Banjo Hockey revisited (John Hartford)

Hi there blog friends! I am listening to some great John Hartford vinyl as I type into my laptop. I am in the John Hartford state of mind after watching a nice long interview with him on Youtube. (was there really life before youtube?) His interest in Steamboats is fascinating for me. I loved hearing him talk about them and the things he knew he loved about them and trying to understand the intangibles and why he loved them so much. It made me realize (boy it took a while!) that hockey for me is kind of like his love of steamboats. Not only did he love them but he was a steamboat pilot. Does it sound familiar? Yup, I play hockey a few times a week. But, I love watching it almost as much as I do playing it. Sometimes I try to figure out why I am drawn to it so much. I certainly have theories that involve the art of the game, the improvisation and the overall beauty of floating an inch above the earth as a steel blade glides through the frozen water. I love it as much as I love playing music. I used to think that was impossible but now I know it is true. One great thing about having two passions that are central to my life is that I am almost always happy. If I am not performing or recording I am always working on music by composing or practisting. I find three hockey games a week to be the perfect amount as my body can rest for a day in between and I am rarely one day away from my next skate! The Maple Leafs have kept me extra entertained this year. They are so good! Sure, I would love for them to have playoff success and win the Stanley Cup but I enjoy every regular season game regardless. Music is the same. I would love to know that more people were listening to the music I made and that we were winning awards all the time but in the meantime; I just love making music. I am heading off to Kansas City on Thursday for a few days at the Folk Alliance Conference with So Long Seven. I might have to fake a little interest in American football while I am there as their team has advanced to the Superbowl. Remember the Kansas City Chiefs? Yup, they were an NHL team. That was a while ago. I was still collecting hockey sticker books when my Mom and Dad filled up at the gas station. It has been really fun to develop friendships with people who also love hockey and music. Maybe there will be some of those weirdos in KC. I will keep my sensors on.

Podcast interview

Hello! I think I forgot to share the interview I did on Nate Hiltz's Body Electric Podcast. The timing is good though as there are three big shows this week in the Ottawa/Gatineau region. Please check out the poster below and let your friends know who live in those areas! Here is the podcast. (thanks Nate!)

Nathan Hiltz · The Body Electric Podcast

Newsletter (new So Long Seven CD!!!)

Here is my latest newsletter that I sent out to my email list (thanks for reading!) Hello, person reading email on a computer. I hope I am not taking up space that could be filled by more entertaining or important communications. However, I have much to tell you that is important to me. For example, the third So Long Seven recording has been released into the universe! "only elephants know her name” is now available on Bandcamp (where you can actually purchase a digital copy of your own) as well as all the other music platforms. Here is the Bandcamp link: https://solongseven.bandcamp.com/releases Here is the Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/album/4O9QXQ0gok7dwHMd92HiIl?si=fktK8WNnT02ujWHnYghgag This record is quite different than our others but still features the same fab four of Neil, Ravi, William and little Timmy p. (Playing banjo) William did a great job producing this record as well as composing string quartet parts for many of the tunes and playing in the string quartet. We will be performing with that string quartet as well as our guest vocalist on the album; Samidha Joglekar at our CD release concert in Toronto on Saturday November 12 at 7pm. Tickets will be available at the door. The concert is at Revival Bar, 783 College St. (At Shaw St.) You will be able to purchase a CD there too! We are also doing a quick tour in the Ottawa/Gatineau area. (Please let your friends know!) October 27 - Maison de la musique, Sorel-Tracy, QC October 28 - La Grange de la Gatineau, Cantley, QC October 29 - Burritts Rapids Community Hall, Burritts Rapids, ON November 12 - Revival Bar, Toronto, ON —————————————————————————— In other news, I am performing at my favourite Toronto venue; Sellers and Newel Bookstore, 672 College St., on Tuesday October 4 at 8pm with bassist Andrew Downing. Banjo+Bass, mmmmmm……. You should reserve your tickets here: http://www.sellersandnewel.com/literary-society.html Or, To book your spot at a Literary Society show, simply contact us by email at sellers@sellersandnewel.com or by phone at 647-778-6345 On October 14 I will be playing guitar with Collette Savard and the Savants at the Tranzac, 292 Brunswick Ave., at 730pm. This is our monthly time slot now (second Friday of Every month)…Cheers!!! -Tim

