ARCTIC Expeditions

We originally had booked a local band as well on the bill in Winnipeg, but they had to cancel last week because they had a scheduling conflict. They found us a replacement band. About an hour before the Winnipeg show was supposed to start, I checked my Myspace to discover that the replacement band was cancelling because the lead singer had tonsillitis. Unfortunately that meant it was just us on the bill and we had no one to watch the door, so we didn’t bother charging cover.

We played at Mondragon Cafe, an alternative/activist bookstore and cafe in the Exchange District, a gorgeous area with lovely old buildings and funky little artist shops. I wish we’d had more time to explore it in the daytime - we pretty much just arrived, set up, had a bit of food, checked our email, played and left.

I think the only way to describe this show is with a bit of video:

Yes, he has a tail. He drew us some pictures, too, of Popeye and of Roadrunner and one of the band:

It was a strange show, but a lot of fun.

En route to Thunder Bay we stopped for a picnic a little ways outside Dryden. Todd got a barbecued chicken and some salad fixins’ at a grocery store and we made sandwiches. It’s a long drive from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay - about 8 hours plus stopping for gas and food - and it was great to feel some sunshine and fresh air.

We rolled into Thunder Bay at about 7 and were greeted by Sheila, the owner of the Apollo. It was a wonderful welcome - she got fish & chips and slices of watermelon ready for us while we loaded in, and set us up with rooms over the club where we could sleep. The floor above the Apollo was once apartments for seniors, and then was closed for a long time, and now it’s a haven for travelling bands, with rooms of beds and bunkbeds and showers and kitchens. It was so, so nice to not have to drive around late at night looking for a hotel, but just haul ourselves up the stairs and go to sleep! Parking and load-in are easy too.

The Apollo has a terrific big stage with a great PA. It’s the clearest I’ve ever been able to hear my keyboards in the mix. The sound was great overall; it makes such a difference, makes it so much easier to play.

I guess the only catch with the evening was that we were up against Danko Jones and four other bands playing over at Kilroy’s, which may have affected our draw. I know we lost a few people to the lure of Danko. Stlll, we had a good time, made some friends and sold some shirts. AND we will be back at the Apollo again on Tuesday, June 3. I’m very happy about this - the Apollo is the most band-friendly place I’ve played. There’s just nothing quite like it in Vancouver.

In other good news, we’ve also added a show in Waterloo on May 24th which’ll replace the Kitchener one that got cancelled. We’ll be playing at Maxwell’s Music House, a brand-new venue, and we will be the first band ever to play there! We’ll be opening for Ken Tizzard (of Thornley and The Watchmen).