Lament – Amtrak Station, Kalamazoo, Michigan

About Lament: After deciding against scaling the roof of the now-closed Kraftbrau, Valentiger crossed the street into a field divided by railroad tracks. The process was kept as simple as the song itself, as it was the first recording of the tour. Kehoe filmed as Shirey and Rider streamed a tender performance from the active tracks. From here, the boys would only top themselves daily, but the over-sized Midwest scenery seems perfectly fitting for the laziness “Lament.”

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Daybed – Lincoln Park Formal Garden, Chicago, Illinois

About Daybed: As they often did, Valentiger let the city “tell them where to go” for the filming of “Daybed” in Chicago. A decent parking spot and a bit of walking led them to Lincoln Park’s Formal Garden on a windy, yet warm Thursday. The idea was to shoot Shirey walking through the park, which led to Kehoe managing a mobile audio unit consisting of a laptop in a shoulder bag and the condenser microphone on a boom. Shirey did his best to sing well while walking, and take one was lent to figuring the other two’s path of backward walking. Sandals needed to be removed. However, the second take captured the spontaneity of a child who was simply drawn to the music and followed Shirey throughout the stroll. Improvements could have been made, but nothing would top the purity of this take.

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Hard To Let Me Down – Rooftop, Indianapolis, Indiana

About Hard To Let Me Down: Acting on their rooftop fantasy, Valentiger scaled this closed-down Taco Bell near a busy intersection. Halfway through setup, a concerned citizen pulled into the vacant lot and interrogated Rider, with Shirey already on the roof. He did his best to explain but the man still took down Valentiger’s license plate and, rightfully so, called the police. The man then left and Valentiger worked quickly. Kehoe couldn’t quite monkey his way up the building as Shirey had, so the band settled to have him play the song solo with his gutiar. Even though the arrival of cops was invariable, they did two takes on account of the wind. Afterward, they quickly lowered the equipment from the roof and fled the scene. Though they had escaped the law at this point, Rider had told the vigilante the band was to perform at Melody Inn later that night. They expected to find police waiting for them upon arrival.

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Man on Fire – Abbey on the Park, St. Louis, Missouri

About Man on Fire: The band had originally intended to film under the Gateway Arch, but plans changed when they made way through town to their quarters for the night. Staying with a friend of the band, they were awestruck as they walked into his home at Abbey on the Park, an old church converted into apartments. The gigantic pipe organ lurked over his dining table, the sun shined warmly through the stained glass windows, the reverb was fantastic and the band knew they must record the dramatic “Man On Fire” right then and there. Sticking with their primary instruments, the band fed from the room’s energy while Phil agreed capture the event as it took place in his own loft.

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The Girl That Everyone Forgot – Waffle House, Memphis, Tennessee

About The Girl That Everyone Forgot: When out on tour, Valentiger usually visits at least one Waffle House along the way. However, this time around was not to dine but to record an uber-quirky rendition of “The Girl That Everyone Forgot.” Shirey managed to work the arrangement on Autoharp, while Kehoe took backing vocal, harmonica and spoon/mug duties. The song didn’t seem quite right without the guitar hook from the original recording’s introduction, so the boys vocalized the melody. Performance began only after the till had been counted and even though they had finished eating, patrons stuck around to watch and listen. Employees called in their friends and loved ones to witness this truly odd event, inciting Valentiger to play another song. The unrecorded gem, “Phil,” was performed. Afterward, Shirey showed a few people how to play the Autoharp and the band disappeared back into the night.

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