Hi folks! You can probably imagine how happy I am to actually have upcoming shows to tell you about. Yay!!! It is best to get advanced tickets to some of these shows as many venues are still having limited attendance.  Here they are in order with all the details (hopefully) below. Sat March 12, 1-3pm with Ronley Teper: Lyceum Gallery (Queen W. at Crawford) Sat March 19, 7-9pm with Ronley Teper: Lyceum Gallery (Queen W. at Crawford) Thurs March 24, 830-1030pm with Andrew Downing, Sellers and Newel Bookstore (College and Beatrice) Sun March 27, 2pm-11pm with Ronley Teper and the Lipliner,  Posgate/Downing and more: Tranzac Sat April 2, 8pm (?) with Andrew Downing, Tom Waits Tribute: 3030 Dundas W.  Wed April 6, 530-730pm, with Andrew Downing, Kelsley Grant and Laura C. Bates, Rex Hotel (194 Queen W.) Wed April 13, 530-730pm, with Andrew Downing, Kelsley Grant and Aline Homzy, Rex Hotel (194 Queen W.) Wed April 20, 530-730pm, with Rob Clutton, Kelsley Grant and Aline Homzy, Rex Hotel (194 Queen W.) Wed April 27, 530-730pm, with Rob Clutton, Nick Forget and Aline Homzy, Rex Hotel (194 Queen W.) ----------------------------------------------------- This month-long show at the Lyceum gallery that Ronley Teper is doing for the MONTH OF MARCH is not to be missed. I have had the pleasure of touring in Europe with Ronley three times before Covid and I have more respect for her as a multi-disciplinary artist than ever before. This show is a visual (and musical) representation of her latest record. The visual artists' work stands on its own but the way that it collectively represents Ronley's aesthetic and the overall feeling of her latest recording Everyone Loves a Good Story is beautiful. Here is everything you need regarding the gallery show including a link to the VR experience that is part of the show:  https://ronleyteper.com/everyone-loves-a-good-story  Please check it out. (you can make personal appointments if that is more for you right now) Spread the word! Bring your friends!. This is a big chunk of work by my friend that really should be seen.  Notice there are a couple days coming up when I will be performing at the gallery with Ronley...AND...the whole thing ends with an all-day music festival at the Tranzac (with the art too!) on Sunday March 27. Very "kid/family friendly" during the day!  March 27 Tranzac Music Performances by: Ronley Teper & The Lipliners 2pm
Willow Rutherford 3:30pm
Tim Posgate & Andrew Downing 4:30pm
Gordon Hylands’s Living Fossil 5:30pm
Chris Pruden 6:15pm
Jaron Freeman-Fox 7:00pm
Ronley Teper & The Lipliners 8pm
Vivienne Wilder 9:30pm Yes, Andrew Downing and I are finally returning to one of Toronto's best music venues; Sellers and Newel (a bookstore!) to play a duo banjo/bass concert.  There will be limited seating and proof of vax required. (It is a small space) Call Sellers and Newel Bookstore to reserve your seats. 647-778-6345 If you have never been to one of Michael Wrycraft's Tom Waits tribute concerts then you are missing out. Andrew Downing and I will be performing two of TW's best songs that night with a stellar lineup for the rest of the evening. (including Tom Wilson!) Make reservations at: www.hughsroomlive.com If that isn't enough; check out the musicians I get to play with every wednesday in April at Toronto's best jazz club; The Rex. 530-730pm every Wednesday in April. Uh-huh. Uh-huh!

Art and commerce and technology

 Yesterday I went to a friend's art show. They had some beautiful work for sale. Large and smaller paintings. Very well displayed including appropriate stands and lighting to highlight the great colours, form and creativity that was on display. 

I struck a conversation with another good friend regarding the development in online merch sales for bands. This includes the villainous Spotify (I use Spotify every day)  working in tandem with Shopify to allow bands to sell merch without ever having to touch it. ie. someone else makes it, sells it and ships it and then sends you a little money. 

It wasn't lost on me that these two models are almost the opposite of each other. One is all about money and one is all about art, love and people. I don't want to suggest that one is better or anything like that however I do think that both could be more successful if people could keep the two ideas separate. 

