Friends Back East

Reunion Show!

2011-03-06T10:39:00.000-08:00

The reunion show is booked and we'll be playing with 2 other bands TBA. It'll take place on November 12th @ Annabells in Akron, OH! We'll post the facebook event invite as soon as the show is finalized and the bands we've asked are on board to play. Stoked on this! Come out and have fun! Here is the address of the venue that the show will take place at -782 West Market Street
Akron, OH 4430

This Blog is not active right now b/c

2010-06-26T07:13:00.000-07:00

FBE hasn't played a show in over a year, thanks to the people who are asking me what's up with us, and to those who haven't seen us play, well, I don't think that's completely out of the question. We'll let you know here and on the myspace page what's going on and if we decide to play one more show or record an album, or whatever...The thing is, we haven't gotten together to practice or played a show in a looooong time, but I think we'd all be down to still play, I know I would. Take care, hope to see you soon.

Read the Book!

2009-07-22T18:10:00.001-07:00

I just finished an amazing book-of-collected interviews from Punk Planet entitled: 'We Owe You Nothing-Punk Planet The collected interviews'. This book is a very informative read w/ interviews from various hardcore/punk acts such as Ian Mackeye, Los Crudos-Martin Sorrondeguy and the fellas, Endpoint's Duncan Barlow-probably more famously known as the singer from "By The Grace Of God", Mike Burkett(Fat Mike), and countless others. If one is interested in the history of good ol' fashioned hardcore and punk rock then one should definitely make a run to their local store for this one. The interviews are very in-depth and personal, and lots of talk about the business end of underground music, or lack thereof. A lot of it is about staying true to your craft, whether it be screen printing record sleeves by hand or singing your heart out to 7 people in an audience until it starts to matter. Jawbreaker (of course) and Jello Biafra were two of my absolute favorites of the interviews, and the book is just altogether GOOD. Check it.

The recording.

2009-07-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

We're almost, kinda, close to being part way done with the new release....kind of. We have about 11 songs, maybe one more or less, but the recording is near done. Its the other stuff that we're trying to figure out at the moment, i.e. artwork, finalization, blah, blah, blah. Hopefully we can get a couple final mixes of some songs up on here to let everyone know what the new record is all about. We're hoping for a late summer release date....*crossing fingers*. We have a couple dates posted and will have many more to come. Thx.

Holy Shit Mate. The warped touaaa fucking blows vis yeau.

2009-07-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

That's my attempt at writing a British accent, a poor one I know. So I went out to the warped tour this yr. It was pretty shitty, but there were four bands that I was really excited to see(Bad Religion,Nofx,Bayside,LTJ). But there was one other band that I had heard soooo much hype about, a band that I never really gave the time of day, I'd heard about the antics, and all the riff-raff associated with this band, but I just thought it was a big schtik. GALLOWS. They blew my mind. It was amazing, outstanding, pick your word, they were great. Their show made me want to go buy their albums, their attitude is what all the 'real' punk kids think but never have the balls to say out loud. They'll make you laugh, pump your fist, and give you a sense of what punk fucking rock used to be like before all the fuck-offs got on the bus. Support this band b/c they are some of the last of a dying breed, if you haven't heard it, You'll appreciate it.

Recording getting closer....

2009-07-08T14:46:00.000-07:00

Finished up a couple of songs yesterday and going to finish a couple on friday, so we're still not exactly sure of how many songs are gonna get on the album, (hopefully more than a 4 song 7' this time) but we're alot more happy with how everything has turned out thus far. We're fuckin shit up, and takin names....i guess.....anyways, i've been peepin some new bands in the pod....check these guys out...I'm loving both of these records, both are available at No Idea. *clicky clicky*

Vultures United- GET IT.

2009-06-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Amazing Album.
Buy it.

Kid gets used by Rollins circa '85

2009-06-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

Hilarious vid of old school Black Flag getting interviewed by Maximum Rock and Roll douche:

French Open Final Tomorrow! For all the punk rock tennis fans out there!

2009-06-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

1 Men's Singles - Finals
Robin Soderling (SWE)[23]	v.	Roger Federer (SUI)[2]

9 a.m. EST

Show! Thurs. June 18 th with some out of towners

2009-06-06T21:18:00.001-07:00

CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITES:

-Thejesseminute
-To Fear The Wolf
-OFC

Yep.

2009-06-02T03:55:00.000-07:00

Roland Garros Round 4: Roger Federer def Tommy Haas

Roger Federer (2)		6	5	6	6	6
Tommy Haas		7	7	4	0	2

CPU broke, its been a while.....

