Feb 7, 2010
I am sitting here on yet another dog (Greyhound) heading to New York to hang with my buddy James this evening, and then catch a flight tomorrow to Doha, Qatar then onto Delhi, India.
The last couple of months I have found myself going a little stir crazy due to no work, the winter conditions keeping me indoors more then usual, and of course my lil brain. There have been numerous times where I have thought to myself "I am not really doing anything" which is a pattern I let myself fall into of course. Obviously there is ton's to do on this little rock that we inhabit but sometimes the motivation gets a little weak when you aren't working, and when it's -20c outside. The last time I actually had some set schedule was the last trip I was on which was in Dec so I figured 2 months was enough and it's time to do something....India is that something.
Now that I am "officially" on my way the adventure that lies ahead is starting to become a reality and is starting to hit me. Ha. People have asked over the last couple of weeks "Are you excited?" and I would answer "Yes" (obviously) but it wasn't something I thought to much about.
So up until yesterday morning-2 days before my departure- I had planned, and bought tickets to go to India for almost 3 months. Originally I was going to land with no set agenda and basically travel around the country evevntually ending up in the north to work on a farm in the Himalayas. I chose to go for 3 months because of not wanting to sit around at home, and no immediate work in the future but I also told myself to leave the option open of returning early if work arose. Well....yesterday morning some work came knocking on my door thanks to my friend Dan. Now I will be in India for 1 month, and return home to become "Production Assistant/ Merch" for a Canadian band named Metric.
So now once I land in Delhi I plan on being there long enough to catch up on sleep, eat some food, and buy a ticket to get out of the big city onto Dehradun where the farm Navdanya is located.
-from the Navdanya website- navdanya.org
Navdanya started as a program of the Research Foundation for science, Technology and Ecology (RFSTE), a participatory research initiative founded by world-renowned scientist and environmentalist Dr. Vandana Shiva, to provide direction and support to environmental activism.
1984 was the year of the Punjab Violence and the Bhopal tragedy. This violence demanded a paradigm shift in the practice of agriculture. Navdanya was born of this search for nonviolent farming, which protects biodiversity, the Earth and our small farmers.
Navdanya means nine crops that represent India's collective source of food security. The main aim of the Navdanya biodiversity conservation programme is to support local farmers, rescue and conserve crops and plants that are being pushed to extinction and make them available through direct marketing.
Navdanya is actively involved in the rejuvenation of indigenous knowledge and culture. It has created awareness on the hazards of genetic engineering, defended people's knowledge from biopiracy and food rights in the face of globalisation.
So this is where I will be spending my "almost" a month in India. It definitely would have been an adventure to travel around the country for 3 months but I also need to work so I can continue with adventures as such.
The bus just crossed into "Fortress America" and I think this may be the first time I have taken the bus across the border since ol Obomba has been named the President. Funny as it's still the same routine at the border with these intimidating lil guards walking around grilling you with questions to keep the "borders secure" The only difference on this cross is usually on the bus they ask you to bring your bags/ belongings with you and this time they didn't. At first I didn't think much of it but a little while later I thought "Hey. With your bags not on you anything could happen to them, or anything can be placed in them"..yah yah! Sounds crazy but if your someone who actually thinks the police, and border guards wouldn't do such a thing you must live in a wonderful lil world.
Anyways....
I booked my trip around a show that happened in Montreal 2 nights ago with some good friends, tour companions, and an old next door neighbor coming into town to do their thang. These fine people were the Cavaliers, Dave Haus (with fellow Dave Walsh), Tim Barry, and Chuck Reagan. The place where the show was booked sold out instantly in advance so the promoters added a 2nd -earlier- show at a small lil bar in Montreal.
The show/s that these individuals played was so much fun. Actually it is definitely safe to say it's probably the funnest show I have been to while living in Montreal and this was due to the company of the night for sure. It was also supposed to be my last night at home due to this current trip so it was exciting to hang with everyone and get words of encouragement however it turned out not to be my last night as I drank way to much and there was no way I was going to sit on a damn bus feeling like shit.
Touring is such an interesting fun adventure. If you have never toured/ or traveled with a group of people for weeks on end then it's something that you would never understand. Being locked in a stinky spaceship with numerous people all doing their own thing but also everyone working for the same thing to accomplish the mission. With this comes many different scenario's that bring a bonding which is indescribable and only the people you share this bonding with know can relate.
This is gonna crack some people up-as it should. ha- but Tim and Chuck have always to me been a perfect example of "men"...Haha. Fuck! I just did say that. Sorry to the 2 Dave's/ and the Cavaliers as you all were there that evening as well and do know what I am talking about, but let's face it, non of us will never come close to this. Ha.
I am not going to go into what I mean by this as I know that most people who read this completely know what Im saying.
Again what an amazing show this was and the feeling one get's when an entire crowd is singing along as loud as they can with the biggest smiles on their faces is something that can't be described or replicated in anyway. It's real.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Oh Oh-bomb-ah
In 2008 was the first time that most people my age (or there about's) have had someone they actually voted for put into office. In 2000, and 2004 this wasn't the case with bush but in 2008 there are many who voted for Obomba. I have always been interested, surprised, and very scared how easily everyone bought into the spectacle.
From- The Globe and Mail
Konrad Yakabuski
Washington — From Friday's Globe and Mail
Published on Thursday, Jan. 07, 2010 10:33PM EST
Last updated on Thursday, Jan. 07, 2010 10:35PM EST
In Year 1, with their worst memories still so raw, Americans embraced him as the anti-Bush. Must he become, in Year 2, Son of Bush?
Barack Obama, who banned the very use of the term “war on terror” in his administration, now finds himself forced to prove he can wage it as ruthlessly as the predecessor whose legacy he so sought to undo.
“I've come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world,” the President said in Cairo in June. “This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.”
It sounded so promising. But the goodwill overtures – the vow to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, the vow to uphold the legal rights of suspected terrorists, the vow to reject profiling – have become a luxury Mr. Obama can no longer afford to extend.
Most Americans, for a time at least, aren't interested in what the rest of the world thinks. And Mr. Obama knows it.
“It's clear he had been stressing the differences between his administration and the previous administration. Now, for obvious reasons, he's beginning to stress the similarities between his approach and the Bush administration's approach,” remarked James Lee Ray, a Middle East expert at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
Perceived as peaceniks, Democratic presidents may be doomed to overcompensate when confronted with threats to U.S. security. That, after all, is how we got the Bay of Pigs, Vietnam and, arguably, a 30,000-troop surge in Afghanistan.
