Editing Blues Traveler (section)

===Early years===
After graduating from [[Princeton High School (New Jersey)|Princeton High School]] and moving to [[New York City]], Popper, Hill, and Sheehan enrolled in the music program at [[The New School]] while Kinchla attended [[New York University]]. Blues Traveler began playing gigs along the New York-area [[nightclub|club]] circuit, sometimes nightly;<ref name="DenverPost"/> the most prominent contract was playing Wednesday nights at a club called [[The Wetlands Preserve|the Wetlands]].<ref name="SpinArchive">{{cite web|url=http://www.spindoctors-archive.com/faq/band_members.html|title=The Spin Doctors Archive - Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About the Band Itself|website=Spindoctors-archive.com|access-date=April 12, 2011|archive-date=August 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150820211510/http://www.spindoctors-archive.com/faq/band_members.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="JamBands">{{cite web|url=http://www.jambands.com/features/2001/10/18/our-dance-with-the-earth-part-i-1987-1994|title=Our Dance With The Earth (Part I, 1987-1994)|last=Jarnow|first=Jesse|date=October 18, 2001|website=Jambands.com|access-date=April 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713074739/http://www.jambands.com/features/2001/10/18/our-dance-with-the-earth-part-i-1987-1994|archive-date=July 13, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> Another bar, The Nightingale, was a regular gig, and later became the setting for the song "Defense and Desire".<ref name="JamBands2">{{cite web|url=http://www.jambands.com/news/2010/11/04/a-nightingale-bar-reunion|title=A Nightingale Bar Reunion|date=November 11, 2010|website=Jambands.com|access-date=April 12, 2011}}</ref><ref name="SpinArchive2">{{cite web|url=http://www.spindoctors-archive.com/faq/spins_family.html|title=The Spin Doctors Archive - Answers to Questions About People & Bands in the Spin's Extended Family|website=Spindoctors-archive.com|access-date=April 12, 2011}}</ref>

The group shared an apartment on Bergen Street<ref name="JamBands"/> in Brooklyn, New York, along with their high school friend, singer [[Chris Barron]].<ref name="SpinArchive" /><ref name="HuffPo">{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ragogna/the-patagonia-music-colle_b_829495.html|title=The Patagonia Music Collective Launches -- Plus a Conversation With John Popper|last=Ragogna|first=Mike|date=March 1, 2011|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|access-date=April 12, 2011}}</ref> A second band that Popper and Hill founded, called The Trucking Company, soon became The [[Spin Doctors]] with Barron as their frontman.<ref name="SpinArchive" /> The two groups would often share the stage, playing non-stop concerts of multiple sets.<ref name="SpinArchive2"/> Their first show together was at a Columbia University fraternity party. During this time, Blues Traveler acquired a devout follower, Gina-Z (subject of the band's song "Gina") who first became an unofficial "band mom" and later a tour manager, and is involved with the group's business to the present day.<ref name="BTFAQ">{{cite web|url=http://www.bluestravelerforum.com/faq.php?cid=12#90|title=FAQ: BT Lore - Why is Gina often referred to and who is she?|website=Bluestravelerforum.com|access-date=April 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708074145/http://www.bluestravelerforum.com/faq.php?cid=12#90|archive-date=July 8, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

At one New York show they were discovered by an [[A&M Records]] talent scout, Patrick Clifford, and the band signed their first recording contract. By 1990 all members had dropped out of college classes.<ref name="HuffPo" /> The group also attracted the attention of David Graham, son of the world-famous concert promoter [[Bill Graham (promoter)|Bill Graham]], and David Graham became the group's manager. Blues Traveler then started a relentless touring schedule, expanding their reach up and down [[East Coast of the United States|the east coast]].