Jason's Journal
Friday, August 19, 20059:21 AM - hey kids...just writing in to say hi on this rainy friday morning...i'm writing this from my car which is crazy enough...the miracles of modern industry and technology...i just recently got a tablet pc for the road...i love this thing...anyway, when you work in the construction materials business, rainy fridays are welcome...the rain forces people to stop what their doing due to the mud and gives me a lot of time to kick back and talk with them candidly rather than in the hustle of a normal business day...everybody wants to go home early on friday...from the school teacher to the garbage man...let's collect our paychecks, grab some food, and then go the hell home...i love that whole state of mind...but such is life, - jct
Saturday, August 06, 2005
11:06 AM - hey kids...just wanted to thank everyone who ushered us back into the rock world last night by showing up to see us play "the idiot"...i took the lot of your comments to heart and i hope that time will ease the new change of me playing both electric and acoustic guitars...as a writer i was becoming very bored with the idea of being post-holed into one format to play in...i think the song "to you, i'm already dead" is a testiment of what lies ahead. please do not think I'm putting my acoustic away either...i'm just increasing the variety of what i can write and play on...i appreciate the fact that everyone last night seemed to have an open mind...you were wonderful...and i will do the very best i can to keep you guessing on what's next...right now i'm remembering how much fun it was to start this band the first time around in 1999...last night was a weird excitement like that for me...change was in the air, both inevitable and undeniable...but such is life - jct
Saturday, June 18, 2005
9:25 AM - we're back!!!...the past month and a half has been very very hard on me...but also very beneficial...everyone has settled into music now with brian playing lead and we're looking to be back on the road the first week of august...i've been writing alot lately and look forward to sharing some new material with you all when we meet up again...thanks for being patient and persistant...you kept us motivated and focused when things weren't going are way...i plan on making the down-time up with a quickness...right now i'm enjoying a bowl of cocoa pebbles before i head out to look at new guitar amps...it's saturday morning...but such is life, - jct
Friday, May 06, 2005
10:13 PM - yep...disappointed...me too...you know i am anytime i can't physically go out and play music for everyone...i have been consistantly writing songs for about nine months now and have not yet had the joy of sharing them with the band...everyone is playing the waiting game...the band, the new guitar player, you, and i...for now we'll pass the time checking out old cds of old shows or watching old dvds of old shows...trust me though, i'm confident that the best is yet to come...and the best of idle ride is to come as well...we won't be changing the band name either, our love for music and our ideals will still be the same...the glue that binds it will change though...i'm not sure how far off just yet the new "grand reopening" is yet...we have so much going on...but i will make it worth your while...i'm excited at the possability of what could be...even in death there is light at the end of the tunnel...but such is life - jct
Monday, December 27, 2004
11:49 AM - hey kids...i hope everyone had the hap..hap..happiest christmas since bing crosby tap danced with danny fckin' kay...well, it was a good one, but i got to admit that this x-mas made me begin to feel old...you know once you start to get into grown-up gifts the holidays just aren't as fun as they once were...not that i didn't apprceiate the gifts i got...and i enjoyed shopping and buying gifts for others, but this christmas reminded me that i'm a 20+ head of household with a work week and responsiblity...i know that time passing and age make you assume these things but i truly miss the days of worrying that i wasn't going to get the g.i. joe i wanted...ever pushing onward in 2005!!!...but such is life, - jct
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
9:00 PM - let's do our best not to talk about politics and religion, but i feel the need to clarify and amplify...i'm a republican...but let me say that bush got my vote by being the lesser of two evils...i seriously considered not voting at all because i was so disgusted...senator john is full of so much crap that he would probably be leading us into a starbucks mocha latte democracy...that tends to work for some, but i'm a straight black plain cup of coffee man...kerry could've had my vote if he only would have stood for something other than being anti-bush...that's no platform...anyone, even my 18 year old brother, can stand up at a debate and be anti-bush, the guy has made some serious goofs...i really needed my bush-alternative to be fresh thinking and willing to show me new ways to tackle old problems...that didn't happen so bush got my default vote...right-wingers, i even read all of michael moore's books...all the democrats had to do was find me someone willing to stand for something...instead i got another pressed, folded, starched, polished, refined, and programmed talk box robot like the dolls in aisle six of the toy section at the local wal-mart...pull the cord for hours and hours of fun...guess i'm forced into another four years of frat-jock oil-tycoon antics from my man, boy george...makes me want to go live in a cave and under a rock...but such is life, - jct
Thursday, September 02, 2004
11:26 PM - i apologize for this, my seriously overdue journal entry...life has a way of absorbing a person and distracting them from their objectives...obviously staying in touch is an objective of mine...this summer has been very rewarding for me as well as very challenging. like anything else, i'm embracing my new found role in marshall, va. a small town with a lot of unique characters is now the place i call home...i enjoy rolling out to 7-11 in the mornings to get a cup of coffee with all the farmers...decked out in duck boots and overhauls...i can't help but wonder if they're up that early because they've been up all night or that perhaps they just have nothing better to do...i've been writing up a storm here...we will feature a new song at next friday night's funk box show called "down for whatever"...i'm pretty excited about it mostly because i think it represents where the band is going musically. well, it's time for bed...even i sleep every now and then...but such is life, - jct
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
8:17 PM - ...hmmm...so i'm fresh off of watching michael moore's bowling for columbine movie...that is one film that i can honestly say entertained me as well as educated me. i have no problems digesting other peoples viewpoints, but getting me to alter my perspective is easier said than done. mikey would say it's damn near impossible once i have a belief in mind. moore's movie did an excellent job of articulating views without forcing the watcher into just one set of ideals...i can see why moore's hype and controversy is so big...it's the kind of wise; satirical political banter that once drove a bunch of colonists to throw some tea off a boat in boston...well an assload of tea...and i'm sure our government loves michael moore...i wonder how much sleep he gets at night...i know if j. edgar hoover was still kickin' he probably wouldn't still be among us...i don't believe everything that he believes, but i appreciate the fact that he makes a stand for what he sees as right...look at those tea party men and you'll see what i mean...i'm wrapped up in political strife...hehe...but such is life, - jct
Monday, June 14, 2004
7:17 PM - with the stalls being cleaned and the horse being fed, life is again returning to normal...i wrote my first new song in a three weeks last friday night...that's a dry spell for me...we played a decent show saturday night, but i felt it could have been a bit more upbeat...now that i'm working in the city, i've been forced to face the issue of big business traffic to and from work...this is an uncontrollable aspect of the morning and evening for every american living in suburbian bliss nationwide. i know it's only a matter of time before i miss seeing someone and i'll be in a wreck...it's like riding a horse it's not if you'll be thrown off but when you'll be thrown off...the only thing you can pray for as you watch cars dart to and fro in front of you is not to be seriously injured...but such is life, - jct
Saturday, June 12, 2004
10:25 AM - what a difference a month makes...though a relatively short period of time, my life has spun a complete 180 degree turn. I've changed jobs, residence, neighborhood, co-workers, friends, customers, zipcodes, restaurants, cleaners, banks, and so forth...nothing is the same as it was on May 10...nothing at all on all fronts...there's something scary about that much variance in my life, but also very tempting and fun...music has continued on...and so has the band...maybe off in a new direction...maybe closer to home than ever for all of us...the one piece of evidence that links the 5 members together to the crime...the past that creates a comfort and stability that assures life will go on tomorrow. my plate is full, my hours are long, but my way is what i've made it so far and i'm comfortable with that. tonight will be our first a electric show in three weeks...i'm ready to get back into what makes me me...what keeps me sane and what keeps me running...music...but such is life - jct
Friday, May 07, 2004
6:54 AM - driving down the road this morning i turned on cnn headline news on the xm to catch up on what's going on in the world this friday morning. the hour long news program i listened to was all about war and death. why does human nature lead one man to try to conquer another. there is truly never real peace...it's a great concept..but it isn't a reality in physical life. i can't imagine what it would be like to be uprooted from your home to go off to a far away country to fight a war. i feel like my wonderful country is headed back into a modern vietnam...i've read enough books to understand and track how this sort of political nightmare takes place. i worry about the people i know who are risking their lives out there everyday...i voted for president bush...i'm not ashamed of that...to me he was the better man for the job...i also realize that his office has scene more national tragedy, domestic instability, and world insecurity than any other probably all the back to jfk in the late 50s early 60s...i look at how much this man has aged from the weight of his own leadership over the past few years. go back an look at the texas oil man before 911, osama, and iraq and you'll see what i'm talking about...i wouldn't want his job for anything or any amount of money in the world. i bet you wouldn't either. so let's try to support the person we all got together and voted into office. like it or not he is the leader of our country and i honestly think he is doing the absolute best he can to get the job done...and pray for the men and women that represent us all across the world right now it's our flag that is tagged on their shoulders...they're waking up to the sounds of bullets...but such is life, - jct
Friday, April 23, 2004
8:20 AM - we're gettting ready to hit another stride in our struggle to get noticed...a few internet based radio companies our picking our tracks up off of winmx and are now playing them. this may do a lot for us as far as expanding our fanbase and getting us heard throughout the world...i'm pleased that everyone has in general remained true to themselves and no one in the band has let small town fame go to their head...we are really still the same four guys that decided long ago to speak our minds through our music...i'm glad that all of you have decided to come along too...we're doing what we love...some days we're the luckiest bunch of assholes i know...but such is life, - jct
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
9:20 AM - morning all...fresh off a crash-course trip to nyc...our trips to and from there always leave me with the impression of just how big our world really is and how diverse the people are that live and breath on it...i always make a big effort to meet and speak with as many people as possible when we play the big cities. their lives are so much different from ours...some live in apartments that are smaller than my living room, they take the cab to everywhere they go, and they can see a tourist countryboy like myself from a mile away. our show in nyc was wonderful but short-lived as we were late getting there and had to basically head right to the stage and play. afterwards, we meeted and greeted fans we hadn't scene in years...we were also amazed by the amounts of fans that made the trip from the south to come up and hang out with us...much love...make a place home whereever you go...and learn from things you don't know...i'm still processing all that i did and saw while i was there in the world's greatest city...but such is life, - jct
Friday, April 09, 2004
7:27 AM - hey crew...good morning to you all...i was informed this week that i will be moving to nearby gainesville, va. around the 1st of May due to a promotion in my day job. i'm both excited and nervous...it will be a huge change to my lifestyle and as far as friends and coworkers go i will be basically starting over...the good news is that where i'll be living is close enough (about an hour) from the practice pad...so the band will continue as is with relatively no changes. we're playing an all-ages show tonight at books-a-million in winchester, va. it's not what i'd call your ideal concert venue, but i will always support any place that wants to promote music and do a little extra to give kids a place to go...i remember how boring life was when i was growing up...our idea of getting out to see music was sneaking into ronnie's bar in martinsburg to catch our idols "sex with midgets" and "anthems for doomed youth"...those bands are long gone with the wind...their bandmembers are all over the country...but still live in my cd player every now and then...hopefully when i'm long gone, idle ride's music when still be in your cd player...i'm lost in the face of constant change...but such is life, - jct
Monday, March 29, 2004
10:00 AM - fresh off a long weekend of touring and studio...we saw two new venues this weekend and a lot of new real estate in fredericksburg, va. and salisbury, md...i was so worn down that i slept yesterday until damn near 1:00am...i'm so excited to be coming down the home stretch of our ep too...we've got a lot to look forward to in the upcoming weeks...i just don't know where i'm going to find time to have a personal life...but i'm willing to put that on hold for now...we're hitting stride on and off stage right now and as long as no one burns out we're going in the right direction...i know as the leader of this band i can't show any sign of weakness or broken spirit because that would pull everyone else down...i'm learning to take every day as a new day even when i'm internally busted up...but such is life, - jct
Friday, March 19, 2004
9:39 AM - just a minute to talk with you all about what defines a good hat...a good hat is like and old friend...when you see it in the corner of your closet or hanging off the bed post it instantly take you back in time to all things you did while you were wearing it...it's comfortable and doesn't need rebent or adjusted...it just fits because you've worn it so many times...it makes you smile when you put it on even if it looks like shit to everyone else...others may even want you to throw it away...for me, my favorite hat is a white and blue quiksilver fitted cap i've had for the past three years...i actually had one just like it but had it stolen off my head while we were playing a show at West Virginia Wesleyan University by a girl in the middle of "The Circus" in 2001. Everyone laughed at how pissed i was when i lost that hat...and they laughed again when i went to pac-sun in the very next town we played at and bought the same hat again...i think it was Morgantown, WV...since then that hat has been with me practically everywhere...it's pretty much brown from the mud i endured at the Rolling Rock Town Fair concert 2 years ago...did that deter me from wearing it? nope...it's frayed and dirty...it's aged and battered...it's seen the east coast...it's been rained on...it's been faded by beach sun...it's a damn good hat!...but such is life, - jct
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
3:47 PM - hey group...just wanted to bum in and say that we're almost done our EP cd. i don't want to let you in just yet on what exactly is on there but several new recordings have been finalized in the past few days. right now i'm focusing on getting myself in shape for the touring season...yep...even me, and i'm getting a little help from the atkins diet plan...if you're a meat eater at heart like myself this diet won't mess you up too bad...so far i've lost 14 lbs. in just over two weeks with really no stress to my health...basically just choosing meat and vegetables over sugar, sweets, and breads...not easy for me i love pasta...but lets face it, the whole band needs to do our best to look good when we get in front of record companies...it seems a small price to pay to me to be marketable. hey i realize i'm no ben affleck...but i will do the best i can to look good and look healthy...even john popper chose to lose weight...to tell you the truth i seem to have more energy as of late in general...well off to the gym...but such is life, - jct
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
1:51 PM - so what's new...as of this sunday j.b. and mike will be out of the house to move on to bigger and better places to live...i'll have the duty of readjusting to life again by myself in a house all alone...refurbishing my house will be tough too...it will go from a dorm room atmosphere shared between three guys to a more grown up motif fit for a business man i'm sure...but i think i could use the space and silence to write things down that have been swirling around in my head for the past few weeks but i haven't had the time or consentration process to articulate. it will be both a positive and negative change for all of us...we will all enjoy more privacy and "me" time, but miss the days of the living room jam session. as long as i live in the same house i will think about the funny memories the band has had there and smile...time marches on and things often change...but such is life, - jct
Saturday, March 06, 2004
9:16 AM - so i'm stuck on this thing of how i'm having trouble communicating with people when i'm not singing...i don't know why but last night at the Daily Grind show (a very small show with mostly diehard fans) i felt like i was having trouble just talking between songs and felt stupid because of it...all wanted to do was just explain why i wrote them...but it was like nothing would come out of my mouth when i tried to speak...very weird for me...not a request for sympathy but it's a good damn thing i get to play music and sing because if i didn't get the opportunity i would be seriously lost in this world and have no outlet for communication. in some ways i'm just so backward...and feel so out of place...but such is life, - jct
Friday, March 05, 2004
9:36 AM - a minute just to talk about the new pontiac gto...let me say this...my favorite car of all time in american history is the 1969 gto...my father's best friend owns one in pontiac blue...i have so many good memories about how cool that car is and how much fun we had in it...i'm excited that pontiac got some sack and decided to recreate the legend...i myself am considering buying one next year when the "judge" package comes out...i think this year's model looks too much like a souped up grand am (which is what i already own) so i'll have to wait it out. eiither way i'm just a good ol' country boy at heart with a passion for anything that is hot to the eye and fast to the touch...but such is life, - jct
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
8:58 AM - happy tuesday...seems like we're making some progress booking our Spring tour schedule...so far we have confirmed dates all the way up into July...i'm still waiting for someone outside of us and our fans to discover us and get us to the next level...it's seems like we're busting our ass to play original music and venues continue to ask for cover bands. who supports new music at all these days? friday night we play electric at the daily grind in inwood...it should be crazy with all our hometown fans pilling in a small building with loud music. outside of that, i'm hard at work...my daily grind of office space...i'm wondering how this pile of papers on my desk is ever going to change the world...much less amount to anything that will impact the world at all...it's a shame that tuesday is here and i'm already wishing it was gone...but such is life, - jct
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
12:00 PM - hey kids...here's an interesting tidbit of information...according to ascap (that's the american society of composers, authors, and publishers) we are becoming popular in Taiwan...what that translates into is that somwhere there is a radio station in that country that spun our record, "The Words in Their Eyes" 107 times in January...the song they listen to is "Silhouette"...go figure, we haven't played the song out in over a year and half now...but somebody got it to a radio station have the world away and it's a success...here's to idle ride - we're big in Taiwan!...but such is life, - jct
Friday, February 20, 2004
10:00 AM - good morning kids...it's beautiful friday out there and i'm starting ot daydream about spring and all the good things that come along with that time of year...we've just completed our first full track for the new album...100% done...that's gravity...yep and hopefully it'll be the kinda of stuff that gets us noticed...i miss you all and i'm eager to play my ass off for you tonight and tomorrow...but such is life, - jct
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
11:53 AM - well...i few things have changed in the subculture of the band lately...folks let me be the first to tell you that the only way you succeed is to adapt to constant change...that's exactly what this little band that could is doing right now...evolving and overcoming challenges...another great band that we have had the joy of sharing the stage with, Foundary from New York, is no more...like most marriages these days...almost every band i've scene has come and gone while i watched from the sidelines...it's scary to think that we are about the only ones left that have even lasted five years...we should throw ourselves a party just to recognize that we have been able to get along for so long and work towards our common goals...everyone will tell you that no two of us are a like....we all look at the world differently and have different views as to what is good out there...but we respect each other enough to get along and i appreciate that...i hope all of you do too...we're a dying breed of monsters out there...but i see no signs of stopping short of the end now...thanks to my bandmates and thanks to you all for making my life so much fun...i'm smiling on the inside to think i've outlasted another of my peers in the reality of a bandless music industry...but i'm sorry that i won't see anything new come from Foundary's talented musicians in a unified form...they were part of some of the best times of my life in the past few years...but such is life, - jct
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
7:21 AM - who's tired of the nasty winter storms we've been blasted with in the past few weeks? it may be sweet if you work for a public school or other establishment that justifies cancelation as a result of bad weather...for me...this is not the case...every trip down the highway is a game of russian roulette that pits me against a tribe of idiot drivers in 4x4's and SUV's each individually unrealistic about the capabilities of their vehicles...slipping and sliding all over the the pavement...and that damn groundhog wouldn't have even came out of his hole the other day if they wouldn't have spacked him in the ass. anyways, bring me some sunshine and i'll be straight...i'm white and irish and burn like toast, but anything has to be better than dirty windshields and fridgid temperatures...we can't even get up our driveway so we park all over the street back and forth like teenagers showing up at a yard party...but such is life, - jct
