The Beast That Is Eurovision

I sit here, listening to Brendan Adams, (from South Africa) a new artist I met while at a music conference (M4Music) in Zurich a few weekends ago. Ahh the sweet sound of a songwriter. For a while there, I was getting caught up in the lights, computer-stage-screens, fancy hair, elaborate dresses, dances, make-up, thousands and thousands of people, flourescent necklaces, waving flags, lanyards, cameras, lasers, teams, screams and everything else! Welcome to Eurovision. For we North Americans, it isn't something we are entirely familiar with. This song contest has been on the go since 1956, featuring winners like ABBA & Cèline Dion. This is an epic display of wild television. One of my European friends reminisces of her childhood; being allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve and on Eurovision night, junk food and cola allowed! Well this was all new to me!  I was invited to attend this major event because one of my closest friends (who I also met at a music conference in Canada about eight years ago) Christina, who was representing Switzerland (she is half Canadian half Swiss) as RYKKA with her song "The Last of Our Kind. Unfortunately, Switzerland did not make the finals, but I went to the Grand Finale anyway. I mean, I had the tickets. It was day three spent at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, the largest hemispherical building on earth. So by the end, I was all lasered and Eurovisioned out! I barely slept at night, I had no idea that all that "action" would overwhelm my senses to the point of sleeplessness, but there ya go. And I wouldn't change a thing. To see how it was all put together, was a real eye-opener and surely a once in a lifetime event to be a part of.

The_great_arena_filled_with_people_colours_sounds_and_songs

Walking around Stockholm for a few days was also something new for me. I had never been before and I have to say, the shopping was great! The sense of fashion there, totally suits to me! Everything seems to be flowy and over-sized, where size small actually fits! Haa!! I found the best second hand retro store ever "Beyond Retro." I spent two hours in there and found a couple of awesome dresses! (yes, two dresses after all that time!) Hello Ottawa Bluesfest this Summer... Which, by the way, I am playing!! Friday the 15th of July on the MONSTER ENERGY STAGE, 6:30pm, opening for Coleman Hell... who I THOUGHT I had never heard of, but it turns out I have heard his music and I totally dig it, check out "2 Heads." He is from 'lil 'ole Thunder Bay, Ontario. I am playing FULL BAND STYLE (same as my CD release ONE YEAR AGO tomorrow!) time certainly flies! 

Back to Sweden and Eurovision...

We would take a subway to the main arena each night, even the semi-final nights were PACKED! When I heard the song "1944" from Ukrainian singer "JAMALA" it was the one that spoke the loudest to me, but I truly NEVER in my wildest dreams thought that it would win the entire competition. Too good, too soulful and mostly, too political. In a sense, justice prevailed!! This song stood out from the rest, to me, a singer-song-writer, so I thought no way it can win!! I had shivers from my head to my toes.. How could something so emotional and non-Pop win the Beast that is Eurovision??? Watch the WINNING SONG HERE. Seriously. Wowza!!! I really MUST listen to my gut instinct more. Which, by the way, is one of the big lessons I will take away from this great Eurovision experience; always go with your gut!

So, I will say good bye now, I really must get back to my guitar. I didn't play it for a week and I have a gig tomorrow in Luzern. One of the most beautiful cities in the WORLD!! Thanks, as always, for reading... Love and LIGHT xoxox

Photo_by_the_very_talented_Steve_Gerecke

Oi! Sweden!

I am in the bistro section of the train en route to the Zurich airport. It's a bit shaky in here, not sure how long I will last typing! Not long, it turns out. I get a little motion sickness, a little queasy sometimes, which sometimes works for me (ahem... SHOTGUN!) but mostly it's not ideal! I was going to tell you (pre-dizziness) that I enjoy the 'Bistro' section in the train, because I can sit at a table and (depending on where I am going and what time it is) I can enjoy a coffee or a glass of wine and on the rare occasion I have met some very interesting people though mostly people tend to keep to themselves so there's a lot of daydreaming out the windows. At this very moment, however, the train is only a memory and now I am 37000 feet up above the world, flying in direction Sweden! We will be landing in less than an hour and I will make my way to Stockholm city centre for the first time. It's not often that I take a trip without my guitar and equipment, not often that I travel without the goal to play/share my music. It feels pretty good to be traveling light, I gotta say! This trip is all in the name of my dear girl and fellow singer songwriter, Christina a.k.a RYKKA. Rykka is representing Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest. And boy oh boy this whole thing has been a wild ride indeed! I wrote about her a few posts ago, a small interview if you recall?? I was there when she won for Switzerland and hopefully when she wins for the world!! Haha. You have to dream big, right?? Her song "The Last of Our Kind" has been with me for days!! Can you say EARWORM???? Fingers crossed!!!

Lindsay_arrives_safely_to_Sweden

GreeNER

Lindsay_connected_to_Mama_Nature_in_Flowers

Recently (more and more!) it seems like I am being reminded daily, by the Universe, that what we do, how we choose to live our lives each day has an effect on our land and world. Yeah, I don't want to be preachy, but lately all the signs being thrown in my direction are "be better to the planet"  and, in turn, "be better to ourselves." My guess is that we aren't being forced to learn about the Environment in school and instead it's an elective? In my experience, I never knew ANYTHING about it when I was growing up. I used to think that throwing a cigarette butt out the window was totally okay! I never felt an ounce of guilt about flicking that toxic P.O.S to the ground (I know better now, also, I don't smoke anymore.) But it never mattered to me, and now, as "Future Lindsay" I am astonished at myself for the lack of care, which is, inevitably tied into the lack of education. I mean the amounts of chlorine I used to swim in daily, the amount of 'OFF' bug spray I would let seep into my pores on a daily (Summer) basis. It is unimaginable now that I think of it.

The sunscreen we smear all over our kids is also crazy (zinc aside, HERE is an awesome article) All the tests they do which connect cancers to the shit in that cream that go directly into our bloodstream... and from the get go! Right from birth! Bug Spray, Sun Screen, Hair Spray, Anti-Perspirant... what we do to our food! Processed, frozen, canned, greased. What are we like?? We are bombarded daily with facts, lies and opposites. Do this, don't do this!! How are we supposed to make healthy, right choices when there are so many options tugging us in various directions. What is right, what is wrong? (I read once that 'there is no right,  there is no wrong but YOU know what is right, and you know what is wrong.) I get that somehow, and I have really made a conscious effort follow my gut instinct more. The way I see it, is, our instinctive nature is really a super power that we all have. So let us be more aware of this super power, listen to it, USE it!  

After watching the Documentary "COWSPIRACY" (and being a meat Lover) I realized that it will take a LOT more than flicking off a light in a room that we are not using, picking up (and disposing of) the garbage we find in nature (though, that DOES help, check out the initiative my friend in Thailand has started,  he is a 'Trash Hero' check out his site HERE.)  or turning off the tap when you are soap-sudding up in the shower/brushing your teeth... Yes, SO much more MOSTLY in the form of cutting back on our meat intake  (which we are now doing in our house-hold.) Creating a new habit in your life, in those "small" ways of recycling, composting, gardening, walking more, using public transit... eating less meat... They all seem like easy enough ways to help out ourselves, our planet, our land, our life, yet so many folks out there must be unaware! I see more Tim Horton coffee cups discarded on the side of the road, dotting farmer's fields, scattered in ditches and it's 2016. I mean, again, what are we like??  Is it lack of education? We must be more vocal about teaching our children and our friends how to dispose of garbage and how to use less plastic (without seeming so preachy or snobby.) I am not a snob, but I feel so passionate about this subject and I get so heated about it that I am sure you can "hear" it in the tone of this essay. Sorry to make you feel uncomfortable, eh?? Here is a link to my friends website where your WHOLE LIFE can be transformed... "Life Without Plastic" is amazing. I bought a glass straw for my nephew, and it DOES crash to the ground and NOT smash into a million pieces. The bamboo toothbrush works wonders as well.

Yes, EVERY little bit helps, and starting this new HABIT for ourselves is what is going to help us in the end. A little extra discipline can and will lead to bettering ourselves and our environment. Do not be afraid to stand up for our Mother Earth (in turn, standing up for our Life longing for itself!)

Home_grown_garden_from_seed

It goes without saying that eating local based and seasonal based foods is also something we could do more of. For years, it never once occurred to me to read the labels. The other day even, the sight of Asparagus had my mouth watering so I grabbed a bunch... then I saw it was from Mexico so I put it back, deciding that SOON it will be in season, and I can wait. It came a LONG way to Europe and who knows if the standards used to grow food in Mexico (or China for that matter) would be legal in Switzerland (or Canada for that matter.) If we read labels and start buying more local food, we would be doing what is right. Plus, helping out a local farmer is BIG time awesome. So to sum it up, buy local, eat less meat and try to use less plastic. Tuck a bag in your purse or in your car and use IT instead of another plastic bag that will never ever compost. The world does not need more plastic... 

END RANT.

A Grüningen Session

Hello and Happy Wednesday to all of you readers out there!

Thanks for stopping by for your weekly dose of the happenings in the "Land of Lindsay"

Perhaps this is your first visit? Glad to have you and I hope you will return! I am just a girl who likes to write; blogs, songs, letters and more, and here, you will find a little of life insights, from my point of view or sometimes something akin to a diary entry! If you are looking for MUSIC; you can find LOTS of that here too. Just head over to the LISTEN tab and you can listen away...

In the meantime, people often ask me what it's like playing in Switzerland! Well, some gigs are, of course better than others, just like anywhere else, but this past weekend, it was quite a Lovely and unique place that we played in, and I thought I would share some photos.

Timothy_Jaromir_and_me

This is Timo, a.k.a Timothy Jaromir. He is a Swiss Singer & Songwriter who has some great tunes! Check him out! He asked me to sing with him this past weekend in the small and Lovely town of Grüningen. I was amazed at the sights of this town! Quaint would be a good word for it!  Here are a couple of photos of some of the houses around..... Quite "typical" to what we North Americans would envision when thinking of the Lovely country of Switzerland.

A_cozy_nook_of_Swiss_houses

A_beautiful_200+_year_old_house

I was lucky to arrive at the right time, when the "Schloss (castle) Museum" was still open. I had a gander and was easily amused at what I found!

Cobblestone_castle_floor

A_knight's_armour

Some_good_ole_fashioned_guns

Eventually it was time to play some music! We had a wonderful time playing as part of the "Grüningen Sessions" which is a night of music that happens about eight or nine times a year. The session of sounds takes place in various settings around the sweet town and on this particular night, it was in the Wy Galerie, and we were surrounded by wine! And no, the wine did not stop flowing! Thanks, Susan! Haa. And a big thanks goes out to Caroline Edwards, a brit who decided to bring music and culture to this little town, a few years back. We musicians LOVE people like you! It is always great to play to a town of music Lovers. And thanks to Timo for asking me to sing along. It is always a pleasure.

Timo_Lindsay_Nicci_Wine

A_singy_song_moment

Thanks for having us and this will most certainly NOT be the last visit to Grüningen :)

-one weeks later- 

Yesterday I found out that I WILL be returning, to the Wy Galerie as part of Grüningen Sessions on Saturday October 1st, 2016!! Right on, eh??)

xoxo