Brockway Biggs Tour Blog

Hip-Hop & the ECMAs - Part 5 of 5

2009-03-20T09:00:00.004-04:00

Hip-Hop & the ECMAs

Cape Breton in 2010 - Hip-Hop Suggestions

Part 5 of 5

By Troy Neilson
www.BrockwayEnt.com

It's easy to point fingers, but it's more difficult to uncover solutions. It's clear the ECMAs have areas for improvement.

The key is more mutual involvement and initiative from both the ECMA and the hip-hop community. It's a two way street.

Showcases

An official ECMA "Hip-Hop" showcase is a wonderful suggestion provided by Halifax rapper Joe Buck. Unfortunately ECMA Artist Relations & Member Services Manager, Chanda Bissett, quickly points out that it's not financially possible.

"The ECMA produces a core group of "Official Showcases" and works with partner organizations (such as ANSMA) to create additional "partner" showcases for various genres. With the funding and resources we have, it is not possible for us to take on additional showcases for every genre without partner support."

Prior to 2009, a partner has typically stepped forward to organize a hip-hop showcase. Unfortunately, ECMA involvement has always been limited and they've failed to supply organizers with a list of artist who applied to perform on the hip-hop stage.

In 2007 and 2008, the organizers of the partnered hip-hop showcase were not aware ECMA applications had been submitted by artists to perform on their stage. As a result, the event often fails to showcase talents outside of the organizer's regional circle of connections.

The African Nova Scotia Music Association (ANSMA) does a great job of partnering with ECMA to produce its annual 'Black Vibes' stage. This stage does provide exposure for hip-hop artists, but unfortunately it is limited to Nova Scotia acts of African descent.

Panels/Seminars

The 2007 ECMA festival in Halifax engaged the UMAC in preparing an urban seminar. The result was a packed room, and an encouraging step forward for ECMA involvement in hip-hop. But, Halifax is the biggest hip-hop town in Atlantic Canada, so it wasn't clear how such an initiative might be received in other cities.

Things went downhill in 2008 when UMAC was not involved. A lack of promotion surrounding the urban seminar in Fredericton resulted in poor attendance. In 2009, there was no such component. Ms Bissett agrees that "perhaps it is time to revive our UMAC Partnership for the conference and/or showcases."

Award Category - "Single" vs "Album"

In 2006, the ECMA award committee agreed to debut Rap/Hip-Hop as a 'Single Track' category to ensure the category could be filled with nominees. As a result, rap/hip-hop is one of only three awards categories (out of 32) that celebrate 'single track' instead of 'full album.' In each of the past four years the category has been filled to capacity, and 2010 might be a good time to convert the category from 'Single Track' to 'Full Album.'

Change to an ECMA category is always possible, but requires support from the genre's community. Chanda Bissett, ECMA Artist Relations & Member Services Manager, is keen on bringing forward suggestions to the awards and stages committees, but requires proper documentation. She provided the 'Loud' category, which debuted in 2009, as a great example.

"We heard from individuals in the ECMA community that we should recognize a 'Loud' category. They were required to provide a title and description for the category, and to compile a list of at least five artists willing to submit an eligible album for ECMA 2009" (released between June 1, 2008 and October 1, 2009).

"The ECMA office received this required documentation and it was forwarded to the awards committee. The awards committee approved the recommendation, and then forwarded it to the ECMA Board of Directors who provided the final approval."

In its first year, the 'Loud' category was a success. There were five albums nominated, and legendary Moncton band, Iron Giant, took home the inaugural award. So, while other categories like 'R&B/Soul,' 'World' and 'Instrumental' struggled in 2009, 'Rap/Hip-Hop' and 'Loud' were stronger than ever.

The good news is that ECMA Executive Director Steve Horne is receptive to new ideas and building on the hip-hop momentum. The review committees will be meeting in the coming months, so now is the best time to voice your opinion to ECMA Artist Relations & Member Services Manager, Chanda Bissett ( ecma at ecma.com ).

"The best way to voice your thoughts is to put them on paper. This works well because we have to run these ideas by several individuals. In the coming weeks our committees will be getting together again to review what worked, what didn't and what we'd like to change, add or remove for next year."

Previous:
Part 1 - An Introduction - Hip-Hop Side-Stepped in Corner Brook
Part 2 - Popularity of Hip-Hop in Atlantic Canada & Showcases for Hip-Hop artists at the 2009 ECMAs
Part 3 - The Corner Brook Hip-Hop Struggle
Part 4 - Why was Hip-Hop side-stepped in Corner Brook & Hip-Hop Approach of other Music Award Festivals

Hip-Hop & the ECMAs - Part 4 of 5

2009-03-19T09:00:00.001-04:00

Hip-Hop & the ECMAs

Why was Hip-Hop side-stepped in Corner Brook

Part 4 of 5

By Troy Neilson
www.BrockwayEnt.com

Hip-Hop is a hard sell in Corner Brook. A quick sweep of the city and surrounding areas uncovered no rap emcees within a three hour radius. DJ Slue's hometown of Gander is 3.5 hours away. Slue, of hiphophits.net, attempted to organize a hip-hop event at the ECMAs, but had no luck booking a venue in the small town of Corner Brook.

Atlantic Canada is characterized by its traditional and Celtic music, and progressively more so for its rock. These styles of music provide a more long standing fan base and revenue stream, as outlined in publications such as 'Long Tail.' Hip-hop, on the other hand, has been documented to peak early and is subject to the stereotype of being all about image, big cars, and money.

These genre stereotypes might still be providing some of the road blocks. Fortunately artists like Classified continue to prosper and are now achieving "long tail" success. Industry heads in Atlantic Canada have started to turn, as they realize such pigeonholing has been over generalized.

But hip-hop isn't the only genre struggling to grab its share of the musical focus. Celtic music has also been feeling the backseat effect in recent years. The MacGillivrays (Troy, Kendra and Sabra) are known as one of the most talented families of Celtic performers in Atlantic Canada. Sabra MacGillivray, who was the featured Celtic dancer at the end of the 2009 gala show, has been noticing a change.

"Over the past few years, we've seen the musical focus of the ECMA gala show shift slightly away from Celtic, to progressively put more emphasis on rock. This year we were the only Celtic act on the show. We're flattered and thankful, but it's becoming more difficult for traditional music to get the exposure it once did."

Hip-Hop Approach of other Music Award Festivals

On the other side of our country, the Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMA) celebrate music from Manitoba to British Columbia. The event manager of WCMAs, Robyn Stewart, attended this year's ECMA festival in Corner Brook. The two events share many similarities, but also several differences.

