Welcome tired travellers to the Another Roadside Attraction cyber-info site. Another Roadside Attraction 1995 is now over. If you couldn't make it to any of the shows, read about them below.

Speaking of roadside attractions, how 'bout this definition from Mark Gaudet of Eric's Trip:

A "roadside attraction" makes me think of scary stuff, like the birth of the Sasquatch (Big Foot). Wasn't it from those traveling circuses that they were made? When men went with the female gorrillas afterwards. That would be great if a scary roadside attraction came to your city.

Hot Off The Road

Past leanings toward a full stop.
We live to survive our paradoxes
in the summer that hissed like
Tom Verlaine.

Be friends or die,
Love,
Gord

Off the top we were trying hard to win over every person in the park. As the tour went on, we knew it wasn't going to happen. So then he adjusted our attitude, and tried to be in more control of what we do. The last three shows were our best.

Much of the new ideas you get on the tour are pretty much unsolicited from other artists, and come about through conversation. Ziggy Marley explained to us the Jamaican recording situation and encouraged us to record down there. It's an idea that interests us because we would like to record outside of Vancouver.

Geoff Kelly, Spirit of the West

I had heard enough stories to know about The Hip in Canada. After seeing it for myself I can say that they are bigger than any band I know of in their own country. The only band in the States that compares is Phish.

As far as the tour itself goes, I've never been so well taken care of. This is the best festival I've ever been on. The crowds - they were really open minded. They came early and left late.

Chan Kinchla, Blues Traveler

I had a totally great time. If I have any one complaint, it's that this tour was not long enough. ARA was a unique collection of bands and it lived up to everything I had heard about it. As far as we're concerned, the recognition from the Canadian audience surprised us. They knew a lot of our songs.

Matthew Sweet

ARA was cool - a great opportunity to play a bunch of shows without all the usual b.s that surrounds it. We were well taken care of. Basically all we had to do was play, and it gave us a chance to do some really good shows.

Hanging out with Matthew Sweet gave us a sense there are bands out there who share the same approach and appreciation of song writing.

Chris Thompson - Eric's Trip

Another Roadside Attraction is a celebration of the independence of The Tragically Hip. That they can choose any band they want to work with, and we can be a part of this.

We never felt like guinea pigs, but to be fair, playing first on the bill meant sometimes the stage was still going up. Like the time in Montreal when a guy was hammering a post onto the front stage barrier as we were playing.

Mike O'Neill, The Inbreds

ARA just ended and I'm still singing Claire, Runaround and Fight. The thunderbolt end came in Stittsville at the Capital Speedway, near Ottawa. Crowds, crew and cast endured more than their fair share of rain last Sunday. Garbage bag raingear outsold beer in the early afternoon.

By day's end, Mother Nature treated us to her nicer side and Spirit, Ziggy and The Hip played under clear rainbow-clad skies. Brave souls with Tide at home horsed around in the mud ala some 1969 festival. Outstanding preformances early on set the tone for the day. The fans, some merely wet and many drenched and mud-ridden knew they would be the last to see this cast of musicans together - back to back.

In the earlier hours of Monday, July 24 the engines of buses and trucks growled to life and crawled out of the muck to destinations unknown, carrying the cast and crew of ARA 1995. Backstage folks were treated to the fine sights and sounds of the Junkyard Symphony and their fire-eating and belly dancing friends. In the darkness, this drum-happy ensemble played the final notes.

Signing off from backstage at ARA... Mintboy

Hello music lovers. Avoid the devil's well-laid plans but don't suck up to God. Good words, them. And while we're at it: Don't play smart but don't act dumb. Not only am I here to impart such nuggets of wisdom, but I've also been elected to report on the goings-on of this travelling PingPong-A-Thon better known as Another RoadBite Protraction, which has lumbered pachyderme-like west to east with all the grace of an Albertosauras, fleet and mean, swift and clean.

