Pearson

Is there something going on on the tele?
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olympics: NFLD Dayze ....educational photo booth

My Favorite story of the whole two weeks......

It's Friday past...we've already had a fantastic day what with seeing the art gallery, and getting a guided tour by a local....we hop the water bus to Granville Island to check on our cheques. It's Newfoundland Day at the Pavillion. Awesome. While in the upper room where they do the food tastings we are waiting to see about final payment. I notice acouple gals in some 'weird' uniform. They look like 'bobbies'. Hard not to talk to a gal in uniform wha?

Also in the room is one of those "stand in front of the fake icebergs and get yer photo taken" thingys. well Mike "white tiger" Dixon and I are all over that shit. I think....may as well ask these gals to get in the photo too! Here is a recount of our convo as I recollect it.....

Ross - "So, what are you gals all dolled up for today?"

Gal - "We're part of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulatory."

Ross - "The Wha?"

Mike Dixon - "The NFLD provincial police...Rossy"

Ross - long pause......."you ladies are officers of the law?"

Gal - "yes. This is our dress uniform. We are police officers".

Ross - "Where's yer weapons?"

Gal - "We don't wear them in our dress uniforms."

Ross - reality sinking in...."SO, you girls are police officers in NFLD, and these are your dress uniforms?"

Gal - "Thats Right."

Ross - "ok then. well. I didn't realize that NFLD had their own provincial police force. It's all RCMP'd up in NB. I'm glad I didn't say anything stupid then. I bet you gals haven't been hit on once today eh?"

Gals - much laughter and shaking of the head coupled with rolling of the eyes.

Mike Dixon - "You idiot."

Ross - leaving, feeling right smrt. "Well I didn't know what they were. They look like bobbies."

Yup.....so just to be clear...NFLD still has a provincial police force. Not just RCMP like in NB.

Never know what you'll learn when you go to the 'Lympics.

NB here I come......

Wonderous invention!

Mr. Beyond modeling the bacon flavoured toothpick!
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Sweet sassy molassy

Read it and rejoice!
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olympics: Days blur together: Fear & Loathing in Vancouver

So Thursday night I got to reconnect with my old Friend Gord Robert who I know from back in the Kelowna days. We went to the Yale and saw Wide Mouth Mason. WWM is probably the band I have seen the most in my life or very close anyway....the show was alright. I was a bit underwhelmed. They played well for the most part but it was just short of spectacular. I had to consider that this is a band that now plays less than 50 shows a year and when I saw them they played 200 plus shows a year. Either way it was good to catch up with old friends.

Friday we hit the Art Gallery where there was a Divinci Exhibit. We met Gord outside and hopped in line steeling ourselves for the hour plus wait in the rain sans umbrelly. As soon as we got in line a man asked us how many in our party and then gave us VIP tix to the front of the line!!! SCORE! The art was incredible. It blew my mind. I can't grasp that he was doing this shit 400 years before it was released to public and that most of his inventions and theories were 200 years ahead of their time. All in all a great time a the gallery. Really really cool. Couldn't get any divinci pics but here are some others....

this weird dinosaur thing is made from lawn chairs.
This made me miss the Bastards.

We then got a short guided tour of downtown from Gord before heading across the bay to pick up cheques and find banks. Here is a short Video of the Zipline in robson square. The folks lined up for this string at 5.30AM !

After banking we ventured to commercial drive to hook up with my very dear old friend and his fiance Mike and Lucy. We went out to watch the hockey game and make some friends in the local bars. On our way we were strolling and thought nothing much of the water stream that was pouring onto the sidewalk. As Mike Dixon looked up thought (just in time) we realized the stream was steaming, yellow and smelled like pee. There was a dude standing on his roof peeing onto the sidewalk very casually. He was at least nice enough to pinch it off as we got closer and walked around. After the game we hit Falconetties. A neat little bar with a weird live band. Lots of folks in there and most of them were having a great time. Some were having to good of a time and were (ahem) asked not to stand on the seats and tables. oops.

Catching the late night train is always funny as there are lots of characters and people passed out everywhere.

Here is a rare hot of the PEI White Tiger. Stand back folks. This thing is WILD!