"We recognize the power that hip-hop has with the youth of today and that the number of great Western Canadian hip-hop artists far exceeds that which we engage and celebrate. So, we've been working with people like Will Strickland from the Urban Music Association of Canada (UMAC)."

"In Edmonton and Moose Jaw, Will worked hard to get people out of their basements and involved. Consequently, hip-hop at the WCMA has been gaining momentum including the addition of a Rap/Hip-Hop award category, separate from the traditional Urban Recording award and the inclusion of urban specific industry professionals as conference speakers."

Upcoming:
Part 5 - Cape Breton in 2010 - Hip-Hop Suggestions

Previous:
Part 1 - An Introduction - Hip-Hop Side-Stepped in Corner Brook
Part 2 - Popularity of Hip-Hop in Atlantic Canada & Showcases for Hip-Hop artists at the 2009 ECMAs
Part 3 - The Corner Brook Hip-Hop Struggle

Hip-Hop & the ECMAs - Part 3 of 5

2009-03-18T09:00:00.003-04:00

Hip-Hop & the ECMAs

The Corner Brook Hip-Hop Struggle

Part 3 of 5

By Troy Neilson
www.BrockwayEnt.com

Chad Hatcher was nominated for a 2009 ECMA in the CBC Galaxie Rising Star category for his work with Classified on 'Tunnels & Pathways.' He made it to Corner Brook, but not without struggling to overcome the challenges.

"I'm a dad and I work a day job, so when it comes to attending these sorts of events, it takes some strategic planning especially when you're not making piles of cash from music yet."

"When I was nominated, I didn't know if I'd be able to make it to Corner Brook for the event, so I didn't book any other showcases. But I managed to make it, and I was shocked and thrilled when they asked me to perform at the pre-televised portion of the gala show."

Classified passed up the chance to showcase at this year's ECMA festival and feels other hardworking rap artists should be getting similar opportunities.

"They asked me to do one of the showcases, but I'm getting ready to go on a big tour (Europe with D12) and I wasn't nominated for anything, so I figured it was a good time to get in some family time since I just had a baby."

"I can't hate on the ECMAs though. They're definitely noticing us. I just think the artists that are working, touring and releasing good music should be getting more attention."

Of the nine artists nominated for a 2009 ECMA award in the Rap / Hip-Hop Single Track of the Year category, Halifax's Joe Buck was the only one who travelled to Corner Brook. The reason for the lack of hip-hop artists in attendance was laid out by Joe Buck.

"There just aren't many opportunities for hip-hop artists here. The director of the celtic festival from Glasgow isn't interested in my music. I even stood up at a seminar and asked if any of the panel members would consider working with a hip-hop artist. They were honest and said 'no.'"

Fortunately there were still opportunities. Thursday night, Buck took advantage of the open mic at The Backlot and earlier in the day he took part in the 'Export Readiness Training Pitching Workshop.' He was one of 3 artists at the session chosen to pitch to some of the top names in the industry.

"I met face-to-face with David Hayman of Vapor Music Group who has selected music for everyone from the Blue Jays to car & beer commercials."

In today's industry, Joe Buck's approach to the conference is the best possible for a hip-hop artist.

Upcoming:
Part 4 - Why was Hip-Hop side-stepped in Corner Brook & Hip-Hop Approach of other Music Award Festivals
Part 5 - Cape Breton in 2010 - Hip-Hop Suggestions

Previous:
Part 1 - An Introduction - Hip-Hop Side-Stepped in Corner Brook
Part 2 - Popularity of Hip-Hop in Atlantic Canada & Showcases for Hip-Hop artists at the 2009 ECMAs

Hip-Hop & the ECMAs - Part 2 of 5

2009-03-17T09:00:00.002-04:00

Hip-Hop & the ECMAs

Popularity of Hip-Hop in Atlantic Canada

Part 2 of 5

By Troy Neilson
www.BrockwayEnt.com

Hip-hop has been steadily gaining momentum this past decade and Atlantic Canada is no exception. The online voice sounded loud and strong as Classified won the inaugural 2009 ECMA Fans Choice Award.

Fredericton's Scotty & The Stars received a 2009 ECMA nomination in the Children's Recording of the Year category for their album 'Here We Go!' Band member, Andy Cotter, has been touring elementary schools in Atlantic Canada for the past month in support of the album and has seen directly the strength hip-hop has with youth.

"About half way through our show, I ask Scotty if he thinks anyone in the crowd has ever heard of hip-hop. The kids go nuts, and it has opened my eyes to how popular rap has grown. And we're working in some pretty rural schools."

Showcases for Hip-Hop artists at the 2009 ECMAs

The 2009 ECMA festival provided more than 200 showcase opportunities. Despite the popularity of rap, the genre only had one gala performer, zero official showcases and four partnered showcases.

The gala awards ceremony featured French Acadian rap group Radio Radio on the big screen. The fun vibe of this Moncton crew landed them performing at ADISQ (the French Junos) this past year.

Radio Radio are well known in Quebec, but their presence in Atlantic Canada still hasn't been established. In fact, one of the lead emcees is often mistaken in his NS hometown for a local folk singer. As a result, a lot of people were asking who those French guys were that rapped about Jacuzzis.

"We're not surprised people haven't heard of us, we perform mostly in Quebec."

The African Nova Scotia Music Association (ANSMA) included two rappers on the bill of their annual Black Vibes showcase: Hellafactz & Asia.

Halifax's Hellafactz is a self-proclaimed hip-hop activist with the goal of promoting positivity, while having recorded with the likes of KRS-One and Edo G. Fresh off winning the 2008 ANSMA Upcoming Youth Award, he started off slow, but progressively increased the vibe. 'No Qwestion' was a touching dedication to his daughter.

The man, the myth, the legend, R$ $mooth made the trek to Corner Brook to DJ the event and surprised the crowd by taking to the mic on the Hellafactz's reggae-laden 'All We Can Do'. Veteran Halifax rapper Asia showcased the amazing multi-talented abilities that have been gaining her praise for nearly a decade, especially with her group Nu Gruv.

Music New Brunswick (MNB) also included two rappers on their Saturday night bill: Nayles and Brockway Biggs.

It's been nearly a decade since Moncton's Nayles first broke onto the scene as part of the group Element Kontrol. He spit the gritty tooth and nails raps for which he's become renown.

Brockway Biggs (myself) always has fun and this was no exception. He had the ladies shaking their cabooses and the fellas throwing their thumbs up, much to the delight of several delegates in attendance.

