![Of Virtue - BUS INVADERS Ep. 2133 [VIDEO]](https://www.digitaltourbus.com/content/images/2025/11/Of-Virtue---Bus-Invaders---ICON--2-.webp){kind=icon}
On this episode of DTB’s “Bus Invaders”, we take you inside the touring vehicle of the metalcore band, Of Virtue, while on Archers' The Temporary High Tour with Rivals and Dead Eyes. You can watch the video below:
VIDEO INFO:
Film Date - July 18, 2025
Location - Reggies in Chicago, IL
Keep up with Of Virtue on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
In this Tour Tips segment, the indie folk artist, Lydia Luce, recommends advice for being a musician on the road. You can check out her tips below:
In 2023 I went to the doctor because I couldn’t feel my fingers and hands and was in severe pain while playing viola and guitar. In May right before I was about to take off on a lengthy tour my doctor told me I had herniated and bulged discs in my cervical spine, bilateral carpal tunnel and tendonitis. This completely changed my life as a musician. I had to take a break from playing for a while and still after that break I decided to get bilateral carpal tunnel surgery (helped tremendously!!).
While you can’t undo a herniated disc I have learned so many tools to help me manage the pain and continue to perform. One of those being PT, massage therapy, good posture and pillows. Touring for me looks a lot different now and I am dedicated to taking care of my body while I’m on the road.
Here are some things that work for me!
Bring your own pillow. You’re in a different hotel/airbnb every night and it really makes a difference to have that little piece of home.
Bring a white noise sound machine/ear plugs. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been on a bus or shared a room with a snorer. For me this is crucial to getting good sleep.
On days off hit up local spas and offer to take content for them in exchange for free visits! I’ve been to saunas and cold plunge facilities all through this country because of this. It helps everyone out and sometimes they even come to the show!
Create space for solitude. You are constantly with people when you’re on tour and it’s important to set boundaries for yourself to protect your sanity. We love our buddies but don’t need to be with them 24/7. :)
Take care of your body. I don’t drink on tour and try to bring healthy foods/snacks with me on tour. I hit grocery stores to avoid having to emergency stop at fast food spots. I bring my own water bottle and stay really hydrated. All of this helps me not get sick on the road. I stretch daily before I begin the day and do my PT exercises on off days. I try to walk every day on tour.
These are just a few tips. Tour is tough on the body. Especially if you’re not in your 20s anymore. It’s also such a beautiful way to connect with people around the world and I love it so much.
Hope this is helpful to you!
Keep up with Lydia Luce on Instagram and her website.
![Fear Factory’s Pete Webber - GEAR MASTERS Ep. 593 [VIDEO]](https://www.digitaltourbus.com/content/images/2025/11/Fear-Factory---Pete-Webber---Gear-Masters---ICON--2-.webp){kind=icon}
On this episode of DTB’s “Gear Masters”, Pete Webber, drummer of the industrial metal band, Fear Factory, shows off the gear that he uses onstage, while on the U.S. Demanufactour 2025. You can watch the video below:
PLAY THE SAME GEAR:
Pearl Masters Maple Pure Drum Kit in Putty Gray Finish (10" & 12" Rack Toms, 14" & 16" Floor Toms, 20"x16" Bass Drum x2)
Pearl Limited Edition 13″×7″ Power Piccolo Snare Drum
Aquarian Triple Threat Snare Drumhead
Aquarian Hi-Energy Snare Drumhead with Kevlar Dot
Aquarian Classic Clear Snare Bottom Drumhead
Aquarian Force Ten Tom Batter Drumheads
Aquarian Classic Clear Tom Resonant Drumheads
Aquarian Super Kick 10 Bass Drumheads
Sabian 19″ Neil Peart Signature Paragon China Cymbal
Sabian 13″ Neil Peart Signature Paragon Hi-Hats
Sabian 18″ HHX Explosion Crash Cymbals
Sabian 10″ Sick Hats Cymbal
Sabian 12″ O-Zone Splash Cymbal
Sabian Chad Smith Signature Holy China
Sabian 21″ Raw Bell Dry Ride Cymbal
Sabian Leopard Ride Cymbal
Sabian 18″ O-Zone Crash Cymbal
Gibraltar Low-Profile Drum Rack
Pearl Axis A Longboard Double Bass Pedals
Rock N Soc Hydraulic Drum Throne
Roland TM-6 Trigger Module
Roland RT-30K Kick Drum Triggers
Roland RT-30 Snare Trigger
Fat Cables Custom Trigger Cables
Apogee Duet Audio Interface
Shure Compact Tom Microphones with Bendable Arms
