Band of Horses & Dinosaur Jr @ Hellbender

A is out of town for work , so the boys and I head up to Asheville for the night.  And they want to come and see Dinosaur Jr (again).  So we're off to the very first show at the Orange Peel's new venue, Hellbender.

A few hours drive up to Asheville, including a Chick Fil-A drive thru and we are at the hotel mid-afternoon.  Before we head to the show we finally make it to Asheville Pinball Museum.  we'd tried a couple of times before, but never when it was open.  We blew through 2 hours before we knew it.  They weren't as impressed with 1942, Galaga, Donkey Kong, Space Invaders and Moon Patrol as I was, but they had a great time nonetheless.

We drove out to the venue a little early, as I wasn't quite sure where it was, or what we might be in for.  For starters, I'm glad I forked out for parking.  We weren't a quarter of a mile from the entrance.  And those that hadn't planned ahead looked like they were struggling.  A storm caused some chaos as it delayed the gates opening in this outdoor venue.   The line came all the way back to the parking lot, then curved back to the entrance.  It took about 40 minutes to get in, but when we reached the point we started, the line was longer still.

We missed the first 2 Dinosaur Jr songs (Goin' Home & I I Ain't Sating), as we were outside, but we could still here them pretty well.  We were in place for them to start their shortened Where You Been set.  After a great Out There and Start Choppin, there was a commotion down the front, which Lou Barlow called for medics.  There was a delay for a medical team to take care of someone.  I'm not sure what happened but it seemed like the patron was stretchered out.  Dinosaur Jr continued on, but didn't play 3 songs off the album, finishing with Get Me.  They finished with 4 songs from different eras, including their new single, Several Got Away.  But Just Like Heaven and Feel The Pain was the blistering finish to a shortened set.  Another great show from a favorite band.

Dinosaur Jr Setlist

The boys enjoyed it, and I'm glad to report they knew a few songs.  I must be doing something right.  We lined up for some pizza right after the set, and weren't served until after Band of Horses started.  Food was good, and by the 2nd song we were back into the show.  None of us know Band of Horses stuff, and they were playing their album Everything All The Time.  We stuck around until mid set and I went to the now not-song-long-lined merch tent to by Where You Been on vinyl.  Would have loved the shirt too, but that may have been overkill.  I met up with the boys and watched a couple more songs.  They hit a slower song, so we decided to call it a night.  On the way out we stopped side stage to watch one more song.  This was the best spot of the night, I wish I'd found it earlier.  The Band Of Horses fans were having a blast, but it wasn't for us, so we left and beat the crowds getting out.

Band of Horses Setlist

A couple of things about the new venue.  Firstly we did the right thing by paying for parking.  We paid a mid price $20, but it was real convenient.  After the show I read of long waits to get the shuttle back to the remote parking lot.  Next, there was a lot of lines.  To get in - though through no fault of the venue.  The weather was the problem here, but it was disappointing not to see the whole Dinosaur Jr set, as that was who we were there for, but what can you do?  The beer sales were in a spot that would've been a prime viewing for the bands, it needed to be way back.  The lines there were out of control, and it was funny listening to Asheville people complaining that there was only Charlotte beer available.  We waited a long time to get food as well.  There were 5 or 6 food trucks in the venue.  In future there may need to be more.  I hope these inconveniences can be worked out over a couple of shows, as this seems like a great outdoor venue.  I might see how things change for Acid Bath and Melvins in September.

We tried to get up and go for a hike in DuPont State Recreational Forest.  After 3 full parking lots, a storm put and end to our plans.  Instead we drove into Brevard, had a quick walk around and then a great lunch at the Square Root.  All this and we still made it back to Charlotte in time to catch the England v France 3rd place World Cup game.  

The Crap Facts
This is my 547th concert.
Hellbender is the 145th venue I've seen a concert in.
This is my 20th concert in Asheville.
This is my 167th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 347th concert in the USA.
This is my 12th Dinosaur Jr concert.

Dinosaur Jr are the 650th time I've seen an American band.

This is my 2nd Band of Horses concert.

Band of Horses is the 300th time I've seen a band in North Carolina.

Ucluelet, BC

We've opted to leave Campbell River a day earlier as we were able to get an extra night in Ucluelet where we are staying.  Campbell River has been a wonderful new town, but we're all excited to get to the next adventure.

A yummy pastry breakfast was had at Freya Bakery in town, and we were soon on the road headed south, then west.  It's 2 highways to Ucluelet.  Had to make a stop on the way out of town and get a photo at the 50th parallel (Dad stuff).  The family reluctantly joined me, but they'll thank me one day (?).  

BD&L, 50th Parallel, Campbell River, BC

The 19 goes south for just over an hour before you head west on the 4.  Not long after heading west we made a stop at Cathedral Grove, situated in Macmillan State Park.  Parking was scarce, but after turning around and waiting a few minutes we got a spot on the south lot.  Cathedral Grove is not that different form Santa Cruz's Redwood Forest that we visited last year.  800 year old Douglas Fir Trees dominate the landscape.  We wandered through the small hike under a cool canopy and enjoyed this little park.  On the other side of the highway it was more of the same, but close to Cameron Lake.  The hike on the north side also was built on a raised walkway, so a lot more floor growth in the forest.  The well maintained walkway meandered through for only a mile, but it was so relative to the endless trees we've seen in and around this area since we got in BC.

ML&B, Cathedral Grove, MacMillan Provincial Park, BC

DBM&L, Cathedral Grove, MacMillan Provincial Park, BC

It was well and truly lunch time by the time we'd finished.  We were only 20 minutes away from the town of Port Alberni, so we did some research in the car, and came to the conclusion the Aussie owned Boomerangs Cafe was to be our spot.  The boys got their beloved pies as we watched some England v Croatia in the World Cup.

