The Ongoing Revelations of Kathryn Rose

Lucky Take #13

2005-04-11T14:02:00.000-04:00

Just heard Alicia Keys' 'Karmastition'. I really like Alicia Keys but to me it's just a bunch of vocal tracks over top of Stevie Wonder's brilliant track, which I think is lazy and pointless. There's so much re-hashing taking place in film and music these days. David and I often look at each other and say, 'Well, I guess it's official. There are no new ideas left.' I once heard producer Mitchell Froom say that he thinks of modern music as 'hybrid music'. I think I know what he means and I agree with him. I know I'm personally influenced by many sounds and styles, but that's not what's going on here. Songwriting, please!

Just filmed the video for 'One Person' with director Chris Smets. It's a one-take, no-edits video. Spent the day doing the same thing over and over. It was all about getting 'The Ultimate Take', which involved a little bit of pressure, as the song is so personal. It made for a bit of an emotional day but that's a good thing! I haven't seen it yet but my manager, the director and the production company have, and they unanimously agreed that lucky-take-number-13 is the Ultimate Take. In a pre-shoot meeting at Syndicate Films, I was told there were blue velvet curtains that would open and close in front of me at the start and end of the video. As a joke I said, 'will the curtains be monogrammed with a big swirly 'K' on one and an 'R' on the other?' To my surprise they said, 'great idea' and on the shoot day, there they were! Wait 'til you see 'em! It pays to be a wisecracker! They looked fabulous.

CBC Radio played 'One Person' last week and quite a few people have mentioned they heard it and liked it, saying that they thought it was smoother and simpler than my older music. I'll take that!

A 2005 Juno Awards comment: All hail kd lang! Awe and appreciation for her glorious, genuine voice.

xo KR

P.S.: The new KR website is coming very soon, with loads of new photos (ie: of the 'one person' video shoot) and content.

The Best Birthday Ever

2005-03-27T09:20:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,

Thank you very much to all of you who sent me birthday wishes. It was a great one this year. After a near 3-hour tension filled, high drama showdown while parked outside of a certain house on a certain street, David and I became homeowners on Wednesday night!

We didn't get the house I talked about in my last entry. That one was indeed bandied about in a major bidding war. And How! It went for $63,000.00 above the asking price. Are people insane? They are when they've lost five other houses in Toronto bidding wars. We put our offer in and even upped it a bit in a second round of bids, but could not and would not compete with those other people who clearly had their eye on the prize (and money to burn)?

The next day we got right back up on the horse and clipped-clopped a few feet around the corner from the house we lost, to see another one just on the market. It took the new Number One spot in our realtors' "Two House Rule" (always only have 2 houses in mind from all that you have seen), and stayed there as we went in and out of many properties all day. The next day we had it inspected and the night after that was Offer Night.

We lucked out and got the prime parking spot: behind all the other cars, so we could see all the action. We were in the backseat of our agent's car. To distract and amuse myself I "named" the other realtors who were going in and pitching their clients' offers, and did a live play-by-play with much speculation on the significance of every move. Before long even David and our sister-team of agents ("The Barracuda" and The Barracuda's sister/partner, "Soft-Touch") were playing too.

"Jeep-Lady just came out! She's getting in her car. Oh my God! Check out Seal! He's goin' in."

Five minutes later.

"Seal just came out! He's still got the papers in his hand! What does that mean? He's getting in his car. Come on, let's see those tail lights. Drive away Seal! Drive away!"

The stakes got a little higher when the listing agent came out and spoke to each agent one by one. When he approached our car our agent got out, closed the car door and we could see their lips moving but couldn't hear a word. Torture, I tell you. She got back in and said, "You're still in the game. We have a chance to revise our offer and go back in." We had a huddle and revised the offer. All the agents went in one by one and pitched their second offer. Then we waited.

By the start of the 3-hour mark I was like, "I hope we get the house so I can go in and pee." The listing agent finally came out and went up to Jeep-Lady's car first. Our agent said, "They'll generally go to the rejected offers first so they'll be left with the winner." My heart was pounding fast. He finished talking to Jeep-Lady and walked over to Seal's car. Jeep-Lady didn't drive away though. He spoke with Seal and started walking all the way back to us. During his walk back to us, Seal's tail lights lit up and he drove away. Sweet. Jeep-Lady started her Lady-Jeep and she drove away. Holy moly!

He got to our car, our agent got out, and they did that whole lip-moving, no-sound thing some more just to drive us crazy. Then they shook hands. She got back in and said, "you just bought a house."

In shock we went in to sign the papers. The owner immediately hugged me and I cried a little bit. She's a lovely woman who looks just like Madam President on Battlestar Gallactica. We had tea and signed everything. I got to have that pee, during which I thought, "this is going to be my toilet."

It was great. The bottom line is that in losing the first house and going for the second one, we got a better house on a quieter street for less money, and we love it even more. We'll be moving there in time for summer.

It was extra great that David's sister and brother-in-law Christine and John were in town for a wedding this week and were available to hang out with us and hear all about the house until they were probably sick to death of the whole subject.

With getting the house, not getting creamed in a chain-reaction accident on the Gardener Expressway on the way home from getting the house when everyone started spinning out on black ice all around us (thanks to the Soft-Touch's good driving and snow tires), with my new album about to come out and the "One Person" video to shoot this week coming, what a great birthday!

Got to go. Must fantasize about what it's going to be like having an actual dining room.

xo KR

“The Barracuda”

2005-03-16T13:41:00.000-05:00

In my last entry I ended with a real live Cliffhanger *. By now you must be positively salivating for the punchline, no? It would be cruel to postpone your satisfaction a minute longer, yes?

Why did I say that David and I feel like boiling our socks?

If you were my best friend Vid, for some reason you would now begin venturing wild guesses as though there was a door prize.

“Because you found mouse droppings in your sock drawer?”
“Because you both have ingrown toenails?
“Because you were just at my house for dinner and got covered in cat fur, to which you are both allergic?

I usually let her guess until she’s guessed-out and then say something like,
“No, Ewww and Excellent Guess, but how about I just tell you?”

So here’s the answer.

Right after this commercial message
ha ha
(like on American Idol but I hope you’re not watching that crap).

“Today’s entry is brought to you by: The Blog.
The Blog.
A modern, convenient distraction from working on your taxes.
Get yours today.”

And we’re back.

Why would we feel the need to boil our socks?

The answer to this question is a recent project that has run the gamut from Exciting to Bearable to Grim to Verging On Crime-Scene:

[Shoe-removal while house-hunting in March in Toronto].

That’s right, on top of everything else we’re both working on right now, we are looking to become first-time homeowners. Because it’s March and there are snowbanks and wet shoes and we’re searching in a certain price range and seeing about 10 houses a day, that’s a lot of “shoes-off/shoes on” in an onslaught of houses that range from Hellholes to Ridiculous Structures to Acceptably-Clean Dwellings to the Occasional Hidden Gem.

Highlights of the past week:

-The naked man in bed we discovered behind a second floor bedroom door, with no warning by the owner who let us into the house.

-A little old lady who, when we saw her home, pointed out the glitter embedded in the stucco living room ceiling with great pride, and who took me on a tour of her bedroom: “This is where I sleep. This is my bed, and my telephone, and my television.”

-A tour of a place that turned out to be an ex-rooming house, with something smeared on the walls in the bathroom that I need not identify.

I’m learning a lot about houses and real estate.

-I am now suspicious when I see the word “Clean” in a house listing. Call me crazy but I just think that when someone is trying to sell a house, “Clean” is one of those things that should be a given, like, “Has A Roof”. To read that it is “Clean” tells me that that is probably the only thing it has going for it. That it may not have a roof.

-It’s fun to say, “I have to call my broker” and “our realtor is picking us up at noon.”

-Our realtor is known in the business as, “The Barracuda”. She’s all of 5 feet tall and also happens to be Vid’s aunt. In the first house we saw she undid the lock box, opened the front door, looked inside, said, “Don’t even take your shoes off”, took two steps in and said, “Stand right here, look at what you see. Now get out. We’re going to the next house.”

On A Bright Note:

If you are a believer in creative visualization and have some extra mental time on your hands, please think of us this Sunday, March 20 from 7 PM on (ET), because that is when The Barracuda will be pitching our offer (our first-ever house offer!) on a beautiful little house we found yesterday, and if this house comes our way rather than being bandied about in a bidding war, we’ll be shocked but unspeakably happy. Last night I actually prayed.

Before I sign off, here is a new segment of the KR Blog, a little something I like to call: Something Cute.

Cue the “Something Cute” Jingle/Sting:

When I ask my mother-in-law what my father-in-law is doing and she says, “he’s Curling” (as in the sport of Curling), in her Scottish accent it sounds like she is saying, “he’s cuddling.” (As in the sport of Cuddling?)

Sayanara,
KR

__________

* Cliffhanger: the name of Track 3 from my new CD, “Kathryn Rose”.

"You Can't Say I'm Not Thorough"

2005-03-14T17:59:00.000-05:00

Following up to my last entry, here are my responses to the questions/comments I couldn't get to in last week's live chat.

You can repay me for my efforts with your purchase of my new CD, "Kathryn Rose" at www.kathrynrose.com

One new element of my website which is being re-designed right now will be an ongoing Q & A section.

In my next entry I will tell you why David and I have recently been feeling like it might not be a bad idea to boil our socks. There's a Cliffhanger...
xo KR

________

[hanz0] 8:03 pm: what is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
KR sez:
Anything with slivers or chunks of chocolate.

[EmmaLee] 8:04 pm: I’m still trying to fix my subwoofer. I busted it listening to “Life's Luxurious”
KR sez:
That song is always a great workout for me, with all that heavy breathing and the groovy groove... makes sense it was a workout for your stereo system, sorry about your subwoofer!

[DavisLawnMowing] 8:04 pm: Why did you stop acting, Kathryn?
KR sez:
I stopped acting because I realised: ‘where the heart lies, the stomach will follow’. In other words: if there’s something you want to do badly enough you will put up with the heartache and pitfalls that are bound to befall you along the way. If you’re pursuing the wrong dream, or the dream for the wrong reasons, you will not survive. For me, I had to admit that acting was the wrong dream and that music was the right one. Since I made that decision ten years ago, I have never wanted to go back to the life of the actress, having to yield to other peoples’ rules and unrealistic beauty standards. I have however always held on to the idea that I wouldn’t mind somebody wanting to put me in a movie because of something they see in me as a songwriter and performer. Now I’m married to an actor whom I admire very much for the quality of his work and the way he soldiers on, maintaining his dignity and caring enough to work behind the scenes in the Guild that represents actors, to improve the state of the industry and the lives of the people in it. My heart lies in music, and my stomach has followed, surviving all the lean times and the low blows.

[ElysianFaery] 8:08 pm: thanks for creating a public blog. I like your sense of humour!
KR sez:
Little did I know when I began my blog that I would enjoy writing it so much and that others would enjoy reading it so much. It really makes me want to write a book.

[Fumbler1968] 8:12 pm: have any pets KR?
KR sez:
No pets these days. About 10 years ago people kept giving me their budgies for various reasons. Eventually I had 3 of them. I was the Crazy Budgie Lady of Toronto (self-proclaimed), living alone in a loft studio space at the time. I built an aviary for them in one of the giant windows. When David moved into my apartment with me, the movers he hired had a boy dog named Sadie who followed them in and out of the house throughout the whole move. We kind of fell in love with Sadie that day. Sadie was an Australian Sheepdog. We decided then and there that we hope to find a dog like Sadie when we get into a bigger house.

[Sunshine] 8:17 pm: what's your fav food?
KR sez:
I love to eat and to cook and I love food of many cultures, so how about I tell you what I hate: raisins and liver. Bleh.

[Sunshine] 8:18 pm: what sarah song you love most?
KR sez:
Good Enough or Elsewhere.

[Jyl] 8:18 pm: On the afterglow live dvd you did an awesome job on “ICE”
KR sez:
Thank you. Also, thanks Jyl, for your email after the fact about asking whether I was married to Gene Simmons. Don't worry, I was not offended. I thought you were just joking.

[EmmaLee] 8:19 pm: Would you ever consider doing a college tour in the U.S. Kathryn? If so please come to either IN, TN, or KY.
KR sez:
College tours in the States are a whole different thing from Canadian ones; they can make your career. So yes! Tell your schools about me. I’d love to.

[phugger] 8:58 pm: KR: what is a musician's work life like? i am guessing it's not the usual 9-5 kind of job
[Blythe-Solace] 8:20 pm: Any movies for you in the near future. Either voice over or acting?
KR sez:
This may address both of the above questions. Re: acting - see my comments above. Re: jingles and voiceover - I enjoy this work. The work is fun and challenging and the jobs are quick, which gives me lots of time to work on my own music. These job opportunities come up suddenly. You just never know when they'll call you in to a studio for a jingle session or voiceover audition. Keeps things exciting. You have to be ever on-the-ready. I like that. Having been away for most of 2004 with Sarah means I am letting people know I’m back and hoping that I can pick up where I left off. Last week I sang a demo for a coffee commercial. Today I auditioned for two character voices in an animated series. Tomorrow? Who knows...

[ElysianFaery] 8:29 pm: are there are any "rituals" you do before you go onstage?
KR sez:
Apart from the old straw-in-the-bra routine (see archived Sun., Nov. 14/04 blog entry: “I beg your pardon! I love you!”), I have a little mantra that I made up before one of my own shows in Halifax in 1994, which has stuck. I won’t tell you what it is for fear of nullifying it, but I can tell you it is part-prayer, part-promise for a good show.

[Barra] 8:32 pm: Kathryn-who is your biggest musical influence?
KR sez:
I have to give you a short list: Elvis Costello, The Police, Kate Bush, The Eurythmics, Fleetwood Mac, early Genesis, Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, Jeff Buckley.

[Sunshine] 8:35 pm: KR do you like the netherlands?
KR sez:
I had one fabulous day to explore Amsterdam. I walked and walked. By accident, I saw Queen Beatrix in person. I’d love to go back. Go to my website and look at my Euro tour photos and read my Tues., Nov. 30/04 blog entry “You must not make a party” for more about my brief time in the Netherlands.

[salazama] 8:37 pm: Kathryn, what's the story behind the song yellowknife?
KR sez:
I wrote "Yellowknife" back when I was a single girl looking for love. Although it may at first appear to be a lesbian anthem, "Yellowknife" is in fact a word-for-word report of the excuses I was given by a man I really liked as to why we couldn’t be together even though he found me attractive, and while he was still trying to make out with me. I like how the name of the city where the girl he met two weeks ago comes from becomes the girl's name in the song. If "Yellowknife" becomes a lesbian anthem, well, that’s okay by me. I just write the songs, I don't tell you how to enjoy them!

[Barra] 8:37 pm: Do you have any siblings?
KR sez:
I have one brother who is four-and-a-half years younger, Michael Rose (not to be confused with the Reggae star). My brother is currently in the final stages of signing a publishing deal for his first book, a co-write with a friend of his on the history of disaster films.

[isa19] 8:38 pm: Stupidirl from Ireland wants to know: has there ever been a time in your career that you wondered whether you had made the right decision getting into the music industry?
KR sez:
No. Despite the long road to wider acclaim for my own music, when I sing I feel like there’s nowhere else I’m supposed to be. It gives me great joy. People responding to my songs is very rewarding. Even when I take breaks from my career (which I have found to be necessary), I’m always driven to come back eventually. The simple fact that it’s been 18 years and I haven’t given up yet is the proof that I’m doing the right thing.

[Sunshine] 8:39 pm: what's your fav alcoholic drink?
KR sez:
After I saw “The Big Lebowski” I found myself asking for a White Russian whenever I went to a bar. That eventually passed. I’m not a big drinker. I do like a nice refreshing Pimm’s or a lime-and-lager in the summer.

[DavisLawnMowing] 8:39 pm: what is the name of the film you covered the Costello song for so we can be on the lookout?
KR sez:
I just recorded one of my favourite all-time songs, Elvis Costello's "Watching The Detectives" for the end credits of a feature film called "The Overlookers", written and directed by Christopher Warre Smets. Two of my own songs are also featured in the film: "Mint" from Every Lurid Detail and "I Married Myself" from My Little Flame.
Upcoming screening:
The Canadian Filmmakers Festival
Sat. April 9, 2005
The Carlton Cinemas, Toronto, 6pm. (Yonge and College)
For more info: www.canfilmfest.ca

[Lougle] 8:39 pm: Do you have any plans to perform in the New York City area?
KR sez:
I sure hope so! All tour dates will be on my website.

[JenniferDavidow] 8:40 pm: Do you have a preference: singing live or working through a song in the studio?
KR sez:
I love everything about recording. When I write a song I always imagine what it might sound like recorded. I like feeling the song take shape as you go along in the studio. I like the process of finding the right sounds for the song and the way to sing it that serves it best. I also love performing live. I find that by the time you have recorded a song, you have learned a lot about it, which can help you perform it better. Then of course, performing it a lot over time in different band configurations can take it in other directions.

[Blythe-Solace] 8:41 pm: is there any particular place you have to be in to write? either mentally or physically?
[Sunshine] 8:48 pm: KR where do you like to write?
KR sez:
Mentally I usually need to be tormented about or moved by something to begin writing about it. Physically I need to be alone and I like to have not just my guitar but my computer nearby if possible because when the idea starts forming I like to see it clean on a page as soon as possible.

[hanz0] 8:48 pm: i really like “Cliffhanger”
KR sez: Glad to hear that. We're considering that song as a single.

[gleat] 9:02 pm: nice to know u, we wait for u here in chile
KR sez:
I'm waiting for my soundman to come home from a trip in Chile right now. He's there with his wife showing his relatives their new baby. I hope to get there someday.

The end.

"the weird questions are starting to come"

2005-03-12T10:34:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,
I know the log of the live chat I did this week is posted in full at the fansite, but here it is, edited down for easier reading. Apart from the overloading server and the fact that it looks like I die at the end, it went well.

In my next entry I will answer the questions I could not get to in the chat.
Here we go,
xo KR

_________________________

Welcome! You have entered [Kathryn Rose - LIVE Chat] at 7:52 pm
Thursday, March 10, 2005. 8 to 9 pm ET.
www.sarahmclachlan.info

_________________________

[Kathryn Rose] 7:52 pm: I'm here now.

