The Stills, Canada Nov. 1-23, 2008
Day 19, Hamilton, ON
With great pain, we rose early to make our way to Hamilton for show number one of the Sam Roberts tour. It kind of hurt. At least once we got there, it was good to see the guys again and the promoter was a really good guy, so our adjustment was relatively easy. It was a little weird to go from a full-on truck and bus tour to understaffed van and trailers, but we just worked a little harder with the SRB guys and everything started to come together. It felt pretty natural being around all the guys anyways...
It seemed to go pretty well tonight. It was our first test of the Canadian market while having a Top 10 single and the show went over really well, really good response. We kept it on the short side tonight. We were staying in Toronto, so we didn't wait too long before getting out of there so we could get in and crash asap. Tomorrow is our first real day off in forever. Can't wait to sleep...
Day 20, Toronto, ON
Day off. Insane. Love it. Slept as long as possible, and then a little more. We made no serious plans, other than to go for dinner with the SRB guys. We ended up at the Keg with them and some other friends, and then made our way to Sweaty Betty's for the end of the night. Nothing crazy, just a night off to hang out.
Day 21, Chatham, ON
Leaving at noon seemed reasonable, so that's what we did. We headed down to Chatham to play at the River Rock Club. Classy place, let me tell you... I guess it wasn't so bad, just a small rock club show, almost like playing at Barrymore's just with a worse PA and light system. We found a decent place for dinner down the only street in town and that pretty much wrapped it up. After the show we drove down to Windsor. We're staying there for a couple nights as we have a show in Detroit tomorrow. Election Day...
Day 22, Detroit, MI
We were only about 10 minutes from the venue in Detroit, so we left about an hour early to cross the border, etc... Usually painless, but this time, for the first time ever, we got turned back. Turns out you're not allowed to carry "textile goods for resale", ie. t-shirts, across the border. It was the first time any of us had ever heard of this, so not wanting to make a scene at the US border on Election Day of all days, we turned back, tried to find a broker to fill out the paperwork for us to bring our t-shirts over, failed, so dropped it all at the hotel and went back for round 2.
Round 2 was a little more successful and we got by without a hitch. This guy didn't even ask about shirts. Figures... So we got through, drove through a couple decrepit Detroit neighbourhoods and showed up at the Magic Stick only about an hour late after it was all said and done. Fortunately there was no real rush, we had lots of time. We just wanted to set up quickly and get the sound check over with so we could sit down and watch the election coverage. It only has the potential to be the most historical day in US history...
There's a pretty good restaurant downstairs from the venue, so some of us went down there to eat while we watched CNN. There was a woman walking around the bar handing out Obama buttons, which we gladly accepted and wore, hoping for the outcome. We had about three hours to kill, so there was a good chance we'd know by the time the show started. After we ate, we went back upstairs and we set up our merch right under a tv so we could watch and sell at the same time. It turned out to be a good idea because everyone else wanted to watch too.
There were a few nervewracking moments, especially when McCain took a couple states, but the club erupted in cheers when they announced Obama won, right before we took the stage. It was pretty awesome to be surrounded by Americans at that time. They really needed the boost in morale, and living in Brooklyn, I'm really happy they got it. I'd have seriously considered leaving had McCain won.
It gave the show a pretty amazing vibe, and it became a massive celebration. Such a crazy experience, I don't think I've ever been surrounded by such whole-hearted, all-in enthusiasm.
Driving back to Canada after the show was a little wild. There were streets closed everywhere, state troopers on patrol at every corner. Coming in, the border was pretty locked down, even going back to Canada it was pretty tight. We got a little bit of attitude and some minor threats, but nothing I hadn't seen before. We got back to the hotel and turned on CNN right away and watched the world celebrate for a couple hours before falling asleep, more hopeful than ever before for the future.
Day 23, London, ON
Today felt so incredibly boring and normal after last night. We drove to London, stayed at the same hotel as a few nights ago and played at Centennial Hall. It was a good night. It's definitely a college town, and we always do better in school zones, so to speak.
We went to a small hole-in-the-wall pub to hang out after. Apostle of Hustle were playing there tonight, so all friends for us to hang out with. I couldn't really wind down after that, so I went for a walk to find a slice of pizza. Took a while, but Pizza Pizza came to the rescue, eventually. Got there 5 mins before they closed. I've been trying not to have late meals, but once in a while you just gotta do it...
Day 24, Kitchener, ON
We had a quick breakfast in London before heading over to Kitchener for the show tonight. Another theatre. We thought we left those behind in the US, but apparently not. I don't get the rock-show-in-a-theatre theme this year. So weird. Beautiful rooms, but so weird.
It went well again tonight, pretty straightforward. We have this tour pretty much worked out and the show has become pretty smooth. As soon as we were done tonight, we headed right out, back to Toronto. The Kings of Leon are in town tonight and we're hoping to get back to have a chance to hang out.
We actually did pretty good time making it back to TO, but by the time we got there, their whole gang had called it a night. They were pretty worn from a painfully long travel day with lots of press. Being the understanding people we are, we forgave them, rescheduled for tomorrow, and called it a night.
Day 25, Belleville, ON
Another day, another 2hr drive to a city in Ontario. After going for breakfast and coffee (at Auntie's and Manic, of course), we got to Belleville a little early, which was nice, always takes off a little pressure when that happens. The promoter tonight was a really good friend, so that made things a little better.
Oddly enough, today was another rock-show-in-a-theatre, I think I'll start calling it rock-in-a-box. The kids were really into it though, a little more than usual and it helped make it a really great night for the ol' Empire Theatre. Again after the show tonight, we didn't stick around. It's show night for the Kings in Toronto and we were hoping to make it back in time to catch some of it.
After a couple hours, we realized that wasn't going to happen, so we just tried to coordinate a night out. It took some effort, we made lots of changes to the plan, but it did eventually come together. Everyone went out to a place called The Communist's Daughter. I had to go by the Kool Haus first though. The Kings had a mic we forgot on the last day of our tour last week. Turns out it was good for me to go. The whole crew was really happy that I stopped by, I ended up hanging out for quite a while with them, right up until the bus rolled actually. It was really nice to be around them again, we became pretty tight on the October tour. It looks like they'll be in London (UK) at the same time as us later this month, so we're already looking forward to that hang.
After all that, I made my way over to the club where they all were. The Scientists and their crew were there too, so it was a huge reunion for everyone. It was a pretty great way to spend a night. Hard to leave it all behind at the end...
Day 26, Sarnia ON
And another day, another 2hr drive to a city in Ontario. The classic Industry Theatre tonight. But it's not really a theatre. It's a rock club. A badly run club by a slimy club owner. I was warned to be on the lookout for this one, how true it is...
The show itself was fine. That part went well and the kids were really into it. The problems were afterwards when I tried to get paid. I had to chase the owner around for a bit, he kept saying he'd meet me in 5 mins but never showed up at any time. Finally after about an hour, Sam's tour manager brought me the cheque, thankfully in the full amount. He thought he'd do me a favour by grabbing it while he was getting paid, he had no idea how much it helped... But I still had to get some cash from the guy for dinner buyouts, which was worked out in advance, agreed upon and, as yet, unpaid. I was eventually able to corner the guy, he gave me a sob story that I was bleeding him dry, but I didn't care about him anymore. I tried being nice. I got him to give in, I followed him to the office so he couldn't run away and took some cash. And, even then, after everything else, he shorted me. $15. I mean, why even bother? What's the point? I was so sick of dealing with him that I just took it and left, and hopefully I'll never be back (of course writing this means I will, at least 6 times)...
By a twist of fate, the night turned out alright. We were all staying in the same hotel. We got the front desk guy to reopen the pool and hot tub for us. Poor guy just didn't know... Within minutes, we had about 25 people and two coolers of beer by the side of the pool. The complaints started rolling in about an hour later, by which point everyone was sitting on deck chair, but in the pool itself... Good times rock n roll... Didn't take long to shut this one down. At least they let us keep our rooms...
Day 27, Toronto
Day off. Sweet deal, nice! 2nd one in a week. Unbelievable. And tomorrow's a day off too! Back-to-back hasn't happened in weeks! We took our time driving back today and got in late afternoon. Nothing much happened tonight. I did alot of work for our upcoming European run, but took a quick time out to go for dinner with a couple of the guys. Kept it pretty low key today.
