Entry #: 34
Date: November 28th, 2005
By: Colleen
Well this week's road diary is going to be a short one why? cause we only left our comfy homes for two days this week. Saturday afternoon started out great, but when we got to Watertown and had to back the trailer up... it was stuck..... Ungratefully getting our shoes wet, we unhooked Archie and got him free. Finally arrived in Philadelphia around 10:00pm. After a few glasses of wine and hearing all of the latest news we pigged out on chicken and shrimp.... great sleep that night.
We got up early Sunday morning and Karen made us a huge breakfast.. ..bagels, sausage, eggs... i think i need to get something to eat....we drove to the show and we passed arcadia university formerly an all girls university.. anyways We played the Andy Cooney and Searson show at the Keswick Theatre. It was a pretty relaxing day, nothing went wrong, and we had tones of time to hang out with Andy and crew backstage. Mike and Andy really hit it off, Andy threw a few wild ones in Mike's direction...
Because it was a Christmas concert, we played two Christmas tunes. One being Holy Night on the fiddle and guitar, and then my personal favourite was Christmas Must Be Tonight by The Band.
Packed up, had sandwiches for the
road and headed home. Perfect driving weather. Heather and I
have recently moved to Ottawa, -its great living downtown again-
so our drive has been decreased by a couple of hours.
There was a bit of an ice storm outside of Ottawa, other then
that, it was almost perfect.
later,
Colleen
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Entry #: 33
Date: November 15, 2005, 11:59pm
By: Heather (aka the bass player)
In: Ottawa (and sadly my awesome Sens lost tonight)
The trip began differently than
usual. People had moved, people were
missing and people were excited to get to Fernwood.
After the floods during last years festival we weren't sure what to expect. The Friday night concert was a great indicator of the fun ahead. We performed at the opening night with the band Killing Thyme. We were able to catch up with a lot of people from the road we haven't seen since early summer. Since we started traveling at 6am that morning we retired to our beds early.
The next morning we each got our Starbucks (hazulnet steamer skim milk, light on the syrup). Between our performances on stage we were able to hang out with the other bands there; The Brigadoons, Brother and that awesome fiddling Canadian, Ashley. Colleen even helped Louanne from the Brigadoons with some costume malfunctions. That night we watched The Wizard of Oz an all time family favorite in our condo and relaxed.
The next day we had drum auditions outside Albany. After jamming in the studio for a few hours we headed home with hopes of being there before 9pm. Colleen took over the steering wheel, the next thing I know we're pulling into a gas station and I hear these people yelling SEARSON!! I lookback to see another van and trailer only to discover it's Enter the Haggis. We met on the road outside of Syracuse. After catching up and filling up we all headed back to Canada, but oddly enough in different directions.
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Entry #: 32
Date: October 27, 2005
By: Erin (…in the comfort of my own apartment!)
Hey everybody! We have a lot of you writing in wondering what the band’s been up to, since we have actually slowed down for a few weeks. As you have read from Jamie’s last road diary, she is very excited about her baby that is due in December, and so are we!!! Hopefully my babysitting skills will be tested out a lot this coming year. Since Jamie won’t be touring anymore there are many things that are changing up for us, and so we are preparing for everything. I’ve been getting new press kits and promo photos ready and preparing changes for the website. Everyone is working steadily on our touring schedule for 2006, and we look forward to sharing all of these details with you in the upcoming months. 2006 is looking very promising and exciting! Jamie will still be booking shows for the band, so if anyone still wants to talk to Jamie, all you have to do is book a show!
A few weeks ago, we did our first
local show in a long time, in good old Pembroke, ON. This was a
dinner and show for parents of foster children in our area, and
it was great to see some familiar faces that I wasn’t expecting
to see. The show went great and we even had a lot of people up
dancing at the end of the night, trying to wear off their
dinners I guess.
We spent a few days last week in the studio, listening to final
mixes of the SEARSON LIVE CD that will be coming out in February
2006. It is interesting to listen to us live, and I’m glad we
decided to go ahead and do this recording this summer. I
definitely notice my Ottawa Valley accent now, that’s for
sure….as so many of the Americans have commented on in the past!
This past weekend we had a quick trip to Richmond, VA for the Celtic Festival. We left around 9 a.m. on Saturday morning, and the plan was to drive straight to Richmond. At about 10 p.m. the same evening, we made a quick stop at a rest area, about on hour outside of Richmond. I knew the trip was going way too well, when we all arrived back at the car and realized that all of our keys were locked inside the van. We called AAA, and waited outside, with no coats until 1:10 a.m. when AAA finally arrived. One good thing about this, is that we made great friends with the supervisor of the rest area, and hung out in his furnace/office. Us girls also learned the art of keeping warm in the women’s urine smelling bathroom, by using the hand dryers as an essential appliance to our survival. We arrived exhausted to the hotel rooms a little after 2 a.m.
The next day was absolutely
gorgeous, and feeling a little refreshed, we were ready to take
on the day! We have never played in Richmond before and the
people were absolutely amazing. They were so enthusiastic and
appreciative, and we can’t wait to come back to Richmond. Met a
lot of great people, and saw a lot of great dancing! Congrats to
the guy who won a free CD by dancing with no shirt, and only his
kilt on.
After a great dinner of Mexican food, we were off to bed pretty
early. We decided to leave by 4 a.m. the next morning to beat
the D.C. and Baltimore traffic, and we arrived home by 5 p.m.
that day!
Next up….The Fernwood Scottish & Irish Festival in PA, so come on out everybody!
Have a good one!
Erin
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Entry #: 31
Date: October 18, 2005
By: Jamie
First of all I’d like to apologize
for the major delay in writing this entry of the road diary… to
all of those who have been patiently awaiting its appearance.
The last three weeks for me have been quite interesting…
For all of you followers who have not yet heard, October 2nd was
officially my last day as a full-fledged member of the SEARSON.
So with that said, my last “tour” began on Wednesday, September
28th in Maplewood, NJ at the famous St. James Gate Pub – what
better way to begin a tour than to drive 10 hours, eat great (as
always) and play to a wonderful crowd…it was terribly fun, but
we were bagged by the end of the night. I’d have to say the
peanut butter cups on the drive back to the hotel made it all
worth while though! Thanks Colleen.
With Thursday being a day off, we
all decided that we just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to
visit Manhattan for the day. We took the train from Maplewood (a
very short trip) and arrived in the Big Apple just after noon.
Other than the wind and rain it was a great day to walk around
the busy streets, check out some museums, shop a little, see a
show and dine at an amazing Thai restaurant for a late dinner.
It was a lovely day.
Friday we traveled just down the road to Tom’s River, NJ which
is approximately 90 mins from Maplewood. We arrived at our hotel
and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon (slept) until sound check and
dinner at 4:00, when we headed to McIntyre’s Pub. We always seem
to do well with set up at this location because of the size and
spaciousness of the bar/stage area. No problems at’ all! We were
back to the hotel with plenty of time to spare before our 9:30
start. Upon arriving to the pub, we were greeted by many new and
familiar faces. The night flew by as always at McIntyre’s and we
were happy to speak with many appreciative music lovers.
Saturday was another short trip to Lafayette Hill, PA, where we stayed with our great friends Bill and Karen Reid and quietly anticipated our evening show at Brittingham’s. WHOA (3 sets - yikes!). Our set-up/sound check is always dreaded when we play Brittingham’s because we have so much gear to fit into such a tiny stage area. However, I must say that we have mastered the art! The set-up/sound check went very, very smoothly. To our surprise, we were out of there in one hour and back to Bill and Karen’s for a delicious home-cooked meal. A very memorable evening for me I must add, as we sat and ate on the candle-lit porch and I thought about it being my last time ever staying with these great people…they will be missed dearly. I must mention that it was really nice to see some dedicated Searson fans out for one of my last shows, and you know who you are…I thank you!
Sunday, my last day on the road, was quite suitable for many different reasons. Erin and I thoughtfully discussed this point while sitting in the van between sets listening to the Alexander Brothers on vocals and squeeze-box; followed by a tremendous heard of bagpipes off in the distance (a nutshell comes to mind – no pun intended Searsons). It really was a nice day to be playing at an outdoor festival, and I’m glad that it was a Bill Reid event because I got to hug him one last time before jumping into the van. But to be honest, I was glad to be going home, as we all were, because a break was really what we needed after a long few months of travel.
For me however, this is no
ordinary break. As I mentioned at the beginning of this entry, I
will no longer be touring with the band.
“Why?” you may ask.
Well, if everything goes as expected, in eight weeks, my fiancée Andrew and I will be welcoming our first baby. So in the past few weeks I have been not only unpacking my own things, but also baby things as well! We are extremely excited of course, and although this may come as a surprise to many of you, I promised the band news about it the whole time...
This is a welcomed change for me, but I must say that I will miss many aspects of playing with Searson, one of them being the people I’ve been acquainted with on the road, such as you, and the support that we were given by music appreciators. The band, as you can plainly see, is on its way to the top, and I can’t wait to watch them grow even more over the next few years. As of now, I will be reading the road diary (just like you!) instead of writing it, but I know I can say this, one last time, without a doubt - there’s plenty more to come….Stay Tuned!!
Jamie Gardner
“I’m OUT!”
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Entry #: 30
Date: September 30, 2005
By: Colleen
The New Hampshire Highland games was the weekend of the 23rd and Jamie’s birthday fell right in the middle of it. Friday was a pretty relaxing day, we only had two sets, and the whole night off.
Saturday was a different story. We were playing at the pub, the concert stage, the ceilidh hall and a bar show that night. Mike was the popular ‘stud’ on the grounds that day. The girl scout troops came and were swooning over his good looks. The Brigadoons, another band from the Glengarry region in Canada, got Jamie up on stage and sang her birthday song. She was pleasantly glowing with surprise! Since Saturday all of the bands had arrived by this time, there was a party in the hotel lobby I think that Heather and I finally went to bed around seven in the morning.
Sunday we started the day by opening the pub once again, and there was a scary looking old dude dressed in tribal gear with blue paint from “Braveheart” on his face swinging his sword all around the audience. At least it woke us up for the rest of the day. We drove home early Monday morning (6 am) so that we could have about 30 hrs. at home. Just long enough to do laundry and business, but not long enough to relax. Well it was on to Maplewood, NJ on Wednesday, but I’ll leave that for Jamie...later.
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Entry #: 29
Date: September 30, 2005
By: By Heather (Writing from Beverly on the way to Tom’s
River), 1:06pm
Manhattan is home to good food, good shopping and Searson for the day.
