Month: August 2007

Once again, taken from The Palmer Project as I am lazy from writing up all these past days of the East Coast Trip.
http://the-palmer-project.blogspot.com/2007/08/house-guests.html

The house had another Palmer in it, as cousin Ryan and his girlfriend Vero stayed with us for a few days on their vacation. After the great concert and late night the day before, we started our day late. A tour of the city was in order to show them around as they had never been to London before. We stopped by T.J. Baxters for lunch and sat on the roof while we ate. (London is actually a beautiful city and it seems really wealthy (although this may be biased judging from our tour in the better parts of the area. Western University was amazing campus.)

Next we introduced the couple to our favorite outdoor game Texas Horseshoes (aka Ring Toss). It didn’t take them long to get the hang of it. We played in teams with the guys against the girls. I’m happy to say the male team of Palmer & Palmer dominated every game against the women. They received a down home ass whooping!!!! (Let us also point out that we were not impressed when Vero decided to cut off our heads in a picture of the two champions! Let us also point out that Troy managed to sack himself with his chair when it hit the fence on his way out. The man was in pain while I was in stitches.)

We worked up an appetite so we headed down to Chaucers Pub for some fine grub and beer. The sausage platter is one of my favorites, and Ryan really enjoyed his. Three sausages, sauerkraut, cabbage, and potatoes. We were stuffed at the end. The ladies on the other hand enjoyed mushroom stuffed chicken. Chaucers offers approximately 90 plus different beers from around the world, so Ryan and I took a look at the “Beer Bible” to decide on our beverage of choice. After a few beers and a great dinner it was back to “Casa Palmer” where Ryan and I broke out the guitars and sang a bunch of tunes while recording the session. (The sausage platter is still on my mind to this day and I want to go back. They had this amazing mustard concoction. The Beer Bible is comparable to the one at Pub Italia in Ottawa. Very nice descpriptions. I’m glad that I introduced Troy to some excellent beers such as Paulaner. He introduced me to a Scottish beer which was aged in oak barrels. I must admit the first two sips had me wondering but after that I really enjoyed it and actually wanted another. Reminded of scotch. Speaking of scotch, I consider Troy my mentor in scotch as I haven’t had much experience drinking it outside of with him and Rick. I must admit that I’m still at the novice stage of drinking it and have to learn to appreciate the taste. After my second drink I was at that stage.)

The following day we had some breakfast then Connie and Vero sat outside reading and enjoying the weather. (Excellent breakfast at the Little Beaver!) It was a good opportunity for Ryan and I to head into the music room and record a song. Ryan brought out an original that he wrote, and before too long we had bass, guitar, and vocal tracks recorded. We spent the next hour trying to come up with an appropriate drum track for the song. (This was the infamous recording session of ‘The Stomper’, coming to a CD player near you soon! I was impressed with Troy’s recording outfit and am jealous that his system has built in drum effects. I’m actually thinking of selling my Fostex off to get a system comparable to his. I was having a good laugh at Troy trying to nail the harmonies at the beginning but then he found the right voicing and let ‘er wail.) The ladies were getting fed up with hearing it over and over again, so the timing was right when we stopped to get ready for more friends coming over for a BBQ.

Our friends, Shannon, Jay & Heather joined us for an afternoon of intense Texas Horseshoe games. After kicking some ass with Ryan as my partner I fired up the BBQ and fed the hungry gamers. We finished off the evening by watching the DVD “The Life & Hard Times of Guy Terrifico”. I thought Ryan and Vero were going to piss their pants a few times as they were laughing so hard during the movie!! (Always good to see Shannon, Jay & Heather as they are good times. Guy Terrifico is the must see movie of the year. It reminded me HEAVILY of the FUBAR style of film. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s by the same director.)

It was great to have our two house guests join us for a few days. I guess it’s our turn now to head to Ottawa to visit them.

(Vero and I send out a heartfelt thanks for putting up with us for a few days. Very nice of the two of you and we give you guys 5 stars! Well, Vero wanted to give you 5 stars but I was more on the 3.5 star side as chocolate isn’t really my thing, you know?)

Taken from The Palmer Project (my cousin’s blog) to give an overview of our stay along with comments by yours truly:
http://the-palmer-project.blogspot.com/2007/08/alice-in-chains-velvet-revolver.html

“Sunday August 12th, my cousin Ryan and his girlfriend Vero came into town. We jumped into the van and headed to Toronto’s Molson Amphitheater to see Alice In Chains and Velvet Revolver. The drive up wasn’t the greatest as it was poring rain, but once we arrived it seemed to clear up. Thankfully the weather turned out to be good, and it didn’t rain at all while we were at the venue.

