Further Down The Road

Money. Why don't I have more of it? Oh, right. I'm a musician.

2012-03-02T09:55:00.001-08:00

Let's start off with a quote.
"wish house arest thow bro ratyssssss"

This was a comment left on a Facebook event page for one of my shows.
I have no clue at what it could mean.
I really would like to hear this kid speak the sentence out loud to see what it is he's trying to communicate with the world.
Wut is teechers be learnin kidsssss toda?

Moving on.

Money.
It's hard to get and very hard to keep.
It's funny how being in the music business costs so much and it's so very hard to make good money doing it.
I've always read articles about touring when I come across them and a majority of them state that the goal of your tour is to break even. Sounds reasonable. Touring is expensive. Gas, food, places to sleep. It gets pretty expensive especially when your high paying days are thursday through Saturday. The rest you kind of hope for the best.
So my goal has been break even. Something I have not been able to do.... until last month!
Yup, I actually made money on a tour. I didn't realize it until the last 3 days. I kept track of money coming in and out and it seems you can make some cash on the road.
It just took almost 3 years.
It's not a lot I could easily make more at my part job. But that's not the point.
It's awesome to realize that I can make a sustainable living playing original music around the country.
Playing shows is one way to make it. I've recently received a cheque from Google for the ads placed on my blog, website (www.eyeswide.ca) and youtube videos. Just from people clicking on the ads.
(Hint if you are on any independent musician or artist's website and they have an ad on it, click it. It helps them out)

Here you can Date Asian girls just from watching my Video for #22!

Sadly I have made more money from Google Ads than I have with my download sales through iTunes, Amazon, and other such sites.
And The mighty SOCAN another source of revenue. From people playing your songs, the shows you play with a cover charge of more than $6 and radio airplay gets transferred into funds for my bank account. I've only received 1 small cheque from them but every little bit helps.
But alas, there seems to be some kind of Music Ying and Yang God keeping track of my funds.
I've been making a little bit more with music, getting paid a little more for gigs, the ads, merch sales. but it all goes back into the music.
I just bought a loop pedal. I haven't had much time to play with it yet but eventually...
It cost $300
I recorded a song "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch" recording it at a very low cost spent $150 then getting the licence to sell it online $60. Uploading the cost $20-30.
I've gotten a lots of compliments on the song, but only a hand full of downloads and only receiving .60 cent for each. I haven't even paid off the uploading cost yet. maybe next Christmas it will blow up!
My guitar case finally gave in from the wear and tear and a new one will cost $80-90

I'm heading into the studio next week to record a song called Brick. the cost is $50 an hour. I'm guessing I'll be there anywhere from 3-6 hours.

Sometimes you get the tales of woe not getting paid from the venue or just being taken by a scam.
I think I've been lucky and have only had 2 such happenings. One in my own city of Barrie, where the manager would not pay what he said he was going to so after paying the other acts and the sound man. I walked out with nothing. Needless to say I don't frequent the place anymore.

The other one happened 2 years this summer. I signed up to play a festival at Downsview Park outside of Toronto called The Imagine Fest. They didn't have a set line up Chubby Checker and a few others were the only acts locked in and I was told that Sheryl Crow and Tool were being optioned for headliners. They asked the artists to do the near impossible task of selling VIP tickets before the line ups had been made. for $120
I did sell 5.
I gave my money to the promoter Kris Christie. (Yup, dropping his name) and a month later the fest was cancelled.
I had the people who I sold tickets to asking for the money back and I had assurances from Christie that I would get refunded for the tickets sold so I just paid everyone back myself. But I never got reimbursed. emails went back and forth for the better part of a year Christie saying you'll have the money by Tuesday, by next week, the week after. and then he stopped responding. and he wouldn't return my phone calls. a year later I emailed his partner but they had parted ways.
So $600 was gone. I've had other bands message me and ask did you get money back on your ticket sales?
I thought about small claims court but all the time trying to find him, serve papers go to court multiple times is it worth all the time? I figured no. I would just write about him in my blog. So there you go Kris Christie, Toronto music promoter who ripped me off in my first year of being musician.

This appears to be one of those informative blogs lacking in humour.

How about this lets talk about my tour.
While on tour I stayed in a Victorian house in Woodstock, NB
the man who owned it was an 80 year old OCD professor of French literature.
He gave me one of his old man sweaters.

He asked me one evening to watch a nature show with him on PBS. "They have really good nature shows."
Sure why not.
we sit down in the haunted library.

Really, it could have been haunted.
he had books from the 1790's on that shelf. I really wanted to look at them but I was afraid the pages would turn to dust.

Anyway, we sat down and the show was about the history of tupperware. Not a nature show. The only interesting thing I got from it was that the creator of tupperware had lots of ideas that didn't really work out like the knife-comb and the fish powered boat.
I couldn't stand to watch it all so I went off to bed to read. Oddly enough I was reading about the history of the Dinning room. Another thing that one wouldn't find incredibly interesting.

Driving through New Brunswick I passed a city sign that read "Bedford: A traditional Stopping place."
Wow, I thought, that's pretty bland. That slogan would actually fit the city I passed an hour back.
It was called Blandford.
The things I think about while alone in the car with my Merch girl.

She enjoys getting out and seeing the country.

She gets some lovin' from time to time.

I got to work on my gay demographic this tour I stayed in Moncton and crashed with a great guy (Steve!) who tried to get me a gig last minute. It didn't work out but he invited his friends and neighbours over for a house concert. turns out I was the only straight dude in the place. We did a great sing along to Adele's Rolling in the Deep.
Steve took me to the best Breakfast buffet I've ever had. I had 2 Eggs Benedict and multiple piles of bacon.

On the way back in Toronto I played at The Old Nick. When walked in I thought,
"Hey there's a lot of ladies with short hair in here."
About a half an hour later "Oooooh. I'm playing in, what their website termed as, a gay friendly bar"
And the guys who ran last years Toronto's Gay Pride Music Fest didn't think I'd be a good fit to play at the festival.

Edmundston has the worst city sign it's a dude dressed in an outfit that looks like it's from the early 1900's and he's holding the least impressive bouquet of flowers I've ever seen. great job Edmundston. I sadly did not get a picture. so this section is pretty usuless. I apologize for wasting your seconds.

And here's another one I wrote "ride the wave" in my notes. I have no idea what it means. But at the time I thought it was all I needed to remind myself of the awesome tale that it was to represent. Make up your own story for that.
(feel free to let me know what you come up with)

This house was not built for Neil Crowes. Edmundston, NB

I bought these at a gas station in Quebec. stopped at another gas station 10 minutes down the road bought a second bag.

And this man slept in a McDonald's while his wife did the crossword.

I like the view on the road.

Coming back from the tour I jumped right back into substitute teaching and I ended up teaching the 12 year old version of Napoleon Dynamite.
Curly fro and all even that long breathy sigh.
I tell the class to take out the text books.
Napoleon doesn't.
"Napolean (obviously his name is not Napoleon but I chose not to use his real name) take out your math text."
"I don't have one."
The kid who sits next to him says "Ya he does it's in his desk"
"Is it in your desk?" I ask.
"No."
The girl behind him says "yes it is I can see it."
"Is there a math text in your desk?" I ask again.
"No."
I grabb the desk lift it on an angle and look inside. "what's that then?" pointing at his math text.
"Hhhhhhhhhhhh (long breathy Napoleon sigh) I just really don't want to do this right now."
I almost laughed in his face.
Later on we went to go read with the kindergaten class. He left his 5 year old partner to go play with a Mr. Potato Head.

I can't say it was a constructive use of class time but a student did draw me this week.

I've got some more teacher stuff but I think I'll save them for an all teacher tale blog.

What's coming up now is that I've got a tour in New York from the 12-17 I'll be in Rochester, Brooklyn, New Jersey and Manhattan with Brittney Fulton check her out here and Kelsey Warren who I've toured with will join us for a show in Jersey City at The Lucky 7 Tavern.
And next month I fly to Las Vegas for the first time ever and play a show at The Freakin' Frog! I'm also there for a wedding that might be fun too.
I'm booking a long tour starting from June through September. It's a slow process. but I'll be in Europe in June so far in Italy and Austria. If there are any Europeans reading this feel free to suggest or help out with venues.
then July and August I'll be in the Western half of Canada and finally August and September back in the Eastern half.

Mar 03, 2012 The Stinking Rose Campbellford, ON

Mar 12, 2012 Boulder Coffe Co. Rochester, NY

Mar 13, 2012 Lucky 7 Jersey City, NJ

Mar 14, 2012 Delancey New York, NY

Mar 16, 2012 Hank's Saloon Brooklyn, NY

Mar 17, 2012 Bait & Tackle Brooklyn, NY

Mar 23, 2012 Groovy Tuesday's Barrie, ON

Mar 24, 2012 Griffon Gastropub Bracebridge, ON

Apr 26, 2012 Freakin' Frog Las Vegas, NV

May 11, 2012 Michael & Marion's Barrie, ON

May 12, 2012 Michael & Marion's Barrie, ON

May 25, 2012 The Local Barrie, ON

Also I've got to record a new album by the end of May.
I should get on that.

Alright I've got to leave the bed and do something that allows my body to move.
until next time...

-Neil
www.eyeswide.ca

2011 what did you get me? Also David Wilcox is a Vampire.

2012-01-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

You better Watch out 2012 cuz I'm not afraid to put raise my hand to a lady.

Mostly because I am bigger than they are.

Here's my top 10 albums of the year in no particular order and not even made all released in 2011.

1. Black Keys- El Camino (2011)
it's just really good.
2. Led Zeppelin- Led Zeppelin (1969)
you ever hear of these guys? I read the biography and thought I should give them a listen. I'm glad I did.
3. Primus- Green Naugahyde (2011)
I love my Primus!
4. Iron and Wine- Woman King(2005)
Great acoustic tunes.
5. Louis Armstrong- All Time THe Best Hits (2000)
I've fallen in love with this stuff.
6. Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band- No Time For Dreaming(2011)
You miss James Brown? Here ya go.
7. Half Moon Run- EP(?)
I played a show with them in Montreal and bought their EP I've listened to it a lot.
8. The Joy Formidable- The Big Roar (2011)
Great rock album I would like to see the show.
9. The Streets- Computers and Blues (2011)
I will miss this project....
10. J. Period & Q-Tip- The Abstract Best of Vol 1 (2011)
A great Mix tape with stories about tribe worked in.

My Worst:

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (2011)
Good lord I hated this.
Arctic Monkey's- Suck It And See (2011)
Love the bands 1st two albums they are always being playedTHey are always being played around here. this stuff I think is garbage.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers (2011)
Sorry I won't listen to the album again. I won't even go look at the album to remind myself what it was called.
Ugly Casanova- Sharpen Your Teeth (2002)
I love Modest Mouse but this solo thing from Isaac Brock is horrible.

My Favourite Books I read in 2011Year

Led Zeppelin When Gods Walked The Earth by Mick Wall
Pops The Life of Louis Armstrong by Terry Teachout
Sleep Walk With Me by Mike Birbiglia
Room by Emma Donoghue
Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Dome by Stephen King
The Lie by Chad Kultgen
Slam by Nick Hornby
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
The Bartimaeus Trilogy Part 3 Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud

Most disappointing books

Life by Keith Richards. Boring
Earth by The Daily Show Staff. I loved America but I could not get into this one.

So that's what 2011 gave me.

I went out of 2011 with but a fizzle. I was sober.
I drove to various parties to say hello and send my well wishing for the new year.
They say that How you start the year will be how it will go throughout. So apparently I will be sober. This will be good for my wallet come tour time in February.

I've also given Gina the gift of Sympathy this year. She is allergic to many food items. so for the month of January I will be sharing those allergies. Here's the list.
Peanuts
Shell Fish
Dairy
Wheat(Gluten)
Egg Yolks
Sadly Beer had to be made with gluten. But I am drinking a Whiskey right now and that ain't bad at all.

Over the holidays I returned to Thunder Bay and was quite bored for the most part I attempted a pub crawl. Well, not attempted I did a pub crawl but it was just me.
I stopped in one bar cleverly called "The Bar". it had day prices and night prices. It seems that alcohol in this place is governed by the sun. In the daylight drinks are .25 cents cheaper.
God Damn You Moon and your expensive ways!
The Suns better anyway.

I met an old sound man in a bar called the Madhouse. I usually pop in this bar when I roll into town. I don't know why. I always get "served" by the same older fellow who barley acknowledges my existence. I usually have one beer and have to put in some kind of effort to flag him down so that I can pay.
Anyway the sound man.
He works at the Auditorium in town and I asked who the worst to work with was. at first he wasn't wanting to say. I said "Alright" A slight pause then he blurts a name. I didn't recognize it. He said "He was on Beachcombers."
(For those of you no tin the know of classic Canadian Television. Beachcombers was a show about Canadian loggers and based in some small town.)
Then he went on "Amanda Marshall, she's a bitch. Has a diva Mentality."
and on "Stomping Tom Conners you had to talk to hi through an intermediary, very rare to have a face to face conversation. He was also an alcoholic. members of his band took drinking shifts. Each night it was someones turn to drink with Tom."
He also told me he got off the Iggy Pop tour because he couldn't take it.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"They were all queer! and they had mountains of blow all the time. I mean I didn't mind partaking in a little bit of coke but that was just crazy."
I hope these tales are true because the last one is awesome.
"David Wilcox was weird. He Wouldn't look at his reflection."
"Was he a vampire?" I asked
With complete dead pan sincerity "I dunno. But we had to cover up all the mirrors and windows so he wouldn't see his reflection. While I was working the board they missed one and I didn't know about it yelled at me and tried to have me fired."
So David Wilcox could be a vampire.
If there's anything I learned in 2011 worth learning, it was that.

Alright 2012 I need to get used to writing/typing you.
20122012201221022012201220122012.

First 2 shows of 2012 are in Barrie ON Jan 6 and 7
Groovy Tuesday's and The Port respectively.
I'll be in the USA, Europe, Costa Rica (I hope) and of course Canada this year.

Later Skater

-Neil
www.eyeswide.ca

One last post before the new year

2011-12-13T10:13:00.000-08:00

I thought I was done!

Alas, I have one more show this 2011 year.

It's in Alliston, ON and it's for a good cause.

Coyote Cutie is hosting the CTV Toy Drive concert on Thursday Dec 15

$5 or an unopened toy gets you in.

All the musicians and bands are donating their time to the charity.

Starts at 7pm, goes until the bar closes, I assume.

Not too shabby says I

here's a link to the event and who is involved.

LINK

I've got some shows coming up in the new year I'll be heading out East in February hitting places such as Fredericton and Moncton once again, and so far nothing in Nova Scotia.... Sad times for the Scotians.

Check back to the website (www.eyeswide.ca) to keep up to date on the dates when they are confirmed.

I'm going to get a little more worldly in 2012.

I'll be heading to Las Vegas in April for at least one show and I'm working on New York in March, Costa Rica in May, Europe/UK in June, and all of Canada again in July/August.

I'm pretty excited I love playing outside of Canada, but the reality is that it's super expensive, flights, work visa's, travel, motels, and food. I don't expect to come any where near breaking even but one can dream....

I'll be applying for a touring grant to help with the cost. Government grants are awesome...if you get them. I haven't gotten one yet, but I'm hoping.

Also if anyone out there in the internet world wants to assist with these tours, you can buy merchandise, straight up donations HERE, or just come out to shows and bring your friends!

I would like to get some more full band gigs going as well I had a great time in Toronto with Steve, Julian and George.

Speaking of those fella's the video I posted of us playing Celebrity Status is up to over 800 views!

Who's watching it? Thanks to everyone who has!

and because of the increase of that my video for #22 has gone up over 300. it's awesome to post something and not have it viewed 7 times before it is forgotten.

But not everyone enjoyed it I got this review after the anonymous viewer listened to the first 2 lines.

"I'm sorry but I stopped listening after '...shine so bright'. I don't know if it was the lyrics or the singing but it induced a cringe."

I'm cringe inducing.

Now how many people can say that!

And for those who are in the mood for a cringe right now here is that video!

PIE Magazine has released it's 6th issue. Since it's December they decided to include a Christmas CD with local musicians. The reason I'm telling you this is because I'm on it. I covered "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch" and this has allowed me to have a connection with Primus.

How so?

Well, they have an article in the magazine and I have a song on the CD that comes with the magazine. It's like we're on the same playing field!

And not only me, but remember the boy band VIP?

It's ok if you don't, they're Canadian.

here's a video:

Hilarious I know.

The band reunited for a version of "Hark!"

So, I now have boy band connections too.

From what I have heard not all the issues (ones sold in Chapters and such stores) will not have the disc. You can get it in Barrie, ON at Page & Turners and Imago's head office on Dunlop St. otherwise contact Pie and demand an issue with the disc.

If you don't want to go to the trouble of ordering the mag, you can download my cover from iTunes

I'm ready to start recording my new album. It's going to be more expensive because I'll be having a full band sound. So to help with this I've applied for 3 grants Factor, Ontario Arts and Barrie Arts.

Applying for money is hard. It's a lot of paper work. I'll find out by March if I get funding. But I'm sure I'll start recording in February.

I drew a few more Live at CHSR Cd's you can check out all 40 of the original art (most are Sold) at the Facebook photo album. I'll do a few more and then retire the CD.

