From Torontomoon.ca
As what has been deemed “the coldest February ever” by meteorologists finally, blessedly comes to an end, a lot of live music venues are hurting large because of reduced income that one has to think is at least partly because of the recent inclement conditions.
But not every event has been so cruelly affected. As the Winterfolk Festival XIII a couple of weeks ago demonstrated during one of the most bitterly cold weekends I’ve ever experienced in TO, there are still some shows that people will go to no matter what the weather is like.
Linda Saslove
It’s probably not a coincidence either that the festival’s executive director, Brian Gladstone, is also the host of a weekly Saturday afternoon open stage at Free Times Café that has continued attracting players despite this prolonged cold spell.
For starters, those going know that the 2-5ish event will always contain at least several very talented songwriters, a few of whom really don’t make a habit of attending open mics but make an exception for Gladstone’s Dr. B’s Acoustic Medicine Show.
People like Juno-winning fingerstyle guitar master Tony Quarrington, who teams with Gladstone in a couple of different acoustic combos, smooth Roots-Pop artist Mark Denington and soulful songwriter Linda Saslove —who’s practically been a hermit for the past several years— come out to this event regularly.
It’s this event, in fact, that seems to have prompted Saslove, who hadn’t to my knowledge appeared on stage in several years before Gladstone started it up last fall, to finally get back into the swing of the scene —and what a welcome resurrection that is!
I’ve played the one recorded track of Saslove’s that I own (a live mp3 version of her awesomely touching song “Special”) many, many times when hosting events. It was a thrill for me to hear her do it live at Winterfolk this year and a tune you’ll want to request if you see her on stage one Saturday at Free Times.
As a matter of fact, that reminds me to once again urge her to get in the studio and put together an album already! Maybe if you see her there today you’ll feel like doing the same.
-Gary 17, TorontoMoon.ca