Today is my last day on Granville island and I can't wait to get home tomorrow. It's been great here but I miss home. It has been a long two weeks but a good one. The weather has been nice and I've had a great time in Vancouver. I got to play to thousands of people over the last two weeks and I must thank Darcy Campbell bringing me out here. It has been a real blast!

Well I'm off to nap before my last set in Vancouver for this trip.....

MB

Olympics: Day ....i'm not sure anymore

Hey all

Yesterday was awesome! Got ot go sit on the blue line at the USA/Swiss Game. USA won but it was still real exciting to watch. All the late nights have pretty much taken the party out of my sails though and even though I wanted to get down to the ACH to see Chris Kirby, once I was in my amazing hotel room it was hard to get out.

Tonight me and a few of the other folks are gonna try and go see Wide Mouth Mason who are performing at the Yale. I'm a big fan so I'm looking forward to it all. I think we even have VIP tix but we'll see when we get there!

The weather has switched back to lovely here and I'm starting to get bummed that I have to leave Vancouver VERY soon. Mind you I am SUPER STOKED to get home to family friends and loved ones!!!!! Won't be much of a visit though as I am home for 48 hours before I have to hop in Rub and set out on my solo tour of Ontario. No rest for the wicked.

In other news the album "Redemption" is slowly coming together. The liner notes will be finished this weekend and Mastering and Artwork will be complete the following weekend. We are getting so excited to release it and take it across Canada in the Spring. It's also looking like there will be a 'special release' event in Fredericton on April 24th. This will be before the official release date but Fredericton deserves it what with all the support the area has shown us. We wanted to get it to you guys first! Stay tuned for more detail on that.

I'm off to adventure through the airport to try and find good eats before I head out tonight. Wish me luck, airport food ain't so grand....

Stay Tuned,

MB

Boo

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Two minutes

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Usa swiss intermission

The zamboni has pimp rims!
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Usa \swiss

5 seats from penalty box! Row 2!
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Correction

Its USA swiss not slovakia!
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Usa\slovakia

Second row!
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olympics: Day 11 or 12???

Wow. I barely know what day it is anymore. Usually I know because I play on the weekends typically so it's easy to know when sunday/monday hit. This playing through the week is really screwing me up....

Last night was so awesome. Matt Andersen decided to perform an electric set to compete with the party crowd at the backstage lounge at the Atlantic House so he recruited Mike Carrol, Brian Bourne and myself to help him rock it up. What a great time. So much fun. Afterwards we grabbed the acoustics and hung out in the theatre dressing rooms and jammed with Jessica Rhaye and had some late night bevies. I do believe a full bottle of jagr was consumed in minutes. Amazing people to hang with and play with. I don't get to do that too much anymore with a lot of my musical friends as travel interferes with that so its nice to be in a place like this with folks popping in for a few days here and there.

Needless to say 11am set came early today. When our driver (the awesome Dave from pei) picked us up we also had to stop to get the lovely Catherine Maclellan but her flight was late so we had to wait. This allowed me to miss my first set of the day outside so I had a little head down time in the rehearsal hall before my afternoon set inside. The evening set was a special function upstairs. A hobnob thrown by NB for NB day at the pavilion. Lots of Moosehead, Covered Bridge chips and even Ganongs candy. While these sets are typically "corporate" feeling (no one listening) it wasn't so bad. I sold a good amount of CDs and ran into a bunch of Frederictonians.

I am fairly burnt out now though so I opted to not hang out at the lounge tonight. I'm back at the ole Fairmont in my robe. About to crawl onto the ole king size bed here and stare at the tube. Might do the same all day tomorrow too. Could be room service involved. A true day of rest. Stay tuned......

Olympics: Day 9, 10

I have been relocated. Exiled to the airport. I will live in the airport for the next week. Fortunately I will live in the FAIRMONT hotel in the airport! check the video!

Zebra ranch

A month past our sessions I still think about the zebra ranch and what we did there, every single day.

Our connection with the people we met there is beyond deep. It is eternal. Music aside we will forever be connected. Something happened there beyond making a record. I can't speak for the bastards but it definitely changed me. I learned things musical and cosmic. I have come to the realization recently that I will be going back there many times over the course of my life, for reasons musical and other.

Here is a link to a great interview with the first lady of the ranch. Mary Lindsay Dickinson. A couple generous nods to the suffering bastards in there too.
http://www.swampland.com/posts/view/title:a_report_from_the_zebra_ranch_studios_an_interview_with_mary_lindsay_dickinson
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Olympics: Day 8

I just realized I might be off on my olympic day count. oh well....

day off today. a real beauty too! Strolled downtown to the ole sacred heart tattoo parlour as you may know if you saw the pic from my previous post....

I saw these trees with blossoms.....amazing. Spring in February.

I've been thinking about a small piece that would represent my roots as an east coaster for sometime and then jus tbefore I left home for Vancouver it hit me. Simple and to the point....

Sacred heart

Nelson n granville. My new 'friend' Chris hold . He likes to stab me.

506 y'all
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Olympics: Day 7

Hi foks,

great day playing in the sun today. Lots of families out and about which is hilarious for me as the little kids really seem to like my tunes and aren't afraid to boogie!!! I sold some Cds and made a little "guitar case" cash to boot! Not too Shabby!

So as promised, a little history of the awesome hotel I am in. The Sylvia Hotel. Located at Beach Ave and Gilford. Right across the road from English Bay. Very scenic. As I mentioned before I can see the ocean from my bed! Awesome. What I didn't mention was.....

The Sylvia was built in 1912 by a Seattle fellow. Named after his daughter it was an apartment building first but eventually turned into a hotel. In 1954 Vancouvers very first cocktail bar was opened in the Sylvia. It was the tallest building in Vancouver until 1958 and it's slogan was 'dine in the sky'.

The Gilford st. side of the hotel is COVERED in Virginia Creeper where I have witnessed a half dozen raccons creeping around up high on the third and fourth floors!

The hotel is quaint and has really nice staff who make sure you get what you need. Being here for two weeks, I of course wanted a fridge and kettle etc so I could have a few groceries and what not. Sure enought the front desk provided. A fridge was soon delivered to the room and I soon was making the best coffee in Vancouver with my aero press and kettle!

It was rumoured to me recently that Errol Flynn had actually died here. With a little research I'm not so sure that is true although there does seem to be a link to the then Manager Art Cameron who was at the party where Flynn may have actually passed....Truth? Fiction? Who knows...

olympics: Day 6

Hi all. MAN! Another amazingly sunny day here in Vancouver. My good friend Keith Mullins and I ventured over to the Vancouver Aquarium today . It was so nice we decided to walk as it's only a couple clicks from my hotel. Incredible walk! Check the views!

big ass bridge to the west side(?)

a bunch of VERY cool Totem poles!

Say, is that an octopus on your head?

cayman! snap!
The sign for this little guy said the "chicken" of the frog world
RIBBIT!

Keith & Ross in their "happy" Picture

Here are some Video's

Ok so that was our aquarium trip. We topped it all off with a little Sushi feed! Delish!

Back to work tomorrow.

MB

Olympics: Day 5

What a day. Beautiful and sunny although a lil cool. I had three funs sets down at the Atlantic House. One inside and two out. Actually sold some CDs today and made a couple bucks in the old guitar case to boot! The highlights of my day were eating at my fav place in the Granville market...(the market here is unreal) and then during my last set there were a couple little kids (2 years old) busting a move like there was no tomorrow. So hilarious I could barely sing I was laughing so hard. Too cute. ( oh yeah, it didn't hurt my ego getting a compliment from Lennie Gallant either.)

Taking it real easy tonight to I can rest up. I play four sets tomorrow (I think, not that I have my schedule yet) so it will be a long day. I just got back from the grocery store and found a decent sushi spot on the way....I don't know why I haven't been taking advantage of all the sushi here. So good and SO cheap!!!

I'll try and get some good pics tomorrow for y'all. Also I may offer up a little history lesson on the hotel I'm staying in. It's pretty cool. Gotta go change my guitar strings now.....Stay tuned.

MB

PS.....I saw someone mowing their lawn today!!!! Feb 18 2010 !!!!

Olympics: Day 4

Just had a great day off is all....this is what it looked like....

