Ken Tizzard With Bad Intent

Thanks to folks on Facebook and Twitter for sending along all of those interview questions. We took the week to edit these into 45 second MP3's which are currently being distributed to 95 different CBC programs. Now we wait and see what happens...

Bad Intent TV is here.

Tune in periodically to see what the boys are up to...

We have a few ideas for themes such as :

Deep Thoughts with Mr.Grant

Relationship advice with Fischer

Chat OCD medication with Ken

any ideas for themes please drop them to us...

Here are the first two clips...

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHvOtBsUcxM&w=420&h=315]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nagRxYecL2w&w=420&h=315]

The State Of The Music Industry - Part Two"Awards Shows"

So I am going to hold a contest/award’s event… it will be titled…“MY BIG EVENT”

I will nominate 200+ people who have good Internet and promotion skills due to their passion and hunger for success…

I will not tell these people they are nominated, there are too many of them and most of them know each other so word of mouth will spread…

These 200+ people all have mailing lists and extensive social media so they will promote “MY BIG EVENT”…

The winners will be announced at “MY BIG EVENT” – tickets will be $20…

Although your nomination is for a group of more than 2 people, we can only give you two tickets to attend “MY BIG EVENT” - as seating is limited. You can buy more if you choose.

I will promote “MY BIG EVENT” through print media.  All nominees get a page online to promote their nomination (this is of course if they find out about their involvement)…

Nominees must provide “MY BIG EVENT” with certain elements** in a certain form (these elements are available to me, but I do not have the time to do this. So again nominees must spend their time preparing for “MY BIG EVENT”)…

**Above stated “certain element” requirements will not be communicated to the nominees, they may stumble upon this detail while trying to find information about “MY BIG EVENT” (That is information above and beyond, date, time, place and admission cost)…

“MY BIG EVENT” is counting on the hunger and passion of nominees, their sense of flattery for being included and their acceptance towards being taken advantage of for the gain of others - I am sure they will do a fabulous job promoting “MY BIG EVENT”… 

“MY BIG EVENT” is coming to a town near you to present the best and the brightest nominees. These are people we should all be supportive of; people who dedicate their life to their art; people who work incredibly hard and are so willing to bend over and not say anything…

All the best

“The staff of My Big Event”

The Bad Intent Caption Contest #3 is now closed...

The wining caption goes to Josh Cork...

"Is there any weed in my teeth???"

Here are the other entries... thanks again to all participating, these have been a lot of fun for us...

One last contest to come soon...

Stephen Olshanoski - ‎"here's Johnny!"

Stephen Olshanoski - Introducing Mr. Grant, one of Enzyte's most loyal customers!

Matt Hartwick - SHIT, I knew I shouldn't have taken that pill that i found in the van's ashtray

Gery Deugaw - So, my pretty.... You say you're not familiar with Transylvania. Would you like to see my castle? ;-)

Barbara Heydon - You put acid in my what?????

Sandra Dee Reid - Can we drive thru Tim Hortons one more time? Huh? Can we? Can we?

Mike Arnold - Hey Dave can you please take your thumb out of my .......

Kyla Pedersen - ‎"You too can have that 'natural' relaxed smile with a few simple Botox injections - takes just a minute and guaranteed to 'surprise' all of your friends"!

Brian Wagar - Who put the Crazy Glue in my toothpaste??

Karen Coats - Redrum, redrum, redrum...

Dave Fischer - Wow!! Mike Arnold I can't believe you can't fit that whole thing in your mouth..

Grizz Lee Adams - Cocaine's a hell of a drug

Rick Bruce - The Gamma Radiation Backfire of the main Stratosphere is creating a disturbance in my hemaglobin structure.....

Josh Cork - Dude! That wasn't powdered sugar!!!

Harold Airhart - If your name is Ken Grant there is no such things as "Bad Days" just "Bad Intent"

Ken Tizzard - What do you mean by "Stay away from the brown acid?"

Kyla Pedersen - ‎"What? This IS my grumpy face!"....

Tom Mclean - Keep taking these Photos! and I will have the drummer Kick your ASS!

Rob Morningstar - Honest I wasn't trying to escape.

Ian Davis - After the colonoscopy...before the drugs wear off.

Lou Cammie - did someone mention....cookies?!

The winner of this weeks Bad Intent Caption Contest is:

Shawn Marshall - OBScene quickly determined that he could no longer handle the fat beats.

---Anybody who can pull an obscure reference like that out and make it fit this pic deserves to win...and most of you still have no idea what I am talking about...

here are the rest of the comments...

thanks for playing

Ken

Pamela Searle - Gravity sucks ;)

Russ Wilson - heeee

Russ Wilson - Ken Crump

Paul Byrne - Was she like a great big fat person?

Eric Landry - Ken "Ten Desserts" Tizzard

Mike Arnold - We decided to take the veggie tray off our rider and add a burger Buffett

Andrew Auld - ‎"everybody leave. I have to poop."

Erin Snider - Super Size Me - Tizzard Style

Mid-Upper Gunner - I will tell Jenny Craig that you said "Hi"

John K. D'Amato ‎- ....mere moments into his first day on the job, Ken discovered that bee keeping was not the career path for him!

Matt Hartwick - Ken finally realized that looks don't matter in Music its what you play

Lavonne Begonia Johnson - Mr. Potato Head is alive and well...

Brian Pedersen - Big Boys and Big Staches...oooohhhh yeah!

Kyla Pedersen - ‎"chubby bunny....chubby bunny"

Mike Bruce - ‎" I writes da songs... and den I eats 'em!"

Sandra Dee Reid ‎- "Better get a bucket, I'm gonna throw up."

David Danger Anthony Langsford - 10 gallon mouth, goes best with a 10 gallon hat.

Shannon Preston - The long lost brother of "Fat Bastard" has been located, at Ken Tizzard's home, in Campbellford Ontario.

Pat Courts - come out and supports us or I will hold my breath til I turn blue

Rick Bruce - Allergic to Bull$hit.....and just about had enough of yours...

Mike Arnold - Forget slim fast. I need slim really fucking quickly.

Ian G. DeGeer - ‎"i've got balls of steel and a head full of big ideas..." (literally, a big head....)

Nancy Slater Hunt - Ken's search for the Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka's Factory sadly ended in an appearance on Celebrity Fit Club.

Lisa Kelly - Who the f@#$ ate my newfie steak!

Justin Ferg ‎- "the majestic Bass-walrus spends much of his time grazing for food...for more information on the bass-walrus contact the Canadian Wildlife Service in Ottawa"

Andrew Forbell - Pondering his next act of gluttony, Ken "My son, I shore loves me some Ches's, wha!" Tizzard really DOES wear plaid well.

Colleen Kelly - if I blink I will explode.

Tina Greeley Thomas - Coo coo ka choo I am the Walrus

Will Gough - You may have been a good Solo singer, but now you're Bantha fodder.

Brent Paquin - Damn poutine!

Les Kota - I vote for glubes comment, absolutely the best and funniest

Avi Freud ‎- "Thanks... You haven't changed a bit either"!

Lisa Kelly - Uh oh that might have been a shart!

Tina Burke-Morgan - did someone say cookies :-p

Harold Airhart - Ken , have seen Tweety?

Lorie Spencer LaCavera - How about one small wafer thin mint sir? (in British)

Craig Glover - Hey when did Fat bastard join Bad Intent

Clarke Petherick - are a gonna puke lol

Ron Kershaw - Jabba the Tizzard

Mike Benia Geeze - ken you're looking........slightly wider these days, it must be the mustache

Shawn Marshall - OBScene quickly determined that he could no longer handle the fat beats.

Bryan Young - Gonna tryout for the biggest loser, just gettin in shape. Round is a shape

Stacy Doherty - Ken didn't realize that buying the Fat app on iTunes works in real life.

Stephen Olshanoski - ‎"my naturally small head makes my receding hair line is so distracting!"

Dave Fischer - For every CD I sell I eat a donut and this record taste GREAT!!

Michelle Crans-Peatfield - I swear I thought it was shrimps not scallops I couldn't eat! Do I look "that" bad? It's really not that itchy!

Bad Intent Caption Contest #3 Join in on FB and write a caption to go with this pic of Bad Intent singer/steel player Ken Tizzard…

We have three very special “Orange Edition” copies of Ken Tizzard With Bad Intent – The Goodness Of Bad Intent VOL II to give away…winner for this pic will be chosen on Friday, April 6th.

Whiskey Wednesday is going to be 75 weeks old next week. What better reason to come out and get all messed up? Oh yeah, Ken Tizzard With Bad Intent will be there throwing tunes around all night long... fun The first 30 people to arrive receive a 11 x 17 "75 Week Straight" poster...

Well, that was quite a lot of bitching and moaning regarding the state of the music business.  I apologize for getting a bit up on  a soapbox, but I was kind of in shock at the situation.  On a good note, there is still some amazing music out there being done in interesting and creative ways by musicians who fail to let crap get in their way. On Sunday night I attended a show in Peterborough at the Red Dog Tavern.  Sidenote, I love this room, been playing here on and off for over twenty years and it is still a great music spot.  Onwards - Two bands that stood out were Gloryhound and The White Light Social Hour... both of these bands are touring bands who have seen lots of hours on the road...and it shows.  Night after night beating out their set, refining and tweeking to a point where strangers to the music become engaged within a few songs. No matter what is going on good music will still prevail and die hard musicians will do what it takes to move forward and live their lives documenting their trip in music. Bright Light Social Hour Gloryhound

What a crazy week. I am just recharging from the past weekend in Vancouver with the Watchmen at the Commodore Ballroom. I love the stage here. In fact I spend a fair amount of time in the afternoon just walking around remembering all the times I crossed the mountains to end up right here. This place has to be one of my all-time favourite rooms in the country. Earlier in the week Bad Intent played our hometown show at the Aron Theatre here in Campbellford. Thanks to Todd Minicola for bringing up a spectacular PA and Lighting show. It was a great night and marked the start of a period of come down from the business of the last three months. Here are some pics from the last week... Danny and Joey

Yup, Vancouver winter (rain)

The New Aron Marquee

pic by Caitlin Campbel

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Last weekend at the Drake we had the crew from Arbor Live come by to shoot some footage for next season. Great bunch of folks, mostly from Manitoba, out woking on this show with host Stevie Salas. They got some great footage and we had an awesome time as usual. Monday morning I drove in to Toronto for a rather intense interview with host Stevie. Great guy. Here are some pics from that night.

As well, tomorrow is the big once a year hometown show here in Campbellford. We are all pretty stoked about this...more fun to come.  

Almost 200 downloads of "The Goodness Of Bad Intent" EP in the last 24 hours. Thanks for stopping by and sending us such great comments on the new tunes. Here is a compilation of pics put to the song "Other Side Of Wrong" the pretty much plays out the last year with Bad Intent. cheers Ken

Well folks It all kinda came together really fast. Plans for a new record this coming winter gave way to ideas of having a sampler to let you all hear the new sound (pedal steel has a hold on me). These ideas melded in with a few upcoming shows and the thought of giving away free cds.

And now here we are. In less than a month we decided to record and release some music. No big hoopla, no massive planning, no major budget, just a new sound and something for all of you who have been so supportive in all my endeavours.  As well a huge thanks to John Whynot for making room in his schedule to come up and record this with us.

Thanks and here is the link to the free Ep

"The Goodness Of Bad Intent." www.kentizzard.com

Sorry for the late addition. I just got the confirmation on the Edmonton and lacombe dates. Looking forward to a few nights with my good buddy matt macfie...

