Currency

i've been doing a lot of interviews
getting ready for the new season
new towns and cities await
they're all interested in CAL
and the story attached to it

it's been 13 years
i've honed the story
and i've made it understandable
what we do takes a lot of explaining
it doesn't fit into a sentence or a bullet point

the secret weapon of CAL
is found within the audience that comes to see us
they explain it for us
they turn their friends and family on
it's like sharing a good recipe
or an emotional story
because of this i realize
that sharing is the currency of life

the connections i've made through my life
all transmit a steady flow of something real
sprung out of music
these connections reach out and touch others
and we solidify our love and resolve
we reach out during hard times
we let go when things have changed
and there's a song for that moment
chances are
we've performed it
note for note

i have a very large group of musicians that i work with
there's no other organization like ours
my favourite thing is the unusual pairings
CAL puts people together that normally wouldn't fit together
and that coupling creates harmony and beauty
a lot of times it's oscar and felix
i like that

what happens next is these strange pairings spark
and they start to play together outside of CAL
in other shows
i love that
i'm proud of that
i was a catalyst for that
that's currency

i recently did an interview for a financial paper
they wanted to talk about money
i went into it knowing this
i just talked about how important it was
to keep musicians working and on the road
they tried to wrestle me back to commerce
but i insisted that the currency was in the relationships you form
and the interest is rewarded by maintaining them
they didn't bite
and the article was never published
i'm okay with that

i'm about to launch a new project
it's been a very long time coming
it's going to make a big splash and turn a lot of heads
i can't wait
what has been thrilling about putting it all together
is the ease of getting the right people involved
i'm 54 in a month
my entire adult life has been on stages
so when i started assembling a new team
i realized that the relationships of my life
have connected me in deep and profoundly professional ways
and that these connections are the best kind of currency
if you live true
people connect to you

it hasn't been easy
CAL demands a lot
i have paid my dues
and i continue to pay my dues
hard times come
and hard times go
but i endure
i've survived
- lawsuits
- imitators
- detractors who deal in smirky cruelty
- a beating
- 3 years with zero profit
- disease
- death threats
- a marriage
- 2 relationships
- van breakdowns
- border arrests
- border refusals
- psychotic women
- a car crash
- white knuckle landings
- sketchy businessmen
- james gray's death
- the 2nd set of the Boston album show
we've all got our strengths built upon adversity

we all deal
we survive
that is our collective currency
there's a song for that too
you can hear it at any one of our shows
there will be a moment that you connect to the other you
the one that harbours a secret heart
full of emotions that sizzle and snap
and as this current connects to you
you realize
i'm alive

craig
august 4, 2015
michelob ultra and beans on toast

Undercover Boss (apologies to the CAL alumni)

it was undercover boss month
i loved it
i got to play guitar with the CAL CCR band
and at the end of the run
a lot of things came to light

first off
it's a lot of work
there's no free rides
we don't have roadies
we set up and tear down our own gear
and we don't have guitar techs
we move fast and efficiently
it's a true team effort
you've got your job
you've got to keep your perimeter tight
no stray chords or shorting jacks
no contamination from outside sources

i've always loved the guitar players perimeter on stage
dom's always got new bits and pieces of gear
clifton's perimeter is the shiniest
and whatever you do
don't step on bobby's chords

as my perimeter evolved
i was more and more watchful as to who got to cross it
during the show
marty would arm himself with a cowbell
and cross over
then mike would drift by
leaving trace amounts of cologne behind

i started to become the musician that i yelled at the most
it's a coveted spot
and it taught me a lot
so here are my three apologies to the alumni

the monitor issue
i apologize to all of the alumni for hurrying them through sound check
sometimes we're pressed for time
especially when there's chips backstage
i wanted everything in my monitor
if there was a stage guy eating a bag of chips
i wanted that in my monitor
and good for mike for not settling
marty - as you would think - is pretty easy going
but mike
he wants it 'just so'
and i respect that now
i apologize for hurrying everyone along

the tuning issue
i hate david love
him and his tuning
then he starts playing
and you forget that you hate him
i tuned the most on the tour
i wanted the pretty lights on my tuner lighting up and aligning
i wanted them all night
they were always there for me
validating me
so
i apologize for my tuning addiction
me and donnie are both in treatment together

johnny b
i had no idea
i'd heard stories
myths
many of which i started
there's a video on our FB page
it says it all
i apologize

supposedly pride is one of the seven deadly sins
my one question for the dali lama would be
is pride really so bad?
because i'm so proud of the way we travel together
and take care of each other

on a side note
i've been getting these really cool emails and messages
from people who've been to dozens of shows
nancy's up to 100 - wow!
i think we need a commemorative shirt for 50
and a special one for nancy

it's hard to sell tickets
it takes a lot of work
people are picky
and smart
we remain comfort food
in a market of fireworks
CAL endures



