I actually played my guitar today.
But first the beginning.
I woke up saw it was dark and thought, ah hell, it's cloudy. Looked at the clock. It was 4:30am.
Those clouds were actually night.
I managed to get back to sleep but only until 5:30, and that was it.
So I hit the road fairly early. by 6am.
about 7 hours of unhindered drive time.
Here 's the driving action taking place.
If you drive with a smile the time it takes you to get from point A to point B is the same as if you were not smiling.
Pretty exciting stuff.
I was in Thunder Bay and as always it hit TACO TIME. (this time no celebratory photo was taken.)
arrived at my mothers house, where she had a list of things for me to do. Trim the tree move this downstairs, put this on the thing...
Followed by you're only here one day? but I had other things...
Went for a jog then tried to go to work (work meaning play music)
Headed down to the waterfront where people were walking hither and tither. set up my busking gear (guitar and guitar case) and played some tunes.
I chose a spot away from the people due to the loud fountains and construction work.
I thought that being near the monuments was a good place, but people. 4 songs deep no one would come near me. They would take the path around as to not have to feel the guilt of not throwing my some change.
I found a different spot over looking the Sleeping Giant and earned..... $2!
After I packed my gear in the car I came back to take this photo. 20 people were walking by....
So today was a flub, thank God I only spent $100 on gas in the last 2 days :/
After my musical defeat I headed to Granny's house. we had a walk.
I think she's giving my camera attitude.
Then followed it up with a scotch.
And yes a digestive biscuit.
This book was my grandfathers shelf. I found the cover amusing.
Every time I come back to my home town I forget alcohol is cheaper. $5.50 pints.
I gave it the old college try to find some drinking friends venturing to 4 venues but alas I was always sitting alone.
Just as well, I don't know why I was wanting to go on a tear since my tour profit is only $2.00.
Alright. that ends #2 I'm going to go read Questlove's autobiography Mo' Meta Blues.
Also if you follow my tweet you now realized I lied.
Tomorrow Wabigoon! For the 1st Actually gig!
-Percival "Neil" The Crowe
Oh, what's that you want to creep me just a little more?
Last night had a few beverages with so friends before I pulled a runner from Barrie.
It was a grand old time.
Best part of the night was that I learned my friend Ian's License plate says Boys 424
I asume that means he's had 424 boys and counting.
Then I had to get up early and pack the road weary Mazda.
And drive away from these two.
I am not playing a show Tonight, nor will I tomorrow.
Some would say "that's not a good tour."
And I say "You try booking 2 months of shows and have everything line up perfect!"
The only place worth playing is Loplops but being a mid northern Ontario venue (the only cool place to hang and listen to original acts between Sudbury and Thunder Bay.) Makes it difficult to get a gig. I played here once with a sour turnout on a Wednesday night. Which I predicted.
New city, solo acoustic player, people of the town are not too keen on new music at first. Plus I have went to a Free show at a hockey arena where Bedouin Soundclash and Broken Social Scene played. There may have been 200 people there. (The same arena where Kiss has played and sold out or close to , I'm guessing)
but with such a bad turnout for those 2 well known Canadian bands what hopes does li'l ol' me have.
Not much as it turned out.
So every time I come through I swing by have a few beer and chat with Steve the owner or his dad and be on my way.
Maybe I'll play there again maybe I won't who knows.
Here's me drinking a beer.
I had planed on busking for a bit, but as I cruised the main strip and waterfront areas I realized no one was anywhere.
Really. Downtown I saw 4 people.
Waterfront had about 6 fisherman in different spots and the odd old lady every 150 meters.
No real point other than practice.
So I went for a jog instead.
I told Steve about the busking dilemma.
He said "Ya, It's a lazy town."
Saw this while running the waterfront. (Gotta stay active while touring, sitting in a car and drinking beer at night does some physical damage I've learned)
I wish I had been quick enough to take a photo of the large woman who was clearly only in an electric wheelchair because of her weight. Legs splayed out left and right jetting across an intersection holding 2 large pizza's on her shoulder. It reminded me of the Disney movie WALLE, where the humans let themselves go and can't do anything for them selves also restricted to electric wheelchairs.
