A can of Pabst, a quick shower, maybe another can of Pabst, and we we're off to Imbibe. Nick Shattell, better known to some as the lead singer from, Not an Airplane, came to town on Wednesday. This time he's leaving the band back in Modesto, and doing the solo thing all over the Northwest. So we decided it would be fun to hang out with him once again, we still don't know why we thought that. If you've been craving more Not an Airplane, whose first album, I Wanted to Believe in Ghosts, came out in 2007, you'll be happy to know that they have a new EP out, Everything is not Loveable. Nick's traveling about with fellow Californian Travis Vick, who's promoting his current album, Player Piano, he's also promoting the new bass pro shop in Manteca...okay he might not be promoting it, but he still makes it sound like fun.

Anywho, these two came to town packed in Nick's Malibu, still tired from the show in Chico CA, the night before. They got to Portland the night of the show, and then off again in the morning heading up North. They'll be playing a show practically every night, until they get back to Modesto, on the 10^th of October. Which means a lot of driving, couch surfing and being stuck in a car with someone. I've talked to a lot of bands on the joys of touring, and it pretty much comes down to the people you have to travel with. I suggest traveling with people who are funny, and easily restrained, if you're in a band you might also want them to play instruments.

For as large a place as Imbibe is, it still manages to have a cozy atmosphere. The dim lights, couches and the small stage help create a more intimate venue. Nick mixes things up, playing some songs off the new EP, and a few favorites form the first album. The first time you get to hear a new song, is kinda like getting an unexpected present. That's the way I felt about the song "Loveable" which really struck me as something special. It has a catchy somberness to it, that stretches into despair and hope, and then relief. The characters in it bring a certain type of ragged beauty through the whole ordeal, from both their appearance to what they believe in. When I heard the opening of "Different", my favorite Not an Airplane song, I had to smile, I love the way Nick's vocals bring a bit more meaning to the words. I think that's a lot of Not an Airplane, there's a subtle quality to the way the songs are crafted. You'll get what I'm saying more if you listen to the start of "At the very Least"(off the new EP), when Nick sings,"You'll be sad when I'm gone, you'll be gone when I'm sad..." . There's nothing ground breaking, it's just one part familiar, one part clever, and it just sounds good.

We get the car loaded up and head back to my apartment, with a brief detour to Taco Bell. Eating food while spitting sarcastic remarks out in between. I'm not really sure what time it is at this point, all I know is we're all really tired, and we all have to get up in the morning. For Nick and Travis, it's on to more towns, and more shows, a lot of watching the open spaces of the Northwest slowly become cities, and then dissolve back into emptiness. From everyone at livemusicpdx.com, Good Luck with the rest of the tour, hope to see you back in Portland soon.