WEBVTT
00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:03.279
You're listening to the Generation Cassette Podcast.
00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:07.280
And you're listening to our tenth episode.
00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:17.760
And we wanted to take the opportunity to talk a little bit more about your hosts, Jay and Jen, and where we come from, and how we know each other, and how long we've known each other.
00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:20.640
Jen and I met in the 90s.
00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:25.920
And we met and then we lost touch for many years.
00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:29.440
We recently reconnected.
00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:34.000
And and began this podcast together and this journey of the podcast.
00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:42.479
Um, you know, and it's based on our our love of music, which is at the core of our friendship, and talking about music has always been very natural for us.
00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:44.799
Jen, what do you think about that?
00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:46.560
The tenth episode.
00:00:47.119 --> 00:00:50.079
I know, I can't believe we already are here.
00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:53.280
I feel like it's flown by, right?
00:00:53.439 --> 00:01:01.119
I look back and I see how many episodes we have, and I, you know, someone will say to me, Do you remember saying this in this episode or that?
00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:02.799
And I'm I I can't actually.
00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:03.840
I can't remember.
00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:04.959
It's so many, right?
00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:07.760
It feels like, yeah, it feels like a lot, right?
00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:12.159
So um, no, I mean it's I've really been enjoying this.
00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:16.480
Uh, I think we get to to connect about music.
00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:31.519
Um, Jay having the background as a drummer, myself having the background of just being a an appreciator of music, um, so much so that I've been to three concerts in the last two weeks.
00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:37.519
So and and would you call you like would you say you're at the level of like groupie?
00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:40.159
Are you a groupie for any of these bands?
00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:45.680
Or are you like, do any of them see you in the audience and recognize you because they've seen you at every single show that they've ever done?
00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:47.040
Isn't is there anything like that?
00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:53.760
No, you're not like a deadhead, like those grateful dead fans that follow around concerts and you know live their life for the dead?
00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:54.640
No.
00:01:54.879 --> 00:01:56.159
You'd love to though, wouldn't you?
00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:05.280
That'd be I no, not I I I think my musical taste is so diverse that I I you know, even with Springsteen, right?
00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:06.480
I've only seen him three times.
00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:07.599
That's not a lot.
00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:15.360
So I think that there's not really anyone I'd want to see a ton of times.
00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:26.000
My physiotherapist just written she recently mentioned to me that she follows a band called Good Lovelies, and they have seen them like a lot of times.
00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:35.680
I don't even know how many, but uh yeah, I can't I don't follow a specific band or artist um and go to all their concerts.
00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:38.240
I've seen Tom Petty seven times.
00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.199
Okay, but that's so so you're on the cusp there, right?
00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:44.080
Like, I mean that's a lot.
00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:45.120
I've never seen Tom Petty.
00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:46.319
It is gonna put that out there.
00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:47.520
Never seen Tom Petty.
00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:51.520
Uh and you've seen him seven, you saw him seven times before he passed.
00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:52.159
That's amazing.
00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:52.639
Wow.
00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:59.199
I'll never get to see Tom Petty live because you know he's not live anymore, which was a very sad day for a lot of people.
00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:02.719
Yeah, and uh myself included, I'm a huge Tom Petty fan.
00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:03.840
Yeah, yeah.
00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:11.840
Uh you know, yeah, so so Bruce Springsteen three times, Tom Petty seven times.
00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:15.039
Um now what's the first concert you ever saw?
00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:25.199
So the first concert I ever went to was with some friends that I had since I was like I want to say like five or six years old from kindergarten.
00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:33.520
Um we were friends in high school as well, and we decided to go see the police picnic down at Exhibition Stadium.
00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:35.520
So what year was that?
00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:41.919
That would have been, I believe, eighty four, I wanna say.
00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:45.919
Um, so it was an incredible concert.
00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:48.080
Um you weren't very old.
00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:52.479
No, and James Brown was one of the openers.
00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:54.400
That was amazing.
00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:56.639
No, yeah, no, no.
00:03:56.960 --> 00:03:57.280
Come on.
00:03:57.599 --> 00:03:58.560
That was fantastic.
00:03:58.719 --> 00:03:59.439
Come on.
00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:05.360
But it's sad like well, I mean, nothing like I'd ever seen before, right?
00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:10.159
I sure I just remember seeing this guy in this cape like flying around.
00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:10.960
Yeah.
00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:15.280
How do you even how do you even like literally, how do you go to a concert after that?
00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:23.360
If that's your first measurement of success or enjoyment of a concert is to see James Brown open for the police.
00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:24.879
Yeah, yeah.
00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:27.759
Um it doesn't get much better.
00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:39.360
Like, like as far as production value and and and and you know, just going on on the you know, the the the known facts about James Brown, yeah.
00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:42.560
You know, he was a showman, he was like the king of soul.
00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:52.639
He was he was just such a machine up there on stage, like he probably would lose 10 pounds of sweat just running around and dancing and you know, all the things.
00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:55.680
But man, how do you even how do you even go to another concert?
00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:56.879
Like they must be so boring.
00:04:57.040 --> 00:05:01.680
They must just be like, oh, you know, yeah, I went to see Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.
00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:08.800
I had to see Tom seven times to get it to even equal one of my first ever, you know, my very first concert.
00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:10.480
But you know, I got my fill.
00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:15.920
Like that's I can understand now why you go see these artists multiple times because you only had to see James Brown once.
00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:16.240
Yeah.
00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:17.199
Oh my goodness.
00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:22.480
So kind of veering in now on about 175 concerts, I think.
00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:27.680
Um, just in this in this calendar year, I've been to nine.
00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:31.120
I was scheduled for 10, but ACDC got canceled, right?
00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:32.319
Um, right.
00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:35.439
But I I feel like it's my passion, right?
00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:37.040
It's my it's my absolute love.
00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:44.959
I was at a concert Monday night and I was thinking about it, and I was looking around, I was like, you know, what is it that I just love so much about this?
00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:48.000
And it's just like just feeling part of a community, right?
00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:54.800
That I was just looking at everyone again, I I feel really alive at uh a concert setting.
00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:56.160
You're living your passion, Jen.
00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:57.120
You're living your passion.
00:05:57.199 --> 00:06:02.560
There's nothing that can be said uh that can be greater in life than living your passion.
00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:10.639
They say like if you go to work every day and you're not really working, you're you know, your if your favorite hobby or activity becomes your job, that's not a job.
00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:13.040
That's you know, that's that's passion.
00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:15.199
You're just living your and this is your passion.
00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:33.120
These, you know, going to all these these concerts, it's clearly apparent, you know, you are an expert when it comes to sound quality and performance and showmanship and all of these, you know, uh ways to measure a good show.
00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:35.040
Tell us about that a little bit.
00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:37.920
Like, I mean, what was your what was the best show you ever went to?
00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:43.600
Was was James Brown and the police or sorry, the police with James Brown?
00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:46.639
I don't know how you'd even explain that venue, how they put up for them, but anyway.
00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:48.160
It was fantastic, right?
00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:56.000
But since that time, right, I have a top five that they are not in that top five, they're in my top five.
00:06:57.040 --> 00:06:57.839
What's your top five?
00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:03.759
Is number five, Robert Plant, Principal of Moments tour, right?
00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:09.920
I mean, uh was incredible to see, like a frontman like Robert Plant.
00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:11.920
He was obviously touring on his own.
00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:16.959
Um, and I loved him, but he still sounds just like Robert Plant sounded with Led Zeppelin.
00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:21.680
He's touring currently currently he's touring, and he's actually doing some Led Zeppelin songs.
00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:23.920
And apparently, like I've listened to a few things.
00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:27.360
I'm like, wow, it's incredible! Like he sounds fantastic still.
00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:28.480
How old is that guy now?
00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:29.680
Like he's gotta be getting up there.
00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:35.519
Yeah, I'm not too sure how old Robert Plant is, but he's one of the originals, like such a showman, right?
00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:37.040
Like he's wow, incredible.
00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:37.839
Good on him.
00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:39.680
So number four, I would say Flea Wood Mac.
00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:46.639
So this one is interesting because I was in high school, I had a bunch of friends that I would typically go to concerts with.
00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:53.199
There was something going on at that time, whether it was exams or something, no one could go to see Fleetwood Mac.
00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:56.480
And I said, like, come on, guys, this is Flea Wood Mac.
00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:57.600
We have to go.
00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:00.879
So I no one could go, so I said, I'm going.
00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:01.519
So I went down.
00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:03.120
Did you skip your exam, Joe?
00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:03.839
No.
00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:07.839
So okay, didn't have an exam that day.
00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:12.720
So I went to I went to um it was just during exams.
00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:13.680
Yeah, that's right.
00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:17.279
So I went to I would they played at Maple Leaf Gardens.
00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:20.399
So I went to Maple Leaf Gardens, bought scalper tickets.
00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:21.759
I think I paid$80.
00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:24.480
I ended up being second row floors.
00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:26.480
I could literally touch Stevie if I wanted to.
00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:28.959
It was it was incredible, right?
00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:30.639
I love that I didn't no kidding.
00:08:30.800 --> 00:08:32.080
I love that I did that by myself.
00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:38.000
I would think I was maybe 16 or 17, and that's how passionate I am, right?
00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:40.559
That I would go by myself and do that, right?
00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:41.840
It was at that age.
00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:42.559
Yeah, at that age.
00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:44.240
At such a young age, like that's incredible.
00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:45.759
Yeah, you're brave.
00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:47.120
Number three.
00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:50.879
I just recently saw this concert in April.
00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:57.919
It hits number three because it is just such an incredible show, but it was Florence and the Machine or Scream Tour.
00:08:58.000 --> 00:08:58.960
Um, okay.
00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:05.840
You know, I I I don't know much else to say about her except for to say that I saw clips of that.
00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:07.440
I saw clips of that performance.
00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:14.879
And it was very hauntingly terrific.
00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:15.440
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:16.720
Hauntingly terrific.
00:09:17.279 --> 00:09:26.559
Um she when she sings and when that band performs, they are playing and they are singing to you uh to you at a at a at a cellular level.
00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:27.919
It's that deep.
00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:28.639
Yeah, I think.
00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:35.039
Yeah, it's very like I mean, hauntingly terrific, hauntingly delicious, even would be a good way to put it, right?
00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:35.519
Yeah.
00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:39.120
Um where it will sc it's scary how good that is, how good they are.
00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:40.559
They are very good.
00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:43.759
And then of course, number two, it has to be Springsteen, right?
00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:48.639
Like I kind of toyed with like Eric Clapton, I saw his 25th anniversary tour.
00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:50.720
I'm a little bit shocked he's not your number one.
00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:51.279
Yeah.
00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:54.559
I saw his 25th anniversary tour for Eric Clapton.
00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:59.519
So he I kind of toyed with putting Eric Clapton in the top five, but he would probably be a six.
00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:03.919
But you know, between him and Bruce, I feel like they're just such classics, right?
00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:07.759
And Eric Clapton, like not a lot of people have seen him, right?
00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:12.159
So I that one was that one was an incredible show, right?
00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:15.279
But Bruce definitely what's your what's your number one?
00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:16.320
David Bowie.
00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:18.080
Glass Spider Tour.
00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:19.039
Which which concert?
00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:20.480
Oh yeah, Glass Spider.
00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:21.200
Uh-huh.
00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:26.159
I mean very popular, very popular tour, very, very popular artist.
00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:26.960
Very theatrical.
00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:28.399
His live shows are legendary.
00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:29.679
His yes, absolutely.
