The Dropa Stone Guide To Eating On The Road

By The Dropa Stone, Guest Contributor

Due to the fact everyone in The Dropa Stone is a vegetarian or vegan, the band’s food options and choices while on the road have become a definite challenge.

A vegetarian is someone who chooses not to eat any meat products and a vegan takes it one step further by not eating any animal products at all. That means most of the meals we enjoy are plant based and are not the standard “touring rock band drive through” diet. Health and animal rights are the main reasons when it comes to our eating habits and as tricky as this can be on the road, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Our meals are always full of color and variety while tasting delicious at the same time. There are many vegetarian or vegan musicians that we look up to that have lead a similar lifestyle, including Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Fiona Apple, Elvis Costello, Thom Yorke, Moby and Bob Dylan.

As we are in the beginning stages of planning another tour, we are looking forward to using what we have learned during our previous excursions. We hope to continue to meet new people and visit new places. Here are some pointers we have picked up along the journey and would like to share:

No fast food: Not only do most fast food chains use factory-farming methods for their “meat,” but fast food will sap any energy and motivation right away from you. What is factory-farming? While we’ll spare you the gruesome details, we will say the animals that are unwillingly subjected to this lifestyle suffer extreme physical and emotional trauma in an environment not up to any living standard. It’s simply something that we just won’t take part in supporting.

While it may have been obvious to some, studies are now beginning to show that over consumption of fast food can be linked to diabetes and obesity. Fast food chains are an ever expanding conglomerate so it’s no surprise that global obesity rates have doubled since the 1980’s. We plan on writing and performing music for years to come and a diet free of fast food is going to help us keep doing what we love.

Local farmers markets and restaurants: As artists and musicians, no one realizes the importance of supporting local entrepreneurs better than us. Not only is this a great way to make new friends, but it is the best way to inherit the culture and individuality of each city we visit. While it may require a little more patience and work, the results have been amazing!

Our down time on the road is sacred and whenever we get a few hours to explore, we are sure to take advantage. While we were wandering the streets of Santa Monica during our first tour of California last year, we came across a huge farmers market the day of our show at an L.A. staple, The Viper Room. After explaining to a few local vendors that we were vegan/vegetarians on tour, they ended up letting us cook our lunches from the goods we collected on their barbecue grills and woks. They even pointed us in the direction of some locally owned restaurants that supported our diet and budget. (Don’t worry; we hooked them up with a few free tickets to the show.) Similar stories have all happened in Miami, FL and Asheville, NC. While it’s important to be prepared, a little exploration and conversation can go a long way. Special thanks and shout out to Cali for their soup selection!

Staying with family and friends: We have been fortunate enough to crash at the homes of family, old friends or people we’ve met along the way of our journey traveling around the country. This allows us to use the full artillery of kitchens, wines, markets and on a few occasions their pool! While eating out is a great way to end or start a show day, it does put a dent in the band fund. Of course we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but out playing music; but nothing beats a home cooked veggie meal, a comfortable place to crash and the company of good family and friends. Added bonus: they make great tour guides!

Coffee and Tea: It’s no secret that everyone in this band drinks plenty of tea and coffee. Long days on the road just seem a little brighter with a cup of Joe every morning. Every city has their own mom and pop coffee/tea shop (we’re not talking Starbucks) with their own special brews. These are great places to meet new people, relax or grab a quick reading session with a good book. Some of us like our coffee straight black and others enjoy a little sweetness with soy milk and sugar in the raw. Not only is it delicious, but coffee has some serious benefits as well. It’s full of antioxidants, enhances the mood (morning “de-grumpifier”) and studies show that coffee may contain components that prevent diabetes and certain cancers. After a long set, hot tea is the perfect way to wind down and sooth the vocal chords, while nourishing your body full of its natural herbs. A little aroma therapy from the tea is another way to calm the body and mind. From green to Detox, Chamomile to Oolong, we never end a night without having a mug of some steeping goodness.

Connect with them on TheDropaStone.com, The Dropa Stone on Facebook, The Dropa Stone on YouTube, and on twitter @TheDropaStone.