May 05 As far as the eye can see…

With every city we visited during our time in the United States so far (and let’s not forget our only Canadian stop in Toronto), we’ve had to open our eyes to reality we didn’t expect at all, that we didn’t know existed, or that were very far from what our preconceived ideas were…

Just arrived at the Thalia Hall, our venue in Chicago. An old theater turned into a venue, not without reminding us of our own home, an ancient catholic church turned into a studio (and so much more). We’ve had a wonderful time speaking with the owner, who’s explained us how much work they’ve had to do on the place before it could really be used as a venue. Again, not without reminding us how much work we’ve had to put in the church we now own. Sometimes, what looks ordinary – or worst, a lost cause – can become a place to call home, with only a little bit of vision and faith. And I guess that this venue, along with our church, is a perfect representation of who we are as people as well… When all hope is lost, we all only need but a little spark so that our eyes can open to something that’s totally new…

Chicago is a city we all were excited to see. But in between the load-in, the interviews, and the obligatory stop at Starbucks (for some wifi, and for some more than necessary coffee!), we couldn’t wander the city as much as we would have wanted to. We traveled the roads of the city in a van, snapping a few pictures and images of the architecture and of its essence. It’s only later, at the show itself, that we would be able to grasp the city’s essence fully though, when we would meet with the people at the concert!

And then came showtime. We spent a wonderful moment backstage, taking in the spirit of the venue and the high energy we all had that night. Talking about the different moments that happened through the day, and talking about the people we couldn’t wait to meet, some old friends we’ve known since the MySpace era but that we had not met yet…

And what a concert it has been! It’s been truly wonderful! Maybe it’s because the venue made us feel home. Maybe it’s because we knew we had family cheering for us in the crowd. Or maybe it’s just because we wanted to make sure this would be a moment turned to eternity, and decided to make sure it would happen that way. The guys have been phenomenal on stage, truly wonderful. Every time I see them, they get better and better. And when you think “this has been their best show EVER”, they always find a way to prove you wrong by being new kinds of stage beasts…!

Fetesha, our longtime friend, wrote a review about that show, that you can read here.

The next stop after was Detroit, Ferndale to be exact. The venue was a new one, with a green room in a corner, plants covering the walls from floor to ceiling – something truly breathtaking! It was totally different from what I expected Detroit would be. With all the stories we hear about this city nowadays, we found a peaceful oasis in The Loving Touch.

Alex took the time to write a little more. This time, his “daily journal” came as an open letter to the city of Drummondville, after the organizing committee of the 200th anniversary of Drummondville decided to exclude YFE from their celebrations for “fear of seeing sensitive ears flee the celebrations”. Though it is unusual for Alex to answer such things, the sight of “Your Favorite Enemies” and “fear” together in the same sentence made him react. You can read his open letter, “When Fear Comes To Celebrate Uninvited” on the SFCC here.

And then the concert itself… WOW! What a blast! I’ve got to tell you a certain story about this concert. Howard, a longtime friend we were seeing for the first time, decided to come to the concert. The road should have taken him 3 hours. But along the way, he had to push his car as it broke down. For 5 miles he did that, getting a flat doing so, until he reached an exit, where they repaired the flat tire, allowing him to push the car down to the next exit where there was a repair shop. In total, 10 miles of pushing a car down the road. Arrived to the repair shop, he told his story to the guys – who decided to loan him a car for the night! “You can bring it back tomorrow morning”, they said “your car will be repaired by then, and you can still go to your concert tonight”. All in all, I think that no matter how eventful the day has been, it simply proves that there are things in life we are meant to do, places we are meant to be, and encounters we are meant to have! It was also a pure pleasure to meet Shandee and her father again – 2 truly amazing souls! Shandee’s father, who’s seen us a fair amount of times by now, said that this has been Your Favorite Enemies’ best show so far – something I can only agree with! They are truly getting better and better with every show they play, I am telling you!

And then came Toronto. After a long but uneventful passage at the borders, we came back to Queen City, a city we had never truly liked. But honestly, we didn’t have to try hard to like it this time. Since 2015, it feels like this city has taken a whole different turn. Before, every time we visited Toronto, it was business oriented, and we always had that pressure of proving who we were, of proving we were worth it. But this time, everything was different. And this is what we were talking about “backstage” – read: in the tour bus because there was no backstage – before getting on stage! Somehow, this city is becoming more and more of a meaningful one, and whatever bad experiences we’ve had associated to it are now slowly fading away, being replaced by truly positive ones.

Some people from the YFE HQ even came to see us live! Marjo, Momoka, Kosho and Kanu made the trip to TO, wearing their t-shirts from the collection “Outside It’s America”! Proud representatives? I think it’s fair to say so, yes! 🙂 And they were in for quite a show, believe me!

We also had the privilege to meet with Paul, whom we met during the Juno Awards Press Conference in TO last January. Knowing we were true baseball fans – Giants fans – he even brought Jeff a little gift at the show. It now proudly stands in sight on our tour bus! 😉 Go Giants! Paul also reviewed the performance of the band and published the pictures he took for The Canadian Music Scene, and you can find it all here.

Alex also had a challenge to accomplish, to take a picture with the SFCC flag in Toronto. We had the privilege of doing it with the family members who had traveled all the way to see us, most of them as a surprise! It’s been a wonderful moment… I will always remember his reaction when he picked that city during the last Encore (that you can watch here).