So there you have it Blog number 1 on Day number 1.
Who doubted me?
Ya I figured it would be you.
So look forward to my 2nd post about Thunder Bay where I also do not have a gig.
Oh what's that you want to creep me just a little more?
I promised myself (and the people who read my post on Facebook) I would try to blog every day while on my 3rd Cross Canada tour.
I have a half written Cuba trip blog where I mainly make fun of my girlfriend.
I started it in January.
I have not written any thing since.
Good Luck Neil! (said in a mocking tone)
Myself doesn't believe in myself.
Look forward to my attempts.
Any guesses at how many of my proposed blogs will be written under the influence of alcohol?
So I did some touring last year, and I have to say it tuckered me out.
The summer lasted from the beginning of July to the end of September, a break in October then back out to the East coast for my yearly Movember Tour.
But First, I quit the music site Reverb Nation.
It's purpose is to be another fan site where people can like your page, buy songs, you can try and book gigs and promote yourself. Being a musician you need to spread yourself around to try and get discovered by others. I've been on the site a few years and really it's done nothing for me.
A few months ago they had a campaign running. Sign up for their promotional package and get 30 day free trial your page will be advertised on amazon, Jango, and all sorts of other sites.
I thought 30 days free, why not?
Signed up made a note in my phone that 4 days before the 30 days ends I would cancel it so I don't get charged for advertising past the 30. I see the add pop up on a site or 2 and it was only the top half of my logo so you only saw the top have of the letters of "eyeswide" needless to say not impressed.
Then after a week I get a charged $40 dollars to my Paypal for this promotional campaign, before I contacted them to ask about it, a few days later another $40. So I email whomever, and they said it was not a 30 day trial and the money had already been spent on advertising although they did have $8.40 left they could refund me.
Great!
I said I want it all back or I'm quitting Reverb Nation and I would write about the horrible service I received on my Blog (I'm not a liar).
Needless to say they would not so I ended my account but they have a side note that any money they receive for my music goes to them completely, because I ended my account before the end of the year I paid for. So I'm wondering if they will be taking any iTunes money since I put my latest album on iTunes through their site...
(If so I urge anyone buying my music to do it from Bandcamp rather than iTunes right now, that way you and I both know money is actually getting to me.)
I went through Paypal to make a claim but only had 1 of the payments refunded to me.
Reverb Nation and me are not on speaking terms. And most likely never will be.
End Reverb Nation rant.
I had a look at my last blogs to see what I last said about my summer touring and I still had a lot left to say, but got quite lazy and wrote not a word on it.
I'm glancing at my notes and some makes sense some doesn't.
"Playboy and tampon wrappers" I don't recall what this meant. I'm sure it led into a glorious tale of tragedy and redemption.
Some notes remind me of a certain moment but not really sure why I made note of it at the time.
So I'll pick out a few random things as I scroll through the iphone.
I was in Alberta last if anyone was keeping track and heading east. my notes jump from this point all the way back to Ontario. So I assume nothing happened between Vancouver and Toronto. So here are some landscape photos I took...
I slept in an orchard in the Okanagan Valley and woke to these guys. I followed them around eating cherries and peaches.
The Chickens got loose. They are hard too catch I later realize.
I have this short conversation written down I had with Daniel Greer of The DGB. He's a great guy and pretty fun to talk with, he doesn't seem to like newer technology. His room has a record player, an old nintendo, and a tv that may or may not work.
We were talking about the movie Ted, which I had not seen at the time.
DG- I'm waiting for the VHS to come out.
Me- They don't make VHS anymore.
DG- Well I hate dvd's because they scratch, and I hate going back to Blockbuser to return it.
Me- They don't have Blockbusters anymore either.
Later we had a USB and he asked where it went in the tv.
I also wrote "Cross legged Indian style spraying water bath"
I remember this. It was at Daniel's house, I packed up my tent and was going to have a shower before leaving but they only had a tub with those with a spray hose. So i sat down, in the fashion I had just stated, and water sprayed all over the bathroom floor from a leak in the tap. It was great fun...
