Aurora's Lou Moore, Guitar Picking Legend Live Teacher too

Recently I popped into Col Mustard's Pub & Grill on a Thursday night top check out Lou Moore as I heard he was now offering up guitar lessons as well, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Available pickers are born everyday you know.

Now, previously I wouldn't be considered a big country music fan, in fact I've spoofed country, albeit my spoofs message was as you get older you understand country music more, and to be fair Lou plays blue- grass and other tune genres too and mixes things up every week by bringing in guest performers from his amazing array of friend / performers that he's amassed over the years.

The Colonel

On this night his entourage of performers included multi-instrumentalist but on this night guitar player Mitchell Lewis, including the straight steel guitar which gave a really unique vibe and twist to the tunes on the night with no pedals or levers for string bending. Bass player Rodney St. Amand was also on hand this night along with Al Cross on drums formerly of Big Sugar

Getting back to the country thing. Growing up I guess you could say I was  die hard rock music lover, but as I've aged I've learned to appreciate all music and I particularly enjoy a seasoned performer of it all and with that you can't go wrong at a Lou Moore show.

Moore will be on tour in Europe later in March with The Good Brothers, but you can still catch him Thursdays until then and for a special upcoming show  Thursday Mar 6 2014 featuring also The Good Brothers at Col Mustard's Newmarket.

I interviewed The Good Brothers a number of years ago in Georgina for a Rogers TV show I hosted called Out & About and remember them to be seasoned performers and professionals all the way. Seats are almost sold out so reserve or sit at the bar early to get in!

Fabulous Aurora Musician Lou Moore has had a long career in the music business playing acoustic guitar with an assortment of band instrument mates over the years who themselves have played in bands with the likes of legendary Canadian musicians and performers such as Ian Tyson, Prairie Oyster, The Good Brothers, Ricky Skaggs and David Wilcox and Tommy Hunter!
It would be a thrill to go see Lou and his band of merry drop-in mates - which you can do on Thursday nights at Newmarket's Col Mustard's - but imagine being able to have guitar lessons from the now almost legendary Aurora based performer himself, which he's now offering up to a limited number of students - and at $30 a half hour according to the website that's a steal!
 
The amazingly talented picker guitar man is more interested it seems in spreading the craft of his musician-hood than making it rich, but finds inspiration now in showing a new generation the "how to's" of guitar playing and is willing to take on those with the desire to learn to play the instrument.

Big Redd Ford with Lou Moore 1970's

The stories alone he tells includingthe good old days around folks like Ronnie Hawkins and such is worth the price of admission let alone lessons. Ha. 

Whether you love country, blues, blue grass, classic rock, picking or strumming, acoustical or electric guitar, you'd count yourself lucky to get on-board with Lou Moore experienced guitar player, singer and performer extraordinaire. That's Why Lou Moore Guitar Lessons are an amazing find to me - and definitely a Tom's Top 10 Business Service for both cost and talent!

Contact Lou Moore here.  Or Call 905 - 841 - 4037 before he books up!

Woodbridge Jazz, Blues, R&B, Latin Singer a TOM's TOP 10 G.T.A. Booking

I first caught whiff of songbird Lori Viola's husky vocals while sitting at the piano bar lounge at Villa Risi Ristorante ( Envision me speaking ala Humphrey Bogart ). I'd been sitting with Peter, one of the owners of Villa Risi, when suddenly this sultry voice wrapped in velvet enveloped my limited attention span - a feat in itself. I was enamored. This dame had class. Something, I, unfortunately, was born without. LORI VIOLA - Jazz, Blues, R&B, Latin, Swing, Italiano, Pop Singer

Lori Viola is also fluent in Italian and available alone, as a duo, or with her band.

Accompanied by her Pianoman, the steamy, bluesy,  jazzy, rythm and blues numbers Lori Viola belted out, added an ambiance so missing in today's G.T.A. entertainment scene - let alone dining and entertainment.

Performances in fine dining restaurants - even ones offering a fine cuisine and decor at affordable prices and a beautiful piano bar - are far and few between, and finding a gem Lady Singer with the range in both vocal abilities with the sheer number of songs that she is able to warble, was a definite bonus for me on this night, setting mood as such I'd not had in some time. A walk back in time if you will, like an old movie sound track, and certainly a pleasure worthy of any special occasion, wedding, reception, anniversary, birthday, swank theme night, fundraiser, or suitable film / tv / video / audio production.


