I honestly can’t remember how we sounded that night.  I know we had a great time, and it strongly affected the directions of all our lives.  It wasn’t long after that night and we were fortunate enough to record an album together.  Then, we fullfilled long held dreams by criss-crossing the nation, sharing our passion with an incredible variety of characters, crazies, and very fine folks. 

There are a few ways the success of a band is commonly judged.  Are you famous?  Are you rich?  Have high school kids begun to dress like you?  Well, we certainly aren’t famous, and splurging on a fancy dinner means deli meat over pressed ham product (water added).  We are unaware of any high shoolers running off to purchase Ariat boots or used pearl button shirts.  In fact, there are liklely adolescents mocking our wardrobe and sheer linear feet of hair at this very moment.  But, then, how can you take some punk wearing his little sister’s jeans and multicolored neon shoe laces seriously?  The fact is we feel successful just to still be doing what we are doing – playing music together.

Yesterday, Joe and I sat down to dinner and beers.  As the distance between the foamy heads of our IPA’s and the bottom of our glasses lessened, we began talking about how much support we’ve been given… all the people that have helped us out over the past three years.  People like Leslie who will drive hours to see us play and always brings us a huge batch of homemade cookies, or Katie and Brett in Austin that let eight rock and rollers turn their backyard into a campsite for a week, our families whose encouragement and help have sustained us, Sue and Doug in New Jersey who gave us a little feeling of home when we were thousands of miles from our own, our significant others who don’t see us for weeks or even months and are still excited when we finally show up (often with 4 guys in tow begging for couch space), the hard-cores up on Chinook Pass and the Nile Valley that love our music and inspire us to keep making it, the cities of Yakima, Selah, Seeley, and Big Sandy for accepting us for who we are and urge us to keep going.  This list could go on for miles, and I’m tempted to make that happen.  It is a shame to neglect any one person.  You know who you are, and we sincerely appreciate your support and think of you often.  We are a band of five that seems to stand on the legs of a thousand.
 
So, this Friday, we return to where it all started for CBC – The Nectar Lounge.  We will be kicking off Northwest Lovefest and celebrating the connection between community and art. Truly, we couldn’t imagine a better cause.

Thank You,
Aaron

*Presale tickets for Friday’s show at Nectar can be found at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/e/221598.

Someone says, “Man, I’m starving.  What time is it?”  We all look up at each other cluelessly, and ten eyes drift to the clock.  It is 1:30 AM.  We just prepared a full-course, sit-down meal at 1:30 in the morning.  After a moment of silence that is almost a respectful mourning for our distant selves that kept things like regular hours and long term addresses, we erupt into a welcome, decompressing bout of laughter.  Who cares if we get lost in what we’re doing and lose track of time?  We eat and serve each other massive helpings of banter and bull shit.  Then, we get back to work…  This is how we are proceeding with the task of writing the songs for our next album.

Though the songs we have written thus far are still in rough form and extremely eclectic, I am starting to sense some of the common themes.  This new music seems to serve as our reflection, and we get to study it to discover nuances about our selves we didn’t necessarily understand before we voiced them.  Part of what I hear is an understanding and a respect that the past year of touring and depending on each other must have galvanized amongst us.  It is a giving sort of respect that creates space for us to intently listen to each other, and it is an unspoken understanding resulting in an essential freedom to openly express and create.

I can’t presume to know the outcome of what all this will be, and (as They say) talking about music is like dancing about architecture, so trying to describe what it sounds like is pointless.  I can only say that I am inspired by the attitude of our little tribe, and I am thankful for the atmosphere surrounding this opportunity to make music together.

-Aaron

Hello again!
Sorry it’s been so long since our last post! We feel so lucky to have been able to travel the country for the past year, seeing 30 states, playing 112 shows to date so far, meeting a ton of new inspiring people along the way. After an incredible summer on the road, we are back in Washington, re-energizing and writing new music for an album we hope to release in Spring 2012….. well, if all goes as planned. That being said, we have a lot of work ahead of us! So, we have holed up in Central Washington for a few months, built a small demo recording studio, and have been focusing our attention on our next plan of attack…. well, and a little fishing while we’re here!

Naches River

In the past, Ty did most of the blog posting and did an excellent job. But, since he won’t be around to keep everyone in the loop, we’ve decided to all take turns writing posts from now on. So, about once a week, we’ll have a new write-up from one of the Crooks….. should be mildy entertaining at the very least! Personally, I can’t wait to see what the guys come up with! Joe may do a post about the best microbrews we’ve found along our travels; Aaron may delve into his past month in Montana driving grain truck; Chris may give a little insight to his point of view each night from the back of the stage; Eric may even let you in on his best beef jerky recipe….. who knows!

Most importantly, I just wanted to say that although this past summer has had its share of ups and downs for the Crooks, the remaining five of us are more committed and excited about our future than ever. Although it seemed very difficult to make sense at first of some of the things that shook our foundation, I feel that it has made us stronger as a group. After talking with the rest of the guys, I know for a fact that we are all in it for the right reasons….. to make good music and hopefully help some people along the way if possible. As long as we can accomplish this, we’re a success in my book. Anything else is just gravy.

Thanks for the support!

New Year's Eve - Seattle, WA

Cody

Dec 17 - Yakima, WA

After playing Taos, New Mexico, we made our way to L.A.  And before I talk about the City of Angels, I want to take a brief moment to thank all of our new friends in Taos who came out to the show at the Taos Inn and Adobe Bar; what a night!

Well, we’re back!  It’s been about 5 months since we last played in the great state of California and it’s still everything we remember it to be; sunny, hot, pretty people, and a lot of music lovers!  We arrived into the beautiful neighborhood of Englewood at about 4a.m. last Thursday morning.  Once again, we stayed at Chris’ Uncle’s apartment, The Heights, where we seem to have become local visiting celebrities.  We played at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood Thursday night and had a great response.  Not only did we have old friends show up (great to see you Austin, Ian, Renae, and friends), but we also had the opportunity to meet new ones.

The next day, after sleeping in, we were off to Warner Bros. Records to meet with our friend Austin Hendrix.  We got our own personal tour of the studios and offices.  Thanks again Austin!  Next, we had dinner plans with our friend Maria.  It was at a fancy burger joint and I’m pretty sure Joe and I had one of, if not the best, burgers of our lives.  Later

that night our dear friend Yuki drove down from Fresno to accompany us for a few days.  Yuki is awesome!

The next few days were relaxing, but eventful.  Not only did we have the opportunity to hang out with Chris’ family and join in on Grandma Adrielle’s birthday pool party, but we also got to camp on the coast and drive up the scenic Highway 101.

Tonight we play at the Sonoma County Fair.  Tomorrow camping in the Redwoods!

-Ty

One thing’s for sure, The Crooks love Colorado!  We had an amazing time in Colorado Springs, Denver, and Fort Collins!  Thanks to everyone who shared these good times with us!  We also had the opportunity to play with Angie Stevens and The Beautiful Wreck!  If you ever get the chance, please check them out!

Being in a touring band is an interesting and exciting way of life, but it also comes with sacrifice.  One must accept the fact that you will be traveling in a van for eight, twelve, possibly even seventeen hours per day with the same five other poeple.  Most of the time you won’t know where, if at all, you’ll be sleeping each night.  Your friends and significant others won’t see you for months at a time.  And lastly, your diet will be unorthodox to say the least and most likely very off putting to most “normal” individuals; one of our personal favorites for this tour: chicken cans!  With all of these factors considered, you can begin to evaluate if this is the life for you.

After chewing on and digesting the lifestyle that comes along with being in a touring rock band, you can then begin to enjoy its fruits.  You have the opportunity to see new sights and visit every state in our country.  You are able to meet new and interesting people with every stop the van makes.  You have the option of making lifelong memories.  You might even have the opportunity to change someone for the better with the healing powers of music (my personal favorite).

I want to take this time to give some recognition where it’s deserved…If y’all didn’t know already, Eric happens to be the genius behind all of our photos and videos while we’re on the road.  So, thanks Eric for being you; a great friend, an amazing photographer, and an OK bassist!

“You only live once” is a popular term we hear being thrown around from time to time.  Whether this is true or not, I believe it’s important to live life to the most of your ability.  For some, that’s playing music around the world.  For others, gardening, farming, or running marathons.  Whatever it is, I encourage you to do it.

See ya on down the trail!

