tag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:/blogs/welcome?p=1Welcome2019-07-09T15:31:39-07:00Tanner Jamesfalsetag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/58191042019-07-09T15:31:39-07:002023-12-10T08:48:09-08:00Calgary = City of Jeep Wranglers<p>I swear Calgary has more Jeeps per capita than any other city in the world. I see an endless stream of these post-military SUVs, stuck in traffic, sporting bright, peacock-ish colours and almost never showing any dirt, mud, or any other indicator that they have ever left the immaculate Calgary roads. </p>
<p>Let’s be clear, a Jeep is designed to be an off-road vehicle. Built for the battlefield, it was first called a GP (for General Purpose) vehicle, which was slurred into the Jeep brand we all recognize today. A new Jeep Wrangler has an MSRP value of $39,145 for its base model. It is an incredibly expensive and inefficient choice as an urban commuter. A 2019 Jeep Wrangler averages out around 19 MPG in city driving, in a time when gas is a completely optional expense for any urban commuter (Tesla Model 3 starts at $44,999 CAN) </p>
<p>Over the last 5 years I’ve put on approximately 160,000 KM travelling all over North America. Averaging over 30,000 KM per year. This was done all throughout the year, making multi-trips to a remote heli-ski resort in British Columbia, to other ski hills, with plenty of KMs done on gravel roads. Aside from adding a set of winter tires, the car has been completely safe and reliable in a northern climate. I purchased the car for $7,500 cash with 144,000 KMs on it. I haven’t put any additional money into repairs aside from tires and filters. I run the lowest rate of insurance and still use the car (though I mostly ride an electric bike as my main form of transportation now) </p>
<p>I can’t see any possible reason why anyone in a major urban centre would ever need a Jeep for commuting. Period. </p>
<p>In 2013, I invested $5000 of hard-earned cash into making a full-length album. My band at the time was breaking up and I decided to throw it into making a solo album. I was told by numerous people that it was a lot of money to spend out of pocket. I was made to believe it was a bad investment. </p>
<p>That album allowed me to start touring around the country and opened the doors to hundreds of different experiences. That original $5000 investment has paid itself off year after year financially. Even it had provided zero financial return, I still think it would have been a great use of my finances, just purely for the cathartic reasoning of putting something out there into the world that I made. </p>
<p>I find it absolutely crazy that our society has absolutely no problem spending $39,145 on a new Jeep, which is inefficient and rapidly decreases in value, but I took all sorts of flack for spending a measly $5000 on a personal dream. </p>
<p>Maybe these numbers need to be flipped? Maybe it’s time to start reconsidering how we spend our money and utilize our time? What if you instead invest $40,000 into something that might be able to provide you some real benefit and potentially open new doors personally, creatively or in a business sense. </p>
<p>Maybe it’s time we stop using Jeeps on city roads and save them for the battlefields. Smarten up.</p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/55753892018-12-31T11:45:47-08:002023-12-10T08:53:23-08:00Books - 2018 in review<p>After a couple years of ploughing the fields of literary duds, I’m happy to proclaim that 2018 has been a hell of a good year for personal literature consumption. I read some of my favourite books this year, a few that would even register on my Top Ten list, and one that would even creep onto the Top 5. </p>
<p>I’ve been reading voraciously over the last few years, devouring anything that sparks a glimmer of curiosity. Unfortunately, by reading anything that came in sight, without a proper screening method, I wasted time pursuing books I didn’t need to be reading. A book is a serious commitment of time, so this year I really only read titles strongly recommended by credible friends, confidants or admired public figures. I didn’t accept light recommendations only the type that the nominator would back up with a bullet. </p>
<p>I read many good books this year. Here are the greats with a brief explanation: </p>
<p><strong>French Exit – Patrick DeWitt </strong></p>
<p>I tried very hard not to like Patrick DeWitt. His claim to fame is his novel The Sisters Brothers, a clever Western that feels like a lost Cohen Brothers script. A little too much like a Cohen Bros. script to be frank. People loved it, people really loved it. Maybe it was jealousy - or as my pal Bruce said, “Guy Vanderhaeghe writes considerably better Westerns with a fraction of the acclaim” – For whatever reason, I just didn’t want to get behind DeWitt. Upon further investigation, it certainly was jealousy. </p>
<p>French Exit is a leap-up in quality. He earned his early success retroactively with this novel. It’s a joyous tragedy about a highly (un)likeable mother-son team who take the world by storm. I usually rebel against novels set in New York or Paris, or worse, both, but I just loved this story. The dialogue is whip smart and worth studying. It’s sincere and Malcom is such a wonderfully delightful character whom I would like so very much to befriend. </p>
<p><strong>My Brilliant Friend (Neopolitan Novels) – Elena Ferrante </strong></p>
<p>Ironically, my friend Dylan tried to get me to read this for years. An intense and detailed autobiography about female friendship. The first book of a four-part series about two young girls navigating meager life in Italy. The narrator has an uncanny ability to expose the complex motivations behind a young girl’s decisions and how they lead to loyalty, alliances and deception. I will absolutely read the rest of this series. I believe HBO just made this into a television mini-series. </p>
<p><strong>A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole </strong></p>
<p>I’ve often considered Holden Caulfield, Frank Bascombe (The Sportswriter) and Harris (Harris and Me) to be some of my favourite literary characters. Ignatious J Reilly has pushed them all aside into obscurity. This is the funniest book I have ever read. I’ve never burst with laughter so many times while reading a book alone, in a public place. The book has a tragic back story and sadly is the only real book the author wrote and seems like the cause and effect of his suicide in his early thirties. It uses a classic comedy set-up of a protagonist who belongs in another era yet somehow perfectly captures the socio-economic framework of New Orleans. The city built a statue to honour this memorable but despicable character. </p>
<p><strong> Boyhood Island (My Struggle: Book 3) – Karl Ove Knausgard </strong></p>
<p>A virtually unknown and completely unremarkable Norwegian author wrote an autobiography – the catch…it spans 6 volumes and over 6000 words. He can talk about an erection for 40 pages. It works because it’s normal, he’s an everyman writing in extreme detail with beautiful imagery about completely everyday events. This is part 3, supposedly the weakest in the series. It covers the early years of childhood. It completely captures the innocence, wonder, fears and sorrow of these strange times in our lives. Relatable to every single person who was once a child…so, everyone. </p>
<p><strong>Tribe – Sebastian Junger </strong></p>
<p>A short book of non-fiction from a war photographer about PTSD. New perspectives, fresh ideas, well researched and personal. He somehow brings it all together and offers amazing moral insight about how we live our lives. </p>
<p><strong>How To Make Love To A Negro Without Getting Tired – Dany Laferriere </strong></p>
<p>An accomplished Haitian refugee moves to Montreal and starts his life over with nothing. He deals with racism (surprise) but it’s more complex than that. Rich, white McGill women want to ___ him out of defiance and he want to ___ them to be closer to the American dream. Billed as fiction but based on interviews I’ve read, it’s quite the opposite. An immigration story with some originality and cajones. The title makes me uncomfortable to write and especially uncomfortable to say aloud. The title is also intriguing enough to have made me want to read this. A Canadian classic. </p>
<p><strong>St. Urbain’s Horseman – Mordecai Richler </strong></p>
<p>Mordecai Richler has become one of my most cherished Canadian favorites. This is a little deeper in his back catalogue, it’s a fantastic read but by no means his best, I would start with The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz or Barney’s Version to be introduced to his view of the slums of the-cold-water-flat-Jewish-Montreal. You can do a pretty extensive drinking-n-eating tour of Montreal through Mordecai’s favourite establishments. </p>
<p><strong>Gimme Refuge – Matt Love </strong></p>
<p>I found Matt Love’s book A Super Sunday In Newport on a Monday, in Portland. Coincidentally, I had just had a great Sunday in Newport the day before. I bought the book by divine intervention and it changed my life. Gimme Refuge is his memoir about leaving his day job as a teacher to become a writer. It’s dedicated, committed and at times, sad. Matt taught me about the importance of being a regional writer and being connected to where you are from. I plan to ask Matt to edit my next book. </p>
<p><strong>A Complicated Kindness – Miriam Toews </strong></p>
<p>Miriam Toews embraces her traditional Mennonite upbringing in Steinbach Manitoba the same way Mordecai Richler embraces his Jewish ghetto in Montreal, with one arm open and the other ready to use for protection. Toews writes about her heritage honestly. This is a heavy book about a heavy subject but she always avoids passing judgements and tells it in her own way. My favourite female author working today. </p>
<p><strong>Honourable Mentions: </strong></p>
<p>Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor E Frankl </p>
<p>The Flinstones – Mark Russell/Steve Pugh </p>
<p>Everything is Flammable – Gabrielle Bell </p>
<p>Wytches - Scott Snyder</p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/51513542018-03-27T19:07:08-07:002022-05-09T09:33:37-07:00Catharsis: a process of transformation=The Banff Centre<p>Last year I became completely burnt out with music. The non-stop hustle of the freelance, creative life had worn on me and I had very little left to offer. I stopped writing songs, practicing guitar and rehearsing new stories, and simply went on auto pilot. I pandered to audiences and relied on my pre-existing contacts that I had developed through constant gigging over the years.</p>
<p>Half-way through 2017 I got a job at a local brewery and got another gig hosting and producing an interview based podcast for some corporate whores. I had a huge part of my ego tied up in doing music full time and it was hard to give that up. For the later half of 2017 most of my income came from my other two jobs, rather than creative pursuits. </p>
<p>The podcast job didn’t last long, and the program essentially lost funding by the end of the 2017. On the plus side, I inherited some awesome gear and learnt how to become a one-man, professional podcaster. It was a tough gig but I really enjoyed it. I was thrown under the bus for 6 months and forced to adapt to each situation and make it work. It was the greatest crash course in podcasting on the planet. I developed my abilities as an interviewer, my audio and technical skillsets and learnt how to arrange each episode in a compelling way. </p>
<p>I still have my part time job at the brewery (which I love). I’ll be there until I die, they fire me, or until I relocate. (I work at Village Brewery in Calgary if you are wondering. Stop by for a beer sometime)</p>
<p>I applied for a number of full-time gigs when my podcasting job ended. I got a few interviews for high paying, impressive positions that I didn’t think I was qualified for, yet didn’t receive even an interview for some entry-level, non-profit jobs. I got a phone call to find out that I was the 2nd choice for a Finance Communication Analyst position in Edmonton. Life would have looked a lot different if I had been the first choice. </p>
<p>During all this artistic and personal malaise, I was accepted to a 3-week Singer Songwriter Residency at the Banff Centre. I felt a little strange accepting this, as I really didn’t feel like a songwriter anymore. With no better options on the table, and having a romantic notion with the Banff Centre, I decided to pursue the opportunity…and I am sure glad I did. </p>
<p>I spent three weeks with 30 of the most humble, interesting, compelling, empathetic and honest songwriters I have ever met. It was a deeply cathartic experience which ultimately led me to fall in love with songwriting again. I had lost myself somewhere on the road. I had stopped really listening to music and was almost exclusively listening to podcasts and talk radio. I had become cynical to the idea of music and was tainted by touring and playing too many bad shows. </p>
<p>The Banff Centre changed all that. It made me excited to create, listen and collaborate. It made me feel good about the future and the beauty of creative pursuits. It made me realize that I like making art because it’s important and fun. That’s it. The program reminded me that I’m a music fan first and foremost. It reminded me of the beautiful innocence of music. </p>
<p>We received some free recording time during the residency and we were encouraged to experiment. I did just that and ended up tracking a blistering punk/emo tune, a mystical country song that sounds like The Eagles and a duet I co-wrote with my friend Alix, that sounds like She and Him.</p>
<p>I was able to rediscover a new found joy in music, art and life during my time at the Banff Centre. I feel a sense of gratitude that I haven't had in a long time.</p>
<p>As of June 1st my lease is up on my East Village apartment. I’m not exactly sure what the future holds or where I will end up, but I can’t help but feel like I’m being pushed by some guiding force or intuition towards my creative endeavours. </p>
<p>I don’t have a solid plan, but I will most likely be focussing on the following during the next six months: </p>
<p>-Releasing my book, I Am The Lizard King, as a weekly audio book-podcast <br>-Releasing an EP of songs (Painted Horses EP) that I recorded in Edmonton over the last 4 years <br>-Freelance grant writing for friends <br>-Pitching freelance articles to magazines and websites <br>-Touring as a working musician </p>
<p>It’s a hard life trying to make a living off one’s art, but it’s been a good life. I’m remaining open to possibility and trying to bury my ego. I’m not sure what the future holds, but I’ll be sure to let you know. </p>
<p>-Tanner</p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/50690862018-02-08T10:02:57-08:002023-12-10T08:32:54-08:00The Riv<p>Some towns are just too small to have a town drunk, so people take turns. I suppose it was Fred’s turn, and I believe I inadvertently funded his night on the town. I met Fred while he was bartending at the local Legion and we got to talking. </p>
<p>Most years, around this time, I get hired to play between three and six nights at a very expensive heli ski resort in a very small town in inland British Columbia. I book a few other shows and make a winter tour out of it. I always get treated well and I always get a few stories out of the trip. The money is just good enough to keep me afloat for the rest of the month. It’s not my favourite place to play but it’s the closest thing to a vacation I get these days. </p>
<p>The heli ski resort is viciously expensive and draws in 1%-ers from a global market. Affluent Europeans, drunk Australians and a few fiscally conservative, morally bankrupt, Trump supporters from America, all gather around to ski fresh powder, drink quality scotch and potentially cheat on their wives with mediocre looking employees in their mid- 20’s. The punk rock spirit dies a little bit everytime I play this resort. </p>
<p>On the first night of the three night stint, I was approached by a Californian male named Don. He bought me a $25 glass of scotch and chatted me up about drums. He knew what he was talking about and told me about a few of the jazz and blues bands he had played in over the years. At the end of the night he asked me if he could play drums with me. I was playing the shows with an accompanying guitar player and we had no drums in sight nor an interest to play with someone whom we had never rehearsed with. 99% of the time it’s a bad idea to play a show with someone you have never met before or played with. </p>
<p>The next night Don approached me again and asked if I had found a drum set. The inner voice inside my head told Don to “shut the fuck up before I kick your fucking teeth in,” but my speaking voice simply replied with a humble “no.” </p>
<p>After our set, the entire resort seemed to be heading to the Legion. Staff would be fraternizing with guests, and I knew things would be getting weird. I told my friend and accompanying guitar player that we better head down there for one drink just to see what chaos would ensue. </p>
<p>When we got to the Legion, I felt out of place and decided to start chatting with the bartender. Legions across Canada are filled with my type of people. This is how I met Fred. I asked Fred if he knew where to find a drum kit. </p>
<p>“Ya, I’m the only drummer in town and I’ve got a kit at home.” </p>
<p>“Hmmm, some guy is on my ass about finding him a kit so he can jam with us,” I stated. </p>
<p>“I hate loading gear, otherwise I would,” Fred echoed the thoughts of every musician in Canada. </p>
<p>“Well I’m sure this rich dick would pay you an absorbent amount of money to use your drum kit,” I said. </p>
<p>I’ve always had a Robin Hood complex and my desire to ‘take from the rich and give to the poor’ was far stronger after a couple beers. </p>
<p>“See how much you can get,” said Fred with a laugh and a friendly demeanour. </p>
<p>I found California Don playing pool and I approached him with my discovery. I explained that Fred had a kit but that it was going to need to be rented. I explained that Fred would need $400 for the use of the kit. Don didn’t have an issue with the price and paid $400 in U.S. dollars. </p>
<p>“Wow, shit! I’ll deliver the kit for that price,” said Fred with a big smile. Legion brothers always look out for one another, and I was throwing Fred a bone. It would be the easiest $400 he ever made. </p>
<p>The next day at 3 PM Fred showed up with the drums and a buddy to help him load them. That morning I had been secretly hoping that Fred wouldn’t show up. The whole idea seemed like a bad one after the buzz from the beers had worn off from the previous night. But here they were and I was going to have to deal with the situation. </p>
<p>We got the drums setup and California Don sat down and jammed a song with us. I knew right away that we got lucky. He had great hands, could follow my lead and could fake his way through a song with grace. He was going to do just fine. </p>
<p>It was a calming feeling to know that we would be able to get away with this. I headed back to my cabin to relax for the next three hours until the festivities took place. </p>
<p>When I returned I couldn’t help but notice that Fred was still there. He was now mildly intoxicated and telling Don about how he used to play two straight hours of Led Zeppelin covers in the 80’s. </p>
<p>This was a fancy event and the guests were starting to roll in. Everyone was dressed up for the banquet that would celebrate the end of a wonderful week of skiing overpriced powder. </p>
<p>Fred was wearing grey sweat pants and old Nike pumps. He didn’t seem like he was going anywhere. He seemed like he was going to make himself at home and enjoy the party. </p>
<p>You could hear a pin drop in the room when the owner of the heli ski resort took the stage and offered an awkward and heartfelt speech. He had the rooms full attention except for Fred - who was the only person still talking - his natural voice echoing louder than the speech coming from stage. I heard him proudly mention about “I used to do two hours straight of Zeppelin covers in the 80’s,” as the owner talked of the special week. </p>
<p>Fred was still there when we manned the stage for our first set of the night. I heard someone yell, “Fucking rights boys,” and I’m damn certain it was Fred. </p>
<p>The next time I noticed him, he was bringing in two new friends through the back door. They were equally as out of place as him. Next, I noticed him carrying a tray of drinks back to the table for his newly established posse. </p>
<p>I realized then that Fred was going to spend the entire $400 on booze. I now realized that I didn’t help out anyone, I simply enabled a person who was a raging alcoholic. </p>
<p>Towards the end of the night I saw Fred getting kicked out of the fancy lounge. Apparently Fred had passed out at the table he was sitting at. I heard the bar manager asking him who had even got him into the event. Fred tried to mumble “Tanner” but it came out more like “Tghsghsdhhhhhhrrrrrrrr” and wouldn’t hold up in the heli ski judicial system. </p>
<p>The next day when we took off we noticed that the drum set was still sitting on the stage. </p>
<p>I couldn’t help but feel a small sense of satisfaction. I pictured Fred banging out Zeppelin tunes just as drunk as John Bonham.</p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/50663362018-02-06T23:27:47-08:002023-12-10T08:53:03-08:00Old Man And The Sea<p>My sister was in Cuba last week so she brought me back a Hemingway picture to place on my writing desk. I like the idea of always keeping an artist you respect close-by to watch over you. It keeps you accountable at the very least. It takes even more courage to find your own path with an onlooker like Hemingway, watching you through the process. </p>
<p>My favourite piece of prose is from <em>The Old Man And The Sea: </em></p>
<p><em>“He always thought of the sea as la mar which is what people call her in Spanish when they love her. Sometimes those who love her say bad things of her but they are always said as though she were a woman. Some of the younger fishermen, those who used buoys as floats for their lines and had motorboats, bought when the shark livers had brought much money, spoke of her as el mar which is masculine. They spoke of her as a contestant or a place or even an enemy. But the old man always thought of her as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favours, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them. The moon affects her as it does a woman, he thought.” </em></p>
<p>The world is filled with such a masculine presence, and I love how the old man refers to the sea as “la mar”. It’s such a romantic notion and shows a sign of respect. This wisdom is acquired from years of contemplation while fishing for marlin, something that may be a lost art one day. </p>
<p>I try to imagine everything in nature to have a feminine spirit. </p>
<p>I think about the Old Man often. I wonder if that was his last fishing trip? If he created a sufficient legacy to hang his hat on? Is he still following the Great DiMaggio?</p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/50636462018-02-05T22:17:54-08:002022-05-26T03:00:35-07:00For The People Kombucha<p>Every time I hang up my coat in the front closet I get a whiff of fermentation. The smell has increased with the volume of the batches I’ve been brewing. It’s doesn’t bother me. In fact, it kind of feels like home, like the dog meeting you as you walk in the door. </p>
<p>It smells like progress - life is happening. </p>
<p>I borrowed a 25 gallon, stainless steel, brew kettle from a buddy. That’s a significant step up from the 5 gallon glass jar I was using before. </p>
<p>I withdraw every book the Calgary Public Library has on the topics of “Kombucha” or “Fermentation”. </p>
<p>In Japan it is often referred to as Kocha Kinoko (Red Tea Mushroom) - actually, I have no clue if that is true or not, I just jotted it down from a library book because I liked the way it sounded. </p>
<p>Kombucha doesn’t involve mushrooms. It involves a SCOBY, which is the mushroom looking thing that freaks most people out. Symbiotic-Culture-of-Bacteria-and-Yeast. It is the life-force that many people are afraid to touch and is often kept in the fridge between batches (don’t ever do this). </p>
<p>I started brewing Kombucha because I couldn’t afford to buy it. I can make 5 gallons for as little as $5. Some con-artists are charging up to $32 a growler at local Kombucha breweries. These people are criminals. I want to make Kombucha just to share it with people and make it accessible. I don’t want it to turn into a privileged, yuppie drink. </p>
<p>One time I was dealing with the worst hangover of my life and crushed an $8 bottle of Kombucha and it made my body feel like it had a soul again. Small price to pay for getting your soul back. Love at first gulp. </p>
<p>I’m going to have to throw a tasting party once this batch is done. I don’t have enough space to store 25 gallons worth of flavoured, refrigerated, Buch. </p>
<p>Maybe I will start bottling it. My friend Curtis could make me a label design. “For The People” Kombucha. It will be cheap, maybe by-donation. I could drop-it off and teach people how to make it. It could have an illustration of Robin Hood on the label - Robin Hood during an acid trip, that would be cool. Something weird. Lavish colours exploding everywhere. Maybe I will deliver it by bike in the summer. Make it accessible for everyone. </p>
<p>I can already picture the ridicule and criticism I would get if I posted something like that online. All the rednecks would be confused and therefore defensive. The anti-hipster-hipsters, that do too many drugs and hang out down town, would hate it, based on the principle that it’s healthy and they themselves are aging like dogs. Alas, this is the price you pay for putting yourself out there. I wish I was the type of person that didn’t care what people think. Those are the best kind of people. Rare gems. </p>
<p>I’m a sensitive beast and I don’t take well to ridicule. I’m working on that though. </p>
<p>Ginger is the easiest flavour to master. Rose hips and hibiscus are hot right now. Dry hopping is the next trend. </p>
<p>If we aren’t connected to our food sources and we can’t take pride in our learned and acquired skills then what kind of people are we. I’m trying to get a black belt in Kombucha.</p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/50615862018-02-04T21:08:27-08:002023-12-10T08:57:16-08:00Artistic Realizations <p>Artistic Realizations </p>
<p><strong>Sword In The Stone</strong> - 5 years old <br>A young King Arthur is turned into a squirrel. He is pursued by a female squirrel. She grows attached to him, he is uncertain, he is turned back into a human. Female squirrel gives me my first indication of heartbreak. I feel sad for her. </p>
<p><strong>Cocktail starring Tom Cruise</strong> - 6 years old <br>We move to town for a few years and during that period we inherit the Holy Grail…aka, the Super Channel. We have a TV downstairs and I have 3 blank VHS tapes. I can’t tape over Prancer cause mom loves those piece of shit, made-for-TV, Christmas movies. So that really leaves me with 2 tapes. I record Cocktail and can’t bring myself to tape over it for almost a year. I watch it once a week. I learn everything I know about women from Tom Cruise. I later learn that Tom Cruise probably isn’t the best role model for a 6 year old. </p>
<p><strong>Edward Scissorhands</strong> - 7 years old <br>I’m sleeping over at Grandma’s. Uncle Ken rents this on VHS. Grandma gives me a glass of beer so I can be like Uncle Ken. I have one sip and hate it. She lets me keep the full glass near me anyhow. The movie scares me, then makes me laugh, then makes me angry, and finally sad. I never stop thinking about it. </p>
<p><strong>Brick by Ben Fold Five</strong> - 9 years old <br>I hear this song on the easy-listening FM station. They play it a lot. I hear it while I’m waiting in the truck while my dad is shutting off the tractor. I hear all the words and know that I’m too young to make sense of it all. Years later I realize it’s about an abortion and I cry and cry. </p>
<p><strong>Pearl Jam’s Evolution</strong> - 11 years old <br>We get a satellite dish back on the farm and the first thing I see is the music video for Pearl Jam’s scorcher, Evolution. Todd Mcfarlane animates it and it is absolutely gut wrenching. The guy that gets attacked by the computer makes me still hate computers. Burn them all! </p>
<p><strong>Of Mice and Men </strong>- 12 years old <br>Mom lets me read whatever I want. I want Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men. She says I won’t like them and I can only choose two. Lord of the Flies gets put off and has never been purchased or read to this day. Some sexual things in the novel go over my head but the maternal friendship makes it clear that it’s a rough and tumble world out there. </p>
<p><strong>Different Seasons </strong>(specifically Shawshank Redemption) - 13 years old <br>I borrow Different Seasons from my friend Drew. Mom says I won’t like it. I realize she and I have very different taste in art. I read Shawshank Redemption. The ending is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read. I can still quote it. I have full faith in everything when he says, “the Pacific is as blue as it was in my dreams.” Love it so much that I dig into Apt Pupil and Stand By Me. I discover all these movies because of this book. I never read the other story. I can’t even remember what it is. Was it Green Mile? Shit, if it was then I missed out. </p>
