Lenni Jabour's Blog

Gloooooooria...

2011-12-21T09:24:00.001-08:00

We are doing Pop-Up Carolling. Alex, Anna and I get dressed in our cutest vintage coats and sing songs of the season for unsuspecting streetcar passengers and strollers-by.

The difference between carolling and our regular Pop-Up Concerts is that we are keeping to the carolling tradition, and asking for donations (in a darling pink velvet chapeau set on a leopard-print stool, of course). All of our proceeds are going to Childhope Canada Foundation - their website is under construction, but you can still check out the info and principles of the foundation by clicking here: http://www.childhope.com/about.htm

Here is the schedule of our dates and times if you live in Toronto and would like to see us Deck The Sidewalks.

Thursday: Yonge/Bloor corner, in front of Hudson Bay Centre 12PM, Indigo Books in the Manulife Centre, 1PM
Friday: in front of Holt Renfrew, 5:30PM. Yorkville and Bellair, 7:30PM.
Saturday: St. Lawrence Market (south side) 10:30AM. Eaton Centre (Dundas/Yonge entrance) 12PM.

On either end of these pop-ups we will be singing on streetcars and subway cars.

Happy Holidays!

Next Pop-Up!

2011-09-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

October 16, in a decidedly huffy locale. Don't be surprised if we get booted out!

Pop-Up hint: may be this season's Yves St-Laurent boots that do the booting.

Email me: hello at lenni jabour (one word) dot cawm if you want the details and to attend our Pop-Up Concert.

Pop-Up Concert Number Four

2011-09-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

We are so excited about this Pop-Up Concert; we have no idea what will happen at this venue. There is quite a bit of security so it could be tricky!

In any case, we are performing on Sunday Sept 11 at 8PM. This is the first weekend of the Toronto International Film Festival, and we have made sure that our Pop-Up venue is smack dab in the center of all the excitement.

As always, our concert has no admission charge and everyone of all ages is welcome. Even dogs are welcome at this particular venue.

If you want the details and info, send me a message by going to my website and clicking "write".

(hint: it is old-school, was once grand and is now a bit of a dump. Totally my kind of place.)

Jack Layton. July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011

2011-08-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

Statement today from Jack Layton's wife and two children:

"We deeply regret to inform you that The Honourable Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, passed away at 4:45 am today, Monday August 22. He passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family and loved ones. Details of Mr. Layton’s funeral arrangements will be forthcoming."

This is such a sad day for Canadians. Jack Layton accomplished the seemingly impossible and also the historical: he led the NDP to victory as the official Opposition Party in the House of Commons. Entirely likeable (no matter what the politics, most people had to agree that Jack Layton was utterly charming and intelligent), his battle with cancer was handled elegantly with the media, never used in any way to gain support or sympathy - in fact, few people knew the extent of his second battle with cancer, including his adoring colleagues who worked in his office.

My husband was part of the advertising team that created all the television spots for Layton's winning NDP campaign. Working within a budget, it was decided that our humble kitchen would be used as a set for one of the ads for free, to save a few thousand dollars paying for a location. Even this small contribution on our behalf to Layton's legacy makes me proud.

Jack Layton was a true supporter of the arts, a study in tenacity and conviction, and a great Torontonian; I feel blessed and inspired to have witnessed firsthand his success and incredible accomplishments. Rest in peace.

Pop-Up Concert Number Three

2011-08-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

This Pop-Up Concert was an entirely different experience altogether! At Hazelton Lanes we got booted out. At Loblaws we could have been dancing around in gorilla suits for all they cared. But we found a delighted and appreciative audience at Indigo (the downtown Toronto location).

As usual, we asked beforehand that our invited supporters use utmost discretion at our Pop-Up location (not asking staff when/where the concert is, not hanging around the piano expectantly before we get there, etc). One of the nicest memories of this particular Pop-Up is seeing people emerge from the various rows of books, escalators and entrances as we started playing. It was so lovely.

We were even on Global News, la di da!