In Cornwall there were a few of those 19 year old youths out and about.
this is what I heard them say.
"I'm a really heavy drinker, so I get drunk real easy. I'm pretty wasted right now."
No, you get drunk real easy because you're 19.
"Fuck vagina's in their stupid ass!" after being shut down from some vagina holding female.
My friend Alex Kelly called me up sometime in August, and asked if I could come to New York to be in her latest music video. Her reason for asking "I wanted to kiss someone who I knew didn't have mouth herpes." Which I would have loved to do (because it's true, I don't have mouth herp!). Sadly I had to decline I was on tour. Not only that, but I had been on tour for just over 2 months then, and had not been to the gym since the 1st week of July, add on all the greasy bar food intake, I doubt I was in my peak physical form for topless filmed shenanigans. Sad I know. But here is the video you can just imagine me throwing Alex in the mud instead of that other dude.
I also wrote "What am I doing in this province?"
I don't know what province this comment was for, so I can not answer myself. But I'm sure I had a pretty good reason for being there.
And that's it! it seems I was heavy into note taking during the first stretch, then quickly tired of it or assumed I would remember.
In the middle of my tour I had a few days off between West and East Coasts for relaxation.
That didn't happen because My dog, Trail who is 13, was bit by a brown recluse spider. We didn't know it at the time we thought it was a cancerous tumour that sprouted up on his head. after a few days and tests we found it was an infection and needed quick operation. Trail's head got a hole in it from the poison eating away his muscle tissue. He looks great now but during the time of the bite and operation he was in rough shape. so the next few pictures are kinda gross be warned....
Just after the bite.
Just after the operation. you can see the draining tube. It leaked puss constantly.
Starting to scab up.
Back to normal! The Vet said it was a miracle.
It was a sad half tour I worried about him a lot, Gina, my girlfriend, was stuck taking care of him while I hit the road. The vet pretty much drained me of all my earnings on the tour. But I'm very happy he made it through. He's a tough old man.
Moving on to Movember. This was a weird tour. I have deemed it the bad luck tour.
Every show I had had a low turn out due to outside circumstance or because it was a Monday or Tuesday or something. In Moncton I was excited to open for The Stogies and The Regal Beagle Band. they have a following and it was assumed the night would be full.
Turns out that nobody told the bands I was opening the show. Not sure how they felt about it but, it wasn't greeted with excitement. The night started and and ended with no more than 20 people in the bar. Turns out Matt Mays was playing around the corner and everyone else went there.
I had booked this show a year previous. I was excited to go and play Fables in Tatamagouche, It's quite hard to get in to. The bar itself was amazing and so were the owners. What wasn't amazing, was that they had closed the bar for 2 weeks prior to my show and when they opened most people didn't realize it.
In Woodstock I played to 4 people, which was weird for a Friday, someone told me that Woodstock is a religious area and there was a religious thing happening that night.
Next time I go through I'll promote myself as a Christian rock artist...
.
In Belleville, The Trews played an acoustic show across the street. needless to say, The Trews won.
In Campbellford it became so cold that night that no one went out the only 2 bars in town had a combined total of 7 people all night.
I'm glad that I had a guarantee pay at 80% of the shows or I would have lost a lot of money on this tour.
And now I'm here taking a break writing some new songs learning some new covers but very slowly.
I'm not in any rush.
I had planned on doing a full band tour this March but my friend and sometimes drummer is now unavailable. Which maybe is a good thing. I've applied for a small touring Grant form the city of Barrie. Since they threw a little money my way to help make the latest record, I'm hoping they will throw a little more to help me tour it proper around Ontario.
I heard Dan Mangan took out a bank loan to make and tour his record because he could never get a grant from Factor or any organizations of that ilk.
Seems like an idea.
I've also tossed around the idea of Kickstarter, but I'm not sure if my fan base is quite strong enough for that experiment.
So, as of right now I have nothing major booked. A show in Barrie and one in Toronto in Febuary. That's it.
