IAmA blue collar musician in a full time working band called the Delta Bombers. I travel the world 100+ nights a year, write songs and am a gas station roller dog enthusiast.

What is your opinion of the wrinkly "been rolling for at least three days" dogs? More concentrated flavor for the mouth, or just in the exhaust?

It really depends on the how hungover are you to hunger ratio.

If you're hungover and you're hungry and you roll into a 7-11 at 11:30AM you're gonna eat that hot dog and it's gonna be great. With a little sneaky Nacho Cheese machine drip on top you can hardly tell the difference.

If you've managed to hit the gym and stayed sober for 4.5 days, you will just get two bananas and a dill pickle and act like its good.

All the foods you've mentioned are dong shaped. Why is that?

Projecting

Saw you guys with The Rev. in Billings Montana and bought a shirt. You put on a hell of a show. When are you coming back to Billings?

That’s a good question the last time we were due to go to Montana a damn mud slide on the road forced us to cancel (turned a would be 8 hour drive into like a 16 hour one)…. I’m hopefully for 2024

Well I’ve never heard of you guys until right now. I have to say you gained a fan tonight. Great music!

Thanks a bunch

What's a blue collar musician? Is that a reference to your day jobs / former jobs, or the kind of job your typical fan might have?

Oh good question! It references us. We carry our own equipment and book our own hotel rooms and do our own driving. We travel around in beaten up old vans and short school buses. We don't have a lavish lifestyle. Sometimes when someone says they're a musician as a job people get the idea that they live a fancy lifestyle but we don't.

When people say musician I assume poor so idk if the descriptor is necessary. 😂 But I’m also from Los Angeles and have met my fair share of musicians. Are you from Vegas or is that just where you ended up?

Haha fair enough! We play the Los Angeles area a lot. two of us were born in Las Vegas and I moved here when I was about 5 from Alabama. My dad got sick of the humidity haha.

You do know it doesn't count as merch profits if you buy it yourself, right?

Nonsense, that’s how we sold 2 million records last year

What's your daily routine while on the road? Does it vary much depending on the place you travel to?

In the USA it doesn't vary too much.

We wake up about 10-11AM depending on drive distance and get in the van. We then drive 3-7 hours depending on distance and arrive at the venue and unload our equipment. After that point we may have some free time to eat or sneak in a workout. We will play our show and check into the hotel that night and repeat!

This varies from time to time mainly dependent on time. When things are going smooth we can wake up at 8 or 9 AM and go to the gym or take a long walk before we get in the van. It's really hard to stay healthy on the road because you have so little control or free time.

No sound check?

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Former roadie here

Yes of course! We will sound check either directly after load in or at some point later in the night. Depends on the venue. But we always wanna do a sound check whenever possible. It just makes the show better. Who did you roadie for? Roadies make the world go round.

Who did you roadie for?

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An obscure British band called "Tranquility." I met them when I was the soundman at the Whiskey a go-go and toured with them. They were managed by Ashley Kozak, the guy who managed Donovan.

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We were the opening band for Billy Preston, Dr. John, New Riders of the Purple Sage and a few others. Toured the East Coast mostly. The lead singer (Terry Shaddick) went on to co-write "Physical" for Olivia Newton John.

We need a second AMA

I second this

Ultra cool! You must have some stories.

Where do you leave your equipment between unloading & soundcheck and the actual show? Is there risk of your guitars and stuff getting stolen from the venue?

If we’re headlining we load on the stage and the equipment stays on the stage all night until load out.

If we’re opening we will load our equipment in front of the headlining band and play then take it off right after. Either we will load it right into the van then or set in a secure part of the stage.

Not much risk of theft. In 1000 shows we’ve played we haven’t had anything stolen fortunately. It does happen but it’s a rarity.

Which US gas station chains have the best ready-to-eat hot food?

I'ma big WaWa and QT /QuikTrip / Kum and Go fan I call these "premium" gas stations. They have a really cool little central kitchen where you can order hot food from a touch screen. It isnt the healthiest but it just as fresh as any fast food.

the WaWa pretzels and iced teas are very addictive btw.

Love's truck stops are great for healthier options. They usually have a big section of cut meats and fruit. We really haven't been able to crack the code on consistent good hot meals on the road though. The closest we've come is taking heating elements into our hotel rooms and making a ground beef / veggie stir fry. That's about the best there is!

