EVENT PREVIEW: Ron Leary's Last Stand

The Big 3 (Ron Leary, Kelly "Mr. Chill" Hoppe and Scotty Hughes)
Billie's Place (3179 Sandwich St.)
Saturday May 23, 2009

Okay, that 'last stand' comment may be a bit dramatic, but tonight is Ron Leary's last official booked gig as a Windsorite before he heads off to the Big Smoke and becomes a Torontonian. And it's tonight on the West end.

Ron is perhaps one of the most fluid performers you'll ever see. And by that I mean he has the ability to seemingly play with any rag-tag combination of musicians and still sound amazingly like Ron Leary. Whether it's him by himself, in a combo with Adam Fox and Yellow Wood's Rideout Brothers or as part of The Big 3 (which also features the stellar gifts of Kelly "Mr. Chill" Hoppe and Scotty "Shoes" Hughes), it never falters too far from the tree and Ron's songs still shine through as the star of the show.

Ron was a huge influence on The Hung Jury when we started out - he let us play with him when no one else knew who we were and he encouraged and groomed Kelly Nicholls into the songwriter and performer he is today - and I'd imagine he's had similar effects on a multitude of other performers and songwriters in this city. He's going to be a tough act to follow and an even harder cog to replace.

Ron's debut album, theroadinbetween, garnered critical acclaim across the country and parts of the U.S., and became the definitive soundtrack for summer in Windsor-Essex County for many local residents' during 2006. And as he prepares to begin work on the long overdue and highly anticipated follow-up, you can bet your bottom dollar no city will be as proud or as supportive as Windsor when he comes back for a release show.

The good news out of all this is that Ron will still be coming down to play shows in Windsor, just not as frequently as before. Which, in all honesty, may be a good thing. For him and especially for us. After all, perhaps now, knowing that another Ron Leary gig isn't right around the corner, many musicians will start to realize how much we've taken Leary's songwriting for granted and how much we actually miss it.

I know I will.

(Poster designed and created by Stephen "Earl" Nilsson)

EVENT PREVIEW: Big Night of Awesome at 156 Chatham St. West

I've had a lot of wonderful nights at 156 Chatham St. West. I've played some great shows at both The Loop and The Coach with almost all my past musical projects. I've had some great nights of drinking (which resulted in some not so great mornings of cursing drinking) at Pogo's, and watched some amazing music at every venue in the building.

Tonight marks one of those great nights where the Loop and the Coach simultaneously have shows going on that I desperately want to see. It makes for an exciting night of running up and down the stairs, burning calories in the name of rock and roll.

Downstairs at the Coach and Horses is a send-off show for Death or Comber. These guys have quickly become one of my favourite new local bands in recent memory - their self-titled debut CD is superbly produced by James O-L (he of Villainy fame), with some fantastically mature songwriting from guys who used to be in the pop-punk band Majority D. But it appears that Death or Comber may be over before they really began, which is a shame. It appears their singer is going off biking on the East Coast for the summer and their drummer is moving to New Zealand for teacher's college. Here's hoping that when the singer - known only as Kurt - comes back from his maritime cycle tour that they regroup with a new drummer and keep this machine rolling. These guys have a bright future ahead of them if they chose to pursue this avenue. They're being sent off with some great opening bands - two bands that could easily have headlined this show, or any show for that matter. Explode When They Bloom and James O-L & The Villains are opening the show, which is slated to start promptly at 10pm. Death or Comber, closing out the night, is expected to go on around midnight, so don't show up at 1am expecting the show to still be about to start. You lose, suckahs!