00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:30.159
Yeah.
00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:31.919
Um, good for you.
00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:32.559
Good for you.
00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:33.200
That's amazing.
00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:35.519
What an amazing top five.
00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:46.240
Like, I mean, my first concert was Judas Priest and I think Metal Storm and and I don't know, a couple other really heavy, heavy metal bands.
00:10:46.480 --> 00:11:00.320
Um, but Judas Priest, mind you, very also very theatrical and very, you know, uh lots of fire, lots of pyrotechnics, um fog and lights, and you know, other things other than just great audio production.
00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:02.399
Um yeah.
00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:03.039
Yeah.
00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:03.360
Yeah.
00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:04.399
So let's carry on.
00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:08.240
Yeah, so you know, some other bands that I've seen that I I think are notable.
00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:10.240
Like I went to see Metallica.
00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:14.240
Um, I bought tickets for my husband's 50th birthday for that.
00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:24.000
Um, that was that was out of my, you know, it was it was wonderful because like I could walk right into the washroom, there's no lineups, and the men were all lined up for the washroom for that.
00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:25.679
So that was so funny.
00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:27.039
Yeah, yeah.
00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:28.480
A little bit of a reverse there.
00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:29.039
That's right.
00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:33.840
And uh yeah, I've I've seen like um Sinead O'Connor in concert.
00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:42.240
That was like that was uh like skin tingling, like your whole body just feels like what is that incredible voice?
00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:46.799
Another one like like feist that really pulls you in and sings to the soul, right?
00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:47.279
That's right.
00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:55.360
It's a it's at a cellular a cellular level that your body, I think, responds to that kind of music if you really open yourself up to it.
00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:56.240
Yeah, yeah.
00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:58.000
I really like going to festivals.
00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:04.559
So, like some festivals, a festival that I volunteered a lot of years at was the Hillside Festival in Guelph.
00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:07.039
Um, and that was you and I attended years and years ago.
00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:08.000
We did, yeah.
00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:13.440
And what I loved about going there was like when we volunteered, then we got free tickets, right?
00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:15.600
So we could go to whatever shows we wanted.
00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:18.480
So that was really great to go there.
00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:35.919
So we saw like you know, arcade fire, like there's like a lot of bands that were just up and comers at the time that we saw, and then there was another um music festival that Ann and I would go to, my friend Ann, who was been my constant concert partner since I was 14 years old.
00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:44.799
Um, she and I found this festival called Riverfest in Alora, and that has been one that we really like going to.
00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:53.440
Now, unfortunately, financially, that con that festival has shut down, which is really too bad because it was it was a really great one.
00:12:53.519 --> 00:13:01.039
So, but I wanted to now kind of skip to talking a little bit about accessibility, so that's my that's another love that I have, right?
00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:15.120
So, you know, since you and I um have not been in contact, that's something that's happened in my life, is that I got into a career working um with students with accessibility um needs.
00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:34.799
And so I have found doing this podcast, that's one of the things that we like to talk about, because for us, we both have some ability issues, and I think that's something that is near and dear to my heart, and I know it is to you as well, as far as advocating for people.
00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:47.919
Well, I wanted to mention, like, you know, I've been, you know, the concerts I've even been to this year, been just paying special attention to some of the things that go on in terms of accessibility and getting in into the venue.
00:13:48.080 --> 00:14:01.360
Um, again, our Generation X, you know, uh friends that are listening, you know, to this podcast know that sometimes we make decisions not to go places based on how we're feeling in our bodies, right?
00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:11.279
And I have to say that um we're seeing, I I am seeing a lot of really positive things out there in terms of accessibility.
00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:21.039
And Jay and I've talked about it on the podcast before, but the other night on Monday night, I was at Scotiabank, I was so impressed.
00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:25.200
My friend Jen and I went, we were so impressed with the staff there.
00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:34.960
We went to their fan services department just to um check my walker in so I could check check it there, and then our seats were really close by.
00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:49.120
So they, you know, this really nice um he was actually one of the um security he had came over and he said, you know, one of these uh individuals here can, you know, set you up with different seats actually.
00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:52.399
Like, why don't we look at that instead of checking your walk room?
00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:55.120
We can get you, you know, seats that are more comfortable.
00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:55.759
Okay.
00:14:56.080 --> 00:15:04.320
So he helped us to because the openers were coming on, so we so he helped us to our seats and made sure I got there safely.
00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:14.639
And then yeah, sure enough, they were able to get us new seats, took us right to them, really like close to the front and beautiful and lots of space and wonderful.
00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:20.080
So yeah, they were bending over backwards to help us, which I thought was really nice.
00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:25.440
Um I also had that same experience at Falls View Casino in the summertime.
00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:32.399
So I found that that's another place that if you're they have real they actually bring in a lot of great artists there.
00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:56.480
Um, if you ever are questioning whether you should go to a concert because maybe you're getting a knee, you know, surgically repaired like myself, um, then you know, certainly, you know, don't hesitate because there are there are lots of you know places that have um great accessibility in terms of being able to help people, um, and then spaces that you can be very comfortable watching the show.
00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:06.320
So that's something I think I would like to add though is is if you do have accessibility needs and you are seeking um some accommodation, call ahead.
00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:23.200
Let them know specifically what your needs are, and and find out, you know, if they have seating available, if they have uh somebody that can help you get into the venue if you need it, or or you know, accessible parking and how to get a pass for that and how to access that.
00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:41.759
Because there while there are lots of places, lots of venues that are offering accessible services, you as the consumer are the one that is responsible for pursuing um the services you require as as a ser as a consumer with with accessibility issues.
00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:50.000
Okay, so they're not gonna wave a flag and say, Hey, over here, oh you in the wheelchair, over here, please, or you at the walker, come over here, we can get you over here.
00:16:50.080 --> 00:17:00.000
You have to go and not only at the venue pursue it if you need to, but ahead of time, call them, go on their website, email their their hosts, and and find out what they can do for you.
00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:07.200
Because a lot of places, like I said, have accessibility uh promotion, but they don't promote it, right?
00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:12.720
They will allow you to come in with accessibility needs, but they're not going to tell you what they offer you.
00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:14.160
Uh, which is too bad.
00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:15.599
That will change, I think, over time.
00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:31.039
I think that they like I mean, really, there should be some kind of overall rating system for venues where, you know, if you're rated a five, that means your washrooms are all wheelchair accessible, you have no stairs, you have no uh uneven transitions to go from one section of your your venue to another.
00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:33.920
Um, you know, you don't need to have someone go with you.
00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:36.799
You can go to this venue by yourself because there's enough access.
00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:44.640
You know, all these types of things that is not even we don't even talk about those things uh unless you go and experience it.
00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:54.880
And and then, you know, but hopefully what we're gonna do is is help to change that by going and experiencing these venues and then coming back and talking about them on the podcast, like Jennifer has just done.
00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:58.160
And that's that's that's a major focus of what we're trying to do.
00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:01.839
Um we're we're yeah on that.
00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:04.240
You know, I'd like to talk about you.
00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:08.400
Oh let's turn it over to you, Jay.
00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:15.279
So yeah, like I think the last time we were in contact was about 1998 or so.
00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:18.319
So you got really involved, even more so.
00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:22.240
I remember going and watching you jam, you know, at different bars in Barrie.
00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:27.039
Um, tell me about yeah, like what happened after that and you know with music.
00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:38.880
Um well I started working in the uh just north of Toronto, um, and met a bunch of musicians and and got involved with a band there.
00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:43.920
Uh we were doing all originals, and it was fantastic.
00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:47.599
It was probably one of the best band experiences I ever had.
00:18:48.160 --> 00:19:02.319
Uh we had a uh an area where we could go and rehearse and record, and we started to book, you know, little venues playing at art shows and and you know eventually played for you know started to play for bigger venues.
00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:07.920
We played at an Amnesty International concert um opened for Sukiun Lee from Much Music.
00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:08.400
Wow.
00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:14.079
And then played on Breakfast Television with that band called the band was called Revolve.
00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:17.599
And we had a lot of fun.
00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:21.599
It was a great experience uh until it wasn't, and it was time to move on.
00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:24.960
And and you know, this happens in people's lives.
00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:32.799
We experience, you know, things at a certain time and and move on afterwards, and this was one of those things.
00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:44.240
I moved to Ottawa after that, and I played in the Delta Blues band out of Montreal for a number of years, and we were actually hoping to go and play in the Dominican Republic.
00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:46.240
We had a tour booked there.
00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:55.920
However, they were gonna pay us in US dollars, and there was a big kerfuffle going on, and the US dollar spiked, and they suddenly couldn't afford to pay us, so they cancelled the whole thing.
00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:03.359
It was last minute, it was like just before we were booking flights and and you know, really making the solid plans.
00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:05.920
Like I already had my passport and I was ready to go.
00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:08.720
Uh, and then they said, Yeah, no, it's not happening.
00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:10.960
So, you know, that was that was sad.
00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:15.440
But this, you know, the band, I had some great experiences with with both of those bands.
00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:19.759
One of my favorite experiences with the Delta Blues band, and there were a couple.
00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:23.359
Um one I'll give you a couple examples of this band.
00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:35.039
Um they went and played up in Valdor, Quebec, back like 20 years before I ever played with them, and they got stuck there for a bit of time because their vehicle broke down, and they play this one bar, I forget what it's called, but it's attached to the theater.
00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:40.480
So if you're ever in Valdor, go to the the bar that's attached to the theater, have a couple drinks, go to the theater.
00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:42.240
I highly recommend it if they're still open.
00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:44.000
Great, great owners.
00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:45.920
I'm sorry I can't remember your name.
00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:56.960
However, after before this gig, we went we went to load in, and as we were doing sound check, I looked outside and people were actually like lining up before we even opened.
00:20:57.119 --> 00:20:59.599
Uh, and tickets were not cheap.
00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:03.200
Um people were playing, paying like$50 at the door to see us.
00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:03.920
It was crazy.
00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:05.119
I couldn't believe it.
00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:09.759
Um and afterwards, we did an autograph session.
00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:14.319
Now, you gotta understand with this band, I didn't record with them, I never recorded with them.
00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:21.279
All I had to sign was the you know, anything like we were selling CDs that I didn't I had I didn't play on.
00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:24.480
I was like, oh, you know, just so you know, this isn't me on here.
00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:26.480
Oh, I don't care, I don't care, I just want your signature.
00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:31.440
I saw you live, you're the new you're the drummer with the the Delta Blues band, and that's all that matters, right?
00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:42.240
Um and then shortly after that we played another fest another another show in Ottawa, and we went and did our sound check, and we had ourselves all set up and ready to go.
00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:53.359
And I wanted to go and just relax before the show, so I went and I don't know, I probably grabbed a Diet Pepsi or something, and and I went and sat up in the bleachers way down quite a ways away from the stage.
00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:57.279
And I went and sat down beside there was this this mom there with her little one.
00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:59.759
He was probably about ten years old, maybe, maybe six.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.279
Maybe nine.
00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:11.200
And I went and sat down, and I just wanted a little bit of you know, just a little bit of space, and I look over, and this kid is like frantically writing in this journal, right?
00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:14.559
I'm like, man, he's like really like I mean, this kid is excited.
00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:16.720
He's like almost ripping the page with the pen, right?
00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:21.759
He's like, oh, you could see the excitement in it and how he was like his whole body was almost vibrating.
00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:25.680
And I look over and here he's writing, oh my gosh, I can't believe it.
00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:29.599
The drummer for the Delta Blues band just sat down beside me.
