All Night Painting

I was asked to be a saboteur in an all night painting competition conducted by Paul Butler at the Art Gallery of Ontario. (that’s me in red) The audience and other contestants did not know that this was my role. These are some of the things that I did:

I would show up to each challenge late.

I called my mother in front of all the other contestants complaining how I was older than them and had paid my dues, had a large CV, and didn’t need to win the prize of a show at the MOCCA because if I didn’t have a show there by now, it didn’t matter. My Mother was not in on it so she tried to talk me into it.

Very early on while I sat around looking depressed without making so much as one mark, one guy yelled at me to “Get to work!” so I told him to leap over the balcony and die. He cursed at me, I told him that there were children present. I kept staring at him. He was such a ruckus that security escorted him out. Security also kept their eye on me. My painting was a valiant effort that ended with the words, “I give up.”

The second challenge was to paint to a Neil Young tribute band. I kept yelling for songs off Trans, when they said that they didn’t know any I stormed off. I painted the words “music for dad” and “Neil young was smart- he left Canada” and an image of Neil young snoring.
For the third challenge I complained that I didn’t like the artist model so I painted a volunteer from the audience, I told her that I was doing her a favour so stop texting.

For challenge four I got people from the audience to paint for me. They asked if I wanted to see their painting. “No, I don’t care.”

Challenge six was to paint to a Guy Maddin film, a previously unseen one, never shown anywhere before starring a tranny, some oral, I painted for a bit then ran and leaped into my canvas. This was after another contestant had whipped some drunk obnoxious guy really hard with paint, he ripped her top off and she had to run and get changed.

Also I’d stare down the crowd a lot and grotesquely flirt with the girls. I painted the name of the corporate bank sponsor on my tee shirt (someone suggested this idea to me). After eating fish, I’d get people to smell my fingers. I also drank breast milk straight form the source. I couldn’t be that mean to the other contestants, I even gave massages by the end as some of them worked really hard and made some good paintings.

I think it was a success. I am still recuperating.


BEES (!) - A TWO DAY EXTRAVAGANZA OF ART AND MUSIC



I will be pontificating on bees as The Canadian Romantic at this....dolls will be for sale.

The White House Studio will become an immersive honeycomb of hive activity as our next shindig reflects our questionable lack of judgement.
277.5 Augusta Ave.
Toronto, ON


Friday - Sept 30th - 9PM-2PM
OPENING NIGHT / RECEPTION
DJ PETER MALCOLM
ROBERT DAYTON IS THE CANADIAN ROMANTIC
(AND TBA)
& A Mad Honeycomb Dance Floor

Opening for The World Provider Friday September 23rd!!!

That's right The Canadian Romantic is opening for The World Provider this Friday September 23rd 2011 at The Tranzac Main Hall (292 Brunswick Ave.)in Toronto.
GET THERE EARLY: I HIT THE STAGE AT 9 PM!
Also on the bill is tomboyfriend.
The World Provider has built a special stage set!

Check out this great video by The World Provider:


And there is a new batch of The Canadian Romantic dolls for sale at the show all glittered up just for youuuuu!

July Fourth Toilet- recorded musical selections with wild footage

July Fourth Toilet music accompanied by silent footage of a glammed out show at The Brickyard, Vancouver, Canada, early 2000s? It's got bubbles, balloons, kisses and more!
July Fourth Toilet are Canada's wildest and most unpredictable band ever. July Fourth Toilet-Twinkle Bell/Land Of Fruit/ The Emblem Is In Your Control/ Sweet Gnome/ Deep Sea Diver

More here:
http://julyfourthtoilet.bandcamp.com/

Great July Fourth Toilet review "White Album"

Well, it's slow having people realise that July Fourth Toilet are the wildest and most unpredictable Canadian band of all time!!!! (and I say this with modesty)

Review by Amy Lam from the new issue (#4) of Offerings (great paper available free around Toronto) of our White Album (PWYC from our bandcamp page):
“This is July Fourth Toilet making their way through the Beatles White Album. I did a song by song comparison and I think that about 50% July Fourth Toilet are better and 50% Beatles are better. I like the Beatles’ “Savoy Truffle” better. The Beatles are more straightforward about going to the dentist if you eat too many chocolates, which makes it actually more insane. July Fourth Toilet’s “Honey Pie” is someone asking “can we do a song off Rumours instead.” and they do, so it’s better NOT ONLY by virtue of concept. “Goodnight” by both bands is a tie in terms of whether or not you can actually listen to it while trying to relax in your bed. “Martha my Dear” by July Fourth Toilet is them playing the Beatles song at 3x speed on a record player. When iTunes 26 comes out you will be able to play July Fourth Toilet’s “My Guitar Gently Weeps” and hear the Beatles’ version. July Fourth Toilet are the best band in all of history and if you don’t like the Beatles you’re an idiot.”

http://julyfourthtoilet.bandcamp.com

HAPPENINGS

Bzzzy days...
This Thursday I am part of a Nirvana trib at The Silver Dollar singing a song.
Then Friday at the Comedy Bar The Canadian Romantic opens for Neil Hamburger! Get tix before it sells out! He's in town for two nites with Nick Flanagan but I will only be on the Friday bill....
....because my rock band WET DIRT plays its' first show with new mine-up opening for The Bon's album release with The Weirdies. On at 10:30. Bovine Sex Club.

