On Stage to September 26 Vanier Park, Vancouver BC
Plays:
$21.50 to $34
OPERA&ARIAS
Concerts:
featuring
$32 to $34
Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” with
UBC Opera Ensemble and members of Vancouver Opera Orchestra
Aug 31 7 pm
Sept 7 1 pm & 7 pm
Sept 8 7 pm
604-739-0559 • www.bardonthebeach.org
BC Musician | July/August 2009 | 1
CONTENTS Contributors… …………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 & 5 festival updates … ………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 - 9 a formerly free freak out… ……………………………………………………………………………… 6 by joshua Estabrooks
rap recording in the early days…………………………………………………………………… 10 by richard sales
real road worry…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11 by babe gurr
wishing they’d just shut up… ……………………………………………………………………… 12 by kevin kane
big or little, ears need protection……………………………………………………………… 13 by Adam PW Smith
sk8tr muzk…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 14 by barbara bruederlin
supernatural!… …………………………………………………………………………………………… 16 - 17 by richard chapman
crowsnest tours… …………………………………………………………………………………………… 19 by Carolyn mark
we were not trapped... memoirs of campbell ouiniette… …………… 20 - 22 by geoff berner
peer reviews… …………………………………………………………………………………………… 23 - 25 highway 3 through the kootenays… ………………………………………………… 26 - 27 by joanny layh
beer bong bingo ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 28 by Dr. joey only
a hitchhiker’s guide to the backroads… …………………………………………………… 29 by jeff andrew
view from the venue………………………………………………………………………………………… 30 by joshua estabrooks
pinup: the dreadnoughts… ……………………………………………………………………………… 32 by adam pw smith
I love “BC Musician day” — that’s the day the new BC Musician arrives at the store. I [also] grab a couple and scatter them around the common area of my rehearsal space. -Jesse Mackle, Manager, Tom Lee Music, Surrey www.myspace.com/whiskyjackmusic We love you, too. And we love all of our readers, our advertisers, our illustrators, our photographers, and, of course, all of our BC musicians. Please send us letters! Subscribe today! Just $30 plus GST for a year. All subscribers are entered into a monthly draw for stuff. R. Seymour of Grand Forks won tickets to Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival by sending us the correct answer to our Random Contest question: In what other issue of BC Musician Magazine did we publish a photo of Hubert Sumlin. (January, 2009). In June we also gave away tickets and CDs to some of our Facebook group members. Join up and watch for “random giveaway” emails. It’s ridiculously easy to win.
2 | BC Musician | July/August 2009
July/August 2009 Issue 78 ISSN 1918–560x 78 Please send us your letters! You can also send us CDs and we’ll do our best to have them peer reviewed. Plus we’ll use them for our subscriber giveaways. BC Musician Magazine is published by Patanga Steamship Co. PO Box 1150 Peachland, BC V0H 1X0 250-488-0850 www.bcmusicianmag.com info@bcmusicianmag.com Publisher, Editor Leanne V. Nash Contributing Editor Joshua Estabrooks Contributing Editor Joanne Layh Associate Publisher, Advertising & Marketing Representative Christina Zaenker ads@bcmusicianmag.com Advertising & Marketing Representative, Lower Mainland & Vancouver Island Nancy Fowler nancy@bcmusicianmag.com Advertising & Marketing Representative, National John Kirby kirby@bcmusicianmag.com Editorial Board: Paul Crawford, Joshua Estabrooks, Julie Fowler, Joanne Layh, Leanne V. Nash, Christina Zaenker No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher.
ISSN 1918-560X
Canada Post Agreement 41440066
the Brand New Album from
Lush roaming roots & unabashed hill-billy jazz produced by Corwin Fox Featuring the talents of Glenna Garramone Daniel Lapp Raghu Lokanathan Tobias Meis Galen Mongeau Ian Olmstead Juli Steemson Jordy Walker Christina Zaenker Allizson Zaichkowski and Corwin Fox
One of the freshest new voices in Canadian folk music
Available at www.yaelwand.com
Check for Fall tour dates near you
– Kitchener-Waterloo Record
BC Musician | July/August 2009 | 3
c o n tr i b u to r s “Like a ghost. That’s how enigmatic singersongwriter Jeff Andrew appears on the Canadian musical landscape. An incurable drifter with a pawnshop’s worth of instruments and a voice like rusted steel, he’s a mystery even to himself. In 2009, he released his first full-length album, Vagabonds & Wastrels, a mix of edgy, political folk, cabaret-style fantasy, experimental spoken word and raucous juke-joint hollers. Last spring he hitchhiked across Canada as half of the folk/spoken word duo Ghosts of the Highway. He also plays fiddle with the Joey Only Outlaw Band and was once blessed by a hobo on the streets of Salem, Massachusetts. www.jeffandrew.ca”
After numerous international tours, festival appearances, airplay on national radio in 7 countries, and slots on tour with artists such as Billy Bragg, Kaizers Orchestra, Balkan Beat Box and the Be Good Tanyas (who covered his song “Light Enough to Travel,” selling over 100,000 copies),
Geoff Berner has garnered critical acclaim and a cult following for his sharp songwriting and cabaret performance style. “I want to make original klezmer music that’s drunk, dirty, political and passionate.”
Richard Chapman
has worked with a wide variety of great Canadian artists for nearly three decades - from the Rheostatics and Herald Nix to Moose Records and The Pointed Sticks. Currently he conducts the Northern Electric collective www. northern-electric.ca.
Babe Gurr, a Vancouver-based singer,
songwriter and guitarist, has a unique acoustic roots sound and style that is honest, rootsy and real, fitting powerful stories to thoughtful music with craftswomanlike precision.
Barbara Bruederlin is a freelance writer
shayne avec i grec
can be seen in this photo finding some degree of relaxation after finally settling back into Victoria following a longlasting mystery as to his whereabouts. He seems content in his new/old surroundings, and just may prove to be stationary for awhile...
Don’t let us go flat…
in Calgary. She is trying to single-handedly save the arts community in Canada by promoting struggling musicians and theatre troupes. Her reviews are regularly linked on the press pages of the Calgary Folk Music Festival and Sage Theatre. Barbara also maintains an insanely popular blog, Bad Tempered Zombie. Her writing has been published in Prairie Fire Magazine, Swerve Magazine, Kitschykoo! Subcultural Magazine, and Alberta Views Magazine. touring stories, venue profiles, peer reviews, poetry & drawings... written, reviewed, composed & drawn by musicians. Get BC Musician Magazine by mail and win stuff. info@bcmusicianmag.com PO Box 1150 Peachland, BC V0H 1X0 www.bcmusicianmag.com
Subscribe today!
$30
Just plus GST Gets BC Musician to your door for a full year.
4 | BC Musician | July/August 2009
Patrick Jacobson
is a Vancouver-based singer/songwriter and musician. He records, performs, and tours with the critically acclaimed bands The Luna Riot, The Capitals, and The Top Drawers. Patrick is currently touring in support of The Luna Riot’s new long player “Night Steals The Light” and working on his first solo album. He recently founded Raincity Management myspace.com/raincitymanagement where he manages Joel Battle and books Canadian shows and tours for artists from all across Canada and the US.
RC Joseph’s writing has appeared in The Georgia Straight, 24 Hours, and The Tyee. When he is not posing as a musical tastemaker, RC is the singer/songwriter of the Vancouver-based folk-rock collective Kingsway.
Joey Only His summertime adventures
Kevin Kane is a
professional musician and has worn many hats over the years: songwriter, recording artist and touring musician (both solo and as vocalist/guitarist with Capitol/EMI’s platinum-selling The Grapes Of Wrath), record producer, session musician, lecturer, educator and has even built guitars and amplifiers. His latest album, How To Build A Lighthouse, was recently short-listed for a Grammy award in the Best Pop Vocal Album category.
From her childhood on a dairy farm in Sicamous, Carolyn Mark has travelled thousands of miles entertaining crowds of 4 to 4000... touring Canada, the United States, the UK, Norway and Italy. She has shared the stage with such talented musicians as Jenny Whitely, Hank & Lily, Luther Wright, Sarah Harmer, Kelly Hogan, Lederhosen Lucil, Geoff Berner, Joel Plaskett, The Handsome Family, Neil Hamburger, JT and The Clouds, The Shiftless Rounders, NQ Arbuckle, Wanda Jackson, The Waco Brothers, The Sadies and Blue Rodeo.
Lyndell Montgomery, aka:
Captain Dirt, is a multiinstrumentalist and a touring machine. She’s toured and recorded with heaps of artists around the globe from India to Australia to Northern BC! She’s also a co-author of the acclaimed book Boys Like Her, Transfictions. Aside from music, writing and live performance, it is gardening and sustainable living practices that consume her.
continue in 2009 with appearances at the Palomino during Calgary Stampede where the Outlaw Band hopes to hang out with Fred Eaglesmith. Later in July he will be teaming up with Arizona’s amazing gypsy-metal fusion show Traveler for a number of festivals around BC. Joey continues to produce Sound Resistance Radio at Vancouver’s Cooperative Radio station while booking tours, hiking mountains, ripping up the highways, breaking hearts, smoking bowls and guzzling beers. Thank god the summer is here!
Richard Sales
is a farmer and musician who also raises organic blueberries on Vancouver Island. When the moon is full he dreams of banjos… have you ever put a light behind a banjo head in a dark room? When the sun is up he clears wind broken trees from the woods in the back. He loves his tractor, chain saw, farm and flying machines. He loves his family and friends; they’ve taught him things like, ‘god is the air’ and ‘you’re nobody special... sometimes nobody... sometimes special!” He also records his daughter, Hayley Sales, and plays in her band. He’s done an awful lot of music in his lifetime. He believes in sustainable everything: music, lifestyle, blueberries, friendships.
Adam P W Smith is a Vancouver-
based photographer who specializes in shooting live events using available light. He’s been involved in the Canadian independent music scene for over thirty years. He can be found lurking the shadows of small venues, waiting patiently for the right moment. Some of his best work is exhibited on his photoblog: www.adampwsmith.com/photoblog. He likes gin.
Richard Chapman
designed the cover for this July/August double issue. The illustration is taken from a photo of Vernon’s Blind Boy Lloyd out at Herald Nix’s estate.