Upcoming:
Part 3 - The Corner Brook Hip-Hop Struggle
Part 4 - Why was Hip-Hop side-stepped in Corner Brook & Hip-Hop Approach of other Music Award Festivals
Part 5 - Cape Breton in 2010 - Hip-Hop Suggestions

Previous:

Part 1 - An Introduction - Hip-Hop Side-Stepped in Corner Brook

Hip-Hop & the ECMAs - Part 1 of 5

2009-03-16T07:00:00.003-04:00

Hip-Hop & the ECMAs

An Introduction - Hip-Hop Side-Stepped in Corner Brook

Part 1 of 5

By Troy Neilson
www.BrockwayEnt.com

Every February, Atlantic Canadians come together to celebrate their musical past, present and future at the East Coast Music Association (ECMA) festival. This year's host city was Corner Brook, Newfoundland who provided a party nearly without parallel.

So where does hip-hop fit into an Atlantic Canadian music festival in a Newfoundland town of 20,000, where Rogers doesn't even provide cell phone service? The answer: It doesn't. The handful of hip-hop artists who made the trek struggled to find a place and break down barriers, much like the first settlers of this area.

Not so long ago, in 2005, the call went out for the creation of a Rap/Hip-Hop ECMA award category. Artists like fiddler Ashley MacIsaac, R&B singer Dutch Robinson and jazz artist Harvey Miller had been dominating the generic "Urban" category. That year, CBC provided regional coverage, which captured the doubts of ECMA executive director Steve Horne.

Fortunately, the board listened to the Atlantic Canadian hip-hop collective and the "Rap/Hip-Hop Single Recording of the Year" category debuted in 2006. The response was overwhelming and squashed the doubts of the ECMA board. After being overlooked for years, Enfield, NS rapper Classified finally garnered his deserved shine, winning the award in its first three years.

In 2009, Moncton/St. John's beat maker Hotbox won the Rap/Hip-Hop ECMA award for "The Main Event" featuring emcee Spesh K & DJ Y-Rush. Unfortunately none of them were able to make the trip to accept the award. Hotbox was busy with his full time teaching job in Moncton, Spesh K found himself in Toronto and Y-Rush had a DJ'ing gig in Halifax. It's a telling sign that the winds of change soon need to take shape.

Upcoming:
Part 2 - Popularity of Hip-Hop in Atlantic Canada & Showcases for Hip-Hop artists at the 2009 ECMAs
Part 3 - The Corner Brook Hip-Hop Struggle
Part 4 - Why was Hip-Hop side-stepped in Corner Brook & Hip-Hop Approach of other Music Award Festivals
Part 5 - Cape Breton in 2010 - Hip-Hop Suggestions

Day 4: DIY, telling fortunes, mackarel and Myles of awards

2009-03-02T03:58:00.000-05:00

After a late Saturday night, including baking french fries at 5 am with the crew, I overslept and missed the Industry Awards ceremony. Boo, but with the busy day ahead, I was glad for the extra sleep.

My media accreditation this year has kept me much busier than usual, so I hadn't yet taken in any of the seminars geared at teaching artists about the industry. That all changed around 1 pm on Sunday as I checked out the DIY seminar. Someday, I hope they'll ask me to serve on one of these panels! :)

I also took in another seminar entitled 'Music Managers Forum' (MMF), which was quite informative. Panel members included:
* Louis Thomas of Sonic, who manages Great Big Sea and others.
* Brookes Diamond, who managed Rita MacNeil and others.
* Millie Millgate of Australasian Performing Right Association.
* Jordan Verzar of Top Shelf, based in Australia.

Afterwards, I chatted with Millie about Maya Jupiter leaving her post as host of Australia's most renown hip-hop radio show and moving to California to pursue her rap career. We also told me about the beef in the Australian scene between rappers who try to sound american instead of using their Australian accent.

I also chatted with Jordan Verzar about his interest in original sounds, particularly instrumental. When I mentioned Ryan Leblanc, Jordan agreed Ryan was the most impressive act he'd seen all weekend.

I'd worked up a good appetite, so I wandered West street, stopping at Jade Garden for my first real eat-out meal of the trip. The chinese food, particularly the rice after 4 days of potato, was refreshing. However, the fortunate cookie stated: "When in doubt, follow your heart." This struck a cord with me, as lately I've been struggling to figure out what my heart is saying. It feels as though my heart is pulling me in 3 separate and equally passionate directions: software developer / performing artist / marketer & promoter. But there aren't enough hours in each day to pursue all three to the degree of my drive. It can be very frustrating to have no choice but to pass up some amazing opportunities due to lack of time.

After the meal, I returned back to the pad. Clutch felt bad for eating the last of my hot dogs, so he offered to cook up some of the mackarel given to us by the owners of the Hillside Haven Housekeeping Suite. We had to google cooking instructions, but it turned out amazingly delicious!

As I finished the mackarel, I realized I was already late for the awards ceremony, so I made it up to the Pepsi Centre as quickly as possible.

As I walked into the media area, I ran into new acquaintance and all-round good guy Josh Hogan holding an ECMA award.

For the past two years Josh lobbied for the creation of the new "Loud Recording of the Year" category. So it was fitting he got to accept on behalf of the first ever winners, Moncton's Iron Giant.

Immediately afterward, another all-round good guy, Hotbox won the ECMA for Rap/Hip-Hop Single Track Recording of the Year. Unfortunately, as a full-time teacher, he couldn't make the ceremony. That marks 2 years in a row the rap winner hasn't been there to accept the award.

David Myles won folk recording of the year. Swift as ever, he made a funny joke after the presenter of the previous award for the "Konica Minolta Male Solo Recording of the Year" announced that "Konica Minolta" had won the award... haha. The actual winner was Matt Anderson.

I was surprised when Radio Radio took to stage on the televised portion of the gala awards show. This Moncton Acadian rap group spit their lively jacuzzi rap. Afterward I spoke with one of the members and mentioned how I'd heard their name, but that was the first time I had seen them perform. They weren't surprised, since they rarely perform outside of Quebec and France.

After the gala awards show, it took the convincing charm of Super Dude extraordinaire, Don Levandier, and his St. Andrews/Corner Brook friend Maria, to convince me to sacrifice more sleep and attend the Post awards party. Albeit brief, it was definitely worth it.

I had a great chat with Chad Hatcher about hip-hop, Classified and life. I finally met the 2009 Female Solo Recording Artist of the Year, Jill Barber for the first time, as we'd agreed to exchange CDs a few weeks back. As a side note, she graduated high school with my brother's fiance.

I talked with Murielle Savoie about the change in name of NB's arts funding program from NB Sound Initiatives (NBSI) to Music Industry Development (MID). I had another great chat with Ed Ward of the Milwaukee Irish Festival.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure I cut in line in front of Pink Thunder when I was going to buy fries. Whoever, the trio of young ladies were, I felt bad, so I let them go ahead of me.

