Banjo Garden Jams - Peace of Mind

I got off work early last night and found myself in my garden with my banjo. Here is a banjo version of my original song, Peace of Mind. I hope that you enjoy! Also, I was visited by the Itsy Bitsy Spider, and may have also eaten a fly. Maybe I should have swallowed the spider to eat the fly... I try not to consume bugs though. It really isn't my thing.

Crystal Porter - Jolly Ol' St. Nick

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, so I decided to play a familiar tune for all of you lovelies. Here is my rendition of Jolly Ol' St. Nick. Happy holidays!

Aug 26th - Double CD Release Party, Lead Mule & Three Sheet

Coming up Friday August 26th at the Red Knight in Yarmouth, NS; is a double CD release party for rockers Lead Mule and amazing Halifax hip-hop artists, Three Sheet! We will be opening up the night, along with Hatchet Lake, a brand new fuzz folk band with members hailing from Halifax and Yarmouth. Doors open at 9pm. Get there early!

Here is the Facebook event page!

Thanks Neil!

Thanks to Neil Spence from Kilmore for capturing this tiny Instagram clip during our set at Plan B this past weekend! We had a blast.

Thanks for grabbing this Neil!! #Repost @neiltherockstar ・・・ @cryssloves kicking off the show tonight @plan_b_moncton #ThemPipes @kilmoreband @leadmule @themotorleague #Moncton

A video posted by Crystal Porter (@cryssloves) on Jul 10, 2016 at 1:17pm PDT

July 16th - Lead Mule, Beauts, Crystal Porter

It's Seafest week in Yarmouth this week. There is no shortage of activities and there is lots of music happening at the waterfront. This Friday July 16th in the Rudder's Tent, we are opening up for Lead Mule and Beauts! Come out and watch the fireworks and listen to some tunes.

Here is the Facebook event page.

Lead Mule - Parts and Labour (Music Video)

As some of you know, I share a couple band mates (Mat & Travis) with a rock band called Lead Mule. Last month, I got to work with a great team of people and directed/edited a video for the title track of their new album "Parts and Labour," which will be released in late August.

I present to you now, the fruit of our labour.



Produced by: Mathew Bridgeo & Crystal Porter
Director/Editor: Crystal Porter
Camera Operators: Channing Burchell, Trevor Saulnier, Crystal Porter (B-roll)
Makeup: Steffie Surette

Cast:
Mechanic - Jason Pothier
Office Worker - Brent Bullerwell
Lead Mule - Mathew Bridgeo, Marc Durkee, Jeremy Surette and Travis Darby

Shot on Location at 340 Auto in Hebron, NS using a Nikon and Canon DSLR
Lighting provided by TroyTech. 
RatRod provided by Wade Nickerson.

July 8th at Plan B, July 9th at Hollywood Star Room

This weekend we have a couple shows lined up with Lead Mule and Kilmore in New Brunswick.

First stop is one of my favourite venues, Plan B, on Friday July 8th. We will be joined by an amazing group of guys, The Motorleague. 

Here is the Facebook event page!

Next stop, is the Hollywood Star Room, in Clarks Corners, NB.  Here is the Facebook event page!

Photos from the Lighthouse

Thanks to Shawn Bourque and Warren Surette for taking photos during our set at the Cape Forchu lighthouse on Canada Day.

Photos by Shawn Bourque

Photos by Warren Surette

July 1st, 2016 - Lead Mule, Crystal Porter, Marc Durkee at the Lighthouse

Surprise! We've been added to the bill last minute and we will be opening up for Lead Mule tonight at the Lighthouse in Cape Forchu, Nova Scotia to celebrate Canada Day! It's a beautiful day! Let's celebrate our great nation. 

June 17th, 2016 - Brothers, Marc Durkee, Crystal Porter at Haley's Lounge

Brothers band will be down from Halifax this coming Friday to play a show at Haley's Lounge. You can check them out here. I will be kicking of the night, acoustic with the band, followed by Marc Durkee. I hope to see some of you out! 

Here is a link to the Facebook event.

