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Journey Concert in Toronto

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This super group of the from late 1978 to the present, played in Toronto last night at the Molson Amphitheater. This also happens to be the band’s new lead singer’s, Arnel Pineda’s, birthday. I bet he put on a fabulous show this night!

I have been a fan of Journey for some time now. I remember figuring out how to play Don’t Stop Believing on the piano when I was attending St. John’s High School in Brantford and I played it all the time. The vocalist Steve Perry range was unforgettable and some of the guitar work was just so in your face.

I only regret that I did not get the opportunity to have played any of their songs with Pylis. Now that was tragic indeed. Anyway your want it, would have been the best fit in mind!

The former lead singer Jeff Scott Soto is replaced by Arnel Pineda. Arnel is from Quezon City in the Philippines. While looking for a replacement for Jeff, Guitarist Neal Schon, located Arnel on youtube singing many tunes with his band The Zoo. He got a hold of him through youtube and the rest is history.

This show also had Heart and Cheap Trick on the billing. This would of been one hell of a show to see, I wish that we could have been there for this one!

Keep on Jammin’




So how was your summer of 2008

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Ours was uneventful, but we all had a ball just hanging out together! It rained like it’s never had before, but we hung in there.

IMG_4908 copy Our area rec’d the most rainfall ever and we’re expecting an early winter, at least we’re not receiving any of that nasty hurricane weather like our neighbors to the south, hang in there gang!. We don’t mind the fall at all, but this last winter we had record snow fall. It could have been worst!

We went swimming in Lake Ontario multiple times, went walking through some neat streams in our immediate area and had a beer on a really nice, high end patio with midnight at Woofstock 2008!

It was our first summer with Midnight, since she was a puppy when we first got her, and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world! The pictures that midnight will remind both of us of the fun we had during those cold winter months. IMG_4893

So let’s sit back, enjoy and savor these last warm summer evenings in the lawn chairs and have a light refreshing beverage (that’s code for wobbly pop) like we are with midnight, as we speak! No, she has her own seat at the backyard table, it wasn’t mine.

What did you guys do over the summer?

Until we drink again!


Busker Festival Toronto 2008

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This past weekend was the Buskers Festival 2008 event in the big city! It is held in the St. Lawrence Market District of Toronto, and it always looks like a blast to see.

We’ve seen all the news station reports on TV and I wish that I had time to go and check it out.

There are all these way out there buskers, doing their thing, that kinda makes ya wonder, “how in the hell did they get an idea like that to pull off in public”? If I was a busker, then I’d probably be broke if that was my main form of income!

They’ve been doing this event for years and it always seems to have the best weather to hold an event like this year in and year out! Buster fest has everything for everyone of all ages!

Check out the site for more info. and hilarious videos!

So if you can, get of there and see all the funky and unique buskers out there during this annual event. If you do see it, tell us about it. It may even make me make some time to check them out! If not this year, then there is always the next one.

Keep on Jammin’ (or Busking if your not musically inclined!)

The second coming of Jon is put on hold

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Well we got the old back yard, our pride and joy, finely manicured, the house is all cleaned up, the BBQ all tided up, the steaks are ready and all we need now is JON!

Well as luck would have it, Murphy’s Law is alive and at work again in my life there guys and gals! Jon has graciously bowed out! Big Jon has some unforeseen moving to do. This was truly a last minute thing that kinda fell into his llap and I do hope he has fun at it! He had tons of help to work with, and that is why I did not go and help him. BTW, I have helped him move around, oh around 10 times now, and he still owes me one … not that I’m counting there Jon! 😉

So we are trying to get another date set up for another meeting of the Mensa minds later on this September so I’ll keep ya’ll in the loop!

Keep on Movin’ Jonnie!

The summer of 2008

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Well, the weather in Toronto has been more or less shitty this past year, and it doesn’t seem to be over quite yet!

We’ve smashed the total amount of rain for a summer ever since recorded weather history. Our past winter was the second most accumulation of snow in the past 130 years! Now they say that we’re gonna have an early winter, in the words of Charlie Brown, “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”! How long can this go on for! We didn’t get hit with as much snow as Halifax, but it certainly felt like it!

So, howz it going weather wise in your neck of the world?

Keep on Jammin’

The second coming of Jon

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Just got off the old blower, that’s what we use to call the phone, with my old buddy Jon and he says that he needs a fix of Toronto back into his blood! We’re looking forward to seeing his old mug around the homestead here. hopefully it won’t be as expensive as the last time he was here.

