Robson’s Rambling Rants & Reflections

August 8, 2008

“… the sounds keep you up / in the night…”

Like most kids, most of my early life I took for granted that my grandfather would just always be around. When he was gone, it was about the saddest thing I could imagine. The funny thing is that as is so often the case, I appreciated him so much more after he was gone than I did when he was always around. I guess it is true that you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

When he died, I was very sad, but the truth of the matter is that by that point, my life didn’t change all that much. I was pretty independent and wrapped up in my own things by that point, so nothing really changed. Until Christmas, that was. Christmas was always his big thing; it was always important to him that everyone was around, and everyone participated in family rituals. After he was gone, Christmas was just never the same, and Christmas was when I really started to miss having him around. It took a few years to adjust to Christmas again and settle into new rituals.

“… the sounds keep you up / in the night…”

Tonight I felt a similar sense of loss and longing. Since his untimely death earlier this year, I’ve been mourning Willie P Bennett, but because I’ve listened to him so much since then, I’ve never really had to miss him; he was still there whenever I needed him. There are many times when only his words can hit the spot, and thankfully, there are so many left behind, and they’ll stay with me for the rest of my life.

I’ve thought many times about the sad, sad fact that I’ll never see Willie again. For years I’ve longed to see a full Willie concert, but because I never had the chance, I guess I’ll never know what I was missing. But tonight Fred Eaglesmith came to town, and it was my first time seeing him live since we lost Willie.  I’ve been a huge Fred Eaglesimth fan for almost a decade, and I take nothing away from Fred’s talent, charm, or appeal, but I’d say that an equal part of the magic of seeing Fred and following him was keeping tabs on Willie and getting to see him. He brought things to a Fred show that made it out of the ordinary, and they’re things that can never be replaced. Sadly, they’re things that I can never experience live again.

Whenever I went to see Fred, I’d always try to sit on Willie’s side of the stage, I’d cheer like crazy when he was introduced, and, as I saw more shows and got to know the songs and arrangements better, I’d wait eagerly for those moments when I knew Willie was going to add his mandolin, harmonica, or amazing voice to the songs. Those were always the moments that made the show for me. I’ve seen Fred solo before, and it just wasn’t the same for me; sure, it was fun, but it only served to make me appreciate Willie more, and look forward to seeing him again. (I think that, among all other things is why I’ll never warm up to Dusty. A Fred album without Willie just isn’t complete.)

“… the sounds keep you up / in the night…”

The more I got into Willie, the bigger his legacy loomed for me. For me, he really was a god that I could only worship from afar. I knew that many people really knew Willie, and I knew that he was just an ordinary guy with an absolutely extraordinary talent, but to me, he was so much more. His songs move me and resonate within me perhaps more than those of any other writer, and I listen to a lot of songwriters. Something about those songs, that music, those words, and that voice have made Willie the lifelong friend that I never even really knew.

I always wanted to know more about Willie, and my biggest ambition was always to have him on my radio show and find out more about him. I thought many times about trying to get to know him better, but I was hugely intimidated by him, and I guess I was kind of afraid to find out that my ideas and expectations were unrealistic. I guess that’s why the first time I got Willie’s autograph, I had to get someone else to get my record signed (which probably explains why it says “To Geff”)

I guess in the end I’m glad that I never pulled back that curtain to reveal the true wizard, because the larger than life image in my mind is probably so much more fun.

“… the sounds keep you up / in the night…”

Knowing that I was going to see Fred live caused some anxiety, and it caused me to start thinking about Willie more, and what things would be like. I know Fred’s been touring without Willie for quite a while now, but I’ve never seen, or even heard a show since that point. I know there’s a new player and the set’s been worked out and the shows are Fredhead approved, but you can never really judge something until you experience it for yourself. I wondered what the songs would be like. Would the new guy be trying to fill Willie’s shoes, or have the songs and arrangements changed since then? Only being there would tell.

I felt kind of uneasy going in and sitting down. It was kind of like a first date after the breakup of an important relationship; you know you want to try it again, but you know it won’t be the same, and you have to learn to try again. I was expecting things to be different, but I know that there’s much more to a Fred show than just Willie, so I knew that it wouldn’t be a disaster, but there was still something difficult about it.

It was especially interesting to go with my future wife, who had never seen Willie, or Fred, before. I got to experience Fred for the first time again through her eyes, and I suppose that helped me to remember what it is about Fred himself and his songs and his show that I loved so much in the beginning.

But I tell you, there were plenty of times in the show when all I could think about was Willie. I was having fun, but I was also very sad, and feeling a sense of loss and longing that I hadn’t really felt in a very long time. The first song was hard, but Codeine was, ironically, the most painful. Although as I said, Dusty has never really won me over, Willie’s part in that song stole the show the first time I saw him do it, and it’s lived within me ever since. And tonight, more than any other, the sounds are keeping me up in the night.

It’ll take a while for me to adjust to life without Willie, because seeing Fred in concert will never be the same, and it will always make me think of him, but he left so much behind, and that won’t ever change. Fred’s got a great new band and a wonderful show still, and I have more respect for him than ever because, to my knowledge, for the first time in his career, he’s doing a cover almost every night. Tonight he finished off with “Country Squall,” and it kind of gave me the closure I needed, because it showed that Willie is still a huge part of the show; that moment is an acknowledgement that he is still there, and he’s still important, even though we all have to move on in his absence.

“… the sounds keep you up / in the night…”

February 16, 2008

Music has a power over me that I’m not sure I could accurately describe. I’ve always been a bit of a loner and keep very few close friends. I’m accustomed to spending great amounts of time by myself. Some people are able to find a constant friend in religion. I’ve got faith, but the thought of someone, somewhere, far away never really comforted me as much as I’d like. Music is the only magical force that’s been able to soothe my soul and keep me going through the darkest places. 
 
I grew up on music like many others, but that was the pop music of the day and whatever cool stuff my parents happened to have around. I had some pretty rough patches in my childhood when I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to me or why things had to be the way they were. My only retreat from that sometimes was going into my room and playing my records. I’d started to seek out some good music thanks to a few very knowledgeable people in my life, and the little bits on the radio that were new and interesting. I started to sit in my room and pretend that I was on the radio, playing sets of music that I wanted to share. I’d put together upbeat sets when I was going out or having a good day. I’d put together strange sets when I was bored. But all too often, I put together sad, melancholy sets when things seemed bleak. No matter how sad the set, I’d find comfort in the music.
 
I had favourite artists that really connected with me for one reason or another. Looking back, I’m not sure what it was about some that really drew me in. One of the artists that I obsessed over for a long time was Stevie Ray Vaughan. His music was rough and rockin’ and somehow different than the other stuff out there. Since then, and through him, I’ve learned what the blues is all about. For a few years of my youth, he was the greatest musician alive, to me.
 
And then he died.
 
I remember when I first heard that there’d been an accident. It was exactly two months after my 16th birthday. Initially I was told that it was Eric Clapton’s band that died. Being a big follower of Clapton and Stevie Ray, I knew that they were playing together and I wished I could have been there. Sad, I thought, because I loved Clapton’s band. I didn’t know who it was that died, but I went home and tried to find out if it was anyone that I knew of. It was only then that I found out that Stevie was on board. I remember feeling like someone had punched me in the stomach. I remember being so stunned that I couldn’t really feel any kind of sadness or loss. Until I started to hear his music on the reports, and I had time to think about what it meant. He was without a doubt the artist that I most wanted to see live in concert, and when I thought about the fact that I’d never get my chance, I cried. There were many tears that day and in the days that followed. I didn’t really talk about how sad I was. I just listened to a lot of his music. The songs and that voice and his guitar touched me. I knew that they always would, but it saddened me that I’d never hear what he could do next.
 
I guess I’ve been lucky, because in the past 18 years, I haven’t felt that way when a musician died. Sure, there have been some losses, but nothing like that day.
 
Until today.
 
I wasn’t having a good day as it was. Lots of stuff going on in my world is making things kind of stressful. But none of that matters now, because the news came today that the man whom I believe to be the greatest Canadian songwriter of all time, Willie P Bennett, has died. It hurts me to write that, because for me, Willie is a larger than life icon who will never truly die.
 
In the early 90s, I found out what real music was when I attended my first Winnipeg Folk Festival. The first full day I was there, I first heard a guy named Stephen Fearing. He was brilliant and amazing, and I could not believe that I’d never heard of him before. I became an instant fan, and immediately started to seek out other great artists that I was missing out on. Fearing has remained one of my favourites, and he’s also become a trusted source of musical advice. He’s quick to point out people who have inspired and amazed him, and every time I’ve heard him mention a name, I’ve become a fan of that artist. I’m pretty sure the first one, however, was the most important.
 
I remember seeing Stephen in concert at the West End Cultural Centre, in I guess 1996 or so, and he did a song called “The Lucky Ones.” He said it was by a guy named Willie P Bennett, and that he and a couple of friends had recently recorded an album in his honour, and they were calling themselves Blackie & The Rodeo Kings. Well, I set out to find two albums immediately after that, the Blackie record, and something by Willie P Bennett. Blackie came out a while later, so it wasn’t hard to find. Willie’s music turned out to be somewhat more elusive. I couldn’t find an album by him in any store, and in that pre-internet age, there wasn’t really another option but to keep searching. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a copy of “The Lucky Ones” in the bargain bin at Sam the Record Man for $6.99 a little while later. It’s still one of the greatest finds and bargains I’ve ever found, because the album is impossible to find, and it’s brilliant.
 
Some further digging netted me another couple of amazing finds after that. At Music Trader, I managed to get used copies of “Take My Own Advice” and a brilliant compilation called Collectibles (both of which, to this day, I’ve never seen anywhere else, even on Willie’s discography page). The latter is what I’d consider one of the finest collections of songs on the planet. Every single one of the 15 songs on it is powerful and amazing. I admit that it took me a bit of time to really grasp what it was about Willie’s songs that meant so much to me.
 
At first glance, Willie’s songs seem rather simplistic. They’re easy to understand and follow and the melodies are all instantly accessible. At first what dazzled me was the playing and singing more than the lyrics, because they seemed so simple, and somehow, we’re taught that the great works of art aren’t “easy” they take some interpretation. Rubbish. There are very few songwriters on the planet who can get straight to the heart with simple words and stories like Willie P.
 
The only other songwriter that I can really compare Willie to is Townes Van Zandt. He’s another one whose loss hit me hard, but I didn’t know of him until after he was gone. It was only after seeing a movie about him and really digesting his songs that the loss of his talent and power hit me. So it wasn’t the same.
 
Shortly after I discovered Willie, I discovered Fred Eaglesmith. I had no idea that there was any connection between the two at first, so imagine my surprise when I learned that the leader of Fred’s band was none other than Willie P. I was indeed shocked, because I figured Willie must be dead or hiding out crafting beautiful songs somewhere, not slugging it out in someone else’s band night after night. But there he was, adding mandolin, harmonica, and those powerful vocals to Fred’s songs, night after night. I started religiously going to Fred shows almost entirely out of devotion to the legend of Willie P Bennett. I always tried to sit on Willie’s side of the stage, and I always cheered my head off when Willie was introduced. It was at Fred’s shows that I first picked up Willie’s classic albums from the 70s, “Hobo’s Taunt,” “Tryin’ to Start out Clean,” and “Blackie and the Rodeo King.” I picked up “Heartstrings,” his superstar collaboration album when it first came out in 1998.
 
I always dreamed that someday, Fred would let Willie sing a song at one of those shows. Still to this day I can’t figure out how you can have Canada’s greatest songwriter on stage with you every night and not want to hear at least one of his songs. It boggles my mind. I’ve had trouble respecting Fred for a variety of reasons, but letting Willie be in the background for so many years is perhaps his greatest crime. Fred’s shows have become somewhat formulaic for me. They’re always good, but not a whole lot ever changes.
 
Except for a brief period in 2005, that is. Fred started doing this thing called “The Flying Squirrel Revue” where he showcased three amazing guys in his band, Dan Walsh, Roger Marin, and Willie P Bennett as an opening act of sorts. They came out and played together without Fred and each guy got to do about 3 of his own songs. I traveled all the way to Grand Forks to see that show. That was the first time I ever saw Willie live, and I could have listened to his three songs and drove all the way home a happy man. I wished that I could have heard much more, but the fact that I finally got to see and hear Willie live was a dream come true.
 
For years I didn’t have the nerve to talk to Willie. I’d ask people what he was like, but I didn’t believe that he was as approachable as they said. I actually asked someone to get one of my records signed for me, because I was too intimidated to ask him myself. I guess that’s why it says “To Geff.” Eventually I worked up the nerve, but it was only because I’d become so frustrated with the fact that he never put out new albums, and never toured on his own. I had to ask him when he was going to step out of the shadows and show the world how brilliant he really was. I remember timidly walking up to him and talking to him a bit, before asking if he’d considered putting out a new album or doing some shows on his own. He laughed and said that he had plenty of plans. He was working on putting together a live album, and writing new songs, and planning some shows, one of which might take place in Winnipeg. I was over the moon with excitement. Sadly, none of those things ever came to be.
 
I’m a huge fan of the guys in Blackie & The Rodeo Kings for many reasons, but their greatest accomplishment is introducing the world to Willie P Bennett once again. Whenever Stephen or Colin has appeared on my radio show, the conversation always drifts over to Willie. What’s he up to? Is he ever going to put out another album? What’s the deal with him, anyway? He’s a guiding light for Stephen, Colin, Tom, me, and so many others.
 
That radio show exists for the purpose of allowing people to hear great songwriters like Willie P Bennett who just don’t get heard often enough. Tomorrow, I’ll be playing two hours of Willie P. Somehow, it just won’t seem like enough. I just don’t want it to be true. I want to still believe that someday I’ll get to see Willie in concert, and he’ll release the long awaited album that will win him many awards and get his name back out there. Some day, he’ll get the attention he deserves. I guess now I can only hope that his songs will get the same respect and attention posthumously that folks like Townes Van Zandt and Hank Williams get. They were sadly under-appreciated during their own time as well. Willie ranks right up there with those true greats. True giants whose songs touch hearts and minds. They’ll live forever. I’ll be playing Willie P Bennett songs for anyone who will listen for as long as I’m alive.
 
I didn’t know you well, and I only heard you sing your powerful songs in person a couple of times, but Willie, you are a true friend. You help me through tough times, and very few of those are tougher, or sadder, than today, when I heard that you’d died. Thank goodness I have your songs to help me make it through.

July 31, 2007

This may come as a surprise to some, but probably my favourite TV show of all time, and the one that I am once again totally obsessed with and watching night and day, is a brutally violent, obscene, offensive prison drama called “Oz.” It may also surprise some to know that one of my favourite albums of all time is by a band named Rage Against the Machine. Sure, I’m known these days for my sucky love songs & folk music, but every once in a while, I put on a brutal episode of Oz, or the debut by Rage Against the Machine and I go nuts.

For the uninformed, Rage Against the Machine is really loud, and really angry. They burst onto the scene in 1992 with their debut that mixed heavy metal style guitars with rap-style spoken word, and a whole lot of anger and yelling. This band, and others who are loud and angry, are often associated with angry, disenfranchised people. There’s a stereotype of what someone who’s angry and disenfranchised looks like and acts like, but stereotypes are not always right. There’s usually some truth, and I suppose some element of the stereotype rings true, but rarely is it that simple.

You see, although to many I seem to be pretty easy going and happy, there are times when I, too, am angry and disenfranchised. But really, who isn’t like that sometimes. There are times when I want to be angry and jump up and down and yell. But I decided a long time ago that anger didn’t really have a positive place in my life. For me, anger could be rather consuming and controlling. It has the potential to destroy good things, and get in the way of happiness. For some, anger is a positive outlet and an important, therapeutic emotion. For me, it’s more destructive. I have a lot I could be angry about, but I choose not to.

s    Should I be angry at the father who never showed me any love or interest?

s    Should I be angry because I grew up poor?

s    Should I be angry because of a family history of alcoholism, which affects many?

s    Should I be angry because cancer hurt so many people I love?

s    Should I be angry about all of the schoolyard bullies who told me that I was a loser?

s    Should I be angry at the teachers who concentrated on my mistakes and shortcomings instead of my talents?

s    Should I be angry at the society that told me that where & how I grew up would limit what I could do with my life?

s    Should I be angry that society has this unrealistic image of love & relationships that just isn’t possible?

s    Should I be angry at all of the signs that tell me that I should be happy, when I’m not?

s    Should I be angry that wars & disease & senseless bullshit hurt innocent people?

s    Should I be angry that our planet is dying and there’s not much we can (or perhaps will) do about it?

s    Should I be angry at a school system that I believe in, yet is so flawed and hurtful?

Should I be angry about any of these things, or more? Well, yeah, I guess I could. I have every right to be angry and disenfranchised because of these or a dozen other reasons. But really, what good would that do? Would it make death or pain or disease or hurtful people go away? Would it change anything? Would it make me happier to be angry about things that I can’t change?

For me, the answer is a resounding no. I won’t let anger control me. I won’t be controlled by things that I can’t understand or change. But you better believe that every once in a while, I’m going to put on Oz and love it when a bad guy gets the tar kicked out of him, or killed in a gruesome way. And somehow, I do love to yell along with Rage Against the Machine.

