The last two weeks of our 7 week US tour did not disappoint. Not everything was perfect — and I’ll write about the challenges eventually — and it certainly wasn’t easy, but thanks to the incredible people we were fortunate to spend time with, our tour memories are overwhelmingly wonderful and as a result we arrived home changed people.
Once again, we were blessed by several people who handed us gas money and asked for nothing in return because they just wanted to help us (I’m seriously inspired by people’s generosity!). One of my favorite moments was when a fan came up to me at merch and said “I’ll give you $75 for a tour shirt.” It actually took me a minute to realize what he was doing because he said it like he was trying to bargain with me, so when it dawned on me what he was actually doing we had a good laugh.
There were many people that we had met on last year‘s tour or shows earlier in the summer that traveled to another show in these final weeks. It’s always so special when people come back out to see you. It makes for lots of hugs, catching up, sharing stories, and being encouraged by one another. Especially when you’re road weary, it’s energizing to see familiar faces.
One amazing person in particular surprised us with homemade bracelets they had made for each of us (each one personalized) along with hand written lyrics to each of our favorite songs from a band that we all love. Just the fact that they remembered each of our favorite songs and then took the time to handwrite them all out blew me away and brought me to tears! It was such an impactful and beautiful moment.
It’s truly touching to see how the band has made an impact on people’s lives. I hope the people we meet realize how much they impact us with their kindness and thoughtfulness. There’s no doubt that we are the lucky ones who have been blessed.
The tour’s finale couldn’t have been better. It was an all day festival that Brotality played last year and were invited back to headline. The couple who organize the festival, Dave and Rosie, are shining examples of people who selflessly and generously want to help musicians, their community, and the music scene. When we arrived after a long drive, they greeted us with hugs, excitement and gift bags. They even had a special bag just for Solo that included treats, toys, and a personalized dog bowl complete with a Brotality logo, as well as his own VIP pass. He was like royalty walking around the festival all day!
Rosie made us all kinds of delicious vegan food in addition to the mounds of snacks and drinks that were available all day. Then she sent us home with bags of veggies, salads, snacks, and drinks, which were a godsend when we arrived home to an empty fridge.
The scene they are cultivating is one of tremendous support for all musicians and it’s extraordinary. All of their personal touches (banners for each band, posters of quotes, raffles and endless opportunities), attention to detail, and personal care for each and every person in attendance made for a day of awesome music and an atmosphere of love.
Another amazing individual, Dale, who we met a few years ago at a show, (and has been supporting the boys ever since), surprised us at the festival along with a bunch of his friends. Whenever we see Dale, he is so excited to see the boys and is constantly encouraging us all with his words, stories and support. It’s been so cool getting to know him and his wife, and the youth group he brings out to shows. Such genuine human beings!
It was so touching to meet another dude who had been following the band since the beginning and had passed up going to see Mastodon and Gojira in order to see the boys! He hung out showing us pictures of his son who is a touring drummer and gave the band lots of encouragement and advice.
In the spring, Bryce reached out to a drummer we met almost 5 years ago at a show, to see if his band would be interested in hopping on the second leg of tour with them. Thankfully, they were able to join us so we got to know the band after sharing the stage night after night. Jake, the drummer, has always been helpful to Bryce with booking shows, has offered tons of great advice from his many years of experience, and has always been extremely encouraging. Watching them play night after night was something we all looked forward to. It made it easier knowing they were there each night and we could all count on each other. We met so many talented musicians, but it was a highlight of the summer being able to tour with two amazing bands for an extended period of time and get to know them.
It was bittersweet when we started up the RV and pulled out of the parking lot where we spent our final night. After seven weeks on the road (five of us plus a dog), we were definitely looking forward to sleeping in our own beds and being able to spread out. But we had gained so many new friends, caught up with lots of old ones, been inspired by countless people, learned valuable life lessons, realized how truly blessed we are to be able to take on such an endeavor, heard dozens of stories from struggling people who trusted us with their emotions (which taught us about the power of love, music, and listening to others), had days off in beautiful places, and witnessed the power of community and prayer. It was difficult to realize that was coming to a close.
Now that we’ve been home for a while, we’ve been endlessly reminiscing but have a renewed appreciation for being home. Little things like showering without flip-flops, watching TV (although I still haven’t watched the news), and having enough space to stretch on the floor are things I’m thankful for every day, whereas before I took them for granted.
As we were eating dinner recently and sharing our favorite moments of tour, Reece said it best. He said “You can’t come back from seven weeks on the road unchanged – otherwise, what was it all for?”
Thank you to all of the incredible people we met this summer. You’ve inspired us with your generosity, selflessness, kindness, encouragement, laughter, tears, and support. You’re the reason we took on this adventure, and along the way you made us want to step up our game and do better. Thank you for teaching us how to love better by being living examples of how God wants us all to live our lives – loving and listening to each other no matter how different we may seem, and that, regardless of our differences, we are ALL worthy of each other’s support, respect, encouragement and LOVE.
I can’t wait to hit the road again.
Check out some fun stats!
8911 miles driven
51 days
27 shows
22 states
70 holes of disc golf
13 campgrounds
Countless Walmart sleepovers
1 Cabelas sleepover
1 Cracker Barrel sleepover
1 ant infestation
1 major rv issue (spark plugs and coils)
High temperature 112
Favorite new food—boxed mashed potatoes
