We called AAA, who finally figured where we were and sent out a tow truck. They would cover the tow for the Jeep, but not for the trailer. Also, it was about 24 degrees outside, and the Jeep isn’t something that we can sleep in. We had to get a room. We had to get the brakes replaced so we could even make it home. The Jeep fuck up just 3 hours from home after our last out of town show on tour has cost us $150 for the tow, $150 for the hotel room and $467 for the repairs. Now we have to figure some shit out.

We will be starting up an online raffle for a few very limited edition shirts and hats this week, plus looking at other fun ways to bring in some funds to make sure that we have cds and shirts and other stuff for you lovely folks to buy from us. In the meantime, if you’d like to help support us, you can buy our music digitally directly from us at our website: www.theswaggeringrowlers.com/merchandise/

Full album downloads of any of our three albums are only $5.00 USD, and all of the $$ goes directly to the band. If you love us, or even if you just kind of like us, hit it up, help us out. We are pushing DIY to make this our career. We won’t let any of these setbacks stop us – they are simply obstacles to overcome and new things to write about. You can be a part of it. We have several shows coming up, so come on out and see us. We need more friendly faces. =)

Click on the Merchandise tab at the top of this page to join the ranks!

(cnut)

We have a ton of confirmed dates already, with a couple others just pending a detail or two. Below please find our list of confirmed dates. More will be added to this list as soon as we have them nailed down. I will likely also post a list of dates we could use a little help with.

In the past couple of months, we have been hit hard by several things – bail money, a van accident (luckily, everyone was ok – no injuries), rampant drunkenism (that’s not going to change) but we’ve also had some of the best times yet. We’ve been travelling, we’ve had the chance to play with great bands and to get into the NYC squat venue circuit. It’s only getting better, so be a part of it! We want to see you guys and gals at the shows – that’s the whole reason we do this. We want to dance with you!

~cnut

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
The Midway Cafe
3496 Washington Ave.
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

8:00 pm – $5 – 21+

The Swaggerin’ Growlers (bailfund/new van benefit show)
The Furiousity
The Pity Whores
Jake & The Infernal Machine

Thursday, January 12, 2012
Beatnik’s Bar
433 Park Ave.
Worcester, MA 01610

7:00 pm – 21+

Some solo uke sets on the barside, then a RAWK’N UKE set opening for a special acoustic set by The Swaggerin’ Growlers as part of Ukulele Thursday

Friday, January 13th, 2012

C-Squat
155 Avenue C
New York, NY

7:30 hangout/8:30 show – All ages – $5-7 sliding

What Cheer? Brigade
Mirrors & Wires
The Swaggerin’ Growlers

Saturday, January 14th, 2012

The Fire
412 W. Girard Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19123

9 pm – $8 – ? age

The Minor Arcana
The Swaggerin’ Growlers
Anam Owili-Eger

Sunday, January 15th, 2012

Bandito’s Burrito Lounge
2905 Patterson Avenue
Richmond, VA 23221

? – ? – 21+

Piston Shot Nikki
The Swaggerin’ Growlers

Monday, January 16th, 2012

The Get Down
1045 Haywood Rd.
Asheville, NC

8pm – $5 – 21+

Shadow of the Destroyer
Orthrus
The Swaggerin’ Growlers

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

The Black Cat Lounge
2918 Fort Bragg Road
Fayetteville, NC

2 set of Growlers
Doors @ 8, Show @ 9 – $5 – 21+

https://www.facebook.com/events/255905654475951/

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

Churchill’s Pub
5501 NE 2nd Ave
Miami, FL 33137

? – ? – ?

The Swaggerin’ Growlers
The Howling Winds
Others TBA – Does your band want to play? Email Chestnut at babysittingcalamity(at)gmail.com

Saturday, January 21st, 2012

CANCELLED! =(

Durty Nelly’s
Under the Baywalk Parking Garage
149 1st Ave North
St. Petersburg, FL

9pm – FREE – 21+

3 sets from The Swaggerin’ Growlers, starting at 10 pm.
Cheapest drinks in St. Pete!

Saturday, January 28th, 2012

Korova Bar
San Antonio, TX

8pm – ? – ?

Thunderosa
The Swaggerin’ Growlers

Sunday, January 29th, 2012

Darwin’s Pub
Austin, TX 78701

8pm – ? – ?

Thunderosa
The Swaggerin’ Growlers

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

The Sunshine Bar

Arlington, TX

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Kirby’s Beer Store
3227 E 17th Street
Wichita, KS 67208

10:30 pm – ? – ?

The Swaggerin’ Growlers
1 TBA

Saturday, February 4th, 2012

The Heavy Anchor
5226 Gravois
Saint Louis, MO 63116

9:30 pm – $5 – 21+

The Jacknife Powerbomb
The Swaggerin’ Growlers
Blackwell

Monday, February 6th, 2012

Valentine’s
Albany, NY

Swaggerin Growlers: Boston MA
Yesterday’s Hero: Boston MA
Skeletons in the piano: Saratoga, NY
Nine Votes Short: Westerlo , NY

Doors at 7
6 BUX

Saturday, February 11th, 2012

Lazy Dog
Marlboro, MA

Guns of Navarone
The Swaggerin’ Growlers
Yellow Stitches
Burning Streets
The Snipes

8 pm – $7 – 21+

We will still be getting to The Hive in Brooklyn for our New Year’s Eve show, so if you’re in NYC, please come on out, let’s drink and dance until our problems are solved or forgotten about!

After that, we are in Boston at The Midway Cafe on Wed, Jan 11th for a benefit show for us, then the next night, Thurs, Jan 12th will be a very special acoustic set from us at Beatnik’s in Worcester.

Here are the Facebook event pages for all three shows so you have all the details.

https://www.facebook.com/events/238709896196974/

https://www.facebook.com/events/256129234447256/

https://www.facebook.com/events/325837654102074/

Also, if you happen to know about a cheap, reliable van that you can refer us to, it could just save our January tour which is slated to bring us all the way down to Florida and over to Texas.

So, what happened? As opposed to my normal flowery prose, I’ll keep it bullet pointed, short and sweet:

* Blown Tire, towed to a Walmart parking lot, late night – morning tire fix

* Next Day, Illegal stop by the South Carolina Sherrif’s Department (Driving too close – the highway was damn well near empty). Illegal, non-consented search of the van yielded a controlled substance (Psychobilin Mushrooms)

* Chestnut was arrested, and railroaded through a bond hearing at a time different told to us – Bail was set at $1,000, and a trial date was set over 7 months away, in June 2012.

* As opposed to letting a Brother in Arms rot for seven fucking months in a southern detention center for what is at best absolute bullshit, we came up with the $1,000 – literally everything the band had, and then some.

* The first judge tried to pull some further shady shit (than $1,000 for bail for a goddamn fungus), and tried to make sure he stayed overnight by leaving early, thereby fucking us over further and out of our last date of tour – we caught some luck with both a sympathetic corrections officier, as well as a sympathetic judge. I won’t mention their names because it’s clear that decent honest people are frowned upon in the South Carolina Legal system, but needless to say, we’re grateful. We were able to pay someone and get him out in time to hit the road up to Philly for our show with the nefarious Erik Petersen.

We’re shit broke. The van is breaking. We don’t even have any shirts left to sell (post tour reordering). We’re playing a few shows this month that we will be collecting donations at, and our next tour kickoff is a benefit show essentially for us to be able to continue to do what we do.

So, without much more of my fucking rambling, here is what’s up:

12/08/11 – Woodstock, NY – Colony Cafe – ALL AGES
http://www.facebook.com/events/209723939105366/

12/10/11 – NY, NY – ABC No Rio w/Mischief Brew – ALL AGES
http://www.facebook.com/events/245879932142396/

12/15/11 – Boston, MA – Church w/Bryan McPherson, Mark Lind, Jeff Rowe – 21+
http://www.facebook.com/events/170547526357829/

12/17/11 – Dover, NH – The Barley Pub – 21+ – 3 sets!
http://www.facebook.com/events/149295081841881/

1/12/12 – Jamaica Plain, MA – CHESTNUT’S BAILFEST – Midway Cafe
http://www.facebook.com/events/256129234447256/

Hopefully the wheel bearings won’t blow before we get the money up to fix them. Looking forward to fucking going nuts at these next few shows – hope to see you all there.

Cheers,
Swagger

Thanks again to everyone who hung out, put us up, fed us, drank with us, danced, and otherwise made the last month an absolutely amazing time!

Cheers,
Swagger

PS: We’ve got some news coming up in the next few days, in regards to the bullshit that went down in SC. So stay tuned.

We are mostly recovered from playing and then attending Hallowmas RI and Philly (tiara scars notwithstanding), and hitting the road again this Monday.