Our time in Port Alberni was only the lunch hour, and A drove us the rest of the hour and a half into Ucluelet.  The road it was slow going, as 1 lane each way wound and bent its way through the forests.  We did have a time where we got to see the beautiful Kennedy Lake on the north side of the road, but other than that it was trees all the way into the coast.  We drove straight into our place at The Cabins at Terrace Beach.  The waterfront cabins are beautiful and the view from our place is sublime.  Through the trees you look west over Terrace Beach and into the Pacific Ocean.  Inside and out this place was beautiful.  We were on the beach walking in no time, just to get out and stretch if anything.  WE got in the car and did a quick lap through this small town and picked up food at the local Co-Op to eat home made pizzas for dinner at home.  This place has the World Cup channel that everywhere else has lacked, so the boys were happy.  We spent the night in the cabin, and sitting on the patio as the sun set well after 9pm.  More exploring tomorrow.

View from our Cabin, Terrace Beach, Ucluelet, BC

DMB&L, Terrace Beach, Ucluelet, BC

Campbell River, BC

Another action packed day is planned for today.  So to get it started we head down near the harbor and grab breakfast at The Island Grind.  Just some pastries and a good cuppa tea for me, and cappuccino for A.

Right next to the mall that Island Grind is in, is the site of todays adventure.  We are doing a 5 hour whale watching tour with Aboriginal Journeys.  I've seen whales before.  In Australia you can watch them migrate up and down the coast and many have been spotted on the Central Coast.  But this is our first ever tour, with a specific aim to see some of these great creatures.  Gary, a born and bred local, is our experienced guide.  He's been doing this for over 40 years, and was recommended by our original Airbnb host.  He has this great boat that seats 11, but he only puts 8 on a tour, that is covered but has a back deck you get out on when we stop.  Gary is a character and before leaving I know we're in for a good day.  It may have been his stories, his respect for nature and the indigenous people or the way he handled the French couple on the tour, who bought 2 giant cameras with them, taking up a ton of space.  We also had a Scottish couple with us, who had been in Victoria visiting their son.  

The trip starts with us heading south and turning around the bottommost point of Quadra Island and then heading north/northwest.  Once in the open water, we hit some wind, making the trip bumpy.  This changed Gary's course.  He'd been elsewhere yesterday and seen some whales but had another spot in my today due to the conditions.  Once we reached Read Island we were better protected from the elements and the boat ride became smoother.  A side note, with all this wind, I'm glad we're on a boat today and not in the helicopter.  

Our first stop was near a small rocky outcrop where a herd of sea lions were sunning themselves.  After a quick photo opportunity off the back of the boat, we had our provided sandwich lunch on board.

We continued north.  It was not much later Gary got a call from another tour that they had spotted orcas not 10 minutes from where we were, in the direction we were already headed.  Between Read and Raza Islands we spotted a family of 3, known to the guides as a mother and 2 sons - the T101, T101A and T101B.  They happily swan, both rounding out and spouting, as 4 boats sat back the required 200 meters.   It was one of those "can't believe this is happening moments".  The orcas would dive and pop up in different areas every once in while, but it was a good half hour that we got to watch these magnificent creatures.

It was just east of Stuart Island that our next stop was.  Here there were some rapids, which bought fish up near the surface.  We watched as about 50 eagles dove down and fished for lunch.  These graceful birds had no problem swooping down into a feeding frenzy.   As we sat just outside the rapids, I tried to catch photos of the eagles, but didn't really get a good one.

We were as far away as we were going to get today, so Gary turned the boat and headed back to Campbell River.  He took us through some narrows, where the boat nearly bottomed out.  And then back along the east side of Quadra Island.  The ocean got a little choppy again, but we were going with the wind and the swell, so it wasn't as bad as the way out.  There was a point where A thought she spotted something, but it was so hard to with the white caps in the water.  Then the boat went up a wave and on its way back down, 2 humpbacks simultaneously breached about 100 meters in front of us.  While everyone reached for cameras, they did it again, only to disappear.  We caught them again, just rounding out, then their tails went up for a dive.  These dives can last for up to 15 minutes, but it only seemed like a couple of minutes when they surfaced again.  Again it was hard to get a good picture, as the boat was not steady in the chop, and the whales were coming up in all different spots.  Still it was bonus whales that we had not planned on seeing.

We were out for 6.5 hours, but it seemed like no time at all.  What a spectacular day.! We could not have picked a better tour guide to lead us and , in his words, the nature gods were with us today.

Instead of going back to the hotel, we made a stop in the souvenir store right at the harbor.  We snuck in just before it closed.  I bought a new cup and we picked our obligatory travel tea towel.  We drove south down the South Island Freeway and stopped for an early dinner at Big Rock Garage.  This diner-looking restaurant had a mix of American and Asian cuisine.  We were a bit apprehensive at first as, it was fairly empty when we walked in.  Mind you I don't quite think it was 6pm yet.  Anyway we all got a great meal.  I had the Thai Chicken Curry.  It was my favorite meal of the trip so far.

Desert was had at another stop.  Discovery Fishing Pier Ice Cream Shop was recommended by Gary.  It sits out on the water, and we almost froze in the howling wind getting out there.  A nice end to another great day for us.  While it fells sad to leave this town, I'm looking forward to new adventures tomorrow.

Campbell River, BC

A nice, easy morning, spent sitting in the coolish outside dining area of the hotel's restaurant, where we ate breakfast just enjoying a summer where we can be outside, and not hiding from the oppressive Charlotte heat.  Just a typical bacon, eggs & toast breakfast.  Nothing special, but enough to get us through most of today's adventure.

