Hello again friends. So we recovered from the Gimli shows on the Friday, came home, and started to prep for the Wednesday show at McNally Robinson Grant Park. Came the night, Tony Buchner had worked out acoustic arrangements for the songs. The readings and songs we used were the original group from the Park show, but with ‘Hopelessly Lost in Love’ substituting for ‘Across the Norwood Bridge’, again because of the difficulty of doing justice to the latter with only one voice and two guitars. We had a version of ‘Across’ ready in case an encore was called for. Dream on boys indeed!

McNally staff had set up about forty chairs in the Travel Alcove, facing two microphones. After a sound check, we decided to go with amplified voice for both the readings and the songs, but un-amplified acoustic guitars. I was extremely pleased and relieved to see that all but few of the chairs were filled. And it was a special treat to see two ladies I had worked with twenty-five years ago. They had seen my picture in the paper. Thanks McNally for the advertising and for the otherwise exceptional work-up and treatment of Tony and me. ‘First class’ doesn’t begin to do justice to their support of this author and of the publisher. Speaking of which, more and more thanks to Ray and Carol who showed up cheerfully to see the show for the third time! Thanks Alan McKenzie for being there and not square. Also a shout-out to Cam Patterson. I’ll be there for you when the time comes.

The crowd were generous with their applause, and afterward were generous with their dough! So, mercy buckets. Drinks afterward, naturallement. No shows now until after my daughter’s wedding and a flop at the beach. I’ll blog if I get a few minutes and have anything to say. Anyway, see you in September.

I hope I haven’t left this too long after the events - but anyway here goes. The Gimli show took place at the Aspire Theatre, which is a historic, originally Lutheran Church. The space was intimate. There were about thirty chairs set up where the pews had been, facing a curtained stage. For my readings I sat on the edge of the stage in front of the closed curtain. For the songs, I jumped down and joined Paul on the floor in front of the stage. Both the readings and the songs were un-amplified. The small crowd seemed to like it, including a couple who had been at the Park. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we used a Gimli Beach scene and Hopelessly Lost in Love, instead of Grad 1968 and Across the Norwood Bridge. I’ve got to thank Paul, yet again, for playing lead on the songs. At the drop of a hat, he cooked up acoustic guitar arrangements. They drew compliments from the crowd - and certainly from me. The Tergesen ladies, Lorna and Tristan, were very professional in their set-up and their intros. Thanks from a learner. Afterwards, we had a good chat with them and the folks who attended, and sold a few books. Thanks to Ray and Carol for driving up, and once again supporting the team. I was interviewed by Roger Newman of the Interlake Spectator for an article that appeared in last Friday’s (June 26) edition - with a snappy group photo!

Later that evening, an open mike started at Seagulls Lounge at the Lakeview Resort. Paul gave them a spirited set of songs, including two by the Mountain Goats. Look them up; they’re great. Ben Figler and Dylon Petrowski did a few cool numbers, and then Paul and I, with the assistance of Brian Gluck on drums, let them have Except My Love For You, Angel of Truth, and Across the Norwood Bridge. Thanks a lot Brian. Ben, Dylon, and Brian, along with Nathan Noordman and Willie Jakobson make up a band called “In Motion”. Look out, they’re comimg! Paul then had to scoot to Winnipeg. With the real musician gone, I had the nerve to sing a few covers, including Set Me Free, and Tired of Waiting. I missed my buddy Doug Anderson on lead, but I think I got away with it. Thanks, again yet again, to Frank Figler and the staff of Seagulls for putting it together (and for the drink I didn’t pay for - mibad!)

Pat and I stayed over, soaked a bit of sun, and went home tired but happy. I was going to blog about the McNally show too, but I have to go and help get the stuff together for our trip to Toronto for Kate’s wedding. In light of the wedding, please buy the book, I need the money! Just joking Kate. Check tomorrow for my blog on the McNally show (and maybe Tony’s last appearance, boo-hoo)

I’m looking forward to tonight at McNally Grant Park at 7:30PM. I’ll report on the McNally gig (and belatedly on Gimli) tomorrow or Friday. A crowd is needed, so report to your area wardens for assignments. :>)

After much (well, a bit of) deliberation, the Meadowlark Orchestra brain trust has determined that the Gimli show (7:00 PM June 20, Aspire Theatre, Gimli) will be as follows:

First reading: I’m Losing Everything (Gord in his new digs), same as at the Park Launch
First song: Except My Love For You, same
Second reading: No Thanks (after dinner in Gimli), same
Second song: Angel of Truth, same
Third reading: Blackbirds (Jack and sons at Gimli Beach), new
Third song: Hopelessly Lost in Love, new

For anyone interested, the Aspire presentation will not be amplified. The Aspire is intimate and well set up for readings. The songs will be done with two acoustic guitars, being me and my son Paul (unless something comes up). Aside from playing the songs more softly, in the absence of the full band (and especially the lead guitar, Tony Buchner) we will experiment with simpler arrangements. A lot simpler if it’s only me! We dropped Across the Norwood Bridge for this occasion, because it did not fit the new reading as well, and because we didn’t think we could do justice to it - in light of it’s recording and original live performance by an eight piece band. Anyone who has heard the CD or was at the Park Launch would find the low key two man arrangement a serious anti-climax. However, we will be distributing the CD to everyone who is at the Aspire show, so they get to hear the full blown version anyway. Also, in the unlikely event of an encore, we’ll drag it out. Also, also, we will play it at the Seagulls after-show.

