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This log was recorded by James Lanbro with the help
of Canary Mine
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1) Toronto ON July 1st |
13) Gabriola Island BC July 16th |
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Toronto, Ontario |
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| Port Stanley,
Ontario July 2nd Next day we drove to Port Stanley ON to join Trole at the Pierside Pub. Our set went great! There were some Americains in town for the long weekend. They danced and cheered into the night. We sold a whole whack of CD's and t-shirts for US dollars. Trole's drummer was a no-show, so Carlito sat in with his old friends. Even after too many shots of Jagermaester, I was twice invited on-stage to freestyle. Oh yes, the crowd screamed "ho-oh" more than a few times. We then drove half way around the southern edge of Ontario. Our "Tour" was now official. Last night, we stayed at the Wakami National Park close to Wawa, Chapleaux and Sault Ste. Marie. The air was foggy with mosquitoes and shadfly, but the stars were magnificently bright. The moon looked like a setting sun over the horizon of the lake. |
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| Thunder
Bay, Ontario July 4th Early morning we set off for Thunder Bay. On our drive, we saw two moose, two red foxes, two partridges, not to mention two giant manmade geese in Wawa. Carl is ambitious to include that we mistakenly ran over one of the partridges. We arrived in Thunder Bay in good time to set up at the Apollo. We had free range of their kitchen and beer, and four bunkbeds upstairs. Achilles, Shawn, Alice, TJ, and Jeremy were all been very accommodating. The Wack MC's opened the night, claiming to be from Wawa (can I get a Wawa?). We (Canary Mine) rocked out two long-assed sets to a well receiving audience. The crowd wasn't big, being the last night of a four day weekend. Therefore, we experimented on-stage a whole lot. During our crashing noisemaking finale, I tried to climb up on a very unstable monitor speaker. It rolled off the four foot high stage with me on top. I followed, bouncing off the side of the stage and earning many a bruise to the left side of my body. Beside that, all went well and we were invited back to play on the 28th! The most intriguing view in Thunder Bay is that of the Sleeping Giant. It's a land formation just off the harbour that looks pretty similar to a man sleeping on his back with his arms crossed over his stomach. According to Ojibwa legend, it's the body of a Sioux who sold out a silver mine to the white man. No matter, it looks like it could wake up at anytime and start stomping mofo's. The driving has been smooth. The hardest part is the arrival at each destination. When we get there we have to coordinate navigation and gameplan. The combination of confusing maps, minimal signage and pre-meal empty stomachs gives rise to tensions within the van. The scenery is beautiful. There are yellow, orange, red and white flowers growing between the road edge and the forest. I've got my Lonely Planet travel guide to Canada which gives information about a lot of destinations along the way. Up next... Winnipeg! |
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| Winnipeg, Manitoba July 5th We came to realize quickly that being our first time there, we had no fans in Winnipeg. The club was charging $6 to get in. Early on in the evening, outside of the barstaff, there were 5 people in attendance to see our opening band. Sodomizing Sara(h) put on a fantastic show and we hope they come visit us in Toronto. It was around 10:00 when Joe decided we had to take drastic measures towards finding us a crowd. Against their better wishes, he forced the Wack MC's to the street. Armed with a battery powered keyboard, Joe and the Wack MC's wandered the streets of the Peg, doing their best to gather a crowd. After telling a bunch of people that they were 'on the guestlist', we were able to play in front of about 30 soon-to-be fans. The show had a very spontaneous set-list and we rocked it out. Joe Joe broke out some breakdance moves. We premiered our version of "I'm your pusher" by Ice T/Curtis Mayfield. Big shout outs to DJ Co-op who basically played all the types of music that I fricking love. The best being when he mixed The Pretenders over Kool Moe Dee. I write this on the drive from Lloydminster to Edmonton. Yesterday was a long long long drive from Winnipeg, across Manitoba, across Saskatchewan, into Alberta. We all took a moment of rock'n'roll prayer when our van hit 166 666.6 km. The weather is rainy and cloudy. There are floods in our destination of Edmonton. Last night we stayed in a motel instead of camping due to extreme thunderstorm warnings. |
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| Edmonton, Alberta July 7th We're writing this while looking at the rocky mountains out the southwest. Sidetrack in Edmonton was awesome. We arrived in low spirits after an all too long journey. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. The D. Rangers and Virgo Supercluster arrived and raised our spirits. Everybody was immediately friendly with each other. Carl and I did a radio interview at CJSR 88.5FM. It was pretty fun. Live to air, we improvised our brand new song called "Jay is an amazing deejay". Jason, our interviewer, declared it one of the worst songs of all time, but gave us respect. The show went swimmingly. The Virgo Supercluster began the night by rocking out with a tint of AC/DC meets Elvis Costello. The Wack MC's (are they following us?) made a small appearance and we hit the stage. There was some kind of magic last night. We played an unusual set order and really really gave'r. After the show we got rid of a bunch of merchandise. Whoa hoo Next on stage were the D. Rangers! They blew our minds with their bluegrass versions of heavy metal classics. If you get a chance, see the D. Rangers. Go to their website. Buy their CD. We hope to hook them up with a Toronto gig in the near future. Right now we're on the 1A just outside of Cochrane, AB. The scenery is stunning. General party notes... Mim always seems to have 5 guys trying to win her affection. Joe Joe was about to go home with some girls, but somehow he changed his mind. As the bar closed, The Wack MC's had a great freestyle rap session in the back parking lot with a dozen people cheering them on. I was trying to pick up the door lady. Unfortunately, her name was Amelia and half way through the set, I started dedicating songs to "Alicia". Her boyfriend was not impressed by my antics. A sex therapist's cousin, named Bruce, offered us a place to stay after buying two shirts and a CD. The sex therapist made us black out the word "horny" on her t-shirt. Big up Devo. Mim owes a kiss to Branden on the 24th. Lindsay is the nicest bartender ever. Amelia was beautiful. We just stopped in Canmore for lunch. We stumbled upon a flock of about 30 wild elk by a playground. The locals showed little interest. |
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| Golden, British Columbia July 8th We pulled into Golden BC and immediately stumbled upon my old high school buddy, Chris Hacker. He agreed to come see us play that night at the Roadhouse. The Roadhouse Tavern was a strip bar that sometimes hosts bands. The staff there was super hospitable with free hotel rooms, food and beers. I napped while Mim and Joe got to enjoy the last stripshow for the day. The gig went comme si, comme sa but we are invited back to play anytime, for twice the rate. That's always a good sign. There were a few songs where the audience cheered so loud that it hurt our ears. Golden BC did not like the Wack MC's. Joe's buddy Owen made a surprise appearance at the Roadhouse. He lived in Banff, so Joe and he took off right after the show for a day in Banff. Mim, Carl and I enjoyed sleeping in above the Roadhouse Taverne. We took a slow drive to Banff, stopping at every plaque we could see. We were very lucky to see a long cargo train use the infamous 'Spiral Tunnels'. The mountains in that area are so steep that the traintrack actually has to spiral in and out of a tunnel in the mountain to decrease the incline. |
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| Banff, Alberta July 9th Joe climbed a mountain with Owen and slid all the way back down. Mim, Carl and I arrived in town to settle in. We then hit the museums and checked the scenes. Banff is uber touristy, but worth a visit. Just try not to spend any money. We met up with Owen and Joe Joe for dinner. They had thick Alberta steaks with potatoes and salad. Mim insisted on buying Jagermaester for some rock and roll partying. We didn't argue. I'm counting Banff as a gig, because we built a fire and jammed all night. Owen and his roommates invited over some friends, all of which were cool. There was a multi-talented musician named Jeremy from St. John's, Newfoundland. He played drums,didgery-doo, guitar, he rapped, he beatboxed. Dude was cool shit. It was a small world when we found out that he knew Renee Pilgrim, Neil Conway, and Greg. Renee is our old roommate, Neil has stayed at our house, and Greg is subletting Mim's room. Through the evening, we saw two deer come and visit. I got to have a little conversation with an owl using my hands as a whistle. The wildlife in Banff is right in your face. There are signs everywhere warning humans not to leave out garbage, not to compost, and to put their garbage straight into a bear-proof dumpster. This morning we woke late to climb Sulpher Mountain. It's a real tourist treat, especially on a Saturday. You pay for the gondola going up. It's free on the way down. It was a 2.5 hour treacherous trek up the mountain. At the top we saw 4 mountain sheep, which look exactly like goats. It was a pretty clear day so the view was spectacular. Joe ran back down the mountain, the rest of us took the gondola. Here we are, in Calgary, at Karma's. We play here tomorrow. |
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| Calgary, Alberta July 11th We hooked up with Peter Menzies for the evening. He's my mom's best highschool friend's son. We built a campfire and started an easy evening. All chaos broke loose when one of his Jack Russell terriers started to give birth. Mary had 4 girls and a boy. They were so cute, looking like little mice with oversized heads and feet. The next morning we were going to wake up early to busk all day at the Calgary Stampede. We didn't sleep very well in a house with three Jack Russells, of which one was giving birth. When we finally did get up, there was an intense hail storm. The hail balls were bigger than your average gumball, about half the size of a golfball. We just heard word that Edmonton is flooded and the West Edmonton Mall had a roof collapse. Peter Menzies has a brother, Steven, both of whom are like cousins to me. According to Steve, if you don't like the weather in Calgary, wait five minutes. The afternoon after the hail storm was clear and warm. We hit the Calgary stampede. We saw extreme mountain biking, Fred Penner, cows, chickens, horses, bands, Indian dancing, etc. We then hit the Safeway grocery store and headed to Steven's for dinner. We started our set playing in front of two people at Karma's in Calgary. There was Brooks, the bartender, and Des, the regular patron. Things were not looking very good for the evening. Immediately, we dropped the $5 door charge as not to deter any future fans. By the end of our first set, there were about 6 people in the bar. Karma's is off the beaten path from the Calgary Stampede and the night was going slow. Peter and Steven Menzies showed up with a few other friends. I had randomly given a sticker to a girl in a Safeway grocery store, who ended up showing up. Des and Brooks phoned a couple of friends and they showed up. A random couple walked in off the street. All of a sudden, we had an audience. The next two sets went swimmingly! We sold a bunch of t-shirts and CD's. Everybody said that they'll make sure the place is packed when we return in two weeks. Highlights include our premiere of "Chase the Puff the Magic Dragon" and "Super Ice Ice Hammer Freak". As I write this, we're driving to Kamloops for a television interview. We packed up after Karma's and headed straight out onto the road. Because of this, we had to play Karma's without alcohol intake. My first time. |
