While traveling, I always make time for the local guitar shops and record stores. Twin House Music in Carrboro, NC, is a permanent fixture on my list.
I was completely zoned out, staring at the fiddles, when an employee asked, “How’s tour going?”
I looked at him, puzzled. He pointed and said, “Aren’t you with those guys?”
To my surprise, standing there was none other than Brian Fallon, alongside his son and expert shredder, Nathaniel Murphy.
I struck up a conversation with Brian about a Cobain Jaguar I’d spotted earlier in the tour. From there, we got into Mustangs and vintage guitars. He was incredibly kind and humble. When I mentioned I’d been having issues with my photo pass, he offered to make it happen. His son was equally rad and snapped a photo of us.
I continued down the street, crossed the railroad tracks, and—fittingly enough—ran into Tim “My one true love is a railroad track” Barry.
We chatted about my first Avail shows back in the ’90s at Tremont, along with Snapcase and Converge. A little trip down memory lane with one of the most genuine voices in punk rock.
The show itself? Fantastic. Two of my favorite dudes sharing a stage.
The last time I saw them together was at the 9:30 Club in D.C. for the ’59 Sound anniversary show. Tim’s opening set was short, but as always, a cathartic experience. I joke that he’s the only grown man who can make me cry in public.
Brian ripped through his solo bangers and selections from Not Bad for New Jersey (check out the full set in the photos section). I was seriously impressed with his all-star backing band, and the night even featured a surprise cameo from Lizzie Killian of Teens in Trouble.
Great music, chance encounters, vintage guitars, and genuine people. This is exactly why I love being out on the road. Sometimes the best moments happen long before the lights go down.
Hello, my name is Justin Driscoll and I call the wonderful state of North Carolina home. I might have taken your photo at some point or met you at a Rock N Roll show? However, I also have many other facets of my life I am passionate about. I started this site to talk about some of those things.
Whether it be guitars, guitar gear, Harley’s, Jeep stuff, photography, vinyl or travels, I’ll be on here to chat about it.
Stay Weird, Stay Creative!