00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:34.640
He just finished his town check, and I'm like, what is going on?
00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:36.000
What is this kid doing?
00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:36.880
Like, come on.
00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:41.200
Like when you see that as a musician, you know you're gonna be curious, right?
00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:43.440
You know you're gonna be like, Why?
00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:45.519
How does this kid even know who I am?
00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:49.119
And so I asked him, you know, what are you writing there?
00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:51.599
And he was like, Oh, just my journal, just my journal.
00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:52.480
I'm like, oh.
00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:56.880
I said, uh, I looked at his mom, I'm like, has he seen us before?
00:22:57.039 --> 00:22:58.160
And she said, Yes.
00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:00.799
We saw you at the the festival that you played.
00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:13.279
There was a street festival we played like a week or two prior, and he saw us live there and just became a fan, and and you know, unbeknownst to me, I just happened to come out and sit right beside him.
00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:34.400
And and so, you know, as a musician, when you see a young fan, you're gonna you should, you know, remember all the wonderful things that ever happened to you as a child and you met a musician, or you saw a live act, you know, as a child and you were, you know, just completely blown away.
00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:40.400
So I said to the young man, I said, uh what would you think if I, you know, got you a poster?
00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:42.480
Well his eyes lit up like saucers, Jen.
00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:42.799
Yeah.
00:23:43.039 --> 00:23:48.480
Like, like, oh, oh, I said, let me see if I can find all the guys in the band.
00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:50.720
See if I can get you an autograph.
00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:54.640
Well, I brought it back when I finally got all the autographs.
00:23:54.799 --> 00:23:57.279
I brought him the the poster, I brought him a CD.
00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:00.960
Uh I think I even bought I think I even brought him a t-shirt.
00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:07.119
Um just to show you know my appreciation for his appreciation.
00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:08.079
Right?
00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:10.799
And and it was a magical moment.
00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:18.640
The mom, his mom was just astounded and was more than you know happy, and and he was more than happy.
00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:20.400
He was over the moon, this little boy.
00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:49.920
And I'm sure, like I don't know who he is, and I don't know where he is now, but I'm sure that in some way this this this young boy who's now a young man, because this is 20 years ago, or maybe he's a middle-aged man, maybe he's 30 now, um, you know, I think that maybe he has hopefully been inspired to pursue some sort of musical, not necessarily a career, you know, because that's a hard, that's a hard path to take, but at least put music is music is in his life in some way.
00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:50.480
I know it is.
00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:50.960
I know it is.
00:24:51.039 --> 00:25:12.400
Whether he's going to concerts, you know, whether he's taking his kids to see those concerts and passing it on, that is what to me, music, my music and my that was my mission was just to pass on my love of music, and to do that through playing, to do that through being humble, uh, when people recognized my, you know, if they enjoyed my playing.
00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:16.880
Um, and people would often come up, oh man, at a at a jam night or where, oh man, you're a great drummer.
00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:18.240
I loved your drumming, thank you so much.
00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:20.960
And it's you know, to me that is very humbling.
00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:22.960
I don't I don't get a big head over that.
00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:24.720
I get humbled by that.
00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:32.960
I feel gracious that they have recognized me uh for my talent.
00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:41.519
And, you know, that is that's that's that's what I get at that's my that was my drug, right?
00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:47.920
Was the the just the the fan appreciation and and making people dance.
00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:58.799
There's nothing stronger, there's no other drug out there that can make you want to play music stronger than watching people get up and dance when you're playing.
00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:06.880
Um because that is the purest show of appreciation fans of music really can give a performer.
00:26:07.200 --> 00:26:15.920
Because we're only there to make you move, we're only there to make you move in some way, you know, uh emotionally, physically, spiritually, whatever.
00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:19.519
Um and when you get up and dance, that's where it's at, man.
00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:20.319
That's where it's at.
00:26:20.480 --> 00:26:23.279
That's like that's the drug for me.
00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:25.200
That was that was the drive.
00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:30.000
Uh you know, if the crowd wasn't having fun, I wasn't having fun.
00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:48.240
And you know, I hosted a couple jam sessions, um, like regular jam sessions, uh one in Ottawa, um where I'm just trying to remember that I can't remember the name of the venue, but just a bar in Ottawa, and we would go and play, and the only payment I got was like a free meal and three free drinks for the night.
00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:49.200
Like that was it.
00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:49.599
Right.
00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:50.319
That was the payment.
00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:51.119
Here you go.
00:26:51.680 --> 00:27:00.160
You pack your drums in, you set up, you do your sound check, you let people play your instrument, and then you pack it all up and pack it out afterwards, right?
00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:09.279
For a meal and a couple of drinks, it was not a lot, but it was enough because the people that I was playing with were getting the same, and we were hungry.
00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:17.440
And then eventually we started getting paid money because we started to bring in a crowd, and you know, it started to become their their best night.
00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:24.079
Um, you know, we we built something there, and and you know, I played at the rainbow club in in Ottawa.
00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:25.839
Like, I mean, I could name the venues.
00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:27.759
Uh, there's many, many.
00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:32.640
Um, but but Maxwell's in Waterloo.
00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:33.359
Indeed.
00:27:33.440 --> 00:27:35.119
I did play there with Revolve.
00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:36.559
Um, what a great gig that was.
00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:38.720
Yeah, yeah.
00:27:38.799 --> 00:27:40.000
Shout out to Waterloo.
00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:41.680
Um, and shout out to Revolve.
00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:49.039
You know, I have a bit of a a bit of a sordid history sometimes when it comes to some of the bands I played in.
00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:51.680
And, you know, it's a marriage.
00:27:51.920 --> 00:27:52.720
It's a marriage.
00:27:52.799 --> 00:28:00.240
It's a relationship that has to be bonded in loyalty and love and trust and all those things.
00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:12.079
Uh, and there has to be respect on all levels with all of the members, and it has to be there has to be a balance, it has to be, it doesn't have to be 100% even, but it has to balance.
00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:19.519
And when that balance ceases to be a balance, um things go poorly.
00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:26.000
And if there's ever alcohol involved, it's just a bad scene, right?
00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:26.480
Yeah.
00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:35.119
So, you know, the I as far as the Delta Blues band, I ended up leaving them because we just, you know, we were kind of just not getting to where I wanted to be.
00:28:35.200 --> 00:28:43.279
We were actually re- recording, we recorded a whole bunch of stuff at a a small recording studio in Wakefield.
00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:46.799
Um just on the little, there's like a little creek there.
00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:48.480
I'm just trying to remember what it's called now.
00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:53.599
I did a shout-out to Neil from that studio in a in an I think in another episode.
00:28:53.839 --> 00:28:58.079
Uh you know, I do talk about Yeah, because you're we were yeah, we were talking about the black sheep, right?
00:28:58.240 --> 00:28:59.440
Yeah, that's right, that's right.
00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:01.759
And oh yeah, I played the played the black sheep.
00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:16.000
Uh in fact, I got the uh one of my things, one of my behaviors when I was a musician was if I played at a gig somewhere, uh I would take a mug or a like a big beer glass, right?
00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:19.440
Yeah, I had a whole collection, my whole kitchen at home was just full of them.
00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:25.680
But I got the last um sort of waffle design mug that they had at the black sheep.
00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:34.480
So if any of you have ever been to the black sheep before this time, before that time, you'll know that they served their beer in a waffle-shaped mug, like it looked like waffles on the outside of it.
00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:38.240
Not waffle-shaped because that's square, but it had waffle shape on it.
00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:39.920
On its cylinder.
00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:41.519
Uh, I got the last one.
00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:43.119
So there's no more of those there anymore.
00:29:43.279 --> 00:29:45.839
I think they say black sheep on them now, but I got the last one.
00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:49.359
I know I did because the bartender, when I asked him if I could take it, he said absolutely.
00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:50.400
It's the last one.
00:29:50.480 --> 00:29:51.680
It's the end of an era.
00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:54.079
So do I still own it?
00:29:54.240 --> 00:30:03.039
No, it probably fell and broke and you know, shattered into a million pieces like my musical career did at the end when my when I had to retire.
00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:08.319
Well, I had to retire due to due to you know physical medical reasons, right?
00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:17.119
I've had a number of surgeries as a direct result of my body and its inability to to continue to play drums like I was doing.
00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:28.880
Uh I've had, you know, like I mentioned before, uh, three carpal tunnel surgeries, a cubital tunnel surgery, and I'm looking at, you know, probably a finger surgery for ligaments that I tore off while I was recovering from my third carpal tunnel.
00:30:29.039 --> 00:30:32.480
So, you know, it it it builds up over time.
00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:38.400
And these guys that go into their like 70s and 80s, man, I want I'd like to know how they do it.
00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:40.079
Like I'd like to know what their secret is.
00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:44.559
It's it's you know, not everyone can do it.
00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:58.559
Not everyone can do it, but God bless them, and and I hope they continue to do it because a lot of the music that they're you know they're playing now, a lot of these older guys, uh you know, folks, if you get a chance to see uh an older musician do it now because they won't be around forever.
00:30:58.799 --> 00:31:00.799
We all we all go in the end.
00:31:00.960 --> 00:31:10.720
And uh you know, they take that writing ability with them and they take their voice with them, and and you know, it's like when Gord Downey passed, the hip stopped playing.
00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:23.599
It's like when John Bonham, like I mean John Bonham, when he died, he was such a pivotal, important member of the band, the sound of John Bonham, nobody else played like that, so they couldn't just replace him.
00:31:24.079 --> 00:31:26.720
Because no one else was so you know, I get it.
00:31:26.960 --> 00:31:34.880
Uh, you know, get a if you get a chance to go out and see some older musicians, then then take the chance, take the opportunity.
00:31:35.440 --> 00:31:40.559
Um love them while they're still here, because after they're gone it's too late.
00:31:40.880 --> 00:31:41.839
Yeah, that's right.
00:31:42.240 --> 00:31:46.880
I saw I saw I saw the hip uh a few times, I think three times I saw them.
00:31:47.039 --> 00:31:48.960
But I also did lights uh for a while.
00:31:49.039 --> 00:31:58.880
So you know, uh at a at a club in Barrie, and I you know saw bands like Wild Tea in the Spirit and um Alanis no, not Alanismore set.
00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:01.279
Alanna Miles came and played there.
00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:07.759
Uh Trooper, Wild Tea in the Spirit, all kinds of Our Lady Peace.
00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:09.440
Our Our Lady Peace.
00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:12.640
Uh quite a few large Canadian acts.
00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:20.319
Uh, and I was getting to the to the point my next gig was gonna be actually at a at a at an arena.
00:32:20.880 --> 00:32:23.279
Uh to do bare niggas ladies.
00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:34.079
Uh to do lights for them for their show uh on the tour they were doing at the time, and I ended up being really sick and ended up in the hospital and you know, didn't get a chance to do that.
00:32:34.160 --> 00:32:41.599
So that kind of ended that that career, I guess, in a sense that, you know, that was a life-changing situation for me.
00:32:41.759 --> 00:33:09.039
And um, you know, but I had also I'm getting a little bit scattered here, but I remember setting up a light show once in the in a stadium, or uh not a stadium, but a an arena in a relia and being up on scaffolding, and all of a sudden, you know, leading over with this set of this these park hands uh you know to to to mount them up on the rafter.
00:33:09.359 --> 00:33:22.480
We were that high up on the scaffolding, and I started to lose my balance, and I fell forwards and the lights fell out of my hand, thank goodness they did not hit anyone on the way down because there would have been a fatality.