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| Kamloops, British Columbia July 12th We drove through the night to reach Kamloops for our television appearance. We arrived at 6:30am for our 11:00am soundcheck. After a few hours of sleeping in the CFJC TV parking lot, we got a phonecall. It was Larry Read, host of 'Midday' calling to find out if we were close enough to make an appearance on his show. We were close. Really close. He let us in the building for an early soundcheck. Cory was our technician and he was very accommodating. We were lucky enough to be sharing the spotlight with the 3 princesses of the Miss Kamloops beauty pageant. Luci, Brodie and Jen were most pleasant and danced for us behind the glass wall of the studio green room. We spent the afternoon swimming and suntanning by the Thompson River. It was a hot and clear day in Kamloops at 32 degrees celsius. It was easy to stay cool as there was a nice breeze and the mountain river was ice cold (10 degrees celsius?). Our gig was called "Music In The Park". Everyday, the City of Kamloops and the BC Lottery Corporation host a free after dinner musical showcase. JP and Shawn were amazing sound engineers and we rocked out in front of a field full of families and r'n'r fans. Between sets, we signed CD's, napkins, helmets, skateboards and t-shirts for the kids. After the show, we met Amanda and Stacey. Amanda was a sweetheart and let us stay at her house. |
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| Nelson, British Columbia July 13th As I write this we are driving just north of the 49th parallel on Highway 3 in BC. The land is desert dry and very hilly. Yesterday, our van started smoking as we ascended the mountains into Nelson. We've been driving a lot slower since. On the drive to Nelson, we took a ferry at Needles/Fauquier. On that ferry, we met a lot of cool traveling folk. Carl even met someone from his hometown. The ferry offered a spectacular view of a mountain valley. Later that day, in Nakusp, we ran back into the couple from Carl's hometown. The husband gave Carl the shirt off his back. It said "Nelson Brewing Company Beer, So Much More Than A Breakfast Drink" We rolled into Nelson at dinner time. Joe Joe prepared an ultra fresh Salmon. Thinking back to it now has caused me to salivate. Once again, Canary Mine were in a new town with no fans. We were sharing the stage with a band called Elliot Brood, but they'd never been to Nelson either. Therefore, we all took to the street and told everyone in the small downtown of Nelson to come and check us out. The show went very well. The audience was still a little smaller than we like, but everyone was receptive. Elliot Brood kicked some serious ass. They are a rockabilly band from Toronto. Not just from Toronto, but from right across the street from where Mim and I live! Mim says she's seen them at the laundromat before. Beth, the sex therapist, who had stumbled upon us at the Sidetrack in Edmonton with her cousin Bruce was nice enough to bless us with her presence again, bringing along 4 others. She's a true fan. Note: Gary Ovis is still CM fan #1. We've been invited back to Nelson anytime to play again, this time with more promotion. Supposedly January is their peak season... winter tour? "Can you believe we're here? It's gorgeous!" Mim has just commented about our mountain view of Osoyoos. The bar was called Charlotte's, the David Thompson Culture Center. It is a restaurant,/bar/meeting place. Beyond your regular stage and dancefloor, it has a small room cut off from the bar where underage patrons can order food and overhear the bands. My old best buddy, Ryan "Bruiser" Barron lives in Nelson and came to the show. He was able to round up a couple of friends. After the show, we all partied in our hotel rooms above the bar. Mim was very happy to have the attention of the handsome Elliot Brood boys. Joe was entertaining Mary and Jordan. Carl, Bruiser and I headed for Bruiser's property. He lives on an acre and a half on the shore of a mountain river. He told us stories of run-ins with Grizzlies, Pumas and other dangerous wildlife. It was mind broadening to see his rural mountain community. Life's a lot different there from downtown Toronto. "You gots to diversify" - The GZA of Wu-Tang investments. |