Finally, I ran into David Myles explaining to Jian Ghomeshi of CBC Radio One's 'Q' how he caught a mackarel this big (see pic below) over the weekend in Corner Brook. No, not really. :)

Now all that's left is a little bit of sleep, and keeping up my hopes that tomorrow's freezing rain doesn't hinder my return trip to Ottawa.

Day 3: Music NB Stage - Cajons & Bones

2009-03-01T15:37:00.012-05:00

Whelan's Gate played host to the Music New Brunswick Stage for the weekend. Saturday night's lineup was eclectic, ranging from folk to instrumental, rap to french and finished with a killer lineup from Forward Music Group

1. Andy Cotter. Backed by Scott Sampson on the drums, he sang and strummed with the style that's gained regional fame for his jam band Chillin Room and 2009 ECMA nominated children recording Scotty and the Stars.

2. Ryan Leblanc. This instrumentalist stood out as one of the top three most impressive performances of the weekend. This one-man wrecking crew showed off just how easy it can be to play harmonica, guitar and cajon (box drum) all at the same time. His talent earned him praise from Australian agent Jordan Verzar of Top Shelf, won him the 2009 ECMA award for World Recording, and landed him performing at the awards gala show.

3 & 4. I missed The Nuclear as I prepared for my set as Brockway Biggs, but most everyone in Atlantic Canada still knows me as Pimp Tea. As usual, I had a blast. Bones hooked me up with a candy ring, which added a nice new element. Girls were shaking their cabooses. The two fellas below had hype "yeows!" for 'Pinch Hitter' and good hand claps for 'Clap Your Hands'. And of course folks were throwing their thumbs up for 'Super Dude'. The few delegates who showed up all had positive things to say, which is always flattering.

Every year, I meet folks who've heard of me through my newsletters, but whom I've not yet met. One such person is Robyn of the Western Canada Music Awards (WCMA).

We had a great chat about the differences between the WCMAs and the ECMAs, in particular the perception that the WCMAs cover country music, which is incorrect. In fact, unlike the ECMAs, they've been working to improve their hip-hop content because they see the connection it currently has with younger crowds. The chat was interesting. As well, they've been moving to smaller cities as of late, such as Moose Jaw (2008), Brandon (2009), potentials for 2010 & 2011 include Kelowna and Whitehorse.

5. Nayles & Clutch (my roommates for the weekend) This NB veteran rapper first came on the scene as part of the group Element Kontrol. The set brought a tooth and nails rap performance.

6. Barley and the Durt. The artist comraderie amongst NB artists began to show as Barley called on Brock & Alex from The Divorcees, Mel Keith and Robin (who played bass for five bands over the weekend).

7. Kevin McIntyre. This french rocker was nominated for a 2009 ECMA in the 'Enregistrement francophone etoiles galaxie radio-canada de l'anne'. The NB comradie was again in full effect, as Music NB director, Jean Surette (of Les Paiens) took to the drums, while Robin again provided bass.

8. The Slate Pacific. Unfortunately I missed them as I was chatting with Robyn from WCMA and catching up with the ECMA hip-hop contingent in Corner Brook: Nayles, Clutch and Joe Buck. It's really too bad because my Fredericton friends Zach and Heather are part of the band.

9. Grand Theft Bus. Okay, I'm bleary eyed... no more band descriptions... enjoy the pictures.

10. The Motorleague. Punk rock amazingness, the way it should be done. They had everyone on stage with them including James Boyle, Share's Zach Atkinson, bassist Robin and Josh Hogan. The pictures explain why I heart the Motorleague.

11. The Sleepless Nights

12. Share

Bones finished off the night with some of his great indie pop selections. Everyone was grooving until past 4 am.

Day 3: Kids Music vs Rock meets Fiddling vs Vodka in ice

2009-02-28T17:45:00.011-05:00

In the lobby of Greenwood Hotel, I ran into Fredericton family, Scott and Andy of the children's group Scotty and The Stars who also double as band members of my favourite jam band, Chillin Room. Another Fredericton friend was in the mix, as Courtney Steeves is currently calling Corner Brook home as she attends Grenfall college and working as assistant manager of The Blackthorn Stick Cafe

I quickly grabbed a shuttle with birthday boy Jamie Steel up to the Roots Stage. I unfortunately missed The Olympic Symphonium, but caught fiddling sensation Samantha Robichaud backed by Chris & Lynn of the Colepaugh Crew. There was something inspiring to see NB's best rock outfit connect with NB's best fiddler. The result was energetic, infectious and inventive.

Then I needed to get back to the pad to cook up some moose meat steaks, and prepare for a night of music at the NB stage. While waiting for the shuttle, I noticed a bottle of Vodka frozen in ice. Unfortunately, Tim Yerxa of The Playhouse confirmed it was empty.

Day 3: Myles & Myles of Bandyness

2009-02-28T16:27:00.004-05:00

I was late getting to the third and final day of the "Export Buyers Showcase." Nayles gave me a quick drive and I was lucky to catch the last couple songs from Bruce Guthro.

In between performers, they took time out to celebrate birthdays for manager extraordinaire, Bruce Morel, and Jamie Steel of Periwinkle Productions.

1. Bruce Guthro. This folk storyteller knows how to woo a crowd. His songs covered topics from the Blue Jays championship to his website's URL. He's living proof that less is more, ensuring the focus is on the story without distraction.

2. Kendra MacGillivray & Troy MacGillivray. This musical family is known most prominently for Kendra's fiddling ability and Troy's piano playing, but they're always ready to switch up instruments. Kendra was clearly nervous on the mic, but none of that showed in her instrumentation. The highlight had both siblings playing fiddle in unison.

3. David Myles. It seems not so long ago, in 2005, David phoned me to ask for advice on promoting his debut album. Now, in 2009, David Myles is riding a wave of international acclaim. His show has improved immensely since 2005, helped by his move from strictly folk to a more sultry jazz blues sound aided by his backing band, along with some Bruce Springsteen inspired rock. His comfort on stage and crowd interaction brought in the largest crowd of the whole showcase, and with good reason - he provided one of the most impressive performances of the series.

4. MIR. Their light pop sound seemed somewhat generic, but their success is nearly unparalled by any other band of their sort in Atlantic Canada.

And with that, the "Export Buyers Showcase" wrapped up. David Myles and Ennis stood out as the most impressive surprises of the series.

