Solo Southern Ontario Tour!
Mon Sep 1st, 2008 5:17 PM
Southern Ontario. People in Vancouver love to make fun of the people back east. Not once did I hear an Ontario-ite say anything bad about the Westcoast. However, they do seem to have this idea that Vancouver is all about fitness, activism and environment. Today I woke up to find the dumpster behind my apartment surrounded by a ton of rotting garbage. The other day there was a fatal shooting on Commercial Drive. Last week a man in a pick-up truck drove into a sushi restaurant, killing two people. I think Vancouverites should cool it when making fun of Torontonians.
Flew out of Vancouver July 10th, landing in Ottawa. The gig was supposed to be at Rasputin's Folk Cafe, a mainstay in the Canadian Folk music circuit. A few weeks before flying out, but after I bought the ticket, I was sad to hear there was a fire, and therefore my gig was cancelled! (no one was hurt). Spent a few days in Ottawa seeing our nation's capitol for the first time.
The next gig was July 12 in South River, ON, but due to a bizarre mis-hap I cancelled that gig at the last minute.
Bussed it from Ottawa to Guelph for what finally became my first show in Canada, west of Winnipeg. Fun show, wicked town. Spent the night at a friend's place in Kitchener. July 14th bussed it to Peterborough for a fun show with Kevin Corbett, a fellow folkie from Halifax, who is also the stand up bass player for Old Man Luedeke. Fun show with an attentive crowd of four or five. Small pay too.
July 15th Kevin drove me to the big TO to stay with relatives until my next show in Kingston. July 16th I took a train along the north shore of lake Ontario to Kingston, the first time I've ever taken a train in Canada. A man at the Kingston train station saw my guitar and backpack and asked if I needed a lift downtown of which I happily agreed to. He was over 70 an an ex-troubadour of sorts who had an eye for his own. Thanks for the lift man!
July 17th was the show. I walked around town for hours drinking beer. I kept checking in at the venue (Indigo Books) to see if my legion of fans were lining up to get a glimpse of me. No dice. I got a wee buzz on and a wee bitter. The show was unpaying, none of the staff new I was coming even though my posters were up, there was no stage or area to play, just an obscure corner. Why can a venue like Jimmy Beans in Christina Lake, BC pay over $300 for a no-name like me and other places like Indigo Books pay zero!? Start time came and I cancelled. I passed out in a church yard before heading back to my relatives place.
Trained it back to TO for the July 18th show at the Renaissance Cafe. Fun show with fellow folkie Jesse Reid. Thanks for the Fireball. Started as a celebratory drink, but after the pay it served to drown our sorrows. I am tired of venue owners expecting me to "understand".
August 19th trained it to Belleville, ON for the highest paying show of the tour in the most depressed town of the tour. Spent the night out doors, started off in a church yard but it started raining. Re-located to a warehouse loading dock. Next day trained it back to TO for the next phase of the summer.
Three cancellations, four gigs, two of them guarantees, two of them pass the hat, seven cities, several bus rides, four train rides....no CDs sold. Was the trip worth the money? The wear and tear on my brain and soul? The endless time spent cooped up on trains and busses?
HELL YES!!! SEE YA'LL NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!
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