Our summer tour with Kevin Devine, Bad Veins, and The Dig is rapidly approaching, and as Dustin said in the previous post, we’re really excited to get back on the road. The pool of songs we’ve put together is starting to feel pretty good, and we’ll be getting together a couple more times before we hit the road to fine-tune things. It never gets any easier to figure out what and when to play songs on a tour/in a set, but I think you guys will like what we have in the queue this time around. Tickets are still available, so grab them while you still can. It should be a good time, and an eclectic bill. I’m really looking forward to getting to hang with, and watch Kevin & his band, Bad Veins (my favorite record of 2009 that I didn’t hear until 2010), and The Dig.

I went down to San Diego last night to see/pay my respects to Isis, and have the pleasure (and rare opportunity) to see Jakob. The show was fantastic (a more detailed recap/reflection can be found here), and I ran into a few former tourmates, Ray (ex-Taken, Mikoto), Chris (Saosin) and Nick (As I Lay Dying.) Great to reconnect with those guys, and get to see two of my favorite bands in an intimate setting.

In other news, in mid-June, I’m going to start contributing to OCWeekly on occasion, so if you enjoy what I’ve been doing on my blog, there will be more of that available online soon. Details forthcoming.

Book recommendations for tour. I need them. What are you reading? What have you read lately? Let me know in the comments. Thanks.

That’s about it from here. I’m spending the extended holiday weekend trying to prep for tour, pack for tour, pack up an apartment, move, and unpack/get settled before hitting the road for seven weeks. If you see a guy that looks like he hasn’t slept or showered in a week, air-drumming and humming Thrice tunes, mumbling to himself, and pacing the aisles of a Home Depot, that’s probably me.

Be good,

-riley

Hey everyone. First, thanks for all the support and kindness and grace that everyone has shown to us and my family in light of the last tour being cancelled.

Secondly, we are really excited to get back out on the road next week and we are hoping to see you all there. We are pulling out some songs we haven’t played in a while (even a couple shredders) and are practicing this week. Also, the set should be changing a fair amount, possibly half the set changing from one night to the next. We’ll see how that goes, but that’s how we are practicing.

Lastly, don’t read ahead if you haven’t watched the last episode of Lost.

Dude. Really? Worst ending of a show ever. It was like watching a 2 year try to dazzle you with a sleight-of-hand trick.

Love you all – see you very soon.
Dustin

Sorry for the lack of updates with all that’s been going on, but under the circumstances I’m sure you all understand. We are in the process getting back up to our feet and pressing on. The way things have happened the past few months it’s really been an eye opening, life changing, reality check. Let’s move forward and live the way we always wished we could.

Oooo! We have a winner for the Merch design contest we did… Congrats to Josh “Jolby” Kenyon! It was awesome to see all the creativity and ideas that came in. I definitely think this is an idea we should pursue more often. Thanks to all those who submitted.

We also have a new contest that we are doing with Crave Online, Macbeth Shoes, and Nash Guitars. Lots of cool things to win: MP3s, guitars, shoes, photo passes, vinyl, etc… More details can be found HERE.

Next thing coming up for us is the show down in San Diego this Friday, which is soon followed by our headlining tour in the summer with Kevin Devine, Bad Vein, and The Dig.

We’ll try to keep more updates coming as we get rolling. Again, thank you so much for all your support through this, we love you.

Edward

Thanks for being patient. I told you there’d be more. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, and the dates and venues can be found by clicking HERE.

It’s going to be nice to finally give Beggars a proper tour. We hope you’ll join us.

Thanks again for the support and encouragement you’ve shared here. It is much appreciated by us and our families. You guys are great.

More news to follow…

-riley

Since the situation with Dustin’s Dad arose and we had to cancel the remainder of our tour with Manchester Orchestra and O’Brother, there have been many questions regarding the status of our summer headline tour. Today we got word from Dustin that he’s good to go, and as a result, we will be continuing with our plans to do that tour in it’s entirety.

It has been an indescribably difficult seven months for all of us. In September, my and Ed’s Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in his throat and tongue and has since undergone seven weeks of chemo and radiation, and a major surgery three weeks ago to remove the remaining tumors. No more than two weeks after my Dad’s diagnosis in September, Teppei’s Mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, and passed away in January. And most recently, Dustin’s Dad’s diagnosis and surgery last week. It’s just been relentless.

We really appreciate the support, positive thoughts, and understanding you’ve shown us in person or via the comments on this blog as we’ve dealt with all of this and had to play shows without Teppei late last year & this January, or cancel this past tour. Thankfully, at this time we can focus on healing our folks at home while we share music with you on the road. I don’t think they’d want it any other way.

So with that said, we’ll see you guys this Summer. Tour dates and tickets are available here, with more dates being announced soon. Keep sending positive thoughts and/or prayers in the the direction of Mr. Kensrue and my Pops, and hold fast hope.

-riley

Hey everyone. I apologize that the tour had to be cancelled but I had to get home to be with my Dad. He has an aggressive tumor in his brain and will be undergoing surgery this week. He wanted to convey his apologies as well (though I’m sure you’ll agree it’s unnecessary,) and also his thanks for your support of the band and our family. The tumor is near the language center of his brain which has made communicating increasingly difficult for him, so my Mom helped to edit the message below that he composed to all of you.
 
I want to say how sorry I am to each of you who have to miss seeing Thrice in concert on account of my health issues.  I have been diagnosed with a large brain tumor and things at this point are very unsure and serious.   I will be having surgery in the next few days.  Both Dustin and his brother Chase were out on tour and returned home for some precious family time.   I am blessed to have the most unbelievable family to support and love me through this.  Through the years I have met many amazing Thrice fans who are the most wonderful people, as a matter of fact as I was having my CT scan and the technician asked if I was Dustin Kensrue’s dad, and I proudly said Yes!!!!   I love all of the guys in this awesome band and am sorry for the fact this is affecting them too. This has been a tough year on all of the guys in Thrice with family heartache, we all thank you for your prayers and good wishes!
Doug Kensrue

I want to thank everyone for their understanding and support and prayers. I spent last night and today with my family and am very glad I made the decision to leave as quickly as I did. Life is precious and fleeting, and events like these make real the fact that every moment is a gift, not a right. I thank God for the gift of my father, for the ways he has loved me and the things he has taught me thus far, and for the ways he will continue to love me and teach me in the time that God gives us. 

By the grace of God,
Dustin Kensrue

Due to a family emergency, Dustin had to fly home this morning, and as a result, we will not be playing tonight’s show in St. Louis.

Thanks for your understanding.

**UPDATE**

The remaining dates on our co-headline tour with Manchester Orchestra (& O’Brother) have been cancelled. Ticket refunds will be made available at point of purchase. We are very very sorry to have to do this, but please trust that we would not be taking this sort of action unless dire circumstances were involved.

-thrice

Hey, folks.

Since choosing merch designs can be a fairly tedious process for us (both trying to find something the four of us unanimously approve of, and something that we think you guys might like), we thought it might be fun to turn it over to you guys for help. Create a winning merch design for us and you’ll get $200, plus (2) tickets to one of the headline shows, and a few copies of the shirt to keep for yourself. Submit your artwork and a layout/mockup to thricebay@gmail.com. The deadline for submissions is May 1st.

Thanks. We’re looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with.

Us

Atlanta, Coke Museum:

New Orleans:

Oxford, MS:

- Teppei

Check this out.

But now, we’ve got a plane to catch.

See you soon, Atlanta.

-riley