Day 28, Toronto
Today was another slow one. I went for coffee at Manic, breakfast at Auntie's and Uncles, and that was all I needed for my day. Lots of advance work, went to hang out for a little while with some local friends at the end of the night, and that was it. Nice, easy, relaxing. Good times.
Day 29, Toronto
So continues our week-long reign in Toronto, but today we actually have to work! Of course, we have the usual breakfast and coffee, and of course, it's amazing. Back to the hotel to rest for a bit, and around 3:30pm, we make our way to the Danforth. Rock-in-a-box yet again.
At least this time it's a little different. the crowd is definitely worthy. We could do 1000 people a night in Toronto on our own, so it's no wonder that this has become a 4-night stand. The kids love it, show is great. And the best part is we don't even have to load out after! All the gear stays in the theatre for 5 days. So awesome.
No after-show hang tonight, just a run to the Big Slice. We're saving it all for the last night of this run.
Day 30, Toronto
Guess what? Toronto again. Breakfast and coffee as usual. Fantastic, as usual. Again, kept it low-key today, just working. Did a little shopping, nothing crazy. I've begun keeping the days off to myself. Personal time is at a premium, and I need what I can get.
Day 31, Toronto
Tonight is the 2nd night of our Toronto stand, show 2 of 4. We went through the usual daily motions leading up to the show. There was something about tonight though. For some reason it was easily the best show of the entire tour so far. The best performance, the best crowd, the best lights, the best sound, the best vibe. Everything just seemed to come together. Good timing too... All the management, agents, label and radio people were there, and we made a great showing. We owned it tonight. We went to a pub a couple doors down to celebrate and actually hang with people, and it ended up being a pretty good time. Somehow I ended up being there a lot later than I had planned. We didn't have the van with us, so I had to catch a ride home. Somehow a stranger got in with me and split the ride. I guess that was a bonus...
Day 32, Toronto
Show 3 of 4. Well, it's just like going to work everyday at this point. Walk in, everything is there, same people, same room, same guestlist juggling, etc... The guestlists have easily become the #1 issue of this run. Everyone is in Toronto, it's a pretty big bill for Canadian rock, and everyone wants to come. Our lists have been full for days and there's always a couple last minute requests from the label or a radio station or something hoping to get passes. We've been really lucky so far in that we've been able to make it work. There's been some serious strings pulled and some serious favours done. But, somehow, it always works. It comes together somehow at the last second, literally. Guess that's why I get paid the ok bucks...
Day 33, Toronto
Finally, the last night in Toronto. It's nice walking in and having everything there and ready to go, but I'm ready for a new town. Toronto isn't really my favourite place, and I'm definitely ready to leave after staying here for most of the last 2 weeks.
Tonight was another incredible show, almost as good as the 2nd night here. Crazy vibe. More and more people are making sure they catch our set, the work is paying off.
It's also after-party night. There's a place across the street reserved for us, but it's really small, really packed, can't even get to the bar to order a drink. I bypassed that problem by getting some of the left-over beer from our van and bringing that in. I don't have hours to waste waiting in line for one drink. It got a little uncomfortable pretty quickly and just got wilder as the night went on. I didn't stick around longer than I had to. Too bad because when I finally had enough and psychologically needed to bail, a couple good friends showed up and wanted to hang. I had to get out though. Not just because I was sick of the place, but I did have lots to do in the morning for Europe. Oh well... can't win 'em all...
Day 34, Montreal
Today is a simple drive day to Monty. Really easy, took our time, no pressure. We got in to town, ditched all the gear, ditched the van and I went and checked-in at the hotel. You'd think after the last 5 weeks I'd want to stay in my room alone for a night, but somehow I ended up walking up to see a couple of the guys (who actually live in the same building), went for dinner with one of them and met a third while we were there! The night didn't last that long though. We ate and got out. We were all beat and we all wanted to sleep.
Day 35, Montreal
So this is the 2nd day of a week in Montreal. This makes me happy, but also sad that one of the days is already over... I love it here, and if I move back to Canada full-time, I'm coming to Monty.
The daily Toronto run of Manic Coffee and Auntie's & Uncles is now replaced with the incredible Artjava. Every day this week, 3 of us will meet at Artjava at 10am and sit there for about 3 hours drinking macchiatos and eating unreal breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Mere blocks from where we all live (I use the term loosely, in my case...). There is not a better place to spend a week enjoying coffee. Added to that is that we always run into loads of people we know. It's the local hangout for all the muso's and artists of the area. Of course, we are in the French Plateau, so I guess it's kind of expected.
After spending a chunk of the day there, then going to do some work at the hotel, I went back to the guys place at night for dinner and to drink some fine wines, as we are all wine snobs. Fantastic. Love Monty..
Day 36, Montreal
Day 3 in Monty, day 3 spent at Artjava. 3rd day spent advancing tour stuff for Europe and wrapping Canada. Nothing beyond the ordinary today, just good times in Monty.
Day 37, Montreal
Today is the last day off before things start getting a little crazy. I mean, we'll still have the daily ArtJava meetings (it's become a ritual in no time), but work will soon ensue. I've tried to get all of Europe taken care before tomorrow, and I'm pretty close. I don't want to have to worry about that during the show days, and we're flying over the afternoon after the last show, so there's not really any time to mess around.
The main thing I did today was pick up a rental van for the next few days. We'll need to get our gear to the show, back to the rehearsal space after the last show, and then we'll be using it to get to the airport on Sunday. If that's my biggest issue for the day, things are ok. It was just a little challenging as it's Grey Cup weekend here so a lot of the rentals are taken up and the city is starting to get a little crazy. My 4 star hotel has been infiltrated by cowboy-hat-wearing, Labatt-drinking, full-on Canadian hosers. It's kind of killed the atmosphere a little, but it just gives me another reason to get out and spend more time at Artjava...
Day 38, Montreal
Here's a crazy concept. We have a show today. Usual morning ritual, but then we have to work. We all head over to the space to pick up the gear and make our way back to Le National. It's a pretty nice venue, the promoter is a good friend, so everything should be fine. Again, the biggest issue is the guestlist stuff, but that was to be expected, especially in the hometown. Somehow, everybody's happy though, so that's a positive thing.
Tonight is a good one because the Sennheiser guys are out and they've recently put us on their endorsee list, and I'm listed on their website in the Audio Engineer section. I have to say that's pretty cool. Little bit of networking can go a long way. They've been treating us really well, and we're really happy to use their mics.
The show itself is really good, which is a big relief for the guys. It's always a little hard to do the hometown thing, with all the friends and family, but it went off without a hitch, really smooth. There were a couple small hangs afterwards, but I didn't partake. I have too much coming up for Europe right now that I need to think about and stay on top of. My mornings are really early these days so I can work during Euro business hours and that can take a toll on you. Always fun to wake up and see 20+ new emails on your Blackberry at 7am...
Day 39, Montreal
Another day in the life. I don't mean it to sound boring, because I'm loving the time in Montreal. Just nothing too crazy to report. The highlight was taking a pair of pants to the tailors to get a tear fixed. I brushed up against an open roadcase latch last night and it ripped my jeans. Not so exciting for those of you who have a full wardrobe to choose from everyday, but for me, with a total of 2 pairs of pants on the road, it's an issue. It was a pretty big thing for me to find a place that could do it for me on really short notice, and that they're next door to Artjava, and that they asked if it was ok to charge a total of $5, including the rush fee. Amazing.
Oh, and the show. Great. The guys have really hit their stride. It's the perfect time for us to go to the UK. It seems the hometown factor isn't fazing them right now, which was a big thing to overcome. We're in really good shape...
Day 40. Montreal.
So this is day 40 with The Stills this fall. Not to mention everything else that's been going on. I've been on the road since May 26th, when I did Sam Roberts CD Release Party. It seems like decades ago now. I've been across North America about 10 times (seriously), went to 7 countries in Europe, and this is the last Canadian (North American even...) date for the year. One last show in Monty and tomorrow we fly to the UK, so we have to head out on a high note. It's been a really full year. Not bad, especially since I was worried if I'd get enough work back in February...
So, last night in Monty. The guys stepped it up tonight and bid the town a proper farewell. It's been a blast with the SRB boys, but alas, it's come to an end. No one really hung out tonight after the show though. We all have a really long day of packing and airporting to deal with, so most of us just went home and crashed. It's going to be an early and long day tomorrow...
