Music Lives - October 2013 by Kelly Baker

Music Lives 3RD EDITION - OCTOBER 2013

MANDROID ECHOSTAR

AND THEIR LONG AWAITED NEW EP CITADELS

PLUS: AN INTERVIEW WITH BOWJIA KASHKA’S NEW ALBUM BOUND CATCHING UP WITH TROUBLE & DAUGHTER A LOOK AT GAIN MUSIC ZACHARY LUCKY’S NEW ALBUM THE BALLAD OF LOSING YOU MUSIC LIVES IS DEDICATED TO FEATURING LIVE MUSIC EVENTS IN GUELPH, ONTARIO

PAGE OF CONTENTS 5 Bowjia Interview 6 Beyond the Citadel with Mandroid Echostar 7 Album Review: Mandroid Echostar’s Citadels 8 Catching up with Trouble & Daughter 9 Album Review: Kashka’s Bound 10 Event Calendar 13 From the Blog 14 September’s Photo Gallery 16 An Interview with GAIN Music 17 Music Monday: I Love You, Guelph 18 Album Review: Zachary Lucky’s The Ballad of Losing You 19 Venue Listing

ON THIS PAGE Guelph band Wakeless plays at The Red Papaya on September 12th. They were joined by Adverteyes, Lambs Become Lions & Cursed Arrows. See more in the Photo Gallery on page 12. Photo courtesy of Austin Gibson.

MUSIC LIVES The Music Lives Team Creative Lead - Kelly Baker Content Lead - Aaron Dale Editor - Katy Butters Contributing Writer - Charlene LeBlanc Contributing Writer - Teresa Allaire Photography - Austin Gibson Photography - Brandon Marsh On the Cover Lead singer Michael Ciccia from Mandroid Echostar. Photo courtesy of Steph Person. Friends and Supporters Music Lives would not be possible without the help and support of the fans and friends we have made. Thanks so much for all your help! Interested in joining our team? Get in touch at info@musiclives.ca

Welcome to October’s edition of Music Lives. With students back last month, Guelph saw some amazing shows around town. If you didn’t get out for the Jazz Festival, The Flatliners, Jenn Grant, Guelph Reggae Massive, or any one of the EIGHTY SIX (!) events listed on the Music Lives calendar last month, don’t worry - October is lining up some great acts around the city. No matter what your genre or style, there’s always something amazing going on in this city if you are a music lover. Make sure you don’t miss anything by subscribing to our weekly newsletter on the homepage at http://www.musiclives.ca. Also, we try really hard to make sure we have as many events as possible in the calendar on page 10, but there are always shows booked after we’ve printed. To get the most comprehensive up to date listing, visit the website. We’ll have all the details you need to have an awesome night out no matter what day of the week. Cheers, Kelly, Aaron, and the Music Lives Team. ABOUT MUSIC LIVES Music Lives is dedicated to making sure that as many people as possible know that music will never die. The co-dependent relationship between music fans and performers thrives on communication. As music fans, we need to know WHERE live events are happening and WHO will be playing. Music Lives makes sure that happens.

Interview with By Kelly If you know people who love going to shows in Guelph, it’s hard to have not heard of Bowjia. They are one of Guelph’s only electronic bands and their music shows both experience and has a unique sound. Bowjia’s songs can range from completely chill and ethereal to upbeat and high energy. Bowjia has been around for 5 years, but the experience of Matt Herman and Elliot Grabish go much deeper. Both members have experience playing in other bands, citing influences from heavy metal and rock to trance. “We hadn’t really done anything electronic before,” said Elliot when asked about the band’s roots. “We were making more like metal,” adds Matt. “One day I was writing a song on the piano. It was a little eerie and I just took my idea to Elliot and that’s how we started started. We didn’t end up keeping that track but we kept the same sound for about a year and a half.” During the first year, the boys from Bowjia spent a lot of time reworking a few tracks which eventually became their first release Phatmosphere. “We started with a really dark sound in the first year, working on those four song and that turned into Phatmosphere, our first release. We spent A LOT of time on those first songs,” explained Matt. When I asked them how their sound evolved over the years, Matt explained that their sound is directly related to their mood whenever they are writing. “We pretty much create music that reflects however we feel at that time.”

Bowjia’s music also works phenomenally when collaborating with vocalists. On their self titled album released last year, Bowjia worked with Emma Aurelia on two tracks, who is actually Matt’s cousin. “We were working with my cousin, Emma. She has an unbelievable voice. We also wanted to try and work with some other people in the industry. Making new connections is always good.” Recently, Bowjia also released a single “Hold Me Close” featuring vocalist Mallory. The result was a fantastic track whose video circulated extensively on the internet. Making strong connections with colleagues in the music industry has been one key to success for Bowjia. The band also has two tracks that have been featured in television commercials, one for Covergirl and another for Harold Luxury for Men. Having their music in commercials is not only a way to get their music out to more fans, but also gives them a better foothold in the music business. “It just feels good to be a part of it. In terms of bragging right, yeah, it’s cool. But at the same time, it’s just another established connection. It’s business too,” commented Matt.

“There’s a lot of music out there that doesn’t have good music but the sound is good and that’s why it’s big. There’s a lot of other stuff out there where the music is good but the sound isn’t as big. But if you put both of them together, you’re laughing.” But it’s not all business for Matt and Elliot. Bowjia’s uniqueness as one of the only electronic bands in Guelph’s music scene means that they get some awesome opportunities at winning fans by playing shows with a wide variety of music genres. “I think that we are unique when it comes down to the music scene in Guelph and that can be a bit of barrier for us but also kind of a cool thing,” said Matt. “Sometimes we feel good about it, sometimes we feel a little uneasy about it,” added Elliot. “When we decided we wanted to start playing shows, we had the opportunity, even if they were small shows. Guelph is really good for that,” continued Matt. One of Bowjia’s favourite shows was playing with fellow Guelph electronic band, Illitry earlier this year at the eBar.

