Coast-to-coast with no car: This band did it and you should too!
Back in February, we challenged Indie band Young Pandas to leave their traditional four wheels behind as they embarked on their U.S. tour. We wanted them to live the RideScout life and actually live in the moment…
Young Pandas traveled and explored each city on their tour using RideScout and our numerous ride providers as their primary form of transportation. After three months on the road, they finally wrapped the RideScout Road Trip. We caught up with Mike Maven, band member and manager, to get the full scoop.
- What was the craziest thing that happened on the road trip?
RideScout asked us to tour the entire U.S. without a personal vehicle. Yeah…
- So, what was it like to tour the U.S. without your own personal vehicle?
As a band, it’s difficult to “travel light,” as I’m sure you can imagine. That was the greatest challenge. However, using alternative forms of transportation allowed us to experience the cities and the people in them as we explored. When you’re stuck in your car, you’re not fully enjoying the flavor of a new city.
- Why did you agree to this crazy idea?
This idea sounded like the ultimate chance at true discovery and experiencing cities like a local. I’ve read one travel tip over and over: discover as you go. In other words, don’t make too many plans. Touring the U.S. without a personal vehicle allowed us to do just that.
- What was the best part of the road trip?
The people. By stepping out onto the street, instead of being trapped in the bubble of a tour van, we met many people and learned so much about the cities we visited. Naturally, people were curious about our instruments, and the conversations always led to recommendations.
Being on tour also reunited us with so many friends. That’s something that’s always true of being on tour, regardless of the vehicle, but that is the reason I do this. It was great when our own honorary Panda Kevin Church flew out to Chicago to hang with us. Kevin talks in his sleep, and the first night he stayed with us he woke Sean up from a dead slumber by screaming “DONUTS!!!” in his face. Kevin still calls me sometimes now, screams “DONUTS,” and hangs up.
- OK, let’s talk food. What was the best thing you ate on the road trip and where was it?
I have to say that Portland, OR is absolutely killing it with their cuisine. Anyone out there who knows my passion for coffee knew to ask me where the best coffee on the tour was — and it came out of a little truck on the PSU campus in Portland.
- Who was the most interesting person you met and why?
My greatest honor of the tour was beginning a musical collaboration with one of my all-time hip hop production idols, Kev Brown. Working with people like Kev and keeping their musical company is the reason I have worked so hard at what I do.
- How is the music industry changing to take advantage of the sharing economy, with less reliance on traditional labels and tours?
Traditional tours in the music industry nowadays are nearly impossible. The financial and emotional cost of vans, trailers, gas and hotels doesn’t make sense. The shared economy make touring a possibility for artists who just want their music to be heard, but have a smaller budget to work with. With so many of these options connected to our mobile phones, it’s possible to navigate and adapt on the go.
The RideScout Road Trip allowed us to create the album we wanted to make, to book the tour that we wanted to book, to play with and connect with the artists in each city that we wanted to play with, with complete artistic freedom. In return, we got to show the world how the RideScout lifestyle works, and how easy and fantastic it can be. There is no other company and no other band in America right now doing what we just did on the scale that we did it, and that is amazing.
- Will this change the way you use transit in your personal life going forward?
Absolutely. I walked more on this trip than I have walked around my own city in the last 3 years. We ate so much amazing food on the road and I thought I’d be coming home in need of a weight loss plan, but instead I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in following a tour!
Speaking of food (again), the recommendations people make for food in their city are rarely the healthy options. They’re the greasy, feel-good comfort foods that make that city’s cuisine unique. And boy, were we guilty of indulging. We had a running joke the whole tour: “we’ll eat healthy in the NEXT city.” I’ve never come home from traveling before and not gained weight, but this time was different.
I also realized a bus pass in my city is inexpensive, and a bus comes to the bottom of my street. I really enjoyed walking and discovered that I truly love biking. Bikeshare programs need to be in every single city. I’ll be planning all of my arrivals around biking, walking, and bus routes this summer.
- What advice do you have for others who want to reduce their dependence on their personal vehicle?
Do it. Compare your maintenance, parking, and gas costs with the cost of a monthly pass for your local transport. Supplement with car2go and Zipcar. I was amazed at how affordable it was. What other way can you take your friends for a spin in the newest BMW sport coupe for $10.50?
Check out all of the videos from Young Pandas’ coast-to-coast tour on our YouTube Channel.