Does this make me an angry, disenfranchised person? Does this make me dangerous? Frightening? Nah, I’m still the same old goody goody who hates to do anything wrong or upset anybody, instead, enjoying the anger and the release of others helps me to avoid losing control myself. I accept the world, and the system for what they are, and I’m not one to start a revolution or encourage chaos, but I’m glad that there are people out there who do have revolutionary and chaotic tendencies. I don’t necessarily agree with them, and I don’t necessarily want to join in, but just allowing myself to be a part of their anger and their passion is a bit of a release for me. And that’s why I understand kids who turn to angry music, video games, or movies as forms of entertainment, and I encourage them to do so. I know that in society today, the power of these things has been taken away and they’ve become too commonplace, but I think they do have value and they are important.

I think there’d be less true anger and violence in the world if people would learn to use music & entertainment to release the anger & violence that I believe lurks within all of us. I think it’s the people who aren’t encouraged to yell & scream & jump up and down are the ones who end up doing it for real.

I guess for the most part I’ll stick with the sappy love songs & folk music, and I’ll try to dwell on happier, more productive things, things that I can control or do something about, but every once in a while, I need my Rage. I hope you do too.

January 1, 2007

To Townes, with gratitude, ten years after…

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the death of Townes Van Zandt. Sadly, I was not aware of Townes until after his death, although I’m not sure why I didn’t get there sooner. I was attending the Winnipeg Folk Festival for about 4 years by that point, so I’m sure I’d heard one or two of his songs, and I know I’d heard the infamous Steve Earle quote, because we’d talked about it at the festival, but I never took the time to find out who he really was, or what he was all about.

Then in maybe 2000 or 2001, my girlfriend and I were at the music store and we decided to buy a Townes CD, because we both knew that we should know more about him. We picked up the great High Low and In Between compilation of two of his greatest albums. We brought it home and listened to it. We agreed that there was something special about it, but neither one of us really fell for it then. I recognize now that I didn’t give it enough attention, didn’t really give it the time that it needed to really sink in. Or perhaps I just wasn’t ready for it yet.

A couple of years later I received the fantastic “Legend” compilation as a gift. I had been hosting my singer/songwriter show for quite a while, and I’d certainly become familiar with Townes, although still not fully immersed in the Van Zandt magic. I had been playing some of Townes’ music, but I was probably more familiar with covers of his work. Around this time I found the Live at the Bluebird Café disc featuring Townes, Guy Clark, and Steve Earle.

I had been a big Steve Earle fan for years, so I knew that because he was such an influence on Steve, I should like Townes more. I doubt at the time I knew why Townes was so great. Heck, I didn’t even know why Steve Earle was so great. I liked Steve Earle for all the wrong reasons (I jumped on the bandwagon around Copperhead Road, largely because my music loving aunt was a fanatic, and I trusted her opinion more than I trusted my own.) The things that I loved about Steve at the time, great melodies and energy and a rockin’ band, were not evident in the Townes stuff that I’d heard.

Townes’ music, like that of so many of the true greats, is not easily digestible. It’s not meant for mass consumption. Whenever other folks have taken Townes songs and made them more friendly to the ears (Willie, Emmylou, etc.), they’ve watered them down somehow. They’ve sort of stripped out the pain and the beauty and the majesty. But no matter, whatever gets Townes wider recognition has to be a good thing.

I’m not sure what song really got to me first, but listening to his greatest songs on the Legend albums impressed upon me what an amazing body of work this man had. I was really starting to get into songwriters that I really had to listen to in order to enjoy, John K Samson of the Weakerthans being the best example. I was finally taking the time to focus on the words, and work at understanding the meanings and the emotions.

You can’t really blame me for being slow to catch on. I was raised on soulless 80s pop music. The stuff that I grew up loving was so easy to enjoy. It’s catchy, polished, and does not require any kind of investment of time or attention. You get it right away, and there’s not much more to it than that. I loved that stuff for so long (still do), but it gets old so quickly. Also, even though I have been a fan of great songwriters for years, I don’t often spend time analyzing lyrics, or paying much attention to them at all, for that matter. I was raised on tv and video games, so I have a healthy attention deficit that I come by naturally.

Funny, but when I first listened to Townes, I thought he sounded so old. I thought it sounded like classic country music (which I also hadn’t learned to love until later). I thought it sounded like a voice from the past. That is funny, because as I listen to Townes today as I write this, it sounds so timeless. It sounds to me like it could have been recorded today, because the words and meanings are still so relevant and so powerful. It’s so simple, so beautiful, and so powerful that it couldn’t possibly get “old” or sound dated.

I watched “Be Here to Love Me” today for the first time in many months. I actually ended up watching it as an after-thought. To be honest, the thought had never occurred to me, until Kristi suggested it (she was originally going to put in Fight Club, but it was too long.) If you haven’t seen that film, stop reading this and go find it. Only if you watch it will you know what the hell I’m talking about.

Sometimes music and messages reach you that way. By accident. They come to you when you most need them or are most susceptible. When they can have the most impact. I’d watched the film before, and I’ve been absolutely moved by it every time. Obviously it highlights what amazing songs and words Townes wrote; that movie is full of just one amazing song after another, and there are so many that were left out.

I have some reservations with the film. It’s loosely threaded together footage and interviews. On one hand, I like the fact that there’s no real narrative making it a clear documentary, but on the other hand, it presupposes that the viewer knows a fair bit about Townes and the people in the movie. It doesn’t really tell the whole story that clearly.

But for its relative shortcomings, the movie is still one of the most powerful films I’ve ever seen. It vividly paints a picture of a man who started out looking like he had it all. Townes came from money and education and status, but ended up living so much of his life broke and drunk and seemingly hopeless. I’m never sure how to feel about Townes. It seems so tragic that someone who had all of the opportunity in the world would end up a victim of vices and demons. It seems like with his family and background, Townes should have lived a happier, more secure life. It seems like he lost out on so much. He didn’t really know or appreciate his children. He alienated his family, his friends, his loves. He took great opportunities and gifts and seemed to squander them all. He never became as famous or as rich or as strong as he deserved to be.

But had he been rich or famous or strong, how could he possibly have written the songs that he wrote? How could he have sung with such conviction? How could you write such haunting and sad songs if you’d never lived with pain, loss, and addiction? The truth is that Townes lived a seemingly tragic life because he wanted to, but really, because he had to. Would Townes have had the kind of impact on songwriting and music and me if he had lived a clean life, or even if he were still alive today? Would he have really impacted the world (as I see it) as strongly if he had been more subtle or built to last?

Like other great prophets through history (fill in your own names)Townes lived a humble life, but did such great things. Like other great prophets, he was persecuted, misunderstood, and abused by others who didn’t see what greatness was in him. He died tragically, and left this world too soon. But luckily, he left behind a body of work and a legion of believers that ensures that he will never be forgotten. The real power of his messages only amplifies as time goes on. Those messages will never go out of style or stop being relevant.

The music of Townes Van Zandt is not for everyone, although I honestly believe that there’s something for absolutely everyone in his body of work somewhere. His is a music that requires the kind of patience and attention that most of us aren’t willing to devote regularly. Even me. I am absolutely blown away every time I really sit and listen to Townes, but I don’t do it very often at all. For me, listening to Townes Van Zandt is like eating dark chocolate or cheesecake or something; it’s too rich to be consumed every day. If you ate super rich deserts every day, they would lose their power and their appeal. It’s only after being away from cheesecake for a while that you can bite into a piece and really go, “Damn, that’s good!” And the same can be said for Townes. Although he is without a doubt my favourite songwriter, and surely my favourite recording artist, I won’t ever listen to him daily, because I don’t want to lose that sense of amazement and wonder that I feel when I take the time to sink my teeth into a big helping of his music.

Townes, it’s been 10 years since you left us, but you’ll never really die. Folks like me will make sure of that. We owe it to you for all that you’ve done for us, and we owe it to others to share your work with them. Thanks for all that you did (well, not all of it. Some of it was downright stupid and selfish) and all that you mean. I’m sorry that you had to suffer and die so soon, but in a way, I guess that’s just the way it was meant to be. But thanks for all that you left behind.

Your fan,

Jeff

November 27, 2005

No Depression No More!

I'm a nerd. I used to read a lot of music magazines when I was younger and had more money, but these days, I don't have the time or the money to buy and read many of the darn things anymore. I hear about a lot of great magazines that I should read, but don't often get around to picking them up, and even less often do I get around to reading the ones I do pick up. One magazine that I've been told time and time again that I should pick up, and have often been tempted to pick up, is NO Depression. It's a magazine that focuses on "The Past, Present, and Future of American Music." That really means nothing, but when you read the magazine, it makes a little more sense. It focuses on music that's good, instead of major label crap that they get paid to force down people's throats. It's very much got a roots/folk/americana focus, so musically, it's right up my alley. 

Well, I finally got to find out how great the magazine was about a year ago when a dear friend was kind enough to sign me up for a subscription. It was a wonderful gift as I finally found out what I'd been missing for so long. As the magazines arrived, I would sit down and flip through them, looking for a couple of articles and reviews that I had to read, knowing that I didn't really have time to go through the whole issue in depth. What I found was that the whole darn thing was good, and I ended up spending a lot more time than I really had reading almost everything in each issue. There were a lot of late nights where I probably should have been sleeping, but ended up reading No Depression instead. There were a lot of great articles and reviews and photos, so it was worth staying up late to go over each magazine. 

A little while ago, I started getting notices that my time was about up and that I had to renew my subscription. Well, I'm broke as can be, and life is only getting busier, so I haven't committed to renewing just yet. I was still considering it though. That is, until I read this month's magazine. 

I've been very impressed with the amount of great Canadian music that's been presented in the magazine. There have been articles and reviews of some of my favourite Canadian musicians in the magazine in the past (Jim Bryson!), and the latest issue is no different, there's a really great article on Blue Rodeo on there (even if it does focus heavily on why they're not stars in the U.S., which seems a little odd.) I was also pleased to see that there is a review of Corb Lund's new record, "Hair in my Eyes Like a Highland Steer." Being a bit of a Lund fan and curious to see what an American magazine would think of Lund's very Albertacentric writing, I dove right into the review. Almost immediately, it stopped me right in my tracks. 

I'll provide a copy of the review here:

Like ice fishing and snow mobile racing, Corb Lund is huge in Canada (if not so much in Texas). The former frontman for Edmonton punk-rock footnotes the Smalls consistently sells out 1,000-seat venues in the Great White North. Hair In My Eyes Like A Highland Steer leaves no doubt that the country convert bleeds maple syrup and Molson Canadian; the disc's thirteen rollicking dusters are littered with references to Calgary cowgirls and British Columbia buckaroos.

Musically, The Corb Lund Band is at least partially rooted in American soil. The cowbell-propelled title track hews dangeroulsy close to Nashville-brand new country, and the saloon-boogie shuffler "Always Keep An Edge On Your Knife" sounds like an artifact from the California gold rush. 

Lund's weakness is that too many of his songs play out like novelty tunes. "Hurtin' Albertan" is a CB radio tribute that won't make anyone forget about C.W. McCall's immortal "Convoy", and "The Truck Got Stuck" could easily be a reject from Jason Ringenberg's A Day At The Farm With Farmer Jason children's disc. Everyone suspects Canadians are kind of simple, but Lund doesn't have to prove it with sing-song rhymes like "It was truck after truck/We all got stuck."

From No Depression #60 - November/December 2005
written by Mike Usinger

Wow. Now I can take a joke, and can forgive more than my share of bad writing (not everyone can be a perfect writer such as I, after all...), but this pile of literary poo got to me. I did what I felt I had to do, and wrote an email to No Depression expressing my disappointment. It is as follows:

It's a good thing my subscription is up, because I'd likely want to cancel it after reading the DUMB comments that Mike Usinger made in his sadly misinformed and very insulting review of Corb Lund's new album. There's a reason why there is some animosity between Canada and the US, and it's almost entirely because of ignorance and stereotypes like those spewed forth by Mr. Usinger. "Everyone suspects Canadians are kind of simple, but Lund doesn't have to prove it..." Wow. I'm not surprised that there's someone in the US small-minded enough to write such drivel, but I'm really shocked at No Depression for publishing it. What a total lack of respect for your subscribers north of the border. 

I should mention that Usinger's rambling review, while it contains plenty of fairly typical, stupid stereotypes, also contains plenty of factual errors. First, Lund was hardly the "frontman" for The Smalls. As anyone who had done their homework should know, Corby Lund (as he was known) was the bass player, while Mike Caldwell did the singing, thank you (a quick check on allmusic.com, an American site, will show you that) (further, one has to wonder why, if The Smalls are mere "footnotes," Usinger would bother to mention them at all). Also, while Lund is surely gaining in popularity, he is far from able to sell out 1,000 seat venues in much of "The Great White North." Sure, in his home of Alberta he may be able to pull that off, but in much of the country he's playing much, much smaller venues. Most importantly, no matter how much he appears to be gaining steam, he has a long, long way to go before he is as popular as ice fishing or snowmobile (one word, Mr. Usinger) racing. 

We Canadians may be simple, but at least we are able to write well informed reviews without insulting an entire nation of people. 

Farewell No Depression, and thanks for not making things "too" friendly between the US and Canada; it just means that there will be more maple syrup and Molson products for us, thanks.

Jeff Robson
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Great White North

And those are just a few of the comments that one could make about this awful review. 

May 11, 2005

I know, I know. It's been a while since I ranted. I know you're just dying to know what's on my mind. Well, what's on my mind is my hectic frickin' schedule, ok? But I did have time to cobble together another wild and controversial rant. This isn't it.

If you've ever sat and thought to yourself: "That Jeff sure does play a lot of Fred Eaglesmith on his radio show, and he seems to go to a lot of Fred's shows and buy a lot of Fred's stuff, but I really wonder what Jeff really, really thinks of Fred," then this rant's for you. It's packaged with some photos (some not too terrible, either) of Fred and his Flying Squirrel Revue at their show in Grand Forks.

Check it out, if you dare. (if you're one of those folks who feels that Fred is above reproach then you best stay away...

Fred photos 

Don't forget that there are all kinds of other photos (most without ignorant and outspoken opinions) at my photo site.

February 15, 2005

February 15, 2005

Thanks to everyone who supported UMFM's highly successful "Season of Giving" promotion in December. Look for an even bigger and better donation drive in 2005.

Thanks again to the following amazing sponsors. We wouldn't have gathered so much food for Winnipeg Harvest without you!

Nathan - copies of their album Jimson Weed and a t-shirt

Reid Jamieson - copies of The Unavoidable Truth

Ross - Radical Heart

Barry McLoughlin - Pieces and a t-shirt

Rod Picott - copies of The Girl from Arkansas

Lynn Harrison - copies of: Lynoleum and Learning Curve

Warner Music Canada - copies of: 
Luke Doucet - Outlaws: Live & Unreleased
Ron Sexsmith - Retriever

True North Records - copies of:
Rheostatics  - 2067
Paul Kelly - Ways & Means
Andy White - Boy 40
John Martyn - Classics
Petra Haden and Bill Frisell
Bruce Cockburn - Anything, Anytime, Anywhere: Singles 1979-2002
Colin Linden - Big Mouth
Tony Furtado - These Chains
Nojo with Sam Rivers - City of Neighbourhoods
Ben Arnold - Calico
Joel Kroeker - Melodrama

Festival Distribution & Jericho Beach Music:
Maria Dunn - We Were Good People
Various Artists - Many Blessings: A Native American Celebration
Carlos Maza - Salvedad
Susan Crowe - Book of Days
Lisa Patterson - Roam
Sandy Scofield 'n nitsiwakun - Ketwam
Oliver Schroer - A Million Stars
Shirley Eikhard - Stay Open
Arto Lindsay - Salt
Bitch and Animal - Sour Juice and Rhyme
The Wailin' Jennys - 40 Days
David Francey - The Waking Hour

Killbeat Music, Black Hen Music, Saved By Radio, and the artists:
Bruce Knauer - Allnight Breakfast Special
Vailhalen  - Becs d'oiseaux
Bocephus King - All Children Believe in Heaven
Ulysses  - .010
The High Dials - A New Devotion and Fields in Glass EP
Jim Byrnes - Fresh Horses
Old Reliable - Pulse of  Light Dark Landscape
Bottleneck - Bottleneck and Late Nights, Early Mornings
Falconhawk  - Hotmouth
Swank - The Survival Issue
Zubot and Dawson - Chicken Scratch
Shuyler Jansen - Hobotron
OX - Dust Bowl Revival
GreenTara - Music for a Mixed Nation
Mary Ancheta - Live Life

My apologies to any generous sponsors that I've missed on this list;.

January 3, 2005

If you know me or have heard my show, chances are you know that I'm somewhat infatuated with a Winnipeg trio named The Wailin' Jennys. I love to remind people that their very first public appearance together was on UMFM on a show that I was part of (Songwriters' Circle); they've been on my show several times since; I've seen them many, many times in concert (including their first show ever, at Sled Dog Music) at The West End, folk festivals, outdoor events, house concerts, freezing cold fire hall basements, etc.; they're my friends, and I love them. 

