When you think about a musician going on tour, you picture someone hopping in a van and driving from one gig to the next. Not so for Anthony Jay Sanders, solo artist and frontman of local emo-punk outfit The Island of Misfit Toys. The reason? The dude can’t drive. He doesn’t even have a driver’s license because of his “insurmountable fear of driving.”
But that hasn’t stopped him from announcing an 11-show tour of the Chicago area this June. Instead of getting someone to drive him around, or, God forbid, finally getting his license, the local journeyman is going to get to every show exclusively via public transportation. Here’s Sanders explaining the ambitious solo jaunt:
“Hey everybody, Anthony Jay Sanders here. Often with The Island of Misfit Toys, but sometimes, as myself. I am touring as much as I can, but I do not have a drivers license (insurmountable fear of driving). When I tour with Island, or tour with others, I am living on Easy Street. But I have never traveled alone in the way of touring. I’m determined to change this.
My first test is as follows: from South to North, exclusively via public transportation (and potentially hitching with friends), I am going to play through as many Chicago suburbs as possible. Thus, my Suburban Staycation. There are some outliers (a festival in Logan Square with Island, Kenosha, WI), but it mostly stays true to its premise. Hope you come to see me. If you want show info, reach out to anthonyiomt@gmail.com. Love y’all, thanks for compelling me to reconfigure my life around something I care about so much!
P.S. I don’t know if you can tell, but I made the poster myself.
– A.J.S.”
Be sure to check out The Island of Misfit Toys’ recent Audiotree session (it’s really great), and click on the poster or read below to see Sanders’ upcoming “Suburban Staycation.”
Anthony Jay Sanders “Suburban Staycation” dates:
Wednesday, June 8, at A Garage in New Lenox, Ill.
Thursday, June 9, at Royal Skate Shop in Lansing, Ill.
Friday, June 10, at The Ashbary in Willow Springs, Ill.
Saturday, June 11, at Remix Chicago (with The Island of Misfit Toys)
Sunday, June 12, at Alyssa’s Living Room in Elmhurst, Ill.
Monday, June 13, at Motel 666ero in Cicero, Ill.
Tuesday, June 14, at Karl Marx the Spot in Evanston, Ill.
Wednesday, June 15, at House Show in Glenview, Ill.
Thursday, June 16, at Public Gardens in Kenosha, Wis.
Friday, June 17, at The Oasis in Grayslake, Ill.
Saturday, June 18, at Sergiopalooza 4 in Chicago
@joshhterry | jterry@redeyechicago.com
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