00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:30.319
And the guy I was working with saw me starting to, you know, flail and grab my belt and pull me back and save me.
00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:32.960
Um I'm still afraid of heights today.
00:33:33.119 --> 00:33:38.880
I still have a fear, a healthy respect for heights, we'll say, uh, as a result of that, you know.
00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:44.720
So there, you know, there's always good and bad in any career you you go, um any career path you follow.
00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:52.559
But for me, music has just been you know, it's been something my first instrument I played was guitar at the age of 10.
00:33:52.880 --> 00:34:15.199
And you know, around the age of ten, and just really was an escape for me, and was uh, you know, getting into drums at the age of fourteen and starting to play drums was really the ultimate for me to be able to express myself and and to, you know, just get some of that energy that I had out, because I had a lot of energy.
00:34:15.280 --> 00:34:17.440
I was very Yeah, yeah.
00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:19.039
Yeah.
00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:34.559
I I you know it was really um so ex it was exciting actually for me to hear that after all the time that went by that we had not talked or seen each other, that yeah, that you played in those bands.
00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:36.960
I was like so overjoyed about that.
00:34:37.039 --> 00:34:41.920
I was so happy to hear that because I know you know I I know how much music means to you, right?
00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:44.800
So um, yeah, it was just great.
00:34:44.880 --> 00:34:50.719
It was like oh I'll never I'll never claim to be the best drummer because I know I'm not the best drummer out there.
00:34:50.960 --> 00:35:00.800
Uh but based on audience response, musician response, you know, I know I'm not a bad drummer.
00:35:01.119 --> 00:35:05.840
And you know, I I taught for a couple years, I taught here, uh, my own studio.
00:35:05.920 --> 00:35:14.719
I taught in Barrie at a music store in Barrie for a little while and taught students from the age of well four to ninety-four.
00:35:14.960 --> 00:35:24.400
Uh had a 94-year-old man come in and say, Hey, my doctor says I'm really healthy and he wants me to, you know, to learn a new take up a new hobby, and I've decided to play drums.
00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:28.400
I'm like, oh, he's like, I bought a drum kit, I have a practice pad, I've got sticks.
00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:30.159
What do I need to learn?
00:35:30.480 --> 00:35:33.360
So, you know, it starts with four.
00:35:33.599 --> 00:35:44.800
If you can learn if you can count to four repetitively, uh basically you can learn how to play drums or or any instrument, any any percussive instrument.
00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:54.960
And and you know, so I taught him the importance of the number four and how to play, you know, a straight beat, and then you know, how to play rudiments too.
00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:58.000
A lot of musicians now, a lot of drummers don't learn the rudiments.
00:35:58.159 --> 00:36:12.639
They don't have any idea what a paradidal is, they don't know what a a flam is, or you know, all the different ins and outs of their instrument, and and so how do you how do you communicate when you're playing with other players or or anything if you don't understand your instrument?
00:36:12.880 --> 00:36:24.800
You know, uh it's uh because ultimately your instrument becomes the expression of of your love for what you're doing.
00:36:26.800 --> 00:36:27.119
Really.
00:36:27.440 --> 00:36:32.800
And you know, a lot of people talk about how music is kind of like therapy for them, right?
00:36:32.960 --> 00:36:42.320
And um, you know, I know it can really change I think I feel like it can really change the you know, I I watch even rooms, right?
00:36:42.400 --> 00:36:48.880
Like how it can change the like what's happening in a room, what's happening at a party, a social event.
00:36:49.039 --> 00:36:58.960
You know, even the other night they were playing blues, really old blues, before the opening acts, and you could just see, you know, the audience reacting to that.
00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:15.840
I love to to watch that, and I feel like for me, like you know, I've told you before, I have playlists, I have so many different playlists, and they're based on like, do I feel like listening to like you know, Lena Del Rey, like or some like really moody type music, or do I feel like what is it about?
00:37:16.320 --> 00:37:17.360
What's the activity that I'm doing?
00:37:17.679 --> 00:37:25.119
That's right, or you know, I'll be listening to like I don't know, like really like very heavy music sometimes, right?
00:37:25.199 --> 00:37:26.559
Depending on how I feel.
00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:27.679
So yeah, it's a lot of people.
00:37:28.159 --> 00:37:36.800
I also played, I also played with uh an Acadian band uh here in Fort McMurray, uh that was mostly a French singing band.
00:37:37.119 --> 00:37:37.440
Wow.
00:37:37.679 --> 00:37:49.760
And I don't really speak French, you know, but we would you know obviously they spoke some English and we would, you know, they they were fluent actually in in both languages, and and we would, you know, talk before we would play the song.
00:37:49.920 --> 00:38:00.159
I would ask the the writer of the song or the or the singer, depending if it was a traditional Acadian song or an original, because we did a booth, I would say close to 50-50.
00:38:00.320 --> 00:38:03.440
Uh, and then we also did a bunch of English covers as well.
00:38:03.760 --> 00:38:32.880
And you know, they would explain sort of the theme of the song that they wrote, or the theme of the lyrics that they were about to sing, and from that alone, and then hearing the guitar part and the bass, I could play that song and be able to communicate sort of that that emotion that they were trying to portray through the song through my own instrument, right?
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:37.760
By understanding, okay, what's gonna sound if it's an angry song, what's gonna sound angry?
00:38:37.840 --> 00:38:43.440
Well, I'm gonna open up my hi-hat a little bit, I'm gonna hit my crash symbol, I'm gonna hit that that snare drum right on the center, right?
00:38:43.599 --> 00:38:46.559
Make it as loud as possible, and hit that bass drum.
00:38:46.719 --> 00:39:09.039
It and if I want it to be quiet and reserved, well, I'm gonna you know, I'll play the hi-hat closed, and maybe you know, uh I would limit my my crash symbol use, but it just depends like on what on what you hear, what I hear in the first, you know, couple bars of the guitar player playing the melody.
00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:30.639
And just from that, you know, and experience and having played for uh many years, I can play the beat that's appropriate for that song at the tempo that they're playing, and and play with them and watch for the changes, and watch for the stops, and watch for the starts, and it's all about nonverbal communication, so it doesn't matter if I understand the language ultimately.
00:39:30.800 --> 00:39:30.960
Yeah.
00:39:31.280 --> 00:39:33.920
A perfect example of that is when I played in Cuba.
00:39:34.239 --> 00:39:56.639
I got married in Cuba, and when I got married, we were walking around the lobby of the hotel with myself and a bunch of my guests, and there was a band there, a little little just a little three-piece, a little three-piece, little power trio, uh, just sitting in the lobby playing, and I decided to approach them and ask them if I could sit in for a couple of songs.
00:39:56.719 --> 00:39:58.800
I ended up playing a number of songs with them.
00:39:59.039 --> 00:39:59.920
Got some pictures.
00:40:00.079 --> 00:40:04.320
I think there might even be video out there somewhere in social media land, but it was a lot of fun.
00:40:04.480 --> 00:40:08.960
And you know, I guess technically it makes me an international performing artist, right?
00:40:09.199 --> 00:40:10.079
It does day.
00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:14.719
I can play anywhere, uh, and I can play with anyone, and I can play most styles of music.
00:40:14.800 --> 00:40:19.440
The really the the hardest music the hardest style of music for me is probably jazz.
00:40:19.599 --> 00:40:27.280
Now, you mentioned something uh about music therapy or music as therapy, or you know, how how therapeutic music can be can be.
00:40:27.519 --> 00:40:32.480
A guest of our show that we're gonna have in the next couple episodes, you'll have to watch and listen.
00:40:32.639 --> 00:40:42.159
Um, my friend Ken from high school, actually, who's my sister's best friend, and she was the best man at his wedding when he got married to his wife Natalie.
00:40:42.400 --> 00:40:52.880
He's gonna be here to talk about his musical history and and you know, accessibility now that that he and his wife are getting a little bit older.
00:40:53.199 --> 00:41:10.159
And also uh he wrote a thesis when he did I don't know if he's I don't know if it's a doctorate or just a just um a bachelor, but he he did study music and did a a thesis on music as therapy or how um music can be used in therapy.
00:41:10.480 --> 00:41:15.440
Sorry, he said he studied music and I think he studied also psychology, and he now works as a psychologist.
00:41:15.599 --> 00:41:23.119
So he does have some some credentials and we're gonna have him here as a guest to talk about, you know, one of his well, he loves to talk about jazz.
00:41:23.360 --> 00:41:29.920
The man loves jazz, uh, and can you know he's he's he's fluent in jazz, we'll say he can talk jazz.
00:41:30.079 --> 00:41:34.400
I have a hard time talking jazz because I'm not a huge jazz listener.
00:41:34.639 --> 00:41:50.079
Uh so those of our listeners that enjoy jazz or just enjoy talking about music or listening to someone else's interesting perspective on music, uh this this friend of mine, Ken, will be here uh in in probably a couple episodes from now.
00:41:50.480 --> 00:41:52.079
We're getting ready to have him on.
00:41:52.320 --> 00:41:55.360
So just a little bit of a teaser there for you.
00:41:56.639 --> 00:42:04.400
Moving on, you're listening to the Generation Cassette Podcast, which is a genuine human media production.
00:42:05.039 --> 00:42:07.119
And uh we thank you for listening.
00:42:07.360 --> 00:42:16.159
We had a great time presenting this episode today and talking about all the things we talked about, and we look forward to our next episode.
00:42:16.320 --> 00:42:17.679
Jen, any last words?
00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:20.480
Happy 10th anniversary, Jay.
00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:21.679
10th episode?
00:42:21.840 --> 00:42:23.119
10th episode anniversary?
00:42:23.280 --> 00:42:23.440
Yeah.
00:42:23.760 --> 00:42:25.039
Yes, absolutely.
00:42:25.360 --> 00:42:26.079
That's amazing.
00:42:26.159 --> 00:42:27.360
I still can't believe it's 10.
00:42:27.519 --> 00:42:29.599
10 yes, yes, 10.
00:42:29.920 --> 00:42:34.880
Jen and Jay made something and now it has this many episodes of holding up both hands.
00:42:35.039 --> 00:42:36.159
Jen can see them on the camera.
00:42:36.239 --> 00:42:36.559
You can't.
00:42:37.599 --> 00:42:44.559
Also, those of you that don't know, we are thousands of kilometers away, not sitting in the same studio, not even close.
00:42:44.719 --> 00:42:55.280
Now, we do have uh the same microphone manufactured by uh by a company that will remain nameless.
00:42:55.360 --> 00:43:04.320
But we did we did buy the same microphone and we're using the same recording software to try and make it as as sound as as close to possible that we're in the same studio.
00:43:04.480 --> 00:43:12.159
But through a little bit of editing magic and whatnot, we can kind of adjust some things uh without using too much or any AI.
00:43:12.400 --> 00:43:19.440
But this is a genuine human media production in the sense that that we're genuinely human and we are producing it.
00:43:19.760 --> 00:43:23.119
And and so that's you know, that's where we fit under that.
00:43:23.440 --> 00:43:35.039
We'd like to make a special shout out to Jen's friend Ron, who has been a wonderful supporter of the podcast from the beginning and continues to spread the word at every opportunity.
00:43:35.280 --> 00:43:36.320
Thanks, Ron.
00:43:36.639 --> 00:43:44.239
But until next time, folks, keep listening and spread the word, share, like and and and subscribe.
00:43:44.480 --> 00:43:45.519
That's all I can say.
00:43:45.679 --> 00:43:46.559
Until next time.
00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:48.000
We're outta here.
