likethehotels - TOUR PRANKS

In this Tour Pranks segment, the alternative rock artist, likethehotels, chats about a prank that have happened on tour. You can check out the story below:

Years ago, I was on tour with my old band Visitors and our friends in Heartless Breakers. This was the first time I had ever gotten to travel further East than Colorado, and I was very excited about seeing as much of the country as I could (even if it was from the back of various gas stations). In particular, I had never seen the Mississippi River, and I had asked the van if they didn't mind stopping when we reached the river to sightsee and grab some pictures. We had left Des Moines for Chicago quite early in the morning, and most people were stoked to have some quiet time inside the van to nap.

About halfway through Iowa, my friend Chris taps me on the shoulder and says "Wake up, man. It's beautiful. The Ol' Missessip."
I looked out the window and saw we had slowed to a crawl with a bridge crossing up ahead. It was verdant and overgrown, so I couldn't really see too well, but I started putting on my shoes.
"We'll stop on the other side. There's probably better parking," one of my bandmates said. I finished lacing my boots and peered out the window. This was no great river. This was a creek.
"This looks a little small, doesn't it?" I said.
"Oh, you're right. My bad. I must have made a mistake. It looks like it's a few miles out still." Chris said with what sounded like a chuckle.

A little while later, I hear "There it is. The Ol' Missessip." I half woke up and reached for my shoes out of instinct. I got one laced up and became suspicious. The van wasn't slowing down. Nobody else seemed to be looking out the windows. I peered out the window, and again saw that we were coming up on a small creek.
"It's smaller than I remember. It must be low this time of year." Chris said, his voice cracking.
"Almost got me again, Chris." I said, laughing.
We chuckled, and I went back to sleep.

A few hours later, I woke up to a cacophony.
"Aw man. Come on, guys. He's gonna miss it." someone shouts.
"He was so excited about it, too." I hear.
I fly into action and peer out the windows.
"You slept through it, man. The Ol' Missessip. I was barely waking up too or I would have woken you up. We'll have to stop on the way back, but it'll probably be at night." Chris said.
I was dumbstruck. How could I have fallen asleep through it? How come nobody else thought woke me up?
I looked out the windows and sure enough, I could see a large verdant line behind me and what appeared to be a bridge.
"Thanks, assholes." I said, disappointed and rolled back into my pillow.
"Oh shit. There it is! The Ol' Missessip! Look!" Chris said.
"Naw dude. It's not funny no more." I grumbled.
"No. Look up."
There on a roadsign it read: MISSISSIPPI RIVER 50mi
We hadn't even gotten there. Chris had gotten the whole van in on the joke while I was sleeping.
Fucker got me real good.
I love that guy.

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