Day 2: Urban Vibes to Music NB

2009-02-28T01:21:00.008-05:00

The Roots Room at the Pepsi Centre was pleasantly filled as a crowd of a dozen or so younger folk danced to the reggae/ska sounds of The Idlers. The 10-member band won't be held back by their sheer size, instead they've excelled with plans to follow up their 2008 Canadian tour with another in 2009.

Afterward, I made a brief stop over at Greenwood Hotel, where I had some great conversations with Joe Buck, Adam Gould of Broken Coast, James Boyle of Forward Music Group, Lynn D & Chris of Chris Colepaugh and a young up & coming artist located in Corner Brook named Natalie Tella.

Hunger soon prevailed, as I caught a cab back to the pad where Nayles was still putting together flyers for his printing & pressing business. I cooked us up a hearty supper of fries, hot dogs and tomatoes. The moose meat steaks are in the fridge defrosting for tomorrow. Nayles and Clutch still hadn't slept yet and were into the beers, so there were some funny conversations.

Since it was day 2 of the ECMAs and a Friday evening, I decided it was time to let loose and party a bit. I was late heading out and missed out on my plans to see Carmen Townsend and Christina Martin, so I headed straight to the African Nova Scotia Music Association (ANSMA) Black Vibes stage. As has always been the case, I was greeted with open arms and friendly smiles.

Nadira softened up the crowd with the R&B sound that won her the 2008 ANSMA Rising Star Award. She seemed excited to be performing, which proved infectious, and her last track enticed people onto the dance floor.

The man, the myth, the legend, R$ $mooth made the trek to Corner Brook to DJ the event. He's always full of surprises when he "gets jiggy with it".

Finally, the first official rap act of the ECMAs took to the stage. Hellafactz was born in Massachusetts, is a self-proclaimed hip-hop activist with the goal of promoting positivity and has recorded with KRS-One and Edo G. Fresh off winning the 2008 ANSMA Upcoming Youth Award, he started off slow, but progressively increased the vibe. 'No Qwestion' was a touching dedication to his daughter. R$ $mooth surprised the crowd by taking to the mic on the reggae-laden 'All We Can Do'. In between, he showcased a nice upbeat track reminiscent of Left Eyes 'The Block Party'.

The east coast king of soul, Dutch Robinson, used his smooth ballads to win over all the hearts of all the ladies in Corner Brook, and impress the fellas too. This ECMA award winner is a legend, drawing increased fame from his brief stint with the Ohio Players back in the day.

The half hour wait to get into Whelan's Gate yielded performances from some of New Brunswick's finest. As The Divorcees took to the stage, the crowd was piling up just outside the dance floor. After three songs of their boot kickin country, the flood gates burst to fill the floor with teams of Corner Brook fans. New Brunswick's finest fiddler, Samantha Robichaud joined the Divorcees to up the level, and had guys in life jackets rocking out.

If I could take one item back with me from the ECMAs, it would be one of the big ECMA cut out moose used to promote the weekend. While mentioning this to a fan in the crowd, she quickly made it clear that her grade one class at C.C. Loughlin had painted them. I'll try my best to get some pictures (or maybe take one back)!

Day 2: No shittin the bed: Dave Gunning & others

2009-02-27T15:06:00.013-05:00

The pace at the Greenwood hotel was energetic, as the dreary eyed travellers of Thursday were now wide-eyed and ready for a great weekend. It was a full house for the second day of the "Export Buyers Showcase," maybe because there was free food, or maybe because the afternoon featured 4 more great performances.

I situated myself between Duane Andrews and Ed Ward of the Milwaukee Irish Fest, and prepared myself.

1. Vishten. This quartet of musicians from PEI, NB and the Magdalen Islands have been performing their Acadian/Irish/Scottish style for nearly a decade. Their traditional style is reminiscent of what music should be all about - a kitchen party.

2. Dave Gunning. His years of performing, numerous awards and the title as one of Atlantic Canada's best storytellers played true in his performance. In between songs, he regaled the crowd with tales including the expression "shit the bed", which means "to mess things up". Ron Hynes even made a guest appearance.

3. Madison Violet. Touring, Touring, Touring, that's Mad Violet. The years of touring by duo Lisa & Brenley have paid off in a hippy folk feel-good sound evoking emotions of love and "crying". While sharing a shuttle with Bob Paterson of BPA Live Agency in the UK, he named them as his favourites of the festival.

4. The Divorcees. Their gritty, old school honky tonk country sound will have your heals kicking. Their debut album might have had people wondering if they were a tongue-and-cheek outfit, but the fun simplicity of the songwriting quickly captured fans by the truckloads. The simplicity shines bright on "Red Truck", while they also delve deeper into the Grand Manan drug dealer fiasco and blue ribbon uranium staking.

Day 2: Moose Meat Raps

2009-02-27T12:45:00.004-05:00

At 8 am, Nayles and his hypeman arrived. They regaled in stories of a drunken girl on the ferry who'd lost her boyfriend, and knocking on a rundown shack, thinking those were our accomodations. But they made it and were greeted with gifts of moose meat and fresh fish from the bed & breakfast owners.

Having not slept in more than 24 hours, Nayles drove me in town in time to catch KillA Clown on the Discovery Stage at the Legion. As one of only five rappers with a showcase over the weekend, I was curious to hear his style for the first time. Unfortunately, he was a no-show, being replaced by PEI's The Sidewalks. Their horn section was impressive, but I left disappointed with KillA Clown's no-show.

On the trek back to Greenwood Hotel, I met Halifax's Joe Buck for the first time. Breaking the cliche's of halifax underground backpacker sound, the singles from his new album 'Up' have impressed me with their catchy mainstream appeal.

Of the nine artists nominated for a 2009 ECMA award in the Rap / Hip-Hop Single of the Year category, Joe Buck is the only one who made it. The reason for the lack of hip-hop artists was re-iterated by Joe Buck.

"There just aren't many opportunities for hip-hop artists. The director of the celtic festival from Glasgow isn't interested in my music."

Fortunately there are still opportunities. On Thursday, Buck jumped on the open mic at The Backlot and took part in the 'Export Readiness Training Pitching Workshop.' He was one of 3 artists at the session chosen to pitch to some top names in the industry.

"I met face-to-face with David Hayman of Vapor Music Group who has selected music for everyone from the Blue Jays to car & beer commercials."

In today's industry, Joe Buck's approach to the conference is the best possible for a hip-hop artist.

Day 1: Back to the hotel ... err... Bed & Breakfast

2009-02-26T18:32:00.003-05:00

Last November, I decided I should look into booking a room for this year's ECMAs. After all, Corner Brook has a population of 20,000, which means limited accomodations.

