Tell us about your tour vehicle.
We just retired the original “Road Condo” and purchased a new (to us) Ford Transit high topper, the big guy. We’re just a 3-piece, but we like to stretch out, and it allows us the opportunity to bring many t-shirts to the people. And gives us a little room to grow. It’s in good shape so we’re prepared to take on a ton of road miles, but it does have a very dramatic back-up beep.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
With the extra space afforded by the new Road Condo, we’re able to pack a cooler with healthy snacks and drinks, which cuts down dramatically on both the cost and calories of rest stop food. Also, our rider is made up of pretty healthy stuff – meats and cheeses, fruit, coconut water. The most indulgent item is probably chips and salsa (and a couple of beers).
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
We really don’t break strings very often. When touring, I typically change the full set of strings pretty regularly, so breaks are rare. Maybe 3-4 strings a year, tops. They’re $4-$5 a set so that’s reasonable.
Where do you rehearse?
We rehearse in my home studio. It’s very cozy and cool, IMO. Lots of cool guitars and amps and other instruments and pedals I’ve collected. It used to be a hair salon and we did renovations and repainting to get it into studio shape. Definitely some fun moments have been had, but we won’t talk about that here.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
I’m an instrumentalist originally, but the first song GA-20 wrote was “Naggin’ On My Mind.” Pat and I both write the music but Pat typically handles the lyrics. “Hey baby, do you miss me? Do you miss me like when I’m gone?”
Describe your first gig.
GA-20 was a very different animal in its first incarnation. Pat and I played guitar with a harmonica player, no drums, and we played very quietly. Small amps. It was supposed to be a different sort of thing in the beginning. But as so often happens, after a few gigs there was an organic shift and we dropped the harmonica, got some drums stat, and kind of amped up the intensity and approach into the GA-20 you see today. Still no bass player.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
My last day job was intermittently acting as a music tutor at a local community college. Pat and Tim both offer private lessons. My favorite day job was selling cell phones from a kiosk at the mall as a teenager. I made a ton of money!
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?
Hopefully our future is green. Please buy a ticket to our show.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
It’s a tricky career path. It’s unpredictable and at times spirit crushing. You’ll have to do or learn so many more jobs than just playing music. But it can also be the kind of fun everyone longs for and can bring people together like nothing else can. There are so many rewarding aspects that I wouldn’t ever want to do anything else. Also, please buy a ticket to our show.