Edmonton - July 18 - Under The Hill

Lacombe - July 19 - Hilltop Pub

Things have been busy out here. Balancing family and gigs is always hard and when the weather is so nice and there is so much to do - well, it just does not seem to stop. The Calgary experience has been amazing. The gig at the Ironwood was great and I have decided to make a run back out here this winter. The owner and staff at the Ironwood were fantastic beyond belief. I dropped back on Sunday for lunch and the jam and me and the girlies got up for a small set after some great grub. Today we visited the zoo and on the way back stopped by a reptile store and to our own amazement bought cassidy a blue tongued skink... Life on the rv is great - two kids, a wife, tow dogs a hermit crab a blue tongued skink and a pedal steel. I need a whiskey...

So I coming to the end of day three of the sumer vacation/tour. It is taking some time to make the adjustment from the last few months of crazy scheduling to totally embracing the relaxation that I hope to find on this trip. Not playing shows every night is a great help. I actually get to swim, hang with the kids, walk the dogs and explore. Big change from drive, set up and leave for show.

The pedal steel is set up alongside my bunk and I am playing every day once again. I purchased a crash course from a guy named Mickey Adams in Texas and it is a great woodshedding accompaniment. Thunder Bay tomorrow for a couple of nights opening for Mason Rack Band from Australia. Looking forward to seeing some friends...

Time for a whiskey, some steel and bed - ten hour drive followed by a show tomorrow.

Spent most of today packing and squaring up loose ends with the 'job' before heading out for the summer tour/vacation.  Car is gassed up, trailer is packed, dogs and hermit crab are ready for thousands of kilometres of highway - as are the wife, kids and I.  Everything at the house is squared away.  Grandma knows how to maintain the pool, mow the lawn and use the tv remote so all will be well on the home-front.  Goodbyes have been spoken and the last huge grocery purchase made.  All in all we are ready for another adventure.  Western Canada, here we come... North Bay tomorrow...

Last night was the 38th consecutive Whiskey Wednesday at the Stinking Rose here in Campbellford. As I looked around the room I realized that a large part of my current home social circle is based around people who I have met here on these Wednesdays. Through the fall, winter, spring and now early summer I got to know new people in town. We drank, danced and chatted once a week and shared parts of our lives.

This regular Wednesday has also given me the chance to explore new music which I never would have thought to try out elsewhere. All in all it has been a great time and I am a bit sad that I will not be around for a few months. Dylan Ireland is stepping in for me while I am gone and I am sure he will keep the whiskey glasses full.

Dave Fischer began stalking me last fall during these Wednesdays. One rainy day in November he offered me a drive home after a night of tunes and I was happy not to walk in the rain. We got into his car and he said, "First I gotta show you my place." Great, I thought. This guy is crazy. Turns out he was indeed crazy, but not in the sociopathic way. As well, turns out he is a drummer who can sing. Mr.Grant, who I have know for some time, and I dropped by his house a few weeks later and had a jam which started what is now know as Bad Intent.

Over this last 6 months or so I have spent a lot of time with these two guys. Rehearsing, touring, partying watching King Crimson videos at Mr.Grant's apartment late on Saturday nights. It has been a great time. Looking forward to what is coming this fall with these two.

For the last five years Ken Tizzard has packed his wife and kids and pets into his truck and, with their trailer behind them, they have hit the open roads for two months of travel and exploration. Along the way Ken uses this opportunity to play shows and promote recent recordings. This summer, Ken and his family are crossing Canada again, driving, camping and promoting Ken's new cd, "Between The Lines."  

Fri. July 8th – Thunder Bay – The Apollo – 10:00pm with Australia’s Mason Rack Band

Sat. July 9th – Thunder Bay – The Apollo – 10:00pm with Australia’s Mason Rack Band

Tuesday July 12 – Winnipeg - Dick’s Dylans – 9:00pm

Wednesday, July 13 – Regina – The Exchange 9:00pm

Saturday, July 16th – Calgary – The Ironwood – 8:00 acoustic set prior to Hurricane Felix

Monday, July 18 – Red Deer - TBA

Tuesday, July 19 – Edmonton - TBA

Thursday, July 21 – Jasper – The Whistle Stop – 9:00pm

Tuesday July 26 – Lethbridge – Tongue n Groove

*TBA’s are booked and awaiting address confirmation

For more information visit: www.kentizzard.com

to follow Ken Tizzard’s daily blog: http://ktizzard.wordpress.com/ F

ollow Ken Tizzard with Bad Intent on Tumblr http://kentizzard.tumblr.com/

“Modern Old Style Country Rock”

“I’ve got a story, I wrote it between the lines…”- K.Tizzard

I just got off the phone with the promoter for the Harbourfest (Kenora) show this summer with The Watchmen, Sloan and Thornley. We chatted about days gone by and events from 10-15 years ago when the Watchmen were touring heavily. It always amazes me how connected we all are and the overlapping connections which grow as each year passes. The organizers for this event have been greatly accommodating in helping with arrangements the family and me to have parking for the RV.

Harbourfest 2011 BAND LISTING

Friday Night: Kenny Shields & Streetheart, Aldo Nova, Honeymoon Suite, A Flock Of Seagulls

Saturday Night: Doc Walker with Special Guest Big Boogaloo

Sunday Night: Sloan with Special Guests The Watchmen, Ian Thornley & Big Wreck

I am looking forward to this show as I get to see one of my favorite Canadian bands, Sloan. I have not seen them in years, but I still get chills whenever I listen to “Twice Removed.” As well, I get to hang with my mates from Thornley and as well get to hear some of the new material live. BTW, new album is out of this world. Of course there is excitement to get back to Kenora with The Watchmen, we have been away for way too long.

The only drawback to this event was that it caused some rescheduling in my solo summer tour. I have managed to move most dates around and fill other holes. All in all I have found a few of my favorite towns and venues to drop into for some tunes. A schedule with exact times and venues will be posted soon.

Ken Tizzard Between The Lines – 2011

Tuesday July 7th – North Bay

Friday July 8th – Thunder Bay

Saturday July 9th – Thunder Bay

Tuesday July 11th – Winnipeg

Wednesday, July 13 – Regina

Thursday, July 14th – Medicine Hat

Friday, July 15th – Calgary

Monday, July 18 – Red Deer

Tuesday, July 19 – Edmonton

Thursday, July 21 – Jasper

Tuesday, July 26 – Lethbridge

Tonight is the 37th consecutive "Whiskey Wednesday" at the Stinking Rose Saloon. I believe I missed one Wednesday early on due to a Watchmen conflict, but other than that is has been a comforting constant in my life. This weekly music night started with me and a guitar in the corner with no amplification at all, and these days it has grown to acoustic/electric full band most Wednesdays and special guests visiting regularly. The crowd has been stable and supportive and Wednesday nights in Campbellford now have an event attached to this mid-week evening. Next week will be the last Whiskey Wednesday for me for a few months. I am heading out across Canada and down to the US with the family and of course I will be touring solo as well to introduce "Between The Lines" to people outside my normal touring radius. Thanks for the Wednesdays... BTW Tix for the "SILENT RADAR" Horseshoe show on Sept. 24th are on sale Thursday, June 23rd at 10:00am est. http://www.ticketmaster.ca/The-Watchmen-tickets/artist/764539

I know, it has been too long. So long in fact that the layout of my dashboard has changed. I can't begin to describe how much I have missed my life these past few months. Without getting into detail, I spent some time working on a contract for a large company for the last while. I thought it would be a good idea to peek into the real world to see what I could see. The time commitment that I believed I was entering into, changed significantly only allowing me to dabble with my real life in small amounts. Now in the last few weeks of this diversion I find myself getting back to my world. I have set up most of the dates for the summer. I hope to have this finalized by the end of the week. I am so looking forward to getting out on the road, discovering new experiences and catching up with the world. For now that's it. See you all soon.

I always thought I'd conquor the world by age 28...

perhaps I did...

just time for a moment of reflection...

I grew up at 8 Hunt Place, in St.John's Newfoundland. Most of my first early friends were kids form the neighbourhood. Karen Macfie was one of these friends and her younger brother Matt and I became buddies much later in life. In fact, Matt approached me a few years back about building me an acoustic guitar. The guitar has been in my collection for a year or so now and every now and then I take it out to a gig. It is a special instrument to me for a variety of reasons, but mostly due to my Newfoundland ties. This week Matt and Karen's grandpa died. I happened to speak with Matt on Tuesday when this was all going down and he was pretty upset. I brought the guitar out to the regular Whiskey Wednesday this week and played it all night long, dedicating the evening to Matt and his grandpa. Thinking about the Macfie's...

It has been a very interesting experiment to ask my social network to suggest venues for this sumer's "Between The Lines" tour. In some areas, suggestions reflect the venues I have played in the past. This tells me that I have been doing things right. In other areas, there have been a few new suggestions that reveal closing of certain venues and new venues recently opening. Add to this the few "outside the box" ideas that have been thrown at me and it looks like the tour is starting to shape up.

As with the last few summers, I will be touring with my wife and two daughters. We take advantage of these months to spend time camping, exploring and seeing the country. When everybody goes to bed, I slip out in my truck with my guitar and harmonicas to play a few sets of music at some local music venue. Thanks for all your input, it makes this type of work more fun.

Just discovered this new design on the back end of my truck. Whomever did this was definitely aware. Too big to be brushed off as expected parking lot ding. Someone really had to drag their car along mine to do this sort of damage. Oh, and thanks for not leaving a note. Jerk.

"I hate a song that makes you think that you are not any good. I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose. Bound to lose. No good to nobody. No good for nothing. Because you are too old or too young or too fat or too slim. Too ugly or too this or too that. Songs that run you down or poke fun at you on account of your bad luck or hard traveling.I am out to fight those songs to my very last breath of air and my last drop of blood. I am out to sing songs that will prove to you that this is your world and that if it has hit you pretty hard and knocked you for a dozen loops, no matter what color, what size you are, how you are built, I am out to sing the songs that make you take pride in yourself and in your work. And the songs that I sing are made up for the most part by all sorts of folks just about like you.I could hire out to the other side, the big money side. And get several dollars every week just to quit singing my own kind of songs and to sing the kind that knock you down still farther and the ones that poke fun at you even more and the ones that make you think you've not got any sense at all. But I decided a long time ago that I'd starve to death before I'd sing any such songs as that. The radio waves and your movies and your jukeboxes and your songbooks are already loaded down and running over with such no good songs as that anyhow."

-Woody Guthrie

Brent Townsend is a highly respected Wildlife artist who lets his paintings speak for him. His passion for the outdoors, combined with his talent, allows him to create works of art that aren’t just portraits of wildlife, but scenes that relay the intimate connection the animals have with their habitat.

Brent's work has been popular among collectors across North America for years. Canadians will recognize Brent's polar bear design featured on their original two-dollar coin.

Wikipedia - Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect.

Perhaps it is time for a new focus for Brent. Maybe his medium and message is changing. It is possible that events in his recent history have shifted his perspective to ‘social’ or ‘political’ art. Regardless, I find it interesting.

Personally, I see Brent’s latest statements as artistic expression. The Power of Art, in this case, has moved the community of Campbellford and abroad in varied degrees of like and dislike, anger and respect.

A few days ago, I had some time to spend with my guitar when a new song unveiled itself. Although this song can have many meanings, I do believe the main thrust of its appearance was due to Brent’s recent artistic/political statements.

