Blueprint Fan Journal

10.28.06
Santa Cruz, CA The Attic

The Attic is quickly becoming one of Santa Cruz' most artist-friendly venues. For those that don't live near us, imagine a beautiful room with vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors and a sound system so big it would be perfect for a venue 5 times its size or for a low-rider car. This time we opened for Shana Morrison, daughter of Van Morrison. Her band is made up of some of the finest musicians in the greater San Francisco area. She plays a blues-based rock - but there is nothing typical about the songwriting. It has elements and textures that almost remind us of indie bands like the Weepies. Combining strong harmonies you can see that her family is proud. The Attic is true to its name when it comes to temperature - it doesn't matter if it is the dead of winter there we always manage to lose a few pounds on stage :)

It is hard to imagine a show where 30,000 people come down to a beach for a large beach party fundraiser. It is even harder to imagine a show in which after you finish playing for thousands of people they treat you to a 30 minute fireworks show... but that is exactly what happened. The Monte Foundation fireworks show is a fundraiser for local schools. It was held on the beautiful Seacliff State Beach just south of Santa Cruz. Sponsored by 101.7 the Beach FM it was a exceptionally positive event. All ages enjoyed the show and were treated to a number of great regional bands. 10.08.06
Rock and Roll Half Marathon San Jose, CA

Seriously. What the hell is wrong with us? Frankly there is no reason to wake up at the time required to play the Rock and Roll Marathon. We're supposed to be in a band - rockstars are supposed to wear shades at night because it's so hard to even SEE light. But here we go. We all blame Darren since they called him for the show... so we played to another 20,000 runners and some really fast Kenyans. Featuring 15 bands, the Marathon had us playing on one of the headlining stages. By the time people got to us they were either pissed that they were running as far as they had or relieved that they weren't dead... it must have been comforting that they staged an ambulence next to the stage. Playing for about 3 hours we were able to treat the survivors to a few new songs (hey, nothing like using the runners as test subjects) and some covers we've never done before (and it showed!) :) - maybe next year we'll let Darren do it again.

08.05.06
On Top of a Mountain Boulder Creek, CA

Blueprint is a band that has met a random show it doesn’t like. This one was no exception. To be perfectly honest, there is no way we’d ever find our way back to the venue… somewhere, way, way, way out there in the Santa Cruz Mountains is a beautiful setting with no neighbors, no noise and really cool dogs running around. Joining us for an evening of music, drinks and a super large chocolate fountain was local boys Superior Olive. Playing three hours of rock to a private crowd, we thought this was the perfect opportunity to try out some new material. We played a few new songs and after the public trial will go back to re-working them. It is interesting, from a songwriter’s perspective, how valuable it is to actually take a new song out publicly to see how well it transitions and flows… the band room is a place where everything sounds good (most likely because it is sooooooo loud that it doesn’t really matter) – but once you get out of that controlled environment it is helpful for bands to have that public trial.

I never really considered us a country band. Now I know we have a fiddle player (he only becomes a fiddle player when we’re opening for a Country band – normally he’s a violin player)… but Country? I don’t know about that. But here we were, opening for a very talented Country/Soul band, the Hacienda Brothers in the Country haven of Felton, CA. Supported by the exceptionally talented Tommy Miller (booking agent at Don Quixotes) and John Sandige at KPIG 107.5 FM, the show drew about 175 people. Half of the crowd was there in boots and jeans looking to line dance and the Blueprint crowd was also there in boots and jeans – but the jeans sure did look designer and I think the boots were Steve Madden. This show was one of the more fun we have played in the last year. From a local band’s perspective, there is nothing better than an opportunity to open for a popular band all the while receiving a lot of support from local radio and booking agents. If you haven’t checked out the Hacienda Brothers I think you might be in for a surprise. This is some classic 1950’s era Western Swing/Soul/Country that doesn’t fit the modern pop mold.

When I got a call informing me that we were switching from a live performance on the music show to a live performance on a talk radio show I knew we were in trouble. Getting Julian to brush up on national news (just in case we get the “what do you boys in Blueprint think about the Chinese monetary policy?”) was a little problematic. Not that we aren’t great at giving advice and opinions. Heck, we give opinions when no one is asking for them… that is the advantage of having three microphones on stage and a captive audience (just remember, you guys actually PAY for us to do this). KSCO is a classic old-time radio studio. It has a large control room and a large studio room with the original On-Air lights that flash. The lead vocals are done through an original RCA microphone (think Frank Sinatra) and the other guitars share a microphone. Everything is mixed into mono to get that old-time flare. Of all of the local radio stations, it is by far one of the most relaxed atmospheres and has great hosts. We played two songs and then were asked pressing world questions like “is there any backstage story you can tell a family radio show?” Easy answer… no.

Ok. They have this dog at KPIG that flat-out doesn’t like our band. I’ve never seen a dog pass out as quickly as this dog does when we start playing. What is up with that? This is not the first time we’ve been down there and not the first time the dog has disrespected us. But the dog wasn’t as bad as the band’s description. See, one of the cool parts about doing a radio show is the station hypes up your performance throughout the week by reading a little description about you. Knowing that you are interested in how we were described here is a little quote… “Blueprint, these locals will impress you like a collage of colors. In fact, they can easily be described as a collection of music as diverse as merle haggard meets the whalers.” Seriously… who let the intern write this?

20,000 sweaty people - lots of fast Kenyans and a 6 hour set - the tour down to San Diego was completed with a 6 hour set at the Rock and Roll Marathon. Playing Mile 25 for an extremely supportive group of runners (hey, if we had made it 25 miles we'd be pretty happy as well). We shared the stage with violinist Tom Savell's other band Superior Olive - talk about talent - the band has 2 teenagers that everyone should keep their eyes out for... talent! The headliner to the show was Ozomatli - I can only imagine how it must of felt to hear their songs letting you know that you had completed the race :)

06.02.06
San Diego, CA Claire De Lune

Why is it that sometimes the most interesting part of touring is the driving portion? Why is it that people driving down Interstate 5 frankly can't drive? Lastly, do all semi drivers have it out for bands? These are all interesting and valid questions. The band travelled late Thursday night down to San Diego for the Friday show. Claire de Lune is a beautiful place in the center of San Diego(North Park) - San Diego was experiencing a heat wave and we're pretty sure Claire de Lune used to be called Sauna de Lune before it was purchased. Blueprint played an acoustic set with the exceptionally talented San Diego singer/songwriter Carlos Olmeda. Carlos has long been involved with Blueprint (he is featured on background vocals on all of the records) and is listed by Jason Mraz as the reason why Jason settled in San Diego. We debuted two new songs (judging by the audience reaction they're keepers!)

