Joshua Van Tassel

(on facebook? go to www.joshuavt.com for the clip)

If you don’t know, you’ll know after you watch this documentary. Let me know if you find it on video, they did one screening a couple months back and I missed it. A sad tale about one of the most soulful and important figures in music history. That’s a bold statement and it’s true.

(on facebook? go to www.joshuavt.com for the full post)

I love that I get emails like this from time to time – -

“I’m also glad you emailed because I have been meaning to get in touch with you about some amazing sounds I came across the other day. I was down at Cherry Beach after a couple of cold days, and the lake had frozen for about 30 feet from the shore. Every time a wave came through, the ice popped and cracked and shifted and made the most amazing sounds. I thought of you. Tragically I went back the next day to experience it again, but it was too warm and the ice had melted. I guess the moral of the story is that if you’re ever in the Cherry Beach area, take a pop down and hopefully the ice will sing for you, too.”
tara is a great artist and photographer herself, go have a look…..

And I love that one of my favorite freaks has made a new record that sounds like it’s going to be completely awesome.

(on facebook? go to www.joshuavt.com for the full post)

Every band, burgeoning singer songwriter, stand up comedian, and dozens of other types of performing artists have been there. I’ve been there countless times, and will probably continue to be there hundreds of more times in my career. I’ll be there Friday in fact. The double edged sword of the loved/dreaded opening slot. She can be a cruel, heartless mistress, some nights subjecting you to crowds who have no interest in hearing your music, your jokes, who don’t care how many times you emailed the headlining band’s manager’s personal assistant to the sound man’s nephew, or how you even figured out that chain in the first place. Other nights, she rewards your perseverance with the sweet gift of new fans made, merch sold, and some new friends made in the other band. Regardless of what the spoils of your opening set are, there’s some basic things to think about as you warm up the stage at a sometimes less then opportune time.
***(These things come from conversations with a a few different musicians I’ve had over the past couple days regarding this topic. This is in no way directed at any bands/people specifically…..)

1. DON’T BE A JERK TO THE HEADLINING BAND – Sounds basic, kind of something we should do as humans, and this definitely doesn’t exclude musicians. More often then not, the headliner may not really want an opening band to play, so coming into a sound check with an ego and a list of demands doesn’t really fly. Remember who set the show up in the first place, be grateful and graceful without getting worshipy about it.

2.DON’T ASSUME YOU CAN USE THE OTHER BANDS GEAR – When you assume you make an ass out of….yourself.Is that how it goes? Although in a perfect world every drummer would use a drum kit that magically adapted itself to all my whims and heights as soon as I sat on the magical stool, this just doesn’t happen. Some people like to set their gear up, sound check, and make damn sure it stays that way. It makes things infinitely easier to share things like drums and amps, just send an email beforehand. To make it easy on everyone, speak to your band, find out who needs what, send one email to one person in the other band and work it out representative style. In the continuous life long recession that musicians live in the less cabs people need to take with gear the better. And the sound man will probably love you too, it can literally save hours over the course of show from sound check to tear down.

3. PLEASE PLEASE START ON TIME – 90 percent of the time, about 80 percent of the people are there to see the headlining band. Although for the benefit of the doubt we’ll say that your music kicks ass and people will love you, being in an audience can at the best of times be a tiring experience, mentally and physically. The later you start, the less likely people will like what you’re doing, and the less the headliner will probably like you as well. And for the record, don’t do the bathroom trick, which is a conversation that goes like this –
headline band - hey, you guys ready to go?
opener - yeah, for sure! I just need to run to the washroom and then grab the guys and we’ll start right away.
15 minutes later, headliner sees opener at the bar waiting for a beer
hb - sooo, are you guys headig up now? We really need to get things rolling.
ob - oh yeah, for sure, I’m just going to grab this beer, and then our guitar player just needed to run out to the van for something …..
And so on. Lame.

4. IF YOU HAVE A 30 MINUTE SET TIME, PLAY A 30 MINUTE SET – Don’t have much to say about this that can come out in a constructive manner, it’s pretty self explanatory.

So there’s a few things, and I’m sure everyone’s got a few more. As a bit of a disclaimer so I don’t come across as a complete asshole, I’ve been on both sides of this and I understand the tricky position of being the opening act and how the balance of having a useful opening set is a delicate one. I also understand how to drive a standard, but that doesn’t give me the right to skip from first to third every time I drive because it’s a funny noise, and drive recklessly. Thoughts? Lemme have it……..

