Nadia Elkharadly: Come Together, Right Now

It was a sad night in Toronto this past Monday.  Leaf nation had to endure the biggest disappointment they’ve faced since ye old strike of 2012; the Toronto Maple Leafs lost their shot at the Stanley Cup.  Losing a 4-1 lead over Boston, the humiliation was solidified into a 4-5 loss in overtime.  The city was quiet, the dejection palpable in the downtown streets.  But for those of us lucky enough to be at Cherry Cola’s that same night, the disappointment was distracted and then washed away by a completely different form of entertainment; The Bobcast.

Now in its 9^th week, The Bobcast gets better and better with every show.  I’ve been lucky enough to attend pretty much every recording and I’m consistently impressed by all the work and talent that has been put into this operation.  Brian Jedan, producer extraordinaire, is the organizing force and boundless energy behind it, and his enthusiasm and drive for this project is really inspiring.  His crew, from the videographer, the sound guys and everyone else he’s recruited, who donate their time, energy and of course skill to the show deserve recognition and praise – truly this podcast couldn’t exist without them.  The lovely and extremely patient Chloe, soft-spoken but self-assured, manages to keep the ragtag band in line, on time and on point throughout the night with her trusty clipboard and iPhone timer.  Her poise and calm for someone so young really amazes me, and it’s been amazing to see her at work.  Budding photographer and dear friend Bobby Singh slides into his role as in-house paparazzi very well, to the point that he’s been able to catch even me in a candid moment or two, and I can tell you that’s not easy.  His dedication to the show is also wonderful, he’s there pretty much every week making sure that no moment of hilarity, poignancy or debauchery goes unsnapped.

Xprime, the adorable box of baby animals band that really does have a knack for house-banding and theme-songing keep us boppin’ our heads every week.  I also really loved how much they’ve started to contribute to the show banter between their playings in and out of guests and song smatterings.  Every week I’m flabbergasted by something off the cuff drummer Phil has to say, and every single one of them has tossed out a killer one liner that leaves me and the audience in stitches.   A special shoutout must also go to the alcohol handling professionals, Cherish (who provides the location as well as the libations) and Anthony Dell’Orso, both of whom keep our thirsts quenched for all the laughing, cheering and applauding that we do every week.  Of note as well, Dell’s own band The Joy Arson will be appearing on the Bobcast in a few weeks for what’s sure to be yet another memorable episode.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our charismatic and marvellous hosts, Roxanne Tellier and my rockdad Bob.  I’m so excited that Bob has brought Roxy on as a Don’t Believe a Word I Say columnist as well as cohost for the Bobcast.  She’s funny, she’s a wonderful writer, a performer and incredible entertainer.  Her contribution to the Bobcast, and how well she plays off Bob is always a joy to watch unfold, and to relisten to later on.  And most of all, she’s a super cool lady, and I’m glad to know her and call her a co-writer/worker/friend now.  As for Bob, what can I say about Bob that I haven’t already said?  I’ve known him for a couple of years now and he never ceases to amaze and entertain me.  He’s an absolute radio natural, and it’s so great to see him use those talents live and in person.  I’m so glad to know him and I’m so happy to be a part of this fantastic journey that he’s taking us all on!

You may be wondering why I’m waxing poetic about The Bobcast and all of its wonderful qualities.  The first reason is, I had an absolute BLAST at the recording on Monday.  For the third time since the podcast’s inception I was able to book the musical guest, and for this time around I chose the Blue Stones.  Currently my favourite indie band, I knew this duo would not only put on a great performance, but, having interviewed the boys myself, I knew they would be able to chat with Bob easily and entertain all around.  And did they ever!  Seriously, I laughed, I cried (I truly teared up a little over the outcome of the game), and I even got to hear Bob say that I’M ALWAYS RIGHT.   In front of actual live witnesses.  That’s something I’ll never forget.  So thank you Tarek and Justin for putting on a great performance, being great interviewees and making me look good!  You guys rock, literally and figuratively.

(Us and the Blue Stones at the Global Warming Tees photoshoot)

But more than that, it was just such a wonderful reminder to me of what truly exciting and amazing things can happen when you get a room full of likeminded and ambitious people in a room.  It’s not rocket science here; putting together a crew of people who are extremely accomplished and talented in all sorts of different yet compatible areas (Bob’s natural showmanship with Brian’s business savvy for example) is a surefire way to create success.  And that’s exactly what the Bobcast is; the product of bringing together talented people who are amazing at what they do, putting them and their energy together and just seeing what happens.  And what happens is…amazing.

It’s exactly what’s happening with the magazine I am now working on, Addicted (check out my neat little logo below!) Born out of necessity; the need to have a written outlet for my dear friend Mark Munroe’s social media reach to be connected to, Addicted has grown into so much more than the little blog it started out as.  By pooling together our talents, we became something so much greater than a group of people struggling on our own in our respective areas.  Mark’s innovative nature and social media presence, my writing skills, networking ability and unquenchable love of music, the lovely Emer Schlosser’s writing and editing prowess and experience and her undeniable love and knowledge of the film industry, Lifestyle editor NateDaniels’ energetic nature coupled with his technical skill….really I could go on ad nauseum about all the amazing people we’ve pulled into the Addicted fold.  Every day we grow, add new writers who continue to wow me with the things they cover and how well they do it.  The response and support we’ve received from family, friends and the rest of the world is mind blowing.  It’s a true testament what I said above; you bring together a group of individuals who are each great and passionate about something, and you sit back and watch it snowball into greatness.  It’s a wild ride, and I’m loving every minute of it.

Speaking of talented people coming together, tomorrow (Thursday) at Cherry Cola’s aka home of the Bobcast, punk rock legend Denis Tek of Radio Birdman will be performing, and he’s brought along two extremely talented tattoo artists/musicians (Steve & Art Godoy) to back him.  It’s not every day that this level of combined genius blows through our fair city, so if you’re around you should definitely swing on by the bar for a beverage and some great tunes.  Check out details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/569814449725784/, and see you there!

Xo

N

 =NE=

Nadia’s column appears every Wednesday

Contact us at: dbawis@rogers.com

Nadia Elkharadly is a Toronto based writer with a serious addiction to music. Corporate drone by day, renegade rocker by night, writing is her creative outlet.  Nadia writes for the Examiner (.com) on live music in Toronto and Indie Music in Canada.  She has never been in a band but plays an awesome air guitar and also the tambourine.  Check in every Tuesday for musings about music, love, life and whatever else that comes to mind.