<p><strong>Final Fantasy 8 </strong>- 14 years old <br>Everyone talks about Final Fantasy 7. I lie and say that I played it but never have the opportunity. My cousin has part 8 and I play it in instalments while visiting. The love story moves me. I want to be in love. </p>
<p><strong>Mrs. Potters Lullaby by Counting Crows</strong> - 15 years old <br>“Step out the front door like a ghost, nobody notices the contrast of white on white.” <br>“If dreams are like movies then memories are films about ghosts.” <br>“If you’ve never stared off into the distance then your life is a shame.” </p>
<p>They play this song a lot on the easy-listening FM station. I can read between the lines and hear all the pain and loneliness in Adam Duritz voice. I don’t know that he’s talking about depression exactly, but I know that one day I’m going to understand what he’s talking about more than I ever care to admit. </p>
<p>I would rather not hear the Counting Crows this way. I would rather just passively enjoy Mr. Jones like everybody else. </p>
<p><strong>Darryl’s Grocery Bag/ All Age concert </strong>- 15 years old <br>I hear the Olds Alberta based, pop-punk band, Darryl’s Grocery Bag for the first time at an All-Age show in Lethbridge. That’s it, it’s all over for me that night. I know I’m going to play in a band one day and probably forever. “I’d rather be broke, and live on a stage, I’d rather pump gas for minimum wage, I’d rather be here than somewhere you are, do you like my van, cause I hate your car.” </p>
<p><strong>Left and Leaving by the Weakerthans</strong> - 16 years old <br>Abby sends me this song over MSN messenger. I’m not even aware that you can send shit over MSN messenger. I instantly realize that he can’t really sing, but it’s perfect anyway. All my favourite singers can’t really sing, and it’s probably all because of this. He is a truly great writer. </p>
<p><strong>The Rocky Fortune</strong> - 18 years old <br>Darryl’s Grocery Bag grow up and become a Folk Rock band. Don’t we all. </p>
<p><strong>Bukowski</strong> - 18 years old <br>I hear about Bukowski in high school but mostly ignore his work. I get dumped by my first real girlfriend and Bukowski pours me a stiff drink and pats me on the back. </p>
<p><strong>Modest Mouse</strong> - 19 years old <br>When my mother hears Modest Mouse she tells me that there is some underlying sense of evil. Tyler and I get so obsessed that we actually believe that Isaac Brock is sending us subliminal messages through the songs. </p>
<p><strong>Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac</strong> - 20 years old <br>On the Road has nothing on Dharma Bums. Plus, I’m living dangerously close to On the Road when I’m reading it. It hits too close to home. Dharma Bums ages a little better and is a little more deeply rooted in spirituality. It’s where I’m going, not where I’ve been. </p>
<p><strong>Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance</strong> - 24 years old <br>I have a nervous breakdown on a beach in Belize while reading this. It challenges my entire value system and makes me question my motives. It shakes me to the core. It’s a quality book about quality. </p>
<p><strong>The City Streets</strong> - 25 years old <br>My friend Sam makes me listen to the City Streets. They are the best band to come out of Edmonton and maybe the best rock band in Canada. They are like the Constantines if the Constantines had narrative lyrics. I can’t figure out why people don’t love them like I do. I realize that art is not fair. Actually, art is always fair. I realize that the Canadian music industry favours the safe and the shitty. People will talk about them like they do the Replacements one day. As a legacy act. </p>
<p>TBC <br>-Tanner</p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/50604252018-02-03T23:22:46-08:002022-05-09T09:36:22-07:00New Year's Resolutions<p>My New Year’s resolution in 2017 was to build a treehouse in the woods. Yep, it was a very mature endeavour that would help me grow into a better person. My original resolution was to be more wild. I wanted to spend more time outside, being a feral child and swimming in lakes, climbing trees and getting dirt under my nails. I wanted to do more hiking, hunting, fishing, swimming and general chillin’ in the great outdoors. I thought the resolution had the right intentions but needed something more tangible to determine if it was a success or not. So hence the “build a treehouse in the woods” resolution. </p>
<p>I planned to build the structure illegally in a National Park, in a location that was secret but not too difficult to hike to with supplies. </p>
<p>I was more wild in 2017 and it was a great year for me. My family lives on a farm in southern Alberta and I spent most of my time at home, riding horses and spending time in the garden. My gardening skills improved significantly, it’s an apprenticeship that requires man hours. I put in a week hunting Bighorn sheep by horseback and sleeping in an outfitters tent in October. We produced 70 lbs of deer from field-to-table, doing every part on our own. Looking back, I definitely had a wild year. </p>
<p>The only problem was I didn’t actually complete my resolution. I scoped out a spot and planned things out, but the actual labour of construction didn’t happen - so I chalk that up as a fail. </p>
<p>So I’m moving last year’s resolution up to 2018 and pairing it with my New Year’s resolution which is to try standup comedy. </p>
<p>Building a treehouse in the woods and doing stand-up comedy feel like a match made in heaven!</p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/50590952018-02-02T18:28:56-08:002022-05-09T09:36:42-07:00Turtle House<p>As an independent singer-songwriter I often rely on the kindness of strangers. People offer to put me up for the evening and many times I accept these invitations. Musicians have been doing this for a long, long time, it comes with the territory. </p>
<p>I’ve met many good friends doing this and stayed in many different homes with people from all walks of life. </p>
<p>It’s almost always works out for the best. </p>
<p>Except one time..... </p>
<p>My pedal steel player, Dylan, and I had played a really nice show in a B.C. It felt like the entire town showed up and it was one of those nights when everything worked. People were buying what we were selling and we had the audience in the palm of our hands. Not every show goes that way and we have done this long enough to know to appreciate those moments when they come. </p>
<p>This particular gig didn’t provide accommodations. We knew we could either pay out of pocket for a hotel room, sleep in the car, or try to find a place to stay. Each option comes with it’s own pros and cons. </p>
<p>We began talking with a nice group of people and one of the guys offered us accommodations at his house. He said that he had just been divorced and had a large, empty house. His friends were really nice and it seemed normal enough. We decided to accept the offer. </p>
<p>We followed the man to his house, in our car. He was driving strangely, going noticeably slow at times and swerving all over the road. We hadn’t noticed him drinking and started to question our decision. </p>
<p>It was around midnight when we arrived. We parked in a very dark alley behind the house. We weren’t familiar with the town and had no idea where we were. </p>
<p>There were koi ponds in the front yard and the house was a very old, two story home on a large property. He opened the door and we were greeted by a one-eyed cat named Jack. </p>
<p>He brought us up the stairs and as we moved up the creaky, old, staircase, it seemed to shrink and become disproportionate. It made you feel like you were moving into a different dimension when you walked up the stairs. </p>
<p>There were two rooms upstairs. The first room belonged to the man’s estranged ex-wife. It was her sewing room, and it was outfitted with a bookshelf of dated Japanese books, trinkets, and a beautiful old sewing machine. The room seemed to be covered in dust and things looked as if they hadn’t been touched or moved since she left. It felt like “Great Expectations”, things were preserved in an unhealthy way. </p>
<p>The other room had a large bear rug on the floor. “That’s where one of you can sleep, he said.” We both scanned his face to see if he was joking, but he couldn’t have been more sincere. </p>
<p>He told us that the house was built on the side of a hill and was actually three stories on one side of the house. “Look out the window he said,” as he hung half his body out the window while hanging on with one hand. He encouraged us to do the same thing. I hesitantly stuck my head out and peered down the three stories. It was frightening. He encouraged me to hang my head out further. I had a strange feeling that he was going to push me the entire time. </p>
<p>Next, he brought us back down the stairs and showed us the other guest room. It was a small room with a single bed in it. It was painted white with nothing on the walls. There were three turtle tanks in the room. Two were empty, while the third had a large turtle with nothing but water and a single block of wood for the turtle to sit on. The turtle snapped anytime you put your hand close to the glass, and I felt immensely sad for the creature. </p>
<p>I weighed the odds in my head. My sleeping choices were sleeping on the floor on a bear rug, or sleeping in the turtle room. Neither seemed like good options. Actually, both were the worst options. I would much rather sleep in the car at this point. </p>
<p>The rest of the house was filthy and had a very strange presence to it. He assured us that the house was haunted. </p>
<p>The man then began to tell us a story about sport fisherman who he had caught poaching without a license. He explained how the fisherman would just rip the hooks out of the fishes mouths and violently chuck them back into the ocean. </p>
<p>While he was telling us this story he became animated and violent. He looked at Dylan as if he was one of the fisherman. He seemed to be blurring the lines of reality and directing the entire story at Dylan. His voice became louder and louder. Fear and anxiety started to fill my stomach. I didn’t feel right about the situation. </p>
<p>Veins in his forehead began to pop and he began to appear taller and taller. His presence grew and he felt like a giant, screaming and ranting about nothing. He was filled with anger and I began to plan an emergency course of action. </p>
<p>I carefully calculated that I was going to punch him as hard as I could directly in the throat as soon as he crossed the threshold. I determined that I wasn’t going to second guess myself and was going to hit him with everything I had and ask questions later. I was starting to think in survival mode. He was huge and had the crazy factor working in his favour. </p>
<p>Before I could throw a punch, I had another idea. I interrupted his story and told him that we had left our guitars in the car (which was true) and that we needed to grab them at once, as we never left them unattended. </p>
<p>We put on our shoes and opened the door. As were were walking out he asked, “do you want some Delicio pizza?” </p>
<p>We got to the car and realized we were parked in the smallest alley, directly in front of his house. I had to do a 9-point turn to get the car in the opposite direction and I frantically pictured the man smashing our windows open with an axe when he realized we were trying to escape. </p>
<p>When we finally got the car turned around, we blew out onto the darkened, nameless street. </p>
<p>We ended up sleeping in the car in a casino parking lot. I kept on waking up, expecting the man to be smashing in the window. I had dreams of turtles and Japanese trinkets and falling out of a window that night. </p>
<p>That was the last we saw of the strange man. I hope he enjoyed the pizza.</p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/50572852018-02-01T22:30:56-08:002022-05-09T09:37:31-07:00The Library<p>I’ve always loved libraries. They are proof that we’ve made some progress as a society. Free information for the general public, archives of history, literature for the masses. </p>
<p>My friend Mandi says that “a library is the last place for an introvert.” </p>
<p>When I first moved to Calgary, the library was my sanctuary. I would nestle into one of the comfy chairs in a suburban library, surrounded by mothers and young children scouring for picture books and movies. On the weekends I would take the train down to the Central library and surround myself with the homeless, the freaks and the leftover hippies. I would scour the shelves for CD’s from local bands, and the entire discography of every member of the band Uncle Tupelo. </p>
<p>I still remember pulling Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 off-the-shelf, and realizing shortly into the book, that my life would never be the same. I think about finding Slaughterhouse-Five and being properly introduced to Kurt Vonnegut. I can’t forget going through Paul Newman’s filmography on DVD while being alienated and alone in a new city. </p>
<p>(Ps, The Sting and Sometimes A Great Notion are underrated gems) </p>
<p><strong>The last 10 books I’ve read</strong> (from the Calgary library) *This list has not been updated*</p>
<p><em>Rebirth: A Fable of Love, Forgiveness, and Following your Heart </em></p>
<p>by Kamal Ravikant </p>
<p><em>Perfect Youth: The Birth of Canadian Punk</em> </p>
<p>by Sam Sutherland </p>
<p><em>Get Started in Self-Publishing</em> </p>
<p>by Kevin McCann </p>
<p><em>Comedy Writing Secrets</em> </p>
<p>by Mark Shatz </p>
<p><em>Barney’s Version </em></p>
<p>by Richler Mordecai </p>
<p><em>On Writing </em></p>
<p>by Charles Bukowski </p>
<p><em>How To Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia</em> </p>
<p>by Mohsin Hamid </p>
<p><em>New Slow City</em> </p>
<p>by William Powers </p>
<p><em>Purity </em></p>
<p>by Jonathan Franzen </p>
<p><em>Undermajordomo Minor </em></p>
<p>by Patrick deWitt</p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/49793632017-12-15T12:55:00-08:002022-07-15T23:44:34-07:00Lizard King Strikes Back<p><em><span class="font_large">I have 8 copies of I Am The Lizard King left. </span></em></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I still owe Laura a copy, she helped edit a few chapters so I feel bad for not getting her one sooner. We just keep missing each other, so I’ll send it by mail just to get the job done. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><em>That will leave me with 7 copies. </em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I owe Rob a copy, (I forgot about that until right now, that should have been mailed out a week ago). </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><em>6 copies remaining. </em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I ran into Corb Lund the other night randomly and got chatting. He said he wants a copy. I should probably be proactive about that, southern Alberta respect! </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><em>Books are dwindling, 5 copies in the lonely box. </em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I should probably make a social media post right before Christmas (Yes, I still say Christmas) but I’m finding self-promotion harder and harder these days. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">No lawsuits yet, thank God. I’m still concerned about the title being close to copyright infringement. Oh well, at this point I could turn it into positive publicity. (I once saw a band from Calgary called Copyright, they opened for Matthew Good Band, third worst band I’ve ever seen) </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I need to place another order of books but I’m having a mild file management issue. I can’t remember which version is the most current. I can sort this out by emailing the printers, they’ll have it on file. I should have this written down. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Went down to Owl’s Nest Books and did a reading for their monthly series that’s put on by the Alexandra Writers Centre Society. I read part of the first chapter and it slayed. I was hesitant due to the risky subject matter and the median age of the audience (old). It didn’t matter, they loved it. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">An old man made me cry with his poem he read about his wife. He showed me pictures after and told me stories about her. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I signed up for the Calgary Public Library’s Author in Residence program. The man of the hour was Bruce Hunter. He was badass and I liked him right away. I wanted feedback on a new chapter but we just ended up having a great conversation. He said I was highly sensitive and empathetic. That’s pretty much exactly what I want to be as a writer and exactly what I don’t want to be as a person. I have viking lineage and I always feel like I should be out busting skulls and conquering, but my soul disagrees. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I’ll be on the cover of WestWord magazine next month, that was nice of them. That should move some copies and spread the word. I talked way too much about punk rock and Josh Ritter in the article. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I have a writing <strong>To Do List</strong> that reads: <br>1) Check in with my friend and editor and see how she’s doing. <br>2) Email my favourite living writer (Matt Love) and connect. <br>3) Officially launch the website for Palooza Press (the micro-publishing press I am co-founding) <br>4) Place another book order (this now moves up to priority number 1) <br>5) Research arts funding for next book </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I didn’t touch alcohol in November. This saved me some time and money. I used that spare time to finish the first draft on a new novella. It’s mystical and ethereal, it’s like Walden Pond in Taber, Alberta. It’s an agrarian, meditation on life. It’s the best thing I’ve ever written but I don’t see a market for it, and I’m okay with that. I wrote it for me. I’ll shelf it for a few months before I start on the second draft. I’m seriously considering getting sober. My priorities in life have changed. I’m hardly drinking at all anyhow. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">My next order will be my third run of the novel. It’s nice to have a product that people actually want to buy. I’m really happy with this book. I love it. I don’t want it to die. I’m treating it like a living, breathing document. I might turn it into a podcast. The Lizard King won’t end here. I’ve created a myth, a legend, and these 142 pages are just the beginning. </span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/46206772017-03-07T15:00:33-08:002022-05-09T09:41:58-07:00Tanner-on-Tanner on books<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Why did you write a book?</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I’ve always wanted to. I’ve always been writing. I’ve been an avid reader and have been writing in almost every capacity. Writing a book always felt like the end goal. It’s a monumental task, but I try to be naive with my art and get myself going. I generally find out how hard something is once I’m already far too invested to back out. I thrive under pressure. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>You wrote a book, but aren’t you a musician?</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">No, I’m a writer and a performer. I’ve been most active as a songwriter but I’ve always stressed the writing part. That’s what I’m good at. I get by as a musician but feel the written word is where my heart is. </span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">What’s the book about? </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">It’s about friendship in the pre-internet days of rural Alberta. It’s about finding your voice as an artist. It’s about misadventure and self-discovery. It’s a Huckleberry Finn story with more illegal drugs. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Is it a true story?</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Parts are true, parts are heavily exaggerated and parts are nonsense. </span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Why is it called I Am The Lizard King? </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">My friend had a shirt with a lizard on it that quoted the late Jim Morrison. Everytime he wore that shirt it seemed like he was possessed by the spirit of the altered beast. The book contains a chapter of the same title. It was just something that always made me laugh. I thought it would be a bizarre title. If Jim wants to sue me he is going to have to do so posthumously. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Does your friend know you wrote a book about him?</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Aggghhhhhhhhh.....No....not exactly. I’ve lost touch with the character the book is based upon. I plan to tell him, but his reaction will not change how I deal with the material. I believe every person is entitled to his or her side of the story, I’m simply taking mine and putting it out there. </span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Will you write another book? </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Absolutely. I loved the writing process and I learnt and became a much better writer because of it. I will absolutely write another book soon enough. My music has been ignored because of my literary ambitions as of late, so for the next six months or so, I really want to get back to writing songs and working on my live show. </span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Did you have an editor? </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Yes and no. Technically I didn’t hire anyone to operate under that official title, but I had some very qualified friends who spend countless hours on chapters with me. The book took 2 1/2 years and has probably 300 pages that were simply edited out or completely altered. There are enough lost chapters to form another book altogether. So I absolutely had editors, but just not in a traditional sense. I also took advantage of the Writer-In-Residence program through the Calgary Public Library and received some fantastic mentorship. I joined the Alberta Writers Guild and have been trying to utilize their services. I would call my friend Mandi my unofficial editor. </span></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Are you self-releasing the book? </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Yes, because I am in a unique position. I drive around and play to an audience that I’ve already build as a touring musician. Most authors don’t have that luxury, so an independent publishing house just didn’t have that much to offer that I couldn’t do on my own. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>When can I read your book?</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I will be releasing the first chapter in April. I haven’t finalized a release date for the physical book, but I will likely be selling copies off stage this summer. (UPDATE: The book is now available via the website for order) </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Are you a narcissist? Isn’t it kind of weird to interview yourself?</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">That’s an odd question coming from myself. Maybe narcism isn’t the right word. Maybe deluded or self-opposing would be more accurate. Why am I even answering this? What am I trying to prove here? </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>What else is new?</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">A) I’m going to put out a new record this year, I’m trying to start a new Punk/Emo band (yep, not joking about that) and I’m loosely thinking about starting a non-profit publishing press. I’m also taking some Urban Planning courses. I’ve been doing Crossfit for a few months now, that’s a pretty messed up thing to put your body through. I started going to church and reading more sacred texts. I’ve also been dreaming about taking up skateboarding this spring. I thought about brewing beer but I think that market may be becoming oversaturated too quickly. </span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/45920032017-02-15T14:14:43-08:002022-05-09T09:42:28-07:00Cover Art: I Am The Lizard King<p><strong>Cover Art: I Am The Lizard King </strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/ee045de36498b3b6f6bc4d411fcb284c76a66c2d/original/lizkingcov.jpg?1487196826" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><br><span class="font_large">I am a podcast enthusiast. Maybe it’s from spending too much time alone in a car and too much time with live music. There’s always been something appealing about the knowledge, entertainment and endless supply of podcasts with every theme you could ever imagine. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I often listen to podcasts at 1.5 speed so that I can consume them faster than intended. I presume I learnt about 99 Designs through their constant advertising on all my favourite podcasts. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">So when it came down to getting some designs for my upcoming book, I Am The Lizard King, I figured I would try them out. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I prefer to support local artists, it felt ironic to outsource for art, but sometimes artists can be really hard to work with (that includes me). 99 Designs made things really easy and I’m really happy with the results. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Several strong candidates came in and I selected three finalists and ran a poll on Facebook and Twitter to determine which was the crowd favourite. The poll was largely unhelpful and people were split three ways as to which cover they liked best. I suppose that’s a good problem to have. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I chose the following cover art because I felt like it suited the book best. I didn’t choose it for marketability or any practical reasons. I just thought it represented the body of work. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I Am The Lizard King is a strange book. It’s a work of Creative Non-Fiction that is far more bizarre and zany than I could ever make up on my own. I’ve had a very strange life, but it’s a life that offers rich source material to pull from. I didn’t have to be a great writer because I already had a great story. All I had to do was tell it. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The first chapter of the book will be making it’s online debut soon enough. Once you read this I think you will understand how fitting the cover art is. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I wanted cover art that represented the book. The whole package is weird and strange and beautiful. If you voted or offered your opinion, I thank you. I’m excited to share this wild adventure with you. I’ll absolutely be writing books as long as I live. I can say the same about making music.</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/45402352017-01-06T12:35:56-08:002022-05-26T01:18:27-07:00I Am The Lizard King<p>Two and a half years ago I started writing a book. Initially, I just wanted to jot down some stories, collect them in an anthology and sell it as merchandise while touring around and playing folk shows. </p>
<p>I had a story that I believed to be so good, that I figured it would tell itself. </p>
<p>It is a story about friendship. It is about the person that introduced you to the alternative side of life. It’s about the misadventures of youth. It’s Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer with bad ecstasy. </p>
<p>Like most things in my life, I underestimated the difficulty of the project by a landslide. I worked on it everyday and it took years of my life. It made my music suffer and just when I thought I finished, I would be challenged by a new idea and begin another draft. </p>
<p>I met a lady while doing a residency at the Banff Centre, who was a fellow storyteller, author and librarian. She put in countless hours of editing and proof reading with me. I used the Writer in Residency program at the Calgary Public Library and went over partial drafts with another accomplished writer. I asked friends to read and critique it for me. I joined the Alberta Writers Guild and started shaking hands and kissing babies. </p>
<p>It has grown into a story that I am very proud of. I’m now putting in my final hours on the final chapters of the final draft. Over the next few months I’ll be sharing bits and pieces with you through different social networks. </p>
<p>The book is called “I Am The Lizard King.” </p>
