Tales of the East Coast

Ahoy mateys! Greetings from the East Coast (or the South Shore of Nova Scotia)!

It has been brought to my attention that I've been slacking off on my blog, which, truth be told, I must admit I sort of forgot about when I reached my destination of the Atlantic Ocean. Really, I've just been having a good time living in the moment, forgetting to document events. Better late than never though, I say!

My first tasks in New Brunswick involved crossing the world's longest covered bridge (1,282 feet) in Hartland (home of the famous Covered Bridge chips, which I am eating as I type) and of course the world's largest axe, in Nackawic.

Monty poses in front of the World's Longest Covered Bridge,
Hartland, NB

Monty poses in front of the world's largest axe,
Nackawic, NB

My first night was in Fredericton, where I stayed at a crummy motel because I had nowhere else to stay and I proceeded to write a song about being lonely on the road. I think the feeling was amplified by walking into a pub by myself to get some dinner and both waitresses proceeded to ask "Is anyone joining you?" Our society certainly doesn't encourage being on one's own - but that could be a whole other blog topic. Anyway, that feeling evaporated the next day, when I went down to the university radio station, CHSR FM for an interview with Mark Kilfoil - you can listen to the whole interview here! That night, November 14, I had a show at The Roxstone Cafe, just on the outskirts of downtown Fredericton. I shared the show with local musician, Cory Paul Hill, a most excellent singer-songwriter and overall musician. The show was different than any of my other ones on this tour, as it was really just a casual collaboration between the two of us. We played along on each others' songs, improvising and harmonizing with each other. After doing solo shows for nearly two months, it was great to spontaneously collaborate with another musician. The audience consisted solely of Cory's family and friends, all of whom were very supportive and they all bought my CD! Afterwards, Cory and his buddies showed me some East Coast hospitality, taking me out to the local bar, The Capital, to see some fantastic bands, including Adam Baldwin, This Ship, and Michael Bernard Fitzgerald. My friend Adam Cormier, whom I once played with in Twisted String, happened to be on stage playing drums with Michael - the Canadian music circle is indeed a close-knit one!

Cory Paul Hill with Shelder the Electric Clamfish
at The Roxstone Cafe in Fredericton, NB

So after my fantastic introduction to the Maritimes, I then headed to Saint John (where I wrote my last blogpost) and visited my friend Kate, another trumpet player whom I first met in music school. We watched the Santa parade and went to the old theatre to see The Sound of Music, which I had never seen live before. I took the ferry (my first ferry since leaving Salt Spring) from Saint John to Digby, Nova Scotia, where I rewarded myself with a lunch of Digby scallops. I spent a few days at Twisted Brook Farm in the Annapolis Valley, near Middleton, playing music with my good friend John Muller and threshing beans with my new friend Owen. Below, you can check out a music video of John and I playing the classic "Farewell to Nova Scotia" on a blustery day in Margaretsville:

 

Old Annapolis Valley barn

After some relaxed days at the farm, baking numerous banana goodies (so as to use up the excess baking bananas that happened to be at the house), John and I headed to Halifax. We played a casual show at Cafe Cempoal and a concert the next night at The Big Blue House, which was a goodbye party, as the landlord is now selling the house. The crowd at the Big Blue was very enthusiastic and supportive - a great introduction to my time in Nova Scotia. I was also blessed to have my new friend Courtney Harris do some projections along with my music - the first time I've collaborated with a visual artist!! 

The magical crowd during my set at The Big Blue House

I stayed at Big Blue for nearly a week, during which time I played a few rousing tunes at the legendary Open Mic House, celebrated my 27th birthday, found a really sweet place to live for January and also found a job. I'll be working at Andrea's Music Studio in January, teaching private piano, brass, ukulele, guitar and voice lessons to kids. With that job, I'll be here at least until June (or maybe longer) so I won't be going too far anytime soon. But I'll still be able to get away to places like PEI or Cape Breton for gigs. I'm already booked to play the Wolfville Market on March 7.

For the month of December, I'm hunkered down at a 176 year old farmhouse in West Dublin on the South Shore, in Lunenburg County. It's the home of my friends Jude and Charlie (Pennybrook), both of whom are very fine Celtic and folk musicians. I'll be recording my first full-length album with Jude here in the new year. I'm spending my time practicing lots of music, reading lots of books (I'm just finishing up a new pirate song about the legendary Oak Island treasure so I had to do some research for that) and learning how to tune pianos - already, five people have said I could use their pianos for practicing my tuning exercises. We've been having regular Saturday night jam sessions at the farmhouse, with some local musicians - that's been my first regular weekly event in a long time, seeing as I haven't spent more than a week in a single place since the end of June! Last week I took a quick trip to PEI for the Charlottetown Tuba Christmas. I play every year in the Victoria one so I wanted to see if there was one in the area and the closest one happened to be in Charlottetown. Good excuse to get to PEI! I enjoyed driving across the longest bridge in the world (over ice-covered waters that is), looking at various lighthouses, and also playing in my first East Coast Tuba Christmas. I plan to return again to do more shows and also drive around the whole island, visiting every lighthouse and camping as I go. Now that leaves just one more province to cross off my list!

