Touring is a unique creative exercise. It requires an immense amount of practical thinking, problem-solving, and taking care of logistical stuff, all of which I sure as hell never signed up for. Calculating the measurements of the trunk of a rental car was not what I had in mind when I dreamed of being an artist as a little girl. But you have to fit the guitars and the amps and the keyboard and the luggage into the car (the one that you can afford, that is…), don’t you? Otherwise you’re fucked, right? The reality of this work turns out to be a little less glamorous than advertised. But do I enjoy it? Hell yes I do.
It’s all of the little things that go wrong on a tour that will end up making you feel like you’re being nibbled to death by ducks. That’s why you have to try to think of every possible scenario in advance, so as not to be left in the lurch. Blake Morgan, the artist that I’m about to embark on my West Coast tour with next week, jokingly suggested that we call it our Thousand Ways To Die Tour. Yeah, but in a lot of ways he wasn’t joking. We had our experience in February, touring as a team in Germany, which we kicked off by blowing up an amp at our very first show. That’s the kind of shit that can and will happen, even when you plan as well as you possibly can. But like Matt Damon in The Martian, Blake and I have learned to “work the problem” together, and there’s no one I would rather team up with on a trip like this. Trust me, he’d find a way to grow potatoes in poop on Mars. That’s the kind of partner you want on a tour.
The Germany-tour earlier this year was the beginning of something new for me. Performing 20 concerts in 23 days was challenging to put it mildly, but I did prove to myself that I can do it, and that I can even excel at it! The growth I experienced in my musicianship alone was enough to make the run worthwhile, but beyond that I feel like I became an adult on that trip. That experience is what fuels my excitement and eagerness to get out there again next week, and to get everything I can out of it. I know it’ll be hard. I know that. But it’s the only way to be the artist I want to be.
So, here’s my conclusion: the challenge of touring is trying to manage the moving parts so that they don’t interfere with the art. I want to make sure that I give myself the best possible chance to do what I go out there to do (and I paraphrase Aaron Sorkin): “to compel my audience for as long as I’ve asked for their attention.” So, with that in mind I’m setting up my guitar, amp, pedalboard, and a fake microphone in the middle of my living room…and I’m rehearsing.
Jennifer pellegrino said:
Fantastic piece!
Good luck!
I wish I could be a fly on your shoulder!
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Nick Prudent Ⓥ (@xecretcode) said:
People have no idea what working musicians like you & Blake have to go through to bring them entertainment. There is no huge machine behind you & you have to do everything yourself. I for one thank you both for your dedication. Good luck for the next tour!
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Michael Soaries said:
When I get the chance I love your writing. Having met you in person, and from reading this I am convinced that the moving parts are as much a part of the art as is the performance that results from the successful (if sometimes messy) managing of all the moving parts. Thank you for being you in such a creatively public way.
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Elaina Balzano said:
❤ Enjoy every moment ,you make a great team
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Irun4everything said:
Can’t wait to see you again and Blake here in Vegas on the 22nd and 23rd!!
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Scott Fadynich said:
I enjoyed the read as I sit here in Jackson Hole WY. I am not a musician , but I am on the road for 7 weeks out of Tucson AZ. My wife on the other hand is, and for this trip I become her “Roadie”. That’s a whole new perspective on teamwork. This years tour bus just like the last is a Prius packed to the rafters. Fortunately her most effective instrument is her vocals, and a guitar that delivers the stories penned over the past 35 years.
Imam also a camera man to the director of film. A recent pivot from the musically creative place, because it takes more than great music to a achieve sustainability in today’s digital world.
Thanks from Linda Chorney and me in a parallel world. Break a string 🎸
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