Apparently I am in Advertising...

My contribution to an ad campaign for the console I use on tour...

Honestly people WTF

We live in a nation of skyrocketing diabetes diagnosis, rampant obesity, and chronic heart problems.
Do you think it has anything to do with eating sandwiches like this.....

Two breaded and deep fried pieces of genetically modified chicken(sort of)
A few slices of monterray Jack Cheese
and a few slabs of greasy bacon because everything tastes better with bacon!

Oh but dont worry for those on the Atkins diet...NO BUN!

So This is Christmas

...and another year passed. Only this year that passed as been nothing like the rest of them. Which leads me to experience Christmas for what it really is all about. It is not about presents, and not about rushing around, but about being with family and being grateful for each moment that you have with them.
Now if only war was really over...

I have not vanished

I know i have been horrible with updating as of late....i promise i have lots to say at somepoint. In the meantime, here is a collection of photos, new and old, for you to look at....

Personal Highlight from a tour I was on a few years back...

The Kaskade Touch

I am actually quite a fan of Katy Perry and both her full length releases thus far. My friend and I decided at the Jingle Ball in New York City recently, where she was one of the performers, that perhaps Katy is filling the void left behind with Gwen Steffani's hiatus. In any event, Katy Perry and Kaskade make a pretty satisfying remix....check check check it out..

This is Buble...and ITV production

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2nXg-vUmkY&feature=related

Nostalgia will get me through this snowstorm with thunder and lightning

Have you ever had one of those days when you get an album stuck in your head just out of the blue. It makes you start thinking about all the things in life that occurred during the timeframe that that particular record was in high rotation on your home stereo or whatnot. Well it happened to me today during our load in at the arena in Buffalo New York. For some reason or another the Tragically Hip "Fully Completely" album became quite prominent in my mind and i started to think about the track listing of the album and what was going on during that time of my life. Pretty sure it was grade 10 for me, growing up in Ontario where The Hip were kings. Shit i remember camping out a few years later just to get tickets to their Day for Night tour. Its funny thinking about camping out to get tickets from ticket master now that i work in the concert industry. I guess it was all training and research for my future career. Anyways back to the FUlly Completly album. Honestly it may just be my favorite album of theirs as far as start to finish goes. Cuts like Pigeon Camera, Lionized, Looking for a place to Happen, and Wheat Kings are all pretty serious quintessential Canadian classics. Thanks to Gord and the gang for being ours and for releasing records like this one.
As far as my subject title of this blog is concerned, it is not a type O. Growing up Canadian i can honestly say this is the first time i ihave been in a snowstorm that comes complete with serious lightning strikes and cracks of thunder. Strange i say...only about 468 miles to go before we reach Grand Rapids and my first day off in the past 8....
till next time...

Super Furry Animals and the land of Chocolate

Okay, so i have so much to say and yet so little time. We are now officially back on the Crazy Love World Tour and have completed show #96, the first one of this 3rd USA leg. Now although i have much to say, its 1:30 in the morning , the bus is moving, and Craigers is sleepy. I wil give you all a little glimpse into a future post but am unable to divulge all details at the moment. LEts just say that I have been in some interesting situations in my life, but had never found myself in anything remotely close to where i found myself sunday night in Chicago.

Now that you are all curious, or if you are on facebook you know what happened, i must move on. Remember time is sensitive at the moment and i have a bunk calling my name along with my ipad and "the walking dead", new show on AMC.

Tomorrow morning we are in Philly for our second time at the Wachovia center, followed by a thanksgiving feast on thursday!!

Memories of our time here in Hershey and all the sweetness it has to offer....

Delayed with Delays...

Alright what better way to begin another round of USA touring then to begin with a delayed flight out of Calgary. This of course is the beginning of the chain and subsequently means no connecting flight for Craigers from Chicago to Hershey. At least tomorrow is not a show day and all will be cool as i should arrive at the venue by noon. ITs just the initial frustration. I mean honestly flying these days is a roll of the dice on the best of days...triple the risk factor once you throw in a connection.
Oh well..what do you do..no sense complaining as nobody really listens anyways....

I'm not bragging...but...