BC Musician | July/August 2009 | 5
Robson Valley Music Fest: from free freak out to
By Joshua Estabrooks
“i
t all came about as a gong showish backyard drunken party,” said Robson Valley Music Festival organizer Seth Macdonald, referring to the idea to host a music festival on his family’s land in Dunster, BC. “We called it the Free Freak-out, and it was free, but I basically spent all my money on it and realized quickly that was kind of stupid because I wasn’t having nearly as much fun as I would have liked.” That was in 1994. The performers and audience members were a collection of friends from Prince George and Jasper, and despite the horrendous weather everyone had a pretty good time. “The next year we decided to make it into a real music festival and lose even more money,” he said with a chuckle. “We hired entertainment and played on the porch of our band’s jam shack.” That year the weather wasn’t any better, as right before the festival was to begin a massive storm ripped through the property, knocking over the kids area teepee, ripping most of the roof off the stage, and downing seven trees on the power lines. “We had no power but we actually only opened two hours late with generators. We had 200-300 people show up that year.” Seeing a small crowd eager to indulge in good music and good vibes was encouraging to the Macdonald family, as it indicated that what they were trying to do was on the right track. The family decided to continue with the tradition, this time calling the event The Good People’s Gathering. The Gathering grew every year, reaching a peak of 600 attendees in 1997. Macdonald said he finally considered it a success because it was the first year the event didn’t lose money. “We actually pulled a little bit of funds out of it and we had a full gate and everything. It was actually a functional festival.” As fate would have it, right when things started looking up the family was forced to take a break from festival organizing due to various events occurring in their lives. They wouldn’t try again until 2000, when they hosted a one-night version of The Good People’s Gathering, which turned out to be an absolute disaster. “It was a disaster because everything was run by volunteers, and we found it was as much work to put on a one day event as it was a three day event. The weather was terrible, we only had 100 people show up and the sound was an absolute nightmare. I said wow, we’re never ever even trying again after this.” The family had all but given up on the idea of holding another festival until 2005, when Mac-
world-class festival
donald’s partner Shara Gustafson, now Artistic Director for the festival, talked him into doing it one more time. By this time Macdonald and Gustafson had been touring quite a lot with their band Mamaguroove, and gathering a significant following of fans, not to mention meeting a myriad of talented bands at the various festivals they played. The Macdonalds threw together a mini festival in six weeks, which saw 300 people attend, and to their surprise, it turned out to be a nominal success. This sparked the rebirth of the family’s musical aspirations, and they set about creating what is now one of the more unique music festivals in the province. “We had a goal to double every year until we hit what we figured was capacity at 1,500, but I think we can do better. We had 1,500 people last year.” To help with the workload of organizing a growing festival, the Robson Valley Music Society was formed in 2006, and has a very active board of directors. For Macdonald, it has meant a few less injuries while operating the festival, as his list of accidents is almost as long as the list of performers who have played the event. “I’ve been electrocuted many times, had second degree burns, deep cuts, abrasions, I broke my nose, had hypothermia and heat stroke, and injured my pride.” For the festival, it has meant more hands to help with organization, and a way to involve the community even more into what has become a fantastic weekend of arts and entertainment. Holding a music festival at their home has had its problems, said Macdonald, but it has also helped create and maintain the intimate vibe that no other festival he has experienced can match. “This is our home, it’s not just a couple acres of field that we own. I think for certain people on the land it can be quite stressful but we all experience the benefits of the live music when the event is on. It’s
a labour of love for sure.” Each year, Artistic Director, Shara Gustafson, is flooded with requests from artists around the world, which makes deciding who plays and who doesn’t extremely difficult. “I have always tried to provide a variety of music at the festival. Sometimes it’s just something that grabs my attention, or I’ll see them perform at a festival. We also take applications as well.” Local acts make up a good chunk of the performers list as well, said Gustafson, as she knows the importance events like this can have for undiscovered talent. “We try and put a lot of local acts on both the side stage and the main stage. I think it’s great for our local and regional performers to interact with the international acts.” And interact they do, with everyone. One of the things you notice immediately upon entering the festival grounds is just how accessible the performers are. They walk among the audience, engaging in conversations with anyone about anything. They are not only approachable, but welcome the opportunity to get to know the people. Just one more ingredient in the vibe of complete inclusiveness the festival has managed to maintain despite its impressive growth. This year the musical genres represented on stage are sure to be as diverse as the 1,500 plus expected attendees, including everything from Mexican Reggae, Slide Guitar Rock, Jazz, Punk, Folk and Ska to Roots, Funk, World Beat and Flamenco. Complementing the acts on stage, the festival also hosts vendors and workshops, activities for children, top notch camping facilities and the most breathtaking scenery the province has to offer. Just imagine listening to some of the best music from around the world, along the banks of the mighty Fraser River, nestled in a lush valley, bordered by two impressive mountain ranges. Sound like a good time?
We understand the unique demands of the performance industry and will work with you to determine the best equipment for your venue, your budget and, most of all, your audience! + Industry leading equipment + Production support + + Custom Lighting packages + Delivery and set–up services + + Multi–media presentation packages + ...hear something different
6 | BC Musician | July/August 2009
1086 Richter St., Kelowna BC T 250.763.3855 | F 250.763.3950 www.splsound.ca
festivals The Bass Coast Project , a 48-hour experience in the Squamish Valley, July 24 & 25.
Featuring Music, independent fashion designers, Yoga, Sonic spa, Workshops, Art installations all on three stages: Permission Stage, Forgiveness Stage,
Chill Stage. Tickets and heaps of information to be found at www.basscoastproject.com
Photo: Meagan T. Burnett
The mission behind Bass Coast Project is to encourage the development and appreciation of underground arts by creating a safe platform for individual expression and mass enjoyment; and to nourish communities and the environment
by purchasing responsibly, promoting individual responsibility, and by providing natural, organi, and local products.
Bashu Naimi-Roy performs at Saturday Morning Breakfast in Parksville, a monthly event that has inspired the launch of the Vancouver Island Young Music Festival. The Rough Diamonds Creative Arts Society is organizing the first Vancouver Island Young Music Festival, a day of original music written and performed by young musicians of the Island. Sunday, August 30, 3 - 10 pm, Parksville Community Park. This is the only music fest of its kind on Vancouver Island and beyond. It is by and for young people of under 25 (most are teens or around 20). The plan is to make this an annual event featuring emerging artists with lots of talent. See roughdiamonds.ca for more.
BC Musician | July/August 2009 | 7
August 14, 15, & 16 Salmon Arm Fairgrounds
Featuring Johnny Winter, Sam Roberts Band, Youssoupha Sidibe, Bedouin Soundclash, Serena Ryder, & Oysterband ... Over 50 Acts on 6 Outdoor Stages! Blues, World, Folk, Zydeco, Alternative, Reggae and a Whole Lot More. Tickets and Information: (250) 833-4096 or
www.rootsandblues.ca
8 | BC Musician | July/August 2009
festivals The 17th Annual Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival , August 14th–16th at the Salmon Arm Fairgrounds.
2009 Bonfire Music Festiva l July 31 - August 2, 2009 Lions Park Fairgrounds, Kleindale, BC on the Sunshine Coast.
This year’s stellar list of over 45 Roots and Blues includes Juno-Award-winning The Sam Roberts Band; Dr. John and the Lower 911 (bringin’ a whole mess of N’yawlins funk ‘n jazz seasoned with the Dr.’s own irrepressible swamp-voodoo style); Johnny Winter, set to unleash some brand new material from his latest release, “I’m A Bluesman”; Serena Ryder, who won the 2009 Juno for Adult Alternative Album of the Year (“is it o.k.”); Youssoupha Sidibe, one of the world’s most virtuosic kora players; and Bedouin Soundclash, back for a return visit after an incredible performance at the 2006 Festival.
With a backdrop of breathtaking mountains and forest, our new site takes the Bonfire Music Festival into a larger realm of adventure... with a big grassy Concert Field, children’s playground, forest camping, a running creek, walking/biking trails, bridges, lots of daytime shade and that consistently easygoing feel syn-
Bonfire is a uniquely British Columbian festival experience. A 3-day, hassle-free, art-infused weekend of exceptional music, camping and fun. The music begins on Friday, July 31 with: Acorn Project; Headwater; Mark Vance & The Convertibles; and The Ranters. Saturday, August 1st: Flowmotion; On The One; Rabnett 5; Drive if You Must; Relentless Couchmen; Bluebudzz; The Rakish Angles; David ‘Boxcar’ Gates. Sunday, August 2nd: Big Black Furry Creatures From Mars; The Release; Jackfruit; Baked Potato; The Tree Shepherds; Bicycle Shed Ensemble. See bonfirefestival.com
The Point Roberts Arts & Music Festival, August 1 (noon - 7pm) & August 2 (noon - 5 pm), Lighthouse Marine Park ( just over the border from Tsawassen ). FREE admission!
Croatia’s Ana Popovic is well on her way to the top ranks of the European blues scene, and is the only continental European artist ever nominated as Best New Artist at the W. C. Handy Awards. Elliott BROOD won the 2006 Juno for Best Roots/ Traditional Album and was recently nominated for the 2009 Juno for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year. One of the most irresistible English folk-rock groups of the last decade, Oysterband, is on hand brandishing Celtic-edged guitar pop and historical and politically charged lyrics. A frequent session player with the Waifs, Aussie folk singer, David Ross MacDonald, will captivate the listener with free-spirited vocals and intricate fingerstyle guitar playing; and 2009 Juno nominee for Alternative Album of the Year, Chad Van Gaalen brings a sonic tapestry of crunchy guitars and plaintive vocals.. Rounding out the lineup is Darondo, a 70’s funk and soul crooner with wicked falsetto and funkadelic grooves; 22-year old slide phenom, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, will front Orleans Avenue; and the Soul of John Black brings his own cool, confident repertoire of soul, gospel, funk and hip-hop. Order tickets and memberships online at rootsandblues.ca
onymous with the Upper Sunshine Coast.
This year featuring: Bocephus King, The Parlour Steps, Robyn Carrigan, Craig Jacks & The Mighty Jackalopes, Air Born Dancers, Rahma Dancers, Food Vendors, Arts & Crafts, Children’s Activities, Overnight Camping, Whale Watching, Spectacular Sunsets and an after party both nights at Pier Point! This annual BC Day long weekend festival is brought to you by: The Point Roberts Arts Foundation - Educating youth in the arts and music through celebration of the culture within our community. bandcouver.com/pointrobertsfest.html
“Nessiefest” August 21-23 2009 with events at Los Rastrillos • Tambura Rasa Coco Love Alcorn • Random Order Rachelle Van Zanten • Jarimba • La Comuna Mel Watson & Jen Todd • Mamaguroove Scott Cook • Back Porch Swing • Jen Paches Los Gringos Salvajes • Sara Noni Metzner local & regional performers & more!
Presented by:
Sponsored by:
Art Space 21 and 23rd Prince George and out at Ness Lake Aug 22. This is a fundraiser for the annual Coldsnap Festival, bravely held every January in Prince George. Check for details at www.coldsnapfestival.com
Open Mic Beginner Jam Expanded Workshops FREE Corn Roast Every Night Corn Shuckin’ Contests Grass & Gravel Camping Plus More!!!
BC Musician | July/August 2009 | 9
rap recording, guns... blueberries! By shayne avec iBy grec Richard Sales
i
was there pretty much at the beginning 1981. I had a studio (glassWing studios®) just outside Washington D.C., about seven miles from The Bullseye (The White House). DC is a very diverse and overwhelmingly black city with a thriving neighbourhood music scene. Most of my early clients were street rappers. “Street” in this case definitely meant vibrant and real, but it could also mean Uzis, 9MM automatics, briefcases full of rock cocaine. Some clients were well off — accountants, teachers. Some would take a break from changing tires to record for an hour or two, or come during brief furloughs from jail. It all added up to a wild, creative scene in my studio. Professors, pimps and mind-boggling poets — all gathered around my old enormous Gately console! Regardless, I really respected all of these guys — their talent and ambition — and, most especially, their gameless honesty. They responded with deep kindness and loyalty — essentially protected our place — which was in a rapidly deteriorating neighbourhood. In the beginning, there wasn’t much in the way of sampling. I had a LinnDrum and a Roland Jupiter 8 (still do) so I could provide the beat,
bass lines, keyboard figures & guitar.
analogue was.
But some clients were more discriminating and we made beats using quarter inch tape. Each drum sound had to be recorded (‘sampled’) onto tape — multiple times.
Our daughter Hayley (Universal Music) was born into this scene in ‘86. By ’90, it had gotten quite bad: drive by shootings, a body found 100 yards from our house, heroin fixings in the bushes. Despite the watchfulness of our rapper friends, we knew it was time to go.
