Journal from the Hiatus

First off, my apologies for the long delay in entries this summer. I am on somewhat of a self-imposed hiatus this summer due to my new employment. I am the restaurant manager at Bob-Lo Beach House & Grille on Bob-Lo Island (off the coast of Amherstburg) and the long hours have made attending musical performances or properly listen to CD's a virtual impossibility, so I've had to take a step back. When the restaurant's "season" expires in the Fall, I promise to back in full force, updating this Blog once again several times a week.

So what's up Windsor (and beyond)?

Some thoughts and comments on the summer I've missed so far...

1) I am truly saddened that I missed out on PhogPhest. Anyone that knows me well knows how much Windsor's local music scene means to me. It has been at times a frustrating lover, an intellectual whore, or a nursing shark. But I have loved being a part of it, on stage and on paper, every second of the way. When Phog won Best Live Music Venue on CBC Radio 3, there where few prouder than I. When Tom and I initially talked about who should play, I was ecstatic that Tom was on the same side as I that local talent should dominate the line-up. But my work obligations made attending the event impossible. The day I had been looking forward to since I first took up the fight for the scene had arrived and I wasn't able to attend. Bugger. It's taken me weeks now, but I'm finally able to look at pictures, read Blogs and watch videos of it. For those who were there, I hope you realize how special a moment you were a part of.

2) I missed some amazing shows and CD releases so far. I was able to catch the end of the Two For The Cascade CD Release (for As God Intended) and it was fantastic. I also managed to check out Charles Benn's CD release/going away party, which was a real gem that I wasn't expecting. I missed some glorious others, unfortunately. I would have killed to see Field Assembly's release show, or Yellow Wood's come-back show at The Room, or Ten Indians' 20th Anniversary Finale. I had also hoped to check out return of Woods of Ypres to the homelands, the CD release for This Is Me As A Woman, the reunion of Sewing With Nancie, the debut of The Magic Hall of Mirrors and many many other great shows, from both local faves and out of town delights. Again, I hope you all have been enjoying these shows that every local band has put on this summer. Remember that there are plenty of us out here that would LOVE to be there each and every night but cannot and we still support you.

3) Many people have been asking me what's up with me. This time last year I was in two bands: The Golden Hands Before God... and The Hung Jury. Now, seemingly I am in neither. Well, after taking several months off after a very busy three years as a Golden Hand, I have gotten together with some friends to make more music. On Saturday August 22nd, I will be on stage with the debut of my newest project, The Vaudevillianaires. It's a riff heavy loud rock band and I've managed to join up with some dudes that are a real joy to be around. I've been working with guitarist/co-vocalist Ted Dimoglou a lot lately (due to our day jobs) and it's been a thrill playing with someone whom I've admired musically all the way back to one of my earliest Windsor Scene heroes, Big Daddy A & The Merves. Joining Ted on guitar is Eddie James, who played in one of my other Windsor faves from years gone by, Hogfat. I'm reunited with my Golden Hands alumn Damien Zakoor on drums, who's always a pleasure to play with, and we're finalized with Damer's bandmate from The Tyres, Ken Jean, on bass (who was my favourite person in the Tyres movie, hands down). It's been a lot of fun and hope to see some peeps out at our unveiling. I'm also hoping to join back up with The Magic Hall of Mirrors when the work load tapers off. I was around when they started up but had to go on work leave for the summer. There you go. All caught up.

So thanks to everyone who made this Blog such a success during the first half of 2009 and who have asked me loads of questions about its disappearance since the "hiatus". Keep sending me CD's (I promise I'll catch up in the Fall) and I'll see you out in the clubs...

CD REVIEW: Evelyn Falls "Dirty Girl"

Evelyn Falls, "Dirty Girl"
Produced by Evelyn Falls

If Detroit is Rock City, then Windsor is at least Rockville (with apologies to REM). Whatever Detroit was brought up with - from Motown to the Stooges and beyond - Windsor has reciprocally absorbed and that is why I think Windsor has a untapped resource for local music diversity.

With that being said, it's surprising that Windsor hasn't taken as much advantage of its rock heritage as it perhaps should. It seems that indie rock and singer/songwriters such as Yellow Wood, Ron Leary, Michou, alternative rock such as Ashes of Soma, StereoGoesStellar and One Man's Opinion and metal like Fiftywatthead and Lodown have dominated the national circuits, while rock and roll seems to have become an afterthought.

Well, that is about to change. With bands like The Golden Eagles, Time and The Tree Streets releasing some exciting new releases and bringing full on rock shows back to the fore front, rock and roll is coming back in a big way.

Another band ready to unload their rock and roll is Evelyn Falls, who drop their new album, Dirty Girl, this Friday June 5th at The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.).

Dirty Girl is a 10 song offering, self produced with an honesty and raw approach that captures their sound perfectly. These guys aren't spending their nights trying to figure out some kind of new sound to change the face of music. Like so many of Windsor's most successful bands - Inoke Errati comes to mind - they aren't trying to re-invent the wheel. They're taking a tried and true highway and simply making a few of the side streets their own.

The guitars are monstrous and seem to encapsulate the sounds of both Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society) and Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), crossing the preverbial streams to make a bombastic tapestry around some gracefully melodic heavy rock and roll. The vocals are passionate (although they waver occassionally) and their honesty and passion is never in question.

I have to be honest - songs (and bands) like this are not exactly my cup of tea anymore. I spent many a year hunting for the latest guitar rock band in my youth but I definitely look for something with a bit more substance these days than sophomoric lyrics and big guitar swells, but Evelyn Falls have done something that few have done lately. Taken me back to a time when I didn't care what they were necessarily trying to preach and just rode the rock and roll riffs to a great night of partying with some good friends, bouncing along with the intensity and passion of the players and hoping I could sneak in the door at sunrise and not wake my parents.

Good to see rock and roll is still alive for all the right reasons.

Evelyn Falls CD Release Party at The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.), Friday June 5th

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.

WEEK IN PREVIEW: April 27 - May 3, 2009

Monday April 27

The Milkmen
Milk Coffee Bar (68 University Ave. West)
Another night of chillaxin' at Milk with the sultry improv jazz sessions of the Monday Milkmen.

Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
The always delightful Tara Watts hosts an eclectic open mic session on Phog's stage. For the first-timer to the stage veteran, you never know who will show up and sing a song.

Open Mic with Clinton Hammond
The Kildare House (1880 Wyandotte St. East)
Windsor's longest running Open Mic continues along without any signs of showing down! The charismatic Clinton Hammon runs the gauntlet of the Open Mic - sing a song, tell a joke, the stage is open!

Tuesday April 28

Shiv & The Shams wsg Guitar Eddie
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
For a large part of the 1990’s and early part of the 2000’s, Ten Indians was a mainstay in Windsor’s live rock and roll circuit. Several great albums, tons of great shows, these guys were one of the city’s most entertaining live acts. But line-up changes a couple of years ago seemed to splinter Ten Indians. Guitarist and vocalist Dennis Cantagallo formed The Jim Greedies (along with the last Ten Indians bassist John Ashley) as his new vessel, while drummer and vocalist George Manuray moved away to Alberta to form Roy Mahal. Now that George is back in town (and playing alongside Two For The Cascade), he's hooked back up with Cantagallo and original Ten Indians bassist Matt Weingarden for this special Tuesday night show under the banner "Shiv & The Shams". As for the opener - if you've never heard Guitar Eddie play his guitar and sing his blues, you ain't seen nothin'. He doesn't get out and play very often, but when he does, he makes grown men cry. The show is starting early, so get down there for 9pm. There. You've been warned.

Ron Leary & Kelly "Mr. Chill" Hoppe
Aardvark's Blues Cafe (89 University Ave. West)
Ron Leary and Mr. Chill play a smattering of songs, with some choice covers mixed in with songs from Leary's brilliant debut CD, theroadinbetween, and Mr. Chill's fantastic Cold Testament.

The Last Trio
The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West)
Alan Penner leads a rotating cast of some of the city's finest players through jazz interpretations and beyond. A great chance to see some great live jazz and it's early too! It runs from 7pm to 10pm for those who don't want to make a late night of it on a Tuesday.

Clare Renaud's Session
The Kildare House (1880 Wyandotte St. East)
A real traditional Celtic feel to this impromptu jam session that has all the flair of a Cape Breton house party. You never know who's going to stop by with what instrument and play what song. And the beer ain't half band neither.

Open Mic with Stefanie Sarafianos
The Mill Tavern (3199 Sandwich St.)
One half of the sisterly duo Twisted Sisters, Stephanie leads a cast of musicians of all types of experience each week on the West end.

Open Mic with Andrew MacLeod
The Dominion House (3140 Sandwich St.)
Andrew MacLeod leads another Open Mic on the West end, showcasing many of the city's finest songwriters and drinkers.

Tuesday Night Music Club with Jamie Reaume
Twig N' Berries (2135 Wyandotte St. East)
The Golden Eagles' Jamie Reaume leads an all-star cast of local musicians through one of the city's wildest Open Mac jam sessions.