03.17.06
Santa Cruz, CA The Digital Media Factory

Here is a review of our Santa Cruz Film Festival show with Ribsy's Nickle by the Cabrillo College Voice. Rock music outshined the film previews as the Santa Cruz Film Festival (SCFF) Shamrock Out lives up to its name-but did it benefit theawareness of the upcoming festival, or was it just a cheap ticket for a local concert? When I walked through the doors of the Digital Media Factory warehouse, I thought I was attending a preview for the 2006 SCFF from May 6-13. Due to technical difficulties and the two amazing bands that performed that night, I forgot I was there for the films and not the music. The festival was advertised to begin at 7 P.M., but it took them over an hour to begin the first of four film previews, one of which was never shown. People had to constantly move in and out of their seats as they were mislead by the uncooperative machinery. Jane Sullivan, the executive producer of the Festival, decided to skip the preview of In Memory of My Father and moved on to preview One Winter Story, a documentary about the female surf pioneer Sarah Gerghart, who was the first woman to ride the monstrous raves at Mavericks. “I never thought about being a pioneer, really. I just thought this was something I was going to do and I was going to do it,” said Gerghart in the documentary. The film was shot in color and selective black and white. The format and style of it made me feel like I was watching a series of home movies, combined with the thrill of actually being there, charging through the waves with her. Directors Elizabeth Pepin and Sally Lundberg created an intimate environment on screen that connects the audience to Gerghart’s experiences. An inspiration for female surfers, I recommend this film to anyone interested in getting to know more about one of the local Santa Cruz surfing heroes. Another surfing film, The Addicted, directed by Anthony Ruffow, was more like a badly produced music video. The entire preview consisted of a man lip-syncing to rap/rock music while wearing a bandana and what looked like gold teeth. Throughout the film, he appeared randomly in front of surfing clips and girls in hot tubs. The purpose of the film is a complete mystery and left me scratching my head searching for the reason why anyone would find it funny. In between the previews, a local band called Blueprint rocked the house and got the eager audience dancing. Their sound is a mixture of Matchbox Twenty and Counting Crows, with a little bit of the vocals from Sublime. The drummer resembled Taylor Hawkins’ style from the Foo Fighters, while the cool, calm bassist scanned the crowd and blended in with the band in melodic harmony. Rhythm guitarist Zach friend stole flirtatious winks from the ladies in the audience as the lead guitarist, Julian White, ripped up the riffs in his solos. Vocalist Darren McLure took my breath away, especially in his vocal resemblance to the late Brad Nowell from Sublime. After the film previews, the second band, Ribsy’s Nickle, took over the warehouse—along with what seemed to be a thick fog of marijuana—followed by a crowd of fans with bottles of alcohol. While Blueprint could be described as more of laid-back college scene band, Ribsy’s Nickle is the type of band whose concert you attend to get wasted and really rock out. Their style is a mixture or rap, reggae, and hard rock. They performed while the people who were there for the films filtered out and were replaced by loyal fans of the band. Outdone by the two bands, the film previews don’t live up to the purpose of the event. Overall, it was more of a musical experience than a viewing journey.

Blueprint, Superior Olive and a roadhouse. Beating a Hell's Angels gathering at Henflings by about 12 hours was lucky... or was it? This show turned out to be one of the best the band has played in recent memory with a packed house full of energy and alcohol... ok, we'll say more energy than alcohol (at least at 10 pm). Featuring Tom Savell on violin the band tore through a collection of new songs in front of an electic crowd of businessmen, real estate types and bikers that can kick your ass with their eyes. The show debuted three new tracks that are being worked out for an upcoming recording. We'll be back to the mountains... and we'll play Rawhide for the Hell's Angels!

10.30.05
Soquel, CA The Ugly Mug

In a town where everyone starts dressing up for Halloween the weekend before, the best we could do was dress like rockstars. Apparently, styling bassist Flip Sophie thought he would go as Devo. Devo?? Oh well... no comments on the rest of us. One of the interesting things about the Ugly Mug is that the band area is directly (inches) in front of two large fish tanks. Now we are no experts on fish, but it must really suck for them to be subjected to a bass rig for two hours... not to mention the plethora of music. No one has asked them if they even like our stuff! For all we know they think our music sucks and they dread the thought of our monthly show. In an effort to bring in as many guest musicians that can fit in a small room we had a special latin percussionist (now that was cool) and yet another fiddle player, Laurie Tanenbaum. There is nothing wrong with having girl members of Blueprint... except the conversation has to be a little nicer. Here are some more band photos delievered by master photographer Pete Burnight...

09.18.05
Santa Cruz, CA Moe's Alley

Everyone was touched by the images of Hurricane Katrina and the suffering of the residents in the South. Everyone in our band wanted to contribute in the best way we know - by playing a benefit concert. We worked with Emerald City Entertainment and two fine bands the Soundcurrent and Thomas Cunningham (this kid is great!) We decided to take a different approach - full drums but fully acoustic guitars. It was beautiful - we recorded the show (email us for songs!) and might use a live track or two on our next record. The show raised a good amount of money for the victims as well. Now on to the dirty secrets... have you ever been backstage at Moe's Alley? Let's just say once you've stepped back there you KNOW that things have gone on back there that you'd rather not think about. It's a true rock backstage with signatures on the walls of nearly every artist that's played there and stickers from bands long since broken-up... but the carpet... well I'll let you use your imagination. Check out this photo of Mr. Julian White by the master photographer Pete Burnight... http://www.photopete.com

09.03.05
Soquel, CA The Ugly Mug

Call it Blueprint reinvented. Add a percussion player and a rockstar fiddle/mando player (Tom Saville) and you have Blueprint acoustic, but rocking. We were asked to join the Ugly Mug for a monthly acoustic showcase. We instantly took up the opportunity to try out new songs in front of friends. Not to mention you get a free chai everytime you play... not that we'd play a show for a free chai... ok, yes we would. We tried out a couple of new songs tonight - not that we have names for them. I guess one could be called the jazz song in Bminor - it's a bit of a departure from some of the other songs we've been doing but it lends itself well to the acoustic side of the scene. It's a work in progress but if you like songs with a groove, you'll like this one. Speaking of new stuff, we've been doing some pre-production in the studio for a new album. Laying down ideas and seeing what works - expect something a little different :) http://www.blueprintradio.com

08.19.05
Santa Cruz, CA Vets Hall

Take a band of near rockstars with a tough name (Harsh Kreiger), a great local promoter and radio backing and what do you have? Pretty much a rocking show with the smell of stale wood. Yep - the Vets Hall. One of the few remaining all ages places to play (hey, what happened to places for kids to go), the Vets Hall has got to be one of the only places in the country that uses a yoga room as a backstage location. With the support of Gotlocalmusic.com and Santa Cruz X 103.9 the show featured talented local acts Kneel Before Zod and Live Wire in addition to the near rockstars Harsh. Other than the monitor blowing up during the middle of the set there was no real rockstar things to report... at least that which we can mention in an all ages tour journal :)

08.12.05
Relay for Life, Watsonville, CA Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds

Now there is no doubt that playing at the Fairgrounds makes you want to break into a Jimmy Buffet tune... or maybe a little Sugarland. We behaved ourselves and stuck to our set - although it's possible Mr. Darren McClure is secretly listening to KTOM in his car :) - Blueprint loves playing benefit concerts and we especially enjoy the Relay for Life. We will see you all out there next year!

