The best revenge? Getting on with everything
“The best revenge is to live on and prove yourself.”— Eddie Vedder Something of a voice for Gen X kids like myself, Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder’s quote above has been dished up around the… Read More
Tag: Tunes
I did my hair toss, checked my nails: In praise of a karaoke night
A bunch of us gathered at the venerable Georgetown Pub in St. John’s Friday for a karaoke night. Our friends Jessica and Brock have been wrapping up a visit, and a bunch of former newsroom… Read More
The Patti Smith cover you need on a Friday (or any day)
Ten summers ago, case/lang/veirs was released — a one-off collaboration between the singers Neko Case, k.d. lang and Laura Veirs. It’s worthy, and it all happened fairly quickly. To mark the occasion, the trio and… Read More
The days of Bill Gushue: A song of gratitude for my dad
Two years ago today was the last day of my dad’s life. Bill Gushue died in his home on July 30, 2024. It was not a shock: he was 95, and he had spent his… Read More
Shot right through with a bolt of blue: Revisiting Bizarre Love Triangle
In November 1986, I went to see New Order at the Congress Centre in Ottawa. Peter Gabriel was playing that same night in an arena across town; instead of a nosebleed seat there, I went… Read More
Goodbye, Trish: A farewell to an aunt who will always make me smile
You’re not supposed to have a special auntie, but we all do, I think. I was fortunate to grow up with plenty of aunts and uncles, and wonderful family connections, but Trish Cogswell was the… Read More
Three Lions: Thirty years of looking back at thirty years
On Wednesday, Martha and I stopped for a pint and caught the final stretch of the England-Congo match at the World Cup. Congo was leading 1-0, and then — boom. Harry Kane scored not one… Read More
Mumford and Sons, and the scramble to find the venue
Last Saturday, I went to see Mumford and Sons in Toronto. It was a great show (some notes follow below), and I also learned that there is a big difference between Rogers Centre and Rogers… Read More
Fierce, feisty, funny: Wendi Smallwood lived a large and too-short life
Wendi Smallwood died earlier this week after a long and (let’s be frank) brutal battle with cancer. She fought it with vigour, stamping on it, and often with humour. Her Facebook posts found the joy… Read More
Give them your light: My friend’s lessons will ring true, long after his death
What kind of person was David Feder? I learned a story this morning, when I was watching the recording of his funeral, which was held Tuesday in St. John’s. When he was recovering from one… Read More
Here’s why Marianne Faithfull’s legacy will endure for generations
“Never apologize, never explain — didn’t we always say that? Well, I haven’t and I don’t.”— Marianne Faithfull Those words appear in the first of Marianne Faithfull’s memoirs, Faithfull: An Autobiography, which was published in… Read More
Bertrand Russell and Stevie Wonder were on the money about superstition and fear
“Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom, in the pursuit of truth as in the endeavor after a worthy… Read More
Leslie Feist on the risks of making your life an open book
“I think I learned years ago that you don’t get songs that have that long stride and that pivot-hinge ability if it’s too much diary entry.”— Leslie Feist Feist made this observation about her songwriting… Read More
Herb Alpert, who reinvented his musical career a few times, on how we listen
“I don’t think people listen with their ears. I think they listen with their soul.”— Herb Alpert I heard Herb Alpert — the legendary trumpet player, producer and career-maker — say these words in the… Read More
Jools Holland’s epic piano solo on Uncertain Smile came together in editing
Jools Holland is probably best known as the host of the long-running BBC music series Later …, which has been showcasing live performances since 1991. He’s also a bandleader and pianist, and was a founding… Read More