We reprise the Campfire RockFest tommorow in Markham, which is another word for Toronto, an Indian word meaning sharp cheese, and it's a good omen, I think, that today was a GoldStar LoveFest, the audience apple-cheeked and happy, the bands cool and groovy, the skies ambivalent, and the turf rich and muddy. Fat bullets of sound, and a nice view of the Mount Royal Cross. But this is Montreal, the Sweet City, the city where girls and boys kiss in stairways and the homeless grow fat doughy bagels and cream cheese, the city of Leonard Cohen, the Rocket Riots, all of that good French stuff. Tim met Sticki Thompson of the Melody Makers, who gave him a big, ten-gold-toothed grin. Made the Little One's day. I took the Vince quiz and was jobbed out of a page, but now I know that Winston Churchill liked to lay bricks while planning British imperialism. see? A rich day. Now we dance!!!

Actually, we roll barrel-like in our respective Rock Bus and curl west, a little closer to home. Have you heard The Local Rabbits? You really should. And FarmFresh, future stars of the future. Montreal and Brandon, respectively. Oh, I could go on. But I'll end with a few final thoughts on taxidermy, auto racing, whale watching, low grain foods, meteorology, Latin philosophers, the saucer pass, the time-space ratio, the art of the curveball and the best way to cook beaver. Or I could just advise you to always bring your wallet with on stage. That's what I'll do, ya. Enuff. Cheers

Dave Bidini, Rheostatics

Well this is Mike here from the Inbreds, Mike O'Neill that is and I play bass for the band. Today is the 20th and it rained a little bit when we played. It's weird playing in wind, very pink floyd. I just enjoyed Blues Traveller. A good time was had by all and fortunately not least of all by the band themselves. My former gym/geography teacher is apparently working security in the pit. I have yet to engage in a teary reunion with him. What can I say other than the grapes are fresh and the soft drinks are cold. That would be it for now, your servant Mike O'Neill esquire.

Hey, this is Dave Ullrich the other half of the Inbreds from Cayuga Speedway, just outside of Hagersville.... well sort of outside of Hagersville... more like exactly in the middle of nowhere...it seems. You could say we had a bit of a hard time getting here today, I want to put a big thank-you out to the folks at Kentucky Fried Chicken-Caledonia outlet for helping us out. We got here on the late side, with rain making things later for everyone involved. In fact, the rain wafting onto the stage forced us to move all our equipment to the back of the stage where we could barely see over the edge- was there anyone out there?

Eric's Trip tripped the light fantastic once again with a great set complimented with Dali-esque sound as a result of the bounce-back sound and blowing winds. Mark was heard to yell...."BRAEDER". Also, Matthew Sweet battled the weather with a great set, starting with a pro-rock backdrop for a live local radio simulcast intro - "Are you ready for Matthew Sweeeeet people". See you in Montreal...Bonjour.

Winnipeg ARA. This was the half-way point of the tour in our home away from home. Many years since the Diamond Club where we were fired on our first night of a six-day stand. After tonight the future seems secure.

The best backstage variety of games thus far (pool table was a double bonus and foosball, introduced Glen from the Melody Makers to curling on the shuffle board). Chandler and Bobby (BT) carried on a seven year rivalry for championship of the world in all the ARA events. Jiggs rules all. Dog pile impending.

All the bands continue to shine and tonight the crowd made it easy.

Backstage we have a practice room where we rehearse before we go on. We told all the other musicians to feel free to use it whenever they want. Today, the number of different players playing together bodes well for things to come.

By the way Bobby says "don't throw shoes!"

Next stop Cayuga.

Gord S.

Here's the set list today for Eric's Trip and Rheostatics.

Eric's Trip Set List for ARA - Winnipeg, July 18, 1995

Rheostatics Set List for ARA - Winnipeg, July 18, 1995

Hello children of the corn. Just done. Maybe slightly over done. As far as I can tell, everyone had a great day, except maybe me.

Matthew Sweet ran over me on his BMX racing bike, and Ziggy Marley blew my mind so badly that I was in a spiritual crisis until I hit the stage. But seeing everyone else having a great time I was forced along for the ride.

