Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Tour

I've seen a million faces

Potomac Avenue — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:27:36 -0800

What are some good songs about being on tour? My band's tour is coming to an end and I'd like to make a goodbye mix for all the crew and other bands we've been rolling with for the past month+.

They could be classic (American band, various zepplin), obscure (humble pie's 30 Days In The Hole [my personal favorite]) or modern (living legends' Creative Differences). They don't have to entirely be about touring as long as at least one verse or so specifically talks about life on the road as a musician.

TIA

How Do I Promote My YA Fantasy Novel?

musofire — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:33:51 -0800

I want to promote my Young Adult fantasy novel about Morgan le Fay on the web. The biggest audience should be young women and libraries; Wiccans, medieval re-enactors and King Arthur fans would dig it, too (I hope). How can I best promote the book myself? What sites and blogs should I contact? Are author's tours effective? What should I definitely put my efforts into and what's not worth my time? I've written a fantasy novel about the childhood of Morgan le Fay which is coming out next year. My publisher probably doesn't have huge resources for promoting the book, and I want to do my part.

I've thought of doing a virtual author's tour, contacting blogs and websites for (a) young adult readers (b) Wiccans (c) medieval fans (d) King Arthur fans. What are the blogs and websites I shouldn't miss?

Also, here in Canada, publishers can get grant money to send authors on real live book tours. If I hit four or five major cities, how can I get the maximum buzz out of being physically there? It's not worth traveling to Calgary to sell ten books, unless I can leverage that somehow into radio interviews or ... what?

I'll work up some sort of website about the book and about Morgan le Fay, of course. What sort of content might be the most interesting to readers?

What have I missed?

if u live on the road theres a new highway code

Potomac Avenue — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:17:26 -0800

My band is going on a national rock tour: what should I know? Unexpectedly, a pretty big-time act wants this indie/psych group I play with to open for them on about 40 dates this fall. The dates are almost all booked, with a little break in the middle.

I have read this thread, and this thread, so I've got a pretty good idea about what to bring in the van, but mainly I'd like to know what you wish you'd known before your own band headed out on tour, or what you, as someone tangentially involved in the music scene in your town, wished that touring bands knew about.

Also: It's been 10 years since I went on the road what kinda stuff should I expect to have changed or be vital to know about now? What resources (besides BYOFL, which as far as I can tell is useless now) most came in handy when you were playing shows around?

FYI I am also the manager/publicist/booking agent and everything else. We have a self-released album and some t-shirts as a starter kit. We're buying a van. We walk the streets at night, we go where eagles dare.

South LA guided tours?

GleepGlop — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:25:19 -0800

Anyone know of any guided tours of South Central LA? I am visiting LA right now and I would like to check out 'South Central'. You know, HomeBoy 3000 and Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles, etc. LA is so vast and sprawling that I would prefer a tour rather than just try to rent a car and drive around aimlessly...

How can an old lady see downtown Chicago in a few hours?

languagehat — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:42:39 -0800

Downtown Chicago tour between trains? My 81-year-old aunt is here in Massachusetts for a visit; she'll be returning to Southern California by train (a trip I'd envy her if Amtrak weren't so pathetic). She'll be taking the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago, which arrives at 9:45 AM, and going the rest of the way on the Southwest Chief, which departs at 3:15 PM. She doesn't really want to spend five and a half hours sitting around Union Station, especially since she's never been to Chicago before and will probably never get there again, but she doesn't get around with much agility (she uses a cane). What would be ideal is a comfortable tour bus that she could easily locate at the station and that would give her a tour of the downtown area for two or three hours. I assume there are a number of companies that do such things; does anybody know of any that are particularly reliable/user-friendly and/or give particularly good tours? Thanks!

How to listen to music on a bike tour

PercussivePaul — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:58:48 -0800

What are my best options for listening to music on a long bike tour? We're planning a two-month bike trip down the Pacific Coast (Washington, Oregon, California). I'm curious how people listen to music on such rides. Personal mp3 players seem to be the easiest - maybe listening with only one earbud in so you can hear cars ok.

I would be fine buying a cheapo mp3 player but it would probably not have enough space. I have a 16Gb usb flash drive and it would be great if I could buy a player that could read from that (the stereo in my car does this and it's very convenient). Does this exist? I can't seem to find it. Or will it be easy to find internet cafes on the road in which I could switch the music from the usb stick onto the player? I'm not planning on bringing a computer with me.

