My First Time by Kattina Charbonneau

“Blood; it's in you to give.”

I have heard the radio commercial hundreds of times. I know that my blood is type-O, which means that I can help lots of people. However, I couldn't get over the fear of needles and passing out.

Last Saturday everything changed.

There's a family I have known since I was 5. Many of them donate blood on a regular basis. The youngest member just started his first year of university and he applied for a bursary from Canadian Blood Services. He needed at least 20 donors, 5 of which had to be new. I thought that this would be a perfect way for me to help him out and try donating blood!

His family hosted a huge breakfast for those who were going to the clinic. As a precaution, I decided to have french toast, a pancake, 1/4 piece of waffle, a piece of bacon, a few sausages and some fruit. I don't usually get to have all those wonderful breakfast items in one sitting – but I wasn't planning on passing out!

As we arrived and checked in, I was pretty nervous. The finger prick test didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, and my iron levels were good. After filling out the questionnaire and going through the screening process, I was quickly escorted to the donating station. I had some juice and then sat down in the chair. The nurse was so nice and before I knew it the needle was in. It was a little uncomfortable, but it wasn't as terrible as I imagined.

I found out some neat things while the nurse was taking the blood samples. She said that the blood I donated, (provided it passed the necessary screening tests), would be used at a local hospital within 72 hours.

Local hospital.

72 hours.

Wow. Some of the supply is used for pre-booked surgeries, however the rest is in case of emergency. I never considered blood donation to invoke such a sense of community for me.

The average adult has about 10 pints of blood in their body, and each blood donation is approximately 1 pint. Every 8 weeks your body replenishes the lost blood, and you're good to go again. It's a natural process, and it doesn't cost you anything.

In 1 hour you can literally save the life of someone in your community. The actual donation is less than 20 minutes. (I was 10 min. 18 sec...first time donors take a bit longer, which is normal). It takes an average of 5 units, or donations, for a cancer treatment or cardiovascular surgery. For someone who has been in an automobile accident, 50 units are required.

After finishing the donation you get to chill out with a friendly volunteer while enjoying a complimentary drink and snack! Overall the experience was wonderful. I really loved going with a group of friends and family to help others in our community. We had a great time visiting and sharing lots of laughs!

If you would like more information, check out www.blood.ca. To book an appointment you can call 1-888-2-DONATE. I'm going back in October if you would like to join me!

Clothing for a Cause

If you are citizen of Guelph, a Guelphite if you will, you may notice some of the many things around town that Guelph is quite proud of. Not proud in a bad way, but proud for good reason. For example, we have the Guelph Farmer's Market where local farmers and artisans sell their products. We have the new and improved Market Square in front of the newly improved City Hall. The Market Square hosts community events that are fun for the whole family and bring a positive vibe to a downtown night-time experience. We also have a number of beautiful parks and green-spaces that preserve the natural beauty of our fine city.

But now Guelph has the opportunity to be proud of something else. I say opportunity because there is a chance people could take this new addition for granted and fail to take advantage of what it offers. I'm talking about Downtown's second newest tenant, Grey Rock Clothing Co. It's located on Quebec Street, just a few doors down from the Bookshelf.

Why be proud of a clothing store?

Well, Grey Rock Clothing Co., or, Grey Rock, as the kids say, is a completely sweat shop free clothing store. That means all of the clothing sold was made with by the hands of folks who earn a fair wage for the work they do. It also means your new plaid shirt and slim fitting pants won't have the sweat of children unnoticeably infused into the fabric.

Grey Rock operates with the axiom “You can change the world with your everyday purchases”. They let us know the importance of equality among labourers and consumers.

They carry brands like Elroy, Indigenous Designs, PACT, Jedidiah, and Oliberte and each of these brands carries a unique and often inspiring story. You may not have heard of these brands, but it's time you did your research because not only are they globally conscious, they also make some pretty nice clothes.

