You're getting warmer

I'm not quite sure how I spent so long not getting out to see a Winchester Warm show, since I quite like Poorfolk (the other band featuring members Matthew Godin and Jonathan Pearce). This is what happens when you have a job where you work the night shift. On this occasion they were opening for Camp Radio.

Unfortunately Club SAW was a little dark and I wasn't using a flash ... here's a darkness-enshrouded Matt.



Jon sings!



Jon strums!



Matt ... aw, screw it, I'm putting the flash on.



That's better, sort of.



Ben Wilson from that's the Spirit was on hand to lend some guitar.



Extra Jon!



Bonus Ben!



And one more of Jon.



There were other photos ... they didn't turn out so well.

• Show reminder: Jordan Klassen and Andy Shauff perform at Zaphod's.

Saturday night fever

Marie-Josee Houle has shown up frequently in this blog, performing as part of the Centrtown Music Club or, as below, with Glenn Nuotio. But she has her own solo project on the go, and has two fine records out under her own name. She's playing tonight at the Avant-Garde Bar with a full band.


Marie-Josee Houle, Club SAW, May 25, 2007

There's plenty of other stuff going on tonight. I've already mentioned Winter Gloves, who play Mavericks with The Weathermakers and Ruby Coast. Australian folkie Marta Pacek should appeal to fans of Jenn Grant and Rebekah Higgs - she plays Zaphod's tonight with Kris Ward. Hercules and Love Affair, released a hotly tipped electro album last year - they're at Babylon tonight with Jokers Of The Scene and DJ Bear Witness. Ryland Bouchard , the android formerly known as The Robot Ate Me will rock the house at 443 Kent St. with Emperor X and White Flash. Washboard Hank and Lonesome Paul perform at Irene's. Bluesman Scotty Doubt and his band hit the Rainbow.

Town and country

Once upon a time it seemed like I was seeing Casey Comeau and one or more of her compatriots in The Centretown Wilderness Club (or her old outfit, the Half-milers) playing shows in one of several outfits, but I've barely laid eyes on any of 'em (barring crossing the occasional path at other people's shows) for nigh on nine months. I'd make mention of some gig, but was never quite free to attend myself. Fortunately opportunity struck a couple of nights ago when Crowded Skies put together an evening of country rocking. I missed openers Violet Lyal, but did catch most of the Club's performance.

Casey and Richard.



The audience amuses Marie-Josee Houle (who has a new CD of her own out, I should mention).



I turned the flash and shutter speed down in order to catch VJ Daisy's backdrops. It didn't work.



Aalya and Dietrich.



Other side of the stage action!



Overhead action!



The whole lot!



They play next at Irene's April 13 with the Jupiter Ray Project.

• Show reminder: Embassies Of Denmark play Cafe DeKcuf with The Great Plains and Rebekah Higgs.

Town and country

Spring has sprung! That means I biked to work and back. On the plus side that means I don't have to cool my heels waiting for the bus. On the minus side my legs were a little wobbly. I arrived at Babylon in time for the final half of Casey Comeau and the Centretown Wilderness Club's set and spent most of the time nonchalantly propped up against the club speakers so as to avoid tipping over.



Although technically the headlining act, the Centretown Wilderness Club handed the finishing set off to Crowded Skies so that Casey's parents could catch her set.



Unfortunately I missed Violet Lyal's set. Next time. I also missed an opportunity to prep any Isis pictures, so they'll come a little later in the day.

• Show reminder: KnifeHammer, Muffler Crunch, The Suicide Pilots, Critical Convictions, Belligerent and Andy-Tap kick it at 61 Argyle Ave; The Hi Lo Trons and Great Aunt Ida play Babylon; Bloodshot Bill and The Solid Senders rock and roll at Irene's; Menomena, Land Of Talk and Field Music perform at Zaphod's.

Hot club of Centretown

Off to the MBNA Grassroots Stage for one of the few acts I saw there that could be described as "grassroots" - to wit, the folk, country and chanson-embracing Centretown Wilderness Club. Everyone was looking pretty sharp and sounded good until the PA began acting up for their final number. They were playing a slower number when I arrived, and Aalya Ahmad and Dietrich Sider were taking a turn on stage.



