I’m not even going to pretend like I haven’t heard it — wait until you get a load of the fucking tones The Midnight Ghost Train bring on Cypress Ave. Pure, dug-in weighted fuzz of the highest order. Guitarist/vocalist Steve Moss and bassist Mike Boyne bring a thickness and drummer Brandon Burghart makes it move, and together, the power trio offer not only a swap between moody, airy heavy blues and driving thrust like one can hear on “Red Eyed Junkie Queen” — premiering today in the new video below — but a more expansive aesthetic palette than ever, taking the go-go-go of 2015’s hands-up righteous Cold was the Ground (review here) and offering a multidirectional expansion of style, whether that’s in the grungy build of “The Watchers Nest,” the jangly meander of “Lemon Trees” or “The Boogie Down,” on which the band acts as a live funk backup for rapper Sonny Cheeba.

Yeah, shit gets pretty wild — and that’s not even to mention the brooding back end of Cypress Ave. with “Black Wave,” “The Echo” and “I Can’t Let You Go” — but that’s the idea as The Midnight Ghost Train willfully endeavor to take their sound places it’s never been before. “Red Eyed Junkie Queen” is the second song on the album behind opener “Tonight,” and is more in line with what their audience might expect of them, but even in its tense verses and in Moss‘ post-Tom Waits lyrical storytelling — see also “Break My Love” later on — they give a sense of the wider sonic berth the record will cast as it continues to unfold. Bolstered by a speedy tempo and a catchy hook that sets its place and its character both down and dirty, the track rushes through its four-minute runtime and helps continue the momentum set by the opener with a richness of groove that continues through the rest of the opening salvo in “Glenn’s Promise” and “Bury Me Deep.”

Bottom line, I suppose, is that “Red Eyed Junkie Queen” doesn’t necessarily speak for the whole of Cypress Ave., but neither is it intended to do so. The video takes us inside the studio with The Midnight Ghost Train as they record the album, tracking live and playing through the process by which these songs came together. One can only wonder if as they filmed it just how much the results of their efforts would stand apart from everything they’ve done before.

The Midnight Ghost Train release Cypress Ave. this July 28 via Napalm Records, and as they will, the band hit the road in August for a lengthy US tour. More info from the PR wire and live dates follow the clip below.

Please enjoy:

The Midnight Ghost Train, “Red Eyed Junkie Queen” official video

Pre-order “Cypress Ave.” now: http://smarturl.it/CypressAve-NPR

Out July 28!

THE MIDNIGHT GHOST TRAIN keeps rollin’ along, spewing exhaust along sandy desert roads, and filling lungs with dust: now with their fourth opus ‘Cypress Ave.’ this impulsive trifecta torch dark’n’dirty Southern Rock with a hefty portion of Sludge and Funk. Seared by the Sunflower State of Kansas, their organic and authentic sound lives in the musics throaty vocals, deep lyrics, melancholic melodies and forceful, shaky riffs. Roaring amps plow through eardrums as if they were earth, dry as a bone. Highlight: the fruity-fresh “The Boogie Down [feat. Sonny Cheeba]”. Honest, straight-forward and peppered with woefulness. An absolute must for blues-fans!

