Deer eater

After the show at Clancy's in Brandon we went to a house party. Did some jamming, played ping-pong, drank JD. Retired to Thor for the night.

Rob's shoes are ready to fall off his feet. Thor's battery was dead again - quick boost. Bumped into some of the people from the party the night before. They gave us a crash course on the unicycle and then we hit the road.

Our ultimate destination is Thunder Bay for two nights at The Apollo. We're taking our time through this stretch and decided Kenora was enough of a trek for the bus convoy. We could perhaps rename Thor and Atlas - Yin and Yang.

Night driving is highly dangerous in this part of Ontario. You are pretty much certain to hit something. As the evening gave way to night, deer flooded the sides of the highway. I must have counted at least 30 along the last 200km to Kenora. Just as we entered the city limits I passed a deer backed against a large rock wall. I noticed it tense up as Paul and I whizzed by in Atlas. At the last second I saw it dash. Behind us Thor slowed down, but it was already too late. Bambi's larger, older aunt was crushed under Thor's massive chasis. The only trace was hair matted into the tire treads and a single streak of blood. Our license plate holder was slightly damaged.

We pushed on to a 24 hour fueling station to sleep for the night. Today we have splurged for a hotel. Laundry, shower, pool, sleep. It always shocks me how large northern ontario is. We drove almost 500km yesterday and we still have over 500km to go to Thunder Bay.

Crazy. Peace.

g.

Deer eater

Thor was on fire

Woke up in Saskatoon how many days ago? Eyes blind from the brightness, stumbled across the street. You have aquired coffee: add +1 to strength and intelligence. Load Atlas. Clockwork. Thor has a dead battery again. Boost. Drive to Swift Current. No PA at the venue. A few gentlemen try to cut us a deal, pay them for a PA or let them "jam out" on our stuff. No thanks. Bar owner takes care of everything, PA shows up. Quick jaunt next door for a sketch buffet. Pizza crust and dried out unidentified meat substance. Wet salad. Yum.

Drink beer and play for 30 VLT machines. I thought bands made big money in the casinos? Very drunk man from Kitchener entertains us with stories from his past. We must still be on the path. I can hear the rats shuffling inside the walls when I lay down to sleep.

Wake up, hit the road early for Brandon, Manitoba. Electrical fire breaks out in Thor. Emeri is excited to finally use the fire extinguisher we have been carrying for all these miles, but it proves to be unnecessary.

Arrive in Brandon. The bus convoy is still intact. Now what day is it? I'm not so sure myself. A shower would be nice though. Play a decent show with no fear of being stabbed afterwards. Dan, the man behind the soundboard for the evening, really likes our music. Invites us to a house party afterwards. At a house owned by a band. I get to be the stranger at the band house after so many times on the other end at our place on Victoria Street. Neat reminder of that period of my life/Vacuity's life. Lotsa cool people there. Favorite moment was Emeri getting on the drums and Paul on the bass, two other gentlemen playing guitars. Everyone at the party, drawn by the music, finds their way downstairs to listen.

Currently holed up in Kenora, Ontario. Another post tomorrow.

Thanks for reading.

g.

Thor was on fire

Lydia's

head is pounding. brain wants to escape from cruel body. last night was awesome. maybe too awesome? sleeping in a room with nude silhouettes painted on every wall and nothing else but beds pushed together. i sleep on the matress, it doesn't bother me. outside a trumpeter molests his instrument. trucks drive past. and cars. the city fills up with smog and noise. at 6am last night we ventured out into the city to find food. it was like a late night at mel's back home. the city was a husked tomb. sun just climbing into the sky. walking across a bridge I could have been in a very lucid dream. a gull called out. light seeped around the edges of the clouds in the sky. the only sound was our footsteps echoing through the canyons the skyscrapers created. today it's back in the bus, then 4 sets in a city called Swift Current. 4 sets of original music is always a trick to muster.

if the beer flows the band will flow and we can flow all the way to brandon tomorrow night. drown any misery in alcohol. wash away problems with highballers. Paul is always the last one out of bed. last born. he eats pickled eggs. back to the travelling bus fleet. throw my stuff back in a bag. on to the next drink. onward, downward.

we are sold out of cds.


g

Lydia's

Saskatoon Moon II

picked up our old tour bus - Thor - today. He made the trek from Lloydminster to Saskatoon. Still reeks like diesel and vibrates like an earthquake. I can't help but feel aggravated everytime I so much as glance at the foul beast, then I can't help but feel that my hateful attitude will cause him to break again. Cross fingers. Hope for best.

We stopped into 90.5 CFCR for an interview at 2pm. Some of you tuned in, which is awesome.

Tonight we're playing at a very cool venue called Lydia's. We've been looking forward to another stop in Saskatoon since we left. Great city.

