Pollstar: With my wife being recently pregnant (with a little girl) and watching her go through a super tough pregnancy, it’s been fresh on my mind how wildly different life in general can be for women. So, for the first time in my eight years of touring, there was a sit-down with the women on tour (there are five) and they were asked a super simple question: Is there anything we can do to make this tour better for you?
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I cannot emphasize how much I respect Andy Grammer, both as a musician and as a person too. There rarely seems to be a day that he hasn’t either released a banger of a song, performed a song with/for a terminal patient, or apparently just addressed common problems in society and tried to fix them. I think that this sort of treatment and approach is what’s necessary in society today; I only wish that this sort of treatment toward the situation was common in all industries. Just an input and addressing a problem can make the largest difference sometimes, and it’s no surprise to me somehow that it’s Andy Grammer of all people making this difference. I’m excited to read further articles in the news about his stand-up attitude towards these types of situations, and I’m curious where he’ll end up next in the news. I also hope that this type of behavior begins to normalize in the world today. I think it would be a nice contrast to what we’ve been going through lately, and I have my hopes high for the future with spirits like this present.
I love that Andy Grammer acknowledged that he has been doing a disservice to the women on his tour for 8 years. I think it is really important for people, men especially, to recognize when they have messed up in the past and put forth effort to be a better person in the future. I also really appreciate that Andy Grammer ends this article saying how he doesn’t want to toot his own horn but he wants others to at least learn from his mistakes. It is so important for people to learn not only from their own mistakes, but also for people to learn from other’s mistakes. I also thought it was really interesting how one of the first things that the women noted they wanted to make their tour experience better was lids on the trash cans. I thought it was the little details that made the difference.
Here is Andy Grammar being an amazing human being yet again. I really appreciate when big artists, like Andy Grammar, taking the time to acknowledge problems like this. Yes, other artists address many important problems in their music and using their status but disservices that women face don’t tend to be addressed all that often. There are a lot of little things women do that go unnoticed by men (and I’m sure there are things that women do realize about men to be fair) but small things like the trash can lids are little but matter. I like how Andy is willing to call himself out so that this topic can come to light. I still think there is a lot of work that the industry needs to do when it comes to diversity and inclusion but having conversations is always a good thing.
I have always been fascinated with the world of touring for concerts. As someone who’s favorite activity is seeing live music, I have always felt that it would be very interesting to see what goes on through the touring process, especially because it is a life that is very different from what is “normal”. The way in which Andy Grammer approached this question is extremely interesting as he notices that men and women's lives can be very different from one another and life on the road can be hard. I was as shocked as he was to notice that when he asked the women on his tour how he can improve it for them, they voiced that no one has ever asked them that before. I appreciate that he is taken the time to reassess the way in which life on tour can affect both men and women and is encouraging other men to do the same.
It is very difficult for people to admit mistakes and ignorance. More so, it seems, for men to fess up for their shortcomings because they are less likely to be taught emotional expression and empathy than women are. That Andy Grammer is sharing this experience is a good thing and a brave thing. In a way, it does sound self-congratulatory, but I know that is not the point. This was a learning experience for Grammer and if he can admit to his past disservices to women on tour, then he will continue to evolve and grow. This type of growth is monumental for someone like Grammer, because it not only shows he is learning as a person, it also teaches others to introspect and practice humility and respect. Coming from a cis white man, Grammer is hopefully setting an example for those who would usually not be doing the same.
Yeah, you should also ask them about why they leave versus reasons their male counterparts leave. You can’t have a difficult pregnancy and just keep touring. I’m glad he asked, I’m sad it took so long to ask, and I hope he keeps asking. Asking once is not enough, as you prove that you are dedicated to listening and changing and having the conversation, more things will come up that can help make touring not only better for women, but for everyone involved. Its like the curb cut effect. We created ramps on curbs to help people with disabilities access the sidewalks easier. Suddenly people with strollers, small children, dollies of packages, and so on were finding great use of these curbs. The same applies here too. If you do things to help women, you’re helping more than just the women. Which shouldn’t be the sole reason you care, but damn if it makes it easier to convince people who don’t care about women to make the changes anyway.
The touring world can and does tend have a sort of a frat house effect on the guys that are on tour with each other. They grow immune to messy behavior and it starts to make men less aware of the things they're doing because of the environment they're in and the type of behavior that is deemed acceptable due to the level of hyper masculinity that is happening on tour- not to say that the behavior is excusable amongst men, its just the reality. Andy Grammar has always been the epitome of a gentleman, he even wrote a song about how he was tempted to cheat but didn't because he has a lady at home. The conversation of why to and why not to do tours usually don't include a section on how being a woman can greatly effect your experience and how the lack of respect on tours can lead to having a pretty bad time on tour.
This article makes me cringe a little bit. Yes, he is doing a good thing, and yes, we need to continue to work for equity in our field, particularly in the rougher edges (such as gigging and roadhouse touring), but the language he uses to talk about his mission is a little off. He is at least partially aware of his own growth through hypocrisy, but throughout the article he refers to himself as a “good guy” and seems to be using this letter as a call to arms for other “good guys.” I worry, in this polarized political climate, about phraseology like that. One, it is specifically gendered: he is specifically, but casually, referring to men. In our industry, the word “guy” is often used to refer to a stagehand: “I need a couple of guys,” which bears a heavy load of implication and makes the workplace more hostile toward women (not to mention folks who have different gender identities). If Andy Grammar wants to talk to men, he should be less casual about the language he uses.
I have been a big fan of andy grammer for years. I think his music is just good vibes and you can tell that he is one of the nice ones. I Did not realize that hes only been doing this since 2011. I thought he has been touring for longer. I think it was good of him for recognizing that things on his tour were not great for women and he wanted that to change. While he is a big star now and is able to do whatever he wants, he is also setting a touring precedent by asking these questions and being accommodating. I think with people like andy grammer the touring world will be able to get better. I agree with jess that asking once is great but he and other tours should be consistently checking in with its crew to make sure everyone is feeling good.
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