Really enjoyed the weekend on the road, I must say.  It was a treat to get out and perform again after one of the longest concert droughts in GBS History.  Banjo God and Folk Fusion King, Bela Fleck joined us on stage at the Calgary Folk Fest on Saturday night.  He’s been a musical hero of mine for a long time.  From my first listen to New Grass Revival over a decade ago right up to the present Flecktones collaborations, I’ve enjoyed how Bela Fleck has paved the road from folk to just about every other musical genre on the planet.   Quite a thrill to have him pick his way through Charlie Horse.

Proving once and for all that I love tour bus, I opted out of a flight from Calgary to Seattle and took the 13hour overnight bus ride with the crew.  We rolled into the Zoo shortly after 1pm.  You may be surprised to learn that we’ve played gigs at several zoos over the years.  It has always struck me as odd fit.  I really believe that a strong majority of animals dislike loud unfamiliar sounds and noises such as those you may regularly hear at a concert with four thousand fans.

We were treated very well by the zoo staff and I hope we did not disturb the bears and wallaroos (wallaby/kangaroo cross, I assume) who’s homes border the concert site.

Long flight home today.  North America is pretty big and Newfoundland is nowhere near the bulk of it.  I know this tour has only been a few days long, but I’m eager to get home and see if the wee fella has learned any new tricks.  In my short stint as Dad, I’ve come to learn that kids carry on without you when you’re absent.  They don’t wait for your return to learn and grow and turn in to little people.  There’s much to miss.

A few days at home to catch up before another short run on the East Coast of the US.

Happy Summer.

Cheers,
Alan