Those white CD's are hard to come by these days. I may take another crack at Hellboy I quite enjoyed that one.

My time has run out I've got to get ready for lunch

Happy Christmas, Merry New Year.

Chat at you in 2012

-Neil

www.eyeswide.ca

Wait, I should put in some random photos. here you go:

Steve's pointing to fart.

This is someone's liquor cabinet. What's out of place?

Women couldn't help but point at it.

They lust after it.

Next year ladies, next year.

A Karaoke God!

Buh Bye!

Touring with The Yankee and return of the full band!

2011-11-29T05:35:00.001-08:00

Movember is coming to an end. I'm quite looking forward to being rid of the straight moustache and getting my beard back. I mentioned that to Gina last week that this crumb duster was annoying and I wanted to shave it, who responded with 'Ya I bet guys with prostate cancer wish they could get rid of there's too."
Touche.
My tour this November took me around Ontario, with stops in Montreal and Buffalo.
50% of the merch sales were going towards my donations for cancer research through the Movember website. (You still can donate if you like) I was surprised out of all the tours I have done, this was my weakest for the sale of merh. When playing I announced what I was doing and every time it got a huge cheer and applause. Making me think that I was about to sell quite a bit. Sadly no. only a few things at each show. Some, sold nothing.
It was what it was and I did manage to get a few dollars for the charity.
So first off was Buffalo to pick up Kelsey Warren, of pILLOW tHEORY, and Alex Kelly, also a musician but came for a few days to hang out.
And, of course, play at The French Quarter Cafe.
This was the second time I played unplugged. No amp or mic and I have to say it is quite freeing to sing to people and not have to be locked behind a microphone. People of The United States are not familiar with the November mustache. One woman replied when I asked "Is anyone familiar with Movember?"
"Is that with moustaches or something?"
So, I am happy to have educated some fine folks over the border.
The show was fun but not many people out because we booked it 3 days before I showed up.

Over the boarder we go! How did your head get so big Kelsey?

Next was Kingston. I've never been able to get a show here until now and it was at Queen's University, Clark Hall Pub. The crowd was good they were digging the music. But this was a pass the tip jar kind of payment. And really Students don't have much cash on them (or would rather put that money towards beer) Kelsey got $30 and a tampon. the girl said she wanted to give him something special. I was the second to perform so the jug goes around again. Which usually ends up with less tips due to everyone tipping already. I got $5 and change. We opened for a student duo called Maritime Minesweepers. THey are mainly a cover band. Not the strongest singers, but the crowd loved them. They cheered clapped sang along. Everybody loves a cover song.

The Maritime Minesweepers

The after party

Kelsey's "tip"

This was on the wall of where I slept. He kept me company.

We were able to crash at a student house that night which was awesome because $5.00 does not cover the cost of a motel....
We sat around playing Mario Kart and listening to music.
Discussions turned to moustaches,
Dude 1-"If you have a blonde moustache you have crossed the line and probably touch kids. It's a life science."
Dude 2- "But it's not all blonde. There are a couple of light brown hairs."
Me- "Ah a dusting of cinnamon."

Next was Barrie at the good ol' Local Gastropub. I was able to get 3 tickets for the Finger 11 concert that was happening across the street that same night so I gave them away. 2 people donated money for the movember and one guy came up and sang a song for a ticket.
I'm sure the people had a good time at both shows that night.
Kelsey has a song called Blipsters and Buppies with pILLOW tHEORY. I was looking forward to this hearing this song but so far three shows deep he had not played it.
at the end of his set he was saying thanks and such.
I cut him off.
"A standard set is 45 min you played 43 min now play what I want to hear!"
I'm a demanding little drunk, but and worked and here is the song:

Think cats!

Now Keep doing cats except neil you hold a recently deceased baby lamb

Moustache!

Gina Sparrow, Britany Fulton, Neil Crowe, Kelsey Warren, Alex Kelly, Hazy.

Off to St Catherine's again for the Strega Cafe, and again it was not a grand turn out. We played to a couple that came in to watch us and the staff but I like going there. the staff are great the food is good and free drinks. While we were waiting 3 people were walking by we told them to come watch the show and it turns out they too were musicians playing a block away in a 10 piece rock country band or something. They didn't start until 1am so we said you come watch us we'll come watch you. They agreed(but didn't end up coming back to watch us, needless to say we did not go watch them) While chatting with them one turns to me and asks, "Can I have some money?"
"What? How about, you give me some money."
His friend was on my side "What are you doing? They're broke musicians too."
Then he tried to pretend it was a joke. What a fucking retard.

Poutine!

Kelsey sees Niagara Falls for the first time. In honour of this he gives me the finger.

You want to sit in the big boy chair?

Kelsey discover's Kelsey's

3 days off and we just hung around Barrie. Ate Poutine, drank, went to an open mic and I worked a couple of half days (luckily as the tour was not being the money marker I hoped it would be)

Waterloo, Maxwell's music House. A really cool venue but it being on a Wednesday we had a few tables filled and a few at the bar.
This was also the first night of the new shirts. sadly no merch was sold today. It kinda sucks going and spending over $1000 on t-shirts and not selling 1 at your first show with them.
The music sounded great and we opened for a local funk band called The Sofa Kings. They were tight.
Kelsey got sick we ate at a cafe next door and he literally at vegetables on a bun and felt like garbage after. How do you mess up vegetables?

"Stay classy in that red Turtleneck Kelsey Warren."

Steve

Julien

George's sexiest face.

NOw for Kelsey's last show with me. in Toronto at The hideout. A great bar that has a set pay rate which was awesome. I was able to hire some musicians, Stephen Dyte, Julien Michaud of Richmond Switch and George Anstey (who I'm sure I mispronounced his name on stage) we practiced twice. We had mistakes but none of them glaring. It was great to play with a full band again it had been over a year. At the end of our set which was what I thought was the 3rd and final one, the owner comes up and says" What are you doing you play until after 2. I'm paying you good money. "
So broke out the guitar and up I went. I played 2 sets already. and because I had the full band I was really giving it on the vocals. So by this third set my voice was struggling. I finished at 2:25. drove back to Barrie, and was in bed by 4:15 I had to get up at 8:45 and get Kelsey to the bus station and then drive 6 and a half hours to Montreal. I was a touch drained. but only 2 more shows to go.

So tiny you are CN Tower!

Steam Whistle Brewery photo booth

Someone buy my wares. Please?

Here's 2 video's from the show:

Celebrity Status for the bridge I told them to make a lot of noise.

Waiting. Classic Eyeswide

Montreal, the first show I played here was a free one at a cafe called Burritoville. my second was playing at McGill University in The Thompson House. They paid and put me up in a hotel.
I felt very much like rock and roller, I did.
I opened for a great band called Half Moon Run. I hung out with some people at the show who wanted to go out for a drink after ward I said ok and they took me to a campus bar everyone was in white t-shirts that they write on and they were all 19-21 I was the old dude at the club and not wearing white. I lasted all of 5 min. the time it took me to realize the bar tender was more into dancing and eating chicken finger than serving any of the people waiting at the bar. Off to my last show!

A sea of white t-shirted college kids.

Orillia, The Brownstone. I like the Brownstone. It has a good following and again no pay but free food and drinks and pass around the tip jug. and you can make some good tips there.
I also had The Morals come to play. They are my favourite Barrie band and I always look forward to seeing them perform.

That's the tour.
I played a show in Ivy, Ontario for Host a House Concert with Graham Greer, and did well on merch sales that night.
I've got time off from playing until next year! Jan 7th is the first show in Barrie at a new bar called the Port.
Lets hope for the best in 2012!
(hopefully I'll have something to blog about in the meantime.)

Lastly, I have recorded a cover of You're a Mean One Mr Grinch, it is download only so If you want to hear a sample of it go to iTunes or CD Baby. When you fall in love with it you can purchase it!
It really does not sound like the original so tell me what you think.

-Neil
www.eyeswide.ca

Christmas in October, Movember, and the Full Band Jam

2011-11-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

I've recorded You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch at One Star Studios in Barrie, ON
So far people enjoy the tune. I had my friend Quammie Williams do some percussion on the song floor stomps tambourine, and hand drums.
It was intentionally for a Christmas CD to go out in the December issue of Pie Magazine.
But, I've decided that I'll put it on iTune as well.
It will be up by December... hopefully before.
All depending on when the licence for the use of the song arrives in my inbox.

Shane Heath, Rudi "Quammie" Williams, and Johnny Cash

It is November, also known as "Movember", a month long cause started in Australia to help promote the awareness of prostate cancer.
Donations to the fund can be made HERE.
Eyeswide has become apart of Movember and 50% of the merch sales from the November tour are going towards Prostate Cancer research. so buy some T's and CD's and help the dudes out!

I'm headed over the border tomorrow for a Show in Buffalo at The French Quarter Cafe. I'm always nervous about these shows because I can't say I'm going over to play because I don't have an entertainment visa (which costs over $1000) I can't bring very much, if any, Merchandise.

**And actually now that I'm writing this again I have already been there. Getting over the border was fine. Gina takes the wheel puts on her glasses and looks all proper. I sit idly in the passenger seat hoping they don't ask me any questions or want to search the car and find CD's hidden about.**

I've been rehearsing with 3 other musicians for a full band set at The Hideout in Toronto. I'm pretty excited about it. THe first time I practiced with Julien Michaud of Richmond Switch he didn't have a left handed guitar (obviously he is left handed) so he just played an upside down right handed guit and played some great leads and solos.
He's a talented guy that one.

We started off having the drums face the wall for spacial purposes. We soon changed that.

Neil with the Movember 'stache 10 days old.

I've got some rehearsals (I keep forgetting to put the 1st "a" in rehearsals, not a fan of that "a") recorded from an iphone and was going to post one and have anyone who wanted to hear them all could do so by donating any amount of money .50- $20.00.
Not a bad Idea I thought and when I went to go to my donation page link I found out the button did not work on my website. I check the buttons in the store page of my site and they also do not work.
Since the beginning of my site I've had unworkable buttons.
I'm an idiot.
You'd think that I would make sure those things worked...
But alas it is now fixed the Donation button is up and running and you are free to get those rehearsal recordings! Go HERE to donate.
The majority of the songs are not on the album In Three Days.
Here's one of the songs Celebrity Status. (also dubbed Celery Stalks)
This was the 1st time the full band got together to play so there is some fun stuff in there.

Celebrity Status Rehearsal

SOCAN is fantastic.
I just found out that The Orchestra London Canada played my song "Smile" at one of their performance.
Did they contact me?
Nope.
They listed their performance and songs on SOCAN and that earned me $104
No communication needed. Just a nice deposit in my bank!
I wish I could have heard what it sounded like.

I'm in the middle of my November tour with Kelsey Warren.
I'll write about that next blog when the tour is over.

-Neil
www.eyeswide.ca

A Teacher's Life

2011-11-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

On my Jango site, which is online radio, listeners can like your songs and become fans. They can even write comments. One considerate fellow after liking a song of mine had written "gtfh", in my comment section. I did not know what it meant. Perhaps some street slang for the awesomeness that had bombarded his ears when my song come up?
I went to urban dictionary to find out what the meaning of "gtfh" was.
Go to fucking Hell.
Really? Go to fucking Hell.
You, miscellaneous internet user, out of your own accord take the effort to become a fan of mine so you could tell me to go to Hell.
Well if that ain't gumption....

So I've been home for a while and have been working whenever possible.
When I started teaching back in 2004-2006 I used to write mass emails about my teacher tales.
Let's relive that and share some of my current teaching tales.

Let me set up scenario one.
I was working at a particularly rough school. A school I do not often go to.
The regular teacher warned me. "This is a difficult class. If they are acting up have them removed, call the office."
If only it were so easy.
I called the office 3 times about kids who have left the class ran away or would not leave the room. They answered my phone call once.
There was this girl who was quite over weight for her age, wearing an all red outfit. Red sweat pants with a red t-shert that was smaller than t shirt should be. It did not meet the pant line and showed off her large grade 5 belly.
The school had a dress code. No tank tops. No belly shirts. But I guess if the shirt is too small and cannot contain your belly it's alright.
A boy had went to the washroom. ( a boy who was not allowed to go alone for fear of what he might do) but did not sign on the board that he was leaving.
Kool Aid saw that, ( sorry I know it's mean but if you had met this girl you would have disliked her as much as I did) and said "If he can leave I can leave!"
"No, he asked. Sit down"
"No!! I'm leaving!!!"
And storms past me.
Did I mention we are not allowed to touch students, even from leaving a class room?
Crazy, right?
I call the office. "So and so has left, ignoring me, blah..."
and they did nothing.
The boy who went to the washroom, with the lad who is not allowed to go alone, comes in the room and says that man-child-girl is pulling the other boy into the girls washroom.
I go down and check and she has this kid in a strangle hold dragging him across the floor in to the girl's room.
I tell her to stop and she runs off.
That was with in the first 20 minutes of being in this room.
Teaching is not all math and spelling.

*Side note- I did make notes of things I wanted to say to her to make her cry. I would have whispered them while she was hiding under the table (which she did 3 times that day) or anywhere away from earshot from the children so I could claim I did not say them, but deleted them soon after writing them.

So kids like to send notes.
It happens infrequently because now they usually text each other, but to those that don't have a phone an old fashioned note will have to do.
When i apprehend these culprits I ask them for the note and they try to hide it or say they will throw it away anything to not give it to me so it's always some form of dialogue with me ending up firmly saying "I said, Give me the note!"
They hand it over and I usually read allowed a "do you like me?" or "Why don't you like me anymore?" allowed we all have a chuckle at who ever had it and go about our day.
This one time it happened a touch differently, but began in the same manner.
"What do you have there?"
"Just some paper." as he stuffs it into his desk.
"well, give it to me."
"No. I won't read it anymore."
"Give it to me."
"I'll throw it out."
"Give it to me!"
Meanwhile the whole class is watching, like usual, and the kids in his group are all serious.
What's going to happen? is what their look says.
It's always someone in their group who wrote it.
Just say it to them or ask.
He finally hands it over and I go to read it out, but I pause.
it reads:
"Mr Crowe's fly is undone should I tell him?"
I look at the letter. Look up after a moment of silence and say "Ya!" very firmly and walk over to my desk to fix my fly.

There was a student who did not have a very good work ethic and said he finished his work. I asked to see it and it was crumpled up beside his desk. I unravel the mess and read his math work which ask for him to explain the math patern. Start at 1 and w
"What does this say?"
"Start at 1 and w."
"What does it mean?"
"I dunno."
Genius! A grade 7 on his way to dropping out of high school.

One sharp lad in grade 1 was working in his journal where they were to write a sentence or 3 and draw a picture. his picture was a mess of potato shapes and, what may or may not, be considered lines, with the the word "me" written below.
"Sorry but you need to write a full sentence that has more than one word."
He takes his book and goes back to his desk to complete his masterpiece.
10 minutes later he shows me "me and my mom."
Fair enough. It's a complete sentence.
I scan the other pages of his journal and they all say "me and my mom"
complete with odd potato shapes and squiggles.
Although, there was the one day he seemed to get creative and wrote "mom and me"
I look forward to reading his first novella.

Sometimes in the younger grades the students ask me, where's Mrs. So-and-so or Mr. Whosiwhatsit?
I tend to say "I've tied them up and locked them in the closet so I could take over the class."
They always try to open the closet and of course it won't open, and for half the day they are unsure because their tiny brains don't have enough common sense.
On this particular day, a young girl looked at me with eyes wide and mouth agape. She couldn't believe it. Her eyes turned to hate, she looked at me with such malice as she said, "You're not a teacher! A teacher wouldn't do that! You're a stealer! You're a stealer!"
and went to all her friends telling her what I did. I think she was plotting a mutiny of the classroom.

I spent a good 15 minutes discussing respect, what respect is and how to show it.
They al had their input and it was fine. They had to do a journal writing/drawing about it after.

This was my 2nd favourite

He said "I show respect by sharing a swing with my friend.
"What's happening in that picture?"
"Oh that's a war. But don't worry it's up above and the bullets aren't hitting us."
Perfect.

My Favourite, and I wish I took a picture of it, was this was his sentence, "A giant is squashing the buildings."
"It's cool, but we were talking about respect."
"Oh."
"We spent 15 minutes talking about it."
"Really?"
"I wrote the sentence starter on the board that you were to use. It's still there. It says "I show respect by..."
"Oh."

I can't wait to see him at Burger King.
"Uh, I ordered a Whopper."
"Oh."
" and I got a chicken sandwich."
"Really?"
"You took my order. You said it was your favourite sandwich."
"Oh."

Seacrest Out!

-Neil
www.eyeswide.ca

Traveling with girl and dog.

2011-10-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

So I've wanted to write some of what's been going on since I've returned home but I'm still behind in travel life.
So let's get to it and I'll keep it short.

So the initial tour was enjoyable me on the road seeing Canada.
Now I'm going back out west. Destination Vancouver.
But not alone.
Gina and Trail are coming with me. Also a big red cargo trailer.
The plan.
Travel to Van City, stop in Saskatoon along the way to play a gig. Write a pluthra of songs in Van, and return to Ontario with a multitude of shows along the way.