“At one point in the show, I was looking down playing keyboards, and I looked up and there was a shirtless guy crowd surfing,” Matt laughed. “That show was amazing. We almost sold out the place,” added Elliot. When I asked them about the difference between their live show and their albums, Matt explained that the emotions that make their music so unique really comes out in the live show. “I think you just get an opportunity to see how much a part of us the music really is.” Elliot added that blending all the different songs together provides an experience that you might not get with listening to the album. “Because a lot of the songs are extremely different from each other so when we blend them together, it’s kind of a trippy experience. You go from slow to crazy to even more crazy. With a lot of DJ sets you don’t really get that. You just get one kind of music the whole time.” Personally, I’m amazed that Bowjia even has time to play live shows. Over the past four years, they’ve released an incredible number of tracks, and they have a new album that’s due to come out this month. When I commented on the volume of music that Bowjia has released, Elliot responded with a simple “That just happens.” Matt agreed. “You have to keep feeding it. We keep feeling it! So we keep making it. We hit a wall here and there. A lot of things happen, different life changes and stuff. Sometimes I don’t see him for a month! But you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to keep trucking.” It’s obvious that Bowjia’s approach to making music is working for them. “The way we operate encompasses two things. Notation, so actual musical scores, and sound. If you take the music notes from one of our songs are re-do it in Mario Paint or something, it still sounds good. That’s because the music is good. But the other part, which is more Elliot’s bag, is the sound. It’s got to sound good too. There’s a lot of music out there that doesn’t have good music but the sound is good and that’s why it’s big. There’s a lot of other stuff out there where the music is good but the sound isn’t as big. But if you put both of them together, you’re laughing. That’s why we just mix and mix and mix.” Bowjia’s new album Ballooniverse is nearing completion so get ready for a release show coming soon in Guelph. In the meantime, you can download all of Bowjia’s music for free from their website http://www.bowjia.com.

Beyond the citadel with mandroid echostar By Aaron One of the most anticipated EP releases this year is from Guelph band Mandroid Echostar. After running a successful Indiegogo campaign, the fan funded EP, Citadels is set to release this fall. We were lucky enough to tear singer Michael Ciccia (MC) and drummer Matthew Huber-Kidby (MHK) away from a busy rehearsal schedule to find out more about the process that brought Citadels to life. Music Lives: Crowd funding campaigns are a great way for bands to raise funds through their already established fan base, but there has to be a hesitation or doubt in the back of your mind before you launch. Were you worried at about going the Indiegogo route? Were you surprised at the response? MC: It was one of the scariest things we have ever done to be honest. I feel like it’s a pretty good gauge on whether people really give a shit about your band or not. We had thought about doing a campaign months before we actually put the plan into action, but we were very hesitant. Then we got contacted out of the blue by someone who worked at Indiegogo and he really sold us on the idea about doing a campaign. He really walked us through it all and helped us understand what works and what doesn’t. Words do not even describe how humbling the response to our campaign was. People from all over the world were donating their hard earned money to help us make music. That feeling is unreal. The fact that we surpassed our goal really gave us more motivation to write the best music we could, simply for the fact that we felt such love and support from our amazing fans. We wanted to give them something great! ML: Your band has an ability to use instrumentation as an alternative way to tell a story. On Citadels, it almost seems like each instrument is a character in a story. Is this something you do intentionally? Can you talk us through your writing process?

MHK: When writing our songs we definitely try to intertwine the conceptual feel and the musical passages as best we can, but for the most part the riffs are written before the lyrics and we fit them in based more on the general vibe of the song. However there are times when we have a vision for the lyrical content of a song before it’s complete, and in that case we let the story steer all of the instruments as much as possible. Our writing process generally goes as follows; One person writes a collection of parts that fit well together and brings them to the band, we then collectively add and take away, and work the structure of the entire song until we are happy with it, we then proceed to lock down our respective parts for the whole thing, and that is essentially it! MC: That about sums it up. And then I sit in the room with Matt and James usually and record incoherent words and melodies into a microphone and Matt then takes those and magically writes lyrics. The man is a damn magician! ML: The Citadels EP has a strong love story running through it. Most heavy bands shy away from the topic. Was this a challenge for you and were you or are you worried about how this may resonate with heavy music fans? MC: The whole love thing was something I wanted. Matt writes most of the lyrics and on our first EP he wrote more of a sci-fi fantasy story, but I found it hard to connect with them. I eventually did and really got into them and interpreted them my own way so the passion of the words could be felt. So this time around I had a bit more of a hand with the lyrics and we chose an overall theme and wrote to that. It was very interesting at first. We were not sure how transparent we were going to be with our lyrics or how much “love” we were going to incorporate. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the lyrics on this new album. Matt absolutely killed it and I love singing the songs.

