This article originally appeared on Boston Band Crush ). I’ve been learning so much from just asking bands about where their name comes from, I’ve had a discourse on Fabio from The Motion Sick, a lesson on Andy Warhol from The Future Everybody, a comprehensive overview on the Space Program from Ho-Ag, I got embroiled in a philosophical debate with Ketman, and I learned all about Dynasty from MEandJOANCOLLINS. Today I learned all about sidewalk driving from Sidewalk Driver.
Tad tells it how it is and how it came to be:
“When we formed the band we had a few long discussions about what we should call ourselves. I remember we were eating buffalo balls at this place in Inman square with a pad and paper and really just brain-storming. I recall the name “Trapper Keeper” was definitely in the running, as was “The Small Boys”, “MeatWolf” and “Handsome Transom”. The name, however, came to me a few days later, whilst I was driving to work.
At this point in the story, I am sure that if I left the reader to fill in the blank, they would come up with something far more interesting than the truth. “Sidewalk Driver” is the name of a shift at the place where A.J., Kate and I worked. That’s it. At the time we were all employed by a certain chapionship-team-toting, amphibious tour company. Every day they schedule an extra driver just in case someone gets sick, or a vehicle breaks-down. This “driver” is to help out on the “sidewalk” where people board and exit the vehicles. The reality is though, that this “driver”, usually hangs out in the break room, naps or reads periodicals. Of course it was our shift of choice given our hard-core, rock and roll lifestyle and our seemingly endless reserves of laziness. So I figured “why the hell not?”.
I often like to do a Google image search of “Sidewalk Driver”. Far more interesting things come up. A collage of some of these images will, no doubt, someday be an album cover.”
I went ahead and did this google image search and here is the tawdriness that showed up:
Sidewalk Driver are releasing their DEBUT album titled For All the Boys & Girls, this Saturday, October 3rd at TT the Bears Place. Also on the bill are: John Powhida International Airport, Aloud, The Motion Sick, JC McKitterick (Tad’s Bro)
8:30pm, $10, 18+ – don’t miss it!