What about batteries? Should I get something that uses AAA batteries so I can do quick replacements on the road? Am I going to burn through a shitload of batteries this way? Are rechargeable batteries practical? I have a 4Gb ipod I could use but it seems like keeping it charged on the road will be a pain.

Also thought about portable radios but I doubt there is much to listen to on the coast, it's mostly small towns so not many radio stations (is this true?)

Any other ideas?

How do I get alerted when my favorite bands come to town?

pennstatephil — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:01:48 -0800

How do I follow all my favorite musicians on tour and find out when they'll be coming to my town? I'm currently in Denver, and I want a way to list my favorite artists and be alerted when one of them is coming to town, say, within 60 miles. I know that pandora allows you to search based off your music seeds, but I want either an RSS feed or alerts when a new show pops up. Any ideas, hive mind?

Recommendations for worst Rolling Stones live album?

Joe Beese — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:41:29 -0800

Recommendations for worst Rolling Stones live album? For a very long time now, what's happened is that I'll occasionally start paying attention to The Rolling Stones and remember "You know, those guys were fucking amazing" - but then stop paying attention again. So in the spirit with which some middle-aged men undertake to Finally Read Proust or something similarly enriching, I've decided to belatedly attend to their story with the thoroughness it deserves.

Regrettably, that story includes their deterioration as live performers. So in the interest of having a clear sense of how bad it eventually got, I wanted to listen to whatever their worst live album was - if there was any consensus on the matter.

AllMusic seems confident that it's Still Life from the 1981 tour - but I've been disagreeing with their ratings more frequently of late. Dave Marsh's account of the 1975 tour made it sound dreary enough to be a strong candidate. And then there was this comment in the blue about the No Security tour in 1999.

Farm and dairy tours near NYC

HotPatatta — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:33:27 -0800

Where can I go to take a farm tour, pick fruit, or tour a dairy that is within a 2-hour drive of NYC? I want to escape from the city for a day and get a taste of country life. I'd like to visit a dairy and see how cheeses are made, how milk is processed, and maybe even milk a cow. A small farm that's not so mechanized and massive would be ideal. If that's not possible, I want to visit an orchard, berry field, or vegetable farm and pick something. If both of those scenarios aren't possible, is there an animal farm I can visit?

Spectating the Tour of California

clearly — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:35:09 -0800

I would like to watch Stage 2 of the Tour of California. What can we expect? Where would the best places to spectate from? The stage begins in Sausalito, crosses the Golden Gate, and basically follows the coast all the way down to Santa Cruz on Highway 1.

I've never been to a bicycle race before, but I'd assume that the best place to watch would be on one of the steeper climbs. There are two climbs, one just south of Half Moon Bay and one just north of Santa Cruz. Would it be possible to watch the beginning on the Golden Gate and then make it down to Half Moon Bay for the climb?

Tour of California/France/whatever race veterans, please help get the most out of spectating my first major race.

Do Marvel or DC Give Tours?

Sangermaine — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 01:28:26 -0800

Does anyone know if it's possible to take a tour of the Marvel or DC Comics offices/studios in NYC?

What's the best way to create a video tour to teach people how to navigate/use a web site?

juliplease — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:37:35 -0800

What's the best way to create a video tour to teach people how to navigate/use a web site? I'd like to put a video on the site that walks people through it and basically acts as a virtual "Introduction and How To". It would be extra-great if we could easily edit/add to the video content.

Have you done it before? Is there a great software to do this that you love? Any other tips before I get started?

What are some good blogs written by Californians about humanitarian projects in the area?

cmyers — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 09:56:00 -0800

What are some good blogs written by Californians about humanitarian projects in the area? Doctors without Borders is planning a tour of its outdoor educational exhibit A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and San Diego in October and November. A friend of mine is working for their public-relations department and is looking for California-area blogs to publicize the tour. Know of any?

Beck and the Question Marks?

Exchequer — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:59:44 -0800

Who does Beck have in his current live band for the Modern Guilt tour? Looks like a few new faces.

