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Last month, the band wrapped up a Texas tour with a couple shows at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas. It was our first time playing at SXSW and we had a blast!

If you aren’t familiar with the festival, here’s how it works. Try to imagine some 2,000 musical acts playing on 80 stages in downtown Austin, TX for four straight days. Crazy, right? Now imagine the 175,000 fans traveling from around the world to support their favorite bands and hear some new ones. Seriously… out of control. Practically every club, bar, and restaurant welcomes bands to play, and when we were simply walking down the streets of Austin, it wasn’t unusual to hear up to ten bands playing at any given moment. The organized mayhem takes everyone involved to the edge of sensory overload, and we learned very quickly not to be separated from our earplugs!

As official performers for the festival, we found ourselves in an enviable position- we were able to walk in and out of almost any show we wanted. With so many bands there, it was a really difficult to decide who to see. Some of the bands we heard were: Karnivool, Stone Temple Pilots, Tally Hall (who joined us on Fearless Music TV) and Dillinger Escape Plan. We also heard our cellist friend Zoe Keating, then the next day played a jam session together!

Break of Reality performed two shows during the weekend. The first was part of a “classical crossover” themed showcase, and we were pleasantly surprised that the place was packed! The next evening, we gave a solo show at a great club called The Lucky Lounge. We had a lot of friends come visit us for that show and it was the perfect way to end a great tour. Having never played at SXSW or even in Austin, we didn’t know exactly what to expect. However, having experienced it (and survived it!), we recommend everyone to check it out and hope to see some of you there next year.

-Break

The summer has started, and BoR is up and running once again.  We had a great CD release show in NYC, almost got blown off the stage by 30mph winds at the Lilac Festival in Rochester, NY, and met lots of cool kids at workshops we did at Smithtown High School.  We also played Central Park this week, and started what could be the first headbanging / moshpit circle in Central Park history.  (A big thank you to you crazy Canadian kids we met in Central Park

We’re taking this week off.  Patrick is celebrating his girlfriend’s birthday in Boston, Phil is heading home to Virginia to hang out with fam, and Torch is going to Michigan to teach some of his private students.  Ivan is heading home to Texas for a random visit to surprise his dad and mom, (if you read this, don’t tell them he’s coming!)

We’ll be posting some new performance and interview videos this week.  And, don’t forget, our new album is out   Catch up soon.

-Break

Hey Everyone! This is a new press photo of Break of Reality taken by our friend Erin Patrice O’Brien. Let us know what you think!

For more info on Erin’s photography, check out www.erinpatriceobrien.com.

Also, our new members will introduce themselves next week, so stay tuned!

3-6-09
I’m leaving for Texas later today, and I can’t wait! If you’re not
aware, Break of Reality’s new line up will be premiering a new work
for music and dance. The piece was commissioned by a ballet company in Victoria, TX, my hometown. While we’re there, we’re also
performing an educational workshop in Houston and a larger show in
Laredo.
This will be the first time our new line up performs in public, and
also the first time we’ve performed new music in over TWO YEARS. I
gotta say, I am nervously excited! My stomach is all twisted up,
and the butterflies inside it seem to be growing.
Being a music fan for such a long time, I know how people tend to
respond to “new.” For example, “Their new stuff sucks – Their old
stuff was way better.” I’ve regretfully said that before about music
groups before. The tables have turned, and BoR is now in the position
to get the same reaction.
Are we worried?
Nope. (Well maybe a little), lol.
Ultimately though, we’re done living in the past. The old group was
great, but it’s time to pick up the pieces, start fresh, and bring
“cello rock” to the people again!
From now on, we’re blogging about the new Break of Reality. BoR is
living in the “now”.
————–
Next Week: Video Update from TX! New members are coming soon…

2-27-09

I don’t think the four of us could have stayed together even if we wanted to. We had been through so much turmoil and pressure that something was going to blow up eventually. Erin probably saw this coming before the rest of us did. It was inevitable.

In the end, Patrick and myself were the only two left, and two people can’t make up a rock band (unless your the White Stripes)… and we’re not the White Stripes.

But we couldn’t leave this project. We had put our energy and our souls into BoR for the last four years, and we started something that needed to be continued. We had to do something, even if we had to start from square one.

