sans pollo

Sans Pollo is my odd way of mentioning that AR’s piano mainstay Fito (Pollo Loco) was absent from the gig this weekend.  That wasn’t so bad though.  Frankie filled in on piano for Friday while Saturday only had the guitar holding down all the comping/changes/tumbao stuff …and the odd thing about it was that it wasn’t as busy as it normally is when Frankie or Fito were around.  I think, personally, this was good.  It was more open sounding of course, but then it gave the ear a break from the regular mashed-up-crunchy chords that both piano players are notorious for, in my opinion.

I liked it.  Sure, there could of been more guitar in volume and in right lines etc., but generally it worked well enough, and with some of the guitar parts tweaked I could easily handle being pianoless more often.  Of course it’s needed for certain things, but it’s only the front/solo stuff where you obviously miss it, and when the song gets going then the guitar functions fine.

I think they're happy cause there's no piano!?

On other matters, I’m kinda bagged lately.  I seized my back up the other day by simply jumping, and the muscles went into spasm and I’m just now feeling an improvement.  It’s been a while since I last put it out, but luckily this time I didn’t hear or feel anything ‘poppy’ when it happened …just a giant lower back spasm that took my breath away and made it close to impossible to move. Damn backs.

On to better medical news …my Dad had to have the defibrillator used on him a few days ago and is now in the critical care unit.  It is good news by the way …you see, he’s been having these ‘fainting’ spells for the last 6 months, once a month or so, where he’d go unconscious for no appearant reason.  They tweaked his meds, ran all sorts of tests on his heart and brain and came up empty, but late Thursday night he had another episode that the parametics were lucky enough to be present on, and they were able to put two and two together and decide that he needed a pacemaker.  I guess it’s a 40min. procedure and is typically done as a ‘day patient’, but he has to stay in the hospital until they can schedule him for the surgry because they don’t want him to have another episode and not have anyone around to respond.  He feels perfectly fine …but has to hang out in the hospital until Tuesday next week when he can get his pacemaker and go home.  So yeah, it’s a relief that we know what the problem is and that it can be corrected.  No more guessing.

Rehearsals also started for the musical thing I’m doing …so between that, my Dad, my late nights and my tweaky back – I haven’t been able to really sleep like I need to.  On the plus side it’s probably a good thing as I may have been hitting the gym, pool, trails etc. too much over the last 3 weeks …so maybe my body needs the 4 or 5 days off.  Or at least that’s what I think it’s trying to tell me.

things…

A 12-14 year old slightly overweight kid was in the 7-11 tonight filling up a huge 52 oz. jug with some Slurpee brand slurpee product and I, being amazed by the size of this mug remarked… “That’s a LOT of slurpee!”  He quickly replied… “You buy the cup for $8 but then the refills are only $1.89!”  What a deal -lol.  Just for rough comparison that’s over 200g of sugar – the near equivalent of a 2L bottle of Coke. (click)  And yes, I was there getting a girl sized slurpee myself because heck, I deserve it once in while.

After a swim this morning, I was in the locker room and some kids were running around whipping each other with their towels.  A childhood memory rushed back…. it was in grade 7 gym class when my friend whipped my nads with his towel.  I think I cried.  I might have gone home.  I probably hated him for a while.  Now that I think about it, that may have been the reason why I didn’t mind stealing his girlfriend in grade 9.  Then again, I probably did him a favor.

‘The Puffy Chair‘ was a neat movie.  I kinda liked it because it wasn’t too predictable, but the whole romance thing got me depressed after a while.  Not to ruin any endings (spoiler alert …but it’s still a good rental none-the-less) but I’m glad things didn’t end up all lovey-dovey like most might have.  It’s by the Duplass Brothers.  As a bonus, it had a great Spoon song in it …That’s the Way We Get By.  Sweet.

I got one of those hair-cut things today too.  I don’t mind the Hot Razor cause anyone there seems to do a fine job …it’s close, they’re accommodating especially on Saturdays, and it’s not way over priced like some other places.  I typically ask for the ‘number 2′ on the sides and back but this girl, who I think was kinda new, said she doesn’t use the guides on her razor …like it would be cheating or something.  That was weird.  It worked out fine though.  Strangely enough she didn’t use any water either.  She did mention that I had a lot of hair.  I countered with something like ‘for now, yeah..’ but she reassured me that if I didn’t start loosing it when I was in my 30’s then it was a safe bet I’d keep it for a while.  Although, I am considering the shaved head thing again.

Then again, maybe not.

circa 1994

redetesting the wheel

It seems I’ve been driving this whole Fall away lately.  Maybe not all of it I suppose …Old Man Winter has had his greedy hand in things as well, but with the recent trip to SK, normal driving for The Man and then this weekends venture out to Calgary, I think I need some time away from man’s best four-wheeled friend.

