Rob Drabkin – CRAZY TOUR STORIES

In this Crazy Tour Stories segment, the singer-songwriter, Rob Drabkin, talks about one of his crazy moments from touring. You can check out the feature, after the break.

Bill Murray Waiting Tables – by Rob Drabkin

Wait. What? Yes. Just when I thought life couldn’t get any stranger, it did. I had just returned from performing for the first time in the Middle East (Doha, Qatar – one of the mast fascinating and amazing places I’ve ever toured). On my way home to Denver, CO, I stopped by Charleston, SC to visit my mom and dad. Their move eight years ago to Charleston had given me the chance to bring my music to a new city and explore one of the most culturally rich places in the US. The kindness, the beauty, and the sites of Charleston stand on their own, but the food scene right now is on fleek. (I hate that I just said that.)

That brings us to Bill Murray. Three houses down from my mom and dad, on the corner of President and Congress, stood a dilapidated drug store that shut down long ago. Over the course of eight years, this place did nothing more than creep out the neighborhood. It was clear that all it needed was an investor, but no one knew who it would be. Eventually, a buyer took the place over, spruced it up, and now we have Harold’s Cabin. This “cabin” is a quirky three-story farm-to-table restaurant that could easily star in a Wes Anderson film. There are nooks, crannies, jackrabbits, and jokes for sale. Who might this mysterious investor be? BFM, of course.

Billy Murray is known for making appearances in Charleston. He calls the city home and happens to also own the city’s minor league baseball team, the River Dogs. As I was about to head downtown to send out some emails, a little voice in my head said, “Maybe, just maybe, Bill Murray is at the restaurant today.” On a hunch, I ran upstairs to get my mom and we walked over to Harold’s Cabin. We opened the door and there he was. The one and only Bill Murray waiting tables.

Starstruck, we decided we were suddenly very hungry and put our names in. As we waited, my mom and I plotted my introduction. Knowing of his longtime fandom, I decided my best bet would be to name-drop Big Head Todd and the Monsters (Colorado). Before making our way to our seats, I mustered up the guts to introduce myself, connect the dots, and insist we take a photo to send to Todd. Mom snapped one picture (yes, she only took one) and Bill proceeded to tell ‘your momma’ jokes… to my mom. He then rushed back to the kitchen and yelled, “Our biggest restaurant critics are here!” And that is how I met Bill Murray while on tour.

P.S. The food is terrific.

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