I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.
j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.
Month: June 2022
I went out last night to look up at the full moon, but instead spent my time looking for it.
The Strawberry Moon was to be a Super Moon, appearing brighter and closer than normal. The Strawberry Moon sort of ushers in summer, and the weather last night was warm enough to signal that it might be true.
I took the elevator up to the rooftop of our building with the intention of sitting and staring for a while.
Stillness, under the full moon, was not to be.
The moon was not visible to me.
Toronto’s growth continues upwards. Cranes and condominiums are everywhere, all the time. I notice this daily. Finding a patch of sunlight in downtown Toronto is becoming more difficult as the buildings get taller and the shadows grow longer.
I had not noticed, or paid attention to, how the views had changed at night, until last night.
The spot I intended on spending time in the moonlight — the exact spot where I stood and photographed the September 2015 lunar eclipse in all its glory — would not serve me well.
My view of the moon has been blocked. Residents of buildings that have been built over the past five years can now see the sights while I can no longer can.
Not from here.
I thought further through the night, the type of thinking a full moon can force you to do, and I began to thinking about where I am and questioning what I was doing here.
I long to sit under the big sky and watch the moon, unobstructed, on a hot summer night.
Maybe it is time I should become more mindful about doing that.
Do we take what is in front of
us, or do we give it back?
Personal decisions can have
a public impact. What will be
the outcome of our actions or
intentions? Who will it hurt or
who will it heal?
What will it hinder?
06/14/2022 j.g.l.
Posted on June 13, 2022 by j.g.lewisLeave a comment
Last week was Canadian Music Week, an industry conference and music festival. After taking in several shows I got to see a sampling of the diversity and strength of this country’s music scene.
Tuesday’s performance by Crown Lands showed the range of possibilities a duo can create, from the seismic sonic guitar soundscapes, tender acoustic moments, and one of the most identifiable voices to come along in years. I’m looking forward to hearing much more from Cody Bowles (whose drumming is as precise and powerful as his voice) and guitarist, multi-instrumentalist Kevin Comeau.
I was, literally, amazed.
Saturday night, at the newly renovated El Mocambo, I had the absolute pleasure of hearing The Bros. Landreth from Winnipeg. The trio offered up a bluesy, soulfully rootsy mix with some of the sweetest three-part harmonies I have heard in a long time. The thick and thoughtful guitar work of Joey Landreth provides a big beautiful sound while his brother Dave holds down the bottom end with a rhythm style that allows Joey to do what he does. Bolstering the sound, and fleshing out the harmonies, was Roman Clarke
In the early ‘70s, Winnipeg’s The Guess Who developed a sound that was often referred to as “Wheatfield Soul”. The Bros. Landreth is the first Manitoba band to come around in decades that are worthy of the same label.
Crowds at both venues were both appreciative and jubilant, celebrating not only Canadian Music, but also the fact we can once again get out and see it live.
It has been an awful long time.
06/13/2022 j.g.l.
