“After all of the touring I’ve done over the last several years, I’ve come to realize that the shortest tours are often the sweetest. My band, Negation, did a 10 day tour of the Midwest this past spring and had a blast. The Midwest is an underrated region of the country, but they have a rich musical history, from Motown R&B to ‘50s and ‘60s rock’n’roll, ‘80s hardcore and ‘90s indie rock. Give ‘em some credit, will you? The Midwestern DIY network we relied on for shows seemed reliable and intact, creative and diverse. We played excellent shows to enthusiastic and appreciative crowds in basements, cafes, art galleries and the occasional bar in Kansas City, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Iowa City and more. We even got to play an outdoor generator show by the Olentangy River in Columbus, Ohio. Chicago was especially enlightening and inspiring because the crowd was comprised mostly of black and Hispanic punk rockers—a very rare sight to see anywhere in this country. My bandmate Benji still mentions that he’d never seen anything like it before. I’d say that besides the West Coast, which was my home for seven years, the Midwest is my favorite region of the country to tour. Fuck the East Coast.”
