My Apologies to the readers! As of late, I have been overseas involved in the testing of some new hybrid sporting automobiles in Germany at the Nurburgring. It was a most stimulating and enjoyable time. I feel fortunate to have experiences like these as they lead me to believe that while science may not solve our problems, it can certainly aide us greatly.
As a result of my absence, I will have to dig into my files to find a past experience to share with you all. You'll need to go back in time with me to November of 2014...there....thank-you for being so kind.
So here I am in East Van again. Or more specifically, the Down Town East Side. I am standing in front of the Rickshaw Theatre on Hastings Street near Pain...but that's the other side of this life...Or rather, the other side of these velvet ropes. "One of those god-damned homeless people is askin' me for money!" Nah, mes amis....you know I am most not like that!!! But yes, there are a lot of them here in this part of the city. If you ever do visit Vancouver, you really must see the DTES. It has inspired me to such a degree, that I have composed a short poem for those streets and those people.
Ramble on Babylon,
Trample me in the gravel.
I've been dead for so long now,
I do not mind the travel.
Oh the things you'll see!!! Believe you me. Why so many homeless in Vancouver? I'll bet the climate is the main factor. Bumming around is far better without frostbite. What faces have I seen? A to Z and all in between. Frank & Earnest, Andy Cap, Mad Max, Nightmare Alice, Nutty Butter, Batty Cracker, Native Son, Missing Daughter. Would you believe that some of these lost souls actually look like the zombies that decorate our popular culture? And this is the reason why homeless people can be referred to as such. So dehumanizing....so fascinating as well...
Blow jobs, lesions, vampire skin, dog-shit-hop-scotch, tweakers, nodders, trannys, and the electric lights of the emergency vehicle orchestra! "Ya dirty 'ol town.....You-oo-dir-ty-o-hol-tow-hown....."
But wait...I am in line to hand over my ticket to see Shovels & Rope, a rockin' folky duo from Charleston N.C. When I first heard them through my electronic sharing circle, I was drawn to something naturally. So naturally, I grabbed a ticket.
The Rickshaw is a converted movie theatre that has been hosting live music for a number of years. I read somewhere that a good movie theatre conversion is one that keeps the sound insulation installed. I'd be inclined to believe that, as the sound quality would prove to be the only shortcoming of the night.
The opening act was a hometown son of East Van who goes by the name Rich Hope. He brought a tore-down one-man show intent on having some good rockin' at midnite....and in fact he might have succeeded...but it wasn't midnight...and the room sounded like a concrete box...and we weren't drunk yet. Anyhow, give Rich a listen if you can. He was an excellent choice for the bill and he played his guts out.
The main feature was, of course, Cary Anne Hurst and Michael Trent aka Shovels & Rope. They make wonderful music through compositional skills, artistry and performance. But there is clearly one particular draw for my ears, and that is the voice of Mrs. Hurst. This is a hardworking duo, and Cary Anne's voice reflects that, as does her personality and resultant stage presence. She is a splash of water. Her voice is powerful. In fact, a member of the audience might believe Cary Anne to be a great lioness. In fact, that same audience member might also believe that the lioness is only batting the audience with kitten paws as she knows her claws are too seriously sharp. Cary Anne has the proficiency of Patsy, the colour of Loretta, the vibrancy of Dolly and the power of Bessie Smith....But wait... I see cold beer in cans....and it's affordable ta' boot!
After a number of numbers, there was a lot of "Woohoo"ing and that type of thing...my date brought me an extra beer.... I put it in my jacket pocket....and eventually we all fell into this "Hail, Hail, Rock & Roll" number. The correct ratio of alcohol, sweat and hollerin' was in the air. All this led to the solidification of the fifth state of matter, known as "Jukin'", which is a slightly southernized version of "Rockin'". Very similar....it's a subtle difference.
And all this while, I never did get to hear the clear tones of Cary Anne's voice due to some crumby sound. Seems strange, as I had recently attended a show there that had a fine mix. Anyhow, people didn't seem to care. My impression of the crowd was that they were diverse, but unified in that they knew what they came to hear - some good, honest, soulful music. And they recieved it. I distinctly remember marvelling at how much sweat was dropping off of Michael Trent's head. They were workin' fer sure. And if I wasn't a luddite with an aging cellphone, you might be able to discern the sweat beads within the pixels of that single solitary photo I have. Shovels & Rope make you say to yourself "Yeah, THAT'S what i've been missing..." The crowd was definitely enthusiastic. When we hooted and hollered for an encore, Mrs. Hurst told us all to calm down. Then they laid us low and sent us home. Satisfied and wanting more.
- Rich
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