craig
march 4, 2015
yogurt and walnuts

Physical Graffiti - 40 Years Gone

most albums don't survive the test of time
we're lucky to live in a time
where we see the masters still alive
and celebrating their enduring works

after 40 years
physical graffiti is one of maybe 40 albums that endures
it sold more than 15 million copies
and it remains a massive testament
to the ethos of the double album

led zeppelin were hated by the critics
outside of creem magazine
no one really gave them any love
their albums were always panned
and their live shows received terrible reviews
they were referred to as a 'people's band'
as if that was a bad thing

but zeppelin endured
they ignored everyone
and just kept making great music
they toured and sold out venue after venue
no awards
no favourable press
no singles

i think not wanting to have any real singles (45s)
set the recipe for physical graffiti
i imagine them in a studio
all in the same room
jamming
playing together
and listening to each other
figuring things out slowly
looking for that magic slice of a riff or a fill
that would go down in history
plant scribbling lyrics
jpj adding colour
then jimmy would take the tapes
and start overdubbing
knowing when to leave it raw
and when to add the hammer

physical graffiti takes time
there's a lot of music on those 4 sides
it harkens back to an era
when we had the time to listen to 4 sides of music
in one sitting
we were young
and there was nothing but imagination to accompany us
as we listened
we dreamed
and planned
and loved
and wrestled
anyone over 40 will tell you significance of those afternoons
in that we started composing our identities
alongside these powerful works of music

the CAL zep band has been tearing this album apart
it's like a magnificent imported toaster we've opened up
there's gears and coils and wires all over the counter
and on march 6 we roll into massey hall
and heat everyone up with a performance
that shows us at our best
(the above paragraph is one of my worst metaphors ever)

5 guitarists - led by dom polito
will ably demonstrate how complex and beautiful
physical graffiti is
dom polito is the world's best zeppelin guitar player
i scour the internet looking for someone who plays better zep than dom
i never find them

rick vatour will drum the songs
with the most attentive accuracy
rick is the world's best zeppelin drummer
no one falls on a beat like he does
he's our age
rick demonstrates what a lifetime of love sounds like

nick walsh is canadian rock royalty
i still like to go to clubs and hear music
one night i'm at a dive having a fine time
and nick gets up to sing
i couldn't move
he was so good
his voice was a siren of power and beauty
i knew instantly that he was the right fit for the CAL zep band
since then nick and i have had many conversations
about the majesty and poetic verve of plant's lyrics
a sadly over looked and never referenced part of the zep legacy
plant carried on a long traditional british poetic vibe
i urge everyone to listen to the album with the lyrics
which are available on line

a funny aside
when we were young
the lyrics weren't available
quite often you had to make up phonetically sounding correct words
case in point:
during the vocal break at the end of 'in my time of dying'
we all had a different idea of what was being said
i thought it was 'oh my teeth ache'
rick thought it was 'oh my jeans fit'
dom thought it was 'oh my tea yeah'
i'll leave it to you to do your own investigation

physical graffiti is 40 today
a generation sends congratulations to the masters
you created another enduring masterpiece
that we will continue to carry throughout our lives


on friday march 6
classic albums live will honour the album
with a note for note - cut for cut recital
it's an evening that those in attendance
will talk about for a long time to come
perhaps 40 years gone


craig
february 25, 2015
coffee and rye toast

The Great American Songbook

i'm in los angeles
i missed the snowstorm back home
i stayed behind for a couple days
the CAL west coast pepper show
still ringing in my ears

i felt bad for the rest of the band
cancelled flights and long layovers
this is the price of what we do
there's always a risk
we beat on
i will forever buy them drinks

i've written about my love of california before
the lifestyle
the opportunity
the weather
but this time
my trip was a trip
and i walked the long pacific shoreline day after day
soaking up anything that radiated

and i thought about
the great american songbook
and how my version of the great american songbook
is different from the one
that the crooners have been making the rounds with
my great american songbook
starts with 'la woman'
get in the car and discover
i argue that perhaps the doors
are the greatest american band

the genesis of rock n' roll started in the south
but los angeles introduced it to the world

a great story about steely dan
they left new york
came to la
and they immediately started writing songs about new york
'do it again'
that's a perfect song for the great american songbook

dylan's a shoe in
he's a bicoastal dude
still on the road
'like a rolling stone'
that could be anywhere

tom petty's bicoastal too
he and bob were even bicoastal together
'american girl' confirms a nations love for american girls

'scarecrow' by john cougar mellencamp
is a history lesson
the band is tight
and john sounds pissed off
seek this song out
and revisit it
play it for your kids

again to the west coast
csny's
'suite judy blue eyes'
this song is smart
it's a math test
very forward thinking
the harmonies are american
and a canadian brings the zen

