Tour Journal: OAL Toronto

Oh Toronto. What a great welcome! We arrived in my home city around 4 o'clock, and I immediately went to my girlfriends place. This is the longest we've been apart, and I was beginning to miss the gal. I had a few hours to rest, hang out, eat a home cooked meal, and then we headed to the Garrison.

It was great to see so many of our favorite people out! We were humbled. Patrick met up with us again! He's on his way from Halifax back home to Saskatchewan. We made sure to get him up on banjo for a couple of songs.

Opening the show was Weather Station. I've had the pleasure of seeing this band once in the past, and it was a treat to see them again. Most of the show was performed as a duo, guitar and banjo, but they brought in a rhythm section for the last song. A great start to the night.

Our current tour mates, Kite Hill were up next. Every time I see them, they get a little better. Singer/Frontman Ryan Carley is getting more confident in his performance, and the audience were really drawn to him. the already large band was joined by a flute player this time. Folks in Hamilton, Windsor and London are going to be very impressed over the next couple weeks.

And that leaves us. I think we played one of our best shows. Everyone was on the top of their game. My only complaint is that we didn't get to play our best track, Louise of Littleville. That song is usually relegated to the encore list. I'm not entirely sure why, but I've never been a big fan of encores.

Either way, the show was a success, and I'm home. I can't help but feel a little directionless. I'll be out to a few of the Ontario dates (Hamilton and London for sure), but the touring part is kinda over. You get pretty close to people when you tour with them. I probably just need a couple days of rest. I have to find some paying work, and I guess get back to focusing on my own music.

Folks in Ontario, there are still a few great shows coming up, first being tues night in Hamilton. I'll try to get a write up for that, come say hi if you see me there!

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!

Tour Journal: OAL: Sackville/ St. Andrews/ Quebec City

Well, I'm a couple days behind. But here's the update; Thanksgiving was AMAZING. A really beautiful thing. 21 guests piled into a small living room in Sackville. More food than we knew what to do with. Good friends, new and old. I wouldn't want it any other way.... OH, and the best part, Blair fell in a ditch. True story.

The following day, we said good bye to Kevin, and headed west. St. Andrews is a sleepy town this time of year, the Summer tourist have long gone, but it's a great time to see it. The leaves are fully changed and starting to fall. Emma, a friend of the band, set us up in her step-fathers place, Salty Towers. What a place! Antiques everywhere, parts of the building date back to the late 1800's. The building is maze-like due to the renovations over the last century. So much history.

We played at the Red Herring, and there wasn't much of an audience, but we had great sound! We took advantage of our cheap drinks and had a blast. The few who attended where also treated with small sets by Handsome Dan, Myself, and Blair Whatmore. It was great to see Blair play his originals for the first time this tour, and Dan, as always was enthralling.

Early to rise the next morning. I took one final tour around the city, and we embarked on our longest journey to Quebec City.

We pulled in after about 10 hours. We were glad to be out of the van. Our venue was Fou Bar, a wonderful dark place run by the social and energetic Lily Jodoin. She really is a character,the type you can only find in Quebec!

Our opener was a friend from Halifax, Gianna Lauren. She's also backing a new record, and will be in Ontario later this week, Ottawa and Toronto, take note.

And so, you find me here; a nice apartment in Quebec City, stealing someones Internet, and ready for breakfast., There should be more excitement to come (including how we're going to get this rental van back to Montreal!) Keep checking in.

Tour Journal: OAL Fredricton/ Charlottetown

Hey there! It's been a couple days, let let me tell you what's been going on;

Fredericton. What a great city! The show at The Capital was wonderful, and we got to play the first of 2 shows with our new favorite band North Lakes. The North Lakes have this great 80's new wave/ surf vibe. They hail from Charlottetown, and anyone in the maritimes should check them out if they get the chance.

There was something going on in Fredericton called a Decentralized Dance Party. Apparently it's happening all over the place. Here's what it entails:

The DDP is a portable, battery-powered Party System.
It consists of hundreds of Party People, carrying boomboxes, and a DJ who wears a backpack, containing a powerful FM transmitter.
All the boomboxes are tuned into the DJ’s master FM broadcast, resulting in a mobile, synchronized sound system. This Portable Dance Party roams the night, generating complete awesomeness, street by street and block by block, onto buses and subways, into public fountains and beyond! Inevitably interfacing with the public, together we create an infectious epidemic of fun! A Roaming Party Adventure that lasts all night long!

It was something to see, folks dancing it up in various locations of the city. Pretty cool.

