The Sudden Shifting of Gears
Tash on the tours the pandemic took apart, the venue that was locked when the van pulled up, and how a band finds another venue, another city or a good day off when a date falls through.
“The reason I shift gears constantly, why I’m doing an opera, why I’ve done essays, why I’ve written poetry for years that nobody wanted, why I do short stories and novels and screenplays… is so I will have new ways of failing. This means becoming a student again.” ~Ray Bradbury
Welcome to Scrambleville
You’ve finished all the booking details, your tour is ready to go, you’ve put your hundreds of hours of details in to make it all happen and then boom! Suddenly the carpet gets pulled from underneath you and you lose a show, a band drops off, a venue closes. Welcome to Scrambleville! This is where I’ll do what my sweet bandmates do for me and remind you that it’ll all work out!
The year the tours came off the calendar
I think one of our most challenging shifting of gears is when I had 4 tours booked in 2020 and the pandemic hit. One by one, I watched in dismay as we had to let go of one tour, then the next, then the next. As you know, we were all paralyzed, not knowing what to expect in the next day, let alone the rest of the year. We had only missed a few shows in the course of our careers due to illness, and we’d never canceled an entire tour. Everyone I communicated with was so gracious and understanding, as we were all in the same boat together.
JC Lobo makes dark electronic music as Ritualz out of Mexico City. On episode 19 he told Tash the spring of 2020 had a European tour and an album lined up together, and both stopped at once.
From episode 19 · June 20, 2025
JC Lobo of Ritualz
JC Lobo of Ritualz on the European tour that was canceled in 2020, and the album he shelved and came back to a year later.
“I was about to go on a European tour when the pandemic started, like in May 2020, and it obviously got postponed and canceled. I wanted to release it for the tour, but I shelved the album and I was like, should I wait? What’s going on with the world? And like a year later I started working on it again. Like, I know what I want to do with this album now.”
Turning tours into livestreams
As a band, we scratched our heads about what to do next, and we came up with the idea of the virtual tours, pivoting our ones that were booked into ones we could do virtually. We worked with many of the same bands, venues, and promoters that we would’ve on our in-person tours and turned them into livestreams on multiple platforms. There was definitely a learning curve for us, learning all the technology needed to make these livestreams happen and also help enable other bands to livestream as well. A big takeaway for us in terms of what we learned is that as artists, we are gifted with the skills of creative problem-solving. And that as problem solvers, we absolutely have the power to figure out alternatives to shows that might not work out exactly the way we planned.
Curse Mackey has spent decades in the industrial and darkwave underground, and he did one of those streams with AL1CE. When Tash brought up the pivot on episode 32, he said the same thing about problem-solving from the other direction.
From episode 32 · April 13, 2026
Curse Mackey
Curse Mackey on the pandemic pivot, and why the road turns musicians into quick problem solvers.
“If I ran a business, I would definitely want to hire touring musicians, because they have to be adept, quick thinking, problem solving, like you say. That is definitely a cool characteristic that you develop on the road. Being able to solve problems is a good, good skill.”
When the doors are closed
We’ve had our share of sudden shifts in venues, sometimes literally on the day of the show. One time we found out the venue closed when we drove up and the doors were closed with nobody there. My best piece of advice here is to really use that creative brain and think of alternate show ideas or ways you can make the best of a day in that city you were scheduled to be in.
Krystal Garcia founded Distorted Heartbeat in Dallas and books shows there, so she has watched plenty of nights change shape at the last minute. On episode 18 she named the hard part, which is not the logistics.
From episode 18 · June 13, 2025
Krystal Garcia of Distorted Heartbeat
Krystal Garcia of Distorted Heartbeat on venue changes, bands dropping off, and not taking it personally when a plan falls apart.
“That’s always my biggest obstacle for myself, is I have to be prepared for something to go wrong and not take it personally, not get upset when it does. I just got to accept that that’s life. You can plan all you want, but something is going to happen that you’re not going to expect.”
Finding another venue
If a show has dropped from a venue and you have enough lead time, you can try for a show at an alternate venue or even an alternate city. I’ll dive into Google Maps and see if there are comparable drive times. I find that asking your community for help is so vital. Many people are happy to share advice and wisdom, and as you grow your own community you can lean into them and ask if anyone has ideas. I’ve found that between our own support base, friends, people I’ve toured with before, DIY tour postings, and even good ol’ Uncle Google, that you can find a wide variety of alternate venues in various cities.
Scrambling on the road
If a show drops while on tour and you have to scramble, we’ve found a variety of solutions. We’ll announce right away on our socials that we need help, and we’ve managed to either jump onto another show or set up a last minute one at alternate venues that include coffee shops, clothing stores, and even house parties.
Jumping onto another show works because promoters are scrambling too. Elizabeth Inglese runs YES Music Productions in Seattle, and on episode 9 she described the call she makes when an opener falls off a bill.
From episode 9 · March 10, 2025
Elizabeth Inglese of YES Music Productions
Elizabeth Inglese of YES Music Productions on filling a bill when an opener drops, and why being available within hours gets you the slot.
“Recently a band dropped at the last minute. I reached out to them and I said hey, and it was not even our show, it was for another. I just saw there was a need. They were available within hours to go. So it’s just being available. You see this a lot, where openers will drop or somebody drops from a lineup, and you need whoever’s local. Can you be available within five hours to get down for load in with your whole rig?”
She is talking about local bands, but a touring band with a dead date in that city is local for the night.
I think this is where your why might be a useful one to explore, as everyone’s is different. Some people might not want to fill the date or play smaller venues. In our camp, we find joy in playing no matter what, so even if it’s a small show, we will jump at the chance to get to do that.
Ryan Hutman fronts KREIGN out of Phoenix. On episode 22 he told the story of the night he was on the receiving end of one of these calls.
From episode 22 · August 4, 2025
Ryan Hutman
Ryan Hutman of KREIGN on hosting a touring band in Phoenix at the last minute after their promoter pulled out.
“The promoter for Phoenix pulled out and I got a phone call. Someone called me like, ‘Hey, Ryan, I know you know Phoenix. We got this band coming through called Kite, if you want to host them.’ And I got to host their show last minute in Phoenix at a little bar, and unfortunately almost no one showed up, which I felt really bad, but they were happy to play and they gave it their all, and I remember my face hurting at the end of the night because I was smiling so much.”
Making your own doors
You might find for yourself that you might enjoy a day off and then get to explore a different city or visit with family and friends if you know any in that town. Some people I know will go to a live show themselves and enjoy the music scene there. There really are many options available, and closed door in one avenue does not mean it’s a closed door, period. I think it’s fun to create our own doors. ;)