The official CD release party for the new album IN MY SOUL & video launch for the single TELL MY MIND will be taking place at the Cameron House in Toronto on Tuesday July 26th, 2011, at 9 pm.

THAT’S ONLY 27 DAYS AWAY!!!

Doors open at 8 pm so make sure you get there early to get a good seat!  You don’t want to get stuck near the sound man at the top… unless you like that sort of thing… and if you do, you’ll want to get there early to secure it!

There are only limited number of tickets for this event so you will have to contact me directly at (al@lukasproductions.com) or on the CONTACT section of my website if you want to attend. Please include your name, how many tickets you will need, and your phone number.  Tickets are $20 each and include entry to the evening with the band, a copy of  IN MY SOUL (new CD smell included) and some take home surprises that we are preparing for you as we speak!

And now, a little about how this all started.

As many of you already know, I as well as other Canadian musicians were hard at work in Thunder Bay, ON this winter.  We were busy recording my new album at Dining Room Studios.  There was many a Caleco coffee, 3 am frustrations, 4 am mental blocks, many smoke breaks, string and winded symphony kids, energy drinks, “Did you plug it in?” moments,  and pure talent involved in the process.

As you can imagine, this made for an unique and energetic album that we are all very proud of!  Even more so because it represents some of the great people I met, and that met each other, while I was on the road in 2009 for the Good Faith Tour.

IN MY SOUL is a true testament of what people can do when they come together to work on something instead of just poking each other on Facebook all night!  You know who you are…

TELL MY MIND is the hot new single off the album so we made a video for it!  Jamie Carswell and Rattail Films have produced and directed my first official music video, which we will be showing on the night of the party so don’t miss it!!

Stay tuned guys, the countdown begins!

AL

Are you getting excited for the release of the new album  ‘In My Soul’  this summer? I know I am and I can’t wait to perform it for everyone attending the CD Release Party which is being planned for later next month here in Toronto! I’ll be in touch soon with more information!

In the midst of planning and releasing the new album some of you have been contacting me to let me know the WEBSITE has been down, well here’s why it was all worth the wait!

A little while ago, I found out about Mat Dunlap’s designing edge because he’s responsible for some of the best independent artist websites in Canada. If you watched Jimmy Fallon last Wednesday and saw The Sheepdogs perform, you should check out their website too!  I’m really digging these guys right now.

And, if you like Garrett Mason, The Joel Plaskett Emergency, Grady, etc… then you’ll know why Mat’s the man in cyber design. Lets give a  big thanks, round of applause, and roaring/loud crowd noises to Mat!  Many thanks man!

When you’re browsing, make sure you click on the RSS feed, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace buttons and get your updates faster!  The first Official Al Lukas Music Video for Tell My Mind is being shot this month with the help of Jamie Carswell and Will Primrose at Rattail Films.  Be the first to see it when it hits the world wide web late July!

I’ll leave you in your excitement for now!

Cheers,

AL

P.S.  The music player has a new song for you!  ;0)

It turns out that the band who was scheduled to come in never ended up showing. They tried to get a hold of us through the band house but were unable to due to phone carrier complications, and so the cook at the Rose & Crown ended up getting the gig!! It’s funny how the world works sometimes haha.

We were fortunate enough to play at Bruno’s on Wednesday. Gary at the bar booked us in for a showcase before the open stage jam started that evening. Thanks again for the hospitality Gary, we had a blast jamming with you and everyone. And oh yeah, those ski shots to Bruno the mountaineer sure hit the spot!

Our next show was in Jasper on the Friday. We did the drive a day early to take advantage of the clear blue sky on, what I’ve heard is, one of the most beautiful drives in the world. Well I have to say that after driving it, it’s the best drive I’ve been on so far! All the pictures from the drive between Banff and Jasper have been uploaded. Some have been cropped and adjusted for exposure, but most are untouched and still do not look real, it’s amazing!

Our show Friday went extremely well! People showed up early to catch the start of the night, or the end of the hockey game, but they stayed all night! What an awesome crowd of friendly people everybody was, it was a pleasure to play and to play the extended set with the added jam at the end! Thanks again to everyone at the Whistle Stop, especially Vanessa for having us! When in Jasper, I definitely recommend the Whistler’s Inn. Adjacent to the pub, we were treated like kings!

We drove to Calgary on Saturday to meet up with Brandon and Ramsey and ended up getting free tickets to go see Todd Snider perform downtown. My friend Teena does promotions in town and offered us the tix for Todd. It was a great show, singer-songwriter hippie outlaw country music was the best way to describe it. Though as a side note I have to say I was really jealous of my girlfriend Erika for being at the Wooden Sky show in Toronto, which of course turned out to be an epic night at Lee’s Palace.

We had a show booked for Sunday evening at the Lord Nelson’s Pub downtown. Sharing the bill with us was Evan and the Poisonous Birds who put on a great show. Good energy and good songs! This four piece of drums, bass, guitar, and fiddle put on a great performance! Thank you to the Calgary crew again for all the hospitality and the show! We’ll be in touch again soon!

On Tuesday we made the drive back to Banff to play. When we walked in we noticed that the marquee for the night was advertising the wrong band again. Turns out it was just a mistake this time!

Both shows went great at the Crown even with the Trews in town playing at Wild Bills across the street to promote their new album, we had a good crowd of locals and visitors! Thanks to Ali, Stan, Vern and everyone at the Rose & Crown for showing us a good time and being so damn awesome! We hope to see you all again next time!

On Thursday, we had a mammoth of a drive ahead of us. We left at 8:30 in the morning from the Rockies and had to get to Brandon, MB. It took us about 13 hours and then I remembered the time change… Kaleigh offered us to stay with them in Brandon since she knew how long of a drive it was and that we needed to get to Fort Frances for the Friday. We left early again the next morning to make the rest of the drive and got in to the Fort for 4:30pm.

Carson and Lindsay couldn’t have done a better job at promoting! The place was packed with people and I had a visit from some old friends and family, the Johnsons. Thanks so much for coming out to the show guys, it was great to see all of you again!

Joss and John, two local musicians, opened up the night and we played 4 sets afterwards. It was a special show for us not only because it was the last one of the tour, but also because it was a chance for us to play as a trio! Carson had the stage set up with his bass amp and drums and we rocked the Little Beaver until all the beer was gone! Thanks to the amazing patrons and to the newcomers to the Little Beaver Cultural Centre, we can absolutely say that we finished off our tour in style!

Thank you Canada for another amazing journey through your land, your people, your parties, we do honestly have the best people and backyard in the world.

Musically,

The Road Models!

P.S. The new album is being recorded as we speak!

Rory at the Hoodoo Lounge in Fairmont Springs invited us back this year to do another showcase. Aaron from Golden was there to help with the night and played a few songs with us on stage. Many musicians from the surrounding area were out on Wednesday to hear us play and participate in the jam we hosted later that night. Thank you to everyone who was out and to everyone who brought there instruments.

The show ended at 11:30 and we decided it was early enough to drive to Revelstoke again. There were lots of midnight deer on the road as we easily counted twenty or so, not counting the the ones we couldn’t see. Turns out there’s nothing like a night drive through the snowy peaks on Rogers Pass under a clear and starry October sky. You could call us time travellers that day, leaving Nelson in Pacific time and losing an hour at the show in Mountain time and getting it back in Revelstoke as we crossed the time zone again at 3 in the morning, bringing us back to 2am. We were glad to to wake up in Revy the next day as it cut 3 hours off our drive to Vancouver.

Booked at The Tipper for Friday night, we got to Van a day early and spent some time catching up with friends on Thursday. We had a bit of running around to do on Friday before the show but we got all our shopping needs done in time for me to have dinner with Matt and Vicki. For those of you who don’t know, Matt and Vicki cycled the continent last year and decided to plant some roots in Vancouver once their trek ended. We had some Dream Sushi and caught up since we hadn’t visited since summer when they came back to Southern Ontario for a short visit.

We set up for sound check and Shirley Gnome opened the evening with a set and dirty cowgirl country songs! If you’re the conservative type, these songs might not be for you, unless your a closet dirty minded individual, but if you’re open to some raunchy country then check this out!

http://www.myspace.com/shirleygnome

Halloween parties were going on everywhere that weekend and we took part of a few but we had to hurry and make the turnaround show on Vancouver Island on Saturday. We got to Victoria in time to drive to the Saanich Roadhouse and set up. It was great to see the crew again, thanks Leila and the rest of the staff who accommodated us that night and to Michelle who booked us in again this year! We dressed up as Blues Brothers for the occasion since the stage hosts the life size figurines of Jake and Elwood Blues.

We had the day off again on Sunday and went sight seeing on the island, visiting Cathedral Grove, the famed old growth forest of the West. Pictures are up on the fan group, and if you haven’t joined yet, here’s a link for you!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=10842490043

Cheers!

The Road Models

P.S.    B.B.:  “Clubs across Canada is still in effect but nothing’s been blowing my mind lately.  Club sandwiches tasted in Nelson and Revelstoke.  The Lady of the Lake clubhouse sandwich in Brandon MB is still in the lead.”

Tim Vaughn was on stage backing up many of the acts and stayed on to play bass with us for a set. There’s a strong blues scene not to be missed in Saskatoon which is infused with hip hop, rock and raw talent. The president of the blues society was out and enjoying the night at the local blues mecca, Vangelis, situated right next to the legendary Bud’s On Broadway avenue.

We left for Edmonton the next day to get ready for our show at the Druid.

We spent our time in the city with friends, family, and tons of laughs. We also couldn’t help but take the time to visit Rundle Park, home of one of Edmonton’s 18 hole disc golf courses.

