Hello fans of The Flag,

Warped tour 2009, who could have guessed it would be so tolerable? Even coming out of the haze of sickness that was unexpectedly cast upon me as we crossed the border into Texas, I realized I'm maintaining positivity and I'm still stoked to be out here right now. Today's day off in St. Louis has offered us some time to reflect and recover from our experience so far.

This is not the band's first time on this tour, nor is it mine. Last summer this all seemed a lot more difficult, though. Perhaps it was the fact that I was stuck behind a merch booth and wishing I was working closer to the action, and now I am. Maybe it's the actual make up of the tour. Last summer I was working with The Street Dogs, one of the punkish bands on the tour, and we felt like the minority. It was like the tour was booked and we were added as an after thought along with The Briggs, The Aggrolites and a couple others. Decent bands, but not taking the spotlight on the tour. There were not enough of these type of bands to get kids that like these type of bands to come hang out with us in parking lots, especially when they had to deal with a high volume screamo/emo/whatevercore bands to see them. We felt alone, like outcasts on our own tour, and a little resentment towards the bands who were becoming the life of the party.

Now, we find ourselves out here with bands like Bad Religion, NOFX, Less Than Jake, The AKAs, and soon to be Flogging Molly and The Bouncing Souls, and it feels more like we exist along side the bands of alternate genres, as opposed to competing against them. This summer I will remember as being filled with high fives and helping hands. Yeah, it's hot as balls. No, this is not an easy tour no matter how you go about it, but I'm staying positive without telling myself to be, and I'm happy to be here.

Today, though, I woke up and rode my bike up and down Delmar after getting some free air for my bike. I found some wheat grass and juice, as well as a cool record store. Many noodles were eaten at many mediocre noodle restaurants, and I ate some Ben and Jerry's (apparently I can't always get a discount when I tell them I'm from Vermont). We saw a movie called Away We Go, which 2 and I agreed was one of those good idea-poor execution type films. The most interesting part was seeing Alison from the amazing band Discount in the previews with her new band, Dead Weather Now I'm back at the Hotel, ready to go to sleep to wake up and get back to the grind tomorrow.

See you soon,
Max

Monday. July 6th. 6:09 p.m.

Out on Warped Tour 2009.
Shows have been great.
We have a new friend helping us out on this tour, let me introduce you to Max, guitar tech/all around good dude.
I gave him the log in information for this blog, so hopefully we'll be blessed with some updates from him.


listening to the new Alexis On Fire - new Big D and the Kids Table - new The A.K.A's albums.
good time for new music.

take it easy, but take it.
2

Tuesday. June 9. 2009. 8:55 am

So today is the day.
Try and stay calm
Try and act cool.

I'll go to the ice rink this morning.
No one there knows I play in a band or have a record out today.

It's hot in pittsburgh.
But perhaps I'm just uber sensitive.
Not to mention, on record release day, on a show day, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a huge game 6. PUKE CITY.

Crazy day yesterday.
Skated for an hour and a half.
Practiced for our CD Release show tonight, we played "Punk By The Book." crazy.
Had an eye appointment, I have 20/15 vision. That is better than 20/20 my friends.
They say I am a perfect example of Lasik Surgery working. Poster child. ha. TECHNOLOGY MAN!
I drove home in the pittsburgh sun, eyes dilated. Trying/hoping not to crash.
Then spent the rest of the day on the computer or cell phone.
YES, I LOVE TECHNOLOGY.
Had a great conversation with GREENPEACE that I am following up today.
We have always wanted to work on a campaign with them, it looks as if it may finally come to fruition.

Ok.
Deep breath.
All is great.

Much Love
Much Respect
2

Tuesday June 2nd 2009. 11:31 a.m.

In one week we release THE PEOPLE or THE GUN.
I'm sick to my stomach nervous. The record is streaming on our myspace today.
I hope like hell it means as much to one person as much as it means to the four of us.

The last 2 weeks in Europe were insane.
Our flight home from Copenhagen Denmark was a painless 8 hours and 50 min.
Excpet for the last 20 minutes of the flight, while descending into Washington D.C. we hit turbulence.
I've been on a ton of planes. Been through a ton of turbulence.
This was not bad.
However, it must have been worse to the patrons around me.
Almost every other person was vomiting.
It was brutal. Marc Code was watching Stand By Me on the in-flight entertainment system.
It was very much like the vomit scene from that movie.
BRUTAL.

The tour itself was almost as brutal.
We had a flight or lengthy drive almost every day.
It was a difficult schedule to say the least.
But the hour or so we played together each night made it all worth it.
It is ridiculously humbling to be in this band.
I never thought for a second I would play music outside of my mothers garage, let alone in Krasnodar Russia, or any other town for that matter.
I never thought for a second any one would give a damn about the notes my fingers played, or the words sung.
I only hope that everyone who buys a record or comes out to a show realizes that we give a damn about each and everyone one of them.

Thank you to every member of this community, family.
It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of something that is bigger than any individual.

Much respect.
2

Tuesday May 26 2009 10:38 p.m.

Backstage at the AB BOX in Brussels.
The show was great. The room sterile.
We put out sound, I could hear it leave our amps. It just got sucked into a vortex.
However, the 600 some in attendance gave back quite enough.

Pat took his drums into the swirling crowd for our updated version of Power To The Peaceful.

This tour has been a whirlwind.
So much traveling. Today is the first day that actually seemed to move quickly.

--- listening to the new Red Lights Flash album. (www.myspace.com/redlightsflash)

Team Austria is doing quite well for us.
Christoph of Red Lights Flash is our guitar tech for this run.
Thomas is our Tour Manager and Front of House Engineer.
Both are Austrian. Both are generous and kind human beings.

Killing time before I find a web stream of the Pittsburgh Penguins game tonite.

Tuesday May 12 2009 2:51 p.m.

So much going on.
I finished recording/producing the Dandelion Snow record: www.myspace.com/dandelionsnow
Talking to a friend of mine who works at a historic studio in Nashville, seeing if he'll master the album.
Master the album to 1/2" tape. Record over some Shania Twain hits.

The People or The Gun seems to be well received by the reviewers and, um, downloaders.
I'm not shocked or upset that the record leaked. I actually think the record is great and want people to hear it.
The only thing that is kind of a bum out is the art packaging/lyrics and essays are pretty important to this record.

Haven't heard the new green day or rancid records yet. Some say they're really good.

Been practicing for this upcoming tour. We start in St. Petersburg, Russia, I'm almost out of passport pages.
Hopefully I am not deported.

Working in some old songs we don't normally play (Stars and Stripes, One People, One Struggle, etc.) and some new one's off of The People or The Gun (When All The Lights Go Out, Sodom, Gomorrah, You Are Fired.).

Also, cooking up a super sacrilegious 7". An unreleased track about gay rights called "A Brief Misunderstanding of the Queens and Kings", put out on a friends (who plays in a great band) label.
How's that for vague.

In the meantime I've been talking to people, doing interviews and the like, all for the new record.
#1 question I've been asked...
It's been a year and a half between The People or The Gun and Bright Lights of America, why so soon?

Answer: By building our own studio we were able to write and record without over thinking the process. By releasing the record with SideOneDummy we can put the record out much faster than we could on RCA. To us it keeps the songs fresh, and pertinent. Instead of writing the songs for a month, demoing them for a month, recording in a studio for 2 months, deliver to a label and waiting 4 months for them to be released, which means a song you wrote almost a year ago is just being released now, we opted to do it much more quickly and keep it as relevant as possible.

Also, our favorite bands were way more prolific than we will ever hope to be.

The Clash-a record every year
The Clash
1977
Give 'Em Enough Rope
1978
London Calling
1979
Sandinista!
1980

Dead Kennedys-a record every year.
Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
1980
In God We Trust Inc.
1981
Plastic Surgery Disasters
1982

The Beatles-almost 2 records per year. incredible.
Please Please Me
1963
With The Beatles
1963
A Hard Day's Night
1964
Beatles For Sale
1964
Help!
1965
Rubber Soul
1965
Revolver
1966
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
1967
Magical Mystery Tour
1967
The Beatles (The White Album)
1968 (2 disc)
Yellow Submarine
1969
Abbey Road
1969
Let It Be
1970



take it easy. but take it.
2

Monday. May 4th 2009 9:36 A.M.

Hoodwink show was far greater than expected.
Playing your favorite bands songs is fucking taxing. So afraid to fuck 'em up.
The music that occurred before us was called Brokencyde.
They opened with what I assumed was a joke, a barrage of ignorance. But boy was I wrong. I love hip/hop and rap. I hate homophobia.
I never, especially on a festival show, want to use our stage time to talk about any of the bands playing.
I feel that it is up to us to separate ourselves and that people are smart enough to make up their own mind. People can decide for themselves what type or kind of message and music that they want to participate in.

BUT! This shit was too much. I politely told their crowd that Anti-Flag does not believe its cool or funny to use homophobic// ignorant speech, and that it is not a part of our scene. And then I said I hoped those dudes come down with some Swine Flu. Wakka-Wakka-Wakka.


Anyways.... The set was awesome, we didn't nearly fuck up as bad as we expected. Our boys in Set Your Goals, Outernational and The Ataris we're there for emotional support.

The Setlist:

London Calling
Police On My Back
--------------
Career Opportunities
I'm So Bored With The U.S.A
Clash City Rockers
White Riot
--------------
Janie Jones
Should I Stay or Should I Go
Safe European Home
(Guns of Brixton - Interlude)
I Fought The Law


In the insanity of the day, I did not get to film/post the video for Track 4 off of The People or The Gun, "We Are The One". I'll do that today.

Lastly, the 4 of us are headed to the editing studio to check in on a cut of a video we shot last Monday for "When All The Lights Go Out." I can give you one hint. FIRE.

Take it easy, but take it.

Chris 2