The Art of Touring Issue #41

Edited by Sara Jaffe & Mia Clark

By Mairead Case
Published: September 1st, 2009 | 3:28pm

The Art of Touring, new on Yeti Publishing’s Square Root imprint, is a book and DVD about constantly moving. Edited by Sara Jaffe and Mia Clarke (of Erase Errata and Electrelane, respectively), and featuring their friends and tourmates, Touring paints a demystified, and occasionally tortured portrait of life on the road. It’s brim-full of generous wanderlust and observation — I wanted to share a beer on a porch with almost everyone.

The parts that shine are ones where folks look past their chosen mirrors and gut reactions to comment thoughtfully or cleverly — via diary, Polaroid, backstage footage, etc. — on their experiences. Especially tops are Munaf Rayani’s jeweled photography, Sara Marcus’ Tender Buttonesque piece about (not) getting laid, Carla Bozulich taking a heckler to task, and the contents of Beth Murphy’s backpack (“a flag from our country, a manifesto, skulls and gemstones, and three highlighters”). Other contributors include Johanna Fateman, Nick Zinner, Thurston Moore, Jean Smith, and Drew Daniel. Touring is the perfect speedy, hot read — or gift for your little sister’s new band. — Mairead Case