'tuesday's gone'
by lynyrd skynryd
this song is the new song of the south
lament and remember
there's an honesty to the sound
the vocal is heartfelt

and 'purple rain'
it's beautiful
and it's endured
tight musicianship and esoteric poetry
make sure to reference the album version
with the dreamlike vocal and string line ending the song

east cost now
with 'born in the usa'
the obvious choice
because sometimes
there's nothing subtle about america
president's have mistakenly referenced this song
it's a song for people that pay attention

west coast again
the beach boys!
'sloop john b' sounds like a movie
but 'good vibrations' is the document
the proper orchestration would be an undertaking
one day i hope CAL takes on pet sounds

the great american songbook ends  with the 'the last resort'
by the eagles
"we have got to make it here
there is no more new frontier"
being here
that line really hits you

i spend the days walking the beaches
this is the best america can do
and there's a spirit here
that is different from toronto
and new york
you feel welcome here
you look back and reflect
having the ocean roaring up against you
makes you smart
it puts things in perspective

america has been the most gracious host
i hope people post their songs for
the great american songbook
and the reasons why

stand by for the great canadian songbook
but for now america goes first
she's bigger

craig
feb 15, 2015
michelob ultra

1977

hell of a week
started in florida
with the CAL zep band
at the hard rock live in orlando
we flew in on the thursday and chilled
rick vatour made it feel like 1977
nick walsh made his american debut
and everyone loved him
dom polito was sublime and friendly with all the fans

i stayed in florida for a corporate gig
the CAL zep band flew home
and the CAL stones band flew down
and we got the joint jumping with some toe tapping old school rolling stones
it felt like 1977 all over again

flew home on tuesday
 it was back to toronto
for physical graffiti rehearsals
and roy thomson hall preparations

i got to fill in on bass at the CAL zep band rehearsals
i loved it - i was a solid 6.5
i could never be as good as mark yannetta
but i aspired and did my best to round out the rehearsal

then it was off to the sold out RTH show
which was incredible
everyone who attended that night saw the full potential of CAL
there were so many high points
during 'i've got a feeling' - i surveyed the room and saw everyone's head bobbing
during 'the long and winding road' - i got emotional - i was thinking about our collective road and the turns that it's taken
i thought about the years and the miles
as the band - most of whom i've been with for over a decade - played glorious

pre show
i was invited to do a quick video address
to sheridan college
i relayed how fortunate they were
to have chosen an arts based education
i told them to stick with it
and master their craft
because that is true currency
the kind you have from knowing - in your heart -  that you're at the top of your game

next was the sound session address inside roy thomson hall
people who bought tickets to all 4 or our toronto shows
were invited to hang out with yours truly and a couple musicians
this one was really cool
we did the chat on stage with everyone given an exclusive view of
what our point of view looks like
we had some really interesting questions
david love and marty morin were gracious co-hosts

backstage after the let it be show
charlie cutts - CEO of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall
came to hang with us
and share in the vibe of a job well done
turns out he's from scarborough too
we talked about the old neighbourhood
i mentioned that we should meet up at the wexford diner for breakfast one day
charlie said 'how about 9am tomorrow?'
and so it was
we had an amazing talk
i urged him to write his memoirs
he's full of incredible stories all revolving around the hall and it's rich history
charlie is a kind man
the flash of the mover and shaker is still alive and well inside of him
it's a perfect combination

last night was date night
we went dancing
ian goodtimes has a band called the mercenaries
they play here in toronto at a club called the dakota
you go down the stairs and it's 1977 all over again
tight moving soul songs from years back
performed with passion and fun
i felt the familiar sway of shari's hips
as the mercenaries took charge

i received one of those emails
it was from a fan
who spoke of some hard times
and how coming to CAL shows got him through those times
i wrote them back immediately
i said we've all been through rough patches
and for many of us
music really did make the difference

this week is the wall show in kitchener
i urge anyone who wants to experience something real and confirming
to make the drive to see this show
it's going to be one that people talk about

then the CAL zep band lands in oshawa and london
the 401 tour
the CAL zep band are the goodwill ambassadors of the series
we're making a special rick vatour t shirt for the upcoming massey hall
proceeds to the canadian cancer society

speaking of which
we had a few people sign up for volunteer drives
they cited CAL as the catalyst for them to get involved
this warms me and fills me with love
like it was 1977 all over again

craig
february 2, 2015
michelob ultra

Join Together in the Band

sometimes i just want to hear classic rock
it's like craving a steak
you try all kinds of different food
toy with some vegetarianism
share some sushi with the kids
then all of a sudden you're craving a steak

i listen to a lot of music
all day
everyday
i listen to classical to train my ear to pitch
i listen to old country to hear the twang of a perfect voice
i listen to 50s for the mix
i listen to a lot of pop because my youngest loves it
(i love pop too - i grew up with chum charts) (chum charts are worth googling)
but i always make my way back to classic rock

