Tuesday 16 July 2013

Touratribe Pt. 2: The House (Concert) Rules

Well, hello again. You look fantastic.

The tour with Samantha Martin & Sister Down (I would be the "Down") has been going swimmingly. A nicer crew I couldn't ask for.

This tour marks my first time ever performing at house concerts. I've heard many stories, both good and bad, regarding such events. Judging by my experiences on this tour, it appears I am in the throws of a positive experience.

The houses have been lovely, the weather wonderful, and the people, warm and receptive. Each host/hostess have been so kind and generous, not to mention, full of insight and experience on "what to do and what not to do". As common as these points may sound, it's always good to revisit them.

House Concert Do's:

- Be yourself. No one likes a fake.

- Clean up after yourself, or at least offer.

- Engage with people. People want to talk to you. Take the time to appreciate THEIR time and support of your craft. Ask how they're doing. I've found endless inspiration for songs by doing so. House concert attendees are a facinating bunch.

- Inspire the youth. Encourage their creativity. High fives are encouraged.

-  Let the hosts know ahead of time of your dietary requirements and specific tastes. Both sides appreciate this.

-  Relax. I know sometimes you have to race to the gig due to traffic/late flights, but leave that at the door. Take a 5 before you play if you need it.

- If you stay over at the venue the night before your gig, make your bed. It looks nicer and shows respect.

- Constantly use The Magic Words: please and thank you. These are more valuable than cash.

- Respect each others religious or non-religious beliefs. Debates are cool, but keep it light.

- Send a follow up thank you card or email. Again, classy.

- Smile. Laugh. You, your audience and hosts deserve it.

House Concert Don'ts:

- Don't be an ungrateful self-centered jerk.

You would be surprised at how many travelling musicians forget these simple points. I hope I don't sound preachy. I just want everyone to have enjoyable experiences doing house concerts.

Good luck out there.

I'm in Prince George tonight, and heading to Dawson City, Yukon to meet up with The Beauties and many other friends. I'm really looking forward to this festival. Many musicians I know claim it's Canada's best.

Saturday 13 July 2013

Touratribe Day 1: Lee Harvey Awesome

Hello Crybabies.
Nice to see you again. It's been too long.

I am corresponding from an unseasonably cold Pembina, Alberta. It's about an hour out of Edmonton.
I'm on the road this summer with my dear friend Samantha Martin (whose album "Back Home" I produced) and 2 gospel/soul singers (Stacie Tabb & Sherie Marshall, respectively).

Last night we played The Pembina River Nights Music Festival. As fate would have it, headliners Lee Harvey Oswald (the psych-folk project of Canadian icon Tom Wilson) had to catch an early flight, so they traded their headling time slot for our slot before them. Closing out a Friday night music fest in Alberta? OK THEN.

Lee Harvey Osmond has had many great players in its employ over the years (Aaron Goldstein and Brent Titcomb come to mind immediately), but LHO's lineup at this show was primarily a trio, rounded out by the stoic rhythm section of John Dymond and Ray Farrugia. A few songs in, they introduced the talented Steven Fearing on electric guitar. Nice.

John and I have played together on stage as the rhythm section for the Sleepwalk Guitar Festival (curated by Luke Doucet), backing up the greatest guitarists alive, from James Burton (Elvis) to Nels Cline (Wilco) and beyond. Watching him climb the neck of his bass with a rapier-quick precision was a treat. You can tell these guys have been playing together for a while, and their friendship radiates to the audience. Ray brought a very cool, at times voodoo-like vibe to their overall sound. A dangerously versatile drummer.

Tom Wilson is a smart man. He peppered LHO's set with "Dig It" (a successful solo tune of his) and "Shine", arguably the best song from his former band, Junkhouse. It's enough to keep old fans happy, and new fans searching the crates for his earlier material. Tom has a deep, rich baritone voice that is all his own, but it should be noted that he is a great guitarist with a firm grasp on tremolo and delay effects. He pulled out a virtual cornucopia of tones from an old John Lennon style acoustic. Plus, his stage banter is warm, at times hilarious, and constanly engaging.

So, we had to follow THAT. This was our first show with this lineup, and the sound is sort of a mix of swamp-y gospel with furry slide guitars. I play kick drum, hi hats/tambo, electric guitar and man my own vocal effects. Sam and the ladies brought the thunder,  and it was nice to watch the group win over a reluctant crowd.  It's always nice to get an encore, even when now one knows who you are. I ran into another musician this morning, T Buckley, and he said the show was "life changing". What a sweet thing to hear, coming from another respected musician.

We are off to Valleyview AB for a house concert tonight. If last night was a testament to anything, this tour is going to be a blast.

Thanks for reading.

High five the elderly.

Dd