Tag: tour

Gig Bag: Tulsa Revue

Posted on by Editor

Welcome to Gig Bag, a BGS feature that peeks into the touring essentials of some of our favorite artists. This time around, John Fullbright, Jesse Aycock, Paul Benjaman, and Jacob Tovar from the Tulsa Revue tour show us what they gotta have on the road.

My two road essentials are a black shoe polish kit and a set of dominoes. The boot polish is a pre-show ritual and the dominoes are for post-show hotel gaming. — John Fullbright

Grip strength rings keep fingers fit on the road, and they don’t squeak like the old ’70s spring styles. And extra shades for handling any stage light or social situation. — Paul Benjaman

Ralph’s Mexican Bandits beef jerky is one of the best out there (along with No Man’s Land) and it’s a great snack any time of the day. I can’t leave home for tour without a cowboy hat. The time of season or situation determines which one (straw for summer or sun, and felt for Labor Day to May or cold weather). Hat box is a must. — Jacob Tovar

My Nikon D3100 is always nice to have by my side. You see so much interesting stuff on the road and often find yourself in the strangest of places. Its also a great way to kill time and have a moment to yourself. I like to keep a small bag with a notepad to write in and a book to read. Right now I’m reading Mr. Tambourine Man, the story of Gene Clark. — Jesse Aycock

My Fred Kelly thumb picks are essential for both lap steel and guitar. It’s been part of the way I play for so long that it’s almost become like jewelry. — Jesse Aycock

TOUR DATES
Sept. 26: Dallas, Texas (The Kessler Theater)
Sept. 27: Austin, Texas (04 Center)
Sept. 28: Fort Worth, Texas (The Post at River East)*
Oct. 18: Tulsa, Oklahoma (Soul City)
Oct. 21: Little Rock, Arkansas (White Water Tavern)
Oct. 23: Decatur, Georgia (Eddie’s Attic)
Oct. 25: Asheville, North Carolina (Isis Music Hall)
Oct. 26: Nashville, Tennessee (The 5 Spot)
Oct. 27: Memphis, Tennessee (The Green Room)
*John Fullbright is not on this show.

Photo of Tulsa Revue lineup: Greg Bollinger
(L-R): Jacob Tovar, John Fullbright, Paul Benjamin, Jesse Aycock

Gig Bag: David Wax Museum

Posted on by Editor

Welcome to Gig Bag, a BGS feature that peeks into the touring essentials of some of our favorite artists. This time around, David Wax Museum details the items they always have nearby when out on the road.

Sardines: We couldn’t live without sardines. They have been our go-to protein-rich road snack. Skinless boneless is our preference. We like them in water or oil. Even our kids love them. We once played a show in DC where the hosts had made mac ‘n’ cheese for our daughter who was 3 at the time. She said, “I love mac ‘n’ cheese but only with sardines. Do you have any sardines?” To her dismay, they did not. I’ve been known to arrive at a venue and sit on the curb outside the van and eat a can before sound check. And we’re often found in our hotel room bathroom late at night munching on ‘dines before bed.

Journals: Documenting our life has been so important to me. In addition to my big black journal, I’ve got this page a day journal that allows me to write just a short few lines every day, starting with where we are. I’ve kept it up for eight years now. Here are a few examples of entries:

June 2, 2013 Nelsonville, OH — What a festival! After an all-night drive from Nashville we played in a beautiful old one-room schoolhouse and sold the most merch of any band. Watched John Prine and Tift Merritt from backstage.

June 21, 2013 Nome, Alaska — Early radio visits. A trip to the tundra. Gorgeous streams. Mosquitos like you’ve never seen. Ate my first moose (delicious!), caribou (gamey), and king crab (yum!). Found musk ox fur stuck to bushes and learned it’s eight times warmer than wool.

February 25, 2017 Lancaster, PA — Long drive. Calliope woke too early and was a pill, mean to the road nanny. I slept for two hours from 8-10pm then played our last show of this pregnancy which started at midnight! Downstairs there was a bowling alley, so we bowled.

June 2, 2018 Portland, ME — Short drive, just a few hours to Joanna’s nest. Food. Rest. Showers. Playground time. Videographer came to film the show. Felt ok. Small-ish crowd. Hard one for me to get into.

