Driven Far Off

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John Ralston – Sorry Vampire

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Sorry Vampire

Artist: John Ralston
Album: Sorry Vampire
Label: Vagrant
Purchase: Interpunk
Release Date: October 2nd, 2007

Overall: 8.0
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 9.0
Production: 8.0

Upon first hearing Ralston’s debut entitled, Needle Bed, I found the record to be impactuful yet rather sparse and almost hollow at times. His follow up, Sorry Vampire sits on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. This intensely layered and meticulously crafted record is truly something to behold. The somber, swaying, gloomy melodies lend the perfect audio-backdrop for the commonly gray fall weather. Each track is its own intricate and developed work of art. I find it hard to imagine how Ralston will follow this up or how these songs will be preformed live. I look forward to finding out those answers in the not too distant future. This is truly a record that requires a good pair of headphones and an open mind.

Recommend if you like: Wilco, Dashboard Confessional, Kevin Devine, The New Amsterdams

Track Listing
1. Fragile
2. The Only Evidence
3. When I Was a Bandage
4. I Guess I Wasted My Summer Now 5
5. Lessons I & II
6. A Small Clearing
7. Ghetto Tested
8. Beautiful Disarmed
9. No One Loves You Like I Do
10. Second Hand Lovers
11. Haven’t Missed You All My Life
12. Where You Used to Sleep

The Early November Announce Fall Tour

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The Early November will hit the road this November providing main support for headliner New Found Glory. The bill also includes Cartel, Hit The Lights, Limbeck, and John Ralston on select dates. The tour will kick off October 4th and wrap 35 dates later in Boston MA (dates below). The Early November also plan a two-week headlining tour beginning September 15th (dates below, more to come). The line-up includes label-mates Steel Train as well as Valencia and Pete Nischt.

The Early November headlining tour with Steel Train, Valencia, and Pete Nischt.

9/15 Reading, PA The Silo
9/16 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
9/17 Nashville, TN Exit/In
9/18 Memphis, TN The Complex
9/19 St. Louis, MO Creepy Crawl
9/21 St. Paul, MN Station 4
9/22 Milwaukee, WI The Rave
9/23 East Lansing, MI MSU Union Ballroom
9/24 Grand Rapids, MI Intersection
9/26 Scranton, PA Tink’s
9/27 Providence, RI The Living Room
9/28 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance
9/29 Latham, NY Saratoga Winners

THE EARLY NOVEMBER with New Found Glory

& Cartel, John Ralston
10/4 Covington, KY Madison Theatre
10/5 Pittsburgh, PA Club Zoo
10/6 Williamsville, NY Club Infinity
10/7 New Haven, CT Toadâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s Place
10/8 So. Burlington, VT Higher Ground

& Cartel, Limbeck
10/10 Montreal, QC LaTulipe
10/11 Toronton, ON Phoenix Theatre
10/12 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
10/13 Pontiac, MI Clutch Cargoâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s
10/14 Chicago, IL House Of Blues
10/15 Lawrence, KS Granada Theatre
10/17 Denver, UT Ogden Theatre
10/18 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue
10/20 Portland, OR Roseland
10/21 Seattle, WA El Corazon
10/24 Los Angeles, CA House Of Blues

& Cartel, Hit The Lights
10/25 San Diego, CA House Of Blues
10/26 Anaheim, CA House Of Blues
10/27 Las Vegas, NV House Of Blues
10/28 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theatre
10/30 Ft. Worth, TX Ridglea Theatre
10/31 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
11/1 Austin, TX LA Zona Rosa
11/3 Orlando, FL House Of Blues
11/4 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Revolution
11/6 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
11/7 Myrtle Beach, SC House Of Blues
11/8 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall
11/9 Norfolk, VA Norva Theatre
11/10 Atlantic City, NJ House Of Blues
11/11 Baltimore, MD Ramâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s Head Live
11/12 Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia PA
11/14 New York, NY Irving Plaza
11/15 Boston, MA Avalon

John Ralston Announces 2006 Tour Plans

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John Ralston has announced he will embark on a summer tour through the U.S. beginning August 16th. The tour will kick off in Houston, TX in support of Ralstonâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s Vagrant Records debut Needle Bed, released June 6th, 2006.