[EmmaLee] 7:52 pm: Hi KR!
[Sunshine] 7:52 pm: Hi Kathryn welcome! We are waiting for you!
[hanz0] 7:52 pm: Hi Kathryn
[Jyl] 7:52 pm: Hey Kathryn
[ElysianFaery] 7:52 pm: Hi Kathryn
[Admin] 7:53 pm: Welcome Kathryn Rose.....!!!!!

[Kathryn Rose] 7:53 pm: Hi all.

[isa19] 7:53 pm: welcome in Kathryn
[EmmaLee] 7:53 pm: *applause*

[Kathryn Rose] 7:53 pm: Yes, we have liftoff.

[DavisLawnMowing] 7:53 pm: hello people, hello Kathryn
[Jyl] 7:53 pm: are you on a plane?

[Kathryn Rose] 7:54 pm: Feet are on the ground.

[Sunshine] 7:54 pm: kathryn where are you?

[Kathryn Rose] 7:54 pm: Toronto.

[Scooter] 7:55 pm: Yay Toronto
[Jyl] 7:54 pm: Kathryn, are you coming to Arizona? We would love to have you.
[JenniferDavidow] 7:55 pm: Thanks for doing this, Kathryn.
[EmmaLee] 7:55 pm: Yes KR, thanks for chatting with us!
[DavisLawnMowing] 7:55 pm: yes, thank you for coming to chat with us tonight Kathryn

[Kathryn Rose] 7:55 pm: I'd love to come to AZ, and am happy to do this chat.

[isa19] 7:55 pm: thanks so much for taking the time to do this, I know you're busy right now

[Kathryn Rose] 7:56 pm: I look fwd to your questions.

[cookie] 7:56 pm: Thank you very much for doing this chat session
[JenniferDavidow] 7:56 pm: How has the response been to the new record?

[Kathryn Rose] 7:57 pm: Good response so far. “Yellowknife” seems to be the crowd fave.

[Jyl] 7:57 pm: KR my daughter thought you were Sarah's sister
[DavisLawnMowing] 7:57 pm: i bet her favorite movie is National Lampoon's Senior Trip.
[isa19] 7:57 pm: What kind of promo will you do for this album? (you should call your friend Regis)
[hanz0] 7:57 pm: lol

[Kathryn Rose] 7:58 pm: I will call my friend Regis!

[Barra] 7:58 pm: I like that one
[tara] 7:58 pm: are you going to be touring the States anytime?
[Jyl] 7:58 pm: Do you miss traveling with Sarah?
[Sunshine] 7:58 pm: are you going to be touring europe also?

[Kathryn Rose] 7:59 pm: I want to tour the States and Europe, check my website for details in the coming months.

[DavisLawnMowing] 7:59 pm: let’s let Kathryn answer a question before posing another one to her
[isa19] 7:59 pm: After “Every Lurid Detail”, you went on tour with Esthero. After “My Little Flame”, you toured with Sarah. After you’re done promoting Kathryn Rose, do you think you’ll tour with another band and if so who would you like to tour with?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:00 pm: No more live backups for me, only studio backups, unless Elvis Costello calls... I want to tour book stores with my friends who wrote a breakup self help book because my cd should be in a breakup survival kit.

[hanz0] 8:00 pm: lol
[DavisLawnMowing] 8:00 pm: lol
[ElysianFaery] 8:01 pm: What's the name of your friends book?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:02 pm: It's called Bittergirl: Getting Over Getting Dumped.

[Barra] 8:01 pm: What if Gene Simmons calls? He seemed to like you.
[ElysianFaery] 8:01 pm: hehe
[isa19] 8:01 pm: Has anyone bought Kathryn's new cd?
[EmmaLee] 8:01 pm: I DID
[Admin] 8:01 pm: I’ve preordered.
[Jyl] 8:02 pm: getting ready to
[cookie] 8:02 pm: Me too
[JenniferDavidow] 8:02 pm: Me too.
[Sunshine] 8:02 pm: ordered it, but not here yet.
[DavisLawnMowing] 8:02 pm: not yet, must pay off some credit card debt first..........LOL
[tara] 8:02 pm: Yes i have her new cd...it is so awesome, i cannot even begin to describe how much i love it!!
[Scooter] 8:02 pm: i wish i could but i don't use a credit card
[isa19] 8:03 pm: I harrassed you guys so much, I guess it's paying off
[Barra] 8:03 pm: I have it as well. Love it!

[Kathryn Rose] 8:04 pm: Thank you for getting the CD, hope you all do so!

[Fumbler1968] 8:04 pm: i'll get ur cd soon!!!
[Sunshine] 8:02 pm: KR did u like the van gogh museum in the netherlands? I was one of the 2 fans waiting outside the fence at 18th of november.

[Kathryn Rose] 8:03 pm: I sadly didn't get to the Van Gogh Museum.

[Sunshine] 8:03 pm: why not KR?
[hanz0] 8:03 pm: what is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
[JenniferDavidow] 8:03 pm: Do you tend to write lyrics or music first, or does it vary?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:04 pm: These days lyrics and music together.

[EmmaLee] 8:04 pm: I’m still trying to fix my subwoofer. I busted it listening to “Life's Luxurious”
[Fumbler1968] 8:04 pm: do u have a favourite piece?
[DavisLawnMowing] 8:04 pm: Why did you stop acting, Kathryn? Senior Trip is a cult classic!!!!

[Kathryn Rose] 8:05 pm: Senior trip a classic? Wow. Maybe for my bank account in 1993.

[EmmaLee] 8:05 pm: Miosky is a sexy beast!
[isa19] 8:06 pm: I thought it came out in 1995
[DavisLawnMowing] 8:06 pm: for us drunken stoner high schoolers it was awesome back in '94
[Jyl] 8:06 pm: try '87

[Kathryn Rose] 8:07 pm: Miosky rules! (see the movie)

[Sunshine] 8:05 pm: what instruments do you play (sorry for not knowing)

[Kathryn Rose] 8:06 pm: I play guitar, percussion, flute, a little keyboard.

[Fumbler1968] 8:06 pm: nice range of musical abilities!
[Fumbler1968] 8:07 pm: very impressive
[Admin] 8:05 pm: <---- can't be the only guy that wishes Kathryn were single.... but, congrats to her on her love :)
[Jyl] 8:05 pm: How old are you?
[Barra] 8:06 pm: YOu dont ask a woman her age..tsk tsk

[Kathryn Rose] 8:06 pm: I'm 35 and proud of it.

[DavisLawnMowing] 8:07 pm: you don’t look 35
[Jyl] 8:07 pm: You go girl
[Jyl] 8:08 pm: I'm in between you and Sarah in age 36
[Admin] 8:06 pm: :kiss::kiss::heart:
[ElysianFaery] 8:06 pm: what was your favorite moment on the SM tour?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:08 pm: Watching Prince rehearse at the Grammys, Regis saying I'd be next and Gene Simmons snapping my
bra strap.

[Barra] 8:09 pm: I knew Gene would be a highlight!
[hanz0] 8:07 pm: how many new songs have you written since this last album?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:09 pm: I've written about 5 new songs.

[ElysianFaery] 8:08 pm: thanks for creating a public blog. I like your sense of humour!
[isa19] 8:08 pm: Was the song Cliffhanger inspired by Sylvester Stallone?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:09 pm: Cliffhanger is about bad dating attempts.

[isa19] 8:10 pm: I was just kidding

[Kathryn Rose] 8:10 pm: I know!

[tara] 8:11 pm: what does a typical day for you consist of?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:12 pm: Everyday is different. Yesterday I auditioned for voiceover jobs, tomorrow I'm singing a TV ad, the
day before I sang my own show at a university... lots of variety.

[Sunshine] 8:12 pm: good question TARA!
[tara] 8:13 pm: cool...thanks for answering
[Jyl] 8:12 pm: Are you married to Gene Simmons?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:13 pm: Yes, I’m married to Gene Simmons. What?

[Barra] 8:13 pm: HAHA
[Jyl] 8:13 pm: Didn't know
[Barra] 8:14 pm: Actually aren’t you married to Paul Stanley, Kathryn?
[Blythe-Solace] 8:14 pm: Gene just has a crush on her!:kiss:
[Fumbler1968] 8:12 pm: have any pets KR?
[DavisLawnMowing] 8:12 pm: shannon tweed is
[Sunshine] 8:12 pm: take it easy on KR, folks.
[isa19->Admin] 8:12 pm: the weird questions are starting to come
[JenniferDavidow] 8:13 pm: Oh yeah, how was the university thing?
[isa19] 8:13 pm: How was the women studies conference?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:14 pm: It was an honour to participate. More university concerts!

[DavisLawnMowing] 8:13 pm: How long does it take write a song that makes it on an album? How long does it usually take to then record one?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:16 pm: Every song takes it's own time, but this week I recorded a version of Elvis Costello's “Watching The
Detectives” for a movie in about 4 hours!

[DavisLawnMowing] 8:17 pm: wow, thanks Kathryn
[salazama] 8:14 pm: Kathryn, which of the SM band members is the biggest party animal?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:14 pm: Dave Kershaw.

[cookie] 8:15 pm: hoo wow what a cool question salazama
[Jyl] 8:15 pm: He looks like one
[Blythe-Solace] 8:15 pm: I could totally see that. Susanne got some great shots of him back stage as you all left in OZZ
[EmmaLee] 8:14 pm: Kathryn, would you ever think about doing a college tour in the US?
[hanz0] 8:15 pm: did touring with sarah influence the way you approach your music today?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:16 pm: Touring with Sarah made me happy to be a working singer but also made me miss singing my songs.

[Fumbler1968] 8:17 pm: now more of us know of you and will buy your wonderful music! The gig def helped to get ur foot in the door quicker....

[Kathryn Rose] 8:19 pm: Funny you should say that, Fumbler, my company is called Footlodgedindoor Music.

[Sunshine] 8:17 pm: what's your fav food?
[Blythe-Solace] 8:17 pm: was there once song that you just could not wait to stop singing on this last tour with Sarah?
[Barra] 8:17 pm: What Sarah song did you find the most challenging live?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:19 pm: “Fear” was exciting to sing each night.

[isa19] 8:18 pm: Did any of your own songs made it in a movie cause some of them would make great movie music
[Sunshine] 8:18 pm: what sarah song you love most?
[Jyl] 8:18 pm: On the afterglow live dvd you did an awesome job on “ICE”
[EmmaLee] 8:19 pm: Would you ever consider doing a college tour in the U.S. Kathryn? If so please come to either IN, TN, or KY.
[Admin] 8:19 pm: Will you be making any videos for any of your songs Kathryn??

[Kathryn Rose] 8:20 pm: I'm shooting a video for “One Person” this month.

[Com4] 8:19 pm: you dont need sexy shoes to get me to come up and "F"

[Kathryn Rose] 8:20 pm: Com4 that's downright dirty.

[Sunshine] 8:20 pm: COM4 u suck, leave KR alone. She's great.
[DavisLawnMowing] 8:21 pm: I think someone needs to be booted for that stupid insensitive remark
[ElysianFaery] 8:20 pm: What song off your new album is your favorite to play live?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:21 pm: “Low Flying Bird” will be fun. “Life's Luxurious” was great to do live from the last album.

[EmmaLee] 8:22 pm: I LOVE life's luxurious!!!
[Blythe-Solace] 8:20 pm: ANy movies for you in the near future. Either voice over or acting?
[Sunshine] 8:21 pm: kathryn you've got a lil' devil inside you, cuz i found this picture of you and sarah smoking cigars!!!!

[Kathryn Rose] 8:22 pm: That cigar photo is so great. Vince took it.

[Blythe-Solace] 8:21 pm: And are you working on that book?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:22 pm: I want to write a book!

[EmmaLee] 8:23 pm: I'd be first in line to buy!
[Blythe-Solace] 8:23 pm: remember I want the first signed copy!
[Lougle] 8:23 pm: Cool. About what?
[Sunshine] 8:24 pm: A day in the life of KR.
[Scooter] 8:22 pm: Is FEAR the most difficult song to sing? It’s so high.

[Kathryn Rose] 8:24 pm: Singing that high ideally shouldn't be harder than singing lower if you know what you're doing. It's
all psychological.

[hanz0] 8:25 pm: Didnt know that about singing
[ElysianFaery] 8:25 pm: Yeah...me neither...that's interesting
[Scooter] 8:26 pm: I didn't know that about singing either
[stem86] 8:23 pm: Kathryn, you have the voice of a goddess.
[gleat] 8:23 pm: again, what do u think KR about a place like south america, why american or canadian singers dont come to here??
[Blythe-Solace] 8:24 pm: if you had to pick your favorite venue from the N. American tour what would it be?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:25 pm: Fave venue... Merriweather Post? Liked the surrounding woods.

[hanz0] 8:26 pm: wow, i was at Merriweather, thats awesome
[ElysianFaery] 8:25 pm: do you ever get stage fright?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:26 pm: Yes I do get stage fright, usually only for my own shows.

[ElysianFaery] 8:27 pm: thanks for answering.
[Sunshine] 8:26 pm: kathryn do you often talk to sarah?
[Sunshine] 8:27 pm: are you like good friends?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:27 pm: I did talk with her when we were on tour together. We did yoga together before the shows.

[DavisLawnMowing] 8:26 pm: KR is not a part of Sarah's tour this time around
[Barra] 8:26 pm: Shes not with SM anymore
[isa19] 8:26 pm: she's not touring with Sarah anymore
[Lougle] 8:28 pm: I am sorry to hear you are not doing the 2005 tour...
[Barra] 8:28 pm: Dont be sorry. Shes got her own thing going!!
[isa19] 8:28 pm: I announced that a while ago. I even announced her replacement.
[Fumbler1968] 8:28 pm: how did u meet sarah?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:30 pm: We knew each other socially before I worked for her. Her soundman is a friend of mine. Her band
played on my first solo CD.

[Jyl] 8:28 pm: Does Sarah drink??
[ElysianFaery] 8:29 pm: are there are any "rituals" you do before you go onstage?
[Blythe-Solace] 8:29 pm: at first did you just have to pinch yourself when you went on stage with "Sarah" and the band?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:32 pm: My first show with her was the Grammys, which was scary but thrilling. Thanks, yes let's change topics.

[Blythe-Solace] 8:29 pm: After a while I am sure the butterflies went away but at first that must have been quite a feeling.
[DavisLawnMowing] 8:30 pm: lets not bombard Kathryn with Sarah questions
[JenniferDavidow] 8:31 pm: I don't mean to be rude, but this is the Kathryn Rose chat, not the Sarah-ish chat. Please be considerate of the purpose of this chat.
[Barra] 8:31 pm: Clap Clap Clap..thank you Jennifer!
[Barra] 8:32 pm: Kathryn-who is your biggest musical influence?
[DavisLawnMowing] 8:33 pm: good question Barra
[Fumbler1968] 8:33 pm: KR, any fave movies?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:35 pm: Some of my fave movies are listed in my blog profile.

[EmmaLee] 8:33 pm: Hey KR what are the chances that you might do a college campus tour in the US... (if you do please hit IN, TN, or KY)
[gleat] 8:33 pm: kathryn, what do u think about american and canadian singers dont coming to southamerica, we get only pop and commercial singers, not good like sarah or u, why its hard to come, for money??

[Kathryn Rose] 8:36 pm: Good question about artists going to South America. I’d love to tour there. My soundman is from Chile.

[gleat] 8:37 pm: im from chile. wow, what his name KR??
[isa19] 8:34 pm: please give her the time to answer before posting more stuff
[Sunshine] 8:35 pm: KR do you like the netherlands?
[Admin] 8:36 pm: Kathryn, do you plan or desire to do any cover songs on any bands????

[Kathryn Rose] 8:38 pm: I like to do cover songs sometimes. Like I said I just did a Costello song for a feature film and last
month I sang 'It's Raining Men' at an all star benefit.

[Jyl] 8:36 pm: Do you have a religious preference?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:37 pm: I'm Jewish but not particularly religious.

[salazama] 8:37 pm: Kathryn, what's the story behind the song yellowknife?
[Barra] 8:37 pm: Do you have any siblings?
[EmmaLee] 8:38 pm: What about touring colleges in the US, KR???
[Fumbler1968] 8:38 pm: can u speak spanish?
[isa19] 8:38 pm: Stupidirl from Ireland wants to know: has there ever been a time in your career that you wondered whether you had made the right decision getting into the music industry?
[Sunshine] 8:38 pm: Barra, was just wondering the same thing
[Fumbler1968] 8:38 pm: or any other languages?
[Sunshine] 8:39 pm: what's your fav alcoholic drink?
[DavisLawnMowing] 8:39 pm: what is the name of the film you covered the Costello song for so we can be on the lookout?
[Lougle] 8:39 pm: Do you have any plans to perform in the New York City area?
[JenniferDavidow] 8:40 pm: Do you have a preference: singing live or working through a song in the studio?
[stem86] 8:40 pm: good question lougle
[isa19] 8:40 pm: no more questions for a sec
[Fran篩s] 8:41 pm: Let her the chance to answer...
[DavisLawnMowing] 8:41 pm: give KR some time to answer please before posing more questions
[Blythe-Solace] 8:41 pm: is there any particular place you have to be in to write? either mentally or physically?
[DavisLawnMowing] 8:42 pm: give KR a break guys
[gleat] 8:45 pm: KR , sorry
[Fran篩s] 8:45 pm: Hey...We have a special guest with us>>Kathryn Rose!
[Angelili] 8:45 pm: hey all!! kathryn Rose is online?
[DavisLawnMowing] 8:47 pm: i believe some people in here may have scared her off
[Sunshine] 8:47 pm: it has, let's talk about Kathryn (if shes still there :(?)
[Jyl] 8:47 pm: Hey Kathryn, thanks for responding to my questions, gotta bring the kids in, it's getting dark. See you here in AZ!
[hanz0] 8:48 pm: i really like “Cliffhanger”
[Fran篩s] 8:48 pm: she’s surely here, but she just wait that everyone return to earth
[gleat] 8:48 pm: maybe here is kinda slow, and she got a lot of questions
[Sunshine] 8:48 pm: KR where do you like to write?
[isa19->Admin] 8:48 pm: KR just emailed: “my computer is freezing a lot in the chat. Too many questions coming in at once.”
[gleat] 8:49 pm: yes
[Admin] 8:49 pm: please hold chat for a moment
[gleat] 8:50 pm: ok
[DavisLawnMowing] 8:50 pm: some people needed to follow the suggestions a little better that Isa outlined for this chat
[Fumbler1968] 8:50 pm: KR, when you have writer's block, what inspires you?
[Admin->Kathryn Rose] 8:52 pm: apologies... the chat at the same time was overloading the chat server

[Kathryn Rose] 8:52 pm: My computer has been freezing on this website everyone! Too many questions at once.

