ALL AGES New Support Drummer

ALL AGES New Support Drummer 5/11- 5/20 (2011)

All Ages would like to thank Masa "The Machine" Kaida for his 9 month support with us. This post is about a month late. We wish Masa well while he pursues his own interests in Tokyo and continues his career as a professional drummer in Japan. Good luck Masa!

For the past 3 shows and for our show finale in Tokyo (all Sold Out shows) we have had the pleasure of working with our good friend Kenta Tochio. He is a drummer from Osaka and has been working with the band OFF ROCK. We asked him on short notice to support our tour with Noodles and he was quick to respond. We've never had such an astute and dedicated drummer and even though we've only been playing for two weeks together, he has brought a new life to All Ages that Tom and I have truly missed.

Our last show is this Friday in Tokyo @ LOFT opening for The Pillows and featuring Noodles and Bugy Craxone… after this show Tom and I will return to San Francisco to begin work on our 2nd Album and to rejoin our staff @ Shameless Self Productions to continue our 9-5 projects… (more like 9-9)...

This past year has been difficult and we truly want to thank the three drummers who supported us during this time and allowed All Ages to continue on in good fashion… So, thanks Josh, Masa, and Tochio.

We are excited to say we have made leaps in our expectations because of this tour and All Ages will be around for a long long time… until the next post… Peace, Love and Rock and Roll.

Sendai SHOW ------- venue: Enn

Sendai Enn

Tonight we played our show with Noodles, Bugy Craxone, Jack Pot Bell, and Channel 8 in Sendai. We delivered our original bed sheet banner and the first 15 yard banner to the club and they proudly displayed them. Neat huh? It's fun watching projects come to fruition as planned. We felt good playing too… we missed it… I missed it.

After the show all the bands and the venue staff went out to eat and drink… I'm constantly amazed by people here in Japan. I think it's because in School I wasn't forced to learn another language… Whereas in Japan, English is a standard requirement. Although broken and often bad, it's understandable. I had a great time getting to know Channel 8 and discussing a possible US tour for them… Tom hung with Bad Music (All Ages management in Japan) Maury and Chie. We are relieved to find that they don't fault us for having to leave Japan in the middle of tour as a result of the Fukushima incident. We were nervous, but now we feel fine.

We still have a lot of ground to cover and make up work to do, but it will have to come later, better planned and done out of joy rather than a need or obligation. Most of these bands have been together for 10-20 years (seriously!) … All Ages has only been together for 6 years. We constantly question ourselves… why haven't we "made it" in 6 years when so many bands come together and in just a short period and "make it" … The problem was our definition of "making it".

We were bluntly told, "You made it, you are it… whatever it is!" It put our minds at ease and suddenly the game is fun again. They call us their little brother band. We are approaching 30 (years old) but we are at least 10 years younger than the members in these groups… We are just a young band.

They say, think of this way; You are 6 years old (learning to spell) (as a band)… Bugy is 13 (their body is changing in strange and mysterious ways) Noodles is 18 (legal finally) and The Pillows (Show May 20th in Tokyo) is 24… Most bands don't make it past 2 years.

The glass is half full … but full of what?

Sendai >>

We have had limited access to the internet, so my post will be from several days ago and contain a few days of notes... hope you read this in good health and know that your prayers and well wishes are felt all the way over here in Japan...

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5/13
The damage here is unbelievable. We are being guided through the rubble by a friend of a friend… He has been explaining the devastation. Fires, Floods, and the sweep of the tsunami that wiped structures across the entire city. The sight is heavy… cars destroyed, upside down, inside out and even on rooftops (the few left) The entire town smells like death --(fish we say to ourselves)… Our guide brings us to reality, "We are still finding bodies… I found parts the other day." He explains that deep in the rubble are many more but they lack the resources to dig them out quickly enough. It's evident all that is being done is all that can be done. I thought I've had life changing experiences… but I was wrong. Even this moment isn't a life changing experience… It has creating life within us.
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5/14
We had a visit to a shelter today. The conditions are good… very clean. The people are hopeful and happy… eager to talk to a stranger and tell them their stories. Everyone is separated by cardboard walls. Cardboard also lines the entire floor, about the size of a gymnasium. Everyone was friendly… Many explained that they lost every material thing they owned and all they have now is what has been given through charity. They were very appreciative of the banner. The volunteer staff hung it building-length for all to see.