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| Vancouver, British Columbia July 14th We started on our drive from Nelson to Vancouver. Our van, whom I've named "Betsy-Ruth-Anne, the Van" had some troubles. A few days before, while Carl was driving and I was counting the money, Betsy started to smoke. We gave her a break, and she kept on truckin'. On the drive to Vancouver, I was counting the money, Carl was driving, and the van started really smoking. Real bad. We gave her a break, said a prayer or 12, and continued to Van. We made it without fail. In Van, we partied with my old Mohawk College Radio friend, Yvonne. She generously let us crash strategically close to the Vancouver island ferry. Thanks again Yvonne. The next morning we started up Betsy-Ruth-Anne. She was very reluctant to fall into gear. Our hearts sank. Luckily, there was a shop not too far from our Vancouver stop. They nicely checked it and told us we need a $1000 transmission and a full day in the shop. We had great breakfast at the Lion's Den at Kingsway and Fraser. Ask for Ken. We had a gig in 9 hours in Tofino which was 7 hours away. We filled the transmission fluid and headed out on the road like Bon Jovi. Living on a prayer. We sang it... no, for real. We took the Horseshoe Bay ferry to Nanaimo. It is an understatement to place in words the beauty of that ferry ride. Joe fell asleep and woke to an empty ferry's attendant. He caught up to the tourvan just as we were driving out. In Nanaimo, a music store called Music Maxx decided to sponsor our Tofino gig. They gave me a guitar stand and rented us a PA for a very reasonable rate. (A PA is the speakers and amp that bands sometimes have to rent if the bar doesn't already have one). In exchange, we hung up their banner during our gig. |
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| Tofino, British Columbia July 15th Our gig was at the Tofino Legion. We played with The Anglers. They're a band formed and living in Taiwan. The bandmembers are english teachers from South Africa and Canada. They were great shit. Good reggae tunes with a world beat influence. The bar closed at 1:00am. We partied at the Legion with the waitresses and Anglers. At one point Susan the bartender/manager said "Aight, we gots to close up". She then proceeded to pour the last TWO pitchers as a last call. During the last part of the set, we announced to our audience that we still didn't know where we were staying that night. Tofino surfer dude George let us stay at the condo he was baby-sitting. In the morning we watched "Endless Summer", a classic 1964 surfing documentary. Surf culture yo, surf culture in Tofino. Tofino is surrounded by rainforests and beaches. Along our drive out, we stopped to check the different nature hikes. Carl was super excited by the 800 year old trees. Joe wandered off the beaten path more than once. He actually fell of the boardwalk twice. Carl paid me $5 to lick a gigantic slug. The picture didn't work out much to my disappointment. |
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| Gabriola Island, British
Columbia July 16th In Nanaimo we waited for the ferry and grabbed some liquor. It was immediately evident that the Nanaimo people are super friendly. We grabbed the ferry to Gabriola island. Nate Clark is an old buddy from Mohawk College. Carl, Mim and I all met at Mohawk College. Nate is a full-time musician who rents a beautiful cottage on the coastline of Gabriola Isle (aka the Gabe). Nate made dinner and then took us out on his boat to observe the sunset. On our trip, a seal swam by the boat. It was high tide and the scenery was glorious. We got our drink on and headed into 'town'... well, it's not really town, but it's a bar near some grocery's. We saw 5 deer on the drive there. Nate had invited some friends for a Friday night at the White Heart pub. A live japanese samba band was grooving. We met a whole lot of cool peop's and danced the night away. After we headed home, we were joined at Nate's cottage by some party people from the pub. We celebrated the Gabe until the sun was starting to rise. At 7am, I had to return our friend Joy back to 'town'. I got totally lost on the way back. I drove around the entire island about 3 times before I found Nate's. I saw an endangered Golden Eagle, and about 20 deer. We headed for Victoria. The van's running smooth. We haven't needed any new transmission fluid. Mim and Carl slept while Joe and I drove. |
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| Victoria, British Columbia July 17th We walked into Steamer's in Victoria to find out that we had two free hotel rooms. I went straight to bed for some much needed rest. At 8:30, we met Simon, our very talented soundman and got ready for our gig. We were super surprised that Carl's family had flown out to the coast to watch us play. We gave huge hugs to Carl's mom Christine and brother Marty. I couldn't believe it! Victoria was already great. Our old Mohawk College buddies, Kate Minnick and Andrew Phelps bussed in from Vancouver, making Victoria even greater. We played a really long set. There was a large and receptive Saturday night crowd. Halfway through our set, the Anglers arrived (we played with the Anglers in Tofino). They had played an early set just down the road and were ready to party. During our song called 'My Direction', Carl's mom got onstage to dance. The crowd loved it, as did we. The crowd was loud. They danced. They screamed for more. There was a US Navy ship that was in town. We sold some CD's to the soldiers. The Anglers brought some hot Canadian ladies they had met in Taiwan. King Bong was the band that hooked us up with the gig. They rocked the house until last call. We danced and swooned as bartender Willis kept handing us free drinks. (he says we're his new favorite band). King Bong were some of the coolest peop's in the world. We hope to host them in Toronto soon. At last call, Carl left with his family. Mim, Joe and I helped shut down the bar with King Bong. After we tucked in Mim, Joe and I wandered the streets of Victoria, writing bad poems for the ladies, and giving out Canary Mine stickers. Late night on the CBC, I watched Jimmy Stewart playing Charles Lindbergh, making the first flight across the Atlantic. Joe and I decided that pilot movies are very similar to Kung Fu movies. This morning we ate breakfast with Kate and Andrew and some new found friends. Joe and I returned to the van to find that it had been broken into overnight. We lost our CD's, a CD player, an amp and a mixer, not to mention about $3 in change. We're counting our blessings. We had taken most of our valuables to our hotel rooms. They took my EPMD CD. Grrrrr. |
