The Big Road Blues Tour

Big Road Blues Tour- 1 hr. National CBC Broadcast

2007-12-14T16:53:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought this Tour was wrapped— last night Canada's national public broadcaster, the CBC, presented a recorded concert of ours on their Radio 2 series "Canada Live." This was recorded back in late October at the Red Onion in Calgary, Alberta.

While it had been a packed, sold out show— and a lot of fun— we had had some technical problems in the first set, and we were kind of worried about the recording. So last night I poured myself a shot and sat down to hear the show. From the start, no worries. Our show was recorded and edited really, really well! The CBC Calgary team did an amazing job of presenting a Big Road Blues Tour concert!

If you missed the Tour— or missed the broadcast— you can visit a CBC website called Concert on Demand where you can play back the show on your computer. Check it out at http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/singleConcert.html?20071213mclen
It's pretty neat that we can do this now! Anyway, it's a great chance to visit, or re-visit the Tour, and get a sense of what it was like and how we were received. Don't forget to explore this Tour Blog, if you have not already done so.

End of the Big Road

2007-11-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

Doc MacLean & Big Dave McLean, backstage at the Exchange, Regina, SK. Photo by Dale Williams.

Except for coming back to make any corrections, maybe add some more photos, or respond to comments— I think this is it. The last Big Road Blog. Many thanks to everyone who took part in the Big Road Blues Tour- the buyers, the media, the Blues Societies, the volunteers, the staff, the audiences. This was truly an epic venture and, I hope, an indicator of what the future holds for blues and roots music. Over 60 dates played back to back over 25 thousand km.— with most shows sold out or near capacity. Wow! Dave and I are humbled and ever so grateful to everyone. Sincerely. Each of us has been at it for nearly 40 years, and we’ve known what it is to be hungry. We talked about this as we travelled. We’re agreed that we’ve probably earned a little bit success in this life but, believe me, it’s certainly not something we take for granted. We try to do our best every night, and we are thankful for every seat in every house and for every hospitality extended to us. As the road ahead of us is likely shorter than the road behind, we’ll not forget where we’ve been, nor the kindness of friends and strangers. Again, thank you everyone who had anything to do with any of this tour. We couldn’t of done this without you.

On a less personal level, I remarked in an early tour blog that niche audiences, artists, and presenters are more closely networked and connected than ever before- and that this works well for all of us. While this was a Canadian tour, I believe that the same factors apply nearly everywhere in the digital Western world.

And I believe that this networking- this digitally connected world- will enable niche artists to prosper. Television— and then radio— homogenized content, and then marginalized the small. The internet has done away with that. We can now have a viable, creative world scaled way, way down from million unit evaluations. Where it will go is anybody’s guess- but the here and now is good and getting better.

So, while it ain’t easy, it is more possible now than ever before for independent artists to mount successful tours. By extension, it’s also possible for agents to successfully broker this music, and it’s possible for promoters in small places to host very successful blues and roots shows. All of us are better informed than ever- but especially the audiences- the consumers- of roots and blues music. They have impressed me everywhere. Location has nothing to do with the breadth and depth of someone’s musical perspective. There are guys out there with satellite radio in their tractors- working the land in places where you can see the horizon… Anybody with curiosity and an internet connection. People who have spent their lifetimes listening. The older demographic is probably almost as liberal as the young- we are seeing genuine support and enthusiasm for new, blues-roots based music. That the blues is alive and continues to evolve, grow, touch, heal, reassure, rock and move us is a measure of this support and enthusiasm.

Given the number of dates on this tour, two of the most asked questions were “what was the best venue?” and “what was the worst?” For a time, as we moved through the venues scaled for this Tour, I tried to sort this out. What it comes down to is that there are now many, many fine places to play across Canada in the 100- 300 seat range. Great rooms where magic moments can happen, operated by people who really care and take huge pride in their spaces, their shows and their well informed audiences. Rooms where people have done all (or most or many) of the right things- stages are well constructed, quality production gear, dedicated audio tech, good lighting, consistent booking policies, good marketing and branding, long term business plans with integrity and vision, great staff, great hospitality, the return of green rooms…
And there are also places where magic shows happen in spite of the lack of all these resources. For instance, great hospitality and a great audience in someone’s living room. We played a few house concerts over this tour and really, really enjoyed every single one. The people who present these are patrons and friends, and we end up making connections that are personal, and go way beyond the business of simply arriving somewhere and putting on a show.

There were very few venues I didn’t enjoy on this tour. Even the one’s I enjoyed least were pretty darn good- including the 4 venues that did absolutely nothing to help promote our appearance. (But I guess we are experienced enough to make our own fun and roll with whatever situation we have.) Some of the venues and shows that we especially enjoyed: Union St. Café, Berwick, NS, Le Zaricot, Ste Hyacinthe, PQ, The Silver Dollar, Toronto, ON, The London Music Club, London, ON, The Exchange, Regina, SK, The Blue Chair, Edmonton, AB, The Stop, Black Diamond, AB, Lorenzo’s Café, Enderby, BC, The Blue Grotto, Kamloops, BC, The Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan, BC, The Dream Café, Penticton, BC, The Red Onion, Calgary, AB, The Slice, Lethbridge, AB, Times Changed, Winnipeg, MB.

There were some other- quite fabulous shows- presented by Blues Societies or by Festivals. As these utilized facilities which were merely contracted for our concerts, these venues are not listed above. Thanks to the Atlantic/Yarmouth Blues Society, Canada South Blues Society, Great Lakes Blues Society, Karma, Halton Blues Society, Bruce County Blues Society, Lake of the Woods Heritage Festival, Regina Delta Blues Association, the Hornby Island Blues Society, and the Saskatoon Blues Society for hosting some really memorable shows. A number of other Blues Societies and their members helped promote our shows, and sometimes helped us connect with key presenters in their regions. Thanks to the Montreal Blues Society, the Toronto Blues Society, the Ottawa Blues Society, and the Okanogan Blues Society. If I’ve neglected to mention an organization I should of, please let me know- there’s quite a few to thank, and it has been my intent to acknowledge everyone. The Blues and Jazz Societies are remarkable organizations that are really making a difference. Thank you!

The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, Fredericton, NB, showed us every hospitality and graciously added us to their programme late in their planning. We had a great time in spite of the rain. We ate, drank, and hung with our musical friends. We went to Joe’s Diner— that's it on the left. Best breakfast in the Maritimes— (‘Bird you should of come with us!), and sat in here and there around town. After a theatre show had to be postponed, the festival ended up as one of the anchor dates for the Atlantic leg of the Tour- and we very much appreciated the opportunity to perform under it’s banner.

Here's me and my pals Matchstick Mike and Watermellon Slim, sidestage at the festival.

We had a great time hearing Matchstick Mike and 'Bird Stafford. I've heard 'Bird many times doing his own, great, cool thang- but this night Mike had him pumped up like some modern day Al Wilson. He was loud and pure and could do no wrong. A thrill. It's so interesting to hear people in different contexts. The Harvest Festival provided many such opportunities. Thank you!

Here we are with some Harvest volunteers on a rainy night in Fredericton, NB

Thanks are also due to the local CBC Halifax, Fredericton, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Calgary stations, to David Barnard at CKLN, Toronto, ON, (below- Photo by Alasdair MacLean), to Johnny Max at AM 1430, Toronto, ON, Ian Angus at CIUT, Toronto, ON, to Chopper McKinnon at Canadian Spaces, CKCU, Ottawa, ON, to Holger Petersen at CKUA, Alberta, to CJTR Regina, SK, to Rob Macleod at “The Coast 99.5 FM” Kincardine, ON, to Rowan Poots at CHRW, London, ON, to Vince Almond at CFBX, Kamloops, BC, to CKXU, Lethbridge, AB, to the Duke of Uke at FM 99.2 Ucluelet, BC- indeed to any shows that mentioned the tour, and especially to those who did live interviews or phoners. This all really helps make a tour go. That the Tour was able to gain the momentum it did may be credited partially to the interest of these national, regional and community broadcasters. Catherine McClelland at CBC Calgary recorded us for both Canada Live and for Saturday Night Blues national broadcast. Thank you very much. Like the Blues Societies, the collective impact of specialty, niche radio, is great. And the national broadcaster, the CBC, continues to be of importance to artists and audiences alike.
Holger Petersen came out to our show in Edmonton, AB

There were some other highlights to this tour- being mistaken for the old comedy duo of Maclean and Maclean. Being mistaken for Bob and Doug McKenzie. Signing autographs for all these guys. Making and renewing so many friendships. (Here's some new friends at the Acoustic Grill in Picton, ON). The Tree House in New Glasgow- the limo, the boat, the venison sausages (deer- the walking vegetable), the company- what a blast! Being lost in rural Nova Scotia. Pulling American lawyers out of a ditch. Meeting all kinds of musicians up and down the road. Being well fed. Joe’s Diner in Fredericton, NB. Swartz’s Deli in Montreal. Every encore. Every tour jacket raffle. Feel Like Goin’ Home, Charley James’ Blues, Fixin’ To Die, Bone Train, Canadiana, Jimmy Lee Jackson’s Blues… Playing for the breakfast drop in at the Vancouver Native Health building on East Hastings St., in Vancouver. Everything about the west coast islands. Being on CKUA with Holger. Hangin’ with Hoogy and Suzanne and Rick in Black Diamond, AB. Waking up at the Ocean House on Hornby Island. Eating the seafood chowder that they made us there. Smelling the special, island air! Drinking scotch with Mortz in London… That's our pal Hoogy on the left.

The Ocean House.

Dave’s induction into the Blues Hall of Fame was also a highlight. I’d structured the tour around this date and Dave’s wife, Patti, flew in to join us for the weekend. A huge thank you to Ted Boomer and the other members of the Canada South Blues Society for hosting and for making everything happen. Dave is honoured and touched by the induction. I feel honored to have been with him for this event.

Big Dave McLean, photo by Dale Williams.

The Maple Blues Award (Canada’s BMA’s or Handy’s) nominations were announced while we were in western Canada. It was really gratifying to see that our Tour has had a national impact, with Big Dave McLean receiving a nomination for “Acoustic Blues Act of the Year.” Dave’s had quite a few Maple nominations before- so maybe he’ll win this one at last. Good luck, Dave! Vote for him, if it’s not too late! Visit http://www.mapleblues.ca to vote for nominees in all categories. The nominations are probably more significant than the Awards themselves. Congrats to all the nominees.

The Big Road Blues Tour- Doc MacLean & Big Dave McLean, photo by Dale Williams.

What else? Dave and I had a great time together. We’ve become close friends, and I think it’s safe to say we have a high degree of respect for one and other. The music was good from the start. By the end we were doing some pretty special stuff. Would we do it again? Absolutely. In a heartbeat. Will we? That remains to be seen. The Big Road Blues Tour was planned and executed as a “one shot” opportunity to see Dave and I play together in this duo, acoustic context. Judging by the response we got across Canada, we could do it again without making anyone mad. I’m already getting a few calls asking about it. So I guess future shows will depend upon the offer. However, we’re both pretty busy artists on our own. I’ve got two other package tours in the works, and Dave has his band, plus a new album expected out by next fall. So we’ll see. Off the top, I think we’d be open to at least some festival appearances together, and we’d consider USA, Europe and Australia as Big Road tour destinations. It might well be some time, if ever, before Dave and I go out on a Canadian tour as big and as cool as the Big Road Blues Tour. It was great. Thank you so very much for stopping by and sharing it with us.

I hope some of you have enjoyed following the Blog. It’s not everything, but I’ve tried to give a picture of the inside of a huge Canadian blues tour from start to finish. I was hoping to see more comments, but I guess the reality is that much of the blues-roots demographic doesn’t blog yet. Ah, well… Hey, we’ll see you out there on the Blues Highway. This ain’t good-bye. Best Regards — Doc MacLean

P.S.- Dave says “hi!”

***NOTE: in some browsers the "older posts" link at the bottom of the scroll does not seem to work! To check out the entire Big Road Blues Tour from the beginning, or from whenever, use the ARCHIVE links in the black sidebar (upper right) which do a great job of bringing up the archived tour blogs. And give 'em time to load- there's plenty of pics. Thanks.

Big Dave McLean is a Stony Plain recording artist and has two cds available— "Blues From the Middle," and "For the Blues Always." For additional information visit http://www.stonyplainrecords.com

Doc MacLean's recent cd, "Narrow House," is available via CDMojo, CDBaby, iTunes, and dozens of other on-line distributors. For additional information visit http://www.sonicbids.com/docmaclean. For bookings or interviews please contact doc(at) docmaclean(dot)com

SOCAN Paperwork & Reflection

2007-11-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

Coming slowly to the end of the wrap-up. I've been organizing the Notification of Live Performance forms to submit to SOCAN. This is the organization that administrates the collection and distribution of royalties for the use of songs in Canada. Without going into too much detail, most- if not all- songs are copyright and will have a variety of stakeholders in the form of composers, authors, co-authors, and publishers. In Canada stakeholders are paid for the public broadcast or performance of their works via the licensing of broadcast systems and performance venues. That's a pretty general explanation, but it gets to the heart of the matter- Canadian copyright law recognizes that songs are owned, and provides some mandates to see that the owners of the songs get paid for their use in broadcast or live performance. Although these are not (in my opinion at least) huge tariffs, there remains plenty of debate by broadcasters, presenters, artists, composers, authors and publishers as to the fairness of the system, and how it can best be improved. If the system of auditing, reporting, collecting and distributing royalties is flawed and difficult to comprehend, it does implicitly recognize compositions as valued property and tries to ensure that it's creators and owners are compensated. Songwriters like Big Dave and myself, owners like Muddy's children and grandchildren, the Lomax family, and Dick Waterman. Anyway, that's where we are going in legal-cultural terms. So I am learning to deal more responsibly with this reality in the context of a high profile, national tour. This time- a pile of new paperwork.

Yes, I can submit Performance Notifications on line, but the onus of providing documentation for each performance would require the sorting and scanning of enough material- from ticket stubs to programmes, to reviews, newspaper ads, set lists and contracts- that I am not yet prepared to undertake this. Maybe next time. This time it's photocopies, staples and paperclips. I think for the next tour I will compile this stuff daily- on the laptop, after the show, with all the other stuff. Doing it all at once, post tour, has taken more time than I would of liked. But it's in the mail today, so the post-tour work is clearly coming to an end. And, what the heck, maybe Son's daughter, or one of his grandchildren, will get a little something- and perhaps it will make a difference. Who knows? Anyway, when we are all in the groove with this, it won't take long to do, and I think we'll be doing the right thing.

But, speaking of distributions, I was looking- again- at the way SOCAN collects play info from college and community radio stations, and I think there is a real need to revamp and reform the way this information is collected. As results of sampling are entirely reliant on chance, on random factors, no other business would survive- or be allowed to operate in this fashion. Particularly in this digital age. iTunes knows what cd I put in my drive- and yours- so to suggest that Canadian radio stations don't know/can't report what they play and/or that a database system could not manage these few hundred daily station submissions at a reasonable cost is getting pretty far-fetched. It's time to move from sampling to actuals. Sampling means that independent artists who have their songs featured on radio are, in fact, randomly compensated. Statistics -which explore or try to determine the quality of the sampling- are merely commenting upon the degree of randomness, and it's significance for the more predominant components. Chances may be greater or smaller depending upon a number of varients- but ultimately the payout is random and is supported by non-payments to the non-sampled artists. That's my view, and I'll be advancing it in more appropriate forums. Please don't get the idea from this post that I don't support SOCAN's work. I do- I'd simply like to help evolve certain aspects of it.

