The Jewish Mother – Norfolk, VA

23 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment

by Lauren Mann in From Here To There, Tour Stories Tags: , , , , , ,

The drive to Norfolk, VA, was an acceleration through winter into spring. What a great feeling to be in warm weather again! We had been looking forward to the show, mostly because it was at a place called the Jewish Mother. Turns out it’s a legendary bar/venue in Norfolk! We played with a local band called PHSO (try and figure out the pronunciation, I dare you. We couldn’t.) who were super friendly and cool people. All in all it was a good night. We had a great soundman and a big sound system so that was pretty cool as well.

Two girls came to the show specifically to see us, which was quite surprising! They heard about the show on the radio and decided to check it out, and they really enjoyed it. I love it when things like that happen because it means we must be doing SOMETHING right. :)

We had quite a few interesting (cool kind of interesting) people encounters that night, or at least I did. So I thought I’d tell you the tales.

As soon as the show was done, a guy came up to the stage and handed me a twenty dollar bill with a note wrapped around it. The note just said, “Please say Happy Birthday to Karen.” So I wished Karen a happy birthday and made twenty dollars! Then that same guy came to the merch table and forked out $25 for charity: water and told me he wanted us to play at a private party of his sometime. Totally.

Then another guy came up to the merch table and started talking to me, and I found out that he’s going to be deployed in a few days to somewhere in the middle east! It kind of caught me off guard because I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone in the Navy. Norfolk has a big Naval Military base, so it makes sense, I was just really surprised. I wanted to know where in the middle east, but I don’t think I’m privy to that info.

And then there were these three or four girls, all friends, who looked like they had stepped straight off of Salt Spring Island. (An island near Vancouver Island, BC where there are lots of “hippies.”) They were super nice, and in talking to them I found out that one of them had hiked the Appalachian Trail and slept in a hammock for four months straight! She and her friend are moving to California in the summer and then she’s going to do the Pacific Rim Trail. What a trooper.

All that said, it was a great night. Next…Hickory, NC!

Lauren.

New Frontiers

20 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment

by Lauren Mann in From Here To There, Tour Stories Tags: , , , , , , ,

New places bring such excitement, such freshness and desire for adventure. That was one reason, among others, why I was excited to get to the US. But I didn’t really spend a lot of time thinking of it because the whole border crossing issue was the first thing that came to mind when I thought of our US tour, and that was something I didn’t want to think about since it gave me severe anxiety. But these things that give us fear need to be dealt with, and when we got to the border at Calais, ME at midnight on March 3rd, I wasn’t as nervous as I imagined. And then twenty minutes later, when we were legally in America, had visas on our passports, and had absolutely no issues in the border office at all, I couldn’t help but laugh. Considering we had a big tour, five people, and a lot of paperwork to go along with that, it was the simplest border crossing ever! I definitely shouldn’t have worried so much over it. Lesson learned.

The next evening we played our first US show in Arlington, MA, just outside of Boston. Our very good friends Larry and Sherry helped organize the show at their church, and we had a grand time! It was probably the best way we could have imagined to start tour: the sun was shining, we got to hang out with good friends, and the show was a big success. We spent the next few days with the Andrews, hanging out, seeing Boston and eating at Chipotle (one of our favorite American fast food chains).  It was great!

Next we drove to Lewisburg, PA and stayed with Zoltan’s dad’s cousin (second cousin?), Francoise. She and her husband took us out for dinner and we got to visit with Zoltan’s great uncle (dad’s dad’s uncle) and his wife. He’s Hungarian, and has spent time in many places in the world, knows four languages, and has an abundance of stories. He wrote a memoir of his and his family’s life, which I’m hoping to get my hands on one of these days! He was an avid mountain climber when he was younger, and climbed a mountain that Zoltan and I have climbed: Yamnuska, in Kananaskis Country! What a cool connection to family history! I love learning about family history. I think that knowing where we come from and the stories of where we come from is important in shaping our mindset of where we are in the present and where we’re going. There’s a fun little intellectual thought for you.

