The Crackling dove into the fishbowl (23 photos)

Gore Street Cafe owners Sam Decter and Nicole Dyble have been busy little beavers that last few weeks.

With just one week left of the duo’s inaugural month-long Fishbowl Festival of Community, Food, Arts and Culture, they’ve hosted dozens of events the official opening ceremonies on February 20.

Last week, the cafe in conjunction with Ears and Eyes hosted The Crackling from Vancouver.

With singer-songwriter Kenton Loewen at its core, The Crackling has thus far released two full-length records and an EP with another in the works.

A professional full-time drummer by trade, Loewen has worked with a number of projects and artists from the Vancouver area.

“Recently I’ve stepped away from a fairly large band in Vancouver which has allowed me a bit more freedom of space and time to be able to work on my stuff,” Loewen told SooToday. “My intention is to go back to Vancouver and start working on a new record.”

Employing the talents of a variety of artists, he has toured and recorded as The Crackling in duo, trio and full band form.

In that sense, the project becomes an accidental collective.

“I don’t get hung up on it being right or wrong. I quite enjoy the process of people creating music together and the organic nature of what comes of that is what happens,” Loewen said. “If you honour that, you’re honouring beyond what your sense of music is as opposed to making it perfect or making it exactly right. I don’t think that’s where music comes from. I come from a place where I think improvisation is a very serious thing.”

Loewen appeared at the Gore Street Cafe with fellow musician Marin Patenaude whose recent debut record he produced.

Touring and performing with Patenaude has inspired him to write his next record as an intimate vocal/guitar setting.

“It’s just been very natural thus far and I’m really excited about her record,” he said. “Her and I are feeling good about the musical connection right now, so we’re gonna keep going with it for a while.”

The Crackling’s current tour continues through March with stops scheduled in Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg and more.

Fore more information about The Crackling, please click here.

The Gore Street Cafe’s Fishbowl Festival has a number of events scheduled throughout the week, including an open mic with Sonny Vibez on Tuesday, March 15; the Seriously Silly Improv Show and black ash basket making on Wednesday, March 16; The Hunt Sisters on Thursday, March 17; and much more.

Discounted festival passes, available at the Gore Street Cafe, are $15 each and offer holders free or reduced admission to all associated events.

Fore a complete list of festival events, please click here.