This blog contains info about my next Book signing locations and a blog about Belfast, PEI.
On a sweltering night, in the small community of Belfast, Prince Edward Island, in a church with perfect acoustics, I got to kick off my second show of the Festival of Small Halls. The night before I did a
twenty-minute set with two east-coast comics, but on this night I tried one 30-minute long-form story – a story about summer nights and campfires and my Dad. A story I have partially told in my new book, Window Shopping for God. A long-form storm I will tell in my new album Smoke Show being taped this fall.
The audience was packed in there and the sweat was dripping long before we started. But that didn’t matter, because the band that followed was @thebombadils–my new favourite band, an original fusion of classical, folk, and jazz. They were not only accomplished musicians but also lovely parents. As we ate supper beforehand I watched on in awe as they tended to their small 3 children, the lead singer Dad doing Lego with the older kids and the four-month-old baby, Celeste happy as a clam, being fed by their mom as she created the band’s setlist.
I had a great chat backstage with the local legends from Fiddlers Sons who were the featured act in the second act with a great combo of fiddles and classic songs. They might consider renaming to Fiddlers’ Daughters because the secret weapon was Keelin Wedge who played only 5 different instruments and sang, (and also had repaired the instruments and designed the album cover. ) The audience ate it up.
After I met Frank and Beverly. We had been on the same flight from Toronto to Charlottetown two days earlier. We had a long chat on the plane and as left each I said they should come to the concert which they did.
As we packed up our stuff and the musicians took off I stood outside and looked over the graveyard. The full moon hung low, the heat had broken and as the cool breeze wafted over me, I wondered how many other people had stood here in Belfast. People from way back, who had sung songs in this Church, their church. People who played music, connected with neighbours, had a laugh and a cry at a Church supper or a concert, and how many had worshipped on this beautiful land of Prince Edward Island.
Festival of Small Halls thanks for including me. It was the best gig I had in a while.

WINDOW SHOPPING FOR GOD BOOK TOUR CONTINUES:

Novel Idea Book Store:  Book Signing July 24th, 7 p.m. Reading, laughs and cheese and crackers–In conversation with Len Whalen.
Sunshine Coast Festival of Written Arts August 19th.