merge magazine may 2011
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MATT LANDRY & THE DRYLAND BANDWITH THE UNIQUE BLEND OF INSTRUMENTS, AND LANDRY’S DISTINCTIVE VOCALS, IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT THE DRYLAND BAND IS ON IT’S WAY TO THE TOP.
VOLUME 2 // ISSUE 1 // MAY 2011
3
Thanks to Art Angielski, General
Manager of Sherwood Park
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Sherree Elm
EDITOR IN CHIEFSherree Elm
ASSISTING EDITORKristen Wagner
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Carrie Mayhew
PHOTOGRAPHYLarissa MackNicole AshleyDaniel Wood
WEBCam Linke
CONTRIBUTORS:
Megan Sarrazin, Collin Davies, Kristen Wagner, Dave Falk, Danielle Paradis, Teresa Fisher, Lindsay Holman, Sarah Kmiech, Devon Bryce, Krista D. Ball, Paula Kirman, Trent Wilkie
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Sherwood Park Toyota, Coventry Homes, Boonstock, Axe Productions, Culina Muttart, Yellowhead Brewery, Utopia Music Festival
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Copyright © 2011 Merge Magazine. All rights reserved.
B U S I N E S S
06 // Making it Big behind the Scene: Colin Kobza
08 // Local Brew
N O W
10 // Surviving as a Musician in Edmonton
A W A R N E S S
12 // Keyboards for Kids
N E T W O R K S
14 // Social Media for the Musician
M U S I C
16 // The Dryland Band
20 // Yes Nice
24 // Oddball Productions:
Rock Star 101
26 // Jon Backett...
Axe Productions:
28 // Long Way Down
30 // Holden Daniels
32 // Sounds of Success
R E V I E W
34 // Culina
36 // Live Music Venues
E V E N T S
41 // Utopia Music Festival
42 // Sounds of Spring
43 // Festival Showcases the
versitlity of Jazz
44 // Rock the Square
46 // Event Calendar
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C O N T E N T
A life in music is something many people aspire to: to
have sold-out crowds in attendance, to make money
off your passion and ultimately, to love what you do.
This type of lifestyle seems an unlikely future for a non-musician.
But for Colin Kobza, a lack of musical skill is a detail that doesn’t
really matter.
Kobza, president of Boonstock Productions and founder of the
Boonstock Music Festival, was able to make a full-time career in
music without being a musician.
He was a hockey player and music was simply something he
listened to and caught at the odd show. But now, it is a full-time
gig that keeps him busier than ever.
“I guess the first Boonstock was in 2005, but I did have a really
big barn party in my dad’s barn,” says Kobza. “I loved throwing
parties and that party was a success.”
“We had cars lined up down to the highway and my dad didn’t
understand what was going on. He was like, ‘You know what’s
going on? This is a bigger party than you said it would be,’”
Kobza laughs.
That party, the predecessor of the Boonstock we know today,
featured just three local bands. The crowd topped out at around
160 people, which was a raging success for a relatively small-
scale barn party with a stage made of hay bales.
“I did not think it was going to continue. We did it the first year
and I was like, ‘Well, it was kind of fun,’” says Kobza.
Since then, the fun has grown and the festival has blossomed
into a massive attraction, bringing in top-charting bands to play
for thousands of festival attendees.
Boonstock is currently gearing up for its sixth consecutive year-
a year Kobza believes will be better than ever before, featuring
a solid line-up of rock acts as well as electronic superstars like
Steve Aoki and Edmonton’s Shout Out Out Out Out.
The 31-year-old entrepreneur that never anticipated a future in
music is now focused on making Boonstock the largest music
festival in western Canada.
But before the event could blossom into the success it is today,
there were some hurdles to overcome.
The event, held in Gibbons, AB, falls under the jurisdiction of
Sturgeon County and since nothing like this had ever happened
in the county, the quest to obtain the appropriate permits and
licenses was a “learning curve” for both Kobza and council.
Despite the potential shutdown of the event, Sturgeon County
pulled through. Kobza adds, “They believed in the event and
they believed that we were hosting the event properly.”
“It’s been really good, but it’s been hard,” says Kobza.“ Just like
any business, you have growing pains and you have a dream
and you have a vision. And you know, there have been a couple
tough years where . . . it got a little bit challenging to keep the
event going,” he adds.
Overcoming the challenges may not have been easy, but the
hard work has sure paid off for Kobza. With the success of
Boonstock, other ventures in the music business have presented
themselves. But he is hesitant to move beyond what he knows.
“JUST LIKE ANY BUSINESS, YOU HAVE GROWING PAINS AND YOU HAVE A DREAM AND YOU HAVE A VISION.”
“I’ve had a couple bands ask if I’d like to manage or promote
them as well, but it’s really, really tough to break [out],” said
Kobza. “I’m really blessed to have Boonstock break like this.”
With the dedication of a select few people and the hands of
close to 300 generous volunteers, Boonstock has stumbled into
success, growing in popularity each year.
“I can take credit for the idea, but I can’t take all the credit for
putting on the festival. There are so many people that come
together” to make Boonstock a success, said Kobza.
“It’s pretty amazing how people can be,” he added, regarding
the hard work of volunteers throughout the three-day festival.
Although he is happy with the way things have turned out,
Kobza isn’t stopping there. He is currently in the midst of putting
together another company with his fiancée.
“We’re just putting together another company, just for something
else to fall back on,” said Kobza. “We believe that Boonstock is
going to last for a long time if we put our time and efforts to keep
it exciting.”
Perhaps this time and effort will help him reach the goal of
becoming the largest festival as well as perhaps one day having
The Tragically Hip or The Rolling Stones dance across the
Boonstock stage.
MAKING IT BIG BEHIND THE SCENE: COLIN KOBZASTORY: MEGAN SARRAZINPHOTO: DANIEL WOOD
BU S I N E S S
6 7
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Instead I find Scott Harris. He is average height and looks
trim in a green dress shirt with tan slacks. He surprises
me even more by telling me he used to be a ballet dancer,
the first soloist at the national theatre in Munich, Germany. He
made the unlikely career transition to brewmaster almost by
chance. “As my [ballet] career came to an end, I was looking
for something to do. Having a beer at the time, and I looked at
it and thought, why not?”
He trained at Doemen’s Academy in Germany, where he learned
about the brewing trade. “After that I was working at a number
of breweries around Germany, and eventually I was picked up by
the royal family of Bavaria to brew in their brewery,” Harris says. “I
learned so much from the old masters…it was the time of my life.”
Although he has traveled through most of Europe, Harris is
originally from Edmonton, and he had always wanted to build a
brewery in Alberta. “I at first thought [I would build] in the Banff/
Canmore area but I ran into trouble with the investors. So I went
out to Toronto to work for the Steam Whistle Brewery and I
came back one time [to Edmonton] for a holiday and I walked by
this building and saw that the equipment was still here…I found
the owner and phoned him up and said look, I can’t afford to
buy this thing but I can certainly set it up and get it running for
you.” The name of the brewery is a nod to the former brewing
company Edmonton Brewing and Malting—they created a beer
that was named Yellowhead.
“I THINK THE BEER REALLY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. PEOPLE TRY THE BEER AND THEY LIKE IT.”
Harris seems comfortable in the business of the Alberta beer
market. Although many people say the Alberta brew business
is tough to break into, Harris says having a good plan and
experience in the field are both key. As for sales,“We seem to be
doing quite well. I think the beer really speaks for itself. People
try the beer and they like it,” says Harris.
What many people who get into the beer making industry lack is
experience, but Harris feels pretty confident that his background
has given him a step-up. “Being around the block a lot I could see
what worked and what didn’t work. The keg contract is where
you have to focus your efforts in the beginning. It’s easier to put
the beer into a keg than a bottle.” Harris also sells his beer in local
restaurants, including the Culinas and the Blue Plate Diner.
The Yellowhead Brewery sits resplendently in its downtown
headquarters, in the historic H.V Shaw building. Originally a
cigar stand, the building was renovated by Edmonton architect
Gene Dub, and it became the Maverick Brewing Company
from 2007-2009.
The renovation created a building that is a mixture of historic and
contemporary. On the south façade the historic signage is still
visible, and large glass windows allow you to look in onto large
stainless steel cylinders, the lager tanks. The windows also give
employees a good view of passers-by: “Sometimes a couple will
walk by and the woman will have to pull the guy away from the
window,” says one employee.
The Yellowhead Brewery also has a feature that most micro-
breweries don’t—a beautifully decorated special events room
complete with a stage and exposed brick walls. “I think it is a
great addition to the brewery,” says Harris, “and [the space] is a
great addition to the community as well. We like to do charitable
work, fundraisers, and of course private parties.”