Aside from all this brain stuff, I've been processing piles (rather digital volumes) of snaps that various people have sent me of the Big Road Blues Tour. If you work your way back through the Blog, you'll see that I've added quite a few pics to nearly every date of the Tour. A few more pics to install, and I'll be done. And I think one more Blog to conclude the Big Road Blues Tour. I've been talking to Dave on the phone- he says "hi!" Dave will be back to Bud's on Broadway, in Saskatoon, SK, in a couple of weeks time. He'll also be going into the studio with his band to work on his upcoming acoustic album. And he's back at Times Changed in Winnipeg every Sunday night- so go see him if you happen to be in that part of the world. I'm hoping to be on my way to Nashville later next week. That's all for now- thanks for stopping by. — Doc

Winding Down the Big Road Blues Tour

2007-11-11T19:02:00.000-08:00

Another post? But the last show was last week! Yup, but for anybody who has been following the Big Road Blues Tour, I thought I should continue the blog a little longer. The Big Dave McLean- Doc MacLean Big Road Blues shows are over for the time being, but a tour of this size doesn't just shut down after the last set. On this Blog we've tried to share something of being on and in a national blues tour. I haven't spent too much time talking about the business end, but you have probably got the idea by now that there is a whole lot of computer-phone-Blackberry stuff going on in the margins. This would include approximately 1570 unique emails (900 0ut and 670 In), 30 phoners with media, 6 live radio shows, 2 pre-recorded radio shows, 1 television interview... Then there have been the ongoing press releases, timed for each market region, and the research needed to produce and maintain the media contacts. In the course of doing all this stuff four websites needed to be upgraded and maintained. Databases needed to be merged. The Tour needed to be conceptualized, branded and marketed. Over 55 individual contracts had to be negotiated for the 60 plus shows that the Tour became. Merch needed to be financed, manufactured, packaged and shipped. Accounts needed to be maintained for all expenses and income, both personal and tour. The bound Tour Book guiding our daily activities was nearly 2 inches thick! This included maps, directions, hotel information, tech information, stage and show requirements, drive times, special instructions... Excel spreadsheets were created and maintained to track projected highs, lows, and actuals for every aspect of the Tour. I guess what I'm trying to say is that a tour of this nature ramps up and ramps down. The part you see and hear is in the middle.

Anyway, the past week has been used in finishing up the accounting, uploading 600 tour pictures, editing the Tour Blogs, and repairing the truck. Also laundry, dry cleaning, email sorting, and merch inventory. This week I'll move into filing SOCAN performance reports and thank you notes, and will write up a final Blog for this Tour. I'll also be overhauling some gear, picking up a new laptop, paying my accountant, paying Revenue Canada, checking up on the Junos, and running in High Park. I gained 10 pounds on the tour- that part was not well planned! Note: bring the runners next Tour.

Big Road Blues- Goin' Home

2007-11-04T22:55:00.000-08:00

Dave is around to my hotel by about 11:15 AM. We jump in the Caddy and go for brunch with Patti. Good food at some joint in Osbourne Village. After dropping Patti we head back to the hotel parking lot to clean out the tour van and re-pack my gear for air travel. The good news is that, upon close inspection, I see that the rental paperwork actually makes note of that little ripple in the bumper!! In other words, we're good to return this truck without fear. It's been a great little van. A Dodge Grand Caravan with sliding doors on each side, nice stereo, good cruise control, and pretty nice on gas. The heating controls for driver and passenger have been wonderful, and it's had all the go that we've needed to get half way across Canada and back. You can tell from the blog that neither Dave or myself are into minivans, but we learned to love this one. It was the perfect ride for this tour, and I was sorry to have to give it back.

We loaded all my gear into Dave's Caddy for the trip to the airport. Before setting out, Dave presented me with an old, off-white, lunch box sized case that said "Shure" on the outside. Sure enough- on the inside was a vintage PE55 mic. Wow! What a cool gift. I've always wanted one of these. Thanks, Dave, that was really kind. A quick handshake and I'm outside departures with all my gear in a cart. We've said it all. In the WestJet departure lounge I run into Digging Roots, a great band from Ontario. Raven tells me they are going back to Toronto after doing a few gigs in the Winnipeg area including the Casino. Cool work. I'm always glad to catch up with these folks. I'll see them again in a couple of hours as we wait at Oversize Baggage for our gear!

I'm the middle seat between an older woman (who weeps for the entire trip) and a crew-cut dude who is reading weapons brochures. Shit, this guy has got pictures of bombs and missiles and diagrams of their construction- and he's reading this stuff openly. If he wasn't so white they'd have him back in security with a flashlight up his privates. I can't believe he could bring this stuff through security. I guess they just look at dangerous stuff like microphones and guitars. Not a word is spoken between Winnipeg and Toronto.

Alasdair and Wendy met me at Toronto. After a big hug we go out for pizza. The bill, including two root beers, comes to $47 for a large pizza. Parking was $8. Welcome back to Toronto! I'll be missing those woodstoves I've enjoyed across the rest of Canada.

Times Changed High and Lonesome, Winnipeg, MB

2007-11-03T23:59:00.000-07:00

It's over seven hours of driving today, with a time change thrown in make the trip even longer- so we're up and off early. Dave threw his misguided watch away last night- stomped it away, actually- so we are relying on my cell phone to give us the correct time. Amazing how they do that, isn't it? I tried to explain to Dave how his broken watch was actually more acurate after he had stomped on it than it was when it lost an hour every day, but he wasn't having any part of it. Instead we reviewed some of the better jokes collected over the tour.

Today, our last road day, we re-visited some of our favourite CDs. Tim O'Brian- all the way through two albums. The Staple Singers. Fred McDowell and Johnny Woods. We decide that Michael Jerome Brown sounds quite a bit like Tim O'Brian. Michael has been on a tour as well, but we've missed each other by days here and there across the west... Anyway, before we know it we are rolling into Winnipeg. One last, beautiful day, gone by in a flash.

We check into a room at the Best Western, not far from the venue. Dave's wife, Patti, comes down in The Caddy to meet us for dinner. It's Dave's treat tonight- both the hotel room and the dinner- and I am thankful. Ribs and a really nice suite. After dinner, Dave and I hang out at my room. Patti will meet us later at the show. We suit up. We look good. There's not much left to say, so we repeat ourselves. "It's been great!" "Sure has." "I could do another 60 dates right now!" "Me, too." This is the best kind of tour. The gigs have been great. The money has been great. But in the end... there's two good friends sitting in a hotel room wishing this thing would go on and on. Friendship, respect, adventure, memories. We've paid dues for many years to get here. And we've been grateful for every single moment of this Big Road Blues Tour. It's been a blast! Thank you all for your love and support.

Times Changed is a small, but funky establishment that serves as the roots music capital of Winnipeg. Big Dave has run a Sunday jam session here for over 20 years. This is his home club as the Silver Dollar has become mine. Owner John Scoles meets us at the door and has us set up in short order. He's done hundreds of shows here, so he's quick and has a good ear for the set up. Dave and I repair to the Green Room for a few minutes, and then I tour the bar and am treated to some decent scotch by the friendly barman. The place is filling up. The girl at the door keeps saying, "I'm so glad Big Dave is back!" Dave's kids show up, as does his Mom. She's over 90, and you'd never know it to see her dance. We had a great chat before and after the show.

The room is full. Somebody says the punk bands squeeze in more bodies- but I wouldn't want to be there. The room is full, so far as I am concerned! It's a loud, Saturday night crowd on one side of the room, and a listening, concert crowd on the other. We are, of course, well received. Dave and I played our best show of the tour- mainly for each other. I know I was just simply enjoying all the songs and parts that we have made up over the tour. We're a pretty damn good duo now. It was good from the start, but here, at the end, it's really good. It's special. The night ends all too soon, as we knew it would. I got Dave's Mom up to sing with us. They have recorded a duet for Dave's next album, so I was teasing her that she'd have to sing at the Juno's next year. My new pals Susan and Jean kept me entertained for a few more hours, while Dave returned home. A fine ending to a great run of shows. Dave and I will do brunch in the morning and wrap down the Big Road Blues Tour.

Moose Jaw, SK

2007-11-02T23:59:00.000-07:00

This is how it looks on the road out here!
Not a long drive from Nokomis to Moose Jaw. I'm really glad to be playing Moose Jaw because I've never been here before and because it's got such a cool, Canadian name. These gigs carry a lot of weight in other parts of the world! Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat, Saskatoon... Too cool. I'm in a bit of a panic today as I've noticed a little ripple in the back bumper of the rental van. Just a little ripple. I didn't hit anything, but I'm thinking somebody must of backed into the truck at some point. I didn't notice it before. I'm thinking how another rental company once charged me hundreds of dollars for a similar ripple. Dave is saying don't worry, they'll never notice. I'm thinking about the ways in which the universe seems to come up with to separate me from money. I try to put it out of my mind. I'll find out in a couple of days, and there is surely nothing I can do about it today. But it is a tiny, little ripple, very hard to notice. Maybe we'll be OK.

Moose Jaw was Dave's home for a few years when he was a kid, so we took a few minutes and toured his old stomping grounds. We took pics of the house where he used to live, and the church where his Dad used to preach. The visit brought back a lot of old memories for Dave, and I was happy to be along for the ride.

Here's a cool shot of Dave casting a long shadow on his past. "Send us your money- and say you BELIEVE!"

Jake's Saloon is down on River St., with a couple of other big old hotels. When we walk in there is country music cranked up on the jukebox. A couple of pool tables are busy. The video gambling terminals are also busy. It's a big room with signs on the walls that say things like "yee-haw, partner!" There is a huge dance floor in front of the small stage, and a battered PA system is piled on the floor, not connected. This could be an interesting night- like real work, not the sissy, soft seaters we've been playing for the last two months! We've got four hours to kill before soundcheck, so we head over to our hotel to sleep for a while. This is the place- Capones. Named for Al. I end up doing a merch inventory, and checking the books. I do this pretty much daily, with a different merch sheet for each venue, and I also keep detailed expense and income books. Receipts are filed, fuel expenses are calculated. I can run an Excel spreadsheet on just about any aspect of the Tour. All the sold out shows and merch sales have enabled this Tour to gross well beyond my original projections. A little luck and a little skill, and quite a few years of doing this. It's all teamwork.

Back for soundcheck to discover that the PA has been set up and is waiting for us. I bring in a couple of mics and stands, and after a quick strum we are pretty much in gear. The room is nearly empty, and Dave is not optimistic. But we've got a ten o'clock start here, so it's back to the hotel for a couple of hours. I'm noodling around on my National when Dave drops by with his. We trade off a few licks and chords. This is the first time, off stage, in two months that we've had time and energy to hang out and jam a little. Here's a cafe across from the Hotel. I'd like to buy this place and open a blues club in it. The neon sign out front "National Cafe" would be worth the price of the business. It's now a Chinese food joint, so no breakfast treats for Dave and I.

To our surprise the club is beginning to fill as we arrive. It's a friendly crowd and Danny, the owner, is playing DJ and setting the mood in the room. We hear Sonny Terry, Wolf, Harpdog Brown... a whole bunch of cool stuff. Just before showtime a bunch of pals from the Regina Delta Blues Association came walking in! Too cool! They'd driven to Moose Jaw to catch the show again! Red Beard and Dale are hard core! We've got a good crowd as we roll into our first set, and they appear to be listening. Dave and I are in "bar mode" anyway, speaking a bit less and wanking a bit more. The night goes well, and passes quickly. I end the night with an old Pearly Brown number, sung off- mic. We pack out, buy hot dogs from the cart outside and head back to our hotel.

The heater in my room is broken. It's over 90 degrees, so I turn the air conditioning on full blast. The two units will fight with one and other for the rest of the night. There's nothing but 50 channels of nothing on the TV. Sleep. There's only one show left in this Tour. It seems unbelievable.

Nokomis Hotel- Prairie Flatlands & Birds

2007-11-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

After a great breakfast at the Broadway Cafe, we gassed up the truck and headed south and east. It was a nice, sunny day for travel, although it is getting colder out here on the prairie- so we were glad to have our leather tour jackets today. I got a real buzz from the flatlands and the Big Sky that wraps around you out here. There are tumble weeds catching in the fences and blowing across the road as we drive. Very little traffic, but we're a little off the beaten path anyway. As the roads get smaller we notice great groups of birds wheeling across the sky. I said to Dave that I'd seen something like that in a Hitchcock movie one time, and we laughed- but the birds got thicker! The fields on either side of us were white with birds. They looked like snow from a distance, and when they rose to fly it was as if a layer of the landscape had peeled upwards like a great reeling carpet. This was the most spectacular wildlife we had seen from coast to coast, so we stopped and took it in. Later, we learned that this was a major flight path for migratory birds, and a destination of choice for birdwatchers. Amazing.

Arriving early in Nokomis, SK, we trolled the main street and quickly found the gig. Standing in front of the old Nokomis Hotel we could look down the road, across the flats to the horizon. A train roared by, and then vanished into the distance. I could hear a sign squeaking in the wind. I got on the cell and called our friends David and Jolene (Little Miss Higgens) who live just around the corner from the Hotel. Jolene was baking cookies, and invited us over for lunch. We checked into some funky little rooms, met David, and walked over for a pleasant afternoon of food and conversation. Great woodstove!

Back to the Hotel for a little nap, after which David and Jolene met us to help set up for the evening show. We were using their little PA, along with some of our own backup gear, and it all worked nicely in the bar. By showtime we had a good little crowd out- not capacity, but pretty full. The Mayor came out. The local reporter was there. David and Jolene (resident local rockstars) brought the Credit Union meeting. At least two people drove up from Radville- nearly three hours south- for the show. Others told me that they had driven 70 or 80 km to come to the show. Prairie folk look at distances differently than city people, but we surely appreciated the effort they took to come and hear us. Originally, we had hoped to be in Swift Current this evening. Nokomis was a late, replacement date, but we are very glad to be here.

Dave and I had a ball performing for the crowd. I was well looked after with wings and beer. People bought loads of cds. We hung out. Dave went on a joke rampage after the show- holding a large table of prairie farmers for maybe an hour! He was on a roll. His timing was perfect, his delivery over the top. Another great night for the Big Road Blues Tour. There are not many left now, and we've been talking about how quick the time has gone. We really have enjoyed each other's company- and we've now got a pile of tunes that we love playing together. Yes, we are tired- but for sure we'd love this to go on and on. Dave says he could start in on another 65 dates, and without hesitation I say I could, too.

Up in my little, antique, prairie hotel room I hear the trains going by in the night, whistling off- calling- in the distance. I think I could follow that sound forever. I think I have been for the last 37 years. I think I will for whatever years are left. I'm sure of it. This is a lonesome life sometimes, but I love it. Moments like this. Nights like tonight.

More Guitar Trouble- and Get the Fuck Out

2007-10-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

It was a good thing that Paul was at the show last night- he was able to jimmy Dave's National between sets! The cone dropped again part way through the set. Funky, with the 6th string sitting right down against the fretboard... For the second set it had held up nicely, but we were back to Underdog Music this morning for another round of repairs. A little Viagra under the biscuit this time, and now the strings are up and sounding good. Good and loud! I think the guitar is probably better now than it was when we started the tour. Or mine's getting quieter!!

While the Blues Society had put us up in a fairly nice hotel, we had the day off- so back to Bud's on Broadway where the owners extended another night's hospitality to us. We hung out in our rooms, slept, played some guitar. I thought I'd work on some new songs- and did- but was pretty much too tired to do much except noodle. Still, that was fun- I have not had much noodle time over the last two months of hard travel. It's Halloween Night and the band downstairs kicks off with "Spooky" (by the Classics IV?), closing their first set with "Monster Mash." I rolled out of bed and came downstairs to catch the last set, meeting Dave, Harmonica Donna and some others in the bar. There were a few folks out in costume, but generally it seemed to be a pretty quiet night.