[Sunshine] 8:53 pm: so let's all behave and give her a chance, she'll only be here 8 more minutes.
[isa19] 8:54 pm: 1 question at a time
[EmmaLee] 8:54 pm: HEY KATHRYN... wwould you ever consider doing a college campus tour in the US??? that would be so awesome!!!!! I would LOVE to see you perform live!!!

[Kathryn Rose] 8:56 pm: Yes I would consider a campus tour.

[SugrPlum316] 8:54 pm: yea that would be great!
[gleat] 8:55 pm: i dont know how works the room, but people should talk in a order, then everyone could ask and get answered
[Fumbler1968] 8:55 pm: KR, when you have writer's block, what inspires you?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:55 pm: What cures writer's block: bad experiences and time alone to figure them out.

[Fumbler1968] 8:56 pm: lol good answer, thx.
[Admin] 8:55 pm: yes,,,the chat server is an independant machine,,, not a irc network... please slow multiple messages
[SugrPlum316] 8:56 pm: Kathryn this is your first solo album?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:57 pm: I have 3 solo albums.

[SugrPlum316] 8:58 pm: I had no idea, thanks :) I'll def have to check them out.
[gleat] 8:57 pm: whats your soundman name KR?

[Kathryn Rose] 8:57 pm: his name is Andres Castillo.

[gleat] 8:58 pm: thanks KR, chileans are good :)
[phugger] 8:58 pm: KR: what is a musician's work life like? i am guessing it's not the usual 9-5 kind of job
[Lougle] 8:58 pm: I am sampling some of "My Little Flame" right now on iTunes.
[Admin->Kathryn Rose] 8:58 pm: feel free to wrap up when you’d like
[tara] 8:59 pm: KR you are the best! Thanks for your time tonight!
[SugrPlum316] 8:59 pm: thanks isa19 for letting us all know about this, it's really awesome!
[SugrPlum316] 8:59 pm: Thanks Kathryn! :):):)

[Kathryn Rose] 9:00 pm: Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your interest. Please visit http://www.kathrynrose.com/ and get my CD! If I didn't answer your question, send it to me via my blog or website and I'll answer it.

[isa19] 9:00 pm: or send them to me like others did
[hanz0] 9:00 pm: thank YOU kathryn
[SugrPlum316] 9:00 pm: YAY! :)
[cookie] 9:00 pm: thank you KR for answering our questions
[DavisLawnMowing] 9:00 pm: just wanted to say thank you Kathryn for putting up with all of this

[Kathryn Rose] 9:00 pm: Bye! xo KR

[Sunshine] 9:00 pm: bye dear KR have a nice night.
[Blythe-Solace] 9:00 pm: thanks KR! have a lovely night!
[Fumbler1968] 9:01 pm: Thx so much for doing this!! I really enjoyed it! Best of luck with everything!!
[isa19] 9:01 pm: thanks Kathryn for taking the time to do this
[stem86] 9:01 pm: good night
[JenniferDavidow] 9:01 pm: Many thanks, have a good night, and we'll see you around.
[gleat] 9:01 pm: thanks KR
[EmmaLee] 9:01 pm: THANKS KATHRYN!
[gleat] 9:02 pm: nice to know u, we wait for u here in chilealazama has
[Admin->Kathryn Rose] 9:03 pm: thanks Kathryn. Sorry about the server piling up.. you’re great -cheers jon
[Sunshine] 9:03 pm: kath i'm a journalist will try to get press to get to you at the concert, will look forward. please visit netherlands! lots of love and kisses love your work, you inspire me, goodnight and see you soon.
[Admin] 9:04 pm: I will be posting the complete text log of the chat session on the main page this evening
[ElysianFaery] 9:04 pm: thanks for talking with us

Kathryn Rose has left at 9:05 pm

[Sunshine] 9:05 pm: she's gone.

Live Chat with KR

2005-03-04T12:40:00.000-05:00

Get your questions ready and do your finger exercises,

I will be doing a moderated one-hour live internet Chat
Thursday, March 10, 2005
From 8-9pm ET
at www.sarahmclachlan.info
(fansite)

(Recommended Chat Warmup/Warmdown: Ordering and listening to the "Kathryn Rose" CD, available at Maple Music via www.kathrynrose.com)

Chat soon!
-KR

Oh, Marc Anthony

2005-03-01T13:52:00.000-05:00

WEATHER REPORT:

Toronto is gripped by the clutches of a snowstorm. Monty (you remember Monty, my laptop?) and I are sitting at the kitchen table with a view of falling snow. The zipper from a hoodie is whipping around noisily in the dryer. It's nice to be home and warm. Touring-Schmooring!

ODD BUT TRUE:

Last week David and I came across an online news story with the headline: "Indian Village Boy's NASA Claim Crashes to Earth". To summarize: apparently a 17-year-old Indian villager fooled all kinds of officials and the media into believing he had won first prize in a NASA science exam that doesn't exist. He drew up his own winning "NASA Certificate". He said he stayed at Buckingham Palace while taking the exam. He told all kinds of bold lies. He was just on the fast track to becoming a national hero, with recognition from his President, the Uttar Pradesh state government rewarding him with a 500,000 rupee prize and more than 100 members of the state's upper house each donating a day's salary to him, when his story began to unravel. Now the boy has returned to his village of Narhai and is under police investigation.

Oh, so close! A for Effort, I say. I do not endorse pathological lying as a means to get ahead but as an independent artist I know that without resourcefulness you might as well give up. (You know what else is weird? Oprah is on in the background right now and today she's doing a show on pathological liars. That's weird.)

NOTE TO MARC ANTHONY:

Oh, Marc Anthony. I don't know who told you it would be a good idea to do a duet with your wife Jennifer Lopez on the Grammys this year, but thank you for providing Saturday Night Live with ample fodder for a sketch showcasing my favourite elements of the debacle: the re-creation of the excellent 1970's Variety TV Show-style set from your Grammys performance as your actual home layout, with you coming home from the Grammys and continuing your duet, showing that you are a gifted singer and that your wife is, well, not. ("How was that, Marc Anthony?" ..."Oh, J-Lo, maybe you do not sing the note, but you sing all the notes around the note and you are so beautiful.") Loretta Lynn and Jack White coming over for post-Grammys snacks ("Where are you Jack?"... " Right here, ma'am, Yes, ma'am...") was an added bonus.

LOOK WHAT YOU DID:

The "Kathryn Rose" CD started out at #8 on the Top 10 Best Sellers at Maple Music (my online distributor) right out of the gate. It then went to #7 and is now at #6! You can see their Top 10 on the Home page at www.maplemusic.com

That's because of you. Thanks everyone who has ordered it so far. If you are thinking of ordering it, please do and keep me Charting!

THE ESSAY. NOT JUST FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL ANYMORE:

Here is something I wrote to explain what makes this CD a concept album, song by song. This little 'essay' will be part of my new press kit for the media. I wrote it for fun just for myself at first (you know me, I like the writing!) and then I sent it to my manager to see what he thought of it. He liked it so much he said we should put it in the press kit because music journalists might find it useful when they go to write reviews of the CD. I thought I'd post it here in case any of you find it interesting. The parts of this essay that appear "LIKE THIS" are the song titles.

THE THIRD SOLO CD BY KATHRYN ROSE, IN HER OWN WORDS:

The first song sets the scene: there has been a breakup of a major love relationship in my recent past. When you meet me on this album, I am standing stock still on a busy downtown street in the middle of the day, paralyzed by the feelings I’m still carrying around for this person. I’m asking you to be my witness while I vow not to be "BEHOLDEN" to him any longer.

Easier said than done. Until I really turn the corner, I’ll continue to make the classic mistake women make in thinking they can change a man. You have just caught me red-handed trying and failing to turn one poor unsuspecting candidate into "SOME OTHER KIND OF MAN", a hybrid of my Ex and what I think I really want in a man.

A short time in the future and I think I’m ready to take what I’ve learned and date again. Three verses later I have:
(1) had my head examined for being with one guy who might as well have invented the “Jackass” Series,
(2) narrowly escaped the quicksand of nostalgia for my Ex again, and
(3) am about to have a date with a man who seems mature, soft spoken, self sufficient, sexy... He seems great. Will I mess it up? Will it work out? It’s a "CLIFFHANGER."

The Misadventures In Dating continue:
A man I have always found attractive who has flirted mercilessly with me from afar suddenly takes me out and sings my praises. Could this be my lucky day? Is he finally available? Our hot first kiss is even better than the fantasy. He tells me how amazing I am. Then he tells me there’s someone else... He just met her 2 weeks ago, she’s from out of town but she’s moving here soon, so... The room starts to spin... I go home and write it down. It requires no analysis, it’s all there in black and white. This song is a word-for-word quote of his mixed messages, no joke. My only artistic license: we’ll call her “YELLOWKNIFE”.

My world view is starting to suffer. Maybe I’m too quick to blame others when things don’t work out. Maybe I need to retrace my steps. I start thinking about the relationships I may have sabotaged over the years in favour of my career, or out of pride, the folly of youth... In my mind’s eye I see my ruined attempts at love as a "LOW FLYING BIRD" that I shot out of the sky, like a hunter who kills for sport instead of necessity.

Enter some truly dark nights of the soul. I indulge in a winter of isolation, a hopeless spring, a joyless summer. It’s not just my love life. People offer to lavish public attention upon my work and then attach labels to me that I can’t live down. I dream about a flood. "FAME & SHAME" seem to be bedfellows. I stay up night after night looking out the window for a message from a "DEEPSPACE SATELLITE".

Autumn. What year is it? How long was I in the coma? I don’t know what has changed but I feel like I’m waking up. All I know is that I have now been broken up with my Ex for longer than we were together and that must mean something. "SHE'S COMING AROUND".

Summer again. I go to a very good friend’s wedding. A man who was supposed to arrive with the second wave of reception guests has shown up early. Room for him is made at my table across from me. I like the look of him. I talk with him after dinner and like the sound of him. The night ends and time goes by.

The sister of the groom is friends with the man. She decides he and I are a good match. She conspires to bring us together. She calls us both up two months after the wedding and lies to us.

She tells me: He wanted to know if I was single and can he call me? I say yes.

She tells him: I asked her if he was single and would he like to call me? He says yes.

(Take note, Matchmakers; this is a clever technique. Both parties believing their presence was requested by the other person gives them a handy false sense of security and eliminates the guesswork.)

Like magic he calls and asks me out. We go on our first date on a Friday afternoon at the Art Gallery. Eight months later he gets down on his knee on my kitchen floor at 3 AM and asks me to marry him.

Finally, "ONE PERSON" to be on my side when the world is not, to renew my faith in modern love. Cause for celebration indeed! Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it, but if you’ve been paying attention or are looking for love in this day and age, you know the road to get here is long and complicated and comes with no guarantees. The rest, as they say, is the future. An "INFINITE LIFE OF DAYS".

(End of Essay)

VIDEOS:

I am about to shoot a video for the song "one person" from my new CD with director Christopher Warre Smets. I wrote the song for my husband and hid it from him to sing it for him as a surprise at our wedding. The video will be an intimate choreographed one-shot performance between me and the camera. Christopher and I are also developing a funny video concept to compliment the song "yellowknife".

'TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH':

As promised, all of my North American Summer 04 Afterglow Tour photos have now been posted. The link to see them is on the news/live page at my website. The Leg 1 photos were up in my gallery already but the captions/locations of those shots were not added, so I had my web guy post them again along with the Leg 2 shots, and captions for the whole lot, for your viewing pleasure. Sorry for the delay.

ANY REQUESTS?

My website is getting a beautiful re-design for the new CD, Gallery included. What would you like to see in my new website? Speak now and perhaps your wishes will be done! Leave your comments at the bottom of this entry.

Until next time,
xo KR

The Sunny Future

2005-02-23T17:29:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,
Today's entry is a real shorty:

I have posted an announcement on the News page of my website about my 2005 plans/working with Sarah McLachlan.
More anecdotes, observations and/or embarrassing stories next time.

xo KR
www.kathrynrose.com

Less Talk More Music

2005-02-18T02:51:00.000-05:00

Well folks, before I get started on one of my long-winded stories, let me say this:

_____________________________

Finally, less talk, more music! My much-mentioned new CD "Kathryn Rose" is available to you online RIGHT THIS MINUTE!

Ahead of the official April release date, you are exclusively invited to get your copy now. Just go to www.kathrynrose.com (www.kathrynrose.net works too) and right there on the front News/Live page is the link to get it from Maple Music. They are very reputable, you'll get it with no delay.

I hope you will click on the link and have a look at it. We're also hoping we get some early buyers who write in with comments about the new CD, so that we can collect and use some choice fan quotes.

You will also notice that a link to my UK/Euro tour photos has been posted. More captions and photos from other parts of the tour will be up soon too. Keep checking for those.

A whole new re-design of my website will be up when the new CD is officially released this Spring.

(Note: Thank you to fab fan Susanne, who requested to be a really early bird this week! She flew all the way from her home in London, England to be the very first person to buy my new CD, direct from my management office, while visiting a friend in Hamilton, Ontario. Great lengths, indeed!)

________________________________

On to current events:

On Feb. 10 I performed at the fourth-annual "Closer To The Heart" benefit for The Regent Park School Of Music in Toronto, organised by the tireless Karen Pace and my friend Jeremy Robinson. This is a non-profit after school music program for children in the area whose music classes were cut from the curriculum. I participated the first year also but was unable to do the years in between. The musical mandate each year is for each invited artist to sing two Canadian songs of their choice, backed by an ace House Band:

James Grey (Blue Rodeo) - keyboards, backing vocals, band leader
Kurt Swinghammer - guitar, backing vocals
Terence Gowan - bass, backing vocals
John Obercian (Sarah Harmer) - drums

Here's who sang what this year:

Set 1:
Todd Clark (Pilate) - “Famous Blue Raincoat” by Leonard Cohen
Joel Kroeker - “Lodestar” by Sarah Harmer
Lori Cullen - “Forever And Always” by Shania Twain
Glenn Milchem (Blue Rodeo) - “Help Me Lift You Up” by Mary Margaret O’Hara
Chris Murphy (Sloan) - “I Just Want to Make Music” by Ken Tobias
Justin Rutledge - “Early Morning Rain” by Gordon Lightfoot
Emily Haines (Metric) - “Words” by Neil Young
Dave & Jessica Azzolini (Golden Dogs) - “Stay Untraceable” by Bob Wiseman
Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene) - “Flamenco” by The Tragically Hip
Kurt Swinghammer - “Nova Heart” by the Spoons
Kathryn Rose - “The Wheels of Life” by Gino Vanelli
Matthew Barber - “It Makes No Difference” by The Band
Stephen Fearing (Blackie & the Rodeo Kings) - “Golden Serpent Blues” by Bruce Cockburn
Stephen Fearing (Blackie & the Rodeo Kings) - “Thrasher” by Neil Young
Tara Slone (ex-Joydrop) - “Turn Me Loose” by Loverboy

Set 2:
Thompson Egbo-Egbo (R. P. School of Music Alumni) - “Rick’s Vamp” by Pat LaBarbara
Thompson Egbo-Egbo - “Trip to Brazil” by Thompson Egbo-Egbo
Todd Clark (Pilate) - “Harvest” by Neil Young
Lori Cullen - “Sail Across The Water” by Jane Siberry
James Gray (Blue Rodeo) - “As The Years Go By” by Mash Makhan
Glenn Milchem (Blue Rodeo) - “Mona” by Michelle McAdorey & Eric Cheneaux
Matthew Barber - “Over and Over” by Neil Young
Joel Kroeker - “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen
Dave & Jessica Azzolini (Golden Dogs) - “Money City Maniacs” by Sloan
Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene) - “Mood Ring Band” by Deep Dark United
Chris Murphy (Sloan) with Kevin Drew - “Lovin’ You Ain’t Easy” by Michel Pagliaro
Justin Rutledge - “I’m Your Man” by Leonard Cohen
Emily Haines (Metric) - “This Wheel’s On Fire” by The Band
Tara Slone (ex-Joydrop) - “Sometimes When We Touch” by Dan Hill
Kathryn Rose - “It's Raining Men” by Paul Shaffer *

ALL-STAR CAST FINALE: “Oh What A Feeling” by Crowbar

It was a long and crazy night. Tara Slone and Kevin Drew kept pouring me wine. Tara sang the hell out of Loverboy's "Turn Me Loose". Kurt Swinghammer's "Nova Heart" was extremely pleasing and reminded everyone that The Spoons were an important part of Canadian pop history. I first met Joel Kroeker (from the list above) last year when I was hired to sing BGs on various tracks for his solo CD "Melodrama". When he saw that we were both on the bill for this benefit he asked me to sing backups for him on his song choices, which went over really well, and awoke my sense of improvisation after a year of singing the same parts over and over on tour. That night was my first time onstage since my long lasting sicknesses. I coaxed my voice back, and like a best friend it valiantly stood up for me when I really needed it.

As for my song choices, I love Gino Vanelli and what singer doesn't love the chance to sing a power ballad? (Note: Gino Vanelli is a truly great singer... go back and check him out if you need to, but be prepared, it might blow your mind). "The Wheels Of Life" was a nice guilty pleasure for me to sing, but the real fun came singing "It's Raining Men" at the end of the night at the top of my lungs, with the boys in the band singing backups for me, for once:

"It's raining men! Hallelujah!
It's raining men! Amen!"

Good stuff.

Right after that everyone poured onstage for the big finale, and during rousing Choruses of: "Ohhhhhh, what a feeling, what a rushhhhhhhhhhh...", Chris Murphy of Sloan leaned over to me and said, "You are the best singer I've ever heard." When the show was over and we were all standing around talking I introduced Chris to my husband, and Chris said, "Nice to meet you, David. Do you realise you are married to the best singer in the world?"

I love Sloan **, so this made my night.

