This is a gig the whole band looks forward to playing. We're closing on the beerstage tonight (Thursday). Some cover bands first, then Harlequin and then us. Didn't get to hear much of Harlequin, but what we did hear sounded pretty good.

The illustrious Ellen (the famous website designer) and her husband Ed are with us for this trip. Their first experience on the road with a rock band. But they were both very brave. We'll see how long it is before they come out again, after eating bad roadfood, living out of suitcases, drinking and more drinking… well, okay, that part is fun…

So there's about 5000 people at the beerstage that night. Weather was great, nice and warm for that time of night… must have been, because many of the women thought it was much too hot to keep their tops on. We tried not to look of course. The truck carrying the backline gear didn't arrive until after we finished playing. No problem except there's no keyboard stand… and I don't travel with one. Hmmm… So we set the keys up on a box used for carrying lights and one of my cases on top of that. Great. I l0ok like the 'Kilroy was here' drawing - you can hardly see me.

August 3, 2001: Little River Rockfest, Minnedosa, Manitoba

The mainstage today. We're on at 5 o'clock. It's 35 degrees out here. I think probably the hottest it's ever been at one of our shows. The line-up today is Slugs; Lighthouse; Jeff Healey; Tom Cochrane. Did I mention the heat? With puddles forming around us, we play to only about 1000 people today… too hot, too early…(?)… all of us in shorts - well, okay, not Elio or Doug Grant - come to think of it, I don't believe Doug Grant owns any shorts… We stick around for awhile and watch Lighthouse - great band; great vocals, horns; a real quality performance. That's all we can stay for though, as we have to drive to Winnipeg and call it an early night. Lobby call is 4:30 tomorrow morning…

August 4, 2001: Rockfest, Vanderhoof, BC

This is probably the best show of the weekend. A smaller festival than Minnedosa, but very well-run by a lot of really good people. Hats off! Other names on the bill are: Edgar Winter, Uriah Heep, Mark Farner, Sass Jordan, Brian Howe, Chilliwack, Wide Mouth Mason, Colin James. The stage is great and they even have a keyboard stand. We play at 7 o'clock, just ahead of Sass Jordan, then Brian Howe. A sidenote here: there's a helicopter pilot selling rides as part of the entertainment, and we're told when we arrive that he absolutely refuses to give anyone a ride while we're onstage - there was no way he was going to miss it. Pretty cool. Also, free rides to anyone in the band.

Doug Bennett is in fine form tonight. He calls two girls onstage from the audience. Their job is to judge the bouncer's butts who are all lined up in front of the stage, facing the audience. These guys are not shy. Shortly into the judging, the shorts start coming off. Right off. Full Monty style. One of the bouncers, after pulling everything off - completely naked - looks down at himself and presumably doesn't like what he sees, I guess. Picture a mushroom cap on a brillo pad and you've got it about right… so, without even a thought - he doesn't miss a beat - reaches down (overhand grip no less… you know, it feels like someone else that way), and gives himself a few pulls - a little massage if you will, then looks down again, this time apparently satisfied with the result. Just business as usual. Amazing. The band, meanwhile, is cracking up. This guy doesn't win by the way.

Great crowd, very enthusiastic - all in all, a really good show for us. We stick around and watch Sass Jordan (what a voice! - very together band, lookout for the latest album - tunes are hot), and Brian Howe. A few of us decide that because the flight tomorrow isn't early, it's time to partake in a little more than usual liquid refreshment. Woah! Hey Jay, careful of the tent eh? We caught up with some of the guys in Sass Jordan's band later at the hotel and partied into the wee hours…

Now we're home for one day, then off to Ontario. More here, when we return. Cya!