There is a moment before a great show when everything feels almost too calm.
Stepping onto the tour bus of LANCO before their show at Touch of Texas in Binghamton, I expected motion. Maybe even controlled chaos. Instead, I walked into ease. The guys were relaxed. Watching sports. Talking. Laughing. The kind of atmosphere you would expect in a living room, not backstage before a packed room. When I asked if it was always this chill before a show, Brandon Lancaster smiled and described it as “the quiet before the storm.” It was the perfect description.
The night before, they had spent two hours watching “The Office.” And at that stop, their green room had a literal tiger enclosure attached to it. A zoo venue. A tiger visible through the window. No tiger in Binghamton. Just basketball on TV and a calm bus. But the calm is deceptive. Because I know when LANCO hits the stage, the storm absolutely arrives.
Smaller Rooms, Stronger Connection
LANCO has played massive festival crowds, including Barefoot Country Music Fest, where the audience stretches beyond sight. Those moments carry their own electricity. But on the bus, they spoke about how much they appreciate rooms like Touch of Texas, where you can actually see faces in the crowd. There is something different about that intimacy. You can lock eyes with someone singing every word. You can watch the reaction ripple across the room. Then Brandon added something that made everyone laugh. In smaller venues, the merch is simply more accessible. At festivals, it can feel like it is a mile away. In a club, fans can grab a hoodie and stay right in the action without missing half the show. He also said, he’s got a 2 year old–so please by some merch! It was funny. LANCO thrives on proximity. They lean into connection and they are authentic and REAL. Make no mistake, no matter the venue size, they connect. It is who they are.
LANCO above at Barefoot Country Music Fest, June 2025
“Careers Catapult”
At one point, I asked who they most enjoyed touring with or opening for. The answer flipped the script. Instead of listing artists they had opened for, they began listing artists who had opened for them. Morgan Wallen. Jordan Davis. Then Brandon delivered the punchline with effortless timing. “We take credit,” he joked, laughing about how when artists open for LANCO, their careers catapult. When Luke Combs came up, Brandon added, “He closed for us.”
The bus erupted.
It was clearly humor. Confident, playful, rooted in shared history. Those artists did share early stages with LANCO. Careers evolved. Headlining orders shifted. But the joke worked because it carried no ego. It carried perspective. LANCO has been in the rooms before the stadiums. They have seen waves of artists rise. And they have built something steady and enduring of their own. The exchange was sharp and genuine. The kind of moment that reminds you that longevity gives you stories. And timing.
Ritual Before the Lights
Before every show, the band gathers their instruments, circles up, prays together, and shares what they call a historical word of encouragement. That phrase sparked another round of laughter during our conversation. The reference might range from Winston Churchill to scripture, often leaning into American history, occasionally prompting playful correction about whether the figure qualifies. It is grounding. Intentional. A quiet centering before the volume rises. Then they cheer and walk toward the stage.
When the Storm Hits
If you have never seen LANCO live, it is difficult to fully explain what happens next. The calm dissolves. The energy ignites. They do not simply perform songs. They move into the crowd. They invite participation. They blur the line between stage and audience in a way that feels instinctive, not scripted. Every time they step off the stage and into the middle of the room, the audience tightens around them. People are not just watching. They are part of it. Hands down, it is one of the strongest live band performances you can see.
Gratitude, Mutual and Real
As our interview wrapped, I thanked them sincerely for allowing me onto the bus. For their time. For their openness. They immediately thanked me for coming. There was no hierarchy in the exchange. No sense of access being granted as a favor. Just mutual respect. Professional to professional. Human to human. As I made my way back toward the pit, I ran into Willie Tate, a supporting artist on the tour and brother of LANCO drummer Tripp Howell. I had wandered into the wrong backstage section, and he quickly and kindly redirected me without hesitation. The warmth was consistent. The humility was consistent. That is what draws me to a band like LANCO. They know who they are. They know what they have built. And they connect with people because they genuinely see them.
On the bus, they are calm and intentional. On stage, they are electric. And somewhere between the quiet before the storm and the roar of the crowd, you understand exactly why they continue to resonate. Because the connection is real.
For more, checkout https://lancomusic.com/ for latest news and info on this latest tour “Call You A Friend Tour.”
