Journal Page

The journal page appears on tallyhall.com beginning on the 15th of November 2005. The Wayback Machine snapshot is from January 17th, 2006, so it's possible that earlier journal entries were unfortunately lost with the death of Flash.

The following journal entry data was collected March 2023. Some of the links work to this day, and others require Wayback Machine, so the link needed is provided. If the link is unavailable through either means, the words will be formatted as a hyperlink but lead back to this page.

Journal Entries

Date	Title	Author	Written Content
11.15.05	back from chicago	andrew	We're back from a weekend in Chicago. Good times all around. The Double Door show was a great time and it's always nice to play with Down the Line. Dan from DTL joined us for "Be Born," and we added some new tricks to our live show. The highlight of the trip had to be the hot dogs. They were very delicious. Joe ate two of them. We had to stop him from eating three and the lady behind the counter. He was hungry. Thanks to everyone who came to the show. We look forward to returning.
12.01.05	fire	joe	Today, Zubin caught fire while practicing "Greener." At first we thought he was playing a practical joke, but no. He tried to shrug it off as nothing, although he was clearly embarrased. Rob recommended that Zubin consult a physician. “It’s okay,” insisted Zubin, “I’m okay.” Sure, Zubin, you might be okay now, but what if you catch fire on tour? That would be inexcusable.
12.07.05	TOUR UPDATE 1: LENXINGTON/LANSING	zubin	Last night we played the Temple Club in East Lansing. Although we had a great time, we lost a VERY valuable member of our band: our “anger is one letter short of danger” sign (danger should be pronounced “DANG-EHR”). We miss you sign. We miss you. Come home. Before playing The Dame in Lexington the following day, we enjoyed dinner at a bar called Cheapsides. Our kind waitress used no form of notation while taking our complicated order. With a look of disgust in his eye, Rob said that he disapproves of waitresses who don’t write the order down because they tend to forget the intricacies. And boy were there intricacies. I ordered a burger with fries. Andrew ordered a chicken sandwich with mayo on the side and finely diced pickles. Ross wanted a southwest chicken dish, but wanted the chicken cut up and asked to have toothpicks placed in each piece. Rob asked for a burger, but wanted soup instead of chips. Joe ordered a whale. Good story, eh? Oh yes, we also played a show. People in the south sure are friendly. Thanks for having us. We’ll keep you updated throughout the rest of our tour… Love, -Zubin
12.08.05	TOUR UPDATE 2: PITTSBURGH	rob	SPOILER WARNING: DON’T READ IF YOU ARE ROSS OR ROSS’S REAL PARENTS! On our way out of Lexington, we ate a delicious, nutritious, superstitious meal at WAFFLE HOUSE. Ross recommended it, claiming to have “been there before.” As always, we were suspicious of Ross’s intentions, so we hired a private eye to do some digging. Turns out he was adopted! The meal was tasty, but Andrew’s forehead accidentally popped open. Then, on our way to Pittsburgh, we had a MAJOR EMERGENCY. Find out more there: HERE. The Pittsburgh show was a lot of fun. We now whole-heartedly endorse the Shadow Lounge – a very low-key, comfy venue. The crowd was energetic and friendly; thanks to the TALLY HALL MONITORS that flyered. We appreciate it a ton.
12.09.05	TOUR UPDATE 3: CLEVELAND	andrew	The trip to Cleveland was, well, tricky. We kept seeing signs for a buttermilk pancake. What’s the deal!??! Zubin reaaaally wanted to go. After our experience at Waffle House, it was just too logical that a buttermilk pancake would be delicious. But we didn’t go. Instead we went to Cleveland and played a show. My Kurzweil keyboard broke, so we had to improvise and I played everything on my Alesis Ion. It’ll be fixed by Saturday. Just as we were leaving, two people came in who had missed our set due to snow delays, so we played a concert outside for them. It was fun and cold. We’re now on our way to the East Coast. It’s a long and snowy ride. So far we’ve debated which is better: Panera or Au Bon Pain. I understand that Panera’s menu is generally delicious, but I love the diversity of the latter. And they give you crunchy flavor-filled croutons for free with soup. Panera, do you do that? Gotta go. Have a safe day. -Andrew
12.12.05	TOUR UPDATE 4: NYC	ross	It’s been a great couple of days since Cleveland. On Saturday, we found ourselves in the lovely town of Dobb’s Ferry, NY, which happens to be right near Sleepy Hollow. We played a great acoustic show for students of the high school and had a blast. Thanks to Martin and Jake for putting the show together. We headed into the city after that to play at the Lion’s Den, but not before awarding Al with a trophy for being a “Second Place Tally Hall Winner.” The show at the Lion’s Den was great, and we had a fun time hanging around the village. On the following day, we made our way to Southstreet Seaport to see the “Bodies” exhibit. Andrew had a brief conversation with one of the plasticized bodies, and they both agreed that John’s Pizza on 4th was far superior to Joe’s Pizza on Bleecker. After another show in NY on Sunday night, we’re now off to Boston.