Below, the clip from our performance. It runs just over 5 minutes. Enjoy.

Pop-Up Concert Number Three: August 14

2011-08-04T01:25:00.000-07:00

Our next Pop-Up concert will be held downtown Toronto on Sunday August 14 at 2PM.

Hint: everyone in the place may be feeling a bit blue.

If you want to come, please send me a note to: "hello at lenni jabour (one word) dawt cawm." (spambots could well be my number one pet peeve).

Irvine Welsh's "Ecstacy"

2011-07-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

My song "Side Streets + Parked Cars" has been chosen to appear in the film "Ecstasy", based on the book by Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting) and directed by Rob Heydon.

If you would like to be updated on the trailer and film release dates etc, please follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/IrvineWelshsEcstacy

Pop-Up Number Two

2011-07-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

So on a burning-hot Sunday afternoon, Alex, Anna and I bombarded the grand piano that sits in all its loneliness on the mezzanine level of Loblaws in Forest Hill.

I felt quite tongue-in-cheek about selecting Loblaws as one of our Pop-Up sites, even bringing along my eco-shopping bags so that I could simply get groceries after playing (provided we didn't get kicked out, which we did not).

Many seniors were there, some with their caregivers. The odd young family came and went, unsure about our antics but clapping nonetheless. Loblaws employees on break from the shopping chaos below gave us nary a sideways glance. A homeless man with a beat-up guitar case seemed to really listen closely to the lyrics. A real motley crew, the people who hang out on the mezzanine level of Loblaws. Us included, with our music stands and vintage summer dresses.

The girls and I had a good time, giggling that store announcements blared between the lines of our only quiet song, laughing our heads off at my little daughter and her buddy Stella dancing wildly and hopping around to the music, smiling at each others' pretty harmonies.

It was such a different experience from our Pop-Up at Hazelton Lanes. No one shutting us down, a real spacial distance between us and the audience - but also more strangers expressing appreciation. And interestingly enough, the sound was quite good up there. I was of course not amplified in any way, but my voice carried across the room really well.

The Toronto Star was there and wrote a very nice article about us in today's paper:
I will upload video soon.

Pop-Up Concert Number Two tomorrow!

2011-07-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

Sunday July 17 at 1PM. Send me a message at my full name, all one word, at gmail dot calm.

I will let you know the mid-town Toronto location, and if you are able to make it please do use utmost discretion when you arrive as our concert has of course not been previously arranged with the venue.

Hope to see you!

Next Pop-Up Concert ...

2011-06-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

... is July 17 at 2PM, free of course. If you are interested in coming out and would like to know the location, please email me at: lenni jabour (one word) at gmail dot you-know-the-rest.
For now I will give you a location hint: the President is not Barack Obama.
xxoo LJ

(ps: pop-up balloons by my darling friend Julia Guther: www.juliaguther.de)

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

2011-05-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

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.

Ewanika

2011-05-24T18:52:00.001-07:00

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.

Pop-Up Concert Number One

2011-05-18T09:36:00.001-07:00

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.

First Pop-Up Concert is today

2011-05-14T04:03:00.000-07:00

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.

Merci Bookhou

2011-03-19T01:49:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite design shops in Toronto is Bookhou. It is on Dundas Street West, a lovely and unassuming storefront that behind the glass door houses lovely, roughly-elegant handmade items for the home. The workroom is in the back and the owners' children are running around. So charming and welcoming.

Definitely the best place for a hostess or housewarming gift, a unique piece for a kid's room, or just a chat with the friendly and inspired owners. I especially love the felt chairs, tea towels and will definitely pick up the Anemone Tote as a fun summer bag. Woo hoo Bookhou!

Housing Stray Cats

2011-02-11T06:50:00.000-08:00

In the dead of last night we heard the saddest cries coming from the front porch - looked out and saw a little black and white feral cat all by himself, clearly freezing. I tried to let him in a few times; he would perk up and check me out for a moment, but in the end he would be too afraid and run off, only to return again a short while later to resume crying on the porch.

