Charlotte City Legion Hall, Haida Gwaii

It's always a good sign when I get to the gig and my picture is on the door. In this case, there are two of them– so double good on me. Keith and I have just come from the community hall down the street where I've been a guest at the community pot luck Christmas dinner. I feel so blessed to be so welcomed to Charlotte City, Haida Gwaii.

Elizabeth meets us at the door with the key to the Hall. It's an interesting looking Legion, also combining a church, a little bar, and a few pool tables. Pretty slick combination. Heaven or Hell? Let's toss for it. Who breaks? Is it cool to have a little shot before church, or after, or both? But both the bar and the church are closed up tonight, so I guess I'll be the one preachin' the blues in just over an hour.

It doesn't take me too long to bring in that Yorkville Sound, Long and McQuade PA system, and have it set up and sounding great. Actually, the room sounds great. I've got the system tuned down pretty low, and I'm more or less going to perform off, or over the mics. I'd sing this room in a heartbeat without mics– I'm just hedging my bets in case it sounds different when it's packed full of people!

Keith and Elizabeth are such good folks to have in your corner. They've been around shows for a whole lotta years now, and know what needs to be done, and how to do it. Here's Keith prepping the door, while Elizabeth gets the coffee machine and the tea going, little dessert things out on plates, cups organized, little paper plates. Wow. This is my kind of small town! Plenty of good food here! I regret that I can't eat much of it before playing– but I do get a nibble of this and that.

There is a blues band on the Island. So far as I can gather it is made up of the guys in the Fire Department. Some big, strapping dudes introduced themselves over at the Community Christmas dinner. Apparently the whole band is coming to the show tonight. I wish I'd known, because I would have invited them to do a little playing, too!

It is almost show time and the hall is empty. A bit of a nail biter. And then, suddenly, the place is packed and more chairs are being set out. Rural folks tend to come pretty much right on time. And, of course, they like the shows to start pretty much on time as well.

I really enjoy playing Charlotte City. It's a listening crowd. They laugh at all the right places, clap at the right times... We are a great combo, this crowd and I. It's easy work tonight to deliver what strikes me as a top notch show.

Everybody loves a genuine satin, white stripe Tour jacket! Here's the lucky winner! A couple of songs and a couple of encores later everyone is gone into the night, and I'm packing gear out into a light rain. This is the kind of night that makes it all worth while.

I follow Keith and Elizabeth up the highway to Tlell. Keith is done, and off to bed. He doesn't know it yet, but I've got a genuine satin, white stripe Tour jacket set aside for him! Elizabeth and I stay up far too late, sampling home made Chateau Red. I've got to be up in just a couple of hours to catch my ship back to the mainland. Time flies when you are in good company. Thanks, Elizabeth, for making this all possible. I'll be back!