Century Blues Tour

It's a Wrap! Thanks from Doc and Dave

2010-03-29T15:39:00.008-04:00

March 29, 2010

Doc MacLean & Big Dave McLean Thank You

Century Blues Tour a Great Success with Help from Our Friends

The Century Blues Tour wrapped in December after playing 104 shows in 92 days. We played to over ten thousand people in 9 provinces and 2 territories. This Tour was the Big One— a “Century” Tour of over 100 back to back shows— likely the most comprehensive music tour ever achieved in Canada. If you haven’t already done so, you can visit or re-visit this Tour Blog and follow the Tour’s daily progress from start to finish. It’s mostly up to date now, though I’ll probably be adding a few movies and some more text here and there over the next month. Check in and leave your comments, if you like! Who would of thought it would take so long to finish up the loose ends? Now it's time to say "good-bye" to the Century Tour and "hello!" to new projects.

Tours like this don’t just happen. They involve months of work, and significant efforts by a huge team of people. Usually I contact everybody individually to give my thanks, but this time the numbers are simply too big. On a daily basis probably three or four or five or ten different people did things that helped to keep us going, and helped to make the Century Tour the success that it was. Now, post tour, I’ve got a list of nearly 400 people and organizations that need to be thanked! That’s one of the reasons why I’m posting this somewhat generic note. There are many special people to whom Big Dave and I are deeply grateful— and there are simply not enough days available to write personal notes to everyone. Finally, our fans made it happen— they bought the tickets and filled the seats. We appreciate that beyond words.

Canadians love the blues. Big Dave and I were treated wonderfully coast to coast by a great group of individuals and organizations, both commercial and non-profit. It’s rather humbling after all of these years to have fostered this kind of support. Dave and I want to express and underline our deep and sincere thanks to everyone who was involved.

This said, I need to acknowledge the participation and support of a few individuals and organizations who played larger roles. Firstly, Jeff Long and Long & McQuade. We were shown tremendous hospitality in their many locations across Canada. Conducting master classes and workshops with Long & McQuade enabled us to interact with communities on a real, grass roots level. And their backline support of the Tour was flawless. As expected, everything worked wonderfully. When we needed a replacement cable or a mic stand the L&M staff were always cheerful, helpful and there for us. Coast to coast. Dave and I are also career customers. We like the way these guys do business. We are sincerely very proud to have had the support and participation of this great Canadian company. http://www.long-mcquade.com.

Tour council, Paul Sanderson, Sanderson Law, http://www.sandersonlaw.ca, kept our spirits up as we went through some truly bizzare, behind the scenes challenges. His expert advice and calm guidance probably saved the tour. Paul’s been a great supporter over the last thirty years or so, but his assistance to Big Dave and I was way beyond the call of professional duty. A musician— a blues musician at that— as well as one of the most experienced entertainment lawyers in Canada, he brings real empathy and compassion to his work. I am so grateful to have a place on his client list.

Richard Flohil, Richard Flohil & Associates, http://www.richardflohil.com, publicist, promoter, wordsmith, music lover… also provided assistance and advice to the Tour. When you are working with Richard, you are working with the best. His participation was much appreciated, and helped us through from launch to last.

CBC Radio. Peter Skinner in particular. He encouraged us to bring the Tour to the North— and we did. Then he and his staff recorded us and co-promoted a show in Yellowknife. We are also grateful to CBC staff in nearly every major city and region. We did interviews coast to coast, and the airplay we received on these shows had a huge impact on our final box office. Thanks for supporting and taking an interest in the Century Tour. This was, I believe, a very significant, all-Canadian event. At some point you’ll be hearing Peter’s recordings of the Century Tour on Canada Live and on Saturday Night Blues. http://www.cbc.ca.

DPI Graphics. http://www.dpigraphicsgroup.com. From out there in the wilds of Mississauga, ON, once again these guys did a tremendous job with all of our print materials, including the very cool banners that vanished somewhere between High River, AB and White Rock, BC!

And last, but not least: to anyone and everyone else who promoted shows, took chances, took us home and fed us, upgraded our hotel rooms, took us on tours, picked us up at airports, presented us on local radio and television, helped carry gear, provided great sound, packed bag lunches, gave us cds, books, hugs, handshakes, opening shows, fine dinners, lunches, jokes and laughs, encouragement, praise, photos, reviews, advance press, smiles, applause, air time, fixed guitars, changed strings, made coffee, bought red wine, followed the Tour blog, made posters, printed banners, embroidered jackets, bought cds, came to shows in rain, snow and moonlight… You made it happen and gave us 1000 reasons to keep on this crazy blues highway… Thanks. We hope to see you next time. We really do.

Very, Very, Best Regards,

Doc MacLean & Big Dave McLean

Upcoming:

National Steel “Darker Ways” Blues Tour, solo Doc MacLean, fall 2010 (all Canada)

National Steel “Big Road Blues” Tour, Doc MacLean & Big Dave McLean, fall 2011 (all Canada, plus Alaska).

Addendum-dums: The No-Thanks List

2010-03-28T17:04:00.004-04:00

We never did get our four, brand new boom stands and clips back from Smoke Meat Pete's in west Montreal. Despite several— at least 5— expensive phone calls to the venue, leaving a shipping address each time, asking them to send this gear COLLECT to me via ANY courier service, the gear has never materialized. Pete's acknowledged having the gear just after it was left there— some five months ago— and I've paid $108.00 in rental fees on it since the Tour closed our Long & McQuade agreement in December. They've also admitted to having the gear in subsequent conversations, each time re-requesting my shipping address. It would of been great to get the gear back a few days after it was left there— but this is nearly six months later. Pete makes a great sandwich, but the $250. loss I seem to have taken on the gear probably means my next Montreal sandwich will be bought downtown... Not happy about this at all.

We never did get our Tour banners back either. These vanished somewhere between Invermere, BC and White Rock, BC. I contacted all of the venues between these points, and nobody admitted to having them, or perhaps looked very hard for them. These were quite expensive to produce, but really dressed up the larger stages nicely. We missed the banners once they were gone. Somebody has them. Nice trophies. I can't use these again, anyway, but I was disappointed that they didn't turn up.

I believe that Enterprise Car Rentals of Etobicoke, (west Toronto) ON screwed us for $275.00 on our six week rental. There was a defective hinge or door lift support on the hatch door of our Dodge Caravan. They filed an "accident report" on this warranty covered part, and billed it to my credit card while we travelled for an additional two months. Nor would they call me on my cell phone to discuss this— only my home phone would do. Total bullshit by a stupid local operator who won't be seeing $2000- 3000. in rentals from my Tours anymore. I should add that Enterprise staff in Winnipeg and elsewhere have been fabulous— especially at the Winnipeg airport. Toronto seems to have a problem— maybe greed and dishonesty? Sheer stupidity? I can't decide, but probably one condition leads to the other. Customer satisfaction certainly doesn't seem to be high on their list of priorities.

Not bad, I guess, for 3 months of steady touring. Most people, companies, suppliers, venues, techies, were really great. So I won't gripe the blog beyond these few disappointments.

Lincoln and Cadillac Men

2009-12-08T20:01:00.002-05:00

Nice, eh? Doc's Lincoln and Dave's Caddy. New blues rides for a couple of old blues guys. It's been a great, great Tour. Nine provinces, two territories, over 35 thousand km on land, plus marine and air transport. One hundred and four shows in 92 days. Ten thousand live blues fans, 17 radio shows, 2 television shows, Long and McQuade workshops from coast to coast. Over 1800 unique emails, 250 text messages, two trucks, one Maple nomination, one West Coast Music Award, two banners, 600 posters, four boomstands, one laptop, one iPhone, 500,000 mg. of vitamin C, 500,000 of vitamin D, 800 Advil, 50 bottles of Merlot, 800 cups of black coffee, one speckled grouse, 200km of running, one legal action, one wicked witch, one pail of cold water...

Dave and I pretty much wrapped the books on the Tour last night. It's hard to believe that it's over. The new rides are idling in the cold. We shake hands, embrace, and head back to our other worlds. West. And East. What a Tour. What a Tour. This was the big one, and we did it. Doc MacLean and Big Dave McLean. I'm so proud and so thankful to everyone who helped us out along the way. And now I'm bound for home.

Good-bye until next time. See y'all out on the Blues Highway.

Last Tour Drive

2009-11-29T13:09:00.001-05:00

Breakfast was better than I thought it would be. Well, coffee is really what it takes— and they had that by the bucket, so good. Now we're out on the last big run of this Tour, Bow Island, Alberta to Winnipeg, Manitoba. I've got to return the truck to the dealer in the morning, file an insurance claim to cover the damage done by Grill Bill. It looks to me that the whole, one piece front end of the truck will need to be replaced. Who would of thought that a bird could do that kind of damage? We didn't think the grill or the hood was actually broken. It'll be a mess for the body shop guys who end up fixing it. I'm glad I spent the extra $16 to upgrade my insurance coverage for rental vehicles. But here we go... the Caravan is pointed east.

So many roads. This trans-Canada Highway has many faces. Mostly pretty, and sometimes dangerous. For the most part we drive pretty cautiously. Over three months of driving we've only made a few really long hauls like the one we are making today. We set the cruise control, watch our mirrors, check our tires. It's all about arriving alive.

I don't have to wonder how much we've spent on gasoline on this Tour. The spreadsheets spell it out pretty clearly. At least we're doing better than we were last year when gas reached $1.40 per litre. I've been reading Jeff Rubin's book about oil and economy— and I'm largely convinced by his arguments. For sure, it's going to get much more expensive to do this road thing. It's a little scary as my working life depends upon national— if not global— mobility. As it is, I'm going to refine Tour revenue structure to more accurately reflect oil prices. Overall the Tour has suffered from an increasing difference between gross and net. In other words, the percentage of our income that we lose to non-discretionary expenses is growing. Most of this jump is directly related to transportation levies. I've managed this somewhat by increasing the number of Tour stops to maximize return on the distances. But clearly the bleeding continues and must be mitigated.

Not much talking on this run. The cd collection was left in Winnipeg along with Dave's suit— you did notice he wasn't wearing a suit on the last show? Dave and I sit, lost in our own thoughts. I know this feeling. It's the same at the end of each of these Tours. This life becomes so routine that it is hard to leave it. But we are tired. Very tired now. It is time.

The blog is way behind. I've promised to try to bring it up to date as soon as possible, but this is going to take a while. The whole legal drama with the person who shall not be named just sucked so much pleasure and energy out of the Tour. I spent a lot of time dealing with that, and not updating the blog. As our lawyer, Paul Sanderson said, at least we have enough profile now that people notice us. I am not going to discuss specifics, as this matter has been settled, but our right to perform under our own, legal names was questioned, and a legal action was launched to try and shut down the Tour. Obviously, we persevered— with the expert assistance of Paul Sanderson and Richard Flohil— but I can't begin to describe how draining the whole experience was. Thank goodness for all the really wonderful, thoroughly decent and outstanding human beings we met each day on the Tour.

Doing 104 shows pretty much means that we've met 104 presenters, enjoyed their hospitality, and have worked with them to make the shows a success. Nearly all the presenters were great to work with, and indeed Dave and I have come to regard many of these as personal friends. A lot of times presenters are the unsung heros of the music business. They take chances, work their tails off to bring in shows, but don't take the applause at the end of the night. Mind you, some of them take in a good pile of money by the end of the night— but most are ordinary, music loving folks, who also have expenses to pay when all is said and done. And how about all the other friends up and down the line who have helped us along? Folks who took us to their homes, treated us to meals and coffee at their tables. Folks who packed us lunches, gave us cds, helped us in airports, gave us tours of their communities... Folks who went out to their way to help us bring a show to their town, and who did their best to make us comfortable during our stay... I bet I owe about 150 people thank you notes. We don't expect such hospitality, but it really makes Tours like this one possible. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You know who you are, and so do I. Merci. Thank you.

This long, prairie drive will come to a close in another hour or two. As it happens I'll be on a flight to Calgary in the morning. From there it will be a bus to Enderby, BC. Yup, I'll be picking up my new Lincoln and driving it back across these same roads! Crazy, eh? I was hoping to drive east via Chicago, but I don't think I can take the car over the border with its temporary, transit sticker. It will be an interesting ride anyway. I'm flying my 12 year old son, Alasdair, to Kelowna. He's going to ride home with me, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing him.

I drop Dave at his home in Winnipeg. Big hug. Handshake. I'm off to my hotel at the airport.

Last Date: Blues at the Bow

2009-11-28T20:47:00.000-05:00

We're up early, but not too early. Canadian winter is clearly starting to catch up to us, and the ride promises to be interesting. Not too interesting, we hope.

Things are looking a little better by the time we roll into the Bean Capital, so we check into our hotel and then circle around to take a look at the venue.