With great pain, we rose early to make our way to Hamilton for show number one of the Sam Roberts tour. It kind of hurt. At least once we got there, it was good to see the guys again and the promoter was a really good guy, so our adjustment was relatively easy. It was a little weird to go from a full-on truck and bus tour to understaffed van and trailers, but we just worked a little harder with the SRB guys and everything started to come together. It felt pretty natural being around all the guys anyways...
It seemed to go pretty well tonight. It was our first test of the Canadian market while having a Top 10 single and the show went over really well, really good response. We kept it on the short side tonight. We were staying in Toronto, so we didn't wait too long before getting out of there so we could get in and crash asap. Tomorrow is our first real day off in forever. Can't wait to sleep...
Day 20, Toronto, ON
Day off. Insane. Love it. Slept as long as possible, and then a little more. We made no serious plans, other than to go for dinner with the SRB guys. We ended up at the Keg with them and some other friends, and then made our way to Sweaty Betty's for the end of the night. Nothing crazy, just a night off to hang out.
Day 21, Chatham, ON
Leaving at noon seemed reasonable, so that's what we did. We headed down to Chatham to play at the River Rock Club. Classy place, let me tell you... I guess it wasn't so bad, just a small rock club show, almost like playing at Barrymore's just with a worse PA and light system. We found a decent place for dinner down the only street in town and that pretty much wrapped it up. After the show we drove down to Windsor. We're staying there for a couple nights as we have a show in Detroit tomorrow. Election Day...
Day 22, Detroit, MI
We were only about 10 minutes from the venue in Detroit, so we left about an hour early to cross the border, etc... Usually painless, but this time, for the first time ever, we got turned back. Turns out you're not allowed to carry "textile goods for resale", ie. t-shirts, across the border. It was the first time any of us had ever heard of this, so not wanting to make a scene at the US border on Election Day of all days, we turned back, tried to find a broker to fill out the paperwork for us to bring our t-shirts over, failed, so dropped it all at the hotel and went back for round 2.
Round 2 was a little more successful and we got by without a hitch. This guy didn't even ask about shirts. Figures... So we got through, drove through a couple decrepit Detroit neighbourhoods and showed up at the Magic Stick only about an hour late after it was all said and done. Fortunately there was no real rush, we had lots of time. We just wanted to set up quickly and get the sound check over with so we could sit down and watch the election coverage. It only has the potential to be the most historical day in US history...
There's a pretty good restaurant downstairs from the venue, so some of us went down there to eat while we watched CNN. There was a woman walking around the bar handing out Obama buttons, which we gladly accepted and wore, hoping for the outcome. We had about three hours to kill, so there was a good chance we'd know by the time the show started. After we ate, we went back upstairs and we set up our merch right under a tv so we could watch and sell at the same time. It turned out to be a good idea because everyone else wanted to watch too.
There were a few nervewracking moments, especially when McCain took a couple states, but the club erupted in cheers when they announced Obama won, right before we took the stage. It was pretty awesome to be surrounded by Americans at that time. They really needed the boost in morale, and living in Brooklyn, I'm really happy they got it. I'd have seriously considered leaving had McCain won.
It gave the show a pretty amazing vibe, and it became a massive celebration. Such a crazy experience, I don't think I've ever been surrounded by such whole-hearted, all-in enthusiasm.
Driving back to Canada after the show was a little wild. There were streets closed everywhere, state troopers on patrol at every corner. Coming in, the border was pretty locked down, even going back to Canada it was pretty tight. We got a little bit of attitude and some minor threats, but nothing I hadn't seen before. We got back to the hotel and turned on CNN right away and watched the world celebrate for a couple hours before falling asleep, more hopeful than ever before for the future.
Day 23, London, ON
Today felt so incredibly boring and normal after last night. We drove to London, stayed at the same hotel as a few nights ago and played at Centennial Hall. It was a good night. It's definitely a college town, and we always do better in school zones, so to speak.
We went to a small hole-in-the-wall pub to hang out after. Apostle of Hustle were playing there tonight, so all friends for us to hang out with. I couldn't really wind down after that, so I went for a walk to find a slice of pizza. Took a while, but Pizza Pizza came to the rescue, eventually. Got there 5 mins before they closed. I've been trying not to have late meals, but once in a while you just gotta do it...
