WAMM issue 17 | september 2009 by WAMM

2 | WAMM| issue 17 | september 2009

CONTENTS

48Hour

flick fest

2 48 hour flick fest 3 in love with a tuba

SOE wine fest

prom v2.0

3 4 6

windsor scene best of windsor 6 food & drink 7 shops 7 life & nightlife 9 music & art 9 media

8 kathleen edwards director and producer Vanessa Shields

he 48Hour Flick Fest is right around the corner and it has a few new things going for it this year, including a new director, local producer Vanessa Shields. Can you provide us a brief bio? I worked on my first feature film in Kelowna, B.C. in 1999. It was an independent feature film written, produced and directed by two talented women. I basically did everything from pre-production into production - from producing, rehearsing, production managing, first assistant directing, acting! It was a blast and I realized that being involved in the film industry was what I wanted to do for my career. Since then, I have worked on five features, a bunch of videos, commercials and short films. I have a degree in Communication Studies from the University of Windsor. While I was there I immersed myself in everything film related. If there was a production in town, I would try to be involved on some level. I worked in Toronto for The Weather Network and CBC. I also worked in Ottawa for the Canada Day events with CBC. My talents lie in producing and organizing. It works out well because the creative people around me all have other talents on set that allows me to use my skills as a producer. I love pre-production, organizing and being on set. There's nothing like it. I'm a writer through and through, however, and my goal is to one day make a film that I've actually written myself. I've got a few up my t-shirt sleeve. Why a 48-hour film-making festival? What‘s the impact on Windsor? The 48Hour Flick Fest is in its third year. That it made it to year three is something to be proud of. Last year, there were over 10 teams that signed up. For the teams involved on a creative level, it's only a positive impact that the event has on them. It follows that their friends and families will be involved as well whether they are part of the filmmaking or part of the festivities after. That’s a gala attendance of over 300 people. I'd say that's pretty great. Also, it allows local companies and filmmakers in the Windsor/Essex area to be involved as sponsors and get their names and businesses out there. And on another level still, the 48

Hour Flick Fest falls under the lovely umbrella of the Windsor International Film Festival which compares in strength and greatness to any other film festival I've been to (and that includes Tribeca in New York and Toronto, well, in Toronto!) It's only a good impact as far as I'm concerned. When anything in the creative arts is happening in Windsor, it can only be a positive thing for the city. What is the 48Hour Flick Fest? The 48Hour Flick Fest is literally 48 hours in which teams write, film and edit a short film. It's a huge challenge physically, mentally and creatively - and it's so much fun. The festival aspect comes in after the fact, when the films are screened at a big gala event, and when awards are given for various categories, like Best Actor, Best Film, etc. What sort of people sign up for the fest? Generally, students from the university/college are involved in high numbers but that certainly is not the only group of people who partake. Local creative people come to play--call them writers, cinematographers, filmmakers. It's a creative, inspired group of people who participate. Eager too. What sort of groups is the festival hoping to attract? On the filmic level, I'm hoping that anyone who has ever thought about making a film will come out. Get a group of friends together with fun as their main goal, and make a film. Local filmmakers who may have a little more experience, of course, they are welcome as well! They can perhaps challenge themselves on more than just a 'fun' level, although I'd hope that fun is part of their goal as well. Everyone is welcome. When does this year’s festival take place? This year, the festival will start Friday, Oct. 23 and continue until Sunday, Oct. 25. That's our 48 this year. The awards gala will take place afterwards. Where can interested filmmakers find information on rules and restrictions at this time? The best place to go to get all this

photo: John Doherty

information is our website: 48hourflickfest.com. It is being updated as often as possible. Will there be anything different this year? I'm hoping to have some new, exciting sponsors this year to spruce up the prize packages as well as a surprise judge ... but nothing's confirmed at this point! It'll be well worth it to stay connected via our Facebook group, our Twitter site, and our website to find out all the juicy details.

Film Goer’s Alternatives. Summer Hours

(Oliver Assayas, France, 2009, French with English subtitles, 102 min., NR) The film deals with ideas of tradition and family heritage, using a house and garden as a metaphor for cultural memory. Hálène lives in a rambling mansion full of art. On her seventy-fifth birthday, her three grown children arrive to celebrate the happy milestone. Events force Hálène’s children to make a series of decisions that have everything to do with their shared sense of the past. What to do with all of these memories and objects that define them and in a sense create their identity? Can all this be discarded? What at first appears to be a simple decision they make together turns into something much thornier.

Soul Power

(Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, U.S., 2009, English & French, 93 min., PG) This is an extravagantly entertaining documentary, assembled from a trove of hundreds of hours of footage captured by some of the world's finest cinéma vérité camera operators some 35 years ago. The number of people who say they were at Woodstock has long since grown beyond any plausible estimate of attendance, and the release of Soul Power may lead to a rash of unlikely, passionate claims to have been in Zaire when this monumental and now half-forgotten concert went down. It's not too late. And if for some reason you think of James Brown and Bill Withers as dusty names in the annals of popular music, this movie will help you complete your education.

Moon

(Duncan Jones, UK, 2009, English, 97 min., NR) Moon evokes many things — the

nature of the human experience, the nature of employee-management relations, how the odds are fairly good that the future will be exactly like today, but more so. With all of its far-flung inventions, impeccable visual design and Clint Mansell's eerie score, Moon boils down to a single man having a long conversation in isolation, telling himself a few lies and opening his own eyes to a few truths.

bombs

listings

11 11 album charts

Whatever It Was

(Dylan Pearce, 2008, Windsor) The director of Baby Blues Dylan Pearce will screen his new film this month. The synopsis: Whatever It Was tells the story of six strangers that come into contact with a man willing to say anything, and be anyone to get what, and who, he wants. This is a story of suspense, romance, and the type of passion that destroys everything it touches. This is a story of relationships that begin with a look, falter with a secret, and die by the truth. This is a story of three couples who find themselves falling out of love and into a tangled future with unknown possibilities and dangers. The locally shot film is presented by Rocky Mountain Pictures and 12.13. It stars Christopher Lawrence Menard, Norma Coleman, Ashlee Leible, John Anthony Nabben, Ruth Stanton, Andrew Anthony and Tared Jafer. It was written by Christopher Lawrence Menard. Mario Carnevale is the executive producer while Darren Arsenault and Derek Bellemore are producers. The film shows at Lakeshore (164 Lakeshore Blvd. in Tecumseh) Friday ,Sept. 18 through Thursday, Sept. 24 at 1:30 p.m., 4:10 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets: General admission $9.75 and seniors $6.75 available at the gate. For more information visit WhateverItWas.ca or visit their Facebook site. Summer Hours shows Friday, Sept. 4, Soul Power screens Friday, Sept. 18, Moon shows Friday, Sept. 25. All films screen at the Art Gallery of Windsor at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Art Gallery Gift Shop for $10. A cash bar will be available one hour before each screening. e-mail your film related ideas to johnwadoherty@yahoo.ca.

september 2009 | issue 17 Windsor Arts & Music Monthly (WAMM) is a free independent publication designed to keep you abreast of arts and culture in the Windsor area. Featuring music, visual arts, film, theatre, literature and beyond, WAMM is your guide for entertainment in Windsor. WAMM will grow & evolve with every issue and continue to answer the question; “What do you want to do tonight?” editor: Stephen Hargreaves copy editor: Kate Hargreaves contributors: Jamie Greer, John Doherty, Adam Fox, Rob Tymec, Kate Hargreaves & Stephen Hargreaves design: Stephen Hargreaves We are looking for freelance writers! email: WAMMmagazine@hotmail.com letters, comments, advertising, etc. contact: WAMMmagazine@hotmail.com

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WAMMonline.com also find us on facebook.com, at myspace.com/WAMMmagazine & at twitter.com/WAMMonline printed in Canada