I have never lived anywhere with so many stray cats around the neighbourhood, and so I have decided to build a little shelter for them. This site has excellent instructions on how to do that, basically cutting a hole in a lined rubbermaid bin and filling it with straw. We will put out dry kitten food as well, which I read was the best thing for ferals as it has so much protein - although none of the strays around our house seem particularly undernourished, I must admit. They are either solely responsible for keeping the mice population firmly under control...or perhaps neighbours are feeding them? There are about seven strays that linger around our house (keeping their distance of course) so I am hoping to keep at least one or two of them warm and happy... and everyone can have a good night's sleep.

basement

2010-11-17T11:04:00.000-08:00

We have moved into a new home. Where I was living before was the second floor of an old Victorian house, and while it was charming and adorable, there are many reasons why it was such a relief to move: from a heinous downstairs neighbour to the fact that it was getting fairly squished in there with our new baby and all accoutrements. It was the apartment I hurriedly agreed to take when I returned to Toronto from Paris, a time when I knew nothing about what was coming next. The place served a purpose and I was grateful for such a pretty apartment, but suffice to say that I absolutely love our new home and community.

One of the great things about our new place is the basement. It is not very good-looking quite yet, but it soon will be. Down there will be a small studio for me to start my work again. Most of the songs I have been writing lately are of the children's variety of course, singing to my little daughter who claps wildly after each one and warbles along in her wordless, tuneless, lovely way. It's funny because so much has changed since the last time I came back from Paris - I now have a family. It has affected my songwriting, my singing voice, and how I want to share music with people who want to listen.

I like that the new studio will be in the basement, as I feel like I am starting something new, from the bottom, the ground floor.

It's the same as this time last year, Angie...

2010-06-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

Someone sent me a video of a song from concert I did in Paris at the wonderful l'Ogre A Plumes, a charming and charismatic downstairs-venue run by actors in the 9e that I am not sure is there anymore.

I like it because the video was shot on the sly, and I think it's cool to have shaky footage from an elegant little concert in a dirty little basement. It's not the best video, but it is still interesting to me in concept more than anything.

The song is "Angie, Say A Prayer", and I am posting it here because it is not really recorded anywhere and people always ask me about that song. Maybe that is why someone whipped out their video camera when I announced that I was going to sing it that night at l'Ogre A Plumes.

"The body is a place where each of us lives..."

2010-04-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

Zed Nelson is a UK-based photographer who just released a book of images and text titled "Love Me", examining the impact of the beauty/enhancement industry across the globe and noting that human beings are seemingly striving to a shockingly similar aesthetic, leading to a largely homogenized version of "people". The images in "Love Me" range from a woman with severe anorexia to discarded eyelash extensions, they are memorable and sometimes shocking.

I have been poring over the book all afternoon, mesmerized by photos of a jailhouse beauty pageant winner, a normal-sized 13-year old girl at a weight-loss camp bragging about losing 8 lbs in 10 days, and the gory sheets of skin being lifted by surgeons during a tummy tuck procedure.

The captions beside each image is what really nails the point home - the price we are paying for beauty is becoming, well, priceless. Check out Nelson's website: www.zednelson.com for a full range of the images. Pretty unforgettable.

Have You Heard ...

2010-02-28T09:22:00.000-08:00

I do apologize for such a long delay. I had a good reason for my absence (please see pic).

Music takes new shapes on top of the old ones. It changes colour depending on the time of day and how much water I pour on it. A kettle boils, a bath runs, rain trickles in through the bedroom window. The foundation of it stays the same though, and the piano lets me tug out the song it's got livin' inside.

The Waitress.

2009-08-31T08:08:00.000-07:00

I am writing a lot lately but not playing songs for anyone (except one person). Am waiting for two grant notifications, waiting for upcoming grant deadlines, waiting for my guitar to be repaired, waiting for the perfect ontario macintosh apples to arrive in Kensington Market, waiting for so many significant things.

