The newest member of The Staylyns

Exciting times are afoot at Staylyns HQ. For some time now, Johnny has been wanting to upgrade the band van to an RV. You can only change clothes in so many bar bathrooms and watch your bandmates nap in so many awkward positions before you say to yourself, "There must be a better way." Well, there IS a better way, and June of 2016 has brought it to us!

Ladies and gentleman, please welcome the newest member of The Staylyns - Riggy Martin (props to Joe Kraft for naming her)!

I like it.

Thanks, Rick!

Riggy is a 1997 Dodge American Cruiser. She's a 20-foot Class B RV and has *almost* all the bells and whistles we want: 3 comfy captain's chairs, a marine toilet, a closet, a bed and/or seating area in the back (which will be filled most of the time with our gear), an a/c unit (separate from the truck's a/c), and a kitchen with refrigerator, cook top, sink and microwave. It's pretty sweet. Check it out:

Imagine this area filled with gear...because most of the time, it will be. 

You can't be too shy if you're going to use these facilities. But when you need it, it's there.

The pilot's chair

"Don't screw up." - Amelia to Johnny, pilot to pilot

At 19, Riggy is the youngest member of the band and too young to go inside some of the places we play, but that's okay, because Riggy is a vehicle and not a person. Much like a cat, though, 19 is, in fact, old for a vehicle, so, like any senior, a little extra maintenance is needed.

When Johnny brought her home two weeks ago, we immediately tested out how the gear would fit inside and took her to two gigs that week. She performed great, but we quickly discovered that some work would be needed - some necessary and some optional.

For instance, we discovered the gas line was leaking. That would be a necessary and immediately needed fix. (When people say, "You guys were on FIRE!" we want that to mean our music, not our mode of transport.)

(Someone should wake Joe...)

But as long as we were taking her into the shop, we had them address a few other issues that were less dangerous but more than we wanted to try to tackle with our own limited mechanical skills. That meant a little extra time in the shop, so it was back to the good ole band van for two shows.

We expect to have her back in action by our gig this Saturday at Cricket's in Waco (10pm-1am), though. So if you happen to be in Waco, come on out to the show, and you can get a gander at her in person. We'll be setting it up with signage, etc. a little later this year.

In the mean time, the band van is for sale, so if you know anyone looking for a reliable vehicle all set up and ready to haul gear, bikes, merchandise, etc., give us a shout.

We've been warned that RVs are money pits, and we know that there will be other repairs and voluntary upgrades that we'll want to do as we use her more, but honestly, we're excited about the upgrade in comfort that Riggy will mean for us in a lot of situations. And she says she's excited about being in a band. Of course you are, sweetheart. Who doesn't want to be in a band?