From The Vault - Andy Travano 2003

I can't remember exactly when I first met Andy Travano. But, I do remember where I first met him.

Any of you out there who even know me even a little bit know I love two things...routines and sandwiches. So, it should come as no surprise that back in the early 2000s I was going to the same bagel shop, Beatnik's Bagels, every day for a bagel sandwich lunch. That's where I first met Andy.

I don't know how we first started talking but, when you go to the same place every day, you tend to become friendly with the people working there. This was after I had created the band OilCan Drive but before I had the idea of even trying to do anything as tough as the music behind it myself. But the idea of the music at the time intrigued me. So, when I found out Andy was a musician who wrote and sang his own songs, we started talking more.

Andy would do local shows where he would get up on any stage anyone would allow him and sing his songs. I began going to those shows to see my new friend perform.

The first piece of art I did of Andy was at, what he called, one of his "secret shows." These were shows he wouldn't advertise and just show up and play. He wanted to see if he could win over a crowd of people who weren't there just to see Andy the friend. He wanted to win them over as Andy the songwriter and musician.

Once I did this piece Andy commissioned me to do the art for a three song demo EP he was putting together. So, I had him come over, pose for some photos, and did what would become the first CD cover I ever did. And, if you look really close, you can see I used a lot of the art from OilCan Drive as the background images for the CD.

When Beatnik's Bagels closed down I lost touch with Andy. The place closed so quickly that no one, not me, not the other customers, not the people working there, knew what happened. I wasn't sure if I'd ever see Andy again.

But, then, one night while walking over to get a sandwich (I told you...sandwiches) I heard a call from the back door of a restaurant I was walking by. It was Andy, working at his new job in another sandwich shop. He bought me dinner and we caught up.

That fall, when I was ready to buy my first guitar, I called up Andy and asked for his help. We both went to a local music shop and he helped me pick out a Fender Stratocaster.

We've been good friends ever since.

Andy has since moved to Nashville, TN to follow his dream. I still talk to him at least once a month and he has become the one guy I go to when I want to share some new music I'm working on with someone. I miss that he's not closer but I'm glad we still keep in touch.

You can check out some of Andy's music and even buy his first professional CD HERE. I love this album. I even got to sit in the studio one day and watch him record it. It's always an adventure with Andy.