Recently signed to Dead Oceans Records, The Donkeys embarked on a month-long US Tour kicking off at home in San Diego back in September and making it all the way to the Big Apple. We sent the four vintage-rockers and their brother Andrew out into the Fifty-Nifty with a few disposable cameras, which came back with evidence of why everybody dreams (at least a little) of being in a touring rock & roll band.
Here we are in New Mexico. We wanted to combine the classic Alice Cooper song Caught in a Dream and The Seeds Web of Sound album cover. We call this this Caught in a Dreamcatcher. We're not hippies we swear; though we were stopped here to shop for American Indian jewelry for our special lady friends. We did'nt end up buying any jewelry or playing a show in New Mexico. But it is a much beloved Donkeys drive and we recommend it to anyone who likes to get caught in a dreamcatcher or buy authentic American Indian jewelry made in Taiwan.
This is the Cadillac graveyard somewhere in Texas. I think this is the third time we stopped here. It is a good ol' time every time. Who hasn't wanted to spraypaint your name on a car before? We really love Texas. There is something fun about how absolutely huge it is. I think this is somewhere near Amarillo where there's a restaurant where, if you can eat a 96 oz. steak, you get it for free. Also across the street from the Cadillacs there is the biggest outdoor store you've ever seen. Anthony bought some brand spankin' new Wranglers. Tito bought some too and then decided to one up Anthony by buying a real flashy camo shirt.
Awwww Andrews 26th birthday in Rochester. We thought we would be celebrating in New York City. Yawnsville U.S.A. But nope, luck was on his side! Rochester really is made for celebrating. The club we played at (The Bug Jar) is one of the Donkey's favorite places to play and what you see in the photo is Rochester's pride and joy: THE GARBAGE PLATE. Crisscut fries, chili, two hamburger patties, mustard, cold macaroni salad and bread. We all ate these bad boys after getting rip roarin' drunk at the bar. Jessie actually had a grilled cheese (he's a vegetarian) that he quite liked. We Love Rochester. Great people who really know how to treat people on their birthday when they're thousands of miles away from home.
Tim bought a bunch of fake flies and card that he is, glued them to the front of Sancho (our van) while we were at a rest stop. It really grossed us out. Until we drove for a month more and real bugs started to gather on Sancho; Then we just felt bad for Tito. Fake flies are quite expensive in California.
Here's some awesome people we met in Manhattan at a pizza shop after our show. Your narrator, to be honest , was a little messed up so he can't remember much about the meeting except that they were real sweet people and we gave them a CD. Everyone says New Yorkers are rude. Unfortunately we haven't experienced that yet. We yearn to have a taxi splash gutter water on us or a lady to throw trash on us from the tenth floor of an apartment building. Our friend Steve-O moved there years ago and the first story we heard when he came to visit us in the boring all too cordial suburbs of socal was that he saw Joey Ramone eating pizza once and he asked for his autograph. And Joey Ramone answered.."Naww..I'm just trying to eat my pizza"....Do they make them like that anymore? R.I.P. Joey.
Here we are somewhere in Alabama near Birmingham. Our friends The Sworn Enemies are not just one our favorite bands but are the coolest dudes in the universe. They took us to this insane waterfall where you could swim right underneath the falls. We also played an awesome show with them (they blew are asses out of the water), watched some football, played Balderdash (which rules), drank lotsa beers (which also rules) and ate a swarm of swarma.
Before we left on tour Anthony had a semi truck grade La Cucaracha horn installed in Sancho. You know a horn that honks the cucaracha song. Pure genius on Anthonys part. We really didn't grasp the potential of the horn until we hit Austin which is where we are in this picture. We are at the University of Texas recording a radio show. Honking that horn really got Jessie in a mood. He had us rummage through there costume room (which may have been a trash can). He love's dressing us up all cool and shit. Try to find Andrew in the picture.
Here we are eating Cheese Steaks In the great city of Philadelphia. Our show was not the best that night but all was salvaged buy stuffing ourselves full of meat cheese and bread at 2 in the morning. The really nice sound lady pointed us to these sandwiches and she hit a bullseye. Great sandwiches and good old fashioned rude and shitty service. The best thing you could do in Philadelphia is ask where to get the best cheese steak in a bar full of drunk Philadelphians.
Tim being a sexy in Austin. We played a great bar called the Mohawk. We were hoping all the bartenders would have mohawks(nope). But they did have a big stuffed bear that we all kept hugging until we realized it was a real stuffed bear. We were itchy all night. The only thing that would tame the itch was a full fledged Lone-Star-A-Rama.
Here's Andrew trying to impress a pretty girl in New York. Gossip Girl was filming right outside of the venue we were playing; they were filming a kissing scene. Poor Andrew had 6 feet women all over him like fake flies on Sancho.
See more of the tour by clicking the Photo Gallery button below, keep up with The Donkeys on their Website or Myspace Page, and get in on the good times at Ken Club on December 20th.