2009-04-05T18:46:00.000-07:00

So the 7'' is now available at VC.com. Check it out, there are 300 copies of it, their hand numbered by yours truly, and they sound, well, decent. Anyways, you can click on the link below to go directly to our Vinyl Collective purchase page. And Thx to all who come to the shows and all the people from far away who keep asking us about coming to their town, we promise, we'll be there soon.

Two shows at Now Thats Class! Coming up......

2009-02-14T18:04:00.000-08:00

Tag Team back again, Check it, Direk it, Lets begin.

The Ronnies basement chronicles pt. 2

2009-01-31T18:17:00.001-08:00

Sweet Practice fellas!

So we finished practice today with a bang, or whatever you want to call it,and Ray hurt his thumb....yea. Our next show is this Friday with some kick-ass bands here's the flyer, check it:

Show at The Matinee and Recording.....

2009-01-25T20:17:00.000-08:00

Last nights show was fun, thanx to all who came out....here's some pics...

Punk Rock and Baseball, the two best things on earth!

2009-01-14T15:12:00.000-08:00

With nothing but a beat-up band touring van emblazoned with "Fuck the Yankees" on the back door, a 1975 baseball glove found languishing in a closet, and the recognition that a diamond of dirt and a patch of green could possibly represent the other side of trouble, the Griffith Park Pirates came into being.

John Albert's book Wrecking Crew: The Really Bad News Griffith Park Pirates was published in 2005, but I recently discovered it and instantly devoured it. I love it for its honesty, dark humor, and inside peek at the gritty lives of the almost famous and always struggling "Hollywood underclass." Albert describes the unlikely rise and ultimate success of his Griffith Park Pirates baseball (real baseball, he affirms, not softball!) team from a scrappy bunch of rebellious musicians and artists -- drug addled, whoring, gambling, psychotic, and perpetually broke and broken down men.

Albert, co-founder of the cross-dressing band Christian Death and formerly a drummer in the band Bad Religion, got involved in the Pirates while helping a friend get through rehab.

A few excerpts:

"You never know what's going to save you. Most of the time, salvation comes from the usual suspects -- god, pharmaceuticals, romance -- but occasionally, as in this case, it arrives entirely from left field."

"I noticed Mike's hand trembling as he retrieved a single, bent Marlboro from his pocket, carefully straightened it out, and lit it. There was a silence as he smoked, punctuated by the sniffling of his constantly running nose. Eventually, Mike looked over at me, wiped his nose with the back of his hand like a little kid, and asked, "Hey, do you wanna play catch?"

"Chris warmed up to pitch the final two innings. Before taking the field, he stopped and looked over the rest of us, then yanked down his uniform pants just enough to show everyone that he was wearing a sexy lace thong underneath. He then went out and pitched two of the nastiest innings I've ever seen and closed out the game."

New Bigwig biznitch!

2009-01-06T13:15:00.000-08:00

(Taken from Jumpstartrecords.com)

"BIGWIG. Yes, I said BIGWIG. Yes, that BIGWIG. Yes, the band from New Jersey that your older brother probably saw a thousand times in high school. Yes, the band that seems to find and lose members more than a traveling circus. Yes, there will be a new release in 2009 from BIGWIG. And finally, yes, I'll probably be eating my words about this project come January 2010. Here's to wishful thinking. But, in all seriousness, I have been talking to Tom from BIGWIG for sometime about doing this project and I think we're finally all on board and ready to move forward. The band plans to record in early 2009 for a brand new seven inch and digital EP with most of the tracking being done at Tom's home studio in South Jersey. "Who's in the band now, you ask?" I don't know. Your best bet is to ask Tom. Regardless of who's in the band, there will be a new BIGWIG release coming out soon, and it will be on Jump Start....."

Such good news....I can't wait for this, for those of you who haven't heard this band go buy an album.

Bigwig themselves....

Yowza!

2008-12-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

Check dis shit. Here's an amazing album from D4, circa 2000, I recently got this on vinyl and I can't get enough of it. Get it!

Drums for the new record are done!

2008-12-23T16:09:00.000-08:00

We've just finished laying down the drum tracks for the new album and we're stoked about how quickly the recording process is going this time around. We're going in next week to do guitars and hopefully it'll go as good as everything has gone thus far. Check back for more updates and thanks for looking.

