Pat Blythe – Remembering a life……and music

It’s been a flurry of activity over the past couple of weeks. Thanksgiving was wonderful! I finally had my boys and their wives over dinner…..first time in a very long time. Of course, loads of leftovers which made their way to new homes. Homemade turkey soup dealt with most of the remains. Working on a new podcast project, which is finally gaining some legs (at least up to the knees anyway), and hopefully next week’s meeting will bring it to hip level. Garden work and spending time with friends make up the balance.

Pat Blythe – Keep live alive…..and music

I could continue with the “cymbal saga”, but I think I’ll take a different tact this week….it’s all about the music. Summer is in full swing and coming alive with concerts, both public and private, on both sides of the border. In person or in car, people are attending in droves, almost desperate to see and hear their favourite bands and artists….live and alive. The camaraderie, the faces (both on and off stage), the laughter, the joy, the amps, the earplugs, the dancing, the oxytocin from the many hugs, all those endorphins coming alive, even mic or guitar feedback sounds good these days…..it’s literally impossible to replace any of this over the internet. We all need each other and the “in person” interaction and touch it provides.

Pat Blythe – Some foody tips…..and music

It’s Sunday morning, the sun is out, and I’m listening to some Pat Metheny and David Blamires. Toss in a little Wichita Lineman, and it’s a smooth, jazzy kind of day.

Fast forward to Tuesday, and at 3am this morning, the final cut of this week’s podcast is ready to be scheduled for publication…..my fifth one. https://luvthemusic.podbean.com This week is my conversation with Kirk Reed from Toronto band The Reed Effect. He talks about time, creativity, shares thoughts on live entertainment and how to become a computer geek…..plus the new album, 1973. My aim is to have a podcast ready every Tuesday morning at 6:01am. So far, so good….but for some reason this particular morning I’m more tired than usual, and my brain has decidedly turned to mush. Only a few synapses firing, so it’s time for that rare and elusive, but decidedly necessary, second cup of morning coffee! It might even segue into a third!!

Pat Blythe – Chris Reed…..way, way too soon

I’ve been finding it difficult to focus on my column this week. Last Friday we received news that a much loved friend and musician had passed away. Chris Reed didn’t even achieve the revered status of joining “The 50 Club”. We’ve all been blindsided….totally stunned and still trying to absorb the news. I had to read his brother’s official FB announcement three times before it sunk in who he was really writing about. I thought for sure I was mistaken….but no, and then I burst into tears.

Peter Previews Upcoming Peter Posts

We here at “Don’t Believe A Word I Say ” are taking a few weeks off (August 10th thru September 10th). This column will therefore be very much abbreviated.

In the future, I will continue to write about important issues such as gay rights, the right of everyone to have a decent living, access to education, universal health care and the right to have a dignified retirement after slaving their lives away selling their soul “to the man”.

Pat Blythe – Mom is 90!….an autism benefit…..and music

Today…..today is a very special day. Well, not the day (Monday) but the date (November 4). Today my mom celebrates her 90^th birth date. If you ask her, she doesn’t feel any older than yesterday. In fact, she doesn’t feel any older than when she was 16 or 20 or 30. Inside all of us, the years just blend together. The highlights, the lowlights, the surprises and disappointments, past loves, special trips, a glance, a look, a smile, a comment, the colour of your first car…..they are the pictures inside our minds, our “living” stories….they flash before our eyes in a heartbeat….and somehow, we’re not 16 or 20 or 30 anymore.

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.

Peter and CMW 2019 Memorable Bands and Venues

The last two months have been very rough for Lois and I as we deal with her hospitalization and her illness . We are handling it as a couple, and many, many, thanks to our legion of friends. Bless you all!

Then I got a most welcome email. Canadian Music Week was upon us again, and I had media credentials to collect. Great news, great news indeed. So off I went, picked up my credentials and not one, but two programs. Was I looking forward to this!

Peter’s Advice on Finding the Music and Spreading the Word

Music is omnipresent in our world, and sadly, it is far too tempting to judge the current level of musical proficiency by what gets rammed down our throats on a regular basis. Mainstream radio, the media, even commercials, these all purport to “spread the gospel” of contemporary music to the uninitiated, or at least, to those who want others to do their thinking for them and to dictate their taste.

Pat Blythe – The F**k It List, The Reed Effect, Pterodactyl Problem….and Music!

I run/operate/host (whatever you want to call it) an AirBnB in my home. A cozy, private room with a very comfortable bed and yes, I even serve breakfast in the morning. That’s what the two Bs signify….Bed AND Breakfast. One of my first guests was a young man whose wife had gifted him with a three-day weekend getaway to attend a concert on one of the Toronto Islands. Up from North Carolina, he was excited to tour around the city so I made a few recommendations and off he went.