Monday Roundup #55

Someday this space might be mostly concert listings again, but for now Monday roundups might include a romp through the MFS archives, some bandcamp suggestions, nods to a few livestreams, and sundry community notes (email me if you have anything that needs broadcast in the latter category!).

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Community notes:

• Audiopollination is returning to its pre-pandemic "self-curated" format for its shows coming up in March, April and May, giving performers to improvise in a safe zone but still outside of one's usual context. Series host Mike Lynn notes: "If it is safe I will allow a live audience - If it isn't, than we can livestream it from Array space with no audience." To sign up, you just have to head over to the spreadsheet here.

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Livestream nation:

• Track Could Bend is back tomorrow (Tuesday, February 1st) with two sets (solo performances in times of covid anxiety) from Paul Newman and Lina Allemano, premiering on youtube at 7 o'clock and 8 o'clock respectively. Come and hang out "live" in the chatroom, or catch 'em any time later on at those same links.

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Video hits:

• Big archive find from Ryan Driver this week — he has shared the recently-rediscovered "only known video footage of Canadian experimental music ensemble The Reveries". This recombination of Rat-Drifters saw Driver alongside Eric Chenaux and Doug Tielli featuring strangely-melted tunes courtesy of the members' mouth-speakers.

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In the mix:

• Check out this "eclectic and blissful" MailTape mix, guest-curated by Del Stephen.

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Bandcamp corner:

• Special reminder that Bandcamp Fridays are back for the next few first-Fridays-of-the-month, including this Friday. (The full schedule for now is on February 4th, March 4th, April 1st, and May 6th.) Dust off your wishlists and support the artists you love!

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It happened this week...

• ...on February 5, 2018 at Burdock Music Hall (Megaphono Roadshow).

Willie Thrasher - Blue Blue Sea

[Do remember that you can click on the tags below to go back and find the original posts (and often, more stuff) from these artists.]

Recording: Willie Thrasher

Artist: Willie Thrasher

Songs: Blue Blue Sea + Thank You

Recorded at Burdock Music Hall (Megaphono Roadshow), February 5, 2018.

Willie Thrasher - Blue Blue Sea

Willie Thrasher - Thank You

This showcase-style evening at Burdock was assembled by Ottawa's Megaphono festival, bringing some of their acts out for a quick roadtrip in the lead-up to the festival weekend. Headlining the night was Nanaimo's Willie Thrasher and Linda Saddleback, stars of last summer's Native North America Gathering (and its informal street-corner encore). Seated behind his kickdrum, banging out tunes on his 12-string (and, quite excellently, clad in a sk8-style THRASHER t-shirt) Thrasher radiated positive vibes, even if the pair were tired from a delayed flight on their eastbound trip. With skills honed from many years as a busker, Thrasher could stretch out songs, toss in asides, and send shout-outs to the audience effortlessly, focusing on songs from his Asumatak album — plus throwing in this brand new one heard here.

Recording: Willie Thrasher

Artist: Willie Thrasher

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Matt Cohen Park, August 8, 2017.

Willie Thrasher - unknown

A truly historic night, the Native North America Gathering brought together ten musicians whose early works had been a part of 2014's epic Native North America, Vol. 1 compilation. A smaller group had assembled at last summer's Winnipeg Folk festival, but this event was truly unprecedented both in scale and sheer joy-inducing wonder. Over the course of the evening, the musicians were constrained to short mini-sets, so it's no surprise that some of them had some more music to share. Closing out the night, Willie Thrasher told the crowd in Trinity-St Paul's to wait outside after the concert finished for some a special outdoor after-show, and indeed once the crowds had dispersed, a small group headed over to the corner of Bloor + Spadina and settled in for what turned out to be over an hour-plus kitchen-style hootenanny. Leland Bell, Willy Mitchell, Willie Thrasher and Eric Landry all pulled out their guitars, sang some and pitched in on each other's songs, though the latter two were the most eager to keep playing.

Willie Thrasher has been one of the more visible alumni of the NNA comp, with his 1981 Spirit Child album earning a re-issue alongside his ongoing touring work. A seasoned busker in his adopted hometown of Nanaimo, Thrasher had no trouble at all making himself heard out on this street corner, sharing not only a few of his own tunes but a taste of Dylan and some other singalong covers as well.

[Do note that the this is a rough field recording captured on a busy street corner without amplification, so it's a little more lo-fi than usual. As for the main concert itself, the night was taped for broadcast by the CBC, so keep an eye out for news of when you can hear some pristine sounds from the night.]

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Youtube has some busking videos under various titles, but I can't seem to find anything definite. Please leave a comment if you know it!