Open Letter of Thanks to the folks who created "An Evening Without Tom Lips"

Sunday, February 8th, 2009

Dear Friends and Creators of “An Evening Without Tom Lips”

(Alex Vlamis, Anne Hurley, Chris MacLean, Danny Artuso,
David Keeble, Eleanor Crowder, Gail Anglin, James Stephens,
Jane Keeler, Joel Leblanc, Karen Lahaise,
Linnea Rowlatt, Neville Miller, and Shelley Posen.)

What a difference a week can make!  Last Sunday I was
discouraged, depressed, deeply disappointed, and anxious
about the financial and artistic impacts of abandoning my
long-planned concert at the NAC 4th Stage.  Today, thanks
to all of you, I feel not just relieved, but delighted, satisfied,
and proud to have been associated with you in this endeavour.
I can honestly say that the sadness I felt at the prospect of
not performing as planned has completely evaporated.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!  

I had a wonderful evening; Achillea Endeavours was rescued
from a big invoice and raised some funds for Riverglen Farm;
the audience was thoroughly entertained; and my clear
impression is that, despite all the challenges that you had to
overcome in a very short space of time, you all enjoyed yourselves
and each other.  Kudos to you!

As Shelley joked, it was (in a nice way) a bit like attending
my own funeral  – in the sense that, ghostlike, I could watch
and listen but could not speak.  Meanwhile people were saying
all kinds of nice things about me, there was music and 
conversation, and things were getting done very well without
me calling the shots. What resulted was a very salubrious blend
of feeling appreciated and realizing that it was all right for me
to let go for a while. It was what I needed just then.

I enjoyed every song, and I really value the distinctive life and
energy that new performers brought to each.  It is gratifying
to know that these songs can have a life of their own, and are
not irrevocably chained to my own (currently dysfunctional)
vocal cords.  You made the songs new for me; I heard them afresh.

What can I say about the band? I always knew that James
and Danny and Alex were fantastic musicians and wonderful
people to work with; but this time they really proved their
mettle, adjusting gracefully to key changes, new arrangements,
and the various curve balls that a multi-performer gig organized
in a very short period of time will inevitably throw. Thanks, guys.
You are the best.

Finally, thanks to David Keeble and to my dear wife
Linnéa Rowlatt, who on top of learning and performing several
songs, bore the brunt of organizing the rehearsal and the sound
check, recreating the set list and most everything else that
needed doing.  Many, many thanks for the energy, thought and
heart you put into this event.
 
If I had to lose my voice to better appreciate what sheer
generosity and creativity there is in all of you, it was worth it.
(Of course, now that I appreciate it, I’m ready to have my
voice back any time... Are you listening, God?)

Sending you silent thanks and all good wishes,

Tom

P.S.  Have a look at these great photos of the evening,
taken by Jake Morrison: 
http://www.withflare.org/Images/AnEveningWithoutTomLips.html


Tom Lips 
www.tomlips.ca