Blog

Adversity and Hope

Wed, 16 May 2012 05:13:25 GMT

After spending Saturday night feasting at my parents’ house, we departed Vancouver Sunday morning. Rather than struggling through a novella of directions, we just took the Skytrain to the outskirts of town and cycled onto the Fraser Highway. The route was easy and rather uneventful, other than everybody nearly hitting a live(?) lizard on the shoulder of the highway, which resulted in a lengthy discussion about the habitats, tendencies, and standard mouth positions of the average lizard.

The Fraser Highway took us all the way to Abbotsford, where we were once again put up in the backyard of a beautiful home. Our hosts were generous, welcoming, and engaging, despite the thin connection and non-existent expectations we previously shared. I learned about police bicycle squads and was really impressed to hear first-hand about the Vancouver Police Department’s initiatives to support needle exchanges, women’s shelters, and “John schools”. It’s good to hear more than the usual sensationalist stories of brutality that often describe our police forces.

That evening, several of us also went to check out the oldest Sikh temple in The Americas. That particular temple has been turned into a museum and was actually closed to entry, but the newer temple across the street was open and in the midst of a worship period. We were invited in and guided in practice (though I think we all felt tentative and anxious about mis-stepping and insulting somebody). After a while of sitting in the main worshipping area, meditating, and listening to the tabla-driven hymns, we were led out of the space. None of us had any idea what was going on. I was once again worried that I had caused offense, but when the priest took us to the basement we were greeted with a traditional feast and handed trays piled high with delicious rice, paneer, chapati, and other dishes I still don’t know the names for. I’m sure we were looked upon a little differently because we were so obviously out of place, but the folks there still shared freely.

FYI, the proper pronunciation of the word is “Sick”, not “Seek”. The latter is an anglicization that came about when the religion came out West.

The old temple, as seen from outside

Statues of Sikh warriors at the old temple

Monday was a big travel day for us. We knew we had to cover about 90km to get from Abbotsford to the Katimavik house in Hope. What I didn’t predict was the extra 35km of distance I’d have to cover in roasting heat.

The morning dawned hot and clear, and we traversed quiet country back roads for a while, absorbing the mountain and farm scenery of the Fraser Valley.

This was the first day we got to ride the Trans-Canada, and it was an exciting beginning. The Ocean2Ocean group will be riding it for the better part of four months.

Fifteen kilometers out of Chiliwack, when we were all stopped on the shoulder for a lunch break, Coady realized he had lost his phone. As Coady’s bike buddy, I was committed to sticking with him through all adventures and mishaps. We stashed our paniers in the tall grass and turned west.

The experience of riding uphill against highway traffic was not fun. Fortunately, the humor of that day’s non-stop misadventures was. In the preceding hours I had discovered the loss of my good cycling shirt and shorts, a sweater, and a toque. I then stepped in dog poop twice, lost a glove, and had a beer explode in my panier. It only made sense that we’d be going backwards on the Trans-Canada too.

We got lucky. Coady and I didn’t have to go all the way past Chiliwack, but by that time we had already passed food items and cooking duties onto other group members, so we decided to take our time for another side adventure.

We found the phone on the side of the highway where we had stopped for a photo opportunity

We rode East and followed the signs to Bridal Falls for sightseeing, a snack, and a chance to poop in a toilet.

While pooping, we received texts informing us that Dom had also lost her phone. Coady and I got back on our bikes and set out West again.

As the back pair, we became the default phone-finding team. We scoured shoulders, grasses, and potential pit stops, taking extra care because we didn’t know where Dom may have been. We even hopped a bridge and waded through a creek to search in the shade. Unfortunately, this hunt was not a success.

By that time we had been in the same 10km stretch for nearly three hours. We were anxious, tired, and sunburnt. We were also running out of water. That last 40km to Hope was a serious ordeal. My legs felt like soggy asparagus, and, I swear, the hills were suffering from reverse gravity.

The final count on Coady’s cycling computer was 126km

My game face at the end of the day

Now we’re nestled in the blue and green coastal mountains, dropping blogs and drinking beers by the water.

Tomorrow is the day we climb the Coquihalla. Or, as we’ve taken to calling it, Coquiholiday. Hoo boy.

We’re going right to left. That 1.2km hike from Hope is tomorrow’s exercise in meditation.

Rediscovering My Home

Sun, 13 May 2012 06:21:38 GMT

The Vancouver part of our trip began when our Nanaimo host, Wass, woke us with traditional First Nations song.

After tearing down and loading up, we cycled to the ferry and sailed across to Horseshoe Bay. The ride from there was incredible. West Van is full of expensive houses and panoramic views, perched upon rolling hills that were surprisingly challenging and pleasantly rewarding. It took quite a bit longer to reach the Lions Gate bridge than I expected, but it was a ride I would (and already have) recommend to anyone.

View from the ferry

Crossing the Lions Gate was dang tough. The wind up there was intense, and the walkway was narrow so we were constantly struggling not to bash our loaded read ends into stanchions. The whole group celebrated when we made it over and reconvened at Prospect Point.

