Joshua Van Tassel

(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.

3

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

Nicks that is. This is such a ridiculously good performance. A lot of musicians have been passing it around over the past while and I thought I’d throw it up here.

Back in Toronto today. It always freaks me out a little bit when traveling that you can be surrounded by mountains and forest creatures and sunshine on the other side of our giant country, and in a matter of hours be at queen and sherbourne fearing for your wallet and/or safety. Are humans supposed to be able to travel so quickly? Sometimes when I’m in a plane and we get above the cloud line, I always get a feeling of slight panic, thinking is it ok that I’m seeing this? I know I don’t have wings or the ability to breathe at super high altitudes so should I be here? It’s like spending the night in a beautiful hotel, knowing that you paid to be there and technically everything is cool, but you can’t shake the feeling that any moment the concierge is going to come barging through your door while you’re in the hot tub and demand you leave the premises at once. As upset as you’d be, it would still kind of make sense, you know?

Anyway. I get to travel a lot and that makes me super lucky and I’m thankful. Just got the masters for D. Myles’s record and it’s sounding really great, happy. Comes out on April 20th and there’s current;y a bunch of shows being booked so I’ll keep you posted. That’s all for now…

on facebook? Go to www.joshuavt.com for the full post.

…..but lots of mysterious Alberta fog. Weird. In Bragg Creek this morning, had a really great show last night and am currently in the largest bed I’ve ever been in. I could sleep horizontally. We’re in a completely insane bed and breakfast made entirely of wood and logs. They have a really funny dog who tries to bite the back of our legs to apparently display his male mastery. Cute, kind of. Headed to Canmore tonight, home tomorrow. If I could ski and wasn’t completely paranoid about breaking my wrists, I would.

on facebook? Go to www.joshuavt.com for the full post.

Alberta has been treating us well so far. Played a day time show at the university in Calgary which was interesting if nothing else. A girl sat down 2 tables from where we were playing, looked at us in disgust, then put her headphones in. Awesome.
Just finished playing a great show In a town called Brooks that definitely made up for it. Great theatre, lots of people, and a giant fake palm tree backstage that we managed to incorporate. Quote of the night?

David to sound man – “it feels great on stage, how does it sound out there?”
Sound man to David- “oh, umm, … To be honest I’m not sure, I was reading Calvin and Hobbes most of the set. ”

Comforting. Regardless, great night all around. Tomorrow Dinosaur national park! And a show in Bragg creek. Should be fun.

( if you’re seeing this on facebook you’re not really seeing it. go to www.joshuavt.com)

Feeling better today after my punctuality rant last night, sorry about the hostility. Actually I’m not sorry, never mind.

I am sorry however about the offensive language I use on here.I’ve been informed by a friend that I’m “too intelligent to be swearing so much”. Never really realized it until I re-read an email I had sent a friend who was having a rough day, and noticed that I swore more times then there were sentences. not good. I’ll try and clean this cess pool of a blog up I tell ya, one expletive at a time.

Taking off to Alberta today for some fun shows with D. Myles and Kyle. If you know anyone in these areas on these dates, let them knopw to come say hello -

And before I go, here’s something that I’ve been working on the past couple days. Wrote some lyrics for this, may just end up singing them, who knows. Me and the mighty Joel Schwartz on acoustic guitars camp fire style. A super rough demo, but that’s what this is all about.

……and I leave  you with a sad photo; I broke my favorite mug which deserves some swearing. Shit. I’ll post from out there when I can. xo.