The Confederation Bridge, from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island

With PEI Tuba Christmas conductor, Gregory Irvine

A PEI lighthouse on a red sand beach, Covehead Harbour

Immediately after playing in Tuba Christmas, I hopped back into my Echo and headed back to The Bridge, as I was scheduled to open for Pennybrook's show at the West Dublin Hall (5 hours and 10 minutes according to Google Maps) and I had 6 hours to make it. I took one designated bathroom and refuel break and lo and behold, I made it with about 40 minutes to spare! I even had time to scarf down food and warm up a little bit. I enjoyed playing at the old hall, as it reminded me of the Ag Hall on Mayne. That was my last scheduled performance of 2014, although I'm sure there will be a few more impromptu jam sessions before the year is out! 

And thus ends my 2014 East My Friend tour. I'm not sure when I'll be making my return journey out west but my return will be inevitable, as I have numerous things stored in boxes at my parents' house that I am yet to deal with. And I know the road will call again, for there is still much in this world to discover. For now though, I am going to enjoy creating and recording more music, learning how to become a piano tuner, teaching music to kids, and booking shows in the Maritimes (I still need to play an Electric Clamfish show on PEI and also Cape Breton, Newfoundland and Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine). I have met some truly amazing and generous people on this journey and have learned that if you remain open, the universe shall provide. Here's to following your passions and dreams, whatever they may be!

I'll do my best to update this thing periodically in the new year, but until then, have a wonderful Christmas holiday wherever you are and a Happy New Year! I shall leave you with the song I started writing in that lonely Fredericton motel room...

My time in the vibrant city of Montreal

Greetings! I have made it to the other coast! Okay not really - I'm currently in Saint John, New Brunswick on the Bay of Fundy, which isn't the official coast, but it's close and tomorrow I will take a ferry to Digby, Nova Scotia, where I will eat some local scallops.

But before I get into that, I must first write about my time in Quebec (two and a half weeks in total spent in that province). I'm behind on my writing, but I think it's also more important to focus on living in the present and taking part in these new experiences, as opposed to being tied down to a laptop documenting everything as it happens. So I will try my best to recall all that happened whilst I was in the land of the French. Beware, it'll be a fairly long account.

My first few hours of being in Montreal were rather overwhelming. Just driving into the city alone was an extremely stressful task - much like when I was in Mexico, the drivers don't seem to adhere to general rules (such as signalling) as much. There was definitely a moment of "ughh I'm stuck in my car on this crazy 4-lane road surrounded by vehicles and there's no way to stop or just take a break." But nonetheless I figured it out eventually and made it to my friend Dalhi's house in Hochelaga - I've known Dalhi Gonthier (from Galiano Island) since he was in grade 7 and I was in grade 9 - we took the school boat together every day in high school to Salt Spring. Now he's a jazz saxophonist living in Montreal! Somewhere into town, I missed the apparently giant signs that say turning right on a red light is forbidden on the island of Montreal, so I spent a good week and a half breaking the law in this fashion, until Dalhi found out and set me straight.

Dalhi posing with his saxophone, Dennis the Cow, and Monty the Marmot,
in front of the legendary piece of electrical tape given to me by
Doug Koyama.

Island kids in Montreal!!

My first show was the next day right downtown at an Anglophone restaurant, Burritoville. I had deliberately arrived in town a day early so as to get myself oriented with the French and also just the craziness of driving in the city. I had to pay $10 to park in a parkade (it was the closest option - still a few blocks away - and I have at least 5 instruments and merch to carry with me). I played the show with my good friend Francesca Daoust, who I know from Victoria. The food was fantastic (vegetarian Mexican food) and it was so wonderful to hear Francesca play. I enjoyed playing my Quebecois-inspired folk song, The Legend of La Chasse Galerie for my first French crowd. Two days later, just before Halloween, I played at Shaika Cafe in the neighbourhood of NDG, with my friend Sarah Elizabeth. Sarah just recently arrived in Montreal herself, having traversed the country just before I did, on VIA Rail as part of their performance program (which I was just rejected from because my music is too eclectic)!! For Halloween, I didn't end up playing a show, but I did end up dressing up as Jim the Sexy Zombie Mechanic and going to a pretty wild party at a downtown loft with Francesca and her roommate Malorie (Tank Girl). If you've ever been to a Montreal loft party, I'm sure you can imagine what it was like.

Francesca and Shelder perform at Burritoville in downtown Montreal

Playing ukulele at Shaika Cafe

Sarah and Tyler at Shaika Cafe

Initially, I had planned to stay an extra week in Montreal for a show at a different loft on November 8, spending the week hitting up a few jams and just checking out the city. I ended up however scoring a few extra shows as well! On the Monday after Halloween, I played trumpet with my friend Suzanne's band, Brassmob, at Quai de Brumes. I had attended one rehearsal the night before (which was partially in French so that was an extra fun challenge)! and then just did my best on stage to remember and figure out the tunes as we went. It's been nearly two months since I've performed with a band (something I've been doing fairly regularly since I was 19) so as much fun as it is to perform solo acoustic shows, there's something inherently important about playing with a big group of other great musicians. I also haven't had the chance to really rip it up on trumpet lately, which is how I often channel a lot of excess energy, so it was great to have the opportunity to do that. When I return to Montreal in the new year, I hope to play some more with these wonderful musicians!!

