Entry #: 14
Date: August 20, 2010
Where: Sterling Celtic Rock Festival, NY

I loved that the drive to Sterling was one of our shorter trips of the year. There was alot of great music throughout the weekend but the best for me was Eileen's acoustic set in the crowd after the generator went. The worst part of the weekend was coming home to my hotel room and discovering that someone had shaved in my bathroom while I was gone. Than to be further disgusted by the fact that it was my razor someone used to shave their face. Yeah strange stubble in the sink!
Heather

Soooo much fun at the Sterling celtic festival! Great to see the Elders and The Town Pants again. I think the best memory i have is of Neil Emburg wearing his Hunter Orange shirt on Sunday. We had a little jam every night back at the hotel rooms.
Colleen

Tons of fun at Sterling again! Besides getting many new costume ideas for Colleen from the Ren people that were left over from the weekend before, it was great hanging out and playing with all of our favourite bands. 10 gallons of rain on Sunday was a real treat as well, but those hard core fans proved themselves and we loved playing in the middle of the woods during a rain storm. Also a special shout out to Ashley McLeod and Dave Gossage, always great to have some good laughs with you guys!
Erin

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Entry #: 13
Date: August 7, 2010
By: Heather

We arrived in Des Moines safe and sound. We knew we were at the right hotel when we saw many a curly haired, young girls running around. We each showered and got organized, then headed over to the convention centre. It was amazing. We could park in the building by the stage, and there were so many people helping to unload I think it was a band record for unpacking. Sound check went smoothly and we were good to go.

When we learned we were having dinner prepared for us by our own private chef, this became the main topic in the van. Mary was really pumped because there was gong to be actual vegetarian food there. Not the usual pulled pork sandwhiches, in which case she gets the bun. We were served fresh homemade bread, soups, tomatoes (fresh from the garden), sea food gumbo and an assortement of cheeses and nuts. It was fantastic. Colleen even had thirds. With our bellys full we were off to rehearse the dancers for the show, do a quick interview and somehow find time to change.

The crowd was full of energy and we just fed off that. There was plenty of dancing on the stage, and from the crowd on the floor. No one fell off the stage and everyone had a great time. We look forward to our next trip to Des Moines.

The rise of the sun on Sunday brought the grim reality of the drive home. We decided not to attempt to drive the entire journey without stopping, as is our usual style. Day one of driving had us on the road at 9 am and checking into our hotel at 12:37 am. Day two of driving we hit the road at 8:30am and Erin was home by 6:30 pm. In that span of time in the van Heather read two books, drove a couple tanks of gas and watched 5 movies. Escape to Witch Mountain (the old one), Star Trek (the new one), How to Make an American Quilt, Mighty Wind and Becoming Jane. The rest of the time was spent sleeping or being bored and wishing we were already home.

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Entry #: 12
Date: August 5-6, 2010
By: Colleen

The next two nights we played at the Ballydole's bars in Illinois. Guess what? Our cookie monster showed up with about 5 dozen baked goods for us! All of our friends and family couldn't wait for us to get home. Not because they missed us oh no! They knew we'd be coming home with treats. The second of the two nights was an interesting one because there was a wedding reception at the bar (everyone's dream). We got the lovely couple up for a dance. The bride was not at all pleased. she just glared back up at us. I guess for some even on your wedding day you do not want to be the center of attention. Oh Well! the rest of the family kicked their heels up! On to Des Moines.

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Entry #: 11
Date: August 4, 2010
By: Erin

August 4 - Another 5.5 hour drive and we arrive at one of our favourite places, Nine Irish Brothers in West Lafayette, IN!! It was a scorcher today and by the time we started playing, the place was jammed and the air conditioner was having a tough time keeping up. We cannot thank everyone enough for always coming out to support us here, you make the evening so much fun. And to the O'Bryan family and staff, we love you guys and you always make us feel so welcome. Plus I always love seeing Colleen and Jerry on the bar, dancing and fiddling.