(cnut)

The Swaggerin' Growlers

The Swaggerin’ Growlers November Tour Schedule

Mon, Nov 7th
The Blue Room
Rochester, NY

w/Such Wreckless Children

Tues, Nov 8th
Wilbert’s
Cleveland, OH

w/Pocket Vinyl (Piano slam Rock/Virtual Art)
The Poland Invasion (Rock/Indie/Alternative from Cleveland)

Free Show, Drink Specials
Doors at 6, Show at 8

Wed, Nov 9th
Birdy’s Bar & Grill
2131 W. 71st St.
Indianpolis, IN
319.254.8971

w/The Coma Dolls

Thur, Nov 10th
The Smiling Moose
1306 E. Carson St.
Pittsburgh, PA

Free/9PM/Upstairs/21+?

w/ Pipewrench

Fri, Nov 11th
The Old Firestation #3
3988 University Drive
Fairfax, VA

8pm/$8 21+ Upstairs

w/Charm City Saints (Baltimore Irish Punk, FMO Next Step Up & Hudson Falcons)
Kilmaine Saints (Harrisburg, PA Irish Punk)
The Snallygasters (Balitimore Oi Punk, FMO Spitfires United)
JJ Damage & The Bandits (DC Punkabilly)

Sat, Nov 12th
The Spy Club
234 N. 2nd Street
Harrisburg, PA

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=233552406699240

$7/doors 10PM/21+

Kilmaine Saints
The Swaggerin’ Growlers
Saints of Sorrow

Wed, Nov 16th
The Get Down
1045 Haywood Rd.
West Asheville, NC

21+, 8PM

The Swaggerin’ Growlers

Thur, Nov 17th
The Black Cat Lounge
2918 Fort Bragg Road
Fayetteville, NC

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=178466372240894

21+/$10/8PM

The Swaggerin’ Growlers
Burlesque from Rachel Riot
w/performances by Sterling Maxwell PPD, Jenn Martin, Queen April, Porcelain and Miss Bliss

Fri, Nov 18th
Fayetteville, NC

Details TBA

Sat, Nov 19th
Gravity Pub
1257 Glenwood Ave.
Atlanta, GA

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=251445478239857

8pm/18+

w/Expect Resistance
Hellbender
DJ’s

Sun, Nov 20th
Athens, GA

House acoustic show with Grey Milk.

Wed, Nov 23rd
Kung Fu Necktie
Philadelphia, PA

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=216528238415069

7pm, $5, Drink Specials

w/Mirrors and Wires
Erik Peterson (Mischief Brew)

http://www.kungfunecktie.com/calendar.php

“Jack” I say, leaning slightly over – enough to hear and speak clearly but not enough to take my eyes off the crowd of fire dancers. They are fire dancers after all, and we bring the fire and light – we’re entertainers. It’s what we are and what we’ve pursued all of our lives. “Thank you for all the help you’ve given us; It means a lot, man. It’s really help get our asses out the door and on the road.”

He swirls his cocktail, turning a plastic dixi cup into something more sophisticated, more elegant, if only for a split second. A wine glass, perhaps; Maybe a heavy bottomed dram. Eyes still fixed on the crowd and ears on the barstool conversation. I can feel a smile, a weary smile, but a smile none the less. You don’t need to see these things to hear the inflections in the words. “Oh, don’t mention it, Jonny. We recognize our own tribe”.

The Devil’s delightfully wicked grin creeps across my face. The one I sing about so passionately. The words leave my mouth as they are thought, no brakes or restraint.

“Tonight is going to be such marvelous, beautiful fun, isn’t it?”

–
And you know what? It most certainly fucking was. It’s an honor and a joy to share the stage with you fine folks and hopefully it will be sooner than later when we get to do it again – I can say without a doubt it’s been the best Halloween I’ve ever had, that’s for fucking sure. Jack, Leslie, Sandra, Frank, Rebecca, Matt, Greg, and of course the delightful clan of Infernites – Thank you.

Also? Chestnut is coverd in glitter STILL and I can’t help but giggle. He sparkles.

-Jonny Swagger

Outlaw Waltz – 04 – Six Strings and Gasoline

The album will be for sale directly through us (mp3 download link) on Oct 1st. Itunes and the like whenever the hell they feel like processing it. Thanks! Hope to see you all on Oct 1st for the Daytime matinee release show.

-Swagger

First night was a neat little show in Worcester, MA at The Raven on Pleasant St with Slitstitch, Dead Wrong, and our good friends The Pity Whores. I don’t know why I love Worcester shows so much. It’s difficult to pull a crowd, and the city is more or less a festering shit hole (I believe two people were shot across the street the last time my brother played this venue.) But I always have a blast. The lovely Katie O’Hara was nice enough to swing by and whip up some great new press shots with our current lineup for use in the writeup we’re getting in the Boston Phoenix, among others. We must have looked like the biggest jerks while standing on the side of the road next to two big white umbrellas and a photographer in the middle of downtown Worcester, but it’ll be nice to actually have pictures Ethan and I in them. However, this apparently means one or both of us will get hit by a bus since press shots with any trad section are immediately outdated in this band. Oh well, I’ve gotten tired or being mistaken for Annie. Great friends, cheap drinks and a nice send off from most of my extended family.

Warning: If you have a camera feed from the parking lot set up on a TV at the bar, expect to see asses. Lots and lots of asses.

9/10/11. ABC No Rio- Manhattan, NYC.

After waking up on Chestnut’s spare futon, we grabbed our shit and headed for NYC for our first show at the legendary communal arts space ABC No Rio in the lower east side of Manhattan. Tucked away on Rivington St, it was a really cool space. The sign outside said it had been open since 1980, and having seen a lot of places that try to do this sort of thing fizzle out after a short while, it’s really cool to see one last this long. Now, I don’t travel much. So even being in New York city is still a little weird for me dispite having played there a number of times. It’s growing on me, but it’s much different than Boston. (15 bucks for a pack of Pall Malls didn’t help, either.)

After the show, we piled back into the van with our new friend Danielle and headed back to her place so she could get some new tattoos from Chestnut. (the elevator from Toejam and Earl and a heart made of bacon. Hell yes.) Some chinese food, a couple 40oz’s of Colt 45 and a flask of rotgut whiskey later, we all (sans CNut who ended up inking until 6am) headed over to hang out with our Candy Apple Red friend, Lyz. One shot lead to another and we sang songs for a few hours. I vaguely remember hanging out in some Irish dude’s apartment with the group later that night, but I certainly wasn’t there for it.

9/11/11. Valentine’s- Albany, NY.

My first trip to Albany was interesting. I spent a good chunk of the ride sleeping in the back (Van stench level: 2) while we tried to shake the hangover from the previous night- Harder than it looks when you’re speeding down the highway in the back of a rickety dodge. First order of business was to find something edible. (crackers and peanut butter don’t count) We took a long walk around the area, met a local with some drum sticks who traded off drumming on the sidewalk pavement with Chestnut for a bit, and finally decided to grab a few slices of pizza at the shop next door to the venue. Stupidly, I asked why the flag was at half mast today after spotting the TV in the corner. In the clutter of the past few days it had completely slipped under my radar that 9/11 was ten years ago today. Time flies. After some quick chow, Ethan and I took a walk to the closest park to do a little practicing. Really helped take the edge off after some post pizza “I may puke on you” conversation. I think you’re allowed to be a little loud in a public space when packing an accordion and a violin. Plus, after a few months of writing a new album, we definitely needed to brush up on the older material. After an hour or so and one visit from a very cute local girl later, we packed up and headed back to the venue.

The lineup was just awesome for this show. While difficult to contend with Dropkick Murphys playing that night just a few miles away, it was still great to see new bands who completely kicked ass. Much thanks to Bent Left, USA Waste, Dog Days and especially our friends from Troy, Dead Aces for a fun night.

I need a shower.

-Ryan

Seriously. Who brushes up on their ancient greek in a tour van?

Actually it was really great – Ryan and I got to run through a bunch of the old songs – our pub set songs, things we almost NEVER get the chance to play anymore, as well as songs from the first two albums. We did just about everything save This Road and Bound for Glory (the latter I’m hoping we can go over and re-add to the set). It’s funny, you hit a point where songs are almost like old friends, and you really start to miss some of them after a while. We joked about sending Erik Petersen a fully electric version of Love and Rage, not to mention how many other songs we promptly and delightfully mutilated throughout the night. I felt like Sweeny Todd – TRY THE PRIEST!

At one point, there was a drunk group of Italians who proceded to turn Park Street into a flat out dance party, not to mention this sweetheart of a girl named Meridan who came up to us during our break. Also, the guy who just plain rocked the fuck out during Drunk Before Noon was wonderful. Really, it’s all about the people you meet along the way. I got to slut out our Oct 1st show to so many people – I really hope it ends up being the fucking fantastic party that I see it in my head as.

Now I’m here, drinking Narragansett’s Fest trying to capture wat was a downright wonderful night; I hope all of your nights were as fantastic as ours – I’ve got to wake up early and start tracking guitar parts.