Tales from the Band Van: Finding the perfect ride for LILAKK for only a dollar

We began by searching through Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and various sites. Filtering through columns from lowest-to-high, thinking optimistically (and delusion-ally) that one day we would be riding and owning a van of our own.

Then, exciting news came.

Bringing the 'Band Van' to life

A friend, Drew Purvis posted a status on Facebook saying that he was giving away a van. The reason? He wanted it to go to another band that could use it. The music community is good like that. The white 2002 Dodge Ram was perfect for what we needed; just a little polishing and pimping and this thing would be high five.

My husband Kirk jumps on the opportunity like a kangaroo, which lead to them meeting the next day. Drew goes over the different things that need to be fixed on the van: replacing the radiator (which we’ve done several times) and other general maintenance, oil, water, etc.

Credit: Calli Joiner / For Do Savannah

Credit: Calli Joiner / For Do Savannah

As the conversation starts to close, Kirk jokes, “I feel like I can’t leave here without giving you, something.” He proceeds to pull four quarters from his front pocket. They both laugh and it’s been a continuous joke since: “We got a van, for a dollar!”

We towed the newly-purchased van to our band mate Johnny’s house where we met with his brother-in-law, who was a former mechanic. He worked on the vehicle for a few days and then Kirk and I drove the van back to our house, where we worked on the inside. Scraping the sticky residue from the ceiling walls as lint falls all over my hair and clothes. We swept and vacuumed the crevices and Johnny hand-painted the “LILAKK” logo on the side of the van with our signature red “K”.

Now for the most important part – blue LED lights from Ollie’s to give it that 2010s party bus vibe!

Credit: Calli Joiner / For Do Savannah

Credit: Calli Joiner / For Do Savannah

You can see “La Prison Van” and our sticker gallery located in the back as you pass by the sun-faded DIY paint logo from the side. I like to tell people that the caged windows protect us and the fake leather seats are the comfiest seats around (dead serious). They make for a good for late night drive home.

A seat for each member and the fight for best spot

In the van, each band member has their spot.

Credit: Calli Joiner / For Do Savannah

Credit: Calli Joiner / For Do Savannah

Kirk, who is lead guitar and vocals, usually drives the van (with a few veers off the road). "Johnny Boy Bassist" is his wing man, providing some male moral support. Adam (former keys player/chef man) and myself (secondary guitar/vocals) fight for the window seat in the first row. But if he get’s there before me, he’ll lay down his Pokemon pillow down, to secure his spot.

Zach, our current drummer and newest member, is the baby out of the bunch. Sitting at 6’2 and hovering over us like a sasquatch, he sits in the back row with his best bud "Cody the Roadie," who travels everywhere with us. Yes, t-shirts are on the way!

When we’re on the road, it’s always an adventure. Every trip is never the same. The people we meet, the places we visit... the weather. But the guys are like brothers to me.

Sometimes we bicker, sometimes we pout, but mostly we’re all having fun and joking around. Each trip is a thrill, sometimes off-roading and dodging road kill.

Having fun, weirdos alike, we do what we love –– "Ride or Die."

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Tales from the Band Van: Finding the perfect ride for LILAKK for only a dollar