Music In A Park

Saturday's weather was great music festival weather. I think everyone had the same idea - no doubt it is sparse there today, with continual rain much of the day. My SO and I got day passes and packed up a picnic lunch and a blanket and cycled over. First time on the bikes this year - we've been doing lots of walking for our exercise instead. Not as sweaty when it's warm.

But it reminded me again of my former life of continual biking all summer long. Particularly the discomfort of the saddle when you're butt hasn't toughened up yet. A nice ride though, nonetheless.

We saw Amy Millan and Ron Sexsmith. The former is the lead from Stars, whose music I've quite enjoyed. Ron's stuff we've been enjoying for several years. We saw him at the same festival many years back (maybe 5?) and enjoyed seeing someone so talented in such a casual setting.

Before that session, we saw an array of obscure artists in a tribute to Rasputins - a local folk music bar/performance space. It was overly "oh look at us we're all name dropping insiders" on my ass. I guess there are many years of local folky performance associated with the spot, but the constant references to random people as if we all know who they are was tiresome. Commendably, there was a guy there who seemed rather non-plussed with the experience, or perhaps uncomfortable with the crowd. Quietly, almost sleepily waiting his turn, with a deadpan (depressed?) countenance. Looking him up here on the program he is Rick Hayes.

When Rick sang I was very impressed with his voice. The song was decent and I'd like to hear it again, but the tonal quality to the voice, and the comfortable style makes me want to do some searching to learn more about him. A quick search and I've found his site. It's a bit sparse (not a bad thing). Sounds like he's pretty early in his career. Could use a manager/mentor I suspect. The voice is pretty unique and could go somewhere with the right songs.

But anyway, the next session was the Millan/Sexsmith/Otherguy set. It's surprising that Sexsmith is still doing this festival, I thought - he must enjoy it. I can't imagine it's superbly lucrative. He's been doing well lately, and I would have assumed he'd just do the big mainstage stuff and that's all. But we're lucky enough to see him in the small venue again. At least the first show.

This session with Amy Millan and they new guy named Mike Evin who plays quirky stuff on a little piano. Ron's casual confident proficiency makes for an enjoyable performance. His voice with just his guitar accompaniement is quite enjoyable. Amy's solo stuff was competent and interesting. Very different than the heavily produced Stars work I also like, but a whole other vibe. She has a more rootsy new CD from a couple of years ago coming out it appears.

Ron had an interesting comment about Bob Dillan playing one of his songs on his radio show - I imagine that is Satellite radio. His lyrical composition and catchy music both foster high regard from international music icons, which is nice to see.

We went to an Appalachian set after the Sexsmith one. It was interesting to hear a couple of Toronto born acts playing hillbillie music. They didn't go overboard with working southern accents into their vocals, I was glad to say. There was also a 4 piece group from North Carolina who had a good sound. It was Riley Baugus with the Dirk Powell Band. They had a hand in the "Cold Mountain" movie which I haven't seen, so I'll suspend comment there. Their stuff lacked a bit of the infectious melodic simplicity that won so many people over when the soundtrack to "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" was popular, but it was still decent. The energy was low, perhaps partly because of acoustic spill-over from another stage not too far away.

Slipping back over to the stage where Ron Sexsmith was to do another session called "Songwriter's Songwriters" with Farron and ?? Well, what a trio that was. The crowd was very packed in for this session. There seemed to be more than the usual ratio of large, greyhaired butchy ladies with short-cropped hair present. I suspect that was for the Farron chick whom I'd never heard of before, except for a brief interview on the radio that very morning. The MC - a Chicago radio host and XM satellite host as well, mentions that he's followed her since the 70's, and she looks like she's been around that long.

I found her music a bit over the top. Best summary would be Indigo Girls, with a bigger thesaurus, trying to do something really deep but sounding a bit like their trying too hard. The other lady with a guitar was a bit more melodic in her songs, but they really went on and on compared to Ron's concise, crisp offerings. I was so happy that he started with "Lebanon, Tennessee!" What a treat to see it in person. He also did "God Loves Everyone" which is an interesting song that jives well with the lesbacious tastes of the crowd (not that there's anything wrong with that).

But we were really jammed in there, and those stereotypical earth-mother songs were really dragging, so we skipped out when it appeared Ron's last song of the hour had been sung.

We wandered about, but that was the extent of our music, other than a brief wander by the "Open Mic" stage which was good for a laugh. Some software guy singing about cheese. How apropos.

The bike back was a good sweat - with a few rain drops in the air, but beautiful along the river.

Brief CBC Radio Rant
The session with Milan/Sexsmith was hosted by Bill Stunt of CBC radio. He could have learned from the other sessions of the day where the MC's basically introduce the musicians and leave them to play music. We really don't need a lot of host chat. But Bill seems like a decent guy. He tipped off this bit of my diatribe by mentioning that a CBC live music show called "Fuse" (he's a producer now on the show) was losing it's host. A partially good and bad outcome is that they are moving my nemisis Alan Neal into the host spot.

What a twit this guy is. Worst of all , he was there. I have a tremendous loathing of that guy's voice. But more than that, his demeanor is just enough to drive you nuts. He cannot get through a single sentence without making a feigned sarcastic quip. He has an effeminite, bitchy tonal quality to his voice which doesn't add anything to the experience. He's happy to just go on and on. (Can you tell I don't care for him?) He hosts a noon show, from 12:00 to 2:00 which is a real drag for me, as I often like a bit of radio with my lunch. But I have to leave it off, unless I get wind of the fact that a guest host has taken over for a few weeks - then all is right with my world again.

The good side is that I listen to a lot more internation radio, and rebroadcast it to my kitchen radio to avoid the annoyance factor.

I have a regular morning routine driven by this louse. They insist on having him pulled in during the morning show to ostensibly tell what his show is going to be about today, but basically he thinks he has free rein (more like rain) on the Ottawa airwaves, as he jumps in before he's introduced to make snide, snickers and wheezing laughs during other chatty bits. So I turn off the radio just after the 8:00 am news to avoid hearing that voice. I can go for weeks without hearing him - but sometimes I'm slow on the off button.

So anyway, he's leaving the noon show (alas has CBC woken up to the broad hatred that must exist out there for this guy's hosting [in]ability) and moving onto Fuse. Little does he know that you can't talk continually during a show on music - but I'm sure he'll try. Lots of sarcastic comments and wheezing laugh opportunities I'm sure. That show will be easier to avoid though. Try as I might, I miss more episodes that I hear - so I'll be happy to keep that up.

Anyway - that's my biggest issue with CBC TV/radio right now. The other issue I'll leave for now is the incessant bad writing that plagues their local news. Tons of ambiguous sentences, inappropriate segues from chuckles to death and destruction stories. Real amateur stuff - must mean a band of 20-something writers with salaries matching their age. More on that later.

Wrap
So a bit more relaxing on this rainy day, a few chores and out for supper with friends. Turkish food I suspect. Then tomorrow back to the weekday routine, and many projects that await.

Your immediate assignment to do right this minute is to find someone, anyone and give them a compliment. No matter how small. "Hey Bob, I like your shoes" or anything. No body-part compliments please (unless it's your spouse!). Let me know how it goes lwopractice[at]yahoo.ca