I would like to stress again that Grey Rock's presence in Guelph is an opportunity for Guelph. If we want it to stick around we need to support the cause. Not the cause of nice clothes and Downtown boutiques, but the cause of equality and the cause of human rights. It's really nice for folks to talk about how great brands are for being fair trade or sweatshop free, but if we as the consumers don't get behind them by choosing their product over another.
Purchasing fair trade, sweatshop and child labour free items may not be the cheapest option for some, but it is always less costly for others. Sweatshop produced clothing comes with a much higher price than what is found on the tag.
So this Saturday (September 6th) get downtown and meet Grey Rock's owner Beth Timlin, she's got a heart of gold and a wicked smile. Grey Rock will be serving cupcakes and there will be special gifts for people who spend $60+ in celebration of their grand opening!

For more information on Grey Rock and what they're doing to make the world a better place, you can check out their website, and even follow Beth on Twitter @GreyRockCo

Ben Doerksen Show and Tell

If you live in Guelph and you are a fan of Guelph's myriad of musically gifted individuals, you may recognize the name Ben Doerksen. Ben has been a member of the now retired but not forgotten, Your Neck of the Woods as well as the frontman and eye-candy for Ben Doerksen and the Rebel Alliance. Ben has now ventured off on a solo journey through the musical galaxy and has recently released a new EP titled Gilding the Lily.

If you have yet to treat your senses to the album, you can find it, and pay what you choose for it right here. 

With a voice that is perhaps bigger than Ben himself, not an easy feat, Ben delivers profoundly written lyrics with themes that bring the listener to fields and prairies and rivers and kitchens and fireside sing alongs. Ben's lyrics penetrate the mind and invite, maybe even pull, the listener into a dreamscape. They are sensual. You can't help but feel the cool summer wind in late August, or the tall grass on your fingertips. 

With what sound like instant classics like Northern Rivers and Skies Like This, Ben is sure to make an even bigger impact than he already has on the Guelph music scene and even the Canadian music scene.

I had the chance to sit down with Ben while he discussed the ins and outs of playing with a band. He even brought a great show and tell item to prove just how cool he really is.

You can see that interview right here.

Also check out...

http://benjamindoerksen.bandcamp.com/

http://yourneckofthewoods.bandcamp.com/track/alberta-burning

www.zdc.4ormat.com

Ben Doerksen hard at work during Hillside 2012

Pic of the Day #15 - Bear

Oliver Vs. The Bear

We spent a week in Killarney's backwoods last month. On day five some kayakers warned us of a bear making his way too our campsite. We quickly prepared by hanging our food and getting our knives...and cameras. We were able to snap a few grainy shots of the bastard while we chased him away from our site. We knew of course it was him or us. 

When Oliver found out about the heartless son of a gun he was shocked! Oliver is a child of a very good friend. One of my old college buddies. We know eachother from back in college. Those were the days, I tell you.

You can read Oliver's thoughts on this near death experience in his blog which can be found here. 

Pic of the Day #14 - The Artist

Jay Inglis

Jay Inglis is a local artist. He works on paper. He uses pencil crayons and ink. The guy makes some pretty psychedelic art. Last night I visited with him and we had a little photo-sesh. Rumour has it he could be featured in a home town rag very soon. Keep your eyes peeled and look around for Mr. Inglis and his colourful work. 

Pic of the Day #13 - Figuring it out

The Ogilvies

So I shot a wedding for the Ogilvie's a while back and I just recently delivered the photos. After looking through them again however, I noticed this picture had a big brown towel sticking out from underneath Cam. I was able to use Photoshop to get rid of that. I'm happy with this end result.

Pic of the Day #12 - Back at it

Berkeley Castle Courtyard

Berkeley Castle is a neat little place nestled away in Toronto. It's a place where a few businesses operate out of including a wine store and a hair salon. One of the stylists invited us in to take a few pictures of the court yard and I nabbed this one just as the windows were reflecting in the grass. Apart from the reflection, I love the orange brick and the absolutely beautiful tree. The photo really doesn't do it justice, but it is an excellent tree.

David Jackson Round 2

So a couple months ago I had a chance to sit down with Guelph musician, David Jackson. We discussed his new album, his take on acting, and his writing process. We were also joined a ridiculously loud air conditioning unit on the back patio of the Red Brick Cafe. Unfortunately, due to the noise generated from said air conditioning unit, the video was pretty terrible. This is our second attempt.