Playing with Brassmob at Quai de Brumes!! (Photo credit - Tony Revoy)

I stayed for a night at Suzanne's place in the Hasidic Jew neighbourhood and met a guy who was part of an Italian folk dance group. He asked me to come play some Tarantellas for their dance night at Concordia - I had never played a tarantella on accordion but I figured it couldn't be too hard so I agreed to come play for the dancers. Turns out tarantellas aren't that hard to play, but there ARE other types of Italian folk dances, which I did not think to learn. The night was actually mostly focused on the Pizzica dance and the Tammurriata. Since I had shown up, they danced the Tarantella for a little bit to my live music, but they needed to focus on the other dances (to recordings). So I ended up joining in and learning the dances! And now I have a whole new whack of Italian folk dances I need to learn how to play!

Throughout the week leading up to the loft show, I attended two evenings at the legendary Grumpy's bar. The first was the Tuesday night open mic, where I went with Francesca and my re-found friend Christina (who I met twice while traveling in Mexico and then again randomly in Montreal!) who plays with the duo, Kyazma. We each played a few songs (along with some comedians and a guy in a raccoon suit who sang songs from Rocky Horror Picture Show). My Quebecois inspired tune was especially well-received by the slightly inebriated Tuesday night bar crowd. The next night, I decided to challenge myself and attend the Wednesday night jazz jam with Dalhi. That was a humbling experience, to say the least. I haven't actually been working on my jazz trumpeting very much lately, so I was pretty rough, but I took it as a learning experience, playing with these super hot Montreal jazz musicians. The more I play music, the more I learn just how much more there is to learn. It's a lifelong journey, even if you just focus on one instrument and one style, which is something I've always found hard to do!

In that regard, I decided not to attend the Grumpy's bluegrass jam on the Thursday night, seeing as I don't play a bluegrass instrument at all and don't really know anything about the style, except for the fact I like attending the occasional bluegrass brunch. My musical brain was feeling rather over-saturated, so I spent the night having poutine with my Mayne Island friends, Zoe and Adam, who were just about to embark on their Eastern Canada Fish & Bird tour. Friday night is when I attended the Italian folk dance night, and then on Saturday (my last full day in the city), I ended up playing two shows. At noon, I played a set a wonderful French cafe, Cafe Depanneur, where they have music from 10am until 5pm every day. People just sign up to play hour-long sets throughout the day on the stage. Such a great venue - more places need to jump on board with this arrangement! That performance was a good reminder for me - even when people don't look like they are listening (they may be talking to friends or on their laptop or reading a magazine), a portion of them is still paying attention. I used to get frustrated when I would play shows like this and no one was actively watching, and this would affect my performing, but I have since learned that just because someone isn't completely engaged, it doesn't mean they don't like your music. The man who played after me (MelloCello) was a cellist who played mostly rock/blues covers with his loop pedal. I thought he was an incredible musician and performer, and yet I looked around and most people were just as disengaged for his set as they were for mine, though, as they did for me, they would clap and cheer after each song, still showing their appreciation for the performer on stage.

My last Montreal show was at the legendary Fattal lofts. As far as I understand it, Fattal is a series of warehouse buildings which used to be an ammunition factory, and they have now been turned into lofts, mostly inhabited by travelers, punks, artists, musicians and train-hoppers - in fact, it's right next to the train tracks. I shared the show with Francesca again, who also did a burlesque performance with Malorie, and we were joined by Dot the magnificent drag queen. This show was most definitely the wildest and most exciting show of my tour thus far. In fact, I could barely play (due to excitement and bliss) as they stomped and clapped to La Chasse Galerie and my rendition of The Logdriver's Waltz.

Francesca at Fattal

The lofts at Fattal

I found it more difficult to leave Montreal than any other city so far, most likely due to the fact that I made some great new friends, had some great (and humbling) musical experiences, and got to know it fairly well in the two weeks I was there. I felt very appreciative of my friends Dalhi, Marie-Pier, Francesca, Malorie, Vimul, Caitlin, Suzanne and Kelly for allowing me to crash with them during my two-week stay. Much nicer than having to live out of my Echo on the side of the street! Speaking of Caitlin (another friend from high school), we went for breakfast near her house at Cosmos, this tiny but legendary breakfast place on Sherbrooke Ouest. Nick (the Greek son of Tony, who founded the restaurant) ran everything - making the coffee to cooking the greasy pancakes and omelettes and French toast to serving customers in the most entertaining manner I've ever seen. "My friends! You're all my friends! Everyone will be served. Do not worry my friends!! Coffee is coming, more hot coffee is coming!" It reminded me somewhat of a Seinfeld episode (the Soup Nazi one in particular), except Nick was far friendlier.

