Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with travel and music

Are there other songs that feel/sound like Bolero and Andalucia?

silusGROK — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:54:44 -0800

Do "Andalucia" and "Bolero" fit within a specific genre of music? Their lumbering gait and cyclical motif give me the sense of slow travel over great distances … and I wonder if these two pieces are part of a larger musical genre. In my head, I've always thought of them as "caravanserai" music. And if they're not of specific genre … do any of you have any suggestions for other pieces that would feel of-a-kind with them?

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.

What's happening in Montreal this weekend?

ajliberto — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:27:21 -0800

What's happening in Montreal this weekend? So I'm driving up to Montreal this weekend from Boston with a couple of first timers (I was there once before). I am hoping to get some suggestions for some exciting times for artsy/designy/musiciany twenty-somethings who are into openings, live music, dance parties, etc... We're staying in the plateau, but have a car, so we can get around a bit. Oh, and I've been keeping an eye on stilepost.ca, so anything in addition to that would be awesome!

Banjo in China

dawson — Mon, 25 May 2009 00:06:13 -0800

A bid of a wild side multi-layered question. Learning the banjo. And doing so in Shanghai. Most people who travel (younger free-spirited types, work with me here) sling a guitar over their shoulder. I never could much play one, and want to pass some free time picking some traditional instrument...something I could drunkely 'jam' with other amateurs and maybe use in a classroom situation.
I took maybe 7 years of piano as a kid and can't play a lick. I love guitar but just ain't interested in learning it. Whatever I might 'learn' will be quite non-professional and rudimentary, so why not something a bit different?
I love the banjo, the happy sound, Pete Seeger and it's place in American folk music...
I guess, to cut to the chase...
is it as easy to learn as the guitar? would it not be cheaper to buy one here and take with? (I plan to make at least 2 more r/t's this year)
What's the best style/brand/model for a raw beginner?
Or should I just get a decent harmonica?
Or stick with the ipod...

Amelie music box?

dorgla — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:07:09 -0800

Where in Paris can I buy a small, relatively-inexpensive music box which plays the theme waltz from the movie "Amelie?" Will be there in a few days.

How to fill up a week?

FatherDagon — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:28:59 -0800

Going to Seattle for all of next week - anything awesome going on? We'll be getting in Monday and leaving Friday, so I'm looking for excellent things to check out during the week. I checked Pollstar.com and it looks like The Haunted are playing the night we get in, so hopefully we'll be able to catch them. Any other interesting events/art showings/etc going on? Industrial/goth/rock club nights that must be seen? Great places to eat at odd hours? Awesome shops to buy bizarre things, antiques, underground music, clothing, old books, or the like?

Soundtrack for a route 66 Drive

arniec — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:21:03 -0800

Two music lovers traveling all of Route 66 from Chicago to LA. Help me build the perfect iPod soundtrack for every step of the way! This July my wife and I are traveling Route 66, starting at its beginning in Chicago, taking it down all the way to LA, then driving back at a more established route. We are both the type to enjoy music in the car, and we are going to have about 46 hours in the car over the span of 12 days, so I'm starting to plan music NOW.

What I'd like is music that is either perfect road trip music or music that epitomizes our current location at a given time.

For example, given the similarity of our trip to the Griswalds, I have Lindsey Buckingham's "Holiday Road" to start.

Trying to avoid the major cliches like Radar Love and On The Road Again.

So far as music tastes, I'm very Pop/Rock/Metal/Hip Hop, she's Alternative/Pop/Hair Metal/grunge. Neither of us are really into country unless it's crossover country (a'la some Garth Brooks or Taylor Swift stuff).

So help me fill my iPod with tunes to keep the trip fun and interesting, and preferably something able to be found without a huge scavenger hunt for the track.

More fun in Montreal

kenzi23 — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:49:16 -0800

What's fun and funky in Montreal next weekend? Going to Montreal next weekend (1-4 Jan) and I'm looking for fun and funky stuff to do there. What my friend and I like:

ethnic food (really authentic)
interesting local food
cool design - shops, museums
indie bands
punk/electronic bands
good DJs/dancing
interesting people
international stuff
art
really amazing croissants and coffee

Is there a free paper/guide for Montreal that I can pick up or see online? Any recommended listings for the kinds of things we are looking for? Is there a good neighborhood to stay in to be close to the kinds of places we will like? Any must-see for us?

Thanks!

hotel suggestions for sxsw (music)

dannon205 — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:11:25 -0800

Austin hotels for SXSW (music festival)? Hi everyone. Finally after two years, I have saved up my pennies and decided to go to SXSW for its music festival. I need to book a room, which will be shared by several ppl in order to defray the cost. I have never been to Austin before and am not very familiar with the locations. I know that the action is downtown, but if I can't afford a hotel downtown, what are some affordable options closeby (i.e., taking a cab)?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Looking for an e-guitar boot camp!

lord_yo — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:14:15 -0800

My wife and I are looking for a "boot camp" to learn to play electric guitar. Can you recommend any kind of retreats, workshops camps, schools, that offer intense one- or two-week e-guitar training in a pleasant, vacation-like surroundings? We are based in Switzerland; European workshops - if there are any - would be our first pick, but we're open for other options as well. We speak English, German and French.

