Steve Says

Hospitality shines in studio and stumbles on stage

2012-01-12T01:04:00.001-05:00

Hospitality, Merge Records' latest signing, will release its debut self-titled album on Jan. 31 -- and it's already assured of a spot on at least my honourable mention list when I compile my favourite releases of 2012 in about 350 days.

The New York City band formed in 2007 and has grown into a quartet that's landed opening slots for Stereolab, Wild Flag, Frog Eyes and The Rosebuds. The group's relatively gentle, lo-fi indie pop caught my ear off the first listen.

The most immediately noticeable aspect of Hospitality is lead singer/guitarist's Amber Papini's voice. It's not particularly strong, but it fits the material that Papini also writes. I'd heard that she tried to emulate Psychedelic Furs singer Richard Butler, and perhaps a bit of his sometimes deadpan delivery is evident. But more often I thought I was capturing strains of Claudine Longet in one of the funniest movies of all time, The Party.

The arrangements aren't too complex, but they have depth, and the three musicians who augment Papini play their parts well. Band member Nathan Michel co-produced Hospitality with Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) and, after seeing the band in person on Wednesday night, their impact is larger than you might originally think.

Hospitality's performance started slowly but picked up in places, most notably on "Friends of Friends," "Eighth Avenue" and "All Day Today." But for the most part it seemed a bit flat and uninspiring and didn't reach the heights I'd hoped for going in.

Since I like most of the songs on Hospitality quite a bit, I'd give the band another shot live. But after a few listens to the album and viewing one performance, I'd say your money is better spent on the recorded version than the live version of the band.

Steve McLean's Favourite Music of 2011

2011-12-31T19:52:00.000-05:00

Albums
The Top 10
1. Dropkick Murphys - Going Out in Style
This album is the Boston Celtic punk band's best yet, and a great place to start if you need an introduction.
Going Out In Style is somewhat of a concept album that borrows from the experiences of the band members and their relatives to "celebrate the successes and failures, challenges and milestones" of a fictional character named Cornelius Larkin. There's a retrospective narrative of Larkin's life in the liner notes, and you can read more about his saga on Boston author Michael Patrick MacDonald's website.
The album is full of working class lyrics that sometimes owe a nod to history. There's militancy, poignancy, drunkenness and more. There are acoustic numbers, songs that rock harder than a Zdeno Chara bodycheck and others that fall somewhere between the two extremes. You'll hear the normal rock and roll instrumentation, but also be treated to accordion, banjo, bouzouki, mandolin, whistles and bagpipes.
"Take 'Em Down" is dedicated to the thousands of union workers in Wisconsin who are fighting for their jobs. "Sunday Hardcore Matinee" recounts fond memories from the notorious Boston live music club, The Rathskeller, which closed its doors in 1997 and has been sorely missed ever since.
The exuberant title track features vocals from NOFX's Fat Mike, The Living End's Chris Cheney and actor/comedian Lenny Clarke. It also mentions Bruins great Bobby Orr, and the Hall of Fame defenceman appears in the song's video.
Bruce Springsteen shares lead vocals on a roots-punk version of the traditional "Peg O' My Heart." Dropkick Murphys guitarist/vocalist James Lynch's father, Pat Lynch, adds his voice to an infectiously energetic take of another traditional tune, "The Irish Rover."

2. The Feelies - Here Before
Here Before is the first new album from The Feelies in 20 years. Band founders Glenn Mercer and Bill Million wrote, produced, sang and played guitar on the record's 13 tracks, and were joined by bassist/vocalist Brenda Sauter, drummer Stanley Demeski and percussionist Dave Weckerman.
The sonic interplay between Mercer and Million's guitars that became the signature of The Feelies' sound still permeates through Here Before. While it may be a bit more understated overall than earlier albums, and songs may not immediately knock you over the head, it's full of subtle hooks and shows a maturity that's totally appropriate for this stage in the New Jersey group's career. And "When You Know" shows The Feelies can still push hard when the mood strikes.

3. Peter Bjorn and John - Gimme Some
The Swedish trio wanted to strip their sound down and go back to basics by using just guitar, bass and drums and recording some of the material live in the studio, so they worked with an outside producer (Per Sunding) for the first time on this sixth album. They captured the “rock-and-roll and garage rock” essence they were going for wonderfully.

4. The Black Keys - El Camino
I've liked The Black Keys, but have never been a huge fan of the duo's mix of blues, garage and indie rock. I was surprised by the breakthrough success of last year's Brothers, but was happy for the band and thought the Grammy Award-winning "Tighten Up" was a great single. Big things were then expected for El Camino, and the Akron, Ohio group didn't disappoint. The Black Keys co-produced the album with Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, Beck), and he added a sheen which effectively accents without overpowering the material. There's less of an emphasis on blues and more on soul, vintage R&B and earlier rock-and-roll, and that's a move in the right direction as far as I'm concerned.

5. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong
I liked what I heard from 2009's self-titled debut album and there seemed to be a growing buzz around the New York City's brand of fuzz pop -- which included attracting Flood (U2, Erasure) to produce and Alan Moulder (The Jesus and Mary Chain, Elastica) to mix the follow-up. The attention was warranted, as Belong takes influences from the '80s and '90s but still sounds like a record that belongs in the second decade of the new millennium.

6. Library Voices - Summer of Lust
This large and literate indie pop group from Regina, Sask. released an excellent debut album titled Denim on Denim last year, and this follow-up is probably even a little better. If you like The New Pornographers, you should like Library Voices.

7. Hooded Fang - Tosta Mista
This Toronto sextet's 2010 debut, Album, showed a lot of potential. It's all fulfilled here. Sixties garage rock grazes with strains of exotica lounge and throws a bit of '50s pop and doo-wop into a 21st century context to create a short record that you wish would last longer.

8. Jon Langford - Skull Orchard Revisited
I'd heard Langford perform these songs on his own and with the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus several times over the past few years, and always loved them, but just discovered with this release that they originally came from a long unavailable 1998 album titled Skull Orchard. He re-recorded the songs with the choir to come up with a very Welsh-inspired CD that comes packaged in a book that includes: Langford's lyrics and paintings; the tale of Moby Dick told from the perspective of the great white wale and a dolphin companion; vintage family photos taken by his late father Denis; and "A South Wales Alphabet" with amusing A to Z stories of growing up in south Wales, which were written by his brother David, a noted science-fiction writer.
If an album with a choir on it might make you think it's soft, fear not. Skull Orchard Revisited still rocks and showcases some great songwriting from the charismatic Waco Brothers and Mekons member.

9. Imelda May - Mayhem (International Version)
I first learned of this Irish singer through her performance with guitar legend Jeff Beck when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 and more fully appreciated her on this year's Jeff Beck: Rock 'n' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul DVD. I haven't heard her debut album, but this sophomore album shows a gifted singer with attitude and a voice that suits her updated rockabilly and occasional smoky jazz material perfectly. I'm kicking myself that I missed her gig, which drew raves from my friends, earlier this year.

10. Arkells - Michigan Left
I was a bit slow to come around to this Hamilton, Ont. band after the first time I saw it a few years back. But the group's Jackson Square debut album grew on me and its party sets consisting of Motown classics won me over completely. Michigan Left follows those Motown leanings to become a melodic, soul-filled rock record that should get the 2010 Juno Award winner for best new group recognized well beyond Canada.

Just Missed The Cut
Sun Wizard - Positively 4th Avenue
San Sebastian - Relations

Honourable Mention
Lydia Loveless - Indestructible Machine
Shotgun Jimmie - Transistor Sister
Hayes Carll - KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories)
Telekinesis - 12 Desperate Straight Lines
Jack Oblivian - Rat City
Mannequin Men - Mannequin Men
Wanda Jackson - The Party Ain't Over
Aggrolites - Rugged Road
The Warped 45's - Matador Sunset
Imaginary Cities - Temporary Resident
The Decemberists - The King is Dead
The Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing

Still Solid
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Unentitled
54-40 - Lost in the City
The Baseball Project - Volume 2: High and Inside
British Seapower - Valhalla Dancehall
Ron Sexsmith - Long Player Late Bloomer
Social Distortion - Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes
Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones
Ohbijou - Metal Meets
Gang of Four - Content
The Fall - Ersatz GB
Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest
Acres of Lions - Collections

Hit Single
Foster The People - "Pumped Up Kicks"

Live Album
Rockpile - Live at Montreux 1980

Reissues, Compilations and Box Sets (alphabetical order)
Johnny Cash - Bootleg Vol. II, Bootleg Vol. III
Leonard Cohen - The Complete Columbia Albums Collection
Neil Diamond - The Bang Years 1966-1968
The Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall, Tomorrow The Green Grass
Roy Orbison - The Monument Singles Collection (1960-1964)
Paul Revere & The Raiders - The Essential Paul Revere & The Raiders
Joel Plaskett - EMERGENCYs, false alarms, shipwrecks, castaways, fragile creatures, special features, demons and demonstrations
Iggy Pop - Roadkill Rising … The Bootleg Collection: 1977-2009
Elvis Presley - Elvis Is Back!
R.E.M. - Part Lies Part Heart Part Truth Part Garbage: 1982-2011
Paul Simon - Graceland, Songwriter
Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
Patti Smith - Outside Society
Phil Spector - Wall of Sound: The Very Best of Phil Spector 1961-1966, Phil Spector Presents the Philles Album Collection
Peter Tosh - Equal Rights, Legalize It
Various artists - Rave On Buddy Holly

Music DVDs (alphabetical order)
The B-52s - With The Wild Crowd! Live in Athens, Ga.
Jeff Beck - Jeff Beck: Rock 'n' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul
New York Dolls - Lookin' Fine on Television
The Rolling Stones - Some Girls Live in Texas '78
Talking Heads - Chronology
Various artists - A Musicares Tribute to Neil Young
X - The Unheard Music (The Silver Edition)

Book/CD Combination
Jon Langford - Skull Orchard Revisited

Concerts (chronological order)
Hollerado, Gang of Four - Feb. 4, Phoenix, Toronto
Nicole Atkins - Feb. 27, Horseshoe, Toronto
Sun Wizard - March 10, Supermarket, Toronto
The Sadies - March 11, Mod Club, Toronto
Buddy McNeil & The Magic Mirrors - March 11, El Mocambo, Toronto
Les Breastfeeders - March 11, El Mocambo, Toronto
Catl - March 12, Comfort Zone, Toronto
The Resignators - March 12, Hideout, Toronto
British Sea Power - March 24, Lee's Palace, Toronto
Saint Alvia, Johnstones, Planet Smashers - March 25, Phoenix, Toronto
The Grapes of Wrath - March 25, El Mocambo, Toronto
The Real McKenzies - April 2, Lee's Palace, Toronto
Old 97's - April 6, Horseshoe, Toronto
Hayes Carll - April 10, Horseshoe, Toronto
Good Family, The Sadies, Jon Langford, Deano Waco, Skull Orchard - April 15, Horseshoe, Toronto
Jon Langford and Burlngton Welsh Male Choir, Waco Brothers - April 16, Horseshoe, Toronto
Frank Turner - April 26, El Mocambo, Toronto
Mick Thomas, The Lowest of the Low - May 7, Massey Hall, Toronto
Bad Manners - May 7, Lee's Palace, Toronto
The Cars - May 20, Sound Academy, Toronto
Scotty Campbell and The Wardenaires - May 28, Not My Dog, Toronto
The Baseball Project - June 1, Horseshoe, Toronto
Descendents - June 16, Yonge Dundas Square, Toronto
Crocodiles - June 16, Silver Dollar, Toronto
C.J. Ramone - June 16, Bovine Sex Club, Toronto
Archie Powell & The Exports - June 17, Rancho Relaxo, Toronto
Cults - June 18, Yonge Dundas Square, Toronto
Men Without Hats - June 18, Yonge Dundas Square, Toronto
Devo - June 18, Yonge Dundas Square, Toronto
The Lucky Ones, Stiff Little Fingers - Aug. 16, Lee's Palace, Toronto
Aggrolites - Oct. 15, Lee's Palace, Toronto
Colleen Green, Crocodiles, Dum Dum Girls - Oct. 16, Lee's Palace, Toronto
Shonen Knife - Oct. 20, Horseshoe, Toronto
Davila 666 - Oct. 22, Silver Dollar, Toronto
Kepi, Chixdiggit - Oct. 27, Sneaky Dee's, Toronto
Frank Turner - Oct. 28, Phoenix, Toronto
Lyres - Nov. 19, Horseshoe, Toronto
Legendary Dirtbikers, Ultimatemost High, Tres Bien Ensemble - Dec. 16, The Sister, Toronto
Skydiggers - Dec. 17, Horseshoe, Toronto
The Sadies - Dec. 31, Horseshoe, Toronto

New Orleans 2011 vacation: part five

2011-12-30T22:44:00.006-05:00

The Inn on Bourbon Ramada Plaza Hotel

Our last morning in New Orleans began with more coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde, and another walk to Riverwalk Marketplace, where we visited the Southern Food and Beverage Museum.

I'm glad the Power Pass got us in for free, since it wasn't worth the $10 it would have cost to get in. But we learned about local cuisine and I appreciated the section on the development of the cocktail.

We made a brief stop at The Historic New Orleans Collection, but elected not to go through it all. Instead, we went to the Presbytere, a museum at the north end of Jackson Square featuring two exhibits.

The first was "Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond," which told the story of the devastating hurricane and its accompanying flooding from a number of different perspectives. The personal recollections were a lot more moving than the more scientific information, but together they made for a powerful combination.

The other Presbytere exhibit showed the history, costumes and traditions of Mardi Gras, New Orleans' most famous festival that draws thousands to the streets for its lavish parades each February.

We went for our last Po Boy and then went to the other Beerfest location on Bourbon Street. They had a two for one special, but the friendly bartender went two better than that and brought me four beers that I'd never had before: Voodoo Bengal, a 7.5 per cent alcohol pale ale with a hint of ginger; Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan, which is made with whole roasted pecans; Lazy Magnolia Jefferson Stout, which is brewed with sweet potatoes; and NOLA Brewing Hopitoulas, which had a nice citrus and pine bouquet.

We returned to our hotel, picked up our bags and caught the shuttle to the airport. We had a stopover at Washington Dulles International Airport, where we had time for a burger and a pint of Hefeweizen at the Gordon Biersch Brewing Company restaurant, before returning to Buffalo.

It was back to the Econo Lodge, where we stayed before we left, and then a trip down Main Street to the heart of Buffalo the next morning. We stopped at a river that had a small waterfall and then drove around downtown for a while before crossing the Peace Bridge back to Ontario. I took the scenic route along Lake Erie and the Grand River, and detoured through the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve.

I hadn't been to the reserve since working as a reporter for the Brantford Expositor in 1989, and almost every store we passed was selling discounted cigarettes -- and sometimes nothing else. While there are still some run-down-looking houses, many others are newer or in better condition than back then, which was good to see.

Brantford's downtown is still in rough shape, however. After a drive around the city, it was homeward bound to Stratford and the end of the trip.

New Orleans 2011 vacation: part four

2011-12-30T19:48:00.000-05:00

There was a brief but violent downpour on Wednesday morning, the only time it rained any noticeable volume during our time in New Orleans, but luckily we were in a coffee shop fuelling up when it started and ended.

The house of Archie Manning, the former NFL quarterback and father of fellow quarterbacks Peyton and Eli.

Things had cleared up by the time we got on a Gray Line bus to take us to the Garden District, where we began a two-and-a-half-hour walking tour of what was formerly the "American" part of the city in the 1800s. The houses were different, but just as impressive, and embraced more Greek Revival and Italianate stylistic flourishes than the French Quarter. We passed the former and/or current homes of Anne Rice, Trent Reznor, Archie Manning, Nicolas Cage, John Goodman and others, as well as the house where Jefferson Davis died in 1889. We also explored the Lafayette Cemetery and learned about New Orleans burial practices in the above ground cities of the dead.

Lafayette Cemetery

The guide and the rest of the people on the tour took the Gray Line bus back to our starting point, while mom and I ordered a tasty Po Boy at a nice little restaurant on Magazine Street before catching a city bus to the end of the line at the Audobon Zoo.

It's billed as one of the top five zoos in the United States, and we were definitely impressed by everything it had to offer. We spent the afternoon walking around the different themed areas of the complex, including the Asian domain, the aviary, the South America pampas, the Louisiana swamp, the African savanna, the sea lions and the reptile house. There was an extensive variety of animals, and they seemed to have room to move around in their environments.

Audobon Zoo alligators

Audobon Zoo white tigers

We took the bus back to Canal Street, stopped at Quarter House (the five-star suite resort I spent a week in during my previous stay in New Orleans in 1998) on Chartres Street, and then went to the nearby Jimanji, a cozy little bar with an extensive beer selection. I had a refreshing Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss Hefeweizen and Brooklyn Brewery's Post Road Pumpkin Ale, which was slightly spicy, a bit hoppy and redolent with cloves.

For our final dinner in New Orleans, we stayed on Chartres in a building from the 1700s that now houses Pierre Maspero's Food and Spirits -- which I found out later has the same ownership as La Bayou, where we dined earlier in the week. The blackened redfish I had the night before was so good that I ordered it again, and was just as pleased. And the Abita Christmas Ale that I had with it kept me festive for later in the evening.

I decided to check out Frenchman Street again, and dropped into a few clubs to see what was happening. I stayed at Apple to see Andre Bouvier and his band play a solid mix of blues, rock and Cajun music. Checkpoint Charlie's (a bar and laundromat combination) was full of local punks and old drinkers and an act from Charleston, S.C. called Megan Jean and The KFB, which played roots music with occasional rockabilly and old jazz influences.

A $5.25 Hurricane got me back to Tropical Isle, where I finished its trifecta of strong cocktails by having a Horny Gator and a Tropical Itch. They also came in novelty glasses like the earlier Hand Grenade, and all three are now sitting in my kitchen window acting as a beacon.

New Orleans 2011 vacation: part three

2011-12-30T18:02:00.000-05:00

Cafe du Monde

A trip to New Orleans isn't complete without coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde, so we began our Tuesday with chicory-infused java and fried dough covered in icing sugar across the street from Jackson Square.

We finished the coffees while strolling through the Riverwalk Marketplace, an impressive mall where we stopped in a store to sample some fruit wines, while waiting for the nearby Audobon Aquarium of the Americas to open at 10 a.m.

Audobon Aquarium of the Americas

The aquarium is well-designed and separated into distinct areas that allows you to explore the aquatic habitats of the Caribbean, Amazon, Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. There were creatures big and small -- from sharks to seahorses -- along with stingrays we could pet in a shallow pool, sea otters, penguins and many others. There was at least one school group visiting and a lot of the exhibits are informative and hands-on, so both children and adults can appreciate them.

Audobon Insectarium

Our Power Pass also got us into the affiliated Audobon Insectarium, so we walked north up Canal Street to the former U.S. Custom House to get up close and learn more about creepy crawly and flying things. A lot of them were surprisingly beautiful and not annoying at all when they're behind glass. Butterflies flew freely in an area replicating an Asian garden, but the highlight was a short animated film in the immersion theatre that offers a multi-sensory experience. We drew the line at eating insects, though I sampled some crickets in Thailand seven years ago and thought they were pretty bland.

Jackson Square

French Quarter

We'd already explored much of the French Quarter on our own, but took advantage of our Power Passes to get some more insights from a guide on a two-hour walking tour of the area. We learned about people I wasn't previously familiar with who played a major part in New Orleans' development, Creole culture and more, including the role of religion at the Ursuline Convent -- the oldest building in the Mississippi River Valley. The architecture in the French Quarter is beautiful, but hearing the stories behind some of the 18th and 19th century buildings added to the experience.

We still had an hour before the Cabildo closed, so it was next on the agenda. The site of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase transfer in 1803 now houses exhibits on New Orleans history. It's informative, if a bit dry, but a pleasant surprise was the "Unsung Heroes: The Secret History of Louisiana Rock 'n' Roll" exhibit curated by the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation. There were familiar and unfamiliar names and songs, but I was enthralled and it should definitely be sought out by all music lovers visiting the city.

