Night Ten: One More Show… For Now – January 22, 2016
Around 5:30 p.m. I gathered my things and sailed off to the windy city, also known as Chicago. I spent the majority of my day at Paul’s on Saturday before leaving to my final show of this tour. The drive to Chicago was only an hour and a half, I timed it out perfectly so I showed up right when I was expected. Funny enough, the guy who was throwing this house show in town was named Paul. We both share passionate interests in professional wrestling and that’s where a lot of our conversations headed once I arrived. That was fine by me.
I was sharing the house stage with a couple of local acts this past evening, Greeter was one and Disappearing was the other. They’re both relaxed ambient genre projects that really set a good tone this evening and meshed well with my acoustic set. I knew the night was going to be short and I was becoming a little tired but I was determined to drive from Chicago to Lansing that evening and arrive in the early hours of the morning. There was one other thing on my mind, though… I didn’t want to leave Chicago without pizza.
Even though I drove straight to the show, I didn’t get to explore Chicago like I usually do. Which was totally fine with me this time around. By the time I was waiting for my car to warm up my Chicago pizza order was made and ready to be picked up. I thought this was fitting and deserving to end my first tour in over a year, and even though I fell asleep behind the wheel on my way to Lansing a few times it was well worth it. I am home safe and sound for now… I leave again to hit the road on Thursday, Feb. 4.
Night Nine: Milwaukee Bound – January 21, 2016
I’m going to start off by saying that I absolutely love Milwaukee. This city was one of my very first places to play out of state as a touring musician. Since then, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for this fine city. The drive from Madison to Milwaukee was a short one, at least to me. Less than two hours and easy driving from city to city, it was much needed and relaxing. Later on in the evening I wouldl be playing at a house venue called The Sloth Loft, upstairs in an attic. I arrived around 10:30 in the morning, just in time for breakfast. I thought it would be a good time to treat myself to something decent since I’ve been eating sandwiches for the past few days.
I ordered a fantastic omelette and mimosa from this restaurant called Cafe Hollander in town, absolutely filling and much needed. For the rest of the day I found myself at a local coffee shop to get more work done, and to figure out my post show plans. Thankfully I already had some brewing. I’m fortunate to have one of my best friends, Paul Rabe, living in Milwaukee. He’s originally from Pinconning, toured with me my first couple of times on the road and he’s a fantastic musician and songwriter. I’m currently trying to convince him to keep playing as I write. He was out of town with his girlfriend until later in the night where he could make it to the show, so until then, I was going to be hanging out until showtime.
As the day went by I was ahead of my work and ready to play a show. After walking around some familiar parts of town, I started making my way toward the house where I was playing. This evening I am able to share the show with three other fantastic musicians (Alex Shah, Carl Johnson and Bum Ileum) in a very cold attic like venue. After a few space heaters were cranked up, we were all set and ready to start the show. Thankfully by the time I was about to go on, Paul Rabe showed up and I couldn’t help but smile the whole time.
At the end of the evening, we made our way back to Paul’s and I was introduced to the TV show “Rick and Morty” for the first time. After a couple hours of nodding off and trying to stay awake, it was time to rest and prepare for the following day. I will be hanging out in Milwaukee for a majority of it before heading to my final show in Chicago. Beer City will always remain one of my top favorites.
Night Eight: The Frequency – January 20, 2016
After having a show cancellation in Rockford, IL (the night after Pana) I ended up having the day off. Not having much to do, I felt disconnected from music for a whole day. It was terrible. Thankfully, after a whole day of nothing to do, I woke up to a new day (Thursday, Jan. 21) and I was playing The Frequency that evening in Madison, Wis. The Frequency is one of my favorite places to play and after not playing Madison for over a year, I was excited to return and to see some old friends.
As excited as I was, I still had a whole day to myself, so as usual I posted up at a coffee shop called Cool Beans for a few hours to play catch up and get a ton of work done on my computer. It was kind of nice to finally have some time set aside to work. After a few waters, a couple cups of coffee, and some snack foods (fruits, granola, sunflower seeds) I started making my way to downtown Madison so I could be closer to the venue. Keep in mind I arrived at the coffee shop around 11 a.m…. I went downtown around 7:30 pm and the venue opened at 8 pm.