Well, it seems that I'm not the only one. 2004 turned out to be a pretty damn good year for the girls, even though an unexpected line-up change shook things up a bit late in the year. Check out some stats on their radio play this year.

December 28, 2004

Big news: The "Buy Jeff a Digital Camera" fund-drive is now over. Santa (aka Lucy) came through in grand fashion with a beauty of a digital camera under the tree (along with the fanciest photo printer I ever did see... it even prints on CDs! Can't wait to start on my Best of 2005 compilation!). From now on, digital photos of EVERY show I go to! Yahoo! I'll start it off tonight by smuggling it into The Royal Albert (wish me luck) when I take a trip back in time and go see Brandon's mighty hip-hop pioneers, Farm Fresh. Fun times! and Photos!

Saturday, December 4, 2004

Let's call this the first official rant, shall we? mmmkay. While the aforementioned R.E.M. show made me feel really good about being a music nerd, tonight wasn't the same case. Now, the show I saw tonight was no less spectacular than R.E.M. (well, ok, maybe I'm pushing it a bit, but it was a damn good show), but there was one main difference that really brought me down tonight. Read on, if you dare.

Tonight was my first time attending Michael Johnston's Boys Play Girls. (I should note that I was fully intending to attend last year's event, but a rather unfortunate illness/death in the family kind of rained on my parade, so it's not at all my fault that I missed the show last year. This knowledge might come in handy later.) Michael is currently living in Winnipeg, and that's much to our benefit. He's a wonderful musician and songwriter in his own right, but for a few years now, he's been putting on these charity events, first in Toronto, then starting in Winnipeg last December. The premise is simple: gather a wide selection of great male musicians, and have them perform the songs of a favourite female songwriter. We hear women do songs by male songwriters all the frickin' time, but how often do you hear a man cover a woman's song? Personally, I think it's because men know that women are far better singers and so the fragile egos of men can't stand to know that they're going to do a lesser job than some women. That's horse shit, but it's my theory, and I'm sticking to it. 

Anyway, everything about this event screams success. First off, the lineup is always amazing. This year, we had Johnston, the amazing Reid Jamieson, the legendary Shingoose, Mike Trike, and everyone's favourite bar band The Perpetrators, all doing their best impressions of female songwriters (well, except Shingoose, but we may get to him in a minute. Did he not see the poster or something?) This is truly a once in a lifetime event. While we get to see these acts all the time (except Shingoose, and Reid Jamieson, who hates to fly so is holed up in Toronto, poor lad), but NEVER before or again will these acts perform a similar set. They work out special arrangements of songs by a particular female artist and then do a full set of that artist's material. It's a brilliant and unique concept, and it allows for so much fun and a truly amazing experience. As I mentioned, the event is also a charity fundraiser. None of the performers make a cent, and I'm sure The West End wasn't turning a profit either. All of the money raised this year went to support Thunderbird House, which operates absolutely essential programming and services for Aboriginal people in Winnipeg. It's a great cause and a great event. Winnipeggers love an event, and we love to help out a worthwhile charity, and we love a bargain (that many acts doing something so special for only $10? That's a bargain, no doubt), so I just assumed that the place would be packed to the rafters. Not so.

How in the hell can an event so special and worthwhile not sell 100 tickets at $10 each? It boggles my mind. Michael Johnston has worked tirelessly promoting this event. He does everything from organizing it, booking the acts, making and putting up the posters, and doing interview after interview (like coming on my show last week, thanks Michael) and asks for NOTHING in return. The man's a saint. To have a less than half full room on a Saturday night is a slap in the face to someone who's worked so hard and put so much into the night. I hope to be able to call Michael a friend after this, and I felt really bad for him. I should mention that he's such a decent and humble person, that he would never be such a Gloomy Gus like me and complain. He had a great time, no matter what the turnout, but maybe I just expect a little more from this city. 

And Michael has been working on not only booking this show, but he arranged shows Thursday, Friday (actually two concerts in one night), and Sunday, as well as appearances on the radio and on the Big (annoying) Breakfast on Friday. I went on Thursday to the Academywhateverit'scallednow and had a great time. Sadly, besides me, Keri & Devin from Nathan, and a table full of really obnoxious talkers right up front, the turnout sucked. Horribly. Last night was a little better. The show was at Dregs, and the place was comfortably full. Unfortunately, most of the folks there were left over from the rock band that played before Michael and Reid, so they weren't terribly interested in the great show and many of them left during the performance. Their loss, because that was quite simply one of the most fun and entertaining nights I've seen in a long time. The Brothers in Song (as they billed themselves) traded off doing originals and amazing covers and had me smiling non-stop the whole time. 

I've been doing my best to promote these shows for weeks on the radio. I absolutely love Reid Jamieson's new CD "The Unavoidable Truth" and I've been playing the hell out of it on the air. I've asked everyone I know to attend at least one of the shows, and even went so far as to email some folks I considered good friends and ask them to do me a personal favour by showing up. They did not. Luckily, my dear friends Kristi and Simone are more easily (mis)led, and attended a couple of shows with me, and I'm grateful, and I know that they (why am I talking about something that hasn't happened, Simone's going on Sunday, so I can't say what she thought, because she hasn't thought it yet) had (or will have) a great time and are (or will be) grateful that they took my advice and attended the shows. 

It got me to feeling like nobody listens to me. Whenever I am most excited about a show and rant and rave about how great it's going to be, it's like the kiss of death, because nobody ends up coming to that show. I don't know what it is. Maybe I'm just wrong, maybe my taste is that bad, or maybe nobody gives a rat's ass what I think. Whatever it is, it makes me crazy. I like to think that my advice is pretty reliable, and that I know a thing or two about music by now. So why does it seem like my advice is meaningless? There are a lot of perks that I do get by being a DJ at UMFM, but it's also a lot of work, and not only do I not get paid, but it ends up costing me a bunch of money. But I do it because I love it, and I like to think that I'm helping people to find out about music and events that they might otherwise miss. I really hope that I'm doing someone a favour by introducing them to some of the great artists that I play on the show. I know that there are a lot of people who end up buying CDs or concert tickets because of something I've played on the show, but at times, it seems like I'm just sitting in an empty room talking to myself on Sundays. When nobody calls in for a contest and there's nobody listening online (I obviously can't tell how many people are tuned in on the radio, but I can check out how many people are online, and use that as some kind of a gauge for who might be out there in radioland), I feel like I'm wasting my time and being a total loser. And when I see such disappointing turnouts for amazing shows three nights in a row (gladly, the final night of Michael & Reid's little tour is going to be sold out), I feel like I've wasted my time telling you how amazing these guys are, because so few of you took the time to validate my suggestion by showing up. 

Bah Humbug.

Monday, November 15, 2004

Yeah, it's been a while since I wrote one of these. You try and keep up with my schedule and do all of this nerdy stuff at the same time; it ain't easy, you know!

I go to a lot of shows, and music almost always makes me feel good, but sometimes a show just makes life seem that much sweeter and more worth while. It's funny, usually the nights that I expect the most from tend to be the biggest disappointments, while nights that I'm unsure about can sneak up and turn out to be life altering events. In the past few weeks, I've had the opportunity to see some of my favourite bands of all time. On October 30, the two biggest musical influences on my life were here on the same night. First up was Van Halen at the old arena. I may go into the gory details some time, but not at the moment, this is supposed to be a positive writing. I paid $100 to see a band that I've loved for many, many years, and I was utterly disappointed and felt stupid for spending that much and for dragging someone along to a bad show. Then, I went to see my other favourite band, and the one that's been running my life for about 12 years now, Rheostatics, and again, I ended up a little disappointed and feeling stupid. Again, this isn't about then.

This is about tonight. 

I hate to miss out on anything. If I know that something big is happening, I need to be there, regardless of whether I really give a shit or not. I just need to be able to say that I was there. So when R.E.M. was announced for their first Winnipeg show and EVERYBODY started buzzing about it, I knew that it was an event that I couldn't miss. But, to be honest, I've never been a HUGE R.E.M. fan. Sure, I have a few of their albums and I have the utmost respect for their hits and longevity, but I wouldn't call myself a superfan. I think that "Losing My Religion" is probably the best non-Beatles pop song of all time, and I can mumble along incoherently to "What's the Frequency Kenneth," but I am not a student of R.E.M. history like plenty of other people. I just wanted to go see the band because it was an event. I knew it would be a good show, but I had some reservations. I've heard the last few R.E.M. albums, and I think they're a great cure for insomnia. Their last great album was Monster, and that was what, a decade ago? Their recent material has sucked, let's be honest. 

This is a band that could easily sell out The Centennial Concert Hall based on name alone, and they could come out and plod their way through a night of dull new material and get away with it quite easily. They could even justify the $100 ticket price based on the fact that they've never played here before, and no matter what crap they pulled out, they could have people calling it an event of a lifetime. 

But this is not a band that is capable of that, or so I learned tonight. In what was quite honestly the most energetic and amazing show I've seen in years, this band, which has been around for 25 years, tore through the complete catalogue, playing almost everything that you could possibly want to hear. And not for a moment was it dull or lifeless. Michael Stipe is the prototypical rock star. He's flamboyant, energetic, entertaining, and musically flawless. He tells stories, he talks to the audience, he dances like a fool, and he has fun. A lot of fun. There is no way that anyone could have gone home unhappy having seen the show that I saw tonight. I would have easily paid hundreds of dollars for such an amazing, life affirming show, but tonight, I was truly gifted.

There are many fringe benefits to doing this show and for working at this website when I should be sleeping. I get a lot of free CDs, and I get into my share of shows for free. Luckily, some wonderful record companies appreciate what I do and send me stuff in the mail and invite me to shows from time to time. Tonight, I was the guest of the fine folks at V2 music, who represent the opening act on this leg of R.E.M.'s tour, a Mississippi singer/songwriter named Charlie Mars.

Charlie has a very bright future ahead. His new self-titled CD took me by surprise and has become one of my favourites as of late. It's full of wonderfully melodic and moving songs. He's a bit more mainstream that most of what you hear on the show, but he sings a hell of a good pop song. I was raised on a steady diet of pop music, so I have an unhealthy love for infectious melodies. Charlie Mars can create those at will. But he's also a talented storyteller and songwriter also. If you haven't heard him yet, I highly recommend you do so. If you're a fan of U2 or Coldplay, you'll love this guy. Even if you're not a fan of those two bands (what's wrong with you?), there's something to like on Charlie's record.

Anyway, I was invited to the show to interview Charlie. Even though he had just gone through a wonderfully entertaining set and had come out to meet hundreds of new fans at the merchandise table, Charlie was good enough to sit and chat with me for a few moments. It wasn't the greatest interview of my career; Charlie clearly would have rather been watching R.E.M., and I was a bit nervous and goofy, but he was kind and gracious, and you'll hear that interview on the show very soon. Charlie's just beginning what looks like a long and promising career, and he hopes to tour Canada soon on his own, so you'll be hearing more about him in the near future.

One of the other amazing gifts that I was granted was a pass to the R.E.M. after-show meet and greet. These can tend to be rather stuffy and uncomfortable at the best of times, and usually artists are only doing them because they absolutely have to. I really didn't expect a lot from this one, because stars like R.E.M. really don't need to do them and when they do, they don't need to be kind or accommodating, but again, this is a very unusual and surprising band. 

One by one, they filed into a room full of guests and lucky folks like me. People awkwardly ambled over to say hello and get things signed. I was smart enough to bring a copy of the new R.E.M. CD and a pocket full of Sharpies. Terry Wilson taught me well. I nervously made my way over to each band member to say hello, and was so surprised at how friendly and generous they were. They were really nice and appreciative for all of the people who had shown up and were so kind to them. It's amazing to think that a band that's sold millions of records and can sell out shows all over the world would take the time to be nice to some Joe like me, but they were. They even did cool IDs for the shows, which you'll hear on the air soon. 

All in all, it was a magical night. It reminded me of why I do this so often and make music such a huge part of my life. It makes me feel good, damn it! Thanks, R.E.M., for caring enough about the fans to put on an amazing show in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and then for taking the time to be kind to your fans. If I wasn't a superfan before, I sure as hell am now. This band is amazing, and I'd go to great lengths to see them again any chance I get. 

Now, I will go to sleep, because I have an exam on Wednesday, and I am not at all prepared. But it was worth it!

Monday, August 16, 2004

Today, my wonderful friend Kristi and I paid a visit to Dog River, Saskatchewan, home of Brent, Lacey, Oscar, Hank, and all of the other cool folks on CTV's great comedy "Corner Gas." Actually, there is no Dog River (and thus, no world's second biggest dirty hoe), but there is a really cool set in a real town called Roleau, Saskatchewan. It's only a short drive from Regina, so us TV nerds took a trip down to join the other tourist gawkers. 

With the help of Kristi's awesome digital camera, I snapped some photos that you can actually see on my actual photo website. Check it out!

Sunday, August 15, 2004

Regina Folk Festival

Saturday, August 14, 2004

Regina Folk Festival

Saturday's weather report called for something I am unused to, having been in Winnipeg this summer: sun, sun, and more sun. I think that someone up above must shine on folk festivals, because the only really hot weekend we've had in Winnipeg all summer was folk fest weekend. Then, in Calgary, the weather had been pretty  bad, but for folk fest, it was perfect. Here in Regina, another perfect day. Now, if only there could be a folk fest every day...

Anyway, the lineup was looking even better than the weather. There are only 2 daytime stages in Regina, but because the lineup is so good, there was good stuff on both pretty much all the time. The other amazing thing about Regina is that the daytime stages, with great workshops and concerts, are absolutely free to anyone. Anybody can drop by and see all of the stars in
fun and intimate sessions. I had visions of the stages being packed by the thousands who passed up the chance to buy a ticket last night. I thought, even the folks standing outside would be at the workshops, after all, they're free.

Showed up shortly after 11:30 to see Tolan McNeil's concert, to be greeted not by thousands, but by a few spectators. Most of the audience seemed comprised of other artists and some media members and stuff. I could only hope that sooner or later someone would pay attention and show up. Tolan McNeil is fun and entertaining and witty. Put on a good show, backed by
Carolyn Mark, who he usually backs, also along were Dave Lang and the Governors of Given'er.

Finally got to meet Brenda from Regina's Mighty Shores, who was hosting the stage. Roman walked by later on, and my Regina radio rendezvous was complete. Nice folks. Let's hope people support their great radio show and station.

Next up was "Misery Loves Company: DRINKIN' AND DIALLIN' SONGS," with Winnipeg's Scott Nolan, Dave Lang, Tolan McNeil, and Carolyn Mark. My friend Scott Nolan looked to be the odd man out, with the other three all being such good friends and bandmates, but he did a great job of holding his own, inviting a couple of members of his band over to balance out the equation.
This was a pretty clever workshop premise that could have fallen flat with the wrong type of performers onstage, but this group did a fine job, although one has to wonder how many artists really write songs about "drinkin' and diallin'?" I mean, I'm sure plenty do it, but do they really
write songs about it? Are there really enough of these to fill a workshop?
The artists made some funny jokes and found songs that loosely fit the format, so the workshop was a success. By the end, a few more people had shown up, bringing the audience to about the 100 mark. Unreal.

Then one of those choices I would dread most of the day: Stay at stage 1 for a concert by the talented Rae Spoon, or head over to stage 2 for"Love is a many splendoured thing: NOT YOUR AVERAGE LOVE SONGS," with Taima, Serena Ryder, Audio-Lava, and Nathan. Keri and Devin are good friends of mine and super people, and I rarely pass up the opportunity to see them, so over to stage 2 we went. Nathan's songs seemed perfect for the workshop, but I wasn't sure how the others would fit in. They were the highlight of the workshop. although, strangely enough, this was my first opportunity to really watch Serena Ryder, and she was terrific.

Another tough decision would follow: stay at stage 2 for "Rationed Kisses: Maybe you are to blame: BROKEN HEART SONGS," with Mary Gauthier, Dave Lang, Po' Girl, and Humphrey & the Dumptrucks or head back to stage 1 for "Something Dark & Mysterious: KILLING AND DRINKING SONGS," with Vic Chesnutt, The Sadies, Carolyn Mark, and the girls from Nathan. When in doubt, Nathan wins again. This time was easy, because Keri McTighe of Nathan is a HUGE Vic Chesnutt fan and had been dying to see him all weekend, so I had to head over and see if she rose to the occasion or acted silly and starstruck.

In the end, Keri did a bit of both. One of the main reasons that I'd come to Regina was to see what Vic Chesnutt was all about, having heard from Keri and other trustworthy friends that the guy was a genius who was not to be missed. If you're not familiar with old Vic, he's been called a genius by tons of indie rock greats and was discovered by R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, but he plays very lo-fi acoustic songs. He was in a tragic car accident at 18 that left him paralyzed and very much inhibited his ability to make music. But as these accidents sometimes do, it made him more of a thinker and a writer and a dreamer, and he set out to write some very poetic, moving, and sometimes totally weird songs. Looking at him, there is an automatic reflex
that tells you to feel sorry for him, but he's so intelligent and funny that you just can't. But onstage, he seems so lost and confused sometimes, that you just don't know whether he's a genius or a poor, confused soul. Somehow, he's a mix of both. He does write some amazing songs, though, and I'm glad that I got to hear some of those firsthand.

