Fundy and the not so fun

I am the tallest tree and I stand alone.

I'm sitting an 15 minute drive from the border in the US.  I was not aware that I would have a need to find a broker to get my merch over the border and if we want to make it to our show tonight, we're left with few options.  After my rage subsided, I decided it might be a good idea to fire off the events of the last few days for you all to read about.  Ready?

We had Friday off, which is not the best day not to play a show on tour, but such is the situations encountered by a band looking to attract the attention of strangers in a distant land.  We were having breakfast in Moncton when Brennan suggested we visit the Bay of Fundy.  I thought it was a great plan, so we quickly got our business settled and went out.  The day was hot and humid I was feeling like I got no sleep.  We were all in better spirits though as the show the previous night well received by the audience and we sold some merch.  This tour has been one of the poorest in production of cash I have ever been on.  Usually the door/merch sales are enough to keep the trip afloat, but it's almost like every day is a constant test of my will to follow this path.  Every day there is a new obstacle and all the frustrations that come with it.  They are constant and it is exhausting.  A drive out to see the ocean is always good for me, so we went.

It was beautiful.  We didn't have a ton of time in the park, but the time we spent there was so reinvigorating.  We ate some fresh seafood, climbed some rocks.  We decided we weren't a band anymore, but an adventure team.  An adventure team that plays music to bartenders and other bands.  I'm smiling right now because that isn't the case all the time.  The situation I'm currently in is getting to me.  So this adventure team saw the ocean and evaded it's grasp when high tide was almost upon us.  We saw a lighthouse and lots of beautiful cliffs.  Then we drove back to Saint John to hang with Nick and Susan of In Dreams.  They were hosting us that night.  I was too tired and feeling on the verge of sickness to join the city adventure they had planned for us, but I heard the others had a great time.  I had a great sleep.

We were to drive to Fredericton for what was to be the best show of the east coast.  We got a late start to the day.  I had Vanna's oil changed.  I had a great conversation with person of interest in Winnipeg.  I drove back, everyone got ready, then we headed to Irvin Nature Park.  The Irvin's are a powerful family out here.  The destroy the land then claim to be it's saviour by naming small chunks of land after themselves.  Classy.  The beach was nice, the water was a little warmer.  I picked some pretty rocks that always look better when wet, but a little buffing and they'll sparkle.  Nick and Susan left to go get ready for the show, and we decided to adventure.  When in nature, this band is like a pack of childwolves.  We are suddenly more able and quick to climb or slide down paths that may not be paths.  We climbed to the top of the peak, then made an almost vertical climb down to get to the rocks below.  That was the goal, travel to the end, then go past it because that's where the good stuff is.  It was totally worth it.  These kinds of things are bringing the band closer together and giving me time to pause from the struggle the tour has been.  It's costing me more in gas, but I am happier for it.  I needed this after the way I've been feeling the past few days.

Then the show in Fredericton happened.  We were excited for this one because I didn't have to do sound for all of the other bands and show was promoted.  We were tired from the days adventure, but we were optimistic.  Then the crowd started showing up.  They weren't our audience.  There was a bar directly above where we were playing that was pumping top 40's and to get up there you had to walk by the stage.  I have never seen so many people not care about live, original music.  We might as well have not been there.  It was the hardest show to play as I watched people come in and walk right by us to get upstairs.  They weren't our crowd, I knew that, but it was disheartening.  We left the venue feeling tired and with little money to see us to the next stop.  Having had only 4 hours of sleep so we can get to Manhattan on time, and now with these merch/border issues, the show hardly seems worth it.  BUT, silver lining, there was a small group of young people who came to chat with us after everything was over.  One of the women was celebrating her birthday so I gave her a copy of the album.  We all signed it and she was very grateful.

PICTURES.  There are a lot.

 This guy and his sighs.

 This guy and his poses.

 This thing and it's beauty.  It's a lookout tower before you get into Fundy Park.

 Vanna White just chillin.