It was an amazing system. You’d calculate your desired beats per minute and from that you could extrapolate, based on tape running at 15 inches per second, how LONG a note would be. For example, say you have a 60 BPM rap dirge. That would equal one beat per second (sixty seconds/beats in a minute). If tape is traveling at fifteen inches per second, that would mean a quarter note was fifteen inches of tape, an eighth note 7.5 inches and so on. At 120 BPM a quarter note equals 7.5 inches of tape... etc. Doing beats this way was incredibly tedious. Each beat/note had to be spliced together on a splicing block. One song could take an experienced tape editor a week. A bad edit could mean the tape flew apart when you hit rewind, or had a click or popping noise. This is why you’ll see me smile and get real quiet when folks rag on digital and how much better
We moved to Portland, Oregon. I didn’t know what I was going to do there, but soon met a film producer with a very stoned (& famous) wind surfer — who’d done a ‘rubato’ rap. He asked, “You know anything about rap? Can you could make this work for a film I’m doing?” I smiled, “Yeah, I know a bit about rap.” That connection led to a very good living writing music for film, games and video. We moved to Vancouver Island hoping to retire to organic farming (blueberries) in ’03. But in 2004, Hayley started writing songs. After hearing the first song, I knew my retirement was suddenly over. As a musician, you never know what’s around the corner. But I’ve found, if you treat all humans, artists and life itself with deep respect, it’ll be good!
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10 | BC Musician | July/August 2009
& electric amps & pick-ups mandolin & violin strings, cables, cords lessons & tips acoustic
465 Main Street, Penticton, BC 250-492-5007
Real road worry
S
By Babe Gurr
Truth or fiction? Well a bit of both. The road can be a blast if you and your band get along, and are responsible and the tour is planned well. Every Canadian musician at one point or another has hit the open road on a cross Canada tour. What a great way to see our beautiful country while playing with your band, selling some CDs off the stage, introducing new fans to your music, gaining some publicity, and perhaps garnering the interest from record executives that you have invited to your shows. Canada is a big country with long distances between major cities and even between small towns you might find yourself driving anywhere from 6 to 10 hours. Which brings me to the main reason for this article. Drive safe! A lot of young musicians on their first tour on a tight or non-existent budget, will buy, borrow, or rent some second hand older van big enough to fit the band and all their gear. Check it out mechanically, make sure you have good tires, make sure you are adequately insured for each driver, make sure there will be more than one person able to drive. And look on the internet to see the safety statistics on whatever vehicle you will be traveling in, as some are susceptible to rolling easily, and some may even have been recalled for specific mechanical or safety belt failure. Before you hit the road talk to all the venue owners, agents or promoters that have helped to book your tour and request that they find you accommodation for the night or nights that you are playing their venue or festival. Some may, depending on their budget and your notoriety, put you up for free in a cheap motel/hotel, while others may just recommend somewhere inexpensive, or they could help to billet the band members in people’s homes. You may think that you don’t need accommodation and are a bit reluctant to ask for it as you feel lucky enough just to have the gig, and don’t want to push it. I say ask for, and, well, actually demand it. Too
photo: Adam PW Smith
o you and your band have written a few songs, thrown together your first CD, made a You Tube video, have a website, had some positive response from fans twittering you and now you want to take your music live to the masses, and experience the road. The glamour of being a rock star hitting the open road, going from town to town and playing venues with fans at your feet screaming for you.
many musicians have left a venue around 2 am after playing and perhaps drinking, to drive straight to the next town they are playing in because they don’t have accommodation for the night, and they have a long way to drive. You’re excited and pumped, you just had the time of your life, sold a ton of CDs, but soon enough after a few hours of driving you realize that you’re exhausted. PULL OVER! Sleep for a few hours. Trading off drivers isn’t always the solution as you are all probably equally tired. Don’t think ‘I’ll just drive a little further to the next town and grab a coffee’ as you may be asleep the next minute.
It happens too often to touring bands and it really can be prevented. Have fun on the road but drive safe!
Supporting strong, creative, vibrant communities.
I know, I’ve done it with my own band in the past, after playing Toronto and driving all night to New York City. One of the band members that was taking his turn at driving had just started to veer off the highway as he was falling asleep. Luckily another band member just happened to be awake and yelled. If you can’t get accommodation maybe think about traveling with a couple of tents (weather permitting) as a cheap solution to getting a good nights sleep before heading out bright and early to make it to the next town on time. I write this in memory of my wonderful and talented nephew Mike Gurr, the drummer for the band the Hotel Lobbyists, who lost his life in a car accident while out on their first cross Canada tour. The driver was exhausted after a late night at a gig and fell asleep while driving (having consumed no alcohol).
For more information on joining BCGEU call 1-800-667-1103
BC Musician | July/August 2009 | 11
there’s one in every crowd...
L
By Kevin Kane
(And I wish they’d just leave)
ike pretty much every musician to have ever played where food and/or alcohol is served, I’ve had to endure indifference and full-on rudeness at more shows than I care to think about. For the longest time I would simply accept this as an unpleasant part of performing in these situations, grit my teeth, and soldier on. But having people come up to me after such gigs to tell me “I really wish those people had been quiet so I could have heard you” I finally thought: “screw this – I owe it to those who’ve come out to hear me play to at least try and do whatever I could to make their listening experience as pleasant as possible”. After all, I’ve worked long and hard on my music and craft for many years, often traveling great distances to perform to those who wish to hear me - why should I let a few rude jerks ruin it for my listeners? Playing to inconsiderate assholes is no fun for me, but I’ve come to realize that being an entertainer is first and foremost about the quality of my audiences’ musical experience - not mine - and this has made it a lot easier to deal with such situations.
I started off by going “shhh” off the mic as I was playing the first song, which got the attention of most of the people who were still talking. As I played there were fewer and fewer people talking, until “the two” were rather conspicuously the only ones still gabbing. After the song (and choosing my words carefully so as to not single anyone out…yet), I asked the audience in the most polite and good natured way I could to respect the fact that there were other people around them who were there to hear the music.
At times I’ve had to calmly and patiently explain to an audience, as though talking to a small child, that because my music is quiet and “dynamically subtle” (or “subtly dynamic” - I forget which), talking/being noisy while I’m playing ruins the listening experience for others in the room. I’ve found that maintaining a sense of humor really helps: the fact is that most people don’t want to have their assholish behaviors pointed out to a crowd (unless of course they truly are an asshole and/or drunk). At a recent gig a couple of guys directly in front of me kept yakking while I was playing, so I said to them as faux pleasantly as possible “I couldn’t help but notice how much difficulty you two seem to be having trying to converse over top of my music. I do apologize”. There were a couple of chuckles from the crowd, the two guys shut up for my next song, then left.
I noticed at this point that the rest of the crowd had become especially attentive, no doubt curious as to how this little drama was going to play out. After the song I took the direct approach: “You know, I’m watching something quite incredible - two of the rudest and most oblivious people I’ve ever encountered.” The audience started laughing AND THE TWO WOMEN JUST KEPT TALKING! So I kept talking: “This really is incredible – I’m speaking to all of you through a PA system about how rude these two people are and they don’t even have a clue! They’re still talking! This is truly amazing!” It really was – I now had the rapt attention of the entire room EXCEPT FOR “THE TWO”! We started into song 4 and, much to my surprise, one of them looked up at me. So, while still playing, I said “Yea – YOU. What the fuck?! What the hell is wrong with you? Shut up!” I was clearly fed up and this got big laughs from the audience, and “the two”
Recently at Vancouver’s beloved live music institution, The Railway Club, I was performing a short solo set prior to the evening’s headliner, Leeroy Stagger And The Wildflowers (with whom I also play guitar). As I’ve already said, when I play solo it tends to be pretty damn quiet, and although I was accompanied that night by Christina Zaenker on cello and harmonies, her presence doesn’t make what I do any louder, just more textured. On this particular occasion, “the one” in the crowd was actually “the two”: a pair young women who sat at the very front of a packed room, talking loudly to one another as though they were sitting at home watching TV.
During song 2 there was more talking from “the two” and increasingly aggressive “shhh”-ing from me. When I finished the song I told the audience (while looking directly at “the two”) that one of the nicer things about the Railway was that there were many places one could sit and talk and not disturb the other patrons who were there to hear the music. They looked at me as I said this and appeared to be listening, but as soon as we began playing the third song they went right back to talking. Great.
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actually shut up...for a couple of minutes before they were back to talking! Despite the expectant looks on the faces of the rest of audience who wondered what more I could possibly do (spit on them, pour their drinks over their heads – I was full of ideas by this point!), I simply thanked everyone for listening and went into my last song. As I was playing, “the two” got up from their seats. At least I was able to play one song without disruption. Heading to the bar afterward for a drink, I as passed one of them and – no lie – she smiled at me and looked like she wanted to say something! Knowing that if I were to engage her in a conversation I wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to berate her, I took the high road and just walked past. As I waited in line at the bar, several people came up to commend me for taking the rude twins to task as I had and tell me how entertaining they had found the whole thing (including CBC Radio 3 host Tariq Hussain, who had me on his show a few days later to talk about the incident!). I was just glad that The Wildflowers were going to be a lot louder.
protect your ears!
By Adam P W Smith
o
ver the past couple of weeks I’ve been trying out two types of over-the-counter professional earplugs - the Etymotic ER20 and the Alpine Music Safe. Both earplugs come are “one size fits all”, in-the-ear style earplugs. They look quite similar; a series of soft rubber flanges that fit in the ear (similar to the common in-the-ear style headphones) and a plastic tube that extends out of the ear. They are meant to be a step up from drugstore foam earplugs, but not as expensive as custom-fitted earplugs. The Alpine earplugs are smaller and the package comes with three plastic inserts that can be fitted into the main part of the earplug to select between low, moderate, and high levels of attenuation. I found the attenuation is not as flat across the spectrum - certain higher frequencies seemed noticeably muted. Voices, in particular, seemed less distinct. This was a positive boon when trying to ignore the people who insist on standing in front of the stage to have a chat about how drunk they got last night, but it also flattened out parts of the music. The Alpine earplugs were more comfortable
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of the two. The plastic is slightly softer and they aren’t as large and the stem that extends from the earplug is quite short. The elaborate packaging for the earplugs comes with a piece of plastic to make them easier to insert, but removing them is the tricky part. The shorter stem and overall size left me anxious that I wouldn’t be able to get the earplugs out again without having to enlist the help of a friend with small fingers or a pair tweezers... “CAN YOU GET THIS THING OUT OF MY EAR?”
Win a pair of Alpine Music Safe earplugs! This is easy. Name 3 music acts that Adam PW Smith has photographed this year (4 of them have been published in issues of BC Musician). Send the names to info@bcmusicianmag.com. We’ll draw for a winner on July 31 (lots of time to get your name in the hat!).
“Yes, give me a second” “WHAT?” “YES, BUT GIVE ME A SECOND!” “WHAT?!?!” “YOU’RE AN IDIOT WITH TINY EARS AND BIG FINGERS!” “I’M NOT SURE... ABOUT 3:30 I THINK!” The Etymotic earplugs are simpler in design. The general appearance is identical, but they are longer, with a much longer stem. My subjective evaluation of the sound was more positive than for the Alpine earplugs. Both manufacturer claims to reduce sound levels by approximately 20 dB evenly across the spectrum. Subjectively, I felt this was more likely to be true of the Etymotic earplugs. The Etymotic model is more visible than the Alpine, but there are still much less obvious than the “extruded neon foam insulation” look of drugstore earplugs. The longer stem makes insertion and removal simple. The big problem with the Etymotic is the size. I don’t believe I have freakishly small ear canals, but the Etymotic are physically uncomfortable to wear if they are inserted too far. The flanged part increases in size, so the trick is simple enough - don’t push them in as far. (The also make a smaller version under the brand name “Baby Blues”.) One of the key questions in my mind was “do these earplugs offer any significantly better protection than cheapo drugstore earplugs?” According to an audiologist I spoke to, they all provide decent and equal protection against damage (provided they are worn properly). So the real advantages in these more expensive options (40$ for the Alpine, 22$ for the Etymotic) come from their improved sound quality, their durability (foam earplugs lose their resilience
after a few uses), and their appearance. The issues of comfort and sound quality are ultimately subjective. I can confidently state that you will hear more and better sound using either of these options than by using drugstore earplugs. Beyond that it’s a matter of personal taste. If appearance is vital to you, go with the Alpine. If simplicity and ease of use matters, try the Etymotic. Finding either brand at a retailer in BC seems to be tough, but they are available over the Internet. Order from a Canadian retailer to avoid the usurious UPS and customs charges. Earbuddies, who supplied the Alpine earplugs for this review, are now based in Canada and were pleasant to deal with. www.earbuddies.ca
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sk8r muzk:
i
not just for mall punks
blame Avril Lavigne. If it weren’t for that skaterboy song assaulting my ears till they bled, I suspect I would never have developed the notion that all skateboarders listen to the same really bad mall punk. Knowing that pretty much everybody in the North America, as well as Sims players the world over, have been subjected to that song, I made the assumption that this negative stereotyping was rampant. A highly unscientific poll conducted on my blog recently revealed that about one third of respondents also felt that all skateboarders listened to the same crappy music, while slightly more blamed only those skateboard wannabes who hang out at the mall and pose. The remaining third of respondents were more enlightened. For those outside of the subculture, the prevailing image of a skateboarder is pretty generic – teenage boy. Even amongst skaters themselves there is a tendency to typecast, with the assumption made that big shirts and baggy pants means that the boarder has got hip-hop booming from his ipod, while those favouring tight pants thrash out to metal or rock. The reality is very different, even when the boarder does fall into the general demographic. Brock Foerster has been skateboarding in White Rock for about six of his eighteen years. He plays bass and double bass when he jams with
his friends, and he cites some of his favourite musicians as the avant-groove American jazz trio - Medeski, Martin and Wood, the Swedish jazz piano trio – the Esbjörn Svensson trio, and Pink Floyd. Decidedly not mall punk. But even with his non-stereotypical taste in music, Brock envisions boarding as primarily an avenue for the young. He doesn’t foresee himself keeping up his passion for the sport 30 years from now. “At that age, I would probably be golfing,” he guesses. Tom Reimer, on the other hand, doesn’t appear to be shopping for plaid golfing trousers any time soon. But he is not someone you would immediately pigeonhole as an avid skateboarder, either. The 36 year old musician and father of three, who still skates every day, admits that his continued passion for boarding sometimes catches people off guard. “One time I went to this indoor park to skate,” he recounts. “The people working there were ‘who’s Dad are you?’ assuming that I was there to pick up my kids.” For Tom, who has been skating for almost 20 years, skateboarding transcends the boundaries of sport or recreation or transportation. It can be all those things, but Tom particularly values the therapeutic aspect of shredding. “When I’m skating, I’m skating,” he explains. “I’m trying tricks, picking out lines to roll. I like to hit the
... Jimmy V’s never been much of an establish“ ment man. He spent most of his life experimenting with
alternative lifestyles. At the time skateboarding busted out in the 70s he was busy raising a family out of a VW van. But by the 90s when the dust settled a bit and his life was slowing down he decided to go skateboarding. He was 55 then. And that was 10 years ago.”
”
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By Barbara Bruederlin streets Natas Kaupas style, trick off that, ollie up this, skating.” The Zen of the movement melts away the daily stresses. There’s connectivity between the exploration inherent in mastering the skateboard and the improvisation that he brings to his music. Tom has always been intrigued by the experimental possibilities of sound. He tells of a studying jazz at Malaspina University-College in Nanaimo and of landing a regular gig which the owner of the place dubbed “Tom – Shadow Guitar.” “I would play my guitar with nail files, wine corks, magnets, and little motors producing this ethereal type of ambient noise,” he recalls. Today, with his band Moon Union, he maintains a fascination with psychedelic and experimental music. “We play primarily very lush, washy kind of music that is closely associated to a visual experience, as we like to play with films or some sort of light show,” he explains. It’s about the farthest thing from mall punk that you could imagine. The fluidity of boarding is something that Tom likes to reflect in his music. “When I’m improvising or writing a song I try to get the feeling I get when I’m skating,” he tells me. “It’s like an openness that flows from one movement to the next. It’s really important for me to get that across.” Tom is helping to mount an exhibition on skateboarding culture at the Penticton Art Gallery this summer, in which he should be able to explain some of that sensation to the uninitiated. The exhibition will define skateboarding as an art form, a unique culture with a distinct language and art and literature, in an area with a rich skateboarding history. And with Moon Union playing their fluid and highly visual ambient sound at the opening, the exhibition promises to be a sensuous feast.
July 18 - September 13, “The Society of Language is Matter,” at the Penticton Art Gallery is an interactive exploration of the art and culture of skateboarding that includes a functional, skateable, quarter pipe in the gallery. The exhibit also features a sampling of historic and contemporary zines from the 80s through to today.
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crowsnest travels & wrestlers
By Carolyn Mark
y
ears ago I got to do a CBC show with the wrestler Gene Kiniski. He was probably pushing 70 at the time but he was still very strong. When asked if he’d pose for a picture with me, he picked me up, bride-over-the-threshold style. (Those familiar with my, ahem, frail bird-like frame will recognize what a feat this was!) After he put me down, we got to talking about touring. He asked me where I went and how often. When I told him he said, “You go all those places, and you DRIVE? In a CAR? That’s TOUGH.” The wrestler Gene Kiniski told me I was tough! I bring him up because The Crownest Pass and Highway 3 came up in our conversation. He told me to always take The Number 1 and cross over at Golden, especially in the winter. I figured he oughtta know. The one time I didn’t follow his advice, (Well I hadn’t met him yet, had I?) we were negotiating our trusty Honda Civic through a blizzard, when the avalanche bar came down on the Salmo-Creston- it came down at the SUMMIT of the SalmoCreston! I figure they could maybe give you some sort of warning sign down at the BOTTOM before you make the perilous trek but what do I know? We had no choice but to inch back down the pass and we were forced to miss the gig in Fernie and stay at the Bavarian hotel in Nelson, the one run by angry Dutch people, and everyone in Lethbridge thought we were dead thanks to some alarmist who called ahead tho the next town to tell everyone we were missing in action. “Dead? We didn’t even know we were sick!” we kept saying between heartfelt pats on the back and the bourbon shots everyone was buying for us. In the summer Highway 3 is not so bad but it takes longer than it looks on the map. It’s so curvy, the map is deceptive. Essentially, your car is like a sewing machine going back and forth, zigzagging over the same piece of fabric for 10 hours. Maybe it’s more of a vacation highway than a trying-to-make-the-gig highway. Ooh! I just got a Proustian memory wave of the way the Southern Okanagan smells in the summer, and stopping at fruit stands, and swimming in Skaha Lake. Hmm... What else is good about Highway 3? Well there is the Taco Time CANTINA in Cran-
brook, where you can get salad-like things and cold beer and it’s across the highway from the thrift sotre and right beside the gas station so for once everyone’s happy. Another good stop is the cool gazebo-type stage in the field in Greenwood, BC (where they shot The Amityville Horror btw) and the coffee’s not bad at the coffee place either (Butter tarts right out of the oven!) AND it’s right beside the saloon if your troops are getting a little ‘4’o clock-ish’
P.S. OMG!!! I almost forgot to mention the Borscht in Grand Forks!!! Have some! It’s amazing. Dukaborscht. The End. June ‘09
Wow. Even though it’s only been less than a month since I made this very trip (We played an event for kayak enthusiasts near Pincher Creek on the May Long that went as you would imagine...) As I was saying, even though it’s been LESS THAN A MONTH since my last Crowsnest Pass, I seem to have forgotten many of the unpleasant aspects. Writing this piece has made me NOSTALGIC and so now I am ANXIOUS to do it all over again. Life is a highway. Lather, rinse, repeat. And, of course, once you cross into Alberta everything smoothes right out. And money rains down from the sky.
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WE WERE NOT TRAPPED This is an excerpt from the recently discovered Memoirs of Campbell Ouiniette, former head of Bombsmuggler Incorporated Music Management, manager at one time or another of many illustrious folk, country, world music and other artists. Ouiniette died several years ago in a tragic accident at the Berlin Zoo. The packets of copiously-stained, longhand-scrawled legal notepads were unearthed in a steamer trunk, found in the basement of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Convent and Residential Young Ladies’ Finishing School, in Bruno, Saskatchewan, when that worthy institution was closed and demolished last summer. Special thanks to accordionist and archivist, Geoff Berner, who has managed to decipher Ouiniette’s idiosyncratic handwriting.
f
or Colleen to say, “you trapped me in the Siege of Sarajevo” in that way of hers, narrowing her eyes and shooting accusative 1980s feminist separatist death rays at me, it’s totally unfair. And inaccurate. We weren’t trapped, and we weren’t in Sarajevo, exactly. Anyway, I saved her life, and you would think I would get some gratitude for it, but she always had to emphasize the idea that I was responsible for putting her life in danger in the first place. Negativity. That’s what that is. Negativity. You have to remember, before the shit all went down, Sarajevo was a normal fucking place! They’d just had the Olympics there, for Chrissakes. It had more newspapers than Vancouver, and a better music scene, too. Cosmopolitan. Szechuan restaurants. Avant-garde installation art in the square. Muslims, Croats, Serbs, Jews, Albanians, Gypsies, Macedonians, all living normally. No big deal. I mean, the airport was still open, you know. I guess there was some kind of Travel Advisory or something, but they put that kind of thing out every time some elderly tourist gets a new strain of the flu or whatever, so you can’t live your life by that kind of thing. Of course there was tension, I knew that, but I rarely read the newspapers, and I had really good contacts on the ground, some extremely interesting experimental noise musicians. Made a sound like having your face run over by the street cleaner at 6 in the morning at the end of an acid trip. Fabulous. And of course as soon as they heard Colleen, they were apeshit about her. They had to have her over. And they were eminently suggestible to anything else I had in mind. So that’s how I came to put on a Canadian Music Weakness Festival with 5 bands, that, it turned out took place at the start of the Yugoslavian Civil War. Entirely funded by Canadian tax payer money, I’ll have you know, thanks to Yours Truly. Colleen is the perfect example of a musician who is too good for their own good. Too powerful. Too charismatic. She takes people too far into the emotions of the music. Sometimes they never get out. There was that joke band Spinal
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Tap that had all their dead drummers, but I know of at least 3 of Colleen’s ex-drummers who have signed their own papers to be committed to the nut house. No, I am not exaggerating. Certainly, many who’ve played with her never pick up an instrument again, myself included. It just doesn’t help your career to be that good. For instance, the time I got her the opening slot on one of the early Sarah McLachlan tours. Sarah the Pretty Guitar-Strumming Tree Nymph was just starting to take off, already drawing packed houses at the biggest university bars across the country. So it was a good gig. But it couldn’t last. The problem was, Colleen, somewhat dumpy, bespectacled, patchy-thrift store-dressed Colleen, would step quietly up to the mic in her dead stepfather’s parade boots, plug her pawn shop electric guitar into the p.a., no fancy amplifier necessary, and simply destroy people’s minds, like if an ice pick to your cortex did the opposite of a lobotomy. By the last song, the audience was so in thrall to her dark powers, that it was nothing, a mere bagatelle, for her to ask for 2 random male volunteers in the audience to strip naked on stage and smash beer bottles into an oil drum that we traveled with, to the rhythm of the final, heartrending song about the lonely death of her half brother in the Medicine Hat municipal jail. I used to love to watch the audience slowly file out of the bar at the break, panicky, stunned, emotionally exhausted, mouths hanging open, eyes darting to-and-fro, like dogs after Halloween fireworks. Needless to say, the vampires at Nettwerk Music (who are both management and record label, a felony in most countries, just by the way) kicked her off the tour after 3 shows. Can’t have Sarah the Neo-Raphaelian Tree Nymph getting shown up every night by some weird lady who looks like a washerwoman but has ten times the talent. But I digress. Back to the War...