Calgary was fun though …Despite The Blindness did a little Friday night thing (I can’t emphasize the word little enough though, unfortunately) and the Wafer Thin Mints hosted another Ship and Anchor Saturday afternoon.  I also got to visit with Aunty J and cousin Kristen (she’s an environmental planner …which I recently discovered in both vocation and meaning) …so that was all good.  Kristen’s couch wasn’t too bad either, and her cat Stella gets my vote for the Best In Not Being A Bad Kitty category at the upcoming Felinies this November.  I ate like crap again as well, so I’m going to have to smarten up for a while.  Of course my Thanksgiving Part II comes up this Monday – so maybe I’ll wait till after then.

That’s it I guess.
Did I mention I feel bloated and it’s hard to breathe?

DTB's Leonardo Gonzalez and WTM's John Newton. One of these guys is a slacker?!

4 days, 1700 km

Thoughts on Tisdale….

It was a trip.  Not quite a vacation though.  It was short, which is usual for me, and it was somewhat packed with a circular visiting pattern that had me bouncing between four different houses.  It was nice though.  I ate crap of course …I knew I would so it wasn’t a surprise.  Mom had an early Thanksgiving dinner so it was expected.  But more importantly I got to hang out with everyone for ‘just long enough.’  Just long enough is just long enough too.

But it’s nice to be home.  I think -lol.  I’ll find out in the next day or so I guess.  Now for one of those shower things followed by a sleep-in-your-own-bed thing.  Sleep is good kids.

Old house by Innisfail on my way back.

breasts! (turkey and stroke)

There’s some things you just don’t forget …like riding a bike.  Add swimming to that list as well.

I hit the pool the last few days and it actually felt good.  My front crawl sucks cause my pacing is waaaay off, but the breast stroke seems fine and relaxed.  I kinda missed it in a way.  The contacts didn’t though …but the body did.  I used to do the swimming/water thing back in the WWP days of my life.  I was there a long time now that I think about it, 2 years full-time and 4.5 in total.  Made some great friends that I’m still in touch with as well …but as far as getting out in the water, I just haven’t been motivated.  Looking back I’ve probably had enough chlorine to last my lifetime anyway.  But getting in the pool again was fun and I’m looking forward to making it somewhat of a regular thing …especially over the winter.

Of course biking to work, working on legs (and triceps) at the gym and then waking 4 or 5 k’s through the evening didn’t help with any ‘leg recovery’.  I’m planning a trip out to Tisdale this weekend (yea …no gigs!) and don’t plan to do a whole lot physically, so maybe that’s why I’m stacking things up.  Mom is having an early Thanksgiving Day supper for me when I’m there ….lol, which is funny cause she always ignores meals with my sisters who live in the same small town …and she’s doing the whole nine yards as well …turkey, cabbage rolls – even pies!

Yeah I know …I’m the special boy

DTB @ Eddie Shorts

DTB played Eddie Shorts this weekend.

I’ve kinda grown to like this place.  It’s almost like a bar with an attached garage.  Almost.  What’s neat about it for me is that you get such a mix of people coming down.  It’s got a ‘Cheers’ vibe to it …with the added music of course.  The PA is small, the stage is small, the room is small but the welcome factor is huge …at least compared to many other larger, glitzy live music venues around town.  Many owners seem to have the bigger is better mentality, so it was refreshing to find a little place that caters to a more intimate performance.  The term ‘low budget’ might come to mind (only vocals are amplified) …but in all honesty less is more.  The top of New City is somewhat similar but without the niche factor.  This place is more casual.  Too casual perhaps …but that’s what makes it nice.  It probably depends on the band playing as well, but I’ve only been there a few times.  The staff is great.  If I ever decided to take up drinking full-time and wanted a club to hang out in …this would make my list.

Anyway, I gave my notice to the band a little while back.

The group is an original 3-piece progressive rock (?) thing that I took up many months ago and I’ve decided to leave for a bunch of different reasons.  The first was the fact that I can’t seem to get the style in my head properly.  It’s not that I can’t play the parts, but rather that I can’t feel comfortable playing the parts.  It doesn’t jive with me …for lack of a better description.  I originally thought that it would be something that I could learn to enjoy again, as was the case with my rockish past, but it just didn’t happen.  The guys are great and the group is the most organized thing I’ve ever seen in my 15 years of hacking around this music scene.  They deserve someone who’s into it …and I know they’ll find a more than adequate replacement.