David Jackson, Round 2

There was an attempt to include some very informal banter and all around tomfoolery to the tail end of this video but unfortunately we are still working out the camera's little attitude problem. 

Check out David's music on his Band Camp, and make sure you get out to his CD Release Party at Synn Studios in Downtown Guelph. That is happening on August 3rd. 

Pic of the Day #12 The Yesterday Edition

Kattina and I are on the Guelph Youth for Christ steering committee and last night we went to Erin to check out this excellent Mobile Youth Centre. Not only did the youth centre surpass our expectations but it had this little darling holding the door open for us!

Pic of the Day #11

Kattina and I took a really nice walk today. We noticed the house down the street which had just sold, has some creative new owners!

Pic of the Day #10

When we took possession of our Bagot St. apartment in January, our new found friends and our apartment's previous tenants let us know they had planted garlic in the front garden. They got this garlic from the farm they had their wedding on and they were sad to lose it when they moved. 

For the last 4 months I have watched and watered the garlic as it grew shoots and leaves above ground while the precious bulbs developed beneath. Today it looked as if they were ready to come up; so up they came. 

Kattina tied a pretty little ribbon around the garlic and we gave it to Andrew and Annica with a card. Coincidentally as we were headed over to their new home (which you can read about here!) to drop off the gift, they stopped in front of our current home for a middle of the road conversation! Wow!

Pic of the Day #9

So they did it! They tied the knot! Cam and Sonya Ogilvie are now a real deal of a married couple! It was such an honour and dare I say a blessing to shoot their nuptials. Cam and Sonya are friends from our neigbourhood and Kattina and I can't wait for some double dates!  

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS CAM AND SONYA!!!! 

The New Ugh-Inspiring Bud Light Lime Mojito

So it's a Friday night and we decided before heading to the Anti-Highschool Reunion we would have a couple-a-few beers.
We decided on some Muskoka Brewery offerings and the always refreshing Mill Street Organic when our eyes settled on a delightful green and silver can.
I quickly scooped up two of the "limited edition" beauties. It was the new Bud Light Lime Mojito. I had to call my friend Drew over for this unbelievable taste sensation!!

Side Note: Drew Shannon is a good friend, foodie, roadie, buddy, trucky, trekkie, wine loving beer snob.

As per the side note, it's obvious Drew raced over! I think it's only fair that I kick it over to Drew to let him fill you in on the truly once in a lifetime experience.

Drew here,

So, these delightfully designed cans opened with the refreshing pop of a very functional drink storage container.  You can't help but feel the aroma of chemicals that could be mistaken for lime flavour take hold of your nasal facilities.  You then start to tip this wide mouth wonder towards your lips and are taken to the world of a warm swamp where the company that makes that lime chemical dumps their toxic waste.  Pulling your lips away from the can and thinking that this experience can only get better, you are suddenly hit with the refreshing aftertaste of Colgate mint toothpaste.
 
If this isn't enough to make you run out and purchase this unique product there is more.  It is "light" so that means if you are watching your waist line you can enjoy as much of this product as you would want, and believe me that is not much.  I am also thinking that a toothpaste finish could be useful for activities after the beer is finished.  For instance if you get pulled over, a cop is more likely to think you have brushed your teeth recently rather than you have been drinking.  Your date may also like this feature.  However if she is hanging around with someone who drinks this you may want to re-consider your life.    

Thanks for popping by Drew and sharing what sounds like a magical Ugh-Inspiring moment. If you want to hear more profundity from my pal Drew, you can! Catch him Twitter @therustyshow

Pic Of The Day #8

There's gonna be a wedding. And we are gonna be there. Oh yes. We are.

Rebel Rebel and then Some

Where were you on June 27th?

I was at the EBar with my wife Kattina. We were there to see some of the areas Alt Rock offerings and ended up being somewhat pleased, a little bit confused, and a lot a bit entertained!

The Folk, a Guelph band fronted by one of two twin sisters, with the second of the twins on the guitar. When I heard twins, I thought Tegan and Sara. These guys were not Tegan and Sara. They also were not very folky. Their music is well layered and well put together but personally, I wasn't all that into it. Mind you, The Folk's bass player was definitely a show stealer!
The guy had his moves down. I swear he had a few rockstar kicks which got me going!
Unfortunately, a killer bass player isn't all it takes. I just wasn't drawn in by the music. I found myself trying to figure it out more than I found myself able to just sit and listen and enjoy.
But hey, they've got a new EP out and I would be lying if I said it wasn't worth checking out.

