What's up now?

I thought it might be time for a check-up. While you might think my musical odyssey should be wrapping up right about now, it's not. I've seen 14 + 3 (Julie Doiron, Calvin Johnson, Slow,Down Molasses) + 2 (Antibalas, Mobadass) = 19 artists since last Thursday. In the home stretch I think I'm going to focus on quality rather than quantity. So here is the list thus far, keeping in mind plans often change in rapid fashion:

Coco Love Alcorn
Ndidi Onukwulu
Emm Gryner
The White Stripes

If you've got suggestions for a show that should be checked out, let me know. And then after Sunday night, I'm going to hibernate with a few cups of tea, jazz CDs and a couple of good books. Grandma style.

Antibalas

WHO: Antibalas
WHERE: Bessborough Gardens
WHEN: June 26/07

So. tired. too much. blogging. Please read someone else's thoughts on the show. Thanks. For my part of the record though, it was fun to dance to, and the crowd had extremely good karma.

Julie Doiron/Calvin Johnson/Slow Down, Molasses

WHO: Julie Doiron, Calvin Johnson, Slow Down, Molasses
WHERE: Le Relais
WHEN: June 25/07
* photos by Maja Montgomery





Let's start some dialogue, because I didn't like it. Well, to be more accurate, I didn't like 1/3 of it. That third was Calvin Johnson. I didn't do my homework before I went to the show and had no idea what he was doing. My uneducated, visceral reaction was that (keeping in mind I was sitting on the floor, my foot was asleep and I had a migraine) this guy was kind of nuts, everyone was laughing at him nervously and that his voice was atonal and unbearable. Then I read his wikipedia and apparently he's an indie-god in some circles and a prolific and established D-I-Y song-writer and artist. Sorry. I still didn't like it, although I will say that his song-writing is very interesting. Under better circumstances it's something I'd like to spend more time understanding, and when Julie Doiron sang with him, she turned the weirdness into a beautiful song. So that's that. Please tell me why I should have loved him.

As for Julie Doiron, she's definitely a treasure. Her personality on stage is endearing and her voice is beautiful. The show did go on really long, and felt a little self-indulgent at times because of its disorganization. But I think for the audience (most seemed to be big fans) it was a really nice experience to see her so open and up close and sweet. Her songs felt real and true, with a lot of references to snow and cold, her voice practically chilling you with its aching honesty.

Finally, Slow Down, Molasses pleasantly surprised me. They are a band who isn't afraid to play quiet, which takes some guts. It's far easier to just bang loudly on a drum kit, strum some heavy power chords and plunk a three note bass line. I'm sure these guys have spent plenty of time doing just that, but now seem to be progressing to well-rehearsed upwardly mobile level of musicianship. Plus I have a deeply rooted affection for banjoes and lap steel. An ace in my books, I'm continually impressed by the amount of local talent Saskatoon has and this band was no exception.

Holy Mother Mother of a ...

DANCE PARTY! Okay, so I'll tone down the obnoxious capital letters, but I almost forgot about Friday's Mother Mother show after so much condensed music appreciation.

WHO: Mother Mother
WHERE: Amigo's
WHEN: June 22/07

This show was very exciting to me. I've had it pencilled into my calender, no make that inked into my calendar in big capital letters for more than a month. Why, you ask? Well because Mother Mother play the catchiest songs, with the craziest hooks and put on a damn good dance party. At times like synthy-dance-pop, at times weirdly folky with a beachy west-coast sentiment, and sometimes just damn good, Mother Mother are becoming one of my favourite bands, if for nothing other than their incredible quirkiness.

They play again at the Regina Folk Festival. I will stalk them - ahem - follow them there. I encourage others to come and enjoy their quirky pop goodness.

Volcanoless In Canada followed Mother Mother. I was going to just chill out, but ended up dancing to this show too. It was odd but fun to hear screamo again. I hadn't since my early-university appreciation of Alexisonfire. This local band is fresh off a NXNE show in Toronto, and sounded pretty good at their Friday performanc.

Cadence Weapon

WHO: Cadence Weapon w/ DJ Weezil
WHERE: Amigo's
WHEN: June 26/07

After Herbie Hancock I wanted nothing but more live music. I went to see Cadence Weapon's short but snappy set at Amigo's.

Once again, someone else went to far more work on this particular evening to describe the event far better than I have any desire to right now. Read local indie-rock critic Silas Polkinghorne's review here.

My review? It gets the dance-tastic seal of approval.

