The band rooms I grew up in.

Thank you, John Novotny for inviting me to work with your amazing students, and for all of your love and support. 

Road time again with TFK in February; we'll be joining RED, Manafest, Nine Lashes, and Kiros on the REDvolution Tour.

It's been a couple weeks of sleeping in my own bed since getting off the road and letting the dust settle from the last tour. Six grueling weeks of arena shows covering most of the country, and played to a quarter of a million people!

The first couple weeks were through MO, MS, and AL; then climbed north through IA and WI.

We continued on through the midwest with shows in OH, IL, freezing ND, and SD, then headed south through KS and MO.

The next week we trekked TX where we spent time at the ocean, the desert, the border, and nommed a lot of bbq. After playing in CO we went through UT and started the next week of shows in ID. Missoula, MT was the next show and my favorite date on the tour. It was the closest thing to a 'hometown' show I've played since I moved to Nashville. Thank you for making that show special for me.

We took the highway west and headed for Seattle and Portland. Two perfect days spent drinking innumerable pleasantries.

The next day off was in San Francisco. We spent the morning checkin' out the sea lions, the afternoon eating seafood on the docks, and the remainder touring Alcatraz.

Accompanying Brian "Head" Welch (formerly of Korn) during his encore of "Blind".

Thank you all for your support; I'll see you at festivals this summer!

Trip took to L.A. a couple weeks ago.

Bernie Rico Jr. at his shop in Hesperia, CA. We spent the day going through dozens of tops, body woods, necks, and fingerboards. From an exotic quilted walnut or cocobolo, to more popular types of maple and mahogany, Bernie has any tone-wood you can think of. I couldn't believe my eyes looking through the tops, the quality of the pieces were in another level of beauty and symmetry.

NAMM convention in Anaheim, CA.

I stepped in for a set with The Letter Black at the Slidebar for a benefit show for Deftone's bassist Chi Cheng.

Bahamas the second week of November...

Nassau, Coco Cay, and Key West...

Played twice during the week on the top deck of the ship, in front of the pool. Feelin' the ocean wind!

Detroit Red Wings hockey game!

We've got a few weeks off before things start up again for 2011. Rest.

The crowds have been rowdy, and we can feel the momentum of the tour building...

Leaves are changing color everywhere and it finally feels like Fall. Time for Toronto hoods.

Plane to the bus.

Some of the best parts of the tour have been the before show meet and greets and post show signings. You are the reason we are able to do this for a living. Thank you!

(Concert photo courtesy of Miranda Busse)

October:

1      Manheim, PA

2      Mt. Vernon, OH

3      St. David's, PA

7      Rhinelander, WI

8      Des Moines, IA

9      Minneapolis, MN

10    Baxter, MN

15    Toronto, ON

16    Toledo, OH

17    Richland, MI

20    Tulsa, OK

21    Fort Smith, AR

22    Dallas, TX

23    Corpus Christi, TX

24    Abilene, TX

26    Tyler, TX

28    Hammond, LA

29    Memphis, TN

30    Birmingham, AL

31    Springfield, MO

(Photo courtesy of Doug Leavy Photography)

Last month has been a bit of a whirlwind... summer festival season.

Sold-out show at the Verizon Wireless Ampitheater in Irvine, CA... all 20,000 of ya... 'Doin' it!'

Woodstock style...

Detroit.

Page 6.

 (Stage photos courtesy of Timmy Derr and Jeff Wallace photography) 

Arena. Packed with 15,000+. Life large.

Four 35-foot cannons of flame.

Encore: lit up galaxy of cell phones and lighters.

My hat is off to you, Edmonton; you have some seriously legit local brews.

(All photos courtesy of Perry Friesen, Josh Macintosh, and Ryan Phillips Photography)

Today at Blackbird studios. <tips hat> Gentlemen...