Merch Guy Forgotten at Gas Station Adjusting to Life in Lawrence, Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Former merch guy Josh Hall is slowly adjusting to his new life in Lawrence, Kan. after being accidentally left at a gas station nearly two months ago, according to sources close to the misplaced friend of the band.

Hall had been on tour with Los Angeles-based Orange Violet when he was forgotten at the Phillips 66 off of I-70 in March. By the time the glam-revival band realized their mistake, however, they were well on their way to their next stop in Louisville, Ky. and unable to turn back.

“He’s like our best friend; he’s like a second brother to me. But we have to separate professional and personal business,” said frontman Chris Jensen. “We didn’t have the time or money to double back. The show must go on, as they say.”

After several days of allegedly agonizing pleas to the band to rescue him, followed by weeks of unanswered phone calls to his former home in southern Connecticut, Hall resigned himself to his new life in Lawrence. Fortunately, he’s found temporary housing in assorted basements and on various living room floors, using his resourcefulness gained from years on DIY tours.

“Everyone told me touring was a waste of time, but I proved them wrong,” Hall said. “You have to network to survive on the road, and I put those skills to work. I even lined up a gig power-washing trucks by the rest stop off the turnpike. Couldn’t have done that if I didn’t tour.”

Hall’s new employer has so far been impressed with the former merch guy’s work ethic.

“One thing I love about him — he’s really good at the jobs nobody else wants to do,” said Jeff Murphy, maintenance manager of the Topeka/Kansas City corridor of the Kansas Turnpike. “I didn’t expect him to last. He looked like just another city boy, with the softest hands I ever seen.”

In his brief, unexpected time in Kansas, Hall has learned to appreciate his surroundings.

“I used to be an asshole coastie. I’d call Kansas ‘flyover country.’ But I really dig it here now,” Hall said. “I don’t miss the L.A. traffic or bar prices, and Massachusetts St. is great. Oh, did you know Amazon Prime Two-Day shipping transfers here? It blew my mind, dude!”

Hall’s latest project is organizing a weekly organic farmer’s market in downtown Lawrence, as he seeks to merge a “dope farming scene” with his networking savvy.

“This city needs a central spot where everyone can get together and show off their produce,” he said. “And a place where I can set up my distro, so I can make some cash on the side.”