On The Road

Looking back at our spring tour dates from the lazy hazy days of summer
it all feels like a big blur of motion and excitement.
Jazz vocalist Shannon Butcher and I began making preparations while it was still freezing in Toronto and so named the tour "Up Jumped Spring" with hope in our heart. The idea was to share a band (Micheal Shand on keys, Ross MacIntyre and Daniel Barnes on drums), and duet on a few tunes at the end of the night. Turns out Shannon and I made a great team, she's logical and professional, I'm moody and impulsive..perfect. The clip included on this blog of us trying out different "duet requests"from the fans captures the fun.
Hamilton's historic Corktown was the perfect start. Everyone remembers getting drunk there back when it was Steeltown's only punk venue. The Donefors opened the show which was a lovely thing for us since we love their music and Janine had designed our classy tour poster.
Traveling in Daniel's Van was always exciting being that masking tape holding several important parts of the vehicle together. Losing a windshield wiper in the rain on the way to London sorta increased the whole excitement of being out on the road. Nothing like an emergency to bring folks together.
So our second show was at The London Music Club a real "music first" kind of venue that helps builds acts to local audiences in London Ontario. Crazily Shannon had just flown in from a performance in London, England for tourism Ontario the night before. Very international indeed.
By the time our little tour headed east to Ottawa's Mercury Lounge our show had been very nearly cancelled due to gun violence near the club the week before. In our nation's sleepy capital! Luckily everything was back to normal by the time we arrived and our hostess Sara Ainslie made us feel deliriously happy as always. The Mercury Lounge turns into an excellent dance club after and it was fun for us to hang out and "part-ee".

The next show was in Kingston at the downtown public library and my good pals Kathy and Rose fed and boarded the band in their century old homes, giving us that homecookin' feeling and full tummies before we headed off the next day to Montreal.
The Upstairs in Montreal was certainly my favorite show of the tour. Audiences in Quebec are always eager and the new fans I met while opening concerts for pal Molly Johnson came out to see us. We played encores till we ran out of material. After the audience left, bassist Ross and pianist Micheal Shand started playing old funk favorites and kept us singing and grooving until the wee hours. My favorite moments of the whole tour!

The last show at Toronto's Lula Lounge was filmed by our new pal Andy Frank and we've posted the first clip on You Tube ("I Came Back"). I have to say dueting with Shannon on The Beatles "The Two Of Us" and "Centerpiece" was a thrill for me. Ms. Butcher, who was also a member of a vocal group, (Swing Rosie),and knows harmony well has impeccable intonation and tone. Plus she knows all the words to 90's grunge songs. Now thats a jazz diva who is fun in the van!

Hey Folks.
Last week was CRAZEE with my musical direction gig on "The Ecstacy Of Rita Joe" opening in Ottawa at The National Arts Centre AND the kick off of our Spring Tour in Hamilton. BUT working with the cast and creative team on "Rita Joe" was very interesting and enjoyable.
The new score really recasts the whole tale as a spiritual journey that Rita is on so she's less of a victim and more of a seeker.
Given the unreported and unpunished rape and murder rates for native women I think thats an important change in this historical work which opened the National Arts Centre in the 70's. The current cast is strong indeed and the story is sadly still topical.

So, the very next night after opening I flew back to Toronto and Shannon and I kicked off the tour at The Corktown in Hamilton! A perfect night to start things rolling with a full house and a strong opening set by Janine Stoll and her group The Donefors! (Janine designed our excellent tour poster which really gives us class and swank).
Shannon and I tried the Beatles "The Two Of Us" (from the Let It Be album) as a duet and it worked like a dream...
The picture above is us at the stage door before loading up on greasy fries. Looking forward to London Ontario tomorrow!

Up Jumped Micah

Queen Street West is so nice and quiet first thing in the morning. No shoppers yet. No clubbers left from the night before. Only the birds and the sun peeking up over the buildings. Different from Venice Beach where I ran on the beach all those years in the morning...ah but Trinity Bellwoods park is the reason I held out for this apt!!

OK. This whole getting ready to tour thing is a lot more details that you ever think of right? Like where does the band stay in Montreal? And what duet are Shannon and I going to sing? AND AND AND..but I am reminded that this whole idea is about being able to play the music and bring it to the people man! So we're out talking to the press and updating our You Tube with new clips and making sure that the folks know we're coming to their town on Facebook etc and in all of this I am trying to stay focused on the reason ...by playing over the new songs Daniel and I are arranging for the upcoming disc every morning (driving my hard working neighbors crazy I'm sure). The Gypsy Heart tune might be a good title for the collection. We'll see.

"Up Jumped Spring"!

So, today my partner in crime Shannon Butcher and I filmed and posted our first You Tube Video Clip announcing the SPRING TOUR DATES! The whole thing was fun and breezy. (We are holding back the outtakes because they are just so damn cute and really we dont want to swamp the internet with too much charm all at once).

The whole reaching out to "new audiences thing" (which is what this spring tour is all about ),is feeling really exiting. For the past year or so my brother Daniel Barnes (drummer-composer extraordinaire) and I have been creating the material and arrangements for a new collection of songs. But of course that means lots and lots of time down in the rehearsal studio.

Joining forces with Shannon Butcher for tour dates is an opportunity to bring this music to a whole bunch of new faces who might remember me from my years singing as a member of The Nylons. Hope to see you out at the shows.