By the time we got to Charlottetown, I was feeling pretty exhausted. My nights of 3-5am bed times are behind me, and the last 2 nights where in that time frame. I was also sleeping on the floor in Fredericton, so I got very little rest. By performance time, I just wasn't in the mood. This was probably my weakest show, which is too bad, because it will be the last with are great late edition, Kevin on bass guitar. They can't all be gems.

Luckily, a good friend of the band Sam Stewart, invited us back to his large house for the night. I slept in a bed, and it was glorious.

So that's it for the update. We're back in Sackville, and we're setting up a huge Thanksgiving meal. There may be up to 30 people at this dinner! It's really exciting, some familiar faces from the road may be showing up. Our good friend Patrick from Halifax is already here, and slaving over the potatoes. This should be an epic night!

Next show is in St. Andrews, tomorrow night. I'll be updating you soon!

Tour Journal: OAL Saint John NB

After finally getting out of Halifax, we embarked on a journey to Saint John. From the pitiful google map Olenka had printed off, you'd think that Saint John didn't want anyone in or out. The map made little to no sense. And after a series of unsuccessful turns, Olenka and I were at each other throats. That was immediately all forgotten when we found our destination; The Pirates Place.

The Pirates Place is a house owned by Jim Laracey. A spacious building, in a perpetual state of renovation, and in constant threat of foreclosure. But Jim is a man who loves music. His house is equipped with guitars in various states of construction, amps, drum kit, and fully working PA and mixing board.

Jim himself is something out of a Hemingway novel. A large man with a full beard, boisterous voice, and a big heart.

After soundcheck, we were treated to a huge meal of open faced tacos, salad and apple crumble. As I've stated before, we're eating better on the road than we do at home (so, mothers, do not fear!) Oh, the toppings! Last night, for the first time, I tasted cactus and emu meat. Wonderful.

With full bellies we hit the stage. From the first moment, we knew this was going to be a great show. We opened with the new track "East End". The audience (with a very hippy-leaning vibe), where up and dancing. The smiles couldn't be wiped from our faces.

Most of them knew our old songs, and sang along. During the new songs, they danced and cheered. I danced harder then I ever have on stage, at one point bringing the glockenspiel into the crowd for an interactive version of "Flash in the Pan".

At the end of the set, the audience staged the first sitting ovation I'd ever seen, hoping that Olenka would play a few quiet tunes to end their night. She obliged, and the rest of the band sat in with the audience, holding hands and clapping along.

It was truly a magical evening. The magic continued after the set, when our appreciative host gave Blair one of his guitars. True story. Turns out during the Autumn Lovers last visit, Jim had asked Blair to lean bottle neck guitar playing. Blair hadn't learned, citing the lack of a suitable guitar. Jim graciously handed him a semi-hollow ES 35 copy from his collection. Blair hasn't put it down since.

We must sincerely thank Jim, Leanne, Vanessa, and Zach for their hospitality. Now we're on the road to Moncton, playing an early show then it's off to Sackville for a big show at Georges! Talk soon.

tour journal: OAL Halifax

Eating well on a tour is important. Usually you're stuck with meals on the road. Tim Hortons, Mcdonalds, etc. We've been extremely lucky on this tour, for example, this morning Patrick, Olenka and Kevin put together a wonderful meal of Fritata, potatoes, and crepes. It was glorious. After dishes, we went to the Dartmouth Value Village cause... well... i guess that's what you do.

The good folks at radio CKDU had us drop by to perform. We did a similar acoustic set to the one in Edmundston, except this time we were joined by Patrick Shmidt playing the banjo on a couple tracks. It's nice to extend the musical hand of friendship to someone as talented and humble as Pat.

OK, so this is a rough blog entry. To be honest, I'm tired, missin' my gal, and drinking a 14% brew that I picked up on the New Brunswick border. This stuff is awful and amazing at the same time.

With that in mind, I'll make this brief. We just played at the Company House here in Halifax, and it was a great show. It's so good to have Kevin back on stage playing the bass guitar. Patrick played some banjo, and a great time was had by all. The stage size at CoHo is perfect for a 4 piece folk/rock combo... but, at certain points, we're an 8 piece combo. So I played at the side of the stage, hopping on when I felt like my shaker playing needed to be front and center.

OK, that's enough of that. I've had half a glass of the crazy beer, and I'm drunk. So goodnight all!