We have a helicopter tour booked with 49North Helicopters.  It is their West Coast Glacier Tour.  We drive out to the Campbell River Airport, where we are greeted by out pilot, Lionel.  Lionel is a Swiss search and rescue pilot during the winters at home, and comes to Vancouver Island in the summers to help fight fires.  Pretty much the person you want piloting you into the remoteness for the next couple of hours.  What a trip!  We cruise out above Vancouver Island, and head north-east.  Over Quadra and some of the smaller islands and through Bute Inlet.  You can see trees forever, but also where logging has happened, and where regeneration has taken place.  Pristine clear waters are beneath us, as rarely a boat is in this area.  

B Leaving Campbell River, BC

View From Helicopter Tour, BC

View From Helicopter Tour, BC

We then started the climb into the ranges, and it's not long before snow and ice dominate the landscape.  Not a building in sight, just nature as far as the eye can see.  We flew for about an hour before Lionel picked a spot to land on a glacier at an elevation of 6000 feet.  He did a couple of swooping circles looking at the landing sight before touching down.  Shittily enough, I froze, and couldn't get away from the helicopter.  I saw where we landed was a wide open space, but once on the ground, rolling snow drifts looked like major cliffs and I literally couldn't let go of the chopper.  Lionel, A & the boys wandered around for 20 minutes.  I was awed by what I could see.  Just from inside the helicopter.  It was 59 degrees up there (it was 73 back at sea level), so pleasant enough to be outside for the others.  When we took off again, we continued to climb to about 8000 feet.  Glaciers, frozen lakes formed between mountains, mile high waterfalls and white was everywhere.  We also saw a lake that had been dammed by beavers.  So much wood stopping water leaving the lake to form another waterfall.  Again it was an hour back, and the view was just spectacular.  So different to previous trips we'd done in helicopters out from Vegas tot the Grand Canyon.  The natural beauty, the steady water below and the isolation was just awe inspiring.  Once we got closer to civilization it was neat to see the golf course on Quadra Island, and how the sprawl of Campbell River extended along the coastline.  I hope the boys, at 15, understand the experience they just had, because I was still taking deep breaths thinking about it for the rest of the day.

Into the Pacific Ranges, BC

Lionel,M, L & B at 6000 feet, Pacific Ranges, BC

L, B & D, Helicopter Tour

Frozen Lake, Pacific Ranges, BC

Campbell River From The Air, BC

L, M, D & B, Campbell River Airport, BC

Lunch was had at Healthyway Natural Foods.  Amy shopped through their groceries, while the boys and I had delicious sandwiches and smoothies from their deli out the back.  The food was taken back to the hotel, and again we sat on the patio and looked east to where we had just been earlier in the morning.

We still had all afternoon, so we took a 15 minute drive out to Elk Falls Provincial Park.  There is another suspension bridge here, but maps took us to a parking lot by the John Hart substation, where we found a trail head that went up to the suspension bridge.  Early on we walked next to the Campbell River, but we then moved away for a while and started an uphill plough to Elk Falls.  It was a strenuous but enjoyable a walk trough the woods for about 2 miles.  When we finally made it to the bridge, it looked worse to me than Capilano.  The bridge looked like a long steel grate, and while a third of the length it just went to a small fenced area, not much bigger than out kitchen, that had s single small bench.  It looked like a prison.  Again, not for me.  The downhill walk back tot he car was a lot easier, and therefore more enjoyable for everyone else, as whining dad was at a minimum.

D, L, M & B, Elk Falls, BC

We went back to the hotel to clean up before heading back into town to eat dinner at Riptide Marine Pub.  Just regular pub fare here, and a great meal, but it also had access to World Cup (essential for B&L as everywhere we've stayed do not have the station that has coverage) and a view of the river, where A & I marveled a the massive cruise ships heading back into Vancouver after their journeys up to Alaska.  

After dinner we just drove south down the coastal highway to see some more of the town.  I specifically wanted to see the humpback whale sculpture, Drift, that lies by the water that is made entirely of driftwood.  It definitely did not disappoint.

Drift by Alex Witcombe, Campbell River, BC

Campbell River, BC

Big day yesterday, so no one was in a hurry to get out this morning.  And our ferry to Vancouver Island doesn't leave until 1pm, so we slid around the corner again and got some pastries from Breaka Cafe for our morning meal. 

We had to be out of the Airbnb by 11am, so we caught an Uber down to the harbor and sat by the water's edge and waited.  The boys and I wandered through some of the same area we had been in a couple of days ago, and they picked up some food for lunch.  

B&L on Digital Orca by Douglas Coupland, Vancouver Habour, BC

Goodbye Vancouver (for now)

The ferry was a bit late, but our reserved seats on the top deck, and a calm days weather, ensured a smooth, uneventful hour and a half sail across to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.  

Once we disembarked, Budget picked us up and drove us the 5 minutes to their office, and we were on our way up to Campbell Riverin a Toyota Rav 4.  The 2 hour drive north is a pleasant one.  The freeway is only 2 lanes each way, but traffic is barely minimal.   You don't see towns on the way up, as the road is lined with forestry, but you know there are places there, as the freeway has traffic lights to get people on and off.

A month ago I had never even heard of Campbell River, but a chance ad on my Facebook feed, lead me to believe this would be a good, new (I'd been to Victoria before) spot to investigate.  

