It's a wet spring day in Toronto, which raises hopes for a green and flowery near-future. When Francis Fukuyama proclaimed the end of history, it shed an unflattering light on the old punk slogan 'No Future.' In times like these, it's more rebellious to believe in the future, a future that has yet to be determined.
Today the words 'swine flu' are on everyone's lips. Whether we're talking about pandemics, war, or other proverbial horsemen, there isn't any corner of North America where one can hide from the peculiar rhythm of our culture- the pounding, relentless anxiety that drives us to work and spend.
Fret not. When you rest your head on your pillow at night, remember that the sound you are hearing is not the trotting hooves of the four horsemen, but the sound of your own worried heart beating. Yes, a hard rain is falling, but a hard rain is better than no rain, so press on, dear friends.
If you're in Toronto, maybe we'll see you tomorrow at This Ain't The Rosedale Library- our show with Brian Joseph Davis will be an early one, starting at 8pm. If not tomorrow, we hope to see you soon!
xoxo
Betty
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Late to the dance, or early to the afterparty
Like a squirrel nesting in a hollow tree, Betty Burke has finally carved out a myspace nook. Let's be friends! Our myspace account is so new that we haven't even received any salacious ads disguised as wall-posts yet.
We're getting excited about the show next week at This Ain't The Rosedale Library, so excited that a certain member of the band has been loitering at the shop on a regular basis. On Sunday, while thumbing through the music book section, I found a copy of "Otis! The Otis Redding Biography" by Scott Freeman. It's a juicy read.
The most stunning Otis anecdote I can share so far is about the whistled verse in "(Sitting On) The Dock of The Bay." Otis wasn't finished writing the song yet when he recorded it, and meant for the whistled lines to serve as a placeholder. But before he could return to the studio, he died in a tragic plane crash, which makes the song all the more painful to contemplate.
Whatever the genre- pop, soul, metal, r&b, country- sad songs abound. But "Sitting On The Dock of The Bay" receives my nomination for the best sad song of all time. A broken heart can leave you hopeless, but unemployment can leave you hopeless and homeless. Otis' story of leaving Georgia to look for work in California, and winding up jobless, with nothing to do but watch the waves, is a thousand times sadder than any old hony tonk lament about being left by a woman.
On that note, I'd like to end this blog by thanking This Ain't The Rosedale Library for stocking books Like "Otis!" If you're in Toronto next week, visit the shop Wednesday night for our show with Brian Joseph Davis, and take some time to browse. We hope to see you there, and if not there, maybe we'll see you on Myspace.
xoxo
BB
We're getting excited about the show next week at This Ain't The Rosedale Library, so excited that a certain member of the band has been loitering at the shop on a regular basis. On Sunday, while thumbing through the music book section, I found a copy of "Otis! The Otis Redding Biography" by Scott Freeman. It's a juicy read.
The most stunning Otis anecdote I can share so far is about the whistled verse in "(Sitting On) The Dock of The Bay." Otis wasn't finished writing the song yet when he recorded it, and meant for the whistled lines to serve as a placeholder. But before he could return to the studio, he died in a tragic plane crash, which makes the song all the more painful to contemplate.
Whatever the genre- pop, soul, metal, r&b, country- sad songs abound. But "Sitting On The Dock of The Bay" receives my nomination for the best sad song of all time. A broken heart can leave you hopeless, but unemployment can leave you hopeless and homeless. Otis' story of leaving Georgia to look for work in California, and winding up jobless, with nothing to do but watch the waves, is a thousand times sadder than any old hony tonk lament about being left by a woman.
On that note, I'd like to end this blog by thanking This Ain't The Rosedale Library for stocking books Like "Otis!" If you're in Toronto next week, visit the shop Wednesday night for our show with Brian Joseph Davis, and take some time to browse. We hope to see you there, and if not there, maybe we'll see you on Myspace.
xoxo
BB
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Free show with Betty and Brian Joseph Davis at This Aint The Rosedale Library
On Wednesday, April 29th at 8pm there will be a special FREE show with Betty Burke and author/artist Brian Joseph Davis at This Ain't The Rosedale Library. This Ain't The Rosedale Library is a Toronto institution, run by father and son team Charlie and Jesse Huisken. Now in a new location in Canada's flaneur capital, Kensington Market, the UK's Guardian newspaper listed This Ain't as one of the top ten best bookstores in the world!
Brian Joseph Davis is an author and artist we admire for his work on paper, on stage, and at the DJ booth. He is involved in the venerable Blocks Recording Club, and ran a Parkdale gallery out of his home with Emily Shultz. One of our more memorable encounters with Brian was at a Republic of Safety show, at which he read from his book Portable Altamont, delighting us with a comedy poem constructed entirely from Canadian band names. This indulged the band's latent MC5 fantasies, hearkening back to the days when oratory and rock and roll went hand in hand to drive people to a frenzy.
Not long ago, Brian released an album version of Theodor Adorno's Minima Moralia (Reflections from Damaged Life). While the album is not easy to find, many Frankfurt School titles are available at This Ain't The Rosedale Library, along with independent books, art books, GLBT books, poetry collections, magazines (including some fun hard-to-find art magazines), and an amazing selection of books on music.
We hope to see you there on April 29th. Doors are at 8pm, thought the shop is open all day at 86 Nassau Street, next to Ideal Coffee.
XoXo,
BB
PS Today is Holly Andruchuk's birthday! Happy Birthday, Holly!
Brian Joseph Davis is an author and artist we admire for his work on paper, on stage, and at the DJ booth. He is involved in the venerable Blocks Recording Club, and ran a Parkdale gallery out of his home with Emily Shultz. One of our more memorable encounters with Brian was at a Republic of Safety show, at which he read from his book Portable Altamont, delighting us with a comedy poem constructed entirely from Canadian band names. This indulged the band's latent MC5 fantasies, hearkening back to the days when oratory and rock and roll went hand in hand to drive people to a frenzy.
Not long ago, Brian released an album version of Theodor Adorno's Minima Moralia (Reflections from Damaged Life). While the album is not easy to find, many Frankfurt School titles are available at This Ain't The Rosedale Library, along with independent books, art books, GLBT books, poetry collections, magazines (including some fun hard-to-find art magazines), and an amazing selection of books on music.
We hope to see you there on April 29th. Doors are at 8pm, thought the shop is open all day at 86 Nassau Street, next to Ideal Coffee.
XoXo,
BB
PS Today is Holly Andruchuk's birthday! Happy Birthday, Holly!
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