gatekeeper

from blogigo.de

So if you're not stuck on some freeway out of town at the end of the week-as a lot of people will no doubt be-you most certainly will be at the Harbourfront friday evening for their Canada Day festivities which include the above-pictured Feist, and label-mates Apostle of Hustle play on the free bank-named amphitheatre stage. Spooky Reuben beats the curfew in the Brigantine Room right afterwards.

This one is frankly a bit of a no-brainer, as I remember the Rheos show there last Canada was just a really great time, especially with the Festival of Fire visible from the performance area, why would you want to go anywhere else?

A of H is on at 8pm and Madam Feist hits the stage at 9:30.

the *glacial* movement

thanks to Uncle Jimmy for coming by last night and helping tackle my FTP issues! for those of you who access the site through www.thenewpollution.net, you will have already noticed some minor changes. things should only move more quickly from here on.

part of these changes relate to what Lefsetz said yesterday:

"Podcasting is no joke. It will change your life. Today, if you download the
software and update your iPod. Or tomorrow, when you hear all your buds talk
about it and you feel left out and you finally purchase an iPod and partake.

Oh, you could have purchased a Creative Zen to have tethered downloads from
Napster. But then you'd be left out. It's like going to see Bobby Sherman
when everybody else is at the Led Zeppelin stadium show."

here's neil

"Rocker Neil Young added to Live 8 lineup

CTV.ca News Staff

Fans at Live 8 will be rocking in the free world with music icon Neil Young.

Young is the latest act added to the Live 8 concert in Barrie, Ont. which will be held on July 2nd.

Known for classics such as "Cinnamon Girl," "Heart of Gold" and "Harvest Moon," Young will bring an electric presence to the concert in Park Place, formerly known as Molson Park.

Like many of the artists involved with Live 8, Young was one of original performers in "Live Aid" 20 years ago, and shared the stage with Crosby, Stills and Nash.

The last year has been difficult for Young; he lost his father Scott Young, a well-respected journalist and author, earlier this month.

Young himself also suffered a brain aneurysm that forced him to cancel his appearance at the Juno awards, held in his hometown in Winnipeg, Manitoba last March.

However, the "Godfather of Grunge" has been busy.

In early May, Young began recording a follow-up to his 2003 album Greendale in Nashville, Tennessee.

This year's Live 8 concerts are taking place in eight major venues around the world, and are orchestrated to put pressure on the G-8 nations' leaders to come up with more aid for Africa.

The July 2 concert in Barrie will be held at the city's 35,000-capacity Park Place venue, and will broadcast live on CTV."

on the ticket

expect a ravy preview of the friday show soon, but in the meantime let me strongly encourage:

Thursday June 30th @ The Rivoli - $6 cover
9:30PM Jeen O'Brien
10:30PM Hunter Valentine
11:30PM Delta

you should really go.

also, Ninja High School has just been added to the Go! Team bill in July.

oh look! it's 11:11. rufus would be proud.

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ALSO: hearing more and more about one Mr Young being on the Barrie show. so they say.

tiny islands made of ashes

gigantar-version Modest Mouse jam it up

Promoting is an often risky and thankless task-speaking as someone who's done my share of misses in that game I can attest. SO before the ranting, kudos to emerge and RMS for making another go on a site that just may not totally work for shows like this.

Getting on the island took forever, but we were warned well in advance of this, and in the end somewhat foolishly thought 45 min would be enough-not even close, and we missed the first 3 acts including the much-debated Most Serene Republic. ah vell.