Upstairs at The Loop is a triple threat bill of some great music as well. Starting off the show is the sultry sounds of Andrew MacLeod (of The Mindframes). MacLeod has been playing a lot with his band, The Mindframes, and as part of Eric Welton's band, so it's nice to see him playing his own solo show. Not sure if he's bringing a backing band of any sort for this - I'm not sure The Loop's size is very acccomodating for solo acts, but you never know. Andrew has a great presence of mind, so if anyone can pull it off, he will. He's followed by Tara Watts & The Vamps - which is Tara Watts avec backing band (see I learned some French in Montreal), which I'm assuming is the same backing band she used at her CD release party - Chad Howson (Another Saturday Knight) on drums, Johnny West on keys and her brother Brandon Watts on bass. Tara's CD About Love is a true gem of an album, beautifully recorded by Eric Welton, with some great playing all around. Finally, the night is being closed out by the electro-acoustic lushness of Two For The Cascade. Since becoming a four piece from a two piece, 24TC been steamrolling some great shows and picking up a lot of buzz as they approach their highly anticipated CD release party in July. Which will probably be their last live show for some time as vocalist/Moog tickler Stefanie Zaccagnini is due to give birth with her and husband/vocalist/guitarist Kevin Buckridan's child in the coming months. The special bonus? Prior to the show, they'll be screening Martin Scorcese's brilliant documentary/concert film The Last Waltz featuring The Band. This movie is pure musical magic.

And you know what will make "gig surfing" an even more viable option tonight? Both shows are 100% completely FREE. So now you have no excuse.

EVENT PREVIEW: Your Windsor Guide to MOVEMENT

This weekend, electronic music fans from around the world will converge on the Detroit-Windsor area for Movement 2009, a continuation of the Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF) that began in 2000.

Showcasing many of the world's top electronic artists, from world-class DJ's to innovative electronic ground breakers, it not only showcased the world's elite performers in the electronic genre, but re-affirmed the rich history that the area has had in the creation of some of it's initial pioneers, such as Carl Craig, Derrick May, and Windsor's own Richie Hawtin (aka Plastikman).

Featuring such recognizable names as Bad Boy Bill, Benny Benassi, Carl Cox, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, RJD2 and the legendary Afrika Bambaata, this year's festival - taking place once again at Hart Plaza from Saturday May 23rd to Monday May 25th - will once again have a Windsor flair, as two of our own are doing sets during the festival. DJ Heidi (or Heidi Vanden Amstel for many of the original Loop goers will remember her from) will be bringing her bag of tricks from across the Big Pond for a set at the Beatport Stage on Saturday from 4pm to 5:30pm and the ever innovative Kero opening up on the Red Bull Music Academy Stage on Monday (starting up the show for Afrika Bambaata) from 2pm to 3:30pm.

But for those who can't make it over for all (or any) of the dates but still want to take part in the festivities, here's a little guide to what's going on in Windsor for the weekend in celebration of this year's Movement festival.

FRIDAY MAY 22nd

Listen to DJ Heidi on BBC Radio 1's "In New DJ's We Trust" Program
Windsor's own globe trotting DJ sensation Heidi (pictured left)is also a co-host on BBC Radio 1's underground electronic program, "In New DJ's We Trust". She's co-hosting the show which you can hear on-line from 2am until 4am on BBC's website here. Remember, this is 2am on Friday (so technically you'll be listening when you get home from the bars on Thursday night!). If the live time is off your radar, you can listen whenever you like anytime after off the website.

CJAM 91.5 FM Official Movement Simulcast Party & Movement Radio Weekend
CJAM 91.5 FM, Windsor's only campus and community radio station, is doing something special for Movement this year. Starting at midnight each night over the weekend, until noon the following day, CJAM will be doing special electronic programming to keep you going until the next Movement (although that last sentence kind of makes CJAM seem like a musical laxative). On Friday May 22nd, they're hosting a special Movement party at Dean Martini's (63 Pitt St. East, Second Floor), that will be simulcast on CJAM 91.5 FM and hosted by CJAM's own resident electronic guru, Josh Bryant, from 10pm until 2am. Featured on the bill include local DJ's VEX, FURS, Adam Francesconi (from CJAM's Rhythm Gallery) and subMENTAL (from CJAM's Braille Radio program). This event is open to anyone 19 and older and there is no cover for this special CJAM sponsored dance party.

Move: Pre-Movement Party at The Boom Boom Room
The Boom Boom Room (315 Ouellette Ave.) has arguably been Windsor's electronic mecca for years now, enticing some of the world's best DJ's to mark down Windsor as a viable stop on their world tours. It's no wonder they'd be jumping in on the Movement excitement this weekend, although it's a bittersweet party. Featuring local DJ's Ian Hind and Waseem (pictured left) (in sadly, his final Windsor gig as he prepares to leave for Vancouver for Film School at the end of the month), the Boom Boom Room always knows how to throw a party and with these two manning the decks, it should be jumping for sure.