The Lions Gate Bridge

View from Prospect Point

The rest of the ride to our Thursday night accommodations was equally fresh to me, as we travelled through False Creek and along the Millenium Skytrain line out to Burnaby. It’s astonishing how unfamiliar I am with this city I grew up in. A major motivating factor of me joining this bicycle trip was actually that I wanted to connect with the province I love but hardly know. Touring by bike makes one so much more aware of our surroundings than we are when we’re flying along in a car enclosed by steel and glass that isolates us from engaging in our environment.

Thursday and Friday we stayed at the Burnaby Katimavik house, where all of us ex-Katimavikers hosted a “workshop”, reminisced, and connected with other inspired individuals. I got to jam with my new friend Jason (the first time I’ve ever been the guy calling out tunes and singing unabashedly to a room – it was definitely a growth point), and he showed me some music that I will probably buy to enjoy during this trip.

Yay, Katimahouse!

Friday we all separated for errands – I met an old friend – and then we reconvened for a beautifully prepared meal with a couple of Sarah’s friends. It was the first time in a while that we have all been indubitably feel.

During this three day stint in Vancouver, I keep ending up back on Commercial Drive. This place is amazing. Sometimes we need to leave what we have and revisit it in a new way before we can really appreciate the splendor and joy around us.

This afternoon Doug and I took an abrupt detour off The Drive and found ourselves in the middle of the Stone Soup Festival. Suddenly we were singing Fat Boy Slim with strangers while learning basket weaving. To me, this impromptu discovery is exactly what the Ocean 2 Ocean trip is about.

Doug weaving his first basket

My own attempt

Right now, I’m standing outside Dream Cycle, where Coady has just purchased his perfect bike. This evening, we’ll be eating and drinking heartily at my parents’ house. Tomorrow, we’ll set out for Abbotsford.

The Coquihalla is coming soon.

5 Great Things from Day 1

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:06:00 GMT

Today was our first group travel day. After days of preparing, half a dozen meetings, and fifteen calls to Greyhound (in three different countries), we were finally ready to set out. The departure was highly anticipated and rather emotional, but I’ve narrowed a whole day of awesome into five highlights.

1. Reaching the Alberni Summit

The toughest part of the ride was the very beginning. We actually started halfway up the hill, so there was no opportunity to gain momentum. Fully loaded with gear it was tough. We did it.

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2. Cathedral Grove
Tremendous old growth surrounding the Island Highway. I took so many pictures of moss.

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3. Goats on the Roof
Well, the whole of Coombs market was pretty cool, but Goats on the Roof is the heart of it. This grocery/deli houses a plethora of local and high-quality foods. The selection is mouthwatering, and the display is eye-popping. I bought a focaccia loaf with rosemary, melted asiago, and whole cloves of garlic (they must have used at least two full heads) to share with the group when we arrived in Nanaimo. In the summer this market has – wait for it – goats on the roof. Dope.

4. Watching Doug repair a tire
We were bike buddies for most of today’s eighty kilometer voyage, so I was only feet behind him when his tire was sliced. We were, of course, on a tiny shoulder of a major highway with a concrete barrier beside us. Once we made it to a safer spot, I got to eat tortillas and watch Doug replace the tube inside his twenty four year-old back tire.

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5. Breathtaking views
So tempting to stop and take photographs every five minutes. I had to make some sacrifices to preserve momentum and not irritate my bike buddy, but I still got some good shots.

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Tonight we’re sleeping in the backyard of a new acquaintance in Nanaimo. It turns out Steve is also a musician. Here’s his music page
Ill Lyrics

Island Homemakers

Tue, 08 May 2012 07:48:00 GMT

It’s Monday night and we’ve had a change of plans. Due to injuries (stylishly executed concussion from demonstrating the safety of a hammock) and missing transportation (the Greyhound ate Dom’s bicycle) we’ve postponed our departure until Wednesday. Mickey is a fantastic host, so we’re still enjoying her and Eli’s company, as while as gobbling up the wealth of knowledge she has to share.

We collected three large boxes of produce that were deemed “compost” by a local grocery store. It was almost flawless, so we’ve been cooking with it for the last several days.

Courtney and I made a delicious side dish of roasted “compost” Sunday night

Court and Doug in the kitchen. That is some shiny cabbage.

On Monday we had another group meeting. There is so much to figure out for this adventure. It’s really fortunate that we’re all Katimavik veterans who thrive in a group setting and know how to cooperate respectfully.

We did a test run of packing and divvying up communal supplies to understand how this will work with kitchen crew rotations, sleeping arrangements, and bike buddies. We haven’t packed food yet, but this should work. We also all identified extra gear that we didn’t need. When we hit Vancouver I’ll be ditching basically all the extra stuff that I frantically acquired after my first packing attempt.

Coady and I demonstrating spiffy idealism and greasy reality

In the afternoon some of us went in to Port Alberni to get some exercise and explore. And buy donuts. Unfortunately we enjoyed them too much and didn’t even think to photograph the colorful delicacies until it was too late. So here’s some sprouts.