We can tell this is going to be a very cool gig. Actually, the venue is rather famous in Canada— it's just an exceptional blues room. Dave and I are looking forward to it, although in a blue sort of way. This is the last show of the Tour— and we've really enjoyed ourselves. Not only that, but we are sharing the bill here tonight with our pal Tim Williams, so our show will be a short one. We've known this for a long time, but it's hard to believe the end is near. It's an early sound check and load-in, so we stroll inside.

The place is busy in mid-afternoon— sound and lighting techs are busy, bar people are busy, Tim Williams and his band are already here. We carry our gear in and get down to work as well.

It's always a pleasure to run into Tim Williams. I love the way he plays. He should be way better known than he is. If you don't know him, Google him up. We are very pleased to be sharing a bill with Tim and his excellent band.

Some of you will recognize Suitcase James as Alberta's top blues-roots bassist. These guys are actually playing the Saddle Dome with ZZ Top tomorrow night.

While the bar gets ready soundcheck continues.

Before you know it, we've done soundcheck, been out for dinner, got changed, and it's night time and show time!

Go figure, nobody took any pictures of our set— at least not with our camera. Send us a jpg or two would ya, somebody? We had a fun set, all too short, with Tim Williams sitting in on mandolin for a couple of numbers. That's Willie P. Bennett's mandolin he's playing. Sort of gave me a little shiver...

Between shows we went outside to take in the street scene and the lobby.

Blues at the Bow has been an exceptionally friendly place to be. We are impressed by the dedication of all the volunteers. This great old theatre was completely renovated and rebuilt by these blues fans so they could bring substantial shows to this corner of the map. There's plenty of time and effort in all the detailing. We are so pleased to have had the chance to meet everyone, and to play this venue.

Dave and I retire to the Green Room and watch Tim's set from sidestage. It's been a great run. Hospitality is good, and there are little sandwiches, and dip, and beer, and water, juice, wine... I have a glass of red and survey the room. This is one of those places where it seems like everyone has played. All the names and autographs are up on the wall.

We figured we'd leave our mark, too.

It's kind of fitting that the last photo I take on the last show of the Tour should turn out to be my favourite. It's my favourite tonight, at least. We've had a ball, and we're tired after 104 back to back shows! But gosh it was good, and we're a little sorry that it's over. Thanks Blues at the Bow, for helping to make this night so special.

Back at the motel there's no internet and no heat. It's right next to the railroad tracks, so a couple of big freights wake me up and hum me back to sleep. Big drive in the morning. I'll dream of the white line. These days when I close my eyes I'm always moving.

Sold-Out Show in Swift Current!

2009-11-27T15:53:00.001-05:00

Yes, I know— the giant wheat is in Weyburn, but that's where we are starting. So, yes, big wheat. Gotta love it. Art in an oil town. We've only got a few hours of driving today, but Dave and I are up early and searching for breakfast. Alas, no diners of the sort we like. Another Canadian breakfast at Tim's! Fortified by coffee and bagels, we troll the town for pawnshops and thrift stores. The Sally-Ann store has just opened, but there are no old National guitars to be had... so we hit the highway. Good-bye Weyburn. Until next time.

It's an easy drive, and we stop in Cadillac because Big Dave is a Cadillac kind of guy.

We roll into Swift Current, where we'll be performing at the Art Gallery of Swift Current this evening. Early, so we GPS our way to our hotel to have a rest before load in and sound check. The rooms are really nice, and the presenters have provided us with goody baskets— snacks, fruit, organic wine. Very nice, and most appreciated. After a short nap we make our way across town to the venue.

The Art Gallery of Swift Current is a large, modern building, well designed and presented. Our show is in an auditorium/gallery space. It is beautifully equipped with banks of overhead stage lights, and it is clear that they have got a top flight sound company working with us on this show. This is going to be nice! I've been trying to book Swift Current into the Tour for several years now— but the dates never seemed to line up before. Big Dave has played this hall several years ago, and he assures me that it is a good one. The sound tech certainly knows his stuff, and Dave and I are finished our set-up and check in record time.

We return to the Hall after dinner to find that it is filling up. Apparently all the tickets have been sold. That's always good news. CD's are being sold in the lobby, along with wine, beer, snacks. This IS nice! We are so busy that we neglect to get pictures of the building or its lobby. Showtime! This is to be our last complete show as our final show tomorrow will be a single set. Dave and I have come up with a lot of material over the last three months, and this will be our last chance for us to hear and enjoy some of it. We are both pretty pleased at the way this show has developed. Tonight we are both really on. I'm just soaking up Big Dave's fabulous playing. And I felt that I had NEVER sung some of my own material as well as on this evening... Photos?

Well, I asked the crowd to pass around the Tour camera and take a few snaps for us... I didn't get all the stage views I was imagining, but the pics are kind of cool. So here's what we found in the camera! There's quite a few, so you may want to fast scroll if you are not from Swift Current...

We had a ball. I can't remember what we played for our encore. A great way to bring the Tour to the (almost) end. Dave and I both had quite a few fans come out— and I guess we made a bunch of new friends this evening. Nice. I just wish it wasn't snowing outside!

Pump Jack's, Weyburn, SK

2009-11-26T13:36:00.000-05:00

Glad to be back on the road again. The brief stop in Winnipeg seemed long, despite the company of so many friends. I guess it just felt strange not to be travelling all day. It felt like perhaps we were missing something. But I do think our day off recharged our batteries somewhat. We're excited about playing this last leg, and glad to be back at it. We'll be backtracking through some familiar territory, but this is good— we've planned a couple of stops.

The first stop is Redvers, SK. When we played the amazing hall here (perhaps the best acoustics of the tour in this old wooden theatre) we discovered a little leather shop on the edge of town. Christmas is coming, so we stop back to buy more mitts and moccasins. All hand made on the premises. Great stuff. I think they may have a website— I know they ship all over the world now.

Our next stop is Forget, SK. Yes, we're back to visit with Ken Hamm at his cool little guitar store. Ken is a Juno winning roots and blues artist who has recently moved to this little community and opened a music shop. Big Dave is, of course, primed for this stop. He's brought gear to wheel and deal, and it's not long before he and Ken have decided on some trades.

We don't leave with this one, but we do leave with a cool, short scale, early 1960s (I think), National electric guitar. It's gonna be a monster to play slide guitar on. I've heard a few guys— I'm thinking of David Wilcox— really make these sing. Sure wish a lefty would show up out there. They just don't balance properly upside down. The other guitar Dave came away with was a baritone DanElectro. Nice looking guitar. Big and small. That should keep Dave busy over the winter months!

It's getting late in the day now, and the days have become shorter as winter approaches. It will dark by the time we arrive at Pump Jack's in Weyburn, SK.

It's oil country, for sure. These rigs stand in the fields like strange birds, dipping and bobbing their heads for food. Saskatchewan is doing pretty well these days, and it's an interesting place. It's got plenty of oil dollars— and the tough, conservative culture that come with oil development— but it's also got deep rooted social welfare traditions, close knit agricultural communities, great educational facilities, a rapidly growing technical sector, a great football team, and a passion for the arts. There's big, flat distances out here, but I think "isolated" and "rural" are concepts of the past.

Pump Jack's is brightly lit as we pull in, and owner-promoter Troy meets us in the parking lot to help us load in. Western hospitality! We are soon set up and ready to play. The club is noisy, for sure. It's a pub of the loud, talky kind, in a town where I suspect straight country is very popular. Nonetheless, Troy is working hard to bring a variety of music to his club, and is slowly developing a healthy audience for roots and blues. We've had folks drive for over an hour and a half to be here tonight. That's always a little humbling, a great compliment, and makes us want to give our best.

Before you know it showtime has arrived! We've got a pretty good crowd here. Let's do it!

Between shows some bright young ladies explain to me the best ways to build houses "off the grid." Lots of progressive thinking going on in Saskatchewan.

Back at it, and we finish the night hanging around talking with this very social and friendly crowd. Thanks, Troy, for having us. We hope to stop back on the next tour!

Busman's Holiday with Debra Lynn Neufeld

2009-11-24T15:23:00.002-05:00

We couldn't give a Tuesday night show away to southern Manitoba. So Brandon and PLP remain mysterious places. Are they mysterious to you as well? I have a short list of unbookable towns, and Brandon, MB is on it— along with Hope, BC, Medicine Hat, AB, North Battleford, SK, Sarnia, ON and Brockville, ON. Always on route, yet never a stop. I know these places are real because I buy gas, even coffee, as the Tour passes through them every year... Anyway, with a night off Big Dave and I need to find a place to play!

We end up at a Winnipeg club called Le Garage. Our pal Debra Lyn Neufeld hosts a jam here every week. This is cool. Gord Kidder plays harp and Johanna Miller plays drums. I hope I've spelled her name right. She's a rising star of a drummer— she's worked with Big Dave for a while now, and is known for her work with the Scott Nolan band as well. I love the way she listens and plays. Her playing reminds me of Steven Hodge or Jeff Arsenault. Top flight. Gord, of course, is the godfather of western Canadian harmonica players. He hasn't travelled much during his lengthy career, staying pretty much in Winnipeg. In my opinion, one of the very best players in Canada. Always a treat to hear. If you visit Winnipeg you'll want to check the listings and go see him!

Debra kicks off the jam with a set from her band.

Soon the players are lining up and the guesting begins. This is one of the best jam nights I've witnessed in years. There are a lot of really, really good players in the house. There is some serious playing, some serious fun, and not a lot of wanking or volume.

Gord Kidder takes a break, but ducks the camera flash!

Joanna doesn't get many breaks. I'm lucky enough to get her and Gord Kidder to play with me, opening the second half of the night. Crumb— no pics. Big Dave got up next and showed us all the correct way to break strings! A line of good and interesting players continued to take their turns on the stage, and Debra Lynn played some more as well. She plays like she means it, and looks like she means it, too. http://www.debralynneufeld.com

The Dusty Roads duo got up and played— good singing, songwriting and playing in the roots tradition by these young players. I find that the musicians in this community really support each other and network beautifully. I met Dustin at the Trout Forrest Festival some years ago, and it's nice to see and hear his hard work paying off. Jessica Rae is developing into a strong singer and front person. They've got a new CD called "Searchin' for a River." http://www.dustyroadsband.com

Tim Butler is a real strong local player. Every few years I catch up with him and hear him play tasty stuff in a variety of styles. He runs a Wednesday night jam somewhere in Winnipeg, more focused— I think— on acoustic music. But tonight the battered Strat says it all. Journeyman.

Thanks for a fun night out!

Times Again

2009-11-22T16:56:00.000-05:00

Bad Bill. Grill Bill is not looking any better today...

Back again. Tonight is the famous Big Dave McLean Jam. Dave's been running this jam for close to 30 years now. Everyone is so happy that I've brought Big Dave back from the Tour! I'm going to sit in and play some harp tonight, but we won't be doing our Century Tour material. Dave's working! I'm free of responsibility for a change, so I'm going to have a couple of drinks and enjoy the Times scene. We do however, need to be down early for load in and set-up. That never changes!

Johanna Miller is on the band stand tonight... couple of guys from the Perps... the place is jumpin.' There's a big list, and Dave has his stubby pencil out, inventing combinations of players.

A good time is had by all. Susan Harris and I go back to Stonewall and stay up all night playing records.

Century Mark Reached!!! — One Hundredth Show

2009-11-21T17:28:00.002-05:00

An easy five or six hours from Yorkton, SK, and we'll be in Winnipeg. And early enough to check out some Pawn before the show.

We were not counting down— it's all going too fast— but tonight's show marked 100 performances on the Tour! By happy coincidence this historic show took place at Times Changed High and Lonesome in Winnipeg, MB. Nice to have this show happen in Big Dave's hometown and in such a cool venue. A capacity crowd carried us through the evening. We had a ball, and raffled off the second to last Tour Jacket! Nice for me to be made so welcome here. We'll get all the pics up and the blog filled in now that we have a little more time. Just had to post this 100th show!!

Gallagher Centre, Yorkton, SK

2009-11-20T16:19:00.002-05:00

Grill Bill is not looking any better this morning. We came out to the truck to find a big black dog eating him! Wings and head are entirely gone. We hope it makes him sick— the Dog, that is. The owner of the dog was standing around watching. Hope it makes him sick, too. But he seemed to enjoy it. While we'll miss our mascot, we are surprised to see that Bill had actually smashed through the front of the truck. It's a one piece, plastic front end— the whole front end is made from one continuous, molded piece of plastic. Crumb! This looks expensive. Dave gloves up and tried to remove the rest of Bill. But Bad Bill is NOT coming out of the front of the truck! There's bones and feathers sticking out, but they are lodged in there really, really tight. The body shop guys will have to get it out somehow. We don't have tools to do that out here in Redvers this morning. Bill is no longer as amusing as he once was. Or as pretty an ornament!

