Juggling people’s schedules has been what I’ve been doing for the past few months. With trobador Wax Mannequin, there was no exception as I arrived at his show to find out that he was now leaving at 9am the following morning for his next show. The very accommadating musician said that even though things had changed to leaving earlier, we could still do the recording but it’d have to be done at that very moment. So, after grabbing a drink of water from the bar to get at least to a quarter in the bag rather than half, we made our way with guitars in toe to my home studio where recording quietly was in great interest with roommates asleep at this point being 3am. Only problem was that my gear was about 5k away. So, after setting up the mic and song for Wax to listen to, I biked over and back as fast as I could. Arriving back in a couple listens of the song, we got his part and managed to not wake any neighbours in the process.

Remember: To tone muscles, perform 10 to 15 repetitions in one set, for 3-5 sets.

Until next time, keep fit and have fun.

Rich

After missing Vancouver’s Language Arts by a day out in their neck of the woods in June, things fell into place to meet up here. A band with as much love for folk as their love for clever rhymes and the rapid placing of said rhymes, it was a treat to have their guitars and voices on the record.

Remember: When you exercise one arm or leg at a time, you’ll ensure that the weaker one improves so that both sides are equally strong.

Until next time, keep fit and have fun.

Rich

Deerhoof. What an amazing band. Truly inspiring and a great mix of jaw dropping musicianship and clever arrangements. Opening for them in my hometown was great, especially coupled with having almost all my friends and family there too. Having 16 people join me on stage too with 3 drummers, horn section, strings, 2 guitarists, synths, snare drum, bass, electronics, vibraphone, and choir there too made it the most fun you can have while being totally overwhelmed by show logistics of moving all this fun around. It was incredible being sandwiched between Deerhoof and Dog Day (who played such a great set from what I was able to see from the side-stage while trying to block out possible stuff that could go wrong from my head for getting so overly zealous for the show I was about to attempt). Dog Day is one of my favourite local bands and Seth’s lyrical and writing style is something I’ve been inspired and awed by. (My first time writing anything musically was at my parents piano with Seth when I was just starting high school; we were figuring out a piano part for a song ‘Apple A Day Cafe’ for an old Burdocks record. This was a very good memory and introduction for me into music making that wasn’t already scripted and I’m lucky to have had that.)

Thanks to Richard Lann for the photography.

Remember: Fitness tools like free weights, bands and steps increase the challenges and adds variety to your workouts.

Until next time, keep fit and have fun.

Rich

Recording back in home base has made it much easier to both record with people from Halifax and those traveling from abroad. The first of these travelers was the wonderful Carbon Dating Service who spanned all the way from Saskatoon (the Austin of the Prairies) in one large converted school bus. We managed, in their brief stop over, to record horns, synths, drums, harp and all of them singing in the choir before they had to catch their bus. (They didn’t really need to catch it since they were driving it I guess).  Though the session ended and I realized that we still had their turner for their harp so I had to catch the bus in socked feat over a couple blocks with the doors opening and the passing of the turner like the passing of a baton in a Relay.

So, I heard from Joanne McLeod on the status of some more Fitness Tips. I may have repeated some already by accident. Maybe I’ll have some brand new ones soon.

Remember: When getting ready for the ski season, work the back muscles of your upper legs. It will help to stabilize your knees and that’s important especially for carving those turns and avoiding injury.

Until next time, keep fit and have fun.

Rich

The second show of my return back to my hometown was the kind of homecoming show you always hope for with a good show and party of a night. Joined again by the stellar i see rowboats and the band I started this whole recent bit of craziness with, The First Aid Kit, it was sweat-filled, soldout night in a bar called Hell (aptly named due to its extreme heat during busy shows). The bar, fully called Hell’s Kitchen is the smaller room to Halifax’s beloved Marquee Club; the Velvet Underground of Edmonton’s Starlite, the Upstairs Tavern to Calgary’s Royal Legion, the front room to Toronto’s Tranzac, etc. (joining a long list of the country’s great small rooms to their older brother’s).