Huge multicity Japan tour suggestions

sirion — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:44:53 -0800

Massive Japan tour: Suggestions for short blocks of time in: Takamatsu, Kobe, Tokushima, Matsuyama, Fukuoka, Gifu, Kofu, Kyoto, Sapporo, Hakodate, Toyohashi, Tokyo, Narita I'm touring with an opera troupe for 5 weeks in September/October, and am trying to get as many suggestions as I can for the trip. This will be my first time in Japan, and free time is fairly limited, as follows:

Takamatsu: 1 full day, 2 evenings(after 7pm), 2 mornings+early afternoons (~Until 3pm)
Kobe: 2 late evenings (after 9pm), an early morning (until noon)
Tokushima: 1 full day
Matsuyama: 1 full afternoon+evening (after 3pm), 1 morning+early afternoon
Fukuoka: 1 full afternoon+evening, 1 morning, couple hours at night
Gifu: 1 full afternoon+evening, 1 morning+early afternoon
Kofu: 1 long evening(5pm+), 1 morning+early afternoon
Kioto: 1 late evening
Sapporo: 1 morning+early afternoon
Hakodate: 1 full afternoon+evening
Toyohashi: 1 full afternoon+evening, 1 morning (until 1pm)
Tokyo (Nagata-cho district): 1 full day, 2 mornings+early afternoons
Narita: 1 full afternoon+evening

Any city specific suggestions are greatly appreciated, as are Japan-wide suggestions for food/restaurants, shopping, entertainment, experiences etc.

My shopping list currently consists of:
-An unlocked cellphone of some sort
-A digital camera
-As much Miracle Fruit(in freeze-dried pill form) as I can fit in my luggage (anyone know where I should look for this? Picture of a (I think) typical box here
Additions and suggestions on additions or locations to buy these things are muchly appreciated.

London by limo in 3-4 hours?

cowbellemoo — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:35:15 -0800

I will have a ~6 hour layover in Heathrow. Can anyone recommend a good private sightseeing tour of London? (More details: just me, Sunday arrival at 11am, departure 5pm, 2 weeks hence)

I'd love to hire a chauffeured car with a talkative driver and 5 minute curbside stops to get out and take some photos. Something like this, only shorter and with stops for junk food. I'd prize punctuality above all else, naturally.

Should I try and work out an amended tour package or just hire someone for 3-4 hours and try to map my own route? Does anyone have advice or recommendations?

Need history-tour services for the Deaf in Boston

UnclePlayground — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:07:00 -0800

Are there any history-based tours in Boston that accomodate the Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing? My wife is Deaf and we are visiting Boston on May 18-21. While I'm attending my conference during the day, she would like to soak up as much natural American historyas she can. We've been unable to find any outfits that accomodate D/HoH with interpreters. She would be willing to settle (*heavy sigh*) for a tour that supplies well-written reading materials that follow the tour. But she'd MUCH prefer a 'terp. Anyone local, or had experience similar, that could help out?

Escaping Toronto with a bike in tow?

anthill — Sun, 11 May 2008 11:06:14 -0800

How to escape the Greater Toronto Area for multiday bicycle tours? Difficulty: no car. My girlfriend and I just bought a tandem touring bike, and we're both keen to get out to the Ontario countryside for some summer tours. The catch is we have no car.

I know that the GO Train is one option for downtown cyclists trying to escape, but from what I can tell only the Lakeshore line runs trains that fall outside their rush-hour bicycle ban. The Lakeshore area is pretty nice, but I'd rather get to the Barrie area to access Tobermory, Parry Sound, or Algonquin.

Any tricks for escaping the GTA on a low carbon footprint would be much appreciated.

On the road again

elr — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:28:52 -0800

I'm trying to book a tour from Chicago to the West coast and back, that will roll through Portland on the 23rd and 24th of August, and I'm wondering what the best route would be. The tour consists of two guys with no name recognition outside of Chicago, who would like to book two types of shows:

1. Club gigs/dance parties/dj sets where we might be able to make some money.

2. Experimental/circuit bent/noise shows where we could have some fun and meet people and sleep on couches.

We want to book the tour for maximum fun/impact and as minimum a debt as possible, for a period of two to three weeks.

Strange Places in Paris

Julnyes — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:41:07 -0800

What odd things are there to do in Paris? I will (hopefully) be in Paris for a few days in the beginning of May and I am looking for something truly odd to do there.

Is there anything in Paris similar to The Museum of Jurassic Technology ? That place was a highlight of my trip to Los Angeles.

