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Au Revoir

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 12:53:10 -0600

Hello everybody,

The O’s are off to France in TWO days! Yay! It’s gonna be a major party. If you’ve got any friends over yonder way, let ‘em know that we’ll be around. Check the show dates for details!

We are very excited as this is our first trip over to the land of bread and butter. We are so excited to eat and drink there. We hope to set Guiness records with our consumption. Mmm. Bread. Mmm. Butter.

In other news, Thanks to all that came out to our shows in Dallas at Sons of Herman Hall (w/ Frank Smith and Grant Jones) and at the Mohawk (w/ Frank Smith, Lil Captian Travis, and The Bubbles.) We had such a great time and it was a perfect send off. Our livers are well prepared for a month long debauchery sesh.

We’re gonna have some days off also, so if you’ve got any suggestions of how to spend them, let us know. We’re all ears.

We heart you,

John and Taylor

Finally Another Blog Update

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:14:37 -0600

Wow. We have had a crazy 6 months, and failed to blog about it all up in your face. So let the bloggin begin:

After our SXSW debacle, we got nominated for some awards and won a couple! Here's the breakdown:
The Dallas Observer nominated us for 6 awards, the most of any act in 2009, and we gone done won 'Best New Act'. I'm sure we came in a very, very close 2nd in Best Act, Best Album, Best Song, Best Folk, and Best Country/Roots nominations, but it would have been too embarrassing to win ALL the awards. So instead, we will remain just 'Best New Act'.

And Dallas Morning News' Quick Weekly awarded us 'Best Song', so that was totally awesome.

As we approach our 100th show of the year, we reflect on the 3 US tours we've been on, our special time at KXT 91.7 last week, our bright morning with the gentle people at the FOX 4 Good Day show, and look to the future.

With the recent UK/Europe release of our debut album 'We Are The O's' on Nov. 2, 2009, the tunes of The O's are now getting international recognition. On top of all the great press and airplay from the kind folks in the UK, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, France, Holland, Spain, Chile, Italy, Germany, we have the #2 album on the UK Americana Charts!!....hell yes.

The only bad think that we can report is that Flaps, our precious van, blew up in Beebe, Arkansas. She blew a rod, and we didn't die, so that's great. Larry the Tow Truck driver got us to Memphis right on time and Josh Florence saved the day by magically appearing with a new ride in time for us to make it to The Basement in Nashville.
Along with a successful night at The Granada Theater raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation with Rhett Miller, Salim Nourallah, and Shibboleth this weekend, we couldn't be happier with all the people of Dallas, TX and all the wonderful folks we've met on the road.

Now, we continue to write the 2nd album, look forward to our trip to Denver next week, and our jaunt down south in December.

And last but not least, to the people of UK and Europe: Put your drinkin hats on, cause we'll be there March 10th, and we are gonna freakin party with you.

SXSW and the Road to Recovery

Thu, 2 Apr 2009 11:41:10 -0500

Thursday March 19, 2009

Dear O's Journal,

It's 10:30 AM. For fuck's sake, John's running late again. I swear he never is on time. He said we'd leave at 10:00. Geez. SXSW - Can we survive? It seems unlikely. If we can make it through without visable scars, a hospital bill, an injury sustained while saying, "Hey everybody! Watch this!," random bruises, dropping an entire pizza, sleeping, having people literally avoid me by walking a safe distance away by making a large circle, listen to Stairway to Heaven 8 times nearly in a row, get told to put my shirt back on, but what they really mean is put your dingle back into your boxers... If we can make it through without those things happening, then maybe we will be ok.

Oh wait, what? We're going to promote; to work? Huh. Hmm. Stuff.

2:00 PM - Stopped at Czech stop. Kolaches taste good when you mouth them. Buy beer.

4:30 PM - Just left a magical place called Papa Joes; it's a killer honkey tonk in Lorena, TX. One may recall hearing of this highway gem from a recent assault charge against living legend Billy Joe Shaver who shot another dude for "talking shit about his wife" after saying these words : "Where do you want it?" The place is great; beer is ice cold. Usually we would stop at these 'tonks : George's, then Shade Tree, then Frontier, then Speedway Inn, then suffer through until Austin. However, we are in a hurry. Only one 'tonk today. John has a burn on his arm he doesn't remember getting.

6:30 PM - walking down 6th St, we enter a bar called The Thirsty Nickel. Normally I wouldn't note this, but upon entry, the bar man said, Holy Shit! The O's! And then he sang our song, "I Love You So Much." We drank a something called a Hideous Liquor. Then another, then another... eeks. When the band finished (Thirsty Nickel was part of a certain Pyramid Fest that most bands know of through an incessant barrage of email / myspace bothering asking bands to be a part of their battle of the bands and then fucking the bands over - in the butt) the bar man cranked I Love You So Much on the speaker system. Party.

12:00 Midnight I thnk? Taylor stumbles into see Stax Legens The Bar Kays. They are badass! Icons! Those dudes blow everyone's minds. They are flawless. Taylor is happy. This is really why we come to SXSW, isn't it?

Pictures include Taylor and John at Czech Stop, John laying on the ground, John confused after dropping an entire pizza, Taylor broing down with a mannequin, etc.

Friday March 20, 2009

Dear O's Journal,

Wow. What the hell happened last night? Or yesterday for that matter? Did we see any music yesterday? Yes! We saw a band wearing chicken suits. Really? I think so, but I don't know - the picture is all blurry. Let's eat!

11:30 AM - Texas Chili Parlor. John had the chili sampler and Taylor had cheese and jalapeno burger. Yummy to tummy, Dos cervezas and a margarita. I feel OK. You feel ok? Let's do this.

3:00 PM - Club De Ville - After attempting to go straight to Club De Ville, we stop by several bars to have a drink. I won't lie. This day is rough. We're a bit H.O.'d. We fight through as well as possible. The Hold Steady are playing. A friend asks John, "What are they all about?" John says "geek rock." Then we walk around the corner and the friend says, "Oh you mean actual geeks playing rock, I thought you meant hot dudes that wear Buddy Holly glasses."

3:45 PM - After John takes his boots off and lays on the ground, Taylor starts to party.

6:00 PM - We are at Sholtz's Beer Garden watching Doug Sahm's son play his songs. It's a gooooood time. Plus the bar tender is a friend and the cocktails are FREE!!! Yay! Free Stuff! The last free stuff we got (some bag full of things that get you free stuff) we left at a bar the night before. Oops. Oh well. Come to think of it, I was told about all the free stuff we'd get at the SXSW bonanza, but I didn't get shit! WTF?

1:00 AM - Text from Hunter Hauk to John that says, "When Taylor says to leave him on the corner, should I believe him?" I reply, "Sure! He'll be fine." Hunter calls and the convo went something like this :

"Really? He was pretty [fill in word for good time]," says Hunter
"Trust me, he'll be ok. He's the Taylor!"
"But he said to me, 'You go your way, I'll go mine. Again he was really [fill in word for good time]."
"Bro, you got Thunderdogged! Good night!"

Taylor catches the group, School of Seven Bells with Dallas via Brooklyn's own Ben Curtis on the guitar. They blow his mind. He likes the 2 girls in the band. He decides to save his moves on them for the tour when we'll be in NY. It's on! R N R.

1:30AM - Taylor makes it home later after a cab driver calls and says, "Hey, uh, ya, uh, I'm trying to get your friend home. I need directions." Where's The Luke, our tour manager? Geez.

3:30 AM - Note to self, when staying at a friend's house, make sure they are cleared by a minimum of 3 psychiatrists. In our case, we got what we didn't pay for : a butt pain, wait I mean a pain in the ass. Our gracious host has blasted Led Zepplin live now for a couple of hours. I've heard stairway alone 5 times. Can you fucking believe that? It's retarded.

3:58 AM - Stairway count : 6

4:30 - Stairway count : 7

(phone dead = no clock) stairway count : 8. I don't care what the cost is, we're getting a hotel tomorrow. Fuck it. This is stupid.

Pictures include : John laying down on the ground at Club De Ville after saying "Hey everybody watch this" and then someone stepping on his face, Taylor looking awesome doing stuff, John being force fed vodka and soda 'mouth-to-mouth-style' by straw because he had no strength to drink, several of John with his head in his hands, Taylor, John, and John Dufilho bro-ing, others of us doing stuff and bro-ing down.

