My name is Loren Hicks. I am a banjo player, writer, and consultant living in The Junction in Toronto, Canada. This site showcases some of the many things I care about including: my music, my stories and my time spent on the road. And possibly, from time, to time, kittens.
Take some time to look around and let me know what you think. I welcome your questions and comments.
Loren
Hicks & Dawe 2015 Holiday Party
Reserve the date! Whatever you celebrate, come celebrate with us. It’s the 3rd annual H&D Holiday Party at Graffiti’s. We’ll be decorating the place (that alone you should see), and once again having a number of cool door prizes including, yes, some handmade organic Chocolate Jesuses (Jesi?) from COCO.
We’ll be playing three sets, but probably shorter ones so we can chat and catch up with everyone. We want to party, too! So if you haven’t been out in a while, this is the one to come to. As usual – no cover.
Doc on guitar, me on banjos, and Neil on sax and bass.
I don’t usually post about death. But in Bill Keith’s case, I feel the loss. I only got to meet him a dozen or so times, with a few phone calls in between, so my conversations with him are measured in hours. His genius as a musician needs no comment from me. And I’m sure his humility and genuine friendliness and support to anyone I ever knew him to meet will be spoken of as well. So I’ll just chronicle two things.
The first was a particular time we were sitting in a room Keep Reading!
Hicks & Dawe Halloween
We need no excuse to party. But Hallowe’en does make a good one. Thursday the 29th we’ll be at Graffiti’s early to dress the place up a bit and put us in a scary mood. Then, just after 7 we’ll start a completely new set list of tunes to back up your partying. We’ll be doing 3 sets, done by 10:30 or thereabouts, plenty early enough to be in shape for Friday. Or come for just one, whatever turns your broom.
Some of us will be in costumes. You can, too. In fact – please! Prize for the best one.
Doc on guitar, Loren on banjos, and Neil on sax and bass … Be there or be zombified …
Broken government
Last rant of the election for me. As the debate shifts back to economics there is a huge elephant in the room that no one is talking about – the size and role of the federal government. Instead of a bunch of lies about religion, now we’re getting a bunch of lies about the economy, from all sides.
First – the situation. Harper has reduced the size of the government by about 2% of GDP, near as we can tell with the flawed numbers we have (more on that later). Keep Reading!
Are you afraid?
Are you afraid radical islamists will become the majority and impose sharia law in Canada?
I have a few friends who have told me they have this fear, and are quite passionate about it. They are well educated, thoughtful people. So I thought I should consider this in a calm way, to see what is the real fear, and what is passion.
I did a quick fact check. 4 minutes to find the data, and another 5 for some calculations Keep Reading!
yoR Junction Open Mic – Oct 10
Once again, I have been asked to host the open mic at the Magic Oven on Keele in The Junction. Bring your music, your rants, your poetry, your comedy, or just your eyes and ears for a feast. We have the entire upstairs just for us, with a stage and a killer sound system set up by our organizer yoR himself. Great food and local draft if you have a hunger or thirst.
We will also be recording, so if you come back in two weeks you can get a copy for whatever use you may want. And, as always, we’ll be going out live over StreetJelly, so catch us there if you can’t in person. That’s http://www.streetjelly.com and check the scheduler for YorStuff……
Show me the victim!
Warning: this long rant expresses how deeply I am saddened by the cynical niqab issue being used to enrage Canadians. Here’s why. I am truly old-stock Canadian. Parts of my family have been here at least 15,000 years or so. Here’s what we’ve seen:
Every year since Europeans arrived, new boatloads Keep Reading!
Poster of H&D September 28, 2015 at the Old Nick
Ok, It’s September, so what. The leaves are still green, and the sun is still shining. And we’re celebrating what we have, so come and join us at the Old Nick Monday the 28th.
Elana Harte has kindly invited us back as part of her M Factor Mondays series, and we’ll be doing a set or two unlike any we’ve done before. Mostly our original work, with some new material, and some re-imagined older tunes. Doc on Guitar, Neil Kitagawa on sax and bass, and Loren on banjos.
Starts at 7:30 with whatever magic Elana has up her sleeve – if you’ve yet to see her, come! Or come earlier, and have some dinner – we’ll be there if you want to crowd in at our table. We’ll be on 8:30 or so, playing up a storm
At last. Some swelter. Took long enough. Now to start washing it down with some cold drinks, snappy conversation, and easy music. And I know just the place …
H&D @ Grafitti’s June 23, 2015
Join us this coming Tuesday, June 23rd, for an early evening of energizing frivolity ending plenty soon enough to make your Wednesday breeze by as if in a dream.
There may be a film crew about, as well. We’ve been honoured to be asked to do some tracks for an upcoming documentary on Kensington Market, and some live shots are needed. Your chance to get yer mug in, should you feel the need.
We will be doing 3 sets starting about 7, and as always, a never-before and never-again mix of tunes. Me on banjos, Doc on guitar, and Neil Kitagawa on sax and bass. Shorter sets so we’ll have more time for catching up. Hope you can make it.
Hicks & Dawe at the Old Nick poster
We’ve done it again. Elana Harte of The Stiletto Flats fame, and an awesome rocker, has invited us back to her M-Factor Mondays showcase at the The Old Nick on The Danforth. We’ll be playing what we believe to be the “killer set” starting sometime around 8:30.
But please come earlier to hear Elana and crew kick it off with their own killer set about 7:30 … you will not regret it
The Old Nick is on the south side of The Danforth, just east of Broadview Station. The food is great. See you there …
phicksation 