Heads up folks, DBAWIS will be going on summer hiatus beginning next week until September 7. So after today (Wednesday) I won’t be landing in your inbox or appearing on my FB timeline again until September 11. Hmmmmm…..come to think of it, I may resurrect a few oldies but goodies on my timeline, just to keep you on your toes. So with that, let this post begin….
What’s with the festival circuit the past few years? Roxodus died a quick and very public, painful death….especially painful to all those who bought tickets and the dream. The demise…..headlines for about 30 seconds and then gone. However, that one will be a sea of lawsuits for years to come, but hey, the bands got their deposits. Go figure.
Today is a “schlep day”. One of those days when you roll out of bed two hours later than you wanted after a fabulous night listening to some funky, smooth jazz courtesy of Eddie, Quincy and Tre-Michael Bullen along with guests saxophonist Rob Christian and bassist Etric Lyons (Kush).
Your feel hit the floor and you wonder if anyone got the number of that truck that just sideswiped you as you stumble into the shower and just stand there. One look in the mirror and those racoon eyes tell you the makeup didn’t come off last night before you fell asleep and the hair…..oh lord…..the hair….. Soaped and rinsed, schlep day means no bra, no makeup, one extra extra large t-shirt, feet up and coffee in hand…..I ain’t fancying up for nobody. Now it’s time to complete my weekly music musings.
I’m burnt. A brilliantly sunny day spent covering 10 stages and finding shade. I forgot my hat and to tell the truth, it’s really challenging trying to take photographs while chasing an airborne hat or evening lifting the brim to see what the hell you’re focusing on.
What an EPIC weekend!! The weather, except for a couple of 15-minute downpours on Friday, was gorgeous nicely covering all three H’s…..hot, hazy and humid. So humid I felt like a piece of flypaper…..everything was sticking to me. A dive into the lake was sorely tempting. On the flip side, with no more rain in the forecast, people, little ones and big ones, were out in droves. In fact, it was another record-breaking year for the Mariposa Folk Foundation.
Happy Summer Everyone! Finally!!!!!
Busy, busy in the outdoors this past weekend. Rocking (literally) the back garden my youngest and very industrious son Thom is building a small patio using the remaining stones Chris collected over the years. It’s looking lovely. A late start for planting but by BBQ time everything should be ready and blooming. Also busy hosting an AirBnB guest for three nights. Originally from Tibet, Levone has made New Hampshire his home for now but he is loving Canada and all the Pride festivities.
The business of business cards….little pieces of history….a nostalgic trail of change of memories. Each one has its own story….of the owner, the business, the year, even the decade. Headed to the basement to check the dehumidifier and stood gaping in overwhelming awe at what still has to be done with much of Chris’s “stuff” over five years after his death. Okay…..deep breath…..one box at a time. My eyes landed on the “box o’ cards” so upstairs it came. It resulted in a magical wander back in time for an entire afternoon. I do not exaggerate when I say the man kept EVERYTHING. I was stunned to find my very first business card from Associated Creative Talent (ACT). Ahhhh, was the summer of ‘79. I had only been in Toronto three months. What a life-changing year that turned out to be.
I’ve been reminded that things always happen in threes….the cold from hell has felled me, issues with club bookings and now my f**cking roof needs to be replaced!!!! Actually there’s a fourth, a notice from CRA tells me I owe them a whopping $15.43. I’m finding it difficult to think coherently, my eyes hurt, I’m hacking up a lung, I actually feel like napping and I have to be in London on Friday to drive a pace car in a cancer run. Rant over….let the column begin.
I have a confession to make. I attended my first ever….and I mean first ever…..punk rock concert on Sunday night. How crazy is that?! While punk rock was exploding both here and across the pond, I was busy raising my son and wasn’t deep into the scene. By the time I moved to Toronto it was beginning to fade although Chris was still photographing The Battered Wives and Teenage Head. I was busy hitting the clubs and listening to Rhinegold, Cinema Face, The Imps, The Kings, The Lincolns, etc. Larger concerts were Queen, Sparks, Santana, The Cars, Long John Baldry, Savoy Brown, Spirit…..you get my drift. The punk scene, for me, was book-ended by life….as a very young mom and Chris. Pretty good bookends actually.
Writing one’s column on the day it’s supposed to post is not the best in planning but it will have to do for today (and last week and probably next week). Right now I’m listening to The Beach Boys song God Only Knows and I can’t stop thinking of all the people that have shared my life, not just in the past four years but going as far back as I can remember. So add the following video I found on FB and a late night conversation and yes, once again my column takes a different fork in the road.
Bullseye Records of Canada
Segarini: Don't Believe a Word I Say 