RIP Gord (Budget Shoes)

Generally leaning towards private reflection when a public icon passes on, I wasn't intending to mention Gord Downie's death online... And then I thought of Willie Thrasher, and Linda Saddleback, and Malcolm Jack, and our cover of "Budget Shoes" from Gord and The Sadies' "Conquering Sun" album. I met Gord a few years back at a concert in Vancouver thanks to a kind introduction by Dr. Dallas Good. He was friendly, playful, and interested to hear about the yet to be released Native North America compilation that I had just completed. As a teenager, I had been inspired by The Hip's Another Roadside Attraction tour that landed on Seabird Island in 1993 w/ performances by Midnight Oil, World Party, and Pere Ubu amidst a backdrop of mountainous nature. In the midst of Clayoquot rainforest clearcutting not far away, there was an intentional activist and environmentally conscious element to the event and it stuck w/ me: the connection between people, the earth, and the universal expression of music. So today, I will listen to both Gord and Willie's versions of "Budget Shoes," and bow my head in reverence to everyone out there who is making a difference by going above and beyond (the edge)... (Rest In) PEACE