Even though the subject matter of the workshop was rather unhappy, this was a really great workshop. I'd quickly learn that anytime The Sadies are on a workshop stage (or Spirit of the West, for that matter), they'll play along with anyone, and there really will be a "workshop" feel, with great interaction between artists.

In Calgary, many artists did back-to-back workshops, but usually they were on the same stage. Almost the opposite is true in Regina, with artists often doing a workshop on one stage, before packing up and heading over to the other stage to do it all again right away. Even with a very minimal volunteer corps, The Regina festival is among the smoothest running ones I've seen, with stages starting and ending right on time, usually. They leave 15 minutes between sessions, and it's usually plenty of time to make the short trek across the park to the other stage. So, that's what we did. 

"That Holy Moment of Surprise: AHA MOMENTS," was next, with Chesnutt, Tolan McNeil, Scott Nolan, and The Sadies. Again, the artists really didn't have much idea what to play that could fit the theme. The big highlight for me was The Sadies backing up Scott Nolan on Johnny Cash's "Sam Hall." Vic Chesnutt provided some unintentional comedic relief when he had a bit of an "Oh, no" moment when the AHA just wouldn't come; he couldn't decide what song to do. For a guy with 8 albums, you'd think he could remember one song, but instead he just sat there awkwardly worrying about what song to do. Eventually, he improvised a song by singing "Oh what should I sing, what should I sing, ooooohh what should I sing..." The song went on with him making stuff up. The rest of the performers joined in with lines and guitar solos and made it a fun, but slightly awkward moment.

Last up was another one at stage 2, "Things I Learned the Hard Way: HURTIN' & STEALIN' SONGS," with Scott Nolan, Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir, Greg Macpherson, and The Sadies.

If there could be one complaint about this festival, it is that you end up seeing the same artists over and over again in workshops, owing to the small, but impressive, lineup of only about 20 artists or so. I had no problem with that, loving most of the artists that were there. Artistic
Director Sandra Butel did an awesome job of creating interesting pairings and workshop themes, but in the end, you do see a lot of repetition. Most artists tried very hard not to repeat songs, but in an attempt to fit into the themes of the workshops, some ended up doing some recycling.

I did hear that many of Regina's true folk enthusiasts were boycotting the festival because of the shortage of true folk music on the lineup. To many, the festival looked like an alternative rock fest instead of a folk fest. I, personally, can't see how anyone could complain, there seemed to truly be something for everyone.

I should add that by the end of the day, the crowd had grown somewhat, but there was plenty of room for more Regina residents (what the heck do you call 'em, anyway? Reginans?) to show up and show some support. It left PLENTY of room for us music obsessed Winnipeggers to mosey right up to the front of whatever stage we chose to visit (seriously, are the folks in 
Regina scared to sit too close to musicians? Do they think the artists might bite?)

It was an awesome day, and even with plenty of musical magic behind us, we were primed and excited for the evening's mainstage concerts.

Saturday Evening:
Greg Macpherson
Carolyn Mark and her new best friends
Taima
Vic Chesnutt
The Sadies
 

Greg Macpherson is one of the most captivating performers I've seen. His presence and his music just draw you in. Plus, he's one of the nicest people I know, and you just can't help but like the guy. His set seemed to go over very well with the small crowd that had gathered for the first act of the evening.

Somehow I've managed to miss ever seeing Carolyn Mark in concert, so I was very pleased to see her live in Regina. Mark and Her New Best Friends put on an energetic and entertaining show. Carolyn is wickedly funny, smart, and a great songwriter (and good lookin' too). I loved her so much, I bought two CDs. Can't wait to see her next time she hits the 'Peg.

At some point in time, you just have to take a break from the music, whether you like it or not, and food is always a good thing, too. Earlier in the day I met up with an old friend and neighbour of mine who is now living in Saskatchewan, and she raved about a local Vietnamese place, so we all headed over there to recharge for the evening's headliners. Sorry to say that we
had to miss Taima, but what I saw of them during the day was great, and I've heard their CD, and it's a winner.

Vic Chesnutt was just going on stage when we got back to the park. After seeming a little scattered and confused at the workshops, we weren't sure what to expect from Vic in concert, but he seemed really on his game up on the main stage, playing song after amazing song.

The Sadies capped off the night just nicely. This is one of the most amazing live bands in Canada, and they just keep getting better every show I see them. This was by far the best Sadies show I've seen, mixing old songs, new songs, well chosen covers, and everything else they could fit in.

Walking out of the festival, I couldn't have been much happier. Perfect weather, amazing music, and good friends all combined to make this a very memorable day. I could only imagine what Sunday could bring that could possibly top that day.

Friday, August 13, 2004

Regina Folk Festvial

Visit the Regina Folk Fest Photo Page!

For a few years now, I've been looking over the lineup for the Regina Folk Festival and thinking that I should really head out here. I have no excuse not to, really. I have family here that I can stay with, and heck, it is only a short drive from Winnipeg. The amazing thing to me is that it only costs $50 for a weekend pass, and the lineup is quite amazing, I think. This year, once my friends decided they HAD to come and see the icon Vic Chesnutt, the decision was made. Some of my friends took Friday off work so they could make it out to see Friday night's concert as well. I decided that one more day with no pay would be a little to painful for me, so worked and then drove out after work. I didn't think I'd get away very early, so I didn't plan to attend the Friday night concert, so I didn't buy a weekend pass. Note to self: Regina ain't that far, buy the weekend pass. Got here around 8:00 or so and with nothing to do, headed down to the festival site to check! it out.

Friday main stage:
Dave Lang
Serena Ryder
Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir
Hawksley Workman
Moses Mayes & the Funk Family Orchestra

I've been to Regina countless times, and I'm familiar with Victoria Park, where the festival is held (some of you might remember it as being right across the street from the host hotel for last year's Western Canadian Music Awards). I couldn't envision how they could cram thousands of people into a festival in that tiny park. I had assumed that with a lineup that had something for pretty much everyone and a super low ticket price, the place would be jammed. Regina, you disappointed me on that count.

Walked up to the festival site and I could see that there were hundreds of people hanging out in Victoria Park, outside the festival site. It seems that there is absolutely nothing to stop people from hanging out right outside the fence and seeing and listening to the festival for free. Why you'd want to do that when the tickets are only $20 a day, I don't know, but outside the fence seemed to be the place to be. You really can see the stage clearly, and the site is so small that hearing isn't a problem either. Come on Regina, support this great festival.

I had missed my friend Dave Lang's main stage set, and Serena Ryder was finished her set as well (on a personal aside, anyone who could possess such an amazing voice and still smoke cancer sticks probably doesn't deserve such an amazing gift... sorry, personal opinion/observation, uncalled for. Wait, this is my review, not yours, I'll leave it in)) I'd been hearing good things about the Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir, and liked what I heard as I walked up to the gate, so we decided to go in and see the rest of the show.

It's not hard to find a place to sit, even late in the evening, although the way the site is designated for dancing, chairs, and smoking, made it hard for us to find a decent chunk of unobstructed grass. Parked and enjoyed the beautiful evening and some great music.

The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir is one of the more interesting acts I've been introduced to this year. They remind me of a much smaller Silver Hearts band, or Tom Waits with energy and a lively band. I didn't pay as much attention to them as I should, as I wandered around to see the merchandise tent (very cramped, with tables forming a circle around the tent, leaving little room between table and tent, but then again, there was nobody at the festival and nobody in the tent, so we didn't have much trouble spending money. I rarely have trouble spending money at a festival, no matter how cramped the tent is...) and the food vendors (note to self: the vendors with the hot plates have been sitting there for a long time, and the food is cold by 10:00).

Next up was Carolyn Mark, the host. I know her mostly by reputation, having never really seen her or picked up one of her CDs, for some reason. Saw a bit of her hosting gig at the Calgary Folk Fest, but I was looking forward to the full Carolyn Mark experience in Regina. More on her later, but she's an entertaining and lively host and did a fine job, I thought.

The "big superstar" was up next, Hawksley Workman. I remember the first time Workman played Winnipeg. He showed up at a workshop with a heavy coat on in the hot July sun, and took that off to reveal a thick suit. We thought he was crazy, and once he started to play, that was confirmed. But what an energetic and intense performer he was. He knocked everybody out with his quirky songs and mannerisms and wild electric guitar. With his most recent record, he's become somewhat more of a "rock star" and the album loses much of that edge. As I found out in Regina, so does the live show. I thought it was boring. Sorry, Hawksley, I call 'em as I see 'em. He spends more time playing the drums than guitar, for some reason, so the principal melodic instrument is the piano. Well, when Little Richard or Jerry Lee played piano, it was a rock and roll instrument, but when Hawksley's band was led by piano, it sounded like they were doing show tunes. The kids in Regina (inside ! and outside the fence) seemed to like Hawksley just fine. I walked around a bit, wishing I had saved myself $20 by skipping old Hawksley.

Last up was Winnipeg's Moses Mayes. They're known as one of the most fun party club bands in town, and I was pleased to see that the Regina audience was ready to dance along to their music. I did wonder why the heck they were at a Folk Fest with their high energy funk sound, but again, the kids seemed to like 'em, and anything that draws people into this amazing festival is fine by me. Some of the Moses Mayes energy is lost on an outdoor stage where people are sitting on the grass, so I wasn't moved to shake my lazy, overweight thang, so it was home to bed early, so I could get a good start on the amazing Saturday lineup.
 

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

The biggest reason I do my radio show is to expose you, the listener, to some of the great music that exists that you might not otherwise hear. It amazes me that there's so much great stuff out there that never gets the time of day on commercial radio or mainstream media. But I also find out about a lot of stuff through the show that I wouldn't otherwise. Such is the case with Victoria BC's Leeroy Stagger. I've made some great friends as a result of the show, and one of them is a lady in Victoria that I may never meet, but have a great deal of respect for and owe a great debt of gratitude to for many things, including introducing me to Leeroy. There is no reason on this earth why Leeroy Stagger can't become a major star some day. He's got talent, desire, looks, stage presence, and even a great down-to-earth attitude, all of which will go a long way toward helping this young man make it far in life.

Tonight was my first chance to see him live, and I surely hope it wasn't the last. A great solo acoustic show at the Collective Cabaret tonight. Too bad so few were out to see it, but those of us that did show up will someday be saying, "I saw him in a little club one time..." Pick up a copy of his album Dear Love. It'll be hard to knock it out of my top 10 list for this year. A great achievement from a guy who's bound for many yet to come.

Opening the show was a local band called The Breaking Syntax. I'd never seen them before, but I'll be watching for them in the future. Now, I only saw one song of their set, having shown up rather late, but it's rare that you see such energy and intensity from an opening band playing to 10 people. And a great stage show, too, with tv screens showing video clips throughout. They rocked my socks off.

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

I've never been a huge fan of The Handsome Family, for some reason. I guess it's because I've never really listened to them, or something. I've actually seen them in concert before, I think, and wasn't too overwhelmed by them. But, I was planning on attending this show anyway, perhaps because there's nothing else on at the West End this summer, and I'm starting to miss the old place. But once Jim Bryson was added as the opening act, I knew I was sold. I'd go to see Jim, and stick around to see what the Handsomes were all about.

Jim started the show off in fine form. He was his usual laid-back self-deprecating self. He opened the show by saying that he was going to try something a little different and play without a collared shirt under his sweater. Apparently he always wears a collared shirt. Will have to remember to take note of that. He was particularly funny and entertaining this evening, perhaps it was because it was a larger crowd, perhaps he's just more comfortable onstage than in Stu's living room. I don't know what the case was, but he put on a fine form, although still suffering from a bit of a hoarse voice. He played mostly songs off of the latest CD, The North Side Benches. He was utterly shocked when people kept clapping like crazy after he left the stage. He said that he'd never been invited for an encore when opening a show before. He said, "I don't know if I have time for an encore, but I've never had one, so FUCK YEAH!" Someone yelled out for "26 Miles by Car." Jim said, "this one's about travelling and geography and a whole bunch of other things, and in retrospect, it's not very well written at all, but if that's the last song you want to hear from me, it's not like it's my career we're talking about here or anything." Very funny. For the record, I think it's a great song and a great way to end. I forgot to check with Barb at the merch table after the show, but I hope Jim sold a ton of CDs because the short-sighted Handsome Family sold out in Edmonton and didn't bring a single CD to sell. Hopefully their loss was Jim's gain. If you don't have his discs already, for your own sake, surf on over and buy one. I'll even provide a link to make it easy!

I was really tired and have had quite a headache for a few days now, so to be honest, I didn't know what the Handsomes' slow, creepy tunes would do for me. I kind of figured I might slip out of the show early, although I was sitting with Keri and Devin from Nathan, and they're big fans, and wanting them to think I'm cool, I probably would have stayed anyway. As it turned out, The Handsomes were really, really entertaining. Sure, their songs are weird and spooky and that dude has a really frickin' low voice, but they're also really, really funny between songs. I don't know their material well enough to comment on the set list, and since they didn't bring any CDs for me to buy, I won't any time soon, but it seemed like a good set, to me. 

I'll try to forgive the Handsome Family for not bringing enough CDs, since they apparently brought a ton to the Edmonton Folk Festival, where they had just come from, and they sold them all. It's easy to say now that they should have brought more CDs to Edmonton, but it's hard bringing those things across the border, so I hear. (Jim joked (I hope) that he was #97 out of 98 performers in CD sales at the festival. Maybe everyone in Edmonton had his discs already...)

The Handsome Family performed as a duo, with Brett on acoustic guitar and vocals, and Rennie on bass, banjo, autoharp, and vocals. They did, however, bring along an electronic backing band in the form of a Mac laptop, which was featured prominently onstage. I can completely understand the realities of touring this type of music and the expense that comes along with hiring a band, and I can completely understand wanting the sound to be as full and vibrant as possible, but I feel cheated when someone goes and hires an electronic band. Hell, if you're going to go that far, why bother bringing instruments at all? Brett played the drums on the electronic recordings that were onstage, so why not sample the guitar as well? For that matter, plane fare is really expensive these days, and crossing the border is a hassle, so why not just ship the Mac via UPS, that'll be cheaper. And, why bother expecting people to leave their homes, maybe you could find a way to package the songs so people could hear 'em at home; I know, we'll put the songs on a disc or something; a compact disc, so it's convenient. Oh, crap, they didn't bring CDs, never mind. 

Back to the show. I liked it. I had fun. I stayed the whole night. I would have bought a CD. Maybe two. Probably not a CD that I'd listen to all the time, but I'll gladly go see 'em again if they make it up this way, and since the turn out was pretty darn good, I'd guess that they'll be back. 

Monday, August 9, 2004

Today marks the return of the mighty Jim Bryson to the place it all began (well, for me, anyway), The Studome. When my pal Stu Reid invited me to a house concert with Bryson last year, I was looking forward to it, but I was not a hard core Bryson addict at the time. I'd picked up his debut, The Occasionals, but for some reason hadn't spent the time to fall in love with it. a show at the Studome is always the place to be, so I wasn't going to miss out, but I hoped that Bryson would wow me more than he had already. Of course, he did. Sitting and listening to Bryson in Stu's living room, I suddenly "got it" and knew that I was missing out on something special. At the show, I bought a copy of Jim's latest The North Side Benches, and of course, the rest was history. That went on to be my favourite record of last year and I've just about worn out my copy already, having listened to it hundreds of times.

This year, the case was a bit different. I was hugely looking forward to the show, because I knew all of his songs inside out. Having listened to Bryson's CDs (including The Occasionals, which has become a big favourite, also), I knew all of the material. The thing about Bryson's CDs is that they (particularly TNSB) are very well produced and use a lot of extra players and sounds that you can't find in Stu Reid's living room. Last year, Jim kept asking the crowd for requests, and over and over again, was met with the sound of silence (except for one goon who requested a song Jim had already played...). I felt bad, it was plainly obvious to me that almost nobody in the room owned Jim's new CD, and I hoped that Jim might miss that observation, somehow. This year, I was prepared with a ton of requests.

The show was a decidely low-key affair. Jim had a bit of a hoarse throat, so some of the notes didn't come off as planned, but all in all it was fun anyway. Part of Jim's charm (and his curse) is that he's such a down-to-earth guy and just kind of chats and plays. He's got a very self-deprecating manner that probably doesn't sell the Bryson package to new fans very easily, but to those of us who know him, it's all part of his charm. True, the songs did sound rather different performed live and by himself, but I didn't miss the band or the production too much. I guess part of the reason is that I've heard the CDs so many times, I can fill in the rest of the parts in my head. I'm kind of glad to say that Jim didn't rely on his wacky sound effect machine as much this year. If you've seen him, you may have heard him playing with a little noise box that produces all kinds of bleeps and bloops. It's interesting in small doses, but throughout the whole show last year, he had that thing on, and it kind of got annoying after a while. Sorry, Jim. 

