November 17, 2006
The Junction (Peterborough, Ontario)
Man, I needed a break. So, I grabbed Don and Jim and headed out to The Junction for some blues. Electric blues that is.
Al Kirkaldy had lined up Sherman Robertson to perform. If that wasn't enough to get my juices flowing, I got an email from Shawn Kellerman informing me that he would be backing Sherman that night.
I'm not going to recount the setlist, as I was just there to have a real good time and honestly didn't take any notes (other than the URL of a site Sherman told me would give me some bio info about him). I did take lots of photos, though.
Shawn Kellerman is one of my favouite blues guitarists. He wrenches the blues out of an eclectic collection of what I affectionately call pawnshop guitars. These are guitars that snobs like me often wouldn't give a second look, but probably should. The Ibanez copy of the Gibson 335, the little Supro for slide, and the Frankencaster, which Shawn sheepishly revealed to me is made from an old fender bass body converted to a guitar. I've recently come to the conclusion that Shawn could coax the blues out of a peice of driftwood and some baling wire. The Ibanez and the Supro were the best sounding axes out of the fleet he had with him. Shawn's backline consists of a customized 70s Fender Super Reverb mounted in a head cabinet which is run through 4 x10" EV speakers. Sonic bliss, I tell ya.
Shawn and his band opened the evening with a few songs before Sherman joined them. Sherman took the stage with his Blade guitar through a modified mid-sixties Fender Bandmaster provided by Shawn. It took a Sherman a few songs to get his tone dialed in, and he was seen quite often heading back to the amp to twiddle with some knobs. You could tell when he found his sound, though, as the guitar tone just blossomed.
The first set was pretty sedate. Maybe Sherman was sizing up the audience, maybe this was all part of the master plan. There was still lots of great music and impressive guitar work from both sides of the stage. The second set began like the first, with Shawn Kellerman performing a couple of songs. Shawn turned things up a notch, and his rendition of the S.R.V. classic "Rude Mood," and an instrumental Slide/Wah spectacular, had jaws dropping thoughout the venue.
Sherman also rose to the challenge and delivered a fiery second set. This was when he encouraged folks to come up and dance and started talking to "Erica." I hadn't noticed her earlier in the evening and hadn't seen Sherman with her, but somehow he knew that she was the girl for him. Erica played along and ventured to the packed dance floor several times during the second set.
The blues flowed like water this night, and I can't wait 'til the next serving at the Junction. My hat's off to Al Kircaldy for again providing a great night of blues.
Every now and then the rock gods get angered, and when they do you better watch out. I'm not sure if it was Rik or me they were aiming at but they took some pot shots at us both.
The night before I was scheduled to see Rik, I'd been out at another show, and shortly after arriving home my son proceeded to stroll out in the hallway and vomit. This led to me being up with him until about 3 am. The next day was spent in a sleep deprived stupor praying that I wouldn't be struck down with the afformentioned stomach bug and miss Rik's show. The rock gods must have taken a break that afternoon, as I was able to make it through the day with nothing more than some stomach discomfort, which I now chalk up to nerves and stress over the fact that I might miss my opportunity to meet and photograph Rik Emmett.
The Jimmy Bowskill Band jimmybowskill.com
Friday, November 24, 2006
Showplace Performance Centre
Peterborough Ontario, Canada
Waaaay back in September, when I heard that Jimmy Bowskill would be playing Showplace, I knew this would be a show to see. So, I emailed his Mom and asked if I could come photograph it. "What?" you say "You emailed his Mom?" Oh, didn't I mention that Jimmy is just 16 years old?
The short history is that at the ripe old age of 11, Jimmy travelled to Toronto and busked his way into an invitation to sit in with guitar great Jeff Healey. Jimmy was then on the fast-track to celebrity. Obviously there was the novelty act appeal, but this kid could actually play, and play with feeling. Now Jimmy's all growed up (well, sorta), and at the ripe old age of 16 he is fronting a power trio with Al Cross (drums) and Wayne Deadder (bass).
I arrived at the venue a little after 7 pm and introduced myself to Jimmy's mom Teresa, who was busy setting up the merch table. She told me there'd been some delays and that Jimmy was just now finishing up his soundcheck. Teresa escorted me past security so I could see the last of the soundcheck and work out the logistics of my photo shoot.