64 Audio Custom 12-Driver In-Ear Monitors
Vater 2B “Fear Factory” Signature Drumsticks
VIDEO INFO:
Film Date - September 17, 2025
Location - The WC Social Club in Chicago, IL
Keep up with Fear Factory on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
![Yo Gabba Gabba! - BUS INVADERS Ep. 2132 [VIDEO]](https://www.digitaltourbus.com/content/images/2025/11/Yo-Gabba-Gabbaland---Bus-Invaders---ICON--2-.webp){kind=icon}
On this episode of DTB’s “Bus Invaders”, we take you inside the touring vehicle of the children show, Yo Gabba Gabba!, while on the Yo Gabba Gabba Live! tour. You can watch the video below:
VIDEO INFO:
Film Date - August 10, 2025
Location - The Vic Theatre in Chicago, IL
Keep up with Yo Gabba Gabba on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
In this Preshow Rituals segment, the emo/pop punk band, da nang, reveals what they do before taking the stage. You can check out the rituals below:
The day of any show always kicks off with a flood of chaotic memes from Calum in the group chat. Right after that, the conversation inevitably devolves into logistics you’d expect from a super amateur band of ADHDish musicians: who’s bringing what, what time is load-in, what songs are we playing again, and so on and so forth. We’re keeners, so of course, we always show up right at load-in, not a minute late, stimming with excitement. Calum is bouncing off the walls while the rest of us try to look cool, which usually means grinning like absolute idiots.
Dinner is part of the ritual too. We keep it light, just enough to fuel up without regretting it later. John once got our drummer Sean hooked on House of Gourmet shrimp dumplings during one of these ceremonial meals before our show at the Horseshoe Tavern. It has officially become part of the lore. Somewhere in the mix, one of us grabs a notepad and scribbles the setlist four times over, because otherwise, there is a 100 percent chance we’ll forget what we’re playing the second we step on stage.
Back at the venue, we drift into hanging with friends and family who came out to support. At this point, John is usually in full monk mode, sitting quietly like he’s meditating while the rest of us are trying to remember how guitar pedals work. He claims it’s all about conserving energy before letting it rip, and honestly, it works. Then it’s vocal warmups, a sweaty heads-in group hug, and suddenly we’re on stage wondering why we ever thought this was a good idea. And of course, it’s at that moment we realize John and Jarrad are wearing the same t-shirt.
Keep up with da nang on Instagram and Spotify.
![Sports Team - STAGE THREADS Ep. 6 [VIDEO]](https://www.digitaltourbus.com/content/images/2025/11/Sports-Team---Stage-Threads---ICON--2-.webp){kind=icon}
On this episode of DTB’s “Stage Threads”, the rock band, Sports Team, shows you their stage outfits and discusses how their style connects to their music and the stories behind the clothing they wear during performances. Sports Team is currently supporting their newest album, Boys These Days. You can watch the video below:
VIDEO INFO:
Film Date - September 9, 2025
Location - Riviera Theatre in Chicago, IL
Keep up with Sports Team on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
![Beach Goons - BUS INVADERS Ep. 2131 [VIDEO]](https://www.digitaltourbus.com/content/images/2025/11/Beach-Goons---Bus-Invaders---ICON--2-.webp){kind=icon}
On this episode of DTB’s “Bus Invaders”, we take you inside the touring vehicle of the surf punk band, Beach Goons, while on tour with Wavves and Death Lens. You can watch the video below:
VIDEO INFO:
Film Date - July 5, 2025
Location - Bottom Lounge in Chicago, IL
Keep up with Beach Goons on Facebook and Instagram.
In this Tour Tips segment, Connor Lovat-Fraser, from the alternative/post-hardcore band, Boys Night Out, shares his advice for being on the road. You can check out his tips below:
Sweet baby… this is important. It’s me… I am you, but older. I am writing to you from the future. Right now, you are young and thinking about really setting off into the great abyss in order to pursue fame and fortune. We have been left behind by the people we trusted most; schools, peer groups, religious organizations, our families. Everyone. It just isn’t talked about. Nobody… NOBODY… prepared us for the fact that we might be middle-aged, playing aggressive music and touring for weeks and months on end.
