WAX

On Saturday Night I was at the Phog Lounge and saw this sticker on the wall:

....and it reminded me to go home and listen to Wax Mannequin the next day.

So I guess it did its job; it wasn't stuck in vein. If you've never listened to Wax before, then the picture really says it all. He is creative, he is different, he makes art from the unlikely.

First time I saw him live he was playing solo with a drum machine at the London Music Club....and he had roses stuffed down the collar of his shirt.....coming out like a ruffle. To those who had seen pictures or previous performances, this might have been a familiar sight. To me, it was new and captivating. After every couple songs he took out a rose and tossed it on the ground in front of him. No explanation what for....just part of the show.

Not that its always about me.....but that couldn't help but remind me that I used to come up with odd art, I used to be more of an artist every day. I don't see Wax in his day to day life but I get the feeling he lives his art.....sees everything in slightly a different angle than the rest of us.

I tried playing some Wax for some friends when I was in Toronto one night, and they didn't get it. I play it in the car for my wife and she hates it. But something about the wreckless abandon of his song structures and powerful yet controlled vocals just makes sense to me. He sings as though no one else is in the room.....like some sing in the car or shower when they don't have to hold back. And the lyrics are clever and well thought out......vocals used as an instrument more than just a means to an end.

Anyways, I'll let YOU be the judge. I think Wax Mannequin is one of the true Gems that has come out of SW Ontario......and deserves more attention than he necessarily gets.