THE BLACKIE & THE RODEO KINGS TRAIN
Toronto to Vancouver
November 9-13, 2007

Featuring:
Stephen Fearing
Colin Linden
Tom Wilson
with guests
Sass Jordan, Jimmy Rankin and Barney Bentall

Some call them the Kings of Love. We call them one of the most exciting acts ever to come out of the Great White North. Either way, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings rocked the Cowboy Junkies Train across Canada in 2006... And now they're ready to do it again - this time on their own. Join musical icons Stephen Fearing, Tom Wilson and Colin Linden for the trip of a lifetime across Canada on the rails that built a nation. Seventy avid music fans and amazing musicians make a non-stop rolling music festival on board a private section of Via Rail's legendary CANADIAN from Toronto to Vancouver. Three days and nights of music on board the last great long-distance streamline train still operating in North America - Open mics and workshops every afternoon from each member of BARK, on-board concerts every evening in our intimate Performance Car, where the scenery and music never stop.

Our own private section of this great 1950's vintage stainless steel train... Our own Skyline dome lounge car, performance car, dining car and sleepers. Rolling ever Westward, into the setting sun - across the rugged landscape of the Shield, over the vast expanse of the Prairies, through the magnificent Canadian Rockies, down the roaring Fraser River Canyon - over 4,400 kilometers of some of the most spectacular scenery on earth!

Sleeper accommodations and delicious, freshly-prepared meals are provided on board, as well as a pre-trip show and night in Toronto at the Fairmont Royal York - one of the grandest of the great railway hotels. On board, there's plenty of room for socializing and song-swapping; plenty of glass-topped dome seating for taking in the scenery... and, most importantly, plenty of great music, friendship and a community you will never forget.

"This Kicked (butt)!!!!" wrote one participant on the posted schedule in the lounge of the fall 06 Junkies Train. "Diplomatic Understatement" someone else wrote below that. It's true. It doesn't matter if you're traveling with friends or going solo, if you play music, write songs or just love listening: join Colin, Stephen, Tom, the Roots on the Rails crew and an amazing cast of characters for an unforgettable trip on one of the great railway journeys in the world.

All aboard!

"The music was incredible, the scenery magnificent, the service on the train was excellent, the hotels wonderful, and the social mixing with other travelers were great. And the Roots on the Rails crew were so professional and organized! It made it easy for us to relax, sit back, and enjoy every glorious moment."
- Russ and Tracy Bodnar, previous trip participants.

Saturday, November 10
Depart Toronto at 9:00 am - spend the day on board as we travel through the Canadian Shield, with leg-stretches in Capreol and Hornepayne. Round-robin multiple performer show in afternoon, followed by open mic, formal on-board BARK and guests concert in evening.

Sunday, November 11
The Shield country turns to Prairies. Leg-stretch in Winnipeg. Round-robin multiple performer show in afternoon, open mic, formal on-board concert in evening. Across the prairies, with stop in Saskatoon during night.

Monday, November 12
On board, morning finds us in Edmonton, then we climb through the foothills of the Rockies, reaching Jasper in afternoon. Group photo and time for substantial leg-stretching in Jasper. We cross the Continental Divide at Tete Jaune (Yellowhead) Pass, Mt. Robson, the highest peak in Canadian Rockies, towering above. Round-robin multiple performer show in afternoon, open mic, formal on-board concert in evening. During the night, we follow the Fraser River Canyon to the sea.

Tuesday, November 13
We arrive Vancouver at 8:00 am. Some depart ; those wishing to stay additional days (we highly recommend this option!) can arrange for our group rate ($110 CAD + taxes) at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. We will likely have an informal farewell event that night in Vancouver.

GUESTS

SASS JORDAN

With her distinctive powerhouse vocals - in the grand tradition of blues-rock divas such as Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt - Sass Jordan has had an enviable career: duets with Joe Cocker on the multiplatinum BODYGUARD soundtrack, platinum albums, tours and appearances with The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Areosmith and Whitesnake, Broadway shows, a full spectrum of life in the world of music. Since 2003, she has been a judge on the ratings blockbuster Canadian Idol.
Sass Jordan's first love and inspiration is American roots music, and her latest disc, Get What You Give, recorded in Nashville with Colin Linden, is a celebration of that rough-hewn beauty.
"This is an exploration of the past 20 years of my musical life, mining all the influences more directly and yet more sideways than I ever have before. Working with Colin brought an incredibly fresh and new perspective; much more my natural way of working." In making a more immediate, "truer" record, Sass discovered, "The possibilities are endless; the sculpture is not totally carved. It's up to the listener to finish it. It's rough around the edges. It's much more like life. The bottom line is that roots music connects us emotionally- performer and audience alike- with our history."