I spent the first half working in my hotel room then ventured out to catch up with my friend and Tofino radio personality Geoff Johnson at the Swiss house to watch the hockey game. Good times for sure. Here's a pic of Geoff...
Here is Geoff's autistic friend Captain Kirk...

We wandered downtown for a bit and then parted ways. I got briefly lost but made it home with blackberry help.....here is a video of downtown craziness.....

On my way in to the hotel I hooked up with mike dixon, some grass mountain hobos and the lovely Amelia Curran. We hit the Hobos room for some late night pops and were soon joined by my good friend KEith Mullins. We had a nice time exchanging songs and jamming. I wish I had pics or video but I was busy playing geetar or clapping and singing or whatever.....So much fun.

Back to work in the AM...if you can call it that.....

Ross

Olympics: Day 3

Today was a day off. I needed it. This is a video entry so if yer a facebooker, best pop on over to www.rossneilsen.blogspot.com and see what it's all about.....y'all know the vid's dont make it to FB right?

werd.

MB

Hallelujah!

They got more!
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Olympics: Day 2

Well it was just another day at work....except today wasn't rainy n cloudy like yesterday. It was better all round. They decided to move the 'acoustic' stuff upstairs to the room where they have the food tasting. this is better in many ways...PA, many people and it is actually apparent you are with the atlantic house....here is a pic of my view from the 'food tasting room'....pretty awesome gig....here is a view from the one side of the room....

And the other side....

I met up with one of the other performers that is doing the same thing as me and it turned out to be Mike Dixon from PEI. Great Blues player who I've not been in touch with for a long time so it will be fun to catch up and jam a bit while we're here.

I've also really been enjoying the market on Granville Island...so much good food for decent prices! All in all a great day at work. Tonight I had a great time. Chris Colepaugh and Lynn Daigle were in town to play with the lovely and talented Samantha Robichaud. Needless to say I was excited to play with my old friend and rock n roll mentor Chris Colepaugh. We really haven't had time to hang since the first Hullaballoo a couple years back so we had a good time catching up. I played him some of the mixes from the new record and we had some cold ones to help with the reminiscing. I was extra lucky to catch Tim Chiasson from PEIas well as the Grass Mountain Hobos at the atlantic house kitchen party. They are certainly an xrated sot of fun when in the van and a rocking left bluegrass, deliverer of great times when not in the van...

What a time. Craziness everywhere. Colepaugh and I had a lot of fun hanging with Tim's band Morning fold in a near by bar while they killed time before some of them flew back to PEI at a really silly hour of something to the tune of 8am......enjoy the flight boys. I hope its a safe one and that you don't get extra security attention due to your particularly 'fragrant' style of mouth wash....

I also got to spend a lil time with good friend and mentor Thom Swift. We got to witness a huge family of raccoons scale the walls of our hotel. Perhaps I can grab some video of this for us all to see tomorrow....it was all very amusing until I realized my window was open where they were frolicking.

Really all in all it was a great day. It's hard to believe that I'm out here to perform and that the Olympics are really happening. when you are in a bar and the Canadian team wins gold like today for mogul competition, it really is moving and I feel really honored to be part of it all!!! truly spectacular to be here to take it all in. More good times afoot. stay tuned....

Ross

Last one!

Last pics blonde in Vancouver and its mine!
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Good morning

Just another day on the job!
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Olympics: Day One

Well it was just as i suspected. A little wet, but way warmer than NB. "front door" gig is awesome. There is a PA. The 'acoustic' gig at the back of the building is less awesome than the front but is still worth being here to be part of it all. All in all a good start. Lots of crazyness. Organizers are running everywhere! good fun. Here's some pics for ya!

My workplace for the next two weeks.

They make totem poles right here!
My view during my last set of the day!
More last set view awesomeness!
a lil video action for you!

We're off to grab dinner and then hit the Yale to catch the one and only David Gogo. Talk to you tomorrow!

Flying in Blind

Its always a bummer when you arrive at night and can't see shit. It does however make the morning that much more awesome. I could see the ocean from in my bed. awesome.

Time to go get ready for work. Hehehehe.

MB

Ho.lee.shit

Its madness here people.
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Customer service is alive and well

Well what do you know. Customer service is alive and well and its living in Vancouver at rufus' guitar shop.

