The Diary of 12RODS May 1992 Ryan Olcott, a senior at Talawanda High School in Oxford, Ohio, decides to start a new band with his friends Christopher McGuire, Matt Flynn, and Daniel Perlin. Soon after the first few rehearsals the band is offered a show at a local high school graduation party titled "Field Fest 3" for early in the summer. Ryan and the band composed and arranged 11 songs for the show in three and a half weeks. As an observation of the way rehearsals were going, Matt Flynn aptly titles the band "Ryan's Big Head". 6 June 1992 The Field Fest 3 show takes place with borrowed equipment from parents and friends. The lineup includes Ryan Olcott (guitar and vocals), Matt Flynn (bass), Christopher McGuire (drums), and Daniel Perlin (guitar), with a few songs including Ev (violin, saxophone). Songs performed were Rainman, Kill My Thought, In Blue, Choke, Fly Away, Hello Rich Girl, The Letter, Captain Carl and the 180 Room Crusades, Mr. Whipple, Day By Day, and a cover of Smashing Pumpkins' Window Paine. Ryan regarded this show as a sort of high-school swan song and wanted to disband after the show, as all of the individuals were going off to college with the exception of Christopher (he still had two years remaining in high school). 8 June 1992 Ryan and Ev edit the recording of the show into the cassette Helikopter Hundrid Dolurz, titled after an inside joke regarding a young friend of the band. The band's title is re-spelled to "Ryan'z Bihg Hed". The cassette is labelled under Integer Records and Homemade Records, both Ev's and Ryan's personal labels previously used for their other recordings. Under 15 copies were actually made and distributed. July 1992 Ryan is asked by Christopher McGuire, Matt Flynn, and Daniel Burton-Rose, who have since formed a band, to sing an end-of-summer show with them in Oxford. Ryan hesitates at doing covers, and begins writing more new songs for the show. August 1992 While discussing new names for the band, Matt Flynn comes across a children's Bible and states "I'm gonna pick up this bible and find a name for the band"; he finds "The 12 Rods of the Apostles" as a section heading, and suggests the name "12RODS", but neither of them immediately like it. Upon recall, they figure that "12RODS" is the best name they've come up with all night, so they keep it. (For the curious, the passage is from Numbers 17:1-13) 29 August 1992 The first show under the name of 12RODS with the lineup of Ryan Olcott (guitar and vocals), Matt Flynn (bass), Christopher McGuire (drums), and Daniel Burton-Rose (guitar) was played at the Oxford Teen Center in uptown Oxford, Ohio. Opening acts were Platter Sliced Bacon and Fubar, the latter band containing Matt Flynn's younger brother on drums. New songs included in the show were Ben, Crux, When Comes Sunday, Repeat, Cringe, and Everybody. The show was also recorded, but the fidelity was bad and the recording was discarded. However, an amateur video of the show remains. A few days after the show, the band part and go off to college with no plans to continue. October 1992 As a favor, Ev asks Minneapolis record producer Dale Strength to listen to the Helikoptur Hundrid Dolurz recording. Dale likes what he hears and asks to meet with them to discuss furthering their career as a band. Ev calls Ryan Olcott with the news and he immediately begins working on new songs. 27 November 1992 Ryan Olcott takes a trip to Minneapolis to meet Dale Strength and discuss the future of 12RODS. Dale suggests the group record in Minneapolis and do three separate demo tapes, each containing 3 songs. He points out that the songwriting is still in it's formative stages, but it is very good and states his excitement about the project. Ryan begins discussions with his parents to take the next semester off from DePaul University to continue and concentrate on his 12RODS work. They agree. December 1992 The band members return from college and all decide not to return for the next semester. Rehearsals begin again in Oxford minus Daniel Burton-Rose in preparation for the upcoming recording sessions. Ryan introduces five new songs he wrote while at DePaul; Red, Bliss, Come Down On Me, Tell a Lie, and I Am Faster. January 1993 12RODS plays a show at bar/laundromat Sudsy's in Clifton, a section of Cincinnati, Ohio, opening for Sleep Theatre. Sudsy's is impressed with the band, and asks them to do numerous other shows. 5 February 1993 12RODS plays a show at Matt Flynn's residence on 9 W. Rose St. in Oxford (also known as the 'Rose Street Motel') to a small but appreciative crowd. The show is titled the Minneapolis Celebration, as they will be leaving in a few days to record in a studio in Minneapolis. After the show, many people give them bags of food to take with them on their trip. 12-14 February 1993 The three members of 12RODS make a weekend venture to Minneapolis to record their first album. The studio chosen was Metro Studios' C room, and with help from Ev, was able to strike a weekend deal for $550. The studio manager initially wanted the group out of the studio each night by around midnight, but the sessions actually continued much longer, usually for 16 hour stretches at a time. Some of the sessions contained many various antics to continue the energy for recording; Mr. Whipple and Day By Day were recorded while Matt Flynn and Christopher McGuire were completely naked. Ryan refused to partake completely in the antics, but stripped himself of his shirt on a few songs. The original plan was to record at least 9 songs, and then quickly mix them by the end of the weekend. The plan slowly changed as it was found that the mixing necessary to make the songs sound right was not possible given the time frame. Instead, they decided to keep recording and mix at a later date. There was not enough tape for more than 7 songs, so an extra tape from the studio was found and erased without permission to continue recording the album. Rainman, the "bonus unlabeled track", was recorded as a late-night afterthought, and in the original sessions included Christopher McGuire singing the vocal line, though it was not included in the final mix; Matt Flynn's improvised speech was used instead. The original demo trilogy was to be individually titled "Ongawa", "Sheeba-Sheeba", and "Simba", after a familiar command from Christopher McGuire's father. After some discussion that the project would actually be best as an album (some of this direction came from an additional band meeting with Dale Strength), the album was promptly called Bliss, the most powerful track on the album yet recorded. March 1993 Desperate attempts to find a replacement guitarist fail. A local flyer was made up, but to no avail. Most of the people who answered the ad were local friends of 12RODS who didn't recognize the phone number. 27 March 1993 12RODS plays a show at the Pizza Connection in uptown Oxford to a rather hostile audience. Ev joins on saxophone for Mr. Whipple. 15 May 1993 12RODS' first album, Bliss, is released. The album includes the songs Repeat, Choke, When Comes Sunday, Day By Day, I Am Faster, Come Down On Me, Mr. Whipple, Bliss, Rainman, and two brand new songs, Stella and Megabright. A celebration party is thrown at Christopher McGuire's house, and includes most of the new material and a cover of My Bloody Valentine's "Soft As Snow (But Warm Inside)". Summer 1993 12RODS plays a local show at Matt Flynn's house, with Ev as the opening act. After his fairly unsuccessful show, he stays and plays backing keyboards for 12RODS. The band welcomes the new sound and decide to recruit him instead of a guitarist. 5 Sept 1993 12RODS plays a show at Sudsy's in Clifton. 18 Sept 1993 12RODS plays a show at Sudsy's in Clifton. 5 Oct 1993 12RODS plays a show at Sudsy's in Clifton, opening for newly-signed band Sleep Theatre. Ev joins on keyboards. 9 Oct 1993 12RODS plays a show at a new club, First Run, in uptown Oxford, Ohio. 26 Nov 1993 12RODS plays a show at First Run in Oxford. Ev joins on keyboards. After playing a two hour show, getting half of the expected pay and getting little cooperation from the club, the band is very disillusioned with First Run, and decide to play there only for the upcoming 'Battle of the Bands' show. 2 Dec 1993 12RODS plays a show at Sudsy's in Clifton, opening for the Borgia Popes. 3 Dec 1993 12RODS plays in a 'Battle Of The Bands' contest sponsored by Hall's at First Run in Oxford. The 48-minute set included Red, I Am Faster, Repeat, Megabright, and a new song, Mexico. After the set a brawl ensued between a bouncer and a close friend of the band (Stan Miller, a.k.a. Puff the Magic Stan). Ryan became involved in the dispute, and physical force followed. He was thrown out of the club, Matt followed soon after being insulted by another bouncer, and they vowed never to return. 4 Dec 1993 12RODS plays a show at ABCD's in Clifton. 22-29 Dec 1993 Ryan and Ev discuss recording for the next album and plan on early April of the next year, during Christopher's spring break at his high school. They plan to record at least 8 songs, 6 for the EP (planned to be released on compact disc), and 2 songs left over for b-sides (a new song, Friend, and the acoustic demo version of In Blue were initially chosen). The EP is initially to be titled "Two Gays Equal A Good", after a rehearsal blunder; Ryan mentions that a line he just played was 'gay', and Matt believes he did the same thing. Christopher makes the correlation, and thinking the end result was good after all, says "well, two gays equal a good". 7 Jan 1994 12RODS plays a show at Top Cat's in Clifton, opening for Sleep Theatre. Ev is planned to join on keyboards for this and the show the following day, but can't make the drive from Minneapolis due to the weather. 8 Jan 1994 12RODS plays a show at Sudsy's in Clifton, opening for Feeder. Jan 1994 As 12RODS begins preparing for the upcoming recording sessions, Matt Flynn helps another local band "Valve" in recording their songs. Valve met 12RODS at a Sudsy's show in late 1993 and displayed much admiration for their music. After hearing Valve perform in a 'Battle of the Bands' contest, 12RODS become interested in them as well. A mutual friendship develops. 29 Jan 1994 12RODS plays an impromptu show at their house with opening act Valve and bringing in at least 70 people. The show was quoted by Matt as being "the best show we've ever done at a house, and probably the best show we've done so far". The audience sung along to the end of I Am Faster, bringing Matt to tears. Ryan maintains that he saw many people in tears at the end of the show; the aftershow party lasted until the morning. 2 Feb 1994 12RODS does a short video shoot for Miami University's film class with producer Wade Newhouse. The session is very quick; about half an hour. The songs performed were I Am Faster, Mexico, Repeat, and a new song, I Wish You Were A Girl. 4 Feb 1994 12RODS plays another 'Battle of the Bands' contest, this time at Miami University. The judges included two individuals who worked at local record stores and a disc jockey at the university who apparently had been a long-time fan of the group; he had given them lots of airplay on the university's student station, WMSR. 12RODS placed first, winning a prize of $500, while one of Matt Flynn's other bands, "Flowerfist" took second place. The songs performed in the 25-minute set were I Am Faster, Mexico, When Comes Sunday, and new epic song, Half The Fun. 17-19 Feb 1994 12RODS plays three consecutive successful shows at Top Cat's, 9 W. Rose, and Sudsy's. Ev joins on keyboards. Late Feb 1994 Sleep Theatre bassist Christopher Sherman leaves his band and Matt Flynn auditions for the spot. He gets the position and joins. Beginning at this point, personal troubles as well as increasing band arguments begin to separate Ryan, Matt, and Christopher from each other. Many emotional discussions about the future of the working relationship of the band take place. 3 Mar 1994 After long discussions, the recording sessions planned for April are indefinitely postponed. The breakup of 12RODS is inevitable and their last show is announced for March 17th at Sudsy's. 5 Mar 1994 12RODS receives a very favorable review for their 'new album' and recent performances in a local magazine, "Everybody's News". The article compares them directly with "My Bloody Valentine at their melodic best, and Smashing Pumpkins at their psychedelic best". The band, obviously and ironically stunned by the rave review, begin to get calls from local radio stations and bars soliciting tapes. 10 Mar 1994 12RODS performs at Top Cats with opening act Valve. 