A Little White Tent Glowing in the Night - interPLAY Day One

As some regular readers of this blog know I love interPLAY, and have attended every year since arriving in this community a decade ago. Some also know that in the last year I have been volunteering with Events Wood Buffalo, working backstage doing artist hospitality at events like last year's SummersEnd and Canada Rocks 2012. I was away for a couple of weeks at the end of July and early August (hanging out in glorious places like Banff, Yoho National Park, and Vancouver) but I had told EWB that when I returned I would be delighted to volunteer once more, this time at interPLAY.

When I arrived home I discovered that EWB had been trying to reach me. They had an offer, you see. They had decided that since I had apparently done an okay job with the artists during Canada Rocks that they would ask me to work for them for 3 days at interPLAY, a contract position running the artist hospitality tent for the mainstage. It didn't take me long to consider it, really. I love working with performers, I love interPLAY, I love spending time with the folks from EWB, and being paid to do it was simply some kind of miraculous bonus. And that, people, is how I ended up in a little white tent in the Keyano College parking lot all last weekend. That's how I once again ended up meeting dozens of performing artists, local and national, and that is how once again I found myself talking about this community (and sharing a few laughs, and drinking a WHOLE lot of coffee, but I digress).

On Thursday I met the folks from EWB for a little pre-festival site walk around and meeting, and to see where my tent would be located. And then, Friday morning at 10 am, latte in hand, I arrived for the start of interPLAY 2012.

You are going to notice in my posts about interPLAY this year that I don't write about the plays or the street performers or much other than the mainstage. And frankly that's because from early morning to late at night I was happily running my little white tent behind the mainstage. I was responsible for greeting the artists when they arrived, assisting them with anything they needed, and generally making sure that they enjoyed the festival, too (the handing out of tickets for the beer garden always made them happy, I noticed). You see it's not just the public that needs to enjoy an event like this. You want the performers to leave having enjoyed it too, whether they are local or from away. You want them to be open to returning to perform here again, and to tell other performers how spectacular we are.

Before interPLAY I had written in the blog that coffee donations would be gratefully accepted. You see, I wasn't sure when and if I'd be able to get away to get coffee, and I knew that I would need it. I rely fairly heavily on caffeine to be functional, especially when late nights and problem solving may be involved. I could say that people really "came through" on the coffee deliveries but that is an enormous understatement. I was delighted and touched that every single day coffee was delivered to me, some days happening so frequently that I was consuming cup after cup in rapid succession (and being very grateful the Keyano doors, and toilets, were close at hand). You see, though, I needed that coffee - because I was quite busy.

On Friday the entertainment on the mainstage started in the late afternoon, and continued until the early morning. I was so delighted to welcome local artists like Gypsy Butterfly, a beautiful and talented woman who recently relocated to our community, and who is the very soul of kindness. I chatted with local band members from Surface Below, another talented group of locals who blew me away with their renditions of some popular cover songs. I had seen local Dave Martin before, but once again was delighted to speak to him and see him perform.

 Local performer Gypsy Butterfly, beautiful inside and out

Local band Surface Below, terrific guys!

Local Dave Martin, such great talent

When the band members from Vancouver group Maria in the Shower arrived I was pretty much speechless as in terms of style and dress these young men pretty much blew local men out of the water (sorry local boys, but those vests and red bow ties are pretty hard to beat). Sharp dressers, sharp musicians, and a delight to speak to as well - how could anyone resist them? And when one of them pulled out an accordian, the instrument my father had played for his entire life (his treasured accordian is mine now, willed to me upon his death) they pretty much stole my heart completely.

I've written about Steven Bowers before, an incredibly talented musician who now calls Edmonton home, and who I had the pleasure to meet and see perform at interPLAY (I have his CD, which has now gone into rotation on my On The Go iPhone playlist). Locals Until Dawn burned up the stage, and then, when they finished, AC/DC tribute band Thunderstruck took the stage to entertain a lively crowd that had formed both inside and outside the beer gardens.

The amazing Steven Bowers

 Until Dawn prepares the crowd to be...

