Tour Journals
March 2001

March 1, 2001
Pismo Beach, CA

GREAT DAY. Bottom line…say no more (except I will). Pismo Beach is really rad. We played at a church, and all of the people helping out were really nice. This guy Lance took Mojo (lead vocals, supertones), brian, and I to the beach around 1:00. Mojo got the idea (probably because it was windy and we were by a kite shop) that we should all go fly kites on the beach. We had an amazing time. Brian bought a N.W.O. wrestling kite with STING on it. Mojo picked up a Zelda kite, and I flew Zena the warior princess. Words cannot express the fun that was had while we attacked the sea gulls with our kites. The show was fun too. There was a balcony at the venue, and when everyone was jumping up and down the whole thing shook. It was amazing. There was this chick that we hung out with named Wendy, and she was really cool. She took us to Walmart, gave Dave a ride to the beach, and she was super nice. The only bummer of the day was that I messed up my ankle playing basketball. It swelled up really bad, and the next day I had to go to the hospital. Now I can't run around very much. Oh well, things like that happen sometimes. God bless you guys. Matty Thiessen

March 2, 2001
Yorba Linda, CA

Ahh…Orange County. A place of friends, family, and love. All the Pax 217 fellas showed up to the show, and it was so refreshing to see them again. (they were the first band we ever toured with, and they're like our california brothahs). Also, my good buddy Sonnie (from 5 iron frenzy) stopped by with his rad fiance, Claudia. My brother Jonathan (who I owe the inspiration for all my life long endevors) and his wife Tracey hung out with me the evening. So, after having a bad day at the hospital, seeing all these wonderful people totally painted a sincere smile on my face. The show was good, and I enjoyed every minute. Hope to see you soon. Peace. (happy birthday Elwyn) Matty Thiessen.

March 3, 2001
Dublin, CA

Hi all… this is Scott the sound guy and I just want to tell you all whats up! California rocks. We're having such a good time out here. Today we were in Dublin which is kinda but not really between San Francisco and San Jose. All the bands went to this store called Lighthouse to do an instore. it's a cool store… if you're ever in this area I suggest checking it out. After that Dave, Matt Hoopes, and I hung out with Val from The W's. We went to Berkeley and checked out some cool stores and stuff. We got back just in time for a great Chinese food dinner and then the show. The show was great… once again all I have to say is you guys in California rock! Relient K kinda has this contest going every night while we are here in California. because the guys didn't think that people in California could get crazy and rock as hard as everyone on the east coast, but I must say they have been proven wrong. So far I think Fresno is the winner but after tonight I think Dublin just may have tied them. rock on! Oh yeah, watch out for the night manager at the Comfort Inn in Livermore, CA…. he just may come in your room while you are in the shower and tell you to leave…. Well we're now on our way to Redding, CA and I think I'll go to bed. hope to see you at a show near you… be sure to say hi. (this is thiessen giving a shout out to JON!) Have fun! Scott Cannon

March 4, 2001
Redding, CA

Well, it was super rainy and overcast today. It was one of those days that it seems like everything moves in slow motion, and its tough to get excited about stuff. I'm just gonna be honest and say I had a rough day today. It happens, I guess, so its important just to take the good with the bad. The show itself was good, although I wasn't really myself. "My brothers count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." James 1:2 Thanks guys, Matthew T.

March 5, 2001
Reno, NV

(no wait we didn't make it there because of a big snowstorm and we couldn't make it through the mountains) so we really were in….Sacramento, CA. Wow, unexpected day off! Something that can be both a good thing and a disappointing thing in the same respect. Sorry Reno kids. I was looking forward to the show, but it just didn't happen. Talks of a make-up show are in the works. We had a good time in Sac town today. All the guys in Relient K took off to go down town, but they forgot me at the hotel. (boo hoo… but at least they saw the back street boys' buses and a "absurd herd" of screaming chickadees) I, on the other hand, hung out with switchfoot and had a marvelous time. Those guys are the nicest buds in the world. We went to a pizza place, and I played a few Journey songs on the juke box. It was one of those blissful moments you just want to freeze frame and put in a scrapbook. Buy the new Switchfoot record. Love you guys…Matthew T-son.

March 6, 2001
Elk Grove, CA

um…our battery charger for our laptop got stepped on in the bus, and we just fixed it today. Thus being the reason that our tour diary updates have fallen behind. Thank God for Scott Cannon the fix-it man. I wish he was a professional wrestler. Anyways…about today. I had a blast earlier today having a Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes jam session. Ethan Luck, from the Super T's, Brian Pittman and I made some terrific progress on our piano-based, heartache-riddled, pop-rock side project. I think we may be able to release our Christmas song for the Gotee Christmas record that's rumored to be happening this year. Dan Spencer, from the Super T's, was also playing a little trombone that totally took us to a new level. I finally got back on track with the Relient K show tonight. I had a blast, and my foot is almost better. I'm feeling really good. Jon, from Switchfoot, forgot to come on stage for his show tonight and it was totally funny. None of the guys knew what to think, but after a little worrying, it was all smiles and laughter. I am officially changing my name to Tork the pizza knife. Good day, Matty T-sun.