We'd worked up a thirst, so we dropped into Turtle Bay on Bourbon Street. The beer selection wasn't nearly as good as the Decatur Street location, but I managed to find a Covington Bayou Bock that I hadn't tried before.

It was time for dinner, so we tried Cajun Cabin on Bourbon and began with alligator bites. I've always liked gator, but mom was reluctant when I ordered them. She soon came around, however. The blackened redfish ($19.95) was delicious and a pint of LA31 Biere Pale from Bayou Teche Brewing was a nice accompaniment.

My favourite music venue on Bourbon is Tropical Isle Bayou Club & Music Bar, which features solid Cajun bands each night. It also sells the Hand Grenade, a melon-tasting concoction which it claims is the strongest drink in New Orleans. It comes in a large novelty plastic cup shaped like a hand grenade at the base, and refills are a dollar cheaper, so I took advantage of that deal. When bands weren't playing, I walked through the French Quarter people-watching and sipping Hand Grenades until the bars started shutting down.

American Idiot makes the most of what it is

2011-12-30T14:19:00.000-05:00

I left on a five-month around-the-world trip in which I didn't listen to much music just before Green Day's American Idiot came out in September 2004, and I didn't appreciate how big an impact the album had on people after I returned home.

But it was enough to turn it into a stage musical, and it inspired me to write an MSN.ca column in October 2009 on the rock musicals I'd seen. I'll say up front that I'm generally not a fan of musicals and would prefer to keep my live music experiences in clubs and my drama and comedy in live or movie theatres where singing and dancing don't distract me from the dialogue, plot and character development.

American Idiot, coming off a successful Broadway run, launched its North American tour last night at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Like Tommy, it has an advantage with me in that I'm already familiar with the songs -- and I was already a fan of the title track, "Holiday," "Know Your Enemy" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends." The band (no, it wasn't Green Day), which was on stage throughout the 90-minute performance, had the musical chops to deliver the numbers.

But I found that with all of the dancing, movement and video screens that form part of the effective stage design (which won a 2010 Tony Award), I was often distracted and didn't know where to focus my attention -- except for when sexy Gabrielle McClinton (who plays Whatsername) was on stage.

The female cast members of American Idiot.

The rest of the cast is all very talented, and Van Hughes as lead character Johnny also stood out. But the character and plot and development revolving around three young suburban friends whose lives go in different directions are a little thin and left me wanting to know more.

The aerial acrobatics of Nicci Claspell (as The Extraordinary Girl) and Scott J. Campbell (as Tunny) added a lot visually as they flew through the air on harnesses, but it didn't really push the narrative along in an effective manner. The energy and enthusiasm of the performers can only take the material so far, and it sometimes seemed that they were trying too hard to take it farther.

I'm glad I got the chance to see American Idiot (even if I couldn't find anyone to take my second ticket and accompany me), as it's the type of performance that may draw a different type of fan to the theatre. And there's a lot to like if you're a Green Day fan. But as much as I was entertained, I suppose my inherent bias will probably never allow me to fully gush over a musical (and I've seen The Man in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash, Camelot, Sister Act and Hair this year).

That said, Tommy is still at the head of the class.

New Orleans 2011 vacation: part two

2011-12-29T17:45:00.000-05:00

Musee Conti Historical Wax Museum

Monday morning began with more strolling through New Orleans' French Quarter up to Musee Conti Historical Wax Museum, which presented more than 300 years of the city's history and tidbits of information I was previously unaware of. A "haunted dungeon" with wax figures of Dracula, Frankenstein and other fictional monsters was inexplicably added at the end. The figures were generally well-crafted, it was a good learning experience, and it made for a well-spent hour.

Louis Armstrong Park

We walked north out of the French Quarter to Congo Square and were going to go through Louis Armstrong Park, but it was closed for some type of renovations. We visited the Saint Louis Cathedral and walked around Jackson Square before grabbing a Po Boy (a New Orleans submarine sandwich) for lunch and waiting for our three-hour Hurricane Katrina bus tour to begin.

Saint Louis Cathedral

Aside from driving in and out of New Orleans, I'd never ventured beyond the French Quarter, Garden District and area around the Superdome before, so this tour allowed me to see more of the city. We learned about the levee system as we drove by them, and were also informed about the disappearing coastal wetlands in the area.

We visited a number of neighbourhoods affected by flooding from Katrina -- including Lakeview, Gentilly, New Orleans East and the Ninth Ward -- and saw both where progress has been made in rebuilding and places that haven't changed much since disaster struck in the summer of August 2005. The tour also included a brief stop at a nice park with a sculpture garden that I would have liked to have spent more time at.

After the tour, we walked along Decatur Street and stopped at Turtle Bay for a couple of happy hour pints from the 25 the bar had on tap. Mom likes fruit beers, so I went with a raspberry-based Abita Purple Haze and a Covingtons Strawberry and was quite pleased with both of them.

We walked to the end of Decatur and up Frenchman Street, which is filled with clubs and is apparently where the locals go to hear music. But it was too early for anything to be happening, so we walked back to the French Quarter.

I recalled the famous Hurricane served at Pat O'Brien's (I was with former Who bassist John Entwistle the last time I was there in 1998) was pretty fruity, so I thought mom would enjoy one. But the four ounces of rum in it was too much for her, so I ended up drinking both of ours -- which I had no problem with.

Pat O'Brien's

We went for dinner at La Bayou, a Cajun Creole restaurant where I enjoyed the "Taste of New Orleans" combo of jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and chicken and andouille sausage gumbo for $17.95 and mom had a half rack of barbecue ribs for a dollar less. I washed mine down with a pint of Abita Pecan, which didn't have a strong pecan taste.

We returned to the hotel and then I went to Beerfest to watch Monday Night Football and try an Abita Andygator (slightly sweet and the eight per cent alcohol content wasn't noticeable) and an Abita Jockamo (a complex but pleasant 6.5-per cent beer made from pine needles, brown sugar, tropical fruit rind and black tea leaves).

I wandered up and down Bourbon Street and was enticed into one of its many strip clubs with the promise of beautiful women, a five-dollar cover and three-dollar drinks. The ladies were definitely hot, and one of them repeatedly came over to try and get me to take her into a private room. She turned out to be the dirtiest girl of them all, judging by her stage act, so perhaps I should have taken her up on her offer. I made three rum and Cokes last quite a while before it was time to head back to the hotel at last call.

New Orleans 2011 vacation: part one

2011-12-26T21:13:00.000-05:00

My friend Kirk and I took a road trip in 1998 that took in the legendary Highway 61 and included overnight stays in Cincinnati, Nashville, Memphis, Lafayette and a week in New Orleans. We had a lot of fun, but not all of the New Orleans memories are particularly vivid since we were partying pretty hard most of the time.

But my mom expressed an interest in seeing the Big Easy this year, so I figured a five-day stay would give her all she needed while allowing me to see new things and hopefully revive remembrances of things I did and saw 13 years earlier.

We had a 6:10 a.m. flight from Buffalo, a stopover in Charlotte and were in New Orleans by 10:30 a.m. The $326 (including taxes) return trip flight was about half the price we would have paid had we flown out of Toronto.

We caught a $78 return trip airport shuttle bus to our hotel, The Inn on Bourbon Ramada Plaza Hotel, and dropped off our bags before walking to the Superdome (with a traveller in hand, of course). The Saints game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was sold out and scalper prices were too rich for us, so we watched most of the first half outside the stadium in a large public square where hundreds of others had gathered to view the game on a large video screen.

Mom's not a big football fan, so we walked back toward the French Quarter and down to the shore of the Mississippi River where we visited a ticket booth and picked up a five-day Power Pass (which we got for the price of a three-day pass by buying it online through Expedia when I booked my flights and hotel) that gave us entry into 28 attractions and tours around the city for $125 each. The cost was well worth it, considering how much we took advantage of the Power Pass.

The Steamboat Natchez was right beside us and was about to embark on a 2:30 p.m. jazz cruise, so we listened to a woman play a calliope on top of the boat before we went aboard. We listened to the jazz band inside for a bit until the paddle wheeler's whistle blew and it pulled out from the Toulouse Street Wharf, at which time we found a good vantage point on deck and listened to the narration of what we were seeing as we made our way along.

The history, facts and figures offered are important, as there really isn't a lot of great scenery on the two-hour cruise. But the Natchez is the city's only authentic steamboat, and visitors are allowed into the engine room to see how things work. The cruise costs $25 on its own, or $36 with lunch. A couple of beers were enough of a lunch for me.

We docked, returned to our hotel and got settled in. The Inn on Bourbon Ramada Plaza Hotel is in the heart of the French Quarter at the corner of Bourbon and Toulouse, and stands on the site of the French Opera House, which was built in 1859. There were renovations taking place in the lobby restaurant, but we were quite pleased with everything else about the hotel, which we got at a good price in the neighbourhood of $100 a night. It was clean and modern, it featured a nice courtyard with a swimming pool, the employees were friendly and efficient, there was free wireless Internet and -- important for people who may like to go to bed early like my mom -- it was quiet. Our room overlooked the hustle and bustle and booziness of Bourbon Street, but we could hear very little of it. I have no problem recommending this hotel.

The Shops at Jax Brewery

I always try to hit as many brew pubs as I can in a city, so we had our first night dinner at the Crescent City Brewhouse. I had a sampler tray of its five beers and wasn't particularly impressed with any of them. Most entrees were above $20 and were well-presented and okay-tasting, but not exceptional. Mom had the New York strip, while I went for the grilled tuna Orleans, which was Ahi tuna topped with sauteed jumbo shrimp, Chinese long beans, beech mushrooms and tempura fried sweet potato crisp.

We returned to the hotel and I had the best intentions of going out again. But it had been a long work week and I was functioning on two hours of sleep, so I laid down on my bed and didn't leave it again until the next morning.

A day in Niagara

2011-12-26T00:13:00.000-05:00

Niagara Falls has captivated me since I first saw the water hurtle over the rocks as a young child, and I loved the scenic drive along the Niagara Parkway from Niagara-on-the-Lake to the city that bears the name of the falls. But I don't make the trip often enough, considering it's just a 90-minute drive away.

It therefore made a lot of sense to make a day of it in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Falls before heading across the Rainbow Bridge on Nov. 5 to spend the night at the Econo Lodge in Williamsville, N.Y., near the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, where my mom and I were catching a flight to New Orleans early the next morning.

The quaint town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is the home of the Shaw Festival, a number of wineries, some high-end inns and several small shops and restaurants that largely cater to tourists. It was a nice autumn day, so we walked through the town and then down to Lake Ontario to look across to Old Fort Niagara and Youngstown, N.Y. We walked around Fort George before grabbing a sandwich at a reasonably priced diner and then carrying on to the Parkway.

The Niagara River and gorge were visible on the left and we stopped a couple of times to take in the views before arriving in Niagara Falls. The mist emanating from the Horseshoe Falls felt like rain as we walked along the main viewing promenade and back. No matter how many times I've seen them, I'm still left speechless by the power and majesty of millions of litres of water taking precipitous drops down the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls.

I used to like visiting the wax museums, miniature golf courses, amusement rides, arcades and other kitschy attractions of Clifton Hill and nearby Stanley Avenue as much as the falls themselves when I was a child. A number of them from my youth are still around (The House of Frankenstein, Dracula's Haunted Castle, Criminals Hall of Fame), or have relocated (Louis Tussaud's, Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum, Movieland Wax Museum of the Stars), but there are a lot of others that have arrived more recently. None of them lured us inside, however, so we had a hearty dinner at Montana's Cookhouse and then took in the illuminations along the waterfront before shuffling off to Buffalo.

If you're just sleeping for a few hours before catching a flight, the Econo Lodge is okay since it's reasonably priced and offers a free shuttle to the airport and $25 parking for a week while you're gone. But it's not the cleanest or most up-to-date place, so I don't recommend it for more than a night at a time.

A Tres Bien night at The Sister

2011-12-17T16:02:00.001-05:00

The Legendary Dirtbikers

The Ultimatemost High

Tres Bien Ensemble

I last saw The Legendary Dirtbikers two months ago, but jumped at the chance to spend time with some friends and watch the Toronto band again on Friday night within the welcoming confines of The Sister.

The set was similar to the last one, but the Dirtbikers didn't need any prompting to showcase their "First Dog in Space" single this time out. And the band's rendition of "Let's Get High and Fool Around" may have been the best that I've heard it do.

Guitarist/singer Fred Robinson (who last night was wearing a Hilarious House of Frightenstein T-shirt I was coveting) put it well on a Facebook post I read this morning: "I play in a band with some nice dudes..this makes me happy. We are not about to change the world but we will have a tonne of fun trying."

The only thing I knew about The Ultimatemost High was a YouTube video I checked out earlier this week to see if I'd like it. But what I witnessed in person from this Oshawa, Ont. quartet was much better.

The Ultimatemost High plays a blend of old school punk and vintage garage rock and at times I heard elements of The Damned, The Stooges, Dead Boys and very early Replacements. The group even threw in a Seeds cover for good measure.

Charismatic singer Ben Lee combines the moves and actions of some of rock and roll's great frontmen, but adds his own fresh spin to it. This included lying on his back on the table in front of me and putting the microphone in my face so I had to sing the chorus along with him. Luckily, the lyrics weren't too hard to pick up.

Wayne Omaha was one of my favourite local bands through the late '90s and early into this century, but the band dissolved and its bass player moved away. The group has largely been resurrected, however, under a name borrowed from The Beatles' "Michelle" that I much prefer: Tres Bien Ensemble. The quintet has flown under my radar but when I read the concert listing with the bracketed notation "(formerly Wayne Omaha)," I figured I should see what the new incarnation was like.

I liked what I heard, but wasn't completely sold early on. But as the set of instrumental and vocal tracks evolved, I started appreciating the versatility, diversity and dynamics of what I was hearing from these very talented musicians more and more. It's art rock meets rawk and roll in places, and it draws you in further the more you hear it. I'm not usually a fan of extended jams, but I even liked when the second last song of the night morphed into one.

I've always liked the guys in the band and am pleased that I'll likely see them more often now that I know who Tres Bien Ensemble is. Beauty on.

New York City vacation: part four

2011-12-11T21:33:00.001-05:00

Gambrinus

I've never been to Coney Island before and, since I'd shown mom all of the sights that she was interested in and it was a hot day, we figured we might as well spend some of it at the beach. The water was a little cool, but refreshing. The Luna Park amusement park was just opening its gates, so we had a look around but didn't go on any rides.

We continued walking along the boardwalk and stopped at Winter Garden, a beachfront bar with an extensive beer menu for a couple of thirst quenchers: a Bavick Pilsner and and Ommegang Witte. We left the beach and walked through the Russian neighbourhood dubbed Little Odessa, where we stopped at a nautically themed restaurant/bar called Gambrinus that had a welcoming patio and a decent selection of draught beers. I had a satisfying half-litre of Julius Echter unfiltered wheat beer before we made our way to the subway for the almost hour-long ride back to our hotel.

Since this was our last day in New York, we picked up our bags and took the subway near the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Mom decided she wanted more Thai food for her final meal of the trip, and we were pleased with our curries from Talent II Thai Kitchen at 925 9th Ave.

The ride home was uneventful and, while some people may not enjoy spending 10 hours on a bus, I'm happy to recommend it. You leave at night, sleep as well as you can, and arrive at the beginning of the day. And if you order your tickets two weeks in advance, a round trip costs just $90.

New York City vacation: part three

2011-12-11T21:03:00.001-05:00

Yankee Stadium

A leisurely Sunday morning walk up Lafayette detoured into Chelsea for a visit to the hotel that bears the name of the neighbourhood and has a distinguished and notorious history associated with musicians and writers. Everything seemed normal, but I found out upon returning home that it was the last day that the Chelsea Hotel was open.

We took our final Gray Line bus tour on the uptown loop, which took in Central Park West, Lincoln Center, Dakota Apartments, American Museum of Natural History, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Columbia University, Grant's Tomb, Harlem and the Apollo Theater, the "Museum Mile," Fifth Avenue and back again.

There was an hour to spare before our Circle Line cruise around the entire island of Manhattan, so we took advantage of the beautiful weather and had a drink on a patio near our embarkation point at Pier 83. The three-hour cruise covered three rivers and five boroughs, while passing under seven major bridges and past several landmarks. It offers a different look at Manhattan and, while some parts are a little dull, it also offers some great photo opportunities.

I fell in love with the High Line, an elevated railway line that's been converted into a park and walkway combination along the western side of Manhattan when I visited it in the summer of 2009, and was eager to see the second section that's been added to make the High Line go from the Meatpacking District in the south to as far north as West 30th Street. It offers great views of the city and the Hudson River and is a great addition to Manhattan and makes it an even better walking city.

We continued our walk through the West Village and Greenwich Village, where we stopped to take in Washington Square Park before a late dinner at Boyd Thai Restaurant on Thompson Street, where mom again had steak while I went for some duck.

After a brief pitstop back at the hotel, I picked up a traveller beer at a convenience store to drink before arriving at Manitoba's on Avenue B in Alphabet City. The bar is owned by The Dictators' Handsome Dick Manitoba, and I decided to stay with the bars owned by musicians theme by hitting Niagara, which Jesse Malin has a piece of. I stayed until a hard rain subsided and walked back to the hotel.

New York City vacation: part two

2011-12-11T20:49:00.001-05:00

Central Park

We walked to the former World Trade Center site to see the new construction and visit St. Paul's Chapel, Manhattan's oldest public building in continuous use, on Saturday morning.

We then hopped on the Gray Line bus and made our way north through several neighbourhoods before getting off at Central Park. We ambled leisurely through the southern part of the park, browsed a street fair and picked up some gifts at the M&M store before the Sister Act matinee at the Broadway Theatre. I'm not a big fan of musicals, but was entertained by this one -- and mom loved it, which is what really counts.

Post-show drinks were in order, so we went to the Heartland Chop House Brewery for a flight of seven five-ounce glasses of their house-brewed beer. None of them were exceptional.

We had a look through Grand Central Station before deciding upon dinner at an excellent Brazilian restaurant called Ipanema, where I enjoyed churrasco mist -- a combination of grilled beef, chicken, pork and Portuguese sausage and mom had a steak.

New York City has lots to look at during the day, but it can be just as enthralling by night with all of its bright lights. The two-hour Gray Line night tour took us south from midtown, across to Brooklyn and back again. We fought our way through the throngs around Times Square and elected to keep on walking down Broadway back to our hotel. We took a number of breaks so mom could rest her feet, but we completed the more than 50-block journey in three hours.

That was enough for mom, but I set out again for more late night drinks and made stops at The Magician, National Underground and Home Sweet Home.

New York City vacation: part one

2011-12-11T20:24:00.001-05:00

New York City was a place my mother had always wanted to visit, so this summer I granted her wish and took her to the Big Apple for an extra long weekend.

I booked a room at the well-located Holiday Inn SoHo on Lafayette Street between Chinatown and Little Italy, and within easy walking distance of the Lower East Side and East Village for my late night dive bar visits. This was my sixth trip to NYC, so I know it reasonably well, but thought the best way to introduce my mom to the city was through a three-day, hop-on hop-off Gray Line double-decker tour bus pass.

Our first day began with a walk further downtown that took us past a number of captivating buildings, the Brooklyn Bridge, the South Street Seaport (where we stopped at the TKTS outlet and bought a pair of tickets for Sister Act for the next day) and the financial district before arriving at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.

The free ride took us within easy viewing distance of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, which I've visited in the past but didn't on this trip. Upon disembarkation, we strolled past the Richmond County Bank Ballpark (the home of the Staten Island Yankees of the New York-Penn League) to the September 11 Memorial and then back to the terminal for the 25-minute return ride to Manhattan. This was my second time in Staten Island, but both have been short trips, and I'd like to explore more of it sometime.

The same can be said of Brooklyn, which I got my most comprehensive overview of on the Gray Line tour of New York City's most populous borough. The two-hour tour was the of the day and our guide and driver made it entertaining and informative.

