howdy

hi gang. howzit hangin? vacation is treating me well. time off is nice. however…..this summer tour is R.G.R………that means Really Gonna Rock. its time for us to hit the US with a full headlining show. the setlist will be comprised of our new record, our first record, and a smattering of unreleased b-sides, and cover tunes. sounds like fun, eh? the bridges and locksley are excellent support bands (and just straight up good bands in their own right) and lots of fun to do shows with and throw a football around the parking lot with. sometimes i moonlight as the sound engineer for the bridges. i like mixin them purty harmonies. those gals can sing real good. its been a great year for us, and its not over yet. we have lots of exciting rooney projects on the horizon. see you soon.

TL

Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day!!!!!!

To all the Mother’s in the world, who mothered such loving Rooney fans, thank you. I’m in Napa valley right now with my family. My cousin got married yesterday and I’m staying here for a few days to get some peace and quiet. It’s very beautiful outside, a real change from the touring life. The weather is perfect. I had to drive out to Atlanta to catch a direct flight to SF yesterday morning. I was on the 8:50am flight, I had a terrible time finding the airport, I made many stops at random gas stations to ask for directions. I had return my car rental and rush to the check in counter. I missed my flight, not because I got their too late, but because I had a bad feeling about the getting on the plane and I decided to take the next one. There were some suspicious looking people waiting at the gate and I quickly snapped into survival moment, not mention the terrorist threat level was changed to Orange the PA announced it throughout the airport over and over . Anyway, I made it here and I feel much better. I’ve been reading Sophocles, I finally made it to the book store and picked up some great reading material. I finished Antigone and Oedipus the King, also Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. I’m on a playwright kick right now. Really great reading, I highly recommend those plays. Next, I’ll be tackling Electra and then Dante’s Inferno. Today is day one of our vacation, which has been a long time coming. I fly home to LA on Wednesday and I think I’ll be there until June 4th, when we fly to Europe for the festivals. Well, have a wonderful day and pick up Freakonomics if you have a chance. Later.

Robert

Chicago

Howdy,

I just returned to the hotel from a long walk. Not sure where I was, but I saw a sign that said Lincoln Park. There was a nice trail and it was the most peaceful walk I’ve had in many weeks. We have a day off today, and I need it. The drives from city to city have been tiring, especially when we’ve been going on little sleep. It’s an early morning van call and then a long drive. I just watched Ben-Hur in the van. It gave me strength to go on, to fight for my beliefs, to find the will to live within. I love a good story about overcoming those who try to keep you down, proving the powerful wrong, etc. There are some amazing action sequences in the film as well. I also finished The Crucible on one of the drives. When I said I was reading it before in an old video blog, I had just started it. I was glued to the pages, I couldn’t put it down. I thought I would get sick reading as we drive, but I felt fine, maybe it was witchcraft. It was so frustrating how the girl were pretending to be attacked by an invisible evil and it was all because of jealousy, payback. I felt awful for Proctor and his wife, but Proctor was strong and made a point by not signing the document in the end, power, strength, I love that. When someone dies for the greater good, to make a point, not for selfish reason, but to teach, to sacrifice you life to stand by the things you believe in, so brave. It’s what’s missing from the world today, our country, our generation.

The tour is going well. It feels amazing to finally do a real headline tour across the country, with bands we selected and love. There’s a good vibe at the shows and there’s nothing better than a good vibe. I can’t wait for the second half of the tour starting in June. I’ve received some messages on SayNow, so keep calling if you get the chance.

I’m gonna step out and meet my band mates. See all your Chicago people tomorrow. Later.

Robert

4 days deep in the U.S. of A.

it’s a strange thing to go from gothic cathedrals in europe to giant wal-marts in America. What is it with Wal Mart and me seeing super strange, yet classic American moments between people. Here are two tales from my stop there yesterday to buy socks.

#1 I’m buying Matt some new beard busters when a very obese woman rides by on an electric cart…she didn’t want to walk and apparently neither did her grand daughter who rode standing but leaning into granny’s belly like a giant bean bag chair. I thought this was funny already and then the little girl opens her mouth as they drive past me…

Little Girl: “I just farted.”

Grandma. “That’s wonderful. Thanks for sharing.”

#2 I’m standing in line dealing with an elderly clerk who insisted that I take a plastic bag when I asked 3 times for no bag. I give her a twenty and the owed change comes to $6.66. The evil looking biker behind me was already using the brush he was about to purchase in his ratty hair. It made a crunchy sound in his dried out pony tail as he read the liner notes from the Godsmack C.D. he was also planning to purchase.

clerk: That don’t look good.

ned: what’s wrong?

clerk: that’s the devil’s number.

biker: that ain’t the number of the beast…but he’s coming alright.

the clerk was genuinely terrified that this man was one of hell’s disciples and he magically put the number on that screen. I took my items back out of the plastic bag and left the store immediately. Wow.

So far the tour has been awesome. really fun bands and we got our new back drop today. Whoopdee doo!

ned