The funny thing is my car had magnets on it promoting my tour, it was paid for by Sleeman. The whole time traveling across Canada I was worried someone might take them. But I worried for naught. I arrived home the magnets still attached to my car.
The morning we are leaving what do I see on my car but an empty rectangle of dirt. Someone in my neighbourhood had swiped one of the magnets, and now has the coolest fridge in the world.
(puns anyone?)

I bought this trailer before I hit the tour and have not driven with it aside from getting it from the previous owners home to it's current resting place.
Packed up. Ready to go. First think I do is jack knife the thing backing out of the driveway and put a dent in my bumper. (an Aside: it doesn't matter Gina ripped the bumper off my car previously exiting from a parking lot and I am still awaiting her replacement...)

What are you pointing at?

Stops to make it to Saskatoon: Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg. Visiting family along the way.

Here some classy Gina moments.

Early on I was tired so Gina took over.
"Why don't you close your eyes for a bit." she says
Alright.
I get 5 seconds before...
"Why didn't you go out last night? Did you stay out with Hazy? He looks good, eh?"
Roar.
"You told me to close my eyes!"
"I didn't think you were actually trying to sleep!"

Another favourite Gina moment was in Sault Ste Marie.
Again she was driving (She's like my chauffeur) and I was navigator.
"Take a left up here."
she starts to turn.
"No, at the lights. These are train tracks."

Driving 7 hours so far, I'm pretty tired. Gina's bouncing around in good spirits.
"We're pretty perky for having driven 7 hours!"
"No, you are you just had a red bull."
"Oh ya!"

Good thing she's cute.

My dog will not relax in the car.
He braces himself the whole ride and when we stop he is so exhausted he falls asleep fairly quickly.
and if we go over rumble strips he does this.

A Frightened Trail

Saskatoon was a fun little place. Spadina Free House was a really busy bar, but I was clearly back-ground noise.
Lots of conversations going on.
I was surprised that people did come up to me afterward and tell me they enjoyed the music.

After the show with no place to stay we needed to find a motel. We were warned that Saskatoon was quite expensive place to stay and true enough it was.
The dingiest hotel we could find was still $100 for the night. Which would have taken away almost all my pay.
So, I had the killer idea of driving out of town and finding a cheaper place in a small township.
Driving down the highway in the Prairies at 1am was not a fantastic thing to do. I was very tired and it was very dark. All I could see was 2 red lights of a car in the distance.
I drove for a an hour before coming up to a place that wanted $90 I was too tired to find somewhere else. So whatever township we were at took our money.

Next was Calgary, to Salmon Arm, then over the border to Mount Baker.

While in Salmon Arm I was asked "Where's your trailer plate?"
"Uh what?"
Apparently I'm to have gotten a licence plate for my trailer. whoops well I'm in BC now, and made it hear with no trouble I'll wait until I get back to Ontario.
I have now since gotten the plate. but haven't attached it. It sits in the car.

Mount Baker was awesome we spent 2 relaxing booze infused days there.
We had a cottage at the base of the mountain, and it was just what we needed after driving 8-5 hours everyday for the past 6 days. it was nice to get up and not go anywhere.
We had good food friends and nature.

Topless Crowe sunning and strumming

I don't know why but I kept forgetting we were in the US rather than Canada.
I think because I don't usually go over the borders to get away from city life.
But it was fantastic going for jogs in the forest going up the mountain being around snow and ice but still be in shorts and a t-shirt.
Up in the mountain there are glacier pools some, the colder ones, have ice still on them.
I went up to my knees felt numbing pain and said "Not for me."
Gina on the other hand dives in.
gets out screams a triumphant banshee viking warrior cry and jumps back in.
So what. You think you're better than me?
I went up a little higher and found a pool that didn't have any ice and quietly waded in and swam alone.
It was still very cold!

Off to White Rock to visit with Gina's family then finally our destination. Vancouver!
We were extremely lucky. We had planned on renting out a place for 3 weeks that would have cost us well over a grand.
But good ol' Facebook came to the rescue.
Gina posted that we were coming to Van City and were looking for a place to stay.
A friend of hers just happened to be leaving for Italy for the month and we could stay at his place fre of charge. And better yet it was right between Gas Town and China Town.
Couldn't of had a better location.
We were excited to be able to save some money.

3 years ago Gina bought me a painting from someone off the street for $10 dollars. I loved it and every time she went back to Van I asked her to find the guy who painted it and get another one.
But never saw him.
THe night we arrived and settled in the pratment. we walked Trail around the block.
and some dude zoomed by us.
"Gina says "That's Foster!"
"Who?"
"The guy who did your painting!"
So within 10 minutes of being in the city, we've managed to find the guy who's been alluding us for the past 3 years.

There's the man.

Ken Foster is an interesting fellow and has done work for tv and music video's. The Rolling Stones Saint Of me Video he did the art and had lots of offers for more work but...
he is also schizophrenic and bi polar. Then started to use crack to self medicate against his symptoms.
So now sadly he paints and sells it on the street for way less than it's worth.
Before we left Gina did hook him up with some work at a restaurant they wanted 3 large murals.
She's good like that.

Ken said he had a big cubicle wall that he wanted to paint so we gave him some cash and said we'd take what ever he painted. here's what he made.

To get the piece I had to go to where he lived It's one of those old hotels that house drug addicts.
Not the cleanest of places. piss on the floor of the elevator dirty walls horrible smells, people slumped in corners passed out.
And if you have not shared an elevator with 6 crack and heroin fiends.
Then my friend, you haven't lived.

One woman, in fine form, traded her lighter for a bit of heroin, (this was in the hotel lobby) then screamed her head off that it wasn't enough to get high. The other woman who gave her the drugs was adamant that it was. They hurled fucks, bitches, and shit heads at each other until we were on the elevator. Then we all casually joked at how crazy that junkie was for not thinking that that wasn't enough heroin to get high, Ha ha ha. That silly bird.
(get me out of this elevator I thought)

Walking down the hall way some other lady was happily singing away as she tried to scrub the words "cunt" and "bitch" from her door. Someone got artistic and marked her door up in the late evening.

After leaving the place I asked Gina,"Wasn't that the dirtiest place you've ever been?"
"No. Bangkok. They had shit and blood on the walls there."
Awesome.

I got my piece and I'm very happy with it. Walking down the street many of the drug fiends would say how nice the piece was and offer a hand to carry it.
I really don't know why I didn't take them up on it. It was heavy and awkward.
I could have abused their desperation and paid a dollar to have it carried for me.

Here's a fun fact.
There's a street off Hastings that shuts down on Sunday afternoons so the people of the street can peddle their wares.
Car phone chargers, VHS tapes, magazines, dirty broken toys, all laid out on filthy blankets, or just placed on the street. Basically it's a collection of what they found or stole that week.

Red Bull.

I was surprised by how little time we had to relax. I was expecting to have all this free time and write a whole mess of new songs. In the end I completed 3 new ones and about 3 song structures that, as of today, I have not completed yet.

We had some brief moments of spontaneity in the city of Vancouver.
Out for a drink with a friend Dave Hamilton, (a fantastic photographer check out his stuff HERE) we ended up meeting up with a couple of his friends.

Dave's Studio.

They were actors, one of which, Katie, was killed by Jason Vorhees in Freddy Vs Jason. They got us into a couple of cool clubs. One where you were not allowed to take a picture, use a cell phone, or tell anyone that it was there.
They also made shitty drinks.
So maybe not so cool.
Fun time nonetheless.

I can give acting tips.

"Next time you get killed in a movie do this!"

Also, stay on my lap.

A resemblance?

Gregg, a friend of ours, was flying up from San Francisco to spend the weekend.
The plan was Gina would go with her friend up to Whistler then Gregg and I would cruise up after I scoop him from the airport.

Dear, dear Gregg. (with 3 g's)

But alas we didn't get away from the port until close to 11 and so plans changed. Gina was in Whistler drinking her little face off while the total amount of alcohol consumed by two grown men was 4.
Everywhere had a line up that looked to be a minimum of a 30 minute wait. Neither of us put up with lines so we resided in 2 dinner/ lounge bars. A drink in each.
While trying to find a bar up ahead on the walk is some tall lanky fellow wearing a Zack Morris type sweater, and an over sized flat brim hat, walking towards us with quite the swagger. There were 2 girls behind us and we heard him say "Let me check out these fly ass biddies."
and slowly walked by the girls giving them the creepiest look.
The look was mainly directed at their tits.
I have stolen this move and added it to my own repertoire on how to not pick up girls.

Also there was this guy.

He robbed a girl of her balloons and 3 bouncers chased him down the street and dropped him hard to the ground.

Since we were not getting into any good bars this night we decided we'd go to a local strip bar. Of course we had no idea where they were and hopped in a cab.
"We'd like to go to a gentleman's club, good sir."
"Uh, well, I think the last one closed done a year a go."
"What?"
"Ya the city is really strict on that."
"There's no way Vancouver does not have a strip club!"
"Oh a strip club! We got plenty of those I thought you wanted a sex club."
Vancouver Apparently has classy rip joints because we did not have proper shoes to get into half of them but cabby-extraordinaire said he knew where to take us.
A place called Orange or something of the like.
He drops us off.
We pay.
Walk over to the door.
It's Locked.
Turn around and cabby is driving away.
We walked to McDonald's
then went home and fell asleep in the same bed.
2 drinks a piece and I'm in bed with a dude.
My mom would be proud.

It's not what you think!

After 2 and a half weeks we were ready for home and 6 shows
Calgary, Regina, 2 in Kenora, Sault Ste. Marie, and Barrie.

Photo Booth!

Calgary round 2 THe Blind Beggar Pub was great. The bands ha fans out I even had fans come out (Imagine That!)
I played a new song for the first time, called Welcome Back Old Fear. The audience were responsive to it. I was pleased.

Regina round 2 is technically round one since I had food poisoning and lost my car key. This time I opened up for the Ontario band Adam's Rib. Again the place was packed! It was awesome, people were listening tapping toes, people were buying merch it was good. The place doesn't usually have acoustic acts but people dug it. Off the top of my head I can not remember the venue name.

This was our dance crew for the evening

Adam's Rib

At the end of the night we had no place to stay and Gina managed to get quite intoxicated the sound man and some new friends we met kept getting us drinks. It couldn't be helped I suppose.
Also because of the Roughriders game that evening there were no hotels available.
Another night of driving in pitch black but this time I had a near empty tank and a rambling drunk in the car.
"It's like Jersey Shore."
"What is?"
No response.

"If the cops pull us over will they ask Trail questions?" (Trail is my dog)
"Stop talking."

"You're Driving! Do you know where you're going? Are you ok to drive these guys?"
"There's no one else here."
"Oh, ok."
"Do you feel strong enough to drive everyone to Vancouver?"
"There's no one else here!"
"You are."

I got quite worried of running out of gas on the highway but my iphone said that there were 3 gas stations in some little town 15km up ahead.
They were all closed.
the first motel was booked up but luckily the other one in town had a vacancy and was only $65.
Come the morning Gina had no idea where we were, or how much she annoyed me in the car.

Kenora, on a Monday and Tuesday. I didn't expect much.
I played at The Cornerstone the first night it was busy, but sadly not many were there to hear music. I struggled to be heard over loud conversations. I tried 2 new songs Welcome Back Old Fear and for the 1st time Sleeping in The Kitchen.

2nd night was at Shooters. It was dead. I did manage to get some ladies to dance when I covered Adele's Rolling in the Deep.
They were the kind of ladies that like other ladies.

Some of the finer people in Kenora.

Leaving Kenora, heading towards Thunder Bay. Gina was driving and then all f a sudden there was a rumbling sound and bumping.
"Did you just blow a tire?" I asked
"No, I'm slowing down and the wind on the trailer is making it do that."
Does this look like wind on a trailer?

Sault Ste. Marie. Lop Lop's, Another night I didn't expect much. After seeing how many people came to see Broken Social Scene and Bedouin Soundclash, what chance did I have?
And true to form there were a handful off folks in half of which only wanted to drink Scotch.

Some of the fine folks that came out plus The Owner Steve.

We were instructed to not look at the camera.

I've tamed the ornery moose.

Finally back home in Barrie. When we arrived it hit me. I was tired.
3 months of travel will do that to you.
I set up At The Local and I played pretty mellow and kept banter to a minimum. Usually I play my sets longer than usual going over an hour for each, but tonight straight up 45 min sets I had no energy.
I packed up and headed straight home to bed.
I needed to get ready for the day job.

-Neil
www.eyeswide.ca

Summer Tour Part 2 or something something something

2011-10-02T07:50:00.000-07:00

I am one time zone away from home. Just entered Ontario I’vegot 2 shows in Kenora. I may cover a Tragically Hip Tune tonight. I’m listeningto them right now. That may have something to do with it.

I check my iPhone the next note is “Perfect Pint My”

I guess someone poured me a nice beer between Calgary andSalmon Arm.

Red Deer AB, VelvetOlive

When I stopped in the café early in the afternoon there wasone fellow who was in good spirits. I left and returned that evening and he wasstill there, feeling even better. After the show The staff, customers, and mewent to a rock bar. That man who had been to the bar came and continueddrinking. While talking to him he told me he had been at the café hours beforeI showed up. This fellow is a power drinker. He ended up snuggling to the mannish womanbouncer at the end of the night. I hope it worked out for him.

It was a good show, good crowd, minus the guy who was sittingnear the stage with his back to me. He farted looked left, looked right andwalked away leaving me mid song in old man fart cloud.

Thanks dude.

I also had requests to take off my shirt, always flattering,never happens though.

Request all you want.

This has happened to me 3 timessince I’ve been playing.

Two of those three times from dudes.

I almost did it once but that was to make a T-Shirt sale.

Who doesn’t like driving through mountains? I’ve swervedmultiple times just from staring out the side window to look at the view. Safetywas not my #1 concern it seemed. Neither was stopping to look at said view.

I stayed in Salmon Arm, BC (Canoe to be more specific) tovisit with my sister and her 3 kids. She had the third a year and a half ago,and I had not seen it yet. I’m not much of a baby person and I think this younglad could sense it (not unlike a dog sensing fear). He didn’t seem to take tome. I also dropped him on his head the first time I touched him. It’s likehandeling a snake you want to hold it but at the same time you reallydon’t. I caused 2 more head whacks afterthat

We’re not on speaking terms.

I find that babies really are like dogs. They eat off thefloor, like chew toys. And when you eat, they want what you are eating. I’llstick with my dog.

Another day of beach laying and boat cruising. I lovesummer.

This is the tool I need to babysit.

Kamloops, BC

This was a rock bar. Mostly puts on metal shows.

Also, the first and only bar to use this image for theirpromotional posters.

It’s a great little venue and after the show I crashed atthe managers house where he prepared for the Mortal Kombat tournament his barstaff was having in a weeks time. I hadn’t played this game since it first cameout in arcade’s. Remember arcade’s?) It is so much bloodier than before. Youand another character come out grab a chick’s legs and rip her apart from thevagina up! It’s insane!

I stopped off in White Rock, BC for free housing and tovisit Gina’s parents.

Her sister was pregnant. She decided to have a baby thenight I showed up.

I slept through it.

She birthed a baby and a wig it seems.

I also watched Driving Miss Daisy for the first time,starting in the middle. I didn’t know what was going on

The dude keeps trying to drive Miss Daisy around in a nicecar, but she will have none of it and then Dan Akroyd shows up. This movie iscrazy.

Langley, BC NewBalance Café

I stayed at Gina’s sisters place. It is the first couplehouse I’ve seen dominated by dude stuff. It’s all pictures of Trucks andfishing. Behind a stack of coasters I saw a photo of them together.

Then I put mydrink in front of it.

The café was good a good show plus I tried Dead Frog Beerfor the first time.

(I’m now trvelling back to Ontario with a few cases in thetrailer!)

Vancouver, BC Joe’sApartment

Vancouver It’s been awhile but Granville is a great street.

A man walks by me as I stand outside the bar

“I just banged a Russian girl Uh! Uh! Uh! You jealous? I betyou are.”

And walked on.

“You know him?" I asked the bouncer.

“Nope.”

Oh Granville st….

So the local band that was to play either cancelled ordidn’t show up. Also another touringband did not show up.

So the promoter got a last minute fill in a touring bandfrom Ontario called The Hell Bros., who called their style of music SouthernRock.

What do you think when someone says southern rock?

I think AllmanBrothers, Lynard Skynard, Sheepdogs.

They had a song called Tombstone. They introduced it likethis.

“This is for those people that go to their grandmother’sfuneral and see her looking all sexy with that make up on and want to touch hervag.”

Hell Bros. were not Southern Rock.

Hell Bros and our gigantic crowd. They did manage to mosh a bit.

A fair bit of musical mismatch, cancelled band, and a bandno show equals a shit night.

At the show was one short moustached fellow wearing a RoughRiders jersey.

“Hey man is there any more live music?”

“I don’t know I’m touring through, don’t know the area.”

Where did the Rough Riders play tonight?”

“No man the games on Sunday. I came up from Regina to seeit. I’ve been here 12 days waiting for it!”

That’s along time to wait for one game. From What I hearSaskatchewan loves football.

I'm sorry Adidas, but I think you need a new shoe designer.

Or is this an early April Fool's joke.

