Other Recommended Radio Programs

Knight in the Morning: Wednesdays 7 - 9 am central on UMFM in Winnipeg

• Alan Knight plays a wide variety of music and wakes you up in style every Wednesday. I'll admit to getting lost by some of the slick soul and R&B that he plays, but somehow, he mixes in a ton of stuff that I love.

Regina's Mighty Shores: Thursdays 4-6 pm (Saskatchewan time, Central in the winter, Mountain in the summer, go figure) on CJTR in Regina

• Regina's Mighty Shores focuses on recent recordings in the genres of folk, bluegrass, celtic, country blues, etc. But we like the old classic stuff too!

• Two short features alternate bi-weekly(more or less): Hearing Double (very different versions of the same song) and Topical Paradise (a protest song from the 60s paired with a more recent one on a similar theme).

Roots & Writers: Wednesdays 9 - 11 am central on UMFM in Winnipeg

• UMFM's "other" singer/songwriter show, R&W is a great mix of the more folky & traditional side of things. I've discovered some gems on this show.

Steel Belted Free Range Radio: Thursdays 6:30 - 8:00 central on UMFM in Winnipeg

• Sure, it's cheating to place a link to this show, after all, I am on it, but it's not my show. Kristi and Terry do their best to bring you great music and humour, and I try my best to keep them in line.

The Twang Trust: Wednesdays 6-8 pm central on CKUW in Winnipeg

• Stu Reid's weekly program presents, as he says: "the best of both kinds of music each week. Called alt-country by the big city folks these days, this genre-defying genre of music kicks the doors open to encompass traditional country, blues & grass, rockabilly, folk and our old favorite,
  big dumb rock'n'roll." In all honesty, it's one of the most interesting and entertaining shows on the radio. Don't tell him or it'll go to his head, but Stu's been a big influence on me, he's one of the people I'm constantly trying to learn from. 

Publications You'd Like

Penguin Eggs Magazine - Canada's folk, roots, and world music magazine. Fine interviews and reviews. 

Music Nerd Links

West End Cultural Centre
Primarily a music venue, the WECC is a non-profit organization that promotes Manitoban, Canadian and international artists by fostering artistic development.

Winnipeg Folk Festival
Founded in 1974 as a one-time celebration to mark Winnipeg's 100th anniversary, the Winnipeg Folk Festival has evolved from a modest outdoor event into one of the pre-eminent music festivals in the world, and a summer tradition for many throughout North America.

Musicians Network (Winnipeg, MB)
Find musicians fast in Winnipeg and Manitoba on the Musicians Network.

Puremusic
Online magazine dedicated to bringing great music to an audience whose tastes and interests are not limited to what's being played on corporate radio and television.

Upcoming Winnipeg Concerts

The Smoking Gun

Useful Sites for Artists

The Indie Bible is a publication that lists all kinds of useful services, grouped by geographical location, for independent artists wishing to promote their work. I've used the book when doing promotional work and have found it useful. (Note: this is not a paid advertisement, I don't get anything from these folks (although a free book would be nice...)

Winnipeg Clubs & Information

West End Cultural Centre - Winnipeg's finest music venue. Supporting folk, roots, and independent artists, The WECC is a non-profit, volunteer driven organization that provides an excellent, intimate listening environment for artists and audiences. 

Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club - More than just a club, more than just a music venue. This is one of the most wonderful places to go and see live music. It's a bar, yes, but it's taken on a life of its own, and that's thanks in large part to the club's wild owner/president/janitor, John Scoles, who genuinely cares more about having a fun bar that's comfortable, serves great food and presents the best music, than he does about profits and being cool. One of the only clubs in town that has a built in audience, the "regulars" will drop by any old night to see what's on stage, knowing that it'll be good and the night will be fun.

Pyramid Cabaret - One of Winnipeg's best bars for live music. A huge variety of music is presented here. A large room with a good location and a decent reputation. The downside? The website is pretty bad (webmaster can't spell worth a damn), the sound can be bad, and don't look for a lot of promotion of your show. But, it's a fun place to go see a show.

Collective Cabaret - To be honest, a bad website for a bad club. Actually, the room is pretty decent and comfortable and the location is really great. Well, address wise, anyway, the thing that really makes this club a stinker is that there's a loud and annoying dance club upstairs that drowns out the good shows downstairs. Too often a quieter or acoustic act has had to give up and go home because the bass was pounding too hard upstairs. One other drawback is that the management seems to avoid publicising shows, so you're likely to never hear about who's playing there. They book some pretty good acts and are a short walk from my place, so I go there sometimes, but only if the show is worth it.

The Royal Albert Arms - Anyone who's been there knows that there ain't much that's royal about The Albert. It's a scary little dive in a dark little neighbourhood, and it takes a bit of guts to go there. When you do, you're always confronted with an interesting cultural milieu. It's a venue that's more legendary than most of the bands that play there. But over the years, I've seen many, many, many shows in this scary little beer hall. Sure, the locals are nuts and the place is dirty and there's a big pole blocking your view of the stage, but it's one of Winnipeg's classic venues, and I've seen lots of great shows and lots of loud and weird ones, and I lived to tell about 'em. 

Academy Bar & Eatery - A cosy little music venue and coffee house, that has recently been reborn as a bar & eatery. Honestly, I haven't been there since the rebirth, but it's always been a decent place to hear some decent music at a decent price and the food is pretty decent, too. Artists might want to beware, a bit, I've heard from some artists who have gotten a bit of a raw deal at this venue (ask Geoff Berner about the 1,2,3, deal, one of the craziest schemes I've heard), but I've never had too many problems myself. I once promoted a show there with Easily Amused and Bob Snider and it was a big success.

Music's Not all that Matters
(it's just the most important thing)

Greg Oakes - A local artist and graphic designer who makes some of the most interesting and intriguing art I've seen. I'm no art critic, but there's something about Greg's work that amazes me. He's either a total genius or a total nut, which is the sign of a great artist, if you ask me. Check out his art and be prepared to be confused, amazed, and challenged.

StuArt - Speaking of great local artists, Stu Reid is one of the best. (Don't tell him I said that, it'll just go to his head). He's been designing gig posters in Winnipeg for decades and he's done some beauties. He also hosts the Twang Trust, Wednesdays 6-8 pm central on CKUW 95.9 fm in Winnipeg.   

In a shocking bit of news, I'M A NERD. Are you?