today was chore day
leaves mostly
five bucks a bag for the kids
i put on some doobie brothers and went about my chores
all the while Q107 played
i got to hear my ads running
and while i thought it was exciting
the kids shrug
no big deal to them - dad's just not cool
anyway
i urge all of our american cousins to tune in Q107 on sundays
for the psychedelic sunday experience
deep tracks and cool faves spun by andy frost
a DJ who has lived this music alongside us
and knows how to communicate it

in the middle of the day
andy spun 'gettin' in tune' off of who's next
and i had one of those defining moments
where i was giddy with joy
at the thought of hearing that song and the rest of the album
played perfectly this friday at massey hall
my life - like everyone's goes through a lot of ups and downs
so when a moment occurs when you just feel good
i've learned to seize it
that moment gets better if music is involved

there's a certain feeling to the week that we play massey hall
in some ways it overtakes our every move
we do a lot of shows
but massey hall is special to us
it's our home town
it's a room where we all bring our family to
and it's a room where we get super serious about the show
in some ways - performing at massey hall
has helped shape the way we govern ourselves in every other city and town
it's greatness we strive for
it's the greatness of the album that inspires us and moves us vertically

this friday night is going to be a roof raiser
the band is smart and tight
and full of just the right amount of piss
the who are a rock 'n' roll band
like no other rock 'n' roll band
pete townsend is our generation's shakespear
the stage is set
i want you to join together with the band

craig
november 17, 2014
budweiser and raw almonds

Fleetwood Mac at the ACC

a fantastic show
all the hits
and sing song songs
one after another
performed perfectly
i love when older bands step up
decades of experience shows up
and takes over

the mix was excellent
immediately the bass and drum grabbed me
they opened with the chain
john mcvie is the driving force
the rock
and he's the one that no one knows
but his playing is the groove
so big that you can set up a small commune inside it

mick fleetwood was wonderful
a fat drum sound and a nice touch
the old master at work
him and john the only remaining founding members
best friends still
it made me think about how the road
is confirming
and goes on forever
mick spoke lovingly of the others on stage
and finished his performance with a very forward thinking drum solo
the old dog

everyone was happy to see christine back
she sounded great
looked great
i imagined her alone
back in her hotel room
a cup of tea and a crossword
an english garden
she sang effortlessly
i'm not sure why she spent sixteen years away from the band
perhaps the chaos was too much
but in the end
it's the call of tour
that brings you back
and perhaps rids your life of the other chaos
or boredom
christine was a joy to behold

and stevie
beautiful
and in control
she had a couple of cool stories she shared
i like when we get a look behind the velvet rope
stevie has paid her dues
she's one of the greats for a reason
i saw an interview with her
she quietly spoke about not having children
because of fleetwood mac
that the band and fame et al was just too demanding
when she sang landslide
i didn't expect to be riveted
but i was
we're all getting older
stevie was the first to unashamedly tell us this
she was a kid at the time
she always made us think

when the band performed silver spring
it was heavy
lyrically haunting
my one complaint about the concert was that there wasn't much interaction
between the members
i started imagining hard feelings
they all slept together
all of them
they were young
it was the 70s
they had all the money in the world
and every weasel in the business wanted a piece of the kill
so they went insular
things got messy
feelings were strained and confused
lindsey left the band for a while
but last night
during silver spring
when stevie turned her mic towards lindsey
and the two of them sang to each other
'you'll never get away from the sound
of a woman that loves you'
that was opera
emotional and telling
decades of music together is the glue
the iron

lindsey is mad genius
i don't think he has a regular life
i think his entire existence is about sound
he's a monster guitarist
one of my favourites
he performed big love alone
just him and the guitar
the camera / screen cats knew enough
to go in tight on his fingers
and show everyone that you need superpowers to do this
that this kind of playing is a lifetime's study
that you have to sacrifice a great deal to get here
sure you make millions along the way
but there's nothing you can buy
that will ever make you feel as good as a guitar will
lindsey buckingham is mad genius
a gentle soul with tiny brains in each finger
his solo during 'i'm so afraid' brought the house down
we revelled in his ability

there were some stupid visuals on the big screen
it would have been nice if they peppered the night
with some personal old photographs
but instead it was blobs of light and colour
that did nothing to enhance the music
it wasn't needed
they should have hung curtains and a chandelier

all in all
a great night out
the vibe was velvet
and the groove was gold
the audience awed
and the band beamed
i took a quick trip to the facilities
and ran into a couple cats listening to some doobie brothers
i stopped and had a quick listen with them
returned to my box
and immediately started thinking about CAL
by the time that band teared into 'go your own way'
i had rethought performing our rumours show
i've decided to hold off for a few years
the original masters are taking good care of their music
it's heart warming

 craig
october 19, 2014
shari's apple cake and milk