When I landed at Sarajevo airport with Colleen and her band, plus a few other stray Canadians, all seemed fine. We were greeted by Bobo, my old friend who was a TV journalist at the time. But no cameras. “Where’s the cameras?” I asked, a bit annoyed. I like a bit of publicity. “Busy covering something else...” he waved vaguely. I could see that he was drunk, which was not remarkable. I was mainly concerned with keeping Colleen not wholly un-happy, which was a 24-hour job, but she started flirting aggressively with Bobo, so that kept her too busy to find a reason to get mad at me, so I wasn’t worried. Of course, the “something else” turned out to be the fucking Yugoslav National Army shooting a bunch of women on a peace march in downtown Sarajevo, and things just kinda went downhill from there, as history records. I knew none of this at the time, and Bobo wasn’t really talking much. Turned out that he had such high naïve hopes for the peace march that he had dropped acid to heighten the experience of Triumphant People Power, so the gunfire and the blood and screaming and corpses and everything had really harshed out his trip, to say the least. He insisted that we all go to his favourite underground bar and have a bunch of beer and hash and sausage and Loza moonshine, and since that’s what I always traditionally do to combat jet lag, I saw no reason to break precedent. Now you will say that I was responsible for all those people, and that at that moment of crisis, I should have known to keep a clear head, to take the situation more seriously. But honestly, everyone who came to that festival was an adult, ultimately responsible for their own lives, their own choices. And they all managed to survive, and the only one who got shot was the keyboard player in that crummy Goth Industrial band, and only because he suddenly decided to remember that he was a Croat, and that he needed to fight for the Old Cause that his stupid grandmother had been feeding him Nazi lies about, raising him up in fucking Norval, Ontario, which is a Crime Against Humanity in and of itself, if you’ve never been there, believe me. That is not my fault. At this point in the narrative, my recollection naturally becomes somewhat blurred, because between the beer, the hash, the Loza, and, always wanting to be sociable with local customs, I naturally took the acid that Bobo offered me. I remember a great party, and then this rumbling sound, which must have been shells, but
f rom
the m em o i r s o fdiscovered ca m pbel l oui ni ette & here transcribed by Geoff Berner
at the time sounded like ravenous monsters coming to eat us, especially when the lights went off in the whole city. Then I remember a lot of running and screaming in the dark, and that seemed to go on for several lifetimes. But I guess growing up on a ranch, I have always had a little bit of sheepdog in me, and, somehow, I managed to keep us together, the core group of Colleen, me, Steve the bass player, and Nellis the drummer. I think the guitar player found a woman somewhere along the way. When I came to myself, we were all crouched in a stairwell on the outside of a large grey concrete building. It was raining lightly. I think that the sun had just come up. I heard the sound of stray rifle ricochets, but they were coming from at least a few streets away, which I take as proof that my formidable powers of crisis management must have been working even when I’d been locked in the acid-and-moonshine blackout. I surveyed my people. Steve the bass player was staring at the grey concrete wall in front of him, immobile. From the movement of his lips, he seemed to be singing something, but he wasn’t making any sound. Anyway, he wasn’t going anywhere, so that was alright. As for the drummer, you can always count on them to just keep compulsively tap-tap-tapping on whatever’s in front of them, no matter what’s going on, and Nellis was no exception as, red-eyed, his dirty purple hair stringy from old sweat, he twitchingly practiced his paradiddles with his index fingers pinging on the iron railing. I looked over at Colleen. She was crouched, with her back to me. Her body was shuddering, and she was sniffling violently. We’d been more than manager/client for some time, and her sniffling awoke my tender feelings for her. I went over to comfort her, but when she turned around it became clear that she was not crying at all, but had just been hacking up a big yellow loogie, which she proceeded to spit directly onto the toe of my cowboy boot. She gave me that look she has, and enunciated very clearly, “I am never going to let you fuck me, ever again.” This was a drag, since as I say, we had had a “relationship” for quite some time at that point, and I was very fond of her, in a terrified kind of way. Still, I had never thought that was going to last forever, seeing as how Colleen had such a furious temper, and a tendency to fall out angrily with pretty much everybody, plus a rapacious and wide-ranging sexual appetite. It just goes
to show the validity of my little saying: “Don’t play with your food,” i.e., don’t have sexual intercourse with people who are central to the earning of your living. Musicians never take this advice. Anyway, I filed that information away as something to Think About Later, and started peering around for a defensible next move. You can’t live in a stairwell. Also, I had noticed that the concrete dust and mold was making the drummer’s allergies act up. I notice those kinds of things. I always take care of my people. Then, like a gift from, well, somebody, I spotted Marko. Or rather, I didn’t know Marko yet, but I saw him, and decided that I intended to. A white cube van had pulled up outside a grey, nondescript building similar to our own, across the street and a block and a half away.
favourite bands, and he had a van. I ran toward him, shouting alternately “Hey! Keskonen! Keskonen!” and “Kaivos Ematin!” (“Vagina Mining”) which was a track that appeared only on the original, Finnish vinyl pressing of the album, so that he would know I wasn’t just a superficial Keskonen fan. I guess my Finnish pronunciation wasn’t so hot, and I probably looked a little psycho, after being up for 48 hours counting the plane ride, and being all covered in plaster dust and other debris, because the headbanger saw me and made a panicky break for it, abandoning his van. I jumped in it to find the keys in the ignition and the engine still running. I threw the van into gear and gave chase, leaning my torso out the window and shouting the name of the deleted album track at the top of my voice. It took a whole city block for him to finally get the point that I wasn’t some crazed Serb out to murder him.
Bone Rattle
I’ve always had killer eyes, since my Old Pap used to take me hunting prairie dogs and badgers with a .22 when I was 5 years old. My vision remains better than 20/20, although I sometimes wear transparent eyeglasses in heavy negotiations, for the sake of intellectual intimidation. So it was easy for me to pick out, on the back of the black t-shirt of the dreadlocked headbanger who got out of the van, the symbol of a very obscure Finnish band, premier practitioners in Finland of a very specialized form of heavy metal called Goat Metal, so-called because the final mix of each track on a Goat Metal album is celebrated by the ritual slaughter and burning of a black goat. The name of the band is of course, Keskonen Suoli, which translates, roughly, as “The Intestines of a Prematurely Born Infant,” and I had been a fan since their first, classic album, “Nisä Thelema,” or “The Breasts of Thelema,” a reference to the writings of that fabulous old Satanist, Aleister Crowley.
“Keskonen! Kaivos Ematin!! Keskonen!” I made the secret rock n’ roll devil sign at him with my right hand. Pumped it enthusiastically above my head. “You know?” I watched the penny drop, and his face lit up.
guitars amps and accessories
My heart leapt like a kid on a griddle. This guy was a rocker who loved one of my
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WE WERE NOT TRAPPED “Keskonen! Keskonen Suoli!” “Right!” “Nisä Thelema!” “Yes! You got it!” “I must say that I don’t like that one as much as the 3rd album, the self-titled one. That’s obviously the band’s true statement.” (Because they generally speak better English than we do, Scandinavians’ total grasp of the idiom can be a bit disconcerting at times.) Right after he made this carefully considered and totally mistaken statement, the stray ricochet sounds started sounding incrementally but noticeably louder. But there was no way that I was going let such an outrage pass without comment. “That’s ludicrous. The 3rd album was a shameless, blatant commercial bid for crossover into mainstream speed metal.” “Commercial? Please. They couldn’t even play their instruments properly on their first album. Even those who are deaf can hear it in the first bar of the first track!” Even those who are deaf would have been able to discern the unmistakably solid, dependable sound of AK-47s approaching. “No way, that’s youthful energy. The guitarist’s mother was a concert pianist. You can’t tell me they didn’t know how to play.” We both cringed as we heard an artillery shell scream by overhead. The headbanger waited for the explosion in the next neighbourhood over before he made his point. As he grabbed my arm and pulled me into the van, he shouted, “She wasn’t a concert pianist,
cont’d
I knew the family. She was a light opera singer, and not a very good one, at that. You’d better come with me, I want you to listen to track 6, the first track on the second side of the vinyl.” So that’s how, thanks to my interest in Satanic Metal, we found ourselves in a beautiful chateau overlooking a beautiful city, burning beautifully, drinking 40-year-old French wine from Czech crystal, listening to records on a first-rate stereo with beautiful warm old Soviet vacuum tube amplification. Safe as could reasonably be demanded, under the circumstances. Turns out Marko was in Sarajevo because his girlfriend was a Bosnian Muslim. Her uncle was some kind of businessman with links to Albania, and he had this skookum joint on the hillside. Marko’s girlfriend took Colleen off to show her the bath, and Nellis was a big fan of expensive booze, so he was keeping himself busy trying different vintages that had been made available to us on the sound principle that when the country’s falling apart, you might as well drink the good stuff now. Steve still wasn’t speaking, but I did manage to get some wine in him, and pretty soon I had him singing along with the stereo, having found in the chateau library a bootleg LP of a Neil Young concert, featuring Young’s version of “Four Strong Winds,” kinda the Alberta National Anthem. It seemed to calm him down. “Steve, look at me.” I said, summoning my best Certainty Tone. I raised my right hand, 2 forefingers together at my forehead. “I swear, Scout’s Honour, I’m gonna get us all home safe and sound. I promise.” He just stared down at the city as the shells pinged off bits of the taller buildings in the center. He was weeping, softly singing, “Think I’ll go out to Alberta, weather’s good there in the fall….”
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22 | BC Musician | July/August 2009
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peer reviews “Your Album Here” Musician Name Here
Every copy of “Left Brain Blues” is handsilkscreened by the band. Each is precious and unique, and BC Musician Magazine gave away the only copy we had to a subscriber before this review was submitted.
“Left Brain Blues” Fish & Bird
By shayne avec i grec Though I’ve never been able to tell (nor will they reveal) which is Fish, and which is Bird, I’ve long been a fan of the duo by their namesake. For the past couple years now, Taylor Ashton and Adam Iredale-Gray have been dazzling the folk around them with their unique timeless take on creating a new old-time music. With their self-titled, and self-produced E.P., the boys quickly set a standard for fresh songs played in a timeless vein... For their sophomore effort, “Left Brain Blues,” the duo have oft-expanded their multi-instrumented sound and roster thru a great many guest appearances (the most common being Oliver Rueben Swain on the upright bass), including, at times, a full band to amplify the energy and tempo of their string-based compositions (see, for example, “My Head My Heart My Gut”), or to create haunting atmospheric movements (as in the epic conclusion to“My Garden”)... Once again Ashton’s songwriting puts itself into forefront (particularly on “Sun Just Shines,”) bathing in an ethereal timeless quality, and delivered by a voice the oftdefies earthly description; while the overall recording holds further crispness and clarity over the self-titled E.P., showing that Adam’s skills behind the mixing board are continually improving. And guest appearances or no, there are a myriad instruments featured throughout the album that are played by the fish and the bird themselves as they work their way thru songs of heartache and death, with a sprinkling of instrumental tunes. This album goes to show that these boys have come along way in the past couple years, and seem to exhibit signs that they’re just getting started...