The next morning, Francoise took the two of us to a farmer’s market where there was an abundance of Amish-grown produce and handmade wares, and she bought us some yummy treats, and then we headed out to Sterling, VA for our next show.

On the way to our show there, we stopped at McDonald’s to use the restroom, and after we got back on the highway, this car pulled up beside us and held up an index card that said:

BAND?

Zoltan nodded his head, so the guy flipped the card over.

NAME?

Zoltan tried to yell the name to him, but ended up holding one of our postcards to the window. As the guy drove away we saw him writing our name down. It was a pretty funny experience!

But it got better! We got to Riverside Church  where the show was at and after we had set up and sound checked, we were doing the routine facebook checks, and we noticed that some guy named Zachary had posted on our wall saying that he had met us on Hwy 15 and liked our music, so he was going to try and come to the show tonight!

He did end up coming, which is the best part of the story, so we got to get to know him a bit and exchange contact info so next time we come through we can hang out! It was a great connection that will hopefully lead to a really cool friendship! That’s what tour is all about.

Next is our adventure at the Jewish Mother in Norfolk, VA. :)

Cheers,
Lauren.

Finish With A Bang!

11 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment

by Lauren Mann in From Here To There Tags: , , , , , ,

As we go across the country, it’s interesting to observe the different dynamics in each region. Usually how it goes is Western Canadian shows are really solid, then there’s a bit of a slump in Central Canada, including Ontario, but when we get to Quebec, it’s like the tour gets revitalized. We only played two shows in Quebec on this tour: Montreal and Quebec City, and each one was a really memorable night.

We played Quebec City first, which may seem strange but we had to re-route a bit so the guys could go see one of their favourite metal bands. We played at Fou Bar, a tiny little bar very close to Old Quebec City.

As soon as we got there, a man greeted us and started helping us load in. We found out that his name is Pierre, and he had heard about the show from a Quebec events listing website about a week before that, and since then he had been listening to us, learning about us, and anticipating the show! He even knew the names of the guys, even though they’ve only been with us since January. It was slightly bizarre, but so awesome that someone we hadn’t had any connection with previously really liked our music! Later that night he told me that he had gone through a really rough week and our music helped him get through that. I was really thankful that we could be an influence in his life. During the show, he was singing along to almost all the songs and was more excited than most people that have come to our shows. It was a really cool moment!

We played two sets since we were the only band, and after we were all done we saw that there was about four inches of snow covering everything outside! It was very beautiful, seeing the European-looking Quebec streets covered in snow, but it also made for a very interesting load-out. And the after-show poutine from Chez Ashton was delicious. A Quebec tradition for us.

It was a snowy night in Quebec City!

 

The next night we played in Montreal at Burritoville, which is actually the only place we’ve ever played in Montreal. Funny how that goes. It was the cd release show for Considering Anyone Present, a band we had played with once before. They are awesome guys and write really beautiful music, so it was an honour to share the stage with them. After eating some of the best burritos in Canada, we played in the upstairs room at Burritoville for a packed room of people.

Pierre, who we met the night before actually drove from Quebec City to Montreal to see us (and I think he was visiting some family, too) and brought his friend Alex. We got to talk to them a bit more and found out that they used to play music together when they were young. Pierre also told me that hearing our show in Quebec inspired him to pick up his guitar again and he played along to Who’s To Know before coming to our Montreal show.

So after two awesome shows, we had two days off, one to hang around Montreal and the boys to go see August Burns Red, and the next day to drive to Fredericton to start the last few Canadian shows in the Maritimes.

———

In some ways the Maritimes remind me of the west coast, but in other ways they are completely opposite. I love the coastal feel, breathing the ocean air, and just being near the water.

