Memories of the Road 44:27

This is the Jen Arden Podcast and we're heading into the holiday season. Hello, I'm Jen. Hi. I'm here with Caitlin Green. Hello. Caitlin, Caitlin, how many weeks pregnant are you now? Twenty-five.

25 weeks. How does that happen? We have to do updates because, you know, people want to know what's happening to your body. What's new, what's happening with food, with your moods. Are you still, you know, in, in cahoots with your husband? Have you had a falling out with him yet? No, I mean, mood wise, like I, again, I'm like knocking on wood, but I have felt good. I've been pretty chipper. Um,

everything's going great. My husband and I both just feel like we're, we're always just constantly knocking on wood because we're a little superstitious around here. And so we're like, I don't want to jinx it and say the things are going too well, but I feel good. And I'm just large because six, so I'm like at the six month mark pretty well. And so, so many people now, like this is when you really pop. So I've definitely popped.

And that's been funny to watch because now I turn to the side when I walk past a mirror and don't recognize myself. But I'm told this weight gain level is normal. I just saw my OB this week and she said it's right on track, even though I came in and I was like, is this normal? Like, should I feel like frigging shamu? And she was like, it's completely normal, but it's going to feel weird for you. And she was like, and prepare yourself because the biggest growth spurt you're going to have is in the next three months.

So are you, are you eating more? Like, cause I'm thinking you're manufacturing a human body. So the nutrition, so obviously the, the 1400 calorie scale that women kind of are slapped with on a consistent basis, this is what you should be eating. Do you know, like, are you doing 4,000 calories a day? Like, I want to know I'm a motherless 58 year old woman.

I probably am. And I was not a calorie counter by nature before I got pregnant. So I'm a food lover and a food consumer. And that has definitely increased with being pregnant, especially because I'm bored. I'm sitting at home staring at the four walls of my condo every day. And it's, you know, holiday season. So food is already in stores that I want to eat. And I'm very tempted by. So yeah, I'm consuming a ton. Like I, and I bake a lot now. I like baking mostly. Yeah.

Yeah. So I like made, I had two giant pieces of banana bread with butter before 7am again, because I work on a morning show. So I start, I wake up and start eating and the morning show I work on Marilyn Dennis is on it. And she laughs because we're on zoom all the time and she'll be like counting my breakfast. Like no one else on the show has had a bite to eat. And I'm like, you have 11 Z's right? Like the Lord of the Rings 11 Z's.

Yeah, exactly. I think that's fantastic. And I don't even think you should ever, ever think about it or worry about it or anything of the sort. You're having a coronial. You're having a coronial, which I always love. I saw a cute little picture that you had posted of the puppy. Oh.

That dog that was laying on your tummy. Now, I know it's not your dog. No, it's not. It's your friend's dog. But isn't it funny that he just thought, oh, there's something in here and I'm going to lay on here and listen to it. He knew, I think, right away. And he's a super sweet dog to begin with. And he loves people and wants to be around people all the time. And obviously, because it's COVID, we haven't seen friends really normally. And these two friends in particular bought a beautiful cottage yesterday.

in like the middle of the woods. They have like six acres in Huntsville now. So we hadn't seen them in forever. They've been isolating up there. We've been isolating down here. So we saw them finally with their dog and he was like on my stomach, like, you know, like white on rice. Like he just was so interested in the bump, smelling it, poking around the first thing I would get up and he's excited to see anyone, but he was very like, what is happening here? There is something in here and lots of smells. And if I sat on the couch, he came right over.

paw on tummy face pushed into stomach. Like it's just so cute. They're just the best animals in the world. Well, I mean, obviously drug sniffing dogs. I read an article not so long ago that they were training dogs to sniff out the Corona virus, if you can imagine. Yeah. So that's happening that obviously there's a scent. I had a, like my neighbor was over helping me with firewood yesterday and I

He has two giant dogs and Middy was going ballistic looking out the window. Like she's thinking to herself, I'm going to go out there. I'm going to rip them to pieces. I know I have no teeth and I'm a senior, but I can do it. You know, they have this Napoleonic spirit.

attitude. And I mean, these, these dogs are huge. Like I'm intimidated and they're sweetheart dogs, but their size and the two of them, it makes me nervous, but they're good dogs. Yeah. Anyhow. So this is like 24 hours ago. I let me out this morning for her little morning institutional. And she went crazy.

bonkers smelling everything. And you know what? She was going exactly where they were, where they were laying, where they were standing. She just hit every spot and peed on every little spot. I can't imagine what scent is like for a dog. And I'm glad that human beings do not possess that because I'm not a smell person to begin with. Like I even BO on a plane and I know this sounds terrible, but I, it, it makes me nauseous.