After discovering that most of the spots listed on ECMA accomodation guide were booked full, I turned to the tourist booklet I picked up when I toured through Corner Brook last summer. I quickly found a cozy Bed & Breakfast situated on the bay.

The place is quiet, isolated and with a beautiful view. Not to mention it's basically a fully furnished 2-bedroom apartment with a grocery store only a 15 minute walk away. It's a 45 minute walk to the main drag, but only a $7 cab ride - now if only my Rogers cell phone worked so I could call a cab! :)

Oh, and Gary Kelly just let me know where I can find a liquor store.

With that said, it's now 8:30 pm... I'm debating whether to trek out, or take it easy and plan out the next 3 days of partying!

Day 1: Damhnait Doyle to Hey Rosetta before sunset

2009-02-26T17:04:00.004-05:00

Some of Atlantic Canada's most export-ready artists were invited to perform during three afternoon sessions. From Thursday through Saturday, intimate crowds composed of international delegates, buyers and media get to see Atlantic Canada's finest. There were seats for everyone, and front row wasn't a problem - just my style these days. At least until a couple bands had me wanting to get up and dance.

So just who are the most "export ready" artists? Today's lineup included 4 great performances.

1. Damhnait Doyle - The darling of the ECMAs, she'll be co-hosting the awards show on Sunday night. Of the 4 performers, her sound seemed the least unique, blending folk, rock and pop. When technical difficulties were causing problems, she moved into the crowd for an up close acoustic session.

2. Duane Andrews. Duane fuses jazz and folk on his acoustic guitar, in an upbeat instrumental style paralled by the legendary Django Reinhardt.

In 2005, I exchanged CDs with several ECMA nominated artists and his quickly became my favourite. We hung out at the after party that year, and have kept in touch ever since. Last year, he introduced me to Neil Conway, a great St. John's based artist. While catching up today, I found out his brother plays in the great ska/funk/jam band, The Idlers.

3. Ennis - The duo of Maureen & Karen Ennis, whom you might remember from Ennis Sisters, provided the most impressive performance of the afternoon. Karen's stage presence rolled smoothly through jokes, singing, step dancing and playing of the tin flute and drum, with each talent more impressive than the previous. It was a breath of fresh air - it's ashame people weren't dancing.

4. Hey Rosetta!. Anyone in touch with the Canadian indie rock scene has been hearing more and more about this St. John's band. Frontman Tim Baker fits the bill, providing a rock steady stage presence, strong voice and impressive songwriting. The hypnotic melodies of the lows perfectly offset driving "get up and dance" energy of the highs. Think Wintersleep on an energy drink.

Day 1: Deer Lake to Corner Brook with Rawlins Cross

2009-02-26T11:47:00.006-05:00

I was up at 8 am for bacon and eggs. I enjoyed a good chat with the owners of the Birchview bed & breakfast. They’ve been running it for 9 years, and told tales of many visitors - actors to doctors, from places as far and diverse as Africa, Australia and Russia. But they swore I was the first rapper to stay with them. They got me to rap for them, but I didn’t have time to get them to show me their accordion and banjo skills. I got them to pose for a picture.

Then Fred picked me up in his Star Taxi, and I headed back to Deer Lake Airport to catch the shuttle. I had an hour wait, giving me time to take in the ECMA fanfare posted by the baggage pickup.

At 11 am, Fred arrived again, this time as the "shuttle" driver. He picked up 4 of us destined for the ECMAs. Fred regailed us with stories of his years, including having to pick up a guy from Russia named "Kunt" last week. I also found out who I was sharing the drive with: Editor of the Newfoundland Herald, Kevin Kelly, and none other than 2 members the infamous Rawlins Cross.

Rawlins Cross, an Atlantic Canadian celtic rock legendary band, is reuniting for an awards show performance on Sunday night. In the van were founding members Ian McKinnon (pipes & whistle) and Dave Panting (guitar & mandolin). They took time to pose for a picture:

It's now almost 2 pm. Check-in time at my bed & breakfast isn't until 3 pm, so I'm stuck hauling my luggage around. I'm hoping to stash it somewhere so I can go see media-only performances from Damhnait Doyle, Duane Andrews, Ennis and Hey Rosetta! from 2-4 pm.

Day 0: Ottawa to Deer Lake

2009-02-26T01:33:00.001-05:00

Being the naive air traveller that I am, I decided to wear my 2006 ‘Under Pressure’ t-shirt purely for comfort. Forgetting that it depicted someone being handcuffed by police, I had to answer some questions about it as I passed through security at the Ottawa airport.

The flight from Ottawa to Halifax was uneventful. I sat next to a jittery young lady who kept to herself.

In Halifax, I had a few minutes between flights to catch up with Zaz Nomad, who painted my CD release poster a couple years ago. She’s doing illustrations for children’s books these days, including the newly released Adriana Gets a Real Little Baby

As I started in line for the flight to Deer Lake, I ran into the man I’ve seen more than anyone else over my years of music festivals - Bob Breen. He’s the face of OIART (Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology) and tends to hand out the ECMA award for engineer of the year on annual basis. My brother, Colin, attended OIART and that’s how I first met Bob.

Then I saw an old classmate, Meghan Scott. We graduated together, and she’s now managing Newfoundland’s Chris Kirby and my long lost blues brother Ross Neilsen. By day, she works at The Playhouse in Fredericton and filled me in on how construction of the E-Plex has shut down the Rogue. Even better - construction is 3 meters from her office window.

Unfortunately Ross won’t be making it this year to follow up on his 2008 ECMA shenanigans (a la Gordie Johnson at SXSW) - see picture below. This year was just "too much of a hassle" said Meghan.

On the flight, I sat next to a friendly Newfoundlander from Smiths Harbour. He was one of about a dozen truck drivers who work for Sun Corp in Fort McMurray and fly back and forth every 18 days. He pointed out 2 of his co-workers a few rows away, who are Uncle and cousin of the Canadian Idol finalist Rex Goudie.

After picking up my luggage, I was approached by a man asking me if I needed a drive. I said ‘yes’ and followed him to a van. I couldn’t see any signage on the van to indicate it was a taxi. I was a bit nervous, but this is Newfoundland after all. It turned out to be a taxi after all, and he gave me his cell number to call him for pick up the next day.

By 1 am, I’d arrived safe and sound at Birchview Bed & Breakfast in Deer Lake. I was informed bacon & eggs were served at 8 am and checkout was 10 am. It’d be an early start to my ECMA weekend.

Packed & ready to go

2009-02-25T14:55:00.003-05:00

Day -1: Ottawa to Halifax to Deer Lake

I'm all packed & ready to trek to Corner Brook, Newfoundland for the ECMAs.