Back on track - I headed to Quebec City for two days, where I stayed with Gabriel, Audree and Mariette, who were friends of my friend Alana (who she met on a National Youth Choir trip last year). Gabriel is studying classical singing at the Conservatoire in Quebec, and he invited me to a recital he was performing in that night. I spent the day wandering around, expecting to just do some reading and writing at some coffee shops. Instead, as I walked past a busker (and threw in some change), he inquired about the ukulele I was holding and we started talking. A cop came and reprimanded him for not having a busking license, so we went and got some coffee instead. His name was Alex and it turns out he had just recently also came from BC (he was working in the Yukon and then as a cherry picker in the Okanagan) and returned home to Quebec for the winter. As we were talking, a girl approached us because she heard we were speaking English. She was a traveler from Australia and didn't speak much French. I ended up spending the day with them (and the Alex's dog Minto), jamming a bit, walking around the old part of the city, and eating poutine at Ashton's. So instead of spending the day with my book and my journal, I randomly met some really neat new friends! Yeliz (the girl from Australia), had told me about a free swimming pool, so the next day I decided to check it out. I found it and was confused about the schedule, so I just went in. I got changed into my bathing suit, took a shower and walked into the pool, where an aquafit class was going on. In an air similar to a Mr. Bean episode, I planned to sort of slip in quietly and hope no one would notice me. But of course the faces of about thirty old French ladies turned and stared at me, while the instructor came over and told me, in French, that the class was reserved. I stumbled through my broken French, and she explained to come back at noon (the old ladies were still staring). I liked the concept of a free indoor swimming pool, but I did not return. Instead of getting some exercise, I had some classic French onion soup, before heading to La Malbaie.

A French looking street in Quebec City

My new ukulele in front of the Notre Dame in Quebec

Much to my surprise, when I got to Montreal, I had actually MADE money on my tour. I've been very diligent with keeping track of my expenses and my earnings (which have been solely through donations) and I had managed to stay ahead. So I decided to spend my tour earnings on a good Eddy Fin ukulele in Montreal, and also at a Bed and Breakfast in La Malbaie on the St. Lawrence River. That was my first time ever staying at a BnB, which was an extremely quaint and relaxing experience. Yves and Miguel (along with their dog, Pesto), ran the bed and breakfast. They were so accommodating - they knew they would be away when I arrived, so they told me where the spare key would be so I could let myself into the house. In the morning, they made the most gourmet breakfast I may have ever eaten. Two types of local cheeses, homemade baked beans, an extremely tasty omelette, bread made from a 200-year old mill down the road, apple jelly made from the apple tree outside, granola, yogurt and fruit, as well as coffee and a fruit smoothie. If anyone happens to be passing through the Charlevoix region, I highly recommend staying with Yves and Miguel. The BnB also happened to be the same price as the crummy motel I stayed at in Massey.

Le Petit Felix in La Malbaie - highly recommended for any travelers
passing through this region!!

After breakfast, I stopped at St. Fidele to stock up on cheese curds (avec squeak) before heading to the ferry at Saint Simeon. I considered this leg of the journey to be my "vacation leg" - I didn't have to go up north this way to get to Fredericton, but I chose to just for the adventure of it all. I spent my last night in Quebec in Temiscouata-sur-le-Lac at a motel, getting in my last dose of Les Simpsons.

Neat art installation in Temiscouata-sur-le-Lac

And so begins the French portion of my cross-Canada tour. I will most definitely be returning to Montreal before I return out west, and I would like to spend a longer portion of time there, to get even more involved with the music scene. I've had a wonderful introduction to the Maritimes these past few days, which I shall write about in a subsequent post! For now though, I must ready myself for bed, as I need to be up early for the ferry to Digby!

First glimpse of winter - November 12

Onwards to Nova Scotia, my friends!
Shelder the Electric Clamfish

How to live a mobile life out of a Toyota Echo

I don’t like to think of myself as an expert on anything, because there’s always more to learn on any subject, but I do like to think I know quite a lot about living out of a car, because I’ve done it now for over three months. So I thought I’d write a little about my experience of doing such a thing, highlighting the ups and downs and some of my tricks I have learned, for anyone else who is interested in also living in this way.

The Clamfish and The Clamshell - just before I left for
my cross-Canada trip at the beginning of October.

 Many people seem quite surprised when I tell them I live out of my Toyota Echo (which I have named The Clamshell). And I wouldn’t say it’s possible for everyone – I’m able to comfortably sleep in it because I am short, but anyone taller than 5’2” wouldn’t be able to lie down and stretch out like I am able to. So you say, how does one actually lie down and stretch out when they also have four trumpets, two accordions, two ukuleles, a glockenspiel, a melodica, a flute and a tambourine? Here, let me tell you! I folded the big backseat down, which creates a sort of step/ledge going into the trunk. In order to make this flat, my dad built me a platform that goes into the trunk. On top of the platform, we put down a foam mattress (which happened to be the perfect length) and put cozy sheets/bedding on top. So I crawl in through the back seat and put my legs into the trunk – my head just sort of touches the back of the driver’s seat and my feet just sort of touch the back walls of the trunk. It’s cramped for sure, and sometimes I wake up with a kink in my neck, but I’m able to lie down. Normally, I have stuff stored on the mattress and in the trunk, so when I pull over for the night, I move everything into the front seat and make a pile/wall of stuff in the seat next to me. I have curtains from our old trailer hung up for privacy, and once I close them, then it feels more like a very cozy bedroom instead of a vehicle. It’s like a transformer!

