After the whirlwind that has been the last week or so, it is great to be able to kick back and relax. I guess the last update was Timmins so I really have a lot to talk about this time!
Timmins was a blast! This years show was just as fun as I remember it being 3 years ago. It was a small crowd but everyone who came out came right to the front and banged their heads off! It was a small crowd but everyone who came out came right to the front and banged their heads off! It was really cool to see some familiar faces in the crowd as well as all the new! Thank you to everyone for coming out on a Monday and staying late to rock with us!
The next night we playing the nation’s capitol. We had a lot of fun playing Ottawa for the first time! The House of Targ was a cool venue to play despite all the stairs and the low ceiling. The walls were lined with pinball machines and other arcade games as well as cool artwork. It was awesome to meet so many new people and wicked to see the place so full on a Tuesday. Our old friend Alex came out to catch the set so it was awesome to be able to catch up with him, both the night of the show and the next day. Thanks for the new stage pants man! The promoter made the claim that Ottawa has better poutine than Montreal so I had to get some while we were there and size it up compared to the poutine I was planning on consuming the next night!
From Ottawa, it was back to Quebec for our show at the Piranha Bar in Montreal. I had a lot of fun at this show because I got to see my oldest brother, the one who got me into metal in the first place! Our superfan Josie came out again so it was great to see her again and the bands we played with were really nice. We managed to keep our streak of not paying for parking despite a close call with parking enforcement, and had delicious poutine from the place downstairs from the venue. My comparison of Ottawa and Montreal poutines was inconclusive as they were both incredibly delicious and tasted just as good to me!
Montreal to Woodstock, ON was a long drive but worth it as we were treated to pizza and a hotel room by the promoter Kristina Killkrist. It had been about 4 years since we worked with her on a show in Kelowna during our first tour, so it was cool to see her again and get caught up. The hotel room was good for a shower and it was amazing to lay on a real bed for the first time in over a month! Ultimately we, in true Iron Kingdom fashion, used the room mainly for showers and a place to count our merch in preparation for crossing the border the next morning. We stayed until the continental breakfast was rolled out and we could eat our fill before hitting the road back into the States. Breakfast was an interesting experience as, unknown to us, there were a good number of Amish people staying at the hotel that night. They seem to be on their way somewhere and had hired two drivers to take them where they needed to go. It was kind of funny to watch them, with matching clothes, hair cuts and beards, trying to figure out how the toaster worked and a couple of the other modern devices we take for granted on a regular basis. It took me by surprise a little to see them and made me wonder if they indulged a little while in the modern electronic world. For instance, did they watch a little bit of tv, or sit in the dark all night?
Back on track, we crossed the border with little trouble and made our way just outside of Detroit to play at the Rockery. The staff were incredibly nice and there wasn’t a dull moment all night, in fact the night was actually kind of wild. We met a lot of great people, both other bands and new fans. One guy even asked me for some advice on bass playing, that’s never happened before! Thanks to everyone who came out to support us and every other band that played!
Naperville, IL was awesome for a number of reasons, not least among them was we were only about 5 minutes away from Aurora, IL setting of Wayne’s World; there was free popcorn and we again met great people, including some we would see again Monday. We really felt taken care of by the venue and we had a good time hanging out as well as playing. It really meant a lot to us at this time because we were all dead tired and the relaxed environment really helped.
Minneapolis, MN was one of the shows I was really looking forward to last year and especially looking forward to this year! It was great to finally get there and play and almost right away we got the impression that people were really disappointed when we were forced to cancel last year and were really looking forward to finally seeing us. The crowd went nuts multiple times throughout our set and afterwards a couple different people told us it was the craziest they had ever seen a crowd get there. Minneapolis was a really positive experience to me and a real affirmation to keep doing what we do!
The Murder Junkies were playing Minneapolis the night after us, at the same venue we just played so we returned to hang out and catch their show as it is the last time they are going to be touring. Kenny and Joey are more into punk than Chris and I but we all had a good time. It was one of those rare times where Chris drinks so it was hilarious watching him walking around all night decently smashed. One of the bands we played the Naperville show with was opening the Murder Junkies show so we got to hang out with them again, as well as see a bunch of people from the night before.
I usually kind of complain about days off but I’m really excited for the next couple. We have short drive to get to Sioux Falls, SD and plenty of time to do it, as well as a hotel room waiting for us when we get there. I think we are all looking forward to relaxing in an air conditioned room with access to a pool and showers. In fact I think one of the first things I am doing is jumping in the pool! It’s about time we kicked back and relaxed and caught up on sleep! Working is fun but sleep is going to be amazing! We are still having a blast and it’s a little sad to think that we only have 3 more shows left on this tour, but not too sad as it means we leave for Brazil soon! Check out the event page here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/136510290089997/?notif_t=plan_user_invited¬if_id=1464734310732651
Keep the Faith, Leighton Holmes (Bass Guitar)