If so, you got me!

After the set I head to Doolin’s down the street for a relaxdrink.

A server notices me from the other side of the bar.

You look like _------ (I don’t know his name) from TrueBlood. I have a thing for werewolves.”

I had decided to not shave or cut my hair while on the roadand by now the beard was in full force. I suppose it was wolf like.

It was here I tried a beer that, I was told, tasted like fancy bathroomsoap.

Those two things should not be together. I was even toldthat that is what it tasted like. But I had to know for myself.

It tasted like fancy bathroom soap.

The next day I’m in Whistler for My second Warrior DashRace. The first being in Ontario in July. All through the tour I’d been gettingup between 7 and 9 in the morning . So I felt I had been doing well preparingfor this race.

Get in The Gondella and up we go!

I prolly could have found some better scenery to take a photo.

The race starts with a giant hill. People had to startwalking within 1 minute of the race starting. Very demoralizing. I told myself, No I will not walk and running through throngs of people going further up thehill when I get to the turn what I thought was the top of the hill, My heartsunk that was only half the hill and it gets steeper. I soon started to walk.This hill took somewhere between 10-15 minutes to finish.

Here's the hill you start on doesn't look daunting from this photo and it's only part of it. people were walking before the end of the tree line.

No broken toes no major cuts. I came in 908 out of near4000.

Goodbye Mountains.

*Side note- Did youknow or ever think that dogs have periods? A friend of mine mentioned this andat first I was like “What?” That’s human stuff!” But then seconds later it madesense. It has nothing to do with anything. But there it is, dog periods.

Moose Jaw, SK JavaExpress

I stopped in Calgary for the night and went on back to Moose Jaw to try out Java Express. Therewere more people out this time but again nothing crazy. I went to check out thepubs after but it seems everyone was in bed that night. Off to the Al CaponeHideout Inn. It still smelled of Cigarette’s. (not sure if I mentioned that inpart one)

*Side Note- There is a town in Saskatchewan called Rouleaux.

It is pronounced Rolo. Ridiculous.

Unknown note “3 yawn homeless.” any guesses?

I stopped at a gas station in what ever town I was in Andthere was an older gentleman at the magazine rack in his 50-60’s. He had the bodytype of a large potato with toothpicks for legs. He wore tan shorts held up high with red suspenders.He sort of looked like the old man who made the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.

Anyway reaching up to the top rack he caused a majorcollapse of magazine’s to the floor. When he got to the til I was behind him he had a newspaper, A big bag of Dill Pickle Chips, and a Haagen Das ice cream bar. When the cashier rings in theitems she lifts the paper and beneath lies the protectively wrapped magazine“Bootylicious.”

On the cover were Spanish and Black girls with giganticasses.

Old Mr. Jurassic Park is a lover of fine pornography.

He clearly did not want the other items. They were there totake away from the fact that all he wanted was a collection of ass pictures.

Someone needs to get this guy the Internet.

Regina, SK SpadinaFree House

I learned that Regina has one of the world’s largest murderrate per capita.

A bar tender told me a story about his friend who gotstabbed twice in one night. The first a man wanted money and sliced his arm. Hewrapped a banfdage around it and stayed out later 5 10 year old kids surroundedhim and said give me your ipod of course he said no, and was then stabbed oncein the stomach.

I couldn’t wait to get to Stabtown!

Driving in I was listening to the local radio and the Dj wasspeaking to a fan that was at the Vancouver football game. It’s a tradition forthe more extreme Saskatchewan fans to carve out watermelons to make helmets towear at the games. The Security said sorry you can’t bring that in. The man being interviewed smashed his helmeton the ground in front of security. And the rest of the helmet wearers wereforced to hand in or throw out there fruit hats. The woman asked why did yousmash it?

“What else could I do?”

I’m pretty sure there were a few other options other than throwingyour hat on the ground.

Do you think the fact that you all were not aloud to wearyour helmets is what lead to the loss to Vancouver?

“Oh definitly.”

Saskatchewan football fans are nuts.

Just did a search for melon head pics and the incident with this dude made CBC News here's the link!

Is news important anymore?

I actually didn’t get to play in Regina. But I spent a shitload of money.

I wondered around the city in the afternoon and a few peopletold me go eat at such and such place, (I can’t remember the name) The server recommendedthe Muscles. I should have said “Uh there are no ocean’s here We are in themiddle of Canada.” But I didn’t, I said, “OK.”

I went for a nap in my car that was in the parking lot ofthe Freehouse. I opened the window andfell asleep with the key in my hand. Woke up an hour later and threw up andfelt horrible. Then I couldn’t find my key. It wasn’t in my front seat wasn’tin the back seats not on the floor. I remembered that there were 10 or sopeople around the car when I dozed off. Could someone reached in my window andtook the key from my hand?

I had to go in the bar and tell them that I had to call atow truck to get my car to a Mazda dealership where they could cut another key.I couldn’t leave the car in that lot because the window was open plus my keywas missing someone could come back and take the car!

Because I was sick, I probably looked wasted or high, whichI was not. The manager was fine with me not playing, probably was glad not tohave me in the bar. For all I knew I could have had throw up in my beard. Iwent outside threw up again and waited for the truck. He towed it to thedealership, which of course was closed but left the car parked so that the openwindow was pointing out towards the street. Thanks Tow Truck driver.

I went to a hotel costing $140, and had the worst sleepwaking up off and on sweating through the blankets with a pounding headache.The next day I went and got my key feeling better but kind of weak. The keycost $130. $270 plus what ever I spenton lunch and all the gas to get there. Not a good day. Maybe tomorrow will bereally good in Winnipeg and I can recoup some of the loss.

Nope.

Read on.

Winnipeg MB, Sam’sPlace

I had booked a local band to play the night with me. Theowners said that it’s not a venue with walk in traffic you need to have a localto play, hence the band.

Earlier the band said they might not be able to make it andcould recommend other locals to play if need be. I said ok let me know if youcan’t make it.

I heard no more from them thinking they would be playing theshow.

They did not show up, didn’t let me know of any locals tofill in, or invite anyone to the show. I texted them that day asking where werethey. I heard nothing until after the “show” if you call it that. I played 30minutes to the staff who were not paying attention. One person walked in, peed,and left.

The band had said we could have played if you’d told ussooner.

You didn’t tell me you couldn’t play!

I packed up to head to Kenora, ON, to find the wholeneighborhood watching a man run around wasted or high, or both with bloodstreaming down his face. Even the paramedics there weren’t trying to get himunder control they just walked around watching.

Winnipeg’ rule as far as I could see was let the derelictsroam free, they make good entertainment.

Here's where I played to the staff!

In front of a fake lizard or gator.

Kenora I spent 2 days drinking on the beach on a boat inrestaurants and in a house It was great after 2 bad nights. Just what I needed.

Me and the boys with booze and a boat!

Here is a video of me jumping off a cliff! I'm the second jumper. The hesitant one.

40 feet? is that all?

Thunder Bay, ONJack’s

I was to go to the open mic night the day previous and playa few songs and try to get some people to come out for the real show thefollowing night.

I showed up and it was a handful of older fellows playingclassic rock like Eagles, April Wine and such, I was there early but was bypassedto play for another classic rock singer. So I just went home I was tired.

I showed up the next day to find that I was not opening fora band Artemis something, that I was told I would be playing with, and that therewere 2 acoustic players opening for me.

All right that’s fine.

But one did not show up so it was just the one opener.

She seemed in a bad mood and I later learned that she hadjust broken up with her boyfriend.

She starts to play and you can hear her guitar quite out oftune. I tell the promoter, she’s plugged into my tuner tell her to step on itand make use of it.

He said “She’s in a bad mood I don’t think anyone should betelling her what to do.”

Huh?

He did go up, but she didn’t work out the tuner.

So we had a sour set. Which was a shame because she did havea good voice.

I’m tired by this point I had been on the road for awhileand still 3 more shows to get to.

I drove to Sault Ste. Marie had a day off which matched upwith a free show put on by Sirus Radio, featuring Bedouin Soundclash and BrokenSocial Scene. How awesome is that?

Let me tell you.

Real awesome.

My friend took me out for dinner.

“Where we going?”

“Out for Indian.”

“Cool where’s that?”

“The Husky.”

“What? The Gas Station Huskey?”

"Ya.”

So it seems Husky’s are the new Indian Food stop, and it wasdecent too.

The best part was when a guy stands up and says.

“I gotta pay now and get back to the hotel before thissettles.” Paid and ran out.

We show up to the arena and it was the saddest scene for abig band to have. Empty seats, and an empty floor. There were three rows in frontof the stage followed by a big empty space leading to the sparsely filled seats.

What’s going on here?

“It’s the Sault.” Was the only answer I received.

Anyone coming out tonight?

Bedouin were great. You know when bands have those lines inthere songs where the audience is expected to sing? Ya Bedouin has one of those

They go “Murderer!”

And we go “Blood upon your shoulder!”

Easy.

But no one said anything. I started sing it but thoughtmaybe I sang it at the wrong time. Then realize that no, I had it right. Youcould see them laugh at the fact no one sang the line.

“I was told the same thing happened to Kiss when they showedup, but worse. There was a part where they stop and turn the mic’s to theaudience to sing whatever line they are supposed to sing, and it was dead air.No one sang anything.

Way to go Sault Ste Marie.

Bedoiun Soundclash!

I don’t see Broken Social Scene ever returning to this city.

Broken Social Scene!

People started to leave during there set, so the alreadydead venue got even more empty.

At one point my friend says to me.

“This sounds like drugy music.”

I feel bad for the turn out, but it was great for me to seetwo cool bands up close and when my legs got tired I could sit, anywhere, thencome right back up to the front of the stage.

just taping the guitar to the amp. That old trick?

At one point the singer said “I’m pissed why are we even inthis building? We should be in someone’s house.”

He left before the last song and did not return.

of the few people who stayed for the full AWESOME show.

Here's a video of Broken Social Scene covering Modest Mouse (The World At Large) From The Sault!

* Side note- One of my favourite conversations I overheard

I was standing in a line behind these 2 fellows.

Guy 1 “I hope it’s not long.” Referring to the line.

Guy 2 “That’s what she said.”

Guy 1 “why would she say that?”

Guy 2 “…I don’t know.”

Toronto, ON The OnlyCafé

On my way to Toronto I was able to pass by Barrie see Ginaand Trail(my dog) then off to T Dot!

Here there was a mix up the manager double booked the venue.I showed up with my gear and some woman was there with her band.

When she found out about the double booking she was in atizzy. What do we do? We booked the show we have fans coming.”

Ya so did I lady.

So I said since you’re a full band I’ll open for you noproblem for me I play one set instead of 2. Still stressed out by this worldshattering complication, she finally agreed but said I must be done by 9pm.

I’m just thinking don’t push it lady.

I was booked to play here as well in May as a matter offact.

I didn’t really care but right away I didn’t like her.

And I know it’s common for musical acts to not really paythat much attention to who is playing before. I’ve seen it lots. Usually thebands or musicians talk with the friends and fans or go outside and get readyfor their set, that kind of stuff.

And it’s no problem. I don’t mind, never bothers me, But forsome reason I watched her during my set not pay any attention to my set, and itbothered me prolly because I put it in my head that I dislike her already,anything she did would irk me.

She went up to Gina while I was playing.

“Make sure he’s be done by 9.”

Her response “He’ll finish when he finishes his set.” Andturned away.

Her band was nice talked briefly with them and they listenedto some songs.

I left as soon as I packed up and left with my friends. Noneed for us to support someone like that.

As a musician you’ve got to be able to deal with changes.Bands not showing up, double bookings, equipment malfunctions. It’s part of itHow you deal with those situations shows a lot about you I think.

Me and Bryce not drinking at The Only Cafe.

Greek Beer.

St. Catharine’s, ONStrega Café

Strega Café. The last time I played here I played to 4people. But I didn’t care they had fantastic food and drinks and it’s free formusicians!

So If I had the same size crowd, I didn’t care I was eatingand drinking well that night.

It wasn’t crazy had more people than last time 7 or 8 so I’mslowly gaining a crowd hopefully when I go back in November will be close to15!

It started off slow no one was there for awhile so I spentthe first 20 minute’s playing The Monopoly Card game with some of the staff andtheir friends. It’s quite fun and does not take 3 days to finish.

Then some people started to arrive and I kicked out thejams.

On to the last show!

Orillia, ON TheBrownstone

I’ve ventured from Barrie multiple times to come out for asandwich and beer. I like the venue and don’t mind diving the 30 min. to getthere. I’ve wanted to play there for a while and finally got a chance. Asimilar thing happened as in Toronto, a double booking of sorts. The onlydifference was that they told me about it a month before the show. So there wasno problem I said I’d open for the three piece band.

Tune Up.

Freeman Dre and the Kitchen Party. They are great guys andquite beloved by the crowd that night. Dre used to do hip-hop but switched to folk musicand is doing quite well.

Freeman Dre and The Kitchen Party

It was a great final show for the tour, drinks food goodtips from the audience.

Last pic of the tour.

At the end of the night I drove home and got a chance tosleep in my own bed. Which is the floor. Yup I sleep in the floor actually on athin futon matress. But it’s my thin futon mattress, and I was glad to be in itagain.

In 10 days I would make another trip out West to Vancouverand back. This time with Gina and Trail.

After 6 weeks of no hair cut or shaving. I took it all off.

-Neil

www.eyeswide.ca

Summer Tour Part 1 or Another Delayed Blog

2011-09-26T00:08:00.000-07:00

I’m currently sitting shot gun on the eastern side of Saskatchewan to play in Regina. I figured it’s a good time to write.

I’ve waited quite awhile to write this and I’m hoping that my spotty memory and iphone notes will help me write about this summer tour.

Let’s see “Gypsy chief goliath pigeon.”

I wrote that down?

What is that supposed to remind me of?

Ugh. Well here we go…

Lindsay, ON: The Division House

This is a house concert venue run by the members of The DGB (Daniel Greer Band) They also live there, or did, as that was one of the last shows they were putting on. The band was giving up the house and touring the country for the next 4 months. They would then decide where to live.

The house was a party house similar to those you would read about in the Guns and Roses Motley Crew autobiographies, just with less hard drugs and less loose women, but on par for cleanliness.

When I first got there the boys were cleaning up, kind of. They would pick up a can or bottle from one area of the room leave the other 4 or 5 pieces of trash go to another part of the room do the same and repeat. So I started to clean up.

The Division House is a music scene for teens-mid 20’s. I was clearly the oldest dude there. But it’s got a good following, or had, a place for kids to hang out drink and get high in a safe environment.

Daniel started the show off, He is a great personality, looks kinda like Heath ledger in Lords of Dog Town a raspy voice and a great laugh.

See how smokey it is ?

My favourite quote from him was:

“In Grade 8 I wore big clothes, now the style is tight. It’s working out for me, I haven’t bought new clothes since I was twelve.”

Also while playing a song coming to the end he asks the crowd

”What chord do end this on?”

Cassie Noble, the local tattoo artist, had sing alongs to her original songs which I have yet to get going, mayhap my lyrics are not so memorable, or people don’t know what the fuck I’m saying.

Before my set I had to take frequent brakes to go out side for fresh air. The basement was so cloudy with weed and cigarette smoke my eyes were so dry.

I end the night by sleeping on a dirty cigarette burned mattress.

Brighton, ON The Yacht Club

I have a cousins in Lindsay, I called Tracey up and asked if she wanted a house concert, I’ll be in the area and the day off. She was excited because it was it was John’s Birthday. She agreed but called the next day saying it was moved to the Yacht Club because there were so many people.

Yacht Club! I think, well well do I have to dress nice?

No.

It was a boat house for Yacht’s but just a hang out for boaters. No members only jackets or anything like that.

Ottawa, ON The Rainbow/ Avant Garde

2 night’s in Ottawa. I don’t usually book 2 shows at 2 different venues, but when I’m unknown and have no following, It’s not going to really affect the liquor sales at the bars.

These were not great shows. It was The week of The Ottawa Blues Fest.

The first night I was at The Rainbow also playing that night was My Morning Jacket and Death From Above 1979 among other such popular bands.

And when I went to the Rainbow I thought I was playing with local acts, you know people that would bring in fans?

No, there were 2 other touring acts.

Needless to say I played to the other bands and the dudes that worked there.

The next night I was at The Avant Garde opening for a instrumental Funk band. They pulled in few people but there were maybe 10 or 12. I played here the last time I came through.

The brightside is that I went from 3 people ignoring me at this bar, to 12 people ignoring me.

That’s a 300% growth of ignorance!

That night The Blues Fest had Metric Jane’s Addiction and Rise Against I think? I can’t remember the full line up.

The next day I was ready to get out of our Nation’s Capital. But the city had it’s claws in me. I got into a car accident.

It was my fault but the city tricked me. I came under a bridge in the left lane. Beside me was a granite meridian Then 2 other lanes. After the light turned green I began a left turn and a truck ripped up beside me going in the same direction on the other side of the meridian. I was on a one street. My front bumper ripped off and it snowed Styrofoam for the next 20 seconds.

The car was driveable. but stayed unfixed until Sept 6 when I brought it to a bodyshop in Vancouver. The damage took 9 days to fix.