We met many fisherman who had been to California and Canada, fishing for tuna. They were happy to see an American and asked to shake my hand… "please take this handshake with you…" many would say. "I'm happy to do that…" I'd reply. So many follow the law of giving and receiving and wouldn't let us leave until we consumed some of their precious rations, which we did with joy and gratitude.

A friend of ours working with "Genki for Japan" made the trip with us and we helped hand out tote bags, hand made with a message of love inside from the maker. The appreciation was overwhelming and it was difficult to hold in tears of empathy. We passed out and spoke with over 200 people, mostly older in their 70's and 80's but a few young children followed us around.

Tom did a great job, taking a microphone and addressing the entire shelter. I'm not sure what he said, but he made them laugh and smile… Some said they hadn't done either in months.

We are now heading to a volunteer post to say hello, deliver another banner and ask how their efforts are going. Just curious. After, we are heading to one more town and shelter to repeat…

It never seemed like a waste of time that we put our music and tour on hold to work on this charity and help other charities… but after talking to people and seeing them happy… the idea is confirmed. Love is the answer, ne?!

The Road to Sendai or Japan 2.0

Back in Tokyo...
Sitting in the Tokyo airport again. The time reads 0:06. Our connecting flight to Osaka is in 7 hours.

The plan: Get picked up by Tom's mom and go to his family house. Eat breakfast, shower, sleep for a couple of hours and then meet up with our new drummer and hit a rehearsal studio for an intensive 5 hour practice. After practice we load the van and head to Tokyo. Right where I'm sitting now!

These past few weeks felt like a blur. Meaningless to me, just work, work and more work. I have lost my expectations. Will we be famous? Will we be wealthy? Too many questions… I'm going to try something new and not really care too much. The past few years, this whole project has been a failure in the sense of making money, and building a larger fan-base. It has been a success in the networking area… well, time will tell...

Looking forward, we have four shows, and I think part of both Tom and I know this is the end of All Ages… at least as a lifestyle. It's too complicated to live like this…no money coming in and floods of money being poured out… We travel the world and play for hundreds and thousands of people and they love us… but the numbers just don't translate. We have four shows and I'm not sure what either of us is holding on for... but we do.

The charity work has been the greatest thing Tom has ever done. He has gained international attention and worked hard producing the song and video for "Words of Love". I'm very proud he stood up and took control. I really just feel like I'm along for the ride… I feel like I'm losing the part of me that pushed so hard… But I'm still in the game.

They make these airport benches just soft enough to want to sleep, but just uncomfortable enough to piss me off! We'll have to wait and see what happens next.

Show with the Pillows in Tokyo

We can officially announce our show with THE PILLOWS and NOODLES as part of our Anti-Robot Japan Tour. The tour will be in Shinjuku @ Loft on May 20th. Officially!!

Just the beginning... All Ages "Anti Robot" Japan Tour 2011

Today we offically begin our 2011 Japan tour... 47 shows (maybe a few additions) ... We are in Osaka tonight to enjoy the company of some old friends and Tom's family, maybe a beer or two! The reception has been amazing and we are so excited to go out a push our boundries! The venues that are lined up and the bands we are set to play with are outstanding!! We have a tour finale with "Noodles" and indie kings "The Pillows" in Tokyo May 20th... I was worried about headlining so many shows, but our buzz here has grown by leaps and bounds in the past year! "A New Kind of Citizen" has struck a chord with the youth here, and they understand our "Anti Robot" concept!!
I'd like to thank Tomcat and Chris Mayrena, my good friends who continue to push me and All Ages. Tom, Masa and I are getting along very well and we are anticipating huge things during and after this tour... These are exciting times and it's special to have friends to share it with. My brother Mark has also joined us here in Japan... he paid his dues with us as our tour manager for 140 US shows this past year... he can be more relaxed here and enjoy the ride.
Please keep up with the tour and shoot us a note on our facebook or right here! I'll post as often as I can, please be patient asour internet access does not coincide with our busy tour~ Lot's of Love to you! And whatever you do with your life... don't go into advertising, you may lose your soul!! And don't eat KFC... peace!!

