The life of a music journalist is far from no work all play, and during her road trip to SXSW with The Right Coast, PV’s Jordana learns that life on the other side is far from glamorous, as well. As our Road to SXSW series concludes, Jordana and her partner in crime, Fiona, complete their challenge of roughing it like a musician. Watch as the girls reach their breaking point.

ABOUT ROUGHING IT: ON THE ROAD TO SXSW 2010

Somewhere in West Virginia, about five hours into the 30 hour drive to Austin, I began to wonder why I had ever thought this trip would be fun. There I was: packed four-people-deep in the back row of The Right Coast’s tour van with guitars and gear piled behind (they left their trailer at home for this trip), suitcases and blankets piled in front, and five other people too.

Packed in like the 6 train during rush hour, we only stopped for gas or the bathroom. We were on a mission to get to SXSW.

The cast included the four members of TRC: Brandon, Eric, Curran and John as well as Andy, their touring guitar player, Joe, their tour manager, Mike, their manager, and Fiona, my friend (and NYC comedian), who I dragged along for the ride (and to up the estrogen in the van. Though helpful, our combined estrogen was not nearly enough force to battle the smell of feet and bottles of pee).

Read Jordana’s Road to SXSW diary here.
Get pictures at www.Facebook.com/PlanetVerge

You’ve watched Planet Verge and The Right Coast road trip to SXSW (flat tires, sleepless nights, road rage), now it’s time for The Right Coast to get down to business! Here’s the band performing “Love Story.”

ABOUT ROUGHING IT: ON THE ROAD TO SXSW 2010

Somewhere in West Virginia, about five hours into the 30 hour drive to Austin, I began to wonder why I had ever thought this trip would be fun. There I was: packed four-people-deep in the back row of The Right Coast’s tour van with guitars and gear piled behind (they left their trailer at home for this trip), suitcases and blankets piled in front, and five other people too.

Packed in like the 6 train during rush hour, we only stopped for gas or the bathroom. We were on a mission to get to SXSW.

The cast included the four members of TRC: Brandon, Eric, Curran and John as well as Andy, their touring guitar player, Joe, their tour manager, Mike, their manager, and Fiona, my friend (and NYC comedian), who I dragged along for the ride (and to up the estrogen in the van. Though helpful, our combined estrogen was not nearly enough force to battle the smell of feet and bottles of pee).

Read Jordana’s Road to SXSW diary here.
Get pictures at www.Facebook.com/PlanetVerge

The party hats literally come out for St. Patty’s Day in Texas and the crew gets to crash on a friend’s couch!

ABOUT ROUGHING IT: ON THE ROAD TO SXSW 2010

Somewhere in West Virginia, about five hours into the 30 hour drive to Austin, I began to wonder why I had ever thought this trip would be fun. There I was: packed four-people-deep in the back row of The Right Coast’s tour van with guitars and gear piled behind (they left their trailer at home for this trip), suitcases and blankets piled in front, and five other people too.

Packed in like the 6 train during rush hour, we only stopped for gas or the bathroom. We were on a mission to get to SXSW.

The cast included the four members of TRC: Brandon, Eric, Curran and John as well as Andy, their touring guitar player, Joe, their tour manager, Mike, their manager, and Fiona, my friend (and NYC comedian), who I dragged along for the ride (and to up the estrogen in the van. Though helpful, our combined estrogen was not nearly enough force to battle the smell of feet and bottles of pee).

Read Jordana’s Road to SXSW diary here.
Get pictures at www.Facebook.com/PlanetVerge

Our crew survives Arkansas-though barely-only to hit a dead end when they finally arrive in Texas and are welcomed by a flat tire. Will The Right Coast make it to its first show in time? Stay tuned!

ABOUT ROUGHING IT: ON THE ROAD TO SXSW 2010

Somewhere in West Virginia, about five hours into the 30 hour drive to Austin, I began to wonder why I had ever thought this trip would be fun. There I was: packed four-people-deep in the back row of The Right Coast’s tour van with guitars and gear piled behind (they left their trailer at home for this trip), suitcases and blankets piled in front, and five other people too.

Packed in like the 6 train during rush hour, we only stopped for gas or the bathroom. We were on a mission to get to SXSW.