We decided to have dinner on Mulberry Street, the heart of Little Italy, and just made it inside Cafe Napoli before a massive downpour hit. My mom had an expensive but tasty stuffed veal dish, while I went with some fish. She called it an early night, I did some writing and then stepped out for drinks at Lower East Side watering holes Iggy's Keltic Lounge, The Cake Shop, Max Fish and Arlene's Grocery.

Max Fish

Gourmet Food and Wine Expo keeps me in good spirits

2011-11-22T00:12:00.001-05:00

I've attended each edition of the Toronto Festival of Beer over the past 17 years, but made it to my first Gourmet Food & Wine Expo on the weekend. I think it could be the beginning of a new tradition.

Upon arriving at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre's South Building on Saturday evening, we were informed that there could be a two-hour wait to get in. But with my media pass and my three friends' VIP tickets, we were able to walk right in. Paying the $40 for the VIP ticket as opposed to $20 for the regular pass may not be a bad idea next year for folks like me who hate standing in line.

I was told that 40 one-dollar sampling tickets was the average purchase, so that's what I bought to make sure that my wine glass was never empty for long. I'm much more of a beer snob than a wine connoisseur, and I found one that I'd never had before along with Australia's ever-reliable Cooper's Sparkling Ale and Germany's Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel. The new one, to me at least, was England's Badger Golden Champion Ale. A hint of elderflower in the bouquet and a refreshing finish made it a worthwhile, if far from essential, discovery.

The place was packed and the clientele seemed to be skewed a bit younger than I might have expected, but perhaps it was just people getting a good start to their Saturday nights before hitting clubs after the expo closed at 10 p.m. I used it for that purpose, too, as we caught a great show by Boston garage rock band The Lyres at the Horseshoe Tavern at midnight.

I much prefer whites over reds, and Rieslings and sparkling wines are my favourites, so that's what I tried to focus on for the most part. The Alsace Riesling Willm Reserve was my favourite of those.

I quite enjoyed the Bassano Hard Sodas — a combination of vodka, spring water and natural flavours inspired by classic Italian sodas. Both the Lemon Sanguinelli and Raspberry Pomelo would appeal to those who aren't big drinkers and like some sweetness to go along with a 5.5 per cent alcohol content.

Some booths were offering spirits, so I was obliged to try a few. Khorytsa offered both a regular and a pepper vodka. The former was okay and the latter definitely had a spicy bite that seemed like it would go well in a Caesar.

I'd been intrigued by the bottle and label of The Kraken Black Spiced Rum when I'd seen it in stores, but had never tasted it. The Kraken was released and I got molasses and dark chocolate flavours from it, but I wasn't sold on this complex 47-per cent alcohol rum. A shot of Fireball cinnamon whiskey went down well, however, as it always does.

The crawfish etouffee from the Louisiana booth hit the spot and made me long for New Orleans, even though I'd just been there a week earlier.

I had more than half my tickets left at closing time, but luckily I had no major plans for Sunday afternoon and returned for another visit. There were fewer people, which made it more relaxed and easier to talk to the representatives at each booth about their product.

I found three new to me beers that I'd overlooked on Saturday. The Amsterdam 416 Urban Wheat has 4.16 per cent alcohol and came out this summer to mark the brewery's 25th anniversary. It lacked the fruit bouquet and flavours of my favourite wheat beers, and I have no need to drink it again. Slightly better, but unexceptional, was Theresianer — an amber Viennese lager brewed in Italy. The best of the bunch was Beau's Nightmarzen, a dark amber fall seasonal from the organic Ontario brewery.

I was pleased with the light and fruity Riesling Moscato, Black Slate Riesling and 20 Bees Riesling, as well as the 6.5-per cent Sundance Pink Lemonade wine beverage that tasted more of grapefruit than anything else.

I balanced that with more of the hard stuff, starting with a lovely Caipirinha cocktail made with Leblon cachaca. A mixture of 360 Double Chocolate Vodka and Dooley's Toffee Cream Liqueur was certainly chocolatey — and good. Mathilde Creme Liqueur is an 18-per cent alcohol beverage from France that smells and tastes of raspberry, but there's no creme to be found. Cherry Heering cherry brandy liqueur tastes better in a Singapore Sling than on its own.

I visited the Mount Gay distillery in Barbados in 2010 and, while the booth at the expo lacked the same appeal, I still enjoyed the spicy sorrel cocktail made with its Eclipse brand. El Dorado is a Demerara rum from Guyana and was okay, but I'll stick with my Old Sam, thank you.

I sampled free veal, a few different types of pears and a variety of hot sauces, and soothingly sweet Panama Jack's French Vanilla Cream helped cool my mouth off after those. I paid a buck for a tasty San Danielle prosciutto slider, but it wasn't until the show was closing at 6 p.m. and I still found myself with tickets that I really turned my attention towards food. The friendly woman from Royal Elephant set me up with lots of spring rolls and chicken wings for my walk home.

Lots of people had left their wine glasses behind, so I put six of them in my bag, and then was given almost 20 cans of Clamato juice as I made my exit. I put that to quick use by making a couple of Caesars to sip on while watching Sunday night football on my couch.

Frank Turner makes history in Toronto

2011-10-29T18:49:00.000-04:00

Frank Turner has come a long way in North America since I tried to interest people in his Campfire Punkrock EP five years ago, first saw him on a small rooftop at the South by Southwest Music Festival in 2009 and witnessed him playing to an almost empty Molson Amphiteatre later that year while opening for Offspring.

Turner launched his 2010 North American tour in my living room in front of 30 of my friends and is now selling out shows across the continent. More than 1,000 people turned out for his all-ages concert at Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre on Friday night, making it his biggest headlining gig ever outside of the United Kingdom.

Turner was obviously jubilant with the turnout and rabid singing along by many in the audience, and it was reflected in his ebullient performance with his backing band, The Sleeping Souls. He opened with "Eulogy" and went on to play a mix of older material and songs from his latest Epitaph LP, England Keep My Bones.

A Canadian flag with Turner's name emblazoned across it was thrown on stage towards the end of the 75-minute opening set. It was draped across the front of the drum kit before briefly gracing Turner's shoulders during a surprise closing number: a cover of Queen's "Somebody To Love." So that's what Freddy Mercury would have looked and sounded like if he was a raging heterosexual.

Turner's encore began with a solo acoustic cover of Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel," which he introduced as a Toronto song. When I gently chided Turner and told him that Cohen was from Montreal when we met for drinks at a local pub after the show, he said he realized he'd made a mistake as soon as the words left his lips -- but it was too late to turn back. The song should go over well if he pulls it out again tonight for his show at Montreal's Corona.

Turner remained alone on stage for "Ballad of Me and My Friends" before The Sleeping Souls returned for a rousing run through "Photosynthesis" wherein the singer urged everyone in the house -- including the bartenders and security guards -- to sing the anthemic chorus. They did, and Turner rewarded the diehards up front by diving off the stage into their outstretched arms.

Slowly but surely, Turner is becoming a star. That's certainly the case in Toronto, at least, which he's claiming as his second home after London.

The British artist's Canadian tour is almost over, but he'll return next spring as part of an exciting double bill that I'm already looking forward to but can't yet reveal.

Drunk fun with Kepi and Chixdiggit

2011-10-29T17:19:00.002-04:00

Groovie Ghoulies' World Contact Day was one of my five favourite albums of 1996 and the Sacramento, Calif. pop-punk band was a very entertaining live act back in those days as well. The group has pretty much flown below my radar for most of this century, however, and broke up in 2007. But lead singer/bassist Kepi Ghoulie hasn't retired.

Kepi showed up at Toronto's Sneaky Dee's on Thursday night with Chixdiggit — fronting a set of his own with the headliners backing him and then taking a secondary role as bassist with Chixdiggit when guitarist K.J. Jansen shifted to centre stage for the second set.

Like with his previous band, Kepi plays short, sharp bursts of music grounded in '60s garage rock and pop and '70s Ramones-styled punk. His 12-song set included "Supermodel," "Hey Kepi Let's Go," "Girlfriend," Chixdiggit's "Quit Your Job," "Chupacabra" (his own song, not the Chixdiggit one), "Love On Demand," "The Beast With Five Hands," covers of Chuck Berry's "Don't Lie To Me" and "All Aboard," and lots of comedic banter in between.

The clock struck midnight and it was time for Chixdiggit's first Toronto performance in eight years. I believe I went for Mexican food and whiskey sours with the group, Fat Wreck's Melanie Kaye and a few other friends before that show, and it seems hard to believe that it was that long ago.

The Calgary band is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and playing all-request shows in response, but Jansen conceded that it couldn't play every song called out by audience members because it had forgotten how to play some of them. The passing of time seemed to mean less to many in the crowd, who were singing along to songs as if they heard them on the radio every day.

"Welcome To The Daiso" opened the proceedings, and the race through snotty three-chord pop-punk songs began. Personal favourite "I Feel Like Gerry Cheevers," "Gettin' Air," "Miso Ramen," "I Drove the Coquihalla," "Chupacabra," "Found Love," "I Remember You," "Spanish Fever," "Henry Rollins Is No Fun," "Where's Your Mom," "I Should Have Played Football in Highschool" and "I Wanna Hump You" were included in a 50-minute set.

But the boys weren't done yet. Kepi is apparently shooting a Chixdiggit documentary with his iPhone (he put it in his mouth and filmed during "Spanish Fever") and there was more potential footage to be had.

Jansen, with his trademark "Let's hear it for that" line, was as funny as Kepi in between songs. He's slightly bulkier than eight years ago, so perhaps that had something to do with him not utilizing another signature move: placing his mic extra low and singing from an awkward-looking position.

Despite becoming a father over the past few years (his wife is Kathy Camaro from The Riff Randells), Jansen still likes to drink while on the road and said he was feeling the effects of quite a few -- egged on by Kepi's chants of "Get drunk!"

Jansen's voice was a bit strained after some recent misbehaving in Halifax, and it showed when he returned to the stage alone for "Born in Toulouse." His bandmates helped him finish the song and stayed on for an encore that was almost as long as the main set and included "Ohio," "Quit Your Job," "Hot N Horny," "You're Pretty Good," "Thursday Night," "Toilet Seat's Coming Down," "My Restaurant," "J Crew" and "Geocities Kitty."

I was feeling lethargic from a cold and apparently missed the most exciting ending ever to a World Series game to attend the show, but the enjoyment derived from those three hours helped make me feel a bit better the next morning — and I probably exceeded my healthy quota of baseball-watching weeks ago anyway.

This was a nostalgic trip, but the good times still resonate.

Jim Fidler previews new album with three EPs

2011-10-27T20:59:00.001-04:00

I wrote about my appreciation for Jim Fidler's music, and the friendship between us that grew out of it, in this spot two years ago when I heard his From The Inside Out album. It became one of my favourite records of 2009 and was robbed of the best reggae album Juno Award nomination it deserved.

Jim has a new album titled Up That River coming out in December, but he's introducing it with a trilogy of EPs featuring material from the LP, dub mixes and acoustic versions. I've listened to the first two, and he's on to something good again.

All the material was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jim at his Roots Cellar studio in St. John's, Nfld. He produced, engineered, played most of the instruments and sang lead.

The first EP opens with "Intro (Joesph)," a short number featuring Jamaican-born Newfoundlander Keith (Joseph) Rickman talking about Jim in an excerpt from a forthcoming documentary about this multi-talented man being made by his wife Lillian.

Jim played me "Be Free" and "Leslie Street" in his studio when I was in St. John's for the 2010 Juno Awards. I liked them both right away and I'm glad that more people will finally be able to hear them. "Be Free" is a melodic roots reggae number with female harmonies not unlike those of Bob Marley's I Threes. It also comes in a dub version. "Leslie Street" is lyrically moving and showcases the best of Jim's voice along with some well-played guitar lines.

The EP is rounded out by "Operation Africa," which has a lighter pop funk groove along with jazz and reggae influences.

I've heard Jim perform Marley's "No Woman No Cry" before, but he'd never recorded it until recently for the 2 EP. And he goes one better by including a dub mix along with his interpretation of the reggae classic. Rory Hoffman, the only musician other than Jim to contribute to these two records, adds some sweet saxophone and clarinet to both.

The 45-second "Here Come the Katz" leads into "Cats Will be Katz," a largely instrumental number with jazz elements and the recorded debut of Lillian's voice. I prefer "Me," a rhythmic track with a fun mix of blues, pop and harmonica by Hoffman.

The third EP should be arriving soon, and all of them can be purchased from Jim's website. Each EP purchase entitles the buyer to a three-dollar coupon towards the purchase of Up That River.

Dirtbikers, Mystery and Devils

2011-10-23T18:22:00.000-04:00

Toronto's Mitzi's Sister is just calling itself The Sister these days, and the place has changed substantially since my last visit. The restaurant/bar/music venue has been renovated, the bar has been moved to free up more space and Durham County Hop Head cask ale is available. All of the changes are for the better.

The Legendary Dirtbikers

One thing that hasn't changed, however, is the semi-regular appearance of The Legendary Dirtbikers at the Parkdale hangout. And that's a good thing, too.

If the band has a primary singer, I guess it would be bassist Mark Gabriel (Knockout Pill, Holy Microphone). But guitarists Fred Robinson (UIC, The Chickens, Possum, Holy Microphone) and Duncan Blair (The Mummers, The Dickens) also take lead on occasion and all three men contribute harmonies. Drummer Peter Timmins gets to stretch out from his regular gig with Cowboy Junkies and pound the skins harder and faster.

I'm not exactly sure how I'd categorize what these veterans do, or who I'd compare them to, other than to say they do it because they love it and not because they're trying to become the next big thing on either commercial radio or with Pitchfork-obsessed hipsters. It's definitely guitar-driven, pretty loud and touches on a few styles. None of the members are particularly strong singers, but their voices suit their material just fine.

"Another Country Song" was dedicated to me after the fact by Robinson, and I also enjoyed "Last Call," "Watching The Neighbours Watching TV" and "Still Remain."

Gabriel left the small stage after what he thought was the final song. But members of the headlining act, the young British mod punk trio The Targets, called him back with the threat that they wouldn't take the stage until they heard the Dirtbikers single "First Dog In Space." He obliged and I'm glad he did. I love that song.

I saw The Targets on a previous Toronto visit in March and, while I liked them, I elected to move on to The Silver Dollar to see Puerto Rican garage rock band Davila 666.

White Mystery

Chicago's White Mystery was up first, however. The sister/brother duo of guitarist/singer Alex and drummer Francis Scott Key White look like hippies, but certainly don't play like flower children. The lyrics were often hard to decipher, parts of the set were a bit too raw for my tastes and some songs were definitely better than others, but I ended up being mostly won over by the visceral power.

Davila 666 came on just before 1 a.m., and the San Juan sextet was impressive from the get-go. There were none of the props, costumes or dancers I'd heard that performances can include, but the music was enough for me. The group came across like a better behaved Black Lips and, while I'm not familiar with its two albums, I'm happy to report that the buzz about the band that came out of the South by Southwest Music Festival in March was warranted.

The Spanish cover of "Hanging On The Telephone" was a very pleasant surprise that I appreciated almost as much as the woman in front of me wearing a dress dedicated to Blondie -- who compensated for the guy behind me who kept asking if I had any mescaline.

Davila 666

I swear I could feel the floor move under me at one point, which I don't know says more about the enthusiasm of Davila 666 and its fans or the structural soundness of the club, but no damage was done during the 40-minute set and two-song encore. Being from Puerto Rico may give Davila 666 a bit of a novelty factor, but this performance proved that it doesn't have to rely on it.

Shonen Knife: Osaka Ramones

2011-10-22T19:30:00.001-04:00

Shonen Knife has appeared in Toronto each fall for the past two years, and that tradition continued Thursday night when the Japanese trio rolled into the Horseshoe Tavern. But there was an added treat this time as well, an appearance by alter-ego group Osaka Ramones.

I wrote in my MSN.ca column two years ago that Shonen Knife was my favourite all-woman band of all time (I'd provide a link to the top 30 list, but all of my blogs were removed from the site once my contract ended), and this latest performance did nothing to shake my belief.

December will mark Shonen Knife's 30th anniversary. Looking at lead singer/guitarist Naoko Yamano, you'd think she'd started the band out of the womb. But the youthful looking musician turned 50 last year. The rhythm section has seen a few changes over the years, and is now composed of effervescent drummer/singer Emi Morimoto and head-banging bassist/vocalist Ritsuko Taneda. This show was the first of a 26-city North American tour and attracted a healthy crowd of others like me who've fallen under the group's spell of fun.

No-one should have been disappointed with the song selection in the opening 45-minute set, as it included "Konnichiwa," "Twist Barbie," "Rock Society," "Capybara," "I Am A Cat," "Devil House," "Redd Kross," "Anime Phenomenon," "Banana Chips" and a few others. The trio's wide smiles and appreciative addresses to the audience showed that the ladies were enjoying playing their blend of girl group pop and three-chord punk as much as we were appreciating hearing it.

"Capybara" had a ska-based chorus that had some folks skanking, "Devil House" prompted some fans to crowd-surf and the "Hey ho, let's go" chorus of "Redd Kross" foreshadowed what was to come in the second set after the women changed from their customized matching outfits and returned to the stage looking like Joey, Dee Dee and Marky in jeans and black leather jackets.

Osaka Ramones were in the house and a 20-minute set featured a number of classic covers from Shonen Knife's new Ramones tribute album on Good Charamel Records. Label founder and Goo Goo Dolls bassist Robby Takac, largely unrecognizable under his toque and behind glasses, was snapping photos from the side of the stage as the second part of the performance started to unfold.

There were a few minor twists thrown in, but, by and large, renditions of "Blitzkrieg Bop," "Beat on the Brat," "I Wanna Be Sedated," "Sheena is a Punk Rocker," "The KKK Took My Baby Away," "Rock and Roll High School" and "Pinhead" were pretty faithful to the originals.

There was no encore, but Shonen Knife happily stood at the merchandise table posing for photos and signing records and T-shirts. A couple of friends who hadn't seen the group before came away impressed, and I was a satisfied Shonen Knife customer for the sixth time.

Crocodiles and Dum Dum Girls make sense together

2011-10-18T03:03:00.000-04:00

Colleen Green

It must be tough for the spouses of touring musicians, who are often away for weeks or months at a time trying to earn a living.

Crocodiles frontman Brandon Welchez and Dum Dum Girls lead singer Kristen Gundred have found a solution. The husband and wife have taken their respective bands on the road together, and they rolled into Toronto's Lee's Palace on Sunday night along with opening act Colleen Green.

I'd never heard of Green, but her fetching looks, green velvet mini dress and dark sunglasses caught my attention when I walked into the club. She was alone on stage playing electric guitar, and it took a few seconds for me to realize that she was covering Blue Oyster Cult's "Burnin' For You." I liked the arrangement and enjoyed the last song she performed, which used a programmed rhythm track, as well.

San Diego's Crocodiles packed the Silver Dollar when I caught the quintet during the North By Northeast Music Festival in June, but it seemed just as comfortable on the larger stage and in front of more people at Lee's. Welchez is a dynamic leader, whether he's playing a guitar or jumping around with his mic while singing. The group was showcasing some new songs and the lyrics were difficult to discern, but the sharp-edged guitar shooting through the wall of sound combined with the energy emanating from the stage to make words a minor concern.

Crocodiles

Crocodiles come across as Echo & The Bunnymen on amphetamines, with a large dollop of Jesus and Mary Chain and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. And when Gundred came out to duet for a song, a Raveonettes vibe was added to the proceedings towards the end of the 40-minute set.

The four black-clad women of the Dum Dum Girls came on at 11:15 p.m. and their rumbling instrumentation with '60s pop underpinnings carried on the momentum. "Bedroom Eyes" and "Wasted Away" were my favourite songs, though "Bhang, Bhang, I'm a Burnout," "Rest of Our Lives," "Hold Your Hand," "Teardrops on My Pillow," "It Only Takes One Night" and "Only In Dreams" ensured that I didn't lose interest.

Dum Dum Girls

Gundred writes solid songs and has a fine voice, and her bandmates' harmonies complement it well. The women have a sexy image and play well enough to overcome any accusations that they have little beyond that, even if there's nothing particularly groundbreaking in their music. But when your influences include The Ronettes, Ramones, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Jesus and Mary Chain, Patti Smith and Mazzy Star, there doesn't have to be.

