One year later, he auditioned for a spot in Soundgarden, beating out the competition and playing bass on their “Louder than Love” tour, which took him through the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Upon the tour’s completion, Everman moved to New York City where he was recruited as the bassist for Old Lady Drivers. Shortly thereafter, he went on to sign as a guitarist with alt-metal group Mind Funk.
Everman eventually outgrew the rock scene, and in 1994, he traded his pick for a rifle and enlisted in the U.S. Army special operations forces as a part of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, partially inspired by his grandfather, who was a WWII tank commander. After about three years of service, Everman found a job as a bike messenger in Manhattan in order to save money for a trip to Nepal. He hiked the Himalayas for several months and stayed in a monastery in the Everest region for a few weeks, dividing his time between meditating and doing chores.