12.13.05	TOUR UPDATE 5: BOSTON	rob	It seems to me that each town we visit has something different and unique to call itself. “Boston” was no exception! Last night we played a fun show at Harper’s Ferry (special thanks to those who drove vast distances…), and today we had a chance to see the city. We ate lunch at a gigantic food emporium called Quincy Market. Everyone had clam chowder except me. I had sushi. At one point, Ross sat down next to a statue and posed as if they were conversing. We wandered around the shops nearby until Andrew’s battery ran out. We carried him back to the van, and now he’s recharging while we drive to Providence. Here’s a butt:
12.14.05	TOUR UPDATE 6: PROVIDENCE	andrew
12.15.05	Where's Tally Hall?	zubin	Before playing our show in NJ, we spent hours relaxing at the Horowitz Manor. And we really needed the rest. The past few shows have been taxing and drama-packed. In the middle of our “Boston” show, an Elmo puppet beat Andrew up, pushed him off stage, and started playing his keyboard. Obviously angered, Andrew responded by throwing “vegetables” at all of us. Ross, who is TERRIFIED of “vegetables,” used his tom-toms as a shield. The next day was no walk in the park either. Joe fell asleep in the van and started snoring. As the once quiet hum began to grow, Rob noticed that Joe was mumbling the word “cheese” with each breath. After three minutes, Joe was yelling uncontrollably. He clenched his fists as his chest expanded, ripping his shirt. I looked back from the passenger’s seat only to find that Joe had eaten half of Rob and was looking at Andrew. I quickly searched around the car for all of the cheese products we had and began feeding them to Joe. He shrunk back down to his normal self after savoring the soft cheddar flavor that is Easy-Cheese. Luckily, we had a spare “half-of-Rob” in the back of the van.
12.16.05	TOUR UPDATE 7: NEW JERSEY	rob	Hello Tally Hall Journal Voyeurs! Our show in New Jersey last night was OODLES of fun. At first, we thought it was just BUNCHES of fun, but things just KEPT GETTING FUNNER AND FUNNER. Then Joe said, “Man, this show is a TON of fun.” But when Ross got the GOODTIMESOMETER out, we concluded empirically that the fun level was OODLES. I was just relieved to know for sure! FUNNER IS NOT A WORD! But, unexpectedly, word IS a funner. Joining us last night was the buxom and talented CASEY SHEA. If you’re not familiar with this guy, you should be. You can check him out here or there, and I highly recommend “Life in a Cube.” Here’s a shot of us with the man himself (he’s to the left of the buxom and talented fur hat (thanks to Jennie (who journeyed all the way from New Hampshire))). Also occurring last night, a young lass named Martha brought a home-made Tally Hall hoodie, complete with “Ruler of Everything” lyrics and an awesome hand-drawn hand drawing. Check it out: Zubin invited Martha to join us onstage while we played “Ruler.” She graciously obliged. As we mentioned last night, the roads were very slick (there was an ice storm), and we understand that hundreds of people died trying to come to the show; to their families, we would like to say – better luck next time!
