Category Archives: tributes
Pygmalion Music Festival 2011
In September of last year, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Chris Reimer during Pygmalion Music Festival. He was kind and patient — despite the fact that he wasn’t thrilled about having his photo taken. When we finished, he shook my hand and gave me a huge thanks. Later that night, I returned to watch their performance and it was stellar.
I learned this morning that he passed away in his sleep yesterday. My deepest condolences go out to his family and friends. He was an extraordinary musician and he will be missed by many. It is a shame when the music world loses someone so humble, young, and talented.
Christopher JJ Reimer Memorial Show Recaps!
Mad love and thanks to all the peeps who came out to see our boy’s show at Sled Island last week. (Two weeks ago, I guess. They say you lose time in grief. It’s true. It goes somewhere).
Also, I don’t know that I properly thanked the Sled Island Festival, and Paisley Sim in particular, for so generously making possible this event. From FFWD:
For Sim, however, one exhibition stands out from the rest: the Reimer show at MOCA. “Marc Rimmer curated it and Marc and Chris were best friends for many, many years,” she says. “It’s a collection of photographs of him by many people in his life and then we’re playing many of his unreleased, ambient scores — they’re all so textured.”
The show features a silent auction to raise funds for a foundation in Reimer’s name.
“More than anything, I feel humbled to be able to present it. I loved Chris and I hope that the show is well-received by his family more than anything else.”
CBC Calgary’s The Homestretch spoke to Marc in advance of the show.
And BeatRoute interviewed Rena about Gold.
Thanks to DivinerOne/Kathleen Moors for this lovely ambient video:
Don L’Orange
hi nikki, i was a friend of chris’s. i’ve yet to submit to ur/his blog, but i just wanted to send u a msg, as i’ve been following ur twitter for awhile. here’s a pic of chris, pat, and i.
anyways, hope ur doing ok love, shammy
Nikki’s Tribute
I want to keep this space Chris-centric (I’ve devoted other spaces online to my feelings and my grief), but I did want to share an edited version of the tribute that I read at Chris’ ceremony.
I expect that I will continue to grieve him, miss him, love him, write about him, and hear him in music for the rest of my own life, but this is one small piece, for now.
——
This is an edited version of the tribute that I read at Chris’ funeral/celebration of life on February 29, 2012.
I loved my brother even before he came to be gestated in our mother’s womb. I was five years old when she got pregnant. I was so excited about it, and I was beside myself with joy when my father told me that I had a little brother, that he’d been born at 6:02 p.m., and that his name was Christopher.
At the beginning he was my baby, whom I held and cuddled and cared for, then he became my little pal, the three year old who was star and co-star in all my plays, the consummate professional who never forgot his lines. When he got a bit older still, more than my brother, he was my friend, my buddy, my confidante. We took turns playing straight man and funny man. I know that since our childhood he’d gone out into the world and touched an amazing number of people, and though I was happy to share him, I always thought of him as mine first.
I’ve spent some of the past few days going through our emails, instant messages and texts, most of which are really hilarious but unfortunately entirely inappropriate to share in this setting. If you know my brother you can imagine the content. You’ve probably had similar exchanges with him. Continue reading
Filed under notes from nikki, tributes, words
Palamino Tribute Show: Thin Lizzy
On March 1, 2012, the day of Chris’ cremation, and the day after his funeral celebration, a private concert was held at the Palamino Nightclub in Calgary in his honour. The following videos are from that night, courtesy of Melanie McKay.
THIN LIZZY – WILD ONE
Drums: Eric Hamelin
Bass: Matt Flegel
Guitars: Scott Monroe, Logan Kroeber, Meric Long
Lyrics:
Wild one won’t you please come home
You’ve been away too long, will you
We need you home, we need you near
Come back wild one will you
How can we live without your love
You know that could kill you
How can we carry on
When you are gone my wild one
So you go your way wild one
I’ll try and follow
And if you change your mind
I will be waiting here for you tomorrow
For I would beg for you
I would steal and I would borrow
I’d do anything, anything at all
To end this sorrow
Wild one
The gypsies warned of the danger
You can laugh and joke with friends
But don’t you ever talk to strangers
Although their offers may be sweet
And I’d bet and I would wager
Away you’ll stray and never come back
To those who love and made you
Palamino Tribute Show: New Paths to Helicon Pt. 1
On March 1, 2012, the day of Chris’ cremation, and the day after his funeral celebration, a private concert was held at the Palamino Nightclub in Calgary in his honour. The following videos are from that night, courtesy of Melanie McKay.
MOGWAI
This is one of Chris’ favourite Mogwai tracks, New paths to Helicon pt. 1.
The musicians are: Marc Rimmer, Scott Monroe, (guitars) Matt Flegel on bass, our dad Tim Reimer on drums, and Myke Atkinson.