Hence, Mr. Obama's “We are at war” declaration yesterday might have been expected, along with the kind of profiling language that would normally send grassroots Democrats into a fit: “We know that the vast majority of Muslims reject al-Qaeda. But it is clear that al-Qaeda increasingly seeks to recruit individuals without known terrorist affiliations, not just in the Middle East but in Africa and other places, to do their bidding. That's why I've directed my national security team to develop a strategy that addresses the unique challenges posed by lone recruits.”
To be sure, there were a couple of olive branches to the Muslim world. But where, not long ago, they were all Mr. Obama talked about, they had been reduced to niceties yesterday.
Any post-9/11 president confronted with the systemic intelligence failure that led to the Christmas Day terrorist attempt onboard a Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight would, for reasons pertaining to both style and substance, have had to take corrective action. But because of who he is – or at least, who Americans think he is – Mr. Obama has been under even greater pressure to do so.
He brought it upon himself with his move, on his second day in office, to announce the closing of Guantanamo Bay within a year. The Cuban prison where the United States has detained real and suspected terrorists without regard for U.S. or international law had come to symbolize the worst of George W. Bush's presidency of errors.
Just this week, Mr. Obama reiterated his promise to close Gitmo, insisting it has “become a tremendous recruiting tool for al-Qaeda” and “an explicit rationale for the formation of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,” the Yemen-based faction to which the would-be Christmas Day bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, adhered.
Yet none of Mr. Obama's Year 1 overtures stopped Mr. Abdulmutallab from continuing his journey to the dark side. And as much as closing Gitmo is desirable for a number of reasons, there is little evidence to suggest doing so would lead aspiring terrorists to renounce their ways.
“To say that as long as we have Guantanamo, people will have become more easily radicalized, or that if we close Guantanamo, they will stop being radicalized, is nonsense,” insisted Maki Haberfeld, a terrorism expert at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York. “That really has nothing to do with why people become radicalized.”
For every carrot Mr. Obama waved at the Muslim world, Americans are now demanding he wield an even bigger stick. That was the message of yesterday's speech, where the Gitmo promise was nowhere to be found.
Until yesterday, Mr. Obama had yet to live down his November memorial speech at Fort Hood, the Texas military base where Major Nidal Hasan gunned down 13 active and retired soldiers, in which the President did not once utter the word Muslim. He did not make that mistake yesterday.
Mr. Obama's early eagerness to underscore the differences between his approach to terrorism and that of Mr. Bush has now obliged him to yank the steering wheel in the other direction.
The irony is that, even before the Dec. 25 attempt, there had been a striking continuity between the Obama and Bush administrations in dealing with terrorists and terrorism. Almost all of the worst abuses of the Bush years had been done away with before Mr. Obama took over. Mr. Bush eliminated the use of waterboarding on suspected terrorists and reformed the military commissions before which a few of them faced trial. Mr. Bush also tried some people accused of terrorism in U.S. civil courts. Mr. Obama has promised no more than that. Even Mr. Bush voiced his desire to close Gitmo one day.
It is ironic, too, that someone as nuanced as Mr. Obama actively sought to establish himself as the anti-Bush. In other words, the image he projected of himself was that of a caricature of a caricature.
He risks spending his second year in the Oval Office (over)compensating for that.
From- The Globe and Mail
Konrad Yakabuski
Washington — From Friday's Globe and Mail
Published on Thursday, Jan. 07, 2010 10:33PM EST
Last updated on Thursday, Jan. 07, 2010 10:35PM EST
In Year 1, with their worst memories still so raw, Americans embraced him as the anti-Bush. Must he become, in Year 2, Son of Bush?
Barack Obama, who banned the very use of the term “war on terror” in his administration, now finds himself forced to prove he can wage it as ruthlessly as the predecessor whose legacy he so sought to undo.
“I've come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world,” the President said in Cairo in June. “This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.”
It sounded so promising. But the goodwill overtures – the vow to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, the vow to uphold the legal rights of suspected terrorists, the vow to reject profiling – have become a luxury Mr. Obama can no longer afford to extend.
Most Americans, for a time at least, aren't interested in what the rest of the world thinks. And Mr. Obama knows it.
“It's clear he had been stressing the differences between his administration and the previous administration. Now, for obvious reasons, he's beginning to stress the similarities between his approach and the Bush administration's approach,” remarked James Lee Ray, a Middle East expert at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
Perceived as peaceniks, Democratic presidents may be doomed to overcompensate when confronted with threats to U.S. security. That, after all, is how we got the Bay of Pigs, Vietnam and, arguably, a 30,000-troop surge in Afghanistan.
Hence, Mr. Obama's “We are at war” declaration yesterday might have been expected, along with the kind of profiling language that would normally send grassroots Democrats into a fit: “We know that the vast majority of Muslims reject al-Qaeda. But it is clear that al-Qaeda increasingly seeks to recruit individuals without known terrorist affiliations, not just in the Middle East but in Africa and other places, to do their bidding. That's why I've directed my national security team to develop a strategy that addresses the unique challenges posed by lone recruits.”
To be sure, there were a couple of olive branches to the Muslim world. But where, not long ago, they were all Mr. Obama talked about, they had been reduced to niceties yesterday.
Any post-9/11 president confronted with the systemic intelligence failure that led to the Christmas Day terrorist attempt onboard a Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight would, for reasons pertaining to both style and substance, have had to take corrective action. But because of who he is – or at least, who Americans think he is – Mr. Obama has been under even greater pressure to do so.
He brought it upon himself with his move, on his second day in office, to announce the closing of Guantanamo Bay within a year. The Cuban prison where the United States has detained real and suspected terrorists without regard for U.S. or international law had come to symbolize the worst of George W. Bush's presidency of errors.
Just this week, Mr. Obama reiterated his promise to close Gitmo, insisting it has “become a tremendous recruiting tool for al-Qaeda” and “an explicit rationale for the formation of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,” the Yemen-based faction to which the would-be Christmas Day bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, adhered.
Yet none of Mr. Obama's Year 1 overtures stopped Mr. Abdulmutallab from continuing his journey to the dark side. And as much as closing Gitmo is desirable for a number of reasons, there is little evidence to suggest doing so would lead aspiring terrorists to renounce their ways.
“To say that as long as we have Guantanamo, people will have become more easily radicalized, or that if we close Guantanamo, they will stop being radicalized, is nonsense,” insisted Maki Haberfeld, a terrorism expert at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York. “That really has nothing to do with why people become radicalized.”
For every carrot Mr. Obama waved at the Muslim world, Americans are now demanding he wield an even bigger stick. That was the message of yesterday's speech, where the Gitmo promise was nowhere to be found.
