The second installment of the BROADCAST ZERO “Crisis Management Tour ‘09″ diary (the band is currently making it’s way across Western Canada)…see below for Dispatch #1…
After posting the “Team Building Exercise” that outlines some of the unfortunate mishaps and severe disasters that have forced themselves upon us over the first few days of this tour, it feels like some additional stories might be in order.
Mike in Thunder Bay is one of the best promoters in Canada and I”m sure a lot of bands would agree with me. We’ve never met a guy as dedicated to 80s Hair Metal as Mike and he is certainly in competition for being one of the nicest guys we know.
Kilroy’s is a great bar and we got a chance to play a good number of the new songs we’re touring with this time around (songs we hadn’t played before this date) so it was both productive and fun.
And for the girl who spent an hour at our merch table trying on shirts: Yes, you looked good in all the shirts and no you’re not fat. Please come back on June 4th and we can go through all the shirts again with you until you find something you like. Oh, and “I don’t like wearing black” is a difficult request at a punk band’s table.
Winnipeg: As if by fate, we could not find the venue and pulled into a very shady street on a very shady side of Winnipeg only to relaize that we had accidently pulled up in front of our friend Dustin’s house (where we would be staying that evening). So, we went in for a few drinks before the show.
As we made our way to the venue, navigating Winnipeg’s oneway streets, we circled the venue a few times searching for a beer store. And, as if by fate, as we pulled up to the beer store our car started to smoke. “Well, we’re pretty fucked, we mise well pick up a 2-4.” Turned out our engine didn’t feel like registering oil on its dip stick or retaining any coolant. You’ll have to stay tuned for the disagnosis.
Trying to keep a positive and determined outlook on things we made our way over one block to The Cavern, a wicked little punk rock club beneath the Frog. We had the pleasure of playing with Winnipeg’s The Afterbeats, a great ska band and a good bunch of guys. Admittedly it was difficult to fill a 50 minute slot as a punk band but we’ve got more than enough material this year so it managed to go off without a hitch. The place was packed (because the Afterbeats are awesome) and we met a shitload of great people. Special shout outs to Rhode Island, the girl who spelled her name slightly different than how it sounded, and the Ambient Rock guy who hates punk rock but told me my “Don’t Be An Asshole” shirt was the best he’d seen since 1990. Oh, and to the friends of Grave Maker who was sexually harassing me all night, I have a picture of John from Grave Maker grabbing me as well so it would appear birds of the same something flock together…I don’t know the saying. Great show, commence the aftershow.
It’s 430am and I still haven’t slept because we’re eating “sketchbag pizza” and some dude fell through the bannister on the front porch. The cat was “more of a bitch than a bitch” and it turns out Candy loves Dustin more than I do.
Thank God we made it to Kenora. It was looking bleak but we managed to be offered a car in WInnipeg (awesome) and Hennessy said we could borrow their equipment (and their van, awesome!). So we pulled up around 8pm and decided to head next door to the venue for some glow-in-the-dark bowling. Phil destoryed us all on the first game and our second game was atrocious, none of us scored over 100 (in 5 pin). Thanks to WIllow behind the counter at the bowling alley who actually showed up to the show after and provided us with show deoderizer (we’ll see you in Ottawa and maybe Kitchener). Although this comes later in the story, thanks to Bailey, the manager of the bowling alley who was working the merch table beside us and had offered to open the lanes up at 2am for some afterhours bowling if we had been able to stay in town.
The show was surreal. It was a big building, the Lake of the Woods Hotel, that held two bars, a gym, and a hotel where I am sure GG Allin ODed (if I didn’t know where he actually died); the rooms had suicide written all over them, that’s all I can say — very creepy.
In the actual big bar we played, there was a pool tournament going on, punk bands and a dance club inbetween sets. You think the night would be a bust but it was fucking epic. Since we liked it so much the night before, we decided to play for about 45 minutes. Punk bands probalby shouldn’t play for that long but whatever, we don’t get to Kenora too often although it has become clear that we should. Thanks for everything Sean from Hennessy!