Lori's R&B version of a "Georgia" so touched a local radio station owner as to inquire as to who the singer of the beautiful recording he was listening too was, unaware whilst dining in another room, that the sultry voice was no recording at all but a live performance of Ms. Viola, prompting him to request a copy to play on their station - which they did much to her delight...and that of the listeners!


Don't take my word for it, glimpse Lori Viola's video performance captured at a recent show!  You can be a listener now as Lori is now available across York Region, The G.T.A. and The Golden Horseshoe for a limited number of private bookings. Make your special event remembered for all the right reasons. Visit the website for booking contacts and more detailed information.

Singer Lori Viola is a TPE Productions Top 10 Booking

Actor Audition Opportunities..Never too old for the casting couch!

Actors have an interesting life to say the least. In my case I haven't really attacked being a full time or even a part time actor for tv and film for various reasons since I was in my 20's, but I never gave up the dream. As I gazed around the casting couch room full of competing 20 somethings, I wondered if it wasn't too late.

First, as a single dad it was next to impossible with the hours / times of day demanded and not steady enough to sustain you over the early years with kids, besides from my experience, having come home to a tits-up babysitter on my floor with a 3/4 empty bottle of rum on the table and a guilty looking roomer who you'd also had to rent a room out to to in order to survive skulking nearby, all night daycare was not an available option.

TP Original Producer / Co-creator / Performer while still in Film school

But I always kept a toe in "The Biz", and that is exactly what I told the likely Director and Casting Director the other day before exiting the audition room. I also thanked them for the opportunity and left( kissed ass with eye contact) thinking I'd almost aced it. There were a few things I could have done better, like my air guitar performance and my directed "mock anger to the cameraman look", but I'll come back to that.

I always keep my eyes to the ground for opportunities for anyone who comes across the TPE front, but on occasion something will spark that competitive spirit in me and personal desire to act / perform. I just didn't it expect to come in the form of a national campaign with me as one of three stooges-like characters dressed as giant condoms and projecting a message about " consent".

Time to explain. here's an excerpt from the casting search: 

Scenario 1

Superhero - The camera is close up on you. you’re a superhero that just saved the world from rickets, or something. look like it.

2) Hot dogs - look down in front of you. there is a hot dog assembly line, hundreds, thousands of wieners are going by …. after a while they start to look …… less than appetizing.

3) Tightrope - you’re standing facing stage right. you have to walk five feet, mimicking walking across a tightrope over a deep canyon.  

4) TV - you’re facing us, pretending to watch TV. we’ll toss you a tv convertor for a prop. we’ll provide the sound effex, every few seconds the channel on the TV changes, and we’re looking at you react to what you see on the screen. no one, of course, knows what’s on the screen. this is what you’ll hear.

5) Finally …. you gotta dance. ..60's style - you have about fifteen seconds.

Tom Pearson

We’ll play the music...

You Get the picture?...Sigh....Let's face it..if Actors are willing to resort to lowering themselves to such standards just to be a part of a national campaign as a giant condom then they, er we, are nothing more than common publicity whores, so I've changed my mind, I'm not interested in the role anymore........I wonder if they'll call? I hope so, Ah, er, I mean, I'm glad they haven't.

Hey! With the invent of products like VIAGARA, the casting couch is always in play as well, so never give up your dreams! Ha. See you in the movies!

TP Out!

Highway 11 Cruisers Car Club are not the Newmarket Car Club!

I feel compelled to write about car clubs. 
Car clubs you ask? Why? What possible connection do car clubs have to entertainment or events or venues? More than a little bit as you'll soon read!

Firstly, I know squat about car clubs and have no qualifications to judge who has better cars or is the best group. When I grew up, what we considered Newmarket's car club hung out at the donut shop, and that's where you'd see all the cool cars all shined up-like and waiting to be ogled. We youngins' would flock like bees to honey as we looked over the beauts usually whilst the cars owner(s) would sit inside the local donut hole with some gorgeous "babe" - most often out of our leagues, before drive - thru's you see. Ha.

TP at start of Collingwood Elvis Festival parade adorned by cars!

Then we'd all gather as the car started up, sometimes greeted with a short spurt of speed if it was a muscle car, or we'd just take in the essence if it was a nostalgic car. Of course even back then the coppers would nail you for show-driving so a short burst was usually all we got... in town at least. That story for another day! But it was a memory brought back when I saw the listing for the Highway 11 Cruisers as the Harvey's on Yonge. Cool!