I'm not sure what my Summer plans are as of yet, last year by this time I had shows booked around the country but I'm just going to take it slow right now.
I'll let out know what's going to happen next when I figure it out.
But here's this to look forward to I just got back from Cuba, and I plan to write about what I did, what I learned of the country, and of course I will make fun of Gina multiple times. Should start it up next week.
Look forward to it!
My online presence has been lacking for the last few months.
But I thought I'd say a thing or 2 now.
Movember!
This is My Movember page. I've been putting 50% of my Merchandise sales towards the Movember charity. It's become a year thing to do a small tour for the cause. I've done research and and 91-92% of the proceeds actually go to the research for Prostate Cancer and Mental Health) Click the link and check out my moustache growth. It started off slow. If you would like to donate there's a button for that! Touring for nearly 3 months this summer. It was tiring. I'm pretty sure I will not be doing such a long tour next summer. But I did have fun at the shows...mostly, and met a great number of people all over Canada. It was great seeing familiar faces too! Christmas is coming so you should download my version of You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch! at: www.eyeswidemusic.bandcamp.com Upcoming Shows: (and Last of 2012) Nov 30 The Stinking Rose Campbellford, ON (End of Movember! The ladies should be celebrating) Dec 14 The Brownstone Orillia, ON That's it for me I just don't have blogging in me today. maybe next week.... oh wait a picture. here's what happens when I shower before bed.
So as I wrote the last blog in Calgary, I received this.
It is a parking ticket.
when I came out of the bar. all the cars on the side of the street(including mine) had been towed.
I had to walk to the lot in sporadic rain ( I refused to pay for a cab knowing I have a towing charge) and paid $109 to get my car out. they gave me this parking ticket as well. I'm glad I live in Ontario. I won't have to pay this.
I also got one in Saskatchewan for running 5 minutes past what I paid in the meter.
Young Steve Buschemi watched me sleep.
I never had such nightmares...
So Calgary was a fun gig. It was also quite a different gig than I'm used to.
Its a community of sorts. they have a self watering garden, fire pits, honey bees and a stage.
We stayed up until 4:30. Me sober waiting for everyone to leave so I could set up my tent.
I was exhausted. But sitting around the fire someone told this story or fable about someone who planted an acorn and danced around it. I'm sure there was a moral but it was lost on me. and then someone else read a poem from his iPhone. He was having trouble's of the heart (seems his older lady liked to hit him) and he didn't know what to do. but his poem was very long. VERY long.
I gave him advice that every girl you "fall in love with" will seem better than the last. even though you think you love this domestic abuser you will me someone else along the way and think whoa this is love, and then after that the same thing. It's a cycle says I.
So he thanked me and went on his way. I wonder what will become of him.
Again great time there but I was annoyed that I had to wait until the next day to be paid.
and at that 3 hours after the time we were to meet.
A frustrating time when you are used to being paid that night.
The Area
I had a few days off and spent them in Okatoks camp ground. $15 to set up my tent by the river.
plus use of a shower not to shabby.
I met the bass [player of Fludd. he is retired and lives by the river.
He told me how he did sound for the likes of Annie Lennox, Rod Stewart(who fired him twice in the same night), THe Beach Boys(who according to him were bad singers and needed click tracks to get through a show) and Fleetwood Mac.
He later built a sound system for a hotel in Vegas and then later a stroke lost the use of his left arm and is unable to play bass or do any real physical labour.
Quite an interesting fellow I hope to stope in Okotoks on the way back east and chat with him some more.
Okotoks
Topless Tent Whiskey.
I recorded a song (Brick) at Norwood Studios with James Murdoch. He played the tambourine and shaker on the tune. Tambourine is really hard to keep steady. I'd start off good then slowly start to fade.
So that will be online eventually.
James rocking the Tambo!
I played in Sherwood Park after this. It was another cafe tipping gig. After the last one I was weary of what I would make. It was slow but I did make $70 for the night. Had a group of people that sat in front of where I was playing and talked loudly the whole time. not a great feeling. But one of them did take me in for the night.
