our "comps" weren't comps at all and the cover was $17. Andie, Robin, JK, and I decided to go anyway while Eric, Smelroe, and Kjerland saw the "real Milwaukee." The show kicked serious ass and afterwards JK spotted Keith Morris outside and gave him a Morris CD. Awesome.

Day Five (Chicago, IL): Since there was still one more day until the Madison show, we decided to spend our day off back in Chicago. I don't remember much about what we did except that some people went up to the top of the Sears Tower (not me), and I got busted for shoplifting twice (but I'm still on the loose, suckaz). Oh yeah, and we rode the L around. A lot. We also talked to this old punk rocker who lived downstairs from Kiara who said he didn't like Aaron Cometbus and also talked about every single time he'd seen the Ramones (all during the 90s, or as I like to call it, the "real Ramones" period.) For some reason, I remember the first time we stayed at Kiara's as pretty good sleeps, but the second time was so @#%$ hot. I woke up drenched. Bleh.

Day Six (Madison, WI): In the morning, Andie and I took the Red Line to Chinatown, and then we dipped to Maddy for the last show of the tour. Everything went pretty smoothly at Cloud City, I thought. I didn't really care for the music of the opening bands (Nefarious and Scificonvention), but they were pretty nice guys, especially Scificonvention. No one really hung around for Morris, which was unfortunate because I thought they played their best set of the tour. Intendo was a surprise hit; a bunch of kids hardcore danced and everybody got sweaty. After the show, JK, Andie, Rocky, and I crashed at Graham's co-op while everyone else went back to the Mansion.

Day Seven (home.): In the morning, we had some troubles with the rendesvouz so we just headed back to Minneaps. I guess there had been some massive storms here but we missed them entirely. The last laugh of the tour was mine as I cooled Andie's engine with a taste of his own medicine. Piss Car Revenge!