No matter who you are, what you do, what kind of music you listen to, love is in your life. If you cant get behind the lyrics or dislike our band or songs due to the content, well that’s your own deal! We all love love! Hahaha. We are very proud of it and stand behind every word. MHK: I have to say, I was a little scared about it at first. All of the lyrics I’d ever written before this had been pretty far removed from the emotional side of things. But as I wrote I became much more comfortable with the subject matter. I quickly realized, like Michael said, that everyone has love in their life and everyone can relate to it. No matter how grim and frost bitten your black metal play list is, you’ve still had a crush on a girl and you still have family and friends that you care for. So hopefully even the most metal fellas will be able to appreciate it, even though we aren’t singing about space beasts and sacrificing goats. ML: Reviewing the album I mention that the EP listens like a play. With an introduction, second and final acts of a quest. Is that what’s up? If so where did the idea come from? MHK: The record is meant to flow in that way, I’m glad that we where able to convey that! That idea came from some of the literary inspiration for the concept. We wrote this record in a similar fashion to a play that had inspired it both musically and lyrically. We want people to make their own assessment about this record, and to take what comes to them as the meaning, which is why we aren’t getting too specific about the story, but it is inspired by a play, among many other things, and it seemed that the act structure fit perfectly into our idea. MC: We generally like to be able to write to a theme. It is a lot of fun and we can all be on the same page even if we are not in the same room. As stated earlier this time around we chose love. The last EP was humanities effect on the earth. Who knows what the next one will be about. Telling a story makes everything flow so much better and you can take the listener on a journey. You’re welcome for the ride folks!

MANDROID ECHOSTAR: CITADELS REVIEW By Aaron The follow-up to Mandroid Echostar’s self-titled debut EP has been a much anticipated release, not just in their hometown of Guelph, but in Southern Ontario as a whole. Having been warned by the band not to expect a repeat of their first release I didn’t know what to expect but was eager to listen none the less. Citadels opens with a slow acoustic guitar track relying heavily on singer Michael Ciccia’s voice. It’s something you’ve never heard from Mandroid Echostar before but it sets the stage for the same amazing storytelling that the band is becoming known for. Imagine going to the theatre and having the narrator come out to deliver the prologue before the play actually starts. That’s exactly what A Death Marked Dream does. As the song fades out the curtains open and the action begins. The smooth sound of an electric guitar creates anticipation and as soon as drummer Matt H-K counts Ancient Arrows in with his symbol you have a feeling that something epic is about to happen and it does. That feeling remains for the rest of the album. By the time Haunted Vows is about half way through you realize that Mandroid Echostar are playing songs about love in a medieval place in time. Most bands in heavy genres try to avoid the topic of love unless they’re really mad about losing one. “I can’t find love here, so we’re going to march until I find some,” seems to be the paraphrased message to the army. The chanting parts of the song create an anthem that is a call to arms to all, if you’re willing to come along for the rest of the ride. You are on a quest to find the main character’s true love. To The Wolves takes you through the travels of this quest, ultimately finding this love, but it’s going to take a lot of work to actually make it happen. Mandroid Echostar find a way to musically and poetically get this message across to the listener.

The final act (this whole album listens like a play) starts with Ethereal Dawn. The songs starts with such a crispy bass line, supplied by Adam Richards, that you’ll want to pour milk on it and eat it like cereal. This is where the conflict becomes apparent. This love that is worth saving has become a real struggle. Our hero can’t seem to find where it’s gone but he knows it’s worth saving. One thing that has always amazed me about Mandroid Echostar is their ability to use their guitars as a means of communication. Rather than leaving all the responsibility to the singer, Stephen Richards, Sam Pattison and James Krul have collectively figured out a way to SPEAK with their guitars.

The final track, Citadels, starts down right evil. You can tell that the force holding back our hero is now in control. He’s still trying so hard, but the back and forth between our hero’s story and the good and evil guitars continues to intensify. The calm with less than three minutes left in this twenty-nine minute EP just crush you.... You want the climax at the end of the story. You want to know what happened to our hero and their lover. I’m not going to ruin the ending, but the suspense should be eating away at you already. All you need to know is that the curtain finally does fall.

Catching up with By Kelly This month Toronto band Trouble and Daughter will be visiting Guelph to play with The Balconies, The Motorleague, and The Glorious Sons at the eBar on October 23rd. I caught up with James Mascola recently to learn more about T&D’s history, their live show, and their approach to recording.

Learn more about Trouble & Daughter on their website: http://www.troubleanddaughter.com/ or listen to their newest album Alcohol and Nicotine at http://troubleanddaughter.bandcamp.com/ album/alcohol-nicotine

Music Lives: Thanks for taking the time to chat with me! I heard a rumour that you folks are from Guelph. James Mascola: We are currently living all over the Greater Toronto Area. Jenni is in Oakville, John is in Mississauga, and I’m currently in Toronto. Mississauga is our home base where we write and meet up with the rest of the band. ML: Nice. How did you all meet? JM: I’ve known Jenni since I was 16. I saw her play a show back when she screamed for a metal band, which was really awesome! Six years later we reconnected at John’s condo in Mississauga. That’s when we all really connected. Making music was something we all loved to do so we decided to start writing together. Without that condo, the band really wouldn’t exist. ML: You and Jenni have a lot of back and forth between your vocals, which is something I love about the band’s sound. Is that something that happened naturally when you started writing together? JM: Yeah, totally. Trouble & Daughter compliments the male and female rivalry as well as love for each other, which really allows both genders to relate to the songs. ML: Good point! I’ve never thought about music being gender related in that way, but I’ve always had a soft spot for female vocalists. Do you find that rivalry you have translates well to live shows as well, or is it harder to get the same effect that you have on your albums? JM: When we play live, it’s a little different because we have a full band behind us. John also sings lead vocals in some songs and adds to the harmonies. So our live show comes off as a different sound than the records. When we started, T&D was just John, Jenni, and I writing

songs, taping them, and throwing them on YouTube. Now we have a full band, which we love! It’s really brought our songs to life with the full sound of bass, lead guitar, and drums.

