As a quick side note, someone has already tried to break into the bus here in Barrie this morning. How wonderful. It’s Finally Here... At long last the iPhone will be available in Canada on July 11th. Even more exciting is that it’s the new 3G version of the phone. The iPhone will be available through Rogers and Fido, though I could not find any information about pricing or data package rates on the Rogers website – in fact it’s not even mentioned on the Rogers site whatsoever. ...More »

Sweet Jesus, Mount Forest. I know you're a small town and all, but no internet? Oh, I see, it's because of the Mennonites, now ain't it? They causin' a throw back revolution or what? I tried for the better part of 5 hours to fix, repair, replace, and re-build the internet setup for the band and crew to have decent internet at the Old Roxy theatre in Mount Forest, Ontario. I even hoped to get it working for the theatre folks themselves, seeing as how ...More »

To say that last night’s show was weird would be an understatement. For the first time in my career, a fan asked me at the bus following the show, where I commonly sign autographs, if I had any “weed” to sell. Do I look like a drug dealer? Is there a big sign on the side of the bus that reads “Matt’s rolling dope emporium”? Perhaps the individual was confused. Perhaps he had had experiences with former members of the band and crew. I have no ...More »

In the immortal words of Al Pacino in Scent Of A Woman, HUA! It's a golden day here in Kingston, ON, bass fisherman's paradise. We're holed up near the venue and I've managed to get some high falootin' wifi courtesy of Limestone Cyber Space cafe. They were kind enough to let me jack in with our battery of Airports. Last night was a good night, and though Matt never seems to be as impressed by himself as some of the crew (and obviously those in attendance) ...More »

I'd rather not start off these diaries with something so somber, but arriving here in Montreal after last nights' show in Toronto I walked the town in search of Gravol (not kidding), and was reminded of the reality that in every city in this country there is a huge homeless and poor population scattered everywhere, a grim reminder of the true state of our social and economic situation. At 3am last night Matt asked if I'd throw open my text editor and quickly jot down a ...More »

Awhile back Matt invited me to join him, the crew and band on the tour bus again for a stint, and though I'm sure Lance is loathe to have me (it's packed on there as it is) I believe myself to be small enough to fit just about anywhere there's 3 cubic feet of space. I'll be hopping on here in Toronto and staying for a gaggle of shows. I've packed a little less in the way of clothing this time, and a little more in the way ...More »

It’s currently some time after midnight. I’m sitting on the bus in the dark, everyone gone into the hotel to sleep in proper beds for a change. I can’t abide hotel rooms anymore for some reason. I used to stay in them, but ever since I started touring again last year I’ve found that I prefer to remain on the bus and sleep in my bunk, even when it’s sitting in the parking lot of a hotel. I guess I just like the humming sound ...More »

Yes, my life is so pathetic that I can honestly admit that I miss having a decent internet connection. Since leaving Toronto a week ago I haven’t had a steady one, not even at hotels. Everyone has, of course, gone wireless, the only problem being that their networks are extremely weak, which means two bars at best in most places. I’m ashamed to admit it, but right now do I ever miss a good old-fashioned LAN connection. I’m in Peterborough this morning, the balcony door to ...More »

I woke up this morning with a hang over. That would probably be because I drank the better part of a Château Latour during last night’s impromptu acoustic performance in Saint John. At the end of the performance I remember saying two things, one of which I won’t repeat here. The first was probably the most classic introduction to She’s In It For The Money that I will ever conjure. The second was that I was going to leave by the front door, which I ...More »

After arriving at the venue this morning, my tour manager learned that it would be impossible to put the band on the stage given the club's size. Given the amount of gear and production that we have, fire exits would ultimately be blocked. Given that, tonight's performance will be acoustic. More »