Vancouver

Today our friend Ryan from way back showed us around Vancouver. I can see why he moved out here. There seem to be a good number of people from Ontario who've relocated to BC. Pictures later.

Tonight we are going out for Mexican. Tomorrow morning we depart for Enderby...the town no one in BC has heard of...

g.

Vancouver

surviving the mountain descent

We sadly left Revelstoke behind. What a cool town.

Our descent from the mountains was slightly terrifying. Multiple 'Weather Changes Abruptly' signs were no joking matter. We quickly found ourselves in a raging snowfall in an avalanche zone. Mountain driver McFee cautiously steered us onward. We arrived at our friend Ryan's house in BC early in the night and had ourselves a good sleep. It is good to see a familiar face this far into the tour.

Tonight we play Vancouver. When I was 8, I lived in Victoria so I am wondering if I will see anything that I recognize while out here. We are cracking a bottle of champagne and lighting off fireworks on the coast of the pacific ocean.

The West has been conquered.

g.

surviving the mountain descent

AUDIO FIXED

sorry about that... i watched this video myself and realized some of the audio wasnt aligned properly... thats what happens when you edit a video for too long and just want to upload it already...

please rewatch it with enhanced dramatic audio!

enjoy,

Emeri

AUDIO FIXED

Black Mountains, White Knuckles

Atlas packed to the brim.
Atlas meet THOR. THOR meet Atlas. THOR say goodbye.... Goodbye THOR.
Roosters and fire extinguishers... need I say more?Mr. Bus Driver Man.
Yes.
Flat lands sunset.
Into the hills.
Regency Inn room view.
Another angle.

Last night was indeed awesome. Grant rocked on the sound board, and the people of Revelstoke rocked with us, and we rocked with them. It was fantastic. On the way there I pretty much gripped the steering wheel, and hoped for the best. A winding dark mountain road in the rain, dodging Transports and pulling over when the bus starts to smoke. 2 more pints of oil and we are back on the road. Running late... wait we passed the time zone... we are good again. Intense and rewarded by a great show in a great town. Cheap coffee and friendly peeps. Thank you Revelstoke!

r.

Black Mountains, White Knuckles

Mountain Pass

We are surrounded by mountains.

We drove into Revelstoke at 9pm last night. The bar was warm and the audience was great.

In the dark I knew we were surrounded by mountains but seeing them in the day is another experience entirely. I will not complain that my camera is out of batteries. It does seem untimely though.

Today's plan:

- get up for free breakfast
- nap until late checkout
- enjoy Revelstoke

I think I can handle that.

g.

Mountain Pass

Dangerous

There is much to report. There is a lot to tell. I can't even mentally summarize things anymore as the days are a little out of focus. A little faded around the edges. I wake up. I'm either in a bus, van truck, bus or getting into a bus, van, truck, bus. It doesn't matter. A few hours later I'm unloading and setting up gear. I'm in a shady bathroom learning that 'Reid blows real good 4 u'. The same shitty songs play in the clubs before and after our set. I'm playing 3 sets a night. We're debuting a song we've never played before. Back in the van, bus, motor vehicle of some sort. It doesn't matter. Onward, downward. I'm sleeping in Scooter's burnt out basement. The Twisters tell me to stop fucking around with these shit shows and start booking us into festivals. I'm drinking alcohol with Garret and Garth. A pretty waitress smiles at me. The RCMP knock on our bus door and ask why there are no plates. I'm drinking beer outside of Salty's Liqour. Someone asks me if they can have my sweater. My neck is sore from sleeping wherever I pass out. I'm loving almost every minute and secretly loving every other minute. Whenever a dark cloud passes over I think of the music and everything's fine. What day is it? Where are we today? The prairies stretch on endlessly, but now behind me. I miss my other life, but feel just as at home here. Nowhere. Scooter tells me we're all going to be millionaires. I wake up scared, not knowing where I am. This is chaos, but I like it? Strange faces, new places. I never know there names: Candy, Mandy, Andy, Mark, Matt, Matt, Matt, Paul, Emeri? I'm drinking Guinness with Tim Lee all the while he is saving our tour, and filling our brains with great ideas and stories. I love seasoned musicians. I'm sleeping on the floor. I'm wondering when we're gonna get a chance to stop for dinner. The Rockies lie ahead. Tomorrow is my turn to drive. I still don't like the sun. I'm in another small town for 8 hours. I'm back in the bus, van, car, truck.










I'm building an atom bomb in my basement.

g.

Dangerous

Brian's Diner

Rental Transferrrr.

Grain Elevator plus train.

Saskatchewanese general storeOh yeah.Welcome to WilkieHella rental van.
Atlas getting the routine check up.BBQ? anyone?

Interior. Notice the bitch'n control panel.Test cruise.Prairie view.Prairie view.again.
Junkyard.


Are things coming together?

r.

Brian's Diner

Thor is dead. Meet Atlas.

Kitchener's own blues man, Tim Lee, has saved us from certain destruction. He used to tour in a school bus until he realized he was a van guy. "Not a bus guy. A van guy." He is selling us his old tour bus - we have dubbed it, 'Atlas'. We met up with him at Blues on Whyte. He came out to meet up with the band that is playing there this week: 'The Twisters'. Those guys are a bunch of cool blues cats.

We are staying the night at Tim's place in Wilkie, Saskatchewan. The road just keeps getting more and more interesting.

We are all well.

g.

Thor is dead. Meet Atlas.

new faces, strange places

Hanging out in the bus. Somewhere.

The Sunset when Thor's axle gave out.

Tow Truck driver let's us ride in the bus.

Billy's Outlaw Inn

Live on Stage


"A blanket acne'd with cigarette burns..."


Emeri sets up.


Our room with a view.

What's going on?

Paul and Rob posted today as well. The benefits of a strong internet connection. Slave Lake is a quiet town. A drunk 18 year old asked us for drugs. He almost ran into a wall. Tomorrow we return to Edmonton. This is a far north as this tour takes us. It is cold. I'm out.

g.

new faces, strange places