ML: Having control over your sound is definitely a positive aspect, but it’s hard work! Your latest album was released earlier this year - did the hard work pay off?

ML: I’m really looking forward to checking out your show! Have you had a chance to play the eBar before? JM: Yeah! We love the eBar! Myself and Richie, our drummer grew up in Guelph! (Go Gryphons!)

JM: The last album we put out was made at the condo by our bassist, Will Marr. I would say that it definitely payed off. More and more people are listening to our songs every day, and more show opportunities have started cropping up. The more content, the better.

ML: You mentioned that T&D posts on YouTube. Do you use a lot of social media to broadcast your music?

ML: That’s awesome. Have you been playing mosting in the GTA, or have you had a chance to travel a bit?

JM: Social media is without a doubt the key to getting yourself known. There are so many bands out there. Without social media, you’re really not going to get far. YouTube has definitely shown us a lot of love. We use it as a tool to show people our lives a little bit, as well as letting people listen to our new music. It’s a really organic.

JM: We’ve really been focusing on southern Ontario for now. We’ve been out to Montreal for some fun times and we always talk about going to California, but who doesn’t want to go to California?

ML: Music Lives totally agrees with you. I take it you guys are proponents of the DIY movement for independent bands?

JM: Absolutely! This summer we played up in Kitchissippi with the band Hollerado. They are an awesome group of guys. We were basically in the middle of nowhere at a cabin. It felt great to get out of the city with no cell phone service for a couple days.

JM: DIY or die! When you do it yourself, you’re really doing it all by yourself and that gives you the freedom to make the music any way that you want, without having someone telling you how or what needs to be done. It also feels really good when you start seeing the accomplishments that you’ve created for yourself on your own.

ML: Can you share a memorable experience from playing a live show over the summer?

ML: Anything else Guelph should know about T&D? JM: We are so stoked to get back to Guelph to play with The Balconies!

KASHkA: BOUND By Kelly

This month Toronto artist Kashka comes to Guelph to play with Memoryhouse at Fortnight Music’s Hallowe’en Costume Party at the eBar on October 31st. The show supports a recent album release for Kashka, also known as Kat Burns, who just released her second album, Bound. Kashka’s unique sound from her first album, Vichada, falls into a new genre of music referred to as “folkpoptronica”. Although a complex label, I think it fits perfectly to describe the myriad of sounds on Bound.

and focuses on her voice, backed by a drum line. Rather than having a drop in the song to fill out the sound, all the other instruments just fade in slowly. All of a sudden you realize that the simplicity of the intro has turned into a full, rich song that compliments the vocals so well. “Easy Pray” came as a complete surprise, taking a break from the smooth electronic sound and elegant vocals. Instead, this track layers strange noises and an odd time signature that is different from anything else on the album. I actually had to turn the track up a bit to try and find the melody of the song. Despite the strange layering of noises, Kashka’s voice pull everything back together so that I can still appreciate the song. The album closes with a slower melodic track “Bloodlines” that almost has an ambient feel with the siren in the background. While I miss the upbeat tracks that led the album off, I feel like I’ve experienced the full journey of Kashka’s music through the album from folks to pop to electronica all wrapped up into one amazing album. If you’re looking to listen to some amazing music this Hallowe’en, be sure to check in at the eBar for Kashka’s set, and pick up a copy of Bound while you’re there enjoying the music. You can get tickets on the Music Lives website at http://www.musiclives.ca/events/fortnight-costume-party-with-memoryhouse-kashka-album-release-special-guest/

Bound starts off with a very happy upbeat electronic track “Never Had It”. Instantly, I’m hooked on Kat’s voice and the composition of the music supporting the vocal track. All too often, female vocalists can come across as too light and airy, and “Never Had It” avoids this stigma by adding solid guitar tracks and keyboards. The instruments really fill out the bottom end of the track and when the song finally drops about half way through, I find myself grooving along and having a lot of fun with the music. The electronic sound has a lot of depth and I find that the layers keep me interested the whole way through the opening track. The second track “Grain of Salt” explores this sound even further. I’m instantly reminded of Alison Goldfrapp’s first two albums, which of course, I loved. When you contrast “Prophet” with “Gibraltar”, you can really understand the versatility of Kashka’s writing and vocal ability. The former is a full blown dance track with trance beats. The latter features violins, soft vocals, and a complete focus on lyrics: a real “singer-songwriter” track. And she nails both of them. As the album continues, I realize just how versatile Kashka’s sound is and why “folkpoptronica” had so many genres integrated into one word to describe her music. Her music starts as pop electronic and transitions into an almost gothy sound and then takes us straight to trance, and then on to a more acoustic sound. By the time I’ve hit “Lamplight”, I’m convinced that there isn’t anything that Kashka can’t pull off. “Lamplight” is by far my favourite track on the album. The intro is so simple

MUSIC LIVES EVENT CALENDAR: OCTOBEr 2013 WED

FRI

SAT

GAIN Music and Pinball Sessions host C.R. Avery Words & Music at Van Gogh’s Ear 8:30 p.m. Free show. 19+ Music Lives hosts Name That Tune at Jimmy Jazz Doors at 8:00 p.m. Music after 10:00 p.m. Free event. 19+ Nick Zubeck, blind, & Raydea at silence 8:00 p.m. $10 or PWYC. All ages. GAIN Music hosts The Archives, Beverly, and Death Party Playground at Van Gogh’s Ear 9:30 p.m. $5 or PWYC. All ages and licensed.