Did you lose your shit the first time you saw a Bucees?

Oh we absolutely did. Bucees is an American wonder. Though I have to be honest as amazing of a stop as it is…. It isn’t very time friendly. Sometimes that is a problem on the road. It’s so huge and your band mates get lost in there. What should take 20 minutes can take an hour

Aw man, this comment made me look to see if QT still sold those jalapeño sausage rolls, but apparently, they discontinued them. Those things were so damn good! I'd only get 'em a couple of times a year, and it's been a while since I had one, obviously, but man, I'm gonna miss those things! The QT hot case slaps pretty fuckin' hard though!

Also, if you find yourself in the Southeast, particularly SC, find a Spinx gas station. A lot of them serve fried chicken, and it's pretty damn good!

I’ve never heard of a Spinx I’ll have to track it down

I’m actually kind of offended that you left out Sheetz. And I live in Wawa territory.

You’re right I did leave them out. I kinda got a few of them clumped jn my head. There’s maverick too out west. It’s around a lot national parks. Great gas station

Wawa is the beesssttttt. Get their buffalo chicken sub if you're into that.

It’s on my list for next tour

Do you make decent money touring so hard?

We do have a pretty decent revenue, the problem is costs are also extremely high. It seems like we have to spend $900 to make $1000 sometimes. In the band we all net about 25-35k a year depending on how good or bad things have went.

Wow.. That's.... Not a lot

It’s true it isn’t a lot. We are lucky to do it full time though it has great benefits. Lots of travel lots of free time. I’m my own boss. Etc

How much weed do y’all go through in a month?

It used to be a really not healthy amount but a few guys in our band have made some changes! It saves so much money cutting it back or cutting it out. Same with booze. Gotta be adult about stuff sometimes. Sucks but true.

Gas station roller dogs with or without the cheese injected? Please knowledgeable sir, we need your wisdom begot by experience

Skip the cheese. It’s either partially frozen or like send you to the ER hot first off. Second it’s barely cheese. I know the hot dogs are not any better but there’s no reason to combine zombie food with zombie food. It’s like not tour kosher.

Who are your favourite musicians and those who have more influence on your own production?

John Fogerty of CCR has really inspired me a lot. He was a guy in the flower power era of the 1960’s drawing inspiration straight from the 1950’s. He built on the music instead of imitating it. I like building on stuff rather then imitation.

My other favorites are howlin wolf, the hives, the black keys, Carl Perkins and the Beatles.

Do you have a day job when you aren’t touring? Is this a “career” as in, like, you can buy a house and count on touring to survive?

This is a career. When I’m not on tour I’m designing merch or making packages or writing songs or doing a video shoot. I’m lucky to have not had a “real” job since 2013. We don’t make a lot of money but we make just barely enough. We’re very fortunate to get to be able to do it.

Do you have health insurance?

I’m fortunate to have my wife cover me through her work. We pay about $1200 a month for our family of three. My son has health issues so it’s really important. Before 2019 I was kinda just risking it out there raw dog

I have to ask, how do you manage a family with being on the road and traveling so much?

Really well! Ive been doing this since I was 19 so when I met my wife in 2011 it’s been all we’ve ever known together. It’s not fun to leave my boy at home but it is necessary to pay the bills. We do get afforded traveling opportunities that other families don’t. As a family we went to Switzerland and Venice last year. This year we went to Spain Portugal and Morocco for two weeks! I had taken my wife on several European vacations before we left our 20’s. This is all because a lot of my travel and lodging is funded by show promoters.

So we’ve had really good life experiences especially for my boy.

He makes his wife do the actual practical work of raising his sick child and working a job that provides health insurance while he fucks around with his friends all day and night providing nothing but a headache and no future.

From a reply further down to someone asking how much time they get to spend with family:

“A whole bunch! I have a wife and a 5 year old son. When I’m not on tour I’m at home. I get to have 200+ days a year at home with kind of work from home type situation because I make a lot of my bands merch and work on stuff from our home office.”

So idk, seems like they’re home a fair amount. At the very least, it doesn’t seem like they’re home dramatically less than someone who travels somewhat regularly for a “real” job. I’ve got friends who work in marketing that are gone more days out of the year than that, for instance.

