Hockey Playoffs, Round One Review

Time to put round one to bed and start on round two.

Let's recap. I'm in a friendly rivalry with my good friend A. Rambles to see who can get more playoff series predictions correct. Let's review round one.

Montreal defeated Washington
Randall 1. Aaron 0.

Philadelphia defeated New Jersey
Randall 1. Aaron 0.

Boston defeated Buffalo.
Randall 2. Aaron 0.

Pittsburgh defeated Ottawa
Randall 2. Aaron 1.

San Jose defeated Colorado
Randall 3. Aaron 2.

Chicago defeated Nashville
Randall 4. Aaron 3.

Vancouver defeated Los Angeles
Randall 4. Aaron 4.

Detroit defeated Phoenix
we didn't play this one.

This is turning out to be pretty exciting. I have my picks made and will post them on Monday. Stay tuned as this race is just as tight as the phenomenal hockey we have been watching this playoffs.

Letters in the Pocket #1 - Slackness

Hi Right Said,

The last point I'm going to touch on is slackness. I cannot stand it either but it shows up at almost every Christian show I go to nowadays. I'm going to use an example of a show I went to, and the show you went to. People listen up and pay attention.

The prince of slackness himself, Tye Tribbett thinks he's something. Where is he now? If it looks like I'm calling him out, then yeah, I am. I went to his show once. His VICTORY album and DVD are awesome, but I thought his live show, and everything since, has sucked the big one.

Fred Hammond is a legendary gospel artist. He's been around the block multiple times and back again. I've never seen him in concert but one day I might take the chance and go.

The reason is that slackness is brought on by arrogance. I don't know Tye Tribbett personally, he's probably a nice guy, but to me he came off like an arrogant jackass at the show I attended. I don't know Fred Hammond either but from what you have described in your letter, there seems to be a subconscious arrogance to his behaviour.

The main part of the whole arrogance thing is this underlying myth that if you have a hit record, you're qualified to preach. Tye Tribbett did that and currently he's off my radar. Where is he anyway? Fred did it and now he's off your radar.

This arrogance and slack attitude prevents them from realizing the most important thing: Respecting the fact that PEOPLE PAID MONEY THEY COULD HAVE SPENT ON SOMETHING ELSE TO COME AND SEE YOU SING. NOT FOR YOU TO SIT DOWN AND PREACH AT THEM. THAT'S WHAT PASTORS AND MINISTERS ARE FOR!!

So Right Said, thank you for your letter. I must say it definitely touched a nerve and I appreciate your faithful readership.

Randall.

Letters in the Pocket #1 - Concert Presentations

Hey Right Said,

I have never understood why Christian concerts have presentations between sets. I understand that there are sponsors and charities but they don't need to be thrown in your face when you need that break between acts to recharge. I'm going to use an example from a non-Christian concert to illustrate how maybe these Christian promoters (or whoever they are) can make your concert experience better.

My very first Rush concert was when I was in grade 12. I did remember bringing non-perishable food items and it was also widely advertised leading up to the event that a portion of every ticket went to the United Way. When I got inside Maple Leaf Gardens, there were kiosks set up by the United Way and the Food Banks were taking the food. This was in the lobby the whole night.

The Tragically Hip opened and rocked the house. Gord Downie thanks everyone for coming and reminds us that we're helping the United Way just by being here. The crowd goes nuts. Now on to intermission.

Just imagine if someone from the United Way or the Daily Bread food bank had gotten up at intermission and cried about the plight of the battered, homeless, and hungry. It is an important issue but like every season, it has its time and place.

The issue has a simple solution. The Christian promoters should eliminate the half-time presentations and prominently advertise the causes they are supporting ahead of time. Lord knows I get enough of those little paper advertisements stuck in my windshield at every church I park in so why can't they put the causes on there. And if they're already there, make it more prominent. Charities like World Vision could use the help and plastering their name on thousands of cards being place all over the city is a good way to start.

I'll have more tomorrow.

Letters in the Pocket #1 - Response

Dear Right Said,

Thank you for always speaking the truth. Some people won't like it and will be ignorant to it but just keep living. I have to admit that I was thinking about going to this concert but thanks to your review, you made me realize that going to see "Death at a Funeral" with my best friend was the better choice.

I am going to address points in your letter over the next couple days.