We woke up in Allentown at the fine Holiday Inn, had a solid Dunkin Donuts breakfast and we’re ready to drive to the big city. With map quest in hand we set out. We actually surprised ourselves by not getting lost on our way to the Full Shilling. Lost in Manhattan with a trailer, in the business section is not a good time. We arrived at the bar performed a quick unload as security across the street watched unimpressed with our choice of parking. After setting up and sound checking we sat down for good dinner. With our bellies full we need only wait for the stock market to close and the people to arrive. And arrive they did. Besides the usual business crowd we met different people from our travels. I was talking to a crew from Hunter Mountain, Erin met people from our Ocean City gigs and the faithful group from Brooklyn was present. We had a great time at Marty’s bar. His co-workers treated us to a bottle of Champaign to celebrate, even though it wasn’t the best day at the stock exchange. Not to mention Searson ends to be a Crown Royal band. We packed up and weaved our way out of the city to find a bed to sleep in that night.
The band was looking forward to Rhode Island. We were going to be in the same place for a couple days, and not just any place, on the ocean. We were performing at the Joyce Family Pub. They were hosting an Irish festival with live music every night. We spent our days relaxing. Except for the 10 minutes Mike, Colleen and I attempted to get into the ocean. I could only get in to my waist and that was cold enough. Although I think I beat Colleen who only made it to her knees. The rest of the days we spent baking in the sun, drinking coffee and walking around the area taking in the sights. The shows at the pub were great. The local crowd snuggled up in the bar and it was a great intimae party. We enjoyed chatting with everyone it was a great relaxed environment. After the shows were done the band sat around our cabin playing cards and reminiscing about funny road stories from our travels over the years.
With our second night completed in Rhode Island we had to hit the road and head to New Hampshire for the highland games. We arrived at the hotel some time after 3am. Tired and weary we were happy to run into fellow Canadians in the lobby. Craig from Enter the Haggis even carted our instruments up to our rooms. With a little needed sleep we knew we were in for a fun weekend.
Cheers
Heather (aka the cool one in the band)
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Entry #: 28
Date: September 22, 2005
By: By Erin (At a cottage on the ocean, Rhode Island,
3:00 pm)
It is so great to have an afternoon to stop, relax a little, and yes, catch all of you up, on our most recent travels! After playing in Buffalo last Monday night, we had Tuesday off, and were pretty excited, since a day off on the road is a very valuable thing to us. Most of us spent the day touring around the city a bit, doing some shopping, caught a movie, and went out for supper. No unloading of equipment or sound checking for us, so it was a great break!
Wednesday, we arrived in Euclid, OH at the Great American Irish Club, loaded our gear in and sound checked. We even had a chance to grab supper at a Mexican restaurant, a favourite among the band. We can eat bowls of tortilla chips and salsa like there’s no tomorrow. We had a great turn out for the show and had a lot of people come out that saw us at the irish festival in Euclid, in June 2005. We had one really young irish dancer get up and he was absolutely amazing! Definitely a crowd pleaser.
Thursday we headed to Indianapolis, IN to the Claddagh Irish Pub on the north side. This was the kick-off to the Indy Irish Fest that we were playing at for the weekend. It was a great chance for the committee to have a few drinks and prepare for the upcoming weekend! A big thanks to Guinness for sponsoring the evening and congrats to the winner of the Guinness Toast! The honourable judges were yours truly, Mike, Colleen and Erin….after much deliberation, and some sucking up to the band by one particular contestant, a winner was found! After the show we headed to downtown Indianapolis to our ‘home’ for the next four nights, the Hilton Indianapolis (sponsors of the festival). Everyone in the band loves it when we get to stay in the same hotel for more than one night, especially in such a great hotel! I know I fully unpacked my suitcase and everyone even had a chance to do laundry. It’s the little things that mean so much to us on the road….especially when we were already two straight weeks into the trip!
We had a great weekend at the Indy Irish Fest, starting with a show Friday evening on the Claddagh stage. After the show, we all took Mike out for an awesome supper at The Alcatraz to celebrate his 50th Birthday. Mike says he’s feeling great and loving being 50!!! After stuffing our faces and feasting on delicious chocolate cake and drinks, Mike was fully satisfied. Saturday turned out to be a great weather day, which meant great crowds at the festival. We met some really cool people and had a generally all-round good day. A couple of exciting shows in the afternoon and early evening, and a big thanks to Julius who helped us with our product all weekend long…we really appreciate it! Saturday night we ate at P.F. Chang’s Chinese restaurant and we all fell in love with the food! We enjoyed it so much that after the festival on Sunday, we ate there again. We had a great last show on Sunday and the crowd was very inspiring. We had many people travel great distances to see us this past weekend and we found it very flattering! Many people told us they drove at least 3 hours to come and see us and we had a young couple that flew up from Jacksonville, Florida to see us play. Thanks so much to all of you, it is very encouraging! Thanks for a great week and more to come shortly from the bass player!
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Entry #: 27
Date: September 14, 2005
By: Jamie
We have completed the first weekend of our month-long festival tour beginning on September 9th in Syracuse, NY for the “Syracuse Guinness Irish Festival”. We were only there for the night, but were sure glad to get a spot on the grand stage for a hip-hopp’in good time – as always in Syracuse. The location was beautiful – a monumentarium-type setting in the heart of Syracuse where there always seems to be festivals and celebrations held on weekends. Two big screens showcased the stage for those in the back rows, lending to a big production and overall fabulous night. We also had the chance to listen to our newly acquainted friends from Ireland, Teada, pronounced “Tae-da” (not “ta’da!!” as Heather initially referred to them). The band comprises a phenomenal bunch of musicians with an exciting traditional sound, very close to their Irish roots; not to mention their awesome fashion sense (as we girls dually noted).
Well it just so happens that Teada followed us to our next festival for Saturday and Sunday in Pittsburg, PA for the “Pittsburg Irish Festival”. We arrived in great time on Saturday with no hold-ups on the highway and a beautiful sunny day for the Celtic crowd. We played an afternoon set, which gathered us a fair crowd on the Back stage priming us for the Front stage set later that evening. We stayed on the grounds all day Saturday and caught up with a few friends from Gaelic Storm, whom we met back in February at the Midwinter Scottish and Irish Festival in PA. Thinking back, the day seemed very long considering that we were back to the hotel at a decent time. Our set on Saturday night was awesome, and we ended up recording it to DVD, as the production company was taping for other bands as well. We have yet to see it, so hopefully it turned out and will be featured at some point on the website (only if it’s good though!). The crowd on Sunday was definitely quieter than the one Saturday night - as to be expected when the first game of the football season is on and the Pittsburg Stealers are playing! The hotel was busy though. We arrived back at the hotel in time to grab some dinner at a great Mexican restaurant – and boy oh boy did we chow down large! You just cannot put nacho chips and fresh salsa in front of four hungry girls + Mike and expect it to last more than 5 minutes… you just can’t. My relaxing evening ended with a stroll around Pittsburg, a city of extremely unique architecture – and quite clean also. I was very impressed!
Monday we headed out again, north this time, to Buffalo, NY where we were scheduled for a night at the Shannon Pub. We arrived in the mid afternoon and set up our gear before the supper hour. It had been quite a while since we had used our full sound-system, which was a really nice break I might add. Colleen and I were scheduled to host a fiddle workshop before the show; we had a great turn-out – two people. We taught them a traditional piece and an original tune from the Houseparty CD. I hope they had fun, we sure did! The turn out for our show was very pleasing considering that it was Monday night, and our first time ever in Buffalo. (Thanks to all those who made it, we plan to be back for the Buffalo Irish Festival if we are accepted – please put in a good word for us!!) All-in-all it was a memorial night at the Shannon Pub in Buffalo, NY and at the Holliday Inn where they have the best peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies for guests checking in…we checked in many times.
There’s a whole lot more to our journey into October, so stay with us and try to make it to a show if you can!
Keep’in it on the up bow…
Gardner
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Entry#: 26
Date: September 6, 2005, 3:55 pm
By: Colleen
We started this trek out in Smyrna, Delaware to play at the opera house. It was great, the food was unbelievable, there were bailey’s brownies for dessert… so we took a whole tray for the car ride. Oh yeah, we did do some playing while we there, but nothing out shines good food on the road.
On to Fredericksburg, Virginia. The good ole Colonial Tavern. Once again it was rowdy and uncontrollable. They sure can party. It’s always thrilling for us to be playing on stage and to see a sea of searson shirts being worn. Us girls got in a lot of shopping that day, while Mike fell asleep watching the tennis match.
Next, was the Wyoming county fair. We opened for fellow Canadian George Canyon. He was the runner up at the Country American Idol contest. What a voice. It was great to talk about home, and the east coast, and we only felt a little twinge of jealousy when we parked Beverly (the van) & Archie (trailer) next to George’s brand new bus with leather seats, and a huge plasma screen TV. Anyone who wants to sponsor us, we need a new vehicle.!!!now!! The absolute highlight of the day- the fair grounds used to be an old farm and they built this massive beautiful permanent stage in the ‘turning of the manure field’ that’s right, searson has played the SHIT PIT. Only when the wind blew in certain directions did it smell like rotten kraft dinner.
Altamont, NY. Right I’ve already
forgotten to explain that on this trip, every place was just far
enough away in distance that we had to get up around 6am to
start driving to the next gig. Well by Sunday our last day, once
again ordered the wake up call for six. Jamie is waking us up at
quarter after seven, crap, we’re late! So we tear our ass and we
show up for the last ten minutes of our set. Thankfully it was
us and Raithkelter
So they graciously let us continue on in the afternoon. We left
NY around 8:30 pm finally made it to my bed in Pembroke 3 am
…sleep…..
Stay tuned for more …
- Colleen
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Entry#: 25
Date: August 28, 2005, 3:55 pm
By: Heather (from the front seat, but don’t worry I’m not
driving.. or am I)
We packed up the van and left the farm at 3 pm on Thursday. I’m not going to sugar coat it, no one wanted to get back in old Beverly. We were still a little jaded from the road trip home from Montana. Duty calls even if it involves fiddling! Our goal was to drive to Michigan and get a room for the night. We made it in good time and after a little looking we were in our rooms by 12:30 am.
We went to the grocery store the next morning for breakfast. I made a fine purchase of Life cereal, yogurt and juice! Breakfast of champions! Champion Searson bass players at least. Beverly was filled up and we headed to the Erin Feis in Peoria, IL. We arrived at our hotel with time to spare for the whirlpool. Dressed in our finest black clothes we stopped at subway for dinner. The decision of what to eat is growing more difficult with each stop. The band is getting a little tired of the sandwich stop, but it beats the supersize! We arrived at the Feis located on the water which made for a beautiful setting. The show went over without a hitch. We converted people to the Searson fan club and even ran into a few veterans who traveled a ways to catch the show.