I don't think I've ever heard The Smiths' "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" covered before, but Dum Dum Girls changed that and did a good job with it to end its 55-minute set.

Crocodiles keyboardist Robin Eisenberg joined the lineup for the lone encore number, the appropriately titled "Coming Down." The slow, brooding song wouldn't have been my choice as a closer, but Mariano Rivera can't pitch every night. Still, Dum Dum Girls and Crocodiles were both winners on Sunday.

A night with Bob Gruen and The Aggrolites

2011-10-16T18:24:00.000-04:00

photo by Jeff Ross

Legendary rock music photographer Bob Gruen launched his new book, Rock Seen, with an exhibition of some of his best known shots at Toronto's Liss Gallery on Saturday evening.

I interviewed Gruen a few weeks before his 2008 show at the same gallery and spoke to him briefly again in between admiring his work, chatting with friends, munching on pizza and enjoying cocktails named after the New York Dolls and Iggy & The Stooges.

If you're a fan of John Lennon, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Blondie, Elton John, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen and other music icons, you'll want to get to Liss' Yorkville Avenue gallery to see Gruen's work.

After post-exhibit drinks with a couple of friends, I headed west to Lee's Palace. I walked in to hear New Hampshire reggae band Roots of Creation covering Elvis Costello's "Watching The Detectives." It was a good start, and the band's original roots reggae material was certainly palatable — if not exceptional.

The Aggrolites came on stage for their headlining set of "dirty reggae," which mixes reggae, ska, soul and rock steady. There were a couple of different members in the all black-clad quintet since the last time I saw it, and the performance lacked some of the vitality of earlier shows I'd seen the Los Angeles band play, but the group definitely has musical chops and knows how to entertain a crowd.

Singer Jesse Wagner had an injured finger and wasn't able to play guitar, which didn't help things. But there were still a number of highlights, including a cover of The Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," "Complicated Girl" from the group's recent series of 45s, "Banana" (which it previously performed on children's television show Yo Gabba Gabba!), "Someday," "Free Time," "Mr. Misery" and "Dirty Reggae." The 65-minute set was followed by an encore that ended things on a positive note with "Countryman Fiddle" and a cover of The Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down."

Life is a Highway is paved with Canadian gold from the '90s

2011-09-22T01:02:00.002-04:00

The creators of television specials on Canadian music in the '60s, '70s and '80s are back again with Life is a Highway, a two-part look at the Canuck scene of the '90s.

The hour-long first episode aired last week and, even though it opened with a section on Bryan Adams, I still enjoyed it. I especially appreciated coverage of Spirit of the West, Rawlins Cross, Sloan, Thrush Hermit, Doughboys, Odds, Tragically Hip, Barenaked Ladies, Moxy Fruvous and Rheostatics. Some of these groups experienced substantial commercial success. All of them were deserving of it.

I learned that Brad Roberts came up with the chorus and title of the Crash Test Dummies hit "Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm" because he couldn't think of words to use in its place, while the episode also highlighted the contributions of the likes of kd lang, Tom Cochrane, The Rankin Family, Leahy, Great Big Sea, Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster, La Bottine Souriante and Loreena McKennitt.

In addition to music from and interviews with these artists, the show also revealed the thoughts of other musicians and music industry representatives on their efforts to raise the temperature of the Canadian music climate, including Michael Kaeshammer, Ian D'Sa, Sam Roberts, Brendan Canning and managers Jake Gold, Jeff Rogers, Chip Sutherland and Mike Campbell.

Part two airs tonight on CBC's main network at 8 p.m. and will be repeated Saturday night on CBC News Net. A big part of its focus is on a quartet of women who became international superstars in the '90s: Celine Dion, Sarah McLachlan, Shania Twain and Alanis Morissette. Another Canadian female who became big at home but didn't quite reach such lofty heights elsewhere, Jann Arden, also gets her props.

Ron Sexsmith represents the male singer/songwriters, while Our Lady Peace, Blue Rodeo, The Tea Party and Big Sugar are among the primary rock bands. Bran Van 3000's eclectic approach gets more attention than most people who think of it as a one-hit wonder through "Drinking in L.A." might expect. I was especially pleased to see the groundbreaking Dream Warriors spotlighted, while Snow, Rascalz and Bass Is Base show the eclecticism of Canada's hip-hop community.

Like in hour one, there are lots of live performance and video clips interspersed with interviews with some of the aforementioned artists as well as Choclair, Luc Plamondon, David Foster, Maestro, Dallas Good and manager Terry McBride.

I entered the music industry in 1991 and edited its trade magazines throughout the decade until 2004, so Life is a Highway's content is very familiar to me and isn't as informative as the earlier decade retrospectives. But there's probably material that's revelatory to more casual music fans, and the shows are put together well.

Producer, writer, researcher and interviewer Nicholas Jennings deserves a breather. But after that well-earned rest, it's time to get on to a show on the 00s.

Arcade Fire deserved the 2011 Polaris Music Prize

2011-09-20T19:16:00.000-04:00

The 2011 Polaris Music Prize grand jury made the right choice in awarding a $30,000 cheque to Arcade Fire and naming The Suburbs the best Canadian album of the year on Monday night.

I was one of the 200-or-so jurors who helped select the short list of 10 albums, but my role wasn't really that large. I hear that I was one of just three Polaris voters not to have any of the five choices marked on the initial ballot make the long list of 40 contenders. But two of my choices from those 40 made the final 10, led by The Suburbs.

It was fourth on my ballot but had a clear lead over my fifth and last choice, Ron Sexsmith's Long Player Late Boomer. Timber Timbre's Creep On Creepin' On was probably my third pick, even though I didn't vote for it.

Monday's show, held at Toronto's Concert Hall in the Masonic Temple and hosted by CBC Radio 3's Grant Lawrence and MuchMusic's Damian Abraham (who won the Polaris two years ago as the lead singer for Fucked Up), featured performances from six of the 10 finalists.

Sexsmith was first up and impressed with a great mid-tempo pop song, "Believe It When I See It," before finishing with "Everytime I Follow."

Austra's performance was dramatic and theatrical, but the whole thing was too precious for my tastes.

The first impression I got of Montreal rock band Galaxie was that it reminded me a bit of a francophone Big Sugar. Singer/guitarist Olivier Langevin is a very good player, and his riffing made Galaxie the hardest rocking outfit of the night.

Timber Timbre may have received the biggest audience response for its two songs, and deservingly so. The trio was fleshed out with a small string section, and the combination of singer/guitarist Taylor Kirk's deep voice and the dark and foreboding music coming from him and his bandmates during "Bad Ritual/Obelisk" and the album's title track had me thinking about Nick Cave.

Braids' Native Speaker was a favourite on Canadian campus radio, and I can see why, but the group's dependence on effects and singer/guitarist Raphaelle Standell-Preston's sometimes high-pitched voice failed to hold me in thrall.

I appreciate Hey Rosetta!, but I'm not as committed to the St. John's, Nfld. group as others I know. Still, the band's performance of "Bricks" and "Yer Spring" ended the performances on solid ground.

Destroyer, The Weeknd, Colin Stetson and Arcade Fire didn't perform, but the Polaris-winning combo's Win Butler, Jeremy Gara and Richard Reed Parry flew in after headlining the Austin City Limits Festival the night before to accept the accolades and their large novelty cheque.

With only six of 10 acts playing, I can't understand why the show stretched out beyond three hours. And the long waits between action on the stage were made worse for those of us in the balcony, as the pads that were there in past years were nowhere to be found and sitting on cold concrete for that long doesn't really equate with the word gala.

But, unlike in past years when there were heated discussions on the merits of the winner at the post-gala party at The Drake Hotel, most people seemed satisfied with The Suburbs taking the prize. And that's the way it should have been.

Jim Jones Revued

2011-09-15T00:11:00.001-04:00

Jim Jones Revued

Friends who'd seen England's Jim Jones Revue at the in Austin and New York City, and were instrumental in getting the group to come to Toronto, promised that Tuesday night's show at the Horseshoe Tavern would be one of the best shows I'd see this year.

The group attracted more than 300 people, which was a lot more than was originally expected — and probably somewhat attributable to last week's appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. While I certainly enjoyed the quintet, it fell a bit short of being the amazing experience I'd been primed for.

The Jim Jones Revue takes elements of Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, The Rolling Stones, The Faces, The Mooney Suzuki, The Sonics and Creedence Clearwater Revival and then turns up the volume and adds punk enthusiasm and aggression to a blended core of rock and roll, soul, blues and rockabilly. The band members were all dressed in black, making them look as dangerous as they sounded.

Jones, the former singer of late '80s garage/psych rock revivalists Thee Hypnotics, fronts his current band with and without a guitar. He's joined by ace guitarist Rupert Orton and a solid rhythm section of Gavin Jay and Nick Jones, but it's boogie-woogie pianist Henri Herbert who really helps make The Jim Jones Revue stand out. His vintage sound is straight from the '50s and sounds refreshing in this age of electronic gimmickry.

When Jones isn't using his roughly hewn voice to belt out a fast-paced repertoire of songs, he's pulling out the old cliche of pitting cities against each other to try and get a bigger audience reaction. He encourages crowd participation — with profanity — but I'd rather clap and sing along when I feel like it without instructions.

The band brought its own sound man, but what came off the stage was a bit muddy at times and so loud that it drove a few customers out the door. I was fine with earplugs, but it probably wouldn't hurt to turn things down a bit.

And it would help to have a few more top-level songs. The Jim Jones Revue's second album, Burning Down Your House, was released in North America last month. But the band's reputation has been built on its incendiary concerts, not on its songwriting.

A Jim Jones Revue performance is a great way to spend an hour. Whether the band can grow beyond that artistically remains to be seen, but it already has an energetic head start on most other combos on the club circuit these days — and sometimes that's enough to keep both the musicians and their fans happy.

2011-05-10T01:11:00.001-04:00

Fat is where it's at with Bad Manners

My Saturday night stroll down memory lane that began with seeing The Lowest of the Low and Weddings Parties Anything's Mick Thomas and Mark "Squeezebox Wally" Wallace at Toronto's Massey Hall continued a little later on to the northwest at Lee's Palace with Bad Manners (photo by Jeff Ross).

The band was part of the British ska revival and the group's Gosh It's… Bad Manners, Forging Ahead and Klass albums got plenty of play on my turntable when I was a teenager in the early '80s. The group was (and still is) fronted by Douglas Trendle, who all but his closest relatives know as Buster Bloodvessel. If you can imagine '80s wrestler King Kong Bundy energetically singing and dancing with a big grin on his face, that was Bloodvessel back then.

My first opportunity to see Bad Manners was the summer of 1987 when I was living in London, England and I caught a show at Dingwalls in Camden. I skanked with the skinheads up front throughout the set and talked to Bloodvessel afterward. He gave me his address and told me to come around for a visit so he could give me some records and then we could go out for drinks and an interview. This was the pre-cellphone and Internet era (yes, kids, such a time actually existed) and Bloodvessel said he didn't have a home phone, so I wrote him a letter and then just dropped by his house one day, but we didn't connect.

I didn't see the man again for more than 20 years, when Bad Manners came to Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern. Bloodvessel underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery in 2004 and he was barely half the man he was back in the band's prime commercial period, when he tipped the scale at well over 400 pounds. It was another sweat-fest of a show, and I caught up with Bloodvessel afterwards. I chastised him for letting me down a couple of decades earlier, but of course he didn't remember.

We arrived at Lee's just in time for the beginning of Bad Manners' 12:15 a.m. set this past weekend, and it was jam-packed with singles and other favourites from the catalogue. I'd taken enough notes earlier in the night reviewing the previous show and just focused on having fun, which wasn't difficult, so I'm relying on memory when I say that the set included "My Girl Lollipop," "Walking In The Sunshine," "Only Funkin'," "Gherkin," "Samson and Delilah," "Fattie Fattie," "Ne-Ne Na-Na Na-Na Nu-Nu," "Just A Feeling" "Special Brew," "Wooly Bully," "Lorraine" and, down the home stretch, "Can Can" and "Lip Up Fatty."

It wasn't quite in the same league as last summer's Specials show, but I'd definitely put it up there with the last few shows I've seen by Dave Wakeling's English Beat. I'm well past that snub of almost a quarter-century ago, and Bad Manners is firmly back in my good books.

2011-05-01T13:34:00.000-04:00

Ken Kesey's "Magic Trip" on film

My friend Graham Kennedy showed four of his photographs, inscribed with words describing some of the reasons he's leaving Toronto and moving to St. John's, Nfld. this summer, at Toronto's Oz Gallery (134 Ossington Ave.) on Saturday night.

Photos from Anthony Macri and David Todon also adorned the walls for the exhibition, which had its opening reception last night and runs until May 29. I caught up with Graham, discussed his work and found out he was a big Ken Kesey fan as we chatted over a beer before it was time to head off and see my first film of the Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival at the Isabel Bader Theatre.

"Magic Trip" is director/producer Alex Gibney and Alison Ellwood's portrait of author Ken Kesey ("One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," "Sometimes A Great Notion") and his Merry Pranksters as they took an acid-fuelled trip across the United States in a brightly painted 1939 International Harvester school bus dubbed "Further" to visit the 1964 World's Fair in New York City.

The trip was filmed by the Pranksters on 16-millimetre cameras that none of them knew how to use properly, and the more than 100 hours that was shot never synched with the accompanying audiotape, so much of it has remained unseen until now. Using this raw footage in combination with occasional re-enactments, the award-winning filmmakers have brought this "Magic Trip" to life for those of us who've only previously read about it.

Kesey's first experimentation with LSD took place as part of 1960 clinical tests at Stanford University, while he was an aspiring Olympic wrestler, for which he was paid $25 a day. Audio excerpts of what he was feeling and seeing during those tests are included in the film, and he enjoyed the sensation so much that his interest in acid soon became far greater than his original intent of trying to help the medical community find a cure for insanity.

Novelist Jack Kerouac's "On The Road" opened Kesey up to new ideas as much as drugs, and Neil Cassady (who the character Dean Moriarty from the book was based on) was invited to drive "Further" from Kesey's La Honda, Calif. residence to New York City. Copious amounts of speed kept Cassady behind the wheel and talking incessantly while other Pranksters consumed LSD in equally large volumes.

Mini profiles of the Pranksters who set out on the bus — including Ken Babbs, Jane Burton, Page Browning, George Walker, Mike Hagen, Ron Bevirt, John Babbs, Paula Sundstren (also known as "Gretchen Fetchin" and "Slime Queen") and "Stark Naked," who wandered off, was arrested and put under psychiatric surveillance during a stop in Houston — add context to the story. Some of the surviving members also add their thoughts about what they can remember from the adventure.

But it's the footage that really makes the movie. Watching these people (a couple of years before the term hippie was coined) ride on top of the bus as it rolled down the highway, and stopping along the way to trip out in a variety of locales, is what most historians or the merely curious will want to see. The 90-minute film provides a number of opportunities to play voyeur.

When the Pranksters ultimately make it to New York, they're generally disappointed by the World's Fair and meeting beat icons Kerouac and Alan Ginsberg and east coast psychedelic drug guru Timothy Leary. The Moody Blues' psychedelic "Legend of a Mind" (which includes the line "Timothy Leary's dead") and other songs create an appropriate and entertaining soundtrack to put the film in even better context.

Cassady didn't make the return trip to La Honda, so the other male Pranksters took turns driving — and apparently swapping partners with some of the wives and girlfriends who were on the bus. Kesey and other Pranksters hosted several "Acid Test" parties, many of them featuring performances by The Grateful Dead, until LSD was outlawed in 1966.

Kesey was arrested for marijuana possession in 1965 and spent five months in jail before he moved to his family farm in Oregon, where he spent the rest of his life before passing away in 2001 at age 66. He never really lived up to the promise shown in his first two novels. Whether that can be blamed on all of the LSD he took remains a matter of debate.

You don't have to be an acid head to enjoy this "Magic Trip."

2011-01-20T00:35:00.001-05:00

In Conversation with The Jayhawks' Mark Olson

The Jayhawks opened a five-city tour in Toronto on Tuesday, the same day that the band's long-out-of-print Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow The Green Grass albums were reissued by American/Legacy.

Singer/guitarist Mark Olson spoke to me a day earlier about the past, present and future of The Jayhawks. Here's how our conversation went:

Tell me about the new Jayhawks album you’re working on and the songs that will be on it.
“We started to work on songs in the springtime. Gary (Louris) came out to my place in Joshua Tree and we still wrote the way we’ve always written. We each bring in parts and pieces and put them together, and we each bring in a couple of more fully conceived things and work on bridges. We started to build a collection of songs.
"I went to Minnesota in the summer for a couple of weeks. We wrote at his house and went up to my sister’s cabin. And then he came out once more to California to work on some more songs. We got a big collection of songs together. I was going on tour with my Many Colored Kite record and I took the whole month of November off and went straight to Minneapolis. We rehearsed with the band for a couple of days and then went into the studio and started to record the songs. It’s now basically done. It just needs some final mixes.”

How many songs did you write compared to what will be on the record?
“We have 14 songs, and 11 or 12 will be on the record. We wrote more, but we didn’t record that many. We don’t have the time to go in and record like we did when we made the earlier Jayhawks records, when we’d record 20 songs or something crazy like that. That’s poor use of time.”

Is that the older voice of wisdom talking?
“Oh yeah. I learned that lesson. I think the best thing to do is record 13 songs and then pick from them.”

Can you tell me anything about some of the new songs?
“There’s a song called ‘Black Eyed Susan.’ That song’s about someone you had met more in the night life and how that type of life — living at night — doesn’t lend itself to being healthy and productive and really having a shot at a good life.
“There’s a song called ‘Mockingbird Time.’ That’s about looking back at someone’s life and realizing where you could have gone wrong and how you’re going to overcome that.
“So there are two songs with two titles and the basic outlines of the story themes.”

Are either of those potential singles, or are you even thinking about singles?
“We don’t have the final mixes done, so that would be getting a bit ahead of ourselves.”

Is there a label in place yet?
“Oh yeah. Rounder Records.”

Do you have any idea of a release date?
“Those things take time. I can tell you five or six months, but you never know about that.”

The reissues were originally supposed to come out in October, but were pushed back to now. Was that done to coincide with the tour dates, or was there another reason?
“I don’t know what the order of events was. Maybe because the records were pushed back we pushed the tour dates back because you want to tour when the records come out.”

How difficult was it for you to leave The Jayhawks in 1995?
“It wasn’t difficult. I’d reached a point in my life where I knew deep inside that I had to do something different. I’d been in the band for over a decade and felt like it was the best move. I still feel that way. I had a wonderful life post-The Jayhawks with a lot of musical experiences. I travelled all over Europe pretty much every year and went off in different directions. I went to school and did a lot of things.
“In 2001, Gary and I got together and worked on a song and made plans to do some touring in the future. Since then, we’ve been working off and on. It was finally after we made the Mark and Gary record that we decided to do this thing with the band. The reissues were coming out, so it was a good time to do it. These albums haven’t been in stores for years and years and years, so in a way it’s been kind of word of mouth as far as these albums are concerned.
"I don’t mean to make light of a decision to leave a band that had been together for 11 years, but there is a voice inside of each of us and we need to know when to try other things. There are also private things and personal lives. Once I decided to do it, I didn’t hesitate.”

How easy or difficult a transition was it when you and Gary got back together?
“I thought it was very smooth. We came up together writing songs in either his house or my apartment and bringing them to the band. We spent a lot of years in Minneapolis prior to making Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow The Green Grass where we weren’t a touring act at a national level. We were working regular jobs and looked forward to rehearsing on Tuesday and Thursday nights and our gigs on Saturday nights, and maybe a drive to Chicago to do a gig.
"That was over a seven-year period of time, so we had a lot of experience together listening to music and discovering different writers and different groups and researching back, going from the Burritos to The Byrds to The Louvin Brothers to The Everly Brothers. We kind of came up together and apprenticed together, so it was no problem getting back together and working again. We know how each other reacts to different situations, songs and ideas.
"As far as harmony singing goes, Gary has a great natural gift with a melody high and I, for some reason, had always had the counter-melody low. So it just works. We don’t really have to plot anything out. It’s just how our voices go together in the different kinds of melodies we hear.”