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Entry #: 10
Date: August 3, 2010
By: Erin

After loading up the van and trailer and picking up Mary, Heather and Colleen in Ottawa, we spent the ENTIRE day in the van. Drove somewhere past Cleveland, OH and crashed for the night. Was able to bring a TON of maple syrup again finally, as there's been a higher demand than we all could have ever expected. By the end of this trip, we end up selling out again, so we're trying to get more for Sterling, NY in another week! Had a wonderful supper at the Cheesecake Factory tonight.

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Entry #: 09
Date: June 29, 2010
By: Heather Searson
Where: Ottawa, ON

Every year we have one long horrible drive. When we agreed to drive all night to make the next festival none of us thought we would have so many set backs. Did we learn our lesson? Probably not, I'm sure we will book another crazy driving tour.

We finished our set in Oak Brook, IL. We were finished selling merch. We went to load our gear and had our first surprise. The sound crew and some of the guys from the Killdares had packed up all our gear. This put us ahead of schedule. Things were starting out great. This bought us enough time for everyone to have a shower and grab some food. Our hotel was next to a Cheese Cake Factory. We were able to stock up on salads and avoid stopping at a fast food joint. These were much needed vegetables as we were surviving on pulled pork sandwiches and Mary could only eat the bun! Off we went with Erin at the wheel to begin what was supposed to be a 14 hour trip.

The drive was going smoothly. Erin tossed the keys to Colleen than curled up on a seat and fell asleep. Colleen woke me up, it was my turn to steer the caravan. I looked at the GPS, then the gas tank and finally Colleen's face. She didn't cover as much ground on her shift. Turns out there was a heavy accident. Traffic was stopped for over an hour, no movement means no trip progress. As I was driving my first shift I realized this has got to be at least the 3rd time I have watched a sunrise while driving through Cleveland. At 9 am my eyes were getting heavy and it was time to hand the wheel back to Erin.

I slept through Erin's entire shift and woke up to the horns of NY traffic and a frustrated Colleen at the wheel. We were watching the clock, time was getting tight. Instead of having 2 hours to shower, nap and get ready for the show, we were down to ½ hour at the hotel. Traffic kept slowing us down, time at the hotel was slippping away. When I looked around the van I knew we needed time to change at the hotel. People were in their pjamas, hair was erratic and everyone definitely looked like they slept in the van that night. Colleen navigated the traffic with minor symptoms of road rage. We were going to make it on time. A loud pop from behind, followed by scraping, the tire on the trailer went. Another obstacle to overcome.

Colleen pulled us to the side of the road and we surveyed the damage. Should we call CAA? No, it will take to long. We can change a tire and be on our way and hopefully barely late for the show. Mary and I emptied the trailer of heavy gear. Erin and Colleen found the tools they needed and away we went. With Erin and Colleen having things well in hand Mary and I were left spectating. Mary took pictures so we could share our sad moments with others. I called dad to wish him happy father's day and thank him for teaching us to change a tire. Tire changed and trailer reloaded in 27 minutes. Back on the road, definitely skipping the hotel straight to the gig. We called to let them know we are ten minutes a way. We arrive looking completely dissheveled. Fourteen hours became 16 and ½. We were tired, covered in grease and now standing in line at a porto potty to change and some how look pulled together. We made it on stage in time, miracle and had a fun gig. If the crowd didn't have the energy that they did one of us might have fallen down from exhaustion. We made it through the day, tackled the problems and only had to drivie home to Canada the next day. A good night's sleep would cure everything.

Smooth sailing the next day was disrupted a couple of hours in. Colleen was at the wheel again and we heard that distinct noise. Tire down. At this point everyone knew their roles and set to work except we were only carrying one spare. We needed a tire. We detached the trailer and I head to the nearest garage to purchase a tire. The rest of the girls unloaded the trailer and propped it up. I arrived with tire in hand. The trailer was fixed and reattached. Back on the road again. This process took a lot longer, the finding and purchasing of a tire added more time to the trip. It was ok we would still make it home in good time. Than the traffic came, another accident. At this point the band just gave up. We felt we were going to be in the van for the rest of our lives. Instead of making it home by 2pm we rolled in at 7pm, agreeing never to speak of this trip again.