17 Mar 1994 12RODS performs their well-publicized final show at Sudsy's with opening band Borgia Popes. The bar has a greater attendance than any previous show, and included members of the Afghan Whigs as well as a rumoured MTV representative. The show, which ended with a long version of Come Down On Me, left the audience in complete silence for many seconds after the last chord. Visibly upset, each of the members leave the show without incident. The show was recorded on audio and video. Summer 1994 Matt Flynn plays many shows with 'Sleep Theatre', Christopher McGuire begins playing drums for a local blues band, and Ryan continues to write songs. He plans to move to Minneapolis with Ev at the end of the summer to continue his music career, but the sudden breakup between him and his girlfriend persuade him to move sooner. Ryan begins purchasing studio recording equipment, including a small console, an 8-track machine, microphones and monitors. Later in the summer, Ryan decides to take the name 12RODS with him to Minneapolis, and Christopher reassures that he will join Ryan and Ev in Minneapolis soon. 11 Jul 1994 Ryan plays a cameo/farewell show with Oyster at Sudsy's. A short preview of the show and Ryan's move to Minneapolis are written up in "Everybody's News", a local music newspaper. 16 Jul 1994 Ryan moves to Minneapolis. Sep 1994 Ryan and Ev record 8-track versions of Everybody, Friend, and I Wish You Were A Girl at Ev's apartment. No vocals were recorded during this time; only guitars, bass, keyboards, and drum machine. Oct 1994 After moving into a new house with Ev and mutual friend Kevin Metheny and playing a few shows with a local funk band, "The Lippa Boogie Garoovians", Ryan begins recording and working on new material. Vocals and real drums were added to I Wish You Were A Girl. It is during this time that Ryan gets a call to play with another local power-pop band "Ether Bunny". In the band, he meets guitarist, singer, and songwriter Matt Foust. Ryan tells him of 12RODS and that he's looking for a new bass player - Matt tells him he's played bass for years, but hasn't recently because of Ether Bunny's lineup requirements. Ryan invites him over to go through a few 12RODS songs with him, and Matt picks them up quickly. In continuing contact with Christopher McGuire, who is busily playing shows in and around Oxford, he tells Ev and Ryan of his plans to visit for 2 weeks before Thanksgiving and to permanantly move up to Minneapolis on January 2. Nov 1994 Ryan writes a few more new songs during the lull period before Christopher arrives; The Stupidest Boy and Small Bugs Raise Your Voice In Song are titled and are carefully crafted for their unusual sonic quality. 8 Nov 1994 Christopher McGuire receives his new customized drum set from DW while he prepares to leave for a Minneapolis visit the next week to do basic drum tracks for most of the song demos. During this time, Ev is preparing to set up an Internet service for 12RODS and Ether Bunny using the World Wide Web. He plans to set up the Ether Bunny site in the next few weeks, while planning to set up the 12RODS site in mid-late December, closer to when Christopher McGuire is to arrive and 12RODS is ready for shows. 14 Nov 1994 Christopher McGuire arrives in Minneapolis. He plans to stay until Thanksgiving when he, Ryan, and Ev will travel back to Oxford. 12RODS, as a whole, begin to record demos for Mexico, Red, and Small Bugs Raise Your Voice In Song (all of this recorded material is later discarded). 26 Nov 1994 With three of the four members in Oxford together, 12RODS play a small acoustic show at the Rose St. Motel to a young but captive audience, their first show in 8 months. The three play six songs: Repeat, I Am Faster, Small Bugs Raise Your Voice In Song, Friend, In Blue, and Come Down On Me. Ryan, unsatisfied with his performance, vows to vehemently rehearse before performing again. Dec 1994 During the month of December, Ryan records 4-track demos for 7 new songs: Lovewaves, Chromatically Declining Me, The Stupidest Boy, Ropsy Topsy, Small Bugs Raise Your Voice In Song, Gaymo, and The Lesser I Go, The Further I Shed. 2 Jan 1995 Christopher McGuire arrives in Minneapolis. The band, now finally again as a whole, begin rehearsing new and old songs for shows. 7 Feb 1995 Ev purchases his first guitar; a special edition Fender Jaguar. During rehearsals, 12RODS realize the magnitude and length of songs they have to re-learn. The shortest song Repeat clocks in at 4:15, while most other songs range from 6 to 9 minutes each. 20 Feb 1995 12RODS are refused to play on a local television show. The songs I Wish You Were A Girl and The Stupidest Boy were both enjoyed highly by the judges, but could not be used because of specific phrases in the lyrics. 4 Mar 1995 12RODS plays their first show in nearly a year - an unusual low-decibel 3-set performance at the Purple Onion, a coffee shop in Dinkytown. The songs performed were Come Down On Me, Megabright, Friend, I Am Faster, Half The Fun, Tell A Lie, Mexico, Small Bugs Raise Your Voice In Song, I Wish You Were A Girl, Repeat, Gaymo and Revolute. The show was videotaped. 22 Mar 1995 12RODS plays their first standard show at Blues Alley in downtown Minneapolis. The songs performed were I Am Faster, Red, I Wish You Were A Girl, Mexico, Friend, Repeat, and Revolute. Many good comments, contacts, and money for tapes not even made yet and were received. Written comments came from the audience; one said "...I was imbibed with the sound. [It] touched me with amazing truth and musicianship - a soulful expression...", another said "Perhaps...you can display the lyrics of your songs so the audience doesn't have to guess what it is your [sic] mumbling!". 20 Apr 1995 12RODS plays at the infamous First Avenue mainroom in Minneapolis, opening for funk band "Citizen King". The songs performed in the 40-minute set were Mexico, Red, Friend, I Am Faster, I Wish You Were A Girl, and Revolute. May 1995 12RODS prepares for the upcoming set of shows in the midwest. After recording Mexico, Friend, a new version of Repeat, and Revolute, they compiled a tape to be sold during the shows, titled A Very Special Christmas. Only 99 copies of the package, which included a picture and a sticker, were copied and individually numbered. 23 May 1995 12RODS plays a show at The Globe in Milwaukee, WI. 12RODS was not expected to play that night, but showed up early to perform for what turned out to be a "new band night". Milwaukee residents "Dorian Gray" play, and a mutual friendship develops with future shows together being planned. 24 May 1995 12RODS plays a show at Sudsy Malone's in Cincinnati, OH with Ditchweed and Come. 26 May 1995 12RODS plays a show at The Patio in Indianapolis, IN with Shag. The songs performed during the 60-minute set were I Am Faster, Red, Mexico, Make Out Music, Megabright, Friend, I Wish You Were A Girl, and Revolute 27 May 1995 12RODS plays a show at the Stadium in Oxford, OH with the Borgia Popes and Funtime Freddy (Spiderfoot, the group scheduled to play, cancelled). The songs performed during the 75-minute set were I Am Faster, Red, Mexico, Make Out Music, Friend, Gaymo, I Wish You Were A Girl, Half The Fun, Repeat, and Revolute. 12RODS received a citation from Oxford police for $67 for hanging posters on new utility poles - a law not made aware to the group at any time pervious to the citation. The citation was later challenged unsuccessfully. Summer 1995 Much of the summer is spent doing further recording in the basement studio for Ether Bunny and 12RODS. The band spends much time perfecting the tracks for Red, Gaymo, and Make Out Music, and prepares for the mixes late in the summer. 28 July 1995 12RODS plays another low-decibel show at the Purple Onion in Dinkytown. Two separate 45-minute sets were performed. The show was videotaped. 9 August 1995 12RODS plays a show at the Red Sea bar with Tin Drum and Rhea Valentine. The songs performed during the 40-minute set were I Am Faster, Stella, Red, I Wish You Were A Girl, Friend, and Half The Fun. At the very end of the set, Ryan knocks his microphone over before his last verse. He dove for the microphone and sang crouched on the floor. The show was videotaped. A mutual friendship develops between 12RODS and the members of Tin Drum and Rhea Valentine (which included future 12RODS' drummer Dave King), both of which are highly regarded on the Minneapolis music scene. Many shows in the surrounding areas including the three bands are to be organized. It is at this show where local music columnist Jim Meyer first sees a glimpse of the band, and future sound person Rob Curtis first meets 12RODS. 11 August 1995 12RODS plays a show at a company picnic in Medicine Lake, MN. The songs performed during the 30-minute set were Friend, Megabright, Repeat, Make Out Music, and Red. 29 August 1995 12RODS plays a show at First Avenue's 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis for new band night with Buttercup, Nun's Honey, and Space Bike. The show was heavily promoted with posters, postcards, etc. Jim Meyer of Minneapolis' City Pages wrote up a small note in his column in promotion of show. The songs performed during the 40-minute set were Make Out Music, Red, Mexico, Friend, Stella, I Wish You Were A Girl, and I Am Faster. The show was videotaped. September 1995 Mixing begins for 12RODS and Ether Bunny tracks in the basement studio at the purchase of a new DAT machine. They are planned to be completed by the end of September, but time constraints stretch it out to the middle of October. Many days are spent with each song, getting the best sound possible out of an 8-track machine and 2 effects units (one being Ryan's guitar effects unit). 7 September 1995 12RODS plays a show at the Red Sea with Lisa Wooster and Tin Drum, where they ended up headlining in Minneapolis for the first time. The show lasted one full hour and was videotaped. 10 September 1995 12RODS plays a show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the Mad Planet, opening for Dorian Gray and Dead Lillies. The Mad Planet had not had bands play for over 2 years, and had since been a dance club. As a result, not enough lighting was available and the show was a technical disaster, with both Ryan and Ev having trouble seeing what they were playing. 15 September 1995 12RODS plays a third low-decibel show at the Purple Onion with opening act Steve Siekkenen. The show was videotaped. The band was stiffed $50 and vow not to play at the Purple Onion again. 26 September 1995 12RODS plays a show at The Saloon in downtown Minneapolis with the Kerry Fladland Surprise and Mollycuddle. 28 September 1995 Jim Meyer, music columnist for the Minneapolis City Pages, calls Christopher late at night and requested that they get together for an interview for his upcoming music column - that night. Christopher, Ryan, Ev, and Jim Meyer go to a late-night mexican place and proceed to interview for two hours. The interview is planned as part of a feature on a new Minneapolis 'art-rock' scene, with 12RODS at the forefront - more articles are planned for other newspapers at later dates. 4 October 1995 12RODS plays a show at the Ace Box Bar in St. Paul with Gusto Busto and Salmon Bladder 2000. A few beer cans were thrown during the short 5-song set, apparently typical of the bar. The City Pages (issue 774) music column, featuring 12RODS' first interview in a major publication, is released. 12 October 1995 12RODS plays a show at the Red Sea with Ultrasonics and Own to a large and appreciative crowd, the largest since they began playing in Minneapolis. Ward Harper, member of Tin Drum/Rhea Valentine said of the show: "I was fucking destroyed". 22 October 1995 12RODS goes into Logic Studios in Plymouth to edit the mixes they've spent the last 2 months doing. The songs that were edited were the 8-track versions of Mexico, Friend, Revolute, Red, Make-out Music, and Gaymo--the former 3 having been previously mixed to analog for "A Very Special Christmas". A 'clean' version of Red is also made, as well as a shortened version of Mexico. 25 October 1995 12RODS plays at the 7th Street Entry with Steel Shank and Fauna, who were celebrating the departure of their drummer with this show. 27 October 1995 12RODS is scheduled to play a halloween show with Gusto Busto, Amphigorey, and a 70's cover band. After the cover band played, it was very apparent that there would be no appreciative audience for the show, as it was in a VFW building and was attended mainly by people in their late 30's with children. 12RODS decide not to play at the show, but to play for a small audience in the basement of their home. The Amphigorey band and Gusto Busto along with other local fans crammed into the small basement for a 45-minute performance. 4 November 1995 12RODS plays a small show at the Roadrunner Records Anniversary party with Buttercup. 