Currently Ralston is on the road playing guitar in Dashboard Confessional, and is performing â┚¬Ã…”Gone, Gone, Gone,â┚¬? during the bandâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s set on this tour. He will be revisiting many of the cities he has been to in July and August, playing intimate sets at smaller venues, and will share the stage with The New Amsterdams, Brandtson, and New Found Glory on select dates.

John Ralston tour dates:
8.16 Houston, TX @ Walterâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s
8.17 Austin, TX @ Emoâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s
8.18 Denton, TX @ Haileys
8.19 Conway, AR @ Soundstage
8.21 Iowa City, IA @ Gabeâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s Oasis (w/ The New Amsterdams)
8.22 Minneapolis, MN @ Ascot Room
8.23 Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Club
8.24 Chicago, IL @ Schubas
8.25 Detroit, MI @ Shelter
8.26 Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop
8.27 Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks
8.29 New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
8.30 Hartford, CT @ Webster Underground
8.31 Providence, RI @ Century Lounge (solo acoustic)
9.1 Boston, MA @ Middle East (upstairs)
9.2 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar (matinee show)
9.3 Washington, DC @ Rock n Roll Hotel
9.5 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
9.6 Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
9.7 Jacksonville, FL @ Fuel Coffeehouse
9.8 Orlando, FL @ Social
9.9 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Respectable St.
9.10 Gainesville, FL @ 1982
Supporting New Found Glory:
10.4 Cincinnati, OH @ Madison Theater
10.5 Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Zoo
10.6 Buffalo, NY @ Club Infinity
10.7 New Haven, CT @ Toads
10.8 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground

Show Review: Dashboard Confessional, City & Colour, etc.

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Dashboard Confessional

Dashboard Confessional w/ special guests City & Colour and John Ralston
June 30th, 2006
Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON

First things first: NOT the ideal venue for this show. This music deserves to be coddled. To be listened to in a sound acoustic environment with great reverberation. Not a place with concrete walls.

However, the show was popular and therefor, it was held at a larger venue.

John Ralston, a player in Dashboard, took to the stage first. To be entirely honest, I think there were perhaps fifteen people in the entire place that noticed he was on the stage. No lights, no introduction. In my opinion, he has definite talent. He just needs to grasp this talent and project it more fully. Sure, he was the opening act, and the production was understated in an inappropriate venue, but I still feel he could have done more to be noticed. Overall, decent songs, good live performance, but lacking any wow factor.

City & Colour went on next – vocalist/guitarist Dallas Green, accompanied by cousin Nick (sorry, I don’t know his last name! Green, possibly?) on keys, and friend Casey Baker (lead singer of the band Sleeper Set Sail) on guitar. Again I must state that this was a less than appropriate venue. I’ve had the experience of seeing Dallas twice before in intimate bar settings, and it became my understanding that he was easily distracted while performing. Because of this, I did notice the high number of people wandering around, talking, and just all around not paying attention during his set, and found myself wondering if he were getting upset. If he was, he sure didn’t show it.

His performances are always great – strictly because of the overall quality of his vocals, and his playing – but tonight was not his best. He sang his songs, and did a good job, but failed to fully engross the crowd – which he certainly has the talent to do. Again, I’d like to lay blame on the environment. Overall, I’d say his set was well-received but lacked the intimacy it meritted.

Finally Dashboard Confessional hit the stage. The vocals and performance were great. Not only did Chris Carrabba seem into it, but the entire band seemed to be having a great time performing. They played a nice mix of older hits, and new songs, to keep happy older and newer fans alike. Saving their two biggest for the double encore (Hands Down & Vindicated), the only true (and somewhat irrelevant) complaint I have is Carrabba’s on-stage attire: a white t-shirt with tight cream coloured pants doesn’t flatter anyone – especially under the influence of heavy stage lighting. The energy was high, the dynamic was great, and though the sound was alright, the charisma more than made up for it.