So I was lucky enough to be out east for the Toronto and Buffalo games this past weekend. I try and get out to the A.C.C each year, as I have good friends there, and by the time the boys make the trek, my airmiles account is usually ready to go...

I've done this a few times in years past, but for some reason, this season it occurred to me the similarities and differences between my day job, and my night job.

I fill my days working for a local artist management company - Macklam Feldman Management. Here I am Tour Coordinator for Diana Krall and Elvis Costello, and among many other things, am responsible for their touring worldwide. I often will take weeks at a time and join them on the road to meet with vendors, promoters and local venue personnel. there's nothing like going out for a string of shows to remind me of the numerous benefits of all the hard work we do here. it's easy to get lost in the computer screens, and often I forget how joyous concerts are for most people, and the effect they have on their daily lives.

Same can be said for the Canucks. It was great to witness - as I was walking alongside Mike Gillis and Laurence Gilman - departing the press box in Toronto, heading for the elevators to ride down to the dressing room after the game, all the fans yelling "GI - LIS, GI - LLIS, GI - LLIS....." Crazy. thousands of Canucks Jerseys. even better was witnessing the green guys in Buffalo - right next to the penalty box, just like here at the Rogers Arena. We are truly nationwide.

being on the road with the team and with any of my musicians has it's similarities and differences. Both have the usual mad rush for tickets, guests, catering, lobby calls, buses, planes/trains/automobiles. And when the team is winning (and the albums are selling) it's funny how many friends show up asking for tickets that you never knew you had!

But the reason for this little blab is that one thing really hit home - which is the major DIFFERENCE between the 2. - - - -

- - - Whereas the actual hockey game is the highlight of the entire day, when you're on the road with a rock and roll tour (or Jazz tour as the case may be), during the show is actually the only time you have to catch up on emails and other work that's been piling up. also time to set up the post-show meet and greet, transportation, bus drivers call backs to the venue and stocking the buses with food and drinks for the (usual) overnight drive to the next city. with artists such as Diana and Elvis, this is more of a difficulty, as they don't play the same show from night to night, so you want to hear what's going on on-stage. there are moments that come up with the improvisational nature of both artists that are surely not to be missed. so often - after the first few songs - those on the tour who are not responsible for the actual show (sound engineers, lighting directors, etc...) are usually huddled around their laptops in some production office in the bowels of some arena or theater, wolfing down red bull and granola bars, trying to keep up (if I'm on the road with Elvis, there's still another few clients whose lives continue to march forward and need constant work). but so much can, and usually does, happen during the hockey game(s), it's difficult to miss any of the action. Witness tonight in Pittsburgh - I just turned around to witness Bieksa drop Adams with one punch. SOMETHING NOT TO BE MISSED!!!! Further, it becomes clear why long road trips begin to take their toll on you. being away from family and friends takes its toll, and walking into different arenas and hotels every night can give one the sense of longing for home. sure, sometimes the level of talent on teams you play against in their building may not match our guys, but the 4th or 5th game of a trip - - - it's almost as if you're just waiting for it to be over so you can get home - which makes our record in last year's insane road trip (with the Olympics in the middle) all the more amazing. in contrast to that, the end of most music tours are somewhat bittersweet, as you never know when the next tour will arise, and the crew (and musicians) become like your second family, and you start to miss them with only a few shows left on the tour. which inevitably leads up to the last show of the tour - where bands are famous for playing practical jokes on each other. some hilarious stuff i've seen go down, but I'll save that for future ramblings....

Let's be clear - touring in the music business has changed dramatically in the past few years - everything is more expensive, and with the state of most touring acts such as it is, you need to try and save every penny to maximize the net at the end of the tour. money goes quickly on the road, trust me. Other than a select few (U2, Stones, The Police) most acts travel by tour bus. the aforementioned stadium heroes, however, have the luxury of private jets. that's more like the Canucks.

Our beloved team has a nice charter, which makes things much easier - just avoiding airport security! it also makes it easier when routing the trip. Do we stay in a particular city overnight, or drive after the show? we can depart at (almost) any hour, and aren't forced into lame airline schedules, delays, etc... Similar to the Canucks (who take a very scientific approach to these decisions, taking into account player fitness, fatigue, etc...) we also have to sit down and take a look at the overall tour, and figure out the best way to travel, saving the voice of the artist(s) and overall well being. and it really gets funky when things change - which they always do. often we will alter travel plans if press gets added in for example, will often force us to arrive in major markets much earlier, to accommodate morning television or late night radio as the case may be. to change a departure time from a venue has many moving parts involved. never as easy as you'd think. there are so very many details to be processed and triple checked. The Canucks' staff are second to none, and they deserve a lot of credit for the tireless job that they do.

more to follow....

DJD