For shots of the Road Models in disc golf action, you can visit our fan group’s ”photos” section! ( http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10842490043&v=photos&ref=ts )

In the downtown Edmonton shire, we found The Druid on Jasper avenue. Our set started at 9:30 as the featured artists of the week. Captain Tractor’s Chris Wynters hosts the weekly show, followed by an open stage of local singer songwriters. We had guests from Fort MacMurray, Yankee you crazy man, and from around the city who surprised us at the show. Newly renovated, the Druid has turned into a banging music venue for the downtown core. Thank you to those who came from all around to see us and made the night wicked-awesome!

Stopping in Calgary the next day to visit, we stayed for the night and made our way to Golden on Friday. With some time to spare, we stopped into Canmore, AB for some mountain disc golf as we entered the Rockies. ( http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10842490043&v=photos&ref=ts )

The humbling trek through the giants of the west is always a eutopic experience and Golden is always a fun town. A counsellor in town actually came up with the slogan: “Canada’s G Spot!” though it`s suffered a recent change to “Go to Golden!”

We were greeted in true fashion at the Golden Taps and had a great time playing on the new stage! Thanks to everyone at the bar and to Brandon and Ramsey who followed us from Calgary to come and catch the show that night! We’re coming back for that bottle of wine!

Revelstoke it was the next day, scheduled at the Village Idiot for eight o’clock. We time travelled into the Pacific Time Zone as we routed Roger’s Pass and arrived into town. ( http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10842490043&v=photos&ref=ts )

It was great to see Seabass and Emma at the Last Drop and Erik and Alli at the idiot, familiar friends from last year`s journey! We caught up with Jake, Mindy, Eric, and Julie, (BB`s friends), who hung out with us that night too.

It was great playing for all the Spicoli’s pizza and beer patrons of the far western reaches of our country! Nothing brings people together like music, good beer, and good pizza!

Thanks again and we’ll see you soon enough, especially since this blog is delayed!

To the Druid, The Taps, and The Idiot… CHEERS!

: D

The Road Models!

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

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!

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 1^st, 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.

Wednesday morning Lindsay, Carson, and I woke up early enough to go see a free Davinci exhibit going on downtown at the VAG / Vancouver Art Gallery. Being as Lindsay is a terrific artist herself, she was excited to take us there and show us around the museum. Knowing personally some of the artist which had exhibits on display, I knew she would also be a great guide and would be able to offer insight on what it was exactly that I was looking at.

We made our way as close to downtown as we could, before entering the pay-park areas, and took the skytrain to the heart of Vancity. As we emerged out of the earth and onto the streets, we still had a bit of a walk. Carson and I were carrying: guitar, djembe, mic stand, mic, patch chords, and a mini battery powered amp to maximize on sound. I didn’t want to kill my voice while singing since it takes a bit more vocal projection to get on top of the street noise, and also because we had a show that night at Nyala’s. We arrived at the art gallery only to find we’d have to stand in line for quite some time to get in but we had anticipated this.

As we were waiting I noticed I’d received a text message. My good friend Jay had sent out a generalized text to some of our friends stating he’d arrived in Vancouver and was enjoying the Olympics so far. In his message he mentioned he’d been taking in the sights of the city as well as the pavilions set up for the Olympics. He ended his text by saying he was currently in line at the Vancouver Art Gallery to see the free Davinci exhibit. I called him up and told him I was in line for it too! He didn’t believe me at first so I asked where he was so I could go find him. Thankfully, he and his friend were further ahead in line than us so we could cut in!! We both couldn’t believe we’d ended up in the same place downtown, 4 provinces away, at the same time of day. I went back to get Carson and Lindsay and then we were five.

Walking in to the gallery we had to check our instruments and backpacks as part of visiting protocol. The curator saw this and asked us what it was we were doing this afternoon after visiting the art display. We told him we had simply planned on doing some busking around the city. He was happy to hear this since the Davinci exhibit had been attracting such a crowd that there was a line outside the gallery all day long. I guess they had talked about hiring a busker to accommodate their patrons. He told us he’d watch for us once we came back to claim our instruments to see if we were interested and that he would talk to his manager in the meantime.

Jay and I caught up a bit as we hadn’t hung out since I left Toronto on October 10^th. Lindsay did a great job of showing us around and pointing out the subtleties in the displays we would have missed otherwise. Some of my favourites included the life size whale skeleton made entirely out of white plastic lawn chairs; and, the staged pictures in which an artists uses leaves, water, trash, anything natural to the environment of his picture to make it look natural, even though it was put together to look this way.

We claimed our instruments and gear as we walked out and, as promised, he offered us the busking spot outside. He also informed us that someone would come by to see us play and make sure everything was okay, but I never did see this person if they did in fact come. Jay said he was going to get some lunch but he’d text me later for directions to the show at Nyala’s. Carson and I played for about 3 hours to the slow moving crowd. The circumstances were much better than a few days ago because we were amplified and people had a chance to listen to the songs. We made a killing that day! After tearing down later in the afternoon, we went inside to thank the staff for having us. They thanked us in return as they’d heard good things from the people walking in, they invited us back if we wanted the spot again during the games. We accepted his offer and did in fact go back again.

The three of us went walking to a music store downtown in order to return a defective patch cord. I grabbed something to drink out of the vending machine as I had enough change. Singing for most of the three hours had left my voice pretty dry and raw. Carson and Lindsay came walking back out and to our surprise again we spotted Jay and his friend stepping out of a city bus right in front of the store. Twice in one day, it was little too weird we all admitted. We separated again before the show that night in order to get ready. The guys from the band would be at the Embassy a little later to pick up the equipment and we still had to get some food in us.

We arrived at Nyala’s at around 8pm. An Ethiopian restaurant/bar with great food and great staff! We were invited to feast on the buffet which is spread out every Wednesday before their show. A tad spicy it was but I ate it all regardless, one of those hurt so good situations. I was set to open up the evening and play a few songs with the band before they went on to rock the roof off the bar and socks off their faithful fans and friends.

It was a pleasure to share the stage with a band of their calibre. Playing groovy funk beats and fat pocket grooves were what we both liked to do, and they did a great job with my songs even without much practice. The band themselves entertained us all with their eclectic array of originals and covers ranging from Fleetwood Mac to Stevie Ray Vaughn and Sade’s Smooth Operator.

Everyone meet Jackie Treehorn!!!!

Photo courtesy of Facebook!

We played another show on Friday night at the Bottle Tipper. This time their were two opening acts, myself and Shirley Gnome as well as a planned after party back at the Embassy after the show. It was Jay’s last night in town. He had tickets for the events in Whistler and had to leave at 5 in the morning to catch the bus up to the grounds; so, the plan was not to fall asleep that night.

On Thursday night we’d spent some time catching up and wandering around the city. Carson had brought us down to Commercial Drive, a hipster hot spot in the city, to check out the stores and enjoy some great food and different beers the drive had to offer. Ends up we were sitting next to the lead singer of the band Mother Mother which we’d watched perform downtown a few nights ago.

Friday night, Shirley Gnome opened up the evening. Her music is quite special because her voice is the prettiest but her lyrics are the raunchiest! Writing songs like “Masturbation Over Breakfast” and “Old Man” a song about “loving” the elderly, Shirley had us in tears, making us laugh so hard I sometimes wanted people to stop laughing so I could hear all the lyrics, but I was as guilty as anyone! Shirley is actually travelling to Ontario with her music this summer. I’ll keep you posted as soon as I know when and where to direct you!

Photo Courtesy of Facebook!

We had an amazing night, the venue had filled up and the last song of the night was the address to the after party! Everyone who had attended the night was welcome back, in true Embassy fashion! I know this sounds like a disaster plan if someone were to try this in Ontario, but everything worked out. When we woke up the next morning the house was not a mess, everyone had been respectful and used the garbage, they had avoided trashing the place, and there was not one fight or altercation at the party either. I woke up early to go see the damage but there wasn’t much to do apart from sweep and move the furniture back into place.

This was the last massive hippie party I would attend in Van before my final destination, Victoria. The date had been set and I’d have a partner in crime, B.B., the King of the blues djembe!

I left Hope late morning on Friday. I was overwhelmed with the fact that I would get to reach the Pacific ocean, the destination in mind since early October. I had been on the road for 4 months, 1 week, and a day. My friend Matt who rode his bicycle from Guelph, ON all the way to Vancouver had actually done it in less time, which made me chuckle as I was exiting the mountain ranges of the interior.

I didn’t even bother powering up the GPS as I drove into the heart of Vancouver, I just wanted to get to the ocean. Downtown was getting ready to start the opening ceremonies for the Olympics but it wasn’t my objective to take part of it just yet, this day was about more than that for me.

I looked up at the compass in the van and pointed myself west. I figured that if I drove west long enough, I would happen upon the ocean and I did. It was like seeing the mountains for the first time, the immense feelings of accomplishment, relief, and humility were too much to handle as I made my decent towards the untamed beach. I thought I’d go dip my toes in the water, but realized that it wasn’t enough to just get my feet wet, as it never is, and decided to submerge myself in the cold February waters because I would only be here, for the first time, once.

I must say it was cold; but, what kept me warm momentarily was the flood of memories going through my mind: sitting in my grandmother’s living room and learning how to play the guitar I had been carrying with me this entire journey; nights spent with my uncle as he taught me how to sing and be more than a hobbyist with my music; writing the songs with my friends in Toronto which fuelled my vehicle, my body, and my passion while bartering my way through the country. I felt like a reborn musician. I sat on the beach for a while, looking out to the city from a distance and with Olympic security helicopters flying overhead, patrolling the coast, I made a quick sandwich lunch and enjoyed the moment.

I managed to get a hold of Carson a little later, after walking back up the hill to the van. He had gotten a hold of me a few weeks prior after receiving an email from a friend saying I was in town. This is an interesting story I must say….here goes.

