EZ-PASS GO!

The first show of tour is always a bust. I woke up at dawn yesterday with a million things to do: packing, paperwork, picking out CD's for the long drives. Then the stress of a late start, getting held up at the border, and not arriving at the venue in time for a soundcheck: I was wiped out by the time the show started. We spent a long time in the van planning a setlist for the Montreal show. Then we got on stage and every song felt completely wrong. "Oh God, not that one," I thought every time I glanced at the list of songs scrawled in sharpie. There was no flow; I was playing an unfamiliar drum kit; we hadn't practiced some of the songs in months.

It takes a few days to get into the rhythm of tour. Toronto will be better.

After the show, two drunk French-Canadian girls wanted to get onto the Album Leaf tour bus: "Please enter us into party bus!" I thought it was a Borat impersonation. George agreed to give them a ride home across town. He's a soft touch.

As with all our Montreal shows, we stayed with our buddy Victor. He and his girlfriend just bought a house way out in the country. It was a white-knuckle drive out there, through spooky pea-soup fog, but worth it to wake up to espresso and Montreal bagels (sweeter and smaller than their New York cousins). Victor plays bass in Under the Sea, who just released a lovely EP of songs composed for a movie score. It comes in a nice handmade package, if you're into that kind of thing. Thanks Victor!

www.belowthesea.ca