Debbie and I walked into the Denman movie theatre, glad to be out of the Vancouver rain and looking forward to the treat we were about to watch. It was a quaint theatre. There was only one employee. He had to run from the ticket booth to the popcorn machine in order to serve the different customers. There was funny colourful carpet and cheap decorations in the stairwell and foyer, but the theatre itself was quite nice. It had comfortable seats with plenty of leg room. The screen and sound was sufficient. But what really stood out to me was the film itself.

A movie about guitars and guitar players is obviously something that would intrigue me since I am a guitar player myself, but “It Might Get Loud” far exceeded my expectations. It is a documentary about three guitar players: Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White, who got together for a conversation and jam session. The film takes you through their own stories and interweaves the meeting of these three innovators in an inspiring narrative. There were too many good moments to describe, but one highlight was watching Jack White listen to his favourite song on vinyl: an old soulful singer belting out some blues, singing accapella accompanied only by his own clapping. I’m pretty confident I will buy this film when it comes out on DVD. If you have the chance to watch this, it is a must-see.

I had heard that U2 concerts were spiritual events - almost like church worship services - but I hadn’t experienced it for myself until tonight. And what I had heard was correct. There were moments of pure communal unity and joy. I think specifically of the moment that the band left the stage and the whole crowd erupted into a cheer for an encore. The sound of our un-amplified voices and clapping hands matched the volume of the rock band at full blast. It’s like how I image a triumphant entry into the afterlife would sound.

There’s something that U2 has that few other bands or artists have. It more than the music. Their concerts and their songs are so full of life. They point towards hope and a promise of something better.

This is inspiring to me as an artist.

I feel like I’ve written enough sad songs. I’ve poured out my broken heart and intended to connect with people who are hurting. But I myself am now healing and feeling really good. It is time for hope.

Last night was magical.  I played a show at a restaurant called the Tipper.  They have a private room for concerts, events, meetings, etc.  It is a very intimate venue.

Shortly after arriving, I met the two other artists who were playing at the show - Megan Beatty and Gina-Lily D’Attilio.  In addition to singing and songwriting, they are both involved in other creative endeavors.  Megan makes art and is also starting something called Emo Well, which has something to do with emotional wellness with music.  Gina has recently started writing songs for hire.  If someone wants a special gift for their friend, significant other, or family member, they can hire Gina to write a song just for them.  She gives them an extensive questionaire (with questions such as “What animal does this person remind you of?” or “What is your favorite memory with this person?”) and uses that info to write the song.  This is really cool.  I’ve actually thought of doing something like this before, but never really thought it would work.  Perhaps I should give it a try.  Gina also started a website/booking group called Solace Music Nation (website still under construction).  Solace Music Nation is dedicated to giving emerging artists the opportunity to play full sets of live music.  They also record the shows and play them on SFU radio.  Creativity like this gets me excited.

As far as the music goes, I thought all three of our sets went well.  I started the show with lots of energy.  Then Megan tooks us through an emotional journey with her cute shyness.  And Gina rocked out with some great melodies and a beautiful voice.  Her voice almost reminded me of Karla Adolphe from Jacob and Lily.

I thought the show was going to end with Gina, but then there was a surprise.  She invited her friend (I forgot his name) to come up for a set.  He started with a bunch of covers.  The most notable were “One” by U2 and “Hallelujah” by Leonard Coen (Jeff Buckley’s version is my favorite, though).  Something really cool happened with these songs… a couple of us in the crowd started singing some harmonies under our breath and before we knew it, the whole audience started singing along in five-part harmony with some sort of beautiful unity.  It was like we were one big family, but most of us didn’t even know each other.  Almost as a joke I started to wave my hands in the air (like I just don’t care) and other people joined in.  It was magical.  This guy then free-styled a couple songs.  We called out what we wanted him to sing about and he just made it up on the spot.  He did one about puppies and one about sunburns.  They were pretty funny.  Altogether, it was a great night.

If you’re interested, I’m playing again this Thursday at the Oasis Lounge.  Check out the facebook event.