Cheeeeeeeeeese!

Last night was an adventure. Not a really crazy adventre where you get too intoxicated and wake up in a holding cell at the police station at college and dovercourt, but an interesting adventure nonetheless. One of those nights where you go somewhere with no expectations and one thing leads to another and you end up somewhere you didn't think you'd ever end up, and with people you don't know.

I was running on about 4 hours sleep from my birthday drinking the night before, and I had planned to be in bed by about 9, 9:30 at the latest. However, on Thursday afternoons, at the Cameron House there is a gentleman by the name of Corin Raymond who plays guitar and sings with a backup band he calls the Sundowners. Really good folky, roots, blues country kind of stuff that tugs at your heartstrings and makes you laugh out loud all at the same time. Anywho, I try to go watch whenever I can, he plays from 6-8. So after exhausting all my options of people who would go check it out with me, I realised it was a solo mission.

I kind of really like music. Like a lot. This guy is basically a new idol of mine, after stumbling in a couple months ago looking for a pint and hearing him play. He blew my mind. So anyways, you know when you go to a bar and sometimes there's that guy sitting there with a pint and noone else, looking really awkward and kind of just glancing around the room hoping to catch someone's eye, but at the same time trying to avoid it as not to look desperate? Well that was me last night. Enjoying the tunes, having a beer, eventually I struck up some conversation with these 2 girls sitting next to me who I had seen there before. It turns out one of them was finishing her masters in Environmental Science, and weird! I work for an environmental company so that was an easy in for conversation pieces. So the two girls were sisters, one of them lived in Toronto, the other had moved to St. Catharines recently and missed Thursdays at the Cameron. The musicians had stopped playing by this point and the guy who sings, Corin, came down and sat down with them, I guess they were friends. So i was sitting on the outskirts of conversationtown pretty much dying to go home, as I was exhausted. Then Corin leaned in and said something like "Hey man, I know you, you come in here on Thursdays, I feel like I'm sitting too far away from you right now, what's your name?" It's not like this guy is a big celebrity or anything, but I was definitely fanning out a bit that he was trying to get to know me. So I told him and we talked a bit about his new album coming out, his last one etc. Then he asks me if I want to join them for some food. Next thing I knew I was on my way to Pho 88 on Spadina to have some food with these girls and Corin, all whom I've just met that night. I desperately wanted to go home, but at the same time it was one of those situations where you think "this is so random and amazing how am I NOT going to do it?"

So anyways, that was my adventure of the night. Not really a funny story, nothing crazy happened, but it was completely unexpected for me. I definitely went to bed feeling pretty happy. I didn't get the the sleep I wanted, but I'm doing alright, nothing another cup of coffee can't cure. If anybody reads this I recommend the Cameron House on Thursday evenings. I think next week is the last week of 2008 that the Sundowners will be playing, if you're gonna go, get there by 6, tables and chairs run out quick. Meet me there or give me a call.

For another kind of adventure, maybe involving a funnel, come by 749 queen st west tonight. we're throwing down. Who knows, could even be the last jam ever in Casa Belldeno.