Food Fit for a Rock Star

Three Canadian rock stars share their tips for finding good grub on the road.

Anyone who travels a lot knows that it can be difficult to eat well on the road. It’s much easier to grab a quick bite of something on the way from here to there than sit down for a proper meal.

I was curious to know how people constantly on the move fed themselves. And who better to ask than constantly touring rock stars?

So I started asking around to get a sense of what its like to rustle up a good, healthy meal while rocking crowds around the world.

This is the average day for a rock star:

6am – Wake up in some strange hotel that looks strangely similar to the strange hotel you slept in the night before. Your road manager reminds you about the radio interview you almost slept through for some morning show you’ve never heard of. Everyone on the other end of the phone is really awake. You are only pretending to be.

7am – Go back to sleep. Get woken up by your road manager banging away on the door like it was an episode of Cops.

10am – Check out of the hotel and load into the bus.

12pm – Finally leave the hotel because everyone else slept in. Your road manager schmoozes the front desk with some swag so you don’t get billed for late checkout. It usually works.

12pm to 4pm – Drive to the next city while playing video games, writing songs, practicing, doing pushups, reading, and watching movies; often all at the same time. And all while nursing some type of hangover.

4pm to 6pm – Sound check. Tedious but necessary; every stage is different.

6pm to 8pm – Do media. Meet and greet with contest winners from the local radio station. Eat dinner at the venue. Pray that the catering doesn’t suck.

8pm to 10pm – Leave the venue to check into a new hotel for the night’s sleep.

10pm to 11pm – Head back to venue to do the show. Rock that shit.

11pm to ??? – After the show, there are more meet and greets. Have a quick shower and then it’s off into the world of navigating the groupies and finding the bus or hotel after a long night of partying.

There isn’t much time for food in that mix. But there are a few good little foodie tidbits I have squeezed out of my rock star panel of Sebastien Lefebvre from Simple Plan, Jeremy Taggart from Our Lady Peace, and Mark Pellizzer, who plays with Justin Nozuka. I asked them a few questions and this is what they had to say:


What is the best bet for food at a truck stop?

Seb: This always depends on how hungry you are. If you're lucky enough to get to a truck stop that has breakfast, have it. They are greasy and heavy, but they taste fine. Stay away from the pre wrapped sandwiches. They might look and smell fine, but they are not.


Jeremy: Breakfast – safest bet for fresh.

Mark: I like to eat almonds. They’re high in protein and can fill you up until you eat a more substantial meal. That being said, apparently you shouldn’t eat more than a handful daily as they can thin your blood!


What do you eat in an airport?


S: You should always get the country specialty, ie some sushi in Japan, some pasta in Italy.


J: A simple, well-made sandwich with fresh ingredients. It's important not to eat crap food before flying. It's depressing enough getting prodded like cattle. Why couple the dehumanizing with a fast food gut ache?

M: I don’t generally eat much in the airport. Sometimes I grab an espresso or something of the sort. 


What is the best jet lag food to recharge?


S: Whatever comfort food you might have. I like burgers or spaghetti to restart my system.


J: Home cooked, with a good range of nutrients. Lots of vegetables to replenish your water, and load up the brown rice for a solid sleep.

M: It’s sometimes difficult to get hungry at the right times if you are really jet lagged. I don’t know what the best lag food is, but I drink a lot of apple cider vinegar.


I prefer to perform on an empty stomach. Do you eat before a show? If so, how long before?


S: I try to eat at least a couple hours before going on stage. You know what happens if you eat too close to stage time... 


J: I don't play as well on a full stomach. I give a 45 minute buffer before the show to let the food digest. Then I can get all Buddy Rich on everybody!

M: I do actually prefer to perform on an empty stomach… well perhaps it doesn’t have to be entirely empty, but performing while feeling bloated definitely isn’t the way to go. That being said, a little chicken grease can get you playing right behind the beat in the sweet spot. 



What food traditions do you have when you come off stage?


S: Keep it light! Fruit and nuts and things like that. Of course there's always pizza in the dressing room, but I'm not a fan of late night greasy food.


J: We try to get the best a town offers, like cheese steaks in Philly, and pizza in New Haven.

M: Well, it’s not a tradition, but I generally just eat whatever food is lying around from the rider and hope for the best!


Backstage catering can go either way. What makes for good backstage catering and what is the most memorable of your career?


S: Warm meals and good soup make a big difference. Big fan of the soup. Something interesting that happened on our last Canadian tour, we had fajitas four days in a row. All the venues had the same idea, and of course they don't check with each other to find out what we had the previous day.



J: Capers Catering! I feel like they are the ones who really changed the way the backstage food is. Great fresh options for every type of eater.

M: Catering certainly varies in quality level from one venue to the other. I don’t really feel like I should complain either way because it’s nice to get treated to a meal.


What is your favorite country to travel to for the food?


S: Japan all the way. Fresh fish galore. Nothing to complain about there with the fish and the green tea. But Italy is a close second. Best pasta in the world. 


J: Canada, because we have everything you could ever want for great restaurants and cultural food. I head to the coasts for the fish, and everywhere in between for all the other greatness.

M: It’s hard to say what the best country is. Japan is definitely one of the best. France and Italy are up there for me as well. I’ve been lucky to have travelled a lot playing music, and enjoying local cuisine is definitely one of the perks.


What was your favorite home cooked meal growing up?


S: Spaghetti was all I ate as a kid. That and PB&J. I was difficult as a kid. 


J: A dish my dad created called Inca Delight. It was like shepherd’s pie, but with cut potatoes, heavier corn, and red peppers. A classic Taggart dinner!

M: I would have to say gnocchi.



If you have to, what is your fast food of choice?


S: Subway or Dagwoods. At least it doesn't give me a stomach ache.


J: Gandhi Roti in Toronto = food coma!

M: Falafel!


What is a must on the tour bus?


S: Bread and peanut butter for the morning. Then it's all about beer, vodka, and wine. We have to treat our guests right.



J: Cereal, chocolate, nuts, water, sleep!

M: Well one’s laptop is definitely a must. An acoustic guitar in the back lounge is another must! After that I would say that the perfect push-ups are a must because they give you a sense of purpose while killing many hours of travel time.