MONTREAL: AN EVENING WITH THE CANADIAN ROMANTIC

If you are in Montreal….

Robert Dayton Junior Presents:
AN EVENING WITH THE CANADIAN ROMANTIC

Saturday July 2
Doors 7:45pm
Showtime: 8:30pm


Blue Sunshine Psychotronic Film Centre

3660, Boul. St-Laurent, 3e Étage
Montreal, QC

This will be a one of a kind evening that combines large amounts of shared laughter with soft music and unsettling feelings of desire…!

Robert Dayton’s most recent project is his series of videos and performances as the persona of The Canadian Romantic, a melodramatic figure of faded glamour who tries to bridge the gap between Canada and romance with somewhat dubious results…. Some key Canadian Romantic videos will be played and a BRAND NEW VIDEO will be unveiled! The Canadian Romantic himself will be performing live, taking topic suggestions from the crowd for his infamous impromptu candlelight Recitations. Expect glittery Bon Mots aplenty from a man of way too much experience. You will come alive with laughter feeling like you’ve woken up at an undisclosed time with make up smeared across your face.

After that will be a curated tour of the forgotten musical Recitation genre, which also includes the notion of famous Ac-tor as Singer: expect the plummy tones of Telly Savalas, Bruno Gerussi, Richard Harris, and a few glorious unknowns! This musical genre has been a key influence on The Canadian Romantic.

FEELINGS: I LOVE ROBIN GIBB EDITION TONITE (TUESDAY JUNE 21st)

Join us tonite, Tuesday, June 21st, at The Beaver (1192 Queen Street West) as we celebrate Robin Gibb starting at 9:30 Pm with the velveteen double album melodramatic orch-pop opus Odessa by the Bee Gees. THIS IS A DOUBLE ALBUM ABOUT A SINKING SHIP! NOT DISCO! REMOVE THE STIGMA FOR GREAT SIBLING HARMONIZING ORCH-POP! It was the single from this album that made Robin leave the act and his brothers to make two solo albums Robin's Reign and the rare, precious, and unreleased Sing Slowly Sisters: we'll be playing both! Melancholia, speed, and strings, and drum machine. It's like "There's A Riot Goin on" if Sly Stone was a skinny white Commonwealther with bad teeth. We'll also be playing The Bee Gees without Robin, the Bee Gees with Robin back in the band, and some early 80s electro pop work by Robin. And more!
If you think The Bee Gees were only about disco, you couldn't be more wrong....I'll be mostly spinning some great maudlin orch-pop!

Read this:
http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/229/
Prizes and projections by Eyesore Cinema.
Robert Dayton, Junior Presents FEELINGS with D.J. Body Beautiful and a midnight candlelight night recitation by The Canadian Romantic at the Beaver (1192 Queen west)




See The Canadian Romantic's videos here:
www.youtube.com/thecanadianromantic



"I do this for you, there is nothing else like this, the mood of the room is shaped by what I provide, I am so honed like a beam of light that the Midnight Candlelight Recitation will be intensely fashioned and crafted going to` places unexpected. I will make love to you with my voice and soul and musical selections, I don't care who you are, NO COVER but the cover of night.Your life energies need us, this is a nice city but a tad stiff, it needs a massage, my hands can do that, lower, lower, lower, lower....
My Midnight Candlelight recitation is always a hit with the people! What are recitations? Intense spoken reflections of the soul in a romantic manner. We are here to help you get through this mortal life. Have a request? I will fulfill you in a voice that has been trained and honed from the deepest core of my being. Close your eyes? Is this a record? No, it's me talking to you right now, there'll be records after."
FEELINGS is a special night where we spin music that you probably won’t normally hear. A boutique mix of :
ELUSIVE DREAMINGS/PRIVATE PRESSINGS/FREE FORMS/CAN CON CONCRETE/B SIDE EXCURSIONS/ELECTRONIC PRIMITIVA/EMOTIONS/EURO HORRORS/INTENSELY PERSONAL VISIONS/DEEP PSYCH/UN-EASY LISTENINGS AND BALLADS/PRISON SOUNDTRACKS/FANTASTIC JOURNEYS OF WONDER/ORGAN-ISMS/NEO-BAROQUE
With a midnight candlelight night recitation by The Canadian Romantic

This will be ...special.

