Tim Roark

Possibly my favorite tour to date. I survived jet lag with only minimal moments of feeling crazy, I got to experience the low effort/max sleep bus touring life, we played in some of the biggest and most beautiful rooms, and I got to hang with so many kind people. Huge thanks to @spanishlovesongs for bringing us out, sharing gear, and helping us troubleshoot some early tour pedalboard issues. They’re one of the most consistently awesome sounding live bands we’ve been on tour with, and it was cool to see so many people connecting with their music night after night. I had good hangs with each and every member. @thedirtynil is probably the most rocking band I’ve ever been on tour with, and again, such freaking kind and lovely dudes. Luke is such a confident performer, guitar player, and vocalist (like seriously, dude doesn’t miss a note ever). Kyle is a dialed drummer who is also an excellent hang and the perfect leader of the trailer pack. Anthony was the youngest on the tour and didn’t show any signs of being green while on stage, he just rocked. Diana (of @sincereengineer ) is such a unique and lovely person (who also never misses a note even when playing solo in front of thousands of people). We had many good hangs, that were mostly hunting for food. She’s so good at the traveling musician thing. She’s also just kind, and I’m lucky to consider her a friend now. Lastly, @harveyterrysound might be the most talented person on this tour. Easily one of the best TMs I’ve come across, especially considering wrangling 15 other people. His vibe is exactly what I want from the role. He’s calm, firm when he needs to be, playful without being “too much,” and just a great presence. Now if that wasn’t enough (which it would be), his front of house mixing for SLS and The Dirty Nil was incredible. He made them sound good in every room including some incredibly challenging rooms for the festival dates. Just wow. I love my band (which includes @cbauerphoto at this point). We played really well, and it made me feel like we belonged on this tour. I can’t believe I’ve had the experiences I have with Kali Masi over the last 4 years, and I can’t wait to finish this record

@abasiconcepts , is this the highest a Space T has blasted off? ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ I momentarily set aside my @music_man Valentine signature at our @kalimasiband show in Chicago two weeks ago in order to jump around with my new (to me) Space T. I know Tosin is a fan of the Valentine, but I think we have to get a Space T into @jamesbvalentine ’s hands. @tosinabasi can we make it happen?⁣ ⁣ Also had to resurface the London jump for some Valentine love.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #guitar #guitarplayer #electricguitar #guitarist #abasi #abasiconcepts #abasispacet #spacet #telecaster #fishmanfluence

I've been sick since getting home from Europe, but I'm so full of gratitude for @kalimasiband (@midwrestless , @john_garrison , and @spew_into_this ), our awesome tour team (@connorlaws , @cbauerphoto , Clifford the Big Red Van), all the bands we played with (especially the UK run with @hellsditchmusic ), my wife for her endless support (@eggcallen ), and all the venues, sound engineers, and people who came out to see us play. I had no idea what 2021 would turn into, and much like our European tour, it's been unpredictable, difficult, and a dream come true. I love playing guitar, and I feel so lucky to be able to do that internationally with such an incredible band. 📷:@cbauerphoto

TLDR: My first experience on tour was incredible. Thanks to my brothers in @kalimasiband (+@snugglefest ), and my new friends in @ratboysband and @petsymmetry . It means so much to be welcomed into such a talented and fun group of humans. So the rest of this might get a little long winded. [part 1] I've wanted to be a musician for most of my life. It became clear in late high school that I wasn't going to make it as a football player, and that music was going to be my preferred creative outlet. Since my first shows with The Final Piece, I realized that I was someone else on stage. I loved performing in a way that was completely different than my normal desire to be socially anonymous. I consider myself pretty reserved, and it was incredible to find an outlet where I could flip that. I've played in some fun bands in Springfield, but playing with others dropped off my radar when I moved to Chicago. I was focused on building a life with Emily and trying to play catchup in my digital marketing career. I thought just being in Chicago would be enough to find musicians to play with.Then the pandemic slammed us all. The additional time for reflection made me realize I needed to get back on a stage. I started creeping on Craigslist and Facebook, trying to find a band that intrigued me sonically and would challenge me. This led me to @aletheiabandofficial . While trying out for them, I found a renewed interest in metal, and it lead to a creative output I would have never expected. Though I didn't make the band, I did buy a 7 string and recored something like 12 demos of song ideas in drop A. This was the most creative output I've had in years, and I was playing guitar daily. Their EP from last year is absolutely one of my favorites from 2020. Next up was meeting the humans in @theyoungdetectives . This one seemed like a better fit, as it was mostly 30 somethings playing indie rock. I felt really aligned with the project and was bummed it didn't pan out, but they put out an EP this year that I also recommend. Chris has a unique vocal and song writing style that is absolutely worth checking out. [more in comments]

Getting married tomorrow to the most supportive woman I know

Emily and I are engaged. She’s the very best person I know and I’m lucky she’s decided to be my partner

Someone is incredible at planning hikes and being a vacation partner

#hockey is wild in person. I think I'll make it a point to come to some more @nhlblackhawks games next season.

Moving here soon. #chicago

Dude, that's my #waterbottle. #uncle

My new #sharedworkspace is pretty cool. #mymom

My #salad game is consistent. I'm thinking about making a salad only Instagram. Interested?