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……

Pat Blythe – Indie Week, Jack The Lads, Loving Vincent…and Music!

 Indie Week in Toronto officially started last night with the big launch party at The Hideout starting at 7pm. Ran into (quite literally) Bruce Bradley of Slammin’ Media, Roxanne Tellier, Peter Montreuil, the man himself, Bob Segarini, photographer Micheal Macisaac, Hartley Pickens, owner of See Rock Live Magazine (whose huge RV was parked out front of the venue), producer/singer/songwriter Chris Birkett, Nadia Elkharadly of Addicted Magazine….and the list goes on.

Pat Blythe – Herve Bassett, Tom Cochrane and Blonde…James Blonde…..

I always seem to playing catch-up. I’ve managed to reduce the number of projects by a whole two. There’s a very, very, very long list of shows and photo’s that need to be addressed (metaphorically speaking) before I start loading up the flash drives on the camera again. September came and went in about 30 seconds….and in that 30-second clip it was go, go, go with music, music and…….yep, more music. When at home there were brief forays to the fridge for what sustenance could be found and the occasional trip out to the back deck to savour a Bombay Sapphire. With the weather being what it was, and still is, we can all be excused for thinking it’s still mid-August and Christmas is months away. Ya right!!!! Heeeeeere’s October and the back end of Thanksgiving. Hang on to your hats, it’s December tomorrow……

Pat Blythe – The Blushing Brides and Smooth Jazz

Holy summer!!! The weather is simply gorgeous. Warm and sunny….Mother Nature has apparently had a relapse or she’s feeling a bit guilty about the rather insipid summer we just…..I don’t know…..experienced?  Let’s see…..what else…..day-to-day shit you don’t need to hear about but I will say this, the homemade grape jelly IS AWESOME!!!! Made from my own concord grapes, the vines are now 20 years old. Every year it’s a battle between me and the urban wildlife. Just who plucks the most grapes? The ones left behind or dropped from the vines eventually ferment, providing the neighbourhood with a little late night comical relief as the raccoons waltz about, stumbling and bumbling until they flop over in a deep slumber. The following night is unusually quiet as they nurse their hangovers.

Pat Blythe – Festivals, Photos and Fun…..

With so many projects on the go and unplanned opportunities popping up rather unexpectedly sometimes simply disappearing for a while, just evaporating into thin air, seems wonderfully appealing and rather peaceful. Inventing a new life is not easy but one plows on, dealing with the twists, turns, distractions and challenges life offers us. The people and music make it all worthwhile. I am truly thankful for the life I’ve had and for the life I’m living now.

Pat Blythe – Fabulous Fall

Well “hello”….back again after a three-week hiatus. I’ve missed you. Today’s mind dump is going to be short and sweet. Playing catch-up to all sorts of “busy-ness” that just doesn’t seem to slow down or quiet down. Summer went by in a flash (and as fast as him too) and we are now halfway through September, heat waves and all. ….and no more whinging about the heat either….snow and ice coming soon enough.

Roxanne Tellier – Grant Fullerton … King of the Road

In 1967, the Song of the Year was “Canada” by The Young Canada Singers. I was a geeky, gawky Montreal teen with cats eye glasses and a bad perm. My season’s pass to Expo 67 made me feel like a citizen of the world.

But in Toronto, another kind of world was coming together; one of young, talented musicians who’d flocked to Yorkville to find fame, if not fortune.

Grant Fullerton was one of them.