With today marking the 151 birthday of this great nation I am proud to call home, I wanted to write a little bit and pay homage to my homeland. As many of you know, I’m on the road with Midnight Shine, playing drums and living my dream (or one of them!) as a professional musician. I get back home to Calgary in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow, spend a couple days getting my life organized and then fuel up, pack th eTiguan and rip across the country to make a new home in Toronto.
It’s surreal. These whole last few months have been. I’m ecstatic to see what’ next, but before I get too crazy, I wanted to tie in a term us drummer use for when you just lay low, let the music speak for itself and just groove. It’s called being in the pocket. A lot of drummers have a hard time staying in the back. A lot of very talented drummers especially want to showboat, impress the girls or I don’t even know what else… but they have a hard time serving the song.
I like to think of staying in the pocket as being neutral. Coasting; not forcing anything to happen. No outcome is right or wrong, just an opportunity to explore and be adventurous. Much like in say, jazz or reggae… the jam happens, much like life. The song could go anywhere… and if you have the wherewithal to just loosen up your grip on the sticks of life, you’ll get carried the right way out of the bridge. Just trust yourself.
I wanted to take the time to thank Midnight Shine and everyone that’s a part of the team for trusting me with the sacred project. No matter what happens next I have a lifetime of memories and lifelong friends. I’ve had the opportunity to share the stage with absolute legends of the music industry like Blue Rodeo and Colin James, shared drums with childhood heroes Wide Mouth Mason and I’ve met some seriously awesome humans on this stint. I am ever so grateful for the opportunities, but also recognize that I earned them.
It’s amazing what kind of song can form when you learn to stay in the pocket.
PS. Here are some of the highlights from tour. For the full story, head to my Instagram account. Click the “tour” button and watch front to back the happenings on the road with Midnight Shine. @usetheschwartzy
Indigenous Day Live – Winnipeg, MB June 23
The Office, Winnipeg, MB June 23
The Office, “Stars and Thunder” Timmins, ON June 25
Marianas Trench, Timmins, ON “Stars and Thunder” June 26
The Office, Webequie, June 27
Hangin with ahold bud, Lliam in London, ON “The Village Idiot” (best record store!)
Virginia To Vegas, “Stars and Thunder”, June 26 Timmins, ON
The Office, “It’s Your Festival” Hamilton, ON
New whip, Timmins, ON June 27
Running Hills on the road, London, ON June 29
Wide Mouth Mason and I after we opened for them at ” It’s Your Festival in Hamilton June 30
Oh, Canada. Intro With today marking the 151 birthday of this great nation I am proud to call home, I wanted to write a little bit and pay homage to my homeland.