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Entry #: 08
Date: March 2010

Hey guys!
We thought that since it is march we would pay homage to where we came from. Here is a little medley of fiddle tunes that we haven't played since we were kids, but we had a hell of a time remembering how they went! p.s. Watertown rocks!
love, Searson

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Entry #: 07
Date: January 2010
Where: Lafayette, IN

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Entry #: 06
Date: July 2, 2009
Where: Ottawa (11:49am)

It's a long road to the Rockies, especially when you travel from Ottawa to Syracuse to Philadelphia, then catch your plane.

We made it through the border and received our new work visas. Another year of being legal in the States. Normally we are waiting at customs for a few hours this time we were out in less than an hour. Things we're looking up and with all the travelling we have to do in the next few days we need luck on our side.

We arrived in Syracuse to find the place still standing. A fast unload and setup was completed. We were ready for the night ahead. Kitty Hoynes always has the same warm atmosphere. Good people, good drinks and good times. Good Music too! We performed our entire new fiddle cd on stage which made the whole band feel good. After a few hours sleep we hit the road for Philly. Upside of driving at night, no traffic.

We pulled into the airport at 7am. With suitcases and instruments flying we rush through the airport finding a bite to eat and a game of cards. Than we were boarding the plane to Fort Collins.

The festival was a great time. We loved hearing all the other bands and catching up with friends we haven't seen awhile. We also loved walking around the town. Mary and Erin bought a few new dresses and things. Colleen and I bought ice cream and strolled the streets. After a weekend of fun we had to pack are bags and be ready for the 4am shuttle. It was a quiet ride to the airport, a sign of a good weekend.

We boarded the plane ready to leave on time. We sat on the plane for an hour without leaving the gate. Than the pilot came over the loud speaker telling us to deboard the plane. After some organization and waiting in line they found another plane for us. It just meant having a change over in Nashville. We landed and ran from gate 9 to gate 21 and caught our plane to Philadelphia. Our only worry now was if our luggage would make it. We were leaving in 36 hours for Germany and could not afford to lose our instruments. It was Mary and Andrew's first trip to Nashville. They said they enjoyed the solid ten minutes they had there.

We made it to Philadelphia and so did all our bags. Than it was simply the 8 hour drive home. Do some laundry, pet the cats and get ready for the trip to Germany.

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Entry #: 05
Date: March 14, 2009
By: Group effort from the entire band: Mary, Andrew, Heather,Colleen, Erin!!!

Road Diary from Germany!!!! The 2nd!!!!

To let everyone know, we are celebrating Andrew's 1 year anniversary with the band, in Germany!!!!!

Ok! So, we have been almost everywhere in Germany. Tomorrow we are driving through France, and we are ending up in Switzerland. Woo Hoo!!!
ok. now to the fun stuff!!!

Here's a litle teaser for everyone of the things we've been doing:

Beer and Wine every night!
Our brake fluid was eaten by a weasel.
Every night we end the day with chocolate and beer.
Mary is looking for a hot firefighter.
Dancing till 4 in the morning at an Indian restaurant, drinking whiskey.
Andreas the blacksmith making all of the girls "special tokens" to take home.
Heather seeing a German midget. (She has seen everything now)
Check out "Supergirl" a song very popular in Germany by Raymone, we've been playing it every night.
Dustist myna Schvesta Andreas Kraussa. Nac zigna gishlechts oom vun loong.
Erin has already dropped and broken 2 FULL BEERS.
watching porn every night with chocolate and beer.
Cheese and bread at every meal, it definitely is hard to be regular.

Tchuse!!!! (Cheers)
luv the band

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Entry #: 04
Date: March 14, 2009 - noon (That makes it 6 am back home)

GOOD MORGAN!!!!!

Well the trip to Germany has been quite the experience so far. We landed in Frankfurt around 5 in the morning on wednesday. What a treat to arrive to sunshine, clean air and we savoured being able to take our heavy winter parkas off. Everyone has been extremely friendly this entire trip. We are travelling with two other bands. Outside track is a bunch of girls (1 guy!) who met at university in Ireland. The other band is again made of females known as Fallen Angels. First night we had off, so we went into Dusseldorf. Took the metro in (we got away without paying. They must have felt sorry for us poor Canadians!) Had our first meal, but way more importantly we enjoyed our first BEER!. So our first gig was in Leverkusen . A place next to the Rhein . Friday's show was in Luen. Met someone who's been to the valley after the show. They even knew som people i went to school with. Today we are in East Germany. Went through some old check points. We are in Steinberg. The hotel we are in was formerly a textile factory in the war. The place where our show is, is called Wernesgruner Brauereigutshof and it is a BREWERY that has been in existence for over 500 years. It is supposedly one of the oldest in the world. We are close to the Czech border, so there is hardly any english. We really get to show off our German skills which usually just translates back to sign-language. Well thats it for now here are some pics for your enjoyment! We'll keep you updated on the beer!

xo
Searson, drummer & Guitar

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Entry #: 03
Date: February 23, 2009 - 10:45 am
By: Heather (bass playing) Searson
Where: Ottawa Apartment, while being attacked by my kittens

We drove the short 10 hours to Maplewood on Friday. It was fun to finally play in Maplewood on a weekend. It was great to catch up with people and discover how 2009 was treating them so far. After a long day of driving and a fun night of playing I was very excited to go to bed knowing there was a fun weekend ahead. Sleep is not what I did. First my smoke detector went off. When I established my room was not burning down, the building didn't even smell of smoke and no other alarms were going off I figured it was safe to go to bed. Curled under my covers waiting for sleep to take me I heard a beeping noise. Followed by a continuous beep. The battery in the smoke detector was dying. Took out the battery and hoped if there was a fire someone in the band would notice if I didn't make it outside. Wrapped the blankets around me and began to drift into a world of sleep, only to be brought back by the phone ringing. No one on the line, prank called from the hotel. Sadly, I was prank called 2 more times during the night. Colleen said it was my own fault for not unplugging the phone after the first time.

We had two new comers with us for Mid-Winter. Our guitar player, Andrew and our new drummer, Mary. They were experiencing the joy of Mid-Winter for the first time. We were greeted by many friendly faces and could not wait to play. We had a lot of new material to share from our Different Kind of Light album and from the upcoming Ignite fiddle album. We had a lot of fun playing and jamming onstage. Offstage we enjoyed ourselves as well. It was great to catch up with other musicians we hadn't seen in awhile. Find out what's going on in everyone's lives. This year the party room was jungle themed and as good a time as ever! It was a long drive home Monday especially feeling the temperature drop during the entire trip. From sunshine and only wearing a hoodie to snow banks and winter gear!

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Entry #: 02
Date: February 23, 2009
By: Colleen

New year's resolution? to have road diaries ready on time.......crap!  Maybe next year.

Ok! Two weeks ago we played at Kitty Hoyne's bar in Syracuse. It was magical mayhem! All of the usuals, plus a few extras were there in high spirits. Oh yes! Before i forget, we have a new drummer! Woohoo!! So, whenever you see her you better make her feel welcome. She's one hell of a drummer and pretty easy on the eyes. Anyways, back to the story. Syracuse was such a blast. We were there Friday and Saturday night, and what can i say? Great food, great booze, great people, and one hell of an awesome band if i do say so myself. Erin and i gave a workshop on Saturday which went without a hitch. I tried to make Erin stepdance on the bar, but she was a little too shy! Now Andrew on the other hand, it was all we could do to keep him off! What can i say guys? It's great to be back on the road touring with awesome people.....I'm so lucky.

Later,
Colleen

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Entry #: 01
Date: January 8, 2009
By: Searson

Happy New Year!

We are looking forward to 2009 and wanted to update everyone on what the band has been up to lately.

To begin with, we thoroughly enjoyed performing in Montclair, NJ for the First Night celebrations. The city had 18 venues of live entertainment happening all evening. We performed in a beautiful old round church hall complete with chandeliers and stained glass windows. The acoustics were fantastic and we played to two completely different crowds for each show. There was standing room only for both shows which of course encouraged lots of dancing, young and old alike!
We have been rehearsing a lot throughout December and writing new tunes for the fiddle album. The music is sounding great and we will be back in the studio in a few weeks to record.

We are also excited to be touring in Europe for our first time in March and look forward to sharing our adventures with you as always.
We wish everyone the best in the New Year and look forward to seeing you on the road! ... Happy New Year!

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2005 Road Diary  |  2006 Road Diary  |  2007 Road Diary  |  2008 Diary

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