Tales of the Golden Road: Spirit Animal Bring Raucous Tour to a Close

December 22, 2016 by Glidein B-Sides, ColumnsNo Comments

Plenty of people go to see bands when they come through their town, but most people don’t think about everything that it takes to get those bands to their favorite club. Being on tour for a musician is both enlightening and daunting, as physically and mentally draining as it is stimulating. And no matter what, there are always stories to tell. In Tales From The Golden Road we let musicians tell their own stories of life on the road to get a behind-the-scenes, up-close look at what really goes down between each show.

This month Glide Magazine is excited to share dispatches from Brooklyn rockers Spirit Animal as they squeeze in one last tour before the year comes to a close. The band’s sound is anthemic and poppy, clearly suited for large stages and festivals. Spirit Animal recently released a new EP called World War IV and you can bet they are bringing the album’s soaring rock sound on this tour. In between shows, the band will take us behind the scenes. Rock on!

Homeward bound

We awoke from our black ice nightmare to a crisp drive to Davenport, Iowa where we would record a Daytrotter session. Our generation birthed the music blog explosion and Daytrotter was one of the most important sites, so this was a pretty special experience. The studio and staff were great. We tracked four tunes and headed to a surprisingly bomb Thai spot for a liquid and lemongrass lunch.

We cruised to South Bend, Indiana that night and posted up at a suburban chain called Bar Louie. The bourbon pours were mall-sized and the spinach dip was cheesier than a Kevin James comedy. Can’t complain.

The Cleveland show the next night was in a rad old place called Beachland Tavern. The jukebox had 7″ vinyl and the house meal of fried chicken thighs was home-cooked as fuck. Both joints we’ve played in Cleveland feel like last bastions of the American ’50s. Oxblood leather. Wood paneling. Everything looks like the inside of an old Jeep Cherokee. They didn’t start making those until 1974, but you know what we’re saying. Details are unAmerican anyhow.

By the time we got back to Brooklyn for the homecoming show, the merch box was lighter than our clean sock supply. It was good to see friendly faces, and sad to say farewell to our tour buds from Nico Yaryan. Nobody yelled “Free bird!” but everyone got high.

Check out Part I and Part II!