Wednesday April 29

Immaculate Machine (Victoria, BC) wsg TBA
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
Victoria's Immaculate Machine has been quietly bubbling over on the indie music scene, thanks to the success of 2007's album Fables, that lead to collaborations with members of The New Pornographers, Franz Ferdinand and The Cribs. The fact that one of Immaculate Machines' members - Kathryn Calder - is also a member of The New Pornographers (and head Pornographer A.C. Newman's neice) has also helped. Their currently touring to promote their latest offering, High on Jackson Hill.

Immaculate Machines, "Dear Confessor" (Official Video)





The Afterbeat (Winnipeg, MB) wsg Lot 9 Brawl, Rose City Disaster, Brass Knuckles and Zebra Mussels
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
Is it just me or does ska seem to be making a comeback? I know it's never really gone away, but it definitely took a bit of a shiner when bands like Mighty Mighty Bosstones became New Rock darlings and watered the sound down a bit. It seemed than the original vibe of early punk ska (The Specials, The English Beat, Madness) had been replaced with O.C. punk playing horns (which was fine until Modern Rock radio overproduced it to make it easier for mainstream ears to absorb, which just means rob it of its identity). Well, Winnipeg's The Afterbeat is definitely a step in the right direction. Alternative Press magazine labelled them one of the best Ska bands in North America and they've toured with many of the legends. A whole cavalcade of Windsor's young punk elite open up the show. This is an all-ages event, with doors at 5pm. Tickets are $5 in advance or $6 at the door.

The Afterbeat, "You and Me" (Live Video)


Daren Dobsky & Josh Zalev
Aardvark's Blues Cafe (89 University Ave. West)
Dobsky and Zalev lead an occassional all-star ensemble through a series of covers, from Led Zeppelin to Jeff Buckley, rock and roll to the blues.

Kenneth MacLeod & The Windsor Salt Band
The Dominion House Tavern (3140 Sandwich St.)
Kenneth MacLeod is a one-man musical wrecking crew. His talent is overwhelming and his intensity equally so. A variety of music, from East Coast to contemporary, with a supporting cast featuring Max Marshall on bass, Mark Calcott on keys and Sally Zori on drums.

Thursday April 30

The Windsor Scene on CJAM 91.5 FM
Randi Irving continues to host the on-air version and multi-JAMMY Award winning companion to "The Windsor Scene", each and every Thursday evening from 6pm to 7pm, on CJAM 91.5 FM, Windsor's Campus and Community Radio Station. Hear tracks from some of Windsor's current musical stars as well as nuggets from the vault, not to mention live interviews and peformances! This week Randi interviews Elliott Brood (and Windsor)'s Casey Laforet.

Elliott Brood (Toronto, ON) wsg The Locusts Have No King
The Blind Dog (761 Ouellette Ave.)
Elliott Brood is huge. These guys have toured North America and Europe. They've been nominated for Junos and appeared in just about every Canadian magazine or newspaper and several others around the world. And even though their home base is Toronto, the founding two members - Mark Sasso and Casey Laforet - are both proud Windsorites. This will be a magical homecoming for them as they hit The Blind Dog, with local roots rockers The Locusts Have No King warming up the stage.

Elliott Brood, "Oh Alberta" (Official Video)


Huladog
The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West)
Always a great night of live jazz and funk jams by a group of Windsor's premiere players. Huladog have been at it for years now and they play the perfect blend of great jazz and booty shakin' funk.

Kelly "Mr, Chill" Hoppe, Tom Hogarth and Chris Borshuk
Mezzo Ristorante & Lounge (804 Erie St. East)
Mr. Chill teams up with the incomparable voice of Tom Hogarth as well as Chris Borshuk for this intimate showcase. A great night for dinner and some music.

Friday May 1

ALL-AGES: Madball (New York, NY) wsg Wisdom in Chains (Stroudsburg, PA), Cruel Hand (Maine) and Days Fade
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
New York's Madball are early influences on much of today's Hardcore scene so this show is huge! Formed in 1989 as a side project of the legendary Agnostic Front, Madball has definitely cultivated their own career (some would argue bigger than AF) and style, one that is emulated to this day. Pennsylvania's Wisdom in Chains continues the tradition started by Madball (and to a degree Suicidal Tendencies and Motorhead), as does Maine's Cruel Hand. It's only fitting that our own Kings of Hardcore, Days Fade, round out this enormous bill. This is an all-ages event, with doors at 5pm. Tickets are $16 in advance.