Recording next week, and weird ass show I went to last night

2008-12-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

So we're going in to lay down the new drum tracks tomorrow afternoon and evening, and we're gonna get the ball rolling on our new stuff...we hope to have it all done by the end of January but we'll see what happens with that. Come back and check for updates if you care to know how everything is going.
On a lower, more subdued note I went to the Musica in Akron last night to see a show. Let me make note that one of my friends was in town for the holidays and was asked to go to this event, and we didn't have to pay. I promise. Anyways, we got there and the crowd was huge, the place was packed with more unimportant important people than I have ever seen congregated in one place in my entire life, but I digress. The bands were, As Tall As Lions, If These Trees Could Talk, and some others that I care not to acknowledge or remember. I've never gotten less excuse me's at a show in all of my days, I must have been bumped into like 100 times. It was alot like a high school dance, there were separate groups of people assembled throughout, carrying along little conversations and what not.....it was just fucking weird. thank god i don't like this music, b/c I would like never to be a part of something like this again. Happy Blogging!

New Akron band, and rehearsing for the studio...

2008-12-18T23:38:00.000-08:00

So tonight I met a friend at Annabell's(coolest bar in Akron). She told me her friends band was playing so I went just to hang out and listen to what could have been some shity music. Holy shit was I wrong. The band was new Akron foursome called Crinminal Menacing and The Three Strikes. These buys tore it up with what I would call a criss cross between Gypsy punk, reggae, ska punk rock and lounge singing. They totally blew me away, and deserve great things.

Other than that, I'm racking my brain trying to write parts to our new songs, and trying to revive the old ones a little bit where I can. All in all I think I might be a better player after this experience. Can't wait for the 24th! Peace!

But this record! Watch these movies!

2008-12-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

New band with current and ex- members of Glass & Ashes, Fiya, and Towers of Hanoi. 8 songs. Outstanding. I haven't heard a new band this good in a long while, really excited to see what they do next.

Check these movies out:

Funny Games

Just watched this movie. The dialog was pretty hilarious in a "What the fuck???" kind of a way...if you like movies where you say "What just happened" when they end you'll love this.
Best quote:
"Thanks for the driver!"

---------------------
In Bruges

Even if you have a strong distaste for ye olde Colin Farrel movie, this is still good. Watch.

Today's The Day

2008-12-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

Here's an old ass video our friend Kentucky Charles made for us.

Last night, Reverse The Curse, The Kids United Show at The Vineyard in Kent.

2008-12-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

Beards were everywhere, the kids were kind of into it, i guess, for the most part....and there was free coffee and peanut butter sandwiches for all, thats got good show written all over it already. I arrived at the show right when Reverse The Curse broke a string during what i was told was their 4th song. This band is fucking ridiculous, and they were giving out free copies of their burned demos too...which is pretty fucking cool considering their gonna have the finalized copies in like two weeks. Now i have something to listen to!!! Besides fuckin internet listening(FUCK IPODS). Not to worry fella's I'll pick up the final copy when you get it. Anyways Wreak Havoc was next and they were insane, and scary, and any other adjective that you can think of that could explain me shitting my pants thinking, "Please don't let their singer spill my coffee," but i digress. Intensity was top notch and hopefully we're gonna be playing a skate park w/ these guys in the very near future. After Wreak Havoc, came the moment that the whole crowd pretty much had been waiting for, The Kids United, I got a chance to see if the hype was real,or what....I knew they'd be good,but c'mon,these guys have had their asses buttered up sooooo hard that there's no way they could stand up to what people created.....they did. Holy shit were they good. I was jizzing in my shorts,it was like Saves The Day circa 1999, Ian (the singer)even looks like Chris Conley back then, god i hope he doesn't look like he looks now in a couple years....nevermind. This band is fucking awesome. I will go to their shows (along with many others i assume) not b/c their really nice,not b/c their my friends,b/c their fucking good,and I would be excited about this band even if they were from east Nairobi. Here's two shitty pics pics from my shitty camera phone that i took last night....I need a camera.Happy Blogging.

The Ronnies Basement Chronicles

2008-12-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

Today we:
A.)Built a new mic stand:

B.)Were confused:

and wrote a new song to add to our existing 13 new jams to be recorded in t-minus 22days.

We will be looking to press an all new full length vinyl, or a split vinyl w/ a band to be named later, along with our new 7' [Some Songs We Wrote] that is already done and ready to press.
Happy Blogging u sons a bitches.

Fights, broken bottles,and drunks!!!

2008-12-05T13:05:00.000-08:00

I couldn't think of a better first post than this mon frer. A simple thank you to the folks who came out to Annabell's last night. Even the douche who thought it would be fun to show off his muscles and fight some of our friends....thanx buddy. I'm sure your a big fan, and your sorry. We're over it. Everyone else was awesome, the show was super fun, and thanx to Give the Signal and We know Karate for playing with us. Fun times. We're gonna be recording for the next couple weeks, and the 7' should be out fairly soon. WE hope. Check this page out for fun stuf that you won't find on the myspace page. Piece.
-Josh Back east