let me know when we get there // if we get there

last night i went to see fink at the garrison on dundas west. and nights like last night, remind me why i love living in the great city of toronto.
dare i saw i've never ventured into this double sided wonder of concert heaven? it's a great venue. good beer on draft and in the can (bottles too maybe - i didn't notice), a bit seperated from the street, and some chairs chill in the front for people to sit close to the stage (making lots of standing room - where you can actually see!). they had great lakes pumpkin ale on draught! duh. i'll be visiting again. i can't believe i've never been (as it's less than 5 blocks from my house).
warning. these may be the worst concert photos i've ever ever taken, to date. as a result, i've also included other people's photos (credit included). so, thanks to them.
we walked in to a smallish crowd... and the dreamy and ever talented and amazing and wonderful donovan woods was opening (how did we catch THAT lucky break??). he's a toronto songwriter, originally from sarnia (but we'll forgive him for that). first album was out in 2007, and since then, he's just been kicking ass and taking names (= writing songs, and singing like a beauty). new album coming in january - and he played some new stuff, so i'm amped about it.
he was perfection. his voice is so familiar, and so calm. his writing is perfect, his singing suits his songs, and he's hilarious. he also wrote a toronto anthem for 'the grid' that you are not a torontonian if you've never heard or don't listen now. go. i can wait.
sorry dudes. didn't note the song list, and showed up a bit late (damn!).  however, he played a length play list. THAT i know.
then, mini break. then, fink. fink is an english artist, based out of brighton. while i would describe him as a bluesy singer songwriter, he has often said he was heavily influenced by his rave days, and the techno that came along with that. throw in some jazz influence (from his very first recording), and you've got fink - a medley of experiement and bluesy songwriting. the fink trio, typically consisting of fin, the MULTI talented tim thornton (LOVE) on drums and guitar, as well as bassist guy whittaker (who was missing last night...), the band is an honest, and gutsy one. they're bold, and EXTREMELY talented (they recorded their last album in 16 days)... and i am constantly in awe when i listen. watching fin and tim perform last night was no exception.
see - told you they were bad
they came on, and instantly started in. just the two of them on stage. and i will say this - any 2 people who can hold an entire performance together, in a small club, while capturing the entire crowd, deserves massive high fives. not unlike first aid kit last week, these two guys are obviously in love with what they do, and they power through their music as though it's the last show they'll ever play. i love that as an audience member.
they dominated their entire set... their english accents thick, and subtly hilarious. the music was consistent  and perfect... better than any album you could listen to. as they played 'this is the thing' my friend alex - who randomly happened to be at the show that night too - wrote me a text that said, "and some songs are those songs that just take you right back, and put your heart in your throat". this song, if you've never heard it, does exactly that. 
'and the things that keep us apart keep me alive and the things that keep me alive keep me alone. this is the thing'
in finishing their set with 'sort of revolution', fin dropped the guitar, and finished off with a mix from his pedals. a quasi dj set on the ground, if you will (you can see what he did here in this video from earlier this year - at about 7:40). beauty. perfect way to end. but then we got an encore. dayum.
set list for fink (missed the first song):   yesterday was hard on all of us   //   pretty little thing   //   save it for somebody else   //   berlin sunrise   //   perfect darkness   //   trouble's what you're in   // wheels   //   this is the thing   //   sort of revolution   //   encore: if only
you should absolutely watch fink perform 'pretty little thing' here. drink it in.
and listen to one of my faves from donovan. try not to like him.
and then, do your research. find donovan on the web here, and check out some future shows here. and don't forget to buy his albums here. find fink on the web here, and check out shows they have coming up here. and then, follow these dudes on twitter here: donovan woods & fink.
thanks boys - even without the bassist, your music was flawless. the crowd was enamoured. and hey - if you ever need jewelry, i'm your gal.

oh hey katie... thanks for the photos.

hey friends... sorry. things have been nutty, and i promise i haven't been ignoring you!
i didn't write yesterday (i know! don't hate me!), and to be honest, this entry isn't anything of real substance today... and i am sorry. not because i think you all can't live without me. i'm sorry that i haven't had time to blog. because man - i love it so.
so yea, this may be a cop out post, but that doesn't make it any less valid. 
have you checked out katie's blog lately? man. these are some gooooooood photos. it's so easy to read/look at. so even if you're feeling like you don't want to engage too much, you can look at her kick ass, cute, hilarious, and soooooo coooooool fam, her beautiful photos, and read about their adventures. through picture form.
anatomy of a sick day   //   sick day   //   sweet corn ice cream   //   county fair   //   swim in sun   //   paint an escape
catch up with katie. and i'll be back soon.

