Back from the city

Charlie Brooks is known around Ottawa and environs for his music making with Castor and the VEO. The first time I saw him was when he performed as one half of Burning Lodge at a Shed Sessions (though since he performed on the back of a flatbed, as Dave Aardvark pointed out at the time "That's not Shed. That's truck."). More recently, he brought his Hiwatt and Travis Bean guitar to the Aloha Room for a gig with Castor.
He's always had a special touch as a guitarist and songwriter - two talents in considerable evidence on his two CDs as Carlangas (on Lodge Facility Productions, of course!), Blues & The Ivory Breast and The Judgement of a Throne. Strange as it may seem, his stuff as Carlangas reminds me of Royal Trux - their funky, somewhat stoned side - their Milton Nascimento-covering aspect, if you will. He's moved to Montreal and brought some of the folks from their who helped out on Judgement to Irene's Pub October 9 to open for Reverend Glasseye.

Charlie in full-on feelin' it mode.



Lisa Ilwinicki on keys, tambourine and vocals.



Tyson Schallmann on drums.



Billy Welham on bass and yet more vocals ... another Travis Bean user.



Charlie's a cheerful chap.



Wah-mania!



Even more wah (and more Bill)!



"That's funky!" was Will Desjardin's comment, and no disagreement from me. Incidentally, Castor will play Oct. 28 with The Atomic Bitchwax at Babylon.