After the Aspire readings and songs, and the signing (we hope) and chat the Meadowlark Orchestra (all one or two or us) will move over to Seagulls Lounge in the Lakeview Hospitality Inn, where an open mike night will be in progress. We (the Larks) will perform the same three songs, plus Across the Norwood Bridge, plus surprises. The house drummer and perhaps others may sit in. Besides us, several local acts will perform, including Ben Figler. A Saturday open mike is a bit of an experiment for Seagulls, so, if you’re there - make noise!

As things stand, we tentatively intend to use Hopelessly Lost in Love as the third song at the McNally gig (7:30 PM June 24, Grant Park), but keeping the original third reading, Grad 1968. Tony will play at that one. Hope to see you at either show or at our Millenium Library gig on September 17.

Back at the Dubs, and thinking over how the readings and songs show needs to be adjusted for the June 20 gig in Gimli. It’s clear that the readings could include one or more or the many scenes in the book that take place in Gimli. But which? Some of the stronger (at least to me), more descriptive passages are in the last half of the book. To use any of them, however, would be to reveal plot points that should come as a surprise to the reader.

Also, if I change the readings, do I need to change the songs? This is tricky, since the Park Launch readings and songs are already recorded and pressed on the launch CD. The recordings of the other three songs from the book are in various stages of completion. And none of the new three exactly co-ordinate with Gimli scenes in the book. Of course, only two out of three of the original group are quoted (sung) in context. Across the Norwood Bridge doesn’t line up with the Grad 1968 scene in the book. So I linked it by describing it as ‘a song Jack’s band used to play’, and made it fit with the nostalgic element of the book and the reading.

At this stage of my thinking, it looks like I will pull the Grad 1968 reading and Across the Norwood Bridge song out of the Gimli show, and substitute a descritive passge from the first half of the book. Maybe Jack and his boys at the beach? In that case I might re-order the show so that the first reading, the Minimum List, stays first, followed by the song Except My Love For You, followed by the Blackbirds reading (Jack and sons at the beach), followed by ???, followed by the No Thanks reading (goodbyes after dinner in Gimli), and ending with the song Angel of Truth.

It’s not settled who, besides me, will be playing at the Aspire Theatre. Probably just me, for logistic reasons. I will have to rehearse a solo versions of the two carry over songs. This will be easy for Except My Love For You. I did that at the Park. But Angel of Truth will be tricky, given the recordings prominently featured lead guitar playing. The third song? I’ll figure out something.

As of this writing we are working out the details of an after-show at the Seagulls Lounge in the Lakeview Country Hospitality Inn. This show will probably revert to the original three readings and songs. It might be me solo, or me plus whoever of the Meadowlarks Orchestra is available, or me plus the house band at the Seagull, or all of the above. You have been warned!

The first show will be at 7:00PM at the Aspire Theatre in Gimli, and the after-show at approximately 9:30PM at the Segulls Lounge in the Country Hospitality Inn - depending on who wants to talk to me after the Aspire gig.

I am posting from a secret location (Fyxx St. Vital) so as not to reveal where you can get free WIFI and thus crowd the joint! Anyway, let me tell you about the gig at Sam’s Place (159 Henderson Highway) last Tuesday evening. Sam’s is a bookstore and cafe run by a small staff and volunteers, and sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee. The ambience is friendly, and the food is real good, so I’m told. Sam’s is very small, narrow, and has a stage in the middle. The Meadowlark Orchestra (me and whomever I can corral) was to be second (and last) on the bill. The opening act was Dave. Dave is a retired gentlemen who helps Sam’s on this and that. I had been called by Sara of Sam’s a few days before. She told me, “Dave has a story to tell. Can he go on first? It will take about 15 minutes.” “Mais oui” I replied.

When we arrived a half hour before the scheduled 7:00PM start, we noted the props on the stage:

A 20 horse Evenrude outboard motor
A gas can
A toolbox
A life jacket
An easel

After a friendly reminder the show began promptly at 7:17PM. Dave entertained us with detailed account of his boating accident of thirty years ago, complete with demonstrations of the too sharp turning capabilities of the outboard (the cause of the spill), and with diagrams (sketched live for us) of his post-dumping-from-the-boat position in the lake, and the circles (of ever increasing diameter) that the Dave-less boat notionally inscribed on the lake. Ever wider circles, the last of which saw the boat inevitably strike the shore - you can’t fool geometry! We in the audience expressed our relief that there were no injuries, save for Dave’s pride. But he (and we) can laugh at it now.

