Ben Sures Blog

Summer

2011-06-16T15:44:00.001-07:00

Summer is fast approaching and I am looking forward to some festivals and campfires.I bought a 1943 Epiphone mandolin while on tour a few weeks ago and I really like it and hope to be chord savvy by the end of summer just in time for my trip to the UK and the Middle East. I have a tour of England,Ireland Scotland and Beirut, ha ha.
My sister and her husband live in Beirut so I am going to do a gig, visit my new and only niece and eat some damn good pita I bet.
my summer festivals are listed and I am hoping to add some in between shows as well.If ou have a yard I will sing in it!
xo
Ben Sures
ps.I have an app at the appstore its free, you can get updates on gigs and stream some of teh new songs.

Soul Soup, the good and the bad and the dissappointing

2010-11-30T13:12:00.000-08:00

I love good food. I ran into my friend Andrea Huncar from the CBC who was on her way to Soul Soup a little place on Rice Howard Way in Edmonton.I had a great bowl of soup, some cornbread and a glass of water.
The soup I had was really good, some kind of zingy meaty stew thing.I decided to go back the following week.I ordered a 16 oz soup to stay and a glass of water.The semi friendly counter girl said "we don't have glasses." but invited me to buy a bottle of water. I have never been refused water in a restaurant and if there is the option of tap water, which is just as good or better than bottled water, not to mention the plastic.
So I said I would just have the soup, received my change and the smug look from the counter person and took my seat. When I looked around I realized two of the four people in the place had take out paper bags, paper bowls, lids, plastic spoons etc. I don't know if people prefer eating out of plastic, aren't aware of the 'little things' we can do for the environment or maybe the policy of Soul Soup or maybe just the counter girl is to avoid uaing anything that might have to be washed at all costs.
Its my pet peeve when restaurants only offer to go packaging and its also my pet peeve when people eat in on take out containers.
I am no saint, I use paper cups sometimes, I eat in food courts once in a while but this kind of stuff bugs me when there is a choice, and the place is called Soul Soup.
I posted a note about this on my facebook page and a bunch of people have already decided to stop going there, I don't think this is the answer, I think finding a constructive way to get them to change their policy and/or mindset about take out materials would be more useful.
I am starting to think that restaurants should have to pay outrageously high prices for take out containers, but I would prefer it, if they just made an effort.

The thing that really pisses me off though, is the counter girl looking at me with such disdain because I don't want to buy a bottle of water and the fact that I am the odd man out in the place not eating off of take out containers.

what I am doing currently

2010-09-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

My brain is all over the map, I can hear the marbles bouncing off the walls in my head.I am trying to find work so I can make money so I can put out another album.Don't really have the gig situation strng enough that it will pay for stuff so work work work.Currently aside from my main agenda of perpetuating my career as a singer songwriter who lives and breathes for singing and songwriting I am also trying to finish illustrating and writing a children's book, finding guitar gigs with other people, some blues bands, Kevin Cook, Maura Shaftoe, Rusty Reed, Harpdog Brown, some gigs I like some, meh. I am also part of The Irrelevant Show a nationally broadcast Sketch Comedy Show on CBC Radio heard every saturday morning at 11:30 am, so I have to had to really get serious about writing comedy songs ha ha very funny. I am also a sometime artist in residence with The Works Festival in Edmonton doing crazy garbage art which I call Junkture, this past summer I was an artist liaison for the Street Performer's Festival in Edmonton. Currently I am also pitching radio show ideas to CBC and trying to find a job, last week I did anecdotal content for a Tea Company's website and I might have another job this week for an Industrial engraver also doing content. My head is spinning.

Revolution

2009-12-14T14:09:00.000-08:00

Revolution is blood and sorrow
Revolution is tears and morals
The children of Ernesto Guevara
Are tired of his image offered up like soda

Democracy does not correct itself
Its peoples guts and sweat and shells
Doing things ethical and obscene
Right and wrong and in between

Blindness is handiest in a dark tunnel
Paper and a number two cone in a funnel
A blend of ideologies and personal experience
Roasted, filtered and sold to friends

Money doesn’t make you a moral authority
But you will have a leading edge in the arena of publicity
you might not be able to fudge a war
but you can fool the population for a few years more

Every action starts out with a good intention
Every enemy might a been a one time friend
Any path can lead any number of ways
Nobody’s hands are clean these days

I’d like to have a holiday in Cuba
Lie on the beach, drink Rum and try Scuba
The children of Ernesto Guevara
Are tired of his image offered up like soda

Cell Phones in public places

2009-06-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to think about what I can do to people who talk on their cell phones loudly, when I am close by.? I used to want to go up ,stand next to them with an imaginary phone in my hand and say bla bla bla bla really loud to see if they get it.
Now I have a new idea, when they are annoying me with their loud conversations on their phones, I will go up to them with a microphone, record them talking then get off the bus with them and play it back on a giant boom box, while I follow them home .

one coffee is all it takes!

