I bet you stopped by the old TMTsted today just to check out which beloved band of yore has reunited now. As of late, bands seem to be getting back together at a rate of once-per-day. Fans of reuniting in general would be wise to visit this site at least that often. If you didn't read the headline, I won't keep you in suspense anymore; today's re-entry into the rock world is Eric's Trip.
Part of the '90s Eastern Canadian scene (Sloan, Jale, Superfriendz, etc.) and the first Canadian band signed to Sub Pop, Eric's Trip's initial run of producing lo-fi fuzzy-rock started in 1990 and had come to an end by '97. But reuniting is old hat to the Trip -- both 2001 and 2006 saw the band "reforming" to play a handful of shows. Now it looks like the itch has hit them again, as the group (Julie Dorion, Chris Thompson, Rick White & Mark Gaudet) has announced it will "reunite" only to play a small number of shows over the next few months.
The years in between reunions appear to have been good to the members of Eric's Trip, Like ET, its individual members have found a fair amount of success, more so in their homeland than anywhere else. Dorion has received much acclaim as a solo artist, winning a Juno Award (Juno is to Canada as Grammy is to USA, but one has better taste) and was on the shortlist for the 2007 Polaris Music Prize (Polaris is to Canada as Mercury is to England; they are pretty much equal). Thompson plays in an outfit called Moon Socket, while White has a solo career and has played with Gaudet in Elevator. White will be pulling double-duty as the group's opening act for these shows beginning August 8.
The first show will take place August 5 at Sappyfest, a festival put on by Sappy Records (duh!), which just so happens to have been started by Dorion. The band plans to play five other shows and is trying to put together a sixth in its hometown, Morton, NB. If you are planning on attending any of these shows and do not currently reside in Canada, remember: Compared to the States, Canada has less crime, better access to healthcare, larger subsidies for the arts, and its beer has a higher alcohol percentage. It appears that Canada rules, so be on the lookout for some secret downside to living in Canada; my research has turned up nada. Except for Windsor, ON, the place where sleaziness is palatable.
# Rick White