Thunderstruck!

Now that list of performers might seem deceptive. It might seem like they just came and went with little need for support or attention, but that isn't true. Through it all I was backstage in my little white tent, filling buckets with ice and water and juice and pop. I was making sure they had snacks if they needed them, and questions answered if they had any. And I was doing something else. I was chatting with the locals, discussing our community and what they do in it, and learning from them. And, very sneakily, I was chatting with the ones from other places like Vancouver, talking to them about Fort McMurray and this region. I was very casually engaging in some interpersonal education while attending to their needs, serving cold drinks with a side of community spirit. I was doing what it seems I do best, and I was delighted that my audience - the musicians - were receptive to it.

You see everyone who comes here, especially for the first time, has some curiousity about it. I am so fortunate that over the past year I have learned so much. I can spout off statistics about things like population and average age and birth rate and average income. I can do more, though. I can give a personal face to those who live here, share my story of why I came and why I stay, speak of my experience here and what this community means to those who call it home. And I can do it very subtly while handing out beer tickets and waiting with musicians for their soundchecks.

That first day is a bit of a blur for me, people. I spent a lot of time setting my tent up, putting up chairs and tables. I knew it would grow dark as it grew later, so I took one spotlight and shone it in the corner of the tent. For the rest of the lighting, though, I chose to use a string of white Christmas tree lights, stretched on the ground along the edges of the tent. I cannot described how good it felt at twilight to plug those in, and to see the tent suddenly come alive with a soft white glow, a little beacon of light for my performers (and yes, I call them mine - I've got a strong maternal instinct, and when you task me with taking care of someone I do it with intensity and some degree of possessiveness, meaning I get protective, too). I wanted my performers to feel at home in the tent, to be able to return to it after their performance and find it softly glowing from within, beckoning them with cool drinks and food and a warm reception. I believe - and hope - that I achieved that.

By one AM when Thunderstruck left the stage, leaving behind a crowd thrilled with the performances of the evening, I was very tired but also still awake thanks to all the coffee deliveries. I won't identify those who delivered as I have thanked them personally and/or on Twitter, but I will share some photos of the deliveries here. I was admittedly heavily reliant on the kindness of friends, including one who even brought me supper. While I was keeping my performers fuelled and happy my friends did the same for me, enabling me to do my job so the performers had what they needed to do theirs.

My quite likely unhealthy lunch...

...balanced with a much healthier supper, 

courtesy of a dear friend!

At the end of the night, after all the bands had cleared out their gear, said their good-byes, and given me sweaty post-show hugs (which I gratefully received, delighted that they had enjoyed the experience enough to want to hug me) I looked around my little white tent. I cleaned up the garbage, and recycled empty water bottles. I quietly unplugged the spotlight, and, finally, the string of Christmas lights, plunging my little tent into darkness until the morning when I would arrive to do it all again with a different group of performers. I walked through the festival site, said my own good-byes, and climbed into my car to drive home to my own little house, glowing amber with lights waiting to welcome me home. I drove home buoyed by my interactions with all my performers, the kindness of my friends, and the image of that little white tent glowing in the dark Fort McMurray night, welcoming and warm just as I find this community to be. It was another of those Fort Mac days - and only the first of three.

At the start of the day, in my little white tent :)

My deepest and sincere thanks to

Gypsy Butterfly,

Dave Martin,

Steven Bowers,

Surface Below,

Maria in the Shower,

Until Dawn,

and 

Thunderstruck

for being an absolute pleasure to host,

and of course to

Events Wood Buffalo

for trusting me enough for the job :)

Where to Find Me for the Next 3 Days - interPLAY 2012!

Well, people, it's Friday, August 10.  It's 7 am as I write this, and I am up early to start my day, staring blearily at this screen. Last night I was up late working on laundry and house tidying and other chores because I'm headed into another Fort McMurray whirlwind weekend, a weekend of three days of fun and entertainment and, for me, work. Why? Because interPLAY 2012 starts today, and I will be there for the full three days - and I cannot wait.

