What 15 Of Your Favorite Musicians Eat While On The Road
One of the most exciting parts about the weather getting warmer is that season of amphitheater concerts is right around the corner. Event promoter and venue operator based in Beverly Hills, Live Nation, and its subsidiaries have been responsible for major U.S. summer concerts for decades. 2018 is no different; Live Nation's nationwide tours include Paramore, Kevin Hart, Poison, Evanescence, Pentatonix, Judas Priest, and Taking Back Sunday. Live Nation recently announced a National Concert Week promotion – running from April 30 through May 8 – by offering more than 1.5 million tickets to 2,000-plus shows for $20 total.
I spoke with major artists at Live Nation's New York headquarters to get the skinny on their on-the-road dining habits.
What is your favorite restaurant in New York?
John Driskell Hopkins, Zac Brown Band: So many, just so many. We go to Ray's Pizza, of course. Last time we visted a new burger joint, Black Tap, on 53rd. We had big milkshakes and hamburgers there and had a blast. That was during the Grammys, so we were all nervously eating when we shouldn't have been.
Kirstin Maldonado, Pentatonix: I've stayed in my Midtown bubble because I live so close to the theater and have two dogs. My journey has been to the theater and back to the dogs. But there's this place called BEA that I really like that's my go-to where I bring everyone. But I need to explore more when my run's over.
Dean DeLeo, Stone Temple Pilots: I like Da Silvano.
Ed Kowalczyk, LIVE: Sushi Nakazawa. Fancy and so good.
Adam Duritz, Counting Crows: My favorite restaurant is called Chong Qing Xiao Mian. It's this Shanghaiese place on Second Avenue that does these crazy soups with knife-peeled noodles, not rolled noodles, and they do these spicy soups. There's this one called the Viscera Soup with tripe and tendons and it's really hot. It's really good.
Billy Duffy, The Cult: I like Joe's Pizza on Bleecker. Extra crispy, extra garlic, and they don't do slices or deliver. You go eat pizza when you come here. I just did, in fact. [makes bloating sound]
Marc Roberge, O.A.R.: My favorite restaurant in New York is Persepolis. It's on 72nd; it's Persian.
What is on your tour rider? Or at least what are some of the foods you favor when on tour?
Mick Jones, Foreigner: A lot of quinoa but one burger a month. We have a lot of vegetarians.
David Coverdale, Whitesnake: I've got to eat about three hours before showtime. Usually very bland, two breasts of chicken with nothing on it. Baked potato with nothing on it. Broccoli — and no kale, and no f**king quinoa!
Paul Rodgers, Bad Company: I like to have organic carrots and hummus. It's so easy, I can dip it in and chew it. Food is medicine, too. For me, it's all got to be organic because the sprays and all that stuff they use can upset your body. Food is very important physically.
Ann Wilson, Heart: I like carrot juice, but it has to be pure, no lemon... Just carrot. Nothing too special.
Amy Lee, Evanescence: I have ginger and honey for my tea.
Lindsey Stirling: I try to eat real healthy, doesn't always happen. For myself, in order to keep healthy, I don't drink, I don't do anything like that on the road. That helps keep me in a healthy state.
Adam Duritz, Counting Crows: It's pretty basic. There are sodas and beers. There's some tequila and some scotch. There's bread and peanut butter and jelly and cold cuts. There are these little dried seaweed things because someone put them back there one time and our crew guys loved them so much. No one in the band really ate them, but the crew guys loved so much that we get them every night for that reason. There's some fruit. The thing about riders, it's not what you're demanding from the promoter; it's this thing that you're buying for yourself.
Jerry DePizzo, O.A.R.: We're at a level where catering is provided for us, so we can schedule a diet on a menu that fits everyone. We have vegans, vegetarians and gluten-free folks, and red meat folks as well, so everyone gets a slice.
Ed Kowalczyk, LIVE: 5-Hour Energy shots — is that food? (laughs) Feels like food.
Nick Hexum, 311: Our drummer Chad [Sexton] has to have young coconuts. He takes this one device and he holds it on the coconut and he has a mallet, and it pulls off a circle on the coconut. He has to sip coconut juice before the show. That's his weird thing. We're also very into our coffee, we bring our espresso-makers everywhere, also our cannabis products — laws be damned! (laughs)
Look for these musicians at any of these spots or any of the 35 places in Los Angeles for good celebrity-spotting.