The Midnight Ghost Train live:
Aug 24 2017 The Grotto Ft Worth, TX
Aug 25 2017 Swan Dive Austin, TX
Aug 26 2017 Boom Boom Room Lafayette, LA
Aug 27 2017 Siberia New Orleans, LA
Aug 28 2017 TBA Jackson, MS
Aug 29 2017 TBA Hattiesburg, MS
Aug 30 2017 TBA Muscle Shoals, AL
Aug 31 2017 Handlebar Pensacola, FL
Sep 1 2017 Snug Harbor Charlotte, NC
Sep 2 2017 Masquerade w/ Camp Lo Atlanta, GA
Sep 3 2017 Banditos Richmond, VA
Sep 6 2017 TBA Baltimore, MD
Sep 7 2017 Atlas Brew Works Washington, D.C.
Sep 8 2017 Kung Fu Necktie Philadelphia, PA
Sep 9 2017 Gold Sounds Brooklyn, NY
Sep 10 2017 TBA Connecticut
Sep 11 2017 Firehouse 13 Providence, RI
Sep 12 2017 O’Brien’s Pub Boston, MA
Sep 13 2017 TBA Rochester, NY
Sep 14 2017 TBA Cleveland, OH
Sep 15 2017 Radio Radio Indianapolis, IN
Sep 16 2017 The Rockery Detroit, MI
Sep 17 2017 TBA Kalamazoo, MI
Sep 18 2017 Frequency Madison, WI
Sep 19 2017 Gasoline Green Bay, WI
Sep 20 2017 The Lift Dubuque, IA
Sep 21 2017 Reggie’s Music Joint Chicago, IL
Sep 22 2017 Green Lantern Lexington, KY
Sep 23 2017 Southgate House Revival Newport, KY
Sep 24 2017 TBA Nashville, TN
Sep 25 2017 TBA Charleston, SC
Sep 26 2017 TBA Raleigh, NC
Sep 27 2017 The Empty Bottle Charleston, WV
Sep 28 2017 The Buzzbin Shop Canton, OH
Sep 29 2017 Blind Bob’s Dayton, OH
Sep 30 2017 Descendants of Crom Fest Pittsburgh, PA

The Midnight Ghost Train on Thee Facebooks

The Midnight Ghost Train website

The Midnight Ghost Train on Twitter

The Midnight Ghost Train on Instagram

Napalm Records website

Napalm Records on Thee Facebooks

What’s in store for the new album from The Midnight Ghost Train? I don’t know, and considering the Kansas heavy rockers are headed into their fourth full-length, that’s a particularly comforting notion. Their last record, 2015’s Cold was the Ground (review here), was their Napalm Records debut, and they played to their strengths in unhinged-sounding, manic blues. With the forthcoming Cypress Ave., due July 28 also via Napalm, the trio promises stylistic experimentation like they’ve never had before, and I’m inclined to take their word for it.

I haven’t heard any of it yet, so I’m not speaking from experience in that or anything, but The Midnight Ghost Train have always been purposeful enough to know what’s up, so yeah, I’m looking forward to checking out what might be in store this time around.

The PR wire teases possibilities:

THE MIDNIGHT GHOST TRAIN ANNOUNCE BRAND NEW ALBUM!

‘Cypress Ave.’ Coming July 2017 on Napalm Records!

Seared by the Sunflower State of Kansas, THE MIDNIGHT GHOST TRAIN keeps rollin’ again – and they are about to return with their most diverse album to date!

The band’s fourth opus titled ‘Cypress Ave.’ is set to be released July 28th 2017 on Napalm Records, and will please both old and new fans alike. Never before has THE MIDNIGHT GHOST TRAIN shown this side of themselves. Their new album proves that they ‘re not just another rock band, they’re explorers, risk takers, and true artists. This is not a departure, but an expansion:

“It was time to challenge ourselves, and our fanbase, and do something completely different that hasn’t been done before in this genre“, says guitarist & vocalist Steve Moss. “No sense in doing the same thing over and over again, there is no growth in that. We want to learn, create, and leave our true artistic impression on the world.“ He continues: “Not one song on this album sounds the same. Each track has a completely different feel and unique quality to it. Something in this album for everyone in every genre of music out there. Exploring and challenging new grounds is what this album is about.“

Now THE MIDNIGHT GHOST TRAIN have unveiled the album artwork for ‘Cypress Ave.’, and the tracklist will read as follows:

1. Tonight
2. Red Eyed Junkie Queen
3. Glenn’s Promise
4. Bury Me Deep
5. The Watchers Nest
6. Break My Love
7. Lemon Trees
8. The Boogie Down [feat. Sonny Cheeba]
9. Black Wave
10. The Echo
11. I Can’t Let You Go [Bonus Track]

The band’s organic and authentic sound lives in the musics throaty vocals, deep lyrics, melancholy melodies and forceful, shaky riffs. Honest, straight-forward and peppered with woefulness.

