On the Road Again: Episode 5

We are constantly amazed by the fascinating people we meet in our little state! This week’s road trip took us down a gorgeous dead end road to an old farmhouse where we met a woman who worked for concert promoter Don Law back in the day. As head caterer, she spent 30 years cooking for crews & musicians…and her stories were hilarious. Before looking through her memorabilia collection we sat on her porch and listened to tales that only a backstage crew member would know…like the time Freddie Mercury asked for the dressing room guard to be swapped out for a cuter guy…like the time Iggy Pop grabbed a homemade lasagna from the crew buffet and threw it over his audience…like the time she had to prepare dinner next to a backstage whirlpool with a naked Graham Nash in the tub. (Needless to say, many of her stories aren’t fit for a wholesome blog like ours so stop in the shop and we’ll give you the dirt in person!)

After an hour on the porch, we sorted thru her very cool collection of music related memorabilia. We bought a double-sided quilt made of vintage concert t-shirts; several framed pieces including a Boston Tea Party poster and a Fillmore West handbill; some vintage sweatshirts & t-shirts, and assorted backstage passes. But our most fascinating buy was a collection of original show riders specifying the requirements of each artist. Did you know that Jimmy Buffett must be served sauteed prawns on Sundays? That the Grateful Dead bar order always included 6 quarts of green Gatorade? That The Eagles required McDonald’s three days a week while on tour? That KISS needed a dressing room with 4 banquet tables, 80 bath towels, 4 full-length mirrors, 4 trash cans, 2 sinks & 2 showers? That Queen required a large assortment of nuts (heavy on the cashews)? Well–now you know!

Our favorite part of this business has to be “the hunt.” Every person has a story to tell and we are fortunate to be able to hear those stories and relay them to our customers through the pieces we acquire. Here’s to next week’s road trip!