I was more than pleasantly surprised when I saw these two CDs come accross my desk. Rik Emmett of course was one-third of the 70s-80s stadium rockers Triumph. Triumph alway teetered on the edge of progressive rock, but with a much more blue collar, every-man appeal.
Rik never tried to hide his virtuosity and his love of acoustic/classical/jazz guitar. When Triumph came to an end, Rik dabbled a little in rock, but the acoustic guitar appears to have (at least for now) won out.
The Best of Rik Emmett from The Millenium Collection series chronicles that transformation, and offers a retrospective of Rik's solo career through 2001. The CD opens with "Saved by Love" from Rik's debut solo release. This is still a "rock" song but with a more adult contemporary lean. Following are samples of Rik's unique take on flamenco, R&B, hard rock, and world music.
The CD isn't in chronological order, which I might have prefered, but the order does provide a pleasant listen. Possibly saving the best for last, the final three tracks on the CD are "unplugged" interpretations of classic Triumph songs recorded in 2000 and 2001. For me, the true test of a great rock song is if it still has the same power when played acoustically. The Triumph classics "Lay It On The Line" and "Hold On" do. Rounding out this exploration is a beautiful solo rendition of "Suitcase Blues." This gives us a taste of Rik's jazz stylings, which are not otherwise featured in this collection.
Strung-Out Troubadours combines the talents of Dave Dunlop with those of Rik Emmett. Let's put this into perspective, shall we? You'd need to be one hell of a guitarist to back up Rik, let alone receive the equal billing that Dave does.
The CD for the most part is acoustic, although there is a little keyboard and drums. It opens with "Light of Day" which sets the mood for the rest of the album: Vibrant, uplifting and inspiring. The songs are pretty much evenly divided between instumental and vocal.
As a guitar player, I was of course impressed with Rik and Dave's playing. What impressed me even more was the tastefulness and the fact that they kept Troubadours from turning into a shred fest. Yes, these guys rip at times, but they also know when to lay back and let the music speak.
The high points for me were "Light of Day," "Cross Country," which paints the vivid picture indicated in its title, "Dos Arroyos," where the lead guitar has a startlingly emotional and vocal quality, and "Faithful Stranger (Love Returns)."
The CD closes with a live version of "Three Clouds across the Moon" from 1997's Swing Shift. Ok, this one is a nine-and-a-half minute shred fest!
Together these albums offer a great insight into the guitarist that is Rik Emmett. The Best of chronicles Rik's evolution as a solo performer, and Strung-Out Troubadours provides a snapshot of the 2006 incarnation of Rik Emmett. I'm sure Rik will keep evolving and I hope he continues to invite us for a listen.
I love it when bands do club shows in between opening slots on Arena tours. Sebastian Bach has been out with Axl Rose's Guns 'n' Roses. I'm glad that when "Baz" got near his hometown he decided to stay a while.
The club was in Whitby, a little less than an hour from Peterborough where Sebastian spent his formative years. There was a large contingent of Peterborough folk in attendance, many that remembered him from his Skid Row days and a few that remembered Kidd Wikkid, Madam X and V05.
Sebastian's set consisted mostly of Skid Row songs. All of these were performed with an intensity seldom seen, especially 20 years down the road. This wasn't some washed up hair band flogging their back catalog, this was Sebastian doing what he loves to do, and that was evident throughout the night.
Early in the set Baz pointed out his mother (who happened to be standing right in front of me) and intoned "It's all her fault! Blame her!" At other points Sebastian greeted old friends and aquantinces and shared the mike with die-hards. It's funny, I realized later that had I not known who Baz was, I wouldn't have doubted someone who told me he was a twenty-something up-and-comer.
I'd heard rumours that the Trailer Park Boys might make an appearance at this show, and sure enough about half way through Baz's set I spotted Julian up in the VIP Room. Shortly after that, Bubbles, Ricky and Julian all made their way to the stage. Bubbles strapped on a Goldtop Gibson Les Paul and led an impromtu jam of the Rush classic "Closer to the Heart". Sebastian's band stepped up and backed Bubbles admirably. In classic Bubbles fashion, after the song he had this to say:
I dropped my fuckin' pick. You know how hard it is to play "Closer to the Heart" without a fuckin' pick? For fuck sakes!!
Next from the Trailer Park Boys was a Bubbles original entitled "Liquor and Whores." When Sebastian, unfamiliar with the song, flubbed the ending, Bubbles berated him and sang it himself. Classic!!
Sebastian's set closed with "I remember You" and the anthem "Youth Gone Wild". Welcome home Baz!!
The opening act further added to the homecoming feel of the evening. Make It Your Business (MIYB) are a young band from Peterborough that shows a lot of promise. It doesn't hurt to be related to the headliner, but I won't dwell on that as I feel MIYB held their own and put on a great show. These five guys had great stage presence and were really tight. They play heavy rock that I have a hard time putting a label on. That's fine with me. The highlights for me were "When All Else Fails" with its brutal double kick drum intro, and the last two songs of their set; "Ctrl Alt Delete" and "Gutless." Spencer (guitar) told me they will be heading into the studio soon, so keep an eye out for a followup to their debut release Shades of Grey to be released in the coming months.
Man, Protest the Hero is a breath of fresh air! As I said in the premier installment of Canadian Bands That Don't Suck, "These kids can play."
In a world seemingly dominated by pop metal (which I have gone on record as liking as well) from the likes of Three Days Grace, Nickelback and Hedley, it makes me all warm inside to hear a band that can really rip and make some great thought-provoking music.
At first listen it's not completely original, and I immediately think of Avenged Sevenfold, Panic! at the Disco, and Alexisonfire, but as i dig deeper I find PtH has created something I have a hard time saying I've heard before. I feel like one of those wine snobs as I listen to the album (again and again and again) ..... I hear a hint of Yngwie Malmsteen, with a precocious smattering of Iron Maiden, a little Testament, with a whisper of King Diamond.
The pigeonholers seem to have a hard time pigeonholing this type of music. Is it metal, punk, screamo, emo, what is it? I guess "metal" today is the brutal gutteral beating put out by Children of Bodom and the like. Nope, PtH won't fit in that niche. Punk is easier to define as it hasn't changed a lot in the last 30 years. Quite obviously PtH doesn't belong there. I guess screamo and emo are close. I consider PtH Good Music. Plain and simple, 'aint it?
As evidenced in a blog entry, the band seems to feel this classification problem depending who they are touring with:
On a "metal" tour we are a pussy little emo band, and on an "emo" tour we are a heavy fucking metal band....
As far as music that's great to put on and rock out to, Kezia is fantastic. The real surprise comes when you pay attention to the lyrics and descend into the "concept." Kezia - sentenced to die, the priest and the prison guard/executioner all get equal billing on this dark journey.
One of the most surpsising moments comes at 4:20 into "Blindfolds Aside." The acoustic interlude is spellbinding.
Sin I didn't care for, but a sin that paid my debts
A sin that fed my children and burned my smiles and cigarettes
"The Soonest to the Sea," with its message about the position of women in our society, left me sitting and thinking for quite a while afterward.
The spoken:
So when you bled on the bed as you fed those expectations as a whore and not a human
You embraced with hesitation the very parameters of all you can be
Not a mother, not an aunt, not a sister that's not subdued
Because dignity's not physical and your flesh means more than you
and the outro/chorus:
Maybe someday when, when this bloody skull has dried
Know our city is in ruins when our greatest source of pride,
A monument of dicks and ribs and the gender crown we wore
Where underneath, a plaque will read, a plaque will read, No woman is a whore
Incredible musicianship, phenomenal vocals, and intelligent lyrics from a bunch of teenagers. Buy this album.
It looks like I'll be covering their December 9th show in Toronto. Keep an eye out for a review and photos soon after.
It's pretty clear that Alice has sucessfully rekindled the fire that made him great in the 70s. His latest release, Dirty Diamonds, is classic Alice the likes of which we haven't seen since 1976. I was stoked when I heard that Alice would be rolling through my neighbourhood in support of Dirty Diamonds.
Man, I had butterflies in my stomach all day while I waited to go pick up Trash and head to Kingston at the appointed time. There's something about Alice..... The living legend status? The jaw droppingly talented band? The fact that I was gonna get to photograph the show?
