"Hahhy" Birthday Drew Shirley

Today is the big day for the infectiously hilarious Drew Shirley, of Switchfoot fame. The guitarist has been touring with the band since 2003, and the move to make him an official shredder has been one of the greatest moves they have made.

Here's a video commemorating some of his more hilarious escapades on many a Switchfoot podcast. May your day be brightened!



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Speaking of Drew, much Switchfoot's recent twitterful moments have been filled with his awesomeness! Here's what's been tweeted recently:

April 2nd, 2009:

- Jon's journal, penning some new thoughts/lyrics. Good stuff. Check out John Perkins for a challenging read. http://twitpic.com/2qqhu



- Tim bringing out the old t-bird. A thunderbird played through a thunderbolt amp... Wow that's a lot of thunder. http://twitpic.com/2r0a0



- Drew playing a golden oldie. http://twitpic.com/2r4rp



April 3rd:

- OFFICIAL NOTICE: Just posted 3 new tour dates to site. Shows in NJ, WA and IN - (@dalemanning)

- Happy Birthday dear Drew! http://twitpic.com/2s3iw



(Lookin' great man!)

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And to close it off, the band sent out a new email. Here's a portion of it:

Dear Amigos -

NEW ALBUM
We are very excited to let you know that we are close to finishing our
new record and it will be released later this Summer. Get ready for new
Switchfoot music in the Summer of 2009!

MERCH SALE FOR OUR FANS
Starting today, ALL merchandise will be 15% off in our online store. This sale will last until Friday April 10th. We hope you enjoy the sale and gear up with new Switchfoot merchandise Click here for the online store

SPRING AND SUMMER TOUR DATES, FESTIVALS, BRO-AM 2009
We love when the weather starts to get warmer, because it means more
tour dates, and that means we get to see you on the road!

We are playing a very special hometown show on Friday June 26th at the
Del Mar Fair in Del Mar, California.


And, the 5th Annual Switchfoot Bro-Am has been set for Saturday June
27th, 2009. This is a FREE beach event open to the public with a surf
contest, concert, and vendors. The Bro-Am was created to give back to
the San Diego community while also benefiting a local children's charity
through funds raised at an auction night event, as well as from vendors
on the beach day-of, sponsorships, and an after-party at the Belly Up
Tavern.

We are delighted to announce that this year's event will again benefit
the San Diego and Oceanside branches of StandUp For Kids, a national
nonprofit volunteer outreach organization that started right here in San
Diego and is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of at-risk,
homeless, and street kids. (www.standupforkids.org)

Stay tuned for more info on this exciting event.
http://www.switchfoot.com/bro-am

Also, we are playing 2 shows with Dave Matthews Band on September 12 in
Chula Vista, CA and September 13 in Irvine, CA. Both of these are ON
SALE now. Complete show and ticketing info is listed below.

TWITTER, FACEBOOK, MYSPACE
As we gear up to hit the road, as well as release the record, the best
way to stay in touch with the band is through our website, as well as
TWITTER, FACEBOOK and MYSPACE.
Click on the following links to make sure you are connected to us!

Click here for Twitter feed
Click here for Facebook page
Click here for Myspace page

JON FOREMAN - VINYL
Due to overwhelming demand, Jon has printed an additional 500 more
copies of his vinyl box set. It contains four 12" black high quality
vinyl records (fall, winter, spring, summer) and a beautiful four page
book-style cover featuring a few of Andy Barron's best shots of Jon over
the years. Each box set is numbered 501-1000 (we're only making 500 more
of these guys!). Click here to
buy.

FRIENDS OF THE FOOT
Right now is the best time to join if you are not already a member. The
band has been incredibly active in posting exclusive content about the
new album, and will continue to offer special access to the band as they
gear up to release the album. In addition to the exclusive content and
downloads, you receive:

1. Tour laminate good for meet/greet
2. Limited edition t-shirt
3. Discount on merchandise in online store
4. Access to Pre-Sale tickets on future tour dates
5. More Surprises to come!

Jon Foreman creates goose bumps with vocal take

Chad Butler had this to say on twitter late last night about Jon Foreman's vocal take:

April 1:

I just got goose bumps listening to Jon laying down this vocal, never heard him like this before - Chad http://twitpic.com/2pint




Unreal. I really would love to know which song he's talking about, so we can keep this scene, this image in mind. Chad Butler, if you're out there, please let us know which song you were talking to! =)

April 2nd:

- Drew is excited. Or maybe yawning, we're not quite sure. http://twitpic.com/2qiaz



- Jon is trying some different vocal techniques this time...?? http://twitpic.com/2qig7

Andy Barron launches his website

Switchfoot/Jon Foreman/Fiction Family photographer/podcaster Andy Barron has finally re-launched his official website, and it's pretty. There's a collection of shots from his time shooting various different bands across many genres including Against Me, Bayside, Jonas Brothers, Mute Math, Paramore, Thrice, and of course, Switchfoot, Jon Foreman, and Fiction Family.

Here is a pretty hilarious intro video Andy posted on his blog:


welcome to andybarron.com from andy barron on Vimeo.


And, here are some photos that we have never really seen before:

Switchfoot



Jon Foreman



Fiction Family




To see more bands' pictures, check out his music page. ANDYBARRON.com. See it. Believe it.

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Switchfoot update their twitter this morning:

April 1:

- Looking for surf in north LA with our buddy Timmy Curran. Flat, but the sun is shining. http://twitpic.com/2okv9



- Boards and wetsuits, evidence of a good morning. http://twitpic.com/2ov8c



- Oof, Drew and I, stuck in traffic on the 405. http://bit.ly/t5ce http://twitpic.com/2p2vv