After the show Donna took me down the street to visit a club called Lydia's. I was told that this was a pretty good local venue, so I thought I'd check it out with an eye to coming through solo in a few months time. When we entered Lydia's a big guy with a shaved head came running up and screamed in my face "who the fuck let you in here??? get the fuck out!!!" He meant it, too. So apparently customer relations are not necessary at Lydia's. They didn't know who the fuck I was, and it didn't fucking matter. When a club runs it's fucking business this way it probably won't be in fucking business long. Not with help like that, anyway. Lydia's, Saskatoon, Canada. Fuck 'em, too. The only unpleasant moment in 25 thousand km of touring this great land, so natch it made the blog.

Saskatoon- Another Sold out show!

2007-10-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Down to Underdog Music first thing this morning for urgent guitar repairs. We've called ahead, so Paul is waiting for us, and soon Dave's National is in pieces on the table. Something to do with the cone partially collapsing. This is interesting stuff, and we pow-wow over how to raise the action enough so that the guitar can be played in tonight's show. Eventually, Paul ignores all of our suggestions and figures something out.

I took a few minutes to catch up on email in the store office and found out that Big Dave has been nominated MBA (Maple Blues Award) for Acoustic Act of the Year! This was an entirely unexpected surprise, and I am thrilled that the Big Road Blues Tour featuring Big Dave McLean and Doc MacLean has apparently had a national impact. I'd certainly be more thrilled if we shared the honour, but Dave's nomination is a nice and well deserved nod to all the hard work. Congrats, Dave!! I went upstairs to tell him, but he thought I was joking- it wasn't until later in the day I finally convinced him.

Other "Acoustic Act" nominees include the duos:

Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley
Harry Manx & Kevin Breit
Dawn Tyler Watson & Paul Deslauriers

Guitar fixed, Dave bought a Dan, and we both bought new tuners. Off to the new hotel to sleep before sound check. The gig tonight is sponsored by the Saskatoon Blues Society, and we are pleased to learn that it is sold out. The West has been good.

A quick sound check with a good sound man. Josh is on the case- everything sounds good on and off stage, and the place is packed. It's an upscale sort of supper club, and it looks like about two hundred people, maybe more. Show time, and Dave and I have a ball. This crowd is with us, and this duo can do no wrong. These last shows have really been fun- more and more fun. We're getting pretty comfortable working together and it's having a big impact on our delivery! We end up with a gospel encore which I take off-mic and through the house. A ton of CDs get sold, we raffle off one of the last tour jackets... A great night. Saskatoon Blues Society member Al Wood took a pile of pictures, here's a few samples:

Back to the hotel to drop our gear, and then down to Bud's on Broadway to hang out and sit in with the band. We'll go back to our hotel and sleep late. A rest day! Of course we need to get Dave's guitar fixed again, so we'll be back at Underdog in the morning for another swing at repairs.

Bud's on Broadway, Saskatoon

2007-10-29T23:52:00.000-07:00

What I didn't say yesterday is that the cone on Dave's National pretty much collapsed last night, and he ended up breaking a pile of strings on his big new Gibson, Northern Jumbo. Monday being our first rest day since the 9th of the month, we took it to drive into Saskatoon to look for a guitar tech. Dave called ahead, as he owns this town, and the management at Bud's gave us 2 suites of rooms to use while in town. Dave sat in and played a couple of songs with the band. I hung out and wrote songs, and was early into the wrapper. In the morning we'll meet the guitar guys and see what can be done for Dave's guitars!

The Slice- Lethbridge is Good!

2007-10-28T13:21:00.000-07:00

Another big, glorious day, with the sun shining down on us. We got to sleep in as the travel time for today would be short. I took advantage of the business centre in our hotel and worked my way through a few hundred emails. After fueling up the truck we headed south on Hwy 2. Some fans who we had met in High River had invited us to brunch in Vulcan, AB, as it would be on route to our gig in Lethbridge. Larry and his wife did not let us down- we had a great visit and left quite stuffed with local sasuage and eggs.

Wild, rolling hills and gullies in this part of the country. The mountains are behind us now- quite distant- and we know the flatlands will be ahead of us. Meanwhile, the colours are great, prairie colours- these are the golds and browns and yellows you just don't see anywhere else. Big sky all around. Nice. The RCMP are out today picking off anything that's running over limit. We've got the cruise set to legal and the Staple Singers cranked up on the stereo. This little collection has 20 some odd tunes, and has become a real tour favourite. It wraps up with a Dylan tune that is sung in waltz time, with blues phrasing (OK, gospel phrasing, but you get the point) that I'm trying to figure out- counting bars on my fingers as we're rolling along. Quite cool.

The Bridge, on the way into town. We roll into Lethbridge, AB, on the early side and visit the club to see what's what. I've played Lethbridge once before- at the old Tongue and Groove- but tonight's venue is new to me, and we're not sure what to expect in Lethbridge on a Sunday night. Some rough looking folks are on the sidewalk outside, and as we enter the room loud heavy metal blasts out. Some folks are shooting pool. The place looks kind of dark. OK, we'll manage, this reminds me of the Railroad Club in Vancouver.

Spent the afternoon snoozing at our hotel, using the small business centre next door, fixing some guitar problems. When we headed back to the Slice for dinner we were pleasantly surprised. The room seemed brighter, great music was playing on the excellent sound system, everybody was friendly, and we had a great dinner. These guys really, really know pizza. Best on the Prairie, I'd guess!

Jeff got us set up with top notch gear- great monitor set up, great mains, etc. This room has great sight lines and a lot of wood. It sounded wonderful, and Jeff gave us one of the best mixes we've had on this tour. All we needed were customers- and they came. Thanks to CKCU we had fans coming in from as far away as Medicine Hat and Calgary for the show! Now, with a great crowd and great stage sound we gave one of the best performances of the Big Road Blues Tour. What a great surprise to find this great room in Lethbridge, AB.

Red Onion, Calgary, AB, Sell Out Show with the CBC Recording!

2007-10-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

In short- a sell out show in this massive club. Recorded by the CBC for two different radio shows. Merch sales over the top. Great hotel. Great food. Friendly folks. Life is very, very good tonight out here on the Big Road. I came back to flesh this day's story out a little- so it's a long blog, but I think it tells a little more about our day...

It was one of our longer road days today. We were up and on the road by 6:AM, fueled by several of Tim's biggest coffees. There is a great little diner on the main drag in Penticton, but it was not open (nor was anything except Tim's) when we had to roll. The Dream had invited us to breakfast, too, oh well- next time! Good thing we were out early. The roads up the valley can be very slow during the day, but here, in the pre-dawn hours we made good time to the Big Road.

The road east, over the pass, past Banff, and into Calgary was a pretty one to drive. With the time change we spent about 9 or 10 hours in the truck. This is what it looked like out the window.

I had been telling people that the Red Onion was the big, downtown blues club in Calgary. My heart sunk when I discovered that it was, in fact, in the south suburbs of the city- in what appeared to be a modern strip mall near the highway. I had no cause for worry! From the moment I walked into the club I noticed it's cool vibe, great set-up, friendly staff and decor. The stage is huge, well set up, curtained, banks of lights, tons of monitors, stands, a very modern sound booth with top notch gear... pictures and posters on the walls of all kinds of great blues shows that have played here. This place has all the feel of a great downtown club- without the layers of decay and grime. This is a class blues room with great sightlines. I was later to discover it also has great food- much better than pub fare- and a very efficient, friendly staff. After checking in with the day manager, Dave and I made the short drive to our hotel for a brief rest.

We were to be back at the club to load in and set up in about an hour's time, so we hauled our personal gear up to our rooms and had a few moments to ourselves before jumping into the frey. Nice rooms- mine was a suite which included a separate television and office room. I put this to work and got the merch sheets together for tonight's show. A quick shave, a quick change into my suit and I'm off to meet Dave. He's looking good, too, so off we go to load in and set up.

Red Onion manager Rick met us at the door and helped us in with our gear. He's an old pal of Dave's, so I'm pleased to meet him, and not surprised that he's very much on the ball with this show. Apparently the phone has been ringing off the hook, every table is reserved, this will definitely be a sell out show. Rick and his staff have a pep talk and a planning session as Dave and I arrange our gear on stage. The CBC sound truck has arrived, and I need to move our van in order that their rig can squeeze close to the side door. Dave and I get a bite to eat while the CBC technician starts to run cables. By the time we've finished our meals the house sound man has arrived and has us roughed in and ready for sound check. It's still early, but there is a line-up outside the club, and Dave and I are pumped to blow these folks away tonight.

Stage sound is pretty good, although I wonder if we are going to be loud enough for this room. Apparently it all sounds good in the truck, too- so we're done, and the doors are opened. Our merch booth is set up, and switched on. We'll now go back to the hotel for another hour or so to relax as much as we can before showtime.

That our return to the Red Onion was delayed by a lack of parking was a good sign indeed. The place was now very crowded. I had a brief meeting with CBC producer Catherine McClelland, who introduced me to Katherine Duncan- one of CBCs unique radio voices. She's younger than I thought she would be. It's always a surprise, meeting a radio voice. We're recording tonight for 2 CBC shows- Canada Live and Saturday Night Blues. Showtime! We mixed up our set a bit, but here's what I think we played-

Set One:
Feel Like Goin' Home (M. Morganfield) - Big Dave McLean, voc. gtr., w. Doc MacLean, gtr.
Charlie James' Blues (J. MacLean, SOCAN) - Doc MacLean, voc. gtr., w. Big Dave McLean, harmonica
Mama 'Taint Long Fo' Day (Blind Willie McTell) - Big Dave McLean, voc. gtr.
Jinx Blues (Son House) - Doc MacLean, voc. gtr., w. Big Dave McLean, harmonica
Atlanta Moan (Barbecue Bob) - Big Dave McLean, voc. gtr.
Dead Men Walking (J. MacLean, SOCAN) - Doc MacLean, voc. gtr, w. Big Dave McLean, harmonica
Fixin' to Die (Bukka White) - Big Dave McLean, voc. gtr, w. Doc MacLean gtr./percussion
I Lacks a Nickel, Spadina Blues (J. MacLean, SOCAN), - Doc MacLean, voc. gtr, w. Big Dave McLean, harmonica
Standing At The Crossroads (Robert Johnson)- Big Dave McLean, voc. gtr.
Jimmie Lee Jackson's Blues (J. MacLean, SOCAN), - Doc MacLean, voc. gtr., Big Dave McLean, harmonica, voc.

Set Two:
Don't Go No Further (W. Dixon) - Big Dave McLean, voc, gtr., w. Doc MacLean, voc.
Roll and Tumble (trad. arr. MacLean) - Doc MacLean, voc. gtr., w. Big Dave McLean, harmonica
Sweet Home Chicago, (Robert Johnson) - Big Dave McLean, voc. gtr., w. Doc MacLean, harmonica
Bone Train (J. MacLean, SOCAN) - Doc MacLean, voc. gtr., w. Big Dave McLean, harmonica
Rainin' In my Heart, (Slim Harpo) - Big Dave McLean, voc. gtr.
Johnson Terraplane (J. MacLean, SOCAN) - Doc MacLean, voc. gtr., w. Big Dave McLean, harmonica
Kind Hearted Woman, (Robert Johnson) - Big Dave McLean, voc. gtr., w. Doc MacLean, harmonica
Angola Prison Rodeo Blues (J. MacLean, SOCAN) - Doc MacLean, voc. gtr., w. Big Dave McLean, harmonica
You Got to Move, (trad. arrange McLean) - Big Dave McLean, voc. gtr., w. Doc MacLean, voc
Three Cards on a Coffin (J. MacLean, SOCAN) - Doc MacLean, voc. gtr., w. Big Dave McLean, harmonica
Walking Blues (Son House) - Big Dave McLean, voc. gtr., w. Doc MacLean, harmonica

The first set was tougher to play than we would of hoped. The great sound we'd had for sound check seemed to have vanished, and we struggled to hear ourselves at all. I'm told it sounded great in the mains, and in the truck, but I know I was having to sing and play too hard, and missed some bits simply because I couldn't hear to play my guitar and was a bit distracted. This was kind of disappointing, as we really wanted to give our best show for the CBC recording. Our sound guy got right on the case- I think the giant crowd had really changed the sound-shape of the room. For our second set it sounded great on stage, so we settled in to knock 'em dead. A great job with the sound- thanks! Did I mention that the cone had partially collapsed on Dave's National during the first set? Trying to work gracefully around this he ended up breaking yet another string on his Gibson Northern Jumbo... and I found myself playing on not one, but two blown harps! That's all the stuff you probably don't (and hopefully don't!) notice behind and inside the show. What really counts is that we played really well, dug way into a bunch of heavy blues, had a ball, and got a standing ovation at the end! We sold a pile of cds and tour merch as well. Another great night for the Big Road Blues Tour!

A long closure as we sign cds, say our good-byes and thank yous, and pack up our gear. Dave strolled back to the hotel while I waited on the club to wrap it's books for the night and take care of business. Rick and I end up sitting in the office for an hour or so, talking branding, marketing, gossip, blues. I get back to the hotel sometime around 3:AM, and make a quick stop at their small business centre to check on email. I've got to do this pretty much every day to advance the Tour, set up phoners and stay in touch with the upcoming venues and promoters. By 4:AM I'm in the wrapper. We'll sleep in a little bit as our next drive will only be a couple of hours.

Dream Cafe, Penticton, BC, One of the Great Rooms- Sold Out

2007-10-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

This is one of the great acoustic music rooms in Canada. A sell out night for us. A real Dream. Go there! It was a short, but pretty drive down the valley to get here today. Our quarters are a wonderful apartment just doors away from the venue. As we arrived in good time, we retired to our rooms for a snooze, and then went out on the town to do odds and ends. Dave to do banking, and me to find an internet connection. The banking worked out, but I couldn't get connected- only one terminal on the main street, and some kids had it locked up. Oh, well! I dropped into the local record store and bought Steve Earle's "Definitive Collection" as a gift for my son, Alasdair. We had picked up another copy for the tour van earlier. Nice collection.

Back to the club for soundcheck and dinner. The food is way over the top! Pierre knows food and is a master of it! We had a great meal and then went back to our apartment to chill for a while before the show. We are apparently sold out for this evening! It's a great, warm room, with really good sight lines and lovely sound- so we are very much looking forward to performing here.

The show turns out to be a dream as well. A really nice, listening crowd, a pleasure to be with and play for! We do "Schoolgirl" for an encore, and everybody goes home happy. The kitchen gives us desert treats to take back to our apartment, and after a quick snack we are in the wrapper. Early start in the morning!

The Minstrel Cafe, Kelowna, BC

2007-10-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

Well, the truck is pointed East now and Dave and I are amazed that the end of this Big Road Blues Tour will be coming up in just a few thousand more kms, just another couple of weeks of shows. Its been absolutely great. Kind of sad to be headed east after the glory of the coast, but as we have said to each other many times- its ALL beautiful! We are looking forward to the mountains again, and then the great prairie beyond. We are so blessed to own this Big Road, to be able to grasp it and make it our own.

An easy five hours of driving today taking in another breath taking road- the Coquihalla Hwy through the mountains toward the Okanogan Valley. Today we are in early enough to check into our hotel and snooze before the show. We have got pretty nice digs- right on the Lake.

It sure ain't Niagara Falls. The Valley is a popular retirement destination due to its mild, almost desert like climate. We had Fred McDowell cranked up in the truck today. We are groovin' heavily on this ride!

Another sell out show tonight. The room is attentive. We have a ball playing for these folks, and Clare feeds us like kings. The encores are good, and we are done early. This is a nicely detailed room with great food, a nice stage and excellent sound. It's the place to hear acoustic music in Kelowna. Between sets we entertain a variety of guests in our green room- actually Dave's guests- a gentleman from the Winnipeg Jets, musicians from up and down the Valley, and the former owner of the Times Changed Blues Club- a Winnipeg institution for many years. Everybody loves these mountains and this great valley. I'm to bed early, while Dave takes in the jam at the Blue Gator across town.

Railway Club, Vancouver, BC

2007-10-24T23:59:00.000-07:00

Great day for a couple of boat rides, and Dave and I were up and away early enough to make sure wed get to Vancouver in plenty of time. The ride from Saltspring was great, and, following instructions, we bought our ticket to Vancouver and turned around at the same terminal. We were lucky, and loaded right away- one of the last cars to make the boat. It was a nice ride, too. I stayed down with the truck and watched the ocean out of the side openings. No wind, and closer to the water than the passenger decks above. No whales today, but a breathtaking ride nonetheless.

Another map snafu! Just when I thought I had Vancouver figured out! The problem was that the ferry landed us at some other terminal- miles and miles south of where we thought we had landed. Surry or Delta or whatever aint anywhere near Horseshoe Bay! You note that Im still using the messed up keyboard- wont and cant do certain things. Anyway, coming through Vancouver in rush hour we managed to lose most of the time we had saved. Checked into our hotel in North Van, suited up, and headed back over the Lions Gate Bridge. Its a pretty great looking city by night-at least looking at it across the water over a great bridge like this.

The Railway Club was loud and friendly, and our start time was much later than anticipated. The bartender said the phone had been ringing all day with calls about us- so I took this to be a good sign. Local art-pop band played until mid evening, after which it was our turn to set up. Sound tech was no where to be seen, so we moved mics, stands, monitors about and had things nicely roughed in by the time he arrived. Very loud room by this time- a table of opera singers dead front and centre were destined to shout loudly all night.

Johnny, our sound tech, arrived and had us up and ready pretty quickly. Unfortunately, the monitors began behaving strangely right off the bat- leaving Dave and I struggling to sing and play. We thought at first that Johnny was riding the faders up and down! Not! Maybe some cap in the board going crazy... We had a pow-wow between sets, Johnny rigged up a bi-pass or two, and the next set sounded remarkably better. Meanwhile, this is definitely a bar gig, not a concert. The opera guys are shouting, people are clapping and having a good time. Its all loud, and its not sold out either. I guess we are spoiled, but this show was way more work, and way less fun than we might of hoped for. We felt bad for the folks who bought tickets in order to listen and hear the show.

Saltspring Island- more wow!

2007-10-23T23:59:00.000-07:00

A sunny day again! Dave and I drove around Ucluelet and located the breakfast joint folks had told us about. As it turned out, the owner was a former Winnipeg chef who had been a Big Dave fan for many years. He cooked and cooked. Dave ate and ate. Life was good. These kind folks let me use their internet access during breakfast, and about a dozen coffees later I was somewhat caught up with the blog. Still cant get the pics up- and just discovered that todays keyboard wont do certain basic punctuation (guess which characters dont work). Ill fix this later from a smarter keyboard. (OK, I'm back to do that! And I've got some pics!)

One of Canada's great road trips is the stretch from Ucluelet to Port Alberni and beyond. We got some big coffees and enjoyed the ride out to the Big Road. We took the Crofton-Vesuvius Bay ferry over to Saltspring Island. The water was almost dead calm, so we stood in the front of the ferry and gawked at the sheer beauty of it all.

On Saltspring we were suckered for the first time by our Mapquest printouts. We've got a printout with maps and directions for each show. Mapquest told us to turn RIGHT, not left! It was OK, we got to tour some other parts of the Island, and we were not in a hurry. A quick call to our hosts got us back on track and soon we were pulling up to their drive.

This was to be our last house concert of the tour- and what a great time! The drive snaked up the side of a small mountain- the house was a beautiful, hand crafted work of art on the peak.

Vast windows and decks looked out over to the ocean, lush trees and flowers were all about. The front door featured a massive carving of a whale, and the fine woodwork detailing continued all through this massive, dream home. Hosts Ron and Oni made us feel completely at ease, and Dave and I spent a relaxed afternoon snoozing and catching up on our phone calls. Nice to sit out in the sun looking out over the bay below!

About sixty people arrived for a pot luck dinner prior to the show- another spread well suited for royalty! I sampled local sheep cheese and wines, ribs, pear pie... After a short break Dave and I got down to it and played a really fun show to this packed room. These folks bought a huge number of cds, and made us feel very, very welcome indeed. I hope I can come back to this island and visit again and again. After the show Dave jammed a bit with another Dave. Another magic day.

Ucluelet Hotel, Ucluelet, BC

2007-10-22T23:59:00.000-07:00

Oh, man, what a ride, what a ride! We got the ferry this morning from Hornby Island- missed our boat by one minute, but spent a nice hour on the wharf, cloud watching. I can't leave this island slowly enough! Across to Denman Island- amazing little artist community- then to the mainland where we set out south to pick up hwy 4 to the west coast of the west coast!

In Port Alberni we did lunch in a real, drive in diner. And the food was great! The road into Port Alberni was a beautiful, dramatic ride, with huge, old growth trees along the road.

From Port Alberni, the ride improved even more. This is one of Canada's great rides. It's a twisty little road with more than it's share of bumps- but what a view- rapids, mountains, big trees, clouds. There's magic at work here, and I totally understand why people come here and stay.

Rolling into Ucluelet we headed over to Radio 99.2 FM to do the afternoon show with the Duke of Uke. Had a great time doing station ID's and playing old Canned Heat records! To the Hotel where we were met by Jason and Jada, our hosts and the promoters of tonight's show. The old hotel looks pretty good- lots of wood, and the acoustics promise to be good. We are up and sound checked in no time, off to check in to our room where Jason and Jada arrived shortly after with a seafood meal. Jason had caught and cleaned all the fish himself- the ocean is his backyard. And he is a pretty special chef. I hope I can remember some of the cooking ideas he shared!

Back to the club for an early, 7:30 show. The place seems quiet. We got the merch booth set up, and settled into a corner to wait. Still quiet. A few people trickle in, a few more... Jason suggests we wait a few more minutes before starting. We do- and by that time the place is packed! Folks have come in from Tofino and Port Alberni for this show, and the radio appearance didn't hurt, either. A bunch of people "off the boats" came by and introduced themselves. They were going to have a 5:AM start the next day!

A great crowd- one of the youngest we've played for on this tour, and they paid close attention all night. After a couple of encores we packed out. We could of stayed and partied all night with any of this crowd! It was so nice to be so warmly received, and the hospitality was overwhelming! Looking forward to touring a bit here in the morning before heading south to Saltspring Island. Wish we could go oystering, surfing, etc. with all our new friends! We'll be back- hopefully for a longer visit! Thanks Jason and Jada! Have a great wedding and a great birthing!

Hornby Island, BC, New Horizons

2007-10-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

We were guests of the Hornby Island Blues Society for a concert on the Island. I'm short of internet access at the moment, but I'll fill in some details in a few days time. This was amazing, amazing, amazing! From the packed house concert in the deep woods to our oceanside digs... Wow!!

After checking in with our hosts at the Hall and loading our gear into the performance area, we were escorted to our accomodations for the evening. We were also provided with a big pot of seafood chowder, french bread, beer, bagels, creamcheese... a big basket of food to enjoy for our dinner and breakfast. This is an amazing house. Dave and I had the place to ourselves. We were quite taken by it's oceanside bedrooms, skylights, glass, wood and earthtoned designs.

The view from this house was a real thrill for us. The roar of the tide coming in and out was a wonderful, relaxing sound, as was the wind in the trees all around us.

We were only sorry there was not more time to enjoy this. But night was falling and it was time for us to try to find our way back to the Hall. This proved to be a little tricky on the dark little island roads- but there are only so many of them, so eventually we got to the Hall. Still in plenty of time. Heck, it's dark on this Island at night! Our night vision is not what it used to be, either!

Soon the hall was filled up, and we were delighted to meet many members of the Hornby Island Blues Society. This is a very active group that, despite their remote location, have a big influence on the western Canadian blues scene. They are big promoters of acoustic blues, and for several years have hosted a summer "blues school" featuring master classes with well established Canadian blues performers. They are also involved in promoting concerts such as the one we are playing, and are involved as a sponsor and participant in the Maple Blues Awards. Great, sincere people, a real pleasure to meet and an honour to perform for.

The New Horizons Hall was as quiet a place as Dave and I have played on this tour. It's not hard to deliver a great show when a room is so primed for listening, and the environment so free of noise and bustle. We enjoyed our first set. During the intermission Dave discovered one of his childhood heros in the audience- Judith Lawrence- the voice of Casey and Finigan on the television show "Mr. Dressup."

To great excitement we raffled off another tour jacket at the start of the second show. Here's the lucky winner!

We finished the night with a couple of encores to this delightful, capacity crowd. After the show we enjoyed more local hospitality and some of the cash crop that this Island is famous for. A magic night for these two city blues guys, in a magic place. Thank you so much for sharing this special world with us. We were so pleased to be able to visit and play.

Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan, BC - Sold Out Show!

2007-10-20T23:50:00.000-07:00

After a well deserved sleep, Dave and I were up and off to Duncan, BC. This town is only a couple of hours from Port Alberni, so it was almost like a rest day, and we took our time driving south- taking in the magnificent views along the way. More rain and clouds, but also a little bit of sun.

At Duncan, we arrived early and checked into our hotel rooms for another rest. We're feeling pretty good, but I notice that we are spending more of our free time sleeping than we were earlier in the tour! Here's two of our tourist shots-

Sound check at 6:45. John tells us that 50 advance tickets have been sold, and that he expects the night to sell out. It does!! I'm not used to doing shows where people need to be turned away! What a great venue, too.

The Duncan Garage Showroom is in an old garage building- very old, so it's all wood and brick. The concert room has perfect sight lines- theatre seating- a wonderful stage, PA, lights, etc. John did a great job getting us set up with our choice of mics, monitor mixes.. Made us feel very spoiled. He's done this 800 times before- so he's got it right down. I knew from the start that this was going to be a great show!

A great listening audience! Dave and I sold quite a few CDs between shows and raffled off another tour jacket. There are not many left, now. After an ovation and an encore we hung out with John and the staff for a while to unwind. Great job everybody!! Thanks so much. No pics of the venue, sorry. It was simply so busy and crazy that we completely forgot about the camera. Off to Hornby in the morning!

Port Alberni, BC

2007-10-19T23:14:00.000-07:00

Here's what it looked like camped in line for the ferry to Vancouver Island. I had called ahead and made reservations just in case- but these are big, big, boats, and at this time of year the traffic was apparently pretty good.
It was pretty neat being on this big boat. Dave and I drank coffee and explored.

This is all new territory for me, so it's quite exciting. We stood out on the forward deck, not wanting to miss anything.

There was quite a bit of activity out in the water. I think that there were seals fooling around out in Departure Bay, but I don't really know what they were. Hell, they could of been blues singers that got chucked off an earlier boat. Har! Walk the plank, lads!!

After a great ferry ride, and a wonderful drive across the island we reached our destination- a house concert on a lake near Port Alberni, BC. Rain, mist, old growth trees that touch the sky. A magic night with rain beating down on the roof of a big house. We played to about 50 people, were well fed and received. Sometimes being a blues singer is good. Very good. The Island is everything I imagined it would be, and more.

Hastings Street, East Vancouver

2007-10-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

This morning I was up early and off to tour the Vancouver Native Health Centre. A dear, old friend of mine is on the Board of Directors, and she pretty much insisted that I come and visit what has become her life work. The breakfast drop in program was underway, so I got out my guitar and played for everybody. I met many dedicated volunteers working to bring health and dignity to those in need. And I met some folks who may or may not be alive next time I come to town. I'm going to write more about this later. Volumes. Help is needed here. Nobody should be living and dying as they are on these mean streets. Nobody planned to end up here. The condition of this street speaks volumes for the health of our society in Canada- and comparisons to other cities, other countries, other cultures should be no excuse for low standards. We can make a difference. We will. The world is going to come and look at this place, soon enough.

A relative of mine, Isaac Matheson Maclean, was the first medical health officer for the City of Vancouver. He had made his home not far from here, at another Hastings St. address- now a vacant lot. So I suppose I have some thin, thread of a connection to this place and it's history. I played "Spadina Blues" here this morning, and the folks on Hastings were on the same page.

Mountain drive to Vancouver

2007-10-18T23:59:00.000-07:00

This is what kind of travel day we had! Winter had to catch up to us sooner or later! The storm lasted only a couple of hours in the high mountains, but not being familiar with the truck we drove pretty carefully. You never know what to expect in the high country. We've been lucky so far.

We were glad to get into our hotel in North Vancouver- here just rain. That's the way I know this city best! This is a rare, rest night for us, so we settle into our rooms, call a few friends, watch a little tube. We're tired, but can hardly wait until morning to get started again.

Blue Grotto, Kamloops, BC

2007-10-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

A great mountain drive from Enderby into Kamloops! The sun catching all sorts of angles on the strange, humpy hills that envelop this little city. After checking into our hotel we went down to the club for soundcheck. Another nice one! The Blue Grotto has a mostly wooden interior, great sightlines, quality stage, sound and lighting. We got set up and sounding good in just a few minutes time. Nice to have a sound guy that really understands EQ! Thanks Tony!!

Talked to the folks from 92.5 FM for a while before the show.

Vince and his blues partner have been big supporters on their Monday and Tuesday night blues shows- really much appreciated! Dave and I did some station IDs for them, and later Dave sat down and told some longer stories for broadcast. Pics and stuff later when I can get to a terminal with brains. (I'm back with pics...) Here's a pic of me with a local guitar hero- we brought him a rooster from his family in Yorkton, SK... Oh, that's a different kind of story. All great blues folks, the kind we like to meet over and over again.

An early start here- we went on at about 8:15 and played a first set that was about an hour and a quarter. Not the house we would of hoped for, but by intermission the room was quite busy- so we had a good house going into our second set. An early ending here. Back at the hotel before midnight to get on line and deal with press releases and the ferry schedules ahead of us. We'll be on our way to Vancouver in the morning, after which the tour moves out to the Islands for a few days. Can't wait!!!

Lorenzo's Cafe, Enderby, BC

2007-10-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

A stunning drive though the mountains to get here today. We drove up route 40, bipassing Calgary city sprawl and seeing plenty of wildlife. We took quite a few pictures on the way. Way too many, actually! I remember doing this the first time I visited the Grand Canyon. But this is Canada, and the pics are digital, so who cares! Our perfect day has clouds now, sometimes level with, or in the valleys down below our road. There has been snow here, up in the high country, and it's remains can be seen here and there along these empty roads. Didn't see more than a couple of cars in 150 km up to the TransCanada. Here's what it looked like:

Nice, huh? We had Jimmy and Stevie cranked up in the truck to start off this drive- I think the cd is "Brother to Brother" or something like that. The album has held up surprisingly well over the years. It was great music on this empty road. Then we got out J.B. Lenoir- a cool recording featuring him and Willie Dixon talking and jamming. Fred McDowell and Johnny Woods was the chaser. The Fat Possum issue of this old field recording is possibly one of the greatest country blues albums. I'd heard one or two of these tracks before, but not the whole collection. Amazing. That's what it's all about. Go there.