By Fellow Musician
“RR #7”
Mark Perry
By Lyndell Montgomery
Do you have an album you would like to get reviewed? We do our best to pass discs along to our “peer reviewers” and then leave it up to them to decide what to review. The process is: 1) Send us your press materials and CD (PO Box 1150, Peachland, BC V0H 1X0; 2) Send a followup email to remind us that you sent your press materials and CD; 3) We’ll circulate the details to our review contributors and let them fight for the right to review you.
A line from Mark Perry’s song Black Ice off his CD RR#7 says,’ The only thing for certain is you never know.’ Ain’t that some kind of true. I said I’d never smoke again . . . nine years later I’m forking over nearly ten bucks a pack at least four times a week. Since Mark Perry’s album RR#7 arrived in my mailbox I find myself reaching for it regularly just so I can teleport back to Northern BC, the place I first watched salmon run, spied on bear cubs, found and lost love, learned to swing an axe, survived the lock jawed crunch of winter and lit my first cigarette. All these memories I had forgot to still remember are triggered by Marks music and I am warmed to the core. If the north is in your blood, it’s there to stay. Mark Perry knows this as true, as his songs on RR#7 sonically illustrate, love, struggle, celebration, landscape, isolation, tragedy, community, family as only one who lives among it ever could. I am reminded of musical storytellers along the lines of Ian Tamblyn and Stephen Fearing. RR#7 is folk music through and through. Everyday life spun into intimate lyrical stories then polished into musical nuggets by the down stroke finesse of stellar guitar playing, hell yes! additional instrumentation (Jesse Zubot, violin) and seriously qualified yet unpretentious production. The north provides many stories, but few people can spin them like Mark Perry.
BC Musician | July/August 2009 | 23
peer reviews bombastic brilliance of Barkmarket. As inspired by track 6, ‘My New Bar,’ allow me to surmise that Adventurism is that first sip of scotch for the bored, lifelong beer drinker – initially challenging but somehow still welcoming, and full of promise upon further exploration. And isn’t that the best kind of adventure?
“Adventurism” Ford Pier
By RC Joseph In the most recent Ford Pier press package there is a quote from John K. Sampson of the Weakerthans in which he ponders as to why the Vancouver-based singer/songwriter is not a helluva lot more well-known than he is. Don’t tell Sampson, but I am one of the guilty parties that never really paid much attention to Pier’s post-punk pining. It’s not that I didn’t want to; I just never got around to it. As a music writer, sometimes there is just too much music (read: shit) to wade through, and deserving discs end up getting overlooked. The fact that I am just getting acquainted with Pier’s music now is yet another reason why I think there should be some kind of law against the untalented making records and monopolizing music writers’ listening time, thereby forcing the likes of Pier to fall to the wayside. But I digress - on to the review. Pier’s fourth release, Adventurism is - and I am not just saying this out of guilt over my previous neglect - nothing short of a spectacular album. Recorded in Toronto with Rheostatics’ drummer Don Kerr (Pier played all other instruments with the exception of some ambient contributions from Weakerthans’ Jason Tait), and mixed by Michael Philip Wojewoda (Rheostatics, Barenaked Ladies), Marc L’esperance (NOMEANSNO, Veda Hille), and Howard Reddekop (New Pornographers, Mother Mother), Adventurism effectively navigates the intersection of energy and introspection, while never being afraid to periodically swing into that adjacent, well-lit alley of showmanship. Think late 70’s Neil Young belting out songs co-written with Les Claypool, all the while trying to impress Meatloaf. With each new spin Adventurism further conjures up the imagist accuracy of Mike Watt, the striking hook of Fugazi, and the
past, while strong arrangements and even stronger lyrics ensure there is no mistaking this recording as mere soulful imitation. No, with Lay It On Me, Minto do that which has been expected of every artist down through the ages: make it new. The opening track, ‘New Bones,’ wails with CCR-like passion while still managing to take it to a place that harkens more similarities to 90’s indie genius than the bayou; the haunting ‘Tonight I Lay My Head’ feels like it would be right at home on a CSYN album (as a Neil Young song, not any of that other filler); and the brawler ‘In The Water’ just screams “Crazy Horse for the new millennium.” A great album, yes, but what else have we come to expect from Steve Albini. And it would appear that after two consecutive homeruns that same statement may now apply to Minto as well.
“Lay It On Me” Minto
By RC Joseph Chicago is a very inspirational city. It inspires visitors to eat more red meat, watch more sports, and listen to more blues. And, in the case of Vancouver arena folk-rock aficionados Minto, it can even inspire a change of name. Formerly known as the Smokes, Minto adopted the new moniker while staying in the Windy City to record their latest release, Lay It On Me, with famed producer and engineer Steve Albini. The band renamed itself in honour of Minto, New Brunswick, a small town which, according to their press release, plays host to dirty bars and shotgun weddings. If that’s the case, this is one damn appropriate name as Lay It On Me could serve equally well as the soundtrack for either venue. Band members Ryan Hoben, Kalvin Olafson, Evret Tucker, Jimi Cuell and Suzy Easton manage to smoothly pick up right where the bands’ previous release, the much acclaimed Fields and Factory Floors, left off. Featuring 11 tracks stuffed full of dark harmonies, hard hitting hooks, and deep, gritty groove, Lay It On Me manages to pay homage to the power folk of the
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“Wondering Where the Rush has Gone” James Murdoch
By Patrick Jacobson James Murdoch may not be a “BC musician” but he does have seven BC shows lined up for July and his new CD, “Wondering Where The Rush Has Gone,” was just released in mid-June. Murdoch currently calls Edmonton home and he is a Western Canadian Music Award winner and a four-time nominee. In the same way that a high school English teacher reads out the best papers in front of the class to show students what they could have done better to achieve a better mark, I would love to show WWTRHG to every independent
peer reviews band. It’s not that all other bands aren’t at this level, but it is a shining example of what you can achieve with a little attention to detail. This album sounds every bit as good as any big budget major label release I’ve heard recently. The vocals are pitch perfect, the musicianship is excellent, the production is top of the heap, the lyrics are enticing and the songs are catchy. How refreshing is that?? Any of these songs would sound right at home on commercial radio. ‘Simple Lullaby’ is a sing-along toe-tapper and it would make a great single. ‘John Wesley Jones’ puts a decidedly Canadian slant on the art of writing cowboy songs while giving Luke Doucet a run for his money. My personal favorite is ‘Junebug,’ which is song full of good intentions with a tragic twist, “Junebug, I guess I fucked it up dear. I held the bottle tighter than your hand.” Throughout the album the drums are consistent and tasteful, the bass thumps with purpose, and the acoustic guitars chug alongside while electrics chime their approval. The songs are beautifully sprinkled with mandolin, glockenspiel, and piano. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive the album credits with the advance copy I was given, but James has clearly put together a great band and put them before an intelligent engineer in a good studio. Everything here sounds just as it was intended. Strong songs recorded with a sense of purpose. Check out James Murdoch’s website at www.jamesmurdochband.com and make sure you check him out when he plays your town. In July he’ll be at the Whatshan Lake Music Festival and he’ll be playing shows in Victoria, Duncan, Courtenay, Vancouver and Osoyoos.
Kelowna waitress, ‘The Hottress’, to their sobering tribute to Wailin’ Johnny Boreen, ‘Victory Square.’
“Victory Square”
The album is only 33 minutes long, which, seems to me, is the perfect length. In addition to the high energy numbers there is an instrumental jig, there’s an A Capella song, and there are plenty of cheers, beers and tears to celebrate along the way. By the time it’s over, you may just want to listen to it all over again. And you may just want to meet the Hottress…
The Dreadnoughts
By Patrick Jacobson Way, Hey, The Dreadnoughts! Say what you will, but a band that yells, “Robson’s piss! Granville’s shite! We’re going to Main Street now!” in its affectionate ode to its favorite Vancouver dive bar, “Ivanhoe,” collects instant street credibility (and probably the occasional free beer!). Celtic punk may not be everyone’s cup of tea but there’s no denying that these five musicians are skilled players. Besides, it’s hard not to get up and jump around a little while listening to “Victory Square.” The Dreadnoughts describe themselves as one part roaring sea shanty, one part haunting Irish melody, and a solid chaser of gut-crunching street punk. I tend to agree. They’re also one of the busiest bands in the province. At the time of print, they are currently drinking their way through 37 upcoming gigs in over ten countries. An impressive feat considering the costs of fuel these days and the fact that the Canadian government doesn’t tend to offer very much support for independent artists looking to tour abroad. Wherever The Dreadnoughts play, the bar erupts into instant chaos as people get soaked with sloshing beer and sweat in front of the stage. They are easily one of the most energetic live acts based in Vancouver and their performances are as intense as fiddler Seamus O’Flanahan’s mohawk, but how does it all translate to disc? Fortunately, rather well. By the end of the album, I could actually smell the beer and sweat! Perhaps that’s not all that unusual in my home, but they do manage to skillfully capture the energy of their live show (which is no small task) – from their roaring tip of the hat to a
We receive many review copies at BC Musician Magazine, and we like to share them with our readers. Here is a partial list of current discs on hand — some of which will be reviewed in upcoming issues — that will be offered as subscriber giveaways and random giveaways to readers and our Facebook group. coco love alcorn - JOYFUL Groove Kings - BLOOD RED Greg Wood - GREG WOOD Trembling Spheres - GHOSTS OF SLEEPWALK TOWN Darkblueworld - THE PERILOUS BEAUTY OF MADNESS Copilots - ESCAPE THROUGH THE TREES Surefire Machine - SUREFIRE MACHINE Pennan Brae - SHADED JOY Rakish Angles - RAKISH ANGLES Ford Pier - ADVENTURISM Vince Vacarro - VINCE VACARRO Tour De Fours - THE NEW STANDARD Go Ghetto Tiger - BACKSTAGE AT A PUPPET SHOW Shane Philip - LIVE AT BAKER STUDIOS
BC Musician | July/August 2009 | 25
crows nest - h ighway 3
i
f you’re headed to the Kootenays this summer, in July alone there are quite a few festivals you might want to take in such as the Nakusp Music Fest, Castlegar Bluegrass Jamboree, Littlefest (in Slocan), Kaslo Jazz Fest, or Starbelly Jam (in Crawford Bay). The main event in August is the Shambhala Music Festival in Salmo. Whatever brings you to the Kootenays, here are some highlights you may want to check out. A reminder before you go, though: check the fluids in your car and make sure the car is reliable! I had lots of oil before I left town, but something went wrong along the way and I had to get a tow and spring $3000 for a second-hand engine in Hope. Take the warranty when you buy a car and get your BCAA membership! This itinerary assumes you’re entering the Kootenays from Vernon, driving towards Nakusp. In that case, the first interesting stop along the way is Fauquier. To get to Fauquier you might need to take the ferry across Lower Arrow Lake from Needles. After the five minute crossing, look around almost immediately to the right for The Mushroom Addition Restaurant. I misread the name of the restaurant and googled Mushroom Addiction Restaurant, and that got me something entirely different. This fairly humble roadside restaurant/gas station serves up to ten varieties of wild mushrooms at the height of the season. Depending upon what the owner finds in the woods, you might try pine, honey, morel, lobster, chantrelle, puff ball, king bolets, or maybe shaggy mane mushrooms. There are apparently dozens of other edible varieties that grow in the Arrow Lake Valley. I gave the Lobster and Honey Sautéed Wild Mushrooms a whirl. They definitely had more texture and flavour than the domestics. Domestic mushrooms are used in a number of dishes on the