After meeting Suzie in Thunder Bay, back in October, at Colissimo’s music store where I’d bought my guitar 9 years previous, she was kind enough to take it upon herself to contact some of her good friends in the Vancouver area and let them know about the Good Faith Tour. Her good friends then took it upon themselves to contact the band Jackie Treehorn to let them know I would be coming to town. Carson, drummer and extraordinary human being, took it upon himself to look up my myspace and listen to my music. He then sent me an email through my website saying that I was welcome to come and jam with him and the band during the Olympics. They had a few gigs lined up and if I needed a place to stay, I’d be welcome in their home. I quickly responded to this random act of kindness and informed him of my approximated date of arrival.

I called him that afternoon after my swim. I drove through downtown to see some of the excitement of the opening day and then drove over to “The Embassy” where I could have a quick shower and some dinner.

The Embassy is the name given to the house which used to have Thunder Bay tenants. That night I met his awesome girlfriend Lindsay/lead singer/artist, and roomates Kyle/last of T-Bay tenants and Lindsay K., or simply Zee. I met some more band mates that night too: Chelsea/vocals, and Loric/saxomophonist. Bass, keys, and guitar couldn’t make it out until the next day for the gig but we still jammed, ears wide open.

The next day we were getting geared up for a house party, Jackie Treehorn was one of the bands set to play that night. I found out through the guys that the city has quite the house culture. People get together at each others’ homes instead of meeting at the bar all the time. An old idea but a great one at that, I found it made for a huge circle of friends as they round robin each others’ places for hosting.

I met the rest of the band, Kirby/Keys, K-man/guitar, and Geoff/bass. All the guys were really great players and equally great people. We had a blast jamming some more all the while inviting musicians up to play. I soon realized that everyone was invited to the party, from hipsters to punkers, point dexters to lawyers, programmers and seniors. Nobody cared about the walk of life you’re from or how you look while you’re there, they’re just happy you’re there! The night’s event was called the “Bro-lympics” and some were dressed in athlete attire for a little satire regarding the protest that revolved around the games.

Photo by: Steven

I wasn’t able to go see sporting events during the games because they were a little out of this barterer’s budget; but, we went downtown quite a few times during the week. The sky trains and streets were always full but this only meant the party was still going on downtown.

The first night we went down was for one of the many free concerts being offered. By the time we got in line and stepped on to the grounds we caught the Vancouver act Mother Mother, a pop rock band which has been acquiring some fame in the area in the past few years. Still wanting to walk around the festivities, we decided to keep doing so after their set. The energy buzzing through the downtown core was inexplicable. Everyone was in their best of moods. We met so many people that night just walking around. Strangers making friends as friends met strangers. In a way it was bittersweet because, though you hoped this would never end, the Olympic spirit would probably leave with the games for most, unfortunately.

One evening, Carson and I decided to go do some busking on the streets to pass the time and hopefully make a bit of money. Busking passes had been issued for the events but since we knew we didn’t suck, we thought we’d try our luck anyways. No one came to shut us down, even the cops were stopping to enjoy some of our songs. I think the passes were a way to evict unwanted pests who might be bothering the city’s guests if this were the case. We, on the other hand, ended up making enough to cover our expenses for a few more days but it wasn’t the best of busking scenarios as people were mainly walking by to get somewhere specific, not having enough time to stop and listen like on a leisurely Sunday stroll. We needed a different strategy, so we set another busking day with hopes of trying a better spot.

For any musician reading this who hasn’t tried the street side of their art, I highly recommend it. Imagine playing in a bar where the crowd is changing every 5 seconds. You only have five seconds of your music to engage them and sell them on your craft. It makes showmanship and performance depth much more pertinent, though we would catch a bit of a break on this end of things later on that week.

It actually felt quite different when I left Nelson because never before on my trip did I have to do such a long a stretch of highway twice like that. I had a 3 hour drive back to Osoyoos where I’d made my eastbound turn a few days earlier. From there I would be travelling west again.

There was no particular reason to leave that morning other than I felt like it was time. The Olympics were kicking off in Vancouver on Friday and I wanted to make one more stop before getting there. Ron from the Copper Mug Pub had a friend in Princeton who owned a bar which had live entertainment.

I thought I’d take a few days to myself and go visit Princeton and the surrounding area. It turns out it was a perfect halfway point for the drive from Nelson to Vancouver. I didn’t realize how small the town would be though. Keeping in the spirit of the tour, I hadn’t looked it up previous to arriving. There were a few recognizable chain stores but the town only had a few thousand people. I did notice that there were many mining trucks parked at the motels lining the highway, which I was hoping meant a lot of visitors looking for nightly entertainment.

When I booked the show for Wednesday, the owner of the Brown Bridge Pub couldn’t find accommodations right away because there was no vacancy in town that night. I didn’t mind another camp out as I wanted to take a night or two off to catch up on some reading and some Al time. Also, I wasn’t expecting him to put me up for two nights since I was only playing the one. We shook hands and I was off to do some sightseeing.

Princeton is divided quite interestingly as a town. The “downtown” is located on a ridge where the highway rolls through the village; but, there are three distinct residential areas. Two of them were developed in the valleys which are located north and south of downtown. The third was built a bit higher on the ridge and hosts bigger and more expensive homes… natural segregation I suppose.

Later that night after doing some laundry I decided I’d go for a walk. Taking the time to look at window displays from different businesses in town and breathing in the mountain air, I didn’t realize how long I’d been out walking. I saw it was 11 when I reached for my phone and thought maybe I should turn around and start walking back to the van. I was walking at a steady pace in order to ignore the cold wind which was cutting through my spring jacket. I soon came to a dead stop in my tracks. Three white tailed deer were on the other side of the street, on the corner in front of my van. I didn’t move in too close since there was three of them and they seemed to be unfazed by my presence. It was like they knew I was the visitor. I just stood there, about 30 to 40 feet away, camera-less, staring at them, and they did the same…they also did not have cameras. They must have let me stand there for a good 10 minutes with them, with no car or human traffic around, it was quite peaceful. One of the deer seemed to signal the others that he wished to go on and so they did, the three of them walking together like friends going on a midnight stroll through town.

The next night I checked in to the hotel and, after a shower and coffee, I walked over to the bar to set up. I noticed right away that the people in for “wing night” weren’t accustomed to having live entertainment. The bar staff seemed happy to have music coming in but everyone else seemed only but curious about the new face in town. This became even more apparent once I started playing. I did a set of originals and covers but no one seemed to jump on board the blues train. I took a break and walked over to the bartenders which had been dancing away and I asked them what type of music they usually have. I was informed that it was more of a country western town. Go figure, a town out west in the country likes to listen to those types of songs…. I felt like the Blues Brothers when they had to play Rawhide after being booked in a country/western bar by a their agent.

The only thing left to do was to pull out some more country styled music or play my music in a country way, and pluck a few bluegrass songs. Playing a show isn’t always an exact science, you always have to be conscious of the crowd in front of you, I’m just happy they weren’t into gangsta rap!

One man really stood out in the crowd though. He had been listening to all my songs attentively and seemed like he was going to walk over and talk to me once I was done. He did in fact. Rick had heard my interview on CBC earlier on in the week and kept an eye out for me since I’d said in the interview that I could be heading through Princeton. He helped me bring my stuff back to the van after the show and invited me back to his and his wife’s home for an after show drink. Most times I decline invites when I’m just getting done since I like to stay at the bar and mingle. This time was different, given what had happened with the show. I had to go back to the hotel room first to change and grab a few things so Rick told me he was at the appliance repair store in town and to knock on the front window if I was coming by.

I decided I’d go for a beer and walk back whenever I wanted to, depending what the situation was like. I wasn’t worried. I walked the two blocks to the appliance store and Rick greeted me like an old friend. We walked through the shop and into the back room where we listened to CBC radio for a while. Turns out he had a fridge full of beer and some time to spend. I was looking around his shop and noticed washer and dryer parts, different tools spread out, some cds, but even more remarkably, darts in a can. I picked them up to look at them and Rick saw me. He asked me if I knew how to play. My dad always had a dart board at home and I occasionally took part in the neighbourhood dart league. I told him that yes I did know how to play. Rick closed the door behind me and I saw the distance line on the floor, he opened up the dartboard cupboard and we we’re off.

He was much more seasoned than I was and kept me in line by reminding me to count all my darts. I hadn’t played in so long that I was forgetting how to keep score properly. At the end of it all I ended up losing but it was a great time. We ended up sharing some stories and some laughs. He showed me his collection of cds he’d obtained from bands passing through over the years and told me that they all knew him as “Rick The Maytag Man From Princeton”. He also said that his title had gotten him in to a few sold out shows in the past by telling bouncers to go tell the artists that “Rick The Maytag Man From Princeton” was there. I told him that if I ever heard those words he’d be welcome in as well.

The whole experience of the evening really left me with the impression of having been home momentarily, reminding me of my early teens when I used to hang out in my dad’s garage and play darts or when we played at my parent’s friends’ garages.

Thursday morning I dropped off some cds at the store before I left town and continued west towards Vancouver. I was informed the night before that Hope would be the last small town before the metropolis. I figured it would be a good place to stop before heading in. The people I was scheduled to meet in Van were only expecting me on Friday; and, well I didn’t want to spend a minivan night in the not so mini city when I could just wait and meet my new friends the next day.

I pulled into Hope that afternoon and drove around until I spotted a river. It was the Fraser River. There was a lead in onto the rock field which the Fraser flowed straight through. It was very picturesque though I must admit the documentary holds that footage. I set up camp for the night after having some dinner near the river. I went to bed thinking about what Vancouver would bring in the morning. I was finally going to reach the Pacific ocean as I’d orginally hoped for, given that the trip went according to plan and was a success. It almost felt cliche, I must say, that Hope is where I decided to stay.

