January 23, 2015 - Vancouver

when i awoke this morning it was raining.  for just a minute i thought i was in Glasgow - but this rain was juicier - they call it a Pineapple Express (i don't know what kind of weather 'express' Glasgow gets when it rains, but it's definitely not a Pineapple one).  after the cobwebs cleared, i found myself on Canada's west coast.  like a few other places, Vancouver feels haunted to me.  these grey, rainy skies and the fact that i am staying in the house i used to live in, almost clothes the ghosts and echos (thanks to casa Keith Rose and to David MacAnulty for letting me invade his space).  i hope this doesn't sound depressing to you; it's just ol' maudlin me. 

i've been in Vancouver a week now, running into old friends and preparing to do some recording which is the main reason for this trip.  so far, all is on track (stops to knock on wood-substitute-head).  Paul Rigby, who will be producing and playing on the above mentioned recording project, has already charted most of the material and suggested some really good approaches; i knew he was the right person for the job. my last two recordings were co-produced by myself and Tolan McNeil; i am very proud of this work and really enjoyed the 'given'er' approach we took.  this time around i wanted to step away from my songs and have someone else handle the production duties completely.  as soon as i decided this Paul Rigby came to mind and, as my good fortune would have it, he was available and happy to oblige.  anyone who knows Paul knows that he has a great ear and is very a talent player; you will also know that he always carries with him a potent combination of infectious enthusiasm and a calming confidence in himself and others.  after the couple of sit downs we've had, my instincts are panning out (stops to knock on wood-substitute-head). 

last night Paul and i played a show over at Skinny Fat Jack's.  this is a wee venue tucked in the back of Slickity Jim's that holds around 30 people, maybe up to 40 if you push it and the folks last night were close to pushing it.  i was really lucky to have an attentive and appreciative bunch last night that mostly consisted of old friends but was also sprinkled with a few new faces.  the nice thing about playing a small room like this is that it makes it easy for me, as a comic in all seriousness, to connect with my audience while only requiring a few claps and hollers to make the noise of an ovation.  thanks to everyone for coming out on a rainy school night and infusing my plans with some momentum, to Chandler McMurray-Ives for running the room so well and for taking such good care of Paul and i, and to Paul for jumping in with both feet - even when there wasn't any water in the pool.

i also recorded a Podcast with Rob Malowny's Satan's Cabaret here in Vancouver which will soon be posted for all to hear. Rob is a terrific guy who has a genuine love of music and a passionate curiosity for what makes musicians tick. we had a lovely chat and i attempted to play a couple of tunes. Rob generously let me have my way with a bottle of cask strength Aberlour which produced some mixed results - on the one hand, i really opened up, but on the other hand, i really opened up.  we unfortunately waited until the end of the interview to record a couple songs and they may have been a wee bit tarnished by my indulgence. anyways, i'd like to thanks Rob for inviting me on his Podcast and for treating me so well.

okay, less blogging and more rehearsing for now.

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