Little did we know how addicted to connectively we all were. When we woke up on Monday morning, we were crossing the mighty Canadian Shield. Every iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and cell phone were as burnt out as their extremely hung over owners.
When you cross the Canadian Shield by train, it sinks in how truly vast and wild Canada is. For hours upon hours we saw nothing but glistening lakes, stunted trees and protruding rocks.
And while recording a bit for my Podcast, I even saw a moose charging through a creek below the tracks! It was huge!
Hours later, the train finally rolled into a tiny Ontario town called Hornepayne. For the first time since Winnipeg, we were all able to stretch our legs. Our massive, bedraggled group quickly took over Hornepayne like Marlon Brando’s gang in The Wild One.
The Tracks on Tracks gang of 100+ musicians, film crew, media and fans gave the Hornepayne economy an insta-boost, packing the grocery store and liquor mart, buying up massive quantities of booze and junk food for the final night on the train.
Gathering in the town’s main intersection while we waited for our beloved Canadian to fuel up for the final leg of the trip, the musicians casually and naturally lived up to their oft-stereotyped image by cracking beers and lighting joints in the afternoon sun.
Several local pick up trucks slowed down to take a long hard glare at the freak show that had invaded town.
Back on the train, it was time for one final wild night of rockin’ and rollickin’ down the rails. Adaline played first to a jam-packed Tracks on Tracks car, even inviting the VIA Rail conductor to the “stage” to sing AC/DC’s “It’s A Long Way To The Top”. Awesome.
Next up, the Belle Game played an energized, harmonious show of their lives, backed by the woodwinds of Sidney York. In the rear portion of the car, a bluegrass banjo jam had broken out with Shred Kelly and Portage and Main that went deep into the late hours.
The Matinee asked that I visit them in the dining car, which I gamely did, finding a large group of Radio 3 fans all gathered around, iPhones at the ready. The Matinee then launched into an acoustic version of “Rosie”, an old song by my band The Smugglers.
I was shocked and flattered, and joined in singing a song I haven’t sung for almost a decade. The Matinee followed it up with a huge sing-a-long of their crowd favourite “Sweet Water”, and their new hit “Young and Lazy”. It was yet another amazing Tracks on Tracks moment as the train roared through night towards our final destination.
Tomorrow: Tracks on Tracks Top Ten Moments
Tracks on Tracks Day 1 - The Departure
Tracks on Tracks Day 2 - The Rocky Mountains