 A photo shoot of the guys Titanic-ing.

 The results.

 The lighthouse.

 At the ocean floor.

 In the town of Alma.

 EAT.

 Oh ya.  Cody had to miss his graduation day for this tour so I threw him a surprise party with cupcakes and this awesome diploma made from toilet paper.  Spring break!

 The first time I have ever seen a snuggie worn in real life, made only realer by the fact that a guy that looks like a metal head is wearing it.

 You can buy houses like this in Saint John for 75,000$.  The whole thing.

 Irvin Park.

 I love this feeling.

 Susan and Nick walking on the beach.

 Best of friends!

 One of the many rocks we made it to at the ocean.

 The climb back up was steep and sandy.  There nothing to grab on to, but it was totally worth it.

 Oh ya, we play music.  Here are weird pictures before sound check.

   I am a tree.  I am stronger then the situations that blow against me.  I will figure it all out.













Time to get a plan in place to get some merch into the US.  Wish me luck.

Tough Day

I did this.  

I hit a plastic garbage bin on the way out of Halifax.  The force of the plastic flexing back sent the mirror slamming against the window as Cody was taking a bite of his cheeseburger.  It was the funniest and more infuriating thing.  I haven't been sleeping well because of my neck and things on my mind and because I've been watching Spartacus.  It's all gore, naked bodies, soft-core sex, and mindless entertainment.  I will have seen the whole series by the end of the week and I can't say I've learned anything, but I have had a lot of fun.  I am losing sleep because I can't wait to see the new bloddy episode.  I also woke up feeling pretty raw in the feelings department from what is going down in my personal life and when I heard the smash and noticed the mirror, I wasn't really able to get out of the deep funk.  I went down the rabbit hole.  I wanted comfort and I wanted it to be from a partner.  I miss that the most.

So instead of being a responsible adult, I vented through text messages to a person I barely know, which brought up all these intense fears of scaring them off.  Of losing something I didn't have.  This person was quick to remind me of some important things *BREATHE* and to straighten me out, but I felt so ashamed to have shown such an exposed side of me.

We got into Moncton and I was obsessing over the words that had been sent through text, only to further drive me into imaginary situations.  You see, I am a romantic optimist.  I play out these situations with people I meet in my mind, but the problem is that I am always the most level-headed, kindest, most thoughtful person ever in the history of the universe.  This is a fallacy.  I am riddled with faults that never play out in these imaginary situations.  I talked to Garland about this later in the evening after a walk and she was surprised that A MAN did this too!  I wonder how many other people do it.  I always feel foolish for doing it.  I went for a walk and realized that I was really wanting to vent to and to be comforted by a partner, and because of my mind stories, this person became the receiver of my irrational, emotional and inappropriate (based on our current situations) text messages.

Silly Ricardo.   Still some work to do.

In spite of all this, Oldfolks Home had another SLAMMING show.  We killed it last night and there were people at the show who really liked the set.  It was the show we needed to lift spirits.  So let's review the photos, shall we?


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Here is a thing - Oldfolks Home is a band and not just a thing where I talk about my feelings.  Here is a video from Moncton's show.  What a treat!

 Lindsay Duncan.  Host with the most.  Tired enough to hide behind my smile.  This is pre-mirror smash.

 She appears!

 Hanging with Vanna White.

A new band featuring these two.  I love this picture.

 This was the only pretty thing I saw on my walk through Moncton.  This isn't to say that Moncton isn't pretty, I just didn't see anything on my walk.

 BEAMS.  Awesome band.

 IN DREAMS.

 IN DREAMS.

 FRIED PEPPERONI.  It would have been more exciting if I still drank.

 After show dance party with the gang.

Same deal.

 More dancing.

 After bar hangouts with Beams in the band apartment above Plan B.  Such a great venue.

Late night selfie.  I'm tired and sweaty but feeling better about this tour.













Time to hang out with Nick and Susan from In Dreams in their home in Saint John.  See y'all later.