00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:03.279
You're listening to the Generation Cassette Podcast.
00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:07.280
And you're listening to our tenth episode.
00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:17.760
And we wanted to take the opportunity to talk a little bit more about your hosts, Jay and Jen, and where we come from, and how we know each other, and how long we've known each other.
00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:20.640
Jen and I met in the 90s.
00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:25.920
And we met and then we lost touch for many years.
00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:29.440
We recently reconnected.
00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:34.000
And and began this podcast together and this journey of the podcast.
00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:42.479
Um, you know, and it's based on our our love of music, which is at the core of our friendship, and talking about music has always been very natural for us.
00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:44.799
Jen, what do you think about that?
00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:46.560
The tenth episode.
00:00:47.119 --> 00:00:50.079
I know, I can't believe we already are here.
00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:53.280
I feel like it's flown by, right?
00:00:53.439 --> 00:01:01.119
I look back and I see how many episodes we have, and I, you know, someone will say to me, Do you remember saying this in this episode or that?
00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:02.799
And I'm I I can't actually.
00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:03.840
I can't remember.
00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:04.959
It's so many, right?
00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:07.760
It feels like, yeah, it feels like a lot, right?
00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:12.159
So um, no, I mean it's I've really been enjoying this.
00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:16.480
Uh, I think we get to to connect about music.
00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:31.519
Um, Jay having the background as a drummer, myself having the background of just being a an appreciator of music, um, so much so that I've been to three concerts in the last two weeks.
00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:37.519
So and and would you call you like would you say you're at the level of like groupie?
00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:40.159
Are you a groupie for any of these bands?
00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:45.680
Or are you like, do any of them see you in the audience and recognize you because they've seen you at every single show that they've ever done?
00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:47.040
Isn't is there anything like that?
00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:53.760
No, you're not like a deadhead, like those grateful dead fans that follow around concerts and you know live their life for the dead?
00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:54.640
No.
00:01:54.879 --> 00:01:56.159
You'd love to though, wouldn't you?
00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:05.280
That'd be I no, not I I I think my musical taste is so diverse that I I you know, even with Springsteen, right?
00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:06.480
I've only seen him three times.
00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:07.599
That's not a lot.
00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:15.360
So I think that there's not really anyone I'd want to see a ton of times.
00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:26.000
My physiotherapist just written she recently mentioned to me that she follows a band called Good Lovelies, and they have seen them like a lot of times.
00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:35.680
I don't even know how many, but uh yeah, I can't I don't follow a specific band or artist um and go to all their concerts.
00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:38.240
I've seen Tom Petty seven times.
00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.199
Okay, but that's so so you're on the cusp there, right?
00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:44.080
Like, I mean that's a lot.
00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:45.120
I've never seen Tom Petty.
00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:46.319
It is gonna put that out there.
00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:47.520
Never seen Tom Petty.
00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:51.520
Uh and you've seen him seven, you saw him seven times before he passed.
00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:52.159
That's amazing.
00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:52.639
Wow.
00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:59.199
I'll never get to see Tom Petty live because you know he's not live anymore, which was a very sad day for a lot of people.
00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:02.719
Yeah, and uh myself included, I'm a huge Tom Petty fan.
00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:03.840
Yeah, yeah.
00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:11.840
Uh you know, yeah, so so Bruce Springsteen three times, Tom Petty seven times.
00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:15.039
Um now what's the first concert you ever saw?
00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:25.199
So the first concert I ever went to was with some friends that I had since I was like I want to say like five or six years old from kindergarten.
00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:33.520
Um we were friends in high school as well, and we decided to go see the police picnic down at Exhibition Stadium.
00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:35.520
So what year was that?
00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:41.919
That would have been, I believe, eighty four, I wanna say.
00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:45.919
Um, so it was an incredible concert.
00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:48.080
Um you weren't very old.
00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:52.479
No, and James Brown was one of the openers.
00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:54.400
That was amazing.
00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:56.639
No, yeah, no, no.
00:03:56.960 --> 00:03:57.280
Come on.
00:03:57.599 --> 00:03:58.560
That was fantastic.
00:03:58.719 --> 00:03:59.439
Come on.
00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:05.360
But it's sad like well, I mean, nothing like I'd ever seen before, right?
00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:10.159
I sure I just remember seeing this guy in this cape like flying around.
00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:10.960
Yeah.
00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:15.280
How do you even how do you even like literally, how do you go to a concert after that?
00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:23.360
If that's your first measurement of success or enjoyment of a concert is to see James Brown open for the police.
00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:24.879
Yeah, yeah.
00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:27.759
Um it doesn't get much better.
00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:39.360
Like, like as far as production value and and and and you know, just going on on the you know, the the the known facts about James Brown, yeah.
00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:42.560
You know, he was a showman, he was like the king of soul.
00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:52.639
He was he was just such a machine up there on stage, like he probably would lose 10 pounds of sweat just running around and dancing and you know, all the things.
00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:55.680
But man, how do you even how do you even go to another concert?
00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:56.879
Like they must be so boring.
00:04:57.040 --> 00:05:01.680
They must just be like, oh, you know, yeah, I went to see Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.
00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:08.800
I had to see Tom seven times to get it to even equal one of my first ever, you know, my very first concert.
00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:10.480
But you know, I got my fill.
00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:15.920
Like that's I can understand now why you go see these artists multiple times because you only had to see James Brown once.
00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:16.240
Yeah.
00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:17.199
Oh my goodness.
00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:22.480
So kind of veering in now on about 175 concerts, I think.
00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:27.680
Um, just in this in this calendar year, I've been to nine.
00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:31.120
I was scheduled for 10, but ACDC got canceled, right?
00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:32.319
Um, right.
00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:35.439
But I I feel like it's my passion, right?
00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:37.040
It's my it's my absolute love.
00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:44.959
I was at a concert Monday night and I was thinking about it, and I was looking around, I was like, you know, what is it that I just love so much about this?
00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:48.000
And it's just like just feeling part of a community, right?
00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:54.800
That I was just looking at everyone again, I I feel really alive at uh a concert setting.
00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:56.160
You're living your passion, Jen.
00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:57.120
You're living your passion.
00:05:57.199 --> 00:06:02.560
There's nothing that can be said uh that can be greater in life than living your passion.
00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:10.639
They say like if you go to work every day and you're not really working, you're you know, your if your favorite hobby or activity becomes your job, that's not a job.
00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:13.040
That's you know, that's that's passion.
00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:15.199
You're just living your and this is your passion.
00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:33.120
These, you know, going to all these these concerts, it's clearly apparent, you know, you are an expert when it comes to sound quality and performance and showmanship and all of these, you know, uh ways to measure a good show.
00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:35.040
Tell us about that a little bit.
00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:37.920
Like, I mean, what was your what was the best show you ever went to?
00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:43.600
Was was James Brown and the police or sorry, the police with James Brown?
00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:46.639
I don't know how you'd even explain that venue, how they put up for them, but anyway.
00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:48.160
It was fantastic, right?
00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:56.000
But since that time, right, I have a top five that they are not in that top five, they're in my top five.
00:06:57.040 --> 00:06:57.839
What's your top five?
00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:03.759
Is number five, Robert Plant, Principal of Moments tour, right?
00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:09.920
I mean, uh was incredible to see, like a frontman like Robert Plant.
00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:11.920
He was obviously touring on his own.
00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:16.959
Um, and I loved him, but he still sounds just like Robert Plant sounded with Led Zeppelin.
00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:21.680
He's touring currently currently he's touring, and he's actually doing some Led Zeppelin songs.
00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:23.920
And apparently, like I've listened to a few things.
00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:27.360
I'm like, wow, it's incredible! Like he sounds fantastic still.
00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:28.480
How old is that guy now?
00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:29.680
Like he's gotta be getting up there.
00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:35.519
Yeah, I'm not too sure how old Robert Plant is, but he's one of the originals, like such a showman, right?
00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:37.040
Like he's wow, incredible.
00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:37.839
Good on him.
00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:39.680
So number four, I would say Flea Wood Mac.
00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:46.639
So this one is interesting because I was in high school, I had a bunch of friends that I would typically go to concerts with.
00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:53.199
There was something going on at that time, whether it was exams or something, no one could go to see Fleetwood Mac.
00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:56.480
And I said, like, come on, guys, this is Flea Wood Mac.
00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:57.600
We have to go.
00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:00.879
So I no one could go, so I said, I'm going.
00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:01.519
So I went down.
00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:03.120
Did you skip your exam, Joe?
00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:03.839
No.
00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:07.839
So okay, didn't have an exam that day.
00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:12.720
So I went to I went to um it was just during exams.
00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:13.680
Yeah, that's right.
00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:17.279
So I went to I would they played at Maple Leaf Gardens.
00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:20.399
So I went to Maple Leaf Gardens, bought scalper tickets.
00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:21.759
I think I paid$80.
00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:24.480
I ended up being second row floors.
00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:26.480
I could literally touch Stevie if I wanted to.
00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:28.959
It was it was incredible, right?
00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:30.639
I love that I didn't no kidding.
00:08:30.800 --> 00:08:32.080
I love that I did that by myself.
00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:38.000
I would think I was maybe 16 or 17, and that's how passionate I am, right?
00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:40.559
That I would go by myself and do that, right?
00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:41.840
It was at that age.
00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:42.559
Yeah, at that age.
00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:44.240
At such a young age, like that's incredible.
00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:45.759
Yeah, you're brave.
00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:47.120
Number three.
00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:50.879
I just recently saw this concert in April.
00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:57.919
It hits number three because it is just such an incredible show, but it was Florence and the Machine or Scream Tour.
00:08:58.000 --> 00:08:58.960
Um, okay.
00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:05.840
You know, I I I don't know much else to say about her except for to say that I saw clips of that.
00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:07.440
I saw clips of that performance.
00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:14.879
And it was very hauntingly terrific.
00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:15.440
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:16.720
Hauntingly terrific.
00:09:17.279 --> 00:09:26.559
Um she when she sings and when that band performs, they are playing and they are singing to you uh to you at a at a at a cellular level.
00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:27.919
It's that deep.
00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:28.639
Yeah, I think.
00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:35.039
Yeah, it's very like I mean, hauntingly terrific, hauntingly delicious, even would be a good way to put it, right?
00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:35.519
Yeah.
00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:39.120
Um where it will sc it's scary how good that is, how good they are.
00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:40.559
They are very good.
00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:43.759
And then of course, number two, it has to be Springsteen, right?
00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:48.639
Like I kind of toyed with like Eric Clapton, I saw his 25th anniversary tour.
00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:50.720
I'm a little bit shocked he's not your number one.
00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:51.279
Yeah.
00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:54.559
I saw his 25th anniversary tour for Eric Clapton.
00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:59.519
So he I kind of toyed with putting Eric Clapton in the top five, but he would probably be a six.
00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:03.919
But you know, between him and Bruce, I feel like they're just such classics, right?
00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:07.759
And Eric Clapton, like not a lot of people have seen him, right?
00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:12.159
So I that one was that one was an incredible show, right?
00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:15.279
But Bruce definitely what's your what's your number one?
00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:16.320
David Bowie.
00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:18.080
Glass Spider Tour.
00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:19.039
Which which concert?
00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:20.480
Oh yeah, Glass Spider.
00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:21.200
Uh-huh.
00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:26.159
I mean very popular, very popular tour, very, very popular artist.
00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:26.960
Very theatrical.
00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:28.399
His live shows are legendary.
00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:29.679
His yes, absolutely.