A LOVE

TUB rob tymec

PURPLE THEATRE CO. PRESENTS THEIR TOP-BRASS

Summer's coming to a close, which means Windsor’s endless stream of festivals is also reaching its conclusion. As Fall creeps in, many theatre companies who shut their doors during the summer because they know it's all about festivals and not plays, are embarking upon the latter half of their season with a number of very interesting shows. As we approach late September, the latest offering from Joey Ouellette's Purple Theatre will be hitting the stage (or, more specifically, the floor of the Main Level Studio) over at MacKenzie Hall. Not only are Ouellette’s plays fantastic, but he contributes to the local art scene far more than most other theatre companies do, and yet, the amount of exposure he receives for the great work he's done is minimal, at best. His latest play is The Man Who Fell In Love With A Tuba, the title of which, believe it or not, is actually creating some measure of consumer resistance for him! "People are buying tickets for my other shows, this season," Ouellette explains, "but not this one. The other day, I overheard a woman at the front desk, (of MacKenzie Hall) buying some tickets for some of my stuff. When they asked her if she wanted a ticket for this play, she was like: ‘No. Oh no!’ Like as if it was dirty or evil to fall in love with a tuba. She seemed almost terrified!" "It's about a man who has grown tired of the dating scene," Ouellette explains. "He only ever seems to pick women who are terribly mean to him. Finally, he decides to just swear off dating, altogether. But then, one night, he hears a tuba playing. Its sound fills the emptiness he's been feeling in his life. And he realizes, in that moment, that he's in love with a tuba!" If anyone can pull off a convincing portrayal of a man falling in love with a tuba - it will be Ouel-

lette! And part of the comedy of the play, no doubt, will stem from the fact that he will make the romance seem 100% convincing! When asked what strange directions this latest storyline would go, all Ouellette would offer back was: "There will be helicopters - that's all I'm willing to say." Surprisingly, the only other actor in the show is Terry McConnell, who has been playing tuba (and a whole other assortment of instruments, for that matter) for over 20 years. With only two actors, the play brings to mind Ouellette’s The Red Detective series, which involves rapid character changes by two actors playing many characters. "You'll have to wait and see" was all Ouellette said, when asked about plans for staging The Man Who Fell in Love with the Tuba. It could be that he likes to be mysterious - it could be that he's still working on the script even as we speak and still isn't entirely sure what his format will end up being! With McConnell in the cast, there may be a fair amount of "riffing." Ouellette and McConnell have been working together since the Dawn of Time, and are incredibly comfortable together on stage, which guarantees a measure of creative improvisation. You can expect, at least, a few surprises coming from him every show! For those of you old enough to know the reference, it's a bit like watching Harvey Korman and Tim Conway. For those of you who are not, go watch some episodes of The Carol Burnett Show on YouTube. The Man Who Fell in Love with a Tuba, written and directed by Joey Ouellette runs Saturdays, September 19th, 26th and October 3rd at 8 PM at MacKenzie Hall (3277 Sandwich Street). For more info call (519)- 255-7600.

Punk> Rock> Prom> Queens> kate hargreaves

OPIRG OFFERS A SECOND CHANCE AT THE SENIOR PROM

Remember prom? Most people don’t, and of those who do, the experience is often one they would rather forget. Sure, it probably wasn’t quite Carrie bad, but many prom experiences involve all the humiliation, just without the pigs’ blood and telekinesis. It likely was not fun waiting for a date who didn’t show up, arriving in mom and dad’s minivan alone, boutonnière injuries abounding, and a cold pasta dinner knocked all over the suit you rented on three weeks worth of Burger King wages, all before your least favourite high school couple were named king and queen. What about being too young to have a few drinks without getting kicked out, having to swap your real date for an opposite sex friend for fear of unwanted altercations, or just plain old refusing to attend any event where the music selection promises to prominently feature Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” or Vitamin C’s “Canon in D,” erm… “Graduation (Friends Forever)?” For everyone who felt like Duckie at the prom (you know, when Andie ditched him for that asshole Blaine), OPIRG Windsor has the event that will let you rewrite your prom history and attach some positive memories to the institution that you now thank for years of therapy.

The Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG), a social justice group that operates out of the University of Windsor, is planning the “Freaks, Geeks, and Queers Left Over Prom” at the Blind Dog on Saturday, September 19th to benefit social justice and environmental programming throughout the upcoming year. Open to anyone who wants to get dressed up and dance like it was recently illegal, OPIRG’s prom hopes to make all your prom movie fantasies a reality. With prizes for best as well as worst dressed, and of course the naming of a royal prom couple, it might be an idea to dust off that hideous pink trapezoid dress you made out of two perfectly decent gowns given to you by your dad and that hip record store owning pal of yours…with no worries that they are all going to laugh at you. In fact, your outfit might even win you some fantastic prizes from Ottawa Street rockabilly boutique, The Unique Rabbit.

Ask a date or head out alone with your head held high. No one is in high school anymore (19+) and let’s face it, who would want to be. For more information, check out the “Freaks, Geeks and Queers Left Over Prom” event on Facebook.

MUSIC & WINE stephen hargreaves

The Stills review the wine list at the Shores of Erie Wine Festival

DRINK & SAY NO MORE

AT THE

“Wine is bottled poetry.” Or so said Robert Louis Stevenson. While wine is a many splendored thing, perhaps more than love, I often fear that the 8000 year old drink has been largely hijacked by people who would rather talk about it than drink it. Declamatory sommeliers go on at lengths about ‘terroir’ and bicker about what ‘estate’ really means and while I may fail to distinguish a Malvar from a Merlot, or a Sauvignon from a Sémillon, I still enjoy the evocative glug-glug of a peerless vintage cascading into gossamer thin crystal, oh no I’m starting to sound like one of them. What many a wine ponce forgets is that winewas, and still is in most of the world, the drink of the people and not a formalized methodology carried out by the affluent bourgeoisie to prove how interesting they are. Wine, good wine, thrives as a drink when it is consumed outside in a field under a setting sun with good friends and good music, which is where the Shores of Erie International Wine Festival has hit the nail on the head. Set within Fort Malden National Historic Site in Amherstburg, along the shoreline at the mouth of Lake Erie and the Detroit River, the festival acts as a showcase for the award winning wineries of Lake Erie’s north shore. Fermented grape juice from the cellars of Pelee Island, Colio, Crew, and ten other vineyards, pair with a selection area of restaurants to keep the many thousands in attendance in the perfect head space for a music line-up that eclipses all their previous efforts combined.

SHORES

ERIE WINE FESTIVAL

On the opening night, Thursday, September 10th, the festival kicks off with Justin Nozuka, follwed by 2009 two time Juno award winners and post-punk revivalists The Stills and finally reggae hit makers Bedouin Soundclash. On Friday, the 11th the second stage plays host to The Monday Milkmen, Trish Wales and Clint Weir while the main stage welcomes Johnny Rocca, swinger Big Rude Jake and rising star Serena Ryder. On Saturday, the 12th the extensive lineup begins at noon with a stream of locals including Tara Watts, Mr. Chill & Greg Cox, Jackie Robitaille, Michou, Ron Leary, and many others. Closing out the weekend on Sunday, the 13th is a healthy mix of locals including Field Assembly, Pat Robitaille, Locusts Have No King front-man Dave Dubois, Ron Leary and Kenneth MacLeod warming up the stage for the golden voice of Ottawa’s Kathleen Edwards. Tickets are a reasonable $30 on Thursday and $15 throughout the weekend, and can be purchased in advance at soewinefestival.com, in turn avoiding the likelihood of spending half of your evening standing in a queue hoping to get in while the wine is still flowing. Providing you do cross the threshold; find yourself a nice patch of grass, pop open a bottle and enjoy the multi-sensual stimulation of the wind, water, music and wine. Later when, inevitably, you’ve experienced a bit too much of Essex County’s finest, beware of the trenches left over from the War of 1812, and at all costs watch out for the ‘wine experts’ in attendance; they talk at length about how brilliant a wine tastes and then they spit it out. They can not be trusted.

4| WAMM| issue 17 | september 2009 Inside information from inside the Windsor

Chris White a.k.a. Fortunately Everything Dies

cept is Toronto’s The Schomberg Fair who ride death’s rusted horses into Windsor for a show at Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West) on Friday, September 4th. This rootsy band will knock your socks off with their high energy show (as well as the devilishly deep voice of bassist Nathan Sidon, a former Windsorite). They’re bringing another great Toronto outfit in The Warped 45’s to show their wares in Windsor and the show is rounded out by one of my favourite locals right now, James OL & The Villains. This will be a real great night of high energy roots music. myspace.com/theschombergfair, myspace.com/thewarped45s & myspacec.om/jamesol Which Witch is the latest in Windsor trends these days – veterans from other bands coming together to create something monstrous. As of late, these Supergroups have begun to lean towards the heavier side of things (Blastphemy, Monolith, The Vaudevillianaires) and Which Witch is no exception. With past and present members of Explode When They Bloom, Measured in Angles and In A Hail of Gunfire making up the line-up, these guys already know how to rock the shit out of a good tune. Combining forces they’ve created an instrumental metal combo that slams the intensity of Slayer with the groove of Black Label Society and the gall of the Melvins. They’re hitting the stage on Friday, September 4th at the Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.) with Rockasaurus Rex, Anonymous Bosch, Jamology and Laval. myspace.com/whichwitchwhichwitch

Kelly “Mr. Chill” Hoppe and his guitar-in-crime Greg Cox will be pulling a double header over the long weekend as part of the Bob-Lo Beach House (located on Bob-Lo Island, off Amherstburg) Labour Day Bash. Witness the roots and blues mastery of Hoppe and Cox on an outdoor patio overlooking the water, as they help celebrate the long weekend. They’re playing Friday, September 4th and Saturday, September 5th, with shows running from 6:30pm to 9:30pm each night. Catch the ferry over next to Duffy’s Tavern, across from the Beer Store on Dalhousie Street. myspace.com/mrchillampthewitnesses