menu, but mushroom enthusiasts can upgrade to Wild for $2.50. This restaurant becomes very popular with bikers in the summer. For some festival goers, Nakusp might be your destination. If you didn’t pack enough clothes or lost some along the way, try Arrow Lakes Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop. It wasn’t open when I was there but the word I heard is that they’ve got a good selection of stuff such as used ice skates, and it’s all pretty cheap. Before you pull into New Denver, look out for the signage to turn onto Roseberry Loop. If you want a nice dinner, The Wild Rose specializes in homemade Mexican food, but it is only open Thursday to Sunday. Try the Chimi Chonga tortillas! They’ve also got Pan-Fried Tofu and a couple other vegan or vegetarian options. Desserts such as Raspberry Shortcake or Chocolate Ice Cream Pie are all home-made. Across the street from The Wild Rose, someone is working on getting live music going at The Manor. Keep your ear to the ground for more news about that. THE place to stay in New Denver definitely has to be Villa Dome Quixote. Looking something like a rustic smurf village, Villa Dome has character coming out of its backside. Prices are incredibly low when you consider the value. It has brilliant architecture, an outdoor spa, sauna, patios, a guest kitchen, and a studio irregularly offering yoga and dance classes. Most cottages have their own modern kitchenette and there are family cottages available for groups. The only downside is that some of the cottages have shared bathrooms. If you’re in New Denver on a Friday and need something to cook in your kitchenette, don’t miss the New Denver Friday Market for local produce. It happens at Kildare and 6th Avenue. The Hidden
Art Gallery on Kildare is also worth a look. If you’re looking for a good café, a drive over to Silverton isn’t that far. The Cup and Saucer in Silverton must be run by kind and friendly people. Their window has a sign declaring, Yes! You may use our bathroom! Check it out (the café, not the bathroom necessarily). If you’re ready for coffee or lunch in Kaslo, the Treehouse Restaurant has a fairly standard menu of soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and steaks. Vegetarians have a few options here: a Veggie Rice & Bean Wrap, Chow Mein Stir Fry, or the old standby, the Veggie Burger. Down the road, you can see the now defunct S.S. Moyie on the shores of the lake. The place you really want to go to though, is The Bluebelle Bistro. Great supporters of local artists and live music, the people who run The Bluebelle Bistro also serve up some of the best food in town. What they dish out here is mostly healthy, organic, and locally grown where possible. There are lots of vegan and vegetarian choices. Even the desserts are healthy. They do Beet-a-licious Brownies, for instance. At least they tell you about the beets up front. My Aunt Marlene used to secretly slide peas, carrots, and whatever other vegetable we refused to eat into her cookies. I’m sure the beets in those brownies taste a lot better than leftover peas, but I opted for something a little safer. I tried the Spinach and Walnut Strudel which came with a side of Seedy Salad for $10.25. Someone nearby had the Baked Falafel sandwich that also looked pretty tasty. There’s good coffee, and tea lovers will appreciate the selection of Mighty Leaf available at the Bluebelle. If you come at the right time, there might even be live entertainment. Before you leave Kaslo, check out the Langham Cultural Society if you have the chance. The Langham is a multi-use venue with two art galleries, studios, and a theatre that seats 80 squished and about 60 comfortably. You might find live music here sometimes. If your travels leave you feeling a bit worse for wear, the place to get restored is at the Ainsworth Hot Springs. $9 will get you a session in the hot spring heated pool outdoors in the mountains overlooking the lake. There
26 | BC Musician | July/August 2009
eat your way through the kootenays are artificial caves you can swim into from an even hotter pool if you really want to relax and steam yourself into near-unconscious bliss. Next, hop a free ferry across Kootenay Lake. From Balfour to Kootenay Bay, you can take the longest free ferry ride in the world. It lasts about thirtyfive minutes. On the other side, there’s a popular ashram with a spiritual bookstore that welcomes visitors. If you’re headed to the Starbelly Jam Fest, it’s just a little further along before you reach Crawford Bay. For many, the destination within the Kootenays is Nelson. A hippie mecca that probably has more VW vans per capita than anywhere, Nelson has loads of character. This is what I thought all of BC was going to be like before I moved to the province. All of the places mentioned here are either on Vernon Street or the next street over, Baker. There are plenty of good coffee shops in Nelson, but I noticed a few that stand out. Grounded Organic Coffee House carries Little Miss Gelato which is made in Nelson mostly with organic ingredients. The organic, fair trade Kootenay coffee is the star of the show, but they’ve got soups, sandwiches, and salads if you need more than caffeine to keep you going. They’ve also got a Spelt Burrito with Salsa for $5.35. And for those who can’t decide between a coffee and a gelato, they’ve got the perfect compromise: The Affogatto, an espresso topped with gelato. You’re looking at $3.75 for a single or $4.75 for a double. Another place to try is the Sidewinder Coffee Company. The atmosphere is good and they have a few breakfast items such as egg, cheese, salmon, and veggie sandwiches or bagels. The lunch menu offers whole wheat subs, wraps, and spelt bun sandwiches. Musicians should be aware of Eddy’s Music – they’ve been in Nelson since the 70s in one form or another. It is the largest full-on music store in the Kootenays. If you need something, friendly and knowledgeable staff there should be able to supply you. Live music is very strong in Nelson. The Royal might be the biggest live music venue in
town. They have a long history of live music and welcome touring musicians. Finley’s Pub holds about 300 and has live music Friday and Saturday nights. Tuesday is open mic. Recently, there has been a lot of live music at the Hume Hotel. They have jazz on the main floor and other live music going on at the Spiritbar. A more unusual venue is The Velvet Underground. Located downstairs from the Dollar Store, this all night live music venue/ Performance Kiva serves high end juices, no alcohol, and goes till the wee hours of the morning. They also do live music lunches Tuesday through Saturday. They don’t often host live music, but another unusual venue is the Livingroom Theatre. Size isn’t everything at this theatre space across the alley from the arts studio which seats about 30. If you’re looking for food to take away, try Darwin’s Deli & Café. Darwin’s is a good European deli that sells import groceries, including a Dutch section at the back. This is an ideal place to pick up car snacks as they’ve got home-made energy bars, date squares, samosas, and Thai noodle salads to go. The Hempola cookies are great, and they come saran-wrapped so you can stuff it in your bag for later. They have internet if you need it. It’s also one of the few places I’ve seen Illy cups and saucers for sale. If you’re hitting the road, this is as good a place as any to grab a cup of Kootenay coffee to take away. Vegetarians will not want for variety in Nelson. There are a slew of places that offer interesting vegetarian options, including The Dominion Café. The Dominion Café specializes in raw (organic, vegan, uncooked/unbaked) foods, such as wraps, smoothies, cheesecakes, truffles, crackers, and cheeses. Their raw smoothies have no processed ingredients and no added sugars. There’s also a Meatless Raw Meatloaf. I didn’t try it, but I doubt it tastes very much like Steak Tar Tar. The most economical place to stay in Nelson is at The Dancing Bear. They have cheap dorm rooms in the basement, and reasonably priced private rooms upstairs. The common room on the main floor is comfortable and offers a computer for use (not free) and Wi-Fi (free). The Dancing Bear has a no shoe policy so you may want to pack some socks or slippers if you’re going to stay here. They don’t sell any food on the premise, and there isn’t much around within walking distance after hours, so bring some snacks or make use of the common kitchen downstairs. Heading southwest from Nelson, you may want to stay at the Little Slocan Lodge, a straw bale eco-lodge in Slocan. If you’re moving along though and looking for a place to eat in Castlegar, Cuisine of India on Columbia Avenue is an option.
By Joanne Layh
Further along in Trail, there are a few places you may want to shop at. For music, try On The Edge Music. It’s not a huge shop, but they’ve got some instruments and accessories, plus a small collection of new vinyl. I found a discontinued piece of china I have been looking for at the Salvation Army Thrift Store. There are a few other secondhand shops to troll through in Trail, including the People Loving People Society, which carries mostly clothing and household items. Don’t miss the opportunity to stop in Rossland if you have the chance. For a relatively small town, Rossland is teaming with interesting spots. The Old Fire Hall up the hill has been converted into a restaurant which features live jazz every Friday. The place seats about 100 and they get in all kinds of touring musicians regularly. The dining room is licensed, so you can bring kids to shows if you like. Nearby, The Flying Steamshovel has live music five times a week in season and weekends only in the off season. They’re fully equipped and can accommodate up to eight people on stage. The building is over a hundred years old and recently was treated to substantial renovations. Coffee lovers should not miss stopping in at The Grind. They serve Nelson-roasted Oso Negro coffee. If you get hooked on it, they sell the beans over at Ferraro. The Grind displays art photography by Janet McIntyre for sale in the ladies toilets. I didn’t check out the men’s gallery, but there could be other artists on display there. The Grind always has vegetarian and wheat-free options available, such as Veggie Chilli or Wheat-Free Samosas. I tried the very excellent BLT with triple smoked bacon and chipotle mayo. The Wheat and Dairy-Free Curry Cauliflower Soup made with coconut milk was also very good. By-standing customers raved about their food as well, so they’re definitely doing something right at The Grind. The last good coffee stops before reaching the Okanagan are Jogas Espresso Café in Grand Forks and Copper Eagle Cappuccino and Bakery in Greenwood. Copper Eagle keeps short hours and may not be open when you swing by, but it’s worth a try. Jogas displays local artists and has live music at times. If you’re in the area, check out Dave Lang, who should be playing in September. And if you want to meet a former Trooper bass player, I’m told you can head next door to Art Effects. There is a lot to see and do in the West Kootenays, and this guide doesn’t even touch the East Kootenays. I’ll talk to the Editor about a circle tour of the Columbia Valley en route to Calgary for the fall. For now, I hope this helps you get where you’re going with some comfort and fun. Happy travels!
BC Musician | July/August 2009 | 27
b e e r b o n g b i n g o at th e r o ya l ( r i p )
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ne of the most dramatic and debaucherous events ever occurred at the Royal Hotel in Fernie BC under it’s former management. Before the Royal shut its doors last year my Outlaw Band used to play to the reckless snowboard hoards there as often as possible. Parties routinely lasted to the wee hours behind closed doors ending in blinding or paralyzing hangovers. One time I partied so hard I lost my voice for an entire tour, so we learned to play the old Royal only on the way home from the prairie circuit...never on the way out! We ended our 2007 touring schedule at the Royal quite purposefully on our drummer Kenan Sungur’s 20th birthday. There could be no crazier party for the celebration as Tuesday nights was BEER BINGO bonanza. By 7PM the bar was loaded with ski bums, Kenan already had several pitchers of beer in each hand and everyone was pumped. Bingo night began around 9PM and there was standing room only in the bar, the bingo cards were handed out and the games began. An exorbitant amount of free alcohol was on the line to the beer bingo winners, some winning entire pitchers of beer that had to
By Dr. Joey Only be engaged through the beer bong funnel... despite the liquor law legalities involved with beer funneling in such as establishment this happened. Others won huge glasses of tequila or whiskey...and the deal was, if you won... you had to drink the winning immediately. Failure to drink your winnings would result in some ridiculous punishment. Punishment ranged from being cut off to being forced to drink a concoction of the bartenders’ choice. And don’t get caught cheating for the liquid punishment would make you take back things you never stole!! Around this time was when DJ Kyle would say in the microphone, “if you have to spew...”
