07.19.10 Torna A Sorriento, Non Mi Lasciare Più!


Augie and Korin are currently registering foreign sounds into machines both new and ancient on continents such as Europe and Africa. Senegalese children have created symphonies from discarded plastic water bottles, and the people of S. Angelo have moved the feet of young and old with accordians and guitars carved from trees behind barns.

This Friday, the culmination of said journies will be a live performance beneath historic Monte Cassino at Bar Reale. Then the full band is back in action in the USA at Wicker Park Festival in Chicago on August 1.

Much more to come. Yours, Rod Serling

05.18.10 Crazy Fun + Raising Funds + MORE!

Only 4 midwest shows left until August. Check it out:

*Come out to the Magic Stick on Friday, May 21 to support Tyree Guyton's Heidelberg Project! A bunch of bands for only $5!! Surprises in store, too!

*THL are headlining the last night of Midwest Fest at the Mixtape Cafe in Grand Rapids on Sunday, May 23! Opening sets by Friendly Foes, Zoos of Berlin, and MORE!

*After years away, the band returns to the first bar they ever played on June 4 - The Fabulous Elbow Room in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Opening sets by Lightning Love and The Drags.

*The Ottawa Tavern in Toledo, Ohio is the stuff of legend. See why when THL play Ryan Bunch's "Takeover" weekend on June 11.

MUCH more to come, including details on a crazy new musical scheme, scheme, plot, plot... Yours, Rod Serling

04.19.10 Surviving The Year Of Rock N Roll Death...

Five years ago this month The Hard Lessons sang, "27 just seems so old" at the Magic Bag Theater in Ferndale, MI for the release of their first album, Gasoline. Five years later, Augie and Korin return to that venue on April 23 to celebrate surviving the "year of Rock N Roll death!"

Poster (Detail): Pinky Blaster / Shawn Knight

Hand-selected openers for the show include the band's friends The Octopus, FAWN, and The Continental Things. Tickets can be purchased (without service charges!) at the Woodward Avenue Brewers, or you can order online at Ticketmaster by CLICKING HERE.

AND HEY CHICAGO! April 24 THL return to Subterranean for a show with Deal's Gone Bad and Scissors! Advance tickets are highly recommended, and can be purchased by CLICKING HERE.

Finally, due to an inability to work out a date, time, and venue for the show, The Hard Lessons will regrettably NOT be performing at Central Michigan University this week. Thanks to all of the CMU THL-supporters. You rock.

Yours, Rod Serling

03.10.10 Jump Up and Get Down

After two years of touring through March, The Hard Lessons returned to the MT Blowout to a sold-out-and-then-some crowd of rowdy New Dodge patrons for a 1:00 am performance deemed both "legendary" and "incredible" by the local bloggerati and newspapers. The Metro Time also called Arms Forest "Detroit brilliance through and through." Check out photos from Blowout (and New York City) by clicking HERE.


Augie jumps from the Balcony (Photo: Drew Dawson)

JUST-ANNOUNCED SHOWS have been added to your left, including the band's long-awaited return to Chicago, a huge and FREE Central Michigan Univesity show, an intimate performance in Rochester, and a Korin and Augie birthday celebration at the Magic Bag on April 23!! Mark your calendars!

Next show is March 13 at Mickey Finn's in Toledo, OH. Word on the street is the band is cooking up a special surprise with the other bands on the bill... The Muggs, Millions Of Brazilians, and Mind Fish.

Yours, Rod Serling
1.13.10: You Wanna Rock With THL? All Night?

The Hard Lessons have some great shows scheduled around the midwest and east coast over the next month. Dates are to your left!



In other news, this month marks the beginning of the THL Guitar Tablature Series Stripped down to the barest components, The Hard Lessons have always been a riff-based Rock N Roll band - a fact that has piqued the interest of (and inspired) some devoted guitar-slinging fans enough to put together covers of THL songs, or send in requests for chord charts and tabs. With that said, please enjoy "Roma Termini" and "Bamboo." You're welcome!