10 November 1995 12RODS plays a show at the Whole Music Club with Rhea Valentine and Dorian Gray on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Concurrently, the Star Tribune runs an article about the band, penned by Jim Meyer. 24 November 1995 12RODS plays a show at the Fine Line Music Club in the afternoon for a skate park benefit with Overblue, Balloon Guy, Blanket and numerous others. 25 November 1995 12RODS plays a show at the Loring Cafe with Tin Drum. Dale Strength attended the show as well as Ev and Ryan's parents. Unbeknownst to the band, this is to be Tin Drum's final show. 18 December 1995 12RODS plays a show at the 7th Street Entry with Big American Car, Space Trigger, and the Wahinis. January 1996 In preparation for the new year, 12RODS prepares the six songs that were recorded in 1995 for small compact disc release entitled "gay?". The disc includes the edited versions of Red and Mexico. 500 were pressed, many intended to be given away for promotional purposes, the rest sold for $5. Ev is asked by members of Tin Drum to join them after the departure of their second guitarist, followed soon by their lead vocalist/guitarist. They soon begin weekly rehearsals of new and old material as a trio looking for a vocalist. Ryan and Ev begin working on a dub-influenced project with Steve Saari, the bass player of local group February. Christopher has been working for the past few months with Steve Seikkenen in a new group, Oxygen Cocktail (in later years renamed Inkblot). Ryan and Matt are still busy with Ether Bunny. Ev also records his own material in the basement studio. 10 January 1996 The Twin Cities' Reader features an article about 12RODS by future Love-Cars member James Diers, which included a small picture on the cover. 14 January 1996 12RODS plays a show at Minneapolis' Southern Theater. Though technical problems plagued the show, the 150-seat theater was filled. This show introduced the "gay?" CD for $5, as well as Ron Benson's 12RODS glass jewelry. 19 January 1996 12RODS is the featured band on the "Off The Record" show for the University of Minnesota's radio station, Radio K. A short interview was conducted, and three songs were performed: "The Stupidest Boy", "I Am Faster", and "I Wish You Were A Girl". Ev's car was too frozen to start up that day, so the Radio K van came to the house and transported all of the equipment. 24 January 1996 12RODS plays a show at the Red Sea with Duckies and Bunnies and Mad Scientists Club. There was an unusual $3 cover at the door, but the club was still full. 18 February 1996 12RODS plays a show at the 7th Street Entry with February and Nectar. The 450-capacity club sold out during the the first band's set, and many friends of the band couldn't get in to the show. Rumours were abound that representatives from Island Records, Beggar's Banquet, Caroline, and Atlantic Records were to be at the show. February 1996 12RODS is asked by the Best Buy corporation to donate a track to their popular "Made In Minnesota" compilation CD. With not much time before the deadline, they decide, like most bands, to donate a previously-recorded track, the edited version of "Red". 9 March 1996 12RODS plays a show at the Loring Cafe and Bar with Interstate Judy. 11 March 1996 After long discussions and consideration, Matt Foust announces that he is leaving the group. While he claimed it was due to the heavy schedules between rehearsals as well as the requirements of his day job taking their toll on his health, in reality it was his strained relationship with Christopher that made the decision clear (as a side note, Christopher was unaware of this until years later). He agrees to perform with the group until the middle of May - however the news of his departure is kept within the group and close friends. 22 March 1996 12RODS plays a show at the Roadhouse in Minneapolis with Ivory Library and Steel Shank. April 1996 With Matt intending to leave, Ryan, Christopher, and Ev plan the future of the group. It is decided that they will focus on their recorded material for the live shows as support, expanding both the live show quality and sonic quantity. Ryan begins to re-arrange old songs and introduce many new ones while he works with new equipment. The summer is planned to be an intense time for recording and live show preparation, while rehearsals still continue for the remaining upcoming shows with Matt. 12 April 1996 12RODS plays a show at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis with Savage Aural Hotbed. 20 April 1996 12RODS plays an afternoon show at Macalester College with February and Entre Grey. The show was intended to be played outside, but was moved inside (to DuPre basement) for fear of rain and because of the cold. 23 April 1996 University of Minnesota radio station 770 Radio K releases the double CD "Stuck On AM: Off The Record in Minneapolis", which includes the 19 January 1996 performance of "The Stupidest Boy". May 1996 The "Made In Minnesota" CD is released. 12RODS are confirmed to play at the North by Northeast Music Convention/Festival in Toronto, Canada. A major hub for seeing "new hot" groups, and being sponsored by the local Twin Cities Reader, the band see it as an opportunity they can't pass up - and a deadline they have to meet. News begins to spread about Matt's departure from the group into the local music scene at the same time Ryan leaves Ether Bunny to begin concentrating on 12RODS work exclusively - Ether Bunny ironically begins to get approached by major record companies for their CD. Ryan and Ev begin frantically working on the live show support tracks and practicing with them. Christopher continues playing and recording with Oxygen Cocktail, and also begins playing for locals The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group, planning a short tour of Japan in August. Ev begins working with Ward Harper of Rhea Valentine/Tin Drum fame on a project called Dot Dot Dot. Ev also purchases a new van for himself and the group. 27 May 1996 12RODS plays the "Stuck On AM" benefit show at the 7th Street Entry with many other local and national acts including Low, Balloon Guy, February, Rhea Valentine, Rex Daisy, and the Vibro Champs. This was Matt Foust's last performance with 12RODS. A representative from Time Bomb Recordings in Laguna Beach, CA meets with the band (as a trio) and sees the show. The next day, they all meet at a Perkins for breakfast to discuss the band, future plans, etc. Two days later, a monetary offer is made for "gay?" - the band puts a hold on that offer in order to do more research. June 1996 Constant contact begins with Time Bomb Recordings, a new record label out of Laguna Beach, CA. A&R representative Emily Kaye flies out to Minneapolis multiple times to speak with the group, watch rehearsals, etc. 1 June 1996 "gay?" becomes the Record of the Month for online magazine "Dotpitch" (later to be renamed "Pitchfork"), and is accompanied by a lengthy interview. 10-12 June 1996 Rehearsals for the Toronto show are done in a secret location - a mini-stage behind Aabe's Music in St. Paul (which ironically was next door to the future home of Integral Studio). The only people in the audience were close friends of the group and Emily Kaye of Time Bomb. 15 June 1996 12RODS travels to Toronto and performs in the North By Northeast Music Festival at the Atlas Satellite Lounge. The band takes along new sound person Rob Curtis, who was previously employed at the Red Sea bar in Minneapolis. The show was the first show as a three-piece and support tracks, but the glitches were kept to a minimum. 8-10 July 1996 12RODS travel to Laguna Beach, CA, their first business trip as a band, to meet & greet with Time Bomb Recordings. They also get to meet with one of their mentors, Brad Laner (ex-leader of Medicine) about the music business and Brad's current work. 10 July 1996 12RODS appears on the cover of the Minneapolis City Pages for Best New Band of 1996. The landslide victory was the biggest in the poll's existence (and remained so for years to come). 11 July 1996 12RODS attend the Minnesota Music Awards 13 July 1996 Just for fun while working on new support tracks for the next shows and completing the basement studio remodeling, 12RODS plays an unannounced show at Jitter's, a small coffee shop in downtown Minneapolis, playing as a totally different lineup: Christopher on drums, Ryan on bass, and Ev on saxophone. July-August 1996 Christopher spends many hours working on an upcoming tour for the northeast and midwest to start late September and into October. Ryan and Ev work on the support tracks, refining them and adding new songs to the list, as well as purchasing lots of new equipment and repairing old gear. Rehearsals become technically more involved with the addition of Rob Curtis as the official sound person for 12RODS. 9 August 1996 12RODS becomes incorporated for tax purposes. September 1996 In preparation for the tour, 12RODS sets up and office in the dining room of Ev's house, with Christopher at the helm. Three new types of t-shirts were ordered, as well as stickers, posters, and buttons. A new pressing of "gay?" which used different packaging and an updated CD insert was also made available. Rob Curtis helps 12RODS with office duties and moves in for a few months as he also helps to design the new sound system. Financial help for the tour came with no strings attached from the president of Time Bomb Recordings, Jim Guerinot - it was eventually paid back when 12RODS signed with V2. The songs prepared for the tour were "I'm Sorry", "Gaymo", "I Wish You Were A Girl", "Make-Out Music", "Stella", "The Stupidest Boy", "Megabright", "I Am Faster", "Chromatically Declining Me" and "Mexico". Many minutes of incedental music, labelled as "Space Mountain", were also used at different times throughout the shows. 11 September 1996 On Ryan's 22nd birthday, 12RODS performs a rehearsal show at Minneapolis' Fine Line club. The show opened for the Surahoolies and the Virgins (from Milwaukee), and the band was billed as "Dart Tinkham's Dance Class". This was the first performance with the new monitoring system, which included a complex system of ear monitors and support tracks. The show was 39 minutes long, and was similar to the show in Toronto with the addition of "Make-Out Music". The new merchandise that was available (t-shirts and CD's - the buttons and stickers weren't done yet) was sold for the first time at this show. 13 September 1996 12RODS appears for their first national press in Billboard Magazine, in the Continental Drift column (showcasing unsigned bands from around the country). Many calls from major and independent labels soon follow requesting a copy of the CD. 21 September 1996 The fall tour begins, with a show at Mississippi Nights in St. Louis as part of the Midwest Regional Music Festival (MRMF). The shortest show was performed, about 29 minutes long. The show was shared with the Frans, Shiner, Fragile Porcelain Mice, and others. 25 September 1996 12RODS plays their New York City debut at Brownie's on the lower east side of Manhattan. The show was attended by many music industry people, including representatives from Island, V2, MCA, and the president of Capitol Records, to name a few. The show was received quite well, and by the end of the stay in New York an offer from another label was made to 12RODS' lawyers. Meetings with Mike Sikkas, an ex-A&R rep who decided to help out 12RODS, and George Regis from the law firm 12RODS was using, were very instrumental in their understanding of more of the music business. 28 September 1996 12RODS plays a private party in Oxford, OH for the residents of Shyla Gorman's household. The show wasn't received too well by the attendees - most of them left after the first few songs, aggrivating the band's presence and swiftly reminded them why they left Oxford in the first place. After the show, the $250 expected was reportedly stolen, but was promised to the band before they left Oxford. 30 September 1996 12RODS plays a show at Ozzie's, a small club in uptown Oxford, OH. For the first time, a technical glitch threatens to stop the show (Christopher's ear monitors became unplugged), but the problem was found before too long and the show finished well. A 1/4 page article also appears in the Journal News, a newspaper based in Hamilton, OH, promoting the show and CD. 3 October 1996 12RODS plays an outdoor show in Martin Luther King Park in uptown Oxford, OH. The weather was rather cool, and made performing a little tough, but the crowd was appreciative and the show went over well. 4 October 1996 12RODS plays a show at A-1 Records in Anderson, IN (about 30 minutes outside of Indianapolis) to a small crowd of about 20 kids. Opening at the last minute was a friend's band, Krysco Kryngle. 