San Francisco

Back in SF... I missed this place so much. Time off for 2 days... then another short week of touring. Our van died, Tom was arrested, and we are broke! I love my job! ... Two weeks until Japan tour.

Indiana is Ice

We are here in Indianapolis and just slid down to our hotel. The streets are ice! If your car doesn't have forward momentum or 4 wheel drive, forget it! Our van met two buildings and a tree. Not complaining, we had a fantastic time with Neal and Brad who have built a fantastic production company "Invent Fusion"... Our show tonight was at the Wheeler Art Collective. A community center built around various types of artists. We are just relaxing tonight, because this tour is $ tight and being able to stay in a hotel is a blessing. South Park, Showers, and Ramen... Life is Good, Indiana is Ice.

Updated the Website www.iloveallages.com

The Danger of this Tour (Feb. 2nd)

We are literally inching our way along on this tour. The weather is dreadful and we are in the middle of blizzards and ice storms. The fog is forcing us to drive 5mph along with the re-icing of our windshield every few minutes... We are taking serious consideration for our lives and may have to cancel shows... We are heading to Trenton, NJ and then to Indianapolis... Ice Storms into Blizzard and Tornado weather... We are trekking along our route and courageously braving the ice, snow blanket and truckers. Most mornings we wake up and need to scrape and shovel our way out, this adds a few hours to our commute.
So why do we do this? We are doing what we love! It's a little of a sense of adventure and a need for adventure... Nothing ventured/nothing gained... and because we are all a bit Crazy. The heat doesn't work, so we have piles of blankets and our spirits are still high... Looking forward to warmer weather and our trip over to Japan.
For now, we'll continue on... details www.iloveallages.com and www.shameless-self.com

Midnight and I can't sleep

This break has been long... really drawn out. Tom and Masa are in San Francisco for a couple of weeks and I'm in Boston working on new songs which are starting to appear like strange vaudeville variety sketch and talent shows! I can't make any sense of it!

All Ages new video for "Cause, baby" has been released by Robot Octopus on youtube... www.youtube.com/therobotoctopus

Details for the Winter US Tour will be updated soon! www.iloveallages.com

New Songs

I've been writing non stop for several days... being on tour didn't give me a chance to really think about stuff... I like some of it. Maybe we'll have enough material to release an EP in the Fall of 2011. Look out for our single 42 Sub Machine Guns due out Summer 2011 on Shameless Self~~

But we're back on the road in a few weeks, so it won't be long. See you soon.

www.iloveallages.com

February 2011 TOUR Leg

All Ages is now booking for February 2011. We will be in the following cities; Trenton-NJ, Cleveland-OH, Indianapolis-IN, St. Louis-MO, Breckenridge-CO, Denver-CO, Salt Lake City-UT, Prescott-AZ, Phoenix-AZ, Tempe-AZ, San Diego-CA, Fresno-CA, and a SpEcIaL CD Release WEST Show in SAN FRANCISCO!

For booking inquiries please e-mail; d.soares@shameless-self.com

Indianapolis, IN

What a great time in Indianapolis! We came to town to use the Borders at the mall for the free WiFi (we bought coffee!), and we happened upon LIZARDS lounge... They were having a Jam session Open mic. We walked in and inquired to what was going on and they immediately suspected that we were a band and gave us a 20 minute slot! Tom got Naked... again. We came back to Indianapolis after visiting Laura Sisk (engineer) in Bloomington, and we did a 30 minute set! We met some great people whom we hope to stay in touch with.

Lot's of love to Indianapolis, Indiana beautiful and kind people!

Check out the band Goliathon

St. Louis Tonight... Tomorrow also St. Louis!?

So we are two weeks from a Holiday rest in jolly Boston... Hooray for linear time! Tonight All Ages is performing in St. Louis @ Lemmons... looks cool from the outside!

The tour has been pretty stressful and Tom and I are realizing how crazy our life choices have been... Despite our own sense of "WTF" we have a supportive cast of friends who just won't let our dream die... We do it for them.

Mark has been a great road manager and Masa is keeping up well with meeting people and hopefully keeping touch with some people.

Although a time off from tour is coming, the time to start booking for February is now here... So if you want All Ages to drive through your town send an e-mail d.soares@shameless-self.com ... We might even play!