And then the concert itself… What a truly wonderful moment! I think everyone is unanimous – the guys give a show that’s unforgettable! Whether they had heard of the band before or not, everyone is left with an everlasting impression… 🙂

Jeff, Miss Isabel and Moose also did a very inspiring interview just before getting on stage! Watch the interview below 🙂

The night following would be a strange one, knowing we had to cross the borders again. There’s been a lot of nonsense said that night, from no other than Sef (of course, who else could that be?!)! Curious to know what he talked about? Alex will share it all with you in one of his tour journals on the SFCC – and believe me, that’s something you do not want to miss!

And then we arrived to our venue in Pittsburgh, a city where everything was gray and brown. This venue was a former church (across the street from another church). It looked like it was still in construction somehow, and everything seemed cold at first sight, a little offset from everything else. It might have been due to the weather, to the colors of the buildings, to the fact that there was no one in the streets to bring any colors to this part of the city…

We had a toast backstage, a toast to the colors of the invisible, and to giving our own colors to what surrounds us, no matter what. A toast that was befitting the vibe we’ve had from the city so far. A city that was not remarkable in any way, but where people defined every part of it.

These have been our “tour essentials” so far. The Johnnie Walker Black for the toasts we have sometimes before/after the shows, and the “salsa con queso” to go with the chips. As much as we try to eat healthy on tour, it’s not always easy, and after a show where you’ve given more than what you thought you had, that yummy branch of celery doesn’t compete with the chips 😉

The show was a little bit to the image of the city… Somewhat cold, and distant. It was nonetheless a very good show, despite this lingering impression that something lacked… It was all quickly washed away when we gathered backstage and shared our favorite moments in the songs, looked at the pictures and watched some of the videos that had been filmed that night!

The day after, we woke up in Brooklyn. This place has become meaningful to us, as this is where the album “Between Illness And Migration” has been mixed, become an important standpoint in the history that this journey is. It is also where we usually stay whenever we go to NYC – a place that’s meaningful in more than one way. There are people everywhere here. And coming back to NYC, I think this is what I thought the other cities so far had been missing… people, as far as you can see. You can be in a shady alley in the middle of nowhere, you’ll still meet people. And this is where the real life of the city resides; in its people. All so different from one another, all unique, all bringing its own colors to a city that’s already vibrant. And instead of being a mess, it all blends in a very harmonious way…

We always stop by the Rough Trade Records, and by the park that’s nearby, giving us a view on Manhattan. No matter how often you’ve seen this view, you can’t help but be in awe. Yes, New York might be the city where everything is possible… Although the success you may find there might not be the one you envisioned, you can’t help but admit that everything is possible. That whole city defies what “possible” is, and when you look at it from the outside, it’s easy to understand why. From the outside, NYC looks like it has been built by lego blocks, its makers roaming the streets in search of something bigger – until they realize that the height of the buildings has nothing to do with what they are truly looking for; what they are looking for is buried deep inside of them.

We also had the privilege to meet with John Agnello that night. A wonderful guy, who’s not only mixed the album “Between Illness And Migration”, but who’s helped us open our horizons on sounds we had never thought possible…

The concert, despite being a very late one (we got on stage past midnight), was a pure display of intensity. Alex did crowd surf, the drums ended in the crowd, and you can see sweat in most of the pictures above 😉

And then came NYC, and Le Poisson Rouge. This scene is one that happens very often before sound checks/shows. Jeff, Ben and Alex are all together. Jeff is dealing some business on his phone while he has to put it away before the show. Ben is giving the insights on what will be possible and what won’t in terms of recording the show or having our own in-ear mixes for the stage, and Alex is taking in the vibe of the venue…

This was the 9th show of 11 in a row. To say we were exhausted at that time would be an euphemism. It was beyond that. Yet, a lot of people had made the trip from the HQ, and some others came to surprise us from Quebec & Ontario too. Plus, that show would be broadcasted live online on the SFCC. And this only idea got the guys on fire for the night that was to come. And what a show it has been! I have never seen the guys like this before. They were not only on fire… the blaze that was living inside of them was something totally different from what we had seen before. And they were awesome! Anybody who was there at the show can testify, as much as anyone who’s seen them online via the SFCC!

You can also find some more pictures by other photographers here and here – you will have to scroll down a little to reach the pictures ;).

And then came Boston… A city that came to me as a very colorful one, where all the cultures was mixed together… Bethlehem was actually a Korean restaurant, Oppa (a Korean word) was a sushi restaurant, and they spelled “kebabs” with an “o”, giving “kebobs”. One thing that wasn’t mixed though was everybody’s love for the Red Sox. Everywhere you looked, you would see the famous red “B” on a cap, on a t-shirt, on a hoodie, even on a dress – there was no escaping it nowhere! After a little stretching in the very hot and humid backstage room that was above the stage with a view on it, it was time for the guys to get on stage themselves…!

The concert has been awesome. Literally. The guys are most of the time happy of how the shows go – and it’s easy to tell when they’re not. But this time, they all were on FIRE! And everybody was unanimous; even though we played as long as any other show, it felt like it went by way too fast, for each and everyone of us! Those 50 minutes went by in a flash. And I think, that for as long as I can remember, it’s the first show to which the guys found no “negative points” – nothing to correct, to improve, to change. It seemed like it was a perfect score – and we sure lived it like this!

This blog is already a pretty long one, but I wanted to show you as much as I could. Next one will be in a few days, and will cover the show in Philly, our day off here, as well as the show in DC! 🙂 Look forward to it! 🙂

– Stephanie

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