Apart from the impressive list of “bigger” names at this year’s Shores of Erie Wine Festival in Amherstburg (Thursday, September 10th – Sunday, September 13th), which includes Bedouin Soundclash and The Stills on Thursday, Serena Ryder and Big Rude Jake on Friday and Kathleen Edwards on Sunday, the line-up is also peppered with some of the scene’s finest singer/songwriters. Ron Leary, Field Assembly, Tara Watts, Jackie Robitaille, Mr. Chill & Greg Cox, Michou, Pat Robitaille, David Dubois and many more are taking part in this great festival at Fort Malden. Check out soewinefestival.com/entertainment for a complete

listing with bios and time tables. After a sold out debut at the Coach & Horses last month, The Vaudevillianaires bring their macabaret to Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West) on Friday, September 11th. Due to the overwhelming response of their first show, the Phog show will be selling pre-sale tickets up until the show. Tickets are $5 in advance or $7 at the door. As if the thunder of the Vaudevillianaires wasn’t loud enough for you, they’re bringing some very special guests. Opening the show will be the dirty blues of Toronto’s The Speaking Tongues, followed by the sonic boom of the recently returned Lodown. Ear plugs are recommended. myspace.com/thevaudevillianaires, myspace.com/lodown & myspace.com/thespeakingtongues. Speaking of roots and songwriters, another of Canada’s indie roots darlings, Cuff The Duke, come through The Blind Dog (761 Ouellette Ave.) on Saturday, September 12th. The Blind Dog has come a long way in bringi n g some

Cuff The Duke

jointed and frenetic. Well somewhere along the way something odd happened – with little to no fanfare at all, the album has become a minor sensapages. tion across the artist’s web courtesy of & © es country. It reag All im cently peaked at #16 on earshot!’s mighty album charts of national campus and comongrats to CJAM Music munity radio stations, hitting #2 on Director Chris White for the national electronic chart. You can download the becoming the accialbum for free dental superstar (that’s right of the local music scene. free) – legally Earlier this year, he and by the anonymously reartist’s request – leased an experiat fortunatelyevmental electronic erythingdies.bandalbum called Cencamp.com sored under the guise of Fortunately Everything Dies. It is a kaleidoscope of It seems like “death counsounds, some gortry” is becoming its own genre of geously laysorts. Although coined tongue in e r e d , cheek by Windsor’s own Elliott some disBrood, it’s become a bizarre term to describe punk ind u c e d gloomy country. We l l , another great form of this con-

Lodown

w/ &The Speaking Tongues

WAMM| issue 17 | september 2009 | 5 MUSIC SCENE EVERY MONTH IN WAMM MAGAZINE WITH JAMIE GREER!

I always forget how amazing it is to watch Tara Watts play and sing until I see her again. What a gem we have in this city. Recently I discovered a great young local talent named Kevin Echlin, a musician only 19 years old but with a old soul and maturity of someone much older. His music is very akin to artists such as Beirut, Viet Nam or Bon Iver and it’s simply gorgeous. He’s making his debut at Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West) on Saturday, September 12th as the opener of a great night of singer/songwriters. The second act of the night is Montrealer David Simard, who has been making great waves in his home city and is now taking his songs on the road. Closi n g o u t t h e

night will be the always great sounds of Travis Reitsma, bringing along the full band to bring down the house. myspace.com/kevinechlin, myspace.com/davidsimardmusic / myspace.com/tgreitsma

bandmate/Theramin player Holly Brush will be carrying on as a side project called The Other Woman (no word yet if 24TC drummer George Manury will also be involved). myspace.com/twoforthecascade

With the impending birth of the child of band members Kevin Buckridan and Stefanie Zaccagnini-Buckridan, it looks like Two For The Cascade will be going on maternity leave. Over the past year, Two For The Cascade (or 24TC) really became a crowd favourite, with their hauntingly dark style and use of the Theramin and Moog during live performances. Their debut album, As God Intended, perfectly captured their live sound that so many took part in the past year. Despite the birthing hiatus, 24TC have no plans of ending the band, just its live performances (for now). In the meantime, it looks like Kevin Buckridan and

Hamilton faves The Mark Inside – who have had some legendary shows at both The Avalon Front and Phog Lounge in the past – bring it to bigger stage with a show at The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.) on Friday, September 18th. These guys have been building a solid fan base and reputation across Canada the past few years and Windsor’s been a big part of their success. They’re being joined by Threat Level Midnight, The Eclectic Chair and The Reagan Eighties. myspace.com/themarkinside

Two For the Cascade

The Magic Hall of Mirrors are solidifying their line-up while amassing a giant collection of songs. This new project formed by Golden Hands Before God songwriter/frontman Sean Barry, guitarist/vocalist Justin Faubert, ex-Royal Dose guitarist/vocalist Daren Dobsky and bassist Eric Arner (the doLLies, Portia, ten year drought), has recently added former itzjunk drummer Rico Malizia to the line-up. After a few low key performances during the summer, the Magic Hall of Mirrors – whose music has been described as “folk punk blues,” although it hardly begins to describe the sounds that almost sound more like if Fleet Foxes got together with the Pogues – will be opening up for Toronto band Bombs at The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West, beside

Pogo’s) on Friday, September 18th. myspace.com/themagichallofmirrors What a difference a name makes…well, maybe not, but it sure seems like the artists formerly known as D. have gotten a whole more attention since changing their name to The Bulletproof Tiger (which is a great name, by the way). Following in the footsteps of such bands as Bloemfontein, What Seas What Shores, Measured in Angles and Salt of the Chief Cornerstone, these uber-talents are showing that creativity in instrumental compositions is worth checking out and can be just as satisfying as a vocally driven performance. They’ve been creating quite a stir and have two very different shows coming up in September – first opening for Hamilton’s Wax Mannequin at Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West) on Tuesday, September 8th, followed by another opening slot, this time at The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo’s) on Friday, September 18th, playing with Winnipeg’s Absent Sound and My Son, My Son. myspace.com/thebulletprooftiger After a three month break, local rock and roll rabble rousers High Mother make their return to the stage as part of a show taking place at The Loop ( 1 5 6 Chatham St. West, a b o v e Pogo’s) on Friday, September 25th. These rock and roll

bad boys join a bill that includes Meters To Miles, The Tyres and Waterloo’s City Wide Panic. myspace.com/highmother, myspace.com/meters2miles, myspace.com/thetyres & myspace.com/citywidepanic. Brampton’s The Junction make their Windsor stop on their cross Canada tour promoting their latest release, Another Link In The Chain, with a swing through at The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.) on Saturday, September 26th. The Junction manages to combine the catchiest of power pop with almost BritPop-style vocals to make for some catchy UK style rock and pop. They’re being joined by two of Windsor’s finest, as StereoGoesStellar and Yellow Wood open the show. myspace.com/thejunction, myspace.com/stereogoesstellar & myspace.com/yellowwood

Wax Mannequin

great acts through Windsor and providing a larger venue feel to a location that has been traditionally misplayed in the past. myspace.com/cufftheduke

stephen hargreaves

6| WAMM| issue 17 | september 2009

With Windsor establishments gaining national accolades recently and the city the focus of some international attention, WAMM called on you the reader, to recognize your favourite Windsor spots as the best our city has to offer. The results are in with over a thousand votes giving props to pizza, parks and patios, supporting your favourite salons, shawarma and songwriters, kudos to comic shops, and big ups to blogs. With the accolades you have draped on so many local businesses it’s becoming likely that, despite the economic gloom, like a German trapeze artist during a one-off performance at a butcher shop, we are over the wurst, err worst.

FOOD

DRINK

Just squeaking past The Lumberjack, the metropolitan Elias Deli at 126 Ouellette Avenue takes the cake, or should that be pancake, for best breakfast. Elias serves a simple array of breakfast options made well and quickly, and have now boldly entered the late night market, staying open 24 hours-a-day on weekends.

Curry, England’s national dish (and apparently popular in India and the far east) is one of the fastest growing food trends in Canada, inspiring a rash of curry houses to open and close in Windsor. One which has, despite having the décor of a 1980s coffee shop, developed a strong following is India Palace, at 1167 Ottawa Street. It walks the fine line of serving stellar authentic Indian cuisine while still creating dishes suitable to woo the uninitiated into curry-hood.

Vegetarian cuisine, and I use the term cuisine loosely, has had a bit of a bad rap. The cardboard circles of soy or tofu with “grill marks” painted on sold as veggie-burgers are inedible and the same is true for much of the veggie bacon, chicken and something called Tofurkey, presumably faux turkey. Taloola Café, on the other hand, has taken a surprisingly novel approach to catering to herbivores. Rather than trying to make coagulated soy milk taste of meat, they make satisfying, filling lunches from vegetables that taste of, wait for it, vegetables and they do it rather well.

