Chad Edwards - Tour Manager
Laurel, Mississippi
A Sunday Social on the Frog Pond at Blue Moon Farm in Silverhill, Alabama.
What's your favorite part of tour managing?
I
would have to say it's several things. Working with Grayson Capps is
surreal at times. I've known the guys for about 7 years now, but I've
only been working with Grayson for the past two years. I am rather
honored to be able to work with one hell of an amazing songwriter and
human being. He and the band are nothing short of first class
cats. Another aspect I thoroughly love and adore is seeing places I have
never seen before (all but five states so far). I absolutely love the
traveling part. It can be a little grueling, somewhat boring at times.
It is a beautiful thing meeting new people and making lifelong
friendships. Some of my dearest friends are people I have met along the
way at some festival or venue.
Being a photographer, I do use that term loosely, and working with bands kind of goes hand in hand.
Selfishly,
I have to say it works out pretty good for me. I never set out to be a
photographer or to manage bands, but it all kind of happened and I went
with it. I feel with all my heart that this is what I am supposed to do.
Nothing compares to being able to do what you truly love and live for.
Most memorable moment on the road?
This
is a rather tough one...It's a few actually..I won't go into all of
them but a few do stand out in my mind. Plus the road has only begun.
I
would have to say one of them would be having some beers w Billy Bob
Thorton and Matthew McConaughey in Austin, TX, and Billy Bob wanting to
prank call my mom at 2am, while McConaughey was telling us how he and
his wife named their first child. Another would be hanging with Trey
Anastasio of Phish (I have been a Phish "nerd" for twenty years now)
backstage at his solo bands show during JazzFest in New Orleans 2005. I
had taken my buddy to soundcheck. We went to the dressing room and the
next thing I know, I am on the couch talking and [Trey] leans over and
says, "I feel like I have known you for a long time." That kinda freaked
me out in a good way. I certainly do not get star struck but that one
kinda wired me a little bit. It's hard to pinpoint one or two things.
It's such a blessing to be able to do what I do. [I’ve gotten to] jam with
members of Galactic, P-Funk and others in New Orleans, December, 2007,
during the Big Ol Nasty Getdown sessions. [I] got to lay drums on a song
with The Lee Boys (I was on road with them from late 2007-2010) in
Lawrence, Kansas January, 2008. It was as cold as you-know-what, and I
think 6 people were in attendance, which was a major reason I was
allowed to play on a tune, and rightfully so -I can't keep up with those
cats. I watched members of Prince's band get up and jam with the Lee
Boys in Minneapolis Jan 2008. I did shots of whiskey with the Del
McCoury band at 3 am at Delfest 2008. I got to see my photo used for
Grayson Capps double song release for the movie Straw Dogs in
2011. Everyday, every tour and/or weekend with Grayson and the guys is
memorable. Again, I am blessed to work with such an amazing
musician/songwriter and down-to-earth dude. It's nice knowing I am
working with one of the best songwriters of my generation and knowing
there is this mutual trust between us. Words can't explain it.
People would say that I am...
Hmmmm.
I better not say... just kidding. They'd probably say I am odd, weird.
Maybe a little too honest. Stubborn. A free spirit who digs structure
mostly, but I love spontaneity. Music fanatic. Hopefully, they'd say I
am pretty descent at photography and that I LOVE doing what I do. Least
that's what I'd hope they say about me. I would say that about myself if
I wasn't me.
What's your instrument of choice?
Drums. Drums. Drums. But I really like any
instrument, or thing that can make a sound (or noise). I'd love to be a
pianist (Sun Ra-style) in a rock-n-roll band. I also prefer weird cheap
instruments. Those are the best. I used to stand in front of the mirror
as a kid with an electric guitar (no amp) and mic stand with a mic (no
PA) and sing and play in front of the mirror as if I were on stage in
front of five thousand screaming fans. But I always came back to drums. I
could be homeless and last thing I would ever get rid of would be my
drums. That may sound crazy and 'first world-ish', but it honestly would
be last thing I would let go of.
Sound track of your life or top 5 songs...
Wow. This is gonna be hard. In no particular order:
"What
A Wonderful World" - Louis Armstrong (He is like God to me. That song
just floors me every time I hear it. Armstrong was everything.)
"You
Enjoy Myself" - Phish (That song changed a lot, if not everything about
me in 1993. Everything I loved in a band was in that one song.)
"Tones of Home" - Blind Melon (Another song/band that changed everything about me twenty years ago.)
"Do
You Think I'm Sexy" - Rod Stewart (OK, I was like maybe five years old
staring at the album cover and listening to the record over and over and
still to this day that song gets to me. I could listen to it for hours.
Thanks to my mom and cousin for forcing me to put up with them
listening to it as well.)
"Detroit
Rock City" - KISS (Anyone who knew anything about me as a child knows
how obsessed I was with KISS. Gene Simmons, mask and all. I still have
my KISS trading cards. Double Platinum was
a record I would listen to for hours and hours -you know, back when
listening to music was way more physical than it is now.)
If you had your way, what would be different with daily activities?
Coffee and money would just magically appear out of nowhere.
What's the ultimate goal with your musicians?
First
and foremost is to keep them happy. Whatever I can do to keep them from
doing more than they should or do stuff they shouldn't do (like worry
about how far it is to the next gig), etc. Once again, being a musician
in bands has really helped. I know what they need and when they want it.
You have to be one step ahead of the band at all times, or at least try
to be. The first band I went on the road with was Brotherhood of Groove
back in 2001. They were from New Orleans, and I pretty much met the
guys in the band all by chance. Some of those band members (Brandon
Tarricone and Dan Caro) have gone on to do some great things. I have to
give a huge thanks to Alvin Lee of The Lee Boys and Jeff Mosier of one
of the most influential jambands of all time: Blueground Undergrass.
Jeff was also an original member of Aquarium Rescue Unit. They are who
taught me most of what I know now about how to "tour manage". It was
Mosier who asked, in early 2007 during set-break at their show if I
wanted to, "go on the road" with them. I said YES without even worrying
why I was agreeing. He always told me, "dress better than the band",
which I can honestly say I don't always do. Jeff likes to say Col Bruce
Hampton is his 'Elvis'. Well, if that's the case, Jeff Mosier is definitely my 'Phish'.
I
just want to make it easy for the bands/musicians to do what they do,
and that is play music. I try to keep it fun, maybe too much at times
but you gotta have fun. We're all beyond blessed to do what we love and
do. It is what makes us tick.
I
think me being in bands and playing drums most of my life has helped,
and made what I do seem to be easier. At least it seems kind of easy to
me. I remember, as a kid, watching people at concerts do what I am doing
now. At times, it gets surreal and weird. I say that a lot but it
really is. I remember being at rock concerts back when I was 12,
watching Motley Crue or Aerosmith or whomever, and being mesmerized by
the lights, the sound, and the crew on stage tuning instruments. I would
always be the first in line at any concert I was going to. I would find
the tour bus hoping I could get on it or find the band. I never knew I
would actually be doing what I once imagined in awe and amazement.
I can't live without...
Food, Air, Music, Art, my Camera, the opposite sex
Love or Lust?
Both
Other than managing and photography, how do you pass time?
Reading.
I love to read anything; newspapers, books, magazines. I love the
physical nature of those things. I have yet to embrace the whole kindle
thing and do not plan to anytime soon. Old school it is for me. I also
work for some bands/musicians doing the social networking/website thing,
which isn't really a passing-the-time kind of thing, but it is a large
part of what I do when at home and when I am on the road.
Where did you grow up?
Laurel, MS
Where do you live now?
Laurel, MS
What's your sign?
Taurus!!!!
Websites or links you want us to know about.