Saturday March 21, 2009

Dear O's Journal,

12:00 Noon - John has brunch at Mi Madres. Not good. No matter. This is a big day for the O's. We have 2 shows. (Taylor is playing 2 other shows with the Backsliders around the O's shows. Geez.) Taylor is off to play the other show. John gets a hotel room. no joke!? Yay! How much? Let's not worry about that. It's worth it.

1:30 - Check into hotel. Play with the sleep number bed. Turn on and off the TV. Play with the shower curtain. Open and close the blinds. Turn the AC way up, then turn it way down. Turn on lights and then turn them off. Plug in Ipod and turn on Jerry Jeff Walker. Shit. I gotta go.

3:15 - Arrive at Radio show late. Couldn't find the place because of Google maps. Those fuckers have done us in the butt yet again. They are NEVER right. Geez. Show goes GREAT! Yay! Check out Kaos Radio Austin. It's a coupla cool dudes. Taylor and I speak before the show and it goes a little something like this :

Taylor : I don't feel so good.
John : That sucks man.
T : Hey, I don't feel good."
J : I feel you bro.
T : After the Backsliders show, I walked off the stage and puked.
J : Ouch I hate that.
T : I don't feel so good.
J : Did you Thunderdog anyone?
T : Don’t think so, but I puked. It was gross.
J : That's how I was yesterday.
T : You puked yesterday?
J : Yeah, at Club De Ville. Ouch.
T : Party.
J : Totally.

Then John and Taylor hugged.

5:30 PM - Taylor and John show up at Mother Egan's to load in gear. We hang with bro-mates Beau, Seth, and Dylan who are totally righteous. We meet Angie our stage manager and she is awesome. Taylor unveils, "Thunderdog" - The newest member of the O family. It's a 900 inch bass drum that sounds like canons blasting. It is totally awesome.

6:15 PM - Go to hotel and giggle.

7:15 PM - Taylor learns that he is late for a Backslider show. John goes to bar town. Taylor sees what he claims as the worst band in the history of bands. "They sound like a giant beast screaming at everybody over music with no time signature. It was so shitty," says Taylor.

8:00 PM - John sees a band called Los Super Elegantes at Vice(?). A pregnant Mexican girl sings while wearing a bed sheet. The other singer is a deuche wearing sunglasses. THe drummer rips. The bass player plays a Prince bass. There is a trumpet player. Things. Taylor sends a message saying something about Thunderdogging and/or peeing in people's drinks. No, that was John. Sorry. R N R.

9:15 PM - Taylor is en route to Mother Egans for the show. John is slowly behind. We're trying to get there for Shiboleth, who are totally awesome and will blow your butt away to nowhere's land if you're not lookin. However, John is at the moment watching a band called 'Two Wheels to Death(?)' or something like that at The Belmont. John thinks they are Canadian. They try really hard to kick ass. At the end, the bass player throws his bass to the ground with reckless abandon. They all Thunderdog the stage. They run off and hide behind a curtain for a minute. It's totally rock and roll to the maximus. (beat) Then they walk back on stage, heads down, and slowly pick up their stuff and wrap cables. R N R.

9:35 - Taylor is drinking a whiskey at Mother Egans. John shows up and says, "Bro! WHat's up?" Taylor says, "Dude, I can finally stomach something." Then John high fives Taylor to the max. R N R.

10:30 - 30 minutes until show time. People are actually here to see us! Yay! From all over the place. We see friends from Kansas to NY and from Austin to Canada. (How those were the places I chose to go to and fro I do not know.) Drink drink drink.

10:50 - We start early so we can play longer. We lunge into our set shreading so hard (acoustically of course). People start to pee on themselves. A pregnant lady gives birth. Chuck Norris has a karate demonstration on some ninja fans, a band of Hell's Angels are employed as security by the end, etc. Party.

12:00 Midnight - We cocktail and watch Little Black Dress. They rockis maximus.

1:00 AM - We cocktail and watch The Crash That Took me. They rock so flippin' hard.

2:30 AM - Taylor gets a ride with Little Black Dress who help us with the 2 bass drums (no small feet to say the least) and merch. John sits on the street awaiting a cab with 4 guitars, a lowebro, and another case full of shit. Beau, the savoir; the one; the angel of Guitar Center some say; he came to our rescue like a Dragon swooping down and killing an army of nay-sayers while grabbing us and protecting us like a baby in a basket. He dropped us at a hotel.

