Victoria, BC, House Concert at Sandi's Place

It's an early morning start for me— which is rough as it was also an early morning finish! I'm out of Rod's house, GPSing my way to Dave, who is about ten minutes away. I'm getting pretty good at navigating around here and pull a short cut on the GPS— it works! We roll out and find the ferry docks fairly quickly. We are early enough that we can get coffee and muffins before the voyage. I get a giant coffee. Dave buys it for me. A real gentleman. He doesn't say "you look like dog waste this morning." He just buys me the largest coffee available.

You can tell we are old hands at this crossing of the Straight. Not a single picture of the boat or the view. I bring the laptop up to the lounge to try and work on the Blog, but end up getting some much needed sleep instead. We'll have quite a bit of downtime in Victoria before tonight's show so all will be fine.

It's a rainy night, but it's warm inside and we've got a full house. Sandi isn't here tonight! I'm not clear on exactly where she is, but she had to leave town on business and has trusted the night to her pals. We're going to link up by cell phone and play the last set to her. I think she's in Yellowknife, NT? Anyhow, this is really, really fine that our host has enabled the concert to take place in spite of her need to be elsewhere. We owe ya one Sandi! The picture looks kinda spooky for some reason, but it is actually a lovely space. We get a fine "CBC" introduction, and we're off!



The night is WAY more uptempo than these pics might imply! Dave and I turn in a pretty good performance, and are not as tired as we might appear! We very much enjoy playing house concerts. The folks here are really nice— I only wish we could hang around and spend more time with them! Between sets we sign piles of cds and posters, and get ready for the raffle!

Here I am getting ready to give Dave's jacket away... No, not really! But I've had a glass of wine and I like the idea...
This is one FINE looking tour jacket, eh?

Members of the Victoria Blues Society finally came out to see me! Nice to meet blues society folks everywhere— they do so much to keep the music and the musicians alive. These are the before and after pics... Plain Victoria Blues Society wardrobe above....

And the greatly enhanced wardrobe! Congrats to the Tour Jacket winner!!!

We got to hang out and chat before, after and between sets. I can't remember everyone's names, but we had fun.

Buskers convention! You should have a beard if you want to join the club. Nice to meet this famous, one man band! Dave Harris has been doing his one man band thing on the Victoria waterfront for nearly 30 years now. He's a great player on a variety of instruments, and it's a shame that the festivals and clubs can't seem to pay nearly as much as he makes on the street. Dave's music would be greatly appreciated anywhere. In the meantime, Victoria continues to be blessed— so if you visit Victoria go hear him and buy and cd while you are at it! Dave Harris, http://www.myspace.com/daveharrisonemanband. I've heard about Dave for many years, so it is really a pleasure to meet him.

A good time is had by all, and before you know it we are in the wrapper for a well deserved sleep. Thanks, Sandi! Thanks to her family and all the volunteers that made this such a successful evening. House Concerts rock!

White Rock, BC — The Coast is Cool Indeed

Feeling rested this morning, I make my way over to Crescent Beach for coffee and a stroll with a friend before meeting a CBC Radio crew.

This is Michael Juk. Actually, he's the crew and the producer and the interviewer— good old fashioned radio! I treasure CBC radio. Michael is doing a documentry about the Mississippi Sheiks and wanted to speak to me as I used to work with Sam Chatmon.

I interupt this Blog for a Rant (sorry): The CBC is Canada's most important cultural mechanism, and the most mistreated by recent governments. I wish Canadians would DEMAND that the CBC be given a clear mandate, and then appropriate, ongoing funding to achieve that mandate. And it should be managed by broadcasters— not beancounters from the toilet bowl industry and elsewhere. Cut out those political appointments, too. The systemic dismantlement of CBC television's ability to produce anything but news should be a national scandal. Hey, go check out the CBC flagship building in downtown Toronto. How do you like the BLOCK LONG billboard across the street from it?? CTV hogs the entire streetscape, while the City of Toronto has allowed the destruction of mature trees along the street which had grown to partially obstruct the Toronto Hydro owned billboard structure. Now, as before, it's in your face. It's purpose is to belittle CBC, and it does a great job. How can CBC people go to work and look out their windows at this every day? It says (or might as well say) "your bosses don't care, you lost the Olympics, you're gonna lose Hockey Night in Canada, you can't even build sets anymore, you sold 50 years worth of props, you can't even manage curling..." The pretty people on the billboards just smirk at what's left of the CBC across the street from them. CBC should of— at very least— insisted on the replacement and development of the maturing trees that used to partially obstruct the billboards. Yeah, there's a couple of saplings out there— but it will be thirty years before they obstruct the sign again. And thirty years will be thirty years too late. Clearly there is nobody who cares in any position high enough up the food chain to fight. What's going on with the sign is symbolic of what's going on with the entire network.

