My favorite Hockey Road Trip Experience-Montreal

One of my favorite hockey road trips was in 2012 when a bunch of friends and I headed north on I-87 from NYC to Montreal, CA.  Once we got to the NY State Thruway, it’s a straight shot up to Montreal, about 6.5 hours. There were 8 of us altogether, and 6 of us had been to the city numerous times before, but never to a Canadiens game at the Bell Centre, let alone in visitor NY Islanders jerseys.  The journey itself was uneventful; we stopped in Albany for lunch as it is about the halfway point to Montreal, and then back on the same road which by then was now called simply ‘the Northway.’
The first time the excitement really started to kick in for me was when the signs on the road started to become multilingual (Exit/Sortie).  This was because I knew we were getting very close to our destination.   After a quick pit stop at the duty free shop on our side of the border, we got on line at the border hoping for a quick and uneventful pass.  When it was our turn, the Customs agent asked a number of questions and then told us to have a good trip and we were off, now in Canada, and only 45 minutes from Montreal.  It was hard not to exceed the 100 kilometer speed limit on this dark, poorly lit road as we were now desperate to get there already.  We then reached my favorite part of the trip up there, crossing the Champlain Bridge and seeing the lit up skyline of downtown Montreal, the frozen waters of the port below, and a distant Olympic Stadium off to the right, the former home of the Montreal Expos.
We zigged and zagged through the downtown streets that we’d come to know even better than the streets of New York City in recent years.  At the hotel, we changed into our Islanders gear and headed to a quick dinner at a great Italian restaurant on Crescent Street called Weinstein and Gavino’s.  Due to its proximity to the Bell Centre (about 3 blocks), the place was packed with Habs fans, every one of which stared at us as we were led through the place in our Isles jerseys to our table.  In every other arena I’ve been to, you would at least come across a handful of fellow fans but up in the frozen north of Montreal, Canada, it was pretty much just the 8 of us.
After dinner, we walked to the arena, continuing to attract glances from people, but I began to realize something.  The glances weren’t necessarily because they hated us or hated the Islanders, but it seemed to be more out of respect for the trek we likely had made to get there, all in the name of their national pastime, hockey.  I found the same thing at the game as we made our way all the way to the top row to our seats.  The people were nodding and grinning at us to acknowledge and give approval of our dedication to our team.
The pre-game intro at the Bell Centre was like nothing else we’d ever seen.  The building went dark, the ice lit up in Canadiens red, with full ice sized images of each player, giving the crowd a chance to clap for each one.  The music continued to play, and ultimately ended with the Habs taking the ice to a huge ovation.  What an awesome feeling.
During the game, there were noticeable differences between this place and the Nassau Coliseum (“The Barn,” as we call it, where I grew up attending games frequently).  For example, at the Bell Centre, the sound of the crowd gets increasingly louder as the Canadiens player skates the puck out of the defensive zone, through the neutral zone, and into the offensive zone.  If they get a shot off, the building roars and shakes like it’s the Stanley Cup Finals.
Another thing I noticed is the concourse during the period.  I went to get a drink and I was literally the only person out there while the game was still going.  Nobody gets up until the intermission. Nobody. Yes, they may wait on long lines causing them to miss some of the next period, but once they sit, they stay.
A third difference is the buzz around town after a game.  As the crowd filtered out of the arena and into the downtown streets, strangers that saw us wearing our jerseys (it didn’t matter that it was the visiting team) asked us specifics about the game.  Not simply who won, but how did certain players play? Who assisted on the goals?  Were the goals even strength or on the man advantage?  This was a shock to us, as we grew up scanning the TV channels to even find our game, and maybe getting lucky enough to have the score mentioned on the news if we missed the game.
Lastly, what I found to be truly awesome was the fact that you can turn to whoever is next to you in any bar in downtown Montreal and have an intelligent conversation about hockey into the wee hours of the night.  You may not want to, given all of the other activities the city has to offer.  All I’m saying is that you can.
This was a pretty descriptive review of my favorite hockey road trip experience but it can all be summed up as follows.  If you’re a hockey fan, or even if you’re not, you must get up to Montreal to catch a game at the Bell Centre.  So bundle up, pick a game from the schedule, search for a nearby hotel, price out flying versus driving versus the train, search yelp for all the good restaurants, convince your friends that it’s not as far away as they think, decide who’s driving, and get up there.  Or just click a button and come with us! 
www.roadicetravels.com