What I didn't know was that Jim had invited some rather high profile friends to the show. Sitting around before the show, I saw Winnipeg singer/songwriter Christine Fellows walk in and take a look around. I thought that was interesting enough in itself, but I wasn't expecting her to bring her partner, John K Samson along. Now, as you may know, John K (I call him Jesus K) Samson is the singer and songwriter behind Winnipeg's greatest band ever. I've been obsessed with Samson's lyrics ever since I heard The Weakerthans' masterpiece Left and Leaving a few years ago. When they've done concerts or had shows in Winnipeg for the past few years, I've tried everything under the sun to get an interview with John K, even though I fear that I'd act like a love-sick schoolgirl and make an ass of myself. As time has gone by and I've never been properly introduced to Samson, it's grown into this weird phobia of mine, and I sincerely at this point in time, can't just walk up and talk to the guy. So, having him in the room made me feel a little nervous and awkward and weird. But, there's nobody I'd rather have sitting directly in front of me in Stu Reid's living room, blocking my view, than John K Samson, so it was an honour. Another opportunity passed me by, and I've never said a word to him. Perhaps it's best for him if we keep it that way?

Sunday, August 8, 2004

Well, a lot of people have commented on my apostrophe rant that I posted a while ago, and that makes me feel just great. Glad to know that someone out there cares about our poor maligned friend the apostrophe. Together, we can make the world an apostrophe safe zone, I hope.

I found the perfect book for punctuation sticklers like me. I highly recommend Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, by Lynne Truss. It's so good to know that this book is a best seller. Let's hope some of her lessons pay off.

Also, I got a tip from Brenda, one of the hosts of Regina's Mighty Shores, a radio show devoted to folk, celtic, and bluegrass music, on CJTR in Regina. Apparently there's a guy named Norm Walker who sells "black T-shirts that say "Punctuation and Spelling Police" on the front and "Apostrophe Squad" on the back, for $20" Thanks, Brenda, I will DEFINITELY look for one of those!

Wednesday, August 4, 2004

Obviously, hosting this show, I must be a big singer/songwriter fan, and one of the finest was in Winnipeg tonight. John Hiatt did a solo show at the, um, what's it called, Walker, um, er, Burton Cummings Theatre (someday I'll rant about that...) and there was nowhere else I could possibly be. I've had the pleasure of seeing John Hiatt a couple of times now, first at the Winnipeg Folk Festival in 1999 (on a great lineup that included Swing Soniq, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and Steve Earle, ahhhh those were the days) and then in Alberta last year at two "Guitar Pull" shows (also featuring Joe Ely, Lyle Lovett, and Guy Clark, oh my). My point, besides making me look cool, is that I've only seen Hiatt perform solo, although some day it would be a treat to see Sonny Landreth and his mighty Goners.

Hiatt is the consummate singer/songwriter. He needs no band to back him, he's got all of the tools that one could ever want right at his disposal. He looks right at home on stage; I can't even imagine him being nervous or unhappy in any way. He strode onstage with his guitar and a big smile, and dove right into "Drive South," with all of the energy and rhythm that is found on the CD, one of his his greatest, Slow Turning. The energy never let up, although the pace did. He can play fast songs, slow songs, and everything in between, without missing a step. 

Obviously he had some idea what he'd play, but was still willing to take requests from the audience. Over the course of his two hour main set, he covered almost all of the bases, playing old and new, and leaving very little out. I recognized songs from almost every album (except that dreadful Little Head CD, what was that album about, anyway?) I couldn't have asked for anything more, and was left satisfied that it was the best cross-section of material from his amazing, extensive career.

The show opener was Jon Dee Graham. I'd heard of Graham and knew I was going to like him. In fact, ever since I first heard it, I've had his song "Laredo (Small Dark Something)" running through my mind. I knew that the moment I walked through the door, I'd be picking up that CD. Or, so I hoped...

As we walked into the theatre, I noticed with fear and dread right away that the usual merchandise area was empty. I headed right for my pal Stu Reid, who would surely know if there were CDs to be found. Graham had told him that he was bringing CDs, so there was hope for me yet. I was a little nervous.

Graham's set was very impressive. I can see how a band might help him out, but the songs were strong and his voice worked well with his material. I thought he was very interesting and was looking forward to hearing more from him on CD. Even my mom wanted a CD. Jon started talking about how he tours with John Hiatt, and Hiatt rides on a big tour bus while he drives his car. Apparently, his wife figured out that the only way he could make money off of the tour was if he sold 15 CDs per night. So, he asked the audience to decide which 15 of us were going to buy a CD so that his wife would be happy. The ovation was pretty outstanding, and it was plainly obvious that he'd have no trouble selling 15 CDs. At the end of his set, Graham said that he'd be out in the lobby if those 15 people wanted to meet him out there. 

Even before the audience stopped clapping and the lights went up, I was out in the lobby. I wasn't going to miss out and I hate waiting in line. I lined up near the usual merch table and waited for Graham and the huge box of CDs I assumed he'd be toting. Well, Graham was ushered over to the table, and I noticed that he was only carrying one box. The lobby filled up really quickly, and somehow, polite and unassertive me got pushed out of my prime spot. As people clamoured for CDs, I heard Graham say that he was going to run out. Not good. I tried to push my way forward, as he announced that one of the CDs was sold out. Then, he announced that there were only two left, and one greedy customer bought them both. Much to my chagrin, I was going home empty handed.

I didn't even bother to stand and chat with Graham, I was too mad. I remember Paul Thorn at the Folk Festival being upset that he had "left money on the table" by not bringing enough CDs, even though he brought 200. Graham did not bring 200. His wife said he needed to sell 15, so being the overachiever that he is, he brought 16. What a loser. He could have easily sold ten times that many. I would have bought two and my mom would have bought one. Instead, I bought some over priced juice at the snack bar and vowed to be angry at Jon Dee Graham forever.

Sunday, August 1, 2004

The Icelandic Festival of Manitoba, Islendingadagurinn

I have vague memories of attending the Icelandic festival some time when I was a kid, but nothing that really stuck with me. For the past few years, I've been hoping to make it to the Alternative Folk Festival which features some great bands, usually (The Weakerthans played there a couple of years ago.) This year, the lineup included Hayley Gene (or Hayley Penner, she's billed both ways; she's Fred Penner's daughter,) Lindy (who I'd recently seen for the first time and liked just fine), Cuff the Duke (great, fun band that I haven't seen for a while), but the real draw for me was the mighty OX. 

Now, I was really excited about this lineup, and I hoped that others might be as well, but I kind of wondered how well an event like this would go over in a town full of vacationing cottagers with kids and tons of other ways to spend an evening. I convinced a group of friends to make the trek in to see the festival. I raved about this awesome rock band called OX that was playing, "at the end of the night," I said. 

As we arrived, a local singer/songwriter was performing. His set quickly ended, and the stage crew began to set up for the next act. I had assumed that local boy Lindy would be near the end, but for some reason (perhaps because they're so great in my books), I thought that the rockin' OX would be last up. Of course, I also thought the young boys of Cuff the Duke would be on early. As with most assumptions, this would be proven wrong. 

Soon, it was time to announce the next act, and to my surprise, OX was up. Turns out it was only Mark Browning, OX singer and songwriter, who would be performing. Without the band, it would be a more low-key show, so I guess he got an early slot. I'm not sure whether that was a good thing for Mark or not, but there was a fairly decent crowd on hand when he started. Mark started off with one of my favourites, a B-Side from the Dust Bowl Revival Album, "Awkward Beauty." The song starts, "She's got a shitty guitar/ she's an awkward beauty," sung in Mark's wonderful warbly voice. Well, not everyone got it, and those around me started looking nervous. My cottage-loving friends quickly took a dislike to Mark's music. One asked, "have you seen this guy before? Do you like him?" Um. Yes. 

After a few songs, it became apparent that my friends were not interested in staying for the mighty Mark's set. I had no problem with them leaving, but was glad that I was able to sit it out. Honestly, I can't blame them, and I wondered again why Mark was up there in the first place. Sure, for him, it's great exposure and a great way to get his music to a new crowd who was out to see a free show at the lake. But, the long weekend is a time to party and relax. The cottage goers would rather see a Tragically Hip cover band than the stunning OX, and the crowd started to thin out rather quickly. I was disappointed for Mark, but not entirely surprised. Mark kept saying how nice it was to be there, but I couldn't help but think that this was one of those gigs that musicians must dread; playing to an audience that couldn't possibly care less about you. It made me think of Blue Rodeo's song, "What Am I Doing Here," written about playing carnival stages as uninterested patrons wander by.

Nonetheless, Mark's set was great. I'd never seen Mark solo, so it was an interesting opportunity to hear how the OX tunes would translate into a solo setting. I thought they worked marvellously, putting the focus on Mark and his words. I think he's a mighty talented guy, and a mighty nice one at that. I clapped extra loud so that he'd know that someone cared.

I compromised with my friends and decided that they could go back to the cottage and start a bonfire while I saw the last of at least one band. I was sorry to miss Lindy, who was up next, and especially sorry to miss Cuff the Duke, but sometimes music isn't the most important thing. I was lucky to be staying with such nice folks on such a nice weekend, and so passing up music that I liked to spend time with them was fine with me.

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

It's official: my camera is a piece of crap. Was very much looking forward to sharing my photos of Calgary and Winnipeg folk fests, so I went and had them all developed. The results (some of them, anyway) will be posted. See for yourself why I'm so disheartened.

I am now starting the "Get Jeff a Digital Camera" fundraising drive. Anyone wishing to donate to this very worthwhile cause is asked to please do so.

Calgary Folk Music Festival, July 22-25, 2004

One of these days, I'm going to have a job that allows me to attend festivals as part of my job. I don't know what I'll be when I grow up, but somehow, I must find a job that allows me to attend any folk fest I want any time I want. If anyone knows where I can find such a job, please let me know. Basically, I want to be Mike Neufeld or John Prentice when I grow up. 

In the meantime, I have a job that works out pretty good. My boss is very good to me and is usually pretty accomodating. So I could get time off for the trip to Calgary, but not enough to allow me to attend the whole festival. I had to work Thursday, so Thursday night was out. We drove to Regina on Thursday and stayed the night, and headed out to Calgary on Friday. I was hoping to make it to the festival on Friday night (there are no daytime stages on Friday, in Calgary, unlike in Winnipeg) to see Caitlin Cary and Ruthie Foster, among others, but was pretty tired when we finally got into town. Once we sat down to dinner with family, that seemed more fun and relaxing anyway, so even though I had a ticket for the concert, I stayed around the house. 

Link to Calgary Folk Fest Photos!

Sunday, July 25, 2004
Calgary Folk Festival: Day 2 (Night 4)

This was to be the "big" day, the one we had come so far for. There were a ton of great performers and workshops to see today, and it looked like a beautiful day to be sitting in Prince's Island Park listening to music.

As is tradition in Winnipeg, I headed to the Sunday morning gospel workshop to start my day. Like in Winnipeg, Linda Tillery & the Cultural Heritage Choir would be hosting, but this time they would be joined by Rhonda Vincet & the Rage, Ruthie Foster, and Martyn Joseph. I couldn't ask for much more than that from a lineup. Terry and Terry had scoped out prime seats right in front of the stage to catch the action. 

The gospel workshop is usually a very comfortable, loving environment, naturally, but this one took a strange turn when our dear friend Martyn Joseph got up to do his first song. All of the other groups had done rather traditional straightforward gospel tunes, but Martyn is anything but traditional or straightforward. He's got so much passion and such great messages and this was the perfect opportunity for him to play a song with a lot of conviction, or so he must have thought. 

I wish I knew the title of Joseph's song or how it went, exactly, but the highlight of the performance was an impassioned rant about religious fundamentalism and using religion as an excuse. It revolved around seeing Pat Robertson on TV in the US saying how no matter what George Bush did, he should be forgiven and trusted because he's a man of God. Joseph yells "THAT'S BULLSHIT!" and rants about what kind of God he believes in and what kind of things he considers right and wrong. Honestly, it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen Martyn do, and he's a guy who routinely amazes me. He delivered his song with such passion and conviction that I almost wanted to jump up and yell "Hallelujah Brother Martyn!" But that wasn't really the point of the song.

Well, I guess the point of the song was lost on some who might come from a more traditional religious upbringing, like, for instance, most of the performers on the stage. Linda Tillery looked rather shocked after Martyn's song, and said, "Where I come from, we'd call that an interesting song," or something like that. She clearly wasn't impressed. Now, the way the stage was set up, they were one microphone short, so someone had to go without and step up and borrow someone else's when it was time to sing. Being the gentleman that he is, Martyn sat quietly in the back behind the other performers, and only stepped up and borrowed Tillery's microphone when it was his turn. As the workshop progressed, Tillery called upon everyone else to do another song, but skipped right over Martyn when it was his turn. Rhonda Vincent pointed out the error, but Tillery said that Vincent should just go ahead and do her song. She made some joke about tripping Martyn on his way back to his seat, or something. 

Now, I really don't want to get off on a religious rant here, and I prefer not to make a big deal out of a little thing, but it seemed to me that the "good Christians" on stage were shunning brother Martyn for singing a song that mixed politics and religion at a gospel workshop. Obviously, the other performers didn't see eye to eye with Martyn's political views, or something, but there's something so unChristian about mocking him and casting him out (no matter how politely or insignificantly the mocking or casting out happened) that left an uneasy feeling in this audience member. I have some problems with organized religion and pious fundamentalists, and this only reaffirmed my concerns and left me feeling that to some, religion is not always about acceptance and tolerance, as it should be. 

Oops, as much as I try not to let Folk Fests get the better of me and get me raving about politics and religion, sometimes I slip. Music is fun and entertaining.

We didn't stay for the whole messy workshop, it was time to do some wandering. I made my way over to see a few minutes of Alberta singer/songwriter Wil's concert set. He was interesting and the crowd seemed to be liking him a lot. 

Wandered over to Stage 1 to see the "Pop Goes the Weasel" workshop (I feel that rant about artistic directors and dorky workshop names coming on) featuring Ben Sures, Scott Merritt, Arlene Bishop, and her husband, Blair Packham. I've been teased before for being such a big Blair Packham fan, and I can take more of it now, but I like the guy, so I went primarily to see him in this, his only workshop appearance. He was at the festival backing up Arlene (who, in my mind, should be backing him, at best...). Packham, as you may or may not know, was the leader of The Jitters, who had pop hits with "Last of the Red Hot Fools," "Closer Every Day," and "Til the Fever Breaks."

An interesting workshop with Bishop leading things off by going over the performers' lineup: "I'm Arlene Bishop, and I'll do a song, then Scott Merritt will do a song, then Ben Sures will do a song, then Blair Packham will do a song, then I'll do a song, then Scott Merritt will do a song, then Ben Sures will do a song, then Blair Packham will do a song, then I'll do a song, then Scott Merritt will do a song, then Ben Sures will do a song, then Blair Packham will do a song." Arlene's known for her sense of humour. Bishop's songs were good (although I got annoyed when she introduced the song "Metaphor for Your Life" by reeling off a list of similies, not metaphors... ugh...). Scott Merritt really didn't belong there, he's not a pop singer, but was good nonetheless. Ben Sures is surely talented and some people seem to like him, but he annoys me in just about every way. I stayed through the whole thing, primarily to see Packham, but he only got to do one song (Bishop got 3. Guess we know who wears the pants 'round that house, eh?), "One Hit Wonder," off of his latest CD.

After that, it was a toss up between Stage 2 where Spirit of the West, James Keelaghan, Andy White, and Ken Hamm were performing, and Stage 3 where my friends Nathan were performing. I figured I could see Nathan any old time (including their upcoming CD release party on August 26 at the West End) so the "Northern Lights" workshop was my best bet. Well, hundreds of other people had the same idea, so there was no way we were getting close to Stage 2, so off to see Nathan I went. 

Actually, I made my big shopping trip to the CD tent, but eventually I made my way over to Nathan, and they were wonderful, as usual. Great to see a good crowd enjoying their set, including singer and songwriter Keri McTighe's (NOT MEtighe, as it says in the program...) family cheering their super-talented daughter on. A great concert set, and the band was joined by the super-talented pedal steel player who played on their new CD, Burke Carroll, of The Brothers Cosmoline and Luther Wright and the Wrongs fame. A great set and a lot of fun.

The sun was beginning to get REALLY hot and beginning to suck all of our energy away. Shade was going to be a hot commodity that afternoon.

The Sunday afternoon mainstage concert was something to look forward to, indeed. A solo set by none other than Steve Earle. The set started off with a great cover of Townes Van Zandt's "Flying Shoes." Earle worked his way through a ton of his greatest songs, including some from almost every album. Recently, I rediscovered his great album Train A Comin', and was pleased to see him do a bunch of those songs in Calgary. Of course, even at a folk festival, there has to be some ignorant loogan yelling out for "Copperhead Road" the whole time, and this day was no different. Earle said, "You can always tell the guy in the crowd who's been hit in the head most recently, because he's the first one to yell out for Copperhead Road. Do you really think I'm not going to do that one?" Indeed. 

I sometimes wonder if Steve Earle regrets writing "Copperhead Road," the song that really made him a rock star. Honestly, I don't think it's his best song or album, and it introduced him to a whole new audience that he would likely rather do without these days. Sure, it made him rich, but you can tell that those folks just don't get Earle's talent or message. Now, to be honest, that album did introduce me to Earle also, but now, it's the last Steve Earle album I'll reach for, and a time that I'd rather forget, having grown up a lot since then. 