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| Victoria BC (pt. 2) July 18th The Victoria show was a wonderful climax to mark the middle of the tour. It was my 4th favorite show of all time. King Bong rocks. Morale was high within the band. We were on top of the world. This was all completely crushed when we discovered our ransacked van. My Aunt Laura says that our parking garage is notorious for break-ins. If only we knew. Mim and Joe joined our new Victoria friends for a game of Walking Soccer. Mim claimed that it was the best game in the world. She then left for Vancouver during the day with Andrew and Kate Joe and I met Carl and his family in Saanich, just north of Victoria. I should point out to my father that we were hanging out on Dryce Kendrix's property. He's a professor of the study of fungi retired from the University of Waterloo. Rich took us out on a boat to show us phosphorescent water. There's a fungus or algae or something in the water that sparkles like a firefly when agitated. It was pretty magical. |
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| Vancouver, BC (Pt 2) July 19th Mim was already in North Van. Carl stayed in Victoria to whale watch. Joe and I drove mid-afternoon to Vancouver. Who did Joe and I find on the ferry? None other than The frickin' Anglers! The told us of an open stage on Granville Island. It became our mission to play this gig. Joe and I found Mim and had a wonderful pork dinner with Kate and Andrew. Carl was a trooper and took public transpo from Victoria to Granville. I phoned some Ontario ex-patriots to meet us at the Backstage Lounge. Representing Westvale, in Waterloo was Cara Startek and Heather Eustace with local boyfriend Martin. Representing Forest Heights, in Kitchener was Jody Barron with his Aussie girlfriend, Anna. Yvonne from Hamilton with Krista from Peterborough and Randy from Ancaster. Lest we forget 5 members of the Anglers. Scott, Tyler, Duncan, Chris, Darryl. We love the Anglers. We discussed possible best friend loyalty and our paths crossing in the future. A pitcher in Toronto these days runs about $15.50. At Backstage, pitchers of beer were $9.25. It was the Anglers and a bunch of friends from my hometown. To protect the innocent, that is where I will end the story. Ask me about it in ten years. July 20th 2004 at the Backstage Lounge on Granville Island in Vancouver. It was quite a night. |
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| Vancouver, BC (Pt. 3) July 20th First of all, I should point out that I am typing these words into a laptop at a campground just beside the small village of Clinton, BC. It feels all wrong, yet perfectly proper. Joe and I woke in Vancouver in the early morning. Well, that's an understatement, as Joe was still awake when we hit the public transpo to North Vancouver. We were lucky enough to hit a second breakfast at the Lions Den at Kingsway and Fraser before our journey. The bus led to the "Sky Train" which led us to a "Sea Bus" across the metropoli's harbour. Vancouver is a bustly city with a most magnificent waterline. Joe and I found Mim and Carl at Andrew and Kate's in time for another breakfast. Joe passed out as the rest of us visited a rainforest's suspension bridge. The novelty of rainforests never wears thin for us Ontario folk. We watched as the teenagers cliff-jumped into ice cold mountain streams. |
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| Whistler, British Columbia July 20th We arrived in Whistler to watch the sunset from Jody "Chini" Barron's apartment. We spent a casual night with two New Zealander's, an American, a local, and Anna, Chini's Australian belle. We spent the night listening to old Ji'BeenaRoc CD's (my old band) and all the classic CD's that Chini and I used to listen to as teenagers back in Kitchener-Waterloo. The next morning Anna took us on a foot tour of Whistler. We watched in awe as hundreds of mountain bikers descended the mountain and boarded the skilift. |
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| Duffy's Pass, British
Columbia July 21st We headed for what was to become the most challenging trip for Betsy-Ruth-Anne, the Canary Mine van. Highway 99 from Whistler north, is also famously known as Duffy's Pass. It's the most treacherous of paved roads in all of North America. At one point there is a sign that says "Steep Road Next 13km". It's 13 km of a 13% incline! All along the upward side of the road are stains from exploded transmissions. I mean every 10 feet. Every 10 feet there are the oil stains from blown transmissions for 13 kilometers! If you've followed our roadlog from the beginning, you will know that our Ford Aerostar is having transmission problems. I found out from George in Tofino, that 90's era Ford Aerostars are equipped with the same transmissions used for the Ford Escort. If you are completely oblivious of American automobiles, I will tell you that a Ford Escort is a very small Japanese style car. Our van is filled to the brim with amplifiers, keyboards, guitars, basses, drums, clothes, food, water, and 4 average sized North American adults. The wheel wells are 5 inches from the tires. All this on an Escort's transmission. We got about 5k up Duffy's Pass before our transmission started smoking. With 8k to go, we were a little worried. Were we to turn back and buy a $1000 transmission, and lose a day of travel, or were we to continue? We continued. We gave Betsy a much deserved rest and continued for about 2k. She again started to smoke. Morale was low, very low. We then set forward a plan. We would drive one half of a kilometer, and then let the van rest for ten minutes. It was at the Jaffre Glacier that we