I've written before that interPLAY was the first event we attended when we arrived in this community a decade ago. We have attended every year since, enjoying every aspect of the festival from street performers to live music to laser tag to face painting to the beer gardens. We have even planned summer vacations around it, trying to ensure we would be here for the festival. And this year we will attend again, although for me this year will be a bit different.

You see, this year I am working with Events Wood Buffalo. Just as at Canada Rocks I will be doing artist hospitality, and just as with Canada Rocks these will be long days. I will be there when the gates open every morning, and close every night. I will be there all the hours in between, chatting with the artists, attending to their needs, solving the occasional crisis if they arise, and generally speaking ensuring the artists enjoy their time at the festival too. For the artists from outside our community I suppose I will be a community ambassador, and will likely be telling them about my experience of life here. I will be relying on good friends (and frankly total strangers) to bring me coffee to keep me functioning, and by gate close time on Sunday will likely be running purely on caffeine and adrenaline. And I will, just at I did at Canada Rocks, have the time of my life.

There is something magical about a festival like interPLAY. I was on site last night, watching as tents were erected, the stage finished, and food vendors setting up. Suddenly a street in front of Keyano College becomes a street party, and today crowds will begin to filter in - until eventually they begin to pour in if previous years are any indication. There will be the sound of laughter and children's voices, the smell of mini-donuts (I hope!), and a visual feast for the eyes as every corner will come alive. There will be the plays indoors, and the acts outside. There will be families and young couples and senior citizens and every demographic of this city. There will be live music and street performers and marketplace vendors. There will be this community enjoying an annual festival of arts and music.

And there will be me, witnessing it all as I so love to do. I will be there this year in a way I have never been before, not as an attendee but as someone on the inside of it all, someone who gets to see the hard work that goes into making it happen, and who gets to be a part of making the magic happen for others.

So, Fort Mac, I hope to see you at interPLAY this weekend. If you happen to see me do stop and say hello. And if you happen to be bring me a coffee (a plain latte is preferred!) I can guarantee a smile regardless of how tired I may happen to be and how seriously I want to crawl under a table and curl up for a nap. Aw, hell, even if you don't bring me coffee I can guarantee a smile - because how can anyone resist smiling when at a community event that brings us all together like interPLAY? I know I can't - and I bet you can't, either!

Hope to see you all at interPLAY 2012!

Located on King Street

in front of Keyano College.

interPLAY website can be found here :)

And please note that for McMurray Musings

coffee donations are always gratefully received ;)

(just kidding, unless you really do want

to bring me coffee, in which case I will quite

likely hug the stuffing out of you!)

Fort McMurray, Films, and Pride - YMM interPLAY Film Festival

Regular readers of this blog know a few things about me. They know I admire qualities like vision, and passion, and drive. They know I admire individuals who follow their dreams and ideas, who are brave and bold enough to grasp an idea and see it through to the finish. And likely they know that I admire the creative process, whether it involves fibre artists to musicians to artists. What they likely don't know is that when all these things come together in my own little community I tend to bust out in overwhelming (almost embarrassing) pride, so deeply proud of the members of my community with the qualities I admire. This pride surfaced again on the weekend when I attended the YMM interPLAY Film Festival, hosted by Toddske and Tito of YMMPodcast and in conjunction with Events Wood Buffalo.

Toddske and Tito are young members of this community I consider friends. In fact we started our respective journeys, they with their podcast and I with this blog, at almost the same time. One of the very first emails I sent as "McMurray Musings" was to Toddske (back when the concept was to write this blog anonymously, an idea he and I still laugh about to this day since that concept lasted approximately two weeks before I realized it was impossible to do). To say I am "fond" of Toddske and Tito is likely the understatement of the year. They have become, in my mind, family. I admire them both so much, both of them working at their careers but also running the podcast, doing film festivals, Tito making films (and Toddske occasionally appearing in those films), and otherwise doing everything they can to show their story of life in Fort McMurray. So when they organize an event you can bet I will be there front and centre to support because these two men show the passion, vision, and drive I admire, along with a commitment to seeing an idea through, and they too embrace the creativity that I delight in. They are not only family to me - they are family of which I am deeply, deeply proud.

