Rae Spoon, Armour and Sunshine

Sam Decter:

 I understand youve crossed the country sixteen times touring by Greyhound coach. How would you describe this experience?

Rae Spoon: 

I used to tour on the Greyhound a lot at the beginning of my career. There was an awesome unlimited pass and I would save a lot of money by using it. It became a
bit of a way of life. It takes three days to go from Vancouver to Toronto on the bus
and about two to go from Vancouver to Whitehorse. 

Decter:

 What do you eat when you're on the road?

Spoon: I became vegetarian last year, so I basically eat anything without meat and dairy in it. It’s surprisingly hard to find.

Decter: 

How has touring affected your social life?

Spoon:
I think it’s made my social life a lot more spread out. I have friends in lots of cities
and it feels like touring is my way of going out to see people.

Decter:
I grew up in Winnipeg and I've been from there to Vancouver and back a few times by bus. The imagery and pacing of My Prairie Home certainly jives with my recollection of that sense of space one finds only on the prairies.
How do you feel the prairies have influenced your outlook on life or aesthetic style?

Spoon:

 I’ve lived outside of the prairies almost as long as I lived in them now, but I think
there’s still an influence. I’ve made extensive projects about my history in Calgary
and sometimes I still see that aspect of my life come up.

Decter: 

How has Calgary changed since your youth?

Spoon: 
Calgary is both the same place it was and strangely different. There are more
resources for queer youth, but there is still a lot of conservatism. I would say all of
the problems remain but people who are different have had more of a chance to
find each other and connect.

Decter: How has Canada changed in the time you've been active as a performing and recording artist?

Spoon:
I’ve been releasing albums and touring since 2001. The music industry in Canada
has shifted in some ways to become more open, but like anywhere it’s been harder
to sell music. I’ve managed to keep building my career by playing a lot and diversifying what I do. I also make film scores, write books, do speaking engagements and produce other people’s music.

Decter: How has your place in Canada changed, or what is your experience of
establishing yourself as an artist?

Spoon:
I have had a good experience establishing myself. It happened very slowly and was
mostly based in traveling and playing a lot. I like the pace of having a grassroots
following. I like doing a lot of the planning myself.

Decter: Do you travel to the US often? Are there places along the border that show
some continuity of culture, or do the two countries seem sharply distinct from
each other?

Spoon:
I travel to the US sometimes. I find places like Seattle to be very similar to Victoria, where I live, but I wouldn’t say that Texas and the Yukon are similar. The colonial histories of the countries make them have similar power structures.

Decter:
I've performed with other live musicians, with hip hop beats and metronomes. Playing to tracks offers less surprises, yet presents a different set of challenges. How has your approach to instrumentation in the studio and on the road changed over time?

Spoon:

I used to have a country band I toured with. Sometimes I’d have six other people on stage. Now I tour solo most of the time and sometimes with a drummer.

Decter: Which elements are practical concerns and which are musical ethos?

Spoon:
I really enjoyed playing with a band, but it’s not economical for touring. Electronic music has allowed me to access a larger sound while playing solo because I can play the tracks I produce on stage.

Decter:

What music are you excited about right now?

Spoon:
I’m excited about projects I’m working on. A band called LAL is releasing a very exciting album called “Find Safety” on my record label, Coax Records, on April 29, 2016. 

Decter:

Do you perceive a similar degree of awareness and acceptance everywhere in Canada, or have civil rights proceeded at a different pace in different places? 

Spoon:
I think Canada is on par with most western countries as far as civil rights go for
trans people. Different places have different reference points, so I wouldn’t want to
compare how people in countries with cultures less similar to American culture are
organizing getting rights.

Days of Pieces, part four

The past week of the Fishbowl Festival has seen two capacity crowds in the laundromat, hundreds of dollars in wearable art sales, a fateful snowstorm, some borscht, and a deepening sense of community and support between us at the café and the various artists, bands, organizations and community supporters.

What does it mean to support the Fishbowl Festival? Who is the community that gathers at the Gore Street Café?

There's Melisse, who ran the door for us on Saturday in exchange for one of Wildling Tramp's wildly popular bone and leather necklaces;

Peggy Lauzon and Teddy Syrette, local writers whose open mic last week was a wonderful storytelling session;

Vivian Scramstadt, whose first short film was shown last week at the 48 hour filmmaking challenge; Glo Burns, who put that event together; Chris Shoust and Mike Gingras, who also screened quickly-produced shorts full of scruffy humour, and feature lengths made with care, preparation, and deep thought;

Erin Heineman, who comes to the Tuesday night jam some weeks with a song in her head that she's just GOT to share.

 Mike Haggith, who loaned us his bass to record some overdubs, Mingus-style, over the beatbox and guitar tracks we laid down at my weekend performance.

