So very looking forward to playing at the One Man Band Festival this weekend in Montreal! This year, there are 4 days of music, at 6 different venues!! I'm at Divan Orange on Saturday night (May 25), sharing the stage with Ira Lee, Chris Velan and Oldfolks Home (our 4th show together!!). Indie Montreal is sponsoring the night and have included Robot Bomb Shelter for all your late night dancing needs!

I'm also speaking at a festival workshop that afternoon called "The Lonely Road of the One Man Band." I'll try not to cry.

It's almost time to unleash the hermit-like, control-freakish eccentrics that are one (wo)mand bands... myself included, of course! 

AMAZING!!! The people of St. Catharines made wonderful artwork inspired by my song lyrics!! I loved seeing how people interpreted my lyrics differently and it was heartwarming to see people's positive reaction to the project! I was also pleased to get mentioned in the St. Catharines Standard's article on the festival!

You can see some of the artwork created, alongside the songs that the lyrics come from here: my words / your art. This experiment is part of a larger project I've been scheming about, so stay posted for more details!

Here's me, happy in the sun, as the first creations flap in the wind!


Here are many of the pieces... at the end of the night.


Thanks In the Soil and St. Catharines for another wonderful festival!

This year at St. Catharines' In the Soil Arts Festival, I'm going to trying an idea I've had to create "crowd-sourced" artwork. I'm asking festival goers to create artwork inspired by lyrics to my songs. That artwork will then become part of the live video mixing that Etienne will do at my performance that night. I'm going to be set up at the Festival Hub on Satruday, April 27, from 11am to about 2pm with art supplies, and then my musical performance (with live video) will be at the Festival Hub at 8pm. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this turns out!!

I was invited to take part in an In the Soil Arts Festival Mash-Up in which I'll be joining dancer Susanna Hood and illustrator Brittany Brooks as the three of us perform 30 minutes of interactive improvisation together! I think it's a brilliant idea, which is why I jumped at the chance! Now as I get ready for it, I'm realizing that while I have improvised with other musicians, I've never had to improvise completely on my own.... 30 minutes...just me making music with my sampler, Wurlitzer and loop pedal... eek! The event is called The Loop, and if you're in the Niagara region, come to the Mikado in St. Catharines on Saturday, April 27, 3pm to see if I can pull it off!!!

I'm so very excited to be going to St. Catharines again this year for the 2013 In the Soil Festival! Here's a promo video for the festival that includes images of my audience-made yarn art from last year's festival!

Had a great time playing my first Indie Montreal show this week! Was pleased as punch to be able to share the stage with Oldfolks Home again! And also to discover the wonderful Montreal band, Cinéma L'amour! Thanks Indie Montreal!

No, I'm not doing a tour of local seniors' residencies.... although, now that I mention it, I feel a bit bad that I'm not - dressed slightly differently than the poster suggests, of course!

It's a Christmas house concert put on by Winnipeg band Oldfolks Home. From Giants, another Winnipeg band, will also be playing! And I'll be doing an acoustic set with some holiday songs à la moi. It's going to be oh so seasonal!!

This Saturday in Montreal, I'll playing at the Montreal Improv as part of the Edge of the City Showcase. Local cutie pies, Motel Raphaël will also be playing BUT there's more! The evening also includes some stand up comedy and storytelling - from people other than the musicians (although we'll try to be funny, I'm sure). The whole night is being recorded to be broadcast on the Edge of the City Podcast in December!

It's POP Montreal season again and I'm very excited to be a part of a free, outdoor show on Saturday. It's presented by Pop Montreal, Cult MTL and Audio Blood Media, and there's music all day! I'm on at 5:50 pm at UQAM's Place Pasteur... and the ever-entertaining Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir are up after me! 

Had such a great time at my recent show at the Lo Pub in Winnipeg - my hometown! Hamilton'sWax Mannequin and Winnipeg's Oldfolks Home were amazing! Etienne did some superb live visuals! And thanks to everyone who came out!!

The bittersweet side of things, as it turns out, is that the Lo Pub closed its doors suddenly about two weeks after this show. We all knew it was a possibility, but were shocked that it ended up happening so quickly (no fault of the owner - you can read the full story)! What a shame and such a loss to Winnipeg. Jack and the Lo Pub staff created such a wonderfully musical place that it will be very very missed!!

So... here's a photo my last ever show at the Lo Pub. 

Fun fun fun at NXNE. Show was great. Loved sharing a night with the fabulous A K U A and the equally fabulous Most People!!