SATURDAY MAY 23rd

Kero at DEMF After Party in Detroit
If you won't be able to check out Kero (pictured below) for his Monday slot at the Red Bull Music Academy Stage, but you're over at Movement on Saturday, you can still catch up with him at one of the Official Movement After Parties. Kero will be joining the Friendy Intergration party at Blondies (2281 West Fort St., Detroit, MI) featuring CLP (Chris Deluca vs. Phono), James Ruskin and others (including Windsor's Ian Hind). Starts around 10pm and will undoubtedly go to the wee hours of the morning. You know, those nights where you realize the sun has been up for hours, and you're still a bit intoxicated ordering an Egg McMuffin. Tickets are $20 at the door and it's open to anyone over 18. For more details, check this out.

SUNDAY MAY 24th

subMENTAL at Kill Your TV II Movement After Party in Detroit
subMENTAL is the DJ alias for Angela Desjardins (pictured left), the host of CJAM's Braille Radio, and she's one of over 40 DJ's spinning at this massive after party on Sunday in D-town. Featuring such stars as Joey Beltram, Ben Sims, Aux 88, Evol Intent and Reade Truth (amongst a whack load of others) at the City Club Complex (400 Bagley St., Detroit, MI). They're opening up all four clubs for this event - City Club, Leland Ballroom, The Labyrinth and Studio 54) and it ends at 10am on Monday. Yes, another blurry eyed morning of hallucinations and fast food breakfast burritos. subMENTAL is spinning in Studio 54 on Sunday and the event will also feature visual projections by Kero. You can check out the complete list of DJ's here.

There will probably be more events going on as well but these are ones of special interest for those of you who will be getting their electro-dance groove on this weekend, likely calling in sick (or drugged) on Monday (and most likely Tuesday and parts of Wednesday as well). Electric boogaloo, my babies!

EVENT PREVIEW: Indie Showcases at The FM Lounge, starting tonight!

Thanks to some creative planning by local musicians (and all around great guys) Pat Robitaille and Ryan Fields, FM Lounge (the Venue Formerly Known as The Fish Market, 156 Chatham St. West) will be hosting a creative and exciting showcase of local music each and every Tuesday night, beginning tonight!

The idea is showcase a variety of musicians and singer/songwriters from Windsor's vibrant music scene, of varying levels of success. Some artists may just be starting out, while others may be battled hardened touring pros. Each artist will showcase material in a small set amidst the intimacy of the FM Lounge's four walls. Pat Robitaille will be hosting the events at first as the night grows, with special guests joining him for each great session.

Between each "classic format" performer (i.e. guitar and voice) will be some electronic artists playing music as the next performer is setting up. This is a great way to see/hear some local electronic performers do their stuff outside of a sweaty dance club or late night party and in doses that those who don't generally like the genre can absorb and hopefully appreciate the intricacies involved in assembling electronic sounds and beats.

There are some great perks to attending these showcases (which will directly follow the already existing Last Trio Sessions lead by Alan Penner, where you can see some live jazz performed by Penner and his co-horts - absolutely free - from 7pm until approximately 10pm), apart from witnessing some great music from a wide array of local talents.

First off, the entire showcase night is free. That's right. There is no cover for this Tuesday night event. And let me tell you, you're getting a bargain.

Also, there will be weekly giveaways to the patrons who come and hang out at the FM Lounge each Tuesday to experience these showcases. These will usually be tickets to area shows and such, and they are top dollar tickets!

Here's the line-up for tonight's showcase (Tuesday May 19th).

10:00 - 10:30pm - Jackie Robitaille

10:45 - 11:15pm - Adam Ridout-Arkell (of Yellow Wood)

11:30 - 12:15pm - Pat Robitaille

Between artist music will be provided by (wh)y.m.e.(??), who will also close out the night following Pat Robitaille's set.

The giveaways for tonight's show include:

• Two (2) tickets to Bedouin Soundclash with The Stills at Shores of Erie Wine Festival, September 10, 2009
  
• Two (2) tickets to Edgefest 2009 in Toronto, June 20, 2009 (featuring Metric, The Stills, K-os, Alexisonfire, AFI, and more)
  
• Two (2) passes to Media City 15 Film Festival in Windsor, May 20-23, 2009
  
• Two (2) tickets to Michou, Pat Robitaille and StereoGoesStellar at The Blind Dog in Windsor, May 29th, 2009
  

Not bad for the first week, eh?