The guy I hit couldn’t have ben nicer and helped me reattach the bumper with wire. I felt doubly bad when the cop gave him a ticket for not having the proper insurance card on him.

Onward I go through Quebec to New Brunswick…

Just A nice scenic shot leaving Quebec

Driving through Quebec takes some time So I needed a place to crash I chose some randomly named Motel. I asked if there were a pub close by that I could get a drink .

“The bar is attached to the Motel!”

"Alright I’ll see you there!”

I settled in the room and go out side. Around back is this white door with this small sign on it

“Club Bar”.

Snazziest sign I've ever seen.

Inside it was older folks I believe that the requirement of women in this place was having a smoker’s cough.

Driving to Fredericton I saw the sign Potato World Musem! Florenceville.

No Thank you.

Practice Spot.

Fredericton, NB The Capital Complex

This was a last minute gig I emailed my friends from She Roars! They just so happened to have a listening party for their upcoming CD and needed an opener.

This is a great little venue. I would love to go there again.

But alas, just like most concerts not as many people come out for the opener. I had a sparse crowd but when Oh No, Theodore came on it seemed everyone came out of the woodwork and stayed right to the end of She Roars! They have a solid fan base in their home town…I wonder what that’s like….

Roaming the bar after my set again found I was older than most.

I heard this come from some dude in a flat brim hat.

“Ugh, I’m turning 20 next week.” With such disdain that there could be no worse thing to happen to him in al of l his existence.

I’m 31 I’m fine. Despite being beleaguered by some white hairs in my chin…

Everyone around is about 20, one fine lad was smoking a pipe. Put it away hipster.

At my merch table a very drunk girl came up to me a said what I would hear multiple times on this tour.”

“Oh my God you look like ------ (whatever his name is) -----From True Blood!”

“I don’t know who that is.”

Turns out he is the werewolf guy on the show. I googled a picture of him sometime later.

"You must talk to girls all the time.”

"No, actually I don’t, I’m not one to abuse the power of the musician. To make sure of this I make sure to not have clever banter in between songs.”

I crashed on a couch at friends of She Roars! Where I was forced to stay up and watch Modern Family. I was not allowed to sleep. I was also requested I eat strawberries.

Before the show I wondered town and saw Red Coat Soldiers marching around.

I asked someone “Do you feel safer with them kickin’ around?”

“They keep away the zombies.”

Good answer.

They are just for show apparently they are just college kids with summer jobs no combat skills or authority. They might as well be soft mannequins.

Watch out! Syphilis is coming!

Sackville, NB Bridge Street Cafe

Afternoon show. I don’t know if I was there and people ignored me or if I had an invisibility cloak on, but as I’m playing people are sitting and reading novels, studying, working on there laptops. I mean I don’t play a lot of soft background noise tunes some are heavier rock songs. But they were deep into their Twilight or Harry Potter.

The show ended I went over the provincial border to Amherst in Nova Scotia to try and scramble up music for a room to sleep. It did not work So I headed to St John’s, NB. This is a very difficult city to drive through it is so twisty and hill riddled that I got lost twice trying to find a hostel I had booked. The hostel was not in a great area of town and for some reason all the men and boys were fat and shirtless. Sitting out on the porch standing on the sidewalk. Staring at me as I slowly cruised the decrepit neighbourhood hoping it would suddenly turn into some clean bright Pleasantville-like area where I would not have any fear of leaving a car loaded with equipment in the driveway. That never happened so I bolted, not before getting lost trying to get on the highway again, for Fredericton…. Ring Ring ring girls can I use your couch again? Yes I could!

So back to Fredericton where I watch more Modern Family!

This note was in my iPhone I remember it happening but don’t remember where.

Let me set the scene:

I was at a bar.

Scene set.

2 girls got my attention and said

“Just so you know we’re a lot of fun.”

Alright, great conversation starter.

“So on a scale of 1-10 what’s your score. 7, 8, 9?” I ask.

“Well on a scale of 5 we are a 4.5.”

“That’s too bad I only deal with 2.5’s”

and walked away.

Back to the tour.

Woodstock,NB New Ground Cafe

Hear I was offered a place to stay at the office on a futon or to stay 30 min away at a cottage on the lake.

Lake Please!

No phone service, beer in the fridge, a kayak and the water.

It was awesome. I didn’t even care that 4 people came to the café to hear me. I even stayed an extra day there.

While roaming I found a good ol’ boy local pub

As I sat drinking my beer in the corner one fellow, who was by himself, orders a porn star.

The Server asks the shot or the drink?

He ponders for a moment “the drink, but make it a double!”

The waitress of course had to look at the drink making chart.

I don’t think that’s a regular order on a Tuesday afternoon.

I met a fellow there who invited me to a barbeque.

“We’re makin ribs!”

“I’m in.”

Ribs, burgers, beer, rye, and poker.

Also there was a room for of deer heads in the basement.

I’m glad they weren’t human heads of people they lured to there house promising ribs and burgers.

*Side note

While driving I do not like to stop I want to get to where I am going as quick and as early as possible and that leaves me to eat on the go, Causing a lot of unwanted McDonald’s stops. I don’t like the burgers so I thought I’d try the McRib. I had so much McRib. I just went for that because it wasn’t a burger. I don’t know what is in a McRib but is is so sloppy with BBQ sauce that what ever the McRib is it is undetectable to your tastebuds. I’m glad the McRib is gone. McRib.

Moncton, NB Plan B

Moncton has Poutine Pizza!

As I waited for my order a family of 3 were deciding what to get . Mom, dad, and baby girl.

Dad says “Lets get Taco Pizza!”

Mom says” But I’m watching what I eat.”

Dad says "It’s just tomato, beef, and onion, it’s basically healthy!”

So they order that, and she get s a panzoraotti as well.

Mom watching her weight had looking at her food while she put it in her food hole.

I like Plan B I’ve played there twice and it’s nice to come in and know Tracey and J Byrd are going to be there it’s a home/family feeling in that bar.

Before the show I wandered around to some pubs and invited a couple to Plan B for the show. I went home to nap up before start time.

I am awakened by banging on the aprartment door that is above the bar.

I wake up and a guy says "Are you Neil?"

"Ya."

"You got a show tonight."

Oh shit it’s 10:30!

I was to start at 10

I brush my teeth throw on a hat set up and start. The people I had invited waited 45 minutes at the bar before I started. They left shortly after. I would too. I felt bad. But not that bad since the local musician I booked to share the stage with me did not show up.

He said he didn’t remember then I vaguely remember that.

This will not be the first time the local band does not show up for a gig on my tour. Tis just the beginning.

*Side Note-I wanted to pick up a hitchhiker. I didn’t care if they robbed me just drive the car now!

Moncton to Montreal. long drive.

Montreal, QB Burritoville

That’s right, Burritoville. No one has heard of this place even people from Montreal, but they have good food good servers and a nice stage upstair for rent and a decent free area downstairs. Daniel of The DGB recommended it and they had the night available.

Too bad it was a heat wave and they had no airconditioning. Before starting to play I had soaked through my T-Shirt.

The first set people were in the back room as I played. No one was in the front room or even the middle room. In between songs I would ask them to come up front and keep me company.

They did not.

I’m going to go with they didn’t speak English and felt it was rude to come so close to a performing musician. That’s prolly it….

McDonald’s again. On their tray liner they boast that only the best potatoes are used. I’m glad to see they have such high standards for the brown lump that grows in the ground rather than say, the employees who work there, or the “100%” beef they use in there burgers.

I have “Two men against abortion” written down.

Make up your own story for that.

Sault Ste Marie, ON

No show just stopped in with the day off. Very long drive from Montreal.

Needed a drink. Texted my friend from Steam Whistle to say I was here. Next moment there’s a phone call and Neil’s got a free bar tab!

While sitting and drinking a girl leans between me and the person siting beside me.

She smells of chicken fingers, i thought.

Turns to me and relays the following information

“I just threw up in my mouth a few minutes ago.”

Right on.

She reminded me of that Ke$ha chick. Just a little dirtier.

She ran into me coming out of the washroom.

"Wanna bang in the corner?”

“I don’t think those pieces of plywood (there was ply wood in the corner) will make a good sex fortress.” And went up stairs.

But not before showing her that when the plywood leaned up together they did not hold very well.

Thunder Bay, ON Ruby Moon

Home town show. I don’t think people remember I’m from there. Or they do and are trying to forget.

This is a cool venue. People come in for dinner and stay for the music. Normally that is what happens today the venue was closed until 9. (my start time) because they were catering a wedding. So no one was there till 930m, and even then it was fairly weak turnout. The people who were there were great. They talked with me bought some merch.

It's too bad those horrible people had there stupid wedding on the day of my show.

Jerks.

The day after the show I did a pub crawl and ran into Prevail and Rob The Viking and some other dude from The Swollen Members.

Pub Crawl Partner, T. Jack.

Prevail and I traded phone numbers and invited me to come to Kitsalano when I'm in Vancouver.

Why didn't you respond to my text Prevail?!?!

We had a date!

Did you invite someone else to your fancy barbecue?

Did you?

You broke my heart.

And Neil wept.

Happier times....

Passing through Manitoba. I’ll hit you on the ay back but I did stay in Brandon for a night I was asked to go visit Gina’s aunt whom I never met before in my life. I go to her nursing home up to her room.

“Stella? My name’s Neil. Gina asked if I’d come visit you. I’m traveling across Canada.”

“No. I’m not up. No.”

She was fully clothed laying on her bed.

“Uhhhh, alright maybe another time?”

“Ya that would be better.”

And that was my visit. She kicked me out.

So, I went to See Captain America. It was not good. End of review.

At one point around Thunder Bay I started to pee alot. like every hour or so. and just suddenly too. I would be driving and would be hit with a sudden intense need to go so slam on the brakes and off to the side of the highway. after a few days of this I ask Gina what's wrong with me. after a quick google search she figures I could have a prostate problem.

Awesome.

A day of worrying I ask "Hey I've been taking Echinasia pills recently because I was getting a sore throat, could that have anything to do with me pissing all the time?"

"Ya they are a diarrhetic! How many have you been taking."

"Three...three times a day."

Needless to say that is excesive. My prostate is fine. ANd I now pee at a more normal rate.

Moose Jaw, SK Java Express

I thought the café was called 23 Main Street Café. Since that was the title of the venue when I applied to and it was the name they gave me through our email contact.

Turns out no one knows what 23 Main Street Café is because it’s called Java Express.

I had 3 people in the café one guy walked in and asked “Why is it so dead in here.” I had no answer.

I also had no place to sleep and got a motel with the no money I made this day.

People of Moose Jaw look out for Moose walkers.

Birch Hills SK The Fusion Café

This was a very small town 1000 people small. Only half of the roads are paved.

While I waited for the café to open I stopped in to the only bar. It was in rough shape and I was told flooding. Somewhere between 1 and 2 feet of water in the basement. Also the ceiling looked to be folding and rippling.

The Café was great. I play in between meals during a 3 course dinner. The people all listened quietly while I played. That’s a rarity. And I was asked to do a few songs unplugged, which I rarely do, but actually quite enjoyed.

The Mayor of Birch Hills' home.

Calgary, AB The Blind Beggar Pub

When I was a kid I used to play a game where when I went for a pee I’d walk farther away from the urinal to see how far I could get. I started to do this while in a Taco Time bathroom. But soon realizd that towards the end of the pee you have to hussle back to the urinal before you piss on the floor. Also I thought what would I say if someone walked in and saw me 6 feet from the urinal with a big arching stream of urine shooting through the air.

“Just doing the pee distance game.”

A meal fit for kings, also known as a meal for those who are constipated.

I opened for Stone Cartel aka Nickleback aka Theory of a Dead Man. I wasn’t too impressed with the band, Because they did not promote the show at all.

You see, as a touring act in cities I’ve never been too, I rely on local acts to bring in the fans, if they don’t do that I’m playing to know one. They had a show at another venue in the city the following day, and told there fans about that one, not the show I was apart of. Well At least I drank for free. Thanks old dude who kept buying me shots!

Driving into Calgary, This didn't seem like a warm welcome.

It led to a hail storm.

Sorry Torrington AB, Since I did not go to the Potato Museum. I will not go to your Gopher Hole Museum.

Alright I’m taking a break and ending part one of the tour blog. Plus if I kept going it would be one long ass read.

Part 2 will come shortly.

-Neil

www.eyeswide.ca

The Tour Is Over And I Need A Haircut

2011-08-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

It's done 6 weeks on the road all over this crazy country.
I've had awesome shows, weak shows, NO shows, food poisoning, car crashes, races through the mountains, cliff jumping, child births- basically it was like a new James Bond movie.
I'll be writing about my travels very shortly but it may take me a few days. here's a photo of me after not shaving or cutting my hair on this adventure.

Striking, I know.

Off to get a hair cut and a shave. I'm thinking a short style for a change.

Anyway check back to see my travel blog!

I wrestled a bear.

...no I didn't

Birthday/Tour/Race aka Neil's busy

2011-07-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

So big weekend was just had.
This Thursday I garnered a new year in the age market,
and got a couple of great presents.
1st one, an iphone.
I no longer have the old 1999 flip phone.

I am one with the current trends.
I can get updates instantly, send out emails where ever I am,
begin Twittering! (Which I have done! Brilliantly I might add.) @eyeswidemusic
Most important I can view porn at a moments notice.
I'm pretty sure that's why handheld computer type systems were invented.

I took an easy day on my date of birth. I went to a few of my favourite pubs to have a drink at each and met up with a few people.
Lunch at Furusato Sushi.
No idea if that's how you spell it, No actually calls it by it's name since the sign on their store is just a giant SUSHI all lit up that can be seen from the highway.

THe Bull and Barrel for a mini jug of Big Rock.
Where my friend Kathy found me tucked away in the dark corner of the bar sitting alone.
It doesn't matter that I have old man tendencies already.
Next stop Moxie's for the White Chocolate Brownie and a pint of Grasshopper.
Also Julien was playing there that night. Joined us for a drink before his second set.
Down to The Local for Steam Whistle and Muskoka Summer something Can't remember but it has a banana after taste that at first I found pleasing, now wanting nothing to do with it. Where we met a few more chums.
Not enough ladies there for them so they bolted for another venue where they could put their eyes to work.
Next a short drink break for Ribfest 2011.
Advice from Mr. Crowe.
"Don't go to Ribfest nearing the end of the evening. The will not give you the freshest of ribs.'
At quick stop in Doneliegh's where we found our friends. They had the Carlsberg girls there tonight giving out free beer.

Finish up at Kenzington's with a rye and coke and a shot of Goldschlager.
Where it was suggested but not actually said that I am a vagina for wanting such a girly shot.
I didn't want to stay out I wanted to be well rested for the 1st show of my Summer tour.
So home I went.

Before the show Gina rolls up in my ride and tells me to come look outside.
(I just seem to always write lyrical magic)

She got Sleeman to sponsor my tour and I get to ride around the country with these killer signs on my car! Go Sleeman!

The show went well. I had a decent turn out. All the tables were filled. Sold some merch. Got some people added to the mailing list. All's well for show #1!
Did try to fit in Dave Matthews Tripping Billies into an original called Before, didn't work out so smooth, It was the first time I tried it. Just thought about it that morning. Just 23 more to go!

Again I couldn't stay out late because I had the Warrior Dash race in the early morning.

First one in Canada held in Horseshoe Valley in Ontario.
It was pretty awesome. but I didn't come out unscathed.

Warrior Dash is a 5km run in a mountainous terrain. It's held all over the world every summer.
People dress up if they want. THere were lots of different costumes, Ghostbusters, vikings, superheroes, Video Game Characters, Sexy girls, guys in full business suits, etc..
It's a fun race but also competitive. Everyone gets a plastic chip on their shoe that keeps track when you pass the start and finish line.
A clever way to get it back is that this plastic chip gets you a free beer. Who in their right mind is gonna lose that?
The race is littered with obstacles. Mud pits rope climbs a junk yard made up of cars and tires, a spiderweb of stretchy ropes, rope nets that you have to climb up. It's really quite fun.
I wasn't prepared for the hills. I thought there would be one or two. But the whole race consisted of my either going up or down a hill of varying degrees.
Early on maybe 2 KM's in I stubbed my toe on a small tree stump. Didn't think much of it until I felt it swelling in my shoe. after the race taking off my shoe my toe looked like this.

Looked up on the internet broken toe and I get images that look just like this.

So there you have it. My first broken bone.

There was also bit with this large slip and slide down a hill. As I was running up you could see people not really sliding they had no momentum. I thought run faster. jump and slide all the way down rather than push myself. Off I go landing hard on my ass. and shoot right off in to what I thought would be mud.

It was hard dirt littered with lots of stones. Get up and keep running with a few scrapes and a sore right cheek.

It did get me ahead of a few other runners.

The ending is a giant mud pit you've got to run through.

Here's a clip of me doing my best to get through.

The Start!

My dirty, dirty runners.

This is how you get clean.

I'm actually leaving for the first out of town show tomorrow in Brighton, ON. I've got some preparations to make so This may be my last blog for a while I will be updating the Facebook and twitter so check out those to see what's going on around Canada. @eyeswidemusic

-Neil

www.eyeswide.ca

Sans Sober aka Clarity Not Needed.