I'm going to grab a nap before we soundcheck.

g.

Saskatoon Moon II

the answer must be at the bottom of this one

We played an 'unannounced' show in Elkford tonight. John-Paul booked us on our way out and was kind enough to put us up again on our way back through. Diamond in the rough that guy. I am helping him find a bar for his jazzmaster. I needed one for my Jag and our guitar wizard, Ryan, found one for me. Now I can actually play that guitar. Good design Fender!

Tomorrow it's back into Atlas for a vibrating 10-12 hour drive. Can't wait. Lately we've been jamming on two harmonicas an acoustic guitar and a few of the nose flutes Longevity John gave us back in Duncan. It helps to pass the time.

It's safe to say we're all a bit sick of eating anything on a bun, pizza and subs. I am starting to feel normal only after at least one set and a few drinks. A detox upon home arrival seems to be in the cards. I don't typically drink much, but this tour has been an alcoholic binge.

In all honesty it's been an amazing ride so far. I cannot wait to share our experiences and music with everyone back home at our El Mocambo homecoming show on May 23rd.

Forgive me I've taken a few days away from the camera. I think I'm just upset after deleting the pictures from the Kooteney Pass.

Tomorrow: The ressurection of THOR. We will update Twitter as often as possible.

Cheers.

g.

the answer must be at the bottom of this one

everywhere we go...

"How could you tell?"

"To be honest sir, you just had that musk about you."

"We also travel in a pack."

"And a black bus."

"Agreed, but mostly the smell."

After sunny Salt Spring we began the venture home. Hours later, it was a shock to be standing on 1700 meters of a mountain seemingly trapped in eternal winter. If it were an adventure movie, the sequence would be foreshadowing certain doom on the long journey home. Phew. Good thing it isn't an adventure movie.

During our first pass through Elkford I forgot my hat. Tonight, on our way back through I retrieved it. We are playing another show here tomorrow night.

Wednesday we return to Lloydminster to retrieve Thor - our last tour bus.

We've realized everything is going in reverse. We are going to return to Kitchener and none of this will have happened. From now on the story is: We went into the future to get Atlas.

I'm on to you.

Insane ramblings after a 16 hour journey today.

Cheers to Atlas for pulling us through.

g.

everywhere we go...

have a nice day

have a nice day

onward, downward: episode x - kill the format pt. 2

hello everyone...

sitting on the stairs at moby's marine pub on salt spring island right now....

beautiful.

im sure greg will post something that will attempt to show you the sheer beauty that encompasses the islands.

victoria is a neat place as well... look it up... or better yet... visit it.

there is a new video available for your viewing pleasure...



i hope you enjoy it....

take care of yourselves,

- Emeri

onward, downward: episode x - kill the format pt. 2

we dig it out

Wake up in Atlas. Stiff neck. Sore joints. I'm young so fuck it. Last night was a drunken parade at Moby's. Minus the occasional shitfaced dick bag, the crowd was very cool and quite receptive. I really like to chat with people - it's one of the best parts of touring. However, there is a massive difference between having a chat with someone and being talked at by drunk people. After a while, being a verbal punching bag starts to wear on you.

As of Monday we are two weeks away from our scheduled return. It is strange to think that we spent five weeks getting here and are going to return in two. Especially considering that we still have a good handful of shows on the trip home. This coming Wednesday we are returning to Lloydminster to pickup THOR. A final attempt to bring him home and salvage something from that train wreck of an idea.

Last night I had a chance to play some piano outside of a performance context. It was nice. Creativity is a strange beast. I hit two notes I've hit a hundred times before but this time they struck me just right. No time to work it out, but make a mental note and hope that you can get back to it when the timing is right. Slippery beast no doubt.

Today we will wander around on the island. It should be packed tonight. It should be empty tonight.

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

g.

we dig it out

reality has ended

I have gazed into the eye of the void and it is fluffy.

g.

reality has ended

I am an island

Hello. We've all been well. How have you been?

Yesterday we crossed a small strip of ocean and landed ourselves on Vancouver Island. We explored Victoria and the surrounding area for a few hours. I took a trip down a foggy memory lane and then we hunted for laundry facilities. Second time doing laundry into the trip. We were all at slightly varying degrees of laundry yearning. It is excellent to have clean clothes to wear. It adds just enough respect to the traveling gypsy lifestyle to keep you from being arrested. What a beautiful island though. Why live somewhere else? Rob tells me that a quick Google search revealed Victoria as the second most affordable city - in terms of rent - in Canada. Ottawa was first. I did not take as many pictures as I hoped because I wanted to experience the place, not document it.