<p>(And yes, that’s a Jim Morrison reference)<br><br>The following is a sketch by my friend Curtis "The Mushroom King" Manchur.<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/1254f19e6a735137ee34e1e44de336679c28f437/original/lizardking-better-quality.jpg?1483734940" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/44038262016-10-04T15:01:11-07:002022-03-31T11:12:00-07:00Quit Fu$%in Around And Be A Christian<p><span class="font_large">Northern Sessions live video: </span><a contents="Quit Fu$%in Around And Be A Christian" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://vimeo.com/185536335">https://vimeo.com/185536335</a><br><br><span class="font_large">Tom Sawyer was a shit disturber. He was mischievous, he didn’t take direction and he had an ability of pushing everyone around him to their limits. He was also charming, exciting and you would follow him on any adventure. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I’ve always felt like this was a nobel mission statement. Push the limits right to the edge and then moonwalk back a few steps. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><em>Quit Fu#$in Around And Be A Christian</em> follows this format pretty closely. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The song is about the drunk advice a man gave me in Nashville Tennessee. It’s not particularly bad advice, it’s just ironic because it was coming from a man who could barely stand-up and was spitting Bud Light in my face when he talked. He was the type of person who spoke but didn’t listen and he certainly didn’t seem like he had his shit together. He was the type of guy you probably wouldn’t be asking for advice from. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“Fu$#in” and “Christian” don’t belong in the same sentence. Sam Outlaw says that 85% of writing a good country song is in the title. When the drunkest man in Tennessee told me to quit fu$#in around and be a Christian, I knew that I had a good title. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I wanted the song to be in a similar vein to the Hayes Carll classic, “She Left Me For Jesus”. It’s certainly not a new theme but I thought I could put my own spin on it. Besides, I’ve used up all my “girl got away” songs, so I’m reaching for new subject matter. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Ironically, my faith is something I take very seriously. It’s something I don’t like to talk about. It’s something I practice in solitude. I’m an on-again-off-again Christian with an appreciation for Taoism, spirituality and most world religions. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Personally, I think this song isn’t really about faith or religion, it’s just about drunk people saying funny things in bars.</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/42553022016-06-29T08:35:45-07:002023-12-10T08:56:48-08:00Scurvy Dog<p><span class="font_large">Prince Rupert Hospitality </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"> I have wanted to go to Haida Gwaii (or the Queen Charlotte Islands) ever since I picked up a hitchhiker about 10 years back on my way to Waterton Lakes for a wedding. I was going through a Jack Kerouac phase and my young passenger told me all about living off the land. He told me about snaring rabbits and picking mushrooms and melding them in a wild stew that he cooked in a black cauldron in the woods. If that doesn’t plant the seed of wanderlust then I don’t know what will. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">As a Canadian folk singer, I believe it’s my job to tell the stories of the people of the country I come from. This requires travel and I pride myself on trying to explore every nook and cranny. Stompin’ Tom Connors said that he didn’t need a map to travel Canada. He also said that the only place in Canada he had never been was the Queen Charlotte Islands. Well Tom, you fucked up big time because those islands left an impression on me unlike anywhere else in Canada. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">My friend and pedal steel player, Dylan S Keating, and I were on the second annual Great North Tour. It is a tour we created in order to give us an excuse to explore and perform in more remote parts of Northern BC. We had such a good time doing it last year that we decided to make it an annual thing. We made it all the way to Prince Rupert but had to cancel the voyage to Haida Gwaii. This year we were determined to make it happen. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Our original plan was to take the car on the 9 hour ferry ride from Prince Rupert to Haida Gwaii. This would give us a place to sleep and help us keep an eye on all our musical gear. BC ferries emailed us 48 hours before the trip and let us know that the ferry was full and that we could ride as passengers but we would have to leave the car. With limited ferry access it was now or never. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Our backup plan was to rent bikes, leave our gear in the car in some side-street of Prince Rupert, and camp and cycle our way around. This plan came to a screeching hault when we found out the bike rental place in town had recently closed and the local Wal-Mart didn’t actually sell bikes (which we would have just bought and returned after our trip). </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">So without a formal plan, we booked ourselves tickets as foot passengers for the overnight ferry on Sunday night. We performed at the Wheelhouse Brewery in Prince Rupert on Saturday night and were chatting with one of the owners after the show. His name was James and he offered to lend us his bike and ask the other owner if we could borrow his bike. We accepted this hail-mary of an offer because we had little choice. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I should also point out that the Wheelhouse in Prince Rupert is my favorite place in Canada to have a beer. I have been saying this for the past year, and this generous offer just cemented it as my favorite. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The Wheelhouse is owned by three, cool, young guys who have created a great brewery and a cultural hub of the community. They have a seasonal beer called Scurvy Dog Spruce Ale. It is a beer brewed with spruce tips. Legend has it, that sailors off the coast would put spruce tips in their beer in order to avoid scurvy while out at sea for long durations (spruce tips are high in Vitamin C). James told us that all three owners and their families went camping for a few days and picked spruce tips the entire time, collecting over 70 lbs. They used these spruce tips for the brew and when it’s gone it’s gone. How’s that for “local” and “seasonal”. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The next day we showed up at the brewery in the afternoon to find two mountain bikes waiting for us with a lock and a helmet. There were two local gentleman (Vaughn and Richy) sitting at the bar when we walked in. They explained that when they got there they noticed one of the tires on the bikes was in rough shape, so they voluntarily took the bike back home and replaced it with one of theres. We had never met them before but they had heard that we were the musicians and we were cycling Haida Gwaii and they wanted to ensure we had a good time. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">At this point we were mind blown at the local hospitality we were receiving in Prince Rupert. Nearly total strangers were lending us there expensive bikes and bike parts to help us go on a mini-vacation in the middle of our tour. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Then Vaughn and Richy asked us if we would play an impromptu set. We politely declined as there was no one in the bar except the four of us and the bartender. Shortly after that it began to rain and the weather brought in a new crowd of tourists and locals. They tried again and this time we accepted (after getting a green light from an owner). </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The boys kept on sliding beers up to us on stage and calling for celebratory sociables. We finished a half-drunk, Sunday afternoon set to find out that they had walked around the bar gathering us tips. $300 worth of tips to be exact. We were blown away at the local hospitality. These good vibes and mutual appreciation spread and we kept on drinking long into the afternoon. Beers were on the house and we weren’t saying no to anything. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The next thing we knew it was 7:00. We had to check-in at the ferry at 8:30. We were drunk and hadn’t packed anything. We slammed our music gear in the storage room of the brewery and ran to the car and threw random clothes into a bag. It was pouring rain and we had to cycle 5 miles to the ferry station. We got soaking wet in the process and barely made it on time. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">We were ill-prepared, drunk, wet, hungry and had $300 in tips in our pocket that we decided should be put towards our trip. And with that we boarded the overnight ferry to Haida Gwaii.</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/41660912016-05-04T15:26:39-07:002022-05-31T01:08:02-07:00Project Wild Application<strong>This is my unedited essay that I used for the Project Wild application. This is a Calgary based radio station and Project Wild is a radio based competition. The essay is meant to be funny and smug. Please don't take this too seriously. It is written to get a laugh from the jurors, not to offend people.</strong><br> <p>“Cool bands don’t win radio contests,” -Dan Mangan </p>
<p>Now that I’ve got your attention... </p>
<p>My name is Tanner, I’m the guy at the front of the room taking notes and asking questions. I’m the guy on the road shaking hands and kissing babies. I’m the guy actually putting my money where my mouth is, trying to learn and stay humble along the way. I played nearly 150 shows in 2015. I took chances and learnt a great deal from those road miles. </p>
<p>I care about the business side of things. I got shut down for my first 10 grant applications, now I’m pretty consistently getting funding. I’m beginning to market myself as a storyteller because I believe there is a hole in the market and not many young guys are doing it anymore. I wrote a novel to replace the revenue I’m losing from CD sales due to streaming services. I’m hoping to break into the literary world as well as public speaking trend (TED Talks). </p>
<p>I’m learning that I am a brand and that I can stretch that brand out to a number of different avenues. I just edited a music book for an industry associate and made a solid contact and friend along the way. </p>
<p>There is more than one way to skin a cat and there are multiple ways to make money in this industry, you just need to be creative. </p>
<p>Here’s the 3 main reasons I want to be involved with Project Wild: </p>
<p>1) I want to go out of my way to make industry contacts in Western Canada. I want to start touring select markets in the U.S. and I need people I can rely on for information and resources. I would like to expand my professional circle. I’m good with people and believe I could use this to my advantage. </p>
<p>2) Meet other bands and artists at bootcamp and create stronger bonds for future relationships. I find that I am always on the go and this can be hard to solidify relationships. Having this time to connect will be greatly beneficial to me. </p>
<p>3) I want to have a career with longevity. I want to be doing this for the rest of my life and I want to learn as much as I can about the industry so that I can grow my brand. This would be a great resume piece that I could build off of. </p>
<p>I could lie to you and say that my main goal is to win the competition. But that would just be a lie. I know that what matters is that you hit the ground running and use momentum as leverage. Winning is less important than what the game plan is after the competition. This entire competition is just a leverage point for me. </p>
<p><strong>In a nutshell...</strong> </p>
<p>There is going to be flashier people than me entering this competition. There is going to be a girl that looks like Taylor Swift and some new band that’s coming out of the gates strong. They probably don’t have any experience and they most likely will become alcoholics and drug addicts and burn out before they amount to anything. </p>
<p>You can pass on me now, but I promise you that I will be the guy that sticks to plan and utilizes longevity and sustainability. I’ll be slowly growing when others are moving through massive highs and crushing lo’s. </p>
<p>You can pass on me now, but the next time you want to work with me you will have to talk to my agent...and he will tell you that you probably can’t afford me. </p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/41601262016-04-29T18:36:29-07:002022-05-11T00:03:42-07:00When spring rolls around...<p><span class="font_large"> After a slow winter it’s always a pleasure to get back on the road again. March was a crazy month to say the least. I wasn’t sure how I was going to fit it all in, but somehow we made it happen. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">At the tail-end of February I drove out to Winnipeg with my friend Mariel Buckley for the Prairie Winter Song Retreat. We were two of three Alberta artist sent out to Manitoba for a co-writing session. Three artists from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta were set-up in groups of three everyday, and expected to write and perform a new song. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">It was a challenging experience but I can honestly say that I came out of it with three really promising songs. There was some monster writers and I learnt a great deal from seeing how other people operate. A songwriter named Grant Davidson (Slow Leaves) told me to think of a song like a painting. I’ve always thought of songs as stories so that was a nice alternative for me that has opened up some new possibilities. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I followed that off with a nice little West coast run to Vancouver Island. I brought Dylan along to play pedal steel and we played some really nice gigs. We played a great house concert in Victoria and a nice folk club in Chiliwack. We hiked in to some strange railway crash in the woods near Whistler. All these boxcars just slid off the tracks and into the forest. People have painted them all sorts of colours. It was beautiful, like a pop-up art gallery. It was one of those cool, local secrets that we wouldn’t have discovered normally. That’s what touring is all about. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">At the end of March we played a show in my hometown of Taber, AB. We rented out the curling club and hauled a bunch of sound gear down and put on a show. I was a little nervous about playing at home but it turned out to be a great night. We will absolutely do it again next year. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">In April, I went down to my parents place and spent almost a week there helping out on the farm. I always enjoy going down there; it’s a nice break from the road and the city. I’m not too sure if I’m built for life in Calgary. I enjoy being at home on the farm, and on the road. I have a solid crew of friends and a support network in Calgary so I certainly can’t complain. But at the end of the day I am a road dog, and that’s where I belong. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"> I followed that off with a prairie solo tour that went really well. I had the pleasure of opening up for John Wort Hannam at the Lyric Theatre in Swift Current. We played to a packed house and an amazing audience. I had wanted to play that room for a long time, so it was great to get the opportunity. John was really good to me and I’ll always remember that. He sat and watched my entire set and was a really positive and encouraging guy. I realize that those are the type of shows that I want to be doing. I also had a nice show in Saskatoon and got to play at a great new room in Prince Albert called the Rock Trout Cafe. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Touring solo is a strange beast, but I find it’s necessary to make a living. It’s incredibly expensive to bring a band on the road, or to even bring one, hired musician. Playing solo just makes sense economically. Fortunately, I knew enough people out in the prairies to keep me company. I also spent a great deal of time using my Goodlife Fitness membership in every place I went. That really helps keep you stay healthy on the road. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I’ve got a great spring and summer coming up. On Sunday May 8th I’ll be running a Spartan Run in Big Forks, Montana at 8 AM. I’ll follow that up by opening for Fred Penner at 8 PM in Lethbridge. I can’t say it’s ever slow and I can’t say it’s not interesting. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Looking forward to catching everybody on the road. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Cheers, <br>Tanner</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/40579002016-02-24T10:25:05-08:002021-09-18T13:36:53-07:00Dane and the lightsaber<p><span class="font_large">Every year on Christmas Eve, my extended family on my mother’s side, gets together. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">This year, my little cousin Dane had a toy lightsaber. It was an appropriate toy as the new Star Wars film had just been released and he had just seen it in theaters, AND he got his very own popcorn and pop (this was an important detail to Dane). </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Dane is eight-years-old and he is the youngest child in his family. He is extremely intelligent. He is a natural performer and has a unique sense of humor. He isn’t as competitive at sports as his older brother and sister. He is sensitive, a quality that never bodes well in team sports. He has a strong attention to detail and a vivid imagination. He is one of my favorite family members as we share some similar character traits, for better or for worse. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Dane was very excited to share with me his favorite moments of the Star Wars film, the technical details of the lightsaber and his hopes and dreams for the future of the Star Wars franchise. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I started asking him far too advanced, technical and philosophical questions about the Star Wars universe, </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"> “Does a lightsaber cut or burn?” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"> “If you get your arm chopped off by a lightsaber, would the wound cauterize and sterilize? Or is there risk of infection?” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"> “What do you think the annual wage of a Stormtrooper would be?” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"> “Would a Jedi be considered a terrorist?” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">His older brother, Drake, weighed in on the conversation. He had his own answers to my questions and they were well thought out. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Drake figured a lightsaber was an energy source and therefore would burn. If you lost an arm the wound would be cauterized and would probably be sanitized in the process. Stormtroopers probably weren’t paid and instead were taken care of and brainwashed into the movement. And Jedi’s are the good guys, so naturally they would be embraced in modern society. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Dane was fascinated by the conversation but couldn’t keep up with his brother’s confident answers to my obscure questions. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">“A light saber would be a really, really, hot heat, Tanner.” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Thanks Dane. Thanks buddy. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">To be honest, I’ve never been a massive Star Wars fan. I loved the original three, hated the three recent films and considered that a pretty mediocre batting average. I wasn’t really interested in the new film until my conversation with Dane and his brother Drake. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Dane was jacked-up on Star Wars. He wanted to get into it. It took every ounce of his being to not ruin the ending. He could barely resist telling me that a main character died in the film (whoops, spoiler alert). Instead he gave me painfully obvious clues until I figured it out on my own. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">After Christmas, I went to see the new movie and loved it. It was fun, I felt excited. I was like a kid watching it; eating my very own popcorn. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">My point is that Dane was excited and thus it made me excited. It made me realize that excitement and a distinct interest in something is a contagious quality. When people get excited about things, momentum builds and movements happen. People are excited about Bernie Sanders right now. Everyone loves an underdog story. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I don’t care what you do, but if you are passionate about it and can demonstrate that to me, then I’m probably going to become interested myself. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">If you are a musician, author, jewelry maker, politician, real-estate agent, entrepreneur, carpenter, work in non-profit, a teacher, a chef or even a Jedi, if you are into it then I’m probably going to be into it as well. I’ll drink the Kool-Aid - I just want to know that you want to drink the Kool-Aid as well, and I want to know that it’s going to be awesome! </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Marketers rejoice. Here is some free information that I learned from an eight-year-old kid.</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/40194312016-02-01T16:02:38-08:002022-03-10T23:11:27-08:00Door-To-Door <p><br><span class="font_regular"><strong>This is a story that I have been working on to be told on stage. It is a true story about my short lived stint selling security systems door-to-door. It was a strange and adventurous time in my life. The story is about my friend Darrall. </strong></span></p>
<p><br>"Darrall spoke wish a brash, Brooklyn accent, though I’m sure he had never been to New York. </p>
<p>He was from a small farming community, just like me. </p>
<p>We first met in Fairfax, Virginia. Neither of us had ever been to Fairfax, and didn’t know where Virginia was until we ended up living there. </p>
<p>Darrall lived in the condo above me. He listened to R and B music loudly, played poker and drank everyday. </p>
<p>We were both employees of Pinnacle Security. We sold security systems door-to-door, six days a week. Pinnacle was a mormon company based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. The Church of Latter-day Saints. </p>
<p>The company hired young, mormon men, many of whom had just completed missions. During these missions, the boys left home for a year or two and tried to sell eternal redemption. Selling security systems was much easier. It was a perfect system. </p>
<p>The company hired us thinking we were nice, mormon boys. We were not. We were con-artists. I didn’t know this yet, Darrall knew this for a long time. </p>
<p>-------------- </p>
<p>Everyday at noon we were dropped off in random Virginia suburbs. We would knock on doors and try to sell security systems. They would pick us up just after dusk. Some of us sold systems, some of us didn’t. </p>
<p>Darrall refused to be dropped off at noon. “No one is home until 6 PM. Your wasting six hours of my time.” </p>
<p>For the first three days, the company complied and Darrall stayed at the condo and went to the pool. On the fourth day they threatened to fire Darrall unless he went out at Noon. </p>
<p>On the fifth day, Darrall went to a mall and set up a booth. He put up a banner that said, “enter to win a free security system.” People did sign up. They filled out the ballot with their name and phone number. After a few hours, mall security kicked Darrall out. He called every single person who entered and signed a few people up for a three-year contract. </p>
<p>The company offered us free rent in the condos, a cell phone, pepper spray, an American working visa, and $400 travel money, plus commission. </p>
<p>Darrall used all his pepper spray on the nice mormon boys. He sprayed their toothbrushes, boxer shorts, their food, and occasionally, he sprayed them directly in the face. </p>
<p>------------------- </p>
<p>On the 13th day, I took my U.S. working visa, my cell phone, and the only $400 to my name and moved to the beach. </p>
<p>The company threatened to cut off my cell phone and flag my U.S. working visa....they never did. </p>
<p>Before I left, Darrall asked me for the spare key to the condo, my parking pass and the key fob that opened the front gate of the condo complex. </p>
<p>The company leased the condo units for four months. </p>
<p>On the seventeenth day, Darrall put an ad in the local paper to rent out the condo unit below him. The condo I had lived in. </p>
<p>On the nineteenth day, he charged a young couple, first and last months rent, plus a $100 deposit for the condo complex key fob. They wrote him a cheque for $2,100. </p>
<p>He cashed that cheque and moved to the beach. </p>
<p>A few months ago I stayed at Darrall’s house. He owns a company in Wyoming now. We were drinking and reminiscing about the old days. </p>
<p>“I wonder how long that young couple got to stay in the condo before the company realized I rented it out,” he said. </p>
<p>------------ </p>
<p>Darrall spoke wish a brash, Brooklyn accent, though I’m sure he had never been to New York."</p>
<p><br> </p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/39174112015-11-06T13:24:53-08:002021-07-20T00:28:14-07:00The Sky is Falling. (what I learned from the worst teacher I've ever had)Once upon a time I took a single semester of broadcast journalism at the Lethbridge College. I reluctantly enrolled in the program after spending a year abroad, and simply hoped for the best.<br><br>Upon graduating high school, I went to Australia for nearly a year and completed an agriculture exchange program. I was only 17 years old when I left and it was one of the hardest and most adventurous times of my entire life. <br><br>The property I stayed on was 45 minutes from the nearest town; we had no TV or Internet for the first six months. It was pretty much like living in a John Wayne movie. It was a 28,000-acre cattle and sheep station and there was myself and two other people who lived and worked on the property. It was lonely and beautiful. <br><br>When I got home I was mildly unsure of what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I wanted to tell stories and be involved with arts and culture. Coming from a small town and an agriculture background, I didn’t know exactly how this was supposed to happen.<br><br>My only real connection to the arts was through a handful of DIY punk rock bands, who came through my community when I was in high school and through the couple radio stations I had access to most of my life. <br><br>You couldn’t go to school for punk rock, so I decided to try broadcast journalism. I barely knew what this was at the time.<br><br>One of my first classes was with an overweight, white, male instructor, with lots of opinions. He had a last name for a first name and a first name for a last name. He had a lifetime of experience in radio.<br><br>He told us that we were all doomed. Satellite radio was on the forefront, and he told us that all the jobs in radio would soon be done. We were fucked. <br><br>I found this strange. Strange that a man would sit in front of a new class of young students and promise them nothing but failure. So one day I asked him about this. I asked him why he would agree to take a job teaching a course that he was sure was doomed. Why would he support this?<br><br>He shrugged and told me that it was a good instructing job. <br><br>He truly believed this was a doomed field but yet he was perfectly fine taking all these young students money and accepting the position.<br><br>This was a pivotal moment in my life. This was when I discovered exactly what I didn’t want to be in my life.<br><br>I didn’t want to be a fear-monger, or a “no-man”. I didn’t want to scare people and tell them what they couldn’t do. I didn’t want to take a job where you had the possibility to influence people, and then abuse that position of power. That’s when I knew what I didn’t want to do. And that was just as important as learning what exactly I wanted to do with my life.<br><br>Fast forward a couple of years<br><br>I’m in Nashville, Tennessee for the second or third time. I’m slugging it out and trying my hand as a full-time musician. I’m a singer/songwriter. I tell stories.<br><br>As a full-time musician you do a lot of driving. You drive all the time. Through this process I really began to love podcasts. They are radio stories in a new package. It’s an old medium, repurposed. <br><br>One of my favorite podcasts at the time was “This American Life”. The host of that podcast was speaking at the Ryman Auditorium. I decided to go. It was a Friday night. It was called An Evening With Ira Glass.<br><br>It was one of the most inspiring nights of my life. Ira talked about working in a creative field, the art of storytelling and the revival of radio. He talked about how when he said he was going to start an old-time radio show people told him he was crazy. Everyone told him that radio was dead. He knew there was a way and he talked about believing in his idea. He talked about not letting people tell you what you can’t do with your life.<br><br>He said that there is no better time to be in a creative field than right now. He said that you would know exactly where you stand. If people like it and need what you are doing, then they will support you. <br><br>Ira spoke of the transformative phase of creative work. That few years when you have to really slug it out and develop your idea and your product. He played examples of radio pieces he had done early on and how bad those pieces were. He explained that this was a necessary metamorphosis that most people needed to go through in a creative field. The art of finding yourself.<br><br>Now the idea of telling stories through radio doesn’t sound so crazy. “This American Life” is a very, very popular show. We’ve all witnessed the growth and boom of the podcast industry.<br><br>Telling stories is what makes us human. It’s how we transfer and pass on culture and history. We’ve done it many different ways, but we will always do it. We will never stop telling stories. It’s at the core of our being. <br><br>Fast forward a couple more years<br><br>It’s a few days before Christmas. I’m visiting my parents down on the farm in Southern Alberta. I’m helping my dad with a few chores and we are driving somewhere to drop something off. We are listening to the radio.<br><br>I hear a very old, opinionated man start to talk about politics. He has a lot of ideas; he is trying to predict the future. He sounds like quack, a fear monger and a naysayer.<br><br>“Who is this idiot?,” I say to my father.<br><br>“He must like the sound of his own voice,” said my dad. “I bet he’s been doing this for a long, long time.”<br><br>Then I realized who it was. It was my old instructor from that time I did a single semester of broadcast journalism at Lethbridge College.<br><br>He had told us that radio was doomed, but guess what he was doing? He was talking on the radio.<br><br>I’ve had many great instructors, professors and mentors in my life. They’ve all taught me a great deal. I’ve had one bad instructor. He taught me some really important things in a different way; so in a round-about way maybe he wasn’t such a bad instructor. <br><br>I realized that everyone will encounter people like my bad instructor. These people happen. It’s how you respond to these people that matters. It’s what you do with this and how you react to these situations that matter. It can be fodder, it can give you someone to prove something to.<br><br>I hope you don’t let an opinionated, overweight, white man tell you what you can’t do with your life. I hope you prove them all wrong and go out and create something beautiful.<br><br>Shine on you crazy diamonds.Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/37606072015-06-30T12:15:34-07:002022-01-09T09:44:42-08:00The Great North Tour Re-Cap: The Nitty Gritty<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b>Great North Tour Recap:</b></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Canada is a nearly impossible country to travel. It is an unconquerable landmass with desolate stretches of beauty and nothingness. </p>
