A touring heavy metal band almost met disaster in the middle of nowhere, until a 60-year-old stranger reminded them that there’s still a magical thing called ‘Midwest Nice’.
The Autumn Kings trio had just finished performing at the annual Rock Fest Wisconsin in Chippewa Valley when their van broke down on a rural highway.
They called every mechanic in the area but it required two days to fix the engine—yet they only had ten hours to make it to their next gig, the Upheaval Festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 500 miles away.
Just then, the band witnessed “one of the biggest acts of kindness of their lives,” according to their agent, Brandy Robidoux.
A complete stranger, Ernie, stopped to see if he could help, and ended up giving the band the keys to his Ford Explorer to use for several days—to drive over a thousand miles—so they could finish out their tour.
“The kindness of this one man restored our faith in humanity,” said the band on Facebook.
“With all the things you hear, about how the world is always going to hell, there are truly generous human beings—beyond comprehension,” exclaimed Jake Diab, guitarist and vocalist of the Detroit-based band.
“If it weren’t for Ernie, we wouldn’t have been able to get to Upheaval Festival.
“And Heaven was looking down on us (because) we had what I believe to be the greatest show of our career.”
“Without you (Ernie), it would NOT have been possible!”
When the Autumn Kings returned the red truck to Ernie’s house, they asked him why he wanted to help. It wasn’t just because he had a spare vehicle at home.
“I’ve never met a live band before,” quipped the Wisconsin man in his 60s, “but I just (did it) to help three strangers on the side of the road.”
A fan of the band, Brooke Murray, summed up the Ernie encounter perfectly: “This is the best and most Midwest story I’ve ever heard!”
WATCH the band tell the story below—and learn more about the Autumn Kings’ four LPs on Hopeless Records.
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