He Walks, She Rocks

Jason and I both knew there would be some snags along the way with this trip.  You don’t plan for a month long fundraiser and not expect something to go wrong.  However, we never really planned for something like this.

When I sent around information packages to possible concert venues in January I knew I wanted to have a show in Hamilton.  I like Hamilton.  My parents’ families are in Hamilton.  I’ve played there a lot.  It’s a city that’s been good to me.

One of the booking agents at Club Absinthe got back to me and said, “We would be happy to host your event and we’re completely behind your cause.”  Fabulous.  We firmed up the details and were told Thursday, April 22nd “is locked and confirmed for you guys.”  The only other outstanding issue was if we were going to have an opener.  I didn’t know so I left it.  I didn’t hear back from anybody after sending in the posters for printing.  I was excited. Some really amazing bands play at Club Absinthe and it was going to be great.  We started promoting in the papers and the television and radio stations.  We sold tickets online.  Hamilton was turning out to potentially be the biggest show of the entire tour.

Last Tuesday, while en route from Vancouver Island, I received an email from Club Absinthe advertising another band for the night we had confirmed.  This was perplexing.  So, I went on their facebook page and realized they were publicizing this group full force…nowhere was our event mentioned!  I called the venue and emailed the booking agent.  At the end of the day Jason and I received an email letting us know that “there was a booking conflict so [they] had rescheduled [our] event because of seniority.”  He said he had emailed me twice about this on March 24th and April 1st.  Maybe he did, but I didn’t receive those emails, and I feel like I would have remembered one of our shows being canceled.  Also these emails were never forwarded to us during future correspondence.   To be fair, I never got back to the venue about an opener, but never in a million years did I think our evening was in question.  It was “locked” for us.  That’s what we were told.

Jason took over from here.  He communicated with the booking agent on the phone and via text messaging. Together they were able to work out pushing the show back one day and in an earlier time slot.  So, instead of the show being Thursday at 8:30pm it was moved to Friday at 7:30pm…with a week to try and let everybody know about the changes.  I called the radio stations and the newspaper.  I got in touch with the TV stations.  I let everybody I had an email address for know the show in Hamilton was changed.  It was a lot of work.  Even coordinating with musicians who were going to play with me.  It was tricky.  But we did it, and we were once again excited for the Hamilton show.  Jason was told that the club would let people know on April 22nd (the original date for the show) to come the next day and that they would do some promotion.

I noticed yesterday that, once again, the show wasn’t in any of Club Absinthe’s listings.  I was annoyed, but thought, “Whatever…we did our own promotion.  It will be fine.”  However, at about 10:45pm I got a call from Jason.  Jason is usually asleep by 10:45pm anyway, never mind after walking 26km.  He said he received a text message(!) from the booker and that I wasn’t going to like it.  Jason was told our show (due to start in less than 24 hours) had been canceled due to “contractual obligations” and that there was nothing that could be done about it.  Jason has tried to call to speak with somebody in person but has been unable to get anybody on the phone.  The reason I am not typing the booking agent’s name is because I do believe that he wasn’t the one who canceled our show (twice), but rather the club itself.

So, it looks like the show that was set for tonight isn’t going to happen this month.  My hope is that we can find a similar venue and do a show for the MS Society in the summer.

But it sure as hell ain’t gonna be at Club Absinthe.

It has been really, really disheartening.  I’m semi-used to getting screwed around by some venue owners while booking shows.  It is, sadly, the nature of being a musician at this stage in the game.  But this was different.  We were (are) trying to raise money for people who are ill with an incurable disease.  We weren’t making any money off of this show.  I feel like it’s not only Jason and I who have been jerked around, but the entire MS Society and those people who rely on their support.

There are many other shows but if you were planning on coming out to Hamilton, we are so very sorry.  The next show is at The Mono Cliffs Inn in Mono Centre!

If you’d like to contact Club Absinthe and let them know your disappointment, you can do so at booking@clubabsinthe.ca (cc contact@hewalkssherocks.ca) or call them at (905) 529-0349.

So, the journey has begun!  Jason has complete Day Four of his walking and we are two shows down, six (or more…we might have a cool announcement coming this week) to go.

Here’s a quick re-cap of what’s been happening:
Saturday: We had our kick off show at C’est What in Toronto.  A few hours before show time, my guitar kinda broke but Ellen Carol, who did a great job opening the show, came through and found a guitar for us to use.  Jason had to leave during the show to catch a bus to Niagara Falls so he’d be there in time for…

Sunday: Jason started walking during the MS Walk in Niagara Falls.  It was a beautiful day and a good warm up for the rest of the walking to come.

Monday:  The start of walking on the Bruce Trail.

We got up bright and early to see Jason off in Niagara Falls.  He walked 26km into St. Catharines that day.  Then it was a quick shower and then off to St. Barnabas church where we had our first concert on the road.  It was a small but mighty crowd.

Tuesday:  We received an email from a walker who wanted to join Jason on the trail.  Fabulous!  Jason loves company, and Chelsea is one cool chick! Jason ended the night in Jordan.  If you’d like to walk with Jason too, he’d love the company! Email us at contact@hewalkssherocks.ca.

Wednesday:  The terrain has been a little rockier from Jordan to Grimsby, with much of it being along side a hill.  Luckily, Jason’s a seasoned enough walker that he can handle it, but he is walking a little sideways right now