2011-07-03T00:49:00.000-07:00

3:30 am I walk into my house and speak a loud "Why is it so hot in here?"
Momentarily perplexed as to why it is actually hot in this building.
Come to my senses...
No air conditioning.
Drunk.
No concept of reality.
I brought a leaf home for Gina.
Bonus Crowe!
Blankets not needed.
Too awake to sleep.
write pointless Facebook message but decide to make it a blog at last minute.
Copy and paste.
Realized if you do not write Facebook with a capital F it is not recognized as a word.
Just remembered, forgot to go to Jeff's house party.
I blame Edwin.
Also blame the guy who I argued with about selling out as a musician.
I explained that I was right in the argument.
For the reason that in most arguments I am usually right from my point of view.
Had to spell check argument.
Since I spelled it arguement.
Apparently it is not the correct spelling while encumbered with alcohol.
I will find a photo to spice up this triad.

End of the Season and What did I buy?

2011-06-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

So Today I taught my last class of this School year.
One day early School ends tomorrow, but I've got an early morning Rogers TV appearance.
And really, what are the chances of someone calling in sick on the last day.
I can't say it was much of teaching though. I literally played board games all day. Sequence was my game of choice. I destroyed those grade 6's.

So For the past 5-6 weeks I've had a cough, all through my New York Tour, the shows before it and after it, my throat was tickled.
(If you didn't watch the Video with footage from the Tour Do it now!)

I have been very frustrated with this. Being a singer it's not great breaking a line with a coughing fit. To avoid the coughs I had to HOld back the voice a lot. Not holding notes as long, not singing with as much "aggression" as I like to, and in some cases not even attempting the song.
I've been to the doctors twice so far, I've tried cough medicine, Allergy medicine, a puffer, Cold fx pills, nothing worked, I've been x-rayed. Lungs are clear. I've been looking on the interweb to see what I can find out and I may have post nasal drip. I've been taking an antihistamine and decongestant. We'll see how that goes, If it doesn't work I've got a 3rd appointment lined up... on my birthday.

The Jul/August Tour is pretty much set. There are a few confirmations I'm working on But I guess They don't get to be on my snazzy poster.

Not that I've been able to send any of them out because of the Canadian Postal strike.

While booking his tour I got to look at a bunch of hunky Firemen. I needed a calendar to help keep track of the dates and the only one we had in the house just happened to be Barrie's Firefighters.

Sweet Mr August!

I'm all over Canada this Summer, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Moncton, to name but a few. Head to the Facebook event page To see all the cities and venues and sign yourself up for the attending side of things. HERE

I had planned to get new t-shirts made up with the tree logo. But the fellow I went through is unreachable. I had such a good deal, all the other companies feel outrageously overpriced to me. One company wanted over $10 a shirt!

It's getting pretty late since July 8th is the start. So we'll see If I'm able to come up with something.

If anyone has a suggestion for Screen printing t-Shirts send me a message.

I've made some purchases.

Musically.

Eddie Vedder Ukelele Songs

THis is one of the best purchases, not for the songs, but for the cd Case it self. THe songs are good, but It's rare when you get a really cool case It's like a hard cover book every page is a cool photo of Ed in Hawaii and the other page is the lyrics.

Like I said solid songs. He picks some great covers. I'm a big fan of old songs. Dream A Little Dream and Tonight You Belong To Me are great.

Foo Fighters Wasting Light

The Foo's are always good for some good rock songs. This one was a little weak for me Bridge Burning and Rope are great but I tend to pull the disc out before I get to the end.

I do love that they put in a piece of the reel from which they recorded. Since it was done all analog in Dave's Garage. I like bonus gifts in my CD's

I also watch the Doc. Back and Forth a little while ago. It's a good watch. I recommend it.

Armstice: Mission Bells

This little fella is accollaboration between Beatrice Martin (Coeur de Pirate) and Bedouin Soundclash frontman, Jay Malinowski.

I like it it's a short disc 5 songs. Mexican Flamenco style throughout. I've popped it in the stereo quite a few times.

Arctic Monkeys Suck It and See

Oh Arctic Monkeys So much I want to love everything you put out. But I can not.

THeir first two albums were great I listen to them all the time. Then Josh Homme produced your third. Quite a different sound acid rock but had a couple of tunes on there that I could get into. THis one... I've tried listening to it 5 or 6 times I've tried to find something that I liked. Sorry boys. I think I'm out.

...I'll probably still buy there next album hoping them head back to their original sound.

And This Little Beauty.. Black Frost.

When ever I'm in New York. Musicians ask you as you walk down the street, "want a cd?" So I decided to say, "Yes." I grabbed it and walked away. Thanking him as I left. He quickly caught up to me.

"Whoa, usually I accept a donation for this."

Alright, I gave him a couple of 1's I had in my pocket.

Then he wanted to sign it for me.

Spelled my name wrong.

Throw the CD in the car stereo, and it won't read.

Maybe it's been burned as an mp3.

throw it in the computer, it's blank.

I've got a blank, signed cd from Mr. Black Frost. And it's not even signed to the proper Neil.

Non-MUSIC

Vibram Five Finger Shoes

I like running and I like bare foot running. But I get blisters from the rocks and pebbles on the road and in the paths, plus cut here and there.

These things are awesome!

Good grip light and it's almost like barefoot.

They look a little odd but quite comfortable.

I'll be running in the Warrior Dash race July 8. It's got mud pits ropes fire... standard race terrain.

Some Photos

I played the Celebrate Barrie Festival. It was rainy attendance Poor.

I broke 2 guitar strings on the same song. I finished the song anyways.

This is not a magic potion. It is a bottle of Beer. It costs $100. I was not allowed to drink it.

That's all I got.

-Neil

www.eyeswide.ca

New York New York! aka lets make fun of Gina because I was perfect in every way.

2011-06-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

So I'm a little late on this here post.
Let's see if I can make it through the whole journey.
If you get tired of reading just skip to the bottom and watch the #22 music video with footage from New York. All filmed on a handy iPhone.

May 25th to May 31st I was not in the country, well I started off in the country.
Gina and I were drivin' to New York State for a collection of 4 shows.
May 26 Piano's
May 27 Kenny's Castaways
May 29 Freddy's Bar
May 30 Boulder Coffee Co.
THis was supposed to be a vacation for the 2 of us. The idea started out as a week in Cuba. Somehow we end up in New york with me working 4 out of 6 days...I can't say any of it was Gina's idea.

The morning of we were getting ready for our drive (it's only a 9 hour trek but we would stop half way in Pennsylvania somewhere to allow for more drinking in more cities)
I'm off getting a car wash, who get's a car wash the morning of a road trip? Wasn't my idea.
When I return home one of the dogs had diarrhea in the bed room narrowly missing my luggage.
Thank God.
Since i was out getting a pointless car wash I did not have to clean up said poop.

i'm one who likes new CD's when starting out a drive. Since I no longer steal music I went and bought
Fleet Foxes.

I've heard alot of good things.
Sadly good things did not come out of my car stereo speakers.
I don't believe I've removed a CD from my stereo faster.

Fleet Foxes are not road trip music. It's Folk with a hint of Chamber thrown in.
I've tried to listen to it 3 times.
I give up.

Finally on the road, I threw in a mix CD I made USA A-OK.
As we are listening
less than a minute in Gina turns and says.
"You did put the Beatles on here you shit."
Gina does not like the Beatles. When in the company of anyone other than me she tames her disdain for them by saying something like "I don't hate them I just don't like all of their songs."
I say "They are one of the biggest bands in the world (or were)."
"I'd argue that."
I end this ridiculous conversation, since I am clearly in the right.
But I'm sure to hear more about it when the second Beatles song comes on...track 7.

Close to the border Gina takes over the drive.
I've been fretting, (oh ya I fret!) about the border because
1. I don't have a visa
2. I have 4 shows in the US
3. I have t-shirts and CD's hidden all over the car.
I've been told if they catch you trying to come over and play shows without a VISA you can get banned from playing there. Not sure if it's true but worry about it I did.
I figured a polite smiling girl would be better to talk to at the gate rather than a growly bearded nervous musician.
And of course in all my intellectual glory I was right and we sailed on through.
TO celebrate I said lets stop in a tiny town and find a place for a pint!
We find a place called Weedsport, NY

A tiny little farming city I believe. The only bar we could find was called CJ's pub.
It had a wood screen door hat would slam closed behind you and above the washrooms read:
Mr. John L. Crapper and Mrs. John L. Crapper, respectively.
It had a collection of old white, grey, and balding men all seemed to be wearing white or tan shorts that showed an awful lot of thigh and white New Balance or fake nike runners all stained green from I'm assuming cutting the lawn. There were a few black and tan vests as well.
Happy Hour is a fantastic thing. It is not allowed in Ontario, because it is believed to encourage the act of getting wasted. I believe that an establishment that's purpose is to serve alcohol does that on it's own.
Here the pints were 2.50 but if you got a Coors $1.25.
I tried Magic Hat #9. Horrible.
"It tastes like food." I said passing it to Gina
"More like plasticine." Was her thoughts
She went with a Yuengling, which she quite enjoyed.
I think anything is enjoyable after Magic Hat #9.

Gina's iphone was not cooperating. It was our gps map and communication device to those back in Canada. All around it was pretty necessary, we thought. But it did not think so and refused to work.
So we had to travel old school with those giant paper maps that fill your car window like a sun shield.

Map folding is an art I do not have.

Gina has made a few odd comments and questions while on the road. Here are a few:

"What state are we in?"- after just crossing the Ontario border.

"There's not electricity in the car is there?"

"The more we drive south it gets colder. That's not right."

We are listening to a song by the band Jet. I say:

"10 points if you can tell me what country this band is from."

"California."

"Not a country, nice try."

Both of us were really surprised at how nice the drive through norther New York was. We didn't really have any idea what it would look like. but there are beautiful hills and mountains. THe only think that was not great were the dead deer every 3 miles and the amount of toll booths. Those yanks sure love toll booths.

Gina's a rule breaker.

Cutting through Pennsylvania, we were thinking of stopping in Scranton, only for the sake that we like The Office and that is where it was based but ended up stoping in Clark's Summit, on the outskirts.

Standard hotel that hosts lots of meetings. Seemed like a lot of sales men that worked for Verizon and Bell floating around everywhere. Best part was when we went to the pool there was a group of 8 men discussing a meeting they just had. Gina takes off her towel to get in the pool and the men, who were not able to see her turned there chairs and watched her swim. Very smooth gentlemen.

Nothing really happened in Clark's Summit. Except the discovery of this awesome salad.

It has Steak, Chicken, prawns, cheese and french fries. I believe there may be some vegetable like substances in there somewhere too.

In the paper Gina read that Scranton University students were being given the option of dropping out of school for $100,000 to start their own business. Oh, you crazy American economy.

THe next day we were heading to New York. still struggling with the paper map we made it to Manhattan.

We had some time so Gina wanted to go to Staten Island and get up inside Lady Liberty.

I on the other hand was wary about how much time we had before rush hour traffic. I had no interest in driving during that. Gina didn't realize you had to take a ferry over, so we went to Staten Island park or something like that and looked at her backside. What a sexy back it was. Justin Timberlake.

Off we go to our Hotel. We had to drive through the Holland Tunnel to get where we was gettin' to, and right before the tunnel was a sign it read "Lincoln Tunnel Left" and starts turning.

"What are you doing?"

"I have to go left!"

"No we go through the Holland tunnel it's is right there!"

"But it said to turn left."

"No the sign said Lincoln Tunnel left."

"What do I do? Get The map."

"We don't need a map. Just turn around."

So we get to our hotel at 14th and 8th. We are on the 5th floor. There are no elevators. Carrying my backpack, a guitar and Gina's suitcase in 30 degree weather was a work out. But having to climb up and down this thing multiple times was horrible. Everyday our key would quit working we'd have to go back down to get a new key scanned then back up again. My favourite time was when Gina for got her phone after just coming down, so back up I go, to find our key didn't work, then down get it switched over back up to get said phone then back down. I was damp.

THis hotel was in a great area across the Street Was Mc-something I can't remember but it was an Irish pub with not one but TWO happy hours. 12-7 and 12-2. Such a magical place it was. So basically 2 for one drinks every time we went in! on one particular afternoon I wanted a quick drink before we set out. I paid for the one and ended up drinking 5. (went back and looked up name McKenna's)

We met an Irishman by the name of George.

He moved to the US to marry a girl just to get a VISA after the marriage she got pregnant by some fellow in Texas. Because of some Texas law because they were married the kid had to be his. Crazy Texans didn't they know it was just a paper marriage?

He was a fun character but got drunk super fast. I'm not really sure if he stopped drinking from the night before to when we met him.

Another awesome place we discovered was this one

La Taza De Oro

This turned out to be our favourite eatery on the trip. We only got in twice on the third day it was closed for Memorial Day. But those black beans and rice were glorious!

Alot of the trip was exploring pubs restaruants, pizza places. Stuff like that. We were carelessly consuming. round bellies were expected on our return.

The first gig was at Piano's, upstairs. This was one of the hardest room I've ever played right up there with the middle bar of Ottawa's Pub 101. There was a bar underneath us that had full bands. and a bar just down the stairs that had a dj or someone's ipod blaring. plus we tended to be a bit of an overflow area so loud conversations were held all around us. Needless to say not many people were listening. but Gina went around and managed to score tips from everyone up there. Nothing wrong with a hot chick asking for donations.

Our friend Kelsey Warren from the band Pillow Theory came out and toured around town with us. You can see some of him in the video for #22. We went to Frites a place that does not put cheese and gravy on their fries. Here I thought it was common place.

THe next day We were going on a tour and Gina has a pouty look on her face before we leave.

"What's wrong?"

"You didn't say how I look."

"Well you didn't say how I look either."

"Yes I did!"

"What did you say?"

"I don't know but when I remember I'll tell you."

"Ha!"

Little did she know I remember what she said and it was the day earlier...I have nice calves apparently.

We do some exploring Rockefeller Centre Trump Tower, Central Park, half naked rippling abbed guys in Abercrombie Fitch.

The usual stuff.

At a stop light Gina says "I have a feeling." goes back to a short fellow at the light post and puts $5 in a satchel over flowing with bills. "How did you get like this she asks?" Turns out he was born that way. he has no legs and on his hands only thumbs. A perpetual thumbs up. She asks him some more questions I wasn't paying attention to turns out he is a public speaker, and a hip hop manager. He shows us his iphone. I show him my old 90's flip phone and then he shows us his ipad2. Gina you just gave money to the wealthy. When we said good by there was a slight, should I shake has "hand"? I kinda wanted to I grab his nub while he plays thumb war with the rest of my hand. Ah well, next time.

The next venue was quite a bit better. Kenny's Castaways. The sound was great, people hung out and listened to my whole set and I got to see Gina get up walk over and tell a bunch of cackling girls to be quiet and watch the show. Kind funny. I've been hearing more and more about performs telling the audience to be quiet.

During the evening instead of a drink up we did a pizza challenge. Every pizza joint we came across we got a slice. Here are a few Fat Sal's, Two Boat, Brick House, Ravioli. I didn't write down any other names but we went back to the hotel quite full. My favourite was probably John's, great pizza!

Brooklyn was the next stop. Freddy's bar in South Slope. The downtown area was dead Memorial weekend on a Sunday 30plus weather. People were at BBQ's or out at a cottage. Not a great evening for music. but play on we must. before we went to the bar we found a different bar called Quarter. I loved it nice vibe stiff drinks a great staff. After our gig we ended up back there for 3 or so more!

Freddy's bar is pretty unique but I was surprised that the bands were playing in the side off shoot room. down a hallway behind a door. The night started off with a full band then me, then an folk musician. Kind of the opposite of a standard musical night. The band( their name escapes me even though I bout a shirt, something about a Shark) Had cue cards for their chorus'. So even though we've never heard the songs we were singing along. Good idea, says I.

After the show we played a little guitar in the street while sitting on the back of a Truck. a roof top party was going on and some boys came down to bring us beer. Once again, I love New York.

Rochester was the next stop packing up in Brooklyn we sail northward. Nothing exciting on the drive as I recall. Just more dead deer.

Didn't see a whole lot of Rochester. But the Boulder Coffee House is a great venue. I'll be trying to get back over there sooner than later. just quirky art great lay out and shares an outside patio with a barbecue joint next door.

This is a long blog. I may have missed something here or there but that is the gist of the vacation/tour.

Here's is the music Video to #22 with footage from our New York venture. Hope you enjoy!

-Neil

www.eyeswide.ca

Wait one last Gina dig...

WHile conversing with someone I don't remember who, The Beatles came up again.

"I'm just more into music from the 40's and 50's." says Gina

"Oh ya who?" ask I.

"Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe..."

"What?!?"

I'm pretty sure the Happy Birthday to the President doesn't count as a top 40 hit.

