The Winnipeg Music Scene Part 2

More local bands for you to show some love to.

The Watchmen: This band wrote my theme song. End of story. LOL.



Pushing Daisies: The first time I saw this band play was acoustically in front of the olde Shopper's Drug Mart in Garden City Mall (they roll their eyes every time I mention it lol). I couldn't tell you how many times I've seen them since then. I'll go with lots.

The Waking Eyes: I'm a relatively new Waking Eyes fan. I didn't particularly like "Video Sound", but I absolutely LOVE "Holding on to Whatever It Is". And they put on a wicked live show to boot. Check them out at the Pyramid on December 29!

The Details: Another band that I haven't been listening to for long, The Details' "Draw a Distance, Draw a Border" is one of my favourite local CDs, for sure. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I have a bad habit of checking out a band live, even when I don't really know anything about them, and The Details were one of those. 'Twas a great discovery!

Steeple Chaser: It's been so long and my memory has gotten so sketchy that I can't remember if Steeple Chaser or Pushing Daisies came first as far as the local band I started to follow goes, but they're pretty close. I remember hearing "Radio Who" on Power 97's "River City Rawks" show one night while driving home from bowling with my family, and I've been a fan ever since.

Mandatory Twitter post

I confess I'm not a fan of Twitter. I signed up out of curiosity, but I don't use it much except to promote upcoming concerts.

We spent our PR class this afternoon learning more about Twitter and its various usefulnesses (word? It is now!). I understand how it can be useful, but to me it seems like more time spent in front of my computer, and not outside with the sunshine. I keep up with many celebrities and music news sites, but I don't tweet much. Do you really need to know that iTunes crashed my computer again? No, you don't.

Some people that I follow:

@IndieCanRadio - independent Canadian music podcast
@ExploreMusic - self-explanatory, really
@chartattack - since it's no longer a printed magazine, I read up on my fave Canadian artists ici, even though they still owe me money
@manitobamusic - the home of music made in Manitoba



PS - If you know WHY iTunes keeps crashing my computer, please advise.

STP and a suggestion

Stone Temple Pilots invaded the MTS Centre last night. I confess that they are not a band that I would have called myself a fan of prior to the concert; I went to the show out of curiosity. It was very good! So good, in fact, that my wallet feels the impending strain of my intention to buy their discography. This is where pawn shops come in. That’s right, I said PAWN SHOPS not iTUNES. I need CDs, man. Digital files on my hard drive don’t cut it. My sweet speakers are attached to my sweet stereo, NOT my PC.

The “suggestion” part of this blog title is intended for all opening acts and it goes like this:

Dear Opening Acts,

It is imperative that you TELL US YOUR NAME before you ask us to buy your record at the merch table.

Sincerely,

Those that would buy your record at the merch table.

The Winnipeg music scene

It's no secret that I love local music.

Here are just a few of the bands that I will drop everything to go see (and about whom my mom has frequently said "Didn't you just see them?") :

TELE: This band's live show will floor you. If it doesn't, then your ears might be broken. The first time I saw them play was when I walked in halfway through their JunoFest set at the Pyramid waaaay back in 2005. Even squashed at the back of the room where I couldn't see anything, I was awed. I only heard two and a half songs, but it was enough for me to file away a note-to-self to check these guys out again ASAP. Matt Worobec is one of the best singers I've ever heard. TELE is currently hard at work on their next album, so there aren't any upcoming shows, but I'm sure they will be making special appearances at Quinzmas or the JP Hoe Hoe Hoe Holiday show.

Quinzy: Another fantastic live band, Quinzy writes catchy tunes that will make you dance or cry, and sometimes both. They just released their third EP, "Self-Defense", November 7. The gig was a "show-cial"; four acts opened with maybe ten minutes between them for tear-down and set-up (the "show" part) and there was a silent auction (the "social" part). Catch them next at the aforementioned Quinzmas, December 11 & 12 at the West End Cultural Centre.

JP Hoe: Always a good time, JP knows how to entertain a crowd. Whether it's bringing in Fred Penner to read the audience The True Story of Harry & the Hendersons, or throwing them a prom, it's impossible not to have fun. This year's JP Hoe Hoe Hoe Holiday show is going to be awesome.

