| March 2007
Knotty Knights
Lot 16, 1136 Queen St W, Friday
March 9, 10PM-2AM, No Cover
3rd
Annual Canadian Music Week Edition
DJ
Triple-X - All Canuck All Night Long
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Canadian
Music Week - March
8-10, Various Locations
Hot Picks
Thursday
Musebox Showcase @
Silver Dollar - with Autodrone
Canteen Knockout @
Global Village
Australia Showcase
@ Tranzac - with The Gear
Friday
Public Enemy @ The
Docks
Pop Levi @ Lee's Palace
Live Tour Artists
@ Rivoli
Saturday
Denmark Spotlight
@ Silver Dollar - with Vincent Van Go Go
Viletones and
Hell Yeah Fuck Yeah @ Bovine
Paper Bag Records Showcase
- Whippersnap Gallery - with Uncut, You Say Party
Band Profiles
and Reviews
What’s up with CMW? They are on the right
track with over 500 bands playing twenty various venues in Toronto
over a 3-day period. That’s the good part. Getting this
many performers involved must be a logistical nightmare for
the troops to put together. So, congrats to the “Group
of Seven” who are on the payroll with CMW.
Last year, I gripped about a few issues that fell through the
cracks. There was the fiasco at Social where many bands were
left holding their drumsticks in the streets due to some mismanagement
of venue selection. Then there was the most difficult website
ever to navigate through. Well, the weekend is just beginning
so there may be booking dramas yet to come, but let’s
hope not.
The website looks the same as last year with just a different
line up. It’s still difficult to navigate, and there’s
not enough information provided for the general public to figure
out where to go or who they want to see. Even trying to locate
band information or a proper schedule is no where to be found.
Once you find the dropdown for the band listing, there are the
names and website references. It would be helpful to have a
one-liner describing the genre of music (alternative, country,
jazz, etc) so that you would know if you wanted to link to their
site to find out more. Clicking into 500 band websites could
be fun, but you’d likely miss the Festival by the time
you got to the Z’s.
Also, putting a proper schedule searchable by band, venue,
date, and other variables would make it more user-friendly.
How about some song samples, contests, email sign up list, fan
forums, and more interactive methods for people to connect with
others online. The conferences and celebrity chats are great,
for those that can get out of bed early enough to go sit in
a stuffy hotel conference room, still hung over from the night
before. Everyone realizes events can’t go on without sponsorships,
but can we not just have them listed in a drop down similar
to the bands who are what this event is suppose to be about
anyway. Finally, do we really need pictures of a dozen suits
and their bios? Again, band pix and bios would be much more
needed and appreciated. Cut the corporate bullshit, and have
some fun.
Last year I bashed the Indie Awards for not recognizing enough
of the unsigned artists, which “indie” is supposedly
meant to be. This year wasn’t much different with homegrown
names such as MSTRKRFT, The Sadies, The Trews, Cadence Weapon
and Tokyo Police Club hauling out the awards. The show itself
is quite laughable, given it is now in its seventh year. The
Docks has a great layout with a few different VIP sections set
up throughout, but the sound techs really need to pay attention
to what’s going on up on the stage. There were times when
the lead vocals were being swallowed up by the amplified instruments.
The use of monitors and speakers throughout is a great bonus.
Who decided Jully Black would be a good MC should be worried
for their job right now. She seemed to have her own agenda for
the evening, and that was to promote Jully Black. She fumbled
and blundered throughout the performance, going off on tangents
and lazily slouching over the podium. Then as Wolf Mother finished
their performance, Ms. Black hauled her ass back on the stage
to thank everyone for coming, blah blah blah. Then after a few
shouts from the crowd reminding her The Stills were yet to headline,
she slurs oh wait, the show isn’t over yet, come back.
Regardless, her recovery was horrible, and an insult to everyone
involved with the show, especially The Stills who had to come
back after 75% of the crowd left. Black meandered off the stage
asking the crowd to remember to check out www.jully ….yeah
whatever - Black never to be back.
There was then a good 20 minute needless lull in time as we
waited for The Stills to sound check, finish their drinks, or
whatever other reason for the unnecessary delay. The music between
was anything but indie and upbeat to keep the interest of the
crowd. It was a combination of 70’s pop and Gnarls Barkley
craziness. Hey CMW, get a DJ next year.
As one CMW associate told me, “Things are changing as
we bring in the young blood.” It’s about time. Let’s
see if things change for 2008.
Not to be entirely bitter, I say grab a wristband, get off
your ass and see some of the best new music being produced in
Canada and abroad. Get out as early as 8pm and stay out until
as late as 4am, with a band an hour. Grab a pen and a program
and start planning.