I looked into the sewer tour and the catacombs, but they just weren’t doing it for me. Thanks for any suggestions.

plastic bottles. with caps. always.

knowles — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:03:51 -0800

What stuff should I bring with me on tour? OK, I'm leaving for tour on the 28th for a full US tour (with one or two dates in Canada). I'll be on the road until around April 10th, so it's a long haul away from home. I have probably everything I am going to need, gear wise, but I'm looking for some other suggestions on what to bring. My bags are 1 hiking style backpackfor clothes, 1 messenger bag for laptop etc, and 1 backpack for misc gear. What am I forgetting? What can't I live without? What would be nice to have? What came through for you in the clutch?

As far as the tour goes, it's in a 15 passenger van, six dudes, with trailer. Time wasters are good. Things that make driving easier are better.

thank you.

Help an acoustic guitar pop guy tour Scandinavia

jeffmshaw — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 11:34:40 -0800

My friend is a singer/songwriter who would like to tour Scandinavia. How would he go about doing this? I'm looking for general advice about booking shows and setting up tour routes as well as the specific nuts-and-bolts of how to begin the process. The type of music he does is acoustic guitar-based pop with roots in American country and folk. He'd especially like to tour in Sweden and Denmark. Any thoughts?

Ideas for an 'adventurous experience' in London, England?

bamassippi — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:58:02 -0800

Ideas for an 'adventurous experience' in London, England? My girlfriend and I are headed to London tomorrow for 4 days. We're looking for some type of 'adventurous experience' within the city while we are there (aside from the usual touristy agenda).

We were looking for suggestions if any were available. We want to keep the price at a reasonable (around $300) and we don't want to have to waste an entire day unless it's absolutely an unforgetable expeience. We young (20-somethings), in shape and ready for whatever.

Coping/patience advice for someone going on a large synagogue tour to Israel.

gillyflower — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:04:30 -0800

Coping/patience advice for someone going on a large synagogue tour to Israel. (Please note: I'm NOT looking for advice on what to see in Israel. This has all been pre-planned. Thanks.)

Background info: This is a 12-day tour with 39 people plus two (very nice, but likely to be very busy) Reform Jewish rabbis. As I understand it, we'll also have a dedicated tour guide and a bus driver. The tour is oriented towards Reform Jewish first-time Israel visitors and the itinerary is pretty varied, but packed. I'm the adult daughter of one of the couples that planned the trip; my parents are VERY well-known in the congregation and most people on the tour either don't know who I am (I lived elsewhere for ten years), or know me as the daughter of one of my parents. We'll be staying in 3 hotels over the tour and I'll have a single room. I won't have any friends or relatives on the trip.

My main concern is: I'm an introvert. I get stressed out when I'm with people all the time, especially when I'm not in charge of my time, and this trip is rather tightly scheduled. We'll all travel together at all times and most meals will be together. I've never been on a tour like this before. I envision a lot of standing/sitting around waiting for the inevitable little old couple who is ten minutes late getting where they're supposed to be. There are also a lot of first-time-outside-the-US travelers on this trip (I'm not one of them), and a lot of older folks, so I envision a lot of people complaining/whining or being easily confused and asking questions repeatedly, things that really irritate me.

There is a plan to shift people around on the bus so everyone gets to sit with everyone else and people don't "clump up" or hog the front seats. I am okay with this. I don't mind talking to a different person on every ride. And I'm sure I will make friends, but...

My favorite way to travel is alone, with no schedule and lots of wandering/walking. Yes, I'm aware that there'll be none of that on this trip! We've been advised not to go off alone during our small amount of free time. I am going to try to circumvent this advice whenever possible; I'll have a cell phone and good maps, and I'm savvy about personal safety.

In short: I'm worried I'll have an awful time, getting so irritated by the other travelers that I can't enjoy the amazing sights/history/food/etc.

Anyone been in this situation before (an introvert's first time on a large tour)? I am really not an unpleasant or easily overwhelmed person; if this were a weekend trip I wouldn't be concerned in the least. But 12 days worries me. And travel is always stressful anyway. Any ideas?

Boston Calling

thinkpiece — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:57:01 -0800

Help me map the college tour of Boston! I am taking my high-school senior daughter to see Emerson, Boston University, and Northeastern at the end of this week, driving from NYC-- our only confirmed obligations are BU on Friday and Emerson on Saturday. We're open to adding schools to the list if time and logistics permit.

Can you help us navigate around the Big Dig, find an inexpensive place to stay to reach all the schools ...
All advice welcomed!