Sons of York: These guys released their CD "Black and White Summer" November 13 to a crowd ready to dance and clap along with every song. SoY write catchy '60s-inspired ditties that are impossible not to enjoy.

Enjoy Your Pumas: I've only been able to catch these guys once, but they were very, very good. They just re-released their EP on Halloween. I'm sure they'll be announcing more shows soon.

Ray LaMontagne

I could listen to this man sing forever. He's one of those singers that were born for it, you know? "Jolene" is the first song of his that I ever heard, and it is still my favourite. This live version is perfect. Listen, enjoy, cry a little bit, and then go purchase the CD from your retailer of choice.

Fanfiction

To some, this will sound ridiculous, and that's OK. Sometimes, things ARE ridiculous. I remember the exact moment when I realized I loved to write: I was in grade two, and our assignment was to write the first-person perspective of a joey--that's right, a baby kangaroo. I remeber sitting there, staring at my blank paper thinking, "What would a baby kangaroo be thinking about?" For some reason, my answer to this question was, "She'd be wishing she could watch Star Trek instead of doing her homework." Because kangaroos watch Star Trek and get homework.

This new love grew into a stack of half-finished ideas including, but not limited to: Batman meeting the Power Rangers; a couch that ate people; Mulder and Scully capturing Han Solo; and a few short stories about dragons that ultimately defeated the knights in shining armour.

When I was in high school, I used to get really bored in class. I would feign paying attention and writing notes, but in reality I was working on what my grade 10 teacher always referred to as my "Great Canadian Novel" (clearly, he was wise to my act). I never told him, but what I was working on wasn't very Canadian at all. My subject of choice then was usually Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I discovered FanFiction.Net in grade 11. It was a place for average people like me to post my stories and receive feedback from my readers. It was awesome! However, when I started university, my free time and desire to write were crushed by the mountains of essays that came up.

Over this past summer, I rekindled my relationship with my FF.Net profile. I started a Criminal Minds/Supernatural crossover story, which I have recently begun to edit and re-post. I can't lie; it's easier to stay on track when you have 57 strangers telling you they love your story.

So, why fanfic, you may wonder? Well, the answer is simple, actually. It's a lot of fun to play with other people's toys! Tired of the sexual tension between Morgan and Garcia? Fix it! Don't like that your favourite character died? Bring him back to life! Want to read more about your favourite villain? Go for it!

Intrigued? I hope so. Check it out for yourself, and see if you don't get hooked!

(Nathan Fillion photo courtesy of the World Wide Web.)

My life would suck without loud bands in dark rooms

A couple of weeks ago my mom asked me why I like to go to concerts. After of moment of silence as I pondered whether she had really just asked me such a silly question, I attempted to answer her.

This is what I said:

"Well, Mom, I like going to concerts because I love watching bands play their songs. It's like a confirmation that there are real people creating these sounds that regularly flow from my speakers or headphones. It's also important to me to make sure that the lead singer can actually sing. There's nothing more embarrassing than proclaiming a band to be "awesome," only to discover that the dude or dudette behind the mic wails like a bag of mentally disturbed cats."

My mom was not satisfied with this response. She went on to point out how much money I was spending, when I should be saving it for school, bills, gas, etc. "What's so great about having your ears blasted by too-loud noise?" she asked.

"That's why I where earplugs, Mom," I replied. "Besides, asking me why I like going to concerts is like me asking you why you watch movies. It's because you like to be entertained. Well, concerts are my entertainment. When I'm stressed out, I go to a gig. When you're stressed out, you watch 'Jaws'."

She finally sighed and said she still didn't get it. Oh well.

On the schedule:
Nov. 3 - Library Voices and Paper Lions @ Lo Pub
Nov. 4 - The Pack A.D. and Sit Down Tracy @ The Royal Albert
Nov. 7 - Quinzy @ the Academy
Nov. 10 - Melissa McClelland @ the West End Cultural Centre
Nov. 12 - Arkells with The Novaks @ the Pyramid
Nov. 13 - Sons of York @ the Park Theatre
Nov. 14 - Amelia Curran @ the West End Cultural Centre
Nov. 15 - Stone Temple Pilots @ the MTS Centre
Nov. 18 - The Trews @ the West End Cultural Centre
Nov. 21 - Matthew Good @ the Burton Cummings Theatre