I went out with him to his friends place, to play Monopoly.
I was asked "How old are you?"
"32"
"Cool we're 19."
Cool indeed the girl kept making weird sound effects, deep guttural ones, talked about her camel toe and how she couldn't help it if she had her underwear was up her cunt. (her words!)
and on her playlist from her iPod was the sound track to Mario Brothers and the Legend of Zelda.
When I got back to the fellows house we had some of my Collingwood Whiskey and just chatted about travelling for a while.
I set up ,my tent on his back deck (as I was not allowed to build it on their immaculate lawn. (it was nice grass) and off to bed with me.
The next day was in Red Deer. I like red Deer
It's a quaint little place and The Velvet Olive is a great venue.
he owner kept trying to get me shots but I think I only had 2. She was on a mission to drink and have everyone else drink. Too bad I had a car full of equipment to take care of.
Coleman in the Crow's nest pass area. It was dead. I played to almost no one. Good thing there was a guarantee up front.
There was one fellow who asked me when I started and said he would come back.
and come back he did... for 2 songs. He walk in when I for whatever reason was having trouble with a song and messed up 2 times quite badly. He finished his beer and walked out.
I hung out with the staff afterwards and again they were buying rounds of shots and free drinks but I had to turn them down as to make sure my car load of equipment was taken care of.
We ended up by a camp fire of a New Zealander who came to Canada to study Native Medicine. after 5 years she is considered a Shaman of sorts. (I mean of sorts in that the actual shaman's don't really consider her to be one because she is not a Canadian First Nation, just a silly ol' kiwi who studied the stuff)
And now here I am in Coleman, AB I may have a place to stay tonight but not sure. I was told about an area near three witches that is not checked very often and I might be able to camp there.
The hard thing about being on the road with no hotel or guaranteed place to stay is that you have no rest in the day. I wake up early drive get to where I need to be then wander until it's time of the show (I'm not one who can sleep sitting up straight) and then play until late in the evening. It's tiring.
I'm tired right now.
My inflatable air mattress is not the most comfy thing in the world and usually creates a sore back in the morning.
And that's me winching.
All right I'm going to end this. Next post will have a plethora of dog photos as most people I stay with have dogs. It makes me miss mine
See? There is the famed burger mentioned in the title.
So this tour I'm on, so far, is 46 or 47 dates (I've forgotten which and refuse to count). I'm trying to get it up to 50.
Here's the list.
Jul 12, 2012 Outlet Thunder Bay, ON Jul 12, 2012 Ruby Moon Thunder Bay, ON Jul 13, 2012 Pappy's Cafe Wabigoon, ON Jul 14, 2012 Shooters Kenora, ON Jul 16, 2012 Shannon's Winnipeg, MB Jul 18, 2012 Spadina Freehouse Saskatoon, SK Jul 19, 2012 23 Main Street Moose Jaw, SK Jul 20, 2012 Akropol Swift Current, SK Jul 21, 2012 The Area Calgary, AB Jul 26, 2012 Haven Cafe Sherwood Park, AB Jul 27, 2012 Velvet Olive Red Deer, AB Jul 28, 2012 Rum Runner Coleman, AB Jul 31, 2012 The Storm Cellar Banff, AB Aug 01, 2012 The Storm Cellar Banff, AB Aug 02, 2012 Tonics Kelowna, BC Aug 03, 2012 The Last Drop Revelstoke, BC Aug 04, 2012 Hell's Kitchen Vancouver, BC Aug 05, 2012 Elephant Island Penticton, BC Aug 05, 2012 Voodoos Penticton, BC Aug 08, 2012 Bushwakker Brewery Regina, SK Aug 09, 2012 Centre for the Art Qu'Appelle, SK Aug 10, 2012 Ellice Cafe Winnipeg, MB Aug 11, 2012 Lakeshore Hotel Kenora, ON Aug 16, 2012 Bossy's Pub Sault Ste. Marie, ON Aug 17, 2012 The Local Barrie, ON Aug 24, 