Touring veteran Tara Theisen of Sharkmuffin shares her tips for surviving life on the road.
After a show in Lawrence, Kansas my old band Ex-Girlfriends pulled up to a random house where we were going to sleep that night. There were garbage bags covering the garage windows, conjuring images of the mutilated dead bodies hidden inside. Our bandmate had set up these accommodations last minute and assured us it was [...]
When I grew up dreaming of rockstardom, I never realized how many spreadsheets I would have to make. But they've become so indispensable to me that I've even named this column in their honor! Below I’ve included the spreadsheet templates my projects use to stay organized for booking, advances, finances, merchandise inventory, and our [...]
Sharkmuffin charms Robert Plant The story goes that Jimi Hendrix was unknown in the States before he traveled to the U.K. It was only after his time across the pond that he returned as our beloved shredding icon. It can happen to you too! His spirit is still there, and Sharkmuffin may have [...]
One surprisingly common tour complaint is not being able to poop for the first few days. Probably due to a mix of public restroom anxiety and not eating like your normal self would, tour constipation doesn’t sound that bad compared to “fire ass,” something my former tourmates have suffered from after consuming too many [...]
I’ve been called a masochist for going to Austin, TX's South By South West festival so many years in a row. SXSW 2018 will be my eighth return trip and this year I’ll be an official artist with all three of my projects - Sharkmuffin, Ex-Girlfriends and Kino Kimino - totaling 17 sets in five [...]
Do you have too many band t-shirts? I have so many that I recently I gave my college bestie, favorite neighbor and Gustaf front woman, Lydia Gammill, about 30 of them to send to her cousin to make into a queen size blanket for me. I still have at least 15 band shirts remaining in [...]
Caro reads about her next tour date in Rolling Stone. Photo by Jose Berrio While I was dancing around my middle school bedroom screaming into a hairbrush dreaming of my future rock stardom, I had no idea how many spreadsheets and e-mails I would have to send to make it happen. Even after [...]
Ex-Girlfriends tour routes by Tine Hill After spending 21 weeks on tour in 2017 with four bands (playing in Sharkmuffin, Ex-Girlfriends, Kino Kimino and tour mama-gering for The Big Drops) in three different countries, here are my picks for the best promoters, collectives and venues that I’ve been lucky enough to experience in [...]
Every band who tours frequently has an unspoken member who doesn't play on any records, yet is instrumental in reaching fans' ears in far away places. I'm talking about the vehicle responsible for getting the band to their next show, and hopefully, the show after that. If you want to go on tour you have a [...]
Booking a tour is basically planning a road trip with the goal of playing music every night and (hopefully) making enough money for gas to your next destination. Booking your first tour is a grind, so it’s helpful to have higher purpose that is fun and motivating. Bands usually plan a tour to promote an [...]