Was surprised to see the stage on *that* end of the field, but more so disappointed in this layout:


rather sparse turnout no? note violating VIP tent on right

the combination opaque mix desk and giant-ly empty VIP area on the right took up WAY too much space and ruined sightlines for a site KNOWN for its great sightlines.

that said, all the acts we caught-from do make say think to modest mouse were solid in each and their own ways. especially good was the full on BSS with Haines!/Milan!/Feist! all onstage at one point-ah, remember the old days? modest mouse came onto to almost chilly reception given the long lag time in between sets, but the early 1-2 hit of float on and the especially brilliant tiny cities made of ashes quickly worked the crowd over.

an extra local opener and tighter changeovers would have made the experience more pleasant as well, as 30-40 min between acts is just plain unacceptable. I understand costs were very high with this show but I'm sure more fine local talent could have been inserted with minimal fuss.

the reality is that a lot of people were holding out for more, and the field was clearly undersold with perhaps 5-7,000 people present through the day-and I would peg that as an optimistic guess.


The *full* BSS, very far away

whether the promoters that be will give another try next year is up in the air-I guess anything can happen lineup permitting.

in the end, a great day in the sun with friends, but we will be even more reluctant to indulge next time without improvements.

another dog-dangling afternoon...

STEAM BATH,

why are you outside right now? I proceeded to the LCBO this aft. to pick up some rocket fuel for Bryan's big engagement shindig tonight. had long been interested in the Final Fantasy/torngat show but it's long gone (Pete Tong) sold out so next time it will be. I hope it goes as well as his show there back in Feb. nice to see the cover story on Owen this week-a very long time coming, and well deserved.

earlier this week I took in the Batman Begins, (it's too hot to link EVERYTHING) and was as pleased as everyone else on this one. I'm not going to be able to say much of what hasn't already been said, but fine casting (save Holmes) and an organic feel to everything worked very well. by organic I mean they blow up REAL police cars, there are REAL locations and physical sets, not just 2-D green screen everything. realness these days is subconciously appreciated, but loved nonetheless.

it's settled

going to this next year. (lineup permitting)

great bunch of bands, no camping worries, fairly reasonable price (save for exchange).

sounds like

okay, go here and listen to 'sexy results' on the DFA player if you don't know the song already...

THEN

go here and and go to the media section to listen to the new 'phonics single 'Superman'.

man dat's close!

okay, even great

DFA, Grismer pull in the hardware.


As a kid on the prairies I remember watching from afar the MMVA's grow from a fairly humble September event into a multi-street June affair (post 9/11 anyways). And while last year's was the first I got to see chunks of in person, THIS year's was the first, inside of it all.

The blink pre-party was a mix of hot and cold, with the rooftop patio the former and every other level very much the latter, and thus made things a little awkward-but hey, it's only the opening act after all, right?

Got the wristband and whisked into 299 Queen, which was already teeming with such star power like Ben Mulroney and, uh, I can't even remember. Here the drinks and food were unlimited in quantity and availability, so kudos to Much for putting on a thorough spread.


Almost immediately ran into Win Butler from the Arcade Fire, and introduced myself and we spent a decent amount of time talking about the band and all things going on. Win was totally approachable, talkative and kind-a class act who I hope can only put together and even better album the next time around.


Following that the Boss and I went into the environment to wish director Grismer well with his awards, and snapped a photo with his production team and the later boisterous DFA1979.



Twilight from the balcony


TAF: Full Throttle

The rest of the night is pretty much a blur of chatting and endlessly running up and down stairs. And when you're inside the show is surprisingly distant. I *did* barge back into the environment and take quite a few shots of the Arcade Fire performance, which from that proximity was tremendous and my personal highlight of the night. Later spotted Dan Lanois apparently gushing to Win and Regine about Funeral.

after-parties followed, and after-after parties followed that. got a chance to talk to BSS' Drew and Billy Talent's Ian D'sa about their shared sickness of playing their first albums and eagerness for more. Drew promised a solid preview of Windsurfing Nation on sunday.


Drew & D'sa at Spy


Rumbled home around 5am, very ok, even great.

out of respect

at the exact time when I was involved in the most superficial this weekend, a good friend far away was going though something I can't even begin to fathom. our thoughts here are with Thomas and his family.

