When last week got a little stressful and went a little bad, my plans completely changed and I ended up back in St. Catharines again (thanks to my lovely Leah).
He played a lot of the (fantastic) new album, but threw in a few older ones as well.
I think hardcore fans are always happy when Trees Lounge makes an appearance.
When they did the encore, he finished with the song that made the masses reminisce. Even those who didn't follow his albums past Everything I Long For would know this one far too well.
I got it on video. Excuse the shakiness, but sometimes a girl's gotta sway.
And after that, the fangirl mode went to the next level and I managed to meet and get a photo with one of my favourite musicians.
An amazing way to turn my weekend around.
(Huge thanks to Cait and Nick for making that happen - everyone else, go listen to Nick's band, Serena Pryne and The Mandevilles, and come see 'em next Wednesday the 29th at the Mojo Lounge in Toronto. Ok? Ok.)
Yesterday I promised that I would post a video today, and so I will. And the best part for you guys? I'm not in it!
If you follow me on Instagram, you saw the photo of a turtle I posted. I named it Cloris Leachman and made a video of the turtle's fast-paced adventures. They lead crazy lives, if you didn't know.
So try not to get confused by the plot twists and action - I did my best to keep up with Cloris. (And please, don't mind the crappy quality. These things happen with turtle videos.)
In the spirit of sharing music, which I'm a huge fan of, I've decided to share even more with you guys. While I like to review albums and bands, who's to say that they have to be new? It's great to re-visit past favourites or introduce something that others may not have heard before. So expect more of it.
And to kick it off, let's discuss my love for Beck's album Sea Change.
If you're anything like me, you likely still know every damn word to Beck's "Loser". I'm not ashamed of it. I used to listen to him on my swing and sing along, especially to "Beer Can". But when I was introduced to his 2002 album, Sea Change last year... I was not expecting what I heard. I believe my reaction was something along the lines of "This is Beck?! What the hell happened to him?"
Beck's got emotions, guys. And he's got chops, musically and lyrically.
Even if you dislike all of the albums he put out prior to Sea Change, I still suggest you listen to this one. Once, twice, maybe three times before it sinks in. He got rid of the two turntables, and sang into that microphone - and a mellow, folk-y Beck is a fantastic Beck.
So have a listen and sway along to some great folkin' tunes.
There's a popular saying that I'm sure you've heard, and it's never really left me:
"Do one thing every day that scares you."
In general, I think it's a fantastic idea. There's nothing more liberating or freeing than facing your fears; that single act can evolve us and make us stronger. Trust me... at one point in time I was scared of everything, probably even you. Especially you.
But for me and people like me, it's a little bit different. It's not quite so simple and straightforward. Due to the ever-looming anxiety disorder, normal, everyday acts become needlessly frightening. So when I think about doing "one thing every day that scares me", I know that I already am. Constantly.
I may get an anxiety attack every time I leave my apartment, but I still need to walk my dog. Still need to go to meetings, be social, get the hell out and be a (mostly) functioning adult. Save for maybe one or two people, phone calls cause attacks. So do new situations, going to new places, and sometimes even the simple act of just waking up in the morning. Most daily activities cause some form of anxiety attack, and that's just life. They're unavoidable.
The severity of each attack varies, and so does the frequency. It's always different, and can be dependent on what else is going on in my life. But no matter what, it's an intrusive pain in the ass... and scary. Yes, scary.
While I've been making an attempt to face my real fears lately (heights, you're next!), I've realized that this entire time I've been doing many things every single day that scare the hell out of me.
And so I will continue to, even if they never get better.
Are you doing something every day that scares you?
I've been a bit of an absentee blogger as of late, with much less frequent posting and way less personal posts. Was assuming no one would notice, but some of your messages tell me otherwise - you're an observant bunch.
There are many reasons for it. One being that I'm busy trying to kick ass with work. The MediaHaus (and our awesome clients) needs to take priority over this ol' site. When I find a better balance and eventually hire on an assistant to help me out, I'm certain posts will be a bit more frequent and less random.
As for subject matter, I've obviously been posting more music-related topics and less "Kris is sad because of this, and Kris is mad because of that" subjects. Yeah. I mentioned awhile back that I'm not gonna get as personal on here as I used to, and the truth is just that I haven't had a lot of bloggable activites lately due to work and health. Again, that will change. It's all about the ebb and flow.
So for those of you who have asked if I'm ok, and those who have threatened bodily harm if I don't post more - don't worry. I'm sticking to 2 per week for now for the most part, and that will likely change. And soon enough I'll have a lot more interesting subjects. Expect things to be re-vamped, re-purposed, and re-jigged.
