to be continued...

writing to thank you for coming here to see what we have to say. some of you have been following along for such a long time and we <3 you dearly for it.

we would like to return to regular blogging one day soon, but until such time you can find our daily updates & schedule of shows on walkthemoonband.com, facebook, and twitter.

see you out in the world.

love,

WALK THE MOON

hello surfers,

days 2 - 5

listeners, viewers, readers, canoers,

thanks for your patience. the road, we've found, has allowed for little time with access to the interwebs.

Thursday marked the drive of death up to Dayton. We knew a great big snowstorm was coming in and we drove straight into it. Kevin showed Swarzenneger-like skill and heroism on the icy roads and we pulled up into the white-out ghost town of downtown Dayton. To our pleasant surprise, a whole slew of others had braved the elements, too, and Canal Street Tavern was bumping with cozy enthusiastics. Our friends in Alec Delphenic Trio (formerly baby-faced Alec boasted an epic beard) did a surprise cover of STONE COLD FOX which blew our brains, and the incredible Bengsons followed. Shaun and Abi Bengson are married, in love, and touring the country making spectacularly personal music. I met them when I saw their play at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival in which they told the story of their adventures around four continents in the form of hilarious, beautiful songs. We went on amidst a small and proud throng of painted faces (friends had found the facepaint in our stuff and started passing it around) and afterward left Dayton to get a head start on the drive to Philadelphia.

alec, before

alec, after

We careened in to Philly Friday night and were awestruck by how stunningly gorgeous the city is. We took some really fantastic pictures of our cameras' flashes on the inside of the van windows.

Legendary Dobbs was a small venue in a vibrant art district on South St. where bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Green Day, and Oasis played when they were baby bands like us. Show was packed and hot. Special thanks to Seanny's cousin Karianne for pimping out our merch and to Arielle for hooking us up with an awesome hotel suite!!

currently we are en route to NYC on the New Jersey Turnpike. our first stop will be Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn, which besides having a mildly creepy title hosts a popular open-mic on Sunday evenings.

see you MONDAY NIGHT at PIANOS!!!

Ain't no rest for the wicked....

Kevin comin at ya from just outside Baltimore on an incredibly cold day on the east coast. I am titling this blog post according to what I believe is a mutual understanding between all of us on this tour that lining up two hotel room chairs and an ottoman does not make a comfortable sleeping surface. But nonetheless, I have to thank everyone so far who has lent us free space in their homes or hotel rooms. Last night we had a fantastic first show ever in Philadelphia at The Legendary Dobbs, and tonight we have an acoustic show at Teavolve in Baltimore. Hope to see some smiling faces there!

Tomorrow morning, it's ON TO NEW YORK CITY :)

We need a plow on the front of the tour van!

What up! Seany here blogging from the road. We braved the ice and snow to make it to our show with the Alec Delphenic Trio & The Bengsons tonight & are now driving to columbus to spend the night. Rest assured you'll hear more from us tomorrow! Much love!
Sean

Valparaiso Interim and Night #1: South Bend, Mr Don Sir, Brad gets some action

We're warm and cozy, awaiting showtime in the hip art-deco den of Uptown Cafe in Valparaiso, IN. It's nestled at the base of the Valpo University student apartments, and has the most original, delicious recipes for sandwiches, pizzas.... about an hour ago I put a s'wich in my mouth and felt immediately like I hadn't done enough good deeds in my life to deserve it.

Last night was a surprise. Owner and big bearhug-giver Art at the Coney Island dive bar in South Bend kindly allowed us to play a short set during their Tuesday open mic night. We set up the full band in the tiny front window and played to a tightly-packed crowd inches from their faces. Afterward, Art grabbed me and held me tight, excitedly muttering kind words peppered with profanity.

Before all this we became acquainted with Mr. Don Sir. Everyone must know. At the beginning of the night, shortly after we arrived, an elderly gentleman stood up to the mic with his weathered guitar. Ancient-faced, nearly toothless, and bullfrog-voiced, this man spoke as if through a greasy kazoo. To our delight, his banter became increasingly vulgar and he began playing a song - a parody of Let It Snow - whose subject was definitely, unmistakably.. fellatio. At the end of the night Mr. Don Sir gave me a CD of 30 of his parodies (he punned "pair-o-double-d's"), croaking in my ear that I had to wait until I was home to listen in case I laughed myself into a car wreck (this really happened last time).