This Friday at SIP Cafe

I'm playing a solo acoustic set this coming Friday, at the new SIP cafe in Meteghan, NS. I anticipate high levels of caffeine flowing freely through my veins, starting at 7:00pm. Come start your Friday night off with some tunes and a delicious beverage or two.

Thanks to Chris Boudreau for snapping this pic of the sign inside the Meteghan SIP. ☺️

Lead Mule, FM Berlin, Kilmore and Crystal Porter at Plan B in Moncton

I'm awake! Ok. I've been awake for hours. I was disturbed from my slumber by a teenager who had been up for a little bit with an upset belly. Turns out he shouldn't have eaten that donair pizza right before bed. I never did manage to get back to sleep. Instead, I took care of some loose ends before hitting the road this afternoon.

We will be arriving in Truro a little later in the day to attend a Lead Mule and Kilmore show at Champions. Afterwards we will travel upward to Moncton where FM Berlin and I will join them on stage at Plan B. Super excited to be part of such a terrific lineup.

You can join the Facebook event here.

Good Friday, Good Burger

Here is a promo video for the upcoming show at Rodd's Grand Convention Center in Yarmouth, NS on Good Friday. I will be sharing the stage with Fossil Cliffs, Lead Mule and Rain Over St. Ambrose. It is going to be a great show! Make sure you get there early.

You can find the event page on Facebook, feel free to share with your friends.

Creative Winter Storms

Over the last month we've been hit by many winter storms. It is probably the most snow we've had in South Western, Nova Scotia in over a decade. The lakes are frozen, something that hasn't been accomplished over the past few years. Heck, we've had a hard time finding ponds that were frozen. It did not remain cold enough for it to freeze, the temperature would fluctuate so much. This year however, brought lots of snow, high winds and cold temperatures. Winter has landed and I don't think it is going anywhere.

Fortunately, we've managed to keep busy. We have Comet, our Christmas puppy, giving us a run for our money. He is quite clever and rambunctious, as Golden Retrievers are known to be. 

We've also been getting some much needed recording done around these parts. Mat has been recording his vocals for Lead Mule. By this time next month, I will be working on the finishing touches of my debut as well. 

In the meantime, I have been creatively consumed with music video production. I still have a few weeks left to dedicate to the project. My goal is to get as much done as I can before I get back in the studio. I'm very excited about this project and I can't wait to tell you more! Patience though. 

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of my cat Phoenix, enjoying her box on top of an amp.

Oh! Don't forget, you can also find me on YouTube! 

In Focus on Eastlink TV

Last month I was on an episode of In Focus that was aired on Eastlink TV. I talk about music in my early years. I also discuss my grandfather and his influence on my music and creative self. I mention my upcoming album and I perform Peace of Mind and the Prophet. You can find the video below. Feel free to subscribe to my channel!

 

New Year, New Basement, New Puppy!

Happy New Year, everyone!! I know none of you have heard much from over the last little while. I hope that your holiday season has been wonderful. I've been very silent here over the last few months. We had renovated our home during the fall. We managed to get most of it done before Mat started lobster fishing at the end of November. The lobster season is a whole new kind of busy. It flips our schedules upside down. The house is quiet then and I get lonely. That was soon replaced with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. I only just sat down a couple days ago. Mostly because I was sick and needed rest. Aside from a couple songs and a sponsored post, I really hadn't had the time to dedicate towards this aspect of my life. However, regardless of the space of time between my posts, I find my way back.

We had to install a new chimney and wood stove in our home. Our basement was unfinished. It was musty. Our home is split level and the lower level did not have heat. We wanted to put a heat source in the basement and finish it off because it is our main entryway, our old stove needed to be replaced and I was scared to run it for another winter. The new chimney would be built where an old closet stood in the basement and would continue through two upstairs closets. The upstairs living room closet and dining room closet would be modified to encase around the chimney and redesigned to balance the storage space in each room. Making them much more efficient.

This is the basement now. One of these days I will post before/after shots of each modification. I can lay down on my basement floor now by the fire. I couldn't even think about laying on it before. When we lit our first fire in the new stove, I commented on how that room has never seen heat before. So many firsts.

