awake is the new sleep.
Current mood: awake
Category: Life

It's 7:38,
and I've just stumbled upon my new favorite song
(of right now, at least).

I haven't typed a blog on this personal page in a while,
so I figured why not.

Now that my Backseat Goodbye Summer Tour is over I finally have some time to settle into my new house. Granted, it's not exactly a "new" house, it's pretty old actually, but it's new to me.
There's not much I don't like about it, except: the spiders that like my bedroom, the way the kitchen floor sounds when you step in certain spots, the way the mailbox doesn't close all the way, and how my bedroom door doesn't exactly close all the way without a good push.
Aside from that, I love it. It's got a ton of character. Once I get caught up from all the pending bills for the ass-load of new merch I had to order for the tour, and all the upcoming BG stuff I have to pay for, I'm going to go on a shopping spree at IKEA in GA and finally really get the place the way I want it.

I'm in a weird spot mentally right now.
I feel things are moving forward in my life,
but at a very awkward pace.

I mean, just two weeks ago my new cd hit stores across the U.S...
it's still weird as fuck to see my album up on the same racks as my favorite bands.
Since that's happened I've worked up huge deals with certain companies that will be taking my music career to levels I never imagined.
Despite that, over the past week I've actually decided to start two more companies.
At moments I feel like I might have too much on my plate,
but there's just so much I want to do in life...
so why not get started with all of it now, right?

Literally just yesterday I decided I'm going to finally start my own graphic design company (graphic design is actually what I went to college for). And as soon as I got back from tour I finally got ideas really flowing for my next big business "venture" dealing with something I don't want to share just yet.

I'm also going to start working on my next book soon, as well.
It's going to be another poetry book,
but I'm planning on making it much lengthier than my last,
and I kind of have an idea to make it somewhat of a conjoined poetry book,
where all of the subjects kind of meld into one greater picture.


Aside from all that business crap,
I suppose I do still have somewhat of a life.... kind of.
Ha.

This all might get pretty 'effing random.

We finally got cable and cable internet installed at the house.
See, the guy that lives in the other bedroom (we've got a two bedroom house), and I moved in literally about a week before I went off on tour for a month, so we didn't really have time to get anything setup except for electricity and water...
so I'm stoked about having tv to watch and actual working internet.

I lost my glasses back in Lousiville at a hotel (at least I think that's where I lost them)...
so I've been having to squint at everything I read for the past month.
I bought a good bit of new books to read on tour, but couldn't read a damn one since I lost my damn glasses, ha.
But I'm getting new ones Friday, finally.
So I plan on catching up on reading very soon.
That should help inspire some writing for my new book.

Right now my list of new books I bought to read are:
Play The Piano Drunk Like A Percussion Instrument Until The Fingers Begin To Bleed A Bit by Charles Bukowski
Breakfast Of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe
The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

And to be honest, I'm pretty fucking excited to finally read these books.
I bought them just before tour, then lost my glasses about two days into the damn thing.


What else...

One of my good friends, the dude that lives with me, is turning 21 tomorrow...
so I'm going bar hopping with him and some friends tomorrow night.
Should be a damn good time.

Then on Friday we're having a party for his 21st at our house,
that should be an even better time.

Saturday I'm heading back to my hometown (Clarksville) to visit my mom and see a friend of mine perform at Riverfest.

Sunday is Sunday, nothing exciting,
I'll probably just clean my house and try to actually get finally completely unpacked from the move.


So that's my life right now.


Feel free to suggest some books for me to read in the comments below.
Also, feel free to go pick up a copy of my album at a Hot Topic near you,
you'd be surprised how much that literally helps my career along :)

Au Revior,
Chad

Currently listening : Call Me Irresponsible By Michael Bublé Release date: 2007-05-01

12:38 AM - 57 Comments - 72 Kudos - Add Comment

Indifference in A-Flat Major.
Category: Life

It's 11pm.
I'm in a weird mood.
I just bought an album called "The 100 Most Essential Pieces of Classical Music" from the iTunes Music Store...
and now I'm just kind of sitting here literally getting carried away by the music.