We're tired but tenacious, broken but hopeful, and tragically in love with what we do... Romeo and Juliette took the easy way out!

Arizona and beyond...

All Ages is 'resting up' in Arizona for a few days... we have 3 shows in the Phoenix area; not driving is definitely resting! The shows so far have been great! Eureka, CA and Fallon, NV had great turnouts and we'd like to thank the bands who helped us out! And the ladies @ the Lion... Love you!

11/23 Tonight we will be performing two open mics: 2 Acoustic songs by Derrik @ Buena Coffee and 2 Full band songs @ Devils Advocate

11/24 Wednesday: We're at Copper State Tavern in Glendale
11/25 Thursday: THANKSGIVING (And we're really grateful for our good friend David in Phoenix for having us this year. We love crashing at your place!
11/26 Friday: Big Fish in Tempe
11/27 Saturday: We're in Prescott @ Sundances Place

11/28 Sunday 1000 mile Drive to Boise, ID

DONATE FOR GAS?
Please send donations via Paypal.com to srsderrik@yahoo.com ANYTHING is helpful in inching us along our little path. Money will go toward gas for our tour ONLY. Thank You very much. We Love you too!

On to the Future : : : : . . . .

2011
January 2011: All Ages performs in NYC Time Square for the Real Radio Show (details)

February 2011: SAN FRANCISCO CD Release for "A New Kind of Citizen" TBA

August 2011: Ani-Jam FRESNO, CA

www.iloveallages.com
www.shameless-self.com
www.youtube.com/iloveallages
Look us up on Facebook and Twitter

Okay, Break is Over... Back to the Road

It's been nice having a couple of weeks off... but time to get back on the road. We have a full schedule Nov. 7th-Dec. 17th We have about 22 shows and you can check out the details at www.iloveallages.com. We have made a serious dent in our 220 show goal so far.

Upcoming: January-February 2011
New England Tour in January
East Coast: Maine-Florida February

Counting down to Japan

Trenton, NJ Oct. 19th

Today is chilly here in Trenton... All Ages has a show tonight @ Mill Hill Basement, should be fun... We had a great time last night @ The Trash Bar in Brooklyn where we met some beautiful people from Florida!! We've only been on the road now for a few days, but I'm starting to get the feeling that I'm just not as interested in touring anymore. Not like this. 70 dates straight scraping by to meet people and sell our music just seems like the hard way... I'm going to finish All Ages commitments here and in Japan for Shameless Self Productions' "A New Kind of Citizen" and then I'm going to seriously rethink how we produce and deliver our music. We have a day or two off coming up, so maybe I'll start brainstorming instead of lamenting :)

Infomercial for "A New Kind of Citizen"

I'm not sure why we took two weeks off to film and edit an infomercial, but we're pretty happy with the results... We'd like to thank the studio audience that was both disgusted and amazed at all the amazing things our new album is good for.

www.youtube.com/iloveallages

Thank YOU, The TOUR and back to Bookings!

We'd like to thank all the bands and friends who helped make our Summer Tour so fun! Thank you to everyone who came out and thanks to all of our Sponsors! We will be taking a few weeks off to rest before we hit the road for our Fall and Winter Tour starting in New Jersey Oct. 17th! Our goal is 280 shows in the US and Japan... we've performed 36 and have 40 for the Fall... only *^Oh god! 204 to go... We didn't even break 200!!?? Well, I hope our van holds up!

Also, check out our fun new website www.iloveallages.com (It's not fun, it's normal~)
Support the band and donate for gas via paypal to srsderrik@yahoo.com Anything helps and for any donation we will send you a limited edition All Ages Sticker... kissed by Tom himself! We love you!

"A New Kind of Citizen" on Sale NOW

We are happy to officially announce the release of "A New Kind of Citizen" available by download at www.cdbaby.com/allages or on www.itunes.com/allages Album 9.99 and singles are .99

For CD's contact and order from Shameless Self Productions: d.soares@shameless-self.com and place the order using Paypal... 13.95 plus shipping and handling.

The First 100 orders get a free Mp3 of our cover of "Thriller" by Michael Jackson instantly!

Punk Rock for Senior Citizens

Peace
www.iloveallages.com