If you really need to, check the CMW website for details as
well - www.cmw.net
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Australian lads, The
Gear, are revving up for their Canadian
Music Week(CMW) shows this week. This is the second
time the boys have performed on this side of the world, after
having made their North American debut last year at CMW. Formed
just three years ago, they are starting to create a buzz down
under, and have just recently had their track “Eight Arms
to Hold You” featured in the new Australian teen film
“48 Shades”.
Singer/Songwriter Jet O’Rourke started out solo in 2003
and released a single, “Fight the Good Fight”, that
received both local radio and video rotation. He later met his
fellow band mates in Melbourne, and continued on winning “Best
Unsigned Band” competitions and releasing a self-titled
EP. The melodic sounds have a 60’s influence, but are
distinctively Australian as well (think Split Enz not Crowed
House), with catchy sing-a-long lyrics and toe tapping guitar
and drum riffs. Jet actually cites the Beatles, Oasis, Monkees,
and the Jam as influences, so you get the picture. Leigh Baines
(Drums) and James Harding (Bass) complete the trio and both
provide backing vocals.
One of the most memorable moments the band has had so far was
meeting Rodney Bingenheimer, legendary Los Angeles DJ. O’Rourke
states, “Rodney is a big fan of the band, and having known
of him myself for a while I was ecstatic to find out that he
was playing ‘I've Got Trouble’ and ‘Eight
Arms To Hold You’ from our EP. It was a surreal experience.”
O’Rourke comments on the electronic age and being a musician.
“It’s a great time to get a band seen and heard,
it really has never been easier, and it also creates a healthy
competition. Myspace has meant you can see what you’re
up against, and I think it has made people think a lot about
what it is to be individual. It also creates an even playing
field which doesn't exist in the music business at all. People
seem to be more interested in supporting new bands online than
they probably do in their local HMV store. We’ve had over
700 views of our video on You Tube.”
They are hoping to get a record release in Canada and the U.S.
sometime this year. At the moment you can buy their EP from
iTunes, and just recently it has become available through Myspace.
Having the opportunity to meet anyone, O’Rourke would
choose Davy Jones (Monkees), and his global message to everyone
is, “You can never skimp on shoes!”
You’ll have plenty of opportunity to catch them live
as they play three times in three days.
Thursday March 8th:
Tranzac Club as par of CMW Australian Music Showcase
Friday March 9th:
The Hideout – with Steve Poltz
Saturday March 10th:
Cameron House
Check the CMW
website for full details on times, addresses and prices.
For more on the band, visit their site at www.myspace.com/thegearband
or www.thegear.com.au
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Pop Levi
hails from Liverpool, and currently resides in Los Angeles.
The Marc Bolan ghost is making his CMW debut this weekend as
part of the Outside Music Showcase along with We are Wolves,
Rock Plaza Central and others. He’s travelling with his
3 piece outfit called Woman, who back up his T-rexian vocals
with bass, guitar and drums. Levi calls them his, “avant-garde
pop expression trio.” Although Levi doesn’t necessarily
agree with being compared to anyone, being born on the day Marc
Bolan died is somehow eerily reflected in his sound.
Levi thinks that music today is quite interesting, but “R
n B is where all the exciting new sounds are coming from.”
He enjoys the electronic age, and ironically sees it as somewhat
of a grassroots medium where people can communicate. He refers
to online sites such as My Space as, “hyper modern fan
mail.” Levi also boasts about how many You Tube videos
are out there either distributed by him or bootlegged by his
fans. Asked whether this instant posting could pose any difficulties
should he blunder on stage, he’s quick to admit, “Nah,
not really, you just don’t blunder.”
He cites one of his most memorable experiences was when he
was “Audio scrying” on a hilltop in Greece. This
is his take on scrying, a process where one stares at suggestive
spaces within a small dynamic range to achieve creative interpretations.
Who would he like to meet if he could choose anyone? “Myself
in a year”, he laughs. His global word of advice is, “Don’t
do the work, let the angels do it for you”.
His last release was a solo effort, and he’s currently
working on his newest piece tentatively titled “Never
Never Love”, that will feature Woman on all tracks. He
describes the sound as, “Kraftwerk crossed with Let It
Be, but is quick to point out that it is not a concept album.”
He’s hooked up with the ever so cool Ninja Tunes label.
Catch Pop Levi at Lee’s Palace, Friday March
9th.