RIOTA

This seems currently apropos for vancouver. July Fourth Toilet's cover of Destroyer's Riota into Wings' Jet:



Speaking of July Fourth Toilet and Macca: July Fourth Toilet- The White Album cassette
From 1994, July Fourth Toilet’s version of The White Album. Our 1st release, previously only on cassette, before we played live, different and much more difficult than our other stuff, but still pure Toilet. Some folks in Frisco used to drop acid to this. I dare you to listen to it in one sitting!
http://julyfourthtoilet.bandcamp.com/album/white-trash-album-cassette

As well, the Gonzales' movie Ivory Tower that I am in plays Friday at 2 PM at The Toronto Underground Cinema:
http://www.nowtoronto.com/movies/story.cfm?content=181253

If you are in Berlin, my Y2K Compatible zine is sharing shelf space with Becky Johnson's at Wunderkabinet which is as Becky states, "a now-travelling series of themed contemporary curiosity collections that sets in in instalments around berlin's art and craft sphere. it is all curated and maintained by leah buckareff. The current incarnation is housed at etsy's berlin/international headquarters in a modular construction called 'the turtle'. I hear there is an arm chair there and possible some floor cushions to support comfortable and easy literary perusal."

WET DIRT

Ah hello.
So WET DIRT has a new line-up, got kinda of a late nite street strut to this 4 piece rock band. WE ARE READY TO PLAY! Come forth!
Meanwhile a couple ruff mixes of the original line-up are posted here:
http://wetdirt.bandcamp.com/

ta!

Download Something For Everyone

Here I am 39...riding a cusp...freshly turned...and fully frustrated at the rate of 12 dollars/hr...ah yes, birthdays and thos eold frustrations come up as I ask, "What am I doing with my life?" Where to next, big boy? Gonna see if you can make things happen outside of anti-charismatic Canada? Good luck!Ha ha! Shit, got to do my gratitude list: okay, talent to spare (it'd be nice if backers noticed, like "Hellooo!" okay Robert enuff...), a sweet GF, I don't look hard done by, able to eat everyday, playing in a band that is sounding kick-ass (now if only the world can hear it...Robert, ENOUGH!...)...
I am archiving as much July 4th Toilet as I can. With the second album up, the first album "Something For Everyone" is finally up for 'pay what you like' (including free) download with reviews et al...
We recorded it with intent of making a warm pop album, to make people feel loved.
Listening to it now I'd say, it's a really great charming album with the only real weak spots being some of my vocals, sigh, it was my first album...I'd love to recut the vocals on a few of those tracks, c'est la vie, adds to the off kilter, enjoy:
http://julyfourthtoilet.bandcamp.com/album/something-for-everyone

FEELINGS presents: Children's music edition, Tuesday May 24th!

TONITE! 9 pm- 1 am! sooo excited!
My collection of children's music is simply too large so I have selected the WILDEST stuff !!!!
There'll be cookies plus: a midnite candlelight Recitation by The Canadian Romantic!

Robert Dayton Junior presents: FEELINGS: Children's Music Edition
Yes, we will be getting way out and into the dementia of old Children's records with their technical innovations, free expression, and even their curious religious viewpoints!
Note: RAFFI free zone!
DJ Body Beautiful will spin the electronic wizardry of Raymond Scott and Bruce Haack; the production wildness of Spike Jones and David Seville; the charming grace and wit of Jim Copp and Ed Brown; the shoddy, drunken puppetry of Funtown; the fuzz guitar super hero themed explosions of The Super Dupers; the Christian country Chipmunks rip offs of Floyd Robinson's Charlie The Hamster and friends; the bubblegum glam of Rock Fantasy and Clyde The Guitar Playing Elephant; the anti-abortion messages of Little Marky...and more!

Note: this event is 19 and over, children shouldn't hear some of this music anyways...it's disturbing (especially Little Markie)
Projections and Prizes by Eyesore Video!
No cover but blankies!

DOWNLOAD THE 2ND JULY FOURTH TOILET LP

For those who want MP3s of July Fourth Toilet's highly regarded 2nd album (with links to how to get the vinyl), it can be had for any price including FREE!, note: the first half of the album is verrry different from the second half, more surprises will be posted soon:http://julyfourthtoilet.bandcamp.com

Feel free to feel free and to tell any interested parties.

July Fourth Toilet Rock n Roll Show Nov 13th, 1998

July Fourth Toilet Rock n Roll Show Nov 13th, 1998 Some folks on here didn’t know me in the olde days and wonder what I was like…heh heh…here’s one of the worst. Enjoy! Rated PG. The nudity has been blurred.

The insufferable frontman gets so drunk that he has a black out on stage. One of the messier July Fourth Toilet shows.
Their next show was an Apology show, a romantic pop set that apologised for this one with a fruit basket and corsage for one lucky audience member (Evan Symons).

For those not in the know, July Fourth Toilet is an act we formed in 1994 in Vancouver with a mandate of no 2 shows the same, this show’s theme was Rock n Roll. Almost all songs had Rock in the title except for Henske/Yester’s Snowblind et al…this was a more pared down line-up, vids currently on YouTube and future YouTube posts will show some different folks in the band. Our last shows were at The Vancouver Art gallery and Pub 340 for our 2nd album Balls Boogie (available through Art Metropole’s site click here )…we will play again one day.

I'll wipe your tears, Canada....

(Though this may just be a sign from God to leave the country, can I take it as a personal sign aimed directly at me?)...

Sometimes I feel that I can relate to a vast majority of people then an election reminds me that I really just live in an easily pierced bubble that doesn't even make a neat sound when it does get pierced.

Today is the day where you can either vote for a Harper Government or a Canadian Government.

I am performing as The Canadian Romantic tonite, Sunday, Toronto, at Hour Of Power Easter Special - one night only at Unlovable (1415B Dundas St W) hosted by Nick Flanagan...
I think I may completely improvise it based on audience suggested topics....

I must amend previous post by adding, "...must...never...take...self... so damned seriously!"
Part of this is by doing tardy self- promo.
Here's something for tonight:

FEELINGS

If you are in Toronto this Tuesday April 19th, I will be spinning as DJ Body Beautiful at The Beaver (1192 Queen west) for FEELINGS. No cover but the cover of nite. 9-1 with a Midnite Candlelight Recitation by The Canadian Romantic. I will be premiering the hot new Kanye West track entitled, "DJ Body Beautiful Is A Better Tastemaker Than Me, So It's Best If You Just Let Him Spin Music By Disfigured Gospel Singers, Don't Even Play My Song At All."

BLOATED SELF IMPORTANCE

Congested and tired which means that I am on edge. Yesterday I went to the post office. I went in looking at the employee thinking, "You better not blah blah blah" or "If you do blah blah blah, I'll be so pissed!" And the guy was actually super sweet and helpful! I could have killed him. What are those kind of counter-active thoughts called? I hate having them.
Doing a blog sweep yesterday I went in being too hard on myself. Not too much was swept (elements of libel). I left some elements of morbid self-pity and bloated self-importance. Blogs really help to facilitate bloated self-importance. Look at me! Look at me! Hey everybody, look at me! I can wiggle my hips! Whoah! A tree just fell in the forest. Maybe the word 'blog' should only be used in the singular. Blog really help to facilitate self-importance. Thaaaat's better.
Ya know, I think I am fucking coo-coo. Reflection and sparked reminders. Mental elements that show that I am kinda, well, crazy. Sigh. Plum loco.
I'm seeing character traits in myself that I despise, that really need work. I am certainly better than I was, but my warped social instinct needs to get straightened. The fact that I can get so defensive. I am certainly less passive-aggressive than I used to be but I have been seeing taunting glimmers of it lately.
When I feel socially awkward I must gab less and listen more, unless I am cornered by someone dull then I should just jet!

SPRING CLEANING

I think that I may remove some of the more embarrassing, self-pitying, and frantic blog posts (even though my head is congested today). Will I be able to get to them all? And won't I want some sort of record which shows that, yes, I am half-crazy?

FEELINGS/ISSUES

I forgot to plug this and it's happening tonite! Toozday nite!
BRAND NEW! Alternating every Tuesday nite at The Beaver (1192 Queen Street west)!
Issues and Feelings!

This Tuesday (April 5th) Robert Dayton, Junior Presents FEELINGS with D.J. Body Beautiful and a midnight candlelight night recitation by The Canadian Romantic
See The Canadian Romantic's videos here:
www.youtube.com/thecanadianromantic