I can’t resist asking for a tour of the facility—they gladly give
tours, and you can walk in or call ahead if you would like to look
around yourself. Harris takes me through the basement, where
the malt grains are currently stored. There are two types of
malt and I crunch on them while Harris explains the beer making
process, and leads me around the brewery equipment.
I’m a novice when it comes to beer, but he is very patient when
explaining the process. The most memorable information I carry
out of the brewery was the knowledge that it takes three sips to
properly assess a new beer. My first three sips of the Yellowhead
Lager introduce me to a beer that is creamy with a definite hint
of hops. Seasoned beer drinkers will appreciate the naturally
carbonated beverage, as it goes down easier than the artificially
carbonated brews of the larger companies.
Currently Yellowhead makes only one type of brew, but they
are planning on expanding their repertoire in the future. What
Yellowhead may lack in selection, it makes up for with the
care and skill with which each bottle is crafted. At Yellowhead
Brewery, the secret ingredient might just be love.
CRAFTING THE
PERFECT LOCAL BREWSTORY: DANIELLE PARADIS
PHOTO: LARISSA MACK
WHEN I WENT TO MEET THE BREWMASTER OF YELLOWHEAD
BREWERY, I WAS EXPECTING TO FIND WHAT FIT MY IDEA OF
A STEREOTYPICAL BREWMASTER—A MAN WITH A BIG RED,
RUDDY FACE AND, OF COURSE, A BEER BELLY.
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While the Edmonton music scene is far away from the glitz and glamour of large scale production that draws many people to places like Vancouver or Toronto, the Festival City has a thriving arts community and is a well established incubator for new musicians.There is enough local interest in live music to make the dream of paying the bills by making music a reality.
A musician’s life in Edmonton can be very fulfilling. There is a lot
of interest in local and indie bands and there are radio stations,
both independent and commercial, that are working with the
local music scene to get the music out there.
To gain perspective on what it’s like to be a musician living in
the Festival City, I talked to local musicians Carol-Lynne Quinn,
Jenesse Graling and Brittany Graling.
Quinn is the vocalist for the local soul/rock band Rend, and for
the cover band Oil City Sound Machine. She also holds a day
job at her old alma mater, Grant MacEwan University, where she
spends her days in one-on-one lessons through MacEwan’s
outreach program. She spends her nights gigging with her two
bands. “[Oil City Sound Machine] did the Grey Cup, the Indy,
and a lot of corporate events. My original band [Rend] is fairly
new….about a year old,” she says. She also writes lyrics and
composes music for Rend.
Sisters Jenesse and Brittany Graling are the co-frontwomen of
the local indie band Sister Gray. Sister Gray is about two years old
and has already experienced some big successes. They were the
Sonic Band of the Month in February, and they gig almost every
weekend. The band is also working on its second album.
Between them, Jenesse and Brittany have over twenty years of
performing experience. The sisters have been making music as
a duet for about twelve years. As children they tried everything
from classical to country to rock. They formed Sister Gray through
connections made during their time in the music program at
Grant MacEwan. Their bandmates—Kurtis Schultz (drums), Ajay
Paterson (bass) and Mike Morrisseau (guitar) are friends as well as
co-workers. “We all spend a lot of time together,” says Brittany.
The two ladies also teach music as a day job. “I want to always
work with music,” says Jenesse. “For me, it makes sense
because I have put so much time into my craft. It’s like a doctor
going to med school.”
It’s helpful to have a career in the music business as a job that
pays the bills because they have found that the parents of
their pupils are very understanding when it comes to having to
reschedual students for the lessons missed while the girls are
gigging or on tour. “I’ve actually had parents say, ‘Look, I saw you
in the newspaper,’ and they’ll bring me a clipping,” says Brittany
with a laugh. “They are always really great.” Of course, the sisters
would still like to one day be able to make Sister Gray their official
money maker.
Neither the Gralings nor Quinn is living the life of the tortured,
starving musician. Quinn also loves teaching vocals—“Everything
I do is music,” she says with a laugh. While Quinn loves teaching,
performing is her passion. “Because I’m the writer I get to say
things with my message. It’s not just ‘Oh baby, baby,’ you know?”
She strives for substance in her music, “I want those kids out
there to know that times get hard. But there’s still love out there
and it’s going to get better.”
Her long-term goals for Rend are well-thought-out and realistic.
“We are releasing a CD this year, and I’d like to one day sustain
a living. I don’t want to be the next Lady Gaga,” says Quinn.
A part of the reason why becoming a musician in Edmonton is
a more viable option now than it was in the past is because it’s
easier than ever before to distribute your music. “Back in the day
you would have to spend a lot of time touring,” says Quinn. But
now, “With the technology out there like MySpace, Twitter, and
YouTube you can do it all from Edmonton.”
Jenesse agrees with Quinn’s assessment that people are less
dependent on record labels than ever before. “My opinion is that
fewer people are signing with the big record labels, and there
are more groups of musicians forming their own label or working
out there by themselves.” Brittany nods, adding, “Still though,
if a record label came knocking, I don’t think a lot of people are
going to say no.”
Jenesse mentions Bandcamp, a site for musicians to distribute
their music with no middle man to eat up the funds. She says
this is how she would like to release Sister Gray’s next album.
On Bandcamp, there’s an option to let your fans pay how much
they feel the music is worth.“Sometimes you make more money
than you would with an album or iTunes,” Jenesse says.
While there are many opportunities in bigger centres, the benefits
don’t always outweigh the sacrifices. “A lot of people think you
have to move to Toronto because the music scene is bigger, and
it is, but there’s also more competition,” Quinn says. She has
also noticed that because Edmonton is smaller, there’s a greater
sense of community among musicians. A lot of cross-promotion
happens between bands in Edmonton: “I’m always going out to
someone’s show,” Quinn says.
Networking is important in moving forward in the music scene.
The sisters say that speaking with promoters is important if
you want to move forward. Brittany says that the key is to be
nice. “I’ve heard that other people have had problems with a
promoter and I’m surprised because they have always been
nice to me.” Jenesse adds that sometimes, “Some of the people
the promoters have to deal with are difficult.” A key element to
success is to be professional, and play nice with those who can
help you.
It takes passion and perseverance to be successful as a musician
in Edmonton. But a whole community of people is out there that
wants you to succeed and there are organizations to help foster
the tradition of great music coming out of Edmonton.
N OW
SURVIVING AS A MUSICIAN IN EDMONTON
STORY: DANIELLE PARADIS
Sister Grey
Carol-Lynne Quinn
12 13
When I was younger, some friends kindly gave my family
their old piano. It was huge, dark brown, sat in the corner of the
living room, and had a few keys that played two notes at the same
time. Because of this free piano, regardless of its condition, my
parents were able to put me into piano lessons where I learned
chords, scales, flats and sharps.
While I fully realize how lucky I was to have been introduced to
music at a young age, I’ve never fully recognized the value in
the gift of the piano and in the lessons themselves until now. If I
was never given that piano, I would never have learned all about
the bass and treble clef, and my appreciation for music may not
be what it is today.
I was lucky with this free piano. But for many children, a piano
and lessons are not an option. When money is tight, musical in-
struments and music lessons take a back seat to rent, food and
winter boots. This is where Keyboards for Kids comes into play.
When money is tight, musical instruments and music lessons take a back seat to rent, food and winter boots.This is where Keyboards for Kids comes into play.
The Keyboards for Kids program has taught hundreds of children
in Edmonton the art of playing the piano, for free. Keyboards for
Kids is run out of Mother Teresa Elementary School and is part
of the Edmonton Inner City Children’s Program (EICCP), a not-
for-profit organization that provides recreational and educational
activities for children within Edmonton’s inner city.
For almost 35 years Pat Frehlich has been teaching piano
lessons out of her studio in Sherwood Park. Back in 1999,
Frehlich was approached by Doris Weiss, the program
coordinator of EICCP at the time, and was asked how she felt
about starting up a free program in which children were able to
learn the piano by a credible teacher from the Alberta Registered
Music Teacher Association.
“Needless to say the idea of it interested me,” Frehlich says,
“but, the first plan was to see if there was an interest in it.”
After sending out letters to parents at the school regarding the
program, Frehlich was shocked at the response. “To my delight and
surprise, about 30 children said they were interested,” she exclaims.
In the beginning things were a little difficult, as there were only a
few volunteers and no pianos for the children to learn on.
“We had nothing,” Frehlich says. “No instruments, no keyboards.
We made cardboard keyboards with just pictures of keys on
them.” (Suddenly my old dark piano with dual key tones seems
like a majestic grand piano.)
