Four in the Morning

You know those nights where the clock ticks and you are exhausted but can't fall asleep? Well, I am having one tonight. I guess I have a lot on my mind. My website is coming along well. My ideas have worked out nicely. The only problem is the drawings are taking a lot longer than I expected. I had hoped the site would be done last week. Now I am thinking, it will be closer to mid December. I can't believe it's 4:23 in the morning. I bought some Safeway bulk coffee today and made a pot in the afternoon. Maybe it's the caffeine keeping me awake. Well, I am off to toss and turn some more. Hopefully, sleep will come soon.

s.

Open Mic, Recording and Website

Hello all,

It's late. I just got back from a open mic in St Albert at LB's Pub. What a great spot. The house band was fun. Thanks to Tyler for playing fiddle.

The last week has been busy, getting settled in to the new place, trying to find my way around the city and brave the cold (I keep getting told, this is nothing!).

I did some recording this weekend. The tracks are rough, but the essence is there. I have a couple of friends working on the project with me and I am eager to hear what they come up with.

I also started my much needed website redesign. Hopefully, within two weeks I will have the new site launched.

I am off to bed.

s.

Edmonton

The drive from Prince George on Saturday was tedious and a bit scary. Lots of cars and truck in the ditch. Snow and ice everywhere. My heater in my van is not what it used to be. I had to wear my touque (sp?), gloves and big down jacket the whole way. I was a popsicle by the time I arrived.

Up next, a month in Edmonton testing my songs in a new market and doing some recording. I'll keep you all posted on upcoming shows as they are confirmed.

I am off to hunker down beneath the covers and try to get the chill from my bones. Its cold here... It feels more like Christmas than Halloween :)

s.

Snow

hmmmm.... snow.

It seems too soon for snow.

Was I not just on a beach.

It's going to be a gross drive to Edmonton.

Yuck!

Friday night I will be at Cafe Voltaire in Prince George starting at 8pm

Hope to see you there

s.

Live @ the Kiva

I had the best time last night. Gary and I played to a full house. 100 people in an intimate environment. What a great crowd. Thanks to everyone who attended the show and came and chatted with me. It was nice to see familiar faces and a slew of new ones :). The atmosphere was so encouraging it was a pleasure to share stories. It felt like sitting in the kitchen with good friends over a glass of wine.

Special thanks to Elaine at the Kiva for organizing the event, postering, setting up and arranging door staff. Also, a thank you to the North West Community College for paying for posters and advertising the event.

Up next, a week in Prince George and a show at Cafe Voltaire. Friday at 8:00pm.

On the road again,

Sall

If our lives had sound tracks...

If our lives had sound tracks I wonder what music would be playing right now. In reality I am sitting on the floor, listening to Afrocelts and drinking peppermint tea. Great stuff for driving to or zoning out on your living room floor.

Its been a thought-provoking week. Small changes with big impacts. Something has changed within me. I no longer feel like a hesitant emerging artist. I feel strong and capable. I have mapped out the next 6 months. I have postponed my trip to Europe, it will happen, but at the moment the timing is not right, for reasons I don't need to get into online. The month of November I will be scouring the Edmonton area for open mic nights and testing my music in a more specific 'folk-country' market. December I will be playing at the Crest again and playing at the CBC Charles Dickens Christmas Carol reading in Rupert. I hope to organize a few more shows on the way home maybe Williams Lake, Smithers and New Hazleton. I am going to take some time after Christmas to start working on a 3rd recording and hunker down to finally plan a cross Canada tour for the summer. That's it in a nutshell.

This morning I was invited to perform on the Mix 56 Radio Show with Ryan Boult. It was a pleasure as always. Live radio is fun... you never know what is going to be said. We played 10 things you never knew about Sall. I blanked on my favorite actor and actress. I still don't know who I would say. I have a hard time narrowing my likes down for that kind of trivia :) This evening is the show at the Kiva. I look forward to it.

I hope to post some pics of the summer soon.

sall

Back in the Saddle

Some people complain that Rupert is dreary in October. I think its great. Its so different than Octobers where I grew up. Here, its foggy in the morning and the clouds are low in the sky, often impeding the view of surrounding mountains and sometimes even the higher elevations of the city. It gets brighter later in the morning and darker early. However, I find this changing of the days and the calm it casts on the city, to hint at the excitement of months to come as we head into the Halloween/ Christmas/ New Years party season (I love). Tonight, standing in front of the crowd at the Crest Hotel I was amazed by how much I had missed performing to a large audience. It was great. My fingers are showing the telltale dark tips and feeling the numbness of a 4 hour show. My body feels sleepy from the physical exertion of singing. I am stoked to be back. I stood for a moment in the parking lot at the end of the night and listened to the water drops fall from the leaves caused by the thick fog that makes the street lights all fuzzy and my skin feel damp and thought to myself that Rupert in October is anything but dreary.

