Last night, everything went according to plan. Well, everything went according to the new plan, quickly concocted after Rob Preuss's catalytic converter was stolen from his car. But the vision I had, as I biked to the El Mo for a 6pm soundcheck, is precisely how things unfolded.
It was a full room of lovely people, many of whom I've come to know from TMLX events. Family was there, although I missed my oldest daughter who is backpacking in Europe, and the energy was palpable. Doors opened at 6:30pm, Blair Packham took the stage at 7:15, and at exactly 8pm I walked on stage and grabbed the mic until the grand finale at 9:30pm.
For that 90 minutes, the world slowed down and I talked about everything from my recurring childhood nightmares to my scrotum, and along the way I shared observations and anecdotes about my wife, my mother, and the woman who made it all happen.
Her name is Melissa Stein, and last night was her vision. It wouldn't have happened without her. She believed in me, shout out to Kenny Rogers, and I will be forever grateful. I had a blast.
Thank you to Blair Packham for stepping up and entertaining everyone for 45 minutes with barely 24 hours notice. Thank you to Rob Preuss who was prepared to be a big part of last night before life got in the way. Thank you to my top secret special guests who interrupted my grand finale, stormed the stage, and ended the show properly with a rousing rendition of Rosy & Grey from their seminal Toronto album Shakespeare My Butt. Ron Hawkins and Lawrence Nichols from Lowest of the Low were absolutely fantastic.
And thank you to you... for buying a ticket ($65!!!!) and spending over two hours on a Thursday night with me. You're sweethearts.
I'll never do that again, but I'm glad I did it on May 21, 2026 at the El Mocambo.