If you're interested have a listen to "Don't Be Surprised." Embed code not yet available for this song/video so you have to follow the following link... Watch "Don't Be Surprised"

This summer, Ken Tizzard will be crossing Western Canada to support his latest cd "Between The Lines." Please look at the cities below and send along your favourite venues where you would like to see Ken perform. Ken will be touring solo so try to think of interesting and intimate venues that may not be on his radar. As well, some nights will be available for private "House Concerts." Please contact ktizzard@kentizzard.com for availability. Tuesday, July 5 - North Bay Wednesday, July 6 - Sudbury Thursday, July 7 - Sault St. Marie Friday, July 8 - Thunder Bay Saturday, July 9 - Thunder Bay Sunday, July 10 - Dryden or Kenora Monday, July 11 - Winnipeg Tuesday, July 12 - Winnipeg Wednesday, July 13 - Regina Thursday, July 14 - Medicine Hat Friday, July 15 - Calgary Saturday, July 16 - Calgary Sunday, July 17 - Calgar Monday, July 18 - Red Deer Tuesday, July 19 - Edmonton Wednesday, July 20 - Jasper Thursday, July 21 - Jasper Friday, July 22 - Lake Louise Saturday, July 23 - Lake Louise Sunday, July 24 - Banff Monday, July 25 - Fort MacLeod (Nanton) Tuesday, July 26 - Fort MacLeod (Lethbridge)

I went for lunch at a local coffee shop today, when a conversation between patrons and staff broke out regarding the Brent Townsend issue.

(See Peterborough Examiner )

After hearing enough anti-remarks, I added that Brent is desperate; he has been fighting this issue for years now and finally is getting some attention. Suddenly, the glares turned and I felt like the bad guy.

I was presented with several possible solutions that Brent could have taken in the past. Including one comment regarding me not being a real estate lawyer (from a real estate lawyer) informing me how Brent’s property is extremely valuable. The logic here being - if you could get somebody in there to rent if for a million dollars a month, then when the town wants to pay for the property they have to give you fair market value based on that and as well pay for missed opportunity etc. I know nothing about Real Estate law, but if this is true, somebody is missing a great opportunity to really screw the local municipality – just what we need.

Where do people get these ideas?

Regardless this issue has caused a lot of controversy here in this little town. I just wanted to have some lunch…instead, I left feeling sick and angry.

Last weekend we headed out for a two-night stay in Napanee. Friday night was a private show at the Music market Cafe followed by a general ticket show on the Saturday evening. We had a great time both nights and Tim and Mae took great care of us with a place to crash, food and a fair bit of booze as well. Weekend trip in Pictures 1. Practice - yup you must know your song well before you start singing...

2. Make sure you have proper attire... get boots resoled.

3. Fix all gear that needs fixing... thanks for the speaker Jeremy

4. Rehearse and memorize lyrics... drink some beer

5. Pack too much gear into too small a space...

6. change strings on guitars...

7. Be annoyed at having to wait for someone...

8. Drive to Beautiful Napanee... this is the view from Tim and Mae's backyard...nice

9. Play show, can't take pics while playing so use your imagination...

9B. Walk back to Tim's at 2am... see the evening sights.

10. Dave got tired on the way home...

11. Go to sleep...wake up at 4:30am to get creeped out by Dave in the hallway...watching...

12. Wake up in the morning next to some strange...

13. Tim and Mr.Grant starting the day out nicely... cheers

Thanks Tim, Mae and the Music Market Cafe...

28 million Internet users in Canada 50% are high speed 24 million cell users in Canada 34 million - population of Canada How many people have multiple services with Bell? Unknown by me.  Whenever I have the time and energy, I closely examine my Bell bill.  And every few months I have to call Bell to deal with overcharge issues. Without being specific, in the last few months alone I have been mistakenly overcharged by more than a hundred dollars for one of the five services I receive through Bell.  Recently, I am discovering "usage fees" on my Internet bill of about ten bucks a month. Not sure what these charges cover. I will have to call and find out.  I know my call is important to them, as they remind me countless times as I sit on hold for unacceptable amounts of time with each call.  Brings to mind the question, "How many others does this overcharging issue happen to, and of those how many do not take the time to check the bill or make the call?" Use your imagination, balanced with a good law of averages, combined with the above numbers, and see what you come up with.  Keep in mind this is all just speculative fun. But, what other company can have so many customers (in the millions), with monthly bills, and routinely accidentally overcharge?   Thoughts!!!???

I get a fair bit of e-mail. And since Facebook has come along the volume has increased. Sometimes, I find myself viewing this traffic as a spectator, reading e-mails for content and not responding. With the variety of projects I have happening at any one time, and the group e-mail dialogues, I sometimes follow conversations without actually getting involved. I guess this rubs off when a person e-mails me with a general comment or question. And for this I apologize. I do try and respond to pressing, urgent, or direct questions, but sometimes I do not always respond to general queries and I am sorry. I will try and be more diligent in the future...

Hastings has never been high on the list of places for me to perform. It may have something to to with my father in law Tony, now passed away, who introduced me to this town. Tony fell in love with Hastings about fourteen years ago and bought a small fishing/cottage resort on the Trent River. Me and Allison started coming up every weekend, and as well really enjoyed the area. Tony got involved in municipal politics and as well started becoming more and more interested in expanding on Hastings' potential. He was key in a lot of area development including the waterfront and marina. Every now and again he would ask me if the Watchmen would consider doing a show in Hastings. At the time I was touring 8-10 months a year and the thought of having my business close to home was not appealing. Needless to say it never happened.

Now and again when I visit Hastings I am reminded of Tony. He was a very close friend even before I met and married his daughter. It has been 5 years since Tony passed and this winter I played my first show in Hastings. I was expecting a bar-style drinking audience and was surprised to find the crowd quiet and appreciative. Last night, Bad Intent went back to hastings for our second show at la Gondola and once again I was pleasantly greeted by a full house of locals who just wanted to chill, have a few drinks and actually listen to some music. These sort of audiences give me a chance to tell stories about the music and actually have some interesting back and forth. Some nights I enjoy the loud drunk crowd where the party is in full swing, but last night was a perfect night to chill and share some tunes and stories. I wish Tony had been around to be a part of it.

I would like to say that I do not chat much during the winter season and that is why my blogging has slowed down. But that is not true. Perhaps I was tiring of sharing my mid-life crisis with the internet. Again, probably not true. Boredom, perhaps. Oh I know, it was due to the band getting busier throughout the last few months. No that's not it either. I guess I was just in a quiet mood. Still not really out of it, but I have received a few messages lately from people who have said they 'missed' my blogging.

So here I am again. No excuses, but the hardest thing about blogging is actually 'blogging.'

I will try if you will listen.

Drop me some questions perhaps to get this one sided conversation kickstarted.

Cheers.

Great weekend, aside from the cops… 

Drove to Hamilton – 2-hour drive took 4 hours with Toronto traffic

Had a great show at the Corktown.

Went to Toronto – one hour drive
Stayed in Toronto for the night played The Drake – great time…
Drove home after the show.

Should have taken 90 minutes.

Took four hours in the worst snowstorm I have seen in ages.

Get back to Campbellford at 3:15 in the morning.

Unload gear.

Tired.

Drive Dave to pick up his dog.

Get to the intersection, apply brakes, start to skid.

Release brakes at 10 km per hour and make the turn.

Police sitting in parking lot.

Nobody else around anywhere.

Flashing lights.$110 ticket for running stop sign.

And cops wonder why they get a bad rep.

This weekend...

Ken Tizzard with Bad Intent

Hamilton - Friday - The Corktown

Toronto - Saturday - The Drake

Sunday - Kingston - Kingston Folk Club

Hope to see you out

For the last five weeks the new trio, Bad Intent, have been playing around Ontario and the result has been, well fun. We have been traveling to different small town venues and having an awesome time laying down our own brand of “modern old style country rock.” Pulling original music from my last three solo cd’s and mixing in a blend of unique covers we are enjoying a very eclectic mix of music. As much as I enjoy the 70-minute concert set that I have become used to, I am now learning to appreciate and enjoy the whole creating an evening of tunes over two or three sets. Yup, the nights are longer but there is an interesting pace to these as well.

This past weekend we traveled out to Waterloo for a night at the Boathouse with Lucas Stagg and his band. Motorhead were playing at the venue down the road and we were expecting a dull night, but the locals came out and supported us regardless. I have been wanting to get into the Boathouse for sometime and am happy to say that it lives up to its reputation as a cool and interesting music venue. I did not have the chance to check out the food but next time for sure, it looked great.

Saturday found us over in Hastings, Ontario. I had never thought of playing in Hastings due to its close proximity to Campbellford. However, Saturday night proved me wrong as locals filled the room and made us welcome for the entire evening. We had a great time over here and the staff at La Gondola treated us great. Looking forward to getting back in April.

Three-day weekends are great. The only thing I do not like is waking up Tuesday and realizing how behind I am with things. Regardless, these last three days were great. Yesterday I spend the whole day with the family. We watched the Toy Story trilogy, made characters out of Starburst candy, ate hot dogs, baked cupcakes, cooked homemade pizza and went skating. Yup, I did the family thing while my band mates hung out playing beer-pong across town. Life… Saturday night we played down at the Music Market Café in Napanee. My old buddy Tim Sheffield opened this place a few years ago. From what I can gather, there is not a lot to do in this small town and trying to create a scene for live music is always a tough go. I have seen it time and time again and I really have respect for the club owners who risk their time and energy to try and create something from nothing. A lot of people who come out to see a show have no idea what goes on in the background. As simple as opening a room, getting a liquor license, finding staff, creating a mood, finding a band, bringing the band in, getting a stage, pa and lights, in some cases food preparation and a thousand other miscellaneous things. This takes years of work and dedication and every time I go into one of these places I have great respect for the owners. This past Saturday was great as we played to a sold out house, by the second set had the makeshift dance floor filled and everyone had a great time.

Friday night was a bit of a different story. Small town hockey rink, bar staff and license provided. Somebody collects money at the door and the band brings everything else. These types of gigs are fun for different reasons. People are looking to have a good time regardless, they usually pay well, and there is low pressure to do anything other than make some noise. For us this was a great night as we were playing in a community where we knew most everybody and it had more of a party vibe than anything else. Thanks to the Percy Bulldogs for having us out. Spring is here and with that comes spring-cleaning…what have you cleaned up?

I generally like people. Even when they are drunken idiots. Hey, let's face it we've all been there. However, the exception to this rule is the totally bombed 6'4" testosterone fueled idiot who thinks it's okay to stumble across the dance floor, lose his balance and fall into the band. After being pulled out if the wreckage of drums, overturned amps and guitars he gets up laughing and cheering for himself as if he just completed a world record high jump. Then to defend his honor he decides he wants to fight the band. No bar staff to break this up. Fun times. Cooler heads prevailed and it took every fiber of my being to not crown this guy with my guitar. Hey, that's rock and roll.

As some of you know, I recently became the proud owner of a new iPhone 4. I have no idea how I survived before without it. I rarely have to fire up my laptop anymore and keeping in touch with the world in this new technological era has never been easier. As a photo buff, I am astounded almost daily by the fantastic .99c photo apps that are available. My only fear being, what if I break this damn thing? I hear horror stories from people about the fragility of this device and I really want to protect it.

OTTERBOX...

This is what everybody tells me is the surefire way to safety your iPhone. I did the research and yes, it looked great. I tried doing the ebay bidding thing and got frustrated at being outbid constantly. Last weekend I stopped by FutureShop in Peterborough and dropped the $69.00 that they charge for the case. It seemed a bit steep, but these phones are expensive and need a secure house. After a day or so I started to notice that the bottom flap that covers the charger input was not really staying closed. In fact I was constantly pushing it back in. Odd..

I e-mailed Otterbox customer service and inquired if this was a regular issue or not. I really expected to not hear anything and was going to accept this as a flaw in the design. Almost immediately I got a response asking me to send along a picture of the unit. I did this and was assured they would send out a replacement.

Just now fed-X shows up at the door with a brand new Otterbox for me at no expense. I put it on the phone and all jack covers fit together securely. What a shock, actual customer service. Aside from the great service this is a great case and I recommend it to all iPhone users.

Thanks Otterbox...

