Hey Jen!: Driving a Band on Warped Tour

It's about time I got around to writing this. I guess I was so embarrassed by what happened that I didn't want to talk about it, let alone write it down. But it's been so long I'm over it so here is the story of my time (about two weeks) as Set It Off's driver for Warped Tour 2013.

*To get you up to speed, I should tell you that Set It Off was on the last 3 dates of The Road to Warped Tour with We Came as Romans. So I drove those three days and then I was with them for the first four days of Warped Tour.*

Day 1: Pensacola, FL to Tampa, FL

My friend Nell drove me down to Tampa on June 6th. It took about 7 hours or so to get there. We first went to the hotel to check in and then headed over to Andrew's house (tour manager) to pick up the "the Sir" (SIO's van). When we got there, Andrew's parents weren't home so instead we went to meet up with a few friends from college that live in the area.

As we were leaving them, Andrew's dad called me to let me know that the package they needed for tour hadn't arrived so I couldn't leave with the van yet. So Nell and I went to this cute little Irish bar to meet up with a friend of ours we knew from a cruise about 3 years ago. We had a few drinks with her and her roommate before heading back to the hotel. Being that I was going to be the driver, I had to get used to staying up all night to drive and sleeping during the day. So Nell went to bed and I sat in her car for a while watching movies on my iPad.

Day 2: Tampa, FL to ... somewhere in Tennessee

We were having lunch at Chipotle when Andrew's dad called. The shipment was in and the van was ready to go. We finished lunch and headed over to the house. His parents were amazing; very sweet and kind people. I can see where Andrew gets it. After his dad handed me the SIO band credit card (for gas) and the keys, I was on my way. Other than the driver and passenger seats in the front, the entire van was loaded to the ceiling with boxes and that's after filling what space was left in the trailer. So much merch!

Driving through Tennessee was incredible. I've driven through it several times on trips from Chicago to Pensacola but I went a different way this time. The drive was full of gorgeous scenes of mountains, lakes and forests. Also, thanks to the CD being in the van, I discovered There for Tomorrow on that trip. I still can't listen to that CD without thinking about this entire experience.

Day 3: Indianapolis, IN

When I made it to Indianapolis, I picked up Jack (merch guy) and Travis (guitar tech) from the airport. The three of us stayed in a hotel. It was a pretty quiet night for a while. I guess it was just a bit awkward. None of us knew each other or had anything to talk about. I went to grab dinner at KFC next-door and when I got back, Jack was outside smoking. The two of us talked for hours while Travis slept. He told me about his new girlfriend in LA and how him living in England was tough on the relationship. I asked him about his experience with SIO. He told me they were so welcoming and so much fun to be around and I was about to have the time of my life on this tour. I was so excited!

Day 4: Indianapolis, IN to ... somewhere in South Dakota

Jack, Travy and I went to Bandwagon Rentals to pick up the wagon around 1pm. It took about 2 hours to go over everything with Jeremy (owner) and get the merch and equipment from SIO's van into the wagon trailer. This wagon was amazing! It had 8 bunks in the back, a full size refrigerator, a shower, two couches and a TV with satellite and surround sound. Seriously, it was incredible.

Also HUGE!

The driver's area had two seats in the front and a private bunk right behind them. I liked that I had my own space. There was a window between the cab and the wagon so if I wanted to be social, I could just open it and talk to people while I drove.

I was a bit nervous about driving this thing but I had practiced with a friend's RV so I figured I would get used to it quickly. We left Indi and started the drive to Billings, Montana. Travis sat up front with me until the first time we filled up and then Jack sat with me for a while.

Travis's picture of the inside. You can see my little window under the TV.

Day 5: South Dakota to Billings, Montana

After a nap at a rest stop in South Dakota, we were on our way again. It was a pretty uneventful day until we got to Billings. SIO flew in from Japan earlier that day and waited for us at a hotel.

I've never been as excited for someone else in my life like I was for the guys when we got there. I pulled up and stopped, unsure where to park. I noticed all six of them up the road a bit, pointing me to street parking Andrew had reserved. As I drove up, Cody made a Vine video showing off their "home for the summer" (which you can see here). When I got close, Cody and Andrew climbed on the steps to the passenger seat and leaned in the window to welcome me. Their excitement was infectious!