After a lengthy and unspectacular breakfast, we hit the road for Yorkton, SK. We'll be playing at the Gallagher Convention and Sports Centre. This is always a great town to play, and we have plenty of fans who come out to support the big room presentation. Tonight it is to be a dinner and show package— a prime rib affair we are looking forward to. The chef at the Centre really knows his business— no rubber chicken there! Also, the Centre itself is extremely well managed. Everything always runs smoothly. The place is modern, sparkling clean— a perpetually busy hub for the town of Yorkton and the surrounding region. Dave was born in Yorkton and, strangely, my great -grandfather lived there from 1901 until 1910. It's always interesting for me to look up at his old offices on Broadway. I'd love to poke around town and check out the archives and library, but the Tour always seems to move quickly through here— as it does through most places. We're always in motion. Big Dave's family moved on when he was still a very little Dave, but tonight Yorkton's our town.

We get to ride some secondary highways north today. Most of the time it's just us out here. I wanted to take Dave to Slow Helen's, in Melville, for lunch. Ah, we're too far east today.

If we get to the hotel an hour or two early I can work on the Blog which, as you probably know, is way behind now. Or I could sleep for a while. We're getting to that point in the Tour for sure. We cross the TransCanada Hwy and continue north.

We arrive early and check in. I've got book keeping and email— no nap for me. We're recognized in the lobby, which is always a good sign. A quick stop at the Centre, where I'm told advance tickets have suddenly started to move. I have a feeling that the night will be well attended. Sound is not as smooth as I'd like it to be. The young lad appointed to be our tech knows how to carry gear and plug it in, but live, acoustic sound does not appear to be something he's had much experience with yet. First we argue over the mics, their trim and their positioning. I like to be supportive of my tech people— but finally I tell him "I've done hundreds of shows a year with these SM57 and SM58 mics, since before you were born!" We finally get the sound to a reasonable position, and go back to the hotel to suit up. Later, when we start the show, the techie immediately starts sliding the faders up and down. I can't kill him in front of so many witnesses, but I'd like to... freeze him solid for the rest of the evening. It's a four mic set up for acoustic music... grrrr...

Dinner is amazing, and the Hall is pretty full. A whole bunch of people out to see us wearing National Steel Tour jackets— including Casey. He's a big fan who also came to Saskatoon and, I think, Wadena, SK, last month. Distances don't seem to mean much to these prairie folks.

The bad news is I have lost the Tour camera. Well, I did find it, post-show, by then too late to record the festivities. I snapped Casey with my iPhone. I guess I should of used it the rest of the night as well, but I habitually turn it off and store it prior to a show. So what can I say? Another great night. Everyone well fed. Jacket winner. Encore. Sound guy gets it all together between sets. Hey, maybe he'll be mixing for Randy Bachman next time. You never know. Warm and fun. I think Yorkton's one of the friendliest spots on the Tour. Reps from 2 other venues try to poach us for return shows... Did I tell you that we're VERY venue loyal? We very much appreciate the offers, but The Gallagher Centre has first call in this region. Thanks, Don. And thanks Yorkton for another superb night.

Redvers, SK, A Really Nice Hall

2009-11-19T17:39:00.002-05:00

After bidding our friends Sheila and Dale good-bye, Dave and I head up to Mr. Breakfast to drink coffee and organize our day. Dave's been asked to appear in a film about Regina's Plains Hotel— soon to be torn down or re-developed to make way for condos. Big Dave McLean and his band were a big draw for many years in this famous, wild west watering hole— so they'd like to interview him at the club today. I said sure, 11:AM sharp, and we are in and out in less than an hour. Yes, the venues do come and go, but when you play a room for twenty years, it is cause for thought... Speaking of venues, it would be really nice to come back to Regina sometime in the spring/summer season and do the Regina Folk Festival. We've played the Exchange for what— four consecutive years now. C'mon, and hire us up, would ya?

OK, time to get out of town. We're cutting south-west by a route neither of us have used before, and the new GPS has made it seem much farther than it really is to clear city limits! But finally we're on the open road. Like Toad. Poop, Poop, but we're not going to wreck our Caravan!

I hope you like prairie as much as I do. Heck, I like it all. We made a few stops for coffee before we hit town.

Dave and I were not invited to the Couples Retreat. I hope folks around here come and see us instead. From the outside, the Redvers Community Hall looks pretty interesting. I can tell it going to be "old school," but we will have no way of knowing if this is good or bad until we get inside. We'll be doing our own sound this evening— which is fine, but for the load in and out parts! As it turns out there is a stage door not far from the street, so it won't be too bad. We've called ahead as requested, and it doesn't take long for us to connect with one of the Hall volunteers, who gets us in and shows us around. It's a pretty neat old theatre with a big stage.

It never takes us very long to set up our Long and McQuade gear, and this venue is no exception. After borrowing an extension cord to make a long reach easy, we are in business. This hall sounds great! We are tempted to play it without a PA, and probably would have if we were earlier along in the Tour. I later tell the Arts Council coordinator "don't even paint the ceiling— this is one of the best sounding rooms in Canada." Some places spend millions on halls to have them sound only marginal, other places just get lucky. The folks in Redvers are pretty lucky indeed!

Sound check was smooth. Pre-show we are treated to a home cooked meal. This was really nice. It could of been pizza or fast food, but our hosts made a basic, home-style meal, brought it to the hall, and dined with us. Efforts like this are appreciated so much. Simple, but it really charges up our batteries, and gets us away from salt and sugar and fat laden fare. A big thank you to the gal who took the time to do this. We are staying at a B&B on the edge of town, so we go there now to check in and get suited up. Sure is dark out here when the sun goes down! And then... Show time!!

I don't think the hall was sold out, but it was pretty full, and I'm told that this was the first time a lot of folks had heard a live blues show. So I'm glad they stayed all night! I hope they come back for more. Ken Hamm and his partner came out from nearby Forget, SK, to catch the show. Ken should play this hall. There are not many jackets left now— we had a fun raffle, but the winner escaped without a picture. Oh, well. A really nice bunch of folks, many of whom shook hands with me at the door as they were leaving. A busload of adults with learning disabilities attended— many thanks to the volunteers who helped get them to the Hall and home again. I especially enjoyed meeting the young man in the front row- he was the last to leave the Hall, needing to wait until even the instruments had been packed in their cases. Dave breaks down the PA while I sell a few more CDs and close up the booth.

These's only one place open in town when we leave, so we stop and buy some not so healthy snacks to take back to our room. Hey, who's tired? We've got a washer and drier, so I'm going to do laundry and the books at the same time!

Maclean Problem Resolved

2009-11-19T15:22:00.008-05:00

Recently some fans of the late comedy duo with similar surnames as Doc MacLean and Big Dave McLean confused the award winning comedy show with the award winning blues show. This is unfortunate as the shows were— and are— quite different. The popular comedy act performed its last show over a decade ago, and both of its members are now deceased. Dave and I wish to acknowledge that this is an emotional time for their fans and families, and to extend our regrets concerning any confusion that may have occurred over any instances of the abbreviated useage of our own legal names in promoting the National Steel Century Blues Tour featuring Doc MacLean and Big Dave McLean.

The National Steel Century Blues Tour featuring Doc MacLean and Big Dave McLean is a blues show which has done a previous and substantial national tour of Canada without complaint or confusion. This website is the main promotional forum, with the Tour name featured prominently along with the full names of both the artists, our professional bios, tour logo, and photographic images. There is not and has not been any attempt to associate or confuse ourselves with the late comedy team in any way. The Tour itself comprises over 100 shows in 9 provinces and 2 territories, for the most part played in venues with which we have been previously associated, many played in conjunction with local blues and jazz societies and educational facilities. We have used our own names and images, and promoted a Blues Tour in large print. It is therefore most troublesome that any aspect of our branding and marketing might be unclear, or might cause confusion.

Regrettably an abbreviated form of our full names was used to save space in a header advancing the Tour on September 6th, 2009— “Maclean and McLean Announce a Cool One Hundred.” The abbreviation has also been used, independently, by some promoters and editors with limited space in their own columns or marquees. We are confident, and maintain without reservation, that at no time was there any attempt in any way by the act, it’s promoters, presenters, producers or blues fans to deliberately mislead the general public, or fans of the late comedy duo. We are sincerely sorry for any confusion which may have followed the press release, or any other abbreviated usage of our names which may have occurred on chalkboards, marquees, print publications or other media not under our control. We have reviewed this website and have sought to clarify any instances where Maclean names are used.

In good faith, on October 29, 2009, we also took the voluntary step of addressing all of our remaining Tour venues and promoters:

“I’d… ask that you AVOID using the term “MacLean and McLean” on your chalkboards, marquees, print and multimedia advertising. It’s important that blues and roots fans can clearly identify Big Dave McLean, Doc MacLean, and the Century Blues Tour. We’ve been getting considerable media attention over the last couple of months, and plenty of airplay. Dave has recently had numerous nominations and has just won the WCMA “Blues Album of the Year.” … Thanks for your cooperation!”

It is our sincere hope that this apology and these actions will put all concerns to rest.

The Exchange, Regina, SK

2009-11-18T20:24:00.001-05:00

Not too big a haul today. Medicine Hat to Regina. Dave and I start out the day by cruising the pawn shops, thrift stores, and music outlets in Medicine Hat. About the only thing we get is a bunch of deep sockets out of the tool boxes. Dave uses these to play slide (as do many fine players), so I picked up a couple myself. I've used these years ago, but mostly on electric guitar. I've always used the home made bottlenecks on my acoustic and resophonic guitars. Anyhow, I've got a couple of dirty ol' sockets in my case now, and sooner or later I'll get to fooling around with them.

Here's our highway east today...

Regina comes up pretty fast when you get to it. We always look forward to playing this town. We're playing The Exchange tonight— a nice venue with lots of wood. It's a concert venue, so we'll get a good, listening crowd tonight. Plenty of friends now in Regina. There's a great little blues scene here— a good Blues Society, and a few steady rollin' rooms. Dave played Good Time Charlie's at the Plains Hotel on a regular basis for many years. This back in the day when a gig was six, maybe even twelve nights. What's with all the one nighters now?

The Blues Society has done some shows with us in past years, but this year local DJ, promoter, blues guy about town, Redbeard is presenting us at the Exchange. He's a big fan of the blues and does a lot to make it happen in the region via his radio show and his other activities. Tonight he's worried about ticket sales— but Jeff is always worried! He takes care of details. But we've all done our bit, and I'm pretty sure we are going to have a capacity crowd tonight. Meanwhile we check in with Dale and Sheila, who are going to put us up (and put up with us!) for the night. Dale is part of the Blues Society, and an active professional photographer. He took the image of Dave and I that we've used as a teaser throughout the Tour.

Across town at the venue we soundcheck and set up pretty nicely and quickly— as is our style. We've got an opening show tonight, and he's got some nice looking guitars.

It's a good crowd, and Redbeard is looking relieved. Hey, we knew this was going to be a great night. He was worried because John Mayall was in town last night, playing a casino gig. John should have split the bill with us— The Exchange is just so nice to play. Guess who probably has the most fun in Regina?

It IS a good looking crowd— and of course very stylish with the addition of yet another Tour jacket to the scene! Photographer Glenn Thompson http://www.wowphotographics.com a good friend, came out to the show and presented us with some really nice, mounted, Tour mementos. Mine will be on my office wall for sure. Thanks Glenn! Very thoughtful. Very cool. I shoulda got a shot of his work, but in the confusion and excitement of the moment... Back to the crowd...

We have a very enjoyable show. Dale Williams was kind enough to snap a few quick pics for us—

After an encore and a whole bunch of thank yous, we are back to Dale's for a quick snack, and a well deserved (if I may say so) sleep. In the morning we'll hunt for pawn, get filmed for a movie, visit the Plains Hotel, and check out Mr. Breakfast. What a great life.

Drive Day— Banff to Medicine Hat

2009-11-17T13:16:00.002-05:00

Well, Bad Bill is still hangin' in with the Tour. He's looking a little scarfy, but then perhaps we are, too. Dave and I graze up some coffee and muffins and make a relaxed exit from Banff. It's been pretty neat to visit here. Dave's got a lot of old friends as the town has long been part of his band circuit. I spent quite a bit of time in Banff in the early 1970s, and it is nostalgia for me to pass through. It's a big town now, and my old bars are gone, my old hot springs fenced away. Wild Bill's was an interesting venue for me. I was lucky enough to meet several fans who had discovered me, and followed the Tours on the web. So, new friends and old friends. An excellent combination!