"I do this for you, there is nothing else like this, the mood of the room is shaped by what I provide, I am so honed like a beam of light that the Midnight Candlelight Recitation will be intensely fashioned and crafted going to` places unexpected. I will make love to you with my voice and soul and musical selections, I don't care who you are, NO COVER but the cover of night.Your life energies need us, this is a nice city but a tad stiff, it needs a massage, my hands can do that, lower, lower, lower, lower....
My Midnight Candlelight recitation is always a hit with the people! What are recitations? Intense spoken reflections of the soul in a romantic manner. We are here to help you get through this mortal life. Have a request? I will fulfill you in a voice that has been trained and honed from the deepest core of my being. Close your eyes? Is this a record? No, it's me talking to you right now, there'll be records after."
FEELINGS is a special night where we spin music that you probably won’t normally hear. A boutique mix of :
ELUSIVE DREAMINGS/PRIVATE PRESSINGS/FREE FORMS/CAN CON CONCRETE/B SIDE EXCURSIONS/ELECTRONIC PRIMITIVA/EMOTIONS/EURO HORRORS/INTENSELY PERSONAL VISIONS/DEEP PSYCH/UN-EASY LISTENINGS AND BALLADS/PRISON SOUNDTRACKS/FANTASTIC JOURNEYS OF WONDER/ORGAN-ISMS/NEO-BAROQUE
With a midnight candlelight night recitation by The Canadian Romantic

This will be ...special.

Then Tuesday April 12th Lorenz Peter Presents: Issues with DJ LP playing Space Disco, Canadian synthpop & new wave vinyl! etc... 10:00 till close.
Lorenz is a talented musician and artist in his own right with unique personal visions whether it's playing synths and FX in Corpusse, making his Vermillion Sands style alien landscape paintings, or his crazy ass comix!To Hurting People

Since we are struggling with pain, even at this moment, we have first hand knowledge of what it is like to experience the silence of God. Sometimes the immense loneliness of pain-whether physical, mental or emotional-is completely overwhelming!
As you listen to us spin, let the music wash over your brokenness as great healing waves of God’s merciful love until you hear the music once again.

From our hearts to yours,
D.J. Body Beautiful and DJ LP

still time to bid

See the previous post about the auction?
The

art auction is almost over, up at the Gladstone until April 5 from 12-5pm each day
(free admission). Act fast.
Bidding on my painting will not only help Japan, it will help my fragile ego. Oh, and there's plenty of other great art as well.

Toronto Loves Japan

This is my piece being auctioned off for The Toronto Loves Japan auction, happening at The Gladstone tonite (April 1st) 7-10 PM. Tell any pals with an excess of money. It's for a great cause (did you hear about Japan?), my man Shayne Ehman (Lord Falcon) asked me to be involved, no hesitation. $20 suggested admission (includes raffle ticket)

*Special one night only auction and raffle with art gifts and surprises*

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
Sonja Ahlers, Paul Aloisi, Nicholas Aoki, Stephen Appleby-Barr, Andrew Remington Bailey, Ashley Barron, Marc Bell, Diego Bergia, Katie Bethune-Leamen, Shary Boyle, Mat Brown, Robin Cameron, Tyler Clark-Burke, Trudie Cheng, Mark Connery, Robert Dayton, Taku Dazai, Brett Despotovich, Yuri Didrichsons, Nicholas DiGenova, Brian Donnelly, Dave Dyment, Shayne Ehman, Matthew Feyld, Melissa Fisher, Brendan Flanagan, Theo Gallaro, James Gardner, Shannon Gerard, Dana Gils, Heather Goodchild, Adrian Hayles, Heydon Park Artists, Sachi Hirano, Derrick Hodgson, Jay Isaac, Melinda Josie, Nathan Jurevicius, Adrienne Kammerer, Kozyndan, Nobuo Kubota, Chris Kuzma, Patrick Kyle, Christy Langer, Aaron Leighton, Tessar Lo, Amy Lockhart, Jamiyla Lowe, Derek Mainella, Chris Martin, Megan McKenzie, Jason Mclean, Alex McLeod, Julie Moon, Jennifer Murphy, Alicia Nauta, Tibi Tibi Neuspiel, Noel Middleton, Luke Painter, Roula Parthenou, Sandy Plotnikoff, Brad Phillips, Katherine Piro, Andrew Pommier, Lauchie Reid, Tony Romano, Kathryn Ruppert-Dazai, Tania Sanhueza, Jennifer Rose Sciarrino, Seth Scriver, Emiko Sekiguchi, German Shible, Lisa Smolkin, Jordan Sonenberg, Jennie Suddick, Derek Sullivan, Team Macho, Jon Todd, Michael Toke, Celeste TooGood, Karen Tracanelli, Howie Tsui, Brett Tyler, Lara Vincent, Andrew Waite, Meichen Waxer, Jacob Whibley, Billy Bert Young, Hyun-Chung Yu and Balint Zsako.

