Cheering up at the Press Club

I've been in a bit of a funk for the last week or so. Personal reasons, don't pry... Anyways, I woke up yesterday morning feeling 100% better. What did it? I think it might have been a trip to the Press Club the night before.

I almost didn't leave my house. The other option was to wallow in self-pity, it was a viable option, but I choose to walk to the Press Club anyways. It's about a 40 minute walk from my place in Roncesvalles, but I like to walk, as long as I have my I-pod fully charged. So that night I was accompanied by Wilco, Radiohead, Olenka and the Autumn Lovers, Bob Dylan, Holy Fuck, Electric Light Orchestra, etc... good company.

I arrived to find the opener setting up. The opener who's name I can't remember. Which is really unfortunate because I thought she was great. She played beautiful folk songs, and Canadian covers (and a Wilco cover!), accompanied by back up vocalist, a guitarist (not really sure what he did through out the set... played the odd solo, but seemed a little lost) and Cello player who was probably my favorite part of band. He played clever bass lines and counter melodies, and supported the vocals with some great harmonies. Was anybody at the Press club to see Gord Zubrecki? Who was the opener?! [the opener's name was Tiffany Hanus, thanks to Marshall for the info! Ed.]

Anyways, it was good to finally talk to Gord. You see, I was was supposed to play a show with him a while back, but earlier that day I ate a bad veggie burger at Harvey's and threw up... threw up green booster juice to be exact.... just off of Bathurst, north of the 401. Gord understood.

I also got chatting with drummer Marshall Bureau, who did such a great job a week earlier on my recordings. (yes, I'm recording, and yes it's going to be the greatest album of 2010).

It was great to run into some old friends as well. Dana Snell (former drummer of the Bicycles, current drummer for Gentleman Reg) and Andy Lloyd (associate of Caribou and The Born Ruffians) were there, and we chatted about the Electric Light Orchestra, The Garrison, the future of Sneaky Dee's (we figure, after "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" comes out, Sneaky Dee's will become a hub for pop punk bands and poser kids).

I wanted to stick around for Gord's set, but they weren't starting till about midnight, I had a 40 minute walk ahead of me, and had to be up for work in the morning. I commenced my journey, the first song on my I-pod was Mr. Blue Sky by ELO. You can't be upset when that song is playing. It's impossible.

I think all of this is a round about way of saying that, for me, music... well maybe Jeff Tweedy said it best when he said "Music is my savior, and I was maimed by rock and roll".

As you were.