It is funny that life seems to center around waiting and arriving. I wrote this a long time ago now:

Another year goes by
The circle turns into a line
he drives me by the seaside and I dream of going nowhere.

These lines are followed by the chorus it makes me a little sad. I suppose it does make me a little sad. There is a quiet acceptance in a period of waiting that I suppose can make one a little sad at times. Maybe this is why we keep ourselves so busy - I am not part of a waiting culture, we are a culture of instant access to information, answers, and tweets. Maybe I need to learn how to "wait" (am trying to teach my little dog this, but in a different context as he exuberantly storms ahead of me on our walks).

Although I can't speak for anyone else (and certainly not my plucky little dog) I would like to learn how to be a better waiter (waitress?).

Another line from a song of mine:
and the afternoons are
after all then
not so sad...

Summer Vacation ... Autumn Vacation ... Winter Vacation

2009-07-28T18:11:00.001-07:00

I am writing a lot these days. And, practicing a lot - playing the piano endlessly, dutifully fingering scales and arpeggios, whipping through sonatinas and meandering through sonatas and variations. Nothing gives more strength of conviction for me than playing the dear old piano.

That being said, aside from a few private events in the next month or so, we are taking un petit break from playing live. I plan to record by next spring... mostly the songs I wrote while living in Paris. Songs like "Rosemary's Cerise Valise", "Blue Shoes" and "Lonely Prince". Also, older songs that found their juice again like "Angie, Say A Prayer", "The First Initial Sting" and "Toujours Tres Doux". Then there will be the songs no one has really heard. And of course, songs I have not yet written.

I shall keep up my blog between sonatinas...

"Oh be true:
I'll stick to you
like your best friend's shoes;
I don't know what I would do without you,
my Red Delicious apple tree..." - from "Little Marie"

Not My Lover.

2009-07-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

In an absent time
of mismatched under-lying
and unintentionally repeated stories,
the confusion has outshone Hollywood.
Lackluster and bare (for years)
we attempt to both remember and forget.

In an altogether other universe,
I wear a faded sundress
and listen to the lake.

Summer Show.

2009-07-04T06:10:00.000-07:00

If you are in Toronto on July 16: please do come.

Sparrows

2009-06-06T16:12:00.001-07:00

You flew in by a margin
we know that ain't no homemade cape those sparrows got caught in
You found your own ground
that old lot of big-talkin' ne'er-do-wells can't bring you down

I recall standing in your yard holding a candle
we lit you in beautiful view (beautiful you)
but you've got your wiles and your eyes on the prize
and I recall standing in your yard, standing in your yard.

It's a long way and you can't pay
but if you high-fived and hitchhiked and hi-jacked you'd find a way
The road turned to a slow burn
yet if you paid any mind to your roadmap, you'd never learn

And I recall standing in your yard holding my hands up
we put you up top of the trees kissing your sleeves
it's a long way to fall from so tall - but you've got an angle
and I recall standing in your yard, standing in your yard.

Yes I recall standing in your yard holding my hands up
we lit you in beautiful view (oh beautiful you)
it's a long way to fall from so tall - but you've got it handled
and I recall standing in your yard, standing in your yard,
standing in your yard.

Miss Caroline Pearsall.

2009-05-25T16:28:00.001-07:00

My violist from the Parisian version of my band, Caroline Pearsall, is visiting me in Toronto this week. Quel excité!

We won't actually be playing any music together while she is here. Just visiting. Can't wait!

The Book Of Judith

2009-05-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

Last night I went with one of my oldest friends Dmitry to see a play by Michael Rubenfeld, The Book Of Judith.

So, I'm no theatre critic (or any kind of valid critic), but I did want to spread the word about this play.

I had no idea what the show was about going in, except that our friend from theatre school, Alex Bulmer, traveled from the UK to perform in it, and aside from supporting Michael (whom we both know), we were also thrilled to be seeing Alex again.

I cannot tell you the plot of the show, because if you do go then you should enter as I did, knowing nothing about it.