Next week's edition (May 26th) will feature the following:

10:00 - 10:30pm - Efan!

10:45 - 11:15pm - Michael Hargreaves (of Michou)

11:30 - 12:15am - Pat Robitaille

Between artist music provided by ST. AMRA (the electronic duo featuring Stefan from Michou and Efan! and Adam from Yellow Wood) and there will be great giveaways again, including more tix for Bedouin Soundclash and the Michou/SGS/Pat Robitaille show at the Blind Dog.

EVENT PREVIEW: Creative Walk for Windsor

Okay, anyone who knows Tom Lucier (co-owner of Phog Lounge) knows he can be a bid obsessive-compulsive about his causes. Not to say his causes aren't superb, justified and needed, but Tom has a way of being everywhere (from YouTube to Twitter) that sometimes his causes are lost in his eccentric soap boxing.

Well, I've supported many of his ventures and attended several of his call-0uts, but this is one that I think he is 100% correct on.

On Monday morning at 9:30am (yes, that's right, a.m.), on Windsor's 117th Birthday, Mayor Eddie Francis will be taking citizens on his Mayor's Walk down by the Riverside. Well, there are some within the creative class (as well as Windsor-Essex Walks) that are suggesting we take a Creative Walk for Windsor to intercept Eddie's walk and after watching Tom's plea, I fully agree.

Here's the details from a press release:

Creative City Walk
WALK FOR WINDSOR!
Monday, May 18, 2009
9:30 am – 2 pm

Windsor Endowment for the Arts (WEA) in partnership with Windsor/Essex Walks and WindsorEats.com are inviting all local arts groups, artists, arts advocates, children, seniors, families, and visitors to join us to celebrate Windsor’s birthday, together as a community.

Health, sports, businesses, environmentalists, designers, chefs, everyone is invited to join Windsor’s Walk for a Creative City.

Our efforts will reinforce our commitment to Windsor as a creative and cohesive community, while highlighting our diversity and strength - together as a group.

9:30 a.m: Meet and warm up at Morning Flight sculpture, Riverfront Sculpture Garden
10:00 a.m: Let's start walking!
11:00 a.m: Riverfront Festival Plaza with food and entertainment

Meet up with friends and let's show everyone what a great and creative community we are! We need your support to show commitment to OUR CITY.

Walk for Our Creative City!

If you are an organization, business, group that wants to participate, please contact Pina at pina@windsoreats.com

Okay, got it? Good.

Now watch Tom's video plea for people to attend. He's bang on the money. There's been far too many calls-to-arms put out by so many people, from playwrights to musicians, from bar owners to gallery owners, and so many Windsorites (especially those directly involved) who ignore or chose not to attend. The city will never take us seriously if those within the arts community continue to ride the apathy train rather than affecting the change personally. As someone who has long championed a creative cause and far too often seen the people I've been defending and trying to encourage stand by the wayside waiting for me to continue to put words in their mouths or direct unknowns to their websites, I can say I feel his pain.



So I will be there at 9:30 am. And like Tom Lucier, I ask you to think about it the next time the public or the media or someone ignores your art. Have you really made your presence known and your voice heard, or are you stuck in a cycle of playing to your friends at a comfortable bar? Is this what you really want to do or is this something you want to do to justify the late nights and expensive instruments?

It's your call friends. Meet you in the morn with our coffees and are eye boogers. Let's show Windsor who we are and why we do this.

We are the creative voices of Windsor, Ontario. If we don't care if our own city knows who we are, they why should anyone?

(PS - The art piece they're referring to - "Morning Flight", located at the end of Askin at the river - looks like this:)

CD REVIEW: Vultures! "...The Very Best Of"

Vultures!
"...The Very Best Of" (2009, Rockerie Records)
Engineered, Produced, Mixed & Mastered by Scott Warren & Andy Langmuir
Co-Produced by Vultures!

First up, you have to understand that the four members of Vultures! have a sense of humour alongside their collective musical prowess. Despite being called The Very Best Of, their debut release is actually a 4-song EP showcasing a raucous 16-minute introduction to the latest conglomeration of musicians to sweat it out on Windsor's dirty stages.

