The next day I sleep in and head out late back along the same road through Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie. The day before, my friend Allison pointed out Tamarck Trees - which are sadly green rather than their beautiful Fall yellow. Still, their green stands out from the other trees and I bliss out on tired tree thoughts.
I listen to newly bought CDs on the way up. Justin Rutledge's "No Never Alone" is a beautifully sad steel-string lullabye to drinking. I love his "Too sober to sleep, too drunk to cry" song. Oh Susanna's latest "Short Stories" is also great - dark little tales told in sweet country melodies.
The music sees me through to Sault Ste. Marie. I'm playing at Lop Lops - where I always play in the Sault - and one of my favourite bars - literally a constant work of art. I arrive early and almost drive by my hotel on the way in. Since I've got some time, I decide to check in. The woman at the front is sure that Lop Lops was phoning for me next week and repeats it enough until I'm paranoid that I've arrived a week late and that I won't have a show that night. But the bar isn't open until 7, so I eat dinner and worry.
Finally I get in - I am playing tonight - phew! I set up and hang out till 9:45ish when the bar is hopping. A friend from work has invited his mother who just moved to the Sault and she's brought a bunch of people. The front of the bar is filled with bodybuilders. Yes, bodybuilders. There was a big fitness/bodybuilding contest there earlier in the day - and one of the bartenders was in the contest...
Honestly, I think this show goes kind of badly. The body builders are all really loud and my voice cracks occasionally - 6.5 hours of singing on Wednesday finally catching up to me. I spend the show staring into space, wondering why I came to Sault Ste. Marie, and generally feeling tired. Still, I slip in a couple jokes which some of the audience seems to like. I finish up, hoping I'll sell one CD to Mario's mom.
But instead, I sell a bunch to people who I didn't realize were even listening. Gravy, the band I opened for, tell me it was a nice set and Bob, the owner's dad, gives me a thumbs up. Cool! Bizarre how sometimes your experience is the opposite of the audience's.
I'm played with Big Wheel & The Spokes before up in Sault Ste. Marie, and Gravy is composed of 2/3 of them. Jay and Frank switch off their big funk sound in Gravy though and opt for a folkier acoustic sound which gells better with me. They switch off instruments thoughout the set and share lead vocals - it's a relaxed, casual set full of nice tunes and amazing musicians.
On the way home the next day, I'm tired and want to get home. I'm doing a little over 100 in a hundred zone and am hungry. I suddenly enter a small town - defined apparently by a gas station and a convenience store. Busy looking for a restaurant, I fail to see the 70 speed limit sign... and the police car... pulled over, the guy cuts me a break and reduces it to 85 in a 70 zone... a $50 ticket, but much worse than the $250 & 4 demerit points.
Fine. Whatever. I'm tired and all I want to do is get home. 8 hours later (very carefully going the speed limit) I arrive, meet my wife, and pick up our cat. Northern Ontario is nice, but so is a black kitten who purrs when he sees you.