You are gross
Try to eat something with some goshdarn nutritional value, even if it sucks and is difficult to do. I started touring in the late 90s and my diet was always changing. I’m vegan. I’m vegetarian. I eat meat. Wanna know the constant? Most of what I shoveled into my gullet was trash. Tasty poison. If I had taken a second to hit a grocery store to buy vegetables or fruit—instead of convincing myself that the delicious, slippery broccoli from the Chinese fast-food joint was equivalent—I might feel more energized and have less weird skin that was attached but also not fully attached to my body. Less dermal dangling. I also should have exercised more, but I didn’t. Do that, too, stupid.
Your body is rejecting you, friend
Take care of your body! Part of that means exercising, and that can be as simple as taking a short walk or partaking in basically ANY KIND OF MOVEMENT. Don’t just sit around watching TV. You deserve better. Have you heard of a “bangover?” It’s a real thing now that you’re in your late 40s. It’s from too much headbanging. TOO MUCH HEADBANGING! Headbanging and jumping around without consequence was simple in your 20s… less so now. Simple stretching will take care of that. It’s happening to everyone in the band. Matt’s arm cramps up from time to time. Scotty’s picking hand swells up to the size of a perfect mandarin orange. Stretch! Move!
The party don’t stop… but for the love of God, it MUST
Access to drugs, booze, and all manner of mind-altering distractions abound while you’re out there on the road. They may seem awesome and so very enticing, but overindulgence comes at a great cost. You don’t want to learn this the hard way. Take it easy on the stuff, you hear? Make sure to get some sleep, while you’re at it. You don’t NEED to party ALL NIGHT, ALL THE TIME, without rest. There will be very long drives ahead… people will depend on you to pitch in. You will need to perform your music night after night. Drink water, too! Are you really complaining that it doesn’t taste good?! DRINK WATER, just in general… but especially if you decide to spend some time with the local intoxicants.
Love thyself and thy bandmates and thy crew
You might be tempted to think that you’re pretty important after prancing about on stage and having people sing along to your tunes. You might even get the impression that you’re… shudder... cool, and that it gives you a pass when it comes to loading/unloading gear or being a part of the team. Guess what? It doesn’t matter to the people whom you share a van/bus/bandwagon/RV with. Everyone has to do their part. Share the load while you’re out there! Do a little extra if someone else in the camp is feeling under the weather. Being sick on the road SUCKS, and it will burn through everyone around you like wildfire. Do more so that those who need it can rest and recover. But yeah… carry stuff… set stuff up… take stuff down… and try to be understanding if someone is having a rough go. You will live VERY closely with these people. A little compassion can go a long way, and you aren’t the most important person on this ride.
Don’t be afraid to appreciate how amazing this is
At the end of the day, you have been given the very rare opportunity to share what you have made with the world. That is pretty amazing! You will have to work very hard. You will get brutally ill. People will move in and out of your life. You will get angry. You will experience fatigue and burnout. You will make mistakes. You will worry about money. This is all true, and at one point or another it may seem like packing it all in is the best option. Do me a quick favor while you're out there though, please. Take a second to really look at what you’re doing. I don’t care if it’s one person in the crowd bopping a little or every single soul in the venue losing their everloving minds in the best way… always remember that this is what you wanted, and that not everyone gets this chance. Take a beat. Enjoy the hell out of it.
Keep up with Boys Night Out on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, and YouTube.
![Dropout Kings - BUS INVADERS Ep. 2130 [VIDEO]](https://www.digitaltourbus.com/content/images/2025/11/Dropout-Kings---Bus-Invaders---ICON--2-.webp){kind=icon}
On this episode of DTB’s “Bus Invaders”, we take you inside the touring vehicle of the trap metal band, Dropout Kings, while on tour with Wargasm. Dropout Kings is currently supporting their newest album, Yokai. You can watch the video below:
VIDEO INFO:
Film Date - September 13, 2025
Location - Reggies in Chicago, IL
Keep up with Dropout Kings on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
In this Crazy Tour Stories segment, the country artist, Rafe Carlson, shares a few wild experiences from the road. You can check out the stories below:
At this point, we’ve got so many crazy tour stories that it’s hard to pick just one… but if we narrow it down to those that are legal, and those that we’d want available on the internet, that helps quite a bit. Here’s a couple of my favorites.
On our way to Detroit Lakes, MN to play We Fest, we stopped at a small gas station in Jacobson, MN to get water and snacks. Upon further inspection of said gas station, we found our way to a back room, where a local trapper had a selection of animal pelts for sale. We left the gas station having spent our entire We Fest paycheck on fox, skunk, and coyote pelts and hats, as well as a beautiful blue fox pelt. It was a hot August day in Minnesota, and we proceeded to play the entire show, in a hot tent with no airflow, wearing our new animal furs. A wet, sweaty time. Much fun.