But now the Road. Today is a rare drive day for us. Hard to believe that we couldn't give a Tuesday night away in Brooks, or Medicine Hat— but that's the way it is. This is Nickelback territory, I think. Did I spell that right? Probably not. Can you name three famous Canadian performers from Medicine Hat, Alberta? Umm. So, we'll just take a long day's drive, and stop where we please. We could actually use a night off, I guess, maybe...

You've got to drive right through Calgary to ride the TransCanada highway. There's no by-pass. This violin shop looks pretty cool, but we're always messed up in city traffic, and usually too hurried to stop anyway.

Black coffees. Lots of them. Muddy on the stereo. Buncha useless thrift shops... Oh, time to call it a day.

There's something about a concrete block motel with florescent lights...

Downtown Medicine Hat to look for a bite to eat. We poke around but end up going back to the Husky Truck Stop on the highway. I guess we're just not in the same dimension or something. We need a show in this town— something to connect us with it and reveal it's secret ways. But tonight we languish in our shadowless concrete rooms, ready for sleep, ready for Regina tomorrow.

Big Road to Banff, AB and Wild Bill's

2009-11-16T14:05:00.001-05:00

There's usually at least one true dog day on a Tour like this one. This is that day. I've known about it for months, I've watched it come rolling up through the Tour Book, I've planned for it. But now it's here. We're leaving Quesnel, BC to drive to Banff, AB, where we are going to play an EARLY show. Last night we played Prince George, BC, and after the show we drove down here to Quesnel, hoping to get a jump on the day. Unfortunately, there was a blinding snowstorm along the way, and it was a dangerous few hours of white knuckle driving to get here in the small hours of the morning. Then I discovered I'd been Google-suckered in the routing. It would of been MUCH faster to stay in Prince George and head out through Jasper. I usually catch these things early on, and I suppose I was just being too smart keeping our rooms at the Casino for an extra night. As it is, we are up and in the truck before 6:AM, hoping for better weather as we race for 100 Mile House, Kamloops, Golden, Banff. We search through the darkness and, remarkably, find a Tim's on the outskirts of town. A couple of quarts of black coffee— no, Dave is having some kinda Irish fantasy coffee or something today— OK, and a bunch of bagels, and we're rocking.

It's been better than we might of hoped for as it gets light and we roar down the road toward 100 Mile House.

The RCMP guy was nice and gave me a break on the ticket. Still, it's $290 out of my pocket, so I'm really making squat on the day with it's 14 hours of driving, plus load in, load out and show. I've stayed within the limit for thousands of km, but I know what average speed I need to maintain to make the gig tonight. Crap. No, didn't take his picture...

OK, this is good, we've crossed a time line and still made it to the venue in time for soundcheck. I'm beat. I order food and cold beer as we work with the sound tech. The PA is huge. Really. They can give us five different monitor mixes, are trying to give us three, although we only want one mono mix...

We eventually get it all up and ready. Sometimes simple is really difficult. The sound guy knows his system, but has little experience with an acoustic show. We'll end up turning the monitors off altogether during the first set— after that we'll make out really well. Quick trip to the hotel to suit up and it's show time!

Wild Bill's is a pretty good sized venue— made for big crowds in this tourist destination. Tonight they have moved tables and chairs out into the dance floor area to create "concert seating" for the event. This is something we've been doing more and more often in the bigger blues venues— and it really works. A dinner and show ticket, and put people right up front. We started doing this at the Silver Dollar, in Toronto, a few years ago. It's a great way to bring an acoustic blues show into a premier blues venue which normally presents bands. It works well at Wild Bills, too. Plus they have great food and a really friendly and helpful staff.

We're not sold out here on this in-between-season Monday night, but it's not bad— it seems like there are people at every table in this big room, and they are with us. Dave and I have both had fans come out to this one, and it's very nice to chat and sign a few CDs. The owner/promoter, Swanee, sits in on harp with us for a few numbers. He's actually pretty good, and we have fun trading licks. Where's that Tour camera? Perhaps we are just too tired to use it? Or did we forget, again, in the heat of the action?

We did get a shot of the lucky tour jacket winner! At the end of the night my pal Rusty brings me an ice cream cookie thing, which seems to be a fine way to close out this long day. Thanks!

Artspace, Prince George, BC

2009-11-15T15:28:00.000-05:00

Grill Bill has stayed with us, becoming quite the attraction himself. Damn bird!

We've decided to stay on here, at McLean St., this evening. We'll keep our rooms at the Casino and get an early jump on the big run to Banff tomorrow morning. Breakfast at the Casino, and then we explore the town with an eye for pawnshops and thrift stores. There's nothing open this Sunday morning, so we buy vitamins, and get on the highway north to Prince George.

This little strip of road is not all that exciting, but we are looking forward to tonight's show. Prince George has a very active blues society— the Blues Underground— and it's members will likely be out in good numbers tonight. Our presenter, Earl, always takes care of details like radio and newspaper ads— yes, expensive off the top, but if you don't do this kind of thing you won't get the numbers you want at the gate. The Artspace room is perfect for an acoustic show, and the sound will be wonderful, I am sure.

After a very nice dinner with Earl and Nancy, we proceed to the venue and get on with sound check. Easy! And it sounds great!! I knew it would! We've got a little Green Room backstage where we can suit up.

Hey, are we having fun yet? We've got quite a few fans out to the show tonight— some who have come quite a distance to see us. Nice to meet everyone! Thank you for introducing yourselves, and thanks for making the effort in the face of such bad weather... Oh, did I say— it has started to snow in a substantial kind of way. We're near capacity, but I can bet we're not going to sell out with the weather doing what it is doing! Should be an interesting drive back to Quesnel in the wee hours...

Pretty soon most of these seats are filled up and we kick it off. It's a great blues crowd as we expected, and with their encouragement we deliver a top notch show this evening. They clap, laugh in all the right places, give us encores, buy CDs... We love you, Prince George! Seriously, it's very rewarding to perform across northern British Columbia. It may not be easy to get here, but folks very much appreciate the effort— and are well informed about the music and the artists.

This gal is on file as being the jacket winner... but I think I'm remembering her from a different city? So many jackets, 3400 photographs, and a blog that gets way behind sometimes. She looks happy anyway! I know there were a few people taking pictures of the show tonight— so perhaps you could be so kind as to email me a few jpgs? That would be great!

It's late by the time Dave and I get changed and head out into the snow. Should be an interesting drive down that dark little highway in this storm.

Quesnel, BC, Casino Time— New Mascot Joins Tour

2009-11-14T16:11:00.006-05:00

It's a classic drive across northern BC today. The weather is with us, and we roll past mountains, lakes, rivers, trees and rocks. Just before lunch a big bird flies out of the ditch into our van. THUNK! At least it didn't hit the windshield, although a bunch of stones fly up from the truck ahead of us— creating little chips we'll be required to pay for.

Lunch stop, and everyone in the parking lot is pretty excited about our van. What the heck??? "Did you know you've got a speckled grouse on the front of your truck?" Actually, no. We didn't. Hell, we thought it was a hawk or something. But whatever, we've got a grouse now, and it seems he's along for the ride...

It's fairly late by the time we reach Quesnel, BC. This is the venue: The Billy Barker Casino. We roll in and it seems to be exceptionally friendly. We've got just enough time to load in, have a quick bite, soundcheck, suit up. It's a nice concert area with an excellent PA system and lights. We are doing our own tech this evening, but it doesn't take us long to get up and running. The rooms upstairs are very nice— antique filled with big, four poster beds. They've got heat, too! I like that part!

It's a good house tonight. Quite a number of people have seen us on the Kamloops television station (that was a couple of weeks ago now), and yet more have heard us on CBC and on CKUA. This is a nice, as it is our first time in at the Casino— and we do, of course, want to draw good numbers. Two one hour sets and we're done. No encore here, but plenty of hand shaking. CD sales were very low, I don't think our merch booth was well placed.

Here's our lucky tour jacket winner!

After the show Dave retires to his quarters, while I roam the gaming rooms, taking in the sights. The staff are quite social, and I end up chatting with a few people before going out for pizza. These late night snacks can't be good for me— but I don't often do this. I guess watching all that gaming just makes me hungry! We can sleep in tomorrow as we have not got too far to drive.

Inland to Terrace, BC, The Kiva

2009-11-13T20:27:00.009-05:00

There's snow out here this morning in Prince Rupert. We've had a grand breakfast with our hosts at the B&B, and the day looks pretty good. The drive from here to Terrace, BC is reputed to be one of the most scenic in Canada— and we are quite looking forward to it. It's quite beautiful here on the water, in a rugged sort of way, and this is the "end of west" for us. The truck is pointed eastward, and in another month this grand adventure will be over. A full tank of gas, a couple of big coffees to go, and zoom—

Oh, yeah. It's a great looking drive on a day like this. But it does remind us of just how far away Prince Rupert is from the big roads and the big towns. It's Friday the 13th, and I guess that shouldn't matter much if you are not a Knights Templar sort. Gosh, I wonder if the world cares about the secrets of the Holy Grail in the age of the Internet? Anyhow, it's a nice day for us here and now!

Dave rocks in red today!

OK, now we're getting here. This was our gas stop on the way into town.

The gig looked small from the outside, but as we moved indoors for soundcheck it began to look bigger— and all but sold out in advance we are told.

We brought our own sound for this one. That Long and McQuade system has been great in a wide variety of halls. Dave and I are set up and done our soundcheck in less than 20 minutes! Downtown to the Best Western, where we suit up and get a bite to eat. It's going to be a good night for sure, and we're ready.

Showtime! And wouldn't you know it, the Tour camera is back at the hotel! The blues fans have come down from the hills, and all seats are filled. Dave has found a couple of fans who like to tell jokes— or rather, they have found him— and they have a good time trading punchlines before we start. The show itself goes very, very well, and a large number of cds and posters are autographed before the night is out. Tour jacket winner? Of course! Picture? Somebody send us a jpg or two would you? We had a great time at the Kiva and definitely plan on coming back.

Terrace closes up early, even on a Friday night. By the time we get back to our hotel the little pizza joint across the street has closed up. The breakfast buffet will be good.

Prince Rupert, BC, The Tom Rooney Playhouse

2009-11-12T13:17:00.008-05:00

Early, but not too early. We've had a decent sleep in our cabin, watched the sun rise— or the light come up at least— as the ship makes her way up the passage to Prince Rupert. And now we're here! The lower decks where the vehicles are parked give some idea of the size of the ship. It's been very smooth. We had only a couple of choppy hours, and I got through them. Dave says he was fine, but for a few minutes I certainly considered the possibility of using the brown bags provided! Let's get on shore and check this place out!

The town is pretty interesting. It hugs the hills overlooking the ocean. Apparently it has been in a bit of a recession of late, but great hopes are placed on the new rail terminal here— expected to bring in a huge amount of ocean traffic, infrastructure, and jobs. We gather from the shops that there is a pretty nice tourist season here in summer— but here we are between seasons. It is grey and cold and wet. But the boats are busy. As we make our way to our B&B we take in the harbour— big splashes of colour against the sea and the mountains. It's going to be a seafood dinner for me— of that, I am sure! We are in town quite early, but I guess with the ferry schedules people are used to that. Dave and I GPS our way to the Eagle Bluff without any trouble, and are quickly made welcome. This is great!

Yes, indeed. This is a free promo for the Eagle. If you visit Prince Rupert you should try to stay here! After a nap, a warm-up, lunch, we head out to drive around town. We don't have any luck at the Thrift Store, but as we are walking a young gent pops out of a diner and introduces himself as Ken Shaw, our promoter. We've drawn some advance press, so everyone is hopeful that there will be a good turnout this evening.

The Tom Rooney Playhouse is a pretty good sized venue with a nice stage, excellent sound and lighting. Load in and sound check go off very smoothly. We are looking forward to being on stage again after two days of travel!

By showtime it has started to snow heavily. This is the first snow of the year for Prince Rupert, so people are standing about, looking at it in that resigned sort of Canadian way. You know, it's a good night to stay home, nurse a scotch, and look out the window saying, "well, early start tomorrow, looks like three or four inches..." Of course, this is a bad sort of night to be hoping for a sold out house, but we're always determined to deliver to whoever we have. It's a lesson that John Hammond taught to both Dave and myself— individually— over thirty years ago when we were opening shows for him. So tonight, I'm at the bar with a glass of red wine, waiting. We are not disappointed, and we have got a pretty good house by the time we hit the stage.

Here's our tour jacket winner tonight! Apparently this fellow is a blues playing lawyer who can— variously— get you into a good jam, or out of a bad jam. I'm sorry there was not a local act on the bill, as it is always great to meet and hear the local players.

The night goes very well, and it is late by the time we load out into the snow and cautiously make our way back to the Eagle. It's a nice theatre here in Prince Rupert, and a good bunch running it. I hope we'll meet again.