In by far the closest race of “The Best of Windsor,” the battle for best café pitted Walkerville’s Taloola Café against downtown’s Milk Coffee Bar, and with each receiving over 300 nods, it was with a mere five votes that Milk put a plastic lid on the competition. The café has birthed a jazz band, The Milkmen, in their namesake, lent their wall space to hundreds of artists, acted as a hub for Windsor culture for years and fuelled widespread absinthe addiction.

A romantic candle-lit atmosphere, reasonable prices and impressive menu made The Cook Shop a resounding winner in our quest for Windsor’s most romantic dining experience. With candles softly lighting the face of your favourite person, a bottle of wine and a good conversation, you are just as likely to melt your partners heart as The Cook Shop’s wonderful Italian cuisine is to melt in your mouth.

When my favourite restaurant, Mamo, closed I was at a loss. Later when I heard Mamo’s former owner was opening a “southern barbeque” restaurant I was less than excited until I ate there. You, dear readers, agree and voted Smoke and Spice (1515 Ottawa Street) your top new restaurant. Not pretentious, yet still retaining the decorum of Mamo, Smoke and Spice is the prefect restaurant for Windsor today. Runner up, Vito’s Pizzeria’s 200 plus votes and excellent food and prices warrants mention as well.

Despite posting a net income rise to $518 million and serving nearly 47 million customers daily mega-chain McDonald’s was all but ignored by you in picking your top burger. Instead you offered up the names of restaurants producing great homemade burgers, the most popular being Bubi's Awesome Eats at 620 University Ave West, who serve a great variety of burgers and one great big, eight pound “Bunds‘s Big V8!”

The unabashedly Parisian Creperie Omer is, while not the cheapest place to keep your sweet tooth at bay, still a far sight cheaper than a jaunt to the French capitol and offers crêpes frogs from either side of the pond leap for.

Despite a few level seven vegans who condoned our call to pick the best Butcher in town, the carnivores spoke with one voice; Ted Farron's Gourmet Butcher Shop. Unlike the factory-style mass butcheries that supply many of our grocery stores, Ted Farron, who achieved celebrity for his "Butcher Shop" segments on CBC's Midday program, operates, a real, old-style, butcher shop with skilled butchers and local meats.

Acapulco Delight is the strangest place to be at 3am, or honestly any other time. Mexican food, served by east Asians, on plastic garden furniture, with tanks of weird fish, karaoke, a menu with thousands of options all of which look and taste exactly the same…it’s perfect.

Despite the popularity of Shawarma in Ottawa, Vancouver and Toronto, Windsor is the undisputed Shawarma capitol of Canada. We love our Shawarma, and with seven independent sellers within a döners throw downtown there is fierce competition. However, with nearly 80% of you swarming to Shawarma Palace for an Arabic snack, it is clear the restaurant at 276 Ouellette Avenue has a good rap, and a great wrap.

Windsor Pizza is famous, and was recently the subject of a debate on CBC Radio 3, and a heavily contested title. This survey was no different with props for pizza from more places than we knew existed. At the end of the day, the biggest slice of your votes was delivered to Pelissier Street’s Terra Cotta.

Likely the inspiration for the interior design of Apple Stores across the world, the clean backdrop of Noi’s interior is your favourite place to enjoy a healthy selection of wine. Reds, whites, sparkling and Champagne are available in great numbers from around the world, to fit the pallette and pocket book of most any wine drinker. Perhaps the most important factor making Noi the ideal setting to enjoy a glass or two is the knowledgeable bar and wait staff.

Vermouth, who also received accolades for their patio also take home the prize for best wine list at a bar. Offering a wide selection of grapes from the far reaches of the globe and closer to home, at price points to please the economically gifted and challenged alike, even serving a set few labels at a mere $16 on Thursdays, not NASCARbernet or Chef Boyardeaux either, but good wine at a good price. Additionally, while the sommeliers know much about the wine they serve, they graciously refrain from going on about terroir and leave you to enjoy your glass.

Vermouth’s patio exists on two levels. During afternoons and weeknights, patrons enjoy conversation over wine, mixes and beer at teak tables as the breeze cuts down Ouellette Avenue, but when night falls on the weekend, a seat on Vermouth’s patio becomes a front row seat to a self-narrated live documentary on the effects of large volumes of alcohol on young Americans, a fashion show, and the ideal vantage point to study the mating habits of woman who can no longer walk in their heels, all with the security of the railing of what you have named the best patio in Windsor.

Open since the early 60s, Italia Bakery, at 571 Erie Street is as much an Erie Street institution as its restaurants. Largely known for their famous breads, that are to store-bought breads what a fine Cheshire cheese is to Velveeta or a real coffee is to the swill Tim Horton’s sells, there is no comparison.

In a, “oh no, we should have made another category” moment, we realized that despite the great support for a variety of local wineries in this category, the vineyards split the vote and left the race for the top to a brewer and a distiller. At the end of the day you agreed with James Bond in Dr. No, and Janis Joplin, The Band and The Grateful Dead in Festival Express and like the ‘72 Roxy Music hit ‘Mother of Pearl’ you have “Canadian Club love.”

In a bit of a surprise outcome, the new Downtown Windsor Farmers Market ran away with your votes for your favourite place to buy produce. While it is open just one day a week (Saturdays) for a limited time of year, local residents have flocked to the market at the former bus terminal in droves, and with a selection of local food and other wears sold largely by the farmers and producers, you have access to the details of where your food comes from and how it is grown.

Like their name should tell you, City Beer Market has a pretty vast selection of beer. WAMM readers thought the restaurant aptly named and voted the Chatham Street spot’s beer selection the best in the city. With nearly 40 beers to choose from, brewed all over the world, you are likely to find something that suits any pallette. Sitting on their patio drinking a massive glass of Hoegaarden is one of the best ways to relax on a summer evening downtown.

THE BEST OF WINDSOR | THE BEST OF WINDSOR WAMM| issue 17 | september 2009 | 7

SHOPS With nearly every one of your votes, Walkerville’s Jones & Co. stylishly ran away with the best vintage shop title tucked away in a 1940s French clutch. Seeming pulling haute couture from days of yore without the effects of time, Jones offers a selection to rival any Montreal vintage shop at a fraction of les prix dans la Belle Ville.

The Dodge Caravan and its variants the Plymouth Voyager and the Chrysler Town and Country are the 13th bestselling automobile of all time with close to 13 million sold. The Windsor-made van is, as one dealer put it, “the only thing making Chrysler money” and has now birthed the latest variant in the way of the Volkswagen Routan, a replacement for the German-made Eurovan. Even if the vans are about as cool as the soccer moms who covet them, they roll off of the same assembly line as the real 1970s Charger, the 60s Dart and even a car called the Swinger; those genes are somewhere in those vans, somewhere.

Books existed before Oprah’s Book Club, Harry Potter and Danielle Steele, and back then we bought books from bookshops, not acreages of the latest Twilight novel and drivel like The Da Vinci Code. Luckily, the vast majority of WAMM readers are drawn to the wonderful smell of bookshops, and while the names of chain mega-stores did arrive on our survey, they were out-numbered by real bookshops, mostly Juniper Books (1990 Ottawa Street). A veritable Narnia of novels, the surprisingly vast Juniper Books sprawls for One of the few chains picked as the best of Windsor, the Swedish clothier H&M known for its fast storeys of stories in volumes of volumes. fashion, opened in Devonshire Mall in 2006 and is one of the few affordable European chains in Windsor. Though it took until the store 1700 to open in Canada’s deep south, Windsor’s fashionable women have embraced Hennes & Mauritz as their own, picking it as their top shop for dressing up. Mention should be made of the locals Chatty Collection & Jones & Co, and to a lesser extent the newly opened Envy Botique, all of whom were hot on H&M’s tail throughout the voting process.

LIFE NIGHTLIFE

I know virtually nothing about comic books. I’ve never read or owned a single volume in my life, but when I visit Rogues Gallery Comics I wish I was part of the graphic novel scene. Rogues, to me, feels like the best boutique style indie record shop, with people scouring the shelves for “deleted Smith singles and original, not re-released, Frank Zappa albums” to quote High Fidelity, but rather than music it’s the incredibly coveted world of the comic book. As far as my untrained eyes can tell Rogues Gallery Comics is like the little record shop is for me, a place in The men’s clothing category was ripe with variety, which all is well in the world for a hundred square with a fair amount of votes going to Hugo Boss at Windsor Crossings and Mexx in the Devonshire, feet or so. but at final count we were left with our only tie, and we counted five times to be sure. Splitting the vote was the long established Freeds on Ottawa Street at Gladstone, and the shop at the center of Walkerville’s shopping strip on Wyandotte, Jones & Co.

