“This book is dedicated to those who have, and continue to
live a life on the road, and to our loved ones who’ve dealt with our absence
which is result of this way of life and work,” begins The Road Most
Traveled, an inspiring assemblage of stories, tales and anecdotes about
life on the road and how to survive it. Told by The Camaraderie
Collective which consists of members of assorted punk and indie
rock bands such as Flogging Molly, Samiam, Social Distortion, Frank
Turner, Joe Gittlemen, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Dropkick Murphy'sAl
Barr, William Elliot Whitmore, managers, bus drivers, crews, label
personnel, and other folks who lived and worked just as long on the road behind
the curtains and the lights. These stories were compiled by consummate road
warrior, CHUCK RAGAN who himself logs over two thirds of each
year on tour with his long-running band HOT WATER MUSIC, his
Americana/folk solo career, and his traveling folk multi-artist ensemble THE
REVIVAL TOUR. “I chose the road at an early age,” he writes in the
foreward. “Although I found amazing places, stories, and people, I’ve lost just
as many. I’ll say, looking back on the course of it all, I wouldn’t change a
thing.”
Collecting road stories and cautionary tales from Berlin to
Boston, Hollywood to Helsinki, each chapter offers a unique perspective on
travel and how to survive it. Each chapter has its own voice and its own pearls
of wisdom, from Greg Anntonito of The Bouncing Soulsespousing
the importance of sleep and water (“if you are touring for up to nine months a
year, you have to develop endurance and a healthy lifestyle. Especially if you
are a lead singer”) while internationally-published journalist Jonah
Bayer finds sage advice in Bill and Ted (“the
most valuable lesson that I’ve learned is simply to ‘be excellent to each
other’”). Yo-yo demonstrator Steve Brown urges the need to
explore (“No matter how tired you are, how broke you are, how little you feel
loved or appreciated . . . go check out that county fair”) while Gaslight
Anthem’s Brian Fallon advocates not taking this touring
life for granted (“I realized one day I’m going to be too old, or too tired, or
just called to something else, so I need to enjoy this now. Live today. Watch
everything, absorb everything, breathe it in”). Narratives such as these and
many more from Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath, Chunksaah
Records president Kate Hiltz, At The Drive-In’s Jim
Ward, and many more offer snapshots into a world than many have never
witnessed while, at the same time, providing much-needed advice to those
actually living that lifestyle.
The Road Most Traveled is a rollercoaster
of a book, from "humorous anecdotes to near- death experiences and
everything in between. Summing up the spirit and essence of the book, Chuck
Ragan concludes, “Every one of these lives has a story, and every one of those
stories has an origin and a reason. And every now and again, someone may be
willing to share their story of the joy and tragedy of the road most traveled.”
The Road Most Traveled is available now
in hardcover and eBook (146 pages; retail $16.95) at Amazon.com, Barnes
& Noble, iBooks, Millner Crest, and ChuckRaganMusic.com, www.therevivaltour.com as
well as at some of your favorite bands’ merch tables.
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