Earle was to present a bit of a problem in the afternoon, as we were forced to choose between his one and only workshop appearance alongside Corb Lund and Caitlin Cary,  and a great one (with another dorky name: "Axis of Whatever") featuring Nathan, Wil, The Weakerthans, and Paul Kelly. As usual, T-Bar got me worked up obsessing over autograph opportunities (especially after he hit the jackpot and happened to bump into Lucinda Willimas on the street) so I wasn't about to pass up the big one and have him brag about it forever. So, we planned to set up a spot at Stage 5 for Earle's big end of the day appearance.

I had planned to just leave the blanket there and check out some of the other great workshops early that afternoon, including two with the Weakerthans, but the sun was the clear winner of the day. I was getting really hot and really tired, and a shady spot on the hill beside stage 5 looked like the perfect opportunity for an afternoon siesta. So, I missed a whole bunch of stuff while taking a much needed break. I did, however, wake up in time to see "Spirit of the Village," a great meeting of the musical worlds of Spirit of the West and The Warsaw Village Band. I think it took a bit for the Polish group to warm up to the lively Canadian boys wanting to jam along, but it turned out to be a lot of fun, even when John Mann decided to add the lyrics to "Home for a Rest" to their instrumental tune. A weird and wonderful set that made me think of what festival workshops should be about more often.

Anyway, the last set of the day was the most anticipated, as hundreds and hundreds jammed in to see "Gonna Shine Up My Boots," with the aforementioned Lund, Cary, and Earle. Security was tight, so us autograph stalkers were going to have our work cut out for us. Patrick Earle arrived first to set up brother Steve's gear. Everyone took the stage as the stealthy Steve slipped in and on stage. It was very clear, very quickly, that Steve was not impressed with his lot in life, having to perform a workshop. Earle is not what you'd call a warm and friendly individual, but in this case, he looked like he was ready to behead anyone unlucky enough to say or do the wrong thing. I heard later on that Earle had no idea he was doing a workshop until Corb Lund mentioned it backstage, or something. He was not impressed to find out at the last minute.

I guess when you're Steve Earle, you don't have to care what anyone thinks, but one has to wonder about the professionalism or commitment of a guy who clearly doesn't want to be performing. Everyone forgives him because he's Steve Earle, but I sometimes want him to grow up and realize that he's made millions and millions off of his fans, so perhaps he should just shut up and do his job, or else find another. Of course, there's no way I'd ever tell him that...

The only notable thing about the workshop was the debut of a new song off of Earle's upcoming CD, The Revolution Starts Now. Earle is known for his outspoken political views and for speaking out against his own country, which he claims to love. Earlier in his main stage set, he talked about his new album and said, "with my last album, I thought they were going to deport me or have me killed or something, but they didn't, so I thought I'd give them another chance." His new CD is blatantly political, and I have to wonder what kind of a shelf life it'll have or what substance beyond the heavy handed message it might have. The new song he did at the workshop was "F the CC," which contains the lovely singalong chorus: "Fuck the FCC/ Fuck the FBI/ Fuck the CIA/ I'm living in the mother fuckin' USA." Charming, isn't he? 

This song is bound to become a sing along anthem and inspire anarchists everywhere, but one has to wonder what any of those who will sing along would ever do without those agencies. I think it's a dumb song and it'll be sung by dumb people without any thought behind what they're singing. 

Sunday Evening

Again, there wasn't a ton that I was really clamouring to see in the evening, except for one act, and one of the main reasons that I'd come to the festival, Lucinda Williams. There are those (like a certain radio co-host of mine) who hesitated to bring Lucinda to Winnipeg because they didn't think she could sell out the 1600 seat Walker Theatre (I still say they're painfully wrong, but what am I going to do?), so I doubt that I'll ever see her here, so a trip to Calgary to see her didn't seem like such a dumb idea, especially considering the great festival line up. 

After having seen her main stage set, I can safely say that I'm pretty glad I got to see more than just her, but she was great, don't get me wrong. Lucinda's a bit of a nut, as you may have heard, so it's always tough to tell whether you're going to get a top notch show or something weird and boring, but this show was a pretty good mix of the two. I thought she focused too much on the slower, more boring material in the catalogue. But, she did a good selection of songs from her last few albums. I'd seen Steve Earle standing at the side of the stage watching his old friend's set. Luckily, Lucinda saw him too, at one point asking him to come out and join her. He strolled on in his "Sex, Drugs, and Flatt & Scruggs" t-shirt, strapped on a guitar, and played along to a couple of numbers from her best album and the one that launched her career into overdrive, the Steve Earle produced Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. It's a brilliant album and one that everyone should own, and it was a treat to see Earle helping out on a few numbers, even doing a duet on "Concrete & Barbed Wire." Although they didn't do the songs I would have liked, they also did "Joy," and one or two others. The Calgary Folk Fest is very tightly run, so time was limited for Lucinda, and she spent all too much time worrying about her sunglasses and technical problems, limiting the amount of music that could be performed. It was, however, a great set and a real treat to see Lucinda and Steve Earle on stage together.

In a bit of a weird booking move, Winnipeg's James Keelaghan was slated to follow Lucinda. Now, Keelaghan is a folk heavyweight in his own right, and being from Calgary, he was a good choice to close off the main stage, but following a big star like Williams has to be tough, and it honestly doesn't give people a whole lot of reason to stick around instead of making it home at a decent time, especially if they have a long 13 hour drive ahead the next day, so we joined the sea of people that made our way out of the site as James took the stage. I'm a James Keelaghan fan, so I felt bad, but at the same time, I know that I'll see him plenty of times again, and I wanted to go out remembering Lucinda and make it home early and happy.

All in all, the Calgary Folk Fest was a great success, I thought. They had great crowds and a great line up. More personally, I had a wonderful time with my friends Terry, Terry, Mike, and the wonderful Kristen, and had a nice chance to visit with family in the city. There are plenty of benefits to the Calgary fest, and I doubt that Winnipeg's lineup will ever match this one, but there are plenty of things about the festival that made me miss our little oasis at Birds Hill Park. I'm sure I'll be back, but I know I'll appreciate some of the finer points of the Winnipeg Festival more, too.

Saturday, July 24, 2004
Calgary Folk Festival: Day 1 (Night 3)

The decisions are tough to make at this festival. Seems like on every stage there's something I'm interested in. If I were by myself, I'd be wandering from stage to stage and likely never see anything. Lucky for me, I've got someone along to keep me grounded. 

Terry and Terry said that we should meet up at Stage 1 first, where our pal Martyn Joseph is appearing in a workshop called "United Kingdom?" alongside Dick Gaughan, who we just saw in Winnipeg, Thea Gilmore, who I didn't know much about, and Andy White, who I was very interested in seeing. White was recommended to me by a friend and co-writer, Stephen Fearing. If Stephen Fearing says a guy is good, he must be worth a listen. I liked his stuff and thought Thea Gilmore was good, too. Terry loved Thea and went out and bought her CD. I'll let him tell you what he thought of Dick... maybe on his new diary at the Steel Belted Site... I quickly got restless and wandered a bit, hoping to catch a glimpse of North Mississippi Allstars on Stage 3. I couldn't see them, but heard later on that they didn't even show up for the workshop. 

We stayed camped out at Stage 1 for a while. The next few workshops were great also, so we got to have prime seating, as we moved up after each workshop. By the last one, we were right up against the stage, pretty much.

Anyway, workshop 2 was "The Cleverly Hillbillies" (another artistic director trying to be clever and losing the performers and the audience...) with Susan Crowe, Rhonda Vincent (who I was looking forward to seeing, after hearing so much about her from my friend Jenny Western of CKUW's great bluegrass show, Hit the Big Wide Strum, Pal, local boy Steve Coffey & the Lokels, and one of the biggest reasons for me to make the trek, Caitlin Cary.

Caitlin Cary didn't quite look or sound quite like I expected, but my expectations were perhaps a bit too high. She was good, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't entirely blown away by her as much as I am on her CDs. Was very cool to meet her backstage and chat a bit. Rhonda Vincent was a bit too slick for me, you could tell she was coming from a new country background, but her and her band certainly have a lot of talent and it was a treat to see them up close. Token local boy Steve Coffey was alright. 'nuff said.

The most memorable aspect of the workshop was Susan Crowe. She's well known and renowned in Canadian folk music, but she bears little in common with  the others on stage and had no idea how she fit in with the goofy workshop title. Throughout the workshop, she kept commenting about how uncomfortable she was and didn't feel like she belonged there. She came off as a bit cranky. Some folks, and I won't mention any names, kind of made fun of her. I thought she was ok. I have a copy of her latest CD "Book of Days" and think it's alright, so I brought it along to get signed, in true autograph hound tradition. I went up to her after the workshop and said, "Susan, would you mind signing my CD?" She said, "In a minute, I have to get my things off the stage." Reasonable enough, but my friends kind of laughed at me for getting snubbed by Susan Crowe. 

Crowe did come back to sign my CD. I commented that the first song she played, "Whippoorwill," was one of my favourites off the CD. She looked at me strangely, and said, "That's a rather interesting choice." I thought I had offended her or something, so I said, "Yeah, it's a nice song, why do you say it's an interesting choice?" She says something like, "Oh, well, most people would say that that's not one of the better songs..." and she went on to tell me what some of the better songs on the CD were. A bit of a strange exchange.

Next up at 12:50 was a concert I was pretty excited about, Paul Kelly. Unfortunately, at the same time, Martin Simpson was doing a concert at one stage, and Jorane was at another. I had hoped to catch those two artists, but figured I would see them at a workshop later on, so I stuck with the Terrys to see Paul Kelly. 

I had been hearing about Paul Kelly for a long time from my very trustworthy pal Stu Reid of CKUW's TwangTrust. Now, when Stu Reid tells me someone's a genius, I usually take note. Don't tell Stu, but I am not the world's biggest Bruce Springsteen fan (he knows that, because he IS the world's biggest Springsteen fan) and I am bored by Bob Dylan, so we don't agree on everything, but when Stu raved about Paul Kelly, I took note. I went out and bought a Paul Kelly CD, Nothing But a Dream, just based on Stu's recommendation. I didn't like it. Don't like it much still. There's one great song, "If I Could Start Again Today,"  (Kelly did that in concert in Calgary.) This year, Kelly put out a double CD, Ways & Means, and my take on that is entirely different. I love those ones. Kelly and his band played a show at the West End Cultural Centre this year, and it's ranking pretty high on my top 10 list so far. 

On the TwangTrust before Kelly's concert, Stu played a song set at Christmas time, called "How to Make Gravy," and I knew right then and there that Kelly was every inch of the genius that Stu had implied. I don't know what it is about that song, but I love it more than any other Paul Kelly song, and as much as any of my favourite songs. It's an incredible song. Everybody seems to love it, even my mom. Sadly, it's not available in North America for some reason, so I never thought I'd hear Kelly do it live. He did it at the West End and I thought my life was complete. Never in a million years did I expect him to do it in July in Calgary. 

Kelly did not have a full band this time, only his guitar player Dan Luscombe was along. But even he was just there to add a little bit of colour to Kelly's amazing words and music. Kelly writes some very captivating stories, and they don't need much accompaniment. They played a lot of material off of Ways & Means and a few off of Nothing But a Dream, including one that a few folks I know (like Mikey) seem to like a lot, even though I don't really get why, "Every Fuckin' City." Then, just after Kelly was told he had 5 minutes left, he said, "I know it's a hot day out there in the July sun, but I'd like to play you a Christmas song right now from Australia, with a cast of thousands." And he launched into the song that I think nobody's music collection should be considered complete without, but nobody on this continent can buy domestically, "How to Make Gravy." Seriously, folks, if you can ever find a copy, do it. I spoke to Paul after the concert and thanked him, as I did in March in Winnipeg, for playing that song and told him it was a shame that we couldn't buy it. I said he should talk to the fine folks at his Canadian label, True North Records, about re-releasing some of his old material. I sure hope that comes to pass some day. 

The Rankin Sisters took over at main stage, and the daytime stages went on a lunch break. Not being a big Rankin fan, I took a lunch break too. The curry was better than the Rankins, although I did recognize more of their songs than I thought I would.

After lunch it was back to Stage 1 for "High and Lonesome" (where was John Scoles for that one?) featuring Caitlin Cary, Corb Lund, Susan Crowe, and Po' Girl. I'm not sure how or why, but host Caitlin Cary decided that the performers should do songs about horses. Well, that worked for her and Lund, but not so much for the other performers. It was a great workshop anyway.

Next up I wandered over to Stage 5 to check out Scott Merritt. Honestly, I'd come to hear of him primarily as the producer of Fred Eaglesmith's albums. I love Fred Eaglesmith, and I've definitely noticed as of late that the Scott Merritt ones are the best, by far. I picked up some of Scott's stuff (a vinyl copy of 1985's Serious Interference, and a CD of his latest The Detour Home, if you're wondering) but wasn't blown away. I thought he might be good live, so I went to see what he was about. He was backed by David Woodhead on bass and various other instruments. He was indeed good. I took a moment to introduce myself after the concert and couldn't help bringing up Fred's name. Merritt has been hard at work on Fred's new CD, Dusty. I've heard from a couple of sources that this CD is a bit of a departure for Fred, and Merritt said, bluntly, "I think the Fredheads are going to kill him for this one." Apparently it's a HUGE departure for Fred. It's not weird and crazy or anything, but for Fred, it's pretty different.

Anyway, a bit of wandering around and checking out various other stages followed, including my first glimpse at Rae Spoon. She was one of my only real "new" discoveries in Calgary. She's very young and probably has a way to go as far as developing her songs and style, but boy oh boy is she talented. No idea how she packs so much talent into such a tiny body. Very country sound, she plays the banjo and sings really well. Watch for her.

Last up at 4:40 was a concert I knew I couldn't miss. It seemed strange going all the way to Calgary to see bands from Winnipeg, but I was dying to see Nathan on Sunday and Winnipeg's greatest band ever, The Weakerthans, on Saturday. John K Samson of the Weakerthans is the smartest, coolest guy I've ever seen. His words blow me away time and time again. I'd drop everything to see a Weakerthans concert, so it was no hard decision to head over and see them.

I was really curious to see how the band was received in a different city. In Winnipeg, they're regarded as hometown heroes and welcomed very warmly. I had no idea what the folks in Calgary would think, but it seemed like a very healthy crowd gathered early on to see the show.  A couple of things  struck me as odd as the show began. 

1) Samson started the show solo to play "One Great City." If you haven't heard it, there's a bunch of tales of people with dreary lives who explain all that is wrong in the world by chanting, "I hate Winnipeg!" It's always misunderstood as Samson dissing this city, but in actual fact, he's just holding the mirror up in front of all of us, who blame the silliest thing on our city. Very true. But I wondered if anyone in Calgary would get it. Obviously not the CKUA announcer who played the song on our way into the city and introduced it by saying, "The song's called "One Great City." I think he's talking about Winnipeg." Yeah.

2) Everyone was sitting. Now, I'm getting old and lazy, but I just couldn't imagine, for some reason, sitting down at a Weakerthans show. I wondered how they'd go over at a folk festival in the first place, but knew it would be odd sitting on the grass and clapping politely for this electrifying rock band. 

Almost as if he read my mind, as the song ended, Samson said, "I've been trying to figure it out, but I know what's wrong now. You're all sitting." He wasn't trying to get everyone to stand, he was just pointing out how odd it was for him, but it was all we needed to spring to our feet and move to the music. 

The show was really loud and really fun.  The setlist included most of my favourites from Left and Leaving and Reconstruction Site. Veda Hille, who's a good friend of the band, joined in for much of the second half of the show, even filling in for Sarah Harmer on Benediction. I heard later on that there were some complaints about how loud the concert got; I guess not all of the folkies got it.

Saturday night didn't offer a whole lot for me to get excited about, musically. The most interesting acts on the main stage were ones that I'd just seen in Winnipeg, including Linda Tillery & the Cultural Heritage Choir, Spirit of the West, and Earl Scruggs. Instead of standing through those, we decided to leave and check out the sights, sounds, and smells of the big city.

Sightseeing, for me, means CD shopping, of course, and we did some of that. I made a trip to Megatunes to pick up Kris Demeanor's new live CD, which is only available there, and check out the bargains. Of course, I left with a bag full, including Demeanor, Kyle Riabko (watch for this kid!), Jill Barber, and an old Uncle Tupelo CD that I'd been looking for. After that, I checked out Tramps, a used CD place I'd been dying to visit for a while. Quite a selection, I spent way too much time in there, but I actually didn't buy all that much. The funny part is that all of the discs I bought were by folks who do or have lived in Winnipeg. 

After that, it was off to a Calgary landmark that this burger addict couldn't pass up, Peter's Drive-In. If you haven't been there, it's worth the trip and the long, long line-ups. 

It was a great day. 

Link to Winnipeg Folk Fest Photos!