British conductor and impresario Sir Thomas Beecham one said, "try everything once except incest and folk dancing." That being said, a fair majority of Windsor’s young folk enjoy dancing and when they do they need look no further than within the faithful four walls of The Loop. As accepting as pretentious, The Loop manages to provide a danceable beat capable of uniting an array of tastes on one dance floor; they may have even stopped playing “Love Shack”.

In this digital age, where iTunes is king, Sam’s Music has folded and HMV has resorted to selling video games, movies and even, strangely, iTunes cards and iPod accessories, the indie music shop seems doomed. But with a 124% increase in new vinyl records last year and a further 50% this year, combined with a return to a boutique driven music buying public, a staggering 95% of you have chosen Dr.Disc (659 Ouellette) as your favourite place to refresh your ears.

A disturbing amount of readers voted Phog’s Tom Lucier as ‘best bartender,’ which nearly convinced us to toss in the “Best of Windsor” towel, until at final count he was beaten by several hundred votes for Scott Funnel. Funnel is able to run a band through sound check, maintain three conversations, and still serve a packed house at the Coach & Horses without anyone having to wait more than a moment for a drink; most importantly he doesn’t have an iPhone.

As far too many people today fail to realize that buying a guitar a Wal-Mart is about as smart as buying a Korean car, and as such people continue to buy disposable cheap rubbish, the North American car industry is in a shambles and great little musical instrument shops are dwindling. Luckily for us, we still have Riverside Music Shop at 4769 Wyandotte Street East,a great place to stumble into vintage guitars, amps and an array of other new and old music gear.

Katnandu, located at 1666 Wyandotte Street, easily brought home the title of best salon. Catering to the styles of virtually anyone with hair, though known for their skills in the modern and trendsetting, Katnandu offers the quality and service of a major metro salon at a fraction of the prices, all set in a casual environment that makes you feel as good as your hair looks.

Started in Toronto in 1985, the cosmetic line endorsed by Madonna, Linda Evangelista, Hello Kitty and others, M.A.C. was named by one of you, “the only reason to go to the mall” and despite being more expensive than drug store brands, is in a league with professional cosmetics costing four times as much.

YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD PHARMACY IS BACK

1701 Wyandotte East, Windsor, ON | P: 519-255-9009

FREE DELIVERY!

I recently heard the editor of Detroit’s MetroTimes talking about the growing trendiness of the dive bar among the middle-classes, even offering tips on dive bar etiquette, if there is such a thing. If this is true, and it may well be, The Coach, who have recently replaced the aroma of the toilets with industrial strength pine scent, may become the city’s hottest hang-out, especially when combined with the best barman and near success in the live venue slot.

Walkerville predates Windsor by 79 years. Perhaps it is its longevity that makes it Windsor’s strongest community. Seemingly unaware of the credit crunch, Walkerville is one of the only areas in the city where houses still sell and businesses not only thrive but continue to open at a booming rate. Million dollar homes and hundred thousand dollar homes share the same blocks, and no matter the mortgage, residents take pride in their homes, their community and its history.

Host to Art in the Park, Concours d’Elegance (Windsor’s showcase of beautifully restored vintage cars), hundreds of weddings, and most recently, outdoor film screenings, Walkerville’s Willistead Park is perhaps best known as an ideal place in which to simply enjoy the outdoors and marvel at the tudor-revival splendor of Willistead Manor.

Running from under the Ambassador Bridge to the foot of Moy Avenue, the riverfront park and Odette Sculpture Garden attracts thousands of visitors and locals alike to stroll, enoying the incomparable Detroit skyline, and an array of sculpture ranging from the Dadaist to the sublime.

Anyone who has lingered during the day in the downtown core can attest to the influx of very calm people carrying what appear to be rolled up carpets in bags, chakras aligned in the direction of the Downtown Yoga Studio. Located above Artcite Inc. and The Capitol Theatre on University Avenue West, Downtown Yoga provides a comfortable and central spot for the very flexible to call “om.” Not unlike the Organisation Européenne pour la

Recherche Nucléaire’s Large Hadron Collider, Pogos is that rare place where the perfect storm brews in order to combine the culturally aware and those who enjoy sport, and as with the opposing particle beams in CERN’s device, the two groups coexist in remarkable peace. Most importantly, while the LHC’s bills roll in at over €1.6 billion, even a well-hydrated playoff series of games enjoyed at Pogos will not reach that figure and the risk of creating a black hole is significantly less.

7| WAMM| issue 17 | september 2009

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a struggle most Canadian bands know very well, even established ones. Once you’ve conquered Canada, how do you get noticed stateside? This is a tough question for many bands in this fair country and not just obscure bands. Legendary bands, even. Ask Sloan. Ask Blue Rodeo. Hell, ask the Tragically Hip. Regardless of how iconic these artists seem to most Canadians, the bottom line is this: cross the Ambassador bridge and these names simply don’t carry the same cache. And yet the last decade has been a golden era for some Canadian artists like Nelly Furtado, Arcade Fire, Leslie Feist, and the like, artists that haven’t necessarily tailored their sound to cater to American listening habits, but who certainly don’t reveal their country of origin on first listen. Like these artists, Kathleen Edwards also enjoys American acceptance of her work. Unlike them, however, there’s no mistaking where she’s from. Edwards is enjoying a well-deserved break at her home in Hamilton, Ontario. Since February 2008 she’s been tirelessly touring in support of her latest and third full length release “Asking for Flowers.” The tour, which included a spot on the Late Show with David Letterman, appearances with John Doe [formerly of punk band X] and Bryan Adams, finally wrapped up after the Junos in June and Edwards has been filling her summers with gardening, weekend festival gigs, and…. golf? Yes, golf. I caught up with Kathleen Edwards at a driving range outside of Hamilton to discuss her writing process, how her concept of home is challenged by this nomadic lifestyle and her uniquely Canadian success south of the border. I see you’ve been keeping busy with some theatre shows and festival dates across the country, have you found time to get some relaxation in this summer – you’re golfing right now, but…? Yeah, summer’s been nice. Most people don’t tour and play clubs in the summer – people don’t wanna be in a dirty old bar in the middle of July on a Wednesday night. The festivals have been great – lots of really good shows. Your life has been pretty nomadic over the past 8 years or so – has the concept of “home” changed for you?

words: Adam Fox | top photo: Victor Tavares inset photo:Michael Scipper I’m from Ottawa and that’s certainly where my roots still are. My husband [guitarist and producer Colin Cripps] and I met in Toronto. We live in Hamilton now, it might not be forever but it’s where we’re settled now. The hardest thing about being away all the time is when I come home I really feel the need to be settled. The worst feeling is traveling all the time and coming home and being in a place where ‘I can’t wait to get out of here.’ Some people are really happy to constantly go, but I’m into nesting and taking on the hermit life when I come off the road. You spend an awful lot of time on the road. Do you write a lot while you’re touring? It comes in waves. I’m not generally focused or diligent enough [to finish songs on the road]. I’m generally a home-writer. Being home and having time to decompress is a really good formula for me for getting creative again. Has your writing process changed or evolved since your debut, 2004’s “Failer?” Well, I hope so. Sometimes you’re the worst judge of your own creative process because you’re so close to it. My first couple records were songs about my personal life, growing up becoming an adult – your first experiences in love and breakups and relationships… life experiences. I’ve become a little bit more open to being perceptive and seeing other people go through really hard things and they’re not always your trials and tribulations. You become more open to trying to understand what that experience must be like. I think that’s where I draw a lot more of my inspiration now is actually other people. Having said that I think you never stop going through stuff. The irony is being married and being with somebody is actually harder than being on your own sometimes. Sometimes you get pushed up against the wall… and you can’t just run away… love’s a funny thing. You fall in love and you get all these things from being in love, but there are all these things you give up with being in love, too. You give up your independence sometimes and you give up these things that you don’t realize until they’re gone. I have friends and family that go through shit all the time. For me it’s interesting to tell people’s stories. I think that’s really the heart of

what I love about songs, because they’re relatable and their true. Everyone goes through shit. Obviously you’ve never been a strictly confessional songwriter, even your first album had some more vague or third person narratives going on. When you were working on your latest record I read that you wanted to distance yourself maybe a bit from that confessional writing approach. Was it easy for you to switch modes? No, it’s hard. My last record I made a conscious decision that I wanted to write about some things that I feel strongly about that weren’t necessarily about me and try to tell them in a way that it would feel like it was me writing them. A song like “Oil Men’s War” I think a lot of people [misjudged it.] They read the title and they think it’s about George W. Bush. It’s not about that at all – it’s about traveling in the US and s e e i n g communities of peop l e c o m pletely polarized and alienated from each other because of what they think and feel. That song is about tolerance and about not dismissing someone’s feelings because you don’t share them. It really has nothing to do with the policy of a presidential administration. Unlike many of your Canadian contemporaries, your music has been very well received by American listeners, and yet you still write songs with references to stay-at-home defensemen and reference the CBC. Do you consciously try to maintain a Canadian perspective or identity, or is that something that just comes naturally to you? I love and connect with my Canadian identity. I love going to places like New York and Austin and Portland and Seattle but they’re not places I think I’ll ever live because I really connect