I parked, got out of the cab and joined everyone in the wagon. It was crazy in there. The guys were jumping up and down in excitement, screaming over each other and hugging Jack, Travy and me. At one point, Austin hugged me and said "sorry, we're hug people". I told him it was fine with me and he said "welcome to the family". So sweet. One of them turned on a pop song and they started dancing. Andrew explained that this was the song they played when they were excited and did their happy dance. (ha!) I can't remember what song it was, I want to say Lady Gaga. Or maybe Beyonce...

I can still feel the excitement and find myself smiling as I write this. It really was one of the best nights of my life and it wasn't even my moment! It was theirs but I still felt it with them. After all the hugging, I was welcomed into the hotel room to hang out with everyone (and I finally got a chance to take a shower - thank goodness!). We talked about what was in store for the summer and they asked a little bit about me. I told them I wanted to do everything! I wanted to sell merch at the shows, help with inventory, anything and everything. I wanted to see what it was like to be a touring band. I think Andrew was pleased to hear that. What tour manager couldn't use the help?

Day 6: Billings, MT

Last summer, I would have said this was the worst day of my life. But in hindsight, it doesn't really seem that bad. We had a show in Billings that night so all we did was go on a Walmart run before the show. While we were there, we took out all the merch and did inventory in the parking lot.

It took a while

A few people recognized the guys and asked for pictures which I thought was cool. Cody asked me if I wanted to velcro the GPS to the dashboard in the cab. I thought it was a good idea and he cut a strip. He even attached it to the dash and set everything up for me. I thanked him and he said "thank you for driving". I asked Dan if I could watch him restring his guitar and he explained everything he was doing and why. Everyone seemed so grateful to me for helping out. Unfortunately, it didn't last long (or at least it felt that way).

When we arrived at the venue, there was only street parking available. I stopped in the road while Andrew came into the cab to help me out. I was to park in front of the We Came As Romans bus on the street which meant I had to parallel park in front of another massive vehicle.

I pulled up to the WCAR bus and got way too close. I hit their mirror and as it crumbled against our wagon, it left a nice scratch down the side and a big hole by the door. I was mortified. The worst part was until I could move the wagon away from their bus safely, everyone was trapped inside. The side of WCAR's bus had pinned our door shut. Ugh.

Fortunately for me, WCAR's tour manager laughed the entire time. Several guys came over to help figure out how to get our wagon away from the bus without causing more damage. The guys were trapped inside for about 10 minutes. It was a disaster. Andrew told me not to feel bad. It was an accident and accidents happen. In fact, he told me several times "I don't want you to feel embarrassed or upset about this". He was so good to me that day. At one point to cheer me up he said "You know what I call these things? Tour stories. Soon we'll laugh about this". And what do you know, it actually became a Crazy Tour Story on Digital Tour Bus.

I went for a short walk to calm down (on Andrew's orders) and when I came back, Austin asked if I was ok and gave me the biggest bear hug I've ever had. Almost crushed the Ray Bans on my head with his chin but still it was best hug ever. The guys seemed a bit upset by it but for the most part went on with their day. They had a show to do after all.

(Seriously, though! The FIRST DAY? Really??)

After calling my dad, I went to the WCAR bus and apologized to the driver. He told me I wasn't "as sorry as you're going to be". He explained that it was a spacial mirror and this would cost at least $1,500 to fix. I think it pissed him off that this information didn't phase me as much as he hoped. After all, that's what insurance is for, right?!

Andrew pulled me aside and we had a conversation about my ability to drive this thing. He told me the guys wanted me to stay on; that they loved me and they wanted me to continue with them. I assured him this was a fluke accident and it wouldn't happen again.

I have to commend WCAR's tour manager on the way he handled the situation. He was very respectful and cool about it (unlike his driver). His only concern was getting his band to the next venue. The rest was just paperwork.

Later that night after the show, I woke up to find everyone in the wagon. Andrew joined me in the cab and we were off. I asked him if everyone was upset with me. He said it was just the opposite. Mostly, they were worried about how I was feeling and they all "admired and respected" (Andrew's words) that I offered to pay for whatever insurance didn't cover. (I offered to pay for whatever insurance didn't cover by the way.) After talking until sunrise, I stopped so Andrew could go to bed. We had talked all night and the poor guy was so tired!