Sunday, July 11, 2004
31st Winnipeg Folk Festival: Day 4

Even before I got to the Folk Fest site, I was having a good time. Sunday was my only full day that I didn't have to work, although it meant that I was the lucky one on the end of festival hell shift at the end of the night, but I was determined to make the most of my free day. Since I'd be riding back at the end of the night in the cargo van, I didn't take my car to the site, and opted for the shuttle from our host hotel. I got on the bus before anyone else, but was soon joined by singer/songwriter Joel Kroeker, who I've had the pleasure of seeing and interviewing a number of times. He's a great guy and good to talk to. His album Melodrama is great. Anyway, sat on the bus and chatted with Joel. His first gig of the day was a workshop named "Dollars & Sense" with Utah Phillips, Ember Swift, and Paul Thorn. We tried to figure out what the heck the workshop was about (I feel a rant coming on about festival artistic directors who seem to think it's their duty to come up with "clever" workshop names, and in the end just leaving performers and audience members confused and frustrated. Seriously, what's wrong with calling a gospel workshop: "Gospel Workshop?" May rant on that later...). Joel had heard a bit about Paul Thorn, but had never seen or met the man. I've had the pleasure of seeing & meeting Paul a number of times, and if you've ever seen him, you know what a show stealer he can be. I prepped Joel a bit and let him know what he might be up against in the workshop. As the bus started to fill up, who came and sat right beside Joel, but Paul Thorn himself. What a bus ride: Paul Thorn chatting with Joel Kroeker, Linda Tillery chatting with Eric Bibb, and me sitting right in the middle eavesdropping on it all. 

Well, the traditional way to start off Sunday morning at the Winnipeg Folk Festival is by attending the gospel workshop, and who the heck am I to screw up a grand tradition. Met up with T-Bar, Corky, and their granddaughter Squeak, and headed over to the stage, where a large crowd was already forming. There was no doubt that this was going to be a hot day, so we parked under whatever shade was available. That was great for the family folk, but I couldn't see a thing and didn't really feel like standing in the hot sun to dance early on a Sunday morning, so I hung back for a little bit and enjoyed the music. 

The workshop was hosted by Linda Tillery & the Cultural Heritage Choir, and rightly so. Her group is about as soulful and spiritual as they come. I was very glad to see that they had invited their old friend Eric Bibb to join them for the workshop. I've seen Bibb join the group before at the Edmonton Folk Fest and I know what great chemistry they have. One of the most memorable workshops I've ever seen was a live recording at the Edmonton Folk Festival in 2001 with Linda & her choir, Eric Bibb, and Wislon Pickett, who was backed by Colin Linden. I stayed for a bit of Tillery & Bibb, heard some more Serena Ryder (what a talented performer, check her out, although I'm a bit unamazed by her new CD...), and Suzie Vinnick, who I must hear more of. Just before I started typing this, I heard two of Vinnick's songs on CBC, and it made me sorry that I hadn't made more of a point to check her out at the festival. Must remedy that soon.

By noon my shady spot had disappeared and my soul had been saved, so it was time to mosey on. I'd been looking forward to a solo concert by a guy named Mike O'Neill, who is currently touring with Sarah Harmer's band, but put out a great solo record a few years ago, after disbanding the late, great Inbreds. The Inbreds were the original (to my knowledge, anyway) bass & drums rock duo. I first heard of them, like many other bands, by way of the recommendation of the Rheostatics. Mike & Dave, The Inbreds, toured with the Rheos a number of times, and it gave me the great opportunity to see this powerful duo live. They were far more exciting and interesting live than on record. Anyway, the nostalgist in me wanted to go see what O'Neill was up to, and I was glad to see that a small crowd was right there to join me. 

O'Neill did not disappoint my nostalgic longing, starting off with what was probably their most memorable song, "Any Sense of Time." He proceeded to play a bunch of Inbreds tunes as well as some old and new solo songs. I was surprised by how nervous and self-deprecating O'Neill was, he seemed really out of his element, but I thought it was a great show nonetheless. 

After 45 minutes or so, it was time for me to wander on. I passed by Shady Grove, to see how Martyn Joseph's solo show was going. Joseph is one of the most captivating performers you could hope to see at a festival, and he's a heck of a nice man, also. At first it looked like the concert was poorly attended, as few folks were pressed up against the stage, but hundreds of folks were enjoying the grove of trees that surrounds the stage area and gives it its name. When Joseph ended, a huge standing ovation erupted from the trees.

Lunch time. I have to say, although the menu often leans toward rather earthy hippie fare (at a folk fest? Imagine that...) the food offered to us volunteers in generous quantities is one of the best benefits of the festival. Can't recall exactly what I ate on Sunday, but I'm sure I ate a lot of it and enjoyed it plenty.

The bizarre thing about this year's daytime line-up was that all of the best workshops seemed to be on at the same time (usually right at the beginning or end of the day) and then there were huge holes where I didn't much care to see anything. First thing up, I had to choose between the gospel workshop, Joel Kroeker & Paul Thorn, The Wailin' Jennys & Greg Macpherson, or a concert by Po' Girl. Middle of the day, not much going on. 

At 2:30, I decided to go see a bit of Paul Thorn's concert. Thorn is a lot of fun and a great salesman. It's hard not to be swept up by his schtick. He's the son of a minister and grew up performing at tent revivals, and he's learned a thing or two about motivating people and selling things, and he's always a big seller at the CD tent. This year was no different. Just as he was about to start his concert, a fan came up and asked if he had any more CDs because the ones in the tent were gone. Thorn learned his lesson at the 2002 festival when he sold out of CDs and brought hundreds this time. He was flabbergasted to learn that he'd sold them all already, and throughout the concert, it was a running theme "I can't believe you folks bought all them CDs!" He probably could have sold a ton more after his great concert. The one real problem that I had with his show was that he didn't do his best song. I stayed for the whole show, and he did not do "I Have a Good Day," which, if you've heard it, you'll know is an amazing song. Maybe he didn't want folks to stampede the CD tent looking for copies of that album.

The end of the day brought another tough decision: one stage had "Working Class Heroes," Martyn Joseph, Eric Bibb, Utah Phillips, and more, one had "Wine, Women, and Song," featuring the wonderful Wailin' Jennys, Po' Girl, Serena Ryder, and more, one stage had the amazing Michael Jerome Brown & the Twin Rivers String Band (his new CD on Borealis is terrific!), and one had the most talked about show of the weekend, the full length concert by Xavier Rudd.

I decided on "Long Distance Love (The Road is Littered with Broken Hearts)," featuring Jackie Greene, Sarah Harmer, The Mammals, and Jason Nowicki of The Perpetrators. Knowing that I had to work late at night, this may have been my only chance to see Sarah Harmer, so I figured I'd better make the best of it. It was also a great chance to check out Jackie Greene one more time, and see what my pal Jason Nowicki could do on stage with other such talented folks. Turns out, he sat right beside Jackie Greene, and had to follow him each time, and commented each time "great, now I have to follow Jackie Greene again" after each of Jackie's amazing performances.

Jackie's a bit of a strange dude. He's unbelievably talented and has a very powerful voice and presentation. I really don't think you'd get what a great performer he is unless you saw him live. For some reason, his CDs just don't pack the punch that his live performances did. As you're watching him, though, you just can't help but wonder how the heck that voice and those songs could come out of a guy who looks like he does. He's only 23, but you'd swear he was 16 if you saw him. Somehow, though, he sings and plays with a maturity that's out of this world. You can tell that music is is whole life, because Jackie's not much for conversation. Between songs, he would say a few words at most. Even backstage, it was pretty hard to engage Jackie in small talk. At the big festival windup party on Sunday night, where most sing, dance, and party all night (literally), Jackie sat in the corner of the hallway at a piano with a hoodie pulled up over his head, playing piano. 

Anyway, the workshop itself was a bit strange. A strange line-up and a few artists that clearly didn't understand the concept almost derailed things. Sarah Harmer, for some reason, thought her job was to do songs with the word "road" in them, performing "Silver Road" and saying "I don't have too many songs with the word road in them..." She was great, as usual, anyway. The one song that she did that really fit the workshop was her amazing cover of Oh Susanna's "Home Soon (the Cherry Song.)" Her cover of that is very true to the original, but it's such an amazing song. I never thought I'd hear her do that one, so that was a real treat. 

Probably the highlight of the workshop was Sarah's guitar player, Mike O'Neill. He for some reason joined in the workshop, even though he wasn't scheduled to be there. He was really nervous and awkward, but I thought he was great. For one song, he explained how that day was his wife Mimi's birthday. He then explained that as a travelling musician, he rarely saw Mimi in the beginning of their relationship. One time, as he was in Europe and Mimi was in North America (or vice versa... memory's a little vague...) he sang her a song for her birthday. He rewrote the old classic into "My Mimi Lies Over the Ocean." He proposed that we (the crowd) all practice the chorus, and he'd call Mimi up on his cell phone, and we'd all sing it to her. Well, it worked like a charm. I'm not sure how Mimi felt, but I got goosebumps being one of hundreds of people singing "Bring back/ Bring back/ Oh bring back my Mimi to me, to me..." It was neat and fun, and a little cheesy. I don't know if Mike deserved that much time on the stage for that (it took quite a while to tell the story, practice, place the call, etc.), but it was a great folk fest memory for me, and hopefully for Mimi. 

Evening

Honestly, not a lot to report, musically, from Sunday night. I did hear most of Sarah Harmer's main stage set, and watched it on tv backstage. It was definitely the best Sarah Harmer concert I've seen to date. A great setlist with old and new and a band that really knew what to do with her material helped a lot. Can't wait to see her in concert in October.

As mentioned, I was working the last shift of the night on cargo, so I was busy with that for much of the night. However, to be honest, most of my time was spent backstage hanging out and relaxing with my fest friends that I knew I wouldn't see for another year. There's something so bittersweet about the end of the festival. You know it's been a long, hot festival and you're exhausted, broke, and a little sore (and in my case, horribly sunburned) so you look forward to getting home to a nice shower and a comfy bed, but at the same time, the folk fest is such an ideal world and an amazing experience that you just have to want it to last longer. The wait seems to last forever, and then the festival just flies by. I'll be looking forward to next year and seeing what our new artistic director can do. At this point in time, for me and obviously for the record crowds that keep showing up every year, through thick and thin, it doesn't much matter who's on stage, we know we'll have a great time. The Winnipeg Folk Festival is THE party of the year, no matter whether you spend it drunk at the campground, sitting and listening to music, or just chatting with friends, it's all good, and something to look forward to each year. Personally, I've had very good times and very bad times in conjunction with the festival, but somehow, the music and the friendship is all that matters. I wish that my real life could be so wonderful.

Can't wait for next year.

Saturday, July 10, 2004
31st Winnipeg Folk Festival: Day 3

There were a lot of things that I was really looking forward to seeing on Saturday. Unfortunately, for the first time in my two years on the Cargo crew, I actually had to work a long, full shift. I actually ended up working over time. Almost 8 hours in a cargo van, and no time actually watching music until about 4:00. Plenty that I would have liked to see, but I am a volunteer, after all, and I am there to do my part and help out the festival, so I know that I can't see everything.

The one thing I did see was Eric Bibb's concert. I've seen bluesman Bibb at festivals in Alberta (Edmonton and Jasper) and I really liked him. I was glad to see him finally playing in Winnipeg, and was happy to go see him in concert. He did not disappoint, and a very enthusiastic crowd obviously agreed with me. He was even better than I remembered him being. He was also joined by Canadian virtuoso Michael Jerome Browne, who provided some amazing instrumental accompaniment. A fun show.

Evening

Saturday evening belonged to Xavier Rudd. He was doing an 8:00 show at Firefly Palace, and I told everyone I ran into that they HAD to be there. Those who took my advice were not disappointed. (Susan and Kristi... boy did you miss out...) Long before showtime, the crowd started to pack into the tent that houses the children's stage during the day and the Firefly Palace at night. Obviously, I wasn't the only one talking about Xavier, word had gotten out that this was THE place to be, and quickly, I was squished in with a bad view and little leg room. Normally, this would be a signal that I wouldn't enjoy the show, but that was not to be the case this night.

Rudd's set up requires a lot of complicated set up and maintenance, so the show did not start on time. Rudd's roadie, James, had spent some time in my van on Saturday, and so I had some idea how complicated Rudd's set up was, and how hard James had to work to get it all running smoothly. Again, delays and long sound checks usually get me in a bad mood and can lead to a less than stellar concert, but there was nothing that could stop Xavier Rudd that night.

Rudd is an interesting mix of styles. One song might sound like a Paul Simon tune, one is a reggae vibe like Bob Marley could do, some sound like Harry Manx with a heavy dose of caffeine, many are backed up with Ben Harper like grooves and slide guitar. But no matter what the style, the charismatic and energetic young beach blonde Xavier Rudd delivers each song with passion and conviction and amazing energy. I don't know where he gets it from.  Earlier, I spotted Rudd at the Eric Bibb concert, and he was standing off to the side, grooving to the music standing in bare feet. I was busy digging out my CD and a sharpie and planning to go talk to him, when suddenly he took off like a shot and ran to another stage across the festival site, before I could even get my CD out. The guy's got energy.

People started grooving to Rudd early on, and as more people wandered in and the tent filled up, the heat and energy in the room began to grow. Rudd is amazing at taking the energy in the room and turning it up a few notches and sending it back out. The more excited the audience got, the more Rudd pounded out of his guitars, rhythm instruments, vocals, and of course those didgeridoos. As the energy built and built toward the end of the show, people started standing up all over the place and dancing. People were singing and clapping along without any prompting from Rudd. There seemed to be some electric connection with audience and performer, and everyone was in on it.

I've seen a lot of concerts in my time, but almost never have I seen a crowd so worked into a spiritual, musical frenzy such as Xavier Rudd conjured up. I said it to T-Bar then and I'll say it again, if Rudd had asked those hundreds of people to go throw themselves into the lake, we would have gladly done so. Such was the power that Rudd had over us. He had hundreds of excited people right in the palm of his hand. It must be an amazing, amazing feeling to have such power. I asked him after the show if he felt that, and he said that it wasn't just him, the audience was giving him as much as he was giving them. By the end of the show, there was not a soul sitting. Even this overweight, lazy non-dancer was up bouncing and swaying as I clapped along. You just couldn't help but be moved to your feet by that amazing show. 

When Rudd abruptly stopped the show and said "thank you!" and walked off, I thought the crowd might tear the tent apart. The energy in the room seemed to lift that tent right off the ground, and I'm sure the cheers must have been audible over at mainstage. People just couldn't get enough of this guy, and even as James and the stage crew started tearing down Rudd's gear, the crowd roared for just one more. When the stage manager grabbed a microphone to tell the crowd that he had to set up for the next act (DJ Hunnicutt, with the unenviable task of following Rudd), I thought the crowd might tear him apart. But Rudd's music is so peaceful and powerful that there could be no negativity and no bad end to this story.

That concert will go down in history as one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen. The electrified connection between hundreds of fans and one performer is quite unlike any show at any sold out arena. Nothing I can say could really explain how it felt to be there. As much as I love Rudd's music, and will enjoy listening to his CDs, I know that the power we felt that night was about so much more than just music. I do encourage you to pick up a CD by Xavier Rudd, or visit www.xavierrudd.com, but nothing could ever give you the full story quite like seeing him in a small room or tent somewhere. 

Friday, July 9, 2004
31st Winnipeg Folk Festival: Day 2

The first full day of the Winnipeg Folk Festival is always exciting, but it takes a while for me to get in the swing of things, for some reason. I spend way too much time planning what to bring and making sure that I've got everything I could possibly need for the day. I also spend way too much time planning what concerts to go see, even though I tend to disregard my plans at a moment's notice and head off for something else on a whim.

The day started off slowly. I'd been wanting to see a country band called The Swiftys and they were up first at Stage 3 (now awkwardly called Snowberry Field, more grumbling about those STUPID stage names later). I've heard that The Swiftys are a good live band. I picked up their debut CD a while back and liked it enough, although I wasn't blown away. Part of my problem with them is that they, like a huge proportion of our population, know nothing about proper apostrophe usage, and it drives me crazy. Before I get off on a rant about apostrophes in what's supposed to be a music review, people, if I can teach you anything, please let it be this:

Apostrophes are for:

making something possessive - e.g., Jeff's rants

OR

creating a contraction (combining two words) - Jeff's a crusty old coot e.g., Jeff IS a crusty old coot.

Apostrophes are NOT for:

Forming plurals. EVER.

So, if your band happens to be called The Swiftys, and by that you mean that there are more than one Swifty, then you DO NOT NEED AN APOSTROPHE. Swifty's would mean that something belonged to one person named Swifty, or Swifty is. So, the band got off on the wrong foot with me by calling themselves "The Swifty's" (sic) on their CD cover. ick.

I will now let my apostrophe rant end. My high-priced Bachelor of Arts degree did teach me something after all, and made me into a raving language nerd. What's become of me?

Well, after all that, The Swiftys (note the lack of an apostrophe) were ok. Just ok. They'd be great in a barroom like Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club, and are fun to kick back with on a sunny morning at The Folk Fest, but not good enough to wow me or hold my attention when so much is going on. I like the band and recommend them, but doubt that they'll ever set the world on fire.

I wandered a bit and caught up with Terry & Terry who were dying to see Leela Gilday, from The Yukon. She was good.

