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January 31st – February 4th, 2010
I left for Penticton Sunday morning. I was excited to meet some of my family which I hadn’t seen in quite a while. So long in fact, that I couldn’t remember when they’d come to Kapuskasing last, or even meeting them for that matter. I was a young child and there would have been much family to visit during their stay. My father’s god mother, Claudette, and her family live in the Okanagan Valley. Claudette was my grandmother Alice’s niece. Her and her family had left Kapuskasing almost 40 years ago. I had called them a few days prior, from Vernon, to let them know I was closer, as they had been awaiting my arrival since I left Kapuskasing.
Driving along the Okanagan lake was as beautiful as the drive a few days earlier. It turns out that Penticton was created after a massive mudslide came down from the mountains, filling the lake in one spot where the town now resides. If you look at a map, you can tell that the shores align perfectly on either side of the town.
The valley, for those who haven’t visited, is a Canadian desert. Many different type of cacti live there and anything can be grown, apart from citrus fruit and bananas. The summer offers lush vegetation but very dry conditions and therefore requires much irrigation. If it wouldn’t have been winter, I would have seen the cliche tumbleweed rolling around, I was told.
When I got in to town, I had a few errands to run but soon found myself at what would become another home away from home. Claudette was waiting for me at the door when I got in and I was introduced to her husband, Steve, and one of their daughters, cousin Stephanie. Cousin Sharol was at work and would end up joining us for dinner with her two children Paige and Kyle. Steve had whipped up a Hungarian dish which was a very tasty, mouthwatering, and welcomed homemade meal. The whole family made meals while I was there, a nice change when you’re on the road and eating healthy usually means getting a salad and garlic bread at the bar you’re playing at.
We visited most of the night, reminiscing about living in Kap, about my grandmother, and how she used to keep the kids entertained with her music and crafts. We also made plans for the next day since I’d be in town until Thursday. I wanted to try and book some shows but I also wanted to see the sights. Luckily, both Sharol and Stephanie were off and were kind enough to show me around the area. Stephanie offered to drive and we decided to leave late morning, drive down to Osoyoos and stop at scenic outlooks and landmarks along the way.
When I got up coffee had already been brewed and after a cup we hit the road. Taking the scenic route to see some wildlife, I finally got to see some mule deer, Steph spots them from a mile away, how, I don’t know. I know they’re like pests in the valley, but being from Ontario I didn’t want to miss them.
We stopped along a lake where Swans were wintering. Sitting on the edge of the ice, some of them were sleeping. Sharol manned the still cam while I did some videotaping. I couldn’t believe it was February and I was looking at swans in Canada.
Spotted Lake was also interesting. The water looks polka-dotted because of the minerals which settle withing the lake’s bed.
When we got back to town later that afternoon, we stopped at a local pub to have a drink and some appetizers before going around town to see where I could play. I tried my luck at the bar we were at but the owner didn’t have the time of day for us as he sat at the bar and told the waitress to let us know he wasn’t interested. It didn’t matter much since the Copper Mug Pub was more than willing to have me and take part in the Good Faith Tour.
Ron was sitting at the bar when I walked in. I told him what I was doing in town and after a short walk to the back, he returned to the front of the bar and said he was interested. He also had some contacts for me on my way to Vancouver should I need them. I thanked him for his time and set the date for Wednesday.
On my down time I got to know my family more and built a bit of a bond with the family dog, Daisy. A young border collie, Daisy has a lot of energy. We went for a couple night walks which helped seal the bond, I was walking Ms. Daisy.
I truly felt at home. With the go ahead to raid the kitchen when I wanted and a room of my own, it was more than I could of asked for after being on the road for so long. I didn’t have to worry about a place to sleep, eat, work, or relax, thanks so much again! I’ll definitely be back, hopefully in the summer so I can enjoy the valley to it’s fullest.
While reading my emails one night, I saw that Canadian Music Week had responded to a press kit I’d sent out earlier last year. To my surprise, they were interested in having the band for a showcase downtown during the festival. I’d wanted to attend with my band since it is Canada’s music Mecca for the year. People in the industry from all over the world come to Toronto to talk business and scope out talent from all over the country. Bands from everywhere come to play in Toronto during the festival, for exposure and to expand their fan base. The catch…it takes place in March. How was I to get back to Toronto in time to play the show without making the tour suffer? I’d fly! I’d leave my van in Calgary which seemed like a reasonable place to be by March, and fly back to it after the show to finish off the tour. I would get to see my friends and family, and play with the band again after being on the road for 5 months. I was totally thrilled at the opportunity but I was a little stressed out as I had to make this all happen and make sure I was back in time for the flight. I still hadn’t reached Vancouver or the island and I had no booked gigs ahead of me.
I played the show on Wednesday and it went well. The bar doesn’t usually have live music but the patrons seemed to enjoy it as I sold cds to some and received compliments from others. Sharol and Stephanie were out to see me play too!
I have to share the barter of the bar, even though I don’t usually discuss business publicly, it was one of the most interesting barters yet.
- Money for the road
- 1 six pack of beer for the road
- 1 candy cane
- 1 diet coke
- 1 chocolate parfait
I don’t know what inspired the last three but I couldn’t stop laughing inside while remaining appreciative. I thanked them again for their help and participation and called it a night.