The Canadian Romantic - Episode Twelve: Real Mail

The Mailman brings The Canadian Romantic a letter that sparks an urgent message to all Canadians and then some!
Episode 12 - Real Mail
Directed By Robert Dayton & Craig Irving
Written By Robert Dayton (with Chris Locke)
Shot and Edited By Craig Irving

The Canadian Romantic - Episode Eleven: Mail Ritual

BRAND NEW EPISODE! Yayyy! It's been a while...

This time around the mailman brings The Canadian Romantic a letter from Jason Mclean...
If you enjoy this please feel free to share with your loved ones, we're making it for the pleasure of people...

perpetual neuroses machine

Creative neuroses. A common theme.
Often perpetual.
"Oooh, Robert are you ever satisfied?", my close pals ask.
PREPARE TO BE WHINED! ...again...perhaps one day I can dine.
I am currently hustling and pitching good albums to labels, a strong book project to publishers. And it can drive me crazy. I certainly get enough validation and approval from trusted sources. Yes, I know that they are good and not just taking up space. Often people are totally surprised that I've never had a label or publisher before. I look bigger than I am, people often think that I am totally set up. I know that with a couple of the projects I've had some people say, "I can't believe that no one's released this" which just messes my mind further. With some labels that I pitch to I get "This is really great" a lot but nothing further. Sometimes they act like they just know someone else will put it out. The worst feedback that I have received (so far) was from one publisher, a publisher I respect, that is known as being notoriously picky, telling me that my work wasn't "polished" enough which made sense to me at the time as much of their books are rather technically refined and precise, but then weeks later I saw that one of their latest books looked like a bunch of crude finger paintings and I asked myself, "What's the audience for this? Who would want to buy this?"
I'm not supposed to let it get to me. It's outside of my control, right? Just move on to the next one (I did). It's eating me up inside.And I can't get bitter...again, I've taken measures to not get bitter (again), even moving to a new city.
The thing I am most sick of hearing when I tell random people that I am searching for labels/publishers of pretty much any size (but the right fit, etcetera) is, "Why don't you just do it yourself?"
From now on, I will respond by banging a table and yelling, "Do you know who I am? Do you know the things that I have done? Oh, you don't? Well! For near on twenty years now I have been self-publishing numerous little mags, even a newspaper, etc., and have even- with various acts- released half a dozen albums, numerous tours to strong response. Not to mention the numerous performances, art shows, and mags I've contributed to. Hmm. And you don't know this...perhaps it's because it's had no backing! I repeat: no backing!" Many of these projects that I do have garnered more attention than some of the stuff out there that actually has backing but, because it was DIY it lacked decent distribution (case in point: a rave review from a noted authority causes people in England to want to get an album of mine but the 'distributor' tells them it's sold out- tho it's rather not). I'm told that I am the most known unknown source. I'm not deliberately trying to be obscure. I'd like to create (communicate/express) unhindered and not lose money. Many of my peers and collaborators are garnering well deserved success so that they can develop and grow and do what they do and do it well with something to say. I sometimes have to hear a few of them complain about their lack of acclaim, yet they have labels, or complain about their Italian dealers, yet they actually have dealers, or having to tour, yet they have booking agents and huge shows...I love them but it can be hard for me to listen to sometimes.
I'll admit that some of this sounds like horn tooting, some of you readers of this blog know my history and output- that's how you found this blog- but some of you don't so I have to back up my complaining. How much do these feelings of mine stem from a sense of entitlement? Hmm. Well, is it really too much to want backing after putting so much into it? There is a sense of ego at play here that mixes in with a sense of selflessness, of considering the audience, to make sure that it is relatable yet not banal. Cynics seem drawn to my work. Another ridiculous notion is one of focus when it's obvious I raise a high bar for each project, maybe I should ask James Franco to put his name to it. Or Banksy (yuck).
By writing these thoughts am I sabotaging greater successes? Shattered illusions. I feel like I created multiple mythos long ago so does that even matter, or is the constant reinvention at stake? Nobody knows that I am actually 200 years old (as someone suggested the other day) so the youth culture chips don't need to be cashed in (bless you Debbie Harry).
I've been learning to let go, to not force things, but those feelings have been creeping up again.
I can't stop creating, it's a force working through me that keeps emanating, anti-block, it's spiritual, still it actually feels more spiritual when I feel like I am working towards something...
I'm tired and I don't know what the fuck I am doing wrong. I'd just love to know so I can improve and grow and make things happen.