 

Fresh off the heels of playing NXNE, Dutch Toko lost me with their intro. I know it's kind of the norm now to be somewhat self deprecating and all, but when you start out by saying "hey we never practice and we're missing guys so...yeah..." you kinda start weak.

Although I was taken aback by the less than wise honesty, DT won me over by the end. Tight drumming and some excellent use of feedback was what got me. Oh yeah, the frontman had some killer footwork...baby Elvis! 

And then another...*ahem*...interesting announcement, "We have cassettes for sale at the merch table..." For $5 who could pass up a cassette? Oh yeah! I could.

So basically I've gone over the details of this show backwards for one simple reason; I think 

Rebel Rebel is the flippin' bees knees! These guys had me going. The four man one woman band from Toronto had an awesome stage chemistry and brought some killer tracks. I vividly remember standing at the bar and ordering a rye and ginger ale listening to the song Keep It To Yourself, and I was hypnotized. The synth was doing everything right and I was mesmerized by the post-rock sounds that had invaded the space so stealthily. I was sure to talk the group after and I let them know how impressed I was. Even though they were the opener, Rebel Rebel was my favourite act of the night. Oh and they had an accordion...so...

Check out the EBar every Thursday for live entertainment. If you see me around, don't be shy. Have a drink with me! I'd love to meet you. 

Pic of the Day #7

My wonderful wife is a big fan of flowers. And my wonderful wife likes to put her wonderful flowers in our wonderful fridge to keep them wonderfully fresh! Isn't she wonderful?

Pic of the Day #6

Slack lining over the Speed River is a tough thing to do. Some friends from the Guelph Grotto invited me out to take a few pics of their attempts. If you want a free phone, you can dive down off the pier to try and find Tadek's. 

Pic of the Day #5

My brother, Gavin, just recently returned home from getting his fire fighter certification in Brockville, ON.
We haven't seen him since Christmas and it was really nice that he came over tonight and destroyed us in Settlers of Catan.
He didn't leave until about 1:20am and even then he left in style, riding his bike off our porch. I thought I could snap a neat shot. Yeah it's noisy and the post was done in hurry (because I want to SLEEP!!), but it is a great picture of my brother grabbing life by the horns.
I love you Gavin! Brothers forever!

Pic of the Day #4

This is usually where I start and end every day...so...

Pic a Day #3

Dave Jackson is back speaking to me about his upcoming album. The interview is in the editing room so be ready to watch!!

Pic-a-Day #2

I'm not exactly sure what this is and if I had to guess I'd say it's a little oven.
The beautiful thing about this item is that it doesn't matter what it is, but what matters is how it came to be.
A friend of ours named Steven has put his whole self into a welding course over the past few months and recently passed his exam!!! We even celebrated with a potluck dinner at the Kelly-Campbell House down the road.
He worked his butt off and it was great hearing the enthusiasm in his voice when he explained the technique involved in making this little bitty oven.
So again, sometimes the how overshadows the what.


Congrats Steve!

Zach C.

A Pic a Day? I think I can.

Ever walk up to group of kids sitting in the street and ask to take their picture? Well, I did. It took some convincing that I wasn't "pedo" but I was able to get them to chill and keep doing what they were doing...which was literally sitting in the street.

It was a good shot of the day and it got me warmed up to getting out of the car when I see something worth shooting.

Congrats GYC!!

So last week I went to a little school in downtown Guelph to take a class picture and get a shot of this year’s grad student. The school is called Give Yourself Credit and it is a program that helps youth considered at risk for various reasons, get their high school diploma.

I had an awesome time with the grad student, Brittany, as we got some great lighting from the sun as it peaked out from the clouds now and then. She looked awesome with her gown and her flowers.

It was tons of fun just hanging out to see how the students interacted with one another and it was great to see a facility run by genuinely caring individuals who want to see these students succeed.

