Commercial Hotel: Takin' it to the streets 2 by PostVue Publishing

Message from the Festival Organizer:

Michael Purcell

Taking it to the Streets is so much more than an outdoor music festival, explains organizer Michael Purcell. “It is a celebration of Whyte Avenue,” he proclaims. He smiles broadly and adds, “Whyte Avenue is…—fantastic is not even the right word—it’s the best neighborhood in town.” Admittedly, Purcell is a bit biased. Outside of his role as festival organizer, Purcell is the manager of The Commercial Hotel and Blues on Whyte. The Commercial Hotel (known by regulars as “the Commie”) has been a Whyte Avenue landmark for over 100 years, while Blues on Whyte—which shares a building with the hotel—has been hosting musicians from all over world since the 1980s. Originally from Calgary, Purcell’s time with both of these Whyte Avenue institutions began in 1991. Purcell was trying out for the Edmonton Eskimos, and, while he was in town, he ended up working a few shifts as a bartender at Blues on Whyte. He’s stuck around ever since. That said, Purcell’s love for the neigh-

borhood extends far beyond the walls of Blues on Whyte or the Commercial Hotel. As he points out, the magic of Whyte Avenue goes all the way down to 109 Street or even all the way to the University. “And the crowd is so diverse: from five years old to ninety years old. That’s what makes this area so great. On any given day, you can go out on the Ave and see parents and kids, and grandparents… and people who shouldn’t even be here,” he laughs. “You want to go shopping? This is the neighborhood, because everything is right here. There’s just so much here that you can’t get anywhere else. The people who live in this neighborhood? They don’t have to drive anywhere: it’s all here. For Purcell, Taking it to the Streets is a great way to bring everyone in the neighborhood and in the city together and to celebrate all the amazing things that we have here in Edmonton and Whyte Ave. Of course, that brings us back to the music. As Purcell explains: “There’s nothing better at bringing peo-

ple together than live music.” Anyone looking for evidence to support Purcell’s theory needs just look at the celebration he organized last year. Back in 2012, Purcell organized a Whyte Avenue music festival celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Commercial Hotel and the amalgamation of Old Strathcona and Edmonton. For Purcell, Taking it to the Streets is simply a natural evolution of that first festival. “2012 was incredible,” Purcell beams. “I mean, I was hoping it would take off. But I did not expect what we got last year. Honestly, I did not expect that many freaking people.” “Everybody who came told me ‘Do it again.’ And that’s the main key. They loved it. So, I’m hoping this becomes a yearly event. I’m excited to celebrate this neighborhood all the time. Heck, we could do it every month!” Every month? Well, maybe not… yet. But July, at least, seems to be a good month for this type of event. “I would say in a month like July, where

Sponsors The Commercial Hotel would like to thank the following sponsors for making this event possible:

everybody goes away on vacation, it’s great to bring everybody who doesn’t get to go fly away somewhere back into this neighborhood. It’s a little staycation here in Edmonton.” Indeed, Taking it to the Streets, brings the world to Edmonton with artists from all over the world coming to town. “My two headliners are Andrew ‘Jr. Boy’ Jones and Cassie Taylor which are just going to blow people away. They’re phenomenal!” Purcell says excitedly. The festival features some local musicians as well, Purcell points out. “Some of the local bands are Funkafeelya, and King Muskafa, and Boogie Patrol as well.” With so much music, the celebrations will likely go until 3 in the morning, Purcell says. He concludes: “You know, I’ve been to Electric Ave in Calgary, I’ve been to Yonge Street in Toronto, Granville island in Vancouver. And they’re cool communities, but nothing like Whyte Avenue! Nothing at all.”