The van pulled away at 8 am with a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts for coffee and bagels. We were headed to the Highland Games in Davenport. At 11am we knew we made it when we heard bagpipes in the air. After getting our gear unloaded and organized backstage we set out for the hospitality tent. We had our fill of chicken salad sandwiches and fruit. Colleen even filled up extra on the dill pickles. The dessert choices were endless from cakes, cookies, cupcakes and brownies. If any of us were on a diet you’d never have known. With our bodies fueled up we took the stage for a high energy set. The crowd was awesome, we weren’t sure they were going to let us get off the stage, but we had to make way for the band following us. We completed the day with two sets at the ceilidh. The dance floor was filled with people showing off their best moves in hopes of winning Searson CDs. One young girl impressed us by never missing a song and performing her Highland dancing all night on the dance floor. By the end of the night the band was exhausted. Our bodies were groaning in pain when we were lifting out or equipment. We had a great first time at this event. We met lots of friendly, helpful people. We look forward to the next time our paths cross.
At 6am we met at the continental
breakfast. We filled up on waffles, cereal and yogurt than
quickly loaded our suitcases into the trailer to head back to
Canada. Thus far the trip has been completed without a hitch. No
blown tires or trouble at the border, knock on wood the rest of
the trip is smooth sailing. We’re still on the 402 inching
closer to the 401. It’s 4:30 pm and we hope to be at the farm by
midnight. With 2 days at home to catch up on laundry, phone
calls and paper work. There may even be enough time to make it
to fiddle park in Pembroke!
Cheers
Heather
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Entry#: 24
Date: Thursday, August 25 (11:41 pm)
By: Erin, from Pembroke, ON
This month has flown by, I can’t believe we are almost into
September now! I think that everyone in the band feels like
we’ve been in this ongoing race for the last 3 months. I don’t
think that I have ever spent so much time in that van before. We
are dreaming of the day when we can travel in something with at
least a little more space. If anyone is interested in sponsoring
an awesome band with a huge van, we would definitely love that!
This weekend began with a trip to Hunter Mountain, NY. We added an extra two hours onto our trip because of another accident on the 401 (not us, thank god!). So we all strolled around the 401 for a few hours, spied on people, and looked for any good food in other people’s cars. Once that was cleared up, we arrived in Albany, NY around 11 p.m. and were all disappointed because we missed out on some hot tub time. After a drink in the hotel lobby, everyone settled in for the night, because we knew we had a long weekend of playing ahead of us. We have never been to the Hunter Mnt. Festival, and it was extremely well run and organized, which we love. The sound guys were great and the audiences were amazing. Great big stage to play on both days. There was about 5000 people there on Saturday, and another 8500 on Sunday. Big thanks to one guy in particular for keeping our thirst quenched all Saturday with some great beer. I know he got into trouble Saturday night for keeping us supplied, so we appreciate it buddy! We met so many great people this weekend, and it was refreshing to play somewhere new, and have the crowd enjoy our original music! Thanks for the support. The festival ended a little differently than usual.
They had 41 pipe bands march down the bottom part of the mountain, all playing together, and it was pretty cool looking. Sunday night we left the grounds at around 8 p.m. We started heading down the mountain, and that’s when our troubles began. As some of you know, we travel with a pretty heavily loaded van and trailer, and it just couldn’t handle that steep decline, even though we just had new brakes installed on the trailer. Our front two tires started smoking so hard that we pulled over to the side of the mountain, and waited about 45 minutes for the brakes to cool, while throwing water on the brakes. We weren’t sure if we even had any brakes left, so after a kind police officer waited with us for awhile, we tested the brakes, and they were working well enough for us to continue home. We arrived back home around 5 p.m. and got exactly two hours of sleep before we were up and at it again. Big thanks for the help from Brendon this weekend with the countless hours of driving, and all of the merch sales on the weekend!
Monday morning we headed to Ottawa, ON (yes, we were actually playing in Canada again) where we played at the Ottawa Exhibition on the SuperEx stage. More importantly, we were beginning the first day of recording our SEARSON LIVE CD! We were extremely excited. We had lots of help from producer Jordon Zadorozny and Brian as engineer. We had an absolute blast having the talented Richard Irwin join us on drums for the three days of recording. It was our first time playing live with drums, and it definitely won’t be our last. We spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday driving back and forth from home to Ottawa, which we didn’t mind at all since we got to sleep in our own beds. We did three 45 min. sets a day, so it went by really quickly, since we only had about 15 min. breaks. As I sit here typing, we are leaving again in exactly 2 hours and 20 minutes. I have two suitcases sitting on my floor that I haven’t unpacked from the last two road trips, and haven’t begun to pack for the next trip to Iowa and Illinois this weekend. The LIVE CD should be released around February 2006, we’ll keep you posted! Cheers to everyone hope all is well!
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Entry#: 23
Date: Monday, August 15, 2005
By: Jamie
As I type this, we are officially back across the Canadian boarder and only about seven and a-half hours from home (if all goes to plan ofcourse). We have just completed our longest journey yet…Montana!
When Colleen left off we were finishing up our three night stay in Galena, IL and heading off to Fargo, ND. A long drive on Wednesday (about 8 or 9 hours) allowed us just the right amount of time for a bite to eat, set up, sound check and quick change before our very well-received performance at the Great Northern Restaurant and Brewery. We were all very unsure of what type of crowd would show up, as it was our first time in North Dakota, but after one of the FINEST dining experiences we’ve had on the road so far…we were ready for just about anything. Our server was an absolute treat, and I must say that we all appreciated the light entertainment after such a long trip. We really didn’t mean to confuse the poor girl, but I guess Celtic bands can be very intimidating at times. I only wish I could go into more detail, but that would be cruel. We were however, delighted by the evening’s turn-out, with many enthusiastic music lovers. After reading the local entertainment paper we were informed that Fargo has many talented musicians that play in various local bands such as the Thursday night band called “Stabb Stabb Cut Kill.”
Saddened that we were missing their show, we left Fargo on Thursday morning with a 12 hour drive ahead of us to Butte, Montana. This was one of the most scenic trips that I personally have been on. Although I have vowed never to do that particular drive again, I am very glad that the opportunity did presented itself.
Arriving in Butte about 9pm (Mountain time), we were helped to our rooms (Five rooms!!!) and then headed down to the hotel bar where the festival organizers held a reception for all those involved in the festival. Although we arrived somewhat late, I think we still managed to meet every single person at the function…the people of Butte are SO friendly!! With food, drinks and great conversation we felt so very much welcomed in the Big Sky Country.
This hospitality extended over the course of a weekend that tuned out to be unexpectedly challenging for all those involved. On Friday afternoon we were scheduled to take the stage at about 4pm. Just before 4pm, Butte made national news as the temperature dropped 20 degrees F in 30 minutes! Talk about bad timing…it was freezing. We watched as the dark clouds rolled in and the rain came down leaving everyone very disappointed that the performances would have to be cancelled for the evening. We did however do our best to entertain those still in the mood for some Canadian Celtic, as we pulled out our instruments and found an indoor location to play an acoustic set.
Saturday, although still extremely cold and overcast, turned out to be just grand. The stage was moved inside permanently just incase, and we performed two sets for an awesome crowd. For the first time ever, we received 3 standing ovations within 45 minutes! Although I was early to bed on Saturday night, to my understanding the evening performances by Solstice and the Black Brothers was great, as was the after party…sorry I missed it!
Sunday was a day of mixed feelings…relieved to be going home for a few days of rest but dreading the 36 hour drive to get there. ‘Trucker-Mike’got us off to a great start however, pulling off a 12 hour stint, and before we knew it we were driving-on into the night. Although we had originally planned to stop for a snooze somewhere, our decision not to will enable us to be home tonight and we are very glad for that. We are also glad that Erin is no longer sick (after having a slight bout of stomach illness while driving this morning); and that Colleen did not get a speeding ticket (after being pulled over – for her first time – in Michigan this morning); and that the police officer did not notice that none of our trailer lights were working when he pulled us over (which we had fixed shortly after at a garage). Seems as though we’ve dodged all the bullets so far….but we’re not quite home yet….STAY TUNED
Jamie
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Entry#: 22
By: Colleen
After a long weekend in Montreal we returned home for a quick nap, and then we sauntered to our Grandparents’ garage to start work on our LIVE cd. We’re going to be recording it at the Ottawa Ex at the end of August with a good friend of ours, Richard Erwin. He’s the reigning champ of drummers extraordinaire, and he’s all ours! With two days of rehearsals behind us we were off to Detroit. Of course no trip would be complete without first stopping at memere and pepere’s house for some tasty French toast.
With the arrival of Searson in Livonia MI, we were ready to work/party. Did we ever! There was another Canadian band at the festival (shocker!), some boys from our old stompin’ ground; Quagmyre. It was great to catch up and reveal some shocking stories from our past! The shows were great, but that’s just a side point. The food that was served was unbelievable! I’m talking about any kind of cheese, fruit, and meat you could possibly want… don’t get me started on the desserts… the beer garden was boisterous as usual and we met a lot of people. Some crazy, (wanting to marry Heather) others insane (wanting Mike) but all came for a great time and that’s what they got.
We ended the weekend by playing at the Claddagh Irish Pub just down the street from the festival. Met some more Canadian boys in a pipe band, and saw two separate wedding parties at the bar that night. All in all, it was a really fast weekend and we were in no mood to sit around. So the band packed up and went to Iowa…
Dubuque, Iowa – The Busted Lift… The bar was an awesome find! The club was in the basement of an old building, and it was the first gig that searson played at where we had two rappers open up for us. After a little trouble with the sound system, the rest of the night was history.
Galena, Illinois- we were to only play at the Irish cottage for one night, but we loved the place so much that it turned into a two nighter’. There were Irish dancers and a hell of a lot of people. It was a great way to start the week off. From there we headed to Fargo, North Dakota (yes, thee Fargo!).. more on that from Jamie………
Colleen
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Entry: 21
Date: August 8, 2005
By: Heather,
1:30 pm western time from a hotel in Galena
Thursday we were in the van leaving the farm by 12pm headed to Syracuse. We were prepared for a wrestling match, but sadly David was on vacation! After a quick setup at Kitty Hoynes and great food as always we headed to the hotel to get dressed and ready for a night of music. We were sure what the crowds would be like being summer and all, but Syracuse pulled through as always and gave us a great time. We even had a blast from the past, a fellow Pembroke girl Tanya Verch. She was quite the dancer back in the day and even judged us girls in competitions while we still competed. That night are home was the Marx hotel with everyone's fav shower. They sport the awesome walk-in shower with a sunflower head!
Friday morning with coffee in tow, a quick trip to the bank(where Mike found they gave out free hotdogs) we were headed to Utica to a new festival for us. Before the festival we had everyone's least favorite thing to do the dreaded photo shoot. No one like's the way you look in pictures; at least we're better musicians than models! The festival was a great time. There were lots of great bands, boasting a strong Canadian contingency and well organized event which made our job much easier. After an opening night on the traditional stage we were ready for a drink and catching up with friends at the event. That Canadian contingency I mentioned had a great hotel party around some crown royal!
