Banff, Eh? Issue #99

Guess who showed up tot the airport a bit to early?

Yeah, moi.

And yes, "moi" because I'm sitting in the Calgary airport trying to understand the French Canadian-ness of it all after a weekend promoting KIRBY KRACKLE at the Calgary Expo. Calgary isn't "officially" a French-Canadian area but work with me here...

The Calgary Expo is a comic convention that marked the last of the KK convention circuit tour. The con is put on my Kandrix Foong and Laurie B. Who I've talked about a few times here (she's a cartoonist, fleshed out/brought to life "Frank The Pocket", etc...), and was a killer event for my first trip to Calgary.

We weren't sure how KK would do in Calgary being that we hadn't been actively promoting to Canadian comic fans/websites, but our neighbors to the north turned out in droves and made it our 2nd most successful convention yet. As usual it was great to meet the fans and share our album with new folks who hadn't yet heard of it, but laughed at the booth when they finally did. After 2 days of working the table solo (Jim was helping run the event) it came across to me that one of the main ways people had started to hear about us was word-of-mouth. This was great to hear as I've always thought that was the most powerful form of vouching for something and left us with a rewarding feeling after 2 long days.

It also seems that I need to keep my subconscious a little more alert after I found out I slept through a fire alarm Saturday night that emptied the whole hotel across the street and summoned the Calgary fire department. Oops.

After the show closed on Sunday, a few vans and a big bus loaded up 50 or so fellow artists/creators to head up to Banff, Alberta for a few days of lounging, relaxing, and putzing around. It was really inspiring for me to be hanging out with artists and writers that I respect and to be around that many awesomely creative people from all over. Most of the time was spent sitting around talking, drinking beers, and charring up steaks. Being the only "music guy" amongst the bevy of artists and writers, it was really interesting for me to observe how alike all of us who create are. I'm reminded more and more that regardless of what form of art we all express the self-doubts, seeking of perfection, and wanting for others to like your work cross every spectrum and ability level. It's really that across the board we all wonder what the hell we're doing and if the best of our works have already happened or are right around the corner. It was so cool to be around the folks and heroes of mine up there, and a reminder to surround myself with more of those experiences that don't revolve being creative only on the music side of things. It was actually refreshing and more fun not being of the same ilk...



Though I was only up for a full day before being dropped of here at the airport, I did get to do the tourist thing by heading up to the top of Sulphor Mt. via the Gondola. A 10 minute trip takes you up a rapidly escalating 9,000 feet to the top of the mountain and some of the cleanest air you've ever breathed. Crisp, cold as hell, and peaceful, a 1/4 mile walkway leads you along a swerving path that eventually reaches an outpost that was used in 1921 as a Canadian Mountie lookout station...that back then took 9 hours to reach from the bottom of the mountain. Original diaries were featured at the station along with the most "exciting" of the excerpts. For example...

"Today elk and lynx walked along the ridge. Its was cold. Maybe Falcons will fly around tomorrow."

Yeah, we all have ADD today for sure.





The cafeteria at the top of the Mountain also exposed me to what I feel is probably one of the finest of local cuisines in the form of a dish called "Poutine". Not only meaning "whore" in Spanish, it also means that when ordered you are brought out a steaming pile of fries covered with melted cheese...and wait for it....GRAVY. Yeah, pretty much the best thing ever and you all might want to go make it right now.

The next week and a half preps the other set of gears for the COLLIDER CD release show on May 8th. The album I had doubts would ever get finished will be finally here and I'm looking forward to returning to my favorite of stages to play @ The Showbox Market. By and far the best full on "rock record" I've made, I'm looking forward to finally sharing it with all of you.


Time to go mow the lawn...

KS