Oh, well, like the, I mean, and then when you're pregnant, I will say that your, your sense of smell is so heightened beyond belief. Somebody 10 doors down could be cutting an onion and I would have been like sick over it. And I've always been sensitive to smells like cigarettes and like, you know, crappy cologne and all that stuff. Like,

If someone has Drakkar Noir on, you know, two towns over, I could tell you. But when I got pregnant, it was that much worse. So I can't imagine what dogs experience. Although they put their faces in the smelliest things. Like I've had dogs. But there's some things that are so good to them. Like they roll in cool. Yes. And they will roll on top of it.

It's, it's wild. I didn't know how to take it when the dog was so interested in how my stomach smelled. I was like, I know that this is cute, but also you like to roll in dead animals. So what does this smell like to you? No, I, it is. It's so fascinating. I mean, it's, I don't know what the percentages of how much heightened their smell is, but it's always really, really fascinated me. Anyway, it was a cute picture. Is it on your Instagram? Where can people find it? Cause it's

It was on my Instagram story. So it's not up there anymore. If you missed it, it was a one-time offer, but maybe I'll tweet it. And then if you want to check it out, you can look at it on my Twitter. Cutest little picture. This is a complete topic change. Yeah. Do it this, this week, Rudy Giuliani, who is a creepy, creepy man. He's a creepy man. And he is, he's obviously doing some kind of spray on hair product and

Oh, God, this is so good. There are photographs of him. He's sweating profusely. And a black streak of his hair dye, his spray on hair is streaming down his face. And it's been all over the globe of people sweating.

You know, it's almost like the fly on Mike Pence's head. Now this streak, they're doing memes from really funny movies of like blood coming down the middle of a man's head, the shining. There's all kinds of hilarious memes. Anyway, do not people...

I don't know. What does he think in these days? I can't. Like, there's so many levels to it where, A, he's had an embarrassing time as of late anyways between getting caught with his literal pants down in the Borat movie to hosting a press conference at Four Seasons Landscaping when you know they meant to host it at the Four Seasons Hotel. And now he decided he was going to spray paint his head probably, what, 30 minutes before he goes on camera?

I just feel like he needs some people around him to, to just sort of come on. Who's ever selling this stuff. Should it not be water resistant? It's your head. I think he did it seconds before going on stage. Like it doesn't make any sense. Cause even if you did it the night before and dyed your hair the night before you still like, you know, this is a spray on product. This is a spray on product.

It looks like shoe polish. It's crazy. And I've seen so many people talking about it. And a sports show here in Toronto that I always listen to, they were talking about it yesterday. And a great point that they made is also when you only have hair on about a quarter of your head, why are you dying it anyways? Like it doesn't look normal. It's not a good look for men. This is like the GQ advice they need to be giving to men is just seriously, if you have one quarter of a hair left on your skull, don't spray paint it. It's not.

gonna look good let me throw to adam karsh who is our he is our man adam now does not have a full head of hair you are the you're extremely handsome let me preface that and you're and you're very you're very you have tons of confidence you wear cool hats but when you don't wear hats you don't you you would you ever think of spraying where you have no hair on your head adam no i shave

So like I, I pick it, like I go right to the wood. If I didn't, I don't think it would look good. And cause I have like the spacely sprockets of, you know, that hair that goes over here. Like if you can picture him from the Jetsons, like it wouldn't look good. I have to shave my head and it's,

If you asked me when I was a teenager, because I used to have long hair, I'll send you a picture, down to my shoulders, I was a hippie, and I would like, I'd never cut my hair, and I'd never shave, and I want to be a hippie dippy. And like, as I started losing my hair, I'm like, I can't get away with this. It's going to look ridiculous. So now I bickered, and I'm comfortable with a bald head, and I couldn't go back. Well, I just, I'm asking you just because for vanity reasons or whatever, I'm

Um, would there have, so there would never have been a time where you would have, cause I remember Ron Popeil, remember the Popeil pocket fishermen? A hundred percent. The pasta maker. We have the Ron Popeil rotisserie showtime grill, the set it and forget it. I had one of those. It's amazing. I'm using it tonight. Maybe the Popeil company could sponsor our show. All I'm saying is that we have a man here that really believes in it.

