We found our way to the Singing Waitress with no further incidents. I’m not even quite sure where to start describing the place. From the outside it looks like any other innocuous little cafe where locals gather for breakfast, but then inside there’s a huge stage about four feet off the ground with lights and a smoke machine and a pretty big PA setup. There’s a handful of dedicated people working there and it’s very family-oriented; they’re all very friendly and welcoming. There is also a big crucifix on the wall and bibles in the bathrooms, and the owner asked us to take a few minutes so she could tell us how God told her to open this restaurant. We decided maybe we should cut back on the swearing a little for the evening. I wasn’t sure what they’d make of our EP titled “Unbeliever” when we brought out our CDs and t-shirts, either.

We stayed in a comfy band room over the cafe, though we declined the shower which was basically a washtub with a curtain around it, sitting in a corner of the pantry. We spent most of the afternoon soundchecking as Joey navigated some eclectic cabling.

The opening band was a trio of local kids doing a really fine job with some covers on acoustic guitar, stand-up bass and drums. Our own set started with a dramatic flair, as they raised curtains and played some canned stadium applause and cheers to sound like we were facing a crowd of thousands. The actual crowd was a blend of a few dozen teenagers, parents and older folks. They were a little standoffish at first, and Marcus declared a rule that for every song, everyone must move their chair up one inch. So by the end of the set we had a nice little crowd in front of us. And things went well on stage for the most part, although one of my keyboard patches appeared to be possessed during “Amazed". Rob was fighting off a serious case of the snuffles and propped up on cold medication, but soldiered forth bravely. Marcus announced Joey’s birthday to the room and the owners brought him a cake and candle and everyone sung Happy Birthday. And nobody mentioned “Unbeliever", maybe because some of Marcus’s lyrics probably sounded like they might actually be religious…. All in all, it was an odd but enjoyable night.

It was nice to have an early show and not have to wake up quite so early the next day. We sat around and chatted for a while after and learned about the local dinner theatre that takes place - it sounds like a pretty lively time including massive and potentially dangerous prat falls and stunts. The owners fed us an excellent breakfast and we hit the road to Saskatoon. We’re playing a game where you have to spot words starting with each letter of the alphabet, in order, on street signs. Apparently this game takes about 20 minutes in Toronto, but out here where there’s not much besides hay bales, it’s gonna take a while… Anyone have any good road games for us to play?