WED

THURS

bron halpin and tyson’s casio fiasco at silence 8:00 p.m. $10 or PWYC. All ages. An Acoustic Tribute to the 70s, part II at Regal Road Studios 7:30 p.m. $10 advanced / $12 at the door. All ages. Cantina Productions hosts Bass & Burlesque at Van Gogh’s Ear Visit the site for details! FRI

SUN

MON

GAIN Music hosts Sunday Funday w/ Mark & Nic at Van Gogh’s Ear 10:30 p.m. Free event. 19+ Nathan Coles hosts Open Stage at Jimmy Jazz 10:00 p.m. Free show. 19+ CFRU 93.3 hosts Underplayed & Underpaid 6:00 p.m. Tune into CRFU 93.3 Paul MacLeod at Jimmy Jazz Doors at 8:00 p.m. Music after 10:00 p.m. Free event. 19+ Harry & Kent Sidewalk Revival Mondays at Red Papaya Guelph 7:00 p.m. Free event. 19+

SAT

SUN

marisa anderson and josh st. denis at silence 8:00 p.m. $10 or PWYC. All ages. Fortnight hosts Odd Years (album release) with Lowlands and Wayne Petti at the eBar Check the site for start time. $10 at the door. 19+ Music Lives hosts Name That Tune at Jimmy Jazz Doors at 8:00 p.m. Music after 10:00 p.m. Free event. 19+ geraldine eguiluz and stéphane diamantakiou at silence 8:00 p.m. $10 or PWYC. All ages. Open Mic at A.N.A.F. Club 344 8:00 p.m. Free event. 19+ GAIN Music hosts Andrew Coombes at Van Gogh’s Ear 8:30 p.m. Free show. 19+ Kaleidoscope hosts Belle Starr, Jordie Lane and Greg MacPherson at eBar 9:00 p.m. $10. 19+ GAIN Music & Fortnight Music hosts Elwins & Alex Ricci and the Still Nothing at Van Gogh’s Ear 9:00 p.m. $8 advanced/$10 at the door. 19+ Eleven presents... hosts Papermaps & The Ednas at Jimmy Jazz 11:00 p.m. Free show. 19+ GAIN Music & Fortnight Music hosts Grand Analog, Wordburglar, Timbuktu (w/ Swamp Thing) & Elephant 12 at Van Gogh’s Ear 9:30 p.m. $10 advanced/$15 at the door. All ages and licensed. Missed Connection Records presents Zachary Lucky (album release) at A.N.A.F. Club 344 9:00 p.m. $7 at the doors. 19+ Cougars in America at The Cornerstone Visit the site for details! GAIN Music hosts Sunday Funday w/ Mark & Nic at Van Gogh’s Ear 10:30 p.m. Free event. 19+ Nathan Coles hosts Open Stage at Jimmy Jazz 10:00 p.m. Free show. 19+

VISIT www.musiclives.ca for more event details MON

WED

16 THURS

CFRU 93.3 hosts Underplayed & Underpaid 6:00 p.m. Tune into CRFU 93.3 Paul MacLeod at Jimmy Jazz Doors at 8:00 p.m. Music after 10:00 p.m. Free event. 19+ Harry & Kent Sidewalk Revival Mondays at Red Papaya Guelph 7:00 p.m. Free event. 19+ Music Lives hosts Name That Tune at Jimmy Jazz Doors at 8:00 p.m. Music after 10:00 p.m. Free event. 19+

MON

WED

Open Mic at A.N.A.F. Club 344 8:00 p.m. Free event. 19+ GAIN Music hosts Andrew Coombes & friends at Van Gogh’s Ear 8:30 p.m. Free show. 19+ THURS

FRI

18 SAT

Guelph Reggae Massive w/ Foundation Steppers & Errol Blackwood at Van Gogh’s Ear Check the site for start time. $7 or PWYC. 19+

GAIN Music hosts Sunday Funday w/ Mark & Nic at Van Gogh’s Ear 10:30 p.m. Free event. 19+ Nathan Coles hosts Open Stage at Jimmy Jazz 10:00 p.m. Free show. 19+ Cougars in America at The Cornerstone Visit the site for details!

Music Lives hosts Name That Tune at Jimmy Jazz Doors at 8:00 p.m. Music after 10:00 p.m. Free event. 19+ GAIN Music hosts The Fall Singer/Songwriter Series at Van Gogh’s Ear 8:30 p.m. Free show. 19+ GAIN Music hosts The Balconies, Trouble & Daughter, The Motorleague & The Glorious Sons at eBar 10:00 p.m. $10. All ages and licensed. GAIN Music hosts Jordan Raycroft, Good for Grapes & Ben Mckenzie at eBar 9:30 p.m. $8or PWYC. All ages and licensed. Open Mic at A.N.A.F. Club 344 8:00 p.m. Free event. 19+ Cantina Music Productions hosts THAT’S MY DRAG! at Van Gogh’s Ear Visit the site for details!

GAIN Music hosts Die Mannequin, Mad Anthony, The Superlative & The Galacticats at Van Gogh’s Ear 9:00 p.m. $10 advanced/$15 at the doors. All ages and licensed. Vinyl Sons and A.N.A.F. Club 344 Visit the site for more details!

SUN

FRI

alaniaris at silence 8:00 p.m. $10 or PWYC. All ages.