We rolled into Lornzo's in late afternoon. It's a great little place, built by Lorne- a "woodland paradise." We did a very good show. Great sound. A few people who knew Dave from Saskatoon and Winnipeg showed up to say hello and catch the Big Road Blues Tour. We get quite a few of Dave's fans seeking us out. An excellent house, especially as it is Tuesday night! How do all these people find this place? This is very "west," if I may say so- people don't seem to mind driving long distances to catch shows. People were in tonight from Salmon Arm and Kamloops. I guess they know these mountain roads, I'd think the drive would be a little bit of work in the dark with frost on the road! I'll put up some pics when I can get a terminal with brains! (That would be now- Hi! I'm back, weeks later to drop these in!). Lorne built this place out of a one room school house into a large, multi-floored venue. It's got great, high ceilings, wonderful sound, wood everywhere- bowling alley motif, as Lorne used salvaged wood to construct this one of a kind concert room. And he serves fabulous meals. And the bar is good. And the company is wonderful. Go visit, say "hi" to Lorne and his staff.

Off to Kamloops, BC in the morning. First we'll stop by the river to see the salmon run. This place is so far from the ocean it is absolutely incredible that the fish can make it here to spawn. Addendum: The run was pretty much over by this time, but we did see dozens of big, pink slow moving fish down below the bridge. This is what it looked like, early in the morning, just a mile from Lorenzo's Cafe. A short drive today- good! Dave says, hi!!

High River, AB

2007-10-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hung out in Black Diamond for most of the day eating vitamins, fighting this cold and catching up on email and the Blog. A nice drive over to High River where we arrived at Mel's Music late in the afternoon. Outside we met Mel himself with Ken Hamm and Bruce Everett, who had driven in from Calgary for the show. Kevin Belsner sold us some harmonica's and then took us across the street to the venue. The drive from Black Diamond looked like this-

Demand had been so great for tickets that our show had been moved to the old town hall which was across the street and around the corner! Great! Monday night in High River, AB was looking up. Ken, Bruce and I went for a beer while the sound guy got the system up. Dave met us and we went down the main street for coffee before the show. The weather remains perfect- we've been wearing the lightweight tour jackets and the fall colours have been beautiful. Again, very cool to be running into Ken Hamm out here. He's been at it as long or longer than Dave and I, and is perhaps better known to folk festival audiences than in the blues world. Ken should be much better known- he's been real good for way over 30 years now. Check him out if you have not heard him yet.

Another great listening crowd. Near capacity house. Dave and I had a fun time. Our show continues to get more relaxed, and the banter more interesting! We had Ken and Bruce come up to play a tune before the end of the show, and I asked Bruce up to join Dave and I for a triple harmonica encore- "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl." Suitcase James also paid us a visit, wish he'd come to play! Next time, eh, Suitcase?
Here's a couple of "musician pictures." Bruce, Suitcase, Dave, Ken, and myself.

Bruce and I.

We'll be up early to do banking and then eight or nine hours of driving to Enderby, BC. I can (more or less) sing again, rather than the raspy grind I've been passing off for the last couple of days. Dave says hi!!

The Stop, Black Diamond, AB

2007-10-14T00:56:00.000-07:00

An easy drive down from Edmonton on a perfect day. We had breakfast with Ken Hamm and Bruce Everett, who had been doing a show elsewhere in Edmonton last night. Rick Fines and Suzie Vinnick were also in town to play, but we were not able to connect with them for the country blues breakfast. Anyway, we had a good time catching up, and the lads will be coming down to our show in High River, AB on Tuesday night. The ride south looked like this:

Rolling into Black Diamond- wow- what a great looking town. Neat little place with the mountains as a backdrop. It was biker day at the The Stop, so the street was clogged with choppers as we pulled in and looked for a spot to unload our gear. The Stop was already pretty much packed with people waiting to hear us. It was a listening audience and, again, they were with us from the start!

This is what the place looks like from the other side-

My cold is still giving me grief, but I managed to croak my way through the first set without too much trouble. Of course, I had to sing at full volume all the time to be heard at all, but the crowd was kind, so it worked out. At half time some gals from Calgary took me next door to the Black Diamond Hotel, where they bought me bourbon- which seemed to help quite a bit! Met Suitcase James in the parking lot, so cool that he came out- man, I love his playing. He does no wrong!

The Stop is a great little venue with a fabulous bunch of people who hang out there. Between sets everybody went outside for a chicken toss (yes, that's right- toss the chicken into a pail and win the pot!). This was actually pretty cool fun, and a good time was had by all.

For our last set the room was packed with people standing in every available space! They gave us a standing ovation at the end, and Dave and I came back on and played a piece with two harmonicas. That was cool. Did I tell you before that Dave has got me playing harp again? I really hadn't played in the last twenty years! We got going the first night in Halifax, which was little scary for me. Thank goodness no working harp dogs were in the front row! Anyway, with thirty some odd dates behind us it's now quite a bit easier- and it seems to be going down pretty well. I'm having fun with it. Heck, that used to be my life, blowing harp. And I'm really liking Dave's harp playing alot. I'm gonna miss him when this tour is over- he does great stuff with my songs.

Came back with my new pals Rick, and Suzanne and "Hoogy" Hoogstraten, had a great dinner- after which we played some music long into the night. Sometimes life is very good! Dave says "hi." Here's Dave and Rick having tea:
Suzanne, Hoogy and I had the stronger stuff and enjoyed ourselves, too!

Hoogy was a real cowboy before becoming an in demand film cowboy. Isn't he handsome? (Just kidding, Hoogy!) And he's a great clawhammer banjo player.
Not often I meet folks I enjoy as much as these! I'm really looking forward to staying in touch with all my new friends in Black Diamond, Alberta. The town has a great sense of community, and a great vibe, I can't wait to return!

Blue Chair, Edmonton, AB

2007-10-13T00:59:00.000-07:00

A long day. Six AM start to drive from Yorkton, SK to Edmonton. We needed to get to Edmonton for a 3:30 soundcheck at CKUA. We got in with about half an hour to spare and had time to meet host Holger Petersen for coffee before getting too busy. The show went off really well- stories, a bunch of laughs and few live songs on the radio. My cold is leaning in hard on me so I'm using Halls and hot water between songs! Holger, Dave and I have known each other since the mid 1970's, so getting togther on his radio show was relaxed fun for all of us. It was nice to learn that our show at the Blue Chair was sold out! Good! Our pals Ken Hamm, Rick Fines and Suzie Vinnick are also playing gigs in town on this evening- so we tried to plug their shows instead of our own. Get out and hear some great live blues, folks!

Over to the Blue Chair for soundcheck. It's easy to get around Edmonton as the streets are numbered instead of named, so getting across town did not involve too much stress. Owner Harold was waiting for us and helped us in with our gear. He had us soundchecked and up sounding good in no time. This is clearly a top notch listening room. We were to learn that the food is also very, very good.

Soon the place is packed- every seat reserved and pre-sold! Nice to be in a venue that takes care of business. The shows went off really nicely.

Somebody put a clip up on YouTube- I haven't got the link yet, put will put it up here when I do. (OK, heard it- sound is very, very rough. Oh, well. Thanks for trying!) Holger Petersen joined us for drinks between sets- showing off his new, Big Road Blues tour jacket. This was our gift to Holger- hey, good swag, eh? Hey, how come he's not wearing it for the photo?

We were also to sell several tour jackets over the evening, as well as the raffle jacket. Folks from Toronto, Winnipeg and Calgary showed up to take in second and third shows. Boy, it sure is nice- I can't say how much we appreciate this kind of support and encouragement! A couple of ovations and encores at the end, and we're finally back on the road looking for our hotel. By 2:AM we're checked into what turned out to be a stinking little joint and ready for sleep.

Yorkton, SK, Gallagher Convention Centre

2007-10-12T23:59:00.000-07:00

We slept in. We did breakfast at Mr. Breakfast with some friends before starting out. We went to Value Village to look for cool stuff. We got big coffees to ride with, gassed up, and away. A smooth run up to Yorkton from Regina. In early, we stopped by the Convention Centre, admired the marquee, and confirmed hotel, soundcheck and load-in information. Off to our rooms for a break before getting to work. I spend a little time looking for an internet connection, but give up and return to my room for 40 winks. There's to be a big hockey game tonight, and the visiting team is also staying in our hotel. So far, all is quiet- and I hope it stays that way. We'll be up in the small hours to drive in the morning, so we'll need all the sleep we can get tonight.

Back to the Gallagher, where we load in, set up, rough in the sound. It's a big room with banks of speakers in different locations. The sound tech arrives, we soundcheck in short order. After some adjustments, and some discussion, I think we're good to go. It should be alright. We meet the chef- it's going to be a dinner and show package tonight, so we can look forward to being fed, too! But we need to perform afterwards- small servings, please!

The stage sound is good. The show is good. We have fans in the house keeping the place pumped. We sell a pile of cds, tour jackets, posters. It's a pretty nice night with a whole lot of friendly folks. I spend a few minutes talking to some grain farmers about frost lines, GPS machinery, the cost of fuel, computers. As small businesses we have quite a bit more in common than one might of imagined. I certainly come away with an increased respect for what these families do and how they do it. The only thing "rural" about these folks is their location. They know their blues, and they know the world, too!

Here's one proud family with their rooster, us, and a couple of their spiffy new tour jackets!

The Exchange, Regina, SK

2007-10-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

This was a blast. The Exchange is a wonderful concert venue, and the Regina Delta Blues Association sure knows how to put on a show. We had great sound, lights, monitors, and hospitality on a huge stage in this vintage building. It was a good haul out of Kenora to get to Regina today, but the van is comfortable, and cruises well. We had Muddy cranked up on the stereo, the weather was nice, road life was good. Here's what it looked like-

Nice shoes, dude.

We went over to Long and McQuade Music to check out portastudios before loading in. I had thought that maybe we'd rent one and record a bunch of shows along the way. We elect not to do this. We will regret not recording some of these shows, but the truth of the matter is that we are carrying all the gear that two guys can manage to pack in and out in the context of doing a show. We've got the merch booth, the merch, the inventory sheets, the guitars, stands, suitbags... We decide that we simply do not have enough hands for another piece of gear, nor do we have time to worry about setting it up or operating it. Maybe we'll get to record a show somewhere down the road.

Soundcheck was quick and easy- are we getting spoiled? The show went well.

We had fun and played a couple of encores before calling it a night. Here's the lucky tour jacket winner!

I couldn't find a late night food place near my hotel, so I bought a soft drink and surfed the channels for a few minutes before going to sleep. Regina seems nice and friendly. I can't play here often enough!

Kenora, ON

2007-10-10T23:59:00.000-07:00

Big day to get here! I flew in from Toronto this morning, and Dave picked me up at the airport in his Cadillac. Nice ride. We picked up the rental van, and the western swing of the Big Road Blues Tour is in motion!

A capacity show at Kenora. We performed in a ballroom at the downtown Best Western- sold a pile of CDs and had a fun time raffling off a tour jacket. A whole bunch of Dave and Doc fans showed up, too. Nice to be on the western swing! We're on a roll now and can do no wrong! Promoter Mort Goss took us back to his place in the deep woods after the show. Wolves in the yard! Wild business. Mort and his partner showed us plenty of northern hospitality, and taught us the best way to make oatmeal. Good gig. It was pretty neat to visit this town.

Le Zaricot- tres bon!!

2007-10-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

Le Zaricot in Ste Hyacinthe, Quebec, is one of my favourite venues anywhere. Hands down. I love playing this place, and Saturday's show did not let me down! The owner, William, came to Canada from France several years ago with the intention of opening a blues club. Somehow life brought him to Ste Hyacinthe- a very cool little town on the south shore, about an hour east of Montreal. Here he built a room specifically for acoustic blues concerts. It's a beautiful, all wood space with great sight lines, state of the art sound, lights and stage.
William has trained his audiences well- people who make noise during a show will be thrown out- so it's more like a concert venue than a bar. Here's Dave and I relaxing in the Green Room before the show.

Our friends Little Miss Higgens (Little Miss and Foy Taylor) from Saskatchewan, had a night off in their touring schedule of Ontario, so we invited them out to Ste Hyacinthe to open for us, meet William, and experience the vibe. Chris, the sound tech, met us on the street to help us load in. This was only the begining of the courtesy and hospitality we were to experience here. Sound was close to perfect on stage and in the mains. Maybe it was perfect. It sure was easy to play. Likewise, the lighting and stage presentation was great.

Little Miss Higgens put out an intense opening set. Big applause from the crowd. Miss Higgens didn't play an encore, but could of. Very cool show. She's a really good guitar player and presents a contemporary blues show built on influences like Memphis Minnie and early Big Big Broonzy. Foy nails in the second line. Very strong original songs with a strong sense of place. These folks are from a little place called Nokomis where you can look down the street and see the horizon! Little Miss Higgens will be showcasing next week at the OCFF Conference in London, Ontario, as well as doing a couple of dates in the Toronto area. They are well worth going to see, and I bet you'll be hearing them at quite a few festivals next season.

Dave and I had a great time playing for the Ste Hyacinthe crowd, despite being a little nervous at delivering our show in English to this french speaking room. I used what little french I know, and we cut our storytelling down, and everything was tres bon. You could hear a pin drop in that room, and this crowd was with us from the moment we started. Ended the night with two standing ovation encores. We shook hands and waved to the room at the end of the night. What a fabulous way to end the eastern leg of the Tour! We've had a great time, and it all just seems to be getting better.

I sampled a local beer made with hot peppers before going back to the hotel- very tasty, indeed. Thank you Ste Hyacinthe! In the morning I'll be dropping Dave at the Montreal airport before taking the truck back to Toronto. Dave's doing a band gig in Winnipeg on Sunday night. I'll be flying out to meet him on Wednesday, at which point the Tour picks up in Kenora, ON. We'll be playing all but three days of thirty-some odd days on the upcoming western Tour. Could get kinda wild!

The Yellow Door, Montreal

2007-10-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Great to be back in Montreal. We checked into our hotel and headed out to Swartz's Deli for dinner. Shared a table with a couple of charming young ladies, and had our first major language difficulty as Dave's dinner arrived! Not a medium smoked meat sandwich, but a giant plate of medium smoked meat. Dave dug in like a good sport, and had enough left for sandwiches at the hotel later in the evening.

Got our truck back from valet parking at the hotel. Sure wasn't fast, or worth $18 and change and tip. A quick run over to the gig. The Yellow Door is one of Canada's oldest coffeehouses- left over from the draft-dodger days, when it was once a major information center and meeting place for American refugees. I remember the place being jammed to the rafters 6 nights a week, with lunch being served as well. We used to sleep up in the chapel, and carouse around town after gigs. At that time the place was filled with poets and musicians. Everybody who was anybody played there at one time or another. So here's a slice of history, and I'm bringing Big Dave to be a part of it.

Rolling up to the door I saw no sign of any of our Tour posters, or any other indication that Dave and I were to be playing a show there. Everyone was very friendly in a coffeehouse kind of way- but the evening turned out to be the sleeper I had imagined it would be when I saw there were no posters up. I gotta admit, I get a little put off when this kind of thing happens- but what can you say to a bunch of volunteers- try harder? At least if there's money involved one can vent! We resolved to have fun anyway! Richard Carr, a Montreal blues singer-guitarist, came out to open the night for us. I'd met Richard last year in Memphis, so it was nice to connect with him again in Canada. He's a smooth singer/player and was well received by the Montreal audience. He's also a pretty good photographer- took the nice pics of Dave and I. Thanks, Richard! Off to Ste Hyacinthe in the morning!

