Samstag, 25. September 2010

One Tour down, .... tours to go

Hello,

I'm currently sitting in bed at Joel's parent's house in Fort Collins, CO. Tonight we will play our last show for this tour. It's hard to believe that this whole thing will be over in a matter of hours. I don't want to make a big deal out of this, so I'll just let you all know that the last leg of the tour has been wonderful. We've played in front of some pretty small audiences in our day, but none have received us as warmly as those here. I don't think any of us thought this first tour would go as well as it did. One thing is for sure: It wouldn't have gone half as well if it weren't for some key players who helped us prepare and others who helped us along the way. I would like to take this moment to thank the following people/bands/families/etc...:

Laura Daley (mom- for being a ruthless booking agent and more importantly a fierce friend), Phil Jamieson, Ben Hofmann, David and Lisa Boyd, Sam and Jamie Bott (and the Bolinder family), John and Katie Walt, Rich and Tiff Zuch, the countless people who let us crash on your floors over the last 3 weeks (!), Hannah Boyd, Sarah Boyd, Katrin Neubacher, Jake Neubacher, SYN Vodka, Caspian (dads- we love and miss you endlessly), Rosetta (you guys destroyed in Philly. Thank you!), Dreamtigers, Japanese Sunday, Community College, and all of the other bands we had the honor of sharing the stage with. Thanks to all of the people who bought our merch and in turn helped us donate more money to Charity:Water. We didn't quite reach our goal of $5000 but every little bit counts! I'm sure I've forgotten a lot of other people here, but these ones came to mind first. Again- thank you to everyone who made this tour possible. I thank God for this wonderful experience and for the ones to come in the future.

So, tonight we play our last show in Fort Collins. After that we are going to celebrate what has been a time of learning, a serious time of traveling, a time of missing, and most of all a time of fun. America- you have not seen the last of us...

blessings and love,

Matthew//LEHNEN

Dienstag, 21. September 2010

III

Friends,

Would it be a blog written by Matthew Jon Prokop if it didn't start off with an apology? Nope. So: Sorry for not keeping everyone up to date on how the tour is progressing! With that having been said, let us move on! Today's blog entry will be a bit shorter. I've tried recounting all of the things that have happened since our last entry, but quite a bit has happened since then; so much that I won't be able to recmember every single event. Again, I will last the highlights of the past week or so. ENGAGE!

New York City: Well, it was my first time in New York. Upon our arrival at Times Square, we were all giddy as little school children. All of those lights, the confetti, the sea of people walking around. It was cool....and then the chaos began to sink in. All of those taxis, annoying bike tour solicitors, dudes trying to sell us their amazing (yet unheard by the majority of...well, anyone, really) rap CDs, etc, etc... It was a bit much for my personal taste. Joel, Phill, and I ended up napping in Central Park for a while Martin and Stefan spent time cuddling with their wives/girlfriends. After that, we headed out to LitLounge. The show was not all too poorly attended. The sound could've been better, and I can't say I enjoyed the bath-house atmosphere one had to put up with in the venue, but in the end, we had a great time! It was such a unique experience getting to play for an American audience with some of our friends from home strewn into the crowd. It was also Stefan's birthday, so I don't think we'll be forgetting that night. :) All in all, a worthwhile night. Nonetheless, NYC was too busy for us, so we made our way to Boston...

Boston: Joel and I had the opportunity to reconnect with a few close friends, which was really good for everyone. The Austrian half of Lehnen went downtown and played "tourist" while Joel, Phill, and I had the day off to relax and take care of a few errands. Before heading out to the show that night, our friend, Katrin, hopped into the van with us to make another stop at NICK'S FAMOUS ROAST BEEF. If you ever hit up the North Shore in MA, you need to eat at Nick's. Don't ask why. Just go. Your life will be chaneged. Forever. After that and a quick stop at the beach, we went and played one of our favorite shows of the tour. Boston/the North Shore of MA will forever be one of my (Matthew's) favorite places in the world. Awesome.

Toronto: We had originally planned to go through Canada in order to see Caspian play. Upon our arrival, we ended up getting a phone call from our friend, Laura (a.k.a. "mom"). She had found us a bar with a stage that was open to letting us play a very short-notice, spontaneous show. In the end, there were about 6 people there. Sounds lame, but we still had a blast. Those 6 people loved the hell out of our show and half of them ended up cruising over to Soybomb with us in order to see Caspian finish their set. Naturally, I ended up playing the end of "Sycamore" with them for (appr.) the 6th time, and after their show was over, the best aftershow party of anyone's tour began. I don't want to go into a lot of detail, but you know it's good when everyone goes to bed at 6am and ends up sleeping together in a mini-ramp. Yup. Awesome.

Mt. Pleasant, MI: Just kidding! We had to cancel this show. Thanks, American Border Patrol for scaring the shit out of us for 3 hours and nearly banning Martin and Stefan from the US for 5 years! You are too kind! In the end, however, we got to spend the night at Sam and Jamie Bott's parents' house (Sam and Jamie were teachers of Joel, Phill, and mine in High School). I cannot express how kind and generous these people are. We were treated like kings in their home, and after a truly frightening experience with our Homeland Security officers at the border, that was precisely what we needed to lift our spirits. To Sam, Jamie, and the Bolinder family: MANY thanks and even more blessings to you and your family. It was an honor staying with you.

Chicago (#2): The show at Elbo Room in Chicago was definitely not as well attended as we'd all hoped it would be. Nonetheless, a good handful of people from our show at Angels & Kings ended up coming to see us play again. They brought friends, too, and there were some in attendance who were definitely worth playing for. Also, we got to link up with Mom again. After the show, she and her boyfriend introduced us (formerly and ignorantly blissful...) kids to "Jersey Shore". I once read that Junius (friends of ours from Boston) were "one more good reason NOT to bomb America". Jersey Shore is the opposite. Addicting? Yes. Still, this show is everything that is wrong with humanity.

Madison, WI: Mom spent numerous hours the next day making phone calls and trying to see if she couldn't find us a decent place to play at en route to Minneapolis. As usual, she was successful, and we hit the road! We pulled up in front a restaurant/bar called Alchemy. None of us were entirely sure what to make of the place. We were pretty sure everyone there would flee the premises half-way through "What Is In The Air". We couldn't have been more wrong. Though there were only about 25-30 people there, the response was huge, and we spent a good amount of time getting to meet, sign CDs for, and trading information with the kind people of Madison. It was easily one of our favorite shows of the tour. After we loaded out, we unfortunately had to say goodbye to Mom. It doesn't happen very often that someone you've known for a total of 5 days ends up becoming a truly dear friend of yours. Laura (Mom) is one of these exceptions. We have not seen the last of each other. Not by a long shot.

So, today, we make our way to Minneapolis. We'll be sitting in an airplane in exactly one week. Homebound at last. The things you learn on tour...Well, I'll tell you when this one's over. Until then, keep us in your hearts and prayers.

love,
Matthew//LEHNEN

Donnerstag, 9. September 2010

II

Friends,

So, blog-updates aren't coming along as often as I (and maybe you) had hoped they would. Suffice it to say we are keeping very busy. I am just going to give you a brief run-down of how the last few shows went and what we have to look forward to. So, let's begin!

These last three days we played in Austin TX, Hot Springs AR, Nashville TN, and Chicago IL. Yup- LONG drives. They sucked. All in all, though, well worth it. We met some incredibly nice people who supported us those nights and expressed interest in supporting us in the future. So far the crowds we have been playing in front of...well, can't really be called "crowds". Nonetheless, those who are at the shows really dig it. It's so much different here than it is in Europe. We are definitely starting over again. Nobody knows who we are, so every night is a unique experience with regards to watching the audiences in their response to our jams. It's a great opportunity for learning how to be open-minded. There is literally no room for expectations, so the best we can do at this point is take the stage with humility, play as skillfully as we can, and have fun. It's refreshing, really.

So far, the two highlights of this tour have been playing in Nashville and Chicago. Frank Sass, the soundguy at the Rutledge in Nashville, is hands-down one of the coolest soundguys EVER. He was very patient, hilarious, and incredibly skilled. We have great mutual respect for what we do, and I think we'll be visiting that venue again next time. We also had the chance to reunite with some close friends of ours. Saying goodbye the next morning was a big low-point for me. Chicago at Angels & Kings: That show was RIDICULOUS! This place had a massive screen and a dope projector which projected Stefan's visuals all over us, and it just looked amazing. Our dear friend, Laura Daley (without whom this tour would not be happening), shot some great footage of "Coma" and one of the two new songs we're playing over here, "Home". You'll be seeing some of that footage very soon. After our show, we had the pleasure of watching Community College play. Those dudes make some of the most intricate music I have ever heard, and it works so well in the live setting. We traded CDs, so I'm pumped to give them a listen in the van. Check them out! After the show, we finally had the opportunity to load out in a relaxed fashion and just have fun. We drove out to Laura's mom's place (which is massive and just cozy in every way imaginable) and just laughed for about 4 hours straight. Twas a good night.

So, tonight we head out to Lafayette IN to play The Muse. Laura managed to get some more shows booked for us, so our first and one of the few breaks we'll get will be in New York City on the 13th. 11 shows back to back for the first half of the tour. Tiring but awesome for sure! Anyways, pictures and videos will follow shortly!

much love,
Matthew//LEHNEN

Sonntag, 5. September 2010

September 4th

hey everyone!

we have been having a great start to the tour! the support we are getting is blowing my mind.

Thanks to everyone who has come out to see us play! We are super excited about the coming dates.

Cheers, joel

Freitag, 3. September 2010

I

Friends,

Where to begin, where to begin?
I don't know how to describe the truly magical things that are going on right now. On one hand, I, Matthew, am in a position I have never been in: on the road, driving through endless desert, showing up to concerts with (sometimes) no places to stay, etc... It's a bit unnerving to be entirely honest. On the other hand, we are FINALLY doing something we have been wanting to do ever since Lehnen's conception. Not only are we on the road now playing a minimum of 18 shows, but we have people who are supporting us all over the place. I cannot describe with words how grateful we are for the help we have received from certain people, even financially. Lehnen are truly blessed. I am not so naive to believe that every trip and every show are going to be amazing, but this tour is already turning out to be worth it. Damn... I'm getting emotional right now as I write this. Okay- enough sentimental crap.

CO Springs at the Rocket Room: We played first in front of a good handful of people- all of which were as curious to see what this little Austrian band could do as we were to see what playing in the US was like. We had the most technical difficulties at this show I think we have EVER had at any show, but we still gave it our best and had a blast. The people seemed to enjoy it quite a bit, too! Those who were there during our soundcheck were mad at us for stopping after soundchecking "Coma". All in all, it was a great night! The other bands - Tango Red & Birds and Batteries - were both great muscially and truly sincere and kind people. After the show was over, we all piled into a motel room (after checking in at the front desk with an employee who needed a nap more than anyone else in the world....slowest dude EVER, I swear.... but friendly enough).

Amarillo TX at the 806: Small little cafe place with great vibes, wonderful tunes, and what smelled like amazing bagles. Too bad I was too nervous to eat anything. We set up and did our thing for about 45 minutes. There weren't all too many people there, and it was hard to tell whether those who were there actually enjoyed us or not. I guess they were as nervous about clapping as we were about playing. All in all, though, it was a great night. The merch booth was visited by most of the people who came to see us, and there was even a group of very enthusiastic attendees who are now planning to drive 6 hours to Denton TX to see us again tonight. Yeah- no comment other than "amazing!!!".

Denton TX at The Boiler Room: Well, this show was POORLY attended. One could easily pack 5-600 people in that place, and the sound was fantastic, too. Unfortunately, it was just the wrong night to play there. The one thing that was really encouraging about that night was that two guys from Amarillo drove 6 hours to Denton to see us again! Wow. Anyways...you win some, you lose some.

Tonight we're playing at Red 7 in Austin TX. This has great potential for being one for the books. Keep your fingers crossed! We'll be putting up more pictures and videos from time to time. Until then, take care and kiss our dearly missed Austrian soil for us from time to time. Au revoir,

Matthew//LEHNEN

Donnerstag, 2. September 2010

Lehnen USA Tour 2010

In a few minutes, we are leaving on our very first tour of the USA. Here are the upcoming dates:

Sep 2 The Rocket Room, Colorado Springs, CO
Sep 3 The 806 Coffee + Lounge, Amarillo, TX
Sep 4 The Boiler Room, Denton, TX
Sep 5 Red 7, Austin, TX
Sep 6 Maxine's, Hot Springs, AR
Sep 7 The Rutledge, Nashville, TN
Sep 8 Longbranch Saloon, Knoxville, TN
Sep 11 Northstar bar, Philadelphia, PA
Sep 12 Millhill Basement, Trenton, NJ
Sep 14 Lit Lounge, New York, NY
Sep 16 PA's Lounge, Somerville, MA
Sep 18 Justice Records, Mt. Pleasant, MI
Sep 19 The Elbo Room, Chicago, IL
Sep 21 The Sauce, Minneapolis, MN
Sep 22 Salt Water Taffy House, Kansas City, MO
Sep 23 Rock Island Live, Wichita, KS
Sep 24 Lions Lair, Denver, CO
Sep 25 Everyday Joe's, Fort Collins, CO


I hope we will see you there! More Updates will be added in the next few weeks.

Cheers, joel///LEHNEN

more info at http://www.myspace.com/lehnen and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lehnen/21628864904