-Ty

On our drive into The Big Apple we quickly realized how difficult and expensive it actually is to drive a twelve-passenger van and trailer into the city.  After maneuvering through traffic and almost getting assaulted by a smug, aggressive New York driver we had finally made it to the Holland Tunnel.  After twenty minutes of waiting in line, we had finally reached the teller.  ”You can’t bring that trailer through here,” she said.  Well, @#$%…now what.  She contacted a large, tattooed NY Policeman who rerouted us to find the Lincoln Tunnel; apparently this tunnel accepts vans with trailers.

After finally making our way into the city we now had to deal with the traffic that comes along with it.  Both of our gigs were in Greenwich Village, where finding a decent parking spot in the proximity of the venue was a challenge.  Keeping our eyes peeled for civilians stepping out in front of us, we had a standoff with a jogger.  Cody braked, then gassed, then braked again.  The polite jogger gave us a smile and wave and motioned for us to ‘go ahead.’  ”Dude, it’s Christian Slater!” Cody said, as we drove past him.  ”No, that’s Ethan Hawke!”  No joke, we actually had a run in with the actor Ethan Hawke while he was out for a jog!  Wow!  If you’re not familiar with Mr. Hawke he has starred in such films as: Dead Poets Society, White Fang, Hamlet, and Training Day.

After finding our way around the busy metropolis we pulled up to our first venue.  Kenny’s Castaways is a unique venue with a bar that has been there since 1962.  We played a fun set with several attentive listeners.  The gig was a music Showcase put on by a company called Music Gorilla and had an A&R Representative from Columbia Records in attendance.  After playing, we quickly wrapped up our gear to get to the next gig.  The heat was on!  Because our van was parked in such a convenient location, our friends Lawrence and Alexia, who also happen to be the owners of Music Gorilla, offered their vehicle for us to use.   So, Cody and Eric drove our gear, Greg, Aaron, and Chris flagged a cab, while Joe and I had a brisk ten block walk.  We made it right on time.

The next gig: The National Underground at 10pm.  Unfortunately, we could barely hear anything on stage.  Regardless of this misfortune, we still played our hearts out.  We even had a friend in the audience from Wenatchee, WA.  Great seeing you Ali!

Of course we finished the night off with some NYC pizza slices before getting on the road to our hotel across the water in Jersey.  What a night!

Next stop: Washington D.C. @ Bloombars

-Ty

The next morning we were greeted with a big breakfast and then were off to Newark, Delaware.  The drive couldn’t have gone better.  We were greeted with sunshine and rolling hills of deciduous forests.  It was awesome.  We really hope to return in the fall to see those trees in their autumn colors.

During the drive I had been charging my phone in the front of the van.  Upon our arrival I unplugged it only to find six missed calls from my fiance’, Mo and her mother.  ”Holy %^&! I hope everything’s alright!”  I called the both of them back only to find out that Mo’s half brother lives in Newark!  I couldn’t believe it.  Carlos and his wife Amy even invited the band to crash at their house for the night…a big expense-saver for us!  The early evening was going great.  They took me out to dinner and I was able to get to know them better.  The night couldn’t have been going better until I found out that Mo’s other brother Danny and his wife Karice were driving up from Baltimore to see the show! Karice is 8 months pregnant, what a trooper! Next time you think you are too tired to come out to a show, think of  Karice!!

So it turns out that Delaware, the first state to ratify the American Constitution, is also one of the first places to visit if you are ever out east.  It’s a beautiful place with intriguing people and copious amounts of diversity. The Crooks will be sad to leave.

Next Show: Mojo 13 Wilmington, Delaware 10 pm Thursday, July 14th

-Ty

Considering the mouthful of memories as well as the 3500 miles we have accumulated on our odometer thus far, I’ll just get us all caught up to where we are now.  And then, I promise to keep the posts rolling in as we roll across the East Coast and beyond.

We started the tour off in Yakima, WA where we played for some old friends at the Yakima Arboretum.  It was an awesome evening and somewhat of a class reunion for a few of us.  The next morning it was up and at ‘em with a drive down to Sun River, Oregon to perform at a wedding.  The wedding performance was unlike any other gig we have done.  Not only were we the main entertainment at the Reception, but Aaron and Greg held down the Processional and Recessional with some easy listening.  I had the pleasure of being the M.C. for the night, announcing the bouquet toss and all of the other traditional events that go along with a great wedding.  What a night!  A special thanks to the Graf family!

