Why it's fun to be a Pirate

All of my friends are pirates. I found this out while hanging out at a party the other night.

Of all my friends, I have exactly two that don't steal (aka pirate) music in one way or the other.

I still don't know how I feel about pirating music, but I do know that it's a big part of how the band makes money so we can keep making music. Interestingly enough, not a single one of my friends have pirated Watching Judas' music, or the music of any indie band they've seen in concert.

So how about you? Do you burn copies of CD's for your friends? If you do, why do you do it? No judgments here- just would love to understand : )

Random facts you didn't know about (and don't care about either)

1. Christian is responsible for stringing several thousand yards of lights and greenery in downtown St. Charles each christmas. He does it during our christmas break each year.

2. Paul would love to pursue a career in music therapy someday.

3. Dustin Shapiro isn't Italian like most people assume- he's Jewish.

4. Eric has released 2 solo piano christmas albums before he was 17.

Make it a Small

It took me forever to figure out that people almost never remember the biggest things in their lives. I know I don't.

The big deals never seem to impact us proportionally. I guess it's because we're rarely able to connect emotionally to large events in our lives. I can't attach emotionally to hearing about cancer research, but I can when I hear my father has prostate cancer.

Maybe that's why I tend to write about the small things in life; the specifics. They symbolize bigger, more intangible emotions that are too vague to describe in a paragraph.

My hope is that next time you do the mundane, you take time look at the small things as significant.

If you want something over-simplified, you have to do it yourself.

At least, that's the motto of this website. I think I could have skipped philosphy class if I'd just read this:

http://www.btinternet.com/~glynhughes/squashed/

Sea Chanties and Stage Dives

I just was given a concertina. It looks a like this:

It's a fascinating little instrument. Somewhere between a harmonica and an accordion. I fell like it's already a fiesty little brother, just begging to be played with. Somehow, I can almost feel the sea breeze streaming through my hair when I pump its bellows.

Here's someone that actually knows what they're doing with one:

Ironic

One word- ironic.

Lyrics to Mood Ring

Here's the lyrics to Mood Ring

Mood Ring

If I was funny

If you were charming

If we lacked nothing but youth and beauty

We're still frail and fleeting

As morning dew

We fell so hard, so don't blame me

I'm just trying to change the color of your mood ring

The summer of 67'

A smokey drag, a voice from heaven

Made me think, that you and me

be alright

Now you protest

my snoring habit

And you swear that the day we got cable was one of your happiest

When your mother calls

You lie and say your just fine

The father, Son, and Holy folks,

The Beatles took their message to their graves

Suburbia takes, Suburbia kills, its name be praised

And I feel so stuck here

When you said that

You'd sold your records

I knew now for sure we had nothing to keep us together

I sat alone

On the basement steps

and cried

With the windows down

And the radio on

The Oldies station's cranking out a stagnant song

The wind keeps rushing through the darkness

as I go numb.

The wind keeps rushing through the blackness

as I go numb.

We fell so hard, so don't blame me

I'm just trying to change the color of your mood ring

Lyrics to We Are Astro-Nots

Several people have wanted the lyrics to the two new tracks on our latest CD- here they are:

We Are Astro-nots

We are the Astro-nots

High up in the sky

Look at our spaceship

Look how high it flies

We know we may crash and die

But that's all right

We are the Astro-nots

Oh look and see

We can fly higher

Than a man on a trapeze

Watch us fall to the earth with the stars

Oh Astro-nots

We've come so far

FIRE!

I would pay to see someone actually do this.

The Edge and Beyond

I don't think I could ever have a house by the ocean. I'd spend the rest of my life staring out to sea.

Something about the sea makes me restless. It makes me yearn for something I can't express. I just feel a longing to be swallowed up by it. The immensity of it impossible. It takes up too much space. My brain computes, overloads, and I am reduced to sitting for hours, straining to find the edge of its dark endlessness.

Perhaps the reason I write music is because I can't find a way to express what I feel here, and until I do I'm going to keep trying. I feel like a child throwing stones into the water, hoping to fill up the ocean. Like a foolish child, I'm going to continue.

Darth Vader's Shrine

An ancient shrine to Darth Vader from the 1600's. They weren't kidding when they say a long time ago . . .

Acoustic CD

We're so incredibly pumped about this new CD! Here's some fun tid-bits about some of the songs on the album:

• More Than a Little Scared was written about a really bad date Eric went on, as part of a drama exercise for a play.

• Wig Wam Hotel was written after seeing a documentary about the Wig Wam Motel in Holbrook, AZ.

• Worlds All Your Own is about a real coffeehouse in downtown St. Charles, and an experience Eric had with a few random patrons.

• Jane Fights Back is about a brilliant piano student of Eric's that struggled with severe paranoid schizophrenia.

• The new song Mood Ring was inspired by a really cheesy rap song, heard while randomly tuning through the radio stations on a roadtrip.

• We Are Astro-Nots is the only song Watching Judas has ever written together as a band. Christian is the author of the lyrics, which he came up with in less than 3 minutes.

Please support the band, and buy a copy today at our online merch store.

Interview with Edward Cullen

Warning: if you're an Edward Cullen fan, this will fictional interview will probably offend you.

Eric: Can I get you something to drink before we get started?

Edward: Non-fat organic blood of a pig.

Eric: Do you think that being a vampire has affected your relationships?

Edward: Undoubtedly. But when you're incredibly hot and over-paid . . . (nudge, nudge) Eh? Eh?

Eric: (Adjusts in chair to out of reach of Edward) I see. So what do you have to do for fun?

Edward: Sparkle. And look cool on my motorcycles.

Eric: Any advice to aspiring vampires?

Edward: Sparkle.

Eric: Who would you call your closest friends?

Edward: Me.

Eric: How do you fix your hair if you can't see yourself in a mirror?

Edward: I . . . we . . . hmmm.

Eric: Before we go, could you smile so we can see those pointy teeth of yours?

Edward: Can't. My contract says it.

Stepford Life

If you ever want to watch a really bizarre movie, watch the 1975 version of Stepford Wives is top of my list. There's just something creepy about blending suburban lifestyles and androids.

The thing I was thinking while watching last time was, if someone turned you into an android, would anyone notice? Sadly, I think many people's android counter-parts might fair just as well as they did in their mindless jobs.

Flying

Sometimes I have to fly. It's been awhile since I've had occasion to take to the skies. Sounds silly, but I miss it.

I still think that it's silly that they make you take your shoes off. Don't you think that a terrorist isn't going to be stupid to put a bomb in his shoe? Maybe I just don't understand ballistics.

I wonder what would happen if in relationships, you had to be as open as you are at the airport with your baggage. You had to show what you were carrying. Out there in the bright sting of florescent lighting. I think their might be fewer people making heart-wrenching mistakes. At least, you'd at least know if their was a block of C-4 buried that you'd forgotten about.

One of the most ironic things I've read in awhile.

Finding Creativity

Sometimes a great blog make my mind go think about the world in a way that I haven't before. Several of the blogs I've been following for years have truly changed my life. Here's my three favorite blogs of all time:

http://paintedsouldreams.blogspot.com/

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/'

www.forestpark365.com

You never know- one click might change your life.

Slyvia Lyrics

Working on this new song- it'll be interesting to see what you think of it.

Sylvia

She never had a name

She never once let her hair hang down

She never once did anything

Sylvia

She wore a long grey dress

Slept in a very very long grey bed

She never once did anything

Sunday after church she's out working the yard

Monday, it's back to the work, and the loop, and the kids and the grind she says

Ch.

I wish I could break this down somehow

Shake this whole routine

The grind can make you crazy

and tick away your youth and dreams

I wish I could take this down somehow

blow my mind and just escape from this scene

I know that I'm not crazy, don't need someone to save or set me free

I just want to be free

Sylvia

She sold her mother's ring

She bought a ticket on a big grey plane

She went to 20,000 feet and jumped

Sylvia

As she was crashing down

She saw the lights of her small grey town

She couldn't help but think "what a waste."

Sylvia

The future flashed across her cold green eyes

Day after day of the same grey life

And suddenly parachutes weren't on her mind

Slyvia

She wore a long grey dress

They laid her out on her long grey bed

And

Crayons

I always wanted a good set of crayons when I grew up. I was stuck with those hand-me-down bits of colored wax left over from others children's childhoods.

Not that I'm complaining. It's probably part of why I'm an musician today instead of an artist. I chose to paint with sound.

Next time you see a kid that doesn't have a good set of crayolas, go out and buy him the best you can find. Or a cheap guitar. You might start something.

When there's a way . . .

There's someone's will hanging around somewhere. I wish all musicians were this creative.

Not Being Nice

So I was at the library the other afternoon, and asked the librarian if they had a specific book on music history available, and the librarian replied "yes, Mr. Barfield."

I hadn't given her my card yet, and I'd never met her before. Turns out she worked in the local history department, and had seen my face in various magazines and newsclippings from around town.

I was suddenly conscious of having a reputation. It sneaks up on you without you realizing, but we all become part of history eventually in one way or another.

With so much social networking and interconnectivity, we're all building a reputation. Being a part of the community. For better or worse.

Next time you feel like chewing out your waiter, be careful- he might just know you, and you might be building a reputation.

Fan

Just found this tagged link today on Facebook- turns out we'll this girl will be helping us make our next music video. Check it out!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1491341488097

What Were They Thinking?!?!?

Here's a running monologue of what I think onstage sometimes:

"Man, this is a great crowd! That person in the front with the exceptionally long nose hairs are kind of weird, but everyone else is great! Wonder if they understand what I'm singing about. . . .

Wonder what it'd be like to be a penguin. I wonder if I'd miss having opposable thumbs. I bet I would at first. I bet I'd miss getting to see movies like Fight Club . . .

Fight Club is such a great concept. I wish I could have thought up the idea of personifying a schizophrenic as a separate entity. It's so effective and creepy.

I wonder what it would feel like to punch myself in the face. I wonder if I could even do it. I bet not. I'd probably chicken out at the last moment.

Wonder if anyone here would notice if I punched myself in the face onstage. I bet I could get away with it. I bet no one would notice until they saw blood running down my face. That'd be so cool- seeing some guy knock himself out. Okay, I'm going to do it.

I'm going to do it now. Do it! Don't wuss out! Do it. 1, 2, 3. . knew I couldn't do it."

The Idea of Cool

Nobody in this band really was that cool to begin with (possibly with the exception of Paul), so here's an outsider's view of what makes someone cool:

10. You wear clothes that went out of style 40 years ago. All the old people that used to wear the clothes and make them unpopular have died.

9. You never get caught in McDonald's, unless you're protesting.

8. Large sunglasses are a must. Large unusable glasses from the 1960's are even better.

7. You don't answer questions. You make statements, usually ending with a puff on your designer pipe that you bought from aborigines that you.

6. You play at least four instruments that nobody's ever heard of.

5. You wear a scarf in the heat of summer.

4. You scour the internet for obscure bands from other countries, and then rave about them to people you don't know.

3. If you ride a bicycle, you buy a new one-speed bike that looks exactly like a 1950's bike, and try to ride it while wearing a homemade skirt. (substitute designer skinny jeans if your a guy.)

2. You drive an electric car that you can't afford, and you're saving up to fly to Prague for a green conference. Approximate fuel used for your flight will equal 5 year's worth of gas for a Hummer.

1. You know you're cool, but would never admit it. That would somehow make you uncool.

Indie Hair

I had no idea that their were hairstyles that make you indie. (For those of you not familiar with the term, indie is an abbreviation of independent

I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover

Christian has a few really interesting hobbies. One of them is being ridiculously good at finding four-leaf clovers. I don't know how he does it. He's found over 3,000, and he's not stopping any time soon. Crazy.

Maybe that's why he makes such a great lead singer- he can look out into a crowd and pick out that person that's having a hard day, and smile at them.

You Never Know What You'll Find in a Tree.

Went tree climbing and found this at 30 feet off the ground. I wonder what a squirrel would think if he ran across this.

Eyeliner.

I think it's cool to see a guy onstage wearing eyeliner. I think it's incredibly lame to see that same guy putting it on backstage.

Bottom-line: guys that play axe guitars should not carry makeup bags.

A Worn-out Mouse. . .

I thought when I got into music that I'd be playing music most of the time. Lies.

Turns out, this crazy thing called the MP3 was invented. Suddenly, people changed the way they did things. You could now listen to anybody by going online and doing a quick keyboard search. Bam! Out came the music you wanted, and for free.

At the same time, people's appetite for music went bonkers. It was like we have musically obese people walking around with 80,000 songs in their music collections, with just 30 seconds listened to of each song. Raccoons do that to tomatoes- I expect more from my non-furry bipeds.

I'm not bashing anyone. Really. I think it's great that people can hold 40,000 songs in their hand. It's just changed things a bit, and I feel like I get to spend less time actually making music, and more time trying to cut through the infinite number of bands out there to get our music heard.

It's like a took a train to the end of the line, brushed the dust from my dude suit, and stepped into the wild west of music. The one with the biggest gun wins. At least for now. They'll be law and order one of these days, and people will settle down into some sort of routine that resembles civilization. I can't wait for the dust to settle.

Dead Birds Tell No Tales. . .

If you can believe it, I've seen a grand total of 3 Hitchcock movies. You know that you're sadly lacking when one of the greatest film makers of all time has a paltry 8 hours of your time consumed.

What have I been doing? Playing music, taking typing classes, putting coins in soda fountains. It all seems rather mundane. What's dropping coins in a machine compare to watching a girl get stabbed in a shower? High art, I miss you terribly.

So here's my resolution- I'm getting a random Hitchcock film this week off of Hulu, and watching it without any interruptions or guilt that I'm not getting more work done. Think I might get in those music scales while I'm at it . . .

Wanted: Young Wiry Idiots

Take out the part about the pony riding, and I think that we might have a good band member want ad here.

Yesterday, I was realizing for the first time that Watching Judas band members, with the help of an ever growing roadie crew, carry somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000 lbs. worth of gear to almost every show.

Why do we do it? Why do we play shows in rainstorms, do stage dives off of 15 ft. stages, and spend sleepless nights hauling gear to the next show?

Because we believe we're doing something important. Just like the pony express riders, we'd rather walk around penniless and gimped-up the rest of our lives if it means we get to share our music with even one fan. And that's worth taking some chances for.

Secrets, Secrets . . .

I feel like people do this all the time with their hearts. Maybe people think if something's secret, it makes it more important.

Should have seen it coming. . .

Four things that have happened to me today that I think are ironic:

4. Removed over 166 bolts from an upright piano, found out that I could have unscrewed two bolts and skipped all that work.

3. Bought a CD. Found out it only has the 2 minutes of each song. Called "100 of the world's best loved songs". Name revision: half of 100 of the best songs we could fit on to 3 discs."

2. Toaster has two settings: toasted, and white. Why would I need to set it to white if I want toast?

1. Write a fan online. They respond with "who r u?"? I remind them that I'm responding to the fan note they left us.

Leave it to the Japanese.

We already feel big enough onstage. Why must you make us feel even more enormous?

There! I fixed it.

I think this website sums up the grand total of all of my fix-it abilities. I only wish I was this clever. . . .






http://thereifixedit.com/

New Lyrics!

Hi Guys,

Since you're part of the club, check out the lyrics to this song that's going to be on the new CD. I even included all the stuff the bandmates get when I give it to them. Enjoy!


Bob to the Rescue- C 75

Intro / Verse / Pre- Chorus / Chorus / Intro / Verse / Pre- Chorus / Verse / Chorus / Chorus

Intro: F C F C F C F Ab C

F C
Underneath these bloodshot eyes
F
I live in a citadel
C
of blinding light
F
With each twist and turn
C
I find this two dimensional world
Ab
To be teaming underneath
C
With cubic life


Am B C
Princess Beauty I've got to save
Am B Ab
I've got the try to make her smile, take make her want see
G
things my way


C Em F Am
I don't, I don't, I don't need my sisters or my closest friends
F C
I will save you all in the end
Ab G
And I will not rest 'til I know it's that way
C Em
I don't, I don't, I don't know if I can
F Am
save us from this fate
Ab C
I'll storm the bridge and I will break through the gate
Ab G
And I will not rest til I know that you're safe

I was unaware
until the end of the night
As the credits rolled silent across the screen
like the motion of an satellite
It's said congratulations! You have just saved the day!
That's when I knew you were in danger cause I couldn't get the program to save

Princess Beauty I've got to save
I've got the try to make her smile, take make her want see things my way

They found him yesterday
Holding on to the line
That tied his lifeless body to the silicon that blew his mind
When all that's left to save, is two-dimensional worlds
Everything we try so hard to keep is pixelated and blurred

Watching Judas Poster!

If you love it, you can pick it up at the merch store : )

From the Cracks of my Mind

6 things I've been pondering today:

6. If you smile upside down, are you still smiling?

5. Would you fall through space?

4. How would you feel if you spent your whole life beneath the streets of New York?

3. Why don't we all laugh the same way?

2. How many times can you lose a close friend before you stop being able to connect?

1. Why do we do what we do?

Unreleased Pics!

Secrets, Secrets . . .

Since you're so awesome and an insider all the way, we've got an announcement.

Watching Judas is heading back into the studio to record a brand-new concept album in less than three weeks.

The band's been working on a little over 12 new tracks over the winter break, and we've been secretly doing the preliminary recording for the last 3 months, and we'll be heading into the
studio to do the bulk of the recording over the next month.

Nobody but you knows yet. So keep it under your shirt, will ya?

Does it Matter?

One of the weird parts of being in a band is dealing with feeling on top of the world, followed by feeling meaningless. There's that moment when you hear someone screaming your name in the crowd, and there's a rush of adrenaline that bursts sweet into your veins. You never know if they've got a gun.

Then there's that moment when you try to crowd-surf, and there's three people in the crowd, and you're laying on your back in the middle of a dirty club. Ouch. You smell like smoke at the end of the night, someone spilled beer on your keyboard, and you think you fell in something that resembled dried jello.

I have to remember who I am has very little to do with what I do. Who I'm owned by means a lot more than the what I spit into a mic. Most of you know I'm one of the strange breed of twice-born people. Still wet behind the ears. Wandering around with our eyes crusted shut, hands flailing about for a solid surface.

I wrote "Jade Tree Eyes" with this imagery in mind. Sort of a way of reminding myself what gives me meaning. Why I get up on the stage and sing to blank walls.

"Kelsey Rose, they're calling for me
And I'm forced to face the crowd
Will I run, will I fight, will the melodies I write
Change the hearts, move the heads"

"I'm going to try again to love them
Though I feel to weak to stand
But I'll lean on the man
That I can not feel or see "


Cheers,

Eric

Crazy Hair

So Eric's been going crazy lately. He's been on this weird jag with his hair- I don't know what to think.



Eric's been talking more and more about video games, and I think there might be an album theme in here somewhere. Or he's just gone off the deep end . . .

Battle of the Bands- we REALLY need your help!

Hi Guys,

We were really excited- we just crossed into the top 40 in the Vans Warp Tour Battle of the Bands! We're still a long way away from making first place, and we badly need your help. (Hey, you're part of the WJ team- this is a way to prove you're a true fan.)

It's really easy- sign up for an account at www.battleofthebands.com/watchingjudas if you haven't already, and then vote!

You can vote every day, and we're asking all of our hard-core fans to do just that. It's so easy- it only takes a minute, and you'll be helping spread the word about your favorite band.

Thanks so much, guys- see ya on the tour!

Check out these previously unreleased pictures:

What kind of shirts do you like?

Today we just got an offer to play a show with a band from out of town. We get at least a dozen of these a week, and it's really hard to decide what to do with them. It's so hard to decide who to play with, and it's so hard to tell what the bandmembers are like without going to the trouble of contacting them. (We'd have to have someone just for that if we wanted to write them all back)

It leads me to wonder. What makes a good band? What makes a band worth going to see? To me, it's a lot of things. Here's a list I made that makes me want to see a band:

• An awesome live show
• Great lights and sound
• a good, safe venue
• A reputation
• A warm-up band worth sitting through

Some of the reasons why I WON'T go see a band:

• Unimaginative music
• Excessive offensive language on-stage
• Yelling monkeys onstage during the performance

Have thoughts about it? Post in the community forum below. We'd love to hear what you have to say.

Eric's in Arizona

While the cat's away, the mice do play. Eric took the first vacation he's had in over 2 years and went to Arizona. In the meantime, the rest of the band has a week off. Everybody cheer for spring break!

Found a Friend. For awhile . . .

I bet you didn't know that I get major stage-fright just before a show. The cold-clammy-hands-on-the steering-wheel kind of stage fright. I can't believe sometimes that even after playing nearly 1,000 shows in my career, I still feel the same way I did when I was a geeky nine year old. Something about the rush of knowing you can fail miserably really makes my blood flow.

Sometimes I feel like I've handed the audience a scapel, drawn a big red X on my chest, and told them to enjoy. Someone forgot to give me anthesia. Maybe that's why so many musicians drink heavily,

I wrote a song awhile back that talks about it. Talks about how difficult it is to think of anyone as anything more than a temporary friend.

Jade Tree Eyes

Where'd you go
Kelsey Rose
I'm a thousand miles from home
And the telephone wires
And the pale denim sky
Frames the snow
On the road

I guess I really can't convict you
I guess I really can't complain
Of the lines that I lost
And the fantasies I left in the fields
Long the way

Jade Tree Eyes
I found a friend, for awhile
Jade Tree Eyes
I find a friend in you
Jade Tree Eyes
Simple patch, across the heart
Jade Tree Eyes
I find a friend in you

It's been an awfully chill December
Clutching hard to bitter fall
And I find that my time
Is mostly ticked away at singing songs
To empty halls

All my remnants of devotion
And my fantasies of youth
Are tried by the age
Of the ashen cover girl
As I reach out in the darkness for the truth

Kelsey Rose, they're calling for me
And I'm forced to face the crowd
Will I run, will I fight, will the melodies I write
Change the hearts, move the heads

I'm going to try again to love them
Though I feel to weak to stand
But I'll lean on the man
That I can not feel or see
And I'll tremble as He takes me by the hand

Text Message Updates

With the launch of this new site, we have the ability to do all kinds of cool things together. One way that you can be plugged into the band is to add your mobile number to your contact list.

We'll be sending out text message updates once in awhile to our fans, and if you're on the list, you're in. (Standard text rates apply) We promise on our collective mother's graves that we won't spam or share your info with anyone else!

Hilarious Picture!

We took this picture of Aaron the other day- this sums up his sense of humor in a nutshell.