With help from the Alberta Music Education Foundation, the
EICCP, and donations from the community, Keyboards for
Kids was given music to learn and keyboards for the children
to take home and practice on. They have partnered up with
AWA R N E S S
Keyboards For
STORY: SARAH KMIECHPHOTO: NICOLE ASHLEY
Pat Frehlich
Conservatory Canada, which gives students the opportunity to
take their piano exams for free. There are even scholarships for
students from the Keyboards for Kids program available from the
Alberta Music Education Foundation for children to carry on for
one year with private lessons.
Keyboards for Kids has approximately 26 participants this
school year, taught by five volunteer piano teachers. Lessons
are available for children in grades three to six, and are held
once a week during the school lunch hour. Without such great
cooperation from Mother Teresa School, the program would not
be as successful as it is, Frehlich acknowledges.
The popularity of Keyboards for Kids has grown around the
province, with one program in Calgary and two in Red Deer.
Frehlich hopes to see it continue to expand to more locations
and grow beyond what it is today.
“If I could dream the dream, I would have enough volunteers
to teach into high school,” she says. “That’s really substantial,
because you can have that for the rest of your life.”
That big old piano in my parents’ living room is now gone, but
as Frehlich says, the appreciation I have for it, and for music, will
stick with me forever.
If you are interested in volunteering for Keyboards for Kids,
contact the Alberta Music Education Foundation at info@amef.
ca. Schools who want to participate in Keyboards for Kids can
also contact the AMEF. Students at Mother Teresa can register
within the school.
Kids GIVES THE GIFT OF MUSIC
N E T WO R K S
Graling emphasizes the importance of using social
networking as a point of connection with fans, and
not just a way to disseminate information. “You’ll see
some people that have so many people ‘like’ them on
Facebook, but you’ll go to a show and it won’t be the
same kind of turnout,” she says. “But what we try to do,
is when we see someone write on our wall or something
like that, we try to interact with them as well. We try to
actually connect with that person.”
And that’s where the crucial link between social and
traditional networking comes in. Despite the fact that he
is not a musician himself, Brown realizes the importance
of live interaction to selling a band. “As important as
Facebook and Twitter are, to try and build your audience
you still need to talk to people face-to-face,” he says.
“If you’re putting yourself out there, talking to people,
I think that still is more effective than mass spamming
people with events. Not to downplay the importance of
[social media], but it’s still important to do both, social
networking and networking in person.”
Graling adds that it’s important to use social media as
a complement to traditional networking, and not as the
primary means of getting your message out.“The nice
thing about Facebook now is you don’t have to hand out
handbills face-to-face for your show as much,” she says.
“You can actually promote your show on Facebook,
then at your show you can talk to people and you can
network.They’re both still important. You still have to go
out there and you have to network and meet people, but
it’s almost a little bit easier to keep up with them if they’re
your friend on Facebook.”
Social media can make it easier to keep track of bands
you’re interested in. But it can also be overwhelming—it
makes clear exactly how much music is out there, as
opposed to the days when word of mouth, websites
and traditional media were the only ways of finding
independent musicians.
As social networking tools become more and more prevalent, it’s easy to wonder if good old-fashioned face-to-face networking has fallen by the wayside. But for unsigned bands trying to gain a following in a large centre like Edmonton, becoming network-savvy in both real and virtual life is a definite asset.
The advent of social media has created a very different
world for self-marketing musicians. “With something like
Facebook or Twitter, you can instantly check out a band,
see what they’re about, watch videos of them, listen to
music, check out their blog, things like that,” says Brown.
“Facebook shows the diversity that’s out there in the
Edmonton scene, from hip hop to alternative to rock.”
Brown says he started the Facebook group a couple
of years ago to help a friend’s band find resources like
venues and promoters. Although the group remains an
important resource for many musicians and fans involved
in the Edmonton scene, Brown says he doesn’t need to
put as much work into the group as he once did.
“I used to send out mass messages every Thursday, of
show and event listings, but I’ve cut that back,” Brown
says. “I was doing that at a time before people fully started
to embrace Facebook for promoting themselves. Now,
every band can have their own fan page, and they create
their own events, making the message that I was sending
out a bit redundant. I do still send out mass messages
if there’s someone putting on an event and they need
bands, or if someone is looking for a musician.”
The ubiquity of Facebook puts it at risk of becoming stale,
making other avenues of social media essential for catching
and holding the attention of music fans. For example,
Graling says she has started incorporating video blogs. “I
think they’re such a great way to communicate, and such
a great way to connect. Sometimes written words can
be taken in different ways, but if you’re physically saying
something to someone it can only be really taken one way.”
Social Media For Musicians
Kristen Wagner
Nathan Brown is the creator of the Edmonton Music
Scene Facebook group, which now boasts almost 2000
members. He says a Facebook and Twitter presence is
crucial to establishing a fan base. “It’s very vital for fan
interaction. If people have questions about shows you can
have it set up so you can respond right away,” he says.
“It’s very vital for the future of bands and the indie scene.”
Jenesse Graling, singer for the local indie band Sister
Gray, agrees. “Social media is one of the number one
things you can do as a band these days to promote
yourself and connect with your fans.”
She says her band uses social media to maintain a
relationship with their fans. “I take it really seriously,”
Graling says. “I’m always the one backstage at our
shows, taking pictures and putting them up on Twitter,
and keeping people updated.”
Brown sees podcasts as the up-and-coming resource for
networking-savvy musicians. “They seem to be becoming
more and more common,” he says. “JamUnion Podcast is
really focused on the Edmonton music scene.”
However, the increased exposure that social media can
bring to a band sometimes comes at a cost. “I was
watching a bunch of Garbage and Cranberries videos
on YouTube, and I was thinking, no one got that inside
look of them on the road,” Graling reflects. “That was a
bit of the appeal, the mystery. You never really got a big
glimpse into Shirley Manson, and she was kinda sexy for it.
So sometimes you lose some of the mystique.”
“Even in the last year or two [social media] has really
changed the way artists are seen. It’s a lot more
personal now.”
Nonetheless, social media is here to stay, and as it
evolves it introduces new tools and opportunities for
musicians to share their art with the world. “It’s the way
things are going,” Graling says. “And I definitely want to
be a part of it.”
“Social media is one of the number one things you can do as a band these days to promote yourself and connect with your fans.”
Join the Edmonton Music Scene
Designed to celebrate the music scene that is in Edmonton,
this is a place dedicated to local music and the promotion
of bands in the Edmonton area. If you know a band, are in
a band, or just love music feel free to post upcoming shows
and introduce bands around Edmonton.
www.edmontonmusic.ca/musicians
1514
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When two local musicians set out across the country on a
co-headlining tour in support of their solo acts, there was no
intention of birthing a new partnership.
Rather, the coming together of this five-piece folk-rock ensemble
happened as a “big accident,” according to guitarist Cody Nouta.
Matt Landry and the Dryland Band came into creation when
vocalist and guitarist Matt Landry stumbled upon djembe player
Alain Arseneau at Boonstock.
“I heard him playing, so I ran over and just started jamming with
him and basically, it started then,” says Landry.
Landry and Arseneau then paired up with Nouta to share their
individual talents with Canada. Since then, two more members
have joined on, strengthening the group and adding to its
diversity and complexity.
“[Matt] brought a djembe player around, Alain Arseneau,
who played djembe with the both of us and we went across
the country and started learning each other’s songs and just
became a lot better friends,” says Nouta. “By the end of it, we
were pretty much just playing one set as a three piece.”
The tour took the trio to Ontario and Quebec, where they played
a few gigs together, with the addition of Alain’s brother, Sylvain
Arseneau, who Nouta describes as an “amazing sax player.”
In fact, Sylvain was so amazing he was urged to quit his job,
move back to Alberta and become a permanent member of
the band. Rounding out the group is classical violin player John
Calverley, who has experience performing with the Strathcona
String Quartet and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
M U S I C
THE DRYLAND BAND
“ A REFRESHING AND UNIQUE SOUND ”
17
STORY: MEGAN SARRAZINPHOTO: DANIEL WOOD
16
18 19
“I didn’t plan on having a full band. I was just thinking of doing a solo
thing and it just so happens that these guys are great musicians,
great guys, so, no point in kicking them out,” laughs Landry.
For almost two years, the experienced members have been hard
at work establishing a sound that naturally sets the band apart
from anything they have done previously as well as anything else
in the local music scene.
With the diversity of instruments—from the typical acoustic guitar
to a more classical blend of violin and alto saxophone to the
unique addition of the djembe, an African hand drum—it is no
surprise that the description of “folk rock with a hint of blues and
a little bit of country” doesn’t always cut it.