Saturday was a jam packed day. We performed two great sets at the Utica festival and took a couple wagon rides. Alright the wagon rides were just me, i guess you just can't take the farm girl out of me. Met alot of great people and look forward to meeting you all again. When we finished our last set we quickly packed up and headed back to Syracuse to perform at the St. Patrick's festival. We arrived just in time to setup, but we ran into a problem. No power! Now you can't put on a "Kick Ass Celtic" Searson show with out a little Hydro! Luckily the technician were close at hand and had us up and running. By the end of the night we were all pretty dead tired and couldn't wait to fall into bed at the Marx. Well everyone in the band was sawing logs, Erin and I had the joy of being on the party floor. There was music pumping, were talking about pictures shaking on the wall in our room loud. After attempts to fall asleep failed, and we weren't enjoying the drunk vistors knocking on our door confusing us with other rooms. We broke down and called security hoping to salvage a few hours, but not too much success. When Erin and i left early in the morning we broke out the only retaliation we could think of, we stole all the do not disturb signs off the doors on our floor!
Headed back to Canada to the Montreal Highland games! We had not been here for a few years, and as always it was a big party under the tent. With Salty Dog rounding out the entertainment we shared some great sets on the stage and had a good jam together. That night the party moved to Hurley's Irish pub. As tired as we were we made it through the night, although by the end the dancing became a little more work than usual.
Monday morning we woke really early to head near home to Deep River for the town celebration. In between the Tug of war and the dance schools we performed our set. Now if we thought the dancing was tough the night before we didn't even know what pain meant. I think our bodies were so worn out from lack of sleep it was a good thing we were headed home to sleep in our own beds. We made it home in one piece but were too tired to make dinner, even though we were craving homemade food, it was East Side Mario's to the rescue! Than believe it was an early night to bed!
Cheers till next time
Heather
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Entry:
20
Date: July 26, 2005
By: Jamie
Being at home for the past two weeks has been a real treat for all of us girls + Mike. We’ve enjoyed many blisteringly hot and humid days of summer and are all quite pleased with the turnout of the shows we did manage to book in our native area.
Before I tell you about those shows however, I would like to mention the absolutely spectacular time we had in Albany, NY on July 13th. Who knew that a Celtic festival (which was held on Wednesday!) would turn out to be so truly ideal. If ever a band were to describe the perfect show, this would be it! A massive stage with tones of great help, great sound, great crowd, great location, great food, great hotel and a great response to our music……we were living the life in Albany, NY.
After having both Friday and Saturday off (WOW, that’s rare), we headed to Almonte - a small village approximately 1 hour south/east of our home town – for a Sunday afternoon Celtic Festival. When we left home it really looked cloudy, but we managed to beat the rain. The crowd in Almonte was excellent, and we were all quite pleased to see some old friends from our ‘fidd’lin past’! We also met some new friends from Kansas City – a band named the Elders. They were great to chat with and we really enjoyed the first few songs they played until the rain started pouring down. We left before the weather cleared and were glad to be home nice and early for family visits and such.
Almost another whole week went by before our last show which was again, very close to home, in the good’ ol village of Palmer Rapids. Now in our area, if you’ve never heard of the Palmer Rapids Twin Music Festival, then you’ve been living under a big rock or something. This festival is famous for it’s lively atmosphere, as tons of drunk’in camper folk walk about and enjoy the all day festivities held between a country and bluegrass stages. Big bands from all around are invited to partake in this three-day event, and we were so fortunate to perform there this year. What a blast!!
As the long weekend approaches, we gear up for shows in Syracuse, Utica and Montreal. We’re all fired up and ready for the adventures of August.
Stay Tuned!!
Jamie
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Entry: 19
Date: July 11, 2005
By: Erin
After loading up the van with our usual food & drinks, musical equipment etc…we were off to Cape May, NJ. We left close to 10 a.m. and after having no hassles crossing the border (thank god!) and picking up product we drove straight through and arrived around 9 p.m. Everyone was going a little stir crazy by the time we arrived and so it was great to stretch our legs and walk around this beautiful town. Heather & I had picked up some wine at the duty free and Cape May is the place to be when you want to sit on a porch, drink wine, and watch the people going by. Thursday morning we all had a little down time. The last time we played in Cape May, Barry the owner of the jewelry store Kaleidoscope had given all of us girls’ jewelry after the show, because he enjoyed the music so much. Barry had invited us to come back and pick out some more jewelry to wear for the show that evening, and being girls and all, we couldn’t turn him down. He definitely knew how to make this band happy! Thanks Barry!
Heather & I took a couple of hours
in the afternoon and handed out pamphlets to the concert that
evening to innocent bystanders everywhere. Heather especially
loved the man who told her that he hated Celtic music and hated
Canadians, so she ripped that flyer out of his hand and
continued politely on her way, like any good Canadian would do
:).
Load-in and sound check took place between 3-5:30 p.m. in this
beautiful concert hall beside the ocean. There was a summer camp
full of kids at the back of the hall waiting to be picked up and
I think it made all of us thankful that we didn’t have to watch
40 screaming kids all summer long. After 10 time-outs, I’d give
up trying to.
After a quick bit to eat, and quick change of clothes, it was back to the hall for the concert. There was a very receptive audience and John did a great job on the sound, which made for a smooth, successful evening. We are starting to recognize a lot of familiar faces every time we come back to this area, and appreciate everyone’s support.
We ended up driving ahead to Philadelphia that night, to get ahead of the tropical storm heading our way, and arrived around 2 a.m. exhausted and ready for bed.
The next morning we headed up to New York State, and come to think of it, I can’t remember the name of the town our hotel was in, but I do remember that it was a very long drive because of two major accidents and a few spur of the moment detours that took a little longer than expected. We arrived around 8:30 p.m. and although tired, we were ready to do something that evening since we had some time off! After stocking up on some dinner at the Walmart Super Center and stuffing our purses and coats, us girls proceeded to the new Tom Cruise movie ‘War of the Worlds’. There was some entertaining scenes, but not much plot, and we were all dissatisfied with the ending. Oh well, haven’t been to a movie in awhile and it was nice to relax.
The next morning we were up at 7:15 a.m., had some not-so-exciting continental breakfast and we were off to Letchworth State Park for a beautiful, hot day in this gorgeous park. Everything went smoothly again, sound was great, and everyone very helpful. This was a highland games and the whole day went without a hitch. We played four sets throughout the day, and had a big jam session at the end with some of the other musicians there. It was great to see some friends out and a big thanks to Mike Letters for helping us sell product all day! As soon as we were finished we packed up, showered and changed at the hotel, grabbed some supper and headed back to Canada. We were anxious to get back and determined to be home by 1:00 a.m. After stopping at the storage area, we were excited to be making such good time. Heather pulled back onto the 81 North, and right about then is when one of the tires blew on the trailer….just our luck! Things were going way too well this trip. After unloading all the equipment along the side of the highway, and putting on the spare, we loaded the trailer back up and we on the road again in half an hour….not too shabby! We still managed to get home close to 1 a.m. and the rest of us were back in Pembroke by 1:45 a.m. Pretty successful trip, we’re heading out again in a few days to New York state again, and Jamie will keep you all posted on the next adventure!
Cheers,
Erin
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Entry: 18
Date: June 27, 2005…0300 hrs
By: Colleen
After a good 24 hrs. at home of doing laundry and taking a quick trip to the local bar, we hit the road again on to Syracuse. We played for two nights at the famous Kitty Hoynes. Crowds we’re great as usual. Mike is ecstatic that he has found a new wrestling partner on the eastern seaboard, since leaving Ohio. (Can you smell what the Rock is cooking?) We took a bet over pudding and rye, and our money is on the American. (Sorry Mike).
Isn’t it funny how traffic jams put everyone in a great mood? What should have been a five hour drive was really six and a half. By the time we showed up in Toms River, Searson was pretty brain dead. Our Bruce Springsteen fan didn’t let us down. He showed up with twenty people and a whole lot of Mardi gras beads. SEARSON ROCKED THE JOINT OUT!!
We don’t have to worry about going hungry in the car anymore when stuck in traffic. Heather bought a huge purse for the sole purpose of getting our hands on loads of food at the continental breakfasts. It’s pretty funny to watch a bunch of girls from Canada stealing cheerios, thinking that it’s the crime of the century. But, a girl’s gotta eat, and we love to do that!
Another beautiful day in Ocean City, a whopping 93 degrees and we are stuck in traffic. (Story of our lives lately). It’s worth the wait when we arrive at the music pier; salt water taffy, fudge and lots of guys at the beach. It was a quick concert, but always fun. Two Irish dancers, Casey-Ann and Cailine came up and told us about a soft shoe routine they put together for Car Song. What an honour! They did such a great job. It was awesome to see other dancers perform. It was the first time in a week we sort of had the night off, by that I mean we only had to use half of our own sound system and we were out of the venue by 12:30 am.
The final day of our trek led us to the New Jersey Irish festival in Holmdale. It was great to see so many people from Tom’s River out. But God, it was bloody hot!!!!!.. We were out in the blazing heat from 9:30 to 3:00 pm, and the temperature was a monstrous 102F (that’s 39 Celsius for you non-americans). Show was fun despite the fact, and the ceilidh dancers really brought the entertainment to new heights.
We packed up and got in the car for a stinky, smelly, sweaty, exhaustive 10hr. drive home. (There was nowhere to shower at the festival) It’ll be nice to have a bit of a break at home for a few days, gonna hit the Wilno tavern and the cottage. Canada day we are playing in our home town… so there should be some great stories in the next entry by one of the red-heads….
Colleen
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Entry: 17
Date: June ? (It’s dark; I’m in the van and someone’s
feet smell)
By: Heather
Once upon a time there was a tornado warning, and of course we had to drive through the storm.
Deciding we might be a little saner if we left a day early for Indianapolis we set out Tuesday. Five hours were shaved off the drive by crashing at our cousin’s in Waterloo. Beverly stood the test and plowed through the raging rain. Tornados can’t stop Searson!
No sleeping in, too much ground to cover the next day. We arrived at the Claddagh Pub with the help of good old map quest. After sound checking and a good dinner we were at the hotel to get ready for the night. Being our first time at this location we weren’t sure what the crowd would be like. We were greeted by familiar faces and the enthusiasm of the F1 fans and racers. The Formula one racers see home as little as we do. There was some road warrior bonding going on. It was a great party in the pub that night; if you weren’t there you missed a good one! If you were there you probably came out the next night for a repeat of food, beer and Searson. Big thanks to our sponsor BASS beer and Claddagh for having us.
Breakfast at the grocery store and Starbucks coffee, to start the day. Besides the morning coffee fill, we picked up Alanis’ release of the acoustic version of her Jagged Little Pill album. Starbucks, Morrisette and all roads lead to Ohio.
Our first time at the Irish Fest in Euclid and we had a great time. The location is perfect with lots of trees and fresh air. The Canadian Contingency was strong that weekend with many a band from the Great White North. With the day of playing behind us we were shuttled off to Mick’s Pub where the party continued. Terry from the Fenians joined us for the car ride. We even traded jewelry, bracelets to be exact for the night. This became our custom for the weekend, it helped us play better. Whenever we ran into each other we’d inspect each other’s arms to see what we could trade. We made it to the pub only to discover they had the Canadian pick, Crown Royal! The Town Pants were displaying they’re abilities to perform Jamie and Colleen fiddling impressions. Although Colleen didn’t pull through in the arm wrestling competition, Mike surprised all (especially the Town Pants and The Peelers) with his WWF skills.
Father’s Day in Euclid consisted of sleeping in, swimming (Erin claims she went for a run), Mexican Food and the Indiana Jones marathon. We performed our last show at the festival that evening and bid all farewell. We rose early the next morning in hopes of making it home by dinner time. After sailing through customs it was home to our own beds. Home for two sleeps, one day and four loads of laundry.
Heather
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Entry
#: 16
By: Jamie
Date: June 7, 2005
Hello Everyone! Great to be back on the road for another strong line-up of shows. Thanks to all of you who came out to support our CD release shows and we really hope that you enjoy listening to the new CD as much as we enjoyed recording it!
The tour began with a long day, as we packed the van early and set off for St. James Gate in Maplewood, NJ. Thankfully, our anticipated hold-up at the boarder didn’t happen, and so we made pretty good time considering our lengthy drive. For once we managed to pick a day without rain to visit the beautiful, quaint town of Maplewood. Although we were all pretty tired from the trip down, we had an excellent night, and a great crowd as always…we would like to send out a congrats to John Jr. at St. James on the arrival of his first son on the day of our show.
Thursday was an easy day with an
extremely short trip to McIntyres Pub in Tom’s River, NJ. We
left our hotel no later than check out and enjoyed a beautiful
sunny day, not to mention a great hotel with the best
complimentary chocolate-chip cookies I have ever had…nice touch.
The show was a success and we were happy to see many faces
return to the Pub for a repeat, full-on Searson experience…we
will be back to Tom’s River at the end of this month and we look
forward to seeing you all again.
Friday afternoon was yet another short trip to Brittingham’s, in
Layfayette Hill, PA. As always, our friends Bill and Karen
warmly welcomed us as we proceeded to invade their home for the
weekend. We always look forward to our stays with them because
of their great stories and wonderful smelling sheets (thanks
Karen!). Before dinner, we enjoyed a little girly time in front
of the TV, as Oprah had a special episode on finding the “right
bra” (these are the times when we feel most sorry for Mike!) Out
of all the shows we’ve done at Brittingham’s, this was our
favorite. Although it’s a longer night, the time really seemed
to fly by, and the crowd was very appreciative.
Saturday was an early morning
stint as we trucked off to Fair Hill, Maryland for a full day of
bagpipes and everything that is traditional Scottish. We set up
shop in an old barn-like building and began performing at 10:30
am. By the end of the day, we had performed six sets. During our
breaks we were joined by one of the best Scottish square dance
teachers in the Eastern US…she was absolutely phenomenal! We
really enjoyed ourselves at the Games and were glad to recognize
some great faces in the crowd – especially those who stayed for
the entire day. The weather couldn’t have been better, and we
truly enjoyed working normal hours (9am-5pm), having the night
off and eating pizza on the porch back at Bill and Karen’s.
Sunday we heading back to Maryland for a visit with Pat Garby at
Mrs. Oleary’s in Gaithersburg. As always, our night there was a
highlight of the trip with a full house and nearly unbeatable, 3
encore crowd (very flattering).
Aside from the show was the motel room. A story clearly comes to mind now as I remember heading off to bed before the rest, falling asleep and awakening an hour later to the girl’s in utter disgust of the many bugs infesting the room around me as well as the bathroom. I almost crawl out of my skin at the thought. So here we are in our pajamas, lugging our instruments and suitcases up to the next floor at 2am.
Monday was a day of rest for the
Searson clan. We had arranged to crash in the Pocono’s - at the
cottage that has been so generously offered to us on numerous
occasions now. Before making it there however, we decided to
take the opportunity to “apply” for Social Security (part of a
process that Canadian musicians must follow in order to receive
tax id). Well that was an experience!! I think we were only in
there for about 3 hours, but it seemed like an eternity! Sitting
on a hard cement floor doesn’t help. Luckily, our immaturity as
always, kept us giggling, and the time passed without any
serious injury. We were disappointed however that we missed our
Oprah show, with her special guest Tom Cruise – we were quite
excited for that. Oh well, we enjoyed some delicious Chinese
food and a plethora of snacks while doing laundry and relaxing
on our Monday night off.
Tuesday was an interesting afternoon as we first completed a
flawless drive into Manhattan (great navigation by Erin Searson/
great driving by Mike Searson), and then proceeded to perform at
The Full Shilling (just off of Wall Street) from 5pm-7:30pm. We
enjoyed a wonderful turn-out and we were very glad to be back
visiting Marty – one of New York’s finest pub-owners and
definitely the most hospitable of men. Besides that, the Full
Shilling has some of the best dining we have ever experienced in
our Irish pub travels – we hope to be back soon.
Wednesday we checked in to the same hotel as Billy Idol, as we prepared for a night in Reading, PA at the Ugly Oyster. Apparently Billy was in town a night early for his concert on Thursday in Reading. Although we did not meet “the man” himself, Colleen did manage to schmooze with the head production manager for the afternoon and invite them to the show that night. A delightful crowd, as always, filled the Ugly Oyster as the show came to a satisfying end - following an eventful evening, and one that this band will always remember;)
Thursday we headed back down to Maryland, yet again, for a show at our favorite Bethesda pub, Flannagan’s. Another long night was ahead of us, but we were prepared. We enjoyed our best crowd yet in Bethesda – we were pleased to see some dedicated fans make it out for a night of fun with Searson, especially those who brave down a flight of stairs with a foot cast – thanks Dan and Mitzi!
Friday we headed to Cape May, NJ
for a relaxing visit with friends and a night off. The weather
was absolutely gorgeous, and for the first time this year I
enjoyed the beach…finally summer!
Saturday wasn’t so nice, as our show was unfortunately rained
out. The Cape May Festival, which was a success during the day
was to be followed by a kick-ass Searson show, but as the
weather man predicted, 5pm brought thunder and lightning which
left us with soaking wet electrical equipment…shock anyone??
Sunday, the last day of the tour,
turned out to be a great day for the Jack Frost Festival in the
Pocono Mountains, PA. Although the rain had followed us from the
south, we managed to get our set in during the one hour of
sunshine. We had a great visit with our fellow Canadian
musicians – Enter the Haggis – a great bunch of guys and one
hell of a band. We really enjoyed their set, along with the many
other great bands who preformed at the Festival. We hope to be
back to Jack Frost next year!
All-in-all it was a great tour and we were happy to be back on
the road to promote our brand new CD “Follow”. It won’t be long
before we’re back down again and in the New Jersey area. Hope to
see you all out, and check out the tour section for our upcoming
dates. Till then, tak’er easy!
Jamie
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Entry
#: 15
By: Erin
Date: May 4, 2005
After a great holiday, we are officially back on the road! We started off with a CD release in one of our favourite Canadian cities, Montreal. Two nights there definitely whipped us back into shape. Saturday was the best night, packed house, and the crowd was there to have a good time, which we love.
We left the following Tuesday for Warrenton, VA and slept at some riends of ours. They have been great to us, always welcoming us with open arms, and treating us with some great hospitality. We had an early start on Wednesday night, which we love. We met another band there called Trasna and it's always great hearing stories from other bands and learning about all the places they've played as well. Another woman in the crowd gave us her manuscript for book she had just written, and was going in to see about getting it published….best of luck! Most of us are avid readers in the van, so I'm looking forward to reading it.
Thursday
morning, we left at 8 a.m. and headed down to Anderson, SC. I
really liked the stage set up at Corbett McGee's because we
actually playing to the audience. It was a dinner and show deal,
and we had a great welcome, especially since it was our first
time there.
Friday we headed down to Savannah, GA and we were all pretty
excited since none of us have been there before. After load in
and sound check we had a good 5 hours to walk around and check
out the city. After a great seafood dinner, we all just walked
around, checked out the amazing historic houses, parks, and cool
shops.
Things get started pretty late in Savannah, and at around 12:30 a.m. Finnegan's Wake was packed full of people! We even did a bit extra step dancing because people kept bringing more people back to see us. We tore down the equipment and loaded up, leaving Savannah at 2:30 a.m. Colleen was the hard core driver, and got us to Forsyth, GA by 6:00 a.m. We got exactly 2 hours of sleep and then were up and at it again, at the Culloden Games for 10 a.m. show. Hurricane warnings were in effect all day, and the morning was cancelled because it poured rain non-stop. We decided to head back to the hotel to catch a little sleep while we waited for the rain to stop. Meanwhile, it had rained so much that our van and trailer was completely stuck in what had turned into mud. Us girls tried to push the trailer out, and we're pretty strong, but we still couldn't mange, although we did get some good photos (coming soon in photo gallery!) A kind gentleman from Clan Donald towed us out. The afternoon was saved and we did our show and then followed that up in the evening for a Ceilidh with Seven Nations. Everyone took turns pulling out some pretty old songs and we just had a big jam session.
Sunday
was a beautiful day, all the shows went well and we ended the
games with another jam along with 7N. We had a great time
playing with those guys, and we're looking forward to doing it
again this summer.
Monday morning we left GA at 7 a.m. and drove straight home. The
game plan was that if everyone in the band drove for a tank of
gas, it would get us home, and it worked! Us girls arrived back
at our apartments at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, completely worn
out, but home sweet home! I finished up with a phone interview
with a radio station in Vancouver, BC and had a great discussion
about the new CD. Thanks for playing our music, we can't wait to
play out there! We're heading down to the U.S. again shortly, so
come on out!
Cheers,
Erin
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Entry
#: 14
By: Heather
Date: March 20, 2005
We survived St. Pat's, but barely! Hopefully everyone had a fun filled day. We we're in Toronto and began the day at Finn's on University. The beer was flowing in the business district, with many suits up dancing. After 3 sets here we headed to another Finn on St. Claire. We were greeted with a line up out the door and everyone ready to hear some Irish music. I was especially excited to see Benny D a friend for university that made it out to the party. By the end of the sixth set of the day we were pretty wiped and glad to be going to bed.