Until yesterday, Mr. Obama had yet to live down his November memorial speech at Fort Hood, the Texas military base where Major Nidal Hasan gunned down 13 active and retired soldiers, in which the President did not once utter the word Muslim. He did not make that mistake yesterday.
Mr. Obama's early eagerness to underscore the differences between his approach to terrorism and that of Mr. Bush has now obliged him to yank the steering wheel in the other direction.
The irony is that, even before the Dec. 25 attempt, there had been a striking continuity between the Obama and Bush administrations in dealing with terrorists and terrorism. Almost all of the worst abuses of the Bush years had been done away with before Mr. Obama took over. Mr. Bush eliminated the use of waterboarding on suspected terrorists and reformed the military commissions before which a few of them faced trial. Mr. Bush also tried some people accused of terrorism in U.S. civil courts. Mr. Obama has promised no more than that. Even Mr. Bush voiced his desire to close Gitmo one day.
It is ironic, too, that someone as nuanced as Mr. Obama actively sought to establish himself as the anti-Bush. In other words, the image he projected of himself was that of a caricature of a caricature.
He risks spending his second year in the Oval Office (over)compensating for that.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Two Thousand and Nine
Dec 15, 2009
So my touring adventures for 2009 are done, and I am now at home. The last couple trips I haven’t written much and now is the time for me to make a note about the year for myself, and those who like to read about it. Ha. I usually keep it all in order but this time I will start with the most recent and leave with the most distant.
I just ended a tour with the freak show known as Propagandhi. Ha. Together with another bunch of other goofs- Strike Anywhere/ Protest The Hero we journeyed across the lands of the UK/ Ireland. Fun times were had everywhere but funner times were had in Ireland for sure. The UK needs to tighten up on it’s comedy, food, culture, and loosen up a little at its venues. Barricades, and security guards dressed in black with ear pieces are never any fun.
Like I said…….Ireland….you ruled hard! And always do!!
So in 1999 I moved to Santa Cruz from my fathers house in southern California to begin a life of my own. I had come across music-punk- about 5 years ago while leaving middle school. I had always like music but never really “knew” music until that time.
There were times as a child I would sit in the back of our car with my parents having the stereo on and I would air drum with McDonalds straws to the tunes being heard. Ha.
So when I moved to Santa Cruz I ended up selling my car, which my Dad gave me, to travel Europe for a little bit. My Dad wasn’t pumped but I did what I did and went with it. On my adventures in Europe I stayed with my friends Erol, and Nasrin for a good week in…geez I can’t even remember the name now- its near Hamburg. Erol had this Strike Anywhere LP “Chorus of One” which I recorded on cassette and brought with me for the remainder of the trip.
Once back in Santa Cruz I ended up getting a job at Sessions Records, as their promo fellow and also as someone who booked tours for bands. A bunch of friends of mine from southern California named the Missing 23rd had signed with Sessions records so I started booking them tours. I had since bought and owned the Strike Anywhere LP so when it came time to booking a show for the M23 in Virginia I emailed the address on the Strike Anywhere album. After a week or so a reply was made by Garth and an agreement was made to have both the Strike Anywhere, and M23 play together in Virginia.
Months later I received a call from Thomas- Stike Anywhere- to book them a west coast tour, which I did, and ended up going on about half of. Fun times. After getting to know the SA’s for awhile I ended up moving to Richmond, VA to continue our adventures together, and to begin a new chapter.
After a couple of tours Strike Anywhere ended up doing the “Anchors Aweigh” tour with the Bouncing Souls which began my friendship and future adventures with that incredible family.
Before this tour I do remember many drives in the SA van listening to both the Souls, and Propagandhi just imagining us all touring with both bands.
The anchors aweigh tour happened within due time and was incredible and lead to me later on touring with the Bouncing Souls whom I last toured with in Oct. Rad. Rad. Rad!
I have toured with a handful of bands and the 3 most important bands to me from this little list are bands that I have been able to share part of 2009 with.
So 2009 ended with Strike Anywhere, and Propagandhi again touring together for the 2nd time this year. Totally weird. Who would have thought?
About 8 years ago I get a call from Thomas which lead to a special friendship, then another special friendship with the Bouncing Souls, and now another special friendship with Propagadnhi. Life is super wild, and interesting how it all works out.
10 Years ago never would I have thought that I would be able to travel the world with friends and bands I grew up listening to who these friends also play in. Its been a wild a crazy journey and 2009 has been special. So….right on!!
Saturday, Nov 28, 2009
So I am about 2.5 hours into a 6.5 hour flight from Montreal to Paris, and then onto London where I will meet up with the other animals for our next, and last circus of 2009.
This plane for today’s flight is a very older model 747 with no individual TV’s in which makes for quite a boring trip. Get it together Air France! Good money is spent for these flights and in this day and age of competition your loosing due to other airlines currently having state of the art entertainment systems. Oh well only a couple more hours to go.
On a side note is a little annoying sometimes when the person next to you thinks its okay for them to take more then their space. Here I am passively fighting for some more arm room so I don’t feel so cramped but it’s not working. Haha. Also a couple months ago I went to the Dr. to get some pills for flights to relax me and my forgetful butt forget them in my bag below, and I decided to drink a cup of coffee on this flight which isn’t good due to the adrenaline I get during the bumps.
The food thus far was okay- braised tofu dish over rice with green beans, a baguette, salad, a nice glass of red wine, and some fruit as desert.
I am really excited about this next tour of ours for numerous reasons. Sharing the adventures with us is Strike Anywhere who are some really close friends of mine and old buddies from Richmond. This will be the first time out of all my touring where I have shared adventures with the SA boys in the Eastern hemisphere. Pumped!
Last time Propagandhi/ Strike Anywhere toured together it was a blast but I had to remain pretty alert/ responsible due to driving and the responsibilities of taking care of the soldiers. On this tour we will be in a bus which means I don’t have to worry about any driving at all which is a good good thing. Much hanging will be had.
Also it’s going to be quite interesting for our freak show-Propagandhi- as we are sharing a bus with a band/ people we have never met named Protest the Hero. I am sure it will be fine but it’s going to be interesting non-the less. At first upon hearing that this band-PTH- was our main support it was something I have always kind of thought to myself “huh?” as I really don’t find them that good of a band plus I am so close to SA and think that this tour would have been fine without PTH. What can you do? I am sure once we all get into the same spaceship and spend a couple days together all will be well. As long as these new fellows don’t mind the crazy smells, and chaos that comes with us it will run smoothly.