Madball, "HeavenHell" (Official Video)


Square Root of Margaret (Chatham, ON) wsg The Dirty Love Band (London, ON)
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
It's been some time since we've seen Chatham's psychedelic rockers in Windsor, but they're back with new tunes and a new line-up (Eric Welton has recently joined the cast, although he won't be present this time around due to his own solo tour). These guys always pack the house when they play - when they're supporting an album, they play Windsor more than many local bands do - so they've been adopted by Windsor's music scene as "honourary Windsorites". They're bringing London's The Dirty Love Band to join the rock and roll party.

Square Root of Margaret, "Memories of Things to Come" (Official Video)


River of Ghosts
The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo's)
Willy Skullz (ex-Mister Bones, Pitch Union) returns with his Danzig meets Alice in Chains solo project. Special guests TBA.

Mr. Chill & The Witnesses
Big Tony's (911 Walker Rd.)
Before Mr. Chill joins The Perpetrators down at the P-Hog later in the evening, you catch Kelly Hoppe and his roots and blues outlaws at Big Tony's for some great music and dinner.

(GrounD)
Empire Lounge (128 University Ave. West, above California Sushi)
DJ's Mach-X and J_Wild continue their weekly electronic collective and live collaboration night at the Empire, spinning the best in "epicness of EDM with techno, dubstep, house, scenester nu-rave, breakz and everything else you've come to expect from this dynamic team." This Friday, DJ Mach-X and J_Wild celebrate their one-year anniversary spinning together - I'll bet there are special guests galore going to be showing up unannounced.

Saturday May 2

ALL-AGES: Futures Past (Toronto, ON), Radio Adelaide, The Balance (Brampton, ON), Flaming Yawn, What We Know, and Fresheart
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
Toronto's indie pop-punk darlings Futures Past have become TV stars thanks in part to MuchMusic's DISBand show and are touring heavily to take advantage of the exposure. They're hitting the Pickle for a special all-ages showcase Saturday afternoon with a smattering of alternative/pop goodness: from the radio-ready sounds of Windsor's Radio Adelaide to alternative sounds of Brampton's The Balance. Also lined up are the sweet indie stylings of Flaming Yawn, What We Know and Fresheart (who are making their debut), this should be a alternapop riot. Doors are at 4pm, tickets are $5 at the door.

The Dead's Elite wsg Kill List, Monolith and Waking Without Remorse
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
For the past few years, The Dead's Elite have been leading a resurgence in solid guitar based metal shreddery and taking no prisoners. Unfortunately, this show marks the end of The Dead's Elite era as the band is calling it quits after this show. Hopefully the other members have something in the works to carry on. They've brought in some A-list help for this send off show, with Kill List (featuring former members of ShotDownStars), Monolith (members of Grand Marais, Closed Casket Funeral and more) and Waking Without Remorse warming up the show. Doors are at 9pm for this 19+ show, with tickets at the door for only $5.

The Dead's Elite (Live Video from CD Release Party at The Avalon Front, 2007)


Megan Hamilton & The Volunteer Canola (Toronto, ON) wsg Eric Welton and Kenneth MacLeod & The Windsor Salt Band
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
The lovely Megan Hamilton is always a great draw when she brings her musical endeavours to Phog Lounge, whether it be solo or with full band. Currently touring for her critically acclaimed new album, See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard, she's had Eric Welton and band in tow for a couple dates on tour so far. Kenneth MacLeod and his majestic ensemble, The Windsor Salt Band, are opening the show.

An Introductory video from Megan Hamilton re: the new album


Jeff Burrows' 24-Hour Drum Marathon For Transition 2 Betterness
The Blind Dog (761 Ouellette Ave.)
A champion cause by a champion of local music, drummer Jeff Burrows (formerly of The Tea Party) hosts his annual 24-hour drum marathon to raise awareness and money for Transition to Betterness, a great local organization helping cancer patients in Windsor-Essex county. Jeff will be joined by guests from many local bands as he jams his way through 24-hours of rock and roll madness (starting at 2am on Friday night, all-day Saturday) and ending with the unveiling of his new supergroup, Crash Karma (featuring I Mother Earth vocalist Edwin, Our Lady Peace guitarist Mike Turner and Zygote bassist Amir Epstein). A great night for a great cause.

Sunday May 3

C'Mon (Toronto, ON) and Pride Tiger (Vancouver, BC) wsg Fiftywatthead
The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo's)
This will be one monster of a rock and roll show, hands down. C'Mon has been tearing up stages across North America for years now and frontman Ian Blurton is a Canadian indie music icon. They're teaming up with the bombast of Vancouver's Pride Tiger for a great tour that has recently (on Toronto, London and now this Windsor date) featured our own Fiftywatthead opening the stage. Rock and roll killer, indeed.