Herbie is The Bomb

WHO: Herbie Hancock
WHEN: Saturday June 23/07
WHERE: Bessborough Gardens (Jazz Fest)

Things are getting a little scattered in blogsville, mostly because there has been an overall overattendance of musical events.

But, I thought Herbie Hancock deserved a BIG mention because of his amazing performance Saturday night. It may just currently reside in my top-3 concerts at the moment, mostly because of the way he brought me to tears playing Maiden Voyage despite the crush of loud people around me, including beard-dude, who I silenced with my evil glare midway through the song.

There are no photos for this event. I wasn't sure what proper festival etiquette would be, so I went sans camera, which is kind of a regret of mine.

For a more cohesive and educated evaluation of the performance, check out local critic Bill Robertson's review of the show.

I'm just glad I got to see such a legend perform in my life time. And he did it all with only three other musicians and no fancy lights, cameras or disco balls. And he had a keytar. Well worth the ticket price, that's for sure.

Jazz Fest

While I wrap my head around all the music I've seen lately, I thought I'd post an image of the Bessborough Gardens from yesterday. This is what Jazz Fest looks like in Saskatoon. There were more people Saturday and Sunday, but it was cold outside yesterday.

And Shena read my mind...

WHO: Carolyn Mark
WHAT: Her new album!
After sort of a ho-hum Tuesday, I came home to find the most cheery thing at my doorstep. Mail! And not only was it mail, but it was an envelope addressed to me from the lovely Shena Yoshida at Mint Records.
I've been spending all my money on shows lately, and obtaining new music that doesn't just land itself on my desk during the day (ie. purchasing it) has been slipping a little. So you can imagine my obvious delight when this album was in the envelope I just opened. Carolyn Mark is a recent addition to my list of much-loved female singer-songwriters. I may choose to love this album blindly, or I may write a review, but either way hooray to Shena for saving the day, and providing me so much happiness.

REVIEW: Champion

Champion maestro of techno-funk groove

Jeanette Stewart, The StarPhoenix

Published: Monday, June 25, 2007

Sunday's festivities at the Bessborough Gardens had all the right details -- from the exhuberant high-kicking dancers with incredible stamina, to the small children running across the grass with helium balloons, and the stylish young people out to have a good time.

What Sunday's SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival line-up also offered was a solid day of music, mixing up local acts Tim Vaughn and the Huxxtabulls with db Clifford's funky keyboard pop and Moses Mayes' jazz fusion.

In their second night opening the main stage show, Moses Mayes put on an even more energetic performance than the night before. The audience, obviously willing to get the dance party started in advance of Champion, easily got into the group's funk grooves.

The night was only beginning to cool by the time Champion and his G-Strings began. While a long day of excellent music and plenty of sunshine might have tired out a less-willing crowd, the audience began to pack in close before Champion even arrived on stage.

Champion started to build the suspense immediately with his opening techno loops. A quiet groove established, Champion slowly and patiently built up the energy. A polite mosh pit had begun before the song even crested into its first real wave.

Sporting his trademark thick black frames and clad simply in long shorts and a loose-hooded sweater, Champion began to bounce, conducting his four guitar players who reacted to his hand signals.

Teasing energy out of an oh-so-willing audience, Champion (Maxime Morin) controlled the music with two laptops and a control panel to shift the volume of his techno loops up and down. His guitar and bass players sported the same casual gear -- perhaps a conscious effort to make the performance more about the music than the musicians.

In the throng of people moving easily to the pulsing groove, the energy rushed through the dancing bodies. By the time vocalist Betty Bonifassi began her part, the crowd was in Champion's hands. Outside the dancers, away from the heat created by so many jumping bodies, the people in lawn chairs began to stand, dancing tentatively along.

And this was only the first song. At press time, the sky was only beginning to dim to a dusky blue as the sounds of Champion's unique techno soundscape echoed off the downtown apartment towers.

jstewart@sp.canwest.com

© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007

REVIEW: Jon Ballantyne

Ballantyne at ease on his home turf

Jeanette Stewart, The StarPhoenix

Published: Monday, June 25, 2007

Back at home at The Bassment on Friday night, Saskatoon-born Jon Ballantyne played to an intimate and appreciative audience in the venue's first SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival show.

Ballantyne seemed open and at ease among the members of the hometown crowd, displaying the incredible craftsmanship that has led to the now Manhattan-based jazz pianist locking down two Junos -- the most recent netted in an April visit to Saskatoon.

Simply grinning and bowing to the audience between each song, Ballantyne chose to let the piano "do the talking," comfortable in the familiarity of the crowd as he indulged them in more than an hour of performance.

