Allentown is cool. It's got the vibe of a community of artists, preservationists, historians, antique-lovers, and good chefs. The latter was easy to peg via the smells of incredible cooking coming from several local restaurants and taunting our hungry selves when we really needed to be unloading equipment and setting up for sound check.

This district of Buffalo is one that we've been in many times. I always feel comfortable here. It's an area of the city that borders the downtown and seems to embrace diversity. There are rainbow flags and biker bars, gourmet restaurants and late-night snack stands, funky modern galleries flanked by dusty bookstores.

One of the bookstores also sold music and had displays of their used cds and cassettes in old-fashioned kids' wagons out on the sidewalk. Love it!

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Ember Swift, Canadian musician and touring performer, will be keeping us up-to-date on what it's like to tour a band throughout North America. Having just arrived back from Beijing where she spent three months (check out her "Canadian in Beijing" series), she offers a musician's perspective on road life. Enjoy!


The Shelter Valley Folk Festival is only in its fourth year and you'd never know it. It's one of the smoothest run festivals I have performed at in years. This was our first time there, but I walked onto the site on Friday evening and felt immediately at home.

I'm not sure if it's the shape of the land, how it lolls uphill in Northumberland County (just south of Grafton, Ontario) and overlooks the huge sparkling body of water to the south: Lake Ontario. Maybe it's the energy of the festival, which is geared towards community, local suppliers and artists, collective decisions, family. Or, maybe it's all of the above combined together that draws around the event like an embrace and made my shoulders loosen up and take it in.

Whatever the reasons, it was a breath of fresh country air this Labour Day weekend.

Maybe that's not totally accurate, but it is 40 years since the Summer of Love exploded in tie-dye colours at the intersection of Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco. On Sunday a concert featuring musical survivors like Ray Manzarek from the Doors and Jefferson Airplane rocked San Fran's Golden Gate Park in memory of the halcyon days that were infused with incense and rebellion.

In Haight-Ashbury itself it's certainly not a hotbed of hippiedom any more. On my trip there in 2003, the biggest store on the block was The Gap, and peace signs were displayed in shop windows mainly as a commercial ruse to get tourists to buy psychedelic Jimi Hendrix posters. You're better off to head down the hill to the grungier Lower Haight and have a few microbrews at the wonderful Toronado.

The San Francisco Chronicle (naturally...) has been running a few stories on the orginal Summer of Love this week, and if you believe the values and aspirations have a place in the 21st-century, the SOL2007 Project has loads of ideas to kick start your own Summer of Love.

Just don't tell those guys in the White House OK?

Thanks to davegolden on Flickr for the pic from last Sunday's gig.

No, I don't mean songs for the perfect road trip, but those tunes which inspire you to get the atlas out, hot foot it down to the library to grab the latest guidebook, and then plan your eventual visit to the actual destination.

Forget articles and photos. I'm just as inspired to visit these places (for the first or second time) after hearing these songs.

1. NYC by Interpol
2. Big Sur by The Thrills
3. Anchorage by Michelle Shocked
4. Sin City by Gram Parsons
5. Summer in Siam by The Pogues

Any more nominations for songs which capture your favourite (past and future) destinations?

I took the pic of Koh Mak in eastern Thailand, just not in summer.

OK, so I may be a guidebook writer, but I'm actually a big fan of random travel. It's good to get lost every now and then. When I do it's nice to have a totally random selection of music as a soundtrack. Here's the first five songs that came up when I pressed "Shuffle Songs" on my iPod.

How does your random selection compare?

1. "There There My Dear" by Dexys Midnight Runners
2. "International Jet Set" by The Specials
3. "Heart Shaped Bruise" by Elvis Costello
4. "On and On and On" by Wilco
5. "Panic" by The Smiths

Thanks to davegolden on Flickr for the pic of the mighty Mr Costello

The rise of iTunes and the occasional use of LimeWire (go on, admit it...), means that we're being exposed to a wider selection of music than ever before. It's a diversity that's being reflected in a growing number of very cool music festivals from Coachella in California to Exit in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Now MelodyTrip makes it easy to locate and book tickets to the best festivals around the world. The MelodyConcierge function even provides recommendations where you should go based on your musical tastes and your budget.

Now about that rocking gypsy music festival in Bulgaria I've heard so much about...

Also check out Gadling's Massively Huge Summer Music Festival Roundup.

Thanks to mister twist on Flickr for the pic of the great Gypsy band Fanfare Ciocarlia

If you're planning on heading to Ontario this summer for the Stratford Music Festival, you'll be treated to a unique performance that comes from the sky. The music festival is introducing what they call The Sky Orchestra, which consists of several hot air balloons, each with a speaker attached, that float through the sky over Stratford and delight the crowds with music and readings from A Midsummers Nights' Dream.

