Today marks the first day of Punknews.org's trip across Canada with Less Than Jake. Ben got up at the ungodly hour of 5:15am to catch a flight to Edmonton in time for tonight's show, meeting up with the band who played both Calgary and Vancouver before making their way to Champion City.
Sunday, September 21, 2008 5:15 am: Booking a 6:40 flight to Edmonton was most certainly a poor decision. Iâm set to arrive in Edmonton, Alberta by 11:00 this morning, just in time for lunch. Less Than Jake are playing the Edmonton Events Center this evening. I believe the venue is attached to the West Edmonton Mall, which is one of (if not the) largest malls in North America. Itâs a shame I just spent all my money on tuition. The mall is huge. It has a roller coaster and submarine rides. Real submarines. I imagine it will also have a Taco Bell. Weâll see if I have time to take a roller coaster ride in before meeting up with the band. I must say, I am a little nervous about starting the trip. A large part of me is excited about touring across the country with one of my favorite bands, getting to check out eight shows and hopefully getting to know the members of Less Than Jake. However, a part of me is also nervous and feels as though I am imposing myself inside a community as a unit for over ten years. Jeez, youâd think I spent the week watching Almost Famous over and over.
When I arrive in Edmonton I plan on taking a shuttle bus to the West Edmonton Mall where I will find the venue and the band. Theyâre scheduled to play an in-store at a local record shop this afternoon and I hope to make it in time to check that out. Iâll check back in tonight to share the details of both shows.
12:00 noon: There are submarines, roller coaster and pirate ships in the mall. Waiting for the band to arrive from last nightâs show in Calgary, I wandered throughout the mall, mostly because I got lost on the way to the Event Center.
4:00 pm: Less Than Jake arrived, didnât punch me in the face, and quickly loaded the gear into the venue before heading off to Megatunes on the other side of the city to do an acoustic in-store, of which there will be a handful of on this tour. About 70 people showed up to watch the band work through six songs spanning Losing Streak to GNV FLA including 'Does the Lion City Still Sleep?,' 'All My Best Friends are Metal Heads' and 'Look What Happened '. Stage banter was, hilariously enough, in full effect as Chris demanded to know the excuses of a few late-comers to the show. It seemed that "going to get a hotdog" is a perfectly acceptable excuse in Edmonton. The band signed some posters and CDs before leaving the store, but not before one fan made sure to mention that he saw the band play "in 1985 at the old Barn Burner." Looks like our friend may have his decades mixed up, but at least his heart was in the right place.
Check back tomorrow for more on Edmonton, including a review and pictures of the show.