It was not long after 5 when we arrived at the small marina where our Airbnb is docked.  The boat itself sits at the end of the marina, and moves too much for us city folk when the large Quadra Island Ferry comes into port.  Not long after our host left, A started feeling unwell, and vertigo and claustrophobia started to kick in.  We got off the boat and walked for a minute, before getting into the car and heading to Moxie's for dinner.  The meal was good, but I was so hungry I'd have eaten anything.  At dinner we decided we would not be able to stay on the boat, and looked for alternative accommodations.  We found the Painted Lodge just north of town.  We drove up there to take a look at it, and they had a great loft style room for us.  The property is right on the river, very quiet, so we booked in for 3 nights (we were originally going to stay 4 - and we may still) but it's all good.  The boys and I went back to the boat and collected all of our luggage and contacted our host.  It's a real shame because it would have been an adventure, but like my heights problem, A's claustrophobia has to be take seriously.

A long days travel earnt a good night's rest.

Australia v Turkiye @ BC Place

 It's only day 3, and I'm exhausted.  Another huge day in Vancouver.

The day started at Yolks, right next to the Airbnb, where the first of many Aussie fans were spotted leading up to tonight's big game.  A hearty breakfast before we jump in an Uber out to the University of British Columbia, where we are going to spend the morning at the Museum of Anthropology.  I had caught the bus out here in 2000, and I remember it being a blast.  A friend had also mentioned it to A, so it was a no brainer.  And it was as good as I remembered.  The Pacific Northwest Native Art is all over this place.  Totems, sculptures, paintings, I can't get enough of it.  The Museum definitely scratched an itch.

After spending a couple of hours inside, we waled around outside and found a trail which lead to some stairs down to the beach.  It's a long way down (460 steps we counted on the way back), but we thought we'd go and have a look.  The weather was good, not too hot, and we're out to explore things so we made the trek down.  Then, only 10 steps off the beach is a sign telling us that the beach is clothing optional.  Great!  We've just dragged 2 x 15 year old boys to a nude beach.  Parenting 101! I was surprised about the variety of people, and available clothing, but it was a learning experience for everyone, topped off by 2 boys squirming when we wanted to talk about it more later that day.

Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver

Bill Reid's "The Raven & First Men", 

Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver

DMB&L, Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver

We caught an Uber straight back to lunch.  The boys and I had spotted a pie shop, so Peaked Pies supplied all the Australian favorites for lunch, including a lamington.  Good food, hopefully we'll get another chance to eat here the day we come back to Vancouver.

After lunch it was a couple of blocks to be down on the water at English Bay, so we followed the path all the way along the seawall until we got to the Burrard Bridge, where we cut up to the Airbnb.  We hung there and relaxed for a while before making our walk over to BC Place for the World Cup match of Australia v Turkey (the reason we're in Vancouver)  I wanted to take one of the little ferries down to the stadium, but L was insistent that we walk.  And I'm glad he won that argument.  The city , from Granville Street onwards was jumping.  And chock full of Aussies!  There is a much larger contingent of my countrymen than I thought.

We reached BC Place near 6.30pm - kick off is not until 9 - but we just soaked it all in.  There are a ton of Turkish fans here as well, and the atmosphere is electric.  There is is positive energy coming from both fans.  We lined up for some merchandise for the boys, each one of them got a either a home and away Aussie shirt, and B took a half and half scarf as well.  Overpriced, but delicious, meals were bought before we walked down to our seats.  Wow!.  We are 6 rows from the field and sitting in line with the 18 yard box.  I was like a kid in a candy store.  My American family decked out in Aussie gear (though it may not go that way next week).  The Aussies warming up right in front of us.  At the same end, but the opposite side as the official Australian Supporters Group, whose yellow wall dominated the landscape of the crowd.  The crowd built and built, and BC Place was packed at kick off.

BLM&D inside BC Place, Vancouver

DBL&M, BC Place, Vancouver

I was surprised Mat Ryan had been dropped.  The captain left out for a young Patrick Beach.  Not sure what that was about, but not the start I thought  Turkey attacked our end of the field in the first half.  Not that the Aussies were walk overs, but the Turks dominated possession - yet.  Especially Baris Yilmaz, playing on the left wing in front of us.  He was a constant threat.  Italiano worked hard to keep him under wraps.  Then a hydration break changed the whole game.  Turkiye had a cross they volleyed, and new Aussie keeper Patrick Beach made a good save.  15 seconds later a long ball put Irankunda through on goal.  Two touches from him, and he slotted the ball past the Turkish keeper.  The Aussies are up 1-0 in the 27th minute, almost against the run of play.   The Turkish fans, while outnumbered 60/40, had been loud up until this point.  Whistling and booing every time we had the ball, and chanting every time the Turks pushed forward.  They remained relentless all through the first half, even after going down.  3 minutes after our goal, Turkiye's Bardakci blasted a left footed shot from outside the box, only for Beach to push it on to the woodwork and keep us in front.  Phew!  Irankunda had another chance just before the break, but his shot was straight at the Turkish keeper.  It would've been amazing to be up 2-0 at the half, but it wasn't to be.  We seemed to pick up steam after the break.  Harry Souttar dominated in the air and almost had a goal from a corner early in the 2nd half.   Turkiye's Gular was a problem for Australia.  He was everywhere and a handful for the defenders.  It was a huge relief when Beach pushed away his good free kick in the 58th minute.  Another near post save from Beach from Celik, in the 72nd minute, saw the now quietening Turkish fans start to get nervous.  Not 3 minutes later they were silenced when Connor Metcalfe picked up the ball in the Turkish half, turned, ran at the goal , and slotted in a 25 yard, left footed belter.  2-0 The Socceroos.  We were going mental!  Not to mention Metcalfe's knee slide was right in front of us.  Beach made another vital save Akturkoglu from 6 yards.  And after that, the Turkish fans were leaving quietly.  The noise at the fulltime whistle was just as loud, and we stuck around until the Socceroos did a victory lap as we all sang Down Under.  They stopped at the next section over from us.  It must have been where their families were.

MBD&L, Pretty Good Seats, BC Place, Vancouver

BC Place was rocking as we left, and the walk back to Granville Street was electric.  Aussies everywhere, singing and chanting.  But that was nothing compared to Granville Street itself.  It was a zoo.  Yellow shirts everywhere, and party mode had been hit by a boost of Aussie steroids.  What an amazing night.  I hope that is something we will never forget.

Australia 2 (N. Irankunda 27th, C. Metcalfe 75) defeated Turkiye 0

Crowd: 52,479

Socceroos 2 - Turkiye 0, BC Place, Vancouver

Vancouver, BC

Around the corner from the Airbnb is The Breaka Cafe.  A 24 hour bakery serving all the treats you could want for breakfast.  We picked up some items for a to go breakfast, including a much desired sausage roll, on our way to our walk a mile down the road to the Hyatt.

Here, we caught the free shuttle up to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.  I have been here before and successfully crossed the bridge in 2007, but my fear of heights wouldn't allow me to do it today.  Yet I watched the rest of the family cross with no problems whatsoever.  The park itself is beautiful.  The canyon is so green with trees and the Capilano River flows freely underneath.  On the other side of the bridge are elevated walkways through the forest.  I know this from the last trip here.  But today I got about 15 feet onto the bridge and turned back.  I really hate this fear of heights.  It's so irrational, and once I'm away from it, I can normalize everything that should and does happen.  But then there is a part of my brain that will physically stop me moving.  I literally cannot move forward any further.  While I wanted to push through, my immediate thought was what if I made it to the other side, but couldn't get back.  So I stayed while the other 3 spent their time on the other side.  The park has World Cup fever with soccer themed photo ops and flags of all the countries playing in Vancouver.  When they returned they did help me do the Cliffside Walk.  This was not here last time and harrowing 10 minute experience which I enjoyed only in hindsight.

DLB&M, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Vancouver, BC

A quick Uber down the hill got us to The Shipyards in North Vancouver.  A had read there was a World Cup watch party there, and with Canada playing in Toronto today, we thought it would be a good spot to watch the hosts play Bosnia and Herzegovina.  We were right!  Under the cover of a large roof, the giant outdoor screen area was packed with Canadians, and the atmosphere was electric.  You couldn't help but want them to win.  While Bosnia went ahead early, Canada did come back to draw the match at 1-1.  By the time the game was ending, it was well past lunch time, so we went and ate at Nook, right behind the big screen.  Pasta, pizza, a salad and a sandwich was well enjoyed by the family.

A 5 minute walk takes us to the ferry terminal, and we arrived only moments before the next one left, so we jumped aboard and enjoyed the 20 minute ride across the harbour.  The boys and I walked the couple of blocks to Harbour Tower, while A went for a quick walk on her own.  The boys rode the glass elevator to the observation deck, while I relaxed outside.  When the came back from their adventures, A was already back, and I was given my early Father's Day gift.  A had found an Aussie jersey in a sports store and bought it for me to wear tomorrow night.  Obviously I love it and can't wait to be one of the many tomorrow night to be cheering on the Soccerooos.

The Shipyards Crowd for Canada v Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Vancouver, BC

We went into Gastown, to see the clock.  I also picked up a Vancouver shirt for myself at a tourist shop.  Afterwards we headed back towards the Airbnb, via Granville Street again.  Now the Aussies are out in force.  They are everywhere!  This is going to be a big turnout tomorrow.  Every minute closer gets better and better.  We stop at the FIFA store (or was it basically a Ronaldo shirt store) and L picked himself up a bucket hat.

Me & A, Outside Vancouver Art Museum, Vancouver, BC

It was important for the family to watch the USA tonight (obviously), so went looking for somewhere to watch it.  Unable to stay at the The Fountainhead because the boys are too young, we stopped and sat outside at Cazba, an awesome Persian restaurant that had a tv out on its patio.  The food here was amazing.  we shared a hummus to start that was to die for, and I ate the best steak sandwich I'd had for a long time.  The boys both had chicken dishes and stews, which were just as good, and A's salad with shrimp was a hit.  We sat here, on a beautiful night and watched the US cruise to a 4-1 win over Paraguay.  Day 2 was possibly bigger than day 1.

Vancouver, BC

The year's summer trip sees the family head out to British Columbia, with the driving force being the World Cup match between Australia and Turkey on Friday. Obviously there are many other things to do and see, so the net 12 days should be fun.

We arrived at our Airbnb late last night, but got up early for a long day's touristing.  We want to get as accustomed to the time change as soon as possible for the 9pm (12am our time) game on Saturday.  It started with a walk over to Granville Street to have breakfast at The Templeton, a classic old school diner.  The perfect start to a vacation.  

We walked south over the Granville Bridge to Granville Island.  Here we wandered the shops, stalls and food halls, and of course stumbled across a World Cup watch party.  The Island and the Brewery have an outdoor area where you can watch World Cup games on the big screen, in a family friendly atmosphere.  we got a spot to watch the first half of Mexico (very well represented in the crowd) and South Africa, as it was important for the boys to the see the kick off for the first game.  The atmosphere here was fun and while the Mexicans and Canadians dominated the crowd, there was barely a country not represented in the crowd.  Every other person had their country's gear on and were having a great time.

Granville Island World Cup Watch Party, Vancouver, BC

We all got something from a different place in the food hall and sat outside, by False Creek, to eat lunch.  I got a meat and potato pie.  It's so good to be back in a place that has some Aussie food.  I will make the most of that.  