March 6, 2001
Elk Grove, CA - 11:00 pm

Brian was trimming his eyebrows, and he created a bald spot. At the risk of offending him I must say shaving a hole in your eyebrow has to be one of the funniest things I have ever seen. It looked like this… iiiIIIIII IIIIIIIIiii hahaha Brian. We love you.

March 7, 201
Salt Lake City, Utah

Welcome, all. Today was another day off. Refreshing and fun, it was enjoyed by everyone (I didn't intend for that to rhyme). We were in Salt Lake City today, and it was absolutely beautiful. My one and only problem with SLC is that I wish they would have called it Salt LICK City. That would be a lot funnier. I bet a lot of elk, deer, moose, and antelope would move there also. I visited 3 malls today. The first one was pretty close to where the bus was parked…it was nice. I bought a couple of CDs, and I was happy. After that excursion, Scott and I decided to try and find a movie theater. When we finally found it (a couple of miles and hours later) there was nothing we wanted to see. So, since we had walked so far we decided to take this train thingy into downtown Salt Lake. We were the only guys on the tour that got to go downtown, and I felt really special. When we got there we hit 2 more malls to find some food (it was then 7:00 and I hadn't eaten yet). We then walked around SLC looking at the rad buildings and Morman temples and stuff. The whole Morman influence is pretty heavy there, and its interesting to see temples and statues intertwined with sky scrapers, and shopping malls. Cool town. 'Night. Matty Thiessen

March 8, 2001
Grand Junction, CO

hey! so, right when we're ready to leave from SLC, we discover that our bus is not in working order. There was some junk jacked up in the transmission, and it was bad. So, we grabbed all the "definately must go to the show in Grand Junction" stuff, and tossed it on the semi truck and the supertones' bus. the crew (who normally resides on our bus) also jumped on the supertones' bus. the only thing not leaving for Grand J that night, was RELIENT K. OK, guys, we get the message. Actually, we were sure we were gonna get there, but the stuff had to go ahead so it could be set up before the show. It was a crazy night, and because we weren't done loading the bus/truck until 3 AM, I decided to drink a lot of caffine and stay up all night. So, I went to sleep around 9AM on the morning of the 8th. I suppose around 12 the bus started rolling again, but I didn't wake up until a few hours before it was time to play the show. It was a good, fun show, but security was too tight. The kids weren't even encouraged to breathe. 487 kids suffocated because of the policy. That was kinda sad. Peace. Thiessen

March 9, 2001
Denver, CO

WHOO HOO!!!! fun, fun, fun. What a great day. I woke up and got to play basketball all afternoon. (my ankle is a ton better *thanks to anyone who prayed for me). Then, I called Reese from Five Iron Frenzy, to see if those guys were coming to the show. Micah, Jeff, and Reese all came. They brought some cool friends too, like my bro Phil from New Hamshire. We had a fantastic time playing the show too. I yelled, "What's up 'Ring around the Colorado'!!!!!" And everyone said, "Not much, just standing here watching your band!" But they were going crazy, and all of us were having a super duper time. I also wrote a song about how ugly my outfit was (i was wearing olive green pants, a navy thermal shirt, and a bright yellow shirt on top of that. [the shirt says "burn some butter", and I don't know what that means]. I will leave you with the lyrics to that song...*any melody will work. "I had eggs for breakfast, and I said, 'those won't hatch.' then I saw what I was wearing, and I said, 'my clothes don't match!" thank you, thank you! Your friend, Matthew Arnold Thiessen.

March 13, 2001
Canton, OH

Well, we're home for a 2 week break. Before we start up the tour again, we're gonna be playing some more shows, so keep your eyes peeled for new shows (some are in PA, I think). I got to hang out with my Mom today, and my sister's home from college. Its a family day. I slept until 6:30 PM!!!!!!!!!!! I'm still all jacked up from that "Salt Lake City-up all night" incident. I hope I can sleep tonight. Dave flew to England to visit his girlfriend, and I'm sure he's having a good ol' time. Brian and I are hitting thrift stores tomorrow, and now this entry is getting really boring. Ok, I'm sure we'll check in agian soon. Later folks. Math Yew Teesuwn.

