This is a good time to reflect on our festival appearances over the summer.
First off the mark was Toronto’s City Roots Festival, following up on our show there last year. City Roots takes place in the historic distillery district, and the venue, the crowd, the weather (and the distilled products) were all first rate. This year, Paul was featured as both writer and musician, which was nice of them. Speaking of Paul, his latest novel The Ravine has just been “long-listed” for the Giller Prize…
In July we performed at Mariposa, on the shores of beautiful Lake Simcoe at Orillia. I referred to Mariposa a few posts ago so you can read about it below, but months later it’s still a great memory.
Next was The Ottawa Blues Festival. We had a wonderful audience at one of their huge outdoor stages, but we also spent a lot of time in audiences, listening to Cindy Cashdollar, Redd Volkaert and other killer acts. In addition, the festival presented the Porkbelly “trio” in a lovely, small indoor theatre. This acoustic group consists of Paul, Rebecca and - on guitar instead of drums - Martin.
Next up was London’s Home County Festival. By all accounts our main stage evening show went well, but we were mostly looking forward to what might transpire at the next day’s workshops. The first, a blues event, put us on stage with Jackie Washington and Mose Scarlett. The second, a Willie P. Bennett tribute, paired us with Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson from Blackie and the Rodeo Kings plus Tony Quarrington and other special guests, and this is when the rainy weather Porkbelly had been dodging all summer finally found us. Even that, though, could not dampen the enthusiasm of the London audience. They stayed, they clapped, they sang along.
The month of August took us to eastern Ontario and Clarendon’s Blue Skies Festival on Hwy 7 west of Ottawa. This happy hippie event is something to behold, with all 2,000 audience members actually camping on-sight every August holiday weekend. Blue Skies was similar to London’s Home County Festival in the following respects: we played our regular set to a large crowd; we participated in a great Willie P. tribute; it rained. It actually rained an incredibly great deal, but again, nobody complained.
Our final festival engagement consisted of three nights at The Forest Festival. This was a Words & Music affair, presented in an historic logging museum in the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve. We are much taken with the acoustics of this logging museum and are threatening to record a live album there. After the final show, forest owner Peter Schleifenbaum took us into the woods for a wolf howl, trying to get a response from the several packs that inhabit the forest.
Reflecting on this summer of festivals, it’s astonishing how different they are, that each has its own, distinctive character and appeal. The commonalities, of course, are great music and happy audiences. It was a privilege to have participated.

In all the hoopla about Paul's King Leary novel, we (OK, Stuart) managed to miss this item on the CBC's website, in which Paul responds to ten questions about the novel. It's fascinating reading – and it's only been online for five months or so...

UNCUT Magazine is a popular U.K. monthly publication based in London. Our debut Way Past Midnight CD (now available in Europe on the Wildflower Records label) received this lovely review in Uncut's July issue: "Got Them Ol' Literary Salon Blues Again..."
"Blues songs about Ernest Hemingway and Booker winner Michael Ondaatje? Given that the delta pioneers were mostly illiterate, this latest contribution to the current blues revival is an improbably highbrow affair that reflects the status of main songwriter Paul Quarrington as one of Canada's leading novelists. Quarrington possesses a fine voice that sounds uncannily like James Taylor (remember his 12-bar homage "Steamroller" on Sweet Baby James?) and the band–complete with bassist moonlighting from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra–can choogle and boogie with the best."
Nigel Williamson, Uncut Magazine

Incidentally, the Mariposa Festival's 2008 commemorative CD is a beautifully packaged set, and features tracks from 19 of this year's featured performers. We were surprised and pleased to see our own Gotta Love A Train first on the track listing!

Porkbelly made its debut at Orillia's legendary MARIPOSA FOLK FESTIVAL over the weekend, playing to overflow crowds in the "Mariposa Pub", really a spacious awning on an huge expanse of lush grass. Saturday was very special, a gorgeous summer evening with pleasure boats rocking on their moorings just offshore. We had mischievously decided to tamper with the mellow, mellow mood of the festival, and luckily, the crowd was ready. Not to put too fine a point on it, we rocked the place out.
The next afternoon saw us paired with A & R for a "Blues and Reggae" workshop, and if anything, the crowd was even bigger. A & R's trio instrumentation includes box drum and steel pan, so we had absolutely no idea what to expect. Amazingly, it worked a charm, with Chas and Marty spontaneously laying down a solid foundation to the reggae tunes, and our own stuff receiving a fresh new sound from A & R.
Everything just felt so comfortable, and some of the grooves (helped by Rebecca's cowbell) simply wouldn't quit. Stuart got a roar from the crowd for attempting, in a single song, to solo on four different instruments. (He only dropped one, but he almost dropped them all.) Fronting Porkbelly, of course, was P.Q., in great voice and with his guitar amp set to maximum raunch. Wouldn't it be great if life were like this all the time?
Now we look forward to our Ottawa Blues Festival show Saturday afternoon. Thank you, Mariposa!!

