By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune and other outlets
September 10, 2024
Growing up, Bobby Bare Jr. was accustomed to hitting the road with his musician parents – country artist Bobby Bare Sr. and singer Jeannie Bare. “Me and my family had a family show for a while,” said the 58-year-old singer-songwriter-guitarist for Guided by Voices. “[When] we went to Miami, we had a police escort to our show. It was spectacular.” Born and raised in Nashville, where he still resides, he is currently on tour with his group promoting their current album “Strut of Kings.” Fans may follow him on Instagram and Facebook.
Q: Are there any cities on your current tour that you have never been to?
A: No. I’ve been on the road since 1974 performing with my family, selling T-shirts at honky tonks or touring with my own music. I’ve been almost everywhere in the United States several times.
Q: There are music fans who will travel to other states to see your perform. Have you ever gone out of your way to attend a concert?
A: I went to Lollapalooza in1992 and 1993 in Atlanta. It was spectacular. Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Primus, Dinosaur Jr., Rage Against the Machine – but Ministry at dusk with bodies flying 20 feet in the air, fires flaming in the middle of the big circles of people. Apocalyptic and lovely.
Q: Are fans who show up to your concerts different depending on what country you’re performing in?
A: We have only done one trip overseas, but they kind of seem like the same people wherever we go.
Q: Do you have any upcoming trips planned?
A: I am playing in Portland and Seattle in October with Kevn Kinney. Acoustic duo. That’s gonna be fun.
Q: What untapped destination should people know about?
A: There is a hippy dippy resort on Orcas Island up past Seattle that is called Doe Bay [Resort & Retreat]. I’ve played there many times. I always go there when I’m in the area.
You can see the whales from the shore and Mount Constitution is spectacular.
Q: Have you visited places for work that were so nice that you traveled back there for a personal trip?
A: Oh yeah. Orcas Island, Portland, Seattle, Austin, Chicago. I wanted my kids to experience all those cities, so I took them.
Q: Do you work on songs while you’re traveling?
A: I mostly work at home because the road is quite chaotic and there’s no quiet time.
Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?
A: I keep going back to Tahoe. It’s affordable to get there and one of the most beautiful places in America. I took my kids to Tahoe, San Francisco and the Monterey Peninsula last summer. It blew their minds.
Q: How do you separate work from vacation trips?
A: I try to work at least one or two shows while on vacation just to pay for the trip.
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A: Pack as light as possible and make sure you buy good luggage, because if one of the wheels breaks, you’re totally screwed.
Q: If you could only pick one place to eat, would you prefer a food truck or fine dining?
A: I like fine dining because I’m lazy.
Q: Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A: I go to the Ocoee River quite often. It’s the most southeastern corner of our state [in Tennessee] and part of the Smokies. It is not too far away and so very lovely.
Q: Do you speak any foreign languages?
A: I’m not good at other languages whatsoever. I took Portuguese, but I don’t remember any of it.
Q: What are your favorite cities?
A: Stockholm, Seattle and Austin.
Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A: I really want to go to Kyoto. I’ve never been to any of the Asian countries.
Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A: Clean socks! And baby powder in the summertime.
Q: What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A: I do some Food Network research usually when I go to a new city.
Q: What is your best vacation memory?
A: All my best memories are the one-on-one trips I’ve done with my kids. I’ve taken each of them to Chicago at least once.
© 2024 JAE-HA KIM
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