Tour Diary: A Quest In The West With Gygax

By Andrew Bansal

Someone wise once said that whenever one door of opportunity closes, another opens. It is also said that everything happens for a reason. Both these principles are fully applying to my rock n’ roll tour life right at this moment. I was originally scheduled and committed to accompany Night Demon for the European tour this June and July, but couldn’t do so due to logistical difficulties. I was very much looking forward to spending some time at home in Lincoln Heights, but put the word out that I’d be open to touring with other bands while Night Demon is in Europe and before I join them for their summer U.S. tour.

Regular readers of Metal Assault and followers on the social networks might have come across the name Gygax, as I posted an interview and a live show review of them in 2015 and also reviewed their fantastic debut LP ‘Critical Hits’ earlier this year. The Ventura-based band featuring Eric Harris (ex Gypsyhawk, Huntress, Skeletonwitch, Sorcerer) on bass and lead vocals and his Gypsyhawk partner-in-crime Bryant Throckmorton on guitar, booked their first ever tour, a 10-show U.S. West Coast run from June 19th to July 2nd, and I jumped at the chance as soon as I saw the tour poster online, contacting Eric to make myself available as a tour manager/merchandiser if they needed one. Sure enough, Eric responded very shortly after, and it was set in stone.

Original Gygax guitarist Armand John Lizzy departed the band to join Night Demon last January, and Gygax recruited Jeff Potts (ex Warbringer, Mantic Ritual, Meltdown) on the second guitar. Gygax also parted ways with original drummer Justin Dempsey a few weeks before the start of the tour, but thankfully, found Ray Audette to fulfill drum duties. Gygax and their one-man crew of yours truly set out for tour on the morning of Sunday June 19th. For me, it’s always refreshing to tour with different bands whenever I can, and attempting to mesh with varying personalities and adopt to vastly different environments from one band to the next keeps things interesting. Having followed Gypsyhawk for years and then instantly becoming a Gygax fan, I was excited to the maximum to be a part of this journey. It promised to be a wild roller coaster of an adventure-and-a-half.

For those unaware, Gygax is musically inspired by Thin Lizzy-esque rock n’ roll, but is named after Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax and is lyrically, thematically and visually based on nerdy topics like RPG (role-playing games) and ‘Magic: The Gathering’. So, besides the rock and metal fans, Gygax caters to a whole other audience, and this is what I was most looking forward to experiencing on this tour.

Day 1 (6/19): The Quest Begins

The first show was in Sacramento, California and happened to be on the same day as the Wizard World Convention. There was great scope for the Gygax gig at Starlite Lounge, a mere few blocks away from the Sacramento Convention Center, to become the unofficial after-party for all the nerds that attended the Wizard World con. The venue should have been packed. But oddly enough, word about the show wasn’t spread nearly as much as it should have been, and the turnout at the Starlite left a lot to be desired. For Eric, Bryant, Jeff and Ray, playing on stage together for the first time, this was nothing more than glorified practice and served as the perfect chance to iron out the kinks and work through the mistakes. There is potential for Gygax to succeed in Sacramento, and with the right promotion, it will happen for them in the near future. Post-loadout, the only after-show activity the group indulged in was watching the latest Game Of Thrones episode. As someone who despises that show and does not understand or agree with any of its hype, I fell in deep sleep very quickly.

Day 2 (6/20): Bay Area Blues

Next was supposed to be a show at Blue Lagoon in Santa Cruz, but strangely enough, they couldn’t find any local bands to play with Gygax, and told us that we needed to find bands or couldn’t play the show. It was hard to believe that the San Francisco Bay Area, once the hub of all things hard rock and heavy metal, didn’t have a show for Gygax. So, the gig was canceled and we just stayed back in Sacramento to spend the day off. The guys suggested I join them to watch an episode of Silicon Valley, which is a show I wasn’t familiar with but I liked what I saw and will definitely watch more of it. I have learnt many such things from Gygax, even within such a short time frame. For example, they use ‘True Survivor’ from the Kung Fury soundtrack as the outro to their set, and this song has now become my favorite non-metal motivational jam of all time. There’s also the AVGN (Angry Video Game Nerd) YouTube channel which I’m now subscribed and addicted to, thanks to Gygax. I’ve also discovered Visigoth guitarist Lee’s electronic instrumental side-project Star Wolf, which I’m already in love with. I learned about ‘Slush’, which is a set of slowed-down Rush tunes that are far better than their respective original versions. And then of course I’m constantly learning things about Dungeons & Dragons and ‘Magic: The Gathering’. By the time this tour comes to an end, I am sure to graduate as a full-on nerd myself.