Where my legs go. This photo was taken at the beginning of the summer...during the BC Teachers' Strike...

Panoramic shot of my mobile bedroom

Camper curtain and patch, made by my friend Hannah Fairbrother (Harosef Designs)

For storage, I have a milk crate underneath the seat where my head goes, where I put things such as cans of soup, toilet paper, first aid, etc and other items I don't need to access very often. I can also store small things underneath the bed-platform (mostly emergency items) - it's quite the task to access them, but they are there if the need arises. For cooking, I have a Rubbermaid bin that I packed with all my cooking essentials – a cast iron pan, two small pots, a coffeemaker, an espresso maker, spatula/wooden spoon, plate, mug, small cutting board, good knife, etc. I keep my pantry items (dry-goods such as flour, oats, sugar, cereal, tea) in my pantry next to the mattress in the back of the trunk in another milk crate. I cook my food on the BioLite stove – a sort of rocket stove that uses paper and twigs/pinecones for fuel. There is a battery-operated fan that provides oxygen for the fire, which in turn powers the battery! The excess heat of the flame charges your phone through a USB port. But I’ve found the charging function doesn’t work that great, so I have an inverter that I use while driving to charge my laptop and my phone. Once you know how to get the fire going, it doesn’t take any longer than any other camping stove to get your food cooked and water boiled. The only thing missing from my car is a bathroom. I won’t get into details, but when it’s a hassle to get out of the car and go into the cold outside, then a Tupperware container (with a lid!!) will do the trick. For circulation at night, I (with much help from my dad) attached screens to the back windows with self-adhesive velcro, so I can roll the windows down and have fresh air and keep the bugs out at the same time.

Extra storage in the back seat.

Cooking eggs and coffee with twigs and pinecones on my BioLite.
I keep two ice cream buckets replenished with dry fuel at all times.

My portable kitchen! You can also see part of my library and instrument storage.

  So those are the basics of how to live out of an Echo! Here are some pros/cons of living this way:

Bonuses:

• Your only rent is the cost of gas, insurance and repairs (which anyone who owns a car has to pay anyway).
• You’re free to go wherever you want, whenever you want!
• Your home and all the stuff you need is with you wherever you go. I imagine this is how turtles feel, except you can go 120km/h.
• Theoretically, as long as you find a safe place to pull over and a place that allows overnight parking, you can sleep anywhere you like for free! 
• If you're too lazy to set up a tent (ie. you pull into a campsite late at night) or you've been to a party and have had a few too many beers - BAM! Instant place to sleep. 
• When you do have access to a proper bed to sleep in (or a couch, or even just floor space) and an actual kitchen/bathroom to use, you appreciate such things so much more, and will probably never take them for granted again.
• Most people will be very impressed that you are able to live out of your car!

Drawbacks:

• Everything must have its place, and be put back in said place everytime, else chaos will ensue. This sometimes makes it difficult to access things, such as snowboots, which are stored at the very back of the trunk, underneath the bed, behind a bunch of other stuff.
• As mentioned above, going to the bathroom can be quite the task.
• Sometimes there are spills (such as oats, quinoa or maple syrup) and this can be rather annoying to clean up, unless your French friend happens to have a dust-buster handy! Merci beaucoup, Dalhi!!
• As alluded to above, pulling over just anywhere to sleep isn’t as glamorous as it sounds. For example, sleeping on the side of a barren road in Minnesota is rather harrowing, but it makes for a stronger person.
• I haven’t figured out how to live this way year-round, when it starts to get cold. In fact, I’m writing this blog from a motel room in rural Quebec at the moment, because it’s just too cold and dark to continue. So I probably won’t do another car-sleep until the spring. The only alternative I can think of would be a VW van (or equivalent) with a space heater. 
• It's difficult to give more than one person a ride (even one is a bit of a stretch, especially if they have an instrument, as most of my friends do). This can be both a good or a bad thing. Really, this wouldn't be possible to do as a couple. Or if it was, that couple would have to be on VERY good terms and have a lot less stuff than me. 
• If my car gets broken into, then that means my home has been broken into, not just my car. Hopefully that won't ever happen!!
• Some people will refuse to believe you can live out of your car and will look down upon you as a homeless vagabond hippy who doesn’t have a job. Those people don’t matter though.