His hands floated high above the keys, touching down deftly to make the instrument respond to his command. Ballantyne can pull the music out of his instrument while seeming to only brush the keys.

He displayed the restraint needed to play slowly and quietly, his hands skimming the keys confidently in long sustained runs up and down the piano. His embellishments spare and well-placed, Ballantyne focused on crafting tonal ideas and beautiful lyrical passages; yet at times he was also brash in his obvious command of the piano, pulling out pulsing bass lines and utilizing the instrument to its full potential in solo performance. Without his usual backing quartet, he was still able to create the interesting dialogue usually provided by several instruments.

Ballantyne closed with a punch, leaving the audience with his version of Thelonious Monk's Mysterioso. Lightning quick, his right hand ripped up and down the keyboard in tight chromatic lines as his left hand provided the rolling bass.

The Bassment proved a great venue to showcase Ballantyne's skills. The audience sat near the gleaming piano, watching his hands skim over his instrument as a single drop of sweat formed at his temple. Dim lighting and the flicker of candlelight created a quiet ambiance and intimacy. Not only could you hear Ballantyne breathing in tandem with his phrasing, but the audience reaction was also audible. Along with the clinking ice in glasses and the popping of blister packs of gum came one or two appreciative "wows" after almost every piece.

Local opening act The Bachelors of Music warmed up the audience with a varied set list, opening with a tight swing and closing with a looser funk. The group consisted of Brett Balon on keys, Matt Lucuik on trumpet, Paul Suchan on tenor sax, Graham Pritchard on guitar, Dave Anderson on bass and Roger Mercier on drums.

jstewart@sp.canwest.com

© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007

Overload

So here's the rundown. Plans have changed and shifted, and the ultimate power music weekend will now end after the White Stripes concert July 1st. More opinions and some pictures should appear in the next little while. Four days down. Seven to go. Artists seen:

Tim McGraw
Faith Hill
Lori McKenna
Jon Ballantyne
Mother Mother
Volcanoless In Canada
Moses Mayes
Herbie Hancock
Cadence Weapon
The Rebellion
Tim Vaughn
The Huxxtabulls
db Clifford
Champion

I need sleep.

Ultimate Power Music Weekend Approaches

Fueled by sugar-free red bulls and an insatiable thirst for live music, I will soon be embarking on a journey of music appreciation that knows no bounds.

Ten shows in nine days. Pure musical gluttony of the utmost variety:

Tim McGraw/Faith Hill
Jon Ballantyne
Mother Mother
Herbie Hancock
Christine Jensen
Champion
Julie Doiron
Antibalas
Coco Love Alcorn
Oral Fuentes

Reviews/pictures/love-ups will follow soon.

Jiminy Cricket

I was at Lydia's and saw Jiminy play, almost by accident as I was going to leave but stayed until they were done their mini-set.

Someone should really pay these dudes (and girl) to play somewhere. Their sound was impressively dance-able and high caliber for the open mic stage.

I'll check them out again and you should too.

Cracker Cats

WHO: The Cracker Cats
WHERE: Underdog Music
WHEN: June 16/07

There is something so freakin' cool about the Cracker Cats. Maybe it's the fact that they unabashedly play bluegrass, cradle mandolins and banjoes and yet still rock out like all good bands should.

They have such an authentic quality about them - pulling up to Underdog slightly late in a beat up station wagon and then neglecting to plug the parking meter, asking an audience member to do it for them when the parking meter dude interrupts the performance to ticket them.

Their three-part harmonies can induce lumps in the throat and put a huge smile on your face. The audience ranged from 20-somethings to an old man on a bicycle who yelled at them to kick it up a notch. Like a far cooler version of the Dixie Chicks, the Cracker Cats kick ass.

Rebekah Higgs

WHO: Rebekah Higgs
WHERE: Amigo's
WHEN: June 15/07

Rebekah Higgs could do great things if she doesn't mind spending a few more years plugging away at underattended shows. Most of the crowd split after Aucoin played his mind-numbing set, which is unfortunate because Higgs has a charming sparkle that deserves more listeners.

Her current album is a short, sweet and sincere set of love songs, which were good live, except for what seemed like an over-use of an effects microphone.

What was kind of cool is that Higgs went to high school in Saskatchewan, even though she hails from Halifax. There were a few of her Caronport alum out in the crowd to see her, and stayed all the way through the extremely late start, interested in seeing a former classmate try her hand at the music biz.

