The Oppenheimer Report 9/26/16

Last night, I travelled down to Bracebridge for a party to kick off the renovation of The Muskoka Foundry. Construction begins shortly to renovate the approximately 30,000 square foot high bay industrial facility, which an ambitious entrepreneur intends to convert into mixed use commercial and retail space. I was there as one of several representatives of Hunters Bay Radio, because when the project is complete, our little community radio station will have a satellite operation broadcasting out of this location. We do have a location in Bracebridge presently, but this new site will be a substantial improvement. A glassed-in HBR broadcast booth, centrally located in this prestigious commercial facility, will increase our exposure considerably. There were several musicians and bands featured at the event, including Kearney’s own Douglas McLean, playing some of his original songs, along with his wife Arlene. One of the scheduled acts was unable to perform, and Doug asked me if I would get up and play a few of my songs to fill in. I tried to weasel out of it, using the excuse that I did not have an instrument, but Doug smiled wryly at me and said, “No problem, you can use my guitar!” My throat closed up and I got that feeling one gets climbing the first rise of a roller coaster, but I did get up and play. Do one thing every day that scares you, and try to say “no” as little as possible. Unrehearsed, I got up in front of 200+ people and performed.

 

One of the good things about playing music to a bunch of people at a gathering such as this Foundry debut, is that very few guests are actually listening. Oftentimes professional musicians play venues and parties, where liquor is served, and more often than not, the crowd is talking and not really paying attention. If you’re a cover band playing crowd favorites, like “Sweet Home Alabama” you might get a rise out of the audience, but I am anything but that. My originals are not toe-tappers, and I am always aware of the audience to which I am playing. Long story short, I got up and did a short set of my songs, to an audience that would probably have preferred to hear Michael Jackson covers. I think I did ok for an impromptu performance; at least no one threw anything at me. Thanks to Hunters Bay Radio, there are a few people in the local community who may recognize the songs I played. The timing was good, because this Wednesday I officially release the “Imposters Game” CD live on air at HBR. I left the stage shaking, but exhilarated. The end of this rather self-indulgent story is that, after my set, Johnny Fay, the drummer for “The Tragically Hip” came up to me and shook my hand! He happened to be playing after me, drumming for the country band Grant Tingey and Hired Hand. I realize he was probably just being respectful and polite to a visibly nervous fellow performer, but that handshake meant the world to me. I was genuinely touched by this kind gesture, and it made me feel like a fellow musician.

 

On the subject of original performances, I read an interesting interview with one of my Canadian songwriting idols Jon Brooks, and in it Jon lamented the eroding respect much of the listening public shows for original singer songwriters. He talked about playing a gig one night, maybe in downtown Toronto, and after he did his sound check he went outside the club for a breath of fresh air. Keep in mind, Jon is an award winning songwriter who regularly sells out venues all over the world. A group of young men walked by the venue and one of them asked who was playing. Another looked inside, saw the stage set up with a couple of acoustic guitars, and sniffed, “It’s just some guy with a guitar.” I used to be one of those guys, and I never went to the acoustic singer songwriter shows. Unfortunately, some people assume that a stripped down performance will suck. The more I learn about the craft of songwriting, the more I appreciate the power of a simple acoustic performance. In a bare bones performance, there is nothing to hide the success or failure of a song. A strong song, presented without an elaborate arrangement, can be remarkably powerful. The day after tomorrow, I release the first CD I have ever made in the 35 years since I began to write songs. All I have ever done is compose on an acoustic guitar, but I have been listening and learning from the artists I admire. This album is not perfect, but it is an honest translation, recorded by a gifted musician and arranger, of the songs I have only ever before performed on an acoustic guitar. I am so happy to have finally done this, after so many years of dreaming about it. If you have the opportunity, tune into Hunters Bay Radio (huntersbayradio.com) and listen live on Tuesday night from 6-7PM as I release my first album of songs to the public. If you’re local, stop in and join me!

                        - Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c2016 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED