Month: March 2018

I want to thank the kind and wakeful people who came out to yesterday’s show at the Amsterdam Bicycle Club last night. We get that it can be challenging to come out when the show doesn’t even begin until 11:00 PM, so good on you! We appreciate it.

This was the première of new drummer Chris Bender who surpassed all my expectations, already high, and played like a champ, as did NeMo who was also having a great time! The club was happy and we are back there on May 26.

Out and About

This past Thursday, I attended my first Franc’Open Mic at the Rivoli, which was a packed house. I got to play my songs in the penultimate position and they seemed to have been well received by the audience who stuck it out for the whole show. I caught some great talent, Frédéric Boutin, Kyris Mignotet, and Franck Soulane who will be my guests for of a special ABC Songwriters’ Circle on May 22, dedicated to French song. Now I only have to translate or write 4 more of mine…

This Week at the ABC Songwriters’ Circle

We had our best crowd ever for great show this past Tuesday night at The Amsterdam Bicycle Club. Fun chats and awesome songs by all. Thanks to Dan Boggs for his generosity and wit, Scott Kv for energy and unbridled enthusiasm (and making the trek in from Oakville), and Veronica Sabah for wowing everyone with great songs and a killer voice.

This week, I will welcome Daniel James Clarke, Sahel Usin Rojas and Tara Smylie. Check out their bios on the Songcircle page.

Hope to see you at the show!

Be well!

 

 

It’s been an increasingly busy time at ManCave Studio over the last few weeks. Having started it as a solitary activity, it now has expanded and I’ve recorded four different artists for a variety of demos, which I hope will be shared at some point in the future (I leave that to them as that is their copywritten© right). Below is a panoramic view of the space where, as the trope goes, “the magic happens”.

I want to thank Sal Indigo, Leanna Yamada/Chuck Majic and band, Houndbelly (aka Three Minutes to Forever) and Gary Edward Allen with entrusting me with their songs and hopefully contributing to their vision. I am learning a lot!

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Stirring It Up! Secret Santa Style

A few weeks ago Stir It Up Sunday co-host David Macmichael put out an interesting challenges to the Relish Regulars©, whereupon we would draw names of our fellow regs and cover one of their songs at an upcoming SIUS. I was delighted to pick Jace Traz (aka All Dressed) as my coveree, and have been diligently attempting to chart and copy the lyrics of my selected gem. I have already decided that messing about with Jace’s approach was not on, as all his tunes are masterfully crafted. Rather, it will be an hommage that I hope will do it justice. Maybe tonight? We’ll see.

FYI, Jody Ferrer has picked me to cover. Looking forwards to that too!

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Out and About This Week

Made it out to Sauce on Monday to catch ace keyboardist and FatC alumnus Alan Zemaitis sitting in with the Out of Towners, an awesome roots instrumental group. A quick subway ride to Broadview to catch Tyler Ellis at Dora Keogh turned out to be for nought as he is up north somewhere recording his next album.

Thursday got me out again to try out a new toy, a Behringer GDI21, an amp emulator/DI box that I expect will make it more schlep-friendly to do open mics on electric guitar. Cheap and friendly! I was able to chat with man-about-town Gary17 briefly and catch the terrific Kayt Lucas accompanied by Michael Menegon as the featured act that night. I am happy to report that Kayt will be a guest at the ABC songcircle on April 24, and Michael possibly at a later date.

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This Week at the ABC Songwriters’ Circle

Last Tuesday at The Amsterdam Bicycle Club featured Mahta Moattari, Jordan Paul and Leanna Yamada. I was great fun both listening to my guests and laying on atmospherics to all their songs last night. Jordan is quiet adept at it and it was challenging figuring out how best to make that work. Killer voice too! Mahta up close is both fragile and intense; very interesting combination. Leanna, whom I know well from the “day job”, gave a great performance, probably one of the best I’ve heard. Nice to hear her work on her personal material.

This week, my guests are Dan Boggs, Veronica Sabah and Scott Kvasni. For a brief summary of last week’s show and bios of my upcoming guests, click on the ABC Songwriters’ Circle page.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the FatCat (the all-members version of Félix & the Cats) shows March 24 at the Amsterdam Bicycle Club and April 7 at the Black Swan!