with being Canadian. I spent so much of my childhood away that I think it really fortified that feeling in myself of really loving Canada. It’s a weird thing – Americans seem to get on board with that connection. I get asked that a lot: ‘why do you have more of a career in America, why do you get more radio play in America?’… I don’t really know the answer to that. Maybe it’s because they have really good taste? [laughs.] It’s weird because you’re right – my songs have these Canadian references. Yeah, it kind of blows my mind that you’re so well-received but can still get away with references to the CBC and Marty McSorley. It’s shocking to me because you see so many Canadian bands that are

just constantly angling or trying to get success south of the border and it seems like you’ve just kind of done it naturally, without currying their favour. I don’t ever want to stop sounding like me. I’m never going to be Simple Plan and try to take on the sound of modern American radio. To me that’s pointless – there’s a million people in America that can do that. It’s like Bon Jovi doing a country record – that was a very specific decision: ‘we are going to sound more country to get played on country [radio stations] so that these

people from this parallel down will come to our shows and buy our records.’ I will not sign up for that. It’s so calculated. I got asked to take out the banjo from “In State” [Back to Me] because the [label] wanted to pitch it to radio. I said “no, no, no”… I eventually did it because I thought I’m not being asked to change the album version. And six months later what comes out? That song by [“Forca” ] Nelly Furtado where Bela Fleck plays this key banjo lick and its getting played on top 40 radio. I wanted to call everybody who told me to take the banjo out and mail them a piece of dog shit! One particular instrument doesn’t define the success or possibility of [a song.]

Kathleen Edwards is working on a new album at home in Hamilton, but will take a break from her songwriting and her gardening and golf swing to perform a set at the Shores of Erie Wine Festival at Fort Malden National Historic Site in Amherstburg on Sunday, September 13th.

THE BEST OF WINDSOR | THE BEST

MUSIC ART

One of the most contested categories, the battle for the title of best band saw nearly 100 different entries! As we rounded the final turn in the final hours of the voting, the race was between the unlikely pairing of the feel good sounds of Michou and wonderfully loud Fiftywatthead, the later taking the lead at checkered flag, a well-deserved victory for the band who celebrated 10 years of metal at the end of last month and an album Absolut Metal named their number one of 2008!

Windsor’s favourite troubadour Ron Leary has such a way with seemingly simple songs that many other singer-songwriters grow furious at the way he can string together a few chords and a vocal in such a perfect way with ease, while they toil with diminished sevenths and chords from the bottom of their chord chart to no avail. The songs on his most recent effort theroadinbetween have become a favourite of Canadians and CBC television and radio. Perhaps he’s made a pact with the devil, maybe he was born with it or it could be Maybelline, either way he’s very good.

In the light of the age of MP3s, designer Peter Saville, responsible for iconic sleeves of New Order, Roxy Music and a slew of others, declared last year; “the album cover is dead.” Today, a simple 5”x5” Photoshopped image as a CD cover is not enough to lure in a potential buyer, and incidentally the traditionally printed, die cut, multi-textural packaging of Field Assembly’s debut LP ‘Broadsides & Ephemera’ was in-part inspired by the aforementioned designer’s work. ‘Broadsides & Ephemera’ was printed by Standard Printing, using an altered photograph by Stephen Nilsson and the design of Adam Fox and someone called Stephen Hargreaves.

Producer, DJ, video installation artist, visual artist and owner of DETUND Records, Kero (né Sohail Azad) seized the best club DJ title from a list largely littered with DJs who unlike Kero push others’ music through a pair of CD players. Kero, who is a spokesman for M-Audio, uses an array of boxes bejewelled with dials and switches that in turn control computers running audio programs, many of which Kero invented himself.

Open mic nights can be a nightmare, an endless stream of “artists” who seem to have been handed a guitar for the very first time paired with the voice of Edith Bunker, alternately a line-up of over confident young men who have managed to combine the songs of Pearl Jam with the vocal style of Chad Kroeger. Open mics can also be a preview of the artists who will go on to form your favourite band, a chance to catch a trial run of a new side project or a one-off merger of two of the city’s best musicians. Luckily Tara Watts has been able to attract a majority of the latter, though some of the former do sneak in.

It may come as no surprise that you have picked Phog Lounge as the best live venue, especially on the back of CBC Radio 3 naming the little bar that could as Canada’s best live music club. What may come as a surprise was that while Phog received 38% of your votes, the Coach & Horses came in with an impressive 33% and for a while appeared to be overtaking Phog. But at the end, the venue that has presented Holy Fuck, Final Fantasy, Patrick Watson, Tokyo Police Club, and thousands of others takes home the best venue prize to sit next to their Jammy awards and their obscenely large CBC trophy.

Daniel Bombardier a.k.a. Denial, a.k.a. D3N!@L, has evolved from a snotty kid high on anarchism charged with the task of branding every flat surface with his now ubiquitous tag by way of die cut vinyl stickers into one of the most original and productive artists this city has ever seen. His work is instantly recognisable, combining cut vinyl, spraypaint, stencilling, freehand painting, in a style similar to manipulated samples in the audio world. He is a true innovator, working with what he can get and taking influence from residing in Windsor rather than other artists.

The monumentally under-funded Art Gallery of Windsor has created, collected, presented, and conserved one of Ontario’s most significant collections of Canadian art, including a permanent collection made up of over 3000 pieces covering the period from about 1750 through to the present day. Additionally, the AGW presents impressive collections from around the world, featuring artist work usually reserved for galleries with 10-50 times their budget.

Inspiring a quartet of similar galleries in the area, Nancy Johns has amassed the support of a who’s who of Windsor visual artists by the way of a series of group and solo shows. In its relatively short existence, the gallery, at 4755 Wyandotte Street East, has become a respected and accepted part of the often fickle local arts community, a feat accomplished by few commercial galleries in Windsor.

The Capitol Theatre is still in limbo, but rather than wait for red tape to clear and movement to be made towards an official reopening of the 89 year old theatre, arts organisations have found a set of keys and events are independently presented more and more as every month passes. This year’s Fringe Fest dusted off all three of the theatres at the Capitol to much revelry, and reminiscence of the glory days under the flashing marquis.

Author of three books of short stories, an acclaimed novel, and an illustrated Christmas story, Alistair MacLeod topped a scattered list including comic book authors, journalists, and even a confusingly a bookshop. Subject of the 2005 NFB film ‘Reading Alistair MacLeod,’ MacLeod’s admirers include Margaret Atwood, Colm Toibin and the majority of you.

MEDIA Not surprisingly, CJAM comfortably collected the vast majority of your votes, with an ever-increasing professionalism, a collection of programs worthy of national syndication and strong community support dating back over 30 years. CJAM likely garnered a new wave of listeners with the recent media attention regarding their fight to remain on air and an eventual planned frequency move from 91.5 fm to 99.1 fm in for early October 2009.

In the final hours of voting, the TV top spot was stolen by a handful of votes from Ten Dollar Tales by a fellow tvCogeco program, The Comic Book Syndicate. A discussion panel program about comic books and related nerdiness, the Syndicate features amusing spoof skits and a level of entertainment so impressive that a large percentage of their audience are not comic book fans, don’t get the in-jokes, but still tune in every week. Friday at 11pm, and Saturday at 6:30pm and 11pm on cable 11.

Blogging has evolved for the better over the last few years, with blogs such as the addictive ‘International Metropolis’ and ‘Scale Down’, and your favourite ‘Windsor Eats,’ a welcome change from the “I like this boy, I bought new socks, this band is so hot” personal blogs. WindsorEats.com is, at the core, an online menu guide, but over the years has evolved into a hub for events including ‘Winter Bites,’ ‘Eat Your City’ and winery bike trips through the county, and of course their food blog.