But I know one of his nuttier products that he had was the spray on, and it was almost like a foam. So it looked like it had texture. But Ron did it on his own head. So I'm thinking Ron Popeil is still with us. So I would so love to see if he was commenting. And I bet you any money he's like, that's not our product. Our product would have never dripped down Rudy Giuliani's head. Anyway, if you haven't seen it, just go Google Rudy Giuliani.

and just look at the pictures and the memes. And are we being really mean here? He also, like I will say, it's always in the context of when you're a public figure like that and you're also getting on camera and making a bunch of claims that communists rigged the U.S. election, which has proven time and again to

to be patently untrue. So when you open yourself up to a certain level of criticism while your shoe polish is running down the front of your face, if you're already holding a fairly controversial press conference, I think it's safe to assume most people are probably going to take some ribs at you.

You're listening to the Jan Arden Podcast. We're going to be right back with so much riveting stuff. You don't want to miss it. Welcome back. I'm Jan Arden. I'm here with Caitlin Green, Adam Karsh. We are well into the holiday season. I have been listening to Christmas music since Remembrance Day.

And I'm absolutely loving it. And I feel like Christmas this year, and hear me out, is going to be spectacularly special. I think what's at the heart of Christmas, the love we have for our friends and our family, even setting religion aside right now, because I don't know about you guys, but I think for most of the world, Christmas is not a super duper religious time.

certainly for younger people that aren't, you know, full-blown Catholics or full-blown into Christianity, you know, that's kind of changed. But Christmas, I think, will be here for 2,000 years. I don't see it going away. Yeah, well, I don't see capitalism going away. No, exactly. But I'm just saying, you know, yes, celebrating the birth of Christ

Jesus Christ, but it's gone so beyond that with Black Friday, Red Friday, Green Friday, the pre-Black Friday, the apres pre-Black Friday sale. Like we know what Christmas is, but this year in particular, because I don't think the malls are going to be inundated. I think people are realizing that they have to be mindful. And I don't think they're going to allow that. They're not going to allow, you know, 200 people in Best Buy to get TVs. It's just not going to happen.

Well, I hope that's the case because here in Toronto, not that long ago, I went to Yorkdale Mall and I went and I wanted to go to one store only and it was to look for baby furniture. And we thought that we were going to enter from the exterior because this has a storefront on the outside of Yorkdale. So we're like, we're not even going in the mall. We're just going to go right into the store. And they've closed all the exterior entrances. So everyone has to go into the mall. And then we got into the mall. There were thousands of people. There were definitely hundreds of people in this store. And I just did an about face and we thought like, nope.

And oh, so, you know, this week here in Ontario and they're announcing new restrictions and they're expecting that they're going to include shopping malls and retail centers having a stricter limit on people being allowed to go into store. But yeah, I mean, we do bow to the altar of capitalism. So I don't know if they're going to change it that much. I think malls are still going to be busy personally. Yeah.

What, so you guys did not shop. What were people with masks on? Cause I know here in Alberta, it is, you have to have a mask in the city of Calgary to go into any retail store. Yeah. People, whether it's a veterinary office, shoppers, drug, whatever you have to have a mask on. Yeah. People had masks on, but then you always see, you're like, you're like, Oh good. You do a scan. Everyone's got a mask on. Great. Feel good about that. And then you look closer and you're like, your nose is out. You're

one ear's hanging off your mask doesn't fit doesn't fit properly yours looks like it's soaking wet like it's just and then you start to go like oh my gosh and then I at least personally go internal and I just don't anyone breathing on me especially because I'm expecting so yeah if I was only worried about me maybe but then being worried about um tiny version in my stomach I'm like oh so I just get I get more careful but it's been busy like stores here have been busy I will say that I I

