Seabear at the Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, March 31 2010
– text by eugene osudar/photos by Amber Anne Dawkins
something beautiful happened
last night
at The Horseshoe.
something after Dori’s line
about pussy licking
something beautiful happened
when I steered Dori away
from that shock talk
musician hic,cup
endless interview
hip,hop,yum,sex,yum,girls
the blur of too many
nights/days in a row
in
deep dark dungeons
tuning guitars
and preparing for
The Unknown
what will be?
the unfolding
the de/layering
the skin
the human skin
covering
the souls
of artists
I Sing I Swim
this is what i saw
observed,
Soley, the keyboardist,
running around and whooshing
past me, i feel the Cold Summer
breeze,
as her opening set time
approaches,
“i’m with guttersnipe,”
i uselessly offer.
Guggy, the violinist,
right behind her
all tension and nervous energy,
panic really.
what will be?
Sindri the lead singer
acoustic guitar player
alone
wandering
the bar
hoping for
peace in this
moment
Now
of impending
p
a
n
i
c
.
what will be?
and Dori, talking to me,
the spokesman/deflector
of another interviewer,
i give my history
with Icelanders, staying
with beautiful
Gudrun and the wonder
of Winnipeg’s Nuna Festival,
a celebration of Iceland’s arts
in Winnipeg and Gimli
and their music,
Icelandic pop,
Sugarcubes
Bjork
Sprengjuhollin
Mugison
Sigur Ros
and Mum (who played in Winnipeg
last year but i had to review
a different kind of beauty)
who are and what is
Seabear?
in this mix.
Dori smiles
Bjork! his Mum and he
they look at her as just
a little crazy
so many brilliant artists are,
we agree,
and i retell the story
of being in Bangkok
when Bjork
went “a little crazy”
with that female Thai broadcaster.
the scratch/punch up
in the airport
Sprengjuhollin and Mugison
and Mum
is my way of deflecting
the guarded interviewee
and Yes
suddenly
the pussy licking
shock talk pose
nearly
Nearly
disappears
it’s when i mention
my excitement
at seeing Megas!!!!!
the Bob Dylan
of Iceland
that he totally relaxes
and wants to really talk
because
that old guy
Rocks and when i saw him
(Thank you Robbie Rousseau
for bringing us
a Bob Dylan with cajones!)
playing and roaring
that old lion
Punk Rock
style
with a kick/ass
backup band of cocky
cubs
and i couldn’t understand
a single word
no matter
because i understood
this Lion
this King
in his 60s?
is so more punk rock
than these hiplomat
kids in leathers
and tattoos
(n)ever will be.
Dori says,
it’s Bob Dylan
and Megas
that he’ll listen to.
and from there,
i mention the wonder
of 2 point 5 million plays
on their myspace
staggering!
665,000 plays of the lovely song
I Sing I Swim
the numbers are as astonishing
as his face
is
he is
they are
astonished.
his eyes
un and dis
believing
are
huge!
why them
and how?
Austin, an Immense
success
merch flying out
my friend Greg buys
the very last
Seabear tour shirt
in the Large size.
the buzz is too much really.
it’s really a roar.
it’s deafening.
pressure. anxiety.
blur. far away from
home. from art.
i went to the myspace
before and thought
these songs
are dreamy/atmospheric
childlike
there is potential
for a wonderful live
set.
but there is also
potential for
ho/hum
yawn.
what will be?
Sindri’s
arms, exposed
skin reveals
tattoos
but there’s something
different
i see patterns
i see art
thought
creativity
not the yawn
of same old
the same old
angry tattoos
that punk rock
posers
wear.
his sullen face
monotone delivery
deadpan humor
it’s nervousness
he simply
says the song titles
and they play
and something beautiful
happens in 74 minutes
in 15 songs
i dance.
i move.
i sing, joining
the choir of the last gorgeous
song
of the main set
(Seashell), as Soley
points to me
her hands
the maestro,
and
i’m not alone
as a comfortably packed
Horseshoe on a warm
Wednesday night,
the audience
roars,
their eyes are huge
with wonder
i watch the woman
at the foot of Sindri
her eyes
big and beautiful
and awe,
struck
heart and soul
struck
what happens is
Seabear’s energy
creativity
and joy.
their exuberance
shines through
their nervousness.
arms
lion face boy
singing
fire dies
i’ll build
wooden teeth
(still don’t know what this song
was on the set list, it looked like
Leaf FMsyk!)
soft ship
warm snow (?)
cold summer
wolf boy
seashell
we fell off the roof
wicked game (chris isaak cover)
i sing i swim
Sindri’s smile
came in the roar
of encore
sincerely wanted
and given
and the band beginning
to play Chris Isaak’s song
and Sindri goes with their
insistent, relaxing,
breath(ing) flow.
he meanders
looks at Soley
and then
releases
relaxes
and smiles!
and there.
beauty.
is.
so, i return to the myspace
this morning. and research.
and discover, clicking on
their highlighted names,
you will find
Art
Beauty.
Sindri is a visual artist.
Dori a photographer.
Sindri is colors and patterns.
is Beauty.
layers, of skin.
the canvas.
the art of tattooing
is knowing
the beauty within colors
and shapes. inking.
meticulous
delicious
colors.
textures.
removing clothes.
we see the latest exhibition.
of your soul.
playing country
style
dreamy style
atmospheric
shuffling style
is
Seabear’s sound palette.
and the stylish! shoes.
Soley’s and Guggy’s.
nearly forgot.
Guggy’s violin. plucking strings
and beautiful highlights.
Trumpet and French horn.
i can’t read Dori’s scribbling!
Eiko? i’m sorry, i loved
your playing.
Kjartan on percussion.
Orn lead guitar.
a beautiful band.
of artists.
and musicians.
7 Icelanders
in their 20s
panicked
together
in the whirlwind
of sudden success.
and their eyes
are as immense
as their smiles
as they accept
the roars and applause
in a beautiful place,
space and time
Toronto (take a bow, too)
arms around shoulders
bowing
happy
elated
this is success.
Seabear
March 31
The Horseshoe.