I am meandering and that is a sign to stop writing.

Back in the saddle.

s.

This and That

I am having a hard time believing that I have been back in Rupert for just over 24 hours. I love this place. It's been a busy two days. Tuckered. I am excited to play at the Crest tomorrow night. It's good to be back.

s.

Phase Two

I am sitting in South Terminal in Vancouver waiting to board a plane to Prince Rupert. I am excited. With a couple of weeks of vacation under my belt I am refreshed and eager to get back on the road. First up, this weekend, a 3 day show at the Crest. Then a concert in Terrace at the Kiva and a show in Prince George. After, I am heading to Edmonton for a few weeks to work on material for a third album. I promise my posts will be more frequent. Thanks for sticking it out through the dry spell.

Sall

Feet on Solid Ground

Hello everyone!!

Summer is drawing to a close and with that my life on the water. Aside from rebooting my system and recharging my creativity, I was surprised to have learned a few things about myself and with that skills I will be able to take with me and use in my everyday life. Living on a 75 foot vessel in close quarters with 5 crew is a demanding lifestyle requiring a level of self control I have never had to put in play before. Adding to the mix 6-10 guests..... Wow! Digging deep for patience is one thing, but having to have your game face on at 1:00 am when you have been working since 9:00 am and been on the water for 3 months is another thing!!! An amazing experience all round.... and I feel that it will continue to gain strength the further I move away from it.

I have two trips left and then a couple of weeks on a beach in Costa Rica then I am on the road again. I will be touring in the North West of BC to start. I will post dates soon.

Looking forward to putting some miles under the van, yellow line flashing in my rearview mirror with a horizon stretching ahead of me, hinting of adventure and rooms to fill with music.

Sall

Entertaining on the Water

Hello Everyone,

Ok, so my plans have changed. This summer rather than me traveling to the people, I am going to let the people come to me :)

I have taken an entertainment position on a luxury boat that travels from Prince Rupert. I am looking forward to it and the few months of stability it will provide before throwing myself back out into the rigors of the road.

I have been working on some new material and plan on using the time to hone the songs in prep for a third cd next winter.

I will be playing for the public again starting on September 15th. I will also be launching a new website at that time.

I hope you all have a safe summer... I will drop a note periodically to fill you in on the trials and tribulations of this section of my adventure.

Sall

Waiting to Board, Bored

I am sitting in the Vancouver airport waiting to board a night flight to Toronto. Why I have decided to travel on a redeye again I don't know. I remember very vividly sitting in the airport last time swearing that the sore neck and exhaustion the next day was not worth the cheap fare.

Regardless, Toronto here I come. We should be boarding momentarily. This late at night, people certainly don't look their best. Grumpy tired eyed children, rumpled blearly eyed businessmen and the restless, bored, rest of us. I wonder how the rest that don't subscribe to the laptop way of life survive. Technology certainly has a way of making, whiling away the time, more enjoyable. I have listened to music, chatted online to friends, checked and returned emails, did some music reviews (for a site I belong to) and now am updating my severely falling short daily journal.

Well, it looks like they are calling my seat number. Yippee Toronto here I come.

Toronto Bound and R&R

Ok....so my blogging has become progressively worse. I feel though, that I am gearing up for a creative outburst. Maybe my blogging will improve at the same time.

Tomorrow I am off to Toronto for several weeks. Mostly a trip for rest and relaxation, but I will do a couple of small shows as well. Tonight I am holed up in a hotel in Smithers. I just finished a three nights of shows. A friday night show at the Alpenhorn and then a two night engagement at Ski Smithers. Lots of fun, great crowds and amazing weather. I;ll post some pics soon.

Well, I am off to sleep.

night world

s.

The Terrace Best Western

Played at the Terrace Best Western last night. Fun and a good practice for next weekend. Friday I am at the Alpenhorn in Smithers, Friday and Saturday at Ski Smithers in the Lounge. After the show tonight I am off to Rupert for a week. I will prob do some show's at Cowpuccino's. Hope to see you there.

s.

Quesnel Show Postponed

Hello Quesnel - ites

I regret to say it but, I have been under the weather for the past few days and because of that I have had to cancel my show in Quesnel. I am making arrangements to come back an play in August. I hope to see you all then. Thanks for the support.

Sall

Where am I?

Tonight I actually had to ask someone at the hotel what town I was in. How's that for rock and roll! Well, 100 Mile House it is I was aiming for Williams Lake but did not make it. Lets see, where have I been, what have I been up too, where did I leave off. I played Bastion square in Victoria (which I wrote about) and then in the evening had a show at the Black Stilt Coffee House. A fun night had by all. It was great to see so many familiar faces. Thanks to Ryan Bresser (The Blue Arbutus) for organizing the show, postering, promoting and playing. In addition, thanks to Kirsty Hudson from CBC for promoting the show on air. I have had emails from all over the province, based on that clip.

I am now on my way to Quesnel for a show on Thursday then it's playing at the Best Western in Terrace on Friday and Saturday night.

Tonight Live from Victoria

Hi All

Tonight I am in Victoria at the start of another couple of months on the road. During the day I played at Bastion Square, down by the waterfront. It is a artisan fair. I want to thank everyone who bought a cd and threw money in to my pot :) Having never busked for a full afternoon before... i was not sure how it would go. Lots of fun, met some new people and enjoyed the wonderful spring air. On my way home (lost again) I saw the cutest girl.... the longest brown curly hair, shoe laces untied, thick glasses, rumpled clothes, walking home from school, nose stuck in a book. I tried to see what she was intently reading and almost rear ended the driver in front of me. It's nice to see kids these days that are excited about books. Thankyou JK Rowling !

Last night we went to Herman's and watched a jazz trio. The drummer was a guest named Lou Williams who is touted by many to be one of the best jazz drummers in Canada. I was told has set up the jazz programs at universities such as McGill. Pretty awesome.

Tonight I have a show at the Black Stilt Coffeehouse on Hillside here in Victoria. The show starts at 7:30pm and runs until 11:00. It is a double bill with my friend Ryan Bresser. It should be a fun night. Admission is by donation. Hope to see you there. Sorry about the short notice

Queen of the North

Today I received some distressing news. The BC Ferries vessel, Queen of the North sank this morning. The ship ran a ground, approximately 100 kms away from Prince Rupert along the inside passage near Hartley Bay. Details surrounding this disaster will emerge over the next few weeks. Initial, they were reporting minor injuries and that all crew and passengers accounted for. Hours later they are still unsure about the fate of two workers.

My thoughts are with the families, crew and passengers of all aboard the vessel this morning. Living in the north the QPN and the inside passage route from PR to Port Hardy is close to all of us in some way. We travel it, our friends and family work on board. It will be a day many will not forget.

s.

The Next 12 Months

Planning, Planning, Planning. It seems like things are starting to fall into place for the next 12 months. On tap, is at least one more ski hill show, possibly a stint on BC Ferries, a gig at the Crest and the Rotary Fish dinner. Plus a slew of coffeeshop shows on Vancouver and Queen Charlotte Island. Then shows across Canada throughout the summer. And hopefully a trip to England, Germany and Austria for the Fall and Christmas. It's been a rewarding organizing all of these shows.

I am in Seattle at the moment. Did I say that in my last entry? I am sitting in a Bookstore/ Community Centre/ Food Court that is jam packed with people, smells and interesting things to look. There is a 'Spring Flower Fair' going on and there are little kids running around and crawling under the tables. It's a energizing place to work.

I mentioned in an earlier blog that my van needed to go in for repairs. Not too much damage. My back emergency brake was seized causing the wheel to lock and I had a caliper on the front right that needed to be changed as well. It's all fixed and driving smoothly!

Off to work.

s.

I am a Bad Blogger

My current location is somewhere in the Interior BC. I am heading to Vancouver tomorrow and then on to Seattle later in the week. I have scheduled myself some much required planning time. I am anticipating, that with proper utilization, this down time will propel me into another 6-month tour, that will take me through to the end of the summer. I am aiming for cross Canada.

I have been a horrible journal writer as of late. Mostly due to shows in the vicinity of family, therefore my free time has been prioritized differently. It has been rewarding to my soul!

Recapping, the past month has been fruitful, with well attended shows, solid CD sales and remarkable support from audiences.

This morning I drove away from Sun Peaks Ski Resort after a two night apres ski booking. The snow conditions were fabulous and showed the sign that spring is just around the corner.

I will write a more inspired entry tomorrow. Words are eluding me tonight.

night s.