01-04-08: EJ's Landing - College Park, MD

After I wrote my last entry, our day really took off. I guess the guys almost finished the entire first season of "Californication," which could only be followed up by a nice meal of 25 cent wings at a very nice local restaurant whose name I cannot recall. It was here i found myself in heaven, where Zach, Alex, and I each consumed a dozen wings, while Dave buried himself in a mound of celery and lemon wedges. We also came across something we had never seen before, which I guess is found pretty commonly in south Jersey. It was called a "beer tower," which was basically a cylinder-like container about 6 inches in diameter but probably four or five feet high, and naturally full of beer. Maybe someday we'll come across this again.

We arrived at EJ's earlier than expected, which left us some time to explore the place. EJ's is actually attached to some fancy hotel, which was designed to appear outdoors, while still being inside. There was an amazing sink that I have never seen before: a bowl with a waterfall-like faucet. Dave took the opporunity to improve his putting game on an artificial green, while I found time to hit the gym. We also entertained ourselves with "Bubble Boy" on the hotel lobby television.









However, I can't omit our unfortunate trip to 7-Eleven, where the clerk tried charging me $2 more for the exact same thing he charged Alex for. We argued for a bit and I was about ready to pistol-grip pump that bitch. Instead, I maturely said, "whatever" and walked out in a rage.

On a more serious note, It's only been 4 days and 3 shows into this tour and I'm already satisfied and smiling. The hospitality of all the friends and new faces we've encountered has been a real blessing. College Park, MD is a very, very friendly place and I would go back anyday. I'm not sure if it was because we were out of the north (though Maryland isn't really sure where it fits in the north/south region according to our sources), but there was a real difference in the way people treated and accepted our band.

A lot of times in Boston, NYC, or NJ, venues always put off this attitude of "give us a reason to let you play," while in the south and midwest, they are so much more accommodating and interested in out-of-state bands. I have yet to experience anything out west yet, though Dave has hinted at some good things where he is from... the future - I mean, California. Wherever this neutral state of Maryland fits into place, tonight the turnout was great, and apparently word spread around fast about Beautiful Lies, simply based on the fact that we had travelled to their city from Boston. For many people tonight, that was enough of a reason to give us their time and attention. Maybe I'm just not used to that side of people, which is why it's definitely something none of us took for granted.

A songwriter and acoustic guitarist by the name of Nick Willard kicked off the night. He played some really interesting originals, as well as a cover of "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab, and that classic Oasis "Wonderwall" hit. He was very friendly, too, and I hope to see more of him in the future.



We played a lighter set than usual, playing more of what we could consider our catchier tunes. The audience responded very well and supported us in the end by buying a several cds and shirts, as well as requesting an encore. We performed "El Scorcho" for the first time on tour (though it's pretty common to hear otherwise) as well as "I Melt With You" for the first time in a long, long while. In the end, College Park was a great place to be on a Friday night. As I'm finishing this entry, we're crashing at our good friend Scott's home before hitting the road for eight or so hours to make our way to Muncie, IN. I'll probably have to go back and proof-read all this tomorrow, as it's already 3:30 AM. For now, goodnight.