Tip the Van

A Little Late

2010-08-30T16:32:00.008-04:00

I've been informed, through multiple phone calls and emails, that I have been slacking in my blog updating. I can't deny that. I will do my best to try and fill you in on some of the things that have happened in the past 20 days.

San Diego, CA (8/10)

Although we no longer had an official spot on a stage, we were still playing acoustic sets on Warped Tour. While Steph and I were walking around in the morning our stage manager, Stu, informed us that we would be playing on the stage that day. We were part of the special "6 Hours of Ska" that was happening that day. It was pretty unique considering every other date of Warped Tour date had only 2 ska bands (TTV and Reel Big Fish). This show marked our first show on the west coast and it went surprisingly well. The after party BBQ was definitely one of the most memorable of tour for 3 reasons. 1: Free ice cream 2: Dance Party 3: A heated dance-off that peaked when a guy got naked and poured water over himself......hilarious.

Pomona, CA (8/11)

Look at that view! I am constantly amazed out how beautiful the entire country is. Howie was saying that the background settings for most of the Warped Tour dates look like fake Hollywood backdrops. For 6 kids from CT, these mountains are awe-inspiring. But on to the show. We had two very special visitors in Pomona. The first was Steph's cousin Erin and the second was Dan Dobi (www.dandobi.com), our music video director. It was good to see familiar faces from outside of the Warped Tour family.

We didn't have a spot on a stage in Pomona but we did play two acoustic sets, one at the Girlz Garage Tent and one under the Trojan inflatable dome. We also almost died (Attn TTV moms: we didn't want to tell you this until after Warped Tour was over). The Trojan inflatable dome was a really cool spot to play, literally and figuratively. The dome had A/C and a 270 degree projector, so almost the entire ceiling was a screen. Right as we were about to start our second set in the dome, we somehow tripped the power circuit and lost all electricity. That means that the blower fan that was keeping the dome up shut off and the dome started coming down on us and the 25 or so kids that were inside. There was a bit of a panic as people started rushing out before getting crushed and stuck underneath the surprisingly heavy, collapsing dome. In the end, everyone made it out and while our gear may have been left behind, nothing was broken. By the time the power issue was worked out, it was too late to start again and we were free to live on to another day.

Marysville, CA (8/12)

Simone and I went out to the line of people waiting before the gates opened and had them listen to our new song, "Refuse the Tide." We gave everyone download cards and told them to spread the love. A surprising amount of people actually knew who we were. We even convinced a giant, die-hard metal fan to listen to it after he very angrily refused (spoiler: he liked it!). The rest of the day was spent hustling our music and throwing Kazoozles at Cory, the merch guy for Reel Big Fish. There was also my amazing encounter with a Wonka girl that Cory and Briggs saw, but that one is for the memory bank only.

Nampa, ID (8/13)

We almost didn't head to Idaho because we didn't have a stage spot or an acoustic spot for the day and we were going to have to take a loss on gas. Turns out going to Idaho was a great decision because merch sales, just by having people listen to our song through headphones, were amazing. A greater part of the day was spent creating badass handshakes including the rocketship, the Challenger and one 40 second epic choreographed handshake that I co-created with Becca (http://www.myspace.com/beccachanofficial). I'll have to grab our practice video from her and post it here because it is one for the record books.

George, WA (8/14)

The Gorge Amphitheater has to be one of the most scenic and beautiful venues in the country. No picture can do justice to the view you get when you come over the top hill and look down upon the stage. The only downside to the venue was the slope that everything was on. To get down to catering and production you had to walk down a very steep slope, which is easy on the way there but a pain to walk back up. Oh, and there was also the issue of our van parked about a half mile downhill from where our merch tent was. Again, easy to load in but very tiring to load out. Briggs, Simone and I played with Sarah Saturday again (http://www.myspace.com/gardeningnotarchitecture), but this time in front of Lisa Brownlee (Tour Manager for Warped Tour) and Kevin Lyman (the founder of Warped Tour), so that was a big honor.

August 14th was also Simone's 22nd birthday and the last BBQ of Warped Tour, so what better way to celebrate than with a bunch of rockstars and free beer. The Vans Warped Tour gave everyone shirts commemorating the end of tour with random tour facts on the back (none of which I can remember off the top of my head). Some of the highlights of the night includeReverend Peyton telling hilarious stories about listening to "Chinese Democracy" with Axl Rose, people dressed as vampires lurking around the BBQ and long walks around the Gorge at night. We also found out that we had won a Warped Tour superlative, "Best Band at Promoting Themselves." That was the cherry on top of the entire tour experience for us.

Hillsboro, OR (8/15)

The last day of Warped Tour was bittersweet. It was the last day of busting our asses in the sun and sweating profusely, but it was also the last day we got to hang out with all the new friends we had made. People on the tour stopped by our tent all day to grab merch and say their goodbyes. We made our rounds as well, picking up a bunch of free stuff in the process like t-shirts, Skullcandy headphones and a ridiculous amount of Wonka Kazoozles. We did our usual acoustic sets playing the Altec Lansing tent and a new tent for the Expendables movie.

When all our gear had been loaded into our trailer we went over to production and said our thank yous. 10 years ago I was waiting in line with 12,000 other punk rock kids waiting to get into Warped Tour to see all of my favorite bands. If I would have told 14 year old me I would be on Warped Tour 10 years later I wouldn't have believed myself. I probably would have laughed at that idea, but here we are.

It was an incredible honor being invited to play and incredible opportunity to get our music out to such a large and diverse group of people. Thank you Kevin Lyman, Lisa Brownlee, Damon Atkinson and the entire Warped Tour crew. You all busted your asses so we could have the chance to do something we love. For that we are eternally grateful.

And here is the last picture from Warped Tour with our new friends, Mayday Parade.

-Dunnigan TTV

Salt Lake Fun!

2010-08-09T17:58:00.002-04:00

While Nicole and Simone traveled to the Denver Warped Tour date with, "iwrestledabearonce" (to save us money), myself, Steph, Howie and Briggs stayed in Salt Lake City to hang out with our friend, Kevin, for the day. We spent a good portion of the day on Antelope Island seeing sights and hiking where we shouldn't have been hiking. This picture was taken from the top of a peak that we conquered. In the background is the Great Salt Lake. Needless to say, it was pretty great.

-Dunnigan TTV

Day 14: Salt Lake City, UT

2010-08-09T17:38:00.000-04:00

The drive to Salt Lake City took us through some beautiful scenery, but we couldn't see it because it was three in the morning. We did, however, get to see an evil geniuses lair in the mountains (or maybe just a power plant with a lot of lights).

Salt Lake marked the first date where we didn't have an actual spot on the Kevin Says stage. It also marked the fist day we didn't have catering. While not having a free pass for food is rough, our friends in other bands helped us out and brought us extra food when they could.

The setting for the show was at the Utah State Fairgrounds. The grounds were in a valley that was surrounded by mountains, which made for a beautiful view all day. We played an acoustic set under the Girlz Garage (Keep a Breast Awareness) tent to a pretty large crowd. The weather had been crazy all day, going from sun to dust storms to rain, all of which helped bring people to where we were performing.

The night ended with us watching a very drunk woman getting accidentally suplexed onto her face by her husband as he tried to carry her to the car and with some fun downtime with other bands.

Oh, and there was a piercing party on Reel Big Fish's bus. Who got pierced?!? Stay tuned to find out!

*Cue dramatic exit music*

-Dunnigan TTV

Denver, CO

2010-08-08T22:27:00.001-04:00

We have a couple of days off and we're in Denver. Time to do laundry!

