Los Vigilantes of San Juan, PR (Image courtesy of the band)
When Alex White of White Mystery shared her daily hustle with us, we made a point to note that no two musicians' schedules are exactly alike. She and her brother Francis do their thing full time; the band is unarguably the epicenter of their working lives. That's not the case for everyone, of course. Depending on what your goals are and where you're at in the process of realizing them, your day-to-day could look drastically different.
Case in point: San Juan, Puerto Rico-based garage-punk group Los Vigilantes. Like a lot of independent bands, they all hold regular jobs, and while they perform regularly at home, going on tour eight months out of the year like White Mystery just isn't how they roll right now.
[Here's how to balance your music career with your day job.]
But while their treks are fewer, they've managed to cover a significant amount of ground, particularly in the past four years. They've toured the States three times and Europe twice. Three of the five trips were joint journeys with like-minded acts – one with Ardillas, who also hail from PR, and two with Charlotte, NC-based band Paint Fumes. That's important to note, we think, because teaming up can double your connections with venues and people willing to let you crash – and that's incredibly helpful for up-and-coming bands. (And it can also be more fun that way!)
We spoke with bassist and vocalist Javi Garrote to get an idea of what a typical day on tour looks like for the guys – well, for Garrote, at least. You'll notice there's no mention of social media in his personal agenda – that's because guitarist Jota Vigilante is typically the designated dude on that front.
Garrote's way of touring isn't for everyone, of course, just like Alex White's isn't either. Agendas are totally subjective, and you'll have to figure out what works best within your band to determine your own.
A typical touring day for Javi Garrote
9:00 a.m.: I wake up on somebody's floor to a bunch of drunk, smelly, damp sock smells. I take my skateboard on tour, so every day I go around whatever town we're in and check it out before I have to go back and wake everybody up. That's how I really saw Europe, because all these guys were sleeping while I was looking at shit. In Barcelona, I went to a bunch of museums while they were sleeping. When I get back from skateboarding, I make coffee and wake everybody up. Usually one of them has woken up already, probably Pepe [Carballido, guitarist and singer]. Then, I wait for everyone to get ready. I usually don't shower [in the morning]; I usually shower when we get to the next destination because nobody has to use the bathroom, and it's not shitty from everyone using it.
Early afternoon: We hit the road, and it's usually three to 10 hours depending on where we're going. We usually stop once at a gas station, browse nudie mags and weird shit we can take on tour, like NRA bumper stickers and shit like that. We also stop in novelty places, like the "biggest rock" or something cool we pass by.
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.: Arrive at the venue, unload, then go to wherever we're staying and shower. Soundcheck after. Then we wait around and also talk to the people we need to talk to (whoever's managing the event), and set up everything. Have a beer or two or three. Then, we watch the opening bands.
[4 Things You Need in Your Pre-Show Ritual to Play Your Best]
Then we play, and after, we'll go to the stand where we sell merch. We'll sign things we need to sign, like autographs if people want them. We talk to fans and people who like us. Then, we get the money and load up. If you get drunk and try to get your money the next day, it's a fucking hassle. Always get the money!
2:00 a.m.: When the venue starts to close we go to the after party, hang out, get drunk.
Then repeat the next day.
What does your daily schedule as a musician consist of? Share it with us in the comments below!
Jhoni Jackson is an Atlanta-bred music journalist currently based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she juggles owning a venue called Club 77, freelance writing and, of course, going to the beach as often as possible.