I'm Sticking with Lou

The only time I got to see Lou Reed live was on October 8, 2010 at Madison Square Garden.  It was in a unannounced guest role with the Gorillaz on their "Escape from Plastic Beach" world tour.  Lou joined the band for "Some Kind of Nature," a track off of the Gorillaz third album, Plastic Beach.  

I remember this show being one of the first shows of the 2010 tour in support of Plastic Beach.  For this tour, Paul Simonon and Mick Jones of the Clash were part of the Gorillaz project. Not only did they bass and guitar on the title track on the studio album, they were part of the touring band.  Being a huge Clash fan, you can only imagine my excitement of getting to see Damon Albarn perform Gorillaz songs, both old and new in an arena setting, with half of one of my favorite bands.  I often wondered in the days leading up to the show if there would be any Clash songs performed. (maybe a Big Audio Dynamite track?)  Alas, there were none.  But what happened was even more special, more fulfilling than a possible one or two Clash tracks that could have resonated inside the worlds most famous arena...out came Lou Reed.  I lost my mind-on one stage was Lou Reed, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Damon Albarn.  Generally reserved, I let out a long Loooouuuu chant-my vocal cords compressing, heart pumping, adrenaline flowing.  A drink in one hand, covered in sweat from dancing around to the contagiously upbeat and dance-rock sounds of Damon Albarn's side project, (Gorillaz>Blur) I lean towards the rail of my section.  My camera out, I begin to size up my photo when I hear people in my section, with confused voices, clammering "Who's Lou Reed?"  

One would think that an artist with only one top 20 hit, nearly forty years ago would be long forgotten.  Yet, after nearly half a century since the first Velvet Underground release, social media has exploded with tributes and stories of one of New Yorks last remaining icons.  An artist. Poet. Lyricist. Contrarian.  Lou Reed inspired all forms of musical expressions-songs about junkies, transvestites, prostitution, domestic abuse, adultery and sexual expression in New York in the late sixties/early seventies that would result in the birth of early punk.  Never has an artist captured an era through music with such descriptively intense, violent, truthful yet beautiful lyrics.  An alternative to the hippie culture that was all the rage on the other side of the country, Lou Reed's lyrics could place you directly in the seedy, dangerous underworld of decrepit downtown NY amongst the characters and factual individuals he wrote about.  

Through changes in style and presentation, Lou Reed's music was never complacent.  One of the great storytellers and poets, Lou Reed played by his own rules, delving into periods of glam rock (Transformer), the concept album (Berlin-a tale of two junkies in love-yet so moving) and scenes of NY life (aptly named "New York") amongst countless others.   Radio hits often elusive, Lou Reed was the voice of a New York generation.  In fact, when it appeared his music could possibly become mainstream, he releases an album of total electric-audio feedback. (Metal Machine Music) How's that for momentum?  Regardless, songs about social issues and situations that are sometimes best left unspoken have made his listeners his companions.  I can say, in complete truth, that Lou Reed's music has more of a direct impact on my music catalog and taste than any other artist.  I remember how I felt during my first listen of "White Light/White Heat."  Feeling strangely intrigued by songs such as "The Gift" and "Lady Godiva's Operation." It was like nothing I had ever heard before.  I know I'm not alone in allowing the music of the Velvet Underground to completely change my preference on sound.  It's a shame I didn't get into Lou Reed or the Velvet Underground until college.  Still, at 33, I feel fortunate to have discovered his catalog of lyrics, stories and songs at a younger age, providing the soundtrack to many lifetime events.  Thank you for the songs that defined my twenties, and describing what New York City life was like in song back when it was a more dangerous, and perhaps more fun time.  That's what Lou Reed's music means to me.