Pat Blythe – This is not about COVID……and music

This column is usually about the clubs, the music, the bands, the nightlife and the denizens of Toronto who haunt those places. The clubs are shuttered, the live music has stopped, bands are silent and the nightlife…..well there isn’t any. Yes musicians (solo or otherwise) are busy streaming on any platform possible. Artists from the around the world record themselves in isolation and then join together via video to perform, Brady Bunch style. All around the world people are trying to keep everyone’s spirits up as we sit, isolated in our homes, many alone, having had no physical human contact in almost three months.

Pat Blythe – Mariposa …Final Hours, Melody Makers …and Music!

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.

Pat Blythe – Mariposa 2019 …Day Two …and Music!

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.

Pat Blythe – Mariposa 2019 …Day One …and Music!

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.

Pat Blythe – Dueling Pianos, February, Upcoming Festivals …and Music!

Ugh!!! Computer and monitor challenges continue. The good news is I finally got my drums up for sale and I’ve managed to get everything off the troublesome laptop on to a honking big hard drive (although now I have to sort that out). I’m downsizing to a smaller kit….less real estate and I won’t feel so overwhelmed. One of these days…..and now, for your latest weather report…..

Pat Blythe – The Mariposa Experience….Part Three…..Eddie Bullen….a Hootenanny and More…..

It’s been a busy Tuesday. It’s the last day with my daughter Colleen. A cappuccino and croissant at Zane’s, the local bakery, and then she’s off to catch her 1:30pm train back to Ottawa after a five-day stay here. At the end of the month it’s back to Thailand for her until summer next year. Later, at precisely 4pm it was tea time.  I enjoyed the company of a friend over for a “British” tea of Welsh cakes, crumpets and Yorkshire Red. What is it about sharing a cuppa….the comfortable, companionable feeling you get whilst draining your second or third cup (or pot) and having a lovely chat. It’s oh so……..British…….and oh so relaxing. It’s the best way to catch up or get to know someone. Will that be one lump or two…….?

Pat Blythe – The Mariposa Experience…..Part Two…..Stories and Music

I’ve had several people tell me I have so many stories….if you point something out in my home or mention the jewellery I wear, there’s always a story. Well…..here are my stories behind some of these incredible performers at Mariposa. Some I never thought I’d see, some were pleasant surprises and some were performers I had missed at other festivals or venues around Toronto.

Pat Blythe – The Mariposa experience…..

…….and WE’RE BACK!!!!! Summer is half over. That’s the sad news. We still have the other 50% of summer to experience. That’s the great news. I’ve been spending more time on the road this year photographing shows and festivals and visiting family more frequently.