anthems at Nat Bailey Stadium, Vancouver Canadians!

On July the 12th I had the great pleasure of being asked to sing both the Canadian and US anthems for the Vancouver Canadians game against Yakima at Nat Bailey Stadium.  In the half hour before the game started, as people were strolling in to watch the game  and I decided to stand outside with my guitar warming up my voice while offering some complimentary entertainment. (and I got to snap this pic with  this dude.........)

Just before the game started I was ushered onto the diamond where I would be waiting to fulfill my role in the nights production. And production it was. Nat Bailey Stadium and the Canadians (along with sponsors like Scotiabank and Rogers) put on one heck of a cool night that all the members of your family can enjoy, and for such a great price as well. I was so tickled to see so many people taking advantage  because from everything I observed it really fosters  a feeling of connectedness between a family and it's community. So I'm posting the pics and a video as well as sharing some links to the website which is where you will find the schedule and directions to purchase tickets.

I got a good luck smooch before I went on.......

My friend Rae took this video and she apologized to me for the sound quality at the beginning but to tell you the truth I think the sound issue is more because I was nervous and as a result I was crowding the microphone  (which means I caused the distortion myself).  Truth be known though, I'm less worried about that and more delighted that I remembered the words....

The Canadian anthem is easy, I could sing it while I am  sleeping but the US anthem is just something I never learned. So in preparation for this night I set myself on a mission to learn it and by game day I could sing it flawlessly (as well as in a higher key) in my car, shower or living room.  But I had this feeling that once I got  up there all nervous and excited, there was a chance I would go brain dead and forget the lyrics anyway. Now normally this wouldn't be a big, big problem  (to forget a line from a song), I am pretty adept at singing the right notes and just making up the words so you in the audience don't really notice it when I flub, but with the US anthem............well lets just say  there is no room for wiggle room.  I felt saftest with a back up plan. 

It's always the first words of the line of a song that I forget so, often keywords are all I need. Seeing as I didn't want to hold a piece of paper I did the next best thing........which no one was supposed to find out about until my friend Rae asked me while we were sitting in the stands............ " Why do you have writing on your hand?" I immediately mimed myself singing the anthem which showed her that were I holding a microphone, I would be able to see the writing on my hand right there in front of me without looking like I was looking at anything other than straight ahead...........;) She laughed and said she had to take a picture

As we settled into watching the game I was delighted over and over again by all the activity going on, the bouncy castle for the kids, the mascots, vendors  and between inning entertainment..... My favorite had to be when the groundsmen stopped right in the middle of grooming the field and started breakdancing, HA! They were awesome and had the crowd cheering!  So much to look at, so much to do and it seemed as if everyone was walking around  with a smile on their face.  Yeah.  Take me out to the ball game.

.....


Many thanks  to my friends and family who came out to enjoy the night and support me through my bundle of nerves moment.  And thank you to the Vancouver Canadians for having me there!

Rach xox

House concert with Sara Kamin!

    
Sara Kamin's West Coast Tour!

It never ceases to amaze me how useful a forum the internet is as a tool to connect with others. Last week I had the great pleasure of finally meeting  some of my online friends live and in person as Sara Kamin along with pal/tour manager Pamela Detlor set off from  Toronto to blaze a trail along the west coast on a tour to introduce Sara and her music. Sara had several show's of which I went to two, but when I first met them it was at the House Concert held by my friend Kathleen.

Perhaps it is because we have all been talking to each other and scoping each others websites and blogs for the past year  that we all found it so easy to connect in person I don't know exactly, but when I walked into that house I really did feel like we were all  just meeting again, rather than for the first time. The hostess Kathleen  is a smokin hot Momma I met through Erica and the Yummy Mummy club (who has made an appearance on this blog several times in fact), so she was the one person I knew already but the connection to her in this particular story was through another group of twitter friends, a talented, dynamic group of artists and musicians who make me laugh out loud with their tweets and posts.
 