So, when they hosted their second annual interPLAY Film Festival I knew I would be there. On Sunday night the festival wrapped up with the final showing of independent short films, as well as the entries in the 48-hour film challenge. Now, I love the short films, submitted to them from all over the world, and Sunday night was no different, with little films like "Shinny" capturing my heart. But in all honestly it was the 48-hour challenge entries I came to see, because these films are from local people who have committed 48 hours of their time to write, cast, film, and edit a short for competition. These are not professional film-makers - some have never made a film before. And to do so in 48 hours pretty much blows my mind, since as a writer I sort of understand the creative process and sometimes in the first 48 hours of a new project all I do is consume dozens of cups of coffee and stare at a blank screen. To see the results, to see eight films (eight, double the entries of last year!) and to see local talent shine - well, to say I was proud is yet another understatement. I am very glad the theatre was quite dark, as then no one could see the tears that formed in my eyes as the eight films unrolled on the screen before me.

The eight films were as different as those who made them, each one reflecting the individuality of the film-makers. I was a bit astonished when I realized I recognized every single name of those who made or starred in a film, and was even more thrilled when I realized that I call several of them my friends. To see the hard work of my friends on a screen was past exciting for me. I know many people were excited that night about some landing on Mars or something, but for me nothing could beat the pure joy and excitement of seeing my friends introduce their films, to see them as they took the stage to talk about their creative process (a process that in this case saw some friends enjoying a visit from the local RCMP, while others took a trip to the Emergency Room after film-related accidents).

There is something to be said about every single film, but some truly stand out for me, too. My friend and occasional guest blogger ashcakesquiggle, as she is known on Twitter, submitted a lovely little short that was funny and cute and showed some of my very favourite places in this city, including the coffee shop where this blog has often been written. My friend Kelton Stepanowich submitted a very funny little piece starring his friend Dilbar, and when it won the challenge I was not at all surprised. The Intrepid Junior Blogger, who accompanied me to the film festival (and loved it, incidentally) was very taken with the film from Misty Oakes, and lines from that film are still being tossed around in my house (such as when she tosses something at me and says "I just proved my existence to you"). There were others, too, several other films from people like Eric Janvier and Nolan Haukeness and Alex Rushdy. There was one film, though, that brought tears to my eyes, and it was a very simple little film from a young woman named Carli Gaudet. It started in a way that troubled me, but then it took a turn, took the 48-hour challenge theme of "A New Beginning", and made me cry as it reflected all that I believe to be good and wonderful about our community. It is a lovely little film in every sense, and once again I felt that sense of pride that starts somewhere in my head and then pretty much comes bursting out of my chest as I simply cannot contain it.

So. Two podcasters, a film festival, local film makers, a community, and a blogger with an enormous sense of pride in everyone involved. What does that all mean, people? It means we have a creative community here that I believe rivals that found in any community. But it means more, too. It means we have people like Toddske and Tito who do things like the film festival simply for the joy of doing it, for the betterment of the community, and to celebrate creativity and the arts. It means we have now seen the second year of a film festival that I believe will continue to grow and spread, gaining popularity and momentum. It means we have local film makers with enormous talent, and we have people who have never even made a film who decide to give it a try, producing astonishing results. It means we have a community who supports the creative process, those involved in it, and those who bring it to us through things like film festivals. And it means you have a little blogger who sometimes sits in a dark theatre and cries a little bit with sheer pride over all those things, and over her tremendous good fortune to be a witness to it all. And that very lucky, very proud,  and occasionally very tearful blogger would be me, of course.

My genuine and sincere thanks to

Toddske and Tito

of YMMPodcast

for taking on things like organizing a film festival -

and for becoming my family.

My sincere thanks to

Events Wood Buffalo

for partnering with YMMPodcast

to allow the creativity found here and around the world 

to be seen on a screen right here in our community.

And finally my deepest thanks to

the 48-hour challenge film competitors.

You showed me once again

what this community is truly about.