Check the CMW website for full details on times, addresses
and prices, www.cmw.net
For more on the band, visit their site at www.myspace.com/poplevi
or www.poplevi.com
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Edgy Cabaret with DJ
Triple-X
Saturday March 17th, 8pm / Sala Rossa, $12 ($10 VIP/students)
4848 St-Laurent (corner St-Joseph)
This year, Edgy’s popular multidisciplinary cabaret features
Lesley Ewen’s monologue on growing up ethnically hybrid,
Anana Rydvald & Amy Sobol’s ode to Swan Lake, and
Cristal Brown’s sassy solo Wishes. Returning artist Karen
Sherman will present a visceral dance piece and, following up
on last year’s astonishing performance, Tonja Livingstone
joined by Heather Kravas will present work currently in development
for the Kitchen in New York. Local funny gals les Moquettes
Coquettes and Projet Imin’s experimental ensemble (featuring
participants from the Cuircuit Bending workshop) round out what
promises to be an eclectic and diverse programme.
Christal Brown (USA)
Lesley Ewen (Vancouver)
Heather Kravas (USA / Germany)
Tonja Livingstone (Stockholm / Montreal)
Les Moquettes Coquettes (Montreal)
Projet Inim (Montreal)
Anana Rydvald / Amy Sobol (Montreal)
Karen Sherman (USA)
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Descriptions and bios
Suspicion of Modeling by Karen Sherman (www.karenshermanperformance.org)
Suspicion of Modeling, a solo created with the city of Los Angeles
in mind, is equally impressionistic and Botoxed. Joni Mitchell
provides reinforcement.
Based in New York from 1988 to 2004, Karen Sherman now lives
in Minneapolis, MN and works out of both cities. Her dance and
performance work has been presented throughout the U.S. by P.S.
122, The Walker Art Center, Danspace Project, Movement Research
at the Judson Church, Links Hall, The Southern Theater, Highways
Performance Space, among many others, and she had the pleasure
of performing in Studio 303's Edgy Women Festival in 2005. She
has received many grants and awards for her work, including
a 2006 McKnight Fellowship in choreography, and a 2006 Sage
Award recipient for her performance work throughout the 2005-2006
season.
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Sadistic swans by Anana Rydvald and Amy Sobol
Sadistic swans is an ode to the beautiful saga of swanlake.
Two dancers meet (one exceptional primadonna and her apprentice)
to perform this well-known classic of love and betrayal. Although
well rehearsed the apprentice does not quite live up to the
challenge and swanlake suddenly turns into a deadly dance of
survival of the fittest!
Originally from Denmark, Anana Rydvald studied mime & mask
at The Commedia School (Denmark), trained with Les Grands Ballets
Canadiens (Montreal), and is a graduate of John Abbott College
(Montreal). She performs regularly with the renowned Scandinavian
theatre troupe Cantabile 2, a company that specializes in site-specific
work, and teaches at the company's School of Stage Arts. Favorite
productions with Cantabile 2 include Du Bittrer Strom, performed
on the Rhine River and Loreley, performed in a flooded theatre.
She has also worked with the performance company Insighout Theatre
in Florida. In Montreal, she has taken part in The Other Theatre's
adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's novel Galápagos at the
Centaur. She is a co-founder of the award-winning Mask On! Productions
(Montreal Mirror Noisemakers 2000 and Infinitheatre’s
Entrepreneurial Award for their innovative collective work).
Also the founder of Level 4 Theatre, in 2006 she was the recipient
of the MECCA Revelation Award for her self-written performance
Section O. She has taught as far away as India, and is currently
teaching mask, movement and improvisation at John Abbott College.
After graduting from John Abbott College Professional Theatre
in 96’, Amy Sobol went on to work with MaskOn! on such
productions as Tripping Thru Oz and Iknowyouarebutwhatami. She
was most recently seen in Bon Cop Bad Cop and just finished
working with Kidnapper Films in thier latest film Who is K.K.
Downey? Right now Amy is enjoying working in a bar.
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An understanding of brown by Lesley Ewen
An understanding of brown charts the process of self-defining
who one is. It’s the story of a woman who is both Black
and White and yet neither; “the sum of the parts”.
Actor, writer, director Lesley Ewen is a brown woman of Scottish
and Jamaican ethnicity. In poetic prose she explores the racism
she’s inherited …from her White mother? …from
her community? By sifting through memory, submerged beliefs
and received propaganda she finds and claims a space of synthesis
that both includes and yet transcends ideas of “black”
and “white”.