On the way home we resisted putting the CD in and arrived at our friend Heather's place in Valpo. There waiting for us was her beautiful, enormous female American Bulldog named Lila. She was very affectionate. She especially liked Brad. She liked him so much that she tried to have babies with him... again, and again, and again. She was so big that Brad couldn't really do anything about it, and rather than help we stood by laughing in mixed horror/hysteria.



We're about to go on. Have a great night! See you in Dayton.

Nicholas & WTM

DANCE MARATHON TOUR: Mile 1-242

The tour has begun, and we are on our way up north to the Icy Tundra of South Bend, Indiana. This will be Fighting Irish territory!!! Playing our first show at McCormicks Coney Island, which is either a college bar, abandoned ferris wheel factory, or a sea-locked oasis of chili dogs...?

Wish us luck... we'll see you all at a show!!!

Special thanks goes out to Heather for providing us shelter tonight (owner of Uptown Cafe in Valparaiso)

DANCE MARATHON TOUR DATES

JAN 15 - CINCINNATI - Northside Tavern - 10pm
JAN 19 - VALPO - Uptown Cafe - 7pm
JAN 20 - DAYTON - Canal St. Tavern - 8pm
JAN 21 - PHILADELPHIA - Legendary Dobbs - 8:30pm
JAN 22 - BALTIMORE - Teavolve - 8pm
JAN 24 - NEW YORK - Pianos - 8pm
JAN 25 - BOSTON - WCHC 88.1 FM - 2pm
JAN 26 - BOSTON - TT The Bears - 9pm
JAN 27 - TBA (looking at Pittsburgh or Toledo)
JAN 28 - BALL STATE - Be Here Now - 10pm
JAN 29 - BUTLER U - DANCE MARATHON
JAN 30 - VALPO - Uptown Cafe - 6pm

We will be blogging every day about our adventure, so keep coming back here to hear the latest.

IF you have any! friends who live near these cities that would like to hear us live, please refer them to our facebook or myspace.

Can't wait to see you and hug you big and tight with our loud noises.

Love always,
WALK THE MOON

review of i want! i want! in CITYBEAT

a great review of the new record from November. thanks CityBeat!


Walk the Moon Shines on First LP
by Mike Breen, CityBeat Cincinnati Novemeber 2010

Walk the Moon was one of my personal highlights from the recent MidPoint Music Festival, where the band played a high-energy set wonderfully showcasing its dance-friendly beats, New Wave jubilance and Art Pop creativity. As solid as the foursome is live, I was still a bit stunned by how advanced, imaginative and proficient Walk the Moon comes across on its enchanting debut album, i want! i want!, which is to be released Saturday in conjunction with a multimedia event at The Mockbee.

While the band’s Talking Heads influence is most evident during its live show (they did an exhilarating, wall-shaking version of “Burning Down the House” at MidPoint), myriad other inspirations combine on i want! i want! to create Walk the Moon’s distinct sound. While ’80s New Wave plays a part (mostly via the assorted synth sounds and riffs), you’ll also detect more contemporary sounds in the mix, from more recent Dance/Rock to modern Indie Pop. But it’s the more timeless songwriting, striking (and never pandering) hooks and craftily constructed arrangements that will keep you coming back to the album.

The band’s use of space is remarkable; unlike a lot of young artists, WtM resists the urge to fill up the tracks and instead lets them breathe, making the songs more alluring and adding a sense of drama and mystery. The chugging, disco-ball spin of “Anna Sun” rises and falls, allowing the members to weave in counter melodies and use the elbow-room to paint in subtle, crafty quirks. The exquisite “Lisa Baby” is another highlight — the thick, ropy synth lines drive the dance-machine straight into a sunny, atmospheric chorus that’s as irresistible as anything you’ll hear on the radio today.