Day 24, Kitchener, ON
We had a quick breakfast in London before heading over to Kitchener for the show tonight. Another theatre. We thought we left those behind in the US, but apparently not. I don't get the rock-show-in-a-theatre theme this year. So weird. Beautiful rooms, but so weird.
It went well again tonight, pretty straightforward. We have this tour pretty much worked out and the show has become pretty smooth. As soon as we were done tonight, we headed right out, back to Toronto. The Kings of Leon are in town tonight and we're hoping to get back to have a chance to hang out.
We actually did pretty good time making it back to TO, but by the time we got there, their whole gang had called it a night. They were pretty worn from a painfully long travel day with lots of press. Being the understanding people we are, we forgave them, rescheduled for tomorrow, and called it a night.
Day 25, Belleville, ON
Another day, another 2hr drive to a city in Ontario. After going for breakfast and coffee (at Auntie's and Manic, of course), we got to Belleville a little early, which was nice, always takes off a little pressure when that happens. The promoter tonight was a really good friend, so that made things a little better.
Oddly enough, today was another rock-show-in-a-theatre, I think I'll start calling it rock-in-a-box. The kids were really into it though, a little more than usual and it helped make it a really great night for the ol' Empire Theatre. Again after the show tonight, we didn't stick around. It's show night for the Kings in Toronto and we were hoping to make it back in time to catch some of it.
After a couple hours, we realized that wasn't going to happen, so we just tried to coordinate a night out. It took some effort, we made lots of changes to the plan, but it did eventually come together. Everyone went out to a place called The Communist's Daughter. I had to go by the Kool Haus first though. The Kings had a mic we forgot on the last day of our tour last week. Turns out it was good for me to go. The whole crew was really happy that I stopped by, I ended up hanging out for quite a while with them, right up until the bus rolled actually. It was really nice to be around them again, we became pretty tight on the October tour. It looks like they'll be in London (UK) at the same time as us later this month, so we're already looking forward to that hang.
After all that, I made my way over to the club where they all were. The Scientists and their crew were there too, so it was a huge reunion for everyone. It was a pretty great way to spend a night. Hard to leave it all behind at the end...
Day 26, Sarnia ON
And another day, another 2hr drive to a city in Ontario. The classic Industry Theatre tonight. But it's not really a theatre. It's a rock club. A badly run club by a slimy club owner. I was warned to be on the lookout for this one, how true it is...
The show itself was fine. That part went well and the kids were really into it. The problems were afterwards when I tried to get paid. I had to chase the owner around for a bit, he kept saying he'd meet me in 5 mins but never showed up at any time. Finally after about an hour, Sam's tour manager brought me the cheque, thankfully in the full amount. He thought he'd do me a favour by grabbing it while he was getting paid, he had no idea how much it helped... But I still had to get some cash from the guy for dinner buyouts, which was worked out in advance, agreed upon and, as yet, unpaid. I was eventually able to corner the guy, he gave me a sob story that I was bleeding him dry, but I didn't care about him anymore. I tried being nice. I got him to give in, I followed him to the office so he couldn't run away and took some cash. And, even then, after everything else, he shorted me. $15. I mean, why even bother? What's the point? I was so sick of dealing with him that I just took it and left, and hopefully I'll never be back (of course writing this means I will, at least 6 times)...
By a twist of fate, the night turned out alright. We were all staying in the same hotel. We got the front desk guy to reopen the pool and hot tub for us. Poor guy just didn't know... Within minutes, we had about 25 people and two coolers of beer by the side of the pool. The complaints started rolling in about an hour later, by which point everyone was sitting on deck chair, but in the pool itself... Good times rock n roll... Didn't take long to shut this one down. At least they let us keep our rooms...
Day 27, Toronto
Day off. Sweet deal, nice! 2nd one in a week. Unbelievable. And tomorrow's a day off too! Back-to-back hasn't happened in weeks! We took our time driving back today and got in late afternoon. Nothing much happened tonight. I did alot of work for our upcoming European run, but took a quick time out to go for dinner with a couple of the guys. Kept it pretty low key today.