It's 2:15 AM and I'm off to bed. Before I go, on the subject of my "long-winded stories":
What? Only 5 comments have been posted so far to my last entry?
I know it's a longy but isn't it a goody?

xo KR

____________________________

* Little-Known Fact Korner:

David Letterman's bandleader Paul Shaffer, who is Canadian, co-wrote the hit "It's Raining Men" with Paul Jabara. Jabara wrote "Last Dance" and "No More Tears" for Donna Summer. "It's Raining Men" was made famous by The Weather Girls, from their 1982 album “Success”.

__________________________

** "For God's Sake" Korner:

If you do not know the music of Sloan, look them up (www.sloanmusic.com) and buy their albums, for God's sake. You won't be sorry. Then, when somebody comes up to you and says, "do you have any Sloan?" you can say yes.

"She’s Not Getting It"

2005-02-08T10:55:00.000-05:00

(Note to my male readers:
Do not turn back at the words, “wedding shower.”
There is a pay-off if you stick with me.)

Approximately this time last year I was madly preparing for my wedding and the start of my job with Sarah McLachlan which began shortly thereafter. With the timing of the tour my husband and I weren’t going to have a honeymoon unless we did something drastic.

Solution: elope to St Lucia to be married on the beach, just the two of us for one week. Return to Toronto and have a winter wedding re-enactment ceremony and huge party with our family and friends exactly one week later. This was a good plan but one that required understanding parents, a lot of planning and help from our friends.

Case in point:
I said to my best girlfriend Vid, “you might think this is weird because you know I’m not a girly-girl who has dreamed of her wedding day all her life, but I actually do think I’d like to have a wedding shower so I can hang out with all my girlfriends and my mom before I get married and go on tour.” I asked her if she would organise it. She told me she was a little surprised that I wanted a wedding shower but that she could understand my logic, and would put it together for me if I gave her all the names and numbers of the invitees. I gave her a list of about 15 women.

I didn’t hear anything about for a little while and being a bit of a control freak I checked back in with her until she said, “you asked me to do it and I’m on it. Leave it with me.” I left it with her. Shortly after that she gave me a date: an evening in January in between the elopement trip and the Toronto wedding. A bit mad but do-able. I made a note of it and continued wrapping things up: getting ready to elope, recording the last of my vocals on my 3rd solo CD, doing sessions for other people, making sure the Toronto wedding bash was coming together and learning Sarah M. songs. A busy time.

A couple of weeks before our St Lucia wedding trip I got a phone call from my friend, producer/composer Creighton Doane.

“Katy? Creighty. I know you’re going crazy but there’s a session I’d love to book you on the week after next that would take you, like 20 minutes and I could throw you a couple hundred bucks. What do ya think?”

Creighton always talks really fast. He gave me a bit of background on what the session was for. Something like the client is a producer from Montreal who needs to clean up some vocals on a track for one of his artists, he’s a friend of our mutual friend and producer Danny but Danny’s busy so Creighton’s helping him out...

...I don't know, he said it so fast I didn't really catch it but I love working with Creighton and I just figured I’d get the story straight on the day. Anyone else calling to book me on a session at that particular time and I might have said no, but I always say yes to Creighton and Danny because it’s always a guaranteed fun time. Creighton and Danny are very talented composers and studio business partners. I have worked with them a lot over the years on jingles, album backups and some side projects in our spare time.

The session was booked for 5pm two weeks hence. Creighton called me one more time closer to the day to change it to 7pm. I was home all day that day cleaning up and packing for the trip. I ran out of time to wash my hair but I managed to put it up and throw on a blazer and a little makeup to look professional for the client. I called a taxi and arrived on time.

When I got there Creighton introduced me to the client, Glen, who was a tall, handsome man with a hint of a Jamaican accent, dressed formally for the occasion in a suit and tie and behaving a little on the serious side. When I meet new clients for the first time I usually try to break the ice with them in under five minutes. In the case of this client my first move was to make a little joke about how “I was glad I wore my blazer now that I see your outfit”, referring to his suit and tie. In reality I was getting almost an uptight vibe from the guy. A bit of a tough nut to crack but I never back down from a challenge.

Creighton took us into the control room. Glen was apparently the manager of the artist who was from Montreal. He sat down and didn’t really say much. Creighton did most of the talking. He told me a woman had already sung the female part on the track but that she wasn’t very good and that they wanted me to replace her vocals. He said the artist and track was kind of like a “Shaggy”, R&B thing. He handed me the lyric sheet. It said “This”, Words & Music by Raza Kah. He played me the track.

The song started with a spacy pad, which led into an R&B groove and then a woman’s voice kept singing the word: “This”, in between lines sung by a gruff rasta voice in a patois which did remind me of Shaggy, and then the girl sang, “Baby, baby, baby” at the end of the Chorus. That was it. They said they didn’t need any female vocals on the Verses or the Bridge. I realised then that I had come all the way across town just to sing the words:

“THIS?... THIS?... THIS?
BABY, BABY, BABY”

and this struck me as funny considering how up to my neck I was in my own life at that moment, but I told myself to get a grip. I also thought, oh well, this is easy and should go quick.

The male lead vocals were in a very thick rasta dialect and I’m a nice Jewish girl from Thornhill just trying to make a buck, so I didn’t make any jokes about the “Me no wanna hear bout Bozo the Clown” line in Verse 1, which I would have done for certain if it was just myself and Creighton in the room.

The song seemed kind of goofy, but if I had a dime for every time I have had to keep a straight face while singing on tracks of questionable quality over the course of my career, welI, I’d sure have a pretty big dime collection. Yes Sir, I sure would.

The trick is to always remain professional and save certain laughs for later. The girl they already had on the track did sound pretty lame. The track was in a good key for me and it seemed fairly obvious what they were looking for: a soulful female voice interjecting with the gruff male voice on the Choruses.

I kept all of these thoughts totally to myself and said, “That sounds great. I think I know what you mean. Shall we try it?”

I went into the next room onto the recording floor. I could see them through the big glass window.

We set the levels in my headphones and I went for it. Soulful female vocals on an R&B track: comin’ right up.

I heard the pad, then the groove and I sang,

“THIS?”
(The man’s voice growled: “You-gotta-get-up-on-to-it”)
“THIS?” sang I.
(He gruffed: “But-don't-you-pretend-you-don't-do-it“)
“THIS?”
(“You-got-to-put-your-mind-to-it”, he monotoned.)
“BABY, BABY, BABY” (I offered, with soul.)

Creighton stopped the tape. In the talkback mic he said, “That was good. How did that feel?”

I said, “Good, I think. Is that the idea?”

“Yeah. Sounds great. You rock, Katy. What do you need, do you need more of anything?”

“Maybe a bit more of me but it sounds good.”

“Okay, let’s go for it. I’ll give you a little less pre-roll this time.”

“Okay cool.”

“Okay... this is how much you’ll hear and then you’re in. Four bars.”

“Okey dokey.”

“Here we go.”

He rolled track again.

“THIS?”
“THIS?”
“THIS?”
“BABY, BABY, BABY”

“Right on, that’s great. Uh, Glen is just saying maybe try it a little more, uh... here, he’ll tell ya.” Creighton told Glen to go ahead and talk to me in the talkback mic.

“Hey... that’s great. What do you think about singing it a little higher?” asked Glen.

“Uh-huh, I can do that.”

(Always be positive, especially when you think they don’t know what they’re talking about or when they might not know exactly how to ask for what they want.)

I went on, “Do you mean like, instead of the melody? Or that you might want me to stack a few parts with a high part in there?”

There was a pause in the control room while Creighton and Glen discussed it.

(FYI: the thing about the talkback mic in a session is that it is used at the jurisdiction of the engineer/producer. In other words, unless they want you to hear what is being said in the control room, you will not hear it. If I had a dime for every minute I’ve spent watching people’s lips move through the glass after a take, and wondering if (a) they have forgotten I’m still in there or (b) whether it’s possible to pass out from lack of oxygen after spending so long in a vocal booth, well, I just might need a whole other jar for all those dimes. Yes indeedy.)

“Yeah, uh, on it’s own we think,” Creighton eventually replied.

“Okay, so, like a third-up then?” I sang it in the air. “Like that?”

“Yeah try that.”

He rolled the track. I sang,

“THIS?”
“THIS?”
“THIS?”
“BABY, BABY, BABY”

a third-up from the melody. To me it sounded like a harmony missing a melody but I waited for the verdict.

After more brief (private) discussion, I heard Creighton say, “So are you good with that, Glen?”

“Can she go a bit higher?” asked Glen.

Are YOU high? I thought to myself. “Sure I can. So, like a fifth-up then? Like this?”

“THIS”, I sang, a fifth-up from the melody. Up there my voice was starting to get a little breathier. I said, “if you want it brassier I can project more, otherwise as you can hear it’s getting a little more breathy up there. Do you have a preference?”

A pause.

“Just give it a try, yeah, try it breathy.”

He rolled tape. I tried it breathy.

A slightly longer pause.

“Can you go back to the melody but up the octave, Katy? Is that too high?”

“No, I can hit that, I think.” I tried it in the air. It was the highest note so far. I could get it but it sounded like a shadowy top part you'd add to a bunch of other parts, not use on its' own. “Same concern as last time, though, just that it’s a naturally breathy note unless I belt it.”

They talked it over. “No, keep it soft. Let’s try one.”

“Okay.”

We tried one. I kept it soft. Waited for the word. Dum-de-dum-de-dum...

“Glen’s got a thought, Katy.”

“What about more like Tina Turner?” suggested Glen.

Okay. Yeah. “Okay, yeah. So, you mean bigger and brassier sounding?”

“Yeah, try that.”

We tried that. Way up that high it was sounding silly and I was feeling a bit silly.

“Yeah. Stick with the Tina Turner thing, but breathier.”

This sounded like a contradiction in terms and by now the session was starting to lose it’s “New Car Smell”. Losing My Patience was around the corner. Bridezilla was in danger of rearing her ugly veiled head. THIS? THIS? THIS? BABY, BABY, BABY? How could something so simple on something so crappy become so complicated?

Okay. Be cool. You are going to St Lucia in 2 days to get married and this session WILL be over by then. Just focus on the rules... let’s see... Right. Session Singer Rulebook, Rule # 1: Never Let Them See You Sweat.

(There are many Rules, but the rest of the Top 3:
Rule # 2: Never have bad breath.
Rule # 3: Memorize your GST Number.)

“Sure. Tina Turner but breathier. I’m actually curious to try that. Let’s see what happens.”

We rolled tape. I gave it my best shot. Sorry Tina.

Another private conference in the control room, but not before a bit of sloppy talkback-mic-muting allowed me to overhear a snippet of Glen telling Creighton, “she’s not getting it.”

Did he say SHE’S NOT GETTING IT?

“She’s not getting it?” flew out of my mouth before I could control it, but I quickly checked myself. That could have been the last straw, but like I said, I never back down from a challenge. I have polished a lot of turds, as they say, and damn it if I wasn’t going to make this one gleam.

I remained poised, or something close to it. The two men were now in deep discussion. What next? ‘Could you try it like Janis Joplin meets James Taylor?’, he asked me in my fantasy. ‘No problem you weirdo’, I replied in my fantasy. I was surprised the guy hadn’t yet said, ‘Could you sound more black?’, which is a common request I have gotten many times for many years and it still always shocks me.

Suddenly they made contact. “Glen’s gonna come in and show you what’s he's after,” said my friend Creighton. Creighton, you’re killin’ me here.

“Okay good”, said I.

Creighton opened the door and let Glen in, saying, “Do you want a water? I’ll go grab you one.” Creighton took off like a shot. Where’s the fire, I thought. Don’t be long with that water, I thought.

Glen said, “I think I know how to explain what I want. Let me show you.”

He walked over to one of the wheeled partition walls behind me. These are called “baffles”. They are used to create the effect of having a vocal booth when you are recording vocals on a larger recording floor. They localise the travel of voices in the recording session so the sound doesn’t fly around too much before making contact with the microphone.

He wheeled the wall back a bit, revealing a chair with a boombox on it. I’d worked in this studio many times before and had never seen a boombox on the recording floor. ‘That’s weird’, I thought.

He walked over to the boombox and pressed Play. The track we were working on started up. ‘That’s weird’, I thought. ‘If he wants to play me the track why didn’t they just call me into the control room where we could all hear it and talk about my part? What the hell is this boombox doing here?’

I waited for him to show me what he wanted me to do. He loosened his tie. He opened his suit jacket. He started dancing. Slow dancing. He was looking into my eyes, and he was coming right at me.

‘Holy shit’, I thought. ‘Is he trying to tell me to loosen up or something? So I’ll sing it better or something? I don’t have time for this. This is unprofessional! Oh-my-god-he’s-coming-right-at-me.’

I started laughing nervous laughter. My eyes were probably bugging out of my head. At the same time it was sort of fascinating. I thought he was like, some serious uptight dude. Now it’s like he just downed a mickey in the last 10 minutes. What gives? If he gets any closer I WILL freak right out.

He got closer. Now he was all up in my face, looking into my eyes. He took off his eyeglasses. He started slow-shimmying his suit jacket around, trying to wrap it around me. I snapped out of my shocked trance. I put my hand on his chest, pushed him back and said, “What the fuck?!”

I screamed Creighton’s name.

At that moment I saw my mother and 15 women pour out of an adjoining room.

This was my surprise Bachelorette Party, not the tame little wedding shower Vid told me we’d be having next week when I got back from St Lucia.

Turns out that when I first asked her to help me plan a wedding shower, Vid had long since been concocting her evil, delicious plan to royally fool my unsuspecting ass. She had pretended to act surprised that I wanted a wedding shower so I wouldn't suspect her of anything.

I had been Punk’d.

I fell down on the floor crying and they had to help me up.

I guess the stress of getting everything together before our two weddings and the world tour just came pouring out and wouldn’t stop, because:

I burst into tears when the appearance of my mother and all my girlfriends at such an unlikely time and place made me realize that I am a massively gullible dummy,

and

I sobbed all the way through Glen’s Oscar-worthy transformation from an uptight, suited-down bespectacled Music Industry Weazel to an absolutely gorgeous Seal-like specimen of male beauty. He was a professional exotic dancer/stripper whom Vid had hired, who proceeded to do a full strip-show/lap dance for me, right down to the G string, me crying my eyes out and laughing the whole time.

I whimpered when I realised:

That when Creighton and Glen had been talking privately to each other in the control room in between my takes, Creighton had actually been coaching Glen on what to say to me next,

and

during the session, which went on twice as long as they were told it would before they could yell Surprise, all the girls were crouched down in the next studio room getting cramps in their legs. One was six months pregnant and one of them was trying to make sure her newborn baby didn’t cry and blow their cover. They were all wondering how long the men were going to put me through my paces and my mother was becoming increasingly worried about how I might take the shock of the surprise as time went by.

A fresh batch of hysterics came up when Vid told me:

Her brother Matthew, a composer, had written and recorded the song expressly for the purposes of this practical joke and had passed the track along to Creighton as a decoy,

She knew I could be lured to the session because I’m a workaholic who has a hard time saying no to a job and that I always say yes to Creighton,

Creighton had changed the session time from 5pm to 7pm because of some kind of scheduling snafu Vid had been having with Glen the stripper,

It was Matthew himself singing on the track with a fake rasta voice. His own 3-year-old daughter had said, “is that Daddy?” when she heard it beforehand, but I, with all my voice experience, did not recognize his voice,

Who was the “bad female vocalist” whose vocals I was supposed to replace on the track? Matthew tried using Vid at first, who is a good singer. He asked her to sing badly. I heard that version later, and she did a pretty “good” job, but Matthew decided it was still recognizably Vid, so he got the receptionist from the recording studio where he works to sing it, and she was perfect,

The joke really was on me: The name of the songwriter on the lyric sheet, “Raza Kah” is actually “Ha Kazar” backwards, because Matthew’s Outer Space nickname for me has always been “Kazar”,

and

This was a complex plan that took a lot of time to execute. Everyone was in on it starting before the Christmas holidays that year: my family, my husband’s family and many of my friends and colleagues, and no one had let the cat out of the bag.

There was a secret surveillance videocamera trained on me for the whole session. They managed to hide the little red light from my eyeline. I watched the tape a few days later and found it very interesting. This tape belongs in the vault. It’s only for very selected viewing. Mostly you see me really trying hard to remain professional no matter what. If you know me, you might be able to see the signs of me almost losing my patience. The moment when the jig is up: Priceless.

After the lap dance, Glen went home and the girls took me into the kitchen at the studio, where they carved cucumbers into penises and I had to judge the best one. The male blow-up doll from my friend Karla’s own previous recent wedding shower was handed down to me. Our friend Emilie was next in line to be married, and at her shower I later handed him down to her. As far as I know, he was sent off to the Land of Retired Male Blow-Up Dolls after Bride # 3. They put a veil covered with little pink rubber penises on my head and we went to dinner.

Vid had made reservations at a restaurant in the area that is very good but also happens to be a place where a guy I briefly dated a year before I met my husband is a waiter. That was terrible grammar, sorry. I stopped seeing that guy when his so-called ex-girlfriend let herself into his apartment one morning while we were asleep, strode into the bedroom, yanked the sheet off of us while I was totally naked, shouted in an English accent: “How dare you! Where are my jeans? Those are 50-dollar jeans and you’re not worth it!” and stormed out. Very Sex And The City. Dude woke up and couldn’t understand why I said, “Goodbye. Best of luck.” I must say it was classic walking into that restaurant on this night with 15 women, holding a male blow-up doll and wearing a wedding veil covered in penises and saying, “Oh, hello, (insert Dude’s name here). How have you been? I'll have a Champagne Cocktail.”

This was one of the greatest experiences of my life, thanks to Vid who knows me too well. Everytime I hear that fabulous, ridiculous song Matthew wrote I die laughing all over again. I will put a clip of it up on my website soon for you all to hear. Meantime, here are the lyrics to the whole song, as written by the brilliant Matthew Davies.

Creighton never did come back with that water.

