Local band Oh No, Theodore! kicked off an East Coast tour on Nov. 10, doing shows throughout New Brunswick as well as in Halifax and Charlottetown. They’ll play at the Cedar Tree Cafe on Dec. 2 and then wrap up in Hampton. The AQ caught up with lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Jeremy McLaughlin last week.
AQ: What’s your favourite tour memory ever?
JM: I would have to say it would be when we were doing an overnight drive from Quebec City to Bathurst. We left at 1 a.m., which meant we would get to Bathurst around 7:30 a.m. that morning. The entire drive went great up until we were about 20 minutes outside of town and one of the [three] vehicles we were travelling in got a flat tire, so we were stranded on the side of the road while one vehicle left to pick up a replacement tire. We waited there for four hours fighting off the sun and an endless onslaught of bugs. You couldn’t stay in a vehicle because it was so hot, so the only thing we could do was set up a tent and hope that they came back soon. It was the best and worst moment I’ve ever had on tour, but I’ll never take it back. Looking back on it now is hilarious, but at the time I was so miserable.
AQ: What are your go-to “I’m driving for long periods of time” snacks?
JM: Our bassist, Jake Spencer (he’s British) will always speak up after travelling for about 10 minutes, and he’ll say, “Anyone fancy a stoppie for a chippie?” He likes the old kettle chippies the most. Luke on the other hand [member Lukas Bailey], he’s more of a baked dill pickle kinda guy. Aaron really loves road rockets (drive-thru hamburgers), and the rest of us just eat whatever is around.
AQ: Does anyone in the band have diva moments on tour?
JM: We’re still pretty new to the touring game and it’s all still really exciting for us to be playing in a different town each night, so no one really has anything to be grumpy about. The only thing close that I think that we’ve had is people arguing about who has to drive home that night, because if you’re driving home after the show that means you can’t have anything to drink at the bar that night. Not that we drink heavily, but it’s really nice to have a beer or two once you’re off stage tearing down for the night.
AQ: What’s a typical tour day like?
JM: Wake up beside one another on the floor. Roll up sleeping bags and thank whoever it was that night who was gracious enough to let us stay in their home. Coffee. Start driving to the next town. Gas up and clean out the van (the Baron tends to get dirty quite easily). Roll into town. If we have a few hours before the show we like to meet new people and let them know about the show. Coffee. Head to the venue. Load in and sound check (if we actually get a sound check that evening). Hang out with the bar staff, talk about how the tour is going and what bands have been through recently. Play the show. Try to find a place to sleep that night if a spot hadn’t already been arranged. Tear down and load all the gear back into the van. Sleep in the van or on the floor in someone’s house. Repeat.
AQ: How’s the Baron holding up?
JM: The Baron is holding up so well! The thing we’re focusing on now is winter tires – we really don’t want it to end up in the ditch this winter. We’re making a little bit of money on this tour, so hopefully we’ll get some on by the end of the month.