-Dunnigan TTV

Day 13: Bonner Springs, KS

2010-08-08T22:25:00.001-04:00

Highs and Lows

Highs: Word came down from production that we could stay on for the rest of the tour. We weren't guaranteed any dates on our stage but we could continue to play acoustic sets and sell merchandise. The amount of people on the warped tour crew that lobbied for us to stay was overwhelming and we cannot thank them enough. It's not everyday that the founder of Warped Tour, Kevin Lyman, gives his blessing for a band to stay on. Kevin, if you are reading this, THANK YOU!

Another high was all of Mayday Parade checking out our set. They are one of my favorite bands so it was an honor.

Lows: This particular date marked the last date for a lot of bands that we made friends with. You should definitely check out Flatfoot 56, Ice Nine Kills, Vanna and Hot Chelle Rae.

The lowest point, though, was a kid dying at Warped Tour. With a 112 degree heat index and $10 bottles of water, something bad was bound to happen. Our condolences go out to that family.

-Dunnigan TTV

Day 12: Shakopee, MN

2010-08-08T22:23:00.001-04:00

Shakopee was the first of two dates we were added to. Chicago was originally supposed to be our last date but our hard work landed us a couple more shows on the tour.

The night before this date we had to bring out tour manager and driver to the airport because they had only taken time off for the original warped dates. The 8 hour drive that followed was split up by myself and Briggs (the new default drivers). I give Anthony a ton of credit for driving us. After working a full day in the sun it is exhausting to sit and drive through the night.

The show in Shakopee was a blast. Derek, the lead singer of Mayday Parade, and Kyle, the lead singer of Breathe Carolina, watched our set from on the stage. Fans were happy and excited to see us on the date because we were originally never supposed to play there.

One of the highlights of the day was the forklift driver that picked myself and the gear cart up and brought it up a massive hill to our trailer. Scary and amazing.

-Dunnigan TTV

Help us book shows in September?! + Warped Tour Update!

2010-08-08T20:43:00.003-04:00

As you may or may not have heard (start following us on Facebook already!), Tip The Van was invited to stay along with the Warped Tour! We won't be regularly scheduled to play the Kevin Says Stage, but we will be performing acoustic sets and doing CD/tee shirt giveaways for the rest of Warped!

These are the following dates we will be at:

Sat 08/07/10 Utah State Fairgrounds - Salt Lake City, UT
Sun 08/08/10 Invesco Field - Denver, CO
Tue 08/10/10 Cricket Amphitheatre - San Diego, CA
Wed 08/11/10 Pomona Fairplex - Pomona, CA
Thu 08/12/10 Sleep Train Amphitheatre - Marysville, CA
Fri 08/13/10 Idaho Center Amphitheatre - Nampa, ID
Sat 08/14/10 Gorge Amphitheater - George, WA
Sun 08/15/10 Washington County Fairgrounds - Hillsboro, OR

After we're done in Oregon, we're heading to Los Angeles to shoot a music video with Dan Dobi for our new single "Refuse The Tide". After that, we are going to be heading back to the east coast and could really use some help finding shows!

Can you help us with the following?

8/26 - 8/29 - Southern California
9/02 - 9/05 - Arizona/New Mexico
9/07 - We have a show in Austin, TX @ Headhunters Tiki Lounge
9/09 - 9/12 - Louisiana/Tennessee
9/16 - North Carolina
9/17 - We have a show in Virginia Beach @ Geared Up Rock Bar & Grill
9/18 - 9/19 - D.C./Jersey/PA

Please send an email to contact@tipthevan.com to help us out if you can.

See you on the road!

xoxo
Tip The Van

Errors Galore

2010-08-08T12:22:00.002-04:00

I just checked and it seems that none of the past few blog entries posted from my phone. While I try to sort out the issues, check out www.facebook.com/tipthevan for updates.

Dunnigan TTV

Day 11: Chicago, IL

2010-08-01T13:01:00.001-04:00

Dear Chicago,
We love you. Hands down the best date of the tour so far. There were a ton of people who knew who we were when we were handing out stickers in the morning. We had a pretty large crowd when we played our acoustic set at the Altec Live tent and a massive crowd when we played our regular set. I couldn't believe how many people showed up. Definitely a highlight of tour so far.

Another highlight of tour has to do with picture attached. We were invited by the John Lennon tour bus, a mobile video and audio recording studio, to do a cover a John Lennon song. We learned, "Just Like Starting Over" in about an hour in our van and then headed over to the Lennon bus. The bus is seriously magical. It's a fully equipped studio with all sorts of fun additions like glass that turns opaque with the touch of a button and a magical green screen for shooting video. You can check out the video and song in the upcoming weeks. Thanks to Johnny from RBF for laying down trumpet.

-Dunnigan TTV

Day 10 (the real one): Detroit, Mi

2010-08-01T12:30:00.001-04:00

We never really know what kind of venue we will arrive at in the morning. Sometimes it's a field, an amphitheater or a park. Warped Tour Detroit was set up at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. This was the first day merch tents were indoors and being out of the direct sunlight was glorious. Do you know what else is glorious? Free Starbucks backstage!

I believe a lot of great music on tour comes out of collaboration. On the Detroit date Simone, Briggs and myself (Dunnigan) played a song with a solo act called Gardening, Not Architecture. It was a lot of fun and we'd like to thank Sarah for letting us take part.

Now to address the picture. Warped Tour rented out a bar for us after the show and threw a moustachio bashio djed by Sum 4¹and Andrew WK. I didn't have enough time to grow/perfect my moustache so I fashioned one out of out stickers. Did I mention open bar? Yea, that was a fun night.

Day 10: Milwaukee, WI

2010-07-31T09:49:00.001-04:00

We arrived in Milwaukee after a pretty long drive. Our driver, Anthony, knocked out a large chunk of it and then I finished it off.

We were scheduled to play second, but after the first band failed to show (who does that on warped tour?) we became the openers. In the normal show mindset, being the first band on stage is never good because fans aren't usually there. On warped tour it's the opposite. The stage was set up right by the gate and drew a large crowd right from the start.

I discovered what it was like to mess up a solo in front of hundreds of people. Definitely not a highlight but in the grand scheme of things it wasn't that bad. A lot of people remembered us from coming through on tour with Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto.

The attached photo is the sunset under the bridge where all the buses and vans parked.

-Dunnigan TTV

Day 8: Cincinnati, OH

2010-07-30T09:38:00.001-04:00

After a much needed day off and time spent with old/new friends, we made it to Ohio. The venue was a familiar one because we played it in 2005 when Paramore shared our stage.

When promoting ourselves in the morning line, with our neon green stickers, we came across a bunch of people who had seen us before when we came around with Reel Big Fish. Because of that, our set was packed with people. Before we had even started setting up our gear we had a crowd waiting for us.

Our merch tent was in a high traffic area so we were able to do a lot of promotion for our new single/album. We rounded out our day with a live acoustic set under the Altec Live tent.

Off to Milwaukee.

-Dunnigan TTV

Day 7: Atlanta, GA

2010-07-28T12:29:00.001-04:00

The day started off like any other. We set up merch, brought our gear to the stage and sweat profusely. Our day differed when we played an acoustic set in the Kia Motors tent. We were joined by a bunch of kids under the red/orange tent for a more subdued version of our set.

After Kia we headed over to our stage to start setting up. Much to our dismay, the skies had started turning darker and there seemed to be a subtle panic happening within merch tents and behind backstage. Everyone was prepping for a storm. By the time we took the stage, there was no doubt that there was something mean coming. Right in the middle of our set the storm hit with all it fury. raging winds and rain were accompanied by thunder and lighting (which was striking far too close). halfway through our last song the power was cut because it became too dangerous. Fans were ushered away an merch sales plummeted.

The one redeeming quality of the day: backstage BBQ. That and a much needed day off.

EIY Meetup

2010-07-26T16:52:00.001-04:00

Everyday Sarah Saturday, founder of earnityourself.com, holds a meeting with the founder/creator of warped tour, Kevin Lyman and the tour manager Lisa. The meeting offers kids the chance to ask prominent forces in the music industry any questions. We try and go to as many meetings as we can because the questions people ask are always different and the panel has a wealth of knowledge to share.

