The last week has been a whirlwind of activity with a camping trip on Lake Huron, complete with all-Beatles singalong and far too much wine, and prepping for an imminent trip to Ireland. For that, I’ve once again dismantled the Dano Pro, recently purchased in Rivière du Loup, and just barely squeezed it in to a regular suitcase.
I’ll get back to you as to how well that worked.
If things go as expected, I will bet to catch some entertainment while in Ireland, and hope to report on that in future posts.
It’s going to be a bit of a break until the next show due to holiday time. We’ll see if I can keep this going over that time… In the meantime, just a few updates:
DIY Telecaster
Also known as the IKEA guitar (everything comes ready to assemble, but not really from IKEA), this one needed a final touch to make it just right. Thank you Staples!
Fellow Travellers
Last week at Relish was a great evening. First, an even better than usual turnout of talent, including an awesome set by Sandra Bouza, fresh from international travel. Here is a bit of her performing TLC’s Waterfall!
I was also chuffed to have Lawrie Ingles sit in with me for an entire set, and help the songs go to another level. Thanks, Lawrie!
The following night, Sandra was hosting an evening at Old Nick Pub and featured David Macmichael performing solo. It was a great venue for both thanks to an attentive and respectful audience, and the early start proved that it is a reasonable and doable thing!
David was not done, though, as he and Paul Brennan then played on Wednesday for the Indie from the East Side feature at The Cavern Bar with Tim Prueter (for a few songs), and for a full-out set for a rambunctious audience with another Relish regular performing artist, Ryan Schmidt. A fun night!
Brilliant Fishing
I would be remiss if I failed to point out that multi-talented Brilliant Fish has released the first episode of a multi-part audio series on the 80s, featuring the songs that influenced him from that era. Based on the episodes I have already listened to, you must add this to your playlist. See the sidebar for all the Brilliant Fish audio streams.
Finally, I invite you to click here for his moving rendition of one of my all-time favourite songs, Wichita Lineman, performed in tribute to the recently departed Glen Campbell.
Well that was a busy week! First, a big thank you to friends, fellow performers – Michael Cuddy and Sal Indigo – and fans who came out to catch the Triple Threat Wednesday at the Salty Dog. For those who could not be there, each of us plaued about an hour of our (mostly) original music, followed by a brief but spirited jam at the end of the night. It was a fun night! Thanks to Mrs. Félix & the Cats for the photos, and to the techs at the 12th Fret for a great job setting up my DIY Tele!
Friday night was a much quieter affair on the Esplanade, as a lot of people who normally are down in that part of town may have been out of town for the long weekend or spooked by the bad weather earlier in the day. To be honest, while I love the sound and the way the staff treat us at the Amsterdam Bicycle Club, the late start there (for a quite valid reason) does pose a challenge.
In fact, as today’s blog title implies, an earlier gig was clearly a factor in a better draw on Wednesday, when we had an 8:30 start. On that topic, an intresting opinion piece by CBC Radio’s The 180Jim Brown was sent to me a while back and I was saving it for an occasion just like this one.
Here it is out of context but you can link to the original website here.
Sunday April 09, 2017
If you want to keep the local music scene alive, start shows earlier
In cities across Canada, local live music venues are struggling and in some cases closing.
Toronto is considering a proposal to extend the hours of liquor licensing as a possible solution, but Mar Sellars argues moving concerts to earlier time slots might have a bigger impact.
The other week I had a +1 on the guest list for a show featuring Dude York from Seattle and Paws from Glasgow. The set times were listed as 11:30pm and 12:30am on a Wednesday night. Let me be clear. I was offering a free ticket, but I couldn’t find anyone to go with me. I even asked a 25 year old friend who works at VICE and she politely declined. She said it was too late for her. If it’s too late for a 25-year-old working in music media, no wonder music venues are struggling in cities like Toronto and Vancouver.– Mar Sellars
Sellars, who has been playing in bands and promoting or attending shows for almost two decades, says when she goes to see a band during the week she knows she’s noticed they’re rarely at capacity.
“Most Canadians go out on the weekends because most people in Canada work Monday to Friday,” she says adding that if you go back to the same venues on a Friday or Saturday night, they’re much busier.
In Sellars’ view, that business model isn’t sustainable.
With rising rent costs, music venues and bars need audiences and patrons seven nights a week, not just on the weekend nights.– Mar Sellars
Toronto’s Mar Sellars thinks earlier concert times would improve attendance to small live music venues and help stave off the trend of closures. (provided)
Instead, she suggests venues in Canada should take a cue from those in Japan or the UK, who have created a live music culture that still allows people to get to bed by 11pm and work the next day.
