Steve
      MacDougal
      of
      Slowcoaster
     
     
      misusing
      a
      beverage.
     
     
      Your
      Babies
      Grow
      Up
      To
      Be
     
     
      Cowboys.”
     
    

    
     
      Though
      Eyes
      For
      Telescopes
     
     
      were
      under
      pressure
      to
      follow
      The
     
     
      Squatters’
      act,
      they
      played
      a
      harder
      and
     
     
      faster
      set
      that
      made
      the
      dance
      floor
     
     
      explode
      into
      flailing
      frenzy.
      The
      Eyes
     
     
      erupted
      with
      a
      tremendous
      amount
      of
     
     
      energy,
      and
      sounded
      tighter
      than
      ever.
     
    

    
     
      The
      warm
      songwriting
      of
      Matt
     
     
      Mays,
      Ruth
      Minnikin,
      and
      Dale
     
     
      Murray
      filled
      Baba’s
      with
      honest
     
     
      country
      music
      when
      The
      Guthries
     
     
      played
      next.
      Due
      to
      time
      limitations,
     
     
      their
      set
      was
      brief
      enough
      to
      leave
      only
     
     
      a
      glimpse
      of
      the
      band’s
      genius,
      but
      just
     
     
      enough
      to
      leave
      the
      audience
      wanting
     
     
      more.
     
    

    
     
      Summerside
      native,
      and
     
     
      Halifax
      resident,
      Al
      Tuck,
      played
      an
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      He
      would
      make
      a
      great
      firefighter
      if
      he
     
     
      didn
      t
      look
      like
      such
      a
      fucking
      goof.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      even
      briefer
      set,
      clocking
      in
      at
      three
     
     
      songs.
      He
      was
      joined
      by
      Rock
     
     
      Ranger’s
      Mike
      Morrison
      on
      drums,
     
     
      and
      Jay
      Smith
      on
      bass
      for
      some
     
     
      impromptu
      jamming.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SATURDAY
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      missed
      a
      bit
      of
      Saturday’s
     
     
      show
      in
      order
      to
      recuperate
      after
      hours
     
     
      of
      lost
      sleep.
      I
      was
      also
      waiting
      for
      Pip
     
     
      Skid,
      of
      the
      Winnipeg
      hip
      hop
      group
     
     
      Fermented
      Reptile,
      to
      arrive
      from
     
     
      Halifax.
      So
      my
      stunt-double,
      Jeff
      Coll,
     
     
      will
      fill
      in
      the
      details:
     
    

    
     
      “Dennis
      Ellsworth’s
      The
     
     
      Tuesdays
      did
      their
      usual,
      up-tempo,
     
     
      alt-altcountry
      set,
      but
      with
      the
      addition
     
     
      of
      lap
      steel
      guitar
      player,
      John
      Mullins.
     
     
      They
      had
      another
      lady
      there
      singing
     
     
      (Ed:
      most
      like
      likely
      Christina
     
     
      Forgeron,
      since
      she’s
      on
      the
      CD).
      In
     
     
      honour
      of
      John’s
      return’
      from
     
     
      Newfoundland,
      they
      played
      ‘Where’s
     
     
      John?’,
      a
      comedic
      number
      about
      his
     
     
      absence
      during
      the
      summer,
      while
      he
     
     
      just
      sat
      there
      and
      looked
      up.
     
    

    
     
      “Next
      up
      was
      Little
      Miss
     
     
      Moffat,
      featuring
      a
      weird-ass
      acoustic
     
     
      guitar
      that
      had
      a
      metal
      plate
      over
      it.
      I
     
     
      guess
      there
      were
      two
      acoustic
      guitars
     
     
      and
      a
      bass.
      No
      drums.
      I
      thought
      she
     
     
      was
      cute.
     
    

    
     
      “Dennis
      Ellsworth
      took
      the
     
     
      stage
      again
      with
      The
      Rude
     
     
      Mechanicals.
      Donnie
      Killorn
      was
     
     
      there
      and
      so
      was
      Mickey
      Acorn.”
     
    

    
     
      Neuseiland,
      featuring
      mem-
     
     
      bers
      of
      Superfriendz
      and
      Thrush
     
     
      Hermit,
      played
      one
      of
      the
      most
      memo-
     
     
      rable
      sets
      of
      the
      weekend.
      Their
      eerie
     
     
      blend
      of
      math
      pop
      mesmerized
     
     
      onlookers
      unfamiliar
      with
      such
      strong
     
     
      experimentation
      in
      Baba’s
      Lounge.
      _
     
    

    
     
      “
      Al
      Tuck
      took
      the
      stage
      for
      the
     
     
      second
      time
      this
      weekend
      to
      finish
      the
     
     
      set
      he
      started
      the
      day
      before.
      This
      time,
     
     
      unaccompanied,
      he
      played
      through
     
     
      quirky
      acoustic
      songs
      displaying
      his
     
     
      wit
      and
      talent
      for
      songwriting.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SUNDAY
     
    
   
   
    
     
      When
      I
      got
      to
      Baba’s,
      the
      door
     
     
      was
      locked
      and
      the
      bar
      manager
      was
     
     
      vacuuming
      the
      floor.
      I
      unloaded
      gear
     
     
      with
      Windom
      Earle
      bandmate
      Luke
     
     
      Leunes,.then
      we
      waited
      for
      drums
      and
     
     
      an
      audience
      to
      arrive.
      I
      started
      playing
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pip
      Skid
      channelling
      Bobby
      Brown.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      a
      small
      audience
      of
      other
      musicians
     
     
      before
      most
      of
      the
      gear
      arrived.
     
     
      Lending
      Jane
      eventually
      joined
      me
     
     
      and
      punked
      up
      the
      set.
      Following
     
     
      Lending
      Jane’s
      punk
      rock
      energy,
      Port
     
     
      Citizen
      ripped
      through
      an
      intense
      set
     
     
      of
      fast
      rock
      songs.
     
    

    
     
      Pip
      Skid’s
      solo
      set
      rocked
     
     
      everything
      from
      socially
      conscious
     
     
      rhymes
      to
      a
      hilarious
      cover
      of
      Bobby
     
     
      Brown’s
      “My
      Prerogative.”
      He
      man-
     
     
      aged
      to
      balance
      his
      politics
      and
      sense
     
     
      of
      humour
      by
      entertaining
      the
      audi-
     
     
      ence
      as
      well
      as
      enlightening
      them.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      missed
      much
      of
      Flush’s
      set,
     
     
      but
      their
      heavy
      sound
      could
      be
      heard
     
     
      throughout
      much
      of
      Queen
      St.
      They
     
     
      managed
      to
      drown
      out
      the
      noises
      of
      a
     
     
      nearby
      construction
      site
      that
      appeared
     
     
      overnight
      across
      the
      street
      from
     
     
      Baba’s.
     
    

    
     
      As
      Flush
      strummed
      their
      final
     
     
      chords,
      the
      festival
      came
      to
      a
      close.
     
     
      The
      organizers
      were
      overwhelmed
      by
     
     
      the
      turnout
      for
      the
      entire
      weekend,
      and
     
     
      discussions
      are
      already
      underway
      for
      a
     
     
      second
      Close
      to
      the
      Coast
      next
      sum-
     
     
      mer.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      YE
      Es
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      only
      good
      photo
      of
      Eyes
      for
      Telescopes
      in
      existence.
      Way
      to
      go
      Mike!
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      cadre