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<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The Great North Tour was a 3-week outing through Alberta and B.C. in June 2015. I was accompanied by my friend and pedal steel guitarist, Dylan S Keating. We placed a particular influence on obscure and off-the-beaten-path markets in B.C.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">There are 13 primary touring markets in Canada. That is not a good thing for mid-sized or large artists trying to tour the country. Fortunately, I am a small artist and can afford to roll the dice in secondary markets and virtually non-existent markets. I also play Folk music, a genre that is often embraced by smaller markets.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b>The reasons we tried out these obscure B.C. markets:</b></p>
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<ol> <li style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">It was a really good excuse to see more of Canada and go to places we never normally would.</li> <li style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">No one else is really doing it, spare a handful of artists. We felt like this helped separate us from the herd.</li> <li style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">There are heaps of small festivals popping up in these secondary markets, and I believed that playing these markets may help my chances to play the festivals next year.</li>
</ol>
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<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">So...here are some of the highlights:</p>
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<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b>Waterton</b> - This place is such a hidden gem. I played two nights solo in town and they put me up, fed me, payed me well. It feels more like being on holidays than working. You are pretty much hired to be background noise but I worked really hard to fight for attention. It was a slug but I was able to win over the crowd, which is always a good feeling.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b>Edmonton</b> - Played a house-concert style venue on a Sunday night. Had a great, warm, receptive audience. It was hot as hell and sweaty. It feels like we are making some slow gains in that city.</p>
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<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b>Jasper</b> - We played here on a Monday night, which is never a good night for a show. We had a nice little crowd, and got treated like gold. We were put up in really nice hotel rooms which is unusual. Jasper is such a great place. It’s so nice to be there.</p>
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<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b>Squamish</b> - This was my first time in Squamish and it got me. Such a beautiful town. We got a really nice hike in, were put up in another really swank hotel room, got fed local oysters and sea food, drank good local beers. We played to a full room to half attentive people. The people that liked it, loved it, while the others were just there to socialize. The entire experience was so nice that I felt like I should be paying for it, not getting payed to do it.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b>Blind Bay</b> - Just outside of Vernon, this was a last minute show our friend helped us set-up as we had to cancel our Haida Gwaii portion of the trip due to logistics. We played outside, overlooking the water. It was a nice and attentive audience and we were treated like gold. Overwhelming hospitality by everyone. Beautiful setting for a folk show.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b>Kelowna</b> - The Streaming Cafe in Kelowna is a top-notch venue. This is next level. They have a great built-in crowd, they film and live-stream the show to an even bigger audience, they put you up in a really nice place outside of town and they treat you well. If you can play places like this all the time then you have made it.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b>Prince Rupert</b> - This is a small coastal town. The scenery was worth it alone. Got a nice hike in and some good seafood. They have the best brewery I’ve ever been to in my life. The whole town felt like they came out for the show. Everyone listened and I sold a ton of CD’s. Some things went sour after the show, but it’s not relevant to the story. Plus, things like this are expected on tour.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">My touring philosophy is to keep things economical when possible. We did partake in some touristy activities which costed money, and we did treat ourselves to some quality food. We also drove my Mazda 3 which kept our fuel costs relatively low. </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b>Here are some of our tour rules:</b></p>
<ol> <li style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">No gas station food ever. Nothing. No exceptions.</li> <li style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">No fast food ever. No exceptions.</li> <li style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Try to never pay for a hotel, except when necessary. Get the venue or promoter to cover accommodations when possible, stay with friends, or worst case...sleep in the car.</li>
</ol>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b>So....Was it worth it????</b></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><i>Financially</i>, probably not. We made money from the tour, not a ton of money, not as much as we would have made by staying home and working a day job. But not bad money either. Some places payed us very well, some places payed us a little. We also received a small tour grant from Alberta Music, which helped off-set some costs.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">You can’t try out new markets and expect it to be worth it financially. I did feel like we built an audience and made some valuable contacts. Do I think it could be worth it....Yes. I think there is a way to make both the Southern and Northern B.C. runs lucrative.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I would have made good money if I would have streamlined the tour to 14 days or shorter, and if I had done the tour solo. It is expensive to bring another musician out on the road. This would have greatly reduced my enjoyment of the tour and not have allowed us to try so many new markets. Touring alone is a mental game and adds another element of stress.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We got back from our tour (which consisted of more than 15 shows in 3 weeks) and then had one day off before we started playing corporate gigs for the Calgary Stampede. We will be playing 10 shows during and around the Stampede. These shows pay immensely better but don’t help your career at all.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I’m finding I need to balance my career-building shows/tours and my financially viable shows. Not only this, but I need to be playing over 100 shows per year in general to survive as an independent Canadian singer-songwriter. </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Dan Mangan told me that once I play 1000 shows I will be an expert. I think I’m around 450. This is a relatively thin nail to hang my hat on, but it’s the only real sense of direction I have in this choose-yer-own-adventure of a music industry.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">But, back to the Great North Tour</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b>Was it worth it for the experience???</b></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Yes, absolutely! I wouldn’t trade it for the world.</p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/36861642015-05-01T14:24:36-07:002022-05-09T13:48:17-07:00The Great North Tour<div><span class="font_regular"><span class="font_large">Hi super-friends,</span><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/c36f32d65e9079628c358f4b6584270e5115b15e/medium/great-north-tour.gif?1430515052" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span class="font_large">I’ll be heading out into some new territory this June. I’ll be joined by pedal steel guitarist, Dylan S Keating, for the voyage. We will be travelling from Calgary to Haida Gwaii, Kelowna to Prince George, and many points in between.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span class="font_large">As a singer-songwriter I’m always excited about exploring new places. It’s part of the fun of it all. Haida Gwaii (or...the Queen Charlotte Islands) is the only place in Canada that Stompin’ Tom said he had never been. </span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span class="font_large">Dylan and I will be performing a bunch of new tunes we’ve been working on for an upcoming album. Some are already recorded, some aren’t. We will be trying to post a great deal of videos and clips to give everyone a taste of things to come.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span class="font_large">One thing that will be unique to this tour is the charitable angle we will be taking. In addition to our regular evening shows, we will be performing some free shows at local old-folks homes and seniors centres. We will be tucking-in our shirts, shaving our faces and busting out some classic country in hopes of enriching someone’s day.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span class="font_large">We will be busy playing shows, hiking, soaking in the local haunts, trying the local cuisine and looking around.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span class="font_large">We would like to acknowledge the financial support of Alberta Music. They were kind enough to help us out with a tour grant which helps us out with some of our basic expenses. Touring remote parts of Canada would not be possible without organizations like this. </span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span class="font_large">My friend Jarett Lee Sitter took care of the tour poster. He’s done work for Mother Mother, Said The Whale, Calgary Underground Film Festival and Polaris Music Prize. So if you like the poster then please look him up, buy him a beer or give him a digital high-five.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><span class="font_large">Listed below are our current shows. We do have a couple holes left to fill. If you know anyone who would like to host a house concert, don’t be shy. </span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">May 29 - Calgary - Wine Ohs</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">May 30 - TBA</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 5/6 - Waterton - Fireside Lounge</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 7 - Edmonton - Last Call Garage</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 8 - Jasper - Whistle Stop Pub</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 9 - Revelstoke - The Last Drop</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 10 - Vancouver - Railway Club</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 12 - Squamish - Howe Sound Brewery</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 13 - Kelowna - Streaming Cafe</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 14 - 18 - Haida Gwaii</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 19 - Prince Rupert - Cowpacinos </span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 20 - Smithers - Two Sisters Cafe</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 22 - Prince George - Nancy O’s</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 23/24 - TBA</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 25 - Rolla - Rolla Pub</span></em></div>
<div><em><span class="font_large">June 26/27 - Private Event</span></em></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/35776442015-03-05T11:21:44-08:002015-03-19T20:53:07-07:00Podcasts That Keep Me Going (Part 1)<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Dear Superfriends,</span>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Sometimes I feel like I drive and send emails for a living.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Being a musician is a different life than I thought it would be. Sometimes you drive all day, wait around a venue for hours, check into a hotel room, all just to play a little set of music. It can be a strange process sometimes.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I’ve grown to enjoy the driving. Often, it’s just me, alone in the car. One thing that has made this entire job that much more joyful is podcasts. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Podcasts are a game changer. They have brought me so much joy, entertainment and knowledge. I couldn’t imagine doing this job without them.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I’m always on the lookout for new podcasts, I would love some suggestions. Some I listen to religlously, while some I listen to casually, from time-to-time.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Here are my favourite podcasts at the moment. I’ll be breaking this blog up into two parts so that I can give you a quick description of each and explain why I enjoy these.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In no particular order.....</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>WTF with Marc Maron Podcast</b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I have to be honest, I never thought I would enjoy this podcast. It’s a straight-up interview podcast between comedian, Marc Maron, and a variety of guests. The guests range from directors, to athletes, to musicians, to actors. What makes it special is that Marc doesn’t suck-up to anyone. It feels like two friends chatting. It is strangely sentimental and honest. He gets interviews no one else does.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Key epidsodes</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Jason Schwartzman</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Paul Thomas Anderson</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>The Moth Podcast</b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This is a podcast of a live event that encourages people to share stories, live and without a script. This involves real people telling their greatest life stories. Some are hillarious and some are painfully morose. You never know what you are going to get.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Key episodes</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Alex & Me (Oct 22, 2012)</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Hatpin Mary (Re-Added Jan 14, 2014)</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>Planet Money</b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">A quick and quirky economics podcast. This is a short and digestible podcast about stories involving commerce. What makes it great is the amazing team and production</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Key episodes:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">#600 - The People Inside Your Machine</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>This American Life</b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The mother of all podcasts. This set the bar for quality, long-form, investigative stories of the human spirit. I feel like this podcast revolutionized radio. As good as it gets.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Key episodes:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">468: Switcheroo 06.29.2012</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">502: This Call May Be Recorded...To Save Your Life 08.09.2013</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>New Yorker: Fiction</b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Well known authors read pieces from other authors from the New Yorker magazine. The best part is that after the excerpt is read the author offers his insight as to why he likes the piece and what it means to him/her.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Key episodes:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">David Gilbert Reads Steven Polansky</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/35559762015-02-24T20:04:32-08:002021-07-19T23:48:55-07:00Blue River & Nashville<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Hello superfriends,</span>
<p><br>I’ve had a busy start to the year. I always try to chill out during the winter and take some time off to write and be a weird artist. I find that with such a busy schedule, sometimes I get caught playing the same songs and telling the same stories, and going through the motions. The winter is a good opportunity to break this trend.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I had a bunch of show offers in January that I felt were too good to pass up. So January was extremely busy and didn’t offer the downtime I hoped for. On the plus side, I got to play some really great shows with some great people.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Mike Wiegele’s Heli Ski Resort in Blue River BC hosted me for a three day residency in January. That was a wild experience. They put Dylan (my pedal steel player) and I up in the fanciest cabin I have ever seen, fed us like kings and pumped us full of great beer. We played for rich Europeans and Australians next to a roaring fireplace. <br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/56e34cc38f0806b84657e217542ae7dd8a357c9a/original/blue-river-2.jpg?1424836822" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">These crazy Australian guys made the trip really memorable. They partied harder than anyone I’ve ever seen and then got up and went heli-skiing every single day. They tipped us $480. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The Australians really lit it up on the last night, I have a wild story about them, but I’m saving it for the stage. So your going have to pay to hear that one...Or, wait for a live record. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I made it down to Nashville for the bulk of February. It was my third trip down there and it was the best one yet. I loved it. It’s such an inspiring city and I always learn so much.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My favorite show I saw this time was a guy named Evan Dando. He used-to-still-kind-of fronts a semi-famous 90’s group called the Lemonheads. I’ve always described them as Stoner-Pop music. He was playing a solo show the first night I was in town and it was $18 a ticket (which is a lot for Nashville). I have liked The Lemonheads for a long time so I took a chance. I was feeling lonely and nostalgic.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/7094afca1fff33becb61c0ed242550c28764591b/original/evan-dando.jpg?1424837030" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Evan did everything I usually hate from a solo act. He didn’t acknowledge the crowd, he didn’t tell stories, he was a sloppy guitar player and his singing was sub-par at best. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Somehow the show stuck with me and is still haunting me. He was honest. His songs were simple and he really left an impression. Midway through the set he played a particularly sentimental song called All My Life. The song really got to me. It has such a simple and beautiful chorus; “All my life, I thought I needed all the things I didn’t need at all.” </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I accidentally met fellow Calgarian songsmith, Joni Delaurier, at the Country Music Hall of Fame. I used to work with the Calgary Emergency Management Agency before I became a broke-ass folk singer. Joni still works alongside this organization. We had a ton in common and she brought me to a lot of amazing writer’s rounds and we wrote a song together one day. Joni is immersed in the Nashville scene, while I just feel like a hippie starring on from the outside. She really helped explain the scene to me.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I am going to stick to these blog posts more closely from now on. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Big tour announcements coming soon. Stay tuned superfriends.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Cheers,</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tanner</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/34723482015-01-17T15:05:25-08:002021-06-22T16:41:42-07:00The Best Christmas Present Ever<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/ac5c937d8c00a9a0cdee899fa51785bf2b023c08/large/cover.jpg?1421535268" class="size_l justify_center border_thin" alt="" /><p>Only a mother who has an artistic son can understand the shear volume of work that is produced in bedrooms. Only a very small percentage of this ever makes it to the surface, to the printing press or the manufacturing plant or the world wide web. The rest of the world only sees the 1% of the final product. The pieces that may or may not deserve to stand the test of time.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Only a mother sees the rest. She sees the endless journals and scraps of papers. The poetry scribbled on napkins, the sketches, the demo tapes, the short films, the budgets, the plans, the pictures. She is one of the few people that sees it all.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">She sees it because it is left in her closets, under beds, in bins, and under her stairs. It is left in the real-estate that you left long ago that she still maintains. She maintains the means to keep your junk safe. Your forgotten dreams. That box of CD’s from your first band that broke up, that you forgot under the bed in the spare room.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">There was that one time I wrote a screenplay. 50 pages for an estimated 50 minute runtime. Three individual drafts, multiple copies of each. That’s hundreds of pages paper-clipped together; never to be seen by anyone except the one company it was mailed to, who replied via mail, in a typed and printed feedback letter that said, “too many dream sequences, not realistic for this project and budget.” </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> I never wrote another script.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">One time I wrote a children’s book. My best friend Curtis illustrated it. It was loosely based of a Czechoslovakian folk tale that my grandmother told me through a murky memory, second guessing if she was fabricating parts or confusing two stories.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/ebd1874f3fc8d57e444d7ecb915424d2d5ae946b/large/photo-2015-01-17-1-54-15-pm.jpg?1421535453" class="size_l justify_center border_thin" alt="" /></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/232afb1a53162c3df8ed674bc5e416763fd66179/large/photo-2015-01-17-1-54-55-pm.jpg?1421535587" class="size_l justify_center border_thin" alt="" /><br>I wrote it over the course of a week during lunch breaks and slow times at one of my first jobs. I always hated working. I wrote in corners, in bathrooms, on assembly lines, on counters, in back rooms and anywhere I could. I always tried to keep as much of my time as I could.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This year for Christmas my mother published 10 copies of that childrens book that I left on top of that closet.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It is called the Ballad of Blumwicker Pete. I don’t even think I knew what a ballad was at the time.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/7cc2b237dfcb0adef4937da10948669f1dab5934/large/photo-2015-01-17-1-56-15-pm.jpg?1421535695" class="size_l justify_center border_thin" alt="" /></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">There are Led Zeppelin references. I somehow gave a nod to Hemingway. It feels like a Cat Stevens song. It reminds me of exactly who I was then.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/c016c5312e00d0cd3c69f4a0ca35209e9f06bfab/large/photo-2015-01-17-1-54-40-pm.jpg?1421535854" class="size_l justify_center border_thin" alt="" /></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">At the time I thought the illustrations were amateur. They weren’t what I imagined but I had no idea how to communicate this. We were kids. There was no arts funding. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px">Now I love the illustrations. They are strange and original. I haven’t really seen anything like them.</p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Art for art’s sake. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">For Granny Fanny. Thanks for the stories.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/33691042014-12-06T15:36:27-08:002022-02-19T06:59:27-08:00The Scarf<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> <strong>The Scarf</strong></span><br> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">(Disclaimer: Thanks for reading my blog. I just wanted to say that if you enjoy my rants then please sign up for my newsletter here. <a href="http://www.tannerjamesmusic.com"><span style="font: 11.0px Helvetica; text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #2c00af">www.tannerjamesmusic.com</span></a> . I post even more zany stories from the road as well as tour and record announcements. Hell, I even send out Christmas cards.)<br><br>I was having a crisis of the spirit the other day. I recently turned 29-years-old and was questioning my abilities as a singer-songwriter. I have been watching my peers get married, start families and commit to their day jobs and begin careers. I had a feeling of being left behind at 29. I left a good job to pursue music and was wondering if I am a delusional person or if I am on the right path. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I recently had a relationship fall apart. This may or may not have contributed to me second guessing my career path and lifestyle choices. I was told that my music career had nothing to do with the choice to throw in the towel, but I had to at least entertain the idea that it actually did. <br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/e934184c7df53249bd8ca9a47821fd7ed98b3820/medium/scarf2.jpg?1417908371" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; " /></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I had a relatively slow November and December so I decided to pick up some holiday shifts somewhere. I was hired to help with catering in the dining rooms and conference halls at the Calgary Zoo. It is a shitty, low-paying job that I took in order to justify not being on the road as much as usual. On one hand, I am grateful that I can pick up a few shifts and continue to do what I enjoy, yet on the other hand I feel like I’ve payed my dues and that I shouldn’t have to work shitty jobs at all. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">When I am at work I just try to think of Edward Norton in the movie Fight Club. If it was good enough for him and his alter ego, then it must be good enough for me. Plus, it ends in January anyhow. The job ends, not Fight Club. As far as I know Fight Club is timeless. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I’m sure it was an accumulation of a failed relationship, a shitty new temp job, the onslaught of Canadian winter and a poor attitude, but I was feeling particularly awful one day last week.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I had to drive out to Red Deer this same day and play a solo show. It was cold and I was second guessing everything. It was one of those days.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Feeling morose and self-indulgent, I headed into the venue and loaded in my gear. On top of this, I should mention that I took the month of November off drinking. I couldn’t even have a drink to blow off some steam.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Well it just so happened that this was a particularly warm and inspiring gig, which just so fell upon a particularly cold and lonely day for me. People were great, the show went off without a hitch, I enjoyed myself and was payed fairly.<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/ef1b8c952d6a36a9a33b3ee1865304a82ee182da/medium/scarf1.jpg?1417908275" class="size_m justify_center border_thin" alt="" style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; " /></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In the middle of the gig an older French couple came up and told me how much they appreciated my music. The man said that I had brought his wife to tears during one of my songs and that it was there 18th wedding anniversary. The man asked me if he could give me his scarf as a token of their appreciation. He said it was from Quebec and it was a very special scarf; handmade with traditional colours and fabric.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I accepted.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">And just like that everything was right in the world. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I’ve barely taken the scarf off since. It’s my new favourite. It reminds me what I am supposed to be doing with my life.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The Scarf.</span><br><br> </p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/33106822014-11-20T13:58:21-08:002021-12-17T06:22:13-08:00A Beginner's Guide To Becoming A Touring Musician<div><a contents="A Beginner’s Guide To Becoming A Touring Musician" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://gumroad.com/l/eDHM">A Beginner’s Guide To Becoming A Touring Musician</a></div>