Tour Journal OAL Edmonston + meeting old friends

Howdy folks, Shawn here with your update from the road. After a wonderful experience at Montreal POP (Excluding various van problems, solved in part by the good folks at Hotel2Tango), we hit the road for the east coast. First stop Edmundston!

I know nothing about Edmundston. I drove through it once, to get from Quebec City and Sackville, that's about all I know. But we eventually pulled in front of a quaint little cafe called Lotus Bleu.

One of the great things about touring is that you really meet some of the nicest people in the world. Case in point, the staff at Lotus Bleu. Before we'd even hit the stage we had sold a number of CD's (including a couple of my own!). Olenka asked me to open with a four song set. The audience of about 40, where attentive and appreciative. Then Olenka hit the stage. It was a quiet show, so we had some constraints, we didn't set up the drums, and kept the horns in the car. Because of the constraints, the audience received a unique performance, featuring quieter songs like "Lark" and "Mary's Song" and a few old tunes, including the very little played "Tennessee" (By request).

After the show the staff served us one of the best meals we've had in a while. A tasty veggie-pate Sandwich with soup and salad! When dinner was finished we where taken to our lodgings. Half the band went to a local's place, and four of us went to a really nice B&B. It's really great to get a bed after four nights of a half inflated blow-up mattress.

We woke up early the next morning and picked up our equipment at the cafe. They graciously served us a breakfast sandwich and coffees. And we were on our way!

Kevin Braiser is a long time friend of the Autumn Lovers. Like me, he has an on again/off again relationship with the band. Kevin moved to Sackville NB not long again, and the rhythm section hasn't been quite the same. So, we called him up, and after very little convincing, talked him into joining us for a few shows. We picked him up at his place, had an inpromptu reggae dance party on the front lawn, and took the highway to Halifax.

That brings us pretty much up to date. We arrived in Halifax about an hour ago, pulled up to the house of our dear friend Patrick Schmidt (Slow Down Molasses). He prepared us a big meal of strawberry salad and Squash soup. and now where drinking Kev's homebrew and working out a setlist for tomorrow nights show at The Company House.

I've been seriously humbled by people here on the road; Andrea in Montreal, the staff at Lotus bleu, and Patrick here in Halifax. I'm told this is the norm, and we'll be meeting more great people in the next couple weeks. I can seriously get used to this touring thing.

Tour Journal: OAL Montreal take 2

Shawn here, with part 2 of the tour journal. Where'd I leave off? Oh right, crappy van, Olenka on a bus back to London to get her car. Right.

After signing in for POP Montreal, having dinner and discovering the wonderful system of Bixi Bikes, we made plans to see free shows! First stop, O Patro Ve for the brilliant folk stylings of Fred Squire and the Graham Parson-esque songwriting of Daniel Romano. Daniel especially stood out for me, perfectly crafted songs.

Next stop was Sala Rosa. There we saw the AMAZING Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens. A really fantastic show to see for free! Blair in particular was taken up by the lord for this one.

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The next day was showcase day. But, first thing first, how are we going to buy groceries to make dinner? Why, Busking, that's how! The remaining Autumn Lovers (or I guess the Autumn Lovers, minus the Olenka part), headed to a small parkette and went through a small collection of songs by Dylan, The Band, Beatles, Radiohead and various originals by Olenka (sans Olenka... very meta), Blair and myself. We made a cool $14! Enough to make a wonderful stir fry for 7!

Our showcase was at a place called Cabaret Playhouse. When mentioning this to local friends we were met with either blank stares, or knowing smirks. The Playhouse is more of a punk place, we were told, where a man dressed in leather runs the door. Although Olenka insists she was part of a burgeoning British Colombia punk scene during the 90's, we aren't anything you'd consider to be punk. You won't be seeing our string section with safety pins in their noses any time soon. But, it was a wavelength showcase, so we had a great time! Rattail in particular was exciting to watch, and Polydactic Heart was engaging. After wards we split up. Some went to the Deerhoof after party, but 2am seemed particularly late for me, so I went to bed.

That brings us to today. We've taken advantage of POP Montreal, hitting up a record show, and checking out the Patrick Watson curated show at the Ukrainian Center. Now we're about to partake in a wonderful Chili prepared by Simon and Blair. So, next stop is Edmundston NB, I'll try to get an update soon!

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Tour Journal: OAL Montreal... almost

So where to begin... Lets start on Tuesday. That day was my last day at work. I was let go, without much warning, from a popular comedy club. But when a door is closed, another door... probably near the back of the house... is opened. My good friends Olenka and the Autumn Lovers where going on an east coast tour starting on Thursday. The way I looked at it, I wasn't going to have a job for about a month, I might as well be enjoying myself.