were looking at a 20 percent incline... steep . I discussed our situation with a few motorists. They claimed we should turn back immediately. We walked up a rainforest hike to get a better view of the glacier and gave Betsy the van a much deserved rest. Again, I cannot fully describe the beauty of an aqua-marine lake surrounded by century-old trees, fed by a 10 000 year-old glacier. We hopped into the van and discussed whether we should continue. We decided it was best to head back down the 12k decline and buy a new transmission. We would have to cancel our Prince George gig. It was disappointing because we knew we were being featured in the Prince George Free Press. A lady had interviewed both Mim and I by phone back in Victoria. What can you do? As we left the Jaffre Glacier parking lot, we looked at each other and said "fuck it, let's give'r one more go". We made it that last kilometer on the 20% incline, noting every blown transmission stained onto our side of the road. Morale was higher than rock bottom. Now we had to go back down the other side of the Rockies. Just before we reached Lillooet we pulled over for another break. The front passenger side brake was smoking. We started to badmouth Betsy-Ruth-Anne and Ford Aerostars in general. We were in the middle of nowhere wondering what our next move would be. We couldn't go back up, could we make it down? We pulled into an Indian Reserve gas station and I talked to the staff. According to them, we had just crossed the worst pass in possibly the world, and definitely in British Columbia. They laughed and told me that the rest of the trip to Prince George was going to look like child's play compared to our afternoon. In Lillooet I stopped at the Mohawk Gas Station and was told about the same thing. The attendant there told us to visit some mechanics. It was 6pm, and the resident mechanic had just left. We checked out a couple of closed service shops. Then we pulled into a service shop for big rig trucks. "What do you want?" a man screamed from his backyard. He wasn't impressed by the Ontario tourists nor the off-hour's visit. "Our transmission and brakes are dying and we need help." He turned out to be the nicest guy. He came out into the parking lot, checked over our car. He told us horror stories of Duffy's Pass and reassured us that it was pretty flat from there to Prince George. We could continue with confidence. So we did. The landscape in the valley between the Rockies and Columbia mountains is dry. It was forged by former glaciers and wetspells in a most original way. The road is thin and winding, but it's pretty flat. It follows a river and an old train track through evidence of century old gold mines and cattle ranches. As Betsy rests and the band sleeps, I sit here in a Clinton BC campground, typing into a laptop on a picnic table, thanking my gods that we chose to continue on from the Jaffre Glacier. I grabbed some off-hours beers from the Clinton's Lodge bar and was told that Clinton's is jonesing for live entertainment. We could pack their club any weekend of the year. We might be back sooner than we think. But not through Duffy's Pass. |
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| Prince George, British
Columbia July 22nd Hiding in the north of British Columbia, between two mountain ranges, where the Nechako River joins the Fraser River, is Prince George. With a population of 80 000 people, it is it's own northern metropolis. It's main industry being "Pape and Pulper", it kind of smells funny, but the people and scenery are super nice. We were happy to see a full page article in the Prince George Free Press. It claimed that Canary Mine is bringing back "barbershop music". Sure. (props to Uncle Lynn) The gig was up top of a giant bookstore amongst art studios and a crafts store. It was called the Art Space. We didn't have a huge turnout, but it was a very enjoyable gig. It's cool to come into a town you've never really heard of before and find yourself a crowd that is familiar with your music. We were told that the CD had been favorably reviewed in a local paper when it came out. After the gig we headed for a bar called Sgt. O'Flarahty's below the The Coast hotel. We met a bunch of people, some of whom had come to our gig. We were all exhausted, but young Joe found it in himself to party all night with the locals. Mim, Carl and I went back to our campground and passed out. In the morning, we found Joe and headed for the road. We've seen a lot of animals today. Just a few minutes ago, while stopping for a quick bite in Jasper, we bumped into Neil Pilgrim. Neil, being our old roommate Rene's cousin. Neil, being my radio partner for 2 years. Neil, being a guitar player at the Mohawk College jazz program where Mim, Carl and I met. It's a small world. He's coming to Edson for tonight's gig. |
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| Edson, Alberta July 23 Edson Alberta! We pulled into Castaways to find a country music festival going on nearby. It was late afternoon, yet next door to Castaways, a country-folk musician was playing. We walked into Castaways to hear our CD being played in rotation on the jukebox. There were already 3 very drunk locals hanging out that afternoon. The first had a mullet style haircut straight out of 1981. He was passed out under a stairwell before we started to play. The second was Chad. He stuck around long enough to write us a poem and dance through our first set. Ryan worked in oil as a welder. He was too drunk to talk straight when we first arrived. He was too drunk to talk straight when we were on stage. He was too drunk to talk straight when the sun came up, and everybody hit the sack. Mel and Bobbie were our most beautiful bartenders. They kept sending free shots to the stage. We'd like to thank Mel for booking the