Where possible I am including links
 or videos of your films below - simply

because I am so bloody proud of

every single one of you, and

I want everyone who reads this blog to see your work!

A New Beginning - ashcakesquiggle

Alive - Carli Gaudet

And So It Begins - interPLAY 2012 Is Here!

You know what I love? I love interPLAY. In fact this is perhaps one of the events in Fort McMurray I get most excited about, and really it's because it's one of the first events I ever attended in this city, a decade ago when we first arrived.

When we came here the Intrepid Junior Blogger was about to turn 3. We got off the plane in early August, and didn't even have a place to live. We stayed in a temporary spot while we house-hunted, and days after our arrival we checked out this little street festival on Franklin called interPLAY - and we fell in love.

I have photos from that first year, photos of the Intrepid Junior Blogger much tinier than she is now, and with her face painted as Spider Man (don't ask, I'm not sure why she chose that face painting). I remember her excitement over the very concept of a street festival. I remember balloon animals and street performers and ice cream. We have attended every year since, often planning our holidays so that we did not miss interPLAY, and every year we have enjoyed the festival.

Last year at interPLAY things had changed considerably from that first year we attended. interPLAY was no longer down on Franklin, but instead at their new home in front of Keyano. And the Intrepid Junior Blogger had no interest in face painting, instead choosing to spend her time playing laser tag until she was sweaty, exhausted, and could find no one interested in falling prey to her assassin techniques. And while there was no face painting she is more interested in street performing than ever, hoping to one day launch her own street performance act, and ice cream is forever a favourite for her, regardless of age.

interPLAY kicked off again this weekend with the second annual interPLAY Film Festival, an event organized by my dear friends/family at YMMPodcast. Last night I was delighted to take in some of the second night, an eclectic mix of comedy and horror independent short films. I roared with laughter at "Felt Up", and almost died snorting when "Steel Viper Force: Rise of Fiero" screened (tough to explain, but the cheesiest, funniest, most clichéd little piece of film I've ever seen, so brilliantly done that I almost fell off my chair, and inspiring a deep desire to attach those huge wooden salad forks you see in restaurants to the front of my car - long story, that). Tonight I am beyond excited to see the awards, more films, and even more importantly the results of the 48-hour film challenge, where local film-makers have a mere 48 hours to write, cast, film, and edit a short for competition (I'm betting there will be a lot of bleary eyes and caffeine-induced jitters in that group tonight).

And for the next few days I will be in a house that is interPLAY-obsessed, as the Intrepid Junior Blogger is once again anxious to see the street performers and eat ice cream. Every other year I have attended the plays alone, but this year she will come with me to some, having developed an interest in drama in recent years. Just as with every other year I will try to convince her to get her face painted and she will roll her eyes at me, weary of a mother intent on keeping her a child forever. We will shop in the marketplace, and, tonight, she too will attend the film festival, her first ever attendance at such an event.

You see, that's the thing about interPLAY. When we first arrived here in Fort Mac interPLAY was a family event we attended together. Over the years, though, it's like the event has become a family friend. It's the family friend that only comes around once a year, never stays long enough, and then departs leaving you anxious for their next visit. And I admit it. Every year we totally love the stuffing out of interPLAY, just as you do with a beloved family friend you only see once a year. This year will be no different, people. Don't bother calling us at home or dropping by our house - we won't be there. We'll be hanging out with our old family friend interPLAY. And if you haven't met it yet then this is the year to welcome a new family friend. C'mon out to interPLAY, Fort Mac - I hope to see you there!

I'm Coming Home - to Fort McMurray

It seems a bit ironic that I am writing this post in the Vancouver airport. You see, this entire blog was inspired by an incident in this very airport, an incident with a very nice but misguided security agent. This agent, on seeing my boarding pass and the final destination of "Fort McMurray", said to me "No one lives there - and certainly no one like you" - and that is where the entire idea for this blog began. After years of comments about my chosen home city I had had enough, and I decided to do the only thing I knew how to do - write about my community so that through one reader, one person, and one security agent at a time I could try to change perceptions.