We got our kids a puppy for Christmas, so a lot of time has been spent housebreaking him. I've lost a lot of sleep. It is just like having a baby in the house all over again. Despite all of that, he's a cute little fellow and his name is Comet. He is a handsome golden retriever. We got him from a breeder near Bridgewater, Nova Scotia on the 23rd of December. We managed to keep him hidden from the children for two days in the garage. Mat and I took shifts tending him. Every time the kids went outside I was scared the puppy would bark or whimper. I had the radio rather loud in the garage just in case. We usually keep it on all the time anyway. We like listening to CBC. Here is a video shot Christmas morning, the quality isn't good but it certainly captures the special moment. I'm laughing and crying at the same time, it was a very emotional experience for all of us. 

The new year promises wonderful things. I'll be releasing my debut album and house breaking this new puppy. I'm excited to see what else it promises. I hope your year is filled with happiness, bliss, wonder and abundance. Happy New Year to each of you.

Feel free to share or subscribe!


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Crystal Porter - Ghosts Within The Halls (original)

I'm packing right now for Nova Scotia Music Week (#NSMW) and I'm looking forward to a weekend of music and adventure. I will be attending some of the conferences and connecting with faces, old and new. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Before I go, here is a new song for your listening pleasure, 'Ghosts Within the Halls.' I hope you enjoy it!

PS. Don't mind the mess in the background. My house is a renovation zone right now and this is the cleanest space.

Crystal Porter - West Coast (Lana Del Rey Cover)

I really love Lana Del Rey. My favorite song of hers to date is West Coast. It is the single from her latest album Ultraviolence. Yesterday, I covered West Coast. It's a little faster paced than the original. I hope you enjoy my rendition of the song!

Crystal Porter - Waterfalls (TLC Cover)

This weeks cover song is a super fun one to play. Mostly because of Left Eye's little rap during the bridge. So fun! I present to you my rendition of Waterfalls by TLC.

New Glasgow Jubilee 2014 - Highlights

I look forward to the New Glasgow Jubilee every year. This is our 3rd year in a row attending. The first year Lead Mule played on the main stage so a crew of us ventured to New Glasgow. It was my first time having New Glasgow pizza with the world famous brown sauce. They ship that pizza everywhere. I was blown away by the hospitality of the staff and volunteers who work so hard to put the event together. So much so, that we returned the following year.

This year Lead Mule and Rain Over St Ambrose each played, so again, a crew of us Yarmouthians ventured to New Glasgow. I had been looking forward to this weekend for quite some time. The schedule was as follows:

Friday, August 1: The Meds, Alert The Medic, Crash Karma, Danko Jones and Town Heroes
Saturday, August 2: Rain Over St. Ambrose, Kim Wempe, Adam Baldwin, Sam Roberts Band and Scientists of Sound
Sunday, August 3: SoHo Ghetto, Carleton Stone, Mo Kenney, Steven Page, and Tom Fun Orchestra

Late Night Stage at the Acro Lounge & EateryFriday: The Meds, Black City AvengerSaturday: Lead Mule, and Alert The MedicSunday: Machete, Rain Over St. Ambrose

I managed to grab a few shows, but honestly over the 3 days we were there I barely touched my camera. I did have an amazing time though. The first collage is Lead Mule playing the late night stage at the Acro Lounge on Saturday night. I tried to get pictures of Rain Over on Sunday night. They are all blurry though, I blame the wine... and probably all of the dancing I was doing.

Steven Page played Sunday night. His band was incredibly tight and they were very entertaining. He danced all over the stage as he played some of his solo stuff and some Bare Naked Ladies songs.

Here are a few random pics that were on my phone after the weekend. Some I took, some Melanie took. We had a time!

Mat, Marc and I met Jeff Burrows backstage. He is the drummer for Crash Karma and the Tea Party.

I didn't take this picture. It wasn't even on my phone! It's a picture of a bunch of us leaving the hotel. We are on our way down to the main stage. This isn't the entire crew though. If you want a pair of those yoga pants in the picture, send Lead Mule a message on Facebook. Mat will order a pair for you!

Next year is the 20th anniversary of  the Jubilee. I can't wait!