It’s 5:48 in the afternoon and the skies along the 401 near Brighton are beginning to darken. It is the beginning of February in Ontario, and we have been hit with severe winter weather over the past week. As the sky turns deeper grey so does the surrounding road and snow that lays over everything. Eleven shades of gray and no color.

The trio is crowded into my pickup, the back is full of gear and we are heading down to Kingston to open for Cuff the Duke at the Grad Club. I had been trying to get in here for some time now and was feeling pretty excited to take the new trio on the first of many Ontario shows for a sold out night in a placed that was new and exciting. For now we drive. Grey, cold and as I remember from years of touring, sort of killing time.

The Grad Club is a very cool venue. I had not been here before but immediately felt comfortable as the staff welcomed us in and offered us food and drinks. It was an interesting transformation as the collective ‘dish tray drop zone’ was moved off the stage, the serving counter was pulled back, tables removed and before long it was a full on music venue. The room is odd as the stage is in the corner and the room branches out into a v shape with audience on either side. The sound system points in two directions to fill out each area and although strange… it does work quite well.

I had not seen Cuff The Duke with this lineup and even though they are working in a new drummer, they were pretty damn great. Such good songs dressed up in a combination of psychedelia, Americana/Canadiana, country rock… loved it. We had a great set. Playing a campus show brought back years of memories from touring with the Watchmen in the early days. Everything from the boredom of waiting through soundcheck to the excitement of walking on stage and feeling a receptive crowd respond to new music they had never heard before. This feels like the start of something fresh and new. And yes I am sick, but getting through just fine...

Just finished the last minute details for tomorrow's show in Kingston at the Grad Club with Cuff The Duke. Love these guys and Bad Intent are very excited to make the drive and play the support set. Show is sold out so if you have tickets we will see you there. If not, we will be down that way in two weeks in Napanee (Feb 19th - The Music Market Cafe).

More and more I am hating having my days being eaten away sending e-mails, booking shows and such. Oh well, stop complaining and get on with it. I spent this morning going through the CBC radio programmers and contacting them to make sure they all know about the new cd. The CBC has been helpful to me in the past, but I do not yet have the familiar relationships with programmers and on air personalities that I have from years in the commercial rock world. Time, I guess. And I know there is no shortcut for time, it just has to happen.

Had a great time on Saturday night at the Headstones reunion show. The new Venue in Peterborough is a great looking spot and I was happy to see it up and running again. This town needs a venue of this size to fill a hole in its live music scene. Unfortunately, and I will point no fingers, it did not sound the greatest. The headstones were as expected – great energy, great music, still great as always. Nice to see them back onstage. And let’s not forget the big surprise of the night – The Gentlemen Husbands. Where the hell did these guys come from? Wow, I was truly impressed. No offense to the rest of the band but the drummer was fantastic, and great harmonies. All in all I will be seeing more of these guys.

I headed over to the Sadies at the Red Dog to finish off the night. I caught the last hour or so of their set and as always they floored me. The room was jammed and the sound was better than usual, good work Frank. Three great bands on a Saturday night in Peterborough, rare and welcome.

Friday arrived in the remaining glow of watching Paul McLeod the night before. I really enjoy getting turned on by good music. A songwriter like Paul refuels my intent and drive in a way that only comes from "real" gifted musicians.  We decided to bring in Dave Hirst to mix the first official Bad Intent show. It may be a little overkill to bring in a sound guy for the pub, but it was worth it just for peace of mind. In fact the evening at the Rose was great, both in attendance and vibe, and I do believe having Dave there made a huge difference. We were excited to play. I dropped down for a nap after dinner and woke up just before ten. The bar was jammed when I arrived and once the coffee kicked in the night began rocking. We were still playing at last call, 2am, and worked our way through 20 or so original tunes plus a bunch of unusual covers. I have never been into cover bands, but always enjoyed a good revamp of a familiar tune. Elvis,Cash, Billy Idol, The Evenly Bros, the cure, acdc, tom petty, Hank Williams and a few others were represented and welcomed with a great response. Thanks to everybody who came out.

I had fully intended on staying last night. Just a night with no rehearsal, no gig, no whiskey. But alas, I found out yesterday that Paul McLeod was going to be in town playing down at the pub. Decisions, decision. Once the kids were in bed and I had shaved, I decided to walk over for one beer, only one, and catch a few songs. Turns out Paul was in town with singer/songwriter Lynn Jackson, and of course I had to see what she was all about as well.

In the end it was not a terribly long evening, I was home in bed by one, but what a great night of music. The Stinking Rose does not have a house pa system. I do not mind nights of open air performing but for some people this just does not work. Last night there was a respectful, and mostly quiet, crowdand Paul and Lynn sounded great.

While watching their set I began screwing with my new camera apps on the iphone and ended off getting some amazing shots of the performance. I am just sitting down to get started, yeah late start today, and am listening to Paul's new record Gauge. Sounds great so far. Looking forward to Lynn's new cd Soft Stars as well. Looking forward to the first official Ken Tizzard with Bad Intent show this evening. Lots of work gone into this and I am very excited to get it broken in.

Thanks for being so supportive of the Variety Show Players over the last few years. Some of you may have noticed recently that there is a new trio in the works. Yup, another band for me to spend my time on. In a nutshell, there have always been many sides to my music. Since I was a teenager I have played with literally hundreds of bands. A few of them have seen some commercial success, but for the most part I play music because I love it. I grew up on hardcore punk (1980s Dead Kennedys, Husker Du, Minor Threat, SLF, Black Flag etc) while at the same time dabbling in jazz and fusion (Stanley Clark, weather Report, Chick Corea, UZEB). As time moved on I discovered that most genres of music had something to offer me and I was not going to close any doors. More and more I was influenced by music, but maintained that I would for the most part play in original bands. This was always difficult, as club owners always wanted bands to play songs that people know. Still I pushed through and for the most part was lucky.

These last few years I have been pushing a lot of solo stuff in different directions and have found some fulfillment at each turn. The VSP has taken a lot of my time recently, as I really enjoy working with these guys and love the music we create. At the same time, I was looking for something with a bit more of an edge to sink my teeth into. And I guess that is where Ken Tizzard with Bad Intent enters into the game. This is more of a power trio based on the rockier side of the VSP. I love stripping the guitars down to raw visceral drive amongst the clarity of sound that a trio offers.

Bad Intent played our first show last week in Peterborough and we had an awesome time. The VSP will continue to move forward alongside Bad Intent and hopefully more opportunities will keep stepping up. For now I have a bunch of new dates for Bad Intent... hope to see you on the road..

Friday, January 28th, 2011 The Stinking Rose

Saturday, February 5th, 2011 the spill 414 George st. Peterborough ON K9H With Grainne Ryan and The Express and Co.

Friday, February 11th, 2011 The Angry Beaver 1601 Wallbridge-Loyalist Road Belleville Ontario Can

Saturday,February 12th, 2011 The Angry Beaver 1601 Wallbridge-Loyalist Road Belleville Ontario Can

Friday, February 18th, 2011 Warkworth Arena Warkworth Ont Can

Saturday, February 19th, 2011 The Music Market Cafe Napanee Ont Can

Friday, February 25th, 2011 The Boathouse 57 Courtland Ave. W Kitchener ON N2E 3X4 With Lucas Stagg

Saturday, February 26th, 2011 La Gondola Hastings Ontario Can

Friday, March 4th, 2011 The Corktown Hamilton Ontario Can With Harlan Pepper

Saturday, March 5th, 2011 The Drake Hotel 1150 Queen St. West Toronto ON MJ6 1J3 CA 416.531.5042 this is an early event...that means we start on time...

Sunday, March 6th, 2011 Kingston Folk Club Ken Tizzard solo - 8:00pm Kingston Ontario Can

Friday, March 11th, 2011 The Elmdale ottawa Ontario Can

"Let It Be" – a night of Beatles songs at Westben

Saturday June 4th, 2011

Westben - The Barn 7:00pm

First there was "The 70's Show" followed up with "Canada Onstage" and "Songs Of War and Peace." And now it is time to celebrate one of the biggest bands of all time in this one-night event at Westben. “Let It Be” – a night of Beatles songs at Westben. All past bands are invited and new bands will be considered as well. In order to avoid song choice issues we are taking selections based on a first come basis. You must choose your song and e-mail it to Ken A.S.A.P. (Telling Ken in the pub at midnight does not count!!!)

There will be one evening dress-rehearsal on Friday June 3rd @ 6pm. This rehearsal is mandatory.

Please contact Ken Tizzard at ktizard@kentizzard.com and provide the following information…

Band name

Contact number / e-mail

Musicians in band (name and instrument)

Song choice

*As with last years show, backline will be provided and bands will be asked to basically walk on and plug in. If you have any special needs please let me know via this e-mail.

www.westben.ca

As I look outside the window, inches of pure white snow draped along branches and phone wires create a very picturesque view before me. In fact the fresh powder has cast a clean look across most everywhere I see. The last few days have been extremely cold around these parts, reminiscent of Winnipeg at times. For me this has been unfortunate, as my kitchen, for the first time in 13 years, has begun showing signs of mice. They are not into the food, but seem to be isolated to two drawers. I discovered that they had been eating my wooden baking spoons and decided to do something.

My youngest daughter is an animal freak and refused to let me poison or trap they little buggers. We went to the local hardware store and grabbed a live trap. On the first day we caught a mouse. I let it go outside and that night it came back. This time we walked it down the block and let it go in the woods. Now, three days later, something is back with a vengeance. The live trap does not seem like a solution anymore as the one we caught today actually ate a hole in the trap and then proceeded to eat a considerable amount of the trap itself.

This last year there have been many changes in the local music scene here in the Campbellford area. The most obvious change being the tragic death of guitarist/singer Jesse Archer. Today would have been Jesse’s 28th birthday, I believe, and his loss has been greatly felt throughout the community. I spoke with his mom, Jane, last evening and it hit me how some things will quite simply never be the same again, but still people move forward. I have a lot of love for the Archer family and my thoughts go out to them today.

Throughout the course of a band there are always changes. Members move on or kicked out due to relationship issues, both artistic and personal. Music venues change owners, new places open and trends change. All these things have been seen over the last year around here. With these changes also come hurt feelings and broken relationships. Most people never understand how being in a band is like being in a relationship, but with three or four people. There is nothing easy about finding people to work with and actually spending enough time with them to make things work.

With all the events of the last year I was extremely pleased to see a ‘coming together’ of all the scenes this past Friday night here in town. Bad Poetry were having a fundraiser for their trip to Memphis next month, and the event seemed to bring everybody together. All three of the venues downtown came out to support the cause, which was a great step forward for everybody. It is great when we can all work together and support the community without getting caught up in our own points of view. Musicians who are rarely out showed up, and I could feel a sense of “let’s put this behind us,” running through the evening. It was a great night all around and the musicians who played through the night were well appreciated.

Today I spent some time in Peterborough. I dropped by to see my buddy Wayne and have him take a look at a few minor issues with the guitar I got from him a month ago. Wayne has been a great guy for me to know up in this area. He has the coolest little shop hidden away from the world and inside there are many gems. He is one of those rare guitar makers who have so much know-how that you just want to hang out, observe and absorb the vibe. And he is a seriously cool cat.

I first met Wayne a few years ago and since then I have bought/sold and traded various pieces of gear with him. The main items I use these days are all pieces I got through him. My 1963 Ampeg Reverberocket was rebuilt by Wayne. The 1930's Regal which is on the cover of my new record and was used for the recording of "Lost In Awe" is another Wayne O'Connor find/rebuild. And most recently the electric guitar which has stolen my heart is Wayne's Vibrasonic. This guitar is a one of a kind prototype and you can see it in the video for Weight Of The World. As a newcomer to electric guitar I can say that I finally found one that kinda plays itself. The Vibrasonic has a slight v in the neck and a pickup configuration that is just magic. It balances the Regal perfectly and I am happy to be using so much Wayne gear.

