Have You Ever Followed A Band On the Road??

[MMPJ6306]

Hey!! I'm about to finish a creative writing minor at school and I want to write a "dark comedy" kinda story about obsessive jam band fans and parking lot culture. Alas, I've never followed a band on tour so I can't draw on any experience.

Please fill me in on anything I need to know or just the craziest things that happened to you! The Dead, Phish, DMB, MMJ, Pearl Jam, any band would do! Feel free to share anecdotes in this thread or PM me! Any help is welcome!! Thanks.

[Mr. White]

If you haven't seen this documentary about the Dead Heads who follow the Grateful Dead around, you should.

http://youtu.be/QbwwoqQQh-8

[WastedLittleWeeza]

I've traveled with one band and followed another.  It was a lot of fun but I wouldn't do it now. OBH 2015 is about as crazy I get at this point.

With the band I followed, I fondly remember getting to venues super early, hanging out in the parking lot and meeting new people and finding our way to the rails to see the band shout out to us and make sure we got to the after-parties.  A lot of that happened because of our presence on boards.  It's amazing how many connections you make with people on forums!   

I'll think about actual stories later...I remember on tour one of my friend's thought it was a great idea to start a bonfire, the wind kicked up and almost set N.E.R.D.'s bus on fire.  That was pretty awesome.   

[walterfredo]

Phish summer tour- half of 96 and 97 and all 98.

Put a lot of miles on mitsubishi mighty max during summer 1998...
Arcata, CA to...

· 1998-07-15 Portland Meadows, Portland, OR
· 1998-07-16 Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
· 1998-07-17 Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
· 1998-07-19 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
· 1998-07-20 Ventura County Fairgrounds, Ventura, CA
· 1998-07-21 Desert Sky Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ
· 1998-07-24 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, The Woodlands, TX
· 1998-07-25 South Park Meadows, Austin, TX
· 1998-07-26 Starplex Amphitheatre, Dallas, TX
· 1998-07-28 Sandstone Amphitheatre, Bonner Springs, KS
· 1998-07-29 Riverport Amphitheater, Maryland Heights, MO
· 1998-07-31 Polaris Amphitheater, Columbus, OH
· 1998-08-01 Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI
· 1998-08-02 Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN
· 1998-08-03 Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN
· 1998-08-06 Lakewood Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA
· 1998-08-07 Walnut Creek Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC
· 1998-08-08 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
· 1998-08-09 Virginia Beach Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA
· 1998-08-11 Star Lake Amphitheatre, Burgettstown, PA
· 1998-08-12 Vernon Downs, Vernon, NY
· 1998-08-15 Loring Commerce Center at Loring Air Force Base, Limestone, ME
· 1998-08-16 Loring Commerce Center at Loring Air Force Base, Limestone, ME

...and straight back to Arcata, CA

[Murph]

Phish summer tour- half of 96 and 97 and all 98.

Put a lot of miles on mitsubishi mighty max during summer 1998...
Arcata, CA to...

· 1998-07-15 Portland Meadows, Portland, OR
· 1998-07-16 Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
· 1998-07-17 Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
· 1998-07-19 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
· 1998-07-20 Ventura County Fairgrounds, Ventura, CA
· 1998-07-21 Desert Sky Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ
· 1998-07-24 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, The Woodlands, TX
· 1998-07-25 South Park Meadows, Austin, TX
· 1998-07-26 Starplex Amphitheatre, Dallas, TX
· 1998-07-28 Sandstone Amphitheatre, Bonner Springs, KS
· 1998-07-29 Riverport Amphitheater, Maryland Heights, MO
· 1998-07-31 Polaris Amphitheater, Columbus, OH
· 1998-08-01 Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI
· 1998-08-02 Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN
· 1998-08-03 Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN
· 1998-08-06 Lakewood Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA
· 1998-08-07 Walnut Creek Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC
· 1998-08-08 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
· 1998-08-09 Virginia Beach Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA
· 1998-08-11 Star Lake Amphitheatre, Burgettstown, PA
· 1998-08-12 Vernon Downs, Vernon, NY
· 1998-08-15 Loring Commerce Center at Loring Air Force Base, Limestone, ME
· 1998-08-16 Loring Commerce Center at Loring Air Force Base, Limestone, ME

...and straight back to Arcata, CA

really?! THat is insane to me, in the best way possible. Did you do this by yourself? How does one afford a summer like that? I have so many questions haha, you should write a book about this

[walterfredo]

4 people and two dogs in a Mitsubishi pick up truck with camper shell!  Tight quarters.  As for the money, if there's a will there's a way.  You just make it happen.  There's ways of making money on phish tour! 

[ms. yvon]

walterfredo, did i know you lived in Arcata?  i lived there for 7 years.  maybe we covered this at some point but i may have been drunk.