And she argues there’s the added benefit of attracting a more diverse audience too.
“Commuters could catch their last train home, students with early morning classes wouldn’t be falling asleep at their desks, and parents could pay for babysitters.”
To Sellars, it shouldn’t be too difficult of a shift given most major sporting events, live theatre, and arena concerts typically start at earlier times.
No one should have to be exhausted to enjoy live music– Mar Sellars
Studio Update
On top of the shows, I have been working on ManCave Studio trying to make it a bit more pro. I just built and installed the under-the-counter seen in the photo below. More to do still, like bracing and casters so I can move the desk to an audio-symmetrical position in the room as required.
So that should keep me busy for a while. Until next week then, be well!
I was out of town for a good part of the week, but found a few minutes to explore local music stores in the eastern Québec community I was visiting. I walked into a pawn shop, and like a siren the guitar pictured below called my name. Like in the myth, I was unable to resist, and brought this one home. For those interested in such things, here is more on the Dano Pro.
Shows This Week!
Wednesday Night Triple Threat at the Salty Dog (8-12) and Friday Two’s Company with NeMo at the Amsterdam Bicycle Club (10:30 – 2:00). Please come down for good and original time! Details are on the right in the sidebar.
New Song
As alluded to last week, a new song emerged from my last evening at Legends, so without delay, here is a first rough mix for your enjoyment.
Verse 1
I was not ready for the four
Why can’t I get a little more?
I had built up a head of steam
Things did not live up to my dreams
Verse 2
So now I stand here foolishly
A victim of my fantasy
A tube stuck firmly in my mouth
My prospects quickly heading south
Pre-chorus
I was just getting started
Now I am broken hearted
I did not keep it sensible
I missed a basic principle
Chorus
Keep it simple (x3)
Verse 3
I’m in a tailspin going down
Looping around and round and round
Try to adapt but there’s no doubt
There is no nice way to get out
Pre-chorus + Chorus
Solo over verse
Verse 4
I’ve often had these dismal thoughts
And would be depressed were it not
For friendly bad ass bottleneckers
To fend off noisy drunken hecklers
It’s in the true and simple things
That I can best spread out my wings
No fancy footwork is required
And honesty is most admired
Pre-chorus + Chorus
Both guitar and song may première at Relish tonight…tbd.
Sometimes from outside events, but often from my own wacky self-expectations.
Take in point the recent use of loopers in my live shows. For those who are not gear-heads, “loopers” are a type of guitar effect pedal that allows the player to record a phrase and have it play back indefinitely in a loop, hence the name.
Sounds simple so far? No so much in reality. The first looper I had (thanks to Mrs. Félix & the Cats) was a T.C. Electronics Ditto Looper, pictured on the right, a fine example of Danish craftmanship. The device sounds amazing and the function could not be easier: click once to record, click once to stop recording AND playback, click TWICE QUICKLY (ha!) to stop. Hitting the button just right is everything: too soon or too late and the phrase is clipped, and double tapping to stop is like dancing the flamenco with 5-quart stock pots on your feet, especially with my timing challenged appendages. “Well, thought I, I can fix that.” There is another model with more switches on it. Because, as all rock guitarists know, what we need are more switches. See below:
The mini pedalboard (vs the micro and regular version).
Yes, the new improved Ditto X2 Looper (far left above) now has its own loop on/off switch. All kidding aside, it is MUCH easier to work with and control than the micro version, now passed onto #1 daughter’s boyfriend. So, the looper has found its way into more recent acoustic and electric shows with mixed success. While sometimes exhilaratingly great in rehearsal at home, where the calm environs of ManCave Studio allow for sharp focus and pinpoint tapping precision, live shows have proven to be more challenging.
Sometimes the adrenaline rush of performance has made for an accelerated start, and other times the on/off switching has not been as precise (the pedal compensates a bit but is not fully klutz-proof) have made for tricky interpretations, because when locked in, it is hard to correct on the fly. Regardless, it makes for a lot of I’ll-get-it-better-next-time moments, and I will. At least that’s what I keep thinking.
Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over andover and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and overand over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over…
Week in Summary
The last-minute Linsmore show this past Tuesday made up for in attention what it lacked in numbers and we had a great time. Thanks to Michael Cuddy and T.C. Folkpunk (no relation to the pedals) for great performances. Michael and I will be together again along with Sal Indigo in a few weeks at the Salty Dog, on August 2 (see poster on the right).
Thursday was at Legends for Gary Edward Allen and Amber Dutette’s open mic. I brought out some exotic gear for giggles and novelty. Some amazing talent performed that evening (and many others), so it is with some regret that I will be missing the next two months due to travel and other shows, but I recommend this one. The evening provided some inspiration for lyrics, so perhaps there will be a new song to première here next week.