If you are in the area you owe it to yourself to call Wayne and drop by. If you have something that needs fixin - he is the man...

The Hank to Hendrix Guitar Co., EST. 1996 Royden Moran and Wayne O'Connor co-founded Hank to Hendrix in order to offer Professional Musicians a wealth of experience in performing a number of World Class services.

Our expertise... neck resets, instrument refinishing, refrets, fret dresses, setups, re-tops, replacement neck duplication, acoustic back and side fabrications, electronic installations/modifications and any other repair required to resurect an ailing instrument back to life. We also offer Pickup re-winding/potting for vintage pickups. To our knowledge, we are the only full service stringed instrument/Amplifier repair shop between Ottawa and Toronto.

Peterborough, ON.

Canada

Phone: 705-740-0965

Wayne O'Connor

Email: craniumd@nexicom.net

There are people in this world who want/expect too much. From respect and dues to physical belongings, sometimes it is easy to get caught up in our wants (not needs) and just loose perspective.

Perspective is lost all around. I just came across an iPoo app for the iPhone…

We are in a generation that has more technology in our phones than they had when they launched the first man in space and we are wasting it on potty humor. Strange… more on this below…

I have been guilty of wanting/expecting too much in the past (and sometimes still). More and more I am trying to simplify, strip down. In my life and music I am on a road where simplicity and clean lines make more of an impact that overdressed illusions. Even my cooking is getting cleaner and simpler. Pasta with garlic, olive oil and some veggies is absolutely great.

Off to rehearse some more…just thought I’d share that…

Always find yourself with nothing to do while you're sitting on the can? Introducing iPoo - a new iPhone application that gives you something to do - while you poo! iPoo is a social community that brings together pooers from around the world. Write messages, draw graffiti, earn points and badges, see what others are posting - all while dropping a deuce!

How it works When you open iPoo on your iPhone, you're instantly connected with other users who are also taking a dump. You can see and create messages and drawings using our virtual stalls, poo stream, or even map view! And it's smart - we'll show you only the info that's relevant to where you are. You'll be able to see what others have posted in the same spot you are taking a dump!

1. I love Eatmore bars, but why is it the plastic wrapper sometimes fuses to the bar itself making sections inedible? 2. Why does Tim Hortons not carry old fashioned dip in all locations? Better still would be an old fashioned plain with chocolate chips.  3. Gas station pumps that shut off every 7-10 seconds. I know my tank is not full. This drives me crazy.  Good morning world, it's me again.

Last night I had the chance to catch Dylan Ireland and his new outfit, Express and Co. They were great. It was awesome to see Dylan's dad up with him all night singing, harpin and playing guitar.  Can't wait to see them again when we play together at The Spill in Peterborough on Feb 5th.  I retired relatively early. The last few days I have been feeling particularly wiped out. Could be from the last two and a half months of craziness.

Part of this craziness has been breaking in a new drummer for the upcoming shows with the VSP. Dave Fischer will be stepping in and the rehearsal schedule has been heavy.  He is a bit of a nutbar, but he seems to be fitting in with the boys just great.  As well, I have been switching around sounds a bit. I have been experimenting in just guitar to amp. No fx at all. The combination of my new Wayne O'Connor guitar and the 1973 Traynor Bassman that I got from Terry Kelly is proving to be pretty awesome. The new sound is still basically the same btu just a bit louder and edgier. Sort of like taking a step back to my roots and it feels good.

I am meeting with Westben's artistic director this morning to discuss details for this years Westben community show. The theme will be all Beatles music. Past and new bands please drop me a line for details. Date to be released soon (as soon as he shows up for breakfast). Email interest to ktizzard@kentizzard.com

Woke up tired after a night of sleeping in a cold room. I stay at my wife’s Aunt’s house and love the convenience but during the winter months the back room makes for a restless slumber. Drove home, put together some more IKEA furniture, Okay that is enough, and made some show posters and updated some events. As it stands now…

Friday, Jan 28th – The Stinking Rose

Saturday, Feb 5th – The Spill – Peterborough with Grainne Ryan and The Express and Co.

Friday, Feb 18th – TBA - Warkworth

Saturday, Feb 19th – The Music Market Café – Napanee

Friday, Feb.25th – The Boathouse – Waterloo – with Lucas Stagg

Thursday, March 3rd – The Elmdale – Ottawa

Friday March 4th - The Corktown – Hamilton – with Harlan Pepper

Drive to Toronto. Go to ikea against my will. Have a surprisingly good lunch at a very reasonable price. Coconut encrusted tilapia.  Drop the kids at the aunts house.  Head into downtown for dinner at Young Thailand.  Discover that it is closed. Call the Senator for a reservation. I love their Cobb Salad. All booked, out of luck.  Find a Thai restaurant on Kingston Road and have some grub on the way to the theatre.  My Canada Goose jacket rested on the wall heater and melted into the zipper. Now it does not zip up.  Head down the the theatre and watch A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. Piece of crap. Comedy overacted to a point where it was impossible to care what was happening.  Left theatre at 10:45 to try and get a late-night snack. Everything closed. Found a Timmies open on Kingston road. To my delight I found that they actually make "old fashioned dip" donuts. Absolutely the best Tim Horton donut and strangely not made at all locations. In Peterborough you can find them at the Aylmer/Perry intersection Tim's. I think I should start blogging the spots that I find that carry this treat.  Cheers

Once again my night was plagued with the delirious mental ramblings that come with insomnia. Balancing tentatively on the fence between consciousness and sleep I tossed and turned struggling with visions of things that have to get done. This is not unusual for me. My mind is constantly churning away with career thoughts, calls to make, shows to book, posters to design, songs to write, scales and modes to practice etc...

This week I spent a lot of time tracking down club promoters and bookers. After a few hard days of e-mails and phone calls I think I have Waterloo, Hamilton, Ottawa, Campbellford, Picton, Peterborough, Warkworth, Napanee confirmed. Waiting on return calls are Bowmanville, North Bay, Toronto, Kingston and Stirling. Thanks for sending me your favorite clubs last week. I will try and contact all venues that people recommend and if you have any more ideas please drop me a line and as well put in a word at your local live music venue. off to rehearsal once again...stay well

Let’s get back into another year of information overload….

Ken Tizzard – born St.John’s, NF – recently accused in a pub of being a “Newfie Poser.” Aka somebody who says they are from NF just to be cool… I have no comment on this other than I had never even thought about it before…

Back in time… WAFUT – original SJHC punk band in the early 80’s…influenced by DOA, Husker DU, Dead Kennedys, SLF and Minor Threat…awesome fun times…

Skip ahead 10 years and countless bands to The Watchmen – while in the Watchmen dabbled in side projects such as Shadrak and Audio Playground High and Wide

After more than a decade of touring I took three days off and started touring with Thornley… Great five years or so during which time I began once more dabbling with side projects…

Released first solo record shortly after leaving Thornley and now five years and three cd’s later – here I am… They say that blogging should be your story, in parts…new year… starting from way back…

A few years back, Thornley were passing through Regina, when a guy named Kirby Lambert showed up on the bus. Kirby introduced himself as a fan and told us that he had brought us some gifts. He presented us with beautiful handmade knives. These knives were made with such skill, the quality was obvious. I ended off hanging out with Kirby for a few hours and he turned out to be as cool as his knives. I have a small collection of knives that I use for various tasks. Kirby's gift entered into my life as my desk knife. Having a fixed blade it was not easily mobile so it, to this day, lives on my desk and gets used regularly. A few weeks back I received a package in the mail. It was a new Kirby Lambert production knife produced by Meyerco called the Shockwave. It is a very nice, heavy piece of work. If you have any interest in some really high end knives please visit Kirby at his website... www.lambertknives.com/

Happy New Year everybody. It seems that my blogging rampage of last year dwindled down quite heavily in the last month or so. Putting out the new record and playing shows definitely took it's toll on my at home and on the computer time. The holidays were amazing. My schedule is totally trashed. I played more shows this past month than usual and it feels great. I start again tomorrow at booking and hope to be on the road by Feb. Thanks for all your support last year and I look forward to playing/making more music for you all again this year.

Just a quick note to say Happy Holidays to everybody. As the year comes to a close I reflect on the good things.

Thanks to Brian Finley for allowing me to work on The Selfish Giant alongside such a great co-writer and as well a fantastic cast.

Thanks to the Watchmen and Thornley for keeping me rocking and rolling.

Thanks to The Variety Show Players for making a fantastic record and helping me move forward. And thanks to my family, friends and fans who have supported me along the way.

Recently I have been working on a more rock/country project with two new people and the sound is exciting. 6 rehearsals in the last week have left me tired and inspired. I am looking forward to the new year and the curiosity of what it may bring. Stay well everybody, drive safe and beware the ice.

Ken

Yesterday a friend e-mailed me a management and record contract that he had been presented with. I am not a lawyer by any stretch, however I have seen a few contracts in my time. He asked me to have a once over and give him an opinion… I recommended he actually seek legal advice, but as a buddy I did take a look…

He was basically given a 12-page contract with numerous mistakes such as… One Thousand Dollars ($2,000) - many of these bracketed errors throughout

Artist hereby irrevocably authorizes Manager to incur the following office expenses…(long list of basically everything)… Manager agrees to not incur any expense above $1000.00 or combined expenses of $2500 per month without artists consent. Up to these amounts the manager can bill artist monthly for costs associated with furthering carreer…also including flights, meals, hotels and on and on…

Basically these are all office costs and artist can be billed monthly for the next 3-5 years without question.

There is as well a record contract associated with this deal. There is no mention of money to be paid to artist anywhere. There is however a 6-year repayment schedule. It is basically $20,000 in studio time, which manager commissions $5000.00 (25%) from the top. From there the remaining $15,000 is offered as studio time at $100.00 hour for artist (lets say 15 days).

There is also a studio associated with this deal. This studio is where all recording is to take place. However, the studio does not currently exist, but will soon. We think… not sure of these details, but regardless for the next five years artist is at the will of the manager and this yet to be determined studio.

So basically, $20,000 (not in physical cash) for an overpriced and non-existent studio and for that you get a manager who will take 25% of everything you make (gross not net) for the next 3-5 years (and lets not forget the 3 year sunset clause at 15% / 10% and 5%) and as well have to pay a bunch out of pocket…

Alternately take 15,000 on your credit card. Go into a good studio for $500 a day. Work for 30 days. Make a great record. Walk away a free person with no strings attached…

There are a lot of great record companies out there to work with. As well there are many reputable managers. There are certain things that you have to accept if you are going to go into a partnership with any of these. You will have to pay commissions. You will have to trust these people and expect that they will not abuse their position. However, if it seems too good to be true – it probably is. contracts - READ THEM…

Yesterday was a great day for me on many levels. I woke up early and not hungover, for the first time in a while, and headed down to Toronto for a few visits with old friends and a couple of chances to play music. My first stop was at IndiePool where I picked up the third order of cd's in three weeks. For me this is good news and the fact that people are buying cd's at every show is very encouraging. As well the downloads have been going well and the all around response has been very positive.

Next on the list was a lunch with old friend from management, Shelly. We have stayed close over the years and I always enjoy it when she has the time to hang out and catch up. As well she hooked me up with an advance cd from a new artist they are working on and...wow. This is probably the best record I have heard this year. I listened to it twice on the drive home last night and was so blown away. I have to check with Shelly to see if I can mention the artist but when I know you will too...it is a not to miss sort of thing. After lunch I headed over for a quick catch up with old friend/agent Ralph James. His is always so busy it is hard to connect but we managed to get a few minutes together and then I also spent some time with Lorraine who works with him. Like Shelly, Lorraine has been a friend for as long as I can remember and it is always nice to spend some time together.