The Rainbow, Ottawa, ON

2007-10-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

Another perfect day out here in southern Ontario. Checked out of our B&B and spent a little time doing merch inventory and organization. After checking into the local library to do the blog on their computer, we had a relaxed ride to the ferry, and a more relaxed ride into Kingston, ON.

Arriving early in Ottawa we went directly to the club and found it pretty easily. Both Dave and I have done this one before, so we had it figured out. Actually, Mapquest helped quite a bit. From the club to our hotel proved a little more difficult in rush hour traffic- it took us an hour and twenty minutes to get to the hotel from the club- and it wasn't that far!! Here's some of what we saw on the way.
A late start at the Rainbow. It's a spit level club with a friendly bar and a big stage. Dave, our sound guy, is right on the money and has us up in no time. The monitors are near perfect and the mains seem to be top notch as well. We play a very good show to a small house. One guy from Calgary came by and brought some friends, and we had an amazing joke session at the bar. "So what did the elephant say to the naked guy?" An early night and back to our hotel!

Acoustic Grill, Picton, ON

2007-10-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

Blow that Big Smoke, we're gone! Dropped into Grossman's Tavern on Spadina last night and caught a few songs by the Wickham-Knight band. They've got a new name now, but it escaped me in all of the excitement. On the Big Road and down into beautiful Prince Edward County.

The Acoustic Grill is a really nice venue in Picton, ON. Steve is bringing in all kinds of great shows, and the walls are covered with signed pictures of everybody. Neat. The Galaxie blues in the background is great, too. It rained most of the day, but by showtime it is warm and clear, and people are coming in.

Dave and I are eating quality food here. steve makes the best salads this blues guy has ever had, anywhere. Hands down. This is not rabbit food!! The sound was great, the audience loyal and attentive. Some folks drove out from Kingston and Guelph to catch this show. Thank you so much- those are pretty long drives for a night out!

We really had fun playing this show. I think we played great, too. I look forward to coming back to this club. Picton is cool. We're going shopping at the Giant Tiger in the morning, and then we'll be on the road to Ottawa. The trees have mostly turned color- so it's going to be a beautiful drive up the backroads.

Fun with Brad and Janice

2007-10-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

We hung out down at the beach during the afternoon before the show.

A really fun last night at Brad and Janice's house. Here they are with me and their big ol' cat. We performed in their large living room without a PA to about 50 people. I gotta say, it sure is nice to be able to do shows without mics, monitors and cables! The room sounded great, and Dave and I went way out on a limb once in a while, pulling out all kinds of stuff just for the heck of it. The Tour Jacket raffle went well, here's our lucky winner! Just a great night with a room full of great people. A listening crowd like this really makes you want to play your best- and I think we did! Dave says "hi!"

Kincardine, ON

2007-09-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

OK, I've decided to do the right thing and just nail this blog in right away. There's a gap between last week and this week, but I'll try hard to catch up over the next couple of days! After a great breakfast at the Hi-Fi in London, we had a relaxed drive up to Kincardine, ON.

Last night we were presented by the Bruce County Blues Society in a concert at the Sutton Motor Inn, Kincardine, ON. It's a classic, lakeside town on Lake Huron, and as I've played here a couple of times before I got to catch up with a bunch of friends at the show. Nice to introduce Dave. As always, he's a big hit, and is winning new fans everywhere.

Although the young sound techie got off to a rough start, the second show sounded pretty good, so we didn't beat him or anything. Actually, he worked hard, and will be one of those guys who will be a little better everytime out. The room was pretty full, and Dave and I played really well. We are definitely starting to hit our stride- I really like what we do together. We're getting into the zone in a big way. Sold a couple of tour jackets and a bunch of cds. Here's a couple of Kincardine blues people sporting their new tour jackets! We do a House Concert here later today, so we're kicking around town exploring.

The London Music Club

2007-09-29T23:59:00.000-07:00

A typical Friday, southern Ontario, big road, big traffic drive from Toronto to London. This sign was about a block from our destination in London. Kinda makes ya wanna groove, don't it? As our hotel wasn't ready we went directly to the club where we were met by promoter Brian Mortimer, Rowan Poots, and some other helpers from the Great Lakes Blues Society and Karma. As always, the London hospitality is over the top! London Music Club owner Pete made us welcome and did a great job of getting the sound up quickly.
The London Music Club is definitely one of the better presentation venues in Canada. Great sound, great sightlines, friendly staff, good food and service. This place is slowly growing in stature. It's a room to watch, to listen, and play!

We had about 85 advance tickets sold on this show, so we were pretty certain of a good house. We were not disappointed. A great listening crowd in a full room! They gave us a couple of ovations at the end, and Dave and I got a chance to play dual harmonicas, which was a load of fun. All in all, a really, really, good night.

Here's the winner of the tour jacket raffle collecting his prize!

Dave was fighting a cold, so he returned to our hotel, while the Mortz and I retired to a backroom with some scotch to catch up on old times. London's been a great music town for a long time, and Mortz has been a big part of making that happen and keeping the scene alive. We chatted about my old band playing the Firehall back in the 80's, with Danny Brooks and Tom Wilson playing the other rooms at the same time. All the bands stayed upstairs... Yeah, some wild old times. I remembered opening for Carl Perkins on another trip through town. And the Home County Folk Festival- that was fun, playing with Mose Scarlett, Jackie Washington, Colin Linden... We stayed up way too late talking, but I had a great time. Thanks, Mortz, Pete, Rowan, and all of the Great Lakes Blues Society. You guys continue to make a difference! A great music town. Now, can somebody from that Home County Folk Festival offer us a gig for next summer??

Happy Hog Roadhouse, Tottenham, ON

2007-09-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

They call it Blues North and, so far as southern Ontario is concerned, they are probably right. This is a cool little pub about an hour and a half out of Toronto. It is little, and we wondered at first glance what it was going to be- but we were quickly made welcome and began to set up. Around us were pictures of many great Canadian blues artists who have played here over the last couple of years- Morgan Davis, Michael Pickett, Fathead, Jack de Keyser, and many other pals smiled down at us. Yup, this one would be OK!
Owners Garr and his charming partner provided us with the best Ontario hospitality. Here's Garr with us outside the club. We were well fed, and did three shows to their friendly crowd. Mo' Kauffey drove in from Guelph to hang out- always a pleasure to see him. We should of made him play a few tunes! After some wings with Garr, we're on the road by about 2:AM. We're looking forward to going to London in the morning.

Hamilton, ON, Only the Lonely

2007-09-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

I had mixed feelings about this gig all along. It was a one-off deal to fill a date, and I wondered how it was going to go. I wasn't sure if the venue would be any good, or whether they would do anything to help promote the show. We pulled up to the Casbah in good time and met Brodie, the manager. This was encouraging- he had an office and seemed quite professional. We didn't seem to have much in common with the other artists advertised in the window, but I remembered that my pal Tom Wilson had played here before, as had Michael Pickett, so what the heck. The venue looked pretty nice inside. Good room with good sight lines. The house PA gear looks modern. There is a nice solid stage with big ass monitors all over it. The club is actually clean and comfortable! Hey- nice place!

Pete, the sound man arrives and does a great job of getting us up and running. We are told that the mainstream newspaper, The Hamilton Spectator, has made us the "pick of the week" for entertainment. This is pretty encouraging, and we start to feel good about the whole gamble. We order dinner, are well fed, and sit down to wait for show time.

We start the show half an hour late, as we wanted to make sure our audience was completely and happily seated. This was easy to do as there were only 30 of them in this big room. Dave and I played well, packed out quickly, and were on the road just after midnight. It's raining hard, and traffic is backed up as a big rock act has just finished playing Copps Colleseum. It sure wasn't the big night we might of hoped for. Coffees to go. Bye, Hamilton. Dave says "hi."

NOW Lounge, Groovy Monday, Toronto, ON

2007-09-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

Back at my place in Toronto, ON, Dave and I are officially on one of our rare "rest days." Of course, this means we'll be out on the town, and tonight this means we'll be at the NOW Lounge for the Groovy Monday songwriters stage anniversary party! I'd been invited earlier, but wasn't sure if we were going to be in shape to make it. But Dave and I are feeling pretty good- we can still sing, or croak, enough to do a few tunes. I emailed Liz back at the last minute, and she kindly got us into the line-up for that evening.

Over at the club we met Richard Flohil, Speak-music founder Jennifer Claveau, Brian Blain, Mr. Rick, Howard Gladstone, Johnny Devil, Scott B., Ian North, Heather Morgan, Jay Linden,... So many more! Can't list everybody, so don't feel slighted. It's all a blur! Dave and I left home in a hurry with only one case each, instead of our usual bunch of bags and boxes. I find I have no slides. Dave has no harps. Hmmm... We elect to play solo sets instead of the duo thing. Dave wants to play before I go on. OK. He's so damn good he pushes me every single night, and tonight is no exception. Dave tears the house down with a couple of tunes including "Atlanta Moan." It's my turn next, and I know I must of put it in the Zone. Took a minute to get back in my body and off the stage afterwards. Sometimes that happens. That's what this is all about. It's more than music or just playing a bunch of notes in the right places. Thanks, Groovy Monday. See you next time.

Carrigan Arms, Burlington, ON

2007-09-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

Loading out at a reasonable hour, we drank hotel coffee, bought batteries and office supplies and cruised around town until we found a likely breakfast joint. An easy drive down the big highway to Burlington, ON, where we slept in the parking lot for a couple of hours. We woke to Halton Blues Society president James Anthony unloading gear next to us. Again, an easy load in- we've got it down now. The room seemed kind of quiet, a nice, big empty pub. But it was Sunday afternoon.

Start time rolled around, and it was still kind of quiet- maybe thirty or forty people in the room. James and the Halton executive had us wait another half hour, by which time the place was pretty packed with Halton Blues Society members and supporters. A couple of guys at the bar said they had seen us at the Harvest Blues and Jazz the week before, and they'd brought their friends along. Cool- still wishing more people had seen us in Fredericton- but we've got a good crowd here tonight.This is Stella. Seemed like a good idea at the time...

Our first show went really well, and we sold a large number of cd's between sets. The jacket raffle goes well, too. These are fun- we're enjoying this part of the Tour. Now we are autographing the jackets. They are going fast- I hope we have enough to last for the rest of the Tour.

Second show was great fun with James Anthony sitting in on mandolin and guitar. He nailed everything we tossed him- a top notch player and clearly a home town favourite. James has worked really hard to organize the Blues Society, and he's got a fine bunch to share the organizational load. We'll play some more in the future. Thanks for a great night, James. Anybody who lives in that part of the world might want to check out the weekly, Blues Society sponsored Jams at the Carrigan Arms. They get a big turnout most days, so turnout yourself and support the local scene!

Mario's, Windsor, ON

2007-09-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

It took us a few minutes to pack our gear from Place Concorde, but soon enough we were tearing across town to our next gig. Ted Boomer was leading us through town at a pretty good clip, but we made it- and the club had reserved a parking spot for us right out front. The staff at Mario's were waiting to help us load in and set up, so by about 11:30 we were ready to dig in.

It was a noisy, but appreciative crowd out to support the Blues and the Downtown Mission and we had a good time playing for them. During the second set a couple of hot young women entertained us with THEIR moves on the little dance floor in front of the stage! This portion of the evening played out much too quickly for me, but dinner was waiting, sans desert. After a couple of encore numbers we were escorted to a semi-private room in the back where we were treated to a truly wonderful Italian meal. Mario's is classic Italian, right down to the checkered table cloth decor and the impecable manners and service.
It's not good, but this is the only pic we've got. Maybe somebody can send us some good ones? Dave and Patti and I had a great time hanging out with Ted, Bernie, Little John and a whole bunch of other folks associated with the Canada South Blues Society. Such a good time was had that we almost forgot to get paid. But we were kind of tired, having done three gigs plus all the media today! A great day for Dave. Back to the hotel for a well deserved rest. Dave and Patti will be up early to get her off to the airport and home. I'm gonna sleep and sleep.

Oasis, Windsor, ON, Blues Museum & Hall of Fame

2007-09-22T17:25:00.000-07:00

A quick trip to Windsor after leaving Grape Jam. We all had a good time at the festival and so arrived at Oasis, Place Concorde, Windsor, ON, in high spirits. Dave was to be inducted into the Canadian Blues Hall of Fame later this evening, so there were a couple of television and radio crews preping to do interviews. Dave ducked into the Brown Room to suit up for his first television interview, while I roughed out our gear on stage and met the tech guys.

Dave's interviews went off beautifully- he had the place laughing from the start. I hustled around, trying to get some stills of the whole thing, but my camera began giving the "low battery" sign. Jeez, we put new batteries in at breakfast! Cheapo crap, I guess.

We each did interviews with the local cable company. They have a show that covers musicians and their gear! I got to talk to a young interviewer about glass vrs. deep socket slides, Marine Band vrs Special 20 harmonicas- stuff like that. Heck, I didn't think anybody cared! Anyway, induction time rolled around quickly enough.

Ted Boomer and South Canada Blues Society president Bernie had given us the grand tour of the Museum. It's a huge, cool undertaking with seed money from Martin Scorsese. On the walls of the Blues Museum are signed photos from many blues greats, both Canadian and American, along with big blue stars documenting their induction and histories. The Museum also collects books, photos, recordings, and aims to create an archive that can be used by future researchers, fans, and players. Dave was thrilled and honoured to be inducted, and it was an honour to be there with him for this event.

The ceremony itself was fairly short. After a little intro Dave's star was unveiled, his bio read out. Dave then made an acceptance speech. Patti and Ted and I all wondered what he was going to say!! Great speech, Dave! You got away with it!

Most people reading this blog probably know quite a bit about Dave already. His friends up and down the line will know he's a pretty modest guy. It's good then, that we can all brag about him and celebrate his life and career. Dave has had an enormous influence on the music scene in western Canada. He's certainly known and loved all the way across this country. I'm honoured to sit and play beside him every night. Congrats Dave!!

After the induction we performed a one hour set for cable television and for members and friends of the South Canada Blues Society. Here's the stage, ready to go.

Merch was selling as quick as we could stock it.

Then it was off to our next gig of the night- a fundraiser for the Downtown Mission. A quick break down of gear, load out, we're off!!

Grape Jam

2007-09-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

Up early and on the highway for an afternoon show at a the Grape Jam Acoustic Blues Festival, where we are headlining. It turns out to be a beautiful spot near Lake Erie- the grounds of the Smith and Wilson winery. It's about an hour and fifteen minutes out of Windsor. We roll in early and are treated to plenty of south western Ontario hospitality! Wine was flowing, if not freely, certainly in quantity. Anybody interested in quality, limited edition wines should visit this Estate near Blenheim, ON.

As we unloaded backstage I heard a big voice and was pleased to see that Paul Langille was up front. I've heard this guy on and off for many years- big tubes, and can sing anything. We chatted for a few minutes after his show. He's based in London, ON and is, no doubt, well known in that area.

Caught up with festival director John Gardiner annd his wife Carole. Always a pleasure to hang out with these folks, and they've done a great job yet again mounting this festival!

The show on before us was not an acoustic act, but John liked them and made an exception. Daddy Long Legs is a quartet of younger guys out of Kitchener, ON. Dave and I were pretty impressed by their mostly original tunes and by the delivery and musicianship. Also, they are all nice guys and serious about what they do. I don't know what their plans are, but I'd sure hope that they get some opportunities to play over broader territories. I told them I'd tell people about them. So, yeah, you promoters- hire these guys.