The obvious benefit of this type of music performance is that you don't have to crank your neck and sit on someone's shoulders in order to see the stage, but the drawback is that you will have to get up early -- the performance starts at the ghastly hour of 7am, presumably to lull festival-goers out of their slumber with the soothing sounds of the symphony.

The Sky Orchestra happens this Saturday, August 11th, in Stratford.

Thanks to Marilyn at Intelligent Traveler for the tip!

Flight delays are making headlines these days. If you're traveling, chances are you'll arrive at the airport 2 hours ahead of your flight like you've been told to do, only to find out you've got to wait even longer.

So, what to do if you're delayed? Me, I head to the bar with People magazine and maybe an Oprah's Book Club book. Traveling, and that includes flying, is my relaxing time, so I indulge with celebrity magazines and an easy read. Sometimes I walk the airport, trying to fit in some exercise before a long flight, or stretch out somewhere and take a snooze.

But according to a report from msnbc.com, there's now more to airports than Hudson News, sports bars, and duty-free shops. Listening to live music tops the list of activities, with several airports offering up to four (four!) stages. Other airports are opening galleries (called "artports") where travelers can peruse fine art away from the crowds. Finally, several airports are touting their proximity to outdoor amenities including hiking and biking trails, while El Paso International Airport recently opened its own golf course.

If air travel continues in this manner, I just might be tempted to throw down my celebrity gossip and arrive 4 hours before my flight to enjoy the finer sides of culture.

The musical traveller, Troubadour. Road Rat. Whatever you want to call it, this blog will hold the stories that take place when travelling musicians are not on stage. What happens between the shows? What happens behind the scenes? Ember Swift, Canadian musician and touring performer, will be keeping us up-to-date on what it's like to tour a band throughout North America. Having just arrived back from Beijing where she spent three months (check out her "Canadian in Beijing" series), she offers a musician's perspective on road life. Enjoy!

Normal, Illinois is blessed with a conversational name. I'm sure that every resident has heard this question more than once: "why is this town called 'Normal'?" I, of course, had to ask also, but I consistently asked people who were also visitors like me. I got several shrugged shoulders, some snickers at the irony and one set of rolled eyes before I got any kind of real answer.

You see, we were in Normal, Illinois for the National Women's Music Festival. This festival has been going strong for over thirty years and traditionally is a gathering place for women who are not considered "normal" by the status quo: strong women, independent women, bisexual women, lesbians, etc. I'm talking messing with gender roles here.

You get my point. Of all places to bring a women's festival, I think this is the town. How to normalize non-traditional choices, identities, behaviour? Bring the gathering to a town called Normal and think nothing of it.

Just act normal.

The musical traveller, Troubadour. Road Rat. Whatever you want to call it, this blog will hold the stories that take place when travelling musicians are not on stage. What happens between the shows? What happens behind the scenes? Ember Swift, Canadian musician and touring performer, will be keeping us up-to-date on what it's like to tour a band throughout North America. Having just arrived back from Beijing where she spent three months (check out her "Canadian in Beijing" series), she offers a musician's perspective on road life. Enjoy!

Interior British Columbia is stunning.

I didn't need to go there to remember that, but of course beauty strikes us when we see it and we're forced into memory with every glance. And, I'm not complaining. Each glance brings a quick breath in and a gracious smile.

We used to tour across Canada every summer which gave us the chance to be in British Columbia in July or August annually. In the past few years, however, we have done fewer cross-Canada road trips and have opted to fly to destinations more regularly. If nothing else, it's better for the lifeline of the vans that we drive! And also, I think yearly cross-Canada touring for six years consecutively is deserving of a medal.

And a break.

So, when we arrived in Castlegar, BC in July in the middle of the afternoon and stepped out of the little airplane to the lush green, low mountains, churning river, waterfalls... well, I was reminded of British Columbia's beauty and grateful to see it again.

Alright, this is the first post of a new series entitled "Band on the Run," (as you can see above.) This is a blog about travelling on the road as a musician here in North America. It's about what we see and where we've been – the stories that go along with those journeys and the images to accompany them. It'll be like you're the roadie that gets to witness what happens behind the scenes without having to carry any heavy equipment.

Lucky.

(I mean, I'm the bandleader and I don't even get out of carrying the heavy stuff!)

Specifically, I'm a Canadian musician with a Canadian band who performs more than half of my shows south of the border. And yes, I have provincial license plates on my van and work permits for the U.S.of A. for all of my band members, so I'm down on American soil legally, don't worry!)