Do you know of small towns in the Adirondacks?

Nillocsoc — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:47:29 -0800

What are some small towns in the Adirondacks (NY)- with nice community, local food, and art? I am looking to spend a few months in the Adirnodacks and am searching for small towns that offer a nice sense of community: art, food, music, books, outdoor activities. Ideally not too touristy, but even that would be okay.

All ideas are appreciated, and anything details about the places would be great!

Thanks.

Ethnomusicology equipment recommendations

iamck — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:10:28 -0800

I'm headed out to travel rural developing areas on a folk music field recording expedition. Can I get some advice on what equipment to use? I'm traveling rural, likely North and Sub-Saharan Africa. I like to travel rugged and lightweight. Which means no powered mic and a lightweight recording device.

I'm not super concerned with quality, but also don't want to squander the opportunity to get good recordings.

Vermont folklife has a good equipment guide, and I've looked quite a bit through this. But I would love any firsthand experience, stories, ideas.

Dawson City Music Festival

Space Coyote — Fri, 09 May 2008 07:09:06 -0800

Dawson City Music Festival - before I dive in head first and just book a hotel and flight right now, tell me what I need to know about the trip and the festival. Any advice and things to make sure I bring / prepare for from people who have gone in the past would be much appreciated. I'm not much of an impulse traveller, so I want to get out of my comfort zone a bit, and go some place I'd never normally get to.

What to expect for the Coachella Festival?

FatherDagon — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:59:16 -0800

Things to expect for Coachella Festival in April? I'm heading to Cali for Coachella this year, and was wondering what sorts of things I could expect for the festival specifically, and for the area in general.

-What's weather usually like there? I've been told hot/dry desert conditions are the norm, what's the area like at the end of April?

-What's the festival usually like for food/drink and the like? Should I be expecting 12 dollar burgers and 8 dollar bottles of water, and bring my own supplies accordingly? The rules page says no outside food/water, but medium backpacks are allowed - is it feasible to smuggle in bottles if prices are ridiculous?

-How's the layout of the fest usually set up? Size of the grounds, number of stages, etc.

-Any other less-than-obvious things I might want to know about?

Need Books/Movies for Kids Going to Rome

bjennings — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:55:33 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations for books, movies and even music that might be relevant for a group of middle school (7th & 8th grade, ages 12-14) kids who are going to Rome over spring break. I'm a teacher, and I'm leading a group of 20 middle school kids as well as three other faculty members. I'd like to be able to recommend novels, movies and music for them.

They've all read Caroline Lawrence's "The Roman Mysteries" series. I'm very familiar with the range of children's and young adult historical fiction, especially that set in ancient times. I'd love to have any recommendations for novels set in modern Italy. Some of the students have read Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons", but teen and young adult books would be great, too.

I suggested "Roman Holiday"; all of the parents said "Oooh, I love that movie", and all of the kids were bored out of their skull. Fluff like the Mary Kate and Ashley "When In Rome" and "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" is right up their alley.

I figure music is a long-shot, but maybe there are some recommendations there as well. Thanks!

Will Langerado burn my "bun-in-the-oven"?

Palerale — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 06:49:20 -0800

My wife and I saw the lineup for Langerado last night and both of us are dying to go. However, around that first weekend in march, she will be eight months pregnant (or seven, math is hard, we're due in early May). She has never had an experience like Langerado, i.e. festivals full of hippies and lots of music. I have, and we have been meaning to do one together but things like law school and jobs have prevented us from doing so. Should the pregnancy stop us now?
I have been mulling it over and decided that we would stay in a hotel and take advantage of the shuttle, which, as long as they run all day and not just in the morning and at night, would help her to flee from the scene when it became too much for her, but we're not sure of things like:

How hot does it get in the everglades in March?
Will she have to go to the bathroom so often she wont hear a complete song?

We definately plan to present this to our doctor before any final decisions are made, but I thought I'd see what other people thought as well, or maybe you've had a similar experience (large amounts of travel with the pregwife, all day events, even all weekend, camping, etc).

My music travels far

Kevin A — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:02:17 -0800

If I burn a CD on my Mac here in the U.S., will I have trouble listening to it on a friend's computer in Asia, Europe or the Caribbean?

What to do in NYC?

Slacktastic — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 10:25:57 -0800

What should I do with 3 days to kill in New York City? I have spent a lot of time in NYC in the past but haven't been there since 1999.
My wife has to be there for training August 13th though 16th and I am going along. We will be staying in Midtown. I will have plenty of time to kill during the day and evenings to go out with my wife.

I will, of course, check out my old hangouts in Midtown, the guitar stores, etc. but I don't know what is currently fun to do. I've been to most of the usual tourist spots

We are interested in seeing local live music in a club setting. Pretty much any kind of music except Jazz (I love it but she doesn't). Also, places for inexpensive, good food, evening entertainment, etc.?

