Sleeping With Friends

In the world of music-touring — the smaller the gig, the closer your bedfellow.

I miss sleeping with friends.

Possibly the strangest sentence I’ve ever typed, but tell me…

Is there another career, outside of music, that regularly involves slumber parties, watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. together at 2 am in a hotel room?

( Why is F.R.I.E.N.D.S. or South Park ALWAYS ON??)

Does a career in marketing ever include non-sexual pillow-talk with a co-worker? Lying in bed wondering how to fall asleep.

Do you just stop talking? Do you announce it and say, “Will… I think I’m going to sleep now. Goodnight!”?

For the curious, here’s how it works:

In music, the smaller the gig, the closer you are to your bedfellow.

Large tours, you’re getting your own hotel room. Mid-level, two to a room with your own bed. Grass-roots van touring, you’re pulling a “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” — sharing a bed and praying that you keep your sleeping hands to themselves.

Me: “André, I had the weirdest dream last night that I was visiting a petting zoo.”

André: “I know…”

And I’m not talking about sharing a king-size people! We’re talking, two men over 6’ sharing a double!

And it’s not just your close friends!

Seriously, I can’t think of any other job where, as a GROWN ADULT, you may meet a coworker for the first time and that night, you’re sharing a hotel room.

But one thing’s for sure, if you weren’t close before, you are after. For better or for worse.

It’s a closeness that only comes from learning someone’s most intimate sleeping habits and tendencies — and they learn yours.

Do they snore? Or does their nose just make a cute, quiet, little whistle as they sleep? Are they a side, back, or stomach sleeper? Do they like falling asleep watching tv? How many times do they hit the snooze button before getting out of bed? How fast, after waking up, do they take their morning poop? Are they organized, or is their suitcase a micro-bomb that goes off at the end of each day?

I know the answer to every one of these questions about every one of my friends I’ve toured with.

And I tell ya what. After this past year…

I kinda miss it.

For The Curious…

Rob Morgan is an internationally touring bassist and music director who keeps a weather eye out for the curious. He can be found online at www.therobmorgan.com