Here are some of my observations of the March Eastern Canada run of Aaron Pritchett and the APB (roll call - Aaron (fearless frontman/ guitar), Mitch Merrett (guitar/ vocals/ management), Dennis Marcenko (bass/ vocals), Mike Sanyshyn (violin/ mandolin/ vocals), Ron Briggs (drums), Carmen Choney (tour management, merchandise), Scott "Scooter" Findlay (sound technician), Dwayne Nemlander (bus driver) and yours truly (keyboards/ guitar/ vocals).
March 21 - Dartmouth, NS - Rodeo Lounge - Meet and Greet
The trip started with the band flying out to Toronto from Vancouver and meeting up with the tour bus. This particular bus will be our primary mode of transportation on the longer runs as it was purchased by Aaron's "people". It's past owner (or at least the guy who held the lease) was Kenny Rogers .... which is a good thing. I have a feeling Kenny is a somewhat clean living guy -by comparison my brother in law Shane Hendrickson (who plays bass with Natalie McMaster) is currently riding around on a bus that belonged to Tommy Lee. What happened on those couches and bunks on that bus is a mystery I don't think anyone wants to unlock.
Due to prior commitments I flew straight to Halifax - the rest of them rode for around 18 hours to Halifax. I missed the meet and greet but apparently the event went well - hands shook, babies kissed, autographs signed and pictures taken. I got a report from the crew that the hospitality of the club was overwhelming ... as evidenced by the slow start everyone had the next morning. The club was nice enough to buy us breakfast the next morning which was most welcome. We are slated to come back for a gig in two days..... looking forward to it.
March 22 - Liverpool, NS - Astor Theatre
Nice gig. A small theatre in a wonderful little community about and hour and a half from Halifax. They were a great listening crowd. We hadn't played in quite about a month and a half with the full band so this was a nice way to get back in the groove.
By the end of the trip we should have six new songs added to the set including three new tunes written by Aaron, Mitch and some Nashville based writers. We're also doing a tune from his very first record called 'Perfectly Blue' - a slow 6/8 shuffle a la 'Treat Me Like A Fool' as well as 'Right Down The Line' - a Gerry Rafferty song from the 'Something Goin' On Here' CD. We managed to rehearse and add 'After The Rain' (a new ballad) at this show.
I think the town had a sale on digital cameras that day - every time I looked out that crowd every other person was snapping photos.
March 23 - Dartmouth, NS - Rodeo Lounge
Back for the show - we had a quick soundcheck. Due to some production issues (apparently the truck with the PA and backline broke down en route to the venue) we had time for a quick soundcheck as the lineup to get into the club was around the block (general admission). This impeded our chance to rehearse our second of the three new songs - 'My Kind Of Woman'.
We managed to have a hotel room rehearsal and worked MKOW up and got it in the set for that night.... it went pretty good - we'll hopefully have time at the next gig to nail it down a little better.
The gig was great - another one of those AP shows where the crowd deafened me. The band hung around after and enjoyed the hospitality once again .... very nice. I unfortunately had to retire early and get back to the room to complete some overdue tasks (accounting - tax time.... FYI deadline is the end of April - mid April for our US friends - so do your part!).
The next day we were invited back to club for more hospitality in the way of breakfast again! Good times.... we look forward to coming back.
March 24 - Truro, NS - Cobequid Education Centre
I'm on the bus by myself - the rest of the gang is in the venue signing autographs and I opted out to write whilst watching some romantic comedy with Hugh Grant where he plays a handsome and whimsical yet awkward English gentleman who gets caught in a "sticky wicket" eh wot. (Which movie was that again? Oh right - EVERY movie he's been in!)
A quick drive to Truro - about 45 minutes. Soundcheck was far more plentiful.... we had a couple of hours. We used most of the stage time to fine tune "After The Rain" and "My Kind Of Woman". We are especially excited about "After The Rain". It's a very good song written by Mitch, Aaron and Deric Ruttan. We are in preliminary arrangement stages and it is starting to really feel huge. It cries for big strings and we're setting it up for just that. Chances are it'll be in the set all year.
The gig was great - crazy crowd. Aaron, Mitch and I debuted a new tune that they had written called"All Over Again" - the third in the trio of new tunes. We did it acoustically - by the end of the trip I'm sure we'll have the band in on it as well. Dwayne our driver has started up on other duties - he escorted a couple of young ladies off stage when they made their way on stage to touch Aaron.
Great crowds in Nova Scotia - we're coming back in August - thanks everyone!
March 25 - Moncton, NB - The Rockin' Rodeo
We were here last year and I guess we're back by popular demand. Especially exciting was the prospect of hitting Captain Jack's, a restaurant on the water that serves an exquisite lobster feed. We left Truro early, looking forward to a lunchtime arrival. To our dismay our restaurant was closed for the season. After a slightly less satisfying lunch at another local eatery (which franchises into many other communities around the world) we carried on to soundcheck.
The gig was a madhouse - a party crowd as only the town of Moncton can provide. It seemed as those the party could've continued long into the night for the patrons and band however the bus had to be on the road by 2:30AM as we had to be in Toronto by Tuesday and wanted to allow sufficient travel time. Apparently rumours abound that we will be back here in August as well. The party will continue then. That's what we do. We party. Yee. Haw.
March 26 - New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario - Trans Canada Highway
Dwayne is earning his money by putting in several "overdrives" (bus driver lingo for overtime and double scale wages) to get us to Toronto in time for our show tomorrow. The time on the bus is passed several ways - movies, sleeping, writing blogs, editing recording projects by other artists (those two are mine), texting or calling friends and loved ones, confirming gigs and organizing booked ones (Carmen) and a new pastime - playing Jacks (not the card game - rather the game where one bounces a ball and you have to pick up as many jacks as you can - you know the one). Posted for your viewing pleasure is a little home movie (or pictures depending on which blog you visit) of this activity. It's actually a very nice way to travel. Exciting to note was the truck stop we visited. The typical pedestrian food fare was accented by a selection of East Indian food which was prepared by the owner .... very good and a very welcome surprise for myself and Carmen - the band Indian food aficionados.
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