Deep down inside, Stay has a rock and roll heart
The Clash inspired our ‘Working Hard in Harrisburg Tee’
A candidate for elective office stopped by the Stay tent in mid-August, when we were set up at Market On Chocolate in downtown Hershey.
He was alone, speaking behind a mask decorated with his name, passing out campaign literature.
What Stay does has some parallels to being a candidate, as we’re putting ourselves out for public consumption and essentially asking consumers to vote for us with their hard-earned dollars. We even came up with a Vote for Stay button, available free at all of our appearances.
At other times, especially when I’m raising or tearing down the big blue Stay tent, I feel like I’m in the circus.
But most of all, to paraphrase Lou Reed, deep down inside, Stay’s got a rock and roll heart. We can’t play any instruments and only write song titles, not lyrics, but we’re a band nonetheless and inspired by our rock heroes.
A little Elvis
In summer 2017, in the days and weeks leading up to our debut, I folded dozens and dozens of tees (we soon learned to be more judicious with inventory). Playing in the background most often was the then-new record “A Deeper Understanding” by Philadelphia’s The War on Drugs.
Our first York tee, “Mighty Like the White Rose City,” is based on the title of an Elvis Costello record. Our first Harrisburg tee, “Working Hard in Harrisburg,” invokes The Clash (invoking the nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island). Even though our Ben’s Bolt Tee ostensibly honors Benjamin Franklin, there’s a little Elvis Presley “taking care of business in a flash” behind it, too.
An Elvis Costello record inspired the verbiage on our original York tee.
We often work song lyrics into our social media posts, with subtle homages to the likes of Aztec Camera, the Go-Betweens and R.E.M.
Like any respectable, ambitious band, we tour relentlessly, cling to our ideals (namely, our iron-clad commitment to Made in the USA), and strive to do right by our fans by delivering the best in customer service.
Yup, just a rock and roll heart, lookin’ for a good time.