This evening I played with a singer-songwriter from Appleton, Wis. named Christopher Gold. The other group are friends of mine from our last time we shared the stage together and they go under the name Spell. They’re talented musicians all around and a good night this was. My feelings toward bar shows are pretty up in the air, but thankfully The Frequency is worth it to me. The bar is in the front and the stage is in the back. With the night reaching its end, I was thankful to have a warm place to stay, set up by a friend of mine who had a friend in Madison. After arriving to my sleeping destination, I immediately fell asleep on the couch. The excitement of Milwaukee was approaching.
Night Six: One More Lengthy Stretch – January 19, 2016
My mornings go about the same way as usual while touring in the winter, determined to grab my cup of coffee and warm up the car to get moving. I had one more 5 hour drive to make and that was to The Refuge (venue) in Pana, Ill., a smaller town that I am definitely unfamiliar with. I had an idea already with how this show was going to go. Either really well for a Tuesday night or unattended. With me, I’ll take whatever I can possibly get out of a night of performing and meeting whoever I possibly can and that’s just what I did.
Upon arriving in Pana I was able to find a little coffee shop right across the street from where I was playing. If I can remember correctly it was called Just Brew It and I was in for an evening cup of coffee, as well as a Wi-Fi connectioni so I could continue my work (writing and booking) for the day. I basically was there until the shop closed down for the night and I went across the street to hang out at the venue until the show began.
Unfortunately, the local act had to drop off due to circumstances unknown. I met with the venue owner along with a couple of his friends who were there and that was just about it until the show started. I began playing some songs and a couple newer ideas to try out since this was the time to do it. Even though the evening didn’t go as planned for everyone, it’s important to make the most of what you’re given. I am thankful for this evening of kind listeners and supporters.
Tomorrow is a day off of playing due to the show being canceled. It was originally suppose to happen in Rockford, Ill. and I decided to drive here anyway and figure out my plans. By the time I arrived to town it was already late and my social surroundings in Rockford closed. With no connections to get in touch with, I was able to find a Wal-Mart parking lot to crash at for the evening. This is most likely the coldest night of the tour so far, or maybe it’s just because I have no other roof to stay under besides my van. Thankfully I have enough blankets to keep my body comfortable. Some might think this is an idiotic idea. Just assume that I’m alive and well.
Night Five: Bob Vila’s This Old House – January 18, 2016
After having my morning cup of coffee and warming up my car that was basically frozen, I packed up and left Rock Island so I could continue my tour and head to Ft. Wayne, Ind. This was another 5 hour, 30 minute drive. Instead of spending it in silence, I managed to scan through the radio which is rare action for me to make. It wasn’t long until I could figure out the public radio station and then I was all set for my second long drive of this tour. Ft. Wayne has been a town I stopped to play in twice before. One show in 2011 and the other in 2013. Even though at that time I was still learning the ropes of booking tours, I was very excited to return.
The weather didn’t seem to get any nicer and subsequently it was freezing. Thankfully, I arrived to the spot I was playing at. It’s a house venue called Bob Vila’s This Old House which gives me a little laugh every time and no, Bob Vila himself does not live here. The house venue is ran by my new pal Michael who is a resident of Fort Wayne and a genuine person in general. I was able to get situated, meet the others I was playing with (Ryan Kerr, Boo Lee Crosser and Austin Parish) and began to listen to each other perform with a smaller audience and intimate show setting.
At the end of the evening all of the musicians went their separate ways except for myself. Thanks to Michael I’m able to crash on his couch for the night so I can stay warm. This leaves me undefeated right now against sleeping in my van. Although it’s one cold winter, I am prepared to sleep in my car. Tomorrow is my final long drive of this tour and I’m excited to get some rest and to drive shorter distances after tomorrow evening.
Night Four: Quad Cities Exploration- January 17, 2016
I woke up in Muncie after a successful night of sleep and quietly made my way out the door of the Bloodlines’ house. The morning wind chill quickly whipped my face. It took another 10 minutes to warm up my car before I made my 5 hour, 30 minute drive to Rock Island, Ill for my performance at the Rozz-Tox, a diy venue/coffee/bar/and eatery spot. The Rozz-Tox is a venue that I’ve been hearing about for a couple of years now from friends who have played there. I must say I’ve been most excited about this venue so far.
The 354 mile drive to Rock Island was driven silent. It consisted of me concentrating on not spinning off of I-74 due to the roads being terrible for the first couple of hours. The other half of the drive was spent thinking about what lies ahead in the next day, the next week and what in the hell I’m doing this year to make it better than the last. As the roads became more clear and my thought process disappeared, I arrived to the Rozz-Tox around 1 p.m. six hours before the show started.