March 19, 2001
Canton, OH

Hey everyone. We're still taking our break, and everybody is doing well. EXCEPT...i'm bored out of my MIND!! I really miss playing shows. I mean, it's really good to have a break and all, but I don't have any hobbies. I think I'm gonna start picking up some hobbies. In English class, my teachers would always refer to hobbies as "pastimes". I hated that. "My favorite pastime is collecting stamps," said Alice. "Do you have a favorite pastime, Bradley?" HOW lame is that!? Who talks like that? I'm gonna learn how to cook. I'm gonna start buying cookbooks and ingredients, and I'm gonna make really good food. That sounds like a good, practical hobby. Flying kites is always fun too, but I'm not very successful in the area of not hurting other people. I went to Pittsburg last night and saw the Dashboard Confessional. They're an amazing band. (it's kinda just this guy, Chris, but he has two other guys play with him). The record comes out tomorrow, and it is absolutely wonderful (I bought it last night). They're playing at Purple Door music fest, so I'm really excited to see them again when we play. Brian and I are gonna go paint the town tonight, Dave is still in England, and Matt is somewhere with his girl (I'm absolutely sure of that). Rock on, and don't do drugs. Matthew Thiessen.

March 24, 2001
Fairfield, OH

Today was fun. We had a show all by ourselves in fairfield, OH. Its kinda close to cincinnati...and thats a great thing. Our friend Don showed up to run lights for us...he always comes to our southern OH shows and gives us a good light show for free...he's so rad. I had some Bob Evans meatloaf, and i wanted to throw up on stage for a colorful addition to our show. A kind fella also gave me a ring with pink hearts on it that glows in the dark. How crazy is that? After the show we created an army of robots to pack up all of our gear and take over the planet, Saturn. They turned on us and stole our van cause they thought she was cute. Later...Matthew T*suwn.

March 25, 2001
Canton, OH (dave, matt h, brian) Nashville, TN (matt t, scott)

blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, monkeys, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, love, matthew thiessen

March 26, 2001
Nashville, TN

i recorded some demos for matthew thiessen and the earthquakes today. we're playing a few shows this summer/fall, but not too much, cause we gotzta represent RK, yall. peace. MattT.

March 29, 2001
Columbus, OH

Ahhh...a beautiful thing happened today. A ton of heartfelt hugs and reuniting greetings were exchanged as once again relient K was brought together with the wonderful boys in the OC Supertones and Switchfoot. I am so stoked to be back on the road. I was also extatic to be reconnected with an old friend.... A man named Dale came back into our lives today. Dale works for EMD (the secular company that distributes our music). He met with us shortly before noon, and filled our hearts with happiness and love. First of all, he took us out for some food (and he covered the check). then, he hooked us up with these 1 hour game cards for this mega arcade called Game Works. We played free video games until our insides were about to explode with excitement. That would have been messy. then we went to this rad radio station called radio U. we did some TV stuff for their TV station called TV U. it was fun. The show was a great celebration because radio U was having a birthday party for their 5th birthday. It was also my sister, jessica's 19th b-day, but she couldn't come to the show cause she had a bunch of pre-med homework. happy B-day sis. Matthew Thiessen

March 30, 2001
Cleveland, OH

Wheeee!!!!!! What an amazing day!!! We played at an indoor AMUSEMENT PARK. how shweet is that? My day started early as i picked up my best friend in the whole world up at the airport at 9am ( i had to wake up early). My pal, maggie, flew in from chicago to spend the day with me. We hung out for a while at this crazy indoor mega-carnival thing. My older sister, sarah, had a B-day today. She turned 22. She's an old fart. The other guys in the band rode a bunch of rides all day, but i totally didn't get to cause i fell asleep, and i was slacking. The show was fun, and we got to see our buddies in Ancient of Days (We're touring with them a little in may-buy their CD). It was a late show, and we didn't get rolling till 4:30am. But, today went down as the absolute best day of my life to date...pretty crazy, eh? I'm tired, so I'm gonna go ahead and hit the sack with brass knuckles. Later. M@ thiessen

March 31, 2001
Lancaster, PA

Hello World Wide Web. This is Matthew Hoopes. The other matt. I haven't written too many of these tour diary thingys yet, but it seems like fun. Today we had a crazy show, but it was twice as crazy because we played 2 shows today. One of them was at 3 and one was at 8. I guess they did it because the later show had sold out about 2 weeks earlier. It was a long day, but when you only play 20 minute sets, it isn't too bad. It is almost like playing 1 full show. But anyway, I had some friends come - my friend Dave Van Buskirk from high school and also our friends Leah and her brother Tyler. I broke a guitar string during our first set and I had to use Ethan's telecaster. I bought some new running shoes over the break, I think I may try and use them tomorrow…God has really been teaching me a lot about patience lately and about how I don't know everything. Sometimes I just get to thinking that I have my whole life under control and it is weird how it is so hard for me to give things up to God. It is so strange how I think that I can have things more perfect than God could make them for me. But he loves us so much and it is hard to remember that. I feel like I have been trying to plan out my whole life and I just need to step back and realize that my life is not my own. Sorry to get so serious in a tour diary, I know these things are just for whatever, I don't really know what they are for I guess. Matt's brother Randy came to the show today. I hear he was once in the movie "Rudy" - pretty insane. Check ya later homies.
matthewHoopes