PNW tour w/Carter Winter 

WA, OR, & MT! Going out with Carter Winter for some of his PNW dates in April, here's your chance to come out and get rowdy with us! ?: www.notsummers.com 

New Sponsors 

This last year we've been networking a lot, and working with different companies and venues. We've recently been upgrading our equipment as well, and picked up a couple of endorsements we are really excited to use and promote.  

Red Dirt Cases 
If you've ever been a musician or have played a few shows, one thing you learn really fast is that load in and load out is what you really get paid for. Every gig is different as far as load in's go; however, having the right equipment to make every show as efficient as possible goes a long way. Also, it looks really professional. Red Dirt Cases is located in Stephenville, Texas where they do top notch work with excellent results. 
 

64  Audio
Since the beginning or our music adventure, we've been really bigs fan of low stage volume. This takes away all the noise musicians need to hear on stage and puts it directly in our ears so the only thing the audience hears is what they need to hear. 64 Audio has provided us with high quality In Ear Monitors that give out clean and articulate sounds. They are located in Vancouver, WA.

4th of July: Eureka, MT 

Independence Day was one for the record books! In this business we miss a lot of holidays, birthdays, and important dates with our closest family; however, we had the opportunity to bring our family with us on this trip to Eureka, Montana for their "Red, White, and Boom" event at the Indian Springs Ranch Golf Course for the 4th of July. This doesn't happen too often for obvious reasons, but we all had a blast taking in the Montana sky and beautiful weather. After our performance we sang the National Anthem while the evenings firework show started. On our way back we stopped at Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho to blow off some steam with our kids. All in all, it was a great trip!

Craig Morgan 

Recently, we had the honor of opening up for one of Nashville's greatest: Craig Morgan. The show was at the Century Center in Bend, Oregon; a place we've come to know very well being that the year before we opened up for A Thousand Horses on that very same stage. We were very pleased to go back to see some familiar faces and fans from last years performance.  

The people of Bend were nothing short of generous and kind to us. The energy they gave out was enough for us to feed on for months to come. Craig's performance and the performance of his band was like watching Da Vinci paint the Mona Lisa. If you ever get a chance to see him live in concert, take it, you won't regret it.

Leon Russell 

Hero's get remembered, but legends never die! That's exactly who Leon Russell is in the music industry. With a network as big as his, and with number one hits to match, it's tough to argue with that statement. He's collaborated with artists such as Glen Cambell, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, and many more.  

When we got the call to play two shows with Leon, it was impossible to say no. First show was in Portland, Oregon at the Alladin Theater with a sold out crowd! We were asked to do an acoustic set so we took our fiddle player with us and had a blast. After that performance we experienced our first standing ovation in a concert theater. The second show was at the Neptune Theater in our hometown of Seattle. We received a very warm welcome home by our fans in Seattle, and in turn put on a performance that gave Leon Russell a run for his money... who are we kidding, it's Leon Russell!

Muscle Festival 

It was our second year in a row playing in Coupeville, Washington for the Muscle Festival, and if you've ever been there for this event, you'd know why we just had to come back. We played in a huge tent filled with local beer, local people, and local Muscles cooking away. Thanks to the people of not just Whidbey Island, but to those who traveled from far away. We had a rockin good time on the bay, making it another successful year at the Muscle Festival.

Le May Car Museum- Drive the Blues Away 

If you love classic cars you need to check out the Lemay Car Museum. We had the opportunity to play in the heart of their museum surrounded by a collection of classic cars from the 70's all the way back to the early 1900's for their annual "Drive The Blues Away"  fundraiser.

Summer of 2015 

Well, the pumpkin spice drinks and the halloween decorations are out, so that can only mean one thing… Summer is coming to an end. We can't say enough good things about how this summer was for us, and we hope yours was just as well. As we stow away our swimming trunks and cutoff sleeves, and dust off the sweaters and jackets, its hard not to reminisce about all the great memories and opportunities we've had over the past four months. We've met so many new people, met different artist, played new places, and most of all, made new fans. Just in case you missed us this summer, don't worry, we're already planning on a bigger summer next year. Until then, here are a few moments that stood out to us the most. 
 


Xfinity Arena 2/21/15
Summer came early for us this year in the Great North West with the most sun we've seen ever. And we kicked it off in Everett at the Xfinity Arena during the Silvertips hockey game. 


Penn Cove Mussel Fest 3/7/15

We were invited to play at the Penn Cove Mussel Fest this year! What an awesome crowd and delicious Mussels! 

Live Music Video Shoot 3/21/15
What a blast it was to shoot a live video for our song "Poison" at the Austin in Everett, Washington with all our fans and the 94.1 KMPS Boot Boogie Babes. If you haven't already checked it out, go to our youtube page right HERE

Hung out with Hank 4/10/15
One of our greatest memories was hanging out with Hank on his 
tour bus in Nashville right before his show for the NRA right in the middle of Broadway. If you get a chance, ask us about our "Hank Story". 


 
 
Wounded Warrior Project 4/17/15
We were very proud and honored to team up with Legacy Whiskey to put on a show to help support the wounded soldiers of our armed services. 
 

Opening up for Trace Adkins 5/8/15
Opening up for Trace was the best. One of the nicest guys we've ever met. And one of the most challenging shows we had to play to date. We got the call to play with Trace in San Diego two days before the actual date. It took us 24 hours straight drive to get down there. Right after we played, we got back on the road back to Seattle to play a show the next night. Trace's crew called us "DMF's" or Dedicated Mother F…….