It's so.... peaceful.
I'm not a huge fan of classical music, but I really think I could get used to listening to this stuff every night.
I haven't felt this calm in months.

Other than that...
ha.
I just opened a "moving out" letter from my current apartments I live in.
I'm moving out at the end of this month to move into a house with one of my good friends (can't wait for that by the way).
Anyways,
I just opened the letter and thought it was funny,
because it says in nice bold letters at the top,
"Thank you for living at Campus Crossings!"
...
and then two lines later there's a nice big bold demeaning...
"You must be moved out by July 31st at 12:00 PM (Noon)."

I just think it's funny how there's no real politeness or personal courtesy given at apartments like these. At normal places (see, this is a college centered complex) you somewhat get to know your landlord or the owners, and they're not complete assholes. And the people here aren't exactly assholes, but you can easily tell they don't give a shit about you. The only workers here that even seem to have hearts are the damn repairmen.... they're always working their asses off, and they're always the nicest people here. The actual college kids that work at the offices are nice too, but it's just the people that own these places that urk me. I mean, I understand they're just making their own living too, but I just hate their lack of compassion for life and how they don't... well, at least they don't seem to... give a shit about their co-workers or the people that make their homes under their roofs.

Ha.
I really didn't mean for that to sound like a rant.
I'm just kind of thinking out loud.
And by "out loud" i suppose I should say "in my head"...
because i'm definitely just typing this all down.

And now that this has become an entirely useless post I'll end it with this...

if you haven't seen the movie "Wall-E", do it. It's nothing short of perfect.
I loved it.
And I'm so lame that I even went to Toys R Us today and bought a robotic Wall-E toy.
It's definitely one of the coolest things I've ever bought.

So now that I'm done ranting and giving another reason why people should write me off as a full-on nerd, I'll stop typing.

:)

Au Revior,
Chad

4:57 AM - 38 Comments - 60 Kudos - Add Comment

Dear Maria, Count Me In.
Category: Life

It's now been over two weeks since my Macbook's hard drive died.
I'm having to type this from my barely functional Dell that's been with me since my freshman year of  college back in 2004, but supposedly my Mac is supposed to be back in my hands in full working fashion sometime this week (cross your fingers for me).

Over the last two weeks I've had to find basically every alternative way to keep up with as much as possible dealing with my music and book without my Mac, and that's proved to be quite difficult. The actual internet cable input on this Dell got fried by a lightning storm a few years back, so the internet runs slower than a drowing dial-up connection in slow motion (despite me actually having a T3 connection speed).... so it's actually faster to just do my email and everything by my BlackBerry and iPod Touch....
at least I've become a pro at typing on both those now.

Enough whining though,
this is just another attempt for me to cure the free-time gap this Macbook problem has given me... and I really don't like  free time like this, I'd much rather be working on all the shit I need to get done.
But, I'm powerless in this situation, so no need to dwell.
(even though the free time just makes it easier to dwell on the fact that my darling Mac is still gone after two weeks).

Time for random thoughts.

A few minutes ago I noticed that a local venue in Nashville, Rocketown, is having a show on my birthday (July 14th)... and the headliner is All Time Low.
I've never really listened to them other than the mp3 "Dear Maria, Count Me In" that I got from MTV Discover & Download... and I liked that song a good bit.
So, I decided that what could be better than going to a show on my birthday?
And then I went to Hastings and picked up their album "So Wrong, It's Right", just to finally see what the band was all about, and I'm glad I did, because I like it...
and now I do believe I finally have a good plan by going to their show on my 22nd birthday.
(And actually that's still pending on whether or not I'm on tour out West at the time for BG)
So... we'll see what pans out.