On this trip we will tour most of the UK, and head over to Ireland for a show in Dublin, and Belfast, which will be a first for me. Can’t wait actually and we have a day off in that city as well. I also heard last night of a professional ice hockey team from Belfast and it turns out that they are playing the night of our day off there so I think there will be a group of us going.
After this tour is done I have no plans in the immediate future and need to think of something to do with my time. Treat myself to a possible vacation. I will use this trip to brain storm my next personal destination which could be places such as India, Coast Rica, Belize, or somewhere in south America. Not too long ago I would treat myself with a solo adventure at least once a year and haven’t had one of these in the last couple of years. I’ll admit that in the past going alone has been not that big of a deal. Sure sometimes you get lonely but I have also met some amazing people who I traveled with and those experiences wouldn’t have been what they were if I was traveling with someone. For some reason these days I can tell that I am a little nervous to get up and leave by myself although I have numerous times. Not sure why? Maybe it has something to do with being gone all the time, away from or who knows what. Oh well.
So my touring adventures for 2009 are done, and I am now at home. The last couple trips I haven’t written much and now is the time for me to make a note about the year for myself, and those who like to read about it. Ha. I usually keep it all in order but this time I will start with the most recent and leave with the most distant.
I just ended a tour with the freak show known as Propagandhi. Ha. Together with another bunch of other goofs- Strike Anywhere/ Protest The Hero we journeyed across the lands of the UK/ Ireland. Fun times were had everywhere but funner times were had in Ireland for sure. The UK needs to tighten up on it’s comedy, food, culture, and loosen up a little at its venues. Barricades, and security guards dressed in black with ear pieces are never any fun.
Like I said…….Ireland….you ruled hard! And always do!!
So in 1999 I moved to Santa Cruz from my fathers house in southern California to begin a life of my own. I had come across music-punk- about 5 years ago while leaving middle school. I had always like music but never really “knew” music until that time.
There were times as a child I would sit in the back of our car with my parents having the stereo on and I would air drum with McDonalds straws to the tunes being heard. Ha.
So when I moved to Santa Cruz I ended up selling my car, which my Dad gave me, to travel Europe for a little bit. My Dad wasn’t pumped but I did what I did and went with it. On my adventures in Europe I stayed with my friends Erol, and Nasrin for a good week in…geez I can’t even remember the name now- its near Hamburg. Erol had this Strike Anywhere LP “Chorus of One” which I recorded on cassette and brought with me for the remainder of the trip.
Once back in Santa Cruz I ended up getting a job at Sessions Records, as their promo fellow and also as someone who booked tours for bands. A bunch of friends of mine from southern California named the Missing 23rd had signed with Sessions records so I started booking them tours. I had since bought and owned the Strike Anywhere LP so when it came time to booking a show for the M23 in Virginia I emailed the address on the Strike Anywhere album. After a week or so a reply was made by Garth and an agreement was made to have both the Strike Anywhere, and M23 play together in Virginia.
Months later I received a call from Thomas- Stike Anywhere- to book them a west coast tour, which I did, and ended up going on about half of. Fun times. After getting to know the SA’s for awhile I ended up moving to Richmond, VA to continue our adventures together, and to begin a new chapter.
After a couple of tours Strike Anywhere ended up doing the “Anchors Aweigh” tour with the Bouncing Souls which began my friendship and future adventures with that incredible family.
Before this tour I do remember many drives in the SA van listening to both the Souls, and Propagandhi just imagining us all touring with both bands.
The anchors aweigh tour happened within due time and was incredible and lead to me later on touring with the Bouncing Souls whom I last toured with in Oct. Rad. Rad. Rad!
I have toured with a handful of bands and the 3 most important bands to me from this little list are bands that I have been able to share part of 2009 with.
So 2009 ended with Strike Anywhere, and Propagandhi again touring together for the 2nd time this year. Totally weird. Who would have thought?
About 8 years ago I get a call from Thomas which lead to a special friendship, then another special friendship with the Bouncing Souls, and now another special friendship with Propagadnhi. Life is super wild, and interesting how it all works out.
10 Years ago never would I have thought that I would be able to travel the world with friends and bands I grew up listening to who these friends also play in. Its been a wild a crazy journey and 2009 has been special. So….right on!!
Saturday, Nov 28, 2009
So I am about 2.5 hours into a 6.5 hour flight from Montreal to Paris, and then onto London where I will meet up with the other animals for our next, and last circus of 2009.
This plane for today’s flight is a very older model 747 with no individual TV’s in which makes for quite a boring trip. Get it together Air France! Good money is spent for these flights and in this day and age of competition your loosing due to other airlines currently having state of the art entertainment systems. Oh well only a couple more hours to go.
On a side note is a little annoying sometimes when the person next to you thinks its okay for them to take more then their space. Here I am passively fighting for some more arm room so I don’t feel so cramped but it’s not working. Haha. Also a couple months ago I went to the Dr. to get some pills for flights to relax me and my forgetful butt forget them in my bag below, and I decided to drink a cup of coffee on this flight which isn’t good due to the adrenaline I get during the bumps.
The food thus far was okay- braised tofu dish over rice with green beans, a baguette, salad, a nice glass of red wine, and some fruit as desert.
I am really excited about this next tour of ours for numerous reasons. Sharing the adventures with us is Strike Anywhere who are some really close friends of mine and old buddies from Richmond. This will be the first time out of all my touring where I have shared adventures with the SA boys in the Eastern hemisphere. Pumped!
Last time Propagandhi/ Strike Anywhere toured together it was a blast but I had to remain pretty alert/ responsible due to driving and the responsibilities of taking care of the soldiers. On this tour we will be in a bus which means I don’t have to worry about any driving at all which is a good good thing. Much hanging will be had.
Also it’s going to be quite interesting for our freak show-Propagandhi- as we are sharing a bus with a band/ people we have never met named Protest the Hero. I am sure it will be fine but it’s going to be interesting non-the less. At first upon hearing that this band-PTH- was our main support it was something I have always kind of thought to myself “huh?” as I really don’t find them that good of a band plus I am so close to SA and think that this tour would have been fine without PTH. What can you do? I am sure once we all get into the same spaceship and spend a couple days together all will be well. As long as these new fellows don’t mind the crazy smells, and chaos that comes with us it will run smoothly.
On this trip we will tour most of the UK, and head over to Ireland for a show in Dublin, and Belfast, which will be a first for me. Can’t wait actually and we have a day off in that city as well. I also heard last night of a professional ice hockey team from Belfast and it turns out that they are playing the night of our day off there so I think there will be a group of us going.