While we were in town, I wanted to see the water and snap some photos with the mountain backdrop. I actually found the inlet that Port Alberni sits on to be quite disorienting. We’re practically in the middle of Vancouver Island, but the water responds to tides.

The road out of town was not nearly as fun in the uphill direction. Thank goodness for “granny gears”. All of us keep talking about the Coquihalla and the several days of constant incline it includes. We’re terrified.

We’ll be heading out Wednesday if all goes according to the new plan. At that point we might travel a short distance to Qualicum, or trek all the way to Nanaimo. We’ll have to play that by ear, but it could affect our itinerary and our big plans for Vancouver. I’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, I’m going to go have a glass of wine and revel in our beautiful rainforest home.

This house is littered with off-the-cuff artwork

The Adventure Begins

Sun, 06 May 2012 10:42:13 GMT

Friday night I rode from Duke Point to Parksville. I mistakenly assumed that all of the ferries to Nanaimo went to the same bay, and didn’t realize that my chosen route added an extra twenty kilometers of (mostly) uphill travel.

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I was slowed down on my trip by all of the stunning scenery

After racing the sunset (and riding thin highway shoulders for three and a half hours), I was greeted in Parksville by family friends who warmly welcomed a stranger into their home. I was given dinner, a guest bedroom, and friendly conversation as we bonded over veterinary medicine and old adventure computer games.

So am I obligated to pick up hitch hikers? Who thought out the grammar on this one?

Saturday morning I loaded my Trek Portland and five panniers into the back of Holly’s pickup truck and got a ride the rest of the way to Port Alberni. Just outside of town, I met the group at the home/art studio of a Couch Surfers host. It was the first time in eleven months that I had seen Courtney, Kat, and Dom. When we parted ways at the end of Katimavik, I figured I might not see any of my group again since I was the only one living west of Ontario. Needless to say, it was a treat to be reunited. We instantly slipped back into a groove of discussing how badly we smell and making jokes about each other’s moms.

As the last person to arrive, I was shown about the property and introduced to our host, Mickey. Mickey is amazing. She is an incredibly resourceful single mother who is raising a truly remarkable child. Her three year-old son, Eli, has been raised by the proverbial village, and it really shows in his intelligence, articulation, and capable nature. What’s particularly neat is that, rather than taking Eli to the village, Mickey has brought the village to him through frequent hosting of Couch Surfing guests.

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Eli and I jamming

We’re doing a minor work exchange to help out in return for Mickey upgrading from hosting one person to suddenly housing a nine-person group. While we’re here we’ll be chopping, gathering, and preparing dead-fall logs for the construction of a living roof. This whole setup is phenomenal. I can’t think of a better way to start the adventure.

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Our logging work so far. Look how pretty they are after I scraped the bark off with a spud.

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Our backyard is a rainforest

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The water on the property is all fed straight from this spring

Are My Saddlebags Too Big?

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:52:22 GMT

I’ve been in Vancouver getting gear together for the last several days. It’s been a larger and more expensive task than I had anticipated. I ended up having to buy a new bicycle, which had not been the plan, so I’m now in debt to my VISA, but I also now have a vehicle that I’m in love with for the first time in my life.

I think it’s nicer than any of the cars that Locomotive Ghost has toured with too. Maybe it should become the new band bicycle.

Anyway, the waiting is finally over now. All the pieces are in order. I have pannier racks, my bike has been custom fit to me, and my mom baked cookies. Tomorrow I’ll be leaving, so tonight I’ve steeled myself to pack.

I’d been nervous about this. After hearing from so many people about how tough it is to pack (I know at least one person in my group had to snap their toothbrush in half), I left Calgary with as little as I thought I could get away with. Three casual shirts. One pair of jeans. Limited underwear. No razor. If I stop wearing deodorant I’ll eventually stop smelling bad. I can wash my hair with hand soap, right?

This evening I laid it all out.

I was prepared for some major puzzling. First step, though, was to just start cramming stuff in and get an impression of how drastic this puzzling would be.

I started cramming and shoving, shimmying and wiggling…

Wait, that’s it? How do I still have three empty panniers? I was certain I would need to invent a way to strap my ukulele, sleeping bag, and thermarest all on top of the saddlebags. The thermarest and sleeping bag are actually inside the saddlebags. I didn’t even put the sleeping bag into its stuff sack! How did everyone else have a hard time. Are my saddlebags too big?

Did everyone else just bring more clothing and toiletries? I had planned to not shave, turn my underwear inside out to re-wear it, smell like a woodsman, and let my hair get greasy. Am I just grosser than they are?

I am now stealing anything remotely useful from my parents’ hall closet and stuffing it in the empty panniers. Airplane socks? Sure. Toiletry sack? Done. Flowery scented cosmetic samples? Why not.

Tomorrow morning I will run out and buy more clothes. I have shampoo. I packed deodorant. I promise to buy more underwear. I’m still waffling on whether to grow a grotty beard. This awesome shaving cream I found may tip the vote though.

