"Touring the world sucks... the food outside of the USA sucks... people overseas suck..."
That's all I ever used to hear from bands before I had the opportunity to tour outside of the United States. When I started touring outside of North America I thought I would really miss the comforts of our home culture. Couple that with the fact that the touring life sometimes sucks you down into the deep, dark vortex of sitting in the bus all afternoon, lounging in the dressing room all day, playing on the Internet, doing the show, drinking yourself to sleep and repeat.
Now, this works well for some people and I have experienced it myself on many tours, but found it ultimately unfulfilling. To each his own, I guess. However, lately I have made a conscious effort to tour in a new way and embrace the opportunity to explore the open road and see as many new things in as many of the cities we are fortunate enough to visit.
What's so incredible about this profession is something that lots of bands or band people don't realize; This "job" is absolutely the best opportunity to really travel and see the world. Just about anywhere you are on the earth, you can immerse yourself in something amazing, whether it's finding local art, farmers' markets, local cuisine, local culture, shopping districts, historical sights, museums, symphony halls, all it takes is a little searching.
Of course, this is hard in some regions. For example, industrial areas or places on the edges of cities are hard to get out and about. But if you do a little research online the night before, or simply ask some venue staff or locals, you can be pointed in the direction of a cab, train station, or a nice walk towards something new.
Right now, food is my drug. Everywhere I am (USA, Europe, Japan, Australia, etc.), I always try the local cuisine. I try to stay as far away from anything "chain" based as possible, and do as the locals. For example, we were recently in Stuttgart, Germany and I tried traditional beef and clear noodle soup and Riesen Haxe, which is basically an enormous leg of pork served with kraut, and this ball of bread and the local beer. Some of the exotic foods I have tried in Japan would make most people squirm! But I think you can learn so much about a culture purely from what kinds of foods they make or eat or create on an every day basis -- the 'utility' foods as Anthony Bourdain would say. For instance, I've learned why certain types of dishes are made in certain climates and seasons, and how people in various territories around the world will make use of their surplus stock of vegetables.
And it isn't just food you can explore. Recently in Europe, I was able to find quite a vast array of breathtaking, inspirational churches: the Dome in Cologne, Notre Dame in Paris, Duomo in Milan, and other incredible buildings... The astronomical clock tower in Prague, the square-enix headquarters in Shibuya in Tokyo, the first hamburger restaurant ever in the States in Connecticut, traditional Czech goulash and pig knuckle that blew our minds.
Museums are scattered across the entire planet that should be inspirational to musicians and music lovers. Recently, I've visited the Vienna Fine Arts Museum, The Louvre in Paris, the Chicago Institute of Art and the Nashville Schermerhorn Symphony Orchestral Hall.
So, basically, anything a person would normally do on a vacation or holiday or sightseeing exploration, you can do it with just a touch of work on tour. In the U.S. it's usually a runner, or walking, jogging, or cab; in Europe, the underground stations are so incredibly easy with just a touch of help from a local, hotel or venue staff, or even some fans... we had some awesome fans in Paris teach us the subway lines in Paris to get to the Notre Dame, then find some incredible Parisian cuisine.
If you tour and you're in a band, or if you are a backpacker or tourist or wanderer, you have so much of the incredible world at your fingertips. Even just walking the town square or city center in a new place for a whole day can be so enjoyable. The current tour I'm on, I've literally spent every single day exploring and learning. Touring bands often complain of boredom. There is an easy fix! The world is a big place with lots of incredible things to show you.
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