8.06.2004
Acoustic Tour 2004: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Friday, July 30, 2004 – Vancouver Pride, Alexander Bandshell
In order to make it to the show in Vancouver, Laney and I decided that we needed to get back to Seattle on Thursday night/Friday morning. After the Spokane show, we hopped into the car for a 4 ½ hour trip back to Seattle so we could catch a few hours of shuteye. It was a rough drive and Laney was a real trooper doing the majority of the driving. We arrived in Seattle at 3:30am and caught some zzzzzzz at a hotel on Mercer Island. About 7 hours later we were on the road again on our way to Canada.
It was the most beautiful drive of the whole trip. Ocean, large lush trees, quaint little farmhouses, agriculture for miles. Awesome. This being my first official trip to Canada, (not counting the 2 minutes I spent on a bridge in Toronto while in college…just to say I had “been to Canada”) I was anxious to check it out. What I discovered was a international paradise of breathtaking parks, (and lotsa them!) cultural treasures, beautiful people, and social open-mindedness – I felt the stress melt away.
That is, until I realized I had no idea where the Alexander Bandshell was.
I didn't think this was going to be a problem because I was sure we'd find someone who knew where it was. (Hah! Silly little girl...) It wasn’t going to be that easy. You see, the bandshell turned out to be one of those structures that people know exist, but not by name. The following is what transpired during the most stressful ½ hour of the whole trip:
Sound check was at 7pm. My watch read 6:30pm. This was troubling since I usually make a point of arriving at new venues at least one hour ahead of time to familiarize myself with the stage and setup. I was starting to panic. After inquiring around North Vancouver for a half hour, we still had nothing to go on. 6:45pm. I am now hysterical. For all the meticulous planning and scheduling, we find ourselves placing bets on which way to turn. “Let’s go right!” Delaney floored it towards the Pitch and Putt golf course. I jumped out and asked the nice box office guy where the Alexander Bandshell was. He paused (for what felt like f-o-r-e-v-e-r) and replied, “Well, now, let’s see…there’s a bandshell about 3 – 4 minutes down the road.” I jumped in the car and pointed out the way. 6:49pm. No bandshell. Cuss words spill from my mouth as I imagine an empty stage and a furious event organizer looking at his watch, “She’ll NEVER work in this city AGAIN!” 6:55pm. I finally spot a bandshell-ish building around the corner covered with sponsor banners. “THIS IS IT!” We made it. And just in time, as my watch read 6:57pm. My panic turned to into elation. I turned to high-five Delaney and she responded with “Good thing we found it ‘cause I was about to strangle you.” (Bless her heart, she had been dealing with my stress and anxiety for the past 2 weeks) She hurried me out of the car and went to look for a parking space.
Carl Austin, the entertainment director, greeted me with a big smile and handshake. “Welcome!” He was such a friendly, mellow guy (nothing like the event promoter I cooked up in my paranoid melon) just kicking back with his friends who were helping him. He had everything set up and ready to go, totally prepared and relaxed. I did a quick sound check then chatted with the other performers Lesley Hoyles (amazing angelic voice), Jerome Mandrake (smooth funkadelic voice) and Jerome’s guitarist, Adam (strong rhythm and solid style). Finally it was time to perform. I took to the stage with enthusiasm and a bit of sadness since this was to be my last performance on tour. The audience was great and it all came to a beautiful close as the sun set in the background. I couldn't have asked for a better conclusion. Laney and I loved the city so much that we began discussing how cool it would be to move there. But alas, the caffeine buzz subsided and we accepted the reality of returning to Phoenix - afterall, we missed the Pitties (puppy + kitties).
I heart Vancouver. Thank you so much for a wonderful visit!
Check out the pics here.
In order to make it to the show in Vancouver, Laney and I decided that we needed to get back to Seattle on Thursday night/Friday morning. After the Spokane show, we hopped into the car for a 4 ½ hour trip back to Seattle so we could catch a few hours of shuteye. It was a rough drive and Laney was a real trooper doing the majority of the driving. We arrived in Seattle at 3:30am and caught some zzzzzzz at a hotel on Mercer Island. About 7 hours later we were on the road again on our way to Canada.
It was the most beautiful drive of the whole trip. Ocean, large lush trees, quaint little farmhouses, agriculture for miles. Awesome. This being my first official trip to Canada, (not counting the 2 minutes I spent on a bridge in Toronto while in college…just to say I had “been to Canada”) I was anxious to check it out. What I discovered was a international paradise of breathtaking parks, (and lotsa them!) cultural treasures, beautiful people, and social open-mindedness – I felt the stress melt away.
That is, until I realized I had no idea where the Alexander Bandshell was.
I didn't think this was going to be a problem because I was sure we'd find someone who knew where it was. (Hah! Silly little girl...) It wasn’t going to be that easy. You see, the bandshell turned out to be one of those structures that people know exist, but not by name. The following is what transpired during the most stressful ½ hour of the whole trip:
Sound check was at 7pm. My watch read 6:30pm. This was troubling since I usually make a point of arriving at new venues at least one hour ahead of time to familiarize myself with the stage and setup. I was starting to panic. After inquiring around North Vancouver for a half hour, we still had nothing to go on. 6:45pm. I am now hysterical. For all the meticulous planning and scheduling, we find ourselves placing bets on which way to turn. “Let’s go right!” Delaney floored it towards the Pitch and Putt golf course. I jumped out and asked the nice box office guy where the Alexander Bandshell was. He paused (for what felt like f-o-r-e-v-e-r) and replied, “Well, now, let’s see…there’s a bandshell about 3 – 4 minutes down the road.” I jumped in the car and pointed out the way. 6:49pm. No bandshell. Cuss words spill from my mouth as I imagine an empty stage and a furious event organizer looking at his watch, “She’ll NEVER work in this city AGAIN!” 6:55pm. I finally spot a bandshell-ish building around the corner covered with sponsor banners. “THIS IS IT!” We made it. And just in time, as my watch read 6:57pm. My panic turned to into elation. I turned to high-five Delaney and she responded with “Good thing we found it ‘cause I was about to strangle you.” (Bless her heart, she had been dealing with my stress and anxiety for the past 2 weeks) She hurried me out of the car and went to look for a parking space.
Carl Austin, the entertainment director, greeted me with a big smile and handshake. “Welcome!” He was such a friendly, mellow guy (nothing like the event promoter I cooked up in my paranoid melon) just kicking back with his friends who were helping him. He had everything set up and ready to go, totally prepared and relaxed. I did a quick sound check then chatted with the other performers Lesley Hoyles (amazing angelic voice), Jerome Mandrake (smooth funkadelic voice) and Jerome’s guitarist, Adam (strong rhythm and solid style). Finally it was time to perform. I took to the stage with enthusiasm and a bit of sadness since this was to be my last performance on tour. The audience was great and it all came to a beautiful close as the sun set in the background. I couldn't have asked for a better conclusion. Laney and I loved the city so much that we began discussing how cool it would be to move there. But alas, the caffeine buzz subsided and we accepted the reality of returning to Phoenix - afterall, we missed the Pitties (puppy + kitties).
I heart Vancouver. Thank you so much for a wonderful visit!
Check out the pics here.
