Photo credit: Imelda Michalczyk
Tell us about your tour vehicle.
I still “jam econo”. 1999 FORD. close to 400k, I think. It’s a conversion van style, so it looks like a family wagon. still has a tape player.
If you take care of them, they run forever. But, I normally fly somewhere then drive from there. I like 4 day weekends best.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
Hit the grocery store.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
I don’t break a lot of strings anymore and i’m fortunate that the folks at Ernie Ball sell them to me at a very kind artist cost.
I’m very lucky because I was a customer of theirs already. purple pack. same thing with guitars. I have had the same Fender guitar since 1997. My friend O secured it for me & they built it at the Fender Custom Shop. He and the record label (cargo/headhunter) thought I broke too many strings, & I did back then. My original (string breaking) Fender guitar got stolen in Chicago. Britton Nash built me a new one. It’s identical & it doesn’t break strings. I mostly record with it. I only like to travel with one. I say it’s because they don’t sound the same but it’s really because I don’t wanna carry 2. hah! anyway, I’ve never had to bug him or them for another. Good karma, imo.
Where do you rehearse?
I don’t really practice. I get with the band a day or so before the gigs, wherever they live. At the moment, in LA or Minneapolis.
I don’t have a band in Colorado. when I’m home, I’m home.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
I’m not sure what the first one was. Chad Rex and I wrote a TON of songs in middle school. Hundreds.
But, I always say it’s “Jessica’s Suicide” that I wrote w/ Steve Garcia from Armchair Martian. “how much death can one man stand?”. We wrote it during the commercials while watching an episode of MARY TYLER MOORE show. It was the one where the clown died. I tell the story on an episode Matt Besser’s IMPROV4HUMANS podcast. Anyhow, I’ve written a lot of songs like that. Nowadays during baseball games. I have to pause them sometimes, which is a bummer when I hear my phone BING and I know I’m in the past and that somebody scored or they replaced a pitcher. it’s actually kinda exciting.
Describe your first gig.
Me, Chad Rex and Jerimiah Bokay played at our art teacher’s bar called the HIGH FIVE when we were in high school. I puked.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I was lucky to work in several record stores. I also washed dishes at CSU. That was my favorite actually. My boss told me to just get the work done and that it didn’t matter if I did it in less time, I’d get paid the same. I was fast.
How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years? What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?
It’s kinda the same. I just sustain. I don’t like thinking or worrying about money. It works out. and I don’t worry about it. Our house will be paid off by then, so I guess I’ll get to really not worry sooner than later.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Just to listen more & talk less. Always put yourself in other people’s shoes first.
If everyone else is happy, you are too. hah! it’s kinda selfish, I guess.
It’s just a short life. I prefer it to be easy going. we’re all lucky to do the thing.
I also wish I’d kept a log of ALL the gigs. I started pre internet so I don’t remember a lot. I get reminded of stuff often. that’s fun too.