By Guida Feliz

June 15, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

The Burlington Sound of Music Kick-Off came alive at the Waterfront. It could not have been a more perfect weekend. The hot Saturday sun beat down on the Burlington Sound of Music Festival while the beat of the concert music played to a high energy crowd.

Head banging with style – or the photo op of the day. Whichever – the sound drove the crowds wild at the Saturday SoM Kick Off.

The crowds of adoring fans arrived in droves to watch their favourite bands. The food trucks lined up along the boardwalk. The Waterfront was busy with boats anchored to listen to the music. Everyone showed up to enjoy this event; families, dog lovers, teens, people of all ages came out to support the Burlington Sound of Music Festival Kick Off.

As I walked through the main gate I could see the teams of volunteers attending to everything from ticket scanners to assisting people and answering questions. I ran into Ted Mills, ‘really I had to move to avoid being run over by him’ Ted wore a bright yellow t-shirt with the words “Event Control”.

I asked him if he had a few minutes to chat with me. I asked him how long he had been a volunteer with the event. He smiled and said “14 years’. Ted told me he was very proud of the event and felt this was a great event for Burlington to host. Ted loves what he does and this is his way to give back to the Burlington Community.

I also had a chance to chat very briefly with the Ticket Scanner volunteer. She smiled and told me this event was great. She explained the ticket scanning was a great idea; and a great way to keep the line ups moving quickly so everyone could get to their concerts. .

I was excited to be joining the other photographers and journalists who were taking photos of Burlington’s own Finger Eleven as they performed. We all gathered by the front gate waiting to be escorted by the media coordinator to the media pit. We hung
our cameras over our shoulders and got “ready to aim snap and capture” the band Finger Eleven in concert.

Fingers 11 – working that instrument at the Sound of Music Kick Off on Saturday.

Finger Eleven was introduced to the excited fans by the Host of CHCH news anchor Nick Dixon. The band was formed in 1989. The first guitarist came out whaling his electric guitar joining the drummer and base guitarist. Then we all got a real treat, a ‘head banging” show from the guitarist.

As he began to play his guitar he was hidden behind his long long black hair. His hair flew in the air as he dropped his head back and forth to the sound of his guitar. Throughout each song he bounced across the stage with such energy; the loud applause and cheers could be heard for miles. Finger Eleven was one of many concerts during the Burlington Sound of Music Kick Off this past weekend.

There were fans standing inside the media ‘Pit’ as well. Concert go-ers wishing to get real close to their favourite band; could do so by purchasing a $60.00 ticket plus another $25.00 which gave them access to the ‘Pit’. “Yes you could stand inches from the stage.”

This apparently is the first time the Sound of Music has asked for payment to gather at favoured spots right up close to the stage – where we were told when we could click our cameras and when we couldn’t.

Historically the Sound of Music has been a free event – is there a change in policy in the works? Could we see the Sound of Music as a fully ticketed event in the future?

Kristin and Justin Butler; owners of the Chimneys food truck doing their first SoM event.

I noticed long line ups at the food trucks. So, I took a few minutes to chat with Kristin and Justin Butler; owners of the Chimneys food truck. This was their first time at the Burlington Sound of Music Kick-Off and found the energy invigorating.

I was able to chat with David Miller, Executive Director of the Burlington Sound of Music. He was a very busy man this weekend. According to David, there were a few unexpected glitches; this only meant they will look closely at how to avoid future issues. Concentrating on making it even a better experience. He is very proud of the event which he has been heading up for nine years.

This was the Fourth year of the Burlington Sound of Music Kick-Off. I asked David who was the brainchild behind the idea for a Ticketed Event. He told me it was a ‘collaborative effort’.

He explained how the Burlington community and others have been asking for a bigger and better concert line-up. David was able to fill that request by adding bands such as: Our Lady Peace, Finger Eleven, Collective Soul and David Wilcox, to name a few. He also mentioned that the ‘Free’ weekend at the Burlington Sound of Music has also been a success.

During the ‘Free’ weekend there were a few options: the Front Row Concert Tickets cost $25.00; the Sweet VIP Concert Tickets cost $100; this includes a drink and a meal.

Every year the money raised goes to a different recipient. This year the recipient is the Joseph Brant Hospital, Music Therapy.

.

.