Coming Soon to Blues On Whyte

Big Hank And A Fist Full Of Blues The six members of A Fist Full of Blues are veterans of the Alberta music scene. Having grown up together in the town of Stettler and played together for over 40 years as members of Edmonton rock music favourite Tacoy Ryde, the bandmates have a cohesive sound and seemingly effortless musicianship. The heart of the sextet is Big Hank Lionhart, with his signature punchy vocals and creative lyrics; an engaging frontman and charming personality on stage, Big Hank commands attention as he slips effortlessly from gritty to soulful. He began his music career in Seattle while attending school, then moved throughout the Pacific Northwest and back to Alberta while performing with various groups. During the 1980s he founded Uncle Wiggly’s Hot Shoes Blues Band, which toured across Canada and opened for artists such as Muddy Waters, BB King, John Mayal, Paul Butterfield, the Neville Brothers and Joe Cocker. Big Hank formed A Fist Full of Blues in 2007 from his fellow

members of Tacoy Ryde, as a way to focus on an integral part of his previous musical endeavours: the blues. Joining Big Hank on stage are five seasoned musicians: bassist Duane Smith, guitarists Ken Kirkwood and Barrie Nighswander, drummer Bill

Hobson and keyboardist Dennis Meneely. Though A Fist Full of Blues is rooted in blues and R&B, they also break through the standard 12-bar blues sound with influences reflecting their varied musical backgrounds: Meneely tickles out boogie-woogie

piano rhythms while Hobson pounds out Latin- and reggae-inspired beats; Smith’s soulful bass lines merge perfectly with the drums while Nighswander and Kirkwood’s guitar riffs dabble in a gamut of genres before always circling back to the blues.

Celtic Fusion Illusion There are no illusions about the commanding stage presence of Celtic Fusion Illusion: with 10 members clad in Scottish kilts, they make a striking appearance even before they start playing – and then the bagpipes kick in, and no one for blocks could notice anything else. A contemporary Celtic rock band, Celtic Fusion Illusion sets traditional Celtic melodies into modern rock grooves. The bagpipes play alongside electric guitars while drums and bass set the rhythm for contemporary lyrics. The group plays AC/ DC or Metallica covers as easily as classic Highland reels, managing to fuse the essence of these wildly different genres of music into a fascinating hybrid sound. On stage the tartan-wearing members of the Edmonton and District Pipe Band ac4

company rock and roll musicians: bagpipers David Trew, Gary Ferguson and John Miller proudly wear the MacLean of Duart tartan beside Angela Mackenzie and Mark Lepine on vocals, Rocco Macri on guitar, Percy Marshall on guitar and vocals, Darcy McDonald on keyboard, Lynn Wells on bass and Mitch McGaughey on drums. This local Edmonton ensemble has been performing since 2005. Their past venues speak to the wide appeal of their sound: Celtic Fusion Illusion has played alongside caber tossing and hammer throwing at the Canmore Highland Games, within the brilliant acoustics of the Winspear Centre and out in the summer sunshine under the amphitheatre at William Hawrelak Park.

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Funkafeelya After studying the saxophone for seven years, singer/ songwriter Aubrey Young was looking for a change. Rounding up a group of like-minded musicians, she formed Funkafeelya to present her own hip-shaking blend of funk, jazz, blues and pop. Young maintains spirited energy throughout her dynamic performances, with an exceptional vocal range and intensity backed perfectly by a strong rhythm section – all of whom are graduates of the instrumental jazz program at Grant MacEwan College. Young herself is a graduate of the theatre program at Red Deer College and the musical theatre program at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, and she can’t keep this performing arts background from spilling into her music shows: she can hold her leg over her head while pantomim-

ing being stuck in a box and humming Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony until the crowd applauds – or until she dislocates something! In addition to their original head-bobbing, shoe-tapping singles, Funkafeelya also plays a number of funk-infused, crowd-favourite covers. The wide appeal of their sound has led them to play regular gigs across Canada over the past seven years, including consistent shows in their hometown of Edmonton (especially at their favourite watering hole, Blues on Whyte). Funkafeelya has also performed at several large festivals, including Edmonton’s The Works Festival and the Big Rock Eddies, as well as the North Country Fair, A Taste of Fernie and The Nakusp Music Festival in British Columbia and The Vanier Cup in Saskatoon.