2012 Callahan's Brighton, ON Aug 25, 2012 The Old Nick Toronto, ON Aug 28, 2012 The Spill Peterborough, ON Aug 29, 2012 DG & Newf's House Bowmanville, ON Aug 30, 2012 The Stinking Rose Campbellford, ON Aug 31, 2012 La Maison Tavern Cornwall, ON Sep 01, 2012 Avant Guarde Ottawa, ON Sep 07, 2012 The Loyalist Inn Shelburne, NS Sep 08, 2012 Rudders Yarmouth, NS Sep 09, 2012 House Concert Yarmouth, NS Sep 11, 2012 House Concert Lunenburg, NS Sep 12, 2012 Plan B Moncton, NB Sep 13, 2012 The Split Crow Truro, NS Sep 14, 2012 The Cellar Fredericton, NB Sep 15, 2012 Log Cabin Diner Woodstock, NB Sep 19, 2012 The Rainbow Ottawa, ON Sep 20, 2012 Clark Hall Pub Kingston, ON Sep 21, 2012 Burritoville Montreal, QC Sep 22, 2012 Studio 310 Belleville, ON Sep 23, 2012 CJ's Cafe Bronte, ON Sep 24, 2012 The Old Nick Toronto, ON Sep 28, 2012 The Griffon Bracebridge, ON
Before I left I modelled for a magazine (Pie) I played the uncle.
Can't say I agreed on all the clothing I wore.
And I celebrated a birthday at The Local Gastropub, where the dinner theme was Bacon.
This is what Scott brought out first. I almost ate it.
"Uh, this looks burnt." As I reached for a piece.
It had been in his oven for a week.
Caesar Salad Soup
2 pieces of steak, bacon mashed potatoes with bacon, and bacon gravy
Chocolate ice cream float...with bacon.
Here are some dudes that came out.
Saw the Tragically Hip on Canada Day. Lost everyone and enjoyed the show on my own.
Someone received a MacBook
and that is how I can type right now!
Here are some tour notes.
Photos of me are lacking as I am on my own.
Thunder Bay, ON
2 shows this night. The Outlet where my mother, who came with my aunt and grandmother, asked in one of those loud whispers that is not a whisper at all, "Where is everyone?" She also had an half confused half angry look on her face.
It was a quiet show had about 13 people out to watch. Nothing crazy but I didn't really expect a big turn out as it was a weekday.
Afterwards I went to The Ruby Moon and had a jam with Aubry and Jenn here's a clip
In the Morning I did a radio interview at LU radio with Kayla.
Next was Wabigoon.
Immediately after my second set everyone went straight for the door. No lingering for them.
It was odd. But they did seem to enjoy the show, clapping, toe tapping, and all that jazz.
They cooked my a dinner for 3 for 1. It became lunch and dinner the next day.
Kenora was great. I did end up blowing my voice for the next show but we had a fairly busy Shooters Bar!
Day off jam after a day on the lake was cancelled by rain.
We still made an effort hoping it would stop. Leaning in to the boat's windshield clutching our cans of pre mixed Mott's Caesars. We turned around defeated.
Winnipeg: you were slow on a Monday. Not too many out at Shannon's Irish Pub that night.
Which I'm almost glad for since my voice was shit from 3 sets in Kenora.
One jovial (and in jovial I mean drunk) fellow asked for requests and bought me a shot. He was having a good time.
After the show I asked him "What are you doing here on a Monday?"
He looks at me with a scowl "What are YOU doing here?"
"Working."
"Huh, Ya!" shoves him self away from the bar and storms out, leaving his beer.
What a great guy. I feel we really connected.
I drive barefoot most times.
While on the Manitoba Highway I had to pee.
Pulled over, got out of the car, grabbed my sandals walked around the car sandals in hand, placed them on the ground, pee'd, picked up sandals walked back around and placed them in the car.
Not until I sat down. I thought to myself. Why didn't I put the sandals on?
And to this day the mystery remains unsolved.
And I will leave it at that as I am tired of typing I'm going to have another drink. After I finish this (it's Steam Whistle) and do a little Calgary wander. More later.