More importantly, though, it also doesn’t seem like you (or anyone in this thread, for that matter) really know all that much about this person, their wife, their child, or anything else to be making such strong, baseless, and angry assumptions about them.

And based on your recent comment history, I’ll just say is that I hope you’re able to work through whatever you’ve got going on and arrive somewhere more mentally and emotionally peaceful.

Have a good day ✌🏻

Thanks for the nicely weighed reply there. 😃

What kinda rig are you traveling with? Amps? Simulator?

My favorite rig on the road is a big Victoria "Execulux" its a 3x10 Greenback version of a Fender Blackface deluxe reverb. it just sounds as good as any Fender style amp ever. But its big.

When we are in a more cramped van situation I love my Fender Deluxe Reverb Tonemaster. It's 100% digital and weighs 21 lbs. Man that thing sounds good for what it is. I could live my whole life using it.

My pedal setup is very simple. Tuner, Reverb, Delay, Tremelo. And I love my Gary Clark Jr. Signature SG I have not been able to put it down since 2018. They did something really great with those pickups and electric wiring configuration. Thanks Gary!

I love my P-90 SG!

Me too man… they have a certain squashy twang that other p-90 guitars just don’t have.

Just checked y’all out in YT. Sound great! Digging the track suits😎

Haha thank you that’s our new song

The DR tonemaster is fantastic.

Gary Clark Jr and Marcus King Jr are the kings of modern day blues.

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What got you into rockabilly? And why did Cliff Gallup make your dick hard?

Haha cliff Gallup still makes my dick hard. I remember having to have a long hard look in the mirror at myself and just accept I probably wasn’t going to be able to play guitar like him when I was 18-19.

On a scale of 1/10 how farty is the tour van?

You get used to it after awhile.

But 7.6/10. We kinda know eachother so well.... we just let it rip

How often do you relate to the movie “This is Spinal Tap” while on tour?

Any “spinal tap” like stories?

Way too much, whoever wrote that movie may be a warlock. One time in England we went into this little green room next to the stage to put our show clothes on before we hit the stage. Big festival! A few thousand people. We went to leave as our name was announced and the door knob broke off. We all started dying laughing but realized we were legitimately stuck in there. We tried to shoulder it a bit but the door opened inwards so it wasn’t going to do the trick. Fortunately the show promoters daughter was able to barrel through the door on the other side. It was really a moment we were all practically screaming with laughter as we went on stage.

How's touring with Mr Heath? Seems like a pretty down to earth, fun dude.

Edit: Just realized the tour hasn't yet started... Disregard.

We've toured with Reverend Horton Heat a whole bunch over the years. Maybe 150 or so shows. I've learned so much from them. In 2011 my first time with them I really learned about merchandise and why it was so important. Jim Heath has always been generous with his time and wisdom for other musicians. He's really easy to get along with and is not in any way a "rockstar". He's an absolute wizard on guitar too, sound checks can be hilarious sometimes when they start fooling around.

I got to open for Rev once and it was amazing, I can’t imagine what you learn on your with him.

So many good stories. The guy has hung out with Willie Nelson and tiger woods! And like a million others.

Blue collar musician?(plz expalin)

I make about as much money being a musician full time as somebody might make working at target.

Hey Andrew, how did you enjoy the rockin race jamboree in Spain?

My new favorite festival! it was so comfortable and the people weather and food are 10/10. I wish it was every weekend, that would be my heaven! I fell in love with Spanish cuisine.

You don't miss British food then? (We still love you)

I actually love British food. It's very under appreciated. I know it gets a bad rap but your pie game is off the charts. Steak and Ale, Cornish Pasty - any type of pastry with a meat filling inside is just incredible. I love some fish and chips with lots of vinegar too.

People sleep on British food, but thier savory pie game is unmatched.

Indeed

Who you got Izzy or Perreira?

Can’t wait to see you guys in Council Bluffs

I just hope they both have fun.

Did you know that a gas-station roller dog can roll over the length of a football field?

https://i.imgur.com/y79LblM.jpg

I made this after a very stoned 7-11 taquito run, but it applies to roller dogs too. And you know they don't always throw em out when they're supposed to.

The math checks out

Sheetz or Wawa?