House Of Payne His hometown in Florida may be sunny, but veteran blues artist George Taylor prefers to shine in Western Canada. The vocalist/guitarist is an American transplant, having been born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida before making his way north. A self-taught musician, Taylor started his career as the frontman for Florida-based R&B/funk band Tutch. He also played for a number of prominent R&B, funk and blues artists while living in the United States, including Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool and the Gang, Albert Collins and Teddy Pendergrass. He also played for years with renowned blues artist Lucky Peterson, and it was while on a Canadian tour with Peterson in 1990 that Taylor met his wife in Calgary. Taylor decided to move to Re-

gina (his wife’s hometown) a year later, and has been there ever since. Shortly after the move, Taylor formed Chicago-style blues and R&B band House of Payne with guitarist Kris Craig, who was still in his early teens at the time. Legendary funk/R&B drummer Jimmy Payne also played with the group until he passed away in 2006. The House of Payne bandmates also play together in another project, the soul/funk band Stepchyle. Together the members of House of Payne capture a sound that’s both gritty and expressive, with lyrics that speak to Taylor’s rich life experiences and a style that’s firmly rooted in a classic blues feel.

Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market The Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market would like to welcome you to the Old Strathcona community, and invite you to their 30th birthday party celebration – happening in conjunction with the Takin’ it to the Streets Festival. “Farmers’ markets are a place where customers feel like they’re part of the food community,” says Stephanie Szakacs, executive director of the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market. “They can feel confident that they know where their food came from, talk to the person who produced it and make all kinds of special requests for things you’d never find in a grocery store. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen customers delighted by being able to find that elusive canned beet ‘just like grandma made’ or that old-fashioned homemade candy they had totally forgotten about!” There are many great reasons to shop local, and farmers’ markets give customers an opportunity to access the freshest foods at the peak of their season. The Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market is Edmonton’s only year-round indoor market, open every Saturday from 10am to 3pm. Over 130 vendors sell a tantalizing array of locallygrown produce and specialty

foods, as well as handmade arts and crafts – all created personally by the vendors themselves. The Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market started in 1983 and is a cornerstone of the Old Strathcona community. “We have many regular customers who come every single week to visit their favourite vendors, as well as tourists and first-timers,” says Szakacs. “We always try to have special events like basket giveaways and free balloons for the kids. A lot of the customers who shopped here as kids with their parents are now walking the aisles with baby strollers in tow!” Every Saturday the market area is at the heart of a vibrant community: it’s often surrounded by small street festivals, sidewalk sales and the general hustle and bustle of the weekend crowd. “The walkability of Old Strathcona adds to the ambience of the neighbourhood, and sets the pace for everything happening in the community,” says Szakacs. “Our urban location is both a blessing and a challenge, but we have 275 stalls of free parking during market hours, in our lot across Gateway Boulevard, and we have accessible public transportation.” The Old Strathcona Farmers’

Market fosters connections between customers and their community. The market is constantly finding ways to improve the local shopping experience and make each customer feel part of the Old Strathcona family. “The Old Strathcona Market faces the challenge of balancing customer demand with staying true to our focus on small, family businesses,” Szakacs explains. “Many customers would like the market to be open more days; however some of our small vendors are already working full-out to produce enough product to sell only one day per week. I think people love to shop at farmers’ markets for the community atmosphere, the healthy food choices and the fact that they get to meet the person who grew their food or made their craft with their own hands.” The 30th birthday party for the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market is happening on the same day as Takin’ it to the Streets, just one block north of the festivities on Whyte Avenue at McIntyre Park (also known as Gazebo Park) from 10am to 3pm. There will be lots of family-friendly activities and a mini-market of vendors – so come on out and celebrate three decades of the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market!

