It took me a little longer than usual to get downtown last night: when I got within range of the Metro Centre the streets were suddenly full of people in hockey jerseys, which is when I remembered the IIHF World Hockey Championships are in town, and Team Canada was playing the Americans yesterday evening. Since nobody tried to thrown themselves under my Honda, I assumed the game had gone well.

( Adam and Rob and friends notes and setlist here. )

Also, Scotty mentioned that his other project, True Love Rules with Paul and Dave Marsh from the Joel Plaskett Emergency (okay, I guess that's technically Dave's other project, with Paul and Scotty) is playing a few songs on Thursday with Gloryhound. Which sounds like fun, so we'll see you there!

I nearly didn't go out last night: I ended up working late, got home at nine, and by that time I was sore and cranky and doubted that I should inflict my company on anybody else. However, I've noticed that the chairs along the bar at Tribeca don't bother my leg and anyway, after a good night's sleep that leg is really cranky in the morning. So I went off to see what Adam, Rob and the guys were up to, promising myself that if I started to get hateful I would go home. This seemed fair.

Well, I don't know what Adam was up to, but whatever it was he wasn't up to it at Tribeca--I arrived partway through the first song to find Jason singing and playing guitar, Rob playing keys, and Mike and Brian on bass and drums.

It was also, for some reason, a really quiet night. Possibly a lot of hockey fans stayed home to watch Calgary at San Jose (about which the less said the better, thankyouverymuch.) However, the smaller audience was enthusiastic, and interactive, and... I'm trying to think of a way to say "we were obnoxious" without coming right out and admitting it, and frankly not having very much luck. Fortunately, everyone involved was a good sport. And really, what country singer could possible mind being heckled by two-thirds of Skank Williams?

Since Jason was obviously the lead vocalist they did a few songs from his first solo record, and then a few more from the upcoming record, as well as a few covers--"Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones, "All Right For the Shape I'm In" by BR-549, "Tiger By the Tail" by Buck Owens, and after considerable pressure from the peanut gallery Jason agreed to play something by Johnny Cash. Jason knows a bunch of his tunes. Speaking as a member of the peanut gallery I was reluctant to specify one (okay, I did yell for "Big River" at one point) just because I had no idea which songs the band as a whole knew.

There was one glorious moment when, based on his guitar work, I thought Jason was talking everyone into playing "Tennessee Flat-Top Box," but he didn't get traction from the others (and I may have been hearing things anyway.) However, they played "Big River" and "I Still Miss Someone," which I should have remembered Rob would know from the Chris Denny sessions.

It was a short evening (and this is a short entry) but definitely a nice one.

Yes, well, since my last post was about going out to shows, here's a directly relevant post. Yes, it was Tuesday. Yes, that means I was at Tribeca last night for Rob and Adam's regular set, which now includes Jason Heywood (ex-Divorcees, and now a fixture in the group, as you may recall from last week's post.) The band also includes Mike on bass and ordinarily Brian on drums (although you may recall Shaun has stepped in a couple of times.)

Last night things were pretty quiet when I arrived, and by "pretty quiet" I mean there was no sign of Rob or Adam or, actually, a drum kit. Apparently Brian wasn't around and nobody seemed to have heard from him.

It's just as well for Brian this wasn't a story written by me, because you know this scene would have ended in a grisly discovery by somebody...

( There are no grisly discoveries behind the cut. )

So: a full three sets, and I do mean full.

Incidentally: since the night didn't end until two o'clock this morning, I am ever-so-slightly toasted this morning. However! I hardly even limped as I walked into work this morning! When you only get three hours' sleep, there is a limit to how bad your sciatic nerve can stiffen up. Everything in life is a balancing act...

There were some changes last night at Adam and Rob's Tribeca set. The biggest was a change to the cast of characters: in addition to Mike and Brian being back on bass and drums, Jason Heywood has joined the fold. Jason was previously with The Divorcees and is working on solo material at the moment. Jason has played with the guys before, but I missed the show because the weather was appalling that night and I didn't want to drive in it. The really cool part is, Jason is apparently now a permanent part of the organization.

( Which is just one more reason to come out on Tuesday. )