Lauren Best » Media

Full-band videos from CD Release at Supermarket!

Lauren — Fri, 27 May 2011 20:10:31 +0000

Videos from my CD release show at the Supermarket are now up! It was a
fantastic show, and I’m so glad it was filmed so I can share it with
y’all.

Both these videos feature special guest Colleen Allen (saxophone). My
fabulous band on that evening also included Will Bustin (drums), Kevin
Barrett (guitar), Chris Adriaanse (bass), Edwin Sheard
(saxophone/flute), Lauren Barnett (saxophone) and Julian Brindley
(trumpet).

You can also check out more videos and subscribe by visiting my YouTube channel!

Interview on Liquid Lunch

Lauren — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:51:58 +0000

It’s been beautiful sunny days in Toronto, and the sky just opened up in a spectacular thunder and lightning storm. I’ve had an intense and wonderful and invigorating few weeks- several great concerts, my Toronto CD launch, two days of filming for Far From The Heart, some great interviews, some beautiful moments in the sun, and even playing piano during my cousin’s lovely wedding.

Just before driving to Hamilton for my May 10 concert with Ann Vriend, I did a live interview on Liquid Lunch.

Toronto CD release tomorrow night!

admin — Wed, 11 May 2011 18:15:40 +0000

In just over 24 hours I’ll be sound-checking for tomorrow night’s long-awaited Sticker Collection Toronto CD release at Supermarket with my good friend Joshua Cockerill opening! In addition to being incredibly excited that the show is finally here — especially after this week’s intense rehearsals — I have it on reliable authority that the food at Supermarket is incredible, full of creative “Asian tapas” choices that won’t blow your budget.

The Facebook event link is here. You can also download Sticker Collection in its entirety here until May 15th.

Special thanks to Errol Nazareth for profiling me on CBC Radio One’s ‘Big City, Small World’ this past weekend. It’s a real honour to have one of the city’s best sets of ears say this about my record:

“It’s a fair bet that you’ve heard the phrase “singer/songwriter” being used a fair bit on this show, and I’m certain I’ve used it many times.For me, though, one of the things that makes a songwriter stand apart from the rest of the pack is the person’s ability to craft songs that stand on their own merit.What I mean by that is that their songs will not lose any of their appeal or immediacy if they are performed without a band. Oftentimes, they pack more poignancy if they are performed at say, a spoken word show. Lauren Best has this gift for writing songs that stand on their own merit. Her auspicious debut album, Sticker Collection, is filled with intimate, confessional poetry. Essentially, this is music for thoughtful contemplation.”

I had a great time yesterday doing a live-to-air on ThatChannel.com‘s ‘Liquid Lunch’ with Hugh Reilly, who’s a terrific host. Lastly, I’d like to thank Olivia Shortt for having me on her show ‘Life on Mars’ on CIUT 89.5 FM this past Monday. We’ve all been working like hamsters in the treadmill trying to bring you the best possible show and I hope to see lots of you out there to support tomorrow night!

Interviews on Hamilton Campus Radio

Lauren — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:42:27 +0000

You can catch me TODAY (Apr 8) on Mohawk College campus radio (INDI
101, 101.5 FM) at 2 pm. I’m also taping an interview for McMaster
campus radio (CFMU 93.3 FM) to be aired this week.
What’s all the Hamilton buzz about? I’m doing an encore concert at the
Pearl Company, with Hamilton Music Awards Rising Star winners Dawn and Marra (www.dawnandmarra.com). I’m unveiling a very exciting new band configuration at this concert: Will Bustin on percussion/guitar, new
Renegade Jen Benton (The Cliks, Andy Kim) on upright and electric
bass, and a horn section featuring Karen Ng (Broken Social Scene, Do
Make Say Think, The Happiness Project), Edwin Sheard (Donlands and
Mortimer), and Aurora Cowie (Barbarella). That’s right: horn section!

Say you’re attending and share via the Facebook event.

Can you tell how excited I am?

p.s. Because I just can’t stay away from the Hammer… May 10. Artword Artbar, Hamilton. With Ann Vriend. Details to follow, but you heard it here first. I’m very excited about sharing the stage with Ann.

