Jason Collett's Basement Revue at the Dakota Tavern; Tuesday December 8, 2009

I feel truly inspired, as I always do after seeing Jason Collett's December residency at the Dakota Tavern. This show especially got my heart racing a little faster than usual

This is my third year attending Collett's gigs at the Dakota in December. It's a special treat that makes you recall what music in this scene may have been at his Radio Monday shows at Rancho Relaxo fifteen years ago. We've sort of lost that community over the years. My idea of community for the longest time was watching Broken Social Scene play, anywhere at all. I'm starting to realise it's forming a family, a connection between music and the people you make it with. Now given, this is coming from a person who has a limited music background, I however have an extensive background as a spectator.

I have probably seen Jason Collett live over twelve times to this day. It's pretty remarkable to look back at the times that I have. I first saw him when I was in the eleventh grade with a fake ID at Lee's, KT Tunstall opened for him and nobody knew who the hell she was at that time. This summer past she had a full billboard dedicated to her trash titled album Drastic Fantastic, appealing to tweens and hip moms everywhere. I can recall two distant times ago, again with a fake ID, once at Lee's and another at the Mod Club. It's funny recalling these gigs because I specifically remember meeting with the security guards in my suave disguise - usual a pound of make up and glasses to conceal my youth. I look back now and think I wear no make up when I go out, the only person I was fooling was myself. Things aside, I got in.

I mention this because at the start of the evening Collett hoped into a rant about how clubs aren't as loose as they once were, and you can't get away with the things he did when he was sixteen. He mentioned this in his introduction to Andrew Cash. He told an incredibly charming story about how he snuck into the Phoenix as a kid and hung around telling the band he was with the venue and the venue that he was with the band. Clever!

Collett is a story teller and I think that's why he is such a good curator for these nights. He brings together really talented artists into one tiny space for all to enjoy. Collett is wise never to take the spotlight, he however has evolved into giving each artist their well-deserved intro and mini-biography for those who don't know who these people are. He brought out the same black and white composition book each time and read out a prepared note about each person. This is the first year Collett has done this, and it definitely works, it strings together the night beautifully.

The first artist he had hop on the stage was Toronto based singer/songwriter Doug Paisley who played a few of his own compositions. I have recently stopped buying CD, or at least slowed down seeing as I will have no idea where I will be in a year and CDs seem to be literally weighing me down. I've consequently started to categorise artists in such a way where - some I will buy their CD, others I won't... Solely based on album artwork, likability, familiarity and accessibility to downloads. I immediately thought that Paisley is someone who I could never find online to download for free, and is someone who I would really like to support.

He had a woman by the name of Damien Rogers come out and read a few poems. I had seen her one year prior at Collett's gig. I wasn't taken by her performance this year, or last but I can tell she's someone who is keen to trying new things. I think she was one of the pioneer poetry-improv individuals. Apparently, she received five stars from Eye Weekly from a recent performance.

I feel as though her thunder was robbed from a charming blonde lady who was the wife of the guy who was drumming throughout the night. I really wish I could remember her name... she will soon be releasing an inspirational book for 'bush warriors,' or men. She read her steamy tips for devoted lovers and her husband played drums, Mike O'Brien (of Zeus) guitar and a guy by the name of Dave Matheson played piano perfectly. Collett revealed that the accompaniment was randomly picked by draw before the show.

Long time friend to Collett jumped out on stage following. He played two songs that belonged to him and followed it up with a special cover of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline". He insisted that everyone sing along, due to an earlier performance by one of the men who played. I feel like it was Doug Paisley but I feel like Doug played his one tunes. Regardless, someone that played in the first set played three songs that were all covers - a John Lennon tune to start, Gordon Lightfoot's "Steel Rail Blues" and finally a Roy Orbison tune. I really loved this person set, they ended by saying that they consider themself a songwriter but he really enjoyed playing the covers. Cash's response was because people weren't hopping in to sing in the Lightfoot tune.

Cash had a lovely story of Gordon Lightfoot - who apparently was in the audience at Hugh's Room last week for a memorial of the eighteen year old folk singer Taylor Mitchell who recently passed away. Cash described how playing for Lightfoot kept him on edge.

Rich Terfry was picking music selections throughout the show. Collett described it as Terfry's opportunity to play all of his choice selections, not like on Radio 2. Rich Terfry is Buck 65, a hip-hop artist that lives in Toronto. Terfry loves music, it's completely evident in his program on weekdays from 3:30pm-7pm on CBC 94.1fm. He loves Jenn Grant and Human Highway (as Cash pointed out) - and plays very little hip-hop or rap music. His set was nearing the end and he recognised that the crowd was growing restless and tired, so he decided to tell a story and play one song. He told the crowd that everyone was getting a little restless and he'd tell everyone a goofy story about a man with no legs farting in his face and following it with an equally goofy song that he wrote. Terfry delivered the story beautifully, I was blown away by how a crass, pointless story could be delievered so well. I really had a lovely time listening to him tell me this terrible true story.

He followed it up with a stupid song about zombies. It sort of made me think how much of a kid Terfry is and how good of a performer he really is.

Collett came back on the stage, thanking everyone who stayed saying how hard it must've been. The number of people diminished to about a quarter of what it was in the first set. It was an intimate gig by the end. Collett would have normally played with his back up band Zeus, but one of them had a baby and wasn't able to make it. He instead played solo, which I much prefer anyways. He played throughout his sets, songs that I had never heard before, new material. The only tune he played was off of his album Idols of Exile, I believe the tune was "Feral Republic". Don't hold me to that though.

By the end of "Feral Republic" Kevin Drew hopped on stage playing a light piano to accompany. He then hopped on guitars by Collett's request and they played a few other tunes. Matheson hopped on stage to as well as the drummer that I can't remember. A full band. Collett told everyone about how last week he tried playing a particular tune with the band, but they never heard it before. He said that they messed up big time, which pushed him to try his luck again wtih this newly formed band. They did it with effort and mistakes but it sounded fantastic, even with some technical glitches.

What a show. I remember why I like music.

Make sure you check out some of my past Collet reviews, there sure are a ton.

Good news, he finally cut his hair!!!!