THE BOUNCING SOULS- GOLD TOUR CANADA- 2007

Tuesday,April 17, 2007.

I am just getting ready to hit the sack here at Kate is Great’s house. I arrived here in new Jersey about 3 hours ago after a delayed flight which kept me in the Richmond airport longer then expected. The last 2 days here in this part of the country there was a heavy storm that came through and disrupted a lot of air travel and im sure some other things as well. I was woken up this morning around 7 to the some of the heaviest, loudest wind I have seen/ heard in a long time. All day I kept checking thee old internerd to see if my flight was cancelled or delayed. Im glad it wasn’t cancelled or I would have been in a crazy predicament seeing how we all start driving to Halifax tomorrow. So I arrived on time to the airport, found a stool at the bar in the gate area and preceded to through back the pilsner and watch the tube in front of me
Today here in Virginia there was a mass shooting at Virginia tech out in Blacksburg. I think currently the death toll is around 32 people and there are definitely some people with major injuries. So so crazy. Where have we all gone wrong? Sitting at this bar and watching the news channel just do their thing over and over and over again was such a disgusting thing. I understand this is a major major event and people want to know all the details etc etc but this incident and incidents like it are made into a complete spectacle. Watching everyone at the bar just staring off into the distance watching this event unfold while seeing and hearing their comments was unreal.
Some dude next to me keep saying “how could this happen? How could this happen? Could you imagine being the parents of these kids?” The dude was saying this to be heard and I think wanted to get into some sort of conversation so I quickly started saying something and then said “ill just keep my views to myself”. Ha ha. That didn’t last long because I then just told the guy “its not surprising at all. Look at us. This country is off killing people in far away distant lands in a war so what are we to expect here”. You know? Its like lead by example. If you live in a place that values the people through health insurance, somewhat of a socialized system etc etc things as such- again my opinion- are less likely to happen.
If you live in a place where the majority of the people don’t give a fuck, poisoning the planet massively, and are off fighting wars of conquest then things as such will happen and continue.

Anyhow on with the fun stuff. So k8 just went to pick up lisi and twan from Newark while I stayed here to watch a late game of hockey and just chill out. Pete picked me up from the airport and drove me back to Asbury but then took off again to go spend those last minutes with his lady friend. Tomorrow everyone else will arrive at k8s to load the trucks and get all the gear sorted out for our journey to the great white north. Greg I actually flying straight to Halifax but we will have everyone else with us tomorrow.

SOULS;
Greg, Pete, Bryan, Micheal

THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Lisi, Bob, Twan, Rodney and myself.

This tour is going to completely over the top. Everyone on the tour (bouncing souls, strike anywhere, the loved ones) have all known each other for sometime and have toured with each many times in the past. There is another band named a static radio who I have never met or heard either but when it comes to the 3 mentioned above I personally am friends with everyone and have actually toured with all those bands at different time. Plus its in my motherland of canaduh. Kids in Canada loose their shit when bands make the trip up. Its going to rule.
Alright im out for the night to rest before our official first day of tour. Well first day of all being together. Our first show isn’t for a couple days but its 1000 miles away in Halifax, NS.

Sunday. April 29,2007. GLOBAL DARFUR DAY

So its actually in the early hours of Monday april 30 but we will also say its in the late hours of the 29th. Today was global darfur day where major cities across the world held demonstations/ marches/ rallies to bring attention to the ongoing genocide currently taking place in darfur, sudan all while the empire of the world promoting democracy everywbere turns a blinc eye. Why do we have to be a world dominator. Why cant the US be known as a world humanitarian. You know?

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

I sit here in number 2 driving across the western part of Ontario into Manitoba where we are too have another rock show in Winnipeg, The surroundings in these parts are amazing. This is the first time ever I have been from coast to coast in Canada. The trips I have been on in Canada usually go from Winnipeg into the US usually Minneapolis, onto Chicago, Detroit and back into southern Ontario, Canada. So these roads are definitely less traveled and the towns we played were completely hungry for good live music.