Pride Tiger "The White Witch Woman Blues" (Official Video)


oldseed (Winnipeg, MB), Octoberman (Toronto, ON) and The Original Hung Jury (featuring Kelly Nicholls, Erik Myskow and Jamie Greer)
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
Winnipeg’s oldseed (the solo name for Craig Bjerring) has always stopped through Windsor on his national tours, either solo or as part of the legendary punk band The Vagiants. His Neil Youngian Canadiana will melt your soul. The bill also features a rare solo acoustic show by Octoberman, another rootsy-singer/songwriter project that’s been getting some national acclaim of late. Rounding out the bill will be a reunited acoustic show featuring the original line-up of Windsor’s The Hung Jury, when Kelly Nicholls, Erik Myskow (now in Eric Welton’s live band) and myself, Jamie Greer, play together for the first time since The Hung Jury disbanded last August.

oldseed, "You've Got Nothing But Light, Let It Shine" (Live Video)


Dusty
Aardvark's Blues Cafe (89 University Ave. West)
One of the city's premiere entertainers, hand down, he plays an impressive mix of songs, from outlaw country to rock and roll to a little dab of hair metal. Genuinely super dude with a great sense of humour.

Open Mic with Travis Reitsma
The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West, beside Pogo's)
"The Heartbreak Kid" will woo you with his own songs and share the stage for you to showcase your own at the venue formerly known as the Old Fish Market.

EVENT PREVIEW: Show Some Heart by Helping Isaac's

Benefit for Isaac Dauphin featuring
Vultures!, My October and Voodoo Mafia
Friday April 24
The Coach & Horses, 156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo's
Doors at 9pm, 19+, $5 minimum donation at the door

Over the past few weeks, there's been all kinds of calls to arms by the local music community to raise awareness, and more importantly funds, for some very special causes in our Windsor community.

I mentioned last week about two very special cancer benefits going on - tonight's Cancer Foundation Pasta Dinner at The Mill (3199 Sandwich St.) with Client 9 handling the music and next week's 24 Hour Drum Marathon by Jeff Burrows at The Blind Dog (762 Ouellette Ave.) for Transition 2 Betterness.

This Friday, we have another special benefit show and this is one that has a story that has captivated the city.

As reported last week in The Windsor Star, Isaac Dauphin was born March 27th here in Windsor. But tragedy struck almost immediately, as new parents Chad and Stephanie Dauphin were stricken with horror as young Isaac started turning blue and had trouble breathing. Four days later and he was airlifted to Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital for tests.

In turns out that baby Isaac has hypoplastic left heart syndrome. HLHS is a rare, congenital heart defect where the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped and it usually requires three stages of operations to correct this - with success still not avoiding the very real possibilities of chronic health problems, coupled with the fact that HLHS can only be stabilized, not cured. There is a very real chance that Isaac will need a heart transplant later on during an early part of his life.

What this amounts to, especially in these tough economic times, is a long running series of medical expenses to keep Isaac Dauphin alive. Bills that these young parents - or anyone right now - are capable of handling alone.

With that in mind, with the assistance of Sarah Jacobs, local rockers Vultures! have turned their Friday night show at The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo's) into a special benefit show for the Dauphins and their medical expenses. The minimum donation is $5 (but please feel free to donate more!) at the door, with ALL monies collected going to this great cause.

Joining Vultures! on this special bill are Windsor's grunge rock champions Voodoo Mafia and Toronto pop-punk band (and former Windsorites) My October.

Even if you can only stop by for a quick beer or to make a donation, I encourage everyone to make it out to the Coach & Horses this Friday night. It will make a lasting impression, on us as a musical community within a larger community, but more importantly on a young family's future and a young boy's life.

TAKE 5: Steve Brough of Lodown

Take 5 is a new feature on "Musically Speaking", where I'll ask five quick questions to various movers and shakers from Windsor's local arts and entertainment world about their thoughts on Windsor's independent music scene, past and present.

Take 5 with...Steve Brough

Steve Brough is one of the men in this city who bring the thunder. And by that, I mean he's one of the hardest hitting drummers in town. He's the skinsman behind the bombastic rhythm section of Lodown, one of Windsor's veteran hard rock bands. After toiling for years with highly successful demos honed by years on the road across Canada and the U.S., Lodown released their highly anticipated debut CD, Black Horse, on Fontana/Universal Records back in 2006. The boys in Lodown have been road testing some new material over the past year and look poised to return to the studio - and the road - for the follow-up this year.

The local band I am most excited about right now is...
Fiftywatthead.

