West is Best

So, what did you do last week? Oh really? That’s sweet. My week involved one van, 7 guys, and me. Any girl’s dream right?

Road trips have always been a favorite of mine. That would be because one of my most cherished places to think is in the car. Preferably with the windows rolled down and the music turned up. I am that girl with my hand out the window letting my hand float up and drop down according to the wind. Michael and Robbie call it “hippie hand dancing”… Whatever.

Driving from Calgary to Penticton is one of my favorite 9-hour trips. It’s fantastic because depending on the time of year you venture from majorly crappy to absolutely fantastic in what almost seems like a snap of your fingers. You enter a land where trees are green, water isn’t a skating rink and fruit stands aren’t boarded up.
Highlights you ask? Well…

-Penticton offered us some awesome weather and the chance for me to buy yet another pair of Cochymela’s Rancho Relaxo pants. (They are made with bamboo which means they are the softest thing your hand and bum will ever touch.) The Pen also brought to us a homemade dinner and getting to listen to Jean-Paul De Roover.

-Then, we had the idea of driving to Vancouver directly after the show. At midnight. Michael was driving, I was sitting shotgun. For the sake of keeping Michael awake we started to sing cannons. Isn’t that what everyone does? Hits included: Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Celine Dion and Disney classics.

-Vancouver and a hotel allow us to shower and change and head to UBC for their AMS Block Party. Featuring Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, Hey Ocean!, The Barenaked Ladies and 3000+ drunk university students. All the ingredients for a rain-dancing, beer-drinking, great time. Hey Ocean! Is great. Ashleigh Ball is a total babe, I have a major girl crush. Hey Ocean!’s new CD is going to be stellar. Mark my words.

-Kelowna has a hotel with great beds, a super rad radio station called Q103.1, Free beers and burgers and lovely 20 degree weather. We got a little silly, played Frisbee, went to the beach and rode the Ogopogo. Phil has the best iPod ever and is a fantastic DJ.

That is all. We are now driving east. Sup Saskatchewan? I haven’t seen you in a long time. It’s kinda the way I like it, but you will offer rest stops and bathrooms so we can be amicable.

Peas & Luhv,

Brie

Sister.Act.2

I haven't willingly set foot into a church for almost 3 years. But give me an MBF concert and me and my new purple Keds were there.

The wooden vaulted ceilings of Knox United Church gave Michael's songs a new life and sound I have never heard before. With around 70 youthful, harmonized voices backing him up, the entire church was vibrating with such positive energy.

An incredibly cool add-on to the show was this incredible artist {whose name is completely escaping me at the moment. If someone reads this and knows who it is PLEASE let me know so I can give her props!} who was painting massive white canvases while Michael played. They were stunningly beautiful. To top it off, they were being sold after the show with half of the proceeds going to charity. Preettyy Freeeaakin Cooool.

I am convinced that Michael's idea of having a hundred-person choir perform with him was so he could simply re-enact a scene from his favorite movie Sister Act 2. :)

But for serial, for the 4 times that I have seen Michael live, I was completely blown away and speechless by the end of the night. With powerful&soulful renditions of Maxine, Black & White Phonetics and the most joyous version of Brand New Spaces I have ever heard; I think it's safe to say that everyone left that church happier than they arrived.

For anyone in Kelowna tonight, check him out at The Habitat. You won't regret it. And if you DO. Feel free to let Michael know. :)

Peas & Luhv.

Brie

Ghostridin' The Whip.

Tight black pants? check. Black high top Keds? Check. Red plaid shirt? Check. Thick Rimmed Glasses? Double Check.

"Yeah, so I booked this gig a while ago, and it was supposed to be a solo, acoustic show... I decided to bring a six person band." -MBF.

This blog post brings us back to the wonderful and awesome Communitea Cafe in Canmore, AB.

Seven thirty rolls around and we finally stumble upon Communitea to an already small gathering of people waiting outside to grab seats.

Eight thirty brings us to "The Kiteless Flights" {as Steve #2 lovingly named them} who take the stage. They were basically a wicked little band where the oldest musician was pushing it at 16. They took hold of their instruments and completely shocked me with a great rendition of Glen Hansard's "Falling Slowly". After playing a few original tunes, the crowd; mostly filled with proud parents, applauded their little ones.

Nine o'clock or so brings us to the night's main attraction. Every seat is taken and Michael opens the show with himself, his guitar and his trusty loop peddle. Now, I will let myself indulge in a quick fan moment and say that when he opened with "Heroes" I was über stoked. First, I have never heard or seen videos of him playing this live before. Second, his layering of harmonizing vocals on top of one another made it impossible to focus on anything else. Throughout the night he got good use out of his loop peddle. Case&Point, he did a loop with the entire band for the first time which sounded glorious.

The song "Suzie (I Love You)" brought around a dedication to the "Suzie" in the crowd that night a.k.a. my friend Lizzie.

Shortly after Michael telling loving stories of the first time he played in Canmore, the band stepped in to bring "Maxine" to life while the horn section hilariously mimed the words to the song when their lips weren't pressed to brass.

The rest of the set included bringing out older tracks like "Mary Me Mary" and "Black and White Phonetics". Also, Andrew {drummer}, and Michael got all of Communitea to it's feet with Brand New Spaces' iconic - Stomp, Stomp, Stomp, Stomp&Clap. And not to forget the nights first MVP, who was an older gentleman whom Michael jokingly called out for getting up and walking to the bathroom by saying:

Where are you going, sir?

Give the guy about 5 minutes and he returns and replies with:

I was getting you a beer.

Well played sir, well played.

Overall, I can tell you that this "small cafe show" was none of the sort. With exuberant Saxophone and keyboard solos and hilarious crowd participation it was a night I won't soon forget. Sorry you had to miss it.

Next on the sched. Aidan Knight opening for Dan Mangan. Can't wait for some awesome "Robots" sing along.

Peas & Luhv.

Brie