Seriously, what am I forgetting?

Ghost to Coast Followup

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:45:00 GMT

On Saturday night we hosted Ghost to Coast: Ocean 2 Ocean Community Benefit. When I started planning back in February, my long-shot hope was to have three bands, draw 100 people, and raise $800. By the end of the night, we had four bands, close to 150 people, and nearly $1500. Not only that, but it was a dang good time.

The entertainment was provided by Laurene, Ram Hoss, Nathan Godfrey, and Locomotive Ghost, with visual art by Mary Sanche, and dessert catered by Chef Kat. We also had a successful silent auction and delicious cobb-oven-fired pizzas.

The AREA was packed, with audience filling the performance space, lounging in the gallery, and spilling out around the campfires. I couldn't believe the variety of people there either. I had expected to see mostly friends and established Locomotive Ghost fans, with some new faces in support of the other acts. Instead, I recognized barely a quarter of the audience.

The LG set went extremely well. We played several brand new songs and pulled them off with aplomb. The audience made that so much easier, with their hooting, hollering, clapping, and stomping. At one point, the crowd was so loud that we could hardly hear ourselves, and the room was literally shaking!

Tremendous thanks go out to all of the amazing people who contributed their art, their craft, their time, their money, and their open-mindedness in support of the cause. I don't know what I did to deserve such benevolence, but I sure do appreciate it.

I'll write from the road, but until then, take care.

Ben Nixon

P.S. In case you missed the show, here's a live recording from the evening. Please do check out the other bands as well.

Ten Super Rules for Effective Writing

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:10:00 GMT

Here is a fantastic list of tips for improving your writing that was given out by my professor, Derek Beaulieu. It's really awesome - or, as he would say, totally tubular!

1. Use only concrete, physical nouns.

2. Choose the most specific possible nouns: "convertible" or "Mercedes", not "car."

3. Verbs must be active. Avoid "to be" like it was Ebola.

4. Make the subject of the verb do something that subject doesn't normally do. Not "the chainsaw cuts" or even "the chainsaw shreds" but "the chainsaw stencils the silence" (as Al Purdy said).

5. No adjectives!

6. But if you must use an adjective, it should not normally apply to the noun it modifies.

7. No adverbs!

8. But if you must use an adverb, it should modify its verb in a surprising or incongruous way.

9. Never compare anything to anything else (i.e., death to similes - no "like" or "as"). Juxtapose directly.

10. The things you juxtapose should be wildly unlike each other. Not "The moon, a face" but e.e.cummings's "the moon rattles like a piece of angry candy." Yes, that breaks the simile rule.

I hope those ideas inspire, encourage, or, at the least, irritate you.

Ben

Peace Bridge Commentary

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 05:15:34 GMT

This afternoon we played the Peace Bridge opening celebration in Calgary. There has been quite a bit of negative commentary relating to the project, with the construction being way over time and quite a bit over what people feel to be a reasonable expense.

In considering playing this event, the band became quite engaged in discussion around being connected to a public spectacle that we may or may not have agreed with. It's hard to argue the statement that this project involved quite a bit of folly. At the same time, though, it's important to realize that there are issues that are more deserving of criticism and media siege. Yes, this project could have been handled more efficiently. However, at least this investment has yielded something that will significantly benefit some Calgarians.

The Peace Bridge is also a striking new part of our urban landscape, and a much needed public exhibition of artwork and creativity. We could have spent far less money to build another bridge that is a straight slab of dull concrete, but why would we want to usurp our pre-existing, natural beauty only to occupy it with man-made constructs that instil little aesthetic delight.

Not everyone is willing to analyze these things critically and with an open-mind, however, so we were a little nervous tat the thought of playing our music in the face of an angry mob of protestors.

Thankfully that was not the case.

The event was far better attended then we expected, and the audience was predominantly composed of people who just wanted to enjoy a community affair. Yes, there were people making statements in both directions, but the overall atmosphere was one of joy, discovery, and mutual appreciation.

Thank you Calgary for showing that you care enough to speak your mind about public issues and still be reasonable in the face of conflict.

"...and jump"

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:30:19 GMT

Locomotive Ghost has been plugging away in the studio for a while now, but we don't yet have any recordings to share with you. Instead, I'll share a sound poem experiment I created called "…and jump" (which does feature elements by Mike, Jeremy, and Brittany).

Tomorrow my poetry mid-term assignment is due. I've known about this for three weeks. For some reason I decided against starting right away and being done well in advance. Instead I decided to start right away and create a piece that would require hours of work every single day until the eve of the due date.

I am an idiot.

I have never created anything like this before. In fact, the entire process was so foreign to me that I had no choice but to jump back and forth between steps, starting and restarting whole concepts until I finally knew enough to proceed. The resulting product includes only a third of all the material that was created along the way.

What I've created is a choose-your-own poetry and sound landscape with more than 3,000,000,000 possible outcomes

Chances are, no one in the world will ever hear what you are about to.

You are the artist.

Create.

