One more day w/Bobby Brown (video blog)
Current mood: Birds of Ryan White

I woke up this morning (well, not morning, i suppose late afternoon is more accurate) with the sun glaring in my eyes through the sole window of my hotel room. It's been an obliterating couple of days and I continue to fail to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I half-smiled at the irony of the situation and immediately put my ipod on.
Even last night, Al and I were stalking around the city and in our haze of booze and smoke and broken hearts, we found Bobby Brown (yeah, Whitney Houston's hub) at a local dive right near Times Square. He was looking for something, but I just can't remember what. It didn't matter because we were trying to keep to our sojourn and all I could hear were the hauntings of our major label meeting the night prior anyway.
We left Bobby and some of our new friends at the bar and walked on. Al stopped to take some tourist shots, but I kept ruining them with upside down smiles and right side up frowns. He loved me not. So we kept on walking.
Don't know when we returned to our hotel but we had somehow managed to stop at a falafel place to get some food.
"Guests can eat downstairs, just not at the lobby."
This worked out better than we could've imagined since they had left the juice machines on downstairs. We had free cranberry all night.
So, here I am now, with an acoustic guitar and lots of words trying to get them to you. You will see them soon.
We shoot several acoustic performances tomorrow with MTV and then we fly home. See you then.

Lillard Anthony W

7:15 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Check the Mercury (video blog)

it's curre​ntly 914 easte​rn time,​ we are sitti​ng under​ the Brook​lyn bridg​e getti​ng ready​ for our next shot.​ It's surre​al hah ok kris just kille​d the mood by putti​ng on bad Spani​sh music​,​ ok elton​ john good save kris,​ but like I said it's surre​al you becom​e part of your envir​onmen​t.​ You feel love,​ sadne​ss,​ remor​se,​ and optim​istic​ all that is " It's over"​ ,,,, but'​s it's only the begin​ing!​!​!​

AL

1:22 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

my hands (video blog from new york)
Current mood: vendetta black

are bleeding. We shot the final shot yesterday and wrapped at 530am. As some of you may have heard, the video has been quite a catastrophic process for me personally.
On top of that, it's the first time I've been thrust into a leading role, without two of my best friends and 2/3 the face of Putnam Hall- Kris and Al.
I don't want to give too much away plot-wise, but I do want to tell you about the video. It's going to be gorgeous - vibrant, passionate, and twisted. The director has created an entire world, which was totally unexpected for us, and that has made it so much more cinematic than your average bullshit music video. I guarantee that you have never seen a music video like this in your life. Simply put, it's never been done.
I've given myself away for this role, so much so, that it has taken me to the brink of self-destruction. I'm still not in a good place as I write you this letter from my hotel room in midtown. But, that's how much this video means to me, I can't give less and you know that I wouldn't have anyway.
My hands really ARE bleeding and I have bruises on my shoulders, knees, midsection and chest. I got a chance to train with Hector of Gleason's Gym, most famous for his work with Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby which eventually won her an Academy Award. I certainly won't win an award with my boxing skills, but that was definitely a worthwhile experience.
I'm so fucking excited to show you. Just promise me you'll be there when I get back, I'm a mess without you.

In the big apple but forever orange to the core,
Lillard Anthony W

7:55 AM - 4 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Olympic Heroes and Villains
Current mood: cheerful

Yeah, so my cousin is captain of the US Men's Gymnastics team and they just won a bronze medal.  We are all really proud of the guy, seriously.  He represents the dedication and hard work that we all could learn a little from. 

Unfortunately, as the Olympic news coverage is monopolized by one entity, they chose to villify my cousin as the reason behind the US "losing the silver medal".  I understand the media, I've been a part of it for fuck's sake, but don't think for one second that I'm going to keep my mouth shut and let that one go.

If you look at it objectively, the gymnastics team is exactly that - a team. At the end of the day, the team's COLLECTIVE score determines who wins what medal.  It's not up to my cousin or any of the other members individually.  Why were they in that position in the first place?  If everyone had absolutely killed every event and scored perfect at every chance, then would one score have mattered that much?  No.  They're a team!  All of their scores count.  You can't blame one guy for the collective!

But, the media doesn't like that.   It refuses to NOT tell a story.  There's no juice in a plot like that.  No way.  We have to have a HERO and a VILLAIN, and my cousin happened to be on the wrong side of slander river.  It's an unfortunate thing, and I won't tolerate it. 

In conclusion, I'm not trying to blame the other team members and say it was their fault.  What I am ABSOLUTELY trying to say is that the whole team should be really proud - they did so amazing and they won an olympic medal collectively.  I couldn't be more stoked!

So, fuck all of you naysayers and media outlets - none of you assholes never made dick of your lives anyway. Last time I checked, you don't have an Olympic medal around your neck. So, eat it.

Don't even get me started about the media coverage about China itself and how they are painting China like it's a backwards, militant martian colony.  I'm an American, but my heritage is Chinese.  I'm proud of being both.  So, stop shitting on China. It is misconceptions like these that cause the worst things in life - wars, fights, and bigotry.

