Kate McGarrigle- Home to Stay

Kate left this ‘ol world nigh on 4 years ago.
In the intervening thyme there have been tributes in London, New York, and Toronto.
Kinda Like John Donne’s
“At The Round Earth’s Imagined Corners”
The Globe had to be taken care of before some sort of
Homecoming
I guess if I were being honest the tributes started at the Albert Hall.
Anyway there have been tears laughter birth and all the things that go on with us all.
The week of August 5th 2013 the tributes came home to Montreal, St. Sauveur, Outremont, Mile End.
Kate’s and our collective stomping grounds now and through this motral coil.
I kinda dreaded the whole thing on a bunch of levels.
All my fears were thankfully vainglorious fripperies,
falderals if you will.
Rehearsals took place at Pierre Marchand’s studio (Thanks Pierre!) on Monday & Tuesday.
Crikey ! I even found a part of my street I didn’t know existed.

Joel & Eloi at Rehearsal

Wednesday started with the dedication of Place Kate McGarrigle on Laurier.
WE Owe Michele Mercure a greatbig “Thanks” for all the thankless work she did in seeing this project through.
Fiable comme d’habitude Michele!

Crowd View-Place Kate

After the politicians weighed in, the Family- Janie Anna Martha and Rufus spoke from the heart simple words of truth and thanks-
Our Old Friend Ken Mackenzie piped us into Place Kate in a
Hibernian/Caledonian Sweetgrass ceremony or variant thereof.
Place Kate is there forever.
More important is the space that’s there.
That space bids
“C’mon in and join us”
which was and is what the McGarrigle Experience is all about.
I broke a chair wounding nothing but my already shaky ego.
Oh Yes, Hazel even got us linked via the Skype with Esther”Shvester” Cohen in NYC.
Always a treat !

We Go On-
That evening at Theatre Outremont Lian Lunson’s haunting film had its Montréal premiere. Executive Producer Wim Wenders was there along with Martha and Rufus for a post screening Q&A.
I couldn’t make it as I was prepping Bacchus here for next day.

View From the Wings- I’m No Avedon !

Thursday, there were two shows at The Theatre Outremont- These weren’t big International Names playing a sacred canon but Kate & Anna’s Québec contemporains sing their and K&A’s songs. As I said to Rufus at the bunfight chez moi,” In some ways it was a musical Refus Global.

The shows were unlike all the others.
It was like a bunch o’people getting together to affirm that
what we have in common vastly outweighs our differences.
I do tend to analyse-
Let’s just say it was fun and moving

All credit goes to dear Anna for curating
(Christ I hate that word !) the show.
It was more Lanning than Lexington Ave
more Querbes than College St.
well , you get the picture.
Brad Albetta, meshpucah & ain folk to me forever, was the musical director and he pulled it off with panache and understatement.
The Band-
Tom Mennier (Piano),
Michel Pepin (Guitar)
Thom “Thumper” Gossage (Drums)
Eloi Painchaud ( Banjo Harp etc)
30 year K&A mainstay Joel Zifkin (Violin)
and, of course Brad on Bass.
Joel, along with Chaim Tannenbaum, who was geographically unable to attend played with K&A for 30 and 40 years give or take, respectively.
Oh The Stories !
Going to Venice and getting no Further than the parking Lot !

After the second show, un drole de gang est descendu chez moi.
64 Bottles Champagne & 24 Vin Rouge amongst other delights were sampled by all-
The Whisky was for Joel-
Attending this bunfight,
or debauchery as Thom Gossage called it were,
in no particular order
Me Rufus and his husband Jorn Weisbrodt,
Anna Dane Janie Lily Sylvan Janie- the usual crew
Also attending-
Montreal Jazzfest capo André Menard (won most polite guest prize seriously)
Luc Plamondon, Pierre Lapointe, Fanny Bloom,
film maker Mia Donovan, Pam Duns,
Inner Circle member Michel Mercure
fresh from singing and playing both shows
was stunning and ebullient in red.