Breathe a big sigh because it's frustrating. I think the numbers are high everywhere again, and I'm talking globally. So I don't think Canada needs to, you know, look at their behavior and think, Oh, you know, we're doing all these things wrong. And I can't even say it's wrong what we're doing. People are so desperate to get back to life. And I don't blame anybody for that. The mask thing is,

really bothers me that people, whatever you believe in, if you don't believe in science, if you believe the earth is flat, if you believe Elvis is still alive, is it so hard just to wear a mask in a store? I was in Superstore last week and I had to get tea and I'm, I'm,

I feel terrible because I like one kind of decaf Earl Grey tea and it's the president's choice brand at the superstore. I'm going to say that it's the best decaf Earl Grey tea I've ever had in my life. It's got Bergamot coming out of its pores. It's so delicious. It's inexpensive and you can get 200 bags for like $2 and 99 cents.

That's what I went in for, Caitlin and Adam, is a box of tea. And I thought, I'll just do the checkout self-serve. The self-serve had 30 people in line. But I'm like, I've come this far. Everyone was absolutely social distancing. Everyone was being super awesome about it. Everyone had on a mask except for this one guy. He was about six foot five.

He looked so mad. He was going through there. He didn't even make an attempt to have a mask around his neck or on his chin or hanging off one ear. He was indignant. He was rude to people. He was mumbling F this and F that and you bunch of F and under his breath. And I felt so disheartened. I didn't let it get me down because all the other 99.99% of the people there were

looked at him, some of them with disdain, some of them with forgiveness. I wanted to kick him in the knackers because I just felt like, sir, do you read the room, sir? Yeah. The room. Right. And we all have our masks on for you right now, sir. Yeah. I think I like wearing that. Like, I mean, literally there are places in the world where women are giving birth in a mask.

So it is not that hard. Is it, is it the, is it everyone's favorite thing? No. Has it given me more pimples than I probably ever had in my life? Yes. Yeah. But it's really not that big of a deal. And thankfully I was so thankful this week that we had two pieces of really incredible news related to the vaccine and the efficacy of the Moderna and then the collaborative vaccine between Pfizer and BioNTech. So I was really happy to hear about those breakthroughs because it's looking good. Um,

You know, our government's working on procuring as many doses as we can. They want to start rolling this out. If the FDA approves the Pfizer-BioNTech one in the U.S., they just submitted the application for that this week. So if they approve it, they're saying that they could be rolling out doses in the U.S. in a month. I don't know what our timeline looks like, but I hope to God that soon we don't have to deal with these people who refuse to wear masks and listen to experts.

because everyone's just been vaccinated at that point. Although maybe that guy without the mask on also wouldn't want the vaccine. Oh no, I'm in a black hole of concern. I was just, Caitlin, stop reading my mind. I was just going to say to you, Caitlin, he's probably not going to want to take the vaccine. Anyway, on our final minute, I want to know what your favorite Christmas foods are. I know we're coming into Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, whatever your holiday favorites is. I'm going shortbread and you can get great vegan shortbread. Caitlin, you?

Yeah, I was going to go with cookies as well. I have to go with cookies. And I'm not just shortbread. Any kind of holiday cookie, I'm into it. I love it. I wait all year. And not to mention, this year I'm going to be having non-alcoholic eggnog for the first time in my life. And also because you were mentioning President's Choice, clearly I'm hungry. The candy cane ice cream. I can't go wrong with it. Oh my goodness. Adam. I'm going to say the greatest Christmas taste that I can possibly imagine and enjoy for myself

is a peppermint mocha latte from Starbucks. Yes. I had one yesterday. I had one yesterday. It's Christmas in a cup. Sorry that we didn't have more time to talk about food because apparently the three of us get very excited about food. And I get just very excited about thinking that it's the end of the show, but it's not the end of the show. Chris Brunton, my longtime road manager, friend, stylist, he does so many things. He's coming up for the second half of the show. Don't go away. Chris Brunton is coming up next.

