Check The Spreadsheet

Touring veteran Tara Theisen of Sharkmuffin shares her tips for surviving life on the road.

Gear Repair

My Les Paul Jenna Nelson repaired after I destroyed it on my first U.K. tour The best way to prevent the inevitable panic attack of your gear failing while on the road is to be prepared. When you use your gear every day in volatile environments with varying weather conditions and sobriety levels,...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETDocumenting A DIY Tour with Tips From Steven Anselm

Touring is eventful and exciting, but the days eventually begin to blend together. Venues and bands blur, and people’s names are the last thing that will stick in your mind. It’s best to appoint a member of the band to take photos and/or journal your time on the road, or even bring along a tour...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETHomes Away From Home

After a show in Lawrence, Kansas my old band Ex-Girlfriends pulled up to a random house where we were going to sleep that night. There were garbage bags covering the garage windows, conjuring images of the mutilated dead bodies hidden inside. Our bandmate had set up these accommodations last minute...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETGetting Organized

When I grew up dreaming of rockstardom, I never realized how many spreadsheets I would have to make. But they've become so indispensable to me that I've even named this column in their honor! Below I’ve included the spreadsheet templates my projects use to stay organized for booking, advances,...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETTouring Across the Pond

Sharkmuffin charms Robert Plant The story goes that Jimi Hendrix was unknown in the States before he traveled to the U.K. It was only after his time across the pond that he returned as our beloved shredding icon. It can happen to you too! His spirit is still there, and Sharkmuffin may have...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETTalking Tour Eats with Cassie Ramone, Sadie Dupuis, and Chloe Chaidez

One surprisingly common tour complaint is not being able to poop for the first few days. Probably due to a mix of public restroom anxiety and not eating like your normal self would, tour constipation doesn’t sound that bad compared to “fire ass,” something my former tourmates have suffered from...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETSurviving SXSW

I’ve been called a masochist for going to Austin, TX's South By South West festival so many years in a row. SXSW 2018 will be my eighth return trip and this year I’ll be an official artist with all three of my projects - Sharkmuffin, Ex-Girlfriends and Kino Kimino - totaling 17 sets in five days....

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETDIY Merch Making

Do you have too many band t-shirts? I have so many that I recently I gave my college bestie, favorite neighbor and Gustaf front woman, Lydia Gammill, about 30 of them to send to her cousin to make into a queen size blanket for me. I still have at least 15 band shirts remaining in my closet, and...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETTour Promo

Caro reads about her next tour date in Rolling Stone. Photo by Jose Berrio While I was dancing around my middle school bedroom screaming into a hairbrush dreaming of my future rock stardom, I had no idea how many spreadsheets and e-mails I would have to send to make it happen. Even after you’ve...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETBest DIY Promoters, Collectives, and Venues of 2017

Ex-Girlfriends tour routes by Tine Hill After spending 21 weeks on tour in 2017 with four bands (playing in Sharkmuffin, Ex-Girlfriends, Kino Kimino and tour mama-gering for The Big Drops) in three different countries, here are my picks for the best promoters, collectives and venues that I’ve been...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETBand Vans

Every band who tours frequently has an unspoken member who doesn't play on any records, yet is instrumental in reaching fans' ears in far away places. I'm talking about the vehicle responsible for getting the band to their next show, and hopefully, the show after that. If you want to go on tour you...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETBooking Basics

Booking a tour is basically planning a road trip with the goal of playing music every night and (hopefully) making enough money for gas to your next destination. Booking your first tour is a grind, so it’s helpful to have higher purpose that is fun and motivating. Bands usually plan a tour to...

Tarra Thiessen