Kamloops to Prince George stories to come.
Nick
Crisis Management Tour ‘09: Entry 1
After posting the “Team Building Exercise” that outlines some of the unfortunate mishaps and severe disasters that have forced themselves upon us over the first few days of this tour, it feels like some additional stories might be in order.
Mike in Thunder Bay is one of the best promoters in Canada and I”m sure a lot of bands would agree with me. We’ve never met a guy as dedicated to 80s Hair Metal as Mike and he is certainly in competition for being one of the nicest guys we know.
Kilroy’s is a great bar and we got a chance to play a good number of the new songs we’re touring with this time around (songs we hadn’t played before this date) so it was both productive and fun.
And for the girl who spent an hour at our merch table trying on shirts: Yes, you looked good in all the shirts and no you’re not fat. Please come back on June 4th and we can go through all the shirts again with you until you find something you like. Oh, and “I don’t like wearing black” is a difficult request at a punk band’s table.
Winnipeg: As if by fate, we could not find the venue and pulled into a very shady street on a very shady side of Winnipeg only to relaize that we had accidently pulled up in front of our friend Dustin’s house (where we would be staying that evening). So, we went in for a few drinks before the show.
As we made our way to the venue, navigating Winnipeg’s oneway streets, we circled the venue a few times searching for a beer store. And, as if by fate, as we pulled up to the beer store our car started to smoke. “Well, we’re pretty fucked, we mise well pick up a 2-4.” Turned out our engine didn’t feel like registering oil on its dip stick or retaining any coolant. You’ll have to stay tuned for the disagnosis.
Trying to keep a positive and determined outlook on things we made our way over one block to The Cavern, a wicked little punk rock club beneath the Frog. We had the pleasure of playing with Winnipeg’s The Afterbeats, a great ska band and a good bunch of guys. Admittedly it was difficult to fill a 50 minute slot as a punk band but we’ve got more than enough material this year so it managed to go off without a hitch. The place was packed (because the Afterbeats are awesome) and we met a shitload of great people. Special shout outs to Rhode Island, the girl who spelled her name slightly different than how it sounded, and the Ambient Rock guy who hates punk rock but told me my “Don’t Be An Asshole” shirt was the best he’d seen since 1990. Oh, and to the friends of Grave Maker who was sexually harassing me all night, I have a picture of John from Grave Maker grabbing me as well so it would appear birds of the same something flock together…I don’t know the saying. Great show, commence the aftershow.
It’s 430am and I still haven’t slept because we’re eating “sketchbag pizza” and some dude fell through the bannister on the front porch. The cat was “more of a bitch than a bitch” and it turns out Candy loves Dustin more than I do.
Thank God we made it to Kenora. It was looking bleak but we managed to be offered a car in WInnipeg (awesome) and Hennessy said we could borrow their equipment (and their van, awesome!). So we pulled up around 8pm and decided to head next door to the venue for some glow-in-the-dark bowling. Phil destoryed us all on the first game and our second game was atrocious, none of us scored over 100 (in 5 pin). Thanks to WIllow behind the counter at the bowling alley who actually showed up to the show after and provided us with show deoderizer (we’ll see you in Ottawa and maybe Kitchener). Although this comes later in the story, thanks to Bailey, the manager of the bowling alley who was working the merch table beside us and had offered to open the lanes up at 2am for some afterhours bowling if we had been able to stay in town.
The show was surreal. It was a big building, the Lake of the Woods Hotel, that held two bars, a gym, and a hotel where I am sure GG Allin ODed (if I didn’t know where he actually died); the rooms had suicide written all over them, that’s all I can say — very creepy.
In the actual big bar we played, there was a pool tournament going on, punk bands and a dance club inbetween sets. You think the night would be a bust but it was fucking epic. Since we liked it so much the night before, we decided to play for about 45 minutes. Punk bands probalby shouldn’t play for that long but whatever, we don’t get to Kenora too often although it has become clear that we should. Thanks for everything Sean from Hennessy!
Kamloops to Prince George stories to come.
Nick