I decided to get media accreditation this year, so I'll be a bit more behind the scenes and down with the all access insight. Besides this blog and the Brockway newsletter, I'm hoping to write an article for HipHopCanada.com, and David F at FYI Music has asked to post my blog coverage on his site.

Oh, and keep an ear on CBC Radio 3 on Thursday, as host Lauren Burrows shares my answers to some of her questions regarding Corner Brook and the ECMAs.

When I toured through Corner Brook this past summer I remember trying to find a liquor store (to buy some authentic Newfoundland Screech). It was a Thursday and my time was short, but I didn't have any luck... There's got to be one there somewhere!

So tonight, I'm staying at a small bed & breakfast in Deer Lake. $45 per night - can't beat that. Tomorrow I'll be taxiing into Corner Brook to my weekend destination - another bed & breakfast. Moncton rapper/graphic designer/beatmaker, Nayles, is staying in the room next door. It'll be nice to catch up...

I wish Rogers provided cell phone coverage in Corner Brook. This is one of the few times I wish I was a Bell/Telus customer :)

Some Post-Tour Stats

2008-08-06T17:53:00.002-04:00

Shows:
Live Shows: 23
Radio Show Appearances: 30

Simplicity:
National Parks Visited: 14
National Historic Sites Visited: 11

Accomodations:
Beds/Couches/Floors Slept on: 25
Nights in van: 8
Nights in hotel: 8 (1 paid for by me)
Nights camping: 1
Ferries: 4

Day 100: Montreal

2008-08-05T23:04:00.003-04:00

Location: Montreal, QC
Date: Saturday, August 2nd
Total kms driven: 23,962 kms
Total $$$ spent on gas: $3,296.57

Finally day 100 had arrived. I was ready to be done and no longer be living out of a van... I started the day with some General Tao Chicken at Saigon Style Restaurant, and then I did some shopping with Stephanie.

Around 6 pm, I took the Metro en route to CISM.

I was scheduled to drop by DJ Prolific's radio show 'Hip Hop Hypnotique'. Unfortunately I didn't realize the hours of his show had changed, so I got there too late.

Fortunately the good show hosts of Ghetto Erudit (Anzoo & DA) invited me on their show. We did an interview in French, I was pretty rusty, and reminisced about my performance on MusiquePlus in 2003 on Dollaraclip!

I returned back to the hotel to meet up with Stephanie where we indulged in some wine before enjoying the fireworks and concerts as part of Francofolies!

My 100 days on the road concluded, but the trip to Montreal was extended a couple days with Stephanie's surprise - tickets to Osheaga festival, which was a blast!

Day 99: Montreal

2008-08-05T21:47:00.003-04:00

Location: Montreal, QC
Date: Fri, August 1st

I spent the day unpacking and then packing for the Montreal weekend. Stephanie accompanied me for the weekend, and she had a surprise lined up for me on Sunday & Monday, so I wasn't quite sure what to pack!

We faced some unexpected delays when Stephanie's cat Riley faked us out by pretending he was going to hang himself off a tree by his leash, so that Rusty could escape out the back door. Anyone who has cats knows that when you're getting ready to go somewhere for a few days, they either hide in the most obscure place or manage to escape.

Rusty is strictly an indoor cat, so panic started to set in. Fortunately after an hour, she showed up, and we were finally ready to hit the road.

Stephanie was up for doing the driving!

It was a beautiful evening, and with me having driven 24,000 kms, I struggled to adjust to being a passenger... so I kept myself occupied by taking some pictures.

When we arrived in Montreal, we discovered Les FrancoFolies de Montreal festival had most streets blocked off near our hotel. After a half hour loop around the festival, we finally arrived at Hotel L'Abri du Voyageur.

We got ready to head out to my show at the Crobar on Crescent St. I captured this neat shot of Stephanie's shadow in the mirror!

We hopped a cab, and made it to Crobar by 11:30 pm, where I caught up with the show's promoter and main act, Second Thought of the Eye 2 Eye crew and of Broad Day Entertainment.

When I entered, the crowd was warming up to the sounds of Side C, a 7 man collective, but this night there were only 3.

Following them was DJ Melo.

Up next was Annakin Slayd

Then I hit the stage... Stephanie was kind enough to be my photographer as I brought out puppets, jumped up on stools and shook my caboose.

Also in the house were Nero & Aspen of Velvet Trench Vibes fame, along with some Shades of Culture familia!

I also gotta shoutout my old university friend, Milan, who showed up. Last I'd heard, he was living in Edmonton - which I'd heard from Arlo Maverick when I was through is radio show in June!

I also made a new Super Dude fan in Lorne the photographer!

Day 97 & 98: Ottawa, ON

2008-07-31T22:35:00.004-04:00

Location: Ottawa, ON
Dates: Wed, July 27th & Thursday, July 28th
Total kms driven: 23,962 kms
Total $$$ spent on gas: $3,296.57

It's been a busy few days in Ottawa. Unloading the car, unpacking things, re-packing for Montreal, running errands, seeing friends.

Wednesday night, we celebrated Freyja's brief return from Vancouver. Two months ago, I was partying with her in Vancouver.

We made stops at The Brig, Rainbow Room and ended the night at Zaphod's.

Outside of Zaphod's, I scored some nice freebies off the side of the road. New wine glasses, a few vases, brand new silver ribbon and this $60 red retro candle holder!

Thursday was the start of intramural volleyball playoffs, and "Team Flail Strikes Back" won all our games! We celebrated with drinks (and steak for me) at Quinn's Ale House on bank.

Day 96: Fredericton to Ottawa

2008-07-31T22:34:00.006-04:00

Location: Ottawa, ON
Date: Tues, July 26th

I decided to cancel trips to Campbellton, Miguasha World Heritage Site and Forillon National Park so that I could have a few days in Ottawa to unpack.

I set out at 11 am AST with the goal of beating my 9.5 hour record driving from Fredericton to Ottawa.

The drive was going well, until between Edmundston and Riviere-Du-Loup. I was behind an RV that was passing the transport truck shown below. For some reason this transport driver decided to change lanes, forcing the RV into oncoming traffic. I braked hard, and had to watch as oncoming traffic drove on their shoulder, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision. Everyone was fine, but couldn't help but wonder what the driver of this Cai Logistics transport truck was thinking.

I continued on, and I was making good time, until I blew a tire while driving. I felt two small wobbles, then two big wobbles, and then "bang", the tire blew near Montmagny, Quebec. It's the first time in my life a tire blew while I was driving!

Finally the spare tire I've been carting around for years, would come in handy. I've changed many tires, so I was well prepared... except the car was too low to the ground for me to get my jack under it. I tried everything, including driving over my wooden blocks. Unfortunately it didn't help.