The van was to arrive in Toronto to pick me up at 12, noon. At 2pm they showed up. We were to showcase at POP Montreal later that night with a starting time of 10pm. The math sort of worked, 5 hour drive, get there at 7, quickly sign in and get to the venue for 8. What could go wrong?

Olenka is in possession of one of the worst vans currently on the road. Two tours have been changed, or reworked, because of this abomination of automotive science. So it wasn't much a surprise when somewhere around Cornwall, our windows were fogged up so bad that we had to have someone wipe it down every couple of minutes with Windex. Then, shockingly, a couple km's outside of Quebec, the van dies. It's beginning to look like we're not making the 10pm show. The folks at POP graciously decide to re-organize, and now we have a 1am start time.


The waiting game begins. We get a tow truck from CAA, he drives us into Quebec, and tells us it's a lot cheaper to get a tow truck from the Quebec side than have him drive us to Montreal. We wait again. The flat bed shows up, but wasn't informed about the taxi we were supposed to have taken care of, or the fact that we are going to Montreal. After some time, we finally get on the road, but 1am isn't going to happen.

We finally get into Montreal, our wonderful host meets us at her place and, somewhat defeated, we finally get some well deserved rest.... until...

8am. The van needs to be moved from the main road to a side street. We have a parking spot. Olenka takes the wheel, while Dan, Simon, Blair and myself begin pushing. We make a 7 point turn, and manage to parallel park with little to no damage.

Where does that leave us? Well, Olenka is on a bus back to London Ontario to get her car. We will hopefully rent a van to house the rest of us (we are talking with the folks in Young Galaxy about using theirs), and the good folks at POP are looking into another showcase for us. I guess this is life on the road!

This is my first blog post in a long time, but I hope to keep it up over the next couple of weeks, if anyone is interested.

Tour Journal: Timber Timbre at the Church of the Redeemer

This really isn't a tour journal entry per-say. My trip to the venue only took 15 minutes. But this was one of the greatest gigs I've ever been a part of. My experience with Timber Timbre has been short but very eye opening. It almost literally went from watching Taylor Kirk with rapt attention during a show in London Ontario (at the soon to be infamous "venue", 33 Yale) to performing along side him to packed houses, shaking hands with some of my idols. I helped the founder of Arts and Crafts, Jefferey Remedios find a good burrito and I awkwardly discussed mutual acquaintances with Gentleman Reg.

The night before Friday's CD release at the Church of the Redeemer consisted of something that we, as a band, had yet to do.... rehearse. For the first time in the 5 or so shows I've been involved with, we got together and hammered out a set list. The notes from Taylor were brief "Shawn should play this melody.... Mika should come in here...". The goal was figuring out how to stay off of each others toes.


The next day we arrived at the Church at about 4pm. By the time all of our gear was in, Aaron (the greatest stage manager in the business) already had most of it set up. A luxury we just aren't that accustomed to. Our sound check went off with very little problems, and the waiting game began.

The doors opened at 7, by that time we were informed it was sold out (sort of, when you consider almost half the crowd was guest list... 80% of the guest list where for Arts and Crafts, they have a lot of friends). There were quite a few turned away at the door. The show began with a set by Emma McKenna. Emma sings these slightly grunge-induced pop songs, accompanied by here electric guitar and a few percussion instruments. Her voice at times reminded me of Sinead O'Connor, jumping from mid-range melodies to high heavily vibrato-ed yelps. She has a lot of promise, but I don't think she's quite there yet. Little things like Mic placement and stronger guitar work would improve her set immensely, although a lot of that could just be nerves. Either way she had the audience focused and did what any good opener does, gets them warmed up for the main act.

photo by Jackman Chui

The lights dimmed. We were now lit up by candles and the back lighting behind the stain glassed windows. The mood was perfect. We kicked into an uninterrupted three song suite, at the end the audience exploded. I always find it amazing how focused Taylor's audience can be. All eyes are ahead, and they're so incredibly appreciative. It's really the dream of every performer.

We played all 8 songs from the album, lap steel player Simon Trottier and Violinist Mika Posen where on the top of their games. It was a pleasure to play along side them. We left the stage, and where immediately brought back on for 2 more songs, There is a Cure and It's Only Dark. That was a particularly fun pairing of songs, we bridged them with a slow building ambient jam, consisting of a series of bird calls and loops. When we finally moved into It's Only Dark, the audience gave one of the biggest cheers of the night. It was all very exciting for us.

