We've got the dream alive in us.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that this blog is gonna be about what has been going on today.

First and foremost, I just want to start off by saying that I am blown away about how positively the split, and more importantly, the cause are being received. It is truly amazing how a community can pull together for a cause like this and spread it like wild fire.

Which brings me to what I really want to talk about in this blog.

A few years ago, you would hear people saying the scene on Long Island is dead. I must admit that I agreed with that statement. But you no longer hear people say that anymore. Is it because more bands are writing music from an admirable place? Perhaps that has something to do with it. But I think it is something much deeper than that.

What I realized today is that the morale of the scene is a lot stronger than it was a few years ago. And I think it has to do with bands trying to support other bands again, just as much as I think it is fans taking a proactive approach and really getting involved, creating a dynamic between bands and fans that is more like a family. Today I noticed 4 bands, Life Between Sleep, Giants at Large, With The Punches and A Loss For Words all post about the split for Mitch. It made me ecstatic. Because for the first time in a long time, bands are supporting bands, fans are supporting bands and bands are supporting fans.

I think it is this dynamic that is necessary to keep the scene on Long Island thriving. If we can keep rivalries to a low and support at a high, there is no reason for the scene to ever die again.

If you haven't already, check out this split, and try to give a little. If you can't give, spread the word.

Thank you all so much.

<3

http://music.meadowbrookrecords.com/album/for-our-friend-mitch

You let me down for the last time, truth prevails, and there's nothing you can hide. And I wash my hands of you, getting on with my life.

It has been almost a month since I posted a blog entry. I do recall a few times that I attempted at writing something, but a lot of the time it just kind of felt contrived and selfish, so I opted out of ever finishing them. However, I do feel it is healthy for me to post in here, so if this is nothing more than a bunch of ramblings (which most of these posts are), at least I wrote something.

College life still doesn't seem to be working out for me. I feel like I am always being consumed by a cluster fuck of papers and exams. I am doing well on most of these, I just kind of really need a moment to breath. I am always worrying about deadlines, and I get so caught up with other things that I kind of lose sight of the point of all of this, which makes completing these tasks so much more difficult. My social life at Hofstra has taken a turn for the better though. I have been hanging out on campus a lot more and I have met some really interesting people who aren't totally brain dead, a quality that is hard to come by in this school. So if anything, at least I am having a good time.

Bellwether just bought a van. I am pretty stoked to tour this winter. If anything, I am just excited to be away from Long Island for a bit. Of course playing music with the guys is the number one most important thing, I just feel like I haven't gotten away in awhile. The past few out of state shows were great. I had a blast in MA and VA, and I can't wait to do it again.

I have recently been talking to this girl Molly. I am pleased to say that we are building the foundations of what I hope will be a healthy relationship in any sense. I still have a lot to learn about her, and I am excited to take the plunge. The fact that she is intelligent, caring, funny, modest, open minded and mature is such a breath of fresh air. And I couldn't ask for it at a better time. I don't know what will come of all of this. It is difficult being in a touring band and having a stable relationship back at home, but she seems really special. I mean she has me talking in hashtags all the time. But regardless of what happens, I am happy to say that she is in my life.

I have been a little more stable recently. I have stopped going out of my way to make myself crazy. I don't know why, but for a long time I felt the need to continuously search for information that no longer concerns me but bothered me as if it still did. I needed to move on, and it took me awhile, but I am finally done and over it. I am defiantly in a better place now.

I guess that sums it up. I get to see Hannah for a bit tomorrow. I am very stoked. I miss her like hell.

I'm constantly goin through crisis, so maybe I could remain silent, but I ain't got no reason to hide it.

I find that it is much easier for me to write in this blog when I feel stressed out. I guess its just more fun to bitch and complain. And I guess I kind of need a break from typing up papers to type something that will alleviate a little stress.

Life right now... well life is a big mess for me. And its not necessarily a bad mess, its just that my life is in general is messy. I have a lot of things going on in my life and I guess I can just be easily overwhelmed.

A few weeks ago was Bellwethers EP release, and I think that was probably around the last time I felt sane. The show itself was defiantly something that I needed. Nothing could ever make me feel like I'm not worthless the way playing music does. It always doesn't hurt to have the most incredible fan base a band could ask for. They come out and give their all no matter what. It really does mean the world to me. Without all you guys, I probably would of been a statistic for the Verrazano Bridge by now.

Big things are coming up for Bellwether too. I am not sure how much I am allowed to say, but we are getting out of state very soon, and fairly frequently.

I met a lovely girl recently. She is me with vagina. Loves music, loves Star Wars is terribly adorable. It just so happens that as soon as things were starting to build up momentum, I lose it. I just couldn't handle it. I don't know if its still too soon for me to get into anything serious, or if I am just so consumed by all thats going on recently that I just bailed like an asshole, but whatever I am having anxiety about, I hope it passes soon. I haven't spoke to her in about a day, and I am conscious of how shitty that is, especially because she is so sweet, but I think, at least for now, its best if I just keep to myself till I can get a grip on all this shit.

I have been acting rather reckless recently.

I did the Broadway Bomb last Saturday with James, Bob, Rob and Nick. It was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. I have to say that there was something about the race that just made me feel whole. Perhaps its the liberating feeling of totally disregarding the law and risking your life competing to cross through red lights and not get annihilated between a bus and a taxi that I needed to reassure me that life isn't this completely dark and abysmal waste land that we occupy until we die.

Aside from the Bomb, there were a few instances of anonymous group sex that took place since my last post, which basically sums up my reckless behavior. Wild times.

I guess I really should get back to my papers. I can honestly say that I feel a little more calm and relaxed having wrote this.

Good job Andrew, good job.

This is me coming clean.