Thanks for having me GYC. Keep up the good work everyone. And Congrats Brittany on your graduation and good luck with the next step of your journey!

Zach C.

Up and Comer David Jackson at The Red Brick Cafe

So it's finally here! My first video interview! Today I spoke with David Jackson and harpist Gwyneth Hodgsen.
I was excited to try out my new Canon 7D and these guys were a wonderful pair to try it on. All I can say is that it was a pleasure.

Before you watch the video posted below, I'll just let you know there was an "issue" with the camera in that I didn't realize it automatically shuts itself off after 4 gigs or 25 minutes of video have been recorded. The last couple minutes of the interview have been lost forever and will only be known by the three who were immediately present. I apologize because now you're life won't be complete until you find out what was said!
Another issue slash lesson I learned was not to sit next to an air conditioning unit...so...

Follow the link and we'll see you back here soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RSQ3bNCBnw&feature=plcp

So there you have it folks; David Jackson, Gwyneth Hodgson, Condoms: The Musical. Watch out for the June 23rd drop of Seas, Shores, and Directions while keeping an ear out for the big CD release party.

Fly Kicks and Hot Tunes

So here’s a little riddle to get us started.


What is sometimes great and sometimes not.
What is full of junk and also full of treasure?
What has everything from new CDs to old underwear?

A thrift store, that’s what!

Thrift stores have always been one of my favorite things for a few different reasons. So I thought I would dedicate a little bit of blog space to them every once in a while.

My home town, Guelph, has quite a few. Some are hit and others are miss. Last night I got together with Carson Connolly – you may know him as The Crook, or Andru the Crook from Trapper’s on Saturdays – and we got hungry for some fresh vinyl. So we wrote a letter to Boney M (more on that later) and we headed to Goodwill on Woodlawn Rd.

I like Goodwill because they are an actual charitable organization, unlike other thrift stores who accept free donations and then jack their prices and keep most of the profit *ehem*.

When we arrived we found we perused the crates of vinyl and found a few interesting pieces, but nothing that really made me want to take it home. Among the records were crates of LaserDiscs which were a total mindblower! If you have never seen LaserDiscs, Google an image of it! They’re like giant DVDs!

Anyways! We left Goodwill empty handed and proceeded to Value Village over on Silvercreek. Now, I don’t particularly feel good about going to Value Village because personally I feel like their prices are a bit up there. It seems like years ago they sold things real cheap and didn’t really worry about name brands which got people donating lots. Now they have more donations than a lot of other thrift stores which gives them a bigger selection which draws a bigger customer base which allows for higher prices. It’s a frustrating circle, people!

Regardless, we walked through the falsely advertised “automatic doors” (they did close automatically) and headed for the music. They had a few records, I found a John Lennon record that they wanted $10 for even though the sleeve was gross and faded and the vinyl was in okay condition. Frustration.

The records didn’t yield a fantastic selection so I started perusing the CDs to see what I could see. After the CDs we basically checked out the rest of the store and left with a few things. 

It's all about the books and music for me and I almost always find something to leave with from those two categories. So this time I left with some stuff I knew and some I didn't. 
From back to front in the above image - Those shoes are definitely made of gimp (plastic bracelet rope from summer camp days) and they're white. They are my new Get The Funk Out shoes for the Albion even though though kill my feet. 
That first album is something called Omni by a group called Minus the Bear. I gave it a listen and I was kind of into it. It didn't make me say 'Whoa!' or anything but it was not a waste of $3. 
I also got Wayne Williams Presents Strictly House Classics Volume II. Now, I was with Carson who is a DJ and who definitely appreciates some good house and we were both surprised to find that this album, though filled with songs produced between 1986 and 1994, could still get our heads bobbing on the ride home.  Memorable tracks include Circle Children by Indonesia, Yo Yo Get Funky by Fast Eddie, and L.F.O by LFO. 
My last and favourite purchase from the Village was a little 'best of' album by a funky little brother called Jamiroquai! You may recognize Canned Heat, a song prominently featured in the movie Napoleon Dynamite. Jamiroquai is an awesome artist. He's funky and he creates tunes that get me moving anytime of day. 


