Tour Day 3--Take off, hoser!--Toronto, Ontario Canada!!

Yeah, sorry, but I had to throw a Strange Brew reference in...

Ok, so we head out of Detroit after a pretty decent show. I was hammered, so David drove...I figured it would be best since he was sober...I doubt it would be in our best interest if I pulled up to the border in an inebriated state...So the keys to the war beast (read: Chevy Trailblazer) were relinquished...

David drives really well...It is tough hauling a trailer and he handled it with ease. Hence is why he is on the approved driver list for road shows...that makes only two of us...However, two is better than just me...Ha!!!

Our plan was to get through the border and drive a bit...It was a shorter drive than we were used to (about 4 hours) so if we could get through and make it some of the way, we should be golden. We had to be at the venue at 3pm. So time was on our side once we would (could) make it through...

We get to the border and it was a bit intimidating...I kind of sobered up instantly. The border guards were really polite, asked the random questions, and instructed us to pull up and check in. The check in area was pretty empty...Hopefully that is good, because I was worried about Jim getting in since he didn't have a passport. Doing some research before I left, I learned that you don't really need one to get in...It speeds things along and you may have a bitch of a time getting back to the US without one, but we would worry about that when it was time...

We pretty much breezed right in...I think we were there for 20 minutes...Next thing you know, we were heading towards the gig...Yay us!!!

David drove for awhile longer and gas was running low so we decided to get a room...By my estimation on where we stopped, it would be about a 3 hour drive to the venue...Lets get a good night sleep and something decent to eat in the morning....Sounds like a plan stan!! I want to say it was around 3am...If we were on the road by noon, we should be fine...

Sleep never goes well...With four of us in one room, sleep will not bode well...However, we are not rich so we have to deal with each others quirks...Mainly...snoring! Ugh!! Jim used to be pretty bad, but now Adam is the one that takes the cake...I went in and out of sleep throughout the night...Finally, around 9am, I got up and started getting ready...everyone else followed suit shortly after...

We stopped at the overpriced hotel restaurant and had a decent meal...We gassed up and headed out. All this time, dealing with American vs Canadian money, gallons vs liters, and miles vs kilometers...Yes, the first time we have had to deal with it...

We bought cigarettes...could not get Marlboros there...We got whatever Canadian equivalents...and the packaging is brutal...picture of a limp cigarette saying smoking causes impotency, a picture of a brain that had a stroke, pictures of blackened lungs, etc. That shit would not fly here at all...you know, because that is improper, offensive, and whatever else the moral majority deems fit for our eyes and brains...

So I drove to the venue...So far, everything was fine...Until we got to the Toronto area...The traffic was nuts!! I mean, crazy. I am used to traffic, but maybe being in an unfamiliar area stressed me out more...Either way, we finally made it and we were on time...

We get to the venue, which was The Opera House. We pull up behind the Destroyer/Enthroned bus...here they were, ready to help us again...No fucking shit!!!

The place was bigger than most places I ever played. For the Chicago readers, think about The Vic Theater...it was not as big, but it was close...We loaded in and started setting up...Met the sound guy and he started moving right away...There was a ramp installed from the floor to the stage to facilitate loading...Nice!!

The tour manager asked for a favor...he wanted to put the bus driver in a hotel to get some real sleep and wanted to save cab fare...Problem was, I am lazy, just drove through the gridlock, and really did not want to leave...especially with an empty trailer...However, I understood the predicament and the saving of cash, I just did not want to drive...David stepped up to the plate and I detached the trailer from the truck to make things easier...

Traffic sucked because they were gone for about 2 hours...Either that, or they all went to a strip club or went joy riding in the Trailblazer...Ha!! No one said anything on return...But they returned safely and all was well...we were all ahead of schedule...

We were the lone band to do a soundcheck...Destroyer and Enthroned trusted us enough to handle it I suppose as they did not soundcheck the entire time we were together...

We then find out Pathology did not make it through the border...I found that odd since they were on tour and made it in at Vancouver a week or so prior...I guess different borders, different rules?? Bummer as those dudes were cool. I'm sure we will share the stage again in the future...

There was a local opener though, which made me happy because we did not have to play first for once!! And they were nowhere to be found yet...

I went walking around to find a bar...which I did...and I happily planted myself there...

Jim and I did an interview...I drank...Just hanging out before the madness would begin...

Get back to the venue and there was a nice line forming outside...Nice!!

The opening band, Sepulchre was all set up and ready to go...Merch was set up and I was just wandering and hanging out...People were already buying stuff from us...A great sign, especially since it was our first time there....

Sepulchre were up and they were really good. I am unfamiliar with them, but I liked what I heard. They played a strong set to a good response...

We were up next...We stormed through our set...Someone passed out during one of our songs and he was right up front...Luckily, it was towards the end going into the next song, so I was able to do a pause and get this poor guy some help...we was carried away, and the show went on...It sounded great on stage, so I could imagine it sound great out in the crowd...

We get done, helped the Destroyer guys get situated, and off to the merch table...No shit...there was a fucking line!! Adam and I were scrambling because people were just throwing money at us...I want this shirt, this CD, can you sign this can you sign that...It was insane!! I still did not sign a set of tits, but I signed just about every bit of merch or concert ticket that was put in front of me...Weird...Someday, I will sign tits!!

Destroyer and Enthroned killed it as they did the last couple of days...I spent the rest of the gig hanging out at the merch table and talking to everyone who wanted to talk...Everyone was very cool and very appreciative that we played...We kept being told that the show in Montreal would kill...they are nuts there...To be honest, I thought this show killed...and it is going to get better??? Wow...I hope I am not getting set up for a letdown...

One funny point...I never seen so many Blasphemy shirts in the same place at once...It seemed like 1 out of 5 people were wearing one...Which is cool in my book...I love that band...

The only bummer of the night is the venue took a percentage of the merch...We knew this going in, but it was still a sore spot. I can see both sides...Here we are, a struggling band just trying to make ends meet, and a venue is going to take money from us...On the other hand, this was a big operation...multiple sound guys, security, the whole nine yards...And they only charged us for shirts, patches, and that sort of stuff...Not music...And since that was the majority of what we sold, we did not get hit for too much...Destroyer and Enthroned on the other hand were not too happy about it since most of what they sold were shirts...And they also stuck up for us because we were the struggling band...A bit of waves were made, but nothing real bad...Nick (tour manager) settled a lot of it...But I really appreciate being stuck up for...Again, these guys (Destroyer and Enthroned) looked out for the little guy (Us) and when most bigger bands could give a fuck, they did...Fucking massive!!!

We all loaded out and hung out a bit...We were invited to a bar by the locals, but we thought it be best to get on the road and make our way to Montreal...It would be a little over a 6 hour drive and I wanted to get at least half way there...Destroyer and Enthroned wanted us to hang at the bar and on the bus, but they respected our choice..."True Professionals" is the term I heard, and that really meant a lot. It also shows that we don't fuck around on the road...We are in the proving stage right now, and word of that will spread...

I was cool to drive as I did not drink a whole lot for a bulk of the night...We headed out, drove a bit, and stopped for gas and some vittles...got back on the road and I proceeded to drive as far as I would be able...3 days and no Tom Temper Tantrum...Things are good...Or would the Tom Temper show it's ugly face???