The band may or may not be familiar to many of you (despite a barrage of early shows), but the members are by no means rookies. Lead vocalist and bassist Anderson Lunau has been cutting his teeth in bands for years - he's been in such favourites as Somatose, Mr. Bones, Dead Heat, Caught in the Moss, Bombast and The Golden Hands Before God... over the years. Drummer Scott Warren previously played with Lunau in Bombast and Somatose, before temporarily leaving the kit to front Lone Locust last year. Guitarist Andy Langmuir, also from Bombast with Warren and Lunau, was also part of the two-guitar attack in Lone Locust. And Moogster and vocalist Kimberly Ann Kukoraitis is widely acclaimed from her one-woman performances under the moniker This Is Me As A Woman.

But listening to their EP, it's evident you don't need to know any of their collective histories to enjoy the sonic nuggets found within.

The lead off track, "Kobe, Don't Be Rapin'", starts off with a nice rock jaunt that introduces you to the unique vocals of Lunau and slowly introduces you to the swagger of the band. It's not the best album on the track, but it's a great choice as the start-up - it's like the beginning of a movie, where you can picture Anderson singing this song as he's bopping along on a nice summer walk through the neighbourhood. It gradually picks up steam and Kimberly throws in some nice call-and-answer vocals peppered throughout the chorus to create a thoroughly enjoyable summer rock and roll song.

Now that you're prepared for the sounds to come, it's followed by "Geez, Us", another solid song for the warm days ahead. It's become clear that these guys know something many bands seem to forget - how to write a great song. From start to finish, their songs have great structure, great flow, big hooks and solid production. They aren't trying to re-invent any rock and roll wheels, they aren't trying to show off how many octaves they can hit or how fast they can play their instruments, they're just bringing a collective knowledge of rocking and rolling and putting it down on CD. Andy Langmuir - someone I've long thought was one of Windsor's most under-rated if not under-appreciated guitar players - shines this point masterfully here as well. On a brief solo in "Geez, Us", instead of shredding and overkilling the simplicity of the song around him, he deftly plays just the right about of notes and the right amount of time, to show that you don't have to blow your fretboard load to put your stamp on a song.

My favourite song on the track is the third, "(Nothing Worth Having) Is Easy", whose big chorus 'I love you too/and everything that we're going through' screams to be sung along to at shows. One of the few carryover tracks from Lunau, Warren and Langmuir's days in Bombast, it has been beefed up and enhanced (thanks in part to the atmospheric twiddlings of Kukoraitis and her Moog) to become a fresh Vultures! track instead of a relic to a past project. Driving and charging, this is the stand-out fist pumper of the collection.

The EP closes out with an electro-rock instrumental of sorts called "Punch The One You're With" that finally unleashes the instrumental dexterity (the "thunder" if you will) that each member can ultimately bring to the rock and roll round table. There's some space-agey Moog noodlings, some huge drums, undulating bass lines and some thick and juicy guitar riffing, all compacted into a great scene closer for the 16-minute intro to the world of the Vultures!

It was only after repeated listens that it came to me. Lunau's voice is eerily similar to Colin Hay from Men at Work. I don't mean that in a bad way at all in case any of you think I'm poking fun (listen to Hay's voice on the Garden State soundtrack song "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You"), it just came to me sort of matter-of-factly. So if you're looking for some sort of rock and roll comparison, think if Colin Hay fronted a band that was made up of all the members of Queens of the Stone Age, and they combined their hook ability with their rockability and you'll get a notion of where Vultures! is headed. Where they ultimately end up is completely up to them though.

Vultures! is having their official CD release party this Friday May 15th at Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West) with special guests Bare Trees (Toronto, ON).

Sorry about the lack of entries lately. Been working a lot more recently and had a few bouts of illness that have wiped me of energy. Hopefully everything will be back in order and back to usual by next week! Thanks for following and just cause I'm not writing about it doesn't mean there isn't lots going on! Viva Windsor music!

Aardvark's Blues Cafe: What's The Story Morning Glory

By now many of you have seen the story in the Windsor Star or heard via whispers and rumours about Aardvark's Blues Cafe closing down on Monday. After reading the story, I was amazed that the story didn't seem to coincide with what I'd uncovered, simply by checking a few facts on the internet alone. Now I wasn't uncovering anything after reading the article - it was all just following a series of small matters as they happened.