Speaking of shows.
Tonight I'm going to see Cobra Starship at Rocketown.
(As long as it doesn't sell out, because I haven't bought a ticket yet)
Last time I saw them was with The Academy Is, and that's when I first really heard them, and I pretty much loved their sassy pop punk danceable tinge.
So I'm definitely stoked to be (hopefully) seeing them again.

Today, my friend and I decided on the house we're going to be living in come this August. I've lived at the same apartments for the last two years and my good friend (and his girlfriend) whom I've lived with since '04 are heading off to Knoxville so he can go to law school.... so now I'm ready to move out of college apartments and into my own real home. The house is perfect, two bedrooms, two baths, kitchen/dining room, good sized living room, and an awesome front deck... it's literally not too big or too small, it's jusssssst right. So now I'll be spending the next two months thumbing through my Ikea catalog to get ready to furnish the place. I'm quite excited.

This Friday "The Happening" hits theaters and the aforementioned current apartment mates and I will be heading to Opry Mills to see it... and I can't wait. I mean come on, a movie with the number one movie star I'd totally marry, Zooey Deschanel?... plus one of my favorite actors, Mark Wahlberg.... plus it's an M. Night movie?... yeah, it's going to be awesome (hopefully).
Then right after the movie I'm actually driving about 12 hours straight to Michigan where I'll be playing the Nor Eastr' Music Festival. Despite the drive I'm sure it will be quite an awesome time, the shows up there are always fun.

I don't usually blog here on Myspace,
and for those who don't know I actually keep a weekly blog at backseatgoodbye.blogspot.com and a daily blog at chadsblog.tumblr.com
just so you know.

Also, my new album just hit iTunes today, via the awesome people at The Militia Group, so feel free to pick that up on the iTunes Music Store if you don't have it yet ;)

As for me, I'm off to wait for a hopeful call from the computer guys to tell me my Macbook is ready for pickup.

Au Revior,
Chad

12:51 PM - 16 Comments - 18 Kudos - Add Comment

you cross your friends off one by one.

I don't like this.

Since I've finished recording my newest album and finished every little detail of it I've been bored out of my mind.
I got really used to my previous schedule of recording and working on Backseat Goodbye stuff from 10 or so in the morning until about 8 or 9 every night...
and now since I have no recording to do and just have to get the "work" side of my music done every day I get done at about 4 and I just spend the rest of the day in a continuous spiral of boredom.

I suppose I'm too used to being busy?
I mean, I really don't think I know how to have a life anymore.

My friends here have their own lives, of course, so I can't just call them up in the middle of the day and say "Hey, let's do something." because they're either at work or don't like having fun.

I'm just ready for my Summer touring to start so I can completely shake this weird spurt of lifelessness.

And actually I'm just excited for the end of this week and all of next week.
But waiting for today, tomorrow and Wednesday to get out of here just isn't any fun.

"You cross your friends off one by one, either they're busy or they are no fun."
- Phantom Planet



P.S. - The Weepies released an amazing album a few days ago. It's called "Hideaway", and I suggest you check it out if you love good music. I mean come on, the first line of the first track is "Yesterday when you were young everything you needed done was done for you. Now you do it on your own, but you find you're on your own. What can you do?"... how can you not love that?

:)

7:52 PM - 14 Comments - 21 Kudos - Add Comment

I never thought that I’d be living on your floor.
Category: Life

"I never thought that I'd be living on your floor, but the rents are high and L.A.'s easy."
- Jack's Mannequin

Songs become so much more meaningful once you've lived the lyrics, you know?

Anyways.
I've figured out that the only time anyone calls me from home (let me rephrase that)...
I've figured out that 4 out 5 times any friends call me from from home, they're drunk.
And I don't really think it's a bad thing at all, but I've just been trying to figure it out.

