The last and final date of tour was in a small steel town called McKees Rocks, PA.  The town is located on the outskirts of Pittsburgh.  I’ve never heard of the town, but I expected it to be a blue collar type of town.  As always the drive took some time, but we did our usual rituals of talking and listening to music, sleeping, reading, truck stops, and phone usage.  Mike Rocket’s music was our entertainment once again.

When we got to the venue, it was a weird situation.  No place to really load in except the front door, the venue was your typical dive bar, and the bartender was packing.  I was the one to scope it out and I was greeted with a not so warm welcome.  I was told we were way too early, but it was okay to load in.  We loaded in and then played pool to pass the time.  I walked around the town to see if anything was around, but nothing stood out.  Around 5, the place’s regulars were gone and the crowd turned into a younger crowd.  Also a good amount of people showed up.

The opening bands did a great job and also brought a lot of the audience.  Once Gasoline Heart took the stage, this show surprised me as the best show of the tour for me.  It surprised me, and was a great way to end the tour.  Everyone was singing along and the guys were energized.  They played until after midnight and played all the songs they knew.  The promoter of the show and from the local band Aurora came on stage to asked for another song.  Unfortunately the guys didn’t have any, but Louis broke into “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens.  Which had a great response from the crowd.

The remainder of the night was hanging out with the crowd, packing out, and then driving through the night to get all of us home.  It was a great way to close out the tour.

I am grateful for all I’ve done in life, and being able to tour three times has been a treat.  These entries were to show what touring is really like.  Even though it was on a small scale, I hope people get a better idea of what bands go through on a daily basis.  It isn’t a easy life, let alone a rewarding life right away.  However, eventually it all pays off.  I leave with saying this is how bands live and it isn’t glamorous.  Always support your favorite bands.  Go to shows, buy music, buy merch, pass along their name to others.  That is my main goal with the bands I like.  Gasoline Heart included.  I want to thank the guys for taking a chance on me.  We barely knew each other, but now we are friends.  As always check them out, and support your favorite musicians.

Dead Horse Cantina – McKees Rock, PA – 3/27/15

Openers:
The Park Plan
Playoff Beard
Aurora

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