Too Many Zooz is the viral busking sensation fronted by the inimitable Leo P. on saxophone. Considered a type of “EDM with instruments,” the three musicians are well on their way to music prestige, snaking over 2 million views on their dedicated YouTube channel and hundreds of millions more on unofficial outlets that happened to catch them mid-tune in the New York City subway system they call home.
And in a new era of media, those views matter. It’s given the act the ability to tour worldwide with waiting fans in tow. But touring isn’t new to Leo P. and the rest of the crew, they’ve done it for years. On one stop many moons ago in the Czech Republic, Leo P. remembers a time that didn’t go over so well, one he blames solely on the al-al-al-alcohol.
“The drunkest I ever got was a special time on tour after a show in Prague.
I was actually with a different band than Too Many Zooz at the time, and I started the night drinking heavily before the show: vodka + red bull = one crazy Leo.
I was already very drunk before the show started, and continued to drink during the show — routinely grabbing shots in between songs and refilling my water bottle with vodka. This was a different time for me, a crazy time. Somehow, my 25-year-old self could handle the extreme amount of binge drinking while simultaneously playing a pretty good show.
The beast had been released, to say the least. After the show, we decided to go partying with several fans that started at a small bar where everyone continued drinking heavily. Shot after shot, I abused myself while becoming extremely entertaining — but crazy.
Getting drunk with me can be fun and quite the spectacle, but it can also be extremely scary at the same time. When I black out, sometimes a little demon comes out known as “Greenman” — a nickname coined in high school I believe. If you knew me in high school, this would make a lot sense, because I exclusively wore green. It was a strange obsession.
Anyway, I was drinking and partying with fans at a bar and then decided to go to a crazy late hours club. I danced and danced all night. It was fun but … well, crazy. That is the last thing I remember of the night.
Fast forward to the next morning: I wake up in complete darkness, thinking: “Where am I?”
If you’ve ever blacked out before and woken up somewhere random, you’ll understand it’s frightening. So I look up and see a little sun coming in through a window, revealing that I am in fact in a warehouse. I don't have my phone or anything else in my pockets, including my passport.
I start yelling and screaming, completely freaking out. I stand up and see this door open on the other side of the warehouse. I run across it and find a woman in the doorway of a small room. I start speaking to her but unfortunately she did not speak English. Luckily I found my passport and phone on her desk. I checked the time, it was already 3 hours past the time we were supposed to leave the country. I was freaking out.
After a quick goodbye to the attractive young woman, I rushed out of the warehouse. She showed me the exit and I ran to a nearby busy street. I found a taxi with a driver that spoke a little English, or at least enough to say, “Cash only.” He drove me to an ATM and I grabbed a lot of money. I described the hotel I lived in and luckily he found it.
My band hadn’t left because they were so worried.
Stories like this are why I don't drink anymore.”
Too Many Zooz Upcoming Tour Dates:
Sep 07 – Bluebird Theatre | Denver, CO
Sep 08 – Bluebird Theatre | Denver, CO
Sep 14 – Hume Hotel | Nelson, Canada
Sep 15 – Royal Athletic Park | Victoria, BC
Sep 16 – Royal Athletic Park | Victoria, BC
Sep 17 – TBA | Vancouver, Canada
Sep 26 – Orpheum Theater | Flagstaff, AZ
Sep 27 – Crescent Ballroom | Phoenix, AZ
Sep 29 – El Rey Theatre | Los Angeles, CA
Sep 30 – The Fillmore | San Francisco, CA
Oct 06 – Neptune Theatre | Seattle, WA
Oct 11 – Fine Line | Minneapolis, MN
Oct 13 – Concord Music Hall | Chicago, IL
Oct 17 – Bowery Ballroom | New York, NY
Oct 18 – Music Hall of Williamsburg | Brooklyn, NY
Oct 19 – Royale | Boston, MA
Oct 27 Ryman Auditorium | Nashville, TN
Oct 28 Ryman Auditorium | Nashville, TN
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