After this tour is done I have no plans in the immediate future and need to think of something to do with my time. Treat myself to a possible vacation. I will use this trip to brain storm my next personal destination which could be places such as India, Coast Rica, Belize, or somewhere in south America. Not too long ago I would treat myself with a solo adventure at least once a year and haven’t had one of these in the last couple of years. I’ll admit that in the past going alone has been not that big of a deal. Sure sometimes you get lonely but I have also met some amazing people who I traveled with and those experiences wouldn’t have been what they were if I was traveling with someone. For some reason these days I can tell that I am a little nervous to get up and leave by myself although I have numerous times. Not sure why? Maybe it has something to do with being gone all the time, away from or who knows what. Oh well.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Where is the Love and Compassion?
Oct 13, 2009
This is truly completely mind blowing.
My friend Ali who I met years ago on the mind numbing Warped Tour is currently going through what I would say is probably the most insane thing she has or ever will go through.
It was 2006 when our paths crossed and still to this day I am thankful for this crossing.
Ali is one of the cutest, sweetest people to walk this planet. Truly. Its why she is my friend and its why all my friends are my friends.
For 2 months straight from 8 in the morning until 10 at night we would seriously be at arms reach watching, and commenting on the circus passing us by. There was 1 particular show when I looked out into the crowd and saw some tool running with a cash box in hand which I recognized as Ali’s. I hopped over my table,, and ran as fast as I could into the huge festival crowd chasing this douche bag down to get Ali’s money back. I did catch the dude, threw him up against a fence, retrieved the loot, and handed him over to the authorities.
Ali didn’t even know the dude had taken her money when I returned but I know she was relieved when it was returned. Poor thing.
Since then Ali has been working for a catering company touring with acts as Nine Inch Nails, Eagles, Blink 182 and many other big time acts who can afford to bring out catering companies. Some health issues un-expectedly overcame Ali on tour a couple months ago and now the poor thing is left with a $43 000 health bill. INSANE!
I can’t believe people have stood for such a crock for so long. Something needs to be done as this is just the most de-humanizing thing imaginable. Your born, you live your life how you choose, you get sick, and you can’t afford to keep yourself healthy so you go in debt or die.
And Obama just won the Nobel Peace Prize. Hahaha.
Anyhoo please check out Ali’s situation and if you can help out with anything please do.
http://thealivattermatter.blogspot.com
This is truly completely mind blowing.
My friend Ali who I met years ago on the mind numbing Warped Tour is currently going through what I would say is probably the most insane thing she has or ever will go through.
It was 2006 when our paths crossed and still to this day I am thankful for this crossing.
Ali is one of the cutest, sweetest people to walk this planet. Truly. Its why she is my friend and its why all my friends are my friends.
For 2 months straight from 8 in the morning until 10 at night we would seriously be at arms reach watching, and commenting on the circus passing us by. There was 1 particular show when I looked out into the crowd and saw some tool running with a cash box in hand which I recognized as Ali’s. I hopped over my table,, and ran as fast as I could into the huge festival crowd chasing this douche bag down to get Ali’s money back. I did catch the dude, threw him up against a fence, retrieved the loot, and handed him over to the authorities.
Ali didn’t even know the dude had taken her money when I returned but I know she was relieved when it was returned. Poor thing.
Since then Ali has been working for a catering company touring with acts as Nine Inch Nails, Eagles, Blink 182 and many other big time acts who can afford to bring out catering companies. Some health issues un-expectedly overcame Ali on tour a couple months ago and now the poor thing is left with a $43 000 health bill. INSANE!
I can’t believe people have stood for such a crock for so long. Something needs to be done as this is just the most de-humanizing thing imaginable. Your born, you live your life how you choose, you get sick, and you can’t afford to keep yourself healthy so you go in debt or die.
And Obama just won the Nobel Peace Prize. Hahaha.
Anyhoo please check out Ali’s situation and if you can help out with anything please do.
http://thealivattermatter.blogspot.com
Sunday, October 11, 2009
End of the Souls
Oct 10, 2009
So I am sitting here at my fathers house sitting in his living room by myself listening to a brand new Bouncing Souls song named “Like The Sun” and have goose bumps.
I just ended a 2 week tour with the Souls family 3 days ago and am already sitting here thinking about the times, and the memories. Ha. There are some tours when I come home and the last thing that I want to do is listen to the music that I just saw night after night, and think about the tour. Some people call this de-compression which is a suitable word.
This past tour we did of Canada was really a lot fun and I am so fortunate to have been apart of it. The feeling that I get every night the Souls take the stage is something that I can’t explain and something that truly takes me into another world. I may be tired, not feeling the evening due to who knows why but as soon as those 4 dudes take the stage something comes over me which leaves me with a monstrous grin while I sing along to every song.
I don’t like going to deep into my touring lifestyle because I don’t want it to come across to cocky, or elitist, or even annoying but getting to be apart of something special as such by a group of friends who make music which I hold to the highest is something that has changed my life.
This month I will have gotten to share the road with 2 groups of friends whose bands have impacted my life to the fullest. I’ve mentioned this before but I’ll do it again, both the Bouncing Souls, and Propagandhi are bands that I have listened to for the last 15-16 years or so and who are also now good friends. Ha. I can’t think of any other group of people who play music which have had this effect.
Seeing these fellows every night do their thing on stage and how this impacts the people viewing these spectacles is something that is untouchable and is the beauty of live music. It’s an experience that will never be able to be described as it is something that is felt so deeply that it truly takes people into another world for that evening. “Music Saves”
So….ha ha…the Souls tour ended the other night in beautiful Vancouver, BC at the Rickshaw Theater. The last show was a good last show for a tour as such. The venue was packed with very sweaty excited people whom were there for their experience. Last shows of tours are always usually pretty special as everyone knows “this is it” and that this chapter is now over so its usually quite the party. Vancouver was this.
The Boucing Souls are celebrating their 20 year anniversary this year and truly they are still on top of their game. I was talking to my friend Devon the other day while walking in Vancouver after tour and I was mentioning how I am not sure if the Bouncing Souls have even peaked yet. 20 years later their shows are still sold out, people are still loosing their minds, and from personally being apart of their last 4 years (or so) I know that their fan base is still growing because I meet these new comers every night.
Okay now for a quick wrap up of where I left off of the Souls across Canada-driving west bound.
In Winnipeg I got to see my good friends whom I have been sharing adventures with this entire year. Well most of them at least. Beaver and Sammy met me for a good vegan dinner at the legendary Royal Albert, Barney came out to the show to hang, and Jord also showed up to hang out which was all super nice. Unfortunately the stay in Winnipeg wasn’t longer as there was definitely and will always be more hanging to be done there.