- Ben

Note: A fast computer is definitely recommended.

Celebration Before Hibernation

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 10:35:34 GMT

Amazing turnout at the Ironwood last night! Thanks in particular to people who travelled hours from other towns, people who had to get up early the next day, people who came out for their last night in the country, people we hadn't seen in twenty years, people who brought everyone they know, and people who came out even though they've seen us eleven times already.

That show was our first time performing with the new group arrangement, and the fresh faces shone under the spotlight. There really is another level of energy that comes through with the added musical interaction. I know that it sure is fun for us.

Now we finally have a month off from playing shows. This is the longest break we've had since we returned from hiatus at the start of the summer. It's a much-anticipated opportunity to finally work out all the half-finished new songs that we've been itching to play.

Our Mid-Hibernation Exrtavaganza will be happening at The AREA in Inglewod on January 14th. More details coming soon.

Awesome Fan Mail

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:35:00 GMT

A few days ago I got home from work and found a large envelope in our mailbox. I noticed that it was addressed to "Locomotive Ghost" rather than to Mike, Brittany or me, which was surprising. What made it particularly puzzling was that the return address said "Jasper, AB". I couldn't think of anything we'd forgotten in Jasper - and there certainly wouldn't have been anything that flat. I immediately stepped inside to the warm kitchen and dug my fingernail under the lip of the envelope to reveal the mysterious contents.

This is what I pulled out.

It was cool to see that someone had taken our coloring contest seriously enough to bring one home, finish it off, and mail it to us.

I got really excited when I noticed this in the corner.

So awesome! Thanks Bryzen. We're sending a kid-sized Locomotive Ghost shirt your way.

What a Whirlwind Week

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:30:00 GMT

We are back to each of our weekly grinds again this week after a jam-packed three gigs in the past four days. We had the pleasure of playing a local gig at the Shamrock Hotel Pub in Inglewood last Wednesday with the A.D.s and Michael J Copley. One of our prospective new members surprised us at the show and ended up sitting in on almost our entire set. He threw down some tasty fiddle licks and had a great ear for when to jump into the tunes despite having never heard most of them before. Unfortunately, my bad luck with breaking strings continued at this gig as I broke a string in the first bar of the first song we played. But as luck would have it, Copley’s guitarist had an extra string on hand and kindly restrung my guitar as we recovered from my blunder. After the show we got to chat and network with the A.D.s and are looking forward to playing another gig with them.

On Friday, winter arrived in Alberta. I was up early enough to avoid most of the traffic but Calgary ground to a near standstill as the first snowfall of the season hit southern Alberta. We feared the worst, recalling our misadventures last year in touring through more blizzards than we’d seen all year that winter in Nelson in a matter of weeks. But mother nature smiled on us that afternoon as Ben and I cruised north towards Stony Plain on dry asphalt. We arrived at the Early Stage at 9 and rushed to set up and play. Cort’s family and friends came out to welcome us warmly and Amie Osness even joined us between sets. It was a calm night but lots of fun despite my breaking yet another string!

We got the opportunity to relax and enjoy our escape from the city the next day as we were afforded the luxury of staying at Sandy’s house again. “This Old House” remained as peaceful as ever while we stared out the windows of the fire-warmed cabin at the birch trees and watched dozens of varieties of birds feed from Sandy’s homemade bird feeders. Or “cat feeders” as I’ve taken to calling them. We tinkered and jammed with Sandy’s antique acoustic instrument collection all morning. I took Ben for a driving lesson (Yay!) that afternoon before we crossed the North Saskatchewan river to Thorsby. That night we were joined once again by family in the audience and on stage. Rick Osness and his band opened for us with some classic Canadian rock and we backed up Amie again between sets. I had new strings on my guitar at this point and finally got through a night without any incidents! Everybody seemed particularly attentive during the final set which felt really great. Cort’s other brother, Mike, put us up that night in the gorgeous home he has built. Seems like everyone around here builds their own houses!

It was quite the trip but well worth it. Thanks to everyone who came out. We are focusing now on playing with more potential members and can’t wait to see how the next few weeks unfold. We have numerous rehearsals coming up with musicians of all sorts. Our next gig is at the Blind Beggar in Calgary on November 18. Come out if you can!

Folk-Rock Group Seeks Fourth Member

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:30:09 GMT

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/f-community-artists-musicians-W0QQCatIdZ2

Folk-rock group, Locomotive Ghost, is seeking a new fourth member. We're looking for a sensitive, considerate, and creative player who knows when to play and when to sit out. Must be able to play lead breaks and have good rhythm.

We've already recorded and released two albums and have toured quite a bit through BC and Alberta. We stripped down to a three-piece recently when we moved to Calgary, but we'd like to fill out the sound and thicken the arrangements to more closely resemble our recordings.

Can you play a melodic instrument and sing backup harmonies? Are you interested in contributing and committing to an established musical project?