______________________

"This?"
Words & Music by Raza Kah

Chorus:
THIS? (You-gotta-get-up-on-to-it)
THIS? (But-don't-you-pretend-you-don't-do-it)
THIS? (You-got-to-put-your-mind-to-it)
BABY, BABY, BABY

Verse 1:
Me gotta a run tings when I'm in town
Me takin a new route ta put it back down
Me no wanna hear bout Bozo the Clown
Me steppin right up to the plate and then we put the full down

Chorus:
THIS? (You-gotta-get-up-on-to-it)
THIS? (But-don't-you-pretend-you-don't-do-it)
THIS? (You-got-to-put-your-mind-to-it)
BABY, BABY, BABY

Bridge:
You make me crazy girl
But I'm just so lazy girl
Won't you undress me girl
And show me where you'll take me
Show me where you'll take me

Chorus:
THIS? (You-gotta-get-up-on-to-it)
THIS? (But-don't-you-pretend-you-don't-do-it)
THIS? (You-got-to-put-your-mind-to-it)
BABY, BABY, BABY

Verse 2:
Me don't wanna hear about how you've been done
Me don't wanna know about all of dem ting
Me know in me heart is a burning sun
You know your body's makin a dumb speak and a poor man king
Me run tings when I'm in town
Me takin a new route ta put it back down
Me no wanna hear bout Bozo the Clown
Me steppin right up to the plate and then we put the full down

Chorus:
THIS? (You-gotta-get-up-on-to-it)
THIS? (But-don't-you-pretend-you-don't-do-it)
NOW? (You-got-to-put-your-mind-to-it)
BABY, BABY, BABY

THIS? (You-gotta-get-up-on-to-it)
HERE? (But-don't-you-pretend-you-don't-do-it)
THIS? (You-got-to-put-your-mind-to-it)
BABY, BABY, BABY

It's Alive...

2005-01-30T15:08:00.000-05:00

My first entry of 2005. Yes, I am alive, but I’ve been lying very low lately. I’ve pretty much been sick since I got home from the UK/Euro tour, with a dizzying array of colds, headaches, fevers, tonsilitis, bronchitis, ear infections, you name it! Try the buffet! I’m sick right now! I can’t hear out of my right ear! What?

True story:
Yesterday I went to the doctor. He looked in my ear and actually said, ‘ee-uw.’

Somehow I have managed not to infest my husband. He must be either:
a) from another planet
b) placing me in a bubble chamber when I’m too feverish to notice
or
c) a clone.

And yet, life and work go on.

In between ill health episodes two weeks ago I had an unexpected opportunity. A few years back Ted Dykstra put me in the Mordecai Richler Gala Tribute he was directing for CBC TV’s Opening Night program, taped in Montreal, to sing at the beginning and end. The musical director for that show called me up last week and said he was doing the music for the new version of the TV series ‘Kojak’, which is being produced here in Toronto, starring Ving Rhames. He was recommending me to the producers for a lead role in an episode featuring a singer with a dark past. Whenever she sings there is another murder. Wicked! So, off I went to audition for an acting role for the first time in about 10 years. I used to do a lot of acting in film and television between the ages of 17 to 25 before leaving it behind to concentrate on music. Going in for this role briefly reminded me why I quit. Nerves, pressure to be thin, etc, but I have to say there is a difference in how they treat you if you were recommended. My husband gave me a few really good tips and didn't make a single crack about how hard real actors work to get roles, God love him. I didn’t get the part but that’s the beautiful thing: I didn't really care if I got it. I just wanted to go in, have fun and be decent so as not to embarrass that nice man who recommended me. Plus, it was a good shake up from the norm for me these days, and that’s a worthwhile thing to do every so often.

New exciting topic:

The street date for my new CD is April 5. We're getting ready for the big push, but you, my dear blog-readers and regular KR website-visitors, can own it first. Keep checking in: we will post a notice telling you when you can order it, which should be in a matter of days. In advance, thank you!

Correspondence with a Sarah M. fan who jumped on the KR bandwagon has lead to another interesting opportunity. The woman in question, a faculty member at McMaster University working on her PhD in womens' health issues originally began emailing me because she bought my CD and thought 'I Married Myself' was a strong anthem for female independence. I still stand behind it even though I actually DID get married to, like, another person? (Said in Valley Girl voice). The references I made, albeit goofy, to my own Womens' Studies-studies as referred to in my Gene Simmons Blog entry last year might have drawn her in too. Now I have been invited to perform and participate as a special guest in McMaster University’s International Womens’ Day activities coming up on March 8. I am excited and honoured to be asked and hope that I don’t set off any ‘University Drop-Out’ silent alarms and that by then I’ll be able to hear out of my right ear.

Right before I left for Sarah’s UK/Euro tour last October I got a phone call from the amazing Kevin Breit to sing on his new recording, “Original Cast Recording of Burnt Bulb on Broadway”. He just sent me the final product and it’s fantastic. Kevin is one of Canada’s most accomplished guitarists. He’s played with a huge list of international artists and has various recording projects on his own label Poverty Playlist. The idea behind this new CD of his is really interesting. The premise is that these songs are from a play of the same name by Kevin about “lost master tapes” of songs that revolve around the lives of 14 women between the years of 1943-1964. Every song is sung by a different singer accompanied by Kevin's brother Gary, who plays keyboards with Brian Adams and is a friend of mine I’ve mentioned before in my blog.

Kevin came to my house the day of the session to sing me the song I would be doing. That evening I went to the studio when a few of the other singers were there too. Normally that could mean a long wait but Kevin likes to keep things very loose and everyone was doing their song in one take, live with Gary on piano. It was a great vibe with wine and food and everybody just doing what they do without thinking too hard about it, thanks to Kevin's working style. The singers: Dawn Aitken, Sue Patrick Breit, Lisa Dal Bello, Molly Dickie, Rique Franks, Rebecca Jenkins, Molly Johnson, Andrea Koziol, Caroly Larson, Kathryn Rose, Lis Soderberg, Gwen Swick, Sylvia Tyson and Suzie Vinnick. The songs are beautiful and the performances are great. You can check it out at www.kevinbreit.com.

I haven't forgotten my New Years' Resolution to make my tour photos available to you. I have compiled and written captions for the UK/Euro tour shots and my new web guy is setting them up at my gallery as we speak. I'll let you know when they're up.

Bring Me The Head of Val Kilmer:

There is something strange going on in Toronto. The name and cut-out head of Val Kilmer can be found scrawled and plastered over a range of west end train bridges and park benches. I don’t know what’s up with that but I like it. There was even a story about it in last week’s NOW Magazine. On the one hand I was glad to see that article because it was confirmation of something odd. On the other hand I was sad to see the story busted wide open because I sometimes like to pretend that I’m the only one or one of a select group that can see certain things and anyone else who can see it too is from my planet. I realise that might sound highly self important, but bear with me. Isn’t that kind of how things work? I bet a lot of people didn’t even notice Val on our streets. And don’t you think our own responses to the world, when picked up on or shared by other people from your ‘planet’ is how we make our friends?

On that note,
xo KR

"No Holiday BLOG?"

2004-12-19T21:42:00.000-05:00

_____________________________________

Or, 'The People Have Spoken, Round 2'

The title of this entry and indeed the very inspiration for it comes courtesy of a fan email from Christopher M. of Sacramento. He is not the only one of late to encourage more activity from me in the Blogging Department.

Regular readers will know I am not normally at a loss for words. However, with the holidays upon us, my shopping not yet complete and this being the time of year for the compiling of 'Best-Of' lists and whatnot, I have decided that this would be a good time to create a second instalment of my September 5/04 entry entitled: 'The People Have Spoken', in which I featured your comments.

There are 4 sets of quotes in this entry:

1) KRs TOP TEN FAVE RECENT FAN COMMENTS
2) ‘AFTERGLOW LIVE’
3) WHO’S A GOOD LITTLE BLOGGER?
4) MOVIN' UNITS

Just before I give you the floor, I'd like to share my New Year's Resolution to have the Gallery at my website thoroughly updated. I have a lot of tour photos from each leg of the tour that did not get posted in a timely fashion. I am promising you that these photos will appear in early 2005. I will post a notice here to let you know. More news for 2005: my entire website will be redesigned to reflect my new CD, "Kathryn Rose" (release date TBA). I also intend to keep up with my Blog next year. I have so enjoyed writing it and your feedback has been overwhelming.

Peace and love, and happy holidays, everyone. Talk to you again soon.
xo KR

Here is Round 2 of your comments. Your full names are not disclosed but you will know who you are! Thank you for what you have said.

___________________________________________

KRs TOP TEN FAVE RECENT FAN COMMENTS
___________________________________________

NUMBER 10:
“You should write a book. I would buy it.”
-Toni A. (Seattle)

NUMBER 9:
“More. Blogs. Must Have More.”
-Jennifer D. (Houston, Texas)

NUMBER 8:
“My friend (male) was amazed by you, my friend's mum fancied Luke and my friend's dad liked Sarah. It's a Tour of Hotness!”
-Kitty (Edinburgh, Scotland)

NUMBER 7:
“Hopefully you will get a better massage when you come back to Canada.”
-Charmaine B. (somewhere in Canada)

NUMBER 6:
“When you write your roman a clef, and you MUST, I will be the first in line to buy it, and the first to proclaim on Amazon your skill with the written word.”
-Anonymous

NUMBER 5:
“You guys are all so tiny! So small, it really surprised me!!! We Dutch people are always tall.”
-Marieke (Netherlands)

NUMBER 4:
“I spent quite a few moments wiping away tears, it was all so beautiful - and since I'm a 6'2" bloke that's quite a compliment.”
-David (Scotland)

NUMBER 3:
“Suggestion for a practical joke before the final show: put some milk in "the straw."
-Steve M. (River Falls, WI)

NUMBER 2:
“Hey Kathryn: Somebody is auctioning off one of those cupcakes on Ebay. How disturbing!!”
-Barra T. (Cleveland, OH)

...And KRs NUMBER ONE FAVE RECENT FAN COMMENT... drumroll please...

“Remember Regis!!!“
-Michelle M. (San Antonio)

(Congratulations, Michelle, and thanks).

___________________

‘AFTERGLOW LIVE’:
___________________

“This [version] of “Fear” is just incredible! It's the combination of your harmony with Sarah's voice that does it.”
-Anya (New York).

“You all did a great job in the show [on the DVD]. I very much wished they would have put in more close-up footage of the band while you all were playing and singing.”
-Jennifer D. (Houston, Texas)

“Something I realized while watching the DVD: the best song in the live concert to hear live was ‘Answer’, and what puts it over the top is your background vocal when you come in on the line, ‘when the stars have all gone out.’ That and the other vocals from the mini-choir you have there really make this one shine.”
-Steve M. (River Falls, WI)

“You're a welcome addition to the Sarah crew.”
-Michael M. (Perth, Australia)

“In [one of your] entries you mentioned how you will try to respond to as many letters as possible, [there being] so many Sarah fans and only one of you. I can only speak for myself, but from what the other fan comments sound like, I think a lot of them would agree that these are your fans!”
-Lindsey C. (Edwardsville, Illinois)

“I know why she has selected you to be her BU, since you are very talented. I think you shined on ‘Answer’ and ‘Sweet Surrender’.
-Scott (Philadelphia?)

“Your singing was a great backing to Sarah - I must try and find some of your own work to hear...”
-David (Scotland)

“I just wanted to say that I enjoy and appreciate your talent. Saw Sarah twice on this tour and your voice and hers blend very well.”
-David A. C. (Dover, Delaware)

“My friend and I really appreciated how much the additional vocals especially from your sultry undertones really complemented the mood and the depth of feeling in Sarah's lyrics. It would be marvellous if you stayed with Sarah and came back to UK shores in the near future, but it would also be very special if you toured here individually too.”
-Marianne F. (Edinburgh, Scotland)

“You have been doing a phenomenal job as backup vocalist on Sarah's tour. It takes someone with great pipes to sing on the same stage as Ms. McLachlan, so kudos to you Kathryn.”
-Charmaine B. (Canada)

“Everyone [in Murmurs] is so amazed by you. You are the perfect addition to that little family.”
-Toni A. (Seattle)

“Sarah is a smart girl to have you on tour with her. And I agree with Regis. One day that WILL be you up there.”
-Meghan (New Jersey)

“Kathryn Rose, Sarah's new backup singer, performed vocals that completely blended with Sarah's, never overpowering her but still prevalent.”
-Tim C. (Baltimore, in a online concert review)

“I like your glitter-kiss move on your intro. Very cute. It's [your] chance to distinguish yourself in your role, and you've found a good way to do so.”
-Steve M. (River Falls, Wisconsin)

“You've got a stellar voice and the most wicked facial expressions ever!”
-Clayton (Chicago?)

“I think you're a great compliment to Sarah on stage.”
Gina (Detroit, Michigan)

“You should have had a solo or two.”
-Syndee (Houston?)

“Hey! You are amazing! You are a great addition to the group!”
-Peyton (Cincinnati?)

“You rock and your voice is beautiful. You and Sarah compliment each other well. I know Sarah's concert and tour would not have been what it has been if it wasn't for your awesome talent.”
-Abbey (Draper, Utah)

“I think your voice is beautiful. You and Sarah blend beautifully together.”
-Jennifer D. (Houston)

“I continue to be astonished at your skills vocally. Your harmonies are perfect and sound so awesome with Sarah. ‘Fear’ is my favorite song live because you both just rock out!”
-Shelley A. (Sacramento)

“It was the best concert I've seen Sarah do (and I've seen a few), due in large part to the new members such as yourself onstage.”
-Jason M. (Portland, Oregon)

“Hi Kathryn, just wanted to say you have an amazing voice!”
-Em (Melbourne, Australia)

_________________________________

WHO’S A GOOD LITTLE BLOGGER?
_________________________________

“Your insight into life on the road is a gas.”
-Vicky R. (Polk City, Florida)

“I have been keeping a little eye on your blog. I love the little cheeky stories, although go on, give us some juicy gossip!!! (just joking!)”
-Marianne F. (Edinburgh, Scotland)

“I want to reiterate what has been said by other readers - your blog is very entertaining and I love your sense of humor. It's like reading a letter from one of my close friends. Thanks for sharing with us! [I'm] living vicariously through your blog so keep it up!”
-Gina (Detroit, Michigan)

“I hope you keep your blog after the tour cause it always makes me laugh. Love your sense of humor. You are such a good writer. I'm always wanting more when I finish reading your entries.”
-Amy W. (Milwaukee)

“I will continue to read your diary and I think it’s cool that you are doing this for your fans!”
-Michelle M. (San Antonio)

“I've been reading your blog off and on for almost a year now. I love your dry humor and observational wit. I can almost see your eyebrows raised or the occasional eye-roll when I’m reading. It’s amusing to read, keep it up.”
-David A. C. (Dover, Delaware)

“Okay, tour's over, finally got some time off, haven't seen your husband in months, blah blah blah. I miss your blog entries! I check every day and am so sad when there's not a new one. Like any good junkie I'm getting all fidgety and I need a fix. Not to guilt-trip you or anything. But you know. Your audience awaits.”
-Jennifer D. (Houston, Texas)

“Your diaries have been great.”
-Keith (Derby,England )

“I love your online journal. I will try to check every day if you've put on something new!!!”
-Marieke (Netherlands).

“I'm reading your tour diary from the beginning. I love it. I think it's amazing how you find the time to write to the fans!
-Claudia S. (Cagliari, Sardinia)

“I really enjoy your blogs. Your blogs are really witty.“
Meghan (New Jersey)

“I found your blogs during "finals" week (I am a junior in college) and must say I enjoyed them very much! I used each entry as kind of a reward for getting a paper written or some studying done... my system was working well until I ran out of entries. Thanks for the laughs!”
-Annbeth (Southern USA?)

“You share so much on your blog. Your posts are funfilled and informative and give us a bit of an inside glimpse... Thanks for your updates! I hope you are not abandoning your blog until after the holidays!!??”
-Susanne B. (London, England)

“Enjoyed your latest blog entries!! You crack me up!! I'm sure gonna miss them when the tour is over.”
-Kimberly van de W. (Sacramento, soon-to-be Vancouver)

“I would like to thank you for sharing your thoughts and impressions in your tour diary! I have read all of your archives. When I see the concert - in Munich, I won't be seeing the unknown background singer; there will be a name, a face [and] a voice, singing and blogging.”
-Steph (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Austria)

“I absolutely love your tour diary. I love the little tid-bits and stories that you tell. So thanks for doing one, I can only imagine how busy you must be. It's great to hear stories about life on the road and your sense of humor is classic.”
-Amanda D. (Columbia, MO)

“I find your blog very entertaining and I look forward to new entries.”
-Gina (Detroit)

“Hi Kathryn: I've been reading your blog for a while now, and have enjoyed your stories of life behind the scenes.”
-Emily F. (Toronto)

“I just got done catching up with the newest entries, and I have to say ya had me laughing with the camera entry.”
-Valerie (Massachusetts)

“I will continue to read your diary and I think it’s cool that you are doing this for your fans!”
-Michelle (San Antonio)

“Been a long time reader of your blog, it has been a great read!”
-Chuck (Boston?)

“I've really been enjoying your posts of the whole touring experience. Your web site is really cool too.”
-Lori (West Palm Beach, Florida)

“Let me be the 476th to join in and say ‘thank you’ for keeping the blog during the tour. I've really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes.”
-Amy B. (Dallas)

______________

MOVIN' UNITS
______________

“Do u ever wake up and say to yourself, ‘I sing back-up for Sarah McLachlan and I have my own CDs. I am awesome!?” If not, then you should. Cause it's true!
-Amy W. (Milwaukee)

“I found a website called New Music Canada where I got to listen to pretty much your entire catalogue. I must say I was very impressed. I will definitely be ordering some of your music. I love it, it's unique. The music and lyrics are great and you have a fantastic voice.”
-Amanda D. (Columbia, MO)

“I found out about your music from a Sarah fansite but it was the sound of your music that sold me on your CDs. I just received Every Lurid Detail. It's great, I love it! Right now my favorite song is ‘Failed Seduction’. At first listen this CD sounds a little darker than ‘My Little Flame’. The music that I listen to while drawing, painting, ceramics has been yours recently. So thank you for the inspiration. Waiting impatiently for the next CD.”
-Lindsey C. (Edwardsville, Illinois)

“[On ‘My Little Flame’]: ‘Life's Luxurious’ is probably the song I like listening to most at the moment, but I think ‘The Gift of This Moment’ is the best song. If you play it over and over again you begin to lose track of where the words stop and the music begins. The pause and rebuild of ‘Shrinking Violet’ makes me feel like you're very close to the music. It’s as though you're allowing the song to play and then you cover our ears for a moment and later on open your fingers slightly before taking them away again... I like listening to it because it changes just about every time I hear it.”
-Michael M. (Perth, Australia)

“I made up my mind on ‘My Little Flame’: my favorite song is definitely ‘Life's Luxurious’. and ‘I Married Myself’ is quite amusing as well.”
-Steve M. (River Falls, Wisconsin)

“I recently heard some of your own music, and it’s very good. I have been listening to ‘When You Come Along’ [on ‘Every Lurid Detail] a lot lately... it's addictive. I really like the way your voice sounds.”
-David A. C. (Dover, Delaware)

“I bought your album on the way out of the Manchester gig. I really like what I have heard so far. You have an amazing voice, sounds even better live!!”
-Ian B. (Liverpool, England)

“Can't wait for the new KR CD.”
-Isa (Terrebone, Quebec)

“I love the musical interlude in ‘Shrinking Violet’ [from the KR CD: ‘My Little Flame’]. It reminds me of a time-elapse movie of a flower opening.”
-Jennifer D. (Houston, Texas)

“I picked up your music after the concert and since Thursday it has not been back in my hands; my friends all wanted to borrow/hear it. You have a wonderful magnetic voice filled with power and volume: it is very comforting! My friends in Toronto have heard of you beside your tour with Sarah. I really enjoyed your songs ‘I Don't Need More’, ‘When You Come Along’ [from ‘Every Lurid Detail] and ‘Something I Can Use’ [from ‘My Little Flame’]”.
-Steph (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Austria)

“Curious about the new material you will release”.
-Kris (Amsterdam).

