Funder Bay

We did the 8 hour drive to Thunder Bay on Thursday. It's a long drive, made longer by the fact that you have to be watching for moose and bears the entire time. But it's also a spectacular drive along Lake Superior.

We rolled into Thunder Bay at about dinner time, all tired and hungry. We walked into the Apollo, where we were playing, and the owner immediately asked if we were hungry and gestured toward a large table, completely set. Then her mother brought us out endless food that she had just cooked up. I'm talking steak, I'm talking pirogies, I'm talking chicken wings...it was awesome. Look at how happy we were:

Thanks, Apollo!

Roughing It

So, when we mentally prepared ourselves for going on tour, I don't think any of us were imagining that life on the road would look like this:


Yeah. It's been rough. We spent Sunday, Monday and most of Tuesday at the above cottage in North Bay, Ontario. Then we had to pack it up and head to this godawful hell hole:

Seriously, it's been non-stop paradise. I have spent more time in a hammock over the past few days than out of a hammock. That's a good week.

I am writing this from tonight's venue in Sault Ste Marie (or, "The Sault" as it's oft called...which is pronounced 'Soo' for you non-Canadians). I think we all kinda forgot that we are supposed to be, like, playing music for people on this tour. It isn't all shuffleboard and suntanning.

Van-tastic!

We picked up our new van in North Bay yesterday after a couple of awesome and relaxing days at a cottage on a lake (pictures coming soon). The van is Tiina's family's van, and look at what they did to it for us!!!!!

Those stickers are totally permenant! They are nuts! There are four big stickers, one on each side of the van. It's awesome. Plus the van has tinted windows, so everyone who drives by tries to look in to see what's going on inside, but they can't see! We're such a rock band.

Ahhh, custom van.

It's awesome to drive because it is enormous. I'ma plow right through any moose that gets in my way. There is so much room in it, it's ridiculous. So luxurious after that cramped Civic. Thanks, Tiina's family!

Now we are staying with Tiina's family again, this time with her dad and his wife, at yet another beautiful waterfront home. We are in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, right on the river that joins Lake Huron and Lake Superior (I think my geography is right). Definitely Lake Superior. Maybe Lake Michigan instead of Huron? Anyway, two very big lakes. So all these giant container ships keep passing by getting from one lake to the other. It's neat. We play tonight in town at the Algonquin. Then tomorrow we drive to Thunder Bay, which is really an awesome name for a city.

Q: What do you call someone from Thunder Bay? Thunder Bay-ite? We're gonna find out.

Our Favourite Picture

This is a really weird picture that cracks us up. It totally looks like I'm giving a big thumbs up, but it's actually just the shape of Erica's shoulder. I took the photo and looked at it immediately and thought "huh, I don't remember giving a thumbs up." This photo is our new favourite thing.

It's also enhanced by that picture of the naked guy in the background. This is in the L'Escogriffe bar in Montreal. Very awesome bar. Tiina witnessed two people having sex in the bathroom. It's especially alarming because the bathroom was like, co-ed with no door. It was just in the corner of the bar. The two stalls had doors, but there was no real room that they were in. Ah, Montreal. I totally saw a young couple making out under an umbrella outside in the rain too. So romantic and French.

Matt stashed some secret candy in my keyboard case, which I found on stage in Montreal (somehow I didn't see it in Fredericton). Here I am holding it on stage in the middle of our set:

Mmmmmm...chocolate-covered ju-jubes. Thanks Matt!

Oh, hey! We have vinyl to sell now! Our first EP was just re-released on a vinyl 7", which we are selling on tour for a cool $5. Here's Tiina holding one out of the package:

Now you can scratch and sample our songs!

Here's a shot of Erica working the merch table in Montreal. We have a ridiculous amount of merch to sell. You can see a little of our super awesome new shirts with the big ol' bling chains on them. I'll try to get a better picture of one up here soon. They are great.

Those Play Guitar owl t-shirts are really hot too. They have been really awesome to tour with, and have been kind enough to haul our drums and some other gear around for us in their van until we get ours. I really love their music. Our bands sound nothing alike, but I think that makes a show more interesting.

In Ottawa we got a nice surprise: our friend Jaime drove up from Toronto with The Guest Bedroom (who we played with) to see us! Yay Jaime! And yay Guest Bedroom! We'll be seeing a lot more of those guys at the end of the tour when we're playing southern Ontario.

We're still in Ottawa, drinking coffee and eating Kettleman's bagels.

Official Stolen Minks Souvenir (Never Forget Your Stolen Minks Encounter)

We're gonna be selling hand silk-screened copies of this sweet little number on tour, so bring wads of cash:

Poster made by the beautiful people at Yo Rodeo.