Be well!

 

This is a short one as there are family celebrations today, namely a birthday for a certain loved one, pictured much younger on the right (and me too it seems). So a lot of housekeeping awaits. Still, there are a few things to briefly touch on, so here goes.

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Out and About

Since I have been back at the day job on a temp basis for the last two+ weeks, extracurricular outings have been curtailed somewhat. However, as my last contract ended this past Thursday, a visit to Legends was in order to kick up my heels. There was certain pent up energy to this one, needless to say.

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Upcoming Shows

I’ve already announced the Full-Félix & the Cats shows in a prior blog (also listed in the sidebar), but I thought I’d share with you the posters. I really am looking forward to these two shows as it will be the all-out electric version of the Cats. Stay tuned for reminders on the various social media.

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ABC Songwriters’ Circle

Last Tuesday was a special show in harmony with International Women’s Day. Show #18 this coming week on Tuesday Night at The Amsterdam Bicycle Club will feature Mahta Moattari, Jordan Paul and Leanna Yamada. For a brief summary of last week’s show and bios of my upcoming guests, click on the ABC Songwriters’ Circle page.

Please take a moment to enter the show dates that appeal to you in your calendars, and subscribe to this page for all the latest. Thanks!

Be well!

Two years now…

That’s how long this weekly blog has been going. I would have never believed I could be that consistent, and I have to recognize first and most importantly of all Mrs. FatC for her encouragement, expertise and patience as I retreat to the ManCave® to scribe away for “just a few minutes” the latest post. I also want to acknowledge the many performers who have inspired stories on this blog (and maybe a song or 2), and the venues in which they have performed.

Thank you all!

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Two, Four, Six, Eight! Who Do We Appreciate?

However, two years pales in comparison with the eight years Stir-It-Up-Sunday has been a favourite of musicians throughout the city. I wrote a post in 2016 specifically praising the venue, and my high opinion has not diminished since. Gary 17/Orbit/Webb writes more extensively about it in Toronto Moon, which I invite you to check out. I recall first going to SIUS way back in its early days when Phil Jacobs (whose son Ayden was mentioned in a post a few weeks back) was hosting with Paul Brennan. With the advent of David Macmichael, the show entered its golden age, IMHO, to a great extent due to the chemistry between David and Paul, their talent and their generosity.

Thank you Gary for bringing this to my attention today, and the shout-out in the article. I am changing my plans for the evening and will be at Relish, perhaps singing the song below (hey, where else can I sing it?) as my thank you to the bar that allowed me to return to music. Please join me there if you can and sing along with the chorus!

Relish Bar & Grill ©2018 R. Pelletier/Félix & the Cats

Verse 1
It’s another quiet East End Sunday night
The dinner’s eaten, the dishes have been cleaned
I kiss my wife, and say goodnight
Put on my coat and leave to chase my dream

Verse 2
It stands at Danforth where it meets Cedarvale
Some folks outside are smoking funny cigarettes
I walk in past the stage and order up an ale
No matter how it goes, there should be no regrets

Chorus
Some come to chill
At Relish Bar & Grill
Some for the thrill
At Relish Bar & Grill
Come for the food,
Get in the mood
Stay for the music
At Relish Bar & Grill
At Relish Bar & Grill

Verse 3
Endings ‘R’ Us will keep you entertained
David and Paul, always magnificent
And invite us back with the same refrain
For something similar yet completely different

Chorus

Bridge
Sometimes a place
Can make all the difference
And change your life
In surprising ways
It takes some faith
And lots of perseverance
At Stir It Up Sunday!

Verse 1 reprise
It’s another quiet East End Sunday night
The dinner’s eaten, the dishes have been cleaned
I kiss my wife, and say goodnight
Put on my coat and leave to chase my dream

Chorus and out

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ABC Songwriters’ Circle Update

This week will be my seventeenth show, and it’s a special one as this is my first show with an all-star-female cast. I look forward to what that dynamic will create. Please join me and Sandra Bouza, Elana Harte and Sarah Siddiqui this Tuesday for another unpredictable and original evening of song and story. There should be more than a few. See their impressive bios here.

Do join us and be well!