Who are you?
Dave Clark. Hogtown romp-around aspiring clown.
What are you up to?
Besides studying life under the gentle guidance of my daughter (aka "The Goob"), I've been lucky enough to navigate the WoodChoppers' Association Freakout music orchestra towards celebrating our new self-titled two-CD collection, distributed by Sonic Unyon). The WCA free-forms all night long. We've got it all from bassoons to itchy-scratchy man's tickle trunk of seminal (s)punk! I'm also fronting, singing and strumming for the Mountainside Band with Blake Howard, Alfons Fear and Richard Gregory. Likewise, I'm still tub thumping with the Dinner Is Ruined Band. Our new record is coming out this September. There's also the 2-Lovers tap dancing duet with Brodie West and myself. Plus Fart Machine, which is Dale Morningstar, Brodie West, Shawn Abedin and myself. Fart Machine is a gas.
Hometown and current HQ:
Toronto. Home of Bonnie The Bear.
Current fixations:
I've been watching my daughter grow into a flower of unparalleled beauty. I've been trying to listen to my heart, Little Richard, Tom Waits, Earl Scruggs, Aretha Franklin, Ritmo Caliente, campus radio and Q-107 whenever I need to bone up on my Led Zep or Hendrix riffology. I've been reading The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dave Pilkey, Black Elk Speaks as told to John Neihardt, But Beautiful by Geoff Dyer and The Listening Book by W.A. Mathieu. I've been eating as much organic food as possible: smoothies in the morning, beans, rice and greens, and as much garlic as I can take.
Mind altering work of art
Anne Zbitnew. Her approach to life exemplifies compassion and love.
Most memorable/inspirational gig and why?
Distant past: Rush 1978 @ Maple leaf Gardens. Neil Peart made me want to play drums so much that I thought my fucking mind would melt if I ever got the chance to even touch a drum kit. Recent past: Zebradonk @ The Idler Pub two weeks ago. Those folks live it live! Their drummer Shawn Abedin is the Chief beyond belief! He melted my mind from 50 paces.
What should everyone shut up about?
Shutting up.
Your greatest strength/weakness:
Strength: Love of life. Weakness: Buttertarts.
Your vital daily ritual:
Games with the kid.
Guilty pleasures:
Avoiding the guilt and sticking to the pleasure.
If I wasn't playing music I would be.
Insane.
Your most memorable day job:
Courier for the Canadian Opera Company. From the top of the towers to the depths of the bowers I got a window in.
Best/worst advice received:
Best advice I ever received was from my dad: "Davey, whatever you do don't get stuck working for somebody else. Be your own boss."
I would drop everything to play a benefit for:
Abused children.
What makes you want to take it off and get it on?
The possibility of taking it off and getting it on. That and New Orleans Second Line music.
What personal trait would make you kick someone out of your band and/or bed? And have you?
Hate and selfishness in all of its forms pretty much creates that yard stick. Yep, I've given the golden shoe to a few musicians. I've even gotten it myself. I've never been unlucky enough to have to kick somebody out of bed, however; my kid has booted me over to the edge of the mattress a couple of hundred times since her conception.
When I think of Canada I think:
I think about the friends I've met on cross-Canada trips into the deep green, blue, red and yellow.
Music and sex: Is there a difference? Why?
Music that has no sex in it is essentially very dull for me. Sex is a part of music just as much as the need to eat is a part of survival. Sex also has a music of its own that people are working hard on re-inventing over and again. Working in rhythm and harmony to hit the chords of ecstatic release sounds like good music to me!
Strangest brush with celebrity
Playing brushes behind Jane Siberry.
What does your mom wish you were doing instead?
I don't know, but she called me up last week to ask me if I could buy her some pot for her summer vacation. She told me not to tell anyone. So let's keep it our little Exclaim secret. Ha Ha Ha!!!
The Woodchoppers Association celebrate their CD release at Ted's Wrecking Yard in Toronto on July 6; their fluctuating membership will be 50 strong that night. They also play the Hillside Festival in Guelph July 28-30.
