Taste in Music: Eating on Tour with Indie Musicians

(Hardback)

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A Pitchfork Best Book of 2024
A Saveur Best Narrative Food Book of 2024

In this unique and deeply thoughtful collection, musician Alex Bleeker (Real Estate) and food and travel journalist Luke Pyenson (formerly of Frankie Cosmos) take readers on tour with a diverse lineup of inspiring indie musicians from around the world, sharing meals and travel experiences, peeking behind the curtain at this singular and singularly misunderstood way of life.

Through original essays and engaging conversations with dozens of indie musicians representing several subgenres, scenes, and eras, food takes center stage in stories about being on tour and eating on tour and how this basic human necessity can create a sense of community and interconnectedness in one of the most mobile industries in the world. Based broadly on the subject of eating on tour, these entries each spin off into their own focused and exciting behind-the-scenes story, but all confirm what Pyenson and Bleeker suspected all alongfood looms large in the lives of touring musicians, and it can be used as a gateway into understanding what going on tour is really like.

Featured contributors include:

• Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes)
• Chris Frantz (Talking Heads)
• Natalie Mering (Weyes Blood)
• Mark Ibold (Pavement)
• John Gourley (Portugal. The Man)
• LilyChait(touring chef to boygenius and Phoebe Bridgers)
• Amelia Meath (Sylvan Esso)
• Greta Kline (Frankie Cosmos)
• Devendra Banhart
• Bob Mould (Hsker D)
• Brian "Geologist" Weitz (Animal Collective)
• Dawn Richard
• Sasami Ashworth (SASAMI)
• Sadie Dupuis (Speedy Ortiz)
• The Beths

In addition to wide-angle meditations about eating on tour, Pyenson and Bleeker have gathered stories that take place on five continents, in private homes and street-side stalls, in temples of fine dining and in actual temples, backstage and in the van, early morning and late at night. Stories that deal with the best parts of touring: meaningful cultural exchange, hospitality-induced euphoria, and the opportunity to build relationships around the world. And the worst: loneliness, exhaustion, estrangement from family and friends, struggles with disordered eating, and unsteady access to medical care.

So the question isnt, How was tour Its, What do you eat on tour Like the best songs or meals, these conversations and essays evoke something central about the human experience. They show us all the ways that music and food bring us together, break us down, lift us up, and add color to our lives.

Reviews

The authors have assembled a vibrant cast of musicians, promoters, and chefs for this anthology about eating on tour. Their contributors write about the delights of British and Japanese rest stops, the dangers of harmless- looking backstage brownies, and the restorative power of a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner for a band on tour overseas A quirky delight for indie rock aficionados.--Booklist

"When summarized,Taste in Music: Eating on Tour With Indie Musicianssounds pretty straightforward: a document of musicians snacking habits on the road. Across its essays, though, some of the biggest artists in the indie world (Talking Heads Chris Frantz, Pavements MarkIbold, Fleet Foxes Robin Pecknold) and beloved acts on the smaller circuit (Frankie Cosmos Greta Kline, the Beths, Sen Morimoto) use food as the entry point to tell some of the most entertaining and moving essays of the year."--Pitchfork

"A fantastic compendium of food-focused essays from some of the worlds most beloved indie musicians." Saveur.com

"A great gift for both the music nerds and the foodies in your life." KCRW's Good Food's 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

"[Alex Bleeker and Luke Pyenson have] assembled a murderers row of contributors to help tell stories, ranging from Robin Pecknold to Dawn Richard. The stories cover the highs and lows of a life on the road, from the people who know about it best." Uproxx Holiday Gift Guide

Author Bio

Alex Bleeker is the bassist and co-founder of beloved indie rock band Real Estate and ascendant jam band Tapers Choice. During his decade-and-a-half career as a musician, he has released more than ten full-length albums and toured extensively on five continents. He holds a bachelors degree from Bennington College and lives in coastal California with his partner, Leanne.

Luke Pyenson is a food and travel journalist whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Saveur, and other publications. He was the longtime drummer of the critically acclaimed indie rock band Frankie Cosmos and founding drummer of cult DIY band Krill. He holds an MA in the Anthropology of Travel, Tourism, and Pilgrimage from SOAS, University of London, and lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lauren.