I left late morning after breakfast and luck-filled goodbyes from my family. It was going to be a 4 hour drive to Nelson on the Crow’s Nest highway. A two lane highway, the Crow’s Nest is famed for being very steep through it’s mountain pass. I was in no hurry and took my time since the day was still young.

I had called Bob Keating a few days before leaving for Nelson. He told me to call him once I got in or was closer, and so I did. I also managed to book two gigs on Thursday when I got there. The first would be at Finley’s Irish Pub, on Friday, and a matinee on Saturday at the Royal Hotel. Both venues regularly have music but Finley’s has accommodations, a band suite.

A plain old fashion aimless walk around town led me to Finley’s. I had seen on a sign that they had a blues jam during the week and naturally thought I should walk in. Mindy greeted me right away and we got to talking but Brent was the person I would need to speak with for bookings. I gave her my information and left, hoping he’d be back a little later.

I continued my walk and arrived upon the Royal Hotel, a woman named Summer was working away on her computer. She was a distant person to speak with, especially since I hadn’t even talked business yet, in her eyes, I was still only a customer. She pretty much told me that the bar and the stool she was sitting on was her office and that if she was in a real office people wouldn’t be able to bother her while she worked. I smiled since customer service is the key factor in running a bar and until she did have her office she would probably have to deal with her patrons enquiries with a smile in order to sell the image of fun, especially since it just changed ownership. I knew she was the one to talk to about music after overhearing her speak about bookings but, because of her holier than though attitude, I decided to go above her head and speak directly with the new owner about having the CBC interview at his bar and about getting some camera work done.

Alex was very happy to have me play but this week was booked solid, we would have to settle on a matinee. This was fine since the barter was the same and I could do something else on a Saturday night instead of playing music. He did send me back to Summer in order to book it; and ,with a bit of a smirk I must admit, I walked over to her to discuss the agreement we’d come to. Alex let her know to her to take care of me since I was playing tomorrow.

I walked back to Finley’s afterwards and Brent was in. Mindy had already mentioned what I was doing but I reiterated the project for him again to make sure there were no misunderstandings. A big and tall type, Brent is easily mistaken for a bouncer but has the professional skills of someone who’s been working with bands for a long time. He was a pleasure to deal with and offered me the show on Friday. It would be a collaboration between the Good Faith Tour and a fundraiser that was being put on by students from Selkirk college in order to be able to go volunteer and aid underdeveloped communities in South America.

Brent asked me where I was staying for the night. When I told him about the van he ordered Rob to go make sure the band suite was ready. I could stay there for the night and after the show the next day. We shook hands, I ordered a drink, and after the room was ready, I went down to check out the situation. It was spacious for one: three bunk beds, a pull out couch, a coffee maker, lockers, a washroom with shower and it was right next door to Rob’s apartment. I could hear the video games blaring the sounds of rally race car driving. This didn’t matter since I had a space of my own for a few days to practice guitar, or to just be by myself and relax.

Friday night was just beginning to pour into the bar atmosphere as I walked in to set up. Some of the volunteers were already there doing the same as I put my guitar up on stage and wandered over to the soundboard.

After a quick sound check I introduced myself to the cash table at the door and asked if I could interview one of them to talk a bit about the program they were raising money for. Grace would be the one to grace the interview. A student from Selkirk herself, she was excited about the trip coming up because it would be a lifetime opportunity. An opportunity to help make a difference and travel at the same time.

I met quite a few people from the program that night and since the event was done early, we decided to go out after my last so they could show me around town.

The next morning I woke up in the band suite and rushed out of bed. I had to shower and get ready for the matinee. I drove over and unloaded my gear and was smart enough to order breakfast before sound check. After doing a few adjustments, breakfast was served and a coffee too. It wasn’t very busy that afternoon but it allowed Bob to do the interview. He asked me questions and I answered into his microphone which was plugged into a mini recorder. I sang a few songs onstage while he was there so he could add music to the background of the interview.

After the show I went back to the band suite and played some more music. I wanted to work on a few new songs I’d been toying with and between gigs is the only time I can do that.

I went back up to the bar later in the evening, to give Brent the key. He told me to keep it if I wanted to stick around since he wanted an act after the football game Sunday night. I took him up on it.

I called up some friends from the night before and we found ourselves jamming that evening in a living room with an acoustic guitar, a fiddle, a clarinet, a keyboard/synthesizer, and shakers.

Nelson was full of good wholesome hippie moments while drinking macha tea, walking on a rocky beach at sunset, or finding a way into a boat yard to take pictures. Life seems very relaxed there. The mountains humbling you, a river nourishing the community. Skiing, biking, any outdoor sports really is what living in the Kootenays seems to be about.

I was told the area can chew you up and spit you out if you’re not ready. Only the people who are meant to stay, do.

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!!

January 28^th – January 31^st, 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.

After checking out that day I went over to a breakfast restaurant a few blocks away from the hotel. It was quite crowded and the only table available was a table for four. They did seat me there but then another lonely traveller walked in, Pablo. He was from Spain, a long way’s away from home and had little English to communicate with. I told him to sit at my table since there were three extra seats. We talked about his trip as he’d landed in Vancouver and was travelling most of BC. It’s actually quite amazing how much conversation you can have with someone who doesn’t speak the same language. Expressions, hand gestures, and similar sounding words give off the same effect in the end, telling me about the bull races back home and his experience with the mountains so far.

After breakfast I went about reading for the better part of the afternoon. There was a band in that night and I wanted to catch a bit of it. I didn’t stay too long since Jess had gotten a hold of me and wanted to jam a few songs.

I found my way to her and her roommates’ house on the north side of town. It turns out Jess was playing at the Last Drop on Monday afternoon, as part of the Australia Day celebrations, and she asked me to play the show with her.  I learned a few songs which she intended to do and we quickly went over her set list: Waltzing Matilda, the national anthem, I Come From A Land Down Under….it was a good jam, I’d brought the video camera.  Jess Cullen has a breathy and sultry tone to her voice but also has the power to shout above the comfortable swagger she naturally soaks the room with. I’ve taken it upon myself to try and showcase the unique musicians I’ve come across since I’ve been so lucky to see the various artists Canada hosts, heard of or unheard of. We called it a night early enough for me to head back to the bar just as the night was ending there.

Johnny P. and his roommate Brittany, who also works at the bar, invited me back to their place for a couple drinks after they “shut ‘er down”. We cabbed it there and listened to some music in their party palace into the early hours of the morning, a schedule I remember keeping when working at the Reactor Night Club in Windsor. A bar in the living room with a palm tree and party decorations, this place was the place to be after hours. Brittany also had two big and loving German shepherds that were extremely happy to have company as well. Johnny and Brittany were great and told me to make myself at home for my time in Revelstoke, should I need a place to crash. Their home was my home, I was told.

Sunday morning I walked back to the van. I needed some fresh air, but more importantly, I needed a coffee and got some for my temporary roommates too. I also needed to catch up on some things in the afternoon, such as blogging and updating my contact book.

In the evening, Johnny invited me to catch a hockey game that his team was playing in. Eric played in his team too, and because of the bar collaboration, they were the “The Dropout Idiots”. It was quite the game, sporting only 7 players, the Dropouts had only one spare on the bench for this full 3 period hockey game. Their opponents had more than a line’s worth of spares but were being out-skated. Eric and and Johnny P. are definitely the strongest on their team, setting up plays every time they rushed their adversary’s net. Some great passes were made but sometimes there was just no one there. This didn’t stop them from winning though, they won 6-5. I couldn’t believe they managed to keep the energy up to skate, score, and conquer. I was sitting upstairs after the game and got a text saying to come down for the celebration in the dressing room, and like any hockey arena, all I had to do was follow the ripe smell of victory and keep walking past the stale smell from games past.

Monday I woke up early enough to shower and to go meet Jess at the bar. Set to start at 2, we were still waiting on the sound system to arrive. Turns out that because she was playing there in the afternoon, and at the Idiot that night, the rental service went to the wrong bar. I told her not to worry about it, I brought in my equipment instead. All her 10 roommates were out in full fury with white t-shirts on to be able to write on each other with felt pens. Jess was wearing a bikini bottom over her jeans while others wore short cut-offs over tights. They like to get a little crazy! Though I didn’t have a white t-shirt, they branded my skin with their felts and made me an honorary Aussie for the day with various sayings and drawings covering my arms. Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!, Oi! Oi! Oi!!

It was fun to do the show since it gave me a chance to sit back and play along instead of singing. It was her first 3 set show, and being a bit new to the game, she told me later it was nice to have me there for musical and PA support. I was invited to do the show at the Idiot that night at 8 as well. She had arranged for a room for me at the Drop again that night so I would have accommodations for my sets. I told her it was an honour to be a part of the festivities, though it wasn’t Australia day in Canada on the Monday, it was in Oz because of the time difference. They would celebrate two days in a row. On the second day I rested, sort of…

Tuesday morning I drove over to the north end to bring Jess’ guitar back which she’d left in my van; but, was told by her roommates that she hadn’t been home yet, a true rock star. I was faced with a dilemma. I wanted to go up to the mountain to sing a song on the summit but needed a camera man/woman. Turns out the guy for the job would be Cam. Cam the camera man was another musician in the house who agreed to partake in the activities of the Good Faith Tour.

We drove up to the day lodge and walked to the gandala, which doesn’t require a day pass to ride when not in ski gear. This only takes you half way up the mountain though. There’s a rest area there with washrooms and a deck that overlooks the valley and town below. Some skiers on break saw us coming with my guitar and offered us a drink for a song. I took them up on their offer and played a few songs for them with the sky oasis as the backdrop. Our new buddies were still celebrating that day from the night before and were taking turns jumping off the deck and into soft powder on the slope below.

