blanche beach / drainbow tour - epilogue - 11/12 june 13 we woke up between 6 and 6:30 to get ready and on the road by 7. hannah was going to drive with us to portland, where she was going to meet some friends. not long after we left seattle, we broke down on the freeway, near federal way. getting the van and trailer towed was a hassle, but we eventually got it to a shop, where we found out the alternator needed to be replaced. we walked across the street to a mall to eat while we waited. the break down set us back about five hours, but everyone kept cool and we got back on the road. i had a show with another band in phoenix wednesday night. so we didn’t have time to stop, if i was going to make it to the show. we drove straight through the night, rotating drivers, eating gas station food, and getting more and more cramped and restless. we got to phoenix at 7:15pm, wednesday, having driven somewhere around 32 hours total. we unloaded my bass gear and isaac, brad, and tristan headed to their homes. thanks to everyone who helped set up a show, played with us, let us stay at their house, bought tapes, hung out, or were really cool to us.

blanche beach / drainbow tour - seattle - 10 june 13 i woke up around eight. brad was already awake and down the street getting coffee. nathan, isaac, legs, and i met him down there. our friend hannah, from santa cruz, met us down there. she was at the show the night before and was going to ride with us to seattle. before we left, we went downtown to rainy day and phantom city. i found some great records at both stores and got an veggie dog across from phantom city. we headed back to seattle and met up with zach and jacob. we went to the beach and got banh mi. we drove to hollow earth radio, where the show was going to be, and hung out there till the show started. drainbow played first, around 9:30. the sound in the room was great. blanche beach followed. there were a lot of mixed feelings, since it was the last show of the tour. everyone played great. our friends mega bog played last. totally great. it was a really fun show. we loaded up the gear and said goodbye to nathan; he was staying with other friends that night and we wouldn’t see him before we left in the morning. we went to get food before going to zach’s house to crash.

blanche beach / drainbow tour - olympia - 9 june 13 brad and i went to the muddy cup, a coffee shop down the street from zach’s house. isaac met us there shortly. our show in olympia was originally booked as a matinee show, then moved to a night show. we found out it was again moved to the afternoon, so we got things ready and left for olympia around noon. the show was at a house called miami beach, where our friend camille (from sharkpact, hail seizures, the chain) lives. the show was a “punk rock brunch,” lots of punks and food were there when we arrived. we hung out for a bit before the show started. we played with legs (from siren songs), cry havok, space dust, and bitpart (from france). blanche beach played third, drainbow followed them. everyone there was really awesome and into the show. and the other bands were so great. my older brother and his wife live outside of olympia and made it to the show. afterwards, i went to dinner with them at darby’s. they dropped me back off and the house, where i met everyone else after they got pizza. most of us walked back downtown to a karaoke bar. it was pretty cold out. tristan, isaac, and i walked back after a couple hours. we stayed the night at miami beach.

blanche beach / drainbow tour - seattle - 8 june 13 nathan, isaac, and i went to pick tristan and our friend erin (from iji) to meet some of isaac’s friends at stumptown in belmont. we met brad and cameron there also. we hung out for a little bit and headed for seattle around noon. i was in and out of sleeping the drive up. we went to our friend ben’s house to drop nathan’s bike off. while trying to get back on the freeway, we got stuck in baseball traffic downtown. we stopped at a music store to fix nathan’s snare drum, ate at a burger place down the street, and headed to the show. the show was at the 5010 house. we loaded our gear up a narrow stairway to the living room. the house was cool. colin, who booked the show, ran it really well. there were so many people there. the house was packed. our friends haley and amy from phoenix were there. the first guy was awesome. he played a drum machine and looped beats, layered guitars, did cool vocals. the second band, ice teeth, had some sweet guitar sounds. drainbow played third. blanche beach followed. it was cool, people were really into it. colin’s band, ubu roi, played last, and were awesome. we loaded our gear back up. nathan stayed with haley, and the rest of us stayed with zach from iji. we walked down the street to get food and back to zach’s house to sleep.

