Editors Note: We enjoyed the tour diaries J. Tom Hnatow wrote for us as part of These United States' last tour, so we asked him if he wouldn't mind doing it again as the band embark on their first ever intercontinental tour of the UK and Europe. He graciously agreed. This is the fourth and final installment of this series. The Paris entry: Thursday October 25th After our marathon, 14-hour, pre-dawn-to-post-dusk trek from Bath to......

Editors Note: We enjoyed the tour diaries J. Tom Hnatow wrote for us as part of These United States' last tour, so we asked him if he wouldn't mind doing it again as the band embark on their first ever intercontinental tour of the UK and Europe. He graciously agreed. This is the third installment of an ongoing series. Tuesday, October 23, 2007 A leisurely breakfast, then off to Bath. Bath is stunningly beautiful. And......

Editors Note: We enjoyed the tour diaries J. Tom Hnatow wrote for us as part of These United States' last tour, so we asked him if he wouldn't mind doing it again as the band embark on their first ever intercontinental tour of the UK and Europe. He graciously agreed. Look for his dispatches from the road abroad over the next few weeks. Tuesday, October 16, 2007 We walk (and walk and walk) from Baker......

Editors Note: We enjoyed the tour diaries J. Tom Hnatow wrote for us as part of These United States' last tour, so we asked him if he wouldn't mind doing it again as the band embark on their first ever intercontinental tour of the UK and Europe. He graciously agreed. Look for his dispatches from the road abroad over the next few weeks. Checking my pockets every ten seconds for passport, work permit, wallet, boarding......

Ragged Glory plays tonight at the Velvet Lounge. Can’t afford to pay $100 for a cheap seat at Neil Young’s upcoming DAR stop in November? You’re in luck. During our last chat with Ryan Walker from The Beanstalk Library, we found out he also put together a Neil Young cover band a few years back. They call themselves Ragged Glory, and the lineup plays something like a who’s who of up-and-coming local bands: Brian Kent......

Two of our favorite local acts, Le Loup and These United States are taking the main stage of the Black Cat tomorrow night, in celebration of the release of Le Loup's album, The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly. Both bands have graced the pages and stages of DCist in the past, so today we're trying something different. Le Loup's Sam Simkoff and Dan Ryan and TUS' Jesse Elliot and......

Editor's Note: J. Tom Hnatow from These United States is writing a tour diary for DCist chronicling the band's latest national tour. Friday, August 3, 2007 Finally –- a day full of downtime. I restring guitars and work on my pedal steel and go over a few songs with Ben. (The glamorous and debauched life we lead.) Our host Megan makes us an amazing dinner. Then off to Johnny Brenda's, our favorite place to play......

Editor's Note: J. Tom Hnatow from These United States is writing a tour diary for DCist chronicling the band's latest national tour. July 30, 2007 We take scenic route 1 up to Portsmouth, NH, skipping the interstate entirely. When we tour, we try to take as much local scenery as possible, from small roads to food to art. In this increasingly homogenized world, we have to work to find the differences. It's sad to me......

Editor's Note: J. Tom Hnatow from These United States is writing a tour diary for DCist chronicling the band's latest national tour. July 26, 2007 We wake up, get ready, and go right back into rehearsing. Jason and Robby are champs…we're throwing songs and ideas at them left and right, and they're doing a great job of learning the material. Jesse and I are really lucky to know so many phenomenal musicians. At the level......

Editor's Note: J. Tom Hnatow from These United States is writing a tour diary for DCist chronicling the band's latest national tour. In this entry he discusses breaking in a new drummer with the same name as his last drummer, and the the importance of car insurance. July 23, 2007 We hit the road from Indy to Lexington, KY, making a brief stop to pick up Jesse's ladyfriend Kimberly from the Louisville airport. I'm normally......

Editor's Note: J. Tom Hnatow from These United States is writing a tour diary for DCist chronicling the band's latest national tour. In this entry, he discusses breaking in a new drummer, chair racing and the importance of Christa. July 18, 2007 I made the long solo drive to Lexington without incident and spent the rest of the night catching up with the gents from The Scourge of the Sea – who I spent this......

Ever wonder what it's like to be a band out on tour? And by "band out on tour" we don't mean U2 or even Scott Stapp. We mean bands that load in themselves, play their show and then get in the van and drive all night to the next gig. D.C.'s own These United States is such a band. Criss-crossing the country, playing upwards of 100 shows a year with bands like Califone, Someone Still......