Hello.

What A strange beautiful path this has been...Hard to believe it's been 20 years since I ran into Stone at the Metropolis, meet Matt shortly after, Mike, Kelly, George, Ed, Brett, and so on...12 plus years...I guess it takes that long to properly develop this brotherhood (and some sisters)...chemistry. All making for the funnest. Most musical tour we've ever had. So many highlights, ...even the controversy was good.

Steve Earle, Johnny Marr, The Healers, Cheetah Chrome, The Sleater Kinneys and karaoke. Missed you Joe. Sparta, Idlewild, Buzzcocks Why Can't I Touch it?...the Boom! Skating, Watching pineapple blender, olson, + mag, check out NCPfilms.com

Thank you Australia, Japan, Canada, Mexico, & our US friends. See you somewhere down the road.

Jeff

Viva la Mexico......To Jeff, Mike, Matt, Boom, and Ed

Is everyone home safe? I haven't spoken to any of you more than a moment since the tour finished. I'm still catching my breath. I miss everyone and hope you are all at peace. Brad asked if I would write something about the tour which would accompany the new newsletter. I guess the first thing that came to mind was all of you. I can't tell you how the music has moved me over the past three legs. I have never felt so connected and rewarded by our songs. Thank you. I hope everyone has been able to spend relaxed time with their family and loved ones. Today I took a paddle across the lake and felt so alive and lucky. There were small salmon feeding all along the bridge. The evening sun's rays reflected all their movement. I imagine everyone is happy just being...domestic. It's wonderful to cook a meal again.

Still in the middle of a remodel things heating up. I went to Environmental Home center and found lots of alternative building materials that were fucking great. These green opaque glass tiles made from recycled windshield glass (flooring), reclaimed redwood 2 by 6's from old pickle barrels (deck), duel flush toilets ( a little water for pee, a little more for poo). My tankless water heater is still not issue free but so far so good (heats water in the pipe with no water storage).

Next week a fellow from 20 20 engineering is going to consult with me on saving all the rain water from my roof barrels and using it to water my garden in the summer and potentially flush my toilets too. The more I learn about green building design the more I get excited...I met a gentleman named Bill Reed from a company called Natural Logic (San Fran consulting company) who informed me about the new philosophy in green buildings called regenerative design. He talked about theoretical buildings and sites that would actually take part in the local environments with positive effects. This means composting toilets, water reuse and runoff maintenance and using more local crops ( a 5 calorie strawberry takes over 300 calories of fuel energy to get to the coop in Vermont) and with power for the building coming from on site (solar, wind, etc). I guess you can tell what I'm excited about these days.

I've picked up my guitar a few times and stumbled on to a few bits. Brad's doing some recording soon and that has me very happy. Matt? Isn't Wellwaters new record almost out? Well it is fun to play quietly again...Jeff I will see you in a couple weeks for our raft trips and McCready your here soon too eh? I love you all and can't wait to do it all again.

To everyone that participated in the tour, our fans and amazing crews, Thank you so much. Every night we felt the extraordinary amount of excitement and love offered to the band. The energy that we all garnered together was inspiring and beautiful. I think the whole band realizes how fortunate we are to have such wonderful group of people participate with us and our music. We do not take this lightly. Thank you for being open to our jouney and for listening with such open ears.

Also to each of opening bands Sleater-Keanny, Idlewild. The Fabulas Buzcocks, Sparta...We had a great experience with each of you. I hope you are all immersed in a new record or a new baby or a new something else....

Stone

Hello there ladies and gentleman, are you ready to rock? Yes you were and I thank you for all the generous support on the Riot Act Tour. I felt it was by far the BEST response yet!!!! I think we played great and Ed never sounded better....How about Boom, man that guy can play!!! I am currently on a road trip, coming down from a GREAT tour! Anyone out there who has Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis, I know what you are going through. One thing that helped me besides medicine and exercise was getting to know the CCFA (Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America --www.ccfa.org). This organization has helped me stay in touch with the latest treatments and most important Other People Ecperiences!! Please do what you can to find out more about these diseases. People deserve a solution. Enough of my preaching, thank you again for coming out for the TOUR. WE had a Blast and can't wait to record/tour again. In the mean time aside from the CCFA I am working on another Rockfords CD, which will come out soon. We play at Bumbershoot August 29 and hope to see you there! Good night ladies and gentleman, it's time to go...

Later, Mike

*(aside from the football helmet and fur coat, Mike is only wearing very small men's briefs)