So we'll see, hopefully the rest of my thrift store purchases will yield decent fodder for a little bloggy-blog. At least that's how I'll justify a little more thrift store shopping...


xoxo


Zach C.

John Mayer's Born and Raised

The thing I love about John Mayer is that he knows how to make an actual concept album.
On Tuesday Mayer released Born and Raised. It his fifth album and it is already one of my favorites.
I really like the meekness of this album. I saw Jay-May perform in Toronto a couple years ago, and I know first-hand that the guitar is truly an extension of his body. He can make a guitar do anything he wants with ease. That being said, John seems to pull back a lot with his guitar playing on this album. It’s not as “heavy” as Battle Studies. Where there is space left that could be filled with a guitar solo, it’s often filled with harmonica (played by Mayer) and this gives the album a blues-ier feel. Everything on this album just seems softer. It reminds me of someone realizing they have done wrong and they come back to apologize; they’re quieter, less abrupt, softer. I appreciated the guitar picking and the all-around easy listening feel of this album.
Even lyrically, John is not his *ehem*, proud self. Mayer shows his reflective side and brings a more mature vibe to this album. John has been the object of criticism and has embarrassed himself in recent years with some off comments and this album seems to say “I’m sorry and I’ve changed” while still asking for respect.
Bottom line – I love this album. I’ve listened to it end to end 8 times in two days. It is relaxing and it speaks to where I am and where I want to be. This album further establishes John as a musician among pop-stars. I would highly recommend it for lovers of folk, soft rock, blues, and maybe even country.

Track listing:
Queen of California
The Age of Worry
Shadow Days
Speak for Me
Something Like Olivia
Born and Raised
If I Ever Get Around to Living
Love is a Verb
Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967
Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey
A Face to Call Home
Born and Raised (Reprise)

Favorites: The Age of Worry, Shadow Days, Born and Raised, Love is a Verb, Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967

Where to listen: Next to a beach fire, in a room with lots of wood/antiques, driving through the Canadian prairies

What to drink: Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey

8 Questions With Shred Kelly

So previously I posted a little posty-post regarding a favorite band of mine; Shred Kelly. I had the chance to email these friends and ask a few questions. I know I was itching to read the responses and they are here for all to enjoy.
Big shout out to Sage McBride for taking the time to answer all these questions! Can't wait to see you guys.

Here you go. The bold is from Sage.

Hey Zach,
So sorry we didn't get back to you sooner. Recording ended up being a really long time consuming process, and only now do we have some time to reply to emails.
This may be too late in which case I'm super duper sorry, but here's the questions answered for you!

1         Shred Kelly, How did you come up with the name?

We came up with the name Shred Kelly because of the Aussie Steve in our band. He had an air band called Shred Kelly based on historical Australian figure Ned Kelly. Another time he dressed up for halloween as SHred Kelly which was Ned Kelly in snowboard gear going to "shred".

How did the band come to be? Where and when did you meet?

Tim, Steve and Shiner were all roommates and they started hosting a jam night in our town Fernie BC at a place called the Underground. Through their jam night they met me (Sage) and Jordan because we came out to jam with friends, and realized there may be a spot for bass, keys and some harmonies in the band.

      The banjo is not really a common instrument in music these days. Tim, what or who inspired you to pick up the banjo

Tim's not here right now, and I'm not sure exactly his inspiration to learn the banjo, but once he aquired one he became a banjo ninja, practiced for 5-10 hours a day and mastered his craft over a summer. A lot of the songs from our first album Goodbye July were developed around the banjo riffs he taught himself that summer. He even learned to clawhammer a ukulele.

1        Ian, you have some phenomenal ability on the drums. When you started playing, did you start with bluegrass style drumming or has that developed over time?

Shit. Ian's not here either. I think he began with a punk/hard rock style of drumming which seemed to go really well with the clawhammer style of banjo...  but I could be making that up.

1        Can you give us any hints for the future of Shred Kelly? Anything coming down the pipeline?

We have a new album coming out this summer. It's called In The Hills, and we just finished recording it a few days ago. Can't wait to get it mixed and mastered and out into the world.