blanche beach / drainbow tour - portland - 7 june 13 we had thursday (june sixth) off. we spend most of the day in salem doing laundry, cleaning the van, showering. i got to hang out with my friend sarah and her son elliot. in the afternoon, we went to silver creek falls. i stayed the night in salem, and the rest of the guys went up to portland. we were supposed to have friday (june seventh) off as well, as we were unable to get a show in portland. we got on a last minute show with our friends iji, from seattle. it was at a house called the alice coltrane memorial coliseum. we were able to hop on at the beginning and play a combined set. we got there around 7:30 and unloaded our gear and set up. the show didn’t get started until a little after 9. blanche beach started the show, they played four songs. we did a pretty seamless change to drainbow, and played three songs. a lot of former phoenix people were there. everyone there was really cool and into it. iji and jason anderson were fun. tristan stayed with his friends in iji, brad stayed with his friend cameron, and nathan, isaac, and i stayed with nathan’s friend paul.

blanche beach / drainbow tour - salem - 5 june 13 i woke up around six to get ready, everyone else got up around 6:30. we headed out at seven and started towards salem. we had an entire day of driving ahead of us. isaac, for the first time, took a break from driving and tristan took over for a few hours. we got to salem at 8:15. we played a house called burial grounds. nate, who runs eternal warfare and plays in a few bands here, booked the show. we loaded our gear out and set up. blanche beach played first. we were a little worried at first about our reception, but people were really into us. blanche beach rocked. drainbow played next. a few of my friends who live here came to watch us. everyone there was really nice. wounded giant, from seattle, played after us, and were totally awesome. the fools and nulla cur, both local groups, played last. it was a really great show. people there were awesome. it’s nice to be back in salem. we stayed with my friends jeremy and sarah. we got to their house around one in the morning, ate a little bit, and went to sleep.

blanche beach / drainbow tour - san francisco - 4 june 13 i spent most of the day in oakland with kristen. we met up with the rest of the guys at the hemlock in san francisco around seven. they stayed in santa clara and drove to san francisco earlier that afternoon. we loaded our gear out fast. parking was expected to be a hassle, but we found a close spot, we just had to unhitch the trailer and turn the van around. there was a little bit of confusion between the venue and our friend that set the show up. drainbow wasn’t on the bill, but we got it straightened out fine. the dude who runs the room was freaking me out at first, but i warmed up to him by the end of the night. the hemlock is a bar that has an upstairs room for shows. the first band was sofa, the guitarist set the show up for us. blanche beach played second, and were great. people came in from the bar to check it out. drainbow played after. the sound in the room was good. the last band was 100%. pretty great shoegazey stuff. we loaded out and headed to brad’s friends house to sleep. tristan made us food and we went to sleep.

blanche beach / drainbow tour - santa clara - 3 june 13 i woke up around six and got ready. everyone else woke up around seven or eight. we got out of zachary’s house pretty early. we walked around the corner where we parked the van and saw isaac was up too. we also realized we parked across the street from an elementary school and laughed that isaac had been camping by it all night. we walked a few miles to downtown and got breakfast, then got on the road. we got to santa clara around two or three and had lunch at tofoo com chay, at the recommendation of christine (our friend booking the show). we decided to drive to where the show was going to be, to hang out and find a place to park the van. it was at a coffee shop called chromatic coffee. christine works there and booked the show for us. we got there around four and hung out till the show started. isaac and i slept in the van for a bit. people started getting there for the show around six. christine started moving chairs and tables around inside and got the pa set up. the first band, bascom, played a little after seven. they were really fun. both members are in another band called sourpatch, who tristan and nathan have played with before. the second band was crabapple. also members of sourpatch and other really awesome bands. so good. we were happy to get to play with them. drainbow played next. rich (member of sourpatch) did the sound and was a big help. we had a fun time playing. sometime during out set tristan’s combo died. hopefully it’s something we can figure out. a couple people kept commenting how stoked they were about our cover of aneurysm. blanche beach played next. that morning, while we were walking downtown in slo, isaac told us the story behind their song “prank show”. when they ended with it, i was getting chills. it’s such a good song. we broke everything down and loaded it up. the last band to play was tony molina. really awesome melodic guitar parts and excellent song writing. people in this scene are really supportive and were excited about our music. we hung out for awhile after and talked outside. my friend kristen, who lives in oakland, came to the show. i hadn’t seen her in a really long time. i stayed at her place in oakland and the other guys stayed at christine’s place. we all left around eleven. thanks to christine, rich, the nice people at chromatic, bascom, crabapple, and tony molina.

