Tickle Me Pink Tour Back On After Death

Chastened after bandmate’s death, but tickled pink to get back to work.

By Blurt Staff

Although bassist Johnny Schou recently passed away, Fort Collins-based pop/punk outfit Tickle Me Pink has, after a proper mourning period, announced plans to move ahead and has hired a replacement, Joey Barba. Noting that Schou “would have wanted it this way,” the band is firm about fulfilling its touring commitments to support its Wind-Up Records debut Madeline. The tour will re-start this week in San Diego and run well into September; a full list of dates is below.

Singer Sean Kennedy observed, in a statement, “Johnny always wanted to bring purpose to other people's lives.  He had a quiet leadership that lives in all of us as a band. His legacy is in his music and every show we play we are sharing a piece of Johnny's heart with our listeners. Not only would he want us to carry on, but we owe it to him. We have had to do some major soul searching as a band. We not only have lost a band member, but our best friend. The process is just beginning. We will never be able to replace Johnny, but through this tragedy we have all grown even closer together and are going to make him proud.” 

Drummer Stefan Runstrom added, “Following a period of mourning over the loss of a great friend, it was only natural to want to move on. For two weeks, we were wrapped up in what seemed to be an enormous setback for our band. Now, it's proven to be more of an opportunity to unite and see something through till the end.” 

Of the selection of Barba, a longtime friend of the band, Kennedy states, “Joey has been a long time band friend. His old band, The Brotherhood of Dae Han, and Tickle Me Pink have grown up playing shows together. Through this, we have all made a special bond, especially with Joey. He appears on our nationally released live DVD on a few songs, and was in the studio with us during some of the recordings. Joey is not only a brilliant player; he is a great friend to us and was to Johnny. Johnny would want it this way if he could somehow have a say.”

Says Runstrom, “Joey has been a great friend of ours and Johnny's since the very beginning. In addition to being an amazing musician with reputable songwriting ability, he is also one of the nicest guys I know.”

Summarizes Kennedy, “It is somewhat ironic that many of our songs deal with death and a higher purpose. We don't think it is a coincidence that these songs came about on our record. We want to let the world know how short life is; embrace the ones you love and treasure each moment without regret.”

The 22-year old Schou was found dead in his Colorado home on July 1, the same day that Madeline was released. Initial medical reports as to the cause of death were inconclusive and a toxicology investigation was ordered. The band camp remained mum in terms of speculation although Runstron told a reporter at the time, "Obviously everybody who knows Johnny knows that he had a lot of struggles in his life. There were various things going on.”

Tickle Me Pink Tour Dates:

7/18        SAN DIEGO, CA                 SOMA

7/19        POMONA, CA                                      THE GLASS HOUSE

7/20        POMONA, CA                                      THE GLASS HOUSE

7/22        ST. GEORGE, UT                                THE ELECTRIC THEATER

7/23        LOAS VEGAS, NV                              HOUSE OF BLUES

7/24        LOS ANGELES, CA                            THE KEY CLUB

7/25        VENTURA, CA                                    MAJESTIC VENTURA THEATER

7/26        SAN JOSE, CA                                     PBSJ

7/27        SAN FRANCISCO, CA                      SLIM’S

7/28        SACRAMENTO, CA                          THE BOARDWALK

7/30        PORTLAND, OR                 HAWTHORNE THEATER

7/31        SEATTLE, WA                                    EL CORAZON

8/01        BOISE, ID                                             THE BIG EASY

8/02        SALT LAKE CITY, UT                      AVALON THEATER

8/03        DENVER, CO                                       CERVANTE’S MASTERPIECE BALLROOM

8/04        ALBUQUERQUE, NM                       SUNSHINE THEATER

8/27        ST. PAUL, MN                                     STATION 4

8/28        CHICAGO, IL                                      METRO

8/29        DETROIT, MI                                      ST. ANDREWS HALL

8/30        CLEVELAND, OH                              HOUSE OF BLUES

8/31        BUFFALO, NY                                     XTREME WHEELZ

9/02        CAMBRIDGE, MA                             MIDDLE EAST

9/03        NEW YORK, NY                 IRVING PLAZA

9/04        BALTIMORE, MD                             RAMS HEAD LIVE!

9/05        SAYREVILLE, NJ                               STARLAND BALLROOM

9/06        PHILADELPHIA, PA                         TROCADERO THEATER

9/07        NORFOLK, VA                                    NORVA THEATER

9/09        CHARLOTTE, NC                              TREMONT MUSIC HALL

9/10        NASHVILLE, TN                                ROCKETOWN

9/11        ATLANTA, GA                                    MASQUERADE MUSIC PARK

9/12        LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL                HOUSE OF BLUES

9/13        ST. PETERSBURG, FL                      STATE THEATER

9/14        FT. LAUDERDALE, FL                     CULTURE ROOM

9/16        METAIRE, LA                                     THE HIGH GROUND

9/17        HOUSTON, TX                                    MERIDIAN

9/18        DALLAS, TX                                        HOUSE OF BLUES

9/19        SAN ANTONIO, TX                            WHITE RABBIT

9/20        AUSTIN, TX                                         ANTONES