Day 7: Boise, ID

We pulled into Boise around 2pm. We had to park in a large gravel parking lot to wait for our load-in time of 3pm. After load-in, the boys got ready for the show and I took a walk around the city before going to bed. Nothing too exciting here.

Day 8: Spokane, WA

First let me point out the fact that as of this day, I had driven from Florida to Washington state, clear across the country, in a week... Awesome.

We got there around 11am and didn't load-in until 4. So I stopped at a Walmart for a while. I got a chance to hang out with the guys a lot that day. I heard a few band stories and watched them edit a music video. Prior to Warped, I always wondered who was updating the band social media sites any time there was a new post. That day, Cody asked Austin to post about something on "the band's Twitter". That was kinda cool to me, being on the other side of a @SetItOffband tweet.

Later, when we pulled up to the venue, (OF COURSE) we had to stop right next to WCAR's bus. Andrew was up front with me and joked "watch those mirrors, punk". Thanks, guy.

Anyway, I explored Spokane for a while. Nice city. At one point, I found Zach wondering around. I asked him what he was doing and he said he couldn't find the venue. We had to park away from it again so when he left the wagon, he turned the wrong way. I pointed him back to the venue and continued exploring.

Day 9: Seattle, WA

This was Warped Tour rehearsal day!

Around sunrise, I stopped for gas at this place outside of Auburn. I was surprise to see all the buses from the last night's show were there too. While I was there, I needed to fill the water tank. I was under the impression that gas stations had hoses to do this with. Apparently they don't do that anymore because people were stealing the hoses. So I was stuck without one. I asked the driver of RDGLDGRN's wagon if I could borrow his. He went one step further and showed me exactly how to do it. His name was JJ and he was my first official friend on Warped Tour. It took about 45 minutes to fill both of our wagons' water tanks so we talked.

He noticed the damage and asked me about it. I told him and he said he wasn't surprised. These are huge vehicles and accidents happen on tour pretty often. After the tanks were full, we followed each other to the venue. As we drove, it looked like a scene from Twilight; the pine trees, the fog in the mountains, the rain. It had me looking out for vampires. (kidding)

After a while, we finally made it to the venue and for us, WT2013 officially began. This was the day to see what Warped is really like behind the scenes. I'm so grateful for the chance to have seen this. It was the day that the excitement and anticipation was at its highest.

I got dressed and went to RDGLDGRN's wagon. JJ and I talked for a while before he told me to get out there and live it! "You don't even have to do anything. Just be here. Be at Warped Tour," he said. So I did. I walked around. I watched crew members reunite with old friends. I listened to members from different bands play instruments and sing together. I zigzagged around random frisbee and football games that were sprouting up everywhere. I dodged band members whizzing by me on skateboards. It was surreal.

I went to the "office" to get my free Vans swag (or as the crew calls it "our uniforms"). I was told that as a driver, I get two pairs of shoes, one pair of sandals, one pair of socks, a water bottle and a lanyard.

SHOES!

Later, Andrew went to the production office to get our All Access passes. When he gave me mine, I was ecstatic! My name and picture were on it and underneath it said Set It Off. It was official. I was part of the team. (Fun Fact: the picture on my pass was one I had snapped in the train station in London and sent to Andrew while they were in Japan. Check out my Travel Series: Adventures in London to read about that amazing trip!)

After getting my pass, I went back out and had lunch at catering. As I walked back to the wagon, I saw the Dan, Cody, and Zach coming around the corner with a bunch of supplies. I asked what they were up to and Cody answered that they were setting up the tent. As I turned back around to head to the wagon again, I found myself about to slam into none other than Kellin Quinn (!!!). He was just walking down the sidewalk toward the stage area. He stopped and talked with me for a bit before continuing on. I love Sleeping with Sirens and Kellin is one of my favorite singers! I also got to meet members of Forever the Sickest Kids, Memphis May Fire and Crown the Empire that day.

Day 10: Seattle, WA

First day of Warped Tour! I woke up around 4am. The air was cold and crisp. It was so quiet and peaceful.

And the view was gorgeous!