I am aware the number of drawbacks outweigh the bonuses, but I think it’s worth it. In fact, I’m already looking forward to the return of the sun so I can resume my car-sleeping. I’m not sick of it…yet! And if/when I do get sick of it, then I’m going to upgrade to a van or build a small house on a flatbed truck. I'll also admit I've spent a fair amount of nights couch-surfing or tenting and not sleeping in the car, but I still think I've done pretty well at being *mostly* self-sufficient!

I hope you enjoyed my post about how to live out of an Echo – if you have any advice or ideas yourself, please feel free to comment below!

A more luxurious and spacious option if you have the time to set up the tent.
Living out of the car as opposed to in.

Home Sweet Home!!

Happy minimalist-mobile-living!

Shelder the Electric Clamfish (and her Clamshell) 

North Ontario to Eastern Canada!

Greetings Clamfolk! I can now say that I have made it to Eastern Canada. I'm writing this post from a quaint cafe in Montreal, where I am staying for a couple weeks, playing at least four shows. My show in Duluth was definitely the least attended of the whole tour thus far - at one point I was just performing for the staff and the other musician (Andy Austin, a classical guitar player from Milwaukee). But the venue (Beaner's Central Coffeehouse) was very hip and I had fun exploring Duluth nonetheless. I found the architecture to be especially interesting - seemed very colonial to me. Fun fact - Duluth is also the largest inland port in the world. After the harrowing night spent in my car on the dirt road in Bemidji, I luckily found a campground on the outskirts of Duluth, where I felt much safer sleeping near a smattering of other RVs and campers. The drive up the coast of Lake Superior back to Canada was beautiful - passing through neat towns and the historic Split Rock Lighthouse.

Historic Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior

When I got back to Canada (and found myself in Ontario), I made my way to Nolalu, a small town near Thunder Bay and found the house of Larry Watson and his partner Liz. Beautiful property - everything built by Larry over the last 30 years. I played a show in his woodworking shop, to a very small but very appreciative audience. I have learned by doing these solo shows that I actually prefer quality of audience over quantity - ie, I'd rather perform for a small and attentive audience as opposed to a large rowdy group not even paying attention. Large rowdy audiences certainly have their place, but it's not an ideal audience for a solo storytelling accordion player. Anyway, after a lovely breakfast and tour of Larry's property, I headed off on the long trek across North Ontario. That was the first day I felt rather tired and unmotivated to keep going, especially after seeing that Sault Ste Marie was still nearly 700km from Thunder Bay and that the weather was rather overcast. I stopped at the Terry Fox Monument though, and just standing there, I felt hope and motivation to keep going. If Terry could run halfway across the country with cancer and one leg, I could certainly keep my foot on the gas pedal.

The always inspiring Terry Fox

Around 5pm I started looking for a park to stay the night (I was keen to avoid any more dirt roads) and two of the parks I had seen on the map were gated shut, which was rather discouraging. Eventually I found a campsite at Neys Provincial Park, which I had to pay $28 for - it felt a bit silly to pay that much to just pitch my tent, but it was preferable to the side of the highway. I pitched my tent, started making my macaroni and cheese on my BioLite stove, and lo and behold, some moose hunters saw me and asked what I was up to, camping by myself in such a barren place. They invited me back to their fancy RV and fed me steak, pie, wine and Labatt's Blue. A truly North Ontario experience - to be hanging out with ten moose hunters in an RV!! I learned all about moose hunting as they discussed their plan of attack for the next day. They were a very friendly bunch and insisted I take food for my drive the next day as well. As I was rather tired and it was cold to trek back to my car and back to the RV, I did not retrieve my accordion to play a few songs for them, but I regret that decision now. In the morning, I woke up around 6am to make breakfast so that I would be on the road at a decent time. It was pitch black and everything was covered in frost. I got all my kitchen utensils out while wearing a toque, gloves and my headlamp and got a good fire going in my little stove. The sun was up by the time I had my tent packed and my oatmeal made.


The drive that day was far more pleasant than the one before - especially as it was sunny most of the way. I stopped at two famous monuments - the statue of Winnie-the-Pooh in White River (where the original Winnie-the-Pooh was first adopted) and of course the giant geese in Wawa. The poor original goose had to be moved and replaced by a steel goose, as it was unable to withstand the intense winds of Lake Superior.

Monty and Winnie-the-Pooh, in White River, ON.

Dennis in front of the original world's largest goose in Wawa, ON.

Monty in front of the replacement steel goose in Wawa, ON.

When I stopped in Old Woman Bay, I saw a VW Van with BC license plates. So of course I went up to the lady and started a conversation. Turns out she was driving back from St. John's (where I'm eventually headed to) and lives in Prince George. She asked me if I'd ever been to ArtsWells and when I responded that I play there every summer, she realized she had heard of (and seen) Shelder the Electric Clamfish! So that was my first "celebrity" moment. The second was actually this morning, when I was in a kitchen at a friend's house and another guy stopped by to pick something up and when I mentioned my stage name, he said "oh, YOU'RE the Electric Clamfish! I've heard of you!" Not much longer before I become a household name! Hah!

