This Week in the Mercury

Let's Discuss Masculinity!


Film

Let's Discuss Masculinity!

Morgan Spurlock and the World of Male Grooming


Up & Coming

Music

Up & Coming

This Week’s Music Previews



  |  

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

News Finally, an Option Nicer Than Sleeping on the Bench Seat of a Ford Econoline

Posted by Ezra Ace Caraeff on Tue, Mar 24, 2009 at 10:16 AM

65bd/1237914682-better.jpg

As someone who spent his early 20s more or less living in an Econoline while touring with various DIY bands, I can testify that few things are worse than waking in the morning and peeling your skin off the warm vinyl seats of your tour vehicle. Unfortunately I am not alone in this experience, hence the site Better Than The Van.

What if there was a website that was helping bands find free places to stay while on tour?
What if that site was used by people all over United States and Europe?
Now add in all the possibilities of meeting like-minded, music loving people.
It would be pretty cool, right?

Yes, that would be pretty cool. What BTTV is attempting to do is take the Book Your Own Fuckin' Life template and assign it to couches and—hopefully not hardwood—floors. So far the site is still a little bare, but hopefully over time it can become a network for touring bands, and those with a kind heart who welcome touring bands into their homes.

Using BTTV as a touring band you can:
Find free places to stay while on tour. Maybe get breakfast out of the deal.
Show swap with bands in other cities.
Make new friends and fans. That's a good thing right?
Save the motel money for gas, beer and cigarettes.
Using BTTV as a host you can:
Become the envy of your friends because a band is staying with you.
Get into shows for free and maybe some drink tickets too.
Help spread more music to more places. Yes!

Yes! I mean, I guess. I'd like to think the sense of DIY community trumps the need to buy more "beer and cigarettes," but then again, who am I kidding?

Thanks to Hannah for the tip.

 

Comments (0)

Add a comment

Tip for End Hits?
Email them here.

Friends of End Hits

Enemies of End Hits

/images/adoftheweek.gif

ad of the day

The Handyman Pro - Your Honey-Do Specialist
Don’t let our name fool you. The Handyman Pro, LLC is a repair and remodel service provider with over 25-years experience. We cover all aspects of construction and repairs for residential and commercial clients.go


post an ad

All contents © Index Newspapers, LLC

115 SW Ash St. Suite 600
Portland, OR 97204

Contact Info | Privacy Policy | Production Guidelines | Terms of Use