‘Cypress Ave.’, coming July 28th on Napalm Records, is an absolute must for every blues- and rock fan. Be prepared, for the return of THE MIDNIGHT GHOST TRAIN with their most diverse and unique sounding album to date!

www.facebook.com/themidnightghosttrain
www.themidnightghosttrain.com
www.napalmrecords.com
www.facebook.com/napalmrecords

The Midnight Ghost Train, Live in Paris 2016

Midwestern fuzz ideologues Youngblood Supercult release their sophomore full-length, High Plains, on Feb. 19. An 11-track/48-minute CD with double-vinyl impending for this summer, it follows early 2014’s debut, Season of the Witch, and marks a significant change in vibe on the part of the graphic-design-inclined Topeka, Kansas, three-piece. Where the debut took a classic metal bent toward heavy rock, more straightforward and rhythmically driving, High Plains offers plenty of sonic weight — the guitar and bass working together on “Black Hawk,” or the clawing “Nomad” earlier on — but takes a more lurching, atmospheric approach overall. This seems to have been a purposeful shift in aesthetic as much as one of lineup, but either way, it suits them.

Formerly a four-piece with a standalone singer, Youngblood Supercult lost both their bassist and frontman between the two records, leaving guitarist Bailey Smith and drummer Weston Alford to pick up the pieces and continue ahead, recruiting David Merrill first to fill the vocalist role and eventually the bassist one as well prior to recording with Jon Pederzani at Bone Hag Studios. That’s no minor challenge to overcome, and it’s produced no minor shift when listening to the first record next to the second one, the most lysergic vibe of which bleeds through from the intro “Stone Mountain Blues” through the penultimate buzzer “Acid Tongue” and the folkish closer “Down 75.” Merrill has a decidedly ’70s bent to his vocals and while the band overall boasts a mostly modern sound — if one drawing somewhat from the New Millennium Analog pastiche — their core sensibility is organic throughout and effective in signaling the shift in their intent.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are distinct moments where High Plains sounds like a debut. Youngblood Supercult have been a band for two and a half years, and they’ve worked quickly in that time, but with a sonic turn and new lineup, it makes sense these songs would sound fresh. That doesn’t hurt them. Hypnotic grooves persist as they play bright guitars over warm low-end on “Monolith,” Smith‘s guitar chugging a lurker verse behind Merrill‘s echoing vocals pushed along by Alford‘s fills in the chorus. A more forward-directed stomp takes hold for a brief solo and they end to give way to “Nomad,” one of several memorable highlights throughout High Plains, with tinges of Uncle Acid and maybe even Mars Red Sky prevalent in the guitar and vocals and a Sabbathian nod that holds sway even as they pick up the pace after the midpoint.

The ensuing “Before the Dawn” is shorter but no less tonally engrossing than “Nomad” before or “Mind Control” after, the heady vibe adding a level of confidence as the song seems to cut itself short (granted that might be an error with the file I got), as the folkier centerpiece “White Nights” begins to unfold on tom rolls, subdued guitar and Merrill‘s best included vocal performance, tapping into a quiet/loud dynamic range as it moves into its second half that emphasizes the growth underway in Youngblood Supercult‘s sound. Guitars space out over a languid bassline and swinging drums, and that expansion persists until eventually the track is pulled apart around the solo. A purposeful departure from the structural soundness the band has thus far shown, it’s another example of how they’re finding their way with these songs.

