Duncan Garage Showroom

The Batemans host Dave and I for breakfast. After big time coffee, bacon and eggs, we head out to try and catch the 11:00 AM ferry. It's pretty crowded when we get to the wharf, and it looks like we may have to wait out an extra hour.

We get lucky sometimes! Just made the boat! I'm always sorry to see the Island growing smaller behind us.

It was a blast to buzz this little place with this big horn!

I doesn't take Dave and I long to reach Duncan, BC. It's a hot, hot day here and the place is dead. We drive the streets announcing the show. Downtown is empty. The suburbs have a little traffic in the malls. After a couple of hours of hot, loud, shameless promotion, we check into our motel and then drop by the club. Puling in behind the Duncan Garage Showroom, it doesn't take long to get Longevity John's attention!

It's always a quick load in and an easy soundcheck here. The Duncan Garage Showroom is one of Canada's very best venues for acoustic music- a great listening room, and a wonderful room to play. Check. Check. We're done. These guys have done over eight years of shows here and can dial everything in where it ought to be pretty quickly. There have been about 30 advance tickets sold, which is a pretty good sign at this 70 seat venue.

Showtime, and we are near capacity. We're having fun and so is the crowd!

Here's our jacket winner for the night!! Genuine, white stripe satin tour jackets! After an encore, we pack out to our Falcons Nest Motel. We're on layover here for a couple of days, so we'll be hunting down the pawn and thrift stores in the morning. Got any old guitars? Always a pleasure to visit Duncan and catch up with so many friends on this part of the Island.

Hornby Island Magic

Start the day off with a swim and a boat tour, boys? Dr. Bernd Meuhlenberg is a wonderful host, and he's got us out on the water in no time. We're touring Sproat Lake, where our concert took place last night. This is a beautiful body of fresh water, ringed by mountains. It's a nice day for a ride!

This isn't nature- it's the biggest waterbomber in the world! This plane, and it's surviving twin are based at the arm of this lake.

Built in the 1940s, these planes are still in service and fly missions all over the world.

But tourist days do come to an end, sort of. Soon we are waiting to catch our ferry to Hornby Island. I use the opportunity to pass out handbills for this evening's show!

Arriving at Hornby, we swing into action with the Lincoln! "Big Blues Show Tonight! One night Only! Don't miss Bad Boy Blues at the New Horizons Hall, Eight PM!!! Be there or be Square! Bring your friends... You won't want to miss this special Blues Show! Big Dave McLean and Doc MacLean. One night only. Award winning show here tonight..."

Local promotion is always cool here!

Our digs are lovely. We check in for a brief rest before dinner and showtime.

Dave and I relax out back, and then head over to a nearby home for dinner. The Hornby Island Blues Society knows how to take care of their artists! Kurt treats us to an amazing meal in Ava's outstanding garden! Thank you so much!

Hornby Island Blues Society organizer Gord Bateman relaxes for a moment before the show.

Plenty of volunteers are needed to make these shows happen. We've got a great crew here tonight. Plenty of hands make for light work. We're loaded in and set up very quickly. James does a wonderful job of the sound. Soon, it's that time- showtime! The venue is not sold out, but there is a big enough crowd to be fun to play to. Dave breaks a string. And then another! There is a little group gathered at the bar/kitchen replacing strings as we continue to play.

Everything works out nicely. Soon it's jacket raffle time! Heres our winner!! That's an XL, please! Before you know it the night is done and Dave and I are headed off into the darkness. Back at the house we sit on the deck and listen to the crashing of the tide.