more canada

a house show came through in Calgary on saturday night. it was rad.

no, rad doesn't do it justice. it was one of those nights when the world is magical wonderland of yum.

because of the flooding- and the mass amount of devastation, displacement, and all around confusion that ensued- there was a very palpable sense that people needed an excuse to come together, kick back, and enjoy a night together.i feel pretty damn lucky that we got to be part of that night, in the midst of such a strange and record-setting moment in Calgary.

i decided to auction off a poster (which i randomly made for the festival), made of old poster cuttings and so on.

it sold for $30. proceeds went to a local organization helping flood victims. groovy.



canada is awesome. the people, the culture, the vibe.... the scenery. damn. the whole time we were there i could see the wheels turning in both of our heads: how might we move to Canada someday?

(it should be noted that we have this thought every time we visit a new place that we really like.)

canada is special, though.  folks are nice.  drivers are courteous.  there isn't this angst-y, angry energy flailing about everywhere like there is in the states. 

the only shitty part about going to canada is dealing with the border.

we got shook down, sweated, and car searched on both sides.  of course.  "do you smoke?"  "no"  "why do you have a lighter?"  "uh, candles."

what.  a person can't just have a lighter without being suspect?
   
the US border people freaked out at me for leaving to use the bathroom.

there were some french kids at the US border who accidentally found themselves there (not intending to leave canada at all), and were getting their car searched. thoroughly. bienvenue aux etats-unis.

anyway.  people that work at the border are power-hungry jerks.  that's all.

when we returned to idaho- to uncover the treasure we had buried for ourselves there- we were shocked and dismayed to discover that our stuff had been stolen.   

yay, america.  welcome home, let me slap you in the face!

why do i feel like that sort of thing wouldn't happen in canada?



until the next,

s


currently listening to:  Jill Scott

oh, canada

in an early-morning happyexcited haze yesterday, i wrote a big long blog entry about the incredible time we were having at the fest.

i mentioned the mandatory evacuation, and how some shows were shut down before they got to start, but that we ignored it all and continued to find open spots with great music.  i even got my dance on to some dirty, gritty nyc beats.  (goddamn, it was delicious.)

we were so fucking stoked to have two more days of music, inspiration, and fun.

my blog entry got erased, and i was too spent to re-write it, so i went back to sleep instead.

i awoke a couple hours later to the news that sled island was cancelled.  images filled our motel tv screen... a roof getting carried down the river, parts of downtown under several feet of water.  oh shit, that evacuation thing was no joke.

we ambled around our neighborhood in a stupor, feeling lost, confused, and horribly disappointed.  no explosions in the sky!?  no more bouncing from bar to bar catching random shows and unexpected finds (like the Chairs show in the Palamino basement)?  no more shaking my booty at the club at the end of the night?  no artist lounge?  but we didn't even use all of our free drink and food tickets!  and so on. 

but then the sun came out.  hope returned.  we discovered that 17th ave still had power, and many of its bars and restaurants were open (though not tubby dog, dammit, where we might have still cashed in on a free pint and two mini dogs.)  we bumped into other bands that didn't get to play at all and were scrambling together last minute shows.  i felt very lucky that we got to play our show (and might i add- the sound man was fantastic, and the venue was intimate and warm and wonderful.)

we ended up at a bar in the burbs, where many sled island artists migrated for a last-minute show.  biblical, from toronto, closed the night, and they might be my favorite band of the whole festival.

so, the rock doesn't stop. 

and, because our motel won't refund our money if we check out early (WTF), we're here for another day. 

we'll see what shakes out.

until the next,

s

home

tour is awesome.

being home pretty much sucks.

at least by comparison.

we still have a record to finish, don't we?

july.  it's all going to be finished in july.

(for release in october.)

(according to the current plan.)

(don't be angry if it's not out until november.)

and other nonsense.



reno, music video race, canada!  see you this month!



and until the next,
s

currently listening to:  a seasonal disguise