Friday Night Crazy

Who: Rich Aucoin
Where: Amigo's
When: June 15/07

Aucoin is biking through Canada dressed as the grinch. It's earning him a lot of press for his album, which synchs up to How The Grinch Stole Christmas. It's also one of the weirdest things I've ever seen/heard, capped off by Aucoin cutting off a handful of his hair to make a statement about cancer research.

Unfortunately the music was too mellow and I actually started to fall asleep. The whole show is more likely enjoyable in a home setting, watching the film up close instead of on a projector. A little too low key for a Friday really.

Chris Velan

Who: Chris Velan
Where: Lydia's
When: June 14/07

Velan started off slow but things got infinitely better once the patchouli people arrived to dance barefoot.

At first I felt bad for Velan as the crowd talked over him.

But things got better. The first song had only one loop. By the end of the second set, he was throwing in multiple loops, layering tracks - turning himself into a veritable one-man electrical band.

What’s great about him is his back story. He worked in Africa, making a documentary about The Refugee All Stars (No, not the Fugees). The music found him, and he came back to Canada, inspired by the the sounds of Africa.

So now he tours club to club. I don’t know if it’s a happy life, but he retreated into himself when no one was listening, and looked out when people were dancing.

Velan makes fun music. The most mainstream comparisons I know are Jack Johnson and Ben Harper. I could imagine him jamming out with the pair on some beach somewhere.

If we were friends, I’d bring him to every campfire possible. He’d be such a hit, with or without his loops.

This Blog is Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Or more like, my dying computer is rejecting blogger.com. I have a backlog of pictures ready to share, but an extremely uncooperative computer will not let that happen.

Apologies.

Musical Candy

RIHANNA: Good Girl Gone Bad

I have Rihanna on my iPod. I love it.

Today I was listening to it while riding home from work, in need of a little musical cheer.

Sometimes, all a person really wants to listen to is something sweet, highly produced, and easy to digest.

It's the type of thing I'd usually take pot shots at, but I don't want to. Sometimes it's good not to be challenged.

Megan Lane

After two bands at Amigo’s and two 7-11 taquitos on Friday night, we were still not completely satiated, so we went over to Lydia’s where Megan Lane was still rocking out.

Lane is incredible. I have never heard a woman play guitar like she does in person. I adored Bonnie Raitt when I was younger, and now I adore Megan Lane. This is the second time I’ve seen her, and even though it was only a couple songs, it was still awesome.

She didn’t stop playing until after the lights had gone up and they literally had to shut her down. And, like last time, I danced around and sang Get Up (Sex Machine) for the rest of the weekend.

Maybe Smith: On Tour

WHO: Maybe Smith
WHERE: Amigo’s
WHEN: June 8/07

Colin Skrapek’s (aka. Maybe Smith) magnetic stage presence is undeniable. While checking out the crowd I heard at least two clusters of girls turn to each other and go “I love him” with shiny wet doe eyes.

Skrapek has that lead singer quality, the charisma. The stage magnet. His voice raises all sorts of comparisons to all sorts of credible singers, yet he is unique. He conducts the band along with him, sometimes you could feel his energy literally driving them along, steering them through the music and pushing them harder. He puts his all into the performance, at one point banging two mallets on a drum, singing and sweating so hard it was literally flying off his face.

And then in Peter Parker fashion, Skrapek comes off the stage and puts his glasses on. He’s soft spoken and extremely nice.

CBC Radio 3’s Grant Lawrence recently hosted a podcast called “Saskatoon Secret,” in which they unveiled Maybe Smith as the next big thing, an unsigned treasure soon to break it big. Whether or not that happens might depend on who Skrapek finds to steer through his songs. While the show had lots of energy, there is no denying Skrapek is the main attraction.

Maybe Smith and Carbon Dating Service will tour across Canada from June until August, with a stop at O’Hanlons in Regina on June 29 and a possible Ness Creek appearance July 19. Maybe Smith also plays the Regina Folk Festival in August.

For a reference point to Maybe Smith, check out his myspace and listen to the song Open War. www.myspace.com/maybesmith. Clap along.

Carbon Dating Service

WHO: Carbon Dating Service
WHERE: Amigo’s
WHEN: June 8/07

One of my friends said “they should have called this band Band Practice.” Ouch. I think she was referring to the huge numbers of musicians in the band rather than the need for polishing. I think.

This band seems to be an incestuous combination of a couple Saskatoon groups. I’m too new to know who everyone is, but that’s the vibe I got, especially after most of the band just stayed on stage to play with Maybe Smith.

A mash up of eight different players, the list of instruments included a horn section, harp, the standard guitars, keyboards, a zylophone, a fiddle, many singers who then played instruments who then switched with other people and played different instruments. I’m not sure if so much versatility is a good thing.