We pitched in to help Dave clear the stage, did a perfunctory sound check, then gave the crowd our little 3 readings/3 songs piece, the Meadowark Orchestra being reduced on this occasion to a singer, an acoustic guitar, and a scaled back electric guitar. It worked, or at least the audience (being my EK/Elmwood peeps plus Dave’s homies!) seemed to like it.

After the readings/songs I stayed to chat with a few interested souls. Sam’s Place took a few books to sell, so you Hendersonians can get one at Sam’s - open from 10:00AM to 10:00PM except for Sunday. We came. We saw. We survivied.

I’m back at the Dubs on a normal Monday morning, after a highly abnormal (at least for me) weekend and prior week. Last Tuesday was the final practice for the Meadowlark Orchestra. The timing and energy were good. All that remained to wonder about was whether we would live through all the logistics - the sound system, moving around on stage for the readings, and all the fussy details of selling and signing the books. Wednesday dawned gorgeous, which was a blessing for the roadies (me, Tony Buchner, Luke Bergen, and my family) and for hopes of a good crowd. Originally we were to set up and sound check at 5:00PM. We were sure that wasn’t enough time, so we asked the Park for an earlier time. They were good enough to say 3:00PM. Being who we are, we got there at 2:30! Thank goodness. It turned out that the lights had been reset from what we saw at our last visit. Alan McKenzie of Bendecido Books had set up lighting instructions for himself, and they were now not applicable. Fortunately, my daughter Kate and her fiancee Tim Fennel are both stage people. They took matters in hand. Tim was up the ladder refocusing spots, and Kate was ordering everybody around in the great Hodgert tradition. I joke. The Bendecido people and I were very relieved that the set-up was in knowing hands. My son Paul, a trained sound engineer and experienced concert performer, supervised the band set-up, with help from Tony and Luke. By the time the Park Theatre sound man, Elliot Filbert, arrived - we were in shape. He was a real professional and had us plugged and balanced in no time. A big thanks to him and all the great folks at the Park!

So, after a hurried dinner we were back at the Park, waiting for a crowd (or at least a small group). Then the people started arriving, and arriving, and arriving..... By the time the show started it was Standing Room Only. BIg heartfelt thanks go out to Rhiannon Maskie Connally, marketing specialist at Bendecido, to Ray Blumenfeld the publisher, and to everyone at Bendecido who worked so hard and so successfully to draw a crowd. And the first of many deep, deep thanks to the friends, family, neighbours, and curious strangers who took the trouble to attend.

Against expectations people started buying the books as they came in, and (bless their hearts) asking me to sign their copies. I did as many as I could before the show, and got the rest afterwards. Thanks to everyone who bought the book. Whatever your motive, friendship or love of reading, I hope you enjoy the novel. Whether you do or not, please let me know, by any means, including comments on the blog or e-mails. See ‘Contact John’ herein.

The show began on time. Ray did a brief introduction. I did the first reading wearing a Maple Leafs cap, and received polite applause. I walked in the dark across the stage and sang the title song, Except My Love For You. The applause after was generous. I did the second reading wearing a summer straw hat, and was rewarded with warm applause. I then walked to mid-stage and began the song Angel of Truth - with just my guitar as accompaniment. When the band kicked in at the end of the first verse, I could hear the audience draw in its breath - under the assault of the mighty, mighty rhythm section. Thanks again and forever to Paul, Tony, and Luke. We got some real heart-warming applause after that surprise! I walked back and did a somewhat out of breath third reading, without hat this time, but decked out in suit jacket. NIce applause followed. I went back to the band and started the song Across the Norwood Bridge. The band was augmented this time by Lori Reimer on piano and Ashli Hodgert on trombone. After the first two verses, we were joined onstage by Jane Helbrecht as a chorus singer, and Vanessa Kuzina singing harmony. Thanks too much to say to these three fine ladies! At the end of this only half-serious number we were rewarded with nice applause. I gave my thanks to the band, and then to everyone connected with the concert and the publication of the book. I here second my thanks. But I forgot to thank Andrew W. Nolan for his terrific book cover photo. So - thanks Andrew for your bright, strong, bang-on shot. I want also to add a thanks to my neighbour and friend, the great painter Tom Lovatt - thanks for a life-time of inspiration. And just one more to my friend and inspiration Brian Hughes, polymath and pal.

More signing at the Park, then over to Lux-a-Lune, chatting with friends, drinks, and some other stuff I don’t quite remember but I’m sure was fun! But I run on. Let me end with a thanks from the bottom of my heart to everyone who helped get the book made, made the launch work, was kind enough to attend, to buy the book, or to just wish me well. And everyone who reads Except My Love For You. I hope you conclude that it was all worthwhile.

CHECK OTHER BLOGS FOR APR AND MAY TO READ HOW THE BOOK, THE SONGS AND THE PUBLISHING COMPANY CAME TO BE!