Ben's Building Update

An update to my 100th post from exactly one year ago about Montreal landmark Ben's Delicatessen:

The CBC and other news sources are reporting that Ben's will soon be torn down by developers. Montreal's Ville-Marie Borough voted that the building has no exceptional heritage value. Their decision cannot be appealed, according to the article.

So, the fate of this Streamlined Modern era building seems to have been sealed and the deli will be no more.

A planned 15-storey condo will go up in the building's place. The city will require it to have some design cues hearkening back to the architecture of the original building.

Another Montreal landmark has disappeared.

Piano for the cows...

Ever seen a concert for cows?

This pianist had the pleasure of putting on such a show.

Click HERE to watch.

Moooo-ve over Liberace...

Enjoy!

Ez

Hemp stadium?!

The new 2012 London Olympic stadium might be wrapped in hemp.

Curious? Have a look-see HERE.

Best to all from Montreal,

Ez

Lake of who?! Lake of Stew!

I was hosting the singular Ralph Bronner of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps in Montreal one week last Fall (we were premiering the Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox doc at Film Pop) and he was invited to a local bi-weekly 'hootenanny' at the Mile-End café Le Cagibi featuring a band called Lake of Stew. So we went, hoping for the best.

It WAS the best. What a band! Loads of twangy old instruments, beards flying, feat stomping and a seemingly endless slew of incredibly catchy original tunes that the hoootin' and hollerin' crowd seemed to know by heart. Oh, and a few of the guys in the band appear to be seven feet tall. Quite an unforgettable spectacle. And all played without mics or amps. The nine-or-so women and men up there just belted everything out in some powerful, primordial folksy kinda way.

(photo by Roger Aziz)

After they took their bows, Ralph jumped out of his seat and up onto stage and proceeded to rave about them. I was so moved by what he said that I scrawled his words down on the proverbial crumpled napkin and handed it to Rick Rigby (one of the 3 (?!) lead singers from the band) for posterity.

Lake of Stew recently posted Ralph's words on their site as part of a push to spread the word for what was a packed and boisterous CD launch last night at Sala Rossa on Montreal's famed St. Laurent Blvd...


Ez Sez the band's CD Ain't Tired Of Lovin' is nothing short of a new Canadian classic. One of the strongest debut albums I've ever heard, it lands somewhere between the very best material by The Band and "Honky Tonk Women" by the Stones. It got 4 stars in the Montreal Gazette and 8 on 10 from The Montreal Mirror.

See you out at the Lake this summer for some good times. This is a big band you'll be hearing big things about if you haven't already.

As they sing on the stunning last song* on the CD... "Unhuh, unhuuuuuuuuuuuuuh...",

Ez

Visit the official Lake of Stew site and hear song samples
HERE.

* The last song on the CD, "Free Medicine" is one of the most beautiful tunes I have heard ever. Yes, ever. For real: ever. A la prochaine post...
(Lake of Stew at the CD launch, 5/16/08, by Ezra S.)

UPDATE: Lake of Stew has announced their first Canadian East Coast summer tour! Check them out in your town. Dates here at their MySpace page and Facebook page.

Le Présent imparfait...

("Palmistries", 4/08, AZ, Ez)

THE PRESENT TENSE
(5/10/08, MTL, Ezra Soiferman)

When the grid gets zapped we’ll have a laugh
Computer’s gone and won’t come back
All I see are screens gone black
When the grid gets zapped we’ll have a laugh

When the skies from smog have all turned brown
Choking life across this town
All I see are greedy clowns
When the skies from smog have all turned brown

Forgotten future, redundant past
The present tense, the only path
The present tense, the only path

Now the rice fields rise in price and water
Bodies strewn across the gutter
All I saw was danger, mother
Now the rice fields rise in price and water

Are the hardest times now behind us?
Or ’m I just blessed with hopeful trust
Join me now as I hop this bus
Are the hardest times now behind us?

Forgotten future, redundant past
The present tense, the only path
The present tense, the only path

A universe that heals
A scar that asks, “what pain?”
Dream, don’t scream forever
We’ll find our way again
The present tense remains
We’ll find our way again

Forgotten future, redundant past
The present tense, the only path
The present tense, the only path

"Take Me Back"

There's a freaky new episodic internet series I'm hooked on. It's called Take Me Back and it's by a couple of Montreal filmmakers named Joe Baron and Seth Mendelson. This is strange stuff that will have probably have you scratching your head and wanting more episodes.

Several of the first installments are already up and can be seen here. More are coming soon!

To get on the TMB mailing list for upcoming episode alerts from Joe and Seth, click here.

Enjoy!

Ez

("The Man In The Mask", a character in Take Me Back. I told you... freaky stuff. Ez)

Ketchup Cap Soup

("Ketchup Cap Soup", 12/02, MTL, Ezra S.)

I spotted this scene in a restaurant one eve.

A plus tard, moutarde.

Ez

Buttons Away

("The Road From Sedoner", 4/23/08, AZ)

BUTTONS AWAY
(Ezra Soiferman, 5/01/08, Montreal)

Too much typing and electric gripin'
'Puter away
Buttons away
That's what they'll say
Hit 'Shut Down' today
Put those buttons away...
And breathe...
Fresh sweet air of trees
No more down on our knees
Slaves to the keys
We were slaves to the keys
Buttons away
Buttons away
Freedom today
Buttons away


Dear Ez Sez Reader,

I took a bit of time off from this site and other pursuits for some travels and have returned to the delightful Ez Sez grind with the aforedimentioned poem and pic.