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MUSIC LIVES EVENT CALENDAR: october 2013 continued SUN

MON

mike gennaro & jay hay at silence 3:00 p.m. $10 or PWYC. All ages. GAIN Music hosts Sunday Funday w/ Mark & Nic at Van Gogh’s Ear 10:30 p.m. Free event. 19+ Nathan Coles hosts Open Stage at Jimmy Jazz 10:00 p.m. Free show. 19+

WED

THURS

GAIN Music hosts Rob Moir and Guests at Van Gogh’s Ear 8:30 p.m. Free show. 19+ Music Lives hosts Name That Tune at Jimmy Jazz Doors at 8:00 p.m. Music after 10:00 p.m. Free event. 19+ frienly rich and the lollipop people’s halloween spooktacular at silence 8:00 p.m. $10 or PWYC. All ages. Fortnight Music hosts Fortnight Costume Party! with Memoryhouse, Kashka (Album Release), & Special Guest at eBar 10:00 p.m. BUY TICKETS FROM MUSIC LIVES $10 advanced and at the door. 19+ Open Mic at A.N.A.F. Club 344 8:00 p.m. Free event. 19+

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http://www.musiclives.ca We send out a weekly update every Monday to help you plan your week of live music awesomeness. Subscribe on our homepage and make sure to add us to your contact list so we don’t get labelled as spam. Questions about the shows you see listed? We might not have the answers, but we can usually find them! info@musiclives.ca

FROM THE BLOG: Bits & Pieces FROM THE MONTH Brothers & Sisters

Posted September 16, 2013 by Teresa As an only child, I spent a lot of time wanting siblings for 2 main reasons : One, so I had someone to blame when I broke something (I had no animals either), and two, so I could start a band with them and travel around like The Partridge Family. From the Jackson 5 to The Everly brothers, The Allman brothers band, Van Halen, AC/DC and my childhood favorite, The Beach Boys, a lot of my favorite bands were all siblings that worked and played together. Even in the last decade or so, pop & rock bands like The Moffats, Hanson, Oasis and Kings of Leon have kept the brotherly love alive in the music world. But other than the two Canadian sisters (identical twins no less!) that make up Tegan and Sarah and Wilson Phillips, I can’t think of as many groups comprised of sisters. Until now, anyways. Enter Haim. Pronounced ‘Hyme’, which is also their last name, it’s made up of 3 sisters from Los Angeles : Danielle, Este and

Alana. They used to play in a band they formed with their parents (!) but have recently been playing solo with a drummer named Dash that they call their ‘Mister’. They’ve steadily been releasing singles in the past year, building an audience and a lot of hype for their upcoming first full length album, Days are Gone, which is coming out September 30.

Read the full article online at: http://www. musiclives.ca/music-monday-september-16th-2013-brothers-sisters/

First Albums

Posted September 2, 2013 by Teresa I started working at my first ‘real’ job when I was 13; I delivered meal trays and did dishes at the local hospital. I still remember getting my first paycheque, it was $112.00 and I remember feeling like I could buy the whole world if I wanted to, I had never had so much money that was completely mine to spend on whatever I chose without any parental or peer input. After spending $7 on some candy (Hey, I was 13) I headed straight for the place that spawned my reason for getting a job in the first place: the local music store. Read the full article online at: http://www. musiclives.ca/music-monday-september-22013-first-albums/

EVENTS FROM SEPTEMBER On September 12th, two of Guelph’s favourite bands took the stage at Red Papaya. Adverteyes and Wakeless were joined by St. Catherine’s Lambs Become Lions and Hamilton’s Cursed Arrow for a night of great music. Photos courtesy of Austin Gibson.

15 On September 20th, The Flatliners tore up Vinyl along with Junior Battles, The Motorleague and Warbride. Photos courtesy of Brandon Marsh.

an interview with by Chuck If you live in Guelph and love music, you’ve probably heard of GAIN Music - a promotion and production company currently run by a very small group of passionate people. GAIN Music has been responsible for bringing us many of the great live music events in the city over the past few years. We sat down with Nik Wever to get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes. Music Lives: How and when did you first become involved with GAIN Music? Can you give us a brief history on the company? Nik Wever: I officially became involved with GAIN Music when we launched the company with our annual festival on March 10, 2011 but I’d say that the history of the company goes further back than that. I guess you could say that I first became involved with the idea for the company in mid-2010. I’d started up a small time bookings company under the name of Destruction Productions named after my band, Time the Destroyer, who were calling it quits and had our last show in July 2010. I’d been dealing with the bookings for the band and had been doing some small metal shows out of Van Gogh’s Ear since early July 2010 because no one locally was doing that at the time. Most of the metal, punk and rock shows were bigger names and handled by J-Cloth. Beyond him, Rick Hall of KronikNoise was doing some shows out of the Shadow, but locally there wasn’t a whole lot of action, but a ton of talent. The roots were there as this town has always had a strong foundation for musicians and bands of all genres and there have always been venues and bookers around willing to take risks, get gear, find rooms to put bands in and put on a show. I’ve always loved going to shows and the atmosphere around them and for me it was a natural progression to be involved on the ground floor.

ML: What are your hopes for the future of GAIN Music? NW: My hopes for the future of GAIN Music are that we can get some more hands on deck and that we can continue to be a part of the Guelph and area music scene in an important, meaningful and impactful way. We have a lot in the works and are working with local and area promoters, bookers, agents, band managers, bands and venues across this city and others to contribute and create networks for everyone to utilize. ML: Recently GAIN Music announced that it has taken on a small roster of bands that you’re going to be working with. Can you tell us a bit more about this next stage of the business? NW: Our goal here was to give support to a small group of bands so that we could help them focus on writing music and we could take on other responsibilities for them such as helping with promo, doing bookings both locally and outside of town and other management duties. This is still an area that needs some work and extra hands but as with everything we’ve done so far we’re starting from the ground up on this.