Around 6am, I walked to the stage area. I was looking for SIOs tent but I couldn't find it. I did find a few security guards (two guys and a girl) by the Kia Soul tent. They were very nice and let me join they're conversation. They told me all about the hijinks of the night; the drunk singer that tried to take a shower at 3am and couldn't open the shower door (not naming names) and the handful of fans that were knocking on bus doors through the night - to name a few. One of the guards said "they are not going to sign your shit, they're just going to throw a beer bottle at you and slam the door!" HA!

BTW, I did eventually find the tent.

I helped Jack finish getting the tent ready and hang the shirts. Then, I went to catering and had breakfast. Later, I wandered back over to the tent. The guys were on stage doing their thing. I helped Jack sell merch and caught parts of the show here and there. I liked helping at the tent. Pretty easy job. A lot easier than driving, I can tell you that. And you get to meet all kinds of people.

Day 11: Portland, OR

We arrived around 730am. I woke Andrew to let him know we were there. Load-in was at 8 so they had to get everything ready. I knew the minute Andrew came out of the wagon that something was up. As I would learn later that day, I was right.

I was about to go to bed that afternoon when Andrew texted me and asked if I would wait. He wanted to talk to me. When he got back to the wagon, he told me that he had a long talk with the band manager the night before and the decision was made to send me home. He said the manager was concerned with my ability to maneuver the wagon through the bigger cities like Chicago and NYC.

At first I was crushed but I understood the concern. I called my parents and told them I was coming home. After talking with them, Nell and my friend Michelle (who has pretty strong ties to Warped Tour too), I instantly felt better. It was for the best after all. This was safer for the guys and in the end, that's really what mattered.

I spent the rest of the day wondering around Warped instead of sleeping. Since Ryan (new driver) was taking over immediately, I was free to do what I wanted. I watched SWS's show and Forever The Sickest Kids. I ran into the SIO guys as they were headed to a signing. Cody saw me first and said "hey" with that tilted head thing like he was expecting me to be upset. I think they were surprised that I wasn't. It's not that I wanted to go home, I wanted to be there. But it had been a stressful situation with the accident and I think a part of me was relieved to have the pressure off. I mean, I was responsible for eight lives in that wagon. It's a lot of pressure. Don't get me wrong, I knew that going in but after the mirror accident, my confidence sorta plummeted.

Anyway, I got to ride in the wagon with everyone that night. I watched the guys play Madden before everyone went to bed (at 11pm - this rock star life, haha).

Day 11: Sacremento, CA

I woke up on the couch around 5am and played on my computer until everyone started waking up. When we pulled into Sacramento, we went to In-N-Out (my first time) and I had a burger and fries. I sat with Ryan and we talked about the accident. He told me the story of a driver going under a low bridge and taking out all the air conditioning units on the top of the wagon. I guess this happened a couple years ago on Warped. So yeah, sh*t happens. (In fact, SIO had another accident before the tour was over. Thankfully, no one was hurt but from what I heard, someone could have been.)

After lunch, they dropped me off at the airport. As I was walking out of the wagon, Cody gave me a goodbye hug. Poor guy was on vocal rest so he couldn't talk. He mouthed/whispered a few words to me that made me smile though (thanks, Cody). I got a few other hugs, "goodbye"s, "love you"s, "thanks for everything"s, and "when will we see you again?"s as I left the wagon. Andrew and Jack walked out with me. For all I know, he was totally BSing me, but it really did feel like Andrew didn't want me to go. He hugged me and held on longer than I expected. I felt like a failure as I left but some of the guys went out of their way to make sure I felt loved before I walked away. I really appreciated that.

So that's the story of my epic failure driving a bandwagon. Despite the bad parts, it was an incredible experience. I got to know one of my favorite bands and got to meet/hang out with members of some of my other favorite bands. (Black Veil Brides BBQ in Portland = Awe. Some.)

I went back later that summer to see everyone and actually got to watch SIO's show. In Tampa and West Palm Beach, I had guest-list spots so I watched from backstage. I also talked to Kellin again. The Used asked my friends and me to be in their show for the first song which was awesome. I went to the Warped BBQ in Tampa and talked to Andrew and Cody for a bit, met up with a few other band member friends I had made and got to visit with JJ. Apparently, I was doing Warped all wrong the first time. I was asleep in the evening while all the good stuff was going on!

For more info on Set It Off, you can check them out here, here, here and here.

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