Today I learned about a big hotel (not sure which one) in Vancouver, that has a dog that lives in the lobby, and it befriends guests. Isn’t that a great idea to make people feel comfortable?
That conversation moved into a brief talk about Vicki Gabareau’s TV show, of which the above hotel is a sponsor.
Then to seeing Charlottetown’s guitarist extraordinaire, Chris Corrigan, on Vicki’s show one time. He was playing guitar for Rita MacNeil.
The reference to Chris Corrigan spurred memories of The Dogs, and how great it was to go to Pat’s Rose & Grey, and to The Dip to watch them play. I remember countless nights of watching Chris play guitar, back when I had slight aspirations of becoming proficient on the guitar.
From Chris, we moved to Mike Mooney, and how he’d stick his tongue out, like a lizard, when he sang.
Mike brought back memories of the band Touch & Gone, and we were trying to remember the name of the guy who sang, and who’d (irritatingly to me) play air guitar during the guitar solos.
Which brought back memories of the Dixon Road hippies who’d dance and float about on the dance floor during those solos.
The dance floor made us think of how great it used to be to go to dances at the old Montage Dance building (it burned down, youngsters). And not just going to dances there, but about how great the building was. Big rooms great for all kinds of multi-purpose arts uses.
Which brings me to this question: Why doesn’t Charlottetown have a place like that now? The ARTS Guild is the closest thing, but it just doesn’t work (except for when Sketch 22 performs there, Thursday and Friday nights, July and August this summer).
3 comments:
I think Baba's (and now St.James Gate) are the venues where you'll find the latest up and coming talents. It's been a while since we could get excited over star guitar (or bass) players but I think they're emerging nonetheless. There are some fairly heavyweight singer/songwriters on the verge too (Brooke Miller) who appear at either of these venues. But as far as a place like the olden days of 'The Dip', it's like saying, "what ever happened to "Roll Away"...
People get excited over bass players ...?
When I first moved to PEI ... God, 14 years ago (!) ... I was all alone (my family followed with our stuff a month later). Nobody had much time to babysit this New Guy From Away, so I just explored on my own.
One of the first places I stumbled into was the Dip. I was a little nervous going down there, but found a table off in the smoky corner (oh, no smoking regulations back then, my friend, and I'm amazed Rob could stand upright in the Dip, so low was the ceiling!)and watched The Dogs play. It was a great way to get my first taste of Island culture.
Another place that used to occasionally give an opportunity to new performers was the Playhouse. What's happening with that place, anyway? I've heard eight hundred rumours, but does anybody KNOW?
Some people think bass players named Wayne are exciting, I guess, Nils.
And, after a few drinks, I wouldn't be standing upright in the Dip.
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