Welcome to our live album. As we recorded it--that is, as we dragged two digital tape machines and a mixing board across the country and unboxed them nightly, often in haste and with minutes to spare before hitting the stage--we had no idea that, upon reflection, this would turn out to be a defining recording for us. Yet it is. All of your favorites were considered for this record (please, no letters lamenting the exclusion of "The World Is Fluffy" or "Hallowe'en Eyes") and we tried to slip in a few lost gems for good measure. Everything was recorded on our last Canadian tour with bits added from our arena stint opening for The Tragically Hip. We hope that this platter sounds like the road, which, for us, represents more good than bad. In the 27 songs included here, you can feel all of those miles rolled up in there, those timeless purple evenings spent on the highways of Canada, driving through wilding snowstorms and blinding sunsets, wheeling from town to town, club to club, hall to hall, coliding paths with strangers who would become friends, friends who would become strangers, and unapologetically tapping into the astonishing goodwill of Canadian music lovers coast-to-coast who opened their doors to us and saved our collective bacon on more than one occasion. This band would be dead were it not for them. We must offer our profuse thanks to Gary Stokes of Grand Prarie, Alta., for creating the most beautiful live sound imaginable, and to Tim Mech of Peep Show, Ont., who carried guitars, tweaked amps, drove the van and played guitar on "Claire" and "Legal Age Life At Variety Store." It's with equal fondness that we thank our other crew members over the years, particularly Roger Psutka and Andrew Rourke.
Homer once wrote "There is nothing worse for mortal men than wandering." Yet wandering has brought us this record. Enjoy.
Copyright (c) Nov 1997 - Apr 2005 by The USA Rheostatics Page