June 2, 2017 Brooklyn, NY — Amazing, beautiful night. Juliette’s feast. A backyard in lights. Children’s faces peeking through the windows. Baby Moses through the upstairs glass. A little dog. Sangria. Bells of the ice cream truck.

Yoga mats: David is pretty religious about stretching every night on the road. We roll them out between the hotel beds and the popup baby crib and do our stretching. David’s got a routine he likes to do to keep his back strong and nimble. I love a good sun salutation sequence or moon salutation if it’s after dark.

Baby gear: Since 2013 we’ve been traveling with one or two kids on the road. The most important tool for us after diapers and a bottle is the Ergo baby carrier. That thing has traveled with us all around the country as well as to many countries abroad. We’ve toted both kids in it through the streets of Europe, around festivals and on our backs during sound checks. We really couldn’t live without it. Ours has been patched up and had the buckles replaced but is still going strong. A bottle brush is also a must, once kids stop nursing and use a bottle. You might be surprised that neither hotels nor venues have them available.

Hat and boots: David has been wearing his Stetson since we were in Texas for SXSW in 2015 and we bought these cowboy boots somewhere on the road years ago. I found these old fringe ankle boots at a “stoop sale” in Brooklyn for five bucks. The zippers were broken and one of the soles of the heels recently fell off, but that makes for better stomping (left foot is bass, right foot is treble) so I don’t mind.

Photo credit: Vivian Wang

Gig Bag: Jeremie Albino

Posted on by Editor

Welcome to Gig Bag, a BGS feature that peeks into the touring essentials of some of our favorite artists. This time around, Jeremie Albino details the items he always has nearby when out on the road.

I’ve always got a notebook for writing down some tunes and a harmonica to play some tunes. I’ve got a deck of cards just for fun. I like to play Hearts or Slap Jack. Ever since I was a Boy Scout I’ve always loved tying knots, so I always keep a piece of rope to keep my hands busy and tie some knots when I need to pass the time.

My Leatherman is always in my back pocket … the most handy tool I’ve ever owned. I used to use it a lot for irrigation back on the farm. But mostly I use the knife for cutting up salami or cheddar in the van while we’re on the road. The pliers are always handy to grip things or hammer when they’re stuck, and then there’s a screwdriver which is always just good to have. Then I have a bandana if I ever need to blow my nose, ha ha.

My favourite jacket to keep me warm (and sometimes roll into a ball and use it as a pillow) and a hat to keep the sun out of my face.

My Nalgene. Feels like I drink about 20 of these a day, ha ha … I like to stay hydrated. And my Pentax Super ME so I feel like Peter Parker whenever I’m out and about shooting.

And finally, I always carry a pair of long johns. I probably wear these for more than half the year, and a pair of Smartwool socks. I guess I like to stay cozy. Then I’ve got a headlamp for when the power goes out or if I’ve got to camp out anywhere.

There ya go! All the things I lug around with me on the roads 🙂

 

Gig Bag: Andrew Bird

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Welcome to Gig Bag, a BGS feature that peeks into the touring essentials of some of our favorite artists. This time around, BGS Artist of the Month alum Andrew Bird walks us through a few of the items he has at the ready when out on the road in a “Case Study” video from UMUSIC Experience.

Photo credit: Amanda Demme
Video shot and edited by Nick Elwell and directed by Wes Davenport, UMUSIC Experience

Gig Bag: Maggie Rose

Posted on by Editor

Welcome to Gig Bag, a BGS feature that peeks into the touring essentials of some of our favorite artists. This time around, singer/songwriter Maggie Rose gives us a glimpse at the staple items she always has at the ready while out on the road. 

With my new album Change The Whole Thing, I wanted to capture all the elements of my live shows that my fans are drawn to, so we simply recreated that energy in the studio. I assembled a band made up of a bunch of my talented friends and touring bandmates and we tracked the album live in the studio in one take. It turned out that together, we created this special blend of soul, roots, funk and Ppop music that we love playing and is authentic to us. I’m so thankful that I get to bring that same energy out on the road on Kelly Clarkson’s Meaning of Life Tour and on my own headlining Change The Whole Thing Tour with an ensemble made up of the same people with whom I made this record. I’ve never felt more in love with the music or the people I’m making it with than I do now.

My UE 18+ in-ear monitors with Swarovski crystal detail (as seen above) sound phenomenal. Even when I am offstage and listening to different records, they provide a listening experience that is pretty stellar. I have been using various models of these in-ears over the years and they protect my hearing onstage while letting me hear everything in the mix.

I love these Dannijo earrings. My mother-in-law gave them to me for Christmas one year and I wear them all the time. They have this beautiful, vintage western vibe that goes with almost everything I wear and they provide enough drama and movement without being distracting onstage.

My trusty Tumi suitcase (sparkles not included). It was a wedding present we received a few years ago and I’ve put it through the ringer and it still gets the job done. I’ve seen it thrown onto the belt with impressive force so many times in all sorts of weather and it hasn’t failed me yet.

My pearl white Gibson J-200 goes with me most everywhere. She looks and sounds beautiful and has only improved in both arenas with age. I always loved watching Emmylou play her model of this guitar over the years because the body is a little bigger than most, especially for someone of her stature, but she always has had such a command over it, so I am trying to live up to that standard.

My American Apparel disco pants. Without fail, these babies make any outfit pop, even when paired with a vintage tee shirt. They are super sleek with a high rise waist. I’ll admit I have them in multiple colors and I’ve even had my stylist customize a few pairs for me to make them a little unique.

Finally, there is my vintage Levi’s red label denim jacket. If you ever see me in the airport I’ll probably be wearing it. I like the Canadian tuxedo look so I truly wear it with anything. It has a nice convenient pocket on the inside for easy access to my phone and passport. It always looks classic.

All photos courtesy of Maggie Rose

Gig Bag: Reuben Bidez

Posted on by Editor

Welcome to Gig Bag, a BGS feature that peeks into the touring essentials of some of our favorite artists. This time around, Reuben Bidez catalogs the items he always has nearby when out on the road.


Denim Jacket: It doesn’t really matter even if it’s the middle of summer, I’m gonna bring my denim jacket with me. It’s worn in and comfortable, and in the evenings I get chilly. Especially in those air conditioned venues. So, 9 times out of 10, if you come to a show, you’ll see me wearing this jacket.

Astros Baseball Cap: I’m a big baseball fan! And although I was raised a Braves fan and still am, I got pulled into the Astros by my friend Collin McHugh. He and I had been friends since his minor league days, and I got to watch him make his way up to the majors. We developed a deep friendship along the way, both loving what the other one did for a living. We both joke about having job envy for the other. He clearly has the better job though…

My Guitar: Marcella, my 12-string. This seems like an obvious thing to bring with you, but sometimes I’ll tour with just this guitar. It was given to me by a family friend and named after my ex-wife’s grandmother who had passed away. We had traveled to Rome, Georgia, for the funeral and the family was sitting around talking in the family room of a family friend named James. There were guitars everywhere and I went over and picked up this guitar. James asked if I had a 12-string, which I didn’t at the time. He insisted that I take it since he already had another acoustic 12-string. I named her Marcella that weekend. She has such a magical sound and can really fill the room.

Baseball Glove: Did I mention I’m a baseball fan? It’s best to keep a glove with you at all times. Two gloves if you have the room. There’s a lot of hurry up and wait when touring, so I like to toss the ball around to kill some time. Pictured here is my World Series ball from Game 5 this year. It was the most exhilarating game I had ever been to and has maybe ruined sporting events for me for the rest of my life…

Seinfeld Videos: What’s the deal with entertaining yourself? Yeah, I guess I do like to stay entertained. Depending on how long the tour is, you’ll need to take at least two seasons with you. It’s my favorite show of all time and instantly puts me in a good mood when I put one on. I got to meet Jerry Seinfeld briefly one night in Nashville, it was pretty surreal.

Harmonicas: The first instrument I ever played. My dad taught me how to play blues harp. Then I started collecting different keys. I like to keep one with me in the car. You get tired of the radio sometimes, and it’s a great way to create some new melodies. Just make sure it doesn’t drive your bandmates crazy…

Photo credit: Cal Quinn