Music notes: Sept. 15 – Sept. 27, 2008
Kathleen Edwards
Los Lobos
Randy Newman
The Good Lovelies
Corin Raymond
Jadea Kelly
Andrea Ramolo
Martin Tielli
Tuesday Sept. 16
The day began with a round of interviews for New York rock photographer Bob Gruen, including a great time with the George Stromboulopoulis; radio show and The Hour at CBC, followed by a smart and witty interview with MuchMusic at the Liss Gallery (140 Yorkville, right above where the Riverboat used to be), where Gruen’s photographic exhibition was on display.
A few weeks ago, I had an argument at the Dakota Tavern with my friend Like Doucet. “This is the best bar in Toronto,” I insisted. “No, Flohil, you are dead WRONG!” he shot back. “This is the best bar in CANADA!”
He may be right. After all, where else can you hear Kathleen Edwards doing a benefit gig for 150 people (the $20.00 cover went to War Child Canada). She sure says “fuck” a lot, but she delivered a really good show, and was obviously having a ball.
Wednesday Sept. 17
Tonight there was a major receptions for Gruen’s exhibit, which runs through October 11. Good to see Joan Besen of Prairie Oyster, my pal Suzanne Nuttall and her smashing new partner, Christopher Ward and his wife, Sam Collins’ band (he’s Phil’s son, and, yes, he’s a drummer too), Ritchie Yorke and his partner, Nash the Slash (in bandages!), Dallas Good of The Sadies, photographer Kevin Kelly, A Man Called Wrycraft and dozens more … And my friend Irene Carroll, who got me involved in this project, is a wonder woman, so there.
Thursday Sept. 18
Tonight was the BIG reception for Bob’s Rockers photo show; 225 people crammed into the gallery, pictures and books were sold in abundance, more interviews got done, and Greg Quill of the Star did a major piece in today’s paper. A wonderful schmooze.
Friday Sept. 20
Ok, there are three things I NEVER want to hear at a Massey Hall concert (or anywhere else or that matter):
HELLO TORONTO!!!
HOW’RE Y’ALL DOIN’?!
ARE YA HAVIN’ A GOOD TIME!?!?!
Guilty on all three counts were Los Lobos, who played a ho-hum show to half a house at Massey. Dull vocals, windy and extended guitar wanking, over-busy drumming, and the only redeeming feature was three or four Tex-Mex songs toward the end of the show. Emma Barnett (who never sat through a whole show when she worked for eight years with House of Blues) and I left just before the band roared into the obligatory finale, La Bamba. Which is right up there with Danny Boy as one of my least favourite tunes…
Saturday Sept. 20
Ah, here’s another flat out opinion: Randy Newman is one of the world’s greatest songwriters. He inhabits the lives of the fictional characters whose songs he delivers — who else could be so savage, so politically incorrect, to deliver songs like his commercial for slavery, Sail Away, or his best song, Rednecks (”I saw Lester Maddox on a TV show, with a smart-arse New York Jew…”).
He wasn’t on top form, and apparently forgot exactly where he was (the Toronto show at Convocation Hall was sandwiched between Carnegie Hall in New York, and Symphony Hall in Boston). Later, he confided to the audience that there are two show business rules, never leave your wallet in the dressing room, and never tell the audience that you’re sick. He delivered two 50-minute sets, and the new songs (I’ve GOT to buy the new CD). Donna and I enjoyed a very special performance, even he wasn’t well…
Tuesday Sept. 23
Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m in love with The Good Lovelies. Three smashing women, terrific harmonies and more fun on stage than the audience at the Cameron House deserves. When they’ve written the killer repertoire (the current songs are okay, but not killer), they’ll be unstoppable.
Thursday Sept. 25
Back to the Cameron, to hear Corin Raymond (with David Baxter and Treasa Levasseur) work through an early set of gentle and bitter-sweet songs. “There’ll always be a small time…” Corin sings, and there always will be, and if artists can make a living there, good for them. You don’t have to be a “star” — you just have to make music that connects with people.
Later, in the back room, my busy-as-a-bee assistant, Jadea Kelly, put on her performance hat, and (despite dodgy sound that prevented me from hearing the lyrics properly) delivered a good-natured set to a pretty full house.
Saturday Sept. 26
A couple of weeks back, I had breakfast with a young singer called Andrea Ramolo, and she delivered her debut record to me a couple of days later – which turned out to be a more than respectable roots rock record, with some almost-sexy songs and a decent sense of humour. The drums are too prominent, and I wasn’t surprised to discover that he ex, who is the drummer, produced the CD.
Tonight I went to hear her in a tiny Italian restaurant/bar called Ferro, where she had to sing over a loud, boisterous, talkative crowd who didn’t give a hoot about the music. Every artist has to face this, sometimes, and it’s dispiriting – Andrea over-sang to get the attention of the audience, but didn’t really succeed, but she did gain a couple of fans.
Afterwards, I took her to hear Martin Tielli play for a packed house at Hugh’s Room; it was a bit like church – deadly quiet – and when I mentioned that to my pal Shauna de Cartier (who manages Martin) she whispered, “Yes, and that’s God on stage!”
To be honest, I’ve managed to pretty well missed the Rheostatics, the band Tielli came from, and his brand of art rock has gone under or over what passes for my radar. Of course, I’m familiar with Dave Bidini, who also came out of that now-retired band, and I love his books on music, especially On a Cold Road, a primer for anyone who needs to know about the history of Canadian rock. (And in which, I add modestly, there are a couple of Flohil stories).
By the second set, though, an initially unimpressed Andrea got right into Martin’s performance, which turned into a free form rock show with energy, wit, and a lot of grit. Obviously, I;m gonna have to do my research, and get Shauna to give me an introductory course into the Rheos and their offshoots.
More, no doubt, is a couple of weeks….
Richard
