Looking ahead at 2010, the only date of interest in the local music scene is the municipal election in October. Hopefully we will get more leaders and fewer managers. It's a date that hovers over everything for those among us who take a more, ahem, activist approach to the D-Rock.
Another date of note is July 11, when Gordon Lightfoot, Ian Tyson and Sylvia Tyson are booked to close the 50th anniversary celebrations of Mariposa. We can only look longingly at such longevity. We have not a single festival and as of right now not even one house where original acts take precedent.
But we got KISS. Collaborative work from all sides managed to ensure the no-hit wonders took over the GM Centre. Quite a show. The circus surrounding the KISS gig summed up Oshawa's music scene in 09 for me. There were not too many shining moments this past year but these spaced-out epiphanies are what got me up in the morning and put me to sleep with a smile on my face.
(1) Final Fantasy at Hillside in Guelph. From my blog posting: "On Sunday evening clouds continued to build. Rain expected. Final Fantasy took to the main stage and began. The Guelph fiddler was alone as curtains of rain enveloped him, driven by double-digit kilometre winds. Security scurried and crew crawled to cover the equipment on stage. Lightning appeared to the west ... heading east. The call was made to shut down.
"Final Fantasy (Owen Pallette) refused, calling for one more minute, wanting to finish his song, wanting to finish his headlining set on his home fest before his home crowd ... one more minute and he played faster and louder and faster and louder, daring the wind, the rain, the weather to take him on ... a duel to possible death ... alone before the wrath... such courage, such conviction ... such power he had ... he held off the forces with his bow and fiddle. He sang, he sawed at the instrument ... until the sound grew to the cloud tops and then the crowd began to notice, began to see, slowly the clapping started, then cheers then roars of appreciation, then all at once it was like the surge of thunder and lightning the audience joined with Owen and refused to give in. We stood together against the storm. Too briefly, because eventually, nature bats last and the show was put on hold until She, tired of tossing us around, moved on. But what a time. What a memory."
(2) Evening Hymns and Patrick Dorie at the Foster Memorial in Uxbridge. An eerie religious experience.
(3) The SHWALTZ and its afterparty at the Green Bottle. Lead Sled Rocket owned.
(4) Joel Plaskett at Park Playhouse in Cobourg. Wow! Wow! Wow!
(5) Julie Doiron at the Montreal House in Peterborough.
(6) Julie Doiron with City And Colour at Massey Hall.
(7) Julie Doiron at Hillside Festival workshop with Patrick Watson.
(8) Julie Doiron with Shotgun Jimmie at Lee's Palace. Get the picture?!?
(9) Timber Timbre at The Courthouse in Toronto.
(10) 3Tards and Caution Inc at Memorial Park ... what a debacle! Dirty Shwarock at its finest and its worst.
Recommended by Friends.
I asked some mates for suggestions, records they all think you all would enjoy. There were no rules, just that the album had to be issued in 09.
Art Transistor of Transistor 66 Records
Bloodshot Bill -- Get High Tonight
Danijel Lejinad LosiÄ?of Holy Mountain
OM -- God is Good.
Alex Oliveira of The Free Press
Jay Z -- The Blueprint
Brian Pisani of 1S2L
Pearl Jam -- Backspacer
Jonas Bonnetta of Evening Hymns
Michael Hurley -- Ida Con Snock
William McGuirk is a freelance writer and longtime Oshawa resident. He can be contacted at wmacg@yahoo.com.
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