On Saturday, I caught a couple of sets of my friend Fraz Milne‘s show at Sauce, on the Danforth. Fraz played with bandmate Chris Bender, on percussion and backing vocals, for a very absorbing show at a lovely venue. Thanks to Michelle Belisle, owner/manager and talent curator, for helping make Danforth East such a supportive place for music! Fingers crossed for a show there for FatC in the future…
I’ve mentioned in a few posts about the vocal classes with Jaclyn Serre (and through Elite Music Academy). After a couple of months of strictly exercises, we have moved onto sessions where, after warmups, I’ve asked Jaclyn to listen to my songs and look at how they could be improved. The first tackled was “Loud Girl“, which I wrote about back in May. Through Jaclyn’s tact and honesty (hard to find together sometimes), I transposed the key down one whole step, and re-recorded the entire demo. Although it loses some of the more plaintive quality the higher key provides, it is probably a more comfortable thing to sing (and probably listen to). Here they are side-by-side. Let me know what you think.
I’m happy to report that I will be at the Linsmore Tavern this coming Tuesday, July 18, as part of the Indie Tuesday series, with good friends Michael Sheen Cuddy, and T.C. Folkpunk. The show starts at 8:00, with Michael, me in the middle at 9:00, and T.C. headlining at 10:00. We are thinking this will be a three-solo-guys-with-electric-guitars kinda show. Look for irony.
Also coming soon, and in a similar format, I will hosting the first, and if things go well, not last Triple Threat Night on Wednesday, August 2 at the Salty Dog on Queen Street East. My guests will be Michael Cuddy and Sal Indigo. Show starts at 8:00 and goes to about midnight. Thanks Danny at the Salty Dog for giving us the chance to do this.
Finally, a reminder that two days after, NeMo and I will be playing a “Two’s Co.” show at the Amsterdam Bicycle Club, starting at about 10:30.
Telecaster Kit Project
The guitar I was building from a kit was fine sanded, buffed and assembled this past Tuesday. Unfortunately, I failed to notice that the nut (for non-guitar peeople: the part of the guitar the strings go over to reach the tuning pegs) did not come play-ready slotted, but rather left up to the builder to set to taste. Since I don’t have the right tools to do this properly, it was off to the 12th Fret for that and a set-up. There goes any economy I thought I’d reap from a DIY approach, but it has been a valuable learning project, and I’m still very happy with the product. It bodes well for future “Frankenguitar” options. The guitar should take a few weeks to come back to me as the “Fret” is very busy.
Here I am after my first week of freedom. Honestly, I am still adjusting, and all the possibilities come with their own set of choices, and sometimes stresses, albeit welcome ones.
Work on the studio is ongoing, with this week focused on upgrades: my Edirol baby monitors which honestly could not be relied upon for any balanced mix have been sent upstairs to the living room where they make fine multimedia speakers. In their place, a pair of YSM-5s, which are at least twice as large, despite the image below, and considerably clearer. A good entry level choice I think, given the space and the $ available, and support for a fine Canadian company, my alma mater Yorkville Sound Inc.
Smaller than shown.
Bigger than shown 🙂
Also on the to-do list was finishing my Solo Telecaster. After a disastrous attempt at staining, which looked much better in my imagination than in reality, I sanded everything back down to raw wood, and went with the simple and true clear lacquer approach. I’m looking forward to Tuesday when after curing, I can buff and assemble this thing. Hopefully I can report back next Sunday on completion.
Splotchy milk paint.
Even worse stain on back.
3/10 coats lacquered natural.
Not having to worry as much about “the next morning” has also made it possible to check out weekday shows, and I have taken advantage of that, budget limitations notwithstanding.
First on my calendar was Taylor Harp, who was playing a set at the Supermarket in Kensington. This was my first time in the room, which has a superb sound system, for which you have the privilege of paying $10 cover on a Wednesday. The beer is well priced though, and the show excellent, so it all worked out. People gotta get paid somehow!
Here he is playing Lost Love (verse 2) that evening. The audience was very attentive, including the guy whose head is in the shot.
Friday was devoted to checking out the Fraz Milne Band at the Opera House. Again a first time for me at the venue. The opening act was a tad loud, but the venue sells ear plugs for a modest $2. I had a brief but lovely conversation with one of the Ellinas family, owners of the place. Please click through on the link above for a history of the place; quite remarkable. Fraz, Robin and Chris were second up, and looked and sounded comfortable and ready for this show. The PA crew quickly adjusted to their style after the first song. Sal, Michael, Lynn and I thank you, Fraz, for not wearing shorts!
Photo courtesy Sal Indigo. L to R: Fraz Milne, Robin Latimer and Chris Bender.
Saturday, it was down to Jimmy Simpson Park for the Jazz Fest, featuring the always entertaining Arsenals, with my guy NeMo on bass. I wrote more extensively about them a while back — see Skalicious. They will be back to play Streetfest for 3 nights (July 27-29, 7-11 PM) in front of Shoppers Drug Mart/Kew Gardens – 2000 Queen St. E. It will be worth your while to check them out! I’m hoping they can come back and play a good room in the East End soon as well. Eton House, you listening?
Today, I gotta get back to the voice exercises before my vocal coach disowns me. Tonight will be a big night at Relish as the community is wishing Will Meadows buen viaje y buena suerte as he moves to Austin, TX to pursue his destiny with Whitney Rose.
One last thing… I have added on the right sidebar links to Brilliant Fish’s excellent radio show, The Upstream. Please click through and enjoy!
First on Tuesday, Tim Prueter, Sal Indigo and I played the Linsmore Indie Tuesday show. What a lovely receptive audience we had! It was all a first for me in an entirely solo mode, and it won’t be the last!
Thanks to Mary, Drew and all the staff for always making us feel special and welcome. We hope to do it again soon.
Thursday saw me out for the usual fun and games at Legends, with Gary and Amber. This coming week will mark 10 weeks continuous. Some marriages don’t last that long, so good on Gary and Amber for making it work, and the management at Legends for supporting live music!
Friday was the big day, when I retired from my day job. Thank you Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan! More importantly, it marked 35 years of marriage two Mrs. FatC. Things are still purring along after all this time. None of this would have ever happened had she not been supportive and understanding all along. We had a good time at the house welcoming many friends and family who came down to celebrate with us. Big thanks to daughter (and gifted ceramicist) Lucy and boyfriend (and gifted singer) Omar, whom I went to see at the Cameron House playing with the amazing Lonely Hearts, for above and beyond at the party. I was happy to see fellow musicians Kyle Sullivan, recently back from a European tour with Whitney Rose, and Fraz Milne, at the same show. Fraz has a show coming up this Friday at the Opera House that I look forward to attending. Info and tickets are available through the “show” link above. And you can catch Kyle with Adam Beer-Colacino, Terry Wilkins and Jeff McLeod tonight (Sunday July 2, 2017). I’m sorry I can’t catch that show but I have a friend playing the Stir It Up Sunday open mic at Relish for the very first time tonight and want to be there for moral support.
So what now? Big projects are starting soon: sound treating the ManCave Studio™ walls and ceiling will be an ongoing summer (or more) job, as well as building up the arsenal of gear. I’ll try to remember to take photos as the project goes on.
Putting together this thing on the left should be my first priority though. I’ve always wanted a Telecaster, and this one will be finished exactly as I like, which should be a lot of fun. The kit comes from Solo Music Gear, right in the GTA, and includes all the hardware needed, and predrilled holes to guide the work. Not only do they sell a great product for a super low price, the service is top rate, and friendly!
This coming Tuesday, June 27 is a special one at the Linsmore. Not only will it be my last show while still holding onto a day job, it will be a great night featuring some awesome musician friends. Here are the blurbs we put together for the show.
Tim Prueter is a musician living in East Toronto. He works to capture an engaged audience by delivering original songwriting, honest life driven lyrical content and an emotional and often intense vocal experience. Like a photograph, Tim’s songs offer a window into a moment, the only type of journal that has ever consistently stayed with him.
Sal Indigo aka Johnnie Blue aka Blind Lemon Meringue crawled out of the dark, murky swamps of Kensington Market in southern Toronto. He was born with a steel slide bar on his left hand so he took to playing blues and rock n soul on an electric guitar. Influenced by Elmore James, Hank Williams, Tom Waits, Doris Day and Desi Arnaz, he writes a variety of warped thud-like opaque melodies and work songs.
Félix and the Cats is Bob Pelletier’s long-repressed and most personal expression of his musical obsession. Inspired by daily observations or simply made-up shit, FatC look at the world and try to make it catchy and rhyme. A lifelong devotee of Curmudgeon Rock, Bob/Félix will fall prey to thinking the worst of many things and people, but fortunately dials it back before his friends and family label him a complete jerk.
We hope to see you there!
The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity, moistly due to wrapping things up at work as I leave the world of education, at least formally.