We are so excited to welcome another new sponsor, our friends at Cove Soda. Have I pestered Cove enough to come and join us here at the Jan Arden podcast? I love them so much. They are Canadian, first of all. They are a natural, certified organic, zero sugar soda, which includes, get this, one big

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A cola or a cream soda, root beer, yes indeedy. And they've got their limited edition summer flavor, which will take you right back to the second grade. You gotta try the ice pop one. Head to janardenpod.com to find out where the closest place to you is where you can go and buy Cove. Go right now. ♪ Just can't wait to get on the road again ♪ ♪ Life I love is making music with my friends ♪

♪ And I can't wait to get on the road again ♪ - Welcome back to the Jan Arden Podcast. You know, I tried to have this guy on months ago, early days of COVID. And I don't know, maybe our conversation, I think we were talking about dating. I'm here with Chris Brunton. Chris is in my management and he looks after me.

in many, many ways, on the road, in my life, putting tours together. He has designed clothing many times, doing lighting designs with people like Chris Brunton does it all. So here is Chris. Welcome to the Jan Arden Podcast, Segment 3. Thank you. It's nice to be back and talking with you. We did it this time last year.

Was it this time last year? Okay, for some reason, we had... We did record in March, but it was literally the week that everything shut down. Like, the day after we recorded, the world changed. And I felt like it wasn't... Everyone was in panic mode and buying chickpeas off of every shelf in the country. And so because of the chickpea extravaganza, we... And yeast and flour and toilet paper, the TP...

I don't even know what we'll refer to it as. Anyway, Chris and I have worked together. We're going into our, it's got to be 17 years now. This coming summer, it'll be 17 years. This upcoming summer. So we would be remiss to not talk about, first of all, live music and how much we all miss it. Right, Chris? Yes.

Yeah, it's, it's, I don't know, it's like there's a void. And I know I, and it's not even because we work in it, just as fans of it. There is a void of, I have this conversation all the time with people who don't have nothing to do with music other than just consuming it. And they just, there is this void missing. And it's really nice that a lot of artists are putting new music out and being very creative, but that live element, gosh, it sure is infectious. Yeah.

Well, you see a lot of shows. I can remember years where you were at 80 shows in a year. Yes, correct. You have the ticket stubs to prove it. Yeah, if we had a night off in a city, I'd always just check and see what was there. And even if I wasn't the biggest fan, I'd go see it. I remember you kind of did drag me to Janet Jackson. It was the weirdest show. It was a small theater. Yeah.

And

I don't know if Janet was singing live or... Anyway, that's a whole other different topic. She had... I remember the weirder part is she had a knee injury, so she could, like... She wasn't sitting on a stool, but she was, like, stationary in the center, but still doing the choreography with her upper body. That's right. They should have said that to people. She will be doing the choreography, but only from the waist up. So those fans that expected her legs to move...

That will not be happening today. So it's been a catastrophic thing for every facet of everybody working. So I don't want to sit here with Chris and certainly sound like we're whining, but I think we're going to whine a little bit. So get ready for it. Our livelihoods, we couldn't, we can't even work from home.

Really? Like musicians can't work from home. We can't, although a lot of people have done those live streaming concerts, which has been amazing. Now people are trying to monetize it. Like they're doing, they're doing ticket, ticketed, like shows. Yeah. Virtual shows. What do you think of that?

Um, it's, I mean, it's a placeholder, I think. And it's, there's, people are trying to be relevant when everyone else is still doing it still and trying to have their exposure and trying to have their, I struggle a little bit with in March and April and May,

you know, everyone was doing them for free and do, you know, getting on lives and getting on and doing, and I, and that was great. And it improved everyone's spirits. But now like some of those same people are realizing that they're now going into a year without any live income and they're starting to charge virtual shows. And it's, how do you charge something that like four or five months ago you gave away for free? It's like sex in the eighties.

Exactly. I was four, but I'll take your word for it. Well, it is, it's a bit of a quandary. Some artists are doing it and giving the money away to charity. And I love that. And some artists are doing it and giving the money away to their crews. Because like you and I just said, you know, a lot of these crews have, you know,

a whole year planned and then like everyone else in the entire world from Thursday to Friday in March it all vanished. I mean you did you did a little something for Rolling Stone here a little while ago can you tell us about that? In the spring Rolling Stone um my best friend Carolyn Snell is a tour manager as well and uh they approached us about giving a quote about an article that they were writing about

how catastrophic the pandemic has been to the people that work behind the scenes. I think a lot of people show up to a show and see the band and the artist on stage and don't realize like Jan travels with upwards of 15 to 25 in that range people all the time when we do a show.