Sadly, the one true downside to being a volunteer at The Winnipeg Folk Festival (and there are countless upsides) is that you actually have to go do some work once in a while, and sometimes this interferes with your enjoyment of the music. So, instead of supporting my dear friends The Wailin' Jennys at their concert or checking out one of the artists I was hoping to see for the first time, Girlyman, or hitting an awesome looking blues workshop (great lineup, Eric Bibb, Winnipeg's The Perpetrators, Suzie Vinnick, and the awesome virtuoso Michael Jerome Brown, but what the heck was Serena Ryder doing on that bill?), I had to head back to the hotel and do some work. Yippee.

Skip ahead a bit to later in the afternoon when work brought me back onsite for some music. I'd been dying to see Serena Ryder live, I've missed her every time she's been through Winnipeg, so I headed over to catch her concert. She was placed on this awful "Little Stage on the Prairie" which is right outside the CD tent and right beside the busy crafts people's and artisans' area, so people were coming and going and making noise, which totally ruined the show for me. I knew Serena would be awesome, and she lived up to my every expectation, but I figured I could pick up her CD and see what I missed later. 

I've been grumbling about certain aspects of this year's festival, and before I get off on that rant again and they bring in the dead horse for one more kick, is it just me, or were all of the workshops that were worth going to see right at the end of the day, all at the same time? 

Anyway, from Serena, I could have headed with Mike & T-Bar to see the Canadiana workshop featuring Leela Gilday, Po' Girl, and our pal Joel Kroeker, among others, or the "Short but Sweet" workshop, but my choice was good old Shady Grove, where webmistress extraordinaire, Mrs. Terry (Corky) was headed to see "Iconoclastic and Fantastic." That one looked very interesting, I was curious to see Martin Carthy, but the big draws for me were the always entertaining Paul Thorn and David Lindley. Also on the bill was a guy called Xavier Rudd, who I honestly wasn't really dying to see.

Rudd became known for the rest of the weekend as "that didgeridoo guy" because he's an Australian who makes use of 3 didgeridoos as part of his act. Now, I'm no big fan of world music, it bores me, and the only other use I've seen for a didgeridoo was in a boring hippie jam band, so I didn't think Rudd would be my cup of tea. As Corky so succinctly put it, "I went to the workshop in spite of him. I figured I could sit through him to see the other guys." Ah, how you misjudge performers at such a festival.

I got there just after Rudd's first song. Corky immediately said to me, "Did you see the didgeridoo guy? He was excellent." That's high praise from Corky. She's not a music nerd and can be hard to please. She married into the music nerd lifestyle, and we often drag her kicking and screaming into our little world. If she likes something, it's probably good. Rudd, however, proved to be so much more than that.

Turns out I'm not the world's biggest Martin Carthy fan, but Thorn and Lindley were so upbeat and fun that they set the bar pretty high for whoever had to follow them. That was Rudd. And he was up to the challenge. He said, "I was going to play something slow, but after that great song by David Lindley, I think I'll play this one."

Then, Rudd grabbed a slide guitar and started to play an upbeat groove. He started tapping his foot wildly and really getting the crowd grooving. I liked him already. Then came in the didgeridoo. Now, I don't know what's wrong with those other clowns I've seen playing this thing, but Rudd is able to coax the most amazing rhythms and sounds out of this instrument. 

For those that don't know, a didgeridoo is basically a long eucalyptus branch that has been eaten hollow by termites. It looks like a long hollow piece of bamboo, perhaps. To play it, the performer has to use what's called "circular breathing, which is the seemingly impossible task of breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth at the same time (try it) to produce a long, sustained, gust of wind. Jazz trumpeters do it to hold notes forever, and a long, sustained wind is needed to get a didgeridoo going. 

Don't forget, Rudd is still tapping his foot and playing slide guitar at the same time. This groove just builds and builds, and then moves away from the didgeridoo and he starts to sing. His voice is so awesome and I'm so taken aback by this performer, that I turn to Corky and say, simply, "wow." Indeed. Rudd is so energetic and exciting that the audience simply has to react, and when the audience reacts favourably, and I can't imagine folks doing differently, the energy perpetuates itself and makes for a truly electric experience. More on this later.

Needless to say, Rudd stole the show from the better known performers, and most folks walked away shaking their heads in disbelief. I was no different.

Evening

The big headliner was set to play first on Friday. Now, I just don't get the hype over the Buena Vista dude. Sure, he's a great Cuban musician and all, but he was only one of many performers who made that movie and CD so darn good. And really, that movie/CD did come out 7 years ago! If Ry Cooder were there to play with old Ibrihim, I might have been excited, but I didn't see it as a huge deal. Sure, the band was good and all, but it just didn't grab me, so I didn't stick around long. Back to schmoozing at la cuisine and the beer tent.

I did, out of curiousity, stop by the one interesting new addition to the festival, a night-time alternative to the mainstage, featuring alternative entertainment. I thought it was a good idea, and a good showcase for some unusual folk fest talent, like UMFM's own DJ Hunnicutt (who was unable to actually do his set on Friday, because the festival "forgot" to get him turntables to use... he's a DJ, what did you think he was going to do up there, guys?). I was curious to see Ember Swift, so I went to see her show at 8:00. Now, Ember's a nice gal and works hard to promote herself. She's sent me a couple of CDs and usually has good promotional materials and a good approach. I want to support her, and I like her independence and determination. The only problem is that I wasn't won over by her CDs, for some reason. But, I did want to know if I would be more impressed by the live show, so I went to see her live (plus, I'll admit... once I saw how gorgeous she is, I thought she might be worth a second chance...). She was better live than on CD, and I stayed for most of her show and quite enjoyed it. 

Wandered around a bit before heading back to that same "Firefly Palace" for some Winnipeg Film Group movies at 10:00. The story there was the technical difficulties that delayed the start of the films for a long, long time. Annoying and awkward, but the films were interesting once things got started.

I was kind of curious to see The Nits, who closed the mainstage on Friday. I have a tape of theirs from the 80s that I can't seem to find now, and after reading their write-up, I figured they'd be a band that I might enjoy. Nope. Weird and boring European synth-pop that sounded like it belonged on that 80s tape and not on main stage at one of the world's most renowned folk festivals. The audience cleared out pretty quickly during their set, and I joined the crowd on the way out. Why you'd program them last on main stage... oops, there I go again.

Thursday, July 8, 2004
31st Winnipeg Folk Festival: Day 1
 

Yeah, I know I’ve been grumbling about the weak lineup for the festival this year, but damn it, it’s good to be back. Walking through those trees into the festival site is sort of like a homecoming. I’ve been attending the festival for 12 years now, and it’s become the highlight of the year for me. Of course, there are some good memories and some bad that come flooding back as I walk onsite, but I know that I’m going to have a good time and meet up with some folks I haven’t seen in a while and take in some great music.
 
The story on day 1 was the rain. There was lots of it. I got wet. Plenty wet. Seems like there’s always rain on one day of the festival, and hopefully this was it. Although it will be muddy all weekend, let’s hope that there isn’t any more rain falling.
 
Got to the site a little late (as usual) as Winnipeg’s own, The Perpetrators were onstage. Now, I love the Perps, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just plain wacky to have them first on the main stage. These guys are the perfect accompaniment to a late night bar where people have had some drinks and are ready to have some fun, but something really gets lost when you’re in a wide open field in the daylight, perfectly sober. They were rockin’, loud, and energetic, but I really don’t think most of the crowd was paying attention. First slot is a tough one, but these boys made the best of it. They played a good set and even had some hippies up dancing, but even I got a little restless and headed backstage for a bit.
 
The first ‘tweener of the night was none other than my good friends The Wailin’ Jennys. The Jennys had the unenviable task of opening main stage two years ago. Since then, they’ve released a terrific new CD and have grown a lot. They sounded great up there. Got to do 3 songs: Come all You Sailors, Old Man, and Bring Me ‘Lil Water, Silvy. Kind of wish they hadn’t done that last one and a song about sailing, because it started to rain shortly thereafter. Thanks girls!
 
Next up was one of the bands that brought me to the Folk Festival 12 years ago, Spirit of the West. As many people know, my musical coming of age was around 1992-1993, and I remember perfectly the first time I heard SOTW’s Labour Day album and driving around listening to it for months and months after that. I’ve seen the band a million times since then, and I was excited to see them live again. They did not disappoint. Played a great, energetic set filled with old favourites and some new songs off the new CD, Star Trails. I was excited to hear the new material. I must admit to having a few reservations about some of it, especially one song “Be a Guy.” You know how sometimes you’re not “really” paying attention, but a weird line sticks out at you as clear as day? Well, how about this doozy:
Guys like us live in the basement
There’s everything we need down there
A pile of skin mags and a box of Kleenex
Cause we’ve got nothing upstairs
 
Another verse… then the song gets really wacky
 
This is how we get our kicks
Take turns squeezing Kathy’s tits
Keep her drunk and she’ll be fine
I’m up first so get in line
Come on be a guy. Be a guy.
 
Left me with a lot of weird feelings and questions. Not sure how I feel about these guys who are not so young any more reflecting on drunken teenage days. Seemed like maybe not the most interesting or intelligent song the boys have ever written, and it’s not hard to imagine that some will find those verses a little controversial and perhaps offensive, but let’s be honest, dumb adolescent boys are really like that, and kudos to SOTW for being honest about those not so glory days.
 
The other song that really stood out for me, for more positive reasons, was “King of Scotland,” which took me back to the piss n’ vinegar political stuff that we love this band for. I guess they’ve still got it after all. Haven’t spent much time with the CD, but hopefully it’s as good as their last one, Weights & Measures, which I thought was great, although it was buried by the record company and didn’t sell any copies. A real shame, I thought. This new disc appears to be independent and self-produced. I think they need MPW back producing, but that’s another rant for another day.
 
Next up was a ‘tweener and an artist that I’ve been really looking forward to. I have to say right off the bat that sometimes I’m sceptical of him (OK, most of the time I’m sceptical of him) but T-Bar may have been right this time. Jackie Greene was pretty cool. He only did 2 songs. The first was kind of so-so, but got me listening more closely for the second, which really grabbed me. I’ll definitely be looking for his CD and trying to catch more of him this weekend.
 
As Tegan & Sara took the stage, the rain started to win the battle. I’m glad that the young girls (and Mikey, apparently) like T&S, but they ain’t my thang. They started off with that “Monday, Monday” song, which I’ve always found kind of annoying. Their rambling between song banter was even more so, and made up my mind that it was time to go.
 
This, of course, meant that I missed one of the only artists that I was really looking forward to, Taj Mahal. I was hoping to see Taj, but just couldn’t sit through the pouring rain listening to T&S to get there. Sometimes you just have to know when to quit, and it was definitely time.
 
I’m supposed to work tomorrow, but hopefully I’ll still get to catch some cool workshops. Hopefully I’ll find some time to report in.
 
Thanks for reading.
 
JR/DH

Monday, June 28, 2004

Anyone who knows me at all probably knows that I love the Winnipeg Folk Festival. I've had so much fun there over the past 12 years and have found out about so much amazing music. Each year, I've uncovered a huge amount of music that I knew nothing about previously, and each year I dig my debt hole deeper by plunking down hundreds of dollars at the CD tent. 

Well, anyone who knows me or has listened to the show recently knows that I'm also very disillusioned by this year's weak, weak talent line-up. There are things that are worth seeing, but I don't know if overall, there's anything worth going to see. I think it's a decent line up, but it's just not up to the amazingly high standards set by previous Winnipeg Folk Festivals. Our festival has grown to be one of the largest and most respected festivals in the world, and it's done so by presenting the most amazing music in the world. This year, it seems like all of the performers that are any good have been here before and some probably have already overstayed their welcomes.

Well, the responsibility for booking the talent lies with the Artistic Director, and although I have plenty of friends who say he's a good guy and all, his work just hasn't wowed me this year. I do not mean to take any personal shots at our AD, but I thought he should know how a true music fan felt. I was wondering how to best make my point.

Then, this week, UMFM's World Beat and Folkus host, John Prentice, invited the Folk Fest AD on for his yearly preview, and invited listeners to send in any comments. I did. My letter, comments, and opinions did not make it on the air. It's a shame, really. So, rather than write them down for no-one, I now present to you the letter I intended for John to show to Folk Fest AD, Rick Fenton:

----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff Robson
To: worldbeat@umfm.com
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 7:16 AM
Subject: My comments for Rick Fenton


Dear Mr. Fenton,

I have been attending the Winnipeg Folk Festival every year since 1993. And every year I have walked away having had a wonderful time and being exposed to some of the most wonderful music in the world. Every year I've come home with a stack of new CDs and a lot of artists to rave about. Very quickly, for me, the Winnipeg Folk Festival became THE event of my year, and I plan my holidays and budget around it.

I can only imagine how difficult it must be to assemble such a festival. There are many factors that go into your booking decisions that I can't possibly understand. Still, I have been amazed at the scope of talent that has been assembled at the festival for so many years.

I have been an ardent supporter of the festival. I have produced a radio show on UMFM for several years now, and have been writing for local publications. Every year, I take great delight in introducing listeners and readers to some of the talent that will be displayed at the festival, and raving about the new discoveries afterwards. Every year, I have a lot to look forward to and am excited about several acts that I haven't seen before.

That is, until this year. Having been over and over the lineup for the 2004 festival, I can safely say that there is very little of great interest to me. This is amazing, because I'm interested in a lot of music. Sure, there are people I'll be glad to see again, like Paul Thorn, Martyn Joseph, and The Wailin' Jennys, to name but a few. All of those folks have been at the Winnipeg Folk Festival in recent years, however, and most will be familiar with them. There are a few names that many might be unfamiliar with that I will gladly see, like Po Girl, Serena Ryder, Eric Bibb, and Joel Kroeker. But none of these artists has the power to draw in new customers to the festival and none are even playing on the main stage.

Every festival needs some "big names" to draw attention and draw in fans. Sadly, I can see very little that can do much in that regard at this year's festival. Of the bigger names, Sarah Harmer, Spirit of the West, and David Lindley are no strangers to the festival, (all but Harmer) having played the Festival numerous times in recent years. There are familiar names in Taj Mahal, Earl Scruggs, and Utah Phillips, but none of those has done their best work in recent years.

Perhaps the most curious aspect to me has to be the scheduling of the main stage performers. First, I offer that putting The Perpetrators and Spirit of the West at 6:00 in the evening  on a Thursday is strange. Both of those are energetic bands that get crowds dancing. That isn't likely to happen at 6:00 on Thursday, the slowest evening of the festival. Friday offers the biggest concern, in that Ibrahim Ferrer is perhaps the artist with the most drawing power (although, one could certainly argue that the Buena Vista Social Club fad has long passed, since it has been 7 years since that movie's release!) since he tours so infrequently and is doing so few dates, but he is scheduled to perform at 6:00 on Friday. Anyone who doesn't have the luxury of having Friday off work cannot be expected to make that concert. Also, those who are at the festival on Friday are likely to be eating dinner or changing clothes at their campsite or resting up for the evening's entertainment. For me, the first slot of the evening is the most likely to be ignored. Of course, there's always got to be a name to draw in a more mainstream audience, and Sarah Harmer seems to be fitting that bill this year. But, again, putting her on at a very inconvenient time limits the drawing power that she brings to the lineup. Last thing on Sunday night, many are too tired or have to get up for work on Monday morning, and are likely to miss her performance.

In the past few years, I've noticed the drastic reduction in daytime workshops, in favour of mini-concerts. I've never been a fan of that move, but I suspect that it owes much to budgetary restrictions or something, but workshops have always been the magical time where I've discovered the most new talent, and the most artists that I'd be unlikely to see at any other time. Again, this year, the workshops are few and far between, and offer little groupings or workshop concepts that are unique or interesting.

(One other note that I must mention, naming the stages is going to confuse a heck of a lot of people, and one has to wonder what the reason could be for it.)

These are some of the reasons why I've decided not to actively promote this year's festival. Frankly, I'm disappointed with the talent that's been assembled and wonder why there is so little that excites me. I know that it is far easier to plan a festival in my living room than it is in your office, but looking at the lineups that other festivals have assembled, I wonder how so many interesting acts got away from one of Canada (and the world)'s biggest and most renowned festivals. Also, the scheduling of the acts that we do have has left me with little to look forward to.

I will attend this year's festival, and I know I will have a wonderful time. I know that thousands will still attend and the festival will continue to be a big success; and for this, I am very pleased. But, I can see that the focus of the festival seems to be moving away from bringing the best and the brightest music, and instead we've assembled artists that are somewhat inexpensive, safe, and unchallenging. Our festival is now about the event and the good times that we have there, and less about the amazing music on stage in front of us.

I realize that you can never please everyone with a festival lineup, but every year I have been pleased with some aspect of the festival and have looked forward to it. This year, I am not excited, and this makes me sad. I know that you have done your best, but this hard-core music fan is somewhat dissatisfied with the results. I do not mean to show any disrespect to you or the festival by expressing my disappointment; quite the contrary. I am sure that you are someone who cares about the festival as much as I do. I wanted to voice the concerns that I have, and I know that I speak for others as well.

All the best with this and future festivals,

Jeff Robson