A month ago, I went on tour with Brooklyn based band Gasoline Heart.  Due to personal issues, I wasn’t able to get my experience up on my site until now.  Here is my photo journal from that week long tour.

The tour life, an act many people do, but many people don’t know about.  Most people look at touring as a glamorous life and comfy buses.  The realization is, it isn’t that glamorous when you tour as a small band, which is at least 90% of the bands out there today.  Big or small, touring is a lot of work, down time, and driving.  For some that is the worst way to spend your afternoon.  For me, it is a great way to see more and discover yourself.

This will be my third time touring.  My first tour was with a band called Tokyo Rose from New Jersey.  My second tour was with a Chicago band called The Fold on the Tooth & Nail Records tour with Mxpx.  I wouldn’t mind touring full time, but with student loans and a full time job, this touring life takes the back, back, back, seat.  Somehow things fall into place and here I am again.  Not a long tour, only a week, but it will give my touring fix.  This time though, I will document touring with camera in hand.

Touring takes a toll on life and makes you realize how much you miss loved ones along with home.  It really isn’t glamorous, especially when it comes to making money.  However, once you get use to that, it is by far the best experience to have.  It does put everything into perspective.  It also helps you clear your mind.

This tour will take me out to the Midwest and then back East.  The band is called Gasoline Heart and they are located in the Brooklyn area of New York.  They are a band that has been in the industry for many years.  I think of them as a band’s band.  You may not have heard of them, but I bet you a lot of bands know of them and think very highly of them.  I met Gasoline Heart through my travels on the road and photographing them at shows.  Even though I’m not close with the guys, touring makes you closer with each other because you are with each other 24/7.  You either end up loving each other or hating each other.

I took a plane out to St. Louis to meet up with the guys.  I arrived fairly early and had time to walk around the area.  St. Louis is quite interesting.  Everything was closed on Monday or about to close.  It was about 1 in the afternoon.  I tried walking to the Arch, but that was too far.  I did see a lot of the city, but nothing too exciting.  The city could use a make over, a lot of open land and abandoned buildings.  Where the guys were playing tonight, The Demo, could be a happening place if someone took time to invest.

Before the guys in the band showed up, there is another venue next door where people were loading in.  This is something that happens frequently on tour, running into people you know.  The bands playing the Ready Room were Senses Fail, Bayside, Man Overboard, and Seaway.  I don’t know the bands personally, but we do know similar people.  For example, Seaway’s merch guy is Zach, I know Zach from when he toured with Driver Friendly and Candy Hearts.  We talked for a little bit, most surprised to see each other in St. Louis of all places, and solidified that it is a small world.

Knowing that another show was happening next door, we didn’t let that discourage us.  The guys showed up, we loaded in, sound checked, waited, watch the openers, and they played.  One thing with Gasoline Heart is, they sound really good live.  They’ve been doing this for years and know the in’s and out’s.  Maybe it is the sound guy, but they do know how to sound tight and good.  One question I keep asking myself is why hasn’t this band gotten more exposure?  I think they never got on the right tour package, then again, now a days there is so much music it is easy to get lost in the mix.

After the show, like every night, you get some late food because the last time you ate was probably around 3 or 4 and now it is 1 in the morning.  Talked with the bands on the bill and the bands next door, loaded back up and drove to the hotel to get some sleep.  First night went well, tomorrow we go to Chicago, and I will organize the merch because it is a mess.

The Demo – St. Louis, MO – 3/23/15

Openers:
Bad Cover Band Sam
I Could Sleep In The Clouds
John Craigie

Listen and download some music!!  https://gasheart.bandcamp.com/