This was to be Trash's twelfth time seeing Alice. He is my Alice Cooper pimp. From December 1989 through today, I haven't seen Alice without Trash. This cat loves Alice, and that makes the shows even better.
We hit Kingston about 7 pm and picked up our tickets and my photo pass. Second row, just off centre... not bad. We then settled in to watch the opening act.
I knew nothing about The Sins. Their generic name made it tough to figure which of the multitude of bands called "The Sins" would be opening tonight. We were pleasantly surprised. The Montreal-based quintet was tight and put on a good show. The singer, Sindy, is a good looking girl, but her vocal chops are what kept me interested. The lead guitarist, Plear, was also a pleasure to listen to. The Sins play guitar driven hard rock with some catchy hooks. Trash picked up one of their demo CDs for me, and I'm rocking to it as I write this.
You know how it goes. Lots of times the opening bands really aren't worth the price of admission. That's why I set about scoping out My Darkest Days and Rides Again on Wednesday afternoon..... should I hit the Idle Sons show early enough to catch the openers? A quick listen to the songs offered on their myspace pages helped me make up my mind pretty quick. Hell yeah!
My buddy Stewart (sports photog extraordinaire) and I headed down to Sin City at about 8:30. It was cold, raining and miserable. It's October in Canada, what else is to be expected. We geeked out talking camera gear for a while and I got my new Nikon D80 purring like a kitten.
My friend Jim submitted this to me. I have to agree....... David Gogo doesn't suck.
David Gogodavidgogo.com Location: Nanaimo , British Columbia Status: Signed to Cordova Bay Records Style: Blues Releases:
Acoustic: Official Bootleg Series - Volume 2 (2006)
Skeleton Key - U.S. Release (2006)
Vibe (2004)
Skeleton Key (2002)
Live at Deer Lake: Official Bootleg Series - Volume 1 (2003)
Halfway to Memphis (2001)
Dine Under The Stars(2000)
Change of Pace (2000)
Bare Bones (2000)
David Gogo (1994)
Awards and Nominations:
Juno Nomination - Best New Artist
West Coast Music Awards - Musician of the Year 1999/00
Real Blues Magazine - Top Blues/Rock CD of the Year for Skeleton Key
2003 Maple Blues Awards - Guitarist of the Year
2004 Maple Blues Awards - 5 nominations
2004 CBC Saturday Night Blues - Great Canadian Blues Award for Lifetime Contribution
2005 Maple Blues Awards - Guitarist of the Year winner and Entertainer of the Year nomination
Why he doesn't suck: Wayyyyyy back in '96, my buddy called me up and said, "Hey - we're going to the Max Webster Reunion show - wanna come? "
When we arrived at the venue, I asked the doorman who the opening act was, and he replied, "Some guy named David Gogo." Never heard of him, so we expected 45 minutes of lameass crap. Wrong! This guy came out and rocked the place with tons of old blues standards and jaw-dropping guitar playing. I saw him again in 2004, and he still has it - rippin' it up in a local bar. As he walked around the bar playing an extended slide guitar solo, he started using any items the crowd offered up for a slide - even a white cane held high by one of the patrons who was blind!
Kill Rhythm - killrhythm.com Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Status: Unsigned Style: Hard Rock/Metal Releases:
KillRhythm (E.P)
Double Platinum (E.P)
KillRhythm III (E.P.)
KillRhythm 4
Why they don't Suck: Over the course of their 4 recordings Kill Rhythm have evolved into a powerful band that writes great songs. Garth Allen is one of the most talented frontmen I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. "The Future Hurts" just grabs you by the throat and won't let go. What a great song!
See them in cyberspace:The Future Hurts See them Live: They only seem to play once a month. Check their MySpace Page for upcoming dates.
Local radio personality Al Kirkcaldy loves the blues, and as such has been instrumental in bringing some of it's greatest touring acts to Peterborough. To the world at large most of these acts are relative unknowns but to the blues fan they are it's biggest stars.
I have to admit that I began my exploration of the blues relatively recently. Especially modern blues. Al's series of local concerts have been great course material for me.
The latest class in the blues took place on September 22nd at the Junction in Peterborough. The instructor that night was Lucky Peterson.
Lucky was a blues prodigy, recording his first single by the age of five. He is often referred to as a "triple threat" as he sings, plays guitar, and also plays the hammond organ. Lucky, now in his Forties, is a commanding stage presence able to paint with a broad palette.
Lucky's guitar playing goes from clean blues standards, to Soul - R&B, and on to fire breathing Hendrix inspired riffing and solos. His vocals are deep and powerful as evidenced by Lucky strolling into the audience and belting out the blues sans microphone while the bass and drums laid down a soft backline.
I'm a guitar player, but I also have a love of that warbling Hammond Organ. Damn, Lucky can play that thing! A good portion of his first set was dedicated to to it, as was part of his second. I wish I'd gotten some photos of Lucky playing the organ, but the stage lighting was so poor at that point that he was pretty much sitting in the dark while on the keys.
After breaking a string on his guitar during the second set Lucky also switched to Organ while work was undertaken to get his guitar back in shape. I'm not sure what exactly happened but he ended up the set with a stratocaster provided by an audience member.
I won't profess to know every song Lucky played but I do remember Got My Mojo Working, Killing Floor, Mustang Sally, Sweet Home Chicago and a short Jimi Hendrix medley.
All told a great evening of the electric blues. Special thanks to Al Kirkcaldy for putting on this show, and for allowing me to photograph it.
So here the deal. I've stumbled across lots of great Canadian bands/musicians either at live shows or on that crazy little thing called the internet (they have it on computers now). What sets them apart is that they suck me in and leave me wanting more. They might be veteran touring acts, major label rockers, an indie act just finding their following or some kids in their parents basement. Inspiration and Innovation seem to be my keywords these days and again that's what I'm looking for.
Lets begin, shall we?
Jimmy Bowskill - jimmybowskill.com Location: Bethany, Ontario Status: Unsigned. Two independently released albums with another on the way. Style: Blues Releases:
Old Soul (2003)
Soap Bars and Dog Ears (2004)
Awards and Nomintions:
2005 Juno Nomination - Blues Album of the Year
2005 Canadian Indie Award - Favourite Blues Artist
2004 Canadian Indie Award - Favourite Blues Artist
2004 Canadian Maple Blues Award - Best New Artist
2004 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - Galaxie Rising Star Award
2004 DareArts - Children For Peace Leadership Award
Why he doesn't suck: Jimmy may only be 16 years old but in him dwells the soul of an old blues man. His initial break came when, at the age of eleven, he was invited to sit in with Jeff Healey. Since then Jimmy has surrounded himself with other talented blues musicians (Jerome Godboo and Jack DeKeyser for example), maintained a fairly rigorous touring schedule (especially true considering he's still in highschool) and shared the stage with the likes of Dicky Betts.
Upcoming Dates:
Friday, October 13, 2006 - Algonquin Theatre, Huntsville, ON
Saturday, October 14, 2006 - McKeck's Place, Haliburton, ON
Saturday, October 21, 2006 - Uxbridge Music Hall, Uxbridge, ON
Saturday, October 28, 2006 - The Orangeville Opera House, Orangeville, ON
Friday, November 10, 2006 - Aylmer Old Town Hall, Aylmer, ON
Saturday, November 11, 2006 - Victoria Jubilee Hall, Walkerton, ON
Friday, November 24, 2006 - Showplace Performing Arts Centre, Peterborough, ON
Saturday, November 25, 2006 - The Academy Theatre, Lindsay, ON
Protest The Hero - protestthehero.com Location: Whitby, Ontario Status: Signed to Underground Operations Style: Heavy Metal Releases:
Search for the truth EP (2002)
A Calculated Use of Sound EP (2003)
Kezia (2005)
Why they don't suck: I was immediately impressed when I listened to the songs featured on their MySpace page. Heretics and Killers is a hell of an introduction to this band. These kids can play. This is fast articulate metal with soaring vocals and flawless guitar work. Iron Maiden Evolved!
Upcoming Dates:
10.01.06 Lake Buena Vista, FL - House Of Blues (Orlando)
There's baggage and then there's Three Days Grace (3DG). 3DG frontman Adam Gontier either has a lot of issues he's worked/working through or a very vivid (if not very fertile) imagination.
