#ArtistAtHome is a series of portraits and profiles of local artists by Christopher Edmonstone. Read all about it and see the archive HERE.
Today's featured #ArtistAtHome is Cary Pratt and let me tell you - he is a class act.
I got to know him over the past couple of years when he was the manager at The Vogue Theatre. I was always happy to be greeted with a smiling face when I arrived to shoot a show there.
He has come a long way since his first 'band' experience (recording drum beats and rhymes into his grandfathers old reel-to-reel tape machine) at age 10. He released his inaugural solo album last year as Prairie Cat, and you can find him working the percussion onstage in Canadian super group Mounties and PINEAPPLE.
As it turns out, Cary has had a rather noteworthy relationship wth his drum kit cymbals. His kind of luck is something that I can relate to myself, having personally dropped my wallet twice this past year only to have it returned to my doorstep with everything intact on both occasions.
Cary Pratt at home
One night, after a gig that he was playing on The Drive, a friend of his was nice enough to take his gear home while he headed off to another party. He got a phone call about an hour later with his friend in tears apologizing that he had forgot the gear at the side of the road. Yes, while rearranging the car Cary's friend accidentally left his bag of cymbals on a dark side street, and by the time he returned it was gone. A drummers cymbals can be their voice... a collection of sounds that can never be replaced... He was gutted.
Good karma was on Cary's side though, as within an hour of finding out (thanks to Craigslist and a Good Samaritan), he had the cymbals back in his hands! A girl found them, posted about it online, and was waiting at home to deliver them. Cary gave her the only valuable thing he had in his wallet, two tickets to Blonde Redhead. He says "I think these cymbals are destined to be mine as they were also pulled out of a burning building by a fireman and handed back to me." I love stories like that!
Besides avoiding fires and losing things, Cary is working on a new Prairie Cat record that will come out later this year, and a 7-inch that will be re-issued in New Zealand next month. You can see Cary play with his band PINEAPPLE tonight (Friday, April 22nd) along with Daniel Moir at Woods Studio.
I had great time with him and his girlfriend Jen listening to some vintage vinyl and having Jen's special Thai curry. Thanks for everything you two! Check out the Prairie Cat website.