Each member is accustomed to playing different genres. Between
the five members, there is experience playing folk, hard rock,
metal, blues, punk, orchestral and jazz.
With the unique blend of instruments, Landry’s distinctive vocals
and the evident chemistry between members, it is no surprise
that many preconceptions tend to fall by the wayside once you
press play.
“We kind of went out of our way to steer clear of everything we’ve
done in the past,” says Nouta, who has played in bands like The
Casanova Playboys and Cody Nouta’s Funeral as well as with
chart toppers like the Kings of Leon and Matthew Good. “We’re
totally different than everything you would expect,” he adds.
Landry, who is largely known for his previous role as the longtime
frontman of local rock group Tupelo Honey, seems to sway from a
harder rock sound to a softer, more expressive vibe—something
that’s second nature for him.
“It’s what I’ve been doing since before Tupelo Honey and it’s what
I want to be doing,” says Landry. “It’s a completely different style.
It’s a completely different feel. It’s very relaxed, not so business-
oriented. It’s just where I want to be. I’m just very, very happy and
content here,” he says.
Many would imagine a band that incorporates violin, saxophone
and djembe to be a quieter experience. This may prove to be true
in most cases, but don’t let that fool you—this band still knows how
to rock.
“If you come see us live, we’re not a bunch of saps singing some
love songs. It’s pretty intense,” says Nouta. “It’s not drum, bass
and guitar and some guy screaming into a microphone. It’s really
easy to listen to.”
MANY WOULD IMAGINE A BAND THAT INCORPORATES VIOLIN, SAXOPHONE AND DJEMBE TO BE A QUIETER EXPERIENCE. BUT DON’T LET THAT FOOL YOU—THIS BAND STILL KNOWS HOW TO ROCK.
Although Matt Landry and the Dryland Band has been in the
studio preparing for its debut album to drop, the band isn’t
doing too much else, as the members want to stay focused on
the task at hand.
“We’re trying to keep a little bit of a low profile because we are
writing and recording and trying to get all this stuff put together,
so we’re trying to focus on the creativity part of it,” explains Nouta.
Although this may come at the disappointment of fans and
consumers, the wait will surely be worth it when the expected
album comes out in the fall.
In efforts to ease some of the anticipation and to feed hungry
fans, the band has uploaded two of its ballad-type tracks to its
MySpace page. But the ballads aren’t necessary representative
of all the band does. “We’ve got some jammy songs too, some
upbeat, danceable songs,” Landry says.
Nouta remains tight-lipped as to whether or not any more
songs will be uploaded prior to the release hitting shelves, but
he assures fans that new material will be played at upcoming
shows, including the band’s second annual performance at
the Boonstock Music Festival in Gibbons, AB on July 2. A few
smaller gigs are booked across the country, but unfortunately,
nothing else has been scheduled in Edmonton as of yet.
For a band just finishing its second year together, Matt Landry
and The Dryland Band has done fairly well for itself.
The band hasn’t had a particularly dominant presence in the
music scene in Edmonton yet, but it has been steadily gaining
fans and attention.
“We’re doing very well for the length of time we’ve been around
and the amount of shows—we really haven’t done too, too
much, but we’ve gained a lot of notoriety in the city,” says Nouta.
Both Landry and Nouta agree that much of this attention comes
from the original qualities that the band brings to the table,
ultimately producing a refreshing and unique sound sure to
please the senses.
Alain ArseneauSylvain ArseneauCody Nouta John Calverley
Matt Landry
20 21
W ith a polished, full-bodied and charismatic sound,
Yes Nice stands out in a sea of emerging indie bands.
But it’s not just the music that makes Yes Nice
unique; the band members have relationships with each other
that go beyond professional or artistic, and the familiarity shows.
All-instrumentalist Jillian McKellar says it best: “We have the family
dynamic: brother, sister, husband, wife.There’s something special
that goes on when we are all together.”
Jillian married lead vocalist Scott McKellar in August 2010. The
two had known each other for a number of years, as Jillian’s older
brother, Nathaniel Wong, another lead vocalist, met Scott over
ten years ago at a youth group. “I had always been the little sister
who had a crush on the rock star best friend,” says Jillian, smiling
at Scott.
The McKellars and I sit on a set of mismatched couches in Jax
Bean Stop Coffee & Bistro in the north end of Edmonton. Hooka
smoke hangs in the air and the sound of chatter surrounds us as
we talk about the band’s past achievements, present projects and
future aspirations.
Between a latte, a London fog and a mango smoothie sits
Nathaniel—with the help of an iPhone he joins our conversation
from Vancouver, where he is currently completing an art degree
at Simon Fraser University. Nathaniel describes Yes Nice’s sound
as having a “polyphonic, very layered approach to filling out a
simple song structure. We like to go to town on arranging a
simple song for a big sound. We try to emulate orchestral or
symphonic qualities.”
Singer/guitarist Darren Frank and drummer Peter Hendrickson
aren’t able to attend the meeting, but Nathaniel describes them
as “totally rad dudes.” Peter, who plays for other local musicians,
including Colleen Brown, jumped at the opportunity to play
drums for Yes Nice. “It was an instant, instant click,” remarks
Scott. Darren pursues solo projects when not playing with the
band. Jillian says the five members have a “very comfortable
vibe” together.
The band released their third album, Blindfolded, in 2009,
following two self-titled releases. Blindfolded appeared only a year
after Scott and Nathaniel punched out their very first CD. “We just
sat down one week and decided to write one song every single
day until we had an album,” says Scott. “It helped show us what
we could do.”
A second release, a self-titled EP, followed soon after. It contains
five songs and a number of interludes. “We wanted something
that showcased the music that we were performing,” says Jillian.
Blindfolded has been acclaimed by critics, and has received
considerable alternative radio play in Vancouver, where the band
lived at the time. But the band admits the album was completed
before any of them truly understood the business behind the art.
“We really didn’t know the business side of things,” says Scott. “We
made an album and said, well we’re done, now what do we do?”
They sent the album out to various radio stations, one of them
being Vancouver’s The Peak. The producers at The Peak liked the
album so much, that they encouraged the band to apply for the
station’s 2010 Peak Performance Project.
Jillian describes the Peak Performance Project as “pretty intensive.”
Yes Nice was one of 20 bands to be accepted into the program.
Over several months, all the bands involved went through a
boot camp of sorts, participating in challenges, performing in the
Vancouver area, facing adjudications and learning how to make
it as a band in today’s music industry. The project also taught the
band business sense, marketing and how to use social networks.
Jillian says the whole process was an eye-opener, and has helped
the band to navigate their way through the industry.
But she is confident that the band has become a lot more
business-savvy as a result. “Three years ago, we were working
on the substance of the band. After The Peak Performance
Project, it was all about establishing a foundation for a career.”
“YES NICE’S UNIQUE SOUND AND BUSINESS SENSE WILL SURELY TAKE THEM TO THE NEXT LEVEL.”
From the tabletop, Nathaniel elaborates on how the knowledge
they gained is invaluable. “There are two different ways that
bands are forming these days. One is that they’re really good
and they get recognized on their artistic merit. And then there
are other bands that work really hard, and they don’t necessarily
have to be that good. They’re good business people, and artistic
merit comes in a distant second.” Yes Nice’s unique sound and
business sense will surely take them to the next level.
With the help of FluidArt, a Vancouver artist management
company, the band has expanded their social networking and
are learning how to promote themselves on the web. They also
recently completed a music video for the song “Horses” from the
Blindfolded album. Filmed by Emily Carr University students in Lynn
Canyon, B.C., the video is a testament to the band’s playful spirit.
A second music video is for a song called “We’ll Call it Home,”
which will appear on the band’s new album, is set to be released
online this spring. Nathaniel jokes that the video was finished
before the song was. “It’s kind of a funny process, shooting a
music video and then writing a song for it.”
The band is currently planning their summer schedule. They hope
to play the festival circuit, and are currently coordinating shows
with promoters. In the mean time, they’re focusing on writing
and recording for their new album, which will hopefully be out by
June. Scott and Nathaniel recently embarked on another intensive
week of songwriting. Scott said that some of the songs that were
conceived during that time will be included on the next album.
The new album will show the band’s evolution while retaining
the distinctive Yes Nice sound. “Our new demos sound quite
different,” Scott says. “We are exploring.” The band’s stringed
harmonies and layers of sound will remain in the new album,
but certain elements may be added. Scott mentions the
possibility of synthesizers.
“Music can have a predictability to it, and it’s really nice to the ear,”
adds Jillian. “But also it takes a further element of unpredictability
that is unexpected, and is comfortable but uncomfortable at the
same time.”