Knowing I had to be back to town in the early evening, I found ski patrol and asked about getting to the chair lift, which would take us up closer to the summit. We were told we’d have to speak with management to have sleds take us their as it’s too dangerous to walk while skiers and snowboarders are making their way down the hill and to the lift. We would also have to sign an insurance waver to exempt the resort from responsibility should we choose to ignore our own. This didn’t upset me since now I knew that it could be done and knew what I’d have to ask for once I got to the office.

We went back down to the lodge and spoke with Ashley. I told her of my intentions with her mountain peaks and she agreed to have arrangements ready for the morning. We were warned to dress warm as it is much colder at the summit because of wind vulnerability. We would have at least a 30 minute climb to the summit once let off the chair lift. I drove Cam back home and went to the Drop to see my friends.

I was getting ready that evening for an event I’d been dodging, keeping just in front of on my journey. The Olympic torch relay was stopping in Revelstoke that night and I wanted to be there to see the celebration. Waiting around for the runner to pass by I still had quite some time and was befriended by a few Vancouverites. They invited me to the bar for a drink and to warm up until the torch came by. To my surprise when we got in the bar there must have been 20 full glasses of beer on the table, it was twoonie glass night and they’d ordered a bunch! I helped them a little but told them I couldn’t miss the torch or my editor would shoot me!

When I left the bar, I turned the camera back on, it was getting close to that time but tragedy hit!! The camera wouldn’t turn on. Since I’d been in relative warmth in the bar and went back outside, it caused condensation within the mechanism; and, for it’s own safety, the camera wouldn’t let me film. I was in a bit of a panic. I ran into a restaurant and asked if they had a vent I could use to try and dry out the camera quickly, but the air strength wasn’t strong enough, it would of taken forever. Eureka!! I’d seen a hair salon near by and so I ran to it. When I walked in I told them I had a bit of an emergency and needed to borrow a hair dryer. Without question or hesitation I was handed one and proceeded to explain myself while desperately trying to get the camera to kick off it’s safety feature. Finally after at least 10 minutes of drying, the hair dryer itself kicked off because of it’s own safety mechanism. I tried the camera for the last time and……… it was working!!! I ran back hoping that the flame hadn’t already reached the podium, it hadn’t.

The celebrations were great, thousands of people from the town flooded the main street and I managed to get close enough to the line to get a good shot. Once the ceremonies were done and all the vendors were packed up, I went back to the drop to see the band Cornstar.

The band was setting up and was due to start at 9. Trevor and Shannon were playing that night with another front man but Steve Smith was there to enjoy the show so we got to talking. I had heard he was a radio personality in town. I told him about what I was doing and he graciously invited me on air for tomorrow’s morning show. I had a busy day ahead of me because Tyler from the bar worked at the town’s night club, Outabounds, and booked me in for that day to spearhead the comedy night that was to happen. My Wednesday would include a radio show at 9:30am, climbing Mount Mackenzie and singing a song to the skies at 11am, and a show at 9pm.

That night I didn’t have a place to stay and was going to simply settle in to the van for the night as I wanted to get to bed before Johnny and Brittany would get home from the bar. Turns out that Fly, the awesome ski guide for Powder Springs, must of telepathically figured out my plan and offered me a place to crash in his suite at the hotel. He had two double beds and we had become good friends throughout the course of the week. A New-Zealand native, Fly works in Revelstoke for the ski season every year. They put him up at the hotel and take great care of him. Skiing every day and taking part of the night life every night with the tourists, he’s a legend around town. I took him up on his offer and had a great night’s sleep with accommodations in the morning to get ready for the day. Thanks again bud!! I’ll be back on the way back!

The next day started early and ended late as it would be my last night in town. Cam and I went up again and met with ski patrol for our ride up. We hopped on the chair lift and made it as close to the top as it would take us. I had dropped a glove with the confusion of carrying the guitar, a chair, the camera case, and the tripod but someone had picked it up and brought it up to us. Cam and I started the climb. It was interesting to see people’s faces as we walked around the slopes with our equipment. It took at least 30 to 40 minutes to scale this giant. The air is much thinner and the hill so steep that it felt more like climbing a ladder in the footprints left for us to follow. We took breaks to catch our breath and rest up. Once we made it up though, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was all worth it. It was an overcast day in town but we were well above the cloud line. It looked as though there was a river of clouds flowing through the mountain peaks, indescribable with words alone…

We got our filming done and took some pictures of both of us at this famous summit. There are two peaks to Mount Mackenzie but the other would have been too dangerous to access.

Coming back down was much trickier though. We couldn’t come down the way we’d come up because of the incline and lack of foot support. The foot holes only allowed for half of your foot. We decided to blaze a new trail, I was wearing jeans. Cam led the way for the most part so I didn’t have to get too soaked. Zig zagging to the near bottom was getting tiresome and I gave up my march once we got near the ski trail. I decided I’d slide down on my butt to save some effort. Holding my guitar case like I was playing it, I could see the skiers at the bottom stopping to see what was coming down the hill. There was a bit of a lip at the bottom which caused a bit of a jump, landing on my feet in front of them.

“I’m sorry we stopped to stare” they said. “ We’ve just never seen a musician sliding down the peak of a mountain on his ass with a guitar in hand before..”

Setting up for the show that night was easy. Outabounds had hired a sound tech to come and set the stage for myself and the comedians. I played to a near empty room but was well compensated and complimented from the staff and the patrons that did attend. The comedy part of the night was canceled because there wouldn’t have been enough people for audience participation. The place to be on Wednesday in Revelstoke, which I’d learned the week before, was the open mic jam at the Drop. Once I finished my set, I headed back to see my friends one last time. I was leaving the next day. I was just standing at the bar when I felt a tap on my shoulder, it was Fly. He handed me a key to his room again and said “Stay here tonight, and if you’re here again tomorrow…stay here again tomorrow, and if you’re here again the day after that…stay here again, and if you’re here again the day after that…..”well he kept going for about 2 minutes. It was nice to sit down and talk with Fly, sharing his skiing experiences over the years and my musical ones with him. He has a family back home; and, well I think it was good for the both of us to be able to chat and think of what was waiting for us once our journey was over, at least until the next one began.

Driving to Revelstoke through Roger’s Pass was quite the view again, though it was snowing that day and visibility was cut down quite a bit. I couldn’t stop along the way since most of the road between Golden and Revi is designated a high risk avalanche area.

When I arrived early that afternoon I had just crossed the new time zone. I was tired and didn’t feel like doing anything but resting or doing a bit of reading. I did manage to get myself to do some much needed laundry though. I had played music four nights in a row and because of my cold mixed in with all the singing, my voice was a little raw. I decided not to go out anywhere or meet too many people. I needed at least a day to myself to recharge and to gather my bartering strengths.

I started reading the first book I’ve ever bought, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I had bought it in Thunder Bay when I was there a few months ago but hadn’t gotten around to reading it yet. The story is about a young shepherd, Santiago, who decides to sell his sheep and follow his life’s legend, his destiny. I devoured the book, sitting down only twice with it and it was done. It is a short read but very meaningful in all it’s passages. It had been recommended to me by my good friend, Sarah, from Guelph. She herself is a traveller and had found it a great read in her time spent in South America.

I’ve been reading at night with a neat contraption. When I was in Dauphin, Shelby had come home from school with a bit of a gift basket. One of the items were plastic glasses with no lenses; but, at either side lies a light which is powered by a watch battery it would seem. She didn’t have any use for these but for me, they were gold! I had been relying on sunlight until that point to get any reading done, now I could lie down in bed and read if I wanted. Thanks again Shelb!

On Tuesday, I woke up late morning and grabbed a coffee. I had slept in my van just on the outskirt of town at a rest stop where transport trucks and travellers with campers park overnight.

Driving down main street I saw two hitchhikers. It was like deja-vu from Golden. They needed a ride up the mountain and, well, I hadn’t been up yet. I told them to hop in. They were both cool guys from Utah, here for the season as they fight forest fires at home in the Summer. I pumped them for information on our drive up, asking them where they had seen live music in town. They gave me a few suggestions to try and before we knew it, we were at the day lodge. I drove back into town and went to the first one they’d talked about, The Village Idiot. I talked to the waitress but I had to go back a little later that evening to talk to the manager, Eric. He was interested in a gig but thought it’d be better for Thursday. I thanked him and posted my success on Facebook. As it turns out, my friend Kirk from Windsor saw this and happened to know the owner as well as some of the staff since they were all from Windsor originally. I had no idea about this until Thursday when I went in for the gig. Meanwhile, Kirk had sent me a message to let me know of this and contacted them for me as well. I had noticed that the pizza did look suspiciously familiar when I went in a little later to see the act booked in that Tuesday. To my surprise it was Devon, from the Kevin and Devon duo, that couldn’t make the gig at the Golden Taps a few days prior. He was a great show to watch, utilizing many effects to create a very full sound for a single act. He had mic’d the floor for the bass drum sound, and had looping pedals along with delay, distortion, and wah pedal effects. He was singing really great original songs though I couldn’t get a CD from him that night since he’d forgotten them. I did get his contact information to keep in touch.

The next day I visited another bar, The Regent. I was to speak with Brady but when I did I could tell he wasn’t into the whole project. He did say he’d call me back but it would be of no surprise to me when he didn’t. I didn’t appreciate that he tried to get information as to what the Village Idiot was going to pay me, like he wanted to outdo them or not outdo himself. Because these deals are made with a handshake, I told him only that I was getting a great tab and money for the road, which doesn’t really mean anything. He was purely looking out for his own interest.

The hitchhikers had also told me of a music jam that happened on Wednesdays at The Last Drop. I wanted to catch this for sure as jams tend to do me good in booking gigs, giving people a chance to hear me before hiring me.