Any idea which club this belongs to? Me neither..it has no label..ha!

Two car clubs? Gulp..my bad.

Possible politics aside, I can instantly see where a rivalry could start though between car clubs as exists here, add in ex member elements which are bound to creep in you likely have a definition for it. All I know is I've had dealings with individual members of both groups in the past and all seemed like good guys.Except they wouldn't let me drive their cars.Ha.

In fact this past summer I think I may have gotten off to a rocky start when, through blogging, we may have referred to the Highway 11 Cruisers as the other club. Gulp. Ooops! What I meant the heading to read was just: Newmarket car club hosts..blahblah blah without giving a name, but just that it was a Newmarket based car Club, and thus the confusion methinks. Confused? So was I but no more!

The Newmarket Car Club - not the Cruisers - had adorned the Deli House Catering's Stellar lane parking lot at an event with some very cool vehicles whilst at the same time Deli House offered up BBQ burgers and a make-shift stage sported some cool 50's, 60's era tunes. Refreshments were served up too and a fun outdoor event seemed to be had by all.

Our car back in the day in Aurora! Gramps..that you!?

Problem was, at that time, we hadn't really met the guys from the Cruisers or Newmarket Car Club yet and as online promoters for Deli House Catering, we were just trying to draw attention that D.H.C was hosting a fun event outside rather than focus on the minute details of who the actual club was, band, etc - details of which I didn't have at the time and as everybody who knows Johnny knows- if he's busy he's sometimes hard to nail down. Ha. Essentially I thought the two were one and the same thus my confusion when it turns out the Highway 11 Cruisers are hosting New Year's Eve there!

Headed by president Danny Fachini, the Newmarket / highway 11 corridor based Highway 11 Cruisers Car Club also hold many an event with Sick Kids being the recipient - like New Year's Eve Gala - also at Stellar hall upstairs in their beautiful hall with room for up to 200 New Year's revelers!

Knowing what I now know, I of course respect the distinction between the two clubs and the importance the identity relayed as such to be. Now, in my defense, outsiders wouldn't know the difference as someone put it to me, but that aside I will certainly endure to word future car club events with a critical eye to detail..just like a pinstripe on a car!


I mentioned I'd had dealings with both clubs and to that end a member of the Newmarket Car Club, which incorporated as a non profit in 1982 but claim existence since 1974, helped me through editing a piece of the short film Shoots, Scores  I Wrote / Directed for the YRDSB's Quest for Youth 2012 - he did a great job dealing with my patience and I look forward to it airing on Rogers in the future or possibly entered into the York Region Media Festival...we shall see..until then....It's Christmas so...let's all just try a liiiiiiiiiiiiitle harder to get along (spoken in my Sat Night Live Church Lady impression voice)....Just for Xmas..Ha!Ho!HA!?

To sum up the area has 2 car clubs. Newmarket Car Club & Highway 11 Cruisers Car Club........er ah sorry..I mean the Highway 11 Cruisers and Newmarket Car Club....Ha.Kidding..
And cars are cool..very cool....

One last car connection both Deli House and TPE will be hosting a booth at the 2013 Newmarket Winter Carnival along with car sponsors Newmarket Mitsubishi Motors and P.A.C.C. on Sat Feb 2 at Fairy Lake Park! 

Have some great food and play our road hockey skills challenge all for a great cause - The Friendly Neighbourhodd Youth Road hockey Challenge......Car! 

Later, TP!

Making An Elvis - A Reality Blog on the road to Collingwood

Tom in 2010 in Collingwood

  It Occurred to me that if I didn't do the Elvis Festival in Collingwood soon as a performer, I may run out of time to be able to pull him off effectively. I've always been able to do his voice pretty well, I thought, and have been told there is some resemblance, so with this in mind I simply mentioned the fact that I was thinking about it to a die hard fan and regular festival goer and then got her best impression of a take-away close (sales term) on me by "assuming the deal" by asking certain assumptive "closing" questions such as,

" So what songs are you going to do?"

  
"Hold on! I never said I was going to yet" I'd replied.

  "Well what songs do you think you're going to do then?" she responded. Ha.

