April 26 – 30

Jeff: “If you were a piece of Ikea furniture, what would you be?”

Dan: “A coffee table.”

Jeff: “I see. And what would be the name of your assembly model?”

Dan: “Danikk.”

Hey there, pals!

First of all, before I get into the details of our time in this enchanted place, everything I describe in reference to the magic and beauty that is Haida Gwaii, all the towns and trails we visited, Skidegate, Queen Charlotte City, Port Clemens, Masset, all the trails and shorelines in between, all the awesome people and wildlife who live here and love it, will be an understatement. We spent the last 4 days feeling like the luckiest 4 dudes in the world, to be able to be here with the amazing Jobfest 2012 crew and playing our songs in parts of our province we never thought we’d see together. Unfortunately, due to a reservation error, we were unable to share this adventure with our beloved Van Halen, and had to leav’er in Prince Rupert. I hope she’ll understand.

The ferry ride from Prince Rupert to Haida Gwaii across the Hecate Strait was 7 hours of bumpy, stomach-churning and head-spinning admiration for mother nature, and we even saw whales! Unfortunately, the moment was so brief we couldn’t capture it on video, but we’re hoping we can catch another glimpse on the ride back next week!

After a scenic drive along the shoreline, we check in to The Hecate Inn, our new home away from home in Queen Charlotte City. Where we meet Albert, a sweet old in-keeper who only slightly resembles Santa Clause, and immediately discover that they have full kitchenettes and we celebrate this fact by going to the nearby co-op and buying bacon, and other breakfast provisions. We even make a stop at “Howler’s” for some foosball, and we meet a lovely barkeep named Rose, who is happy to see us, but also surprised by our sudden appearance and “thirst” for knowledge about the surrounding area.

The next two days (April 27/28) started early, with amazing coffee and breakfast from “The Purple Onion” just around the corner from the inn, and short trips to Skidegate, where Jobfest 2012 was being held. The day went smooth and to the letter, us and the crew settling nicely into the tour routine, Bryan (The Sound Guy), Aaron (Dynamite MC) and us working together setting up the stage, Chris (The Gypsy) our Sandal-clad foreman and our tour manager, Daisy (Lee Roth) keeping all of it together. We had an amazing time playing for the local people, probably the best and most enthusiastic crowd we’ve had yet! Unfortunately, quittin’ time came early. By the time our third set rolled around, we had a power generator malfunction and had to shut everything down. Thankfully, we had it it fixed in absolutely no time, once Dan Ball stumbled upon the technical manual. Such is life at times like these! We remain stoked!

More to come from our adventures in Haida Gwaii, folks! Stay tuned for tons of pictures and videos as we travel up the coast to Masset!

– Jeff, and those other scoundrels in Acres