Port Hardy, BC— Remembrance Day, Northern Adventure

2009-11-11T17:14:00.002-05:00

Waking up in Port Hardy. It's Remembrance Day. While Canadians everywhere stop at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, in British Columbia the province pretty much shuts down for the entire Day. So it is very quiet in downtown Port Hardy as we search for our breakfast. We happen on to a pretty good spot and, by chance, the place is run by the brother of somebody Dave knows well. "I love the blues," says the man, "ever hear of Big Dave McLean?" After an enormous breakfast of our favourite kind, we wander the town.

By coincidence Dave's dad served in Port Hardy during the War. I gather that he was part of the coastal defense effort, manning the radar and patrolling the rugged shorelines. My dad served in Europe, as did my grandfather who was a career military man. So it is an easy decision this morning to attend the Remembrance Day ceremonies on the beach here in Port Hardy.

When the Master of Ceremonies called out for a WWII vet to lay a wreath, none were present to step forward except the MC himself. It was a lonely kind of moment, one which resonated with Dave and I as our own fathers have both passed. In all, a splendid and moving ceremony— attended by all branches of service including our northern Rangers, First Nations, and the RCMP in their magnificent dress uniforms. I think we are bonding with this great country, each mile, each community, every province and territory, every vista, each page of history. It's a sense of place, it's hard to describe— but on this day we both feel especially proud of our Canadian heritage. The parade is heading across the way to the Legion Hall, but we have a boat to catch. And we've got to move!

It's hurry up and wait for the Northern Adventure, but I can imagine that this scene is pretty chaotic at other times of the year. The ship will, I understand, carry up to 600 passengers— and I don't know how many vehicles and tonnes of freight beyond. She's big... Well certainly the biggest ship I've ever been on. Today, I'm told, there are fewer than 50 passengers booked for the journey. The Inland Passage, a Canadian legend for its striking scenery and stark beauty. Soon we'll be leaving this Port, heading north, bound for adventure.

View from our cabin window. Very cool!

They were right— with only about 50 of us on this ship it is almost empty. It's like a very private cruise!

As we get underway we know this is going to be a thrill.

Oh Canada.

North to Port Hardy, BC

2009-11-10T12:50:00.007-05:00

We stopped by a graveyard on Hornby Island. I'd noticed this place in the past but had never had the time to stop. The unusual markers had caught my attention. I like them, and I probably would of liked the people they serve. The bike, with its antler handlebars is especially cool. I guess no one else could ride it following the death of its rider. Perhaps it was a bit like the bikes in "The Third Policeman," where over time the molecules of bikes and their riders became mixed... Rough roads, you know. Anyway, we're off on a travel day and need to meet our ferry.

This is a magic island, and we are always sorry to leave. I'm jealous of Dave, who will be coming back here for a week in the summer to teach at the Blues Camp! Nice gig, Dave. It sounds like an amazing time. Ah, here comes the boat. We've two of these to catch— travelling first to Denman Island, and then across the short straight to Vancouver Island.

We are quite looking forward to the drive north today. I've never been to the top end of Vancouver Island before, and I'm always excited about driving unfamiliar roads. Dave and I stop at the ferry terminal on the Vancouver Island side, or rather at the general store that is next to it— and buy coffee and popcorn for the ride. The big bags of kettle corn will probably last for days! This road is looking good already!

It is a scenic ride, becoming more and more isolated as we progress. I'm glad we are rolling on a full tank of gas, that's for sure. We reach Port Hardy before dark, find the ferry terminal, find a motel, go to a sports bar for dinner. Tomorrow the Northern Adventure will meet us at the docks. Tonight I'm going to try and get an internet connection out of the lobby of this motel. It's patchy and slow, but good enough for email.

Rest Day on Hornby Island, BC

2009-11-09T15:08:00.006-05:00

Woke up to this view this morning in the beautiful Ocean House. It is the second time we've stayed here, and we are really, really thankful for the hospitality! While Dave goes out to breakfast with some friends, I suit up and go for a run on the other side of this remarkable island. I'm sorry I didn't bring the camera— sometimes it is a bother to have it bouncing around in my pocket over distance. I go about 10- 15 km, mostly on trails high on cliffs over the water. A thrill. It did get a little wild at times, and I wondered how long it would take to find me if I were to have a mishap out here alone. But all was well, and the go to and come back part of my run were on roads like these—

Later I go for a bit of a drive and see the roads and hall by daylight.

Hey, this is a rest day. Dave and I are going out to dinner with some friends. Bye for now. Do you like my hat?

Hornby Island- A Magic Night

2009-11-08T20:27:00.001-05:00

The little Dutch diner/cafe shop in Naniamo, BC is closed when we stop this morning, so we continue up the highway and stop at a fancier coffee place. I call David Gogo to give him a hard time about not coming out to our show last night. Big Dave says Gogo was out of town on a gig, and I agree, but figure I'll call him anyway as it's early... Ahh, no answer. I'll have to wake him up some other time, maybe next year. Before you know it we are at the ferry to Denman Island and Hornby Island. We cram a couple of backpackers into the van. They say they've paid for tickets. We say we believe them. The ferry guys don't ask. Both these women have black eyes— they look like they've been in a bar room fight somewhere. They look tough. But they are quite polite, and we take them as far as the community hall on Hornby.

We check in at the venue, and as it happens, we are early enough that we can go to our digs and relax for a while prior to showtime. Nice.

After a lovely meal, we head back to the Hall. There have been quite a few advance tickets sold, and we're expecting to have a great show tonight. This hall is made of wood— it smells nice, sounds nice, looks nice. Soundcheck was wonderful.

We have a great time. Dave and I are really hitting our stride with this presentation. I don't review our shows in this Blog— that's up to you folks— but I must say that it seems our audiences are enjoying these shows as much as we are— which is a whole lot! Thanks for helping to make these nights so much fun.

Of course there's a big raffle here on the island— plenty of interest in the Tour jackets! And here's tonight's lucky winner! After the show we pig out on the little, and big, left over dessert and snack items. Pie, cookies, red wine. The night seems black as there are few street lamps on the island, and the sky is hidden by clouds. When we load out the wind is picking up through the trees. Back at the house I have a glass of wine and listen to the wind, the water, the rain. Sleep will come easily. I'm going to run in the morning.

Naniamo: Long and McQuade, Caprice Theatre

2009-11-07T15:27:00.000-05:00

It's an easy drive from Duncan, BC. First we pot around town looking for a good, bacon and eggs kind of breakfast joint. I don't think there is one— plenty of chain food around the edges, but that seems to be it. We stop off at the Garage again. The downstairs cafe is pretty good, but they always stop serving breakfast before we can get there.. so it's muffins and burritos, or something like that. We stop by a giant Thrift store and wade through rooms of stuff and more stuff. Nothing we can't live without, so we are gone.

Our first stop today will be Long and McQuade Music in Naniamo. Of course we are looking forward to this. With the help of the GPS we are in the L&M parking lot almost before we know it.

As always, Longs is friendly. It's still a little quiet, but we are early, so we have a relaxed set up, meet Larry and the staff, and check out the store. This is a really well designed place, with plenty of light coming in from outside, warm wood fixtures, and a nice display configuration.

Dave looks as though he'll probably be loud enough for the workshop! We're starting to have a few people come in, and it's nearly time to start. We've had a fair amount of advance press for tonight's show at the Caprice Theatre, so the Long and McQuade workshop has attracted more than a few blues fans— some equipped with shoe-phone video cameras to capture the event.

These workshops differ depending upon who comes out and what they'd like to learn, but generally we talk a bit about the history and construction of resophonic guitars, and then demo them in various fingerstyle blues traditions. Usually we discuss set-up, strings, slides, pick-ups, mic techniques as well.

Today we field more questions about the blues and its history, and demonstrate a couple of different tunings.

It's always kind of neat to remind people that they don't have to play their guitars in the key that they are tuned to! In other words, you can play in a variety of keys using each tuning. For variety, I accompany Dave on the washboard for a couple of selections. Longs could sell these, if they could get 'em. Lots of interest in the washboard today.

Eventually we need to wrap and be on our way to prepare for this evening's show. Thanks for the hospitality, Larry! Nice store! We'll look forward to dropping by on our next visit. After picking up some harmonicas, picks, and strings, we make our exit.

It's late afternoon, and we hope to get a little nap in at our digs before soundcheck. First we need to find the place...

This IS pretty nice. We could get used to this. All we need is a dock and a boat... and maybe Steve Cropper to lay down a few tracks with us...

The boats are actually pretty big— the ones that are moving by out there on this Bay. There is a BC Ferry terminal nearby, so we are seeing their ships come and go. We settle in to snooze for a couple of hours before heading down to soundcheck. Our host, Tom Dodge, has enough gear set up in his living room for a band. Great view. Nice couch. Warm. Very good.

By the time we get down to the venue it is more than dark. It is still early evening as we drive up and down, searching for the rear loading docks to the Caprice Theatre. This back street looks pretty rough, and I decide immediately that I will NOT be parking the truck here for longer than it takes to load in. While we are stopped, squinting at the buildings, there is a knock on the truck window. "Are you fellas looking for a good time? I can help ya— give ya a great deal tonight." This young hooker is all of, maybe, sixteen. Dave tells her that we are looking for the Caprice Theatre. "That's it, over there." She seems disappointed, but asks if we have any spare change, or drugs, to spare. For better or worse we give her all our spare change, and make a quick U-turn to the Theatre entry gate. It's an ugly little scene, on this little side street, with people lurking in every alcove and streetlight.

Tom and his co-producer, Manda Chelmac, are quick to rally their Sky High Productions crew. Plenty of hands help us load in and set up. I slip out and drive the truck several blocks away, where I park it in the more brightly lit club district.

Sky High Productions is part of the Sky High Performing Arts Academy. This is actually an alternative high school program— and all the young persons helping out here tonight are aspiring performers themselves. They get high school credit while they learn the business and the art. This seems like a wonderful program— I wish there were many more like it across the country.

Of course, the price to be paid for all this help is also a little bit of hurry up and wait. There is a little bit more fussing over set-up and soundcheck than we would like— but for a good cause, so we take it in stride. Dave explains our basic mic choices and acoustic mic technique, while I conduct a mini workshop in the lobby about merch, sales, percentages, spreadsheets, manufacturing costs... It just seemed right to talk to these kids as much as possible as we went about our work.

It's pretty clear to me that the hot meal specified in our agreement isn't going to happen here. There is no food, and the hall is starting to fill up. We haven't had lunch yet, so we'll be playing our show without dinner as well. No snacks in the green room. No wine, no beer— I think there is pop and popcorn in the lobby, but we're busy now, gotta get suited up and get at it!

And our lucky tour jacket winner! We had a good crowd of blues fans come out to this show. The theatre was quite cool— a big, high stage, plenty of depth, and a deco come 1950s kind of decor. A great vibe for a blues show, and a nice hall acoustic sound. Dave and I both had some old friends come out to the show— always great when that happens, but never enough time to properly talk to people as we are so busy before, during and after.

I went and got the truck, and we loaded out into the night. Down on the main drag the police were busy keeping an eye on the partying folks around the dance clubs. Our little side street was less busy, but still active. Now it is late and we are still looking for food. It seems like everything is closed now, but for some fast food places. We do a drive through and Dave orders some kinda mini-baby burger things. I don't order at all— I just can't face eating this kind of stuff. Dave is hungry! I'm beyond that point now.

Back at the digs we have the place to ourselves. It's time to do the books on the show. You can tell I'm tired, and Dave is, too. Soon we'll climb into our bunkbeds and bring this day to a close.

Another Nomination! Big Dave- "Acoustic Act of the Year"

2009-11-07T13:11:00.002-05:00

Wow. We just got word that Big Dave has been Maple nominated "Acoustic Act of the Year." This nomination is a real honour as it recognizes nationwide achievement. Blues fans can go to the Maple Blues website and register to vote, online, for all categories. I want to encourage our fans to take a moment and give Big Dave your vote. A few votes can make all the difference as there are always several great artists nominated in each category! I've sat next to Big Dave on the Century Blues Tour every night for over two months, and it's been a real pleasure to hear him play. He's got my vote!

We're in Duncan, BC, this morning. It's raining and we're on our way to Naniamo to do a Long and McQuade workshop this afternoon, and then a show at the Caprice Theatre this evening. This Island, this coast, and it's people are amazing and we are very, very pleased to be made so welcome here. More details soon!

Duncan Garage Showroom— Capacity Show!