So you see five of them, but there's probably 10 to 20 backstage working all day from seven till midnight, you know, that, that are involved. And I mean, when it gets up to an arena show or a stadium show, there's hundreds of people there are literally. Well, that's, that's not me, but I know that, you know, the Bublis of the world and Brian Adams and,

And Ariana Grande and Shakira and JLo. I mean, they have, they have like 80 or a hundred people working and, and you've got to understand that these tour guys, Chris knows more about it than I do, but they, they'll go from like Coldplay to Buble to, you know, they, they work for who's ever touring. And so you'll see, like, I will see shows. I remember going to Mariah Carey years ago and I saw like four guys that I work with.

And I'm sort of like waving at them. Hey, Jen, how you doing? Like somebody will be like doing something on side stage. So you see the same couple hundred faces, 300 faces, 400 faces. They're lifelong road warriors. They really are. They've never...

they've never had there's been recessions obviously that affect people's spending but um recessions that are kind of industry specific in the past even if you're like if i was in a recession in my job if i was um

you know really hurting financially but my favorite one artist was coming through town I would probably still scrap the money together to see them so like if you were touring you would still have a good show but this pandemic completely just eviscerated um an entire industry the last show we did was the first week of March and you and I were with the band and the guys in in the Bahamas

And I've talked about it on the show before of kind of it being so weird and strange. It felt very normal. We were going to restaurants at night to eat. We were there for, I think, four or five nights, did the show. It was a corporate job. And I just remember lying in the sun reading my book. And I'm so glad you and I had that five days of sunshine. And it felt weird because we knew something was coming, but we didn't know what.

Yeah, or how quickly. And it was really, I mean, there were two parts of it that were pretty devastating to me. One was we were sitting there by the pool in this beautiful environment and I was on the phone the entire time planning your spring tour. Yeah.

And getting, I was so like stressed about designing that show and getting everything together. And then that never happened. And then the second thing is two days after we were supposed to get back, we were supposed to leave for the Junos where you were getting inducted. And I had worked on that performance and that induction ceremony for four months. Yeah. My, my, my induction into the Canadian music hall of fame. I'm just going to say it again here and now at this podcast that I, I,

I, Adam is clapping quietly in his basement, but, um, and Anne-Marie was going to be inducting me. So I was so excited. She, you had been working with her for days and going to be flying her up because she has, uh, uh, like a winter home in, in Florida. So you can imagine the crap she was going through in Florida. Um, and then she, I just remember getting that call from Alan Reed about, I don't think the Junos is going to happen. I'm like, well, they shouldn't be happening for sure. Um,

But it was, it did really happen quickly. When we come back, I want to talk to you more about being on the road and traveling and some of the fun things that we got up to. I'm with my longtime friend, road manager, manager, designer, dancer, downhill skier, rodeo, horse wrangler, the

This crap this guy, well not crap, the crap this guy has done is insanity. Chris Brunton is with me. Stay with us. You're listening to the Jan Arden Podcast. Welcome back to the Jan Arden Podcast. I'm talking with Chris Brunton, who manages my life.

On the road. I love it. There was a point where things started to like,

your jobs got so much more piled on. You were like doing so many different things. It was like at year seven, all these things started adding in. And I remember you designing clothes for one tour. We were sitting down and drawing pictures of jackets and stuff like that. And I was just like, I couldn't even believe you knew how to do stuff like that for one thing.

Which you're like, you're like, I really don't, you know, but I just have these ideas. So. Yeah. I mean, that's a lot of the time I'm not a textbook learner. I'm a jump in and do it learner. So, I mean, you may as well. I mean, how many times have you heard me say, Oh, I don't really know how to do it, but I guess we can figure it out. It's not the most glamorous way to do something, but you learn quickly. Oh,

Oh my gosh. Trial and error is still, I think probably one of the most effective ways human beings learn anything. Yeah. People always ask me, Chris, how we met.

and how you ended up working in the music business. So I just want to back up a bit. When you started working with me, were you 22? 20. Just at the very, you were 20. I was 21. Yeah. 21. So just tell me, walk me through that. Cause honest to God, it's the most asked question. I,

I graduated from university when I was 21 and in April. What were you taking? I graduated with commerce. So it's like a business degree. Okay. But you took something in law as well. My major was, it was corporate law.

