ON THE ROAD – Being on the road as a traveling/touring musician isn’t all glamor as most people think. Doing a run of shows/concerts means a lot of travel to meet the deadlines of “load in and sound check” and these deadlines must be met so the show can go on. Here is an account of a recent run with Idlewild South, The Allman Brothers Band Tribute regional favorite.
On this run we brought in a couple of friends as special guests. We flew in Bruce Katz from New York, a keyboard and Hammond organ wizard, and Lamar Williams, Jr. who is an extraordinarily great singer from Atlanta. Both of these guys are from the inner family of musicians directly connected to The Allman Brothers Band. So I would say yes, they were quite special.
The first show was in downtown Raleigh at The Lincoln Theatre. We all came in at 4:00 p.m. for load in and sound check; that took a little over two and a half hours. Then we all went out for a nice dinner before the show.
When we came back to the venue there were already lots of people hanging around outside at the Theatre’s artists’ entrance in hopes of getting a glimpse – and to ultimately meet – our special guests, get some pictures, and autographs; of course it worked as it usually does.
Then while watching the venue start to fill up from backstage everyone was getting final instructions regarding the set list and making sure everyone was on the same page. Then it was time to go out there make it happen, and I believe we did just that!
After it was over we had to pack all of the gear up into a large trailer that we pulled behind a motorhome large enough to transport this bunch and we left Raleigh at 1:30 a.m. (here is where the fun starts and the glamor comes in) and drove literally all night. Our destination was Asheville and we had to deal with a detour on I-40 in route to our next gig at The Grey Eagle.
We made the trip although the detour delayed our arrival. We arranged accommodations for a house with two cabins on the property so everyone could have a bed for rest and showers, etc. Upon arrival our host even had breakfast ready and prepared some healthy “smoothies” and they were great! Then we all went to our rooms with curtains drawn for darkness for a long nap.
We were expected to arrive at The Grey Eagle in Asheville by 4:30 p.m. for yet another “load in and sound check.” Once all of that was accomplished we were fed very well by the venue and had about an hour to get things in order for the set list and final arrangements of what we were going to do for this performance and changed into some different clothes for the show. Then we hit the stage and played to another great crowd.
Afterwards it was time for some meet and greet with the fans, then it was time to pack up again and head out onto I-40 for the trip back east to Raleigh. And yes, we drove all night again for the second night in a row.
Doesn’t this sound like fun and packed with glamor? One must really love to do this or the question would be a simple “why,” but musicians are a different breed – as it is rather apparent they are – because this isn’t easy to do.
At both venues we played to great crowds that were very responsive, engaged and true fans of this wonderful music. That is what makes it great for us on the stage as we pour out our best at every performance in an effort to make it a great night for everyone that bought a ticket.
On our trip back, I think it was Tim Smith, our bass player that had this great idea around three or four in the morning to GPS a Waffle House and do a call in order perhaps thirty or forty minutes down the road. Well, that’s what we did, but when we arrived to pick up our large order, it wasn’t even ready. This place was so busy we had to wait at least forty minutes which really threw us behind, so here is where we experience more glamor, but it was what it was and we finally got our food and got back on the road in our “magic bus” and finally arrived back in Raleigh which was our base point of unloading from the trip. Then some of us had another couple of hours to get home. For me it was off to RDU airport to deliver our special guests for the flights back to New York and Atlanta and then drive back home to Hamlet.
Well that is what it is like to be on the road as a traveling musician. Some of you know just how things can be on the road but most don’t, so I hope this gives many of you a little more appreciation for seeing a live production of a traveling unit. As I have tried to point out here, it isn’t all glamor but we love to bring a lot of people happiness for a couple of hours during a live performance. “The Road Goes On Forever.”