The most unusual event was a retirement party for my superintendent about two weeks ago. To mark the occasion, I had decided to learn and perform the Beatle’s In My Life, which worked out well as it was the object of my vocal lessons too. That went reasonably well, although I fumbled the chords after the bridge, remarkably played on the violin by Neil Dyal, a fellow VP in the Board. We played it with only one quick run-through, so kudos for that, and for the even equally awesome job on Difficult People, which I royally messed up by forgetting the words 2 lines in, and breaking one of the top ten rules. I NEVER forget that song, but it had to happen this time!
It was particularly irritating as the retiree had brought a friend along to sing: Ali Matthews is a multiple award-winning performer. Below is the bio from her site, worth reading in full as it is very impressive.
Photo from http://www.alimatthews.com/profile.html
“I desire to write songs that connect us with each other; songs that tap into our hopes and heartaches, our fears and passions, the things that make us vulnerable, the things that tell us we are alive. I see a dark and broken world in desperate need of mercy and compassion and I am compelled to create music that will draw us closer to grace, to each other and to our Creator. I am not a preacher – just a fellow-traveller on this fascinating ride …and I don’t mind being transparent.” Ali Matthews
Multi-award winning recording artist, Ali Matthews has been a performing songwriter since her teens and has built a strong following across Canada and beyond. She has released 7 critically acclaimed CD’s since 2000 on her independent music label, Shake-a-Paw Music. Her CD’s are distributed nationally through David C Cooke Distribution.
As a graduate of The University of Western Ontario, where she studied English and Drama, songwriting is her natural passion. Writing and performing on both piano and acoustic guitar, she blends mature and sensitive lyrics with evocative, compelling melodies. Ali’s songwriting and performing are highly respected in both the Christian and the mainstream music industry due to her accessible, honest lyrics and her ability to weave the “spiritual” into every day life experiences.
Matthews’ songwriting and recording have yielded an impressive collection of international awards. She holds the GMA (Gospel Music Association Canada) record as the artist with the most awards – 20 GMA Covenant awards and 44 nominations in 10 years. She was a winner in the 2006 International Songwriting Competition, The Canadian National Songwriting Competition, The Word Guild Canadian Writers Awards and she was named Woman of the Year in the City of Stratford for her outstanding contribution to the Arts.
I followed up that evening by sitting in again at Legends with buddies Gary Edward Allen and Amber Durette, an experience which was repeated again this past Thursday with even better results as I had prepped some Sheryl Crow and Amy Winehouse songs to play with Amber.
Thursday also including seeing T.C Folkpunk (who I had caught at C’est What? on June 11) in his film debut at acting and singing in Love in the Sixth, at the Fox Theatre. It was a fun indie film, with lots of great lines and catchy tunes. T.C. impressed me with his natural acting abilities too.
Friday I ran my last talent show at the school where I work. It involves some 50 student acts and goes on all day (in a very hot gym with 400+ kids), lots of gear to set up, operate and playlists to manage. Good thing I love this stuff. The day left me a bit dehydrated for vocal classes, which Jaclyn noticed right away, but she was kind and patient with my warbling.
Last night, it was Leanna Yamada‘s turn to impress me with a great set at the Amsterdam Bicycle Club, where FatC will be back August 4. This time, they had the full band out, and, having taken the time to get the PA set right, it was a great showcase for the entire group. Wish I could have stayed for more, but there will be other opportunities, I’m sure.
Tonight, it’s back at Relish to hopefully première a brand new one. I’ll let you know how that went next week.
The last week has been a whirlwind of activity with a camping trip on Lake Huron, complete with all-Beatles singalong and far too much wine, and prepping for an imminent trip to Ireland. For that, I’ve once again dismantled the Dano Pro, recently purchased in Rivière du Loup, and just barely squeezed it in to a regular suitcase.
Also known as the IKEA guitar (everything comes ready to assemble, but not really from IKEA), this one needed a final touch to make it just right. Thank you Staples!
I would be remiss if I failed to point out that multi-talented 
Well that was a busy week! 
Toronto’s Mar Sellars thinks earlier concert times would improve attendance to small live music venues and help stave off the trend of closures. (provided)
Sounds simple so far? No so much in reality. The first looper I had (thanks to Mrs. Félix & the Cats) was a 
The last-minute 
Telecaster Kit Project
Thursday saw me out for the usual fun and games at 
So what now? Big projects are starting soon: sound treating the ManCave Studio™ walls and ceiling will be an ongoing summer (or more) job, as well as building up the arsenal of gear. I’ll try to remember to take photos as the project goes on.
This coming Tuesday, June 27 is a special one at the Linsmore. Not only will it be my last show while still holding onto a day job, it will be a great night featuring some awesome musician friends. Here are the blurbs we put together for the show.
felixandthecats.com 