London, Ontario is populated with lovely people. Some of these people seem to like Porkbelly Futures, because we keep getting asked back. London Free Press music journalist James Reaney recently published his annual summer concert guide, saying "I am thrilled to think of Toronto's Porkbelly Futures, the only band that can stand comparison with THE BAND, playing in Victoria Park. For free."
This is a reference, of course, to London's Home County Festival. We hope to see you there. And if we meet Mr. Reaney there we'll... well, we'll buy him a drink.

It seems we have some fans in PORK COLBORNE, Ontario.

Our debut CD Way Past Midnight (now available in Europe, as well as on iTunes) has received a lovely review from the UK's biggest selling music magazine, Q4Music.
The part we like best says: Pork Belly Futures play what they call “red eyed soul” and everyone else calls “12 bar blues”. Their music is muscular and rollicking, but what really makes them a little special is the bar room wit, such as Hemingway (“Hemingway always gets it right, With a simple syntax and a prose that’s right”) – a trucker style anthem for the thinking drinker.

Wake up and smell the coffee! On Saturday morning, May 10, three Porkbellys will be on CBC's Fresh Air program (Radio One in Ontario, 99.1). Host Jeff Goodes has asked for music and a genial interview, and that's what Marty, Paul and Stuey intend to provide. Provided we make it to the studio in time for our 8:35AM slot...

The Toronto Blues Society's MAPLE BLUES magazine (May issue) carries a lovely review by John Valenteyn of our new disc. John is also host of a great radio show, Let The Good Times Roll, each Thursday from 3:00 to 5:00PM on Toronto's CIUT-FM, 89.5.

Porkbelly Futures' self-titled release on CORDOVA BAY received its official launch on Tuesday, April 29 at Hugh's Room in Toronto. A large crowd enjoyed the core band (extra-tight and focused just off an 18-day Quebec/Maritime tour) with some very special guests. Pride of place among these was Mr. Irresistible himself, Sweet Daddy Siki, dressed very sharp and beseiged by fans and autograph seekers. Sitting at a table just by the stage, he received an earful of David Gray's spectacular slide guitar solo on Sweet Daddy, the song David co-wrote with Paul Quarrington which opens our new disc.
Musical guests in addition to David (who's also our producer) included Maple Blues Award-winning Guitarist of the Year Teddy Leonard as well as Tony Quarrington on mandolin and Wayne Maddever on button accordion. On stage with Porkbelly Futures for the first time was young Megan Worthy, singing beautifully right beside Rebecca Campbell on several numbers (Megan's jazz finals at Humber College were the next day and we wished her well). David, Teddy, and Megan are all featured performers on our new disc, while Tony (who graced our first album) is represented by his gorgeous composition, Hie Down Honey. The happy crowd included a couple who regularly come from Pennsylvania to hear us, plus musical friends such as Roberto Occhipinti, Al Lerman, Burke Carroll, Danny Greenspoon and many others. It was a wonderful event and we'd like to thank all who turned out.

Some kind soul has posted a You-Tube clip of our performance (referenced just below) of Willie P. Bennett's The Lucky Ones.

Rebecca Campbell and Porkbelly Futures are among the performers who will appear in A NIGHT FOR WILLIE P. BENNETT. The concert will take place at Hugh's Room on March 15, the night he had been scheduled to perform there. Rebecca was a colleague and close friend of Willie P. Bennett and has chosen to sing her favourite song of his, The Lucky Ones.
Also appearing will be Joe Hall, who Marty, Paul and Tony Quarrington toured and recorded with for years. Tony, who guested on our first album, produced Willie's Heartstrings album in 1998 and was a member of Willie's touring band for The Lucky Ones.

