The Hoe Must Go On!
West End Cultural Centre
August 30, 2005

This was another of my "do-gooder" moments where I knew I just had to help someone out. When JP Hoe called in to my radio show to give me the bad news that his guitars had been stolen, my heart went out to him. But it wasn't just the fact that stuff got stolen, because stuff gets stolen all the time. When bands and bluesmen leave their irreplaceable gear in their vehicle and it gets stolen, I feel badly for them, but I also know that it's their own damn fault for being so stupid. I once had a brand new bike stolen. It was a devastating loss. But I expected no pity because I was the dumbass who left it in my car. Duh. But JP's story was different. His stuff was stolen from backstage at a gig. He had just played the outdoor stage at the Fringe Festival, took a few moments to chat with some people at the side of the stage, and when he went back, his guitars were stolen. There was almost no security to be found, so anybody could have stolen his gear and walked off with it. Worse, the festival refused to do anything to help the guy and said that they couldn't file an insurance claim or do anything for him. They even admitted that they'd cut down on security, and that it might have something to do with the theft. DUH!

So almost more than feeling sorry for JP, I was pissed off at the Fringe Festival, and I decided to do what they should have done. Get him some new stuff. I placed a call to my friend Keith from Easily Amused, and asked if they'd be interested in doing a benefit show. JP wasn't sure about the idea at first, but once I came up with the snappy name for the show, "The Hoe Must Go On," even JP had to admit that I was on to something.

I arranged for the hall and looked after the details, but JP wanted to help out as much as he could, so he called some friends to see if they'd be interested in playing, he put together a great looking poster, and he did a bunch of interviews to get the word out.

JP's former guitarist, Joe Curtis, and his amazing band, featuring Daniel Roy, formerly of Nathan, on drums. Joe's set of high energy blues/rock had us all pumped and ready for the night. I really liked this band and can't wait to see them again.

Hayley Gene played a few solo songs, showing that she is one talented, promising young lady.

Veteran Winnipeg singer/songwriter Mark Reeves also played a few solo songs. After years of performing, he's become a more than capable performer, whether solo or with a band, and it was a treat to see him, because I hadn't seen or heard from him in quite a while.

Renee and Keith of Easily Amused again showed why they're rising stars. They're super talented, very nice, and always willing to help out. I can't wait for them to get the widespread attention that they deserve.

Lastly, the Hoe himself, and his great backing band, The Truly Richards (aka Quinzy) finished off the night with an amazing set including a bunch of brand new JP songs that are sure to set the world on fire when he finally gets around to finishing a full-length CD. Can't wait for that.

With great bands, great friends helping out (Kristi did a million things to make the day possible and run smoothly, the Terrys volunteering, and more) and some amazing prizes donated for a raffle, the event was a lot of fun and a big success. I'm not sure that I'm ever going to be a full-time concert promoter, but these occasional opportunities are really great (if not a lot of work, and often quite expensive.)