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Simon and Garfunkle in Toronto

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Simon and Garfunkel are going to be playing May 12th, 2010 in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre and I hope to be there! These guys have produced so many great memorable tunes that it’s not funny! Do you plan to go and see them on their up coming tour?

I remember seeing these guys in the late 80’s at the old CNE bandstand and I’ll never forget it. We had concert seating which was like a free for all at the front of the stage. We brought a small blanket and some beverages, if memory serves me correctly. Our piece of the turf was center-right of the stage about 30 feet away.

The place was full of people sprawling out where ever they could with blankets, pick nick baskets full of food and wine. I was totally surprised to see little kids as young as 2-3 years running around everywhere! It had a nice small town fair feel to it.

The best part of that show for me was when they performed Scarborough Fair. For many year I’ve attempted to play this song and it turned out fine but this was the time to see it done right!

Before the song began, I noticed Paul Simon was practicing the beginning of it, so I asked this guy beside us if I could use his binoculars. I watched every single movement of his fingers and I found out that I was doing it ok except for a few parts. When I got home all I did was play the hell out of that song and I finally have it perfect!

So that was my favorite part of the show. Does anyone out there have a neat Simon and Garfunkel moment that they’d like to share with the rest of us?

Keep on Jammin’




The Knack loses Doug Fieger

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Doug Fieger, the lead singer or front man for The Knack, has passed away at the age of 57. This took place in his home in Woodlands Hills. California according to The Detroit News. He was reportedly fighting lung and brain cancer at the time.

Best known for the 1979 #1 smash hit, My Sharona, and my favorite tune that I played with Allen Scott a lot was Good Girl don’t. Sharona was an obsessively catchy track about one of Fieger’s real-life girlfriends, and the bouncy cut off the band’s debut album, Get the Knack, scored another jolt of fame in the mid ’90s when it appeared on the Reality Bites soundtrack.

“Everybody knows they’re going sooner or later. I don’t know any better than anyone else when I’m going. I’ve had 10 great lives. And I expect to have some more. I don’t feel cheated in any way, shape or form.” Doug Fieger

Thanx for the memories Doug Fieger!

Rush performing 2112 Live in 1976

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Rush’s 1976 album titled 2112 was a huge hit in my circle of friends. After listening to it the first time on the radio I had to go out and purchase it! Once I had it in my sweaty little palms I literally ran off to my brother Tim’s stereo a Apollo 861 by Electrohome and began my long journey in trying to reproduce this album on my guitar!

After attempting to reproduce as much as I could all my buddies were lining up for lessons! The learning curve was not that bad for most of my buddies but at times I must admit it was frustrating! During this period I was playing in this band called Deuce with Brian McGlinchy and Eddie Cudek from Gemini. We attempted 2112 and in the bands eye’s it was perfect, as for me well…

Then I joined a band with the great keyboardist Tony F. and guitarist Mike Vantresca? We didn’t have a name but we sure sounded fantastic! I recall trying to play 2112 and with Tony’s magical keyboard sounded quite better then Deuce, sorry guys.

Then after leaving Pylis, I was playing with Domenic Nardone, Eddie Steel and Jon Penrose. I must admit Domenic was outstanding on this tune! It was like Dom was born to play anything that Neil Peart could do.

So I hope that you all enjoy vintage RUSH performing 2112 and I know I’ll be thinking of Domenic on drums whenever I listen to it!

Keep on Jammin’

The Ramones Museum in Berlin looks like fun

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The Ramones are the forefathers of what genre? Some might call them new masters of garage rock minimalism. Others refer to the Ramone’s unique sound as either punk, new wave, power pop, or even surf punk but I just call them a GREAT Rock & Roll band!

So where did this idea for a post come from you say? To be honest with ya I was going through the paper the other day … while waiting in the ER at work as a patient this time around! I threw out my back a little bit while moving a VERY LARGE SET patient in a stretcher to his room. The Star (a big newspaper in Toronto) hands out free papers for patients and friends for free. I found an article in the Travel section. It was about what to do and see in Berlin, if your ever there, then this article about the Ramone’s Museum jumped right off the page at me. Check out the exhibits on the site, their really neat … I think you have to be a die hard Ramones lover to appreciate them.

My God they pulled off some great albums, 24 I think in total! The one’s that I had at one point in my life were Ramones (1976), Rocket to Russia (1977) and End of the Century (1980). I know that it’s hard to picture any of these musical creations in a vinyl collection such as mine but I knew they were a true stand out band that had their eyes wide open about the world in which they/we live in.