Along with the creative, unpredictable rhythms and colorful soundscapes (guided often by the keyboards, which take on an array of tonal forms, from twinkling electric piano to those squiggly, sometimes Moog-y synthesizers to straight-up piano and beyond), the expressive vocals are a huge part of the album’s magnetism. Crafted and delivered with the same arty mindset as the instrumentation, frontman/keyboardist Nicholas Petricca’s melodies are blissfully unexpected yet perfectly addictive. Petricca’s expressive, diverse voice (often stacked and layered) is one of the strongest on the local Indie scene (and it ranks up there with some of the finer nationally-known vocalists, as well).

On i want! i want!, Walk the Moon sounds like they’ve taken elements from modern Indie heroes like Franz Ferdinand, TV on the Radio, LCD Soundsystem, Of Montreal, The Killers, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, Spoon and Modest Mouse, shredded them through their own vivid imaginations and reassembled the patchwork pieces into something focused and original. With a debut as powerful, polished and compelling as i want! i want!, not only would I not be shocked to hear Walk the Moon was being courted by a large indie or major label — I’d be more stunned if the album didn’t draw big attention to the band.

UGLY = MERRY

This past Saturday December 18 we threw our UGLY (or Just Misunderstood) SWEATER PARTY at the Mad Hatter in Covington, KY.

Between the amazing line-up, the Rudolphed noses, the XMAS TREE CANVAS, and the sweaters...

it got ugly.








Friends and volunteers helped decorate and man the Rudolph station, and audience members added their personal touch to the XMAS TREE.











Meanwhile amazing indie bands performed -



among them Lions Rampant...

Eat Sugar...

and our friends Louisville's THE PASS.

and finally WALK THE MOON.



the holiday joy in the room was RADIANT.





Thanks so much to everyone who came and was a part of the show, and thanks especially to Dottie, Keith, Joe, Ben, Anna, Claire, Katie, Maggie, and Lauren for all your time and effort! Cheers to the Mad Hatter for letting all of us transform you.



See you in 2011. In January we'll be back in Cincinnati as well as Columbus, Dayton, Philly, Cleveland, New York City, Indianapolis, and hopefully a few other places in between. Have a Happy, Ugly, Merry New Year.

love,
Nicholas, Sean, and Kevin
(photos in this post courtesy of Jeff Burkle and Allison Ventura)

giving thanks!

thank you everyone who has made themselves a part of WALK THE MOON this year... that is, by dancing at shows, dancing in your rooms, donning facepaint, frolicking in french park and mockbee, sharing with friends and moms and neighbors, every song is for you.

enjoy "Gobbledigook" by Sigur Rose. some parents may not approve... whoops! it's a beautiful expression of being human.

give thanks for being alive!!



happy thanksgiving

i want! i want! (photos by D. Walker, J. Burkle and B. Bartel)

can't describe to you the unbelievable energy and love inside the Mockbee on Saturday night.



nearly sold-out crowd - we counted over 450 painted faces.




it began quietly...


and soon raged.




zombies onstage during Thriller...




so many painted faces...





the photographer Jeff Burkle.





Everyone who made it out - THANK YOU so much for truly being part of the event and making it an incredible night. It was amazing to see so many throwing paint at our wall canvasses, taking pictures by the Lost Boys fort, and dancing their facepaint off in the main room during the show.

find the Anna Sun Official Music Video on YouTube. i want! i want! available NOW in Cincinnati at Shake It! Records and Everybody's Records, and online at walkthemoon.bandcamp.com and iTunes.

yeeeooowww JOIN us tonight at the MOCKBEE (2260 Central Pkwy) for so many reasons!

-painting the walls is stupid amounts of fun.
-painting faces is even better.
-"Anna Sun" Music Video and WALK THE MOON's debut album!
-Harlequins, Gold Shoes, WALK THE MOON, and Pones Inc performances!
-all this while dressing up as a Lost Boy or Girl... !

DETAILS

doors are at 9pm,
music begins at 10pm with the Harlequins - followed by Gold Shoes, then WALK THE MOON and Pones, Inc.
DJs DUSTIN CHOW & DEVON CHERRY keep the beats big and phat after the MOON is done.

PARKING @ THE MOCKBEE
park your car along the Mockbee-side of Central Pkwy; more parking is available on Central AVE parallel to the Pkwy.