If you like our music and feel you'd be a good fit, please contact us with references to your influences or recordings from your previous projects.

www.locomotiveghost.com
Email: locomotiveghost@gmail.com
Phone: Ben 587-777-2177

Locomotive Ghost is not just another rock band. It is a melding of songwriters, poets, producers, and artists that yields modern folk infused with 70’s roots-rock and galvanized by cross-decade alternatives. Each member’s unique strengths temper “a mature and confident sound that stands out from a lot of other Canadian bands right now” (Grayowl Point). The Calgary, Aberta-based group is directed by singer/guitarist Mike Buckley, powered by bassist Ben Nixon, and propelled by drummer Cortney Osness. Together they are fueled from an alchemy of influences, including Dave Matthews, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and The Band, but the spark that’s been struck forms a fire all their own.

Human Kindness

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 23:55:00 GMT

You know, there are a lot of really good people out there. Halfway through our first set in Jasper last night I broke a bass string. Actually, I didn’t break it. Mike did while playing my bass in “Blue Eyes” (Mike!). I always carry two extra sets of strings. I haven’t broken a string in five years though, so as we were packing up for this trip - trying to save all the space we could - I finally took them out of my bass case. Of course the one time I don’t have a backup it happens. Mike picked up my ukulele and did a solo tune, while I ran through the crowd asking around for bass strings. It didn’t seem like I was going to have any luck, so I got back on stage and played “Stop” with out a D-string. That was humbling. It’s astonishing to see how much I rely on muscle memory and how unfamiliar I still am with this instrument. I didn’t suck, but I wasn’t groovy either. As the song came to a close, one of the guys working at the venue ran in through the front door and proffered another electric bass. Apparently he saw what happened and ran home to bring his own instrument for me to use. I was so grateful. I plugged that in and we kicked right into the next song while I tweaked sound on the fly. It felt so much better to be playing with all four strings. Then, two songs later, another guy came in through the door and placed a D-string on the stage beside me. Apparently he had called a taxi to take him home and then rush him back to the venue just to get me a string. Wow. I got my bass back in shape between sets and we closed the night, reveling in the energy the audience was giving to us. There was probably thrice the turnout that we had last time we played here. Most of that crowd was up dancing too - even when the time signatures didn’t lend themselves to any obvious motion. We busted our butts to get to that show. We’d dealt with the stress of getting Mike’s car repaired, assessing our vehicular safety (no flames please!), and realizing the brand new drum kit wouldn’t fit in Mike’s car anyway. We’d arranged logistics, adjusted work schedules, rented a car, and battled traffic. We’d gotten up at 5am, worked all day, driven straight to Jasper, set up, sound checked and then immediately started the performance. The reception we got and the kindness we received made it all worth while.

"Your car is on fire... Your car is on fire!"

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:50:56 GMT

...Shouted the two women in the front seat of the Honda C-RV beside us as we idled at a stop light, peering back through the billowing “steam”. I freaked out, fumbling for the window control to try and hear them better and instead opened the door by accident while Cort yelled “Pull over!”, and Mike swerved through the red intersection, turning right into a parking lot in the outskirts of Red Deer’s commercial district. As soon as the car was stopped we jumped out and bolted ten feet before turning to investigate the source of the smoke. We’d already been having issues with the car that evening, with the “check engine” light acting up and the traction feeling really weird, so I was fully expecting the undercarriage of the vehicle to be in flames. Fortunately the only glow we saw came from the red-hot rear-wheel brakes. When the smoke died down and the freshly-forged look had subsided we were left with the pungent scent of Mike’s newly installed winter tires. Last night we played the Velvet Olive in Red Deer. It was a neat little restaurant/bar with an alley entrance. The venue also had the tiniest stage we have ever played on. Thank goodness we were just a three-piece. We enjoyed the room, the attentive audience, and the staff, but we probably could have timed the performance a little better. I was under the impression that it was an earlier venue and that we should be wrapping up around 11:00. In fact, the friends that were called by patrons who really liked us didn’t arrive until five minutes after we started packing up. We considered setting back up to do a few more tunes but we were just too wiped from the previous night and the knowledge that we still had to drive home to Calgary. We’re planning to be come back though. It seems that the whole “car on fire” thing probably had to do with the emergency brake. In addition to all the other weird things that Mike’s car has been doing lately, the E-brake indicator light spontaneously stopped working when we left the venue. We were so focused on the “check engine” light and the continued weird traction (as well as the random sounds from the turn-signal indicator) that we didn’t pay it as much attention. Most likely the brake was still partially engaged and we just had no way to know that. I do feel sorry for Mike’s dad, Chuck, who was on the phone giving car advice while we were leaving the venue and had to hear us suddenly shouting about a fire and taking drastic action. Thanks for your advice, your patience, and your constant care. We’re really fortunate to have families like these behind this project. We made it home alright, and we’ll figure out transportation plans as we go along. We may have to rent a vehicle for next weekend’s shows in Jasper and Hinton, but after that we should be trading the VW Passat for a Subaru Forester to tide us over while we sort things out. Whatever happens, we’ll make sure this ghost train keeps rolling.