Our set was fun. The wine was probably having an effect on the crowd by the time we came out- they were pretty enthusiastic! After the show we sold a couple of tour jackets- one to a guy named Dave McLean, who was going to wear it to work next day! Actually there were at least THREE guys on site named "Dave MacLean." Never rains, it pours, eh?!!
The Green Room had a nice deck we relaxed on. That's the life, boys.

Then, on to what we do best! Showtime under the big tent for the Big Road Blues Tour!

Back on the road to make a 6:PM sound check at the Blues Museum. It's been fun. I wish I could hang out and sample more of the wines- but we've got a big night ahead of us yet.

Alibi's, Windsor, ON

2007-09-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

Out to Toronto airport this morning to pick up Dave's wife, Patti. She's joining us for a couple of days around Dave's pending induction into the Blues Hall of Fame. It was a warm day for driving, and highway 401 across the bottom end of Ontario was fast. We got in a couple of hours early and checked into our hotel for a rest and a quick shower before sound check.

Alibi's is a nice room on the side of an international truck route. Tonight was a benefit to raise money for the Downtown Mission, an event sponsored by the South Canada Blues Society. Due to some snafu "full production" was not interpreted to include mics and stands, so the sound guy had to scramble to get us set up. Nor was the venue ready for an acoustic show- a tough time was had with the monitors, eq, and over all volume. Everybody involved did their best. We jumped in and worked hard for our two sets, well appreciated by the folks who were close to the front. We were, however, glad to meet the James Anthony band as they arrived to play the late show. If folks can't hear us, it's a tough time for sure. After the great show we had last night at the Silver Dollar, this outing was a bit of a let down. James, at least, sounded great, so we enjoyed his first set before heading back to the hotel for some rest.

It was great to meet Ted Boomer, Bernie, Commander Kim Kelly, and some of the other fine folks who keep it all going down here! Nice turnout by the Blues Society, and a testament to a good deal of hard work and planning. Plenty of young players coming up in South Canada!
I've since heard that people LOVED our show at Alibi's. So I guess our extra efforts were not in vain after all!

The Silver Dollar Room, Toronto

2007-09-20T23:59:00.000-07:00

The Silver Dollar is one of my favourite rooms in Canada, so we were very much looking forward to this show. As a special, early event we were wondering how it would work out. A great night! Dave and I had a ball playing this legendary club. Many friends from near and far came out, including quite a few members of the Toronto Blues Society. One of Dave's oldest friends, John McTaggart surprised him with his presense. The sound was, from our position on stage, world class, and allowed us to deliver everything we wanted to. Thanks Vlad! Sound at the Dollar is always top flight. Gary Kendall was on hand to deliver the Silver Dollar hospitality, and it was a good night all around. We sold way more tour jackets and cds than we had expected- that's a good sign, for sure!
Here's the lucky winner of the Tour jacket raffle at the Dollar show! We raffle off a custom made tour jacket most nights. These are way cool. You need one! Dave says, hi!

CKLN, Toronto

2007-09-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight we were featured guests on Lowdown to Uptown, a popular blues show on radio CKLN in Toronto. My son, Alasdair, came along as Tour Photographer and did an excellent job of documenting the show! Here's the playlist and what it looked like from a grade 5's perspective! Here's the control desk- cool!

Lowdown 2 Uptown
Wednesday 8-10pm EST
CKLN-FM 88.1
Toronto, Canada
www.ckln.fm – streamed live

“23 years of bringing you the soul of the blues”

This is our host, David Barnard, AKA Dr. Feelgood. His playlist for the evening is also included below. We had as much fun listening as we did talking. David should record all the "off-mic" chat and gossip- always a treat, too.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2007
Musician – Song – Source – Label/Distributor
*denotes Canadian musician

(New)
NATHANIEL MAYER – Village of Love – (I Want) Love and Affection (Not The House of Correction) – Fortune/Vampi
NATHANIEL MAYER – Leave Me Alone – I Just Want To Be Held – Fat Possum

(At the Academy of Spherical Arts)
*SHAKURA S’AIDA – Getting Along Alright – Blueprint – Shakura S’Aida
(At the NOW Lounge/Free Times Café)
*LITTLE MISS HIGGINS – You Ain’t Done Nothing To Me – Junction City – Little Miss Higgins

(New)
BOBBY RUSH – Howlin’ Wolf – Raw – Deep Rush
HONEYBOY EDWARDS – West Helena Blues – White Windows – Blue Suit

(At Hugh’s Room)
*KEN WHITELEY – Lunch Counter Encounter – One World Dance – Borealis/Festival
*KEN WHITELEY – Everybody Has The Blues – One World Dance – Borealis/Festival
These guys look familiar.
(At the Silver Dollar)
Interview with BIG DAVE MCLEAN & DOC MACLEAN
*DOC MACLEAN with BIG DAVE MCLEAN – Angola Prison Rodeo – live-in-the-studio

Interview with BIG DAVE MCLEAN & DOC MACLEAN
*BIG DAVE MCLEAN – Atlanta Moan – live-in-the-studio
Interview with BIG DAVE MCLEAN & DOC MACLEAN
*DOC MACLEAN with BIG DAVE MCLEAN – Jimmy Lee Jackson – live-in-the-studio

(New)
OMAR KENT DYKES & JIMMIE VAUGHAN –Jimmy Reed Highway – On The Jimmy Reed Highway – Ruf/Fusion III
JOHN HAMMOND – Mean Ol’ Lonesome Train – Push Comes To Shove – Back Porch/EMI

Dave and I loved these recordings. Omar and Jimmie!!! That's a great cd. Go buy it!! John rules. Buy that, too!

(At the Silver Dollar)
*ANTHONY GOMES – Everyday Superstar – Music is the Medicine – Adrenaline
(At Healey’s)
RONNIE BAKER BROOKS – It Takes A Smart Man To Play Dumb – Take Me Witcha – Watchdog

(At the Silver Dollar)
MELVIN TAYLOR – Kansas City – Dirty Pool – Evidence
MELVIN TAYLOR – Dirty Pool – Dirty Pool – Evidence

(At Hugh’s Room)
*DAWN TYLER WATSON & PAUL DESLAURIERS – Cold Shot – En Duo – Justin Time/Fusion III
*DAWN TYLER WATSON & PAUL DESLAURIERS – I Will Stand By You – En Duo – Justin Time/Fusion III
Thanks for a wonderful evening. See you all tomorrow at the Silver Dollar Room!!

Travel Day 2 and a Rest Day

2007-09-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

Off to see M. Timm in the AM. Extra gross (that's big here), extra black, extra hot, and the Big Road Blues Tour was back in motion. Later in the day we rolled through Montreal, where we visited Swartz's Deli for an early lunch and then took a run up to the Fairmont Bagel. We loaded up with a couple dozen for the road, and soon we were on the big highway, 401, blasting through Ontario toward the Big Smoke. We'll be back to Montreal in a couple weeks time.

Toronto is where I hang my hat when I'm not out playing. Here's Dave checking out some of my clutter- yes, it's a 1953 J.C. Higgens Colorflow.

We're going to be based out of my place for a few days, so we can bomb around in my '63 Galaxie. It's got a big motor, so it doesn't tour anymore. We took it out the following night to visit Julian Fauth, who was playing in the west end. Nice to hear him again!

Travel Day

2007-09-16T23:36:00.000-07:00

Went by the festival offices this morning to pick up our merch and to say our good-byes. As Joe's was closed we got coffee from Tim's and hit the road. New Brunswick looks like this as it goes by the truck window. Soon enough we reached the Quebec border, and had a great time singing all the French words we could remember. I try to convince Dave to try and convince Holger that his next album will be called "The Milkmaid, She Sings Her Happy Song." As I am the ONLY member of this tour not on Stony Plain Records, I am quite naturally anxious to share my greatest marketing ideas with them. Dave is not convinced, but continues to sing the song hour after hour anyway.
Dave had never been to Quebec City, so we rolled in around dusk for a quick look at the old town. This used to be a great blues city- at one time there were several clubs and there were gigs seven nights a week. I was telling Dave how I used to do shows here with Colin Linden, Mose Scarlett, Champaign Charlie and others. We had some wild times for sure! On our visit it was pretty quiet. It seems more and more like a movie set with tourists wandering about. It would have been nice to stop off and play some shows, but for the second year in a row it was impossible to find a venue. There is one blues radio show out of Quebec City, and when I emailed the host to ask about venues he seemed to have no idea at all. None of the Quebec based blues artists I talked to were able to provide any info either. Dead city? I don't think so. Walled city? Yes, in more ways than one.

We blasted on down Route 20 to get into cheaper digs for the night. Here's Dave showing off a high quality, road room. At least the place was quiet as we were ready for some serious sleep.

Harvest Jazz and Blues, Day 3

2007-09-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

Over to Hammertown for breakfast again today. Dave insists it's the best diner he has ever been in, and I'm pretty sure he's right- so off we went to eat like road dog kings once more! It's a cold, rainy day as we made our way back to pick up gear and get over to the Voodoo stage for the harmonica workshop that Dave is to host. Under the big tent things were pretty dry, all things considered. Our first surprise was that neither Mark "Bird" Stafford or Watermelon Slim was there. Bird was listed in the program as being the host, and although we knew that had been changed, we sort of expected him to be there. Actually, we totally expected him to be there. Dave gave me the "Doc I'll get even, you so and so" kind of look, because I'd signed him up to do the workshop. Now he was to be hosting it, solo, for the next hour and a half!

A good sized crowd was in the tent as John Campbelljohn finished up his slide guitar workshop and Dave stepped up to the plate. He had the crowd from the get go, blowing his cool, rack harp, to some Jimmy Reed tune. After a while he called me up to demonstrate how he'd back up another player. I had a chance to play 2 or 3 numbers, and then John Campbelljohn took my place to jam a little. I was backstage getting my guitar back in it's case when Bird and Slim arrived together. Dave had chosen this moment to be playing "Dixie" on his little, ornamental harp. Bird looked at me and said, "how long has THIS been going on?!" Slim came out to play a couple of numbers with Dave and John, while Bird climbed up on the drum kit to finish a great, crowd pleasing set. Big ovation for Big Dave. Things worked out well after all!

As it happens, it was good that we got to play at the Voodoo. After our Delta gig we rushed down to our night concert- it was a "TBA" in the program as we were a late add to the festival. But the stage was empty! No stage techs, nothing! Apparently we were rained out. Nobody had told us, so we humped our gear back to the street, called another cab, and took it all back to the hotel. Well, now we had the night off. It was no longer raining, it was warming up outside. We headed out to visit around with everybody. Here's a snap of us with some Festival volunteers. That's Dr. John's stage switched on behind us.

First stop was the Rogue to catch Matchstick Mike for a full set. This was a cool show as Mike called up two of his young guitar students to play. "Johnny Cash" was great, as was the young teen gal who got up and played a note perfect T-Bone shuffle to bring down the house. Good on you, Mike! Here's me with one of the Chain Smoking Alter Boys. Next we went around the corner to see Morgan Davis, met Slim, and Ross Neilsen. Ross and Slim sat in for a few tunes, and then we went over to catch the Dr. John show. Security would not let us in the backstage, so Dave and I bid Slim good night and headed back to our hotel. Not a bad day!

Harvest Jazz and Blues, Day 2

2007-09-15T02:37:00.000-07:00

Well, we wimped out last night after our show at the Delta. Running on three hours sleep was not going to be good so we had a big rest and started our second festival day feeling great. First stop was Hammertown for breakfast at Joe's Diner.
Hammertown is across the river from downtown Fredericton and takes it's name from a murder which took place there many years ago. For all I know, Joe's may have been there just as long! It's a classic diner. The waitress was called Flo, they had homemade bread, jars of mollasses on the counter, beans on the breakfast menu... Dave and I pretty much ordered up one of everything they had and stuffed ourselves silly.

Back to the hotel where I thought I'd give a call over to my pals in the Workers- Watermelon Slim's excellent, excellent band. Michael Newbury answered the phone sounding the worse for wear- noon was way too early to be calling these guys! I settled into the hotel lobby to do some press releases for our upcoming Ontario dates. Nice not to be traveling today.

PJ's Lounge at the Delta is a comfortable little room with great food and a friendly vibe. Dave and I played a relaxed couple of sets. It didn't seem as though there were many, if any, festival people in the house. There was some sort of Baptist convention (I think) going on, so there were guys in dark blazers sipping pop and water. We had a great time playing for them- even if we are going to roast in hell for our sins! After the show Dave borrowed a big knife from a table so he could cut bagels in his room. As we walked through the lobby I was expecting security to jump all over us. Instead, we scared some lady in the elevator. I'm not sure if she saw the knife.

Off to the festival to catch up with Slim and the guys. Hung out in the trailer/green room for a while and got up to date. Brent Staeben, the festival AD came by for a visit. This Festival is great. The whole city is really into it, the locations are nice and are walking distance apart without too much sound leakage. Volunteers are all over the place doing a top notch job of making everything go. It's an exciting mix of international, national and regional artists. There are many great players based in Atlantic Canada, and what a treat to hear so many in the course of a few days!

Slim and the Workers delivered their usual knock down, over the top, leave 'em screaming for more kind of show. Watching from the side stage I know these guys are exhausted, but it's a secret. No one would ever suspect that to see and hear them lay down their show.
In my opinion this is the most exciting live show on the circuit today- and you won't meet a nicer bunch of guys. After the encore I'm off to visit Matchstick Mike at the Rogue pub, just a couple of blocks away. Mike is, of course, tearing the house down. He's loud and he's proud. He's got one of the tightest sections I've heard in a long while, and he's got Mark "Bird" Stafford from Toronto sitting in on harp. I've heard the Bird many times over the years with his own band, but I'd never heard him in such a ramped up band setting before- killer! This band was fun! Spoke to Sarah French briefly before heading back to the hotel. These guys were going to play all night. Dave and I have three shows on Saturday, so I'll want to be in good shape.

Harvest Jazz and Blues, Fredericton, NB

2007-09-13T16:50:00.000-07:00

Oh, man, talk about an early start. we got at least three hours sleep before firing up the truck and rolling into the nearest Tims for some serious coffee. On the road right quick, we needed to make Fredericton for an 11:AM sound check and set up. The Confederation Bridge was pretty neat, and we otherwise had a fast run into Fredericton. After picking up our ID from the festival office we headed over to meet the sound crew and stage manager.

A pretty fair crowd came out for this noon hour show. Met Gayle and John from Kincardine and talked about our upcoming show there. CBC television shot chunks of this show and did interviews with Dave and I after the show. I guess it went to air in a good slot as people were stoping me on the street later to say they'd seen me and "my brother."

We two brothers of the Big Road proceded to check in to the Delta Fredericton, where we have a house gig over the festival. Nice rooms, nice little jazz lounge. After unloading our gear we set up for our next show. The phone is busy at the bar with various musician pals checking in on us. We'll try to make it to Matchstick Mike's show after we get finished up. Bird Stafford is playing with him this week, so it should be fun. Gotta run and tune. Dave says "hi." -Doc

Here's a late pic somebody sent me- Doc, Matchstick, and Watermelon Slim. Where's Big Dave?

C'Town and Truck Trouble

2007-09-13T02:45:00.000-07:00

Dale's family was up and off to work at a very early hour, so we headed down to the local Tim's for some extra large coffee's and then made our start for Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Yes, we kicked around Kentville, NS, looking for trouble. I couldn't join the army, but Dave had to send flowers.