And— hey— here's one for you. Shortly before his death Mr. DressUp was denied access to the CBC building by the contracted-out security service they use. True, he had retired and no longer worked there— but go figure. Security risk! Rules! Regulations! Budgets! End of rant....

Michael Juk and I have a great conversation about Sam and the Mississippi Sheiks, and then it's off to meet Dave for dinner and head over to the gig. Can't wait to hear the CBC show when it's done, although I think the "companion CD" really, really missed the point. Star power, but why bother?


We've been moved from the Pacific Hotel Rumba Room into the Legion Hall. I don't know what the Pacific is like, but the Legion Hall is pretty nice— lots of wood, great stage, nice people all about. This is going to be fun! Rod, the President of the White Rock Blues Society, is here to meet us and help us load in. There are volunteers setting up tables, lights, merch areas. We are doing our own sound here tonight, and we like that— in spite of the size of the room. Our little Long and McQuade PA sets up quickly and quickly sounds great in the empty hall. Dave and I slip into the men's room and change into our suits, and then, before we know it, it's show time again!

A fun show. Dave and I are really enjoying ourselves— this adventure just seems to get better every night. The sound is good, the hall is good and the folks are friendly. For the second set we are allowed to wear our hats in the stage area! I'm not sure how this works, but everyone said it was fine— so Dave and I are back in our comfort zones. We both wear hats all the time, so it is rather strange for us to be on stage without headgear!

And what would a show be without a jacket winner??? Here he is! Congrats!!! Yup, we have your size...

I take the opportunity to snap one of our front row tables. Rod has been shooting some video tonight, so perhaps we'll get some live footage up later. A nice crowd, with lots of local musicians out to say hello. I really appreciate that as I know how hard it can be to go out when you are tired and not actually performing.

This local lad brought his National out in the parking lot and played me some wonderful stuff. David "Boxcar" Gates. No doubt White Rock blues fans will know him already, but I'd hope to share him with the bigger audience he deserves. Next time, you need to be on the bill, dude. I'll set it up! Thanks for coming by and introducing yourself. I understand he's got some shows coming up with Tim Williams and also with Keith Hallett. You need to know about those guys, too! Don't miss these shows.

I do the books on the show at the venue, and it's pretty late by the time we roll outside. Dave is off to stay with friends, while Rod and his wife have extended their hospitality to me. Back at Rod's place I am treated to a fabulous spread, and eat far too much! Rod is one of those interesting guys you can converse with for hours. We do. We drink wine. Probably several bottles of it... nice, red wine. It's suddenly morning! Ooops. I crawl off to bed for a couple of hours sleep. I'll be up and gone to the ferry long before Rod gets up to make coffee.

Road to the Coast

We have a great breakfast at the Packinghouse, scene of last night's fabulous show. This morning we watched eagles flying around the craigs above our splendid digs. Now we have a travel day to the coast. It's a short run— only a few hours— and we'll have friends, food and conversation when we get to White Rock. Dave and I have been waiting for this. Of course, it seems we look forward to every part of this great, Century Blues Tour!

John Lee Hooker is on the stereo— "I love you, Bonnie." Oh, yeah. Boogie, boogie... We're driving! Yeah... oh, we're driving on EMPTY! We pull over and ask where the nearest gas pumps are. I see... 38km down the highway... We grit our teeth and set off. I've got the Caravan going about as slow as I can get away with. I'm remembering coming across country with Dr. Dave back in 1979. We were driving from San Diego, CA, to Buffalo, NY on something like $50. We coasted down every single hill with the motor shut off, riding crazy fast in neutral until gravity gave up on us. Today I do this as well. We've got construction stops, and there is more traffic than I would like— but thankfully this road seems to be mostly downhill! We count down the kms. I watch for places ahead I might be able to stop the truck in. There's a lot of construction, and the shoulder seems to be concrete barriers much of the time. Hell, I knew the gas was pretty low, but I had counted on being able to buy some in a big town like Spences Bridge!


Dave doesn't look really happy, and yeah, it is mostly my responsibility to see that we're gassed up. I do the driving and look after the truck. But Dave is cool and gets busy taking pictures as we coast.... coast to coast... hmmm... has a ring to it...










