Recording: U.S. Girls

Artist: U.S. Girls

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Tranzac Fundraiser II), June 14, 2024.

U.S. Girls - unknown

It had been a hot minute since I had seen Meg Remy in performance, and I was pleased to see that this fundraiser-closing set was with a full band (although the evidence is also that she has been slaying it in duo mode with Geordie Gordon). This turned out to be a shorter but intensely-focused set, with this discofied jam sprawling out for about half of its length. Remy went from having her own private dance party on stage to taking it out among the crowd — I didn't have a great angle to see all the shenanigans, but I am told things got up close and personal. And then, job done, Remy sashayed off the stage, leaving 'em wanting more.

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

Recording: Eucalyptus

Artist: Eucalyptus

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Tranzac Fundraiser II), June 14, 2024.

Eucalyptus - unknown

This set brought a different "look" from Eucalyptus than had been seen in their previous appearance in the Tranzac's Main Hall. Part of that was down to the presence of a couple last-minute fill-ins (Chris Banks on bass and Robin Buckley on percussion), but the biggest shift was hearing Aline Homzy on violin up front, occupying the role of foil and counterpart to Brodie West that has traditionally been filled by Nicole Rampersaud. The difference in timbre was felt in an accentuation of glide over thrust, which especially added an extra sheen of subtle shimmy to the slower numbers like this one.

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

Recording: Cots

Artist: Cots

Song: unknown^* + Pineapple Shoes [John Southworth cover]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Tranzac Fundraiser II), June 14, 2024.

Cots - unknown

Cots - Pineapple Shoes

Steph Yates lead off this second Tranzac fundraiser event in solo mode, just voice and spare guitar presenting some songs from her recordings as well as some newer developments.

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

Recording: Blake Howard

Artist: Blake Howard

Song: Tranzac Raffle Draw

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Tranzac Fundraiser I), April 20, 2024.

Blake Howard - Tranzac Raffle Draw

As part of an effort to find and maintain a stable financial footing, The Tranzac has announced a series of quarterly fundraising concerts, drawing on the starpower of some its regular denizens to fill the Main Hall. A bit of a curiousity at hand here, but this presentation was so wonderfully "Blake" that it merits preservation. Well-known in certain circles for his off-the-cuff comments that can send the listener's perceptions on unsuspected perpendicular paths, Blake Howard is a wonderfully-witty wordsmith, and it was a canny choice to have him as MC of the evening's raffle draw while Sandro Perri and bandmates vamped behind him.

[The second Tranzac fundraiser will be taking place on Friday, June 14th with sets from U.S. Girls, Eucalyptus, and Cots.]

Recording: Sandro Perri

Artist: Sandro Perri

Song: Elegant Solution

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Tranzac Fundraiser I), April 20, 2024.

Sandro Perri - Elegant Solution

As part of an effort to find and maintain a stable financial footing, The Tranzac has announced a series of quarterly fundraising concerts, drawing on the starpower of some its regular denizens to fill the Main Hall. Previewing some songs from his next album, Sandro Perri showed off further expansions in his mellow, gently-funky zone, with mildly-expansive songs such as this one (is an "Elegant Solution" the antipode of Ryan Driver's "Fruitless Endeavour"? In any case, this one contains a vocal bridge from Driver) as well as a major new exercise in "infinite songwriting", which like "In Another Life", stretched out for well over twenty minutes and required a trio of additional musicians.

[The second Tranzac fundraiser will be taking place on Friday, June 14th with sets from U.S. Girls, Eucalyptus, and Cots.]

Recording: Masahiro Takahashi

Artist: Masahiro Takahashi

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Tranzac Fundraiser I), April 20, 2024.

Masahiro Takahashi - unknown

As part of an effort to find and maintain a stable financial footing, The Tranzac has announced a series of quarterly fundraising concerts, drawing on the starpower of some its regular denizens to fill the Main Hall. Leading off this first event, producer/electronicist Masahiro Takahashi took the opportunity to draw on the Tranzac community to expand his sounds with a backing trio that included Kurt Newman (lap steel), Ryan Driver (piano) and Michael Davidson (vibes). That put his "bedroom producer" aesthetic on a bigger canvas, with mostly-gentle grooves that moved somewhere in cozy amble-along/bubble bath sonic zones.

[Masahiro Takahashi's Cha-no-yu residency ("a gathering of music producers, improvisers, and listeners") begins on Friday (May 17th) with performances from C.R. Gillespie and Nick Storring & Masahiro Takahashi — and will continue on every third Friday of the month. The second Tranzac fundraiser will be taking place on Friday, June 14th with sets from U.S. Girls, Eucalyptus, and Cots.]

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