We didn’t even start to play until 10:30 and at this point the entire bar was loaded beyond belief...stammering...yelling...shouting...puking and partying hard. Numerous Outlaws were already too drunk or stoned to play professionally, and the crowd was to damned hammered to give a rats ass. I could not hear my voice in the monitors over the drunken dancing snowboard hoards. It was a really special night like that, Kenan turned 20, the Outlaws played our last show for six months, I moved to Alberta the next day, everyone punished their livers and approximately 25 liquor laws were broken...severely.
Now that was a great bar, I doubt the new management is so risqué! When the old bar closed it ...”spew out there,” the crowd would chip in all left us without that awesome gig, where routine pointing to the doorway. debauchery was a way of life. We played Bar Named Sue in Fernie but it didn’t last either, our Sometimes more than one person would win, new haunt is the Northern/Bulldogs Pub. It’s so a sudden death contest would be had. In one times like those in Fernie which add to the sting case the duo winners were Outlaw Leah and whenever we play a bar where I am supposed to some drunken goon from Australia. They were pay for piss rotten draft poured through dirty forced to stand on tables in front of the hoards lines... I just close my eyes and imagine myself in and have a no contact staring contest. Even the old Royal where the rye whiskey flowed like though the Aussie lost the game he must’ve had beer. We were kings for a short while in the east navigator.pdf 23/10/2008 12:30:52 PM a great time staring at Outlaw Leah...we all do. Kootenays, I’ll never be the same!
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he wind was howling a demon’s march as I stood on a highway in northern California, late in October, with darkness on the way and a heavy coastal rain in the air. Bad time for hitchhiking. It gets desperate as it gets dark; everyone assumes the worst of a stranger on the road at night. Finally a rusted white sedan stopped at the top of the hill. The driver was a young woman with long brown dreadlocks and dark eyes. Rain splashed into her face as she rolled down the window and waved for me to get in. “We’re going to San Francisco!” she said. Her passenger turned as I settled into the backseat. With his white fedora and thin black moustache he looked like a Manouche jazz guitarist from the 1940s. “My name’s Slim,” he said. “Slim Chance.” They took me to a warehouse on the outskirts of Berkeley, by the train tracks, and parked beside an old school bus painted in swirling DayGlo colours. Behind the big steel door to the warehouse I could hear thumping electronic bass and what sounded like synchronized screaming. “It’s circus night tonight,” said Slim with a wicked grin. Inside there were about thirty people riding unicycles, juggling, tumbling and chanting in a wild rehearsal for some kind of manic show. There were ropes and platforms hanging from the ceiling, paint splashed all over the walls, strange instruments and art equipment everywhere and a whole battery of computers along one wall. The place was called SPAZ: SemiPermanent Autonomous Zone. A collective of
artists, musicians and circus freaks who’d taken over this abandoned warehouse at the edge of the city. I’d never seen anything like it. I’ve had countless encounters like that on the road. In my early 20s I hitchhiked thousands of miles, trekking between tree planting and fruit picking camps, busking my way through big cities and sleeping out at the edges of small towns. I spent years chasing music and adventure across the great playground of North America.
by Jeff Andrew were twofold: it was cheap movie night in town and Leonard Cohen was playing down the road in Moncton. It didn’t help that Bob Dylan was touring the east coast then too. The bastards tag teamed us. We didn’t get to see either of them, but they stole our folk and spoken word crowd more than once. We played anyway. The staff at Struts Gallery were great and between them and Blind Mule (the band we shared the bill with) there were more than enough people for a party.
There was a rhythm to it: every summer I’d spend three or four months living high and lawless in the bush, working like a madman, eating like a king and jamming around the campfire every night. When it was over I’d pick a direction and see how far I could get. Halifax, San Francisco, Dawson City, Haida Gwaii…I hitched to all of them and learned to write songs in between. The road gave me new instruments too, like the battered acoustic guitar someone left behind in a planting camp or the abandoned violin I found in an alley in Portland.
I’m still tree planting, though the days of the great northern camps are over for me. Right now I’m working out of Merritt. We still get jams going on the nights off, but it’s not the same on a motel balcony in a small desert town as it is around a bonfire under the northern stars, with a camp full of bush-crazy Elves dancing through the trees.
Last year I did a hitchhiking tour with poet, DJ and fellow road warrior shayne avec I grec. We called ourselves Ghosts of the Highway and in the spring of 2008 we hitched from Vancouver, BC to St. John’s, NFLD. We were toasted in Medicine Hat, caught a tumbleweed in Sintaluta and were randomly rescued in northern Ontario (after nine hours without a ride) by two friends from Vancouver. On a break in Montreal I hopped the border and hitched down to Lowell, Massachussetts to visit Jack Kerouac’s grave.
“There he is,” I thought. “The ghost of my early 20s.”
One of the strangest gigs we did was at the Struts Gallery in Sackville, NB. It was a Tuesday night and nobody showed up. The reasons
We passed a hitcher the other day as we drove out to the block. He had a beard, patches on his clothes, an army surplus backpack and an old guitar slung over his shoulder (no case).
By the time this issue’s out I’ll be on the road again, somewhere between the Calgary Stampede, the Brandon Folk Fest and the ArtsWells festival. I won’t be hitchhiking unless my truck breaks down, but I’ll be picking up every vagabond I see. When the tour ends I’m gonna ditch the wheels, grab my backpack and pick a new direction. Who knows where I’ll end up? August is the time of High Adventure and I got a lot of miles to cover. -Merritt, BC, June ‘09
BC Musician | July/August 2009 | 29
V iew f ro m the V en u e Jogas Espresso Cafe 236 Market Avenue Grand Forks, BC 250.442.7844
If you’re cruising Grand Forks in search of the perfect cup of coffee, look no further then Jogas Espresso Café. Located at 236 Market Avenue,
Wild Bistro & Bakery 682 Gibson’s Way Gibson’s, BC 604.886.1917
The Wild Bistro in Gibsons underwent a rebirth of sorts recently. The bakery turned eatery is now open for dinner, is fully licenced and is looking for acts to play in what is quickly becoming one of the more unique places to visit on the Sunshine Coast. Owner Ian Backs, along with his wife Kera McHugh bought the Wild Blueberry Bakery some years ago, and have been steadily transforming it into a first class bistro ever since, said Backs. “It’s sort of like an overnight sensation three years in the making.”
Jogas has been in existence for about 10 years, said new owner Donna Soviskov. “My husband and I just took it over a couple of weeks ago. We have the best organic coffee in town.” Soviskov said she has been adding more and more healthy choices to the menu, using as much locally grown produce as she can. “We have sandwiches and daily lunch specials and breakfast bagels. We get most of our produce from the farmers market and we have lots of vegetarian items as well.” The building itself still contains original brickwork that dates back to the local Doukhobors in the 1900s, which gives the space real character, she said. The venue has a tradition of good music, and the Soviskovs are continuing that. “We have local talents, songwriters and poets at our open mic on the first Fridays of the month. On the last Saturday of the month we have the Grand Forks Idol auditions.” The finalists in the idol competition will perform at the Grand Forks Fall Fair. Local celebrity and occasional BC Musician contributor, Dave Soroka, hosts the open mic. So far, Soviskov said a few traveling musicians have passed through town and played in the venue, but she would like to see more. “We’d really like more traveling acts to play here. We can’t afford to pay them much right now but we can certainly treat them to a good meal.” Interested artists are asked to call 250-442-7844 or drop and e-mail to soviskov@telus.net.
30 | BC Musician | July/August 2009
The Wild offers it’s customers nothing but the best, said Backs, serving rare brews and some of the finest coffee in the world. It also provides it’s patrons with as much live entertainment as their jam packed schedule will allow. “We used to have a schedule but now we’re doing a lot more shows so there isn’t a schedule so much as call us and if we’re not booked we’ll look into
“We’re open to filling in as much space as we can with live music. We can seat 55 inside and 25 outside.” booking you.”
Backs said that up until recently, the performances in the bistro have been mainly local acts, but as word of the venue spreads he is seeing more and more traveling musicians wanting to play. “We’re open to filling in as much space as we can with live music. We can seat 55 inside and 25 outside.” Accompanying the live music, Backs and his partner both work hard in the kitchen, whipping up a delectable menu including everything the curious palate can imagine. “There’s something for everyone. We want to keep it simple but diverse at the same time and we have been getting great feedback.”
For more information on the Wild Bistro, checkpresen out www.wildbistro.com roots,
Driving highway 3? take a break in princeton
Voted Best Place to Eat and Hear Live Music in the Central Okanagan ~ Okanagan Life Magazine
July
11 The Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra
eclectic music explosion of gypsy-ska-folk-grass mayhem
CITY BREWS - COUNTRY VIEWS we Bake our own Muffins, Cookies, Squares Freshly Made Healthy Sandwiches SATURDAY NIGHT OPEN MIC Sunny Deck Organic, Fair-Trade Coffee wanted ! musicians : call us if you are passing through town during the week and want a place to play!
#9 - 136 Tapton Rd Princeton, BC 250 295 3431
Is it after 4pm ? Looking for a satisfying meal ? Come around the corner to LINGUINI’S at 255 Vermilion for pasta and steaks!
15 Hapa Hawaii’s most ambitious, diverse and imaginative duo ...beautiful, fragile & spiritual
16 Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart pure musical joy from America
21 Linda McRae formerly with Spirit of the West,
one of the true, soulful pioneers of honest roots music
22 Ben Sures acclaimed singer songwriter, folk artist
and winner of the John Lennon songwriting competition
24 United Steel Workers of Montreal six-piece blue collar, foot-stompin’ chaos
28 Lee Harvey Osmond featuring Tom Wilson Acid-folk groove & collaboration from a few Cowboy Junkies and some Skydiggers
30 Mihirangi Australia’s “Princess of Funk“ and “Queen
of Loops“... a multi-instrumentalist & Maori vocal sensation
August
10 Zappacosta Juno award winner and one of the Minstrel’s most popular and dynamic performers
12 Oysterband Celtic-rock superstars that will have you dancing and celebrating all night long
An Entertainment Charge May Apply
b
4638 Lakeshore Rd, Kelowna 250.764.2301 www.minstrelcafe.com
S ki n ny ’ s G r i l l e E xit 168 ~ Hope, BC 604-869-57 13 www.sk innysgrille.com
Come for the food, Stay for the music... Enjoy the fun! Live Music Saturdays at 7:00 pm July 4
The Crew ~ Skinny’s Own Blues Band July 11
Craig Jacks Duo ~ travelling originals July 18
Gerald Charlie ~ original & standard blues July 25
Lotus with DaFish ~ roots & blues August 1
Rock Moran ~ Island Delta Blues August 8
The Hoodlum’s ~ Classic Rock August 15
The Jazz Banditz August 22 The Crew ~ Skinny’s Own Blues Band August 29
Craig Jacks Duo
Where great food’s the REAL skinny...
BC Musician | July/August 2009 | 31
Adam PW Smith Live Event Photography adampwsmith.com • bcmusicianmag.com
The Dreadnoughts
Pub 340, March 15, 2009
32 | BC Musician | July/August 2009