Honestly Tour 2013 - Hamburg

The Große Freiheit is... well, let's call it a special area of Hamburg. The Beatles made a name for themselves there. Tyler Ward impressed the powers-that-be there in 2012, convincing Sony Music to ink a deal. (There are a few other reasons, too, but those don't need to be explored on this blog.)

The venue we played on the Honestly tour was the same stage we played on that fateful night the year before - Großen Freiheit 36 - so the club certainly holds a special place for us (and not just because of the delicious döner restaurant right down the street).

Hamburg, too, is a captivating city. I'd never gotten a chance to spend any substantial time there before (beyond the Große Freiheit), so I was happy when I saw a day off in Hamburg on the schedule. (And none too soon, either: I was exhausted by the time October 22nd rolled around.) A little walking around resulted in stumbling upon the beautiful St. Michaelis church, the Johannes Brahms museum, and another of the many gorgeous outdoor parks scattered throughout the cities of Germany.

They tell you to always leaving them wanting more. Hamburg most certainly did that.

Hamburg from the spire of St. Michaelis. 

Autumn in Germany.

Honestly Tour 2013 - Berlin

Ah, Berlin. One of those cities you always hope to get to. And now, thanks to this little band of ours, I have been. Three times. And even though the show fell on a Sunday night this year, we still had a great crowd. Familiar faces are quickly becoming friends here. Can't wait to get back.

Straßen der Stadt. This town's got some character.

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Honestly Tour 2013 - Bremen

The performance in Bremen found us right next to what we here in America might call a fair. The Germans call it Freimarkt, and have been doing so for 978 years.

Freimarkt: great rides, great food, creepy goblins, and police telling people to just pee in the grass. Man, those Germans know how to party.

Nothing quite like seeing people plunge to their doom right outside your tour bus.

Honestly Tour 2013 - Dortmund

Aside from Tyler dropping his in-ear monitor pack the moment he ran out on stage, one of my cymbal stands falling off the drum riser, and the management of the venue preventing us from going back out on stage for our encore, I'd say the first show was.... survived.

The first night always merits the gear shot: some beautiful Tama Omnitunes with Bubinga shells and, of course, Zildjian K and A Custom cymabls.

Honestly Tour 2013 - LAUT in Munich

So, on a whim, I've decided to team up with the wonderful WardHeart (completely without her knowledge) to recollect some memories from the 2013 tour. Or, to say it another way: her videos + my photos.

We started in Munich, with the LAUT show for all the Sony mucky-mucks and the after party that followed.

3... 2... 1... tour.