And then I wrote the LSAT because I thought that I would want to go into entertainment law and take law and go and become a lawyer. But I was kind of digging my heels in because I didn't know that I really wanted to go to law school. And so that summer, I had gone to see the Dixie Chicks on tour.

And Jan was opening. And a lot of people don't realize, and this isn't a dig, she knows this, is I didn't know who she was. I wasn't a fan. I didn't know anything about her. No, I didn't know who I was. I was a country music bumpkin.

So, anyway, I saw Jan open for the Dixie Chicks and I was like, oh my goodness. That was hilarious and hysterical and lovely and all of the things that we all know it to be. And so a few weeks later, I think I've told this story a couple times, but I was like, I need a job for the summer. I don't know what I'm going to do. So my mom said,

Why don't you, you really enjoy Jan's show and she lives in Calgary and I don't think she does. So why don't you apply there? And so I sent, I sent 80 resumes out that summer and I didn't hear back from 80. Oh my God. You were the 81st. And then your assistant Janine at the time called me literally like three days later. And I, and the rest is history. That is just so funny.

So you never know people, you never know until you ask, you never know until you actually make the effort to do something. So even if things seem completely outlandish and completely so far off on the horizon, write that letter, send in that resume, make the call, stick your hand in the air to ask the question, right? I think that is such a perfect example, Chris, of putting yourself out there.

And trying. Yeah, I mean, it was having faith that, you know, I don't want to get too out there, but having faith that, you know, everything's supposed to work out and the universe does have a little bit of your back sometimes. Well, you started, I mean, and I don't want people to think that Chris just jumped in and was out on the road and doing things. He really was willing to work his way up.

But I remember saying to you, I don't know what the job's going to be, Chris, but if you want to go forward with me, I'm sure you must have thought I was nutty because you had gone to Hawaii. Just, you know, okay, the job's ending. I'm going to go to Hawaii, hang out with my parents. Yeah. I actually got a call in Hawaii from you. I got a call in Hawaii from you saying,

can you go to Nashville in two days? And I was like, huh? And he said, well, my friend Shadazi needs some help. And maybe it'll be the interim between this and something else. So I literally got on a plane, never been to Nashville, flew there, started working with Shadazi. And then in that process, you and I again connected and figured out what

what this was going to be. And we didn't figure out what this was going to be for a good two or three. I didn't read. I didn't, I didn't even think about that. Chris, the Shadazy stuff. I think they had started a new record and they were in between management or something. Yeah. They needed help with a budget and keeping track of the record. That's right. Anyway. So, so you and I kind of staggered around the planet for like two years, just,

I still had my agent in place. Um, and, but just doing stuff. So that was a very, very steep learning curve for you. It was, yeah. You jump in the deep end and do triage for two years. I don't think I slept for a year and a half for the two years. Imagine you're like 23 years old, 24 years old. And yeah, it was crazy. Um, would you, would you say I was an easy person to work with now? Be very careful with your answer.

Yeah, I mean, easy for sure. It was like, like we said, we were both in the deep end treading water and didn't know which direction we were going. I mean, there was you talk about this candidly before. It's no surprise you were like in that moment. And it wasn't because of anything external, but you were kind of in your own world wondering if you wanted to continue music. Yeah.

Um, you've said that you've talked about that in your books and interviews. So that was around the same time. And so we were both kind of like, holy crap, what do we do? Oh my word. And so, yeah, it was a very, it was, but I, I mean, I said this the other day to someone, I was like that time laid a really solid foundation for the next 15 years. I've had some of the greatest laughs of my life with you.

Like some of the funniest, I mean, the things we've seen, there's times when Chris and I will be at events and I cannot look at him because he knows what I'm looking at him for. Like when you work with someone, when you're sleeping in buses and traveling in vans and flying for days at a time to get to places, um,

You know, your gig is really going to be an odd gig when the transportation keeps getting smaller. You know, you start in a commercial aircraft, then you get to like a float plane, then they pick you up in like some kind of a four wheel drive and then transfer you to a skidoo. Like, you know, you know, you're headed. You start to get worried when the dinghy shows up. Absolutely. Yeah.

