Recording: C.R. Gillespie

Artist: C.R. Gillespie

Songs: two unknown titles^*

Recorded at Handlebar (Nite Comfort 74), December 1, 2019.

C.R. Gillespie - unknown

A bit of heaviness was in the air on this night with news freshly-circulating that Kensington's Handlebar had been sold, leaving the communities that have gathered there in limbo — even more of a shock as Nite Comfort's Aaron Dawson had just announced Leucrocuta's Laura Dickens as a new co-curator, bringing fresh energy and ideas to the series. At this writing, the future is unclear, as there have been some indications that the new owners plan to keep the venue "as is" rather than institute any wholesale changes — but nothing is written in stone. (Keep an eye out on Nite Comfort's FB group for further dispatches, and get out and support the series while you can.)

Previously best known in these parts as the bassist in local rock unit Greys, Colin Roy Gillespie has been expanding his practice as an ambient soundscapist for the past couple years. With pastoral field recordings and planetarium-worthy drift, there's a lot of spaciousness to his work, but also a firm sense of compositional shaping.

[Nite Comfort will be back at Handlebar on Sunday, February 2nd!]

^* Does anyone know the title(s) to this/these? (I think it's one piece that segues into a second.) Please leave a comment!

Recording: Greys

Artist: Greys

Songs: Linus and Lucy [Vince Guaraldi Trio cover] + Chick Singer (feat. Anna Mayberry)

Recorded at The Garrison ("Buzz Records Presents a Very Special Krampus Party"), December 6, 2014.

Greys - Linus and Lucy

Greys feat. Anna Mayberry - Chick Singer

It was genuinely exciting to see that no spin was required for the "local label makes good" angle with Buzz Records packing The Garrison on a Saturday night with a young and excited crowd. A lot of hard work and a lot of pulling for each other has brought the label's bands to a new level and there was a palpable sense of being part of a moment in the room.

Back home after taking their début long-player on the road for good chunks of the year, Greys seemed eager to fuck with their formula a little, leading off their set with the festive sounds of the Charlie Brown Christmas special and, later on, bringing up HSY's Anna Mayberry (who can be found in less shriek-y circumstances in her ANAMAI solo project) to flip the script on "Girl Singer".

Recording: Greys

Artist: Greys

Song: Chick Singer

Recorded at the MOCCA Courtyard (NXNE 2014: "Of Sound Mind"), June 22, 2014.

Greys - Chick Singer

Given the amount of rancour that had surfaced between the festival and elements of the local DIY scene, it was somewhat amusing to see some of the latter gathered together at this "indie label fair" on the festival's final day. Organized by Sonic Boom and People Put Out Productions, this felt like it had its fingers a bit more firmly on the street-level pulse than a lot of NXNE doings. It was nice to see records and tapes getting purchased and there were some cool bands playing outside in the courtyard, which helped send the festival off on a happier note than it began on.

Giving a push to their freshly-released debut long player If Anything, Greys were all over the place during the festival. As we speak, the band is taking the album on the road to the West Coast of the USA, but they'll be returning for a proper local release party at DIY punk space S.H.I.B.G.B.s on August 8th.

Recording: Greys

Artist: Greys

Song: That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate [Mission of Burma cover] + Brain Dead

Recorded at Sonic Boom ("Record Store Day"), April 19, 2014.

Greys - That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate + Brain Dead

Full review to follow. As has become a springtime tradition, Sonic Boom turned Record Store Day into a day-long spectacle, with live bands providing entertainment to the crowded store all afternoon long. Say what you will about the corporatization of the event, it does get people out and gives the community a chance to gather together — just hanging around all day felt like a rock'n'roll reunion as I kept running into friends and acquaintances old and new.

Greys' set was peppered with covers and was filled out with tunes from their forthcoming full-length. This one segues quickly from one to the other, with singer/guitarist Shehzaad Jiwani dedicating this MoB classic to the record store clerks that would be most likely to recognize it.

Recording: Greys

Artist: Greys

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Garrison ("Wavelength FOURTEEN" – Night 4), February 16, 2014.

Greys - unknown

You can read my notes for this show here.

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

Recording: Greys

Artist: Greys

Songs: Rennie + Carjack

Recorded at 159 Manning ("Don't Trust Anyone Under 30 – Manning BBQ 2013"), June 14, 2013.

Greys - Rennie + Carjack

Full review to follow. As always, a wonderful day at Tim McCready's annual non-NXNE all-day barbeque/hangout/music extravaganza. Bands played in the basement, living room and backyard, and there was plenty going on otherwise. You can check out my photo album from the day on the MFS Facebook page.

Greys are another band that I've been meaning to check out for a while now. Good stuff that anyone who digs, say, METZ, should check out. This livingroom set might not be totally representative, as I can extrapolate and guess that at most of their shows there's a lot more bodies bouncing off each other.