12.18.05	TOUR UPDATE 8: DELAWARE!!!	joe	DELAWARE WAS FRICKIN' OUTRAGEOUS!!! STUFF EXPLODED!!! ANDREW ALMOST GOT BLOWN UP!!!!!!!!!!!! ON THE WAY OUT, WE DROVE PAST A SHARK ATTACK! CHECK IT!!!!!! DELAWARE = DELAWAWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12.21.05	TOUR UPDATE 9: PHILLY/TOLEDO/DETROIT	rob	It’s 3:46 AM and the tour is over. Just back from the Detroit show, I’m home for the first time in awhile. I’m going to keep this brief, as my exhaustion is slowly taking hold (though I did discover, while cleaning out the van 20 minutes ago, a Halloween goodie bag that we liberated from Andrew’s mom’s cupboard in New Jersey; so the high fructose corn syrup is giving me the energy to get this done (not unlike the story of Chanukah)). Okay. So: Philly was an interesting experience. We were, in general, underwhelmed by the venue and their practices. After arriving, we were told that our set was now an hour earlier, and that, contrary to what they had told us weeks ago, the show would be all ages. Aesthetically, the club was a classic rock/roll dive, which, though pleasing on a visceral level, smells bad. Thanks to those who rocked out – hope you enjoyed the bonus acoustic set outside. Toledo was great in every way. The Village Idiot has great pizza (we tried a Reuben pizza – though on their menu it’s spelled “Reuban” – and it was unique/very good). It was a snowy, bitterly cold night, so thanks to both the fans and the random bar-goers. Tonight’s Detroit show was a blast. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to end the tour. I think we’ll have some video to post in a week or so (taped graciously by Ross’s brother), so I’ll hold off on too much description till then. Suffice it to say that Joe, Zubin, and Andrew are all dead, and I support the use of the Oxford comma. Finally, like most bands, we had a competition to see whose neck skin had the highest degree of elasticity. WINNER: [[[File:122105-5.jpg]]
01.04.06	HAPPY NEW YEAR	joe
01.10.06	EXCITEMENT AND THE BLIND PIG	andrew	Friday’s concert at the Blind Pig was a lot of fun. Devin Davis opened the night with his incredible one-man show. Grand Buffet followed by redefining the meaning of an all-ages concert (and I quote, “!#$(@#*U&$ Grand Buffet you Q@#$*@#&$ fun listening hamburgers”). We played MMMM from start to finish, and we did a great job remembering all the words. The few times we slipped up, we were able to put the microphone up to the audience. Great job audience helping us out. Thank you. The real highlight of the night was actually before the concert. We were doing a photo shoot on our record label’s rooftop when a giant swarm of birds approached the building, attracted by Rob’s blaringly bright yellow tie. As the birds swarmed the area, we all ran across the roof looking for shelter. Zubin trembled in fear and Joe started crying. (re-enactment) Ross would not stop saying, “I don’t want to die.” Rob told him to quiet down but he was in some sort of trance, repeating the words over and over again. It was as if he were possessed. Being the brave one, I yelled into the sky, “Birds, come and get me. You’ve got nothing,” at the top of my lungs. As they came, I smiled, confronting my fears head on, watching the giant birds get closer and closer. The moment they finally reached I could feel something happen, a force like none other, something of a different world. It was magic. I drew a picture of how I felt. Before I knew it, they had passed. Everyone was still freaking out. Rob had peed himself. I stood there, and on my shoulder was a reminder. A plop of bird poop. It was something I’ll never forget. I hope to one day have the fortune to experience this again.
01.16.06	The Night Before...	zubin	In order to prepare for our upcoming tour...I sat on a lemon and thought really hard about my bass parts and vocal lines. I think im ready now.
09.18.06	A WEEKEND OF SHOWS!!!!!	andrew	This weekend we visited three of our favorite cities: Champaign, Madison, and Chicago. Music was played, people were seen, and that’s about it. I’ve condensed the trip into four important moments/observations. 1. Cookies. (missing file) 2. Heinz made mustard easier by giving it a new name. I always wondered how mustard bottles worked... (missing file) 3. Ross read a review in Drum! Magazine and got a little too excited. He played so fast one night that his drum set caught fire and proceeded to explode. A lot of people died. We did not. (missing file) (missing file) 4. Zubin proposed to Rob. The event was re-enacted by our bus friends Jen and Dan. Congratulations! (missing file) (missing file) (missing file) I do!!! (missing file) Jen and Dan pose with Zubin... Thanks to everyone who attended the shows. We had a great time.