Day 3 (6/21): The Late, Late Show

Contrary to what some believe, rock n’ roll tour life is not all parties and fun, and sizable portions of it comprise carrying out mundane but necessary activities. We went to a Home Depot for some drum accessories and set out for the short drive to Reno, Nevada for the next show at a 24/7 bar called Shea’s Tavern. We also shipped out a couple of merch mail orders, which is mundane too, but staying on top of mail orders is very fruitful from a band’s perspective and Gygax is doing everything to ensure that on this tour. Talking of the show at Shea’s, the band didn’t get to go on ’til half past midnight, and all four members faced gear troubles on stage at one point or another. They were collectively unhappy with the performance, but the crowd clearly loved it and it reflected in the merch sales. There was no cover charge at the door and it was a donation-type thing, but people were generous enough and mostly everyone paid something to get in. The main support act Strange Weather from Tahoe played an excellent set as well. For a Monday night in a small town, this was undoubtedly a great show.

Day 4 (6/22): Paradise Lost

Another morning of mundane activities followed, as we first went to the post-office, then to a gear repair shop to buy tubes for Bryant’s amp, and then to a RadioShack (yes, Reno still has those) to get him a set of back-up fuses for the same. The most exciting moments of my morning consisted of seeing the number 666.6 on our tripometer, and the number 66.66 on our gas receipt. We were clearly on the highway to hell, but we ended up in heaven instead.

Previous to seeing the tour dates, I had never even heard of Nevada City and didn’t know that it’s a town in the state of California, not Nevada. We didn’t know what to expect, but this turned out to be the find of the tour, as Nevada City offered picturesque natural beauty, friendly locals and an active bar scene. The venue for our show, Cooper’s had an all-night $2 beer special and the overall turnout through the gig, despite other shows in town, was good. Opening act Thunderchief from Auburn, Washington, lived up to their name and stole the thunder early on in the evening, and Gygax definitely gained some new fans with their set. The promoter thought it was a good idea to put my tip jar on the stage, and insisted on it, so I let him. “So, we’re basically strippers now”, said Eric when he spoke on the microphone next. The morning after, I slept in but some of the dudes went down to the Yuba river and had a relaxing time. Nevada City is in many ways a lost paradise, and a tour stop highly recommended for bands.

Day 5 (6/23): Sole Survivor

Onwards we marched on the quest in the west, and after a long drive, reached the Black Forest bar in Eugene, Oregon. On the way, we stopped to take a quick leak at a weird mom-and-pop gas station in Lake Shasta, and each and every one of us was scared shitless upon walking into this single-person bathroom.

Oddly enough, Gygax was the only band playing this show, and unlike the Blue Lagoon in Santa Cruz, Black Forest not only kept the show but did their best to promote it with online and printed version of this amazing flyer. Quite a few Gypsyhawk fans were in attendance for this one, and everything clicked for the band on stage as the small but ultra-enthusiastic crowd went nuts and every person including the venue staff bought merch. A fan named Gabe Phayt even presented Eric with this incredible piece of art. Gypsyhawk has a strong following in Eugene, and after this show, so does Gygax.

Day 6 (6/24): Victorious Maximus

So far, every show had been better than the previous one, and  the weekend in the Pacific North West was expected to be the best part of the tour. As far as merch goes, my job on this tour is relatively simpler than my past gigs with other bands, as the Gygax inventory only consists of three shirt designs, one baseball shirt design (now sold out), ‘Critical Hits’ LPs and digital downloads, stickers, buttons, and of course I’m also selling the Metal Assault shirt. All the Gygax designs are superb and i’ve had fun selling their wares and seeing the looks of amazement on people’s faces when they first see it. As for our touring vehicle, we’re traveling in a van with two front seats and one bench seat, with all the gear packed in the back. There’s just about enough room for five people to sit, and it’s been a smooth ride. Eric, Jeff and Ray are splitting driving duties among them. With such limited space, we had obviously planned on not sleeping overnight in the van, and we’ve been fortunate enough to be helped out by some kind folks who’ve let us stay in their houses.

From Eugene we drove to Portland for a gig at the Black Water bar, and pre and post-show we stayed with Sean Cisneros from the band Worws, who also set up this show with us and accepted to play as the closer, after Gygax. Besides Worws, the band Fuzzy Dice really caught my attention with a high-quality set and She was an interesting and eclectic opening act. It was a pleasant evening in Portland, the venue was packed, and based on the roaring response from the crowd after every song, Gygax can safely add this to the list of conquered towns on this West Coast quest. DJ Wes Craven from Heavy Metal Eyes kept the good tunes flowing between bands. Being an all-ages show, it was all over by 11 PM, which worked out perfectly for everyone involved. Besides the usual, it was a pleasant surprise to see some of the Venomous Maximus dudes at the show. Their band happens to be in Portland recording their album these days. One thing Eric does when he talks to the crowd during the set is point to the merch table and mention my name. I’m not used to this kind of attention, but it sure feels “rad” when a bunch of nerds clap and cheer for me, wave at me, and run over to give me high-fives. Another fun fact, I’ve been representing Portland and wearing my Weresquatch baseball shirt for most of this tour, and it is possibly the best shirt I own because I have received a tremendous number of compliments for it.

Day 7 (6/25): Loud And Proud

All of my previous visits to Seattle, Washington have been nothing but memorable, specially the shows Night Demon did at the Highline Bar. Gygax not only played the same venue with three killer Seattle bands Substratum, Trannysaurus Rox and Hexengeist, but did so on Pride Weekend. Before the gig, we visited the Wizards Of The Coast headquarters in Renton, Washington, quite a big deal for the nerds in this band.

Then we went to get Indian food for lunch in the same town at a place called Naan N’ Curry. It’s hard to believe that this was my first time having Indian food on tour with a band, and it was definitely worth the wait.

After a hearty meal, we moved onto Seattle, and the Capitol Hill area was popping off with tons of foot traffic because of the pride celebrations, so much so that some of the streets were closed off. Our venue is also in this part of town, and parking was impossible to find, so we loaded the gear in and then parked the van at a friend’s house nearby. We certainly couldn’t have picked a better night to do a show in Seattle, as this was hands down the peak of the tour in every sense. Over 100 people paid to attend this show, and Gygax, on a door-deal contract for the gig, were highly stoked. Hexengeist started the show with an impressive set, Trannysaurus Rox put on a hugely entertaining show, and old-school metal group Substratum were better and more powerful than ever, plus gracious enough to let Gygax play before them. Hands down one of the best days I’ve ever had on tour.

Day 8 (6/26): Wizards In Washington

Next up was a gig at The Observatory in Spokane, Washington, another town with a strong Gypsyhawk following, and as expected, this was a successful show for Gygax. I’d never been to a venue that gives bands drink tickets made of metal and shaped like guitar picks. Just like Reno, this was not a satisfactory set for the Gygax dudes themselves, as they said they couldn’t hear much of each other on stage. But the audience loved it nonetheless and kept me busy at the merch table. We got a hotel room at the end of the night, which is something we didn’t expect to be able to afford at the beginning of the tour, so it was a good feeling to have made these shows really count. We were told that Red Fang always stay at the hotel we chose. We made it, guys.

Day 9 (6/27): Drive Day

After Spokane was a day off but a drive day in reality, as we had a long distance to cover to get to our next destination, Salt Lake City. The drive from Washington through Montana was beautiful, and 12 hours, two full gas tanks and one oil change later, we made it to Salt Lake City. Gypsyhawk had done the hard yards in this town for many years, and Gygax were expecting great things from their first ever show here.

Day 10 (6/28): Critical Miss

The roller-coaster of tour life for a small band is such that you can feel on top of the world one night and come crashing down the next. I’ve experienced this swing in emotion several times on my previous tours, and unfortunately, from the highs of Oregon and Washington, we were brought down to earth in Salt Lake City. The Metro Bar and the promoter JRC Events have always been kind to Night Demon, and they took upon this Gygax show too, but the city’s nerds, rock n’ rollers and metalheads simply did not turn up on this occasion. Many were at the local ‘metal bowling league’ event going on elsewhere, and this affected our show to such an extent that it was pushed back in the hope that people would come to the Metro after the bowling thing. There was even a discount at the door for these people. But it didn’t really work out and the turnout was disappointing to say the least. This, of course, is not an apt representation of Gygax as a band, and on another night at the same venue, the show would most likely have been packed. I personally don’t understand the need to go to a so-called ‘heavy metal bowling’ event when such a great touring band is making their debut in your town, and for me live music is greater than every other event, but to each their own. On a more positive note, it was a pleasure seeing some of the Visigoth guys, as always. Most importantly, people that did attend the gig loved Gygax’ set which didn’t begin ’til midnight, and found it to be very much worth the wait. Salt Lake City failed Gygax this time, but hopefully won’t do the same in future. After the gig we found a Mexican joint called Alberto’s and drove through to pick up some burritos. I’ve consumed an alarming number of these on this short tour and am in danger of succumbing to burrito overdose. Some day I will tour with a band that does not like Mexican food.

Day 11 (6/29): Alas, Vegas

Next was Las Vegas, which to many people is the most exciting place on the planet, but quite the opposite if you’re in/with a touring band. New York City is my least favorite city in the USA, and Las Vegas comes a close second. After a smooth drive from SLC, we reached Vegas at around 6 PM, where our hosts Jeremy Brenton and Shanda Fredrick from the band Demon Lung were waiting for our arrival. After hanging at their lovely house for a bit, we drove to the venue The Womb Room, which is actually a house as well. Bar/club shows have invariably been terrible in all my previous experiences in this town, so I was honestly looking forward to this house show, thinking may be it’ll be a successful Vegas visit, for a change. I was pulling double duty, working the door and the Gygax merch. Despite the cool, cozy setup, the show drew only a few people, but wasn’t a disappointment because this is what we expect from Vegas. Demon Lung played after Gygax and it was definitely great seeing them live after such a long time. Jeremy said they themselves always suggest bands to skip Vegas. Just hanging out with Jeremy and Shanda made this visit worthwhile for us, and meeting their giant dog Gary was the absolute highlight.

Day 12 (6/30): The Boys Are Back In Town

With that, the tour had essentially come to an end, albeit with a big homecoming gig as part of the Magic And Metal Con/Fest at the Majestic Ventura Theater still looming. We drove straight back to Los Angeles, and the guys dropped me off at my Lincoln Heights residence before heading to Ventura. Overall, this was, in every sense, a successful first tour for Gygax. Before setting out for it, all of us were excited and a little nervous about the outcome, but it certainly turned out better than expected, with highly successful shows in Seattle, Portland, Eugene and Reno, with Nevada City and Spokane not far behind. This band has a lot of potential, and a few years down the line, people on the U.S. West Coast that did not attend a show on this tour will regret having missed out. I am delighted to have been a part of the journey, and should Gygax require my services in the future, I’ll certainly be available. The most important thing worth mentioning is how easy and fun it was to be in a van with these guys, and all the badmouthing I had heard from various sections of the community about some of the members of Gygax turned out to be absolutely false and pointless. I am very well aware that the Gypsyhawk breakup was not amicable and there is bad blood, but the ill-feeling and animosity is not coming from Eric Harris, because he’s had nothing but good and encouraging things to say about his ex band mates’ new bands and projects. This guy has a lot of funny stories from touring with so many bands and he shared many with us through this tour, but none of them portray hatred. As you can tell from reading this site, I don’t take sides and neither should you, because it’s all about the music.

The End.

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Gygax links: facebook | twitter | instagram | bandcamp

Shows Played:
6/19 – Sacramento CA @ Starlite Lounge
6/21 – Reno NV @ Shea’s Tavern
6/22 – Nevada City CA @ Cooper’s
6/23 – Eugene OR @ Black Forest
6/24 – Portland OR @ Black Water
6/25 – Seattle WA @ Highline
6/26 – Spokane WA @ The Observatory
6/28 – Salt Lake City UT @ Metro Bar
6/29 – Las Vegas NV @ Womb Room

Remaining Tour Dates:
7/02 – Ventura CA @ Majestic Ventura Theater (Magic & Metal Con/Fest)

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