DIRECTIONS TO THE MOCKBEE (2260 Central Pkwy)

from downtown:
take Central Pkwy north away from the city. The MOCKBEE will be the giant brick building ON THE RIGHT just before the Western Hills Viaduct, has MOCKBEE CO. painted in white on the facade.

from I-75 S:
take the Hopple St. exit 3 and turn RIGHT on Hopple. Turn RIGHT at Central Pkwy. The MOCKBEE will be the giant brick building ON THE LEFT just after the Western Hills Viaduct, has MOCKBEE CO. painted in white on the facade.

from I-75 N:
take the Ezzard Charles/Liberty exit and follow Winchell Ave. Turn RIGHT on Liberty, LEFT on Linn, LEFT on Central Pkwy. The MOCKBEE will be the giant brick building ON THE RIGHT just before the Western Hills Viaduct, has MOCKBEE CO. painted in white on the facade.

see you there!

i want! i want! is coming NOV 13th @ the MOCKBEE. 2260 Central Pkwy, Cincinnati, OH.

THIS SATURDAY at 9pm the doors will open at the Mockbee. Come to see the Harlequins, Gold Shoes, and yours truly, come to get your face painted, to express yourself on the graffiti canvasses, to get down with your kid self.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW from Urban Outfitters in Clifton, Shake It Records in Northside, or by e-mailing walkthemoonband(at)gmail(dot)com and save $5 on your purchase of the album!

facebook event



see you there.
<3,
WALK THE MOON

EVERYONE MUST SEE THIS

also, OUR RECORD RELEASE PARTY @ THE MOCKBEE IN ONE WEEK
Saturday NOV 13
9pm doors, 18+, $5

BUY TICKETS EARLY AND YOU WILL GET $5 off YOUR PURCHASE OF "i want! i want!"

HALLOWEEN PARTIES.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

get your freakish freak on with us this weekend.

FRIDAY Oct 29
WALK THE MOON & GOLD SHOES
Mainstay Rock Bar (5th & Plum, downtown)
11pm FREE 21+
Our Costume: F. MERCURY, J. CASH, & friends

SATURDAY Oct 30
WALK THE MOON, HARLEQUINS, CHARLIE HUSTLE
Grammer's Bar (Liberty & Walnut)
10pm FREE 21+
Our Costume: ZOMBIE MARGE SCHOTT


and coming soon: RECORD RELEASE PARTY

NOV 13th
RECORD RELEASE PARTY
the MOCKBEE (2260 Central Pkwy)
9pm $5 18+

WORLD UPDATE. extra! extra!

Cincinnati Indie-Pop quartet WALK THE MOON releases their debut album entitled i want! i want! on CD, iTunes, walkthemoon.bandcamp.com, and limited edition cassette tapes on November 16th, 2010.

Check out the SNEAK PEEK on YouTube of the music video "Anna Sun", which will be premiered at the record release party @ the Mockbee in Cincinnati on Nov. 13th (the Mockbee, historic factory-turned-venue with barrel-vault ceilings and secret passageways, was also the location of the music video shoot, which involved some 70 volunteers and several local organizations).


__RECENT PRESS__________

"...formed in college over a mutual love of Talking Heads and twisted, inventive Pop. The resulting band reflects those two elements beautifully - WALK THE MOON makes fascinating, danceable Art Pop laced with vintage synth riffs... creative rhythms. ...And the band's captivating live show has grown its fanbase thanks to regular tour dates in NYC and beyond. This fall's i want i want EP should rocket them even further."
-CityBeat Cincinnati, Sept 2010

"The young band was a bundle of energy and crowd responded in kind. And you have to respect a group unafraid to wear its influences like a badge of honor... as if to say, 'Yes, we do love Talking Heads, what are you going to do about it?'"
-Mike Breen, CityBeat, review of Midpoint Music Festival 2010

"One of the best young bands I have seen in a long time... various influences, lots of fun..."
-Denise, GNYCTV/Highline Ballroom, New York City, July 2010

"Walk the Moon’s set contained some of the finest orchestrated indie rock, leaving everyone’s attitude in the stratosphere, delighted by the sounds."
-Sean Peters, The News Record, Cincinnati, May 2010

__TOUR________________

WTM will be travelling NE to Boston and NYC, SE to the Carolinas, West to St. Louis, and many places in between throughout Winter 2010-2011. Always find updated Tour dates on myspace.com/walkthemoonband.

