Photos by Sean Gonzalez
Life on the road is highly romanticized. Luckily, one of our writers Sean Gonzalez is about to be wed to that idea soon thanks to Hodera, a rock/folk outfit out of New Jersey. Expect lots of fun and scares from his adventures as he embarks on a six week tour to SXSW and back with the band.
Three.
A musician once croaked the words, “we are nowhere and it is now,” and one time I was on the couch with my Mom watching Knocked Up and that same song started playing after the earthquake in the film. I was a bit confused on the exact meaning of what Mr. Oberst was trying to convey with that lyric/song title and I think I finally understand. On the six hour drive to Georgia that lyric crossed my mind, a decade after first hearing that song I fell out of the suffocating filter of life and into the current reality of the highway and the cars and the vast space of unknown surrounding; we really are nowhere and all we have is now.
North Carolina was a shit show, an actual shit show. We stayed at a house that had dog feces on the floor and a cat that peed on some of our personal belongings. Not the brightest light to shine on the city (Wilmington) or the tour life in general. Remember, people give up their stable lives to wander this road life of unknown circumstances. Luckily, the last three places have had owners who have made sure to take care of us and bathe us, which is both great for our health and our smell.
Georgia, collectively (subjectively Atlanta and Savannah) is a fusion of cultures that made me want to find romance. The people were incredibly nice and the food was exquisite, homemade southern biscuits and gravy could be my breakfast every morning until my heart decided it was too enamored and ceased beating after the arteries had been clogged with extravagant sensations (note: Scott told me one night at a bar he would have fought for the Union).
The shows thus far have been incredible, but the days off are dragging and rather nothing, except when we decide to open our eyes and look at the magnificent world in front of us. Reading has been one of the things keeping me sane (and all of the crazy scheduling of my “writing” sessions), and I have found it is easier to read a lengthier amount of time without having the annoyance to check my stupid cell phone to see if that like on my giraffe picture came from some random person I have not talked to in years, but might if I drink enough alcoholic slushies I might bridge that gap, before realizing I am halfway into a book and way more interested in it.
I honestly have fallen in love with songs live that I thought weren’t as interesting recording wise, specifically “Reset To Default.” The final measure is in a 7/4 timing and the chords are harsh yet wiry at once, possessing an elegant spirit. To see it is to believe it.
This part of the tour is with a group of friends in the band known as Henrietta. I was stoked to see how musical groups clash while on the road (only known from stories of other bands being really fun) and right away there was a sense of community that was set immediately. I had reviewed their old LP and worked with Colin (guitarist/founder of Noice Magazine) They are preparing to release a new record, and one that from what I’ve heard live, will shape their career into a whole better direction.
Right now, I’m sitting on a pier of a beach in Florida. There’s a lot of drug addicts wandering the streets, but there’s also a lot of moments to be captured, and between feeling alive and aware every show and making the most of the life on the road, I feel I’m somewhere.