A pretty uneventful drive to the ferry terminal where we missed our boat by three minutes. We passed the next hour and a half dozing in the truck. The wind was roaring past us and as the boat rolled in- no start! The truck was dead! We were first in line, but the line was directed around us. It took me 30 seconds to get the cables out, get the hood open and get 'em snapped on! Some guy in a golf card roared over and gave us a boost.

We loaded onto the ferry with only moments to spare. Well, that was about the first tense moment we've had on this tour. Of course, we can't start the truck to get it off the ferry either, so the ferry staff cheerfully boosted us, and down the ramp we go. PEI! We made it! Red dirt everywhere, and it looks like we are going to arrive on time for our show at Baba's Lounge. First a stop at Canadian Tire where they put a new battery in the truck and had us on our way in less than 15 minutes. I think the tour jackets must of impressed them. Anyhow, like everybody else here in eastern Canada they were really friendly and helpful.

To Baba's Lounge, a little upstairs place. A local band opened for us and they were pretty good. Dave and I were kind of worried at first- late show on a weeknight in a small city- but by showtime the place was full and we had a great listening crowd once again. After the show somebody came up and gave us smoked salmon sandwiches and loaves of home baked bread. Island hospitality! Back at the motel by around 2:30, we set the wake-up call for 6:AM. We'll need to make Fredericton by 11:00 AM to set up and do sound check for our noon hour concert. Did I forget anything? Oh, yeah- Dave says "hi." - Doc

Anything with Yarmouth on it, darlin'?

2007-09-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

Left the MacLean B&B well fed and decided to take the small roads down the coast to Digby. We hadn't been long for the road before we spotted a car in the ditch ahead of us. Pulling over we met a couple of lawyers from Delaware, a little bit shaken, but more sheepish than anything else. Dave and I got the tow rope out of the back of our truck and were getting ready to tie up and give it a pull by the time local help arrived. Didn't take long to get them out and on their way, and soon we were back on track to another fine highway day. Stopped at Anapolis Royal for an internet break, and then on to Yarmouth where our hosts Dale and Eva prepared us local seafood for dinner.

Capt. Kelly's had a good crowd out- despite rolling fog and rain coming up in the early evening. Dave had spent the day trying out "Yar-mouth" jokes on me, and fortunately most of them were lost on the crowd! Actually, this was one of the quietest pub shows Dave or I have ever played- folks sat very still and listened to everything- more like a little concert room. The organizers, Dale and Andy, are hoping to bring blues and roots shows to Yarmouth on a regular basis, and with audiences like the one that came out for us this should be no problem! Andy got the Yarmouth tour jacket, and it fits and looks sharp! Jake took pictures, and although I can't upload them on this hotel computer, here's a link to his photo page- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=4479&id=500183210

We all stayed up too late, and it will be an early start in the morning as we head up the road to Prince Edward Island. Dave says, "hi." - Doc

Down time on Fundy

2007-09-10T23:05:00.000-07:00

Great sleep. Rain out over the Berwick, NS main street. We headed down to drink coffee in the cafe. Heather brought her laptop in and helped me get photos off my new camera onto a cd. I was able to do some updates to the Blog before we lost power, but not quite enough! Anyway, it was good to catch up as we've been pretty busy.

Into Kentville to do some banking, and off for a day exploring the Fundy shore. Dave and I did some great circles on the back roads, winding up at Margaretville where we saw the "MacLean B&B." Of course we had to stop off, and they had to take us. A quiet night trading stories with a big view of the Bay behind us. Dave wanted to make sure that I said he said "hi" to everybody.

Union St. Cafe, Berwick, NS

2007-09-10T03:04:00.000-07:00

Another great day in Nova Scotia! Ian fed us a Captain's breakfast at Mersey House, and after saying our good-byes Dave and I headed north along the shore roads. Our lunch, coffee and postcard stop was Lunenburg. We were lucky that the Bluenose was at home, so we went on board and took some snaps. International readers will note that this is a tall masted ship, a replica of the one that appears on the back of the Canadian ten cent coin. Walking up the street we noticed a Morgan Davis poster in the window of a shop, and sure enough they had his new cd. Dave bought one, and you should, too. Morgan is a good pal of ours, a true friend of the blues who writes great songs and plays with an infinite sense of cool.

Time next to get over to Berwick, NS to find the Union St. Cafe. We cut across on hwy 10, passing through some pretty wild country until arriving at the Annapolis valley. We'd already had some venison and vegetables from the area, and had been told that less legal forms of cash crop were now a big part of the local economy. No proof of that came our way, but we did quickly find our way to the club.

Jenny and the other staff at the Union quickly made us at home. After being well fed and having a quick sound check we were ready to play. Meanwhile our pal Ross Neilson and his girl joined us. Nice to see Ross, a great young player, singer, songwriter, blues guy. Soon after Matt Andersen joined us, too. These guys are pretty popular on the east coast, so there was a little buzz in the room once they had both arrived. These lads sat right up front, so after our first set we made them (no, we asked them and they graciously agreed to) play a couple of numbers. I've been a Matt Andersen fan for several years now, so it was great to meet him. What a singer and guitar player! Dave's done some festivals with him already, so he made the introduction.

We had a pretty good house, some folks coming a considerable distance to hear us, and another enjoyable time on stage. I'm really, really liking Dave's new songs. I know how popular his older ones are for some people... but the new ones-yeah! Oh, yeah! Also, we played the heck out of some of mine. I think we did the best Angola Prison Rodeo I have ever played or sung. Dave's harp put it there for me. This Big Road Blues Tour is picking up!!

Back in our room we've got a TV with only one channel, and sure enough when we turn it on there is a guy in a preacher's collar mumbling about something. With the sound off, Dave and I sit and swap stories late into the night. Again, life is good on the Blues Highway. And Dave says "hi."- Doc MacLean

Liverpool, NS

2007-09-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

An easy drive on the Big Road into Liverpool. The most interesting part was coasting in on empty to buy some gas for the truck. No problem! At the Mersey House we got set up and had a ball playing for Michael and Heather and a small crowd. They've done a great job doing the reno on this old building, and our quarters above the club were welcome.

Ian and Lisa did a great job making sure we had everything we wanted. After the show Dave and I walked out to the lighthouse and watched the night ocean for a while. A warm night. Big trees. Big flowers. We walked back to the Mersey House right down the middle of Main St. The town was down for the count and so were we. Dave said "hi." Doc MacLean

The Tree House

2007-09-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

Dave and I went to visit Joe Murphy at the Halifax hospital this morning- happy to report that although he is very weak, he seems to be recovering nicely. Joe is one of the key guys on the Canadian east coast blues scene, so it was a real pleasure to meet him. Dave has done some touring with Joe in the past, so it was great to hear them trading stories. We spent the afternoon on the backroads to New Glasgow, stopping off in Upper Hopewell to check on an old family boneyard. My people had come to this part of Nova Scotia back in 1801, so it is always interesting for me to visit the area.

The Tree House was a private house party with my pals Capt. John and Anne, their family, and many of our friends from the community.

John had us arrive by limo- which set the tone for the rest of our stay. It was a real pleasure to play this jem of a house- giant tree rising up through the middle, and a beautiful outlook over the ocean. As always, the company was good and the evening exotic and international. Guests were both local and from far flung locations. I was pleased to meet Donald Cameron, the former leader of Nova Scotia. The next day we went out in John's old lobster boat and saw Pictou from the water. After a swim in the wet salt we had a great venison meal on board before heading out to our next destination. Oh, and Dave says "hi." -Doc

Two-Headed Bluesman Stalks Halifax

2007-09-07T02:29:00.000-07:00

Spent the night in Fredericton and stayed up too late jamming with Matchstick Mike. This morning it was off to Joe's Diner for breakfast, a visit with some friends in Hammertown, and then out to pick up a digital camera. Here's the first pic in the parking lot to see if it worked- it does! Cool!

Mike told me it was a short drive to Halifax, and it was- at about 85 mph. Got Big Dave at the airport with minutes to spare. We headed straight on into Halifax to the gig. Stayner's Wharf is a funky little spot and it was biker night so the Hogs were lined up outside waiting for us as we arrived. The poster on the door said that "Big Doc McLean" was playing that night, and management seemed surprised to see that there were two of us! That taken care of we hit the stage. At the end of the first song of our first set some fine gent came up and tipped us $40. I said to Dave that I thought that was a pretty good sign. Despite the snafu listing us quite a few folks made it down for the show, including some charming ladies from the Atlantic Blues Society and some fans from Ontario. Thanks everybody! We'll be back!

Hotel time! This tour is off to a nice start! Dave says "Hey."

The Wild West is Ready

2007-08-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

Photo by Debby Sereda. The Calgary International Blues Festival was one of the best organized shows I've ever been on. From airport to hotel to the festival site everything was great. I'm not gonna embarass anyone by telling whose road manager was arrested at (and deported from) the Winnipeg airport for making BOMB jokes! Seriously, this gives the phrase "travelling with a little dope" a whole new meaning. My own road manager was hidden safely in my trousers.

Saturday morning was the front porch, more or less acoustic blues workshop hosted by Tim Williams. What can I say? Tim's a magnificent man and one of the very best acoustic/roots blues guys anywhere. We had a nice time swapping tunes for a couple of hours with Little Miss Higgins, http://www.littlemisshiggins.com a husband-wife duo from Comma, Saskatchewan (OK, actually Nokomis- but on stage that's what I thought I heard.) They start out playing like Memphis Minnie and Joe McCoy and extend the tradition into their own, very cool compositions. We hung out for a while after the show and also had a great time drinking up Alberta's fine local beer. I'll look forward to seeing them again and again. Suitcase James sat in with us on acoustic bass. Here's a legendary Canadian bass player who makes it all look and sound easy. I'd been wanting to meet him for a long time. I played all sorts of bar and time impaired stuff and failed to mess him up at all! He had the same cool playing with Sonny Rhodes the next night.

Duke Robillard was, as always, great in spite of a rough border crossing. He was in high demand, so we didn't get much time to talk. Holger Petersen of Stony Plain records came in for the show, so we had a chance to make some arrangements for radio appearances and recording of Big Dave and I on the Alberta leg of the Big Road. Kelly Hunt and her band delivered a classy show on borrowed gear. I'd seen her in Memphis, but had not met her until now. I stayed to hear Calgary's Mike Clark and it was worth it. A great sax player and singer- nice band Mike! Guitarist Johnny V played in that show- I'd never seen him before. Yup, he's pretty much as good as he says he is! High marks, Johnny- it was fun.

Back to the hotel where I prepared for the next morning's front porch gospel show with Sista Monica, Kelley Hunt, and Tim Williams. I wasn't worried about singing with Tim (I mean, we both can sound way too much like Blind Willie Johnson first thing in the morning!) but I was wondering to myself "will I be singing before, or AFTER Sista Monica, or Kelly Hunt?" And what can I pull out that will save my black-clad butt? This was the Saturday night prayer session.

God came through for me on Sunday morning in the form of a tall cup of Irish whiskey delivered to me by one of the stage tech guys. "Here's your coffee, Doc," he says. It was pouring rain and there were maybe 100 people huddled under plastic sheets and umbrellas waiting for us to start. I did what God intended me to do with his fine liquid creation and we fired up the gospel train. Sure enough, I had to follow Kelley hunt- but she was kind enough not to blow me off the stage. Actually, we had a great time all singing and playing together, and the workshop seemed to end way too soon.

Next up was the Agnostic Mountain Choir. These guys are (I think) another Calgary based act, and they've had some degree of international success. They'll probably not like this comparison, but it sounded a lot like Tom Waits' Bone Machine- layers of hot gritty sound and deep groove. I immediately wanted to play with these guys. Blew me away entirely. If these boys had suits they'd be rich. If you don't know them already- go hear them!

Hung out in the trailer for a while with festival producers Cindy McLeod and Maurice Ginzer. They are so dedicated and so on the ball- Calgary is lucky to have them. And I was glad they got the propane heater working. Cindy and I used it as a tanning light. I was thankful to be warm before my concert. Got lucky- the sun came out for my show, and again the set seemed all too short. For some reason I played a couple of brand new tunes. "Jimmie Lee Jackson's Blues" will be in heavy rotation on my set list for a while. Pretty much written on a scrap of paper a couple of nights before. Sometimes the universe gives you a little gift. It sold quite a few cds for me, despite not having been recorded yet.

Here's Jack de Keyzer and I post-show.

Next up was the Du-Rite Aces- another Calgary show which should be much better known. It's a roots round-up of blues and jump, 40's Texas, rockabilly... They've got a cool sound which is very much their own and are great performers. I could listen and watch Greg Demchuk play guitar all day. You want to party and dance??? Go see 'em.

Quite a buzz in the air here about the Big Road Tour- I met a few of the western promoters over the weekend and began taking requests for next year's shows. I was right about the Tour jackets- I wore mine and could of sold it a dozen times! This is way too long, and I've got to go pick up my truck. And WestJet destroyed yet another guitar case. I promise, posts will get shorter as Dave and I roll into what now looks like 60 shows. — Doc MacLean

Cool, eh?

2007-08-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm on route to Calgary to play the Ironwood Grill, and then concerts and workshops at the Calgary International Blues Festival. This should be a fun trip, and there's not much driving involved. Left the truck with my mechanic in the Big Smoke for pick-up on Tuesday- want to make sure all is ship shape before we head out on the Big Road. Diva Embroidery of Seaforth, Ontario, delivered the tour jackets this week and I'm really, really pleased with them. Thanks Gayle and John! Dave and I will be raffling off the jackets at our shows. They are very cool. To see one is to want one! They are all on black satin and feature the Big Road Blues Tour logo richly embroidered over the full backs.
Ucluelet, BC called in for a date today, so that's great, too. Now I've got to go and get press releases moving for the first bunch of shows on the East Coast. — Doc MacLean

Doc MacLean & Big Dave McLean: Road Ready!

2007-08-17T23:24:00.000-07:00

Yeah, this is us, photographed with a drugstore camera at a blues festival in Kitchener, ON, last weekend. We're taking care of details leading up to departure on what is possibly the biggest blues tour ever mounted in Canada- over 55 concerts, pretty much back to back, coast to coast on over 20,000 km of highway. I'm Doc, and I'll be trying to operate this blog as we tour, so I hope you'll bear with me as I get in the groove of formating.

The Big Road Blues Tour is a pretty amazing thing. It's not even mobile yet. But I think it's an important indicator that the blues is very much alive, well and thriving in the digital age. When I was a young guy, soaking my harps in corn liquor, I never imagined that my office would include more than a record player and a coffee pot. But now, here we are- wired in a whole different way. What I want to underline is that tours as comprehensive as this one simply could not have been organized by independent, niche artists in the past. The internet has evolved to enable us to connect and to create viable markets for the music. True, these are micro-markets, but they are substantial enough to support a growing number of creative artists and to encourage them to make some real contributions to the blues. This is a great time to be a musician or a fan- we're making this happen together.

But it's not magic. Many hours over many weeks are still involved. I've got a bound Tourbook three inches thick of maps, confirmations, contracts, schedules, addresses, contacts, media dates. It's a back up for the laptop and the cell phone. Posters have gone out. Advance cds. Press releases are being customized for each show and scheduled for release. Phoners to radio are being sought and arranged. Tour jackets are done- now waiting on delivery. (Diva did 'em, and they are nice!) We're gonna raffle some of them off at shows. This is all the boring stuff. Soon we'll be on the road! Hey, I put nitro in the truck tires and Dave's bought himself a Gibson Northern Jumbo. I'll get the schedule and some links up over the next few days. Actually, I'm on the road already- eastern Ontario this week and a couple of dates in Alberta next week. Thanks for dropping by.