"Canadian Sunset" was one of my favorite tunes growing up a wee sprout in Syracuse, the number two track side one of UA's double gatefold sleeved LP "Ferrante and Teicher Play the Theme from 'Exodus'" (said theme an AM radio hit single in my neck of the woods from these north of the border piano pumpers...and the first theme I aspired to play on guitar at age nine...a theme I finally nailed on my 'Busy Being Born' album, thanks to John "Genius Award! Genius Award!" Zorn, on a track which ends-- ominously, appropriately-- with the sound of sirens--police? ambulance?-- faintly bleeding right on cue through the walls of Jake 'Dazed and Confused' Holmes' midtown jingle studio where and when I cut this version, sirens a' bleeding right onto the master tape...listen closely...God is a shout in the street, indeed)--and "Canadian Sunset" was on my mind as I pulled out of la citee fantastique Montreal Saturday night in the light of a blazing Canadian sunset (quick, go to Itunes store immediatement and purchase snowbird Anne Murray's smooth as piste rendition--a duet with Glenn Campbell yet-- of this wonderful pop perennial...even better, check out the Elsie Bianchi Trio's version, also available at the good old Itunes store, from their now much sought after "Atlantis Blues" album, the aforementioned Elsie sounding herein like a lobotomized Sabina Sciubba)...all this is preamble to saying that I had a GREAT FUCKING GIG opening Pop Montreal last Wednesday with "The Golem", was possibly my favorite Golem gig of all time, best I ever played it for sure, certainly best setting for it ever in the huge old awe-inspiring cathedral Eglise de St. Jean Baptiste where my "dressing room" was festooned with framed vivid depictions of the 12 Stations of the Cross (setting which concentrated the mind wonderfully)..hey I could happily live in that church...the sound in there was 4th dimensional, E. Power Biggs-like (another Great White Northerner) ,every time I bore down on my guitars the sound went caromming out of my twin Roland JC-120's (some cruciformed symbolisme here) ricocheting off the High Windows of stained glass and swirling around and around the domed cupola, had about 1000 folks going berserko at the end, 50 of which I have it on very good authority were on "chocolate mushrooms" (une delicace des tetes Canadienne apparently, recipe courtesy of La Internationale Hallucinex cookbook--1 part essence du psilocybe folded into yummy chocolate)--was proferred some beforehand but no thanks!-- I was working! Anyway the gig was written up as an early festival highlight in the Montreal Gazette the day after (see my homepage for the text) and was cited I'm told as a highlight again this week in the same paper in their Festival wrap-up...and as this was my debut in Montreal, I was, uh--pretty chuffed, as they say :-)))

And that was but the kickoff to a wonderful couple days spent in what is well on the way to becoming my favorite city in this biosphere--what a beautiful locale! And what fantastic vibes from such friendly folks abounding, starting off with Pop Montreal mainman Dan Seligman and his co-directorice Noelle, and lovely new friends Vanya and Corrinna Rose, Candace (a dead-ringer for Shane from The L-Word) and her killer femme posse who took me dancing one night to the sounds of Vice Magazine's fave Spank Rock...the guy who hooked the whole thing up legendary producer/rockcrit/intellectual punk Sandy Pearlman currently teaching at McGill University and his cohorts Professor's Don McLean, Dan Levitin and a bunch more hipsters du musique some of whom I was on a panel with called "What's Wrong with Music?" (lots, but that's another story)...and rockin' on till the break of dawn, some highlights were catching Joanna Newsom's deliquescent, incandescent, nay superhuman set (girl is not of this earth--really); the amazing return to form and then some of the fabulous legendary Roky Ericson in the company of a tough bunch of blues-rockers called The Explosions, after the showing of possibly the most harrowing music documentary I've ever seen, on Roky's decline and amazing comeback, titled (after the 13th Floor Elevators' anthem) "You're Gonna Miss Me"...and catching a late night hang in a smoky loft--and jamming there the next night--a packed rehearsal studio that was the domain of a wonderful ethereal-voiced singer/songwriter/pianist named Patrick Watson who writes unbelievably haunting songs, also appreciating the tough ragamuffin charms of young singer/songwriter/waif Jesse Jackson (his real name)...

there was a whole lot more music to catch, and people to discover, and vibes to luxuriate it...but heard on Saturday that my Uncle Charles had died after a long illness...and so I big a sad adieu for the moment to magnificent mother Montreal and caught a plane back home Saturday night and then up to Auburn NY Monday for Charles' funeral...

and now am contemplating a slew of upcoming Gods and Monsters gigs here in NYC--we got some amazing press out of the box for our new album "Coming Clean" including a 4 star review in MOJO (see home page) and this just in, a rave review in the French magazine Crossroads...have to split right now for a sitdown with Uncle Bob Strano, more soon later keep watching the skies...

xxLove

Gary

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Posted by Gary Lucas to Gary Lucas at 10/12/2006 05:38:00 PM