Top Ten Best Shows of 2008 (in no particular order!!)

1. LOUDLOVE! I saw Loudlove play at "The Horseshoe Tavern" on a Monday night... I slipped and sloshed all the way from the East End of Toronto to get to that show and what an amazing night. I LOVE Loudlove, they are one of my FAVOURITE bands EVER. One thing for sure, they get me dancing every time and THAT doesn't happen very often. 2. JOSE GONZALEZ! I had the pleasure of being introduced to this brilliant singer from Sweden for the first time at The Ottawa Bluesfest this past summer. There was a MIGHTY crowd at The Black Sheep Stage all singing along to his songs... he was SOLO with Guitar and there was a Trumpet player hanging out near the soundboard blowing away... it was a truly special moment and my favourite of all the Bluesfest performances!!

3. JENN GRANT! This was during Canadian Music Week and the show was at The Rivoli in Toronto. I don't know what it was about this night, but SOMEthing was in the air. It really felt like Love... she was on fire and singing like the siren she is. A De-Lovely and Unique voice indeed!!

4. Peter Voith, Shawn Tavenier, Anders Drerup, Tyler Kealey, Ben Cooper, Eric Eggleston, Jeff Rogers! This was the best show I have ever taken part in. Called "Wailing for Wheels" it was a charity event at The Bronson Centre in Ottawa for Muscular Dystrophy. Seeing all of these Ottawa Musicians perform for the FIRST time ever, I was blown away, we did a few numbers together at the end, I was so full of excitement, I tripped off the side of the stage.... an awe-inspiring night, one that reminds you that it's ALL worth it!!

5. JON & NATHAN PILASKI! This wasn't quite a "concert" to the definition, but there is a great Trad Session in Toronto at "Dora Keogh's"  which I attend occassionally to play the Irish Drum, a Bodhran or to sing an old Traditional Irish song or two. One night I happened upon this great little nook and the Irish Dancing Brothers team were in the pub having a good ole pint of Guinness, as you do... well after a few, we talked them into doing a wee dance for us. Our own private tap/step dance!! Considering they dance on tour with "The Chieftans" this was an honour!!

6. KOBOTOWN! These guys are truly WONDERFUL. Serious dancing, singing music. I held a 'Guerilla Showcase' room during this great music conference 'Ontario Council of Folk Festivals' (OCFF), where I asked only Ottawa musicians to take part, and these guys just blew me (and others!) away... I played their CD over and over and over... and I can STILL listen to it!!!

7. NORTH ATLANTIC FIDDLERS! This summer in St. John's Newfoundland, they had the Folk Festival, the Buskers Festival, George Street Festival, Regatta Day and the North Atlantic Fiddlers Convention all around the same time! I happened to be playing in the Folk Festival and spent a lot of time traipsing about! "Nautical Nellies" on Water Street was home to all the Fiddlers night after night... well, THIS brought out all types of players; mandolins, bouzoukis, guitars, tin whistles, bodhrans, flutes, voices...  al together in the madness of tunes and song. It was simply fantabulous!

8. JULLY BLACK! What a THRILL it was to see Jully ON FIRE at The Black Sheep Inn, in Wakefield Quebec, this small cozy venue was filled to the brim with this woman's bursting voice. She did a cover of "Blue Rodeo's 'TRY'" I mean this was un real... I used to think I could sing until I saw her ablaze in passion that night! What an inspiration... really.

9. THE SADIES! They played on my birthday so the night was already gonna be swell. What I didn't know was HOW AMAZING they were going to be! Strumming and slapping out their tunes at "Barrymore's" in Ottawa, made us all sweat fireworks. What a rush!

10. SHEESHAM & LOTUS! This 'Dynamic Duo" is ultimately one of the most unparalled pair I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. You MUST tear yourself away from whatever gets in your path if these guys come to town! They played and marched and danced out fabulous sound at "Kaffe 1870" in Wakefield Quebec...their sound is 'old soul meets ragtime meets magnificence. Find them. NOW!!

Hope you enjoyed my choices... there were so many shows that were ultimately GREAT.... and maybe I've missed out mentioning a few.. but here you go... Last Minute Lindsay Picks...

Happy Holidaze....