I continued to drive for quite a while that day, searching again for a park to spend the night. When I kept passing expensive RV parks and closed provincial parks, I started to get discouraged. I tried one more park in Massey, only to end up in a creepy abandoned summer camp. That was the turning point for me - the moment when I decided I would actually pay for a motel. That was certainly the right decision, as it was below freezing that night, and I woke up to a car covered in frost. I also took a bath AND a shower, and watched crappy shows on the TV. The next day I made sure to stop at the Sudbury for the Big Nickel, Parry Sound for lunch, and then I was in Toronto by dinnertime.

Monty in front of the world's largest nickel, in Sudbury, ON. 

Lunch break in Parry Sound

Monty in front of Canada's tallest tower

To both my family's and my surprise, I made it through rush hour traffic and found my sister's condo in The Junction with no problems. As I've spent a fair bit of time visiting Toronto, it was the first place that felt like home and very familiar since I had left the coast. I spent two days doing some computer/internet work and also playing with my now 4 year old nephew James, with the honour of taking him to Kindergarten in the mornings. I also recorded some accordion and recorder for my brother in law's (Phono d'Enfant) new album that he is working on. I played a show at my friend Ildi's house near Etobicoke, with my friends Lea and Reenie (The Good Fight). I saw some familiar west coast faces in the crowd, as well as lots of lively babies and toddlers running around. The next day, after a breakfast with my whole family (my parents had come out to visit Toronto for a week and a half or so) I said goodbye to Toronto and headed to Ottawa. I took highway 7 instead of opting for the busiest highway in Canada (the 401) and also because I was told it was more scenic. Of course, it got dark halfway to Ottawa, as I had left around 2pm, but I still preferred being on the smaller, slower highway. Made it to my friend Bob's house (he is a euphonium player in the army band) and he took me out for the best pho in the city, as well as a tour of the parliament buildings and the National War Monument, where there were many flowers and tributes laid for Cpl. Nathan Cirillo.

The National War Memorial, where recent attack happened. RIP, Cpl. Nathan Cirillo.

Monty in front of the nation's parliament buildings

Lots of extra police presence in the area, as it was only just a few days after the attack. I played another house concert at my friend Megan's place, again for a fairly small but very attentive (and interactive!) audience. Megan opened up with some fiddle tunes and then I played for over an hour.

The next morning, I headed across the river and found myself in Quebec! It only took a few hours to get to Montreal, which wins the prize for being the craziest place I've driven on this entire trip! Lots of taxis and other crazy vehicles darting in and out of lanes, without warning. It took me over an hour to actually get into the city and find the cafe my friend Dalhi had recommended I stop at. Eventually I found Cafe Lezard and spent a few hours just recovering from the drive. Now that I've been here for a week, I've gotten used to the driving and also the crazy parking. Everyone is impressed I've been here for a week and haven't yet received a parking ticket (knock on wood)! Since I've been here, I've been drinking lots of coffee, waking up much later than I normally have been, eating poutine and maple syrup flavoured things, and playing lots of accordion. As I am here for a couple weeks, I will write a blog post entirely dedicated to Montreal/Quebec, and also because I feel this current post is now long enough.

I plan to spend the rest of the afternoon today walking up Mont Royal, before heading to a rehearsal with my friend's band, Brassmob, who I will be sitting in with tomorrow at Quai de Brumes!

Au revoir!
Shelder the Electric Clamfish

The Prairies, Bemidji, and Beyond!

Wow, well my tour is vastly underway now! Last I wrote, I was in Edmonton, and it hadn't really felt like my tour had totally begun, as I've been on the route between Vancouver and Edmonton many many times in my life. But until last week, I've never been further east than Vegreville, Alberta (in a car that is). I've certainly covered a lot of ground since then - as I write this, less than a week and a half after leaving Edmonton, I am in Duluth, Minnesota - so you can do the math! Last I checked, my odometer (which I reset at Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal) was approximately at 3700km. Yesterday I drove through the longitudinal centre of Canada, which is just on the eastern side of Winnipeg. So I am more than halfway done my trip!

Anyway, back to the prairies. After I left Edmonton, I stopped in Mundare for a photo of the world's largest kubassa (Ukrainian sausage) and in Vegreville for the world's largest pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg).

I made it to Saskatchewan that evening, stopping to camp at a little volunteer-run campsite in Halfway Park. The next day, I headed to Saskatoon, where I met up with my friend Adrian English from high school. I stayed with him and his wife, Erika, as well as their son, Jaxson. That night, I played at d'Lish by Tish, a quaint little coffee shop. Local musician, Cityrat Songster, opened for me. The crowd was small (about 6 people), but all very appreciative and attentive. I am happy to report that no tomatoes have been thrown at me yet! The next morning, after a tasty breakfast cooked up by Adrian, I drove to Regina, where I was staying at my friend Aubrey Kelly's family farm. I checked in with her mom, Patty, at the farm first (had to drive down a couple prairie farm roads) before heading towards downtown Regina to play at The Artful Dodger. Very cool venue - they have gourmet wood oven fired pizza, a liquor license and also theatre style seating and a big stage. Fish and Bird had performed there the night before, so they left a note for me on the piano!

