The first two weeks of our tour challenged us in ways we had never experienced, and we came out stronger because of it. Lance and I stripped shows down to two vocals and two guitars. We had some great adventures just the two of us, but the entire time we could not wait to get the rest of the band on the road with us. We rolled with the punches, but damn did it feel good to meet up with Leah (bass) and Kyle (drums) in Denver, Colorado. Kyle played drums with us a year ago, and luckily was available, eager to tour, and still remembered how to play all of our songs. Once we were able to hit the road together as a full band, it felt like tour had truly started and it made us all very grateful for our health and opportunities in front of us.
Being in a band that tours around the country is interesting because you never know what kind of personalities you are going to be on the road with. Graham Colton and band are from Oklahoma, and we had never met these guys before. We had no idea what to expect. I had so many questions running through my head- would we have anything in common? Would we even get along?
I assume in my head sometimes that every musician but me has it all figured out. I tend to put people on pedestals, and turn myself into a nervous wreck in the process. Because Graham is touring in support of his new album and playing with a new band line up, the first thing he told me when we met was to not worry. The shows would be great, and we were all warming ourselves up and kicking things into gear together. It took a few shows and some really great conversations with Graham to realize that he chose our band as an opener because he believes in us. It wasn’t just a business arrangement. He truly believes in what we do. Understanding that made me even more appreciative of everything happening around us.
One night as we were passing through Pittsburg, Cumulus had a one-off show that was without Graham. It was also my 26th birthday. Graham and co. drove hours out of their way to come watch us play in Pittsburg and celebrate my birthday. Becoming such close friends with people I had never met, from another side of the country, is just another reminder of the magic of tour.
One of our favorite (and completely unexpected) tour memories so far was a show we played in Asbury Park, New Jersey. We drove up to the venue, Asbury Lanes, just a little bit too early. The venue was dark inside, and there was no one to be found. After we knocked on a few doors, we found an employee who let us inside.
Anything that we thought we knew by looking at the outside of the venue was blown out of the water. It was an amazing bowling alley/music venue that doubles as an Asbury Park historic landmark. There was something about the room that made it impossible to be in a bad mood. While we were sound checking, there was a group of guys watching us from the bowling lanes. It turned out they were just taking a break from the show they were playing up the street. They loved our sound check, bought some records, and after their show they came back to Asbury Lanes and bowled and hung out with us for the rest of the night. As it turned out, we share the same booking agency and might even go on tour together in the future. The possibilities are endless!
Before our set, we took a few moments to check out the Stone Pony (where Bruce Springsteen started his career) and walk out to the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. It was cold outside and the waves were crashing. For a moment it cured any kind of homesickness we were feeling; with our feet in the sand in a far off state, we felt grounded and right at home.
It is hard for me to get into specifics about all of the great moments that have happened on this part of the tour so far. Mostly I am just learning that there are new friends around every corner, and you can never judge the way a show is going to go by just looking at the outside of a venue or the size of the audience. It only takes one awesome human interaction to make a night worthwhile. Touring is a constant reminder to play my heart out no matter what, and always be open to possibility. Going on tour is amazing because people and fans are amazing. That really is all there is to it.
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