Last Canadian Show for a Week

2011-05-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

Last 2 Canadian shows for a week were in Toronto and St. Catharine's
Next up NYC, Brooklyn, and Rochester.
Set Lists (plural)
Toronto The Only Cafe May 19, 2001

Set 1 Set 2
Animal Man On Fire
To Believe Conscious Man
E-Dub Come Together (cover)
Dynamite (cover) Day Waster
Further Down The Road Celebrity Status
#22 Broadripple Is Burning (cover)
If You Could Read My Mind (cover) What Are We Gonna Do When September Comes (cover)
Infinity 8 All Too Easy
Pride Brick
   ENCORE:
   Peaches & Cream (cover)
   Waiting

St. Catharine's, ON Strega Cafe May 21, 2001

Set 1 Set 2
Man On Fire To Believe
E-Dub If You Could Read my Mind (cover)
Frenemies Concious Man
What Are We Gonna Do When September Comes (Cover) Animal
Further Down The Road Infinity 8
Celebrity Status Dynamite (cover)
My Love (cover)
#22
Pride

There we are, some set lists.

So I asked Now, the music/art paper, to put in my Toronto show in their calendar. This is what was placed.

See it there? right above parts and labour?
Ya, well, it worked. Two people came in and said they saw it in Now.
Simplicity works.

The Only cafe is a cool little venue on Danforth, it's part cafe, part bar, part hostel.
Great staff. If I lived there I would hang out during my drinking time.
Good beer selection too.
Andre and Rob from Paint come buy for a listen.
They told me about when they were in Barrie last during there set a hot girl came up to the stage and gave Andre a note. after their last song they all huddle around the drum kit excited to check out what she wrote on the note.
It said:
"Neil Crowe neil@eyeswide.ca"
It was from me I was drunk at the bar chatting with the drummer earlier my girlfriend passed on my info.
Somewhat of a let down for the band I suppose.
I don't put out.

Strega Cafe has amazing food.
I didn't have many people, it is the May long weekend everyone is out camping, plus that little old thing about the end of the world....

Sing!

I cut my hair for the first time since last summer.

good bye long shag.

You shall be missed. Kinda.

here's a song from Strega!

I still don't have a phone yet that access' the interweb. so my twitter account lies stale. I have accumulated 5 followers though. Little did they know that they would be following nothing.

If any of you miscellaneous readers would like the chance to follow nothing for the time being go to @eyeswidemusic

I have had some witty Seinfeld-esque observations the last couple days. If only I had the phone to twitter upon. My account would blow up to Ashton Kutcher levels.

"He's so clever" they would say "He's so real" they might also say.

TEACHER TALE

I'm out on recess duty, kids be runnin' around as kids do. One lad, larger than most (his size does not matter to the story, just thought I'd mention it), drops down in front of me from the equipment with a large ripping sound. We both stand there looking at each other and at the same time look down at the crotch of his pants where there is now a big 30 cm (or 1 foot for you yanks) tear in his pants showcasing his underwear.

I can't help but burst out laughing. but quickly rein it in.

"Sorry dude, but that was funny," I say.

"it's ok I can just hold it." As he pushes the ripped part in between his pressed together thighs and tries to walk.

I say "No you should head to the office see if they can give you a new pair or close up the hole some how."

"No, I can just hold it," still trying to walk with his thighs glued together.

"Nope, to the office." I insist.

He starts balling.

I say "Don't worry man it's just a pair of pants, you won't get in trouble."

In between the sobs he says "I want to keep playing! It's not fair!"

THis kid doesn't care that he's flashing his underwear, or that he ripped his pants, or that a teacher was laughing at him in front of his friends, or even that his mom might be mad at him. He's crying because he has to stop playing tag.

So I says to the guy, I says, "Get to the office."

End scene.

-Neil

www.eyeswide.ca

I bought some CD's! So should you...namely mine.

2011-05-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

05/12/11
Set List for The Music On Main Festival

To Believe
Man On Fire
Dynamite (cover)
Infinite 8
Day Waster
What Are We Gonna Do Come The Month Of September (cover)
Further Down The Road
Pride
Brick
Standing At The Podium (w/ Grant Boyer and Cameron Austin's drummer, Rick)

The turn out of this show was not great a lot of people didn't seem to know that there was a Festival kick off this night. but after I played I got a lot of positive praise. It made up for the lack of people.

As I said before I want to buy more CD's so far I have procured 3
Sam Roberts-Collider
Iron and Wine- (I don't remember the name, but's the new one)
and Grant Boyer- (also don't remember the name but it's a live CD recorded at The Groundswell a place I played a few months back)

The Sam Roberts CD is awesome I really recommend it. Great grooves interesting lyrics. A little saxophone heavy a times though which is new for them.

Iron and Wine. I haven't gotten into this one very much I'm used to his simple acoustic songs or three piece songs. This has horns strings and samples. so at first listen I wasn't into it I'll give it another try when I've got a long car ride.
Grant is great singer and it's cool to hear him play this soft soulful songs, since his in quite a heavy band called Entropy. I like the little audio treats he put in a the end of the cd.

I just joined Twitter. I do not have a twitter friendly phone. So I don't know how beneficial it will be for me right now. anyways if you are into twitter find me at @eyeswidemusic

Computer is going to die and I am too lazy to find the charger.
Good Day.
-Neil
www.eyeswide.ca

Return of the alcohol and other less important things.

2011-05-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

I can drink again.
It was a long month but I'm back on the sauce.
at 12:17am on May 1st I poured this beauty.

The necessary equipment.

The thick bottom glass is great, just like on a lady.

Oh, 40 Creek one day I will be your sponsor....

Short Teaching Tales

4 Square
It was stressed that you don't try to get anyone out.
A game where you pass a ball to other people in the 4 squares trying to advance to the fourth square.
The way you advance to the next square?
getting people out.
But you are not trying to get them out.
But you need to.
So ever time I would bounce the ball to a student making it difficult for them to return it, I would be in the wrong. But when the students whip the ball past me, they are in the right.
It's a stupid game.

Kids like to tell me that they know someone who is taller than me.
I guess they are putting me in my place. "Who does that guy think he is? Walkin' around all tall and stuff. Imma tell him what's what."
So this is my recent conversation.
Student is walking up to me in the hall.
"My cousin is bigger than you."
Great.
"Well my sister is bigger than you." I retort.
The lad looking defeated droops his head and says "I know."
"Oh ya? You've met my sister?"
Then he walks away.
Mr. Crowe 1, students 0.

Short Busking Tales

I've hit the side walk.
I'm playing to the masses.
I'm also hanging with my dog.

Trail is my harmony

People so far have been quite courteous to my playing, sure there are folks ho walk to the other side of the street before they get to me, so they don't feel bad when they walk by not throwin' me change.
But you don't need to give me anything. People are allowed to just hang out and listen.

I must look homeless. A little girl came up to me with two boxes of dog treats.
I swear I'm not going to use the money on drugs. Just Whiskey.

I've seen a big fight in front of the Dollarama, and a crazy women was telling me how everyone is following her and trying to shut her up because they sell drugs and she doesn't. I felt bad for the elderly couple who walked past us at that moment.
So it's excitement on the corner and I get to play the theme music.

It seems college age boys like to laugh at me while they drive past. It's happened more than once. But on the plus side, I get extra long looks for the ladies driving by.
Take that college guy with your pink collared t-shirt and highlighted hair!

Told my mom my about my new side job as a street performer.
She was not happy.
"Uuugh, I've seen those guys around here. Why would you do that?"
Support to the bitter end.

It's good practice. I'm used to singing into a mic so I can sing soft and it projects. This is forcing me to belt out across the street, and across traffic. Very challenging for me, So I appreciate my time on the corner.

I've got a Festival to play tonight
The Music On Main Music Festival.
I'll be selling for the first time my Live at CHSR CD
I've decided to steal an idea from The Sons of York and put original art on the disc's. (I bought one from them that had Hawkman on it!) Everyone will be unique.
Here's a few pics:

If you want to see all of the ones I've drawn so far head to the Eyeswide Facebook Page
I'll be selling them for $5 half the price as my Full Length CD.

I've got some good shows coming up this month.
May 12 Cookstown, ON The Iron Horse
May 19 Toronto, ON The Only Cafe
May 21 St. Catherine's, ON Strega Cafe
May 26 New York, NY Piano's
May 27 New York, NY Kenny's Castaway's
May 29 Brooklyn, NY Freddy's Bar
May 30 Rochester, NY Boulder Coffee Co.

Maybe I will see a few of you blog readers there...

OK I believe the pile of dirty dishes are calling me or is that the Wii I can never tell.

-Neil
www.eyeswide.ca

I am a busker. I want to buy CD's again.

2011-04-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

I am now a street performer. I got my license and everything. See?

So I can test out my change gaining abilities on street corners and such. Next week is my first time I'll be playing in front of a corner cafe downtown Barrie.

I few months ago I discovered downloading.

Of course I've always known about it. Just never did it.

I also like to watch tv only when a show comes out on DVD, usually they are HBO shows.

I can't remember what it was, maybe Big Love or Californication, but I couldn't find the season and thus downloading was introduced to me.

Now I download movies and music from torrent sites.

But I feel bad. I really do.

(mainly about the music less so over the movies)

Plus the movies tend to be in shitty quality anyways.

But I am trying to buy CD's again.

It's just hard is all.

Recently I heard a song by the band The Funeral Party. It's been on my mind to go and find a disc by them. I was in a Futureshop today. I used to buy quite a lot of discs from them about 5 years ago. Now they had 3 racks of CD's nothing of note, certainly no Funeral Party. HMV has also lost a lot of disc space. They have new releases at the front and the back corner has some others. The rest of the store is loaded with DVD's video games and... Books?!? (although I do like books, it just doesn't seem to fit HMV)

Side Note* I heard HMV stands for His Masters Voice. Anyone one know if this is true?

I miss going into a CD store and searching through the disc's trying to find something different.

I also miss having an actual CD in my hand to look through the insert and read lyrics, see who are the band members and what they played....etc....

I can see why a lot of people download (I'm doing it)

I hate when I find a disc by a lesser known band that I've been wanting to get but it has a price tag of $24-29. That blows. ( I do remember buying Primus' first CD Suck on This for 24.99, actually I had my mom buy it for me) I suggest if you see that price, go to the bands site (if you can't see them live) and buy it directly from them. It will surely be cheaper, and sometimes they throw you extra things.

I am going to stop downloading music from torrent sites.

Maybe this karma will come around and people will buy/download my tunes.

We'll see.

I suggest if you are in Ontario go to one of my favourite music stores Sunrise Records. It's great!

I will be giving an extra thing away soon as well check my website in the next little while to find out what...

-Neil

www.eyeswide.ca

Recording at Chalet Studios Last Summer.

2011-04-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

2 posts in 2 days?!?!

Ya I'm still sick.

Stuck at home.

At least last night I sweated a lot of the sick out of me.

Didn't make for a comfortable night, but at least I know I'm getting better.

So when I went to Chalet Studios http://www.chaletstudio.ca/ to record in Three Days It was originally In Two Days, because I had only 2 days to record the CD. I later was able to go to Red Sonic Studios http://www.redsonicstudios.com/ , where I had my mastering done, and record 3 more tracks. Anyway, for some reason I was never able to put the videos into the editor on my Mac to make a cool little montage. I kind of forgot about them. and I'll be wiping this PC very soon and those videos will go with them. So I'm going to post some of them here, unedited. Hope you enjoy them.

Natural Things Practice

I Can't Play The Piano

The Intro is Key

The Song Chart

A look around the Studio while Aaron plays

Waiting from the Booth Last vocal take

I've got other's but they are either too long or too boring. It seems I've already deleted some of these videos because I remember there being a lot more. Ah well.

So there is a little bit of Eyeswide history. It's not even 1 year ago but it feels like it was quite longer. I'm planning on preparing the next album after the 2011 summer. I've got about 5 or 6 songs I'd like to record right now plus I've got 7-8 more where I've got varrying levels of completion. A few music is complete, a few have just verse chorus riffs. I've got some scattered lyrics for most of them. I'm thinking September is a good month to write.

-Neil

http://www.eyeswide.ca/

http://www.neilcrowe.com/

My Body Does Not Want to Function. How Selfish Of It.

2011-04-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

Today I am ill.
I do not feel great.
My body is chilly and hot. I have a heavy head. I am weak, kitten like.
I am also mucousy. Let's not forget that.

I felt like writing something but not really about anything.
I'll mainly post some images.
Sadly I will not chat about the kids game I dislike so much, maybe next time.
In the realm of education I was renamed again. 2 students gave me s couple of more light hearted but I find creepier names than the ones pertaining to poop.
They were, Mr Lovebear and Mr. Cuddlebum.
I'm pretty sure I gave these kids absolutely no reason to inspire those names.

Summer tour is going good I'd like to have it completed by Mid May. I've got 11 or 12 dates confirmed about 6 unconfirmed and some floating around waiting for me to figure out where they are.
Here's the promo image I decided to use to promote the tour. I'm a classy guy.

I;ve got some images done I'll be using for T-Shirts and Stickers. I'll save them for later until I finally decide which ones I'm going with.

Some more New York dates have popped up so the "You can't call this a tour" poster might not appropriate. Because , well, it seems to be turning into a short US tour.

I've got a banner floating downtown Barrie. It will be there until the end of June I believe.

It's to help promote The Spring Art tour, which I'm apart of.

I did my bet shimmying to get up hear.

I think the bed calls for me again.

Short and sweet.

While Promoting my CD I didn't play anything from it. I also hugged Grimace.

2011-04-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

SET LIST Thursday Apr 14, 2011
To Believe
Infinity 8
Animal
Come Together (Beatles cover)
Brick
E-Dub
Dynamite (Taio Cruize cover)
What Are We Gonna Do Come The Month Of September (Matt Mays cover)
Man On Fire
I'm going to start listing my set lists. Here's the first one. Maybe I should add them to my website as well. What do you think?

I had my art opening the other night for the Focus on Art gallery showing at Chris Schell's Optometry Clinic http://eyecarebarrie.com/ I didn't have a huge turn out but that's ok as Tara said "It's the quality of the show." I remember Theo Huxtable saying something similar to his friends in the change room when they asked him how many ladies his been tappin'.
I was amazed at how good the sound was in that place!
Here I was hiddling with my floor monitor. No sound was coming out of it, then I realize, Hey now! I don't need this. The room sounds amazing!
Now I still need to look in to the monitor to see what the trouble was... later, later.
For some reason I decided the night before that i was not going to play any songs form my CD.
I don't really have a reason. Some might say "Um Neil that is foolish." or "You're a fucking retard."
But I say Ney!
I wanted to play songs I wanted to play. And the audience enjoyed it thoroughly. I actually ended up playing one track from the CD , Man On Fire. They were enjoying and I thought one more was in order. Sort of an Unrequested encore, if you will.
Sold a goodly amount of CD's and got hooked up with a well paid gig in June so The night was a success says I.
Summer tour booking is in full force so far Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Alberta are locked in. As well another New York show added to the list in good ol' Rochester!

This is my red pick. It is my favourite. It's got a nice grip, not to hard, not too soft. Just right.

But some times it takes time off. Every now and again it disappears for varying amounts of time, and pops up just in time for an important show (but Neil are they not all important shows?) I had not seen this litlle guy for about 3 weeks before my Art opening show and 2 days before, there it is! it must be magic.

I am currently not drinking for the month of April. 15 days down 15 to go.

I find that with out the drinks I become less social in the evenings and go to bed earlier. I had free tickets to see Tokyo Police Club and Hollerado. after the opening band Dinosaur Bones, I went next door to have a seat until the next band set up. While sitting I got really tired and talked my self into going home to bed. I did see them already, I didn't pay for the tickets, I do have to work in the morning. Ya let's get outta here. And off I went.

I'm a party animal.

There have been a couple of times where i've craved a pint in a pub are a nice rye and coke in a heavy glass. That's about it.

So how many of you have gotten a chance to hug Grimace. Or better yet who remembers who Grimace is? ok how about the Hamburglar? Oh Ya I was at McDonalds for a grand opening and hung out with the McFamily. Wouldn't you wrap your arms around that giant purple gum drop?

OK that is all tonight.

Next time, a child's game I refuse to play.

-Neil

www.eyeswide.ca

I've been renamed....twice.

2011-04-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

At work on Friday. I was given two new names.
The children felt The Mr. Crowe did not do justice to the awesomeness I exude.
Thus I was dubbed Mr. Crap and Mr. Shittypants. I think the last one is Italian.

To say the least it was nice to not have to work the next day.

I did an audition last week to be a street performer in Barrie this summer.

Me plus 4 our judges from Barrie, Toronto, Owen Sound, and Orillia.

I'm not really sure if I want to actually do it, or if I can because I will be off traveling the Canadian countryside in July/August area. but I figured what the hell. I've only busked once. It was in New York. I can't see any spot in Barrie having anything close to that effect Central Park had on me. Nonetheless it will be exposure.

how grumpy do I look? I was actually trying to remember words.

I'm also wearing a She Roars! T-shirt an East Coast band I played with in Fredericton.

I returned to Toronto. I had the offer to open for a band at THe Smiling Buddha Bar. I didn't have much chance to promote because I found out about it the night before. I ended up with 12 people all from Thunder Bay(my home town). But here's why I bring this up.

I took off after my set and did not watch the main act.

Not a great thing to do, I don't usually leave with out seeing the other acts. It seems rude.

But this group of guys, who I have not seen in a long while and do not live in the area, wanted to go else where for drinks so I felt it was ok to slink off before the others started.

But as we were heading out the singer was outside having a smoke and asked where we were going and told us it was his birthday.