5 October 1996 12RODS plays a show at Peabody's Down Under in Cleveland, OH. The show was a technical nightmare (using the house monitoring system and Ryan's guitar gear temporarily breaking down), but the show was received fairly well, especially by a local music journalist (who's only bad comment was "I don't know how to categorize you guys") and three young punks who hung around Ryan all night long. After the show, during the load-out, the ground witnessed many 'incidents' between local police and citizens hanging out late in the evening, including 2 arrests, one major injury, and several arguments. The scene was very surreal as they left the city at about 3:00 AM. 6 October 1996 On the way to Cincinnati, 12RODS witness a motorcycle accident at a gas stop between Columbus and Cincinnati, adding to the surreal atmosphere they experienced in Cleveland. 12RODS plays a show at Sudsy Malone's in Cincinnati, OH. Many old fans and idols of the group (in particular, old members of Lizard 99) were in attendance. The show was received well by the 40-50 people there. 9 October 1996 12RODS plays at O'Cayz Corral in Madison, WI. Very few people were in attendance other than the bartenders and the other band. 11 October 1996 12RODS plays at the Unicorn in Milwaukee, WI. About to be stiffed for the money at the show, the other band, Dorian Gray, actually payed the club to let the show continue. Kate Hyman of V2 was in attendance. 12 October 1996 12RODS plays the final show of the fall tour at Points East Pub in Milwaukee, WI, with The Virgins. The show rivalled the attendance of the Oxford shows, and was the show that sold the most merchandise throughout the tour. 26 October 1996 12RODS plays two shows at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis with Gusto Busto, Steel Shank, and Phone Job - their first shows in Minneapolis in 5 months. Both shows were very successful and were highly advertised by the local media. Many music industry people also attended, including the Time Bomb crew, Gary Gersh of Capitol Records (alleged), and Michael Hafitz, 12RODS' lawyer from New York. This show also introduced a new song to the playlist - "Lovewaves". 28 October - 1 November 1996 12RODS quickly record "Chromatically Declining Me" in their basement studio for another compilation CD, this time for KEGE 93.7 "The Edge" and Amphetamine Reptile Records. This was the first 12RODS recording to be done since the "gay?" sessions. 26 November 1996 12RODS make a quick visit to London to meet with Kate Hyman and the brand new V2 label. The opening press conference and evening reception was overwhelming, and the group immediately retreated into discussions regarding getting a record deal with V2 immediately. 30 November 1996 12RODS play an unusual 2-set show at the Loring Cafe for a full house. "Red" was performed for the first time in nearly 8 months. Opening the show was Lifter Puller. 27 December 1996 12RODS play a show at the newly-reopened 400 Bar in Minneapolis to a very well-sized crowd. Oxpecker, a new band from Chicago, opened the show. 31 December 1996 12RODS play a New Years' Eve show at Jitter's in downtown Minneapolis. The one-hour two-part show had it's technical difficulties, but all in all was a good show. January 1997 Most of the month of January is spent talking with lawyers and other business people involved in the upcoming deal with V2. A short trip to New York in the middle of the month interrupts work on new songs and a production version of "Revolute" for the upcoming show in February. Ryan continues to write new songs, Ev works on planning an upcoming studio design, and Christopher works on his Meat Raffle show (see 2 February) 2 February 1997 12RODS play at Christopher's Meat Raffle Music Festival which he organized. 15 other bands, both from Minneapolis and from out-of-town, played the all-day show. 12RODS started the show, as well as a 'surprise' appearance in the evening. 3 February 1997 At 3:12 PM CST, 12RODS signs a 6-record deal with V2 records in their basement studio. Kate Hyman and Richard Poulding (A&R and laywer of V2) were in attendance. 14 February 1997 12RODS play a double-headlining show at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis with Oxpecker and Lifter Puller. The premiere support-track version of "Revolute" closed the hour-long set. 19 February 1997 12RODS choose Roger Cramer of 3AM for management, with contracts to be negotiated for the next few months. 16 March 1997 12RODS play a show at the 7th Street Entry with Skeleton Key. This was the first show with a full ear-monitor setup, and turned out somewhat successful, though technical difficulties plagued the show. 17 March 1997 12RODS play a show in Lawrence, KS with Skeleton Key. 18 March 1997 12RODS play at the Steamboat as part of SXSW in Austin, Texas. The rather disastrous show was attended by many business people, including Roger Cramer. Spring 1997 Ryan finished 4-track demo versions of 4 new songs, including "Fuckin' Shit Up" (also known as "F.S.U."), "Bottom Of My Heart", "Part Of 2", and "Split Personality". 12RODS continues to build their recording studio and try to find a place to record. June 1997 12RODS take a few days and record Oxpecker in their partially-built studio (still temporarily in Ev's basement) in order to get used to the new recording equipment and to give Oxpecker a chance to get some songs recorded. 30 June 1997 Roger Cramer and Kate Hyman visit from New York 1 July 1997 12RODS find a place for their studio and practice space in downtown Minneapolis in the warehouse district. A local realtor was managing a building that had an upper floor that was not used for occupancy, due to old elevators and out-of-date fire escapes. For $1000 a month, 12RODS was able to rent one of the rooms on the top floor, which gave them plenty of room to set up and record, with a variety of room sizes and storage spaces. A stencil inside the elevator shaft read "Davis Hotel / The New Trenches" (unbeknownst to the owner of the building, John Osterbauer), so the studio was therefore dubbed "The Davis Hotel". July 1997 12RODS hire Bill Jackson, an accomplished jazz bass player from Cincinnati and Ryan and Christopher's junior high school band director, to play bass on some of the songs. Bill flew in for two sessions, one was in late July, the other in mid-August. The songs recorded with Bill were "I Wish You Were A Girl", "Girl Sun", "Tell A Lie", "Half The Fun", "Stupidest Boy", "Chromatically Declining Me", "Part Of Two", "Lovewaves", and "Babies". Ryan records bass parts for "I Am Faster", "Split Personality", "Make-Out Music", and "Stella". Additional songs recorded were "In Blue" and "Everybody pt. 2". September 1997 12RODS is asked to perform in New York City in late October for a V2 Records label showcase. While still in the middle of the record, 12RODS takes some time out to find a bass player, get some new performance gear, and rehearse new songs. 15 September 1997 Roger Cramer visits the studios to hear the progress of the new record. Kate Hyman was to also visit at the same time, but her mother passed away the night before. Roger hears level-mixes of 11 songs, and takes recordings of them back to New York to help with an upcoming publishing deal and to play them for A&R. October 1997 12RODS promotional CD's for "gay?" are made and distributed, V2 catalog number V2ADV-27509-2. Due to a duplication error, they listed 6 tracks, but mistakenly included the entire 8 tracks of the original EP. 4 October 1997 12RODS play their first live show in 7 months at the BBC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with Dorian Gray (whose CD release party it was) and The Virgins. The building the BBC was in barely had enough electrical power for the show, and 12RODS nearly cancelled until the resident sound person found a way to route the electricity safely and run the show. This was also the premiere of Tal Tahir as bass player. Tal Tahir was a Minneapolis musician who had played bass for local band King Can, and was beginning to play solo shows with a 4-track backing tape. He was hired as a live bass player, and was not officially a new member of the band. 11 October 1997 12RODS play at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis with opening act Oxpecker for a capacity crowd of nearly 300 people. 25-29 October 1997 12RODS take a trip to New York City to play a short show for V2 and to meet with their industry contacts, including business manager Phil Sarna, band manager Roger Cramer and Erik Eger, lawyer Michael Hafitz, and V2 A&R representative Kate Hyman. On October 27th, 12RODS play a show at CBGBs with other V2 acts (Grandaddy, Mavis Pribble [??]) for a label showcase. The stage monitor sound was unchecked and horrible, and it affected the band's performance. The show was also cut short by Grandaddy's manager, who continually kept pestering the band to stop playing so his band could go on. The show was well received, however, as a "good, not great" show for 12RODS. 12RODS also handed off 3 additional songs nearly completed in the studio. 28 October 1997 12RODS CD EP "gay?" is released worldwide on V2 Records, catalog number 63881-27509-2. November 1997 12RODS quickly finish up the recording and some mixing in their studio. By Thanksgiving, they send off "I Wish You Were A Girl", "Chromatically Declining Me", "I Am Faster", "Chromatically Declining Me (short version)", and "Small Bugs Raise Your Voice In Song", which was intended as a b-side for the "Red" single V2 wanted to release. The band recorded and completed the song in one day, 23 November, intending no other work to be done on the song after that. In the middle of the month, 12RODS received a very good review from the New Music Express publication (NME) in England, spurring some on-and-off last-minute decisions to take a short trip to London to play in December. Eventually they were postponed so the work on the record could continue. December 1997 12RODS go to Boston in the beginning of December to work with Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade to mix a few songs at Fort Apache Studios. 6 songs were completed, and an additional visit is planned for the beginning of January to mix 4 remaining songs. Once back in Minneapolis, 12RODS complete tracking on the last four songs, as well as a completely new version of "Part Of 2", and then retire for Christmas vacation. 1-3 January 1998 12RODS go to Boston again to finish mixing songs with Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade. After the mixes are done, it is decided that the 12RODS mix of a few songs is better, and they will be used on the record instead. mid January 1998 12RODS management gets a call from KROQ explaining their interest in "Red" from the "gay?" EP, and that they would like a new mix with more vocals so they can be heard on the radio. 12RODS quickly mix three versions of "Red" with vocals higher than normal, and immediately send it off to Kate Hyman. After this, there are approximately 7 different versions of "Red" that were available to the public. Tal Tahir decides to "concentrate on his 4-track work" and bow out from playing bass for 12RODS. The search for a 4th new bass player begins. 16 January 1998 12RODS mix the final song for the record and send the package off to Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering Studios for mastering - Ev went along. The title of the record had changed a few times, starting with "The New Trenches", "A Shark Eats A Dolphin", "Can The Stares Hold The Wait?", and eventually "Split Personalities" months later. February 1998 Rehearsals for upcoming tours and local performances begin with new bass player Alejandro Urzagaste. Al (as he is commonly known) was the guitarist for well-known Minneapolis band Oxpecker until they had disbanded in late 1997. The group works toward a scaled-down stage production as they prepare for shows in small venues across the country. More work with record artwork and liner notes continued, and publishing deals begin to trickle in from V2, Warner-Chappell, and EMI. March 1998 12RODS hires Kim Biggs as the art director for the new record. At about the same time she begins work, 12RODS receive a complementary letter from V2 CEO Jeremy Pierce, giving his comments on the new record. After some discussion about the letter, 12RODS is persuaded to record a new version of "Red" for the record and to include it in the album somehow - all to be done before the group leaves on tour in the middle of the month. Rehearsals continue daily for the live shows and upcoming tour as the itineraries, plans, hotels, etc. are planned by Roger Cramer, Christopher, booking agent Chapin Hemphill, and tour manager/sound mixer Mike Komm. Publishing deals whittle down to only V2, and further negotiations begin as the band draws ever closer to the end of their funds. 