We played four shows in the Maritimes: Charlottetown PEI, Moncton NB, St. Stephen NB, and Saint John NB. We were going to play in Truro, NS, but the venue cancelled the show due to lack of interest, which was a bummer.

But the shows were really good, and it was a nice way to finish the Canadian leg of tour.

Until next time,
Lauren.

 

PS. To stay up to date with us every day, you can follow us on twitter @laurenmann, and on instagram @fairlyoddlauren.

Infinitely Ontario

27 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment

by Lauren Mann in From Here To There, Snapshots, Tour Stories Tags: , , , ,

Touring across Canada goes by really quickly, but as soon as you get to Ontario, it’s as though time slows down. It takes so long to get through this province, especially when the northern cities are concerned! So this week, it’s all about Ontario. We’ve spent a solid week here, and will be leaving for Quebec tomorrow.

We left off in Sudbury, where we played at Underground Cafe, a little cafe in the basement of Grace Family Church. The highlights of the show: blowing a breaker for the first time in the FIRST song of the set, and the famous brownie explosions. YUM.

Next was Owen Sound. We played at one of our favourite coffee shops, Frog Ponds in this empty space right beside the cafe. Our good friend Ian Holme and his band, The Curb played as well and we had  really good time with great friends and delicious sandwiches (ladies take note…this is the key to Aaron’s heart). It was such a great night and even though Owen Sound is a little out of the way, I’m sure we’ll be back because we always have fun.

After hanging out with our friends the Schmitke’s in Owen Sound, we drove to Toronto, the biggest city, but definitely not the best (I’m biased to the west). We played at a tiny little cafe called the Holy Oak with Alysson McNamara and the Nomads. They are a group of amazingly talented musicians, so playing with them was a treat! The Holy Oak is a REALLY tiny cafe right on Bloor Street, and it was definitely an adventure trying to fit all of our gear in there. But we made it work and it was great to see some old friends!

The next day we drove west to London and played in the basement of Hillside Church. It was another fun night and we got to play with even more talented musicians, including a band called Sea and City. They’re all really young but have a great sound, so I’m sure you’ll hear of them in the future!

Next on the list was Hamilton, where we played at the Casbah with Miniver Sail and Matt Paxton. Again, a really fun show. Hammer spent a lot of time in Hamilton when he toured with Absolute, so we hung out with lots of his friends and even got to partake in a breakfast party the next day!

From Hamilton we went to Waterloo and played at Maxwell’s Music House with the Blackwood Two, which was really a collection of friends playing some GREAT folk music. Before the show Dan from Blackwood Two made us some delicious lentil soup. I wish I had some of that right now! Haha.

Usually the Blackwood Two, but since one of the Two was out of town, became the Blackwood Few.

 

After having a day off getting things done and having dinner with Zoltan’s mom, we headed to Peterborough for dinner with our very good friends, the Hawkins, then head to the Garnet where we played. Before the show we did a quick interview on The Antidote with Dave Hawkins (Trent Radio, every Wednesday at 9pm…check it out!) which was really fun. Dave is a connoisseur of good music, so it was an honour to be featured on his show!

On Air with Dave Hawkins @ Trent Radio

 

And that brings us to our last night in Ontario in Ottawa. It was my twenty-third birthday, so Zoltan and I went to Folklore Music in Ottawa and he bought me a BEAUTIFUL new ukulele with a pickup in it as a birthday present! It’s made by a company called Mainland, based out of the US and it’s a solid mahogany top tenor uke. I LOVE it! I can’t wait to trick it out with some sweet pedals and maybe even an amp someday.

 

Isn't it pretty??

 

But anyway, I got to play it for our show at the Elmdale House Tavern that night, and on the last song while I was playing on my new uke, the boys broke open six garbage bags full of balloons! And then at the end of the song they wrapped me in wrapping paper and presented me with cheesecake. It was a big surprise and so much fun. And a big thanks to Blake and Jill for picking up the cheesecake!

