Myth vs. Reality


Small Gear haul. Guitars, pianos, amps. Allow me to reminisce...

While growing up, every maturing male has the fantasy that when you start/join a band, you meet women. As soon as you get on stage, they'll be throwing their underwear at you. When I joined the Van Halen cover band in college, I thought it was a possibility that I could have at least a little fun. In reality I learned the joys of being my own roadie. The above picture isn't even a fraction of what we had to haul back then.

After shows at the hallowed Oakcrest Tavern in Madison, WI, we would finish a show, shake a few hands, and then exit every conversation to wrap every single cable, pack mics, wind and pack the Audio Snake, Pack the 64 channel mixer, disconnect and pack the amp and processor boxes, use a dolly to haul the amp box away, pair off and haul the subwoofers, bag the PA speakers, stack the three monitors, and a bunch of other things I probably left out. We routinely filled four to five cars. By the time we were done, it was 3am and everybody had gone home. I'd have rather been talking to the girl who waited for everybody to leave the room before approaching. I was too distracted to get a phone number.

Less gear = good times.

. . [~] . 0 (Grumble) Grumbles .