  At any rate, after some thought, I decided to go for it and approach the task like I would as if preparing for an acting role. I started seeking out photos and footage and asked my new " Elvis Adviser" Linda which songs she liked and which performers stood out to her at the festival and why. After all if I'm going to do this thing I want to try and do it right. Linda has always enjoyed when I've done Elvis over the past several years, always at me to perform more often and even closed the deal one year by having me croon to her mom for her birthday! When I first raised the possibility with friend Linda she wasted no time in checking into it and found out I needed to register within 2 days or it was over before even starting... Talk about a pressure sale! Ha!

2009 in Collingwood, TP's Elvis Adviser Linda dresses up in 50's wear!

   Upon listening to the what she and some others had to say regarding song and era choice I decided that although I have the 70's Elvis suit and it fits well, that I'm just too skinny so with this as part of the reasoning, I decided to do earlier Elvis, and will scout out another outfit for this. After much consideration I decided that for the first time out I'd pick songs I know quite well - ones that I can really feel when I sing them and that I feel I most resemble Elvis singing - after all the contest wants to see as close a rendition to the real deal as possible and so with that in mind I chose I Can't Help Falling In Love, Don't Be Cruel and Blue Suede Shoes. I went back and forth a lot and considered a GI Elvis song as well as doing Jailhouse Rock but in the end decided on a first go round with familiarity.

  Of course I've been to the Collingwood affair before and it is a good time especially if you're dressed as Elvis. I decided to wear my Elvis suit the 1st year I attended and everyone wanted my autograph as I walked around..it was hilarious...One time another Elvis comes running up to me and says

"Hey, how you doing, have you seen Subway Elvis?"

  "No", I replied after a slight hesitation as if I knew him, and he went off in search after thanking me.

  Subway Elvis, was of course, renowned at the time because he played in the subways of Toronto getting known after some media coverage. I felt slightly guilty by taking all the glorious accolades that went with being "an Elvis" but not performing. Of course I have performed to Elvis many a time including even Elvis-ograms at one time. Hey, I'm a single dad, we'll do almost anything that pays!Ha!

  Another year at Collingwood I had a group of no less than 100 Japanese tourists who wanted a group shot with me, and then afterwards whenever I tried to leave another would want an individual pic with me! Ha!! My only regret was not getting a copy! It was a challenge to stay in character at all times however, as if you look the part people expect the goods...so "thank-you very much's" became part of my routine as I ventured through the festival. You buy a coffee, thank-you thank-you very much.. a soda..thank-you thank-you very much...you get the drift - people in line behind you and everyone you run into expect Elvis! Ha! At least if you're performing you can hide backstage. I guess the only time I won't be in character come to think of it is amongst my fellow Elvises! Elvii? Whatever.

  Of course I grew up too young for Elvis' peak however I did watch and love his movies as a kid and later on came to appreciate him more - especially as an actor where I feel he could have done more given a chance at serious roles. Elvis also grew up dirt poor and had a heart for others and I saw some parallels to my life in his which has helped inspire me to really try to "become Elvis" for this event, including surrounding myself with Elvis stuff.

  Upon registering for the 2012 Collingwood Elvis Festival I was informed they needed a professional headshot in Elvis garb, and with little time to lose, I went to work by first calling a friend who is schooled in professional make-up who told me what to buy after which I had to apply myself with a little coaching from my giggling daughter who managed,

" This is the most macho thing I've ever seen you do", between breathes, as I struggled to put on eyeliner.

 

    I somehow wangled to get everything in on time with a little help from my daughter Brittany, Linda, as well as makeup aficionado and DJ extraordinaire Hungarian Pepper, although I actually had until June 1st for some info but it's all in now! The last item I needed to decide was a  stage name and went with "Best Of Elvis" as I'd been the Elvis on City TV's long running Speaker's Corner and its 10th anniversary "best of" show, so I figured why not? It's either that or Skinny Elvis and I don't know how they'd take that one! To top it off somehow I was able to snag a small cottage for the duration of my Elvisarama in nearby Wasaga Beach after a brother taking over for another who just died and new to the biz had not yet booked everything during the usually sold out time! It was fate and I look forward to tackling this 'role" with vigour with the expectation of presenting a viable Elvis product in the end.

  I will videoblog the "Making Of An Elvis" right up to and including the Elvis festival in Collingwood July 26-29 so stay tuned and...watch some exciting stuff like me dying my hair and applying mascara for the first time...Thank-you...thank-you very much! very much!

My final head shots..The cool yet semi concerned look. Above the serious look.