So, I had to use my Rogers road side assistance. I was on hold for a half hour, and then it took a half hour for the service truck to get there. It took him 5 minutes, and then I was on the road again with 1.5 hours lost.

All told, I really lucked out.
- There were no cars around me when the tire blew.
- The rain held off the whole time, but started within a minute of me being back on the road.
- It happened about 100 metres before hitting a speed trap.
- I was 50 feet from a sign saying what km I was at on the highway.
- I found my hub cap.
- I noticed the front tire had lost about 15 lbs of air.

The sun was setting just as I made it through Montreal, so I snapped a photo.

Finally around 10 pm EST, I arrived safe & sound in Ottawa.

Day 95: Fredericton: Ode to the tour van

2008-07-31T22:15:00.000-04:00

Location: Charters Settlement, NB
Date: Mon, July 28th

I spent the day transferring everything out of the tour van into my car for the drive back to Ottawa. The tour van covered the country twice over, travelling more than 22,000 kms in 90 days. So I'm dedicating this post to the tour van - a 97 Plymouth Voyageur!

The tour van was a great loaner from my parents... My Dad had to dig it out of the snow in April using an axe and snowblower. He had to replace 11 things on the van, and rumour has it (from my Mom), it broke down 3 days before I came to pick it up in April - the water pump needed replacing. But other than seized up calipers that needed fixing in Vancouver, it worked perfectly... I'm still counting my blessings!

By the time I arrived in Fredericton, the van looked like this. Notice the fan I used to cool me since it has no air conditioning!

So as an ode to the tour van, I want to recap some of the highs and lows, passengers, etc...

** Within 15 minutes of leaving Fredericton in late April, the "Service Engine Soon" light came on. It stayed on for the whole trip, except when the van bottomed out on a dirt road in central Winnipeg near the University. It came back on within an hour.

** Every second day I was re-packing the van, as I dug out cds, merch, food, etc. I would often disappear for 30-60 minutes at a time to do the re-org.

** The chaos of the van would sometimes claim victims like these two cans of Pimp Juice in the parking lot of Western University in London, ON.

************** PASSENGERS **************

I had numerous passengers on the trip, some of whom caught me eating steak or with my thumbs up.

Other times, I was caught sleeping while I let Stephanie drive for parts of the trip.

I had numerous other passengers including Lise and Rachelle shown below.

Some passengers dared to dive into the back in search of some item while I was driving.

Some passengers dared to ride in the back, including Dystrakted shown below. Others to experience the back include Kasia, Kristian, Stephanie and Chris.

************** SLEEPING **************

After unloading the van, you get a better view of the bed I slept on 7 times during the trek. The neighbour across the road was gutting a trailer, and left the bed thingy on the side of the road. My Dad grabbed it, stashing it in our shack in the backyard for awhile... It smelled quite musty, but certainly did the trick for sleep!

Here's how I looked sleeping in the parking lot at Lake Louise, where it was below zero.

I slept in the van 7 times including behind some white vans at the university in Prince George and outside the Old Orchard Inn in Kentville, NS.

************** WEATHER **************

The van ran into some crazy weather in Alberta. Calgary provided 3 intense hail storms. While the drive from Drumheller to Edmonton provided winds stronger than I've ever experienced. The wind would lift the windshield wiper up and hold it in the air.

************** SIDE VIEW MIRROR **************

The side view mirror came in handy for shooting several situations.

Rush hour in Toronto

The Digby ferry lineup

Construction in Nova Scotia.

Animals include an elk licking my mirror and a long horned sheep

************** LANDSCAPE and VENUES **************

The van saw the whole country.

By the mountains along Lake Superior

At Waterton Lakes National Park

In the Rockies in Jasper National Park

At the Royal Albert in Winnipeg

Day 94: Sydney to Moncton to Fredericton

2008-07-31T22:00:00.000-04:00

Location: Charters Settlement, NB

After having a blast in Cape Breton, I was sad to say goodbye. I took the morning and afternoon to catch up on my blog, facebook, etc before leaving for my show in Moncton.

The day was bright and sunny, providing great views of Brad D'Or and the Canso Causeway.

The sun was shining bright as it was setting until some clouds rolled in... I snapped shots, but they didn't quite capture the view.

Finally I arrived in Moncton for my show at The Paramount Lounge, hosted by Adam Gould and DJ Matty J of Broken Coast Productions.

The night started with a small crowd of emcees there for freestyle open mic and break dancers. Hydrogen ended up winning the $50 freestyle prize.

The crowd got quite bigger and by the end of the night it was packed! I was pretty exhausted, but at 3 am, I opted to continue on to Fredericton for a night's sleep at my parents place.

Unfortunately just as I was leaving Moncton, one of my headlights burnt out, making for a somewhat dark drive at times... As soon as I got to Fredericton it started to downpour! Did I ever sleep well though!

Day 93: Black Brook & Bras D'Or

2008-07-27T13:45:00.003-04:00

Location: Sydney Mines, NS
Date: Sat, July 26

After 4 hours sleep, I was on the road from Glace Bay back to Sydney Mines. Rachelle & Levi packed up the car with beach stuff (and Parker), we picked up Nicki and headed to Cape Breton Highlands National Park with a destination of Black Brook.

Parker was one happy dog to be along for the trip!

Rachelle entertained us by playing the trumpet and bagpipes! :)

Rachelle & Nicki swore they saw whales, so we stopped to look, but didn't see any. I'm getting disappointed, that I still haven't seen a whale on this trip. I heard one, but didn't see it at Cape Spear!

Finally we made it to Black Brook in Ingonish. The day turned out to be beautiful and perfect for the beach!! The cold water hit Levi hard... haha. And Parker had a blast fetching sticks and digging on command!

I was introduced to Boogie Boarding. At first I didn't think it looked much fun, but after trying it, I had a blast... probably the most fun I've had on the whole trip! It was hard to catch the perfect wave, but when you did, it took you all the way into shore. There were lots of tumbles, laughs and near collisions.

We left the beach, and stopped at a nice spot for supper of hot dogs and sausages. Levi got so excited, he dropped a brick! :)

Then it was back to Sydney Mines... We got to take the Englishtown ferry again, but the currents were pretty strong, so it was looking pretty crooked!

I needed a nap! After that it was some partying with Nicki and her friends Laura, Courtney & Lisa. There was some drinking, some shots of Pimp Juice, some newfie dancing, some karaoke and some railing dancing. Then we headed to the Mist Tavern in Bras D'Or. Rapper Bush was in the house!

Finally I got a cab back and was in bed by 5 am!