Hello Hello said the man with the red letter type.

I've been away for a while. Writing in blog form is not a disciplined skill of mine. I must train myself. I'm doing well and i had some wonderful shows with Gregor Meyle. Sold lot's of records.. and somehow managed to spend it all in Gas money!! No.. it wasn't quite that bad.. but almost.

The Europian Soccer Masters were happening in the last month. It was a very cool thing to be a part of. Like in America, football(soccer) brings people together in a way that otherwise is not possible. It's exciting to see everyone's fervor. I was in Cologne after Germany beet Turkey to get into the finals.. and the streets filled with an uncountable number of people celebrating and going wild. It was an amazing site. And here in Europe, you are allowed to walk down the street drinking a beer. It was great to see everyone toasting and cheering and singing and dancing. Wonderful.

On a more collective note... I've been moving throughout Europe with discouraged eyes at the rate of decline in moral and spiritual awareness. It would be the same if i was in America or Egypt. The world doesn't care anymore. Everything is so specialized and exact that we don't have to use our hopes and desires any longer. Just open up and say 'AAWWHHHH". They'll put it right in your mouth. You don't even have to lift a finger. The music i hear on a daily basis is enough to make Brittany Spears appear like Motzart... and the Backstreet Boys like Gods. It's like everywhere i go.. there's a picture of America waiting on me.

I've been having a whirlwind of a time out here on the road. Discovering lot's of new things about myself and music and people in general. Good positive things going on. Lot's more to tell in the coming days. I have made a pledge to myself to write more about my adventure. Thank you all for sticking with me and i hope to bring you some interesting stories in the next days. Much love and peace to everyone.

- savage

Hey guys.. I'm hanging out in Austria after the first part of the tour. Taking a little break. Was a great time on the road with Gregor Meyle. More shows to come in Europe in June. Can't wait.

A few things i learned on tour..

1. More is better than one.
2. Genuine people are irreplaceable.
3. Guitars have feelings too.
4. It cost more than a months rent for two tanks of gas.
5. Always respect drunk people... they know everything.
6. Fingers have feeling too.
7. Music can change in 3 seconds what would normally take a lifetime.
8. Support acts have feelings too.
9. Germans have feelings too.
10. The euro is definately stronger than the dollar.

Keep in mind to be checking back in the next few days on myspace and such for new tour dates this summer in Europe. Much love to all the supporters and keep pushing forward into each day.

- savage

So here we go....

So it's off to another crazy time in Europe. Not sure what to expect this time so i guess and have to retract "crazy" from the last sentance. But i do know that i left the states and arrived here as if it were one fluid motion. Like it's second nature. First day was cool and wierd all at the same time. There are lot's of ways to look at your situation. You just have to decide for yourself weather it's going to be good or bad. There are brand new horizons and being vague is fun. Sleep well.. that's all for now.

- savage

The eagle has landed

Hey eveyone..

 I'm back on United States soil. 

- Savage

On the move...

What happened to the days when it was easy to process your thoughts. Drink milk. Eat cookie. Play Sega.

I'm sitting here listening to the weather for tomorrow in Amsterdam. Arrived earlier today and had a great meeting over the summer band tour. Good stuff. Making great progress. Tomorrow graphics for the new band website. The next day, pack it up. The day after that, fly to America. Not sure about the day after that but whatever happens, I'm into it. Gotta move all my stuff around. Got a new place to stay. Looking forward to seeing my friends.

- savage

Long Time No Talky...

Why is that? Why do i go away for weeks at a time into silence. Well.. i don't know. So there.

In any case, the tour was amazing. I have lot's of stories to catch up on. I think i'm going to let them out every few days once i am back in the states. It will be sort of a walk down memory lane. But i return to America on the 19th of March and start work on various projects.