I feel you can get to know a person more intimately through the music they write and the person they become on a stage than any other way. There’s something very powerful about music in that sense. The emotions it can evoke are varied and unique across each and every person in the room experiencing it. ML: What is the most challenging part of your job? NW: To be honest, there are a good many challenging parts of the job. I’d say the most challenging would have to be dealing with the political side of the game that gets played. It’s something that’s inevitable in any industry and we do what we can to not step on any toes. We are a community working together after all. Another challenging part is that my job is a 24/7 type deal. I’m always on the clock. This is both good and bad because I love being busy. I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is something I’ve started and I want to see it through, but at times that also means sacrificing aspects of my social life that most people enjoy and don’t even know they have. ML: GAIN Music Fest was a great success last year - what are the plans for this event in the future?

ML: What is the best part of your job? NW: The best part of the job is definitely the community that is created through music. I’ve met such an amazing group of friends over the years who also happen to be incredibly talented musicians and I get to be a part of their world.

NW: Chase, Liam and myself have already had a few meetings under our belts and have a good head start on plans for the 2014 festival. We’re currently looking for sponsors who want on board this year and are launching a Battle of the Bands contest that will start in late November. Local and area bands can sign up for through the signup sheet on our website and F acebook page. We’re really excited for everything we have on the go for the 2014 Festival!

Music Monday : I LOVE YOU, GUELPH by Teresa When I was 16 years old, I left home and moved to Guelph, Ontario with first and last months rent and an extra $200 bucks in my pocket. I convinced a landlord I was 20, rented an apartment and settled down in the city that had stolen my heart years prior. I lived in Guelph when I was a kid for 10 years and loved it fiercely; I was always a very active kid, and Guelph provided a rich array of activities for me to partake in. I took 2 kinds of dance, was in reading groups, piano lessons, a yearly drive for the food bank, and like every good Italian-Guelphite kid, I took Italian lessons at Sacred Heart on Saturday mornings.

I love that live music is a priority for this city, that steps are taken to make sure that musicians come to our humble little abode and enjoy their time here. I knew then that Guelph was a special city, and its diversity and acceptance were the sole reason that I plotted and eventually carried out my return. I’ve never regretted my decision since, and every time I step off an airplane or see the ‘Welcome to Wellington County’ sign when I come back from a trip I’m glad I chose this place to make my home. My feelings of love stem beyond its availability of community activities for children, it’s much deeper than that.

Yes, I love that Guelph loves the arts as much as I do, but also that it values them. Being a creative person in Guelph is something that is welcomed, revered and celebrated, and that is so very rare in a city this size. I love that live music is a priority for this city, that steps are taken to make sure that musicians come to our humble little abode and enjoy their time here. A response I hear so frequently from people when I mention a show in Guelph is ‘Really, they’re playing Guelph?!’ and I know that the answer is yes, yes they are playing here because we will come out and see you and buy your merch and tell you that Pierre’s is the best place to get a poutine after your show. We may even join you for it. I love the abundance of organic food, of people who care about what they put in their bodies and what impact we have as a city, as people and as humans have on our planet. I love that this city is big enough to be able to go out and not run into any one you know if you feel like being anonymous, but not so big that you run into every ex you’ve ever had.

This past weekend was (with the exception of its coinciding with frosh week) one of my favorite weekends in Guelph. The Jazz festival and Nuite Blanche are usually around this time and they always promise an amazing time. No, it’s not anywhere near the scale of Toronto’s massive art installations, but I still love it. This year we hit an incredible burlesque show, an intimate violin show, a jazz band and a performance from Birds of Paradox that included a tabla, alto saxophone, flute, bansuri, erhu and bass guitar. All for free, all night long, brought to you by a city that just wants you to experience it.

Guelph occasionally gets a bad rap for things like its refusal of big-box companies, the noise and destruction that can come with being a university town and our occasionally stagnant attitude towards change. But I think sometimes we seem so reluctant to take a cue from other cities because we know we have a good thing going. It’s hard to lose sight of how great you’ve got it sometimes, and if you live here, I hope But most of all, I love the people that care I’ve reminded you of how wonderful the place about this city as much as I do. I have lots of you call home is. If you don’t live in the confines friends who have lived here all their lives and of the royal city, then I hope you plan to visit are always complaining about Guelph and us. Keep your eye on the event listings here on wanting to leave. I get the desire to leave and Music Lives, come eat a poutine with me and find something new, I totally do, but I don’t think check out a show, we’d love to have you. people realize how truly great our little town is sometimes. This is a city that always wants Teresa is a traveler, writer, and nutritionist. She to share what we’re passionate about. This is a is always on the road and has a passion for live city of people that care, whether it’s about food music. She has her home base in Guelph and or the environment, or music, we care. Even posts her thoughts on music every monday on right now, you’re reading this on a website that the Music Lives blog. was started because two people cared about our music scene so much that they wanted to Read more Music Monday posts from Teresa at make it more accessible for people like you and http://www.musiclives.ca/author/teresa/ me to get involved with.