07.16.05
Relay for Life, Aptos, CA Cabrillo College

For the fourth straight year we had the pleasure of being asked to play the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. It was a show of debuts, including the introduction of our new fly bassist Flip and the intro of a new song (we are currently in pre-production for a new record) called 'No More Sundays' - the song went over well and we were able to receive some valuable feedback as we finish the revision process. If you've never been to a Relay - they truly are remarkable events. The love and emotion and support is almost overwhelming... to everyone in the event, thank you!

06.19.05
Rock and Roll Marathon, San Diego, CA Mile 26

Let me tell you something, some Kenyans are fast... really damn fast. We loaded our gear down onto the stage at the end of the race at 6 am. We figured we could take our time, check out the wild parrots, listen to the quiet screams of jets taking off next to us... but no. Hell no. The first set of runners started blazing by us in what seemed like no time! Man, some people can run! It's actually pretty funny to have bands play marathons - by the looks of some of us it's about as close to running as anyone gets (other than runs to the fast food restaurants). This show featured headliners Pinback and we played with a fine San Diego band 34 Below. Every other chorus was drowned out by the underbelly of a Southwest airlines jet taking off above us but we had a blast. It's actually quite a miracle - bands somehow waking up at 5 am to play at random locations along a marathon route. One really cool thing was the support from the runners (they are pretty happy to see ANYONE at mile 26) and the organization itself. We were stationed (for lack of better words) at the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot. They seemed to be enjoying all of the young ladies running strong... I don't think some of these guys are allowed out enough. Looking forward to doing it again next year.

12.31.04
First Night Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium

You know you are playing a big venue when there are glow in the dark arrows from backstage to guide you to stage. Without mentioning names, some members still found it difficult to actually find the stage. Soundcheck at the Civic is an interesting experience - sound bounces off of the back wall and comes back and bites the band in the ass about 1/10 of a second after the note was hit. We all looked at eachother as though someone's timing was off ... maybe it was just a cover-up. We were joined by our good friend Carlos Olmeda (winner of the San Diego Music Award) and local friends the Expendables and Dub Congress. THe backstage rooms had stars on them - we were hesitant to go in figuring they were for a REAL headliner :) - we were fed plenty of donuts and Red Bull proving our theory that soundmen are fat because they are fed crap... not because they want to be. Overall it truly was a great show featuring some of Santa Cruz's best bands - Blueprint, the Expendables and Dub Congress.

10.09.04
Lobster Festival, Aptos

No one heard the lobsters scream... at least that is what they claim. Lots of butter and 12 great bands filled this two day festival including surf guitarist Dick Dale (looking a few years younger than his true age). The bands were treated to fine food, backstage tents (what do you think those are for?) and even free rides on mini carts. Keep your eyes out for a video and audio recording of the show to be posted on our site!

7.16.04
Chick Show, Santa Cruz

Can you think of a better way to spend a Friday night than with Blueprint in Santa Cruz on a show debating the true meaning of a metrosexual? If so, then there is no need to read on... Blueprint was treated to another opportunity to play on the local television show The Chick Show - featuring chicks. Yep. So a metrosexual is someone that likes to dress with style (think nice shoes), maybe have a nice car and the such but still prefers the ladies. Whether or not Blueprint band members are actually metrosexuals is a matter of debate - or not.

7.15.04
Gordan Biersch , San Jose

One of the most fun shows we've played in San Jose... ok, they fed us AND gave us drink tickets. The stage is set up in an outside courtyard to soak in the cool 90 degree San Jose nights. We tore through a 3 hour set sharing the stage with openers My Monster - a great San Jose band. Since the restaurant and bar had a few hundred people, we'd like to believe by the sounds of their screams (not alcohol induced) that they were there for us and the food/microbrews were secondary. We will leave it to you to decide

7.08.04
Ugly Mug, Soquel

What more could you want? An acoustic benefit show featuring the ripping sounds of youngsters Ukenasia - an all over 40 uke band with a swinging pedal steel player. I guess you could want one of the debut shows of mosters are not myths or the fact that it was sponsored by local music leaders gotlocalmusic.com - or maybe Blueprint's debut of two new acoustic songs or better yet, listening to the bands battle the chai and latte orders. Unknown to the Ugly Mug patrons was the presence of Julian's bird Chico. Chico, a staple at many Blueprint events, lurking in the dark, is the most stable member of the band. Many band practices have been dedicated to the debate of Chico's pitch - does he squak in f#? Maybe he likes A minor? It is unclear. However, he seemed to enjoy (bobbing his head in time) Blueprint's acoustic set

6.19.04
Catalyst, Santa Cruz

It is unclear whether the coolest part of playing the Catalyst is the free stale chips and salsa left backstage by the Wallflowers the night before or security guy that asks for your backstage pass every 2 seconds convinced that you are not in the band. This show was a benefit for Santa Cruz High School Athletics and over 500 people paid to support the cause. We were joined by violinist Tom who tore through two renditions of Crossing Nine and 3 Days - man, this cat can play. Speaking of backstage, it turns out the Catalyst has remodeled thier small space. Now they even have toilet paper (a true tour amenity) and a couch with strangely colored stains on it... I'm sure it is just nail polish remover. Not to mention all the free warm water you can drink. With that said, there is nothing quite as rockstar as the sound at the Cat. Everything about the room and soundsystem are a real pleasure to play in... but next time we want Jacob Dylan to eat our leftovers.

6.18.04
KSCO, Radio Performance

Ah, Mr. Julian White. Our famed guitarist is always a sight early in the morning... I guess we'd all be a sight without our KISS makeup on. After a strange explination, Julian began our interview wearing dark sunglasses and shaking while drinking weak coffee. Something about finding a body in the road in Watsonville only to have it gone 5 minutes later. The KSCO morning radio show is hosted by one of the nicest (and apparently understanding) ladies in radio, Rosemary. After grilling Julian on-air about this body finding and wondering why the sunglasses were necessary (we think it is because he is allergic to light) we played a short 2 song set. The set featured a guest appearence by a wonderful local violin player.... hopefully we will see more of him (and Julian's dark glasses) in the future

6.11.04
Borders, Monterey

When Blueprint turns acoustic you know we have the power to turn heads... or maybe at least get people to look up from the chai latte. While this is clearly the largest show we've ever played (I understand this Borders is 50,000 square feet) it might have also have been the loudest. Have you ever tried to play your sweet acoustic guitar over the sounds of a blender? To create even more irony, the band was set up next to the "Learn to Play an Instrument" section at Borders... hopefully not a cheap shot at us after they heard our demo. Luckily, we had a lot of support from our Monterey fans and even the girl at the information counter who said we were "way better than those old people that played with an accordian last week" - I guess we'll take what we can get...