So that’s what we did:

SQUARE ONE

After months apart, Patrick and I reunited in Jersey and jammed out for the first time (EVER). Seriously.

Sure, we had rehearsed plenty of times, but we never sat down and just “jammed”.

I pulled out my guitar, Pat dusted off his cello, and we just started going, like two high school kids jamming out in the garage. It was a blast.

It was the most fun I had in a long time, and we were actually coming up with some fresh new ideas. We weren’t thinking about lighting our cellos on fire or doing over the head solos. The novelty was replaced with something else. Something fresh.

We were spilling our guts and writing music with no real plan in mind. Just for fun, probably the way it should be. We kept going, for that entire summer.

—————–

Next week on BoR Blog: We’re not exactly sure yet…

Patrick here. Yeah, that’s right.
Even though Ivan is our usual blogger, we’re all tired of hearing him run off at the mouth. (Just kidding dude). But seriously, I wanted to write this blog about our Texas tour and about my first visit to the Lone Star State. Here it goes.
2-20-09
So, Erin was leaving, and Texas was our last “Hoorah”. Several months before getting on the plane, we began building the tour. Starting with Ivan’s contacts from his hometown, we contacted everyone we could: schools, venues, organizations, and the media. We were pleasantly surprised by the success we had. We were able to fill up a good two and a half weeks of back-to-back performances, workshops, and appearances on radio and TV (as I later learned is pronounced “TEEEE V” in Texas). And with even more luck, we found a wicked cool philanthropist Doctor who was gracious enough to cover our flight tickets (and our cello’s flight tickets too) – Thank you again Dr. R!
It was my first time in Texas, and I really didn’t know what to expect, other than what I had seen on Peewee’s Big Adventure back in the 80s. Texas was bigger and better than anything I imagined.
Among other things, I shot a gun (and a rifle), sang karaoke, drove a trailer, wore a T-Shirt in the middle of winter, witnessed my first peacock, and saw Mexico (from inside the Border) all for the first time in my life. What was even better, though, was the FOOD:
Holy mole (no pun intended), was the food and drink good. I ate like a king and gained about 20 pounds. The BBQ, the Tex-Mex, the Bartenders…I could go on and on.
And then there’s the “Whataburger”. For any of you who haven’t been to Texas, Burger King and McDonalds aren’t the only ways to ingest hundreds of calories for pennies. Here’s my video review of my first Whataburger:

But, let’s get on topic here. I loved Texas the most for its PEOPLE. I’ve never met people who were more welcoming, polite, or open-minded. I felt at home there, and for BoR, it was the best trip of our lives.

EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS
The educational workshops in Texas were some of my most memorable experiences. First off, I’ve never seen high schools like these. Honestly, the schools are a cross between castles, college campuses, and Hogwarts, and they like to teach their kids how to love and play music like I’ve never seen. We worked with kids from at least 10 different schools around South Texas, and in each workshop, we connected with the students even more than we have in the past. They were talented, open-minded, and genuinely interested and inspired by our music. These kids are the future of music, and we were all excited to expand their minds with some Heavy Cello Thunder.

THE CONCERTS
Then of course, there were our concerts. Our biggest performances were in Victoria, Corpus Christi, and Laredo, and they will always be fresh in my mind. I’ll never forget walking out on stage in Victoria to a crowd of 1,000 people (this was our first show there). They were so excited to see us and we gave them the best show we could. Aside from playing from the stage, we played out in the audience, on risers to the side of the stage, and I even climbed the rafters halfway through the show to play a solo from the catwalk on an electric cello (PLUG: the electric cello was generously provided to us from The Electric Violin Shop in North Carolina).

The press we received was also unprecedented for us. I can’t express what it feels like as a musician, to see your first “TEEEE V” commercial promoting your own show. On top of that, we were on the front page of some newspapers, and were invited to perform on the radio several times.

ALL IN ALL
I think it’s safe to say that Texas is a large reason why BoR is still together and why Ivan and I (and the new guys we’ll be introducing in the coming weeks), all look at Texas as our second home (and for Ivan of course, his first home). To all our fans in Texas: Thank you for being so supportive, and we honestly can’t wait to come back (in just a few weeks now) and again in the summer. I’m not sure I’ll be able to convince myself to leave this time…
————
Next week on BoR Blog: Putting back the pieces, only to lose another member…

2-13-09

I remember sitting in Patrick’s apartment with a stiff neck and a worried feeling in my belly. We were all gathered in his living room, some sitting on his furniture, and some of us making furniture out of his clean, yet permanently stained carpeted floor. The agenda was out, and a very typical BoR band meeting was seemingly under way.