Lillard

11:02 PM - 89 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Olympians and Troubadourians

Just found out recently that my cousin made the US Olympic team for Gymnastics.  I'm not kidding.  He has worked his whole life to make it to the highest level in his craft and he's FINALLY DONE IT! Hooray!
No matter my stance on President Bush, the war in Iraq, Hilary and Obama, it's always with much pride I say that I'm an American. And to have my own cousin represent our country in the most honored, worldwide sports tradition in history is such a great source of pride for me. Go USA.

See you at the Troubadour on July 16.

Lillard Anthony

5:02 PM - 89 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

that’s a sweet ass at chain reaction- mon, jun 23
Current mood: blessed

man oh man!  what a show last night.  seriously.  that was the hugest crowd i've seen in a long time at chain reaction - not even including the fact that it was a Monday.  thank you so much.  we are so stoked and humbled by the whole thing, i still don't know what to make of it all.  thanks again.

we had a terrific time and got to meet so many new friends and fans and of course, hang out with our favorites.  we took video of it, so who knows when you'll see your face on one of our videos (we're not asking for permission, we're taking it hahaha). 

Resident Hero, Entice, asyouare, and Surveillance fully kicked my ass.  I loved seeing our friends play.  One of my favorite shows ever.  See you soon!

Love, Lillard

PS Send us your photos so we can post em!

9:14 AM - 89 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Rosary High School
Current mood: silly

is our new favorite place to play.

Top 5 Reasons Why
1. Everyone was nice and offered us snow cones and cotton candy.
2. All of the girls sang along to the Chris Brown and Justin Timberlake covers (even though that kind of messed me up while I was playing).
3. We played in front of a fully hand painted sign on butcher paper saying "Putnam Hall" complete with blue peace signs.
4. We participated in PE and one of the girls and I made half court shots in basketball.
5. I got to wear a sweet red sweater to show off the bod.<-- KIDDING


Lillard

See yall soon.

10:08 PM - 89 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

tour diary
Current mood: animated

first of all, we can't find a damn internet connection anywhere, so if we haven't written you back yet, that's why.  it sucks.  we're all using our phones for access except for me, right now.
anyway, every time we go out on tour, i feel like a kid.  yesterday, we drove from san jose to ashland.  we passed right through mount shasta and i caught myself saying stuff like "holy crap- a deer" and "oh wow, look at those trees" like a child that's never been anywhere but his own home.  on a sidenote, i almost hit two deer on the pass into ashland.   that would' ve been bad. 
but, damn did i need this to reconnect with everything. al and i are probably drinking too much, but we're all still playing well, so i can't complain.  i just wish we were out for longer.  maybe in june...
we leave for portland today where we get to see the new offices of our clothing sponsor, ekset apparel.  check them out if you haven't already. 
thanks for reading, we'll have some photos for you really soon, if only i could get a good internet connection.
lillard

7:35 AM - 89 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

What up, Foo?
Current mood: good
Category: Music

Last night I had all access to one of Al and my favorite bands - the Foo Fighters at the LA Forum.  I have a bunch of photos and video from the backstage area, dressing rooms and the Forum Club, but I think I'll just keep those to myself except for one run of the mill Dave and Lillard shot (sorry). 

The Foos came on when I was about 5 Jack and Diets in, so I'm definitely not sure what time that was.  All I know is that they played a MEAN set. 

Following the encore, we went downstairs which leads under the Forum and into the dressing rooms.  It was there that I met one member of the band that inspires all three of us - Chad Smith of the Chili Peppers.  I also met Taylor of the aforementioned Foo Fighters, Dave and the way way way underrated Pat Smear.  And Juliette Lewis is a total sweetheart.

That's it! See you guys at Off the Chain on Wed - ACOUSTIC SET! and thanks for reading my silly story.

Lillard

10:43 AM - 89 Comments - 12 Kudos - Add Comment

Top 3 favorite show for me on Jan 26, 2008
Current mood: adventurous
Category: Music

Thanks to all who braved the downpour on Sat to come and see us headline at the Alley.  For me, it was one of my favorite Putnam Hall shows of all time and I couldn't get that ess-eating grin off my face all night. I don't want you to get the impression that I'm  crazy sentimental after every show, but this one meant alot to me.

I like the rain. And so I think maybe it had something to do with the fact that you had come to see us even with the millions of gallons pouring from the heavens.  

Or maybe it was because I liked the other bands, for once, and they were all super cool too.

Or perhaps it was because people were singing along louder than ever. And pumping fists in the air and fighting WITH us.

Or maybe it was because we (you and I) didn't have to rehearse "Swan Song" this time, we just sang it.

Or maybe it was because, we go through a lot of shit and struggles being in this band, and this was one of the times I stopped to smell the roses...in the middle of the storm.

Thanks.  And to all of you that were there, I meant what I said onstage.  And see you at the next one.

Love,
Lillard

PS Look out for our ad for Music against Drunk Driving.

2:00 AM - 89 Comments - 12 Kudos - Add Comment