How do you compare The Jayhawks of today to when you were in the band in the ‘90s.
“I think the singing’s better and the playing’s better. We’ve continued to play through all of these years. There’s a bigger range of material. I feel we can play very long concerts and hold the audience. There are just a range of skills that we’ve developed over the years, and I feel that we’re better.”

Are you following a similar path musically?
“When we’ve gotten together and played recently, we’ve played songs from all of those albums. We built up a bunch of material over that period of time, and that’s what people want to hear when they come out. They want to hear songs that are off the records. We still play songs that aren’t on the records. We still have a number of B-sides that we really liked that we’ve relearned and we play them. But it fits in with all of the other records.
"It’s not some radical departure where we have a huge kick drum going with some kind of computer-generated synth sound. It’s two guitars, a keyboard, harmony singing and classic songwriting. When we started out, we wanted to try and write songs like Neil Young and Bob Dylan that would last. I can still put on that material today and it really moves me.
"‘Hey Mr. Tambourine Man’ is just this crazy song with this philosophy. I like to listen to that kind of music and I wanted to try and write music that way, so it would last. If someone wants to come out and hear us now, it’s because the music has lasted and it means something to them.”

What’s in The Jayhawks’ future for this year and beyond?
“We do this tour and the two reissues are coming out now. Hopefully there’s going to be more interest in the band. That’s why we went ahead and made another record. If there is going to be more interest in the band, these reissues will remind people that we were a really good band.
"When I was in the band, I did everything in my life to play the best music I could. Gary and the band are formidable musicians that went on to make three other records without me when I went on to do the (Original Harmony Ridge) Creek Dippers. We gave it everything we had when I was in the band, and afterward they did too. And now these records will come out and hopefully remind people of that.
"And we’re going to give them another record. We’re going to do everything we can to establish ourselves as a top quality act to tour America and Europe. That’s what they can expect. We have shows in Europe and America.”

Looking back now, can you describe The Jayhawks’ influence and legacy?
“I’m not an expert on that. We were influenced by so many different things that we followed in a studious way back and forth and up and down. We looked at the different paths that different bands took.
"I’d really like how that groove worked into that melody and different things like that. It was the sound of that acoustic guitar and that strumming pattern and finger-picking pattern and that drum beat. It’s things that make you feel good and that you try to create something on your own that makes you feel that way, even though it’s not the same thing. It’s like an historical line of music.
"For me and bands that we’ve been around, I don’t know if we’ve influenced them in the same type of mindset. I’ve always thought of this kind of music as music that people who pick up guitars and want to write songs would enjoy. It’s not like alt.country, or whatever you want to call it, has ever been a major youth movement.
"It’s generally from going out to the merch table and meeting people over the past 15 years. The people who come out and hear this music are people who have played acoustic guitar, have played electric guitar, have started a band at some point and have a regular job, but in their spare time put together a band and have some knowledge of why we’re playing this music.
"It’s joyful to play music. It’s joyful to try and write a song. When you do actually write a good song, there’s no other feeling like it in the world.”

Are the band members working on other projects at the moment, or is everyone just focused on The Jayhawks?
“There’s been so much going on with the making of this record and now this touring coming up that I’ve been focused on this all of November. And then in December I went and played in England and Italy. And now I’m back and focused on this. And then in February I’ll play America Mountain Stage and the Folk Alliance, and then I’ll go back to Spain and then I’ll come back and get ready for summer touring that has to do with The Jayhawks.
“Gary does some producing and I think he has some songwriting sessions coming up. As far as Marc (Perlman) and Tim (O'Reagan) and Karen (Grotberg), I can’t give you their exact schedules right now.”

Is there any significance to opening the tour in Toronto?
“None, as far as I know. When tours are put together, they’re put together because of offers, time, weekends and things like that. I’ve always enjoyed playing in Canada, but I have no idea. I’m glad we’re here and playing in Canada, but when they put together tours they don’t ask the band.
"No-one calls the band and says, ‘Hey fellas, where would you like to open up your tour this time? It’s been 10 years. What would make you feel special?’
"Nobody does that. Give me a break. It’s not the way it works. It’s the way the real world is. We don’t call up anybody and say, ‘We have good friends in Louisville, Kentucky. Let’s open this tour in Louisville, Kentucky because I haven’t seen these people in 10 years and I want to see them.”

How come you’re doing two-night stands playing the full albums in their entirety in New York and Chicago, but nowhere else?
“Because they made the offers for that. They wanted us to do that and I have a feeling about that.
"A lot of people listen to music for a couple of years in college or post-college. There’s not a great number of people who follow music over a 20-year period and are reading Mojo magazine and Rolling Stone and going to a record store once a week and following new releases. There’s not a huge number of people who do that over a 20-year period. Most people get into it for a period of time and then they move on to other things, like cross-country skiing or working two jobs. A lot of people have to work two jobs to keep their head above water. Or they get married and their partner really can’t stand to listen to music all of the time.
"When you’re in a band, you do because you enjoy music and you love music so much that that’s what you spend your life doing. You’re always thinking about it. You’re always trying to write new songs because it’s a joyful thing to write new songs.
“I experienced this when I was 16 years old. I went out and bought Bob Dylan’s Live at Budokan and I couldn’t believe how he had changed the songs that I loved so much. I couldn’t imagine how someone could change something that seemed so perfect and special the first time.
"Now people come to our shows and maybe they leave saying, ‘I really wanted to hear that song off of Tomorrow The Green Grass, but they didn’t play it, darn it. What’s up with those Jayhawk fellas?’
"I hear that at the merch table. They come up and say, ‘I wish you would have played that one.’ And I feel kind of bad for them because we’re trying to play new material all of the time and keep expanding our repertoire and keep working on different lyrics and different melodies. But people definitely want to hear songs from that period of time when they were listening to music. Maybe 20 per cent of people are following music their whole lives and it’s everything to them and they’re aware of all the records. But I find that most people don’t have the time.
"They listen to Hollywood Town Hall or Tomorrow The Green Grass or any of the other records, and they want to hear the songs from that record. So they’ve been telling the promoters. This is an ‘audience speaks’ moment. The audience is speaking and they’re saying, ‘When I listen to The Jayhawks, I want to hear that record.’
"So the promoter tells us, ‘The people want to hear the record and are willing to pay to hear the record.’ We go, ‘Right on, we’re going to play the record for them.’
"So we’re going to go up there and play the record and then afterward we’re going to try and break out various songs from different eras and some of the B-sides that never made it through to be recorded. I think it’s kind of a neat thing. The audience has spoken with the almighty dollar and said, ‘We’re going to go to the shows where they play the darn record.’”

What kind of a set should I expect in Toronto on Tuesday night?
“You’re going to get the full show with songs from different eras — The Full Monty. You’ll get songs played full bore with emotion and passion.”

I have one last question for you, which may be a bit of a strange one. I read an interview with Steve Wynn on the weekend where he said that you had auditioned to be in The Long Ryders.
“Yeah, I did.”

Is there anything you can recall of that?
“I was living with my grandmother and had just graduated from high school and I was really interested in playing music and being in a band. I had gone out to see The Long Ryders and Green On Red, and Green On Red didn’t have an opening for anybody or else I would have tried to get into that band.
"So I walked in there, and The Long Ryders were really nice guys and they let me play the bass. I wasn’t fantastic on the bass, but I was just starting out. That’s what you do when you start out. You go out and you try and get into a band. I eventually did get into a band. And by being in a band, I just kept learning and learning.
"I think The Long Ryders had someone else in mind. But I’m like anybody who does anything. If you just keep at something, good things will come to you. I was a little green around the ears. I was just starting. But that didn’t stop me. I would have joined any band, and I needed to join any band just to get experience. That’s what you have to do when you’re starting. You have to get out there and try to join a band. And the first instrument of choice is the bass.”

That’s what I played in high school.
“Yep. You pick up the bass and start answering ads.”

It didn’t take me long to realize that I wasn’t that good, so I gave up that dream pretty quickly.
“That didn’t stop me, and I improved. Thanks, that was a good question. And thanks for doing the interview.”

You can read my MSN.ca article on The Jayhawks here.

2010-12-22T13:17:00.001-05:00

Maple Leafs practice at Trinity Bellwoods Park

The Toronto Maple Leafs held their annual outdoor practice this morning, this time in my neighbourhood at Trinity Bellwoods Park.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and Rona Canada put $125,000 into refurbishing the park's rink, including installing new boards, and clubhouse renovations. Hopefully the washroom won't be as disgusting as it's been in the past when I start playing softball again there (on the diamond that was used as a parking lot for cars of fans who came to see the practice) in the spring.

There was a healthy-sized crowd in attendance, and it looked like a lot of young kids took the morning off from school to attend.

The Leafs were on the ice for less than 45 minutes in a practice that consisted of light skating, a shootout drill and a three-on-three scrimmage with no hitting. I hope this was just for the benefit of the children watching, because if the team normally doesn't practice any harder than this for coach Ron Wilson, it's no surprise that it's so bad. Well, that and the distinct lack of quality talent that Brian Burke has assembled.

I went to Tim Horton's beforehand to get a coffee to keep me warm while I was watching the practice. Luckily for the Leafs, Tim's doesn't sell waffles.

The city councillor for my ward, Mike Layton, was on hand and spoke over the public address system. His voice sounds a lot like that of his father, federal NDP leader Jack Layton.

Rob Ford also attended and addressed the crowd. Considering how little electoral support he received in this ward — which has long been Joe Pantalone's turf — I was surprised that I seemed to be the only person booing our 300-and-some-pound mayor.

I was given a Leafs toque, which I can now accessorize with the Leafs scarf I've had for years. I don't lose toques as often as the Leafs lose games, but I misplace them often enough that it will come in handy.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone who reads this.

2010-11-26T19:38:00.000-05:00

Suckerpunch, Dodge Fiasco frontman goes solo

"The Kid" has grown up.

Christopher Dignan was still in high school when he formed Suckerpunch more than 20 years ago. The singer/guitarist was a sexy and swaggering frontman for the Toronto group that played a swampy, punky version of rockabilly that made it a hit in local clubs — even if it didn't receive the widespread recognition I thought it deserved.

The band broke up in 1996 and I can still remember its last show (or at least one of its last shows) in the basement of a friend's house. Suckerpunch was missed, but Dignan soon formed Dodge Fiasco. Like his previous band, it included his older brother Sean on drums. And also like Suckerpunch, it rocked.

Dodge Fiasco is still around, but Dignan is now independently releasing his first solo record: the excellent Let The Sparks Fly. The multi-talented singer, songwriter and musician shows just how far he's come musically on this 14-song, 42-minute disc.

Dignan wrote and mixed all the songs and played all of the instruments on it, with the exception of saxophone and organ on two tracks. Dignan honed his chops on bass with The Kensington Hillbillies and on drums with The Midways, whose ultra-fun and garage-based Pay More And Get A Good Seat was one of my favourite albums of 2003.

The maturing that Dignan has done over the years shines brightly through on Let The Sparks Fly, which showcases more variations in style and substance than the two bands he's most closely associated with.

Opener "Gonna Move" is a rocker that cooks with gas, and it's followed by the more rockabilly-oriented "My Time Will Come." "I'm Feeling Good Now" follows a similar path.

There's a classic '60s pop vibe running through "Too Long Without You," "Certain Kind Of Girl" and "Tap On Your Window," which features pleasant harmonies. "My Back Pocket" could have been a new wave song from 30 years ago.

Dignan shows his guitar prowess on "Move Them Bones" and proves he's no slouch on the skins with the drum rolls on "Hurtful." The organ will prick up your ears on "It's You."

The guest saxophones add a nice touch on the sexy, mid-tempo love song "Say There Beautiful," and there's a rootsy edge to "Black Barn."

The album ends with the title track, which starts slowly but builds in intensity as the song progresses.

As much as I liked Suckerpunch and Dodge Fiasco, Let The Sparks Fly is the crowning achievement of Dignan's career so far.

I can't see Let The Sparks Fly not being on my ballot when I submit it for next year's Polaris Music Prize, which will recognize the top album released in Canada over the last half of 2010 and first half of 2011.

You can hear "Gonna Move," "My Back Pocket" and "It's You" here.

Let The Sparks Fly will officially be launched on Dec. 1 at Toronto's Lula Lounge. This special performance will see Dignan joined by a band featuring Glenn Milchem (Blue Rodeo), John Borra (The Screwed) and Derrick Brady (Dodge Fiasco, Hawksley Workman).

2010-11-26T12:40:00.000-05:00

The Best of Kimberley Rew

I've been a fan of singer, songwriter and guitarist Kimberley Rew for more than 25 years, but I've only just now heard more than a couple of songs from his solo recording career.

I fell in love with The Soft Boys' Underwater Moonlight album a few years after hearing it following its 1980 release. YepRoc Records has just issued a 30th anniversary version of the album and if you've ever wanted to hear a record that masterfully mixed pop, rock, punk, psychedelic and folk elements, you should pick it up.

The Soft Boys may not be famous, but they were definitely influential. Just ask R.E.M.

Underwater Moonlight was The Soft Boys' second and last studio album until the band reformed to release Nextdoorland in 2002. I was lucky enough to catch a performance on the group's tour in support of it.

Robyn Hitchcock was the focal point of The Soft Boys, and I've continued to follow him through a productive and eclectic career as a solo artist and with The Egyptians and The Venus 3. He's an off-kilter musical genius who's a joy to behold on stage, as you never know what might come out of his mouth.

When Hitchcock left to pursue a solo career, Rew had a stash of songs begging to be heard. He joined Katrina & The Waves in 1981, but it took four years for the band to release its self-titled major label debut LP featuring 10 re-recorded versions of earlier songs. The album included "Going Down To Liverpool," a Rew composition that had been a hit for The Bangles two years earlier, and what would become the group's biggest hit and signature song: "Walking on Sunshine."

That was the band's commercial peak in North America, although it continued to record and won the Eurovision song contest in 1997 with the Rew-composed "Love Shine A Light," which reached #2 in Britain.

I still prefer Katrina & The Waves' earliest material, before their work was given a major label sheen, and heartily recommend obtaining 2003's The Original Recordings 1983-1984.

Rew released a 1982 solo effort called The Bible of Bop that saw him backed by members of The Soft Boys, Katrina & The Waves and another underrated act, the dB's. That was it until 2000, when Rew issued Tunnel Into Summer. Great Central Revisited followed two years later and Essex Hideaway came out in 2005. I admit to being oblivious to all of them.

The Best of Kimberley Rew was released earlier this month, and it opened my eyes to how good many of his songs I was unaware of are.

One of the earliest tracks, a great power pop number titled "Stomping All Over The World," features guitar interplay between Rew and Hitchcock and you can hear vague strains of perhaps The Soft Boys' best song, "I Wanna Destroy You," in it.

Another early number, "Hey, War Pig!," features backing from Katrina & The Waves. The title is repeated frequently throughout and, had I heard it a few weeks earlier, I definitely would have included it in my Remembrance Day "Songs of peace and remembrance" post for MSN.ca.

"A Girl Called String" has a pleasant reggae rhythm, but without the big bottom end usually associated with the genre. Reggae progenitor rock steady similarly infuses "The End Of Our Rainbow," which also features nice female harmonies.

"English Road" is an up-tempo, jangly, power pop number of the sort that's more normally associated with Rew. So is "Simple Pleasures."

"Old Straight Track" is a rootsy pop number with female harmonies and the country-leaning "The Radio Played Good Vibrations" wouldn't have sounded out of place on The Rolling Stones' "Exile On Main St."

There are also some slower songs, a couple with spoken-word vocals ("Jerome K Jerome" and "Your Mother Was Born In That House") and "Screaming Lord Sutch," a melancholy acoustic ballad about the British music artist and Official Monster Raving Loony Party founder who hung himself in 1999.

With the publishing royalties that I hope Rew has earned from "Going Down To Liverpool," "Walking On Sunshine," "Love Shine A Light" and Celine Dion's cover of his "That's Just The Woman In Me," he may be content to live comfortably and play small pubs on weekends in his native Cambridgeshire. But knowing his pedigree, and especially after hearing this new compilation, it would be a shame if Rew didn't share his talents on a larger scale with more recording and touring.

2010-11-09T11:49:00.000-05:00

A look at the Evergreen Brick Works

I wrote an article on Toronto's Evergreen Brick Works for Samaritanmag.com, which you can read at http://samaritanmag.com/torontos-evergreen-brick-works-national-geographic-top-10-geotourism-destination.

All of the photos I took of the beautiful site couldn't be used with the article, so I've included them below.

The Evergreen Brick Works is definitely worth a visit. Check it out.

2010-11-06T13:56:00.000-04:00

No breakdowns with Slim Cessna's Auto Club

Alternative Tentacles is reissuing Slim Cessna's Auto Club's Jesus Let Me Down on vinyl, but Toronto fans had the band in person on Friday night at Mitzi's Sister.

The Denver, Colo. sextet — which plays an energetic blend of gothic country, punk, gospel and roots music with drums, upright bass, pedal steel, banjos, piano and guitar — crowded on to Mitzi's small stage and let things fly for 70 minutes.

Many of the favourites from Jesus Let Me Down, which was recorded at the August 2004 release show for the band's The Bloudy Tenent Truth Peace album, were brought to life for the enthusiastic fans who pushed their way to the front. Newer tracks from 2008's Cipher and this year's Buried Behind the Barn collection of out-takes, compilation tracks and alternate recordings were also part of the set, which ended with Cessna and Jay Munly going into the audience and climbing on tables.

Slim Cessna's Auto Club knows how to light up a room, and the group will be doing it again at Ottawa's Babylon tonight (Nov. 6) and at Montreal's Le Divan Orange on Nov. 8 before heading back to the U.S. for dates next week in Allston, Mass., New York City, Long Branch, N.J., Baltimore, Md. and Pittsburgh, Pa.

A new studio album is expected in March.

2010-09-29T15:02:00.003-04:00

Searching For Celebrities At Pere Lachaise Cemetery

Pere Lachaise Cemetery is the largest in Paris and one of the French capital's most popular tourist attractions.

The 48-hectare (119-acre) site is located on the Right Bank of the Seine River in the 20th arrondissement and is easily accessible by subway or bus from hotels in Paris city centre.

Members of the Paris elite have been buried in Pere Lachaise since it was established in 1804, and visitors have been coming to see their grave sites in increasing numbers ever since. There are now more than 300,000 bodies buried in Pere Lachaise, and the remains of many more who chose to be cremated can be found in the columbarium.

One of most moving places in Pere Lachaise is the Communards' Wall. The Communards were more than a mid-'80s British pop music act fronted by Jimmy Somerville. The original Communards were a group of leftists that briefly took control of the city in the spring of 1871 before meeting a violent end. The bodies of 147 dead combatants were thrown in an open trench at the base of a wall, which is now named in their honour.

Wear comfortable shoes, as there's a lot of walking involved if you want to take in the entire site. While strolling through the tree-filled cemetery, you're likely to come across the final resting places of many prominent people, including:

• 19th century French writer Honore de Balzac

• French actress Sarah Bernhardt
• Georges Bizet, a 19th century French composer best known for his opera Carmen

• American opera star Maria Callas (her ashes were stolen and only her empty urn remains)
• 19th century Polish composer Frederic Chopin

• American dancer Isadora Duncan
• French surrealist poet Paul Eluard
• German surrealist artist Max Ernst, one of the early pioneers of the Dada movement
• French jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli
• 12th century French scholar and nun Heloise
• French mime artist Marcel Marcequ
• 17th century French playwright Moliere

• Italian actor and singer Yves Montand
• American singer, poet and Doors frontman Jim Morrison

• French singer Edith Piaf
• St. Thomas-born French impressionist painter Camille Pissarro
• French novelist and critic Marcel Proust

• Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, best known for his opera The Barber of Seville (his remains were moved to Florence, Italy, but his crypt is still in place)

• American author Gertrude Stein
• Alice B. Toklas, Stein's life partner and fellow writer
• Former Dominican Republic president and dictator Rafael Trujillo
• 19th century Irish writer Oscar Wilde

Pere Lachaise's hours vary slightly according to season, but the cemetery is open seven days a week throughout the year from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Free maps are available at the main entrances and guided tours are available for a small fee if advance reservations are made.

