11 March-Saskatoon

Rockin' at the Barfly in Calgary. Karen is our merch girl--there is no one so aggressively charming as she! No one leaves without a CD. . .



Hey lover,

Your side of the bed is empty by the time I wake up, though I vaguely remember a kiss good-bye filtering through my sleep. I’m home. You’re here, somewhere in the city. Your clothes are littered around the room. My own suitcase has exploded at the foot of our bed.

I landed in Saskatoon on a high, after a run of amazing shows in Alberta that testify to the power of working out the kinks on the road. After a solid run of show, the songs flow, the passion is intense, the connection with the audiences immediate and intimate. This is the joy of touring, when the crowds are large and responsive. The music comes from the soul. The mood is relaxed and vibrant.

So by the time I reached the familiar borders of my hometown I was full, happy, and exhausted, needing to punctuate the experience with a glass of wine. And a good conversation with you. One that goes straight to the heart.

At the beginning of this week, I remember being plagued by the feeling that there is just not enough time during this short stopover. To see you, to have the conversations we need to have, to just be together before I leave again. And during the week I was plagued by weird coincidences—I waited for people who were late for meetings. There was our lunch date where we waited for each other at different restaurants. I was late for rehearsal because I couldn’t get the keys to the space. I locked us out of our house! It seems I’m being reminded that time is something we control and create (there is time if you make the time) and yet it’s something I cannot control the flow of. Or maybe I have to learn to pay more attention. Not sure. The lesson is still being filtered.

Besides my time with you in Saskatoon, it’s been great connecting with the band again. Peter is so very passionate and attached to his band, while I’ve always seen myself as more of a solo artist. His perspective has certainly made me appreciate my band in Saskatoon—their talent, the flavor they lend the songs, and the opportunity they offer to be a part of something larger than myself.

On Wednesday, I returned from rehearsal late and you were already sleeping, so I stayed up, still wired after practice with the boys. And I wrote. Just didn’t want to put down the guitar. Picked out a song, quite different than the one I thought I was writing.

Can’t wait for the show tonight to really experience the band. And there is no show better than those where I see you in the audience. I could play to you for a lifetime.

Love C

Peter captures a perfect moment out the car window as we barrell through Drumheller to head home. . .


Back in Saskatoon, promoting the show at CFCR!

05 March-Calgary

Hey lover,

It's been a great run of shows since we started east from Victoria, which eases the pain of passing from the blissful spring weather of the west coast back into the harsh realities of winter.

The Velvet Underground in Edmonton
Peter's feeling the love in Edmonton. . .


Our house concert tonight was probably one of the highlights of the tour, though not much could derail my enthusiasm at this moment. I’m drowning in the sheer anticipation of our reunion tomorrow! Still, this house concert perfectly suited my mood after a couple bar gigs and Anna and John were amazing hosts. They had a great gathering of friends whose appreciation of the music was palpable. Not to mention great food, a small sampling of which was sent with us as a care package for the road when we left!





Every so often, we encounter people who want to take us under their wings, surrogate mothers and fathers and families that transform the tour into another home of sorts. A little unconventional, but no less loving. Perhaps it’s just easy to conceive of things that way on the eve of a homecoming.

See ya soon. . . C

28 February 2006

Hey lover,

Great news to hear you booked the flight and that the Venus Envy tour will end with a romantic reunion in Montreal. I’ve been saying it’s my favorite Canadian city since 1995 when I was last there—should probably update the nostalgia.

Touring through Victoria and Vancouver makes you seem closer and farther away than you are. Afterall the cities are full of our favorite haunts and discoveries that defined us while we lived out here. From the simple condition of being a water baby frolicking along ocean views, to the organic food (I was zealous in satisfying my craving for health muffins . . .), to the great people, my time on the coast was so very groovy. And oh the coffee!

Every now and then, it’s good to soak up time with people who inspire you, who are just like-minded enough to remind you who you are and who you want to be. And certainly we arrived in Victoria at that point on the tour when the travel routines are comfortable, the shows are swimming along fabulously, and it’s time to relax. Let loose. Give in.

So I began my tour of Victoria, stuffed into a corner table in a crowded Italian restaurant with great wine and food to define “states of grace” with Wynn and Theresa. With wine lubricating our intellects, the discussion was lively and invigorating and continued onto the Reef, where we added Mike to the mix and switched to sangria. As my tour of old haunts continued, we dove into the Mint for martinis and by then, the music was calling. Back to Wynn’s for a jam. Perfect evening.

The show at the Duncan Garage Showroom was unpredictable, an experience only Longevity John (the owner) could deliver. The showroom is cluttered with oddities and wild paraphernalia that John tours us through: nutcrackers ranging from the obscene to the practical; a self-flipping spatula; a scalp-massager resembling something from a Frankenstein scene; a spoon with a revolving cup that always remains horizontal. All dispersed around the room, mingling with the 68 gold ducks that are sadly empty piggy banks now used to reserve seats.

On stage, Peter and I wildly enjoy ourselves, despite a very thin crowd. Theresa had come up from Victoria with us. And during my set, another crew of Peter’s friends arrived from Victoria. I was launching into a story, explaining that I could share my gossip with this crowd because we are so removed. With this intimate ensemble out at the far reaches of our tour in a small town out on an island, who knows the people I’m talking about! The story involves my brother, and as I mention this, someone from the crowd utters his name. Sure enough, among Peter’s friends is a guy I went to high school with. Surely such bizarre coincidence should have been expected in the close range of Longevity John.

After the show, Longevity John introduced us to his 11 dogs. Count them. 11. We heard about the dogs earlier. We smelled the strange odor coming from the van with the cracked, foggy windows, but we weren’t quite prepared. The mangy mutts practically took over, bustling about in a frenzy that was chaotic. Peter seemed visibly disturbed. Back in the car, he keeps returning to the scene: “I can still smell the dogs. . .” or randomly uttering “those dogs!”

Damn it if my camera battery doesn’t die and I miss the opportunity to record Longevity John. Peter has some pics I’ll put up. As you can see, we’ve been experimenting with exposures . . .



Before burning onto Kelowna for the next show, we’ve got some down time to settle into Doreen’s. In such domestic comfort, Peter’s affinity for beer and pajamas is allowed expression and we sink into relaxation mode, jamming, songwriting, stretching our limbs.



So I’ve got some time here to catch up—pour yourself a glass of wine and pick up the phone tonight. Let’s make it a date and settle into a good chat.

Love C