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We took the scenic drive to Fort Frances, ON the next day, after a hearty breakfast at the Scandinavian House. Going through the central time zone cut an hour out of our drive and gave us time to catch up with Carson and Lindsay, the proprietors of the Little Beaver Cultural Centre.
We were treated to a delicious dinner prior to our performance that evening and had a very attentive audience of local supporters and friends of the Cultural Centre. It was a very laid back atmosphere at the Little Beaver with everyone by the bonfire on the licenced patio between sets. It was our first time playing in Fort Frances and found everyone to be awesome!
Many thanks go out to all whom attended and to our accommodating hosts Carson and Lindsay, you guys rock! Congratulations on your awesome venue!
We drove Carson to Winnipeg the next morning as it was on our way to Brandon, MB, our next scheduled performance. After dropping our friend off at the airport, we stopped in for a coffee at my other good friend Matt’s house. I stayed a Matt’s last year during my visit in Winnipeg while on the Good Faith Tour. We had time to catch up a bit before B.B. and I made the rest of the drive, in order to set up for the evening show.
Tired and hungry from the road, we didn’t have time to get a bite to eat in before the show since we had arrived a little later than anticipated. Many familiar faces were out. My friends Dennis and Jenn even remembered my fascination with midnight bike rides from the year before, and organized another one for later that night.
We managed to pick up another show for Saturday thanks to Kaleigh. The Stobbes were kind enough to invite us into there home again as they did for me last year. It’s always a welcomed treat to arrive at their road oasis.
Friday night we played at the Double Decker after enjoying a good dinner with a family friend, Alicia, and her friends: Crystal, Adam, and Kyle. While closing down the night at the Decker we made plans for the future as we discussed an impending collaboration with promoters of the Brandon local favourites, Take With Audio.
Saturday began after breakfast with a drive around Brandon. We went to the Lady Of The Lake for an early sound check and dinner.
B.B.: “ Man, what a wicked club! Kaleigh sure can put together one hell of a sandwich. Spiced just right and made with the finest organic ingredients, the bar has been raised yet again. Not to be missed, this prairie club house will keep you full till the Rockies!”
To everyone in Brandon, MB, we’ll catch you on the flip-side. Looking forward to having another time!
Musically,
The Road Models
After our luxurious stay in Haileybury, we decided to head to the North Cobalt Flea market and get the few things we needed for the road still. Not to be mistaken with the town of Cobalt, North Cobalt is just south of Haileybury. All the towns are pretty close together, I think it would be hard to stay in Cobalt and not access the other communities…I wonder if North Cobalt is to Cobalt what Shelbyville is to Springfield?
We drove back to the mining city, and drove around after getting some lunch at Brooksie’s.
B.B.: “ The club sandwich at Brooksie’s was classic. Though it was not unique with special ingredients, I definitely wasn’t disappointed. I’m looking forward to another club sandwich in Cobalt when we go through again.”
Rochelle at the Miners Tavern kindly greeted us when we walked into the bar after some sightseeing. We sat and talked about the decor, an array of mining memorabilia is spread around the stone walls of this lower level bar.
The show that night went well, there were quite a few people out for the quaint Northern Ontario town. We both had our own room that night, a little bit of good Karma for the night before I suppose. Though the show ended at 2, we stayed up and talked with a few locals after last call. It turns out that Cobalt was a booming town at one point because of all the silver mines that use to enrich to community. Museums are now a popular tourist attraction for the area, as well as the old skeletons of mine buildings which are peppered around the back country.
The next day we made our way up to Kapuskasing and set up for the show that night. Pumped for my hometown show, we got there a little early and had a beer after sound check. Thanks to everyone who came out for the thanksgiving bar hop on Saturday. We had a blast at the Sunshine House Tavern. I can remember playing music there at the age of 15. Not old enough to drink, but old enough to entertain everyone who was partying! It was great to see all the friends and family members who were able to come out, I don’t get to go home as often as I use to, but it’s always nice to catch up on old times and see what’s changed and what stays the same.
B.B.: “There are no club sandwiches to report on this leg of the tour. We were treated very well in Kap to home cooked meals for Thanksgiving weekend.”