Harvest Fest

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:18:10 GMT

Last night we played a set at Harvest Fest here in Calgary. The event was held at The Area in Inglewood. I'd heard good things about the place, but hadn't yet gotten to check it out. The Area is a new mutli-faceted arts, community and garden space that was converted from an old junk yard. It features a cafe area, a visual arts gallery, a community garden, and an enclosed performance space. There weren't that many people around while we played, but they were good folk that we had the pleasure of chatting with after the show. The atmosphere and the space are really welcoming (it's all-ages too, which is a bonus), and the owners are clearly doing this because it's something they love and believe in. Hopefully we'll be back to play again soon. At the least I intend to volunteer there to help with music events and gardening. Yay permaculture! Props to the Nix Dicksons for their engaging performance and sweet licks.

Refreshing Mountain Air

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:30:29 GMT

Sorry for the slow update. Mike and I are moving houses right now, so between that and work it's tough to find enough time in a location that has internet to actually get to the blog. This past weekend we returned to Nelson to witness the mountains, reconnect with the community, and play a couple of shows. We left Friday evening and drove to Cranbrook where we spent the night. Early Saturday morning we hit the road again and made good time to refresh ourselves and setup for a noon performance at Cottonwood Market. As always, we were generously tipped through money and fantastic food. A box of unknown, high-quality groceries is actually way more exciting to peruse than a jar of cash. Our friends Julie Kerr and Craig Korth were down at the market with their daughters, and since Craig was going to be playing with us that evening anyway he ran home for a dobro and a banjo and joined us on stage for a number of songs. Man, that guy can play. Julie also took a number of excellent photos, some of which will be posted on our photos page shortly. When we stopped in to worship at Oso Negro coffee shop I was struck by the number of smiles and the openness of interaction that I had forgotten existed in Nelson. What really got me was that not a single person in that whole place was on their cell phone. If it were Calgary at least half the cafe would have been texting or talking, seeming generally distracted. In Nelson people are just so much more present in the moment. We loaded in at The Royal well before our scheduled sound check time because we knew how complicated things would be between our massive stage setup and our recording configuration. Craig, Tyler, and Avery all arrived, and the seven of us (including Brittany) sound checked with Wagon Wheel. Even the sound check was fun. It was the first time we'd ever played with Avery, the first time with Tyler in eleven months, and, well, Craig Korth was still Craig Korth. After slogging through the hours of sound check details that followed we treated all our companions to dinner, I went for a drink with Tyler, we loosened up in preparation for performance, and I discovered I'd lost an envelope full of band cash. My stress level skyrocketed. I tried my best to retrace my steps but I'd been so busy with sound details that I really had no idea where I might have put it. A dozen people hadn't seen it, so I just trusted to fate and tried to put it from my mind. Somehow that worked. The first set went well (despite a way-too-fast rendition of our brand new song). We brought Craig Korth up again to kick off the second set with a cover of Paul Simon's "Graceland". From that point on he never left the stage. Even though he was only prepared for four tunes he figured everything else out on the fly (I'm pretty sure the recording will include me shouting out chord changes to him in the background). It was really neat to hear how the texture of the songs changed with banjo added in. I never though I would hear rolling finger picking over top of Tyler's "Human Being". It was sweet. We finished our Nelson shabang with group jamouts on "Wagon Wheel" and "Cortez the Killer". When I was packing up all of the recording gear someone walked over to me and handed me the missing envelope. Thank god. The next day we drove back to Calgary. If we'd forgotten why we left that beautiful mountain town, the nine hour drive quickly reminded us. We're now back in Calgary focusing on moving house, rehearsing new material and preparing video footage from the past weekend. Keep your eye out for new live audio and/or video recordings. From what we've seen so far it looks really good. Special thanks to Peter Schramm for his video help, Jen for her excellent work on sound, and Brendan for housing us, feeding us and then tucking us in with blankets when we fell asleep on his sofas. And to Craig for being amazing and positive as always. http://www.craigkorth.com/

A Different Venue, A Different Drummer

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:00:10 GMT

This past weekend we had to really be on our toes. On Thursday night we found out that Cortney would be unable to make it to our show in Creston. We certainly didn’t want to cancel, but Mike and I didn’t want to play the whole show without a drummer either. We immediately tried to contact a few friends in the area to see if they could fill in and come along for the ride. Luckily, our former schoolmate Keenan said that he’d be able to leave Banff and meet us in Creston in time for the show. Keenan is a great drummer and he likes our music, so that seemed like a perfect solution.

When I got off work on Friday evening I checked my phone and found a message from Mike saying that Keenan was no longer available. At that point we had 27 hours until the show. I went to a cafe, got out my address book, a notepad, and a pen and just started calling everyone I knew who might know a drummer. I called former teachers, acquaintances, friends of friends - I even waylaid a guy who walked through the door holding a guitar. Some of the folks I talked to were connected to really top notch session players, so I was getting to the point of having to decide whether we should pay a big chunk of money out of pocket just to make this happen. Fortunately, the friend line pulled through. I finally got a hold of another former classmate, Nathan Wilson, who lives an hour away from Creston. I’d never really played with Nate, but I knew he was a solid drummer and a considerate person, so it would be decent at the least.