There's Darcy Lavallee, who recorded Saturday night for us in exchange for a large serving of Shepard's pie (vegetarian, with lentils and cheese:-);

and Isabelle Michaud, whose first solo art exhibition will be on the café walls for the next month, and who hosted a lovely open mic last night with her storytelling and a gang of ukelele players.

It takes all kinds, it takes the cooperation and interaction of many different types, ages, races, classes and orientations of people to make up a healthy, thriving, strong, sustainable community. Money must be made, I suppose. But business is best when what's offered is something that people need to be healthy and happy, right?

Even Shannon Moan insisted on performing her set wearing a new Wildling Tramp necklace. 

I'd like to thank everyone again and again for coming out and taking part in the festival, both in putting on events and attending them. It couldn't exist without all of our friends and supporters.

The Crackling put on a spellbinding show for some of us last night, and we wish them well on their eastern travels. 

Here's what the Festival this week will bring:

Wednesday we will learn about worms, as Don McGorman leads a composting workshop.

Thursday night we're hosting a Fish-themed Supper Club at the laundromat table. 

Friday is Soup Ste Marie at 180 Projects, your ticket gets you a vote on whose business proposal will  best benefit the community.

Saturday is the Really Really Free Market

At the Neighborhood Resource Centre

(138 Gore Street).

 Bring stuff, take stuff. It's free!

And a triple feature laundromat concert by Mark Dunn, Trevor Tchir, and Jesse Merineau.

Sunday will be Teddy's talk 'Openly Gay and Visibly Native' at café Natura,

another safe space downtown for good eats and healthy living.

Next Monday marks the beginning of March break, and we'll be putting on many all-ages daytime workshops. 

Crafting, zines, rap music and hip hop poetry, check out the book of faces for more information:

https://www.facebook.com/events/710265995774774/

The Darkness: a Documentary premiere

Receiving its first public screening as part of the Fishbowl Festival this Thursday evening is Darkness: a documentary feature film by award-winning filmmaker Christopher Shoust. Admission to the 7pm screening at 164 Gore Street is 10$, 5$ reduced rate with festival pass. 

It is the first feature from the maker of super8 film shorts like Victoria to Vancouver and America Dreamt. 

This documentary was filmed in Garden River, Batchewana, and the Sault. Most of the locations as backgrounds for sets are now demolished or much changed.

Shoust, Dip. J, BFA (honours) is a working artist in Sault Ste Marie and has exhibited his art across Canada. This is his seventh film.

The 55 min feature will be shown with a selection of local shorts by filmmakers Glo Burns, Mike Gingrass, and Chandra Barnett.

Starring the filmmaker as the subject of psychological investigation. Using both super8 film and video it is a brooding journey from desperation to madness and back again.

 

penne with broccoli and ice cream

Whether you have small children at home, a livingroom full of musicians, or an office meeting to cater, warm their bellies with this tasty pasta on a snowy afternoon.

Penne with spinach and broccoli in a white wine broth, serves 4-6

Bring a large pot of salted (1tsp) water to a boil, add one box (450g) of rice and corn, Gluten Free pasta (or use wheat noodles if you're insensitive), cook on medium high heat for 9 mins or until noodles are just underdone. Strain, cool under cold water, toss in oil and salt your noodles.

In a large pan (I simply adore my ceramic pan. Metal core, and the ceramic layer just takes any punishment I can inflict.) Sautee one shallot, two cloves garlic, some broccoli, and salt and pepper. Basil and oregano would have been nice, but I left them at the café.

Once the onions become translucent, give your sauce a healthy shot of white wine, as well as vegetable broth. Toss in a few fistfulls of washed spinach leaves, and let things simmer awhile.

When the broth is rich and the veggies are softened to your liking, add the cooked pasta and warm it back up. Serve in small bowls, garnish with fresh ground pepper, grated hard cheeses like Grano or Romano.

The Gore Street Crew enjoyed this tasty supper with a dessert of vanilla ice cream, topped with rhubarb compote, spicy toasted squash seeds, powdered ginger and maple syrup. But not before setting up for the 48 hour Film Challenge screening! Thanks to everyone who took part and made this such a great weekend!!

Days of Pisces, part three

And so week one of the Fishbowl Festival reaches its climax. After things wrap up from tonight's Wilding Tramp art show and jewellery raffle at the café, it will be time for some frantic filmmaking, and then perhaps a moment of calm contemplation. Two rock shows, three workshops, one art reception and eighteen omelettes later, it's an opportunity to take stock, fold laundry, and consider what I've gotten myself into for these next few weeks.

Nicole and I did get to take a little break this Thursday for our birthdays. We had a lovely dinner at Willow (perhaps the best meal out we've had since moving here). Grandparents and parents flooded our voicemail. My mom gave us new crock- and tea- pots, Patrick gave me a Grand Funk Railroad record. Getting older is alright, and the Pisces life is nice <3.

