Category: theatres
Brand new year!!
Hey all!
It’s been about 1000 years since I have posted and so I thought I would just drop a line to re-cap how things have been going for the last while. Mainly as a way to keep things in perspective for myself, remind me that things have been going pretty good for me professionally, but also to remind me of how far I need to go. So. . . . . .
With 60+ gigs last year it was pretty full. That doesn’t even include the hours of rehearsal and travel time. Lots of surf shows with The Mighty Swells that included our second year at The Great Lakes Surf Battle at The Cadillac Lounge in Toronto with was absolutely incredible. So many awesome bands and new friends made. Luau or Die, Derk Derkerson, The Blue Demons, The Robots, The Gnarly Ones, King Beez, The Black Eleven, The Reverb Syndicate, Rocket XL5, The Huaraches, The Men In Gray Suits, The Cliff Divers, The Calrizians are all some of the best musicians and greatest bands that I have ever had the pleasure of sharing the stage with. The Candian surf community is truly a formidable and welcoming place!!!!
I also had on-going good times and wonderful gigs, touring, rehearsals, studio construction, and green tea hangs with my musical partner in crime Paul Cargnello. This year holds some great things in store including more gigs and tours with the plans to release a new record so stay tuned for that. Lots of more details to follow as always. I have already recorded drums for a session with Paul as producer to a great Franco artist out of Quebec City by the name of Jean Philippe Couet. So stay tuned for that record to be released very soon.
I would have to say that a major highlight and by far the biggest production I have ever been a part of was the Noel Nights 2-night performance at the Maison De Symphonique in early December. I was very fortunate to land this show for the 2nd year in a row playing drums with one of the greatest bands assembled to support a headlining cast of the best singers around.
Rufus and Martha Wainwright were of course the masterminds behind this show to benefit the Kate McGarrigle fund with is a great organization that benefits teaching and research in sarcoma which Kate suffered from. Artists that were in the show were Janie and Anna McGarrigle, Loudon Wainwright III, Lucy Wainwright-Roche, Emmylou Harris(fulfilling a long term desire I’ve had to not only meet EmmyLou but also play drums for her!!!!), Jenni Muldaur, Teddy Thompson and so many more members of the clan that made the night so memorable and magical!!!!!
So here is to a new year with a whole bunch of great possibilities ahead!!
P.S.: Perhaps you may be wondering why it would take so long to write a new year post? Well. New years doesn’t mean much to me since January 26th is really the beginning of my year since its my birthday. So while I eat cake and ice cream and wonder why no-one is looking at my blog, I’ll be looking forward to what is in store for me and mine!!!!
-Lewis
Big announcement part 2
Hey Folks!!!
Big announcement part 2!!
As promised, I have another announcement for all of your reading pleasure! I have been holding onto this one for a bit but since the date is drawing closer, without further ado, I want to tell you all that I will be playing drums for Rufus and Martha Wainwright’s Noël Nights!!
The show will be held at Place Des Arts Maison Symphonique hall on December 21st. I am very happy and honoured to be performing with all these great musicians for this wonderful event. I don’t think I can find a greater way to kick off the Christmas season!!
Rufus And Martha Wainwright’s Noël Nights.
“Rufus and Martha Wainwright convene the crème de la crème of the music scene in this benefit concert celebrating Christmas. They’ll be joined by Louis-Jean Cormier, Ariane Moffatt and Amy Millan, to name but a few, taking the stage with the brother-sister duo to light up the evening, all proceeds of which will go to the Kate McGarrigle Fund, which supports cancer care and research at the McGill University Cancer Centre and the McGill University Health Centre Foundation. A good cause has seldom been such joyous fun!”
I sure hope that I will see some of you at the show. This is going to be a great one and will surely be a pleasure for all!
-Lewis.
0 Debut video nearing 3000 youtube views in 2 days!!!
A great band I am in, CerAmony, has debuted our first official video for a great anthemic rock song called “Looks Like Change(To Me)” and we have gotten close to 3000 views. By the time you read this we hope to have surpassed that mark. We are all hoping to hit the 5000 mark by weeks end. Ya gotta dream right?
Here is the video for everyone to watch: Looks Like Change (To Me)
This is a great start to a very interesting time for the band. In just under a week we will be gracing the stage at Montreals Bell Centre, home of the Habs, for a great show in front of roughly 12,000 people. This will be the largest crowd I have had the pleasure of playing in front of and consequently will also be the biggest room I have ever played.
You can find out more about the show by clicking here: L’Heure Des Enfants.
We have just added my most favourite bass player, Shian Ramjohn, to the lineup and the gravity he adds to the live show is astounding!! You have to hear him (and see his amazing skill) to really know how great he is. Welcome o the team Shi!!
More news and tour videos to follow as it happens.
-Lewis.
Lewis Handford 