FEB. 15TH  – AQUA BOOKS – WINNIPEG

FEB. 24TH – THE STANDARD TAVERN – WINNIPEG

FEB. 26TH -THE LAKEVIEW HOTEL – LAC DU BONNET

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DEC. 17TH THE TIMES CHANGE(D)

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I WILL BE SHARING THE STAGE WITH MR. MARCEL DESILETS, BILL DOWLING, DANIEL PELOQUIN-HOPFNER, AND JASON GORDON.

WE’RE GOING TO THROW TOGETHER A FEW TUNES FROM EVERYONE’S FAVORITE DECADE, THE ’80S, AND GIVE THEM A BIT OF A ROOTS FLAVOR.

FOR MORE INFO, VISIT:  POP COVERS PROJECT: 1980S – FACEBOOK PAGE

I’M NOT HERE TO GIVE REAL WORK A BAD NAME.  IT’S GREAT.  IT ALLOWS ME TO CHIP AWAY AT MY DEBT.  DEBT ACCUMULATED FROM SCHOOL, BAD INVESTMENTS, MY CAR, COMPUTER, MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, RECORDING EQUIPMENT, ETC.  THINGS THAT WERE FOR THE MOST PART NEEDED (BASED ON MY MUSICIAN/SOCIAL BUTTERFLY LIFESTYLE).

IN MY EYES, DEBT IS EVIL.  MORE EVIL THAN HELL’S LANDLORD.  I DON’T CARE WHETHER IT’S $150 OR $150,000 .  DEBT IS UNPLEASANT.  DON’T GET ME WRONG.  NOT ALL DEBT IS BAD.  BUY A GREAT HOUSE AND YOUR DEBT MAY TURN INTO A PROFIT AFTER A FEW YEARS.

NOW I MAY BE YOUNG AT HEART AND HAVE THE FACE OF A 17 YEAR OLD FARM BOY, BUT MY AGE IS NOT DECREASING AS THIS NEW CENTURY TACKS ON THE YEARS.  WHICH MEANS THE GAP BETWEEN TODAY AND MY DEATH IS CLOSING.  I NEED TO SAVE SOME CASH.  I NEED TO GET OUT OF DEBT.  THEREFORE, REAL WORK IS BLISS.

“WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!!”  SAYS MY CREATIVE AND SLIGHTLY HIPPIE SELF.  “IF YOU’RE WORKING ALL THE TIME, YOU’LL LOSE YOUR MOJO, PIZZAZZ, EGO BOOSTING SKILLS.”

DAMMIT, ‘SECOND HALF’, YOU’RE RIGHT!  WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?  HOW DO I MANAGE AN EQUILIBRIUM; A BALANCE BETWEEN REAL WORK AND HEALTHY CREATIVITY.  I DON’T WANT MY BRAIN TO HAVE A FLACCID RESPONSE TO A ONCE THOUGHT PROPHETIC IDEA.  AND I CERTAINLY DON’T WANNA BE MAKING PAYMENTS ON MY CRAPPY DEBT FOR MUCH LONGER.  HOW DOES ONE CO-EXIST WITH THE OTHER?

WELL, IN ORDER FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION (AND COMMENT ON IT), YOU MUST FIRST UNDERSTAND THE LIFE OF THE CURSED, CREATIVE MAMMAL.  MYSELF?  I AM, FOR THE MOST PART, A MUSICIAN.  THOUGH, I LIKE TO GET MY HANDS INTO EVERYTHING.

SOME DAYS, I AM THE EQUIVALENT OF A METH ADDICT, SCRATCHING AT MY SKIN AND NERVOUSLY TWITCHING ‘CAUSE I NEED MY ‘DO OR DIE’ DOSE OF MUSICAL EXPLORATION.  I’D SWEAR, SOME TIMES MY LIPS WOULD TURN BLUE IF I DIDN’T GET AN IDEA OUT FAST ENOUGH.  IT LEGITIMATELY IS AN ADDICTION, ONE I ACQUIRED IN THE WOMB.  THERE IS NO CURE, OTHER THAN THE OPPOSITE OF ITSELF, DEATH.  WOW, THAT WAS HEAVY AND DARK AT THE SAME TIME.

I CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT IT.  AND OTHERS, I’M SURE, FEEL THE SAME WAY.  EVEN THE GREATS AND SHOULD-HAVE-BEEN GREATS BATTLED WITH THIS.  ONE’S OPTIONS ARE LIMITED.  THE WORDS “NORMAL” AND “LIFE” HAVE NO JURISDICTION HERE.  IT’S A CASE OF “ARTISTIC A.D.D.”

I SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU AT THE START OF THIS RANT THAT IT HAS NO CONCLUSION… NO REAL POINT TO IT OTHER THAN I LOVE AND MISS MY CRAFT WHEN I AM AWAY FROM IT AND SOME DAYS I FEAR I WILL LOSE IT.  BUT I REMAIN OPTIMISTIC WHILE I WRITE THIS.  YOU WOULD TOO IF YOU COULDN’T FEEL YOUR FACE AFTER A BOTTLE OF WINE AND YOU’D JUST ABSORBED LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S WORDS, “THEY CAN’T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME”.

BEN PERFORMS WITH SHEENA GROBB AT THE CYPRESS RIVER UNITED CHURCH

CORNER OF NORQUAY ST. AND JAMES AVE. IN CYPRESS RIVER, MB

COST:  TBA       TIME:  7:30

INFO:  204-526-2063  VISIT:  WWW.SHEENAGROBB.COM

91 ALBERT ST.

COST:  PASS THE HAT/DONATION     TIME:  6:00PM

VISIT THE STEVE BROCKLEY MYSPACE PAGE

COME TO THE WEST END CULTURAL CENTRE WED. JAN 5TH TO SEE A UNIQUE COLLABORATION BETWEEN BEN AND TALENTED ILLUSTRATOR/ANIMATOR LESLIE SUPNET (WWW.SUNDAESTORIES.COM).

DOOR:  7:15PM  SHOW:  8:00PM     $5 AT THE DOOR      VISIT:  WWW.WECC.CA FOR MORE INFO.

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