The new English

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When you’re strapped into a vehicle, or crammed into one room with the same small group of people for two weeks or more, you start to develop a very unique style of communication.

We have so many jokes, catch phrases, and indiscernible accents, that I’m certain we must sound entirely insane to any passers-by.

I’m not even sure we’re speaking English half the time, though it is the only language in which I am fluent.

Lindsay and Jason have taken to saying “Yer butt”, about just about everything.

I don’t know how it originated, or whether it has any specific meaning, but it makes me laugh, just the same.

What time is it? It is, of course, “Yer butt”.

Where’s the bottle opener? Chances are, it is (in/on/near/I don’t really know), “Yer butt”.

**Even just now, Lindsay exclaimed, “I’m having a really good time. You wanna know what else is a good time?…” (…need I, really?)

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Dear Websters,

Here are a few new words/phrases for your book:

“Yer butt” = Your butt.

(see above**)

“Thpathe Thuttewl” = Space Shuttle.

“We gonna go an thee tha Thpathe Thuttewl!)

(We did go to see the Space Shuttle, Endeavor, in Los Angeles.)

A “five-to-ten” = Morning bathroom ritual. (aka. A “number two”)

“Hey guys, when you’re done in there, I’m gonna need five-to-ten.”

“Where’s Jason?” “He’s taking a little five-to-ten”

“Johnny Likie Wingie” = This one is on loan from Tegan & Sara, via Shaun Huberts. There’s no short-form translation. We usually just say it when someone offers someone else food, and said food is rejected.

“But Johnny likie wingie!”

“Duckism” = The way of the duck. To be a duck. To wish to be like a duck.

“I am converting to duckism”

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After Santa Cruz, we drove down the #1; the coastal freeway that they use in all the movies to kill off drunk, Californian drivers.

It’s absolutely effing gorgeous.

We watched the sunset, and took much too much time getting down to Carpenteria, where we stayed the night with my cousin, Joanna.

Give yourself the WHOLE DAY if you’re planning on taking that route.

It is treacherous at night.

Also, gas up. There are scarce fuel options along the way.

If you get motion sickness, bring Gravol. That shit is winding.

We went for breakfast with Jo, and then headed down to Los Angeles so as to beat the rush hour traffic into town, and get a little rest in.

Deb (my manager), and Jocelyn (rep from Cordova Bay Records), met us for dinner at the Rainbow Room, on Sunset Blvd.

This is a legendary room. Seriously. Google it.

A couple of us decided to explore the venue, hoping we’d bump into Lemy, and instead came across Ron Jeremy having a bite and a beverage.

Of all the people…

Our showcase at Hotel Café went well. We met a lot of really awesome music supervisors, and other hard-working industry pro’s.

.

We are in San Francisco right now… more on that later. I LOVE THIS PLACE!

Steph out.

Books ‘n Brews

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So, Cottage Grove, Oregon = really cool place!
We rolled into town early, and stopped in at a little shop that sells Micro-brewed beer in select-your-own six pack form. It was called, “Paul’s Bottle Shop”. Check it out if you’re ever in town!

The venue was “The Fox & Goose”, and it was awesome.

It’s part cafe, part bookstore, part bar/pub, that all intersect next to the side of the stage.

We had a good crowd and they were all very friendly.

Two girls, Kim and Sarah, had done something I am quite unfamiliar with… that is, research.
They had actual song requests for me.
That shit is cool. Extremely flattering.
Gooooo internet!

Next came “the big dive”.
Almost comical for seasoned Canadan tour-ers.
It was 7 hours, from Oakland, OR (where our motel was), to Sacramento, CA.
We ate like kings (found a Quiznos), and rode our steed (white ’98 Chevy Express), to the Golden State.

After a quick check-in at the hotel, we popped down to the venue.

About two songs into our set, however, the P.A. system would have none of it:
crackling and buzzing up a storm.
We tried everything to fix it: swapping out cables, turning down various volumes, testing the acoustics for battery-power issues.
Nothing worked.
It was just the end of the line for that particular system. (Get it? End of the “line”? Music jokes!)
…Jason just said he didn’t get that joke, so I’m really in trouble. I will not, however, erase it.
I’ll just chuckle to myself and move on.

The Golden Cadillacs joined us for the night.
They were really fantastic musicians and human beings.
We concocted schemes to kidnap various members of the band and taking them on the road with us, but alas we reman a five piece.

Shaun has no new fan experiences to report.

No one is sick yet. (For the love of GAHWD, touch wood)

We are listening to Whitehorse, and we’re on our way to Santa Cruz.

Love Steph

Crossing the border and eating a(t) Dick(‘s). We only actually did one of the above things… but aren’t YOU curious, now.

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We’re still in Canada. They wouldn’t let us in.

 

PSYCH!

 

 

The venues so far have been very nice, and the shows have been decent.

High Dive is a cool retro-themed bar that reminded me a little bit of a bigger, more open-plan, Lucky Bar. (Shout out!)

On the bill were a jam band called Goldbar, and a dark synth-rock band called Luxe Canyon. Luxe Canyon may or may not have been a group of College students. I can neither confirm nor deny, as we didn’t have much of an opportunity to chat in depth.

 

We stayed at the Mediterranean Inn, just off of Queen Anne.

 

There are TOO many one-way streets in Seattle.

 

Adam left his credit card at the venue, and Shaun/Lindsay/Adam found themselves so turned around that they asked a pair of Raccoons for directions. Yes, as in urban wildlife.

 

Another interesting note: SHAUN HAS FANS!

Seriously.

We went to check into the hotel, and one of the clerks turned around and exclaimed, “Oh my god! Shaun!??”

 

For those of you that don’t already know this (how could you know this when I haven’t told you yet?) Shaun plays with, and has played with, some slightly more established bands/acts than my own. For example: Rococode, Tegan and Sara, and Starfield.

 

The clerk’s name was Marcus, and he was awesome.

He even came to the show to hang out.

 

Another notable recognizer-of-Shaun was the guy at Emerald City.

 

…also, hello to Molly! Thanks for the help getting “home”.

 

 

 

 

Last night, we stayed at Lindsay’s cousin’s place in Portland.

Her name is Faith, and she and her husband Sean live just a two-minute walk from the venue we played.

 

They made us a home-cooked roast-chicken dinner, and we all ate and drank together.

 

They have a wolf named Clutch.

He’s a big old softie, and super cool looking.

He’s also very sneaky, and somehow made his way outside to the street in the morning, with no help from us.

Lindsay fetched him.

 

I love new people. It’s one of the best things about being on the road.

 

The venue we played in Portland was called the Shaker and Vine (formerly Vino Vixens). From street view, it appears just to be a wine store, but it opens up in the back room into a large couch-laden lounge.

Really cool relaxed vibe.

 

Laura (stage name, “TitleWillCome”) opened the show for us. Her music was beautiful and delicate.

We decided that she looks a little bit like Maggie Gyllenhall.

 

 

Now, we’re on our way down to Eugene to stop in at a local radio station.

We’ve been listening to Mitch Hedberg. Bad jokes have never been so good. Too bad he’s not around anymore.

 

Don’t do drugs, kids.

Those are for adults.

Kidding, of course.

Bad jokes.

 

-Steph