“I really just LOVE your music. I listened to songs on your webpage. Yesterday I sent my boyfriend to go and buy ‘My Little Flame’. I really love the fact that your music is deeper."
-Marieke (Netherlands)

“I am going to buy your CD. I listened to some of your samples from the web site and it is great.”
-Meghan (New Jersey)

“I badly wish I had your new CD and you could sign it!!!!! How am I going to get your new CD signed by you??? I have been listening a bit more to ‘My Little Flame’ and can add a new favourite: ‘The Original Groundhog Day’, but still love ‘Wichita Lineman’. I hope that many other people will find their way to Kathryn Rose's music.”
-Susanne B. (London, England)

“I sampled your music and liked what I heard.”
-Tim C. (Baltimore)

“I purchased your CD in Toronto and I just am truly amazed by your talent and your voice. ‘I Married Myself’ is by far my favourite song! I look forward to your new CD. You certainly do have a wonderful voice and fabulous women-positive lyrics!”
-Emily F. (Toronto)

“I just wanted to tell you that I love your ‘My Little Flame’ CD. My fav [song] is ‘I Married Myself’ - sometimes life would be so much easier that way LOL. I can't wait ’til your next CD!!”
-Kimberly van de W. (Sacramento, soon-to-be Vancouver)

“I listened to some of [your] songs and I'm now a fan of you. I especially like ‘Something I Can Use’. Next CD shopping, ‘My Little Flame’ will definitely be on the top of the list.”
-Connie (Massachusetts)

“I, for one, look forward to your next CD being released. I've played ‘My Little Flame’ out!"
-Toni A. (Seattle)

Popular Demand!

2004-12-17T10:47:00.001-05:00

Holiday Blog Entry coming soon!
Thanks for clamouring, everyone.
Stay tuned.

xo KR

Will You Please Come To The Front Of The Class? (Installment 2)

2004-12-02T15:06:00.000-05:00

I am spending the first part of my day today responding to fan mail (life's not so bad!) I was replying to this message when I realised I have no direct address for this person. So, Keith of Derby, England, you might say you are being singled out! Enjoy your newfound fame. See my reply to your email below.

-KR.

* * * * * * * *

Hello Keith,
Yes, I did know that David Bowie had sung on Butterfly's cover of his song, Changes. Lucky girl! His new live DVD was filmed at the Point in Dublin. We performed at the Point on our recent tour. The venue looks bigger on his DVD, which made me wonder if it was the same place, but that could have been a camera illusion.

I'm sure I don't know if the reason Steve Winwood did not play Valerie in his Birmingham concert this year was due to his split with the said Valerie, but I can tell you that I heard Steve Winwood actually went into the studio to re-record his vocals for Eric Prydz' rehash of the song, because the new version has different lyrics from the original. Guess he's getting his song royalties...

Thank you for picking up my CD at the Bristol concert. I am not at all offended that you say it needs a couple of listens before you really enjoy it. Sigh, I guess I'll never be a flavour-of-the-month artist... (I'm okay with that). The video for Life Luxurious that appears on the enhanced re-release "My Little Flame" CD was filmed in the Toronto Beaches at dawn and dusk by Lake Ontario.

Yes, quite often our buses drove off directly after Sarah finished playing Angel. I remember that night in Nottingham you mentioned. The Hallowe'en revellers on the street were indeed a weird sight as we pulled away.

Well, Keith of Derby, England, I'm very glad you enjoyed the concerts. Thank you for the tour diary compliments.

All the best,
KR

"You must not make a party"

2004-11-30T20:59:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, November 30, 2004.

As most of you might know, we played the last show of the European tour in London on November 19 and are have now all scattered back to our respective burrows.

I had a busy first week back. Sang backups on someone’s album, did some jingle pitches and had my new album mastered. For those who are unfamiliar with the process, this is the final step in preparing a CD for manufacturing. It’s the sonic polish on the Ferrari, the proverbial icing on the cake, the shine on the apple, the light in your lover's eye, the Pope’s blessing, the, well, you get it. And I hope you do, as soon as it comes out in early 05.

MEMORIES OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS:

MUNICH:

In our hotel, rooms in the 300s and 400s were on the same floor, as long as one followed the twists, turns and mini-staircases. Looking for my room I felt like I was staying in the Being John Malkovitch Hotel.

ZURICH:

In Europe Mr Clean is known as Mr Proper, but I knew this from my Mr Clean jingle sessions. Still it was funny to see it in the supermarkets. Took a train to Luzern on our day off. Was reminded of the TV program I saw the day before (hallucinogenic view of the Alps). Back in Zurich, ran into Ash and Sarah while shopping. She cooed over the lambskin baby booties I bought for my friends' baby.

AMSTERDAM, IN REAL TIME:

Just outside, a clock tower is chiming in the courtyard by the canal. Can't say that everyday. Or 3 times fast. A number of years ago Ron Sexsmith came back from a European tour and he and some of the guys in his band told me they saw a neon sex show sign here of a silhouette of a woman that looked like me. I remembered that today as I walked around in the Red Light district. Found myself keeping an eye open for it. (Hoping I still looked like that).

Took myself out for dinner and took a wrong turn on purpose on the way back to the hotel so that I could walk around the block. Turned a corner and policemen waved me to the side. Bright lights, barricades, paparazzi. I joined the crowd across the street from the Tuschinski Theatre and in a few moments a limo drew up to the theatre and a fancy lady stepped out. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was going to the movies.

BEST IMPROVISED MONOLOGUE:

I suspect we would all have to nominate Sarah's spontaneous impression of her French Canadian producer for the Paris audience. Went over like beans on toast.

I'LL TAKE CELEBRITY-NO-SHOWS FOR 500, ALEX:

- "Sarah McLachlan's European Afterglow Tour, 2004".
- "Who are Gwyneth Paltrow and Brian Adams?"
- "Correct!"

BEST QUOTE OF THE EURO TOUR:

We all became very fond of our German bus driver Michael. He took good care of us. Every night after the show we would board the bus to find little snacks in bowls and baskets, laid out with care. He became quotable for us very early on in the tour. We had a number of overnight ferry crossings. By law each vehicle must be empty of passengers for the crossings. Most people on the tour wanted to stay asleep on the bus. Personally, the idea of being in a bunk on a bus with the power turned off, in the locked hold of a ferry on open water at night is how I spell C-L-A-U-S-T-R-O-P-H-O-B-I-A. but that's just me. I went up on deck. The first time we had a crossing, Michael drove the bus into the ferry hold and told everyone who wanted to stay on the bus undetected to go in the back, saying, "you must not make a party." His accent and syntax and probably the aftershow beers made this very funny to everyone. There was a lot of slumber-party-like giggling and repeating of, "you must not make a party, do not make the parties!" in the back of the bus that night, and for days afterwards. That expression lived on for the whole tour really.

WILL YOU PLEASE COME TO THE FRONT OF THE CLASS:

To Claudia who is Italian, who grew up near Zurich and who wrote to me on Nov 14, thank you for your nice note. Feel free to write again with your email address.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR HA HA HA:

I have truly enjoyed having this tour diary as a place to collect and organise my thoughts. Even though the tour is on a break I will write in from time to time. Thank you everyone, for contributing to my touring experience with Sarah and for getting behind my music as well. Just remember 2 things:
1) The Afterglow live DVD is now out, and
2) Save a little money for the new KR CD out early next year!

Best holiday wishes to you all.
xo KR

“I beg your pardon! I love you”

2004-11-14T15:07:00.000-05:00

November 13, 2004

We just played in Zurich, Switzerland tonight. For once we’re not travelling to the next city right after the show. I’m in my hotel room watching West Side Story in German. The songs are in English. Oh, Tony and Maria just saw each other for the first time. A lovely moment in any language. I miss my husband.

The audience tonight was a little on the mellow side until we played Train Wreck. People were clapping to the beat when one woman rose and urged the entire audience to stand up. They did. That would never happen in Toronto. The rest of the show was totally interactive. People came right to the front of the stage. “I beg your pardon! I love you”, yelled one girl from her new spot at Sarah’s feet. It became a different concert.

The Euro tour began on Oct. 9. We have played 20 concerts. We have 3 more to go before we fly home on Nov. 20.

Last night I went out for sushi dinner here with Sarah’s front of house sound engineer Gary Stokes, who is an old friend of mine. On our way out I saw that the music being played in the restaurant turned out to be courtesy of a guy spinning vinyl in the corner. Nice to see. After that we went to a little bar for a nightcap where they were projecting current Euro pop music videos on one wall. This inspired comments from Gary and myself such as, “oh look, it’s the Russian Avril”, and “hey check it out, there’s the Slavic Madonna.”

“BOURGEOIS COMPLAINT" KORNER:

Yesterday I had a very expensive, inferior massage here at the hotel. It was as though the woman had maybe seen someone perform a massage on TV once and someone gave her a certificate. The wussy, ineffectual massage is a fairly common occurrence when travelling, even in high end hotels. This should not be allowed. Come on! Dig in! Hurt me! At the very least use your thumbs. God gave us opposable digits for a reason. When you’re on tour a good massage can change your whole outlook on life. For one thing, it’s usually the first time anyone’s physically touched you in weeks in any lingering, meaningful way (if you’ve been behaving yourself). A bad treatment makes the phrase “stressful massage” not such an oxymoron.

This marks the end (I hope) of "Bourgeois Complaint" Korner.

Moving on...

I was flipping channels before going to soundcheck today and stopped at what seemed to be a continuous, very smooth aerial travelling view of the Alps, town by town with all the spectacular nature in between. The path of the camera never stopped. Every once in awhile the camera would sweep down from the highest mountaintop right down into the face of some guy on his front porch, or people swimming in a pool and they would look up at the Camera Plane (like they’d never seen one before?) Only children waved. Adults stood stock still and seemed scared. This went on for a good 40 minutes. The spacey music, saturated colour and disbelief that what I was seeing was real and not Switzerland in model miniature made me sure the program would be best appreciated while high but I still really dug it.

“SHORT TERM MEMORY" KORNER:

-Sarah was slightly delayed arriving to the Copenhagen soundcheck and the boys all switched instruments to amuse themselves. Brian played Dave’s Hammond, Dave picked up the bass, Ash played Brian’s little keyboard, Luke went to the drum kit, Vince played Luke’s guitar.

-Every night right before we go onstage our tour manager yells, “circle time” and I stick a straw in my bra. I like a straw in my water onstage. I have a stash of straws in my wardrobe drawer backstage. We all have drawers labelled with our names or nicknames. Mine says La Rose. When it’s circle time we need our hands free to, well, join hands and form a circle, which is why I stick the straw down my top. Everyone is used to me and my straw sticking out of my top but jokes are still invariably made about drug use involving straws, or last minute inflation of my breasts before showtime. Ash took a pretty good shot of my pre-show straw display in Cologne.

-In Antwerp a mystery bird was making a rooster-like racket through the night by the river across the street from our hotel. Also in Antwerp, Butterfly premiered a hand drawn sign on her dressing door: “The Secret World of Butterfly Boucher - Beware of three-headed spitting frogs.”

-We all think that Eric Prydz video, “Call On Me” (very popular over here) is pretty funny. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about: a guy has taken Steve Winwood’s song “Valerie”, removed the verses, given it a four-on-the-floor dance beat and has made a 1980s-style video for it in which one cute guy (presumably Eric Prydz but I have my doubts) is the only man in a room of gorgeous women in an aerobics class. It verges on soft porn and stays so true to the '80s aesthetic that I wonder if he means for it to be funny/nostalgic. I hope so. I also hope Steve Winwood is getting his royalties, and if so, then I wish I was Steve Winwood because it’s playing constantly.

-After the Munich show while driving to Zurich we all watched a new David Bowie live DVD filmed in Dublin last year. Amazing. When Sarah is finished touring this album I plan to focus on my own music again but I’d clear the deck to sing with David Bowie. Or Elvis Costello. Or Kate Bush. Or Neil Finn. Sorry Meatloaf.

-I think the Exit signs in the venues here are cute. A stick figure man is running for his life down a flight of stairs. Every venue in every city on this tour has had the same one. It’s not a sign we have in North America. Ours just say EXIT. I also like the Euro-wide habit people seem to have here and there of drawing different expressions on the face of the stick man running from disaster. Tonight in the Zurich venue the Exit sign took it a step further, showing you the burning flames the stick man was running from.

...Well, as the name of this last segment suggests, that’s all I remember. That I can repeat.
And with that teaser, goodnight.

xo KR

"Meet Me At Cafe Victor. 5pm."

2004-11-06T19:16:00.000-05:00

November 3/04

We just played in Oslo. We are now on the bus driving overnight to Copenhagen. I don’t normally compose my blog entries in such a public location, but there only a few people in the front lounge right now. Dave Kershaw and I just had a debate about the meaning of the word “fecund”. His claim that the juice carton was “fecund with juice” turned out to be acceptable, contrary to my insistance that he was suggesting the juice was ripe to the point of rotting. It is rare that I lose a vocabulary dispute. Doing so fills me with hot shame down the back of my neck.

Technical comment:
After playing in arenas for all of last summer, it certainly is nice to be in theatres on this Euro tour, where we can hear ourselves.

I am being interrupted. There is suddenly too much traffic in the bus to concentrate. To be continued.

Continued later:

We had day rooms today at a charming old hotel. Arriving at 7 this morning I blearily stepped into the foyer looking for the lift, hung a left instead of a right and found myself face to face with Nastassja Kinski. Or what looked like Nastassja Kinski in the film "The Hotel New Hampshire". In that film (and in more than one John Irving book I believe) there is a character who for one reason or another likes to wear a bear suit. In "The Hotel New Hampshire" Nastassja Kinski plays that character. That giant stuffed bear standing upright with paws outstretched and jaw gaping and the hotel itself instantly made me think of her and that film.

I was so ready to fall straight into bed and get more sleep after our all night drive. It's too easy not to see anything when you're on tour unless you're prepared to sacrifice some sleep. Most days I'm not prepared to make that sacrifice. Maybe it was the sun rising over a church steeple as my first view of the day, or perhaps it was the run-in with the stuffed bear, but on this day I decided to stay awake and see something of Oslo. I began with the complimentary breakfast buffet that is sometimes part and parcel in European hotels. I took some smoked salmon, egg, beet and cucumber. I had some coffee. The breakfast room was wood lined and lit with chandeliers. It was like a parlour. I went to my room and read about the shopping in the area. I made some notes. I drew a map. I went to the lobby, changed twenty British Pounds into Norwegian Krone just to have some lunch money and set out. I was among the first customers at the nearby mall. It was a pretty mall full of cute little shops. The lighting was nice. I wish our malls were lit like that. I bought two hand painted Christmas glass balls with Norwegian scenes. A number of hours later I wound up sitting in the hotel lounge with Dave Kershaw, Ash, Sarah and Brent. By this point the whole 'staying awake all day' thing was taking its toll. With my Norwegian Krone to burn and a show to play that night, I downed two cappuccinos and bought a round of them for the table. I showed Sarah my Christmas balls. I told her they were painted from the inside. Ash said, "how?" She said, "by very tiny Norwegians."

I went to my room for a shower before check-out and soundcheck. There was a queue when checking out. It was a bit of a long wait. I subconsciously noticed a guy in a plaid shirt ahead of me. I realised I was staring at the back of the "Norwegian Idol" - I mean "World Idol" Kurt Nilsen’s head. More amazing than the spotting of the "Norwegian Idol" in Norway was the fact that I knew it was him from the back, within 20 seconds of noticing him after only ever having seen him on television once almost one year ago while watching the 2-night "World Idol" competition against my will at my sister-in-law's house during the Christmas holidays.

When I say “against my will” I mean it in the “trying not to look at a car accident” sense. As someone who has been plugging faithfully away as a singer and songwriter since I was 17, I am against the idea of talent contests. Even if I wasn’t over the age limit to enter myself in Canadian Idol I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t. Nonetheless I still find it next to impossible to look away when it’s right in front of me, and last Christmas when some of David’s family wanted to watch "World Idol", I didn’t leave the room. I watched in pain and agony and fascination, involuntarily providing a running commentary whether anyone else appreciated it or not. My father-in-law might have. He's a music appreciator.

I had no idea it was part of the plan to make all of the "Idols" from around the globe compete for the achievement of being crowned World Idol. I don't think they did either. The only thing worse than making an overnight star out of whoever can become a pastiche of what we’re told we’re supposed to like the fastest, is to then force the winner into contest-purgatory and the world to play along with no regard given to the fact that the very notion of picking a “World Idol” out of a convenient shortlist is utterly ridiculous. Despite this I was first in line the next night for the exciting conclusion. I admit I got swept up in the fever. I found myself rooting for the Norwegian Idol who was clearly the best singer and the least pretentious of the bunch. When he won I was shocked that "the world" almost unanimously voted for him. How could I stay cynical knowing a singing plumber just transcended so many cultural differences and stole our hearts? For a moment, the world was one. Or not. Anyway, he did a damn nice job of U2's "Beautiful Day", even if Bono is still fully capable of handling it himself.

