Listeners
Every Set is a Concert
This Musical Showcase / Jam event was created so you could see and hear live music acts in an intimate supportive environment. The
front half of the room, closest to the stage, is for attentive listening, and
farther back is for socializing. In this room we are all
sharing the sound space. If you can hear the performers, they can hear
you. We ask that you speak softly or refrain from talking in the concert
listening area.
This is a casual and friendly place so feel free to move around in the room as
your needs change throughout the night.
More...
Live in the moment - no pictures or recording
Live music is a gift from the performer to the people in the room to be enjoyed in the
moment. So listeners be present in the moment and enjoy the music without the distraction of trying to preserve the experience for later. And performers; Go wild, stretch, take risks and express yourself knowing that what happens here stays here.
The Music
You will hear acoustic oriented singer-songwriters, solo acts, duos or more, sometimes with light percussion. You will also hear electric guitars and bass, wind instruments and strings, light jazz to original rock. You never know who will be performing
on any given night.
Sets and Timing
A typical set is 15 minutes but there will be occasional feature sets that run a
little longer. We have seen as many as 10 acts in one night so the action can be
brisk. Some nights things can be more leisurely. But there is always
lots of variety as the performers will often form impromptu collaborations.
Quiet time: There is no blaring music between sets. Call it an ear break,
a little quiet is like clearing your palate so that you can hear each set fresh
from a place of quiet.
Last Friday
November 16th
Music Night Friday was exceptional this week. It was a study in contrasts from
solo singer song-writers to rockin' out jammin' R&B and Blues with four of us on
the stage later in the evening.
Thank you to all the performers:
- Ted: Guitar / Vocals
- Uke: Guitar / Vocals
- Carl: Guitar / Vocals
- Laura Kelsey (featured artist): Vocals / Guitar
- Shawn: Guitar / Vocals
- Brent: Vocals
- Everyone: Vocals (those moments we all shared)
A good friend came out for the first time. She observed the stark contrasts in
the ways that the different performers mixed voice and guitar in their
performances. There was everything from rich, expressive vocals against a sparse
background of minimalist accompaniment to playfully complex guitar work with
simpler vocals added to the mix. There were others who played in the middle
ground where the vocal and instrumental parts were more closely matched.
It was also interesting to see how the performers found their places on the fly
as they played together in impromptu collaborations (spontaneous jamming).
Laura Kelsey, this week's featured artist, gave us a taste of her versatility
from her quietly sparse solo work "the dog waz me" through to her solid "God
Don't Even Know" in the jam set. Thank you Laura.
It is stunning to hear the room hush to let the notes find their way. This
happened several times throughout the evening.
There was a wonderful moment where we, the audience, became the shared memory
for "Superman's Song", a request from Shawn's niece. It is a joy when people
spontaneously find the lyrics together and support one another in singing.
Toward the end of the night we had Laura in front with Carl, Ted, and I ripping
it up together. That was a lot of fun and a real privilege for me, to be in such
good company on the stage for this.
Several people in the comfortably near-full house last night came a long way to
be there. (Kitsilano, UBC, Steveston, Port Moody) and how nice It was to meet
some new local people as well. Thank you to all the people who came out
specifically to support the performers. It's nice to see how music brings us all
together.
There are few compliments as gratifying as when people come back, and even more
so when they bring new people with them. So welcome back to those who returned,
and thank you to those who brought friends.
Dinner was great. There were some new items on the menu, but I stuck with my
favourite meatless meatloaf, and I treated myself to the Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Maybe next week I'll try the new Teriyaki Rice Bowl and some non-dairy (coconut
milk) ice cream. Thanks for a great dinner Reed.
Thank you Julia for letting us run later than usual. It gave is time to breathe,
relax, and stay with the music as it moved us. Thank you to everyone who was
part of this lovely night.
See you next Friday!