Yes Nice On The Rise
-Lindsay Holman
YES NICE Left to Right:
Peter Hendrickson,
Nathaniel Wong,
Jillian Mckellar.
Scott Mckellar,
Darren FrankSTORY: LINDSAY HOLMAN
22 23
ODDBALL PRODUCTIONSSTORY: KRISTEN WAGNER
You’re in a band and you’ve just spent your life savings recording
a CD. Your music is great, but you have no idea how to let people
know about you, or how to recoup the money you’ve invested.
This is where Oddball Productions comes in.
Oddball is a combination independent record label and consulting
company. It enables musicians to take their careers into their own
hands by giving them the tools they need to manoeuvre within the
music industry.
“It is called the music ‘business,’ the music ‘industry,’ and
unfortunately there’s always been that divide,” says Danny
Fournier, Oddball’s marketing and development manager. “There’s
a portion of it that’s the music, and that’s the artist, and there’s a
portion of it that’s business. And an artist that can combine those
two can create so much more for themselves and have so much
more control over what they’re doing, and I think that can really
build a strong career.”
Oddball’s consulting service works with independent bands to
help them reach the next level in their career, whether that’s
a deal with a major record label, or the ability to play music
full-time in local clubs. Oddball also runs a series of “Rockstar
101” workshops, which focus on a variety of subjects, including
marketing and setting goals.
Learning these skills gives artists a greater chance for survival in
an industry that is increasingly do-it-yourself. “The music industry
has changed so much. Record labels still have their place, and
they still do a lot for artists, but not as much as they used to,”
Fournier says. “There’s so much potential for an independent artist
to actually create their own career, to create their own business.
But they have to know how to do that, and I think that’s where
the disconnect is. A lot of musicians don’t know anything about
accounting, about financing, about marketing, about promotion.”
Fournier has a unique perspective on music marketing. He has
worked for both BMG Music and Proctor and Gamble, and he
noticed marketing ties between the two companies despite the
disparity in their products. “I’ve taken a lot of stuff I learned when
[Proctor and Gamble was] launching a product and applied it to
a band when they’re releasing a CD,” Fournier says. “And when
I was with BMG I saw the same thing. Whenever we had a CD
release for a major artist, I saw them doing the exact same stuff
as I saw in my short time with Proctor and Gamble.”
“In the end a CD is a product, and that’s a big part of what I try to
get across to the artist.”
Understanding the mechanics of the music industry helps people
on all levels of the music industry, from major label executives to
fans. Oddball helps to make musicians more business-savvy and
easier for talent buyers to work with, thereby fostering a more
cohesive music community.
The goodwill between artists and venues is also instrumental in
strengthening Edmonton’s music community as a whole. The
music community may not be as large as Vancouver or Toronto,
but Fournier says Edmonton has a lot to offer artists. “We have
such a strong community,” he says. “It’s just a matter of finding it,
and it’s a matter of using it, and a matter of working with it, and at
the same time contributing back to it.”
Recently, Oddball hosted the first annual Edmonton Music Awards,
an event that Fournier calls a “huge catalyst” for uniting the local
music community. “The main goal [of the EMAs] was to bring
attention to the artists of Edmonton,” he says. “I got introduced
to artists that I never even knew existed in the city, and the same
could be said for some of the artists.”
The EMAs, held over two nights at Haven Social Club, were
completely sold out. Next year’s awards will be held at Myer
Horowitz Theatre in order to accommodate more music fans.
With such a large turnout, the EMAs presented a great
opportunity for musicians to network, and word of mouth is a
huge part of marketing. Having fans who will direct other potential
fans towards your music is a huge asset for an independent
band. “When you think about the music you listen to, chances
are it wasn’t that artist who sent you an email saying, ‘Hey, check
out my group on MySpace,’” Fournier says. He stresses the
advantages of having “taste-makers”-- fans who are champions
of your music, who will spread the word about you, and talk about
you with their friends.
As a particularly educated “taste-maker” for Edmonton, Fournier
has a few favourite bands of his own.
“Jezibelle is a band I’ve been working with for a long time. They’re
one of my favourites just because I’ve watched them grow, and
I’ve watched them take the right steps and build their business
properly,” he says. “It’s four girls playing metal music, and that’s
already a rarity.”
Mars and Venus is another of Fournier’s recommendations.
“They’re probably one of the hardest working local bands,”
Fournier says. “These guys will do whatever it takes to get
something done.”
Shelbi and Heaviside are two more young bands with a lot
of potential. “They’re not trying to be anything, other than
straight-ahead rock bands,” Fournier says. “They’re fun, they’re
energetic, there’s so much passion in both of those bands—I
think there’s going to be so much potential for them in the next
couple of years.”
BEST ALBUMChristian Hansen & The Autistics – SwansFire Next Time – Wild Rose SorrowHot Panda – How Come I’m DeadJeff Morris – Original Songs On A Borrowed GuitarWool On Wolves – Grey Matter
BEST SINGLEJeff Morris – Blue Sky FallsJezibelle – Public DisplayMichelle Molineux – Just Say GoMockteerah –The Long Kiss Good NightThe Weekend Kids – Twenty Something
BEST SOLO ARTIST (TIE)Al BrantCara AlboDouglas MitchellFendercaseJeff MorrisKy Babyn
BEST GROUPChristian Hansen & The AutisticsMass ChoirThe Provincial ArchiveThe Wheat PoolWool On Wolves
BEST FEMALE ARTISTAnn VriendCara AlboColleen BrownDani JeanKayla Patrick
BEST LIVE PERFORMANCE*Acronycal @ The Starlite RoomCara Albo @ Lyve On WhyteDRT @ The Banger At The HangerFire Next Time @ The WunderbarJeff Morris @ Axis CafeJezibelle @ The Taphouse (Alberta’s Last Band Standing)One Way State @ The Pawn ShopRadio For Help @ The Pawn ShopThe Red Threat @ The Avenue TheatreWhite Lightning @ On The Rocks
PEOPLE’S CHOICE*Al BrantCara AlboDRTJeff MorrisJezibelleKayla PatrickKemo TreatsKy BabynMichelle MolineuxThe Red ThreatBEST POP/HIP HOP/DANCE ARTISTCara AlboChristen Hansen & The AutisticsFendercaseKemo TreatsMichelle Molineux
BEST COUNTRY ARTISTAl BrantCorb LundHey RomeoKayla PatrickThe Wheat Pool
BEST ROOTS/FOLK Eamon McGrathFire Next TimeJeff MorrisKy Babyn The Provincial ArchiveWool On Wolves
BEST METAL/HARD ROCK ARTISTDRTHollywood AssassynJezibelleMockteerahOne Soul Thrust
BEST MUSIC VIDEOMockteerah – The Long Kiss GoodnightMy Sister Ocean – Please Don’t Say It’s SoRadio For Help – It’s Not Me, It’s YouSkidoo 32 – Robb AngusThe Weekend Kids – Twenty Something
ARTIST TO WATCH (TIE)*All Else FailsDemon RepublicErica ViegasHeavisideLisa Nicole GraceMars & VenusMarylandMicelliRed Shag CarpetThe Flash JamThe Frolics
* Winners
24 25
NOMINTIONS & WINNERS
26 27
A typical week’s work spans sporting events, large rock shows,
fundraisers and high-end political events. In 1995, Beckett
started Angel Audio to get away from having to rent equipment
he was using as a sound technician. Since then, the company
has grown and Beckett only gets busier. Axe is a full service
rental company that can provide all the staff, equipment, and
production needs for any occasion, including back-line rentals
for touring bands and creative development for shows.
As the events happen constantly, equipment is always on the
move. Showing off the indoor loading docks, Beckett jokes that
Axe is partly a moving company. “When you’re loading vans
in -40, not only are the staff freezing, but it blows a cold wind
though the entire place. You don’t see this in many buildings but
it’s a great benefit.” The company is always busy, regardless of
the season. Even during the recession work didn’t drop off for
the company, he notes. The shows must go on.
Beckett doesn’t spend a lot of time reminiscing about past
events and shows. The company has furnished equipment for a
lot of memorable names—big bands like AC/DC and the Rolling
Stones, as well as well-known figures like former U.S. President
Bill Clinton—but for Beckett it is the event itself that is important.
On the Axe website is a time-lapse video of Rexall Place being
prepared for a rock concert. Viewers can watch every step,
from the floor being covered to the audience coming in, and the
process is fascinating. “There are a lot of details,” he points out,
“and because each event is unique we have a lot of meetings
to make sure everything runs smoothly.” In the week we spoke,
Axe had twelve major shows booked over the following six days.
There is no room for error, and all pieces of equipment are kept
well-maintained and inventoried.