Erin interrupts everyone: “I have something to say.”

She just went for it.

“After March, I’m leaving the group. I’m applying to law school and will hopefully start in the fall. I’ve thought a lot about this, and I’m just not happy with our situation. I need to do something else.”

I’ve never seen so many blank faces. Everyone was quiet, for a long time. I think Patrick got sick that night. I’ve never seen him so sad. I’m sure there was a lot of discussion that night, but there is only one sentence I can remember:

“What are we going to do now?”

Texas On My Mind

Despite the fact that Erin was leaving, there was one thing I was committed to doing: bringing BoR to Texas.

It’s my home, and I wanted to show Texas what BoR was all about. After talking with Erin, she agreed that she would join the group in Texas for a tour, kind of like a farewell trip.

What started out as a small idea turned into an all out rock and roll tour-de-force, which we’ll delve into next week.

Erin Today

Erin is out in Wisconsin right now, completing her first year of law school. I’m glad to report that she is doing well, especially now that the “smelly boys” from BoR are miles away! We hung out over the summer, and I showed her some new BoR music that Patrick and I had recorded for the new album.

She loved it

“Why couldn’t we play music like this when I was in the group?!!” she asked jokingly. We’re on good terms for sure. She’s a fan, and we’re thankful for all of her contributions. We wish her the best as she continues hers studies in Wisconsin.

—————

Next week on BoR Blog: THE TEXAS TOUR!!!!!!!!

2-6-09

Hi BoR Friends! We interrupt this week’s blog to bring you a true story from a true BoR fan: Vaguy Peterson. Vaguy and our very own Patrick Laird have been lifelong friends, and Vaguy was one of the very first BoR fans. He is an awesome guy: fun spirited and always up for a laugh. Anyway, Vaguy, Patrick, and the boys recently ditched Super Bowl Sunday for something better: A live METALLICA concert at the Prudential Center in New Jersey! Below, Vaguy retells his Metallica experience, more specifically, his plan to get Break of Reality goods into the hands of Metallica!

METALLICA AND THE BEAST

“I’m flying high over Tupelo Mississippi with America’s hottest band, and we’re all about to die…”

Far from the truth, but close to the realities running through my head as the crude, makeshift, emergency Break of Reality street team sprang into action on the night of February 1, 2009. Ah the day had come, Metallica makes their return to New Jersey, a night not worth missing, especially if you’re a Break of Reality fan with a master plan at hand.

So, where to begin?

Possibly the best guerilla marketing tactics begin with the simplest of ideas, followed with careful planning, and of course precise execution, like that of a puma in the circumstance. Much credit goes to the notorious “J-Drew”, mastermind to possibly the greatest plan ever. What was it you ask? Well Pinky, the plan goes like this: to deliver BOR gear to the most influential metal band/rehabbers in the world: METALLICA. My favorite 6’9” cellist delivered the goods: BOR authentic T with a CD wrapped securely inside, and a piece of paper rubber banded to the entire package with the words “FOR METALLICA, SHIRT AND CD.”

Step 1 of 3 complete.

Blue Team, (consisting of J-Drew and P-Cakes, aka Patrick from Break of Reality), have prepared the package and carefully hid it inside a jacket for CO-OP delivery through security at the Prudential Center. The package made it through the security checkpoint, however the whiskey did not have such luck. Shall we say, a leaky cap and wet shoe was the outcome of evading a manly pat down.

Moment of silence for the whiskey…..

OK, Blue Team unfortunately runs into quite the snag. The seats are too far from the stage to deliver the goods. Not bad planning, just an unforeseen circumstance when you have 8th row seats that just happen to be 100 feet from the stage. So it’s time to call in the General Admission, who just so happened to be there out of dumb luck ‘cause we love Metallica. I speak of the oh-so-cool, RED TEAM, consisting of myself (V-Guy), and my friend ERI-O.