 
Jon Cohen's brainchild, the One (Wo)Man Band Festival, will come to life two weeks from today! From May 18 to 20, it's three nights of performers who are literally one man or woman bands. I'm playing Friday night at Divan Orange, alongside Armen at the Bazaar, Cocobeurre and others. I'll also be a part of a looping workshop on Saturday afternoon. Saturday night at Casa includes, among others, Wax Mannequin, Lederhosen Lucil and Scott Dunbar. And Sunday, Jon himself will be playing at the intimate L'Envers with Superfossilpower, Camp Fortune and others. I'm so excited to be a part of this event!! 

Iconoclaste, partner of the festival, has put together a playlist of festival performers that you can listen to on grooveshark. For more information, visit the Facebook event page. And for the full schedule and artist list, visit the festival website at www.onemanbandfest.com.


And in June, I'm really looking forward to talking part in Toronto's NXNE. So many great bands! So many great workshops and speakers! I'm playing Friday night, the 15th at Czehoski.

I had SUCH a great time at the Niagara In the Soil Festival in St. Catharines. Thanks to everyone at Niagara Artist Centre and Suitcase in Point for putting on a superb weekend! Met so many great people! Saw so much great art and music!! A highlight was Deanna Jones and her amazing The Keith Richards One Woman Show! If she's ever in your neck o' the woods it is a not-to-be-missed show!!

I played at the festival launch on Friday night and though it was a little chilly on the outdoor stage, the wonderful audience members who took part in my human string art project warmed my heart!! Here are some photos taken by the people who participated:
            
(photos taken. from left to right, by Gowan, Ron and Mike)

And here's a photo of my performance, taken by Ron. The visuals behind me were done by my dear Etienne, who was VJing and mixing live video of me playing as well as of the audience!!

I'm so excited to be a part of St. Catharines' In the Soil Festival this year! I'm playing at the festival launch on Friday (April 27) at the Festival Hub (outdoor tent at the corner of St. Paul and James Streets). The launch starts at 5:00, local band The Bends are playing at 6:00 and i'm on at 8:00. It's a whole weekend of amazing music and art. Their website is www.inthesoil.on.ca.

Very excited to be doing my first show of 2012 at Sala Rossa! Have wanted to play there for a long time! Here's a shot from the sound check:

I'm a last minute addition to a show with the Montreal band MAK and Toronto's Papermaps.

It's been awhile, Winnipeg! Would love to see you out on the 21st at the Lo Pub! Details here.

This is going to be a great show, and i'd love to see you there! Montreal's Moonstarr, Sarah Linhares and Toboggan will be joining me at CFC on Thursday, Dec. 8. Details here.

I'm really excited to be doing a house concert in St. Catherines on the 30th. I'll be joining three other great bands: The Elwins, Behind Sapphire and Le Stack! Details here. 

I had a fun little excursion this weekend to do a show out in Ottawa. Here's the video Etienne and I shot along the way... he doesn't drive, so I get to drive AND sing!

My CD is officially out in the world today!! You can order your very own copy here. Digital downloads are also available, but I'd love to send you an actual CD, which is a replication - front to back and side to side - of the 14,400 stitch self-portrait that I rug-hooked for the artwork.

The release party is tonight in Montreal at O Patro Vys (356 Mont Royal East) at 8:00, and I'm on at 9:00... with Smoked Meat Fax Machine playing after. Would be ever so lovely to see you there!

You are cordially invited to the celebration of the release of my CD, hush. Your presence is requested at the esteemed Montreal venue, O Patro Vys, located at 356 Mont-Royal East. You will be regaled with music from myself, as well as from taperecorder and Smoked Meat Fax Machine. Festivities begin at 8:00 pm.

If you're in la belle province, allez-hop to my show this Friday night at Club Lambi. I'll be on around 9pm and there are 3 other bands playing. Check out the Facebook event page for all the details.

My singing, that is. I was physically still on the "American" side of the ocean, but a Hollis P Monroe track that I sang on opened up Jay Haze's set at Ibiza this month!! You can watch the packed room dancing here. Thanks Jay!!

well, what i'm actually doing is getting ready for my upcoming Toronto show at the Supermarket. I recently bought an RC50 loopstation and resurrected my MPC2000, so the beats are being made live! but there's been a wee bit of a learning curve! nothing like a little added pressure!! Here are the details for the show - if you're in Toronto on Wed. July 20, would be great to see you!