Beckett has a lot of experience working behind the scenes of
the entertainment industry. On one wall of his office, Beckett
has a gold record from the band Wide Mouth Mason as well
as a large poster from their tour of China, for which he was the
tour manager. When he first began working with the band, they
had just broken out with a hit single. Beckett worked with them
for the next ten years, including a two and a half week tour
of China. Every show the band played in China sold out, and
Beckett says the experience was incredible. “They’re just so
fascinated by Western culture there and we were treated so well
everywhere we went.”
Still, Beckett says he doesn’t miss touring or even sound mixing.
“I did it for a long time, and I’m enjoying the new challenges,” he
says, gesturing at his desk. “There is so much to do here that I
don’t have time to miss it.”
Beckett isn’t star-struck by the high-profile personalities his
company furnishes. “It isn’t that glamorous meeting the stars
when you and they are all there to do the job,” he says.
The huge range of events, from the Mayor’s State of the
City Address to the My Chemical Romance concert at the
Edmonton Events Centre keeps Beckett and his team on their
toes. Every year, Axe also handles the needs of YC Alberta, a
youth conference which brings 16,000 teens into Northlands
Coliseum, which is the venue’s second largest event, smaller
only than Capital Ex.
Around the office is evidence of Axe’s charitable connections.
Pictures of sports teams, Food Bank donation bins, and posters
for cancer research head shaves are displayed. Beckett is most
proud of the pictures of children connected to Compassion
Canada, a charity the company supports. Kelly Kimo, owner and
vice president of Axe, says they look forward to covering the
entire wall with pictures of kids they have sponsored.
Both men beam with obvious pride as they discuss giving back
to the community on both a local and international level. Yet
there is still humility to the notion as Beckett points out that
community giving is something that every company should be
involved in. Axe frequently sponsors community events as well,
and will donate a part of their costs in order to be associated
with causes they support. Beckett has worked hard to ensure
the company is doing well, and enjoys that their success means
they can give back to community as a whole.
Jon Beckett...
Axe Productions STORY: DEVON BRYCEPHOTO: DANIEL WOOD
Thirty years ago, Jon Beckett started his career as a sound engineer. Today, he is the owner and operator of Axe Productions, a live event production company with a staff of 16. Axe specializes in large-scale events, but the scope of the shows is what makes them stand out.
28 29
After almost calling a Dutch phone number, I realized that
there are two bands with the name Long Way Down.
One is a band from the Netherlands that emphasizes its
punk sound.The other is an Edmonton rock-core band that writes
original tunes. Guess which one I was supposed to talk to?
“Just for the record, we have been around longer and had the
name since 2001,” laughs lead singer Jakk Grady. “It’s funny
though; our band has somewhat of a coloured history, lots
of different members and scenarios, and like any band, we
considered a name change but we decided against it.”
“We were thinking about the name Pistols at 20 Paces, a
concept that doesn’t apply in the full sense,” Grady continues.
“It’s more of a diluted idea. When you are working on different
levels with different people and the rigmarole of it all, sometimes
you are at your wits end. It’s a figurative reference to what we
have gone through so many times.”
Being around for ten years will do that to a band. But, as Grandy
shows me, it’s good to have a sense of humour about it all. This
time around, Long Way Down is focusing their efforts on a three-
song EP.
“We can focus more on the songs with a smaller release,”
says Grandy. “When you narrow the focus on a few songs,
as opposed to a collection, you can spend more time paying
attention to the details. Sure, there are financial reasons too,
but we thought we would focus on the ones we liked the most.
These three were the first ones out of the batch of 20 or more
that we looked at over the months. We are still in the recording
phase of it all, but we want to get these done, get them out
there and see what happens.”
“Right now we are in a sort of an off-season,” Grandy adds.
“It’s the Canadian artist template to record when it’s cold and
irritable, and get out when it’s safer to drive. Now we’ve toured
in the winter as well, but we are in a bit of hibernation mode
when it comes to touring.”
“EVERY YOUNG BAND ENCOUNTERS DIFFICULTIES ON THE WAY TO THE TOP. BUT IT’S HOW YOU DEAL WITH IT THAT SHOWS YOUR METTLE.”
And toured they have. It is the great Canadian hazing ritual that
every band worth anything has gone though. Our geography
demands it. This isn’t the States where you can hit a major city
every night. In Hoserland, you need to drive hours, even days to
get to the next gig. It is a wild ride.
“The first time we went across Canada was an adventure,”
recalls Grandy. “Four of us in a ‘79 Ford Econoline with an
improperly packed trailer; we were virgins to the long haul. It
was wonderful, seeing the landscape and getting out there on
our own. I guess you could consider it a growth thing. There is
something to be said in your ability to be out playing music for
remuneration or for the passion of it. To be out on the road and
dealing with the break downs in a crazy territory where you feel
pretty humble about what you are trying to do. I can’t say from an
outside perspective because I’ve only ever toured Canada, but
those overnighters can keep you on your toes but you keep on
trekking though.”
And every band has their stories. From good to bad to funny to
sad, they are all relevant and timeless. From a bad experience
with Jagermeister at their CD release party to a bar reeking of
sewage in Saskatoon, Grandy and the band have seen their
share of mishaps. But often the mishaps turn into great shows
you never forget.
Every young band encounters difficulties on the way to the top.
But it’s how you deal with it that shows your mettle.
31
MM: YOU WEAR THREE DIFFERENT HATS: MUSICIAN,
PRODUCER AND MUSIC VIDEO DIRECTOR. DO YOU
PREFER ONE ROLE MORE THAN THE OTHER?
HD: Out of all the different hats I wear, I like producing the most
because it involves attempting to ensure a song has the most
impact as it possibly can. Many times an artist is already 95
per cent there with a song idea. I like to think that my role is to
help the artist get out of their own way sometimes, and try to
focus on what an audience would react to the most. Generally I
take notes when an artist plays a song for me the first time and
I refer back to those notes when we’re tracking; or if I’ve seen
the band play the song live, I try to remember the vibe they were
bringing and ensure they remember it too when performing it in
the studio.
MM: HOW DID YOU CROSS THE BRIDGE FROM
MUSICIAN TO PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR?
HD: Early on I started recording with a bandmate (Kevin Kossowan)
and learned really quickly that some of the most gratifying
moments as a musician are during the recording and writing
process, so it wasn’t a really big leap since I was doing it as part
of my learning since I started.
Becoming a director came later, and it took a while for technology
to get affordable enough to get great results with a low budget.
It’s really only in the last two to three years that I’ve felt like my
videos were on par with what I’m seeing elsewhere. It took
a lot of learning on the job and every video is a new learning
experience, but I finally feel like my tools can represent my vision
for things.
MM: WHY DO YOU CHOOSE TO WORK IN EDMONTON
AS OPPOSED TO A BIGGER METROPOLIS SUCH AS
TORONTO OR VANCOUVER?
HD: Whenever I hear people complain about Edmonton I get
very defensive. Many people here have a misguided inferiority
complex when comparing us to other cities. Edmonton easily
has the same amount of talent per capita as any other city in
my opinion, so I know I’m not missing anything by being here.
I think as my clientele expands to other cities I might just work
there while I’m needed, but my home base will likely always be
Edmonton. I feel like if I moved to Toronto I’d be paying twice
the rent for half the pay. Edmonton just makes sense for me
because if I moved anywhere else, I’d be starting from scratch.
Here I have a network that goes really deep and I think I could
work in town forever if I wanted to.
MM: WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST MUSICAL AND PERSONAL
INFLUENCES?
HD: My all-time favourite album is Scenery & Fish by I Mother
Earth, and Tripping Daisy’s I Am An Elastic Firecracker is
something I’ve listened to way too much over the years. In
general, I’m into mainstream alternative rock, but as a producer
I try to listen to all pop, country, rock and folk so I can bring
different sensibilities to the table when necessary. I think all that
really shows with the last three projects I worked on—for Becki
Pawliw I needed to call up all the light rock and folk stuff, for
Jezibelle I needed to bring out the metal/punk sensibilities, and
for Mockteerah I needed to ensure we had a good AC/DC or
even Seether/Three Days Grace vibe.
MM: IS DIRECTING MUSIC VIDEOS A COMPETITIVE
BUSINESS?
HD: Directing music videos is probably as competitive as any
other business. You try to find clients that like you enough to
hire you instead of somebody else. You also try to ensure that
the work you’re doing now contributes to getting hired again in
the future, either by the same artist or by someone who liked it
and wants you for their project. As far as I know, most Canadian
bands are relying on grant money or donations to fund their
bigger budget videos. I’ve never been approved for a bigger
budget, so I always do things on a shoestring, which I think is
the case for most everyone I know nowadays.