I've been away from Fort Mac for two weeks now, on a vacation that took me from the Rockies to the ocean, from the wilderness of Yoho National Park to the heart of downtown Vancouver. And once again I found myself talking about Fort McMurray. Once again I found myself encountering those who had heard only the negatives, those who didn't understand the complexity of our community, and those who simply didn't know anything other than what mainstream media has told them. So, I did what I do - and I talked about MY Fort McMurray.

I talked about our birth rate, which is astonishing, and our median age, which is very young (31). I talked about our anticipated population growth, and I talked about the growth in our industry (and what that means to the community, too). I talked about our strengths, and about our weaknesses. And as I talked and as I tried to spread the story of who we really are I realized how much I have learned in the last year and a bit writing this blog. I realized how little I knew when I began, how much I have learned in the interim, and, more importantly, how much more I need to know. Because I have this intense desire to learn more - because the more I know the more I can tell to others.

I spoke to many people in the past two weeks, some from Canada and some from other countries. Some knew a bit about Fort Mac, and some knew nothing. I can pretty much guarantee they all left my company knowing more than they did when they met me, and I learned along the way, too. I learned that there is an eagerness to know more about us, a curiousity. And I was delighted to be able to tell them what I know.

One of the funniest moments for me on this trip was when I was on Twitter and mentioned missing Fort McMurray. Someone replied that they had never heard anyone say they missed this place, and never thought they would. I replied that I thought it was normal to miss home, and they replied that while it was normal to miss home they didn't think referring to Fort McMurray as "home" was normal. I found that both troubling and a bit funny, as while the image might be changing some of the perceptions continue to exist - like that this community is not a home. That no one would miss it. That no one would call Fort McMurray "home". And yet here it is: Fort McMurray, Alberta, is my home. And I miss it when I am away. And it is the community that is closest to my heart and mind of all the places I have lived in my entire life. So, not only is it home but I think it is truly the place I will always think of as home, no matter where life may eventually take me, and I suspect the same is true of my daughter, who arrived here at the age of 2 and is now about to turn 13.

So, Fort Mac, tomorrow I am coming home. I have missed you, and while I enjoyed my little vacation during which I was able to tell strangers about you I am very happy to return to you now. I need to learn some more about you, and there are hundreds more blog posts to write. And in the end there are just all those days and nights I intend to spend with you. You know, at home, where I truly belong.

RRRibbit, Recycling, and Me in the RMWB

I can't even begin to describe my excitement when I saw them. There they were, pristine and gleaming in the sunshine as I turned into my driveway when I returned home. Every neighbour's driveway held them too, shiny and new and ready. I feel the same little shiver of thrill I get when I arrive home and see a parcel by the front door, knowing it is a new pair of shoes I've ordered from some far-flung destination. But these little gems on my driveway were way better than new shoes. There they were, black and blue, and just waiting to be filled. What were they? My new garbage and recycling bins from the RMWB, that's what.

So maybe such excitement over recycling and garbage bins seems absurd, but not to me. I remember when I first arrived in Fort McMurray a decade ago and was stunned to discover the state of our recycling. Recycling wasn't easy. There was no blue bin to put out on garbage collection day. No, you had to collect your recycling and then transport it yourself to central recycling points, often finding them full anyhow (try stuffing more cardboard into an already stuffed bin and you will know the meaning of "frustrated"). For me collecting the recycling was the easy part. The transporting it was the hard part, and so the mountain of recyclables in my garage grew and grew and grew. And then my new recycling containers arrived.

I was gleeful as I rolled them into the garage - and frankly I have been gleeful every collection day, too, as the mountain of recycling grows smaller. Transportation doesn't mean trying to stuff all the recycling into my too-small-for-this vehicle and then into a too-full-for-this recycling container. Nope. It means dumping it into my bin and wheeling it down to the end of my driveway. I think I might actually hum while I do it, which is a far cry from the words I used to say when on my twice-yearly transportation of recyclables.