"I like the peace
in the backseat,
I don’t have to drive,
I don’t have to speak,
I can watch the country side,
and I can fall asleep.

crashing towards the driver’s seat,
the lightning bolt made enough heat
to melt the street beneath your feet.

I’ve been learning to drive.
My whole life,
I’ve been learning."

eek!

more to come! stories to tell!

more COUNTDOWN

SO the big show's tonight. word is the main party will have cold mashed potatoes, which are in fact *the* big nibbler food nowadays, talk about bad timing.

most of tonight will involve stalking certain merge-label rosterees.

COUNTDOWN

1st song out of the PA this aft: superstition

don't make a sound

the boys in Jet, all five of them, have a combined height of perhaps 26 feet. for a better interpretation of this, figure in that myself and the people we were at the show with were EVEN with them standing despite the stage being at least 3 feet off the floor (the rake angle made up the other 2 foot difference).

seriously, the mics were COMICALLY at the lowest position of their stands, which suited the boys just fine.

in the end, this was just another show by a one-album band desperately trying to fill an hour. a money city manics-style siren wailed them in, and the hits came early and often. overall, a very high energy show (with strained lead vocals) that fans probably will enjoy much more than their opening slot in the cavernous amphitheatre tonight.

and what's with the opera house bathroom attendant?!

maxi mojo

so I went with Jose to see Newcastle's Maxïmo Park way back on tuesday, but have only had a second to write about it now. for a band that's apparently "top 20" in the UK, they seem a little short on the hot hit material.

they had a good, but easily not great show-perhaps dulled by a smallish tuesday night crowd at Lee's. the band has a good relationship with this city having shot a video here, we'll likely see even more of these guys if their profile begins to match what it is across the pond.

tonight sees me at the opera house for jet/youth group show - definitely a guilty pleasure this one is.

JUST IN

at the office here TWO arcade fire 45's! Both are for Power Out (whose video, incidentally, will be Much's The Big One starting this week), one on heavy black vinyl and the other clear. B-sides varying on both. will report back when I've heard them!

I like...

...the group Kids on Tv but I'm not quite sure that I'll go to this show...

Thurs June 23
KIDS ON TV
@ Spa XS
105 Carlton

Will begins to spin at 10pm and the music will be projected throughout the bathhouse.

All Genders allowed in the bar/lounge area where KOTV will perform. Boys have the entire place to roam.

Admission is $5
for girls it gets you into a place you will probably never see the likes of again as well as a KOTV show.
for men this gets you accesss to the band, a condom, and a locker, you can also get a room for $22.

Proceeds from the event go towards the abolish the bawdy house laws fund

www.kidsontv.biz

eek!

Crucial

it didn't seem like a standout track to me when I first got Joyful Rebellion some time ago, but over time, in the true testament of great albums, songs rise up slowly that you earlier didn't pay attention to.

sure it is the current single, and he did perform it at the junos (despite the pleas of producers for 'Crabbuckit'), and maybe it was the live experience that sparked something, only for me to really get Crucial a couple of months after the fact.

the song has a fantastic foundation, as k-os says in the liner notes (and very few songs in the book get such discussion), it was the bassline that inspired the rest of the song, with a somewhat reggae rhythm guitar and an almost spanish lead, everything is in its place for his fantastic vocal performance. crucial is crucial. (though my top pick is still the anthemic hallejulah)

nxne * 3

The Golden Dogs, white cowbell style, Lee's Palace.


wow. terrific show all in all, huge, enthusiastic crowd, most terrific. what else can I say?

nxne * 2

Inward Eye at Reverb

Stepped into the Holiday Inn yesterday to catch some of the Bruce Cockburn celebrity interview, and was impressed with his candour and candid (and oftentimes really funny) responses. For someone perceived as always weighing the heavy issues of the day, Bruce is never far away from lightening things up a lot too.

