Sharing White Toast with Hayden: My Musical Journey with an Artist & His Work

I've been following Canadian singer/songwriter Hayden (Paul Hayden Desser) since 1996, when his debut album "Everything I Long For" was released in the United States. Such is my fandom that when the artist came to Pittsburgh in 2004 to perform, I had gotten in touch with his manager, “Skinny,” ahead of time and volunteered to be part of the “street team” to help promote the concert. Following the performance, my future wife Allison Hoge and I, plus Hayden, Skinny, and a few others all went to a 24-hour greasy-spoon diner. A highlight from that late night includes a slightly-overweight middle-aged waitress apologizing to Hayden when attempting to pour him coffee: “Sorry babe, didn’t mean to shove my tits in your face.” But my wife’s favorite memory of the evening is her keepsake from the outing -- a vinyl press of Hayden's third album, “Skyscraper National Park,” which he signed for her: “We shared white toast on September 10 / 2004.” I have a long history with Hayden's work, right up through his February 2013 release, "Us Alone," which I'll be reviewing in detail. But to fully appreciate the significance of his latest gem, allow me to shed a little light on the earlier pieces that all come together to form the total picture of Hayden's recording career to date. A review by contributor Adam Kukic, host of The Coffeehouse on WYEP fm.

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