If you get a great review, post it!

If you get a great review, post it. If you get a so-so review…never mention it again. Is that wrong? Thank you to Gillian Bartlett of the Annex Residence Association for this blog that appeared this morning.

The Annex Residents’ Association
Magic on Howland

If you’ll forgive us a moment of nostalgia, last Saturday night on Howland Avenue took us right back to the Mariposa Folk Festival in August 1967 when Joni Mitchell, Buffy Saint Marie, and Leonard Cohen were among the singers who performed from the back of a hay wagon to appreciative crowds sitting scattered on the grass at Caledon’s Innis Lake Campground. This time it was Howland Avenue’s star singer, Stéphanie Martin, who made the magic as close to 200 residents unfolded their lawn chairs and settled in to enjoy an hour and half long concert composed entirely of Stéphanie’s original music.

Stéphanie’s songs were upbeat, thoughtful, and richly evocative as well as deeply personal. In light-hearted banter between the songs, she told us that, no, the upcoming song about a philandering lover was definitely NOT about her husband, Andrew. “Georgia” did indeed reference the exquisite works of Georgia O’Keefe. And “I Paint My Sorrow” was a direct inspiration from a Joni Mitchell quote reported years ago by Richard Ouzounian — who was himself sitting front and centre at the performance.