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Intro
In part three of our Tour Diary With Gym Class Heroes, bassist Eric Roberts takes us on the road with the chart-topping crew as they continue their latest U.S. tour. (And if you missed the last two installments, check them out right here and here.)
Roberts captured a few style tips, food recipes, and other memorable moments—he even blessed us with his not-so-secret-anymore recipe for Buffalo chicken wings. So click through to see what really goes down when the GCH tour bus pulls into town...
Written by Eric Roberts (@GymClassEric)
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These are the people that really keep tours going and put bands like us, T-Pain, Grieves and Budo, and Outasight out on the road. They work hard and party harder. Thank you Jade Production.
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The main ingredient to a happy band is comfort. We have to adapt daily to new living situations, personal space invasion, diet... Sometimes we worry the most about when and where we can just go to the bathroom! So one day I decided to cater for the band by serving up some genuine Upstate New York comfort foods. I cooked up some Chicken Speedies, all the sides, toppings, and sauces to concoct a Garbage Plate, and of course, my specialty, Buffalo Chicken Wings. I'm going to share my not-so-secret-anymore sauce recipe for you. (If you don't know how to fry wings, get outta the kitchen!) Simply take a big bottle of Frank's Hot Sauce, a stick and a half of Unsalted Butter, and combine them in a sauce pot. Keep the heat on medium - medium/low and stir until the butter is melted. Now, the secret is adding a little extra Cheyenne, Paprika, and White Vinegar. I don't use exact measurements so just go by taste, I prefer to use Smoked Paprika to add a little smoothness to the bite. Cheers!
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From what I gather people tend to think that backstage is a drug-fueled rock-and-roll circus of babes and debauchery. Well, it's not the 80's and we're not Motley Crue (unfortunately). So what does go on backstage at one of our shows? The sampling of finely crafted beers. Here are two I came across this tour that completely owned my tastebuds!
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Complex, I'm a fan of your mag. Staying fresh is a must even if all we have are prison showers and airport sinks (the kind you swipe your hand in front of and get a spurt of luke warm water). Here is my regimen for staying fresh on the road. The thing I absolutely can't live without is that bar of Grandpa's Wonder Pine Tar Soap. It burns the road crud right of your skin and leaves you smelling like a burly lumberjack who just got done tanning a bear pelt!
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Equally as important is having a fresh look on stage. Like our music influences, our styles greatly differ yet work really well together. From left: Matt McGinley, me (Eric Roberts), Disashi L-K, Travis McCoy, Marc DeJesus, and Tyler Pursel.
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Over the years we've had the opportunity to tour with many talented artists from the Rhyme Sayers camp, like Psalm 1, DJ Abilities, Evidence... There is a lot of hype surrounding one of their newer acts, Grieves and Budo, who were on the Snowstorm Tour with us. I had the chance to check out their show. Consensus: MIND BLOWN!!! Believe in the hype ladies and gentlemen, these guys shred!
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On the road I'm always seeking out local craft beers and whatever sort of food "this town is known for." We were in Billings, Montana, when we heard of a man attempting a food challenge at Hooligans, right next to the Montana Brewing Co. 2 birds with one stone, score! As we sipped our snobby beers we watched this beast consume the largest burger I've ever seen. 10 1/3 pound beef patties, 1/2 pound of cheese, a full tomato, a full onion, smashed between the sorriest looking bun I've ever seen. He had a half hour to eat it and he pulled through literally right at the last second, threw the plate into the air, and gave us all his best Tebow. A sight to behold, indeed!
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Short tours like this always end bitter sweet. You meet great people. You play amazing shows. You drink all the beer. They never seem long enough. It's like you catch your stride, all the kinks are worked out, and the operation runs like a well greased machine, but there's always a curtain call and parting ways is sometimes difficult. This was a great experience... next up, Future Music Festival in Australia.