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Tuesday, November 24, 2015

A most depressive post.

So right now the Official Cross Canada Tour is done.
And currently I'm in post Thanksgiving food coma.
---------------------------------------------------------------
That was what I wrote last month.
Then stopped.
I assume due to the food coma.

It is true that the Canadian shows are done.
And there is nothing on the horizon for the time being.

The often talked about US tour has been put on hold.
I had gigs lined up from Washington to Texas, but had to cancel them.
There has been some troubles leading up to that tour that was really going to make it difficult to next to impossible for an early January start time.

Numero Uno!
Our RV has been eating up cash.
We've had to throw more money into than expected. (and are waiting to throw even more money into it... or sell it. Whatever happens first)

Dos!
Our side business that has helped fund the tour www.thecanadiancomicbin.com, which does a lot of business through eBay, was almost stopped as eBay began holding all our funds for 21 days.
Creating lots of cancellations and extra work for me for about 6 weeks.

Tres!
Our beloved dog Trail has been getting worse in his old age.
He just turned 16!
A vet told us he would be surprised if he lasted the winter.
Neither of us wants to be mid-tour and have him pass away or have to be put down.

And the cherry on top of this dismal Sundae...
Cuatro!
My guitar was stolen the night after the last show in Vancouver.
I've had that guitar for about 9 years it was cracked, stained, bled on sweat on, and the sound hole had worn away to a nice dangerously sharp edge. I thought I would have it forever. Seems like the British Columbian Gods (or some random asshole) thought I needed to do away with my beloved piece of musical wood.
I also had 3 new songs written which were in the case that I'm not so sure I can recreate.
That still pangs the heart.

So here we are in BC transferring our beastly bus/house from Langley, White Rock and Mayne Island parking it in front of various members of Gina's relatives places of residence.
Recently the generator stopped connecting to our heater so we only get heat if it's plugged in.
The tiny bird Sparrow gets mighty cold in the evenings.


Gina's Sister, Kendra, did start a gofundme campaign for my missing guitar which was pretty amazing because people donated $895 for me to get a new music maker! Friends, family and people I didn't even know.
This weekend when we head to Victoria, I'l be checking out some music stores to see if anything calls out to me.

If anyone else wants to help out, I've got the new Neil Crowe tank tops available from the www.neilcrowe.com site they are $25.00 and will come with a demo CD of the new single, Weight of the World. Just head HERE.


So we'll be laying low for the time being.

Here are some photos from the past while.
Since, it's obvious I ill not be regaling you all with a descriptive tale of the tour.
I'll write at sometime in the future.
-Neil
www.neilcrowe.com
Sparrow's new job
I was asked to play a song. within a minute the owner set up his sound equipment around me.

Then we head just outside the Brewery and make diner.





My favourite!

Cod tongues. greasy and chewy




Party in the RV in Yarmouth



We stumbled on a few breweries that just opened this is one of them. Breton Brewing,








Quidi Vidi Brewery. We were not allowed samples. 


One of the finest piece of chocolate ever made.

Something happened to some dudes bike.

Some random fellow gave me seal meat and blueberry wine. He sent it back to the bar via taxi after he left.



Cool idea hit all the breweries, distilleries and vineyards in Nova Scotia.

We only got 10



Trail in the bar!

Unfiltered just opened!

Gynasaur begins her drum career


Yes, Steve Earle was just sitting behind me.

This drink was requested. It's rimmed with used coffee grinds.

This is the dude who ordered then drank the grossest drink I've ever seen.

Mr. Earle


Best burgers I've ever made!













Friday, October 2, 2015

Inside this piece of writing Nicholas Cage is mentioned.

I've been getting up multiple times with dreams.
I'm not a big dreamer.
A little ways ago I dreamt that Les Claypool and Jopsh Homme formed a new band called The Weatherman and in this dream I was listening to their tunes.
When I woke up I wasn't sure if it were a dream so I googled The Weatherman and only came up with this:
An old Nic Cage movie about a loser weatherman.

If Homme and Claypool ever do get together.
I'll already know what some of the songs will sound like.

I'm in the West (near Kamloops) about to write about the east in the continuing tale of life on the road.
An extremely sporadic continuing tale.
I should have the whole journey of the summer written up by 2016.

Heading out of the Quebec region, still a fair amount of French, we end up in New Brunswick.
First stop was to be Colin's Log Cabin Diner in Woodstock for the famed Deep Fried Quesadilla.
Alas it was closed so we went to the pub across the street ate some soup and just stayed in the pub parking lot all night. The soup was really good.
When we come back around next month we cry dry soup-less tears when the say "No Soup for you!"
And that is why I will not mention their name in this blog...
Or Maybe I forgot the name...



Come the morning though, breakfast Quesadilla.
You must be gentle with it. Treat it like a baby.
I dropped a baby once...Sorry Anna and Andrew...


We hadn't showered for a few days so far and well what are you gonna do but call up Tracy at Plan B in Moncton and ask to use the showers.
And that's just what happened.
First,  a pre shower Beer. 

Even Trail was allowed in Plan B. They don't discriminate. 

Sadly on this run we didn't have a show at Plan B. the first in 5 years we couldn't line the schedules up. But that's alright it's still good to pop in visit with Tracy and of course Marcus who gets hairier and hairier every year.
Check out his band East Coast Love Story.

I talk more of Moncton on our return in a month. 
We will need to shower again....


Heading over the bridge we get to Charlottetown where the 1st Eastern gig is held.
Baba's Lounge once again hosts me and once again Drea MacDonald opens the night. She's got some great songs and sings them particularly well.
It was a Monday and as a musician you know what a Monday show can entail. 
Drinking chatting very little playing. 
We met a dude who said that Crown Royal is the best Whiskey in the world. 
"Crown Royal's garbage, you simple bitch!"
I politely disagreed. 
After my set was a blind taste test with Crown. 
This young buck was angry that I chose Jameson as the superior whiskey.
He probably left the the bar in tears saying Crown is the best, Crown is the best! 

I'm not as quick on the draw with photo taking. 
Gynasaurus Rex usually does that. 
So this blogstopagus is lacking in some cool shots and cool people.
But I did what I could  do.
And I'm stopping to go lay down.
Because I want to lay down. 
And you can't stop me from laying down.
More on Charlottetown next blog which could potentially be next month :/

-Neil
www.neilcrowe.com

One last note
Edmunston Brewing does not have great beer.
But I did like the stubby bottle. 
I had to suffer them down when I ran out of the good stuff.