The cast included the four members of TRC: Brandon, Eric, Curran and John as well as Andy, their touring guitar player, Joe, their tour manager, Mike, their manager, and Fiona, my friend (and NYC comedian), who I dragged along for the ride (and to up the estrogen in the van. Though helpful, our combined estrogen was not nearly enough force to battle the smell of feet and bottles of pee).

Read Jordana’s Road to SXSW diary here.
Get pictures at www.Facebook.com/PlanetVerge

The SXSW adventure continues as PV’s Jordana, her friend/NYC comedian Fiona, The Right Coast and their crew make their way to Austin, TX for TRC’s SXSW showcases. That’s a long- and in drummer Curran’s case- very sleepless drive. Watch and find out what’s keeping him awake.

ABOUT ROUGHING IT: ON THE ROAD TO SXSW 2010

Somewhere in West Virginia, about five hours into the 30 hour drive to Austin, I began to wonder why I had ever thought this trip would be fun. There I was: packed four-people-deep in the back row of The Right Coast’s tour van with guitars and gear piled behind (they left their trailer at home for this trip), suitcases and blankets piled in front, and five other people too.

Packed in like the 6 train during rush hour, we only stopped for gas or the bathroom. We were on a mission to get to SXSW.

The cast included the four members of TRC: Brandon, Eric, Curran and John as well as Andy, their touring guitar player, Joe, their tour manager, Mike, their manager, and Fiona, my friend (and NYC comedian), who I dragged along for the ride (and to up the estrogen in the van. Though helpful, our combined estrogen was not nearly enough force to battle the smell of feet and bottles of pee).

Read Jordana’s Road to SXSW diary here.
Get pictures at www.Facebook.com/PlanetVerge

The SXSW adventure continues as PV’s Jordana, her friend/NYC comedian Fiona, The Right Coast and their crew make their way to Austin, TX for TRC’s SXSW showcases. But it’s not all fun and games in the van with TRC. There’s serious rules to follow- like “Thou shall not fuck bare back within van walls.” Watch and find out the rest.

ABOUT ROUGHING IT: ON THE ROAD TO SXSW 2010

Somewhere in West Virginia, about five hours into the 30 hour drive to Austin, I began to wonder why I had ever thought this trip would be fun. There I was: packed four-people-deep in the back row of The Right Coast’s tour van with guitars and gear piled behind (they left their trailer at home for this trip), suitcases and blankets piled in front, and five other people too.

Packed in like the 6 train during rush hour, we only stopped for gas or the bathroom. We were on a mission to get to SXSW.

The cast included the four members of TRC: Brandon, Eric, Curran and John as well as Andy, their touring guitar player, Joe, their tour manager, Mike, their manager, and Fiona, my friend (and NYC comedian), who I dragged along for the ride (and to up the estrogen in the van. Though helpful, our combined estrogen was not nearly enough force to battle the smell of feet and bottles of pee).

Read Jordana’s Road to SXSW diary here.
Get pictures at www.Facebook.com/PlanetVerge

The SXSW adventure kicks off with PV’s Jordana, her friend/NYC comedian Fiona and Mike (manager, The Right Coast) leaving New Jersey and speeding (literally) to Pennsylvania to pick up the members of The Right Coast. Watch as Mike’s secret road rage is revealed.

ABOUT ROUGHING IT: ON THE ROAD TO SXSW 2010

Somewhere in West Virginia, about five hours into the 30 hour drive to Austin, I began to wonder why I had ever thought this trip would be fun. There I was: packed four-people-deep in the back row of The Right Coast’s tour van with guitars and gear piled behind (they left their trailer at home for this trip), suitcases and blankets piled in front, and five other people too.

Packed in like the 6 train during rush hour, we only stopped for gas or the bathroom. We were on a mission to get to SXSW.

The cast included the four members of TRC: Brandon, Eric, Curran and John as well as Andy, their touring guitar player, Joe, their tour manager, Mike, their manager, and Fiona, my friend (and NYC comedian), who I dragged along for the ride (and to up the estrogen in the van. Though helpful, our combined estrogen was not nearly enough force to battle the smell of feet and bottles of pee).

Read Jordana’s Road to SXSW diary here.
Get pictures at www.Facebook.com/PlanetVerge

Roughing It: The Road to SXSW with The Right Coast, Episode 1

ABOUT ROUGHING IT: ON THE ROAD TO SXSW 2010

Somewhere in West Virginia, about five hours into the 30 hour drive to Austin, I began to wonder why I had ever thought this trip would be fun. There I was: packed four-people-deep in the back row of The Right Coast’s tour van with guitars and gear piled behind (they left their trailer at home for this trip), suitcases and blankets piled in front, and five other people too.