ZACHARY LUCKY: THE BALLAd of losing you by Kelly When Tyler from Missed Connection Records got in touch with me and introduced me to Zachary Lucky, I wasn’t sure if I was the right person to review his new album. Not because I wouldn’t be able to appreciate it, but because his previous work has received such beautiful words of praise that I wasn’t sure if I was up to the task. I don’t listen to a lot of country music and I wasn’t sure if would be able to give The Ballad of Losing You a proper review. With a deep breath, I set out. Zachary Lucky’s The Ballad of Losing You is a timeless album. As I mentioned, I don’t listen to a lot of country music, and I don’t really think that this album could be pinned as country completely. But in my mind, this is how country music should be sound. Lucky’s approach to both singing and songwriting shows an honest simplicity without lacking depth. Each track on the album stands on it’s own as a bold and emotional ballad complete with detailed guitar

favourite tracks on the album is titled “Merry Month of May” and it’s the lyrics from that song that I want to leave with you now. Listening to While I’m listening to the album, I feel as though this song took me back to my childhood and I’m learning a bit more about music history: the reminded me so much of the Scottish ballads that my father used to sing to me at night. I roots of folk music and how it has influenced hope that the simplistic beauty that I’ve tried to not only Lucky, but a handful of other Canadiexpress comes across in his lyrics here. I enan artists whose sound I can hear in Lucky’s songs. The traditional approach that he takes to courage you to listen to the full track on Lucky’s his music is refreshing and familiar. It’s not mu- Bandcamp page (http://zacharylucky.bandsic that grabs your attention, but sits and keeps camp.com/track/merry-month-of-may) or listen to the full album through Missed Connection’s you company like an old friend. I was actually Artist of the Month download card that you can a bit shocked by the lack of variety between tracks, but I found by the end of the album that find at locations downtown Guelph. Lucky still took me on a journey and won a bit When I wake in the morning of my heart. and my arms for you they long and your home on the eastern coast I think my favourite part of Lucky’s music on The Ballad of Losing You is the simplicity of his my arms for you they long voice. Filled with maturity, he never strains or forces his voice, but keeps the vocals sounding Oh my dear you have left me smooth and effortless which allows the listener in the merry month of May and my heart will no longer love to focus on the beautiful lyrics. One of my you left in the month of May work and sad, heartbreaking lyrics that could appeal to any generation.

When the spring has turned to golden and your eyes I wish to see your song I’ll forever sing your eyes I wish to see Thursday, October 10 @ eBar

Belle Starr, Jordie Lane & Greg MacPherson $10 at the door – 9:30 show start

Friday, November 1st @ Dublin St United Church

Hannah Georgas with Sam Cash & the Romantic Dogs $18/$20 at Janus Books & Folkway Music 7:30 door – 8:00 show

Coming soon - Deep Dark Woods, Mark Berube &

The Sadies!

www.facebook.com/kaleidoscopemusicguelph

And when the summer has gone and left us and the snow it does fly your heart is no longer mine the snow it will fly As I wake I’ll lay and wonder do you think of me as you did on that lonesome day do you think of me

Venue Listing Albion Hotel 49 Norfolk Street (519) 821-7125, http://www.thealbionhotel.ca

NV Restaurant and Lounge 16 Wyndham Street North (519) 827-1064 http://nvlounge.ca/

ANAF Club 344 32 Gordon Street (519) 822-0380 Website: http://www.musiclives.ca/venues/a-n-a-f-club-344/

Penny Whistle Pub 2 Quebec Street (519) 836-4792 http://www.pennywhistlepub.com/

The Arena 96 Gordon Street (519) 763-1821 Website: http://www.thearenabarguelph.com/

The Red Brick Cafe 8 Douglas Street (519) 836-1126 http://redbrickcafe.ca/

Bobby O’Briens 90 Macdonell Street (519) 763-0043 http://www.bobbyobriens.com/

The Red Papaya 55 Wyndham Street North (519) 230-3255 http://www.musiclives.ca/venues/red-papaya-guelph/

The Cornerstone 1 Wyndham Street North (519) 827-0145

Regal Road Studios 31 Regal Road (519) 760-2333

Doogies and Pablos 37 Wyndham Street North (519) 823-9993 http://www.doogiesguelph.com/

River Run Centre 35 Woolwich Street (519) 763-3000 http://riverrun.ca/

The eBar 41 Quebec Street (519) 821-3311 http://www.bookshelf.ca/ebar.html

Shakespeare Arms 35 Harvard Road (519) 767-6003 http://shakespearearms.ca/

Frank and Steins 12 Wyndham Street North (519) 763-8666 http://www.frankandsteins.ca/

The Sip Club 91 Wyndham Street North (519) 265-1964 http://www.sipclub.ca/

Guelph Concert Theatre 166 Wyndham Street North (519) 836-1531 http://guelphconcerttheatre.ca/

The Sleeman Centre 50 Woolwich Street (519) 822-4900 http://guelph.ca/venue/sleeman-centre/

Jimmy Jazz 52 Macdonell Street (519) 767-1694 http://www.vinyljimmyjazz.com/

The Stampede Ranch 226 Woodlawn Road West (519) 822-1358 http://stampederanchguelph.ca/

Magnolia Cafe 88 Yarmouth Street (519) 766-4663 http://www.magnoliacatering.ca/

Van Gogh’s Ear 10 Wyndham Street North (519) 821-9864 http://www.vangoghsear.ca/

Mahoney’s 259 Grange Road (519) 265-7997

Vinyl 52 Macdonell Street (519) 767-1694 http://www.vinyljimmyjazz.com/

Manhattan’s Pizza Bistro and Music Club 951 Gordon Street (519) 767-2440 http://manhattans.ca/ McCabe’s 9 Wyndham Street North (519) 836-3400 http://www.mccabesirishpub.ca/Guelph/

Did we miss a live music venue? Let us know at info@musiclives.ca

HOURLY, WEEKLY, AND MONTHLY JAM ROOM RENTAL FULLY EQUIPPED ROOMS AVAILABLE CONTACT: JAM@JAMSPOTS.COM OR 519-831-1036 COMING IN FALL 2013 PERFORMANCE SHOWCASE ROOMS!