That was somewhat idiotic. I want to blame Robbie Robertson. Y'see, on the way from work (leaving on Friday at 4:30 last week), en route to BC Ferries, I pitstopped at a bookstore and noticed that they had a signed copy of Robbie Robertson's Testimony on their shelf for $6.
I considered it. Clearly they did not realize what they had. I have no particular interest in Robertson -- I'm more of a Levon Helm or Rick Danko guy, when it comes to the Band -- but, I reasoned, I could always find something to do with such an item, were I to buy it.
Alternately, I could appraise them of their mistake.
It's not that I felt especially considerate of their interests. "Snooze and lose" is a maxim I am comfortable with, generally. But I was already carrying a bag full of stuff to the island, and didn't want to lug a hardcover book, so I chose the latter path. Virtuous, but due to this, I lingered a minute, informing them of their error, and because of this -- or at least this is how I would like to tell the story, truth notwithstanding -- I missed the bus that would have gotten to me the ferry on time, and thus ended up missing the gig (Earthball) that I was going to see.
Really Robbie Robertson had nothing to do with it, though. The bus leaving Bridgeport was half an hour late, anyhow -- it left within minutes of my arriving at Bridgeport, and I was on it. All Robbie kept me from doing was waiting in line longer than I needed to; bus-wise, the transit situation worked out just fine. Really it was BC Ferries' fault. If they did not cut off ticket sales fifteen minutes before the sailing, or if they did something to inform people of this practice... if on arriving in the nick of time at the terminal, I had not broken right to use the ticket machines; if I had broken left and gotten in line to buy a ticket off the tellers -- I would have been fine. The people who knew well enough to do that got on the 6 PM ferry. But I was busy trying a second ticket machine, then talking with a staff member, and by the time I realized that I should have just gotten in the other line from the start, that line was too long for me to have a hope (I know -- I was standing in it when the cutoff was announced). I ended up, along with 20 other hopefuls, on the 7pm ferry instead of the 6, which then, although it arrived at 8:35 (on time) did not unload til 8:55, five minutes before Earthball were supposed to go on.... but they were playing in downtown Victoria, not at the ferry terminal. The bus from the terminal then took an hour, so even though I had a ride to the venue from where the bus let me off (thanks, Bob!), I arrived fifteen minutes AFTER the band I wanted to see had finished playing. Earthball was nowhere to be seen as I bought tickets for Bob and myself and took a seat.
There may have been a hidden cosmic purpose in this, however. Because as the bus was closing in on Mayfair Mall, I saw someone approach the exit who I recognized, but had not expected to see: Murray Acton! I commiserated with the ongling Dayglos' Visa woes -- a SNAFU with their documents caused a weeks-long delay on a US tour, which would then prove to be a terminal condition; they've been ripped off, their tour cancelled, and are currently in a slough of despond about it. Not much I could do, but I gave him a pot lozenge, and thought to tell him that Saccharine Trust guitarist Joe Baiza was playing gigs in Victoria and Nanaimo in October with Mike Watt and Chris Corsano!
Sure, Watt's a living legend, and Corsano is a heavy-hitter, too, but I figure the people who are going to shit themselves for this show are the Joe Baiza fans out there, because he doesn't play here often. I think Saccharine Trust opened for Black Flag here once around 1982... not sure if he's been back since. Anyhow, the Dayglo Abortions have shared a bill with Saccharine Trust, I learned from Murray, there in the bus aisle. Maybe the universe (and BC Ferries) had screwed with my trip just for the purpose of putting word of this gig in Murray's ear?
Oh: they're playing Vancouver, too.
Anyhoo, I met my friend Bob and got to see a set of pretty stellar free jazz (Cosmic Foam, who I think are opening for one of the Watt/ Baiza/ Corsano gigs); with both electric guitar and horns (I think that was a baritone sax, and then maybe a soprano, that the leader was playing?), and driving rock drums and, uh, bassy electric basslines, they created a very tasty "alternate" form of - bear with me - "fusion" between rock and jazz...
...but not that sucky pastel Return to Forever/ "1977 Wayne Shorter" fusion shit. The relevant artists from a jazz point of view would be early 70s Miles Davis or Mahavishnu Orchestra at their most rockin' (Between Eternity and Nothingness, I mean, not -- what was it Gerhard used to call that later album, Visions Up the Emerald Behind?), or maybe some of the more rock-oriented early 70's Impulse stuff: and not the funky stuff, either -- we're not talking "The Creator Has a Master Plan" here, but say the noisier jams (sans vocals) off Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe, if you feel me; I don't know how well you know your early 70s free jazz, when rock was creeping in, but there's all sorts of potential for creative expression that existed at that time that did not really end up getting developed, that sort of dead-ended around 1973 as things went the way of smooth fusion or funk. Bitches Brew, in particular, is something the culture simply never caught up with, a milestone that Miles threw down that not even Miles himself ever quite equaled. That seems to be where Cosmic Foam begins, but one of the exciting things about seeing them was that there was plenty of potential to digress from there, to veer into straight-up psychedelic rock or into a recognizable jazz cover; they could have as easily swung into a take on "Time Has Come Today" by the Chambers Brothers as they could Coltrane's "A Love Supreme." There were even passages that seemed familiar to me, guitar riffs that might have come from, say, the first Sabbath album, but which were hard to recognize when subordinated to an overall jazz aesthetic. They blasted forth for about 45 minutes, with one composition bleeding into the next. As with the brief check in with Murray, it took the bite off missing Earthball entirely. Well worth keeping an ear out for!
Also had fun chatting with members of Earthball after the gig. Shearing Pinx (now a four piece, including a member of prairie band Hag Face, who I confess to not knowing, as well as Nic and Jeremy and Izzy) will be opening for Tamaryn on September 7th at the Cobalt. Talked other things with Jeremy, but it's been a long week.
Anyhow, nice to have a couple new gigs to look forward to: Baiza/ Watt/ Corsano is another must see.
I haven't had much time to write -- I'm working on a new feature for Montecristo Magazine, which will be in their next print issue, and by the way, I have a piece on the back page (I think) of their current print issue as well. I'm gonna chew a pot gummy, finish a so-so film noir I've been slogging through, and maybe get an early night's sleep.
Might not write for a bit... at least not here.
Tamaryn/ Shearing Pinx/ Cherry Pick gig: https://www.instagram.com/thecobaltvancouver/p/C-auJ2Ov0Rv/
Vancouver date for Watt/ Baiza/ Corsano: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/infidels-presents-chris-corsano-joe-baiza-mike-watt-at-heros-welcome-tickets-980354455567
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