If you have been paying any attention to this space, any at attention at all for the last year or so, you’ll know that I spent much of 2024 on the road. Over two legs of touring, I covered more than 17,000 and saw huge swaths of America and its denizens. A full year after walking away from a career to begin a life as an independent artist, I set off on a pair of tours that would mark the largest leap of my artistic career, as well as a huge leap of faith for me and my family.
The tours were a true mixed bag of results. On the eastern half of the journey, I had a largely successful run of gigs that ended with me well in the black and feeling pretty great about life on the road. On the west coast however, I was met with myriad setbacks including a trio of cancelled gigs and a rash of mounting expenses that left me bleeding money as I rolled back home into Michigan.
Over the course of the 10 weeks that I was on the road this year, I was truly changed. I saw my nation and my fellow countrymen in a new way. I travelled this land in a way that most Americans will never get to. I spent time with people in their homes as they welcomed me into their lives in a shared pursuit of art, music, and community.
Looking back on this travel and these two tours, my keyword is gratitude.
My dear friends Abigail and Barry Hummel of the Pops on Hops podcast were kind enough to invite me on their show to talk about my time on the road. We chatted about what I got right, what I miscalculated, and where I might go from here.
There is talk of National Parks and the stunning beauty that this country has to offer. We cover some of my favorite meals and favorite moments. I talk about the most magical nights on stages and in living rooms, and we hit upon so many of the wonderful people that dotted each and every stop.
I am so grateful that I was able to make these tours and this experience a reality. I’m also incredibly humbled and grateful to the Hummels for inviting me to relive this experience with them just a bit. I sure hope you dig it.
Cheers,
Matty C
P.S. Here’s a photo strip of me and Barry Hummel from the barcade in Gainesville where we played skee-ball and got a little bit drunk. We even included duck lips pose at Barry’s insistence because I had been complaining earlier in the day about how dumb it looks.
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