Sunday, August 9/09, West Edmonton Mall AB

If only they’d look closer…

Things I have found over years of pestering people about my band, interupting conversations, meals, making them late for whatever errand, are the diverse reactions to having 2 or 3, or even all 4 of us, our clearly out-of-town garb, demeanor and lingo, approach them with ipods out of the seemingly regular blue. Almost all of the time, we look pretty haggard and desperate (and we are) and we feel bad for disturbing such tranquility, but like most of the population, we gotta make a living somehow. Whether it be peddling cheap cd’s and music online, shirts, promoting the evening’s and future events, it is all relevant. Most people are unassuming and easy-going, don’t usually mind being asked a few simple questions and offered dirt-cheap (but not faulty) indie-band merchandise. Most people decline politely, not really into it, and hey, that’s understandable, the common excuse being no money or time, legit. You usually get a few people who are really into it, who take the time to listen to our pitch and hey, maybe even purchase an album. But the best, is the people who outright despise what you are trying to do, and they understand, people aren’t dumb. Over the years I’ve got some pretty cutting and degrading remarks thrown at me, and I’m okay with it. Like my dad used to say, you can’t win’em all (I often feel like Aladdin perpetually trying to win over several Princess Jasmines) But the way we look at it is, everyone is a potential friend and fan. Like anything, you just have to get to know each other first.

We did not have a show this sunday, so we decided to make our rounds at the West Edmonton mall, the true Canadian monument to consumerism. And we did not too bad! We sold about 10 cd’s and made some friends, and some enemies. Our lovely friend Trisha tagged along and helped us out, she was great and as always, we appreciated her company and knowledge of this grand city. We parted ways with her and headed south to Kieth and Julie’s, Tyson’s brother and family, as they were having a birthday party for their son Quinn, who was turning 4, and his brother Tegan was there as well. Let me tell you, two of the cutest kids you will ever meet. We spent most of the evening hanging outside, talking about how are parents and grandparents are so weird and how we feel strange coming from them, and also working on the internet, drinking Vitamin P and later camping out again.

Kieth and Julie are by far, two of the best people I’ve ever met. During our conversations throughout the evening, I discovered that raising children is hard (shut up Jeff) and that at this point in my life, I would not be able to take it. I love kids, they’re amazing and innocent and sweet, but they are a handful, and I commend incredible parents like Kieth and Julie, who’s vegan cuisine is undoubtedly making me healthier. I also discovered that Dan Ball can play a mean harmonica, or “Blues Harp,” truly a street-rat… and I thought I knew everything about the dude.