The first time I heard this woman sing I got into a fight with my friend over whether she sounded more like Janis Joplin or Grace Slick. Depending on the context we were equally right and equally wrong, but I longed to hear her sing this song.

Longed, I tell you!

And here it is!

Truly, I love these guys. I mean, read this entry and then read some of the others, and there is no question which band you should support.

I especially like the apology to Carmen Townsend and her band for stealing their beer. I wonder if they ever told her to her face?

The audio isn't great, but you can get the idea of that unearthly thing she does.

( Cut to see if FaceBook can handle it. )

A great time was had by all last night--Jeff and Tammy and I went out to the Marquee to see one of the ECMA showcases. We arrived just as the first band was ending. The next one, Mardee (I think) from Cape Breton started a little slow but by the end of their set we really liked them. The fact three of them traded off on vocals was pretty cool--the guy in the middle playing the Rickenbacker had a sound that made all of us turn to each other and agree he sounded like an eighties British band, possibly the singer in Joy Division.

In-Flight Safety was on next and the place predictably filled right up. They were really good, as usual.

Carmen Townsend followed them and kicked copious amounts of ass. We all mourned the fact that we couldn't instantly buy her CD, and I overcame my fear of jinxing ever getting to see her again to nab her as she walked by and tell her we'd loved her set.

Mark Bragg closed out the night and... well, I am prepared to believe he's very good at what he does (and his band was terrific, including the singer from Rock Ranger on guitar) but I frankly did not get him and would appreciate never seeing him with his shirt unbuttoned ever again. Eek.

It was a really good night, though. Especially the Carmen parts.

Actually, that's the opposite of what happened, but never mind.

Last night was the long-anticipated (well, by me) return of Carmen Townsend and the Shaky Deals to Tribeca. As I've mentioned, I've seen her play a couple of times and like her a lot. I'd have seen her a lot more by now if I didn't seem to have some sort of Carmen-specific mental block that causes me to not know about gigs until three days later or be out of town or something. In fact I didn't even go over to say hi last night because I figured that'd jinx the whole thing. (Okay, that last one was a lie, but you never know. Maybe it was lucky I didn't.)

I wasn't clear on who would be playing when, but Tribeca's ad in The Coast this past week made it look like GH&SH were opening the show, and that's what happened. It was a little strange to have the evening begin as usual and then have them only play about a dozen songs, but that wasn't the weirdest thing about their set.

No, the weirdest thing was neckties.

( Really. )

I was considering coming back out to see Al Tuck ("the best songwriter that anyone who's ever heard of him has ever heard of," according to Matt Mays) but I may have to let that one go and regroup for the Friday night showcase.

Next Tuesday there will be two bands again, only this time I understand GH&SH are going to be closing the show. I have no idea who the other band is or what they sound like, but I'm optimistic.

Yup, apparently her Tribeca show is on the Tuesday. So I can take the Wednesday off.

I still don't know who else will be there but I can always hope. Just because all of a sudden I see another opportunity for a killer version of "The Weight."

I just noticed that the date given on her main MySpace page says she's playing there Tuesday February 13th. However, if you click on the date itself and look at the details, the date given is the 14th.

Which could explain why, when I asked him about it last night, Evan from GH&SH didn't seem to know anything about it.

Honest to God, I'm going to have to take vacation that week or I'll kill myself--probably via caffeine poisoning trying to stay awake after being out watching bands every night!

I don't know why I haven't mentioned this already, but the East Coast Music Awards are in Halifax this February. The gala awards show thingie is actually scheduled for the 18th, which is my fortieth birthday. (I keep saying that out loud to get used to the idea. So far it isn't quite working.)

Anyway, I don't plan to go to the gala, but the rock showcases at the Marquee on Thursday and Friday look like fun. The Friday one features the aforementioned Carmen Townsend, as well as In-Flight Safety, who I have apparently decided not to stalk but will certainly be happy to see again. (And who knows, I may change my mind and stalk them after all.)

Anyway--should be fun. I just need to find out if anyone else wants to go before I get tickets.

Something I have noticed about myself in the last few years is this: I read mostly books written by women, and I listen mostly to music written and performed by men.

I don't have an explanation for this, it's just the way it's worked out. And it's certainly borne out in this journal, when you look at the list of bands and musicians I stalk take an unhealthy interest in. However, over the past couple of years I have actually been trying to take in more shows by a Cape Breton vocalist by the name of Carmen Townsend. I caught a short set by her at Rock the Dock in 2005, and another at Alderney Landing this past summer. I was impressed as hell the first time: she's a good guitar player, her band the Shakey Deals is tiny but perfect, and her voice does this weird Grace Slick thing sometimes that makes the hair stand up on my arms.

Anyway, I have been trying really hard to stalk support her. She's just very elusive--I have a tendency to find out about her shows in Halifax when I see a poster from the bus, and it's always after the show, or she plays the same night I have tickets to Kris Kristofferson (which I am sure she'd understand!) or she joins the fun at frigging Tribeca on a Tuesday when I am in Calgary... Which is why it was nearly a year between sightings.

Honest to God, I think she's avoiding me.

However, as the calendar on her MySpace page indicates, she's back at Tribeca on February 13th. Which happens to be a Tuesday, so I don't yet know whether she's replacing Gloryhound, or opening for them, or joining them, or headlining, or... what. Whatever--she can't escape this time.

Anyway, folks in Halifax who like that sort of modern-throwback sound should think hard about checking her out. Or at least check out the songs on the MySpace page linked above and decide from there.

July 2nd, 2006, Q-Blast at Alderney Landing, Dartmouth.

To sum up: it was cold, and it was windy, and it was awesome.

( Pictures and details behind the cut. )

And the ferries were still running so we could get back to the Halifax side. At that point I found a cab and was home by one-thirty.

Happy Day After Canada Day.

Let's do it again next year.

(Pictures are posted in the next message. Some of them aren't bad.)

I drove to Sydney yesterday and met up with a friend from library school, who had gotten tickets to this show. It was supposed to feature several local acts, Matt Mays & El Torpedo (you may have heard me mention them??) Blue Rodeo (sigh) and Alfie Zappacosta, who had one big hit in the 80s but now all I can remember about him is his hair. ( Read more... )