Photo Credit: Corbin Smith (www.corbinsmith.ca)

Remember:  If you’re starting a fitness routine, any equipment that requires you to work your arms may cause you to stop sooner and burn fewer calories. Small muscles tire quicker.

Until next time, keep fit and have fun.

Rich

The first of the two nights back in my hometown was at this very unique concert space called (rather aptly) The Music Room. I was joined by good friends and excellent band, i see rowboats who decided to take the occasion to play an acoustic set to the delight of everyone there (hopefully this is something they’ll think of doing again the next time they’re in this setting).

Remember: When stretching for golf, target your hips and shoulders.

Until next time, keep fit and have fun.

Rich

Redirecting through Montreal on the way back to Halifax from Winnipeg couldn’t have been a better decision because not only did it mean I had two more chances to finish several B movies I had started on these short-haul flights but it meant visiting this great city again and getting a chance to work with the amazingly talented and humble Howard Bilerman at the Hotel2Tango studio (trivia: the studio gets its name from the standard phonetic alphabet code: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta etc. as H2T is the phonetic alphabet code for their postal code address).

The studio is a beautiful space with a large hardwood floor in the main room, concrete floor and no ceiling in the drumset area (giving the drums an added largeness) and a conveniently placed amp room to the right (or left if sitting at the drums) of the drumset area with a whole whack of organ options.

A productive day of drums, piano, harmonium, organs and string synths added another layer to what is going to become the biggest mixing and editing undertaking I and Joel Waddell have ever attempted. With recording on the road for this leg complete with about 100 amazing individuals and with over 400 parts to go through the work is certainly cut out before adding more Haligonians to the mix.

Remember: Buying fitness equipment – go to a store that has a well-trained sales staff that encourage you to test drive the equipment in the store or at home.

(I’m running out of Body Break Fitness Tips; hopefully they’ll get back to me soon)

Until next time, keep fit and have fun.

Rich

Me at Hotel2Tango

Post-show in Winnipeg, I was lucky to have the timing work out in between The Weakerthans‘ jammed touring schedule and record with Stephen Carroll at home base Winnipeg. Joining us was his wife Amanda who helped pass the 80 person mark for the choir of 400 by the time the record is complete for the record’s finale. Recounting everything, I think we’ve just passed the 100 person mark for people recorded for the album.

Watching the big finale of the Canada Day concert right now in Ottawa on the tv; did anyone notice Stephen Harper drumming on his lap during the Blue Rodeo show?

Remember: Buy equipment that’s welded together whenever possible. It’s safer and more durable than a machine that’s been bolted.

Until next time, keep fit and have fun.

Rich

Winnipeg was a perfect way to end the western Canadian dates as it was with East Coasters, Hey Rosetta! who put on a fantastic show and this night was no exception. Playing the Royal Albert which I hear is undergoing a large change-over into sleek hotel from seedy, I made sure we captured a moment before this transference occurs.

Remember: Raking leaves in the autumn burns 192 calories per hours and painting the fence in the summer can burn 270 calories. (Based on a 130 pound woman.)

Until next time, keep fit and have fun.

Rich

SLED ISLAND ! What a festival ! I don’t think there’s any other festival that combines huge headliners and up and coming talent so effectively. Not to mention the festival is run on a platform of huge preparation and organization to be the awesome force it is in only its sophomore year.

By the end of the festival I was able to see Yo La Tengo, Chad VanGaalen, Wire, Okkervil River, Elliot Brood, The Clips, The Fast Romantics, The Wet Secrets, Spiral Stairs, The Neckers, Dan Deacon & Morgan Greenwood (and that’s without even being there the whole time).

If you’re in Calgary during June next year, you’re lucky.

Photo Credit: Artisan aka Gerad Coles

Remember: When you exercise one arm or leg at a time, you’ll ensure that the weaker one improves so that both sides are equally strong.

Until next time, keep fit and have fun.

Rich