Rock 'n' Road Part Three

Music

Part Three: What's It Really Like on the Bus?

This story is part of a week-long series covering my three days behind the scenes at John Mellencamp’s Rural Electrification Tour.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Of all forms of transportation, the notion of a "bus trip" conjures images of lengthy journeys, close-quarters bonding and legendary storytelling. Both the mode of the frugal and, in the case of musicians, the transit of the trendy, bus travel is a conundrum of contradiction. It's slow, subject to traffic, and often bumpy. Yet it can also be posh, comfortable and -- compared to trains and planes -- free of frantic phobia.

The bus for John Mellencamp's band is all of those things. In my short trip with the tour, I rode it a total of two times: Once from the hotel in Providence to the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Mass., and once overnight from Philadelphia to Providence. Both rides were true experience. When I first stepped into the giant silver house on wheels, it was if I had entered a strange new world. It's got most every survival need: food, beds, TV. Inside is cool and dark. The furnishings are well-oiled green leather sofas, clean-enough-to-eat-off-of Formica countertops and smoky mirrored walls and ceilings. The mirrors, intended to create a false sense of space and deter claustrophobia, also add a garish (some would say cheesy) atmosphere. It's fitting, though -- after all, this is a rock 'n' roll tour bus we're on.

The first third of the bus holds two facing couches, a big-screen TV, a simple kitchenette and a teeny tiny bathroom. The Golden Rule of the bus, as a matter of fact, involves that small traveling lavatory: No Pooping on the Bus. That's right, only liquid goes down the toilet. Suffice it to say that the bus makes frequent stops, and that the person initiating the stop has lost a modicum of privacy.

The bus' dark center is where the band sleeps. Each of eight bunks (four on each side) is equipped with the obligatory mattress, a mini TV set and personal lights and headphones. Most band members' personal possessions are confined to these private areas; the "public" front and back sectors are neat and tidy. Heavy green curtains slide across the beds at night. Though not everyone goes to sleep at once, bus riders are quietly respectful. During the day, the tone is light, giddy and loud, but after dark the band settles down and sleep, surprisingly, can be had.

The final third of the vehicle is the bad-boy "smoking lounge," where those band members who do indulge can escape for a moment to light up. The lounge has its own TV and cooler as well. This, by the way, is where I "slept" my one overnight trip -- on a slippery, green leather couch with makeshift pillows and a baby blue, cotton crochet blanket. The ride was a bumpy one and my night was fitful, but hey, I rode The Bus.

Camp Mellencamp
So what about the notion of "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" on the road? In the three days I accompanied John Mellencamp's band and the crew, the only substances I saw were a few beers and a whole lotta cigarettes. Granted, I can’t verify what happens every night of the tour -- but the atmosphere in general was a mellow, tame and mature one.

Instead of drug-addled or sex-ridden, the atmosphere on a Mellencamp tour is primarily a family one. Mutual respect dominates. "It’s like summer camp," says Jamie Betwee, merchandising manager. Betwee works for Sony Signatures, the company handling the T-shirts and programs for the Rural Electrification Tour. "Good people [like the ones on this tour] make my job easier," he says.

In the Band

Mike Wanchic:
Guitar

Andy York:
Guitar

Pat Peterson:
Vocals/Percussion

Miriam Sturm:
Violins

Moe Z:
Keyboards

Dane Clark:
Drums

Johnny G.:
Bass
Because my trip fell directly after a 10-day break, I was witness to a sincere reunion between band members. The seven musicians genuinely seem to like each other. The bus ride from the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia to the First Union Arena, the first close-quarters experience I had with the band, was a love-fest of hugging, catching up and passing around a recent concert review. It was like witnessing college students returning from spring break.

Just like any other group of friends, conversation ranged from the personal (what they did last week) to the sensational (tales of legendary acid trips). Talk of music was also quite frequent. Johnny G., the band’s bassist, was enthusiastic about a CD he’d made of an old XTC demo. "The band shares a common love: music," explains keyboardist Moe Z. "It pulls us closer together."

On the bus later that night, half the band stayed in the front of the bus to watch a movie, while the other half hung out in the back "lounge," smoking cigarettes and gossiping.

The 'Other' Buses
The same chummy bus bond seems to hold true for the crew –- from drum techs to riggers to wardrobe. Though I didn’t board either crew bus (the smoking bus is appropriately nicknamed "The Iron Lung" and the nonsmoking, eggplant-colored vehicle "The Barney Bus"), I can safely say it’s a rowdy ride. And the crew is 90% male; the only estrogen-endowed tour members are the band's Miriam Sturm and Pat Peterson, Assistant Tour Manager Kelly Shaunessy, who also rides the band bus, and one lucky (or not-so-lucky) wardrobe woman.

Coordinating bus travel can be tricky business. Traffic hold ups can throw off the setup schedule; if the band, crew or one of four equipment trucks gets held up, things are off to a late start. When the band bus pulls into each destination, Kelly runs ahead to the hotel to check in and secure the rooms. "Sometimes, we arrive at our next stop at 5 or 6 in the morning," she explains. "I get up, stumble off the bus and get the room keys for the band." Bus dwellers often stay asleep in their bunks for hours before moving out to the hotel.

On non-show nights, crew members get to abandon bus life for an evening and typically head to the hotel lounge. "Have you checked out the Holiday Inn bar yet?" was the first thing out of a crew member’s mouth when we met up one night.

Outside the Cocoon
Once at its final destination, the bus is left behind for the work to be done. In the hours preceding a show, crew members have to transfer that family mentality to operate in perfect tandem, with a single goal in mind: a flawless show. It’s all a precision game. From the top down, everyone -- even the most minor character -- needs to do his or her job. Just one small misstep can cause a ripple effect and throw off the whole show. "If you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing at every minute, it can really screw things up," Kelly says. "Luckily, everyone here knows their job, is good at it, and gets it done on time."

- - - - - - - -

Rock 'n' Road
Part One: I'm With the Band
Part Two: How They Got In and Why They’ll Never Leave
Part Three: What's It Really Like on the Bus?
Part Four: Interview With Mellencamp Keyboardist Moe Z MD
Part Five: The Photographic Evidence

Questions? Write me!

Want more info about the tour members mentioned in this article? Read Rock 'n' Road Part Two.

– – – – - - - -

WildWeb - Rock'n'Road | June 18, 1999

Print this article (non-graphic format)