Most of my day was spent sight seeing and cleaning the van before I made it out to the jam that night. The host was Steve Smith and the Maritime Kitchen Band. Playing an assortment of well portrayed classics, the crowd was pumping right away. The bar was packed at 9 o’clock and stayed that way for the rest of the night. I was set to go on last. I asked the band to stay on stage and I would call out the songs to them. We played a great set, opening with Copperhead Road. Since the guys play this song in another band of theirs, Shannon did the intro on bass and Trevor was right on with the drums keeping the energy high. They were quite the rhythm section, well seasoned, and you could tell they had been playing together for a long time. It’s always nice to meet musicians such as them because you don’t have to worry. They’re the type whom you could call the night before a show because your band is sick; and, though never having played with them before, you’d hire them for the gig because they’re experienced enough to walk up on stage and get the job done.

I met quite a few people that night including a young singer/songwriter from Australia, Jess. She and her housemates were out for the night to play a few songs and to have a few pints. I wanted to get her information to do something for the documentary but when I turned around they were gone. I asked Richard behind the bar if he knew them. He said he did and would let her know to give me a call if he saw her around.

Thursday I walked around town for a while, stopping in at different stores that make up the downtown core. I had to be at the Village Idiot for 7pm to set up and have dinner before the show started. I met the owner Joel. He was from Windsor and had owned Spicoli’s there as well as having a hand into some other bars. He even knew my brother Jean-Paul who’d worked downtown Windsor a few years earlier. It was a bit of a reunion from Windsor because even after the show, Eric Stokes, his girlfriend Ali, his sister Joy, and I went to the Last Drop which also staffed Windsorites. One of them was Johnny Price. He was a good friend of Eric’s who in turn hired me for Friday after hearing about the show I’d just played a few blocks over. I was stoked because they would offer me a room for tomorrow night and some money for the road as well.

That night though, Eric had offered me a place to crash at his home. We walked there after last call. It was appreciated to sleep indoors for the night and the girls walked me back to the van the next day on their way into work. I received a phone call from Johnny early in the afternoon saying that the gig was confirmed and that I could check into my room at Powder Springs anytime I wanted. It was the hotel attached to the bar. I went there right away to relax in my own space for the afternoon. I brewed some coffee and watched television for a while. It was a treat again to have a room of my own to simply relax and groom myself for the show that night. I played a bit of guitar before setting up for the show. They too offered me a tab and so I had some dinner again. I started at 8 that night and ended at 12:15am. Little to my knowledge, the extra 15 minutes after midnight posed a problem for the bar. The liquor inspector had been in and because of their food primary license, they were warned that in the future, live music could not play past midnight. Had I of known I would of stopped after one encore…

I retired to my room and had a great night’s sleep, checking out at exactly 11am the next day.

When leaving Calgary I was immediately attentive to the mountains in the distance. I wanted to see Banff and Lake Louise while driving through in the afternoon, it was a perfect day with few clouds.

I had tried to imagine the mountains many times before I got here, but none of my mental manifestations compared to the giants now standing in front of me. I had to remind myself to pay attention to the road too so I compromised by slowing down and letting people pass me who were familiar with the view and were in more of a hurry. I wanted to soak it in which resulted in getting to Banff a little later than expected. I spent a few hours walking around downtown with the camera and a coffee.

I was enjoying the warm pine winter air at 4 degrees that day but I had to keep going west if I was going to make it to Golden with some light. I stopped at Lake Louise though, I had driven all this way with wanting to have the lake’s view in my mind and out of picture books.

Leaving Lake Louise I realized that I’d have to drive about 30 kms in the dark. Not too far of a drive but an uncertain one indeed. It was a little foggy that night which made it harder to anticipate the road. I took my time and got to Golden in the early evening.

I went to the grocery store and bought some supplies to make dinner on the Coleman stove. I wanted to do a little reading before bed, waiting until morning to see the view I’d missed on my way in. It was pitch black because of the fog and clouds but I could see headlights driving by on the ridge that runs above the town.

I stopped a group of friends walking by. They were headed somewhere with their folders in hands, an energy meeting the town was holding. I thought it peculiar for all these young adults around my age to attend this. Many of the young twenty year olds I know wouldn’t be bothered by a gathering of this type. I asked them where the music was in town and was told to check out the Golden Taps near the 7-Eleven. Everything in Golden seems to be situated near the 7-Eleven as it seems to be the reference point to many directions. I didn’t go for long, I wanted to rest up and try my luck in the afternoon when management would be in. I talked to the bartender there that night, just asking if they had any live music booked for the weekend, which they did.

I drove to a level parking spot and retired at around 11pm. I couldn’t wait to open my eyes to the day and see what surrounded me. All I could see that night was a dark town of about 4500 people and the darkness above it.

When I woke up I peaked outside my window and saw it was a clear and sunny day. I got dressed and stepped outside. To my surprise I was surrounded with mountains. All around town the snowy summits were gathered around like guardians of the ski paradise. I must of stood in that same place for 5 minutes looking all around, trying to extract every detail, every resting place if one were to climb to the top or I tried to plan untamed ski runs from top to bottom.

I put myself together and drove to the 7-Eleven for coffee. I hadn’t seen a Tim Hortons in town anywhere and so after obtaining my morning energy drink, I drove to a spot where I could park the van again and gaze at the Rockies while sipping my coffee. I had never seen anything like this in my life, and to the many who have visited, you must remember your first experience most vividly. I drove away from my vantage point aimlessly, still taking in the scenery until I saw a pedestrian holding out his thumb. We were in town and I was a little confused. I turned around and drove back to him to ask him where he needed a ride to.

“I’m headed up to Kicking Horse for the day” he said.

I told him to hop in, asking him for directions as to where we were headed.

“You’re already headed there. The only way this road goes is up or down from the resort.”

“Perfect”, I could go take some pictures and have the rest of my coffee up there while doing some writing.

He hopped in and before we had a chance to introduce ourselves, about 500 meters down the road, another thumb went out. I told this self-proclaimed ski bum that I could give her a ride too but she would have to sit on the floor in the back because of my gear. This was of course no problem and then we were three. Kayla was from Ottawa while John was from New-Zealand. Both had been here for the last year or more but were headed back home to continue with their studies once the season ended.

After dropping them off and hearing about the open jam that was going on that night at the Golden Taps, I caught up on some work and decided to go have a bite to eat at the bar near the day lodge.

I was still on a little bit of a budget but like the old saying goes, you have to spend money to make money. If I only eat groceries then I’m not in the bar talking to people. And it was a good idea because I was told about the Rockwater bar in town which hosted live music as well. Ashley, one of the servers had informed me to go talk to Ryan, the manager there.

I finished my order of yam fries and headed back to town. The Golden Taps and the Rockwater were only steps away from each other. I went to the Rockwater first. Ryan was in and he kindly accepted to do a show for Sunday as he had a DJ booked for the weekend. I could stay in one of the rooms upstairs on Sunday, one part of our negotiations for the barter. I thanked him and walked out on to the street towards the Taps. I saw the same bartender from the night before and asked her if the owner was in. “Yes he’s just over there, his name’s Adam.” she said.

She walked me over to him, he was adding another LCD television next to the billiards table. He too was keen on a performance and offered me a dinner show on Friday with tab and money for the road. We couldn’t do an evening gig as they had music booked on the weekend as well. This was perfect though, Friday and Sunday night shows with a place to stay Sunday before I left town. I have never booked two gigs in ten minutes before!

Later that evening, when I showed up for the jam, it was to my surprise that the bar was filling up quite fast. I moved in on the last bar stool left and ordered a pint. The two guys hosting the night were just setting up. Both long haired musicians, one with a moustache and the other with a bandanna. They played a mix of bluegrass/Americana/folk and originals to open up the night. They were Ben and Eric, a music duo from town now, but, Ben originated from New Zealand while Eric was from the Toronto area. Ben told me I could use his acoustic if I wanted to get up, which was great since mine was still a little cold. I played alone for the first song, but by the end of the set drums had been set up and Eric was playing electric riffs through some of the blues songs we played. The bar had filled up completely and was standing room only.

Towards the end of the night Eric asked me to go up again; and, by this time, there was a full band setup with a bassist added to the mix. What a night!

Both Ben and Eric invited me back to there house after I’d met the other roommates Emily and Ben’s sister Joy which was in town for a visit. They didn’t have an extra place for me to sleep but I could park in their driveway and use their amenities in the morning and have some breakfast.

The next day I showed up for 5 o’clock again at the Taps to have dinner before playing. While I was having my wrap salad and fries the bar was dealt an entertainment blow. The much anticipated Kevin & Devon duo were snowed in at Revelstoke and couldn’t make the drive to town to play. Many people were set to come in that night to see them as they’re a favourite in Golden when they come to town. Adam called me and said he’d come in from 6:30 to 7:30 to see me play and said only to do one hour since he would probably hire me for the evening to cover for them if I “Didn’t suck”, he said.

At 9:45 I started the evening show. There was another musician in the bar travelling through from Victoria, and he offered to play between sets. Adam agreed and so we would share the night as Mr. Jet, and his travelling companion needed accommodations while in town which they were keen on playing for.

While playing my first set, a man came up to the stage and asked if he could come up and jam. He said he used to host the jam night there. I didn’t have an opposition to it but I only had my guitar and told him he’d have to ask Mr. Jet if he could use his. This wasn’t an issue and so he sang a few songs and jammed a few songs and had a grand ole time. We talked a bit after our set was done. His name was Aaron, and was a banker in town. He and his wife Debbie had also owned a candy store which they had just recently sold. He told me he was going to a birthday party the next day to play music for his friend’s 40^th birthday and wanted me to come. I didn’t have anything planned and so I agreed. He was willing to pay me to play but I didn’t say much as I wasn’t planning on accepting a personal payment, I would have just played and left it at that. I sat with him and his group of friends. Four of them were in from Calgary to ski for the weekend. Aaron invited me back to the house after the bar and after hearing of my barter tour. It was very generous since they already had their company from out of town and their family all under the same roof. If my count is right, their was two babies, 3 kids, and 7 adults. A good thing their house was immense, we all slept in beds!