I noticed the lot of them when I first started following Jann Arden on twitter. While I was browsing  around following what her friends were doing I stumbled upon and entered a contest on the Thought VOX blog. Pamela Detlor did such a beautiful job on her blog that I wrote her a long gushy letter telling her she had inspired me to push myself to get more creative with my own blog  (which at the time was a lot sparser than it is today). She wrote back and we exchanged a number of warm emails that only confirmed my immediate impression, not only is this a lady with a great eye and enormous talent, but she is a woman of depth and substance, I have been a fan ever since.  I also won the contest she was holding and so I was sent two CD's as my prize.  Sara Kamin's CDs. Wow. From the first note that played, I was hooked. Her tone is warm and angelic, one of those voices you could sit and listen to all night, and her writing is deep thoughtful, creative and raw. Yep insta fan right here, right from the get go.
 
So I followed and I watched the gang from all the way over here on the west coast. I saw the comings and goings as well as the doings and I saw creativity blossoming everywhere.  In fact let me digress for a moment and mention a very cool book a number of them (including Sara) are a part of. Linda Woods, Karen Dinino, with Pamela Detlor have published a book called Meeting in the Ladies room   and I love the concept. This book is filled with photos of  real women in their own bathroom, sharing their personal thoughts as they look at themselves in the mirror. It is described as 'reflections of women in a room of thier own'.  Whether you are an idolized celebrity or a struggling single mother, the ladies room is where you create your make believe, and where you face your reality.  68 brave women from around the world bare all and share an empowering look in the mirror, it's a meeting in the ladies room.  Featuring Jann Arden, Amanda Palmer, Rosie O'Donnell, Jen Foster, Sarah Bettens, SHeDAISY, Sara Kamin, Pamela Detlor, and Kathleen Cook Tennant to name a few.
 
So I always thought this was cool and when I found out that some of the cast of the Ladies Room were heading out to Vancouver, I marked the date in ink and planned to come party with them.
 







So as the story goes, Sara kicked off on a tour of the west and one of the many stops she made was at Kathleen's for a House Concert.  I dont' know how many of you have heard of this House Concert concept but if you are a singer songwriter I would highly recommend you consider this idea. Of course you have to have someone fabulous like Kathleen with a warm beautiful home and lots of wonderful friends to pull it off, but wow, when it's done right, it can be a hugely successful night.  Kathleen's hubby and her dear friends Patience ( who provided some of these photo's) and her best friend Glamma all worked hard to transform the house into an inviting music venue.

Not only were there delicious appy's and bevvies for us all to enjoy, there was a stage, lights, pillows on the floor, candles for ambiance, and most importantly a full house of music lovers. When everyone was finally gathered together Sara took the stage she charmed and delighted us all with not only her music but herself.  She is funny, and real and completely open hearted. She had us all laughing with her raw ironic descriptions of her songs and I loved that about her. Judging by the crowd response, so did everyone else.

So without further adieu, I give you, Sara Kamin.........




After the concert, it turned into a good old fashioned house party. Someone turned on the tunes and we danced and danced and danced. Before I knew it I had my guitar in hand and was leading sing along songs.  I just love the campfire where everyone sings along and connects through music and boy did they ever sing. It was all so warm and glowy, of course that could have been the booze talkin  but the voices were loud, strong, and everyone seemed to know all the words. We were rocking like we were teenagers again. I think my fav moment during the jam was singing a song that Jann Arden recorded and hearing all the voices fill the room. I know I'm not the only one who felt it.

I won't soon forget the night or the people that made it so wonderful and I thought I would reiterate just one more time to all you musicians, artists, and creatives out there. Think outside the box to get yourself out there, call on your community and don't ignore the idea of the house concert. In fact I have been so inspired by this idea I am going to start figuring out how to promote myself for hire for house concerts. I can play a nights worth of sing along songs easily and if a house full of people want to

sing along to live music, all the better. So thanks to you gang, for the great new business idea.

