Parmalee | Superstar Power Hour

Parmalee recently wrapped their time on tour with legendary band, Train, and the guys still can’t get over what a perfect fit it was for them on the road.  “So much fun, such good guys,” Parmalee told Audacy’s Katie Neal during this week’s Superstar Power Hour. “It just made complete sense. We knew when they asked us if we wanted to go on tour with them, I was like, ‘Absolutely!’ Because I knew their audience would be a lot of our audience.”  Not only was it a perfect fit for the fans, the guys were happy to take notes from some of their biggest icons.  “The main thing you learn is what it takes to put on a great 90-minute set… and just performing. Pat [Monahan] is a great performer,” said lead singer, Matt Thomas.  “It’s almost like he took us under his wing a little bit,” Josh McSwain added. “He would tell us his stories about coming up and how it used to be before they had all the success and everything. It was really interesting.” As the guys clearly created a close bond with Monahan, they admit they were still starstruck by being around him every night.  “Passing by [him] in the hallway, it’s like ‘Oh, hey! That’s Pat!’” Laughed Thomas.  Admitting to being starstruck by Pat brought up some other memories for the guys who said people have been starstruck by them… but only because of mistaken identities.  “We were playing this festival with Dierks Bentley and I was in the bathroom,” McSwain shared of one of his fondest memories. “He comes up behind me and goes, ‘Hey, man!’ [and] I was like, ‘No Way! Dierks Bentley knows who we are.’ I turn around and I’m like, ‘Hey!’ And he goes, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were Gary Allen.”  Not quite, Dierks! A much more common mistake the guys have been running into is drummer, Scott, regular being called Aaron Rodgers.   “Aaron Rodgers back here,” the guys said, pointing to Scott. “He’s getting that a lot these days!”  “I’d say it’s every other day,” responded Scott. “The TSA says it, the stewadess says it — I mean, just a lot of people in general. It’s the hat turned around and the beard, I guess.”  Hear more about the band’s mistaken identities, recent tour dates, new album and more by checking out their full conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal for the Superstar Power Hour above.  Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal