Friday, May 27, 2011

Is It Me You're Looking...For?

I passed this today while walking home and burst out laughing:



To make it all the more wonderful, the lyrics are tear-pieces at the bottom of the poster where the contact info would normally be.




It reminds me of part of the purpose behind my Pop-Up Concerts. Made me so incredibly happy.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Ewanika


Today I went to my friend Trish Ewanika's shop, to do a little photo shoot of summer 2011 ensembles for her lovely website.

There are many things that make me happy about this - first of all, Trish and I have been good friends since 1995. Secondly, I LOVE not only the clothing she designs but the details, the lovely whisper-details that make her work so amazing and personal, so quintessentially Trish - but also you. This is in my opinion a real artists' gift, to be able to express oneself in such a way that you feel it is your expression too.

I am wearing one of the summer '11 dresses to a tea party I'm going to next Sunday ... super-excited to bust it out with saddle shoes, skinny belt and drop necklace.

www.ewanika.ca for more photos, inspiration, and to learn about wonderful Trish.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Pop-Up Concert Number One



We did our first Pop-Up Concert last Saturday, at Hazelton Lanes in Toronto ... where sits a lovely and largely abandoned shiny black piano in an atrium that was once a skating rink, and is now a space for cafe tables and chairs. I had scoped it out some time ago and decided it would be a perfect place for our first renegade performance.

The premise of the Pop Up Concert is that we (Alex McMaster on cello and Anna Atkinson on viola) get quite dressed up and overtake rarely-used (or forbidden-to-use) pianos that have been abandoned in an unexpected public space in the city's core, filling that space with music. This is not previously arranged with the venue, so discretion before our performance is key (ie, our invited friends were advised not to ask a security guard where the concert is, etc). The performance is, of course, free.

I had no expectations of what would happen here, except that there would be a general public beyond our friends who would be amused (or otherwise) at our intentions. The least amused of which were two young security guards, who are captured in this clip (just over 6 mins long) attempting to shut us down after we perform my song "Ruby". It was our fourth song, and I thought they were very polite about waiting until it was over.

If you listen to the ensuing conversation you will note that I ask the one security guard to sing along...



Next Pop-Up Concert is in June (date TBA) at the next unexpected public space we have chosen ... we will let you know where closer to the date if you are interested in coming out.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

First Pop-Up Concert is today

This afternoon my string players (Alex and Anna) and I are gathering at a downtown location in Toronto (email me if you want to know - lenni jabour [all one word] at gmail you know the rest) at 2pm, to play on the piano that has been largely abandoned in its wide open public space. This particular piano has a sign on it that says "DO NOT TOUCH".

This is the first in a series of what I am calling Pop-Up Concerts.

If you can't make it today, there will be others. I'll let you know how it goes.