We spent the next few days in Montana with a few old friends and good laughs.  Not only were we able to catch an incredible fireworks show at Seeley Lake, we also had the pleasure of trying our luck at wake boarding and surfing…Aaron, you’re a natural…me, not so much.  After making new memories in Montana and meeting new friends, including our new little pal, “John (The Dragon),” a young boy who started the dance party at Seeley Lake, we were off to Indiana.

We spent a few days driving across South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois.  We caught ourselves in one of the biggest thunder and lightning storms a few of us had ever seen, the Hozzington hit it’s first deer (it was only a tap…she’s probably ok…just gave it a little tappy) as well as it’s first few hundred fireflies, and saw more corn fields than…well, we didn’t know that much corn existed in the U.S.

We played in Bloomington, Indiana to a crowd of adoring Hoosiers.  For our first Midwest gig, we wouldn’t trade it for anything.  That night, Eric’s Birthday celebration!  It was awesome.  I was the D.D. and had the pleasure of making sure we all got home safely.  Eric had the pleasure of enjoying himself in a celebration of his 27th year on Earth.  Next stop, ‘Ol Kaintuck!

Lexington and Louisville (pronounced LUH-Vull) was a blast!  It was about 85 degrees with 90% humidity.  The shows went great and the Kentucky Bourbon, even smoother.  Driving through Kentucky is pretty much how I pictured it.  Pristine grass pastures filled with thoroughbred horses surrounded by white fences.  Awesome.

Next stop, North Carolina!  We had the pleasure of staying with a friend of Eric’s, Molly.  She gave us the true Southern Hospitality a boy could only dream of.  When we arrived we were greeted with BBQ burgers, fresh goat cheese, and grits…MMM…mmm!  After driving through the Biltmore Estate (the largest home in our country) and attempting to sneak through a field to get a closer look (it’s $50 per person…we’re starving artists) we played at a local brewery.  Great night!

Stay tuned!  More to come…  Up next, we hit Delaware, New York, and New Jersey.

-Ty

Front label for our upcoming wine release!

This is Cody.  Ty usually writes our blog and does an awesome job, but I have had a few things happen to me personally lately that I figured I should share.  Sorry if this gets a little wordy, but I feel I need to share this for you, and for myself.  And for those of you who follow this blog regularly, sorry for the recent slump in activity….. I told Ty a while ago that I would handle the next update……. and my old high school procrastination skills snuck up on me in the meantime.  The Crooks have taken the month of May off in order to recharge our batteries and gear up for an intense summer tour schedule.  Joe has been working at a family plant nursery in Central WA, digging in the dirt and planting trees; Aaron has been working on the family farm in Montana, watching that hard red winter wheat grow; Greg has been hanging out on the beach in West Seattle and working on his tan; Chris has been hanging in Everett and working at his Dad’s insurance office; Eric has been shooting and editing video for various commercials and National Geographic reality shows; Ty is hanging with his fiance’ in Denver and working three part-time jobs, one being a childrens’ train conductor in the Denver mall; and I have been working on bringing Crooked Red Wine to fruition…. it’ll be released in June!  It’s been an extremely busy and rewarding last few months, and we want to sincerely thank everyone who supported us along the Crooked road we traveled.  

As some of you may have heard, I’ve been dealing with some vocal issues for the past few months.  Many of my musical heroes have very raspy voices…. so I have always been attracted to a more breathy, gritty tone.  Naturally, I grew up singing in much the same way.  Little did I know, if done improperly, this can add a lot of wear and tear on the vocal chords.  In addition, I often seem to get so caught up in the emotion of being on stage that I end up pushing my voice past its limits.  So, I’ve honestly probably had these issues for the last year or longer, but not until on our tour did I really see the impact it was having in the long-term. 
 