Andrew Jr. Boy Jones “If you really understand the essence of the blues, it’s just real-life stories. As long as you’re telling a true-to-life story, it don’t have to be presented in a certain package all the time.” Hearing Andrew Jr. Boy Jones talk about his music career, it’s difficult to think of him as anything other than a blues musician – after all, this is an artist who began playing guitar at the age of 16 in the backing band for electric blues legend Freddie King, and who has spent the better part of his life playing with an assortment of renowned blues-based artists: Johnnie Taylor, Cornell Dupree, B.B. King, Katie Webster and Charlie Musselwhite, to name a few. But Jones has also had people exclude him from the blues canon – describing him as “out of the box” or even flatly refusing to accept that his music is indeed the blues. “Man, I could get so deep with you now right now,” says Jones, his wry grin as evident over the phone as his melodic Dallas drawl. With a bit of encouragement, he opens up: “Well, I think I made a few people mad when I commented about it. You

On the street and in the Club

have some blues people that think if you don’t play like T-Bone Walker or you don’t play like Muddy Waters or Howlin’ Wolf, or you don’t play the Chicago style, then you’re not playing the blues. But that’s not true. Because if you listen to those guys, nobody sound like them during their time. But it still has the essence.”

A self-taught guitarist, Jones comes from musical stock: his mother was a big band singer for an orchestra in Texas and once opened for Nat King Cole; she gave him his first guitar at the age of 7. “It’s always been the guitar,” says Jones. “I’ve always liked it – I don’t want to say obsess, but I had a passion for it.”

Though he still lives in his hometown of Dallas, Texas, Jones just visited Edmonton back in March 2013, playing Blues on Whyte. Often on the road, Jones has travelled the world throughout his career but still returns to Edmonton regularly. “Sometimes twice a year,” he acknowledges. “I been coming since my first CD, which was back in ’96, ’97. It’s sorta like a second home.”

After launching his professional music career as guitarist for Freddie King’s backing band, The Thunderbirds, Jones played in several other backing bands for various blues and R&B artists from the 1960s to the mid-1990s. These experiences taught him a wide range of styles which he would pull from later on when writing his own music, as well as the discipline and adaptability that persist through his solo work.

Jones embarked on his solo career with the album I Need Time, spurred by a deal with British record label JSP Records. Since then he has released five more albums, most recently I Know What It’s Like on 43rd Big Idea Records. Jones will be playing most of this new material during his set at the Takin’ it to the Streets festival, and will be joined on stage by vocalist Kerrie Lepai whose “dynamic voice” joins Jones’ on the new album.

“I’m mostly just trying to find me and play me,” says Jones. “When you adapt all those styles, plus the blues – blues is the basics for most of it anyway – it’s kind of hard to lose you. You gotta be true to yourself. Because in order to deliver and make people believe what you’re talking about and playing, you gotta believe it.” Blues music is at a crossroads right now – Jones feels that the genre is in a lull, at least in terms of the mainstream

music industry. “I’ve seen it go up and down and it’s going to be somebody bring it back,” he says. “I remember when I first met Freddie [King]; it was kinda like not exactly out there until Eric Clapton and some of the other guys lifted it up to another level. And then I seen it kind of dissipate and then come back again with Stevie Ray Vaughan. Now look at these young guys: Ben Harper and Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd – you know everybody is contributing with different styles of presenting the blues.” “Somebody will do something that just jumpstarts it – it might be something totally different than anybody’s ever done with the blues,” he continues. “The other day I heard a rap-off in a blues song and it was pretty intriguing. It kinda gave me an idea for myself, just to reach a different audience.” Whatever moniker music aficionados deign to apply to him, when Jones plays it’s ultimately out of his own love and passion for the music. “I’m hopeful that people like me, because I love doing what I do. But what it all boils down to is I’m playing for me, because it gives me a certain energy. I got a story to tell and I hope they hear and feel. The main thing people tell me is, ‘I felt you.’ That’s the best compliment I can have. If they tell me that, that’s it – I’ve accomplished what I was supposed to do.”