I will say that the play takes place in a large tent, on the grounds of CAMH in Toronto, the street noise corresponding with the intensity of the script. Michael Rubenfeld is the show's leader/storyteller - he plays himself: a brave performance where he channels both his inner P.T. Barnum and Little Prince. The play's subject matter raised personal questions for me around the depth of exploration, as well as whether exploitation and passion can exist without each other.

Such a moving and provocative piece of theatre really shouldn't be missed; I can't imagine anyone walking away from the grounds of CAMH not feeling both altered and uplifted by the show.

The Book Of Judith runs in Toronto until May 31.

bookofjudithplay.blogspot.com

The Long Weekend.

2009-05-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

This year, the May 24 weekend falls, on, well, this weekend. Which happens to be the May 16th weekend. Quite confusing. I have however learned that the 24th of May must fall AFTER a Monday in order to be considered a long weekend...and this May 24th is actually a Sunday.

Sometimes I reflect on things like this and wonder:

Who made this shit up?

Nonetheless, I am thrilled and delighted to have an extra day no matter what time of year. So, happy birthday Queen Vickie. I shall be sure to eat a meringue or trifle or financier or palmier or whatever I think you might have enjoyed on your birthday, on your behalf.

Tomorrow's Show

2009-05-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

We are so looking forward to tomorrow night's show at The Cameron House. By "we", I mean Alex McMaster on cello (lovely), Anna Atkinson on viola (fetching), and Joe Phillips on double bass (dashing).

Donovan Woods is our special guest, and one of my favorite Toronto singer/songwriters. I listen to his CD "The Hold Up" non-stop when I live in Paris because it reminds me of home.

Please come tomorrow night if you can ... we will have advance copies of "Lenni Jabour: Greatest Hits" for sale for the first time.

The Perfect Libra Man

2009-04-17T02:27:00.000-07:00

Born in October
when weather gets colder
touch my shoulder burn my fingers
hold the door take me to dinner
turn on when I don't expect you
Sunday Special bring your friends too

I listened to Edie and where did it get me
receiver in hand and a sweater on my head
I believed in the story and in e.e. cummings
I shook my head at the papers
and signed the guestbook instead
I think I'm falling and then
I call you darling and when
I shut you out and pretend
you're the perfect Libra man

You are elusive
you are a nuisance
everyday I'm waiting for you
give it up you silly boy you
call your mother pour your heart out
sorry is nice - but love is harder

I listened to Edie and where did it get me
receiver in hand and a sweater on my head
I believed in the story and in e.e. cummings
I shook my head at the papers
and signed the guestbook instead
I think I'm falling and then
I call you darling and when
I shut you out and pretend
you're the perfect Libra man

Show.

2009-04-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

Our first proper show in Toronto in a very. long. time.

Things feel different. The show changed while I lived in Paris; my performances just sort of naturally took a different shape with the musicians I played with there and the audiences we played for... as well as the impact of my experience of simply living in Paris. I felt quieter, more grounded, less rambunctious - my desire to "put up a show" lessened as my desire to simply play escalated. Probably there is more joy in my concerts now than before because of this? Hmmm.

Anyhoo, we shall play in the back room of The Cameron House in Toronto on Thursday May 14. Our darling friend Donovan Woods is our special guest. He is one of my most favorite songwriters in Canada at the moment, you must promise not to miss him.

So, there will be more details soon. This is just the first announcement - Myspace, Facebook, etc updates coming in awhile...although this is mainly a show for our friends...

Rosemary's Cerise Valise.

2009-03-28T05:32:00.001-07:00

She left her bracelet on the table
next to the mirror beside the candle
and oh can it be - an old cinema receipt
These are the things he keeps in Rosemary's cerise valise

A dry fountain pen that can't write letters
the special soap to wash her cashmere sweaters
and oh it would seem - a list of books she'd like to read
These are the things he keeps in Rosemary's cerise valise

The comb kept a few strands of her hair
the key left on the table by the stairs
oh how can she be just a string of memories
These are the things he keeps in Rosemary's cerise valise.

maple syrup.

