Performing night after night in new cities isn’t the easiest thing. Hours on the road, hours on stage—touring is an art form within itself. So, we’re kicking off a new series, Tour Essentials, where our favorite artists tell us their tips, hacks, and must-haves for being on the road. We got the chance to speak with Maya Simone, who’s just kicking off a Sofar tour on the east coast in the U.S. Creative merch tables, good lotions, and old cameras—here are a few of Maya Simone’s tour essentials:
The art of the merch table.
Maya Simone: Must have my merch. I like my merchandise table to be an experience. I like it to be a place where I’m engaging with people—and so, and that changes depending on the show. I’m definitely a DIY kind of person, arts and crafts kind of person, and I like bringing stuff like that to Sofar shows. So, my QR codes and my little, cute little frames that I make and stuff like that, those things, but, just ways people can connect with me and we can continue our relationship and our connection. That is a must have, the first thing I need to make sure I have because it’s really important to me not only that I put on a good performance, but that I connect with the people and we can maintain those connections. So making sure I have those tools to make that an easy and effective process.
The self-care necessities.
I would say my Maya wellness package. My tea—gotta have the tea. Have to have the mug. I bring my own mug everywhere I go. Everywhere I go. Have to have the tea, have to have the mug. You gotta have the honey. Sometimes these places—you just never know, ok? My tea care package, have to have my shea butter—I love smelling good. I love love love, and I encourage everyone [to] take some time when you get out of the shower, really intentionally love on yourself when you moisturize. I moisturize for at least 10 minutes. Anyway, my moisturizer, my skincare products, my hair products—I am also a person that loves changing my hair often, sometimes I’m rockin the fro, sometimes I’m rockin the locks, sometimes I’m rockin my little baby fro, you never know. Whatever hair products I need for that, that is a must have. Also, I’m a person that has sensitive skin, so I don’t always get the privilege of going anywhere and picking up anything.
Documenting every moment.
My laptop, my laptop, my laptop, and my speaker, a way to play music. Recently, I just resparked a love for the old school Kodak film cameras. So, a way to document the experience. Rather that is—sometimes I’m a notebooker, I write everything down, sometimes I’m a film person, sometimes I’m a video person—I don’t know, it just depends. So, a way to document the experience because every tour date always feels so aligned and divine, and it’s moments that are like, I can’t believe that happened, but I believe that happened, you know what i mean? But it’s this beautiful moment. So, a way to document the experience.
Setting the intention.
Must have to bring with me, some sort of vision or intention. Why am I going to this place? What am I standing on while I’m here? What am I believing? So bringing a vision.
Ready to see Maya Simone live? Here are her secret shows…
- May 3rd, 2023 | Philadelphia, PA
- May 6th, 2023 | Washington D.C.
- May 12th, 2023 | NYC
- May 13th, 2023 | NYC
- May 18th, 2023 | Philadelphia, PA
- May 19th, 2023 | Washington D.C.
- May 26th, 2023 | Baltimore, MD
- June 9th, 2023 | Boston, MA
- June 10th, 2023 | Boston, MA
Words by Sofar Editorial Team
