Today: Bob Dylan Plays Oshawa....Cheers Up Laid-Off Auto Workers!

In addition to Lou Reed, Constantine's voice is often compared to legend Bob Dylan's... so, make the drive out to Oshawa to hear him play! Enjoy.

Toronto Star's Robert Benzie Loves The Giant Baby...

"This Toronto quintet, whose members have played in Drag, Red Collar Boy, and The New Black, among other local "tunesters", plays arena-friendly anthems.

These are soaring, ambitious songs played effortlessly by a posse of wily veterans. Tracks like "Money In the Truck (American Plan)" have an epic, cinematic quality.

Singer and bassist Constantine Karzis is a theatrical and engaging frontman -- go figure, he's a movie and television actor and, yeah, that was him with James Caan in that mob picture. Liverpool-born lead guitarist Paul Judkins’ father really did go to school with John Lennon. Keyboardist Patrick Corbett bolsters The Giant Baby with a wall of electric sound that recalls what Bob Dylan dubbed "thin, wild mercury."

Playing a lush and lyrical rhythm guitar, Mike Devine and Judkins give The GB a one-two punch.

Backing it all up is Max Payne (yes, that it his real name and he may well have inspired the eponymous video game since he moves like a Belgian gangster), who has played with Judkins and Corbett since their days in newly unified Germany in the early 1990's. Payne is the Swiss movement of this Rolex Daytona and he never needs winding up -- check out the backbeat on "Break My Heart" and the anthemic "One Drink."

But like all bands worth paying to see or hear, the Giant Baby is even greater than the sum of its parts.

Nowhere is this more apparent than on "Coming Up," which has the hook of a hit and should be coming to a soundtrack near you even if I have to write a movie to put it in.

Since I'm descending into sychophantic fandom -- and I've seen every gig of theirs save one and was there when it all started at the legendary El Mocambo in December 2005 -- I will say that "Coming Up," with its slow-fast-slow-fast harmonies and guitar pyrotechnics, is like plunging into a goldmine equipped with Bose speakers, where Amy Winehouse serves free Tanqueray.

Guitar groups are here to stay. So, too, are bands that aspire to be great whether playing in front of 20 people or 20,000."

Remembrance Day, For Our Soldiers...

This year's November 11th Remembrance Day feels like it will be more emotional than most. We remember the 97 youth soldiers and one diplomat who have died in Afghanistan, and the tens of thousands in two world wars. Did you know that our soldiers have been responsible for vaccinating literally millions of Afghani children?

(A Japanese white poppy has a peek.)

Happy Hallowe'en Obama & McCain...Artistic Director BILL KING Weighs In

Bill King, Artistic Director
Beaches International Jazz Festival
The Toronto BBQ & Blues Festival

I don't think anyone here missed a step. I think some people are beyond control. McCain had to know he was warming up to the Wasilla Hillbillies. [Sarah Palin] was Rush Limbaugh's...mindless pick! It smelled from the beginning. She wouldn't even appear next to other Republican senators who were pro-choice...

Indiana-born and multi-award-winning pianist-composer-publisher-producer-broadcaster Bill King once opened for The Beach Boys, was once music director for Linda Ronstadt, Janis Joplin and Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks; has toured all over the world with The Pointer Sisters, has worked with jazz greats Oscar Peterson and Herbie Hancock, and now, in addition to his artistic directorial duties for two festivals, does his Saturday Nite Fish Fry's “Jump, Shout, Rock Da House”, and The Rockit 88 Band’s “Too Much Fun”. Also an accomplished photographer with newspapers such as The Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, Eye Weekly, Music Scene International and numerous other music magazines; King spends his "spare" time producing musical groups such as Young Divas.

Below, King continues about the U.S. election:

McCain could have given Obama a serious fight if he had picked Chuck Hagel. Instead, he meekly gave in to the whack jobs of the far right. The world is vastly different than it was four years back. McCain let the evil side of the Republican party direct his campaign. It was the act of a desperate old man who wanted to win at all costs. ...Palin...actually believed she deserved the privilege to inhabit the White House....

As the euphoria wears Obama will face a daily rush of impossible tasks. I don't envy him. There's enough overwhelming problems to keep him busy for decades to come. Obama is no saviour; there's no such thing, but he does bring intelligence and hope to an otherwise depressing political system. [Look for] Caroline Kennedy may get the UN nod and Robert Kennedy EPA.

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Friends of The Giant Baby:
Does it make them look better to come out against Palin? Not to say that specific items wouldn't have come out eventually, but where is the class in this type of behaviour? How about a simple: Certainly, we'll review how we did things this time in hopes of winning next time. It's not just publicity, it's the much more important public relations.

Still, despite all of this, there's no getting around McCain wanting to suspend his campaign in order to save the economy. This made about as much sense as Hillary Clinton's refusal to suspend her own campaign when Obama won. Such a copout. And McCain thinking that he's looking heroic by acting like he's in the middle of a war. How calm and cool Obama was instead: a true test. And McCain not even consulting with the Senate before making such a ridiculous decision.

Otherwise, we have noticed that some people aren't really listening to Obama's speeches. He offers hope, not illusions. He consistently asks: What can You do? He regularly talks about how challenging his presidency will be. Don't people believe this yet?

Welcome!

Photo by Moody's Global

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Hey Friends,

Welcome to Friends Of The Giant Baby's brand new blog! As Friends of the band, we are Giant Appreciators of the music, we are attendees and volunteers of their concerts, and we are purchasers of The Giant Baby's CD's, clothing and souvenirs.

Background
For those of you who are new to the band, The Giant Baby was born (pun intended) in April 2005. Constantine Karzis (front man, bass, vocals) and Patrick Corbett (keyboards, guitar, vocals) were in China touring with the band The New Black, on a cultural exchange mission hosted by the Canadian Embassy.

With a $20 knockoff guitar, the duo began writing songs on their tour bus, while experiencing an enormous culture clash, playing in cities and villages where 17th century Chinese farm collectives easily mixed with science fiction styled cityscapes.

Patrick and Constantine returned to Canada, dropped The New Black, and began rehearsing with Patrick’s three best friends, Michael Devine (guitar, vocals), Paul Judkins (lead guitar) and Max Payne (drums). Theirs was a psychedelic, bluesy super group and The Giant Baby was born.

What's In A Name?

The name ‘The Giant Baby’ is based on the late night Chinese television's horrific infomercials, viewed by Patrick and Constantine; ads advertising items such as baby formula to make your ‘little emperor’ as big and fat as possible. The image was used to sell everything from cameras and whiskey, to cars and shampoo.

Band name decided, the quintet wrote songs about bank heists gone wrong, hypnosis, trains, storms, huge open skies, unfulfilled lives and the madness of love. These songs had honesty and a lyrical depth, and they would only become bigger and more cinematic.

Soon, The Giant Baby was regularly playing in Toronto's Cameron House and packing it with people. Larger venues such as The El Mocambo would quickly follow. By the summer of 2006, the quintet recorded their first CD "Anthems & Bar Tabs". They have continued building crowds in different musical venues.

Today
Hot on the heels of their latest successful October 25th, 2008 concert, The Giant Baby will spend the next 3 days in Niagara's Escarpment Studios to hammer out their second CD tentatively titled "Russian Brides". Friends Of The Giant Baby will announce the date for their CD's release party in the next few months.

The Giant Baby's next concert is scheduled for January 10th, 2009 at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern so stay tuned here for updates.

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For the quintet's latest exciting radio interview and live playing, check out IndieLove.

Hear from us soon!