The next morning we woke up at the grandparents to an amazing breakfast of french toast (my favorite meal) to refuel us for the trip to Syracuse. We were pleasantly surprised to see all the people who made it out Friday night, otherwise known as recovery day for a few. Friday after the show we all relaxed and shared a few drinks with the bartenders. Saturday night was the cd release party at Kitty Hoynes. The place was packed and with alot of new faces as well as old. We had a great night and enjoyed ourselves with such an enthusiastic crowd. The only downfall of the night was that Colleen couldn't make the show. Sadly she has the flu again and spent the night hanging out in the hotel.
We drove the five hours home on Sunday to begin our holidays. Everyone's travelling all over the countryside to visit friends and family on a much deserved vacation. After the short break we'll be hitting the road again promoting the new cd and getting ready for the summer festivals.
Cheers,
Heather
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Entry#:
13
By: Heather & Colleen
Date: March 16, 2005
Well we went back to one of the first bars we ever started playing at for a "pre St. Pats" party at the diddley in Douglas Ont. It was great to see so many familiar faces out from home. We had a great jam session with the fiddlers from Chichester. Then the following Friday we played at the museum in Smith Falls, Ont. It was great to finally play there, after canceling in February show due to the flue. The place was so nice and intimate, the second audience had Q & A with SEARSON and found out our many secrets.
The next night was our first experience at the Watertown Irish Festival. Lucky for us our hotel was right across the street from us. We had a quick dinner from subway before playing in the beer garden. The crowd was hyperactive, and quite a group of partyers. Many a good dancers too! Despite some sound troubles, the show was a success!
We were up early the next morning to head to T.O. for our final show of the week. It was a great warm-up for us, because this is where our first show for St. Pat's will be. The staff is definitely prepared for the party!
Happy
Paddy's Day everyone! Hopefully we'll see some of you there!
Heather
and Colleen
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Entry#:
12
By: Jamie
Date: February 28th, 2005
I'd have to say that the last two weeks on the road was a real reminder of why we've chosen the path we have. Cool cities, smiling faces, great food and great fun. Cheers! When we left off, we were driving home from PHILI, where we had played the Saturday night at Finnegan's Wake. Quite tired and almost delirious, we arrived home with just enough time to repack, reorganize and for me, to remind my parents that yes, their long lost daughter still exists. We headed out early Wednesday morning without much trouble, and thankfully Heather was feeling herself again. even able to drive half the trip. Great to have her back in action!
We arrived in Maplewood, New Jersey around 6:30pm and resumed our typical glamorous life on the road, which always seems to involve unloading in the rain and changing in the bathrooms of the pub. The show went smoothly however - no equipment problems (bonus) and a great mix of both new and old Searson enthusiasts. We were also graced with the presence of a Manhattan bar owner, Marty, of the Full Shilling who invited us to play at his establishment on our Monday off. Perfect timing for both he and us, as we had reserved our favorite cottage in the Poconos for the weekend. Not a far drive from downtown New York.
We enjoyed a great night in Maplewood and as always, looked forward to the best continental breakfast in town. We headed for A Piece of Ireland in Delaware on Thursday afternoon. The weather was warm and we were happy to hear that the evenings show had been fully reserved. A big thanks goes out to all those who joined us on stage that evening. >From an Irish dancer to a bodhran player to a singer/guitar player to a server who lost a bet and had to make a speech. We had a riot and the night flew by. We must also thank our Piece of Ireland photographer, who sat front row center and got some great shots that will be up on the site very soon. A sincere apology goes out to all of the very cool and very beautiful people, who tried to get in but could not, due to presale tickets. We will be back to the area soon. so please keep a look out.
Friday we headed for new territory. Tom's River, New Jersey - home of McIntyres Pub where get this. you have to walk through the liquor store to get in. AWESOME! Booze central. I 'm sure we'll be making our way back to Tom's River as we had a very fun night and met a bunch of cool and crazy people. We even met a man who used to live up in our neck of the woods (Eganville/Pembroke, ON). This just does not happen too often. Having moved many times since, it was pleasing to hear that he misses Ontario and plans to move back some day. It really is beautiful here at home. Our hotel rooms in Tom's River were amazing and what made it even better was the fact that we had three rooms instead of our usual two. Trust me, when you spend every minute of every day with the same people, getting your own bed is like a mini vacation.
Everyone was in very good spirits on Saturday morning as we headed off to Philadelphia, home of our good friends Bill and Karen Reid. Since we didn't have to work Saturday night they were kind enough to let us stay with them, yet again. We decided that because of our intrusion into their home, the least we could do was to cook them dinner. We stopped at a grocery store to pick up a few things, and instantly became five-year-olds when we saw the carts that had a big red "car" attached to the front. Although we couldn't fit in (obviously), it didn't stop us all from trying. I think Colleen came the closest, with only an arm and a leg hanging out the side windows. It's really is easy to loose touch with civilization when you sit in a van most of the day.
So we had a great night off at Bill and Karen's - consumed a ridiculous amount of everything and slept as if we were back at home. Cheers to their hospitality!
Sunday we headed for the Poconos, cottage country, the best place for real downtime. Although it didn't seem like much, as we had a lot of rehearsing to do once we got there. Anxious to perfect our new material for stage. "band geeks, band geeks!" (sometimes). We did enjoy the evening however, with a little Grammy action on the tube. Many great performances I thought, but my favorite was definitely Green Day.
Our show on Monday was in the afternoon Manhattan (Wall Street area), so we left extra early with the expectation of delay. Our expectations were certainly met, as we circled the streets countless times. Imagining it with a car is one thing, but with a van and trailer..oh man.that sucked! An hour and a half drive turned into three and a half hours, and we were lucky to get five minutes parked to unload before the "parking police" were screaming at us to move it. In utter panic, brave Erin attempted to move the van two feet forward to let a truck go by, and ran into a pole. Funny now, but at the time it was sheer chaos. No damage done though. hahaha! After all was said and done, Valentines Day Monday in Manhattan at the Full Shilling was not too bad at all. We made great new friends with Marty and his wife and we anticipate a repeat performance. Marty loves stepdancing!!
Tuesday we headed for Gaithersburg, Maryland. We were a tad bit late leaving the cottage due to unanticipated laundry difficulties, but we made it just in time to set up, change and start playing. The crowd at Mrs. O'Leary's was definitely our best yet. We always look forward to the enthusiasm in Gaithersburg.a snowball effect of sorts. Everybody tells their friends to come out, and the party keeps gett'in better. One other addition to our show there is the stage set-up. Without a doubt it is the smallest area that the band plays. How on earth we manage to fit five bodies and a piano up there is beyond me. I think that image alone is sheer entertainment, and I swear the stage gets smaller every time we play there!
Wednesday was a quick trip down the road to Warrenton, Virginia. Now Warrenton is familiar - and unforgettable - territory to us because we had the pleasure of staying in the most beautiful home there last May when we were on tour. Unfortunately our hosts were out of town for the week, but they kindly offered us their fully equipped and totally awesome pool house for the night. Molly's Irish Pub in the quaint downtown core of Warrenton was the spot to be, and we certainly enjoyed our early night show and look forward to going back. When we arrived back at the pool house it was still early. For once we got to have a real "movie night," and after a very democratic system of voting, decided on Dodgeball - gotta love Ben Stiller.
Thursday night we returned back to the White Horse pub in Virginia Beach where we were greeted by familiar faces. Known for bringing in live entertainment, the White Horse has seen numerous well-known bands come through, many of which have covered the stage wall with their autographed pictures. Regulars of the pub are therefore, very much music enthusiasts and we always love to hear their stories of the different bands who have traveled to Virginia Beach. Great to be back.
Friday arrived after much anticipation as we returned to the Phili area (King of Prussia) for the Midwinter Irish and Scottish Festival. We had numerous reasons to be in good spirits Friday morning, considering it was an early shift. First off, we were happy to going somewhere and staying there for more than one night; secondly we were excited to finally see some bands perform that we hear so much about in our ravels; Bill and Karen who organize the festival are always a treat to work with; and last, but certainly not least, our NEW CD was shipped and waiting for us to arrive!!! This was the day we had been imagining for the last six months and finally it had arrived. We played Friday night to a great crowd and then sat back to enjoy the Jim Kelly Band and Seven Nations. We've had the pleasure of meeting these guys in our travels before, so we knew we were in for some fun. After all was said and done we found our way to the hotel party and shared stories with Seven Nations who, believe me, have a lot to tell! Hilarious.
Saturday was yet another full day. We played two sets and experienced the high energy and talent of the many other phenomenal bands. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting and listening to Grada.a band from Ireland that was just finishing up their first tour of the U.S.; Brother, who's intensity in their music and stage presence is very intriguing, and definitely one of a kind (I love the DIDGE); and Gaelic Storm - with their spirited personalities, their music and crowd appeal is really no surprise.
We were pleased many of our own supporters out for the weekend as well. In the last year we've met so many people who first saw us at Midwinter, and hopefully the word continues to spread. Another reason why we were so excited to have our new CD available for the weekend, and we hope that you all enjoy it!
We would like to thank Mitzy and Dan for taking care of us in the sales and spiced rum department. You guys are the best stalkers ever! I was introduced to Mead on Saturday evening for the first time (not bad at'all). Thanks to Tom and Derek for that, and a big thanks to our CR support that we so graciously drink in true Canadian spirit. In all respects, the weekend at Midwinter was totally cool...it even ended off on a high note for us, when just before we left Kirk from 7N, Colleen and I were invited to jam a tune with Brother for their last number.amazing. The drive home on Sunday wasn't too bad and we've all been enjoying our down-time over the last five days. Yesterday (Sunday) we made a quick trip to Syracuse for an afternoon fundraiser at Kitty Hoynes. They had a fantastic turn-out and excitement rose to the very end when a fight broke out between two women right in front of the stage.that was sorta funny.
Today we're meeting with our videographer to go over some live footage that was taken at a concert we did last month, so keep on the look out for clips of our show on the internet. I'd like to wish everyone a Happy St. Pat's. We'll be playing our hearts out in Toronto, so come out if you're in the neighborhood. we'd love to see you. Until then, be good and stay tuned for more Searson adventure next week (I think we have a special guest writing the diary. Should be interesting!)
- Jamie
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Entry#:
11
By: Colleen
Date: February 6, 2005
Tuesday
We wake up, and Heather is extremely sick. She can't get in the
van. So we take the long drive down to Scranton to play at The
Bog. We were later getting there, so us girls changed in the
van. Once the show starts, about the third number in, the piano
comes crashing to the ground, mikes guitar breaks down, and his
guitar strap broke, and the mandolin also breaks down. Jamie and
myself are over our sickness, but mike is pretty sick now. Our
first show without a bass player.