7 March 1998 12RODS record the basic tracks for "Red" in the studio space - now also Christopher's living area. 10 March 1998 12RODS play their first show in 4 1/2 months at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis, mainly as a practice show for the upcoming tour. 17 March 1998 12RODS depart for what is to be called the "Pay Your Dues Tour", a one-month stint of small clubs and bars and cheap hotel rooms for the sole purpose of getting the names and faces of 12RODS buzzing around places other than Minneapolis. 18 March 1998 12RODS play a show at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, MI with Daniel Cartier and Consilidated. 19 March 1998 12RODS play a show at Club Soda in Kalamazoo, MI with Packaged Bliss and Black Fuzz. 20 March 1998 12RODS play 2 45-minute sets at Motor Detroit in Detroit, MI. The weather was quite bad that evening, and turnout was low. 21 March 1998 12RODS play at Whit's End in Toledo, OH. The show was virtually unattended, and the band was stiffed half of their pay. 22 March 1998 12RODS play at The State Street Tavern in Erie, PA. The show was attended by one person other than the bartender. The band played for over one hour and wore themselves out - and stayed for drinks with the impressed owner afterwards. 23 March 1998 12RODS play at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ with Shades Of Violet and The Garlands. The show was attended by Roger Cramer, Erik Eger, and various V2 marketing people from New York. 24 March 1998 12RODS attend their first professional photo shoot in New York City with Josh Kessler (photographer) and Kim Biggs (art director). Many different poses were done, including one with a dog, an old television, bad men's wigs, and even earplugs. 25 March 1998 12RODS play a show at The Century Lounge in Providence, RI. The band caught up with Oxford friend Daniel Perlin, who was attending Brown University at the time. 26 March 1998 12RODS play a show at Bill's Bar in Boston, MA with Bigmouth from NYC. 27 March 1998 12RODS play a show at The Asylum in Portland, ME. The show was performed well, but the audience was a mismatch for the music and not very responsive. A member of one of the other bands approached Ryan and asked "Do you guys listen to the Cure? 'Cuz you sure sound like them.". 28 March 1998 12RODS play a show at Upstairs at Nick's in Philadelphia, PA with Murder City Devils, a Sub Pop group. Half of the show was performed without monitors, but nobody noticed because the show was virtually unattended. 30 March 1998 12RODS play a show at Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC. 31 March 1998 - 5 April 1996 12RODS take a short trip back to Minneapolis, cancelling 5 shows in order to finish the record (mixing of "Red" and sequencing) and also get out of some expectedly very low attendance shows. The official story was that Ryan caught strep throat. 7 April 1998 12RODS play a show at The Rave in Milwaukee, WI with Boxer and Dorian Gray. 8 April 1998 12RODS play a show at Mango Grill in Madison, WI with Boxer. 9 April 1998 12RODS play a show at Sudsy Malone's in Cincinnati, OH with El Gigante and (???). 10 April 1998 12RODS play a show at Mom's Music Store in Jeffersonville, IN. The stage at Mom's was a converted movie theater, and was mostly used for clinics and the like. 11 April 1998 12RODS play a show at the Metro in Chicago, IL. The show was well recieved, despite some minor heckling - Joe Shanahan, owner of the Metro, even commented on the performance. 15 April 1998 12RODS play a double-set show at Ozzie's in Oxford, OH with Junior Electric. 17 April 1998 12RODS play a show at the Rathskeller (a dormitory basement on Miami University's Western Campus) with Junior Electric. 18 April 1998 12RODS play a show at The Warehouse in LaCrosse, WI with Fore and The BuddyRevellers. 19 April 1998 12RODS play a double-header show at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis, MN with The Pobes, Deveraun Seraun, and The Spring Collection. May 1998 As bass player Al Urzagaste plans to attend school in the fall studying guitar, 12RODS hires Bill Shaw to replace him. With a lifetime of experience as a bass player in the Twin Cities area, Bill learns the songs quickly in preparation for another upcoming short tour to begin at the end of May. Tour Manager Mike Komm is called away to do another band (Harvey Danger), so Tom Dube of Boston takes his place. 26 May 1998 12RODS play a cameo show at the 400 Bar in preparation for the upcoming tour. 30 May 1998 12RODS play at Cedar's in Youngstown, OH 31 May 1998 12RODS play at the Euclid Tavern in Cleveland, OH. While there, they visit the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and sneak in for free. 4 June 1998 12RODS play their first show overseas at the Barfly Lounge in London. The show was heavily attended by V2 employees and a few press people. Kerrang! reportedly awarded the show 4 stars out of 5. 8 June 1998 12RODS play a show at Brownie's in New York City. It is this visit where 12RODS first sees copies of the new record ready to go. 9 June 1998 12RODS play a show at Upstairs at Nick's in Philadelphia, PA. 10 June 1998 12RODS play a show at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ. 11 June 1998 12RODS play at Bill's Bar in Boston, MA. 12 June 1998 12RODS play at the Century Lounge in Providence, RI. 15 June 1998 12RODS play at Club Soda in Kalamazoo, MI. 16 June 1998 12RODS play at The Metro in Chicago, IL. 17 June 1998 12RODS play at the Mango Grill in Madison, WI. 18 June 1998 12RODS play at the Warehouse in LaCrosse, WI. 19 June 1998 Fatigue of Ryan's voice cancels the remaining 2 shows in Iowa City, IA and St. Louis, MO - they return to Minneapolis. 20 June 1998 The single for Split Personality is released in the UK. The slimline CD (cat# VVR5002303) contains Split Personality, Stella, and Babies. The 7" single (cat# VVR5002307) contains Split Personality and Stella. 28 June 1998 12RODS fly to Los Angeles to do their first video shoot with director Leah DiBernardo for "Split Personality". While in L.A., the band meets again with mentor Brad Laner. 4 July 1998 12RODS play their first outdoor show at the Taste Of Minnesota, opening for Spacehog. 12 July 1998 12RODS play at the Bastille Day celebration in downtown Minneapolis, a day-long outdoor festival. The next to last of nearly 15 bands (including the Kelly Deal 6000 and The Odd), they played a short 35-minute set. 28 July 1998 "Split Personalities" (cat #63881-27015-2) is released in the US. 12RODS' new website opens to the public. 12RODS perform at Let It Be Records in downtown Minneapolis, performing a low-volume show. 29 July 1998 12RODS gets their first major press for "Split Personalities" with a short interview in Minneapolis' City Pages. The local newspapers, The Star Tribune and The Pioneer Press, follow in the following days. 12RODS also receives the final cut of the video for "Split Personality". 31 July 1998 12RODS play on local radio show "Off The Record" on Radio K 770AM. There was a short interview before the group performed "Part Of 2", "Split Personality", "Chromatically Declining Me", and a special version of "Lovewaves" featuring Kevin Matheny playing his trombone part at the end. The show was recorded at the station, however the engineer forgot to record vocals and keyboards. 1 August 1998 12RODS play to a packed house at the 400 Bar, playing a rare 1-hour headlining show. 2 August 1998 12RODS replay their efforts at the 400 Bar with an all ages show. Ryan's voice was quite worn before the show, but recovered as soon as the show got going. A rare performance of "Space Mountain" split the set. 7 August 1998 12RODS play a show at the Metro in Chicago opening for Kill Hannah. The show was broadcast live on the net via the Rolling Stone Network web site (actually jamtv.com). An online interview followed the show. 8 August 1998 12RODS play a show at the Side Door in St. Louis opening for the Red Aunts. August 1998 While waiting for tour information to come along, 12RODS spend some time upgrading instruments and gear, working on demos in the studio, remixing and working with other local bands and rehearsing for upcoming tour shows. 4 September 1998 12RODS play a show at the Double Door in Chicago with Menthol and Star Ball. The show was originally slated for the Metro, but was moved due to lower than expected ticket sales. 26 September 1998 12RODS play a show at The Cold Festival in Chicago. 29 September 1998 12RODS is informed that the video for "Split Personality" has been added to the playlist at video music channel M2. 8 October 1998 12RODS finally begins their fall tour with a pair of shows at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis. On this day they play with The Makeshift and Chromophase. This set of shows introduce a small light show with Sara Huska taking on the duties. This tour also is a first in that it includes 2 female crew members - Amy Buchanan takes on guitar/stage tech duties. Jay Perlman tour manages. 9 October 1998 12RODS plays a second show at the 400 Bar, this time with Planet Melvin and Matthew Foust's new band, Love-cars. Christopher has some unfortunate luck by getting a snare drum stolen at the end of the rather well-performed and well-attended show. 10 October 1998 12RODS play a show at Sudsy Malone's in Cincinnati, Ohio with Candy Afterlife. 11 October 1998 12RODS play a show at St. Andrew's Hall (The Shelter) in Detroit, MI, opening for Speedball Baby and Firewater. After the show, they do a live radio interview on WDET 101.9. 12 October 1998 12RODS play a show at the Grog Shop in Cleveland, OH opening for A Minor Forest. 13 October 1998 12RODS play an uneventful show at the Bug Jar in Rochester, NY opening for A Minor Forest. The band also did an interview with Video Hits, a local cable video program (Natasha). 14 October 1998 12RODS play a fabulous show at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. Roger Cramer and Paul Kolderie were in attendance. 16 October 1998 12RODS play a show at The Pontiac Grille in Philadelphia, PA, opening for PW Longs' Reelfoot. 17 October 1998 12RODS play a show at the Mercury Lounge in NYC, opening for Evelyn Forever. Booking agent Lisa Miller saw the band for the first time, and 12RODS team members Erik Eger, Sharon Lord, Sandy Sawotka, and others from V2 were in attendance. 18 October 1998 12RODS play a show at the Metro Cafe in Washington D.C. to an unappreciative crowd, opening for A Minor Forest. The band meets up with old friend and original 12RODS member Daniel Burton-Rose, now working as a writer in DC. 20 October 1998 12RODS plays a last-minute on-the-way-home show at The Empty Bottle in Chicago, opening for The Make Up. The show was cut short to 20 minutes, due to a late start time. 31 October 1998 12RODS play a party at Amy Buchanan's downtown apartment. The set began at 3:00AM, and was cut short to about 5 songs, intending to play more later. However, Ev became ill and the remaining set was called off. 6 November 1998 12RODS play a show at The Pontiac Grille in Philadelphia, PA, opening for Orbit and local band Roi. This show was intended as a warmup for the CMJ show the following day. 7 November 1998 12RODS play their biggest festival showcase yet, at the CMJ Festival in New York City. The show took place at Brownie's, and included other bands such as Minneapolis' own Matt Wilson Band. Despite the chaos inside the packed-out club and the potential technical problems (one of Ev's keyboards malfunctioned), the show went very well, and impressed everybody present. The 35-minute show included the near-perfect set list of 'Split Personality', 'I Wish You Were A Girl', 'Part Of 2', 'I Am Faster', 'Red', and 'Girl Sun'. November-December 1998 Most of November is spent preparing for an upcoming west coast tour in December, when it is suddenly postponed a month to wait for the record industry's December slumber. In the rather frustrating mean time, Ryan records some demos of songs with Ev, including "Astrogimp", "Telephone Holiday", "Kaboom", "I Think I'm Flying", and "Rock And Roll Band". A new and improved radio edit of "I Wish You Were A Girl" is completed for future imminent release. 9 December 1998 12RODS headline a show at the 7th Street Entry, with opening acts Lynx (a band they met at a show in Boston) and Thrush, a local supergroup. January 1999 Ryan completes a demo of one more song before sending the 6-song tape to Roger Cramer - "What Has Happened?", a specifically-designed short pop song about his ex-girlfriend. In the meantime, preparations for the January tour commence. 7 January 1999 12RODS play a surprise practice show at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis, opening for Mason Jennings, who plays regularly there every Thursday. 