Katie Leggitt

5 or 6 years ago I decided I wanted to go to Nashville.  I went to PEI instead.  Today, just now in fact, I booked a week in Music City and it's about time I did. As I sit in my lovely kitchen in my lovely plateau apartment, I can hear my downstairs' neighbor singing along to a romantic French song... We all have it in our hearts and I just love how certain tunes can set our hearts flying. I'll be spending at least a day or two in Memphis, I've always wanted to go to Graceland and it turns out Cory Branan is playing a show the Friday I'd planned to leave so maybe I'll have to detour there again.  I've seen him perform twice already in a few months; he was a member on The Revival Tour , which redirected my life in a way I can only describe as serendipitous.  But it was no accident I was there.  At the time I was still living in the mouse house and seeing that show ignited a new focus for me. Over the past year I've been taking steps towards a stro

I was just listening to 6 Underground by Sneaker Pimps and was brought right back to high school.  I remember doing my hair to match the singer's, and in my convoluted teenage brain, I thought I looked just like her. The music industry has such power of style.  Growing up, watching music videos, garnering my own identity from the pieces of my idols' influence, I was quite the mismatched, hybrid of a teenager.  I dressed like a hippie-skater-raver-gramma-boy, had misguided aspirations to be like Janis Joplin, thought wearing corduroy on both top and bottom was cool and once sewed back together a dress belonging to my mother in the seventies, from a well in my grandparents' front yard.  It was surprisingly well-preserved in a garbage bag, save for the thread that biodegraded over the years. I remember the day, and even though most of my family members probably thought I was crazy, they didn't stop me.  I wasn't one of those teenagers trying to wear shorter skirts

The concept of open relationships has been on my mind the last couple of days.  Maybe it's the Fringe Festival already getting to me, being surrounded by artists and alcohol... But it seems like open relationships are like the little-known drug in Montreal.  You probably know a few people who are into it, but you don't really talk about it because it's slightly taboo. I once knew a guy who had two girlfriends.  Actually, I'm pretty sure he was in a three-way relationship, and they all dated each other.  From what I understand, it didn't end well- there was simply too much jealousy involved.  I have also met a few musicians who just assume it's understood that monogamy is not really part of the deal.  I bartended a wedding two weeks ago and watched as a couple openly flirted with other party-goers, in front of each other.  They laughed and she said, "we're monogam-ish."  I thought that was pretty clever, but still felt a little uncomfortable by th

Yesterday evening I found myself hiking up a giant hill in the pursuit of Venus.  I'd heard l'Université de Montréal was inviting people up to the mountain to observe the Venus Transit, and when I got to the top of the hill I realized I was in the wrong place.  The music department.  A graduation.  Not Venus. I turned around frustrated with myself, and google mapped my way to the right spot.  I arrived and found maybe a hundred people or so lazing about on the grass, sitting, waiting, watching.  Cameras and telescopes were set up along the way, some serious high-tech gear.  I looked around to see if I knew anyone but was surprised that it was mostly young people hanging out.  I spoke to someone who told me we were waiting for the clouds to clear. I sat down and paused while I checked my surroundings, like we were waiting for God or a UFO or something magical to descend from the sky.  Instead we were just watching clouds gathering, until they grew dark enough that it was tim