Nordista Freeze’s Record-Breaking Tour Will Reach Every State in 30 Days
Written by Yukthi
Eight years ago, a teenager had a dream he’d never quit—visiting every state in the country on tour. He learned that George Thorogood accomplished such a feat in 50 days in 1981, and Nordista Freeze thought he could do the same. He talked about it with his friends and community, and after seven years, he thought, “Why not skip all the waiting in between?” That’s exactly what he’s doing this May: breaking the record by covering all states in 30 days.
Freeze was a college student when he conceived this idea. While starting his journey as a musical artist in high school, he was quickly coined as the “DIY guy” based on the shows he performed at the time. “We would play anywhere that would book us. We would play at coffee shops and parks and frozen yogurt spots,” Freeze said. “I grew up in Nashville, and by the time I reached college, I had that ethos in my mind of, like, ‘I'll throw a show anywhere.’ I was having trouble booking venues, and it reached a point where I just kept doing houses and warehouses.”
At first, this was a little discouraging to Freeze as a young adult wanting to grow into a famous artist. “I felt like I was put into a box of, like, ‘oh, he's a DIY guy.’ So I kind of ran away from it for a while,” he explained. After some time of getting a booking agent and management, he started playing clubs and going on tour, really trying to professionally build up his touring.
That didn’t last forever, though. “As time has gone on, and I'm a little bit older, I've had a full circle moment of, ‘Maybe I am a DIY guy, you know?’ Like, what does that even mean?” Freeze said. ”I'm down to—I want to create culture with the least restrictions possible.” This is what the upcoming month is all about: having an accessible approach to create community in music. “Almost all of this tour is done in independent spots like bookstores, record stores... I'm even playing at a mini golf place in Portland—just lots of absurd and fun spots,” he laughed.
Much of the booking was done by contacting the friends he’s made in various regions across the country. He made a series of posts online announcing the date for each state’s show, garnering help with finding eccentric venues through a “modern approach.” Typically, an artist’s team would book all the dates, make a tour poster, and announce the poster and ticket sale information. For Freeze, “I needed people's help, and I also felt like it built momentum, which I think so far has proved successful—bringing people into the mix and showing them this is how you book it.”
As a creative person, Freeze has encountered his share of internal struggles during the past several years. “You have this thing in you as an artist where you literally can't stop. Like, none of us can stop making art,” he said. “There is this understanding that if we work hard enough, and if we put enough of our heart and soul into it, then it would pay off at least somewhat in a way that you'd be able to take care of yourself.”
Nonetheless, because of factors such as the music business and general economic world, “I have this nihilism towards the industry,” he said. “You have so many friends who are giving you everything they've got, and the result isn't arriving.” Freeze hopes this tour brings some anticipation and aspiration to the artist community. “That’s why I'm making most of the shows free—I'm hoping to come out even. I have this dream, and I'm gonna do it,” he stated.
He referenced David Byrne’s beliefs on artistic, musical, and performance innovations deriving out of necessity, often born from constraints or physical limitations. “Whatever my circumstances are is how I'm going to create. Doing a big crazy DIY tour... that's what I know how to do, and they’re the cards that have been dealt. But I'm also using it in a really fun and creative way that speaks to me,” Freeze said.
Also shining a glimmer of hope for him is the travel throughout the tour: “In a Jack Kerouac kind of way, this country is a gorgeous place to drive through. And if you take the time to go to weird, underground cultural things, you'll see there's actually a lot of community to be had and a lot of culture to be had.” Freeze has yet to visit Alaska, Hawaii, Delaware, and Maine, and he has yet to play shows in Wyoming, North Dakota, and Rhode Island.
This record-breaking venture is set to begin in Alabama on May 3, with the final stop in Hawaii on May 31. Freeze has played 918 shows as of this publication, and he’s excited to work towards his 1000th show during what may be his magnum opus, bringing in communities of all kinds to join him wherever he stops in the states.