Day 6: Orlando

2010-07-26T11:48:00.001-04:00

Before I begin I would like to say, much to my disappointment, we did not go to Disney World. Instead we were at punk rock summer camp.

Orlando was very busy for TTV. We played our set, then the girls ran from our stage to the main stage to sing with Reel Big Fish, then we hustled to the Altec Live tent to perform an acoustic set, then we went to press to do interviews and from the interviews we ran to our tent to do a signing. All this happened in a span of 3 hours. Today in Atlanta should be just as hectic and I can't wait.

-Dunnigan TTV

Day 5: West Palm Beach

2010-07-25T12:46:00.001-04:00

The crowd in West Palm was nuts. Skank pits and circle pits all over the place. We had some fun with water guns, razor scooters and ladder ball. There were a few really awesome fans that helped bring people to out merch table to listen to the new single, so props to them.

The after party BBQ, or should I say dance party, was an awesome time. We got to meet/socialize with some of our favorite bands on tour as well as meet some truly great people.

Day 4: St. Petersburg

2010-07-24T11:12:00.001-04:00

Vinoy Park was set on a large stretch of water and was the setting for our 4th date. Some stages, like the one in the picture, overlooked the ocean.

The curveball of the day: Tropical Storm Betty. The day started out just like any other day. It was hot, sunny and free of clouds. Within a few hours the full force of Betty was upon us and the tour was in the middle of it. Despite the wind and ferocious rain, the stages kept playing music.

Our gear was, luckily, under a tent but everything ended up soaked anyway. There's something about a storm and a festival that mix well. The crowds seemed to be going extra wild because of the situation.

At the end of the day, no one got electrocuted and St. Petersburg seemed to be a success.

We just loaded into the Cruzan Amphitheater in West Palm Beach.

-Dunnigan TTV

Day 3: Charlotte

2010-07-23T14:36:00.001-04:00

I'm not too sure what is going on with my phone but every time I write a good blog entry it fails to send and doesn't save.

Either way, we rocked in Charlotte yesterday. The temperature on stage was 101.3 degrees at 4:30. Kevin, the founder of warped, was saying this is shaping up to be one of the hottest Warped Tours to date.

I got a chance to check out the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus yesterday. The bus is actually a mobile video and audio recording studio. It was nothing short of mind-blowing. I recommend looking it up on google.

-Dunnigan TTV

Day 2: Virginia Beach

2010-07-22T11:39:00.001-04:00

At the end of the first day of tour I thought I had an great sun tan. After my first shower, however, I discovered the world's cheapest self tanner: dirt.

Virginia Beach was packed.The grounds were much flatter than the first date, so moving all the merch and gear was much easier. We've been getting really good sized crowds so far and a fan came up after the show and asked for my guitar pic....awesome!

On a side note, finding somewhere to charge your phone is pretty tricky. This update would have come sooner but my phone was dead and there's not enough time to charge 8 people's phones on rides between venues.

We're in Charlotte today. That update will come at the end of the day.....as long as my phone has battery.

-Dunnigan TTV

Meriweather Post Pavilion

2010-07-20T10:13:00.001-04:00

We've arrived. We woke up at 6:30am, picked up our all access passes and started unloading. It's only 10am and it's already pushing 90 degrees but we love it!

-Dunnigan TTV

July 19 (Day 1)

2010-07-19T23:30:00.001-04:00

We're officially on the road. The van is amazing, I helped two cougars fixed their car and they repaid me in hard iced teas. Oh, we also saw a Delorean. So many things happening in one day! We're about 45 minutes away from Merriweather Post Pavilion and we are pumped for tomorrow morning.

I think I finally fixed the issue with my phone not posting to blogger so prepare for updates galore.

-Dunnigan TTV

2010-07-19T23:23:00.001-04:00

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Going to Warped Tour? Get involved!

2010-02-23T10:47:00.000-05:00

Have you been over to the Vans Warped Tour website yet? They have an entire social network hooked up through LoudBase and it's awesome! Sign up and meet other people who are going to your city's Warped Tour and stay in the loop with everything Warped!

Please show your support for Tip The Van by becoming a fan here: http://www.vanswarpedtour.com/warpedtour/band.asp?xid=24306#

See you this summer!

xoxo
TTV

Happy New Year! Lots of upcoming shows!

2010-01-15T19:16:00.000-05:00

Happy 2010!

Steph from Tip The Van here, with a quick update for the new year.

We have a bunch of shows coming up all over the Northeast! This Saturday, we'll be playing a 21+ show in New York City at the National Underground with a bunch of bands from all over the country. All the details can be found here.

Many more show dates in the Northeast will be added for May & June, and possibly some West Coast and Southwest dates after the Warped Tour in August and September. Stay tuned!

If you are on Facebook, you can keep up with everything we're up to by becoming a fan: http://www.facebook.com/tipthevan

We have a feeling 2010 is going to be a great year for us and we hope it's the same for you!
All the best,

Steph
Tip The Van

ATTN: Brooklyn! All ages show THIS SATURDAY!

2009-11-23T11:15:00.003-05:00

SPREAD THE WORD!! Tip The Van, ShiraGirl & Cojoba - BACK IN BROOKLYN!

Saturday, Nov. 28th @ The Glass Door
98 Moore St.
Brooklyn, NY

All ages | $7 | Doors @ 8pm

Tip The Van is coming back to Brooklyn! See Cojoba, female-fronted punkers with a Spanish flare and Shiragirl, fronted by the most badass beauty we know.

ShiraGirl: http://www.myspace.com/shiragirl
Cojoba: http://www.myspace.com/cojobapunk
Tip The Van: http://www.myspace.com/tipthevan

The Glass Door is THE DIY venue of Brooklyn and is located on 98 Moore St. between Humboldt and Graham. Take the L train to Montrose - walk on Bushwick till you hit Moore and make a right or take the J/M train to Flushing Ave. and walk on Flushing till you hit Graham, then turn left.

PLEASE invite your friends on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176452409345

See you Saturday!

Tip The Van

Show on 11/21/09 at Cafe Metro in Wilkes-Barre CANCELED

2009-11-16T10:01:00.000-05:00

Dearest fans in PA,

We regret to inform you that Cafe Metropolis has canceled our show that was booked for this Saturday, 11/21. You have all patiently waited for us to return to the area since our tour with Reel Big Fish & Streetlight Manifesto last January and we are just as disappointed as you are about the cancellation. We are going to try our hardest to schedule a make-up date in PA in the near future.

Meanwhile, we just posted a new video from this year's Annual Big D & the Kids Table Halloween show in Boston. Hope you like it!

See you soon!

xoxo
Tip The Van

Halloween Weekend! Boston & Syracuse, here we come!

2009-10-29T12:08:00.000-04:00

Hello, hello! This week we've been gearing up for a huge Halloween weekend! We're all getting ready to be a part of the Annual Big D Halloween show on Friday 10/30 at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston! Simone and Nicole have spent most of their week up in Boston with Big D, rehearsing to make a bold return as the Doped Up Dollies for both Thursday night and Friday night's Big D Halloween shows. After the mayhem on Friday, Tip The Van will be traveling up to Syracuse to play another Halloween show with The Toasters at Funk 'n Waffles. Very exciting! Hope to see you there!!

Facebook info for Friday night in Boston: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159089613429&index=1

Facebook info for Saturday night in Syracuse: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160089901626&index=1

See you this weekend!!

AP Readers Poll 2009

2009-10-28T09:40:00.000-04:00

Hey TTVers!

We follow Alternative Press on Twitter and noticed that they posted their 2009 Readers Poll survey yesterday!