__other NEWS___________

WALK THE MOON was recently added to rotation on the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Tristate station 89.7FM WNKU, as well as Artists On Demand internet radio and Kent State's blacksquirrelradio.com.

In September, the band joined great acts such as Tom Tom Club, Caribou, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, and many others from around the world at Cincinnati's Midpoint Music Festival. The show was well-received by fans and press.

The i want! i want! release party on Nov. 13th at the Mockbee (2260 Central Pkwy Cincinnati, OH) marks the culmination of nearly two years of work in the studio and on the road. Be a part of the event in Cincinnati - be a Lost Boy/Girl, get colored at the facepaint station, graffiti the giant canvasses, and enjoy performances by WALK THE MOON, Gold Shoes, DJs Dustin Chow & Devon Cherry, and special guests Pones, Inc. dance company.

Thank you and see you soon!
Love,
Nicholas, Katie, Erica, Jamie, and WALK THE MOON.

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"Anna Sun" Music Video

more CityBeat love, NEW MEMBERS, and this weekend

last weekend @ Midpoint Music Festival here in Cincinnati, unbeknownst to us, the editor of Arts & Entertainment at CityBeat made a point to come to our show. he wrote:

And you have to respect a group unafraid to wear its influences like a badge of honor, ...as if to say, "Yes, we do love Talking Heads, what are you going to do about it?"
-Mike Breen, CityBeat Cincinnati

read the entire article here: CityBeat MPMF


this weekend we play for the first time at Northside Tavern @ 11pm, opening for Charlie Hustle as they release their "Fall EP". come early for The Western.


and FINALLY without FURTHER ADO i would like to officially announce the NEW SEXY MEMBERS of WALK THE MOON:

Kevin Ray, bass
Sean Waugaman, drums & samples
Chris Robinson, guitar

pictured (from L to R): Kevin, myself, Seanny, Chris

aren't they pretty? and they all sing.

FIND US ALL at our party of the year i want! i want! NOV 13th @ The MOCKBEE, where we will release our debut full-length album and the "Anna Sun" Music Video.

A Man Who's Lost His Wisdom... and THIS WEEKEND>>>

Underneath there, I look like:
A. a chipmunk
B. Harry Potter, after he got fat
C. Scott Stapp ca. summer 2010
D. all of the above


WALK THE MOON does not condone the unprescribed, recreational use of Percoset Oxycodone. However, it did provide for a very unusual case of the Mondays. I fell asleep almost everywhere, including the dinner table; it felt as though 1000 hummingbirds were kindly fanning my skin all day; and when my mom served me tomato soup I smelled it and said, "I just want to put my face in it."


THIS WEEKEND>>> there are some important things coming up that we would like you to know about/participate in.

The ANNA SUN MUSIC VIDEO SHOOT PART II is happening Sunday the 19th and we need your beautiful faces! All are welcome to join us for a barefoot romp at French Park (Cincinnati 45237) from 9am-1pm this Sunday. E-mail nicholaspetricca -at- gmail -dot- com for more info, or check facebook.com/walkthemoon.

LALAPALOOZA for LEUKEMIA, a great night of music for a great cause, takes place Saturday the 18th, the night before the shoot. Starting at 5pm at the Village Green in Glendale, there will be food, BEER, and original music by local Cincinnati artists including WALK THE MOON and our beautiful singer-songwriter friend Serenity Fisher.


keep in touch.
quarks and sharks,
Nicholas

it's been a minute.

and regrettably it'll be a minute more.

VIDEO SHOOT Part II happening next Sunday at French Park, CD Release being planned for November, CD final mixing happening RIGHT NOW... meanwhile we are playing in Indy tonight, Covington on Friday night, and Clifton on Saturday night.

much more to say; kindly stay tuned...

Nicholas

ALSO we cannot thank you enough, everyone who was involved in ANNA SUN Part I. what an incredible turnout, what amazing performances from EVERYONE. we've been going over the footage and we are pooping ourselves.