Jamming with John Popper (of BT) was a highlight. None of us were expecting him on stage this evening and were thrilled. It was only one of many surprises tonight, as the set list threw me for a few curves ("Is this one of our tunes"?)

Everyone else is in the compound (sounds like prison, but it couldn't be any more liberating) basking in the afterglow of another nice day. Time to join them. I guess I had a great time after all.

Set List for ARA - Craven, July 17, 1995

Bobby

Five minutes to showtime and sure as Hell the rain arrives. Huge nimbostratus clouds darken our afternoon, and everything goes on hold. Blues Traveler has just finished their set, having added a few songs trying to cover for Ziggy Marley who is very late. We're going to add three songs as well for the same reason, but the rain, and particulary the lightning, threatens to shut down the proceedings entirely. Two minutes turn to three, and then five. The crowd is getting antsy, and by God we are too. John turns to us and says, "Fuck it, let's go on. They won't mind a little rain." We summon the approproate authorities, request, behest, and supplicate, and suddenly all systems are "go". The weather hasn't changed, but we're on anyway.

We hit the stage with an edge, knowing that we could be incinerated by lightning at any moment. Somehow, it seems inspiring. By the time we're playing our third song, the rain is pounding down hard enough that all the lighting is shut off to prevent electrocution. We are in the early dusk and playing our asses off to make-up for the lack of lighting and weather.

The audience was on ten, not at all concerned that they were getting pissed on, and we were starting to hit our stride, relieved that no one was fleeing for their homes. And then, before we could catch our breath it was over, and the tardiest Reggae star in christendom, Ziggy Marley, took the stage.

Any sour grapes I might have harboured at his tardiness evaporated as I stood side-stage and witnessed a tremendous and highly professional show by Ziggy and his outstanding band. At the risk of gushing, you've got to see this band live. It's worth the extra half hour wait.

As if destined, the Hip hit the stage just as the gorgeous Alberta skies began to clear. Vega, Altair and Antares watched on as the Hip shook and vibrated us all. It was a great day.

Vince, SOTW

Any canoes out there? The gig is finished for today. On paper, festivals like this look good. But until you play the first gig, you never know how it's going to come off. Whether the backstage would have a good vibe or whether the bands would get along, you just don't know. I'm happy to say that it all went without a hitch. In a lot of ways, this is better than the last Roadside Attraction in '93 because the whole day just seems to build from the Inbreds right up till the end.

I personally like the songs we played tonight. It seemed to flow very well from beginning to the end. It's nice to play songs from Road Apples which we haven't played in a long time and I think a lot of those songs have aged well.

The set list for tonight was:

** early curfew tonight, we couldn't play anymore

Johnny

P.S. We will be on a chat session on July 15th Saturday from High River at 4 pm (mountain -- 6 pm eastern).. The IRC chat channel is #roadside See you there.

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July 12, 1995... ARA Vancouver

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The Vancouver weather has been sunny and glorious today as Another Roadside Attraction village takes form. The Hip are now on stage doing a soundcheck. I've heard Grace Too, Blow at High Dough and some great jamming. There seems to be hundreds of people here already. Trucks, buses, vans and cars have rolled up all day depositing equipment, food, and people. Folks from the press, record company people, Terry and Susan from MuchMusic and band members stroll around the grounds soaking up the carnival atmosphere. It is like Saturday at the village fair except there are smart drinks instead of cotton candy.

The coolest things are the myriad of golf carts, and the 200 mobile radios. Hippy roadies and stage technicans are putting their way from one end of the village to the other in search of the lost duct tape needed for some obscure purpose. If someone's got a mobile radio or a cell phone (and few do not) they're deemed some kind of essential service and are wired into the Roadside Web. "Chris call Bob and get that thingamajig over to Sally," "the posters are stuck at the border, get Ravi to sort it out," or "the seventh john on the left is plugged up--make it work." The folks who are working to get this village complete by Thursday believe everything is important because a lot of cool people will be here to see their fav bands and have a good time.

Who's that doing their soundcheck... It's Spirit of the West.

Signing off from backstage at ARA... Mintboy

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