We are on the road A LOT, which sometimes means that we're home less than we're away. In fact, at one point just a few years ago, we peaked at 200 days on the road during the year. I am happy to report that we've calmed down slightly and probably are out only half the year now. That's slightly healthier all around, for everyone.

About a month ago, I introduced you to my friend Chairman George, a performer and musician from Canada who tours his music in China once a year. (Well, at least once a year.) I met him in May and then we said goodbye. Fortunately, George came back at the end of June before I had to leave Beijing and I had a chance to connect with him again.

This time on the stage.

George does quite a bit in association with the Olympics here in Beijing. In 2004, he was a volunteer for China at the Athens Olympic games. It made perfect sense since he has a Chinese profile (and speaks the language), is Greek by descent (and speaks the language) and is Canadian (always a neutral nationality that puts people at ease!) He was actually a torch bearer and told some colourful stories about his time in Athens. I listened to each intently.

As a result of this experience, George does a lot of performing for various Olympic committee events or conferences in Beijing. . .

On Saturday, July 14, Big Pine Key -- a quiet, easy-to-miss Key between Islamorada and Key West -- will host one of the most unusual festivals in the US. The 23rd annual Underwater Music Festival will allow divers to explore Looe Key Reef -- part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary -- to the rhythms of the sea. Literally.

Staged by a local radio station, the event features the station's music selections broadcast underwater via speakers suspended beneath boats moored on the reef. (The playlist typically includes ocean-themed tunes such as "Yellow Submarine" and "Fins.")

Moreover, local divers will dress as Sonny and Cher, Elton John, David Crosby -- and even a mermaid. An Elvis impersonator will rock the house that day, and divers can even check out some underwater art. For more details about this summer concert, contact the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-872-3722.

I attended the event last year, and it was a lot of fun -- though somewhat disorganized. TIP: If you're interested in seeing Elvis or the other underwater "musicians," be sure to ask early and often about their location. They only perform for a few minutes, and not all the dive boats know where they are. Despite the confusion, the day was still a lot of fun, and the diving was good.

One of my many aims of coming to Beijing was to embark on some music research (as described in my first blog). I spent the first six weeks gathering names and ideas and talking to people about my intentions to see what they thought of my research plans. I think taking time to settle into this community and carefully select who I ought to speak with and eventually interview was a good choice.

The project is going wonderfully.

The topic is women in music. The specific approach is a cross-examination of what it is like to be a woman who makes music (writes, composes, plays, sings) in this urban center (Beijing) as compared to what it's like to be a woman making music in these ways in Toronto, for instance. The possibilities are endless. So far, my findings have been truly diverse.

Tuesday evening, my friend Traci and I headed to a local café and met with two amazing women, one who fronts a famous contemporary all-female Chinese punk band called "Hang On The Box" and another who was a member of the (now defunct) world famous and FIRST all-female rock band in China called "Cobra." Both women, Wang Yue and Xiao Nan respectively, were a joy to meet and had so much to say about this amazing world of music.

Bloody Sunday worried me when I first heard about it. I thought it might be a hardcore women's event that discussed menstruation and girl power, which to be honest is not for me. I mean, I've 'been there, done that' and it's no longer my speed. No offence to all the blood sisters out there who are currently reclaiming their bodies, self-worth and sisterhood; it's wonderful to experience this kind of transition and learning, especially about patriarchy and empowerment. For me, time passed and now I look back on that time in my life, raise my fist in solidarity and realize I've moved on. No crime in that. Part of that very movement is thanks to the empowerment, so credit given where credit is due.

Now, along a different empowerment path, this monthly event is about connecting the arts community here in Beijing. A woman named Pauline organizes the night along with several friends and volunteers. She works full-time in the gallery district of Beijing and is interested in combining arts media together to form alternative gathering spaces in this city. Pauline is from Belgium and she has lived here for many years and so she is very connected to the ex-pat community. We met through my friend Sarah (who I told you about in this blog.)

Anyway, Pauline asked me if I wanted to take part in May's "Bloody Sunday" event and I agreed to play some songs. This month, it took place in the beautiful Ritan Park 日び坛公园 at the Stone Boat Café, a small restaurant set on the water across a small bridge. It was built about twenty years ago to replicate the traditional structures often built into the water as permanent boat-shaped entertainment spots. (I spoke about a famous one of these structures when I visited the Summer Palace.) Ritan Park itself was built in the year 1530 and is one of the oldest parks in the city. I was told that it once served as an altar site where the emperor made sacrificial offerings to the sun god. By the time I learned that, it was too dark to go exploring. Maybe next time.