You can write in your pick for "Band of the Year" and you can also nominate your favorite unsigned "Hometown Hero" (a.k.a. Tip The Van)

So if you love good music, and you want to help us out, fill out the survey here: http://altpress.com/surveys/readerspoll09.htm

Thank you!!

TTV

p.s. Follow us on twitter too! http://www.twitter.com/tipthevan

Listen to our music here!

2009-10-14T15:49:00.000-04:00

How easy is this?! Check out our tunes through this ReverbNation music player. Just press play below!

SO SO SO many shows over the next month

2009-10-09T17:07:00.001-04:00

Hello friends,

Just in case you haven't been keeping an eye on our MySpace, we've been posting shows left and right, up and down, between now and into November. We're playing all over CT, Boston, New York, and Pennsylvania. If you live in any of these places, come see us! And if you have any friends who you think would enjoy our music, PLEASE spread the word!

http://www.facebook.com/tipthevan
http://www.myspace.com/tipthevan
http://www.twitter.com/tipthevan
http://www.youtube.com/tipthevan

Also, if you haven't already, sign-up for our exclusive mailing list! http://tipthevan.fanbridge.com

Upcoming Shows

Oct 10, 2009 - Cambridge, MA (US) @ The Middle East Upstairs w/ The Allstonians & The Duppies & Guns of Navarone
Oct 12, 2009 - New Britain, CT (US) @ CCSU w/ Call II Consciousness
Oct 16, 2009 - Hamden, CT (US) @ The Space w/ The Allstonians & The Duppies & Live Now
Oct 17, 2009 - West Hartford, CT (US) @ Konover Great Room - University of Hartford - The Phoebe Foundation Benefit Show w/ HKPOE! & Math The Band & Hey Stranger
Oct 23, 2009 - Storrs, CT (US) @ von der Mehden Recital Hall @ Uconn - UConn Rock Show w/ Call II Consciousness
Oct 30, 2009 - Boston, MA (US) @ The Paradise Rock Club - Halloween Show w/ Big D and the Kids Table & Roll The Tanks & Hayley Jane and the Primates
Oct 31, 2009 - Syracuse, NY (US) @ Funk 'N Waffles w/ The Toasters & Matt Wixson & 4 Point 0
Nov 7, 2009 - Brooklyn, NY (US) @ Knitting Factory - Ska Splash w/ Bigger Thomas & Beat Brigade & Brunt of It
Nov 19, 2009 - New Britain, CT (US) @ Semesters in the Student Center @ CCSU w/ Johnny 9 and The Racers & Strange Tribe
Nov 21, 2009 - Wilkes-Barre, PA (US) @ Cafe Metropolis w/ More TBA

Remixed & Remastered "Passion, Love & Pride" EP!

2009-10-07T17:40:00.001-04:00

Before Simone & Nicole went on Warped Tour with Big D & The Kids Table this summer, Tip The Van spent countless hours working with our mastermind Seth Torres at the infamous WERS studio at Emerson College in Boston to remix our new EP, "Passion, Love & Pride"

It is now available for purchase on iTunes here: http://ping.fm/Z5Bip

You can stream the remixed tracks for free here too:
MySpace: http://ping.fm/9Qn1n
Last.fm: http://ping.fm/ckXyC
iLike: http://ping.fm/mAnRK
Facebook: http://ping.fm/sPRjC

Please take a listen!

2009-08-04T17:38:00.001-04:00

Hello CT, it's been awhile!

Join us THIS FRIDAY at the Acoustic Cafe in Bridgeport, CT (www.acousticafe.com). Doors are @ 8, admission is $5 & this show is 21+

Tip The Van will be playing from 11:00-12:00.

This is an open event so PLEASE invite your friends or anyone you may think would be interested in checking out some good live music at the Acoustic Cafe - a "dimly lit, deep red and orange walls, funkified mural, cool people" kinda place.

Facebook Event with all sorts of details: http://ping.fm/G1IR3

The Acoustic Cafe was voted "Best Place To Hear Alternative Music", "Best Local Music" and "Best Open Mic" by the Fairfield County Weekly readers poll!

Come hang out with us!

Scooter Cam!! Flip Video's Week 3 - Live from Vans Warped Tour 2009

2009-07-19T08:10:00.001-04:00

Most of you may know this, but if not, here's a little background info. All summer at the Warped Tour, Simone has been riding around on a sweet scooter with a Flip Video Camera screwed onto her helmet. She wears a tee shirt that says Tip The Van Scooter Cam and rides around talking to people at Warped Tour, saying hi, interviewing and checking out bands. It's pretty awesome. She's been posting videos ALL summer (www.youtube.com/tipthevan) and has become a part of the Warped Tour phenomenon - people are actually looking for her!

Oddly enough, Flip Video has ALSO been following the Warped Tour and when they discovered Simone, well, it was destiny.

See the video below, sponsored on the MySpace homepage from Flip Video where Simone, her Scooter Cam AND Tip The Van get an awesome mention! Fast forward through to 2:53.

Week 3 - Live from Vans Warped Tour 2009

Thanks Flip Video!!!

Watch Simone & Nicole LIVE!

2009-07-08T11:40:00.000-04:00

Watch the girls perform LIVE with Big D today at 4:45 at http://www.hurley.com/live thanks to the Hurley video feed. This service will be available every day so check www.twitter.com/tipthevan or www.facebook.com/tipthevan for official times/updates!

- Steph

Indianapolis Warped Tour!

2009-07-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

We are currently setting up our merch tent in Indianapolis, the first Warped Tour date Tip The Van ever played! Our bus is parked in a giant field right outside the gates and as soon as walked out onto the field, I totally knew where I was. Today we are playing in the amphitheater which totally rocks because we are going to be completely in the shade.

Watch us play live on the Hurley.com website! The time of our performance today is 12:45!

-Simone ttv

The Big D bus has broken down

2009-07-02T05:22:00.000-04:00

The bus is being towed to a gas station to be filled up and looked at.

We are getting dropped off at the gas station by a van provided by the towing company.

Inside the station we found a Mexican restaurant. Thank goodness for breakfast burritos and sopapillas.

Keep your fingers crossed that we make our ten our drive in time!

Xoxoxoxoooo

-Simone ttv

Thank you!

2009-07-01T13:02:00.001-04:00

We wanted to extend a huge thanks to all our fans who voted at battleofthebands.com, posted our videos on their pages and spread the word to help get us on the Ernie Ball Stage at Warped Tour 2009. The voting has officially ended and all we have to do now is wait to hear the results! Even though Simone and Nicole are currently already playing the Warped Tour with Big D & the Kids Table, the rest of the band thanks you all for helping us possibly having opportunity to share TTV's music with the Warped Tour!

Thousands of bands applied and only 4 bands get to play in each city, so please cross your fingers for us!

Tip The Van was ranked as follows:

Hartford, CT - #7
Uniondale, NY - #10
Boston, MA - #12

THANK YOU!!

p.s. just in case you didn't already know:
www.myspace.com/tipthevan
www.facebook.com/tipthevan
www.youtube.com/tipthevan
www.twitter.com/tipthevan

Bowling with Warped Tour!

2009-06-30T06:22:00.000-04:00

Big D and the rest of the bands on warped played a mean bowling game tonight in Phoenix. We kicked ass!! All the money from the tournament went to charity. Another warped show tomorrow in Phoenix. It's going to be reeeeaaallly hot. Temperature wise. Xoxox Simone ttv

Pomona Warped Tour!

2009-06-26T07:10:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the very first show for us on the 2009 Warped Tour :) The Doped Up Dollies set up the tiki tent and rehearsed with Mr. Rogan and Double D, the drummer (yes, his titties are huge). We are pumped, stoked, anxious, and totally ready for a summer of rocking.

More good news! Mr. John Cheese, our merch buddy from our Reel Big Fish/Streetlight Manifesto tour will be joining the Big D bus this summer! For those of you who don't know Mr. Cheese, he is someone who you may want to google. Check our status update/Facebook/Twitter everyday to find out what time we perform on the Hurley.com stage!!

-SimoneTTV

Pin-Up Girl Clothing

2009-06-23T20:23:00.000-04:00

The Doped Up Dollies are on their way to Pin-Up Girl Clothing in LA. But we just stopped at In-N-Out burger for some grub before we get there. We are having a photo shoot in the store to promote the dresses they gave us for Warped Tour. Eating giant burgers before a photo shoot may not be the best idea... Hopefully we'll get our hands on some photos from the shoot later tonight. Woooo! -Simone ttv

Hangout with Big D at the “Fluent In Stroll” Listening Party

2009-06-22T18:45:00.000-04:00

Innes Clothing and Hensley’s Pub would like you to join Big D and the Kids Table for a “Fluent In Stroll” listening party. Hear Big D’s newest record before it is released in Stores and HANGOUT WITH THE BAND!!!! Where: Hensley’s Flying Elephant Pub and Grill 850 Tamarack Ave. Carlsbad, CA 92008 Phone: 760.434.2660 When: Today, Monday, June 22nd. 6 pm- 8pm All Ages listening party 8 pm – close 21+ Listening party and all out chaos Come out and party with us. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I can’t think of a better place to hang out the Matt Hensley of Flogging Molly’s bar! -- Simone & Steve

WFNX.com

2009-06-22T03:10:00.000-04:00

Dave from Big D just finished a radio interview at the WFNX radio station. All the rest of us are currently in LA county listening to Daves interview live! Check it out at WFNX.com -Simone ttv

Transitions Skate Park Stop

2009-06-19T20:14:00.000-04:00

Early this morning the Big D bus stopped at a body shop to fix the generator... It's now almost five pm and we are back on the road. There just happened to be a skate park next to the body shop where the bus was parked all day. Sure enough, we went inside and found an indoor skate park. The kids inside showed us around while they opened the place up and turned the lights on. The kids were all supportive of my limited scooter skills and taught me a few tricks.

Check out this video of us in the park!

-Simone ttv

Decoy Music

2009-06-18T18:56:00.000-04:00

Check out a review for the new Big D record Fluent in Stroll: http://www.decoymusic.com/reviews/2934

We are all super pumped about playing the songs on the new record live at warped all summer :)

Destination: Detroit-Bus-City

2009-06-18T17:43:00.000-04:00

The Kids Table van has just started quiet time. The seven of us are currently napping, writing blogs about touring, studying yoga terms or surfing the web.

Jane's Addiction has just found its way from the iTrip to the stereo.

Tour has officially begun.

L, Simone ttv

Packing the Big D trailer!

2009-06-18T00:59:00.001-04:00

Nicole and I just finished packing the Big D trailer with the boys. Departure begins NOW! On the road again! L.A. here we come!

Simone ttv

Tip the Van Scooter Cam will be zipping around the Vans Warped Tour 2009 capturing Interviews, bands, fans and behind the scenes footage! Nicole and I leave to start the tour next week Tuesday! Our first show on warped is in Pamona CA June 21st. Stay tuned for new updates, daily Scooter Cam videos, and stir-crazy van-riders. Until then, peace & love Simone

2009-06-13T01:25:00.001-04:00

Vans Warped Tour (Battle of the Bands)

2009-03-03T15:03:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

We are participating in the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands for a chance to win a few dates on the 2009 Vans Warped Tour. The way it works is you visit the link:

http://warped.battleofthebands.com/tipthevan

and create an account. It only takes a few minutes and they wont send you garbage unless you want to receive it. You then visit our page and click each of the three cities you see on the right hand side of the page (Hartford, Uniondale and Boston). Place your vote for each city. You can only vote for each city once per day (3 total), but you can keep coming back and voting every day until the competition ends. If you bookmark the page, you can place your votes for us in less than a minute. Please take the time to do this for us as it is an excellent opportunity to get exposure on a national level.

Also check our "tour" page on tipthevan.com to view upcoming shows. Thanks!

-Dunnigan TTV

New Friends

2009-01-27T11:07:00.000-05:00

After the music had finished and the buses and vans had been packed, we headed to the basement of the 9:30 Club to relax, unwind......and get drunk with everyone on tour. It was basically an end of tour party. Some of us went around with posters and had everyone sign it as a tour memento/yearbook.

You wouldn't believe how nice everyone on this tour has been. We truly became friends with each and every member of the bands and the crew. It's a bit surreal being friends with bands that you looked up to, but you learn that even though they may be rockstars, they are still normal people and music dorks, just like us.

We would like to offer a giant thanks Reel Big Fish for taking a relatively unknown band on tour with them around the country. We hope we lived up to and exceeded your expectations for us. A big thanks also goes out to Streetlight Manifesto for befriending us and teaching us how to rock.

Thanks Aaron, Scott, Dan, Ryland, John, Derek, Thomas, Chris, Jim, Matt, Mike, Mike, Tyler, Tom, Donny, Dave, Cheese, Milo, Addison, and anyone else I forgot.

This tour is only the beginning for Tip the Van.

Washington D.C.

2009-01-27T10:29:00.001-05:00

Washington D.C. was the last stop on our tour. We all knew it had to come to an end, but we didn't want it to come so soon. The 9:30 club was the setting for our final 30 minutes of rock (in case you were wondering, the 9:30 comes from the original address of the venue.) The club was very clean and felt very new. From the moment we arrived inside, we knew it would be different than the rest of the shows. There was a chef cooking up all sorts of lunch deliciousness. We had soup so spicy it put hair on the girl's chests.........

While we are on the topic of of food, we also got to pick what we wanted to eat for dinner off of an impressive menu. That was a first of the tour. I got vegetarian chili and the 9:30 Club (ba dum chhhhhh). It was delivered right after we finished playing and was delicious.

Back to the music.

We knew we had one last chance to show everyone what we were made of. What are we made of you ask? ROCK! Not your igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary rock, but melt your face, blow your ear drums, anger the old lady downstairs until she bangs on the ceiling with a broom, rock. We have spent countless hours practicing and writing and practicing over and over again so that we could be on this tour and we had one last chance to shine (so make it bright! (only a few people will get that TTV joke)).

We walked onto a blacked out stage to thunderous applause. I grabbed my guitar and threw the standby switch on my amp. The bass drum started its quarter note kick. We raised our hands above our head and started clapping. The audience followed and threw some whistles and cheers in for good measure. As soon as the first D minor chord kicked in, our clock started ticking. The crowd was nothing short of amazing for this show. The vast majority of people had never heard of us before but their legs moved with the music as if they had been old friends. I watched as people went from bobbing their heads to dancing where they stood. I found a tall set of speakers to stand on, stage right, for one of my solos and the entire band seemed comfortable up on stage for the entire set. When the last chord was played of our last song, the cheering went through the roof. I could not hold back my smile because I was living my dream. Simone's smile came in the form of leaping from the stage and crowd surfing. I'll admit, it was pretty badass and a great way to end the tour.

-Dunnigan TTV

Worcester, MA

2009-01-27T09:49:00.000-05:00

I thought no show could top our Toad's Place show in New Haven. Boy was I wrong.

The Palladium in Worcester is an impressively large venue. It has a lot of open air, a large balcony area, and a huge stage. The barricade was formed as a half moon in front of the stage instead of the normal straight line. It's almost as if the Palladium was facilitating circle pits.

The concert was sold out at least a week before we even arrived in Massachusetts. It was Minneapolis cold when we stepped outside of the van and loading our gear in was a frigid task. Our dressing rooms were on the 79th floor (actually it was the 4th, but it seemed farther) and had a lack of light, heat and a door on the bathroom, but who needs that anyway?

I walked outside 20 minutes before doors opened and the line to get in stretched an entire block and then wrapped around the corner. I have no idea how many people were around the corner but I am guessing more than 2 and less than 5,903. I checked my phone as I was out there and the Weather Channel said it felt like -4 degrees. I saw people in shorts and tshirts because they didn't want to bring coats into the venue.........and there were still 20 minutes till the door opened! I talked with the people at the front of the line and they said they had been there for 3 hours. Throughout this tour I have been continually impressed with the dedication of fans.

Fast forward an hour and twenty minutes and we are walking on stage. The crowd exploded with cheers and applause. If I had to put a time stamp on when people started moving it would look like this 00:00:02. Right from the get go, I knew it would be good. The one good thing the Palladium did was light the crowd every now and again. This served a few functions. First, it was for people to see what they were doing since there was a lot of dancing, moshing and circle pits. Secondly, it was for bouncers to see what was going on in the crowd and lastly it served as a way for us to see what was going on because the stage lights usually make it hard for us. The cheers, dancing and crowd reaction all seemed greater in Worcester.

After we played, we had security that would walk us where ever we needed to go since the crowd was so packed. We didn't really need it, but it was a nice perk of tour.

There are 3 factors that made Worcester my favorite show.

1) We all, personally, played one of our best sets.
2) The crowd reaction.
3) The most profitable night of the tour.

I can't wait to play the Palladium again.

-Dunnigan TTV

New Haven, CT

2009-01-27T09:03:00.000-05:00

It was good to be back in CT! Toad's Place was our homecoming/home town show. We had been looking forward to it all tour and Reel Big Fish and Streelight both knew we were excited..

We had played there only a few weeks prior, with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, but the venue had changed in that short time. Gone was the giant circular bar that never seemed to be open. This freed up extra room on the floor so the capacity could be greater. New bars were also built in spots of the venue rarely used. Even with that extra room, though, the show was sold out. A lot of our friends and family couldn't get in because they didn't buy tickets in time. I think incrediblyfrigginpacked is a great way of describing how many people were at the concert.

When we arrived at the venue, we were informed by Milo, the tech for Reel Big Fish, that we wouldnt need all of our amps because the stage was so shallow compared to the ones we had been playing. That saved us some heavy lifting and made loading in much easier. Upon arriving inside, I saw Chris Rhodes from the Bosstones and J.R. from Less Than Jake hanging out with various people from the tour. I've noticed that the ska music touring scene is a close knit group of friends.

Our green room was stocked like no other for this go around. I won't even tell you the difference we experienced between being the local opener and being on the tour, but I can say that I enjoy being on tour far more. Before going on stage, I saw a lot of friends and family. I'll be honest, it began to psyche me out since I was now performing for a whole slew of people I knew instead of strangers. Luckily, we all have our pre-show rituals and I calmed myself down before I set foot on stage.

We walked on stage to thunderous applause and cheering. From the first note people went crazy. The crowd was shifting and swaying like the sea during a turbulent storm. Everywhere I looked I saw people singing the words to our songs. People even knew the words to music we had put up on myspace right before we left for tour. I could do nothing but smile. It was great to see friends from school dancing and becoming part of the liquid crowd.

I spent the rest of the show with friends friends and family

Later that night, TTV, RBF, and SM all went out to Rudy's in New Haven and when we were kicked out at last call, we headed back to the tour buses to party. Upon arriving on Reel Big Fish's bus, I found my two cousins, Lindsay and Kimmy, hanging out and talking with the band. Small world.

We would all like to thank our families and friends friends for coming out. If this was your first show, I hope you enjoyed it and hope it wont be the last.

Thank you, also, to all of our fans in CT for coming out and supporting us all these years. You made this stop of the tour extra special for us.

-Dunnigan TTV

Philadelphia, PA

2009-01-23T18:19:00.001-05:00

Philadelphia has a very historical, 7th grade history class feel to it. The roads are very narrow and the buildings are mostly comprised of brick. I can't say that I would ever want to live in Philly but it was a lot of fun walking around South street.

The venue, the Theater of the Living Arts (TLA), was colored red on the interior and had chandeliers hanging above the audience. It said, "I'm a grungy rock venue........with a touch of class."

The show was sold out long before we arrived and it was packed when we went on stage. The audience seemed to be enjoying the show but it wasn't until Simone said, "does Philly know about circle pits?" that people really started moving and grooving. We all, personally, had a great show. Everyone was on and we seem to be starting to really hit our groove.

Toads place is the next show and our hometown venue. Here we come New Haven!

-Dunnigan TTV

Philly Cheesesteak

2009-01-23T18:02:00.001-05:00

There's nothing like having a Philly Cheesesteak in Philadelphia. There is plenty of debate as to who makes the best, but we found that Jim's was the most recommended. Fortunately it was very close to our venue so it was only a short walk to cheesesteak heaven.

I ordered one with Whiz, peppers and fried onions. Everyone else had there own unique sub with ingredients like marinara, provolone, ketchup and a whole slew of others. Let me tell you, Jim's did not disappoint. I ate my sandwich in under 5 minutes because I was starving and could have easily eaten another if I had bigger pants.

After our set, I went back for another but this time I got American cheese instead of cheese whiz......... The whiz was better.

Montclair, NJ

2009-01-22T12:46:00.001-05:00

The Wellmont Theater has gone through several transitions in it's long history. Up until the past year it had served as a multiplex movie theater. The ornate decorations that you see all around were covered with sheet rock and the upper level, where the picture was taken, was spilt into two separate theaters. The newly renovated Wellmont Theater was opened in October and we were only the 26th show to grace the stage.

Tickets did not sell as well as the other shows, but the floor level was still packed. The view from stage was amazing given the 1,000 person capacity of the balcony. The dome above the balcony was lit like a sunny day sky although it created a dead sound space directly below it.

I am gonna go out on a limb and call new jersey the home of the circle pit. By the end of our set, there were 3 separate circles that converged into a giant circle of rock.

Side note, Montclair has amazing Thai food.

-Dunnigan TTV

New York, NY (part 2)

2009-01-21T18:06:00.001-05:00

Yea, there were a lot of people in New York.

-Dunnigan TTV

New York, NY

2009-01-21T18:01:00.001-05:00

I <3 NY

The Roseland Ballroom on W 52nd St in New York City was the setting for our next tour date. This venue was the largest of the tour and it was packed like a can of sardines. Many famous names such as Madonna and Frank Sinatra have performed here and you could feel the history as you walked throughout Roseland's halls. I also found out that my grandparents used to go dancing there many many years ago. I bet they never would've thought their grandson would be performing on stage decades later.

This show was particularly special to a few of us because this was the first date that our parents attended. With them in the audience, we knew we had to put on a stellar performance. It turns out we are good under pressure and we rocked NYC. Massive circle pits formed and the people that could move, danced. We have never played on such a large stage but we all felt very comfortable with the additional space.

-Dunnigan TTV

Norfolk, VA

2009-01-20T11:14:00.000-05:00

Norfolk, VA was about a 10 hour drive from Atlanta. We didn't get to sleep much the night before so we were all exhausted on the car ride. Our Tip the Van tour manager (Vanager), Jeremy, and I shared the driving responsibilities. He would drive while I slept and vice versa. He has been doing the vast majority of the driving so far and I don't think we could be doing this without him.