Back in mid-February, while in Southern California on tour, I was losing my voice and having a hard time keeping up with the demand of our intense tour schedule.  After speaking with our manager at the time and my vocal coach, we decided I should probably see a doctor.  Luckily, especially for a guy like myself without medical insurance, the Grammys have a non-profit called MusiCares that helps financially with artists in need of medical attention.  They set me up with an appointment in Beverly Hills with the same doctor who cares for Mariah Carey…. so, I was really excited to know that after visiting him I’d finally be able to hit all the notes in “Butterfly.”  Although the doctor was a very nice and reassuring guy, it was a fairly nerve-wracking experience overall.  He used some sort of rod to stick a camera down to the back of my throat….. and then said…. “Okay, now just stay calm….. breathe through your mouth….. now hit this note…. ahhhh…. no, eeeeehhh….. breathe…….” and then, well, I gagged and nearly spit up on the poor fella.  “You want to try some of this throat numbing spray?  It may be a little easier this way.”  Yes, I would love to try the spray….. why didn’t you ask in the first place?!!  And how am I supposed to breathe through my mouth when you have a camera in my throat?!?!?!  Thankfully, I made it through the second round, and we were presented with a video of my vocal chords in motion.
 
The doctor deduced that I had what is called a “soft vocal nodule.”  At this “soft” stage, he said it was treatable, but that it may require some drastic changes in my habits, and possibly in our tour schedule.  He said his ideal treatment choice would be to administer some steroids, have me commit to complete silence for at least one week, and then we would have to take a few weeks off to let me fully recover.  Well, being that it was only the second week of our first national tour and that we would have to cancel upwards of 20 shows including SXSW, this seemed like a catastrophic blow to my spirit.  Feeling like I was negotiating with a used car salesman and trying to save the tour, we talked a little more, and he said that I may be okay if I limited talking to only necessary instances, along with cutting back any drinking or smoking I was doing………. but, it was still a risk.  If the nodule were to worsen and become hardened, the result could be surgery. 
 
I left the doctor shaken, but determined to work through the issue and prevail.  Not only could this nodule affect my singing career in the long-term, but I also had six other people to think about… my band.  We had all sacrificed so much to make this tour a reality….. and now its survival teetered on my vocal health.  Telling the guys wasn’t easy, but they could not have been more supportive.  There was not a question in their minds….. my health was most important.  Even if we had to cancel the entire tour, they had my back.  I was so thankful for their support during that time…. they told me that I didn’t need to feel that I was carrying everything on my shoulders, and that we were all in it together. 

KCSN in Northern Los Angeles, the day after I visited the doctor in Beverly Hills.

 
After much deliberation, talking amongst ourselves and with my vocal coach, we finally came up with what we thought was the most reasonable solution to our situation.  First, we canceled a few select shows along our tour route that would allow rest time for my voice.  Then, I committed to limited speech…. literally using a pen and paper for most communication between shows and only speaking when absolutely necessary.  When we had a few days off, I’d usually cut myself a little slack and let out all the words I had been holding in….. and I’d end up blabbering like an idiot for a few hours due to all the pent-up verbiage.  I also erred on the conservative side and completely quit drinking alcohol and caffeine, smoking, and eating and drinking dairy products….. all of which can affect vocal chords negatively. 

Las Vegas, February 27, 2011

Where most musicians seem to acquire addictions on the road, I was the most sober I had been in a decade.  I also sang more cautiously and really tried to focus on using my vocal chords correctly.  We worked hard on making sure the monitors were mixed so that I could hear myself and not have to push too hard to compete with the stage volume of the band…… and again, I have to thank the guys for being so understanding in this circumstance as well.  I must say, all of these changes took a lot of will power, but knowing that it would allow myself and my band to continue living our dream….. it was really quite easy.  I saw Vegas in complete sobriety, with a pen and paper as my voice.  I saw the second largest Mardi Gras celebration in the world, sober.  I entered various public places…. banks, stores, restaurants…. without saying a word.   

 
The end phase of our plan for my recovery was to play out the rest of the shows on our tour, and then for me to see another ENT doctor upon returning to Seattle.  This way, he could take a look at the picture of my vocal chords from before and see if the nodule had progressed or receded.  We left the majority of May completely open so that I would have ample time to recover….. thus, part of the reason for our current hiatus. 
 
So, on Monday, April 25th, directly following our shows in Portland and Seattle, I faced fate and visited the doctor.  I was extremely nervous to hear the results….. but to my surprise and satisfaction, the doctor said that my chords looked considerably better than before.  What a relief!  I guess all of the precautions were not in vain!  However, the doctor did say that I could still use a steroid treatment and a week of vocal rest….. but after all the stress that had preceded, I welcomed this verdict with open arms!  Compared to the alternative of surgery, I felt rather fortunate.