This tour was a mind blowing and opening experience. I learned something everyday. Something really valuable. The human heart IS universal and all over the world there are people who passionately love life and are seeking the best from it. Those people have encouraged me and given me more than i could have ever asked for. I think i also learned a few things about getting to the point where i can accept that help and love from people. That's a tough one for me that is slowly getting easier the more i am confronted with real and passionate people. Not only abroad, but it also brought to my attention the well of support and guidance that lye right in my surrounding where i live. Thank you again to all who have made this possible both on the road and off. There is a sense of newness and a hope that was never forgotten but now seems to be rediscovered in the understanding of teamwork and togetherness. For me this is something that i needed to find again in my life. This tour helped tremendously. Sometimes, the strangest things bring about a change. I'm ready for what's next... whatever that may be.

Keep checking back.. i'm gonna keep up the tour blog.. post some pics and sound clips as soon as i get back in the states in about a week. Right now, i need a little bit of rest. Ahhh.. feels good write to you all again.

- Savage

Breaking my own rules...

I'm later than i should be. I'm breaking my own rules.

My first day back in Germany was a good one. I rolled into Cologne mid-afternoon on the train. Met up with Alexander and headed down to Siegen where i would be playing in the New orleans cafe. Showed up and everything went quite smoothly until we started blowing the power out. The guys i call 'The Fabulous Burbachers' worked on it and worked it on out. Wasn't long till showtime. IO Perry opened up and gave a valliant effort considering her amp broke and her guitar was following suit. By the time i was into my second song, all i remember next was the power blowing again but the show kept going and then the power came back on and the people errupted and then i finished the song.

The next day Alexander and i set out to Herne. A club called Sonne (Sun) is where the show was held. Very nice room.. it was only the second seated show i had played on the tour. Old wooded floors and a dingy beat up piano in the corner by the stage. It was on of the most chill shows so far. Most have been full of energy and alot of movement. But this was a different kind of crowd. Took me a minute to pick up on thier vibe. Then we all settled into some good moments. The crowd was really there to listen. Very cool evening. After the gig we had a few beers with some of the locals and then went sleep. Christoph gave us a very comfortable stay at his place in Duisburg. Nice area.

Last night was a really really crazy night. I will tell you about it Tommorow. Now it's time to rest.


- savage

Old friends.. New times...

So... it feels good to be writing again. I missed it. Two nights ago i had one of those memory making evenings that will be talked about for a long time. It started with a trek from Amsterdam to Arnhem. I was meant to play at a cafe called Orange. Nice place. On a street named, in english, Noah's Ark Street. About 4 years ago i met a guy that i am still friends with now. His name is Marnix. We met at the train station and walked over to the gig. We walked across the main street both riddled with hunger. Went to the club. I walked in focused on the gig and the big hole in my stomach. Totally neglected to see the three girls siting at the front table on the right just as you walk through the door. At one moment i walked back to bar to ask the owner of the club if i could get a cola light and i saw a very familiar face from the first beggars fortune tour. In fact three faces. It would take me a bit to explain who exactly they are but let me say that it was a very pleasant surprise. The show was great. Fun Fun. More singalongs and Jack Daniels.
After the show, me, marnix and the 3 girls made our way back to what we thought was the last train to Amsterdam. We were correct in thinking that it was, but we had somehow all failed to overlook one small detail.... the exact time that the train left. We misd the last train to Amsterdam! So there we were with nowhere to go and nowhere to sleep. We called the club owner but she had no help but to recommend that we walk to a few hotels that are cheap and see if we can stay... (nice lady though). Keep in mind it's 1:30 am and we are wandering through unknown streets in the FREEZING COLD weather. After walking for about 20 minutes.. we found some hotels.. not a single person answered any of the doors to any hotel. It really was this dramatic. We happen to find a bar that was open until 4:30.. we thought.. ok, we'll stay here until closes and by then we will only have to wait a few hours till the first train. The plan was to drink a bunch so we didn't feel the cold. On the way into the bar, on of the girls, Stef, sarcasticaly says to the lady coming out of the bar.. " we are homeless and have nowhere to sleep!! " The lady then replies " You can stay at my house." I think at that point we asked her again to see if she was really serious and then once we knew.. we all started jumping around and screaming because we had been rescued by this kind dutch lady. We made our way back to her house by taxi.. drank some beer and told some stories.. played a few songs.... got about hour and half sleep and caught the first train to Amsterdam. It was a crazy night..
Look out tomorrow for my blog about my first night in Germany. Much love to all the readers. The tour is really going great. Great people... good fun.. and a little bit of hard work sometimes (but we try to keep that to a minimum.) I'm a few stories behind.. i have to tell you about Siegen and then last night also..
Tonight we are in Witten. I get to see Timo ( our old tour booker and tour manager ) and friends. Ok.. talk more soon.