One time, at a festival that will go unnamed, we had an earlier-in-the-day slot, and I ended up taking a nap in the camper backstage after our performance. When I woke up, the last band was just wrapping up. I walked outside looking for everyone, and security grabbed me and kicked me out of our own show—which was fun.
Keep up with Rafe Carlson on Website, Instagram, and Facebook.
![3OH!3 Whips Up Genny’s Mac & Hash - COOKING AT 65MPH Ep. 57 [VIDEO]](https://www.digitaltourbus.com/content/images/2025/11/3Oh-3---Cooking-at-65mph---ICON--2-.webp){kind=icon}
On this episode of DTB’s “Cooking at 65mph”, the electropop duo, 3OH!3, prepares Genny's Mac & Hash, while on tour with Simple Plan's "Bigger Than You Think! Tour" with Bowling For Soup and LØLØ. 3OH!3 is currently supporting their newest single, SLUSHIE. You can watch the video below:
VIDEO INFO:
Film Date - August 24, 2025
Location - Huntington Bank Pavilion in Chicago, IL
Keep up with 3OH!3 on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
![Ellise and Ella Red - BUS INVADERS Ep. 2129 [VIDEO]](https://www.digitaltourbus.com/content/images/2025/11/Ellise-and-Ella-Red---Bus-Invaders---ICON--2-.webp){kind=icon}
On this episode of DTB’s “Bus Invaders”, we take you inside the touring vehicle of the alternative pop artists, Ellise and Ella Red, while on The PRETTY EVIL Tour. Ellise is currently supporting her newest album, PRETTY EVIL, while Ella Red is currently supporting her newest single, Aphrodite. You can watch the video below:
VIDEO INFO:
Film Date - August 12, 2025
Location - Subterranean in Chicago, IL
Keep up with Ellise on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and Ella Red on Facebook and Instagram
In this Preshow Rituals segment, the pop artist, Ji Nilsson, shares how she prepares before stepping on stage. You can check out her rituals below:
I’m incredibly nervous when I’m going to sing live and that’s why I’ve performed very little. When I was a child I was always the first to sign up for solos in the choir and took every opportunity I could to get on stage and sing. I didn’t prepare at all then, I just threw myself on stage. But in my teens something happened and I became terrified. The fear isn’t about being seen in front of a lot of people—I’m comfortable with that—but I’m so afraid that my nerves will prevent me from performing as well as I want to.
This has gotten better for me recently, and I think it’s because I’ve been practicing it more. I understand that I have to put in my 10,000 hours on this, just like I have with producing and writing songs, to get completely comfortable with it—and I probably have quite a few hours left when it comes to performing live. What helps me get back on track is eating at least two hours before a gig; I don’t want to be too full. I need to have room in my body to take deep breaths and calm my pulse. But the most important thing for me is the soundcheck. I want to have at least an hour to get the sound right and take in the venue. It gives me a sense of control and makes me feel calm. After that, I want to sit by myself and the person I’m playing with somewhere secluded and just recharge for the gig. However, it’s not always possible to get away depending on where you’re playing.
When I had my release party for my new album Nordic Noir last Friday, there was nowhere I could “hide.” We were at a club and I was sitting there munching on a halloumi burger when all the guests arrived. I had dressing in the corner of my mouth when people came and wanted to buy my merch haha. It was probably the worst thing I could do before such an important gig. But I just had to go with it. The strange thing is that no matter how high my heart rate is before a gig, it always goes down once I’m on stage. It’s like the music calms me down. All the thoughts before are much worse than what it’s like to actually stand there. When I feel the audience’s presence and love, that’s actually the best medicine for stage fright.
I feel a lot more excited about playing live these days, and that’s really big for me.
Keep up with Ji Nilsson on Spotify and Instagram.
![The Head and The Heart’s Matt Gervais - STAGE THREADS Ep. 5 [VIDEO]](https://www.digitaltourbus.com/content/images/2025/11/The-Head-and-the-Heart---Matt-Gervais---Gear-Masters---ICON--2-.webp){kind=icon}
On this episode of DTB’s “Stage Threads”, Matt Gervais, guitarist/vocalist of the indie folk band, The Head and The Heart, shows you their stage outfits and discusses how their style connects to their music and the stories behind the clothing they wear during performances. The Head and the Heart is currently supporting their newest album, Aperture. You can watch the video below:
VIDEO INFO:
Film Date - August 8, 2025
Location - The Salt Shed in Chicago, IL
Keep up with The Head and The Heart on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