Just because you can buy all your Christmas gifts online doesn't mean you should and just because you paint with a brush on canvas doesn't mean that you shouldn't use technology to make money or save money.  That could help you afford your next purchase of painting supplies. 

So, maybe one way of dealing with these fast changing technologies is compartmentalizing. Try to spend a bit of time in both boxes, but stay out of the penalty box ;-)

gigs and teaching oh my!

 Seems funny to write about teaching tonight at a time of gigs are starting to return after the Covid drought. But, this is on my mind. Humans. Teaching humans in person and online. 

Most recently, I have been teaching private lessons in person again at my house. It is so great to be in person again. We wear masks but there is so much quicker results and we can actually jam; in real time!

I had no choice but to get good at teaching online but it will never replace in person human music making. I am grateful and proud of my students who stuck to it during covid. Many of them improved quite a bit over the last year and a half. 

The other new joy in my musical teaching activities is my new gig at Mohwak College in Hamilton. I am thoroughly enjoying teaching there even though I have only been doing it online for the first term. The students are super fun and talented. I am teaching both 5-string banjo and guitar and it is a pleasure. I feel like I have a lot to offer and they are interested in listening to what I have to say. It is also quite a two-way experience as I learn a few things from them every day too. 

If you are reading this and live in Toronto; please mark November 19 in your calendar when I will be performing at the Tranzac Club for the Video/Single launch concert for Collette Savard and the Savants. The song is another great one by Collette and it was mixed by legendary producer (our bassist!) John Switzer. The video is fun too and it was made by my pal and bandmate Ronley Teper. 

Stay tuned for upcoming gigs with Ronley (She has a brand new CD out now) and So Long Seven too!

Leafs vs Habs game four (after re-watching)

A friend of mine who is Habs fan just forwarded me an article from a Montreal newspaper. He said, “this really sums things up perfectly”. Before I even looked at it I said; “let me guess; the Habs are terrible and the Leafs won’t go anywhere in the playoffs.” Of course this is exactly what the writer said (almost verbatim) in the first three paragraphs. 

So predictable;  Habs fans. It is all over Twitter. All Habs fans are saying the same thing. The other thing I loved about the article (no I didn’t read much further) was that it was describing all the Habs players in the past tense. Ha!

So, I am re-watching the Leafs vs Habs game four as I am known to do. The first period was a bit uneventful as there was no scoring. One thing I was reminded of is how well the third line of Mikheyev Engvall and Simmonds are playing together. Simmonds had a couple good scoring chances in this game. 

I am also liking the way Campbell is positioning himself when there is a lot of traffic in front of the net. I can never pretend to know much about goaltending but he is giving me cause to trust him even more. 

The second period starts with that beautiful three way passing play between Kerfoot, Galchenyuk and Nylander. Nylander made it look easy but a backhand like that moving at that speed can bit tricky. Yah Willy! Four goals in four games. (Hopefully you weren’t a Nylander skeptic as we like to call you a Nylanderthal) 

Leafs have been a good second period team all year. They are outscoring the Habs 6-1 in second periods in this series. 

Another thing I liked about game four was that Auston is getting a bit grumpy. He is initiating hits and not taking any guff (bet you haven’t heard that word in while) from the players who are checking him. (Yes it is usually two players checking him)

I would like to address the idea that the Leafs won’t go anywhere in the playoffs. First off, if we beat the Habs I think we have gone somewhere already. (It has been since 2004 since we won a round in the playoffs) Also, I think we can match up against some or all of the best teams in the NHL (of which we are one) I am watching the Lightning against the Panthers on my laptop while I pause last nights Leaf game on my TV and it is quite clear to me that there is not much that is radically different between the Leafs and the Bolts.  It is hockey. Same rules; anything can happen. Also I watched the Leafs beat Tampa in Tampa’s own barn last year before lockdown. ($5 beers and you can walk outside on the patio for intermission)

Galchenyuk’s saucer pass to Spezza was quite something. Again, Spezza made it look easy but that was a tough finish. I think Spezza has become one of the most popular Leafs with the Leaf nation. 

Joe Thornton has a nice PP goal with a pass from Spezza. Yes, the Habs took another penalty for crosschecking. 

I don’t think I will re-watch the third period. I was so relaxed that I already fully enjoyed it last night. 

Good night.