My first experience really touring outside of weekend runs was as a fill in for a Baltic to Boardwalk tour. This was before the previous bass player, Mat, stepped down and they asked me officially to replace him, around 2013ish. I remember one night at The New Direction(r.i.p.) that Jack had mentioned they needed someone to fill in for the tour, and I offered my services, he asked if I played bass and I had to be honest and say no. "But I do dabble in guitar and I play drums, so I should be able to pick it up, no problem." He said they'd try me out, and provide all gear, as long as I found a bass. So, I get a bass, learned the set, they all agreed I could fill in and come along. I was excited and nervous to finally be able to be on the road for extended periods. I didn't really know what to expect. So I (over)packed my bag, jumped in the van, and immediately, the nervous feeling was gone. Nothing felt weird at all. Everything felt normal. Not to be cliché, but it felt like home. I always have a really hard time feeling at home wherever I go. But on the road with four other guys I really hardly knew at that point, I was the most at peace I remembered being in my adult life to that point. The tour ended up falling apart for van reasons, but I still look back fondly on that first week and a half: my first extended tour experience.
Jesse
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