Follow our travels around the country and read about our post-show thoughts, our daily musings, and which of us sleepwalked the night before. Check back often for updates - you never know when (or from where) we'll make another entry...

The new Four Shadow album has been recorded, and this time it's got video!

What a great couple of weeks we've had! After some very successful college shows in WI and IA, Four Shadow headed back to Minnesota to prepare for our big event of the spring: our annual fundraiser for the showchoirs of Bemidji High School. Last year we had a crowd of 1200 people, and were able to raise $4000 for the amazing showchoirs, Vocalmotive and La Voce Ballo. The numbers are still being crunched, but it looks like we had a repeat this year - over 10% of the population of Bemidji came out to see the show!

It's great to perform for such a large crowd, especially when you know you're recording and filming the show. The recording will go on our new live CD, and the video footage will go on our first-ever live concert DVD. The CD and DVD will be packaged together as a bundle of audio/visual joy, called Live In Bemidji!

We'll be working around the clock to get the footage ready for production - we're hoping the release the album by mid-May. Check the website often for more information about the release, we're really excited about it.

One more thing about the Bemidji show - thanks to all the local organizations who helped support the show - Paul Bunyan Broadcasting, Luekens, KRKB, Overbeeks, and the Hampton Inn to name a few.

Thanks for your support!

Thanks to all who showed up at our Minneapolis show last night. It was a blast to see you all there, enjoying the show. We're coming out of hibernation, getting ready for some massive touring, so look out, we may be coming your way. In case anyone was not aware, I am pleased that the Japanese team won the World Baseball Classic. Japan is my country of birth, and so it is with no small amount of national pride that I cheered my fellow countrymen on in their quest to defeat the Cubans last night. Can anyone name a cooler baseball player than Ichiro Suzuki? I thought not. That man is so awesome. If you come up with one, please send it our way. I doubt I'll get any takers, though. He's pretty freakin cool. Cheers. Kevin

Happy Holidays!

It's been a while since we've written road notes - sorry, but it's been a busy season for us. I'll count backwards:
In December we had some great holiday shows. We were overwhelmed with the toy donations you brought to the Dec 13th show, thanks for supporting such a great charity! We had a busy December, performing shows in MN, SC, ID, SD, IA, WI. We flew, drove, and skidded all around the US, and it was worth it - what great audiences, what a pleasure it was to perform for you.
Speaking of skidded, I was driving the van north on I-35 outside of Des Moines a week or so ago when we hit what must have been some black ice, and the van went skidding about. We went through at least one full revolution before ending up in the ditch, jackknifed, but mostly undamaged. All of us were fine, including Griffin, a friend we had along as our roadie that week. An amazing, super-powered towtruck driver winched us out and we were on our way.
Before this gets too long, I want to say one more thing: Thanks for helping make this our record year for album sales. We've worked really hard on all of our albums, especially so on Four. It's great to see the work paying off. So many people bought Four Shadow CDs as gifts this year, which makes us especially happy. Thanks for sharing our music with others!

Till next time, keep warm and keep singing.
David

Greetings and happy almost Fall!

We had an exciting Summer at Valleyfair, and our time at the State Fair was a great climax. Not only did we have some great shows at the bandshell stage, we met the governor!

Here's how it went down: we were between shows, waiting to go on the air with AM 1500, standing in a very narrow alley between the station's booth and the next booth. And low and behold, who comes squeezing past us in the little alley, but Governor Pawlenti! Kevin spotted him and strove to make a strong first impression, say, "hey, you're like, the Governor!"

It was a quick meeting, but he did mention that he'd seen us on WCCO the night before, and that he liked us. So, we're like, official now.

We're taking a few days off before October starts (come see us at the Music Box Theatre on Oct 4th!), resting after 159 shows at Valleyfair! Not much more news to share, except that we've started doing a little work in the studio (don't get too excited, it takes many many months to make an album - but hey, we've started!). Have a great Fall!

Howdyhowdyhowdy, Faithful Four Shadow Followers. I just wanted to drop you all a quick note to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

You've made our summer an absolutely fabulous one by seeing us at Valleyfair! And if you haven't seen us at Valleyfair this summer, there's still time!! Our last two days of performances are August 26th and 27th at 7:00p, 8:00p, and 9:00p each night (it's a Friday and a Saturday). The rides are faster, the weather is cooler, and I guarantee you the show is crazier and funner than you've ever seen before!

But if, alas, you can't make it to Valleyfair, there is little need to worry, because you can also catch us September 2nd-5th at the Minnesota State Fair -- THE GREATEST FAIR IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND. You wouldn't want to miss something like that, would you?