I have just had an offer to purchase one of my prints. Yup, thats right, i am now a true bonafide photographer who sells his work. Now I am not at liberty to discuss the terms of the financial offer, but i will say it was quite generous. Okay, perhaps we never got around to working out a price before i said , you want it, you got it. Perhaps i am not quite ready to take money for my photos as i really have no clue what i am doing....sort of like glorified point and shoot but on the manual setting of my SLR.

if you are wondering what photo of mine has prompted such a bidding war ( well in my head at least) , it is one taken from my Venice Collection. Thats right, a series of photos taken while spending a day off in Venice Italy. Exploring the canals and steering clear of the dodginess that is Italy.

Its that time of year.....

and hell no i am not talking about the time when the Christmas music starts to annoy me at shops and various retail establishments....I am talking about the Pivot Legal Society's Hope in Shadows calendar and fundraiser for the downtown eastside of Vancouver. Now for those who only think of it as the poorest postal code in Canada you need to educate yourself. It is full of stories from all walks of life and talents that are both hidden and discovered. Check out the link and buy a friggen calendar!!
http://www.hopeinshadows.com/

life is awesome!

My mom just told me about this site and it really is quite AWESOME!

http://1000awesomethings.com/

Discovery

I may have just discovered the joys of online shopping.....
lets hope it gets shipped to my hotel!

Dear Winter

F**K Off Please...I hate you!

More Flowers...

So good the other night.....can't wait for DC and the 930 Club!

Cake anyone????

shows , shows and more shows

I know that I have not written anything, or posted anything since being in Lisbon, and i sincerely apologize. Not that any of you really care or check regularly , but i know i should be more diligent with updating and posting or i will lose you my faithful followers. So now for my excuse as to why no postings....i have had no internet connection!! I know that sounds ridiculous as there is a free network at the coffee shop next to my house, but I just was not feeling inspired during my coffee visits to update. i was using my coffee time to drink coffee and stalk people on facebook....well, not really. To be honest, Inspiration has been hard to come by as of late for ol Craigers...just tired i guess. However that is all changing with the start of another tour around the corner, and recent shows i have been so luck to see over the course of this past week.

First off, i rarely see movies these days, but was invited by my best friend Jen and her little posse to go and see The Social Network recently. Now not the best movie i have ever seen, but worth the price of movie admission for sure. Quite the back story to our nations newest addiction....

Last friday night i got the chance to catch up with my good friends in Hollarado who are on a US/Canadian tour in support of their much buzzed about album "Record in a Bag". This is a continuation of their previous hits "Demo in a Bag 1" , and "Demo in a bag 2". I urge you to check out the wikipedia link on this band to get the gist of their history thus far. I was fortunate enough to tour CHina with them about two years ago and have been a fan ever since.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollerado
If you are so inclined , the video clip for the much talked about "Americanarama" is located a few posts below this. The video in fact caught the attention of industry blogger Bob Lefsetz prompting the band to receive some hard earned and much deserved attention.

On saturday night, i was one of the lucky few in attendance to be part of a DVD/Live Album filming/taping for an upcoming Tegan and Sara release. This truly was a special night as anyone who knows me knows that those two girls and all involved in their organization mean the world to me. We, the audience, were treated to probably 30 songs spanning their entire discography. As usual the girls were in fine form with their wit, banter, and general humor. Not to mention they both look absolutely stunning these days with new haircuts, and an apparent new 30 something glow. Recently they were nominated for the prestigious Canadian music award known as the Polaris Prize. This is an award given to one Canadian act each year for the top album of the year. Not based on album sales or hype, it is voted on by top Canadian journalists and music/arts personalities. Although all the bands that were nominated were winners in their own right, only one could walk away as the voted on winner and that was sadly not the girls, but an amazing band from Montreal called Karkwa. This was the first francophone act to walk away with the award, and although some say it was a surprising choice, i must say I am a fan. The following video clip is from the girls performing Alligator at the gala show. When most bands kicked it up a notch and beefed up their sound by adding drummers, or additional musicians, the girls went back to where it all came from and performed as a duo, with the aid of a Violin player and fellow nominee, Owen Pallett.