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<div>If my count is correct, then I’ve played just shy of 125 shows in 2014. I’ve been on the road across the country more than a couple times. I took January and February off for the most part as well, just to do some writing and try to escape some of the vicious Canadian winter.</div>
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<div>Being a touring musician has been a great experience. I’ve met the most amazing human beings, saw some places I would have never ever seen otherwise and had my faith in humanity restored by the kindest people. I’ve also been cold, lonely, hungry, broke and scared. Touring is filled with massive highs and crushing lo’s, yet the risk and reward.</div>
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<div>My best buddy has been nagging me to write about my experiences and offer some insight. Being a busy guy and having to be on the road so much, I usually turned down his request.</div>
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<div>On my most recent tour, I finally decided to take him up on this offer. I wrote down thoughts, ideas, tips and warnings while sitting in the passenger seat of my 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix. I scribbled into notebooks and napkins, inbetween states and provinces. </div>
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<div>We took these writings and put together a really compact guide to being a touring musician. It’s my opinion and some may disagree. I do feel it is a great place to start for anyone starting to venture into this territory. It includes pieces of advice that was given to me that I have found very valuable. </div>
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<div>So here it is...</div>
<div><a contents="A Beginner’s Guide To Becoming A Touring Musician" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://gumroad.com/l/eDHM">A Beginner’s Guide To Becoming A Touring Musician</a></div>
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<div>What's included:</div>
<div>-Introduction: Why should you tour?</div>
<div>-How to Book a Tour: Tangible recommendations for booking your tour</div>
<div>-Show Swaps: The art of show swaps</div>
<div>-Research: How to research venues</div>
<div>-Email Template: Email show request template</div>
<div>-Logistics: Important questions to consider</div>
<div>-Money Saving Tips: Four money saving tips</div>
<div>-Follow-Up: After the tour</div>
<div>-Final Note: Final thoughts</div>
<div> </div>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/31647012014-08-30T17:14:49-07:002021-11-28T20:07:48-08:00Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures: Tips for living like a hobo while touring, travelling or drifting <span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> I’ve spent a sizeable amount of time backpacking internationally, budget travelling the US by car, and have done more than a few tours; both with an indie rock band and solo. The one thing all my travelling has had in common is that I’ve done it all on an extremelly tight budget.</span>
<p>Here are some of my best tips to get by on the road with little or no money:</p>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b> 1. Continental Breakfasts</b></span><br> </div>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">So many hotels just open up their doors every single morning and invite the world in for a scrumptious and complementary breakfast. Of course, they don’t want non-guests attending but that doesn’t stop me. Just walk through the front doors like you own the place and try to spot out the C.B. and re-angle your way to it. Say hello and good morning to the front desk staff and they won’t suspect a thing. Take your time and enjoy the breakfast and feel free to grab muffins and fruit for the road. Turn it into a free lunch as well.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Hours are usually 6:30-9:30 am, and my favourite is the Holiday Inn Express.</span></p>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b> 2. Gym Trial Memberships</b></span><br> </div>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Many large gyms offer a free trial. This usually ranges from a single session to a weekly invitation. In large cities you may even be handed a flyer on the street by some low-level employee encouraging you to try their free trial, these are the true gold mines. It is a free place to shower and some of the high end gyms have emaculate facilities and occassionally free snacks. It never hurts to ask about a free trial, just walk up to the front and say hi.</span></p>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b> 3. Hammock Hotel</b></span><br> </div>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">While living in Maryland, USA, for a summer, my friend Steve and I discovered the freedom of hammocks. We purchased 10$ hammocks from Wal-Mart and hung them in the trees at the edge of town and essentially lived for free. Swaying between trees under the stars is as good as it gets. Great idea for summer or for warmer parts of the world. If you are staying in the woods or in the jungle be cautious of wildlife. We usually kept a bug lantern burning all night between our hammocks.</span></p>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b> 4. Box Store Return Policies</b></span><br> </div>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Most large box stores have aggregious return policies. You can usually take anything back within 30 days with a receipt. If you need a small vehicle repair such as a headlight, simply purchase a headlight, install the new one, clean the old one, and put the old headlight back in the box and return for a full refund. You can also buy food, eat half of it and return the rest. These stores are evil so don’t feel too bad about doing this.</span></p>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b> 5. Staying With Strangers</b></span><br> </div>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It can be a bit uncomfortable upfront, but staying with strangers you met at a show or through a third party site such as Couchsurfing.com can be great ways to save some money and meet some great people. When playing music I always ask on stage if anyone has a place to stay. I’m almost always offered great places to stay. These can lead to life long connections and help you meet great people.</span></p>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b> 6. BYOB</b></span><br> </div>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">As far as I’m concerned, every bar is Bring Your Own Booze, everyday of the week. If I’m going out drinking then I always have a flask in my pocket full of whiskey. I can order a coke and mix my own drinks under a table or in the bathroom this way. You can buy cheap flasks at dollar stores for under $5. I have one in ever jacket pocket I own. If the bar searches you then it’s not worth going to anyways, unless you like getting stabbed and hanging out with gangsters. If it’s a bar I like, then I usually buy a few pints to help support, but I always at least mix a few of my own to cut costs.</span></p>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b> 7. DIY Drive-Inn Movie</b></span><br> </div>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My friend Curtis and I got stuck in an awful snow storm one night while making a three-hour-drive. It was white-knuckle driving and we decided to pull over in the next town and spend the night. The only hotel in town was booked so we had to stay in the car. I keep two sleeping bags in the trunk and tea light candles so we were good for warmth. We pulled up to the McDonald’s and snaked some free WiFi. We put Curtis’s iPad in the centre console and watched a full season of Portlandia on Netflix before falling asleep. It turned into a somewhat enjoyable night and by the morning the roads were driveable again. The drive-inn movie theatre feel kept morale high and made it a unique experience.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/31371132014-08-14T12:15:45-07:002022-05-26T01:23:29-07:00The History of All Girls Want<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This post is in response to the recent video debut of my song, All Girls Want. If you have ever sang this song, related to it, been a part of it’s history or have recently discovered and enjoyed it...then I would kindly like to ask for your support. It would be of tremendous help if you could share the video on your social networks and through good old word of mouth. This song has always been a communal effort and I hope it can continue to grow that way. Organically, through the underground. </span>
<p>I will now attempt to recall the history.<br><br><a contents="All Girls Want video" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://youtu.be/in6UYZHeQfg">http://youtu.be/in6UYZHeQfg</a></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px">All Girls Want is one of the first songs I ever wrote. It is an underdog anthem. It’s for the <b>Lloyd Dobler’s</b> out there. The people that try and don’t succeed. It’s about my failures at love and the sheer disappointment one can feel in the dating world. It was based on a really simple question that was burning inside me; “why do girls like assholes”?</p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I wrote the song while sitting on the couch, at my friend <b>Calin Yablonski’s</b> condo. We laughed at some of the ideas and I bounced ideas off of him, which we did all the time. He was my roommate and best buddy. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I instantly found the song incredibly offensive and figured it would be a song for my own personal enjoyment. I was also embarrassed at how much of a pop song it was. At this time I was still trying to rip off Modest Mouse and Chad Vangaalen. I didn’t have the confidence to accept my own voice.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We played the song for my friend <b>Vanessa Nemetchek </b>and she instantly championed it. I was shocked as I thought it would be offensive to women. This is when I realized it was a universal loser anthem. Everyone could relate except the prom queen and the captain of the football team.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Vanessa insisted we play the song often, in makeshift house concerts, to friends everywhere. It sort of caught on and friends and acquaintances started to learn the words and sing along.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Calin and I played in an indie pop band called the Nix Dicksons, along with our friend <b>Rob Wikstrom</b>. We were awful but we knew how to put on a show. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Rob found out he had a brain tumor shortly after the band started and he had to take some time off to deal with his health. We played on without Rob for awhile and had friends fill in. I started playing All Girls Want acoustically, in the middle of our sets, in order to fill time and ease the replacement players. It started to catch on from here.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I recorded the song on an old acoustic guitar, without a click track, in my friend <b>Mark</b> <b>Mill’s</b> loft. It was out of time and rough, but charming. We put it as the third track on the first Nix Dicksons EP, The Panda EP. We printed 500 copies and they are long gone. We never digitally released the song, yet somehow it get growing and growing.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I entered the song into the Calgary Folk Fest Song Contest back in 2009. I entered into the Newcomer category, was accepted to the finals, got 2nd place and graduated on to the Best Song category. In that category, I received 3rd place. I think I took home $1700 total from that competion. I was beat out by <b>John Wort Hannam</b> and <b>Cam Penner</b> </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The Nix Dicksons played on for five years. We had over a dozen members and released three EP’s. All Girls Want never left the setlist. It became a staple of our band.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Towards the last year of the Nix Dicksons, I began recording a solo record, called How To Ruin Your Life With Women. The record was a result of mixed emotions, cheap therapy and being post-University and gainfully employed as a Technical Writer at the City of Calgary.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I decided to re-record All Girls Want for that record. The album was produced by local legend, <b>Lorrie Matheson</b>. At the beginning of the song you can hear someone yelling, “One, two, show me what to do.” That would be Lorrie. He was infamous for counting me in and then breaking into a long winded story before he could finish counting to four. We had a riot. We made it shamelessly poppy adding a small horn section and glockenspiel.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I have been playing this song for nearly a decade. I thought maybe I was too old to continue to play it but continued anyway due to the response the song always receives.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I showed up to a Public Records info session, which is a new grant that assists Western Canadian artists with funding to make a video. I met <b>Paige Boudreau</b> at this info session and we realized we had similar goals and interests. We teamed up as filmmaker/artist and applied for the grant. We didn’t get it.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I was in Nashville at the time of the bad news. Paige seemed kind of bummed out that we didn’t get it. I was pretty used to rejection at this point. We both believed in the song and the video concept and felt confident we could do something worthwhile. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Paige made the first step forward and announced that she was still down to move forward and find a way to make this video. Funding be damned! </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We adjusted the budget, borrowed what we needed, cast our friends, and no one got payed, just like the good old days. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We cast my current roommate and dear friend, <b>Neil Hicke</b> as the antagonist. The love interest was played by my beautiful friend, <b>Suzanne Tetrault</b>.<b> </b></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Our protagonist was the only actor that was cast, his name was Matthew. Paige met him and his awesome mother through a previous film project. Matthew was amazing, he had such a strong sense of focus for a young man and he had a passion that was inspiring to be around. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The current band that has been supporting me are appropriately on their respected instruments in the video. <b>Dylan S Keating</b> on the guitar, <b>Greg Brown</b> on the drums and <b>Daniel McCormick</b> on the bass and the beard.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This song has become such a big part of my life. It’s really taught me to be myself. I don’t have to write songs like Modest Mouse or Chad Vangaalen, that’s not who I am. I am not the captain of the football team, but I’m not the weird guy in the corner either. I’ve always been a Dennis the Menace, and now for the first time ever, I am really proud of this song.</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/30432712014-06-26T21:01:04-07:002020-12-31T11:22:40-08:00My Mother Read To Me<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Today my mother is retiring from her job as a schoolteacher. She has been a teacher for nearly 30 years, and she is looking forward to retirement. <br>(Below is a video for a song I wrote for her. It's a demo, maybe I'll play it for you one day)<br><br><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="CdPfj689EZ8" data-video-thumb-url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/CdPfj689EZ8/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CdPfj689EZ8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe><br><br>My mother is a passionate storyteller and creative force. She loved reading to her class, offering specific and memorable voices to the different characters in each story. When she would read, kids would listen. I would listen. She always held literacy and books at a very high level. She read to me as long as I can remember. </span>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">When I was becoming an independent reader, I lost interest in books for awhile. Maybe it was the isolation of reading alone and not being read to. She tried to spark my interest, but for the better part of the year I was no longer interested. Later that year, a friend introduced me to Roald Dahl’s, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was quirky and strange, and it made me laugh. That did the trick.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In the 5th grade we moved out to the country. She gave me a book called Harris and Me, about a nameless young boy who is forced to move out to his uncle and aunt’s farm by social services. The character named Harris, who was a rambunctious farm boy with the best intentions, made us both laugh-out-loud and helped me get used to the transition of country living.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My mother never said no to any book I wanted to read. She let me order To Kill A Mockingbird in Grade 6 and Of Mice And Men. Those books were demanding at the time but they still ring heavy in mind. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Every year for Christmas she gives me a book. She gave me White Fang a few years ago, The Hobbit way before it was cool, and gave me a Leonard Cohen memoir this year. I went to Belize in January and was reading about Leonard at his favorite place on Earth, which is in Greece. The author was describing Leonard’s interpretation of the Greek coastline and the sea and the land. As I was reading this, I was on a boat to an island and felt like I was there. That made me think a great deal about art, love and death.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My mother has always inspired and encouraged me to read. It was these early stories of adventure that inspired and formed who I am today. Most of you that know me, know that I am a storyteller. I get this from my mother. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Happy Retirement. </span><br><br><a contents="Song - My Mother Read To Me" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdPfj689EZ8&feature=youtu.be">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdPfj689EZ8&feature=youtu.be</a></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>My Mother Read To Me</b></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>I was sailing the Mississippi in,</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>a raft built by Huckleberry Finn</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>I don’t care where we’re going, as long as it’s with him</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>Painting fences, mischief always ensues</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>with Tom Sawyer the adventure is laid out in clues</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>he always felt like a friend, I’ll never lose</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>A story is a whole wide world</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>every page is a city</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>I’ll never walk those streets alone</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>cause my mother, she read to me</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>I still have the sense of wonder in me</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>spin the globe, point and follow the lead</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>sleeping under stars is still important to me</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>We were never promised eternity</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>or a golden ticket to a chocolate factory</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>you never know when your story begins or it ends</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>We found a bridge to Terebithia</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>imagination can take you anywhere</i></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i>and life is fleeting so appreciate it when you can</i></span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/29983762014-06-06T11:33:33-07:002022-03-28T18:21:15-07:00I'm Checking Myself Into a No-Star Motel<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tales From The Road</span>
<p>Last time we chatted, I was taking a day off from tour life and maxing and relaxing in Toronto. We may as well continue right where we left off on this tour adventure.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px">We had two days off in Toronto, so we went to see some of my Alberta boys (Joe Nolan and Noel Johnson) who are currently playing or just finishing, residencies at the elite Toronto roots hub, the Cameron House.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It was great to arrive in Toronto but it was even better to leave. The big smoke is a little too fast and gritty for me. It’s a bit competitive and I was more than happy to make a short trip up the road to Oakville. We had some time to kill so we went and watched the new Xmen movie. Sean is a super-hero kind of guy and I’m more of a Wes Anderson kind of fellow. I figured I would roll the dice and see through his lens for a change. We snuck in tall cans of Old Milwaukee and it turned into an enjoyable popcorn flick. (The beer had to of helped)</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Our show in Oakville was at a place called The Moonshine Cafe. We had a packed house and played with Kitchener/Waterloo’s, Jesse Parent, who was amazing. He nailed a Paul Simon cover like a champ, loop pedals aiding him with the tricky and intricate harmonies. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It was a great crowd of listening folk and our stories went over really well. The owner, John, is a great guy. We stood outside and had a good chat about farming and music. After the show, we pulled into a Swiss Chalet parking lot, stole some Wi-Fi, watched two episodes of Trailer Park Boys and drank one more tall can of Old Mill, before falling into a beautiful slumber.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The next day we hung out in Oakville and killed time before heading back to the big smoke. We ended up playing with two rad brothers from Manitoba, who go by Dalton Crook. Awesome players, awesome dudes; I think it was the starting of a beautiful friendship. My pal Noel Johnson was tending bar and taking care of us, so it felt like a little prairie reunion. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The next day we stopped in and did an interview on Paul Corby’s show, Corby’s Orbit. I met Paul nearly 5 years ago at NXNE while playing with my old band, Nix Dicksons (who are coincidently making a comeback). Sean’s cousin, Andrea, showed up and hung out with us for awhile and brought us a veggie plate for the drive.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We drove up to Peterborough and had pre-show dinner with my awesome friend Greg Bartlett and his friends, Catherine and Scott. I used to work with Greg at the fire department in Calgary and he is a total character. He kept us laughing all night.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I love Peterborough so much, I feel like I have a strong connection with that place. It doesn’t hurt that it was a beautiful evening and that the girls in Peterborough are some of the prettiest in the entire country. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We played a quiet show at The Red Garnet, turns out the bartender Sean Conway, had played a show with me last year during the Stampede. Small world dude! Check him out, he’s good shit, https://soundcloud.com/seanconwaymusic</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We ended up staying at Greg’s friends, Catherine and Scott’s house that night. They live in a beautiful house with a majestic backyard. Catherine is a very community minded person with some great historical knowledge of the area, so we had some great conversations before we left.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Our show in Perry Sound fell through for Saturday, so Greg convinced us to play a house show in his backyard in Whitby, Ontario. It turned out to be a magical night filled with great people and a full-out feast. Greg’s parents were pretty much the coolest most hospitable people ever and took such great care of us. People kept on buying CD’s and throwing extra goodies in our merch box. A family friend named Lou put in a whole bunch of Petro Canada gas cards, Canadian Tire gift cards and a whole whack of canned tuna (the good kind man!) The Bartlett family sent us on our way, fed and watered and happy.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We cut through the U.S.A again on the way home. Before that we spent the night in Sarnia and played some Tennis and stopped at the local music venue to network.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We spent our first night in the U.S.A at a place called Wisconsin Dells. I had no idea what this was and we assumed it was just a sleepy small town....WRONG!! It was a America’s playground. We checked into a Super 8 hotel for $53 per night. Somehow that included FREE wristbands to America’s Biggest Water-park, Noah’s Arc, hahaha. So naturally we couldn’t pass that up, we spent the better part of the next morning and afternoon on the artificial wave pretending we were body boarding.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The following night we made it to Ashby, Minnesota. I bought a bottle of wine and we threw our sleeping bags on top of a hill a ways from the highway and soaked in the stars. I drank most of the wine and we just told stories and looked for shooting stars and tried to name constellations. I’m a bit of an eternal Tom Sawyer so I loved it. I woke up with the sun shining on my face and birds chirping. I didn’t move for a good half-hour. That’s how mornings should be...peaceful.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We booked it up to Saskatoon the next day and caught up with some friends. We played our second last show at the Underground Cafe with Sean’s old buddy and my new buddy, Graham Tilsley. Graham is a standout guy who typically plays with other people’s projects but is now launching a solo project. He plays really smooth, first-base music. We dug it.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I’m sitting here preparing to drive to Lloydminster. This will be our last official show of the tour. If you would have asked me 5 years ago I probably would have championed Toronto and threw Lloyd under the bus. But touring has changed the way I see places. I’ve been shown unbelievable kindness in places like Lloydminster and Peterborough. I’ve seen strong communities and great people. I’ve seen sharks and opportunists in some of the big cities. Those places aren’t for me anymore. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tonight I will get to see one of my favorite human beings...Brenda Robertson. She is Sean’s girlfriend’s mother...and in a round about way....has become a good friend of mine.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This has been a really beautiful tour. We’ve met some amazing people and seen some great scenery. It feels like we are making some headway. Good things have been happening and show offers are coming in. It feels like a small but sustainable music career has been developing.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Regardless, if this is all it ever comes to I will still be happy. It has been a hell of an adventure and that is all I’ve ever asked for since I’ve been a little boy. Adventure. An examined life.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Cheers,</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tanner</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/29719682014-05-26T10:01:33-07:002021-06-22T16:39:27-07:00Team Building Tour<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I’m looking outside the 5th floor window of my friend’s apartment in downtown Toronto. Today is Monday and it is a day off from the recent tour I’ve been on for the past week. My partner in crime, Sean Hamilton, is visiting one of his friends, somewhere else in the city.</span>