00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:30.159
Yeah.
00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:31.919
Um, good for you.
00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:32.559
Good for you.
00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:33.200
That's amazing.
00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:35.519
What an amazing top five.
00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:46.240
Like, I mean, my first concert was Judas Priest and I think Metal Storm and and I don't know, a couple other really heavy, heavy metal bands.
00:10:46.480 --> 00:11:00.320
Um, but Judas Priest, mind you, very also very theatrical and very, you know, uh lots of fire, lots of pyrotechnics, um fog and lights, and you know, other things other than just great audio production.
00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:02.399
Um yeah.
00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:03.039
Yeah.
00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:03.360
Yeah.
00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:04.399
So let's carry on.
00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:08.240
Yeah, so you know, some other bands that I've seen that I I think are notable.
00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:10.240
Like I went to see Metallica.
00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:14.240
Um, I bought tickets for my husband's 50th birthday for that.
00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:24.000
Um, that was that was out of my, you know, it was it was wonderful because like I could walk right into the washroom, there's no lineups, and the men were all lined up for the washroom for that.
00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:25.679
So that was so funny.
00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:27.039
Yeah, yeah.
00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:28.480
A little bit of a reverse there.
00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:29.039
That's right.
00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:33.840
And uh yeah, I've I've seen like um Sinead O'Connor in concert.
00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:42.240
That was like that was uh like skin tingling, like your whole body just feels like what is that incredible voice?
00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:46.799
Another one like like feist that really pulls you in and sings to the soul, right?
00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:47.279
That's right.
00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:55.360
It's a it's at a cellular a cellular level that your body, I think, responds to that kind of music if you really open yourself up to it.
00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:56.240
Yeah, yeah.
00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:58.000
I really like going to festivals.
00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:04.559
So, like some festivals, a festival that I volunteered a lot of years at was the Hillside Festival in Guelph.
00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:07.039
Um, and that was you and I attended years and years ago.
00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:08.000
We did, yeah.
00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:13.440
And what I loved about going there was like when we volunteered, then we got free tickets, right?
00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:15.600
So we could go to whatever shows we wanted.
00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:18.480
So that was really great to go there.
00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:35.919
So we saw like you know, arcade fire, like there's like a lot of bands that were just up and comers at the time that we saw, and then there was another um music festival that Ann and I would go to, my friend Ann, who was been my constant concert partner since I was 14 years old.
00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:44.799
Um, she and I found this festival called Riverfest in Alora, and that has been one that we really like going to.
00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:53.440
Now, unfortunately, financially, that con that festival has shut down, which is really too bad because it was it was a really great one.
00:12:53.519 --> 00:13:01.039
So, but I wanted to now kind of skip to talking a little bit about accessibility, so that's my that's another love that I have, right?
00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:15.120
So, you know, since you and I um have not been in contact, that's something that's happened in my life, is that I got into a career working um with students with accessibility um needs.
00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:34.799
And so I have found doing this podcast, that's one of the things that we like to talk about, because for us, we both have some ability issues, and I think that's something that is near and dear to my heart, and I know it is to you as well, as far as advocating for people.
00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:47.919
Well, I wanted to mention, like, you know, I've been, you know, the concerts I've even been to this year, been just paying special attention to some of the things that go on in terms of accessibility and getting in into the venue.
00:13:48.080 --> 00:14:01.360
Um, again, our Generation X, you know, uh friends that are listening, you know, to this podcast know that sometimes we make decisions not to go places based on how we're feeling in our bodies, right?
00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:11.279
And I have to say that um we're seeing, I I am seeing a lot of really positive things out there in terms of accessibility.
00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:21.039
And Jay and I've talked about it on the podcast before, but the other night on Monday night, I was at Scotiabank, I was so impressed.
00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:25.200
My friend Jen and I went, we were so impressed with the staff there.
00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:34.960
We went to their fan services department just to um check my walker in so I could check check it there, and then our seats were really close by.
00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:49.120
So they, you know, this really nice um he was actually one of the um security he had came over and he said, you know, one of these uh individuals here can, you know, set you up with different seats actually.
00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:52.399
Like, why don't we look at that instead of checking your walk room?
00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:55.120
We can get you, you know, seats that are more comfortable.
00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:55.759
Okay.
00:14:56.080 --> 00:15:04.320
So he helped us to because the openers were coming on, so we so he helped us to our seats and made sure I got there safely.
00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:14.639
And then yeah, sure enough, they were able to get us new seats, took us right to them, really like close to the front and beautiful and lots of space and wonderful.
00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:20.080
So yeah, they were bending over backwards to help us, which I thought was really nice.
00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:25.440
Um I also had that same experience at Falls View Casino in the summertime.
00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:32.399
So I found that that's another place that if you're they have real they actually bring in a lot of great artists there.
00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:56.480
Um, if you ever are questioning whether you should go to a concert because maybe you're getting a knee, you know, surgically repaired like myself, um, then you know, certainly, you know, don't hesitate because there are there are lots of you know places that have um great accessibility in terms of being able to help people, um, and then spaces that you can be very comfortable watching the show.
00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:06.320
So that's something I think I would like to add though is is if you do have accessibility needs and you are seeking um some accommodation, call ahead.
00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:23.200
Let them know specifically what your needs are, and and find out, you know, if they have seating available, if they have uh somebody that can help you get into the venue if you need it, or or you know, accessible parking and how to get a pass for that and how to access that.
00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:41.759
Because there while there are lots of places, lots of venues that are offering accessible services, you as the consumer are the one that is responsible for pursuing um the services you require as as a ser as a consumer with with accessibility issues.
00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:50.000
Okay, so they're not gonna wave a flag and say, Hey, over here, oh you in the wheelchair, over here, please, or you at the walker, come over here, we can get you over here.
00:16:50.080 --> 00:17:00.000
You have to go and not only at the venue pursue it if you need to, but ahead of time, call them, go on their website, email their their hosts, and and find out what they can do for you.
00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:07.200
Because a lot of places, like I said, have accessibility uh promotion, but they don't promote it, right?
00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:12.720
They will allow you to come in with accessibility needs, but they're not going to tell you what they offer you.
00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:14.160
Uh, which is too bad.
00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:15.599
That will change, I think, over time.
00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:31.039
I think that they like I mean, really, there should be some kind of overall rating system for venues where, you know, if you're rated a five, that means your washrooms are all wheelchair accessible, you have no stairs, you have no uh uneven transitions to go from one section of your your venue to another.
00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:33.920
Um, you know, you don't need to have someone go with you.
00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:36.799
You can go to this venue by yourself because there's enough access.
00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:44.640
You know, all these types of things that is not even we don't even talk about those things uh unless you go and experience it.
00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:54.880
And and then, you know, but hopefully what we're gonna do is is help to change that by going and experiencing these venues and then coming back and talking about them on the podcast, like Jennifer has just done.
00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:58.160
And that's that's that's a major focus of what we're trying to do.
00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:01.839
Um we're we're yeah on that.
00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:04.240
You know, I'd like to talk about you.
00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:08.400
Oh let's turn it over to you, Jay.
00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:15.279
So yeah, like I think the last time we were in contact was about 1998 or so.
00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:18.319
So you got really involved, even more so.
00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:22.240
I remember going and watching you jam, you know, at different bars in Barrie.
00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:27.039
Um, tell me about yeah, like what happened after that and you know with music.
00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:38.880
Um well I started working in the uh just north of Toronto, um, and met a bunch of musicians and and got involved with a band there.
00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:43.920
Uh we were doing all originals, and it was fantastic.
00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:47.599
It was probably one of the best band experiences I ever had.
00:18:48.160 --> 00:19:02.319
Uh we had a uh an area where we could go and rehearse and record, and we started to book, you know, little venues playing at art shows and and you know eventually played for you know started to play for bigger venues.
00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:07.920
We played at an Amnesty International concert um opened for Sukiun Lee from Much Music.
00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:08.400
Wow.
00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:14.079
And then played on Breakfast Television with that band called the band was called Revolve.
00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:17.599
And we had a lot of fun.
00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:21.599
It was a great experience uh until it wasn't, and it was time to move on.
00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:24.960
And and you know, this happens in people's lives.
00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:32.799
We experience, you know, things at a certain time and and move on afterwards, and this was one of those things.
00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:44.240
I moved to Ottawa after that, and I played in the Delta Blues band out of Montreal for a number of years, and we were actually hoping to go and play in the Dominican Republic.
00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:46.240
We had a tour booked there.
00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:55.920
However, they were gonna pay us in US dollars, and there was a big kerfuffle going on, and the US dollar spiked, and they suddenly couldn't afford to pay us, so they cancelled the whole thing.
00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:03.359
It was last minute, it was like just before we were booking flights and and you know, really making the solid plans.
00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:05.920
Like I already had my passport and I was ready to go.
00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:08.720
Uh, and then they said, Yeah, no, it's not happening.
00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:10.960
So, you know, that was that was sad.
00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:15.440
But this, you know, the band, I had some great experiences with with both of those bands.
00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:19.759
One of my favorite experiences with the Delta Blues band, and there were a couple.
00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:23.359
Um one I'll give you a couple examples of this band.
00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:35.039
Um they went and played up in Valdor, Quebec, back like 20 years before I ever played with them, and they got stuck there for a bit of time because their vehicle broke down, and they play this one bar, I forget what it's called, but it's attached to the theater.
00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:40.480
So if you're ever in Valdor, go to the the bar that's attached to the theater, have a couple drinks, go to the theater.
00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:42.240
I highly recommend it if they're still open.
00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:44.000
Great, great owners.
00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:45.920
I'm sorry I can't remember your name.
00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:56.960
However, after before this gig, we went we went to load in, and as we were doing sound check, I looked outside and people were actually like lining up before we even opened.
00:20:57.119 --> 00:20:59.599
Uh, and tickets were not cheap.
00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:03.200
Um people were playing, paying like$50 at the door to see us.
00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:03.920
It was crazy.
00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:05.119
I couldn't believe it.
00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:09.759
Um and afterwards, we did an autograph session.
00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:14.319
Now, you gotta understand with this band, I didn't record with them, I never recorded with them.
00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:21.279
All I had to sign was the you know, anything like we were selling CDs that I didn't I had I didn't play on.
00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:24.480
I was like, oh, you know, just so you know, this isn't me on here.
00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:26.480
Oh, I don't care, I don't care, I just want your signature.
00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:31.440
I saw you live, you're the new you're the drummer with the the Delta Blues band, and that's all that matters, right?
00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:42.240
Um and then shortly after that we played another fest another another show in Ottawa, and we went and did our sound check, and we had ourselves all set up and ready to go.
00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:53.359
And I wanted to go and just relax before the show, so I went and I don't know, I probably grabbed a Diet Pepsi or something, and and I went and sat up in the bleachers way down quite a ways away from the stage.
00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:57.279
And I went and sat down beside there was this this mom there with her little one.
00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:59.759
He was probably about ten years old, maybe, maybe six.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.279
Maybe nine.
00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:11.200
And I went and sat down, and I just wanted a little bit of you know, just a little bit of space, and I look over, and this kid is like frantically writing in this journal, right?
00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:14.559
I'm like, man, he's like really like I mean, this kid is excited.
00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:16.720
He's like almost ripping the page with the pen, right?
00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:21.759
He's like, oh, you could see the excitement in it and how he was like his whole body was almost vibrating.
00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:25.680
And I look over and here he's writing, oh my gosh, I can't believe it.
00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:29.599
The drummer for the Delta Blues band just sat down beside me.