The program isn't perfect, of course. Glass still needs to be transported, and so glass mountain remains in my garage (and the collection of wine bottles might indicate to some that I have a wee drinking problem until they realize it is a collection from years of house parties and late summer evenings with friends). And my neighbours still seem a bit confused about the schedule, occasionally putting out their cardboard recycling bin when it should be their plastics, and then looking bemused when they come home and discover the bin still full. For me, though, this is effortless. It is easy. It is the lazy person's way to recycle, and let me tell you when it is easy I become a fiend about things (I blame the ease of online shoe shopping for my shoe addiction, frankly). So I am an utter recycling fiend now, often pulling things other family members have tossed into the garbage and reclaiming them for the proper recycling bin. I recycle paper and plastics and am working on teaching all the other family members to do the same, although the dog seems rather puzzled by the entire affair and refuses to catch on.

And I admit it. Initially I found RRRibbit, the municipality's recycling mascot, a little bit creepy. I'm not a fan of things in costume, and I will tell you right now Disney World damn near killed me and only fear of jail time and scarring my kid forever kept me from punching some of those things in mascot costumes when they got too close to me. Now, though, I'm becoming a fan of that frog. I've softened towards him since he represents recycling in the RMWB, and I am a huge fan of that, and how easy it has become.

I am recycling fanatic, people, and I thank the RMWB for making it easy for me to be one. Just a caution, though. While I've softened towards RRRibbit I would suggest he not sidle up to me unexpectedly. I'd hate to be known as the fanatical recycler AND the woman who knocked RRRibbit flat with one punch.

My sincere thanks to

the RMWB

for my new recycling bins,

and to RRRibbit -

for continuing to keep his distance

from unpredictable bloggers with

mascot phobias ;)

A Perfect Evening With Hedley

I am always excited about concert announcements. Some thrill me more than others, of course, simply because as with anyone else certain musical styles appeal to me more than others. And some please me simply because I know they will please the most important people in my life - the Intrepid Junior Bloggers. So, when I heard the news of an upcoming concert at MacDonald Island a few weeks ago I knew the Juniors would be delighted, because it was a band they both like. It was a Canadian band that I like, too, a band that has risen to fame for good reason. It was a band that I am unashamed to admit I listen to often, singing along in my off-key kind of way. It was, of course, Hedley.

When I went home and told the Juniors about Hedley there was squealing. It was squealing of the high-pitched variety, the kind that hurts my ears but that I knew I better get used to because I would hear a lot of it both before, during, and after the concert. I took to Twitter quickly, and was delighted when Mac Island offered me a media pass to the concert. And that is when I decided to once again issue a personal request, but for a different reason. I decided to ask about the possibility of meeting Hedley, not for me but for my girls. And really it was because of the eldest Intrepid Junior Blogger.

You see, some of you know that the older Junior Blogger is not "mine". She is, as I have said on occasion, "a loaner", my niece who came to live with us for a year. And it has been a helluva year, people. She got to model in a fashion show. She got to meet Down With Webster. She got to work on a political campaign and attend the subsequent victory party when our efforts were rewarded with success. She got to attend events with me, she got to meet dozens of local people, she got to attend a brand new school (Ecole McTavish), she got to make fantastic new friends, she got to know her cousin (the younger Intrepid Junior Blogger) much better, and she got to make a family of three into a family of four. But it was just for a year, and, just days after the concert, she would leave us to go back home. She would no longer be my faithful sidekick for shopping adventures. She would go back to her life in another province, and she would be dearly, dearly missed by her friends, her uncle, her cousin - and especially, I think, by me, the person who stopped being her aunt for a year and became instead her "second mom" and friend. So, although I don't like to ask for things I asked if there was any chance my girls could meet Hedley - because this concert would be one of the last things my beloved elder Intrepid Junior Blogger would do in Fort McMurray. I wanted her final event here to be one she would remember forever, and I wanted to end her year with us in a way that showed her how much I love her. So, I sent in the request, and I waited.

In the meantime we got ready to see Hedley. Songs were downloaded and shared. Camera and cell phone batteries were charged. And, last Thursday night, we headed down to MacDonald Island, that place that is like a second home to me - and, to be honest, to the Junior Bloggers as they spend much time there too - and went to see Hedley.

