well!

Okay folks, yes I know it's been a while. I know you're all rabidly refreshing this page every 30 seconds hoping to hear new news of our tour, so here goes!

After Wawa we made our way to David's parents place in Thunder Bay, where we were fed scrumptious if copious quantities of ribs. That night we played our last show with David: a strange but splendid multi-floor house concert extravaganza. This other fellow named Clay, a spectacular singer and guitar player, played as well. The next day Graham and Adam and I bid David adieu and set off on our western leg as three.

Our next stop was Winnipeg. We rolled into town listening to the Weakerthans, and got to Candor Music & Books where we met up with Marshall and Sheldon of the Wild Turkeys, performing as a duo under the name "The Boot Hill Crooners". The show was awesome! I grew up in Winnipeg and got to relive some childhood memories after the show, hanging out eating at Robin's Donuts with my Dad and some old friends.

The next day we drove to Brandon and played another show with the Boot Hill's at the Lady of the Lake, spent our meager earnings there on alcohol and laughed the night away in our hosts' kitchen.

The next day was off to Saskatoon. We crashed out the night we got there, and the next day we played at an open mic at the Yard & Flagon, got some free drinks out of the deal and watched in horror as a dreadlocked man with a trombone trashed his MacBook. The next day we made a sweet veggie oil score at an italian restaurant, but somehow while we were filtering oil behind the restaruant the van became full of flies. I actually don't think I've ever seen so many goddamned flies, and don't know if I've ever been as enraged in my life. I was feverishly swatting at them as we drove to the venue, and hit the pinnacle of rage when I caught a couple of them mating on the ceiling. It came time to load all the gear into the venue, so we had to leave them swarming in there... the show upstairs at Lydia's with Melissa Nygren opening the night up. Thankfully when we got back to the van after the show all the flies figured that the van wasnt the best place to be on a chilly autumn saskatoon evening. In all we spent 4 nights in Saskatoon and by the fourth day we were starting to feel restless... a lot of moving along made staying in one place seem weird.

Finally we made our way to one of our scary gigs, Edmonton... we didn't think anyone would show up ... but lo and behold, showtime rolled around and a nice number of people were suddenly there. From there, it was off to Calgary. Our house concert at Prarie Sky Co-Housing was awesome - we sold the most CDs at that show of all the shows on the tour. I got to see a whole bunch of family I dont usually get to see. My one complaint is that my friend who was supposed to show up to the show in Lantzville on the sailboat tour was supposed to show up in Calgary but didn't there either. Bummer! Damnit Jamie!

The drive west from Calgary was a relief... watching the mountains emerge from the earth after days and days of prairie. Spectacular! We got to Salmon Arm for our house concert there at the Vivians' honey farm. Their place is a beautiful farm in a valley surrounded by mountains, and that night before our show there was a thunderstorm I got to go for a walk in. Feeling that cleansing BC rain I definitely started to feel closer to home... the show that night was an intimate affair. Not a whole lot of people, but everyone there was definitely stoked to be there.

The next morning we picked plums from the Vivians' trees and hit the road. Penticton was another of our scarily uncertain shows... but again by the time showtime rolled around people started filing in and the show ended up being really good. And free italian sodas at he venue!! We saw a bunch of folks from Artswells, and stayed with that festival's head honchos, Paul and Julie. Julie fed us whisky and Paul showed us his vynil record of trains going through thunderstorms. The record was all scratched so it would get stuck and accidentally make the sweetest beats out of train sounds and thunder crashes.

The next day, the drive to Vancouver. We got into town nice and late and met some friends for some Sushi. Adam and Graham and I all high-fived for a tour well done and went off to stay at different friends houses for the night. That was a month in the life of Fish & Bird and a mighty fine successful one at that.

To cap off the tour we have a homecoming concert in Victoria on the 11th, fresh from the road and more awesome than ever. We're hoping to cram all of Victoria into the Orange Hall, so be there at 8:30, or be square!!

Taylor