Living in Toronto, I am used to seeing stores come and go with amazing rapidity. In the Riverdale neighbourhood where I live, stores seem to pop up and drop dead in a matter of minutes. Inevitably as I walk by another store with a sign proclaiming its imminent opening I wonder, “What was there before – was it Perg-Men the Polish Japanese fusion restaurant with perogies in the ramen, or maybe it was that place that sold artisanal gooseberry salad dressing and ‘distressed’ greeting cards made from obituary notices from Toronto newspapers from the 1930s.” Then I wonder how long the new venture will last, unless it’s a Tim’s or Starbucks in which case I wonder why they need to be located on every block. But when these stores are gone, they’re gone, and with them the hopes and dreams of at least a few folks.
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September 15th @ Free Times Café
For those of us who live in Toronto, the harbinger of the end of the summer is the arrival of the Ex – the Canadian National Exhibition to those of you not in the know. The Ex is just basically a country fair on steroids but without tractor pulls or demolition derbies (which is too bad because they are a lot of fun). The Ex is not generally newsworthy unless one of two things happen, someone gets hurt on a ride or people get sick eating the food. I suppose the daily double would be if someone got hurt eating food on a ride, but I don’t think that’s happened yet.
August 17th @ Free Times Café
Hi lovely Roomers and rumours of Roomers.
Two very unusual things on the GALR front this month:
- There is no rant from Jonathan as he is rantless on holiday somewhere – well maybe not rantless as he definitely spends a good part of each day it the state of rant – perhaps even as we speak… but for us, now, he is not to be heard – perhaps not a bad state to be in. But, as the expression goes, I digress.
- The performance by G.A.L.R. this month will NOT be on a Sunday ! Yes folks, it will be this coming Saturday – the 17th to be precise.
Come and listen to covers and originals, ballads and rock, lullabies and jazz… the list really has no end.
July 21st @ Free Times Café
When I was a kid I had a teddy bear. It was a really cute teddy bear and I always had it with me when I went to sleep. In this, of course, I was not alone, many children have stuffed animals – some kids need a separate room for all of them. Of course it’s not just teddy bears, but lions, tigers, elephants, rats, monkeys – you name it. The thing about stuffed animals though is that they are always cuter than the real thing. With one exception – koala bears.
June 16th @ Free Times Café
Gordon’s Acoustic Living Room’s monthly Free Times Café gig is coming up on Sunday June 16. This being Toronto, I realize that there are always lots of other things a person can do on a Sunday night as well. I have been cataloguing the reasons people have not been able to make one of our gigs over the years, and for your information, the top three are: 1) have another commitment; 2) washing my hair; and 3) my hamster died. Interestingly, those were three most popular reasons I was turned down for dates when I was in high school – I guess there are eternal verities after all.
This being our 10th third Sunday in June however, I realize that this gig always runs up against Father’s Day. Father’s Day, as you may know, is a creation of card companies, tie companies and men’s grooming product companies. I suggest you don’t succumb to corporate pressure and instead bring dad to the Free Times.
May 19th @ Free Times Café
So last month, due to a scheduling mix-up, that I maintain was not our fault, Gordon’s Acoustic Living Room did not play at the Free Times Café in April. I did send out a little blurb about that show, obviously before I knew about the snafu. Thus, while we are definitely playing this month at the Free Time, on Sunday May 19th, it seemed odd to me to write a whole new piece about seeing the band and so I’m not. I am however enclosing last month’s blurb which is now this month’s blurb although the dates in the blurb are still for the April show.
April 20th @ Free Times Café (Cancelled)
Due to a scheduling mixup, this month’s performance has to be cancelled.
We are terribly sorry. We’ll be back again next month!
My mother reads the obituary section in the newspaper fairly regularly. It’s not that she’s morbid, it’s that she is at the age where a lot of her friends and acquaintances are passing away – it happens. I too follow the obits but not just any obit, I read the ones about rock stars and kinda rock stars and one-time rock stars who have passed on. Some still die from the rock n’ roll lifestyle, but a lot are just, you know, old.
March 17th @ Free Times Café
Not being Irish (cries from astounded readers – “What! I can’t believe it! Not Irish! But I was so sure!”) St. Patrick’s Day was generally not a big deal in my life. I remember when I was in high school that McDonald’s introduced a Shamrock Shake for St. Paddy’s Day. Based, I suppose, on the same twisted logic that has publicans alter their beer to give it a green tinge, McD’s thought they would do the same thing to their milkshake. I tried one, got sick and have carefully avoided McDonald’s ever since – and for that I am eternally grateful to St. Patrick.
February 17th @ Free Times Café
As you know, there is no formulae for our shows – they are all one-offs consisting of a broad range of new and old tunes & styles with wild instrumentation that has resulted in a repertoire of over 350 songs over 10 years and counting…
Robbie Burns Night @ Free Times Café
Gordon’s Acoustic Living Room will return to the Free Times for our 10th Annual Robbie Burns Day Show. In this case the show will start a bit later than normal, probably around 9:30 (but you are advised to get there early, we get a big crowd for this). There will still be no cover, but there will be lots of bagpipes and other Scottish themed stuff, and in addition to the food and drink you can buy, there will be haggis and it will be free.
Was it only yesterday I stormed the barricades shouting “Free the haggis!” What was I thinking?