Yes, it's that time of year. I Justt finished wrapping and will soon head out the door for a feast of Fondue Chinoise... I remember as wee one, sitting around the table with my family, having Fondue... what a treat... what great memories. Here, I will spend Christmas Eve with a beautiful family who I have graciously been taken in by, they make it a tradition to have this particular yumminess for dinner. Being in Switzerland for Christmas is a treat, but I will most certainly miss my Canadian family and friends...but life brings Love here too...tommorrow there is another feast, traditional Turkey dinner with all the trimmings! My good friend from Newfoundland is hosting a Lovely Turkey dinner for all the Ex-Pats, those folks, like me, who won't be spending the holidays with their families...It's going to be great!! Walking through the streets of Luzern is a wonderful experience there are a lot of streets that only footsteps and bicycles travel on, there is a certain amount of peace here... I would describe this city as Anti-Chaos. Everything has it's place, and there are certain rules here....i.e you can drink beer on the bus, but you can't mow the lawn on Sunday's. Strange but true!! The buses and trains are on time to the minute... and the place in general is very tidy... No Canadian chaos to be found... I like it but I miss home... Soon to be flying away though, back to Snow-Mageddon... I am NOT missing the slips and slides in the streets of  Canada-land... but I'll get back to it soon enough!! Thankfully I have a nice pair of Black Sorel boots waiting quietly in the closet for me and my toes...January will bring me home for a few days, then I will head to Halifax for the first time... I greatly look forward to getting back to the East coast... I like to spend as much time in that part of the world as I can...the people there really know how to Live. Friendliness isn't hard for them, and I think we could all learna thing or two from the Easterners... anyway,  have a super-fantabulous-excellently-amazing Holiday... Merry Merry... Lindsay xox

Lovliness in Luzern

It seems as though life is getting away from me here in the world of  Swiss wonder. I apologize to those readers who might have missed hearing from me. I had a dream last night that I was back home in Canada, that I never had a chance to say good-bye to all the splendour here... it made me very sad to say the least, and that much more appreciative of my time here. I have been in the land of Chocolate & Cheese for a month and have one more month to go. Then it's back to my home & native, which I Love more than anything, just to be sure!! Being here gives one a much different perspective on life. For an example, most of the time, I can't understand a bloody thing anyone says. You know what? This greatly pleases me, I thought it would be bothersome, but I quite like not having to express my opinion and I am content in not overhearing banal conversations such as the weather or sore feet. Language in general is much simpler to use here. One uses only the absolute necessary words to get their point across and you really only make a point if it's important, interesting or profound. It's pretty neat, there isn't a lof of time or use for the insignificant. I have learned a LOT while here, peace and quiet has a whole new meaning for me. I have also been working new songs, I have three at this point and really look forward to the day when I get back into studio to record another album. When I return home, I will travel to Halifax for the first time. There is an excellent new music festival that I will be a part of called "In the Dead of Winter". My one true Love (besides Music) is the Ocean... Halifax is on the Ocean... I can't wait. In the meantime, I will do some more writing here, spend some time on the slopes, eat some Cheese Fondue, play some gigs ( I play here with an excellent Cajon/Kahon player, it's so great to have a percussionist by my side!! Thanks  Andy!!) I will spend Christmas with some great friends, make sure to get my fill of Chocolate too!! So I hope all of you out there have a wonderful Holiday... put your feet up and have an eggnog for me!!! I'll write soon, Love Lindsay xox

Life at the base of The Alps....

It's pretty Lovely down here. I am here on a "writing new music" term and what a place to find inspiration! There are tiny 1500th century nooks around every corner. The sound of my heels clicking down cobblestones and echoing through ancient buildings, is music to my ears. There is a certain amount of stilness here in Switzerland that can evoke a song from any person willing to sing. The church bells ring through this city every fifteen mintutes and have been doing so for such an incredibly long time, it's divine inspiration! I am living quite cozily for the next few weeks along the River Royce, a crystal clear river that runs through the city of Luzern. There are covered bridges with moss of the roofs and axe marks carved out by hands that no longer exist, oh if those walls could talk!! I have been here just short of 2 weeks, with about five left to go and have one song finished. I quite look forward to bringing it, and more to my band when I get home. Leaving Canada is not a must, but I sure am glad to get away from the many inches of snow for at least a small space in time! I also look forward to hitting the slopes, there is nothing like skiing on a blues sky day in Switzerland. I can feel a song coming already!! I look forward to getting back and singing you my new songs... with hopes to record a new album sometime in 2009!! More Chocolate & Cheese stories to come....Lxo

Razor Blade Swallows...

It's been some time now since I have written! I apologize to the readers out there who are in search for something new in the Blog department of the 'Cyber-World'. But, alas, such is life... it has a way of moving stealthily away from us at times! I write to you from the base of the Swiss Alps! With a fiery throat no less. For the last two weeks, there have been many preparations to get me here... it was all a very last minute trip, and if you saw my bedroom two weeks ago, you would have wondered if it were possible to get me here so fast! It's amazing though, how when you settle on a decision, how fast life can actually change! I have always been a "Last-minute-Lindsay" type of girl, and when the opportunity arose, for me to break away from my Canadian life to go on a "wrting new music" term, I jumped at it, and for two weeks I was running around to get things organized, playing three gigs the same week that I hopped on a flight to Switzerland was no easy task, not to mention all the other things life throws at you... I won't go into detail about those things, but the gigs went smashingly and now, here I sit with my black coffee listening to the church bells ring out in Luzern. I will be back in my home and native land in the middle of January with plans to head out to Halifax for the "In the Dead of Winter" music festival at the end of the month, then back to Ontario Land for Canadian Music Week in February. In the meantime I will live it up as best as possible here in this wonderful world of Chocolate and Cheese!! When I get back, there will be new songs.... I am hoping that 2009 will bring me the opportunity to record anothe r full-length album, and when it does, I will be ready. I hope life treats you all well and kind and I will keep you posted with Swiss-isms when I can... Hugs from afar, Lindsay xo

