Adventures In Columbus and Scranton Or Bust

Things could not have fallen into place better on this tour. Our plan was to drive to Columbus, play on the streets for a few hours, and start heading home; similar to what we did in Kalamazoo. However, after a few door to door stops and some luck, we put together a show at the Delta Chi fraternity at Ohio State University. We had the time of our lives there, and all the brothers were more than welcoming towards us. We really couldn't thank them enough for the kindness they've extended towards us.

We're back home in Scranton now. This tour has been one of the greatest experiences of our lives. We met so many great people from every state we've visited, and have countless stories and memories that will last us a lifetime. It's the kindness of strangers that really helps keep your faith in people, and it is amazing how much music can bring people together. The five of us have really grown as a band during this tour but furthermore we've grown as friends. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and back to reality we come. Things just seemed to work out on this tour, and it just makes it that much easier to want to do it again. Thanks to everyone who kept up with our blog, checked up with us while we were on the road, and continue to support us. We would not be where we are without all of you, and touring certainly wouldn't even be in the realm of possibility.

Until next time,
So Long, Pluto










(The house)




(Sing alongs around the piano)




(We made it back in one piece)

The 16th Chapel

Well, it's the morning after our final scheduled show, which was here in Bloomington, Indiana. We played at a really great place called The 16th Chapel. The owner, Drew, is an awesome guy and does a really good job with the shows. He even recorded it. Oh, and his band, Knifey Spoonie, performed and sounded great. A duo from Nashville, TN called Ave Maring finished-out the night. They sounded absolutely fantastic. Definitely check them out.

Knifey Spoonie - http://www.myspace.com/knifeyspoonie

Ave Marling - http://www.myspace.com/avemarling

We're headed for Columbus, OH today for some impromptu performing and relaxation. Then, back to Scranton!

Day 5 in Rochester or the day we met Nimitz

We're about to hit the road for Bloomington, Indiana. The seven hour drive sounds like it will be fantastic. Our time in Rochester was great! Kim's family was extremely hospitable and we really couldn't thank them enough. The show at The Factory went swell, too. Kim owns quite possibly the cutest dog we've ever seen. His name is Charlie, but Matt affectionately dubbed him Nimitz. It just seemed more fitting. He's going through a little bit of teething, and it turns out that we actually second as chew toys after musicians. This show in Bloomington is going to be bitter sweet. It's going to mark the end of our (scheduled) tour and it has just been so much fun. We're going to try stop in a few cities and play acoustic sets on the way back.

So Long, Pluto

Greetings from Rochester!

Hey everybody. We're here in Rochester, MI. Matt's girlfriend Kim lives here and she's been kind enough to let us stay with her for the night. We're going to head downtown for a bit to check it out. We'll be posting later with some pictures and a video from Kalamazoo. Stay tuned!

So Long, Pluto

The Suite Life of So Long, Pluto

Greetings from Kalamazoo, Michigan! We decided to make the 5 hour trip and it quickly turned into a six hour trip. Before we left Ohio, we decided to just find a place to crash in Kalamazoo, even though nobody in the band was familiar with the area. We passed a strip of motels and hotels about fifteen miles outside of Kalamazoo, but we were set on making it into the city. Michigan is an incredibly dark state it turns out; there are no lights anywhere. We were all anxious to find a place after we got into Kalamazoo because we were all wiped out from the drive. There was only one street that seemed to be lit up, so we decided to travel down that one.

After a few minutes on the road, we came upon this gigantic, four-diamond Radisson hotel. We decided to go in to see the rates and, if needed, get directions to other places to stay in the area. Matt and Murphy decided to go in and see what they could come up with. The place was beautiful on the inside, and it turned out that the regular rate was $150 a night, which was over our budget. The ladies at the front desk were extremely accomodating and tried to find out the other rates in the Kalamazoo area. The only other hotels in the area were also over $100, which was more than we wanted to spend. The girls seemed curious to what brought us out to Kalamazoo so late at night. We told them that we were a touring band from Scranton and the whole bit. They seemed sympathetic to our cause, and actually offered us a room at half price! This was exactly what we wanted to hear, because at 1 in the morning any more time in the car just seemed so unappealing. The rest of the band was gathered up, and we brought our things into the hotel. The girls then dropped the bomb on us that they gave us a free upgrade to a mini-suite. These two girls were fantastic and really saved us a lot of headache that anymore time in the car would have brought. We are truly grateful to those two girls from the Radisson, and if you ever read this, just know you'll always have a place to stay in Scranton, PA. It might not have a granite bathroom, though. The room was great, and it was relaxing to be able to take it easy for a night and just sleep in. Corner Bar tonight, Rochester tomorrow.