As I sit in my room mulling over the new EP, I can feel the tears swell up and out of my eyes. This band has existed over a little more than a year and it has been a roller-coaster ride, and everything we have ever said or done in this band will all accumulate this Saturday.

I am writing this not to promote the show, not to promote the EP and not to rant on about some nonsense. I am writing this to say all the things that I feel need to be said in regards to all of this. I have a feeling that emotions will be running high on Saturday, so it is best that I say all of this now before I become too overwhelmed and can't phrase it just right.

This band started with the intention of 5 dudes coming together to make some music that others might enjoy. We had no idea that THIS was going to come out of it.

From the absolute bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you to everyone who stood by us. Thank you to everyone who learned the words to the songs simply by coming to as many shows as possible and for making those shows seem like the most important thing happening in the world at that moment. Thank all of you for spreading our word like wild fire. Thank you for being so patient for this EP. And thank you for being our friends.

The line between friend and fan gets blurred pretty often. I think that this is the exception to the rule. When no one else was there to listen, you guys were.

So thank you guys for everything.

If you haven't checked out the EP yet...

Listen to it here:

http://www.xeasycorex.net/2011/09/exclusive-bellwether-elephant-in-room.html

Pre-order it here:

http://meadowbrookrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-elephant-in-the-room

Watch it happen here:

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=237278002975264

Thank all of you so much, this means the world to me.

I'm not sad anymore...

I am just slightly irritated and beyond flabbergasted.

Guys, I think it is great that you have all found a band that has said something that bands like H2O, to a lesser extent Set Your Goals and countless others have been saying for years. But this shit has got to stop. The Upsides was great for what it stood for a year ago. Now it has become like an oath for anyone associated with pop punk. When Kevin posted a link to a facebook page for a company that is going to be making profit off selling bracelets that say "I'm not sad anymore", I died a little inside. I am beginning to fear that this overwhelming influence that The Wonder Years seems to have is going to result in a loss of creativity and originality.

I guess my main point is this, and I'll even say it in a way everyone can understand: '

Can someone tell these kids liking the rain "I'M NOT SAD ANYMORE" no longer counts as an idiosyncrasy.

P.S. I would like to state that I do in fact like The Wonder Years and I do enjoy listening to The Upsides. However, by putting a price on a message severely decreases the value of the sentiment itself (as if it wasn't cheapened enough by its seemingly never ending utterance).

The entire idea of selling this message is no different and no better than pop bands selling their image.

I saw your ghost tonight.

As promised, here is the blog about blink, and the a whole bunch of other seemingly unrelated nonsense.

So on Friday, Travis, Nick, Hannah, Ally, Heather and Ian all took a trip out to Hershey Park to go camping, ride some coasters and see blink. I had been looking forward to this weekend for a long time because it was really like a vacation. I was able to escape the hellish life that is sitting in my room till its time to go to class, work or band practice.

Each night camping was absolutely great. We cooked food over a fire, drank a lot of rum, ate at Sheetz and walked around the camp grounds nude. This was my first time to Hershey, and although I enjoyed the roller coasters, I could of been more thrilled with them. My buddy Rob pointed out that Great Adventure is amongst some of the highest ranking theme parks in the world, so I guess that may have been a contributing factor to my expectations. Regardless, I had a good time.

So the entire point of this weekend was to see blink. I have to say that they did not disappoint. They played the best I have heard them play live, through in some songs that weren't on the original set-list and sprinkled hilarious banter throughout the set. I am really stoked to hear the new album after that night. The 4 new songs sound really, really good, and quite frankly, they give me erections.

Worthy side note: There was a very attractive young lady sitting behind us at blink. Her and I spoke a little bit and I was able to get her to perform felatio on me while My Chemical Romance was playing. That was pretty cool, but some of the parents there didn't think so.

So I started my last summer class last week, and I will finish it next week. It is another Shakespeare course, and I am enjoying it a lot. I have to say that the English Department at Hofstra is fucking incredible. The faculty there treats me like an equal, rather than subordinate.

I am happy to announce that I have put an end to what seemed to be a never ending conflict this weekend. If you are reading this, thank you for putting up with my shit, I'm sorry it went on for so long.

And finally, this week is a busy one for Bellwether. We got a show today in Hicksville, our listening party tomorrow at F and S in East Meadow, and we have another show Friday in Queens. Go to facebook for all the info, and get your ass to at least all of these things. It's gonna be a killer time. Good music, good food, good people, good sex.

Can't fight against the youth.

This weekend I skated down to Jones Beach twice to listen to blink-182 in the parking lot. Both nights they were incredible. But as much as I would love to talk about that, this blog isn't about that. The blink blog will come next week though, after I see them in PA, don't worry.

This blog is about how the cops at the beach were nothing less than a bunch of assholes and bullies!

When I first showed up on Saturday, I met up with all my buddies and began to party in the parking lot. A cop car circles us a few time and finally parks to confiscate our beer. Normally this wouldn't bother me because they were just doing there job. What did piss me off about this is that when they opened up their trunk for us to put the beer in, the had a cooler of ice, just empty ready for our beers. While this was happening, they made our friends who were drinking much cheaper beer just pour it out. This infuriated me. They weren't looking to keep anyone safe or enforce the law, or ever do their job. They were looking to get drunk off our beer.

Tonight made me much more angry though. Tonight the cops totally abused their power. Pushing my friends and I around the parking lot like captives in a concentration camp. Some cops would drive up on the sidewalk, get as close as they could to a group of kids and sound the most annoying horn I have heard repeatedly and forced them to all move or risk getting hit by a car.

I am beyond irritated, and anyone who was there tonight knows exactly why. I hope that if you were harassed by the cops tonight, that you join me in writing a series of angry letters and emails. It is our right to enjoy music and it is our right to enjoy the beach. And it is my god damn right to enjoy beer!