blanche beach / drainbow tour - san luis obispo - 2 june 13 when everyone woke up, we walked down to the french press. the “state street mile” was happening: a mile long run down state st. it had different divisions, and some were pretty great to watch. we liked the “dog with owner” division. we walked back to mallory’s, ate a little bit, and hung out till 12:30 when we got on the road. we dropped mallory off in isla vista and got stuff at the coop again. the drive from santa barbara to san luis obispo was only four hours. we stopped in pismo beach on the way. it was really nice outside. the water was pretty cold. we drove into slo around 5:00. we played a house called xroads. we’d never been there before. a friend of a friend, zachary, booked the show. we met him outside the house and he showed us around the place. it’s a crazy cool house built by a mormon dude with two wives, so it’s divided into two parts. bands play in the living room. everyone was hanging out a few houses down until the show started. one of the guys, dakota, was making vegan soup. it was so good. the perfect mix of savory, sweet, spicy, and hearty. we’ve had excellent soup on tour, so far. the show started around 7. the first band was king walrus & the magicians. really great, people were digging them and dancing. the second guy, That Girl, was also local; he played folk punk. he obviously has a following here. blanche beach played third. amazing set and everyone loved them. isaac and tristan had fun banter in between songs. i snapped some pictures from the loft above the main room. drainbow played last. the show needed to be over by 9:30 at the latest, and we started a little after 9. our set was great, and people were into it. they bought tapes after and talked to us and were really nice. it was sweet how excited people were about our music. and it was one of the most responsible house shows i’ve been to. zachary let us stay at his place, a couple miles down the street. we loaded up the gear and drove down there. a few of us got food at the gas station on the corner, then came back and went to sleep. thanks to zachary (for booking the show), pickles (for running the door), and dakota (for the awesome dinner).

blanche beach / drainbow tour - santa barbara - 1 june 13 we left for santa barbara friday afternoon (may thirty-first). our fist show wasn’t till saturday night, but we decided to leave a day early to hang out in santa barbara. we met at nathan and tristan’s house, hitched the trailer, and loaded our gear. we were on the road before noon. the van only seats four, so we layed a mattress in the back to lay down on, rotating who sits there. brad was first to lay down, since he got off work only a couple hours before we left. i don’t think he slept though; it was really hot in the back of the van. the drive went by much faster than i expected. isaac drove the eight or so hours to sb. we made a few stops for food and gas, and drove into sb a little before nine. our friend mallory was letting us stay at her place. she made us lentils and salad for dinner. after we ate, we went to the beach. we got back to her place and i crashed around twelve. nathan, tristan, and mallory stayed up watching a movie.
(june first) i woke up around seven. nathan, brad, and i left to walk downtown to the french press. isaac slept in the van, and was in the parking lot talking to the downstairs neighbor when we walked outside. the four of us walked downtown, then to a park where nathan did yoga and isaac ran. mallory made breakfast for everyone. one of her roommates had couch surfers staying with her. they walked with us to warbler records and the farmers market. we drove to the beach; nathan, mallory, and tristan body surfed. it looked like they were getting beat up by the waves. after a couple hours, we went to pizza guru. we came back to mallory’s and slept a little before the show. we got to biko around 7:30 and unloaded our gear. we walked a few blocks to the food coop. the first band started around 8:30. they are called child. excellent groovy stoner rock. really great. drainbow played second. our set was good. i was happy with how the vocals sounded. we were really loud in that room. blanche beach played last and rocked it. they’re so great. i’m happy to be playing shows with them. we loaded our gear up and went to get food with indiana (who booked the show), josh (big help at the show/mallory’s housemate), and mallory. we got back to the house after twelve and went to sleep. thank you indiana, mallory, and josh for the show, food, place to sleep, and fun time in sb.
jacob