I Never Meant to Make You Cry
I am listening to Blue Rodeo and am feeling slightly heavy. Kind of like the molasses at the bottom of the jar- slow and morose. However, I can see the sun peeking in through the window and my plant is looking a little more perky now that the leaves are in full on photosynthesis. Perhaps I will try to do the same. "We each forgive a little bit and then we both look back on it. It's just bad timing that's all." Oh.
It's potluck night tonight. I think I am making a 7 Layer Dip with a chickpea salad. As for the costume... I think I am going as a multipolar jellybean with slight neurosis. Neurosis is different from psychosis in that neurosis occurs when anxiety, fixed ideas, and complaints not traceable to a physical cause dominate the mind. I haven't actually lost myself and my connection to the real world. That would be psychosis. A neurotic jellybean...how fun would that be to hang out with.
I am also trying to find a sexy dress for the Geminis. Yes, Daisy I think it is time to get the old prom dress sent up on the Greyhound. Mom's got it stashed up in the attic somewhere.
Tomorrow morning, a few of us are going to be on the A-Channel for the Big Breakfast, so watch while you are eating your Wheaties.
Prom Dress Still Fits
Painting Daisies' CBC special has been nominated for a Gemini Award. This is really exceptional for the dudes who worked on our show. Congratulations, boys. I'm working on sponsorship for Rachelle and I to go to Toronto to party it up with the Industry. The only dress I own is my Grade 12 prom dress...hel-lo Holt Refrew, hook me up. Actually, Carolyn's got an incredible collection of fabrics...C? You coming? What up? Kim? Shine yer shoes...
A Yummy, Sunny Day
It is a yummy, sunny day here in Big River City. I am supposed to be at work but took the day off instead to play air guitar and do the dishes. Only two more weeks before PD can rock out again. I miss it so much. The rehearsal space just isn't the same. There was much curfuffle in the fold last night but now everything is back to normal. I love late nights at the Rosebowl. Thanks Daisy for driving me home. I think I would have killed myself had I ridden Rita Big Wheel.
The Crack Band Moved Me- OCt.21
Kris Demeanor's Crack Band were totally whacky, crazy funny. They played all the hits and had Daisy and I bobbing in sync. I was living it up tonight, drinking my one Grasshopper and eating Chantall's leftover fries.
Painting Daisies is excited to announce that they will be making their new album with Joby Baker out on Salt Spring Island. I have complete happiness running through my veins as i have heard what he has done in the past and it moves me. Check out Mae Moore's "Funny World". Good guitar layering, horns, drums. Everything is as smooth as ice cream. Now we can get the ball rolling and make sure the new tunes are fine tuned by the end of November. I hope Joby can handle our in house humour. We can be a bit a a handful at times...
Last rehearsal was chilly. We worked on "Shithole" and Daisy's New York song. If you come to our show on November 13th, you can see the new magic.
Daisy, I am glad your curry turned out. I am becoming a big fan of the spice myself.
Serpentine Silly-ness and the True Meaning of HO-Downs
Last night was pure fun as we discovered we can play Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted Snake" country-styles with hoe-down calling and everything. This of course got us all going about snake square-dancing and "swinging your python round and round" and if snakes were smart they would run like the dickens - (this of course made us laugh harder). We're frickin' FUNNY ladies when you give us something to riff off of. Any old hoo...
The Paramount Theatre, Oct.15
Well Carolyn, I hope you found your keys. However, it is good that you got to listen to some PD. I agree that listening to that stuff is key. We are lucky lucky.
I did an interview on SHAW Cable this morning and they asked me how I liked playing solo. I stated that my biggest rush comes from playing with the band on a huge rock stage with the vibrations of the bass rig running through my back. It's true...Valemount gave me the biggest endorphin/ dopamine seratonin rush I ever get. There is nothing quite like playing to a screaming audience while the moon rises up over the mountains. Will I ever get to play Woodstock? Hope so.
Well, I slackin. Gotta go and see stuff so I can play guitar. Comoe to the big show at The Paramount on Sunday. I jammed with Sue Foley and Moe Lefever this morning and they were both soooo good. I am a big fan of holding down the groove and letting them go to work. And I became aware of my stench when I hugged Sue and realized that I hadn't washed my rock shirt in a long time. I smelled like "The Zoo" in Slave Lake. Oooooh. She said she didn't notice.
