An Evening Celebrating TASTE IN MUSIC with Alex Bleeker and Luke Pyenson

Join us for an evening of great music and culinary conversation as we celebrate TASTE IN MUSIC with authors Alex Bleeker & Luke Pyenson! They’ll be joined by the legendary Bob Boilen to discuss the highs and lows of living and eating on the road, as shared by some of the most inspiring indie musicians making music today.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In this unique and deeply thoughtful collection, musician Alex Bleeker (Real Estate) and food and travel journalist Luke Pyenson (formerly of Frankie Cosmos) take readers on tour with a diverse lineup of inspiring indie musicians from around the world, sharing meals and travel experiences, peeking behind the curtain at this singular and singularly misunderstood way of life.

Through original essays and engaging conversations with dozens of indie musicians representing several subgenres, scenes, and eras, food takes center stage in stories about being on tour and eating on tour and how this basic human necessity can create a sense of community and interconnectedness in one of the most mobile industries in the world. Based broadly on the subject of eating on tour, these entries each spin off into their own focused and exciting behind-the-scenes story, but all confirm what Pyenson and Bleeker suspected all along—food looms large in the lives of touring musicians, and it can be used as a gateway into understanding what going on tour is really like.

In addition to wide-angle meditations about eating on tour, Pyenson and Bleeker have gathered stories that take place on five continents, in private homes and street-side stalls, in temples of fine dining and in actual temples, backstage and in the van, early morning and late at night. Stories that deal with the best parts of touring: meaningful cultural exchange, hospitality-induced euphoria, and the opportunity to build relationships around the world. And the worst: loneliness, exhaustion, estrangement from family and friends, struggles with disordered eating, and unsteady access to medical care.

So the question isn’t, “How was tour?” It’s, “What do you eat on tour?” Like the best songs or meals, these conversations and essays evoke something central about the human experience. They show us all the ways that music and food bring us together, break us down, lift us up, and add color to our lives.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Alex Bleeker is the bassist and co-founder of beloved indie rock band Real Estate and ascendant jam band Taper’s Choice. During his decade-and-a-half career as a musician, he has released more than ten full-length albums and toured extensively on five continents. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Bennington College and lives in coastal California with his partner, Leanne.

Luke Pyenson is a food and travel journalist whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Saveur, and other publications. He was the longtime drummer of the critically acclaimed indie rock band Frankie Cosmos and founding drummer of cult DIY band Krill. He holds an MA in the Anthropology of Travel, Tourism, and Pilgrimage from SOAS, University of London, and lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lauren.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Bob Boilen is the creator and host of NPR's All Songs Considered, and Tiny Desk Concerts recently retired. He hosts My Tiny Morning Show, a one-hour weekly radio show featuring new emerging creative, independent artists and groundbreaking artists from the past. He authored the book, "Your Song Changed My Life, asking 35 artists, including Jimmy Page, David Byrne, Lucinda Williams, Ian MacKaye, and Smokey Robinson, about a song that changed their lives.” He's also a musician, formerly of Tiny Desk Unit, and these days, recording with my band Danger Painters and solo ambient projects. He also plays with the improv band Fanoplane and Tight Socks and is a concert photographer.