2010-08-29T17:03:00.001-04:00

The Specials At The Sound Academy

Most of the original lineup of Coventry's finest, The Specials, made their first Canadian appearances in almost 30 years this weekend with two shows at Toronto's Sound Academy.

I'm a huge fan, but Saturday night's show surpassed my expectations and the band provided a sweaty, skanking good time. Here are a few photos of The Specials in action:

2010-08-25T13:38:00.000-04:00

Have A Pint And Learn Some History At Guinness Storehouse

I wasn't much of a fan of dark and heavy beers until I visited Dublin, Ireland in 1991 and went straight to the source of where the world's most famous stout, Guinness, was brewed.

It tasted fresher and had more flavour than what we got at home in Canada and impressed me so much that I'm now eager to sample as many stouts as I can.

The same thing could happen to you today when you venture out from one of the many hotels in Dublin and make your way to the Guinness Storehouse. It was originally built in 1904 to house the Guinness fermentation process and served that purpose until 1988.

It's now a tourist attraction in which the core is modelled on a giant pint glass that stretches from the ground floor reception area to the seventh floor Gravity Bar. If filled, the glass would hold about 14.3 million pints. Even for most Irishmen, that would qualify as a big night out.

The first floor houses a retail store, information on master brewer Arthur Guinness (who founded Guinness at the St. James's Gate location in 1759) and an exhibit focused on the four ingredients found in Guinness: water, barley, hops and yeast.

You'll learn about the brewing process, see a tasting laboratory, find out about the transportation of Guinness and discover the craftsmanship involved in coopering (the making of wooden casks) one floor up.

Guinness has used a variety of interesting advertising over the years, and a wide selection of its marketing tools can be viewed on the second floor. The third floor Choice Zone is an interactive exhibit that challenges visitors to look at their drinking habits and recognize the fine line between drinking to enjoy yourself and drinking to excess.

The fourth floor tells the story of the storehouse, while you can learn how to pour a pint of perfect Guinness on the fifth floor. It's also home to the Source Bar and Brewery Bar, where you can eat, drink and relax. There's also an exhibition of work by John Gilroy, the artist responsible for much of the famous Guinness advertising from the 1930s to the '60s.

Your last stop (unless you want to shop at the store on your way out) on your tour will be the seventh floor Gravity Bar, where you'll be given a pint of Guinness and can enjoy a great view of Dublin.

Guinness Storehouse is open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., but extends its hours by two in July and August. The admission price has increased from two Irish pounds when I first visited (and took a less elaborate tour, but was given three half-pints) almost 20 years ago to 15 Euros today. I guess that's the price of progress.

2010-08-20T17:52:00.000-04:00

Pop Montreal Is Six Weeks Away

Hockey, beautiful women, historic buildings, smoked meat, the 1976 Summer Olympics and its debt … these are some of the things that come to mind first when people think of Montreal.

But this century has also put the city on the map for music, particularly indie rock, with bands like Arcade Fire, Simple Plan, Sam Roberts, The Dears (pictured), Wolf Parade, The Stills, Handsome Furs, Patrick Watson and Malajube all building big followings.

There's more to discover beyond those names, however, and music fans should consider booking flights to Montreal this fall for the Pop Montreal International Music Festival. The eighth annual event will run this year from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3 and feature a variety of local, national and international acts playing 75 venues around the world's second largest French-speaking city.

Among the artists confirmed for Pop Montreal 2010 are 222s, Asexuals, Atari Teenage Riot, Carole Pope, Danielson, Deerhoof, Diamond Rings, Dinosaur Bones, Dog Day, Drag The River, Glen Matlock, Hollerado, Holy Fuck, Karkwa, Les Savy Fav, Liars, Library Voices, Macy Gray, Marnie Stern, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Murder By Death, Priestess, Scout Niblett, Serena Maneesh, Shonen Knife, Swans, The Budos Band, The Danks, The Dears, The Golden Dogs, The Postelles, The Watson Twins, Timber Timbre, Toasters, Tom Tom Club, Van Dyke Parks, Women and XX.

More than 400 artists will perform over the five-day fest, which also encompasses symposium discussions, artisan and visual art exhibitions, vendors, fashion shows, film screenings, children's activities and late night parties.

Tickets to individual shows, ticket packages, industry passes and $10 day pass upgrades are all available, so you can look at your schedule and budget to see what serves your needs the best.

More information can be found on the Pop Montreal web site.

2010-08-18T01:01:00.003-04:00

Double Down Saloon Showcases Las Vegas Without The Glitz

Like almost all tourists, I spend much of my time during Las Vegas holidays on the famed strip with all of its incredible hotels.

I'm not much of a gambler, but I enjoy soaking in the atmosphere and people-watching as I pound the pavement between the hotels before checking out what new attractions they have to offer inside. But the opulence really doesn't suit my style or budget, so I always make a late night/early morning trip to the underbelly of Vegas where I feel much more at home: the Double Down Saloon.

The Double Down has been located off the strip at 4640 Paradise Rd. since 1992, and bills itself as the "Anti-Vegas," "a clubhouse for the lunatic fringe" and "the happiest place on earth." It's just a block south of the Hard Rock Hotel, but its atmosphere is a world away from the relatively sterile environment presented by the Hard Rock chain.

There are crazy, psychedelic murals covering the walls and ceilings and, if that's not enough visual overload for you, a variety of crazy videos are shown on screens around the relatively small club.

You can play pool, pinball, video poker or slot machines, and the jukebox has one of the coolest selections of music I've seen, with tunes by the likes of The Cramps, The Creepshow, Andre Williams, The Sonics, The Blasters, The Raveonettes, Ramones, The Stray Cats, Link Wray, NOFX, The Dropkick Murphys and The New York Dolls.

Local and visiting punk, rockabilly, psychobilly, surf, garage and lo-fi alternative rock bands play several nights a week at the intimate venue — and there's never a cover charge. Among the more notable acts to play the Double Down are The Riverboat Gamblers, The Dickies, The Supersuckers, TSOL, M.D.C., The Meatmen, The Vibrators, The Briggs, 5-6-7-8's, Cheetah Chrome and Boss Martians.

You'll also sometimes find DJs spinning a similar brand of music, burlesque performers and punk rock bingo.

If you're in a group and want to play at the Double Down, you should know that bands with midgets get extra consideration. I'm not kidding.

Beers are cheap, but more adventurous drinkers may be interested in the Double Down's signature cocktail: Ass Juice. Believe me, it tastes much better than it sounds. The bar also claims to be the birthplace of the Bacon Martini.

The Double Down never closes. But beyond that fact, always expect the unexpected.

2010-08-17T23:28:00.000-04:00

It's Almost Party Time For London's Notting Hill Carnival

London, England's Notting Hill Carnival was launched in 1959 and has since become the world's second largest street festival.

Last year's event drew an estimated 720,000 people. This year's Carnival will be held on Aug. 29 and 30, and there are a variety of hotels in London city centre offering rooms in locations that will give you easy public transportation access to the west London neighbourhood of Notting Hill.

The colourful celebration was originally instituted to cater to the influx of West Indian immigrants who moved into the area after World War II, and to give them a chance to celebrate the cultures of their various Caribbean countries. While it has evolved to become more inclusive and welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds, steel bands and calypso, soca and reggae music still play prominent roles as hundreds of thousands of people dance and parade through the streets.

Sunday is designated as Children's Day, with many activities geared toward youngsters, so those with little ones might want to visit then when crowds are normally smaller and there's more room to move.

There will also be ample opportunities to sample London's diverse ethnic cuisines at more than 300 food stalls lining the streets. Organizers claim the annual Caribbean-based food and drink consumption during the Carnival breaks down something like this:
• 30,000 corn cobs
• 15,000 fried plantains
• one ton of rice and peas
• one ton of Jamaican patties
• 12,000 mangoes
• 16,000 coconuts
• five million hot and cold drinks
• 10,000 litres of Jamaican stout
• 25,000 bottles of rum
• 70,000 litres of carrot juice

"The Notting Hill Carnival, for me, is a barometer of the journey of multiculturalism in England," filmmaker Don Letts, who made a documentary on the festival titled "Carnival!" last year, told me over the phone from his home in London earlier this year. "If you look at how and why it started, it was to unite the people and extend the hand of friendship when the racial climate was a lot more tense in the late '50s."

2010-07-25T13:32:00.002-04:00

The Real McKenzies — Shine Not Burn

I've seen Vancouver's The Real McKenzies a number of times in various formats, incarnations and levels of inebriation over the years, and I've never left a show unimpressed or not soaked in beer.

The band's mix of rock, punk, folk and traditional Scottish music has found a following worldwide, and Shine Not Burn was recorded live at Wild At Heart in Berlin, Germany's Kreuzberg district over three nights last August. They were all-acoustic sets featuring a nine-piece band, with the expanded lineup including Magdalena Schmied on violin and Karl Alvarez (All, The Descendents) on mandolin, bass and backing vocals.

While everyone in the group likes to drink and party hard, this excellent 21-song collection from Fat Wreck Chords shows that they also know how to play their instruments. Matt MacNasty, in particular, gets an opportunity to show his bagpipe prowess on "Drink The Way I Do," "Auld Mrs. Hunt" and the instrumental "Taylor Made II."

But the real star of every Real McKenzies show is the band's founder, who was kind (or drunk) enough to lend his name to the group: lyricist, harmonica player and lead singer Paul McKenzie. He's one of the most entertaining frontmen around, whether he's singing or addressing band or audience members.

McKenzie is on top of his game on Shine And Burn, as he barks out favourites from the group's 18-year career. There's not a clunker among them, but some of the highlights include "Nessie," "Bastards," "Scots Wha' Ha'e," "Pour Decisions," "Bitch Off The Money," "Wild Mountain Thyme" and "King O' Glasgow."

The Real McKenzies will embark on a two-month European tour in August, but hopefully more North American dates will be in the works upon the band's return. As much as I enjoy Shine Not Burn, I'm ready for the real thing again.

2010-07-20T19:32:00.000-04:00

Festival Season Is Coming To Edinburgh

A range of hotels in Edinburgh city centre offer easy access to its popular summer music, theatre, comedy, art and film festivals, but also the Scottish capital's year-round attractions.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland's top tourist attraction, sits on volcanic rock at the top of what's known as the Royal Mile — where you can stop at a variety of pubs and restaurants as you make your way up or down. The site houses the Scottish Crown Jewels and the "Stone of Destiny" (where Scottish monarchs were crowned) among its historic buildings, and also offers a great vantage point from which to view the rest of the city.

The Royal Mile links Edinburgh Castle to the Palace Of Holyroodhouse, which acts as Queen Elizabeth's official Scottish residence. But even commoners can tour Holyrood's royal apartments, throne room and portrait galleries when Liz isn't in town — and she usually isn't.

Sticking with the monarchy theme, the decommissioned Royal Yacht Britannia is permanently berthed at the Ocean Terminal leisure and retail complex in the city's charming northern neighbourhood of Leith. The five-deck yacht can be toured with an audio headset that's available in 17 languages.

Edinburgh is a pretty walkable city, but tours are also available via bicycle, bus and even chauffeur-driven motor trikes. But no matter your means of transportation, it's not hard to soak in the elegance and history of Scotland's second largest city (after Glasgow) and the second most visited tourist destination in the U.K. (after London).

2010-07-20T18:24:00.000-04:00

Boston's Fenway Park Keeps Baseball Tradition Alive

Summertime holidays to Boston, even for non-baseball fans, should always include a visit to historic Fenway Park.

The stadium near Kenmore Square opened in 1912 after costing $650,000 to build and, even though it's gone through several renovations, it still retains its old-time charm and intimacy. It held 35,000 people in the beginning and now can accommodate 38,805, That capacity is one of the smallest in the majors, but the perennially contending Red Sox sell out every game — allowing it to have a player payroll second only to the arch-rival New York Yankees.

The 37-foot left field wall, affectionately known as "The Green Monster," is the most notable part of the stadium and includes a manually operated scoreboard within it. But Fenway's other odd outfield dimensions also add to its character.

A seat in the right field bleachers is painted red to designate the longest measurable home run ever hit in the park, a 502-foot shot by "The Splendid Splinter" Ted Williams in 1946. The left field foul pole has been renamed "Fisk Pole" in honour of the memorable home run hit by Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk that landed just inside it to win game six of the 1975 World Series, which the team eventually lost to the Cincinnati Reds.

The numbers of eight retired players — Bobby Doerr (#1), Joe Cronin (#4), Johnny Pesky (#6), Carl Yastrzemski (#8), Williams (#9), Jim Rice (#14), Fisk (#27) and Jackie Robinson (#42) — are located above the right field grandstand.

Fenway Park is the oldest venue used by any professional sports team in the U.S. and, while it may lack some of the comforts and amenities of recently built stadiums, it's still one of the best places that you'll ever see a ball game at.

2010-07-20T17:37:00.001-04:00

Cruising Through The Southern Caribbean

One of the best ways to escape cold Canadian winters is via Caribbean cruises.

Today's cruise ships offer as many amenities as most land-based resorts, and you get to sample a variety of islands instead of staying put on one. My most recent cruise in February took me to the dual Dutch/French island of St. Maarten/St. Martin, Dominica, Grenada, Tobago, Barbados and Puerto Rico.

I'm not a shopper, but duty-free bargains in Philipsburg in Dutch St. Maarten seem to be the biggest attraction for many shoppers. There are lots of beachfront bars and restaurants to relax at in town, but better beaches can be found on the French part of the island, which are easily accessible by government-regulated taxis.

Beaches aren't the main attraction in Dominica, and there's not much to see in the main port of Roseau outside of a great reggae bar with a wide variety of unusual rums that I discovered a couple of blocks from where our ship docked. There's lots of lush greenery and scenery all over the rest of the hilly island, however, and you can see much of it on the four-hour van tours offered from Roseau. Trafalgar Falls is one of the highlights of the tours, but those with more time on their hands should consider taking on some of the many inland hiking trails. Whale-watching tours are recommended for those who prefer spending more time on the water.

The spice island of Grenada offers the best of the Caribbean, with beautiful vegetation and sights inland that can be seen on a half-day van tour with government-approved guides. Grand Etang National Park is the island's largest forest reserve and contains excellent hiking trails that range from easy 15-minute strolls to rigorous expeditions of several hours. Trails wind past cascading waterfalls with inviting swimming holes and lead up to a volcanic crater lake. Fort George offers great views over the city of St. George's and its harbour. World-renowned Grand Anse Beach is just a 10-minute cab ride from downtown St. George's.

Tobago's capital of Scarborough doesn't offer much aside from the 230-year-old Fort King George, which sits about 150 metres above the town. It's a vigorous, though not over-taxing, walk to the top and offers fine views of the coastline. A small museum tells of the fort's history and includes many artifacts from the region. Pigeon Point Beach is accessible by taxi and offers a relaxing way to spend the rest of your day.

A walk around Bridgetown, Barbados will let you see the parliament buildings, National Heroes Square, Queens Park and some historic churches and synagogues. You can cap your city jaunt with a 45-minute multimedia tour and tastings at the Mount Gay Rum Visitors Centre. Three-to-four-hour van tours will let you see much of the rest of the picturesque island, and you'll likely see and maybe even get to feed some of its green monkeys.

Old San Juan has been well-preserved and features large walls, sprawling forts, brightly painted old buildings, colonial plazas and cobblestoned streets as its main attractions aside from its many fine restaurants and stores. It's pretty easily walkable, but a free trolley will also take you around the old part of the city and its forts. Small beaches and modern hotels are a short distance away in the newer part of the Puerto Rican capital.

2010-07-18T14:59:00.002-04:00

The Gories Are Back

The Gories were a major part of Detroit's garage rock scene from 1986 to '93 before the trio broke up and its members went on to other projects. They reformed for a European tour last year and are now making their way across North America, including a July 16 stop at Toronto's Lee's Palace that drew 350 enthusiastic fans.

But The Gories weren't the only attraction on Friday night.

Toronto's Youth Crime, which idolizes The Gories and has the same two singer/guitarists and a female drummer lineup, opened the show in support of its recently released five-song, self-titled EP. Neither of singers Bev and Adam have classic voices, but they somehow suit the material — a sparse, lo-fi indie rock sound that at times is reminiscent of The Fall and Joy Division.

The set included songs from the EP, highlighted by "Mean Moe Tucker," a cut about the former female drummer for The Velvet Underground. Young drumming sensation Daria Ludwiczak (who looked hot behind the kit) nailed that one and everything else performed, including a cover of The Professionals' under-appreciated "Join The Professionals." Youth Crime also brought out a zealous fan base of young women who held up signs and shouted encouragement throughout the group's time on stage.

Another Toronto trio, Catl, was next. The band plays raw, punked up Delta blues with occasional flourishes of vintage organ that takes things to another level. Catl has been one of my favourite local live bands for the past year and even if this year's With The Lord For Cowards You Will Find No Place can't match the intensity found on stage, it still rates a very solid 7/10.

Lead singer/guitarist Jamie Fleming may be the most energetic performer you'll ever see who uses a chair to perform, singer/organist/percussionist Sarah Kirkpatrick looks and sounds great, and drummer Johnny LaRue keeps a steady beat while resembling a young Fidel Castro behind his drum kit.

The room kept steadily filling up by the time The Gories took the stage at 12:15 a.m. Singer/guitarists Mick Collins (The Dirtbombs) and Dan Kroha (Demolition Doll Rods) and drummer Peggy O'Neill (looking a bit like mean Moe Tucker in her dark sunglasses) opened with a theme song of sorts, "Hey Hey, We're The Gories."

The raw, bluesy and typically greasy Detroit rock-and-roll (with a pretty heavy raunch factor) continued throughout The Gories' hour-long set, which also included "Queenie" and covers of fellow Motown bands MC5's "Sister Anne" and The Keggs' "To Find Out."

Kroha put down his guitar to play harmonica on the final song, which saw him and Collins lying on stage while still playing. A lot of people, especially the surprisingly large contingent of women (many of whom were heavily tattooed), seemed to be having trouble keeping things together on this last number and during the two encore cuts.
I had no idea that The Gories had a following as large or as intense as what I witnessed on Friday night, but I left impressed by what I saw on stage and in the audience.

2010-07-16T17:41:00.000-04:00

Beatles Memories Rain Down At Canon Theatre

I can't recall whether I saw Beatlemania or Rain approximately 30 years ago in Toronto at what was then called the O'Keefe Centre, but witnessing Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles this week at the city's Canon Theatre brought back a lot of memories.
I was barely in my teens back then and hadn't yet seen the hundreds of concerts that are now in my past, but I remember leaving the theatre thinking that I'd just come the closest I'd ever be to seeing John, Paul, George and Ringo on stage together. While I'm more jaded now and Rain didn't seem quite as magical as the show I saw in my youth, it's still a lot of fun for folks of all ages.
There were kids, senior citizens and lots of people in between in the audience on Wednesday night, and all of them were getting into the production — especially during "Twist And Shout," when everyone got up to dance. That's only logical because I can't understand how anyone can't appreciate the classic catalogue of Beatles songs.
Steve Landes (Lennon), Joey Curatolo (McCartney), Joe Bithorn (Harrison), Ralph Castelli (Starr) and background musician Mark Lewis sound like the Fab Four musically and vocally, with Castelli standing out as the one who most reminded me of his original predecessor. And with the various wigs, fake facial hair and costumes that the men wear at different parts of the performance, it's not too hard to imagine you're in the audience of The Ed Sullivan Show or at New York City's Shea Stadium seeing the real thing some 45 years ago.
I quibble with Curatolo being right-handed while McCartney is a lefty, but that's something the average patron probably wouldn't notice or care about.
In addition to the great songs and their presentation, video screens flank the stage showing a mix of vintage Beatles-era clips and current footage of Rain. See-through projection screens where lights and special effects can be shown add to the experience, and an unexpected treat was the showing of humorous '60s television commercials on the screens during the change-over to the Sgt. Pepper's set.
It's interesting to note that, aside from the brief 1969 set on the roof of Apple Corps' London, England headquarters, The Beatles didn't play any concerts after 1966. So many of the band's most beloved songs were never performed in front of an audience. With Rain, however, they are.
Rain will be at the Canon Theatre until Aug. 1. The production will then have short runs in several U.S. cities and will hit Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York City from Oct. 19 to Jan. 2. You can find all of the dates on the Rain web site.