New songs will be up on a monthly basis.

Yours, Rod Serling

01.02.10 Let's Get This Decade Started Right!


It's been said that science fiction and fantasy are two different things: science fiction the improbable made possible; fantasy, the impossible made probable. What would you have if you put these two different things together? You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another decade � a decade of sound, a decade of sight, a decade of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into the year 2010.

Happy New Year!

-Rod Sterling

12.07.09 Welcome to the Arms Forest

We are pleased to announce that THL's 4th Annual Post-Christmas Blowout is set to take place on the party-night of party-nights: NEW YEAR'S EVE! The event will be a co-headliner with Detroit's own The Von Bondies and will be held at Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, Michigan. Aside from all of the usual insanity that takes place at this extravaganza, this year's ticketing options can provide YOU with such lovely amenities as a champagne toast, party favors, UNLIMITED beer/wine, and (if you'd REALLY like to make it a party) a room for you and yours.

WE'RE GONNA PARTY LIKE IT'S 2009!

1) To order tickets click HERE (Only $30 if purchased BEFORE December 11)

2) To order VIP tickets and UNLIMITED beer/wine click HERE (Only $70 if purchased BEFORE December 11)

3) To order tickets AND rooms call: 800-233-1234 / Hyatt.com

ALSO: The annual tradition continues - check out the band's awesomely bad Sears Portrait Studio photos over at MYSPACE

Lastly, don't forget to pick up your THL HOLIDAY GIFT PACKS for your friends and family. Nothing says "Christmas" quite like a beautiful vinyl record and/or a song about beards scaring children.

Yours, Rod Serling

11.23.09: The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

Much like Old St. Nicholas himself, The Hard Lessons have been hard at work creating special gifts for all you good boys and girls. Starting RIGHT NOW you can purchase the band's new Christmas single, "Beards Scare Children (Unless They're Attached To Santa)" from the Quack!Media webstore! Special gift packs include a bundle with the excellent new album Arms Forest, or a "Stocking Stuffer Special" where you can buy 5 singles and get the 6th FREE! Ho, Ho, Ho!



The single will be available in concert starting THIS Saturday when the band plays the 93.9 The River Winter Icebreaker at the fabulous Fillmore Theater in downtown Detroit! As this news goes to press there are a VERY limited number of seats still available. Get them while you can and enjoy three full-length sets of music from the likes of Canadian rockers Sam Roberts Band and Sloan, and your Americans, THL. This will be the biggest celebration of Canada and Michigan's more-than-friends relationship EVER. Sorry Freedom Festival Fireworks!!!

MUCH more to come as the holiday season kicks into gear. Welcome to Arms Forest!
Yours, Rod Serling

10/28/09: Christmas Comes Early: Download ARMS FOREST for FREE!



For an entire month starting NOW you can download the latest and greatest from The Hard Lessons for FREE. All 13 tracks from Arms Forest are ready and waiting for you and your friends. Just sign up for the mailing list and you're all set. This is your chance to share your superior musical tastes with the people you know! Do it!

As a special way of kicking off the giveaway, you can finally check out the band's video for Arms Forest track "See You Again" on the front page of the website. The giveaway will close with the debut of the video for "The Arms Forest." So many new things to enjoy!

Of course Arms Forest is still available for purchase in two stunning packages, including a gatefold vinyl version with a full color sleeve (which includes a CD!) and a compact disc version with a 16-page lyrics booklet.

Welcome to Arms Forest.
Enjoy your stay!

Yours, Rod Serling

09/23/09: Fall is here, ring the bell!

First off, The Hard Lessons reported feeling "moved" by the amount of hometown love they received at the second annual DIY Street Fair in Ferndale. There's no place like home. Check out photos from the night courtesy of Nathan Kanaebel available on his Flickr page!

