Iggy Pop is a man on a mission. His own mission, that is. What it is, only he is privy to it.
I never believed that U2 wanted to save the whales. I don’t believe that The Beastie Boys are ready to lay it down for Tibet. Iggy Pop
I’ve never been a real big Iggy Pop lover but the man on stage is raw and inspiring. He work with the stooges is well known and now the man and his band is set to play in Toronto at the Yonge-Dundas Square stage. It’s all part of the NXNE Festival concert line up this year.
I’d love to go and check his show out live tonight but I have previous plans for today that cannot be changed! I just found out about the show yesterday morning after coming home from an early doctors appointment down the street from Yonge-Dundas Square.
I was walking to the subway to go home and get ready for work when I saw the stage being set up, so I had a few minutes to spare, so I just walked around a bit. I saw this cool older couple sitting a this outside venue at a table and they were having a smoke and a coffee. So I walked up to them and asked then what was up and they told me of the show. Damn, not enough time to change our plans.
Has anyone out there seen these guys live? Am I nuts for not ditching my plans today for the chance to see the great Iggy Pop and the New Stooges play that is 7.9 km (4.9 miles) away?
The Canadian Guitar Festival highlights some of hidden talent that we have here on this continent. The Canadian Guitar Festival and Fingerstyle Guitar Competition offers the best of acoustic guitar virtuosity on an International stage.
Have you ever planned on doing something that you really, really want to do only to end up shake your head when you realize that you completely forgotten the thing that you swore to yourself that you wouldn’t forget? Well this is the one event’s! I’ve posted about this fabulous event before on my other blog and still I forget! A dear old friend on Facebook told me about this one, thanx for reminding me Mary! She actually sent me a link from her local newpaper about the festival.
The festival is held in a town called Kepler, which is a bit west of the festival. On the last day of the show, 19 competitors, some from as far away as Philadelphia and Hawaii, entered the finger-style guitar competition. Just imagine the different interpretations that can be heard on the stage, must of been nice!
A little side note here, Air Canada(not Westjet this time around) damaged a guitarist’s axe.
Calum Graham our 2nd place winner had his guitar smashed to pieces by Air Canada. Lets “cross our fingers in the hopes that Air Canada will do the right thing”! Canadian Guitar Festival 2009
I wonder if Bruce Cockburn ever gets the opportunity to get there? He lives in Kingston, which is about 20-22kms. from downtown Kingston.
Also in the area and on that same weekend was 2 other music festivals. One is called Flinton Jamboree and the other is Blue Skies. That’s an amazing amount of music for one weekend!
Did anyone here get the chance to go to this years Canadian Guitar Festival?
As you know the good people at Luminato Festival got together a bunch of like minded souls to gather together and attempt to break the Guinness World Book of Records for the most guitarist in a musical ensemble. We did set a Canadian record in this category in the process.
This is just a small sample of the atmosphere at Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square on Saturday June6th, 2009. This was when we were attempting to break the Guinness World book of Records for largest guitar ensemble. For more pictures of the event take a look at our flickr account.
The weather couldn’t of been better. I was to meet up with a buddy of mine, Sean, who works with me at the hospital. We also played a talent show at work a couple of years ago and we came in second place for the show. The winner was this lady playing the saw, yes a saw! In her defense it was very unique to say the least!
I ending up getting there early so I thought that I’d go to the Hard Rock and get us a seat on the patio. It took Sean and his beautiful bride to show up, so I had to earn my keep outside and started having a few light refreshing liquid beverages. Man that was fun!
I met tons of interesting people there. Also on the patio, there were tons of musicians hoisting pints before the show and we showing off their acoustics to anyone interested. I came across this guy named Mark McCreary who walked past my seat. He was carrying around a custom made guitar case that he created. This one was made of shaved bark and pine cones, REALLY COOL LOOKING! If you are looking for something like this for yourself or that special guitarist in your life, then give him an e-mail. uniquelydown@hotmail.com
This is a sample of the work that this guys does for his custom made guitar cases.
I remember this tall guy standing at the front of the stage with a hollow body guitar. He had his buddy there video taping the event. As it turns out, this video was taken by him and his buddy!
You can see Sean and myself on it at counter number 0:05. The counter is located on the bottom part of the video, and when the video is playing you will see numbers moving. I’m the guy with a white baseball cap on backwards with rectangular dark glasses. I am in the bottom part of the screen. I am holding up my beige top Larrivee. I am holding the guitar upside down and my guitar strap is hanging at the back of it. I’m wearing a light blue shirt. Sean is behind me directly to MY right YOUR left, with dark hair taking a picture with his head turned back to the crowd. He has a blue wristband on his right hand. You have to freeze the tape in order to see us.
The suspense was so think you could cut it with a dull butter knife! At one point, the announcer said that we were 5, YES 5 people short for the record. I looked back at Sean and the excitement level in our eyes was off the radar screen! Surely we can find 5 people at the busiest intersection of Toronto, Canada’s largest city, 5th largest in North America that plays guitar that wants to join in!
Then after performing the song, some guy from The Guinness Record group said that we were short 123 people! what the F–K! Didn’t they say we were 5 guitarists short a couple of minutes ago?!
At that point we quickly departed back to The Hard Rock Patio. Sean’s wife graciously was waiting for us, along with our guitar cases, I really appreciated that young lady!
Just a side note here, while in the head, I met this really excited guy. He told me that when he was on the patio and he heard that we only needed 5 more people for the record he begged and pleaded with the Hard Rock’s manager if he could get a guitar down from the wall and go over to join in. The manager hemmed and hawed for a split second. He then proceeded to grab this guitar off the wall that they used for employee of the month and let him go over! Can you believe it!
After a couple of drinks and some crying in our beers we headed off home.
We were sooo close but … Well there’s always next year!
P.S. Pinhead, you better show up for next years attempt, got it!!!
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