Once we were above the great lakes and heading west, both of the trucks seemed to start acting up in the cold mornings and were never the same. It sucked as the trucks weren’t working properly but it also became amusing as every time we let the sit for awhile one or the other just wouldn’t start. This last the remainder of the trip and happened every single day. Thankfully one would always start so we would pull it around wherever we were, and jump the other truck then off we would go.
Regina was a good show but was at a University which usually have weird stale vibes but when your in the middle of the Prairies Canada I guess you just take what you can get.
Next on the list was Edmonton in which we drove to over night after the Regina show due to seeing our bud Dr. Bob who is also known as the “punk rock” dentist. Bob has been so touched by music, and the Souls that a couple years ago he offered some bands free dental work when they came through Edmonton. He is one of the most gracious people I have come across and I know others feel this way too. Bob is a perfect example of what music is, what it does to all of us, and why we live our lives the way we do. So we went for a dental visit in the morning to get our teeth cleaned, check out, someone got fangs (no names mentioned), and a couple of fillings were replaced. Bob and his wife just brought into this world a baby girl whom they named Sarah after “Sarah Saturday” by the Souls so while some were getting worked on the others of us were hanging out with mum and daughter. Fun times.
This show was also super special for me personally as my little brother and my sister in law made the trip down south to hang out and take in the festivities. What made things that much better is I know both of them are big Bouncing Souls fans and this would be their first time getting to see them live. As soon as I saw both of them I knew they were pumped and it would be a special night. I was able to quickly grab some food with them before I had to report to duty.
The crowd at this show was really pumped up. The Starlite Ballroom venue was as packed as it could be with kids were loosing their minds, dancing, and singing along to the in-house music louder then the PA before the Souls came on stage. It was as if a band was really playing. Again something that needs to be witnessed as it will leave your heart pumping with excitement. I would say the Edmonton experience was a top one on this tour.
The raddest part was during the Souls set seeing my little brother jump on stage twice, singing as loud as he could into the air, and into the mic eventually stage diving both times. Honestly this was a special experience and brought this show to a whole other level for me. After the show both Travis, and Olena (bro, and sista in law) came up to me completely drenched in sweat and the energy that was radiating from them both I could tell they just had a night they will never forget. This made me happy and the next day both of them were the talk of the tour. “They ruled so much!”
After Edmonton we played Calgary, Banff and then had a day off to drive through the mountains of BC/ Alberta before we caught a ferry to Vancouver Island-Victoria for a show, and then finally our last show in Vancouver.
That tour, the laughs, the memories is something I will have forever and for that I am thankful.
Next up is the same trip across Canada with Propagandhi which is going to be as equaling exciting. I can’t wait.
So I am sitting here at my fathers house sitting in his living room by myself listening to a brand new Bouncing Souls song named “Like The Sun” and have goose bumps.
I just ended a 2 week tour with the Souls family 3 days ago and am already sitting here thinking about the times, and the memories. Ha. There are some tours when I come home and the last thing that I want to do is listen to the music that I just saw night after night, and think about the tour. Some people call this de-compression which is a suitable word.
This past tour we did of Canada was really a lot fun and I am so fortunate to have been apart of it. The feeling that I get every night the Souls take the stage is something that I can’t explain and something that truly takes me into another world. I may be tired, not feeling the evening due to who knows why but as soon as those 4 dudes take the stage something comes over me which leaves me with a monstrous grin while I sing along to every song.
I don’t like going to deep into my touring lifestyle because I don’t want it to come across to cocky, or elitist, or even annoying but getting to be apart of something special as such by a group of friends who make music which I hold to the highest is something that has changed my life.
This month I will have gotten to share the road with 2 groups of friends whose bands have impacted my life to the fullest. I’ve mentioned this before but I’ll do it again, both the Bouncing Souls, and Propagandhi are bands that I have listened to for the last 15-16 years or so and who are also now good friends. Ha. I can’t think of any other group of people who play music which have had this effect.
Seeing these fellows every night do their thing on stage and how this impacts the people viewing these spectacles is something that is untouchable and is the beauty of live music. It’s an experience that will never be able to be described as it is something that is felt so deeply that it truly takes people into another world for that evening. “Music Saves”
So….ha ha…the Souls tour ended the other night in beautiful Vancouver, BC at the Rickshaw Theater. The last show was a good last show for a tour as such. The venue was packed with very sweaty excited people whom were there for their experience. Last shows of tours are always usually pretty special as everyone knows “this is it” and that this chapter is now over so its usually quite the party. Vancouver was this.
The Boucing Souls are celebrating their 20 year anniversary this year and truly they are still on top of their game. I was talking to my friend Devon the other day while walking in Vancouver after tour and I was mentioning how I am not sure if the Bouncing Souls have even peaked yet. 20 years later their shows are still sold out, people are still loosing their minds, and from personally being apart of their last 4 years (or so) I know that their fan base is still growing because I meet these new comers every night.
Okay now for a quick wrap up of where I left off of the Souls across Canada-driving west bound.
In Winnipeg I got to see my good friends whom I have been sharing adventures with this entire year. Well most of them at least. Beaver and Sammy met me for a good vegan dinner at the legendary Royal Albert, Barney came out to the show to hang, and Jord also showed up to hang out which was all super nice. Unfortunately the stay in Winnipeg wasn’t longer as there was definitely and will always be more hanging to be done there.
Once we were above the great lakes and heading west, both of the trucks seemed to start acting up in the cold mornings and were never the same. It sucked as the trucks weren’t working properly but it also became amusing as every time we let the sit for awhile one or the other just wouldn’t start. This last the remainder of the trip and happened every single day. Thankfully one would always start so we would pull it around wherever we were, and jump the other truck then off we would go.
Regina was a good show but was at a University which usually have weird stale vibes but when your in the middle of the Prairies Canada I guess you just take what you can get.
Next on the list was Edmonton in which we drove to over night after the Regina show due to seeing our bud Dr. Bob who is also known as the “punk rock” dentist. Bob has been so touched by music, and the Souls that a couple years ago he offered some bands free dental work when they came through Edmonton. He is one of the most gracious people I have come across and I know others feel this way too. Bob is a perfect example of what music is, what it does to all of us, and why we live our lives the way we do. So we went for a dental visit in the morning to get our teeth cleaned, check out, someone got fangs (no names mentioned), and a couple of fillings were replaced. Bob and his wife just brought into this world a baby girl whom they named Sarah after “Sarah Saturday” by the Souls so while some were getting worked on the others of us were hanging out with mum and daughter. Fun times.