00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:34.640
He just finished his town check, and I'm like, what is going on?
00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:36.000
What is this kid doing?
00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:36.880
Like, come on.
00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:41.200
Like when you see that as a musician, you know you're gonna be curious, right?
00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:43.440
You know you're gonna be like, Why?
00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:45.519
How does this kid even know who I am?
00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:49.119
And so I asked him, you know, what are you writing there?
00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:51.599
And he was like, Oh, just my journal, just my journal.
00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:52.480
I'm like, oh.
00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:56.880
I said, uh, I looked at his mom, I'm like, has he seen us before?
00:22:57.039 --> 00:22:58.160
And she said, Yes.
00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:00.799
We saw you at the the festival that you played.
00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:13.279
There was a street festival we played like a week or two prior, and he saw us live there and just became a fan, and and you know, unbeknownst to me, I just happened to come out and sit right beside him.
00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:34.400
And and so, you know, as a musician, when you see a young fan, you're gonna you should, you know, remember all the wonderful things that ever happened to you as a child and you met a musician, or you saw a live act, you know, as a child and you were, you know, just completely blown away.
00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:40.400
So I said to the young man, I said, uh what would you think if I, you know, got you a poster?
00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:42.480
Well his eyes lit up like saucers, Jen.
00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:42.799
Yeah.
00:23:43.039 --> 00:23:48.480
Like, like, oh, oh, I said, let me see if I can find all the guys in the band.
00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:50.720
See if I can get you an autograph.
00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:54.640
Well, I brought it back when I finally got all the autographs.
00:23:54.799 --> 00:23:57.279
I brought him the the poster, I brought him a CD.
00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:00.960
Uh I think I even bought I think I even brought him a t-shirt.
00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:07.119
Um just to show you know my appreciation for his appreciation.
00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:08.079
Right?
00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:10.799
And and it was a magical moment.
00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:18.640
The mom, his mom was just astounded and was more than you know happy, and and he was more than happy.
00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:20.400
He was over the moon, this little boy.
00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:49.920
And I'm sure, like I don't know who he is, and I don't know where he is now, but I'm sure that in some way this this this young boy who's now a young man, because this is 20 years ago, or maybe he's a middle-aged man, maybe he's 30 now, um, you know, I think that maybe he has hopefully been inspired to pursue some sort of musical, not necessarily a career, you know, because that's a hard, that's a hard path to take, but at least put music is music is in his life in some way.
00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:50.480
I know it is.
00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:50.960
I know it is.
00:24:51.039 --> 00:25:12.400
Whether he's going to concerts, you know, whether he's taking his kids to see those concerts and passing it on, that is what to me, music, my music and my that was my mission was just to pass on my love of music, and to do that through playing, to do that through being humble, uh, when people recognized my, you know, if they enjoyed my playing.
00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:16.880
Um, and people would often come up, oh man, at a at a jam night or where, oh man, you're a great drummer.
00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:18.240
I loved your drumming, thank you so much.
00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:20.960
And it's you know, to me that is very humbling.
00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:22.960
I don't I don't get a big head over that.
00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:24.720
I get humbled by that.
00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:32.960
I feel gracious that they have recognized me uh for my talent.
00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:41.519
And, you know, that is that's that's that's what I get at that's my that was my drug, right?
00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:47.920
Was the the just the the fan appreciation and and making people dance.
00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:58.799
There's nothing stronger, there's no other drug out there that can make you want to play music stronger than watching people get up and dance when you're playing.
00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:06.880
Um because that is the purest show of appreciation fans of music really can give a performer.
00:26:07.200 --> 00:26:15.920
Because we're only there to make you move, we're only there to make you move in some way, you know, uh emotionally, physically, spiritually, whatever.
00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:19.519
Um and when you get up and dance, that's where it's at, man.
00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:20.319
That's where it's at.
00:26:20.480 --> 00:26:23.279
That's like that's the drug for me.
00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:25.200
That was that was the drive.
00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:30.000
Uh you know, if the crowd wasn't having fun, I wasn't having fun.
00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:48.240
And you know, I hosted a couple jam sessions, um, like regular jam sessions, uh one in Ottawa, um where I'm just trying to remember that I can't remember the name of the venue, but just a bar in Ottawa, and we would go and play, and the only payment I got was like a free meal and three free drinks for the night.
00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:49.200
Like that was it.
00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:49.599
Right.
00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:50.319
That was the payment.
00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:51.119
Here you go.
00:26:51.680 --> 00:27:00.160
You pack your drums in, you set up, you do your sound check, you let people play your instrument, and then you pack it all up and pack it out afterwards, right?
00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:09.279
For a meal and a couple of drinks, it was not a lot, but it was enough because the people that I was playing with were getting the same, and we were hungry.
00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:17.440
And then eventually we started getting paid money because we started to bring in a crowd, and you know, it started to become their their best night.
00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:24.079
Um, you know, we we built something there, and and you know, I played at the rainbow club in in Ottawa.
00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:25.839
Like, I mean, I could name the venues.
00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:27.759
Uh, there's many, many.
00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:32.640
Um, but but Maxwell's in Waterloo.
00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:33.359
Indeed.
00:27:33.440 --> 00:27:35.119
I did play there with Revolve.
00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:36.559
Um, what a great gig that was.
00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:38.720
Yeah, yeah.
00:27:38.799 --> 00:27:40.000
Shout out to Waterloo.
00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:41.680
Um, and shout out to Revolve.
00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:49.039
You know, I have a bit of a a bit of a sordid history sometimes when it comes to some of the bands I played in.
00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:51.680
And, you know, it's a marriage.
00:27:51.920 --> 00:27:52.720
It's a marriage.
00:27:52.799 --> 00:28:00.240
It's a relationship that has to be bonded in loyalty and love and trust and all those things.
00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:12.079
Uh, and there has to be respect on all levels with all of the members, and it has to be there has to be a balance, it has to be, it doesn't have to be 100% even, but it has to balance.
00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:19.519
And when that balance ceases to be a balance, um things go poorly.
00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:26.000
And if there's ever alcohol involved, it's just a bad scene, right?
00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:26.480
Yeah.
00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:35.119
So, you know, the I as far as the Delta Blues band, I ended up leaving them because we just, you know, we were kind of just not getting to where I wanted to be.
00:28:35.200 --> 00:28:43.279
We were actually re- recording, we recorded a whole bunch of stuff at a a small recording studio in Wakefield.
00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:46.799
Um just on the little, there's like a little creek there.
00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:48.480
I'm just trying to remember what it's called now.
00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:53.599
I did a shout-out to Neil from that studio in a in an I think in another episode.
00:28:53.839 --> 00:28:58.079
Uh you know, I do talk about Yeah, because you're we were yeah, we were talking about the black sheep, right?
00:28:58.240 --> 00:28:59.440
Yeah, that's right, that's right.
00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:01.759
And oh yeah, I played the played the black sheep.
00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:16.000
Uh in fact, I got the uh one of my things, one of my behaviors when I was a musician was if I played at a gig somewhere, uh I would take a mug or a like a big beer glass, right?
00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:19.440
Yeah, I had a whole collection, my whole kitchen at home was just full of them.
00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:25.680
But I got the last um sort of waffle design mug that they had at the black sheep.
00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:34.480
So if any of you have ever been to the black sheep before this time, before that time, you'll know that they served their beer in a waffle-shaped mug, like it looked like waffles on the outside of it.
00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:38.240
Not waffle-shaped because that's square, but it had waffle shape on it.
00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:39.920
On its cylinder.
00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:41.519
Uh, I got the last one.
00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:43.119
So there's no more of those there anymore.
00:29:43.279 --> 00:29:45.839
I think they say black sheep on them now, but I got the last one.
00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:49.359
I know I did because the bartender, when I asked him if I could take it, he said absolutely.
00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:50.400
It's the last one.
00:29:50.480 --> 00:29:51.680
It's the end of an era.
00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:54.079
So do I still own it?
00:29:54.240 --> 00:30:03.039
No, it probably fell and broke and you know, shattered into a million pieces like my musical career did at the end when my when I had to retire.
00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:08.319
Well, I had to retire due to due to you know physical medical reasons, right?
00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:17.119
I've had a number of surgeries as a direct result of my body and its inability to to continue to play drums like I was doing.
00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:28.880
Uh I've had, you know, like I mentioned before, uh, three carpal tunnel surgeries, a cubital tunnel surgery, and I'm looking at, you know, probably a finger surgery for ligaments that I tore off while I was recovering from my third carpal tunnel.
00:30:29.039 --> 00:30:32.480
So, you know, it it it builds up over time.
00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:38.400
And these guys that go into their like 70s and 80s, man, I want I'd like to know how they do it.
00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:40.079
Like I'd like to know what their secret is.
00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:44.559
It's it's you know, not everyone can do it.
00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:58.559
Not everyone can do it, but God bless them, and and I hope they continue to do it because a lot of the music that they're you know they're playing now, a lot of these older guys, uh you know, folks, if you get a chance to see uh an older musician do it now because they won't be around forever.
00:30:58.799 --> 00:31:00.799
We all we all go in the end.
00:31:00.960 --> 00:31:10.720
And uh you know, they take that writing ability with them and they take their voice with them, and and you know, it's like when Gord Downey passed, the hip stopped playing.
00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:23.599
It's like when John Bonham, like I mean John Bonham, when he died, he was such a pivotal, important member of the band, the sound of John Bonham, nobody else played like that, so they couldn't just replace him.
00:31:24.079 --> 00:31:26.720
Because no one else was so you know, I get it.
00:31:26.960 --> 00:31:34.880
Uh, you know, get a if you get a chance to go out and see some older musicians, then then take the chance, take the opportunity.
00:31:35.440 --> 00:31:40.559
Um love them while they're still here, because after they're gone it's too late.
00:31:40.880 --> 00:31:41.839
Yeah, that's right.
00:31:42.240 --> 00:31:46.880
I saw I saw I saw the hip uh a few times, I think three times I saw them.
00:31:47.039 --> 00:31:48.960
But I also did lights uh for a while.
00:31:49.039 --> 00:31:58.880
So you know, uh at a at a club in Barrie, and I you know saw bands like Wild Tea in the Spirit and um Alanis no, not Alanismore set.
00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:01.279
Alanna Miles came and played there.
00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:07.759
Uh Trooper, Wild Tea in the Spirit, all kinds of Our Lady Peace.
00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:09.440
Our Our Lady Peace.
00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:12.640
Uh quite a few large Canadian acts.
00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:20.319
Uh, and I was getting to the to the point my next gig was gonna be actually at a at a at an arena.
00:32:20.880 --> 00:32:23.279
Uh to do bare niggas ladies.
00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:34.079
Uh to do lights for them for their show uh on the tour they were doing at the time, and I ended up being really sick and ended up in the hospital and you know, didn't get a chance to do that.
00:32:34.160 --> 00:32:41.599
So that kind of ended that that career, I guess, in a sense that, you know, that was a life-changing situation for me.
00:32:41.759 --> 00:33:09.039
And um, you know, but I had also I'm getting a little bit scattered here, but I remember setting up a light show once in the in a stadium, or uh not a stadium, but a an arena in a relia and being up on scaffolding, and all of a sudden, you know, leading over with this set of this these park hands uh you know to to to mount them up on the rafter.
00:33:09.359 --> 00:33:22.480
We were that high up on the scaffolding, and I started to lose my balance, and I fell forwards and the lights fell out of my hand, thank goodness they did not hit anyone on the way down because there would have been a fatality.