This brings us to tonight, on the eve of my departure once again from Vancouver and the city i somewhat call home. I am going to see my industry friend James who is mixing Mr. Brandon Flowers on his current solo tour. I spent time on the road with the Killers back in the day and have been a huge fan since day one. I have grown to love the solo effort put forth by Brandon and am very much looking forward to tonight's show at the fabulous Commodore Ballroom.



Now just cause i am in a mood to share current listening material , apart from the new Brandon Flowers Flamingo album, i think you should all check out the new Wintersleep album "New Inheritors" and get back in touch with your Buck 65 personality!! He is Canadian, he hosts a helluva show on CBC , and his lyrics are some of the smartest, wittiest, and most clever you will come across....personal favorite ...



i am off to an apparent winter wonderland tomorrow to check in on my mom before resuming the Crazy Love tour next week in Hershey PA. As always i offer empty promises of constant updates and introductions to fellow castmates on the Crazy Love tour...who knows, perhaps this time i will fullfill...
tune in to find out....

Craigers
xo

Okay Okay , i know that Halloween is long been and gone..but there is always room for Zombie's...listen in closely to the lyrics...damn Rich can deliver!!!



and honestly now...who has never felt like this..or had one of these days...
enjoy

go for tired

I am too tired to write...
i have lots to say though
and even some new pics to post...
if only i had the energy and patience...

standby it will happen....1 more load in / 3 shows / and 2 load outs to go..

this tour has been long and i am ready to go home.....

They are back!!!

ALright number 34 I do not know who you are or why you left...but you are back. At least as number 34 you are back. NOw you could be someone entirely different for all i know. But in my mind, number 34 is back!! I hope our relationship works out better this time around.....

Question

Do you ever have one of those days or moments when you are left alone at the end of it all wondering if really this is where you are at? Or is there perhaps something else....a different calling of sorts...
Is it days like this that happen in order for us to really take stock and evaluate.
Are they merely fleeting...or is there more to them .
Perhaps I just have the ability to read too deep when there is no need..
in any event...its been one of those days

And then there was 33

I am not going to lie to you all, i frequently check on the number of followers that i have. Now i know that there are many people who visit my site and read my ramblings who are not signed up as followers. however in the last 12 hours I have dropped from 34 followers to 33. NOw this may seem like nothing to you, but to me I am left wondering what exactly did i do to lose a loyal follower. I am unable to determine who it was that left me, but I am determined to keep you 33 happy and dedicated. To my previous number 34 I apologize if i offended you in any way, or if the material was not up to your standards. Perhaps you can drop me a note in private to explain your decision to stop following me and leave me with so many unanswered questions and uncertainties. You make think you are just a number and nobody cares...but i do in fact care and may lose a bit of sleep tonight over it...:(

current favorite

Haunting....and so very sad...

For those of you familiar with Sparklehorse know that Mark Linkous took his own life back in March of this year at the age of 47. The album "Dark Night of the SOul" was a collaboration between Dangermouse and Sparklehorse that was released following the death of Mark. A sidenote to the record is that it has been finished for quite sometime but was caught up in legal mumbo jumbo preventing its release. Ultimately it came out posthumously and is a sad and tragic reminder of the man who's records brought us into his life and emotions which were mostly hurtful and with pain.
The particular track posted below is one of my favorites on the album and Wayne Coyne (flaming lips) fits perfectly into the haunting and somber reminder that we are all humans and to feel is to live..



The below video/track , is another one of my favorites on the Dark Night of the Soul album. This record has honestly been in high rotation with me lately...perhaps reflective of my current moods etc...Singing on this track is Jason Lytle , an American singer best know for his work with the indie band Grandaddy...

No Escape

So after a nice week home with my mom , enjoying the Calgary sunshine, i find myself back on safety island. Thats right, there really is no escape. I am without high visibility vest and safety footwear but i think i will manage alright. Here to do tele tonight followed by a couple days off before resuming the tour in Paris France.
For those that have followed the situation with my mom I am happy to report that she continues to get stronger, healthier , and more independant as each day passes....
still does not make it any easier to say goodbye....
One television show, six concert dates and I will be back in Vancouver....Dear God i cannot wait

WTF

My good friend RJ is my primary source for some of my more weird , wacky and unexplained videos and questions.
This particular clip is quite interesting to say the least. I mean with technology these days who knows if it is doctored or not, but in any event its worth checking out. By the way my vote is time traveller all the way...bring on the flux capacitor!!