Speaking of home, THL will represent both their state and country at the Fillmore on Saturday, November 28 as they team up with Canada's Sam Roberts Band and Sloan at 93.9's Winter Icebreaker.

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Much more to come, as always! Check the tour dates!

Yours, Rod Serling

08/19/09: Celebrate Summer With Me!

Photo: Jade Amey

Sweating has finally surpassed Razor Scooters as the number one THL pastime at summer shows, thanks to The Factory's Gold Festival this past weekend. HOTT! As August draws to a close, the band is attempting to cover A LOT of ground throughout both peninsulas of their home state of Michigan - including a first-ever performance in the "upper" one. Get all the scoop right here.

Much more to come!

Yours, Rod Serling

06/22/09 Daytrotter Session + New York!

The folks over at Daytrotter have posted songs from the band's in-studio session on their website. Go HERE to download all four tracks for FREE, as well as browse their impressive archive of great bands.



The Hard Lessons finish up June and kick-off July with two very special New York shows: June 30 at the Mercury Lounge in Manhattan, and July 1 at the Bell House in Brooklyn. It is gonna be HOT, but not as hot as it was in Birmingham last week.

Yours, Rod Serling


06/01/09 Welcome To Summer!

Just a quick note to everyone who attened one of the THREE homecoming record-release parties in Detroit over Memorial Day Weekend: THANK YOU! The band has posted a recap with photos from each show HERE! All photos were taken by esteemed Michigan photographer Doug "So So Fresh" Coombe, who has even more photos hidden in his amazing Flickr Account.







The Hard Lessons are currently wrapping TWO new music videos and preparing for the summer festival season. Stay tuned for much more to come.

Yours, Rod Serling


5/21/09: Homecoming Shows + Record Release Parties!

The Hard Lessons are pleased to be kicking off a three-day release party event tonight! For the first time in years, the band is returning to the venues from which they were born: The Belmont on Thursday, Smalls on Friday, and The Lager House in the early evening on Saturday. To boot, the shows are all on the CHEAP and will be stocked with brand new copies of Arms Forest on vinyl or compact disc . There is even an extremely limited and extremely awesome poster series designed and screened by The Silent Giants.

Yes, Michigan! Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice.

Yours, Rod Serling


4/30/09: Doctor Rock City.

Who says musicians and health care don't mix? Tonight's episode of Grey's Anatomy features the new THL song "Wedding Ring," straight off the band's forthcoming full-length album, Arms Forest. You can get the song on iTunes here, or the whole album here. Awesome! The physical CDs and Gatefold LPs will be available starting May 26. Listen to the song now by clicking the first cassette to the right, or by visiting the band's myspace page.

In other TV news, the video for "Sound The Silent Alarm" recently debuted on The Uncharted Zone, the "most important music television show along the Gulf Coast." Think "Wayne's World" if Garth made videos on green screens. Check out the story (and video) direct from the band by clicking HERE.

Yours, Rod Serling


4/29/09: Welcome to Arms Forest.

The Hard Lessons are currently wrapping up two months of touring leading up to the release of their stunning and diverse new full-length album, Arms Forest. A three-night record release celebration marking the band's first homecoming performances of 2009 is planned for Memorial Day Weekend. Forgoing one large-scale spectacle, the band will instead be returning to the three Detroit venues from which they were born: The Belmont on May 21st, Small's Bar on May 22nd, and the Lager House on May 23rd. Arms Forest will be available on CD and LP, and a limited edition series of posters for each show (1-3) will be available while supplies last. Opening bands and DJs to be announced.



Check the tour dates for information on summer shows, which will see the band hitting the festival circuit playing Rothbury in Michigan, Riverbend in Tennessee, and City Stages in Alabama.

Lastly, keep checking back as this website will be updated with much more including new videos, photos, music, and personal messages from Augie and Korin.

Yours, Rod Serling