my (homecoming) weekend in summary

the weekend was completely without sleep. but a blast. new friends and old. and lots of old hangouts. i love homecoming weekend.
yankees/jays game with jake - 5th row, behind the yankee's dugout!; my pin for pete; changes are inevitable; the bike for pete; momentos; the remainder of my work day; jake got iced; when at homecoming for university, act like you're still in university; baby gift presentations and demonstrations; hats for everyone!; dressed in purple and gold; bringing a guelph girl into the mix; alumni; we bring the 'class' to 'class of '07'; love love love; the omnimous sky over the football game; the crowd; cuddles with a future laurier grad; nap time never gets old; baby clothes, pre baby!; where everyone knows our name.
friday: woke up early, as there was going to be a memorial bike ride in my friend pete's honour. since his crash site was blocks from my house (and since i can't ride a bike), i planned to meet up with the bikers at the site, where they were installing a white 'ghost' bike in his honour. it was a much needed ceremony to be at peace with the whole thing. after the memorial, i headed out to waterloo for a client meting, and to work the remainder of the day. after working, i met up with a good friend from high school for dinner - a reminder of why my job that allows me to travel sometimes, can be a great thing. then, headed out to the hotel where we were staying for the weekend to meet up with everyone. after the hellos, the changing, the showers, and the chatting, we left to meet up with nate at the on campus pub where we used to spend our weekends. spent the night catching up with old friends, meeting some new (hi scott!), and dancing on the stage. required, to relive our university nights. we all went back to the hotel and crashed - for the long day the following day.
saturday: woke up, and after the gentlemen ran to get some rehydrating drinks, we all got ready in our purple and gold, and headed out to procure some football game tickets for those who forgot. we dropped off the car at the next location, and then wandered through campus trying to reconnect with nate and jake who had run to get tickets. they managed tickets (cheap!), and we all headed over to get into the reunion tent for free food and drinks (*included in the price - but free sounds better!). after presenting the alumni gift on the football field to the president of the university, i returned to the tent, and ate my food, drank my beer, and got to hang out with my old goodies - spending a day at a football game with university friends is like a dream come true. after the game (let's not talk about the score), we all headed over to matt and caits for some hangout time (to see the baby!), and some food. and for some of the boys, a nap. we met up with jeff, and all of us piled into the house, and spent the evening eating pizza, hanging out, catching up, and getting to catch little bits of sleep every now and then. we ordered some cabs, and headed out to the bar, and ate some fries, and drank some beer, and laughed lots. once we had our fill, everyone cabbed (jeff and i walked) to the turret - the on campus laurier bar - and danced the night away. when it was time to leave, josh, nate, jeff and i walked over to get a burrito (in the pouring rain), and procured a cab home. i felt truly in university again (and not just because there were 7 of us in 1 hotel room).
sunday: we all woke up early enough to check out, and then after a bit of shuffling to get cars left in various places, we all met up with breakfast/brunch in waterloo. since the service was awful, and the food took an hour, we had plenty of time in the sun, on the patio to catch up. when all was said and done (almost 2 hours - and a complaint to the manager - later), we all said our goodbyes (boo!), and departed in our separate directions. jeff and i headed back to ancaster, where we got in a 3 hour nap (i'm too old for this stuff!), a good drive in the rolling hills of his new neighbourhood, and an indian food pickup before dinner with his parents. we spent the rest of the night watching dexter (he hasn't seen season 4!!), and it was early to bed.
it was a gooooooooood (tiring) weekend.
also, photographer martin ho took some beautiful photos of the 'ghost bike' and the ride on friday.... amazing. for you pete.
white bike   //   in memory   //   the crowd   //   a reminder

hope everyone had a fantastic, lovely weathered, and fun weekend - with lots of laughter. 5 sleeps until thanksgiving!

a proud past

this weekend i am heading home - to my alma mater. it's homecoming weekend, and as i do every year (last year, and the year before that), this year i will be celebrating with friends from school and watching a football game. this year (as with every year, as i get older), will be a bit different. this year, there are babies involved, pregnant ladies (i'm talking about YOU bri), married couples, and new friends... it's fun using homecoming as a touchpoint, to see where we all are after another year. 


this year is particularly special, because it's my 5 year reunion - and i've had the cool chance to be on the 5 year reunion committee. we've planned and opinionated, and worked with some super awesome people in the alumni department. i also have the opportunity to be one of the students who will be presenting the president with our alumni gift.... in the middle of the football game. this will be super awesome, as it gives me a chance to thank the school who has contributed to who i am today (for better or for worse!). 
finally, this weekend will be extra special, as my friends and i are going to use it to celebrate a life. we will be together, celebrating eachother, and the person who meant so much to us through our 4 years... and we will laugh for him - because it's what he would have wanted us to do. 
i hope everyone has a spectacular weekend - maybe revisit some things from the past.... it's always important to remember where we came from!