2009, I WANT WHAT'S MINE!
Tue Jul 14th, 2009 6:45 PM
So far this year has been going well. I feel the name change has had a small impact on our career. Once I was back in Vancouver my first order of business was to organize some shows either in town or on the road. My second order of business was to organize a job-o-work. As much as I'd love to sleep in everyday I have a small penchant for back busting work, ie treeplanting, oil rigs and construction. I can't take slackers very seriously. Down time can be deadly for me. I get fat, drink too much, eat crap, watch TV, get bitter, the usual stuff.
I secured work driving a truck for a storage company. It was a temporary job with all the hours I could work. I worked nine days in a row in April then ran the Sun Run, coming in at 44 minutes. Next day I was back to work. Finally we played our first show of 2009 on April 30th at Falconetti's East Side Grill. Fun show but due to noise complaints and regular police raids we had to tone it down a bit. What's happening to Vancouver?
By the time we finished, packed up, headed home and hit the hay it was after 2 am. I had to be on a bus to Kelowna at 6:45am for a show that night, May 1st. Made the bus, slept on the way up, hung out in Kelowna, enjoyed being in temperate weather, stomped on some Independant Soldiers, played the Minstrel Cafe, slept in a friends Boler trailer on an orchard, bussed it back May 2nd, back to work May 3rd.
Next show was the Cafe Montmartre on Main Street, one of Vancouver's Main Street fixtures, and another place being raked over the coals by the law. Still a fun show which was attended by CR Avery! June 12 was our biggest show of this year at the ANZA Club, playing with Los Furios, Whitey and the Elixxxers. It was the first time I'd played there and one of the first times in years I was nervous. So much so I was sweating more than when I ran the Sun Run, in under 44 minutes. The reason was the line up were mainly ska bands and we ain't ska. Pulled 'er off though!
On a completely unrelated topic an old friend of mine has a band called the Arbutus Collective. His name is Brandon Chalmers, a gifted songwriter and arranger. His band is a collection of musicians who come and go and now I'm fortunate enough to be a part of the collective on lead guitar, harmonica and banjo! We have two shows coming up! Check out The Arbutus Collective or Brandon Chalmers and the Arbutus Collective featuring me on lead guitar and my younger brother Jonathan on drums!
In August back out on the road, a small three day Kootenay tour. What adventures await me out there this year? Only time will tell! No more starting fires!
