UkeFolkFunkFusionFest (ctd)...The Review.

It'sACrazyMixed-UpWorldWeLiveIn
SoMake(Like)Art(Carney)Ville


There is a wonderful bit in one of Marc Maron's WTF podcast interviews where he gets the magician Penn Jillette to talk about the scene in a crowded bar where he and his partner Teller, and all of their family and friends, sat around eating and drinking and kibbitzing all night long as they waited for the early edition of the NY Times to hit the streets so that they could all then immediately read the first review of the just completed premiere of their Broadway show way, way back in pre-Internet 1987.

Why?

Because if it was a good review they knew they were pretty much set for life.

And/or at least finished with busking and hustling for a living.

****

Anyway.

I didn't stay up all night waiting for Mr. Beer 'N Hockey's review of our little musical show late last week.

But when I read said review on the flickering screen down in the Subterranean Blues Room early last Sunday morning I was probably at least as happy as were Mr. Jillette and Mr. Teller, combined, on that night in Manhattan so long ago.

Why?

Well, because of words like this:

...For the cost of a small donation to an Honduran orphanage in Copan Ruinas (see both Paying Attention or A Closer Look on my sidebar of links if you too would like to count yourself as a supporter) Sonja and I got to see three performances. All three were sort of like the shows an uncle of Sonja's (who was proud to be a drinking buddy of Elmer Q. Tippee) used to perform every Christmas - except better.

First singer of the night was Shonna who sounded pretty good for somebody not nearly recovered from the cold which has half the city sicker than an army on New Year's Day. Except on my record player, I do not often hear an acoustic guitar played. Sounded lovely really.

Next was Ellis who I am guessing started playing guitar the day after he heard Bob Dylan the first time. He stomped his feet in time with the songs he was singing. I like it when guitar players do that. Especially when the room is quiet enough to hear the stomping.

Before long Gazz and his eldest daughter Gazzette took the stage. I had heard both of them sing in person several years ago on the shores of Shout Lake. Since then I have only heard them sing via mp3 through my tin can computer speakers. Was I in for a shock.

Turns out Gazzette has developed a voice everybody should be hearing, not just the people unlucky enough to be snowshoeing along a sidewalk in motherf*cking Montreal, where she is attending school. A pitch perfect one of a kind voice. 

Sonja was as floored by her performance as I. "It's as if we had heard kd lang sing at a kitchen party in Carstairs, Alberta in 1982," is what she said to me on the way home later.

Gazzette even whistled for an extended bit. A rare treat that is. Nobody f*cking whistles any more.

Did "Me and Bobby McGee," my favourite song about Freedom not sung by the Cockney Rejects ("Freedom! There ain't no f*cking Freedom! Riot!") a couple others I forget (If the Dope City Free Press was proper journalism I would have taken notes. That would be no fun.) and her own composition inspired by her walks to school past one of Montreal's many graveyards, in one of which you can find their past hockey glory buried.

Write more songs Gazzette. Write one every day or so like Neil Young. I have no further advice...


Now.

Before, anybody gets us all embroiled in a 'potential conflict of interest' matter here, please realize that, while Beer does have a piece of the songwriting credit on one of our songs, there have been, at least as of yet, no financial rewards from said tune whatsoever.


OK?


______
What is this Buskateerian collaboration with Mr. Beer 'N Hockey you may be asking?....Stay tuned...Live versions of that, as well as live versions of both Bigger E. and littler e. (yes, littler e.!)  originals coming soon...
Image at top of the post is from my morning ride...Have I mentioned that I'm now well over the 3K km mark with my (no longer so) new bike?...


.