- savage

Gent., Belgium

What a beautiful place. A town full of really beautiful churches and castles. Old, old stuff. Very cozy. Really nice people. Had a wonderful show met a guy who is doing some great things with music in Belgium. His name is Luc... check out Kinkystar.com. Also, g0t to sing from on top of the bar.. witch takes me back to a lyric of beggars fortune from an older tune ' beautiful '. "standing on top of a bar.... ".

Next day hung with luc and saw a little more of the city then made my way back to Amsterdam. Was a peaceful evening. Enjoying some cheese and wine. Good ole' National Geographic Channel.

More to come about the last few days adventures to come tomorrow. Stay tuned.

- Savage

It's quiet around here..

It's been a quite few days. Today was somewhat refreshing. I walked into the city and along the way recorded the soundscape around me. I got some great clips of the city in action. A few street preformers and some tourist explaining why they came to amsterdam. But in thier own language.

Last night i played in Amsterdam and it was kinda the first gig i didn't have much fun playing. But i did sell a CD and everyone told me great things about the show. It was the first time to see IO Perry in action. They got lost on the way from Germany to Holland and were quite out of it when they arrived. But they got up and made the crowd clap.

Today i also worked on a new tune i'm writing. It's called "What am i afraid of?" Felt good to just create. Not practice or get ready for a show.

I'm stoked about February. Lot's of travel though.. could be tiring. But i'm feeling good about the songs.. they keep evolving. Sometimes i wonder if i will ever halt the evelution. But there is a limit to my madness. Hopefully.

Keep a look out in the next few days. I have a bunch of shows in a row so i'll have some more stories to tell. I start tomorow night

Much love to everyone reading.

Decision is good. It puts you in a direction.
- savage

I'm still alive!!

Hey everyone.. just a quick note to say hello. I'ts been a few days and i'm doing great. Hangin with Sabine in Amsterdam. Good times.. i'ts been a chill week with no gigs, so nothing really to report. But, have no fear! The upcoming weeks are going to be filled with gigs and more updates of my crazy adventures on the road. Much love to everyone that has been keeping up and reading. Talk to you soon. Laters!

- savage

The days are flying by....