And if you're still going to miss us in spite of those venues, here's what you do:

1. Put the Live CD in your CD player.

2. Put on a Four Shadow t-shirt (or tanktop, if you've got it).

3. Hold up an official Four Shadow 8x10 or poster directly in front of your face.

4. Press play on your CD player.

5. Shake the photo or poster back and forth to the music, thus simulating the full concert-going experience.

Savvy fans will realize that, using the above method, Four Shadow can perform every song from all of your favorite artists (or at least the ones you have CD's for), and perform them so well that, if you closed your eyes, you probably couldn't tell our versions from the original ones. That's right. We're that talented.

But ultimately we hope you can catch an ACTUAL show sometime in the near future. And until that time, here's hoping you had a happy summer and wishing you a happy Labor Day!

me

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We just got back from a gig and it's late. Touring can really take a toll on you after a while. Tonight the gig was in Minneapolis. So now you're asking yourself, "isn't that where he lives? How can he be writing a notes from the road and complaining about life on the road when he's only driving 15 minutes to get to the gig?" Well, I can't argue with you there. I was just having a little fun with you at the beginning there. I am tired, but not road-weary by any means. In fact I'm not on the road at all. I'm sitting in my office, at my desk. Stacy is in the kitchen making mac and cheese or something. There's no hotel room service, no trips to the soda machine down the hall for a late night diet coke fix. Just me sitting at home, grabbing a soda out of the fridge, and writing to you.

The truth is, sometimes we just come home from work, kick back, and savor the aroma of processed cheese food and noodles wafting in from the kitchen. Not very exciting. And perhaps you're thinking not very road notes worthy either. But hold on a minute. The audience loved us and we had a great time tonight. That's what it's all about if you ask me. Doesn't matter if you're on the other side of the world in a giant stadium filled with people, or just down the road in your own hometown. A great gig is a great gig no matter where it is!

We're doing a lot of that this summer, the hometown thing that is. It's an unusual season for us since we're used to traveling so much. In addition to a few local gigs on Mondays and Tuesdays this summer, we're performing Wednesdays through Sundays at Valley Fair, just down the road in Shakopee, MN. Shows are at 7, 8, and 9 pm. We've been singing there for a couple of weeks already and it's fun to be doing something so different from our usual routine. So if you're looking for a little getaway this summer, and Valley Fair is an option, come out and see us.

Of course not all of our shows this summer are a stone's throw away from our front door. So if you live near Choteau, MT, Steamboat Springs, CO, Charleston, SC, Rochester, MN, New Ulm, MN, Sister Bay, WI, or Lincoln, NE you'll have a chance to see us perform near you during the summer. Just go to the website to find dates and concert information. We'll see you there!

Now I'm going to drag my tired butt to bed. ROCK ON!

A big hey howdy and hello to all you Faithful Four Shadow Followers out there.

Straight to the really BIG news... DAVID AND BETH GOT MARRIED!!

The cermony was absolutely loverly, the thunderstorms never showed up, and we were able to sing over the train, so it's all good. There was much squaredancing, much frisbeeing, much good food, much good company, and much good times all around. Huge congrats to David and Beth (née Lipinski).

They're at this very moment on their way to their honeymoon in sunny Hawai'i, which will last into the early weeks of June. As such, Four Shadow is ON HIATUS, BABY! Only one of us will be tan, but we'll all be rested, and we'll kick off our triumphant return with our summer-long engagement at Valleyfair Amusement Park in Shakopee, MN. If you or anyone you know is going to be in the Twin Cities at all this summer, send em up our way! Ride the rides! Have a corn dog! Get your a cappella on!

That's all for now, y'all. Chances are we'll have lots of interesting and/or exciting stories when we get back from vacation. Some might even involve volcanoes and poi (though where I'll find poi in Buckfield is a mystery... Virgil's always out...) So stay tuned!

Aloha!

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Hey, all. I don't know about you, but during the past few days we've been enjoying the first spring-like weather of the year here in Minnesota. Yesterday we began the "official" spring cleaning, which included a thorough purification rite performed on our tour van. Emptied of the acumulated trash from the past several months on the road, vaccumed top to bottom, and scrubbed and washed, it took all of a few large garbage bags and 15 dollars in quarters to finish the job. You'd never know by looking at her that she's logged over 200,000 miles cris-crossing the country.

And we have been all over lately, doing shows and promoting our new album. After returning from Maine a couple weeks ago we made a trip up to Bemidji, MN where we sang for over 1,200 people packed into their beautiful auditorium. It was an amazing night. Then we came back to the Cities to do our CD release party downtown. It was a lot of fun. Thanks to those who came out to help us celebrate the new release. We've had such an amazing response to the new album, "Four", and I wanted to say thanks to all of you who purchased a copy. And a special thanks to those who've written in with kind and encouraging words about it. Now, if you don't have your very own copy yet, go to our merchandise page and order one today. We want to share our music with everyone!

That's about it for me. Hope you all have a little nice weather to enjoy, wherever you might be. Time for me to go unpack the speedo and hit the pool! Well maybe not, but a long walk certainly isn't out of the question.