Last night was a shorter one-indicative of previous griping-which was confirmed by those I ran into. The Manitoba BBQ was sweltering in both temperature and response, with Mood Ruff's Garfield spinning (did I hear Usher?). Caught up with a lot of great people and had a very good (if sweaty) time. Us prairie folk die in humidity.

Later headed for Reverb (along with 9/10ths of Toronto's music industry) for Inward Eye-a band I've discussed before and certainly holds a great deal of discussion both here and south of the border. The brothers Erickson did not disappoint a rather static crowd, with sweat practically running down the stairs and out on the street below. With these guys, if has long been passed by in favour of when.

Also took some video of the show with the fancy new SD300 and if I find a way to put it up I will.

tonight it looks like I'll be camped out at Lee's for True North night.

later gators!

north by northumberland

A GOOD night last night, if not a bunch of artists that I already was well familiar with.

Started the night at the Horseshoe and took in an absolutely blazing Elliott Brood set, with the house probably the most packed for these guys. Good news in that the band's work will be tied in now with Six Shooter, which itself recently landed nat'l distro. with Warner.

Fellow Winnipeg expat Luke Doucet followed, with a strong set and backing band. Doucet closed his set with a very fine cover of Springsteen's I'm On Fire.

Christine Fellows faced much more active resistance from the chatters, who pretty much were drowning out her set through the first 20 minutes we stayed there. Scooted out and ran into Bryan and other Charters, and stepped into Funhaus for a dose of hair metal from Crash Kelly. eek!

Ben and I then squeezed into the Reverb for Holy Fuck, who in my books were the pick of the night. Much more dancy than their Music Gallery performance a couple of months back, I was deeply satisfied with their Casio-heavy performance.

FRIDAY FAST PICKS

9PM
Kids on TV @ 279

10PM
The Junction @ Lee's

11PM
Inward Eye @ Reverb
Ladies & Gentlemen @ Rivoli

12AM
Frontier Index @ Drake
Mark Inside @ Shoe
Tele @ Kathedral

1AM
Novillero @ Drake
Deadly Snakes @ Gladstone

cheers.

nxne fast picks

DON'T THINK I'm not still pissed about a clear lack of new interesting up and something acts that bless the ol' sxsw and bypass here for later (and justifiably for the bands-PAYING) shows in the summer.

anyways...

THURSDAY:

9pm
brood @ shoe
perpetrators @ silver dollar

10pm
novaks @ lee's
luke doucet @ shoe

11pm
christine fellows @ shoe
parkas @ clintons
karyn ellis @ free times
MSR @ reverb

12am
catlow @ cameron house
sunriser @ 279
holy fuck @ reverb

1am
high dials @ drake

only the night will reveal which paths (or none) will be taken. so it goes!

I hear that they play...

'Wake Up' when U2 comes onstage on their current tour.

too sweaty to post more right now-the trip was great and very whirlwind-y.

again,

nxne = bbbq

greetings from asbury...make that st louis park

can't sleep - clowns will eat me!

full reports to come.

no internets in winnipeg though-so probably not til wed-nes-day.

am outta here

SO I'm taking off this afternoon, but some minor diversions:

Darth Vader's Blog for starts

secondly, went to a sneak preview to Lords of Dogtown last night, and it's basically a decent dramatization of the original story in Dogtown & Z boys, the documentary from a couple of years ago. Stacy Peralta was one of the main skateboarders to come out of that scene, and directed the latter and wrote the former.

with that in mind, things are pretty consistent between the two with Lords shifting some of the characters, with Heath Ledger's Skip being much more Jim Morrison-like than the real guy. the character of Sid (played by Jack's kid on Will & Grace) also appears inserted for dramatic purposes, to decent effect.

all I can really say is THANK GOD Fred Durst didn't end up directing this as originally scheduled, but it would've been interesting to see David Fincher's take on it as he also pegged for it (and ended up producing). Dogtown provides a complimentary portrayal of california in the seventies, with a zep-esque score by Mark Mothersbaugh.

so that WAS....

damon albarn at the show!