Stephanie Remond,( who went to work next day !)
Dr. Roger Tabah and Marjorie Jaques.
All round renaissance man Hanford Woods
Little Anna and Bob from San Francisco,
Terry Lalos, Siobhan McCann,
The Original Dancer with Bruised knees Deborah Adler and her husband Historian Michael Smith.
Our Friend and Legal Counsel Carol Holland flew by me in a haze of people and champagne .

Under the rubric of zero degrees of separation,
the Montreal Danforth’s (Tom’s daughter’s dontcha know !)
Marianne Danforth, Genevieve Danforth and
The Original Yankee Quipper Katrina Danforth
who came all the way from Trieste for a dinner we hadn’t had since Venice and ended up not having
but there’s world enough and time selon Marvell
but smiles trump eats anyway, pro tem at least.
The whole fort was held down by Teddy Wainwright,
that wondrous woman I got to know and work with
in the daze and days following Kate’s death.
Gail Kenney Photographer supreme was in Town as there is an exhibition of her McGarrigle Photos all along Laurier Ave till mid September.
Come to Montreal one and all !

A special word of thanks on My part to Michel Rivard for teaching me harmony on Complainte and Robert Charlebois for his ever twinkling eyes.
As an aside, at Soundcheck
Anna Lil and Martha were running through what both anna and I agree is
Kate’s most important song – Jacques et Gilles. He (Charlebois) turned to where Little Anna and I were sitting and asked in sign language
” Did Kate write THAT? Wow”
Franco American Quebec Irish History in 11 verses.
Indeed she did, Robert.
Indeed she Did
Woody Guthrie would been proud envious or both-

Well I’m running outta steam.
I’m still tryin’to find the right Tom Danforth to send K&A stuff to.
I’ll get it right if it pute me in Quare Street !
If I’ve left anything out let me know.
Send photos if ya got em
Finally, It’s good to have Kate back home
In some inchoate way

Someday maybe
face to face in eternity
we shall all meet
as Nora’s Dove leads us there
To whisky talk,”Darling You Must Understand”
Into an endless dawn
I’m feeling a void I haven’t felt ever since cold January Monday Night 2010
Ah ! But I’m a fool
I’ll give Robert Charlebois the last word
Le Québec love ça c’est mon bag
add that with Complainte Pour Ste Catherine
Lemme know if I’ve left anything out or stomped on toes.
Come on over up down and see us. We’re in the Book
I’ll leave you with this 40 second clip that anna cobbled together from my lousy camera work and My John McCormack Collection
Kate arriving YUL Nov 2008 at 3 in The Bloody A.M.
love as ever
Yr idiot into eternity
Campbie
aka
Robert Campbell Hendery O.M.F.

New Years 2013- Hank Williams- Venice- Yoko Ono-

Wish Tree-Guggenheim Venice Feb 20 2011

50 years ago tonight Hank Williams died in the back of a Cadillac heading to a gig. He was 29 years old. Some years ago there was a play Called Hank Williams: The Show he never gave. In it Hank says ” I for one won’t be to sad to see 1952 end”

Well I feel the same way about 2012. Om a Personal level it’s been one for the dross heap of hellish years. Bon Debarras 2012-
Almost two years ago, Feb 20 2011 I found myself in the Guggenheim in Venice with a whiskey Hangover of Caledonian proportions. I scurried through a rather twee exhibit on Uncle Ezra and the Vorticists. Going outside f or air and a smoke I found myself next
to to Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree
I wrote the wish you see in photo above.
That wish still is in my heart and soul.
Both Hank and Yoko have given to world, and each has paid a price.
But ya know ain’t nothing should stop us
from trying to make things a little better for each other.
Campbell here is staring 60 in the face
and doesn’t like what he sees.
BUT all we have to do in this world is make each other feel better about ourselves.
We’re all we got-
All the social media in the world don’t come close to a kind word,
a phone call, a present for no reason, without a quid pro quo.
I’m dashing this off in cold cold snowy Montreal.
I’ll be spending the new year alone as I feel mal a l’aise with world these days.
Anomie of the soul.
I hope we all make it to 2013 safe and sound
but to those of you who read this tosh
I just want to say it’s a world of wonder
that hits ya down 99% of the time.
Sometimes we don’t get back up.
But if we do
we can never let ourselves
get bitter or hard of heart
That’s how evil wins-
Love is all there is of any value.
It ain’t always easy and there ain’t no reward per se.
Let’s Honour Hank’s short life by
Staying alive- A fitting Tribute to a man who Had a radio show called
The Health & Happiness Hour
Hank never had much of either
and I personally thank Yoko Ono
for that wish tree.
She never got bitter
I recently heard her define love as
“Being Relaxed with someone”
Sounds good to me

