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Music

Babysitter's Guide to Touring (in Canada)

Plus, check out the premiere of their new video, "Real Wild Child's Gone Totally Mild."

Babysitter loves the road. Since their introduction to the world with a series of gloriously scuzzy cassettes (titled Tape I-V, ‘natch), the Victoria, B.C. bad boys have logged more miles than Dennis Hopper on a hog. Thanks to the kind folks at Psychic Handshake, their brand spankin’ new Eye LP collects the band’s greatest hits in buffed-up fashion and finds them hitting the highway harder than ever. As a response to Thor from Swans’ list of tour tips, Babysitter gives us 20 more for the Great White North. Keep an eye on their Tumblr to see if they’re touring through a town near you.

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- No sleeping in the shotgun position. In exchange for the extra legroom, one assumes a responsibility to keep an eye peeled for deer, moose, yetis, and other excitable creatures that could stop you dead.

- Mix in some podcasts and comedy albums with the music to keep your crew sane/awake on endless prairie drives.

- No point complaining about long drives. Duh, don't tour Canada.

- Don’t expect prairie towns on the map to a) still exist in a way that they can still be considered a “town” b) have any amenities (banks, grocery stores, motels).

- Save your sleep for driving across New Brunswick (aside from a few towns, this drive is dangerously boring).

- Make sure your fog lights are working if you drive through New Brunswick.

- No right turns on red in Montreal. Maybe other places as well? Look it up.

- Check your oil and tire pressure.

- If you’re playing the island (where we come from), sneak everyone but the driver on the ferry under sleeping bags. Play Victoria and Nanaimo if possible to offset serious ferry costs.

- Subway sandwiches carry an odor that will linger for days if not properly addressed. No cold cut trios in the car, and no BMTs unless you’ll be showering in the next couple hours.

- When in Calgary, Tubby Dog is crucial. All-ages punk shows, arcade games, and all the sick toppings you can handle.

- Don't play a show in Red Deer (unless Kevin Stebner is involved).

- Bring a frisbee and get some exercise, you hippy. Try to stretch often and eat well.

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- Enjoy the scenery!

- Winter in the Rockies lasts from October until June.

- Don’t leave home without a leather jacket (see above).

- Treat southern and eastern Ontario like its own Canadian tour—Hamilton, London, Windsor, Kitchener/Waterloo, Guelph, Kingston, Ottawa—this is the only part of the country where you can feel like you’re touring the U.S., with one hour drives between centers that have enough people for a decent turnout.

- Cops are notorious for busting bands for illicit materials in Northern Ontario. I think you want to be really careful in the Marathon, Wawa areas and in between. Best just not to have anything.

- Know your provincial alcohol departments and agencies. Open/close times and general availability vary from province to province.

- Two words: Pil Cube!