Ok.. so i'm sitting here thinking about the past few days and it's really been a whirlwind. I'll attempt to spill the beans in the next few minutes.
I guess where we left off i was headed to Groningen (North Holland) to play in a pub. Took the train and had a crazy trip. I was supposed to get off to switch trains in Utrecht, but for some reason i didn't think i was there yet and stayed on the train. When i finally realized it.. i was like an hour further south! It sucked.. i mean... not the end of the world by any means, but i got to see more of the landscape than i had hoped for on this particular day. When i finally arrived, the city revitalized me with it's zeal. Nice place. Really a nice town. Got to the gig.. The people were excited and i felt like it was going to be a good evening. The night started out as usual... me warming up the crowd with some tried and true tunes.. then the mood started to flow. I made my way to the middle of the room to play a guitar solo and the crowd started going nuts.. i just remember that being the point of no return. It all went so fast.. before i knew it the gig was over and i was rushed with Merchandise sales.. it was really a killer time! I made my way back to my bed but first had to stop and and get what turned out to be an amazing pizza from one of the many all night snack shops in this crazy college town.
Next morning i woke up with the distinct taste of garlic and onions on my breathe.. yes people... i forgot to brush my teeth... i know i know.. gross. After a brisk cup of instant coffee i made my way down to the town square to check out the Saturday market. It was packed with every sort of person you could imagine. I was so lucky and stumbled upon some really good wurst and and then a great dutch cheese witch is really comparable to my favorite Swiss cheese, Guryere. Got some great deals and then made my way by train back to Amsterdam. It was really a shame to be such a short time in that town. Had lots of fun.
Spent most of Saturday night cleaning my flat and working on some tunes. Sunday rolled around and i got to spend part of the day with Edwin, the guy who designed all the T-shirts, Posters and Cd's for the tour. Really nice guy.. had a great time hanging out and he showed me a kick ass little bagel shop that has the best bagels and coffee that i've had so far in my Amsterdam experience. Really really good.. and reasonably priced as well. Sunday night i hopped on the train again and treked a few towns over to Hilversum where i was due to undergo an interesting challenge on Holland national radio. The station is called 3FM. I was the guest of the evening show and it was my Job to pick a song title from about 7 titles that people had sent, either by text from a cell phone or email, to the radio station. Then, once i picked the title that attracted me, i had one hour to then write the song. Honestly, i had no idea what to expect... but i went into it thinking " hey.. what can go wrong.. my song could suck!!" hahah.. talk about some pressure. I will be posting the link to show in the next few days. Keep a look out for it. It turned out amazing! I was done with the song in 35 minutes and the title was " Don't wear a mask ". A record, i was told. Great people.. great show. It was really fun.
After the show.. Sasko drove us back to Utrecht where we crashed and slept in a bit (as it was a late show) woke up and had a few hours of discussion over the business of music and where we are headed next. I'm really stoked about what's in store for the rest of this tour.. everyday is a crazy new experience. Much to love every one reading and thank you again for your support.

- Savage

One drunk Dutch lady and a few Germans later....

Here is what's been going on the past few days...
So i walk into this this little "basement" club in The Hauge.. ready for an interesting evening. Much to my surprise it's all to well and normal for what it appeared to be. That was until the even got started with something i have never seen before... a girl, a really big harp, and a drunk lady heckling her in every quite moment. Much to her credit, Habiba (the girl with the harp) was being a good sport and playing through the nonesnse. The crowd loved her. The whole time in the back of my mind i'm thinking "ok.. i'm next... and i have to deal with the heckler." So i reluctantly took the stage with that feeling that this could go all to bad if i wasn't careful. Sure enough, from the first strum of the first chord i had somehow amplified this womans desire to make a damn fool of herself. She burst out of her chair and into something that resembled a latin tango. Don't ask me, i was trying to keep a straight face. Anyways.. the night went on and again another good time with some singalongs and what not. Much much fun this evening.. i got numerous complements on how i handled this drunken distraction. One man was yelling at me after the show.. "your such a brave man.. A BRAVE MAN!!!" But yet i was scared to death of him actually. I hitched a ride back to Amsterdam where luckily the harp girl lived also. She was even so nice as to drop me off right near my flat. The weather was horrid. Rain.. Rain.. more Rain.
The next morning i saw daylight way to early as i was scheduled to be in Hamburg that evening for a show. It's about a 6 hour train ride from Amsterdam. -I've just notice that i'm writing this blog with a very proper tone. Hmm... anyways... The whole way to Hamburg I'm thinking.. why am i doing this? Then i arrived. I instantly felt a great vibe from place. It's a club called the Pony Bar in Hamburg right in the college district. It was a cozy Monday night.. again full of rain and the need for hot chocolate snuggling next to your friends for the heat. The room was set off to the side of the bar. A great room. Full of couches and chairs and a very comfortable feeling. Before the show i was warming up the crowd and perusing around and making small talk with people and stumbled upon a unique conversation concerning serial killers and mangos... again, don't ask. The show started with an intent Savage staring at the crowd and giving them explicit instructions that if they were to leave me, i would only ask that it be on a Sunday. Then soon after came stories of being the Last Car on a lonely road... and expressing how So Beautiful this crowd was. Later in the evening, I had come to middle of the room singing about your heart's condition as you journey Down the Road of life, when i was met by another... and might i say... fabulous singer. I had never met this good looking German man, but we started to sing together as if we had known what we were doing all along. It was, and i don't use this word often, truly brilliant. Aha.. witch word? Anyways.. all the people at this time were singing and making beautiful melodies on their own. It was really something special to be a part of. At one point i just stopped and listened to the people. Almost brought a tear this old man's glass eye.
The next morning i awoke in a nice and again... cozy little apartment in Hamburg. Shorty after i made why to the Hauptbahnhof, ate some noodles for 2 euros 50 cent.. very cheap by the way... and then slept most of the way back to Amsterdam. I did get home just in time to see my buddy Lukas play a great show at this club called Twstd. Then caught the tram to the Dam.. got me some wok to go.. 5 euros... very cheap also and caught the last tram back to my flat.
Today.. all i did was relax, eat and talk summer tour with Ravinia our Europian booking agencey. I feel this blog has been all to detailed, so with that.. i bow out and say goodnight. Tomorrow my first Amsterdam gig. Laters..