Shit. Asking the real tough questions. Pound for pound I have been to Sheetz more but something about those Wawa pretzels gets me. I gotta go WaWa

Heart=broken

Sorry :/ sheetz is incredible. I get happy just driving by one

I was the 69th view on your proof imgur pic

Nice

Oh shit. My dad had a similar FDR clock like that. But it was more elaborate. It said "Man of The Hour" or something like that and had FDR shaking a cocktail. Here is a video of a different one in action.

How much for that clock?

Your dads clock is ultra cool! This one doesnt work. It's one of my prized possessions though I got in a thrift store about 10 years ago for $11. I really don't want to sell it :(

What's the weirdest/most desperate meal you've eaten in the road?

In the old days when we were young and super broke we would simply buy bread jam and peanut butter and make back of the van PB&J's. Those are good to live on for weeks!

A jar of peanut butter, a jar of jam, a loaf of Wonder Bread and I'm in heaven when I'm stuck in Motel 6 at midnight. Add cup-of-noodles and you have a feast! Piece of fruit for desert.

It's super good but honestly it really doesn't work long term, you start to feel it like your body will give you "holy shit this is not healthy" signals. But I know the struggle and would never look down on anybody for eating like that because I sure have!

So, I saw a guy walking out of my nearby 7-11 with one of those. I asked him about it since I'd never seen anyone eat one. He said it was delicious, especially if it's been on the rollers a long time. I cringe at the sodium level in that thing. I haven't yet summoned the courage to try one. How often do you eat them?

Honestly I try to keep it to a minimum. Though when you're constantly on the road sometimes you don't have a choice. However did you know Costco hot dogs are 100% beef? I get happy when I think about that.

Best sausage/brats? What're your go to toppings?

The best sausages are banger breakfast sausages in the UK. I can’t explain this weird “oomph” they have in flavor. They overtake your palate in a good way and you simply cannot find them anywhere else. I’ve been to Germany a bunch and I love getting the bratwursts at the gas stations with way too small a bun and a side of simple mustard and sauerkraut. Damn I’m hungry now!

Overall anything that’s made by a local butcher is gonna be good. I’ve had some amazing home made brats in the midwestern usa. The store bought one’s often have a weird after taste

You guys are one of my favorite bands. Especially to see live. My husband and I saw you at a real small place in Fort Collins, CO not too long ago.

Which do you like to play better, small/intimate venues or bigger ones?

We love big venues because it usually means more money but you can’t beat the atmosphere of a well thought out 200 capacity room. It just feels like rock n roll in its natural environment

What do you think of Elvis? After watching the movie recently, I've been listening to a lot of him, especially his early rockabilly/rock and roll stuff.

How popular do you find Americana, or rockabilly specifically, to be nowadays? Is it mostly just older folks who like it? Seems like the music industry is utterly dominated by hip hop, which is a shame to me as someone who prefers what you're doing.

Finally, do you see this as a viable long-term career? I see you mentioned you make money but not a huge amount - have you ever wondered if it's worth it? What would be your main advice to a younger version of yourself, or someone starting out?

Sorry for the bombardment of questions!

I like Elvis. His early music was foundational and a complete shooting star. I do find him to be overrated in his later career. I know it’s the “cool guy” thing to say but I never connected with the jumpsuits or the over dramatic singing. Of course I was born a little later then most Elvis fans.

We’ve made it our careers a very long time we’re very fortunate. Merchandise has carried us a long way. Good things happen when you play a ton of shows and have products to sell.

Unfortunately rockabilly / Americana is shrinking. It has been since the year 2000. It’s a demographic thing. I don’t know what’ll happen 10 years from now but most people are not interested in rock n roll. That’s alright. No reason to get mad about it.

I find a lot of hip hop and electronic music to be boring and predictable but I know I’m in the minority.

Great answer.

I was just at a Marshall Tucker band concert on Friday, sold out about a thousand seats, but it was a sea of gray. I'm almost 40 and was the youngest there by far.

Yeah that’s what I’ve noticed it’s become extra apparent post pandemic to me. The big pause in shows made it very noticeable. It seemed like our crowd aged 10 years in 2. No reason to be bitter though everything has a life cycle.

Outside of Costco, who has the best roller dog?