A new reason to love the world of cell phones and TXT MSGing is that RED TEAM was easily reached inside the stadium for rendezvous at the tallest wall. The handoff of goods was executed flawlessly amid flashlight-armed guards and merch hungry Metallica Fans. Blue Team has completed their mission successfully and has left the execution of Project “Give Metallica the Break of Reality T-Shirt and CD” to the well-trained, intelligent, highly sophisticated and herbal tea drinking RED TEAM. So as Captain of RED TEAM, I quickly recruited scouts among the crowd for execution. ERI-O secured the goods until the moment was right. We waited and waited, then forgot that we even had the package because a few $8 beers and an amazing performance knocked myself (probably should be “us”) off track. However, Mr. Anheuser Busch himself could not keep me from fate.

The moment had stricken: METALLICA just finished a set. I’m front and almost center. The band is walking just off stage but still visible to everyone, and a guitar tech is running across the stage right toward them. This was my moment, better yet our moment. I quickly called ERI-O for the package, called my scouts to watch for security, and at that moment, when all was clear, shot putted what looked like a small explosive onto the stage. Some people looked fearful as it slid across the floor and came to a gentle rest at the feet of the fleeting guitar tech. Sure enough it landed note side up and was quickly hand-delivered to the man himself, James Alan Hetfield. Delivery was perfect. Metallica was taking a minute break and switching guitars for freshly tuned ones, plenty of time for each member to see the BOR T-Shirt as they unfolded it after reading the attached note.

BOR GEAR WAS IN THE HANDS OF METALLICA.

Pure bliss hit our hearts and the plan was completely successful. Metallica received the goods, they opened the goods, and they enjoyed the goods. Scouts around the stage reported back to V-GUY that the package was meticulously folded back together and placed on the stage, safe and sound with the CD on top of it next to Metallica’s Guitars. This was assuring, knowing that the BOR gear was not thrown away, but placed at one of the safest places on the stage. Throughout the night, we watched as great interest built around the BOR gear as guitar techs and sound engineers all seemed to be drawn to the crazy design of the BOR T-shirt. We caught them reading the back of the CD and all seemed very pleased as they each gave everything not a once over, but the assuring twice over. So that’s my story. I shall call it “METALLICA and the Beast.”

-V-Guy

1-30-09

When I first moved to NYC with Break of Reality, I was ecstatic. Playing shows in the city, in the subways, and in Central Park was such a great feeling. To this day, impromptu street performances are some of the most memorable experiences of my life.

But, as the season changed from fall to winter, performing began to turn into something else, something that eventually cracked the band in two. Since we had to rely on performing to make a living, we never had time to write new music. So, we ended up slaving over the same songs, OVER, and OVER, and OVER, and OVER again. The worst part was that it was becoming noticeable. We just didn’t have that energy that we did when we first started. It had become work.

There was one thing that didn’t change: the bills. They were still due at the end of the month, only this time, (at least for me), there wasn’t as much money in the bank as there was when we first moved. For one, real gigs had slowed down a bit, and because of the cold weather, our audiences got smaller in the subways. On top of all of that, Erin’s tendonitis was getting worse.

Although the logical solution would have been to get “real” jobs, for some reason we just didn’t all think the same way. Some were worried that if we got real jobs, we would lose focus and the band would go nowhere. Others were worried that if we continued to play out the way we did, the band would eventually fold. It was a catch 22, a predicament caused by poor planning and youthful thinking.

My Conversations with Erin

Erin and I were super close, best friends really – we lived in the same apartment complex and went through both the ups and downs of BoR together. I remember one night, after a long day of subway playing, Erin was feeling really down; her arm was completely numb, and she just wasn’t herself. Her spirit had been broken.

I knew she was battling with whether the band was really what she wanted to do. We had talked about it numerous times, and the only thing that was keeping her from leaving was the fact that we were all dependent on each other; if she left, the rest of us would be in bad shape. She didn’t want to let any of us down.

I tried telling her that her well being, both emotionally and physically, were more important than anything or anyone else. She finally came to the same conclusion. Although she didn’t come out and say it just yet, I knew she was leaving us.

In a subtle way, I tried to tell the others, but they didn’t get it. After all, guys are oblivious.

“At our next band meeting, I’m making an announcement,” she said one day. This was it. She was finally ready to let go.

—————————–

Next week on BoR Blog: Erin makes her announcement, and the rest of us try to figure out what to do next.