For the past while, as my stomach condition appears to have worsened, I've been really concentrating on eating well. And yes, that also means I've been cooking.
Me too.
While more tests and doc visits are still to come before I can really know what's wrong and can start to get healthy, I've been cutting down and cutting out certain foods. Me & lactose (mostly) broke up in favour of the awesomeness of almond milk, and I've been trying to bring myself to say goodbye to gluten. That one is difficult. Heartbreaking even.
Breads, pasta, baked goods, beer (!) are pretty much my favourite things. So gluten-y. So delicious. So potentially bad for me. And so here is where I need your help.
Thanks, dude.
While it's easy enough to scour the ol' interwebs and find an insane amount of gluten-free, lactose-free, healthy recipes to replace my usual favourites, I'd rather hear recipes and tips from actual people. You awesome people, in fact. So for those of you who cook, or who have special dietary needs and know the best places to go, your guidance would be much appreciated.
Help me (get healthy), Obi Wan. You're my only hope.
The news came to me while I was out for the night via a text from my cousin, and then the messages started pouring in. While the news is extremely sad, I'm also pleasantly surprised by all the posts and photos from people I never realized were fans - and maybe they aren't even fans of just his music.
When I met him many years ago, he immediately struck me as a kind soul. In a mere few minutes of conversation, he spoke to my friend and I as though we weren't just obsessed teenage fans begging for autographs. And as he signed his spoken-word album for my friend, he commented on the woman displayed on the cover and how beautiful she was. She was his wife at the time, and he spoke sweetly about her. No rockstar ego, no annoyance at us... he was just a nice guy.
I suppose I want to get across a certain idea about Chi - that he wasn't just a bassist, and not just a member of the Deftones. He was a poet, a Buddhist, a father, and so much more than we knew. He was a real person beyond his music. Sometimes we forget that about the musicians we adore.
Rest in peace, Chi. Your fans will never forget you.
April 5th is a sad day in music history. Among the the many deaths that have occurred on this date, three have especially impacted the music scene with their passing. I thought it was worth a mention and a thought from one lone music fan.
Most notably for me is Layne Staley's passing. My big love for Mad Season aside, Alice in Chains have been one of my favourite bands for as long as I can remember. Without Layne the music is just not the same for me - no matter how talented and similar-sounding their current singer is, something is just missing.
And that's Layne:
The next, and most widely-popular I'm sure, is Kurt Cobain. Enough has been said about his death that there isn't much more to say. Music fans all over the world were rocked to their core when the news hit, it affected the masses greatly.
But as the saying goes... "It's better to burn out than to fade away":
And then there is Jim Marshall. The Father of Loud, the amp pioneer.
For those musicians who will be using a Marshall amp today, be sure to turn it up to 11.
To all who have passed on April 5th, rest in peace.
The older I get, the more I seem to care about my health, what I eat, and what I do. Sounds like a no-brainer to most people, but let's not forget my love of everything deep fried and bad for me. Those things still hold my heart, but I recognize the need to eat better and change up a few things. So I have been.
But when I received an email asking if I'd spread the word about a non-smoking campaign, I ignored it at first. That would be pretty damn hypocritical of me, right? After all, I've been smoking for many, many years.
While I haven't been a "full-time smoker" for quite a few years now (if ever, really), it's the non-full-timers that are exactly what this particular campaign is about - those damn social smokers. You know who you are. I considered myself to be a social smoker for a very long time as well. But not anymore. In fact, I haven't had a cigarette in over a month and a half.
I've been out at bars and not given in to the craving, and know now that I'm fully capable of ignoring the annoyingly insistent need to smoke. Am I saying I'll never have another cigarette for as long as I live? Nope. I can't say that without consulting my future self. But since I don't consider myself a smoker of any kind anymore, it seems like the right time to share this campaign with everyone - because if I can stop being a social smoker, anyone can.
Take a look at these videos, and tell me what you think:
For those of you that have an altruistic side and a love of art, Project Art might spark your interest.
On Thursday May 9th, the Project Art fundraiser will raise money toward an art program for therapeutic healing at Sunnybrook Hospital's Odette Cancer Centre.
Inspired by co-founder Emma Tushinski's battle with Lymphoblastic Leukemia, the Project Art event will showcase pieces from local artists and designers. The art will include paintings, illustrations, and photography that will be available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds will support the Project Art fundraising cause - selling art to raise money for an art initiative
There will also be dinner, dancing, and live music. So if you dig art and giving back, have a night out for a fantastic cause.
The founders at the fundraiser venue
The event takes place on May 9th at the Burroughes Building in Toronto - info, tickets, and how to donate can be found on their website: project-art.org