Loves makes a solid roller dog. I think it's more that they usually have high demand at truck stops and have a high turnover rate of the dogs and buns. Fresh buns are really important and something that is often missing. When in search for a roller dog, go where people are buying them the most and forcing new roller dogs to be made.

Hey Andrew! I’ve seen you a couple of times in Denver and I think my brother did some single art for you at some point, I’m not sure. My question is: what is the best bar in Vegas and why is it the Double Down?

Every time I go into double down I never remember what it was like the next day

I bet it was great. Second best jukebox in any bar I’ve ever been to.

First one is… the griffin?

Your favorite genre,instrument and musician?

Blues, electric guitar and Bo Diddley

Do you know much about Australian Rules Football? You have a ready-made club just waiting for your support.

Essendon Bombers

I watched a game in Australia once I was so confused but had a good time. I never realized how much Australians can drink

I, too, am a gas station roller dog enthusiast. The best way that I've been able to recreate them is to put my oven on low and rotate them every few minutes for a couple of hours. Do you have any tricks for getting your fix when you're at home?

That’s a good method! I find grilled hot dogs to be over rated. Usually they’re burnt. I like a simple boiled hot dog it reminds me of something you might get in New York.

Do you play shows in Vegas? If so, what is your favorite place to play?

In Vegas, what is your favorite place to watch a different band?

Used to be bunkhouse! What a venue, now that’s gone I like backstage bar and billiards and the usual place

How close is your life to the Bob Seger song, "On the Road Again"?

Did you mean turn the page? If so there are moments that are remarkably close. Really brings the art out in the song.

And If you meant willie Nelson “on the road again” it feels like that too. Especially in the beginning of a tour :)

How many devices do you have streaming your music 24/7 on Spotify to try to boost it up the charts?

0! I’m not a fan. I think Spotify will figure it out and probably ban lots of artists / profiles that do that. But if you wanna stream us like 1799000 times I won’t be mad

I've seen you live twice so far! Y'all always put on a great show.

Who would you say are the biggest influences for your sound?

Will you play Johnny Cash?

Haha you’re funny!!!

On our sound the biggest influences were Wild Records bands from the mid 2000’s. If you don’t know wild records is an old rockabilly label from Los Angeles. We were fortunate to get signed by them in 2008. If you have a chance check out a documentary on Amazon called “Los wild ones”

I never thought I'd see an AMA on Reddit mention Wild Records. Some amazing bands back in the day. One of my first live shows growing up was seeing the Stray Cats, I was 8 or 9 and have been a rockabilly fan since then. Really glad you did this AMA and introduced me to your music, I'll definitely be seeing you guys next time you come to LA. Who are you guys signed with now?

Yeah man the style was something new and so recognizable. Happy you’re happy! Right now we’re totally independent. We’re happy to sign with a record label but nothing attractive has come across the table

You guys are playing the the toxhards!! How did you guys connect?

I’m a huge toxhards fan the second I saw their instagram I fell in love and I started listening to their songs. Their talent really struck me. We asked them to open for our record release party in LA. It’s entirely possible we open for them next time. That band has huge potential

You ever dare fly Delta?

Haha we have actually boarded before not thinking about our gear. We’ve had questions from staff. All of it good spirited but we still make an effort not to wear it in airports just as an abundance of respect

As a gas station roller dog enthusiast, would you also feel qualified to call yourself a gas station shitter enthusiast?

Absolutely. Truck stops are the way to go everything else you’re taking your life in your own hands

Congrats on the album and making the whole touring musician thing work. Love reading your answers.

I just decided to finally get a proper amp and get going with the electric which I never could afford / get to when younger. It was a real process trying to find out what amp I might like, especially with so much online info and cool makers yet so few guitar stores selling them nearby.

So I wanted to ask, how did you settle on your guitar(s) / amp(s)? Was it love at first sight, or did you try a bunch of stuff first?

Hey! Thanks a lot. I grew up with not a lot of money so I had to go with what I really liked which was at first metal but then rockabilly style. The quintessential rockabilly guitar was an orange gretsch so I got the cheap electrometric version and then moved onto my own thing through experimentation.

I would try to accept that most tone is in the fingertips. Jimi hendrix would sound like jimi hendrix playing through a $120 Squier Bullet or a James Hetfield ESP.