Jamie Greer any years ago, I interviewed a young man who had just parted ways with his equally young band. He was slightly disillusioned with the band thing (but only in the idea of it being a collective musical unit) but was absolutely sure that regardless who joined him on his rock and roll adventure that the end chapter would ultimately be with him wearing the crown, that people could either stand alongside him, or they could not, it mattered not to him. All that mattered is that he wrote the very best rock and roll songs, that people would listen, and by God, they would sing. They would sing. Well that young man was Ryan Yoker and I can say that now, over five years later, not a lot has changed. Well, that’s not entirely true. The bravado, the charisma and the swagger of Ryan Yoker are still there, but he’s not the young man who walked out of a failing project looking to the stars. He’s now realized that the hunger for rock’s majesty lies in the journey itself and he’s living it every day of his life. Following the release of his EP several years back, Yoker withdrew from Windsor and headed to Toronto, where he has since assembled a monstrous rock band called Bombs that channels the ferocity of Paul Weller and the Jam with the anthemic power of Oasis, all the while fully embracing the UK legacy of bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin or The Who. Huge Wembley-esque refrains, rock royalty swagger and Mouths That Roared, Yoker and the boys in Bombs – lead vocalist Tommy Preisler, bassist Adam James Osborne and drummer Phil Mailey - have recently started to gain some major attention, not just locally in Toronto, but abroad. The legendary British music magazine NME (New Music Express) recently called Bombs “grizzly Anglophile Mod Rock

from Canada” in a positive review of their EP Bombs Over Windsor. Label interest and other opportunities has recently began to pour out of the woodwork so with such a buzz around the band, Yoker has finally decided to unleash the Bombs on his hometown, with a special homecoming show at The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West, beside Pogo’s) on Friday, September 18th with special guests, The Magic Hall of Mirrors. The show will be cover free. WAMM recently spoke to Ryan Yoker about his rock and roll revitalization in Bombs, being from Windsor and what’s in store for future Kings of Rock and Roll. Although this is your Windsor debut with Bombs, you guys have been laying a solid foundation in Toronto the past year. How has it been grooming a band in the Toronto music scene? Grooming a band in Toronto isn't much different than Windsor. If you're great then people notice. There are far more bands in Toronto, but I don't view anyone anywhere as our competition. The process has always been the same. I write a song, bring it to the band and we play it live. Bombs has literally exploded in

Toronto. At what point did you realize this was becoming the real deal? I knew before we started playing live that this was the real deal because as long as I write the songs it will always be the real deal. Even in the very beginning playing to five people in a hole in the ground I knew the music had an audience they just had to find us. We've had key help from a few places including the NME which made people outside of Canada start to take notice. We're not nearly where we want to be in terms of success yet, but Toronto has been a good start. Your songs have always had that stadium/arena rock anthem feel. Is that your ultimate destination or is simply a matter of writing the music that's inside you? If my songs have always had that feel then I guess it's fitting ‘cos that's where we'd like to end up. As for writing with that agenda in mind, I'd have to say I don't, but I love anthemic music so I guess that's where it comes from. Besides I don't think you can grow up listening to Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles,The Jam and Queen and not have it influence your songwriting. Many people still remember you from the Stratus days in Windsor - how does

Bombs differ from Stratus personality wise? The members of Bombs are different from Stratus in one key way. They are married to the band and divorce is not an option. They are also far more likeminded to my idea of what a band should be. We have many arguments, but what marriage doesn't. It works out as a plus ‘cos the arguments often contribute well to the music. You've been getting some major press and attention lately. How do you keep it all in perspective and never let the hype get ahead of the product and remain grounded in the project? Press is nice and we love the fact it helps get our music out to people, but our attitude towards that is it took you long enough! The most important opinion to me is that of the audience that comes to a gig. If they love it we're happy and we've yet to find out what happens when they're not. Despite living in Toronto now, you still manage to come home few times each month, often sitting in at various open mics. How important is it to you to remain connected with your hometown Windsor roots?

Well, at the moment I'm half here and half there so it makes it pretty easy to go out when I'm here. My family, friends and dogs live here so when I'm not needed out of town I like to be here with them. I like to pop out to open mics and shows just to see and hear people I don't see much. It is, however, very important to me to play here for the people I love. You've got some big plans bubbling under the radar - are there any you can divulge at this time? At the moment we are preparing to release our debut EP under Mint 400 Records (U.S.A) and have a promo U.S tour in the works, but that's about all I can say for sure at this point. Rest assured there's a lot more going on very soon. So what can Windsor expect when the Bombs hit on September 18th? Windsor can expect to see four handsome lads on stage and the best band they've seen in a while. We've got a local special guest opening band as well and it's all free. Bombs with The Magic Hall of Mirrors, Friday, September 18th at The FM Lounge

_______________________

LIVE MUSIC

______________________ TUESDAY 1 Liz Beattie w/ JP Maurice & Simon Margetts Phog Lounge Open Mic w/ Stephanie Sarafianos The Mill Open Mic w/ Andrew MacLeod The Dominion House Open Mic w/Jamie Reaume Twig N’ Berries Clare Renauds Session Kildare House Artist Appreciation Night with Pat Robitaille The Blind Dog THURSDAY 3 Mr. Chill, Tom Hogarth & Chris Borshuk Mezzo Toast & Jam The Whiskey Huladog FM lounge Open Mic w/ Brian VanderPryt Mick’s Irish Pub Friday 4 Never Drafted Coach & Horses Schomberg Fair w/ Warped 45s & James O-L & the Villains Phog Lounge Toast & Jam The Whiskey Mr. Chill & Greg Cox Boblo Island Beach House Rockasaurus Rex w/ Anonymous Bosch, Jamology, Which Witch & Laval Chubby Pickle SATURDAY 5 Howie Parker Taloola Café

listings

Nathan Down & Purple Orange Chubby Pickle

Mr. Chill, Tom Hogarth & Chris Borshuk Mezzo

Huladog FM lounge

Toast & Jam The Whiskey

Open Mic w/ Brian VanderPryt Mick’s Irish Pub

Same Latitude as Rome Taloola Café

Huladog FM lounge

FRIDAY 18

Ciao The Whiskey

Open Mic w/ Brian VanderPryt Mick’s Irish Pub FRIDAY 11 Shores of Erie Wine Fest: Serena Ryder, Johnny Rocca, Big Rude Jake, The Monday Milkmen, Trish Wales & Clint Weir Fort Malden (Amherstburg) The Vaudevillianaires w/ Lodown & The Speaking Tongues Phog Lounge

Bombs & Magic Hall of Mirrors FM Lounge The Absent Sound w/Bulletproof Tiger & My Son, My Son Coach & Horses Young Rival w/ The Heels Phog Lounge Alan Jackson The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor

MONDAY 28

Open Mic w/ Clinton Hammond Kildare House

SATURDAY 12

SATURDAY 19

Shores of Erie Wine Fest: Robert Penn Blues Band, Blood Sweat & Brass, Ron Leary Quintet, Hogarth, Borg & Vella, Tara Watts, Mr.Chill and Greg Cox, Jackie Robitaille, Michou, Rick Rock, Nemesis, Johnny V and The Unforgettable Band, Cathouse Dogs & Lynn and The Rebels Fort Malden (Amherstburg)

The Mindframes Phog Lounge

Open Mic w/ Stephanie Sarafianos The Mill

The Long Lots Coach & Horses

Open Mic w/Jamie Reaume Twig N’ Berries

SUNDAY 20

Artist Appreciation Night with Pat Robitaille The Blind Dog

Milkmen Milk

WEDNESDAY 30

David Simard w/ Kevin Echlin Phog Lounge

Open Mic w/ Tara Watts Phog Lounge

Jean Paul de Roover w/ Pawnshop Diamond Phog Lounge

Blonde Tango The Whiskey

Open Mic w/ Clinton Hammond Kildare House

L&M Open Band Jam FM Lounge

Credible Witness, The Balance & Epic Chubby Pickle

TUESDAY 22

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Open Mic w/ Stephanie Sarafianos The Mill

______________________

Clare Renauds Session Kildare House

Open Mic FM Lounge

Open Mic w/ Tara Watts Phog Lounge

WEDNESDAY 23

MONDAY 7

Open Mic w/ Clinton Hammond Kildare House

Hey Ocean! w/ Secret Broadcast & The Fast Romantics Phog Lounge

TUESDAY 15

L&M Open Band Jam FM Lounge

Open Mic w/ Stephanie Sarafianos The Mill

THURSDAY 24

Open Mic w/ Andrew MacLeod The Dominion House Open Mic w/Jamie Reaume Twig N’ Berries Clare Renauds Session Kildare House

ARTS

WEDNESDAY 2 Art Day... All Day! Odette Sculpture Park, Windsor Community Museum & AGW agw.ca FRIDAY 4 Summer Hours (film |7pm) Art Gallery of Windsor windsorfilmfestival.ca WEDNESDAY 9 Whatever It Was (film premiere and after-party | 7pm) Lakeshore Cinemas 519.551.0251 Friday 11

Shotgun Jimmie w/ B.A. Johnston & Cousins Phog Lounge Mr. Chill, Tom Hogarth & Chris Borshuk Mezzo Toast & Jam The Whiskey

Marcia Huyer "What's Up There Anyhow?" (opening reception | 7:30pm) Artcite Inc. artcite.ca Visions of Sandwich (opening reception | 7pm) featuring: Daniel Bombardier, Leesa Bringas, Collette Broeders, Jason Deary, Beth Dubeault, Jessica Howick, Suzanne Friemann, James OlleanLapp, Sasha Opeiko & Linda Renaud Common Ground Gallery common.mnsi.net