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Map of the Festival Grounds

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Cassie Taylor “Blues is what gave birth to all these great musical genres, yet there’s such a disconnect between people recognizing blues as the forefather of American music.” Though Cassie Taylor wouldn’t necessarily describe herself as a blues artist, she is well aware of the profound effect the blues has had over her life and music. The daughter of renowned American blues musician Otis Taylor, at his insistence she learned the bass guitar at age 16 and toured with his backing band for several years before embarking on her own solo career. “I didn’t really get what was going on, or the wonderful opportunity that I’d been handed because high school is an extremely turbulent time in a person’s life,” says Taylor, speaking over the phone from her home near Kansas City, Missouri. “I was just trying to get through the day. I wasn’t trying to be like a rock star or a touring musician.” But a musician is indeed what she became, even though it wasn’t her original intent. After performing with her father for several years, both on the road and on several of his albums, Taylor decided she needed a break in 2009 and, rather ironically, moved to one of the holy lands of American music: Memphis, Tennessee. “It was through moving to a music city and quitting music that I got back into it,” she explains. “I had a friend down there by the name of Billy Gibson – he’s a fantastic harp player – and he was just adamant that I get back into music. He took me to all these jams and these juke joints in Memphis and it was really an integral part of me, reconnecting with the music I had been raised in.” Taylor struck out on her own in 2011 with a solo album entitled Blue, written about her time in Memphis. She describes her recently-released second album, Out of My Mind, as her baby, having written, produced and arranged all the material on it. “There’s an unwritten rule in the songwriting world that you can’t be happy and write good songs,” says Taylor. “You always have to be in a tumultuous place in life – you have to be in a breakup to write a good heartbreak song.” While she was

able to tap into these emotions on her first album, since then Taylor has achieved a happy, stable home life, marrying her boyfriend of two years, Chuck Haren (who is also her manager).Without a personal source for some of life’s darker aspects, Taylor began exploring different avenues for her songwriting. “I find myself really listening to what other people have to say, whether it’s on the radio or a chance encounter with somebody on the bus, or maybe I see something happening,” she explains. “I’m trying to take all the experiences that life has to offer and internalize them and then write songs about that because I think there’s really probably a thousand stories for every person that’s ever existed. They’re out there; I just have to listen to find them.”

On the street and in the Club

of those sounds and I’ve used them to express the blues in more of a modern way. “I think that there are a couple artists coming up right now that will definitely change the face of blues,” she continues. “For a while there was this rut of trying to regurgitate things that had already been done. I can’t contribute to the blues anymore if I’m just going to try to be Muddy Waters – Muddy Waters has already been done; Howlin’ Wolf’s al-

One story that particularly affected Taylor became the inspiration for Out of My Mind’s first track. “‘Ol’ Mama Dean’ was written about a documentary that I had seen on A&E about women’s correctional facilities,” she explains. “It was about this woman who was incarcerated for murdering her husband and she didn’t seem to have a lot of regret, and I kind of realized at that point that being incarcerated in a prison was better than the prison that she was in, in an abusive relationship. That was a really inspiring and kind of just jawdropping thought.” Throughout the new album Taylor incorporates a range of instruments alongside the mainstays of guitar and drums: organ, trumpet, tuba and Theremin emerge on various tracks, an eclectic mix that perfectly matches her musical philosophy. “My main goal is to take blues and use other genres to express it,” says Taylor. “I put myself in the blues genre mainly because I am in love with the blues and what the history of the blues is. But part of who I am as an artist is taking blues and continuing the legacy, but not in the same thing that has already been done. I definitely take all of the inspirations and all of the sonic landscapes that I’ve been raised with, whether it’s blues, hip-hop, rock, pop, industrial, heavy metal, techno – I’ve taken all 11

ready been done; B.B. King’s already been done. So for me I have to stay true to who I am as an artist in order to grow the genre.”

Tim Vaughn Maple Blues Award Nominee, Tim Vaughn is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. His soulful voice and immaculate guitar, bass and keyboard work have been resonating through clubs across Canada for the greater part of a decade; energizing and inspiring fans. With shear musicianship and interactive performance, Vaughn leaves audiences wanting more. Tim has been busy touring his latest album release "Read Between The Lines" across Canada for the past several months including several dates with the legendary Johnny Winter sold out shows at Vancouver's famous Yale Hotel and a sold out opening spot for Theory Of A Deadman. The Album, produced by Wide Mouth Mason guitarist and front man Shaun

Verreault features Tim's blistering guitar playing and songwriting proficiency in a package that pays homage to his blues upbringing while it's rock inspired energy brings new ears to the styles Tim holds close to his heart. When asked to describe his sound Vaughn says “It’s Like Prince, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix and Radiohead all met Los Lobos at the bar in from Dusk ‘Till Dawn, and Jack White was playing with Elvis Costello. Big guitar tones, playful yet plaintive vocals, in-your-face drumming and mature songwriting are all things audiences have come to expect from this exiting young artist. Joined by his longtime drummer Bryce Lemky and the beautiful and talented Lisa Jacobs on bass, “Power Trio” may be an understatement!

King Muskafa Founded by trombonist JC Jones during the late1990s enthusiasm for ska music, King Muskafa has since evolved into a diverse, dynamic sound ranging from reggae and jazz to world and roots music. King Muskafa is led by Amber Suchy’s sultry, knockout vocals. Suchy injects each song with a personality and vibrancy that’s all her own, teasing the audience with an R&B growl and adding flashes of humor while refraining from delivering the full force of her voice until the key climactic crescendos. Eric Weiden on the trumpet and JC Jones on the trombone flesh out the horn section of King Muskafa, providing the vital ska element to their 13

cheerful cadences. The influences of jazz, big band, Cuban, rock and pop are fleshed out by a rhythm section featuring Troy Nowaleski on bass and Peter Hendrickson on drums, rounded off by Peter Belec on guitar. King Muskafa began playing regularly at former Edmonton club The Sidetrack Café, and spent some time touring western Canada before going on a hiatus between 2005 and 2007. Since then they’ve come back to local stages, delivering set lists that mix original music with reggae covers of ska and 1980s pop classics and ensuring that their reputation for packing dance floors is anything but groundless.

Old Strathcona Business Association “Congratulations to Michael and the team at the Commercial Hotel and Blues on Whyte for creating a family-friendly experience that brings the community together on Whyte Avenue!” Murray Davison, Executive Director of the Old Strathcona Business Association (OSBA), is proud to work with local businesses like the Commercial Hotel to create gathering places for people in the Old Strathcona area. “We promise that our residents and visitors will have a life-enriching experience every time they’re in Old Strathcona,” says Davison. “Takin’ it to the Streets is part of that is part of that life-enriching experience: it’s an experience for all five of your senses. It’s truly a community event.” Last year was the centennial of the Commercial Hotel and the inaugural Takin’ it to the Streets festival. This year Davison expects that even more people will come to the festival – and even though it’s still only a single day, Davison believes that the Takin’ it to the

Streets festival and block party is here to stay. “It’s not just related to the Commercial Hotel birthday celebration anymore – it’s celebrating the whole area of Old Strathcona,” he says. “The Fringe started out like this, so we see it as really planting the seed.” The Old Strathcona Business Association has worked together with the Commercial Hotel and other community partners to make the day a memorable one. The block party will stretch between 103 Street and 104 Street on Whyte Avenue and will kick off in the morning with a free pancake breakfast followed by a full day of events. There will be live music from two outdoor stages as well as Blues on Whyte, sidewalk sales from participating local Old Strathcona businesses and food from local restaurants and cafés. The Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market is also celebrating its 30th birthday that day, and will be hosting a family-friendly party in McIntyre Park (also known as Gazebo Park) from 10am to 3pm, complete with a mini-market version of their vendors and some inflatable fun for the kids. “We’re excited about not only events like this, but also about people like Michael [Purcell] who, as business owners, take on a task of this nature to invest in celebrating and throwing a party that allows other businesses and community groups to participate and get together,” says Davison. “It forms that real feeling of com-