The best local album I've heard in some time is...
Fiftywatthead Fogcutter (2008)

If there's one thing I wish the local music scene would do more of is...
Mixed genre shows. Sometimes sitting through five bands from the same genre is painful.

Sometimes I wish this local band was still together...
Village Idiot.

My favourite place to see a band in town is...
The Coach and Horses.

WEEK IN PREVIEW: April 20 - 26, 2009

Sorry I'm a day late with this, but I was unavailable due to illness for a couple days there. But here's a look at the rest of the week and what's out there for you to check out!

Tuesday April 21

After The Thaw Tour featuring Brzowski (Portland, ME) and Pour Man's Vision (Jason Blakeman and H.W., MA) with special guests Lyrical Bliss, Academy, Perilelle, Lordru (ex-The Misinformants, Detroit, MI) and DJ Fahrenheit 2040 (Detroit, MI)
Presented by Emily Copeland (from CJAM's Minced Meat show), this show is going to be packed. Some great underground hip-hop from New England teams up with some of the best from Windsor and Detroit for a beat party that will be one of the year's highlights, hands down. The whole show is being sponsored by Pete's Pipes in Windsor, so there will be giveaways all night long. Doors are at 9pm, 19+.

Ron Leary & "Mr. Chill" Kelly Hoppe
Aardvark's Blues Cafe (89 University Ave. West)
Ron Leary and Mr. Chill play a smattering of songs, with some choice covers mixed in with songs from Leary's brilliant debut CD, theroadinbetween, and Mr. Chill's fantastic Cold Testament.

The Last Trio
The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West)
Alan Penner leads a rotating cast of some of the city's finest players through jazz interpretations and beyond. A great chance to see some great live jazz and it's early too! It runs from 7pm to 10pm for those who don't want to make a late night of it on a Tuesday.

Clare Renaud's Session
The Kildare House (1880 Wyandotte St. East)
A real traditional Celtic feel to this impromptu jam session that has all the flair of a Cape Breton house party. You never know who's going to stop by with what instrument and play what song. And the beer ain't half band neither.

Open Mic with Stefanie Sarafianos
The Mill Tavern (3199 Sandwich St.)
One half of the sisterly duo Twisted Sisters, Stephanie leads a cast of musicians of all types of experience each week on the West end.

Open Mic with Andrew MacLeod
The Dominion House (3140 Sandwich St.)
Andrew MacLeod leads another Open Mic on the West end, showcasing many of the city's finest songwriters and drinkers.

Tuesday Night Music Club with Jamie Reaume
Twig N' Berries (2135 Wyandotte St. East)
The Golden Eagles' Jamie Reaume leads an all-star cast of local musicians through one of the city's wildest Open Mac jam sessions.

Wednesday April 22

The Peace Leeches, Vultures! and (wh)y.m.e.(??)
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
A special Earth Day show at the P-Hog. I reported last week in the Scene section of the Windsor Star that this night was supposed to be headlined by Montreal's Beast. But I've learned in the past few days that a booking error (definitely not in our favour) meant they had to cancel this show. Beast had a great time last time through here (playing some b-ball in the back alley with some regulars, as well as tour mates You Say Party! We Say Die!) so rest assured, they'll be back. In the meantime, the scheduled openers, Blenheim's simply magical The Peace Leeches and the inspired beats of (wh)y.m.e.(??) (who is rumoured to be unveiling his debut recording this night), are still going on with the show and are being joined by the new rock thunder of Vultures! Doors are at 9pm, 19+.

Daren Dobsky & Josh Zalev
Aardvark's Blues Cafe (89 University Ave. West)
Dobsky and Zalev lead an occassional all-star ensemble through a series of covers, from Led Zeppelin to Jeff Buckley, rock and roll to the blues.

Kenneth MacLeod & The Windsor Salt Band
The Dominion House Tavern (3140 Sandwich St.)
Kenneth MacLeod is a one-man musical wrecking crew. His talent is overwhelming and his intensity equally so. A variety of music, from East Coast to contemporary, with a supporting cast featuring Max Marshall on bass and Sally Zori on drums.

Thursday April 23

The Windsor Scene on CJAM 91.5 FM
Randi Irving continues to host the on-air version and multi-JAMMY Award winning companion to "The Windsor Scene", each and every Thursday evening from 6pm to 7pm, on CJAM 91.5 FM, Windsor's Campus and Community Radio Station. Hear tracks from some of Windsor's current musical stars as well as nuggets from the vault, not to mention live interviews and performances!

