Joel Battle

Joel Battle is a visionary.  Joel Battle is an idealist.  Joel Battle is a Boxer, owner of an energy drink company, part time hockey player, and a philanthropist. 

I first met Joel when I went on tour with his old band the February March in 2007.  It was a whirlwind week of driving through western Canada in an RV with 8 guys.  It was a very memorable tour involving little sleep, too much booze and lots of man love.  The highlight of this tour for me came one night in Regina after what we perceived to be a bad show.  We parked the van on the side of a residential neighbourhood and had to decide either to go on with the tour or just go home.  Joel had been sitting in the corner strumming his acoustic and he decided to start singing one of my favourite songs by the February March.  There was only one light on in the van and I remember it being very quiet and dark and all 7 of us stopped to listen.  There are moments in your life when as a musician you find yourself drawn back into the beauty of why you write, create, listen to, and obsess over music.  This was one of them.  The room was silenced.  Unspoken,  Joel passed me the guitar and I played a song called "Eyes" by Sweetheart almost in tears.  Everyone was moved.  We decided unanimously to continue to Winnipeg that morning and even though we didn't make money and we didn't play to many people during that first tour, we did have an amazing time and I learned personally why I play in a band and love music so much. 

Fast Forward.
From then to now circumstances changed.  The February March is long since gone.  Joel Battle has since released a solo record and moved to Toronto.  I hadn't seen him in almost a year or longer before last week when I went to his show last Friday.  I hadn't even heard his solo record.  My roommate Phil had a copy on his bookshelf so in typical roommate fashion I stole it and started listening expecting nothing.  This LP drew me in right away.  It brought me back to that night in Regina where it was just Joel and a few close friends listening to him sing.  This record is heartfelt.  This record has a beautiful tragic backstory about 2 lovers.  This record is moving.
I listened to "this city life" on repeat all day on Thursday and Friday before the show.  Before the show we gathered up some folks and walked up to the venue in the rain.  Joel went on stage.  I feel something has happened to him in Toronto because he is a man on fire on stage.  The band was excellent and the players are some of the best in the city but it was Joel who drew the crowd in.  The place was packed full of pretty much everyone I know and I think that after that show people will talk about Joel.  He is truly a legend.

Listen to him here:
http://radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/Joel-Battle

Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra