Conrad's Christmas Card

Killing Moon

Memphis, TN

The circle the past two weeks was:
Memphis, TN --> McComb, Tx --> New Orleans, LA --> Baton Rouge, LA --> Houston, TX - Austin, TX --> Austin, TX --> AUSTIN, TX --> Memphis, MS

The Swedes (Robert + Gustav) and Memphis (Spencer) has gone from place to place at a quite rapid speed and Memphis has driven a looooot of miles. This guy is a machine and we are taking him home to Europe with us. You won't find drivers like that back home. "10 hours? That's nothing!". We've been a good team.

//////////New Orleans/////////
Gleaming stars. Tired eyes, overcoats and hats. Down I-55. Forward, it's an embrace now. Tilt your head and squint your eyes. The boy in the backseat picturing how a skyline would taste. Today, the gaze is fixed on signs and dotted lines. Patterns lighted with purple beams. Smelling delta lights, tingling down my neck. Close to the core, the heart. About time we meet, New Orleans. I stand with your mud on my feet. Eyes of crystal, I knew you'd be here.
//////////////////////////////

Poet John Lambert greets us. He lives right in French Quarter. Tells us to write on his walls, swing on his swing or challenge him at chess, a chessboard with three levels. He plays us gypsy music and we go out for drinks. I tell him about Swedish poets. I want him to get to know Tranströmer. Robert thinks he should get to know Stagnelius. John Lambert gives Spencer books and tells him: "That's what they are for". John Lambert will never publish. If someone wants his poetry he might rip out a page from his notebook and give it to them. In his will, he states that all his writings are to be burn by his friend when he dies. Katrina couldn't scare him away from New Orleans.

Claire and Jeremy work in the film industry. They invite us to a wrap party in Baton Rouge where they just finished filming 'Battlefield', starring Alexander Skarsgård and Rihanna. Oh lord. The bar was wide open and food everywhere. Claire and Jeremy is now family. Not because of the party but because they are awesome. Also, it helps that Jeremy got to burn down the court house in his hometown Shreveport when making True Blood. There's something beautiful about that.

On the way to Austin we stopped in Houston TX to visit Spencer's friend Kielan. Two good days, listening to records and finishing new song 'Scarlett'. We wanted to write something new for Daytrotter Sessions in Austin. We were lucky to get a rest in between New Orleans and Austin, because we were going to need all the strength…

//////////Austin/////////
Now draw the lines. Halo hearts, hear the sound. Retrace those butterflies. Don't let me fall asleep. Watery eyes. Fixed on every move. It's tattooed on lips. No need to be talked to. Youthful morning. listen, Austin. I woke and I wanted. You, I will not complete. Halo heart, I hope you stay long enough. I hope you laugh loud enough. I will make my way back.
//////////////////////////////

We came to Austin planning to play Cheer Up Charlie's and record for Daytrotter. As soon as we drove into this city, things kept coming. When we left, we had also played Balcony TV, Fado's and The Ghost Room, met many many beautiful souls, discovered a treehouse and learned a lot about Norway.. Also, my new favorite band is now UME. jeez. Their show at Emo's.. legendary stuff.. Oh the Austin family, we'll miss you…

//////////////////////////////

Our Memphis family has invited us back for Korean Christmas. A few days of rest and holidays with perfect friends.. Then we start driving back west. Next stop: Grapevine, TX Dec 29th.  /G  

CASE CONRAD

Holy land

McComb, MS

Today I woke up in Mississippi, Delta land. Today I feel like I am a long way from home. This is where Robert Johnson himself sold his soul to the devil. Here is the Jackson that Johnny Cash was singing about. Names like Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Tammy Wynette…even Elvis Presley was born here before moving to Memphis. This is one powerful state. Lucky is still sleeping and I am sipping cup after cup of coffee, working on a new tune. Everything as it should be. Today I woke up in Matt and Sara's house in McComb, MS. This lovely people invited us yesterday to play a bonfire show in their backyard. But.. I need to start from Nashville..

After leaving our lovely friends Eileen Rose and Rich Gilbert in Nashville we took a greyhound to Memphis. And from that first step into that terminal, new friendships were rapidly developing. Leo picked us up, drove us to Stash House where we played a show, met Michaela Caitlin and a bunch of other awesome people. Also playing that night was Joshua Cosby (Star & Micey) and Jesse Davis. Me and Josh talked for a long time and connected on a level that i can't explain. Suddenly he told me he wanted to give me his first guitar. Cracked up and beautiful with a picture of his dad on it and Abe Lincoln, who Josh shares his birthday with. It was one moving night and I felt like Bob Dylan when Johnny Cash gave him his guitar...

Susan Dalton is our Memphis hero who got all this started, took us into her house and set us up with the Stash house show. That way we also met Vania and Spencer. We all had a beautiful time hanging out in Memphis, went down to the Mississippi River and threw in a stone for Jeff Buckley.    When we had to leave to go south Spencer, Vania and Leo decided to join us! So we all went roadtripping down through Mississippi yesterday. I am overwhelmed with all these people who wants to take part in whatever us Swedes are trying to do.

Next stop: New Orleans.

/G

Roadtripping through Mississippi

Powerful. Holy.

Bonfire show in McComb, MS

Honky-tonkin.....

Writing from Nashville while sipping on some good old Tennessee bourbon, Eileen Rose (our host) is performing at one of the legendary downtown honky-tonks tonight,  that´s where all the hardcore country musicians spend their time when not on tour, her drummer played with some of the greatest like Merle Haggard and Lorretta Lynn and every now and then one of the big stars shows up and sits in with the band for a couple of tunes, really excited about it, too bad her boyfriend Rich "Legendary" Gilbert won´t be able to play with them tonight since he´s doin a video shoot with Wanda Jackson!!

Last week has been quite hazy and hectic cause of traveling and playing shows almost everyday we´ve been to Washington D.C., Fredricksburg VA, Charlotte NC, Greenville NC, Asheville NC and we arrived here yesterday and played a crowded dive bar….. good times….

Hell! you really notice that we´re getting further down in the south when you see the "No guns allowed" signs in bars and you realize it´s no joke……. people actually wear them onstage…. /L

Article in The Dadada

http://thedadada.wordpress.com/2010/12/01/american-road-revival/

Hitchhiker's guide to Charlotte, NC

So, we are in Charlotte, NC. Just had a big breakfast with our dear friends Don, Laurie and Dana Koster - this rock n roll family IS the Charlotte music scene. At least what i have seen so far. Browns and Panthers are playing and our host, who moved to Charlotte from Cleveland, is rooting for both teams..  

We made some miles this week, Boston to Charlotte, North Carolina, thanks to some excellent people. To start where Lucky ended in the previous post, we played a full-band show in Boston. Thank you Nick and Harrison. We were also happy we got to hangout with the Tallahassee boys one last time before before we went to see Boy Without God play an awesome show at The Middle East.

The main character this week has been Anna Fish. We met during a Friendsgiving party and she offered to give us a ride to DC. We spent a night at her mother's house before we went to Dave and Elise's house to celebrate Thanksgiving and play a show at their house. Unfortunately I fell asleep and lost the game of Scrabble. 

Since we can't buy a car and since we haven't met anyone yet who wants to join us on the road trip, me and Robert both got greyhound passes…..everyone is telling us not to go with greyhound but right now we don't have much choice..although we didn't have to use it yet… Lovely Anna Fish decided to come with us to Fredericksburg, VA and sing harmonies. It's been a week with many surprises, for sure. From Fredericksburg we got a ride with our new friends in Friction Farm to Charlotte. So…Boston to Charlotte was quick and intense.
  
Today I am going guitar shopping, we got a guitar for Lucky but I am still looking..hm..thinking about playing a Bob Hund cover next show…have a few new songs in my head…already planning a USA full band tour next year…. been listening to the band Tulsa and the book East of Eden...we made a lot of excellent new friends this week.     


/G

Balcony TV - New York City

Balcony TV - New York

Tour Journal #4: From Bed-Stuy to Winter Hills

From Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, where sirens and loud hiphop echoes throughout the day and the lovely smell of BBQ is all over the place to quiet suburb Winter Hills, Boston.

Last week in NY was really cool, we performed a song for balcony TV on the rooftop of a Manhattan skyscraper in the afternoon, needless to say the view from up their was quite amazing. We played a venue called Bar 4 in Brooklyn with the band Aunt Martha, groovy dudes, lovely music.

Paid a visit to Brooklyn Bowl, a classic american diner place with concerts and bowling.... The Beets with that irresistible couldn't care less attitude and a couple of really good tunes got me hooked, really recommend it.....  Crystal Stilts were even better, the perfect combination of noise and pure rock&roll.... and they played a Gun Club tune.... hauntingly Jeffrey Lee Pierce like.... that's about all it takes to get me in the right mood at a concert or a club.....

So after lots of endless nights in running 'round Brooklyn it feels good to be in a quieter place. Spent the weekend at Nics and Lucys house in Winter Hills, they arranged a living room show with four bands including Case Conrad, saturday we had a little jam session with Nic on the double-bass and as the evening sky grew dark we headed over to a friendsgiving party with a lovable crowd of artists and musicians, great party which ended with Neutral Milk Hotel songs by the bonfire in the backyard....

Tonight we play at the Hallway Gallery (/w Tallahassee + Mister Sister) as a four-piece band with Nic on double-bass and his friend Harrison on drums....  looking forward to it!

/L

Tour Journal #3: 'Bad guys don't eat pizza'

This morning we were walking around Williamsburg and a young boy looked at his mother with a skeptical look: 'But..bad guys don't eat pizza!' The mother answered with a serious voice: 'Well, of course they do. Everybody likes pizza.'

We are still in New York City and the city seems to open up more and more for every day. We are currently living in Brooklyn at our friends guesthouse, Alina and Joe. Yesterday, they invited us to play a show here and so we did. To spice it up, Robert made tapas for everybody. We are discussing that it could be a Case Conrad tour plan, I would drive and Robert cooking inside the truck. Songs and food, they blend well. Maybe it could take us to San Francisco.

Heading for a film festival tonight with live music and open bar. Alyson showed us around Chinatown and the High Line today, I am still flying after that Dim Sum.

/G

First impressions of New York

Sell Sell

/L

Tour Journal #2

New York City, 21.34

So, 50% of Case Conrad has reached New York City. Staying at "old" friends Erica and Josh's apartment in Queens at the moment. Had our first show yesterday at Living Room. Spend the first two days here, hunting for guitars. must have been in almost all decent guitar shops in manhattan and brooklyn. even found places where they don't even have a sign in the window, you just buzz on the door and walk up to the attic where they keep all kinds of really really expensive guitars. . . couldn't afford it, not even close, so we blushed and went back out on the street.. . .a street where i was convinced we would get shot. A classic The Wire scene. Anyway, we experienced that it's hard to find a vintage guitar with character when you don't have any money...but somehow we worked it out so Robbie got a guitar to play one hour before showtime. i'll try to get a picture of it soon so you guys can see it. it's pretty amazing, from 64 i think. . . but during the show i learned that the mic in my guitar is a bit broken so now i want a guitar as well . . . well . . . tomorrow we play another New York show, at Rockwood Music Hall. A venue i played years ago with Helena Arlock. Will be nice to return. If you know anyone in the big city, we go on at 8pm, free entrance. /G

Tour Journal #1

Helsingborg, Sweden,  10.38

Just got back to Sweden after one week in Hamburg. Thank you Sweet Home crew: Anne and Frances - you are in our hearts. Also to Uncle Meat & the Highway Children + The Yossarians for playing and drinking with us. Ah, these British..

Wednesday, me and guitarist Robert Johnson will fly to New York to start a tour that will probably last 4 months. First show at The Living Room on Friday. We will travel coast to coast - New York to San Francisco through the south. If you got friends, venues or anything else you want us to get in touch with - let us know. You can just write us here or at caseconradmusic@gmail.com. And IF we survive, we'll move on down to Mexico in February.

Our first album 'Dew Point' is finally out. . . we are looking for more videos, if anyone got a idea for a song, make a video and we post it here and everywhere.

ta-ta and talk to you soon.
Gustav.