2009-11-06T20:33:00.001-05:00

It's a short ride to Duncan, BC today, so we take our time leaving— it's still wet and raining most of the time, and people have dropped by this morning to socialize. We drink coffee and hang around. I do an inventory of merch, a re-pack of cd boxes and jackets, a re-pack of the carry-in merch bag, a check of the merch sheets... Recycle trash from the van... Gear in. We're finally gone down the little lane, out to the Big Road. We are pretty wired and don't require any more coffee for the ride. In fact, we're probably going to have to stop a couple of times. This is old guy blues territory— the stop the van business— we don't remember having to stop so much back in the day! But it is a nice ride, even on a rainy day in November. The Island shows off its lush greens, low clouds, and varied topography.

In town early, we book into a moderately cheap motel, to snooze for a couple of hours. I'm supposed to be catching up the Blog from October, but we've had other challenges rise— there is a crazy legal action somebody has launched to try to prevent us from performing under our own, legal names! I don't fully understand it yet, so I won't talk about it here— beyond stating that it is stressful, distracting, and exhausting. I'll work on that problem instead of sleeping or working on the Blog. We have a tremendously good lawyer, whom I've dealt with for the better part of thirty years now, plus Canada's foremost entertainment publicist to assist us. So hopefully this will all work out.

I noticed this weathervane on our way to soundcheck.

It's always a pleasure to play the Duncan Garage Showroom. Proprietor Longevity John has no end of crazy decor around the place (check out the piggy banks and sperm banks above!). But in a serious way, this is also— in my opinion— one of the best acoustic rooms in Canada. It's simply a pleasure to play every time. The room is a great little theatre, the audiences are smart and well informed, the sound is always top notch. John does all the right things and keeps standards high for the room. It's always fun, and tonight is no exception! Dave and I have quite a few fans, both old and new come out this evening.

A good looking bunch, as seen from my chair on stage.

Jacket winner!! Yeah, yeah! You GO girl!! Congrats. This was fun.

Lots of blues friends, and great to see everybody. Thanks for yet another wonderful night in Duncan!

Victoria, BC, House Concert at Sandi's Place

2009-11-05T21:29:00.009-05:00

It's an early morning start for me— which is rough as it was also an early morning finish! I'm out of Rod's house, GPSing my way to Dave, who is about ten minutes away. I'm getting pretty good at navigating around here and pull a short cut on the GPS— it works! We roll out and find the ferry docks fairly quickly. We are early enough that we can get coffee and muffins before the voyage. I get a giant coffee. Dave buys it for me. A real gentleman. He doesn't say "you look like dog waste this morning." He just buys me the largest coffee available.

You can tell we are old hands at this crossing of the Straight. Not a single picture of the boat or the view. I bring the laptop up to the lounge to try and work on the Blog, but end up getting some much needed sleep instead. We'll have quite a bit of downtime in Victoria before tonight's show so all will be fine.

It's a rainy night, but it's warm inside and we've got a full house. Sandi isn't here tonight! I'm not clear on exactly where she is, but she had to leave town on business and has trusted the night to her pals. We're going to link up by cell phone and play the last set to her. I think she's in Yellowknife, NT? Anyhow, this is really, really fine that our host has enabled the concert to take place in spite of her need to be elsewhere. We owe ya one Sandi! The picture looks kinda spooky for some reason, but it is actually a lovely space. We get a fine "CBC" introduction, and we're off!

The night is WAY more uptempo than these pics might imply! Dave and I turn in a pretty good performance, and are not as tired as we might appear! We very much enjoy playing house concerts. The folks here are really nice— I only wish we could hang around and spend more time with them! Between sets we sign piles of cds and posters, and get ready for the raffle!

Here I am getting ready to give Dave's jacket away... No, not really! But I've had a glass of wine and I like the idea...
This is one FINE looking tour jacket, eh?

Members of the Victoria Blues Society finally came out to see me! Nice to meet blues society folks everywhere— they do so much to keep the music and the musicians alive. These are the before and after pics... Plain Victoria Blues Society wardrobe above....

And the greatly enhanced wardrobe! Congrats to the Tour Jacket winner!!!

We got to hang out and chat before, after and between sets. I can't remember everyone's names, but we had fun.

Buskers convention! You should have a beard if you want to join the club. Nice to meet this famous, one man band! Dave Harris has been doing his one man band thing on the Victoria waterfront for nearly 30 years now. He's a great player on a variety of instruments, and it's a shame that the festivals and clubs can't seem to pay nearly as much as he makes on the street. Dave's music would be greatly appreciated anywhere. In the meantime, Victoria continues to be blessed— so if you visit Victoria go hear him and buy and cd while you are at it! Dave Harris, http://www.myspace.com/daveharrisonemanband. I've heard about Dave for many years, so it is really a pleasure to meet him.

A good time is had by all, and before you know it we are in the wrapper for a well deserved sleep. Thanks, Sandi! Thanks to her family and all the volunteers that made this such a successful evening. House Concerts rock!

White Rock, BC — The Coast is Cool Indeed

2009-11-04T23:03:00.011-05:00

Feeling rested this morning, I make my way over to Crescent Beach for coffee and a stroll with a friend before meeting a CBC Radio crew.

This is Michael Juk. Actually, he's the crew and the producer and the interviewer— good old fashioned radio! I treasure CBC radio. Michael is doing a documentry about the Mississippi Sheiks and wanted to speak to me as I used to work with Sam Chatmon.

I interupt this Blog for a Rant (sorry): The CBC is Canada's most important cultural mechanism, and the most mistreated by recent governments. I wish Canadians would DEMAND that the CBC be given a clear mandate, and then appropriate, ongoing funding to achieve that mandate. And it should be managed by broadcasters— not beancounters from the toilet bowl industry and elsewhere. Cut out those political appointments, too. The systemic dismantlement of CBC television's ability to produce anything but news should be a national scandal. Hey, go check out the CBC flagship building in downtown Toronto. How do you like the BLOCK LONG billboard across the street from it?? CTV hogs the entire streetscape, while the City of Toronto has allowed the destruction of mature trees along the street which had grown to partially obstruct the Toronto Hydro owned billboard structure. Now, as before, it's in your face. It's purpose is to belittle CBC, and it does a great job. How can CBC people go to work and look out their windows at this every day? It says (or might as well say) "your bosses don't care, you lost the Olympics, you're gonna lose Hockey Night in Canada, you can't even build sets anymore, you sold 50 years worth of props, you can't even manage curling..." The pretty people on the billboards just smirk at what's left of the CBC across the street from them. CBC should of— at very least— insisted on the replacement and development of the maturing trees that used to partially obstruct the billboards. Yeah, there's a couple of saplings out there— but it will be thirty years before they obstruct the sign again. And thirty years will be thirty years too late. Clearly there is nobody who cares in any position high enough up the food chain to fight. What's going on with the sign is symbolic of what's going on with the entire network.

And— hey— here's one for you. Shortly before his death Mr. DressUp was denied access to the CBC building by the contracted-out security service they use. True, he had retired and no longer worked there— but go figure. Security risk! Rules! Regulations! Budgets! End of rant....

Michael Juk and I have a great conversation about Sam and the Mississippi Sheiks, and then it's off to meet Dave for dinner and head over to the gig. Can't wait to hear the CBC show when it's done, although I think the "companion CD" really, really missed the point. Star power, but why bother?

We've been moved from the Pacific Hotel Rumba Room into the Legion Hall. I don't know what the Pacific is like, but the Legion Hall is pretty nice— lots of wood, great stage, nice people all about. This is going to be fun! Rod, the President of the White Rock Blues Society, is here to meet us and help us load in. There are volunteers setting up tables, lights, merch areas. We are doing our own sound here tonight, and we like that— in spite of the size of the room. Our little Long and McQuade PA sets up quickly and quickly sounds great in the empty hall. Dave and I slip into the men's room and change into our suits, and then, before we know it, it's show time again!

A fun show. Dave and I are really enjoying ourselves— this adventure just seems to get better every night. The sound is good, the hall is good and the folks are friendly. For the second set we are allowed to wear our hats in the stage area! I'm not sure how this works, but everyone said it was fine— so Dave and I are back in our comfort zones. We both wear hats all the time, so it is rather strange for us to be on stage without headgear!

And what would a show be without a jacket winner??? Here he is! Congrats!!! Yup, we have your size...

I take the opportunity to snap one of our front row tables. Rod has been shooting some video tonight, so perhaps we'll get some live footage up later. A nice crowd, with lots of local musicians out to say hello. I really appreciate that as I know how hard it can be to go out when you are tired and not actually performing.

This local lad brought his National out in the parking lot and played me some wonderful stuff. David "Boxcar" Gates. No doubt White Rock blues fans will know him already, but I'd hope to share him with the bigger audience he deserves. Next time, you need to be on the bill, dude. I'll set it up! Thanks for coming by and introducing yourself. I understand he's got some shows coming up with Tim Williams and also with Keith Hallett. You need to know about those guys, too! Don't miss these shows.

I do the books on the show at the venue, and it's pretty late by the time we roll outside. Dave is off to stay with friends, while Rod and his wife have extended their hospitality to me. Back at Rod's place I am treated to a fabulous spread, and eat far too much! Rod is one of those interesting guys you can converse with for hours. We do. We drink wine. Probably several bottles of it... nice, red wine. It's suddenly morning! Ooops. I crawl off to bed for a couple of hours sleep. I'll be up and gone to the ferry long before Rod gets up to make coffee.

Road to the Coast

2009-11-02T21:17:00.001-05:00

We have a great breakfast at the Packinghouse, scene of last night's fabulous show. This morning we watched eagles flying around the craigs above our splendid digs. Now we have a travel day to the coast. It's a short run— only a few hours— and we'll have friends, food and conversation when we get to White Rock. Dave and I have been waiting for this. Of course, it seems we look forward to every part of this great, Century Blues Tour!

John Lee Hooker is on the stereo— "I love you, Bonnie." Oh, yeah. Boogie, boogie... We're driving! Yeah... oh, we're driving on EMPTY! We pull over and ask where the nearest gas pumps are. I see... 38km down the highway... We grit our teeth and set off. I've got the Caravan going about as slow as I can get away with. I'm remembering coming across country with Dr. Dave back in 1979. We were driving from San Diego, CA, to Buffalo, NY on something like $50. We coasted down every single hill with the motor shut off, riding crazy fast in neutral until gravity gave up on us. Today I do this as well. We've got construction stops, and there is more traffic than I would like— but thankfully this road seems to be mostly downhill! We count down the kms. I watch for places ahead I might be able to stop the truck in. There's a lot of construction, and the shoulder seems to be concrete barriers much of the time. Hell, I knew the gas was pretty low, but I had counted on being able to buy some in a big town like Spences Bridge!

Dave doesn't look really happy, and yeah, it is mostly my responsibility to see that we're gassed up. I do the driving and look after the truck. But Dave is cool and gets busy taking pictures as we coast.... coast to coast... hmmm... has a ring to it...

Light at the end of the tunnel! Gas!! We made it!! What a truck! Dave says he'd rather not be running so close to empty again, and I agree with him. On my "Fear and Loathing" trip with Dr. Dave we woke up in the desert, still moving at a good clip, with the car's dashboard on fire! So Big Dave and I are way ahead of that adventure. Who says you can't learn from experience? Soon we're in White Rock, lunch on our minds. A little scary, but a beautiful ride. And no flames. I've really been looking forward to my visit here. It's going to be a great couple of days!

Spences Bridge, BC, Sold Out at the Packing House

2009-11-01T10:10:00.013-05:00

It's a great day to be alive. Sleep in a little bit. Get out, run for 10 or 15 km along this mighty river. Quiet out here today. Maybe it's always quiet. Last year Pickett and I played the Opera House here in Ashcroft, BC, and met lots of local folks— but it seems nobody is around this weekend. Too bad. I was hoping to catch up with my pal Leslie Alexander— a great singer-songwriter who makes this place her home. She's out on tour somewhere. Hope you are having a good one, Les. A quiet night and a quiet morning. That's alright. We'll pick it up later today. Here's the view from the hotel—

I guess the graduating high school classes have to climb the big hill and leave their mark every year. Last year I thought this looked kind of sloppy, but this time around I like the small town glory of it all. I'm a little envious of having roots like these kids have. You can always drive back and see your mark on your hill in your town. There's a sense of place here, up in the high desert.

Dave and I meet for brunch in the hotel restaurant/cafe. It's got new owner-operators since last year, and the food is now really good, and the service really friendly. They are probably glad to see us leave. We drink too much coffee and go crazy on the saddle chairs. Howdy, partner... where can I water my horse? Gimme another coffee, would ya? And make it a DOUBLE.

We hang around for a while, explore the town a little, and then head out. We've got less than an hour's drive to Spences Bridge, BC, so we take our time and stop to enjoy the landscape. As usual, I look for the little roads less travelled!