While their self-titled debut dealt with, among other things, Adam's anger toward his father, One X drags us into self destruction, drug abuse, crumbling relationships, and other dark topics. The scope of the album is a little limited, with several songs on the topic of women fucking you over and how you've moved on, and several others about being a misfit.
I wanted to love this album. These guys grew up just down the road from me and I remember hearing of them in the "Groundswell" days. I really wanted to love this album.
In my initial draft of this review I really felt that I couldn't love this album.
Angry disenfranchised teens would eat this stuff up. When I was 16 I would have loved this and felt like Adam was talking directly to me. I've been to the dirty underbelly and come out the other side, 3DG isn't really telling me anything I don't know.
But......
Just yesterday I realized that every time I get in my car I put it on. What's that mean? I guess, what it may lack in substance and breadth it makes up for with some great hooks and solid riffs.
The production values of One X are much improved over those of their first release. This time the guitars don't sound like they were played through a Peavey Backstage Plus with a Boss Metal Zone and recorded on a Fostex 4 Track. The vocals are also higher in the mix and overall the sound is less muddy.
High points:
Animal I Have Become
On My Own
Get Out Alive
Billy Talent
Billy Talent II
Atlantic Records/Warner Music Canada
Every song on the album is strong. Every song on the album is angst-ridden, angry, or jaded. Ben Kowalewicz's nasal vocals and larynx bruising screams are in fine form.
For me the shining star in this band is guitarist Ian D'sa. His machine gun riffing style is unique and he somehow manages to make a chimey clean guitar sound incredibly heavy as it teeters on the edge of breaking up. With the exception of the fuzzed-out tone on "Devil in a Midnight Mass," Ian's heavy tone allows every note to be heard and the cool chord inversions don't just disappear under a wall of distortion.
That being said, "Devil in a Midnight Mass" does feature what has to be one of the heaviest guitar riffs ever recorded.
"Pins and Needles" and "Surrender" are the closest Billy Talent get to a ballad. They don't get too close though.
"Worker Bees" has anthem written all over it. I can't wait to hear it live.
So much for the sophomore jinx. Canada's Billy Talent have taken their unique music style and crafted a solid second effort. Billy Talent II isn't noticeably different from their self titled debut, but you know what? Who gives a fuck?
Zappa Plays Zappa http://zappa.com/zpz/
June 16th, 2006
Hummingbird Centre
Toronto, Ontario
It sounds simple enough. Dweezil Zappa re-discoverers his father's music, immerses himself in it, and puts together a bad-ass band to go on the road and play it. Add to that appearances by certain Zappa alumni and you have a recipe for a very cool night.
What happens when a big ol' wrench gets thrown in the works? Ummmmmmm.... maybe your lead singer has to rush home because of a family emergency. Not just any lead singer.... Napoleon Murphy Brock!
This is where it gets interesting. Dweezil et al come up with a set that can be done without Brock. A set comprised not just of some songs from the original set list, but several other songs that had yet to see the light of day on this tour. I can't recount the setlist song for song, but I can tell you that it was chaotic, irreverent and beautiful. "Stinkfoot" was brought out on stage for the first time, and "Inca Roads" was a treat. There were also several songs that I know when I hear them but couldn't tell you the name of.
Dweezil has put together a band that is frighteningly good. The standouts for me were Scheila Gonzalez who seemed to play everything and sing at the same time, and the bassist Pete Griffin. Pete exuded fun and youthful exuberance, and commanded the stage without taking the spotlight from anyone else. I agree with Dweezil's choice to put together a young band, it brought a vitality to the show that wouldn't have been there with a band made up solely of Zappa alumni.
Oh, but what Zappa alumni Dweezil did bring on the road! Terry Bozzio is one hell of a drummer and did fantastic versions of "Punky's Whips" and "I'm So Cute." He also brought some much needed comedy to the show when he initiated some witty banter with Dweezil.
But, the man that truly owned the stage (even if it was for just a short time) was Steve Vai . I have to admit that I probably wouldn't have been as eager to attend this show if Steve Vai hadn't been included. "Peaches on Regalia" and "Montana" have seldom sounded so good. Steve owned the Hummingbird Centre, but knew when to lay back and let others shine. Though when it came to trading licks with Dweezil he chewed him up and spit him out time and time again.
Below are some short clips of "Montana" featuring Steve Vai on Vocals: