This post was written on Friday July 17 at 12:00 pm

We are driving on Interstate 76, van packed to the brim with everything we need to survive for the next two months.  John Fogerty’s twangy guitar and mangy voice struggle to compete with the wind blowing in our faces.  The Today Begins at Night National Tour 2009 has officially started.

What a ride these past couple weeks have been.  From the last minute CD pickup on the day of our album release party, to our first live performance with a horn section, to our final days in Philadelphia until September, it has been hectic, exciting, and draining.  But now we are back in our element - on the road and poised to conquer the minds of unsuspecting citizens across the country.

It was difficult leaving family and old friends in our home town of East Haven, Connecticut, where we held the Today Begins at Night release party.  I have never enjoyed or been good at saying goodbye (the main inspiration for “Long Day”) so it is especially a trying experience for me.  Leaving our newfound friends in Philly was no easy task, either.  It is rare at this point in life to form such a tight-knit group with people you have just met, but that is exactly what happened when we moved into the Liberties West community.  I recall a Jerry Seinfeld bit where he is going on about making new friends later in life, how it is such a difficult process.  “All the positions are filled, I’m not accepting any more applications,” he says.  Or something along those lines.  But I am glad Bad Apples LLC is still hiring.

Now we are between celebratory barbeques - last night’s in the rain with the Philly crew, basking in our last night in our new home, to our Welcome to Ohio/Tour Kickoff barbeque at the house of Trevor, a man I have alluded to in past posts.  One thing the Apples cannot be accused of is not knowing where the party is.  In fact, we bring it wherever we go.  Now, it’s time to let the rest of the country know that they should be partying too.