What a long, strange trip it's been

I confess: I enjoy the subsequent projects by Julie Doiron and Rick White to the indie-rock fuzz of Eric's Trip, the band that put them on the map. But you have to give props to the East Coast quintet for their invaluable groundwork for the independent music scene Canadians enjoy today (not to say they deserve sole credit, mind you).

Here's Rick White, once again.



Julie Doiron has been growing her bangs for the occasion.



Chris Thompson.



I snapped this shot of Mark Gaudet at the start of the show. His musical roots predate his bandmates by several years - he got his start with Purple Knight in the 1970s.



The whole lot!



And now, trippy action!











Julie takes a spin on Dick Morello's Strat while Chris uses her bass.









And big fuzzy finish!



That's one reunion under the bridge. I wouldn't mind another.

• Show reminder: Shout Out Out Out Out and San Serac play Zaphod's; The Creeps, Bombed Out, Full Blown Whores and Winslow perform at the Bytown Tavern.

Once in a blue moon

It can be a bit tricky for some bands to pick an appropriate opening act. Then there's Eric's Trip. Since Three-quarters of its membership has a solo career and other bands to fall back on, they could practically run a weekend festival based around bands they're in. First up was Blue Heeler, the band Julie Doiron has former with Sir Dickie Morello following the dissolution of Shotgun and Jaybird (in a remarkable coincidence, the other guitar slinger in S&J, Shotgun Jimmie, is performing at End Hits tonight). Doiron's switched over to drums while Morello kicks out some seriously Neil Youngian fuzz on the guitar.

Morello in a most appropriate blue.





Dickie rocks the flip flops.



Good thing Julie's on stage later, because this picture of her is less than stellar.



They were followed by Moonsocket, the nom de guitar of Chris Thompson. "I normally do this on acoustic, but for tonight I'll go electric" he announced (all quotes approximate) before his brief set.









I'd like to check him out on acoustic. As an electric performer I didn't find him hugely compelling. Blue Heeler was really good, though.

• Show reminder: Baby Eagle and Construction and Destruction hit the stage - okay, the basement - along with Shotgun Jimmy at End Hits. The Heatskores, Hellbros, Goddamn Goddamns and Vanier Shank play Zaphod Beeblebrox.

Time keeps on trippin'

Eric's Trip played their last show in Moncton in 1996. Well okay, there was that reunion gig in 2001, and apparently they're still not done. Rick White and Julie Doiron have been making reputations for themselves post-Trip, and Mark Gaudet and Chris Thompson have also kept themselves busy, so it was little stretch for the band got back together to play on a trio of songs on Doiron's latest album, Woke Myself Up. They decided a mini-tour was in order, and a handful of dates was the result. They still have a Pop Montreal show on Sunday and a couple of East Coast dates later in October to go. Anyway, they did it up right, and with the exception of the lighting guy overdoing it a tad, it was a fine way to revisit fuzzy indie rock memories of the early 1990s.

First up were Blue Heeler; you may recall Dick Morello performing with Julie in Shotgun and Jaybird at the Rainbow last November. Blue Heeler is the duo's new combo and sounds quite Neil Youngish to me. They'll be playing again tonight at Babylon with The Superfantastics.



Moon Socket is Chris Thompson's solo gig. Normally he plays on acoustic - I think his tunes might have worked out better that way. He reminded me a bit of Chris Page.



Rick White's new act, when he's not leading Elevator, is dubbed The Rick White Album. But really it's just Rick, doing his dreamy acoustic psychedelica.



And finally the main course, Eric's Trip. Here's Julie taking a spin on Dick Morello's guitar while Thompson (just behind her), uses her bass.



That was a lot of fun. I hope they reunite again soon.

• Show reminder: The Two-Minute Miracles, Harmonica, The Barmitzvah Brothers and Ox perform at Zaphod Beeblebrox; Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and Georgie James perform at Barrymore's; Sick Fits, Garaga, and The Mercy Now rock The Dominion. The O-Town Hoedown hits Irene's with performances by The Polymorphines, The Bible All-Stars and Lefty McRighty.