<p>We had a tour kick-off party last Sunday night in Calgary. It was the May long weekend so it felt more like a Saturday night. It was a perfect way to start things off and we played the show with our full band lineup at National on 17th Ave.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px">The next day we both participated in the Calgary Folk Music Festival Song Contest.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/bebe93fd58f14b253f252df265f5c3d1eaed62d2/original/img-2131.jpg?1401123673" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><br>Sean pulled out a 2nd place win and I was lucky enough to land a 1st place in my category. My friends, Dan, Dylan, Jess, Jonathan and Greg all helped back me up for the two songs I had to play. It worked out great as Sean and I were both able to kick the tour off with some money in our pockets (which is a rare occurrence)<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/5da10b2255b72e6c582f0553be9651d8a51c4f85/original/img-2130.jpg?1401123636" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We also found out that we received a tour grant through Harvard Broadcasting and Alberta Music. I have been applying for this for years and it was nice to find out that we finally had got our ducks in order. Touring the country as an upstart artist is incredibly costly and it’s funding like this that allows us to keep going at this stage in the game.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My parents live on a farm which I have used as a graveyard for all my expired vehicles. My father was bitching at me for having 5 vehicles on the property. I couldn’t believe I had so many non-operating cars there. One of the cars was my 2002 Chrysler Neon which I replaced the timing belt on and decided to drive on tour to get it off my dad’s farm. I figured I had got my money’s worth from the car and if it made it through this tour then it would be a bonus. The car is amazing on gas and fits two low-maintenance, singer-songwriters easily. We are in Ontario and the car has ran like a dream so far.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Our first out of town stop was in Regina SK. We played at O’Hanlon’s, which is a great Irish bar. It was about the best show we could have had on a Tuesday night. I got to catch up with my buddy Brody, and we played the show with the lovely Megan Nash. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Some random dude came up after and bought a CD and insisted on buying us a round of drinks. We hesitantly agreed and he told us how he worked for the United Nations. After some well placed bragging, he began buying round after round and eventually spending $400 on Gin and Tonics. I don’t think I’ve ever had a gin and tonic in my life until then. Not sure if I ever want one again.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">After that we cut through the U.S. for cheap gas to get to Ontario. The bulk of our touring is taking place Ontario and it was a dry run for what I hope will become a semi-regular tour run for 2015 once I obtain a P2 Visa and can legally play in the U.S. Driving through North Dakota really won me over. The badlands are vast, desolate and inspiring.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We drove through Detroit and into Windsor. I was shocked at how pretty Detroit was. All we here about is the decline of the city and it was nice to hear some other perspectives in Windsor. <br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/54db9e8115df52abd5fa30bdf7265fa52a7a42c6/original/img-21091.jpg?1401122934" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We stopped by CJAM, the Windsor campus station and said hello before our show at the Phog Lounge. The Phog was voted best music venue in Canada a number of years ago in the CBC Searchlight Contest. We got in a nice game of tennis in after soundcheck and before the show.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/fb15f347bbf389a009e26c7d2d042834fe609b08/original/img-21101.jpg?1401122973" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We had a late but great crowd in Windsor and met some great people. Some random guy came up and set a $100 bill on stage for us. That was certainly a first for me. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The Phog Lounge is ran by Tom, who is an awesome dude. We had a really good time hanging out with him and his crew. Great little community. Our new pals, Gary and Josh shared the bill with us and did some fine picking.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/7a941d82426c2b71a8b751f42e68033301bc8e02/original/img-21141.jpg?1401123074" class="size_l justify_center border_" /> </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We stopped off in London, Ontario to visit my friend James. James and I played a show or two together back in the day and now he is in London managing a great new bar/venue/record store called the Hideaway. He bought me a beer and sent me home with a free record of choice (I chose the new Beach House record)<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/d5d58d888ce452f7c8b9370296684c0449e5b6fa/original/img-21251.jpg?1401123123" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The next night we drove up to cottage country and played a show in the small community of Orillia, Ontario at the Brownstone Cafe. It is a nice little venue ran by some good folk. Sean and I were both pretty wiped out from the past week but we persevered. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">After the show, we had a beer with some folks who watched our set. I sat down at the bar’s piano and co-wrote a song with a pretty girl. It was really fun. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Sean and I went out to the car after the bar closed and used the bar’s Wifi to watch Trailer Park Boys on Netflix. We were both in our sleeping bags and laughing our asses off. It felt like a little boys sleepover. It feels like we are making the best of our situation. This is both our first tour to Ontario as solo artists. It’s hard trying to break new markets but we are enjoying the process.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The next morning we walked across the street to the local music store in Orillia. We had a really great conversation about playing music for a living and the local scene. We may be back to Orillia this Saturday to play the farmer’s market in the afternoon. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Today is a day off in Toronto. I’m headed to the Cameron House tonight to watch my pal Joe Nolan. Tomorrow, I’ll get to do the same and hopefully crush a few beers with my old friend, Noel Johnson. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> </span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/29157652014-05-02T10:52:33-07:002022-03-28T18:20:03-07:00Making Hit Records<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This is a photo of my friend Sean Hamilton and I. </span>
<p><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Verdana, sans-serif"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/7577d36ab2959f056bf923fbc78dfe61a49e79c0/original/dscf7710.jpg?1399052647" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></font></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We did a tour together last fall and decided we should make a record together. We each wrote a couple songs and played them together.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This is my friend Dan; he joined the project on bass.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/0d2e845970b4a3369bf383998b7790e66b2bb415/original/947122-10152920281670327-4056328-n.jpg?1399052941" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This is my friend Dylan; he joined the project on pedal steel.</span><br> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/e478ca02e24884455d10859c580bb6685568cb1a/original/10245339-10152259001390589-759589247-n.jpg?1399052978" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This is my friend Jess; we gave her no notice, made her sing harmony and made her miss the opening act of the Kings of Leon concert.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/26ba1dd9cdf4a2f8dc9e1042fd20f4be546ca154/original/1888624-10152182430833050-1362408280-n.jpg?1399053023" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We drove up to Edmonton, played a warm-up show on a Tuesday night at the Druid and then tracked the entire 6 songs live-off-the-floor in a whopping 13 hours. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The songs are raw, real and have flaws. They have bad notes here and there, but I think they also have soul. That’s what I’m all about these days, is soul.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Sean and I are heading out to tour the record very soon. We leave towards the middle of May and are heading primarily out to Ontario. We may tour the record out to B.C. in the fall...as of right now we are uncertain. Either way, we will be announcing the tour next week and putting the dates and the tour poster on the main page.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Aside from this, I just tracked another 6 songs for my next official release. We returned to Dirt City and myself and the band, recored the songs at Riverdale Studios with my buddy Jesse Northey. I knew it as the studio Corb Lund has worked in. I believe he tracked Cabin Fever there, but I could be mistaken. I tracked an original country song about quitting my job as tribute. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Both these recording sessions took place in April, somehow I personally tracked 9 songs while also playing 27 sets of music. It was a crazy month but I can’t help but feel a little more experienced from it. I’m still a believer in the Malcom Gladwell theory of 10 thousand hours, so this has to be a good thing.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">At this very moment it is May 2nd. My summer is virtually fully booked, plans are set in stone and I’m getting ready to just follow course. I’m looking forward to summer as all sun deprived Albertans are.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Both my parents are retiring from their careers this spring. It is interesting to watch my dad in the process. He is a workaholic and I can tell the adjustment will take some time. I always perceive myself as a slacker...but looking at my schedule last month, I don’t really know if that is true. I think I have just always had trouble working hard at anything I don’t care about. When you love something it never really feels like a day at work.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Check back here next week for tour dates. This is my first tour as a solo artist to Ontario, so if you could attend a show, send a friend or offer us any hospitality then I’m sure the universe will award you for your contributions.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Cheers,</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tanner James</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/28539702014-04-08T10:25:38-07:002017-02-03T18:19:24-08:00Spring is in the Air<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, spring has finally arrived. I just finished cleaning out the old, red van I inherited from my old band. We finished a tour to Montreal and promptly broke up. </span>
<p>The 86’ GMC Vandura was ignored and left at my parents farm. The van lay virtually untouched since the tour, I was in awe at how messy we were back in those days. Of course, once I got it cleaned-out and tuned-up, all the positive memories starting flooding back. The point of cleaning it up was to sell it, but now I’m unsure if I want to do that.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I’ve spent the last month playing shows around Alberta, practicing with the band and tracking a new EP up in Edmonton. These new songs I will be releasing, sound different than anything I’ve ever done in the past. It is a split album that I am releasing with my friend Sean Hamilton. We each wrote 3 songs and then tracked the six total songs live-off-the-floor in a single day. Dylan and Dan have joined the project and play pedal-steel and bass accordingly. It feels like a new band but it is more of a collective really. It has been a good way to keep pushing myself musically and keep growing and challenging myself. I’m really excited to release this album.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We will be following it up with an album release and an Eastern tour that will take me up till mid-June. It feels strange but I am booking shows well into August right now and just about to start booking another Eastern jaunt for September. It’s strange how far you need to look ahead to be a full-time, working musician. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I’m currently reading Steven Pressfield’s “Turning Pro”, which is the sequel to his “The War of Art”. They are both fantastic reads for the creative type. It is essentially just one hell of a pep talk. Get off the internet, get off the bottle and get to work, this is a damn job! It feels like a hard-ass mentor is standing over your shoulder and coaching you through thick and thin. I highly recommend both these books. I definitely write more songs because of them.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I’m also busy preparing for tennis season. tennis fits my budget, as do most free sports. I always feel like tennis is a misunderstood game. It’s free, urban, accessible and there for anyone to enjoy. It’s way more punk rock than something like snowboarding, which feels more like a country club sport to me. So if anyone on the road wants to play this summer, look at my schedule and I would love to have a game.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I hope to releasing some videos, tracks and tour dates come next blog post, but for now, please check out this little video clip from our last Calgary show at Wine Ohs.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #2c00af"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEsnDwzHOwY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEsnDwzHOwY</a></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Later days,</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tanner James</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/25455652014-02-08T14:34:48-08:002022-05-26T08:15:45-07:00Back in Nashville<div>I spent 29 hours alone in a car on my way to Nashville. It wasn’t exactly the zen experience I was looking for either; it was cold and there was snow on the road the entire trip, until I was about a half hour outside of Nashville. It forced me to really keep my whits about me and didn’t allow me the luxury to relax. It did give me plenty of time to think.</div>
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<div>As soon as I got here I couldn’t help but think how great it is to be back. I’m staying with my friends, Clay and Rylee, at the Madison Writing Room. They are great people and it feels like home being here. This city truly is inspiring and I feel an urge to practice, write and learn while I’m down here.</div>
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<div>I went for coffee with Eddie Schwartz the first day I got down to Nashville. Eddie works with SOCAN now but is also an artist and a good person to talk to. He was the guy responsible for the hit song (no pun intended....well maybe) “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”. It was cool hearing Eddie talk about self-discovery in Northern Ontario towns and the history behind that famous song. </div>
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<div>Eddie asked me some hard questions that gave me a bit of a wake up call. He asked me where I wanted to be in music and then we discussed the avenue I wanted to take and the options you have as an artist and as a songwriter. It was a motivational conversation to say the least. <br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/98afb7057d0237d6916dfedb5f22f1eb2444edb0/original/cmhf.jpg?1391898818" class="size_l justify_center border_" />
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<div>I spent today at a songwriting session at the Country Music Hall of Fame, watching Bobby Tomberlin and Bill LaBounty. Both are phenomenal writers and performers and I felt like I was able to learn a fair bit just by hearing them talk about the history behind some of their big hits that went to artists like Diamond Rio and Brooks and Dunn. It was shocking to me how much more I understood this year from last year. I was able to understand what the right and left hands were doing on both guitar and piano, where I didn’t fully pick up on things like this the last time I was in Nashville, 8 months ago.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/a05a171c3f235f3deae905a3d8767abe2c8abfe3/original/rww.jpg?1391898867" class="size_l justify_center border_" />
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<div>After the hall of fame, I headed to Robert’s Western World on Broadway to try to catch Rachael Hester. I watched Rachael a few times the last time I was in town and I wanted to see her again and pick up a CD. She is this rad girl who plays these really great interpretations of traditional country and western tunes and country standards. She is young but you can tell she’s an old soul deep down. There is a lot of trash on Broadway, so it’s nice to see honest artists like Rachael.</div>
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<div>I bounced over to the record store across the street and found a Townes Van Zandt collection for $29 bucks that included all 7 of his studio albums plus one of his live albums. I’ve been meaning to dig a little deeper into Townes so I picked it up for the 29 hour ride home.</div>
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<div>I’m trying to write a song a day while I’m down here and practice my finger picking and blues guitar.</div>
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<div>It’s great being at the Madison Writing Room because they have a small library in my room featuring damn near a lifetime subscription of American Songwriter magazine as well as some great books. On my night stand is an anthology of No Depression magazine, Music Success in Nine Weeks, How To Sell Anything to Anybody and The Artists Way. I’ve been devouring reading material and always find it’s a great thing to do before bed if I’m not too drunk from the honky tonks.</div>
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<div>Great talking with ya’ll.</div>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/25034262014-01-31T20:30:54-08:002022-04-19T00:24:20-07:00On Process<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It’s 7:30 am and I have already been up reading for the last couple hours. My mother gave me a great Leonard Cohen biography called I’m Your Man for Christmas and I’m nearly finished it. I was only a minor Cohen fan and this bio felt like a really great gateway to his art and to him as a person.</span>
<p>I’m in a good routine these days. I try to get up at a decent hour and leave mornings for writing and reading. I find that writing songs early in the day makes for more positive subject matter as the world tends to wear on a person as the hours pass. </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px">I do find that different cities evoke different responses from me. Calgary is a business city; it’s a labour camp and I get shit done when I’m here. Most of my friends live in Calgary so there are plenty of distractions and collaborations, for better or worse.</p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My parents place in Taber feels like a zen monastary. I get up very early when I’m there, write in the mornings, usually do things around the farm and then practice in the evenings and read before bed. There is very little screen time for me in Taber or social interactions (which I’m finding kills creativity for me).</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I’m headed back to Nashville next week on a writing trip. I find there is no place like Nashville for that. There is a song-a-day code that seems to exist amongst songwriters. I know very few people so there are little distractions and it is a place to isolate myself and get lost in my craft. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The last time I went down South I took the greyhound. It was a nearly fifty hour trip one way and it really gave me time to be alone with myself. I’m driving this time. Alone as usual. I like it that way as it really allows me some time to reflect before I arrive to write, I think that’s important. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I usually stimulate myself with endless podcasts and audio books and music. Leonard Cohen’s time in the Californian buddhist monastary is inspiring me to make an attempt at some driving meditation on the way down to Nashville. Rather than flood my brain with information, I may just let it be still for awhile. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I heard an interview with Royal Wood regarding writing his most recent album and he mentioned how he disconnected from the TV, phones, computers etc. He said he found that by being still he found songs that had been within him for a long time that could finally come out. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">One of my favourite writers, Jonathan Franzen, says that you cannot be a great writer with an internet connection on your computer.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Call me a hippy, but I think creativity needs space and room to breath. I don’t think it pours through the cracks, I think it seeps through the emptiness. This has been the first year of my life I’ve had the luxury of experimenting with writing this way. I’ve usually had to wake up in the mornings and go to a job or to school. This really only allowed me a couple hours a day, each evening to try to focus on art. I feel really fortunate to have the luxury to experiment.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Aside from writing, I’m excited to get back to Nashville for the Southern soul-food, the Sunday gospel music at Robert’s Western World and the ongoing events at the Country Music Hall of Fame. I feel like I have a good thing going down there and I’m looking forward to a few weeks to retreat.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/24397632014-01-21T09:51:53-08:002022-05-29T06:23:10-07:00Belize<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Dear superfriends,</span>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I took a two week digital detox vacation to Belize. I hate phones and computers yet I’m the guy who spends way more time than I care to admit on Facebook, Twitter and sending emails. It was such a trip to leave all that behind for two weeks. My head felt so much clearer and I felt like I could really listen and connect with people on a stronger level.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We started the trip in Placencia, which is a perfect little coastal town in Southern Belize close to the Honduras border. Belize is a pretty quiet place to start with and Placencia is especially slow. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I had been in Belize before and didn’t have a good trip. I was on an island called Caye Caulker, getting certified as a diver and it turned into us sitting around waiting and waiting for clear waters to dive in. During that trip I read Zen and The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig and Raise High The Roof Beam by Salinger. Both books were horrible choices for someone who had too much time to sit around and think. Needless to say, I was hesitant to try this country again.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This trip I stuck to some safer reading material. I finished off Ender’s Game, which was light and fun and I could see how it would be beneficial in getting young adults reading. I also read the most comprehensive Leonard Cohen biography available (which my mom gave me for Christmas). The Cohen story was a great one for the Caribbean, I didn’t realize how much time he spent in Hydra Greece and I felt a strange kinship while reading about it in that setting.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I was with my friends Dylan and Calin and we decided to spend our first day on a scenic drinking bike ride. We had these old California cruisers with baskets on the front, which we loaded up the local beverage of choice, Belikin, and set out for the afternoon. We stopped at every nice spot we saw and enjoyed a “Belly”.<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/8f85b8f932c3e07745175fa8be4493e21f0e283e/original/7558-10153758455695241-954016744-n.jpg?1390326670" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">There are so many stray dogs running around, pretty much anywhere I’ve been in Central America. We got to know so many of the strays in Placencia. There was a gang of about 5 puppies that lived right on the beach about a quarter km from our hotel. They would either great us enthusiastically or terrorize us, depending on their level of boredom that day. There was a beautiful boxer-cross named Fang that looked like the happiest dog on the planet. I wanted to bring him home as a retirement present for my dad.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I like anyplace in which I have the opportunity to integrate with the locals. We ate at a shack on the beach ran by a lady named Brenda. She was such a character, always laughing and singing. We kept singing and yelling at each other and it became a bit of a game, busting each other’s chops. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">One morning when I was leaving on a fishing trip, with all the other fisherman at the pier, she yelled, “Hey Tanner, I hope a turtle is going to bite off your left nut”. The entire pier burst into laughter. Of course it was said with a wonderful broken english dialect that made it even more offside and awesome. Part of me was worried she put a Creole hex on me (Thankfully, the turtles were not interested in my left nut, or any parts of my body).</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">During our fishing trip we grabbed some masks and fins and dove for conch (which is basically a sea shell with a meaty, squid like organism inside). We caught a bunch of conch and headed to a small island called Frigid Caye. There was a heavily bearded man there who cracked open our conch with a hatchet and a butter knife and threw them on a grill on the fire. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Calin boosted me into a tree and we knocked down some green coconuts. We chopped open the tops with a machete and we cranked back some coconut water, which was one of the most refreshing experiences of my entire life. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It was so great to eat and drink things we were able to catch and experience. I’m still dreaming about that fresh coconut water. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The island itself was the smallest island I had ever been on. It had a small gazebo with two hammocks and a tiny shack. The man had a small wood canoe and no motor boat. He had the cutest little puppy I had ever seen, which he called “my hound” and then laughed the most triumphant and amazing laugh you had ever seen.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/13bd3475979452d9ea66648f6f762034bc23151a/original/1604928-10153758457015241-1512422057-n.jpg?1390326623" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Our fishing guide said that the man lived on islands like that his entire life and knew the waters very well. He even said he paddled his wood canoe to Honduras one time, which would take days on the open ocean.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">After helping us with the conch and coconut, the man layed down on a few old pillows he had on the deck of his shack. He smoked thin cigarettes and drank a Belikin. He was reading a book the size of war and peace. It kept running through my head of what it must be like for someone like that to be so isolated and alone, yet so peaceful.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">He was always laughing and seemed pretty happy to me, he was surrounded by Caribbean waters and a self-sustaining ecosystem, if treated properly. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">As we boarded our fishing boat and began to leave the Frigid Caye, the man looked at us and said, “thank you for coming, tell your friends”.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We laughed at the thought of trying to tell our friends how to navigate to the tiniest island I had ever seen in my entire life. Personally, I would be happy to keep it that way.</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/23214272014-01-02T22:45:22-08:002014-01-02T22:45:22-08:00The Good Year<div>The Good Year</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I’m currently sitting in the sauna in my friend Neil’s house. Coincidently, the sauna is in the guest room where I have been staying for the last few weeks. Neil is currently in Mexico, and I guess you could say I’m house sitting. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>It was in 2013 that I finally put my money where my mouth is and quit my job, pursued music, and followed through with the plans I had been discussing for years.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I made my virgin journey down to Nashville; it was a hell of an adventure. I got drunk and ended up in California, and then got my ass handed to me time and time again by the great players and songwriters of Music City. People were great, I took my lickens like a champ and considered it part of paying my dues. I learnt a great deal from that city.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>When I quit my job in April, I also gave up my residence in Calgary. It was a frightening thing to do. I left a really good job that I was lucky to have in the first place. I have been couch surfing, sleeping in my car, spare room snagging, no-star-motel living and band room squatting ever since. The kindness of strangers has blown me away. As John Lennon sort of, kind of, said, “I get by with a copious amount of help from my friends.” </div>