A quality tube amp like a Vox AC15 or Fender Deluxe Reverb is almost as much amp as there is in existence. You can pay $4000 more for a marginally better amp or just stick with trusted work horses that sound great.

Long story short, learn music and focus on your playing! The tone and style will come. Become obsessed with learning songs and the music and you can't go wrong. Equipment will come and go

Thank you! I guess there’s no shortcut, just work and try things and keep moving till you get there. At least this means I didn’t miss some shortcut everyone else knew about!

And now I guess I better get back to finding those triads!

Love the sound of that Hey! You Know You Wanna! Can totally hear that fitting with a Reverend Horton Heat show. Best wishes —

Thank you! Try and play with people and go to jams. It’ll bring you light years ahead in playing skill

How much time do you spend at home with family (if any)?

A whole bunch! I have a wife and a 5 year old son. When I'm not on tour I'm at home. I get to have 200+ days a year at home with kind of work from home type situation because I make a lot of my bands merch and work on stuff from our home office.

I just wanna say I love your band! Are you going to come back to Wi to play soon?

Wisconsin!? We have a show we just confirmed in Green Bay with super suckers

Hey great AMA, thank you! No questions, but I checked you out and will try to make it down to Bellingham from Vancouver to see you guys in May! Or just come to Vancouver! Although our live music scene is pretty anemic right now. Anyhow thanks & hope to see you guys.

Would love to see you in Washington! We love Canada we toured there in 2019 but just haven’t made it back

How many times have you had a bad roller dog?

As a follow up, did one such meal - good or bad - inspire a song?

One time I had a bad tacquito from 7-11 in Los Angeles before a flight to Australia. All was fine until about 4 hours before landing. At that point the whole trip became an ordeal. I remember being wheelchaired off the plane because I was so exhausted and dehydrated from being in the airplane bathroom over and over. That was a bad time.

You ever try a gas station "ghost pepper cheeseburger dog"?

I am not suicidal

You've mentioned Love's a few times, have you tried their breakfast roller options? When I was doing tree work I'd get 2 of their blueberry sausage rolls every morning, so good, and you don't need to worry about extra fiber in your diet after you've had one. The maple rolled sausages at Stewart's can be amazing, too.

I haven’t! We typically get a late start so I haven’t thought about it but I’ll give them a go soon. Thanks for the tip!

How did you make the decision to go full time on the road?

It’s all I ever wanted to do since being a teen. It’s really the only option I gave myself

Have you ever played a show with The Goddamn Gallows? I feel like they are similar-sounding and constantly touring.

We’re working on a tour together right now! In all of our years I think we may have been on the same bill once. But we should have an announcement in a few weeks…

Cheap plug for the Bombers Halfmoon candle. Premium, handmade! Our power was out for 10 hours on Saturday, and the candle saved the day (or night).

Favorite venues to play, and favorite acts/bands to tour with?

Best smelling power outage ever.

I love playing Southern California. Our fan base is there and everybody gets drunk haha. Venue wise it’s Alex’s bar in Long Beach and The Observatory. I miss playing the amp room in San Antonio

Instead of the roller dogs, how about gas station pizzas? Which chain has the best?

I like godfathers pizza. Sacrilege I know. I once found like world class pizza at a tiny gas station in West Virginia… I wish I remember the name

How have you changed your habits, if at all, to manage COVID risk for you and your audiences? How has it changed the experience of being a musician?

At first we stayed inside like everyone else. Nearly went bankrupt but our fans came through for us huge buying a load of merch for a tour that got cancelled.

Not much is different now. There were lots of confusing hybrid rules last year and the year before but now things are basically the same as they’ve always been. I’m thankful for that.

I never doubted the lethality and virality of the virus in the beginning but I will admit I got annoyed later on during the pandemic when it was obvious it wasn’t as lethal as it was in the beginning. I know that’s easy for me to say having been almost unaffected by the virus. Our bass player lost his dad to it :/ it was tough.

Long story short the rules towards the end were kind of annoying because it was obvious everyone was getting it precautions or not. They made live music hard but I’m just happy it’s mostly over.

How are blue collar musicians different from other musicians?

Income and crew mainly. If you hung out with us for a week and then hung out with Red Hot Chili Peppers for a week I think you’d notice the difference 😅