Everclear's Art Alexakis founded the recurring tour in 2012. The veteran musician says that he's glad to be back on the road, especially in light of a bout with COVID-19, which was complicated by multiple sclerosis, which he was diagnosed with several years ago. (He wrote about MS on his 2019 album Sun Songs, perhaps most directly on the song "The Hot Water Test.")
"COVID was really, really rough for me," he says. "I got through 2020 being the guy who was really safe, really careful. It's frustrating when you do everything right and still get sick. But I didn't die."
With touring ground to a halt, Alexakis busied himself with other pursuits, including working on a psychology degree. A long-time champion of addicts and alcoholics in recovery, he also turned his attention to become a life coach, as well as spending time with his family.
"I loved my life before COVID but being home with my wife and daughter was wonderful," he adds.
The return to the road has had its moments of strangeness, especially, he says, in a time when people have become accustomed to seeing each other in masks.
"Things that people used to do easily, like going to a football game or a concert, are more complicated. I'll be watching movies or shows and I'll see people who are not wearing masks. It's weird, isn't it? 'Where are your masks?' But going out and playing for people is both because people want to hear music so bad."