Moe Berg, Ken Tizzard, Grainne Ryan, Alvin William Lapp, Alicia Stead, Jeff Beauchamp, Cora Ryan Westermann From here I drove over to the Cadillac Lounge for soundcheck with Grainne. Got set up, tuned and had a pizza before the show. I started the night with a 30 minute acoustic opening set and had a great time. It was so relaxed and I was just, "in the right space." Danny Greaves and Tim Seeton dropped by unexpectedly and this was a great treat for me. Turned out to be a treat for all as I invited Danny up for a country version of Holiday and it was so good. Quiet acoustic guitar makes harmonies so nice. The set with Grainne was awesome. Her material is so good and the bands she puts together are always top notch. We are talking about doing some winter touring together and this excites me. The idea of playing more steel live is very enticing.

Yesterday we replaced the wireless phones throughout the house. The last set have been slowly dying and it was just simply time. The new phone rang last night at 3:56am for the first time. My first thought, "Damn, that new phone is loud." My second thought, "Who has died? It is four in the morning." Well the phone is indeed loud, but nobody has died. Well nobody related to that phone call. It was Lucas Stagg calling me to tell me that he has been working on a video for "Weight Of The World" all day, he was now drunk and needed me to check it out. I stumbled out of bed, down to my computer and watched the video, with Lucas still on the line. Great work buddy. Thanks for putting this together. This is a hobby/love of his and he is actually considering working with other bands on videos so if anybody is interested drop me a line and I will put you in touch with him. Lucas called me again at 4:45am just to make sure that I had seen and enjoyed the video...

Today I got the remaining bits of crap put away here in my office...even all the guitar strings have been dealt with... time for what comes next...

iTunes finally have the links up for "Between The Lines"

http://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/between-the-lines/id407184448

It is Sunday night and I have returned safely home once again from another rock and roll weekend. Saturday was a lazy day for me; lots of sitting around the hotel, napping, working on new songs, and generally living inside my head. I have been reading a lot of coping books and there are a few common themes, one of the main ones being pointed to living in the now. As a songwriter this is not easy for me. I live in my head stringing together fantasy scenes to create musical stories and sometimes getting out of this place can be difficult.

pic by Carrie Jones

This weekend with the Watchmen, playing back at an old familiar club in the band’s hometown was absolutely fantastic. Being on stage Saturday night brought me back to the carefree days of fifteen years ago. The band was at peak performance, smiles were easily found and it felt to me that the culmination of all of our experiences together were realized. All the good and bad, the years of endless travel, countless shows, birthdays, funerals, hangovers – all added up to that moment. I sometimes take Joey, Sammy and Danny for granted. We have been friends, partners, and creators and at times had moments of being not so liked by each other. We have history, it is that simple. History is not something you can get anywhere from anybody, it only comes with time. There was a great moment for me on stage about three quarters of the way through the set on Saturday. Just an overwhelming feeling of “This is right.” It was clear that we have done and still from time to time do what we were meant to do. I do not always see things this clearly and it was a great moment. It was a ‘now’ moment. Thanks to everybody for coming out and making another great musical trip.

It has been another busy week here in my world. Tuesday and Wednesday I was in Toronto at Watchmen rehearsals. It gave me the chance to hang a bit with Danny, which is always nice. After the Watchmen first split up we were not all that close for a while, it feels good to be back hanging again the way we used to. Of course that also means a fair bit of drinking and I have definitely done my share of that this week. The Wednesday night at the Stinking Rose Saloon turned into a bit of a “feed the singer shooters night.” I barely managed to stumble up the icy hill at the end of the night. Thursday was spent doing things around and house and nursing a hangover. Put up some Christmas lights and got the decorating finished. Friday was a travel day starting at 5am and ending at 5am this morning. The show last night was amazing. Playing a packed house at our old haunt was a pretty incredible experience. It was challenging to play an opening set to 300 drinkers with the acoustic guitar but somewhere inside it really worked for me. Tonight we repeat and then off to the airport early in the morning to once again head home.  

The Variety Store is now open. When I first decided to release some new music, I was only going to record a few tracks and release them online only as an EP. Over time the EP turned into a full length 10-song CD, but still I was convinced that online only was the way to go. As I got closer to releasing the music I found a way through my buddy at IndiePool to do cost effective short runs of CD's in environmentally sound packaging. These were to be sold at shows only. Now that the time is here I am getting requests for physical cd's and T-shirts so I have created The Variety Store, which basically means I take orders from the office and get them out to you in your home.

Starting today, two Ken Tizzard and The Variety Show Players T-Shirts and the new CD, "Between The Lines," will be available for shipping direct to you at your leisure.

Visit www.kentizzard.com to order your merch...

I have to admit that although we missed most of the door crasher specials for Black Friday, we still got some great deals this weekend. I played on Friday night in Peterborough so we could not go down to the US until early Saturday morning. The drive down was terrible. I am not sure why, but the townships between here and Belleville did not see fit to send out salt trucks or plows even though there was a good half-inch of pure ice on all roads and highways in the area. Near Stirling cars were sliding sideways while trying to go up the big hill leading out of town. Again, towards Belleville, cars were off the road everywhere you looked. A standard 45-minute drive took us an hour and a half and was treacherous every step of the way. Once we hit the 401 all was good and within an hour the roads were perfectly clear.

Back in the office today and getting ready to head down to Toronto for tomorrows rehearsal with the Watchmen. We are excited to get out to Winnipeg this weekend and pay at our old haunt The Pyramid. There are lots of special surprises planned and as well we are bringing the “All Uncovered” DVD out and as well “Between The Lines.” Tonight a little television and then back into my new world of Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra and Dr.Wayne Dyer… yup…you know it or not…

pic by Ray Yurkowski

Friday, in the afternoon, I visited Wayne O'Connor to return the loaner guitar that I got from him on Wednesday. Hard to part with, I might just try and find a way to get this one into my collection. Later that evening I headed over to the Red Dog for the release of Grainne Ryan's "Looking For Sunshine." She had a great band put together and I was happy to be playing pedal steel for her. We played at 8pm to a comfortably packed house of appreciative friends and family and the vibe was amazing. It occurred to me how much enjoyment I was getting from acting as a sideman on the steel. I think I may be falling into a new path here... photo MJ

It is Sunday evening and I have been down in the US for two days shopping for Christmas gifts. With two kids, Christmas is a lot of work. From decorating the house, to getting the baking done and as well getting all the shopping and wrapping done, it never seems to end. That being said there is no amount of work that would stop me from making Christmas such a special time for my family. There is really no replacing this time of year, it is truly special.

pic by Layton

It really was one of those nights. After a day of hanging about the theatre, setting up gear, tuning stuff, changing strings and getting mentally prepared for the CD Release; I knew that at the end of it all there would be a few really drunk folks(myself included). And sure enough, wives were called to pick up husbands too drunk to drive, others were picked up from grassy muddy patches where they had fallen or slipped in the freezing rain and others sat silently in their own muddled thoughts randomly rolling their head from sided to side while muttering to themselves. Yup, it was a great night for a party.

pic by Hynze

The Aron Theatre is a great place for live music. They are working on making this place a co-operative and as far as I can tell it is moving forward. It would be a shame to lose a place with such history in this town and it is nice to see people working together to keep it alive. There was a great crowd out and the show went as well as I had hoped. We had Todd (NOC) come up from Kingston with an amazing light show and Brent (SlyFi Chapel) come and mix the evening. According to people after the show it looked and sounded fantastic. And after all the hard work the guys have put in over the last while it felt good to deliver a professional show here in Campbellford.

Thanks for everybody who came out. A special thanks to Lucas Stagg for opening the night and also for shooting some video.

"Between The Lines" has been a great record to make and produce. I am very excited for you to get your own copy and see what The Variety Show Playersand myself have been up to this past year. Drop by the website or click the link below to purchase a copy. If you dig the sound please share the news with your friends.

'Modern Old Style Country Rock' - yup, there's a new genre in town...

Ken Tizzard and The Variety Show Players Between The Lines

$9.99

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kentizzardandthevarietys

www.kentizzard.com

I have been on a bit of a cleaning kick the last few days. When we brought up the Christmas boxes and realized that we had nowhere in this house to lay stuff out I kinda lost it. The garbage bags came out and I went on a bit of a tear. Sometimes I guess I just feel like there is too much stuff around, so much that I cannot think straight. Cleaning and purging seems to be the response.

With the new record coming out, I guess all the piles of stuff from the last year of writing are ready to be filed or thrown out. Scraps of paper with lyrics and chords scrawled across them, revisions, interesting bits of crap that inspired me this way or that way to write – time to go away and start again.

Today I spent some time, most of the day, organizing and cleaning up the office. It took me a while to find the right tunes for cleaning. Counting Crows, The Wallflowers, Husker Du, Minor Threat, Bob Dylan and finally I landed on NLX’s first record and this got me through my task. I head out tonight to get set up at the theatre for tomorrow’s show.

No Stinking rose for me this Wednesday but Phil will be taking my place and I am sure to be there for a beer later in the evening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQyOBCnCFis

I feel the need to apologize for not posting as regularly as I should have these last few weeks. Aside from dealing with the impending release of “Between The Lines,” I have been a wee bit preoccupied with some personal garbage. Some tell me that venting into cyberspace via a blog can be therapeutic, but I am not too sure that this style of disclosure is the right course for me. All is well here in my land, just feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the changes in the world and slowly coming to realize that the only thing I can change is myself. As long as I keep busy and manage to slow the brain down with new ideas, I can move ahead. With that in mind, anybody looking for a pedal steel player please drop me a line. Recording, touring, etc…

Yesterday I had rehearsal with Grainne Ryan. We are getting ready for her cd release party on Friday at the Red Dog in Peterborough (8pm early show). She has a great collection of musicians for this show and I am very happy to be a part of it…

Grainne and her band

Grainne

Neil Sanderson-Drums (3 Days Grace)

Josh Gontier-Guitar and Banjo

Cale Gontier-Bass Guitar (The Art of Dying)

Ali Stead-Electric Guitar(Dame/Moeraes Fate)

Travis Berlenbach-Acoustic Guitar, backing vox

Ken Tizzard-Pedal Steel (The Watchmen, Thornley)

Missing from Photo, Cora Westerman-backing vox

Off to a VSP rehearsal and very excited for this Thursday’s release of ‘Between The Lines.”

It is one week before the cd release party/show here in Campbellford. I use the standard methods of promoting around town. One month before the show I print off nice 11 x 17 glossy posters and distribute them to the local stores and such. Most everybody helps out by putting the posters in their storefront windows and I truly appreciate their help.

On the week before the show, 8 telephone poles were selected on which to put up some posters. These are high traffic areas where people usually are stopped at red lights and it helps to remind people about the event. Some of these poles had old posters still on them from events gone by. I actually took one down that was dated for an event on September 10th(over a month ago). I always go out on the day after a show and remove posters just because I think it is the right thing to do. Well I guess somebody got their nose out of joint and called the bylaw officer here in town and had my posters removed the day after they were put up. In the past, I have done many benefits in town and the posters are usually up. I have never had them removed. Posters for events for people who lost their farms in fires, sick kids, community events and numerous other fundraisers are regular sights around town. I guess perhaps I do not do enough locally to justify promoting a show for a new cd for myself. “This Town Of Mine,” a song I wrote about Campbellford, would have very different lyrics if I wrote it today…

Ken Tizzard and The Variety Show Players

The Aron Theatre

Cd release “Between The Lines”

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

7:30 doors special guest Lucas Stagg

Tickets are available at The Aron, Ultramar (Campbellford), The Grindhouse and The Stinking Rose…

What can I say...

It could always be worse...

At least there is some benefit...

The beautiful sun from earlier today is now hidden behind a grayish cloudy sky. I had a great morning drive down to see Al. He did some service on the MSA and oiled the changer and put on some new strings. Seems to be working fine now.