2009-04-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes all it takes is one cup of coffee who knows what you are going through and believes in you just a little in order to kick your ass back into gear. I had coffee with Bobby Cameron tonight, he is a musican and songwriter with quite a bit of publishing under his belt.I was picking his brain about publishing and how to get more involved in it. He was surprised with everything I have done and won that I didn't have a publishing deal. He suggested I take all teh grants and loans I have ever received together in a list along with some quotes, songwriting contests I have won and gigs of note. I have received quite a few loans and grants in my life from Factor, AFA, Manitoba Film and Sound, Rawlco radio. I have played many of the big festivals in this country Calgary, Winnipeg , Edmonton, Regina, Brandon, Sudbury, Red Rock, Filberg, South Country Fair, North Country Fair, The Works, Wpg Fringe, Edmonton Fringe. I have opened for Ray Davies of the Kinks, Greg Brown, Fred Eaglesmith, Garnet Rogers, James Keelaghan, Stephen Fearing, Field Day, Tom Russell, The Preservation Hall Band, Larry McMurtry, Connie Kaldor. I have played guitar with the Wyrd Sisters, Harpdog Brown, Rusty Reed, ANgie Nussey, Dave Mowat, Big Dave Mclean, Tim WIlliams, Pete Turland, Carla Rugg, Jen Kraatz, Jenny Robinson, Emma Cook, Rita Chiarelli and more.
I just need to put it all into a little package and spread it around in the hopes of perpetuating my career.I just want to stay in the creative end of my field and survive!

Joe Bird's wake

2009-04-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

I lost mine and many people's good friend Joe Bird.He died on April Fool's day and he was a prankster so it was fitting and made everyone suspicious, but he did indeed pass away. My friend Shannon saw him through his window lying in bed, she called Mr Bumbo who came down and together they climbed in his window and called the Paramedics. He always thought he was going to die of Huntington's cause his mom had it, but then he also thought he would go young. His father died young of heart problems.I don't know the exact details but I do know that he quit his carpet laying job because he felt like he couldn't breathe from the chemicals. He must have been feeling pretty lousy cause the last answering machine message he left for his sister was reassuring and telling her not to worry and was missing the usual funny bits. A bunch of us called his answering machine which was really funny and then when the mailbox was full after the answering machine message you got to hear "The mailbox belonging to.....MIGUEL SANCHEZ......is full. He made us laugh one more time. They had a great wake for him at The Roxy Theatre in Edmonton, it was standing room only and tears and laugter were everywhere, people really loved him without hesitation. Really was a beautiful send off, it was sad to see him go. I have been laughing and crying for days thinking about him.Joe was 41, same age as me but so much more grown up! He was an actor, comedian, songwriter, open stage host, homemade sauna builder, Casanova, cat lover, soundscape builder, carpet layer and a very lovable guy.

Earth Hour in Duggan

2009-03-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

Last night I played a house concert in the living room of Edmonton's equivalent to the Brady Bunch. Margo and her three daughters and Mike and his two sons. There was a great spread of food and booze. There was a famous athlete in attendance, Lori-Ann Muenzer, Canada's first Olympic Gold Medalist in Cycling, something like that. Everyone had a great time, it was my first full night show without the splint, I have essentially learned to not use my third finger, but I am really looking forward to having it back.
The first half of the concert took place during earth hour, so they killed the breaker and lit candles, it was well enough lit and made a good mellow atmosphere. The next set felt like the earlier set cause of all the lights.
Margo put the show on because she likes my music, that means the world to me, being invited to play cause people like what you do., as opposed to being hired to sell beer. I feel lucky everytime I get to do a concert, even when there are a dozen in a row. I would like to play ten months worth of the year, all over the world. Better start planning my world tour!

BC Tour Jan 13, 2009

2009-03-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

So far its been a pretty great year as far as music goes. First in January I was off to BC to tour for two weeks with my friend, excellent Singer songwriter type 'Bob Kemmis.The good was the weather, we missed all the floding and kaos by days, the bad, well, in my exctement at travelling to balmy BC, I decidedly stuffed my sweater into my already stuffed suitcase,which was filled with cds, electronic tuner, my suit, my clothes, my laptop and without realizing it rammed my finger. When I took my hand out I didn't notice anything, after I dropped my guitar off at the oversize luggage area, I thought to myself, hmmm? my finger feels numb and when I held it up, at the top knuckle it was bent at a perfect 90 degree angle. No amount of will or squeezing my eyes together like a superhero could convince it to straighten up. A doctor sitting nearby overheard me telling my girlfriend on the phone what had happened and advised me to get a splint, so I called the paramedics and they came in a pair with all their equipment, tape, popsicle sticks you name it, they gave me a splint and I gave them a few laughs in exchange and off I went to board my plane wondering how the tour was gonna go NOW???
That night with a brand new store bought splint I took part in a songwriter in the round organised by Shari Ulrich on behalf of the songwriters association of Canada. All in all it went well, I played newer simpler chords in newer simpler ways and the audience didn't mind a bit, which led me to add some good one liners to my show like " i've been playing just fine without the use of my third finger, which leads me to believe it hasn't been pulling its weight all these years' which the audiences seem to like !
The rest of the tour was a lot of fun, we playe a brewmaster's dinner at the highest restaurant in Canada, located 7700 feet above sea level.Bob and I got to try 5 different scotches and five different beers.We played house concerts and bars and got through it pretty well. in between gigs, I stayed on Bob's couch (thanks Bob) and intermittently watched The Last Waltz over the two weeks and ate all over Vancouver. Stacy Burke joined us for a couple shows and it was fun to have her along, we stayed at a sketchy hotel in Duncan one night where stacy got to witness first hand my mortal disgust and fear of bedbugs (yech!!!)We slept above the sheets in our clothes. The next morning I showed the manager pictures of hair and dirt between the mattresses and he informed me that he had just been approved to import Filipina Chambermaids and in the furture this would no longer be a problem and that next time he would give us a deal, rrrrrrgh. looking back is always funny.
Played a great concert in Lantzville organised by banjo picker and concert organiser extraordinaire Donna Konsorado, one of the many people I am so glad to know. I am happy for the friends I have made on this music journey!