Lesley Ewen was born in England and grew up in Australia and
Canada. She studied Fine Arts at York University and was kicked
out the same week she was accepted into the prestigious Vancouver
Playhouse Acting School, from which she graduated in 1983. Since
then she has been making a living as a full time, freelance,
multi-disciplinary creator based in Vancouver. As an artist,
Lesley responds to the World via many mediums and practices.
She’s created numerous theatrical/art events. She is a
founding member of the art collective “required field”
which creates “new memories for forgotten spaces”;
planting architectural formations of flowers in vacant lots.
She’s accrued over 120 professional film/television/theatre
acting credits and is currently enjoying a recurring role on
the hit tv comedy “Men In Trees”. Over 20 years
of professional experience in front of the camera equipped Lesley
to write, direct, act in and edit “honest work”;
an experiment in improvised urban clown and her first foray
into creating narrative video. As a playwright, her 4th play
Camera Obscura (Love. Murder.) will be produced by Vancouver’s
Rumble Productions. Lesley received rave reviews her role as
“Marca” in MadDuck’s smash hit production
of Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus” and “Calpurnia”
in Rubicon’s Killing Caesar. She’s been twice nominated
for a Vancouver Theatre Award, meditates and loves Txu.
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Wishes by Christal Brown (USA) (partial nudity)
Wishes is a solo work written and performed by INSPIRIT's Founding
Artistic Director, Christal Brown. Within the course of 5 minutes
Brown depicts an event common to many women who deal with catcallers.
Cloaked in the mirage of a fantasy she gives her assailant exactly
what he wants and through language gets exactly what she desires
as well, quiet. Wishes was called 2006’s «fiercest
use of nudity» by Eva Yaa Asentewaa
Aside from performing Christal Brown is the Founding Artistic
Director of INSPIRIT, a dance company, a performance ensemble
and educational conglomerate dedicated to bringing female choreographers
together to collaborate and show new work, expanding the views
of women of all ages, and being a constant source of inspiration
to its audience as well as members. INSPIRIT is in it's sixth
year of existence and has been honored to show work at Aaron
Davis Hall, St. Marks Church, Joyce Soho, The Lincoln Theater
of Washington, DC, and various other venues across the country.
INSPIRIT is one of four Artists in Residence at Tribeca Performing
Arts Center and Brown, is a current BRIO award winner and an
Artist in Residence at Movement Research. Striving to combine
her athleticism, creativity, and love for people, Brown's teachings
and creative works border on the cutting edge of dance.
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Tonja Livingstone / Heather Kravas
Originally from Vancouver, in the last few years Tonija Livingstone
has been collaborating and performing with a diverse range of
artists including; Meg Stuart/Damaged Goods, Benoît Lachambre/cie
par bleux, Vera Mantero, Mark Tompkins, Frans Poelstra, Steve
Paxton, Andrew Harwood, George Stamos, joe hiscott, Jonathan
Inksetter, Antonia Baehr, Ezster Salamon, Heather Kravas. Her
practice spans a wide range of interests and abilities. From
experience with ballet, contact improvisation, drag, martial
arts, voice and video, she facilitates her business of transformation.
Tonja lives and works in and in between Montreal, Brussels,
Berlin, and Stockholm.
Heather Kravas is Tonja Livingstone's collaborator to the piece
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Les Moquettes Coquettes (only available in French)
Evelyne, Laurence, Marianne, Marie-Hélène et Valérie
sont toutes entrées au B.A. en Communication pour des
raisons différentes: soif de nouveauté, soif de
défis, soif d'apprendre, soif d'alcool pur et pur hasard.
Elles ont par contre formé le groupe des Moquettes Coquettes
pour une seule et même raison: le plaisir. Les Moquettes,
c'est un mélange de réflexions sociales, d'émotions
et d'humour irrévérencieux, absurde, niaiseux,
noir, jaune et rose fuchsia. Les MC prônent la féminitude,
un mélange de féminité et d'attitude, un
féminisme sans soutien-gorge en flammes ( au prix que
ça coûte!). Elles forment ensemble une seule et
grosse femme voluptueuse et rockeuse. Elles se sont promenées
dans plusieurs salles du Québec avec Femmes au Féminin,
un spectacle alliant musique, sketches, performances scéniques
et décor enchanteur. Polyvalentes, surprenantes, drôles
(pour des filles), chroniqueuses, blagueuses, apprenti-chanteuses,
«bougeuses» plus que danseuses, les Moquettes Coquettes
sont difficiles à décrire, mais faciles à
aimer. Les Moquettes Coquettes sont composées d'Evelyne
Morin-Uhl, Laurence Cayer-Desrosiers, Marianne Prairie, Marie-Hélène
Taschereau et Valérie Caron.