Our little Dodge Caravan is not as romantic as a Silver Eagle tour bus— but it costs a lot less to operate, and does the job really well for this self-contained, 2 man tour. Lots of glass, a great view. Plenty of access doors. And the stereo is not too bad. We like the individual heater controls for driver and passenger, and the stow-away rear seats are really neat. The truck holds all our guitars, PA gear, merch, and personal baggage very nicely indeed.

I take in another view while Big Dave updates his books. Book keeping is a major chore that touring artists must learn and practise! Big Dave is getting good at it.

There's a little frost on the puddles up here today. And there's the crossing towards Spences Bridge in the distance.

Alas, Spences Bridge itself— the actual bridge joining the two sides of the town— has been closed by the province. They couldn't find an engineer who would bet on whether or not it would continue to span the river. I hope they can come up with a compromise for foot traffic, or light traffic, as the closing severs the community.

We arrive at the Packing House in time for a late lunch. It's bigger than it looks, but for sure it is the smallest venue on the Century Blues Tour. Michael Pickett and I found the place by accident on the National Steel Tour, and we were won over by their sheer enthusiasm for music, food, and location. It's a great little community. They are excited about having Big Dave and I, and in return we are excited about doing a show here!

Owners Steve and Paulette welcome us in with coffee and pie. We set up and sound check around our lunch order! We learn that the show is sold out, and every seat in the house will be occupied. Later, we find we need to sit on stage between sets— there is no other space and every chair is reserved!

We have been provided with a home just a few minutes from the club, and we head over to it with plans of sleeping and relaxing until show time. It turns out to be quite a remarkable spot!

Above us the eagles whirl and call. Amazing. But the gig is coming up! Well rested, we suit up and head back to the Packing House. For sure, this is going to be a fun night! And it is!

Here's our Tour Jacket winner! Hey, the odds were pretty good here tonight. You can't win if you don't have a ticket! This gal has a farm tucked up in one of the nearby canyons.

This gent didn't like getting his picture taken! The next table had a genuine ethnomusicologist from the University of Chicago (she was a good sport about me taking potshots at ethnomusicologists). You never know who you will meet in the most out of the way places. In fact, few places are out of the way to those who occupy them— rather these places are central to their lives. I'm the one from the "out of the way" place! I wish there was a little cafe like the Packing House where I live.

Steve is full of jokes and energy, and he rushes about from one job to the next. The customers love him, and he has a great time making them feel at home in the Packing House. In his role as bartender he encourages us on the stage. Another glass of red wine, please!

A great time is had by all. We autograph cds, posters, jackets, and these amazing house guitars before making our way out into the night. Back at the house it is dark, the stars are rich overhead, and the river is roaring in the distance. Sleep comes easily. Thanks everyone at Spences Bridge for making us feel so welcome. Dave and I wish everyone here every success, and hope that we will be able to visit again.

Big Day in the Big Hills— Doc Scores a Lincoln

2009-10-31T20:54:00.004-04:00

All is quiet in the valley— mist or fog still hugging the foothills as Dave and I set out this morning. Dave has been out for an early morning walk already and has something he wants me to see.

Hmmm... it's a nice looking Lincoln Town Car with a "for sale" sign in the windshield. We knock on the door, but as there is no answer, we head into Enderby to the breakfast joint. I think it's called Hungry Jack's. Did I get that right? I hope so. It is definitely where to have breakfast in these parts. At breakfast, I reach the car owner on the phone and— recklessly— offer to meet him in 20 minutes to look at the car. The meeting is arranged— but we are in a hurry— we've got to get to Kamloops for an afternoon workshop at Long and McQuade, and we don't want to be late! Even crazier, we meet the guy, make him an offer, and buy the big Lincoln in all of about ten minutes. I count him out a deposit on the hood of the car and tell him I'll be back to pick it up in a month! He's not real happy about that, but money talks... So we have a deal. Moments later we are lead foot towards Kamloops and I'm realizing that I'm going to have to come all the way back here from the eventual Tour end in Winnipeg to pick up my new wheels. Heck, I shoulda waited and bought something closer to home. Dave, at least, is thrilled, so I challenge him to a street race in December... Lincoln against Caddy, boot to boot... All this crazy talk serves to take our minds off the witch's curse. (Yes, the Tour now has an evil witch following it along. OK, maybe not evil, but not real nice either— and we're thinking perhaps not well balanced. Pickett and I carried garlic in the truck last year, and we were fine... This year there is something black hovering in the air, somewhere, looking at us.)

But right now it's a pretty drive north to Kamloops— looks like this!

This is an unknown Long and McQuade store to us, so we are looking forward to meeting everyone and checking it out. Manager Ron Wilies and his staff are ready for us when we arrive. The store is up on Summit Drive, not far from the highway, and not far from the university. Nice layout, and some nice stock, too! It's an easy load in for the workshop, and we're ready to meet and greet in short order. A good little crowd amble about, not a big turnout here, but an interested one. Somehow they are too busy to take any photos with the Tour camera— as am I! Email me a couple of jpgs would somebody? I know there are at least two video recorders on the go and some stills being taken! Anyway, it is very pleasant and, as usual, there are some good questions from the Long and McQuade visitors. Dave and I buy harmonicas, picks, stuff, before heading out to grab some food for the road. Longs has always got STUFF! And we always end up buying some of it! A great little store here in Kamloops— see you next time.

We're going to head west and south to spend the night at Ashcroft, BC. It is, of course, Halloween, and traditionally it's been impossible to book this night anywhere. Tonight it is to be bands, dancing and DJs throughout the land. Party down people. We'll see if any of our pals are around Ashcroft. Perhaps we'll take in a house party and get a chance to do some playing. It is a real nice haul out of here to Ashcroft, at least on a real nice day. And today is nice, so we enjoy the ride... I think this area is correctly called "high desert." Whatever. I like it a lot. This is a great life.

Dave retires early to his room, but his cousin, Clem, turns out and we go for dinner at the local pizza joint. Ashcroft is sure quiet. We're just not connected tonight— so we will sleep. No internet in these hotel rooms.

Kamloops Television, Radio, Lorenzo's Cafe, Enderby, BC

2009-10-30T15:20:00.009-04:00

It's going to be a very busy day for us. We've got to get up the valley to Kamloops in time to dress, soundcheck and perform a noon hour show for Midday Television, then we've got an afternoon appearance on "Buffalo Gals," a popular, local radio show. From there we dash back south to Enderby, to Lorenzo's Cafe, unload, soundcheck, dress, and roll into our evening show. Hopefully our little media blitz will help put bums in seats and we'll have a full house. But right now it's still dark, we've had our wake up calls, and we're cruising Kelowna, BC, looking for a Tim's. That's a Canadian coffee joint we can count on finding somewhere on the highway in or out of nearly every town. We find one. We get big, big coffees. I get bagels, plain. "You want them BULK, Sir?" No, I want only TWO, plain bagels. NOT toasted. NOT buttered. Just as they are, in a bag. "That's BULK, Sir." Can you sell me two plain bagels, or need I go elsewhere? Hey, Tim Horton's, don't make your servers follow such a stupid directive. We're good customers, and we're smart enough to know that "bulk" means quantity, perhaps at wholesale prices— not a couple of plain bagels in a bag.

By light we're making our way up the valley. It's quite a retirement destination, and it's one little town after another, vineyards, golf courses, and great lake and mountain scenery in between the sprawl.

You wouldn't know it to see these pics, but these roads are pretty busy at times. It does seem that there is a morning and evening rush hour. I wonder what keeps it all going here in the valley. I guess it must be a diverse economy... Not such a great day. Snow blowing down some of the peaks, clouds hugging some of the valley walls... Still, the sun is trying hard, so perhaps the day will unfold well for us.

Ooops, forgot to check the brakes... No, seriously, we're fine. But those those 18 wheeler truck drivers sure earn their money on these routes. Not something I'd want to try.

Here we are looking out over Kamloops. We're here right on schedule. Time to load in, change, check and do our thing.

The station covers a pretty big swath of the British Columbia interior, and is usually a lot of fun to play. Today we will be sharing the show with some Zombi Girls!

It's a nice little studio. Host Tracy Pellazarri is always fun to hang out with, and brings a trendy, big city feel to the show. The only thing lacking is coffee and cookies in the Green Room. Next time, eh? Or maybe we don't really need 'em. We need to keep trim!

Looking good, boys, if I may say so myself.

I should never travel with a guy as handsome as Big Dave McLean. Nice tie. It must be the tie that does it...

The Zombie Girls moan and crawl around the studio eating into our time. We get to play just a couple of numbers, and quickly plug our regional shows before the credits roll. Thanks, Tracy! Always a blast.

We scurry down the mountain to look for a proper breakfast joint downtown. As luck would have it, we find just such a spot close to a couple of huge thrift stores! Dave ends up with a new pair of winter boots, but I resist the call of the wild and keep my money in my pocket.

"Buffalo Gals" is the eclectic, mostly acoustic radio show hosted by Nancy Lougheed on CFBX-FM. It's in a nice, late afternoon, Friday spot, and so is an excellent opportunity to touch the "drive" crowd in the region. Crowding into the studio, we are first met by station director Brant Zwicker. I've left the tour camera in the truck, so there will be no photos of this gathering. I wish I had some to share. Brant is a great supporter of blues music, blues artists, and the Canadian music scene in general and really helps to keep it happening in central British Columbia. I gotta say that both Dave and I are very grateful indeed for all the airplay his station has given us both over the last few years. Every bit helps, and blues guys like us fill our gigs one seat at a time— regional airplay remains very important to us, even as we see the evolution of international, digital broadcasting. Thanks, Brant, much appreciated.

Brant takes us upstairs and introduces us to Nancy, after which we gab and play for a pleasant couple of hours on air. I get to read "Entertainment Beat" or some such segment about where local shows are playing. Everybody makes fun of the way I say "Kamloops." I guess I'll need to get lessons before I hit these parts again. Bidding good-bye and thank you to Nancy and Brant, we grab our truck, grab some coffee, and ride out!

We are now headed back down the valley to Enderby, and we have just enough time to make the show. Lorne won't be happy, as he likes to have his shows in and soundchecked before the dinner hour. But anyway, we're a fast load in, and a quicker sound check usually. I know Lorne has some good gear, so I'm not too worried. And this time I'm going to take the backroads way that the locals take, and I'm going to save about an hour on the trip! We are fairly hopeful that the show will be a sell out tonight, so we pop on the stereo and relax to Fred McDowell and Johnny Woods as we drive.

But where the hell are we??? It sure is dark out there, and these mountain roads are twisting around and there do not seem to be any signs at all out here. Damn!! I pull over and try out the new GPS unit. It takes a few tries to find a place with a good signal, but it seems we are not actually lost anymore— just a long, long way from where we want to be. Crow!

We roll into Lorenzo's with just minutes to spare. The place is pretty busy, and I think Lorne looks relieved to see us. He doesn't give us a hard time for cutting it tight. We're set up very quickly, and I grab a glass of red wine for the stage! The kitchen will actually save us some food for us to have, post-show. We're on!

The place is loud tonight— some tables are talking loudly, and some are trying to listen to the show. Words are exchanged. Lorne roams the floor trying to smooth ruffled feathers. A bunch of young children are encouraged by their mothers to dance in front of the stage. This is cute for the first song, annoying by the second song, and plain disruptive by the third. They were quite friendly, but we are glad when they leave. I'm also glad when the night is over. This is usually a great listening room for music, and a ball to play— but tonight... was work. I totally forget to take pictures during the show, I only locate the camera at the end of the night. We do have a great time chatting with fans after the show, signing CDs and so on. Dave takes an early leave for a well-earned sleep and a little privacy. I drink red wine and hang out with Lorne and his staff. I always enjoy hanging out here, so I stay up late in spite of being very tired.

Lorne is talking about selling the place and moving on. I hope he takes his time doing this. Lorenzo's Cafe, even on a night like tonight, is an amazing, mysterious, unique bit of Canada. Thanks, Lorne. And best wishes for whatever wild dreams you may follow next. I stumble late to my bed, as often is the case here.

The Tour Goes Well— Too Well!!

2009-10-29T13:47:00.004-04:00

OK, so the Tour has been off the Blog for quite some time now!!! I'm really sorry for the gap. We've really been doing fabulously well out here. But, as you can guess, there has been almost no down time at all. Just enough time to travel, set up, play, break down, and do it again. Where we have had a few hours, we've often been in locations without internet or cellular access, so the Blog is way, way behind. I've got lots of pictures— the Tour Camera is in use daily. I'll get this caught up over time.

Meanwhile, to bring you up to date— south western Ontario was very good. We played some amazing places to sold out crowds. The flight to Winnipeg on Thanksgiving was a bit spoiled by ENTERPRISE CAR RENTALS which not only charged us $1100 more than their initial quote, but also refused to shuttle us to our flight until we signed a "accident report" form for a defective hinge mechanism on the back gate. No accident occurred. Just a cash grab by a company that won't be used again by the Tour. Accident claims are now chasing us for an additional 275.00 for a gate support which is clearly a defective, warranty problem, and entirely unrelated to our use of the van. See you in small claims court. I hate it when companies feel they can just screw you over.