2009-03-23T08:49:00.001-07:00

For those of you who might not know, it is maple syrup season in Canada. This past weekend I went to a sugarbush and walked around the mud, sampling syrup in small paper cups. The sky was very blue and seemed extra-high on account of all the tall trees.

I highly recommend maple syrup for any of the following remedies/procedures:

- sweeten your morning latte.
- pour over thick plain yogurt with fresh fruit
- drizzle on grapefruit
- gulp a tablespoon to quell a mid-afternoon sugar crash
- forgo the flu shot and get your immune-boosting zinc & manganese as naturally found in pure maple syrup
- add maple syrup and cinnamon to puréed cooked sweet potatoes
- combine maple syrup with orange juice and tamari (soy) sauce, and use as a marinade for baked tofu or salmon

I of course do not need to say anything in regards to pancakes, french toast or waffles. My younger brother, when he was little, used to pour maple syrup on his plate of sausages every Sunday morning. Brilliant.

The maple season lasts until the end of March.

Moriarty is coming, Moriarty is coming!

2009-03-11T08:29:00.001-07:00

My friends from Paris in the brilliant band Moriarty are coming to play Canadiam Music Week.

Please come to their show - it is full of typewriters and vintage suitcases and double basses and glockenspiels and overall magic. You will love.

Myspace and The Story of Fou Du Roi.

2009-03-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

I have uploaded some new, unreleased songs on my Myspace page, including a live taping of my solo performance of "A Little Sad" on the popular French radio show "Le Fou du Roi".

The nicest thing about that performance was the audience. I was surprised that hundreds of people show up in the middle of the day to hear the whole radio show, which generally features authors, actors, all kinds of artists and thinkers. Because they are a live audience, the rule is that they of course cannot be very boisterous and for the most part must be quiet, aside from appropriate applause.

It is a fairly unceremonious thing after a live radio performance like that - generally the show just carries on, as it did in this case. I was led to the back of the stage towards the exit door...but just before I left, I turned to the audience and silently waved goodbye to everyone with a big goofy smile on my face.

One of my favorite moments of all my time spent in Paris is when pretty much the entire audience smiled, and silently waved back.

www.myspace.com/lennijabour

_____________________________________

J'ai mis des nouveau chansons sur ma page de Myspace, avec un enregistrement live de « A Little Sad » sur le radio programme Le Fou du Roi.

La plus agréable de cette exécution était la publique. J'étonné que des les de gens qui arrivent a midi pour entendre le spectacle de radio entier, qui présente généralement des auteurs, les acteurs, tous types d'artistes et philosophes. Parce qu'ils sont une audience "live", la règle est qu'ils ne peuvent pas être très bruyant (bien sûr) et doit se taire pour la plupart, à part les applaudissements appropriés.

C'est un peu brusque après une exécution de radio comme ça, en effet - généralement le spectacle continue juste, comme il a fait dans ce cas. J'ai été mené au dos de l'étage vers la porte de sortie ... mais juste avant que j'ai parti, j'ai tourné à l'audience et ai ondulé adieu silencieusement à tous , avec un grand sourire dingue.

Mon souvenir favorite de tout mon temps passé a Paris est quand l'audience entière a souri, et a ondulé silencieusement de retour.

www.myspace.com/lennijabour

Kensington Market

2009-02-26T13:20:00.000-08:00

If you visit Toronto, you will want to go to Kensington Market.

- Get caffeinated at iDeal Coffee (84 Nassau), or Louie's on the corner of Baldwin and Augusta. I call it Grumpy Louie's - but he makes magic coffee.

- Go shopping at Model Citizen (279 Augusta), the amazing clothing/accessories store for both women and men, owned/operated by my friends Julian and Georgia.

- Down a burrito at Big Fat Burrito (285 Augusta Ave). Get #2 spicy.

