Lee Harvey Osmond w/ Huron
The Dakota Tavern, Toronto
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
I’ll stop by the Lakeview Lunch afterward
I say to myself
As I get off the streetcar at Dundas & Ossington
And start walking south
I forgot to eat before I left the house
But before reaching Queen St
I meet a nice girl pushing her bike northbound
“The Dakota is at Dundas”, she reminds me
“But of course!
I knew that, dammit
I’m such an idiot!”
Bike girl is chatty
And good company on the walk back
But I couldn’t persuade her
To come see the band
Once inside the Dakota Tavern
I find a table for three waiting
With two having already arrived
Jennifer and Jon are watching the sound check
And on stage I recognize Tom Wilson from his website
“What does a horny woman with sore breasts do
When she’s on her period and craves chocolate?”
“I don’t know... what?”, I ask
“She beats off a wino for a Wagon Wheel!”
Jennifer, did I hear that right?
As I spy John Borra
From the Rattlesnake Choir walking by
The sound check is complete
And the opening act is Huron
Consisting of 2 electric guitars, a drum and a bass
The band is from the city of Hamilton
But before this, I never heard of them
The band delivers tight driving guitar rock
With psychedelic sounds thrown in on the side
Solid musicians, all of ‘em
And before long, I’m mesmerized by their presence
After the set ends
We check out the merchandise table
Finding cds, t-shirts, bumper stickers and artwork
I bought A Quiet Evil by Lee Harvey Osmond
And Jon got a shirt
Aren’t we good patrons of the arts!
Lee Harvey Osmond now takes the stage
And something tells me, “you’re gonna like it!”
Tom Wilson fronts the band
And speaking of presence
Wilson has it in abundance
A tall man
Wearing black pin-striped pants and suit jacket
A mop of dark hair covers his eyes
And a bushy goatee hangs long from his chin
Strumming his guitar, he looks rather menacing
Who is this gum-chewing singer-songwriter from Hamilton?
I laugh out loud when he tells the sound man...
“Make sure we’re louder than the crowd
I only want to hear my bullshit, not theirs”
Two of the members in Lee Harvey Osmond
Are the guitarists we just saw in Huron
One of them now plays bass
And the other now plays pedal steel
There’s a gentleman behind the congas
Who also plays tambourine, cowbell and harmonica
And the drummer temporarily leaves the kit to come up front
To show off his fancy pants to the delight of the audience
Shhh, Tom Wilson is speaking again
Telling us we’ll hear songs tonight about
“Prison love, native land rights
Fast drivers and dead presidents”
Blade of Grass falls in the first category
So I lean in to hear all about a killer
With a question for his wife
I’m Going to Stay That Way was recorded for A Quiet Evil
As a duet with Margo Timmins of the Cowboy Junkies
But Margo’s not here tonight
So Wilson does it himself
“The Dakota is the coolest bar in Toronto
But we’re disconnected
With no internet or cell phone”, says Wilson
And it’s true
It is cool
And like an addict
I attempt to check my mail a few times
Refusing to accept that I simply can’t
I’m so impressed
With my first exposure to Lee Harvey Osmond
They remind me a little of
Tom Waits, Springsteen and Crazy Horse
Yet entirely original
And I find it hard to tear my eyes away
From the charismatic Tom Wilson
He’s funny
But speaking of Crazy Horse
The applause rises when the band returns for an encore
Hitting us with a Neil Young cover
I’m struggling to remember the name of the song
When a woman wearing a long black leather jacket and blonde hair
Distracts me when she suddenly appears out of nowhere
Quickly, she’s invited up by Wilson to share his microphone
She sings with him
And when the song ends
We’re introduced to Astrid Young, Neil’s sister
Myspace says...
“LeE HARVey OsMOND is Tom Wilson,
some of the Cowboy Junkies, a few Skydiggers,
And Ray Farrugia from Junkhouse,” etc
Having been on the scene for at least 25 years
Wilson also plays with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings
“How the hell could I not have discovered
Tom Wilson before this?”
That is the question
I’ll blame it on the Grateful Dead
Not because of the acid
But when I was following the Dead
I didn’t listen to much else
Thanks Jon for turning me on
I’m now a full-blown fan
And I look forward to seeing both
Lee Harvey Osmond and Huron again
http://www.myspace.com/lhosmond
http://www.myspace.com/huronband
http://www.thedakotatavern.com/