I was headed to Nelson the next day for an interview and hopefully a few shows. Aaron from Golden, had made a few phone calls after I’d left and arranged for me to meet Bob Keeting, CBC’s Kootenay rep, for an interview. I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity and was looking for a reason to see Nelson as it’s famed for being one of Canada’s laid back hippie settlements!!
Hello again everyone. I know I’m a little late on the posts to come but since I was nearing my destination, I decided I’d take a little break and live the rest of my experiences without the blogging for a bit. I’ll be keeping you up to date more regularly within the next few weeks! Thanks again for keeping up with me and the serendipitous happenings along the way, there are MANY more ahead!
January 28th – January 31st, 2010
After leaving Revelstoke I was soon reminded that I was a travelling musician, driving to another unknown town with unknown outcomes. After hanging out with my new friends for the past 11 days I was starting to get used to my surroundings.
I realized I was tired from my time in Revi. I’d spent a week and a half doing 5 shows, a radio interview, and two trips up Mount Mackenzie for shooting. I needed a few days rest and was not in the mood for meetings or music when I drove to Vernon. I didn’t even feel like being in a city and drove up Turtle mountain, stopping at a scenic outlook to make a snack and to spend some time on my own. The city glowing below, I was failing in convincing myself to try and get a show here. I was kindly reminded by my family that a break might be good for the mind and soul.
I reached into my pockets to see how much money I had on me, I found the Boston Pizza gift card that was gifted to me from my cousins, the Gagnons. I remember Denis Jr. saying something along the lines of: “ We thought we’d get you this if you get tired of cooking or in case you want a night out and a good sit down meal” and that ‘s exactly what I needed. I descended into Vernon and punched in the restaurant into my GPS. I sat at the bar and ordered a pint and a heaping plate of nachos, my favourite. I used to make nachos all the time in high school. I had even developed a sensitivity to Volcano sauce because I was eating it so often, despite it’s extreme heat…..I haven’t seen it on the shelf since. Come to think of it, it was Denis Sr. who had given me the suggestion of Volcano sauce when I was around 14. I love it when nacho stories come full circle.
Sitting at the bar, I watched a bit of hockey on tv. After my meal and some lounging around, I went back to the van to do more of exactly that. I read for the better part of the evening before retiring to my home, my rolling residence. I found a place to park and shut my body down for the night.
Morning came late for me on Friday. I knew I should of gotten up earlier but I wanted to sleep in to the point of oversleeping. I made a quick lunch of soup and sandwiches and went about town to find a laundromat. I only had a few garments left and thought I’d do some writing as the load tumbled. I soon realized that Revelstoke had been such a big part of the journey that I’d need two blogs to describe it.
Later that evening I decided I’d go to one of the local bars and try my luck, I felt more rested now and decided it was the right thing to do. I drove up to the establishment and into their parking lot. After 20 minutes of sitting in the van and having an argument with myself over whether or not to go in, I realized that I needed to do something other than music that weekend and opted to go see the much famed Avatar.
I won’t bore you with how much I loved the film as I’m sure many of you have already seen it but I will comment on the storyline as I found myself wishing over and over for life to be that simple again: natural medicine, sense of community, taking only what we need, and sharing what we have with everything. As a species we have become arrogant of our intelligence and ability to manipulate the world around us. Though I understand that change is good and necessary, it still must be balanced out.
Much of the symbolism in the movie referred to our ignorance of the interconnectedness we share with everything. Sure it was an imaginary planet with an imaginary civilization; but, the resources found on this planet and our willingness to exploit them couldn’t be closer to our own wants and wars. What’s the difference between blue men and yellow, red, or black men. Just like bullies who need lunch money, we don’t care about the other side of the argument, we know our weight can push us through the situation, and that’s all that matters even if we were wrong in the first place. And, come to think of it, the civilization portrayed isn’t that imaginary, especially for us in North America if we think back a few hundred years.
After the movie I called it a night again. The next day would involve a good breakfast and a trip to Kelowna.
Driving down the highway, I was mesmerized by the Kalamalka Lake. There were mountains on either side of it with homesteads at the base of them. The sky was blue and the water still, which made for a picture perfect mirror of the already breathtaking landscape. It didn’t take me too long to drive there, only 40 minutes, maybe.
After getting into town I went for dinner and gathered some information as to what there was to take advantage of in Kelowna on a Saturday night. The bartender told me of a few places to visit but I wasn’t really in the mood for a club or live music. I decided on just parking somewhere near downtown and going for a walk. I found a boardwalk along the lake and walked it for quite some time. It was peaceful and the sky was bright with the moon above me. I found my way back to the downtown core a little later. I walked past a few pubs that had live bands which one could hear from the street and, though I did walk in for a drink, I really wasn’t in the mood to listen to covers. I know this might sound bitter but, as a musician, it’s hard to listen to music objectively. I guess I could compare it to watching Judge Judy as a lay person for the entertainment and watching it as lawyer. Somehow it wouldn’t have the same effect after a day’s work.
That’s precisely how I felt, I left the bar and just kept walking around for the rest of the night. A little exercise is always what the doctor orders and I wanted to be in Penticton the next day to visit family and to try and book something for the tour.
