I'm in our green room with Rome, Tyler, and Walt killing time before sound check at The Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT, listening to everything from the gospel strains of Sam Cooke & The Soul Stirrers to the new-school eletronica of Owl City (Martin Sexton, Mat Kearney, Randy Travis, and Mayer Hawthorne, too, for those who may care).
I don't know whether this venue is part of a school or simply a community hall, but it's cool regardless. The house's layout reminds me of an old colonial church, with big windows on each side and a balcony in the back. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, though, about the colonial vibe; our drive into town this morning brought me back to my days spent growing up just a little east of here in Rhode Island. New England in the Fall is a sight everyone should see. The leaves are still hanging on for dear life, bright yellow and orange, and there's a good chill in the air (not enough to make you grab your hat and gloves, but enough to make you thankful you're wearing a sweater...). Missing home adds a particular bittersweetness to the weather, but we're hanging in there.
Our shows lately have been keeping us on our toes in a good way. One night in Eugene, OR we're singing for 2,000 people in a collegiate auditorium, another night we're singing for 200 in Pittsburgh, PA in a downtown nightclub. One morning we're singing Red Hot Chili Peppers at 7 AM on a hard rock radio station, and "I'm Yours" and "12 Days" at an easy listening station the next hour. In one crowd, talented high school choir kids sing for us after the show, and at the next, equally talented Sweet Adelines serenade us and bring us (fantastic) baked goods. I think the most surprising thing for all of us has been how many people have come out to the shows in cities we've never performed in before (perfect example: Medford, OR...who knew that quiet Oregon town had so many loyal SNC fans in it?).
Following our Pittsburgh show on Tuesday (CD RELEASE DAY!), we - and by we, I mean Dave our bus driver - drove through the night to New York (Bayside, Queens to be specific). After a nutritious, soul-warming Dunkin' Donuts breakfast, we loaded our suits and bags into a Knights of Columbus hall where we filmed our first ever music video! It was a long day to say the least, but we had some great laughs filming "Who Spiked the Eggnog?" from Christmas Cheers. It's safe to say that we still don't know who was most responsible for the aforementioned spiking, but we can report that Seggie remains allergic to the stuff (no incidents, don't worry). Highlights from the shot included a dancing Santa during Randy's "flask of brandy" scene, Rome pulling me aside and asking me why he had to be "all alone" in the lyrics, having extras for the shoot (what? all this time we've considered ourselves the extras!), and laughing while watching the monitor during each guy's scene. Tyler's "curled up on the couch" bit will be a classic bit of cinematography for the ages, I'm predicting. We've been told we can expect the video to be ready by Thanksgiving, so keep an eye out for it!
Almost time for sound check and that means one thing: I gotta wrap this up and get onstage. Thanks to everyone who has come out to the shows so far, picked up the new album, and shared what we're blessed to do with your friends and families.
And because I'm a total nerd: Connecticut residents are called Nutmeggers, the state nickname is The Constitution State, and the first US Navy nuclear submarine (USS Nautilus) was built in Groton, CT in 1954. That last one's for my Dad ;)
Love to all,
Ryan
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