Sixteen days and fifteen shows later, we’re home safe and sound and it all feels like a blur now. A fantastic, action packed blur of epic memories and fuzzy feelings. For those of you who might not know what I’m talking about, let me re-introduce myself. I’m Jessica Kaye, a part-time blogger for MTLblog and a singer-songwriter who teamed up with the beautiful Mille Rosado for a west coast tour. We have a brand new acoustic/folk/electro duo called Tanks and Bombs.
There is simply way too much to say, so you’re getting the quick and dirty version Montreal, so here it goes. On the day we were each down to our last dollar, a drunken New Zealander came out of NOWHERE and gave us $70 while we were busking in the Haight/Ashbury region of San Francisco. What a lifesaver! From then on in we were breakin’ even, and never had to scrounge for change to feed our caffeine addictions again.
We definitely had some amazing shows in SF. My personal favorite was our performance at the artsy high-ceilinged loft Merchants of Reality with the talented and ultra-hospitable super amigo BISI complete with beanbag seating, homemade Ethiopian food a live light show.
On our last day in California, we scored some splendid free hats from the classy Goorin Bros. hat shop. All we had to do was play a daytime gig outside their store. It quickly turned in to a Sublime sing-a-long with a bunch of joint-smoking-Jameson-drinkers. You wish you were there, believe that.
In San Francisco, we were also on this bizarre live webshow called Planet Glee our episode isn’t up yet, but check out the YouTube channel anyways if you’re in the mood for a good giggle.
Next, we waved goodbye to all our amazing friends in SF and headed up to British Colombia, where Mille is from. We enjoyed fresh garden veggies from her mom, got daytime drunk with her dad, and relaxed in the hot tub under the stars. After partying with all Mille’s childhood buddies and visiting an astounding horse ranch to say goodbye to Fred (R.I.P) an aging horse who no doubt was a great friend and teacher to these young ladies, we took the ferry over to Salt Spring Island, a unique and magical little gem of BC.
On SaltSpringIsland, I would quickly learn that hitch-hiking is indeed still normal and safe in some dimensions. A pleasant older fellow named Art who called himself “the Birdman” picked us up and gave us emu feathers to ward off evil spirits before dropping us off at Mille’s friends’ place.
That night, we played at a really sweet little venue called the Treehouse Café, an open concept restaurant with excellent food and a live tree growing straight through the middle. Of course, we would meet a second “Birdman” who’s slide guitar and looping skills are unparalleled in the realm of open-mic nights.
Our final stop would be Vancouver, where Oswaldo from Van Music hooked us up to no end. He had us on his radio show on CITR.CA, booked us a few shows including a fundraiser for an injured kitty…awww. Most importantly, he helped us do a guerrilla set at the Make Music Vancouver Festival. We did a sneaky surprise performance (even we were surprised) in between two bands who were actually scheduled for the event at one of the outdoor stages. Picture us sprinting for two blocks with our gear in the hot sun, laughing, then setting up in 30 seconds and busting out some tunes. Good times, to say the least.
Tanks and Bombs just wanna give a huge shout out to everyone that helped make our little adventure a big success. To everyone who wined us, dined us, booked us, housed us, clothed us, drove us, paid us, saved us, high-fived us and got high with us, you guys made the tour what it was. And THANK YOU for all the free stuff, especially the pastries.
Keep in touch, and Like our page. We have no clue what’s coming next, but it’s sure to be an adventure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-HDWeqyv9M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7tT40CYZRY
Photo cred - Hanna Quevedo
