Mid August, and most days I feel like, this year, summer never really got started. Maybe it’s the weather, or the political climate, but something feels off-kilter. My potted veg and herbs are in shock; it’s been either torrential rain or temps in the 90s – sometimes in the same 24 hours – every day since they were planted. Sodden pots sit cheek by jowl with containers so arid they threaten to burst into flame. There won’t be much of a harvest this year.
Through a generous offering by not one, but two friends (thanks Stacey and Danielle!), my wife and I got to see the solo return of Canadian singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Lawrence “But You Can Call Me Larry” Gowan this past week at the Empire Theatre in Belleville to a sold out crowd.
I’ve recently been reunited with my vinyl collection. Over 3000 LPs of CanCon-only vintage that I’ve been collecting since around 1980; prior to that I was your average music lover with anything and everything that fell under the guise of popular music – no matter the country.
It’s Tuesday night, November 17. My renovations are nearing completion, the house is dead quiet as I sit here, stretched out on the couch, looking around at this home we lived in together for 18 years. Remembering all the wonderful celebrations, dinners, Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners, TV watching, companionable “book reading”, and just quietly being, soaking up each other’s presence.
24 hours ago a crowdfunding campaign to bring my old record label, Bullseye, back from the dead ended successfully with over $20,000 in donations from people who passionately believe in not only me and the label but music in general. I’m overwhelmed by the generosity and well wishes. I am truly humbled.
I don’t get out much. Living in suburbia is bad enough; being unable to drive only compounds the isolation. Still, there are times when I brave Toronto’s transit and hit the big city. This is about one such time, just this week.
It’s been one of those weeks. It started out promisingly, with great plans for every day of the week. I was sure that by today, I’d have a clean house, an empty inbox, and even maybe lose ten pounds.
There’s a great time wasting pub game on social media quite popular with my music friends whereby you assemble the ultimate supergroup featuring your favourite musicians past and present.
There once was a band called The Extras. They were an amalgam of players that used to back up the late, great BB Gabor. When they went off on their own they released a debut album called ‘Bit Parts’ and had themselves an FM radio hit with a novelty tune called “Circular Impression”.
Anyone who knows their movie history, knows that rant comes from Peter Finch’s newscaster/commentator character Howard Beale in the movie “Network”. Credit where credit is due. Those words actually were written by the author of “Network”, Paddy Chayefsky. Where am I going with this you may well ask? Well, see I LOVE A GOOD RANT! And that “Network” rant is one of the very best. There are plenty more out there. Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly trying to record a quick promo and not having the time…or Orson Welles losing his patience with a British director on a series of TV voice overs.
Bullseye Records of Canada