I was treated to the same hospitality as everyone, meals, comforts of home. Aaron told me they often have travellers come and stay as they love meeting new people and helping them on their way. I was surprised when I found out that Ben and Eric had also been boarders with them when they first arrived to Golden, working in the candy store and playing music at night. I knew I was with the right people and we went to the party on Saturday as planned. We jammed all through the evening, playing everything we knew. It was quite the birthday party, Hawaiian themed with hollowed out coconut glasses and many in beach uniform gathered around the feast set out on the table. I met so many great people, friends of the birthday man and of Aaron’s.

Later in the night Aaron presented me with a fist full of cash. He said they’d had a collection for me at the party. I was extremely grateful but had no idea it was going on. I ended the night with some of my originals as a thank you to everyone. Their generosity could not go unnoticed or unrewarded. Thank you again to everyone if you’re reading this, you put the good in “Good Faith Tour”, though maybe I should change it to the “Great Faith Tour”.

Sunday I got ready to hit the town before the show and stopped at Tim Hortons to get a coffee after hearing the night before that there indeed was one in town, it was up on the highway. Aaron gave me a few books for the road and told me to pass them on after I’d read them, which I will!

I had dinner at the Rockwater and prepared for the show. It was a quiet night which resulted in playing for a few patrons and Ryan behind the bar. I wish for the bar that it could have been a busier night but it had been a busy weekend from what I heard and well, for me, it was a chance to practice my songs, some of which I hadn’t tried in a while.

Ryan and I got acquainted since it was quiet. A great guy, originally from St-Catherines, we got talking about the GTA and places we knew and why he’d made the move. It’s like heaven out here. I had been doing my best all weekend not to get sucked in as I knew I would never want to leave myself. Ryan said to let him know when I’d be back as he’d book me in again. I thanked him again for the show before retiring to my room. I had played four nights in a row and my bed in the room couldn’t have felt more comfortable that night. I think I fell asleep as soon as I hit the pillow. Tomorrow, was a new day, a new town, new people, and… laundry day.

I left for Calgary at around noon on Friday, enjoying the distant view of the Rockies as I got closer to town. Tori would be back from Toronto later in the evening but I wanted to see if anyone could install my car starter in Calgary. I ran a few errands after getting into town at around 2 o’clock. I had some lunch and went to the Best Buy there to see if I could book an appointment; but, again they were booked up there until February. I could get someone else to install a Canadian Tire starter for me but it would cost over 300$ installation anywhere I went. It was a little out of this musician’s budget. I think my car starter dream would have to die. My mom and Larry were a little disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to get one but they opted to buy me a new camera for my Xmas present instead, since the last one had died. I got a FujiFilm Finepix S1500. It has 10X optical zoom and 10 megapixels. I’ve been enjoying it tremendously and was extremely grateful since I wanted a camera to get through the Rockies! Thank you very much again!!!

Later in the day I got to Tori’s and Kay’s in the NW section of town. We had some pizza and after dinner, I went down to Mikey’s Juke Joint in the SW. Being that it was a known blues bar in town, I wanted to see who was featured for the night. It would be the Matt Blais Band, a young local blues/rock band who are just getting their feet wet in the scene. Playing a mix of their own songs and some classics, they were really doing a great job as a four piece who was breaking in a drummer that night. The lead singer, Matt, was playing harmonica and was accompanied by guitar, bass, and drums. I stayed for a while but was tired and felt like I might be coming down with something. I went back to the house and laid down for the night not too long after. By next morning, I could feel I had a bit of a cold. Tori, Kay, and I went to the farmer’s market in the morning to get a few things. Though I wasn’t feeling the greatest, I was stubborn and wanted to go catch the jam at Mikey’s later, which happens every Saturday afternoon at 3pm. A gentleman at the bar had told me about it the night before.

I showed up for 3 o’clock and could tell from the jazz passes I was hearing from outside that the player’s on stage were heavy hitters. Mike, the owner of the bar, opens the jam with his house band. He plays saxophone, guitar, and sings while his players accompany him on guitar, bass, and drums and occasionally relieve him of his singing duties. They were playing a mix of original and cover blues, jazz, rockabilly country, and soul. The place was packed. I had shown up as everything was getting started but would still have to stand for the 4 hours I was there.

Once the band got off stage after the first set, I introduced myself to Mike and asked if I could go up and play a few songs. He agreed and told me I could run my guitar through his amp. Mike runs no effects on his amp so I would deal with a straight guitar sound through his fender amp, which was fine. I don’t usually use too many effects myself anyhow. I was introduced as a Mikey’s Juke Joint virgin and the crowd was informed I would be “popping my cherry” that afternoon. I was teamed up with another guitar player and we were off with Al Green’s Ain’t No Sunshine. I played two originals afterwards and ended my set with a demanded encore. I played Van Morrison’s Crazy Love to bring it back down a notch after our funk Rock version of Love Me. The crowd was great, clapping and cheering after each song. Mike shook my hand after I walked off the stage and told me to get a hold of him on my way back through town for a booking. They book music there seven nights a week plus the occasional daily shows. I thanked him much for having me up. Many of the patrons introduced themselves during the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening. Many of them were surprised that I was able to get up without knowing Mike. I found out that it was a bit of an exclusive jam, reserved for recognized musician’s in the area, ones that Mike had entrusted. I met so many people that even the band member’s names escape me now. I’m finding as the trip goes on that I’m having a hard time remembering names because of the dozens of people I meet everyday, though I’m usually pretty good at remembering faces.

On Sunday Tori invited me to go snowshoeing with her friends Shelley and Troy. They were going out for the afternoon and had invited her along. Not having been snowshoeing in over 12 years, I thought it’d be great to try it out again, especially in the foothills. I was able to rent them for pretty cheap at the University outdoor supplies shop, costing me a total of ten dollars and fifty cents for the day. We grabbed some sandwiches for the hike and set out to meet them at their house before heading west. I am not allowed to head west and return East until I reach Victoria, but we compromised by using Tori’s vehicle and were able to wave the rule since I wasn’t the one driving. It was a beautiful afternoon, Calgary was enjoying a Chinook over the past few days. Temperatures climbed to 7 degrees in the afternoon all throughout the week. We trekked through the snow in our sweaters for about two hours. We climbed a hill which was part of a loop system and at the top, there was a scenic lookout point. We even saw a moose about 100 yards away, the cow was supposedly accompanied by her calf, another climber had said, but we didn’t see the young one on our way through.

After our hike was over, we had a quick lunch in the parking lot and headed back towards town, stopping only for a hot chocolate and a sports drink for the ride. Tori showed me the site of the Olympic ski jump and a scenic point where I could see most of the city since I had the video camera with me. She knew I’d appreciate a good shot! We headed back home for dinner where she cooked us all some pasta for dinner. I was headed to another jam that night. I didn’t know where yet but I knew some were happening from the listings I had viewed in the FastForward magazine. It was nice to be able to do my own thing. I could come and go from the house when I needed to. Both Tori and Kay were occupied with their own schedule so I was able to write my own as well. I headed to the Pig and Whistle later to catch a blues jam hosted by the Sideshow Bob Band.

I walked in with a bit of a tight budget. I told myself I would have a pop and maybe a coffee while watching the bands and waiting for my set. I walked in and sat at the bar. I didn’t know who was hosting the night as some jammers were already up by the time I got there. I looked around the room for a bit to scope out the situation. I noticed a woman sitting at the bar talking to her friend about blues and musicians she knew so I figured she’d know who I should talk to. I asked her who I should inquire about playing to. She directed me to Bob. I introduced myself and he agreed to have me up. Because I had gotten there a little later, I would have to wait till the end of the night. I met some of the other musicians playing that night who also recommended a Tuesday jam at the Rusty Cage. It seemed like most of the people in the bar were musicians. A few people were playing pool or having a bite to eat but it seemed to be more of a musician hangout. Bob set me up with a great band and we closed off the night. I was happy to make an impression again as they had made on me. It’s been great to visit the country’s various music scenes. Everywhere I’ve gone has a different one to offer, but each have been equally as talented and inspiring. Driving home that night, I told myself I would go gig hunting the next day, I had done a couple jams but wanted to book something to help with the trip and hopefully sell a few more cds.

Visiting bars and coffee shops, no one seemed interested in the project. I know I was a little off my game that week though, still struggling with my cold which hit it’s peak on Monday, I was getting tired fast driving around and trying to plan an evening. I don’t want to generalize, but the people and places I did walk into weren’t interested and seemed too occupied with their own schedule to really pay attention to what I had to say. It would turn out that Calgary wouldn’t have a gig for me this time around. Mike from the Juke Joint had told me he would hire me on the way back, but the city was booked well in advance as most major centres are. I decided I would satisfy my musical hunger with the various jams hosted around town and simply take the opportunity to shake the rust off my electric guitar chops since I’ve mainly been playing acoustic guitar along the way.

Wednesday, after doing some laundry and after doing a quick clean up in the back of my van, I decided to head west into the Rockies. I thanked Tori for the hospitality, it was early afternoon and without knowing what the roads were like, I wanted to take advantage of the daylight. I was extremely eager to see the mountains up close and felt I’d have a better chance to book a gig on the weekend in Golden, B.C. if I showed up a bit earlier in the week.

Taylor Drive took me to downtown Red Deer at around 4:00pm Sunday. I had to find the scene. I drove around a little bit and stopped in at an O’Malley’s, an Irish pub, for a coffee and a quick bite to eat before the night got started. After ordering, I asked the bartender about the goings on in Red Deer on a Sunday night. She said, “If you like live music, there’s a great jam at The Vat.”

