Opposites attract

Krista Muir wrapped things up (after some raffling action) with some tunes from her latest album (released this May 11) Between Atoms ... but I've said most of what I have to for the Lederhosen Lucil post a couple days back, so on to the snaps!

Krista rocks the stripes.



Her accompaniests this evening, Shane Watt (who also did the sound), a cleverly concealed drummer and Marie-Eve Bouchard.



Singalong action!



Marie-Eve rocks the xylophone.



The whole lot, somewhat better lit.



Baritone ukulele action!



Shane sneaks in some keyboard (darn microphone).



Stripes for everyone!



Upside-down bass action!



And finally, the one and only picture where you can actually see drummer Chris Olsen.



You can get Between Atoms at Bandcamp at the price of your choosing.

• Show reminder: The Maya Blues Band performs at The Rainbow; Ravenswing wings into Minto Park between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. (or Jack Purcell Community Centre if it's soggy), with arts, crafts and workshops, plus performances by Mark Alexander McIntyre, Male Nurse, Lipstick Lesbian, Silkenn Laumann and Django Libre. The Walkouts walk into the Elmdale.

Hosed again

Krista Muir is one of those artists I really don't get to see as much of as I'd like. I saw her perform at Irene's in her recent, ukulele-toting mode for a show with Shanker and Romps, and previously under her Lederhosen Lucil nom de synthétiseur at the Dominion Tavern in Swptember 2003. She should come back to town more often. Anyway, for this show at Raw Sugar she appeared under both her performing identities, starting with a very brief - and by brief, I mean it was two songs long - as Lederhosen Lucil.

Programming action!



Officialoppositionhosen action!



Highly reflective action!



Raffle prize revealing action!



And that's it ... when I say brief, I mean brief!

• Show reminder: Knives and Forks for Freedom, The Krapskraps, Lost Youth, Wasted Aces and The Romantic Edge play Cafe Dekcuf; Jeremy Gluck's Barracudas, The Barreracudas and Mother's Children rock Babylon; Prett Melberts and The Best Friend Patrol, Dirty Little Secret, Project Mars, Move Your Mountain and The Ginger Fox Band are at the Avant-Garde Bar; See Joe Smile, Oceans and Little Stella play Zaphod Beeblebrox.

Hosen and hip-hop

On the first of what promises to be several wet nights, the cozy environs of Raw Sugar are a good place to be, particularly if Krista Muir is on hand to release her new CD Between Atoms to the world (or at least the 40 or so people in attendance.

Before she picked up the ukulele, Miss Muir was better known as Lederhosen Lucil, and she pulled the hosen out of the closet for a couple of tunes - her officialoppositionhosen (in orange, of course), as the case may be.


Lederhosen Lucil at Raw Sugar, May 14, 2011

They even come with a reflective LL motif. Safety first!


Lederhosen Lucil at Raw Sugar, May 14, 2011

Up next, rapper Jesse Dangerously. Last time I saw Dangerously was in February 2009 at The Mercury Lounge for the In A Cabin showcase ... Muir isn't the only one with a new release out. His new book/album download Humble & Brilliant! has also recently seen the light of day. Jesse was accompanied by Nick (at left), and Audra Williams on Bring Your Girlfriend to Rap Day.

 
Jesse Dangerously at Raw Sugar, May 14, 2011

Plus there was theremin!


Jesse Dangerously at Raw Sugar, May 14, 2011

Finally Krista rocked the house with her Imaginary Lads. That's Shane Watt on bass abd backing vocals (also responsible for the evening's sound), Mary-Eve Bouchard on ukulele, xylophone and what looked like a stylophone to me. There was also a drummer named Chris tugged away in back. But first, there was some raffle action with Lederhosen Lucil!


Lederhosen Lucil draws a winner at Raw Sugar, May 14, 2011

Now, on with the pop-rocking! (And the occasional ukulele feedback squeal).


Krista Muir and The Imaginary Lads at Raw Sugar, May 14, 2011


Krista Muir and The Imaginary Lads at Raw Sugar, May 14, 2011

As Krista likes to say: "Yaaaay!"

• Show reminder: The Superstitions, Bad Doctor and Ryan Cook play The Rainbow.

Batter up

I popped down to Irene's to see the debut performance of Shanker and Romps. Shanker is Patrick Shanks of a bunch of bands like The Knurlings, Holy Hell, Glads, Casey Comeau and The Half-Milers and The Solid Senders. Romps is Rebecca Comeau, sister of Casey. They hit the stage in matching polka dots, red neckerchiefs and red shoes (Chucks and pumps, respectively). While Patrick kicked out some crunchy, tremeloed sounds on his double cutaway goldtop Yamaha Judy, Rebecca kept the beat and sang Buck Owens. The songs were about wonderful pals, bike-riding, holey socks and pancakes. Crunchy and cute.
Krista L.L. Muir and Shane Watt were up next. Krista is best known for her alter-ego Lederhosen Lucil, but has turned in her synthesizer for a ukulele (she also had an Omnichord with her). I confess, I prefer strings to electronics, and I like her and Watt's singer-songwriter stuff quite a bit.

Ja!

Yes, all the way from Germany (ahem ...), it's Lederhosen Lucil, here modelling her skidrowhosen at the Dominion Tavern as part of a bill with Casey Comeau and The Halfmilers, Sept. 20, 2003. I see one of the links near the top of Google contains a review describing her as "... quite possibly the most horrific opening act I've ever sat through." And this was a review from an Aquabats fan, who undoubtedly has seen things so dreadful the human mind cannot encompass them. Her shows always seem to be full, so obviously someone likes her ...





Lucil was up in "Wakefield, ON" with Carolyn Mark a couple of weeks ago, so if you can build a time machine, you can go see her! If not you'll just to wait ... she'll be back, I'm sure. If you want to see her now, try Texas. She certainly gets around for someone with a slightly shaky grasp of geography ...