Voted Best New Artist ~2008~

I am very happy to announce that I was voted Best New Artist of 2008 by The Ottawa Xpress. I am chuffed to bits about this, quite happy indeed! Its isn't always so easy to live in this world as an entertainer... it gets lonely out on the road and the rejections far outweigh the acknowledgements, but at times like these, one tends to forget the no's!! I suppose the greatest reward of all is the performance part. There is nothing quite like a room full of people star-gazing at YOU! Not to mention the energy that transcends between us... it is quite special indeed and if it wasn't for people like you, Music Lovers, then I couldn't exist on stage at all! I would simply be a kitchen singer, which is something I Love to do, but the fire inside me is far too hot and I need to travel and sing to the world. Bit by bit I am doing this, one step at a time and I genuinely thank you all deep deeply! For any of you who voted for me this time around, again my sincerest Thanks!! If you would like to catch a show anytime, there are a couple coming up in the very near future... I will be playing a SOLO set at Zaphod Beeblebrox on Monday the 17th of November, special guest to the one and ONLY Serena Ryder and the following Thursday, the 20th I am playing two FULL BAND sets at The Black Sheep Inn!! Two very contrasting and distinctive shows... Maybe you can bring me some of your Love and I will absolutely return it. Just show up and I'll show you... Lindsay xo

Nominated by the Ottawa Xpress, BEST NEW MUSICAL ARTIST 2008!! Vote for me!!!

Greetings from what appears to be a Spring-like day. We had a blizzard a few days ago, out here in the hills. The snow came roaring down and attacked all the glorious trees, breaking some and eliminating all of the colours down to the ground.  No more Autumn in an instant. But now, all the white stuff is gone and I am flat out confused. I think being a Canadian means being a "Seasonal" person. Somewhere deep inside there is a 'seasonal change' box that just knows when to switch to the next phase....well, mine doesn't know if it's living in Spring or Winter or somewhere between.  How about you? One day the skis are out, the next day jean jackets! Whatever the case, confused or not, life is indeed strangely beautiful. I spent my Halloween listening to one of my favourite bands "The Sun Parlour Players". They are mad good, sweaty folk rock good. I passed the evening as a blood-sucking Vampire. It was great, noone knew who I was, so I could REALLY dance as if noone was watching.... I'm not such a dancer, usually I have to be filled with vast glasses of beer and even then it's like pulling teeth. I am meant for singing, that's my excuse but it doesn't always work that way. Especially if Loudlove is playing, they are my ALL TIME FAVOURITE OTTAWA BAND!!! Please check them out, they are on their way to the stars. NO doubt about it. When it comes to their music, beer or no beer, costume or no costume, I am all over that dance floor. Speaking of dance floors, "The Sadies" are playing on my birthday in Ottawa at Barrymore's. I think it'll be a swell night, so if you are reading this and are anywhere near Bank street on the 14th, let's have a cheers!!! I will keep you posted with what's happening next, but for now I have my fingers crossed that I will be voted "Best New Musical Artist of 2008" by the Ottawa Xpress. It's not usually my luck to win anything, but maybe, just maybe  I will get lucky this time (with your help!!)Go to 

http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/dossier/bestof/xpress2008.aspx

MERCI!!! xo

OCFF Dreaming...

It's amazing, what a body can do with no sleep. I am quite surprised at how well my voice held out with all the singing over the past weekend. Singing in the doorway, hallway, staircase, elevators, shower singing, mic singing, harmonies too...not to mention banjos, pedal steel, violin's, drums, upright bass, electric one's, guitars, mandolins, melodions, keyboards, computers too all together jamming having fun one two!!! Sounds a bit overwhelming and it was, especially with only a few hours sleep over a four day period. It's the Ontario Council of Folk Festival Conference and happens once a year, featuring musicians and industry people from all over Canada... and some state-siders too... conferences all day and music all night ( & into the sunshine!) I hosted an "All Ottawa Showcase Room" and it went over smashingly. The room was packed solid for two nights (mornings!) in a row. Thank you thank you thank you Ottawa for having such a talented amount of people. I am glad to be a part of it sometimes. What a blast. After such a weekend, I feel totally re-generated. After all the time I spend on the computer, alone, trying to get gigs, organize gigs, search for this that and the other, it can get a bit tiresome and lonely, but after attending a conference such as this, it makes me realize that I am doing it all for the right reason and that every second of sweat and tears is worth it in the long run. Thanking you....Lindsay xox

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