We started out with a sausage on a bun, and had a couple of beers prior to heading to our seats. Thanks to Ryan for finding a great deal on the seats…………$20 in total. You can’t go wrong with that price! The only hick up of the night was when security wouldn’t allow Ryan to bring in his camera. (Bastards! I couldn’t believe it. I thought there would be NO PROBLEM. It all comes down to looking at the security guards and determining who is the best one to pat you down.) We managed to store it in a locker after trying to secure some change from fellow concert goers. The opening band Kill Hannah was pretty good and the highlight of their set was a version of Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell. Ryan got lucky as a seagull almost shit on him. The bird shit landed right between his legs as he was sitting in his seat!!! (I couldn’t believe it! I didn’t even notice until Vero started laughing hysterically and she pointed between my legs. Good thing it didn’t hit my beer!)

Alice In Chains were next to take the stage. I was curious to see how they would do, as the original singer Layne Staley died a few years ago. The replacement William DuVall did an admiral job, and sounds very similar to Layne. Alice In Chains tore up the stage…….they were simply amazing!!!! It’s great to hear a band that is on their game and enjoying what they are doing. (I echo Troy’s sentiments. They played all the songs I wanted to hear and they were in fine form. How does Jerry Cantrell get his hair oh so straight and rocker like?!)

The closer for the night was Velvet Revolver. For those of you not aware, three quarters of the band members were previously in Gun’s & Roses. Drummer Matt Sorum, bassist Duff McKagan, and lead guitar player Slash. Velvet Revolver is rounded out by Dave Kushner on guitar and former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland.

They played a very energetic rock & roll show. Scott Weiland paraded around at times with a megaphone. A number of Stone Temple Pilots and Guns & Roses songs were played. The highlight of their show for me was when they performed an acoustic set. Interstate Love Song and Patience received the most response from the crowd. (I also liked how they played Wish You Were Here. I ended up recording it on my dictaphone and sent it to Mike who proceeded to send back expletives to me considering I was rubbing it in his face that he missed the concert.)

At the end of the show we headed back to London where Connie had some late night snacks ready for us. We called it a night after a couple of drinks. ” (Connie, you are the best. Those were the greatest treats we could have along the way. The ride home was great also as Troy and I talked about family and swapped stories. I never realized he had a jacket and beret that my grandfather used to own. I’ll have to take a look at it the next time we meet!)

Setlist

Again
Grind
We Die Young
Them Bones
No Excuses
Angry Chair
Rain When I Die
Would?
Down in a Hole
Rooster
Man in the Box

Vero and I decided to leave a day later and head out on the Saturday to Maren’s wedding after I found out it started at 5PM. We figured we could get there in plenty of time.

After packing the car the night before and making sure we had everything for the coming weeks, we headed out on the road where I gave Vero her travel pack – a bunch of crossword puzzles, fun games and other assorted goodies. I don’t know if you ever had this when you were a child, but we used to go on annual summer trips (usually down to Gaspe) and as soon as we got in the car, Mom passed us our goody bags which were chock full of stuff to amuse ourselves with – puzzles, connect the dots, and those pieces of cardboard where you can draw on this cellophane sheet and then lift it up to have it erase the picture. Do you guys know what I’m talking about? Either way, it was a good times as I always got sick while reading in the car so it was a fun alternative.

The trip to Kitchener was uneventful and we arrived at Uncle Gary and Aunt Lois’s place after dropping into The Bay to pick up a pair of black socks (how I could forget the ever-important item?!). Uncle Gary gave us the tour of their wonderful new house which culminated in a walk through this massive garden in the backyard! We couldn’t believe it was theirs as the backyard was sectioned off from the garden so we just assumed it was someone else’s. Very beautiful (as seen in the picture) and there was a lot of good work put into it. The house was nice also and we really enjoyed the paintjob they did in the living room. It had something to do with putting paint on plastic sheets and swirling it around. Yes, that’s the technical term. 😉

I then brought Vero out to Campus Pizza (formerly Gino’s Pizza) for their world famous slice of pizza. Man, I miss that place!

We headed over to the University of Waterloo campus where the wedding was being held. This was one of the few weddings that we were going to attend where we knew virtually no one. I was pleasantly surprised to see Christina and Kevin and Dan as I had known them from a few gatherings in the past. I also saw Kim and Chris (I worked with Kim years ago) and we headed into the chapel.

The ceremony was great and I enjoyed the priest. He was quite entertaining. There were 12 (?) bridesmaids and 8 (?) groomsmen. When it comes down to it, why does anyone have to choose who their best people are anyhow? Maren and Allan-Paul looked great and everything went off without a hitch (as far as I could tell). It was sweltering hot inside the chapel so I was happy to have a fan near my back. Dan pointed out that my vest would probably make me even more hot and I realized he was right after shedding five pounds in sweat. I promptly took it off after leaving the chapel.