8 January 1999 12RODS departs for their first west coast tour, a 5500-mile two-week journey. Road manager and sound guy Mike Komm rejoins after a year-long stint with Harvey Danger. Sarah Huska joins along for light and merchandise responsibilities, and new to the crew is James Rhines, an ex-stage employee of Prince who was so enamored by 12RODS (via Prince drummer Michael Bland, who is also a fan) that he came along on the tour at 1/3 his normal cost. 10 January 1999 12RODS plays a show at the Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO, opening for local band 32. 14 January 1999 After a cancelled show in Salt Lake City on Jan 12 and day-long drives, 12RODS plays a show in Seattle, WA at The Crocodile with local bands The Cinematics and Wit Woo. 15 January 1999 12RODS plays a show at the Satyricon in Portland, OR with local bands Starter Kit, The Hell Candidates, and ***. 17 January 1999 12RODS plays a show at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, CA with Low Hum Satellites. 18 January 1999 12RODS plays a show at the Troubador in Los Angeles, CA. 19 January 1999 12RODS plays a show at the Casbah in San Diego, CA. 20 January 1999 12RODS plays a show at Spaceland in Silverlake (a part of Los Angeles), CA, opening for Ween, who shared manager Roger Cramer. 24 January 1999 12RODS plays their second show at the First Avenue Mainroom in Minneapolis at the Teenage Rampage, playing with Flipp, Ouija Radio, and Janis Figure (?). This show also marked the end of the west coast tour. February 1999 Due to mounting internal conflicts, 12RODS begin going to a group therapist to try and work through the problems. During this time Ryan finishes two more demos ("One Thing Does Not Belong" and "The Time Is Right [To Be Wrong]"). Plans are made for more demos, another US tour, and then to begin on recording the next record. 12 March 1999 12RODS plays a show at the 400 Bar playing mostly new material, including "Astrogimp", "What Has Happened", "The Time Is Right (To Be Wrong)", and "Telephone Holiday". Also playing at the show was Man Planet and Dim Sum, including members of Soul Asylum and Golden Smog. 15 March 1999 12RODS plays a show at the Fine Line in Minneapolis opening for labelmates Tin Star. 17 March 1999 12RODS plays a show at the 400 Bar for an early special St. Patrick's Day show with Arcadian and Tea & Sympathy. 18 March 1999 12RODS plays a show at the Metro in Chicago opening for Vast and Second Coming. This short trip was hindered by the loss of the hired sound crewperson, who didn't show up for the morning trek to Chicago. 19 March 1999 12RODS plays a show on the campus of the University Of Wisconsin at Madison. On this day the band finds out that not only was their upcoming tour of England cancelled, but also their April west coast tour opening for "Other Star People". Frustrated, disenchanted and confused, the band return to Minneapolis. 31 March 1999 12RODS are nominated by the Minnesota Music Academy in four different categories for the 1998 year: Best Rock Group, Best Rock Recording, Best Major Label Recording, Best Single "I Wish You Were A Girl". 12RODS won none of the awards, presented at the ceremony in late April. April 1999 Put in limbo due to the lack of touring support or interest, Ryan frustratingly begins churning out more demos, including "Marionette", "You Gotta Go", "Undone Again", "Your Secret's Safe With Me", and a new version of "Everybody". 17 April 1999 12RODS plays a show at the 400 Bar with guest John Strohm. 21-23 April 1999 12RODS spend 3 days at the Terrarium with producer, engineer, and good friend Brian Hanna recording "The Time Is Right (To Be Wrong)". Most of the recording is completed, but various auxilary tracks are left for a later date - the recording is never completed, and the song is actually re-recorded about a year later. During the sessions, which were intended to see if Brian Hanna would be a good producer for the next record, 70's überproducer Todd Rungdren expresses an interest in the band's next record. 8 May 1999 12RODS play a show at a local party in Minneapolis opening for Flipp. 22 May 1999 12RODS play a show at Cafe Zev in Minneapolis for a Gay Pride show. The show was uncomfortable at best, as most of the other acts either had a majority of gay members or karaoke/show-style lip-syncing. 6 June 1999 Ryan puts a cap on demo-writing, finishing four new songs, including "Radioaction", "She's A Spy", "Glad That It's Over", and a new version of "Tell A Lie". 12RODS then begin, as a band, to rehease for upcoming shows and the recording to take place in July and August. 11 June 1999 12RODS play two shows at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis, one all-ages show in the afternoon and an ID show in the evening. Both shows were very successful. 20 June 1999 12RODS play a chaotic and bad-sounding show at the infamous Loring Block Party. 26 June 1999 12RODS play two shows in one day - one at the Gay Pride festival at Loring Park in the afternoon, then headlining an AIDS benefit at the Fine Line. 27 June 1999 12RODS host a party/benefit at the practice space with many bands to generate money to keep their practice space. 28 June 1999 12RODS play a show at the Fine Line opening for Sponge. 3 July - 15 August 1999 12RODS are in Hawaii with Todd Rundgren recording material for their next record. (Further details in a separate web page). 2 September 1999 12RODS play their first show since returning from Hawaii - on a television show! St. Paul public television station KTCA's show "NewsNight" featured a story on the upcoming Mill City Music Festival, in which 12RODS will be a part, and featured the band on a song. "Astrogimp" and "Split Personality" was played as bumper music, and a shortened version of "Telephone Holiday" was featured. 3 September 1999 After rehearsal, Christopher announces that he wants to leave 12RODS. His explanation is that he's "not having any fun", and thinks that there's a better drummer for Ryan, Ev and Bill. He notes that he currently has his own lawyer, and that he'd like to keep the separation "clean" and without incident - an amicable split. He gives the band it's contractually obliged 90 days. Ryan, Ev and Bill are enthralled by the news and begin plans for the future. Manager Roger Cramer, obviously upset but steadfast about the news, suggests cancelling the upcoming shows throughout the rest of the year and begin finding a new drummer - as well as the additional work to be done on the record, including mixes, album title, artwork, etc. 4 September 1999 12RODS plays a double-header at the 400 Bar with an all ages show in the afternoon and an ID show in the evening. Attendance was average, but there were many things going on in the city over this labor day weekend, not to mention that 12RODS would also play a major festival in 2 days. Ev's project DotDotDot opened up for both shows. 6 September 1999 12RODS play the Mill City Music Festival in downtown Minneapolis. This is, unbeknownst to the public and even to Christopher, Christopher's last performance with 12RODS. September 1999 In the wake of Christopher's leaving the group, Ryan and Ev work on a production for a new live show, which will include much more in terms of sequenced drums and additional parts. While still looking for a live drummer (and getting their first new practice space in over 2 years), plans are made for a few shows in the meantime to be without drums, but with sequenced drum parts and additional musical parts previously unperformable. 25 October 1999 12RODS play their first show without a drummer - as a radio show! KVSC radio in St. Cloud broadcast a two-set show (which was also videotaped and broadcast on local access University television) that had re-made versions of almost every song. Reactions seemed positive and excited. 29 October 1999 12RODS play a Bruce Springsteen tribute show at the 400 Bar. The 5-minute version of "The Streets Of Philadelphia" seemed to pleasantly shock the audience with R&B-style drumbeats, 80's-style keyboard pads with three-part harmonies. 30 October 1999 12RODS play their first live show of original songs without a drummer at the 400 Bar opening for long-time friends Polara. 2 November 1999 12RODS audition their first drummer, local drumming legend Dave King, currently drummer for Happy Apple and Matt Foust's current band, Love-cars. Initially all-around impressed with his skill and adeptness at learning the parts and grooves, he is 12RODS choice for drummer. Other auditions are to follow in the coming weeks, but none top the chemistry experienced with Dave King. In the following weeks, he is officially introduced to the public as the new drummer. December 1999 As rehearsals continue, discussion continues about the mixing and mastering of the record, which is mostly done by Todd in Hawaii with little direct interaction by the band, with the exception of notes and phone calls sent back and forth. By the end of the month, the album is completed, titled "Separation Anxieties", and promo copies (without artwork) begin distribution. 6 January 2000 Ryan takes a short trip to Chicago to kick-start the artwork with artist and friend (and former member of Oxpecker) Adam Toht. 14 January 2000 12RODS play their first show with new drummer Dave King at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis, with opening bands December's Architects and Houston. The show was sold out, and over capacity. Ryan's amplifier started failing right before the show, so he improvised on an amp borrowed from the previous band. The show was an astounding success, with Dave's drumming skills shining brightly and wowing the audience. Roger Cramer was in attendance. 5 February 2000 12RODS plays another sold-out show; this time at the notorious all-ages venue the Foxfire, with Walker Kong and the Dangermakers and Triangle. 6-9 February 2000 Ryan and Ev take a trip to NYC to visit the label and other folks on the team. Meetings with Michael Hafitz and Phil Sarna discuss Christopher's departure agreement. After a presentation to the whole label about the new record and other items, the trip was deemed a success. 18 February 2000 Ryan and Ev play an acoustic show at the Bryant-Lake Bowl in Minneapolis. Part of a series dubbed "Noiseless", this third night featured 30-minute sets by Tulip Sweet and Dave Ray along with Ryan (accompanied by Ev). 25 February 2000 12RODS do a radio show on KFAI. They perform live in the studio (acoustically, using a similar setup to the Bryant-Lake Bowl show), this time with all four members. 26 February 2000 12RODS perform a show at the 400Bar. After a very well-performed first half, a technical glitch sent the latter half of the show into a performance slump. The audience was tough, and despite the presence of Kate Hyman and other label official Jeff Roberts, the overall impression wasn't as powerful as the band would have liked. 11 March 2000 12RODS perform a successful double-header benefit show at the 7th Street Entry with The Hidden Chord, Cadillac Blindside, Arch Stanton and The Hot. 24 March 2000 12RODS play at the Turf Club in Minneapolis supporting the release the City Pages' Twin Town compilation CD, upon which 12RODS' track "One Thing Should Not Belong" appeared. 3 April 2000 12RODS play a frustrating show at the Quest in Minneapolis opening for big Brit bands The Stereophonics and Charlatans UK. On this same day, KROQ in Los Angeles spins "What Has Happened?", the first official radio play from the new record. 24 April 2000 12RODS play a short 12-minute show at the Minnesota Music Awards show. Again they were stiffed their nomination for Best Rock Band. 28 April 2000 12RODS play a show at the Metro in Chicago with Todd Rundgren playing on a few songs - "Repeat" and "Rock and Roll Band", including a new song of Todd's "I Hate My Freakin' ISP", which the band wasn't very fond of. Despite trepidations about the show with Todd onstage, the show was VERY successful. Industry people were also in attendance, including Roger Cramer, Kate Hyman, and new booking agent Bruce Solar. 4 May 2000 12RODS play a sold-out acoustic show at the Bryant Lake Bowl in Minneapolis. The hour-and-a-half show was received very well, showing off the band in a very improvisational and loose form. 5 May 2000 12RODS play a show at the Red Carpet in St. Cloud, MN for the KVSC birthday party. Local pals The Hot opened up. 6 May 2000 12RODS play a show at a Carlton College / St. Olaf College outdoor party/festival. The successful but chaotic outdoor set was followed by rap pioneers The Sugar Hill Gang and alt-country headliners Wilco. May 2000 "What Has Happened?" begins to get radio airplay across the country. Late in the month, "Telephone Holiday" is recorded with John "Strawberry" Fields in Minneapolis, the first 12RODS recording with Dave King. Though the tracks are recorded the song isn't mixed and finished for several months. 