Pat Blythe – Just stuff…..and music

Saw the hip doc yesterday….time for a checkup. After 14 years my bionic hip is still in rock solid shape. Yes, there’s a little wear and tear but after all this time I can still do the hippy hippy shake. I’m extremely fortunate it’s lasted this long and the doc ….he’s smiling.

I decided to walk from Queen and Victoria over to Sherbourne and Bloor (downtown Toronto). I haven’t strolled around these parts in years. It evolved into a walk down memory lane. Chris and I moved into our first apartment together on Sherbourne between Dundas and Shuter. It had brilliant orange balconies and we were situated on the top floor. Complete with sunken living room, 12-foot ceilings and a huge bedroom we were set. We hunkered down there for two years before we became Beach residents.

Pat Blythe – What’s Up with Festivals …Sidetracked …A Soiree …and Music!

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.

Pat Blythe – Pacing ONERUN, a Birthday with a “Cherry” on Top …and Music!

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.

Pat Blythe – SING! Toronto, Jeff Jones Trio and …Music!

I am still in awe of what happens every time I step out the door whether it’s for a walk, head to a club, meet a friend for a meal, hop in the vehicle and drive….somewhere, photograph a festival, have a random conversation with someone you just met…..something totally unexpected invariably transpires, something I was totally unprepared for. Whether I’m learning it or experiencing it at least it’s consistent. Standing back and studying the broader picture I find there are a hundred million large and teeny tiny connections, that, as the universe unfolds and does its thing, links us all together. Whether it’s a person, a concert, a band, a type of music, an experience, a friend of a friend, we are all our own “six degrees of separation”. I find it all rather fascinating……and I’m still in awe.

Pat Blythe – Remembering Frank Gutch Jr., Rival Sons, Conduit …and Music!

I can barely see the computer screen through my tears. All the memories start flooding back and the remembering starts all over again. I weep for myself. Grief is a rather selfish thing since the one who no longer walks among us is gone. They do not grieve. We do. We weep for our loss, not theirs. We miss them…..they don’t miss us. They take a piece of us when they depart, leaving a gaping hole in our lives and in our hearts….one we can never completely fill. Time will soften the edges but it never completely heals the wound, but the wonderful memories remain.

Pat Blythe – Musings, Beyond The Cage, Nikki’s Wives Listening Party …and Music!

What the hell is happening on this dirtball we call home? So much shit swirling around the world these days and apparently Canada isn’t immune. Whether it’s true, partially true, full of hyperbole or “fake news”, reading and watching about all the issues, challenges, scandals, and non-scandals, indignities, rumours, who’s doing what to whom and for how long….it’s a mass of doom and gloom, a world fraught with shadow, despair, darkness, crappy weather and a shitload of lawsuits. (depressed now?) Personally, I’d like to see a little sunshine…..just a little sprinkle of happiness, pleasantness, kindness, thoughtfulness…..some fucking good news for a change. Even the cute kitties, puppies and wounded animals on FB are getting to be overdone…FB is saturated with them. So here’s Little Miss Sunshine to say hello and put a smile on your face. Happy Wednesday!

Pat Blythe – LP, in Memory of Hervé, My 4th Anniversary …and Music!

It’s my fourth anniversary writing for DBAWIS!!!! Time has wings. A wild and crazy ride full of music, festivals, clubs, a theatre show, a little G&T, dancing, my drums, more music and incredible people. There is soooooooo much going on it’s challenging to keep up. Have you ever suddenly blinked and wondered, “Holy shit, what just happened? WHAT the HELL has just happened?” My life, as I knew it, has inexorably changed….transformed….and it happened when I blinked. I’m in my happy place with photography, writing and music…..it can’t get much better than this……