Happy New Year! So much has happened, I'm not sure where to begin. I started writing a tour diary from the December 2008 Canadian run-- replete with near-death stories from the frozen tundra-- but what i was writing veered off track and morphed into a lengthy ode to Murray Lightburn so i am going to leave all that on his voice mail and post some photos here instead.
The two week cross country tour ended in Vancouver, BC in the worst snow storm to hit the region in many years. We could see our breath on stage all three nights at the Vogue Theatre and the crowd danced with their parkas on. Tough! Love! There was plenty of nervous speculation that none of us would be making it home for the holidays. Luck was on our side though and on christmas eve we all scattered to various destinations-- I went to see my family in Northern Ontario before embarking on a road trip across Argentina, Joshua went on a fishing trip in Florida with his Dad then back to NYC and Joules headed to Big Sur. For New Years, Jimmy orchestrated a night of debauchery at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto before flying to Lima, Peru and making the pilgrimage to machu picchu. Anyone who attended Jimmy's NYE party probably still has a hangover, good luck with that. As promised, here are some photos from the tour. Thanks to everyone across the country who braved the storm to rock with us!
Here is an atmospheric shot of the wheel of our tour bus, encrusted with snow.
Here is a shot of our other tour bus with a smashed window. We were sideswiped by a kamikaze hit-and-run trucker in the middle of the Manitoba night.
Despite the ordeal driver Mikey prevailed. Our crippled caravan slit the throat of the menacing highway.
Emily: I'm losing it.
Joshua: Easy now, Haines. Only 16 more hours till Winnipeg.
We love this guy - Murray Lightburn of The Dears.
The Shaw Must Go On: Jimmy plays the Theremin with the neck of his guitar. At once, order is restored to the mortal universe...
... as it's mastermind watches, amused.