Ron Leary wsg Ray Whimsey (Toronto, ON) and Gianna Lauren (Halifax, NS)
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
Ron returns to one of his old stomping grounds with a great night of music at Phog. Now in the stages of writing and previewing possible song inclusions for his follow-up to 2006's masterful debut, theroadinbetween, Ron is joined by a couple of stand outs for this show. Toronto's Ray Whimsey used to be a resident of Windsor and aside from his outfit Ray's Right Fender, hosted Monday night's Open Mic Surgery for years (before handing it over to Leary, who in turn, handed it over to Tara Watts). They're also being joined by Ottawa-based, Halifax-bred songstress Gianna Lauren, for what should be a great triple header. Doors are at 9pm, 19+.

ALL-AGES: Sound Haven, Release The Sounds and Sam & Steph
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
Couldn't really find out a whole lot about this show. Sound Haven appears to be a local electronic outfit - check out their MySpace for a sample of what they sound like. Release The Sounds - I have no idea. Couldn't find any evidence of their existence. And Sam & Steph - come on. Really? That was the best name you could come up with? I don't mean this as a put down on anyone's talent - for all I know Sam & Steph could be the best thing since sliced bread. But duo names like that just sound like its too people who aren't really doing this for anything more than to get in front of people and play a few covers. Now I know there have been some duos with names like this who have had successful careers (Bonnie & Delaney and Chris & Cosey to name a few), but I have to admit, seeing names like this turns me right off. But hey, maybe you know them, and maybe they are amazing live. I hope so. Doors are 7pm and this event is All-Ages, with tickets $5 at Door

Cancer Centre Foundation Charity Pasta Dinner with Client 9
The Mill (3199 Sandwich St.)
A special benefit pasta dinner with proceeds going to the Cancer Centre Foundation. The buffet begins at 6pm for this event, with entertainment starting at 8pm. Client 9 is an acoustic duo that features Robert Desmarais (The Wannadies) and Dale D'Amore (Guitar Army, The Spy's). Again, I don't usually promote cover acts, but this is very special event for a good cause in our community, so I'm mentioning it. It's $20 in advance or at the door (tickets are going fast!).

Huladog
The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West)
Always a great night of live jazz and funk jams by a group of Windsor's premiere players. Huladog have been at it for years now and they play the perfect blend of great jazz and booty shakin' funk.

Kelly "Mr, Chill" Hoppe, Tom Hogarth and Chris Borshuk
Mezzo Ristorante & Lounge (804 Erie St. East)
Mr. Chill teams up with the incomparable voice of Tom Hogarth as well as Chris Borshuk for this intimate showcase. A great night for dinner and some music.

Friday April 24

The After Party wsg New Stage Loop, The Treehouse Kids, and The Pounds
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
The After Party are pure punk power pop, with MTV hooks and looks to boot. These guys have been picking up some great gigs and are building a loyal local following. Their joined by the hip-hop stylings of New Stage Loop, the emo electropop sounds of The Treehouse Kids and indie rock of The Pounds. Doors are at 9pm for this 19+ show, with tickets $5 at the door.

Alun Piggins (Toronto, ON) wsg The Heels
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
The former leader of early 90's Canadian band The Morganfields has made a life of constant touring to support his string of Replacements style rock and roll and with critical acclaim. Piggins always blows the doors off his shows at Phog, so this should be a good one.

Alun Pigguns: "Not Happening" (Live Video, March 2009)


Vultures! wsg My October (Toronto, ON) and Voodoo Mafia
The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo's)
If you read the Windsor Star last Friday, you saw the article about baby Isaac Dauphin and the battle he's currently fighting to live with a heart defect. Isaac is barely a month old and he's already in for a life of surgery after surgery to keep his heart beating. This means medical fees sky high for his parents, Chad and Stephanie. The local music community is helping the couple out this Friday night with this special show. Cover is a minimum donation of $5 (feel free to donate more!) with all the proceeds going to the new parents to help with medical costs. This is truly a great event with some great music going to help a special little man get the medical attention he deserves.

(GrounD)
Empire Lounge (128 University Ave. West, above California Sushi)
DJ's Mach-X and J_Wild continue their weekly electronic collective and live collaboration night at the Empire, spinning the best in "epicness of EDM with techno, dubstep, house, scenester nu-rave, breakz and everything else you've come to expect from this dynamic team." Tonight, DJ Cameron Power shows up to mix it up with the (GrounD) crew.