The second reason is the need to trim some excess from my plate.  I’ve come to the conclusion that I can only have so much music in my life …and when I have too much, my personal interests take a back seat.  I don’t write anymore, I don’t play for the sake of playing and I rarely feel the need to start anything new.  When you rehearse a lot, are constantly learning new songs and have your weekends taken up with 7 or 8 different groups you eventually lose interest in just coming home and playing …or writing.  You might start stuff, but it never makes it to completion – and then it just sits there hanging over your head like some little cloud …or something like that.

I’ve ex’d a few other projects as well …and all in the hope of finding that happiness I miss in music lately.   At least that’s my hope.

James from Despite The Blindness

Saturday…

WTM did the Jasper Ave. Sobeys yesterday afternoon.  Musical points of interest?  None really -lol.  It was fun but then again it’s always fun so there’s no real departure into that ‘horrible gig’ category.  It was neat that we opened some things up at times (we were sans drums) and changed feels in a way …which is kinda tough to do with drums.  Maybe ‘changed’ isn’t the right world …more like ‘implied’.  But yeah, it was fine – and the produce in aisle 10 seemed fresher when we left.  Success

Myself and the illustrious Mr. Pat Strain

It was then a quick trip out to St. Albert to catch Dad and Alma’s 25th Anniversary.  I pulled in right when the video/picture presentation had started, found a seat by my sisters/nieces/nephews, made a dash to the vacant yet somewhat fresh buffet and finished eating just as the show was over.  Almost everyone came down which was nice to see (from my Saskatchewan side that is) and I got to catch up with some of the extended family as well.  A few hours and a bunch of family photos later I was on my way.  I stopped by my aunts (which was close to my gig later that night) but she was kinda sick which explains why she didn’t show up for the get-together.  My cousin was there though, and he talked my ear off until I was almost late getting to the AR show.  But it was a good talking though …so that’s fine.

Dad, Alma and the related gene pool.

AR did their second installment of the weekend at Azucar and unlike the previous fiasco I alluded too, this weekend was much better.  It kinda degraded in the last set of the night …but there was enough good stuff to keep my overall impression positive.  Our old singer Cecilia (who moved to Toronto last year) was in town for one night …so that was nice.  She didn’t miss a beat really, which is good, but then even if she did I don’t think we would have noticed!  Pollo Loco had his birthday last night as well …congrats again.

AR's Cecilia and Erin ...aka voice and sax.

I think that’s it.  Now comes the slave labour portion of my week.

being on stage part 2

And so things were kinda the opposite tonight.  The material was a no-brainer, the band could play things in their sleep plus I hadn’t seen some of them for a while ….which meant it was somewhat of a reunion.  Kinda.  The whole ‘performing’ thing wasn’t an issue because I wasn’t really performing …I was just hanging out with friends and doing what we’ve done for the last however many years we’ve been doing it.

It came across as a performance to the crowd I’m sure, but I was really just screwing around and playing at the same time.  I suppose what I’m trying to say is that I don’t perform – I just be myself …and myself is normally a shy/introverted thing when I’m in front of a crowd.  However, when I have a bunch of friends to hang-out with on stage who are as comfortable with the material as I am and aren’t any less prepared musically as a group then myself, then it’s really no big deal.  Sure there are people staring at me …but I just avoid eye contact – and anything I say on the mic is said to my band mates more so than the audience.  They’re there, the audience, but they’re kinda like a blur of things moving about on the front part of the stage …not really people if you know what I mean.

So I suppose that’s the difference …a familiarity and confidence with the music, the environment and the band.  I don’t ‘enjoy’ being on stage …but I do enjoy playing good music with good people – and if it happens to be on stage – then so be it. The stage is secondary.

If even that.

The legendary 'More Cowbell' Kurtis.

being on stage

While DTB was at the Brixx tonight one of the kids from the other band made the comment that it was soooooo great to get up on stage.  Our guitar player chimed in with the observation that for him, it was often better than sex.

I don’t doubt that being on stage is a thrill for many people …in fact, I’d surmise that the majority of performers enjoy the experience of performing.  That’s why they’re performers!  For me however, it’s almost the opposite.  The only reward or saving virtue of being on stage is the chance opportunity that musically something good will happen.  It doesn’t happen often for me …but it does – and that’s why I do it at all.  And the money …the easy money I suppose.  Sometimes.  Plus the fact that it’s not a real job …kinda.

But thrilled just to be there?
Nope.

Art (soundguy) with Leo during set-up

Little House and the Dolly

Stupid Amber.

I’m learning a bunch of songs for her gig this coming weekend and most of them are either originals or classic country flavored things.  Anyway, Dolly Parton’s ‘Coat Of Many Colors’ is one – and I’m sitting here playing along with this Youtube video.  And crying.

Yep …that and Little House On The Prairie do it to me every time.