<div> </div>
<div>I released the album I had been working on for years. My first solo album, and my first full length album. It didn’t sell great by any commercial standards, but it sold more than anything I have ever done and it allowed me to pay back the small fortune I spent on it.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I got into my car and went on a month long solo tour. I wasn’t ready. I knew it from the start but I figured that is the fastest way to learn. It was. I had some real shitty nights out there on the road. I had one night in Duncan BC that I thought may be the end of me. I had another night like that in Moose Jaw; those nights were you wonder what the hell you are doing and really think about giving up.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Before I quit my job I had a lot of irrational fears. I was afraid that no one would ever love me if I didn’t have a stable job and a normal life. I was afraid that Nashville would eat me alive. I was afraid that the album would be torn apart by sexually-frustrated hipster critics. I was afraid my pop songs were too poppy, that my country songs were too country and that my folk songs weren’t traditional enough. These fears all proved to be 100% inaccurate. They were just fears, they never held any water.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I went and watched the movie Inside Llewyn Davis the other night; I loved it but it hit a little close to home at some moments. I’ve been living that life since April. It’s fucking scary and lonely at times. It’s also fucking exciting and beautiful.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>At my old job, I got paid really well. More than I ever really ever expected myself to make. It was easy, people were cool and I didn’t have to work very hard. We had a gym at work and I lived in a decent enough condo with my best friend.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Before I was doing what I loved, life was always just pretty good. It was a straight line, it just sort of happened. I can’t remember much of those days. It just got away from me. Now my life is a roller-coaster. Massive highs and crushing lo’s. The thing is, I really do feel like I’m living now, I can remember it all. The last 8 months are vivid in my memory, They are with me and they happened. It’s the same reason I enjoy spicy food so much; it makes me feel alive.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I just want to take a moment and say thank you. Thanks to all the strangers that became friends, the friends that encouraged me, my folks, and anyone else who made this such a rad year. I tip my hat to you all.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Now I’m starting to sweat all over my keyboard. That is the only foreseeable downsides to having a sauna in my room. On the other hand, I can’t complain about anything.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I have lots of things I want to share for 2014, that’s all for another day though. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>This is Tanner signing off,</div>
<div>Later days.</div>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/20412632013-11-13T08:49:19-08:002021-12-15T05:43:09-08:00Tofino and Back<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Penticton, Tofino, Vancouver, Revelstoke, Golden, Calgary</span>
<p>I just finished my last Western Canadian tour of the year. I was joined by my good friend Sean Hamilton. Sean plays in a Calgary punk rock band called “Jenny” (<a href="http://www.killjenny.com"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #2c00af">www.killjenny.com</span></a>) and is also a great singer/songwriter. Sean and I met years ago in the Calgary Folk Fest Song Contest and have been friends ever since.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I was happy to have Sean join me on tour as it’s been getting a little lonely on the road and it’s always nice to have some accompaniment. We did a “Nashville” style show in which we both sat on stage and took turns playing songs. We worked our way up so that we were playing on a lot of each others tunes and adding some kick drum, harmonica and lead guitar as needed. It worked out really well.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Our first show was in Penticton at Elite After 6. I played there back in the Spring and really dig the venue. It was a smaller show but a great audience nevertheless. We met some really kind and cool people. Elite After 6 has an old school Pac-man/Galaga machine so we opted for a tournament of the later. Sean somehow got the 3rd highest score in all of Penticton!!!</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">After Penticton we drove all the way to Tofino to surf for two days. I had never been there and realized how rusty I am at surfing. Sean was great and had plenty of experience in Tofino so he was able to give me a few pointers. We hit the Monday night open mic night at Jack’s Pub and tried to warm up our bones.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The next morning of surfing was really hard to get myself prepared for. We were still chilled from the following day and then had to put on freezing wetsuits. We had Sean’s van in the trip and slept in it in the parking lot. Once I got in the water it was totally worth it and a great way to start the day.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The ferry ride offered two more opportunities at Galaga (What are the chances). I managed to beat Sean in a three game tournament.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In Vancouver we crashed with Sean’s sister and did two on-air performances on both CITR and CJSF campus stations. We tied one on with my pal Tim Bruch and had a typical Vancouver night. The next morning Sean’s mom bought us the greatest breakfast I’ve ever had and sent us on our way with 10$ pieces of cheesecake for the road...cha ching!!!</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We played at The Last Drop in Revelstoke. I’m beginning to really dig Revy. A really awesome gal named Angie, whom I met during my last tour back in June came out to the show. She hosts house concerts with her friend Ange, so we are hoping to make it back out there sometime for a house concert. Angie also helps run the local radio station and featured one of my vids on the site the following day.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Golden ended up being a surprisingly awesome show. We played our first song to 6 people before 200 people walked through the doors off a bunch of tour buses. We played really well and the Leaf’s one the hockey game. The booker, Paul, is hoping to get us back for some opening slots for some bigger shows. We were both into that idea. Fairly certain we are back in December to play with Shred Kelly.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We rolled back into Calgary Saturday afternoon and hit the Ship and Anchor open jam. It was really cool because the band July Talk was sitting in the corner and we got to play some tunes in front of them. The man, the legend, Darren Olinger, bought us some afternoon shots before we played.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The last show of the tour was at the Dog and Duck, which is my old stomping grounds. It was a nice show full of friends and we played really well. Dylan joined us on the pedal steel and we capped off a really fun tour.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Sean and I had a really good time playing together and hope to hit the road together again in the spring for a lengthy tour. <br><br>Cheers,<br>Tanner James</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/18346522013-10-11T10:59:00-07:002021-08-02T14:30:20-07:00Vancouver Island<div>Vancouver Island</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>I headed out to Vancouver Island and played four nice shows with my pal and pedal steelist, Dylan S Keating. It’s always nice having someone with you on the road and splitting things up a little bit. We played in Banff, Kelowna, Victoria and Port Alberni.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>We had a $200 bar tab in Banff at the Elk and Oarsman, so I treated myself to some hefty elk steak, some nice wine from the Pellee Island and some cookies and cream cheesecake (believe me, as a musician, I usually don’t have such luxuries)</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The next morning we made a completely unhealthy decision and enjoyed some of our favorite pizza in Banff as we drove out of town to Kelowna.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>We always listen to an audio-book while driving. I’ve made some bad picks lately as a good audio recording doesn’t just need to be a good book, it also needs a great narrator. We listened to The Sportswriter by Richard Ford. I love this book so much but I felt like the narrator was too abrasive and part of the charm was lost. It was Dylan’s first experience with the book and I don’t think I sold him on it.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I remember an interview with Owen Wilson from years ago in which he said that the character from fiction he would most like to play is Frank Bascombe from The Sportswriter. I think he would have to step up his game, but he could do it.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Kelowna show was alright, it was a good little crowd and we played at The Minstrel Cafe. Kelowna has kind of been bumming me out lately to be honest. I find it’s a mixture of great people (like my friend Robyn) and a bunch of shady folk. I would love to play at the Streaming Cafe next time. I hear that’s great. So as per usual, we stayed at our friend Robyn’s place, which we have been doing for years now. It’s always great to see her. She’s such a calm, easy-going person who always has some good stories on the back-burner.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>After waking up in Kelowna we decided to pull an old touring trick I had discovered. We hit up a hotel continental breakfast despite the fact we were not guests. It was an awesome scam that works every time. A free meal is a great way to start your day. Thanks Holiday Inn Express.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>It was Dylan’s first time on a ferry so we walked around up top and drank some coffees. We stumbled upon the on-board arcade and got hooked on Donkey Kong. What an awesome game. It’s challenging, fast and fun. I can’t stop thinking about it!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>We played a nice little show in Victoria at the Solstice Cafe with Kristia Di Gregorio. She is a great jazz/folk fusion player with a hell of a voice. We had a nice little crowd and sold some CD’s and made some good connections. Later that night we had a bit of a runaway in Victoria and slept in my car in a parkade.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>We were supposed to play the market in Port Alberni the next morning but it was raining so hard we had to cancel. That was a bit of a bummer as last time I was there and I did fairly well by playing on the small stage at the market. I ate some amazing seafood the previous trip but the rain sort of changed our minds on that.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Our actual show at Char’s Landing wasn’t until 8 and we arrived into town around noon so we had a little time to read and chill out in our band room. Dylan had some family friends in town so we went there for dinner. Everything they cooked was right out of their garden and we drank a couple beer for desert. It was great talking to them about Island life and gardening.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Char’s Landing is a beautiful old church converted into a community building spot and live music venue. It was my second time playing there and it always feels like a house show. Really great sound and warm people. I told a lot of stories and we stuck around and chatted with people for awhile.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The next morning we had to get up early as I had to get Dylan back for work on Monday. We made it through the drive thanks to the audio book and our favorite podcasts.</div>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/12413342013-07-22T07:56:29-07:002021-07-20T00:21:36-07:00Update + New York Hi folks,<br><br>
It's been awhile. I'm very behind on my blogging. I've had a hell of adventure over the past few months. California, New York, Nashville, a Western Canadian Tour, Stampede and now I have two weeks off before it starts all over again. I haven't filled you in on anything past California. I'm going to catch you up over the next two weeks and try to do a better job blogging more up-to-date in August.<br><br>
So here's the New York adventure...<br><br><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">When I left my parents farm for the second chapter of my adventure I mad a last minute decision to ride the greyhound. I was sick of driving and I was concerned about driving in New York, where I was headed prior to Nashville.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">First off, I should clarify that I met some really pretty Australian girls in the beer gardens at Coachella and they had mentioned they were going to New York. I drunkenly told them Nashville was close (it’s not) and that I would come meet them. It seems pretty irrational to go meet two girls on the other side of the country that I met when I was drunk, but I always wanted to go to New York anyways.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I drove my car across the border and the border guard asked me where I was going, I told him Nashville and he looked at me like I was a moron. He asked me how I was getting there and I told him via the greyhound bus. He just laughed and shook his head.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I parked my car in the Billings Montana airport lot and got a cab to the greyhound. I bought a ticket from Billings to New York for $200 and some odd dollars.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I waited for the midnight bus and was shocked at how rough all the people looked. There was definitely a recession in America and the lower class people at the greyhound station reflected that. I realized from conversing and eavesdropping on conversations that many people were out of work and traveling major distances out of desperation. It felt like an urban Steinbeck novel.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I got on the bus and slept straight from midnight to nine am. Not a bad sleep for a greyhound. I ended up spending three nights and two days on the bus, meeting the craziest people in America. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">One gentleman sat next to me and talked about the need to start exterminating people, the necessity of the NRA, world peace and how the Ninja Turtles were positive role models for kids in the 70’s (I’m pretty sure the show didn’t air until the late 80’s).</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I did meet one cool cat in Minneapolis. He had a handwritten slogan on his backpack that said, “100% young, live the dream”. I told him that was my mission statement too and we chatted all the way to Chicago. His name was Titus and he was a fellow musician who moved to New York blindly after a simultaneous band break up and divorce. He scored indie films for a living and had been loving Brooklyn for the past year.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I arrived in New York City at 6 a.m. and hadn’t showered or changed my clothes in three days. I felt lost in the world so I walked into a pub and had two pints of local NYC beers. I chatted with the bartender Mike and an old guy about sports and gentrification.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I stepped out of the pub with a suitcase and guitar in tow, feeling better about life. Realizing that Manhattan is an expensive part of town, I jumped in a cab and told him to bring me to a nice hotel in a shady part of town. He did just that and we found a reasonable place in Queens off the subway line.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> I went for a run, watched No Country For Old Men and took a well deserved shower.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Early that evening I met up with Liberty and Chelsea, the Aussie girls from Coachella. It kind of hit me that I didn’t really know them at all as I was on my way to meet them.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Luckily for me, we got along really well. We had a couple drinks and shared stories before my new pal, Titus, sent me a text and invited us to a party in Brooklyn. We had dinner at this cool little basement Italian joint before I introduced Chels and Lib to the art of the tall can. I’ve become a bit of a pro at budget drinking in alleys, on public transit and just drinking from paper bags in general.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We headed to the party on the train. It was in a real sketchy area of Brooklyn, but in a real cool, artsy building. It felt like the entire complex was on board for a party. We headed up the rooftop and enjoyed the New York skyline and some mediocre-at-best domestic beers.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We spent the better part of the next day on a leisurely stroll of Central park. It truly is a one of a kind place. It is far more enjoyable walking the pathways with pretty girls, laughing at my jokes.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We headed over to Greenwich afterwards. It was Cinco De Mayo so everywhere was bustling. Greenwich is a such a perfect place and we found a nice little lounge to sit and drink at. We sat by an open window and I enjoyed some craft Brooklyn beers. The girls drank Margaritas because they are more culturally aware than I am.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We found a dining establishment that scored a 2.5 out of a possible 5 stars. I had a messy sea-food concoction with shrimp, oysters, crab and coconut curry. The conversation and good stories bumped the overall dining experience to closer to a 3.5 stars.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">After dinner we went to a unique basement bar that centered around ping-pong, hipster beer and live, smooth, jazz. I kicked Chelsea’s ass and was dominated by Lib at our ping pong tourney.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I cranked a few PBR’s and the girls decided to call it a night. I was sad to see them go. It was a strangely pleasant experience. I took the train back to Queens and heard a homeless sing the most beautiful hymn on the subway. I gave her five bucks and exited in the quiet neighborhood I was staying at.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It’s probably a horrible career move at this point but I’ll probably try real hard to head to Australia at some point. I’m a sucker for a pretty face.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The next day I boarded the bus for the city of music, Nashville TN.</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/11189442013-07-12T08:55:50-07:002022-11-10T00:48:35-08:00Nice Review in Beatroute Magazine<a href="http://beatroute.ca/2013/07/06/tanner-james-review-how-to-ruin-your-life-with-women/"> http://beatroute.ca/2013/07/06/tanner-james-review-how-to-ruin-your-life-with-women/</a>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/10630942013-07-03T08:01:20-07:002023-12-10T08:53:37-08:00Album Credits and Thank You's<div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 19px; ">
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">We took a minimalist approach to my album art and didn't include any text. Here are some of the people I feel I should thank.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">This record started as essays that got crafted into pop songs played on an acoustic guitar. They grew from there.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Thanks to Lorrie Matheson for producing, engineering, arranging, organizing and being such a big part of the record. It was a pleasure doing so many lunches together and shooting the shit.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Calin Yablonski does all my album art, always. He also lets me sleep on his couch when I’m not on tour and pays 80% of all our bar tabs and throws lavish going away parties. He’s a good guy, thanks.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Keith Skrastins ponders life with me, has my back and takes my pictures. The Picasso of the camera. Thanks for everything man.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Thanks to Sam Murdock for listening to endless demo’s and wildly ambitious dreams and encouraging me every step of the way.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Thanks to my parents for the eternal support. Sorry I'm not a successful business man or a rancher, or, at the very least producing grandchildren.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Thanks to my sister,Lindy, for bringing so many friends to so many shows and always being willing to help.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Paige Tyson is my Emmylou. If you hear a girl singing it’s almost always her. She’s timeless.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Craig Florence played in my all-time favorite band, The Rocky Fortune. He played half the drums on this album. It was my dream come true to have one of my favorite musicians play on the record. I saw Craig’s old punk rock band, Darryl’s Grocery Bag, play when I was 15. It changed my life. If it wasn’t for Craig I would be a happily married, real-estate agent in the burbs. “I’d rather be broke and live on a stage”</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Connor Muth is one of the best drummers in Calgary right now. He played the other half of the album. I know he needed the money but he refused to take any payment. That’s rock n roll. You are a champ!</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Other people played on this record. It’s been so long I can’t remember exactly who. An old man played the pedal steel, some cool cats played horns and some top-notch session bass player stepped in and covered the fat strings.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Thanks to Cole Paget, Rob Wikstrom and Dylan Keating and the million other Nix Dicksons. It was a hell of a legend we built and I’m glad that I have that band as my foundation. It's slightly more sober now but half as much fun.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Thanks to Mal Dunphy for the endless support as well as Mike Schwarz, Cale Zebedee, Adam, Chad, blah blah blah. You know who you are....Yes, I’m talking about you Alonso, Blair, Suze, Chase, Justine, Curtis, Arron, Murph, Dave, Jordy, Sean, Kait, Jenny, Andy, Laura, Andrea, etc etc. Thanks.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Finally, to the women of the album. I exploited you for the sake of the story. I hope you are okay with that. I do hope the songs find you well. They are my side of the story. Feel free to write an album called, How To Ruin Your Life With Tanner. Thanks for letting me move on...Truce???</p>
<div> </div>
</span></font></span></div>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/8919272013-06-06T13:07:07-07:002022-02-09T00:51:35-08:00Press Release <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 18px; ">PRESS RELEASE</span>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br>
Contact: Em Dobbin<br>
TOBI Entertainment Publicity<br>
(403) 614 4677<br><a href="mailto:em@TOBICalgary.com"><span style="font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande'; text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #4000ff">em@TOBICalgary.com</span></a><br><br></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b>For the first time as a solo artist, Tanner James will tour his debut album <br>
“How To Ruin Your Life With Women” <br></b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">CALGARY, AB. – June 3, 2012 - Tanner James, formerly of the Nix Dicksons returns from a four-week song writing stint in Nashville to begin his 15 show Western Canadian tour. As the lead singer and bass player for the Nix Dicksons, Tanners voice brought recognition to the band, including airplay on CBC Radio 1, 2 and 3 and Top 50 on Earshot’s National Chart in 2011. In 2012, the Nix Dicksons received 2</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>nd</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> place as X92.9FM Calgary’s Best Local Release. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This spring, Tanner James won 2</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>nd</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> place for the Calgary Folk Fest song writing contest’s Places and Spaces category. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">“How to ruin your life with women is an album about people, so I tried to let the music describe the individual and the setting. Its an album about girls that got away, for better or worse. It feels like a coming of age story”</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Each show will feature an acoustic set of Tanners folk-rock music, complete with quirky love lyrics and Tanners award-winning voice. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">“A live show gives me the opportunity to explain the back stories to each song. I’m an entertainer… I like telling stories. The live show is a bit of a throwback to the travelling entertainer”.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The tour dates are as follows:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">May 31</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>st</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - The Haven - Edmonton, AB</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">June 1</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>st</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - Velvet Olive - Red Deer, AB</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">June 4</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - The Buzz - Nanaimo, BC</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">June 5</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - Duncan Garage Showroom, BC</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">June 7</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - Char’s Landing - Port Alberni, BC</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">June 10</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - Elk and Oarsman - Banff, AB</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">June 13</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - Artful Dodger - Regina, SK</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">June 14</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - Java Express, 23rd Main Street -Moose Jaw, SK</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">June 17</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - Last Drop - Revelstoke, BC</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">June 19</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - Cafe Deux Soleils - Vancouver, BC</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">June 21</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>st</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - Voodoo’s - Penticton, BC</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">June 22</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>nd</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - Cedar Creek Cafe, Winlaw, BC</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">June 28</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - National Music Centre Record Release - Calgary</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">June 29</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - Rodeo - Strathmore, AB</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">July 4</span><span style="font: 8.0px 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"> - Inspire Cafe, Medicine Hat, AB</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #272727"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">For further information, visit <a href="http://www.tannerjamesmusic.com"><span style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #4000ff">www.tannerjamesmusic.com</span></a>. </span></p>