I stepped out of my car and immediately felt the -4 degrees that my phone warned me of. Talk about death. I quickly made my way into the venue to introduce myself and get warm, except it wasn’t that much warmer on the inside. I saw a gentleman walking around the venue trying to stay warm. Once I caught the corner of his eye he stopped right away and said, “Hey Alex, my name is Benjamin. How’s it going?” which caught me a little by surprise. He mentioned that the venue’s furnace broke, we both shook hands and he told me to make myself at home as he began to take care of the cold situation.
My search for a shower was questionable until Benjamin mentioned that it might be warmer in their library upstairs, and offered me a place to stay and showed me bedrooms on the second floor. One is his, one is his business partners and one is for guests that has 2 bunks in one room. After getting settled and washed up, I put my coat, hat and gloves back on and went back downstairs.
Most of the day Benjamin and I spent in conversation while trying to stay warm and waiting for the show to begin. I was able to share the evening show with two greats acts. One band is a lo-fi pop/indie act from Philadelphia named Free Cake for Every Creature and the other singer/songwriter is a acoustic/folk act under the name Kyle Prenevost. Everyone played their set in coats. We had a small crowd, and I was sure to thank everyone plenty of times for their bravery to come out and watch music in the cold.
At the end of the night, I was able to stay bundled and went to bed above the Rozz-Tox happy and ready for rest before heading out the next day for another long drive.
Night Three: A Town Called Muncie – January 16, 2016
As I woke up on this cold Saturday morning in Marion, I made it a point to make it to the local YMCA to shower up before getting back in the van to head to Muncie. The nice thing about YMCA memberships are that you can use them at almost any location in the United States, or at least I’ve been lucky enough to hit the right ones. So, thankfully I was able to stop in Marion’s fine facility. After getting all showered up and ready, it was time to get back into the van and go.
The drive to Muncie from Marion was about 45 minutes, which is the shortest drive on this tour. I arrived in town a little early not knowing what I wanted to do for the day, keeping in mind it was very cold. I often find myself in coffee shops trying to kill time and to take care of school work and booking until it’s time to go to the venue. I was able to settle down in a shop called The Cup which was a smaller establishment packed with many people. Thankfully, plugging in my headphones can drown out the amount of noise I wasn’t prepared for, and there I was keeping to myself until around 9 p.m.
The venue I played at was called “Be Here Now,” a well known DIY bar spot in the area by many college kids who attend Ball State University. The show was scheduled to start around 10 p.m., and I went on a little after that. I opened the show for two other local area bands from Indiana named The Peaceful Kings and Bloodlines. A packed bar on a Saturday night is common, but thankfully I was able to grab the attention of a few ears that evening while they enjoyed their drinks. After finishing my set, I patiently waiting for the other acts to play (who were fantastic by the way) and was in the process of finishing up my Intro to Ethics paper due at midnight.
By the time Bloodlines finished their set, we were all well acquainted with each other which lead to me being offered a couch to sleep on that evening. I have nothing but nice things to stay about the kind folks in the band Bloodlines, along with their circle of friends who support them. They were kind and generous and took good care of me for that evening which lead me into a great night’s sleep. It’s time to get some shut eye, as tomorrow will be a longer drive to Rock Island, Ill.
Night Two: The Tale of Two Cats – January 15, 2016
As I woke up on my friend’s glorious couch in South Bend, I immediately began to go about my day. After showering and getting ready, I gathered my things, packed up my van and took off to another town southeast called Warsaw. I had the opportunity to meet a gentleman named Ian through mutual friends on the interweb and managed to score a Cozy Couch Session, a live video recording.
After getting to know each other, setting up, recording the video and chatting for awhile afterward, I realized that I was losing track of time and needed to continue my way down to Marion where I was playing a show that evening. I must admit, these first couple nights of tour I’ve been feeling spoiled. The show was at the Abbey Coffee Co. and I was able to play to another attentive and respectful crowd. I had the opportunity to share the night of music with my new pal Ryan Kerr who plays acoustic/folk out of Indiana as well, and what a blast it was. My sleeping arrangements were up in the air though, and I was beginning to search for the nearest Wal-Mart to post up for the evening and catch some sleep in my van, until a couch and roof to put over my head was offered.
