Peggy Lee's cello

On February 2, 2019 my daughter Ale and I attended a concert at 8EAST (on Pender). The-just written music featured works by Lyle Hopkins with Ron Samworth, guitar, Skye Brooks, percussion and François Houle, clarinet. There was also a set of duos between Peggy Lee, cello, Torsten Muller,bass, and Viviane Houle, voice.

Such places surface in Vancouver and have so for years. In the early 80s when I might attend a punk concert at the Smilin’ Buddha some of us would be informed that there was a concert at some place or house nearby. These were underground concerts. In one of them I won the door prize which was a Pontiac hearse. I opted for $500.

Many believe that Vancouver is staid and boring. But this is not the case if you happen to know a few people. I found out about the 8EAST (On Pender) concert from my cellist friend Marina Hasselberg. The line-up was stellar and especially so for my guitar playing daughter as virtuoso electric guitar man, Ron Samworth was part of it.

François Houle, Marina Hasselberg and Ron Samworth

The concert (to begin at 8) was fashionably late as it began at 8:45. Most of the music featured musicians who were good and keen on improvisation. The second half of the concert featured music by bassist Lyle Hopkins. In one unusual segment even guitarist Ron Samworth was using a bow.

The concert began with a trio with Peggy Lee, Torsten Muller and singer Viviane Houle whose voice was used primarily as a musical instrument. Some of the sounds of her voice resembled that of a viola so the performance was really a string trio!

Percussionist Sky Brooks was most delicate on his drum kit. We were never blasted in any way. If anything he played his percussion instruments with much elegance.

Sky Brooks, Lyle Hopkins & François Houle

My daughter was suitably impressed and thanked her father (me) for bringing her to another night of what I call the Vancouver Petit Avant-Garde. Since she is a schoolteacher in Lillooet there is little chance such a concert would happen there.

Peggy Lee

Torsten Muller

Viviane Houle

Marina Hasselberg

“We have met the enemy and he is us"

Pogo –Walt Kelly

Ever since I can remember I was attracted to comics particularly those of El Pato Donald and El Ratón Mickey. As I got older I liked Captain Marvel and The Lone Ranger comic books.

But it was around 1968 when I first started reading The News (a Mexico City daily in English) that I was exposed to political comic strips like Pogo and Doonesbury. I was lured because I liked to read Dick Tracy, Steve Canyon and Terry and the Pirates.

In Vancouver by the late 70s I met and became friends with the illustrators for Vancouver Magazine. In those days their illustrations were top notch.

But because I am from that other century I have never really bothered to read adult comic books. I despise (because I do) the fantasy variety. Superman and Batman were fine when I was 15. Now I am too much of an adult (an old man?) to appreciate or collect vintage comic books and run to see the latest superhero film.

This may seem odd when I shift to the idea that the Mexican word “metiche” usually relegated to describe an intrusive mother-in-law is something that some in my family think of my Rosemary and her husband by association.

We are constantly trying to help even when some of my friends tell me that we are only the grandparents (or that our daughters are now adults and can lead their own lives).

Because it is the Steve Jobs Century, that villain who has ruined it (his century) for all of us by narrowing and shortening our attention span and as a by-product less likely to read I rarely buy books for anybody but myself.

My Rosemary and I read our daily NY Times and the Vancouver Sun. Many locals deprecate our city daily but I find that every once in a while they redeem themselves if anything by re-printing stuff from other newspapers.

But this past Saturday there was a review of Gary Trudeau’s latest book. I knew immediately that I was going to go to Chapters/Indigo on Granville and West Broadway to buy a copy (they had two) for my granddaughter Rebecca, 21. I know she will enjoy it. Why?

She and we have some stuff in common but in relation to the Trudeau book, Rebecca watches (on her phone) every Stephen Colbert monologue just as we do.

Perhaps in some near future I might introduce her to Walt Kelly and the Okefenokee Swamp.

 

Anemone coronaria 'Harmony Blue' 27 January 2019

After 50 years of being married to my Rosemary, almost every day brings me a surprise about her, some hidden quality I was not aware of.

Today we went to Safeway to buy some food. On the way back she said, “Can we pass by Thomas Hobbs (his nursery is called Southlands)? “ I answered, "It is 4:30 (it would be closing by five) and I am cold.” But I felt guilty and instead of turning right onto 49^th on Marine Drive I turned left.

At that time there were no customers. I spotted this blue anemone and I knew I was going to spend $13. There were others that had three or four buds. Only this one had (only one) a wide open flower. I had all the intentions of scanning it. 

Rosemary did what she always does at Tom’s (it drives me crazy), she filled a paper cup with free coffee. She brings it into the car and this means that I have to drive carefully so she will not spill it on herself or on the centre console cup holder.

I keep telling Rosemary (today one of our toilets was stuck and she could not navigate the pump), “What are you going to do when I am dead?”

She must know that my worry is a worse one and a far more selfish one:

What will I do if Rosemary dies before me?