Nate met us at the venue with his wife and two-year-old daughter, and we spent about twenty minutes jamming to get a feel for things. When show time rolled around we opened with just Mike and I playing The Strangers, then introduced Nate and started into Long Distance Operator, unsure of what was about to happen.

It was great. Nate was an even better player than I had remembered. I had a ton of fun interacting with him and cuing him throughout the performance. When I nodded to the snare he came in with the backbeat. When I ducked, he dropped. When I kicked my leg he followed along with the shots. When I lifted my headstock he hit the ending crash. We were really impressed. Even more than a musician’s skill or technical execution, that kind of listening and ability to follow are admirable.

The venue that housed our musical experiment was the Snoring Sasquatch, a dedicated arts space and listening room. It was a thrill to show up after our dinner break and find the couches full of people who were there for no other reason than to hear good music. We could tell by the posters on the walls that quality of performance was something they’d grown accustomed to. Thanks largely to the support of the volunteers, we were able to meet their expectations.

When we show up to a new venue we never know what we’ll find, and often have to deal with managers who really don’t care about the music. That is definitely not the case at the Snoring Sasquatch. Louise in particular was very welcoming, accommodating and committed. Despite it being the evening of her wedding anniversary, she made sure we had everything we needed before she even considered leaving for dinner. From introducing us to the audience to managing sales to helping us connect with important people she made sure that we got everything we could out of the night. Meanwhile, the audience listened quietly, sang along, joined our colouring contest and gave us valuable feedback after the show. Folks like this have built a community-minded arts venue that should make Creston proud. The Snoring Sasquatch is our favourite venue we’ve played this year.

I've posted new fan artwork from Saturday's colouring contest. The winner, Carol Schloss, turned out to be a professional artist. She currently has a pastel show running in Creston at Kingfisher Books until Wednesday, September 15th. You can see more of her artwork at www.carolschlosspastels.com

Locomotive Ghost and the Physical Maladies

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 06:15:59 GMT

No, it's not a musical side project, or a new Harry Potter book. This past weekend we had a serious bout with performance injuries and technical difficulties. Gosh, sometimes It sure is handy that I'm a sound engineer. On Friday night when we arrived at The Thirsty Bear Saloon in Waterton we discovered that the venue had no sound tech, no mics, no stands, no cables, no stage monitors - in fact no stage at all. There was just a powered mixer and a pair of the giant Peavey speakers I battled with for two years when I worked at Finley's Irish Bar & Grill back in Nelson. Fortunately we'd brought just enough "emergency backup gear" to make the show happen. The room, with its high sloped ceilings, wraparound upper balcony, and mainly wood construction was actually quite nice to play. It wasn't a super busy night, but there were enough people there to give us the energy we needed. The first set played out pretty well and we were definitely warming into it as we went along. We started the second set with our new cover of "Graceland", and, oh boy, was that fast. Mike immediately broke a guitar string and had to switch to playing electric for the remainder of the night. Then Cort's right leg just completely seized up. When he got out from behind the kit I could immediately tell that something was wrong. He showed me the knot in his calf and I swear it was the size of a chestnut. He quickly tried to stretch it out some, but it didn't go away. He had to completely change his kick drum technique in order to finish the show. Then Mike's voice started going. Mike's had nights where he's gotten tired before, but never like that. Despite our tribulations we finished that second set and had fun with it, thanks largely to the handful of folks who danced right in front of us the whole time. Side note: If you ever feel awkward about stepping onto a sparse dance floor just know that, by doing so, you yourself are making a major contribution to the quality of the performance. On Saturday night we played the Owl Acoustic Lounge in Lethbridge. That venue has a really pleasant atmosphere and a genuine interest in good music. I experienced it first hand back in February when I played a show with Myriam Parent. Our timing wasn't particularly good to play that night because we were competing with a musical festival, Whoop-up Days, absence of students, and a million birthdays and weddings (seriously, every single person I know in that town had prior commitments). The folks who were there made us feel welcome though. We had to pace ourselves so that Cortney's leg wouldn't completely crap out. Also, Mike's voice died again halfway through the first set, and he could barely speak, but for some reason he could still sing well enough that nobody else would have noticed. That's Mike Buckley for you. We had our Album Cover Crayon Colouring Contest again, the results of which you can see here. At the end of the night, when we were far too exhausted to drive, we went to Mike's sister's apartment and crashed in the living room. Thanks Natalie! Highlights of the weekend: Donovan's sound at The Owl; me driving a car to give Cort's leg a break (only my fourth time ever); Britney accompanying us on vocals and percussion through a number of songs (she's the vocalist on our recording of "One Night Left"); the stars, lakes and mountains of Waterton (I took some photos on my iPod and posted them here); Matt Robinson opening even though he was way better than us; Mike going vintage electric guitar shopping (stop thinking and just buy that white Telecaster!); surviving the weekend!