- Buy soy milk, sprouts and Ezekiel bread at Essence of Life Healthfood Store (50 Kensington Ave)

- Take out cash at the TD bank machine (kensington Ave at St. Andrew)

- Purchase dried burdock, lemon balm and black cohosh at Chinese Herbs on the corner of St. Andrew and Kensington Ave

- Pet/feed/rescue a stray market cat or kitten. (You can volunteer or even adopt from Kensington Market Stray Cat Rescue. 416-596-2331)

- Eat a square of mango cake from Patty King (187 Baldwin St). I cannot guarantee it, but the ladies behind the counter will most likely address you as "sweetie"

- Stock up on tortillas, black beans and chipotle peppers at Casa Acoreana (235 Augusta Ave)

And, click here to visit the Kensington Market website for more info and photos, etc. Since you will inevitably bump into someone you know (even if visiting Toronto for the first time, it seems to be the way), perhaps I will see you there.

11e

2009-02-22T06:29:00.000-08:00

Where the cement met beauty,
a story flung itself out a window.
Furious and broken both,
There were shards of this and that - raw and fast -
blanketing the shock of is.

Awhile later, in a numbed café
important pieces got dropped.
Left to rot, then, on dusty floors;
no sweeping nor wiping nor shuffling away -
only a faded capture of once.

It was in this place:
the chairs, the stars -
where days turned to ever
(good-bye lovers),
a just was sought
but then never delivered.

And so it was thus,
That not became was.

New York

2009-02-18T10:02:00.001-08:00

I wrote a song a long time ago called "New York". I was living in a small attic apartment in Brooklyn Heights where I looked after two cats, learned the definition of shabby chic, and discovered The Moosewood Cookbook.

I wrote this song the afternoon after the Macy's Day Parade.

You think it might have been a miracle
America is floating down 5th Avenue
she looks at you with snowflakes on her eyelashes
all you can do is shake your head in wonderment
and wonder who you were before you breathed the fumes
of autumn leaves discarded on the avenues of New York.

The stars are getting brighter over Brooklyn now
a hooker wishes on Orion anyhow
the windowed homes are orange and red with yellowed glow
and you wish you could stop from feeling so alone
you search for his brown eyes every time you turn around
and you make a wish on every penny on the ground in New York.

I Love Rock'n' Roll. And, manatees.

2009-02-16T16:37:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about it earlier, and although I really love dogs (I have the sweetest dog, named Moose):

I must say that my favorite animal these days is a manatee. Just look at these two manatees here. Aren't they perfectly darling? Wouldn't you be perfectly pleased to be swimming along in the sea one day, and bump into a manatee?

I certainly would.

Friday I'm In Love

2009-02-13T05:13:00.000-08:00

Be my valentine.

Fall On Your Knees.

2009-02-10T13:50:00.001-08:00

Thursday night:
I am playing at The Drake Hotel, for their lovely 5th Anniversary Party.
I think it might be very-crazy.

Everyone is supposed to arrive dressed as their favorite work of art. I don't have a favorite work of art, but I do have a gold lamé dress. Therefore, I will go dressed as a frame.

I must make sure my dress covers my knees, though. I slipped on some ice yesterday while jogging, and my knees looks like they belong to someone who is six and just fell off their new bike.

New New New Nouveau.

2009-01-26T17:14:00.000-08:00

Thank you for visiting my new blog via my new website!

This is the page where I shall write sweet nothings for you.

I am better at writing personal letters than announcements and proclamations. Although I will fill you in on fun happenings with my music, true newsletters would probably meander and career updates would likely yawn - I don't sell things like that with much plume and zeal. If you would like a snapshot into my little world though, this is the place for you...

You can head back to my website by clicking here.

Coucou,

Merci pour visiter mon nouveau blog, par mon nouveau site!

Ceci j'ecrirai les "quoi des neufs" , des clin-d'oeils , et les petites chuchotes .

C'est mieux pour moi si j'ecris une lettre que des annonces ... mais voila , et j'essaye en francais pour tous mes amis a Paris qui j'adore . En plus , je vous permets de rire à mon français ...

Rentrez-vous a mon site par cliquez ici.