Tour Journal: OAL Ottawa/Kingston

Hey folks, lets talk about Ottawa for a second. After Quebec, I fell like we'd run out of steam a bit. We pulled into Ontario and it immediately began raining. When we found Raw Sugar, I was a little disappointed to see that it was a cafe. This has nothing to do with the venue itself. Truth be told, it's a fantastic cafe, great ambiance, they serve good beers, and I hear they have wonderful coffee. My problem is that with a small show, we alter the setlist for a quieter set. The list we settled on, had me playing on only 2 songs. So, I was in a bit of a mood. The one good thing about the gig for me, was seeing our opening act for the first time, Kite Hill. They'll be with the Autumn Lovers on a couple of dates, and they are worth checking out. More on them later.

After my grumpy state, I was glad to get the next day off. Blair, Sara, Dan and I stayed at Blair's friend Katie's place. Lots of room, and we all felt great the next morning. After a walk through the city I found THE BEST RECORD STORE EVER! It's a place called Legends. Their selection is pretty vast, and the price are reasonable. A must see the next time you're in Ottawa.

That night, after a quick hang out with some old friends, I met up with the the 3 other Lovers and we headed off to Katies family cottage near Kingston.

That may have been the best day of the tour. We made a good breakfast (after a nice homemade dinner the night before), and enjoyed the sunny weather. I finally got to go Kayaking! So good.

I think we all felt more relaxed, and better prepared for our show in Kingston. It was a bigger stage, great sound, and packed with a rowdy bunch of Kinston-ites. It may have been one of our best shows this tour. Our first opener was local band Monuments and Statues. There are a lot of great ideas going on in this banjo/cello let indie band. I'm going to watch their progress, I fell like they can be a really great band in a couple of years.

Kite Hill was up next. And wow. What a performance. Leader Ryan Carley brought a larger band this time, upright bass, cello, violin and clarinet helped support his beautiful melodies. I can't wait to see them again.

So, now I'm back home in Toronto. Tonight, we're playing at the Garrison, and I'm really excited. It should be a great show. See you there!