Pat Blythe – Here comes summer!!

March 30 was the last column I wrote for this site…..the “Canadian edition” and finale of my jazz series. It’s now been six week since DBAWIS was able to publish due to some serious computer issues. There’s a wee bit of catching up to do. Live music is happening again, the camera seems to have found its way back into my life, the whole England move has been sliding sideways, reviewing photographs (not just Chris’s, but mine too) has sent me down several rabbit holes, and life generally, has been pretty busy. So…..let me just dive right in.

Pat Blythe – It’s a Love Revolution Down on Main Street…..and music

I’m loving September. Warm(ish) days with cool nights are just perfect. Grape jelly made, herbs harvested, spaghetti sauce jarred (soup is next), podcast published and now it’s column time! In between all that is photo editing, cross stitching and a few telecom projects. Running around at Mariposa and Summerfolk; meeting new people and listening to new music during Canadian Music Week and Indie Week; dodging bodies, running into my friends and hearing more new music at the clubs…..I’ve missed it all. Fingers crossed we have some semblance of normal next year.

Pat Blythe – Celebrating music…..a little tongue in cheek……and music

DBAWIS summer hiatus is upon us…..August 10 to September 10. This will be my last column until September 15. Because of the timing of my column (Wednesdays) I will have almost six weeks off!! Time to enjoy the rest of the summer and focus on one or hundred other projects I have on the go.

There will be no summer festivals to regale you with when I’m back…..Mariposa was supposed to be celebrating their 60^th anniversary and Summerfolk turned 45. Live music is slowly leaking out on front porches, parks, driveways, street corners and back decks…..speaking of which…..I have the pleasure of hosting a few “concerts” myself. I typically host a summer BBQ, with about 35-40 people in attendance, the third weekend in July. Not this year. Instead, to give musicians a platform to play to real humans, I offered my back deck and The Back Deck Concert Series was born. Maximum audience size…..10.

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 – Suzi Kory….Indie Week….and music

It seems I am perpetually running late these days. I write for Fiverr and never imagined it would get as busy as it has. I’ve been writing brochures, website verbiage, package inserts, “how to” columns, etc. I’ve had to research products and learn how to “do things” and then write about them. So far, so good. It’s all on a timer….you have so many days to deliver your finished product and if you’ve agreed to revisions, they have to be done within the agreed upon time. When you receive multiple “gig” orders all due at the approximately the same time it’s a bit of a panic. So…….here I am…….late again. (sigh) Super, super short but…..this, DBAWS, is one writing “gig” I never want to give up.

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 – Summer Blues and All That Jazz, Mariposa …and Music!

 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.

Pat Blythe – All Sorts of Stuff and of Course…Music!

I think this is what 2019 is going to be all about:

“There are things you do because they feel right & they make no sense & they may make no money & it may be the real reason we are here: to love each other & to eat each other’s cooking & say it was good” — ©2000 Brian Andreas

Pat Blythe – Reflections, A.J. Croce, Buffy…..plus Music!

 

WOW!!! It’s has been a while. Sooooo much has happened since mid-August. I sit here listening to He Ain’t Heavy by The Hollies thinking how lives are changed in literally a heartbeat. The thoughts of this wild and woolly summer filter through my mind…..the people the places, the experiences, the freedom, the folks I have connected and re-connected with, the hospitality of incredible friends, the music…..yes, especially the music. My life changed forever the day I lost Chris five years ago. It has morphed into a wild and exhilarating ride that does not appear to be slowing down one iota and, truth be told, I love it. But I also pause to think, it is indeed “a long, long road, from which there is no return….”

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…….?