first confirmed show of the tour. Our old buddy Neil Pilgrim showed up just in time for our first set. We played from 9:30-1:30. Four sets. We played a bunch of songs twice. At one point a bachelorette party arrived. The bride-to-be came on stage so I could "sniff her panties for a buck". There was a group of rowdies near the stage. They fulfilled our rock and roll dream when they threw a glass of gin at us. Luckily, it hit the monitor speaker and not us. Benny was with the rowdies. He got up on stage and sang his own show, using a poolstick for air-guitar. Fritz, aka OB1 was missing some teeth, had a frizzy mullet, but boy could he cheer. Nick was an englishman who had played the country festival. He said we were "Brilliant". Kate and Hilling were always "about to leave", but stuck it out till the very end. Neil, Nick, Joe and I were very much in love with Kate. Jason Letcher was a gentleman and gave us his CD. We ended the night at a campfire in someone's backyard. We headed back to our rooms when the sun started to rise. Neil snagged my bed and I passed out on the floor. I don't think it gets any better than Edson AB. Castaways pays well, and we sold a whole whack of merchandise. We are definitely going to stop back next tour. |
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| Edmonton, Alberta July 24th We rolled into Edmonton in really good time so we decided to check out the infamous West Edmonton Mall. It was pretty neat. I rode the rollercoaster. It gets two thumbs way up for whooping my ass. We contemplated the biosphere mall that survives extreme Edmonton summers and winters. It was 35 degrees Celsius that afternoon. Edmonton usually has snow by late September. We played two venues last night. The first at Seedy's. It's a new bar in the wrong side of town. They have a house artist who makes a new poster for each show. The posters are spectacular. We played with RobynWright and Funktion. After playing for all night in small-town Alberta, we were ready for about anything. We rocked out with new confidence for a short 45 minute set. It's funny on tour. We've become really tight playing these same songs every single day. Because of this, we're able to rock out and move around a lot on stage. Joe and I have been coordinating Iron Maiden style guitar poses. Mim puts her entire body into playing the keyboard. Carl rocks as per usje. At the end of any set, we are all drenched with sweat and the crowd is all smiles. At Seedy's, we sold a whole lot of merchandise. Next we hit a farm party. Wack MC's were scheduled to play at 1am. There was a stage and a campfire entertaining about 200 people. Right away we were pointed out to the Northern Lights. To me, they looked like a thin cloud reflecting the lights of Edmonton off on the horizon. However, they got thicker and we started to see the curtain effect. Sometimes they would stretch across the entire sky, sometimes they focused in small patches. Wack MC's was just about to go on stage. Darksand was playing. The entire party stopped. Above, was the most magnificent display of Aurora Borealis (aka the Northern Lights). It was brighter than any television movie could fake. All the locals claimed it to be the greatest they'd ever seen. Focused immediately above our heads, it lasted about 4 minutes. Wack MC rocked a short set, freestyling about the Northern Lights and Edmonton in general. The Uncas Old Boys rocked a wicked set. Everyone danced, included two girls that got on stage and never came back down. The Uncas are the boys that hooked up the farm gig and the Edmonton gig two weeks before. Carl met the Uncas when he toured with Trole. The northern lights continued as the RCMP arrived to shut down the party. A group of 30 people sang Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of their lungs. A member of Darksand and another lady were beatboxing. Carl and I freestyled while Joe and them kept a beat. It was amazing fun. The sun rose and we headed for bed. Tonight we play Calgary. Monday, we get a day off. I can't wait for a little rest. |
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| Calgary, Alberta July 25th Calgary was good. We were all pretty worn out after 3 heavy days of gigging. We had played Karma's two weeks earlier on our way to the west. Dez and Steve returned. As did Steve Menzies and Kim with a bunch of their friends. Brooks brought his old man, Brin. Lisa sent her friend Heith. We sold some CD's and T's to what we called "Newbies". Tyler and Greg arrived just in time for a Wack MC's set. I might like to admit that it wasn't our greatest musical night. We were overtired and exhausted and worn out and shaken. Tonight, we are resting in a Moose Jaw camping ground. It's jam-packed with RV's and tents, and rented motel rooms. It's a Monday night. Moose Jaw is exactly halfway between Calgary and Winnipeg. There are warnings of thunderstorms. Just moments ago we had a 5 minute hail storm. I'm in the back seat of the van on a laptop. Carl, Mim and Joe are in the tent. We have been crossing the prairies. Each landscape lasts for about 2 hours of driving. Then it changes slightly. There are desert 'badlands', rolling fields, all out flatness, salt-beached lakes, new-school windmills, a few trees, a few horses, a lot of cows, some llama's, prairie dogs, deer etc. It's been a good chance to catch up with my Lonely Planet guidebook to Canada. Did you know that 'moosezaw' is Cree for Warm Breeze? I would like to point out that Medicine Hat, Swift Current and Moose Jaw are kick butt city names. |