4.30.04
Presidio, Monterey

Another day, another dollar; This is what some people have to say about going to work. For Blueprint it was more like another day, another city, as we stopped in Monterey on the 2004 world tour...ok, so we just drove around the bay, but hey, this show was at the Presidio. It really is like it's own city up there! After thorough background checks, bomb-sniffing dogs and a search of the cars, Blueprint made there way onto the prestigious military academy (well, two out of three ain't bad...we still wonder how we got through the background check). The show was rockin' and Blueprint was in great form. We even got a guest appearance from "Fluffy", the bands longtime friend and supporter. Keep an eye out for this cat...you'll know him when you see him! Hats off to the US military as those kids know how to throw a great party! Who knew there were so many cute girls in the service? God Bless America!!! Anyway, we're all looking forward to the upcoming shows this summer so don't be shy! Stop by, introduce yourself, and pick up a copy of our new album while you're at it! See ya' soon!

3.10.04
Catalyst, Santa Cruz

Rockstars...$1 beers. Rockstars...$1 beers. Which would we spend more time with tonight? (Deep thoughts by Blueprint) These are the types of important decisions the band makes on the way to shows. Hoping to learn how to "party like a rockstar", the band eagerly awaited the arrival of the Dishwalla boys...and not a minute too soon as the place exploded with sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll with their mere presence. Finally, everything every kids dreams of when they start a band! It was ours! ....ok, maybe not. I thought we signed up for "party like a rockstar 101", but apparently we took a wrong turn and ended up in "party like a married man 101." ...and I thought we were so close! Anyway, after some good old fashioned trash talking, trading war stories, comparing the size of our tattoo's and (Oh Yeah) the size of our ego's, the band hit the stage in rare form. The crowd of 600 was treated to an all star set featuring new and old hits alike. Hey Dishwalla, what happen to us opening up on your tour?

1.24.04
Los Gatos High School, Los Gatos

I once saw an episode of "My So-Called Life" on MTV. Clare Danes was going to a high school gym to meet up with her boyfriend for a hot high school dance. She was hot and so were most of the other girls at the dance. Anyway, when we were asked to play at a high school dance we thought there would be no way we could pass it up. Think of all the fine 1950's musicians that broke into the world playing La Bamba and Peggy Sue for a screaming 16 year-olds. So we loaded up our gear ready to help some guys and gals make out or better for the first time in their lives... but wait... there was no one there. When you're in a band sometimes you expect no one to be there (meaning less than 20 people). But a locked gym? No Clare Danes? What is up with this? A janitor was nice enough to tell us that the show had been cancelled... apparently the high school cats putting the show on figured that would be too much information for a band commuting to the show. All that effort (including a promise not to swear all night) and instead of spiked punch we get some skaters and a janitor. Awesome.

1.16.04
Charlie O's, Scotts Valley

On the ride over to the show we were listening to 103.9 and heard our song Siren on the air. We began to debate how many people would be listening to the song at that moment and what they might be doing. Someone pointed out that they were reading Maxim recently and it said that at any given moment someone is having sex within a mile of you. If that is true, and you assume that we weren't the only one's listening to the radio at this point, we figure at least one person in the Monterey Bay area was having sex with our song in the background... we'd like to salute that person and invite them to our next show at Charlie O's... we'll buy you a drink.

1.06.04
Zelda's, Capitola

On a rainy winter day on the Monterey Bay you'd expect people to stay home and watch (but deny that they are) an episode of the Apprentice. Not so, my friend, not so. On this rainy day everyone wanted to head to Zelda's in Capitola to hear some of the best in town showcase a couple acoustic songs (ok, maybe they had some pretty sweet drink specials as well). We played Ten Years and Three Days - our dirty little secret? Drummer Dave picked up the acoustic guitar for rhythm this night. After picking up the video "How to be a sick guitar player in 20 minutes" for Christmas, he was ready to go. To be honest.. the ladies couldn't tell the difference. Drummer Dave a sick guitarist in 20 short minutes.

1.03.04
Britiania Arms, Aptos

This is just pure luck. Someone came up with the brilliant idea to play a concert literally right next to our practice space. We have never loaded a concert in and out as quickly as we did that night and none of us even ate the bangers and mash they were offering. Although, there are some bandmates that might consider British beer more like dinner than a drink. Anyway, the crowd at the Brit was a bunch of regulars mixed in with our fans. It was an extremely energetic and positive night. We debuted a new song (called Avalon) did all we could to impress the Brit management... especially when we broke a window trying to load our gear out. Hey, we had to leave our mark somehow!

1.02.04
Charlie O's, Scotts Vally
W/ Gimik

Music for mountain men. Scotts Valley is an interesting mix of lumber jacks and techie-jacks. But when Charlie O's promised us a free dinner if we would entertain their crowd... we jumped all over it. It is a cool restaurant/bar/pool hall that is 2 stories high. The stage is smaller than my toilet but the room and building itself are pretty awesome. We were surprised at how many people of all different ages hang out at Charlie O's. I will say this... if you REALLY want to freeze your ass off during winter (especially a 10-midnight set time) try loading in gear in Scotts Valley. My body did things I didn't know it could do becuase it was so cold.. I think my organs (especially the important one) retreated inside my body to get away from the cold. So if you come visit us at Charlie O's (and we'll be playing there more often) keep your organs to yourself.

1.02.04
Channel 27, Santa Cruz

Little did we know when we were invited for a live performance on Santa Cruz's famed Chick Show that we would be living in a Behind the Music momement... a group of girls watching the show live called in and asked if they could join everyone on the set. Trust us, we didn't have any objection. Anyway, they joined the cast and band for the second half of what can be described of as a show you need to watch to understand. A group of college girls, an all female cast and the band... hmmm. If we didn't have it on tape we wouldn't believe it either. Some believe they were members of the Zach Friend fanclub. Others believe Mr. Julian White was to blame... you decide

10.12.03
KPIG, 107.5 FM Santa Cruz

Ahh... the acoustic morning show on Santa Cruz's KPIG. 107 oink 5 FM. Pure Pork. This was an great morning (yes... it was early) and in fact, we've slipped some of our acoustic performances onto our website and EP for your listening enjoyment. Surrounded by all of the Odwalla you could drink and bagels you could eat we peformed a few tracks and interviewed with wonderful crew at KPIG. However, everyone is a critic... a dog (we believe was planted as a test A&R man) actually passed out halfway through out acoustic set. The dog (which will also remain nameless) decided our acoustic guitar playing was more suited for a morning nap. Look... you already sleep 17 hours a day. Couldn't you have at least WAITED until we finished our set?

10.11.03
The Union, Santa Cruz
W/ 300 Lbs. and Epicure

Ever wonder what would happen if you walked into a concrete building that for some reason is also a jungle with naked sculptures and red lights? No? Well that is a description of Santa Cruz's newest (and one of the best) all-ages music houses, the Union. It is BYOS (bring your own stage) at the Union and we imported our stage from San Jose. I watched 2 different bandmembers (shall remain nameless) nearly killing themselves putting it together. Look, we play music... no one said we were the brighest lightbulbs in the pack. After spending about 2 hours putting the stage together we realized it was too high. Yep. We were literally standing in the lights for the majority of the show. Turns out 300 watt heat lamps (think Burger King) are pretty damn hot when you play music under them for about an hour or so. But with that said, we had a pre-release party for our new ep. The turnout was strong and the crowd was cleanly bathed. Couldn't ask for much more.