munity and neighbourhood.” Davison would love everyone to connect around the festival through social media – visit the Old Strathcona Business Association’s website at www.oldstrathcona.ca for up-to-date information on the festival’s activities, as well as a full listing of Old Strathcona businesses, interactive parking maps, area information and links to connect and share your photos and experiences through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. “This website will become the hub for anybody who is visiting the area to come and find out what the events are and where they are,” says Davison. “It’s part of the experience – getting to share with friends and strangers, and just celebrate the event and our city as a whole.” As we connect through events like Takin’ it to the Streets, the Old Strathcona Business Association would like everyone to help make the experience positive and collaborate to keep our community clean, safe and green. By enjoying the area responsibly, we all benefit from the long-term sustainability of the community, fueling new businesses and building on the already vibrant mix of Edmonton’s favourite retail stores, services, restaurants, entertainment destinations, accommodation locations and professions in Old Strathcona. The OSBA is glad you came – enjoy your experience in Old Strathcona.

Old Strathcona Foundation Picture the last time you visited the Old Strathcona area. Now imagine what it would look like without the Princess Theatre and other heritage buildings, without the brick sidewalks and stately elm trees; imagine what weekends would be like without the Farmers’ Market, or summers without the Fringe Festival – imagine all of this replaced by a six-lane freeway. Not a very welcoming thought, is it? “Many residents and visitors take for granted the unique heritage character, pedestrian-friendly streets, cultural organizations and independent businesses in Old Strathcona,” says Karen Tabor, executive director of the Old Strathcona Foundation. “The thought of a freeway running through the neighbourhood is difficult to imagine today, but by the early 1970s the area had been neglected for decades and that was the City of Edmonton’s proposal – to bulldoze everything between 103 Street and 105 Street with a six-lane plan, leading to a new bridge across the river where End of Steel Park currently exists. The Old Strathcona Foundation was established in 1974 to prevent the freeway from being built and revitalize the area through heritage conservation.” Since its inception the Old Strathcona Foundation has done just this: as a charitable, non-profit, volunteer-run organization, the Foundation advocates for historic resources and helps conserve and protect the history and heritage of the Old Strathcona community.

own society) and was instrumental in the establishment of the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.

the present and by future generations.” Membership in the Old Strathcona Foundation not only helps monetarily, but it also provides strength to the voice on issues which jeopardize the preservation of this important and vital community – Tabor encourages everyone to take action in support of their community.

“Strathcona is one of Edmonton’s oldest and most unique communities,” says Tabor. The community developed between 1891 and 1912 on the south side of the North Saskatchewan River, at the north terminus of the early railroad and overland trail routes to Calgary and the mid-point of the principal east-west roadway, Whyte Avenue. The area had a commercial and government centre along Whyte Avenue, with residential development to the north, railroad-related industries to the south, and mills and brickyards in the river valley.

“The Old Strathcona Foundation is proud to be a partner in Takin’ it to the Streets, a fantastic community event,” says Tabor. “This year marks the centennial of the High Level Bridge, and in celebration of this significant anniversary the Foundation is pleased to provide free passage on the High Level Streetcar all day on July 7 – enjoy a

In 2007 the Old Strathcona Foundation, in partnership with the Old Strathcona Business Association, was instrumental in encouraging the province to designate the Old Strathcona Provincial Historic Area: roughly five city blocks that form the historic centre of Strathcona’s commercial life, stretching from 85 Avenue south to 80 Avenue, and from 102 Street west to 106 Street. “The Old Strathcona Foundation is not only about the past – it’s about the future,” says Tabor. “History is important as it allows future generations to understand where they came from and what it took to build the communities they enjoy today. The Foundation is about restoring and preserving the past to be enjoyed in

