Those moments when your life feels like a road runner cartoon
Hey there! Been a while since I've been able to blog and a lot has happened. I'll have to apologize in advance that there won't be any pictures with this blog because I'm currently unable to upload any, so I'll do a big facebook album when I get home. And this is a long one and the last one from this tour! Thanks so much for reading, and we hope to see everyone at some shows soon!
Where we last left off, we were about to take the stage in Canmore Alberta. It was a really cool place, and we got to stay in their "band room" which was a sweet hang out pad, and we took definite advantage of being able to sleep in our own seperate beds. Also there was this couple there that told us they were going to walk down the aisle to our tune "On My Way Home" at there wedding. What a compliment eh?
With no time to lose we headed for our next show in Penticton, where the show was pretty uneventful, but the times we spent there...truely memories to last a lifetime...
After our show there, it was so nice out we decided to head to one of the many local beaches, for some swimming. We had no bathing suits, so under the moonlight we all stripped down to the nude and swam out to a dock in that one summer night no one would ever forget. Any onlookers were treated to a scene right out of a harlequin romance novel....sigh..
After that we headed back to the bar owners house who was nice enough to let us stay at her hippie pad. We had some tea and even smoked some marijuana together, truely a rare moment in our bands history. Despite what our reggae tinged past may suggest, we our not a stoner band in the least. But hey, when in Penticton right?
The next morning things really went, as they say, "in the shitter". With our homoerotic late night swim still fresh in our memory we headed out to the same dock we were at the night before, for a quick swim before we headed to our show in Vancouver. About 30 or so yards out there was a floating dock, that we were all hanging out on and jumping off of. After a while the dock was shifting slightly and in one of the most well thought out moves in my life I started trying to rock the dock, and chanting "rock the dock". Then, like the buffoon I am I slipped and fell, falling on the ladder and into the water. Upon getting out I looked down and saw my finger had gone to shit. See image above. The doctors told me I went into shock, so I didn't feel a thing. Making it convinient for jokes and waving to curious onlookers.
When we got to the hospital, the look on the doctors faces after seeing my finger was really the farthest thing from reassuring as each nurse and doctor gasped in horror. And I'm thinking you probably just watched some guy die, how is this grossing you out? You have to put peoples guts back together and you look horrified at finger on a strange angle. Ah well, I digress.
The people at the hospital were all really nice though. Unfortunately we did have to cancel our show in Vancouver as my finger was in no condition to play. Sorry to the folks in Vancouver who were planning on coming out, we will reschedule asap!
I got out of the hospital later that day, and Colin had an uncle who lived in Osoyoos, just south of Penticton so we headed there for the evening. I wish I could upload some of my pictures of this place, because juxtaposing this place with the van we'd been sleeping in would blow any mind. It was truely a sensational place, and many a thanks go out to his uncle Rick for having us.
The next morning, unaware of how close Osoyoos was to the USA border Mike and our good friend and roadie Sean headed out for a hike. After not hearing from them for about five hours we started getting a little worried. It was then Rick informed us that the border was about a kilometer away, so we headed there with low expectations. Sure enough they had unknowningly crossed a fence on to US soil, and were swiftly picked up by homeland security. With a show in Seattle a couple days away, we were slightly fretted but releaved they weren't dying of dehydration up in the foothills. Mike said Sean and him took to prison instantly, giving each other coat hanger tattoos, and doing chin ups, etc. Two for two on ultra homoerotic experiences in southern BC.
After a couple hours they let them go with a warning, figuring they were harmless. We then spent a couple days in Vancouver relaxing before we headed to Seattle. I went to work on a film set with my cousin and the other fellas headed up to Whilster. Man was it good to get away from those guys! We then saw our friend Sean off, as he was headed to Victoria for University. We wish him all the best and miss him already. We then headed off to Seattle for our final taste of the USA for this tour. Getting across the border went really well as well, which we were somewhat scarred for givin Mike's whole thing with being arrested for illegaly crossing the border. But it went fine!
The venue in Seattle was literally right at the foot of the space needle, and some rock and roll museums dedicated to Hendrix and Nirvana exhibitions. After getting mostly treated to free food in Vancouver we ate at one of the most expensive seafood restaurants in Seattle. The view was sensational, and we were broke as hell after. Whatever right?
After our show in Seattle which was rad, we had to drive straight to Red Deer. Anyone thats ever looked at map should know that that is far as hell! But thats what touring is all about, or touring in Canada at least.
Our last three shows of the tour all took place in Alberta and were with a local band called Half Chance Heroes. Good guys! In Edmonton we went out to a highschool party after our show after some kids in the crowd invited us. It was awesome and we drank heavily. This time Mike and I opted to not try and kill each other either, we're really growing up fast folks!
Sometime in the last couple days Max finished reading Harry Potter 7 as well. He started the first one when we left and had read the entire series while on the road this past month. After he finished the 7th book, he just started rereading it. I'm really concerned about my friend, as that is some strange behaviour for a quasi literate 21 year old.
Last night we played Calgary, at one of the coolest venues in all of Canada called Verns run by a wicked dude named Clint. We stayed there until five in the morning and to tell you the truth I just woke up now and started blogging. The show in Calgary was definitely one of the most fun and we're all glad as it was a fitting way to end such a long and eventful tour. Now I have to go back to my stupid life with all sorts of stupid stuff I have to do, that I don't want to. Were doing another USA tour in October though, so were stoked on that. As well check our "tour dates" tab on our facebook page as we've put up some local shows for the fall in London and Hamilton as well as a handfull of others. Thanks for reading these blogs, sorry this one had no pictures. I'll end with the most cliche quote I can think of, cuz I'm unoriginal as hell.
"What a long strange trip its been" - The Grateful Dead
