Last weekend, I helped out with a local coffeehouse fundraiser for the local youth basketball teams here in Cambridge Bay. There was live music (provided by yours truly Scary Bear Soundtrack as well as another local band Muskox Rodea), lots of yummy baked goods, coffee, and most importantly, an opportunity for people in the community to hang out with friends and family in a lovely, family-friendly, non-alcoholic setting.
But of course, first we had to get there.
After a while, we've learned to give yourself an extra hour before heading out somewhere, just in case the weather is so cold, your car won't start and you need to boost your car. Repeatedly. It was pretty cold yesterday, about -50 with the windchill, and there was so much wind and clouds there was virtually no visibility. Just driving to the venue was a challenge - building up speed in order to ram through the snow drifts...This is the life of an Arctic musician, I guess.
The coffeehouse was very well-organized. The kids from the Wolverines basketball team were all there early, working hard at setting everything up. The generosity of all the home bakers in the tow really showed too, as there were tables and tables of donated baked goods for sale.
Local photographer Denise LeBleu donated some of her artwork for a draw
There was a great turn out for the event. At first, I was a bit nervous about using the community hall as a venue, because it's just so huge. Playing to a big empty hall didn't seem like the best coffeehouse atmosphere. But as it turned out, practically everyone in town came by to check it out. It didn't take long for the place to be full, without an empty seat at the tables. Like I said, I guess with the blizzard-y weather outside, people were glad to be able to have a cozy place to hang out inside.
I really enjoyed listening to the performances by Muskox Rodeo, another local band in town. Singer B is a mom, and every once in a while she had to go off stage to nurse her baby. I thought it was pretty interesting, in a modern riot grrrl kind of way.
The event was open for the public to come up and play a few tunes after our set. It was great to hear folks pick up a guitar and join in.
There were also lots of babies. I love babies! It may not sound very punk rock of me, but I love having babies and kids at my shows.
As the hosts of the event, we had a few sets, and we really enjoyed it. People were attentive and respectful. It's been a while since we played to such a large crowd. These days, I've been spending my time writing electronic music on the computer, but the event reminded me that I still love performing live on stage.
the hard-working youth basketball team