I had the opportunity to meet another fellow musician named Caleb, who’s in a band called We Love You. I managed to make my way to his house for the night and after some conversation it was time to rest my head, but of course I couldn’t keep this couch all to myself. I was a little crunched with space due to sharing the couch with two cats, names I totally don’t remember. I must say, our fight for space continued throughout the night as they defeated me with no problem, walking on my face throughout the early morning. I’m willing to look away from that though and realize that I walked away with a couple of new buds.
Night One: The Beginning of the Tour – January 14, 2016
Today marks the first day of my Midwest run of shows. Day one always has the full potential of being the most exciting day of tour, or at least the first day is always the most exciting since it sets the tone for the rest of the journey.
I was able to put in a good night of sleep to prepare myself for the amounts of running around and prepping I had to do before I left my home at 1:30 p.m. I woke up and made a pretty delicious breakfast. I figured it was a good idea to do so since it’s sometimes tricky to eat homemade meals while you’re out on the road.
After organizing my car, packing up and getting settled, it was time to take off. My drive to South Bend, Ind. pushed close to four hours, thankfully traffic wasn’t bad and the day was relatively nice. Thanks to my brother, Mike, I wasn’t left empty handed with my music situation in my car, so I’m using his iPod to supply my music needs for these adventurous drives.
Upon arriving to The Well in South Bend, I had high hopes for my first show of tour. The performances began with Fort Wayne, Ind. singer-songwriter Robert Harrison and closed with Brittany Lee Moffitt. They were both outstanding and it was an honor playing my set in between those two. The Well was packed with an audience that was kind and attentive—talk about great listeners! It’s always reassuring when you perform in front of an audience that’s there strictly for the music. It’s much appreciated on all levels. As the night winded down, I was fortunate enough to have a place to crash in Granger, about 20 minutes away from where I played. My friends in the band Interstate Traffic were willing to put me up for the night and a great night of sleep on their couch is soon to be in action!
On the Road with Alex – Intro
At the age of 10, I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do when I grew up. Some kids at that age might mention they want to be an astronaut, doctor, or police officer, but I was usually the odd one out. I wanted to play music on the road and sleep out of a van and now at the age of 23 that is exactly what I’m doing. After being in a couple of bands throughout my high school years, and taking some time off of college a couple of years after, I decided it was time to go solo and tour. So here I am: back in school, taking my college classes online, so I can pursue my dream more than ever and share my songs in 2016, beginning with a 10-day tour in January.
As an active touring acoustic/indie solo artist, I’m usually asked a couple of different questions: “What kind of hotels are you staying at?” or “Who books all of your shows for you?” Well, hotels definitely don’t make it into the equation; I crash in my car or on a stranger’s floor. As for the second question, I book my own shows. I spend countless hours emailing, reaching out to venues and promoters to secure a date that I’m looking to book. A lot of us guys like to call it DIY (Do It Yourself).
This month begins a 10-day tour around the Midwest—Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin to be exact. Take off begins on Thursday, Jan. 14 and ends on Saturday, Jan. 23. I’ve been working on booking this tour for about 4 months now, and seeing it come together as I continue to plan and book my life six months in advance is a beautiful thing.
Some might think this touring experience is just for fun, or it’s a hobby to have until you have to grow up, but it’s not like that for me. It’s work and it can be tiring, but essentially it’s the career path that I want. The idea of sleeping on the floor of your minivan, making enough money to get to the next city, and hoping that you might be able to afford a decent meal after eating peanut butter and bread for a week might sound crazy to some, but to me I strongly believe that all hard work will eventually pay off. You just have to keep striving.
As my first tour of 2016 approaches, I am preparing myself for what is yet to come. Seeing the beauty of the United States and what it’s like to tour as a musician trying to make this his lifelong career. What’s key to me is giving my all every night whether I’m playing a bar, house, coffee shop, or to an empty room.
Taking these trips alone can be great—believe me I enjoy the alone time driving and listening to talk radio shows—but there’s still a wave of loneliness that comes along with it. This is your chance to keep me company while I travel the roads of the United States. If you would like to stay updated and in touch, you can do so by reaching me on the social media platforms provided. If you’re interested in hearing what I sound like, well there’s a link for that too!
Twitter: @DCAlexKostka
Instagram: @alex_kostka
Snapchat: Kostka182
www.alexkostkamusic.bandcamp.com