2010-06-28T18:58:00.000-04:00

The Gaslight Anthem — American Slang

The great undiscovered Bruce Springsteen album has been found, and it's called American Slang by The Gaslight Anthem.

The New Brunswick, N.J. quartet's third album, and the follow-up to 2008's The '59 Sound commercial breakthrough, offers 10 songs in 34 minutes. Those 10 tracks add up to one of the best records I've heard this year.

The Springsteen references may be obvious, but there's no escaping them since The Boss' sound is all over American Slang — perhaps aside from the final cut, "We Did It When We Were Young." It's my least favourite and I hear the influence of another stadium rock act in it: U2. The song starts slower than its predecessors and sort of builds, but not as much as expected.

Singer/lyricist/guitarist Brian Fallon is the focal point, as he should be, but guitarist Alex Rosamilia, drummer Benny Horowitz and bassist Alex Levine make major contributions to The Gaslight Anthem's punk- and soul-infused rock-and-roll. Producer Ted Hutt, who was also at the controls for The '59 Sound, obviously knows how to get the most out of the group, too.

There may not be songs as instantly catchy and anthemic as those found on The '59 Sound, but American Slang is a better and more consistent album overall.

You really can't go wrong with any of the songs on American Slang, and I don't seem to be the only person who shares that opinion. The public has picked up on The Gaslight Anthem, as American Slang debuted at #12 on the Canadian sales chart and four spots lower in the U.S. last week.

I'll give American Slang a 9/10 and remind everyone that The Gaslight Anthem will be touring across North America in July and August — including a show at Toronto's Sound Academy on July 14 and an appearance at Montreal's Osheaga Music And Arts Festival on Aug. 1.

2010-06-27T13:39:00.000-04:00

My Anti-Climactic Walk Through Toronto's G20 Protest Sites

One of the hot spots (and where one of three cars were torched) of Saturday's G20 protests in Toronto was at Queen and Spadina, so I walked over there after dinner around 9 p.m. I met Horseshoe Tavern door guy Roger and assistant manager Joe, who told me they had shut the bar (which is located at that intersection) down for the night and that the bands that had been booked to play were told to stay home.
At the intersection, a small group of non-violent protesters were sitting in the middle of the street facing an intimidating lineup of police in full riot gear that had blocked off Queen.

"You're sexy, you're cute, take off your riot suits," the protesters chanted at the cops.
It was relatively quiet, so I moved west, weaving on and off of Queen Street depending on if I was allowed access or not, since it wasn't completely shut down. I walked up University Avenue past the U.S. consulate, which was fenced off and had a large police presence guarding it.
About a block north of that, a female officer yelled at me to stop.

"You don't look like the type of person who should be pregnant," she said, before asking to see what the bump was under my jacket.

It was raining lightly and I had my shoulder bag with my camera and notepad hanging over my neck and resting on my lower chest underneath my jacket. I unzipped and showed her that I was harmless. She laughed and seemed quite nice, and was also cute, so I continued to talk and joke and flirt with her for a couple of minutes before she said she had to return to the police lineup.
I continued north to Queen's Park, which had been designated as an official protest area, and it was deserted. There weren't even any police around. I could have easily done something destructive to the home of the Ontario government had I wanted to, despite the billion-dollar security bill that has been racked up for the G20 events.
Television reports before I left my house said protesters were moving north to Bloor Street, but there were none there by the time I arrived. I continued west on Bloor to The Beer Station, where I had a pint of Strongbow and watched more news coverage.
Then it was time to head a couple of doors down the street to see Ted Leo & The Pharmacists at Lee's Palace. You can read the review of that show on CHARTAttack.com on Monday.

2010-06-26T18:01:00.000-04:00

Andre Williams — That's All I Need

Now well into his seventies, and with lots of hard living packed into most of those years, Williams is finally showing signs of slowing down in his performances and on this latest Bloodshot Records release.

The Black Godfather talks more than sings on these 10 tracks, which are less raunchy than we've come to expect (even 2008's Can You Deal With It? was full of the sexual swagger that Williams has built much of his reputation on) and are largely blues-based, with touches of psychedelic soul and rock-and-roll thrown in.

Williams seems to be looking back at his life and taking stock in quite a few of these cuts, including the title track, "My Time Will Come" and "There Ain't No Such Thing As Good Dope." Coming from a guy whose drug addiction was so serious that he was homeless for a while, that last title means something.

Just as noteworthy as Williams' contributions to these 10 self-penned tunes are those of his backing band, which includes Funk Brothers guitarist Dennis Coffey, members of the Dirtbombs, the Witches, the Sights and Electric Six, as well as producer/guitarist/arranger Matthew Smith (Outrageous Cherry, Volebeats). The guitar work is especially impressive on "Just Call Me" and "Tricks."

I often wondered if Williams could grow old gracefully, but he seems to be doing just that on That's All I Need.

2010-06-22T02:57:00.001-04:00

North By Northeast Photos

Man Or Astro-Man?

The Soft Pack

Surfer Blood

The Raveonettes

Iggy And The Stooges

The Stanfields

Arkells (and friends)

2010-06-20T16:41:00.001-04:00

Cruising The Mediterranean Sea For 12 Days
One of the most enjoyable and cost-efficient ways of seeing many of the highlights of southern Europe is on Mediterranean cruises.
I used Rome as my pre- and post-cruise base not only because it's one of the most beautiful and historic cities in the world to explore for a few days, but because it's a relaxing 80-minute train ride to the port town of Civitavecchia, where many cruise ships dock.
The Carnival Freedom was my ship of choice, particularly for its itinerary, but also for its food and recreation options, choice of bars and other amenities.
The first stop was the Italian city of Naples, from which we took a 30-minute train ride to the ruins of Pompeii, which was home to 30,000 people before it was brought to a halt after the 79 AD eruption of the nearby Mount Vesuvius volcano. You can easily spend the whole day wandering around the 45 hectares that have been excavated since the site was discovered in 1748.
A day at sea was followed by a day in a city I'd never been to before but instantly became one of my favourites: Dubrovnik, Croatia. The best way to take it all in is by walking around the top of the 1,940 metres of walls — including bastions, casemates, towers and detached forts — that enclose the old part of the city. The walls were built from the ninth to 14th centuries, are up to 25 metres in height, and offer breathtaking views of both the old buildings in the interior (some of which have been rebuilt after a 1978 earthquake and shelling from the 1992 civil war that broke up the former Yugoslavia) and the sea.
Dubrovnik is across the Adriatic Sea from the world's most renowned city of canals: Venice, Italy. The Freedom docked there overnight, allowing two days to explore all of the nooks and crannies of the difficult-to-navigate (especially at night) but romantic city. I'd previously visited Venice in the summer, but preferred it this second time in mid-October. It's not as hot, there are fewer tourists to deal with and the canals don't smell as bad.
Another day at sea took us to the Italian island of Sicily, which is southwest of the boot-shaped country's toe. The ship docked in Messina, which I walked around for about an hour. But a scenic hour-long train ride took me to the picturesque hilltop town of Taormina, about 200 metres above sea level. I first visited the Greek Theatre, parts of which date as far back as the third century B.C. You can see Europe's highest active volcano, Mount Etna, from there on a clear day. The rest of my time was spent strolling around the quaint town, where parts of The Godfather was filmed.
It was time to hit the open sea for another day before we arrived in another one of my favourite cities: Barcelona, Spain. The incredible Antonio Gaudi architecture is enough of a draw, but the city's other subtle charms will draw you in and make you want to return. I've been there three times and would have no objections to a fourth visit.
The Freedom was supposed to dock in Monte Carlo, which I'd been to before, but rain and rough seas made that impossible. We went to the Italian city of Genoa instead. Aside from knowing that Christopher Columbus was from there, I had little knowledge of Genoa and no desire to go there. But it has three walking routes — Medieval, Renaissance and Marina — and we took them all. There's lots of history and beautiful architecture to take in, and I now have no problems recommending Genoa.
Our next port was the Italian coastal city of Livorno. There's little to see there, so we took a 20-minute train ride to Pisa. It was a 20-minute walk from the station to the city's most notable structure, the infamous leaning tower. The surrounding cathedrals at the site were also worthwhile, but the rest of the city lacks much character so we returned to the train station and continued our journey with an hour-long ride to Florence.
The Duomo is one of the most spectacular buildings I've ever seen, and it helped put Florence in perspective for me as a great city, even without seeing the art masterpieces in its numerous museums and galleries. There was lots of other stunning architecture to take in during the four hours we got to spend in Florence before returning on the train back to Livorno.
The 12-day cruise returned to where it started, Civitavecchia, and from there it was back to enjoy the wonders of Rome for two more days.

2010-06-17T18:34:00.000-04:00

An Afternoon At Montreal's Brutopia

If you're looking for a getaway to one of the most cosmopolitan cities in North America, why not take advantage of cheap flights to Montreal.
And what better way to spend those savings than on beer -- microbrewed draught beer made in small batches on the premises, to be more specific. Perhaps the most centrally located place to do this in Montreal is at Brutopia, a downtown brew pub that opened in 1997 on the always hopping Ste. Catherine Street strip.
There's lots of food to choose from — including tapas, sandwiches and finger food — if you're feeling peckish. And there's live music pretty much every night to help your pints go down more pleasantly.
Brutopia has three bars on three floors and three terraces to sit on and enjoy the sunshine. I spent on an afternoon on the small front patio doing just that a few weeks ago. I tried three of Brutopia's seasonal beers and one that's on the menu constantly.

Here's a look at what I sampled:
Raspberry Blonde is a fruity blonde ale with a slight raspberry bouquet. There's little head when the medium to dark gold-coloured beer is poured. Though it definitely has a raspberry flavour, I unfortunately found it somewhat generic and flat. This one is available year-round.
As you'd probably guess by the name, Ginger Cream Ale pours very creamy and has a large head that dissipates as the beer settles into a cloudy light gold colour. The ginger element wasn't nearly as sharp as I would have liked, either in taste or aroma. It was refreshing, but ultimately disappointing.
The Chocolate Stout is a very dark brown and has the nice creamy head you should expect from a stout. There's not much of a bouquet, but the dark roasted malt provides a blend of dark chocolate, coffee and nutty flavours. It was okay, but nothing exceptional.
The seasonal I was most excited about was Rocket Fuel, which the bar charges more for and only serves in half-pint measures (unlike those above which came as full pints) because of its nine-per-cent alcohol content. It had a dark amber colour and an earthy bouquet to go along with a noticeably hoppy flavour. This was the best of the bunch.

Brutopia is open from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m six days a week, while opening three hours earlier on Fridays. Happy hour pricing is in effect from opening until 8 p.m. every day except Monday, when it lasts all day and night.
Brutopia is located at 1219 Crescent St. between Ste. Catherine and Rene Levesque. You can visit its web site or give it a call at (514) 393-9277 to find out more information.

2010-06-17T11:30:00.000-04:00

Trying To Get The Kinks To "Do It Again"

The reunion of the original lineup of The Kinks — lead singer/guitarist Ray Davies, his brother and lead guitarist/vocalist Dave Davies, bassist Pete Quaife and drummer Mick Avory — is something that fans have dreamed about since Quaife's 1969 departure.
That dream became an obsession and a quest for Boston Globe reporter Geoff Edgers, who set out a personal mission for himself to have the four men patch their differences and return to the stage. Do It Again, a documentary which had its Canadian premiere at Toronto's North By Northeast Film Festival on Wednesday afternoon and will appear at other festivals in the coming weeks and months, is Edgers' story.
Do It Again is named after a 1985 Kinks single and obviously has a larger meaning connected to Edgers' aim, which he tries to achieve by contacting not only the band members but their associates and prominent musicians and fans. We hear phone conversations with Quaife, Yoko Ono and actor John Cusack, but it's the folks who appear on-screen who are most interesting because they also play a part in Edgers' other goal: to have them perform Kinks songs with him during their interviews.
It's a somewhat egotistical concept — as is the film itself, I suppose. But if I was trying to relive my high school musician days and meeting heroes who share a passion for The Kinks, I'd probably do the same.
Not all of Edgers' subjects agree to his requests, most notably Paul Weller when asked to reprise The Jam's cover of "David Watts." He calls the idea "naff."
But we do get to see: Robyn Hitchcock talking about and playing "Waterloo Sunset" as Edgers accompanies him on banjo; Zooey Deschanel impressing with her knowledge of The Kinks catalogue and singing "David Watts;" Sting expressing his admiration and playing a bit of "You Really Got Me" and then singing along as Edgers plays "Set Me Free;" Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey pontificating and performing "Get Back In Line," with R.E.M. drummer Bill Rieflin joining in on percussion; and Dave Davies reflecting on his relationship with his older sibling before strumming and singing "Strangers."
It's quite poignant when Dave says that the only time Ray has been happy is in the first three years of his life before his little brother came along.
Edgers attends a Kinks convention in London, England where he spends time with members of the fan club and the Kastoff Kinks, a band comprised of many of the guys who played in later Kinks lineups from the '70s through the early '90s. Ray Davies even makes an appearance and sings "Days" with his old cronies, but declines interview requests — as he had every previous time he was asked by Edgers — and forbids the documentarian from filming his performance.
I've interviewed Ray Davies once, met him on two other occasions, and have seen him perform four times. I always found him to be engaging and friendly. But while I'll always admire his creative talents, the attitude and behaviour attributed to him in Do It Again has made him a slightly less well-respected man in my eyes.
Edgers' crusade inevitably results in failure and, after talking to Dave Davies, he comes to the conclusion that it wouldn't be healthy for the involved parties if The Kinks did reform. It's fun to follow him along for the ride, however, and Edgers' dedication to his cause deserved my applause.

On a somewhat related note, I also want to bring people's attention to another NXNE documentary that will be shown at 8:15 p.m. tonight (Thurs. June 17) at the Toronto headquarters of the National Film Board: the 50-minute The Watchmen, All Uncovered.
Watchmen drummer Sammy Kohn is a friend, and I look forward to seeing him at tonight's premiere of a film that revolves around a reunion show at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern, another appearance at the MTS Centre in the members' former hometown of Winnipeg, and interviews with all of the guys in the band, interspersed with archival footage and photographs. You can watch a trailer for the film on The Watchmen's web site.

2010-06-14T19:34:00.001-04:00

Delta Spirit — History From Below

I enjoyed some of Delta Spirit's 2008 full-length debut, Ode To Sunshine, and its set I saw in support of it at the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas last year, which left me curious to hear History From Below.

Albums don't get off to much better starts than this Rounder Records release does with the irresistible "9/11," one of the best pop-rock tracks that I've heard this year. Nothing else matches this high point, but there was enough material in the remaining 10 tracks to keep my interest. Foremost among these was the rockier "Bushwick Blues," a more up-tempo roots rock song with piano titled "Golden State," the multi-dimensional and horns-infused "St. Francis" and the rootsy ballad "Vivian," whose piano and harmonies reminded me of The Band.

There's a choral section and what sounded like theremin in the acoustic-based "Ransom Man" and pedal steel in "Devil Knows Your Dead," which collects a number of expressions that wish people well and assembles them into a song. The gentle acoustic ballad "Scarecrow" is the most lo-fi thing on the disc, and things conclude with the eight-minute "Ballad Of Vitaly" — another acoustic ballad that picks up the pace somewhat in a few sections.

History From Below was produced by Delta Spirit, My Morning Jacket keyboardist Bo Koster and Elijah Thomson, and MMJ's Carl Broemel is responsible for the pedal steel on "Devil Knows Your Dead."

Delta Spirit has hit the road from its San Diego base and will play Toronto's Mod Club on June 26.

2010-06-11T18:47:00.000-04:00

Dictator Andy Shernoff Hits The Right Notes

Andy Shernoff is one of the unheralded heroes of rock-and-roll.
Shernoff founded the proto-punk, garage rock band The Dictators in 1973 and has gone on to work as a songwriter, musician and producer with a variety of artists — including The Fleshtones, The Ramones, The Figgs, D Generation, The Smithereens, Guided By Voices and many others.
Shernoff's latest project is a "musical memoir" called When Giants Walked The Earth, a 90-minute performance where he tells stories from his past and plays acoustic versions of his songs. He made a stop at Toronto's Mitzi's Sister on Thursday night to play for an appreciative audience of about 65 people.
"Some people believe in God, but I believed in rock-and-roll," said Shernoff off the top, before recounting his high-school days with other up-and-coming rockers in Queens, New York City in the late '60s.
The first song Shernoff performed was the first he ever wrote about his hometown, "New York, New York," for his first band, The Dictators. Other names considered but dropped before deciding on that moniker included Vomit On A Nun and Cancer Of The Penis.
The Dictators were taken under the wing of eccentric rock writer Richard Meltzer (who Shernoff said used to pick up dead animals off the street, embed them in Jell-O and keep them in the fridge) and Blue Oyster Cult songwriter, producer and manager Sandy Pearlman and, just six months after forming, were signed to Epic Records. The group's first show was opening for Iggy And The Stooges shortly after the release of its Raw Power album, which initially was a commercial flop before gaining fans over the years.
The Dictators' 1975 Go Girl Crazy! debut album featured "Master Race Rock," the second song Shernoff performed during the night. That album also includes a cover of The Rivieras' 1964 hit, "California Sun," which Fox Sports will be using to promote its televised coverage of this year's Major League Baseball all-star game in Anaheim, Calif.
Shernoff's third song was the title track he wrote for David Method Roter's 1997 album, "Find Something Beautiful," which opens with the line "Your face is pockmarked and you're as dumb as wood."

Go Girl Crazy! sold poorly and the band was dropped by Epic, but was soon picked up by Elektra/Asylum Records for its second album, 1977's Manifest Destiny. Shernoff played a song from the record and talked about touring England in support of it by opening for The Stranglers. He met Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious during this period, and said he was the biggest jerk he'd ever met.
Shernoff performed "Baby, Let's Twist" from 1978's Bloodbrothers, and the song had former U.I.C. and The Chickens members Fred and Dave Robinson singing along to the chorus. Perhaps we're now one step closer to a reunion by one of those groups, but that's probably just wishful thinking.
Manitoba's Wild Kingdom spun off of The Dictators and released a 1990 album through MCA titled And You? that featured the song "Haircut And Attitude," which is what Shernoff described as the key ingredients for a lot of successful bands from his least favourite musical decade: the '80s. He played that number and followed it with "You're Never Gonna See Me Cry," a song he co-wrote for former Shangri-Las singer Mary Weiss' 2007 comeback album, Dangerous Game.
Teenage Head guitarist Gord Lewis picked up an acoustic guitar and joined Shernoff on stage for Bloodbrothers' "Stay With Me" and the set's remaining three songs.