Wrote a Song with Seahawks WR Chris Matthews 6/3/15
We had the awesome opportunity to write a song with Chris Matthews for his father for Father's Day. We're proud of our Co-Writer for making the team this year. Good luck this season Chris! 

Montana 6/12/15
Our first time in Montana was a success! Thanks for making us feel really welcome! If you missed us in Montana, don't worry, we'll be back there November 6th and 7th at Sunrise Saloon. 

Opening up for Gloriana 6/26/15
We were back at the Knitting Factory in Spokane, Washington. This time not with Blackberry Smoke, but with Gloriana. What a talented group of musicians and singers. Thanks Gloriana for having us out! 

The Spur Festival 6/28/15
Way out in the sticks somewhere in Darrington, Wa between the mountains is a place where music thrives. The Spur Festival was the first of many to come. Mark your calendars now for next year! 

The Tac Town Throwdown 8/14/15
Our friends at Tac Town Throwdown invited us to play at their annual Throwdown in Lakewood, WA. It was a great time filled with guns, beer, guns, camo, guns, and music….oh and guns!  

Opening up for Wade Bowen 9/5/15
We love Red Dirt Country Music. So when we got the call to open up for him we were excited to say the least. 
 
​Summer may be over, but that doesn't mean we stop playing. We're always adding new dates and planning new events so make sure you head on over to our tour schedule right HERE to stay updated. Our next show is gonna be an exciting one. Its going to be in Bend, OR on 9/25/15 at the Century Center opening up for the one and only "A Thousand Horses"!
Thank you so much for an amazing summer. If you have any memories or photos of your experience with us, please share them. 

 

Lessons of the Road 

While traveling on the road as much as we do, we have developed a routine. We have found what makes the journey as comfortable for us as possible and stick with it. We acquired a pattern that is both convenient, and efficient. We also, learned a lot of what NOT to do while on the road. We want to share some of the lessons and patterns we have acquired in the last two years of traveling far and wide in hopes that you can either learn from our mistakes, or if anything, just have a little laugh at our expense. 

“The Schedule”
This first topic is not necessarily something we've learned, but it was more common sense than anything. Ever since the beginning of Jones & Fischer we have had a schedule!! The first thing most people think of when we mention the words "Band on Tour" is: messy hotel rooms, drunk performers, and always late to shows. Truth is, that never works. In this business, networking is everything. Nobody wants to work with someone who is late and disrespectful of their time, especially if you’re just starting out. That’s why we plan for the worst, and hope for the best. What does that mean? The road is very unpredictable and should never be underestimated. The fact is you never know what could happen whether it be traffic, accidents, detours, weather, gas, etc. One time we went 120 miles in the middle of nowhere at 3:00am in the morning with no gas station in sight. Luckily we made it to our destination with 4 miles left to spare in our gas tank. The point is, even if we did run out of gas, we still had plenty of time to recover and still make it to our show. 

“Gas $$$”
Spending too much money on gas can also be a big issue. I remember the first few times we went out on the road, and the one thing that really stood out to us was how expensive it could get if you’re not careful and more importantly, aware. We all know gas isn't cheap, however, there are places that are cheaper than others. Right now we have about 10 gas stations that we religiously go to while on the road in the west coast. We've learned to fill up the tank at these stations even if we don't need too because the price only goes up ahead. Finding the right gas stations are important in other ways too. The ones we go to have good restrooms, and that my friend you cannot put a price on. Trust us! 

“Food”
Food also takes a toll on the wallet while on the road, and that is why we stock up at Costco before our trips. That doesn't mean we don't indulge at a few restaurants here and there along the way. With that being said, there are a few places we've encountered that will never be an option again, no matter how hungry we are. All I can say is that after eating at a small town Chinese restaurant, we got off at the next possible freeway exit. On the other hand, we do have our favorite places to eat that we know for fact has good food every time, one of them being Black Bear Diner. 

“Long Drives”
When driving for long hours, fatigue is your worst enemy, and that is why rotating drivers is extremely important. Our rule is that the driver should always have a partner no matter what hour it is. This rule only works though if the passenger stays awake with the driver, be that as it may, some people still fall asleep on the driver. I won't name who it is that does this, but his name starts with Collin. 

“Get Comfortable”
Being comfortable on the road makes the world of difference for a couple of reasons.
  1. It makes for a good performance once we get to our destination.
  2. (I think this is the most important) It keeps moral up which in turn, keeps us from wanting to kill each other.
This has a lot to do with the kind of rig your traveling with. For us it’s the 170” Mercedes Sprinter. At first we hauled all of our equipment in the back of that van, which left three passenger benches to lay out on, and the two captain’s seats in the front for the driver and passenger. That set up was "OK" considering we had space to lay out if we needed to, but all of our equipment barley fit, and the load in and load out really took a beating on our bodies. The bench seats were not meant for sleeping on, so we got a trailer for all our equipment, and then we were able to take out the third row bench seat and put an air mattress in the back. This allowed for better sleep on the road which provided safer driving rotations. 

Lastly, there are a few knickknacks that make the ride more reasonable like having a phone charger for everyone’s phone so there’s no sharing. Also, have a power converter to accommodate all the phone chargers. Blankets and pillows make a big difference. And last but not least, shower sandals. Sometimes getting a hotel is not logistically feasible, but a shower is. That’s why it's always a good idea to prepare for the truck stop. Stay clean, Stay fresh, and Stay safe! 

- Jones & Fischer