On the way I listened to Fred Eaglesmith’s “Things Is Changing” cd. That is the second of 17 cd’s for me now and I intend to collect the rest over the next while. Last night, I had the privilege of opening up for Fred in Peterborough. I have been meaning to catch a Fred show for a few years now, but schedules never permit. I thought the only way to guarantee a show was to set up an opening slot and thanks to my buddy Ryan Heershap we got it all worked out. There are few musicians out there who truly inspire me. Lots of great musicians and bands, and most of them are a good bit of fun. But the real artists who make me wake up the next day with a feeling of excited inspiration are few and far between. After last night’s show, Fred Eaglesmith has entered my world as one of these people. His stage banter is funny, almost to the point of standup, but it is his songs that get me. His writing style and lyrical turns are so well crafted, a finely tuned melody developed from a lifelong dedication flows from every song. Accompanying him during his first set was Washboard Hank, a great addition to the comedy and tunes.

Rehearsal tonight, followed by a round of postering for next week’s cd release. Otherwise just moving forward…

Bad Halloween costume news is dying down here in Campbellford...

Sebastian Bach charged with assault...

Bell Canada are still ridiculous to deal with...

Pedal Steel needs to go in to Al Brisco tomorrow, something up with the changer...

and I am leaving for Peterborough to play with the groovy Fred Eagelsmith at the Red Dog...

Toronto never stops. As I entered the city I could feel the tension increase, starting in my shoulders and slowly radiating down through my entire body until I was ready to throttle the next jackass who cut me off. Well, it was not really that bad, but wow it is congested in there. On the highways, side streets, malls, restaurants - crowds. Allison went to the theatre with her best bud and I got to spend the night with the kids alone. We went out for some grub at the Olive Garden, their choice not mine, and then to see Megamind 3D, a collective choice. It is always interesting spending time with the kids without Allison. There is something different in the dynamic; we interact differently, talk differently and have a different experience. Not better or worse, just different.

And then finally today, the ultimate test, Costco. I passed with flying colors, in my opinion. No fits or cursing at other drivers or outbursts in the store aisles as people stopped to take calls on their cell phone with no regard for other people and the flow of traffic. However, there was one guy who cut me off while I was trying to park. Due to the crowded parking lot he was still next to me when I did get in. He was waiting for his opportunity to turn and then it came, and so did I. I stepped gently in front of his vehicle, looked him in the eye and slowly mouthed the words, “Thanks for being so patient.” I then walked inside and looked back as he had missed his chance to turn and sat frustrated and waiting. Juvenile I know but every now and then…

I am still waiting on a new cell phone. My contract with Bell is now up and I am free. What to do? Use an old phone and go month to month or set up a new 3-year contract. The main choice is Blackberry over iPhone. Lynn just gave us her old BB and I am going to try it out for a bit. While in Costco we stopped at one of the Wireless sales booths to pick up a charger.

“Do you have the Blackberry charger for this phone?”

“Yes sir, most definitely. I just have to get some information from you.”

Paperwork ensued and then he passes me two items.

‘Is this the BB charger?”

“Yes sir, you just have to use this attachment to connect because the input is different.”

“So this is not the BB charger?”

“Oh yes sir, it will work.”

“But is it a Blackberry charger?”

‘I use it on my Blackberry right here…”

‘Okay then, plug this BB in and let’s see what happens.”

“Hmmm, it does not seem to be working sir, you must have a problem with your phone.”

“Or perhaps it is not the right charger…”

I hate it when people try to swindle you… I found an old charger at home, which seems to be working fine…Thirty bucks and a lot of frustration saved…

Yes, I actually did some Christmas shopping today. Picked up a few things in Peterborough, dropped by Hank To Hendrix to give a cd to Wayne, and did a little book shopping. Grady are playing in Peterborough at the Red Dog tonight but I cannot make it back out that way. Too much going on in my head and too far of a drive twice in one day. Hope everybody is well...

Last night was the fourth Wednesday night in a row for the Stinking Rose Saloon. Getting some requests filled as the weeks progress and a few I missed, sorry - "Your Cheatin Heart" next week for sure. This regular residency is not something I have ever been a part of before and I must say it is both satisfying and comforting. As it starts to draw its own crowd it begins to take a life of it's own, and I am glad to be a part of this in such a small town.

I have never been to war. I guess I am lucky to live in a country like Canada where we exist, for the most part, peacefully. I realize that we do have soldiers in conflict, so please do not take it wrong when I mention that we are a peaceful country. I cannot imagine what our veterans went through way back when, nor can I imagine what they go through on today's modern battlefield. When I look at the faces of these older veterans and see them fight emotion as we recognize fallen comrades it really brings it home for me. There are people in this world who have sacraficed so much for us to have our freedom and I am proud to stand up for them once a year and partake in such an event as Memorial Day. This morning, I took the girls over to the Memorial Service for Remembrance Day in Hastings. We laid a wreath for Papa (Tony Edwards) and shared in some reverent silence with the hundred or so people on the street.

Headed over to Banjo's for lunch and then dropped them both back to school. The weather was great for a drive down to Coborne for a visit with Al Brisco at Steel Guitars Canada. Picked up some picks and browsed around looking at all the fine guitars he has in stock. He played for a bit and as always left me feeling inspired. Rehearsal again tonight, only two weeks until the big cd release show here in Campbellford...

Even though I slept pretty hard last night, I do find myself lagging a bit today as I try to get back into the swing of things. I did manage to get the office in order, answer a wack of outstanding e-mail and get some steel playing in. Kids are home now, dinner shortly and then off to rehearsal. Here are some more Nf pics... I just got this pic from my uncle... Here is my dad and his mom many years ago...

I decided to do the nostalgia thing while back home. I visited the high school where I spent my three years and walked the hallways down to my old locker. Lots of memories came back to me... strange how small everything looks as an adult. These hallways and surrounding rooms were like a city when I went to school. PWC. Unfortunately, when I checked in at Macdonald Drive Jr High they informed me that as a prior student I was not allowed inside the building. I thought they were joking, they were very serious. The lady at the front office was a little sharp when I asked her if she would accompany me on a walk through the hallway. I guess I look like a drug dealer perhaps???

The weather was awesome - hanging out around 17 degrees. Yup I am talking like my dad. For some reason most of our conversations are about the weather. It did give me the chance to walk around downtown and see a lot of old faces and places. Clark, me and Eli Baker...

Out around the bay things still look the same...always picture perfect...

Perhaps only interesting to me, but here is my fathers (Fire Captain Fred Tizzard) retirement plaque with my reflection in it as I took the pic.

Cod Tongues for breakfast... Well - three days of hard drinking, spending time with old friends, eating toutons and fish and chips have left me a bit drained. I cannot begin to explain how important this weekend back home was for me. A weekend filed with emotional re-connections with people who have been in my life for longer than any others, was well needed.

Friends will come throughout life, there are only a few that we have real history with. History can only be built over time and those lucky enough to share this become true lifelong friends. The cd release party was a complete success. It was somewhat strange to perform in front of an audience full of people that I knew. Any time I would open my eyes I would see familiar faces and memories and scenes from the past would flood into my consciousness. It made for a bit of a difficult night for focus, but at the same time made for and incredibly intimate and intensely comfortable performance. Here are a few memories... The house where I was born and raised. I had not been by here in a few years and as much as there have been huge changes in St.John's over the years - this place looks exactly the same...

When I was growing up there were very few choices in places to find any sort of interesting music. Fred's Records was a lifesaver for me as I was craving music outside of the pop culture radio music available in Newfoundland at the time. Remember, this was way before the internet and actually ordering new music as "imports", waiting for it to arrive and getting it home was all a huge investment in time and energy. But, it somehow made the music incredibly important. Things have changed but Fred's is still awesome...

The new style of housing in St.John's seems a little above average to me but.... It appears the oil boom is real. Not sure if the average Newfoundlander is feeling this, but somebody sure is...

On Sunday night Jody Richardson came down to the Ship Inn and played a wonderful 60 minute acoustic set before I took the stage. I was torn by so many old friends spilling into the club that I wanted to catch up with, but I could not bring myself to not watch such a brilliant performance. Captivating and talented beyond words Jody played as the Ship filled and people listened and watched with quiet and respect.

More to add tomorrow...  

So I am all packed and ready to head back to NF tomorrow in the morning. I leave way too early for the drive through Toronto. Dad will be picking me up at the airport and we will head over to tape 'Out Of The Fog" before heading out for some fish and chips. Looking forward to wandering the streets of St.John's tomorrow night, having a few Black Horse, running into old friends and generally being reflective.

A few years back a friend of mine, Doug Clouston, came by a show and dropped off a gift for me. He designs hand blown glass jewelry and this necklace that he gave me has been around my neck since the first time I put it on. I get comments on this piece regularly and have been looking for a reason to mention his work. I just received an e-mail from him regarding a gallery opening this weekend in St.John's. Here is some information...

There are times when the sheer stupidity of people should amaze me, but sadly it doesn’t. On Saturday night, while taking a break from performing at Rubb’s Halloween Bash, Mark (the owner) walked up to me on the street, obviously angry. “You are not going to believe what I just saw over at the Legion…” He proceeded to describe a pair of Halloween goers, one dressed as a KKK member and another in blackface with a noose around his neck. I rolled my eyes and thought to myself, “Some people just don’t have any common sense.”

Obvious questions come up like, “What were they thinking, and why were they let in to the Legion?” Even more horrifying is the accounting from many media sources that the pair won first prize in the costume contest. I hope deep down that this may have been a misconstrued error as I find it hard to believe that the judging committee at the Legion would be so insensitive.

Today, newspapers from Vancouver to Montreal have published a picture of the two in costume with a full accounting of this small town's event. I have been living in Campbellford for just over 10 years and although there are many ‘small town’ qualities, such as a sense of knowing your neighbors and being involved in the social setting you live in, I have yet to see evidence of racism that this unfortunate event has portrayed. Sad day in an otherwise nice town…

The good news is that Danny and I have decided to release a few tracks form the Audio Playground High + Wide sessions we did a few years back while still working with the Watchmen. We will release four songs as an EP in the new years through iTunes and various other digital distribution chains. On the bad side, it seems our name was too cool not to steal... For Immediate Release: November 2, 2010; Edmonton, Alberta-based Audio Playground has released their second single “Shadows” in Canada which is already Top 10 on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart. The first single "(A Little) Respect," a remake of the new-wave hit by British synthpop duo Erasure, had over 19,500 units sold and was #1 in Canada on the single sales chart for 7 weeks being trailed by international stars Lady Gaga, Madonna, The Black Eyed Peas and U2. Audio Playground will be featured in the Holiday issue of U.S. based Spin Magazine. Audio Playground is the latest collaboration between Canadian producers Rubix & DRC and singer Anthony Gitto. Formed in 2009 as a dance music project, artistic and business ingenuity helped the band accomplish an unexpected crossover into pop. "(A Little) Respect" has been included in popular dance music compilations such as Universal Music Canada ' s "Clubland"--the equivalent of the popular British CD series. The group’s new single "Shadows," comes in an EP with seven various pop, rhythmic and club versions. The trio surrounded itself with some of the world ' s top remixers to generate a broad array of "Shadows" for different audiences. Versions by Digital Dog and Bimbo Jones from the U.K. and Tracy Young & Mike Rizzo from the U.S. are featured alongside Latin influenced rhythms by initial collaborators Berrios, Douglas and Taylor-Weber. Audio Playground has an album in the works and the band spends its time commuting between Toronto , New York , Los Angeles and their label ' s Western Canadian home base. They are also collaborating with other chart topping singers in some of their penned releases while also spicing up the lyrics to their songs with lines in Spanish, French and other languages.