Cheers,
So Long, Pluto

P.S. The best quote of the trip happened yesterday. It went something like this:

Matt: "Hey Dan, how long are we going to be on this interstate for?"
Dan: "We have 100 miles on 30 West left, and then I 69."




(Murphy's Pizzaria)




(It's called a Lotus. It's from England. We asked.)













(Thanks again, ladies.)
















(Acoustic set in Kalamazoo this afternoon)

Day 2 in Lancaster, Ohio and Murphy hits the quarterpipe

We're currently sitting in PJ's Pizza in Lancaster, Ohio. We got done playing at the Miller Park Skatepark. The weather cooperated very nicely and unfortunately Chet did not bring his inline skates or he would have ripped it up (his skin, that is). Unfortunately we did not have too much free time in Pittsburgh to sight see, but the time spent in the city was enjoyable. On the way here we saw a Lego Museum with the world's largest Lego mural. It is incredibly flat here, that John Denver was full of crap. Kalamazoo tomorrow. Two days in Michigan should be great. We're really looking forward to it! We're about to hit the road and say goodbye to Ohio.

Adios,
So Long, Pluto















(Just to prove we didn't just go home and play Phantasy Star Online.)










(Murphy moments after hitting the quarterpipe)



(This is how we roll)

Adventures in Pittsburgh

So, we made it to Pittsburgh in one piece. The weather cooperated for the most part, and our make-shift lamination for the signs on our trailer ended up working. We were getting a decent amount of stares though, and any publicity is good publicity (unless it's bad publicity). We saw some curious sites along the road, including a circular house and the American Eagle corporate headquarters, which is a lot nicer than you'd think. We ate at the "Almost Famous" Primanti Brothers and had true Pittsburgher sandwiches. During the trip, Murphy made a bold claim. See the video for more.

222 Ormsby has been an amazing experience and Max and the gang have been more than accommodating. We recommend that any band touring through Pittsburgh should definitely stop by, you'll have the time of your life. Below are some of the pictures from tonight. Be sure to check out Elephant Gun, Run Forever, Radio Empire, and Empty Orchestra! They were incredible tonight.

Until tomorrow,

So Long, Pluto

Tour Kick-Off Show!

A big thanks to everyone who came out to our tour kick-off show last night at Cafe Metropolis in Wilkes-Barre! We had a great turn-out and it was so great to see the local support. A big thank you to Jason and the Argonauts, No West, and Losing Caufield for playing with us. They all did a fantastic job. Make sure to check them out and give them a listen.

Losing Caufield's MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/losingcaufield
No West's MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/nowest

Also, thanks to Kristen for selling merchandise and to Amanda, Alyssa, Kylie, and Brittany for making the signs for our trailer.

Today, we're leaving State College and heading for Pittsburgh to play at 222 Ormsby - http://www.myspace.com/222ormsby.

If you're from Pittsburgh or have any friends in the city, make sure to come out and see us play. It's sure to be a good time!

So, we've been bugging you guys for a few months about constantly voting on songjoust.com, and we apologize about being nuisances. BUT, it paid off, because WE WON THE COMPETITION!

We have a preliminary meeting with them via telephone on Wednesday, and eventually we're meeting with Song Joust Records to see what they have to offer. We appreciate everyone who voted, whether it was one time or one thousand times. We couldn't have done it without you guys!

Here's some photos from last night.

Peace and Love,

SLP

P.S. Dan says, "Hi."