Hey everyone, come see how good i look!

The title by the way is my favorite quote from Anchorman...a bus staple on any tour!

my favorite girls in the whole wide world

Who needs instruments when you got Apple..

I am sure Apple is going to want to do something with this...

Banksy

Most of you are familiar with the reclusive and elusive street artist from Bristol, Banksy. But are you familiar with his new body of work..the feature length documentary "Exit Through The Gift Shop".
I have known about it for a little while now, but it was not until yesterday that i had actually seen it. I came across it in the Avent Garde catagory on my Air Canada flight from Frankfurt.
If you are the slightest bit interested in street art, its origins, the key players, and the body of work left behind, you should try and see this movie.

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP: Movie Trailer. Watch more top selected videos about: Banksy, Shepard Fairey

Of course it is completely up to you to decide whether or not the film is just another brilliant Banksy prank, or if it is one of truth....

http://www.fastcompany.com/1616365/banksy-movie-prankumentary

Feeling Good...

The other night in Birmingham at around the mid way point of our last night of two nights a strange thing happened. Now in context it really is not that strange considering women approach the front of the stage all the time at a Buble concert. This however was a little different.
Basically what happened was a middle aged mom approached the front of the stage in front of Michael between songs when he was talking to the crowd. The spiel he was giving was about how he wanted to be Michael Jackson etc when he was a kid. Upon noticing this lady staring him down and trying to get his attention he is like ..."hi there..can i help you....". This middle aged lady was the mother of a 15 year old boy in attendance with her at the evening's concert. She had an agenda that evening and that was to get Michaels attention and ask if her boy could sing a line or two with him onstage. Now Michael being the guy he is naturally agreed and 15 year old Sam Holyman approached the stage.
Now I can tell you from experience, that usually when this stuff happens it works out to be rather awkward and somewhat embarrassing for the "new singer".
This was not the case a few days ago in Birmingham....

you call that an update...

Okay Craiger's is completely failing his mass of readers with the quality of updates and such while on the road. What can i say, sometimes i think i can pull off more than i can. In any event I am now in the Diamond, Chocolate, and possibly beer capital of the world...thats right folks , you guessed it Belgium!
We finished the last sold out date in the UK the other night in Birmingham and made our way across the channel to Europe. We actually have our first 3 load in / shows/ load outs since before any of us can remember. Its not that we have not been doing three shows in a row, its just that they have all come in the form of one load in / set up , and then multiple nights followed by one load out. Now we are actually going for a real pace and have tonight in Antwerp, tomorrow in Hanover and thursday in Cologne.

This however is no excuse for the lack of updates and seemingly disappearing photos...

searching for inspiration...

ill let you know when i find it!.haha

Oh, and Norma has been resting....

Runner Up

For pic of the day....

I have always been a fan....

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6945449n%3Ftag%3Dfacebook

Pic of the Day

Escape from Saftey Island

The last two UK dates on this current trek of Crazy love will take place over the next two nights here in Birmingham. After that its off to Europe and our invasion of western Europe....
My good buddy, and our video director Kevin, has turned me on to the phrase "safety island" when referring to the UK....if you have ever been here you would know why i am laughing as I type this...
Now i will admit that the camera has been out..but to be frank I have not been overly inspired over here during the grey and dreary UK fall...but here are a few shots taken in the past two weeks....

Hey Philadelphia!

I spent some time touring China with these boys a year or so ago and am stoked to see them getting some much deserved press and buzz. Good kids from eastern Canada with killer songs and one helluva video...

at least its clean...

As many of you are aware, i moved into a new place in kitsalano in June of this year. With the health problems my mom encountered and with me being on tour , i have not spent much time at my apartment at all.
Here is proof...and at least its clean with no mold growing anywhere...

Norma meets London Town....

This was the first trip for Norma to London, and around the 30th time for Craigers.....
I thought i would snap a few pictures to capture the moment.....