Category: Toronto

So…I’m drumming again. In spades.

This Tuesday (April 17th) at The Cloak & Dagger (College & Bathurst) I’m appearing with a rag tag outfit of musicians for a jam night. My colleagues include Shannon Du Hasky (from the Z-Rays) on guitar, Graydon James on bass, and Nancy Brooks on French horn. If all goes well, it could spring into a regular fixture (!).

Context:

The last time I performed live (or even played on a drum kit for that matter) was over 12 years ago…in Thorold no less. It was the end of the band I’d been playing with for several years, a fin de siecle for that part of my life and it was a terrible (nay apocalyptic) gig. It was one of those nights where you grab your gear and run so that you don’t have to remember anything about it. We never played again for various good reasons, although it was nice while it lasted ¹.

Fast forward: not only am I part of the jam outfit, but I’m also part of a new band called Behind The Garage (appearing April 28th @ Mitzi’s Sister).

Weird. But damned fun. Like life.

Come on out and enjoy the drink and songs – I couldn’t imagine playing in a better environment with a better group of people. ²

Update: Okay…I looked up the band I used to be in (we were called Spin Tree. We hailed from Burlington.) and found our demo album listed on someone’s Most Underrated Albums of All Time list. Wow. I sent him an email thanking him…it’s a little overwhelming to see yourself on someone’s list with such luminaries as Inspiral Carpets and Arcade Fire.

1. We were a goth band. I can say this now because at the time I hated when we were referred to as a goth band. Okay – we were a goth band with non-goth aspirations. We played with some well-known acts of the day, and got to play at such venues as The Opera House and The Drake (before it closed and became what it is now).

2. Until meeting and playing with Behind The Garage and the jam-band (if you have a band name, let me know – we’re dying for one), I’d always equated playing music with friction. This, of course, was an emotional artifact from my early days where there was a lot more artistic conflict – much of it needless. It’s 180 degrees different now – everyone I’m playing with is a *really nice person who also happens to be a really good musician*. Am I lucky or what?