Day 28, Toronto
Today was another slow one. I went for coffee at Manic, breakfast at Auntie's and Uncles, and that was all I needed for my day. Lots of advance work, went to hang out for a little while with some local friends at the end of the night, and that was it. Nice, easy, relaxing. Good times.
Day 29, Toronto
So continues our week-long reign in Toronto, but today we actually have to work! Of course, we have the usual breakfast and coffee, and of course, it's amazing. Back to the hotel to rest for a bit, and around 3:30pm, we make our way to the Danforth. Rock-in-a-box yet again.
At least this time it's a little different. the crowd is definitely worthy. We could do 1000 people a night in Toronto on our own, so it's no wonder that this has become a 4-night stand. The kids love it, show is great. And the best part is we don't even have to load out after! All the gear stays in the theatre for 5 days. So awesome.
No after-show hang tonight, just a run to the Big Slice. We're saving it all for the last night of this run.
Day 30, Toronto
Guess what? Toronto again. Breakfast and coffee as usual. Fantastic, as usual. Again, kept it low-key today, just working. Did a little shopping, nothing crazy. I've begun keeping the days off to myself. Personal time is at a premium, and I need what I can get.
Day 31, Toronto
Tonight is the 2nd night of our Toronto stand, show 2 of 4. We went through the usual daily motions leading up to the show. There was something about tonight though. For some reason it was easily the best show of the entire tour so far. The best performance, the best crowd, the best lights, the best sound, the best vibe. Everything just seemed to come together. Good timing too... All the management, agents, label and radio people were there, and we made a great showing. We owned it tonight. We went to a pub a couple doors down to celebrate and actually hang with people, and it ended up being a pretty good time. Somehow I ended up being there a lot later than I had planned. We didn't have the van with us, so I had to catch a ride home. Somehow a stranger got in with me and split the ride. I guess that was a bonus...
Day 32, Toronto
Show 3 of 4. Well, it's just like going to work everyday at this point. Walk in, everything is there, same people, same room, same guestlist juggling, etc... The guestlists have easily become the #1 issue of this run. Everyone is in Toronto, it's a pretty big bill for Canadian rock, and everyone wants to come. Our lists have been full for days and there's always a couple last minute requests from the label or a radio station or something hoping to get passes. We've been really lucky so far in that we've been able to make it work. There's been some serious strings pulled and some serious favours done. But, somehow, it always works. It comes together somehow at the last second, literally. Guess that's why I get paid the ok bucks...
Day 33, Toronto
Finally, the last night in Toronto. It's nice walking in and having everything there and ready to go, but I'm ready for a new town. Toronto isn't really my favourite place, and I'm definitely ready to leave after staying here for most of the last 2 weeks.
Tonight was another incredible show, almost as good as the 2nd night here. Crazy vibe. More and more people are making sure they catch our set, the work is paying off.
It's also after-party night. There's a place across the street reserved for us, but it's really small, really packed, can't even get to the bar to order a drink. I bypassed that problem by getting some of the left-over beer from our van and bringing that in. I don't have hours to waste waiting in line for one drink. It got a little uncomfortable pretty quickly and just got wilder as the night went on. I didn't stick around longer than I had to. Too bad because when I finally had enough and psychologically needed to bail, a couple good friends showed up and wanted to hang. I had to get out though. Not just because I was sick of the place, but I did have lots to do in the morning for Europe. Oh well... can't win 'em all...
Day 34, Montreal
Today is a simple drive day to Monty. Really easy, took our time, no pressure. We got in to town, ditched all the gear, ditched the van and I went and checked-in at the hotel. You'd think after the last 5 weeks I'd want to stay in my room alone for a night, but somehow I ended up walking up to see a couple of the guys (who actually live in the same building), went for dinner with one of them and met a third while we were there! The night didn't last that long though. We ate and got out. We were all beat and we all wanted to sleep.
Day 35, Montreal
So this is the 2nd day of a week in Montreal. This makes me happy, but also sad that one of the days is already over... I love it here, and if I move back to Canada full-time, I'm coming to Monty.
