Make Do And Mend are currently out on one of the best tours of the year with Balance & Composure, Fireworks, and Polar Bear Club, so we thought it would be rad if James from the band would do a Road Blog for PropertyOfZack. Make sure to check back every week for more updates!

From James Carroll:

So this is the first installment of the Clash, Battle, Guilt, Pride MDAM tour diary.  First and foremost, fuck yes. Just the lineup alone of this tour makes it one of the most special thing we’ve ever been a part of.

Let’s take a look at the specs:
Balance and Composure - Doylestown, PA HEAVY rockers.  Put out perhaps my favorite record in recent memory this year entitled Separation. Over all just a bunch of easy going guys who put on a truly unforgettable live show.

Fireworks - True freaks hailing from Detroit, MI with new addition, Adam on keyboard and third guitar Fireworks annihilate a set list packed with hits from their newest release, Gospel, as well as old favorites.

And last but certainly not least…
Polar Bear Club - The headliners, touring in support of their soon too be released Clash, Battle, Guilt, Pride put on a live show perfectly balanced between passionate fury and calm deliberate emotion. It is truly an honor to be out with these guys.

Though only getting to spend about 3 weeks on this tour we have had the oportunity to play some amazing shows.  The tour kicked off in Pawtucket, RI and we continued on to Poughkeepsie both locations were places we’ve never played before and were pleasantly surprised at how awesome the shows were. Philly and Baltimore served up two amazing shows as always. I didn’t get to eat at Govinda’s OR Pretzel Factory in Philly, but hangs in Baltimore with many friends who feel a lot more like family when we get to see one another were very very awesome.

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From James Carroll:

Hey Guys, 

So just like all good things, the Manscout Jamboree has come to an end. Before I talk about the last few shows of the tour, let me talk a bit about how amazing this tour was for all involved.

Getting to spend a month with already close friends in Fireworks and Living With Lions was an unbelievable priviledge, but having the opportunity to meet, get to know, and learn to love the guys in The Wonder Years was by far the coolest part about our time on The Manscout Jamboree.  

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From James Carroll:

I write this update from the home of the legendary Schwartz family in Birmingham Alabama. I will pick up where I left of last, inLas Vegas Nevada. Considering that we have only played Las Vegas once before our  show was amazing. It was a much needed boost after a day of hard luck at the black jack tables.  We capped off  our time on the beautiful west coast at Orange County’s fabled Chain Reaction which was very exciting for all of us. To be able to perform on a stage that so many of our heroes have also performed on was truly unbelievable.  All in all, this string of west coast shows were  some of my favorites that we have ever played. A highlight was definitely a very cool DIY venue in Stockton, CA called A Plea For Peace Center. It is always an awesome treat to see people working hard at keeping all ages DIY venues alive. These places are becoming all too scarce. 

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James Carroll, the lead singer of Make Do And Mend, has been rad enough to sign on to do a Road Blog for the band’s current tour with The Wonder Years, Fireworks, and Living With Lions. We will be getting frequent updates from Carroll, so always check back!

From James Carroll:

This is James Carroll from Make Do and Mend.  I’m not really sure how these things are supposed to go, so I guess I’ll just tell you a little bit about The Manscout Jamboree and its happenings thus far. 

The Manscout Jamboree is comprised of The Wonder Years, Fireworks, ourselves, and the almighty Living With Lions. Kicking off in Lansing Michigan, we were all pretty sure from the start that this tour was going to be something special. After a great gig in Lansing we spent our day off  the next day playing one of our favorite places in the entire country, the basement of The Metal Frat in Ann Arbor, MI. Anyone who has ever played/attended a show at “The Frat” can tell you that it is one of the most unique concert going experiences they have ever had.  

On the third night of the tour in Covington, Kentucky the tour was dealt a crippling blow when we were informed that Fireworks’  Dave Mackinder’s father had passed away. The news was tough on all of us, but especially on the Fireworks dudes. They left for home  that night to take a brief intermission from the tour to be with Dave and  his family during a turbulent time. 

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