jerryisbell

Courtesy: Mat Maxwell

Landing The Gig with Luke Combs-Life On The Road

“I didn’t have a history with Luke prior to about eight months ago. I met his bandleader about 14 years ago and was in his band then. He remembered me, believed in me, and recommended me. I went in, did my best, and the rest is history. Always do your best and leave a good impression on people. You never know when it’ll pay off. The travel is fun. New people, places, food, planes, buses, hotel rooms and Uber. Keeps you on your toes. I usually try to get some practicing in before the show and stretch. If I can, I’ll go for a run earlier in the day. We visited Fenway while in Boston and getting to do fun things like that is great while on tour. You don’t always get a chance to take in the cities, but it’s nice when you can.

Some days are busier than others. A lot of the time you don’t get a chance to fully enjoy where you are. The main reason you’re there is to work and that has to come first. It’s incredible. Absolutely incredible. The boss, band, and crew are all awesome and hilarious, so that makes touring really enjoyable. Super talented and professional folks bringing a great show. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s different than what a much younger me would’ve expected, but I’ve been doing it long enough that I knew some of the “ropes” of touring beforehand. It’s definitely a fun job, but a job nonetheless and it does take you away from home and family. Wouldn’t trade it for nothin’ but everything in life has trade-offs. I’m very, very thankful.”

Advice for Aspiring Musicians

“Contacts are essential. Strong ones. Ones where the person not only knows you but believes in you. It takes time and you don’t always make a lot of money. Especially in the beginning. Stay humble, be kind, show up on time, say yes, do what you say you’ll do, and always hit home runs (musically speaking). They’ll remember you. It’s typically a marathon, not a sprint, from what I’ve seen and personally experienced.”

Onstage Past and Present

“Early on in my career we were paid to quit playing because a high school reunion came in the bar and wanted to hear Bon Jovi all night. We were an original Americana band! Once…the drummer in our cover band fell asleep during a slow song. He had drank too much and leaned on his snare. People sometimes throw hats or their phones on stage at Luke’s shows. I’ll put the hat on and throw it back a few songs later. That’s fun. During the show I can’t do anything besides hand a phone back between songs.”