Jason Hutto

Hi ya’ll. So the last three weeks have been quite the adventure.  I guitar tech for Son Volt through out the year, and just got back from a midwest/west coast tour.  We did a co-bill with the Cowboy Junkies (which by the way, I still love the humbleness of that Trinity Sessions record).  The tour was chalk full o’ fun and other stuff.  Filled with van breakdowns, weird venues, odd drink choices, long drives, and beautiful scenery.  Oh yeah, and long drives.  For those of you that have toured, or traveled west of the Rockies, you know what I mean.  Some of the most dynamic scenery and climate in the country.  But let’s not talk about the weather.  All I know is, that we made it!  Fueled by the daze of exhaustion, we clocked almost 8000 miles for 15 shows.  Small change compared to our fall schedule.  The new Son Volt record has been received well, and we’ll be out for about the next 3 of 5 months supporting it.  It’s nice to be able to work with such a respectable group of musicians.

  If your interested, there are a couple of sights put up by members or crew to check out.  Dave Bryson, the drummer for the Volt has a tour blog that is pretty entertaining at sonvolt.wordpress.com.  Behind the scenes kinda stuff, filled with rants, photos and his new found passion of video editing.  I guess as a direct result of a lot of  time in the back of a van. He’s one of the sharper, wittier people I know.  Also, Scott Norton, our tour manager/saving grace is one of the main engineers at Head Gear studios in New York.  He’s worked with a lot of the who is who of  indie rock, and has a great sight at freqcontrol.com.  Its a look into the process of making records, giving helpful hints toward engineering, and features bands recording live.  A fun and informative way to kill some time at your 9-5, or 11-8, or whatever your preferred schedule for apathy might be.  

  Speaking of apathy.  If you wanna get away, so to speak, for a while: try the Drank.  Its a legal soda filled with some kind of wizard like ingredients, designed to “slow your roll.”  If you need to relax, try it.  Not my kinda vibe; but there are enough (more like all) of the band members that can attest to the benefits, or results might be a better word, of the beverage.  Good clean fun…if you’re into lots of sugar, synthetic and natural depressants, canned and marketed to the bored and disenfranchised.  I guess like us!  Many a stop was made to try and secure enough Drank for the end of the night.  I’ve seen crack addicts exhibit more restraint.  Artist deal anyone?  

  Another thing to kill time, get to know me, or put you to sleep is an interview of me by Bill Streeter.  He runs a sight called lo-fi St. Louis at lofistl.com.  Its a great place to find out what’s happening in our little river town.  The interview is his first audio only.  It turned out pretty good.  Just the two of us sitting around my basement wrappin about stuff.  I’m always apprehensive about interviews, due to editing or lack of.  I didn’t sound like a total goof ball,  but did get a little “loose” toward the end of the interview.  Just in case you don’t know, sarcasm is a terrible way to communicate, and I realize now, facial expressions go a long way.  But obviously you can’t see ‘em.  No shit, right?  So it is its thang, and Bill has done so much for the community here.  I was tickled that he would ask me to be a part.  You can also download free music from Phonocaptors and Walkie Talkie U.S.A. demos.  Its free!  Who doesn’t love free.

   Now that i’m home, things are different for the next week till we go out again.  I don’t have to drive crazy amounts of miles on no sleep to make  it to an early load in. I don’t have the desert and mountains to  accompany my thoughts.  And I don’t have the matriarchal beauty that is Margo Timmins greeting us in her husky wine soaked voice with, “Hi boys”, as though we were her kids coming in for dinner.  I’ll kinda miss that.  What  I do have though, is a great St louis home to come back to.  Filled with rest, relaxation, and who knows maybe a Drank or two ta slow my roll.  Till next time I see ya’ll, stay easy. 

xohuttoxo