The Beat February 2003

He landed in the Basement bar, perched on a stool with his chrome belly guitar, too cool for school chops, swoonin‘ and croonin‘, warmin‘ the hearts of his fellow man while they escaped the January chill. The bird I‘m talking about is Remcoe, an Edmonton/Vancouver native; notorious, nocturnal, alive and kickin‘.

Remcoe grabbed the attention of a laid back international crowd numbering about 20 or 25. He didn‘t let go for over an hour sharing his refreshing and very weird sense of humor in an eclectic mix of originals and covers, singing from the guts and slicing through the psyche, opening with the line “Wake Me up from this Nightmare”. He proceeded to invite us on a ramble through the odds, ends and essences of daily life. In folksy numbers like Unexpected Winter Conversation we were treated to a lyrical moment plucked from the bowels of infinity. We heard Remcoe‘s versatility as a guitar player throughout some sweet creative time changes in Your Own Will and Speed. We can‘t help but laugh at ourselves as we crash through the doorway in Vancouver about the worst day in the artist‘s life. By the time Rheumatoid Arthritis came around, I knew we were confronted with a truly unique and unaffected voice, pure as lamb‘s wool, which brought together the likes of Tom Waits, Elliot Smith, Jeff Buckley, Mr. Big, Queen, Britney Spears, and Neutral Milk Hotel.

The atmosphere was warm, maybe a little reserved, but people were growing more and more comfortable as the set progressed. Even standing in the back you weren‘t much further than arms length from the man in the spotlight. Despite these incredibly intimate surroundings Remcoe didn‘t spit on us once. Ending with a classic dose of ironic candor Remcoe brings us to The Ground Where 1000 Flowers Bloom; a song about a guy who is in the perfect position for a romantic roll in the hay but sadly, in the words of our troubadour, cannot get a “hard on”.

Here is a contemporary artist whose making connections with fine story telling, relating some of the cracks in the highway on which he‘s picking and strumming his way through the world. Watch for him in February back at the Basement Bar, near Pusan National University. Lend him your ear for a while and no one gets hurt!