From Granville Island we caught the Aquabus over to Hornby Street and then walked along the seawall all the way around to English Bay.  This vibrant part of town has people everywhere, with Canadians enjoying the "beach" (says the snobby Aussie), and Denham Road leading north to Vancouver Harbour filled with retail and restaurants.  We walked all the way to Yes Bike Rentals, where we picked up bikes to make the ride around Stanley Park.  A & I did this last time we were here (19 years ago - gulp!), but this time it was a little warmer (and of course I'm a lot older).  The boys enjoyed the ride as we stopped at a few places along the way of the 6.5 mile ride around the edge of the park.  An absolute must-do in Vancouver.

B&D, Inukshuk, Vancouver, BC

Vancouver, BC from Stanley Park

DML&B, Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC

We zig-zagged our way through the West End and Davie Village neighborhoods on the way back to the apartment.  It is so nice to see so many people out walking, riding bikes and just generally enjoying a city.  I am really pumped to be here and hope the others enjoying the rest of the trip as much as I have today.

Dinner was only a few blocks away at The Banana Leaf.   This Malaysian restaurant was recommended to A and we went in spite of not actually ever been to a Malaysian restaurant before.  The food was excellent.  I had a red curry chicken, and everyone was impressed with how good this place was.  After dinner we headed back to where the day started.  Granville Street.  The city has made the street a pedestrian only walkway during the World Cup, and it is party central here.  There are so many people around (for a Thursday night), and everyone has World Cup fever.  Bars and restaurants have extra outdoor seating for all to watch games, there's a FIFA store on the street (that closed at 7pm - WTF?), and the vibe is just upbeat.  Vancouver could prove to be a very wise choice as a World Cup host city.

Sunset here doesn't happen until after 10.15pm, so even though were back (exhausted) home at a decent hour, it still looks like the middle of the day.  After a 22,000 step, 9.6 mile walking day, on top of the 6.5 mile bike ride, that didn't stop any of us getting a great night's sleep.

USA vs Senegal @ Bank of America Stadium

Great day for it.  Cloud cover keeping the temperature down, great seats on the club level, and a crowd ready for some for football.  Here to see what the USA is up to coming into the World Cup.

I've never seen it so busy to get into Bank of America before any game, even Metallica for that fact.  But we made it into our seats just in time for the national anthems, the American flyover and then kick off.  It was an interesting line up for the USA.  I understand Pochettino is looking for his best starting XI, and you'd assume this was an indication, but I was surprised to see Weston McKennie & Brendan Aaronsen on the bench.

The US wasted no time in trying to stamp dominance as a beautiful inside pass from Pepi put a Pulisic break on the left, which lead to a inch perfect cross on the 6 yard box to Dest, and the US were up 1-0 within 7 minutes.  Crowd happy!  The US kept up the intensity on Senegal, and the pressing up front was impressive.  Not long after the referee pulled up Pulisic for an off the ball incident.  I missed it and they didn't show a replay on the big screen, so I'm not sure how serious it was.  It didn't phase Pulisic.  In the 20th minute, he took a nice pass from Pepi again.  This time though, he took a touch around the Senegal keeper and slotted it in for a 2-0 lead.  A great team goal that started all the way back with Matt Turner.  Surprisingly, it was the Senegalese crowd who then made the most noise.  Where did they come from?  It was a road that took the stadium aback, and seemed to be the boost the Senegal players needed.   A couple of defensive errors saw Senegal nearly get one back.  Turner made a good save denying Ndiaye.   Then another off Mane only a minute later.  That pressure paid off just before half time, when a Robinson mistake midfield, lead to a nice run from Mane, who scored Senegal's first.  2-1 at the half.

Wholesale changes to both teams at half time (being a friendly) saw both teams have a renewed push.  A good press by Tillman forced a mistake and it looked like his ball allowed Balogun to restore the 2 goal lead, only for it to be called offside.  Another Balogun goal was called back for a foul on defender.  Not a popular decision with the crowd, made worse when Tillman was monstered by Jackson, whose touch over debutant keeper, Grady, let to Mane bundling in his 2nd and bringing the score to 2-2.  It only took 11 minutes for Tim Weah to get down the right and put a cross in that Balogun finished.  And this time it counted.  US up 3-2.  And he could have had his 2nd moments after the restart, only to sky it over the crossbar.  In the 75th minute Balogun had a shot parried straight to McKennie, who hit a post, for it to bounce back to Balogun, who had a 2nd shot stopped by Senegal keeper, Diaw.  Can't quite put this game to rest, not the crowd at ease.

The US did hold on though.  A 3-2 victory and a good warm up for the World Cup in less than 2 weeks.  Overall it was a strong attacking performance, though a few defensive errors may be cause for concern.  Or happiness for us Aussies cheering on the Socceroos, with the US team in our group.  Time will tell.

USA 3 (Sergiño Dest - 7, Christian Pulisic - 20, Folarin Balogun - 63) defeated Senegal 2 (Sadio Mané - 44', 52)

Crowd: 57,741

Willie Nelson @ Skyla CU Amphitheater

I do love my job!  Tonight Willie Nelson and Family grace our outdoor stage and I get my spot at the top of the stairs to watch it all.

An older crowd braved the cloudy and humid conditions.  Even though / Because I wore my poncho all night, the rain stayed away.  A smaller than usual crowd for this venue, we were able to keep everyone off the lawn and into seats close the front.  

Opener Lily Meola gave her all to warm up the crowd.  I wasn't paying much attention to her, as I was actually working.  Her voice did handle a wonderfully true to its original Jolene cover, which did catch my ears.