Casey, ready for the sun.



Didn't I say I'd have a better Mike Sheridan picture?



Lots of singing going on.









Dieter looking classy as usual, not to mention far cooler (temperature wise, that is) than anyone had a right to be.



More singing from M.J. Houle!







Their debut CD, Taking Routes is forthcoming, and they promise a CD release party date in the near future.

• Show reminder: Birdman Sound celebrates its 15th anniversary at Babylon with the Solid Senders and Double Pumpers.

Bluesfest: Day Six

I'm back from going back and forth - between the Black Sheep Stage and the MBNA Stage, that is. I was going to head directly to see the Centretown Wilderness Club at the latter venue, but the hard strumming of Hamell On Trial drew me in as I walked down Lisgar. Hamell's humorous assault on all things right and proper was very entertaining, and he spared few. As I scuttled past him with my camera he joked "There goes the guy who gave me a cavity search at the border".



After listening to a few tunes on the state of right-wing pundit/lunatic Ann Coulter's nether regions and the importance of parents lying to their kids, I headed over to see the Centretown Wilderness Club. They sounded great as always. And since I figured out I was setting my shutter speed way to low (at 1/200th of a second when 1/1250th was more what was called for) the pictures turned out pretty sharp as well. When I arrived Dietrich and Aalya were slowdancing on stage.











I was wondering whether to stick around for the Hackensaw Boys or head over to watch Dan Bern when the stage left PA began cutting in and out, effectively massacring the Club's final Carter Family tune. Might as well go and see some Dan Bern while technical difficulties were dealt with, so I wandered back to the Black Sheep Stage for Hamell's last few songs and a short break before Bern headed on stage. He has a serious Bob Dylan influence. Some of his lyrics are a bit dafter, but he's far less obtuse.



Having watched a good chunk of his set, I decided to head back to the MBNA Stage to see Dickey Betts and Great Southern. I enjoyed myself for about half an hour, but to be honest the performance wasn't holding my attention. These guys like their Les Pauls, that's for sure.



Their comely conga player also helped out on vocals.



Back to whence I came to see The Grande Mothers. Three Frank Zappa vets and a pair of ringers from the Quarteto Nuevo did more than justice to Frank Zappa's music. In fact, after listening to some of the performance I have to say they sounded like they were enjoying themselves a lot more than Frank ever did.

Roy Estrada and Don Preston started with Zappa back in the 1960s.



Saxophonist and flautist Napoleon Murphy Brock did a great job on vocals.



I was never a huge Zappa fan, but I have a new appreciation for his stuff now. Unfortunately my pictures of their set mostly stink, but ears before eyes I always say.

Keep it in the Famile

Sunday evenings at the Rainbow have become a little more interesting to fans of things indie, alt, pop and folk; recently They Shoot Horse Don't They and Telefauna graced the venerable blues venue's comfy stage, and a couple of nights ago interlocking country-folk bands Casey Comeau and the Centretown Wilderness Club and The Golden Famile each played a brisk set. I hope to be at Babylon in a few minutes time (I'm writing this up last night) so this is going to be a hit and run job.

Casey Comeau and her swanky new Taylor T5.



M.J. Houle, Dietrich Sider and Richard Jeffrey.



Mike Sheridan was looking sharp.



Dietrich was looking sharper.



Aalya Ahmad from on high.



Richard and Marie-Josee.



Casey and Aalya play while Mike plays the other side of the bass drum (and possibly checks his reflection).



The whole bunch from down below ...



And up above.



As I mentioned in my last post, the Golden Famile and the Club have three members in common, Richard, Casey and Mike, and they certainly make a well-integrated double bill.

Frontman Darrell Angus.



Casey on organ ... when they were setting up it was sounding very fuzzy - no doubt flashing back to its Desecrating days ...



Ryan Hough up close.



Nate Hurlow - you are going to go see his other band The Fortunate Sons at Irene's May 2, right?



Folk-rock action!





Hello down there!





The soundman was later heard to observe "I didn't expect it to get so loud there at the end ..." He did a great job anyway, I thought - and fine sets from both bands.

• Show reminder: Lefty McRighty and the Boxcar Cadavers, The Pandemics, Bloodshot Bill and The Cockroaches play Babylon.