Episode 4: Keith Waggoner & Adeline Dante
Keith Waggoner: There's this really tall, skinny dude with a cowboy hat. And there's this other dude who's like a heavyset dude with not very many teeth and just like this slicked-back, thinning red hair. And we were just like, oh my God, it was like instantaneously just a little bit of that scary feeling. Like, oh fuck, what are we getting into? This is kind of crazy.
Josh Caldwell: Welcome to Atypical Daydream, a podcast about life on the road. I'm Josh, your host, and thanks for stopping by. My first guest is Keith Waggoner. He's a musician, songwriter, and he makes surfboards. You'll know him from his bands Amateurs and the more recent Earthquake Don't Give a Fuck. Keith's story is straight out of the movie Vacation. But unlike the film, this one is only funny in hindsight.
Keith Waggoner: My first tours were with a band called Paleo from Chico. That was my first national tour, and it was a huge undertaking to put together. After that, I was totally hooked. I was like, okay, when can we do this again? Meanwhile, I’ve got a band who's like, "Get away from me, Keith." We just spent a month together. A lot of those early punk projects were very transient because we were transient. Two guys would suddenly be off in Oregon or Berkeley. If a squat got busted and we needed a change of scenery, we’d go back to Redding and start another band. That lifestyle made me comfortable—as long as we could play shows every night and go on adventures, I didn't care if I had a bed.
In 2002, I picked up this old 1977 Dodge Tradesman van. Full-size, white, no windows—totally scary but amazing. I built a rack for the gear and a couch in the back. We were heading to Chico for a show at a club called Riff Raff. It’s evening, just getting dark, and suddenly the steering wheel and brakes seize up. Smoke and steam are everywhere. We knew we were fucked and missing the show.
A tow truck tows us into a tiny, rural town called Arbuckle. It felt like we were in the middle of Arkansas. We pull up to this big warehouse and meet these two guys. The tall one in the cowboy hat was named Tex, and he was a fast talker. He told us he could fix it in a day and we could stay in the warehouse. The vibe was totally off, but we didn't have a choice.
Arbuckle had one market, a gas station, and two bars—one for white folks and one for Latino folks. They told us straight up which one to go to so there wouldn't be trouble. We ended up at the local bar and told them we were a band. We hauled our gear over and played a set for free beer. We were this early aughts indie rock band with big hair and tight jeans, sticking out like a sore thumb. During the second song, some dude yells out, "Get a haircut, queer!" That established the vibe, but we ended up playing there every night we were stuck.
We became locally famous. At the grocery store, the cashier hooked us up with free corn dogs and chicken tenders. By day three, I realized they were probably cooking meth in that warehouse—it was a total "tweaker all night long" setting. Finally, they said the van was fixed. I go to see it, and it looks like it has a lift in the front. They had put a tiny rear axle from a Dodge pickup truck on it because it was the only one they could find. Then they charged me $1,400 for it.
Josh Caldwell: This next story comes from Adeline Dante, or Addy for short. She's a musician, songwriter, and an astrologer. You'll know her from her band, Adeline and the Philistines, but she's also played with many LA bands. Addy's story is special to me because it deals with a legend of my hometown, the amazing Daniel Johnston.
Adeline Dante: Music has always been my life, but I never thought I could get on a stage and sing. I joined a band called the Panty Lions and we were going to go on tour with Daniel Johnston. I didn't know much about him other than Kurt Cobain's t-shirt.
We pulled into Tucson and it was 90 degrees at night. I was so excited. During soundcheck, Daniel Johnston was sitting in a big booth at the restaurant next to the venue, chain-smoking and drinking Diet Cokes. He was wearing sweatpants, exactly like you’d think. He was like a big, goofy, super polite kid. He played, and it was magic. It was a dark little venue, which helped me get over my stage fright.
The next day we drove to San Diego for a show at a burrito joint full of skateboarders. I felt on my game and more confident. I walked off stage and Daniel Johnston had been watching the whole show. He came up to me and said, "That was beautiful. I love your voice. Every man in the audience had an erection. Give me a hug." It was just totally innocent. He was just being a little kid.
Josh Caldwell: Thank you Keith and Addie for sharing their experiences. Make sure to check out Keith's bands Amateurs and Earthquake Don't Give a Fuck. Also check out Addie's band, Adeline and the Philistines, and keep an eye out for her upcoming astrology book. This podcast was produced by me, Josh Caldwell. Music by Visual Aid. General support and copywriting by Miranda Caldwell. Please follow and subscribe. Thank you for listening and I hope you come back next week.