Light at the end of the tunnel! Gas!! We made it!! What a truck! Dave says he'd rather not be running so close to empty again, and I agree with him. On my "Fear and Loathing" trip with Dr. Dave we woke up in the desert, still moving at a good clip, with the car's dashboard on fire! So Big Dave and I are way ahead of that adventure. Who says you can't learn from experience? Soon we're in White Rock, lunch on our minds. A little scary, but a beautiful ride. And no flames. I've really been looking forward to my visit here. It's going to be a great couple of days!

Spences Bridge, BC, Sold Out at the Packing House

It's a great day to be alive. Sleep in a little bit. Get out, run for 10 or 15 km along this mighty river. Quiet out here today. Maybe it's always quiet. Last year Pickett and I played the Opera House here in Ashcroft, BC, and met lots of local folks— but it seems nobody is around this weekend. Too bad. I was hoping to catch up with my pal Leslie Alexander— a great singer-songwriter who makes this place her home. She's out on tour somewhere. Hope you are having a good one, Les. A quiet night and a quiet morning. That's alright. We'll pick it up later today. Here's the view from the hotel—

I guess the graduating high school classes have to climb the big hill and leave their mark every year. Last year I thought this looked kind of sloppy, but this time around I like the small town glory of it all. I'm a little envious of having roots like these kids have. You can always drive back and see your mark on your hill in your town. There's a sense of place here, up in the high desert.

Dave and I meet for brunch in the hotel restaurant/cafe. It's got new owner-operators since last year, and the food is now really good, and the service really friendly. They are probably glad to see us leave. We drink too much coffee and go crazy on the saddle chairs. Howdy, partner... where can I water my horse? Gimme another coffee, would ya? And make it a DOUBLE.

We hang around for a while, explore the town a little, and then head out. We've got less than an hour's drive to Spences Bridge, BC, so we take our time and stop to enjoy the landscape. As usual, I look for the little roads less travelled!

Our little Dodge Caravan is not as romantic as a Silver Eagle tour bus— but it costs a lot less to operate, and does the job really well for this self-contained, 2 man tour. Lots of glass, a great view. Plenty of access doors. And the stereo is not too bad. We like the individual heater controls for driver and passenger, and the stow-away rear seats are really neat. The truck holds all our guitars, PA gear, merch, and personal baggage very nicely indeed.

I take in another view while Big Dave updates his books. Book keeping is a major chore that touring artists must learn and practise! Big Dave is getting good at it.

There's a little frost on the puddles up here today. And there's the crossing towards Spences Bridge in the distance.

Alas, Spences Bridge itself— the actual bridge joining the two sides of the town— has been closed by the province. They couldn't find an engineer who would bet on whether or not it would continue to span the river. I hope they can come up with a compromise for foot traffic, or light traffic, as the closing severs the community.

We arrive at the Packing House in time for a late lunch. It's bigger than it looks, but for sure it is the smallest venue on the Century Blues Tour. Michael Pickett and I found the place by accident on the National Steel Tour, and we were won over by their sheer enthusiasm for music, food, and location. It's a great little community. They are excited about having Big Dave and I, and in return we are excited about doing a show here!

Owners Steve and Paulette welcome us in with coffee and pie. We set up and sound check around our lunch order! We learn that the show is sold out, and every seat in the house will be occupied. Later, we find we need to sit on stage between sets— there is no other space and every chair is reserved!

We have been provided with a home just a few minutes from the club, and we head over to it with plans of sleeping and relaxing until show time. It turns out to be quite a remarkable spot!

Above us the eagles whirl and call. Amazing. But the gig is coming up! Well rested, we suit up and head back to the Packing House. For sure, this is going to be a fun night! And it is!


Here's our Tour Jacket winner! Hey, the odds were pretty good here tonight. You can't win if you don't have a ticket! This gal has a farm tucked up in one of the nearby canyons.

This gent didn't like getting his picture taken! The next table had a genuine ethnomusicologist from the University of Chicago (she was a good sport about me taking potshots at ethnomusicologists). You never know who you will meet in the most out of the way places. In fact, few places are out of the way to those who occupy them— rather these places are central to their lives. I'm the one from the "out of the way" place! I wish there was a little cafe like the Packing House where I live.

Steve is full of jokes and energy, and he rushes about from one job to the next. The customers love him, and he has a great time making them feel at home in the Packing House. In his role as bartender he encourages us on the stage. Another glass of red wine, please!

A great time is had by all. We autograph cds, posters, jackets, and these amazing house guitars before making our way out into the night. Back at the house it is dark, the stars are rich overhead, and the river is roaring in the distance. Sleep comes easily. Thanks everyone at Spences Bridge for making us feel so welcome. Dave and I wish everyone here every success, and hope that we will be able to visit again.