Is there a point? Perhaps not:This past weekend at the Exclaim Cup can be broken down like this: I arrive just in time without much sleep to play a game, which we lose. I eat oranges and chocolate chip cookies and play a second game, losing again. Second time around felt better, but I was done at this point. I did not go out with the team, I had a cold and needed a lot of sleep, and before the sleep, I end up temporarily violently ill and subsequently burst a blood vessel in my eye.
Day two, I sleep in as long as I can, eat marginal food and collect myself for more activity. We play, lose one last time, and see our point total of one calculated through our sheer civility towards opposing teams. We do not hook or slash or really even skate backwards much, but we are civil and kind, that is for certain.
Day two evening we dress and go out in our 2005 bar outfits and play joyful versions of "The Final Countdown" and some Peter Schilling song. Led through the numbers by Jon Bartlett and Josh and Blake, if only I had the photos', it would still make no sense. However, Chris Murphy crowd surfs and we get a better response than most of us have ever had playing our own music. I was amazed at how amazing everyone was at organising We glide through the rest of the evening and then back to sleep and up again and to Sneaky Dees' and into Pages' Mazda with a recently acquired lamp and all of my dirty clothes from over two weeks of travel. Now I am home...
As a post script to the weekend: I still have the cold and still tired, but I am so excited for these days home and our trip to Ireland next week. The Millionaires took home four spirit based awards. Blake and Josh were there to accept and apparantly by all accounts were in tip top form. I am very, very proud to be a part of this "train wreck" we call the Millionaires.
(I took this out the window driving in Arizona)
Friday:
I am sitting in the airport in Ottawa looking "Lost in Translation" according to Kevin. We have been up since yesterday morning at 6am and I am wondering if this heading to Toronto now and playing hockey all weekend is a good idea, cause it seemed like a good idea last week and seems like a real lousy idea right about now. An overnight flight from California last night is what has me sitting here in this daze.
That is about all really, oh yeah, below is a photo from outside the CBS Television Studios' before taping the Late Late Show. There is a companion photo up
HERE on Kathleens' site.
Have a lovely weekend...
Second California Post:
Well, we are back now from the Late Late show taping and I thought before bed i would put one of Dave Allens' photos' from the soundcheck.
Goodnight, KCRW tomorrow morning....
From California:
Sitting in our hotel about to go to breakfast. It has been a whirlwind last few days. Austin was completely amazing and the shows were so fun. I could not believe how great the crowd was for the 8pm slot for me. Thanks so much again to Gord Tough for coming all the way to Texas from Toronto and to Kevin and Joel as well for giving up their time and playing so great. Tambeleo proved to be a terrific place to play and the Calgary/ western Canada folks were out in full force.
We enjoyed spectacular weather on our two day drive through El Paso and Tuscon enroute to California and had a much needed out of the blue visit with Howe Gelb for a couple of drinks midway through.
Last night we were at the Knitting Factory here in Los Angeles and today we play the Late Late Show.
Two more days and then straight to the exclaim cup and then home for a few days of taxes and rest.
I hope this finds you all happy and well... Thanks to my dear Lisa for her support and patience with all this being away...
Oh yeah: LA at show stars last night: Minnie Driver and Cameron Crowe: I guess Kathleen and those guys have met Cameron Crowe before, but this is all new territory for me. He was very kind and nice and pleasant to meet.
Austin, TX.Well, here in Austin at the Convention center using the free wireless and so far it has been a great time. Started the week with Jiggles and Rob Zifarelli and all at the Horseshoe Tavern kick off BBQ. Thanks to them for that.
Funny story: In Nashville on Monday I was walking around and got bumped into. I turned around and realized I had been hit with a man speeding by with his fully assembled pedal steel on an amp road case enroute to play. Kind of like going to your hockey game fully dressed in your sneakers carrying your skates. Watched some cheesy country anb I loved every minute of it.
Saw Elvis Costello last night and saw Mac from merge hanging out smoking (such a terrible habit). Thought of Page and the time at the Cabaret the bar staff thought he was Mac.
Recorded a live session with BBC Scotland today and they were all so kind to me. Busy little time we have here, and a great city to just walk around.
Ok, I am off....
RepairedHey, sorry , the Alex Soria story link has been repaired, it should all go smoothly now...
Letterman Photos':
As promised, here are a few photos' from our trip this week to New York and the David Letterman show on Tuesday.
Ok,
HERE they are...
Former Glories:Evan Kellys' film "Former Glories" has now been put up on the ZED tv site. Have a look at it. One Cigarette and The Lost Occasional make their appearance throughout.
Ok,
WATCH it now...
Alex Soria:There is an amazing cover article in the Monteal Mirror this week on Alex Soria of the Nils. It includes interviews with Carlos Soria, Chris Spedding, The Asexuals Sean Friesen and many others.
Read it
HERE
David Letterman:I will post photos' from the David Letterman appearance on the Flickr site this week, but here is one from the soundcheck , taken by Dave Allen.
Such a whirlwind day. It is late now and I should just sleep but I thought I
would get one photo up.
It was pretty surreal and suprisingly low key throughout the day. The photos' in the dressing rooms upstairs of Bob Dylan and The Beatles and many others playing Ed Sullivan are amazing and put a good perspective on the magnitude of the day.
Goodnight....