The daily Toronto run of Manic Coffee and Auntie's & Uncles is now replaced with the incredible Artjava. Every day this week, 3 of us will meet at Artjava at 10am and sit there for about 3 hours drinking macchiatos and eating unreal breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Mere blocks from where we all live (I use the term loosely, in my case...). There is not a better place to spend a week enjoying coffee. Added to that is that we always run into loads of people we know. It's the local hangout for all the muso's and artists of the area. Of course, we are in the French Plateau, so I guess it's kind of expected.
After spending a chunk of the day there, then going to do some work at the hotel, I went back to the guys place at night for dinner and to drink some fine wines, as we are all wine snobs. Fantastic. Love Monty..
Day 36, Montreal
Day 3 in Monty, day 3 spent at Artjava. 3rd day spent advancing tour stuff for Europe and wrapping Canada. Nothing beyond the ordinary today, just good times in Monty.
Day 37, Montreal
Today is the last day off before things start getting a little crazy. I mean, we'll still have the daily ArtJava meetings (it's become a ritual in no time), but work will soon ensue. I've tried to get all of Europe taken care before tomorrow, and I'm pretty close. I don't want to have to worry about that during the show days, and we're flying over the afternoon after the last show, so there's not really any time to mess around.
The main thing I did today was pick up a rental van for the next few days. We'll need to get our gear to the show, back to the rehearsal space after the last show, and then we'll be using it to get to the airport on Sunday. If that's my biggest issue for the day, things are ok. It was just a little challenging as it's Grey Cup weekend here so a lot of the rentals are taken up and the city is starting to get a little crazy. My 4 star hotel has been infiltrated by cowboy-hat-wearing, Labatt-drinking, full-on Canadian hosers. It's kind of killed the atmosphere a little, but it just gives me another reason to get out and spend more time at Artjava...
Day 38, Montreal
Here's a crazy concept. We have a show today. Usual morning ritual, but then we have to work. We all head over to the space to pick up the gear and make our way back to Le National. It's a pretty nice venue, the promoter is a good friend, so everything should be fine. Again, the biggest issue is the guestlist stuff, but that was to be expected, especially in the hometown. Somehow, everybody's happy though, so that's a positive thing.
Tonight is a good one because the Sennheiser guys are out and they've recently put us on their endorsee list, and I'm listed on their website in the Audio Engineer section. I have to say that's pretty cool. Little bit of networking can go a long way. They've been treating us really well, and we're really happy to use their mics.
The show itself is really good, which is a big relief for the guys. It's always a little hard to do the hometown thing, with all the friends and family, but it went off without a hitch, really smooth. There were a couple small hangs afterwards, but I didn't partake. I have too much coming up for Europe right now that I need to think about and stay on top of. My mornings are really early these days so I can work during Euro business hours and that can take a toll on you. Always fun to wake up and see 20+ new emails on your Blackberry at 7am...
Day 39, Montreal
Another day in the life. I don't mean it to sound boring, because I'm loving the time in Montreal. Just nothing too crazy to report. The highlight was taking a pair of pants to the tailors to get a tear fixed. I brushed up against an open roadcase latch last night and it ripped my jeans. Not so exciting for those of you who have a full wardrobe to choose from everyday, but for me, with a total of 2 pairs of pants on the road, it's an issue. It was a pretty big thing for me to find a place that could do it for me on really short notice, and that they're next door to Artjava, and that they asked if it was ok to charge a total of $5, including the rush fee. Amazing.
Oh, and the show. Great. The guys have really hit their stride. It's the perfect time for us to go to the UK. It seems the hometown factor isn't fazing them right now, which was a big thing to overcome. We're in really good shape...
Day 40. Montreal.
So this is day 40 with The Stills this fall. Not to mention everything else that's been going on. I've been on the road since May 26th, when I did Sam Roberts CD Release Party. It seems like decades ago now. I've been across North America about 10 times (seriously), went to 7 countries in Europe, and this is the last Canadian (North American even...) date for the year. One last show in Monty and tomorrow we fly to the UK, so we have to head out on a high note. It's been a really full year. Not bad, especially since I was worried if I'd get enough work back in February...
So, last night in Monty. The guys stepped it up tonight and bid the town a proper farewell. It's been a blast with the SRB boys, but alas, it's come to an end. No one really hung out tonight after the show though. We all have a really long day of packing and airporting to deal with, so most of us just went home and crashed. It's going to be an early and long day tomorrow...
posted by t. at 8:46 PM
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