We'll also be playing some really great music festivals this summer including NXNE, Ottawa Blues Fest, River and Sky Camping and Music Festival and The Peak to Shore Festival in Southern Ontario, and a variety of other festivals in Manitoba, Alberta and BC which we're really pumped about. We also won the Tracks on Tracks competition so we'll be doing an epic train ride across the country with a group of other amazing BC artists, which we think we'll be an experience like no other!

1        You’re going to be hopping on the Tracks on Tracks train really soon with a bunch of other talented musicians. Who would you say are you most excited to be on the train with?

All of the artists on the train look phenomenal. We're pretty excited to play some shows with The Matinee cause we played the same music festival last summer, but had to miss their show because of another event we were playing. But we heard so many amazing things about them from the people at the festival, so we're excited to finally catch their show a year later.

1        Finally, any more foreseeable Ontario shows?

Aside from the festivals I mentioned we'll be playing a show in Peterborough on July 12th at The Moho, July 18th at the Phog Lounge in Windsor, and hopefully we'll be adding another Guelph show while we're in the area too!

One little bonus question. It's pretty clear you guys hate work. What have been your worst jobs?

I'm not with the rest of the guys, so I'm not sure their worst jobs ever. Mine was working at a hotel daycare where the bathrooms were on the outside of the center, so when I took kids to the bathroom they'd run ahead of me and lock me out of the daycare. Tim has had a lot of bad jobs, but I think picking fruit in Australia was his worst. The other guys... well I'll have to get back to you. Maybe there will be a song sequel.

Hope to see you this summer Zach, and we can get together for a photoshoot this time!

Hope you're doing awesome!

Talk to you soon,

Sage

KEENs, I Love You. But you Stink.

This is a little email story I sent to KEEN to let them know of my broken heart. No response yet. But I guess we'll see how they handle this stinky situation. I mean, their shoes do promise and odourless experience.

Enjoy!

It all started about a year ago when I walked into a Shoeper Store looking for something to walk the Bruce Trail in. The leather brown and black caught my eye from across and picked up my first KEEN. The label read ‘Newport’. I slipped my foot into the shandal and walked around the store and I smiled. I smiled because the fit was excellent. It held my foot in a way that made me think of a mother holding a child.

I knew these would be my Bruce Trail companions for the long day hikes my wife and I would embark on during the fast approaching summer.

We got to the trail head in Niagara, we found the blazes, and we hiked. We hiked through trails of grass and trails of cement and trails of mulch and trails of all sorts. When we returned to our vehicle after 14km of hiketasticness my feet had a comical tiger-stripe-like pattern tanned into them.

I connected to the KEENs right away. I loved them.

But alas, they have betrayed me. You see, the romance did not last long the KEEN and me. After our third hike on the Bruce, about 45km in, we headed home. But we were not alone. There was an intruder in the back seat. An unwelcomed guest. A villain of the worst kind. It assaulted our nostrils to the point of terror.

She screamed!

I cried!

What was it!?

We looked back!

AHHHH!!

It was them!

The ones I had loved, the ones I had walked with through meadows and rivers and treacherous terrain! They had betrayed me. They had attacked my olfactory senses beyond belief.

I was broken. I felt lied to. I remembered taking them off the lonely shelf next to all the other orphan footwear and running my fingers over the indented soles that read ‘ANTI-ODOUR’ and I felt one with the KEEN. That feeling was stolen away the day they broke my heart.

It’s been 8 months since the smell came and 8 months it has overstayed it’s welcome.

I still try to make things right with my KEENs. I wear them regularly but they are jealous lovers. They have forced me to choose between them and my beloved bride. They won’t let her in the room. They incessantly shoot fiery darts of stank her way and push her away.

I long to love two; perhaps three if you include both the left and right shoe. I long to connect from head to toe and I am hindered.

Why KEENs, why have you betrayed me?

I loved you. I freed you from the shelf of loneliness. I took you to exotic places and showered you with affection.

Why?

Embrace me like you did that unforgettable day at Shoeper. Embrace me once more. But leave the stink behind!

No more broken promises!

I Wanna Be Like Shred Kelly

Ever heard of Shred Kelly?

Finalists in the Top 10 for the Tracks on Tracks train concert across Canada?

Winners of the Kootenay Music Award for Best Country/Folk?

Fernie, BC rockers and haters of all things work?