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| Winnipeg, Manitoba July 27th The prairies can be hard on a band. They seem to last forever. I've been across Saskatchewan 7 times now, each time promising myself that it will be my last. I got to do a 5 minute cell phone interview with the local Winnipeg radio station. Employee of the Month and Sodomizing Sara(h) opened up the show in a most rock'n'roll way. Rapper Employee of the Month wore a wrestling suit. His manager stood at the back with a baseball bat. His DJ used a 1970's desktop turntable. Sodomizing Sara(h) ripped it up again. We're hoping we can get him into Toronto soon. Wack MC's joined us for a set too. We played on a an amazing stage in front of a classic club that was all but empty. Fortunately, owner Dave and his friend Dean seemed to really like the show. We hung out with them until the early hours of the morning discussing their club, the Pyramid Cabaret and Winnipeg in general. Jared Wiess let us crash at his house once again. The tour is almost over. One last show is tonight in Thunder Bay. Then the long drive across Ontario. |
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| Thunder Bay, Ontario July 28th "Last night I felt like I was 18 again. Today, I feel like I'm 81." Uncle Walter Langille, 1997. T dash Bay.... T MF dash MF Bay! The Apollo employees are nothing less than our favorite friends. They had reserved us the prime spot at the open mike. For playing an open mike, we got a meal and a 4-bed room to stay in. The deal for the Wednesday nights at the Apollo is a pitcher and 24 wings for $10.50. After 11 o'clock, the price goes up to $12.50. Needless to say, the place was packed. The regular bands were all very good. There was a wicked funk band with a Mohawk College student in it. He recognized Mim. A hip-hop-rock band played just before our set. The rapper was quick and tight. He freestyled a couple of songs with great results. Because of this, we decided to start our set with a hip-hop track. We hit the stage knowing that this was the last gig of our tour. We needed compensation for such a crap gig in Winnipeg. We got up and gave'r every last ounce of bounce we had. It went fantastic. Joe broke a bass string, which was the second in two days. Before that, he'd never broken a bass string in his whole life. Tyler from the previously mentioned funk band lent us his bass. The crowd was attentive, receptive and lively. Give 60 people 24 wings and a jug of beer and they're going to be in celebration mode. Our celebration was the end of a successful tour. We broke even! We got off stage to enjoy some free drinks. The next band up; they blew me away. It was a 4 member, pure hip-hop band. Their beats were hot. Their lyrics were well thought out. Their words were tight. I was in heaven. Alice and Jeremy, our favorite bartenders of all time, put the pressure on Shawn, the sound guy, to let the Wack MC's play. He obliged after Alice refused to serve him anymore drinks. Wack MC's grabbed the mic's with avengeance and authority and a whole lot of other 'a' words. It was their last show before returning to their hometown of Wawa. Man, Wack MC's had the crowd by the balls. Everyone was paying attention. They gave'r in new ways. Jeremy, the bartender said Wack MC's got the best reception he'd seen at an Apollo's open mike. Achilles, the owner, gave up two free jugs of beer. The next band after us was made up of two more rappers. They started their set rapping over the beat for "once again" by A Tribe Called Quest. Calling themselves Wax Philosophical, they were so tight and fast. It took us a minute to realize that they were freestyling about Canary Mine and The Wack MC's. In case you didn't know, 'freestyle rapping' is improvisational lyric-making. You make up your words on the spot. These guys were kings of it. I couldn't believe my luck. They continued their set using their own very amazing beats. Thunder Bay has some serious hip-hop talent. The rest of the bands all rocked! Carl and Mim were front row center for a classic heavy metal cover band. Joe busted a crazy breakdance. He was wearing a crazy squirrel mascot costume. I missed his display, but all of a sudden, half the bar was cheering. When I looked over and saw Joe taking a bow. We hung out with the rappers into the rest of the night. We had a freestyle session outside of the bar. There was a freestyle after-party at Laura's. We couldn't go, we were far too drunk. To tell the truth, those guys were so good at freestyle, I didn't want to be totally shown up. Oh, and we were far too drunk too. We ended up at Jeremy's girlfriends house. Matt, the bartender joined us. I should give props to the dude with the Ice-T shirt and the red fuzzy hat. He was the shiznit. TJ, who lives upstairs from Apollo's, he's the mang, mang. Signing off from Canary Mine's Western Canada Tour. We are driving along the 11 in North Ontario. We just passed a spot that was recently hit by forest fire. A black bear ran out in front of our vehicle, with good time for us to stop and check him out. |
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| Conclusion
We pulled into my parents' cottage at 5am. It was good to be back on familiar ground. We're about to drop off Mim at her parents in Keswick. Then take Joe to Toronto, and Carl back to his farm near London. Myself, I have work in Northern Ontario for the rest of the summer. Here are some Top 3 lists we discussed on the last hour of our drive together. None of the lists are in any particular order. Some are purposely out of order to protect the guilty. Top 3 shows 1) Steamer's in Victoria, BC with King Bong. Great crowd,
great other band. Top 3 drunkards 1) Stirling in Thunder Bay. His name was Stirling, but
he's good as gold. Top 3 sayings 1) "That's the Bombizzle" - Edmonton Top 3 party nights 1) Gabriola Island Top 3 scenic views 1) The border of Alberta and BC. Top 3 bartenders 1) Mel and Bobbie at Castaways in Edson, AB Top 3 bands from the Canary Mine Tour (in order of appearance) 1) Trole |
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