7.25.03
Vets Hall, Santa Cruz
W/ Alysha, 300 Pounds, Luckydog, Gimik

One of the first questions we got after this show was from a radio station in San Jose. "So what is it actually LIKE to film a music video?" The first thought that came to mind was that it was a pain in the ass :) But trust us, it is absolutely awesome. The professional film crew had been with us for about 2 weeks leading up to the concert. Over 12 hours of footage had been already shot from the studio all the way to the airport in San Diego. On the day of the show we arrived about 8 hours before our scheduled set time and worked on lighting, backdrop and whatever other techincal things they could think of. The strange thing is, we are still just a band that wants to play a show. The production was awesome but at times strange. Local station 103.9 X FM was there and so were a great deal of our amazing fans and street team. It is quite possible that we have the coolest fans around.. they always seem to amaze us. The other bands on the show were also great. When all was said and done it was a perfect evening and we can't wait to see the video on MTV2!

7.19.03
Cabrillo College, Aptos
W/ Pat Travers Band

There is nothing better than being in a band and being able to use your music to contribute to your community. The Relay for Life is an overnight event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money for research and programs of the American Cancer Society. This is the second straight year we've played it and other then being attacked by the parking meter maids (what is up with their desire to take $10 from us anyway?!!) we always have a wonderful time. Not to mention that all of the other bands playing this event are great - During the event, teams of people gather at schools, fairgrounds, or parks and take turns walking or running laps. For those of us that know cancer survivors, this is an important event.

7.05.03
Cafe Crema, San Diego
W/ Across The Room

Now I love playing coffee shops like everyone else. Who doesn't like their non-fat hold the foam double mocha crappachino? But I never realized until soundcheck, that the espresso machine is actually in a different key than any song we play. Is it possible that the espresso machine has it's own key? We may never know. We played with an excellent up and coming San Diego band called Across the Room. They are a great fusion of rock and cross-cultural rhythms that make you shake yo' ass. It was a strong crowd at this Pacific Beach venue. While everyone was much more beautiful than our bandmembers (a problem with people in San Diego - even though guitarist Zach Friend is from San Diego and drummer Dave Price thinks he is) we received a lot of support. The name is definately growing down South!

7.04.03
Lestatt's, San Diego
W/ Carlos Olmeda

If someone were to design the perfect venue, they might want to look at Lestats. A small venue, with a perfect stage and sound and free hot chocolate for the bands. Nothing beats that... except people. Yep. We were a little dry on July 4th, but that is what you get for booking a show nowhere near the beach or fireworks at a non-alcoholic location. With that said, the show went extremely well. The band recorded an acoustic set to some extremly loyal Southern California fans, including the debut of the acoustic version of their new single, Three Days.

6.29.03
Moe’s Alley, Santa Cruz
W/ Alysha, Gimik

Backstage at Moe’s Alley looks a lot like a 5 year old’s closet. It’s small and it has writing and drawing all over the walls. Needless to say, Blueprint and it’s member’s names now cover the walls as well. In fact it was the first thing they did, recalling their childish instincts and fighting over the pen was just the half of it. Their childishness had nothing to do with 15 year-old Alysha’s presence though. They can hold their own just fine.

Anyways, this was a huge show for Blueprint and they came up big. With record execs in the crowd, they blew up the place with their performance. All the songs they played had an unbreakable energy. They played a new song for the second time, but it was so smooth it was as if it was for the two-hundreth time.

Leaving the show was interesting. Time after time, equipment has been packed into my car leaving no room to breath or see out the back. This time one amp was sitting in the back. I pulled to a stop sign, then pulled away. Then I heard a huge bang and a crash. I looked in my rearview mirror. Something was off about my back window. It wasn’t there anymore. I pulled over and viewed the wreckage. The amp had been thrown back into the window, but it didn’t break the window, it pushed the whole thing out, including the molding that held it in place. The street ultimately broke it. As I grabbed the huge pieces of glass and threw them into the gutter I wondered if it could get any better than this.

Imagine this... a courtyard done in Spanish-style design. Cement. More cement. Even more cement. The theme of the weekend. Cement. Taken together, you have the setting for most of the area around Santa Clara University and courtyard of KKUP FM. KKUP is remarkable in that it is completely listener-supported. It was interesting to note that for a listener-supported station Blueprint received no calls while on the air. The band likes to believe that everyone was letting their music sink in. However, it is commonly held belief that some people (mostly listeners, and mostly supporters) were actually turning the dial during their set. The debate may never be resolved. The band performed 4 acoustic songs and did an interview with the fabulous Don Campau. Don knows everything about music and the band did everything possible to sound well-versed in his presence. It was futile... believe me. The cat knows everything.

About 2 blocks from the Med Club is the Cement Ship. It is creatively named this because it is a ship made of cement. Apparently cement floats. Just as apparent is that cement ships attract lots of bird shit. The boat was a big hit during its heyday in the 1940's. It has since become the migratory location for the brown pelican and other exciting species of birds. What does this have to do with the concert? Not much. The intimate setting of the Med Club was the perfect occasion for Blueprint to try out new material. On this night Blueprint debuted two new songs, untitled so far, that will be recorded in the following month. Their new songs are really something to keep an eye out for. Word has it that the new record will be produced by the same producer as Michelle Branch and Santana's recent recording... keep an ear out for it!

This show was special for the fact that Blueprint played a rare acoustic show and also played for the first time with a mandolin player. The mandolin was featured for the first half of their set which could have been dubbed “Blueprint Goes Bluegrass.” And they made it work, along with reworked versions of a few old songs like “Lush” (done in an acoustic ska style) and “Ten Years (completely mellowed out version).”

5.31.03
Blue Fin, Monterey

There is something about the drive down Highway One from Santa Cruz to Monterey that always inspires music. Darren, for example, thought the nuclear power plant adds a nice touch, Julian likes the Mexican food restaurant in the middle of a strawberry field that serves mostly Italian food, Dave likes the whale-watching tours offered every hour from a boat that no longer exists, Ben has a special affinity for fresh fruit stands selling fruit from Los Angeles and Zach commented that he read that all otters were fresh water otters once therefore the term sea otter is new to our usage.

With that the band arrived. Thanks to some strong radio and local press promotion the show went off extremely well. We weren't sure if it was something in the band's music, but there were a number of couples that were making out during the set. Clearly this is one of the most difficult aspects about being on stage... you can't participate in such activities. The band debuted a new song, Siren, that they will be recording as their new radio single. By the crowd's reaction, this one is a definite keeper. They took requests and received some for Jimmy Buffet and New Kids on the Block. While they chose NKOTB, they apparently forgot the lyrics to Hanging Tough. They ended up playing Jimmy Buffet and the crowd pounded some more Millers.

