Hello from Baba’s Lounge in beautiful Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
This time of night is familiar to every touring musician. It is the time of night known as “chillin’.” Soundcheck is over, and there’s an hour or so until the people arrive and the show starts. So you’re just sitting around. Chillin’.
Earlier this evening A/V and The Kettle Black played an all-ages at the local indie record store, Back Alley Discs. A couple doors down from Baba’s… that was an easy load-out.
Back Alley just opened up this back room that they’re letting people use, and tonight was the first show in that space. It had the feel of a rec room in someone’s house. Mom and dad are away, haul all the furniture outta there, get some of your friends’ bands to come over and set up and we’ll party. PA system, what PA system, we’re gonna pump the vocals through a Peavey Bandit guitar amp. Peace to the Peavey, a much-maligned brand, but so often present for the good times. I declared that the space should be known as “The Bandit Lounge” in the spirit of all things punk rock.
I dragged a metal chair back behind my rig and I stood up on it and declared, “I am now standing on the smallest stage in the smallest province in all of Canada.” There were thirty kids in there, I kicked off my sneakers and rocked it out and it was totally fun.
Photos on PEI Locals.
I wish I could be on tour every day and have this chillin’ time every night of my life. Some bands hate chillin’. It’s the boredom and the tension that gets to them. Man, how could you hate chillin’? Chillin’ is the spirit of optimism. Many good things in store, your whole life is ahead of you.
Oh we got the wireless here, maybe I can get some video up in this piece. OK… iMovie… h.264… mp4… voila, you were there. This is the beginning of the show with Boxer The Horse. Rob Diamond also played, in the middle of his set he went out to the clerk and handed in his resume. Hire this guy.
swordfight-backalley.mov [4MB QuickTime]
Back Alley had a nice bargain bin. Three CDs for $5. All around the room I saw little stashes that people had picked out, little piles of three CDs with yellow stickers on them. I found The Psyche Continuum by Sixtoo, and some DJ Moves compilation, Low Pressure or whatever it’s called, and also The New High Road Of Song by Al Tuck. I opened the case and it was a CD-R and it was signed by Al Tuck himself. Probably one of the first copies that were made. I was working at SoundMarket while this was being mastered, it’s a great record and I’ve missed it.
Baba’s Lounge has posters around the walls from shows of the ages. We got lots of Joel Plaskett in here, some Oh Susanna, looks like The Constantines swung by in 2002… couple of Guthries posters. I liked The Guthries. Featuring the lovely and talented Ruth Minnikin and the current Canadian rock god Matty Mays and actually everybody in that band was pretty talented.
Whoops… where does the time go. Looks like Nick is getting ready to start. It’s been nice chillin’ with ya. Tonight I dedicate my set to all those who have come before and also to the legions of rockers yet to be born.