10.06.06	PARTY TIME!	rob	(missing file) It was harvest season, and the balloon tree was ripe. With balloon prices soaring, the plentiful crop meant we'd be rich! We decided to celebrate by throwing a party. I concocted a plan: I'd tell all my friends it was my birthday party, and score a load of radical presents. I casually suggested to my family that we should have entertainment at the party. Specifically, a clown act of some kind. "That's a great idea, Rob" said Auntie June. Later, I found Granny Apple and suggested a cake. "I'll walk down to the cakery and buy it. You can trust me. It'll be a great cake, specially designed to fit our clown theme!" She thought the idea sounded delicious, so she gave me a dollar and sent me on my way. I chose the perfect cake, and made it home in time to do some last minute decorating before the guests arrived. People began to file in. Nametags were needed since so many guests showed up. This party was going to be OFF OF THE HOOKS! (missing file) But my devious plot was distracting me from the great festivities; I was too worried to enjoy the party. But when I saw the pile of gifts by the door, I knew it was all worth it. I needed to stash them somewhere until I could secretly open them, so I put them in a sock and acted casually. (missing file) I introduced myself to the clown, and she complimented my midriff. I asked her when the show would begin, and she looked at her wrist. "How about right now, Mr. Rob?" "Sounds good, Clowny. See you on the other side." We kissed long and hard, which was surprising. I walked away. The show started off with a bang. This clown loved sound effects. The show-stopper, though, was the bean-bag-on-the-head dance. (missing file) We were all enjoying the show when I noticed that Great Grandpa Clifford was eyeing the huge gift-filled sock. I was worried my whole plan would unravel because of his incorrigible curiosity, so I kept a close watch on him. He kept staring at it and began poking it. I knew what needed to be done. "Grandpa Cliff, can you help me tie my shoe?" "Sure, kiddo!" "It's in the garage." "The garage? Why do you need me to tie it if..." He was asking too many questions, so I clubbed him with his cane and dragged him into the river. When I finished washing the blood off my fingers, the show was coming to a close, and it was almost time for cake. My mom grabbed the box and took it outside. As she cut the baker's string, I realized that I had made a careless mistake. I had unthinkingly ordered myself a BIRTHDAY CAKE! How could I let this happen? I had to stop her from opening the box! But it was too late. (missing file) All was lost. "Robert, why does this cake say 'Happy Birthday?' Are you trying to fool our guests into thinking this is your birthday party?!?!�" I apologized as adorably as possible. "Oh, you're adorable when you apologize! Don't let it happen again." "Well, what should I do with all the gifts?" "Why, you should OPEN THEM, SILLY!!!" So I did. (missing file) "Has anyone seen Cliff?" asked Great Grandma Sally.
10.08.06	PUMPKIN SHORTAGE	ross	In case you haven't already heard the harvest news this year, I should inform you all that there is a pumpkin shortage. The pumpkin, source of much joy and celebration during Halloween, will not be as plentiful this October. The combination of too much heat, followed by too much rain has brought what CNN is calling a "one-two punch to the pumpkin patch." I traveled to some local farms to see the reaction from the pumpkins themselves. Most seemed to be sad that so many of their brothers and sisters did not make it through the season. (missing file) Other pumpkins were very angry at the loss of their fellow comrades. (missing file) While it seemed as though there was little hope left for this Halloween, I was able to find a town that was unaffected. Maple Ridge, British Columbia If you can't make the trip up there though, and would still like a pumpkin, I would get out there soon, before there are none left. The good news, flu shots seem to be plentiful.
10.16.06	Apples.	rob	(missing file) Since the dawn of time, they have tempted us with their sweet flesh, their crisp skin, and their subtle aroma. From the earliest cave drawings to the height of modern society, apples have been witness to the whole of mankind's evolution. Today, the apple industry boasts gross earnings of nearly $16 million annually, and over $76 billion altogether! As bold in spirit as they are in taste, apples are not afraid of change. A new strain, called Honey Crisps, have taken the apple world by storm, appling up the apple chain at an astounding rate, and out-appling all other apples by a factor of TWO TO ONE! (missing file) Honey Crisp apples were developed by an eccentric but brilliant apple genius at the University of Minnesota. A hybrid strain combining the best attributes of previously existing apples, Honey Crisp seeds were generated and planted twelve years ago. 2005 saw the first harvest of the new fruit. The apples have garnered an unprecedented level of acclaim. Not since the release of colored apples has the apple community been so abuzz with apple fervor. Apple pundits the world over proclaimed the Honey Crisp "'the' best!" (missing file) So what’s next for apples? I asked a local vendor to get the scoop. (missing file) "Kiddo," he said with a knowing laugh, "nobody knows what the apples are planning. Here’s a free pen." (missing file) Also, we're on tour now.
10.23.06	A Night Off	rob	-This journal comes to you in bullet-point format. -It contains words AND PICTURES, like this one: (missing file) -Our tour started in Minneapolis, our nation's leading city. -We opened for teen heartthrob Teddy Geiger. -Teddy was recently declared to be attractive by a number of publications. -These young ladies were waiting outside for the Geigenator.* -* = This nickname was not approved by Teddy Geiger or any representative thereof. -We trekked to and fro across the Midwest. -We passed a boat. -We stopped for lunch in the world's largest truck stop. -I have proof. -It truly was quite large. -It's not only a haven for truckers, it’s HEAVEN for truckers. -I just made that up, but it could really be their slogan. -Here are some of the amenities they offer. -While in Chicago, we stopped into our booking agent's office. -He pretended to look busy while we photographed him. -There's no one on the phone. Just a dial tone. -Now we're in New Jersey. -It's our night off.