What I’ll assume marks the start of the second LP, “Hell Hath No Fury” begins with a more swinging progression that recalls “Monolith” or “Nomad” in its verse/chorus intent but features especially satisfying lead work from Smith, first in its midsection and then in its fadeout, moving into the seven-minute album high-point “Forefather,” which blends the semi-psychedelic aspects of Youngblood Supercult‘s style with the folkish impulse of “White Nights” into the most resonant hook on offer, “Oh man, oh man/I got my mother’s eyes,” departing from some of the cult rock lyricisms present elsewhere as it turns on a dime into a prog-metal riff with stops and starts before hitting the brakes and tripping out behind its guitar solo, as extended as it is satisfying when the verse kicks back in.

They end with that hook, and rightly so, and the more raucous early going of “Black Hawk” effectively buries Merrill‘s voice under crash cymbals and guitar and bass fuzz, and playing well against “Acid Tongue”‘s later shuffle to summarize much of what’s working in the band’s favor throughout High Plains before the acoustic “Down 75” closes out. There’s a substantial part of me that wishes they worked in more quiet, subdued moments like the closer across the album, since they do it so well and it makes an excellent showcase for the vocals, but as noted, they’re still growing and it would be just as easy to overdo it as to do it, so perhaps that would be fixing what isn’t broken in their sound. Still, as a last-minute expansion of their approach, it fits well, and reminds that while Youngblood Supercult clearly have their aesthetic path carved out for them as the trio they are now, they remain engaged in a growth process that, one hopes, will continue as they move forward from here, having taken full advantage of this opportunity to partially revamp what they do.

Below, you can hear a track premiere of “Hell Hath No Fury,” as chosen by the band. Under the player, Smith offers some comment on the song. Please enjoy:

Bailey Smith (guitar) on “Hell Hath No Fury”:

Well, a lot of people think it’s about a scorned lover. I actually wrote it in the throes of a bad panic attack. It’s a personification of anxiety, and how unforgiving it can be, in musical form. A lot of our songs have very personal, subliminal meanings. People hear the shell of a song’s lyrics and create their own meanings for them. That’s what music is for — it’s all subjective.

Youngblood Supercult on Thee Facebooks

Youngblood Supercult website

Youngblood Supercult on Bandcamp

Good thoughts and best wishes to guitarist/vocalist Steve Moss of Kansas heavy blues madmen The Midnight Ghost Train. Moss, who is among the most electrifying frontmen in whatever subgenre of heavy rock you might want to name, will undergo surgery to repair damage on his picking hand, which broke during their European tour and did not heal properly. This will be Moss‘ second surgery of the year. He also went under the knife after that same European tour for a matching pair of hernias.

Someone who legitimately has bled and put his body on the line for what he believes in, on behalf of myself and this site and for whatever it’s worth, I wish Moss all the best for a quick, complete recovery and a quick return to kicking ass on stage, which if you’ve ever watched him play you already know is the man’s true calling.

The band announced the canceled dates thusly:

We’re very sorry to have to write you this but The Midnight Ghost Train has to cancel their entire upcoming USA tour. During our last European tour Steve broke his hand (his picking hand) but he still powered through the entire tour, with a hand broken in eight places. Causing it to never heal, and now he can’t play. We did a show the other night in KC and into the second song his hand completely gave out on him. He couldn’t hold on to his pick he couldn’t do anything with it. It locked up and was very very painful.

He went to the doctor again and they have suggested that he must have surgery or else he will have permanent damage. He’s going this week to another specialist to get a second opinion but at this point he can’t play, it would be suicide for his ability to play guitar in the future if he continues using his hand before it is fixed. Were extremely sorry to have to cancel but there is no other option. We promise to return and make it up to everyone. This is far from the end.

Canceled dates:
8/14: Kansas City, MO @ Fuzz and Fire Festival
8/20: Lexington, KY @ Green Lantern
8/21: Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
8/22: Dale City, VA @ L&Bs Sports Bar
8/27: TBA
8/28: Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
8/29: Brooklyn, NY @ Lucky 13 Saloon
8/30: Greenfield, MA @ RPM Fest
9/1: Portland, ME @ Genos Rock Club
9/4: Detroit, MI @ The Rockery
9/5: Indianapolis, IN @ 5th Quarter

https://www.facebook.com/themidnightghosttrain
https://twitter.com/TMGTofficial
http://instagram.com/themidnightghosttrain/
http://www.themidnightghosttrain.com/
http://shop.napalmrecords.com/themidnightghosttrain

The Midnight Ghost Train, “Cold was the Ground” Live at Hellfest 2015

When last we left Kansan power blues three-piece The Midnight Ghost Train, they were wrapping up a West Coast tour, getting ready for guitarist/vocalist Steve Moss to undergo surgery for two — count ’em, two — rock hernias, and preparing to his the road thereafter in Europe. That European run included stops at Hellfest and Stoned from the Underground and has now come to an end, Moss having busted his picking hand in the meantime, but if The Midnight Ghost Train could be stopped, they would’ve been stopped long ago. A series of dates up and down the East Coast and in the Midwest have been announced for next month and Sept.

They continue to support their third album and Napalm Records debut, Cold was the Ground (review here), and that album continues to be a cause worthy of support. Here’s a post-tour update from the band and those dates from the PR wire:

“Well the tour has come to an end. Stoned From The Underground Festival was an excellent way to put an end to the tour. We are ready to go home. Many of you don’t know this but Steve has been playing this entire tour with a broken right hand (his picking hand), our families miss us, and we really need to shower, so it’s time to go home for now. But we will return. Thank you to all the fans who came out and rocked with us, thank you to all the venues and promoters who put things together, thank you to Kat, Matte and Beth at Sound of Liberation for getting the ball in play for this tour. We did EXACTLY what we came here to do… Play Rock and Roll. I know damn well we made our presence known.”

TMGT
8/14: Kansas City, MO @ Fuzz and Fire Festival
8/20: Lexington, KY @ Green Lantern
8/21: Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
8/22: Dale City, VA @ L&Bs Sports Bar
8/27: TBA
8/28: Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
8/29: Brooklyn, NY @ Lucky 13 Saloon
8/30: Greenfield, MA @ RPM Fest
9/1: Portland, ME @ Genos Rock Club
9/4: Detroit, MI @ The Rockery
9/5: Indianapolis, IN @ 5th Quarter

https://www.facebook.com/themidnightghosttrain/
http://themidnightghosttrain.bandcamp.com/
http://www.themidnightghosttrain.com/
http://www.napalmrecords.com/

The Midnight Ghost Train, Cold was the Ground (2015)

A moment of respite this time around as The Midnight Ghost Train guitarist/vocalist Steve Moss checks in from the road in the latest installment of his US tour diary. The trio — Moss, bassist Mike Boyne and drummer Brandon Burghart — have a day off in Albuquerque, New Mexico and use it to check out filming locations for the show Breaking Bad, and Moss also gives some thoughts on B.B. King, who was revealed last week to be in home-hospice care.

Eight shows left on the tour. Here’s Moss:

Mea Culpa 3

Had a fun and interesting week. Played Albuquerque, Midland, Austin, and Lafayette. On our way to Pensacola right now.

Had the day off after our Albuquerque show so we used it to check out the different spots that Breaking Bad was filmed in. We are huge fans of that show so it was cool to find the actual filming locations, Including a candy store owned by an old lady that not only made all the meth for the first two years of Breaking Bad (made it out of rock candy) but also makes porn candy, like chocolate dicks and vaginas. Yum. It was probably the most fun we have had in Albuquerque. Last time we were there, a gigantic protest was going on against the police or something. We went over to check it out, hoping to see some crazy shit, but we ended up getting too close and we got the backlash of a bunch of tear gas. Did not feel very good.

One of my biggest heroes and inspirations in music is B.B. King, I learned this week that he is at home in hospice care preparing to die. This breaks my heart. Without him there would be no TMGT. I’ve seen him live a countless amount of times, he is the reason I decided to play music. I wanted what he had. That soul and passion he has on stage is unlike anything else. My wife and I actually saw his last-ever performance. The day after we saw him he collapsed and canceled the rest of the tour. I can’t begin to explain what his music and his soul has done for me. I grew up with his music, going to his concerts with my dad and just being completely in awe of the experience. Some of the best moments in my life. My favorite live album of all time is B.B. King, Live at the Regal. If you haven’t heard it, buy it. Nothing out there comes close to the magic on that album. I just hope he is comfortable and safe and well, and goes in peace. He is a true bluesman and a true performer. I strive at every show to have just a fraction of the soul he has.

I appreciate all the kind get well words and wishes for me for my upcoming surgery. I’m a tough son of a bitch so I’ll be okay and ready to rock soon after the surgery. But first thing’s first, we got a tour to finish and nine more shows to blow the roof off the fuckin’ place.

The Midnight Ghost Train, Cold was the Ground (2015)

The Midnight Ghost Train on Thee Facebooks

The Midnight Ghost Train at Napalm Records

When last we left them, Kansas heavy blues rockers were deep into the Pacific Northwest on their current US tour. This past week has taken them further south, through California and into the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico. Last night they played in Albuquerque, and today, guitarist/vocalist Steve Moss — joined in the band by bassist Mike Boyne and drummer Brandon Burghart — continues his “Mea Culpa” tour diary for The Obelisk.

The Midnight Ghost Train‘s third album, Cold was the Ground is out now as their debut on Napalm Records. Their tour runs until May 16, at which point apparently Moss will undergo surgery. More in the diary:

Mea Culpa 2

Driving through the desert right now towards Albuquerque, NM. The past few nights have been excellent shows and good times. Like I said in the last post we went to the Giants and Dodgers game on our day off. That was a lot of fun and relaxing. But relaxing never lasts long. I like it that way. I don’t like to stand still for long. If you have seen us on stage I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

The other night in San Diego we had a great show. It was a last-minute add but it was a blast. I think they put something in the drinks in there though ’cause everyone was insanely wasted. Made for an interesting night. I don’t drink so it’s always quite amusing to see the insanely drunk ones at the shows. But it can also get a bit annoying especially at the merch table. One guy wanted to buy all three of our vinyls, a hoodie, two shirts, a tote bag, a hat, a poster and two bottles of our TMGT hot sauce. I get everything out, all ready for him. The price is somewhere around $150 and he opened his wallet and only had $20. Then he actually tried to see if I would let him go with all that stuff only paying $20. No way in hell. He would not let it go, started yelling, “Why can’t I just pay $20, this is bullshit I thought you guys were cool. I promise if you let me go with all this stuff for $20 I’ll tell everyone I know about your band.” Absolutely not. We need to make our money.

For those of you that are unaware, this is how we make our living. This is our job. So we don’t give anything out for free, ever, and don’t make deals. I don’t care how cute of a girl you are, I don’t care how uncool it makes me, you pay full price. If you really like a band enough that you want to buy their merch, than you should respect them enough to pay for it, and pay the price that they ask. We go through that every night. But this guy just for some reason got under my skin. Maybe because he held up the merch line for 10 minutes while he was bitching and arguing. “Sorry you gotta go, there are people with money behind you trying to buy stuff.” I guess some people just don’t get it. I’m sure other bands out there feel that frustration.

So I’ve got some bad news. I’ve been battling with some pain the past few months that has made life very uncomfortable. I went to the doctor and found out I have two hernias that have to be surgically repaired immediately. So as soon as this tour is over I’m going in for surgery. Not excited about that. After this tour, we have one month off before we go back over to Europe. So I just hope that during that month off I can fully recover from the surgery, and there are no complications so I can be rip-roaring and ready to go for our European tour. In the meantime, I’m not able to lift anything. Doctors said I can’t lift anything over five pounds during this tour. Now that’s just crazy. But I have been staying away from lifting amps and really heavy stuff.