By Pepper Parr

June 3, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

When Reid Flock was a student in Burlington he used to hang around what was then known as the Burlington Art Centre and found himself drifting to the pottery section where he learned to throw clay.

Pottery: yes, of a different sort. The colours are resplendent and the shapes whimsical. A flock piece is up for bidding at the Art Gallery auction.

He found himself being heavily influenced by Kayo O’Young, a ceramist who worked out of Kleinburg. Reid may not have known it at the time but his future was being determined and he decided he needed to spend some time in Japan.

What was to be a one year trip turned into a nine year journey that brought him back to Canada where he now works out of a studio in Hamilton turning out some of the most astounding pottery this country has seen.

The Art Gallery of Burlington is holding its annual Art Auction – there will be a small piece of Flock’s work up for the bidders.

Jonathan Smith, curator of the ceramics collection at the Art Gallery of Burlington, looks over a Reid Flock piece that is being readied for shipping. Smith played a strong role in guiding Flock as he developed his skills with clay while at student.

Flock tells of the times Jonathan Smith would lock him in the ceramics vault at the art gallery where he would spend hours looking at different pieces and developing the sense of ceramics that allowed him to grow into the artist he is today.

Flock is perhaps the most accomplished artist to come out of the Burlington Gallery.

If you were to be invited to a display of pottery you would probably attend with an idea at least of what you were going to see – when you see the work that Flock does your understanding of pottery is shattered.

Flock calls his art whimsical – something that reflects a society and will smile when you tell him his work looks like baskets that happen to be made of “burnt dirt”.

I suggested to him that the Flocking Red Basket reminded me of the Queen of Hearts at the croket game in Alice in Wonderland. “Exactly”, flock responded “you’re beginning to understand the whimsy of it all.”

Reid Flock talking to his Dad about an idea he is working on.

Flock has no idea who buys his work when it is first sold. He learns later who has a piece and at times it is borrowed for a showing.

While his reds and his blues are, to this viewer, his most stunning, Flock has done pieces in black and in pick and has done a piece with polka dots – which I thought was taking whimsy a bit further than it might have been intended to go.

Flock is awaiting funding for a new tangent he wants to go off on – “squeeze toys” which was about all he wanted to say about the next venture other than to add that the pieces would be larger than his Flocking Red Basket which is the largest piece he has done.

During a meeting with Karen Brouwers at her Framesite location in Aldershot, Flock, his Dad along with Jonathan Smith and his brother were talking about how the red piece would be shipped – he has had at least one piece of his work broken in transit – he mentioned that his cat had climbed into the piece.  Seeing Reid Flock’s work as something with utility is a real stretch

There will be a small Flock piece at the Art Gallery of Burlington Art auction which is doing exceptionally well with their 200 for $200. event. Painting by some well-known local artists were snapped up very quickly. There are still some good pieces available.

Art Gallery curator Denis Longchamps looks over some of the 200 for $200 pieces that are still available at the annual Art auction

The Art Auction is being held at a time when weather, hopefully, will not have the negative impact it has had in the past.  This year the event has a theme: La Belle Époque that will see the gallery transposed into something resembling  Paris at the turn of the century.

It was a period of time seen as a “beautiful era: that began in the late 1800’s and ended with the start of the First World War.

The hope that those attending the event would take to costume and really represent the era is expecting too much – Burlington isn’t there yet.

However, young people from the Student Theatre under the guidance of Rainer Noack will be on hand and in costume. Our young have always led the way haven’t they?

The art auction committee is headed up by Cheryl Goldring, an artist in her own right, is looking for ways to take a new direction and trying to create a theme for each year and make the event not just a fund raiser but something that raises the cultural bar of the city.

The event is a major fund raiser for the Gallery which has gone through a very rough patch financially. The city had to basically bail them out to the tune of $100,000 a year for two years.

Local art on sale at the Art Gallery of Burlington Auction.

The importing of a new President and CEO, Robert Steven, from Grande Prairie is the beginning of a stronger focus on the ceramics collection and hopefully boosting the reputation of the collection, which is really very good, to the point where it will draw people to the gallery and the city.

Some of the buzz going about the city suggests a new location for the Art Gallery might also be in the works – the property they are on has very significant value that a developer is believed to be talking to the city about exploiting.

Interesting times ahead.