I decided to write a little blog about our van, because it is humorous and sad, and because we have made a limited edition t-shirt to commemorate the occasion.   First off, I want to say that our last tour was amazing.  The 2 Rev. Tour with Rev. Horton Heat and Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band was killer.  Thanks to the fans that came out, and thanks to RHH for being such great people too.

Toward the end of the tour, we were heading to NYC.  In New Paltz, NY the van started overheating.  We immediately pulled over of course… While we were stopped the radiator blew.  White smoke and coolant everywhere.  I knew the sound, and knew it wasn’t good.  I hoped for the best.  We had to get to NYC for the show though, so we were going to have to rent something while it was being repaired.  All we could get was a KIA mini-van and a Mercury Grand Marquis.  It was going to take both vehicle to get us and gear and crew to the show – that was with borrowing backline too.  When we got to the show we found out that Moby was opening up.  Yes that Moby.  His side project anyway.  So we rolled into NYC in a Grand Marquis, and Moby opened up.  It could be worse right.  Turns out it was.  After that strange day, we woke up to find out that when the Radiator blew, it took the engine with it.  The Big Damn Van was dead.  Long Live the Big Damn Van.  We could try to rent something the rest of the tour, or we could buy a new van.  I made the decision to buy after we found a van that was perfect.  Most of the parts from the old Dodge would fit the new one, so we spent an entire day stripping the old van of parts to be used as spares on the new van.  It was a lot of work and money, but we were back on the road.

Four days later the van was wrecked.  I don’t want to point any fingers, because it wasn’t really driver error, rather just the weather.  After all these years of touring it was bound to happen I guess.  We drive more in a year than most drive in a decade, and we have done it for years.  Right now I still don’t know exactly what is going to happen, but I promise we’ll keep going.  Thanks to you the fan.  We don’t need anything but your continued support.  Tell your friends about us, post about us, and if you feel like helping even more, buy this limited edition Big Damn Van T-shirt for you or a friend.  Or another t-shirt (there are 4 new  ones up at www.bigdamnband.com) We get by thanks to you, and we never forget it.

Don’t forget to pre-order the new Peyton on Patton too.  You can get it in CD form, or the LP, Digital download, and bonus 78 record version!  Listen at the Big Damn Band facebook page.