We drove to Thunder Bay Monday afternoon and got in at night. We went out for some food and drinks; and, met up with the crew at On Deck for some Foosball and antics.
Tuesday afternoon, after BB was finished testing out some ninja stars in the woods, we rounded up the gang for panzerotties and disc Golf. The Birch Point Disc Golf course was put together this summer, offering an alternative sport for the city to get involved in.
B.B.: “I’m pretty much a ninja now.” “The panzerotties at Ceasar’s are the best around, no room for a club sandwhich after this ritual stop for me in Thunder Bay.”
We played at Jacks that night. I had stopped in on my way through last year but was unable to book anything for the Good Faith Tour because of the Halloween celebrations that were booked at the time. It was nice to go back and play the stage, it was the perfect venue for the unplugged sets that we have in order for this tour. We’d like to take the opportunity to thank Jamie Smith for opening up for us that night, and Ian Hibbard, Dave Angell, and Mark Williams for doing sound for us, thanks again and we’ll see you soon enough this November for the studio sessions.
Musically,
The Road Models
P.S. Pics from the road will be available shortly and will be updated regularly on the Al Lukas Band Fans Facebook Group. If you haven’t joined already, just go to www.lukasproductions.com and become a member!
Hey everybody,
We’ve arrived safely in Cobalt, Ontario on Thursday night, and thought we’d fill you in a little bit of our progress since we met up in Southern Ontario this September, to get ready for the tour.
Arriving in Windsor about two weeks before our first show, we’ve rehearsed the material we are showcasing for you this fall. Though the two shows we played together earlier this year were unrehearsed and went great, we decided to get hard at work on new material, as well as putting together “unplugged” versions for the songs you already know! We now refer to those 2 weeks as the woodshed diaries. Equipped with a heater and a beer fridge, the woodshed was the perfect place for us to get away and work on some new arrangements for you.
The kick off date of the tour, October 1st, was a great success at the Maroon Bros. Bar & Grill in downtown Windsor. Overlooking the Detroit river and skyline, we played a monster set that night. Scheduled to play from 6pm until 10pm, we had to extend this somewhat. The band set to play after us had an unfortunate motorcycle accident. Bret is fine, but was unable to make the show that night, which left us playing until 1230. That’s 6 and a half hours folks!! But we pulled it off without breaking a sweat, because we were right by the window and a cool breeze was blowing in!
The next day, we played a sort of matinee at the local firemen club in town, The Hook & Ladder. I must admit we were a bit tired from the night before, but we pulled it off again, though this was only a two hour performance.
We’d like to thank everyone who came out to the shows and all the staff again for showing us a great time during our stay!
At this point in the blog, B.B. would like to mention that he is working on a separate project while on tour, called the “Clubs Across Canada” project. He will taste testing club sandwiches wherever available while on tour, and keeping notes of which city and restaurant offers the best club sandwich!
B.B.: “ I strongly recommend the peameal clubhouse sandwich at the Hook & Ladder in Windsor. It was just a well put together sandwich and the peameal was a nice touch. It sets the bar pretty high for the other sandwiches to come this fall.”
After leaving Windsor we headed straight to Toronto to meet up with our friends before our show on Tuesday. It turns out The Auditor General was in town, playing a show on Tuesday as well! Jamie Smith, the lead singer for the band, will be opening up the night for us in Thunder Bay next week. We decided to catch their set at the Horseshoe Tavern and invited them to do the same at Grossman’s later, which they did.
A now regular stop for the band, Grossman’s tavern on a Tuesday night is always unpredictable, but the turnout and response was great! The Toronto crowd showed up first, the Thunder Bay crowd, left last…they always do. Thanks to everyone who came out! We had a blast and we know you did too! There’s only one thing to do when Northerners unite in the big smoke…Party!
On Thursday, we left the city and made our way north to Cobalt. Thinking we could get a cheap room in town turned out a be fallacy, there are no hotel rooms. Haileybury, only a short distance away, would be able to host us before our playing arrangements kicked in the next day in Cobalt and so we hit the highway and made our way to the Leisure Inn. The Inn was almost full that night so we were offered the last available booking at a discount price, the jacuzzi honeymoon suite. It was very sweet of them, but they shouldn’t have. We have both agreed that there will be no further elaborations of this night at this point.