The first time he here at our newish home, it was a long weekend. We had a few beverages and started to get a little hungry. So off we went to the grocery store and we happened to come across this store that sold fire works, what a bad mistake on our wallets this venture was going to be! By the time we left the store, we were about $220.00 richer in fire works. Oh well, we had fun and no one lost an eye.

So here’s to more action packed adventure with big Jon(Johnnie), aka Pinhead, and this time let’s really get a guitar lesson in ok buddy? Stay tuned for more updates.

Keep on Jammin’

Our new neighbours

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Long gone are the ones who use to play passable karaoke and we now joyfully enter the era of The von Drats. We finally have really cool neighbors!

We ran into them the other day and they seem to be a great fit for the neighborhood. He plays lead guitar, a huge bonus for me, and they are into renovating their new home! They are around our age and she is into sprucing up her garden!

Looking forward to getting to know them better and the best of luck to them in the future!

Keep on Jammin’

Just won tickets for Amos Lee

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I just won tickets for Amos Lee at the Danforth Music Hall on July 9th! A day after my birthday, thanx for the B.D. present! I know that signing up for e-news letters can certainly be a royal pan in the ass, but this time it was a great idea!

My wife opened the e-mail announcement the other day and thought it was just one of those weekly e-flyers with nothing really of any substance. Then after reading a few lines, she realized they were announcing winners for their weekly or monthly draw and my name was listed. It said that we could check out ANY of their summer shows on-line and then pick one!

amoslee1.jpgThey say that he has this minimalist approach to his song writing. His bio on the site sounds neat. It says that his shows are like going back in time when you use to listen to your older brothers record collection! The Music Hall also states that Amos’ influences are those of Neil Young, Stevie Wonder and John Prine all rolled up into one. I think that this guy is someone of future interest.

BTW, if you check out his MySpace site, check out ” Sweet Pea” it’s right back to the roots of guitar. It has a real nice Donovan or Leon Redbone feel to it … if your into that sort of music, I am big time!

 

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So I’ll have to give my impressions on this guy on July 10th. I hope that you’ll all come back for my assessment of this guy and maybe you can put your 2 cents worth into it as well.

Here’s what other bloggers are saying about Amos Lee:

Amos Lee announces Last Days tour dates – When we first brought you news of Amos Lee’s third studio album Last Days at the Lodge, we also promised you tour dates. And we just learned the Philadelphian, who put down his elementary-school teacher chalk to be a full-time musician, …

Amos Lee-Last Days at the Lodge – It’s hard to argue with the success of a young artist like Amos Lee. His first two albums have sold nearly half a million copies and he has opened entire tours for such legends as Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. Upon the release of the his …

Amos Lee – Street Corner Preacher – Shoutouts for the soft rock flavor of Jails & Bombs, the country taste of Ease Back, the jazzy smiles of Baby I Want You, and the deep soulful seasonings of Won’t Let Me Go. Thanks for the variety of eartastes! Amos Lee …

Keep on Jammin’

Canada’s second National Anthem

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The theme song from CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) has recently made the news and created a major debate both socially and politically in this country that I call home!

1sthnic.jpg

This theme is something that we all grew up with. Every time this song was played on a Saturday night on CBC, it meant the begging of something that we all waited for, for a whole week! It was like the ringing of a triangle that told the cowboys that dinner was on the table. We all knew that it was the start of something special and that something was known as HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA!

I know that most of my readers may be from another country and you may have a tough time wrapping your head around this one, but this is not just a simple song that unites us all under the same cloth, it’s about a way of life.

I decided to write this post a little bit after the emotional tidal wave of patriotism had past. If you are in the eye of the hurricane, trying to gauge and reason what to do first is overwhelming in the initial stages.

The negative train of thought is to say, What the hell are you doing at the CBC?, This is a nasty travesty of justice, a shaking of ones society’s core values or better yet, a single event that portrays a betrayal of ones country’s essence in the way of Biblical proportions!

hockey.jpgThe positive is to acknowledge that yes, the sun will come up tomorrow and we will continue on with life! What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger …

I’m going out on a limb here folks, but I am leaning towards the positive aspects of this event. I know that I’m in good company to boot, here’s just a few!

Johnny Bower, as long as the song is played somewhere, that’s the main thing. That’s the key, the song will still have something to do with hockey.

Paul Henderson, Things have changed, and things change. They dropped the song. Get over it. Let’s move on.

The song was sold to TSN (The sports Network) and CBC decided not to pick it up. Ok, let’s remember this day and in the words of the hockey great Paul Henderson, Let’s get over it!

Keep on Jammin’

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