00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:30.319
And the guy I was working with saw me starting to, you know, flail and grab my belt and pull me back and save me.
00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:32.960
Um I'm still afraid of heights today.
00:33:33.119 --> 00:33:38.880
I still have a fear, a healthy respect for heights, we'll say, uh, as a result of that, you know.
00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:44.720
So there, you know, there's always good and bad in any career you you go, um any career path you follow.
00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:52.559
But for me, music has just been you know, it's been something my first instrument I played was guitar at the age of 10.
00:33:52.880 --> 00:34:15.199
And you know, around the age of ten, and just really was an escape for me, and was uh, you know, getting into drums at the age of fourteen and starting to play drums was really the ultimate for me to be able to express myself and and to, you know, just get some of that energy that I had out, because I had a lot of energy.
00:34:15.280 --> 00:34:17.440
I was very Yeah, yeah.
00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:19.039
Yeah.
00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:34.559
I I you know it was really um so ex it was exciting actually for me to hear that after all the time that went by that we had not talked or seen each other, that yeah, that you played in those bands.
00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:36.960
I was like so overjoyed about that.
00:34:37.039 --> 00:34:41.920
I was so happy to hear that because I know you know I I know how much music means to you, right?
00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:44.800
So um, yeah, it was just great.
00:34:44.880 --> 00:34:50.719
It was like oh I'll never I'll never claim to be the best drummer because I know I'm not the best drummer out there.
00:34:50.960 --> 00:35:00.800
Uh but based on audience response, musician response, you know, I know I'm not a bad drummer.
00:35:01.119 --> 00:35:05.840
And you know, I I taught for a couple years, I taught here, uh, my own studio.
00:35:05.920 --> 00:35:14.719
I taught in Barrie at a music store in Barrie for a little while and taught students from the age of well four to ninety-four.
00:35:14.960 --> 00:35:24.400
Uh had a 94-year-old man come in and say, Hey, my doctor says I'm really healthy and he wants me to, you know, to learn a new take up a new hobby, and I've decided to play drums.
00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:28.400
I'm like, oh, he's like, I bought a drum kit, I have a practice pad, I've got sticks.
00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:30.159
What do I need to learn?
00:35:30.480 --> 00:35:33.360
So, you know, it starts with four.
00:35:33.599 --> 00:35:44.800
If you can learn if you can count to four repetitively, uh basically you can learn how to play drums or or any instrument, any any percussive instrument.
00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:54.960
And and you know, so I taught him the importance of the number four and how to play, you know, a straight beat, and then you know, how to play rudiments too.
00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:58.000
A lot of musicians now, a lot of drummers don't learn the rudiments.
00:35:58.159 --> 00:36:12.639
They don't have any idea what a paradidal is, they don't know what a a flam is, or you know, all the different ins and outs of their instrument, and and so how do you how do you communicate when you're playing with other players or or anything if you don't understand your instrument?
00:36:12.880 --> 00:36:24.800
You know, uh it's uh because ultimately your instrument becomes the expression of of your love for what you're doing.
00:36:26.800 --> 00:36:27.119
Really.
00:36:27.440 --> 00:36:32.800
And you know, a lot of people talk about how music is kind of like therapy for them, right?
00:36:32.960 --> 00:36:42.320
And um, you know, I know it can really change I think I feel like it can really change the you know, I I watch even rooms, right?
00:36:42.400 --> 00:36:48.880
Like how it can change the like what's happening in a room, what's happening at a party, a social event.
00:36:49.039 --> 00:36:58.960
You know, even the other night they were playing blues, really old blues, before the opening acts, and you could just see, you know, the audience reacting to that.
00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:15.840
I love to to watch that, and I feel like for me, like you know, I've told you before, I have playlists, I have so many different playlists, and they're based on like, do I feel like listening to like you know, Lena Del Rey, like or some like really moody type music, or do I feel like what is it about?
00:37:16.320 --> 00:37:17.360
What's the activity that I'm doing?
00:37:17.679 --> 00:37:25.119
That's right, or you know, I'll be listening to like I don't know, like really like very heavy music sometimes, right?
00:37:25.199 --> 00:37:26.559
Depending on how I feel.
00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:27.679
So yeah, it's a lot of people.
00:37:28.159 --> 00:37:36.800
I also played, I also played with uh an Acadian band uh here in Fort McMurray, uh that was mostly a French singing band.
00:37:37.119 --> 00:37:37.440
Wow.
00:37:37.679 --> 00:37:49.760
And I don't really speak French, you know, but we would you know obviously they spoke some English and we would, you know, they they were fluent actually in in both languages, and and we would, you know, talk before we would play the song.
00:37:49.920 --> 00:38:00.159
I would ask the the writer of the song or the or the singer, depending if it was a traditional Acadian song or an original, because we did a booth, I would say close to 50-50.
00:38:00.320 --> 00:38:03.440
Uh, and then we also did a bunch of English covers as well.
00:38:03.760 --> 00:38:32.880
And you know, they would explain sort of the theme of the song that they wrote, or the theme of the lyrics that they were about to sing, and from that alone, and then hearing the guitar part and the bass, I could play that song and be able to communicate sort of that that emotion that they were trying to portray through the song through my own instrument, right?
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:37.760
By understanding, okay, what's gonna sound if it's an angry song, what's gonna sound angry?
00:38:37.840 --> 00:38:43.440
Well, I'm gonna open up my hi-hat a little bit, I'm gonna hit my crash symbol, I'm gonna hit that that snare drum right on the center, right?
00:38:43.599 --> 00:38:46.559
Make it as loud as possible, and hit that bass drum.
00:38:46.719 --> 00:39:09.039
It and if I want it to be quiet and reserved, well, I'm gonna you know, I'll play the hi-hat closed, and maybe you know, uh I would limit my my crash symbol use, but it just depends like on what on what you hear, what I hear in the first, you know, couple bars of the guitar player playing the melody.
00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:30.639
And just from that, you know, and experience and having played for uh many years, I can play the beat that's appropriate for that song at the tempo that they're playing, and and play with them and watch for the changes, and watch for the stops, and watch for the starts, and it's all about nonverbal communication, so it doesn't matter if I understand the language ultimately.
00:39:30.800 --> 00:39:30.960
Yeah.
00:39:31.280 --> 00:39:33.920
A perfect example of that is when I played in Cuba.
00:39:34.239 --> 00:39:56.639
I got married in Cuba, and when I got married, we were walking around the lobby of the hotel with myself and a bunch of my guests, and there was a band there, a little little just a little three-piece, a little three-piece, little power trio, uh, just sitting in the lobby playing, and I decided to approach them and ask them if I could sit in for a couple of songs.
00:39:56.719 --> 00:39:58.800
I ended up playing a number of songs with them.
00:39:59.039 --> 00:39:59.920
Got some pictures.
00:40:00.079 --> 00:40:04.320
I think there might even be video out there somewhere in social media land, but it was a lot of fun.
00:40:04.480 --> 00:40:08.960
And you know, I guess technically it makes me an international performing artist, right?
00:40:09.199 --> 00:40:10.079
It does day.
00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:14.719
I can play anywhere, uh, and I can play with anyone, and I can play most styles of music.
00:40:14.800 --> 00:40:19.440
The really the the hardest music the hardest style of music for me is probably jazz.
00:40:19.599 --> 00:40:27.280
Now, you mentioned something uh about music therapy or music as therapy, or you know, how how therapeutic music can be can be.
00:40:27.519 --> 00:40:32.480
A guest of our show that we're gonna have in the next couple episodes, you'll have to watch and listen.
00:40:32.639 --> 00:40:42.159
Um, my friend Ken from high school, actually, who's my sister's best friend, and she was the best man at his wedding when he got married to his wife Natalie.
00:40:42.400 --> 00:40:52.880
He's gonna be here to talk about his musical history and and you know, accessibility now that that he and his wife are getting a little bit older.
00:40:53.199 --> 00:41:10.159
And also uh he wrote a thesis when he did I don't know if he's I don't know if it's a doctorate or just a just um a bachelor, but he he did study music and did a a thesis on music as therapy or how um music can be used in therapy.
00:41:10.480 --> 00:41:15.440
Sorry, he said he studied music and I think he studied also psychology, and he now works as a psychologist.
00:41:15.599 --> 00:41:23.119
So he does have some some credentials and we're gonna have him here as a guest to talk about, you know, one of his well, he loves to talk about jazz.
00:41:23.360 --> 00:41:29.920
The man loves jazz, uh, and can you know he's he's he's fluent in jazz, we'll say he can talk jazz.
00:41:30.079 --> 00:41:34.400
I have a hard time talking jazz because I'm not a huge jazz listener.
00:41:34.639 --> 00:41:50.079
Uh so those of our listeners that enjoy jazz or just enjoy talking about music or listening to someone else's interesting perspective on music, uh this this friend of mine, Ken, will be here uh in in probably a couple episodes from now.
00:41:50.480 --> 00:41:52.079
We're getting ready to have him on.
00:41:52.320 --> 00:41:55.360
So just a little bit of a teaser there for you.
00:41:56.639 --> 00:42:04.400
Moving on, you're listening to the Generation Cassette Podcast, which is a genuine human media production.
00:42:05.039 --> 00:42:07.119
And uh we thank you for listening.
00:42:07.360 --> 00:42:16.159
We had a great time presenting this episode today and talking about all the things we talked about, and we look forward to our next episode.
00:42:16.320 --> 00:42:17.679
Jen, any last words?
00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:20.480
Happy 10th anniversary, Jay.
00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:21.679
10th episode?
00:42:21.840 --> 00:42:23.119
10th episode anniversary?
00:42:23.280 --> 00:42:23.440
Yeah.
00:42:23.760 --> 00:42:25.039
Yes, absolutely.
00:42:25.360 --> 00:42:26.079
That's amazing.
00:42:26.159 --> 00:42:27.360
I still can't believe it's 10.
00:42:27.519 --> 00:42:29.599
10 yes, yes, 10.
00:42:29.920 --> 00:42:34.880
Jen and Jay made something and now it has this many episodes of holding up both hands.
00:42:35.039 --> 00:42:36.159
Jen can see them on the camera.
00:42:36.239 --> 00:42:36.559
You can't.
00:42:37.599 --> 00:42:44.559
Also, those of you that don't know, we are thousands of kilometers away, not sitting in the same studio, not even close.
00:42:44.719 --> 00:42:55.280
Now, we do have uh the same microphone manufactured by uh by a company that will remain nameless.
00:42:55.360 --> 00:43:04.320
But we did we did buy the same microphone and we're using the same recording software to try and make it as as sound as as close to possible that we're in the same studio.
00:43:04.480 --> 00:43:12.159
But through a little bit of editing magic and whatnot, we can kind of adjust some things uh without using too much or any AI.
00:43:12.400 --> 00:43:19.440
But this is a genuine human media production in the sense that that we're genuinely human and we are producing it.
00:43:19.760 --> 00:43:23.119
And and so that's you know, that's where we fit under that.
00:43:23.440 --> 00:43:35.039
We'd like to make a special shout out to Jen's friend Ron, who has been a wonderful supporter of the podcast from the beginning and continues to spread the word at every opportunity.
00:43:35.280 --> 00:43:36.320
Thanks, Ron.
00:43:36.639 --> 00:43:44.239
But until next time, folks, keep listening and spread the word, share, like and and and subscribe.
00:43:44.480 --> 00:43:45.519
That's all I can say.
00:43:45.679 --> 00:43:46.559
Until next time.
00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:48.000
We're outta here.
