A Part of the Story

Often times, as a musician, you're placed on a pedestal. Minds are impressionable.So when two 17 year-old girls come knocking on the door to your tour bus a mere half-hour before midnight, one might expect the story to take the typical turn for the worse.
But this one doesn't.
Andrew and Dan edit video at the table while Devin and Eric tune their bass and guitar in back. I open the door to find the two girls -- both of whom are going to Warped Tour, one celebrating a birthday -- standing there in the dark. We give them a brief tour of the bus and even share a few stories from the road.
But then it's, "Goodnight. Don't forget to bring your friends to the show tomorrow."
Too many times people paint musicians as hound dogs. These sex-crazed maniacs unable to control themselves at the sight of a bra or pantie thrown on stage.
In fact, it's quite the opposite. Most musicians understand what it was like to be a 17 year-old in love with music, willing to drag their parents six hours across state boarders to see their favorite band.
So Andrew shows the girls up and down the bus, then wishes them, "Goodnight." We all climb back on board, shut the door, and collapse into the couches.
"That was... weird," starts someone.
But Andrew is quick to correct: "A little, yeah, I get that. But don't you see? We gave those girls a story. They're probably screaming in the elevator right now about how they got to see a band and a tour bus and all this on her birthday. It's a story. And they'll go to sleep tonight not thinking there was something wrong with them -- that they weren't cute enough, or whatever. But that they met a group of guys who were actually willing to treat them like people. Not take advantage of them -- even given the opportunity. And maybe -- just maybe -- this story will keep them from thinking that they're anything less than worthy of being treated with respect in the future."