43 Shows In 66 Days: On The Road With Locals Only/Jonesy’s Jukebox Band The Fling

Locals Only and Jonesy’s Jukebox band The Fling are unraveling their inner Kerouac, touring across the country and documenting all of the crazy shenanigans that go down on the road.  Like a bundle of workhorses carrying instruments (and copious amounts of beer), the Long Beach natives are playing 43 shows in a matter of 66 days.  If that doesn’t merit a band the title of “road warriors,” than your standards are too high.

In a running tour blog, lead singer Dustin Lovelis has graciously offered to describe each stop of the trip. This entry details their first eight stops with supporting act The Vandervelde. From partying with the locals in Eureka, California and dodging fistfights, to braving the snowstorms in Denver, The Fling have quickly discovered the memories will match the miles of their journey.

Tour Blog Entry #1 By Dustin Lovelis:

Eight shows into tour.  About 40 more to go.  It is incredibly strange thinking about being in so many unfamiliar places for the next two months.  I am pretty excited to experience the entire country in such a sort time span.  By the time we get back we will know a lot more about this place and the people who live in it.  I am about halfway through John Steinbeck’s “Travels with Charlie.”  I like to read books about Vagabonds while on tour.  It helps make sense of it all.

10/18- First show of the tour was in San Diego at Soda Bar.  Our friends The Wind opened.  They played a really impressive set.  We were a little rusty from being off the road for a few months, but about two songs into the set we were right back where we left off.  The Vandervelde guys went on really late and they were all completely hammered.  It was a beautiful drunken mess.  Replacements style.  I knew our bands were going to get along just fine after that.

10/19- The Echo in Los Angeles was great.  There was a big crowd and we played like we had been on tour for weeks.  Francisco the Man opened the show.  They killed it.  We killed it.  Vandervelde killed it.  Off to a good start.  It was nice to see friends and family before we set sail.

Check out The Fling’s single “Wanderingfoot,” featured on a nationally syndicated Kawasaki commercial.

10/20- San Francisco was next.  Bottom of the Hill.  We all really like this venue.  The crowd was generous, but not as rowdy as we are used to here.  Next time we will get them to loosen up.  We enjoyed some of the devil’s lettuce and watched Vandervelde play a great set.  It was a beautiful night.

10/21- The Crepe place in Santa Cruz.  This place is really cool and we get free crepes.  Can’t beat that.  There were a couple familiar faces that came back to see us.  That is always a bonus.