Having some fun in the liquor store while the other guys picked their poison!

From April 25th at roughly 3pm until May 2nd at around 5:30…….. I did not utter a sound.  I headed back to Central Washington and hung out with family for the week.  My grandparents had just returned from their winter stay in Arizona, my uncle visited for a few days, and I got to spend a weekend at our family cabin with my Dad for his birthday….. all in silence.  At times it was aggravating to not be able to explain how I was feeling….. or crack a joke.  And if I really wanted to say something, I had to work for it.  I couldn’t just spit out words without thinking like before.  But, no matter how hard this experience was at times…… I tried to always remain thankful.  I think we often forget that some people live their whole lives without the use of certain “normal” functions.  There are people who will never make a sound…. never hear a sound…… never see.  In challenging myself to this silence, I really grew to appreciate a function that I often take for granted.  I learned that much of what I say on a daily basis is really unneeded…… people just tend to want to have their opinion heard, so they open up and let it flow on out without much thought or care.  I could count in a journal all of the things I actually needed to say in the day, because if I didn’t write it down, I kept it to myself.  So, since my opinions were stifled by my lack of communicative vehicle, I instead focused on learning from others’ opinions.  I watched the world around me in silence, taking everything in and thinking very deeply.  It allowed me the time to have a conversation with someone in my life I often ignore….. myself.  The world is spinning so fast and our lives are filled with constant activity.  I challenge you to take a day, just one day, and save your voice.  You’ll really like the way it sounds when you finally decide to speak.  And, if yours looks anything like mine, you’ll have to improve your handwriting so people can understand what you’re trying to say!
 
All in all, couldn’t ask for a better experience.  There may have been a few bumps along the road, but I am so grateful for everything that has happened in the past few months.  I am also thankful to my friends and family that have been so supportive along the way.  I have grown closer with my Crooked brothers, and, I’ve grown closer to myself.  This was a crazy time for me, but I feel better about myself today than the day we left on tour…. and in my book, that’s a win.  Personal growth.  Progress.  Sometimes, the hard times can end up being your best times.  Thank you for reading.
 
-Cody

Crooks reunite in Bellingham on Sunday, May 29th at Boundary Bay Brewery.  We’ll be joining Northwest legends Flowmotion!

We each took our turn allowing the peppers and other ingredients to tear our mouths apart.  After about five seconds the tears began to roll.  This stuff is HOT!  And you only need a tiny amount.  In fact, any more than a rain drop-sized dip can have you on your knees begging for a time machine to take back the courageous amount you scooped onto your pretzel!

Chris Green was the bravest of all that day.  After we each took a sample Mr. Green stepped up to the plate to load his pretzel.  He picked up the saucer and drenched his pretzel in the Hell fire sauce, all the while having a, “I’m a brave badass” snicker on his face.  ”No! Don’t do it,” one of us hollered.  Holy S&^%!  I thought to myself as he plunged the pretzel into his mouth!  We all froze!  Did he really just do that???  Yes.  After a few seconds of giving the “rock star horns” he began to succumb to the poison that had just entered his mouth.  Off came the glasses as the tears streamed down his face!  Wow.  He ran to the check out line and bought two over-priced bottles of water and guzzled them.  It was painful to even watch.  Joe’s eyes were watering just at the sight of Chris’ agony.  This all lasted a very painful 20 minutes for Mr. Green as the Capsaicin enzyme (the stuff that makes peppers hot) leveled his taste buds like a bulldozer in soft dirt.

Well, in case you weren’t at our show at The Croc, he did survive.  But, I’m pretty sure he’ll think twice next time about being Mr. Hot Sauce showoff!

The Crooks are enjoying some much needed TLC and rest.  And Cody’s vocals are doing much better!  And although it’s nice to take time off, I can speak for all of us when I say, I can’t wait to get back on the road and make music!  See you all very soon!

Cody Beebe & The Crooks will be performing at Boundary Bay Brewing Co. in Bellingham, WA w/Flowmotion on Sunday, May 29th.

-Ty