Whew! Now we’re almost caught up! Right now we’re on the way to Fredericton (playing in PEI tomorrow) so I’ll write about our Quebec adventures soon. :)

 

Much love,
Lauren.

Lakes, Rocks, Trees, and a Tour-cation

15 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment

by Lauren Mann in From Here To There, Snapshots, Tour Stories Tags: , , , , , , ,

Now that we’ve been on the road for one day shy of three weeks, we’re getting into a routine, getting into the groove, and it feels good! We’re all still friends and still enjoy what we’re doing so that’s a good sign!

After our day off driving to Steinbach, we had shows in Steinbach, Winnipeg, Kenora, Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie and tonight in Sudbury, with two days off thrown in there!

In Steinbach we played with our good friend Richard Inman, and a band called Hot Club. It was a night of ol’ time folk music. We also got to stay with our very good friends Kyle, Candice, their kids, and Kyle’s sister Celynne. They are awesome people who work at the YFC in Steinbach and we always have fun hanging out, drinking chai and talking about God and indie bands.

In Winnipeg,  we had dinner with some friends and then played that night at Juss Jazz, a really neat little jazz club on Portage. Even though we definitely don’t play jazz music, it was a great fit and a really good night, even though Aaron had to run off stage halfway through the set because he wasn’t feeling so great. Don’t worry, we took good care of him and he got better real quickly.

After Winnipeg we headed into Northern Ontario and played in the BEAUTIFUL town of Kenora. We did an afternoon acoustic show at HoJoe’s Coffee and Books and that night played at Cornerstone Restaurant, both really cool spots to hit if you ever venture up that way. We even got to stay in a hotel, which is not normal for us and was a welcome treat!

Next was a decent drive to Thunder Bay where we played at the Apollo with our good friend Nathan Woods and the Bay City Sound Collective.

Bay City Sound Collective

 

It was a super fun show, and then we got to spend the next two days hanging out in Thunder Bay! We were supposed to shoot a music video on Sunday, but lack of planning and getting bed at 3am made us reconsider, so we’re going to reschedule for May. But it was definitely nice to have some down time and get caught up on a few things. Zoltan and I even took the entire day on Monday to celebrate Valentine’s Day. It was great! Here are a few photos from our Valentine’s Day adventure.

First stop was Thunder Oak Cheese, a farm just outside of Thunder Bay where they make Gouda cheese from the milk of cows on their farm. We learnt about the process of making gouda cheese and got ourselves some smoked gouda and delicious fresh cheese curds. In this picture (below) the cheese is setting in molds.

Making Gouda Cheese

As we were leaving we tried getting out of the parking lot, which was sloped and also a giant sheet of ice. Long story short, we were stuck as can be and had to get one of the farmers to pull us out with their tractor!

Thankfully we were on a farm with big tractors!

I think the farmer thought we were just silly city-slickers, and we may be, but we’re country folk at heart. :)

 

Next we spent a few hours hitting up some thrift store (and finding two pairs of awesome shoes and a pretty black dress!) and then we headed to the marina to go skating! We decided that even though we can’t bring to many things on tour, we brought our skates so we can get some winter exercise when we have time! The marina is right on Lake Superior, and the sun was just setting, so it was beautiful.

Be my valentine?

Hey there!

And to top it all off, we had an Indian food buffet at Masala Grill, and homemade brownies for dessert! What a great Valentine’s Day.

Then yesterday, actually Valentine’s Day, we made the long trek to Sault Ste Marie where we played at the campus bar at Algoma University. It was a fairly quiet night, but we had a Crank Productions do sound for us…basically the coolest sound guys ever. George did sound for us last time we were in Sault Ste Marie at Tailfeathers Festival, and so it was great to see him again.

And that brings us to today! We’re in Sudbury tonight at Underground Cafe. As we were pulling up to the venue, we noticed an outdoor rink right beside us, so we might be going to check it out after we load in…

 

Much love to you all!

Lauren.

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