Interview on CTV’s The Beat

Lauren — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:01:11 +0000

Prior to my gig at Maxwell's Music House in Waterloo, the folks from The Beat (CTV Southwestern Ontario) stopped by to do an interview, and got some footage of the show, too! You'll notice Will Bustin on guitar/percussion.

Part four.

http://swo.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110205/TheBeat2011-02-05/20110206/?hub=SWOTheBeat

Lovely shirt and hat provided by Anne Hopkins (annehopkins.ca)!

Waterloo, St. Catharine’s, Hamilton

Lauren — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:10:36 +0000

Today I had a great interview with Emma Ditchburn on CFMU, and I also
taped an interview with CTV’s The Beat which will be aired on January
29th (southwestern ontario) and also available online. I have another
interview on Saturday (January 15th) on CFMU (93.3 or worldwide at
cfmu.mcmaster.ca) on the Freewheeling Folk Show which airs from 10 am
’till Noon.

I’m playing tonight in Waterloo, tomorrow in St. Catherine’s, and
Saturday night in Hamilton! I have copies of Sticker Collection with
me, tea blends, chapbooks, buttons and a fabulous drummer/guitarist
(Will Bustin. He’s not for sale, but everything else is)!

WATERLOO
Thursday January 13th, 2011 at 8:30 pm
Maxwell’s Music House (220 King St. North)
$7 cover, $5 students

part Songwriter’s Circle
with The Mountain’s & The Trees, Zachary Lucky, and Richard Garvey

ST. CATHARINE’S
Friday January 14th at 8 pm
The Pan Cafe (120 St. Paul St.)
PWYC ($7 suggested)

with Bryson Waind

HAMILTON
Saturday January 15th at 8 pm
The Pearl Company (16 Steven St.)
$8 advance, $5 students
with Shelley Adams and Melissa Bel

Live radio performance on CHML

Lauren — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:57:12 +0000

I have a live performance and interview on The Scott Thompson Show on AM 900 CHML tomorrow (Friday January 7th)! The show airs from 12 pm to 3 pm with the music segment from 2:30 pm – 3 pm. If you're in Hamilton, you can also catch it in person at 33 Bowen Street!

Sun Times Article

Lauren — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:45:48 +0000

I did a short interview with the Owen Sound Sun Times yesterday which hit the papers today. You can view the article online. There is also some video of the interview.

p.s. There’s a few tickets left for both of the concerts this weekend. To avoid disappointment I strongly advise you get tickets in advance (and soon) if you plan to come.

Live on Rogers TV

Lauren — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:23:12 +0000

I’m back in Owen Sound and it’s a bit of a whirlwind, but let’s update:

Appearing on Rogers TV Cable 53
For those of you in Grey-Bruce, you can catch me with Robin Pradham (owner of the Rocky Raccoon, fantastic chef, and all around great guy) live on Rogers at 11 am tomorrow (Friday February 27th). The show runs from 11-12. I’ll be performing a few tunes and Robin will be cooking.

Owen Sound Shows
Tickets are going fast for the show I’m doing at Robin’s Rocky Raccoon as well as for the house concert the night before. Information about both events can be found here.
These shows will be recorded, and is the first appearance of the new configuration of the Renegade Company (with old favourites and new delights).

Interviews
I finished an interview for the Sun Times this morning, and will be doing a Local Artist Profile at Bayshore Broadcasting this afternoon. I’ll provide more information/links as they come, but keep your eyes and ears out for those as well (the Sun Times story should be in the paper tomorrow, Saturday at the latest).

And the site is still coming…
A fabulous new site is on it’s way. It’ll be better lookin’, smarter, and easier to get along with.
Yes, you can RSS blog posts and/or gigs with the current site.
And yes, you can join the (as of yet unpromoted and largely unknown, but functional) Lauren Best and the Renegade Company facebook group.
And yes, please do join the mailing list if you still like to receive emails and haven’t entirely moved on to spacebooks and rssessessess and whatnot.

A Parting Thought
I saw a concert at the Rivoli on Tuesday night that was inspiring and moving, mind-blowing and soul-stirring and soup-making and bone-shaking. We already knew we loved the Undesirables and even had previously had a taste of some of the Toronto poets which were featured. But what I didn’t really have a grasp of was C.R. Avery. Please go listen to him right now. Right now. And remember his name, and go see him if you ever have the chance.