Several days ago, I noticed (via Ron Leary's Facebook status) that the local music scene was losing yet another live music venue. "No Aardvark tomorrow," he wrote. "Another live music venue in Windsor has closed its doors."

I immediately went to Aardvark's Facebook Group to see if perhaps the owners or someone in management had posted some sort of story, but it still seemed business as usual. Then, a day later, this message appeared on their Facebook Group under the "News" section:

Today is a very sad day.................

We had to close the doors on a great piece of history today.

Before the rumour mill starts turning, I wanted to let as many people, staff, patrons, musicians etc. know the facts. The boys are doing some restructuring and some big changes. We are hopeful that this will be a transition over the summer months and we will be able to start anew in the fall.

We will keep you posted on updates as we learn of them.

Thank you to everyone for your patronage, your laughs and some really great times. There will be more to come!

Well, that's not so bad, I thought. I mean many bars and clubs in Windsor have shut down for a month or two to renovate or upgrade or just plain overhaul the place. That must be the answer. Right?

Well, then I noticed this. Well, actually, Darren of photo404 noticed it and took a photo of it. Darren has become the eyes of Windsor's downtown (and beyond) and often uses his lense to show people truths in the face of far too mainly dressed up exaggerations, all on his website. What he found was in complete opposition to what their Facebook had said. It was, in fact, an eviction notice (pictured at left - click for a larger version).

After seeing this I returned to their Facebook page and posted a comment. Something along the lines of asking what this was all about and why they'd posted something entirely different (after saying they wanted to clear the air before the "rumour mill" started up). I did end my message positively, saying that I'd really hoped this would get cleared up and they could re-open soon. But when I went back a day later to see if they'd responded with some more news, perhaps to say it had been a misunderstanding or whatnot, instead they simply deleted my comment. Erased it.

And then the Windsor Star article came out. "Aardvark closes its doors", the headline screamed. "Smoking bylaw, economy blamed". There was no mention in the entire article of the eviction for failure to pay debts. And if you look at the amount owed, it's quite substantial. The Smoking Bylaw and economy may be partly to blame for why rent or debts weren't paid on time, but the real reason Aardvark's - according to this public notice posted on Monday - was eviction. I realize this is not exactly something people want to publicly announce, but is lying to their patrons a better solution?

I'm not writing this to call out or make Aardvark's look bad. Over the past several years, I've had some good friends work there, either as bar staff or as musicians, and I've always enjoyed Aardvark's atmosphere. But when I follow their words on their Facebook page as them telling me the truth and then have to discover (completely without intention) that it's simply more smoke and mirrors to an uglier truth, I feel like I've been slighted. The people who joined your Facebook group are obviously loyal patrons and musicians who play there - don't they deserve to know the truth? Sugar coating it that it's a temporary thing, that it's a "restructuring" of their "transition over the summer", just seems like their passing the buck.

I really do hope that things work out for Aardvark's. It's been a staple of Windsor's music scene for decades and has brought some pretty world class blues talent to its stages, not to mention been a stomping ground for many bands here in town. I just get ruffled when I hear business' (especially nearly five years after the fact) still blaming the Smoking By-Law. You had nearly a decade of warning prior to it happening warning that it was coming and you've now had nearly five more years to adapt and do something exciting to entice people in (take note that in North America, only 23% of males and 18% of females smoke - there are far more non-smokers that are never directly catered to). I mean, you may as well blame women getting the vote or "Full House" getting cancelled.

Either way, Windsor has lost another great venue and I hope this is a rallying cry rather than a death knell. Support the live music venues in this city - and remember, supporting the band is a very different thing than supporting the venue. Just because you paid cover to see a band, doesn't mean you should sit and drink water all night. The cover goes to the bands (usually) so that's all fine and dandy, but if the venue is packed and everyone is drinking water, where's the benefit to the bar owners? They may be music lovers (most of them are), but you can't pay staff and bills on good vibes. If you don't drink, buy your buddy one. Order some food. Order one of them expensive teas. Don't bring in a Tim Horton's coffee and say "No I'm good" when you're watching a band at someone's venue.

Or we may just find more notices on doors at the places that used to have showbills.