When Sean Cotton asked me to be a part of the show, many
months ago, I didn’t think much of it. Sure, of course I’d sing a song and do
my part. I was flattered to be asked to perform with a band on the stage of the
Algonquin Theatre. What I did not see coming was the enthusiasm with which the
other local musicians embraced the show. Over the past several months, there
were hundreds of emails and Facebook messages fired back and forth to finalize
the plans for the big night. There was a palpable energy in the air, and I was
quite frankly surprised to see everyone so excited about performing. One
marathon rehearsal session was scheduled at Kandis and Troy Sinister’s house (brave
souls!) in Huntsville, two days before the show . While I only heard some of the artists rehearse (there were fifteen or twenty different artists who rehearsed), I knew then and there that this was going to be a
great show.
Last Thursday night marked the very first time I have ever rehearsed a song with a full band and
sung in front of a paying audience. I don’t play live very often, and of course
I was apprehensive. I’ll perform if I’m asked, usually solo, but I don’t love
the stage the way some musicians do. Since I’ve moved up north, I’ve had some opportunities
to play with full bands, and most of the musicians up here are generous and accommodating.
I remember my musical colleague Juan Barbosa once telling me that he prefers to
play with a band, although his solo performances are exceptional. I better
understand this now that I have had occasion to perform with a band. When
everything clicks, and the musicians are firing on all cylinders, as they were
last week, it’s a huge rush. “The Band”, Sean Cotton, Michael Phillips, Sean
Roper, and Alison Boyer all did a wonderful job, and as a neophyte to the world of
musical entertainment, this was heady stuff for me. To perform in a proper
theatre such as The Algonquin, with a good band backing me, well it doesn’t get much
better than that! I was up second on the roster, and before I had a chance to
get nervous, I was on and off. For just one moment, right after I sang, I was
ready to hop on the tour bus and hit the road with the band.
Hunters Bay Radio, or The Bay 88.7 FM as they’re calling
themselves these days, is the main focus of my efforts now that I am retired.
Because of the forward-thinking vision and determination of Managing Director Jeff
Carter, this station is poised to grow exponentially over the next few years. In
under three years they have more than doubled their advertising revenue and our on air and internet audiences have grown substantially. While the station is still not on
firm ground financially, with every penny earned pumped back into operations,
equipment, and charitable contributions, new satellites in Gravenhurst and soon Bracebridge will help to grow our audience quickly. My small part is to contribute
to the music end, and to try and to help draw in the best local and regional music we
can attract. Word is out that we are musician -friendly. Commercial radio is, in
my opinion, on injured reserve. The playlists are lame and redundant, and the
support for the local residents is virtually non-existent. The Last Waltz concert last Thursday night was a reminder of what a
small community radio station can mean to the locals. As anyone who was there will
attest, that show was the meaning of community, a community of which I am proud
to be a part.
- Written by Jamie
Oppenheimer c 2017 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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