Tunes like Hey Ho … Let’s go!, Rock & Roll High School (I fell in love with that little riff just before the chorus, that was my idea of speed guitar soloing!!!), I wanna be sedated, Pet Sematary, Do you remember Rock and Roll Radio and a ship list more!

The thing that ties the Ramones way of life or legend together the most is not a song, album or scandal but the bar that seemed very close to their hearts and that of coarse was CBGB’s in New York city. I just drove by the place in a cab the couple of times that I was in the New York city and that was the closes that I ever got to the place! CBGB’s has such a close relationship with the band that they hold a Joey Ramone memorial ever year for the God father of Punk (or whatever you yourself classify them as being).

I’ve never been to Germany before but has someone out there been to this historic city and went to see the Ramones Museum? Is it worth going to even though you may not be a HUGE Ramones fan? Just wondering!

Keep on Jammin’

The 80’s band DEVO is back touring again!

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DEVO The 1980’s pioneer synth-rock band DEVO, that gave us those red flowerpots (a.k.a. “energy-domes”) that they wore on their heads and their signature phrase Are we not men, we are DEVO is back on tour this year. DEVO stands for (The De-Evolution Band) just in case your wondering!

The only exposure, and greatest memory, of the band was way back when they played Massey Hall in the early 80’s.

My brother took me to a show and we had seats on the first balcony, first row centre/right. It was my first concert that my brother Tim took me to. At one part of the night, there was this guy beside us that was passing around his binoculars. I thought that from our vantage point we didn’t need to use them but when it was passed to me, I said why not! As I placed the spectacles up to my face, smoke was coming out of the right eye lens … do I need to say anymore?

In the middle of the show the lights went down and there was a low repetitive drone sound coming from the band. All you could see on stage was the lights from their amps or on stage computers. This went on for about 2 minutes then in the balcony above us this flash pot went off! It was the lead singer from the band (Mark Mothersbaugh) hanging from a rope with a single spot light on him!

He proceeded down the rope to our balcony. Mark then undid his belt and started whipping members of the audience! They were falling all over the place, wow! Then he went over the first balcony onto the floor and continued whipping more in attendance. I recall seeing this older couple with wild hair, weird clothing and rolling around on the ground like they were having a seizure.

I wish the band well and if you get a chance to see these crazy kidz when they come to your neck of the woods go out and see them! Just watch out for Mark’s belt.

Keep on Jammin’

Portishead are back in the studio

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Portishead is one of those bands that just floored me when I heard them for the first time. This is one of the many bands that my wife and I, happy 20 years together baby and many more to come, love to listen to together.

Some people love it, some people are ok with it and others say “what are you high”? Some refer to their style as Trip Hop and that one sounds good enough for me! Others tag this genre as electronic, electro, acid jazz, ambient, hypnotic or chillout.

They’ve said that the name of their style, that the media critics have pigeon toed them into, is something that they find odd to say the least. They really don’t see themselves as that kind of band. They say much of their inspiration for their slightly other worldly sounding style comes from the very boring and commonplace everyday irritations that they’ve experienced in life.

The bands catalyst that nudges them into their own unique style of music starts off by the band being pissed off or grumpy at whatever is happening to them at that point in time. This is what really steers them into their musical direction.

The band’s sound is haunting, to say the least. I find my consciously drifting off when Protishead’s music comes floating out of my home stereo speakers. Their music puts you into some sort of trance that leaves you powerless to resist the new age musical orientation. It’s hard to argue that they in fact created their own distinct musical genre.

They are one of a few bands that forces me to be cognizant of their lyrical input, even though I not a great lover/follower of words (I know it shows in my lack of writing skills, I sure ain’t no literary Laureate!). My regular readers will realize this, my lack writing abilities, as a reoccurring theme that is constantly splashed all over this blog! Portishead is just a great band to listen to in my eyes! Ah the sounds of the 90’s!

The two CD’s we have in our collection are Dummy (1995) won them the Mercury Prize and their 1997 self titled album Portishead that went directly to the top 10 in Britain. Then after that … nothing. This silence has lasted up until now!

Portishead has just released a new album titled Third. Not much is known about it now but if it is anything like some of the bands earlier collaborations then we’re all in for a treat! I hope to find out later a little bit more about this album and expose you all to the bands magical spell that it holds over me!

The band consists of Beth Gibbons, Adrian Utley, Geoff Barrow and the odd time they throw in Dave McDonald into the mix, he’s a producer and engineer on their albums.

So has anyone else out there heard of these guys?

Keep on Jammin’ Portishead

Here are some interesting links to check out that is related to this post!

A Tribute to Neil Young

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There was a tribute show celebrating the musical life of Neil Young that was tied into this years Luminato 2009 Festival in Toronto. The line up was fabulous and tickets were gone in no time at all! Man, I wish I was one of those lucky one!

Relive a milestone in Canadian music history.

On January 19, 1971, Canada’s legendary singer-songwriter Neil Young gave a solo concert at Toronto’s Massey Hall. Audiences there heard for the first time several of the iconic songs that would later appear on his albums, including his best-selling LP Harvest – yet the live concert recording itself wasn’t released until 2007.

I was so pissed that I didn’t get any that I put the show out of my mind. Then today I came across this site, with complete audio of the show! It was just out of the blue that I found it and i just wanted to share it with all those Neil Young fans out there. Even the lucky bastards that went to the show!

“There is in Young so much talent and so much quiet charm that he’s bound to stick around for a long time, maturing and writing and rewarding his audiences.” Jack Batten, Globe and Mail, Massey Hall concert review, January 20, 1971.

Listening to Colin James do Heart of Gold was great! He did it in a reggae format, very different. Steve Page, ex-Bare Naked Ladies front man, did his first public appearance at the tribute, since his arrest in Buffalo. He performed Journey through the Past. Sister Euclid did a cool version of Helpless. As a matter of fact, I was in downtown Toronto when we attempted to break the record for most guitarist in an ensemble playing that very song! They called it “The Great Canadian Tune!”.

So check it out, you might just find some neat new versions of an out classic there.

Neil Young just Keeps on Jammin’

NUANCE Progressive/Art Rock Festival and Showcases

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This years Nuance event at the Black Swan was … well another showcase of Toronto’s best kept musical secrets live on stage! The bands at this years celebration was none other then CounterPoint (my personal favorite), Half past 4 and Wilton Said.

Once again, a lot of praise has to be given to the man Wilton Said. The quality of acts at the show, is an indication of how much love Wilton has for his love of this genre of music. The energy that he has to bring together high caliber performers under one umbrella to present a well rounded evening is not only rewarding to him but the audience members as well.

The crowd was enthusiastic and respectful to each of the bands on stage that night. There wasn’t a single obnoxious drunk, ruining the evening in sight! The only thing that brought us all together was the love of music, a happening if you will.

Each group brought to the experience a unique art form. They contributed to the listener, sides of Prog/Art Rock that most people in general cannot appreciate. Collectively, they were fine ambassadors to the cause.

The price was right for these troubled financial times, three bucks! A buck a band, where else in the world can you find a deal like this? I told you not to miss it! To the ones that showed up, you know who you are, It was great to met some of the readers on this blog plus for your the support of this great event and hopefully you enjoyed it as much as I did!

So next time I write about this event, I hope to see more of you out there because it’s more then worth the drive to Toronto.

Keep on Jammin’ (at Nuance!)

The Shmenge Brothers

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The Schmenge Brothers, like many of the Canadians of the day, were a happy bunch that didn’t mind making fun of themselves in front of the world. We could all relate to these overly happy go lucky guys. When ever watching these guys on SCTV, they made me feel like I was in the show because the circle of friends I had back then, acted like them from time to time.

While growing up in Brantford, I had tons of Polish friends that I went to school with.

These guys and girls were really the salt of the earth bunch. Like all good R.C.-ers, X-mas was a big part of our lives and the Schmenge brothers just loved to celebrate and share their Lutonian Christmas traditions with others.

The traditional polish, polka band stereo type was always a silly topic that we constantly brought up in conversation.

This was because everyone, at least that I knew, back then had someone who was in one of these types of bands. When you got to know the band members and see them live, most of them had those similar on stage persona’s, just like that of the Schmenge Brothers characters!

So this post is dedicated to all my old happy wanderers polish buddies who had rock and roll polka bands in the past! Thanx for the memories guys.

Keep on Polka-in’

Simon and Garfunkle back on the road

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Simon and Garfunkel are back out on the road again after all these years. They have dates booked for Australia and New Zealand, but I’m sure their have to look for America in the near distant future, lucky buggards. If you love their music and they are going to be playing anywhere within 500 miles from where you live, then don’t be a fool and miss out on this one!

I had the glorious opportunity to have seen these guys way back in my college days. They played at the now demolished CNE stadium, but the memories will live on in my mind for the rest of my life!

The show was like going to someone’s back yard and they were just a couple of guys who showed up and start playing! We were around 100 feet away from the stage and this atmosphere was like nothing I’ve witnessed before. We had general admission seating and it was more then worth it!

Very young and old, and everything in between was there. It seemed like everyone there was lying on big blankets while eating and drinking out of a cooler. The weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky and it was around 30 (C). The whole place was so relaxing. It was like I was just hanging out with some Old Friends.

Keep on Jammin’

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