3.15.03
Philadelphia,PA
Retail

Zach overslept making the trek to Philly begin late. Interestingly enough he woke up from a nightmare. I don't want to reveal too much info about the dream but let's just say that it took a long time to convince Zach that it wasn't his birthday. In Philly, the boys met with a few record stores that wanted to sell their cd. The amount of time this would have taken in each store should have been 15-20 minutes. These guys had to be dragged out of each after an hour of flipping through discs. Then ended up with bags of cd's that, I shit you not, included these artists:
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
Another Bad Creation
SpaceHog
Paula Abdul
Loverboy
Barry Manilow
Zach was talked out of buying 50 cent for the simple reason that someone or something was playing where ever he was. Also, the fact that if the song wasn't playing somewhere where he could hear it(which wasn't often) he would pull out his pen and gold chain and jump onto the nearest table and breakout into the song. Actually the truth is that we just didn't want him to buy it because we want to give it to him for his birthday.

3.14.03
Washington,D.C.
Radio

During the stormy flight to DC, Dave and Zach were finally able to get some sleep, though they kept dreaming of 50 cent(it's your birthday!). They started the day with a radio call-in interview to California and met with WGBT at Georgetown for an interview. The boys picked up a copy of their interview in the Washington City paper and spent the afternoon meeting with people at Satellite Radio. DC wasn't all work though. A pit stop at the air and space museum showed off the flying skills or lack thereof by Drummer Dave, AKA "The Captain", in the flight simulator. Later in the evening they visited ESPN zone where Zach realized his inability to put a small ball through a hoop when an 8 year old kid beat him in a game of basketball. Thankfully, 50 cent was playing as they left in defeat(it's your birthday!).

3.12.03
Miami, FL
Meetings

Mr. Zach Friend and Dave Price (let's get formal) traveled to Miami to meet with reps from Sony Music and the famed South Beach Studios. It was difficult to keep the kids in line as it turns out MTV was in town hosting Spring Break. In fact we were out partying so late last night at Club Level (a smooth dance club pumping 50 Cent non-stop... word) that we didn't notice the time. It turns out it was 4 am by the time we got out, and we had a 10:30 meeting with Sony. Sleeping wasn't necessary, but grease was... when in the South Beach area be sure to stop by Sheldon's Drug Store. It has a fine diner setting and cheap breakfasts for those party nights/mornings... good clean fun naturally. The meetings went extremely well, even if we smelled a little strange. Zach's goal to meet Carson Daly was snubbed by security. His attempts at yelling to him that he was a rockstar-in-training also didn't help the matter. Did you know that the Miami jail takes credit cards for bail? Neither did we.

1.03.03
CD Release Party
Union Coffee House
w/Oka Road, Phaze, and The Expendables

A full house at a great new venue. There were over 300 people there to see blueprint play songs off the new "One Way Out" CD. But that's just where the day ended. It started bright and early at 6am for the boys when their alarm clocks went off telling them to get up and get to KMBY for Acoustic Breakfast. When they finally woke up they played Lush, Runnin', and Why Don't We Get Drunk for everyone that was waking up and on their way to work. The tour mascot, smiley was able to slip by KMBY's tough security and made it on the air as well. I'm sure that smiley woke up many people in the area with his patented high pitched squeak.

The release party was a good time. The opening bands were great and warmed up the crowd well. The Guitarist from Phaze sounded oddly familiar to everyone in the crowd. Oka Road played a strong set and The expendables were awesome as usual. As for Blueprint, they played one of their best sets yet. The covers “Why Don’t We Get Drunk,” “Melt With You,” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” were unleashed onto the Union crowd. BP also resurrected “The Hustler” and a new, untitled song that they’ve only played a couple of times live. Everything they did was a treat to the crowd. In fact, BP was so into pleasing their crowd that they even tried to give away a copy of Drew Barrymore’s autobiography, “Little Girl Lost.” Sadly no one claimed the giveaway. Maybe none of them liked her, or no one cared, or maybe it was because no one could identify with a girl that was making movies since the time she was 3 and got drunk for the first time before she even knew her times tables. At any rate, I believe “Little Girl Lost” remains unclaimed and lost to this day.

10.31.02
Good Times Halloween Ball
Cocoanut Grove, Santa Cruz
W/Robert Walters 20th Congress and Shady Groove

Huge show! Hundreds of people! Freaky costumes! Blueprint rocked the place with a their usual songs and a couple of new covers that had the crowd begging for more when they left the stage. They rocked "Melt With You" to a dancing(hopping, cartwheeling, and most likely drunk) oompa loompa, a person dressed as a table, Charlie Chaplin, a pumpkin, a rat, and a painting amongst other costume wearers. They also played out the what was in the hearts of everyone in the audience when they played "Why Don't We Get Drunk And Screw." When they played the last song, "Sweet Home Alabama," the oompa loompa went nuts and everyone danced as well as they could with the awkwardness of their costumes.

The ballroom was decorated wonderfully for the Halloween event. There were ginormous spiders made of balloons that hung from the ceiling. A massive gargoyle stood in the middle of the main ballroom. Skulls, candles, and skeletons hung from the stage. BP's fog machine added the perfect touch by adding that extra feeling of creepiness to the room. You couldn't ask for a better setting for a halloween party.

This was one of the first shows that offered up free food to the band and its associates. Let me tell you, they made the most of that opportunity. Soundman Dave was a pro at it. We had a hard time prying him away from the table so we could get soundcheck done. He eventually agreed to leave if he could bring a roast beef sandwich and a coke to the soundboard. Lucky for everyone, he was full by the time BP went on and they started on time. Senor Nick was filling in for Zach "Travel" Friend ... but who knew?

Blueprint and their affiliates showed up on a Santa Cruz beach on tuesday night to take requests and sing their own tunes acoustically to whoever would listen. The highlight had to be when we ran out of firewood and Julian made a trade of a song for a huge log that lasted us for the rest of the night. So the Whole crew marched over and sang "Step Away" to two beautiful women and their children in thanks for the log. BP ran through about every song they knew, which wasn't that many so they had to play the same ones over again to fill the time. By the second time through the beer was gone and it was time to go home. The ginormous log still burned as we left.

Blueprint likes to make the long drives memorable. Cruising up the 405 at 80mph while the rest of traffic was stopped would seem like a problem to most of us, but not for these guys. After slamming on the breaks and swerving into the emergency lane, nearly hitting the concrete median on the left hand side, and then waving to the cars that we skidded past, BP quickly learned what the word projectile meant. Projectile, in this definition is two 80lb guitar heads flying from the back of the car and headed toward the stereo. When the projectiles decided hit non-projectiles in the form of band members on their way to visit the stereo, minor injuries resulted. Let's just say that the anonymous BP driver would never drive the tour van again. The band dealt with this minor tragedy by eating chow mein for lunch.

Driving around Beverly Hills and Hollywood you see some famous and important people. As we made our way back up sunset from a routine visit to Amoeba Records, Zach spotted somebody that he recognized right away. He couldn't tell us his name but he was a late night infomercial guy for fitness products. Zach would recognize his golden locks and sweaty muscles anywhere I suppose. After this amazing but true experience, we met up with the rest of the band for the show at the Hard Rock.

