It is 11:30AM (Tuesday). And we are waiting for the next Ferry out which won’t be leaving till 1PM. While being early is good in a lot of cases, arriving at some place to wait for two hours is a little ridiculous. But one thing you learn about touring very early on is that compromise will result in fewer arguments. Those arguments you try so hard to avoid can make the difference between a comfortable road trip and one with an uncomfortable silence.
In the last two days, we have been in a lot of close quarters with a lot of people. From vehicles with no room to hotels where the bed, floors, and couches are all occupied, there are a lot of people, but so few spaces to go. It is times like this that you get to know the people that you call friends and family – and I don’t mean that in conspiring way. I mean you get to know who snores in their sleep, who talks in the sleep, and who let’s out unimaginable smells in their sleep. Fortunately for my tour mates, there is an unwritten rule that says what happens on the road, stays on the road. That is until I get a book deal!!!
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The time is presently 1:07PM (Tuesday). We just boarded the ferry that will carry us into Victoria, BC. I must admit this is quite an experience. The only other time I have ever been on a ferry was to travel out to Nelson, BC on a tour we had back in the summer of 2005. The route we took provided us no other option so we had to take the Ferry. I remember it being really cold. But it was a real cool experience nonetheless to be on an open boat with the ocean all around you and beautiful scenery. This boat trip is however very different. We are on a huge boat that is like the Titanic. It has multiple levels and various lounges and restaurant areas. The area where we parked was like parking at West Edmonton Mall. But with all these “luxuries”, this one way trip costs $41 dollars per vehicle. An expense we had anticipated, but we expected it would be less.
I think we have departed though because although my body is not moving my head feels like it is swaying from side to side. It is such a weird feeling that I am trying hard to articulate it but cannot. I think I am going to get sea sick and I am no where near a window where I can see the ocean. All my life I have only been on two boats if memory serves me right – Nelson and Fort Lauderdale. So this is, for lack of a better word, AWESOME!!!
The downside towards this ferry is that there is no Internet connection. So I am probably going to have to post this blog once we arrive at the hotel in Victoria.
Craig said the venue we are performing at tonight has already pre-sold half the room already, which means it will probably be rammed much like the Savage Beagle in Whistler. The venue is much like Savage Beagle as well , where it is not a large room so with a little over 200 it’s packed. The biggest mistake upcoming artists make is assuming you have to perform in venues with a 2,000 capacity while on tour.
Granted rocking a huge crowd of people is fun and we’ve had the chance to do so when opening for the likes of Snoop, The Game, or 112, the smaller more intimate crowds tend to be better. The reality of the situation is, the more notoriety you can acquire the bigger your brand builds, which brings value to your name. But until you are at the point that you are a recognized brand that can sell out 2,000 capacity venues, there is nothing wrong with pulling in an intimate crowd that you can talk to after the show and create new friends and fans.
The time is 1:54PM (Tuesday). We finally bought a camera. Disposable nonetheless, but we finally have something to start taking photos with. Craig also said he has a digital one he can let us use if we need one. To my surprise Craig found out that we didn’t have a camera by reading our blog. Although I can whenever and wherever, it wasn’t until this trip that I became passionate about blogging. Just by typing down what is going on around me while on the road I provide family, friends, and fans with a window into our experiences on this tour. Granted I have no idea whether people are actually bored, amused, or intrigued by my blogs, I still feel the need to keep this online journal.
I think after this tour I am going to make it a habit to blog about what is transpiring in my life musically. I mean, we just wrapped up recording our latest album and there was plenty to blog about. Although I kept a journal during the process, those are thoughts that I wrote down privately with the intention of keeping my sanity. But there was plenty of moments that I would have loved to share with family, friends and fans to allow them to live vicariously through my experiences and better understand the sacrifices I make and why I persevere.
I just came in from outside. As scared as I was that the boat might sway and throw me over, I am truly captivated by how beautiful it is. Even though it is cold and windy, it is so serene and peaceful. Me and Proveli were out taking pics and we met a guy named Kyle who is from Victoria. DL and us are the only black people on the boat from what I can see so I take it people have figured out we are not locals – it’s either that or the bright yellow LA Lakers track pants I am wearing.
Either way, Kyle came up to us and asked us where we are from. We let him know we are from Edmonton and we’re in town on tour with DL. He said he has a group of guys that do some recording and performing around Victoria. He even knew some cats from Van that we know. One thing you begin to realize in the music industry is everyone is some how connected. But what in life isn’t directly or indirectly connected.
As I type and look out these large windows that allow me to see the mainland approaching I am drawn, or better yet, lured to BC more and more. The mountains, the water, and the forestry have a beauty that I would hope never to take for granted. The water is so vast whether you look at it vertically or horizontally. The fact that their waves have the ability to make the ship move humbles me. We are all at the mercy of the sea right now. Sorry, but I am trying to fathom the depth of the water in more than one way.
Arlo