In a week of incredible high stress, Chuck Baker at Rufus' guitar shop a saviour. Because I only received my itinerary for the Olympics today I was unable to make plan to pick up two guitars that Yamaha Canada music is gratiously supplying while I'm in Vancouver.

I just found out I perform tomorrow earlier than would allow me to safely pick up my guitars. I called Chuck to see if he would be able to courier them to my hotel. Not only did he sat that was fine but that he would bring them over his self. Amazing. I can't believe there are still people like Chuck in this world. Lord love you Chuck.

Did I mention that Chuck doesn't stand to make one cent of of me from these guitars and he is STILL delivering!

So if you are in Vancouver make sure you stop in to rufus' guitars at 2621 alma st in van. www.rufusguitarshop.com
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Up up and away

So I'm about to board for my flight to Vancouver for the Olympics. I'm happy to see the plane has jets not propellers. Also happy to NOT see a lot of other musicians as that many artists on one plane gives me the willies.

I'm assured my itinerary is about to arrive at my phone any second and that there WILL be someone to pick me up in Vancouver upon arrival. Stress levels are high but I'm coping. I look forward to my 3ish hour layover in Toronto. Gin anyone?

Stay tuned

MB
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Radiators, Solo Tours and Showcases

Hey all

Well it's been a real busy week. I've been furiously booking our CD release tour, lining up PR for it and the release and getting track sequences done for mastering. Oh, and figuring out artwork. The artwork has been agreed on for the album. It is going to be titled "Redemption". Lots of play on words going on here folks. think about it. So far the stuff Rob Scullion at Scholl Defining Image has shown us has been kick ass. We're going with an old school 'record' kind of look with the packaging with a killer pic from our Mississippi trip taken by Bruce Devlin.

Well, as the title of this blog indicates ole Ruby as a new radiator in her. Fortunately it blew on the last day of the warranty so it saved me a few bucks. Something else has already gone wrong with the heater switch though, getting it looked at monday AM. Should be warranty as well. I guess she took me seriously when I told her if she got us through that last Canadian tour and back from Mississippi she wouldn't owe me anything. Time to search out a new Bastard mobile and retire Ruby to the grocery van.

Most of the dates for my solo tour in March are up on www.myspace.com/rossneilsen check em out and spread the word for me if you can. I'm REALLY looking forward to some solo stuff and the two weeks at the Olympics will be a great practice run for the tour. I will miss the Bastards but it will be nice to have some alone time in Ruby again. I'm reminded of the almost two years i spent living out of her traveling around. The Cons of that (no closet to put anything no regular place to go home to) are gone as I have an Apt not so it's all PRO's now!!!! Lot's of think time!

While I am in Ontario the Canadian Music Week Conference will be going down in Toronto. I usually don't take part but this year my Distribution Label has landed me a showcase. We're just waiting to see if we can include the bastards and have a sort of 'preview' of the new record. Fingers Crossed! Slash (formerly of Velvet Revolver & Guns n Roses) will be there too! I'm gonna do my best to track him down as he is one of my biggest influences for guitar!

Most of april we'll be hanging about Fredericton getting ready for the fourth National tour in May/June. Really looking forward to the release of 'Redemption'. Can't wait to see how people react to its rawness! Tentative release date will be May 4th. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes as planned and it gets out then! In the mean time Early Grave is available at all retail outlets. f they don't have it in stock please make them order it through Universal/Thorny Bleeder Records.

Yesterday I was at my pal, Ethan Young-Lai's (of the most incredibly awesome band Sleepy Driver) House. Ethan is a bit of a producing whiz and he is working on the new record by Mark Roberts, another great friend and fellow New Maryland-ite. I was lucky enough to be asked to put some harmony vocals on a couple tunes. The tunes sound great. A real mix of John Prine and John Hiatt. Look forward to that stuff coming out this year folks!

I'm going to enjoy a rare friday night off tonight and hit the movies! Tomorrow we rock the Thirsty Boot Lounge at Crabbe Mountain again. 3-7pm. Great fun is had here folks, even if you are not skiing. So get on out!!! Moday we will be performing at the Snooty Fox at 10.30pm. I think this is our last Fredericton performance for quite some time so come on down and have a pint with us ok?

Thats all for now, see ya soon

MB