California is good so far.
I've had more recording setbacks than the filming for the new Indiana Jones movie but things are finally falling into place nicely.
It's looking like I will actually be back to TN for at least a couple of weeks in March before I head off on tour forever, so that's good... especially since my mind obviously decides to make me homesick each night.

I've recently decided (after seeing another preview for it before Cloverfield last night) that Semi-Pro is going to be another great Will Ferrill movie, right up there with Anchorman and Talladega Nights.

For those who don't keep up with my new blog on Blogspot,
on top of recording a new BG album I'm also currently writing a book.
It will be a collection of poems and writings from the last two years. I'm working on figuring out self-publishing and everything to hopefully get it released by Spring.

And on one final note, if you like my music you can hear me doing a live interview/performance on DJ Rossstar's Punk Rock Show on Idobi Radio at www.idobiradio.com this coming Thursday, January 31st at 7pm (PST) / 10pm (EST).

That's all, just thought I'd catch up here :)

- Chad

P.S. - I haven't typed on this blog in a while and people have asked why, and that's because I've started a blog at http://backseatgoodbye.blogspot.com to have one main blogs so I don't have 5 million different places where I blog, so if you want to keep up with all this I actually make a new post every Tuesday there.

11:01 PM - 25 Comments - 38 Kudos - Add Comment

11:22. Saturday. December.
Category: Writing and Poetry

Here's a poem that just kind of spilled out of me a few minutes ago.
I'm not sure if I'll turn it into a BG song or not quite yet.

"Thoughts As The Air Conditioner Kicks On In December"
I sit and think about life more often than I used to now.
I appreciate more, I appreciate less.
It all differs from time to time.
I'm much different than I was ten years ago.
I'm much different than I was ten days ago I find all too often these days too.
I live in a time where war is present and peace isn't.
You can hear the sidewalks sing if you close your eyes.
You can hear your heartbeat if you press your head to a pillow in the right spot.

Simple things still amaze me.
I'm complicated, or at least I'd like to think I am.
A bit more sophisticated, but still as flawed as ever.

I write in my free time, I have more of that now.
After a few years of working my hands to the bone I'm still doing the same but love it even more.

There's rain on my window now, I can't see it from where I'm sitting, but I can hear it.
And it makes me wonder, braver, more questionable and sure.
That I don't have to see things to know they exist.
I don't have to kiss you to know I'd like to.

Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever lose my hearing or eyesight.
I hope that neither are ever the case.
I really can't imagine getting through a day without either.
I really can't imagine getting through a day without thinking about the next before it's over.

And I hope, Hope, HOpe, HOPe, HOPE...
That I'll still have these tomorrows to worry about for years to come.
Yes, I do hate worrying, but it's just what I do best.
I'm a worrier, a lover, a son and a brother.
I'm a boy that's trying his best to become a man.
I want to make my father proud.
I want to make my mother proud.
I want to make them both smile as bright as ten thousand suns would, all piled into one.

I'm going for it.
I've done things, seen places, heard names.
Said I would never, and ended up with "I did".
It's funny to think that I'm here all alone.
When really I know I'm so close to home.

But home to me is the awkard thoughts I remember.
Some Eggo box on the top of a refrigerator.
My view as a child just under the table.
At my parents house, when we all lived together.

Now things are different and I'm all grown up.
I can see over the counter at my grandmother's house now.
My father lives here, my mother lives there.
I live miles away up a flight of small stairs.

And though things are different, scary at times.
I know that in end, it will all be alright.
I just hope it makes sense when I say this, it's true.

Go to the city, when the lights are lit up.
When the people are out, laughing, fighting, smiling, just there.
And close your eyes, listen, really listen for it.
You can hear the sidewalks sing.
You can hear the sidewalks sing if you close your eyes.

Copyright. 2007. Chad Sugg. Backseat Goodbye.