Winnipeg for dinner with Dave's family, then off to Saskatoon the next morning. Great, sold out show put on by the Saskatoon Blues Society. I love playing that town! A couple of fun dates across rural Sask, and then into Vermilion, Alberta, for a truly magic night put on by the Vermilion Folk Club. Edmonton was a bit of a let down. We had a great time doing CKUA and CBC radio shows there, but the gig— at the Haven Social Club— was not promoted or advertised in any way. That's just a waste of our time and the venue's. Next day things picked up again. Up before dawn to drive to Calgary, where we caught a flight to Yellowknife, NT. Capacity show there in a really great hall. CBC North co-produced and recorded this one— so you will eventually be able to hear it on Canada Live, Concert on Demand, and Saturday Night Blues. We had exactly one hour at the hotel after the show before catching a cab back to the airport. Early flight to Calgary, changing planes for Whitehorse. Our new pal Brian picked us up at the Whitehorse Airport, and we drove snow covered roads for five hours to make our show that night in Dawson City! Nice to be in Dawson for two days. We did a guitar masterclass, a school, a youth centre, and then a sold out show at a beautiful, heritage hall. We'll get lots of pics up for this one. The people we met were great, and we felt like we belonged to the town. I can't wait to go back.

Flyout to Whitehorse where we played the Old Firehall. These northern folks were amazing as well. It's pretty special up in the Yukon. They made us feel special. We really enjoyed playing this one! I had a couple of hours (with no internet) so I went for a run along the Yukon River, up to the dam and back. Wow. I had to wait for the sun to come up to do the run— days are a little shorter than I am used to! I hope to see Whitehorse again, sooner than later.

Calgary, for a sell out show at the Ironwood Grill. A great Calgary club, and all the blues people came out to see us. Long and McQuade the next day for a really well attended workshop, and then a fast drive to Lethbridge, AB for sound check. A couple of days of low key shows around southern Alberta, and then into the mountains for the current leg. It's a little snowy up on the passes, but nothing too bad yet.

So here we are, alive and well in Revelstoke, BC this morning, getting ready to leave for Kelowna and points west. Dave and I are feeling good, and looking sharp. Say tuned! Thanks for following the Tour!

Kelowna, Revisited: The Minstrel Cafe

2009-10-29T13:42:00.004-04:00

We get to sleep in a little bit this morning. Not too much, just a little. Breakfast at the hotel. Bank. Post office. Our standard drive around town looking for thrift stores and pawn shops. Revelstoke is pretty upscale, so we don't run across anything that captures our curiosity. The day is improving, and we get out on the road for the south run to Kelowna.

It's sorta overcast and damp, but no snow yet— thank goodness! A nice drive down the valley to Kelowna over now familiar highways. We arrive at the Minstrel Cafe fairly early and get set up quickly. The room sounds good. Dave and I hunt down our hotel for a couple hours of rest before showtime.

We pretty much sold out this venue two years ago, so we are hopeful the fans will be back again tonight. Kelowna seems difficult to promote for some reason, but it always seems to work out in the end. Tonight is no different, and we are greeted at the door by owner/manager Clare, who has customers seated at most of the tables already. The Tour camera has been misplaced. I hope it is at the hotel, because I can't find it in the truck. So, no pics tonight, sorry!

It is a pleasant evening, although not as crowded as last year. It is a sort of "between the season" kind of time in this resort town. Perhaps I'll get back here to play in the good weather some day! Anyway, we end early tonight. Uneventful. Good food. Good drink. Good company. We've got a long day tomorrow, with a very early start. So it is back to the hotel and straight to bed!

Revelstoke BC: Slow Dancing

2009-10-28T16:23:00.008-04:00

It's a pretty nice day as we set out from Invermere, BC. We've got only about four or five hours of driving ahead of us— and it should be quite relaxing and scenic if the weather holds. We've spent the morning— or rather I've spent the morning— in a little cafe bakery that has WiFi. There's somebody, or something, stalking this tour. Like a little black cloud hiding just out of our vision. I can't quite figure it out, but the Tour council, Paul Sanderson, is working on it, as is publicist Richard Flohil. Thank goodness for the team. As it is, it swallows the morning and leaves me feeling drained.

Dave was out shopping while I did the laptop and cell phone shuffle. He managed to pick up some scarfy blues collection cds, so we've got some interesting stuff to listen to as the weather sweeps in and out around us. It's an odd compilation from Japan, I think. A young Johnny Winter, Muddy, John Lee Hooker... The miles go by easy.

It's a good mountain run from Invermere to Golden, BC, where we stop off to buy gas and visit my pals Caleb and Niki at Bacchus Books and Cafe. We chat for a bit and grab a bite to eat as well. I'm sorry we are not playing Golden this time around. We were going to play here if the Cultural Centre could not secure the Downchild Blues Band. But they did. Well, I can't blame them— it's going to be a great show. Forty year anniversary tour! Wow. These are all great guys, and great musicians. Congrats, Donnie. I hope you all travel safe and have many more years of success. My old partner and friend, Colin Linden is opening for the band— and probably playing with them, too. So... this time around Dave and I are booked to Revelstoke and, as it is a new stop for the Tour, we are looking forward to it.

The Downchild folks are somewhere out on this highway, too, but our paths are not going to bring us together this day. Big Road.

Some serious looking mountains around here, but the weather holds for us, and soon we are exiting the TransCanada for Revelstoke. Nice to be rolling in early.

The Regent Inn looks pretty nice from the outside as we do the drive-by and scope out parking and load in arrangements.

As it happens, there is plenty of parking, and the place is very nice inside as well. A very friendly and efficient staff get us checked in, fed, and set up in fairly short order.

The room itself is a big, bright bar. Not like this pic above— best I could grab for some reason! It has a huge DJ set up, masses of lights, dance floor, sub-woofers. More of a band room— it has that loud quality already in the late afternoon. Two guys at a table jump up as we come in. They demand autographs. They want to buy t-shirts. They say I look just like my picture on "the album cover," and they would recognize me "anywhere." Clearly, they haven't got a clue who I am— or they are pulling a bad joke for reasons I can't imagine.

An early start for tonight's show. It's a thin crowd of business guests and travellers. A few young people— dressed for clubbing. Everyone talks or shouts loudly through our first show. During the break they tell us how wonderful we are. I talk to a couple of twenty-something girls at one of the front tables. They tell me they are going to "get their tits done" before an upcoming Mexican holiday. They slow dance together during our second set, but I'm pretty sure that they are waiting for the DJ. The club is quite crowded by the end of or second show, but we're done. Really. I never do get to meet the manager, or the local radio personality that helped me book this show. And I think this is the only gig on the Tour where we haven't drawn fans. Next time the Tour comes through Revelstoke we'll need to change that.

We break down the PA and load out immediately after our set. It's now cool outside, and I notice that my suit is steaming in the parking lot air. Our little Long and McQuade PA worked great in this big room. I love these modern sound systems. There was a time when bins for a gig like this would of required another truck! As it is, a couple of carries and we are loaded. I throw a blackout tarp over the gear. It is insured, and the parking lot is bright and highly visible. I don't like loading out this way, but we should be fine. Guitars, of course, sleep with me in my room. Dave is early to bed, while I have a scotch with a table of golf course designers. I follow after but one wee dram— eager to find some silence and some sleep.

High Road to Invermere, BC

2009-10-27T20:16:00.007-04:00

It's a glorious day! Rick drops Big Dave off at Hoogie and Suzanne's, in Black Diamond, AB, where I am staying. It is not often I meet folks I like as much as these! And I like their dogs, too. I feel humbled by their genuine western hospitality and manners. After yet another cup of cowboy coffee, we say our good-byes and get on the road. We're going to zig south out of Black Diamond and pick up one of my favourite secondary highways— by-passing Calgary to link to the TransCanada just outside Banff, AB. This road runs north through the mountains, and we have to drive past Ian Tyson's place on today's route. I doubt that we'll see more than a couple of trucks for the next couple of hours. Just us and the open (I hope!) road. They shut this one down in the winter months and we're getting close to that time.

Nice drive, don't you think?

Invermere is a pretty little resort town. In season it must really jump. At the moment, the streets are pretty quiet. My pal Leslie Alexander turned me on to this place. Big Dave used to play at a big dance hall down by the lake, but apparently that was back in The Day. Before the place burnt down, that is. Anyway, we see a roadside sign with our names on it as we are coming into town, so we are hoping for the best.

A classic sedan delivery outside the venue flags it for us. We wander in and meet Tony, the owner/chef/guy who makes it happen. He's a foodie, for sure, and I have no doubt that we will be well fed! We've got a bit of a carry to the stage door with our PA. I don't mind, and Dave doesn't complain, but I think he's probably hurting. I wish he would just let me lug all the gear! As usual, our Long and McQuade PA sets up fast and easily, and sounds great with just a couple of SM57 and 58 mics. Strands is a good sounding little room, well suited for acoustic shows. The staff are all very nice to us, and we are very much looking forward to this evening's show! Meanwhile Tony directs us to our lodgings— a well appointed guest house just a couple of blocks away.

With time to kill, we make a grocery run, a vitamin stop, and head back to the house to relax for a while before suiting up. Nice beds, gas fireplace, deer running in the front yard...

All dressed we make our way in the front doors. Strands is upscale without being pretentious. Comfortable. We are seated and fed like kings. Dave and I really appreciate the care the staff take to see to our comfort and needs. A large tip is left in thanks. Showtime, and it is a mixed crowd here tonight. Birthdays and business dinners, and a "girls night out" group. People who have heard us recently on the CBC and on CKUA. Honeymooners. Some listen hard. Some talk through the show. But all in all, they are a pretty good bunch, and we are able to deliver a good show to them. At the end of the evening we wander through the tables shaking hands, signing CDs, getting our pictures taken, chatting like old friends.

Dave takes it upon himself to break the PA down while I am taking care of the business end of the evening. This is one of the great things about working with Dave— we both know what to do, we don't need to ask or delegate. All the jobs big and small seem to get done both well and on time, and quite cheerfully. We love what we do, and we've each been at this nearly 40 years. Still, tonight I'm worried about Dave's hernia condition. I'd be just as cheerful if he'd waited for me to lift the bins down. I KNOW you can do it, Dave!

Back at the house we put on the gas fireplace, change into sleep clothes, and relax with a late snack. I get out the new mandolin and figure out how to tune it. This is not a fine instrument, although it does look cool. It should be suitable for me to fool around on and perfect my Yank Rachel chops! Now an amazing thing happens. The doorbell rings. Who can it be? It's late. There's a car in the drive with its lights on and its motor running... Opening the door we are surprised to see Tony from the venue. What could be wrong? Did either of us lose anything at the restaurant, asks Tony. Perhaps some money? Sure enough, I'm missing my cash float of about $300 from my jacket pocket! Calmly, Tony hands me the money. "The girls found this when they were cleaning up," he said. Wow. Tony and his staff are a class act all the way down to the end. How often would a wad of small bills find its way back to its owner?? I feel stupid at somehow having lost this, but very grateful and humbled by its return to me. Tony bids us good-bye and good night. I marvel at the goodness of the world, and hope I can live up to the same standards myself.

High River, AB: Carlson's on MacLeod

2009-10-26T21:55:00.000-04:00

The Stop: Chicken Toss in Black Diamond, AB

2009-10-25T22:06:00.003-04:00

Long and McQuade, Calgary, The Slice, Lethbridge, AB

2009-10-24T22:13:00.005-04:00

Sell Out at the Ironwood, Calgary, AB

2009-10-23T22:27:00.004-04:00

Whitehorse, Yukon: Full House at the Old Fire Hall

2009-10-22T22:38:00.006-04:00

Dawson City to CBC Whitehorse, YK

2009-10-21T12:11:00.007-04:00

Dawson City, Yukon!!

2009-10-20T12:35:00.012-04:00

Yellowknife to Dawson City! Big Road, Big Day, Big Sky, Big Tour

2009-10-19T13:59:00.007-04:00

Yellowknife, NT: CBC North, Canada Live Recording

2009-10-18T15:57:00.007-04:00

Edmonton AB: CKUA, CBC Saturday Night Blues, WCMA Award

2009-10-17T16:11:00.006-04:00

Sold Out Night in a Great Venue: Vermilion AB

2009-10-16T16:32:00.006-04:00

Nokomis, SK: Flat Out in Flatland with Shooters

2009-10-15T16:49:00.005-04:00

Church Hall in Wadena, SK

2009-10-14T17:01:00.004-04:00