There is no ABC Songwriters’ Circle this Tuesday, October 31, as they have a Halloween event planned, but it will be back on November 7, with guests Tyler Ellis, m.e. law, and Lilly Mason. I’m very excited about this one, and I urge you to make it down for what I am confident will be an amazing evening.

So, if you are searching for something to do this week, do come out to the Beach House, which I wrote about here previously, have some dinner, and catch a set or more of yours truly solo on Thursday, November 2. The show starts at 8.

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Songwriters’ Circle #2

The second ABC Songwriters’ Circle had a very different feel than the first, as the music was more ecclectic than the blues-based début. This is a good thing! Although I try to blend guests that will work well together, it doesn’t mean that they sound the same, and the variety is to a large extent what makes the evening unique. Each artist may come in with a set list, although I may through him/her off track with a request or idea, but the ensemble becomes synergistically original. At least that is what is aimed for.

Thanks to spouse, garden coach and expert photographer Helen Battersby‘s skills on the iPhone, here are videos of each performer’s opening song below. Enjoy!

Until next week, be well!

I’m really chuffed about the first ABC Songwriters’ Circle show last week. By all accounts, it was a great mix of performers, and entertaining for all the friends who attended, some of whom will be on the same stage later in the fall. I am very grateful to Ryan, Sal and Sam for doing this for such small financial reward, and particularly to Sam who very professionally dealt with a challenge before the show.

Ryan’s grittiness and heartfelt singing and playing have never sounded so good, and the acoustic format really allowed the lyrics to shine through. Sal’s wittiness and raconteur skills were a perfect fit for the evening. Sam surprised and impressed us all with some excellent new material—I thought I knew his entire repertoire—that he will be performing with his new group Gem. All three were gracious and generous with their time, and I appreciate the positive comments about my songs during the course of the evening.

The next show is this Tuesday, October 24, 2017 from 9-12PM. Guests are Fraz Milne, T.C. Folkpunk and Greg Todd (check out the links for their music). It promises to be another great evening. More information on these artists is available on the ABC Songwriters’ Circle page. Please tell your friends and come on down!

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As mentioned above, Sam Taylor has a new venture called Gem. I had a chance to catch their début, performing on the same bill as upcoming Circle guest Lilly Mason, and surprise guests Altameda at the Supermarket this past Wednesday. Until Tuesday, hopefully, be well! I’ll leave you with a little sample of something funky from Sam.

 

My first evening hosting the ABC Songwriters’ Circle is almost here. While very exciting, it’s also a big responsibility to showcase the guests in the best possible way, as it’s their show, not mine. I’m just along for the ride. The next few days, and indeed the next many weeks will be in great part dedicated to listening to my guests’ material and reading their websites, so as to best prepare for their appearance. It’s very important to me that ALL guests finish the night feeling the experience was worthwhile, cause they sure aren’t doing it for the money!

Speaking of which, for anyone attending as part of the audience at the Amsterdam Bicycle Club, note there is a “tip box” to the left of the stage next to the exit. You are warmly invited to show your appreciation to the artists on stage,  if you like what you hear, by making a contribution on your way out or during the intermission. Thank you!

Show #1 lineup is on the ABC Songwriters’ Page, with bios of the performers, and updates to upcoming shows. Check it out!

Finally, a shout out to Gary 17. He and I have been conversing for a while, and I made the commitment to subscribe to his online Toronto Moon Magazine. The reason is partly because of the extras I get from the subscription, but mostly it is a recognition of the extraordinary effort he puts into peparing the daily updates on who-is-playing-where that I have quite often referenced for free! As artists, we are quick to recognize that we invest a lot of work and skill into our craft, and therefore expect some return for it. Same can be said for information. Writing this short weekly blog has given me some insight into what Gary puts forth daily, which is considerably more work. In the end, it’s only $0.16 a day! This is just my opinion and have no benefits coming back to me for saying it.

Please do try make it down to the Amsterdam Bicycle Club this Tuesday for Sal Indigo, Sam Taylor, Ryan Schmidt and me. I hope to make it the beginning of something very special!

Until then or next week, be well!

Yes, I missed the post on Sunday again, but it was well worth it for family/Canadian Thanskgiving time. I also got to enjoy an awesome TGD feast put on by Relish on Monday, with a host of great players for our entertaining pleasure.

Between mouthfuls of food, I had a chance to chat with some of the guests slated for my ABC Songwriters’ Circle announced in the last blog and starting in a week. It became clear that going from a threesome to a foursome would be even more awesome. Some guests are already added, and more should be soon so please check the page on this site for that purpose.

Thanks to Joanne for including me in the “feastivities”, and I promise to keep the volume reasonable.

Until next week, be well!

My, how things can change in a week!

A very exciting opportunity presented itself to take on Tuesday nights at the Amsterdam Bicycle Club, for a special brand of music night. Instead of the standard single performer/band format, each Tuesday will feature two guest songwriters who, along with myself to moderate, will talk about the thoughts, feelings and writing process of the songs they have composed, and perform them.

This is a wonderful and unique opportunity for other songwriters and fans to gain insight into how songs come about. Interested songwriters not already booked can reach me at abcsongcircle@icloud.com. Please include an artistic résumé and some links to demos or performances.

Please come down for a fascinating evening of storytelling and music. Things kick off on a bluesy note with Sal Indigo and Sam Taylor on October 17. Regular updates will be posted on the ABC Songwriters’ Circle page of this site.

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Shows This Week

I will be performing twice this week, so I hope you can make it out to see me and the great talent with whom I will be sharing the stage: John Mahler and Gary Edward Allen on Tuesday, October 3 at the Linsmore, and again on Thursday October 5 with Gary along with Amber Durette for a feature set at the Legends open mic, which will also include a great lineup of cool performers.

The song mentioned the last two weeks is still in the woodshed, so we’ll see. Until next week, be well!