Holidays'll do that to you.

Hunt and peckingly yours,

Ez

On perfection...

Fundredee...

IT'S A FRIDAY
(4/17/08, MTL, Ezra S.)

It's a pocket of gold
A mouthfulla soul
A stone on a roll
A clap of the hand
It's a Friday
That's all it is, man
It's a Friday
Some kinda French fried day
That comes tearin' in sideways
It's a Friday
You love
You'll love
You love
Like a hand in a glove
Or some sunshine above
It's a Friday
It's a Friday
You love
You'll love
You love
It's a Friday


Ez

The old Birthday beard shot...

This shot is a self portrait I took 6 years ago on my 30th birthday. That was my last beard. I'd shaved it off on that milestone birthday. I'm posting the before/after pic in honour of my 36th birthday today.

Happy Ezra's birthday, guys. Have a peanut-butter, banana & hemp smoothie for me, would'ya.

Ez

Doodle, doodle, yeah!

(Click pic quick for juicy view)Fresh stuff from the notepad to you, Ez Sez readers.

Write on,

Ez

P.S. What's a Hilroy, Ez? (For those outside of Canada who may be unfamiliar with this popular brand of notebook.)

Can this be Ethicle?

There's a new site out there that allows you to support a good case each time you do a web search. It's called Ethicle.org.

Every time you do a search 1 cent is given to the charity you select.

Check it out and use it HERE.

That's my 2 cents for the day.

Ezra

Ever seen an elephant paint?

This is too wild for words. Click HERE to watch.

Enjoy the video.

Ezra

Back from the hack...

("Ez by Mr. Epelbaum", 3/08, MTL. Photo by Mr. Epelbaum at Regent Photo on Parc)

I'm back from the hack. Yesterday's Ez Sez posting was a slight scare (luckily it took place on April 1st) but I'm back and ready to bring you more.

Stay tuned for more Ez Sezzishness this Spring.


Ez

P.S. Spamping will NOT be something we need to worry about. We got them hackers on the run...

Earth You

Earth
Earth you
Earth second
Earth minute
Earth hour
Earth day
Earth month
Earth year
Earth decade
Earth century
Earth millennium
Earth million years
Earth billion years
Earth trillion years
Earth heaven
Earth universe
Earth infinity
Earth you

A new one...

I invented a new expression yesterday: Be AZAP! (EY-zap!)

Huh?!

When flummoxed... be AZAP.
When frustrated... be AZAP.
When furious... be AZAP!

AZAP: As Zen As Possible!

Fresh new things for you here always at Ez Sez.

Ez

Love is about...

("New York, New York had never been like that", Paris, 2000, Ezra S.)

LOVE IS ABOUT
Fear is the easy way out
Love is around us
Love is about

~~~


My 'puter whispers "shut me."
So, I go.
A bientot...

Ez

Winter's almost over...

("Honda Onda Move", 3/21/08, MTL, by Ezra S.)

New hemp report hits the streets...

Reason Foundation has just published a report entitled "Illegally Green: Environmental Costs of Hemp Prohibition."

If you're curious as to the potential environmental benefits of the hemp plant which can be used to make everything from food to fuel, paper to plastic, cloth to car panels, you'll want to check out this report.

The short version can be found here.

The full version can be found here.

About Reason.org: “Thank goodness for Reason… one sane voice fighting tons of nonsense.” John Stossel, ABC's 20/20

Stay hempy, friends.

Ez

UPDATE: The NY Times eco-blog Dot Earth just wrote the Reason report up. It's not just Ez Sez going on about this hemp stuff, y'know!

This just in...

We're all here together.

Ez

(Click pic quick for juicy view.)

(Click image for juicy view)

Josh Ritter in Montreal...

(Josh Ritter in Montreal. Photo by Ez)

Hello Friends and Friendly Strangers,

This Wednesday, March 5th, is the day Josh Ritter (read his Ez Sez welcome letter) plays a show at Sala Rossa in Montreal.

Hope to see you there!

Ez

Watch Josh on Letterman recently HERE.

Ez Sez mailing list

Not already on the Ez Sez mailing list?

Want the odd email from Ez Sez when there's special news?

Say the word.

Simply send an email with the words 'Ez Sez Me' to ezra at pressuredrop.com

Keeping you in the loop,

Ez

"Quote Unquote"

(Click the LineDot ArtText drawing for juicy view...)

Woody Allen Portrait...

(Click pic quick for juicy view)

Rendez-vous at the Segal!

The films and fun start this Saturday through next Thursday (Feb 16-21) at the Segal Centre's CinemaSpace, the brand new theatre I've been helping to build over the past few months. It's got surround sound, an HD projector and yes... you guessed it... Canada's first hemp-covered eco-plush cinema seats!

Come on down each night at 7pm to watch great shorts and features, in English and French, being presented as part of CinemaSpace's inaugural collaboration with the Rendez-vous du Cinéma Québécois film fest.

Hope to see you there!

The full schedule, CinemaSpace address and all the film synopses can be found HERE.

Bon cinéma!

Ez

P.S. Want to be on the official CinemaSpace email list to be the first to know about upcoming screenings? Simply drop me an email at: ezra at pressuredrop dot com

Frozen Grand Central

Wanna see what happened when 207 people froze in place at Grand Central Station in NYC?

I thought so.

Ez