We headed over to the reception hall (the name of the building escapes me) but it was beautiful. They had some good lounge tunes going on and were handing out free drink tickets at the door. Score! After proceeding to have a few drinks the following conversation occurred while I was at the bar:

Vero: So we’re heading to Gaspe after this.
Kevin: Gaspe eh? We were just there. Actually I’m from around there.
Vero: Really, where?
Kevin: Murdochville.
Vero: Murdochville! That’s where ‘s is from!

So it turns out that I have known Kevin from a few gatherings over the years…maybe met him five times…he’s a good chap but in the end, he comes from Murdochville and I know his uncle from the Gaspe Golf Tournaments and I asked my folks and they know his father Keith. Incroyable! What a small world.

After dancing the night away and listening to a few excellent speeches (and meeting Maren’s mother for the first time. She was having a good time that night trying to hook her daughter up with some eligible bachelors) we finally decided to leave the festivities after a good night. It was also good to see Whitney and Mikey as I haven’t seen them in awhile and I have a good time with them. Mikey and I talked guitar for a bit.

We arrived home to find Aunt Lois awake (as she had flown in from Gaspe that evening) so we chatted it up with her for a bit before going to bed. We arose to have some breakfast (Thanks Aunt Lois!) and chatted for a few hours before heading out to London, Ontario.

Thanks to Uncle Gary and Aunt Lois for the warm hospitality and a place to stay during our trip to Kitchener. We love your house…a wise purchase.

Congrats to the bride and groom!

Did you know that the Guinness Brewery (or members of the brewery) are responsible for creating the Guinness Book of World Records?

Huh.

http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/C/City_And_Colour/2007/08/09/4404631.html

Here’s an interesting article about Dallas Green not wanting to play his hit song ‘Save Your Scissors’. It goes on to talk about other artists who get tired of playing the same hit song and want to stop.

I remember years ago reading this about Counting Crows Mr. Jones and how they stopped playing it for a tour.

Where do you stand on this issue? Where do I stand on this issue?

Mmm…years ago I saw the sense of it and how you could get tired of playing the same old thing. Even I hit a wall playing Mr. Jones because everyone wanted to hear it all the time. I was thinking “But I have so many other songs I can play which I have fun with and I think you’ll like them also!”

I think it was when I started reading a lot more about U2 and the Rolling Stones that I realized that part of the music business is the fact that you are there for your fans, not for your self-indulgent ways on stage. So if you can take 3 minutes out of your life to play the crap out of a song that you don’t care to play, but then you make the entire audience be moved, then play the song! Back in the day, music was more of a business and musicians knew that a lot more. They knew they had to go play the hits. Heck, why do you think cover bands appear at bars? We’re not there to see them drone out their own material, we want to hear some Billy Idol playing!

That being said – I feel for the artists who get tired of playing a song, but I think you should remember who you’re there to entertain. Sure, you can throw the argument that the hardcore fans would rather you be happy and play what you want, while all the while getting a few gems you pull out from yesteryear instead of playing a hit. But do you really think a band’s audience consists of only hardcore fans? Do you really think when AC/DC goes out on tour, their fans own all their albums? Why do you think Greatest Hits albums are a great seller year after year?

Artists – play your hits. Please the masses. Even your hardcore fans aren’t going to say “Oh man, not THIS song again.”

As you may or may not know, Vero and I are hitting the road for a giant trek for the next two weeks. While we have some things planned out, we are also going to drive by the seat of our pants.

Essentially we have from Wednesday August 15 until Friday August 24 to get ourselves down to New York City from London. I think our best bet is to head towards Montreal, hook down to Quebec City, visit Gaspe for a bit, then go down the coast towards Boston and then New York City.

But what do my faithful readers suggest? Is there any ‘must-see’ items along that general route? Take a look at the map and identify some fun things for us to do!

Most of the time we’ll probably be camping which will be a new experience for me. Usually my camping trips involve a weekend away…so I’m not sure of how easy it is to find camping grounds along the way ahead of time but I’m going to go on a whim and say there are probably tons and I shouldn’t have too much to worry about. Except when I hit New York City of course! That’s another dilemna…any idea of where I should park for the weekend? Should I just find a cheap parking lot?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20155039?GT1=10252

BERLIN – Germany’s national railway wasn’t about to risk sending a trainload of soccer fans to a German Cup match without beer.

Federal police said Monday that the beer tap failed aboard a special train carrying Bayer Leverkusen fans to Hamburg on Saturday. The fault was discovered half an hour into the journey.

“In order not to endanger the good mood” of the passengers, railway officials halted the train in Wuppertal for 25 minutes and had a replacement part delivered by taxi, a police statement said. It added that there was no trouble among the fans.

Their team was less obliging. Top-division Leverkusen’s 1-0 elimination from the cup by second-division St. Pauli in a first-round upset left its fans with plenty of sorrows to drown on the way home.