During the 1980s, the Foundation spearheaded the restoration of 15 buildings along Whyte Avenue, including the Princess Theatre, the Dominion Hotel, the McIntyre Fountain, the Gainer Building, the Old Strathcona High School, the Tipton Block and the clock tower on the Old Post Office. More recent projects include streetscape improvements such as brick sidewalks, oak benches, turn-of-the-century light poles, trees and banners, as well as the Whyte Avenue Mural Project. The Foundation also started the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market in 1983 (now operating as its

historic streetcar ride from the heart of Old Strathcona to downtown Edmonton, across the world’s highest streetcar river crossing!” Passengers can board the Streetcar at the south terminus, located in the lane just north of the ATB Financial Arts Barns on 103 Street and 84 Avenue, or at the north terminus by the Legislature grounds between 109 and 110 Street, at 100 Avenue. The Old Strathcona Foundation welcomes you to the community and hopes you enjoy the Takin’ it to the Streets Festival – make sure to show your support of the Foundation and the wonderful community it has helped to preserve and grow.

Grab a bite and brew at some local watering holes, take in some of Edmonton’s best summer events at half price, or take the kids out for the day to one of Edmonton’s hottest attractions and be the envy of your neighbourhood! No tipping points, no expiry dates, customer service that DOESN’T take 2 - 3 weeks to respond. Get a sweet dog deal right here on Whyte Ave, right now! 35% OFF

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Ross Neilsen Not content to sit around hawking his music from an armchair, blues rocker Ross Neilsen has logged over half a million kilometres while playing over 1000 shows during the last six years. Backing Neilsen’s guitar and vocals on stage are Karl Gans on drums and Jim the Temp on bass. The group prides themselves on breaking away from corporate, cookie-cutter music by blurring the lines between traditional rock, blues and pop. This trio of New Brunswickbased musicians has just released a new album, Resurrection, and embarked on a three-month Canadian tour over the summer. The new album shows the breadth and scope of Neilsen’s influences: the ten original tracks move from dueling southern rock guitar lines – bringing the bayou to New Brunswick – to

Boogie Patrol “I’m hungry.” Those were the two simple words spoken by Boogie Patrol founder and singer/harmonica player Rott’n’Dan during an afternoon in 2007 at Edmonton’s Blues on Whyte. But he wasn’t hungry for food – he was hungry to play music. To make this happen he joined forces with guitarist Yuji Ihara, bassist Nigel Gale, keyboardist Sean Grieve and drummer JJ, and together they evolved Boogie Patrol’s distinctive style: a harmonious blend of blues, funk, soul and R&B. Boogie Patrol drummer JJ traces influences in AfroCuban, Brazilian and African drumming styles, lending an eminently danceable air to Rott’n’Dan’s bluesy lyrics and Ihara’s soul/funk guitar solos. Since their inception, Boogie Patrol has played hundreds of shows and headlined numerous festivals, including North

county Fair, Beaumont Blues Festival, Sasquatch Gathering and the Saskatoon Blues Festival. In 2011 they had the honour of opening for both The Fabulous Thunderbirds as well as Blues legend Buddy Guy. Boogie Patrol’s unique sound has found its way onto two albums, the most recent of which is the ramblingly-titled “I Try & I Try But I Don’t Know What to Do, the Plan was Set some Time Ago & We Must Follow Through (2011), which won Blues Album of the Year at the 2012 Edmonton Music Awards. Also in 2012, Boogie Patrol won the Memphis Bound Blues Competition in Edmonton, which took the band to Memphis in early 2013 as representatives of Edmonton and Western Canada at the blues Foundation’s 29th Annual International Blues Challenge. 18

poppy hooks and energetic guitar work that alternately invokes ZZ Top and Crazy Horse. Neilsen considers his songs to be snapshots of the people he meets and places he visits during his travels throughout Canada and beyond. Neilsen’s hard work paid off with a nomination for Best New Artist at The Maple Blues Awards in 2010, two Rising Star nominations from CBC, back-to-back Blues Album of the Year nominations from East Coast Music Association and a win for Best Blues Recording for Redemption at the 2010 MusicNB awards. In 2012 Neilsen was a semi-finalist in the solo/duo category at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. It’s an old recipe, but it’s one that works for Neilsen: write. Tour. Record. Tour. Repeat.

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Celebrating Old Strathcona takin' it to the streets: 2