- Savage

Down the road you go...

I'm wide eyed from Jet Lag.. i won't sleep tonight seeing as though i'm due to leave hear in about 2 hours to make my way to Amsterdam. It was one of those surreal evenings where you stop and take a deep breathe and thank God one more time for allowing you to live and experience such things. A packed house full of Germans.. one American on a very very small stage made for a night to remember.
It was the first time i used one of those wireless headset microphone things. Worked out nice. There the people stood, ready to hear what was going to come out of this one man band with his taped up fingers and battle scared guitar. Song after song... after song... this crazy dude with an all to noticeable Austrian accent when he speaks German, was on it. The people hurt my ears they were cheering so loud. The complete opposite from the night before when you could have heard a pin drop. Yeah, that was a tough crowd that night. They just stared at me like i was an alien.. no, actually, and alien would have gotten more of a reaction. i was a wall. Though i did persevere and put on a good show with a 10 minute long story about this Mexican girl (who turned out not to be a girl after all) and her boyfriend drug dealer who wanted to kick my ass. Don't ask. But it made the sour Germans laugh and that's more than i could have asked for. I also sold some merch and that surprised the hell out of me. Anyways.. back to tonight..
There was a support beam in the middle of the room with a high table built around it and some stools. I had been eying it all night.. and on my last song i made my move. By this time i had the Germans trust so i didn't have to keep playing fast, up-tempo, 8th, 16th and 32nd noted tunes. That when i hit them with "Down the road you go". I started on the stage with my guitar played it through a few times.. noticed people catching on.. then jumped of the stage handed my guitar to some guy, who very nicely returned it to me later, and made my way the climb the beam. It was truly something to see.. this whole crowd of Germans singing and waving their hands " don't you let your heart grow black... down the road you go..". this must have gone on for almost 10 minutes. Unreal. It got louder and louder.. and ultimately the true message i set out to send across Europe, and the world for that matter, is being received. In a few hours i go down the road to Amsterdam.. und jetzt gehts weiter!

- Savage

The eagle has landed

I'm awake but groggy with the unmistakable feeling that I've been wrestling for the past 7 hours with finding the one position that you can at least attempt to make yourself believe that you are half-way somehow sleeping on a plane with crying babies that at any moment now will vomit on your only pair of shoes. But what else are you supposed to feel like? In between the know-it-alls and even-minded people, there are a few intent faces that are probably thinking the same thing i am... what the hell is about to happen?! Justin Currie is the soundtrack to last 45 minutes of my flight telling me about his misfortunes with himself and love while i feel the inevitable gurgle of plane food sitting heavier than a brick in my stomach. I think what i just understood through the crackle of the speakers is that it's time for us to put our toys away and thus my laptop counts as one of those. I'm a ball of emotions this morning... Wonder where i'm rolling. Thanks for reading and please remember: Don't take anything i say the right way.

- steven isaac