Saturday got off to an excellent start, what with the sleeping in and the riding lesson. But wait! There's more!

I had nearly forgotten that Gloryhound & the Skyhawks were playing a set at Monte's Bar and Grill over in Dartmouth, opening for an act called the Hip Replacement, which with a name like that you will not be surprised to learn is a Tragically Hip tribute band.

I haven't been to an "away game," so to speak, in quite some time, and I don't know Dartmouth at all, so I sort of took it as a navigational challenge.

As challenges go, this one was not terribly challenging: the road I wanted was clearly marked on my city map (although it's a damned good thing I ignored the Google Maps advice to get onto Kempt Road, which would never have gotten me to the bridge!) and then Monte's sign was readily visible from the road. I arrived at about ten, just before Gloryhound was due to go on. I paid the cover, got my hand stamped with something big and blue (it turned out to be a bra with "thanks for the support!" written underneath it, and it doesn't want to wash off, either) and went over to the bar for a Pepsi.

This turned out to be a mistake, but it was a bigger mistake for Jeremy, who just wanted to get a beer before he had to be onstage. First the bartenders all moved to the other end of the bar, then there was a friendly drunk who as far as I can tell did not want to talk about recipes, then we both went to where the bartenders were and they went to the other end (I had a shower after I left the barn, honest) and then another friendly drunk, a woman a little older than me, started chatting to both of us and since there was a stray beverage at the seat beside her it's possible the bartender thought everyone was looked after and just chatting--and just about the time I suspect Gloryhound was about to start recruiting bass players from the audience, Jeremy finally got someone's attention, and a drink, and out of there.

It was kind of funny in a way but I for one decided to make my own drink last as long as possible once I got it.

And then I found some of the usual suspects, who let me join them, and I was just in time for the set. So here is the list:

Set List

Standing Still

Out Of Hiding

Free Of You

Flee the Scene

"On my back"

Sure Don't Feel the Same

I Wanna Be Your Dog (The Stooges)

You Gotta Learn

See You Round

Where I Lie

Midnight Bird

The band got a good reaction from the audience, including a guy near me who kept nodding appreciatively and turned out to be the drummer for the headliner. There were a couple of women at one table who seemed to be using the video funcitons on their cameras, if anything turns up on YouTube I'll link it here. So, it definitely seemed like a positive evening.

And then the Hip Replacement came on (I believe their lead singer is the same guy who's lead singer in the Persuaders, a local band I've seen open for Matt Mays and heard of a great deal. I dunno if this is his hobby, but it would be a really fun one!) They were good and seemed to be having a lot of fun--I especially appreciated the lengths the lead guitarist went to in achieving a Robby Baker look, although I wouldn't be surprised if he lost the wig at some point in the evening. However, I figured it was time to call it a night.

And when I stood up it turned out that, after sitting sideways in my chair all evening, that pinched nerve had sort of unpinched and I was perfectly fine.

Or at least I was all the way home and until I rolled over at some point in the night and tweaked it again.

But aside from that, definitely a good evening!