Photo by Jackman Chui

Anyways, Thanks to all who made the show, I'd love to hear what you thought if you were there. Also, if you're looking to see Timber Timbre again, they'll be at Hillside Festival in Guelph this Saturday night, I'm not sure if I'll be there or not, but if so, please say hello!

Tour Journal: Timber Timbre Ottawa/Montreal

I've never listened to so much Arts and Crafts music in my life. Friday morning, after Thursday's fantastic show at the Courthouse, found me in a rather surreal position, fingering through A&C's catalogue of CD's and Vinyl. "So.... I can take anything?". I probably asked the question 10 times.
With a box of albums the three of us (myself, lap steel virtuoso Simon Trottier, and Timber Timbre front man Taylor Kirk), made the 4+ hour drive to Ottawa. We were late. Again. 2 hours late (we're not always like this, I swear). But we arrived to find Great Lake Swimmers still sound checking (frustratingly so). I'll need a new paragraph to explain something.


Churches. They always sound like a good idea. What's not to like about a church? Especially for a band like the Great Lake Swimmers. Problem with most churches is that they don't come equipped with their own PA and sound. The promotion company has to bring their own, and their own sound guy, who isn't familiar with the room (not to knock the sound man, he really did his best). The other problem is that churches are notorious for electrical problems. Every light in the building could be the mystery hum that's resonating from the monitors. Needless to say, the set didn't go as planned. But the Great lake Swimmers were fantastic, any bugs from the sound check (and our set) were gone by the time Tony Dekker and crew hit the stage.

Let me tell ya abit about Tony and his band. If you've ever wondered what Tony is like in person, I'll try to give you an impression. The man is seriously committed. He was so focused during sound check and the show that one could be excused for thinking him a bit rude. But after the show was a totally different story. The whole crew (roughly 10 in totally) went out for poutine. After sharing a Lox Club sandwich with drummer (and Gentleman Reg cohort) Greg Millson, I was entertained by a dollar folding trick, care of Mr. Dekker! He's a very friendly, funny guy.


While the Swimmers curled up in their Motel 6 beds, the three of us continued our Journey. Simon was particularly interested in sleeping in his own bed, as he'd been couped up in a car with Taylor and The Ghost Bees for the last month. So 2 hours (and a mind blowing listen to the new Dirty Projectors album) later, we were in Montreal.

The next day was spent lounging hard. We left the house briefly to pick up some fruit, yogurt, granola and croissants, but the majority of my day was spent in front of the record player listening to Son House, Richard Crandell, Woody Guthrie, and various Constellation Projects (have you heard Land of Kush yet? So cool).


After sleeping most of the day, Taylor rounded us up and we headed to Theatre Plaza (early!) for the last show of the weekend. What a great venue! Gorgeous building, with a big stage and a great system. And four rooms for the bands!! Although, we only spent time in one... stealing the Swimmers beer. Sound check was perfect (thanks to Rodrigo, a top notch sound man), and the show was magical. It was amazing. The moment we started with our bird-noise intro the audience fell into a hush. They were captivated for the entire performance. It was really magical. Taylor and Simon were in top form, I felt truly honored to be playing with such talented musicians.

The Swimmers were magical as well. I had a better spot to watch the show here than I had in Ottawa, and I got a chance to really drink in the performance. What a solid band! Tony's voice is real star though, it can be extremely warm and soft, yet still captivate an entire audience. The man has worked hard to command that kind of respect.

The next day was equally relaxed, a nice breakfast out with Torngat's Wurlitzer man Mathieu Charbonneau and his lovely girlfriend Chantelle, followed by record hunting at Aux 33 Tours, where among other things, I picked up a cool mono version of The Velvet Underground and Nico. Taylor and I said goodbye to Simon, and made our way back to Toronto. The trip was again full of Arts and Crafts albums, Bell Orchestre, Jason Collett, Apostle of Hustle and one album that blew both of our minds, Valley of the Giants (I'm currently looking into why they never released another album, I'll keep you updated!). I also did a quick interview with Taylor, which I'll put up shortly... even though it's probably the worst interview I've conducted.

But I digress.


We finally got in at about 10pm. I think Taylor in particular could use a break. He's been on tour, without stop for a month, taking care of bookings, lodgings, and driving. If you're interested in seeing Timber Timbre again, there is a big show coming up soon, which I don't think I'm aloud to announce so.... Keep checking in!

Also check in tomorrow, when I'll have an interview up with Weewerk and Monotreme recording artist Barzin.