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 – 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 – Gin, Phantom Atlantic …and Music!

I love gin. That’s no secret. Years and years ago my dad introduced me to his special recipe for the old fashioned G&T and it has been my favourite tipple ever since. Ice, tonic water, slice of lemon (the yellow one, not the green one) and a sprig of fresh mint. Absolutely delightful and oh so refreshing. Now my dad’s secret ingredient was small amount of Canada Dry’s Bitter Lemon. It still has a few niche markets in the U.S. but hasn’t been for sale in Canada for many years and there are now rumours Canada Dry is discontinuing production of this pop. However, I don’t miss it. It’s the “Bombay flavour” and fresh mint that really pull the drink together. Perfect!

Pat Blythe – A little BoRap, More Indie Week …and Music!

Well this is going to take a while. A full six days of Indie Week including a fabulous launch party  and a very private event at a very secret location, three days on the road with ONES, Horseshoe and Hideout gigs, an MCN Open Mic farewell and move, Pretzel Logic at the Orbit Room….and I’m sure I’m forgetting something in there….. I know I won’t get this all in one fell swoop but needless to say it’s been a non-stop roller coaster ride. Going back to front, let’s start with…. Oh but first…….

Pat Blythe – London Bluesfest — Savoy Brown, Foghat, Mark Farner…..and Music!

I’m leaving my personal thoughts and musings to the end time……I’m still catching up with the summer and all the wonderful music I heard, the people I met and all those little moments in between.

So….starting with London Bluesfest….my inner teenager was agog, amazed and humbled by the lineup this year. Performers I never had a chance to see and performers that brought back some wonderful memories. I arrived in London on the Friday, just in time to pick up my badge, connect with friend Elaine Sawyer (whose company Wich is Wich was catering the event) and catch Savoy Brown and Foghat.

Pat Blythe – Hockey, Music for Kids and Chuck Leavell

I’m going to start out with something completely off the wall for me. Note, I am not a sports nut. Hockey (quelle horror!), baseball, basketball, volleyball, foozball….even Canada’s official sport, lacrosse…..don’t watch it, follow it, listen to it or talk about it. Sports is not something that ever turned my crank…..but then there’s Scott Foster. Foster is a 36-year-old accountant who’s never played in the NHL. He is a man who plays in a amateur league at Johnny’s IceHouse in Chicago, a man who was called into action by the Chicago Blackhawks on March 29. Foster is an “emergency backup”…..he fills in if the regular goalies are unable to play.