Packed in like the 6 train during rush hour, we only stopped for gas or the bathroom. We were on a mission to get to SXSW.

The cast included the four members of TRC: Brandon, Eric, Curran and John as well as Andy, their touring guitar player, Joe, their tour manager, Mike, their manager, and Fiona, my friend (and NYC comedian), who I dragged along for the ride (and to up the estrogen in the van. Though helpful, our combined estrogen was not nearly enough force to battle the smell of feet and bottles of pee).

Read Jordana’s Road to SXSW diary here.
Get pictures at www.Facebook.com/PlanetVerge

Packed in like the 6 train during rush hour, we only stopped for gas or the bathroom. We were on a mission to get to SXSW.

The cast included the four members of TRC: Brandon, Eric, Curran and John as well as Andy, their touring guitar player, Joe, their tour manager, Mike, their manager, and Fiona, my friend, who I dragged along for the ride (and to up the estrogen in the van. Though helpful, our combined estrogen was not nearly enough force to battle the smell of feet and bottles of pee).

Packed in with The Right Coast

I recalled a few weeks prior, Mike had asked me if I wanted to drive down to SXSW with him. I thought the drive down would be the perfect introduction to my first SXSW – to travel down to Austin like all the musicians do – except we’d be without the musicians. About a week or so out, the plans changed when TRC got booked at a few showcases. Mike asked if I would mind riding down with the whole band in the tour van. I figured if Mike thought there would be enough room then why not? This would be the experience: van+musicians+gear+no stops to sleep = roughing it like an artist on the road to SXSW.

Seeing as I hadn’t been on a road trip in awhile, I forgot that the food options at rest stops aren’t conducive to my mostly veggies vegan diet. And this van certainly wasn’t going to veer off the beaten path. Further, I was the lone person in the van who didn’t love fast food. I took this as a fun challenge: find something vegan that doesn’t make me want to barf at Taco Bell. I decided to play it ultra safe with a taco stuffed with lettuce tomato and guacamole. I also got a three-serving bag of pretzels at the tiny convenience store across the street. All in all, it wasn’t the worst thing: it filled me up for less than two bucks.

Once it got dark and we were out of trashy magazines to read aloud in the backseat, we rearranged ourselves for sleep. Andy slept on the floor of the van by our feet and Mike, Fiona and I shared the back row. Mike is about 6′3″ but somehow he was able to curl himself up on 1/3 of the seat and pass out. If he could do it, I could do it. And I did. I slept for about 15 minutes at a time until I was uncomfortable and woke up to shift positions and also when the driver and co-pilot changed the music to heavy metal and also when the van started to smell like pee because Brandon had just pissed in a Gatorade bottle. I slept and woke up for somewhere between 8 and 12 hours. Getting that sleep, though disturbed, was a dream. I woke up tired but rejuvenated. And we were already in Arkansas, the last state before Texas!

TRC had a show that night in Plano, Texas at Eisenberg’s Skate Park. We got to the skate park by noon that day, St. Patrick’s Day. We got out of the van to check out the venue and realized there was a large nail in the front tire of the van. We were in luck as there was a tire place just a couple miles way. At the tire shop, one of the workers took one look at the tire, pulled the nail out with the backside of a hammer and proclaimed “no damage!” as he headed back into the garage.

At Wendy’s in Plano the crew enjoyed another fast food meal and chatted about the girls and groupies they remembered from past Austin trips. I changed my clothes and brushed my teeth in the bathroom. I was happy we were there. And, we had six hours to enjoy St Patricks Day in town. A cold beer felt long overdue. At our first bar stop in one of the four bars in Plano, I ordered a veggie burger and fries. It was probably one of the top five grossest burgers I’d ever had – it tasted like it had been fried in oil. I ate it anyway and drank a few $3 beers. Coming from NYC, it felt like there was a different exchange rate in Texas. Everything was so cheap!

Other highlights in Plano included: a toy store where you could buy a baby from a nursery, one mediterranean restaurant that makes decent hummus but nothing else and where the owner asks if you’ll sample recipes and tell him what you think then charges you for the sample and… and there are four bars! Snooze.