From reading your letter you seem quite truthful and honest in your perspective of these events. You seemed not to mind the show until the World Vision presentation so that's where I'll jump in.

Tomorrow....

Letters in the Pocket - #1

Since I started this blog many people have been sending me feedback to what I've written. I'm very appreciative for the opinions because that means people are reading it. And yes, I do get negative responses. One person has told me she has boycotted my blog, and I have heard that another thinks that I didn't appreciate the church I went to as much as I should have. Oh well, it's always been four out of five dentists .... never all five.

But today is special. I received my first "letter." Kind of like letters to the editor. It's awesome. I gather it was written because this very intelligent letter writer knew I felt the same way so I could maybe shed some light on this topic. Here it is, my first received letter:

Dear Inside Randall's Pocket:

I've always spoken the truth, shared the truth, and dressed it up nicely. Why do people reject this. If "the truth shall set you free," why do people keep living in lies?

Last night I decided to go to the Fred Hammond concert. I went because the last concert I went to (Israel Houghton) was an amazing experience I was thinking this would be half decent.

It started off good with the praise team from Rhema Christian Ministries setting the atmosphere for the evening. Then there was some rambling as the stage was being prepared for Hezekiah Walker. He was strong but I didn't know many of the songs. I didn't have a problem with that as people were really into his set but his last tune dragged on far too long and forshadowed what was to come for the rest of the evening. This started with the World Vision presentation. It was a half hour of begging people to spend $40 a month to sponsor a child. Making people feel guilty into helping when they have paid for a concert leads to a lot of first month cancellations. That's not fair to anyone.

This was followed by some kind of award presentation. I thought this was a concert but I must have not read the fine print. There were four awards given out and I don't even know what they were for. After what was an eternity of wasted time between Hezekiah Walker's set and Fred Hammond's, the host got the crowd into a frenzy for Fred Hammond and was introducing him when a stagehand comes out and whispers to him that they're not ready yet. So to waste even more time they kept plugging World Vision until Fred Hammond was ready to come out. I was all ready to go home by the time he came out, at 10:25 pm.

He played mostly new material the majority of the people didn't know and when the "die hards" that stormed the front of the stage begged for some hits, he pulled out a chair, sat down, and turned this concert into "conversations with Fred." I did not come to hear what his mom taught him when he was young, I came for a concert, with songs. So after two life lessons, and a mailed in medley of hits, I couldn't take it anymore and left right in the middle of it thinking "what a waste of my time." That was four hours of my life I'm never getting back.

Randall, I will not stand for slackness, I will not excuse it or sugar coat it.

Signed,

Right Said Fred

Look for my response tomorrow.

Is this what would be termed. "BMW FAIL?"

Last week I was at an event when I discovered this atrocity parked in the lot of the next building over. I just had to take a picture.

It nauseates me even as I am typing this to see this picture on my screen. I am not up with the new hip terms and lingo, but this is what I would deem a serious fail. To desecrate one of the most beautiful cars in the world (yes, I realize it's only a 300 series, but still...) with a graphic and advertisements. You could spend half the money on a decent car and desecrate it all to hell but on a beamer, oh man. It hurts to see. It hurts to see.

Remember Me? Actually, I do.

I wrote last week that Fritz and I accompanied Tricia to an event at the Guess store in Yorkdale Mall. It was during Fashion Week.

I couldn't help but notice the same guy who was at the Hollander York a couple years ago. He stuck out like a swollen thumb. Just like last time, he was dressed in a completely different look than everyone else in attendance. But it was different this time.

The Hollander York event was an open event where anyone could just walk in. So the owners couldn't really do much about him until he had overstayed his welcome. The event at Yorkdale was guest-list only and had security, and he got in. This guy is good.

I don't think he knows a lot about art or fashion, but he does know to find his way into these events. For that I am impressed. He kept to himself and no one really noticed he was even there. My wife and her friend didn't even notice his presence until I pointed him out.

I do have to confess a sin though. He asked me what these photos were for and I told him Vogue magazine, and possibly the Toronto Star. I'm a terrible liar.

Marriage, Weddings, and the Mayor

Last Saturday my cousin got married. It was a neat experience seeing her go through the experience that I had just went through almost six months earlier. Right down to the weather.

There were many highlights for me. It was a pleasure bumping into the many Chinese-Trinidadian relatives that are on the other side of the family. The open bar was very nice. The five course meal still has me full. But there was one special highlight that was generally unnoticed but made my day.