Dave Clark. Hogtown romp-around aspiring clown.
What are you up to?
Besides studying life under the gentle guidance of my daughter (aka "The Goob"), I've been lucky enough to navigate the WoodChoppers' Association Freakout music orchestra towards celebrating our new self-titled two-CD collection, distributed by Sonic Unyon). The WCA free-forms all night long. We've got it all from bassoons to itchy-scratchy man's tickle trunk of seminal (s)punk! I'm also fronting, singing and strumming for the Mountainside Band with Blake Howard, Alfons Fear and Richard Gregory. Likewise, I'm still tub thumping with the Dinner Is Ruined Band. Our new record is coming out this September. There's also the 2-Lovers tap dancing duet with Brodie West and myself. Plus Fart Machine, which is Dale Morningstar, Brodie West, Shawn Abedin and myself. Fart Machine is a gas.
Hometown and current HQ:
Toronto. Home of Bonnie The Bear.
Current fixations:
I've been watching my daughter grow into a flower of unparalleled beauty. I've been trying to listen to my heart, Little Richard, Tom Waits, Earl Scruggs, Aretha Franklin, Ritmo Caliente, campus radio and Q-107 whenever I need to bone up on my Led Zep or Hendrix riffology. I've been reading The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dave Pilkey, Black Elk Speaks as told to John Neihardt, But Beautiful by Geoff Dyer and The Listening Book by W.A. Mathieu. I've been eating as much organic food as possible: smoothies in the morning, beans, rice and greens, and as much garlic as I can take.
Mind altering work of art
Anne Zbitnew. Her approach to life exemplifies compassion and love.
Most memorable/inspirational gig and why?
Distant past: Rush 1978 @ Maple leaf Gardens. Neil Peart made me want to play drums so much that I thought my fucking mind would melt if I ever got the chance to even touch a drum kit. Recent past: Zebradonk @ The Idler Pub two weeks ago. Those folks live it live! Their drummer Shawn Abedin is the Chief beyond belief! He melted my mind from 50 paces.
What should everyone shut up about?
Shutting up.
Your greatest strength/weakness:
Strength: Love of life. Weakness: Buttertarts.
Your vital daily ritual:
Games with the kid.
Guilty pleasures:
Avoiding the guilt and sticking to the pleasure.
If I wasn't playing music I would be.
Insane.
Your most memorable day job:
Courier for the Canadian Opera Company. From the top of the towers to the depths of the bowers I got a window in.
Best/worst advice received:
Best advice I ever received was from my dad: "Davey, whatever you do don't get stuck working for somebody else. Be your own boss."
I would drop everything to play a benefit for:
Abused children.
What makes you want to take it off and get it on?
The possibility of taking it off and getting it on. That and New Orleans Second Line music.
What personal trait would make you kick someone out of your band and/or bed? And have you?
Hate and selfishness in all of its forms pretty much creates that yard stick. Yep, I've given the golden shoe to a few musicians. I've even gotten it myself. I've never been unlucky enough to have to kick somebody out of bed, however; my kid has booted me over to the edge of the mattress a couple of hundred times since her conception.
When I think of Canada I think:
I think about the friends I've met on cross-Canada trips into the deep green, blue, red and yellow.
Music and sex: Is there a difference? Why?
Music that has no sex in it is essentially very dull for me. Sex is a part of music just as much as the need to eat is a part of survival. Sex also has a music of its own that people are working hard on re-inventing over and again. Working in rhythm and harmony to hit the chords of ecstatic release sounds like good music to me!
Strangest brush with celebrity
Playing brushes behind Jane Siberry.
What does your mom wish you were doing instead?
I don't know, but she called me up last week to ask me if I could buy her some pot for her summer vacation. She told me not to tell anyone. So let's keep it our little Exclaim secret. Ha Ha Ha!!!
The Woodchoppers Association celebrate their CD release at Ted's Wrecking Yard in Toronto on July 6; their fluctuating membership will be 50 strong that night. They also play the Hillside Festival in Guelph July 28-30.