Emma Ditchburn Tour Diary, Part 1

The Midwest hosts Big Lebowski conventions and the first days of the Most Serene Republic tour

By Emma Ditchburn
Published: September 15th, 2009 | 4:30pm

Emma Ditchburn is a vocalist-guitarist for the Ontario-based septet, the Most Serene Republic. The group, known for its well-orchestrated sound, has recently released its third full-length. …And the Ever Expanding Universe (Arts & Crafts) was produced by Dave Newfeld (Broken Social Scene, Super Furry Animals) and offers delicate layers of pop mixed with electronics, strings, harmonica, and an understated appreciation of past generations.

The Most Serene Republic will be touring for six weeks in support of the album. Throughout September, Ditchburn will be updating Venus Zine weekly on the group’s adventures around the U.S. and Canada, a burning love of sci-fi, and her escapist tendencies.

Thursday, September 10, 2009 — Chicago

Well, this is only day two, and I find myself baffled at how easily we shift into tour mode. After weeks of preparation and nerves and fretting about what to pack, how you will eat and get exercise, what cultural consumption is best to bring for optimal mental performance, etc. — once you get in the van and cross the border, "real life" seems to slip away as we pass into another dimension of escapism and self-indulgence. I use those terms in the most positive ways; I can finally allow myself to escape all the worries of everyday life and the constant burden I place upon myself about "the future." I can really live in the moment again. The self-indulgence is mainly in the joy we receive from playing our music together each night and the surprises that often come of it.

Also, I'm just so happy to be in the presence of these men who are truly my family, as when we are all at home — separated by geography and jobs and bustle — I really miss them, and now I get to be around them.

We're on the road with labelmates Still Life Still on their first jaunt. We were lucky enough to go on our first opening tour with Stars in ’05, who truly were great mentors and hosts to us, welcoming us into their world with open arms and advice. I hope we can do the same for Still Life Still, even though I get the impression that they are already very organized and knowledgeable beyond where we may have started those years ago. They've got moxy and excitement, which is a nice injection for us.

This morning we were lucky enough to have an outdoor pool at our hotel, so I started the day right with some sun salutations and laps. We also went to the Threadless office and warehouse today for an interview and got a bunch of awesome free T-shirts.

We've already been greeted with amazing hospitality and great food at both the Crofoot in Pontiac, Michigan, and tonight's Chicago venue — Schuba's. Chicago's show was great, and the crowd there was enthusiastic, as usual: many positive comments after, which left me with a great, post-show glow.

Ears: Tom Waits, Rain Dogs
Eyes: Charles Bukowski, Women

Friday, September 11, 2009 — Minneapolis

Today's drive was a bit of a long one, leaving much time for contemplation, restless rustling, in-your-seat headphone dancing, and random experiments such as putting some glam, teal-blue eye shadow on Adrian. I've just started reading The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy, as I am a lover of all things sci-fi, and thus it's been on my list for ages. So far, I'm finding it very entertaining.

The show was especially interesting since it happened to be in the same building as The Big Lebowski festival — where people gather to dress up as characters and watch the movie together while cheering and reciting lines in drunken unison. There was also some live music to follow. Ryan and I popped in and watched about the first half of the movie, until I was approached by a rather slimy-looking guy who asked, "How ya doing, dude?" (I guess that's as good as a pick-up line in that setting). I was in awe of the thought that our modern age produces such gatherings, where everyone feels a sense of belonging and camaraderie while connecting over something so specific and cult-classic. It was a comforting anthill in the grand backyard.

We also had an awesome campfire-type sing-a-long in the basement of the venue, including Coldplay's "Yellow" and Radiohead's "Paranoid Android" (with Simon on violin for the epic guitar solo — spot on as usual with his perfect pitch).

Ears: The The, Soul Mining

Monday, September 14, 2009 — en route to Denver

The tour has really kicked in now, and I have missed a few days of updates. In Omaha, I was very spoiled because my aunt and uncle came to visit and take me out for dinner at Anthony's Steakhouse. I had a delicious steak (medium-rare) and we had a nice bottle of Zinfandel. They recommended a couple sci-fi books that I haven't yet read: Dune and Stranger In a Strange Land.

The show was super relaxed — too relaxed, maybe — possibly due to my recent decision to cut off my jeans into capris, which really led to a surfer dude mentality day. Lawrence, Kansas, was last night and was a pretty wild show. I discovered that doing some pre-show yoga is a great way to get all the warmth and juices flowing, so when the set starts, I'm already warmed up and raring. I found this instructional video on YouTube that is especially great.

After last night's show, we had a nice little round of nightcaps in the parking lot of the hotel with the Still Life Still guys and the loudest bunch of crickets I've ever heard. Today we had the day off and are spending it driving to Denver. I'm currently in the van and in all directions are flat plains (some dusty, some grassy) all suitable for imagining roaming dinosaurs or living out of a covered wagon. Adrian peed in two bottles along the way, as he is a frequent urinator and after awhile we grow tired of stopping for him all the time.

I had a bit of a rough drive due to tequila being the choice of nightcap, but Adam relieved me with one of his unparalleled — soon to be world-famous — head massages and an Aleve (seriously, his head massages are so good he could make a living off them, the ultimate in relaxation). Tomorrow we play Denver, where we'll have to be careful about any soufflés and alcohol consumption.

Ears: The Luyas

Read Tour Diary Part 2 & Part 3

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