Love to you all
Campbell

Christmas 2012- Santa not Satan is real

Photos above:# 1 Burns Presbyterian Glencoe Ontario circa 1949
#2 54 Forden Crescent Westmount Québec circa 1957

Dec 24 1975 and I was just back from working in iron mine 800 mile North of Montreal. I was down at the corner buying wine. Santa was on the radio taking calls- Most kids were telling him what they wanted, but all of s sudden ,out of nowhere, there was a call. It was a young boy or girl. Santa asked teh child what he or she wanted to say-
“Santa, I just want to say I love you”- Never in the history of humanity has there been purer or truer love. I weep freely as I write an remember. Two years ago Feb 7 2011, in the piney woods in sun mist valleys in behind cookie cutter town Trieste, Iwept as freely when 24k told me she kept her son apprised as to Santa being real.
Dear Friends, above you see two photos. The first is the church in Glencoe, Ontario, where now 7 generations of my ain folk have worshipped. The second photo is maternal home where many a christmas was merry as a grig until…
Well it’s been a hellish year here, save for one wondrous night on my balcony in Toronto and another sweet almost autumn whiskey ramble in Northampton Mass. ( They Have a bust of Silent Cal there). Me and naan were outside of Fitswilly’s smoking Players and sipping Lagavullin. It was heartening to know that naan felt the same as I – We don’t think of k as gone – I talk to her all the time. This is poorly writ and I have blues almost unto fade to black. But I’m here to tell you that Santa is real. In some other thing recently I tweely wrote that one hears that God is Love- No-
Love is God and love is good. You want to see a good loving person ? Hang outside of Burns of a Sunday and see my Cousin Louise Campbell. She lives in same house built 150 years ago by my great great grandfather. I’m an old fool kind but so flawed. And I tell you ever since my family.. well I miss ’em . So wherever you are whoever you are I’m here to tell you that Santa trumps satan into eternity.We all will be together ,if the fates allow.
all my love to each of you and remember that child who told Santa that he loved him-
A Child Shall lead them
May you be midst friends family and love
Campbell December 22, 2012 9:43 P.M. E.S. T.

America Election tomorrow- This,too, shall pass

Campaigns Past & Passed

Doonesbury and Memorry

Tomorrow a President will be elected.
Read Doonesbury above- it’s real no memry no mo’
America has fallen for this politics of division for too long
The power rests in Legislative branch which
Has no warp and weft give and take of yore
What we have in common is greater than that which we don’t
Too much doctrine and not enough Principle
Obama will be re-elected
by Ohio !
I have been to Ohio
Il n’y a rien la
If any Yankees read this and want to scarper up here
C’mon up
November is no Month to do anything
involving decision
It’s a white knuckle month
-30-
Campbell

Day of The Dead- Under The Volcano 74 today

Under The Volcano 1st Edition

In Mexico Today is Day of The Dead
Under the Volcano took place
Nov 2, 1938
Better to Have one day Than a whole month
Read The book- it’s a slog but great
I’m Feeling Geoffrey Firmin in General these Days
Happy Volcano Day

Montauk- The Nuptials

Ceremony various

Ceremony various

Hal & Campbell by Sean

Sean & CJ and ??? by Campbell @ Clam Bar

Martha Singing How High The Moon

Prior to Wedding at Our Digs

Ceremony various

Ceremony various

Martha

Ceremony

Ceremony

Ceremony

Ceremony

Ceremony

Ceremony

Ceremony

Ceremony

Prior to Wedding at Our Digs

Irving Berlin’s “How Deep is the Ocean?”

