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Home > Atlanta Music Scene > Archives > 2008 > October > 02 > Entry
The Modern Society — From The Road
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today’s Dispatch From The Road comes from singer-guitarist Woody Brown of The Modern Society, the Atlanta indie-rockers performing at Smith’s Olde Bar tonight — and releasing a new CD Nov. 18 on Original Signal titled “The Beat Goes On”.
Planning to be there this evening? Are a Modern Society fan?
Well enjoy…
In America where the sun goes down…
Somewhere in between the Mexican desert, the ashy air of Los Angeles during the wild fires and the cold winter snow in Chicago, I think we became the band that we are today. Whether looking out the window of our old beat-up van or the window of an airplane as it leaves the runway, I always get the same feeling…the feeling that I might be one of the luckiest people on Earth.
I constantly come across interviews with artists that love to complain about “life on the road.” I don’t get it. Seriously, I don’t. Ok, maybe we haven’t been doing it “as long,” but I can tell you a thing or two: regardless of our old van (with a/c that decides whether to work or not independent of us) that doesn’t have the most comfortable floor to sleep on and the scummy hotels where we finally rest our heads for a few hours of the morning; whether it’s the three people-strong crowd we played to our first time in Ohio or the sold out shows at the Roxy in Atlanta…we always have the best time!
We are four best friends who make music and play it: that is our life, that is our job, and that is what we live to do.
I think perhaps the best thing about touring is meeting new people, because truthfully you never really get to see the cities you play in. Here’s a typical breakdown of our days out on the road:
Wake up around checkout time…prank Chris since he’s usually the last one to wake up. In Milwaukee once, my favorite prank was “borrowing” the maid’s vacuum cleaner and sneaking back into the dark room, turning it on and yelling, “clean room, clean room!” Also try to weasel in a shower by taking shifts packing the van slowly. This only works sometimes…generally we end up getting kicked out before we can all get clean (in fact, once the police were called…I guess four guys in tight jeans scream “dangerous tenants”)
Jump in the van; get something to eat…chips, water…maybe some fast food if you’re not completely sick of it by then
Drive
At sunset or close to it, you finally come to the next city, get to the venue, and meet the sound guy, who is usually one of the most unique groups of people you get to work with and who generally has some very good and very interesting “back in the good ole days” stories.
Load in your gear & sound check
Sit around, eat some greasy venue food
Play the show
Meet new people, party until the venue closes
Find somewhere to go locally with new friends…
Hotel or house floor sleeping is just like it sounds…weird and weirder…
When we do get the chance to hang out in a town on a day off, we take full advantage. So many great memories come to mind…on the sidewalks in the Midwest trying to convince people that down South we call corn dogs “corn horses” and watching their puzzled faces as we ask where “the best place we can buy a corn horse is…you know a hotdog on a stick wrapped in a corn saddle.” Or the first time we braved a winter in Chicago…I don’t know how, but we’ve got to come up with a way to layer under our jeans.
Not all of touring is unbelievably amazing. There are nights in the early days when you end up on a bill with a thrash metal band (think of that scene in The Blues Brothers when they’re playing in the bar behind a chain link fence and everyone’s throwing beer bottles). But all together it is the greatest time a band can have. Yes, you don’t get much rest, you’ll probably get bronchitis, you won’t make much money…in fact you’ll probably spend more at first. When you get home, however, and you’ve slept for a couple of days…being at home never feels stranger.
We’ll be touring a good bit in the Southeast in the coming months and up North this winter. Even as I type this on my laptop we’re getting ready to be in Atlanta (tonight at Smith’s Olde Bar) and North Carolina (Oct. 4 at the Asheville Rock Festival)…what greater time to be in the Southeast than the Fall???
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