Keepers of the Carpet hits the road

Tony Lombardo
June 11, 2002

For those about to rock, the road itself can be the wisest of teachers. Even though Ames-based Keepers of the Carpet has only been on the road about two weeks, Zack and Tyler Smith, the band’s bassist and guitarist, have already learned quite a bit about life on the road.

Tyler likens the experience to a series of blind dates – one never quite knows what to expect.

Concerning a recent gig at the Mutiny in Chicago: “We had no idea what the hell we were getting into. We got the wrong address from our label, and we were already running late because of traffic. We had to go all the way across town to this hellhole. It’s all part of being a road warrior, I guess,” Tyler says.

Nightmarish road stories aside, the geek-rockers’ tour of the Midwest, spanning from St. Louis, M.O. to Sioux Falls, S.D., came about largely as a result of encouragement from its label, Bi-Fi Records, and promotion company, Tinderbox Promotions, after the group’s self-titled album fared well on college radio last spring – staying in the CMJ’s top 100 for six weeks.

“We thought. `It’s now or never.’ We’re not always going to be this age,” Zach explains. “This is the time to do it; we’ve got a good CD, and let’s go out and have a good time and see the country a little bit.”

The tour is being funded completely out of the band members’ own pockets, with Pat Fleming from Bi-Fi doing all of the booking.

“We’ve got a budget laid out that includes all of our gas, food and many other expenses we have. I think we have to be averaging $50 to 60 [per gig] or so to break even – so far we’ve done that,” Zack says.

So far it’s the all-ages shows, like KOTC’s show in Cedar Falls at the Reverb, that are getting the best crowd response.

“[We] had a lot of kids come up and talk to us after the show. We sold a bunch of merch [in Cedar Falls]. I think if we stick to these all-ages shows, these are going to be our success point. When we do an all-ages show, we always get a good response from those under 21,” Zack says.

KOTC hopes to become a more established band in the area, aiming to develop a larger fan base.

“Our goal is to play a lot of the major venues in the Midwest and to get kind of a buzz created about us, so that next fall when we go back out on weekends, we can go back and have a bigger draw and get some more college shows that pay better,” Zack says. “[We] hope to continue to build and grow, and hopefully break even on the tour.”

The band is on tour all summer and will wrap things up at the Maintenance Shop Sept. 27.

As for what Zack enjoys the most about rocking out in the Midwest, “[I enjoy] getting out and getting your music to people that might not have ever heard of you before.

“We’re having a lot of fun just dorking around and seeing cities a lot of us have never seen before. It’s a really unique experience that we are really appreciative to have the opportunity to do,” he says.

Keepers of the Carpet summer tour dates

Tue, 06/11/02 Knickerbockers Lincoln, Neb.

Wed, 06/12/02 Farnum St. Omaha, Neb.

Thu, 06/13/02 Uncle John’s Sioux City

Fri, 06/14/02 theLegion Hall Sibley

Sat, 06/15/02 Jono’s Souix Falls, S.D.

Sun, 06/16/02 The Red Sea Minneapolis, Minn.

Wed, 06/19/02 Duffy’s Lincoln, Neb.

Fri, 06/21,02 the Garage Minneapolis, Minn.

Sun, 06/30/02 Ames Band Shell Ames

Sat, 07/06/02 Midwest Music Pit Witzville, Mo.

Sun, 07/07/02 Californos Kansas City, Mo.