Bottom line is, they had the sort of Broken Social Scene sound that made that group and other groups with similar sounding names really popular during the rise of boy/girl lead singer combo indie bands. I’m not sure how much longer the public’s musical palate will be attuned to such collaborations before they will demand something fresh and mind-blowing. It was a fun show, and if Carbon Dating Service had done it first, I’d be singing their praises. But, I’m tempering my opinion because, well, it's been done before.

I Like The Flu

I love buskers, especially the ones with even a smidgen of talent. Okay, there’s this guy on Broadway who just strums the strings of a beat up acoustic guitar really aggressively and yells swear words and I love him too.

The point of this is, is that I saw a bunch of kids setting up instruments across the street from the Bessborough Hotel on Friday at lunch time. I probably wouldn’t have waited through their set-up except for the fact that the double bass player was a good foot and a half shorter than his instrument and I wanted to see what was going to happen.

Well after the lead guitarist noodled his way through a Guns N’Roses song in the sound check, the band played some jazz. It was fun, the bystanders clapped, the sun shone and someone threw a five in the open guitar case. Everyone wins.

The manager/adult with the group said they are all in high school (except for the bass player, who is in grade 6) and play lots of gigs around town.

The point of this is, is that groups like The Flu make Saskatoon into a fun city to live in, and gives it a little bit of a big city vibe. More Flu please.

Skinnamarinkydinkydink, skinnamarkinkydoo

I spent quite a bit of time at the children’s festival last week. It was awesome.

People who entertain children for a living have a really tough job. It seems like an isolating profession. While playing for drunks in a bar is one thing, at least drunks dance if there is something even remotely close to a beat. And they will come give you high fives after the show. Imagine trying to entertain a crowd of squirming five-year-olds with only a guitar. Sharon and Bram can.

Yes, the Sharon and Bram of Sharon, Lois and Bram. Lois is retired.

The pair hokey-pokied it old-school in Saskatoon last week. It was a blast from my childhood, and I made the mistake of sitting in the second row so I sort of felt compelled to perform all the actions – which I remembered. I probably had the biggest goofiest grin on my face, and looking around I think all the parents in the room were also having as much fun (or more) as their kids were.

Sharon and Bram deserve more credit than they get. Their songs are legendary, they have sold four million records, and they can still pack a tent full of five-year-olds 30 years after they started entertaining. It’s like the Rolling Stones, but for small children.

Jordan Trask

WHO: Jordan Trask
WHERE: Played with Wine @ Amigo's
WHEN: June 2/07

Trask is an awesome drummer. He usually plays with local blues-rock guitar goddess Megan Lane, but apparently moonlights for the hip hop group. His beats really drove the performance Saturday... and he does a pretty stellar job when he plays with Lane too.

Hip-Hop Debauchery

WHO: Wine (LEO37 & Al Buddy Black)
Magnolius (Liquid Serebral & Dexter Noizulli)
Abyss ... dudes from Smokestack

WHERE: Amigos
WHEN: June 2/07

This night wasn't originally intended to go on the blog, but because the show was so awesome I thought it deserved a spot. With the help of star photographer Maja Montgomery and her ubiquitous camera, I am able to recapture the evening for your viewing pleasure.

* All photos courtesy Maja Montgomery

Wine (Al Buddy Black and LEO37)

Liquid Serebral

Dexter Noizulli

Ladyhawk

(May 28/07, Amigos)

Don’t immediately discredit me, but I went into the Ladyhawk show blind, or more appropriately, largely unfamiliar with their music. A friend at work told me they were "so good," then couldn’t go to the show. I found someone else to go with, and am glad I did, if for nothing else than something to do on a Monday.

The sound was refreshing - good rock music without being too mellow or too weird or too cookie cutter. The rock part was solidly there, with driving melodic bass lines from up-front and out there bassist Sean Hawryluk and steady beats from Ryan Peters. The pair were completely in sync for the whole show. Much appreciated.

The band was in town for the Dinosaur Jr. gig the night before and gave a shout-out to the now reunited mid-90s alt rock group. I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to consider Ladyhawk a descendent, especially with singer Duffy Driediger’s vocal delivery often resembling J Mascis’ pleading tone.

Ladyhawk got two encores at Amigo’s, a first for the band, we were told. Not sure if they were deserved, but the chant “back to work” would likely shame any honest musician into trying to eke out one more song.

Good show. I’d go see them again in a year or so, and I’ll likely buy their album when I’m in the right mood. Well played Ladyhawk, for a Monday.