The Fishbowl thus far has initiated several firsts for the Gore Street Café. First full-on rock show, first burlesque performance, first music video session, first crochet class. The ditch even came up with a café uniform for last night's jam: toques and red flannel.

We are midway through the 48 hour film challenge, and a half dozen local filmmakers are likely at this very moment sleeplessly editing their nascent shorts, on the Fishy theme of 'Making a Splash'. Gloria Burns has conceived and is organising this challenge: She held court in our booth this Saturday morning, encouraging every last trumpeter and student of social justice who came to brunch to take part and tell their tales. I've got a hunch about this event. I've got twelve hours to go, two minutes' footage of a multicolored pulsating light, and a spray-painted orange bust of Ludwig Von Beethoven.

Upcoming events this week include: the screening of films submitted for the short film challenge (Sunday 6pm at the cafe), closung reception for the Shadows of the Mind art show up at 180  Projects (Sunday 6-8), the Pisces craft club (Monday 3-6 pm at Shabby Motley), learning to ferment with the Cultured Club (Monday 6 pm at the café), Tuesday's open mic hosted by Peggy Lauzon and Teddy Syrette, and Kelly Burton's intro to Gluten Free cooking (630pm at café Natura).

Next weekend is gonna be the most thrilling yet, with festival headliner Rae Spoon performing in our laundromat next Saturday. Stay tuned to the Tinderbox for an interview with Spoon, and the skinny on all the action, adventure, and aquatics the Fishbowl has in store for you, the Soo, and most especially Gore Street, my cozy little hood and hands down coolest block in town. Come and kick it Pisces style! Festival passes 25$ (xxoo shout out to Nathan Isberg, this pwyw thing is flipping lids man....)

Days of Pisces, part two

Sunday afternoon, I was a shell of a man; more pancake-flipping robot than affable community cook. My ears still rang from the Pixo/ Nirvana gig. My eyes strained in the unseasonable sunshine. We had turned the café into a blanket-fort for Sunday's brunch, which involved blocking out the windows to keep it dark enough for projecting cartoons on the wall, creating the ideal cozy, womb-like ambiance for pancake consumption, and the nostalgic rediscovery of once-loved heroes and their adventures.

Monday's festival events went swimmingly, no pun intended. Jeff Hinich's talk on Thoreau incorporated statements from international artists drawn to and inspired by Thoreau, and sparked passionate conversation amongst attendees. After serving up a couple more plates of squash fritters, it was time to prepare the café for the Lil Eagle blues band (Leon Kyle on vox, guitar, Adrienne and Joe Surace playing cahone and bass, repectively, Jeff Hinich on harmonica, and Mojo on guest lead guitar) who delivered two hours of enthusiastic boogie-woogie, pausing only briefly to refuel on coffee and tea.

Peggy Lauzon and Georgina Naccarato were both in attendance, stirring up the dance floor as they like to do when the blues start jumping at open mic. New friends came to check out the jam, like Steve from the Rocking Vinyl Record shop up on Wellington, and Johnnie from the Sault Blues Review was in snapping some pics. It was a lovely day at the Festival.

 Coming up in the next few days: Drumming and Unlearning workshop that Candace Day Neveau is offering tomorrow at the cafe 6pm,   Telephone and Address/ the Therapy/ Mescaline Ditch playing a laundromat show on Friday at 8, and don't forget that you can still buy passes for 25$ which get you admission or reduced admission to over 3 dozen events happening between now and March 20. Keep it Fishy!

Days of pisces, part one

Day two of the festival has wound to a delicious conclusion. Time to soak some black beans for tomorrow's menu and get some rest, because this month-long celebration has just begun!

There was a jittery excitement on Gore Street all day Saturday. I was nervous not because my band had only rehearsed for  half an hour the day before our show, but because i was going to sing Neil Young's "downtown" for Mayor Christian Provenzano, who attended the festival's opening ceremony. He was cool and really nice BTW.

The café was filled with friends, press, and supporters, quite a lovely and auspicious start to a month of cultural celebrations. And Saturday night's show was a suitably special one, an evening dedicated to the late Kurt Cobain on his 49th birthday, as well as the first Sunshine Laundromat appearance by The Pixo Control, Tidal Records artists and by far the Sault's most exciting young rock act.

Sweat and cool kids...
A laundromat half filled with band gear, half filled with people, resounding with the sound of our joyful screams!

Opening acts Brash Gash, Insoosticide, Bass Monster 7L, and Lauren McClure wowed, wooed, and rocked the laundromat audience with a blend of original songs, Nirvana tunes, and other hip throwback grungey vibes. One of the best concerts we've ever held in the laundromat, and a sign of the weeks to come: all ages food, arts, and musical fun:-) Let the Fishbowl begin!