Shortly after 8.45pm, with pretty much everyone in their seats, Willie & band graced our stage.    I missed the first song, running an errand, but was back for Stay A Little Longer.  Seated for the night, Willie did minimal crowd work, and plowed through his set.  Working Man Blues & Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys was a great 1-2 combination.  What I did notice is Willie no longer sings his songs, more talks through the words.  This was really noticeable in You Are Always on My Mind, but his voice shone for George On My Mind.  Me & Bobby McGee was well accepted by the crowd, as was Roll Me Up & Smoke Me When I Die.  With just over an hour on stage Nelson finished his 21 song set with It's Hard To Be Humble, before the band played a jam as he left the stage.

Certainly not the 3 hour energy driven show I got when I first saw Nelson in Vegas in 2003.  But if that's the difference between being 70 years old and 93, that's still a good show.  I will never take for granted seeing a legend such as Willie Nelson, even though my love for country music is pretty minimal.

Got to mention the crowd tonight.  What a dedicated fanbase!  Out in the poor weather, this older crowd had a great time.  And no one complained about climbing all the steps to get to seats, or the fact that our restrooms are about as far away from the front door as they can get.  Something our younger crowds could take not of.

Willie Nelson Setlist

The Crap Facts

This is my 546th concert.
This is my 26th concert at the Skyla CU Amphitheater.
This is my 138th concert in Charlotte.
This is my 166th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 346th concert in the USA.
This is my 3rd Willie Nelson concert.

Local H & The Vandoliers @ The Underground

So I could either work outside at Ol' 60, or go and see a favorite band for the 8th time.  Like there was a choice!  It had been a busy week, with a lot of night shifts, and A being of town, but I missed a couple of Local H shows just after Covid (due to a soccer practice injury), so I want to see them every chance I get.  I'm also getting super hyped about the As Good As Dead reissue coming out soon.

Luckily I left the house early, because the Skyla show was sold out and getting to the venue took twice as long as a usual drive to work.  I walked in about halfway through the Vandoliers set.  I had never heard of them before but they put on a good show, and were having a great time doing it.  There sound is like that jiggy-punk of Flogging Molly.  Not really my thing, but I liked what I heard tonight.  The last 2 songs especially every Saturday Night and a cover of the Proclaimers 500 Miles had the crowd charged and ready for the night.

Only 20 minutes between sets make this old man happy.  Straight into Nothing Special was a start that the crowd wanted.  A good amount of people in the already-filling Underground were already singing every word (I was a bout 7 people from the front).  A raucous High Fivin' MF was the the 3rd song in.  And it was amazing.  Always special to see a band perform one of your all-time favorite songs.  Scott and Ryan looked into, just like 7 months ago when they opened for Everclear here in Charlotte.  After the song, Scott declared they were celebrating the 30th anniversary of an album (As Good As Dead) and would be playing tonight.  Stoked!  There is not a bad song on that album, and now I'm even more excited to receive my album sometime in June.  Eddie Vedder had the crowd in full voice and the perfect warm up for Bound For The Floor.  This song was special.  The crowd was at full voice, and the Stooges TV Eye snippet mid-song was so ggod.  

This is the 2nd time in a row I've seen Local H open for another band (though I did not stick around for the Toadies tonight).  45 minutes of pure excellence, but I'm greedy for more.  I need them to headline again soon (like when AGAD finally comes out).  Until then, I'll keep it copasetic.

Local H Setlist

The Crap Facts
This is my 545th concert.
This is my 13th concert at the Underground.
This is my 137th concert in Charlotte.
This is my 165th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 345th concert in the USA.
The Vandoliers are the 635th band I've seen.

This is my 8th Local H concert.

GWAR @ The Fillmore

I was going to come to this show tonight, but I got scheduled on to work, so I thought I was going to miss out.  What happened was I got cut about 15 minutes after GWAR's set started, so I was able to amble in and get myself a great spot side stage.  Before the show, one of the secondary GWAR Characters (inevitably one of the bad guys) was outside interviewing fans, mostly those that had been in for the meet and greet earlier.

I may have missed a few songs, but I got into the story straight away.  Gor Gor Strikes back I saw 5 months ago in Greensboro.  But there seemed to be more of characters in the story tonight.  I'm in Love (with a Dead Dog) featured "Kristi Noem" who, after shooting another innocent dog, was mutilated by the band. as the crowd fought to be drenched in her blood.  The same fate was given to trump during El Presidente.  I want to say they same thing happened to a "business man" during the set.  In the end, as Gor Gor gets his revenge on his captor, but suffers a sword through the brain during "Gor Gor", the rabid crowd is left to cheer the masterpiece theater that is GWAR.

I was tired and left before the encore (some Progressive dad energy, wanting to beat everyone out of the parking lot).  I wish I'd stayed as I missed the cover of Pink Pony Club (of course, they played that).  What was I thinking?  In true un-rock and roll thinking, a thought about the security team at the barried, who did one hell of a job catching crowd-surfers, all whilst under the deluge of GWAR's blood, and while getting into the music.  Also a big shoutout has to go to the clean up crew tonight.  They had their work cut out for them.

Gwar Setlist

The Crap Facts
This is my 544th concert.
This is my 32nd concert at the Fillmore.
This is my 136th concert in Charlotte.
This is my 164th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 344th concert in the USA.
This is my 3rd GWAR concert.

Alabama Shakes & Joy Oladokun @ ExploreAsheville.com Arena

Merry Christmas to me.  A bought these tickets for me for Xmas, so we headed up to Asheville for a night to see a band we were both super excited to see.

We're staying at the Hotel Indigo, and were lucky enough to get an upgrade to the penthouse suite.  Nice!  I've never had that before.  It's a shame we're only staying 1 night.  I could get used to this.