When we arrived in VA, it was cold and raining, so unloading the gear wasn't much fun, but once we got to our dressing rooms, our mentality changed. The venue we played, the Norva, has set the standard for dressing room. Ours had a pool table, ping pong table, foozeball table, big screen tv, arcade games (that were free) and giant leather couches. Oh and did I mention the showers, hot tub and sauna? I love being on tour :)

The show started fairly early and we went on at 6:30 to a packed crowd (if you couldn't tell from the photo). The crowd did not move nearly as much as the Atlanta one had, but we could still tell they were having fun and that kept us having a fun as well. Jeremy, our vanager, usually does our merch, but because of the long drive we had and the long drive to come, he went upstairs to sleep. We forgot to set up merch and after our set, people were lost as to where to buy things. Luckily, we quickly rectified the situation and even though we were in a corner where no one could see us, we had our most profitable night yet. As soon as the show was over we loaded out because we needed to be back home the next morning. We usually sign a lot of autographs when we are in the venue, but VA was the first place we had people waiting by our van for some signatures. It was pretty surreal.

January 19 was our day off and everyone used it to catch up on sleep.

NYC here we come!

-Dunnigan TTV

Atlanta, GA

2009-01-20T10:53:00.001-05:00

Atlantaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. The drive from Nashville wasn't too bad, around 4 hours. The venue we played was called the Masquerade. It had a heaven and hell theme with two stages cleverly named, heaven and hell. The RBF, SM, TTV tour was upstairs in heaven (the larger room). Downstairs, in hell, was Funeral for a Friend (another pretty large band). There was also a mid level bar, aptly named Purgatory.

Some venues provide buffets for the bands and others give you a buyout (money to go buy your own food). The masquerade had a mexican buffet and it was muy delicioso (thank you high school spanish!). After we ate like gluttons, the doors opened and people rushed in as if a flood barrier had broken. I knew right from the when people started flowing in that this was going to be a good show.

From the first chord, people started going wild. I have never experienced such a rowdy and amazing crowd. They were dancing, moshing, crowd surfing and even singing! There is no better feeling than having a crowd go crazy for your music. The more they react in the audience, the more we react on stage and we feed off of each other.

This show, for me, is the most memorable because of the crowd and one special move I did. During our song, April Showers, I have a fairly long and rocking solo (not to pat myself on the back or anything). Almost every venue has a barricade separating the crowd from the band and inbetween there are security guards. The barricade at the Masquerade had a pretty wide lip on it, so when it came time for my solo, I jumped from the stage to the top of the barrier and started to wail on the guitar. I still get chills talking about it, but hands flew up all around me and people were cheering as if I was Hendrix himself. Flashes from cameras went off all around and I could not help but smile because this is everything I imagined being in a band could be.

We finished our set to thunderous applause and set our course for Viriginia, knowing that Atlanta was going to be tough to beat!

-Dunnigan TTV

Nashville, TN

2009-01-20T10:34:00.000-05:00

We heard that Nashville was known for its fried chicken, so we set out to find the best. We ended up at Prince's Hot Fried Chicken on the outskirts of the city. The restaurant consisted of nothing more than a few tables, which people used to wait for their orders since take out was their specialty. The menu had only 8 items, so it wasn't a hard choice. I ordered a chicken breast with baked beans and took my place in the back of the room as I waited. It turns out that you have to wait 83 minutes for good fried chicken. We may have been late arriving to the venue, but we had the BEST fried chicken of our lives.

The venue in Nashville, the Exit/In, was the smallest of the tour. The capacity was around 500 people and the show was sold out long before we even started on the road. The stage was cramped, but it was something we were very comfortable with given the places we have played during our musical careers thus far. The crowd was nothing short of awesome! They were dancing and moshing through the entire set. Even though the crowd was small, the applause and cheers rivaled that of the larger crowds.

The bus call for RBF and Streetlight was late that night, so we decided to go out to the bars and party. Let's just say that TTV held its own against the big guys......in pool. When the bars closed, we headed back to RBF's tour bus and watch Step Brothers. If you haven't seen it, you should because it is hilarious!

A bit behind

2009-01-18T16:30:00.001-05:00

Sorry I haven't updated the blog in a while. Tour can get hectic and sleep has become few and far between. I am at 6 hours of sleep in the past 3 days, but I don't feel too shabby. I have posts for Nashville, Atlanta and soon to be Norfolk, coming soon.

Time for sound check.

-Dunnigan TTV

Cincinnati, OH

2009-01-16T18:34:00.001-05:00

I would say this picture shows about 1,100 people. This wasn't even taken from the back of the venue, so you can imagine how long the place was. We were told that this venue gets insanely hot once the show starts, but the 5 degree weather outside kept it a brisk 55 degrees on the stage.

We are heading into Prince's Hot Chicken, so I have to cut this update short. From what I hear it's supposed to be the best in Nashville.

Cincinnati, OH

2009-01-16T13:36:00.001-05:00

Talk about a rockin' town! When we pulled into the venue the first thing I saw was a huge mural spray painted on the side of the building. It had really colorful, overlapping lettering. It looked sick. I wish I had taken a picture of it. The inside of the venue was just as gritty as the outside. Let's just say we didn't sit on the toilet seats for fear of dying... But hey, thats just part of being on the road.

I think the best part of the night was the crowd. Their energy warmed me up so much that my shoe flew off during the show because I was so sweaty. After our set I saw my friend Quimby! She came up from KY for the show and it was rad to see a familiar face. I can't wait to come back through and play OH again.

We're in the van headed to Nashville. The sky is clear and I'm hoping this will be the first stop on the tour where I can't see my breath when we're outside loading our equipment.

-Simone TTV

Cleveland, OH

2009-01-15T15:37:00.001-05:00

Cleveland rock city!

Once again, the Midwest showed us what frigid actually means. So far it has snowed everyday since we have been on tour. Fortunately, I love falling snow......except when it causes you to slip and fall when loading expensive gear.

The venue we played was the Cleveland House of Blues. It was far smaller and less extravagent than the HOB in Chicago, but it was still a very nice venue.

We were happy to learn that the show was sold out. The tour has been quite successful with ticket sales so far and I hope the rest of the tour follows the same trend.

We played a strong set, starting from behind a closed curtain with house lights blacked out. The crowd loved it and a particularly rough mosh pit broke out, but everyone still had fun and no one got hurt. The stage lights were probably the hottest of the tour, so far, because we were soaked at the end if the show.

-Dunnigan TTV

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

2009-01-15T14:49:00.001-05:00

Jeremy, our tour manager, scheduled a few mystery trips throughout our journey across the country. The first was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. I have always wanted to visit it so, naturally, I was ecstatic. It was a snowy Wednesday so we basically had the Hall of Fame all to ourselves. We also found out that if you are a touring band, you get in for free as long as you give them a cd. I'll chock that up as reason #59 of why I love tour.

The first thing we did when we ventured inside was take a hilarious group photo in front of a green screen (it will eventually end up on the Internet). We managed to trade backstage passes to our show for a free 6x8 photo with a very nice girl named Carissa (who ended up hanging out with us backstage for most of the night).

What can I say about the actual exhibit? It was rocknrollgasmic, that's what I can say! The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Hendrix, and other famous rock legends were on display in all their glory.

-Dunnigan TTV

Nicole, Simone and Reel Big Fish

2009-01-14T13:14:00.001-05:00

Nicole and Simone are singing a song with Reel Big Fish while we are on tour. The song is called "She Has a Girlfriend Now." They do an amazing job and we will have videos posted when we get back.

If you haven't seen the tour yet, you can just pretend like you didn't read this post and it will come as a suprise.

-Dunnigan TTV

Firsts (part 1)

2009-01-14T13:06:00.001-05:00

This is Lisa from Michigan. She was a sweetheart....... and also my first boob signing. How about them apples? Haha

-Dunnigan TTV

Royal Oak, MI (part 2)

2009-01-14T13:00:00.001-05:00

Here is a view of the stage from 3/4 if the way back in the venue. The place was massive.

While we may not have sold as much merch as we usually do, we made some awesome new friends. Royal Oak had some of friendliest security of any venue. Howie and I would like to send a shout out to a certain large security guard who braved the cold with us while we were loading out. We hope you enjoyed those hand warmers.

Royal Oak, MI

2009-01-14T12:41:00.001-05:00

Now that's what I'm talkin' about! It always brings a smile to my face to see our name on a marquee, especially one that big.

I would like to note that Michigan is as cold as Frosty the Snowman's balls. When we arrived at the venue to unload, it was 9 degrees. By the end of the show, it was 4 degrees and when we got to the hotel it was ¹degree. There were warnings issued for it being record breaking temperatures overnight. I'm glad I could spend that magical moment with Michigan. I don't know how the Michiganese people do it, but kudos to them.

The Royal Oak Music Theater was the largest venue we have ever played. We were bummed to hear that pre-sales weren't great but there was a surge of people buying tickets at the door and the place was packed. I would estimate about 2000-2100 people......wow!

Royal Oak wasn't as opulent as the House of Blues but what it lacked in style it made up for in sheer size.

-Dunnigan TTV

Chicago, IL (part 2)

2009-01-13T14:32:00.001-05:00

Here is a view from our blacony seat overlooking the stage. If you look to the left, you can see our giant banner hanging.

-Dunnigan TTV

Chicago, IL

2009-01-13T13:35:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the House of Blues, Chicago. Hands down, this is the most beautiful and well designed venue I have ever played/seen. I felt like I was in a lush opera house from hundreds of years ago.

This is the view from stage. There were 3 levels: Floor level, first balcony and second balcony. The higher up you got, the fancier it became.

I don't even know where to begin with this show. I personally think it was one of the best shows of my life and definitely the best show of the tour... so far. The entire sold out crowd was dancing and swaying by the end of our set. It was surreal. The acoustics were roughly 622.7% better than the previous show.

Our green room for this show was really nice and had a blues/down south feel. We had a stocked fridge and a buffet of Italian food (did I mention I love tour). We had our own VIP box seats overlooking the stage and a personal waitress. It's a crazy feeling having people recognize you and shake your hand as you walk through the crowd.

Milwaukee, WI (part 3)

2009-01-13T12:11:00.001-05:00

When we arrived at the venue, we were shown to our green room. It was stocked with beer, water, soda, chips and salsa. It was also in the most ghetto part of the basement. The smell of wet feet lingered in the air and the room was freezing but we couldn't be happier.

Comparitively, Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto's green rooms were lush and Arabian themed (as opposed to the haunted basement theme like ours).

Fast forward about an hour and we had our own room upstairs with the other bands. Don't ask me how, we'll just call it luck. We had the "Pillow Room" which is named for the hundreds of pillows that were strewn about. It had the same Middle Eastern feel as the others and was decorated with lights, lava lamps and sheets/rugs on the wall.

The attached photo is of the common room that all bands shared. It was stocked with any and everything you could think of. I'm a new fan of Milwaukee.

-Dunnigan TTV

Milwaukee, WI (part 2)

2009-01-13T11:43:00.001-05:00

The stage at the Rave was pretty large. We each had at least 3 feet to our right and left to move around, which is a lot better than the cramped stages that we are usually on (when not on the tour).

We played to a sold out crowd of about 1400. It was a little intimidating, but once people started dancing, everything fell into place. The one downside to the show was that the room had god-awful acoustics. Sound bounced off the walls like a kid hopped up on sugar. I was in a pretty bad spot because I had my monitor, the drummers monitor and the bouncing sound from the crowd providing me with 3 different beats. Fortunately, we played well and were received well.

We were taken on a tour of the venue because there is a lot of history behind it. We saw the boiler room and the creepy ass service tunnels that ran throughout the entire length of the building. It was one of the eeriest places I have ever been and the complete lack of lighting only added to the ambiance of horror.

-DunniganTTV

Milwaukee, WI

2009-01-13T11:21:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Rave in Milwaukee. This is the sign we drove up to......not too shabby. The venue was massive. There were 5 stages under ¹roof, including a 4,000 capacity ballroom and multiple bar stages. The stage our show was on was the second largest in the Rave.

Picture above.

Reel Big Fish's tour bus

2009-01-11T15:55:00.001-05:00

This is what it looks like when you try and fit Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto and Tip the Van into one tour bus.

-Dunnigan TTV

Minneapolis, MN (part 2)

2009-01-11T15:24:00.001-05:00

It took us 26 hours to travel from Connecticut to Minnesota. A large portion of the journey through the Midwest was plagued by blizzard-like conditions. We followed trucks all night since they cleared the falling snow with the amount of air they displaced.

Although we spent a good 9 hours only traveling 40mph across a snow strew interstate, we still made it to the first venue on time. A crew of roadies helped unload all of our gear and we received our all-access, backstage passes. We checked out our green room which was stocked with beer, water, a giant plasma tv and comfy couches. We settled in and started taking showers in the suprisingly clean and elegant shower.

We performed a sound check and set up our merch. At 629, the house lights and house music came down. We played our hearts out for 30 short minutes. People danced, jumped and went crowd surfing. We made new fans and friends, signed some autographs and took some pictures with people.

-Dunnigan TTV

Minneapolis, MN

2009-01-11T14:31:00.001-05:00

Here is a shot of Reel Big Fish at Epic in Minneapolis. This gives you a sense of what the venue looks like and how many people were at the show.

-Dunnigan TTV

Grammar

2009-01-10T15:30:00.001-05:00

I have just re-read some of my posts and noticed some simple grammar and spelling errors. My iPhone auto-corrects some words and I may not catch them, so if it looks like I failed English, it's Apple's fault.

-Dunnigan TTV

Umm

2009-01-10T15:23:00.001-05:00

This is a mom and pop gas station chain in the Midwest........yea....

I have seen heaven

2009-01-10T10:43:00.001-05:00

...an it's filled with artery clogging beer sausage. Only in Wisconsin will you encounter a blob of meat loosely shaped like a beer bottle and labeled as pabst blue ribbon. God bless America!

Snowww

2009-01-10T03:35:00.001-05:00

Apparently it likes to snow in the Midwest, who knew? 3am and still 9 hours from the first show on Minneapolis. I think I am going to try and get some sleep. There's a long day of driving, blogging and rocking out ahead of me.

-Dunnigan TTV

All packed

2009-01-09T14:33:00.001-05:00

It took years of intensive tetris playing and along with a degree in vanpackular engineering to get everything into our 12 passenger van. I think we figured out why most bands go on tour with a trailer attached to the back.

But let's start things from the beginning. We all went up to Steph (trombone) and Jeremy's (Steph's brother/tour manager) apartment for a potluck dinner. We devoured steak (some of the best I have ever had), mac and cheese, bruscetta and various other snacks as we played wii and packed. I'm pretty confident that if music doesn't work out, we could dominate the culinary world.

So after the delicious meal, we all settled down and watched tropic thunder. I have one long word for that movie frigginhilarious!

9am brought breakfast a la Howie (bass player). He made egg/cheese/bacon quesadillas. To stay with the one word theme, I would describe it as friggindelicious! Perfect brain fuel for solving the van packing enigma.

-Dunnigan TTV

2008-12-25T12:05:00.000-05:00

It's offical, the Tip the Van tour blog is up and running. I have tested and retested the system and it looks like it will be easy to update while on the road via my iPhone. The idea is to keep friends, family and fans up to date while we are traveling across the country. I plan on taking pictures of all all the venues when we get there as well as pictures of crowds, fans, Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto, after parties and whatever craziness we end up getting into. All the pictures that I post will be available at a larger size simply by clicking on them (when I post from the road). I plan on posting multiple times during each day of the tour, so make sure to check back frequently. You can also comment on anything I post, so if you want to see more pictures of, say, a particular venue, just leave a comment about it.

This blog will start off slow, given it is the holiday season and there are still a lot of loose ends to tie up before we get on the road, but come early January, things should be in full swing.

Dunnigan TTV