October 13, 2004
When I woke up this morning, I realized that I didn't have my house keys, and so couldn't leave my apartment to go to work. Instead of working, I put on a big pot of left-over turkey and vegetable (and pretty much everything else that was in my fridge) soup and went looking for my latest Painting Daisies practice recording so I could work on my bass-line to Roach's new song (still untitled). Unfortunately, I couldn't find it. Instead, I put on the recording from our Moby's show and was blown away by Khartouche. I've now decided that I'm going to listen to our shows at least once a day, every day, so that I can keep remembering why I love the band so much. It's easy, when I'm caught up in working and all the rest of off-road life, to start to forget what made me want to be a musician. I don't want to forget.
This brings to mind the advice my bass teacher Rich gave me in the fall of last year, when I was feeling incredibly crappy. I had a couple lessons where I just fell apart. During one of those lessons he said to me "You're feeling really horrible right now. Things are going to get better because they always do. But when you are feeling good again, don't forget these bad times. Take the feeling, the memories, and pour it into your playing." Don't let yourself forget.
Thanksgiving (in Canada)
Thanksgiving Monday holiday is the best idea our government has had since GST -- no wait, that was a bad idea (or at least a horribly mal-used one) -- since... FACTOR grants. Maybe the holiday idea came first but whatever -- I'm still recovering from my tryptomine hangover so I can't expect the thoughts to be too coherent. Yesterday I did my first turkey roast. It came out a little shrunken, but tasted good enough for me to eat too much (obligatory for Thanksgiving dinner -no?) I rolled myself home only after managing to pack in turkey, stuffing (aptly named), cranberries, potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie AND ice cream... not to mention three episodes of Tenacious D, a solo concert by Patrick, a tenor in my choir (which was excellent) and a French movie called "Bon Voyage". Today, thankfully, was a day of rest. A day for quietly nibbling salad while reflecting on the debauchery of yesterday.
Nipply Yet Pleasant-Oct. 8th
It is a brisk, fall day and I do not have the pleasure of enjoying it until later on. So, what's up with Painting Daisies? We are all off doing solo shows and other personal endeavours. Daisy is in Calgary ripping it up at the Ironwood (I think) and tomorrow I rip it up at The Sidetrack Cafe. I am opening for Jack Semple who is supposed to be a great guitar player. I get really nervous about solo shows at the Track cuz it's a huge room. It is harder to connect with the audience. Nevertheless, I will be giving it my 100% all.
Dave amd I are working on festivals for the summer. Please let us know if you know a festival that you would like to see Painting Daisies play at. I must admit that I love the fresh air and night vibes as compared to the smokey, drunken bar life. I feel so much better afterwards.
Bill Bourne is my hero
Carolyn is also my hero. I asked her to come play with me at The Global Visions Fundraiser at The Sidetrack on Thursday. She did and we got to play a set together with Mr. Billy Bourne. It was magical. Carolyn has grown to be such an accomplished bass player and stage musician. I am truly blessed to have her by my side. So anyhow, the whole night rocked my boat. Reg Shag Carpet was totally groovalicious, AA Sound System was righteous, and Le Fuzz were fuzzy. I am tired and am avoiding work and nothing is making sense.
Southern Charm
It's Western Canadian Music Week in Calgary and I've decided to hit the road. The first stop was Lethbridge to play at The Tongue N' Groove. I love this venue as the audience is warm and apprechiative, the decor is brilliant and the staff is so very cute. Todd Carter who books music at this venue is doing a herculian job of bringing live music to the south and I tip my toque to him. We were up until 3am last night rockin the Casbah. I hung with a crown prosecuter, an A-Channel news anchor, camera men et al. This morning I guested on Carter's radio show (CKXU 88.3 FM) www.ckxu.com from 7 am to 9am and now it's time to drive to Calgary. No worries, I've got a Dodge Dakota truck, cowboy boots and the usual fireball approach to everything so it will indeed be mayhem. And Todd will keep me awake as we're travelling partners today. We're both children of the 80's so we'll have Murray Head and The Alarm blasting as we zip thru Nanton. Onward ho.