 Even though it was Thanksgiving Sunday, there was still a good turnout, and again, the audience was very appreciative and seemed to enjoy my eclectic material. I had connected with Ryan Shotton to open for me, who had also driven from Saskatoon that day just for the show. I had found both of these local musicians through friends of friends on Facebook - such a good way to connect with local musicians and meet new people as I drive across the country!

I spent 2 days on the Kelly farm, relaxing, catching up on internet work, and also learning how large-scale prairie farms work! Aubrey's brother, Tom, took me for a ride on the combine, as it is currently harvest season, so I got to watch the big blades chop up durum wheat (used for pasta) as it sorted the chaff from the actual usable grain. Here's a picture of Patty and I in front of the huge combine!!

It was difficult to leave the farm, as the Kellys were so generous and it was such a wonderful environment to hang out in for a couple of days. But alas, on Wednesday, it was time for me to head towards Winnipeg. I chose to take a slightly longer, smaller highway, through the scenic Qu'Appelle Valley, instead of taking the faster #1. Here's Monty at the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border:

 

I stopped for the night in Rivers, Manitoba, where my grandfather was once stationed to work for CN, in 1945. He also performed at the community hall there with his band, so I had a mission to find the community hall. I camped at the provincial park, which was technically closed, so I had my pick of sites! In the morning, I found the train station where my grandpa would have worked, as well as the community hall, which is now a Chinese restaurant. I then headed to Brandon, where I had an address of my grandparents first house (1944). I found the house, but no one was home. Here's a picture though!

Again, I took an alternate route to Winnipeg, instead of opting for the #1. I took Highway 2, inspired by Joshua Jackson in the movie "One Week" so I could get a photo of the world's largest prairie camel (Sara) in Glenboro, as well as the world's largest smoking pipe in St. Claude.

I arrived in Winnipeg a few hours prior to my show and found my friend Natalie Borhn at the Neighbourhood Bookstore and Cafe. Her friend, Ben Figler (Somebody Language) shared the show there with me. Instead of "opening" for me, we literally shared the show - playing songs back and forth for two hours. I have never done this approach before, but I really enjoyed it. It felt more interactive to me and it really changed the energy. Somebody Language just released a really great, new music video, which you should check out here:  Here's a photo from the performance, as taken by my friend Eric:

After a leisurely morning at Natalie's house (which is filled with many Winnipeg musicians), I finally hit the road south, for the United States. I reached the Piney border crossing at 5:02pm, and had neglected to check that the border crossing is only open until 5pm. The guard wouldn't let me through even though it was just 2 minutes after closing. So I had to drive further east to the Roseau crossing (which ended up being more convenient for my route to Bemidji after all). The guards were very friendly, although they did search my car for dope, but at least they didn't mess it up like the ones in Texas did when I was coming back from Mexico.

I finally got to the US just before 6pm and drove down to Bemidji, where I spent the night in my car on a dirt road near Lake Bemidji. I had missed the turn-off to Lake Bemidji State Park, which I'm sure would've been a much more enjoyable stay,  but the dirt road was just fine. I spent the night worrying about serial killers coming down the lane, and of course when I bumped my phone by accident and Siri started talking, I was convinced someone was about to sneak out of the woods. But I left again at 8:30am without having seen a single other soul or car, and realized all my fears were just in my head. But I suppose it's good to be aware of things, just in case. I am currently reading the book, Wild, about a woman the same age as me who once trekked the Pacific Crest Trail from Southern California to Northern Washington, all by herself. She wrote about such a thing - how easy it is to imagine situations and freak ourselves out, but doing such a thing serves no purpose, as "fear begets fear."

This morning, I drove into Bemidji and found Paul Bunyan and his big blue ox, Babe.

 I stopped for coffee at Cabin Coffee House, before heading on the road to Duluth - a very nice drive, through Chippewa National Forest. I got to Duluth nice and early for my show tonight, which was good, as I ended up on the complete opposite end of town and had to ask for directions from a very friendly and helpful tourist info lady. I hadn't even heard of Duluth until about a month and a half ago when I started organizing this tour. The architecture here is very lovely and I also learned it's the largest inland port in the world! I am playing tonight (in about 2 hours) at Beaner's Central Coffeehouse, with some other musicians from Tennessee. I've been hanging out here using the internet for a couple hours. It's a very cool venue that hosts musicians almost every night of the week.

Tomorrow I head up to Nolalu (near Thunder Bay), where I am playing at Larry Watson's Woodworking Studio. I am excited for the drive up Lake Superior and to check out some of the lake towns. After that, I drive along the lake until Sault Ste. Marie, on my way to Toronto. I don't have anywhere to stay between the woodshop and Toronto, so I plan to stay in provincial parks (as opposed to more dirt roads). If you're reading this and happen to know someone on that route though that wouldn't mind an Electric Clamfish on their floor or even driveway (I have a bed in my car), then please get in touch!

Time to get ready for the show! I'll report back probably when I get to Toronto or Montreal (in about a week's time).

Shelder the Electric Clamfish