Day 22: Buffalo, NY
Welcome
Yesterday we played a show in Buffalo, New York.
Our holiday was over. It was a show day, and it was time to put away our leisure hats and get back to business. Every decision we now made would contribute to the experience of the fans coming to see our show later in the evening and that is something we take seriously. I began my day with a run; an important part of my tour fitness regimen is keeping my legs in shape, so I always have enough strength to operate my distortion pedals. Heading back to the shores of Lake Erie for the third day in a row I crossed a bascule bridge that took me onto Unity Island, and after passing through Freedom Park I ran along a narrow path atop the breakwater that divides the fast-flowing waters of the Niagara from the calm passage of the Black Rock Canal. From there I was able to admire both the naming conventions of the local infrastructure and see the impressive steel spans of the Peace Bridge from a completely new angle.
Large parts of Buffalo’s Shoreline Trail are currently closed for upgrades but the detour I was sent on did take me past the Ward Pumping Station, a historic building that houses five colossal steam pumps, each sixty feet high, equivalent to stacking six African Bush Elephants. When they were active these pumps were fed from the Buffalo Water Intake, a curious-looking brick and concrete building that stands nearly two kilometres offshore, sucking in hundreds of millions of litres of water per day down into a concrete tunnel burrowed under the lakebed. It’s no wonder that the tap water in Buffalo tastes so delicious when it comes from such a majestic source.
TRAIL CLOSED! The Buffalo Water Intake is visible here just below the horizon.
The Pump House.
When I returned to the Airbnb there were the telltale noises, the unanswered alarm clocks of some sleepy folks just beginning to stir. I showered and took myself out for breakfast at a spot I had walked past numerous times over the last couple of days, a spot with an incredibly good sign out the front, a great backup sign with a different design, and a supporting neon sign inside. The Niagara Café was a friendly establishment and after consulting with the Abuela behind the counter I ordered a roasted pork lunch special with pernil and rice, a pastelillo, and a Tropi-Cola sparkling cola champagne soda on the side.
We left the Airbnb at midday and taxied back to Blue Paradise who was dutifully waiting exactly where we had left them, outside the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Downtown Buffalo. Mr Bus arrived shortly thereafter looking fresh and rested and wearing a very smart summer BBQ shirt. It was a short workday for him as we only had to travel a few blocks to reach the venue, but once we arrived it turned into a tricky exercise to back the trailer into our parking spot, a skill he excels at, and something I’m glad I will never have to do.
Our venue was a 19th century stone structure that was once the Delaware Avenue Methodist Church, and calls itself Asbury Hall, following a tumultuous few decades and a series of restoration projects that saved this noble building from a fate of death by demolition. Inside we found a magnificent room of carved wood and stained glass, a broad wooden floor flanked by a balcony that is still furnished with the original wooden pews. A state-of-the-art PA system now hangs from the ceiling and a pair of lighting trusses provide the platform from which to illuminate the stage. The crypt of this former house of worship is now accessible by elevator and is home to green rooms and ablution facilities, comfortable backstage facilities that we were happy to occupy for the evening.
The big surprise was how good the room sounded. We were expecting our echoes to last for an eternity but somehow this space provided tightness and clarity, and the stage felt dry and open. Our soundcheck was made extremely pleasant by these realisations and then was further improved even, by the extra pair of hands and feet who put himself to use inspecting our equipment.
Bo inspects the stage.
By showtime the room was filled with Buffalo, and Princess Chelsea began their set with a powerful rumble of bass, announcing themselves to anyone who would listen. I found myself a position at the back of the hall with an excellent view and recorded their final song, an eruption of creativity that left everyone stunned and impressed.
Our show was just as good as soundcheck and although Bo wasn’t there to supervise us things still ran smoothly, and we had a brilliant time. Towards the end of the evening the interior of Blue Paradise received some upgrades by an illustrious Jonathan Pearce, a thrifty man who scavenged a bunch of discarded lighting gels to tint each of our bunk lights to a different colour. One thousand boints were awarded for services to the bus, and we all were grateful as we climbed into our much improved sleeping quarters to wait for the next day to arrive.
I’ll leave you with the latest contribution from our videographer Tristan Deck.