I followed Kurt Nilson past Nastassja Kinski into the lounge to see what would happen if I said hello to him. After fifteen seconds of listening to the blasted World Idol order a sandwich with no idea I was behind him I saw myself from the ceiling a la astral projection and decided it was time to leave the charming hotel.

__________________

November 5, 2004.

We just played in Copenhagen, Sweden and are on our way to Cologne, Germany. Apart from Dave playing Queen’s “Bicycle” in honour of the popularity of the bicycle here in Copenhagen, the front lounge is without distraction. But for how long? I’d better type fast.

You will recall my last entry about staying one night at David's cousin Elaine's house in Glasgow and hearing the band Keane etc...? Related story:

At our hotel in Glasgow we met some men from the Canadian navy sent to examine the HMCS Chicoutimi submarine which caught fire last month off the west coast of Scotland. We got them some tickets to Sarah's Glasgow concert . They came and brought us all HMCS Chicoutimi baseball caps. Mere moments later the tour buses drove off to London. My husband was still here with me at the time and we had booked flights to London for the next day so that he could introduce me to his family in Glasgow after the concert. That was the night we slept at Elaine's house. Her husband Neil was on a business trip in Copenhagen. The three of us stayed up quite late that night around the fire, eating snacks, drinking wine, listening to Keane and talking. The next day came very quickly and in our haste to make our morning flight, I left my newly acquired HMCS Chicoutimi baseball cap at Elaine's house.

Elaine emailed me that I had left it there. Her husband Neil goes to Copenhagen regularly for business and would be there when our tour arrived. She gave me her husband's email address. He would bring the hat with him. Weeks passed. Concerts were played. London, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Cambridge, Bristol, Cardiff, Hamburg, Stockholm, Oslo and then, at last, Copenhagen.

I woke up for the 6am ferry crossing yesterday so that I could go up on deck and see the Kronborg Castle (or Hamlet's Castle, as it is also known). Our ferry approached. The dark leaked away, the castle grew sharper. Once in my Copenhagen hotel room I checked for a message. "5pm. Cafe Victor. You will know me by your cap on the table before me." Awesome. I slept most of the day. I awoke, bathed and dressed and went out into the night to the Cafe Victor to look for a man with a cap on a table.

I found him right away. He hadn't come alone. Not part of the plan I thought. Ah well. I identified myself with a hatlike gesture and he acknowleged. Now what?

He and his colleague Rasmus and I had a round together, then another. Great fun. Like we'd already met. I had to tear myself away. I wandered off to find some dinner. With my baseball cap.

It was my husband’s birthday that day. I had sent him flowers via an internet order. Birds Of Paradise. A masculine flower. He hadn't received them as of 5pm (Toronto time) when we spoke. I was already sad that day not being there with him on his birthday and that made me sadder. I found out tonight that he had received them one hour later, at 6pm. That made me feel better.

We saw a car accident today on our way to soundcheck. A bus smacked into a small truck right in front of us. It looked so weird while it was happening. We all felt like we could see it about to happen, then it looked like it might not happen, then it totally happened. No one was hurt.

-KR

Kulture Klub

2004-11-01T19:05:00.000-05:00

November 1, 2004

I’m in Stockholm, Sweden watching Sumo wrestling on the EuroSport channel. Also watching the last ditch efforts of the U.S. Presidential candidates on the eve of their big day and the accompanying media speculation. I suppose I should be out on the town this evening but I’m very happy to be writing this in bed right now, not expected anywhere.

We travelled overnight from Hamburg and rolled into town today around twelve noon. It was a beautiful day. I went for a walk for a few hours looking at people and buildings. I found a record shop and decided that if I could find the Keane and Scissor Sisters * CDs I wanted, I would invest a little extra time in the shop looking for some local music to bring back for my brother Michael. After the Glasgow show while my husband was with me at the start of this tour, we stayed overnight at the lovely home of his cousins’ Elaine & Neil. Elaine was playing Keane in the car and in the house and I must have asked her three times what we were listening to. Hugo was playing the Scissor Sisters CD in the production office before our Dublin show. I had never heard of either band but I made a mental note to look for their CD. Naturally ever since, I’ve been seeing and hearing them everywhere. The Scissor Sisters’ song “Mary” was actually in my dream two nights ago.

My brother and I share a love of music and a fondness for the absurd. The guy at the store let me sample my picks. They ranged from easy listening (American songs from the 1970s sung in Swedish by an aging male pinup), navelgazing singer songwritery songs by a young man photographed in soft focus playing guitar in a meadow and a studio-created dancepop album with some girls singing the choruses and a guy in a pencil moustache saying, “You touched my tra-la-la/My ding-ding-dong” every once in awhile. The store clerk was looking at me funny when he saw these CD selections so I said, Don’t worry. I really do have good taste," showing him the CDs in my Keep Pile. When he saw those CDs he said, “if you like those I have something else for you.” He opened a drawer and handed me a CD by a Danish band named Saybia. Erring on the side of good pop sensibility I bought that one for Michael. I might have to go back tomorrow for that “ding-ding-dong” one, though.

I then had a Japanese menu written in Swedish deciphered for me by a waiter from Lebanon who tried to get my phone number at a place called Sushi Coffee.

I’m going to bed now but have I mentioned that I have become throughly obsessed with crossword puzzles on this tour? Daily. Keeping the mind and eyes in focus. Also, currently reading: The Enchantment Of Lily Dahl by Siri Hustvedt.

Attention, Euro fans: thanks to Sarah’s generous spirit, you can find my solo CD and Luke’s solo CD alongside Sarah’s merchandise at the concerts.

xo KR

Hard Hats: Mandatory

2004-10-24T22:52:00.000-04:00

Written October 24/04

We’re in Birmingham, UK... off to Nottingham tomorrow. Today was our first full day off since I flew here to start the tour on the night of Oct. 9. The pace of this tour has been intense.

There was an official U2 sighting at our Dublin Hotel but not by me. A few of my boys saw Bono, Edge and families having Sunday brunch in the private tea room just as we were heading out of town.

We played London's Royal Albert Hall last week. We were all excited to be performing in such a prestigious theatre. It was fun to wear the mandatory hard hats during soundcheck.

Tonight on the telly there was a talk show which is like a British version of Jerry Springer but the people on it were too polite to hit each other even though no one knew which man was the father and the new girlfriends hated the old one. They just talked it over, without interrupting. Very civilised. Now Des & Mel is on. Which came first, Regis & Kelly or Des & Mel?

Responses to some folks who have left comments for me recently:

-To Kitty of Edinburgh: thank you for calling our tour A Tour Of Hotness! Tell your friend who liked me I'm married but not dead so thanks, tell your friend’s mum I’m sure Luke would be flattered and to read more about him at www.lukedoucet.com and tell your friend’s dad he’s on a long waiting list for Sarah...

-Hair advice for Jennifer D of Houston: Yes, Sarah’s new shorter haircut does help me get ready for the show each night with a little less worry in the lookalike department. As far as your quandary goes, I’m in the same boat. Sometimes I’d love to cut off my hair too to shorten my prep time but short hair doesn’t suit me as well. If you are trying to grow yours and are losing patience, try to think of the time you’ve already spent growing it out as an investment of time toward your goal. Or not.

-To David of Edinburgh: well, as Pete Rose (no relation) sings in the 1970’s children’s movie Free To Be You And Me, “it’s alright to cry”. Seriously, thanks for sharing, especially being a “6’2” bloke.” Good on you. You mentioned finding more of my own music to hear. Sample some of it at www.kathrynrose.com . If you like it, you can order it very easily. Thanks for asking.

-Thank you to the Anonymous person who said: “When you write your roman a clef, and you MUST, I will be the first in line to buy it...” etc. That’s nice.

-To Amy B of Dallas: yes, it was great to be drinking “real” Guinness. My new CD is finished and is coming very soon, don’t give up on me yet...

-To Keith of Derby, England: thanks for your suggestions for what to do in Birmingham. You are right in saying Ash’s family is from here. They were at our concert in full force. Enjoy the concerts you are coming to this week!

-To Steve M of River Falls: you asked me about this ages ago... sorry it’s taken so long to answer: yes, I heard that Butterfly was asked by her label to change her accent in the single version of “I Can’t Make Me Love You”. I love that song and also love the way she pronounces the word ‘can’t’. I hope her label changed their mind in the end or that she convinced them to. I'll have to ask her what the final decision was. Being an independent artist for most of my career, I have not had to face that kind of intervention. Being a woman in this business I have come across certain inevitable expectations. I try to follow only the suggestions that suit me.

That's it for me today, all.
Don’t forget: if you are leaving me a comment for the first time and would like a response, please make sure you leave your email address.

xo KR

The Circus Has Come To Town

2004-10-16T22:13:00.000-04:00

Written October 15/04

I saw an long tusked elephant today standing in the Irish countryside near a giant tent that said “Circus Vegas”, visible for a brief time from the window of our tour bus on the drive from Dublin to Belfast. The circus has come to town and for once I don’t mean us.

What I did on my end-of-summer-tour vacation:

-got called to sing on the score for an independent feature film, 3 jingles and on an album project by Kevin Breit (guitarist-extraordinnaire and the brother of my friend Gary Breit whom, my blog readers might recall, plays keyboards with Brian Adams);
-took a mini-vacation at a friend's cottage with David. On the first night we watched all the Aliens movies in a row;
-completed mixes and artwork on my new album with my producer and graphic artist (when I go home after this Euro tour in November, we will have it mastered and manufactured and then, oh yes, it will be available);
-had strategy meeting/mid afternoon liquid lunch with my manager RJ;
-went to a friend's surprise Go-Karting birthday party;
-got to be around for the birth of my dear friends’ Andres & Linda’s first baby;
-cleaned my house, cooked, stayed at home a lot, ran out of time to see everybody...

We all straggled into Dublin from our various points of origin on October 10. My husband flew over with me. This morning he flew to Glasgow to see his family. He’ll rejoin me when the tour gets there in a few days. It will be my first time meeting all his Scottish rellies who couldn’t make it to our wedding. This afternoon we boarded our buses and drove to Belfast, where we had a full production run-through in the venue for the first show of the European tour tomorrow night.

Our convoy has shrunk somewhat (crew-wise). There is still a large number of us in total, but now it’s a number you can keep track of. For the first few days we rehearsed in Dublin. At night we went to the pubs, leading to a tallying and comparing of our personal daily Guinness-count. Our hotel was near Temple Bar. My room faced the back cobblestone alley. The parade of pissed drunk foreigners (myself not included once back in my room) provided a certain ambience but eventually lost its charm when sleep was the thing. Coming in from our various adventures each night, we all invariably wound up capping things off with a final round or three in the hotel’s oak panelled study, ever on the lookout for hotel owners The Edge and Bono. Last night we think we saw The Edge flitting down the corridor toward one of the bar rooms which promptly closed, the sign “No Entry” quickly appearing. David thought he saw John Leguizamo on the first night. It could have been him.

And now a story:
During the Toronto Film Festival in September of 2000 I redeemed a dinner gift certificate for a 5-star restaurant at The Four Seasons Hotel. I had earned it as a bonus payment for a corporate singing engagement the previous Christmas. That hotel is always prime real estate for stargazing during the Film Festival but that was not the reason for waiting until then to use the gift certificate. The truth is that I had been single when I received it and had been hoping to redeem it romantically. I was now finally dating someone. This was of course all before I met my husband. My date was a major extrovert, prone to outrageous public displays of all kinds. He was totally wrong for me and I knew it but he was really trying hard to be my boyfriend and the gift certificate was about to expire. I took him to the fancy dinner. He kept his shenanigans to a minimum through all the courses. Miraculously he kept his balls in his pants. He did ask our waiter deliberately complex questions about the food and here and there stretched the bounds of etiquette, but all in all it went not too badly. We did see a couple of film stars dining nearby. I can’t remember who anymore and there’s no way in hell I’m calling him to ask him if he remembers, so let’s just drop it. We left the hotel and I ran into film director Patricia Rozema, whose film ”When Night Is Falling” I had sung on a few years previous. She introduced me to a man with whom she been having an animated conversation out on the street, Michael Colgan of Dublin. He and I fell into an animated conversation of our own. Patricia said she had to go home. Before I knew it, the Irishman and my date and I were having drinks together at a nearby pub. The film series he produced, Beckett on Film was at the Toronto Film Festival that year. He invited me to a screening for the following night. I went. Long story short, we’ve been corresponding ever since. I wanted to make sure that on this, my first trip to Dublin, I visited Michael and his world famous Gate Theatre Company. I also wanted him to meet my husband to demonstrate my improved taste in men, even if he is a Scot. I got my wishes. A few nights ago we met for drinks and last night David and I went to a play at The Gate, “Shining City” by Conor McPherson.

Moral of the story:
You don’t have to take your balls out of your pants to be spontaneous.
Heartwarming ending:
There is still such a thing as a pen-pal in this day and age.

However if we were just meeting today, our friendship would go nowhere unless I jumped on the text messaging bandwagon. I can’t help but notice that people here are big into text messaging. There was even a monologue in the play we saw last night in which text messaging is mentioned at length. Of course we “text” in Canada too but I don’t think it’s at quite the same level of popularity. Michael gave me a demonstration the other night. He asked me for something to text. I said, “I HAVE THE MICROFILM. IT’S IN THE IGLOO.” He had some trouble with the word “igloo” but was otherwise quick like lightning.

Moving on:
This tour has another subplot for me: reuniting with high school classmates. Three girls I went to school with have all Googled me in the past year. Slowly my travels are taking me to the far flung places where they live. I can’t resist seeing them. It’s fascinating, like a movie. You kind of wish it was one. You don’t want it to be like that scene in Fargo, but you want it to be a movie because you wish you could just look at the person and hear them speak without having to respond, because it’s interesting just to look at her and remember all the time you spent together when all your ideas about the world were still forming and many of them were being formed by that person until you outgrew each other which is why you haven’t stayed in touch, which makes this all rather awkward but you can’t stop yourself from arranging the meeting and going anyway. Then there you are showing each other what kind of women you became out the girls you used to be. What kind of men you married and what you did with your talent.

If any of the women I reunited with are reading this, I want you to know that I was very happy to see you again and I urge you to please take this as a songwriter’s commentary.

Jetlagged in Belfast,
-KR.

The Ephemeral Cupcake

2004-09-22T01:34:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone,

As many of you might know, we are on a break from touring right now until our European tour this October/November. I will not be Blogging as much during this time but rest assured, I will be diarying my heart out when we start up again!

While I’m at it today though, here are some reflections on the last few days of our North American summer tour, and my break so far.

Oops, we did it again:
Sarah and I continued our subliminal twin-dressing streak right up until the last show, when we both appeared for our pre-show circle in diagonal hemlines over jeans and shiny silver drop earrings. I swear it’s an accident. I always take our natural similarities into account when getting ready. Maybe I should have bought that red bob wig in New Orleans... *

My husband David flew into Calgary to finish up the tour with me and take me home. After the exciting last show in Vancouver, a private party was held at a club. There was an “afterglow” ice sculpture * in the entrance that held cocktail glasses. At the bar you could order special drinks named after some of us. My drink of choice was the “Tropical Jones”, rumoured to have been invented by keyboard player Vince Jones. After a few of those I gave the Go-Go dancers a run for their money, but not half as much as our yoga/fitness teacher Sharon (who dances like a "Maniac", and Sarah herself, who was soaked through from dancing when we said goodbye.

There was a tower of cupcakes on a 3-tiered platter. I said to my husband, "there are a lot of cupcakes here", to which he replied, "there sure are." It wasn't until breakfast the next morning re-living the night before that we found out he thought I had been referring to the array of cute girls at the party, and that I had been talking about actual cupcakes. Furthermore, the cupcake that Hugo dove our way with had the words, "I Will Remember You" written on it it in curly frosting.* David and I decided that that was an ironic promise for either sort of cupcake.

Then we flew home. Can I just say: what will it take to get baggage handlers NOT to hurl your guitar with "Fragile" stickers on the loading belt? And then other luggage on top? And is it a cruel joke to trap you on the plane and delay the flight so you can watch in horror from the window?

I must have sent out some psychic vibes: as soon as I got home the phone started ringing for me to do some recording sessions with a few of my old employers. I found this so amazing that I said yes to everything, scaring my husband who had rather hoped I would take a vacation. Two TV jingles and a film soundtrack later, we did just that, going to my friend Vid's cottage for a weekend. When we first arrived, it was so quiet it hurt my ears. It was a little bit cold but I forced myself to jump in the lake anyway. Twice.

The night before we left, we went to a screening of my friend Christopher Warre Smets' ** debut feature film, "The Overlookers". He placed 2 of my songs in the film. I thought he used them well and I liked the film. It was screened outdoors under the stars, which was very nice.

Also immediately upon my return, I had a meeting with my manager and graphic artist for my new CD. We made final layout decisions and now it's in the home stretch. It was so nice to discuss the artwork in the same room as the artist (Dennis Vidaic). I could point and say things like, "see this part here?" Until now I have been communicating with him primarily via email from on tour. Considering this I think we've managed well, but this last meeting was so much more satisfying.

You might recall that the house we are currently renting has just been sold, and that luckily for us the new owners asked the bottom tenants to move out and us to stay. At the very end of the CD artwork meeting, Dennis asked me where I live. When I told him, he said, "oh really? Some friends of mine just bought a house on that street." A few landmarks later it quickly became clear that his friends are my new landlords. Any ill feelings he may have had from my final layout changes were blown away by this bizarre turn of events. I think we really bonded right then.

We finally made the leap from dialup to high-speed internet here at home just today. (It's a long story). Suffice it to say it's positively dreamy to be writing this entry from the living room couch beside my husband while he plays "Fable" on X-Box. As opposed to sitting upstairs in our disastrous third floor attic office/guestroom. Don't ask. All of both of our unsightly crap is up there. The rest of the house is looking good. With any luck and a little aggravation we will gut that room and start over on it while I'm still here.

Some very close friends of mine are expecting their first baby any second. Another reason I am very glad to be at home right now.

That's all folks. I'm on vacation!
(Except for when I go sing a song at my friend Tory Cassis' (http://torycassis.com/) annual Tom Waits night on Sept. 27. Luke Doucet will be doing a song also. It's always a packed club, an amazing night of performers and a great way to see my peers all at once after all these months away!)
xo KR

__________

* Photos either up or about to be in my website gallery.
** Chris lives in New York and appears in previous corresponding Blog entries.

