Toronto

So I finally made it to Toronto. Those street cars are the thinest form of public transportation I've ever seen...I was confused, couldn't quite make an opinion of what the city reminds me of. I think it's old like Montreal, new like Seattle, and has Street Cars like San Fransisco. My friend Mark Harris is such a character. When we got on the Street Car of course he would assume the position of tour guide announcer with all the quips and started pointing out the different sites as we rode by.

Gig number one was set for Thursday Night at the Free Times Cafe in Downtown Toronto. The ambience gave it a 90s Comedy club feel with the checkered tablecloths and the curtains framing the stage. Darren played this amzing Quartz singing bowl that made the whole room shake. His Voice is amazing and he has sooo much feeling when he sings. David St Bernard has such a fresh sound. His voice is young R&B coupled with with wiity lyrics and guitar. Mark Harris has a unique sound. Sometimes Folk, sometimes Jazz, sometimes hip hop, matched with a comedy and stage presence that brings the audience right in. I enjojed playing that stage because it was dark and felt underground.

Gig number two was at Vapour Central. The stage was great, the audience changed every hour, and we had the whole night. The opening at was a new young female artist. Her voice was similar to that of Dolores O'Riordan, vocalist from The Cranberries, and accompanied herself with an acoustic Bass. Mark Harris played a totally diferent set, experimental Comedy Synth, He's a risk taker and it seemed to go over well with the crowd. Playing at the Vapour Lounge was interested. There was a big audience but I could help feeling like I was in a giant livingroom.

Overall it was a great weekend. Got to visit UofT and sample the cafeteria food, went to a Library, played 2 gigs, jammed with an old friend and saw a lovers quarrel on the street get broken up by a policeman on a horse. Best part was that he never got off the horse...Hope to visit again soon.

Busking

City life is strange...people feel so stressed and nervous about everything. Why is it that when someone looks you in the face on the street they immediately look away. The moment your eyes meet there's they have to look away. It's like they're worried there going to offend you or something. I often find myself giggling in the middle of these situations.
In Thailand my friend Flo and I decided to conduct an experiment. We decided to drop the Good Morning Bomb on whoever looked us in the face that morning. It was great. Some people smiled, some people didn't noticed. But the best was this middle aged Russian Lady. We strolled up and both chimmed in at the same time"Good Morning." She looked like she was going to have a heart attack. She grabbed her chest and said in a thich Russian accent," aah...rg...Hi." It was fantastic.

I find the only way the city folk can redeem themselves, for me, is when I busk. People have a reason to smile when they catch my eye. There so much more human and real. They start strutting on tempo to the music and catch themselves smiling,

Some moments~

~This little girl about 100 metres down the road started running through the crowd. She ran right up to me and put out her little hand. "My mother makes these. It's a ring", she said, "and she said I could give one to you." She waited with her small hand streched for me to stop playing and take it out of her hands. She smiled and started runing back through the street.

~Playing outside on St Catherines last summer... I was jamming away with the sun beaming in my face. This man walked up and grabbed my hand and gave it a good strong hand shake. "Make it happen "he said, I opened my hand to find a twenty dollar bill...

~The sun was going down and It was starting to get a little cold playing underneath the Bay Centre in Montreal. This older gentlement dropped a 5 dollar bill in my case while strolling by. A few steps down he turned around. " Do you smoke?" He asked. We leaned against the wall beside my gear and had a cigarette. As he lit mine he started telling me about his life. How he had been a photographer to the stars. Moments after he left this young guy zoomed on to the curb on his long board." Do you mind", he said as he caught his breath, " If I just stood over here and listened for awhile?" "Of Cousre not," I said and I smiled. It was like being a fly on the wall. He wasn't looking at me. He was just leaning on a light poll and gazing dreamily into the sunshine while I watched his expression change as the music changed.

~When I was 18 years old I started busking in Victoria on the harbour where the boats come in. On this one sunny afternoon I could here these 2 men shouting. It was coming from out in the water. I turned around and to my delight two guys were waving from there sailboat at me while dancing to the music.

I'm starting to realize that no matter how many times I try to fight it there's nothing else I want than to play music. It may not be glamoruus but it's mine. I hope that everyone has something in there life where they get to say," This is mine and you'll never take it away from me," because that's what music is for me.