WEDNESDAY 16

Kingdoms (CD release) w/ The Oxford Street Montage, Assassinate the Following, Odium, Cyreene & Desertion Chubby Pickle

Open Mic w/Jamie Reaume Twig N’ Berries

Hot Panda w/ Little Girls Phog Lounge

Huladog FM lounge

Scott Gregory: 9 Sequence Series Show (opening reception | 6pm) Artspeak Gallery 519.252.6855

Clare Renauds Session Kildare House

L&M Open Band Jam FM Lounge

Open Mic w/ Brian VanderPryt Mick’s Irish Pub

SUNDAY 13

Artist Appreciation Night with Pat Robitaille The Blind Dog

THURSDAY 17

FRIDAY 25

Sundays in the Studio: Clay Day Art Gallery of Windsor agw.ca

Open Mic w/ Andrew MacLeod The Dominion House

WEDNESDAY 9 L&M Open Band Jam FM Lounge THURSDAY 10 Shores of Erie Wine Fest: Bedouin Soundclash, The Stills & Justin Nozuka Fort Malden (Amherstburg)

Artist Appreciation Night with Pat Robitaille The Blind Dog

Death In Custody w/ Disco Assault &100 proof Coach & Horses Alan Jackson The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor Mr. Chill, Tom Hogarth & Chris Borshuk Mezzo Toast & Jam The Whiskey

Meters to Miles w/ The Tyres, High Mother & City Wide Panic The Loop Jay Clark & the Jones w/ Andrew Vincent Phog Lounge Lucid 44 Coach & Horses Richey Nix The Whiskey

HRG Philosophers' Café Phog Lounge

THURSDAY 17 DC (art opening) Phog Lounge

THURSDAY 10

Caught In the Net Theatre Windsor theatrewindsor.com

SUNDAY 20 Noises Off Essex Hall (UofW) universityplayers.comom

Friday 11 Caught In the Net Theatre Windsor theatrewindsor.com SATURDAY 12

Caught In the Net Theatre Windsor theatrewindsor.com

Spirits of Sandwich Ghost Tour (begins at 8:30pm) Mackenzie Hall

SUNDAY 13

WEDNESDAY 23 Noises Off Essex Hall (UofW) universityplayers.com

FRIDAY 25

Caught In the Net Theatre Windsor theatrewindsor.com

Moon (film |7pm) Art Gallery of Windsor windsorfilmfestival.ca

Spirits of Sandwich Ghost Tour (begins at 8:30pm) Mackenzie Hall

SATURDAY 26

THURSDAY 17

7th Annual Fahrenheit Festival Festival of Fire Sculpture Vollmer Culture and Recreation Complex (LaSalle) artcite.ca

Noises Off Essex Hall (UofW) universityplayers.com

Sundays in the Studio: Magnificent Magnets Art Gallery of Windsor agw.ca ______________________

THEATRE & COMEDY

______________________ SUNDAY 6

Clare Renauds Session Kildare House

MONDAY 21

Open Mic w/Jamie Reaume Twig N’ Berries

Sundays in the Studio: Self Portraits Art Gallery of Windsor agw.ca

Sunday 27

Open Mic w/ Andrew MacLeod The Dominion House

SUNDAY 20

TUESDAY 29

Mr.Please The Whiskey

Milkmen Milk

Open Mic w/ Stephanie Sarafianos The Mill

SAC Songwriters Group Phog Lounge

The Mark Inside w/ Threat Level Midnight, The Eclectic Chair, The Reagan Eighties Chubby Pickle

SUNDAY 6

Wax Mannequin w/ Popeye’s Golden Theory & Bulletproof Tiger Phog Lounge

Open Mic FM Lounge

Fear Before w/ Baptized in Blood, Tragedy of Mariam, Yours to Call & Brace Yourself Chubby Pickle

Cuff the Duke The Blind Dog

First Annual Art Show (opening reception | 8pm) Fine Art Paintings (4774 Wyandotte St. E) 519.945.8288

Tuesday 22

Open Mic w/ Tara Watts Phog Lounge

Open Mic FM Lounge

Soul Power (film |7pm) Art Gallery of Windsor (after party at The Loop) windsorfilmfestival.ca

SUNDAY 27

Charlie Lambrick The Whiskey

Artist Appreciation Night with Pat Robitaille The Blind Dog

Tuesday 8

The Junction (CD release) w/ Yellow Wood & Stereo Goes Stellar Chubby Pickle

Jody Raffoul The Whiskey

MONDAY 14

Open Mic w/ Clinton Hammond Kildare House

Evan Simmons Coach & Horses

Milkmen Milk

Mr. Chill & Greg Cox Boblo Island Beach House

Open Mic w/ Tara Watts Phog Lounge

Arctic w/ Paisley Jura Phog Lounge

Big Three Trio Boblo Island Beach House

Trevor Malcolm Jazz Trio w/ SUNDAY 13 David Dubois Shores of Erie Wine Fest: Milk Kathleen Edwards, Field I Invoke w/ Nicole Wood & Assembly, Pat Robitaille, Arkayik Revolt Dave Dubois, Ron Leary & Coach & Horses Kenneth MacLeod Fort Malden (Amherstburg) The Paint Movement w/ Tin Star Orphans Open Mic Phog Lounge FM Lounge

Milkmen Milk

SATURDAY 26

Loggins & Messina The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor

submit live music, arts & theatre listings to WAMMonline.com

Pauly Shore The Blind Dog Spirits of Sandwich Ghost Tour (begins at 8:30pm) Mackenzie Hall

THURSDAY 24 Noises Off Essex Hall (UofW) universityplayers.com FRIDAY 25

Caught In the Net Theatre Windsor theatrewindsor.com

Noises Off Essex Hall (UofW) universityplayers.com SATURDAY 26

FRIDAY 18 Noises Off Essex Hall (UofW) universityplayers.com Caught In the Net Theatre Windsor theatrewindsor.com

The Man Who Fell in Love with a Tuba (8pm) MacKenzie Hall 519.255.7600 Noises Off Essex Hall (UofW) universityplayers.com SUNDAY 27 Noises Off Essex Hall (UofW) universityplayers.com

SATURDAY 19 Noises Off Essex Hall (UofW) universityplayers.com The Man Who Fell in Love with a Tuba (8pm) MacKenzie Hall 519.255.7600

Spirits of Sandwich Ghost Tour (begins at 8:30pm) Mackenzie Hall MONDAY 28 Russell Peters WFCU Center

independentalbum

charts

1. Fortunately Everything Dies / Censored / ind 1 (local) 2. Bahamas / Pink Strat / Nevado 1 3. Rural Alberta Advantage / Hometowns / Saddle Creek 1 4. The Wind Whistles / Animals Are People Too / ind 1 5. The Lazy MKs / A Field Guide To The Lazy MKs / Young Soul 1 6. Various / Manoeuvres 3 / So Called 1 7. YACHT / See Mystery Lights / DFA 8. Gobble Gobble / Neon Graveyard / Bart 1 9. Ohbijou / Beacons / Last Gang 1 10. Ryan Dahle / Irrational Anthems / Sandbag 1 11. Extra Happy Ghost !!! / How The Beach Boys Sound... / Saved By Radio 1 12. Octoberman / Fortresses / White Whale 1 13. Kestrels / Primary Colours / Noyes 1 14. Wire And Light / Wire And Light / ind 1 15. Portugal. The Man / The Satanic Satanist / Equal Vision 16. Wye Oak / The Knot / Merge 17. Fritz Helder and the Phantoms / Greatest Hits / Nelstar 1 18. The Gertrudes / Hard Water / Apple Crisp 1 19. The Jayhawks / Music From The North Country / American 20. Cymbals Eat Guitars / Why There Are Mountains / Sister's Den 21. Eleazar Vs John / Pits In The Sandblaster / ind 1 22. High Watt Electrocutions / Desert Opuses / Introspection 1 23. Fruit Bats / The Ruminant Band / Sub Pop 24. Black Mold / Snow Blindness Is Crystal Antz / Flemish Eye 1 25. A Hawk And A Hacksaw / Deliverance / Leaf 26. Art Brut / Art Brut Vs. Satan / Downtown 27. Little Claw / Human Taste / Ecstatic Peace 28. Fox Jaws / At Odds / Nevado 1 29. Set Your Goals / This Will Be The Death Of Us / Epitaph 30. Heat-ray / Love All Over / ind 1

FRIDAY 18 Janet Werner: is anything all right? (opening reception | 7pm) Art Gallery of Windsor agw.ca

Album charts are arranged according to number of plays on CJAM 91.5FM in Windsor over a four (4) week period prior to the publishing of this issue. 1 denotes canadian artist, (local) denotes local artist.