JIMMY RANKIN

Like any artist worth his salt, Jimmy Rankin knows how to make a lasting impression. Except that, as a man who has won four Songwriter Of The Year Awards for such songs as the chart-topping "Fare Thee Well Love," "You Feel The Same Way Too," "Followed Her Around" and "Midnight Angel," his canvas isn't restricted to an easel and a few tubes of paint. It's an aural canvas framed by experience - and depending on how the Cape Breton native channels his idea - a brilliantly composed masterstroke of acoustic, roots or rock music depicting life, emotion and observation with resonating finesse.
Jimmy was the songwriting lynchpin of The Rankin Family, helping the legendary Canadian family of performers win six Junos and sell over two million albums. His latest solo disc, EDGE OF DAY, produced by Colin Linden, is an exquisite exploration and celebration of music-making stripped clean of pretension.
Hand Jimmy Rankin a guitar - preferably an acoustic Gibson - and watch him - no, hear him - weave some magic.

BARNEY BENTALL

Barney Bentall is a legendary, well-seasoned performer. Best known as leader of The Legendary Hearts, a hugely successful Canadian act in the 1990's, Bentall's latest disc, GIFT HORSE, his first in nine years, shows a mature writer at the peak of his form.
The disc was made in Vancouver (with Legendary Hearts bandmate Johnny Ellis) and Toronto (with Blue Rodeo). Some of the material was inspired by Bentall's life on his ranch in the rugged Cariboo region of British Columbia. "This wasn't about making a country record. I think it was just a case of being able to get away from things for a while and then write about what I saw and felt. When you're putting out record after record and doing lots of touring, the songs are the fuel that feeds the machine and writing is a very different process. Gift Horse was probably the most enjoyable record I've made over the course of my career, due to that lack of pressure and deadline."
With two dozen hits and a handful of gold records under his belt, Barney now performs in a much more intimate and acoustic setting then in the Legendary Hearts hard-rocking heyday, but it is a setting that suits his music perfectly.

PRICE

Prior to departure we provide extensive information on how to pack, getting across the border, how life on board works, and will be happy to answer any additional questions you might have. Our travel agent, Lisa Timmons at United Nations Travel (unitednationstravel@yahoo.com) will work with you to determine additional hotel nights (at our group rate) at Vancouver and Toronto hotels, as well as your travel options to and from Canada (her consultations are free; she charges a nominal service charge for actual flight ticketing). Return travel is not provided. Lisa can also help arrange your return on Via Rail or Amtrak if you desire.

Checks accepted in US or Canadian funds (make out to Flying Under Radar, and send to PO Box 653, Bellows Falls, VT 05101 USA). Balance is fully refundable up to 90 days prior to departure. 50% refundable up to 45 days prior to departure, and non-refundable after that. Trip is fully transferable up to 14 days from departure. We accept American Express, Discover, Visa, Mastercard, personal checks and money orders. Checks accepted in US or Canadian funds (make out to Flying Under Radar, and send to PO Box 653, Bellows Falls, VT 05101 USA).

The Fine Print: The payment of a deposit or any part or full payment for a reservation shall constitute consent to all the provisions contained herein. Flying Under Radar, LLC shall not be held responsible for for property loss or damage and/or any damages resulting from illness, personal injuries or death which may be sustained by reason of, or while engaged on, any trip or tour whether due to the ownership, maintenance, use, operation or control of any vehicle, hotel, common carrier or any other conveyance used in carrying out these tours. We can assume no liability due to any cause whatsoever whether caused by failure or delay or other irregularity, acts or omissions occurring during a tour under which the means of transportation or other service thereby is offered or supplied by owners, operators or public carriers for whom Flying Under Radar, LLC acts only as agent. Flying Under Radar, LLC reserves the right (at its discretion) to alter or omit any part of the itinerary, or change any reservation, feature and/or means of conveyance without notice or for any reason whatsoever and without allowance or refund and with extra costs, if any, resulting therefrom paid by the passengers. Performer lineup subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control. We reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure, in which case payment will be refunded without further obligation on our part. Flying Under Radar, LLC shall not be responsible for any injury to person (whether or not resulting in death) or damage to property. Flying Under Radar, LLC strongly urges individual passengers to obtain appropriate insurance coverage. Baggage is at the owner's risk entirely. The transportation companies concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time passengers are not aboard their carriers or conveyances. The passenger contract in use by the carriers concerned (when issued) shall constitute the sole contract between the transportation companies and the purchaser of these tours and/or passage. By accepting the ticket the passenger also agrees to its terms and conditions. By forwarding of deposit, the passenger certifies that he/she does not have any mental, physical or other condition or disability that would create a hazard for him/herself or other passengers. Flying Under Radar, LLC reserves the right to cancel or withdraw any person as a member of the tour at any time.