And to Sara, Kathleen, Pam, Glamma, Patience, Teri-Lyn.....and to all the new folks I met and shared laughs with, Thank you for the warm embraces, it was a pleasure to meet you!

Rach xox

First Weekend Club pre-screens the Year of the Carnivore

I recently was asked by the First Weekend Club to sing for the pre-screening of the Year of the Carnivore, a film by Canadian writer/director/actress Sook Yin Lee.  Always happy to  support Canadian films as well as the First Weekend Club, I quickly agreed. The First Weekend Club puts on an event that is unlike any other movie experience. First of all the theatre, District 319,  is simply stunning in decor, style and comfort and is the antithesis of  a big movie house, feeling more like an exclusive club where you get to enjoy wine, appy's, live music and  time mingling with the actors, producers and key players in the film before it rolls.  For this event I asked a naturally gifted singer/songwriter Stephanie Lee Rhodes to join me and if I do say so myself it was a beautiful and effortless blending of voices and music. 

After  the wine reception, everyone headed to the theatre to claim one of the big comfy red leather arm chairs and settled in to watch the film. This romantic-comedy-drama follows Sammy, a 21 year old girl with an unrequited crush on a boy who thinks she's bad in bed. She hatches a plan to get more 'experience,’ catapulting her on a quest that takes her through her neighbors’ bedroom, the public swimming pool,

and finally to blackmailing shoplifters into giving her sex lessons. 

I am not a film reviewer by nature so I won't offer much in the way of a review but I do have some personal feelings about the story to share. While I found the lead actress to be very adorable to watch as she navigated her way through her uncertainties, the story was a little  uncomfortable for me to be honest. In fact at first I thought it was oddly appropriate that they had asked me to open for this particular film as I can relate to the some of the characters feelings of  inadequacy.  But the actions she took in the face of rejection had me squirming in my seat as she took the exact opposite route I would be inclined to walk, that is, I would be inclined to choose a path that is far less.... crowded.  Personally if I experience unrequited feelings for another rather than becoming determined to release my inner sexuality, I tend to just go deep inside myself to hide (right in front of everyone yes, but I hide nonetheless) and like a turtle and I will stay in my shell until I am sure it is safe to come out, if ever. 

But this character Sammy was the polar opposite, she went way outside herself and put herself in situations that I could never imagine putting myself in and I found myself covering my mouth in a bit of shock as Sook Yin opened up the window to her vulnerabilities and resulting actions.  As the mother of a daughter who will grow up in todays world I feared this story alot in fact, but by the same token it is good to be aware of things that I don't get and a story such as this which is exploring someones journey out of innocence, can deliver insights not otherwise seen so I admire Sook Yin's ability to write so boldly yet still deliver a character that is both charming and amusing. (see trailer)

After the film finished the director Sook Yin Lee was dialed in on Skype and the actors were brought up front to do a question and answer session with the audience. This is always interesting to see their personal take on a film as often times these pre-screenings are the actors own first chance to see the film themselves. We the audience are often let in on some unique insights from their memories of the shooting.

By the way I can't carry on without saying a big thank you to Murielle Fréoa for the photographs, and also to the stellar folks at Long and McQuade for letting me use the slick Bose speaker tower you see behind me in the pictures. If you need a small portable PA system with crystal clear sound that disperses beautifully around a room with no feedback, I highly recommend you give this system some serious consideration because it is a dream to use.

Thanks to the folks from the First Weekend Club for all that you do for Canadian filmakers, and thank you for asking me time and again to be a part of your pre-screening events. Also thanks to Stephanie for making the trip over from the island and for singing so beautifully with me, that was a truly fun and artistic day and it was a real pleasure to work with you. And to you dear reader, go see the Year of the Carnivore,  and take some time to support more Canadian films. To find them, please go to the First Weekend Club website and watch for all the wonderful events they put on.

best, Rach  xo