MM: AT WHAT STAGE IN A MUSICIAN’S CAREER SHOULD
THEY DECIDE TO MAKE A VIDEO?
HD: I had a few people tell me that a band needs to wait until
they’re charting at radio to do a video. I always thought that a
popular video would drive radio play. There’s no right answer but
the one thing I try to stick with is that a good video is a great tool
for bands at any time in their career, but it shouldn’t be relied
upon as the only strategy to building the artist’s “brand.” Also, a
poorly executed video can be detrimental to the artist’s career.
So it’s not right to say that every artist needs a video just for the
sake of having one. Ideally, the band will have an EP or full album
to support, a tour to support that, and a video as well. However,
in the YouTube era, artists can be made by video alone and
never need to rely on the old traditional way of doing things.
MM: IS A VIDEO’S PURPOSE PROMOTIONAL OR AN
EXPRESSION OF ART? AND HOW DO YOU MERGE THESE
TWO THINGS WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE SPIRIT OF
THE ARTIST’S MUSIC?
HD: I gotta say it’s been mostly promotional so far. The original
purpose of music videos (even before MTV existed) was to
showcase the artist—you saw what they looked like and heard
what they sounded like. There have definitely been some great
artistic videos over the years, and I love so many of them, but
in the end even the most artistic videos had an underlying goal
to promote the artist. With the videos I’ve done so far, the goal
has been to showcase the artist as much as possible, and use
visuals that represent the song in a thematically appropriate way.
There’s an art to the whole approach, but I can’t say I’ve done a
truly “artsy” video quite yet.
WITHOUT QUESTION,
HOLDEN DANIELS SURELY
IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST
MEN IN EDMONTON.
DANIELS NOT ONLY
PLAYS AND PERFORMS
ON THE GUITAR AND
BASS; HE IS ALSO A
PRODUCER, ENGINEER,
VIDEO DIRECTOR AND
SONGWRITER. HE HAS
RECEIVED NATIONAL
ATTENTION THROUGH
UNIQUE MARKETING
STRATEGIES AND IS
PROVING THAT YOU DON’T
HAVE TO LIVE IN TORONTO
OR VANCOUVER TO HAVE
SUCCESS IN THE MUSIC
INDUSTRY. THE AFFABLE
AND QUICK-WITTED
DANIELS SAT DOWN TO
DISCUSS HIS CAREER,
WHERE IT’S GOING AND
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.
HOLDEN DANIELSMULTI-TALENTED MUSIC ENTREPRENEUR WEARS MANY HATSSTORY: DAVE FALK
30
32 33
However, he admits that money needs to be spent on some
equipment to ensure a quality recording. “There are certain
things that you need to bite the bullet on,” he says. “You need
specific microphones. You need to buy good preamps to
run them through. But there are some microphones that are
fantastic that are quite inexpensive.”
“To make a good record you don’t need to spend a ton of
money,” he says; but on the other hand, “you can spend tens
and tens and tens of thousands of dollars setting up a modest
project studio and still make bad records with it.”
In addition to keeping costs low, Paholek says the other key to
staying in business is readily accepting the musical visions of
clients. “A good policy to adopt is to never say no to people,”
he says. “I think one of the reasons I do so well here and I stay
in business is because I try not to sell people on what they don’t
necessarily want, just because I think it might be better for them.”
But Paholek does have ideas that are worth incorporating. He
places a lot of emphasis on good drum sound, and has a few
tricks to ensure a fuller percussive sound.
“A lot of people use augmentation—they drop in extra samples
for the drum sounds. I try not to use that at all, or I try to use it
sparingly. Some records call for it, like heavy metal—it’s granted that
you’re going to sample the kick, that’s just how you get that sound.”
“I use a lot of room sounds. That’s a huge part of my drum
recording. The room pretty much makes up almost half the kit,”
he says. “I’m pretty good at making really big-sounding drums,
so I’ve got a lot of drummers who really love working here.”
In addition to the drum setup and homemade amp, The Physics
Lab boasts a Sony DMX-R100 digital console. Rather than the
more common industry software Pro Tools, Paholek uses a
smaller, open-sourced editing program called Reverb, which he
prefers because it is faster and more efficient than Pro Tools.
Although The Physics Lab has only been in operation for a few
years, Paholek has already amassed a network of local and
international clients. One band from Calgary, Chy Shuga, has
been particularly helpful in boosting Paholek’s career.
The band came to Paholek to record an EP just as they were on
the brink of disbanding. Nevertheless, Paholek was impressed
with them and finished mixing the CD as a keepsake. But the
band rebounded, and on the strength of Paholek’s recording
they gained extensive airplay on the Calgary radio station CJAY
92, climbing to the #2 spot on their top ten countdown. They
also garnered a production deal with Sylvia Massy at RadioStar
Studios in California. Massy has previously worked with such
well-known artists as System Of A Down, the Smashing Pumpkins
and Tool.
When the band went to California, they took Paholek with them.
He had the opportunity to watch and mentor with the engineering
team and be involved with the record, “and after that is when I
probably started making my best records,” he says.
But his innovative approach has also helped recording artists
here in Edmonton to make the record they want, without having
to accommodate anyone else’s vision. One vocalist wanted to
layer ten or fifteen vocal tracks on her recording, a difficult feat to
manage. “So when she asked me to do this, I straightaway said
yeah, sure,” Paholek says. “And I guess I was the first person
to actually let her do this. She had run this idea by a bunch of
people, and everyone else said, ‘This is not going to work,’ or
‘This is not how it’s done.’ So as a result I’m doing all of her
records, and it was just so simple as that one thing.”
Regardless of the approach an engineer takes to a project, or
the amount of money that goes into it, it all comes down to the
product. Paholek does no advertising other than word of mouth,
yet he is currently booking six months in advance for studio
time—a fact that can’t be ascribed solely to his low rates. “You’re
not going to get any work if people don’t like what you’re doing,”
he says. “It doesn’t matter how cheap you are.”
“AND IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO SMASH ALL THE CUPS IN MY KITCHEN TO RECORD A SOUND, I LET THEM.”
Financial gain is certainly no reason to get into music production.
“If you want to start a studio to make money, don’t,” Paholek
warns. “It’s taken me so long to do this full time, it’s ridiculous.
And the competition is really fierce.”
He says anyone considering a career in the field should be
passionate about it, but also very patient. “If you don’t think you
can listen to the same song literally hundreds and hundreds of
times, and then multiply that by ten songs on a full-length record,
and then scrutinize it every time you listen to it, and think about
how to make it better, you don’t want to do something like this.”
“In some aspects it’s very rewarding, but extremely time-
consuming and sometimes boring job.”
There’s also the inevitable cleanup that comes with working with
creative people. “If someone wants to break something in the
studio and they’re willing to pay for it, I really don’t care. I can’t
remember the last time I actually told someone, ‘You can’t do that.’”
“And if somebody wants to smash all the cups in my kitchen to
record a sound, I let them.”
The industrial area of Edmonton’s west end seems an unlikely destination for aspiring
musicians, but Terry Paholek’s recording studio, The Physics Lab, is making it the place
to be. The modest and unassuming studio, situated in a bay with a garage door, features
surprisingly good acoustics, homemade coffee and its own recording arts guru.
Paholek, the owner and sole operator of The Physics Lab, has been interested in recording and
production since his teens. He got his start recording on tape recorders, and honed his skill
mentoring and interning with engineers in a number of different studios. He supplemented his
income by playing in a cover band, and it is only in the last few years that he has reached a point
where it is financially possible for him to record and produce full time.
The cost of setting up your own studio makes it tempting to overcharge musicians for recording
services, but Paholek works at keeping his own overhead costs down, passing the savings on to
clients. He owns the bay in which his studio is located, eliminating the concern of rising rent prices.
And while recording gear can be expensive, there are ways to cut the cost.
“The gear selection is really important. I own quite a few high-end pieces,” he says. “I also own a lot
of pieces that most people probably wouldn’t expect to see in a normal recording studio.”
He points out a hand-wired amp from the 1970s. “It looks like absolute hell, but sounds fantastic,”
he says. “Everyone that’s come in has used it on a record in some capacity. It’s just a bunch of
spare parts thrown together. It’s the best amp I own.”
SOUNDS OF SUCCESS STORY: KRISTEN WAGNERPHOTO: LARISSA MACK
34 35
R E V I E W
STORY: LINDSAY HOLMAN
The aroma of coffee beans blends nicely with the humid scent
of exotic flora at the Culina Muttart. The newest addition to the
Culina family of restaurants has partnered up with the Muttart
Conservatory to create an oasis in the midst of Edmonton’s
bustling downtown area.