Halloween always brings out the oddballs. I guess it gives them a chance to dress up and act like freaks and feel somewhat justified. No stranger to this activity was our drummer Ken Layton who showed up for Saturday’s Halloween gig dressed as either ‘mossman’ or ‘mother earth,’ still not sure which. Yup, that is living moss and dirt caked onto his body and clothes. From zombies to geisha’s to priests they were all out. Saturday night’s Halloween festivities were great as people came out, drank, danced and had a merry old time.

Personally, I enjoyed myself with some whisky and a chance to play some pedal steel during Dave’s songs with the VSP. The band is getting excited for our cd release party here at the Aron Theatre on November 25th.

Got up early this morning and took the trailer up to be winterized. That is a sure sign for me that winter is just around the corner, no more camping until spring. Last night's trick or treating with the girls was damn cold. I heard it said that it was the coldest Halloween in thirty years. Not sure if this is true, but I don’t doubt it.

pic by Drew Simpson

Getting ready to head back home to St.John’s this weekend. I guess I should pack my winter jacket. Thursday night when I get in I head straight over to record a few songs for “Out Of The Fog”.

“One of the most popular and highly visible programs in the province, Out of the Fog has become part of the local Newfoundland culture. With a great team of hosts that includes Erin Sulley and Peter Walsh, and reporter, Anna Delaney, Out of the Fog is a half-hour of provocative interviews, timely current event coverage, local entertainment and cultural features.”

Friday morning, perhaps not too hungover, I head down to the CBC for an interview with Angela Antel for The Weekend Arts Magazine.

“As comedian Andy Jones famously says, The Weekend Arts Magazine explores our "Galoot of a culture." Saturday and Sunday mornings, Newfoundland and Labrador tunes into WAM for its arts fix.

Join host Angela Antle as she tours artist studios and galleries, jumps on stage with clowns, comedians and musicians and chats with the province's latest literary lights. Stay connected to the province's many festivals and hear about the growing business of art on WAM.”

Stay tuned for more…

Last night I played down at the Acoustic Grill in Picton. I had a chance to listen to the final product that now is “Between The Lines” on the drive down. As I hoped, it was a very pleasurable listen. I am excited for the November 25th release date so that I can get this cd out and into the hands of actual listeners. Food was great and the vibe was fun as always. I gave Steve, who runs the venue, the heads up on NLX and Al Lerman so if you are in the Picton area keep an eye out for these great musicians.

On the way home I dropped by the pub to see if Terry and Elly Kelly were still around. They were still playing at midnight and I was fortunate to catch the last 6 songs. This mother and son duo are pretty fantastic. Unbelievable Acadian traditional button accordion and guitar really brought me back home. Makes me even more look forward to getting back to Newfoundland next week. Gonna sit down and play some pedal steel for a few hours before the girls get home. Cassidy’s birthday party is today so balloons and pizza have been ordered.

In reality, I think the mid-life crisis exists only in our heads. Stereotypically, we buy new fast cars or motorcycles, have affairs with younger women and generally do things to make us feel young again. A friend of mine, who happens to be my family doctor recently looked at me while we were discussing this and with great comfort and firmness said, "Don't worry, there is a whole lot of good life still to be had."

I know I am not the only one out there going through this life re-evaluation. Most of my friends are having similar conversations. Discussions centered around what we have become and what we thought we would have been by now are common. We complain about achy backs, sore necks, mundane, but comfortable, relationship and hangovers lasting way too long. “Is adulthood what we thought it would be?” and general questions of how did we get here are aplenty. I had one friend say to me recently, “Crap, now I need to start thinking about retirement. I never thought I’d live to see 40 and I really have no plan.”

In our minds we feel no different than when we were 20. The age shows on our faces a bit, some more than others. However, there is something about crossing the line into the second half of our lives that stirs up strange and perilous emotions. Below is a clip from the new bio that captures some of how I am feeling…I realized that now, in my early 40’s, this theme has entered into my life as a whole – including my music.

“The story of “Behind The Lines” is one filled with extreme contentment and great pain. While entering the years classified as ‘middle age’ it is tough to watch everything you have known and loved reluctantly change. Music, love, passion, perspective and friendships all change as we cross over that invisible halfway line of our lifespan. Ahead of us we see futures filled with decline and behind us the excitement of discovering a new world begins to fade away. Fears that were never before concerns begin to haunt us, the invincible attitude of being in command that once was, slowly turns to worry and stress.

For Ken Tizzard, crossing this point is simply another chapter in his story. Redefining everything in his world as he takes control of his business life is proving to be revitalizing. In the wake of a collapsing music industry Ken remembers his “Do It Yourself” attitude of 20 years ago Ken Tizzard is embracing this new musical renaissance age. He knows he is and will be a musician for life, he moves forward, constantly taking baby steps and is reassured in the reality of living his dream.”

My mid-life fast red machine...

Last year, while on tour with Thorley, I cam across a new group of buddies Zach, Michael and Tyler. The trio came into my life as a band called Mini Mansions and they turned me on every night of the tour. We travelled across Canada in the sub-zero winter, us in our cold semi-luxurious tour bus and the MiniMansions in their olf VW styled van. Coming from California I do not theink they were completely prepared for the -40 winds of Grand Prairie. Still, they made it to each show, after some incredibly long and stormy drives, and they played unbelievable sets of music that crossed too many genres to list. We drank, stayed up late, played music, exchanged stories and became friends. At the end of the tour we insisted that we stay in touch. Unfortunately life takes over and communicatin fails, but that is the way of it all. Thanks to the internet we have kept mild contact and I thought I would try and turn some of you on to their cause. They have a new record, yes record, out and there is a free MP3 available through their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/minimansions

If pure sound had the capability to project images on a blank wall, Mini Mansions would be worthy projectionists. On a break from Queens of the Stone Age, Michael Shuman melded heads and locked arms with longtime friends Tyler Parkford and Zach Dawes in a dusty room in the San Fernando Valley. Here, they began a collaborative séance out of which birthed Mini Mansions in January of 2009. Though their triangle is usually confined to piano, bass, and a cocktail drum kit, the LA-based trio generates a Technicolor spectrum of sound drawn from the baroque, gothic, psychedelic, and cinematic realms. Their debut self-titled release, due out November 2nd via Rekords Rekords, curtsies to the past, bows to the present, and foreshadows a progressively more abstract future.

Once again I can't tell if this cold is going to set in or not. Perhaps forgetting about it is the best course of action. Today I have pedal steeled for about six hours so far. Working on arrangements for a few old tunes and some new ones as well. The great thing about this instrument is that there are so many variations on chords. Unfortunately this is hugh hinderance for those of us who have difficulties making decisions. I now have 16 ways to play "If You Were Wrong."

Just got a call from IndiePool, the cd's are on the way. Shipped and all.

Clark called me an hour ago, there was some trouble on the rig that he was heading out to and he in at the regina airport when he got the call. Left Newfoundland, bound for Saskatchewan, turned around in Regina and headed back. Too much travel for nothing. Well at least he is going to be home when I am back in a week or so. I am really looking forward to hanging with a great old bud.

So I know I am late on this but the blog for "Shit My Dad Says" is very funny:

"STOP apologizing. You're sorry, he gets it, Jesus. You spilled a glass of wine, not fucked his wife."

"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."

"You don't have to be good to succeed. You just gotta be the least shitty option. Example: We're eating at The Olive Garden."

"I don't need more friends. You got friends and all they do is ask you to help them move. Fuck that. I'm old. I'm through moving shit."

"It's never the right time to have kids, but it's always the right time for screwing. God's not a dumbshit. He knows how it works."

More from this blog at: http://twitter.com/#!/shitmydadsays

So this cold that I have been thinking is lingering around for the last ten days has decided to take root. For the last three hours I feel a steady decline. I am sensing a fun couple of days ahead... might as well stay in bed... Tonight I have been volunteered (yes, my services were offered by the wife) to be a scrutineer for the municipal election. Not sure exactly what I have to do but I am sure if will be a really fun time. Had a great chat with Cory last night who has just finished mastering the new cd. Yes I know, I said a week ago that it was going to print. I didn't really lie, I just changed my mind about a few things and put a stop on the run. Today the run actually begins...

...had planned to rake the leaves today ...it is raining and cold outside ...got a call from my good buddy Clark - unfortunately he has to head out to work and will not be in St.John's when I head back ...feeling tired and used up - been fighting this cold which will neither settle in or go away ...I guess it is just one of those melancholy days ...on a good note I am opening for Fred Eaglesmith on November 15th at the Red Dog in Peterborough. This is cool news for sure...

In May 2009 I decided to build a cabin with my Dad. I documented the events for one year, up until May 2010, when my Dad passed away. The actual movie, which is still in the final stages of editing, is 90 mins, but these clips, when shown together, provide a decent summary of how the project came together. The music for the trailer was written/recorded by my friend Ken Tizzard (www.kentizzard.com). Most of the really heavy construction was completed by James McMillan Contracting. The most challenging part of the project was getting the wood up a really steep hill. Most of the time we used a four-wheeler, but sometimes it involved carrying it up by hand. There many enjoyable encounters with woodland creatures. I especially enjoyed the owl, which remained perched in a shaded area during the day as we passed by. Although not on video, I enjoyed the quiet nights in late August where I could hear moose in a nearby beaver pond, playing or fighting and making random moose noises. The project went through all 4 beautifully-distinct canadian seasons. The cabin continues to grow today, thanks to the help and support of family and friends. The cabin has since been covered in board and batten pine siding. My first season of making maple syrup was a success. I made a full litre, which was actually decent, given I only had a few days with ten trees tapped. Dad really helped me with the design of the cottage, where it would be located, the delivery of the wood and the early structural construction, up to the floor base. His illness progressed into the first winter and was eventually unable to travel far beyond his own home. I enjoyed taking photos of the progress and emailing them to him using my iphone. He maintained a high level of interest in this project up until he passed away.

Last night I dedicated some time to calling a few old friends and having a good chat. Two of my oldest friends are still back in St.John's and we sometimes do not speak for a year or more. However, when we do it is as if no time has past. These are true friends. The kind of person you can spend time with without having to feel like you are being entertaining. The friend who comes by for a visit and just sits and watches tv or listens to music without having to talk. The person who actually gets up from your couch, goes into the kitchen and makes a cup of tea without asking. True friends can be like this, they are so a part of you, that the veneer of host is unnecessary. It was good to catch up with these two in particular. Sometimes I just say things. And sometimes there is no response. And other times the response is overwhelming. I posted this on FB last night, " the downside of holding grudges is that in the end you have many grudges and no friends..." and was amazed how many people commented. I guess there are certain things in life that we all share universally. I'm rambling I know. I have the new website mostly us and running. There are a few glitches but I can get these worked out today. Drop by and have a look. Feedback welcome. www.kentizzard.com

We were just sitting down having dinner and my wife says, “It seems like our summer trip was a long time ago.” It sort of was, but as I look outside at the falling leaves blowing in the wind, all indications say that WINTER IS COMING. Just a few short months ago I would finish my dinner, put on the snorkel and without having to walk more that 15 feet to the shore, I could go for a dip along the coral reef. Things change so fast when you let a few months and 1500 miles slip by. I spent a fair bit of time today speaking with press folks. While getting ready for a cd release this is a very important priority. Without an advertising budget, it is important to have the media on your side. Still, after years of dealing with the press I always feel like I am intruding on their world whenever I call. And then, almost always to my surprise, they turn out to be just normal folks. Add to that the interest they have in the state of the current record business and their curiosity to my situation, having been there part of the major label machine, and great conversations seem to unfold. The pedal steel is drawing me in more and more into a M. Escher like vortex of chord substitutions and harmonization. I actually found myself looking at charts today thinking they look more like chemistry class than music…Where is this going to take me???