The People Have Spoken

2004-09-05T13:31:00.000-04:00

This entry is entirely devoted to the wonderful feedback I have received from those who read my Blog diary, since I began keeping it last February. I have not used any last names. If I got your city wrong, please correct me. It's just nice for me to know where you're from in case I'm on tour in your part of the world in the future.

There are 2 sets of quotes in this entry:
1) KR BLOG QUOTES
2) KR SOLO CD QUOTES

If this inspires anyone new to check out my CDs, you can always go to my website:
www.kathrynrose.net
and sample some of the music there. If you like what you hear, you can easily place an order.

Hopefully I'll have to post a Round 2 of quotes from new/shy KR Blog visitors in the near future!

Keeping this Blog and hearing from you has been an important part of this tour for me. I try to write you all back at least once. I hope you understand if my correspondence slows down after that. There are many Sarah fans out there and only one of me, and oh yeah, I'm supposed to be working! Thank you everyone so far for welcoming me to Sarah's band and for taking the time to get to know me and my own music.

xo KR

________________________________

KR BLOG QUOTES:

________________________________

“Hey Kathryn, your blog is the best and love reading about the tour. Your blog is so damn funny. Sounds like life on the road is non-stop entertainment..I mean Gene Simmons snapping your bra strap??”
-Barra (Cleveland)

“Hi Kathryn, I really enjoy reading your blog, it's so funny.”
-Isabelle (Montreal)

“Hi Kathryn, I just wanted to say love your blog, I look forward to reading it each week. I'll keep reading up on your blog which I find very interesting and good.”
-Abbey (Draper, Utah)

“Hey Kathryn, I've been enjoying your blogs. So funny and its great to hear that being on the road hasn't made you lose your sense of humor.”
-Chelsey

“In some weird voyeuristic way, I love reading your entries in your Blog. It is so neat to read what is going on in your life. The other night after dinner we read two separate entries. It was fun. My parents were over for breakfast on Saturday, now my mom is hooked!”
-Christopher (Sacramento)

“Hi Kathryn!!! I love reading your posts!!! I always get a good laugh because your sense of humor cracks me up!! Just wanted to say "Hi" and that after reading your last post I figured I should let you know there are a lot of us out here that love reading what you have to say and never take you seriously LOL. Oh yeah, almost forgot: Hey-Ho! ...What gives! / KR’s Blog won’t harm your kids!"
-Kimberly (Sacramento).

“Hi there. I've been reading your tour blog for some time now, and I think it's terrific. The sorts of stories you tell are exactly the kind of thing I love to hear about, and you tell them with some considerable flair, I might add.”
-Steve (River Falls, WI)

“Hey Kathryn! I'm a 16 year old fan from Massachusetts. I've been reading your blog for a while now and I really enjoy it. I don't see why anyone should take offence to it. So don't be bummed out!”
-Connie

“I find your blogs to be quite humorous. In fact, sometimes they make me laugh out loud.”
-Anonymous

“I love your blog. I've been following it ever since the Merriweather show on August 11. I think it's hysterical and I truly enjoy reading it. You can't please everyone, and if they don't understand your wit or sense of humor, tooooo baaaaad. Keep it up...”
-Anonymous Baltimore fan

“Kathryn, I read your blog from time to time and usually enjoy it. I like the wit and observations.”
-David (Philadelphia)

“Your blog entries are hysterical. It makes me feel like I've suddenly been transported from my somewhat predictable life into something akin to Keanu hanging on to the underbelly of the bus on Speed. I know I'm not really supposed to be there, but I'm not planning on leaving (except to get a better seat).”
-Jennifer (Houston)

“Hi! I just read your latest blog. I wanted to email you after the first month of reading, but didn't think you would actually read it. Well in hopes that you do, I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your blogs. I find myself giggling as I read them. You have a great way of showing us your sense of humor in them.”
-Lindsey (Edwardsville, Illinois)

“Was reading your blog today, and I just had to send you a quick email. You must know that there are probably a lot of people who are reading that don't comment at all, and who completely enjoy your sense of humor (like me).”
-Anya (New York)

“Dear Kathryn Rose, I've been reading through your Blog and I find it very enjoyable. I've always been fascinated about the music industry and what you do when you're not on stage. I found your latest posting very funny. Did they manage to get the bathroom door unlocked (and perhaps provide a key to the driver) to prevent that from happening again?”
-Jason (Portland)

“Thank you again for your fun and interesting Blog. I read it weekly. So please don't stop. It's like my own little periodical. I had to let you know how many times I laughed out loud! You are a brilliant story teller. I loved your re-enactment of your meeting Gene Simmons. He sounds like a bit of a perv!”
-Toni (Seattle)

“I enjoy reading through your blogs.”
-Kelly (Auckland, New Zealand)

“I enjoy reading your Blog, and it sounds like you all get on so well and have an awesome time together. I had a giggle at your whole Kiss experience and the bra strap, and Ash sounds like a hoot!! Glad there are people to make you laugh on the road, as you explained it was tough being away from hubby for so long. I have often wondered how musicians handle being away from their pillow for extended periods at a time.”
-Katie (Tasmania, Australia)

“I just wanted to ‘Thank you’ for your daily blog that I have stumbled upon [via] the Sarah McLachlan fan site. It's nice to see how others live their lives, makes me remember that we all are human.”
-Janetta (Houston)

“Please keep your blog going, because apparently Sarah’s Tour Journal on her fanclub website won't be used?? Thanks for the updates of the tour here in Australia and New Zealand.”
-Susanne (Holland)

________________________________

KR SOLO CD QUOTES:

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“I Love ‘My Little Flame’! [The song] ‘Shrinking Violet’ is my absolute favorite. Very gourmet.”
-Lindsey (St. Louis)

“One of my good friends is a fan of yours, and when I came home and told her that you were singing backup [for Sarah], she was pissed she didn't go. I've come away a fan of 3 artists instead of just one [Luke Doucet, Butterfly Boucher & KR]. I can’t wait for your new CD to arrive.”
-Chelsea

“Have to say also your CD is great and thanks for putting out such great talent. I love [it] and would love to know when the new [one] is ready.”
-Abbey (Draper, Utah)

“I bought ‘My Little Flame’ (as well as Butterfly's and Luke's albums) at the Columbus show. It's very nice, I love your voice and album and I'm looking forward to the next one.”
-Jennifer (Houston)

“I listened to the songs on [your website] and have ordered 'Every Lurid Detail'. Just waiting for its arrival.”
-Lindsey (Edwardsville, Illinois)

“Well, I've managed to exhaust what I can listen to on your website (have had ‘Something I Can Use’ on repeat here for a while. I've just ordered ‘My Little Flame.’” (Next email): “Wanted to say that I'm enjoying your CD! When exactly is the next one out?”
-Anya (New York)

“I sampled your music [on your website]. IT ROCKS!!! You have a beautiful voice! ”
-Toni (Seattle)

“I have your CD ‘My Little Flame’, you signed it for me in Melbourne (Thanks!!!!). I really like [the song] ‘Life's Luxurious’, [and] ‘Wichita Lineman’. You have a great voice and I am glad we get to hear it now. Hope to catch you one day doing your solo stuff too! I like the different sound your music has and your lyrics are awesome as well. I will get my hands on the new album you are releasing [and] your 1st album! I am promoting you on my blog as well. Bring some of those CDs to London and Amsterdam in November and I will get people to buy them!!!
-Susanne (Holland)

A Face Only A Mother (And Millions Of Fans) Could Love

2004-09-03T02:56:00.000-04:00

I didn’t find a rotating restaurant in Cincinnati (not that I looked very hard), however 2 of my recent wishes came true, and some others I didn’t know I had at our next stop, Chicago.

1) I found a place that made fruit smoothies. I got hooked on Booster Juices when we were rehearsing in Vancouver and had been craving one recently with no satisfaction until then.

2) I did manage to rise to great heights by going to the top of the John Hancock Observatory before soundcheck. It was a gorgeous day, which made for a spectacular view by which to finish my smoothie.

Even my own mother said she thinks Sarah and I look alike. Given that fact, I always try to offset Sarah in a complimentary way with my onstage attire. The previous few show nights we had managed that effect without consulting one another but in Chicago we were a little too much in sync! A few minutes before the show, Sarah and I stepped out of our dressing rooms into the hallway at the same time, took one look at each other and started laughing. We were dressed in very nearly identical outfits: black top, blue jeans and black boots. We had both even put our hair up the same way, which both of us rarely do for shows. Our lovely on-tour yoga instructor Sharon Tron was there and snapped a photo of us pointing at each other. Needless to say I went back in the dressing room to quickly change my top and take my hair down.

After that show we had a backstage surprise: Butterfly’s guitarist Sean Kelly also plays in a Neil Diamond tribute band. The man who plays “Neil” was there to serenade us for a private concert of Neil Diamond requests. He looked and sounded very much like the real thing. They played whatever was called out: Solitary Man, Sweet Caroline, America, I Am I Said, Forever In Blue Jeans, Song Sung Blue... for some reason that night there were gigantic tins of caramel corn in our dressing rooms and one of those tins looked pretty funny adorning the coffee table in front of Sean and “Neil” as they entertained us from a big leather couch surrounded by red curtains. I was about to clamour for Jerusalem or Love On The Rocks when we were summoned for the drive to St. Louis.

This evening in Milwaukee I wrote a new song and photographed a great fireworks display from my 19th floor hotel room. Not a bad night.

Six more days and I’ll get to see my husband, who is meeting me in Calgary and will stay with me until the end of this leg in Vancouver on September 10 to take me home for a few weeks. Sweet...

xo KR

PS: For those of who write a comment and would like me an email back from me, make sure you leave your email address in your comment.

"Diane, I ordered some hot milk from room service. Here's hoping it does the job and I'll be able to catch a few hours of quality sack time."

2004-08-29T03:44:00.000-04:00

August 29/04

It’s 1:47 am. We played in Columbia, OH tonight (good audience) and drove out right after to check into our Cincinnati hotel. We have a day off tomorrow. A day off that is not a travel day is a rare and wonderful thing. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it but my husband recommended doing something out of the ordinary tomorrow. “Like eating in a rotating restaurant?” I asked. “Sure”, he said. If there is one right across the street from here I will see that as a good omen.

I have limited personal reference points to this city. Whenever I hear the word Cincinnatti, after thinking of Bailey, Jennifer, Venus Flytrap and Dr. Fever, I think of my friend Bryden Baird. Some you might know that Bryden is an amazingly talented horn player from Toronto who played in my band and on my albums and has toured with Esthero, Blue Rodeo and many others. For the first 7 years of knowing Bryden I remember him mentioning and phoning a mysterious tap dancer named “Diane” from Cincinnati. This went on for so many years that I began to think of “Diane” as being a fictional character, like the “Diane” to whom Agent Cooper (played by Kyle McLachlan) addressed his dictophone recordings while unravelling the case in David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks”. Bryden is an imaginative person who likes to pass the time on tours by saying and demonstrating such things as: “WHAT IF [these sugar cubes were my front teeth”], or “WHAT IF [this floor lamp was also a drink dispenser”], so he could have been making her up. After many years and reams of dictophone tape, Diane finally moved to Toronto to live with Bryden. I have met her many times and she is fully real but I still like to pretend she is the “Diane” from Twin Peaks, come to life.

In other words I owe it to myself and Diane to see a bit of Cincinnati tomorrow.

Today I called my dad and disconnected by mistake right away, then called right back. After my explanation he said, “You wouldn't believe how many hang-ups we've had the last couple of days. Most of the time I’m just sitting here minding my own business stewing in my own juices and then all of a sudden the whole *!%#-ing world wants to call and hang up on Alan Rose.” I said, “you sure have a colourful way with words, Dad”. He really does. We started laughing and he said, “Oh yeah? Here it is again with a few variations,” which I don’t think I can repeat here.

The other day at the giant mall in Cleveland near our hotel I bought a few pieces of clothing to supplement my onstage wardrobe choices. I tried one of the new things in the next show and when Sarah saw it she said, "oh, I saw that in the mall in burgundy and I thought it was your style." I said, "I bought the burgundy one also!"... "No way!"... "Way"... etc. She's got a good eye, that was funny.

I want to thank the 4 brave people who have commented on my last blog entry so far. At first I thought I had scared everyone off... thank you for your kind words.

Bedtime. Got to get some sack time for my big day in Cincinnati!
xo KR

Things I Have Noticed On This Tour, or, in some cases: Proof That I’m Getting Old

2004-08-26T00:46:00.000-04:00

August 23/04

-Quite often I have noticed that a lot of people come to the venue early in the day to park and set up little picnics at their vehicles, some with BBQs, and hang out there for hours before they go in to see the show. This actually seems like a 1970’s rock concert ritual, which reminds me of my youth and comforts me. Are these “day campers” just super keen to get a parking spot or are they perhaps following the tour? Just curious. Feel free to shed some light if you are reading this and you know the answer.

-The cell phone camera has replaced the BIC lighter at rock shows. No longer do swooning concert goers “flick their Bic” during the ballads. Instead they hold up their phones in our direction as if they expect us to say happy birthday to their grandmother, all the while snapping away.

-That brings up another point: never in my career have I witnessed such a flagrant use of personal photographic devices at shows. In my day (holy moly did I just say that?) you were NOT permitted to bring cameras to concerts and if you did you were singled out of the crowd and publicly humiliated. These days there must be a sign in the lobby that says:

___________________________________________

THIS CONCERT LOOKS BEST WHEN VIEWED THROUGH
YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA MONITOR.
PLEASE TAKE ALL THE PICTURES YOU WANT OF TONIGHT’S PERFORMANCE
AND DO WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT WITH THEM.
FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY PREFERRED.
-VENUE MGMT.
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Truly I’m just kidding around.* This doesn’t really bother me.

It’s just that the kids today are missing out on all the fun to be had from that amazing secret live shot or bootleg you can show your friends later and have them go: “wow, dude that’s awesome, how did you get that?” (Like we used to do “in my day”).

What good is a live concert shot of your favourite star if you were allowed to take it? Would a bank heist be as satisfying if they left the vault open all the time? Well maybe. Shoplifting only works if you don’t get caught. Personally I like the feeling of getting away with something. (Not shoplifting). Those cell phone cameras are pretty James Bond, I’ll give you that. The trouble is everyone has one. Show me some live shots you took with your retainer that required you to open wide and scream your guts out and hell, yeah, I’d say cheese.

Disclaimer:
For all I know cameras have been allowed for years now and I just didn’t notice. If not: I realise that Sarah’s audience is mostly my age and is probably grateful that they can finally take a freakin’ picture.

Let’s move on. Next topic:

-It’s amazing how often something like this happens on your day off in most American cities:

”Can I order some dinner for take-out?”
“You sure don’t sound like you’re from here. Is that a Midwestern accent?”
“Go north.”
(You point up. Give it a minute. They rule out Heaven and shout their next guess):
“Canada! Whereabouts?”
“Toronto.”
“Oh yeah, I have a buddy moving to Montreal tomorrow.”
(Wow)
“Could I get the low-carb burger to-go?”
(Order is taken, money exchanged)
“So what brings you here?”
(Wild urge to tell outrageous lies, a la: came here to get vein-removal surgery not available in Canada, etc)
“I’m on a music tour.”
“Oh yeah? What is it?”
(Wild urge to say Meatloaf)
“I sing backups for Sarah McLachlan.”
(Temporary look of disbelief, then you are sized up fresh)
“Really? My girlfriend loves her. So what’s she like? Is she as pretty in real life?”
(No urge to lie)
“She’s a very nice person and yeah, she’s real good lookin’.”
“Guess you have to work pretty hard huh? Can’t slack off?”
(Brain in frantic search for response)
“Something in me refuses to suck.” (Good one! Bring it home): “Bad for business.”
“So where are my tickets? You gotta hook me up!”
(Most of the time this request is for real, but this time):
“I’m just kidding.”
“Uh, okay.”
(Relief at getting out of awkward ticket grab by stranger)
“Well, here’s your dinner and you have a great tour. Nice meeting you, hope you get famous.”
(You might pretend you didn’t hear the last part. If remotely cranky, sly voice):
“How do you know I’m not already?”
(The answer is in the question but let’s not make a federal case out of it)
“Well, you know, when you come through town on your own.”
(Dude’s got you there)
“Thanks.” (If feeling sassy): “The name’s Kathryn Rose. Don’t forget it.” (If not): “Say hi to your girlfriend.”

(end of dialogue)

What’s my point? No point. Just something that happens enough to write it down. I suppose I could elaborate to say that in general it’s a bit of a pet peeve of mine when anybody, especially members of my own family ask me what I’ve been up to and then say, “best of luck dear, hope it works out”, like you just told them you’re going to bake a souffle or split the atom later that day. You go home composing a 20-minute speech in your head that, if you had to condense it, and I do, is all about how what I’m doing is not something I started working on yesterday, try 17 years ago, which must mean it’s not a passing fancy and that if it wasn’t working out by now I would have quit long ago, so therefore my luck HAS obviously been pretty good and it IS working out, and if you really want to get sticky, luck has very little to do with it, it’s about following your heart, not listening to nay-sayers, seizing and running with opportunities, and about fostering good working relationships...

...but here I go again. This speech has never seen the light of day (until now) except for the occasional hilarious trading of war stories with some of my close peers. Sometimes a stranger in a strange town can push your buttons the same as your own relatives, without even knowing.

Those are some things I have noticed.
xo KR.

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* A note on the subject of this and all past and future KR Blog rants:

I have received some very nice comments from fans reading my Blog. A few readers, though, have written to me in such a way that suggests my comments may be being taken a tad too seriously at times. By no means should you ever take me seriously (except as a brilliant songwriter), as in these pages it is never my intention to portray myself as an authority on anything (except really good backup singing). I stand behind my opinions but please keep in mind that all I’m really trying to do here is make myself laugh. Over the last few months I have found a few lethargic KR-Blog complaints in my inbox. This bums me out. This dashes my hopes for world literacy. This make my eyebrows go weird. If you dig what I’m saying, say:

“Hey-Ho! ...What gives!
”KR’s Blog won’t harm your kids”

out loud right now no matter where you are. All other friendly comments very much appreciated. About that I am serious.