We were out the door not long after getting in, ,in search of dinner.  We opted for Rhubarb, at the top of town.  Wow! What a feed!  We split a beautiful fresh salad, and I ended up with a great burger.  It was a little cool, so we opted to sit inside, and I'm glad we did, as a drummer set up right outside the patio as we sat down.

After dinner we had a chance to wander around, only to find a big town festival taking place.  People were out in full force, enjoying the weather, entertainment and local vendors.  It felt rude to leave, but, you know, it's a concert.

Harrahs is back towards the hotel and we were able to get into the venue and to out seats as opener, Joy Oladokun took the stage.  She has a magic voice and had the early crowd entranced.  And her band was tight.  Figuratively and literally.  Packed in colse together on stage, the band knew the mission, and Oladokun played a set which easily won over some new fans.  A and I included.

Our seats were stage left, level with the stage, not 30 feet from the stage, on an isle.  You couldn't have wanted any better.  Alabama Shakes came on stage just before 9pm, to thunderous applause, and then put on a show.  Specifically Brittany Howard.  Her powerhouse voice came to the fore early on.  And the crowd responded accordingly.  While I'm only familiar with a few songs from Sound and Color, Alabama Shakes were playing some great songs all through their set.  Sound & Color was awesome and Don't Wanna Fight was even better than I expected.  Though Howard spoke occasionally to the crowd, her best interaction came when a couple had a sign asking her to sing at their wedding.  Her compromise - dedicating Give Me All Your Love to finish the set.  Emotionally awesome.  The crowd went crazy.  The Greatest was the highlight of the encore.  For me, that was because they did not play Over My Head (my favorite).  They played almost everything else off the album, but in a stroke of genius, Alabama Shakes kept me wanting more, and hoping they come near by soon. 

Alabama Shakes Setlist

The Crap Facts
This is my 543rd concert.
This is my 2nd concert at the ExploreAsheville.com Arena.
This is my 19th concert in Asheville.
This is my 163rd concert in North Carolina.
This is my 343rd concert in the USA.

Joy Oladokun is the 633rd band I've seen

Alabama Shakes is the 634th band I've seen.

Bush & James and The Cold Gun @ Skyla CU Amphitheater

It was a slow start after gates opened, even with minimal staff, so I did get to see a bit of James & The Cold Gun.  Their giant frontman, James (obviously) had a great stage presence, which may have made him look bigger than he was.  They played some rocking tunes (none of which I knew) and had the crowd well and truly warmed up.  

Afterwards was Mammoth, Wolfgang van Halen.  I was sent on a break at the start of their set, and was too busy to pay attention when I got back.

James & The Cold Gun Setlist

I had seen Gavin Rossdale with his dog inside the Fillmore as I was clocking in.  He was having a great time with his dog.  They guys is 7 years older than me, but still looks like he did in the 90s.  Bastard!  Bush came out all guns blazing with an Everything's Zen - The Chemicals Between Us start.  Crowd responded appropriately.  It set the tone for the whole set.  Bush were having a great time on stage, and I'm not sure out of them and the audience, who was feeding off who.  The Sound of Winter was the only song they played of their under-rated Sea of Memories album.  One I like.  It's a shame there wasn't space for a couple more.  Swallowed mid set saw Rossdale start the song solo, as the band came back in at the end.  The crowd was singing louder than her was.  And near the end, after expending so much energy on stage, Rossdale made his way out into the crowd to dance with almost everyone during Flowers Oa A Grave.  A brief break then saw them come out and encore with Machinehead, Glycerine & Comedown.  A fantastic finish to a great night.  I am looking forward to more shows in Skyla this season.

Bush Setlist

The Crap Facts

This is my 542nd concert.
This is my 25th concert at the Skyla CU Amphitheater.

This is my 135th concert in Charlotte.
This is my 162nd concert in North Carolina.
This is my 342nd concert in the USA.

This is my 2nd Bush concert.

Bush is the 100th time I've seen an English band.

Bush is the 50th time I've seen a band at the Skyla CU Amphitheater.
James & The Cold Gun is the 632nd band I've seen.

A Conversation with Kamala Harris @ Ovens Auditorium

Merry Xmas A!  This is a delayed Xmas present for the Mrs.  Vice President Harris was supposed to be here in February but a snow storm put a stop to that.  While this is a tour to promote her book, I would be more than happy for her to flip the bird and tell everyone I told you so for a couple of hours.

And since the delay we've seen the president* overthrow the Venezuelan government, attack Iran at the behest of Israel, causing the price of gas to sky rocket, and seen the office of the presidency a laughing stock on the world stage.  I thought this could make the conversation, moderated by now local Brooklyn Decker, a little heated, but in Vice President Harris was very matter of fact and logical in her disagreements with the current government.  And while this was very interesting, it took away time for her to talk about her book, which was about her whirlwind, unsuccessful run for president.

This was an easy talk to enjoy, because Harris aligns with the same beliefs I have.  And it sat extremely well with her audience.  A majority of which were African American female, as well as members of the LGBTQ community.  I would have liked to known how many Republican voters were in the audience, and what their thoughts on the evening were.  Conversely, I would like to attend something similar from a Republican I don't particularly agree with (name one, it would be easy to come up with) and see whether I could be influenced by their beliefs/policies.  I'll admit, I doubt it. but I'd like to have the opportunity.

Harris was only on stage for an hour, which was disappointing, as I think we only heard the tip of the iceberg.  But one of my observations, which I will take under my wing, is that when Harris ever mentioned the current president* she would only ever the title of the role, and never his name.  Her dislike of what he is doing to the country, and how he got there, is glaringly obvious.  SOmething that very much rings true with me.