- Chad

ps - With the new year I'll be moving my blogs to a special new page that will be completely dedicated to new personal/Backseat Goodbye related blogs... you can find that page at backseatgoodbye.blogspot.com

9:22 PM - 50 Comments - 84 Kudos - Add Comment

Waking up in black & white.
Category: Writing and Poetry

The holidays are here.
My roomates are all gone.
It flurried the other day.
I'm hungry and have no clue what I want to eat.
This blog is pointless, but below are some new lyrics I wrote for a new Backseat Goodbye song, it's not quite finished yet, but yeah.
Feel free to read them, or not.


"Waking Up In Black & White"
They said we were a dying breed
Look at us now, on our own two feet
We've lept from buildings
And slept outside
Call of the holocaust
Let's all be fine fine fine
They said that you'd never make it
Past the thrid week in April
Well now it's pushing August
And you're fine, you're breathing
You can still open your eyes
The words you give I keep in notebook by my side
They said that he was a liar
Hung him from a tree just because of his color
Well I'm here to tell you now
That doesn't make sense
You're not helping the issue
No no no, you're just the cause of it
The war, it charged on for years
They kept us in our homes with a homemade fear
We bought it in a bottle
Kept it on a shelf
The colors faded faster
'Cause our eyes we're closed to keep the bad parts out
They said that I'd never amount to much
I'm just another skinny boy that isn't brave enough
Well proving them wrong
Has proved to be fun
I may be small but I can put up one hell of a fight
They said she was a terrible daughter
Clumsy and naive, couldn't sing at all
But underneath that dress
She still had a heart
And she knew it was more
Than just for pumping blood
One day she'll find a man
A red balloon of her own
He'll teach her how to sing
She'll never let him go
They'll move to the suburbs
'Cause they like the way it looks
They'll move back to the city
'Cause they miss their friends too much, and they'll be fine
You say that you're all alone
But if you'll look around you'll see that isn't so
There's people on the sidewalks
And walking across streets
A stranger's not an enemy
It's just a friend you've yet to meet
I say I'm gonna change my ways
But here I sit in tomorrow living like yesterday
My life is soundtrack
I'm a highway with one lane
Keep looking for something different
But it's all just the same same same

"Waking Up In Black And White" Lyrics - Copyright 2007. Backseat Goodbye.





LOVE,
Chad


ps - I'm now officially addicted to the show, Entourage. I suggest you all watch it.
pss - Check out the new Jack Johnson xmas song on my profile, that man has an amazing way with songs and making them come out perfect.

8:51 PM - 24 Comments - 39 Kudos - Add Comment

Detroit Rock City.

Walls.
Scattered with drawings and photographs two sizes too big.
A boy.
Sitting at a chair with two drinks too many.
Singularity is the key factor in a life without love.
Don't forget it's only Sunday and there's a full week ahead.
The pain goes away once the minutes pass by.
It's amazing how much everything turns into nothing in moments like this.
I've given into truth.
Because when you've got nothing there's nothing to lose.
It's the ugliest words you've ever read.
In the prettiest song you've ever heard.
But don't give in.
It's not your fault at all.
It's tomorrow that's holding the bad news.
It's today that typed it up.

I gave in.
It's my fault I can't even feel my legs.
But it feels good to not feel.
So don't pity me, even if I'm rendered shitty.
NO, don't pity me, because I'm alive, nonetheless.
I can still laugh in the face of hopelessnes.
I can still realize it's at least somewhat real.
Despite the fact that driving is out of the question.
And I still haven't heard back.
There's actually an amazing hope one door away.
But it's too late, and I don't want to bother you.
You've been a great friend.
Even if you don't show it.

But this is where i'll end it all.
Not in a life and death kind of way.
But in a literal poetic nothing kind of way.
So don't hang onto words you understand.
They're just letters in unalphabetical order anyway.


- Chad

11:28 PM - 45 Comments - 69 Kudos - Add Comment

Everything Is Illuminated.
Category: Life

I figured out a bit more about life today.
I was out to lunch at Red Robin with a couple of my good friends, and while we were indulging our appetites one of them noticed a little girl was crying.