I have played many jobs where I meet people I respect and admire. The range from local musicians to some of the top politicians in our country. But this one was so spontaneous it caught me by surprise. Let's rewind.

In July of 2008 I was asked to play a set with the girl-pop trio Sincere. It was at a community fair and I was in line to get a hot dog with Chantel. And who gets in line behind us? Probably the greatest mayor who's ever lived. But people were always talking to her so we just got our grub and left.

In December of 2008 I played the Hakim Optical Christmas party and she was one of the main speakers at this party. The keyboard player and I could not believe the lack of respect shown to this great lady as people were just talking through her speech as if she wasn't even there.

There was one other time where I missed seeing her but for the life of me I can't remember, so fast forward back to Saturday. I was at my cousin's wedding and my wife goes "Hey Randall, look who it is." I don't know why the greatest mayor ever is attending my cousin's wedding but I don't ask, or care.

So I got to finally meet Hazel McCallion after years of brushing by her, in the most unlikely of all places. She looks great doesn't she.

Marriage, Weddings, and Doing Things Our Way

After passing the Kiara test it was time to get married. Some people who know me might not have seen them. This was last October. Being a musician, and her being in fashion, meant that most of the attendees outside of family would be in these fields as well. So here are a couple facts about the wedding many musicians can appreciate:

We did the wedding as cheap as possible because when one is a musician, and the other is a stylist you never know when the next cheque is coming in.

The events took place at my parents church because the church we were attending at the time wanted us to pay through our noses to be married there, even though Tricia had faithfully volunteered there for ten years. This ties in to our previous point.

It was a morning wedding, followed by an informal luncheon, which enabled many of our friends to show up where they might not have been able to otherwise. It was so nice to see so many people show up, and catch up with people they haven't seen in a while. Especially the musicians.

A special mention to Thompson who drove all the way in from Boston, to play our wedding. And when he went to the wrong address, LJ filled in for the pre-ceremonial music until he arrived. That's why it's good having a hundred musicians at your wedding.

Some of the photos were taken after the festivities were complete down in the distillery district. A nice setting indeed, but very chilly that day.

The first two pictures were taken by my cousin Renee, and the last two by my best friend Jason.

Everybody wins and we were very happy with how everything turned out.

Marriage, Weddings, and More Exclusive Stories.

I am not Larry King. I do not plan to marry fifteen times. So when I was dating and realized Tricia was a fairly good candidate to marry. She had to pass the test. It wasn't meeting the parents. That was easy. My mom was so happy that I had a girlfriend there was no way she was going to allow herself to screw it up on me. It was meeting my niece Kiara. It is probably easier to get into the navy seals than to get Kiara's approval as Uncle Randy's girlfriend.

I am not lying or exaggerating when I say this, but Kiara despised her auntie when I was married to her because in Kiara's eyes, I was all hers. No one else's. Kiara only liked her after we split up. No joke. That's the truth. So knowing that this was going to be a tough sell, I decided that we should have a "get to know Auntie Tricia" day.

Thankfully, after a screening of High School Musical Three, car racing at the arcade, and some snacks, Tricia passed the test. But only after I explained to her that now she'll have two aunties that will love her forever but more importantly, she'll get twice as many presents.

Kids. Gotta love 'em.

Marriage, Weddings, and the Exclusive Story No One has Heard

This weekend I am going to reflect about how blessed I am. My cousin is getting married tomorrow and I am so exited to go. Her husband to be is a wonderful guy. Talk about a power couple ....

I am no stranger to marriage. Even when they don't work out, they can still work out. It's strange and this is why I'm so blessed. Here's a story to illustrate.

This picture on the left is my niece (actually my ex-wife's half-sister's best friend's daughter, but niece is shorter) and I dancing at my wedding in 2001. She was the flower girl and though the bride was apprehensive about choosing her and was looking for another option, I held my ground on this one because though she isn't related by blood, she was family. If you read my blog, you'll know who my niece is.

So the real story goes.... Approximately one month after my split in 2004, my ex-wife's half sister and I were driving to the hospital to visit an ill aunt when she asked me if I could stay in her family regardless of how it turned out. She mentioned that she and her best friend were talking and they would really like me to remain in their lives as a brother figure, and it would really be good for their kids as well to have another uncle.

I told her that I would leave it up to the kids because I didn't want to be one of those "hangers-on" that always looks like they're in denial. So I took Melissa and Sheldon (above, holding his sister Kiara) out to see Catwoman, and then Melissa out for dinner at Kelsey's because I didn't know if it would be the last time I'd ever see her. I wrote my number down on a piece of paper and said if she needed anything she could call me anytime.

A few weeks later I was sleeping in the afternoon (I was working nights) when my phone rang and I was thinking "Who the hell is calling me at this time." I answered anyway and a shaky voice on the other end said "Hi, is Randy there?" It was Melissa asking me if I could take her to the Red Sox game because she had no one else to take her and I was the only person she could think of that would want to go. I changed my schedule around and we went. It was the year the Red Sox won the World Series, their first one in a gazillion years. The game was awesome and the rest is history.

Anyone I dated after my divorce, had to accept my nieces and nephews as part of the deal. Only one woman had the self-confidence to realize that Stacey, Tresia, Sheldon, Melissa, Jayden (above left in camouflage), Kiara (beside Jayden), and Ebony (on staircase) were not going to steal me away from her. So I married Tricia in 2009, and we're one big happy family.

Party Crashers

Last week I had the privilege to attend an event with my wife. And if you don't remember what they're like, here's a reminder. It was at Yorkdale Mall, and it was nice. Free food and alcohol, lots of very attractive women. You have to be on a list to get in, and so on and so on. When I got in, I recognized a guy who crashed an event Thompson and I were playing a couple years ago at the Hollander York Gallery in Yorkville. We'll get to that next week.

The team that runs Hollander York are wonderful people. I originally started playing for them for their Nuit Blanche events for 2007 and 2008. Here is a link from the2scoops that has some pictures from Hollander York from these two years. They enjoyed us so much it led to playing exhibitions and showcases.

So the last event I remember playing for them was a showcase that was flowing with the wine and cheese. Everyone there was clean and well-dressed. Except for this little Asian looking dude who wore a sweatshirt and jeans. I think if they let him, he would have drank the wine by the bottle. He didn't talk to anyone the entire time and just kept drinking. I was kind of amazed at how much he could hold without falling over.

Anyway, more to come on this next week.

Alter Ego, The Equation

Yesterday I was asked to play a jazz gig at Alter Ego. It is a nice place. The highlight was getting to play with my friends Kibwe and Will, that I haven't played with in at least a couple years. I had a great time catching up with them and I hope that this gig turns into something consistent.

I do fear, however, that over time this may become one of those "high school band"/Gate 403 kind of jobs where you get paid based on how many people show up and how much their bar tab is. The funny thing is that I don't know anyone who hasn't played one of these kind of jobs at some point in their lives. The not so funny thing is I don't know how many times I can make the trek out to Mississauga only to find out that nobody shows up, and I get less than it cost my gas tank to get out there.

I'll be fine for now because Alter Ego is happy with what we're doing right now, and the company of the guys I'm playing with will always be good times. So for those interested in coming out and saying hi to me, Kibwe and Will, it's every Tuesday night from 9-11 at Alter Ego.

Hockey Playoffs, Round One

A friend of mine named A. Rambles put out his round one hockey predictions. I figure since we both love hockey I'll put mine up and we'll see who has more correct. He is much more thorough in his evaluations and is to be applauded. I'm just going to post who I think is going to win, and we'll keep score, just for fun.

So off we go to the Eastern Conference.

1. Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens.
Aaron says Washington.
I say Montreal.

2. New Jersey Devils vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Aaron says New Jersey.
I agree.

3. Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins
Aaron says Buffalo.
I say Boston (but I really want Buffalo to win).

4. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators
Aaron says Pittsburgh.
I say Ottawa.

Off to the Western Conference

1. San Jose Sharks vs. Colorado Avalanche
Aaron says San Jose
I concur.

2. Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators
Aaron says Chicago.
Chicago it is.

3. Vancouver Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings
Aaron says Vancouver.
I say Los Angeles (Vancouver is my favourite team in the west so this hurts)

4. Detroit Red Wings vs. Phoenix Coyotes
Aaron doesn't know.
So to be fair, I'll abstain from this one as well (but I'm taking Phoenix).

We'll see you in a couple weeks for round two.