As we drove to the show it was quite and experience to drive past Rolls Royce's, porche's, BMW's, Mercedes, etc., in our Chrysler Mini Van. That wasn't necesarily as noticeable as the fact that a lot of the people driving the other cars were sixteen year olds. When we got to the Beverly Center, where the hard rock was located, we were greeted by the largest parking garage we had ever seen. I don't know how we found our car afterward. As for the actual show, the cafe was designed in a circular manner which meant, with the stage in the center of the joint, people were seated all around the bands. BP Played as well as they had all tour. Ben's dancing was outstanding and Julian's jokes were in top form. It was another fun show and a good one to end the tour on.

Ben and Darren left the rest of the band in San Diego and headed for Los Angeles right after the show. The rest of us stayed the night in San Diego and made our way through 4 hours of traffic to L.A. the next evening. BP was slated to go onstage at 12:15 so we took our time all evening. In fact we were out eating dinner at 9:00, which was the same time that the first band was supposed to begin their set, and we still had time to kill after dinner.

The Gig has curtains that surround the stage so it allows the band to set up without everyone staring at you. The sound and the lights were awesome which made it one of the best BP concert experiences yet. The reception from the crowd was rather favorable too, especially at the end of the set when they played "Sweet Home Alabama." One typical BP fan got so into it that picked up one of the couches and threw it over. One of the waitresses told me after the show that she had been waiting for a long time to hear a band cover that song there, it was one of her favorites. In a touching moment, Zach sang happy birthday to a fan in the crowd. He also crooned his way into having a girl yell that he was a "sexy beast." The night ended in the parking lot talking to friends and watching a cat get stuck in our van 3 times

Ben decided to join the party at Zach's house, making 3/5 of BP present. Dave stopped by the house in the AM to shower, then left. After breakfast, Ben and Darren went to TJ and almost got stuck. So about that Hard Rock Cafe. Just before the show a group of Italian Navy men with tight white pants were seated in front of the stage. In what we're sure is an act of support, they covered their ears during the set. We took pictures with them after the show. Zach got picked up by a 40-something year old Louisiana native and in an act of desperation to bail the situation, he grabbed the hand of a random girl standing around pretending she was his girlfriend. Besides the social aspect before and after the show, the band played their best show of the tour and the Hard Rock crowd couldn't get enough of it. On the last song, Zach's nine year old niece and her best friend joined them onstage to show off their dancing moves.

The band split up a bit at this point with the members staying at 3 different places in the area. Darren and I went to TJ for a few hours and came back with a huge blanket and some Kahlua. Yeah for cheap liquor! Later We met up with Zach and Ben and went to the Padres-Phillies game. We started the game in the center field bleachers but ended up watching an inning from a viewing area just below the bleachers. We joined these guys that were riding the philly outfielders hard. Our mascot decided to join them too and one of them was confused by it and thought it was a breathalizer. I guess he's seen some of those before. The mascot also joined us for the singing of take me out to the ball game. What a voice he has! As far as the game goes, the Padres made a bunch of errors like they usually do, but they still managed to win. From there it was on to bowling and lots of shit talking, but in the end it was Darren who won the first game and I who won the second. Now everybody has to pay for Darren's breakfast and my lunch tomorrow. After bowling we called it quits and made back to Zach's house. Darren's already getting a good night's rest thinking about free breakfast tomorrow and the gig at the Hard Rock tomorrow night.

We woke up in Fullerton and stopped at a place called Arthur's for breakfast. BP gave them an autographed photo and the patrons around us gave us a lucky dollar coin and told us that they'd "see us on MTV." We actually lost Julian for a while at Arthur's and as it turns out, he was entranced by a $10 shoe store and went in there instead. After he came back and we finished breakfast we went over there to get matching shoes as the band was thinking of making a move to a more Backstreet Boys like image. We actually didn't find any shoes but we found the tour mascot amongst the cheap toys on the counter. Imagine a yellow smiley faced bubble machine with earmuffs and an Alvin and the Chipmunks on acid voice and you have our $1.08 mascot. We bought 2, of course. After filming the toy non-stop, we made the move to the freeway and then another stop at the Irvine spectrum. The boys weren't interested in any of the stores. In fact, all they wanted was ice cream from the Cold Stone Creamery and a ride on the carousel. I had to drag each one of the band members off and throw them in the car so we could make Vegas on time.

Vegas itself was no big deal. The showcase was pretty exclusive but the show wasn't any different than any other. After a bit of drinking and gambling, we made it to bed and left for San Diego in the morning.

Zach and I started the day by saving an elderly woman's life outside of a Rite Aid. After buying postcards inside, we had this premonition to screw Dave and get a fresh breath of smog while he got an ice cream cone. We took 3 steps outside and saw this woman calling for "Jesus!" We assumed she meant us, and we headed over to see what she was upset about. She locked her keys in her car and in an attempt to unlock the car through the cracked window, her arm got stuck. Zach acted quickly and jimmied the lock, opened the door and rolled the window down. She practically fainted into my arms at that point but she eventually recoved to see another day.

Upon arriving in Fullerton, Darren's mom ordered pizza and opened up the pool to the band. Most of us went in but Zach remained reluctant. Dave decided to fix this problem while I was filming by throwing Zach in the pool with his clothes on. Zach dried off and we made it to the show. The Fullerton Observer did a write up on the show which helped to encourage people to go out on Monday night. The placed was sold out which, according to the owners, was rather unusual for a Monday night in the Back Alley. BP went all out for this one as they debuted their own choreographed light show designed and provided by our own wonderful bassist, Ben. During the set a mafioso type, on the way back from from the bathroom, decided that Zach and Dave rocked. He pulled Zach down from the stage and shoved 20 bucks in his pocket and threw another 20 at Dave. After the show, he mooned Zach from a planter outside. He did this after Zach thanked him for the tip. He proceeded to fall off the planter and right on to his face. The Back Alley comped us drinks until we were ready to go. The perfect way to end a good show.

We made our way to Huntington Beach to find Julian to bring him to the show. Of course this meant yet another trip on L.A.'s most enjoyable freeway, the 405. Yes the excitement never stops there but the cars do all the time. BP has discovered that the 405 has the ability to let you discover little things about people that would normally be hard to find out. For instance, there was this one girl in a Mercedes hatchback (why?) and as we turned to see how cute she might be, she straight up picked her nose! This happened again on the way back except that this second girl rolled down her window and flicked it out to her fellow trafficmates to enjoy.

So finally getting to the show, it was an awesome sight to see "Blueprint" on a marquee on Sunset Boulevard. This being the first of four showcase shows on this trip, BP debuted a new song on this night. Unfortunately for BP, the sound/lightguy's idea of a good mix was to put the sound all the way up to 440 decibels and leave 3 lights on, one of which was in the bathroom. The band has come to dub this the rolling blackout show. The band's main security guy was a 6 foot 6 inch, toothless, skinny guy that pleaded with us for all of our drugs and a t-shirt for his "bitch." As you can tell, he was one of the nicest guys we met there. But the highlight of the night had to go to the new and as of yet, unnamed song that the band tore through.

