Pat Blythe – Keep live alive…..and music

I could continue with the “cymbal saga”, but I think I’ll take a different tact this week….it’s all about the music. Summer is in full swing and coming alive with concerts, both public and private, on both sides of the border. In person or in car, people are attending in droves, almost desperate to see and hear their favourite bands and artists….live and alive. The camaraderie, the faces (both on and off stage), the laughter, the joy, the amps, the earplugs, the dancing, the oxytocin from the many hugs, all those endorphins coming alive, even mic or guitar feedback sounds good these days…..it’s literally impossible to replace any of this over the internet. We all need each other and the “in person” interaction and touch it provides.

GWNtertainment #24 by Jaimie Vernon

The music world is slowly opening like a timid flower after a torrential rain. Venues are establishing boundaries in a minefield of deciding whether they can work at full capacity or not based on city post-COVID guidelines. The monster shed tours are also gassed up and ready to go. Now they just need audiences. Audiences who are now being asked to pay $200 to $1400 for tickets. The house burnt down and instead of having a fire sale, the landlords are asking the public to rebuild the barn. But live music is crack to some fans and many are willing to pay ridiculously inflated admission prices for the chance to what exactly? To see their rock and roll superheroes one last time before they retire/die/suck?

Segarini – The Birth of The BobCast Part Two – How Do You Know It’s Impossible If It’s Never Been Done Before?

Over the years, a lot of dumb things have been said by a lot of smart, experienced, people.

“The greatest scientific minds have assured us that this ship is unsinkable, Lady Astor”.

“Guitar groups are on their way out, Brian”.

“No one is going to tune in to a television network to watch people cook”.

“Trump isn’t a career politician, he’s got fresh ideas and will lead America into the future”.

Shut up.

Pat Blythe – Boom boom tsst – Part 3….Come Ride with Me….and music

…..and the cymbal saga continues. Here’s an interesting little tidbit. Ever heard of the bock-a-da-bock? Me either. Say it really fast though and it begins to sound familiar. Now Google it and there’s a whole history behind this fascinating little number…..introducing the hand cymbal commonly known as the Bock-A-Da-Bock.

Originally designed by Billy Gladstone, one of the most significant and finest percussionists of his time, Gladstone was continually inventing, building and perfecting instruments. “Gladstone’s ‘Device for Operating Cymbals’ comprised a pair of spring-loaded scissor tongs bearing two small, heavy cymbals facing each other; when the player squeezed the tongs, the cymbals closed together. A range of interesting sounds were made possible as the player held the device in one hand, opening and closing the cymbals whilst striking them with a stick held in their other hand. Its creator having received a patent, the ‘Ludwig Gladstone Cymbal’ appeared in the drum company’s 1927 catalogue.” (Drums in the Twenties)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS MONTH from GARY PIG GOLD To Both ROGER AND JIM McGUINN

It’s becoming increasingly obvious, with every passing year and with every passing trend, that The Byrds were just about the greatest rock’n’roll band America ever produced. Sure, I bet lots of other musicians in 1964 were inspired enough after first viewing A Hard Day’s Night to want to throw together their very own guitar gangs. and Yes, from a half-century-plus perspective the bridging of Dylan’s words with the Beatles’ licks and hair-do’s was a hybrid just itching to happen. But it took a pack of visionary crazies like The Byrds to not only pull it off, but actually shove it right up to the top of the charts for all to hear, see, and forever be amazed by. Hard to believe that within a year of that first Beatle movie, Messrs. McGuinn, Clark, Crosby, Hillman and Clarke had the Number One record on the planet with the still contemporary-sounding “Mr. Tambourine Man.”

Chef Tom – ¡Esta muy caliente!

Aguas frescas, water-based fruit drinks, are a cool way to make your fresh fruit go further—especially in the summertime when you might have a larger watermelon than you know what to do with, or peaches that are starting to shrivel.

Segarini – The Birth of The BobCast

It was the best of times, it was the worst of …no …wait …that’s either the opening line to a classic story or how I would feel if I won the Lottery and then had to sit through a Billie Eilish concert.

Let me start over.

Pat Blythe – Boom boom tsst……Part Two…..and music

…..and we’re back. Two weeks of incredible busyness. Last week, short of creating the 36-hour workday I just couldn’t get to either my column or the podcast…..which makes me very sad as I love working on both.  Also wrapped up my first “in studio” interview and production with John Jamieson at Soundhouse Studio. I’ve recorded 12 interviews at Soundhouse and the very first with Tom Wilson was just released yesterday. To have it professionally mixed and mastered is beyond my wildest expectations. If I look back one year ago I would never, ever have guessed this is where and what I’d be doing today.

GWNtertainment #23 by Jaimie Vernon

We find ourselves at the crossroads of dipping our toes back into civilization again or staying isolated. The pandemic was stifling and near claustrophobic. It has also led to uncomfortable confrontations with introspection and compounded mental health. I tread the fine line between wanting to see my extended family and cozying up forever in my home with my wife and son. It reminds me of a song by The Robert Farrell Band out of Ottawa called “Cold Cold Heaven.” It’s a great allegorical song written by Farrell and the Cooper Brothers’ Dick Cooper about getting what you want, but once you’re there, feeling like you’ve hit a sandbar or a rut, as it were.

Chef Tom – Hail Caesar!

Caesar salad is often a crowd pleaser. Here are a couple of versions sure to get your guests drooling, and standing with their plates at the door of your kitchen.