BREAKING NEWS!!
Porkbelly Futures has concluded a deal with CORDOVA BAY for the April release of our new album. Concentrating on a limited number of artists, three of the label's four releases last year received JUNO nominations, and State of Shock's single Money Honey went platinum with over 50,000 paid digital downloads. So that sounds promising...
In addition, Cordova Bay Publishing will be actively promoting the entire Porkbelly song catalogue.

We understand that Colin Linden, whose stunning slide guitar solos on Gladstone Hotel and Hemingway enhanced our Way Past Midnight release, has joined Emmylou Harris's band. We are big fans of Emmylou, and her music has been a continuing influence. (We've also admired her guitarists: Ricky Skaggs, James Burton, Albert Lee, Daniel Lanois, Buddy Miller and now Colin. Whew!)
We therefore feel a special connection to both Colin and Emmylou as well as to blues singing sensation Roxanne Potvin who guests on our new CD and has a impressive new release of her own, produced by... Colin Linden.

CBC announces: "Long live the King! Paul Quarrington's King Leary, a novel about hockey, winter and a charming octogenarian rascal, has won Canada Reads 2008."
Read more here: http://www.cbc.ca/canadareads/ and watch a video here: http://www.bookshorts.com/blog/2008/02/king-leary-crowned-in-canada-reads_9352.html

We're coming up the big announcement of the winner of CBC Radio's CANADA READS contest, in which five selected books each have an on-air advocate. Paul's King Leary is one of the finalists (and we believe certain to win). The merits of this 1987 novel are expounded on air by Dave Bidini of the Rheostatics (and a fine author also). Learn more here:
http://www.cbc.ca/canadareads/books-kingleary.html

One of our Ontario appearances last fall resulted in this: "BEST FOLK/ROOTS CONCERT OF THE YEAR. “Porkbelly Futures played The London Music Club to an appreciative audience and were as bloody great as you’d expect from a band good enough to have somebody from the Canadian Brass playing guitars and harmonica, the double bassist from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra bowing away and a Governor General’s Award-winning novelist supplying most of the lyrics. And they had London’s Teddy Leonard guesting on guitar. When Porkbelly Futures come back, don’t you dare miss them.” James Reaney, London Free Press, Dec. 29/07
Thank you Mr. Reaney! We were also pleased to see Blackie and the Rodeo Kings (featuring Porkbelly contributor Colin Linden) in runner-up spot. We'll be back at the London Musical Club on Saturday, March 22. The estimable Mr. Leonard will be with us.

Quarrington here, with late-breaking news flashes.

Porkbelly Futures played a lovely event the other night, a Christmas Party hosted by my friend Judith Keenan, who makes BookShorts, which are short films inspired by books. You could check out the website to see what I’m talking about. (Martin Worthy, our fabulous singer/songwriting drummer has done the music for some of these.) Anyway, the party was co-hosted by Irene Duma (who has made several BookShorts) and Sue Kenney (who had a BookShort made from her book, “Confessions of a Pilgrim”.) We’re going to be producing a BookShort for my upcoming novel “The Ravine.” The Gents performed also, a very accomplished comedy troupe, featuring the talents of Bruce Pirrie (another BookShorts veteran), Matt Baram, Bob Bainborough and Doug Morency. And Marty Adams, a mainstay at Toronto’s Second City, played Santa Claus. There was high hilarity.

Also, Quarrington (me) is very jazzed about the upcoming round of Canada Reads, because his (my) friend Dave Bidini is going to champion the hockey novel “King Leary.” It’s been almost impossible to get hold of this book, which is one of his (my) faves. But it’s out in a lovely new edition from Anchor Press. Anyway, read all about it HERE.

He doesn't sing or jump around on stage, but nobody can miss Chas
Elliott. We like to refer to this gentle giant as the world's tallest
free-standing bass player. Porkbelly players (and knowledgeable
audience members) keep track of his expression during concerts,
looking for the smile that bursts forth when the music feels
especially good. Chas has performed and recorded chamber music with
the great Glenn Gould - which very few can claim! - and added his "low-
frequency bass generator" sounds to some famous film scores that we
all hum along to. He towers over his section mates at the Toronto
Symphony Orchestra, but The iPod That Never Leaves Him (TiPTNLH) is filled with deep, powerful, soulful, funky music. An interesting guy...