Nifty Noodles/ Shovelhead Blues.........
7/30/07 Chiliwack, British Colombia
Murray Moore is a Canadian biker and concert promoter in Chiliwack, British Colombia. I was replacing another artist who couldn't make Murray's annual "Back to Blues" festival this weekend. The music was of that blistering kind of blues that I can hear all day... but it wasn't the highlight of this trip. No, it was the opportunity to take Murray's '81 Harley Shovelhead for a spin across the valley floor.

Chiliwack is an Indian name meaning "muddy water". It's an hour east of Vancouver surrounded by the best of the Canadian Rockies. The festival brings in a host of bikers from as far away as Edmonton, Alberta. I even met a nomad transplanted from Holland.

The offer to ride a Harley came about an hour and a half before I was to go on stage. I couldn't pass up the chance to cruise the back roads of some of the most beautiful country in the world. But I had no idea what I was in for.

I'm really green when it comes to true biker experience. I've only heard and read about Harley History. I own a '03 Harley softail with all the amenities of a cruise ship! Even the word "shovelhead" to me, conjures up the image of an old K28 steam locomotive.

Murray is all of five foot four, with the look of an early California prospector from the Gold Rush days, and his bike fits him to a T. His son brought the bike around to the front gate where Murray and I were talking... he got off and handed me a brain bucket and a pair of old work gloves like he was handin me the keys to the city.

"There's no official turn signals on this bike" he smiled "so you need to use plenty of hand language!" ..."I'm fluent in hand language by the way" I told him. I noticed too that there was no windshield or floor boards, no heel shifter and no front brake to speak of either.

The bike just seems to hiss at you even sittin still. A fire breathing dragon! with raw fang like forks and a tiny headlight....greasy chain driven, lowered, locomotive! It was just plain mean. It actually appeared to be a conglomeration of Harley parts from the past decades with makeshift "adjustments" and modifications. All black with Christianeze "Tattoos". It was a war horse with chinks in the armor.

After a few minutes looking for a way to crank it up I was off with another biker for my first Canadian tour on a motorcycle. Within minutes I discover it's a four speed with the click distance to shift to the next gear set at about six inches...pulling my leg off the steel peg. The chain drive whips you forward with the strike blow of a medieval battle ax!

I have no idea in kilometers how fast I might be goin at this point, but it doesn't really matter cause the speedometer doesn't work either! Never the less we are instantly speeding down two lane black top whizzing past corn fields and dairy farms. My eyes are tearing up for lack of decent eye wear and the emotional exhilaration of a freefall sky dive!

I'm thinking.. I might not come back for the show..I'll either be killed or I'll love it too much to turn around. Within thirty minutes we were at a lakeside retreat staring at the awesome mountain view... and on private property it turns out. Met the security guard, nice guy too. Then it was a flat out race to get back under a full moon and cover of darkness to walk on at the outdoor stage... and I discovered something new about Canada with all that water and forestry? There's a lot of little flyin bugs! See that's where a windshield would have come in handy.

O.K. so there's that! bryan d

Nifty Noodles/ Month at a Glance
7/11/07 West Coast Office…
Haven’t played much in the last two months .. you’d think I’d have some free time… but lets see…I’ve entertained my God-Daughter, Giselah Ebanks from Grand Cayman for a week… taking her to Disneyland and across mountains she’s never seen and Motorcycle riding all over southern California… also took her to a Black Sheep Breakfast where I played “America the beautiful” … got a standing O for that …maybe I need to do my own patriotic tunes!.... I also scheduled a full concert with Teen challenge in Riverside while she was here .. cause she wanted to see me in concert again.

Had to leave her with some friends on Monday of this week so that I could fly to Nashville to tape a concert with the “old guard” of Christian Music… in support of a record of the top 25 gospel songs of the last decade…aaaah none of mine made that list and I sang duets with Crystal Lewis and Larnelle Harris… “I’m Forgiven” was with Crystal and “He Ain’t Heavy” with Larnelle.. (o.k. that song was just thrown in for fun I think)…

It was a rare collection of artists from past years…. Russ Taff, Chonda Pierce, the Imperials, David Meece, Bonnie Keen, Dallas Holm, Michael Obrien… there were moments when I felt as if I was being asked to retire! 8)… or at least told that I’m old school… but all in all it was a great visitation of days gone by… and I wasn’t really depressed to acknowledge that I was involved in the past decade.

In looking back I certainly remember more ‘Lively” cuts than these done but alas they were not received as well… no real bands represented in these songs either… and the audience that showed up for this event were at least “elderly” mostly. I flew home as early as possible today to keep the nostalgia from permeating my future! 8)….

I’m paddling hard to redefine myself and not live on who I used to be…

I’m taking Giz to the airport late tonight and then leaving with my girlfriend Cassie and some of my other Black sheep chapter members to ride to Morrow Bay for a big rally there. More on that when I have time to breath…

o.k. so TT…Bryan D

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