It's Sister Sister

Friday I met up with a friend at Sista Sista Live, the double live recording of Amoy Levy and Celestine McPherson upcoming CDs. I managed to make it for the second half. Honestly, I went just to hang with my friend, and a little bit to see Amoy Levy sing as well. I shared the altar with her at my church a couple times, saw her sing at the SoulFingaz memorial at Joe Mama's, and held it down at an Evolution of Gospel rehearsal where she sang "Going Up Yonder" by Walter Hopkins. She's an incredibly talented singer who performed very well. I felt the attendance was strong considering these are not big names, but my friend disagreed, saying the support could have been better. Though there were some good moments, I found the overall evening disappointing for a couple of reasons.

First, it's Sister Sister. Not Sista Sista. Are you a bunch of gangsters or something. It's not MC Hamma. It's MC Hammer.

Second, why are these two singers, one I've never heard of, doing live recordings as their first recordings. Studio efforts provide artists with the chance to build a following before recording a live record. Heavyweights such as Israel Houghton and Tye Tribbett had studio efforts before they got into the "live worship" kind of recordings. In Amoy's case, because she is so versatile, I felt the same sound throughout every song worked as a real disadvantage to her. On a studio record she could really go in many different directions sonically. I didn't enjoy seeing these great songs "live." I would have loved to hear them first on a studio cut CD and then get all excited to see them done live.

Third, sometimes I think Christian artists have a false sense of where they are. This could be because everyone at church tells them how good they are. It's not really the artists fault but they should make more of an effort to realize where the compliments are coming from. So I'm going to be honest, and if you don't like it, you can ask sister Etta Mae in the back row to tell you how good you are.

In Celestine McPherson's case, I found her voice to be flat, both in pitch and in character. There was no life to her voice, especially in the ballads. I don't know how the sound was on the stage (maybe do a studio record perhaps) but she seemed lost in places. I noticed a lyric stand with words. THIS IS A LIVE RECORDING, YOU SHOULD KNOW THE SONGS BY NOW!!! I had this feeling I was watching a dress rehearsal instead of a live show. They had to re-record a song. Nothing would annoy me more than having to sit through a song twice, especially if I don't know it. Please remember people paid money to watch this.

In closing, I enjoy going out to support these artists and if I find something that's disappointing it doesn't mean I hate the artist or what they do. I just mention what I see and how I feel about it.

I'm looking forward to the Paulis Sanchez recording on May 1.

She's Still Standing

Because I've been busy, I haven't been keeping up on my new album releases as I should. For example, who knew Alice In Chains reformed and put out a great album. Then I saw a blog by Skye Edwards on her Myspace page that she released a second album. She failed to mention that this album is absolutely incredible. Then I see a guitar magazine on a rack with one of my favorite guitarists of all time, Slash on the cover. Apparently he has an album out. He does what he does, rocks out hard with attitude, it's pretty good too.

But the biggest surprise goes to Monica. In my opinion, from her era, she is by far the best, with second not even being close. She has always been in my top three favorite R&B singers of all time. People may want to debate me on that, but statistically, she is the cream of the crop of singers from her era. That cannot even entertain a slight disagreement. A few things about that while I reminisce.

I was in the fifth row at her concert supporting The Boy is Mine. Monica is one of the most naturally beautiful women I have ever seen sing. God blessed her richly in that department. Also, Michelle Williams (pre-Destiny's Child) was her backup singer at this show. That should tell you how good Monica is. Monica just performed with a four piece band, three background vocals, and dancers. Everyone got a feature as well. The dance off between her dancers (accompanied live by the band) was incredible. I actually wrote the bass lick down and can still play it to this day. That whole show was sick.

Back to the program. I will stop, however, at saying this album is her best yet. The Boy is Mine was pretty damn good so for most R&B albums by anyone, let alone Monica, to be considered better than The Boy is Mine, is a tall order.

Not many artists have had Monica's longevity. In this industry that is a real testament. I don't know her personally but from my experience, you have to be a real special individual to last long in any musical genre, especially R&B. By special I mean you are somewhat humble, and considerate of others.

It was a nice surprise to hear Monica's voice again. To her I offer my congratulations for sticking with it for approximately 15 years and still going.

Now for the next surprise, Lauryn Hill?

New Year, New Gear

Now that the jobs are starting to come in for the summer I have to think about new gear and how it complements the jobs I am getting.