It was just, you know, I felt bad already but being caught leaving was like putting salt on the wound.

SO far it looks like I will not be apart of any Festivals this summer. I was hoping to get one or two and plan a tour around them. I've gotten either rejections and no replies. Which I guess is not a surprise. I'm new, I don't have a large following, I've not played many of the cities where the fests are taken place, and I'm not a full band. A lot of things going against me.

So this month I will start emailing and calling venues to plot out a cross Canada tour first to the East, then the West, and finally back to the Toronto area.

I've been collecting venues over the past year and have quite a good list, a mix of bars, coffeehouses, and music venues. I'm always adding to it.

If any of you out there know of a good place to play in your hometown let me know I'll try and get a show there this summer.

I may have sent this before, I've sent my CD off to the Canadian College radio stations, since it was released, but I never knew if it was being played or not. But now I have proof that my songs ARE being played (at one station anyway) The Ex in Kamloops, BC lists it's daily log and my songs pop up once or twice a week. They even played the intro track. Which I never expected anyone to play.

There we are at the bottom my song Waiting is in a set with Gas Light Anthem, Motorhead and Dashboard Confessional. Not too shabby if I do say so. Sure Eyeswide is supposed to be one word, what can you do?

I must Thanks The Ex ( http://www.thex.ca/ ) for playing my songs.

New York coming up. So far only one show I'm playing Piano's on May 26th. I would like one or two more butI can't complain. I'll be on Vacation with my girlfriend and I get to play a cool club in NYC.

I've go to practice some guitar before lunch.

Off I go.

-Neil

www.eyeswide.ca

Tonight I choose nothing, and you get to read about it.

2011-03-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

This is all I want to do tonight. Yup I sleep on the floor. It's a personal choice.

It is Earth Hour tonight. I have decided to stay at home.
As I was laying here I figured I would blog about what I do during my time of not doing anything.
I thought about starting to make a couple of gig posters.
I've got some upcoming gigs around southern Ontario. Since I'm not doing any major touring until he summer (all of Canada, that's the plan anyway) I decided to send out some emails to surrounding coffeehouses. And so far looking good. Heading back to Toronto, and then I'll be playing a few cities I've never played before. Oakville, St Catherine's, and South River. Plus, I'm hitting New York in May as well it's supposed to be a vacation, but...
Anyway the shows are not for a while and I've basically got 3 weeks to get them done.
So, no.
Posters will not get worked on.

Ah hell. I said last time I would talk about art shows.
Ok so first thing I'm doing tonight is blogging.
Blog.
I've been able to take part in an art show called Focus on Art for an Optometrist.
Chris Schell brings in a new artist every 2 to 3 months has an opening and there they will hang for a while.

It starts next month. I've got 6 canvas plus 3 or 4 framed photo's. One of my pieces I'm not too pleased about.
It's this one.

I did some shorts for a restaurant in Barrie, ON and they liked this series of a brick wall. Yup I took pictures of a wall.

But every time I printed them they would not come out like this image. They would be too dark so I tried brightening them up a bit and then too bright. It was costing me money to experiment.

When I started printing on canvas the pictures were coming out exactly like the images in the computer. I thought I would give this one another chance but it came out to dark. I like the pic. A lot of people think it's a painting, I just wish I could get it out exactly like I see it here.

If you are so interested head to www.neilcrowe.com for more art pieces.

Needless to say I'm looking forward to the opening. Will I sell any? Who knows. I'll be showing it off plus during the opening I'll be playing some tunes as well.

I'm also part of a Barrie Spring art tour in June. I'll have a banner hanging downtown Barrie, ON with this image, for a few months.

it's around 5 feet long 2 and a half wide.

That's pretty cool I thinks.

Anyway the Spring tour is a two day art show at various venues around the city.

Just a little more exposure for Mr. Crowe.

Ok back to my lazy day. as of 8:08pm

I've got 22 min until it's lights out for an hour. I will close the computer and resume the excitement of what happens in 24 Weymouth Rd.

But I've got just enough time to watch The Daily SHow with John Stewart. American Politics is like a soap opera to me. Everyone involved is two faced. How can you not watch!

Trump 2012! interesting.

Is that the year the US will get rid of all unions?

9:30 pm For the past hour I helped save the world.

So Earth Hour I wanted to do some looking around to see what the people have to say about you.

It does not assist with Global Warming. It seems it's more about sending a message. Which I support. I sat here in the dark. (had to turn on the lights to go to the washroom though, didn't want an accident.) Also Candles are actually even worse in creating carbon emissions than electric lights.

That I didn't know.

I think maybe that Earth hour supporters should not suggest using candles.

People who don't believe in Earth Hour seem to come off as jerks. Not because they don't want to be a part of it. But for the one s who say I'm turning on everything electrical in my house to protest it and calling everyone who takes part hippies and tree huggers. You could just not turn off your lights and ignore the whole hour of the one day of the year.

I'm drinking a Killkenny. It's made in Ireland. It's got some niceness going for it, namely the alcohol content.

When I first decided to stay in I was very tired and did not want to move. Now I am somewhat awake and getting a little bored.

Problem.

My car is not here. The lady is using it.

I read a bit.

What am I reading? So kind of you to ask.

Ken Follett's World Without End

It's interesting lots of things happening. It will also be the second or third longest books I've read.

Added some info to the art website about the shows.

Contemplating Mario Galaxy.

Yes that's it Here I come Wii.

Darn.The batteries for the remote are dead and need charging.

and in 20 min the Roommate is watching UFC.

No Wii for me.

Book and another beer.

I'm going to watch In The Name of the Father again. I like Daniel Day Lewis so I Imbd'd him.

I can't say I have any interest in watching his past movies outside of the 2000's except for in the name of the father.

it's 1045 I think I will end this experiment of the doing nothing blog.

until next time.

-Neil

www.eyeswide.ca

I blame Gina and Denis Leary.

2011-03-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

I had big plans I tell you.
Big Plans!
It seems they have been all for naught.
I'm so dramatic.

The banjo guitar from Casa Del Sol in Barie, ON

As of Friday 3:30pm I have been off work for March Break.
My last day of work was a grade one class.

There was a girl who, before the class started, came into the room all smiles and sat down on the carpet, turned to me and said "Fuck."

I nod my head, An interesting day is ahead of me.
I had one girl head butt another girl.
"It's not like I hit her like this," Shows me a punch in the air, "I hit her like this." Shows me a quick head butt, also to the air.
Also a young boy made a plastic chain noose type thing put it around a girls neck and yanked.

Needless to say I was looking forward to my break.

I had these grand plans that I was going to get a whole mess of work done and do some more writing.
Set up my music equipment, test out some song layering, work on photo's book more shows, work out... All this kid of stuff I get to tired to do after a day of teaching.

I blame Gina and Denis Leary (just like the title)
Gina Bought me a Wii and I have been playing that quite alot. Just the Mario games.
As Well, Mr Leary, I have discovered your show Rescue Me. Very entertaining, sir.
Allas the combination of these two things have taken up much of my time.
I get up in the morning, go for a run. (I'm not as fast as I was) piddle on the internet, send emails update this and that, whatever. then end up watching the show or playing my game. Usually both.
Horrible.
Maybe I need this break?
I've been pushing myself quite a lot do the paying job, research for touring, find gigs, find places to show my art, write a blog, work out. I kinda miss being 14. I didn't do anything when I was fourteen, and the day lasted forever! Now the day is over in two hours and I never get everything done.

Enough of that.
So the yearly celebration for March 14th just happened, If you don't know what it is look it up.

Here's a hint though. it's from the Keg and that is my desert.

That's also a delicious double rye and coke.

Continuing on.

I talked Gina out of a week in Cuba, and because of this I am currently booking a very short New York tour, last week in May.
"No baby, I swear New York will be way more fun that a week in an all exclusive resort. We'll stay in hostels, eat sparingly, drive long hours. It's going to be awesome!"
And to help out with my booking I've been using this site. http://www.indieonthemove.com
It's pretty good but only deals with the US. has a pretty extensive list of venues per state with comments by people who have played there. It's saved me a lot of time for finding venues. But now I've got to play the waiting game, and see if I get any responses. I've got one gig booked in New York City so far.
hoping to get something on he way down as well as the way back in Buffalo, Rochester, or Ithica, something like that. We shall see. If I don't end up with anything. That will be ok. Since it is a little holiday for us I don't need to "work" every night.
I have a pet peeve. It's those showcases that some miscellaneous promoter will put on. The rules are: buy 10 tickets for $7 or $8 a piece and sell them, then you can play our venue, What a profit for a band.
"You mean we get to promote for you sell your tickets perform at the show AND get $20? (if we sell all the tickets)"
I sent off an email to a bar called The National Underground and they responded with "We'd love to have you play here.... then.... Just so you know you have to buy these tickets and sell them."
I'm a touring act. I'm not from the city let alone the country, and you want me to sell tickets?
Needless to say I will not be playing at The National Underground Downstairs.

I have done this type of show before in Toronto. The one I did was called Hotboxxx it's run by a guy named Dante. I didn't sell all my tickets (only 2) so my set was cut I only got to play 3 songs.

It's more of a entity for bands that have not played anywhere before, and haven't figured out how to book a show.

I think these types of shows could be et up better. For one The promoter should not take 70-80% of the earnings from the band. They are selling the tickets and playing the show. Plus $10 for 10 unknown and sometimes terrible bands is not appealing to the public. Either bring in a known band for all these newbies to play before or charge $5 dollars and get some kind of drink special so that we may get drunk while listening to the out of key solos that go on too long.

Well enough of this.

I've got some art shows coming up that will be the next blog topic. Mario is a callin'!

-Neil
www.eyeswide.ca
www.neilcrowe.com

Title Choice: Bonjour. Comma C'est va? Bon! or Justin Beiber was in Harry Potter.

2011-03-06T04:38:00.000-08:00

I was bombarded with the French language this week.
3 days straight teaching the language to grade 7's and 6's, plus there was a French baby running around the house during those days.

Hard at work, with perfect hair.

I can't speak French very well but I taught it....kinda.
I passed out work booklets and told the kids to look up the words they don't know in the French/english dictionary.
I am a motivator.
I knew a good chunk of the words and could have easily told them what they mean. But as soon as they write their answer down, it would leave their head.
At least with them taking the time to look it up themselves they may have a better chance of remembering it's meaning.
I don't know if that's true or not, but that's what I'm going with.
I brought my guitar to each class the end of the period play them a song. I learned Dynamite by Taio Cruize

here's why I decided to learn that song. Sarah Winters does a very unexpected, haunting version, my version is slow as well, I may make a youtube video of it as well some day.
and barely got through Bruno Mars Grenade. Kids like that stuff so you know.....

I find that although the boys tend to dislike Justin Beiber quite vehemently, (what's a word like that doing in my blog?) they are the ones talking about him the most. Also they get his hair cut and wear the same clothes as him, soooooooo, Most likely teenage boys are closet Beib fans.
Apparently the Beib got a hair cut. It's quite the news amongst the teens.

Lets have a look.... google search.....and

Well that's kind of underwhelming.

I thought there was going to be some shocking new style. There he is. Along with this vigorous search I learned that the hair that was cut off, sold for over $40,000.

I actually think he looks like the girl from the Harry potter movies.Let's see, google search.....

Holy Hell that looks just like him!

I think I discovered some thing.

Enough about Beiber. Beiber out.

So there was a little French Baby running around the house.

I didn't know that at first.

I'm speaking to him and getting no response.

A little later in the day i hear his mother speaking french to him.

"Oh, " I say, "he only speaks French."

"no he speaks mainly french,some English and Spanish too."

um so this kid is 2 maybe coming on 3, and he's got a more worldly tongue than me.

It wasn't that he didn't understand me he sensed his linguistic superiority and chose not to respond to a simpleton.

Well I'll show him, I start speaking French to him whenever he's around, just the words I know Pomplamouse, Mecredi, un chein, just whatever pops in my head. So far nothing.

On Thursday I come home after work, pretty tired go up to my bedroom take off my pants, (pants can be so cumbersome) and get into bed.

Shortly after the door opens and closes. I assume it's Gina,

turn over, and there is the French baby staring at me.

"Bonjour." I say

I get a nonchalant "Bonjour." in return

Success! the beginnings of a conversation.

"Comma C'est Va?"

nothing.

"Ca'va mal?"

shakes his head.

He walks over, lays down and grabs my dogs tail and rubs his face all over it.

The French baby, turns out is not a dialectical arch nemesis, it is a dopey baby.

His mother comes to the door, without opening it and calls for him to come out.

He lift his head and yells "Non!" and resumes brushing his face with the dogs tail.

That was the last I say of the French baby, they all headed out friday morning to impose the sassy french, spanish english baby upon other mono-linguistic persons.

This blog has no music info unless you count my rant of the Beib, which some may not.

I guess that will happen time to time.

I'm calling today music sunday, I feel like playing some old Jamiroquai tunes on the bass, and may start developing some song ideas I've put on the back burner.

Another day.....

-Neil

www.eyeswide.ca

From The Road to the Classroom

2011-02-26T09:23:00.000-08:00

It's been three weeks since I worked.

Going back to a miscellaneous classroom after some time away, is hard in the body.

Little children can be bothersome early in the morning.

Especially bratty ones who think they deserve everything.

And the smelly ones.

Those are always disliked.

Still working on getting up early in the morning.

It's a struggle.

So the tour took us to Ottawa, Miramichi, Moncton, Fredericton, Halifax, Sackville, and Oshawa.

We also spent time in Charlottetown and Montreal on our off days.

Does playing an open mic in Charlottetown count as having a gig?

A mix of music venues, pubs, bars, and coffeehouses.

What have I learned of these cities.

Ottawa.

You are expensive.

$100 for a parking ticket 3 minutes past the allotted time seems a little excessive.

Politicians talk a lot. They also enjoy hearing themselves talk a lot.

Check out Avant-Garde. They play some crazy videos.

oh you, Parliament Building you.

Charlottetown.

Your bridge is expensive.

No wonder people do not want to leave the island much. They can't afford to leave.

Also your snow is salty.

The Gahan House is awesome.

Moncton.

You get too much snow.

But your Poutine Pizza is delicious.

Plan B is a crazy fun place to hang out.

Ravens (or perhaps crows) are taking over your city. Be warned.

Sackville.

You have a horrible name. I can't believe there is also a Sackville in Nova Scotia.

At least you have an awesome cafe (Bridge Street Cafe) and pub (Ducky's).

--Side note I assume the University Pub (yes Sackville has a University, but not a place where you can buy things like pants) is not for me. As I walked in with Julien we were looked upon buy a ton of dudes in collared rugby shirts. Then, as if a message from the Gods, my zipper split from the bottom up. Forcing me to leave and change pants. --- end side note

I like this pick. I'm fond of elephants.

Montreal.

If you are a girl/women living here you have a 87% chance of being hot. Oh ya, I did the math.

Schwartz has great sandwiches.

I now no longer dislike Montreal.

Thank you hot Montreal women for helping me to change my mind.

Halifax.

You like cover bands.

You pay attention to them as if U2 were tearing up your little pubs.

If you are a cover artist move to Halifax.

I am an original artist therefore my reception was not treated in the same manner.

Snaubar has amazing food.

Oshawa.

Maybe the only city where an acoustic act can open for punk metal bands and still sell CD's.

Go to the Bulldog for drinks not food.

Fredericton.

I don't know much about you except that you have lots of strip mall type areas.

Also MDMA is quite he hit with the kids there (thats an organic ecstasy or something along that line)

Miramichi.

I learned to pronounce your name correctly.

Also that I don't know any up-beat songs. Thank you for informing me of that strange drunk lady.

I had a good time on this trip.

I usually do when traveling. I'm big on eating out in local restaurants and trying local beer.

We tried to live on the cheap, using couchsurfing.org for free places to crash ( a must for a traveler on a budget.) eating pb&j sandwiches. Stuff like that. But very quickly I turned around and was spending money on unnecessary things. By the end I almost broke even. I kept track of my spending and had I been more tight in the wallet I could have come home with a good profit. Ah well, I increased Eastern Canada's economy.

This time I mailed my posters to the venues. As emailing them did not work.

I think half the venues put them up. Even the venue in my home town didn't put up my poster and I hand delivered them.

It's frustrating. It costs money to print up posters and to have them go to waste makes my heart hurt.

We had some media attention, Snap Barrie, Snap Halifax and Snap Oshawa come out to take pictures of the tour, A small blurb of our show was in The Coast paper in Halifax and in an Ottawa paper but I can't remember the name. We also did a radio interview/performance for www.CHSRfm.ca head there to hear it. I forgot a whole verse to Pride have a listen and listen to garbled gibberish.

I think I need to get a lap top for the road to write while travelling. I am forgetting much.

Death trap #2 good thing we had child workers.

Stuck in the ice twice. Ran out of gas on the highway. Wore the same jeans for 9 days straight. Got sick of Subway. Became very broke at one point. Ate lots of continental breakfasts. Got Julien drunk followed by a killer hang over. and played lots of music. Met great people (minus the drunk cougar).

Can't wait for the next one!

I'm going to watch Rescue Me I suggest you do the same.

C'est Bon.

-Neil

www.eyeswide.ca

Oh hey, if anyone wants a free Live Track from my London UK recording session send me your email and location.