I drove over after I finished my dinner to find out at what time everything started. When I walked in the sound guys were there setting up. Youdai, the main sound man, informed me it started at 9 but to show up early if I wanted to get up on stage. He said the jam gets packed and they don’t always have time to fit everyone in. It kind of came as a shock for a Sunday night but, by 9 pm, the bar was full. The stage set-up was: drums, bass, guitar, and keys. The Vat has quite a charm, two billiard tables at the back that give a bit of a tavern feel with tables and a big screen but as you walk towards the stage, the ceiling gets higher and it feels as though you entered a warehouse party. Brian and Amanda were behind the bar, doing a great job at both serving the floor and bar tending. The night was standing room only for many.

I signed up for the Jam and was set to go on third. I went to the stage to meet the guitarist of the house band, Tyler. I asked him about what the scene was like and what to expect and decided to bring in the acoustic guitar to change it up a little. It turned out to be a truly eclectic jam: rock, funk, blues, 80s hairband, singer/songwriter. Everyone’s welcome and the band is great for delivering everything being thrown their way. It was the perfect place to meet new people. I heard that Friday night isn’t as busy as their Sunday, yet people were partying like it was Friday on a Sunday.

After playing Love Me and a cover of Copperhead Road, I was befriended by a freelance photographer and two of his models who were posing around the bar for him all night. My hat was even confiscated for one of the in prompt-to shoots. We talked for a while about the project and he was able to send out the story to a few of his contacts for me the next day. Later on in the night though, Youdai asked me if I wanted to go back up. I told him I could but would have to borrow an electric guitar since I had already brought my other one back to the van and it would be cold by now. Tyler was kind enough to offer me his stratocaster and amp so I could play one last set. The band was playing hot as we ripped up a few heavy hitting blues numbers like Death Letter Blues and Blue on Black.

I didn’t barter a place to stay for the night so the trusty van it was at -16. It turns out that sleeping conditions are ideal in that temperature range for the sleeping bag. I woke up well rested the next day and had breakfast in town. Later in the afternoon I went to the Vat again since I was told Terry, the owner, would be in. We booked a gig for the Tuesday at 9:00pm. I thanked him and walked back to my car. I drove around a little bit to get my bearings for Red Deer and found an internet signal to check my emails. I spent much of the rest of the day sightseeing; but, unfortunately my still camera was now out of order. I would have to take mental pictures until I could get it to work again, and actually, I didn’t mind this.

Later that day, after cooking some dinner, I went for coffee which was given to me since I would have to wait for the roast to be brewed, score! I sat and read at Chapters for the rest of the evening. I was near the end of Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk To Freedom. The story has kept me enthralled throguh my travels. I don’t always have the time to pick it up but it’s always familiar when I do get a chance. With a few chapters left, I closed my book and retired to my bed for the night again.

The next day I went to the Flying J in town to get ready for my show that night. For 15$ you can rent a shower room with full facilities to shower and shave. Many people have horror stories of truck stop shower facilities but this one was pristine. Everything was spotless and fresh smelling. I felt quite posh in my showering suite.

I arrived at the vat for 8:30, just in time to see Canada lose against the States. Some of the patrons were disappointed and left for home. I was able to convince a few to stick around for a consolation beer though and to see the show. It wasn’t very full at all when I started my show at 9 but everyone was very attentive. I even had my own personal heckler for the night who bought me a few drinks later on. Some of the people there did buy cds which helped a great deal. One of the bartenders from Sunday, Brian, was there and bought 4 for himself. Terry bartered generously with me, offering gas, a tab, and a place to stay at the band house. The bar has a house for bands coming through town, only steps away from their parking lot. It is operated by a tenant, Theresa, who looks after the place, cleans it, and makes sure the beds are made and that the house is kept smelling fresh with odours of potpourri.  It was well decorated with bamboo area rugs, paper lamps and candles everywehere. I walked in at around 2:30am after the show and found my way downstairs to a room fitted with two double beds. When I woke up the next day, Theresa was up and about and we introduced each other over coffee.  Terry did let her know that I’d be coming over and so I wasn’t a complete surprise.

I was able to stay for the remainder of the week as well since there were no other bands coming through until Friday. It was great, I was able to catch the singer/songwriter night on Wednesday and play a little diddy that night too. Thursday I caught up with some laundry and finished my book, a must read for everyone! I was leaving for Calgary Friday morning and was pretty much all set to go after doing a video tour of the band house with Theresa as the host which you’ll be able to see in the documentary!

Thanks again to everyone in Red Deer and at the Vat for the great times. Until next time, I must be moving on!

Leaving Doug’s, I was headed to another Klingbile residence in Alberta. Larry’s son Jeff had offered me a place to stay for the holidays and his brother Bob also lived in Edmonton. I would be able to enjoy another room to myself and not live out of a suitcase for a couple weeks while relaxing over Christmas and New Year’s, it would be a treat. I knew Jeff would be working during the day Thursday but I drove in anyways, I wanted to go shopping for a car starter at the Best Buy, a Xmas gift from Mom and Larry, and check out my surroundings a little. I was quite disappointed at the Best Buy when they informed me that if I bought a remote starter for the van, they wouldn’t be able to install it until February because of all the holiday bookings. I informed him of my situation but there was nothing to do. The bookings were full and tight.

I thought I’d get an oil change that afternoon too. I was due since leaving Toronto. Turns out my right break light was burnt out. I joked with the attendant, saying that it was okay since my left turning signal was burnt out too so I was pumping the breaks to alert traffic when making a turn. She didn’t get it….

I punched in Whyte Ave into the GPS. I remembered the fuss over this famed street during the Stanley Cup playoffs a few years back and wanted to see it. I parked the car on the street and walked much of it, stopping in at shops along the way and sitting down for dinner at a Mexican restaurant.

Jeff called me a little later since I’d left a message on his phone to inform him I was in town. He told me he was done work for the evening and was at the Boston Pizza near his place having a pint and watching the game. I joined him. It turned out that Jeff would be on vacation until after Xmas. His boss was expecting his family over the holidays and once they arrived into town, the construction sites were put on hold in order to spend the holidays with them.

When we got back to his place, he showed me to where I’d be staying. I’d have a bed, a night table, dresser, everything I’d need for a few weeks. I was very grateful for these simple pleasures since these are not always a given on the road.

Jeff had just bought a Wii game console that day so we proceeded to drink some beers and play sports all night. Much of my time spent in Edmonton was just doing human things that one can do when you have a place to go back to. When you’re not actively looking for places to play or stay, you can relax a bit. I caught up on reading, writing, and practicing some new songs of mine. I even caught up with some pop culture, watching TV at night.

On the first Sunday I was there, we both went out to Bob and Lindsay’s place in the North East end of town. It was completely across the city from where Jeff lived, the South West end near the West Edmonton Mall!  We did visit.

Bob and Lindsay had us over for dinner and we stayed till late that evening, having brought the Wii and all. It was our pre-Xmas celebration. Bob had to work the night of, and would be out in BC the following day to be with Lindsay’s family. He invited me to come to work with him before he headed west. A constable for the local police force in Edmonton, it’d be great to maximize on visiting time and to see the city from a cruiser’s point of view.

Wednesday night I followed them into work. It was a slower evening so we took the opportunity to catch up some more. I met other members of the force; Jay, Bob’s partner, and others who met us for dinner.

Later during my stay, we went out to a firing range to test our marksmanship. I fired off 3 magazines, or 45 rounds, at various distances out of a Glok 22 .40 caliber hand gun. My aim was definately not as sharp as Bob’s army sniper trained trigger finger, but I was told I didn’t do too bad for my first time firing a hand gun. I hit the centre target many times, as well as some head and neck shots. In total out of the 45 rounds I missed the silhouette only twice when trying for a head shot at 30 meters.

On Christmas day, Jeff and I got ready to go out to his friend Dave’s place. Dave had family visiting from Ontario and, to my surprise, from Northern Ontario. He himself was originally from Engleheart while his dad’s girlfriend, Murielle, had lived in Moonbeam for many years. Her son Jeremy Dagg was also there with his Kapuskasing girlfriend Cindy. I had found a Kapuskasing/all Ontario house for Xmas by complete luck of knowing Jeff from Windsor who took me to his friend’s place. If that’s not a Xmas miracle, I don’t know what is!

Murielle and Dave Sr. were busy cooking all day. Tourtiere, turkey, mashed potatoes, salads, devilled eggs, it smelled like I was at home for the holidays. I sang the Xmas song Jeff and I had put together for the occasion, as a way to give back for my meal and invitation. We would also end up spending New Year’s Eve there a week later. The holidays were great to take a few days off the road and recharge.

The Saturday before I left, I had arranged a show for one of the soup kitchens in town, The Marian Centre. I was spending Christmas in a different fashion this year and wanted to share it with some whom might be sharing the same thought. I met with the volunteers before lunch and was introduced to everyone with food and stories. Roberto and Krista were kind enough to show me around the kitchen as I poured myself some stew. Patrick also greeted me and introduced me to some of the other Marian Centre residents like Gerard and Sushi. I was happy to meet them as they had arranged for my performance; and, I was eager for a tour of the facilities as their organization operates solely on donations. It was interesting to compare stories since donations have been the propeller for the Good Faith Tour as well.

With one last night in Edmonton I gathered the things in my room, which I had been growing comfortable in. I was heading out early afternoon the next day to say goodbye to Bob and Lindsay. Jeff had to work and couldn’t come along, I thanked him for his generous hospitality.

It was at 2:30 pm that I tackled the on-ramp to the QE2 highway towards Red Deer. I knew nothing about the city and knew no one there; but, right away as I started down the highway, I was overcome by the pleasant sensation of being on the road again and keeping the journey moving forward.