If you haven’t heard them or heard of them then you are missing out. The big bad Drew Shannon and I had an opportunity to catch them live here in Guelph at Van Gogh’s Ear a couple months back and I figure since I didn’t do it then, I should give them a big shout out right about now.

Now, I know what you’re thinking; “Shred Kelly? Kinda sounds like a surfer punk deal, hey bra?”

Well, no “bra” that’s not what they are.

Shred Kelly is a group out of little ol’ Fernie, British Columbia and they bring a unique sound, coined as Stoke Folk, to the table.

The five piece group puts on an impressive live show. With front man Tim Newton absolutely rocking the claw hammer style banjo and fast precise drumming by Ian Page-Shiner, not to mention the hypnotic harmonies between Tim and the beautiful Sage McBride; the show is unbelievable.

If you get a chance to see these guys live, you have to take it. The show is one that will get your feet stomping…hard.

With songs like Tornado Alley, I Hate Work, and Goodbye July I can guarantee you will have a blast.

So you go get their album while I get back to picture taking.

http://www.shredkelly.com/music.html

 

The Joel Plaskett Emergency

             Back in April I was privileged to see Canadian rocker Joel Plaskett live in concert at the uh...rustic Theatre Corona in Montreal. His show was opened by a guy called Frank Turner.

           Now I’ll be honest, I had never heard of this Frank Turner character before that fateful night, but he was opening for Joel and I will say I am so glad I got to see him perform. He’s a ‘bloke’ from across the pond and he plays songs that Dewey Finn would drool over. He’s got a “down with the man” vibe that is totally infectious and creates some great sing-along moments that would be right at home in an old pub.

I had a chance to connect with a few other concert goers including a guy that came all the way from Germany to see Frank Turner(!) and I found it really surprising that many of them weren’t actually sure of who Joel Plaskett was. Needless to say, there were more than a few converts after the performance Joel gave.

He opened with ‘Tough Love’ off his newly released, Scrappy Happiness (if you don’t know the story behind Scrappy Happiness, then check this out…http://joelplaskett.com/?page_id=1854)

I will say that I was literally in awe when I heard the lyrics “Cut me to pieces//Apples and oranges//slap me in the face//and tell me that I’m gorgeous”.

            The show lasted about 3 hours and was honestly never lacking in anything. Joel's got this dude called Matthew who is the lighting guy; dude knows how to put on a light show! I can't not mention the crazy strobe action during Lightning Bolt!

All in all Joel put out an amazing performance and showed off his versatility and that of The Emergency. There were 3 distinct "sets" but it almost seemed like 3 separate shows as they went from all three members on stage to a Joel-only acoustic set (which included an awesome version of Nowhere With You from the Make A Little Noise EP) and then back to The Emergency on stage which included an incredible jam-session-like experience with what seemed like a 15 minute version of Work Out Fine.

Joel’s Presley like stage presence combined with his knack for storytelling and insane musical ability made for an unforgettable evening. I would highly recommend checking out Joel's website and getting some tickets to a show near you!

The Hood

Writer's block. It comes when I start thinking about my friends and others reading what I've written. It comes when I start to think about what others think about. Maybe the trick to writing is that it needs to be for you even if it's for the public. So here's me taking my own advice and just give'n'er.

We've moved! Yes! from the dark always-cold-in-the-winter-and-always-hot-in-the-summer basement with the ever present big brother-landlord ghoul to the beautiful, bright, creeky and warm Bagot Street. And when we want to be fancy we call it "Bah-zjo"...it's French and fancy.

I like to say it's like going from living in a Russian prison camp, to running a Russian prison camp. This place is amazing!!!

Now the beauty of this home is not even in the home. The true beauty comes when you step outside. We now live in what is affectionately known as The Hood. I think it is called that for a few different reasons which I won't speculate but I will say the feeling in The Hood is one of community.

We are currently working on 3 things.

1) Getting to know our neighbours

2) Furnishing our apartment

3) Filling an apartment with people on a regular basis

So feel free to stop by anytime for anything. Whether it be a hot drink, stiff drink, soft drink, back rub, handshake, milkshake, easy bake. Whatever! If we have it, you're welcome to it.