The first item up is a new bass. I have acquired a 2007 Fender American Deluxe Jazz V. It's pretty (see picture to the right). It has a nice wood grain that doesn't show in the picture. It will compliment my G&L L-2500 nicely.

I'm going to make some modifications to this bass because I would like to use this bass for the jazzier stuff and use my G&L for the rock and harder stuff.

The next thing on my list is to get some pedal effects going. The only real effect I have is the Boss RC-20 Loop Station. I would like to add the Dunlop MXR Bass Envelope Filter Pedal (see picture to the left). This is perfect for a couple things I have coming up that will require bass features.

The final items I am looking to add to the team are the Genz Benz GBE750 and an appropriate cabinet that I have not decided on yet. I had the good fortune of using this head and it's Genz Benz equivalent cabinet as it was back lined for the Honey Jam 2009 showcase. I originally forgot the name of it but fortunately I was out for lunch with my friend Omar (great sound man on the Toronto scene) and his girlfriend Stella. A couple text messages later he had the gear list. So Genz Benz it is.

We'll see how much this all costs me as I am adding these things incrementally.

103 Weeks and Counting Down ....

Last week was my niece's birthday. Though she is the little lady in my life she is not as little as she used to be. Dinners that used to consist of Chucky Cheese or Pizza Pizza now consist of Sushi X-Tra. That's our place now. A birthday tradition.

I keep telling her that when she gets old enough, I'm taking her for a drink, at a classy place. Seeing that she's in high school I'm sure she has had a drink in such classy places as the park behind her apartment complex, or some friends living room but come 103 weeks from now, as promised, I will take her to a classy establishment to be determined at a later time.

Also, the gifts. Thankfully she's past that stage of not understanding. When they're little, kids will take anything. Then they'll start to want what all their friends have, and even more, and not care how much you make because they're quite not old enough to understand working, salaries, and bills.

Then they get old enough to realize how much you've given them already and just float stuff out there instead of demand it. This is by far my favorite stage. She and I both know if she wants something and if I can get it for her, it will still magically appear out of nowhere, but she is much more cognisant of the fact my wallet is a lot tighter again.

It's kind of a mutual appreciation for each other that we would raise a glass to, but in 103 weeks time.

Hot Docs: Listen to This

On Jan 3rd of this year I recorded some soundtrack work for a movie that is going to be submitted into the Hot Docs film festival later this year. It was just Thompson and myself creating moods to be used in this film, right on the spot. It was a lot of fun. We were in different rooms but since we've played together a lot we didn't need to be holding each other's hands throughout this process anyway.

The film is called "Listen to This" and you can go to the link with all the information here.



I would like to thank Saidah Baba Talibah for bringing this information to my attention. You will be hearing something about her on Inside Randall's Pocket in the future.

VAWK at LG Fashion Week.

For those who did not know my wife is the show stylist for the clothing line VAWK. This means I'm the chauffeur for the show stylist for the clothing line VAWK. VAWK is the clothing line of Sunny Fong, the winner of Project Runway Canada's 2nd cycle. It's pretty neat watching all these fashion people do their thing. Click the above link for what she actually does. It's a good little piece on their site, all about her.

Last week was the showing for the upcoming winter season. I couldn't go so I extended a request to have Lady NSN attend in my place. It's nice being able to hook people up. It was a relief to see that everything went off fine.

Here's the show, just click this link and scroll down until you find it. I don't know why they went for the Gaza Strip sound but to each their own. Enjoy.

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday. For me it is a time to reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus himself chose to make on behalf of the world. Also, I reflect on the career of Bernie Mac. The last episode of his great TV show was on a Good Friday. Also I go play football with my friends from the church I used to attend. It really does make for a great day.

The Fyahorns show was great. I'll have more on that in a couple weeks.

Fyahorns Tonight!!

So tonight is the Fyahorns show. I would be remiss if I didn't introduce another member of the horns. Nicholas Lall is the trumpet player with the attitude to match. One thing I love about playing in the Brigade is their mathematics. For every hour we practice we lime for twice that afterwards. Good times. See you tonight.

Fyahorns and de Brigade play tonight at Humber College Lakeshore Campus Auditorium at 7pm.

Now I'm going to sound like one of those stupid concert posts (that nobody goes to) you always see on Facebook. "Come early to get your seat because you know it's going to be full up in there."