The Good Life – March-April 2019

“My fiancé and I had a discussion.
She wanted a Chihuahua
and I wanted a pit bull, so we
compromised and got the
Chihuahua.”
Good Life: Are you more of a dog
or hamster person?
Travis Hopkins: I currently have
my first dog ever. My fiancé and I had a
discussion. She wanted a Chihuahua and I
wanted a pit bull, so we compromised and got
the Chihuahua. But I love that little thing. She’s 6
pounds of pure entertainment. She puts up with my
antics and understands I’m a goofball. If I want to take
a selfie, she’ll do this cute little pose and stay still. She
knows me so well already.
GL: What’s your hidden talent?
TH: Well, speaking of dogs, I think I’m really good at barking.
GL: Can I hear it?
TH: (Imagine him barking really well in the middle of Brewhalla)
GL: That was really good.
TH: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “Is there a dog in here?”
GL: What’s your non-hidden talent?
TH: I would have to say drums. I grew up in a musical family. My grandpa played with
Lawrence Welk. My dad was a radio DJ, played in powwow groups, and was a drummer in
small bands around the Midwest. I grew up with a musical influence and pushed it as far as I
could. I’ve been told I’m one of the best steering-wheel drummers you’ve ever heard.
GL: How did you go from being a musician to a marketer?
TH: We were on tour on the East Coast and opening for folks like C.C. DeVille of Poison, Cinderella—
older school bands. In that time, you learn how to do marketing and that nobody’s going to come to your
show unless you’re promoting and advertising yourself. It led me to be the live music coordinator for
the Hard Rock Café when I lived in New York City. I still loved playing drums, performing, touring and
recording, but at some point, I didn’t want to be a broke musician and realized I was less broke when I
was the coordinator.
GL: How did you get into acting and on an episode of “The Sopranos”?
TH: When I worked at the Hard Rock Café, there were casting agents that were always coming in after work.
One of them approached me and asked, “Hey, are you an actor?” I just smiled and said no. The bartender,
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