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C U Next Tuesday
The Stooges CD Release
Listening Party
“The Weirdness”
Tuesday March 20th, 9pm
Lot 16, 1136 Queen St West
The
Stooges are releasing their first new recording
of material since 1973, some 33 years ago. The new CD hits stores
Tuesday March 20th, coinciding with a CD release listening party
in Toronto. The 12-song disc “Weirdness” is classic
Stooges sounding filled with “raw power” that is
so “1969”. It’s straight ahead rock and roll
with short banging tunes, grueling Iggy Pop vocals, and heavy
guitar and bass licks.
Triple-X Productions and EMI Capitol
Music are giving fans the chance to hear the album
played in its entirety starting at 9pm, followed by guest DJ’s
and giveaways.
In their early 70’s heyday, The Stooges were the epitome
of the sex, drugs and rock and roll lifestyle, combining British
blues, American garage and psychedelic enhancements both in
their music and their bodies. Iggy formed the Stooges in 1967
after witnessing a Doors concert in Chicago.
Gathering brothers Ron and Scott Asheton (guitar and drums,
respectively) and bassist Dave Alexander, the group debuted
at a Halloween concert at the University of Michigan student
union in 1967.
They released three full-length albums over their short-lived
early career. The self-titled first release was produced by
legendary John Cale, well known for his work
with the Velvet Underground. Fun House
was released in 1970, and although critics loved it, no one
bought it. David Bowie took the helm in 1973
as producer for Raw Power, which was quite successful
in terms of sales. Shortly afterward, The Stooges disbanded
due to various reasons. Their sound later became a foundation
for many of today’s indie-rock and punk bands.
In 1977, Iggy Pop charged back onto the scene with solo releases,
The Idiot and Lust for Life. He went on to
become quite a successful solo artist, releasing 15 studio albums
between 1977 and 2003. Then on April 27, 2003 the full band
(with Mike Watt on bass) played its first show together in 30
years to a spellbound audience at the Coachella Valley
Music and Arts Festival, followed by a triumphant reunion
tour.
In 2006, the guys decided to collaborate on some new material.
After songwriting sessions at Pop's Miami cabin in early 2006,
they secured esteemed producer Steve Albini
() and went to his Chicago studios to record the sessions in
October. They were then mastered in the UK at the legendary
Abbey Road Studios.
The Weirdness will feature three of the four original band
members – singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton and drummer
Scott Asheton -- along with ex-Minutemen and Firehose bassist
Mike Watt and original Stooges sax player, Steve Mackay.
The Stooges perform a March 17 show at South by Southwest,
followed by 10 shows in the US, and a few European summer gigs.
There are no scheduled Canadian stops on this tour as yet. A
biopic entitled The Passenger is currently in the works chronicling
both Iggy and The Stooges entire career, with Elijah Wood cast
to play Iggy Pop. The band is also nominated as inductees into
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year.
Once considered too weird for mainstream, 2007 sees that same
“Weirdness” putting them back in the spotlight.
The Stooges remain infamous, not famous. In other words, the
legacy continues.
www.themarsbar.com, www.myspace.com/txproductions, www.emimusic.ca,
www.capitolmusic.ca,
www.iggypop.com, www.myspace.com/iggyandthestooges
Classic
1970's clip in Cincinnati
The Details: Tuesday March 20th, Lot 16, 1136 Queen
Street West, 9PM, No Cover
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Seasons
Change - March 25, Gladstone Hotel - DJ
Triple-X vibes it up Noon til 7PM
Special Guests: Mysterion, Rickie Lane,
Seraphin, Lynn Tremblay and more
This is a seasonal event featuring select chosen
contributors who sell their goods and showcase their talent
in this art, fashion, music, jewellery, craft and holistic lifestyle
show. It is held on the 2nd floor of The Gladstone hotel. Held
every 3 months.
The Spa Suite opens its doors to unveil its new
art. The pieces displayed are for sale, and the suite hosts
the artists work for the season. Guests can meet the featured
artist during the show, and learn about his/her techniques,
vision and influences.
Vendors set up for the day as attendees stroll
thru the venue, sipping beverages, observing demonstrations,
listening to featured musical appearances, also watching the
seasonal runway fashion show, and shop to support featured contributors.
Each show has a different theme, and new contributors.
The show is a full day and runs noon to 11 pm. The itinerary
is set with entertainment, fashion show demonstrations to fit
a day and evening component, allowing for attendees to view
all the exciting features.
Artists, musicians and retailers who are interested
in participating in future shows can sign up during the day
and evening.
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