[COTA]

Originally Posted by ViTOP

This is the best TWY video out there and the most fun I've ever had seeing this band, hands down.

[Mikey Paine]

Originally Posted by DylanPPPP

I mean, I may get high from time to time but at least I don't suspend my schooling to tour with Handguns...

I'd imagine this was a joke, but in all fairness, isn't that really fucking cool? Dude is going to Japan playing in a band. I know most everyone reading this isn't a Handguns fan (I remember seeing a guitarist, or bassist or someone say something rude to someone on here), but shit, he's seeing places at 18 that I'll probably never see in my whole life.

[ViTOP]

Originally Posted by COTA

This is the best TWY video out there and the most fun I've ever had seeing this band, hands down.

Things have come along way since then.
It must be cool seeing that type progression from way way back.

Now its like "Super Model Status" and shit. HAHA!
http://www.glamourkills.com/blog/post/383#.UL0HM-TAd8G

[Jake Jenkins]

not everybody aspires to travel

[ViTOP]

Originally Posted by Mikey Paine

I'd imagine this was a joke, but in all fairness, isn't that really fucking cool? Dude is going to Japan playing in a band. I know most everyone reading this isn't a Handguns fan (I remember seeing a guitarist, or bassist or someone say something rude to someone on here), but shit, he's seeing places at 18 that I'll probably never see in my whole life.

Agreed. I think many life lessons are learned while on the road.
He is a resourceful kid that has already played in 40 States if not more.

A Re-Cap of his first few months out of High School.

Late July- August - 2 1/2 Week Tour for I Was A Hero, Doses (He booked himself with zero shows cancelled)
September - October Full US Tour with Handguns, FCC, SC
November - Full US Tour with Handguns, SetItOff
December - Japan Tour with Handguns
January - 3 Week Tour with Bellwether, No Good News, I Was A Hero.
February - Home (writing)
March - UK Tour with Senses Fail and Handguns.
April & May - Tours are booked - TBA
After that he will be gone all summer as well.

He has already proven to his peers (other bands) he has what it takes to tour.
He will find his place in all this. I'm proud of him thus far.

[phaynes1]

Paid 40 for Pinkerton once. That's about my limit and it'd have to be for an equally important album.

[TachyonEvan]

Originally Posted by ViTOP

Agreed. I think many life lessons are learned while on the road.
He is a resourceful kid that has already played in 40 States if not more.

A Re-Cap of his first few months out of High School.

Late July- August - 2 1/2 Week Tour for I Was A Hero, Doses (He booked himself with zero shows cancelled)
September - October Full US Tour with Handguns, FCC, SC
November - Full US Tour with Handguns, SetItOff
December - Japan Tour with Handguns
January - 3 Week Tour with Bellwether, No Good News, I Was A Hero.
February - Home (writing)
March - UK Tour with Senses Fail and Handguns.
April & May - Tours are booked - TBA
After that he will be gone all summer as well.

He has already proven to his peers (other bands) he has what it takes to tour.
He will find his place in all this. I'm proud of him thus far.

Not to either defend or dismiss what Brandon's doing, but I'm not really seeing what's so valuable about being out on the road. Yes, he's getting to see a bunch of amazing places at a young age, but what good is the ability to say that he's played in 40 different states really going to do him? How is that connected to his resourcefulness? What vital "life lessons" are learned on the road at 17-18? Seriously, it's not like he's doing something glamorous. He's learning how to sleep in uncomfortable places and steal from gas stations, I guess? I mean, again, traveling is awesome. Playing in a band is a fun thing to do, and if he loves doing it, then all the better.

But I guess my question is: what's the real value of "suspending his schooling" (using Dylan's phrase, I know nothing about it) other than him having a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy himself? Again, not "taking a stance" on how I feel about him touring with Handguns (since it doesn't affect my life in any way), but I'm curious to know how you think it's really so valuable, seeing as how you're his father and all.

[butrfli1234]

I don't think he's "suspending his schooling." He graduated high school and instead of going to college right now he's touring. Thousands of other kids don't go to college right after high school, some enter the work force right away, take some time off, travel, etc. I don't see how this action (say what you want about the quality of music/straight edge lifestyle) is despicable by any means.

[TachyonEvan]

Did anyone say it was "despicable"?

[butrfli1234]

Bad word choice sorry Evan.

But my point still stands. It's not a horrible life choice.

[StephenYoung]

If you wanna tour, tour. But dismissing school completely in favour of touring is questionable to me. Sure it's really awesome and shit, as long as you're sure of what you're doing. If you're gonna go on the road with a subpar band "just to tour", you're gonna tour your ass off, be irrelevant at 25 and then what? School? I've been playing music for almost 9 years right now, and I think we're gonna try touring the Northeast next summer, if all goes well with passports. That's only because I don't see touring as a Kerouacian road trip full of learning experiences and memorable stories, to me, touring is something I gotta do because I feel like I finally wrote songs that people will really like, and I'm gonna see if I'm right about it.

Kid can do whatever he wants, but when he acts all preachy on Facebook and Twitter it's like bro you're filling in for handguns, simmer down

[Star Slight]

Yeah its more the condescending attitude of the...team that makes it seem hypocritcal rather than him just touring. Even tough its dumb either way

[Jake Jenkins]

people who go to school just get high

[TachyonEvan]

That makes a lot more sense, then.

[StephenYoung]

I wouldn't necessarily say it's "condescending" but treating it like touring is the best thing ever, not to mention the countless statuses and tweets about touring and being in new cities and stuff is preachy, annoying and straight up needy.


Personally, I think that going to College and University probably made me a better musician/person. When I graduated high school, I listened to shit bands, had a shit attitude and said shitty things. 3 years later, I've met tons of new people without the small town attitude, opened myself up to new music, new perspectives on being in a band/writing songs/etc. I wonder how many of those pop punk (same goes for metalcore) bands who play really generic, uninspired (but emotional/angsty/) music just finished high school and did their own thing. It takes a special type of person to evolve and mature without going to college, methinks.

When you look for example, at pop punk bands who are doing something cool like The Wonder Years, Title Fight... I can't think of many more, those are bands who went to school and stuff. Maybe it's just that when I see most people from my town who did nothing after high school but work and whatever, they just seem immature and ignorant, and I have a feeling that a lot of musicians who do the same thing act the same way.