Great venues for live, local rock bands in London

psmealey — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 06:27:23 -0800

I'm going to London for the first time in years for the week of July 8-15. What are some good venues for seeing good, local bands? My musical tastes tend to be all over the map, but I have a certain affinity for guitar driven, noisy rock bands (MBV, Swervedriver, Ride, etc.). I know that style might be a bit outmoded these days, but doesn't hurt to ask.

If you can speak, you can sing!

xanthippe — Thu, 03 May 2007 02:42:46 -0800

Hitchhiking songs? I do a lot of hitchhiking in countries where I don't speak the language fluently. As exhausting as dictionary-aided chatting can be, the people I'm riding with often start singing local songs and ask me to take a turn; this happens particularly often where I am now, in the Tibetan regions of China. Chinese and Tibetan people both love to sing (there's a Tibetan saying: "if you can speak, you can sing; if you can walk, you can dance") and hearing their traditional songs is a great pleasure that I'd like to repay, though I find myself drawing a complete blank when I'm asked to sing something myself.

So, any recommendations? American folk tunes, less-offensive pop music, campfire songs that I'll probably realize I know once my memory is jogged? I'm up for learning to sing anything except "My Heart Will Go On" (something every foreigner travelling in China will be forced to sing in a karaoke bar once, if not a dozen times).

Oh how refreshing. A question about travelling to France.

Deathalicious — Wed, 02 May 2007 13:20:33 -0800

TravelinginFranceFilter: I know there have been loads of questions about France. We're looking for beautiful places in the countryside, great cheap food and reasonable accommodations. I'd love to have the perfect trip that matches my favorite things: We're spending 18 days in France during June. We're planning around a week in Paris which leaves another 10 days or so for just traveling the countryside.

We're both really into food. I love open air markets. I'm crazy for fruits and vegetables, so places where those are particularly fresh or delicious would be great (I'm sure that's all over France, but there must be some markets that knock you flat).

Also I love cheese. What are some places famous for their cheeses, especially cheeses which, for legal or logistical reasons, are difficult to get anywhere else?

I love cooking, so if anyone has a suggestion of a good place you can stay that has a kitchen -- or even, dare I say it, cooking lessons? -- that would be fantastic.

Speaking of food, I've heard that a lot of dishes are cooked with bacon or lard in France. As a non-pork eater, is there any way for me to make sure that there isn't pig in my food?

My friend is a music lover, both punk/indie and world music, so if there are any towns that are small but known for their music scene, that would be great too.

I'm quite into stuff that is underground, so suggestions of catacombs and caves and other underground areas would be great. We also like hiking so that would be very cool too.

Neither of us is that into wine. Don't worry, I will be drinking it with meals, it's just visiting a vineyard for its own sake does not appeal to me.

Also, we are not planning on renting a car so ideally the place would be accessible by train or other forms of public transportation.

Outside of Paris, we'd like to stick to a budget of $50-60 per person, per day (that is, $100-120 total). Is that at all possible? We care a lot more about the quality of our food than the quality of our room.

Sorry this post is so long, and I realize this is really a bunch of questions (although all of them are really the same question: What should we see and do in France? just made a little more specific). Thanks all!

grim rock autobiographies

rhodri — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 08:06:49 -0800

Does anyone have good examples of rock autobiographies or biographies which give an honest account of life on the road? I'm not so much interested in the groupie-anecdote genre, more like books which give accounts of the grim reality & utter boredom... along the lines of Henry Rollins' "Get In The Van", Bruce Thomas's "The Big Wheel" about life on the road with Elvis Costello, maybe Julian Cope's Head On/Repossessed? That kind of thing? All suggestions most welcome.

How do I make it to Spain next June?

mikeh — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 07:24:34 -0800

New to international travel. Sonar Music Festival in Barcelona, next June. How should I start planning? Background: I'm 25 years old, living in the midwest United States, and have never traveled internationally. The current plan is for a friend and I to make travel plans and go to either the Sonar festival or the events around it in Barcelona this coming June.

I'm looking for any recommendations on setting up flights, accommodations, and transportation once there. If you've been to the festival and have some tips, feel free to share. Both positive and negative stories are welcome. Since it's still six months out, plans may change.

Nightlife recommendations in San Francisco for the weekend of 9/9?

chos — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 18:38:16 -0800

Going to San Francisco to see Michael Franti play at the Power to the Peaceful concert on September 9th. It's been a while since I've been to SF, so I'm looking for nightlife recommendations. Yes, I know this is an open-ended question but I thought I'd throw it out there in case anything particularly cool is going on. We'll be there Saturday through Monday - the concert is mainly during the afternoon of the 9th. Looking for stuff to do on Saturday/Sunday nights - can anyone recommend any live shows (esp. indie rock, hip hop) or laid-back bars with good music?

What to do in San Francisco?

jruckman — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 16:23:25 -0800

Looking for good music, drinks, dancing (no pop music), theater, food, sight-seeing, adventure, etc. in San Francisco for a summer vacation. It will be me and my girl. It will also be her birthday. I've read some other ask.me threads but they're all too specific. I'll be spending several days in the SF area sometime between July 19th and the end of the month. Any specific suggestions or resources that will help me find good things is appreciated. I've already checked out upcoming.org and laughingsquid.com.