I first saw Okkervil River play at South-By-Southwest 2004, some smaller place where bands played at floor-level - the Electric Lounge, maybe?. I’m probably confusing my venues w/ my own ancient ‘90s history. And I guess I probably met them that night but don’t remember (a theme). But I do know I met them, and definitely met Travis, when our band, and me solo, played with them a bunch of times in the years right after that.
Travis was, at least as I remember it, sorta the business person/tour manager-y one in those early years (…?), so if you were talking stuff to set up a show or logistics once you got there, you tended to be talking at some point with Travis. And what I definitely DO remember, clearly, was that it was just so immediately apparent that he was one of the sweetest, most good-natured people I’ve ever met.
It’s a cliche` in these sort of things - understandably since we’re all writing them in sorta shell-shock that the person’s gone and that something even needs to be written - to say something along the lines of “they always had a smile and a sweet greeting for everyone” but as anyone who knew him or even just met him can attest, it was absolutely true. I can honestly only picture him smiling.
[all my older photos are currently inaccessible due what’s going on. Just picture one of him, outside a van or something, and smiling]
In 2008, I filled in as guitar-for-hire in Okkervil (replacing the wonderful Brian Cassidy) for a tour & shows that spring & summer. I stayed at Travis' place for the couple days of rehearsal and then we were in a tour bus for a good month during which I got to know him a bunch better and it was just…I don’t know…not a facade or an act or politeness. He was just so sincerely a sweetheart that it made me better being around him. And again, if I remember right, it was Travis who pushed for me to be the fill-in and for which, coming in one of my own ‘down’ times re: music, I am forever grateful.
Crap, I haven’t even talked about his drumming! Somehow, even with Will up front, Travis was often the center of the storm on stage - not through crazy technique or even some fake showiness for its own sake but, just as he was off-stage, a genuine joy and enthusiasm in being in a band, that band, playing those songs - that you couldn’t help watch him. And I say that as someone who watched, at least for that short wonderful few months, from onstage.
It’s all just so sad and my heart goes out to the friends and family who really knew him well and were lucky enough to have spent real time with him. I won’t forget mine.