There weren’t that many kids at TRC’s show at Eisenbergs, though it looked like one of the girls who attended was pretty hard core. Remember the days when cough medicine was so gross you spit it out when mom wasn’t looking?

Slightly hung over, but in good spirits, we packed into the van around 11pm to head to Austin. The drive, with stops, took about 4 hours, but I slept for nearly half of it in my in-and-out-of-sleep style.

The Right Coast playing at Eisenbergs

That night we were staying at a promoter’s apartment for one of TRC’s showcases. We pulled in to the gated apartment community around 3am, all of us curious at what arrangements we’d find for ourselves (and our first night not sleeping in the van!).

The promoter and her friends had opened their doors for us and other showcasing SXSW musicians. By the time we got there, the promoter’s apartment was filled with sleeping musicians but her kitchen/dining room floor was free. TRC happily set up their blankets on the floor. Fiona, Mike and I all took a wager to see what her friend’s apartment looked like. I figured it had to be better than sleeping on the hardwood floor of a kitchen that smelled like onions and hotdogs.

Sure enough, her friend’s apartment had an open dining room hardwood floor and (cue angels’ singing) a couch! Mike graciously let Fiona and I share the couch where we learned that scissoring is actually pretty comfortable! (At least in comparison to sleeping upright in a van). By 4am, we were in dream land.

Around 5:30 in the morning, the sliding door to the dining room opened from the outside and we were joined by another three musicians who parked it for the night on the floor near Mike. At 7am someone who likely lived in that apartment was up making coffee and getting ready for work. And finally at 8:30am my alarm went off and I hurried to claim first shower.

Little did I know at the time, that would be my only shower and my only bed-like sleep for the entire four nights.

It’s 10am and we’re all back in the van and pumped to get downtown. Mike silences us for a speech. He stresses the importance of communication and warns that we need to make sure that our cell phones are always charged. He says that we need to leave together and that everyone is to meet up back at the van that night and if we’re not coming back to the van, we communicate where we are to the group. Sure…

I’ve got Planet Verge interviews lined up with Frank & Derol (Brandi Cyrus’s band), Ionia, Ahimsa Sunrise, Matt Lowell, Emii, The Colourist, The New Collisions and Karnivool. My interviews started at 11am on a rooftop off East 3rd Street where we’ve got open bar (think screwdrivers for breakfast) and hors d’oeurves. Drinking a mixed berry mojito and fairly buzzed under the Austin sunshine, this is where it’s at! Check out my interview with Emii on the rooftop here.

With The New Collisions

Fiona, enjoying our breakfast of champions

After my interviews, Fiona and I headed to the Pure Volume house where we ran into TRC before heading in to see Frank & Derol play. Scott from The New Collisions attempts to teach me how to longboard inside Pure Volume. I didn’t get past him holding my hand as I skated about 6 feet and almost into a pole. I’d like to blame my lack of coordination on the breakfast screwdrivers.

The Right Coast (minus Brandon)

Frank & Derol at PureVolume

We head to the Sony party next where I’m interviewing Karnivool from Australia. It seems there is a bit of a hold up in getting the band together so we relax and enjoy more screwdrivers with our drink tickets. In the balcony area we have a celebrity sighting. Verne Troyer, Mini Me himself, sits two seats down from us, being carried in on a very tall man’s shoulders. I can’t help but notice how much smaller Verne looks in person than on TV. Fiona pretends to take a photo of me and snaps a blurry shot of Verne behind my shoulder.

Karnivool plays a few acoustic songs just for Planet Verge and I interview the guys in between random people noisily walking by us. This is all part of the game.

With Kenny from Karnivool

In the bathroom I notice that the beautiful Austin sunshine really loves my porcelain skin. I’m cooked red and it’s starting to hurt. It’s too much to bear and at our next show/bar stop, thanks to the draining sunburn, lack of sleep and handful of adult beverages I’d consumed, I’ve passed out in the corner. I wake up an hour later feeling like I’d been roofied and not quite sure how I fell asleep or how much time had passed.

The rest of the night consisted of a long walk down crazed 6th Street, consuming an inordinate amount of guacamole and chips, seeing at least three more shows and visiting at least five more Austin bars. By 1:30am, Fiona and I were beyond exhausted. I texted Curran to find out where the van was so we could go nap until everyone was ready to go back to our floor space in the gated-apartment community.

The Betards...the next Beastie Boys?

