Catching up with Ken Tizzard

Sometime back in the 90s, there was a song I'd heard a few times... I never caught the name, the band or even remembered the lyrics, but it stuck with me, somewhere in the back of my head for aeons. Finally I caught the video on MuchMusic one day, turned out it was called "All Uncovered", by the Watchmen, not a year later, I saw them perform at Edgefest '98 at Frank Claire Stadium. It amazed me that the base riff is actually played on... a bass, a (5 or 6 string) bass wielded by Ken Tizzard. It was fantastic performance and it really made me like the band even more, although I didn't rush out to buy all their CDs (I was far more interested in the Tea Party at that point), I did eventually get them all. While I caught Ken playing with Ian Thornley (shortly after the break-up of Big Wreck), I actually missed out on the Watchmen's farewell tour in late 2003, very regrettable.

All was not lost, scant months later it was announced that Ian Thornley had signed to Chad Kroeger's (of Nickelback) 604 Records - and his new band, Thornley, consisted of Sekou Lumumba on drums - and Ken T. on bass. How awesome is that? The demo of So Far So Good knocked my socks off.
I think I burnt a hole through that CD after it came out, attended their shows at Barrymore's, Capital Music Hall, Civic Centre, H.O.P.E. and more. Not that I'm obsessed fan, but I really love concerts - and these guys put on some great shows... I remember after the CMH gig, Ian says to me "Dude - I could see you singing along - you know ALL the words!" I laughed.

Too bad it didn't last, Ken and Sekou left Thornley a few months later, from what I've heard, due to Ian's frequent/extreme drinking and partying - which I can believe, I doubt he spends extended periods on earth while on tour.

Ken started playing under the name Shadrak and with Audio Playground High + Wide... Interesting stuff, not at all what I was used to. Then earlier this year, he released a full-length album "Quiet Storey House...an introduction.", touring with a string-backing, and then all on his own... Finally he made it to Ottawa this evening.

Ken Tizzard at Maverick's in Ottawa, 2007-12-12

Stef, Angela and I checked out the Ken Tizzard/Eric Eggelston Band/See Spot Run show at Maverick's.

Despite forgetting my wallet in my truck and getting there a bit late, we had a great evening as the performances were excellent, the small venue - though a tad sparse for people, still made things cozy enough that all the performances were pretty intimate. I can't imagine more than 30-40 people were there at the peak.

It was cool though that Ken remembered me after all these years, and actually sat with us through the See Spot Run show, during which we analyzed, heckled and teased the band. Good times. He tells me that the new Thornley material is amazing, and that he's going to be hitting the studio in the new year to lay down another album, more folksy & acoustic (ie: more guitar than bass.)
I'm not finding myself seeking out the tracks from the current disc, but I do enjoy them when they come up on shuffle. I wonder what the next album will be like.

Eric Eggelston Band at Maverick's in Ottawa, 2007-12-12