Pat Blythe – Chris …and Music

Boy, am I late!!! Soooo late starting this column. Tuesday is my “writing” day, but far too much seemed to get in the way and now it’s 6:15pm and I’m on my third sentence! Good news is I received congratulations from our friends in Ottawa for attaining “senior citizen” status. Not only that, how absolutely thrilled they are to be sending me a monthly stipend of what nobody could live on. I should be grateful I receive anything (and I am), but if that’s what today’s 65-and-up population have to survive on, it’s no wonder we’ve got so many elderly living far below the poverty line. What I am extremely grateful for is that I can still work (when we’re not in the middle of a shitstorm) and continue earning a reasonable living. For how long is anyone’s guess, but this body and brain just keep chugging along.

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 – ONES, The LaMagna Cartel, Jully Black and …Music!

A Philosophic Moment….

Here we are…..right where we’re supposed to be. Precisely at this spot…..in this instant….this moment in time. Think about it. I’m sitting here typing away. Sometime later today or tomorrow, you’re sitting there reading what I am now typing, while I’m already doing something else. Now, look up and let your eyes roam around. What do you see? I’ll tell you what I see? I see a life that has unfolded and significantly changed over the past five years. I see my kitchen, the twinkle lights, the coffee and tea supplies waiting patiently…. I see my kitchen witch on her broom bringing me luck and the bookcase holding all my cookbooks…..the last thing Chris built for me. I see the sweet potatoes and pears, lounging on their plate until it’s time for the soup pot. I see my drums, piano and guitar……a big comfy couch. I see the home I’ve created and welcomes all who enter. I see my fingers on a keyboard typing inanities and loving every minute of it. How does it make me feel?  Happy! I do indeed love my life and all those who have become a part of it. So, as you read this, stop, wherever you are, at this exact instant (your instant in time), take a moment to look around. What do you see? How do you feel? Be Here Now.

Pat Blythe – Christmas Thoughts, J.C. Sandoval, Crown Lands, Gowan and Music….

…and the countdown has begun. Three weeks to Christmas day. Three weeks to wrapping paper, boxes and debris strewn from one end of the house to the other, stuffed turkeys and stuffed tummies, early morning stocking discoveries, late morning coffees and mid-afternoon naps (for young and old), for family gatherings, carol singing and clinking glasses of cheer. A time of year celebrated all over the world. The entire season from Christmas Day to New Year’s Eve is probably the most electric time of year.

Pat Blythe – Indie Week — Act II

…..and I’m not completely done yet….. It’s 5:19pm on Tuesday, November 21 and I’m just now starting tomorrow’s posting. It’s going to be a long night……and now we have network/modem problems……SIGH!!!!

Pat Blythe: SUMMER HAS ARRIVED!!!

 

I do believe summer is here.  Finally….and with a rather heated bang (or melt). The humidity makes my hair go crazy, like I stuck my finger in a light socket. It just sort of poofs out with no sense of decorum whatsoever. Absolutely  zip in control. But I’m not just referring to the weather as the summer intro but goings on around town and the many bodies spilling in and out of the hundreds of patios across the city. However, two events in particular kept me hopping this past weekend. I haven’t partied like that in…..well, let’s not get into the details.  (Oh….and for summer I’ve added a little colour to my coif….a few purpley/lavender streaks, just for shits and giggles)

Roxanne Tellier – Take My Picture

When I was a kid, photographs were precious. In the days before digital cameras and cell phones with photo capability, the taking of a picture was a big deal … families went to a lot of trouble to capture moments in time.

Roxanne Tellier: My Toronto – Part Two

Toronto was a different place in the late 1970’s and early eighties. Although it’s easy to look back with rose coloured glasses, it was, in fact, a watershed time for Toronto musicians. Everywhere you turned, you were surrounded by outstanding music, made by dedicated and very talented players, who enjoyed the freedom to create their art, and make a living at the same time.

 

 

Roxanne Tellier: My Toronto – Part One

Cam Carpenter’s recent DBAWIS column on Toronto venues reminded me of how impressive the city’s music scene was back in the day. In the late 1970’s and early ‘80’s, the city was awash not only in great clubs, but in terrific musicians working six or even seven days a week, entertaining delighted, enthusiastic  crowds.

You couldn’t toss a rock without hitting a working musician back then. We were everywhere, making a decent living, doing what we loved to do. Demand for live music was high, and most of us tried our damndest to rise to the listener’s expectations.

Cameron Carpenter: The ABC’s Of Rock – L is for Live

The great news of Sam Grosso (Cadillac Lounge) buying the El Mocambo last week got me to thinking of all the great old venues I was lucky enough to spend time at in my youth.

We are very fortunate in Toronto to have so many great venues for acts to play at. On Queen West alone you have The Rivoli, The Legendary Horseshoe, The Cameron House, The Hideout, The Bovine and Cherry Colas to name but a few. The Tattoo Rock Parlour had a ton of potential but they just didn’t seem to be able to fully commit to “the rock”.