10.26.06	Guess Who	zubin	Since we have been touring with The Changes, I thought it'd be fitting to play our old favorite game: +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+?!? Guess Who’s Shaking ?!?+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Rules: One member of Tally Hall and one member of The Changes will shake hands. Disclaimer: One participant was neither in The Changes nor Tally Hall. 1) ??? & ?????? 2) ???? & ??? 3) ????? & ???? 4) Mr. ????????? & ??????
11.02.06	SUMMER REMINISCENCE: DOUBLE-JOINTED FINGERS LOCKING WITH TENSION AS A DIRECT RESULT OF GETTING STUNG ON THE LOWER BACK BY A LARGE BUMBLEBEE WHILST RIDING A ROLLERCOASTER WITH NO EXPLANATION FOR ROB'S GENERAL COUNTENANCE	joe
11.07.06	ELECTION DAY!	rob	For far too long the thrilling, distinguished, and morally defensible sport of DOVE HUNTING has been oppressed by the corrupt dove lovers in congress. Finally, we can end the tyranny. If passed, proposal 06-3 on Michigan ballots will grant us, at long last, a DOVE HUNTING SEASON. VOTE YES ON DOVE HUNTING!
11.17.06	!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!	tally hall	(flash player) (good call speags)
12.07.06	Trip to Los Angeles	zubin	Dear Reader, Few things could top the previous journal entry. So, instead of trying to beat our last submission, I decided that I would just give you the facts. So listen up: On our second trip to Los Angeles, we decided live it up big time. For breakfast we taunted sophistication by eating mouth-watering crepes. They were exquisite. We followed our ambrosial meal with an equally evolved adventure… SEGWAY RIDING! …it just doesn’t get any cooler (or unnecessarily high tech). Love you and miss you, -Zubin
12.22.06	HOLIDAY TIME PIXPLOSION!!!	rob	(this is bora after we got back from THE PRICE IS RIGHT. regretfully, we were not called on down. but bob did commend joe's ability to "ooh." seriously.) (fan butts.) (a little bit of ZOX) (a little bit more of ZOX) (a delightful bunch of hooligans that call themselves PARKER HOUSE AND THEORY.) (this is LUDO at their christmas spectacular. immediately following the taking of this photo, we ran onstage (along with BUILDING ROME, frosty, rudolph, and various other christmastime notables for a rousing end-of-the-night rendition of "frosty the snowman" and the tossing-out of many LUDO-supplied gifts.) (missing file) (congrats, ross!!) (on our way to california.) (the best thing we've ever seen.)
01.12.07	WELCOME TO 2007!!!!!!!!	andrew	First off, happy new year. Now down to business. Yesterday in rehearsal we had a debate. While listening to a certain song, we could not agree on what was being played by the backup guitar. We're not talking about the rhythm guitar. Listen to the single line backup guitar part. Some of us believe it to be one way, while others believe it to be the other. Take a couple of minutes and vote. Which, out of A, B, and C, is the correct guitar part as played in the song? SONG CLIP (flash player) EXCERPT A (flash player) EXCERPT B (flash player) EXCERPT C (flash player) (defunct poll)
01.16.07	ANSWER	joe	Thank you, Bora.
01.30.07	ROSS'S BIRTHDAY 2007!!!	andrew	TODAY IS ROSS’S BIRTHDAY! HE TURNED 7! TO CELEBRATE WE TOOK HIM ON AN ADVENTURE! FIRST WE PICKED HIM UP AT HIS HOUSE! THEN WE COVERED UP HIS EYES! ZUBIN GOT LOST AND HAD TO CALL FOR DIRECTIONS! (missing file) THEN WE SPRUNG THE ULTIMATE SURPRISE ON HIM! CHUCK E. CHEESE'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE ALL LOST AT THIS ONE GAME CALLED FLAMING FINGER! IT WAS RIGGED! PLEASE ENJOY THIS BIRTHDAY MONTAGE! (flash player) (ps. music performed by the Chuck E. Cheese's Canton House Band and Evan and Jaron)
02.06.07	ZUBIN RECOMMENDS: Part 1	zubin	The internet is a great way to kill some time...and lets be honest, time deserves it. So, to help you out, I've compiled a short list of websites that I find useful: How Stuff Works the news the coolest website (and no, i didn't make it, but i do fully support the soundtrack) DON'T CLICK THIS LINK...IT'S A VIRUS!!!! for when you are bored ...and just in case you need to keep track. Tell dad I say hi, -Zubin