6th st at midnight

Keys in hand, we were beyond excited to nap on the two benches of the van. We open the van to find Brandon completely passed out on the back bench and using Fiona’s pillow to boot. Fiona, feeling sorry for me and my aching sunburn, let me take the short bench and she took shotgun. This turned out to be quite the experience for her when a homeless man came up to her window and screamed “baaaaah!” startling her to awaken. Around 5:30 am, I had to go to the bathroom so we bundled up to go look for a bathroom. As we walked to find a bathroom, I (finally) realize that we’re not scissor-sleeping on that lovely couch tonight and getting sleep was every man for themselves. Damnit.

As luck would have it, we were parked just a few blocks away from the Marriott that had a gorgeous lobby and bathroom. Upon our return to the van, one of the other guys had come back and taken the short bench. I was stuck with sleeping in the driver’s seat. I attempted this for about an hour. I was completely unsuccessful so I went back to the Marriott, cleaned my face in the bathroom, changed clothes and hit up Starbucks for my first (and only) coffee of the trip. I ordered the biggest one they had.

Fiona cleaning up at the Marriott

I've never ordered a coffee this large

By 9am most of the guys had come back to the van. Fiona and I took our things and went to find some grub and check out The Spring Standards showcase.

The Spring Standards

Fiona and I were flying out of Austin at 7am on Saturday morning. That Friday morning, after sleeping in the parked van, we knew we’d been through the roughest part of our trip and why not live it up on our last day and night? We planned to come to the van in the afternoon for a nap, then to stay out as late as we could and finally, when we’d had enough, we’d hop a cab to the airport and sleep there.

After the Spring Standards we got $4 margaritas and more chips and guacamole on East 6th Street. I even found a tofu taco on the menu. Around 2pm we met up with Jonathan Devoto of The Matches who was showcasing with his new band Bird by Bird. The band played two acoustic songs for Planet Verge in the middle of East 6th and gathered quite the crowd of fans in the process.

Bird by Bird performing in the middle of East 6th st

Jonathan and I chatted in the convention center for a bit – catch the episode of On The Verge with Jonathan Devoto.

With Jonathan post-interview

Recharge center

After Fiona and I charged our electronics in the convention center, we headed to see The Right Coast’s showcase. As always, the guys put on a great show. The crowd danced with them and they even had girls who came all the way from New Jersey just to see them play. Pretty amazing dedication if you ask me!

The Right Coast SXSW Showcase

A tequila shot later, we were off to the Mess with Texas party. A local vendor was selling egg-less egg salad sandwiches which boosted my morale and my energy. We stayed out another two hours before we needed to head back for our 7pm nap.

We got back to the van and noticed Eric was hanging in the van. We got to lay down, but found that chatting with him was fun and we didn’t end up sleeping after all.

Feeling rested from laying down, we headed out to the Bird by Bird showcase at 11pm. The bar where they were showcasing had a shot special – $1 vodka redbull shots. Exactly what we needed. Our new friends from Karnivool came by the bar to hang out and we ended up staying out with them until 2am when everything in Austin began to shut down.

With Karnivool at Friends bar

It was a sight to be seen – East 6th street is completely filled with people and a handful of cops on horses starts to round everyone up and out of the bars! At 2am no less. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Police shutting down the streets at 2:30am

We slowly trekked back to the van, packed our bags, said goodbye to Eric and headed out to fight for a cab. With great luck, it only took 45 minutes to hail one to the airport. (The cabbie stopped for us over the five or six other people in our vicinity also vying for a cab).

By 4:30am we were through security and ready for some shut eye. No longer choosy about where we lay our heads, we took our blankets and pillows and took an hour long nap on the floor of Gate 11.

Am I glad I roughed it in Austin like a musician? The experience, while exhausting and sometimes frustrating, was something I’ll never forget. SXSW is a great time to be in Austin and I was glad to be there with the good company of Fiona and TRC. Would I roadtrip there again? Maybe, but probably not piled in so deep.

Would I rough it again without a real place to stay? Nope.

There’s something to be said for being able to shower and stretch your legs out at night. I guess I wouldn’t make it as a struggling musician. But, luckily for all, I’ll keep my singing and keyboard-playing skills to myself.

*By Jordana who is still getting over being sick post-sxsw

Jordana spends some quality time with John, Eric, Curran and Brandon of The Right Coast backstage at Angels & Kings, New York City during the Planet Verge sponsored AKoustic Monday.

Watch the band perform: