The Adventure Experiment

Musician, songwriter and producer John Arthur Martinez recently shared songs from his latest CD Purgatory Road in Europe. Become a fan here.

1. Tell us about a recent experience that qualifies as an adventure.

My best laid plans during my recent tour of Switzerland, France and Austria made me feel more like a mouse than a man for a short while.

Thursday, November 18, 2010: We traveled to Einsiedeln, Swizterland, from near Lucerne and witnessed a most impressive mass sung by the monks, young and old, of the Kloster Maria Einsiedeln. Afterward we set-up our equipment, did a sound check, then went to dinner with Ronald, the proprietor of the venue of our show, to his favorite four-star restaurant overlooking the monastery. That night at the Dorfkeller bar they wouldn’t let us off the stage.

John Arthur and his band members waited in the historic French city of Belforte while their autobus was repaired.

We declined a Friday show so that we could use that day to leisurely drive to our Saturday show in Le Mans, France—this was our best laid plan. Friday morning, we were up at sunlight to enjoy Kaffee and breakfast at the Hotel Widder in Kussnacht, then we packed and headed for the French border. Unfortunately, not long after we crossed into France our drummer’s French-made autobus began coughing and sputtering so we pulled off the road into the tiny village of Fontaine and there we discovered an issue with the air quality control exhaust system which stopped us in our tracks.

The nearby Peugot Service Center called an independent wrecker and driver who spoke only French, he towed us 15 kilometers; yes, while we were inside the automobile still, into Belforte and there we were forced to rent a replacement Mercedes van so we could make it into LeMans by midnight. It was a month’s worth of experiences rolled into one full moon day and night. We didn’t make it into Le Mans until midnight where we were greeted to a hero’s welcome by our French hosts. By that time all the fine local restaurants were closed so we settled for burgers and French fries–no, not from McDonald’s.

Our intimate tour of the old city of Le Mans, founded in the 2nd Century, our tour of the Le Mans track and our noon-time meal in the home of host were topped only by the standing ovations we received by the country music enthusiasts present at our show.

2. How do adventurous experiences affect your perspective on everyday life?

I savor the aroma and first sip of coffee every morning, ground fresh. I take the stairs instead of the escalator. I try to make everyday life adventurous when possible.

3. Name one way that people can make their normal lives more interesting.

When in Le Mans it’s easy to keep life interesting, but when you’re closer to home try the frog legs instead of the chicken fried steak next time. Instead of taking the interstate from Central Texas, for example, take the alternate parallel route, U.S. 281, through the small towns and stop for lunch there on the square. Patronize the mom and pops.

4. Can you tell us about an adventure that sounded great on paper but somehow went wrong?

I received a call earlier than expected from the photography shop in Austin, Texas, that my photos for the artwork of my acoustic recording were ready. Excited about the completion of my first recording project available to the public, I hopped into my black Nissan truck and made it over the Pedernales River Bridge on U.S. 71, over a hill and around a curve where I was confronted by an eighteen wheeler in the middle of a U-turn. As I slammed into the breaks it was clear that the middle section of the trailer would take off the cab of my truck, but as I skidded toward him there was nothing I could do.

The driver saw me, and sped up just in time for me to collide with the double tire set of the trailer. My vehicle, like a Mexican accordion, collapsed onto my chest, but meeting the rubber of the tires squarely absorbed the shock and left only the impression of the steering wheel on my chest. Nothing more. No broken bones. No blood.

5. When you’re 80 years old (or if you’re already there, add few years) what adventure memory will you tell repeatedly?

All of the oldtimers and youngsters within an earshot will hear me share the second half of the previous tale, the tale of the collision with the eighteen-wheeler. The rest of the story involves my search for a replacement truck. Living in Marble Falls, I wisely bought a copy of the Austin American-Statesman. Our small town would have too few choices, so I thought. I’m almost sure the first item I circled was, a Ford Ranger, low miles, with a camper shell for my music equipment. I called the Austin number.

It turns out the owner thought he would find more buyers in the Austin area so he posted the listing in the American-Statesman giving his father’s Austin number. They drove the truck back to the Marble Falls location of the owner, the son, where I test drove it and made my decision. The owner revealed that he worked for a software company specializing in recording programs and he offered to sweeten the deal with a complimentary recording package. I accepted his offer, bought the truck, and in my first drive as new owner of the used Ford Ranger as I was driving away from previous owner’s home I heard my song, “The Ride,” on the radio….“Even if we never reach our destination the reward is in the ride.”