I left this town for Victoria thinking that Calgary wasn't for me. Calgary was stuffy and boring with nothing going on.
As it turned out, I was just 23 and unhappy with the direction of my life. There's no doubt that I came into my own in Victoria, but I have since realized that I really like Calgary. I was absolutely unfair in my hasty departure.
As proof, our show at the Ironwood was wonderful. I haven't felt so taken care of at a venue in a long while. Their sound man, JT, is relaxed and competent. I wish I had more time that night to chat with him. He piqued my interest by telling me that he started in 1969 with The Dead. If that's not the opening line of an epic tour story, I'm not sure one exists. We also met Bob, Sara and John, who all took care of us mightily.
For our part, we had a great show. I messed up plenty of lyrics and put the capo on the wrong fret of the guitar for one song. (Oops! Sorry, Beth.) But, it was one of those nights where we were at home on stage. The wee errors seemed to just add charm. It helped that the crowd was warm and attentive. For my money, it was one of the best nights we've had on this tour. Thanks to everyone who was a part of it, especially Patrick at the Ironwood who booked us in the first place.
I've been lucky to spend the last few days hanging around the streets of this prairie metropolis and have been enjoying it very much. The old haunts still exist and it's fun to check out what's changed since my last visit. Probably the highlight of my stay was going to Diner Deluxe and being recognized by the waitress who told me that she came to my show. I wanted to say,
I used to come here every Saturday when I lived in town! I love this place! Why aren't Johnny Cakes still on the menu? They're so delicious! I like your pretty dress! Why did you come to my show? Do you know a family member of mine or something? These breakfast sliders are yummy! Thank you for going to the Ironwood! And so on.
What I managed to do was stammer out a surprised "You did? Thank you so much!" accompanied by a goofy smile.
So with this note, I say a proper thank you to Calgary. To the Herald who re-ran the article in the Edmonton Journal that promoted our show, to our friends and family who put us up, to our lovely audience on Sunday night and to everyone who helped us promote the evening by telling their friends, sharing on Facebook and all the rest...
It has not gone unnoticed.
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