Wednesday
Drive to Reading, PA to play at The Ugly Oyster. We get to the
hotel, extremely tired. Mike parks the van, and 15 mins. later
we get a phone call from Mike saying that the trailer is stuck
in the parking garage, it's wedged under a beam. After unloading
the trailer, we let the air out of the tires, unload the equipment
from it and figure out the best way to unlodge it, all the while
wishing someone had majored in physics. After 45 mins. we got it
loose, and took it to get some air in the tires. After that we
had about 20 mins. down time till the show. We played to a
packed house without a bass player again.
Thursday
Pittsburg, The Harp and Fiddle. long drive, we set up, and ran
out of time again so we changed in the bar. Show was fun again!
Hope fully they're ready for us again at the Pittsburg Irish
Fest.
Friday
Woke up to find that our windshield had a huge crack across the
middle of it. What did we do? Kept driving. We get to
Fredericksburg, VA and play at the Colonial Inn Tavern. Mike's
still sick, and it was a long drive. We got there, and for the
first time all week, we had an hour to ourselves. Had a great
show, felt more like a concert setting than a bar. They sure
love our "kick ass celtic" t-shirts, they cleaned us
out!
Saturday
Wake up and drive to Philadelphia. Have a quick drink with one
of our favourite hosts. We head to Finnigan's Wake and only get
lost once on the way to the bar. Set up, then we do our
"thing". At first we weren't sure how the show would
go over since we were playing at a dance club, but i guess our
Canadian Charm was good enough! Finally, all packed up and ready
to go. Around 2:30 am we're in the middle of a traffic jam of
Eagles fans ready for the big game tomorrow. What could we do
but sit and watch the action around us. Hands down the best guy
we saw was wearing a belt where the buckle had a flashing sign
that read "All you honeys... I'm a hustla...." that
kept repeating over and over. Bed was such a treat at 4 am that
night.
Sunday
home. We left this morning around 11:30am and showed up at the
farm by 8:30pm, and us girls pulled into Pembroke around 10:00.
With everything that went wrong this week I can honestly say
that you could never do this unless you absolutely love it.
- Colleen
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Entry:
#10
By: Heather
Date: January 31, 2005
We made it to Michigan through quite a snowstorm. The only joy on the road was passing the Oscar Myer wiener mobile on the highway. You can't miss it, with it's bright yellow and orange colorings. We had a great finally show of the Claddagh pub tour. Thanks so much to Dave for setting the show up and to Strongbow for sponsoring the tour. When we finally made it to bad that night we were all exhausted. Although we woke up for a bit when we discovered that the wiener mobile had caught up with us and was staying in our hotel. (check out pictures of the big hotdog to come!)
Monday we found ourselves alive and well back home in Pembroke. We were playing a benefit concert that night for the Tsunami Relief. The show was lots of since we we're joined on stage by Ceol Mhath a great celtic act from the area. The veteran on fiddle Brian Hebert, who was also Jamie's fiddle teacher. Searson and Brian filled the hall with a great rendition of The Devil Went Down to Georgia! Bob's Music in Pembroke did a fantastic job of the sound and lighting. And a big thanks goes out to Dan McGary for organizing everything. All the money was donated to UNICEF and we we're all glad to help out with a good cause.
Tuesday We heard the final mix of our cd! We are so excited to share it with everyone. It turned out awesome! The graphics we're finalized. My friend Dan from elementary school has been working tirelessly to come up with amazing art work for the album. The whole package should be out hopefully by the end of February so stay tuned.
The next two days we spent doing shows in Toronto. It was great to see everyone again, especially all the friends from the valley who made it out. Friday was a sad day for SEARSON. A couple members of the band came down with a bad case of the flu and we ended up having to reschedule our show in Smith Falls. We hated having to do this and apologize to everyone this inconvienced. We look forward to coming there and performing a great show when everyone is healthy!
Maynooth Celtic Festival was a great party. Warm welcome, great food, music and dancing! It was like a large kitchen party that would go all night if it was allowed.
We ended the week on Sunday doing another fundraiser in our hometown of Eganville. The forces of the valley joined together for an afternoon of music to help raise funds for Emilie Joinette who is waiting for a lung transplant in Toronto. We also learnt a lot about Canada's organ donation system and how they are in need of people to give organs. The important thing to do is fill out you organ donation card and speak with your family about your wishes.
We hit the road again tomorrow heading to PA. Look forward to seeing everyone on the road!
Cheers,
Heather
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Entry:
#9
By: Erin
Date: January 22, 2005
Time: 7:33 pm
Now that I'm taking a few minutes to tell everyone what we've been up to lately, the last two and a half weeks feel like a blur! We played in a lot of new places and met so many new people on this road trip. We started off in Syracuse, NY at Kitty Hoynes, a place where we are always welcomed and treated with great hospitality by David Hoyne.
If I am remembering everything correctly, we went home for a day and a half, worked on bookings, finalized designs on the CD, packed....and then Wednesday we were off to Mason, OH to play at the Claddagh Irish Pub. This was our first of six Claddagh Pub shows that we were doing on this trip. I want to send a special thank you to Dave Pesenko (from the Indy Claddagh) and Tim Loftus from Strongbow Cider for organizinga and sponsoring us. A lot of new people got to see us and we were able to line up some good festial work because of this.
Thursday night we played at the Claddagh in North Indianapolis, IN and had a blast! The Indy Irish Fest also invited us to their festival that night so we look forward to being there in 2005! Friday took us to Stamper's in Cleveland, OH and the place was packed, which we really appreciated since it was our first time coming through Cleveland. We were also joined by Jim Stamper's son's Adam and Jimmy for a few numbers on the bodhran, check out the photos on our photo page. See you at the Euclid Festiavl in 2005! Saturday we played at Byrne's in Columbus, OH and it reminded all of us girls of this great place we go to on the Quebec side (Fred's). Great atmosphere and great staff, we're looking forward to playing their again in 2005. And Pat, you play a MEAN bodhran...I especially loved that move where you jump in the air and land on your knees!
We had the next couple of days off, so we got a place in downtown Chicago, and I am a new fan of this city! We all spent the days by ourselves, discovering the city (and the shopping!) and spent the evenings going out to great restaurants, listening to some amazing Blues music and going to a comedy club. I have always been a fan of blues and it was great to watch some else perform.
The next three days were all Claddagh Pubs beginning in Middleton, WI, then Geneva, IL, and Algonquin, IL. Most of these places a fairly new and are huge pubs! As always, we appreciated the great welcome we received from audience and staff alike, and are looking forward to going back. Tonight, we are playing in Livonia, MI at the final Claddagh for this tour. It was a LONG driving day to get here, because there has been a blizzard that started last night and is still continuing now as I type this! Everyone is catching a quick sleep before we start tonight, hopefully the weather won't keep the audience away! Once again, big thanks to Claddagh and Stronbow Cider, we've appreciated the support.
We are looking forward to going home for a few nights, and I desperately need to do some laundry. And I'm so excited to hear the mix on our new CD (Tuesday!) We'll keep you posted on the happening's for this coming week. We are working steady until the end of February, so we'll have lots to tell! Have a good one!
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Entry
#: 8
By: Jamie
Date: January 5, 2005
Happy New Year Road Diary Fans! Can't wait to experience all the new places 2005 holds.
Well it really didn't seem like much of break to us, but everyone concurred that the Christmas season was grand. Lots of family and lots of treats, of course never hurts.
We hit the road on Thursday, December 29th and headed for Toronto to bring in the new year with our festive friends in the GTA. We had a blast at Failte in Mississauga on Thursday night. I must say that the atmosphere of that pub/restaurant is so unique…stone walls, and a beautifully lit stage surrounded by many large rooms…almost felt like we were playing in the hidden underground castle of Southern Ontario…who knew?
New Years Eve night was spent with an intimate group of enthusiasts at Fionn MaCools on the corner of Young and St. Claire. I believe that "intimate" and "enthusiast" can be directly applied to two individuals who coincidentally lived, at some point or another, with Erin at university. Not to mention any names, but Mel and Rob, on separate occasions, really rocked the place. And speaking of roommates, I was totally ecstatic to see my roommate Nicole and her boyfriend Kyle out for New Years as well. It really meant a lot to celebrate the New Year away from home with at least one close friend.
Saturday turned out to be an early night for the band. We figured as much, it being New Years Day and all. However, our crowd at Fionn MaCools on the Esplonade was surprisingly awake, and very attentive. We all really enjoyed our night, and met many new people that we hope to see again in our US travels.
Our visits to Toronto are always accompanied by a warm bed and great meals, as we stay at the Searson's grandparents home for the weekend…ah tourtiere…mmm. However, leaving on Sunday was another story. The weather was horrendous, and the roads were absolute ice. Making it 10 minutes down the 401 we decided to turn the van/trailer around and go back, wait for the weather to warm up, and be a bit late for our studio session, booked for late Sunday afternoon in Pembroke. We were all very disappointed however, because a flute player from Montreal was expected to do a session for the recording on Sunday afternoon. As it turned out, he made the trek and Jordan took great care of him (and us) by completing the session…the show must go on…We arrived back just in time to hear the finished product, and send Dave back on his way. What an awesome musician he is. We finished off the night in the studio adding some electric guitar and stepdancing to select tracks. My brothers Lee and Troy also came over for a listen, and watched as their older sister almost keeled over after a few bouts of maniac stepdancing to "Footstomp" - a hit fiddle track as you will all soon see.
We've been in the studio now every day this week and as of now, the vocals are almost finished - YA Erin, Mike and Colleen! In about 15 minutes, the piper is arriving from Ottawa for a session, and we are all anxious to hear is ullian magic on "Rough Cuts." This tune features pipes, whistle, flute and banjo - a dangerous combination.
As we wrap up the last of our recording sessions, we are also preparing to hit the road again on Friday, January 7th, 2005. First destination is Syracuse, NY at Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub. January is a very busy month, but we're looking forward to the new cities we will be visiting. I'm sure we'll have lots to tell over the next few weeks, so stay tuned, and try to catch us if you can.
Cheer
to 2005…See you all soon.
Jamie
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Entry
#:7
By: Colleen
Date: December 21, 2004
Well this past week was a long one, but Searson is finally on holidays!!!! I don't remember the last time we had a few days off, so I'm probably going to make this pretty short. We had been in the studio all last week, and again had a great time learning many new things about the studio. We accomplished a lot, all that seems to be left are the vocals and a few guest musicians to come on board, then we can mix and master the CD and send it out to everyone.
We left for Montreal on Thursday and played at Hurley's Irish Pub on Crescent St. all weekend. It was great for us because we haven't been to Montreal since the summer, and everyone got loads of Christmas shopping done. Every night was awesome, there were so many familiar faces, and we seemed to hook new people onto Searson.
Our next show is on New Years Eve in Toronto, can't wait to see familiar faces again to bring in the new year!!
Colleen
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Entry
#: 6
By: Heather
Date: December 13, 2004
Time: 8:35 p.m.
We finally got a little sleep on Monday night, then it was in the studio Tuesday. We were all looking forward to starting the new CD. Lucky for us the studio we're recording at is right across the street from where us girls live. We were really excited about working with some new people on this project. The studio is Jordan Zadorozny's, he's the industry's best - and we've got him all to ourselves. We're also working with Brian Walters, one of Canada's Finest!
Tuesday was a great first day in the studio, and it wasn't just because we weren't in the van all day or driving in a snowstorm. Randy Cooke had flown in from LA to lay down his drum tracks. All day we were blown away by Randy's abilities. He's not only the percussion master but a funny guy with stories and jokes. Seeing as Randy just came in from the states we had to have a little bit of a kitchen party in the studio Canadian style; crown Royal, storytelling and stepdancing!
The next day we began laying down the bed tracks for all the songs and fiddles tunes. We usually start in the studio around 3:00 pm and not having to drive is a great treat for us. Everyday we get a little more excited about our new material, we can't wait to share it with everyone. The days are really long in the studio, with lots of concentration and creativity. Penelope, the studio cat always finds a way to grab your attention for awhile. We finish at the studio usually around midnight but it's been known to turn into and even later night.
Overall we're having a great time in the studio and can't wait to share all our work with you. We're looking forward to playing in Montreal on the weekend. Hopefully finish our Christmas shopping and catch a new movie.
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Entry
#: 5
By: Erin
Date: December 7, 2004
Time: 9:57 am
What a road trip this has been! There is a lot of things that seemed to happen in the last six days and it is kind of funny now when I stop and think about it all. Wednesday Morning: 6:00 a.m. Wake up and prepare to leave 6:45 a.m. Load car (more like shove suitcases, instruments, food, etc...for four girls) into my car 7:00 a.m. Begin driving into a snow storm...yes, winter has arrived! 7:30 a.m. Colleen realizes she left her purse and her passport (with her work visa!) at her apartment; drive back to Pembroke 8:00 a.m. Colleen picks up her purse/passport....we are now officially late to meet Mike 9:00 a.m. Load van and trailer and head to the U.S.! Terrible winter driving conditions all the way to the order in Gananoque 12:30 p.m. Can it never go smoothly for us at the border anymore? We wait inside while our van and trailer is searched and we undergo some serious stares....I thought we looked pretty innocent??? 7:15 p.m. Arrive in Maplewood New Jersey, quick change at the hotel and onto the pub! 8:30 p.m. Load in equipment and sound check (at least the weather is better down here!) 9:30 p.m. Showtime! 12:00 a.m. We eat dinner and relax with some of the staff from St. Jame's Gate! As always, awesome hospitality! 1:30 a.m. Tear down equipment and load up the trailer....finally time for bed!
Thursday we headed to Bethesda, MD to play at Flanagan's and it was a pretty smooth day. It was great to see some familiar faces out and we had a good time! On Friday, we had a few hours to ourselves and Bethesda is a good town to walk around in. Heather and I ate at an awesome restaurant called COSI, and it was so good we went back again the next day. We all got a little Christmas shopping done and just enjoyed the sunshine. Friday around 5:00 p.m. we loaded our gear out of Flanagan's and headed toward Philadelphia. Almost forgot...as we were driving up to load in, we narrowly missed being in a car accident. A guy was driving the wrong way up a one way street and smashed into the Ford Explorer right in front of me...the car spun out so fast, it scared us. I slammed on the brakes in time and luckily didn't run into them. These times are not fun times to be on the road and are why are family and friends worry about us while we are gone.
Friday night in downtown Philadelphia was quite the experience, what a place! We were at Finnigan's Wake: Quiet Man's Pub. The Pub had 4 floors, 3 bands playing, several Christmas parties going on, it was crazy! There was so many people coming and going from that place. Load in was a challenge, but we definitely managed. There was a great crowd in the pub that night, and we saw some spectacular dancing, especially from one woman in particular near the end of the night. If you were there, you know who I'm talking about! We met several people who mentioned that they are coming to the Mid-Winter Festival in February, and we can't wait to see you all there! One of the floors at this bar was a Dance/Club atmosphere and I think that the funniest part of the night was seeing the people who were heading upstairs to the club. When they walked into the room where we were playing, I'm sure that they have never heard any type of fiddle music in their life and the look on their faces was hilarious! At least we can always be entertained, while entertaining others. By the time we drove back to Maryland that night, it was 5:30 a.m. and by the time Mike found parking, he got back around 7:00 a.m. Needless to say, we all slept in a little the next day.
Saturday night at Flanagan's was a great night again, lots of people out, and overall a really good time. Special thanks to some fans of ours who gave us our first Christmas present of the season...it will not go to waste! Thanks so much!
Sunday we were up early, and arrived in Glenside, PA around 11:30 a.m. We played at the beautiful Keswick Theatre which seats about 1100 people. The place was full and Blackthorn hosted a great concert. We had a great time playing on that stage and met a lot of people after the show...hopefully we have hooked them on to Searson for life! Thanks to Blackthorn for inviting us to play with them! Monday we drove home and headed our early with good intentions of arriving back at a decent hour. But winter had made it's way down to PA and it was slow driving. We made it back around 9:00 p.m., exhausted, but excited because we are going into the studio. As I am writing this, Randy Cooke is in the studio setting up his drums and we are getting ready to start recording thetracks. We are really looking forward to today and looking forward to getting this CD out! That's all for now. We will fill you in on how it's going in the studio as the week progresses. Have a good one!
- Erin
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Entry#:
4
By: Jamie
Date: November 28, 2004
Time: 3:47pm
G'Day, and welcome to the Searson Road Diary- fourth entry. As I sit back to review the week that has just passed, I am quite challenged - boy did it fly! Although the band did not officially "hit the road,"the Searson Music Madness definitely did not trail in the least. Tuesday, our so-called "re-coup day"was more of a personal practice session - although Erin and I did manage a pleasant rendez-vouz chez Bob's. Bob's is every bands dream - a music store conveniently located one block from band headquarters. Plus, they have great staff who always go out of their way to help us with equipment trouble. Thanks Dan...very handy indeed!
Wednesday was a long day of band rehearsal, as we prepared for our Friday studio session by arranging the last of our new tracks. Unfortunately Heather had to spend her day in Ottawa, jumping through hoops in order to replace her stolen identification. After hearing about her hectic day, I will now wear my passport around my neck at all times when traveling. To top it all off, Wednesday was the first real snowfall in our area, which made for an even longer drive back to Pembroke. Our recent band rehearsals have taken place at the Searson homestead - a beautiful rural route location where, I, myself am rather inspired by it's serenity. On Wednesday, our practice was unexpectedly interrupted by a flock of wild turkeys. They ARE HUGE! About a dozen of them gathered around my red Honda Civic (apparently they like red) and we watched as they scoped out the Searson territory - all females I believe. So that was the excitement for Thursday, as we continued on finalizing our last two tracks for the album.
Friday we entered the studio, which happens to be in an even more convenient location than the previously mentioned music store - if you can imagine that! Searson joined producer/engineer,Jordan Zadorozny, and engineer Brian Walters at French Kiss Studio, where we finalized the last of our pre-production. We then listened while Jordan and Brian discussed sound technicalities - a rather foreign language to us. They are definite experts in their field, and although this is their first project together, it was discovered on Friday, that they have many common associations - one of those "small world" experiences I guess. It is both exciting, and encouraging to be working with Jordan and Brian. There is no doubt in my mind that this next album will ROCK the ROCK!
So that's it for now. Check back next week for our diary updates. I'm sure there'll be lots to tell...as we hit the road from Wednesday -Monday. We're off to the south again...looking forward to our show in PA with Blackthorn. Hope to see you all soon. Stay tuned and take'r easy!
Jamie
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Entry#: 3
By: Colleen
Date: November 22, 2004
Time: 7:51pm
Another week gone by, another accomplished road trip. We started the week off by heading back into the studio to prepare the "foundations" for two more tracks on the upcoming album.
We left for Syracuse on Friday, and played at Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub. We had an awesome time! Many people returned for both nights, and were extremely generous to invite us to a Thanksgiving dinner (10 lbs of utter), and a hockey game. The only downer, was when Heather's purse was stolen the next morning. We were worried about getting her past the border, but the Canuck customs officers were doing their job and Heather had no problem at the crossing.
Sunday we moved on to Rochester to play at a well known club called Milestones. The Ottawa Valley was there in full force lead by Mike Letters - thanks again Mike & Beth- and a crew who didn't know about the Ottawa Valley except a little drinking cabin in Calabogie, Ont. The club was jamming all night!
We finished the weekend off in Niagara Falls by opening the festival of lights concert series. After a quick drive home, we are all looking forward to finishing pre-production, and to record our final cuts next week.
-Be on the lookout for more news about the studio next week!
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Entry#: 2
By: Heather
Date: November 15, 2004
Time: 10:30 a.m
We started off the week in the studio working on preproduction for the new CD. We're all excited about this project and can't wait till it's finished, so we can share it with everyone.
This weekend Searson performed at the Heart and Crown in Ottawa. It had been seven years since our last performance there and it was great to be back. It was great to see lots of familiar faces from all over the Ottawa Valley. The pub was packed, there was singing and a lot of stellar dancing on behalf of the audience. It was a house party by Searson in the Irish Village.
Saturday was a long day for Searson. We spent the entire day at the Congress Centre in Ottawa playing for an Optimist Club fundraiser. This was our second year performing for them. We were happy to see people from last year and to also have had the opportunity to catch performances from other musicians. Erin also befriended a young fiddle player, who explained the inner workings of his lego police car that he had with him!
Saturday night it was back to the Heart and Crown for one final night. We fueled up for the performance on the delicious food from the pub. We caught a little down time with Hadrian's Wall while we ate. Who by the way ate all my fries! LOL Saturday night's performance brought out lots of energy from the audience, who were really enjoying their pints. When the night was over and the van was packed, we piled in for the drive home. Season was exhausted and glad to be sleeping in our own beds that night.
We had a great weekend and loved hearing back from people on the website!
Cheers,
Heather
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Entry#: 1
By: Erin
Date: November 1, 2004
Time: 1:30 p.m
Welcome to our new site, we are excited to finally have this ready for you!
We have had a great summer touring to lots of new places and meeting so many new people. The support and encouragement that we have been receiving is overwhelming and definitely keeps us going. We have been spending every minute that we have at home, writing the last of our music for the next CD and working on pre-production. We have some very talented people helping us out on the next album and I can't wait for everyone to hear the new music!
I want to thank everyone who has been sending us photos, please keep them coming! Someone from the band will be posting messages here every week, so keep on checking here for some great road trip stories.
See you soon!
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