Saturday April 25

Barzin (Toronto, ON) wsg Nick Zubeck (Toronto, ON) and Music Minus You
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
Barzin was a monster hit the last time he came through Windsor. With his intimate storytelling, he's been garnering comparisons to everyone from Bon Iver to Great Lake Swimmers (which is somewhat valid - Great Lake Swimmers' Tony Dekker plays on the records). Highly respected UK music mag MOJO recently picked his latest album, My Life In Rooms, as its Americana pick of the month, giving it 4/5 stars. He's joined by bandmate Nick Zubeck playing his own solo set as well as the sonic stylings of our own Ryan Fields under the banner of Music Minus You.

Barzin: "Leaving Time" (Official Video)


Harvesting The FAM presents
Perilelle and Tara Watts
Milk Coffee Bar (68 University Ave. West)
In conjunction with the Harvesting The FAM Festival's showcase Through Women's Eyes & Voices (a month long celebration of local women in song and photography), two of Windsor's emerging stars are showcased at Milk. Steph Copeland's trip-hop dream sounds under the banner of Perilelle have been enthralling local music goers for years and Tara Watts has released one of the finest Windsor albums in years recently, About Love. Should be a great intimate performance from two of Windsor's best musicians.

ALL-AGES: Call To Preserve (Rockledge, FL) wsg The Fitzpatrick Incident (Toronto, ON), The Advocate (Hamilton, ON), Waking Without Remorse and Tough Luck
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
Florida's Call To Preserve play more NYC-style hardcore than the kind of metal that Florida's known for - hard, fast, tight yet melodic. Throw in some of the creme-de-la-creme of hardcore from Toronto and Hamilton, plus a couple from right here in Windsor, and you've got yet another stellar show put on by Rose City Promotions. Doors are at 5pm for this All-Ages show. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Call To Preserve: "Unsinkable" (Official Video)


Radio Adelaide wsg Far From Right, Far From Focus, Pulp City Inn, and Playing For Keeps
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
Radio Adelaide has been leading the charge of late for Windsor's pop-punk crowd, taking their high energy shows on the road as far as Toronto. These guys definitely have the drive to take this act further than local, that's for sure. They're joined by more of Windsor's punk up-and-comers for what will sure to be a packed house. Doors are at 9pm, 19+, tickets are $5 at the door.

Radio Adelaide: "Bas Rutten" (Official Video)


Cowboy Dan, Lot 9 Brawl, The Gutter Hearts and The Rowley Estate
The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo's)
Good to see the DIY punk ethic is still alive and well in Windsor. Cowboy Dan may be an odd moniker, but musically they're pretty exciting, well structured punk melodica, in the vein of bands like later Fugazi. Lot 9 Brawl is one of the longest running punk-ska bands in the city. The Gutter Hearts I'm really starting to dig, with their no-holds barred punk rock. It's very timless - it could be 1970's New York, 1980's Los Angeles or 1990's mid-west. The Rowley Estate is another aggro-punk-pop band who brings a real honesty to their songs. A great line-up of what Windsor punk has always been about. Doors are at 9pm and tickets are only $3 at the door for this 19+ show.

Sunday April 26

ALL-AGES: Aquila wsg Odium (Walkerton, ON), Burning The Day (Toronto, ON), Waking Without Remorse and Desertion
The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.)
This show is going to blow the ears out and the doors off. I've been really impressed with Aquila's sound - these guys are definitely getting ready to claim the mantle as Windsor's kings of metal (in fact, they may already). Their recordings sound top notch and they've been taking their show on the road for some time now. In fact, Odium has been a tour partner for many shows around Ontario now. The nu-blood of Windsor metal is here and Aquila is leading the onslaught. All hail, Aquila. The new kings are here. Doors are at 6pm for this all-ages event. Tickets are $5 at the door.

ALL-AGES: The Other Guys present The Record & Music Paraphernalia Show
featuring Kelly "Mr. Chill" Hoppe and Greg Cox
The Mill, 3199 Sandwich St.
10am to 4pm, $3 Admission
With the rise of interest in vinyl (records), this is a nice treat for a Sunday morning. Hanging out at The Mill, flipping through some cool old records, listening to tunes by Mr. Chill and his gun slinger, Greg Cox. Good times, folks.

SAC Songwriter's Circle
Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West)
Another monthly installment of the SAC Regional Group, where host Glen MacNeil and local songwriters can network and share songwriting techniques. Starts at 7pm, admission is free - bring your songs!

Dusty
Aardvark's Blues Cafe (89 University Ave. West)
One of the city's premiere entertainers, hand down, he plays an impressive mix of songs, from outlaw country to rock and roll to a little dab of hair metal. Genuinely super dude with a great sense of humour.

Open Mic with Travis Reitsma
The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. West, beside Pogo's)
"The Heartbreak Kid" will woo you with his own songs and share the stage for you to showcase your own at the venue formerly known as the Old Fish Market.