The last couple days have been spent driving from Toronto through Ontario along the great lakes area in some very very prestine enviroment. I didn’t know what to expect from this drive and what types of things we would see. This part of Canada reminds me lot of some of the parts of Sweden ive seen. In Sweden as well as in this part of Ontario the amount of water, waterways, and lakes is unreal. Totally unreal. Ive heard that Canada has one of the biggest fresh water resources in the world……and that maybe Canada should make it into a national security issue…… who knows?.... anyhow I have also seen maps of this area and knew there was a lot of water but the maps don’t do it justice. For about 2 days now we have traveled about 1000 miles and there has been nothing but water and forest. Moose land!!!! In fact probably about every 5 km there are moose crossing signs which means they are out there however non of us have seen a thing.

So this tour has been something thus far. The kids as well as all of us are getting a incredible dose of rock everynight. The opening band whos name is static radio is great. They have a total Lifetime vibe to them which rules seeing how much I luv Lifetime. The Loved Ones never disappoint. Its really fun watching TLO everynight. Next comes Strike anywhere. WHOA!!! Seriously. What an amazing band all the way around? Watching all of them every night is such a treat and something that brings back a lot of memories. SA is definitely the reason I moved to Richmond and has also played a part to where I am at. Fun fun. Some talented musicians they are. This tour the SA’s have a new guitar player due to Sherwood pursuing more of a normal life with his wife in North Carolina. I know Mark from back home in Richmond so its nice to get to be on the road with someone else you know from home. Mark is starting to really become tight with strike anywhere and I think its going to be a good addition. Next we have the souls who never fail and is the reason we are all here. Its so much fun every night watching the kids loose their minds for all the bands and then seeing everyone going crazy for the souls. The kids of Canada are very lucky to get too see this group of friends all rock.

So am i. It’s the first time out of all the tours that I have done where I personally know everyone. That doesn’t happen that often. Yes there are times where you know other bands/ people on the tours but it doesn’t happen often when everyone (about 20 of us) all know each other and have for years. More fun fun fun.

May 2nd.
Staring at the back of the white castle as we head down highway 1 here in Saskatchewan. We left Winnipeg at 8 o clock this morning and have been driving all morning and into the early afternoon to make it on time for regina, SK.

The show yesterday was super fun. I was really looking forward to this day due to the almighty Mondragon Café and my plans on meeting up with the Propagandhi dudes to discuss tour. I had been to Winnipeg in the past a couple times and have always been intrigued by the city due to the bands coming out of here and the projects these bands are involved with.
Once we were at the venue, loaded in, and set up all of us vegans went for a stroll too mondragon café to get a bite to eat. Mondragon café is a worker owned vegetarian restaurant which serves amazing food. The building its part of on albert street also houses g7 records, a bike shop and bookstore. All of these places function under the participatory economics which means they are all worker owned. Well due to background of this type of collective they also decided to close early for may day. HAPPY MAY DAY!!!. It was a bummer due to all of our stomachs craving for some good vegan fare. Oh well. I back the cause and back people taking days off for the real “labor day” Eventually we found a little shopping plaza so twan and myself got a falafel pita and headed back to the venue to fininsh up some things.
This evening I was picked up by a fellow and new friend named Sam. Sam tour manages a band of thrashers from Winnipeg named propagandhi. It just so happens that I will be doing these shredders next tour in the mid west which will be taking place at the end of this month. So I had twan cover me for an hour after doors so I could go meet up with sam and chris to discuss details of the upcoming tour. Totally stoked. Some may know this and some may not but Propagandhi is probably one of my favorite bands of all time. For sure!! So knowing that ill be on this next tour is pretty exciting for myself. We sat and drank a pitcher of pilsner before we all headed back to the venue so I could work and so they could check out Strike Anywhere.
The show was so much fun. The last time the souls were in Winnipeg would have been the hot water tour they did which was around 2002. No one knew what to expect at all. I think the strikes were worried because they had never played Winnipeg but I kept telling them that by the sounds of the music coming out of Winnipeg, plus the community of punx and activists here its bound to be an incredible show for them. And it was. Totally great show for everyone. Now we are on our way to yet another show which I bound to be another good night.