This show was also super special for me personally as my little brother and my sister in law made the trip down south to hang out and take in the festivities. What made things that much better is I know both of them are big Bouncing Souls fans and this would be their first time getting to see them live. As soon as I saw both of them I knew they were pumped and it would be a special night. I was able to quickly grab some food with them before I had to report to duty.
The crowd at this show was really pumped up. The Starlite Ballroom venue was as packed as it could be with kids were loosing their minds, dancing, and singing along to the in-house music louder then the PA before the Souls came on stage. It was as if a band was really playing. Again something that needs to be witnessed as it will leave your heart pumping with excitement. I would say the Edmonton experience was a top one on this tour.
The raddest part was during the Souls set seeing my little brother jump on stage twice, singing as loud as he could into the air, and into the mic eventually stage diving both times. Honestly this was a special experience and brought this show to a whole other level for me. After the show both Travis, and Olena (bro, and sista in law) came up to me completely drenched in sweat and the energy that was radiating from them both I could tell they just had a night they will never forget. This made me happy and the next day both of them were the talk of the tour. “They ruled so much!”
After Edmonton we played Calgary, Banff and then had a day off to drive through the mountains of BC/ Alberta before we caught a ferry to Vancouver Island-Victoria for a show, and then finally our last show in Vancouver.
That tour, the laughs, the memories is something I will have forever and for that I am thankful.
Next up is the same trip across Canada with Propagandhi which is going to be as equaling exciting. I can’t wait.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
souls across canada #1
Sept 29, 2009
McDermott, Dubs and myself are currently driving in #2 following the White Castle heading west from Wawa, Ont towards Winnipeg, MB. We left Toronto yesterday, drove 12 hours-600 miles, and pulled over in Wawa for a quick snooze. Today we will do another 12 hours or so of driving and then do the remainder to Winnipeg tomorrow morning.
I am out here with the Bouncing Souls on their Canadian tour (w/ Youth Brigade, Saint Alvia, Off With Their Heads) which thus far is ruling hard. Its been about year since I last toured with the Souls so its super fun, and nice to be back in the family, driving in #2, and seeing another Souls show every night.
Usually with the Souls I head down to Jersey for a pre-tour adventures of packing, and organizing however due to our first show being in Montreal. With me living in Montreal it worked out logistically to just meet everyone at the hotel the morning of our first show.
I hopped in #2, gave her some love, and drove on over to the venue.
I have always enjoyed the Souls do their thing by having their own trucks, and being pretty self-sustained so it was actually pretty cool opening up the back of #2, and there everything was for the show to happen.
The venue in which the Souls played is a pretty cool punk bar located in downtown Montreal named Foufs Foufs Electriques. Years ago when I first visited Montreal I remember my friends Eric, Garth, and I going to that place thinking it was a pretty rad place. On some days the place actually has a ½ pipe set up on the 2nd floor for people to skateboard on. Crazy.
The Montreal show was something I had been looking forward to for a long time. First show of tour, the Bouncing Souls, Montreal, the venue it was at, and then I had most of my friends coming out to the show. Fun. The entire night was incredible. Kids were loosing their minds so much so that a couple of times Greg actually said “whoa you all are stoked!” I managed to see a good chunk of the set where there was a lot of rocking to be had and there was a lot of people stage diving. For a first show I would say Montreal was pretty incredible and the sentiment is felt by all.
Next we headed to Ottawa where we played the Opera House which the Souls played last time they came across and Propagandhi has just played there a couple months ago. A venue which has a pretty brutal load in (up stairs) and has very sticky floors. There is a neat little organic market next door so I picked up a couple of tour-vitamin- essentials for the travels.
The Ottawa show was definitely quite opposite of the Motnreal show. At first everything seemed okay and having been there before there was a comfortable/ familiar vibe to the place. Wrong. I know Lisi before the show got completely yelled at by the venue owner possibly for looking for the “backstage” room. Ha! Any venue which is not super hospitable at first always needs to be questioned. If someone is cruising around looking for something you either say “no, yes, or over there”. You do not be a prick to them.
Well then doors were opened and all seemed to be going good until Youth Brigade was on stage. I didn’t see what happened but in between songs Shawn had to say something to the security guards in regards to taking it easy, and relaxing. Youth Brigade finished so up came the Souls to do their thing. At first everything seemed okay again until half way through their set when they abrubtly stopped, and starting looking into the crowd yelling “relax, security chill the fuck out!!” This lasted for a couple minutes with Bryan, Pete, and Greg telling the security to chill out and to let the kid they had just kicked out back in. Then I see Bryan, and Pete both put down their instruments, walk off stage and go confront the security guards. I wasn’t their but supposedly the security guards then became that much more aggressive and got into Bryan/ Pete’s face and literally said “I don’t give the fuck who you are so get back on stage”. From what I hear the security guards went completely crazy on kids, and actually beat some of them up.
Okay…this should never ever happen at shows. NEVER! If you are playing, or doing a show at a venue all parties need to be on the same page, and have a relationship as such. The band did what they had to do by confronting security because no one else did but that shouldn’t have been the case. Everyone always need to be on the same page in these situations, this needs to be known, and this needs to happen before the show even begins. It sucked and it ruined the show. I did manage to get some good Indian though before all of the mayhem.
Net on the list was Guelph, ONT in a smaller venue then the first two named Vinyl. We arrived and there was already “sold out” signs posted which always leaves you thinking “cool!” This venue was super tiny with even a tinier stage so from what DJ was saying he had to take some gear cases to extend the stage. Ha. You have to love the good ol small staged punk shows especially with a band as the Souls. Nothing to crazy about that show except that for some reason the show had to be done at 10 pm sharp. I never get that stuff. Venues who have sold out shows but a strict curfew for a club night afterwards which usually leaves everyone rushing to eventually open their doors to ¼ the amount of people who were just in there. Scratch the curfew, and have a late show because you will make that money you would have with the club night in bar sales at the show. Oh well. Guelph was cool.
London, ONT was next on the list at thee ol Call the Office which is always a good time. A small venue with these weird beams throughout it which sometimes obstructs the view. London is always a pretty fun time as people there seem to get a little over the top wild. I have a few friends in Montreal from London who definitely always bring it one step up. Ha!
