Boot Hill Saloon Welcomes Gunshine For Biketoberfest

Gunshine is returning to Daytona Beach—this time for Biketoberfest. On Oct. 17, the Florida-based rock foursome will close out day two of the four-day rally at one of the most biker-friendly bars down on Main Street, the Boot Hill Saloon.

Across From The Cemetery refers to the Pinewood Cemetery directly across the street from the saloon. It has some members of the Day family buried there. Mathias Day is the founder of Daytona Beach.

Oh, and a member of the band is a motorcycle enthusiast, drummer Tommy Salzburg. He replied via social media that he owns a 2016 Road Glide Ultra, a 2017 Heritage Softail Classic, and "I keep my late father's bike in Chicago, a 2002 Dyna Super Glide."

Salzburg estimates that he rides around 10,000 miles per year, but not when he is touring, as he can't transport both his ride and drum kit. Which meant for a chunk of the summer he didn't get to ride as Gunshine played 21 shows in 35 days ending in mid-August, including a gig at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The band's tour across the U.S. was their first as a headliner after supporting the likes of Buckcherry, Steel Panther and the former lead singer of Cinderella, Tom Keifer. It was working with Keifer that brought Gunshine to Daytona last year for a night at the Peabody Auditorium.

The crowd's response to Gunshine that evening was electric. Digital creator and one-half of the Foodie Couple, Raj Gohill, was won over. Gohill commented that Gunshine, "Brings hope back for that type of music. Reminds me of the old days."

Born in Daytona Beach, guitarist Austin Ingerman grew up in the Florida Panhandle.

The type of music the band plays is ever-changing. "There really is no formula," guitarist Austin Ingerman said during a recent phone conversation.

"That's sort of the thing with Gunshine, that I think is a big philosophy of mine," Ingerman continued. "There's no specific sound necessarily. Sure, we have influences, we have certain things that'll kind of be a part of us. But the fun to me, of making music, is always just writing what comes out and for us that can be anything."

He dispelled the notion that fans can expect their first two releases — the eponymous LP, Gunshine, or their follow-up EP, Checkmate — to be an indication of how their next release, Grand Rising, will sound.

Grand Rising is a full-length album that will drop in early 2026. Fans attending the Boot Hill Saloon show will be among the lucky few to hear one or two new songs before it comes out.

One song to keep an ear out for that night is Goth Girl. Ingerman described the melody to Goth Girl as "kind of a little like STP Scott Weiland, and definitely Def Leppard kind of vibes going on." He said the band's growth over its three-year existence will culminate in an exciting, surprising sound to Grand Rising.

"That's what it's all about," Ingerman explained. "Just continuing the progression. And it's just so much more fun when you keep people on their toes and not repeat yourself over and over."

Gunshine will be back on the road as a headliner in 2026. The band won't turn down a great opportunity, support-wise; however, their preference is to build the band as a headline act.

"We did really well in this last headliner," Ingerman said, referring to the summer tour. "And (it) definitely seems like there's a lot of fans on our social media that are anxious to see us…so there's a lot of areas we want to get to still."

Gunshine Bullet Points

• Guitarist Austin Ingerman, left, played guitar and bass for New Year's Day from 2018−2022 before spearheading Gunshine.

• Lead singer Jordan Benson, left, is a distant cousin of Elvis Presley; Elvis’s grandmother, Minnie Mae Hood, was Benson’s great-great-aunt.

• Bassist Jake Tripp, center, is a former martial artist.

• Tommy Salzburg, right, loves hockey and motorcycles.

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Charles I. Guarria is an author, reporter and host based in the state of Florida, USA, covering any topic, anywhere in the world. His career began in 2009. Mr. Guarria is a three-time winner of Emerald Group Publishing’s Highly Commended Award and host of The Opinion Guy Fun Friendly Informative. He is available for hire to write, research, or beta-read.

Photo Credit: Gunshine, Some band members, Boot Hill Saloon

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