2 June 2000 12RODS is scheduled to perform at a "local" festival called "Crazy Days", organized by a parent of a friend of the band. At the last minute the show is cancelled due to disputes between the venue owner and the promoter. This was to be the last local show for over a month, as touring and CD release shows weren't scheduled to happen until July. 18 June 2000 12RODS make a short radio appearance on Cities97 FM in Minneapolis on the local showcase, doing an interview and performing a few songs acoustically. 20 June 2000 Almost one year after recording began, 12RODS second full-length album "Separation Anxieties" is released on V2 Records. Local reviews are surprisingly mostly negative, while national reviews are positive. Despite a difficult day business-wise and morale-wise, the band celebrated in the evening. 24 June 2000 12RODS play a one-off outdoor radio festival in Hartford, CT. Despite the horrendous airport problems (Dave flew in separately from Chicago), lack of sleep, lack of food, outdoor show at 12:30 in the afternoon and a broken keyboard, the show went relatively well. Ev threw the broken keyboard, one he had been using for many years, into the audience never to be seen again. Meet and greet with the radio station and others occupied the rest of their time. 3 July 2000 12RODS depart on their first full-scale tour since early 1999. 5 July 2000 12RODS start their tour with a show at the Cotton Club in Atlanta, GA. Though well received and well played, the show was attended by about 25 14-year old girls, there to see headlining band Neve. After the show, hosts from V2 and Roger Cramer took the band out to a local dive strip club. 6 July 2000 12RODS play a show at Marrs in Wilmington, NC opening for SR-17. Though the show was performed excellently, the club was barely occupied. 8 July 2000 12RODS play a headlining show at Bill's Bar in Boston, MA. The show was disappointingly attended, but again well played. Both "I Am Faster" and "The Time Is Right" were played for the first time in quite a few months. 9 July 2000 12RODS play the K-Rock Festival in Syracuse, NY. Many other bands played the outdoor festival, and 12RODS was restricted to a short 20-minute set in front of approximately 15,000 people. 11 July 2000 12RODS play a show at Brownie's in New York City. 12 July 2000 Ryan goes to a quick marketing meeting at V2, and returns jaded and depressed wth the lack of ideas at V2. A long discussion and walkabout in the boardwalk at Asbury Park makes the band question the management of Roger Cramer, who seems to have become burnt-out by the music industry. Despite this, 12RODS plays a superb show at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ. With spirits a bit higher, the band drives to Philadelphia that evening. 13 July 2000 12RODS play a show at the Pontiac Grill in Philadelphia, PA. The well-played and poorly attended show frustrated the band even further. 15 July 2000 12RODS play a show at Jack Legs' in Nashville, TN. The show's energy was somewhat low by comparison, and it reflected in the audience. 18 July 2000 After a two-day break, 12RODS begin the final leg of their tour in Fayetteville, AR at JR's. The show was well-played and well-received, a change from the rest of the tour, which brought the spirits back up. 19 July 2000 12RODS play a show at the Side Door in St. Louis, MO. Weeks ago, the band was called on to not play their show (in exchange for $100) in favor of Sammy Hagar, who wanted to do a show there that night. Roger Cramer refused, and the show proceeded with BOTH acts - 12RODS was the early show, Sammy Hagar was the late show. The late show was announced at 4:00 that afternoon, and soon after, a line of about 250 people were outside the club, waiting to let them in at 11:00, AFTER 12RODS performed, where they cleared out the venue as if they were two separate shows. People in the Sammy Hagar line were not allowed to go see 12RODS and keep their place in line - as a result, the show had dismal attendance, though the show was performed superbly. They made $53. 20 July 2000 12RODS play a show at the Double Door in Chicago, IL. The show was respectably attended, and was extremely well performed. The crowd was singing along to certain songs, and showed the band that a healthy audience in Chicago was very possible. They surmised that the number of people that attended this show outnumbered the attendance at all of the other shows on this tour combined (excepting 9 July 2000). 21 July 2000 12RODS play their homecoming/CD Release party show at 1st Avenue's mainroom in Minneapolis, MN. The club was packed with over 1,000 people, and unsurprisingly the show was performed flawlessly. It was a pinnacle of the band's career, and made up for a lot of lost energy from the road trip. 31 July - 6 August 2000 12RODS record "The Time Is Right (To Be Wrong)" at the studio at Ev's home, recording live drums at the studio for the first time ever. At the end of the week, Ev and Ryan also finish mixing "Telephone Holiday" themselves, completing two brand new songs. 11 August 2000 12RODS play another "Off The Record" show at Radio K in Minneapolis. The songs performed were "I Think I'm Flying", "You Gotta Go", "Kaboom", and "Rock And Roll Band". 12 August 2000 12RODS play at the LynLake Festival in Minneapolis, MN. The outdoor show proved to be very hot and sweaty, but quite successful and popular; over 700 people crammed into the small alley to see the show. Ironically, an equal amount of money was made at the merchandise booth as was paid to the band for the show itself. 18 August 2000 12RODS play a one-off WOXY-sponsored show in Oxford, OH with the Waxwings and The Getaway People. It was the first opportunity for Bill and Dave to visit the roots of the band and Ev and Ryan's parents. 7 September 2000 12RODS headline a show at the Cabooze in Minneapolis, MN for the City Pages 21st birthday party. The show was well-attended and very well performed - a success. September 2000 Most of September is spent still waiting for tour opportunities. With the lack of support from V2 to even make an attendance at the CMJ music festival in New York in October, 12RODS slowly pursues the option of asking to be let go from V2. In the meantime, Ev invests in a recording studio space with Matt Foust and gets Ryan involved in the building out and construction. Dave King has his first born, Ella Jean, on September 19th. 13 October 2000 12RODS play a show at The Lab, the club formerly known as Ryan's, in St. Paul, as part of the St. Paul Art Crawl afterparty. Local band Lamp Santa opened the show. 27 October 2000 12RODS play a show at Edina High School in support of a local independent school magazine called Tangents. Despite the low turnout (the promoter, a student, expected nearly 1000, and 150 showed up), bad sound, and the lack of much pay, the band played a great show (dressed up by the costume closet), invited the audience to sit on the stage with them and talked with many students for a long time afterwards. 2 November 2000 12RODS play a show at the Double Door in Chicago. Supporting was Million Yen. 16 November 2000 After a conference call with Michael Hafitz, it is decided that 12RODS will no longer be managed by Roger Cramer. V2 has expressed interest in a number of ways that they are interested in picking up the option for the 3rd record, much to the surprise of most of the band. Local music businessmen Jesse Mraz and Jim Weber take on duties for booking 12RODS in regional shows and are expected to take on rudimentary managerial duties as well. 2 December 2000 12RODS play a double show at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis. The all ages show was fun and relatively silly, while the evening ID show was sold out. The Waxwings and Buss opened both shows. 23 December 2000 On their way to a show in Detroit, 12RODS decides to turn back after driving 12 hours into Michigan to find the highways undriveable. The next show in Lansing, MI was also cancelled. 30 December 2000 12RODS play a show at Schuba's in Chicago with Atomic Numbers and Plastics Hi-Fi. Though the show came off successfully, Ryan had trouble with his voice (a persistent cold hadn't gone away yet) and most of the band was very tired. 31 December 2000 12RODS play a New Year's Eve show at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis with Skylab and Davenport. January 2001 Ryan writes and composes more demos for the next record, including "Fake Magic Eight-Ball", "Accidents Waiting To Happen", "You Have A Crush On Me", and "Shake Your Body" - all of the songs have a much deeper groove and darker tone than previous 12RODS songs, setting the tone for the next record. 12 January 2001 12RODS play a show at The Hurricane in Kansas City, MO with fellow Minneapolitans Janis Figure. 13 January 2001 12RODS play a show at Hairy Mary's in Des Moines, IA. The opening/headliner band cancelled at the last moment, so 12RODS played alone to a crowd of about 15 people. 20 January 2001 12RODS play a show at the Red Carpet in St. Cloud, MN with Half Ton Club. 21 January 2001 12RODS play a show at the Red Carpet in St. Cloud, MN with Har Mar Superstar and Half Ton Club. The all ages show was a Target Market showcase, and though the turnout was moderate for an all ages show, the band was paid well. 31 January 2001 12RODS unofficially begin recording parts of the next record by recording a demo for "Summertime Vertigo" at Ev's new home, Integral Studio. Built on parts of the 12RODS studio gear, Ev found a real studio space and along with partner Matt Foust, made it an official business, recording their own projects as well as many other local bands, while still being the home for 12RODS' work. 2 February 2001 12RODS plays a show at The Cave on the campus of Carleton College in Northfield, MN. 3 February 2001 12RODS plays a show at What's Up in Mankato, MN. 11 February 2001 12RODS plays a show at the Bryant Lake Bowl for Popular Creeps, a local radio show. Later in the evening, a taping of a radio show done at KQRS the week before was also broadcast. 13 February 2001 12RODS do a taping for Channel 9's Buzz portion of their news program (with host Robyn Robinson) during the day, and was broadcast later that evening. 14 February 2001 12RODS plays a show at the First Avenue mainroom in Minneapolis, MN, with openers Atomic Numbers from Detroit and Houston from Minneapolis. Being the middle of the week AND a holiday, and with very little press, the late show had a somewhat disappointing turnout. 15 February 2001 12RODS plays at the Reed Street Station in Milwaukee, WI with Ebb N' Flow. 16 February 2001 12RODS plays at the 770 Club on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison. 8 March 2001 Ryan, Ev and Bill mix more demos Ryan has been working on for the past few months (called Demos II) which include "24 Hours Ago", "Summertime Vertigo", "Boy In The Woods", "Terrible Hands" and "Functional Noninstitution". 11 March 2001 12RODS play on KFAI to promote the upcoming U2 tribute show. 13 March 2001 12RODS play a U2 tribute show, set up as a benefit for a legal bill called SAVE. 12RODS headlined the show, playing "Wire" and "Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car". Ev played solo as a performance art piece on "Numb" 31 March 2001 12RODS play a show at Waterworks in Centerville, MN (a teen dance club) for a Target Market showcase. Despite being paid $1500 for the show, the band was surprised and disappointed with the kind of venue and crowd - only kids aged 15-20 were even ALLOWED to be in the club, and most of them were just looking forward to the dance music that followed. 4 April 2001 12RODS play on-air on 770 Radio K for their PowerSurge fundraiser. They played "Fake Magic Eight Ball", "Boy In The Woods", and "Red" - all off-the-cuff acoustic performances. A short interview followed. 6 April 2001 12RODS headline a show at the Double Door in Chicago, IL with Spies Who Surf and Matthew. 7 April 2001 12RODS play at the What's Up in Mankato, MN with The Eggnoggs 13 April 2001 12RODS play a show at The Rave in Milwaukee, WI. The band left with $40 each from an average turnout from a horrible sounding (but very well performed) show pretty depressed. The next day's show in Cincinnati is cancelled due to a city-wide curfew stemming from days of rioting. 20 April 2001 12RODS play a show at the Lion's Pause on the campus of St. Olaf in Northfield, MN with Katnapping and Jamestown. 21 April 2001 12RODS play a show in Morris, MN for the University of MN, Morris' benefit for their radio station. A two-day show that took place in an elementary school/gymnasium/theater, 12RODS headlined the last day of the event. 28 April 2001 12RODS play a show for Derby Days, a University of St. Thomas event. The show was held at O'Garas Garage in St. Paul, a place the band wouldn't normally play (O'Garas usually hosts cover bands and the like). A tiny turnout (the student promoter did a poor job) and the near-heckling from the St. Thomas students made the show a depressing affair for the band. 9 May 2001 12RODS are picked as "Best Pop Band" in the Minneapolis City Pages' Best of 2001 issue. 14 May 2001 12RODS win their first Minnesota Music Awards; Best Rock Band and Best Rock Recording. Nobody in the band was in attendance at the ceremony. 26 May 2001 12RODS play a show at MaxFest, a small festival in Milwaukee, WI. Playing just before Minneapolis band Iffy, the group premiered 4 new songs to an unsuspecting audience. "Fake Magic Eight Ball", "You've Got A Crush On Me", "Accidents Waiting To Happen" and "Boy In The Woods" got their show test-runs before the upcoming June 1st Minneapolis premiere. The show was cold and somewhat uncomfortable, but the band pulled off the new songs fine. 30 May 2001 12RODS receives a short but concise email from V2 head Jeremy Pearce confirming the band's suspicions - 12RODS is effectively released from the contract with V2 and no longer plans to release records by them. 1 June 2001 12RODS play a sold-out/capacity show at the Turf Club in Minneapolis, MN, premeiring 7 new songs to the Minneapolis audiences. The show was excellent - the Turf club had not seen lines that long outside the club in its history. Ironic point: the Turf Club is mere blocks away from O'Garas Garage (see 28 April). 10 June 2001 12RODS plays an all-age show at the Dinkytowner in Minneapolis, MN. 5 July 2001 12RODS plays a show at Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI, playing in a prime time slot opening for local radio heroes Semisonic. The well-played outdoor show was averagely received by the mixed crowd. On the way there, some passing motorists recognize the band and put a "12 RODS ROCKS" sign in their car window for the band to see. 19 July 2001 12RODS play a show at Sursumcorda in Minneapolis, MN. August 2001 12RODS begin spending their time recording in Integral Studio. Between Dave's touring with Happy Apple and the current booking schedule of the studio, sessions are only 2-3 times a week, but are supremely productive. Nobody but the band members are involved in the recording sessions - no outside influence is allowed. In the off times, Ryan works on even more demos, usually stemming to 8-12 hours a night, beginning at around 10pm. He also collaborates with pal Mark Mallman on a new project called Joggers. Keeping as busy as possible in the studio takes away from many business dealings, including shows. 12RODS, Inc. is dissolved for many reasons including financial and emotional, and a new corporation, Terrible Hands, Inc. is created. 7 September 2001 12RODS play a show at the Weisman Art Center on the campus on the University of Minnesota (in lieu of the Whole, the campus' rock club, due to construction). 28 September 2001 12RODS play another sold-out/capacity show at the Turf Club in Minneapolis, MN. 2 October 2001 12RODS has a feature article in the Minnesota Daily, the newspaper for the university of Minnesota. The article was done from an interview done about a week earlier that extended to 3 hours as the band just let everything loose. 5 October 2001 12RODS play a show at the Red Carpet in St. Cloud, MN. 18 October 2001 12RODS play a show at Reed St. Station in Milwaukee, WI. 19 October 2001 12RODS play a show at the Rathskellar on the UW Campus in Madison, WI. After a rough sound check with taunts and insults directed at the band because they were too loud, the show actually went on without a hitch, despite being even louder. November 2001 Further work on the new record, now tenatively titled "Where Time Stops and the Magic Never Ends", continues. By the end of the month, 10 songs are completed with only a select few fixes to make, nearly halving the amount of time it took to make Split Personalities, even working sporadically. 12RODS are also offered to be on a soundtrack to an upcoming movie entitled "Orange County". A quick-and-dirty contract (regarding first-look rights by Columbia/Sony) is pulled up and signed without contest. 18 December 2001 12RODS appears on the "Orange County" movie soundtrack, which is released today. 21 December 2001 12RODS play a very well-attended show at the Uptown in Minneapolis. January 2002 12RODS spends most of the month finishing up recording and mixing for the upcoming release, as of this point planned for March. General and specific plans are also made to find new management, label, press agent, etc., as the managerial relationship between the band and Jim Weber/Jesse Mraz has fallen away. 24 January 2002 12RODS plays a show at Reed St. Station in Milwaukee, WI. Though the show was averagely attended (for a Thursday night), the band played excellent. 25 January 2002 12RODS plays a headlining show at the Double Door in Chicago, IL. The excellent show received 2 encores from the audience. Skip Werner was in attendance, and much future business was discussed, with the possibility of Skip being the new 12RODS manager. Feb-Mar 2002 12RODS puts the final touches on the new record, as of this point untitled. With encouragement from Skip Werner, the band decides not to put the album out themselves, but to find label support. 20 April 2002 12RODS plays their first show in Minneapolis in 4 months at the Uptown in Minneapolis, MN. This show was even more well-attended than the previous Uptown show. 28 April 2002 12RODS play an all-ages show at the Dinkytowner in Minneapolis, MN 10 May 2002 12RODS play a show at the Turf Club in St Paul 11 May 2002 12RODS play a show at the Lion's Pause on the campus of St Olaf College in Northfield. 26 May 2002 12RODS play a show at the final Loring Block Party in Minneapolis, MN 12 June 2002 12RODS play an outdoor show (arguably their best) in uptown near Calhoun Square, in support of a new local magazine. Skip Werner made a surprise appearance. 21 June 2002 12RODS plays a show as part of MobFest in Chicago, IL at the Metro with bands 'Plain White T-Shirt' and 'Duvall'. Skip Werner had set up the show as a sort of showcase for industry people to see the band at it's best. July 2002 The record is completed, given a title ("Lost Time"), and artwork gets worked on by Dave King. The plan again is to release the record alone, as no major label interest was shown from the show in Chicago. Skip Werner suggests to also shop it to indie labels, but the band still aims for an October release. 27 July 2002 12RODS plays a show as a part of Taste of Chicago in Chicago, IL. They played on the main stage opening for Verbow and Bob Mould. 23 August 2002 12RODS plays a show at the Quest in Minneapolis. 25 August 2002 12RODS plays a show at the Northeast Jam in NE Minneapolis, MN. Though the outdoor festival was expecting 1,000+ people in attendance, there was more crew than audience during the entire event. September 2002 12RODS prepares and plans for the release of "Lost Time" with CD pressings, t-shirts, buttons, stickers, press interviews, etc. From a direction from Dave King, Jacob Hanson of the local group Cowboy Curtis begins rehearsing with the band. Jacob's role is to fill in guitar lines that Ryan or Ev can't play, and to enhance the sound. Ryan works with Jake for a few weeks, the rehearsals begin in earnest, with the official introduction to be the CD release show on Oct 15th. 29 September 2002 12RODS makes an appearance on KQRS' Homegrown radio show 1 October 2002 12RODS opens the new website with online purchasing. During the first 24 hours, 11 CDs are sold. 11 October 2002 12RODS plays on Radio K's live show, "Off The Record". 15 October 2002 12RODS plays their CD release show at First Avenue's mainroom with Halloween Alaska and Manplanet. Though the show was well-received, the turnout was average (just under 600) due to having a show during a weekday night and First Avenue's lackluster promotion. Despite this, over 100 CDs were sold. November 2002 With Dave King touring with Happy Apple and the Bad Plus in Europe, the rest of the band deal with administrative issues and selling CDs. Over the course of a month, approximately 500 CDs are sold either at shows, through stores, or online. November 16, 2002 Ryan and Ev play an acoustic 12RODS show at the G.R.E.A.T. playhouse in St. Cloud, MN December 2002 Radio K's #1 song and album for the week of November 25th are "Accidents Waiting To Happen" and "Lost Time" 14 December 2002 12RODS sells out the Uptown in Minneapolis, MN 20 December 2002 12RODS headlines the Double Door in Chicago, IL 31 January 2003 12RODS sells out the Turf Club in Minneapolis, MN 5 February 2003 12RODS plays a show at the Bull Pub on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Duluth - their first Duluth show 7 February 2003 12RODS plays a show at The Cave at Carleton College in Northfield, MN 8 February 2003 12RODS plays a show at the Double Door in Chicago, IL opening for a CD release party headliner. 11 February 2003 12RODS gets a very favorable review from Pitchfork Media (8.1 out of 10), and a surge in online CD sales results. 11 April 2003 12RODS plays a show at the Red Carpet in St Cloud, MN 17 April 2003 12RODS plays a show at The Globe in Milwaukee, WI with Fruit Bats 18 April 2003 12RODS plays a show at the Uptown in Minneapolis, MN May 2003 During this period 12RODS is in a slump. David King is garnering much success with the Bad Plus, which puts him on tour for much of the year. Ryan is working on a project with Mark Mallman called "Joggrrz", an electronic outfit, and Ev is busy with his studio. Skip Werner works on industry showcases and finally gets on in New York City in mid-June. 16 June 2003 12RODS plays an industry showcase at Piano's in New York City. A one-off show out of town, it was attended by mostly music industry types from Elektra and the management company for Dave's group The Bad Plus, but also fans from the east coast area who had not seen the band perform on that coast for quite a few years. 26 July 2003 12RODS plays a show at the Uptown in Minneapolis, MN 15 August 2003 12RODS plays a show at the Turf Club in Minneapolis, MN September 2003 12RODS gets an offer from a local management company to do a 3-4 week tour of east coast colleges in October. With Ev unable to do long trips with his studio business and Dave consistently doing tours with The Bad Plus, 12RODS decides to shuffle around some members are get some temporary replacements for the tour. Jake Hanson begins taking over keyboard responsibilities, and George Marich, an old student of Dave's, begins the drum responsibilities. The tour is later moved from October to November for financial reasons, but the plans still exist, and the new setup begins rehearsing. October 2003 The tour is called off, due to management irresponsibility. With Dave still unavailable and constantly touring with the Bad Plus, the band decide to use George as the new permanent drummer, with encouragement from Dave. 3 October 2003 12RODS plays a show at the Uptown in Minneapolis, MN. This is the first show with George Marich and drummer and Jake Hanson as keyboard and guitar player - the first four piece lineup since Jake had joined. Ev was on the sidelines, jumping up to sing backup vocals every once in a while. 6 December 2003 12RODS plays the first of a string of "album shows", beginning with the earliest album "gay?", at the Dinkytowner in Minneapolis. 18 December 2003 12RODS plays a show at the Stone's Throw in Eau Claire, WI 10 January 2004 12RODS plays the "Split Personalities" show at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis, MN. 17 January 2004 12RODS plays a show at The Red Carpet in St. Cloud, MN 21 January 2004 12RODS plays a show on the campus of the University of MN in Duluth. 30 January 2004 12RODS plays a show at The Whole, on the University of MN campus in Minneapolis. 13 March 2004 12RODS plays the "Separation Anxieties" show at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis. 24 April 2004 12RODS plays the Lion's Pause at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN 25 April 2004 12RODS plays at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis 29 May 2004 12RODS plays at the Big Wu Family Reunion in Albert Lea, MN 10 July 2004 12RODS plays the "Lost Time" show at the Turf Club in Minneapolis. 29 July 2004 12RODS plays the Stone's Throw in Eau Claire, WI 14 August 2004 12RODS plays their final performance at the First Avenue Mainroom in Minneapolis, MN. The very well attended and very well performed 2 1/2-hour show was a beautiful and bittersweet finish to the band's career. The show was recorded, and later released as "Last Show: First Avenue".