The guys have been a huge help moving stuff around for me. It sucks. I feel worthless and helpless. But I was warned that my hernias are at risk of becoming strangled, which can kill me, so I’m taking it as easy as possible. What really sucks is the uncomfortable pain that I’m in the entire time on stage. But I’m a fighter and I get through it night after night. Just hope that after this surgery I recover quick and well enough for our European tour. I’m so thankful I got good band members to help and pick up the slack for me. We still get off stage in less than two minutes, and we still get everything done quick and on time. It’s just tough to have to adjust to not carrying anything. Hope this surgery is as easy and as quick with recovery time as they say. ‘Cause there is much more rocking left to do.

The Midnight Ghost Train, Cold was the Ground (2015)

The Midnight Ghost Train on Thee Facebooks

The Midnight Ghost Train at Napalm Records

If you want to count their time in Europe, The Midnight Ghost Train have been on tour since February supporting their third album and Napalm Records debut, Cold was the Ground (review here). Their current US tour began on April 10 in Indianapolis and will continue through May 16. Guitarist/vocalist Steve Moss — joined in the band by drummer Brandon Burghart and bassist Mike Boyne — has started a tour diary that will run here through the end of this stint and who knows for how long after. If the last several years have shown anything, it’s that The Midnight Ghost Train never veer too far from the road they’ve taken as their home.

Not sure how often updates are going to come in, but I’ll post them when they show. Enjoy:

Mea Culpa 1

Hey it’s Steve from The Midnight Ghost Train. So we were told to write about our time on this tour. Keep a sort of journal accounting for what we are doing during these long days/months while we are on the road. Here it goes. I’ll call these entries “Mea Culpa,” which is Latin for “through my fault,” which means if you don’t like these entries, well then it’s my fault.

So far this album release tour has been excellent for promoting our new album. The European part of the tour was very successful and now we are currently on the USA portion. We are about a little over a week into it. Tackled a couple cities in the Midwest and in the north and making our way down the West Coast now. Last night we played Portland. Not a very good turnout at all. Apparently it was supposed to be a sold out show but two bands dropped off and they had to scramble to get two other bands on the bill at the last minute. We don’t have a huge following in Portland so we were counting on these other bands to bring a big crowd. But they didn’t, big bummer. You can’t win them all.

Had to get one of our bass rigs fixed in Portland. Our buddies at Arcane Amplification are masters when it comes to fixing amps. But unfortunately they didn’t have all the right parts and had to order them. So they kept the power amp and are gonna ship it to us somewhere during this tour once it’s fixed. Something is ALWAYS breaking. Whether it be amps, the van, guitars, or our hearts, haha. It’s always something. Money never stays in the bank account very long when you play music as a full-time gig. We are used to the constant guff.

We stayed in crack central last night in Portland. 3AM, crackheads banging on doors, walking around half naked screaming at each other and trying to score. This morning was ridiculous when we took our guitars out from the hotel room and put them in the back of the van. The crackies surrounded us, “Are you in a band?” “No we are not, get the fuck outta here.” There’s a tip for bands on the road. NEVER tell people you’re in a band, you will either get into a 20-minute conversation, them trying to find out everything in god’s name about your band, or tell you about their shitty band they tried starting 15 years ago, or they will just try to rip you off. So it’s better to just be an asshole and scare them away so they don’t try something. ‘Cause it will happen.

We are headed down to San Francisco right now. Tomorrow we have a day off so we are going to a Giants and Dodger game in San Fran. I’m a gigantic baseball fan so I love dragging the dudes to baseball games on our days off. Not into any other sports just baseball. It’s the only thing that helps me relax and take my mind off of this insane life that we chose for us. We suck at everything else so we knew we had to be musicians. Burned all of our bridges so we could never retreat and didn’t allow ourselves to have a backup plan. ‘Cause trust me, if I had a backup plan I would’ve taken it along time ago. So bring on the guff… We got nothing else.

The Midnight Ghost Train, Cold was the Ground (2015)

The Midnight Ghost Train on Thee Facebooks

The Midnight Ghost Train at Napalm Records