Now see, this little girl, she was crying because the balloon they gave her at the door had somehow escaped the grasp of her hands and found freedom at the wooden ceiling of the restaurant.

To me, it was just a balloon. A piece of some weird red rubber filled with air, that happened to have Red Robin's logo printed on it. But then I realized, to this little girl, the balloon wasn't just this piece of rubber...
no no, instead, it was a glistening shape of amazement, filled with magic and wonder. The red glistened in the glow of the afternoon sun, and the way it floated through the air was like something from a fairytale. See, to this little girl it wasn't just any balloon, it was HER balloon. It made her smile. It didn't make her sad, instead it made her imagination run wild. She could easily close her eyes and see herself running through the prettiest green field with her mother holding one hand while the other held the balloon's ribbon tight with hope.

And then.
BAM!
It was gone.
Just like that.
And it wasn't that the balloon just magically disappeared.
No, instead she had to watch it fly away, just out of her reach.
She almost could have saved it, almost...
but her arms weren't long enough, and she knew it wasn't coming back.



Now to many of you, that story probably sounds completely ridiculous.

But until you write it off, let me just ask...
do remember those days when you were just a child.
When you could be whatever you wanted, dream whatever you pleased and your mind would briskly run alongside your imagination.

I've found that as people get older, many really do just lose their sense of wonder, excitement and imagination. Everything turns from full color to black & white.
And that kills me, because I'm lucky to say that for some reason I've always been a five year old at heart.... some would find that as a terribly lame and useless flaw... but to be honest, I couldn't be more proud to be able to say that I still have a heart that beats blood of a hue instead of ash.

But that's not the point of the story.
The story isn't about me at all actually.
And really, the only story is the one I typed above, about the girl.

And I'll break it down for you,
because I know that sometimes I'm not the most crystal clear when it comes to explanations...

Well,
no matter how old we get,
we're always going to have those red balloons in our life.
We're going to fall in love with them.
We're going to completely cherish them, engulf our entire heart and soul into their existence.
And if we're not careful, then there's a chance that they'll slip from our kind grasps and fly away to the sky above our heads.
Then all we're left with is the memories we had with it, and that terrible last memory of watching it fly away, when it was just out of our reach.

Sometimes we WILL be able to hold to our red balloons and take care of them until they themselves have to wither as the air leaves their lungs....
but regardless, even if we can't hold onto them,
they're will always be others waiting in places we would never expect them.
But just be sure to keep your eyes open for any red balloons that might make their way into your life, you don't have to be looking for them, but you do have to have your eyes wide to see them, closed lashes never did much for anyone from what I've heard.








Hopefully all of the above doesn't sound like some nonsensical babble about balloons...
I just think that there is a lot of beauty in the world, and sometimes it's quite easy to miss. Please open your eyes, everyone, like one amazing movie title says,..."Everything Is Illuminated."





- Chad

Currently listening : Say I Am You By The Weepies Release date: 07 March, 2006

11:45 PM - 114 Comments - 166 Kudos - Add Comment

"It’s not that interesting, but..."
Category: Music

You know, I don't say this enough, or realize it enough...
but wow, music keeps me alive.

I just love how I can hear a new song and it can make me so damn glad to be alive.

Like how tonight I finally decided to pick up the newest Starting Line album at the lovely Target, and I find a song like "Something Left To Give"... and it's just...perfect.

I don't really know the point of this blog,
just thought I'd share.

MAKE
MUSIC
NOT
WAR

- Chad


ps - You can hear "Something Left To Give" on my profile now.

pss - I also randomly picked up "One Cell In The Sea" by A Fine Frenzy, and I definitely recommend you check out her music if you haven't, it's quite amazing.

Currently listening : Direction By The Starting Line Release date: 31 July, 2007

9:51 PM - 29 Comments - 47 Kudos - Add Comment