Hal & Campbell by Sean

Sean & CJ and ??? by Campbell @ Clam Bar

Well we got though it. It was a little bit of magic in Montauk.

Erratum-
Martha Sang How Deep is the Ocean ? not How High the Moon? . The Former was transcribed for Irving Berlin at What is Now R & J’s House.

Mon Talk De Montauk- Great Gatsby Redux

Not where we will Be staying

Where we are Going

Crikey here we go again !

Well we are kipping in Mass or MA as it now is , on Monday. Naan et alia will be upscale upstairs while I shall be Quality Motel Downtown Abie
Christ ! My nerves ! Not a sense of doom but of dread
In for a pfennig !
This is way way way more complicated than any trip I’ve ever organised
More later… as a wise woman once wrote
UPDATE- THURS
I’m thinking of moving to Pago Pago pronounced Pango Pango because original mapmakers ran out of ‘l’s.
We, at this end are freaking out.
More news as it develops
UPDATE FRIDAY-
I Took 4 Blue Blazers in to be cleaned
That with the new one makes 5
Sunday aube-
I gots the Heebies
I mean The Jeebies
Not on the Gantry yet Elmer-
Looks kinda like the Gallis Pole
From My Sunday morning wake up
As I stare out at St. Michael The Archangel

Rufus Wainwright & Jack Benny are the Same Age Today

Rufus

Jack Benny

Happy Birthday Dear Dear Rufus.

Jack Benny stayed 39 for 46 years
We, your friends and and family
love you so very much.
You’re a kind decent, caring man-
A rare entity these days in any domain
The first time we met- many many decades ago
you and kate serenaded me with A Lovely version of
Take a Message to Mary
A Lot of things ,
both good bad
evitable and inevitable
Have happened since that long ago
October night
at Janie’s on Ste. Famille
Have happened since then
But you, Dear Friend keep getting better in re music and humanity
See you soon
all my love
campbell

Muddy York Here we Come- Oops I mean Toronto

Photo- Gail Kenney

Garden Court™ is heading to Toronto. We understand it’s a “World Class City”. The first of our gang are in transit as I type. The Celtic ? Scandy Dancers with used knees head off Monday. Watch this space for random updates. We understand that we have rooms with balconies which means -“smoke ’em if you got ’em”
We Wish Naan Good Luck Tomorrow on her talk with Michael Ondaatje and the Exquis Tom Mennier. This is all part of the Luminato Festival- In no particular order we shall comprise-
Dane, Anna, Lily, Sylvan, Chaim, Martha, Brad, Arc, Rufus, Janie, Joel,Campbell/Campbie™, and so many others. The whole thing curated by Joe Boyd and Luminato is overseen by Dear Jorn Weisbrodt
What Hijinks and hilarity shall ensue is anyone’s guess. If this “anyone ” knows, please let me know.
yr pal
Campbell
We Read in an old poem that-
Toronto has no social classes-
Only the Masseys and the Masses.

North- A good Direction

The Crusher- Gagnon QC- I worked right here

View from My Room 1975

Have you ever walked down a Northern road?
And seen the stars of a Labrador night
On mining town Saturday
No way out , save rail or ski plane
anyway, who would think of leaving
unless bushed (mal du forêt)
or off for tawdry weekend somewhere
in the crazy outside world

Did you ever sit silent smilimg
by roaring raging rapid running
northern river rapids almost waterfall
Turned silent ice by the sweet cold
and filled with childlike sense of joy
and wide eyed
head nod wonder
a burning sky-
green yaller red & colours
beyond any palette
That’s the old rory bory,
northern lights fill your soul
with a sense of wonder
celtic mystery morte d’arthur
and avalon is real here and now
If you’ve ever been down that Labrador road
Your as close to Heaven
as any wanderer can be