Um... I'm with the band?

Last night found me in the company of Dances with Bass at a Choo Choo Club listening to some phenom musicians.  It’s always a nice treat to meet new people and potential friends but it is even more of a treat to hear good music. Jeff Younger, David Marion, Ali Siadat and Kristin Fung are amazing talents and definitely worth a second, third and fourth listen. I was first introduced to Mr. Younger via Dances with Bass and he seemed such a quiet unassuming dude; very nice, very polite but ultimately shy and somewhat reserved. Once seen on stage, I discovered a completely different person.. Passionate, playful and soulful are a few words to describe his guitar playing. I have heard/seen him twice now, once with The Deep End and last night with StinkButter. Both performances left me wanting to hear more. On bass we had David Marion…One word: Wow. This guy was soulful and beautiful (musically). He was so in tune with his instrument and played with such feeling, he had me mesmerized. In talking with the girl sitting next to me, I was amazed to find out he played/plays with Alex Cuba. ‘Tis indeed a small world. The drums were manned by one Ali Siadat of Mother Mother fame. Drum beats and bass lines always appeal to me and this was most certainly the case with Ali. There was a spirited and unrelenting pulse in the way he played and one could not imagine another drummer behind the kit with these two musicians, (Younger and Marion) in this particular format and venue. Kristin Fung was also stellar in her solo performance of covers (John Legend, Stevie Wonder) and originals. One song really stood out to me, The Man is Optional, I can say with certainty it was written from the heart. A sample of the lyrics, “It’s just me and my man and the man is optional” pretty much tells the listener where her mind is at. She was a little bit cheeky, a little bit cute and whole lot of fun. I cannot wait to hear more from her. All of this music combined with great company, funny one-liners, a few harmless insults between friends and a crashing of the Skeptics meeting in the back room makes for One Happy Animal. My At-At shirt and sonic screwdriver pen seemed to impress an unusual man named Maxi and may have sparked some interesting conversation. And just so we are all clear… I’m important too! So overall a very wonderful evening.. The chocolate porter on tap was amazing and went down like water, the people were most welcoming and the dingy atmosphere of the club made me feel cozy. The only downside, and there always is, my incredible lack of sleep. A few hours at most. I spent my lunch sleeping on a table while the guys around me spoke in hushed shouts. I awoke with a small amount of drool slithering its way down the side of my cheek and a huge red splodge on my forehead where hand met face for slumber…. And she sleeps.... Do me a favour? If you are reading this, take a few minutes to click on the links and check out these very talented artists. Maybe support them at their next show and pass on the information to others. Local musicians need all of the support they can get and I happen to know I have great taste in music so you can trust me..