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<div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br></span></div>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/7217702013-05-11T04:19:10-07:002022-01-12T05:46:18-08:00Dear John Letter To My Fair CityMy pal Rob Wikstrom made this cool little mashup video for my song Dear John Letter To My Fair City. It's a song about my love/hate relationship with Calgary Alberta Canada. The video features some historic moments. Please send cease and desist letters to my parents house.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk2pcj8u7a8"><br><br>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk2pcj8u7a8</a><br><br><br>
-TannerTanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/6825762013-05-06T05:28:04-07:002021-08-02T04:38:19-07:00Accidental California <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">California</span>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I had just crossed the border to drive to Nashville TN when I got an email from the Calgary Folk Fest Songwriting Contest letting me know I got into two separate categories to perform for the finals. I wasn’t really expecting this and it forced me to decide on the fly what I should do. Folk fests are my goal so it was a good opportunity to network and potentially win a little money.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I made a rash decision to head to L.A. and visit some friends and return for the competition and then, finally head down to Nashville. It was one of those fast decisions that ultimately makes a bigger impact then you initially expect. I’m facisnated by decisions. One decision can ultimately change the lives of you and everyone around you. This fork in the road really changed the course of my adventure and it was for the best.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">A long lost aunty lives in Billings Montana so I stopped there the first night. It was really cool to catch up with her and I had a real good feeling about everything. The next two days of driving were strange. It was my first time being on the road by myself for a long time and I suppose you could say I was adapting. There was an accident on the highway after Vegas and I only moved one mile in an hour and a half. I decided to pull over and stay in the next town I saw. It turned out being this little Vegas-rip-off called Prim Nevada. It was like a truckers Vegas, on the plus side, I was able to get a nice room for $40. A strange storm was brewing outside and it felt like the apocalypse. It was so windy outside my room it was making me uncomfortable. I went to the hotel gym and decided that Prim Nevada is probably the worst place a man could ever die. It was a very surreal experience.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I arrived in L.A. the next day and headed to my friend Sam and Matt’s house. Sam is a friend from back home who met Matt while he was on tour doing lighting for K.D. Lang. They are really good people and they put me up for a few days on their couch. The weather was great and I read by the pool and enjoyed some good Mexican food. Matt currently does lighting on Dancing with the Stars so he got us VIP tickets and showed us around backstage. It was such a different experience than what you see on TV. After the taping we went home and watched the episode. It was really educational to see both sides of the coin.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">One of my best buddies, Brody, sent me a text message saying that his friend Chad was in L.A. as well and that we should meet up for a drink. I had met Chad once at home and we got along really well. I agreed and met him in Hollywood for that said drink.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">He only had time for one beer because he was going to a Dodgers game that evening. We got trading stories and laughing and he mentioned how he had an extra ticket to the Coachella music festival and a house rented in Palm Springs. I made another rash decision to take Chad up on the offer. He went to the game and I drank about six beer and watched some a really bad movie called Wanderlust. When he came back we went out on the town and ironically met a guy and a girl from Calgary. We ended up having drinks with them and then they drove us back to Chad’s hotel. They came in for a beer and I ended up playing half a set of music. It was really fun.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The next day we headed to Palm Springs and got the keys to the house. Six other guys from Calgary who I had never met ended up being in the house as well. It turned out to be an amazing good time. I got a steal of a deal on the accommodations and tickets, about 10% of face value. The other guys in the house were amazing people. So much laughter and such a great place. The festival was everything you could ask for. People were kind and the bands I saw blew me away. Admittedly, I probably spent too much time in the beer gardens and not enough time watching bands.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/acc7dc464f32be659ade8b690b101af71f9ebd1d/medium/Cali.JPG?1367861405" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" width="300" /><br type="_moz"></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I met some rad people who I will probably hang out with for a long time. Magical little trip all around. Chad got wasted on the last night and cancelled his flight and drove the entire way home with me up the coast. What a beauty! It was nice having him for the 34 hour drive (we took the scenic route).</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I got back to Calgary and played a little pub gig to make some money. The next two days I competed in the song contest and got a 2nd place in the Places and Spaces category. That was a good feeling. I went home on the fourth day and drove tractor for my dad. I spent four days in Alberta total and then headed back on the road.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/aa97f0a7664670bdd39efc249206eaca00460e59/medium/Folk.JPG?1367861405" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="400" width="300" /><br type="_moz"></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I got plenty of stories for you...stay tuned.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Cheers,</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tanner</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/6173132013-04-26T06:36:45-07:002022-04-14T00:36:13-07:00Check This Out!Silvia from the Beacon News wrote this cool article about me. It certainly makes me feel better about being a homeless musician.<br><br>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(55, 64, 78); line-height: 18px; "><a rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; " href="http://beaconnews.ca/blog/2013/04/tanner-james-heading-to-nashville-to-pursue-music-career/">http://beaconnews.ca/blog/2013/04/tanner-james-heading-to-nashville-to-pursue-music-career/<br><br>
-Tanner<br type="_moz"></a></span>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/4905022013-04-08T17:26:16-07:002022-02-08T22:47:50-08:00Everything is better in B.C. <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/6ffe552324c25c29804163c4a32ff43b7c1d6585/medium/cool-factor.jpg?1378227494" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="401" width="300" /><br><br><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I headed out to B.C. for a few dates before cutting south to Nashville. Dylan came with me and played lap-steel. We played in Banff, Penticton, Kelowna and Kamloops. It was a good feeling to be back on the road and in such a beautiful part of the world. Our friend Andrea decided last-minute to drive out to Banff and join us for the jaunt. We are pretty weathered road-warriors and she fit in like a champ. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The shows were all good and I met some really kind and interesting people. We generally don’t ever have a place to stay and just kind of throw it out there on stage. I’ve been overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers lately. The venue we played at in Penticton was amazing. It’s called Elite After 6 and it is a retro diner by day and a live culture hub by night. They have the best hot sauce I have ever had in my entire life, the best part is that it is made locally. They took great care of us and then we crashed at a local fellow’s house named Chris. He had to fly to the airport early the next morning so he just trusted us to leave when we woke up and were ready. Such a nice guy. There’s still a lot of kindness in the world and we left Penticton feeling pretty positive.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Kelowna is always great because we crash at our friend Lauren and Robyn’s house. They are laid back hippy girls who go to school there. They always bring friends and offer us a lot of support and hospitality. It was fun to hang with them. So much laughter, always laughing.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I had one of those moments when I was driving from Kelowna to Kamloops. I took a quiet highway through the trees and it was perfect. Dylan and Andrea were asleep so I just kept listening to the same Josh Ritter EP on repeat. It was one of those instances in which you feel perfectly content and happy with exactly where you are. You don’t get those moments everyday so I really soaked it in.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We played at this cool little venue called The Art We Are in Kamloops and had some amazing black bean soup, quinoa salad and black coffee. I shared the stage with Victoria’s Chris Ho. He is a very talented singer/songwriter who is doing well for himself. I learned some things from watching his set. A friend of mine was having a house warming party so we went there after the show and had a couple drinks and snacks.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I’m starting to feel at home on the road. I’m really happy to have such a strange adventure ahead of me. I’ll be sure to keep you posted.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Cheers,</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tanner</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/4424142013-03-30T06:10:00-07:002022-01-21T02:32:07-08:00The Open Road <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/6cc5bec057e4a48f2b6767bc7525587d94ef0c62/original/OpenRoad.jpg?1378227494" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="360" width="360" /><br><br>
Well folks, my last day of work was on friday. Now the adventure really starts. I have one Alberta show and a couple BC dates before I head down to Nashville to cut my teeth and see what tricks of the trade I can learn. I'm feeling pretty optimistic about everything and looking forward to the adventure ahead. Be sure to check back here often as I'll be blogging fairly regularly. I'm planning to hit some epic places over the next few months. Thanks for being along for the ride.<br><br>
-Tanner<br><br type="_moz">Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/3589102013-03-11T03:35:00-07:002022-05-30T04:39:35-07:00Lost Weekends<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/51a1d49947a6fffcf31e406ecabf2889f63e1554/medium/hudsonsposterresize.jpg?1378227494" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="267" style="width: 300px; height: 318px" width="200" /><div style="text-align: left">It's going to be a fun little weekend. Thursday March 14th is a charity show in Calgary. Friday i'm in Lloydminster at The Root, Saturday we are thinking of stopping in Saskatoon to visit some friends and Sunday is St. Patty's. My pal Dylan will be along for the ride and playing lap steel. Can't wait.</div>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/3534402013-03-08T06:40:00-08:002021-12-17T06:17:37-08:00International Women's Day<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; ">It may seem ironic, seeing as I wrote an album called How To Ruin Your Life With Women, but I would still like to wish everyone a happy International Women's Day. Pretty much everything good that has happened to me in my life is a direct result of the kindness of women everywhere. I truly get by with a little help from my female friends. <br><br>
International Women's Day is an opportunity to respect, lo<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; ">ve and appreciate all women, but also a time to understand and recognize crucial contributions and social achievements made by women.<br><br>
In celebration of this, I would like to point out someone who I believe had a major social impact and gets almost no credit. Rachel Carson is the author of the book Silent Spring, which basically was the singular opposing force to the pesticide DDT in the late 60's. If this women was never born and this book was never written the current species and habitats in North America would have been very different today. Thanks Rachel.<br><br>
Happy International Women's Day!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/dcc3a6568d85f08420d30bb14607e480b75be1f5/original/Unknown.jpeg?1378227494" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="318" width="250" /><br><br><br type="_moz"></span></span>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/3453912013-03-05T12:55:00-08:002022-05-30T07:36:23-07:00Keep Reading: Tender Is The Night <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">Book Reports</span>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tender Is The Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/74077/9d55c812aaca327fd67ac357b8a39e82d7f0add7/medium/tender_is_the_night.jpg?1378227494" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="434" width="300" /><br type="_moz"></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Handwriting - Dakota'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">“When I was young and foolish I used to think F Scott Fitzgerald and Nabokov were the only people who understood love. Now I think they are the only people who don’t.”</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Tender Is The Night was written nine years after Fitzgerald’s magnum opus, The Great Gatsby, which would eventually define Fitzgerald forever in the literary world. I can understand the trepidation of having to follow his major work and it is evident in the amount of re-writes and controversies that now surrounds Tender Is The Night.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Truthfully, it feels a lot like The Great Gatsby. Their are commonalities to Fitzgerald’s writing and themes that span his career; the jazz age, the great war, expats in Europe, heavy drinking and unattainable love. It makes sense that him and Hemingway were friends, they had a hell of a lot in common.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The story centers around the protagonist Dick Diver, a dashing, young psychiatrist striving to make a name for himself in the medical world. His plans are turned upside down when he falls in love and marries the mentally unstable, Nicole Warren. The novel plays out throughout Europe, in upper class hotels and seasonal homes.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Much of the subject matter from Tender Is The Night is pulled directly from the Fitzgeralds life. It is the story of the demise of Dick Diver and the rise of Nicole like that of Zelda and Scott.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">When I was young and foolish I used to think F Scott Fitzgerald and Nabokov were the only people who understood love. Now I think they are the only people who don’t. Fitzgerald and his protagonists confuse love and infatuation. I suppose I do to and maybe that’s why I’ve always enjoyed F Scott.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Unattainable love was the driving force behind Fitzgeralds entire life. The hopeless romantic who could never appease the fleeting siren. One major difference in the Great Gatsby, is that you are able to witness Daisy Buchanan’s flaws. Nicole Warren seems worth throwing your life away for. If you have ever loved a sad girl you will know exactly what i’m talking about.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">“I like the saddest girls the world has ever seen” - Rick Reid</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tender Is The Night has it’s flaws. The first section of the book seems misplaced. Apparently Fitzgerald requested it be changed after it had been approved for publishing but he was overruled. It seems like an obvious mistake. This unfortunately means it takes longer than necessary to engage with the characters and it feels like you enter the story midway through (which, I suppose you do)</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The real beauty of Tender Is The Night is Fitzgeralds eloquent wordplay, his whimsical prose and his beautiful metaphors. There is a reason he was considered by many to be the greatest American writer. For this reason, Tender Is The Night is a great read. Despite it’s flaws, it is still beautifully written. I will leave you with the following quote.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">“Already he felt her absence from these skies: on the beach he could only remember the sun-torn flesh of her shoulders; at Tarmes he crushed out her footprints as he crossed the garden; and now the orchestra launching into the Nice Carnival Song, an echo of last year’s vanished gaieties, started the little dance that went on all about her. In a hundred hours she had come to posses all the world’s dark magic; the blinding belladonna, the caffein converting physical into nervous energy, the mandragora that imposes harmony”.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Keep Reading,</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tanner James</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/506532013-02-28T13:28:58-08:002022-05-30T07:19:09-07:00Nashville <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">I’ve had a calling from Nashville for a number of years now. I’m not exactly sure why. My perception of the city could be all wrong. In my dreams, it is a city that breathes music and builds legends, one of the last great american cities.</span>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I have a fantasy that I can go there a fool, a child, and come back a country singer. After all, that’s where the legends got their starts. I feel like Hank William’s ghost is waiting on every street corner, for ever lost soul with a dream. Dolly Parton is waiting in every gas station to give you a kiss on the cheek and tell you not to give up.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Every writer struggles, it is the nature of the profession. Every human being struggles, writers just acknowledge it. When you write, you just feel it more. I respect the notion of paying your dues, cutting your teeth and waiting your turn. I understand the concept of respect. Without pain you can’t feel beauty. Music is a pilgramige of love and it requires self-sacrifice and a dismisal of many material items. A leap of faith.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Maybe this is part of the reason I want to go. It’s my pilgramige. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The plan is to drive my old car down to Nashville alone. Leave my job, my phone and my comfort all at home and try something. Spend some time roaming the streets, seeing the sites, meeting people and having an adventure. I want to play open mic nights and busk on the street. I want to drink at dive bars and go to church on Sundays. I want to head down to Memphis for a few days, tell everyone I learnt to play the blues in Memphis for my entire career, a white lie for stage banter.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Going anywhere by yourself is frightening, If anyone says otherwise they are a liar. I know I will experience great waves of lonliness. I will call the girl I think I love from a payphone and pour my heart out over a drunk, long-distance line. But I will write songs, I will learn other people’s songs, I will become better acquainted with my guitar, I will talk to strangers and tell my stories. I will perservere. I will come back broken, or, better than I have ever been.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Kids these days are cowards. My father told me in a not-so-poetic way, ‘that myself and my friends were drunks posing as musicians’. That line haunts me. He was right in many ways. I feel like we go to school and then work safe jobs, we practice on weeknights and get drunk and perform on weekends. Trust funds fund punk rock today. I am okay with being a drunk, I just don’t want to be a coward.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I can’t remember hearing Neil Young or Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan ever talk about the times they waited around, worked safe jobs, got drunk on weekends and then made it as legendary musicians. I can’t remember anyone great talking this way. I think that’s what my father was trying to tell me.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">So here I am. Working a safe job, having a beer...on a weekend, writing this to you. Praying that I will follow through with my plan to take my pilgrimage, my journey to Nashville. I am afraid, but I am more afraid of being a coward. I am more afraid of writing this post and not following through.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">So if I call you on the telephone don’t be alarmed, I’m just drunk and lonely in a town I’ve never met.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Tanner James</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/3347932013-02-28T13:26:25-08:002022-05-26T08:16:20-07:00Five Things I've Leant About Music...So Far<b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">1. You are defined by what you listen to.</span></b>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Whatever I listen to comes out eventually. Influences rub off and become part of how I write, therefore influences are important and will craft my music for better or for worse.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">For example, I love Paul Simon and have no problem with the odd Paul Simon influence playing a part of my future repertoire. Then again, I like the band The Get Up Kids but I have absolutely no interest in sounding like a 90’s emo band. Your taste in music prevails eventually. It’s like that magical High Fidelity line.... “It’s what you like, not what you are like. Books, films, music...these things matter”.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">2. Exercise a certain amount of blind faith.</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I have a million reasons why I shouldn’t do something. I am plagued with fear and anxiety and I can self-sabotage anything I do if I don’t be careful. Sometimes you need to have a little faith and just stick with it. Trust your skills and believe in your abilities. There are enough people trying to hold you back, you don’t need to do it to yourself.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">3. Apply a third-person view and analyze what you are doing</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Trying to imagine how others see your live show or your music or any part of your overall product is a good way to analyze what you are doing and find ways to make it better. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">4. Divide your time and energy carefully</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Your time is your greatest asset and it is a finite resource. I used to agree to join side projects all the time but found they would always cave after awhile. I would take on too much and manage my time poorly. I try to put my heart into one thing now and apply my time appropriately. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">5. Don’t let others intimidate you, let them inspire you</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Talented local and regional artists used to frighten me. Now they inspire me to get better and make me a better artist. Finding pain in other people’s success is a sign of insecurity. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I would like to lie to you and tell you this record is more than that. I would like to tell you it’s a concept album about human virtue or the ideologies of love and art, but it’s not. It’s a simple character study that ended up teaching me more about myself than anything.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Every song is about a girl. For better or worse. Some were lovers, some were friends, some were neither. I guess you could say what ties them together is that they were all influential and I felt I needed to talk about our story.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I don’t know how to talk about my feelings so I write songs. One morning I made a list of names. I wrote about these names without a filter or without an agenda and then I put simple melodies behind the words and gave them a vehicle. The entire process took over three years to complete.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I worked with a producer and we selected songs from my oversized list. We whittled them down and meticuously edited to abide by the laws of pop music.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">To be honest, it was more about the words than the music. The words were the message and music was my most accessible medium.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">When I sang the songs in the studio I relieved every story. Once they were complete it felt like the stories were over. They didn’t haunt me anymore. They no longer belonged to me.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I recorded this album for me and I’m happy that I did. It now seems self-indulgent and petty to dedicate an entire album to personal failure. This just means that the process was a success. I needed to share these stories.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I think my next record will be about human rights, nautre and beauty in strange places. I may ride my bike across Canada to tour it.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"> </p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/3347822013-02-28T13:15:00-08:002023-12-10T08:43:04-08:00And So It Begins<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I spent the better part of the fall and early winter holed up in a jam space I rented in Calgary. My band of five years had broken up and I was learning how to go from playing indie rock to folk. It was a lonely process. I was used to being surrounded by constant companions and going at it on your own can be awkward at first. I put in my time and it was a humbling experience. As spring comes closer I will be coming out of my hibernation. I have shows slated in B.C., Alberta and Sask in March and April. I can’t wait to show you what’s been brewing.<br><br>
-Tanner</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/3347802013-02-28T13:10:00-08:002022-05-30T05:51:21-07:00The Last Waltz <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; "><img src="webkit-fake-url://50A26BDF-C7BE-490A-87A6-9EBCEF1EF98D/pastedGraphic.pdf" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="pastedGraphic.pdf" /></span>
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</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My first band, the Nix Dicksons, played our farewell show this past weekend. It was five years of ups and downs and I'm grateful for every second of it. It was a strange feeling saying goodbye. Five years, hundreds of shows, even more bottles of wine; it was a hell of a ride. 200 friends crammed into the Palomino in Calgary and we threw the best funeral party we could. Onwards and upwards. Thanks for the ride.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Tanner</span></p>Tanner Jamestag:tannerjamesmusic.com,2005:Post/3347792013-02-28T13:10:00-08:002022-05-26T11:45:31-07:00Welcome <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">My name is Tanner James and this is my new site. I'm happy you found me. I'll be updating this site with all the standards plus a regular blog of thoughts and prose. Please write to <a href="mailto:tannerjamesbooking@gmail.com"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #2c00af">tannerjamesbooking@gmail.com</span></a></span>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">-Tanner</span></p>Tanner James