Well, the new album is out, and we're like Johnny Acappellaseed, sprinkling copies of Four across this great nation of ours, starting on the east coast, working our way back to the Midwest, then down to the Southwest later on this spring. So far, it's been a big success.

Thanks to everyone on our mailing list who took advantage of our special CD release discount. If you really dug the offer, drop us an e-mail to let us know, and we'll do more of that sort of thing in the future. All for you, Fearless Four Shadow Fans!

And, wonder of wonders, I'm posting a Road Notes short enough to not need chapter subheadings and an annotated bibliography. Not to worry, though: I'll post a doozy next time. There's wind in the old boy yet!

Happy Spring, everyone.

So, once again we've taken a deplorably long hiatus from the Road Notes portion of our website. Apologies to all you Four Shadow fans out there who keep checking in on us only to be disappointed time and again. It's not for lack of love. In fact, if you got that basket of fruit I sent you, you'll ne're question my undying devotion again. What's that? No fruit basket? Seriously? Hmmm.

Moving on. Far too much has happened since October for me to even attempt to recount all the best moments. There were many, and so I'll hit the best of the best. And for those of you who want more, you'll just have to come over to the house and we'll sit, sip hot cocoa, chat a bit, and then I'll read you entries from my journal until you fall asleep on my shoulder. Don't worry, I'll tuck you in. I'm a nice guy.

November can be summed up in this short, completely fictional conversation that was never had by any of us, but explains a lot. member of Four Shadow#1"Hey, we gonna finish the new album this month?"

member of Four Shadow #2"What are you kidding? We have, like, a thousand Christmas songs to brush up on, and a completely new, fresh, fun, a cappella holiday show to write. It's gonna be crazy around here!"

moFS#1"Wow, we sure do work hard in December! I can hardly wait! I'll be too exhausted to stand up!"

moFS#2"Yeah, that will be fun. Now go get me a soda."

So, as you can see, in November we abandoned the new album and rehearsed a lot. In December, as you may have guessed from the content of the completely fabricated November conversation, we were really busy. But several things happened that merit some mention. First of all we did a show up in Duluth in early December. A lot of people came out and the show was a rousing success, but more importantly, thanks to the weather (ice and snow - but mostly ice) we ended up sliding backwards in our van down a hill in downtown Duluth at 6 am, and we discovered that there's a little hero in each of us. Here's what happened. We were on our way home after doing some promotion on one of the local television stations. We got a little ways up a hill and then began sliding backward into an intersection. David jumped out just as we began to slide so he could warn oncoming vehicles. Kevin, who was driving, piloted the van, with trailer attached, masterfully (except for the part where he got us on an icy hill going backwards, but I digress). He maintained a remarkable degree of control while Stacy, ignoring the fact that we were sliding backwards a lot faster now, jumped out the side door of the van to help David warn any cars that might be coming our way. That's the first time I've seen Stacy jump from a moving vehicle into traffic, but he did it with a level of skill that made me wonder if this was something he'd done before. Long story short, we missed all the cars and trucks coming in our general direction, and took a different route home. I said we discovered a little hero in all of us. Kevin's ispirational driving, and David and Stacy's bravery were admirable. What, you ask, did I do? I sat still in a van skidding helplessly, backwards, downhill, on an icy road, into traffic, and stayed very calm. You try it, then mock me;)

All the shows in December were really great. We sang in some beautiful performance halls and met a lot, I mean a LOT of really groovy people. We worked hard to make our Christmas show extra fun this year, and from the response we got from audiences, I think we succeeded. We're looking forward to next year already. Thanks to all the folks in Sioux City, Rapid City, Lakeville, Minneapolis, Maplewood, Chippewa Falls, Proctor, Cloquet, and Duluth for a great bunch of shows throughout December.

We've started back in on the new album this month. Kevin and I spent the past two days woking on a new song of mine and I'm excited about it. It's fun to write a song you like and then see it get even better when other musicians add their talents to it. What could be better than doing something you love to do and learning how to do it better at the same time? So for all of you out there worrying that we're never going to get a new CD released (seriously, mom) trust me when I say we're working hard on it. And it will be worth the wait.

David has updated the website again and there are a few new photos up. Check those out if you haven't already. And if you don't have all our CDs, "sweet cuppin cakes!", go to the merchandise page and get some of everything right away. Then. if you aren't on our e-mail list yet, go sign up online now so we can send you an e-mail to let you know when we'll be in your area. It would be a shame if we missed you.

Now it's time for me to go make the hot cocoa. Mmmmmm hot cocoa. Oh, and I'll look into that whole fruit basket thing. Seriously, I may have to fire my fruit basket guy. How will people know I appreciate them if he doesn't do his job? For now, until you have the fruit in hand, you'll just have to take my word for it.