After packing every inch of Dave's soccer mom's mini van, Captain Dave set us out on the road just before noon. Unfortunately for the Captain and the rest of us in the van, Dave didn't fill up the tank before we left and we held our breath as we limped to a Chevron in San Miguel. We then made our way to SLO to pick up some lunch and one member of the band decided to pick up some birdshit on his neck for the babes in SLO. After he decided that he didn't like that look, we found our way to Ben's place in L.A. for practice. When it comes to practicing, Blueprint knows how to party. Beer, fog machines and strobe lights filled the garage. All you need was a mirror ball and some colored lights and it was a club. After practice, we went to Hollywood to get dinner and check out the scene. BP also found their new mascot in an old dancing freak with a grey beard and a shirt that proclaimes to the world "I love sluts." He plans to be at all the shows on this trip. I personally tucked each member in and kissed them goodnight so they wouldn't miss their mommies while they were on the road and they'd be well rested for the first show at the Coconut Teaser Sunday night.

The custom Harley shop!! The band was greeted by a brigade of Harley riders whom (to their surprise) thought they were a blues band specializing in Rawhide. The band set up in an oil pit and began to rock. While the place was packed, they lost their audience when an annoucement was made that more Coors and BBQ chips had arrived. What can they say, they are music whores.

One of the most unbelievable events of the year. 15,000 people paid. Holy shit! The Fat Cat is one of the finest night clubs in California. It has a sound system that is well know as one of the best around. The club had two stories and on the second floor girls were flashing people left and right. The overcapacity crowd was intoxicated by Darren's bright green shirt that he brought back from Ireland or maybe the intoxication had something to do with the alcohol. Speaking of alcohol, the Corona girls, the Budweiser girls, and the Dos Equis girls all changed backstage while BP was preparing for their set. It got even more interesting when 3 of the girls disappeared into the backstage shower together. One of them peeked their head out to invite an anonymous BP member to join them. The story ends here though because at this point I was asked to leave. When they finally responded to me banging on the door I entered to them arguing over why the hospitality only provided mayonnaise mustard and sweet n' low for dinner. The argument was broken up by the stage manager letting them know that it was time to go on. It is an indescribable experience walking up the backstage stairs and seeing an over-capacity crowd awaiting the band in the dark. Blueprint's performance was one of the best I have ever seen. Everyone is looking forward to the next X-Fest.

The band had the honor of helping to raise awarness and money for the American Cancer Society. On a georgeous California Saturday afternoon the band began. They played a set of their older songs followed by a few covers. The band encourages everyone to learn more about how they can get involved in the fight against cancer.

Due to some brilliant booking techniques, BP had two shows in one night to take care of. The first show at the Catalyst began memorably with Zach singing "That's Amore" during soundcheck. Unfortunately, soundguy Dave cut his mic just as he started to serenade the bouncers. While they had a short set there was a really positive response from the crowd. The most rockstar aspect of the show was the refig. in the back-- it was full of water, beer, and most importantly, pepto bismol!

Blue Fin. Ahh... the fine Fin. Always a large crowd, never a dull moment. The band asked me to personally thank the 8 people that showed up. Ok, there were more than that in the club, but they kept on yelling stuff like "keep it down, we're trying to watch TV here!" BP continued to have fun though as Julian challenged anyone of the tv watchers to a game of foosball and put 20 bucks on it. One guy accepted and as a way to rattle him before the match, Zach left the stage with his wireless guitar system and freaked with him during "Maybe Wednesday." As BP played you could hear the bass but you couldn't see a bassist. Because of the small stage, Ben had to stand behing his equipment, which was taller than him. The Blueprint marathon continued on to a Monterey Denny's establishment followed by all night clue at a fan's place and an early morning drive home in the fog.

Blueprint set up in the "M" section, in between Madonna and Meatloaf. Whilethey were heckled by audience members to play Slayer (which of course they did) the overall performance was solid. The show had been featured in 4 area newspapers but unfortunately featured the wrong performance time. The draw was still pretty solid even though they didn't try to play "Like a Virgin"

The club was nice. Couches all around the joint made for a comfy evening. The tables all had free candy too. I wish they played clubs like this more often. The air conditioning was blasting through the floor so if you are dying to do a Marilyn Monroe impression and you have a great looking dress, this is the place to go.

Oh yeah, the show. This had to be one of, if not the best and tightest Blueprint show to date. They played "The Hustler" for the second time and rocked the joint. The more they play, the better they sound.

They came up a few votes short of winning but it was still a great show. They debuted a new cover song and new original, "The Hustler."

They played "Lush", "Ten Years", and "Step Away" acoustically and it was fabulous. One of the girls on the show seemed to take a liking to Julian. She said she liked his eyes I think. There was a trivia portion of the show where they asked the girls and the band certain questions about what celebrity they thought had this or that. In his answers, Zach seemed obsessed with his future likeness of Hugh Hefner and Darren's future likeness of Larry Flynt. Also, Zach was really excited over the barbie plates that they had on the set. He stole half the stack and covered his ceiling at home with them. At the end of the show, after the cameras stopped, Blueprint began to play the blues. The host and one of the girls provided the vocals with rather humorous lyrics. It was a memorable moment and a great way to end the show.

Wow- we had fun with Blueprint on the Chick Show! The acoustic music was awesome! We hope they'll come back again! -Jackie (producer of the show)

Great show. Lots of people having a good time. David Hasselhoff played with blueprint as a special guest bassist. He let his looks go a bit, but at least his hair still looks great.

The place is supposedly haunted by a 2 year old girl that died there in the creek that runs through the lodge. I think I saw her running around the place. She stopped and said "Blueprint's the devil," and then went back to running around. Later I saw her stage diving during the set. She jumped right off this balcony that's above the stage and right on to Julian during the lush solo. Then she ran over to the soundboard and turned the music down. In her final act, she took the stick out of Drummer Dave's hand and threw it to the floor. I think she's the devil.

Blueprint packed the place and didn't disappoint. They ran through their originals and then were somehow able to throw in few covers. Randomly, bits of "paradise city" and "enter sandman" came up during a break in their set. They ended with "sweet home alabama" and that drove everyone wild. This got them an encore. One of their best shows yet.

At one point Darren was being coaxed by some of the girls up front to give them a preview. Shy as he always is, and not wanting to offend anyone, he kept his shirt on.

Whew! What a crowd in Gilroy! Everyone there likes to party at the Gaslighter. Blueprint played first and was able to get the crowd going ape shit all night.

Ben got so smashed before the show that no one could find him when they were ready to go on. They found him outside in the middle of the street playing air bass for the oncoming traffic. They got him back inside, stuck a real bass in his hand, and they got the set going only a few minutes late.

Another exclusive secret show. Golfers and celebs from the pro-am crawled all over the place. I think I saw Alice Cooper stage diving. Not sure though. It could have been Kevin Costner.

The two opening bands weren't exactly in the same genre as Blueprint. This contributed greatly to such a long day. As we painfully waited for Blueprint's set, Soundman Dave was out in the parking lot screaming "sacrifice the blood of the innocent in the name of Lucifer!" I think the music was getting to him.

The cd release show. Sold out. Zach took the time to express his displeasure for the fact that not only do women fake orgasms, but they practice faking them as well.

Secret show. Invite only. Very Exclusive. No Comment (at least that's what they tell me I have).