The drive above the Great Lakes is a long, very scenic drive which finds you driving for hours upon hours in the middle of nowhere not even seeing another car for 5 + mins or so. Its nice to be in an area as such with nothing but untouched nature however our view point is strictly from the highway. We have passed a couple of mines, big dirt roads, and logging trucks so you never know what is beyond what we are looking at. Most likely there are a couple of huge chunks of clear-cuts, and other industrial developments doing their part in destroying what’s left.
Its going to be pretty cool to arrive in Winnipeg tomorrow where I will get to hang out with some pretty good friends who I also share the traveling adventures with. I know non of them have seen the Souls before, so they are going to come to the show and hang.
And…the Royal Albert/ Mondragon Café which is always a nice vegan treats while in Winnipeg.
McDermott, Dubs and myself are currently driving in #2 following the White Castle heading west from Wawa, Ont towards Winnipeg, MB. We left Toronto yesterday, drove 12 hours-600 miles, and pulled over in Wawa for a quick snooze. Today we will do another 12 hours or so of driving and then do the remainder to Winnipeg tomorrow morning.
I am out here with the Bouncing Souls on their Canadian tour (w/ Youth Brigade, Saint Alvia, Off With Their Heads) which thus far is ruling hard. Its been about year since I last toured with the Souls so its super fun, and nice to be back in the family, driving in #2, and seeing another Souls show every night.
Usually with the Souls I head down to Jersey for a pre-tour adventures of packing, and organizing however due to our first show being in Montreal. With me living in Montreal it worked out logistically to just meet everyone at the hotel the morning of our first show.
I hopped in #2, gave her some love, and drove on over to the venue.
I have always enjoyed the Souls do their thing by having their own trucks, and being pretty self-sustained so it was actually pretty cool opening up the back of #2, and there everything was for the show to happen.
The venue in which the Souls played is a pretty cool punk bar located in downtown Montreal named Foufs Foufs Electriques. Years ago when I first visited Montreal I remember my friends Eric, Garth, and I going to that place thinking it was a pretty rad place. On some days the place actually has a ½ pipe set up on the 2nd floor for people to skateboard on. Crazy.
The Montreal show was something I had been looking forward to for a long time. First show of tour, the Bouncing Souls, Montreal, the venue it was at, and then I had most of my friends coming out to the show. Fun. The entire night was incredible. Kids were loosing their minds so much so that a couple of times Greg actually said “whoa you all are stoked!” I managed to see a good chunk of the set where there was a lot of rocking to be had and there was a lot of people stage diving. For a first show I would say Montreal was pretty incredible and the sentiment is felt by all.
Next we headed to Ottawa where we played the Opera House which the Souls played last time they came across and Propagandhi has just played there a couple months ago. A venue which has a pretty brutal load in (up stairs) and has very sticky floors. There is a neat little organic market next door so I picked up a couple of tour-vitamin- essentials for the travels.
The Ottawa show was definitely quite opposite of the Motnreal show. At first everything seemed okay and having been there before there was a comfortable/ familiar vibe to the place. Wrong. I know Lisi before the show got completely yelled at by the venue owner possibly for looking for the “backstage” room. Ha! Any venue which is not super hospitable at first always needs to be questioned. If someone is cruising around looking for something you either say “no, yes, or over there”. You do not be a prick to them.
Well then doors were opened and all seemed to be going good until Youth Brigade was on stage. I didn’t see what happened but in between songs Shawn had to say something to the security guards in regards to taking it easy, and relaxing. Youth Brigade finished so up came the Souls to do their thing. At first everything seemed okay again until half way through their set when they abrubtly stopped, and starting looking into the crowd yelling “relax, security chill the fuck out!!” This lasted for a couple minutes with Bryan, Pete, and Greg telling the security to chill out and to let the kid they had just kicked out back in. Then I see Bryan, and Pete both put down their instruments, walk off stage and go confront the security guards. I wasn’t their but supposedly the security guards then became that much more aggressive and got into Bryan/ Pete’s face and literally said “I don’t give the fuck who you are so get back on stage”. From what I hear the security guards went completely crazy on kids, and actually beat some of them up.
Okay…this should never ever happen at shows. NEVER! If you are playing, or doing a show at a venue all parties need to be on the same page, and have a relationship as such. The band did what they had to do by confronting security because no one else did but that shouldn’t have been the case. Everyone always need to be on the same page in these situations, this needs to be known, and this needs to happen before the show even begins. It sucked and it ruined the show. I did manage to get some good Indian though before all of the mayhem.
Net on the list was Guelph, ONT in a smaller venue then the first two named Vinyl. We arrived and there was already “sold out” signs posted which always leaves you thinking “cool!” This venue was super tiny with even a tinier stage so from what DJ was saying he had to take some gear cases to extend the stage. Ha. You have to love the good ol small staged punk shows especially with a band as the Souls. Nothing to crazy about that show except that for some reason the show had to be done at 10 pm sharp. I never get that stuff. Venues who have sold out shows but a strict curfew for a club night afterwards which usually leaves everyone rushing to eventually open their doors to ¼ the amount of people who were just in there. Scratch the curfew, and have a late show because you will make that money you would have with the club night in bar sales at the show. Oh well. Guelph was cool.
London, ONT was next on the list at thee ol Call the Office which is always a good time. A small venue with these weird beams throughout it which sometimes obstructs the view. London is always a pretty fun time as people there seem to get a little over the top wild. I have a few friends in Montreal from London who definitely always bring it one step up. Ha!
The drive above the Great Lakes is a long, very scenic drive which finds you driving for hours upon hours in the middle of nowhere not even seeing another car for 5 + mins or so. Its nice to be in an area as such with nothing but untouched nature however our view point is strictly from the highway. We have passed a couple of mines, big dirt roads, and logging trucks so you never know what is beyond what we are looking at. Most likely there are a couple of huge chunks of clear-cuts, and other industrial developments doing their part in destroying what’s left.
Its going to be pretty cool to arrive in Winnipeg tomorrow where I will get to hang out with some pretty good friends who I also share the traveling adventures with. I know non of them have seen the Souls before, so they are going to come to the show and hang.
And…the Royal Albert/ Mondragon Café which is always a nice vegan treats while in Winnipeg.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
the killers- bell center
This past weekend i was able to catch the KILLERS at the Bell Center in Montreal. What a great band!
I really enjoyed the show but was seated in the back, up in the bleachers so was missing the "umph" of the sound and getting hit hard by the show.
Non the less it was still good but I must say that using confetti, and not re-using it- if that is the case- is lame!
I really enjoyed the show but was seated in the back, up in the bleachers so was missing the "umph" of the sound and getting hit hard by the show.
Non the less it was still good but I must say that using confetti, and not re-using it- if that is the case- is lame!
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