But just, I mean, eating has always been so challenging. Chris and I spend half our day foraging or trying to find like a place to eat. I'll tell you what right now, and these people don't sponsor us. We are so glad to see a Boston pizza, a Subway or an A&W or a Wendy's because me going plant-based a few years ago, Wendy's always had baked potatoes. Yeah, could I get a plain baked potato? Yeah.

And well, and you have to realize that we're looking for places at one in the morning. We're not looking for it. So it's always a drive through. I remember one time a couple of years ago, the last few years, we've always been on tour in November and December. It's always been minus 30. And we've always been in a minivan because Jan and I prefer travel is apparently. But talk about, I mean, you talk about pandemics. We have, we have been on stage. The entire band has been sick with a cold.

Yeah. Like really bad chest colds. And because I travel separately with Chris and we have the dogs, Chris, Chris has a little dog and I have a little dog. So we go in the vans and everyone is like blowing their nose and hacking in buckets. And I feel fine because we don't, cause I just wouldn't travel on the bus. I mean, seriously, I'm an older woman now.

You can't make me go on a bus. And especially when I was going through the change of life. Poor Chris, this young guy from Lloyd Minster is dealing with a woman who's like, Chris, can you go find me maxi pads? God love you, Chris. I have no shame. You don't. You always went and got stuff for me. Chris is the best. Men out there. I remember one time we were in Germany and you were having quite an issue. And I had to not only find...

a pharmacy, but talk to someone about, cause everything's different. I know brands, I know colors, but to find a German pad was literally like me playing an amazing race. Welcome to the Jen Arden podcast. Last week we talked about the pioneers having periods and now, but anyways, I will, I'll give credit cause I couldn't go anywhere. Like I

all you women listening at a certain age can relate to this. I'd be like, I can't leave anywhere. And I used to travel with a lot of feminine protection, but even that did not get me over. So Chris, thank you. And I hope I gave you a bonus that year for like $8 million because you deserved it.

But really, honest to God, we've had so many sing-alongs in the van. Like, we take turns driving. I don't know if Celine Dion does that with her road manager, but Chris and I will take turns driving. So who's ever in the passenger seat DJs?

Oh my God, we have fun. Yeah. I mean, there was a time, I remember specifically, there was a time we drove from Calgary to Jasper and it took seven hours because the snow banks, the road was actually supposed to be shut down. And the only thing that would work was the Sirius Broadway channel for four hours. Oh God. Oh my God.

We were like Wednesday Adams by the time that car trip was over. Honestly, Chris had to like pry my fingers off the steering wheel. And I had just bought these sunglasses. You know how they always tout like anti-glare and this and that. And these sunglasses, I don't know what the company is. I wish I did because they should sponsor us.

I should just say Dior and see what happens. But I think it was Ray-Ban. And I put these glasses on and I could actually see where the road might have been. We passed two cars in seven hours. And people would shake their fists on the way by or like, go back. Like, what? What did he say? It's like John Candy, you're going the wrong way. Right.

Anyway, the last minute, Chris, I'm going to leave it to you. The best is yet to come. Thoughts on the music industry. How can we help people in the music industry right now? You have 40 seconds. I just think...

It's supporting the arts. I think right now it's making sure that small venues get through this and that, you know, there are places for us to play when this all kind of comes back. And seeing shows when it does come back. I mean, I know there's a public safety measure to it, but once the vaccine hopefully is out and go see a show, we're going to make it safe for everyone and

the people that put these shows on are really, really needing your support right now. So when it is safe and when the government says and the health professionals say we can go out and do this again, please come out and see all of us because we have been missing you for, it'll

It'll be over a year. You've been listening to the Jen Arden podcast. My very special guest, friend, road manager, designer, therapist, Chris Brunton has been with us today. And I can't wait to get back out there with you, Chris. The best is yet to come. Our dates are scheduled for April and May, and we're going to let everybody know, you know, what is happening. We're hoping to be back April and May. It might be May, June. It might be June, July, but we will get back at it. Thanks for listening. Totally do.

This podcast is distributed by the Women in Media Podcast Network. Find out more at womeninmedia.network.