This took us to The Ramones portion of the evening. Shernoff described Dee Dee Ramone as an "idiot savant" and a "paranoid schizophrenic who slept with every man and woman he could." He alluded to a tryst between the late bassist and members of The Bay City Rollers and recounted Dee Dee urinating in Johnny Thunders' guitar case in Stiv Bators' room. He performed a song the two wrote together called "Chinese Bitch" from Ramone's 1994 solo album, I Hate Freaks Like You.
Shernoff was very close to Joey Ramone, and talked about the singer's obsessive compulsive disorder, collaborating on his posthumously released Don't Worry About Me solo album and being in the hospital room when the lanky vocalist passed away on April 15, 2001 after a seven-year battle with lymphoma. Shernoff sang "Stop Thinking About It," which he co-wrote for the record.
The Dictators released their D.F.F.D. comeback album in 2001, and Shernoff offered its lead track, "Who Will Save Rock And Roll?," to what he thought would conclude his "first international folk singing show." But the audience demanded one more song and Shernoff obliged with Bloodbrothers' "I Stand Tall."
My description can't do justice to how entertaining and interesting Shernoff's show was. He's done about a dozen of them and will do more through July. Anyone interested in New York's '70s punk rock scene should definitely try and see the show, which only cost seven bucks last night.
I appropriately bookended Shernoff's performance with before and after appearances at the opening night of You're Pretty Face Is Going To Hell, a photo exhibition of black-and-white shots taken by Vince Carlucci between 1975 and 1978. The Cardboard Brains co-founder and current Station Twang member captured intimate looks at performances by Iggy Pop (with David Bowie on keyboards), Blondie, Frank Zappa, Patti Smith, Lou Reed, The Ramones, John Cale, The Viletones, Teenage Head, The Diodes and The Ugly.
Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell can be viewed at OZ Studios at 134 Ossington Ave. until June 24. While you're there, be sure to stop next door at Reposado for the finest tequila in the city or an excellent pint of Duggan's Brewery's #9 IPA.

2010-06-04T15:11:00.000-04:00

The Madafakaz make a big impression

I'd never heard of The Madafakaz before I was invited to see it play in the cozy Bar Populaire on Montreal's St. Laurent last Saturday night, but the quartet kept me thoroughly entertained throughout its headlining set.

The band took the hometown stage (well, it would have if the venue had one, but it set up on the floor because it didn't) with all four members wearing nylon stockings over their heads. But this was no bar heist, though the group managed to steal my heart.

The nylons were soon cast aside as The Madafakaz ripped into a set of largely instrumental rock 'n' roll that was filled with surf, twang, reverb and attitude. With the occasional song that had lyrics, I was reminded somewhat of Jon Spencer's Heavy Trash.

The Madafakaz feature the totally talented two-guitar attack of Philippe "Phang" Hughes and Frederic "R.J." St-Aubin backed by the very capable rhythm section of bassist Emmanuel "Snake" St-Aubin and drummer Frederic "Claw" Martineau. But as well as these guys play, they're all about having fun and making sure that their audience does as well.

After plowing through a number of originals, the group capped the night off with some ace covers of the "Hawaii Five-O Theme," "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'' (during which some of the crowd members lifted the singer on to their shoulders), the "Spider-Man" theme and The Chantays' "Pipeline."

I'd been partaking of a number of microbrews throughout the afternoon and night and wasn't sure how much that had to do with my enjoyment of The Madafakaz. But the band gave me a copy of its 12-song self-titled album and — although it doesn't quite capture the excitement of the live performance — it shows that these four bilingual young men are on the right track.

My favourite songs include the opener "Crazy Beach," the eastern European-influenced "Baboushka," "Hotrod Stewart," "Mermaid Ceviche" and the quirky "Human Behavior." You can listen to some of the songs on the band's MySpace page.

If you're into the instrumental numbers from The Sadies, Los Straitjackets or some of the other top rock 'n' roll instrumental groups around these days, add The Madafakaz to your list of bands to see and hear. This outfit is too good to remain relatively unknown.

2010-05-25T12:53:00.003-04:00

Deano And The Purvs Fit Well Opening For The Sadies

I see Chicago's Waco Brothers every chance I get, and Jon Langford has become an annual visitor to Toronto for shows with The Sadies and the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus, but other Waco side projects don't make it to town too often.
So it was great that singer/guitarist Deano Waco (or Dean Schlabowske as he's known in his other life as a wine store owner) made the trip north of the border with three members of Austin, Texas high-octane bluegrass outfit The Meat Purveyors (guitarist Bill Anderson, mandolin player Pete Stiles and singer Jo Stanli Walston) to open for The Sadies' public CD release show for Darker Circles on Saturday night at Lee's Palace.

I admit that I'm a bigger fan of the Wacos and Deano's other band, Dollar Store, than the tracks that can be downloaded for free from his web site in this latest collaboration, which bills itself as Deano Waco And The Purvs. But the quartet really brought the songs to life during its 16-song set in front of a steadily growing audience. There were no drums or bass, but the mix of Deano's electric and Anderson's acoustic (they swapped near the end of the set) guitars and Stiles' mandolin virtuosity made you forget that fact.

The band opened with "Workin' For The Devil" and hit my favourite of its songs, "Vacant Lot," a bit later. The show progressed with "Taken," "Reality Blues," "Maid Of The Mist" and one of the most heavily bluegrass-based tunes of the night, the fine "Box Store." There was a great mandolin solo in "Bottle Of Wine" and "Stuck In The Mud" rocked harder than anything else in the set.

Deano And The Purvs ended on a surprise high note, a cover of The Adverts' 1977 punk classic "Gary Gilmore's Eyes," which Deano had recorded on the 2002 compilation, The Executioner's Last Songs, Vol. I.

The Sadies followed and I've seen and written about the Toronto band so often that I elected not to take notes and just enjoy the show and the company of the many friends who came out to show their support.

The group played a fine mix of old favourites and Darker Circles material. Dallas and Travis Good's mother Margaret came out and sang a few songs, and Ron Sexsmith joined in for sterling covers of Johnny Cash's "Guess Things Happen That Way" and The Who's "The Seeker."

The Sadies brought things home in the encore by blending "Gloria" and "Baby, Please Don't Go," the A- and B-sides of a great 1964 single by the Van Morrison-fronted Them. It was a brilliant way to cap the night off at Lee's.

But the party continued at my friends' Jeff and Tara's place, where the musicians and some insiders returned for conversation, several Keith's and Big Fat Burritos (thanks again for those, Mike). I've talked to Deano numerous times over the years, but it was nice to meet The Purvs, who were also swell folks.

When the always gracious hosts wanted to go to bed, a couple of other pals and I moved a block down the street for a couple of nightcaps. I arrived home at 7 a.m.

Good times.

2010-05-18T17:15:00.002-04:00

Brittlestar and my high school collaborate on new single

Kids who wouldn't know Shakespeare from shaving cream are discovering my hometown of Stratford, Ont. because it's also where teen heartthrob Justin Bieber grew up before attaining worldwide stardom.

Stratford is best known as the home of two globally respected theatres. But it's also the final resting place of the late The Band keyboardist Richard Manuel and the home of John Till, who played guitar in Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band.

My friend Stewart Reynolds (pictured above) is behind Brittlestar, a Stratford-based pop-rock project that has released three full albums, EPs and singles, and had songs included in television programs and commercials. Brittlestar's work has included contributions from the likes of Emm Gryner, The Spoons' Gord Deppe and The Lilac Time's Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy, Nick Duffy and Claire Worrall Duffy.

Brittlestar’s latest single, “You’re Just So,” features Bieber’s friend, Ryan Butler.

Now Reynolds is the "big name" in a collaboration with my alma mater, Stratford Central Secondary School. He's working with students to write, record and perform a song that will be released via iTunes and other digital music retailers to raise funds for the school. Reynolds will also guide the students through creating artwork for the single and promoting it.
“The aim is to release a song that isn’t just something that families and friends will feel obligated to buy, but one that everyone will like and will appeal to people around the world,” says Reynolds. “I am not aware of any other high school that is a doing a fundraiser like this, and I think the potential for success is massive. The students bring an enthusiasm that is incredibly infectious.”

You can see and hear more of Brittlestar here.

2010-05-16T14:39:00.001-04:00

Harbourfront Centre: Toronto's all-season lakeshore entertainment destination

Though things are changing for the better, Toronto traditionally hasn't made the best use of its Lake Ontario shoreline when it comes to people who take holidays to Canada. But the one major exception for the past 38 years has been Harbourfront Centre.

The non-profit cultural organization oversees 10 acres of facilities (including three marinas) at 235 Queens Quay West, directly south of the downtown core. It attracts 12 million visits annually for more than 4,000 events presented with some 450 partner community and cultural groups. It showcases works in contemporary visual arts, crafts, literature, music, dance and theatre for adults and children.

Perhaps the highest profile Harbourfront events are its weekly World Routes Summer Festivals, which showcase a diverse range of cultures, entertainment and food. This season's events include: Barbados On The Water (May 28-29); Franco-Fete (June 12); Canada Day (July 1), featuring a performance by my favourite local band, The Sadies; The Hot Spot (July 2-4); Break, Beats & Culture (July 9-11); Expressions of Brazil (July 16-18); Love, Saskatchewan (July 23-25); Island Soul (July 30-Aug. 2); What is Classical? (Aug. 6-8); Hot & Spicy Food Festival (Aug. 13-15); Fortune Cooking Food Festival (Aug. 20-22); Telus TaiwanFest Crossover (Aug. 27-29); and Ashkenaz (Sept. 4-6).

HarbourKIDS' freee programming, dedicated to children ranging in age from five to 12, will include the HarbourKIDS: Circus from May 22-24. The Free Flicks program will feature films at the Sirius Stage on the edge of the lake. Look for tall ships in port as part of the Great Lakes United Tall Ships Challenge from June 30-July 4.

There are a number of places to eat, drink and shop. A variety of boat cruises leave from Harbourfront, and the ferries to the Toronto Islands are also nearby. Or you can just take a pleasant stroll and take in the sights, sounds and smells of the lake and its environs extending west through Ann Tindal and HTO parks to Toronto Music Garden. There are five parking lots and the centre is well-served by public transportation.

Art exhibitions, plays and other performances are held year-round, and the Natrel Rink offers what is (with apologies to Nathan Phillips Square) probably Toronto's most entertaining and picturesque place to skate for free during the winter.

Visit the Harbourfront Centre web site for more information.

2010-05-15T20:41:00.001-04:00

Toronto's Rogers Centre remains an attraction

I wrote about New York City's two new baseball stadiums last month, so I thought I should let people who take holidays to Canada know about Toronto's Rogers Centre.

The retractable-roofed stadium formerly known as SkyDome opened in the summer of 1989 and has since hosted more than 2,000 events and 60 million people. The prime tenant is the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, which used to regularly draw more than 50,000 people to games when it was winning World Series' in the early '90s. The Jays aren't what they used to be, and now attract an average crowd of well under 20,000 to games.

Some people blame the stadium as one of the main reasons for the decline, and the impersonal concrete structure certainly doesn't hold the same appeal as the more charming retro-styled ballparks that have been built over the past 20 years — including the two aforementioned NYC stadiums, Baltimore's Camden Yards, Pittsburgh's PNC Park, Detroit's Comerica Park, Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park and Cleveland's Progressive Field.

Retractable-roofed stadiums have become more common in the past two decades, but the Rogers Centre remains a model for architects and engineers to learn from. And while locals now largely take the stadium for granted, it remains one of Toronto's top tourist attractions and many people who witness the 20-minute transformation from enclosed to open air venue (or vice versa) for the first time still marvel at it.

The 11,000-tonne roof is divided into four sections, three of which move. When it's closed, a 31-storey building located in the centre field area could fit underneath it. Eight Boeing 747 jets can comfortably fit on the field when it's in baseball mode.

The Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League also play at the Rogers Centre, as do the National Football League's Buffalo Bills as part of an agreement whereby the team plays at least one game a year in Toronto. The stadium also hosts major concerts and a variety of other events.

Even if you don't attend a game or some other happening, the Rogers Centre offers one-hour guided tours that cost $10 for children, $12 for youths and seniors and $16 for adults. Tour stops include a recently renovated museum featuring a model of the Rogers Centre, memorabilia from past events and a multi-screen video wall showcasing highlights from the facility's history. Visitors can also check out the Blue Jays Hall of Fame, a press box and a luxury suite.

If you find you like the Rogers Centre enough, you can stay at the Renaissance Toronto Downtown Hotel, which offers a number of rooms overlooking the field. Many of the city's top attractions — including the CN Tower and Hockey Hall of Fame — are located within a few blocks.

2010-05-07T16:19:00.000-04:00

Danko Jones — Below The Belt

Here's a sentence from the promotional biography for this record: "So long as guys keep thinking with their dicks instead of their heads and so long as beautiful women have the power to reduce men to drooling, deviant, irrational idiots, Danko Jones records will continue to sound like Danko Jones records."

While that may seem like a good thing to most followers of the man and his identically named band, it isn't for me. I've enjoyed songs from Danko Jones' four previous albums and the My Love Is Bold EP, and there are tracks on Below The Belt that fit into that category as well. But they all start to sound too similar, as are Jones' lyrical themes dealing with his strength, sexual prowess and ability to be mean and ornery.

I've seen Danko Jones perform several times and still chuckle when I think about a comment from a friend (and like myself, somewhat of a fan) who said that the frontman's big stock stage move was to "look left." The stage show is powerful and rocks hard, but really hasn't progressed too much. And with Below The Belt, neither has Danko Jones.

If that's okay with you, you should really like this album.

2010-05-07T15:19:00.000-04:00

Thieves By Law Can Chill Viewers On Different Levels

Having previously read articles and watched television shows about the Russian mafia made me interested in seeing Thieves By Law as part of the Canadian International Documentary Festival this week. While corruption in the former Soviet Union is commonly acknowledged, this film's examination of three gangsters and their cronies showed me how frighteningly widespread, accepted and legitimized it is.

"Show me one person in Russia who doesn't have a criminal record," challenges one of the subjects, who describes himself as a businessman. Largely uneducated, having spent as much or more time in prison than in school, these three men aren't afraid of revealing things to writer/director Alexander Gentelev that make you question why they're still not living behind bars instead of in luxury through wealth gained via extortion and violence.

Want an example of how violent these guys can get? Start by abducting a homeless person. Then you dress him in a suit and take him to the office of an executive targeted for protection money collection, where his head is cut off on the spot to show what happens to people who don't pay up.

Yet these men also claim to live by an honourable thieves code, which began in Stalin-era gulags in the 1930s, and continued until Mikhail Gorbachev put perestroika in effect in 1987. Money — big money — could now be made. And to my eyes, at least, that moral code seemed to be hit as hard as the victims of the criminal groups that sprang up during this time.

Gang wars throughout the '90s wiped out many mafia soldiers and leaders before survivors realized that large profits could still be made without all of the bloodshed through the influence they'd attained with businesses, the government, police and the church.

An Interpol agent, mafia lawyer and Russia's first millionaire are also interviewed in the film, along with some lower-ranking thieves by law, but it's the three main protagonists who really drive this documentary. And aside from the one who's now making a theatrical film, which includes footage of his actual victims being beaten up to add realism, they seem likable at times.

That can be almost as scary in a personal sense as realizing the power that men like this wield on the global stage.

Thieves By Law is 90 minutes long and in Russian, French and Hebrew, with English subtitles. It will receive a second Hot Docs screening at 10 p.m. on Sat. May 8 at Toronto's Isabel Bader Theatre.

2010-05-07T13:48:00.001-04:00

A Film Unfinished

A Film Unfinished, a documentary written and directed by female Israeli filmmaker Yael Hersonski, had its Canadian premiere at the Canadian International Documentary Festival this week.

The 89-minute film is the first to use almost all 62 minutes of unedited, silent footage shot over four reels by Germans in the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw, Poland in May 1942 and not discovered until after World War II.

The ghetto's population was estimated to be 440,000. Disease and starvation were rampant and more than 100,000 people died before some 250,000 were deported to the Treblinka extermination camp from July to September 1942.

Excerpts from these films have since been used as objective illustrations of what the ghetto was like shortly before the Jews were shipped off to Treblinka, but Hersonski's documentary reveals that they were propaganda tools and that many of the scenes were staged.

Participants co-operated out of fear of the repercussions if they refused. Nazis used the ghetto as a film set, the inhabitants as actors, and dead and decaying bodies lying on the streets as exhibits.

The historic, heartbreaking and frequently disturbing footage is interweaved with readings from diary entries written during the period and testimonies from ghetto survivors and a German cameraman who took part in the filming. This helps contextualize things, but still leaves the viewer with questions that will likely never be answered. Documents revealing who initiated the project and why it was never completed have yet to be found.

Hersonski's aim was to examine both the potential and limitations of images to bear witness to the truth. She wasn't completely successful in coming up with answers, but A Film Unfinished certainly makes you think about the complex subject. And with modern photo, film and video-editing technology, it's becoming more complicated all the time.

A Film Unfinished is in English, Hebrew, German, Polish and Yiddish, and uses English subtitles. It won the editing award in the World Doc Competition at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

2010-05-05T14:49:00.001-04:00

Marwencol Is A Whole New World

Mark Hogancamp was viciously assaulted by five men outside a bar in his hometown of Kingston, N.Y. in the spring of 2000 and spent nine days in a coma. After regaining consciousness, the 38-year-old had no memory of his previous life and had to learn how to do the things that the rest of us take for granted all over again. Marwencol, a 1/6th-scale World War II-era Belgian town that he created in his backyard as self-administered therapy, is his story.

Hogancamp populated Marwencol with dolls that represented his alter-ego, friends, family members, attackers and others, and came up with storylines to help him cope with his pain and avoid the outside world that he still sometimes fears. He eventually started photographing these scenes, and the detail and realism of the shots started to catch people's attention — including an art magazine editor, the curator of a New York City gallery and filmmaker Jeff Malmberg.

The director shot Marwencol over four years, and his documentary tells a touching, sometimes disturbing and occasionally funny story of a man who plays with dolls.

Towards the end of the 83-minute film, which has an intriguing twist part-way through, Hogancamp admits that he prefers to live in Marwencol over the real world.

While I find myself pulling for Hogancamp so he can re-integrate himself more fully with human society and financially take advantage of his talents, this beautifully made film makes me realize that a big part of what makes him so compelling and unique might be lost if he did. And that seems like something he's not willing to sacrifice at this point.

As Marwencol's tag line says, "If you aren’t accepted in the real world, create your own."

Marwencol premiered at the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, where it won the Grand Jury Award for best documentary feature. It also won the Nesnadny + Schwartz Documentary Film Competition for best documentary at the Cleveland International Film Festival and the Special Jury Prize for best documentary at the Independent Film Festival of Boston.

Marwencol and Malmberg, who was on hand at Tuesday night's Canadian premiere at Toronto's Isabel Bader Theatre and answered questions after the screening, both received rousing ovations when the lights came up. It wouldn't be surprising if the film won another prize as part of this week's Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. I doubt that I'll see many films better than this over the rest of the year.

Marwencol will receive a second screening at 1:30 p.m. on May 6 at Toronto's Cumberland Cinema 3.

The documentary will also be shown at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 30 and 31 and at the June 17-27 Los Angeles Film Festival.

You can visit Marwencol at www.marwencol.com.

2010-04-30T16:15:00.001-04:00

The John Henrys — White Linen

The John Henrys first came to my attention a few years back when I saw the Ottawa band open for The Sadies at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern, and I was immediately impressed.

I've seen the talented quintet a couple of more times since, and enjoyed its Sweet As The Grain sophomore album.

This third LP, which came out in Canada last month via Linus Entertainment and will be released in the U.S. on Aug. 31, draws from the same Americana, rock and alt.country influences as its predecessor. The band had a larger budget and recorded 17 songs over seven months before winnowing the final product down to 11, which is divided into two sides like a vinyl LP. The first five songs are supposed to be the city side, while the country is represented by the final six tracks.

"Little One" opens the album and probably sounds more like Tom Petty than anything on the last Heartbreakers record — voice, guitars, organ ... everything. And there's nothing wrong with that, coming from a Petty fan.

"Hit The Floor" and "Empty Pockets" are pretty straight-ahead, mid-tempo rock tunes. There's some extra jangle to the guitars on "Peace Of Mind," and lots of pedal steel on "Good Man," but "Stars Align" may be the most country-leaning song on the album. Organ is most prominent on the title track and White Linen ends with the acoustic "Patriot Song," about the 1838 Upper Canada rebellions.

The John Henrys are in the midst of a Canadian tour with labelmates Madison Violet and, in the past, have accompanied the similarly minded Sadies, Elliott Brood and Cuff The Duke. I have a strong hunch that the songs on White Linen will draw me in more when I hear them performed on stage, so I'll be on the lookout for future Toronto shows. For now, I'll give White Linen a 6/10.
Listen for yourself here.