The Devil's Bartender

Cuba, Hell Yea!

In a word, it was Paradise. Beautiful beaches, water, good food, lots of booze and fine coffee and cigars- yes, it's all a man could ask for. A week wasn't long enough so next winter I think I'll have to make ammends...

Check out the picture of Shazzy in the pictures section. Revenge for the picture she posted of me on her blog!!!
http://thedevilsbartender.typepad.com/photos/cuba_2006/

Strategic Voting part 2

We're back to this familiar point in pre-election rhetoric where the phrase 'strategic voting' is being talked about like 'blowback' or some other necessary evil by voters and promoted like a savior by the Liberals.  This time around I am adamently opposed to it.  The main reason being that it will only push us towards an American style two party system (or split one party system).  If you can't vote for who you want to vote for than democracy is dead.

So this election I'm either voting NDP or for the Green Party to get some left leaning ideas put on the agenda.  Click here for more info on the NDP and here for the Green Party.

And get out there and VOTE!!!

ps- For some info on the NDP perspective on strategic voting you can check out this article in Rabble.ca sent to me by the author, Greg Dwulit (thanks Greg!).

Cuba bound un otra vez!

One of the highlights of this past week was a blamy +2 C day that allowed me to ride by bike.  It's been, as Hemingway would put it, cold and wet. Wet and gray.  Gray and cold.  And that's why i've finally snapped and bought a ticket for Cuba!

Yes, the lovely Miss Coucke and I are leaving tomorrow for a week of sun, sand, and seemingly free booze.  I'm normally not a package tour kinda guy but I'm really looking forward to this.  Hasta la proxima vez, adios chicos!

Happy New Year!

Yes, It's been a long time since I rock and rolled on this blog but that's a good thing because it means I've been busy.  So...

The Red Velvet Revolution played a rare gig at the end of November and even though it was a quiet weeknight (I was the designated driver for God's sakes!) it's probably the most fun I've had at a show in ages.  We had a good groove on stage and a good time with the folks who came out after.

Christmas came and went with a few blissful, blurry, and memorable if I could remember them, drinking sessions with friends and family.  I avoided b.s. like the plague and it seems to have paid off.  This was definitely one of the more enjoyable holidays. 

And now the New Year is upon us like a torrent of opportunity, like a swath of potential prosperity, like absolutely nothing out of the ordinary is going to happen because some years are just kinda like that.  Yes, it's time for a New Year's resolution that won't be kept:  I promise, with all my heart and soul and hair and teeth, that I will, without fail or exception, write a post of some sort each and every day of this magnificent new year.....

Montreal

Damn that city rocks!  After three nights of fine eating, drinking, and hedonistic activity, it was tough to face reality back in Toronto.  Montrealers know how to party, how to make a meal that is covered by a block of good cheese, and they seem to be genuinely friendly.  Bar and restaurant staff talk to you like human beings instead of money hungry salespeople (What a concept!)  Hell, one waiter didn't have any beer so he told me to go across the street to the Depaneur and buy some.  The beer was sold to me by two six year old girls.  Great city!

In the midst of all this there was a hockey tournament and I played like a one legged blind man who had never skated before.  It could've been the whisky, it might have been the gin, or maybe I should practice my skating more and show up to games without a hangover. But then it wouldn't be the Canadian way!  I was in pain for a couple of days afterwards but it was fun.

And on the last day I bought a Norman guitar (Quebec is world famous for it's acoustic guitars.  They've got some world class luthiers there.) A perfect finish to a perfect weekend.

Overdue Update!

Well, it's been two and half months but what the hell. Here's the brief update....

Grovestock 2005, the third annual music festival in Dufferin Grove park, was another roaring success and a beautiful, sunny day to boot. Good bands, good music, good times, and no one got arrested for partying in public.

Red Velvet Revolution played a gig at The Horseshoe and it rocked. We've done a whole lotta sweet f.a. since....

Algonquin was good and you can check out the detalis and photos at Shaz's site. (HEDGEDIN on the side bar <----)

There was a Hullabaloo at work that was a helluva lot of fun. I think that was at the end of Sept. I don't know what happened to October. It flew by. There were many good parties, the leaves changed colour, and women changed their wardrobes to match. It all looks beautiful.

Gigs available as long as you play....

I should probably blog about the recent Groove show and  'shoe show first but until I get the pictures.....

Turkmenistan bans recorded music

President Niyazov is known for giving eccentric orders Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov has banned the playing of recorded music at all public events, on television and at weddings. In a decree, Mr Niyazov said there was a need to protect Turkmen culture from "negative influences".

St. Bob

Yes, the man is most definitely destined for sainthood.  How he manages to pull off these spectacles is a mystery and people and pundits can ponder and question and analyze all they like: Bob Geldoff actually did something.  As someone once said, one Che Guevera is better than 100,000 arm chair socialists.

And the music kicked ass.  Those people are legends for a reason.

A Call to Arts

If you made any money as an artist last year the goverment of Ontario wants to know what you think of life as an artist in Ontario.  I did the math and almost 10% of my income last year came from music and writing (which explains why I was so broke!)  Their on-line survey is 22 short [pages that can be completed in about 10 minutes and it includes some of the good ideas being bounced around like following Ireland's lead and not taxing artists on income made in the arts.  It's all designed to make artists want to live and work in Ontario.

As Liam O'Donnell, who led me to this site, put it: "....grab a coffee, put on your best pair of PJs and take the survey."

Mike Doughty Rocked!

I saw Mike Doughty last week at the Rivoli and he is without a doubt one of the most charasmatic performers out there.  It was just him, his guitar, and 'Handsome Dan Chen' on the keyboards.  They were able to rock it out when it needed to be rocked out and strip it down to the bare bones when the mood called for it.  In between songs the man is a showman on his own plane.

That show almost made up for never having seen Soul Coughing.  Almost...