It was, as I would say to the Juniors later, a "kickass" show. Opening act "Acres of Lions" from Victoria warmed up the stage nicely, playing a great set that primed the crowd for "the boys". There was a nice mix in the crowd, lots of age groups and both genders well represented, but there was a definite skew towards young women, not a surprise given the attractive nature of the young men in Hedley. Excitement grew in the crowd until finally, at about 8:30, Hedley took the stage - and took the audience into the stratosphere.

The Intrepid Juniors had abandoned me moments after we made it inside the gate (after me making them wait with the crowd in the line up, as while I probably could have snuck them in quicker using my media access I thought it important they understand what "general admission" means, even if it meant waiting out a rain shower while lined up). They took off to be with their friends as teenagers do, and I watched with amusement as they quickly secured spots right at the fence in front of the stage.

As media I was delighted to be in the "media pit" for the first three songs, able to snap photos up close of the band. And after that I wandered around for a bit, snapping photos of the stage, until meandering up to the VIP section to be with my own friends, and watch the rest of the show.

It was an incredible show, too, energetic and frenetic. I sang along with many of the songs, as the lyrics are catchy and easy to remember. Particular songs - "One Life", for instance, and "Perfect", simply roll off my tongue, while the song "Invincible" is deeply relevant to anyone who has ever experienced any level of personal change in their lives (something with which I am quite familiar, having gone from "stay at home mom" to "unpaid blogger" to "paid freelance writer" in a little over a year). I sang, I danced, I bought t-shirts for all three of us, and, at the end of the show, I met the Juniors and their friends.

We drove away from Mac Island with our windows open and the warm summer air pouring in, speakers blaring Hedley songs. We headed straight to Macdonald's and our traditional post-concert fast food and show analysis, discussing our favourite songs and moments. We talked about it all, guzzling down pop and eating french fries, laughing and talking and singing little bits of the songs we had just heard. And we talked about the best part, about the part they will never forget. We talked about how they got to meet Hedley.

Yes, that's right, people. Just before the show the Junior Bloggers and I got to meet Hedley, and we discovered four very sweet, very kind, and very funny young men. They signed my media pass, and they signed the Juniors' iPhone and iPod cases. They took photos with us, they joked with us (one accusing me of touching his bum, which I can assure you I did not, but which made my girls roar with laughter), and they gave my niece exactly what I had hoped for - one final memory of Fort McMurray that may fade over time but that will never disappear. It was the final jewel in a crown full of a year of memories for her, I think. I almost cried when she and my daughter had their photo taken with the band (but I didn't, knowing I would never be allowed to live that down). And when they walked out and towards the field, when I watched my girls bubble over with excitement over meeting Hedley and seeing the show and life in general I was so profoundly grateful. Grateful to MacDonald Island and the people there who not only bring in great entertainment but who made my niece's last event here so special. Grateful to people like the guys in Hedley, who had no idea what this meant to me or my niece, but who were simply good guys. And, in the end, grateful to this community that has given me - and by extension my niece - so much.

When my niece is home I know she will be singing the praises of Fort McMurray. She will speak of her year here, her school and her friends and her experiences, and she will be an ambassador for our community. Even more importantly, though, I think she will know in her heart how much her aunt loves her, and how much she will be missed. I think she will be grateful, too, for a year spent in Fort McMurray. I think she will never forget her year in a northern community that changes lives, just as it has changed mine, and, I think, has changed hers. I think she will always think of Fort McMurray as home, even if she doesn't live here. And frankly I can't think of a better way to end a year here than that.

My sincere thanks to

MacDonald Island Park

for all they do for the community -

and for me.

My profound thanks to

 Jacob, Chris, Tommy, and Dave -

for being great guys

and making the dreams 

of two young women come true.

And finally my deepest thanks to my niece -

whether I call her

Keila or Intrepid Junior Blogger

I love her as if she is my own,

and I always will.

Thanks for sharing a year of your life with us,

Cupcake :)