(on facebook? Go to www.joshuavt.com for pictures and the full post)

It’s 11 here in Vancouver and I keep waking up at 6 for some unearthly reason. Jet lag normally doesn’t bug me too much, but I guess this is the best kind. Had a good first day yesterday, tons of sunshine and walking. I’m staying in a part of town called English bay which is super pretty. Hotel window looks out on to the water which is nice. We’re about 10 minutes from stanley park which is big and pretty and fairly easy to get lost in as I found out this morning.
Had a really funny experience yesterday along the water under a bridge. I don’t generally start stories that way…anyway, I was getting my H4 out to record some boat sounds and happened to notice a guy a few feet away with headphones on, plugged into an H2. Then I noticed a girl on the other side of me doing the same. Then another. And 3 more. I realized I was surrounded by people all recording the aural landscape. It was pretty remarkable in a scary twilight zone/David Lynch way. Turns out they were all in a journalism class and were sent out to practice nature sound recording techniques. The girl I was talking to said ” yeah, this is really dumb. I mean, who actually does this? It’s so weird and lame right?”. Ummmm yeah, hahaha nervous laughter igottagobye……
The island is in full Olympic effect, people are loving it and smiling and happy. Lots of red and white and flags everywhere, and all in all it’s a pretty feel good vibe. We play a couple shows at the Atlantic Canada house today, then home tomorrow morning. If you’re in Vancouver let me know and I’ll be sure to get you in.

(on facebook? hmmm go to www.joshuavt.com)

I’m not having one yet, don’t worry. Nor am I looking to have one right now either, so don’t you get nervous….here’s one of my students who I’ve mentioned on here before who says the darnedest things. I’ve tried to explain in the past how his mind seems to work, but I figured an audio example would give a little context. and also check out his devastating groove for 2 bars, you’d better believe I’ll use it in something.

Headed to Vancouver this aft., and as usual I’ll throw some pictures up when I can. I’m so dreadfully unaware of what’s happening at the Olympics that I feel like a fraud going there, but I’ll memorize the medal count on the way and try to fit in.

ps – link correction, go here for info about Peggy Baker and co’s show at the Enwave starting this week. She’s also featured on the cover of NOW this week, so you know it’s cool. Go. Do it. Buy tickets.

(on facebook? go to www.joshuavt.com)

I’ve been slack on the blogging this week but I swear it’s for good reason. for one I’ve been working a real job like a real little worker monkey. Due to cirmcumstances beyond my financial control I’ve been temporarily forced into the world of papers, offices and business casual attire…..for now…I’ll come back to satying at home and making weird sounds for the entertainment of a very small but dedicated informed internet audience very soon. Until then, here’s some things that have been making me happy and keeping my mind sharp…..

1. Joseph Boyden books – tales of Northern Ontario, World Wars, downtown Manhatten, guns that talk, and forbidden loves. That’s about everything you need in a novel right? A friend gave me one of his books, Through Black Spruce for Christmas, and I recently plowed through it the pre cursor Three Day Road. Both compelling and beautifully written stories. Get ‘em.

2. Share – band from New Brunswick, where I’m starting to think the best indie rock/folk/pop  music in Canada is coming from. It’s a record that grew on me slow and steady like a moss, then all of a sudden fast like a teenage growth spurt. Lots of beautiful songs and great sounds

3. Peggy Baker Dance Company – Don’t know a whole lot about dance, but a quick google search shows that this woman is the real deal and one of the most respected dancers in North America. Her new show Confluence starts next week at the Enwave theatre in the Harbour Front Centre and looks pretty awesome. Details and a preview video heeeeere.

Back to work….

Music this weekend, I promise

(go to www.joshuavt.com for the videos)

I fail to see the similarities……..

( on facebook? go to www.joshuavt.com for the full post)
Last night I was playing a gig and couldn’t help but notice a very happy looking pair of people who came in at the beginning of the night, and stayed throughout the whole show. Both looked like totally reasonable people, she was pretty, he was handsome, they look like they’re having fun. I was standing close to their table, and ended up in conversation with them. Turns out he saw her walking down the street on queen, said hello, and asked her out. Major bravery points there. He explained his dad had suggested the bar as a good place to hear music and have a drink. So far he seems like a pretty cool guy. However, many things happened very quickly which I’m positive has insured he won’t be going on date number 2.

1. – directly after explaining that his father told him about the place, he smiled dreamily at the girl and said “I’m sure you’ll get to met him soon.” Easy tiger, little soon for the family meet and greet. That definitely threw the panic light color up from nil to yellow…

2. – Anti-Semite jokes after she explained she was Jewish. And then defending himself and his jokes by saying ” why are you getting upset? It’s not like I’m being racist, Jews aren’t a race.”
But my intoxicated friend, you’re still being prejudiced, and in general an asshole. Orange light for you.

3. – the quote ” Oh c’mon, have another beer. I need to get you as drunk as I am!” is just stupid. On all levels. At this point her light is very much red.

4. – we started talking about our respective neighborhoods, and our brave drunk friend makes the comment ” I haven’t been to her place yet, but I bet you I’m seeing it tonight. Yeeeeahhhh!!!” and slaps me on the back. In front of her. Jesus. Her red light just actually blew up

He went to the bathroom, she instantly turned to me and said ” I wish I was on a date with anyone else in this room.” Never a good sign. Anyway, he came back, they left together, but I doubt the night continued much past that. The whole thing was pretty interesting though, a bit of a fly on the wall type scenario where I saw a man make kind of a fool of himself without knowing it.

Here’s something strange sounding! While in calgary we were trying to send music from Kyle’s laptop to a stereo via bluetooth, and things would end up sounding like this -

It’s weird, it speeds up the track without effecting the pitch of the vocals, but puts everything else through some crazy ring modulator. I’m a geek. Deal with it.

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