3:30 AM - I set my sleep number bed to 60.

Pictures include : A bunch of silliness, the side of the pregnant mexican girl, walking and crossing of streets, things and such.

Biggest Week Ever for Us

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 16:41:57 -0600

Hello chicks and dudes --

This is the biggest week EVER for the O’s. We’ve got a TON of stuff going on, and it’s all due to the fact that our DEBUT ALBUM comes out tomorrow in stores everywhere! Yay! Totally O’some to the max! So go to Best Buy, Good Records, iTunes, Waterloo, etc. and buy a copy of WE ARE THE O’S tomorrow for yourself, your girl/boyfriend, your mommy, dadyy, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, friends, extended family, local politicians, family friends that are well connected, etc.

Also, we are featured in ALTERNATIVE PRESS’ 100 BANDS YOU NEED TO KNOW this year -- it comes out in their next issue. This is a HUGE deal.. The Ervster (Idol Records CEO and official dancer/cheerleader nearly went pee-pee in his trousers after he heard this news so we’re really, really, really, really excited.

Anyways, like I was saying, the big week starts NOW! Here’s how the week shapes out for the typical O-friendly person.

TUESDAY FEB. 10 - 8:45 AM - Tune in to FOX4 GOOD DAY SHOW. The O’s are performing LIVE on TV! No joke! Yay! A streaming version is played LIVE at http://www.myfoxdfw.com.

TUESDAY FEB. 11 - Continued - After a shower, head to a local eaterie and enjoy migas and mimosas whilst discussing how well you feel after such a relaxing sleep the night before. (If you live in Ireland, discuss the weather.) Also, grab a DALLAS OBSERVER and read the article DARRYL SMYERS did on The O’s. (If you read it online, check out the slideshow of pictures that STEVE VISNEAU did. They’re good times!)

TUESDAY FEB. 11 - Continued - Buy the O’s album! Yay! Head to your local music store or online store or wherever and do it!

WEDNESDAY FEB. 11 - FREE TIME

THURSDAY FEB. 12 - Dallas, TX - GOOD RECORDS - Come by and enjoy FREE BEER. That’s right. I said it. Free. And then the O’s perform at 7:00 PM. It’s gonna be a hootnanny. Tell everyone! Let’s party!

FRIDAY FEB. 13 - Ft. Worth, TX - LOLA’S BASEMENT - Come to Lola’s in the stockyards for our CD RELEASE BONANZA. Joining us will be the Cut-Off and the Orbans. Party to the Max.

SATURDAY FEB. 14 - FREE TIME

SUNDAY FEB. 15 - 10:00 AM - After a romantic and/or party filled night, relax with margaritas and giggle.

Love,   The O’s
 PS - Check out Quick Magazine’s BLOG HERE for an informative video on the O’s and how much we like deviled eggs.

DEBUT ALBUM ON iTUNES AND MORE

Wed, 7 Jan 2009 14:16:21 -0600

The O’s are on Itunes! Yay! While our debut album, “We Are The O’s” will be in stores February 10, it is available NOW AND FOREVER on iTunes. Click HERE to go directly to our iTunes page or just search for “The O’s” or “We Are The O’s” whilst on iTunes.

Gitchoo Some!

In other news, Quick Magazine (Dallas Morning News) and totally gnarly writer HUNTER HAUK named “You’ve Got Your Heart” the #16 dong, oops, I mean SONG of 2008.

Gitchoo Some!

Also, The O’s played with legendary Old 97’s last week at House of Blues and it was flipping bad ass! It was so much fun it hurt. Those dudes rule in every single possible way and in no way do they not reign supreme in the highest of courts across the land.

Gitchoo some!

Now for some haikus... or actually BRO-CU’s - These use a 7-5-7 technique as opposed to the traditional, more popular original with the 5-7-5 syllables.

We the O’s are totally
psyched to the max sss
Buy album on iTunes now

or

Chicken and dumplings are good
I eat what I should
Except when not, I like food

or

Taylor has legs so does John
Lollipops taste good
Add bacon to everything

Love,
 John and Taylor