Last FEELINGS for a while.

Tuesday july 5th, The Beaver 1192 Queen West, 9ish PMish

is the last FEELINGS for a while, I have to take a ME-ternity leave

...but I was just in Montreal so I'll be playing some new records, yayyy! Prizes and projections by Eyesore, the neatest video store!
Midnite candlelight recitation by The Canadian Romantic...


FEELINGS is the creme brulee (but made with warm salty tears) of DJ nites.

"I do this for you, there is nothing else like this, the mood of the room is shaped by what I provide, I am so honed like a beam of light that the Midnight Candlelight Recitation will be intensely fashioned and crafted going to` places unexpected. I will make love to you with my voice and soul and musical selections, I don't care who you are, NO COVER but the cover of night.Your life energies need us, this is a nice city but a tad stiff, it needs a massage, my hands can do that, lower, lower, lower, lower....
My Midnight Candlelight recitation is always a hit with the people! What are recitations? Intense spoken reflections of the soul in a romantic manner. We are here to help you get through this mortal life. Have a request? I will fulfill you in a voice that has been trained and honed from the deepest core of my being. Close your eyes? Is this a record? No, it's me talking to you right now, there'll be records after."
FEELINGS is a special night where we spin music that you probably won’t normally hear. A boutique mix of :
ELUSIVE DREAMINGS/PRIVATE PRESSINGS/FREE FORMS/CAN CON CONCRETE/B SIDE EXCURSIONS/ELECTRONIC PRIMITIVA/EMOTIONS/EURO HORRORS/INTENSELY PERSONAL VISIONS/DEEP PSYCH/UN-EASY LISTENINGS AND BALLADS/PRISON SOUNDTRACKS/FANTASTIC JOURNEYS OF WONDER/ORGAN-ISMS/NEO-BAROQUE
With a midnight candlelight night recitation by The Canadian Romantic

This will be ...special.

THE CANADIAN ROMANTIC DOLL

The Canadian Romantic doll to be sold at The Evening With The Canadian Romantic at Blue Sunshine Psychotronic Film Centre (3660, Boul. St-Laurent, 3e Étage) in Montreal this Saturday July 2nd. Drawn by Robert Dayton, screen printed and made by Philip Franklin, sewn and photographed by Madge Isabel Colleran. It’s a VERY limited supply! Each one comes glittered just like The Canadian Romantic himself!
Front:

Back:

MONTREAL: AN EVENING WITH THE CANADIAN ROMANTIC

If you are in Montreal….

Robert Dayton Junior Presents:
AN EVENING WITH THE CANADIAN ROMANTIC

Saturday July 2
Doors 7:45pm
Showtime: 8:30pm


Blue Sunshine Psychotronic Film Centre

3660, Boul. St-Laurent, 3e Étage
Montreal, QC

This will be a one of a kind evening that combines large amounts of shared laughter with soft music and unsettling feelings of desire…!

Robert Dayton’s most recent project is his series of videos and performances as the persona of The Canadian Romantic, a melodramatic figure of faded glamour who tries to bridge the gap between Canada and romance with somewhat dubious results…. Some key Canadian Romantic videos will be played and a BRAND NEW VIDEO will be unveiled! The Canadian Romantic himself will be performing live, taking topic suggestions from the crowd for his infamous impromptu candlelight Recitations. Expect glittery Bon Mots aplenty from a man of way too much experience. You will come alive with laughter feeling like you’ve woken up at an undisclosed time with make up smeared across your face.

After that will be a curated tour of the forgotten musical Recitation genre, which also includes the notion of famous Ac-tor as Singer: expect the plummy tones of Telly Savalas, Bruno Gerussi, Richard Harris, and a few glorious unknowns! This musical genre has been a key influence on The Canadian Romantic.

FEELINGS: I LOVE ROBIN GIBB EDITION TONITE (TUESDAY JUNE 21st)

Join us tonite, Tuesday, June 21st, at The Beaver (1192 Queen Street West) as we celebrate Robin Gibb starting at 9:30 Pm with the velveteen double album melodramatic orch-pop opus Odessa by the Bee Gees. THIS IS A DOUBLE ALBUM ABOUT A SINKING SHIP! NOT DISCO! REMOVE THE STIGMA FOR GREAT SIBLING HARMONIZING ORCH-POP! It was the single from this album that made Robin leave the act and his brothers to make two solo albums Robin's Reign and the rare, precious, and unreleased Sing Slowly Sisters: we'll be playing both! Melancholia, speed, and strings, and drum machine. It's like "There's A Riot Goin on" if Sly Stone was a skinny white Commonwealther with bad teeth. We'll also be playing The Bee Gees without Robin, the Bee Gees with Robin back in the band, and some early 80s electro pop work by Robin. And more!
If you think The Bee Gees were only about disco, you couldn't be more wrong....I'll be mostly spinning some great maudlin orch-pop!

Read this:
http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/229/
Prizes and projections by Eyesore Cinema.
Robert Dayton, Junior Presents FEELINGS with D.J. Body Beautiful and a midnight candlelight night recitation by The Canadian Romantic at the Beaver (1192 Queen west)




See The Canadian Romantic's videos here:
www.youtube.com/thecanadianromantic



"I do this for you, there is nothing else like this, the mood of the room is shaped by what I provide, I am so honed like a beam of light that the Midnight Candlelight Recitation will be intensely fashioned and crafted going to` places unexpected. I will make love to you with my voice and soul and musical selections, I don't care who you are, NO COVER but the cover of night.Your life energies need us, this is a nice city but a tad stiff, it needs a massage, my hands can do that, lower, lower, lower, lower....
My Midnight Candlelight recitation is always a hit with the people! What are recitations? Intense spoken reflections of the soul in a romantic manner. We are here to help you get through this mortal life. Have a request? I will fulfill you in a voice that has been trained and honed from the deepest core of my being. Close your eyes? Is this a record? No, it's me talking to you right now, there'll be records after."
FEELINGS is a special night where we spin music that you probably won’t normally hear. A boutique mix of :
ELUSIVE DREAMINGS/PRIVATE PRESSINGS/FREE FORMS/CAN CON CONCRETE/B SIDE EXCURSIONS/ELECTRONIC PRIMITIVA/EMOTIONS/EURO HORRORS/INTENSELY PERSONAL VISIONS/DEEP PSYCH/UN-EASY LISTENINGS AND BALLADS/PRISON SOUNDTRACKS/FANTASTIC JOURNEYS OF WONDER/ORGAN-ISMS/NEO-BAROQUE
With a midnight candlelight night recitation by The Canadian Romantic

This will be ...special.

RIOTA

This seems currently apropos for vancouver. July Fourth Toilet's cover of Destroyer's Riota into Wings' Jet:



Speaking of July Fourth Toilet and Macca: July Fourth Toilet- The White Album cassette
From 1994, July Fourth Toilet’s version of The White Album. Our 1st release, previously only on cassette, before we played live, different and much more difficult than our other stuff, but still pure Toilet. Some folks in Frisco used to drop acid to this. I dare you to listen to it in one sitting!
http://julyfourthtoilet.bandcamp.com/album/white-trash-album-cassette


As well, the Gonzales' movie Ivory Tower that I am in plays Friday at 2 PM at The Toronto Underground Cinema:
http://www.nowtoronto.com/movies/story.cfm?content=181253

If you are in Berlin, my Y2K Compatible zine is sharing shelf space with Becky Johnson's at Wunderkabinet which is as Becky states, "a now-travelling series of themed contemporary curiosity collections that sets in in instalments around berlin's art and craft sphere. it is all curated and maintained by leah buckareff. The current incarnation is housed at etsy's berlin/international headquarters in a modular construction called 'the turtle'. I hear there is an arm chair there and possible some floor cushions to support comfortable and easy literary perusal."

WET DIRT

Ah hello.
So WET DIRT has a new line-up, got kinda of a late nite street strut to this 4 piece rock band. WE ARE READY TO PLAY! Come forth!
Meanwhile a couple ruff mixes of the original line-up are posted here:
http://wetdirt.bandcamp.com/

ta!

Download Something For Everyone

Here I am 39...riding a cusp...freshly turned...and fully frustrated at the rate of 12 dollars/hr...ah yes, birthdays and thos eold frustrations come up as I ask, "What am I doing with my life?" Where to next, big boy? Gonna see if you can make things happen outside of anti-charismatic Canada? Good luck!Ha ha! Shit, got to do my gratitude list: okay, talent to spare (it'd be nice if backers noticed, like "Hellooo!" okay Robert enuff...), a sweet GF, I don't look hard done by, able to eat everyday, playing in a band that is sounding kick-ass (now if only the world can hear it...Robert, ENOUGH!...)...
I am archiving as much July 4th Toilet as I can. With the second album up, the first album "Something For Everyone" is finally up for 'pay what you like' (including free) download with reviews et al...
We recorded it with intent of making a warm pop album, to make people feel loved.
Listening to it now I'd say, it's a really great charming album with the only real weak spots being some of my vocals, sigh, it was my first album...I'd love to recut the vocals on a few of those tracks, c'est la vie, adds to the off kilter, enjoy:
http://julyfourthtoilet.bandcamp.com/album/something-for-everyone