Emeri was not sick whatsoever on the ferry ride. It was a really cool voyage and is indeed quite the way to travel. It has been years since I have traveled on a boat of such massive proportions and the sun and wind and water made the time fly past - almost too fast.

Last night parked Atlas just outside of Victoria's Inner Harbour, drank beer and went exploring. We ended up way out on a windy pier, in the pitch black. I did not bring my camera along for our nightly explorations but there were some prime photo ops.

Today we had lunch on the docks. We then piled into Atlas and Paul drove us to Nanaimo. We loaded in to The Cambie and are currently just chilling out in our delapitated room. Bunk beds again. We're agreed to do a guitars only set tonight.

Paul and Rob are pillow fighting. Atlas suffered a graffiti attack in Vancouver.

Thanks for reading.

g.

I am an island

The Railway Club

It was pretty awesome to play in a room that had one of those little electric trains running all over the place.

The crowd was super into it and we met a lot of cool musicians/new friends from Vancouver.

Great night.

This afternoon we are headed to Victoria. Laundry and some sight seeing are in the cards. When I was much younger I lived in Victoria for a few years. It will be neat to see how my memory stacks up against time.

g.

The Railway Club

Hope, we've been here before

Awake groggy headed in Scotch Creek. Pack bags, head downstairs, pack bus, drink coffee.

Quick lunch in tiny town called Chase. Drive to Hope for propane. Notice leak in Atlas' coolant line. Paul and Emeri get hands dirty while Rob and I squeegee bus clean. Arrive safely in Langley and eat fantastic lasagna. Say hello to friends Ryan, Corina and Oakley.

Sleep. Shower. Show.

Hello Vancouver. Islands, get ready.

g.

Hope, we've been here before

Scotch Creek

Last night we played a small town in BC called Scotch Creek. During load in Emeri and Paul tripped over a TV cable and disconnected the UFC game. Uh oh.

It was a blast. We had a pretty awesome time hanging out with the owners/management. Two good sets, hot tub and steaks. We are surely living the high life now.

Enough of rural BC though. I do love it, but it's time to descend toward Vancouver.

g.

Scotch Creek

report from Lorenzo's

We have come to the midway point. Soon we will be heading out to the coast. Last night we had a show at a very unique place called Lorenzo's Cafe. It is just outside of a small town in BC called Enderby.

The building is an old one room school house converted into a venue/restaurant/apartment. The floor is made from old bowling lanes, there is a ladder you climb onto a closet, up another ladder out into the sky. It is a very cool place. You see so much of the same depressing infrastructure along the road that a new place is very refreshing.

The stage was even set into the ground, which created a really cool vibe. It is more like we are offering our music up to people, asking them to look in and take a listen as opposed to the typical, we are above the crowd, preaching our music down at them. I liked it.

Our stay in Kelowna was quite fun as well. The Minstrel Cafe was a very cool place. It was built around a giant tree that is from the settler's time. Perhaps not the best club for a full out rock show, but we had a good time and people were receptive which is most important. Big thanks to Kaitlyn for letting us stay at her place. That is her dog, Levon, above.

Time to throw my belongings back into a bag and get back onto the bus.

g.

report from Lorenzo's

Kelowna bound

Paul has fixed Atlas. Three cheers for Muffler Tape. Last night we watched movies and wandered the streets at night drinking local beers from the Nelson Brewing Company.

Kelowna here we come.

g.

Kelowna bound

the uniter, winnipeg

Been meaning to post this but only had a hardcopy until now.

Thanks a lot Samuel!

Music for nothing and the Hits for Free

cheers.

g.

the uniter, winnipeg

We've disappeared into the mountains. Internet communication seems silly when surrounded by such splendid beauty. I can spend time lining up shots behind the lens, or I can actually be here, breathe in the fresh air and wander the streets drinking coffee.

Off day number one is always refreshing. Day two can go either way. Day three the itch to move on starts begging to be scratched. The newest Doves album will help keep me content today. They don't ever miss a beat.

After 2 nights in Atlas we checked into a motel today. Good call. We have a kitchen and a bathroom and all those normal amenities. Paul is going to crawl beneath Atlas and attempt to reconnect the exhaust. I have faith in him. As I've said before, he is relentless. It might be part duct tape, part chewing gum, but if it runs I will not complain.

The show at The Royal here in Nelson was awesome. Mr. Feeley and the Touch tore it up for a good hour before we hit the stage. Super tight, very impressive works. We had a small audience, but they were listening and that always goes so much further. Our music isn't really, 'rock out and get drunk while you try to get laid' bar music so tuning in does help. For us and you. The circle is completed.

Apparently a visit to the hot springs is in the cards today. Given the current chill outside, the idea doesn't appeal to me greatly, but I'll tag along for the experience.

Time. For. More. Coffee.

g.