Fun times on the road pt.1

First let me say, we were kids on the road, having a good time. Showing up on time, all over the country, taking fill in gigs, we did it all. We once went to Wyoming on a working set of gigs. We played in Casper, Wyoming and at the bar (Much bigger than what we normally play here in Texas) they had an apartment for the bands. We lived there for 7 days at a time. We arrive Monday morning, load it, sound check (Super quietly) and then Tuesday Night we play a show. From 9-2. 5 hour show. They were exhausting. I think we made $2500 for the week and had to pay the bookie 10%. Rough. Then we leave on Monday and started toward Cheyenne Wyoming. Outlaw saloon I believe is the name of the venue. Big stars play this stage. Everyone you’ve heard of in country music has played this stage. Aldean to Combs, to Willie! Great stage, great people, great crew. We show up, and it’s essentially the same thing, but better money. Hotel across the street (Terrible hotel). Anyhow, same thing. Same days, same times, same exhaustion. Then we got asked to go back to Casper, so we did. Then we went to Minot ND, and played a week there. After that 4th week we were asked to stay again because the band coming in for the following week broke down. We had a bad experience at that venue, they were rude and the staff sucked so we declined. We did however go stock the fridge and left all our booze for the incoming band to make their bad luck of a breakdown a bit easier. Jack Nelson was the band incoming we later found out when Jack shouted us out a thank you on Social Media. We had never met before but we were signed to the same agency 7th planet entertainment. Fast forward to returning to Texas and getting a gig down on the coast to fill in. Our regular tour didn’t start for another few weeks. It was like that, get a call, drive drive drive. To pass the time, the monotony and to just have a bit of fun, we made challenges sometimes. One of the most memorable was Ryan Olgin being hazed into the band. Emma and Ryan walked into War Mart somewhere south Texas and all Ryan had to do was walk in one set of doors, make the main isle trip around Walmart and exit out the other door. The only catch was. . . If I said stop, he had to stop. Emma and I kind of talked about a plan. We had him stopping 5 times on the walk. The first stop was Emmas. She had him stop, then she built a fort around him with Ramen Noodles. Hilarious to us kids. He sat down while she built the fort. Then she said go, so he had to put them all back up. Reference the picture. The next 4 stops were equally funny. The last one to note was Emma pleading with him to marry her, and forgive her for her romance with his mother. She was loud and it was funny. After that stretch of the legs we got back to it. Back to work. Ryan, Colt and Scotty would rehearse while I drove. I miss those good ole days. I hope Scotty and Ryan are doing well. I know Colt and I are enjoying life right now for sure, but still miss those days.