Culina Muttart may have one of the freshest and healthiest
menus in Edmonton. “I don’t think anywhere else in the city has
such a direct line to fresh food,” says manager Maureen Metz.
Located within the Muttart Conservatory, the restaurant has the
unique opportunity to grow some of its greens within the famous
greenhouses. Arugula, herbs and experimental greens will be
continuously grown upon hydroponic beds, and are just some of
the freshly grown items that will be served on a daily basis.
Culina Muttart’s location not only adds to the quality of the food,
but to the visitor’s overall experience. Metz feels that not enough
Edmontonians take advantage of the Conservatory, and says
her hope is that customers will see the gardens and eat at the
restaurant in the same visit, because after all, “Where else in
the city can you go for lunch and then take a tour through the
different climates of the world?”
“I don’t think anywhere else in the city has such a direct line to fresh food.”Metz moved to Edmonton a year and a half ago and began
working with Culina soon after. When given the opportunity to
manage the new location, she didn’t hesitate. “I have an overall
passion for growing food,” she says. “When I got the opportunity
that involved working and growing food, and being involved
in providing fresh food to the customers I’m serving, I guess I
really went for it.” Her passion for gardening has also led her
to volunteer at a community garden located on the University
of Alberta’s South Campus. She says that a lot of the food
that isn’t grown right in the Conservatory will come from the
University garden.
Culina strives not only for quality food, but also for the continued
support of local businesses. Carrying local goods creates a
distinctive atmosphere in the restaurant, and also helps to boost
the local economy. Metz emphasizes that teaming up with local
suppliers is part of what makes the Culina experience special.
“A lot of it is about creating relationships within the city with the
suppliers,” she says. “It’s pretty amazing to have the owner of
Mighty Trio [a local organics business] come and eat, and then
have somebody who is sitting next to him eating a salad with a
dressing that was made from his oil, and to say, ‘Oh, you like the
salad? Well, this guy over here helped to make it.’”
Fresh
Culina Muttart opened its doors in December 2010. It is the
fourth addition to the Culina family, owned by Brad Lazarenko,
Director and Executive Chef. While all Culina locations share the
same ideals about food, each one comes with its own flavour.
Culina Highlands’ Eastern European feel, Culina Mill Creek’s
Westernized selection, and Bibo’s café-like atmosphere all
provide a pleasurable dining experience. “As far as quality goes,
we are all striving for the same,” says Metz. Culina Muttart,
serving a variety of sandwiches, soups and other healthy items,
could be described as an “express” version of its predecessors.
Culina Muttart is open:
MONDAY TO FRIDAY
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS
11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
36 37
R E V I E W S
3. CEILI’S IRISH PUB //Ceili’s Irish Pub: Come for the beer, stay for the craic. What is
craic? I’ll let Ceili’s general manager Grant Sanderson explain it
to you.
“Craic is an Irish word for ‘a feeling of atmosphere,’ explains
Sanderson. “And that is what we like to have. You are going to
see lots of large groups of people especially on Saturdays; it’s
a big night. Birthdays, stags, stagettes, fundraisers…. and it’s
a good crowd. We aren’t a pub club, we are an actual pub. We
don’t scan IDs and there aren’t any stab-proof vests—that isn’t
what we are.”
Much of Ceili’s success comes from repeat customers, and
the pub gives patrons plenty of reasons to make a return
visit. “There are a lot of reasons why people keep coming
back,” Sanderson says. “Great food, great service and a great
live entertainment package. We always have music and are
constantly doing some version of battle of the bands. Be it
acoustic, or student bands or what-have-you. We have live
comedy on Wednesday and every Friday and Saturday we have
a live acoustic set pre-DJ. It’s a nice way to start the weekend.”
“My favorite is our Canada Day Rockfest. From 11 a.m. to 2
a.m. we have live bands. Five to six bands for the whole day and
this year we are trying to move it into a portion of our parking lot.
Everything from local bands to student bands and of course a lot
of them have a really strong East Coast flare. It’s a great time.”
With live entertainment, an outdoor patio and big-screen TV, the
craic is all its cracked up to be, and more!
1. ON THE ROCKS //“It’s a place where you can relax and be who you really are,”
says Rachelle “Roach” Sandy, representative for On the Rocks
restaurant and bar. “Our clientele are 25 to 55 in age. That says
it right there. It is comfortable for every age range. Not too young
that you can’t have a conversation with the table beside you but
not too old that the kids can’t come in and let go.”
That in a nutshell is On the Rocks. Winner of Vue Weekly’s
Golden Fork award and self-proclaimed proprietor of the best
wings in downtown Edmonton, On the Rocks is as well-rounded
an establishment as you can get. From food to music to a
friendly atmosphere, it seems to have it all.
In regards to the décor, “I’m an old Sidetrackian,“ laughs Sandy,
referencing the now defunct Sidetrack Café. “Brick and comfy
chairs, it’s the same kind of atmosphere. We don’t have the
fireplace that the Sidetrack used to have but we are close.”
The sheer quantity of live music that On the Rocks offers also
makes it unique. “There are not a lot of us left who are doing
live music on a consistent basis,” Sandy says. “Fridays and
Saturdays we have premier A-league of cover bands. A rotation
of 12 to 13 tried, tested and truly great cover bands. But we
do a lot of stuff. We have folk and reggae and then we throw
in something crazy like Wide Mouth Mason or Jay Sparrow or
Tupelo Honey, you never know.”
On the Rocks has everything a loyal patron can hope for: staff
who want to be there, a clientele that likes to have fun, and a
management system that cares about making their business the
best it can be for their customers. They aren’t looking for the
next big thing; they are looking to be consistent.
“Our staff like having a good time as well,” Sandy says. “They
already have the right personality—that is why they are here.
And also, you have to try to give the public what they want—we
are like a comfy old shoe. We aren’t those high heeled shoes
that leave your feet bleeding.”
The menu also reflects the TLC that goes into every aspect
of On the Rocks. They offer a monthly wing flavor, dessert and
salad, and change the menu once or twice a year. “Everything
is home made,” Sandy says. “We keep things exciting without
having to change everything.”
And On the Rock’s formula garners results in the form of patrons
who line up to enter the establishment on weekends. “Our average
Saturday night is ridiculously high energy, a bazillion smiles,”
continues Sandy. “It also gets around 104 degrees. It’s a fun-loving
heat when we are jam packed. Everyone has a smile on their face.”
2. BLUES ON WHYTE //There are three constant truths in Edmonton. The sun will rise,
the sun will set, and Blues On Whyte will be open late.
“I’ve been working here since 1981,” says Mike Purcell, general
manager of Blues On Whyte. “The Commercial Hotel has been
around forever though. They are basically the same thing. I feel
like I’ve been booking bands here forever. I get to book what
I like—I’m lucky that way. It’s mostly blues but every once in
a while there can be some reggae and rock. I’ve seen a lot of
greats come through here and seen a lot of them pass away.
That is one of the best things and worst things about having
been open for so long.”
And the patronage is as consistent as the music. Offering
something for everyone, Blues has seen its fair share of people
come through the door.
“Our dance floor is always packed,” Purcell explains. “It is a very
eclectic crowd. If you don’t like who you are sitting with, move
over two tables. You will be with a whole different group talking
about completely different things. From 18 to 80 and that’s all
right. We’ve been serving the kids of kids of grandparents here.”
Blues On Whyte is a mainstay in the Edmonton nightlife scene.
Everyone knows about it and can tell you a story involving it.
Purcell believes Blues’ timeless popularity is due to the live
music. “Seven nights a week really brings people together,” he
says. “They appreciate eclectic crowds and dancing. We are
playing music that has been around for decades. Beatles were
blues, The Rolling Stones were blues. It’s branched out. No
matter what you think about music, everyone has enjoyed the
blues during at least one point in their lives.”
1 2 3MERGE REVIEWS: LIVE MUSIC VENUES
WE EXPLORED EDMONTON’S LIVE MUSIC SCENE ACROSS FIVE GENRES AND FOUND SOME OF THE
BEST VENUES IN TOWN.
DO YOU KNOW OF A BUSINESS OR ESTABLISHMENT THAT
DESERVES A REVIEW? LET US KNOW ON FACEBOOK/MERGEMAGCA.REVIEW: TRENT WILKIE
38 39
4. JEFFREY’S CAFÉ AND WINE BAR //Jeff Kolbuc, owner of Jeffrey’s Café and Wine Bar, is a very busy
man and this isn’t a surprise. After talking to a few patrons about
his establishment, they were convinced that he must not sleep
because of the high level of care that the place is under.
“We cater to all types of customers,” Kolbuc says. “On any given
day you will have a group of moms and their babies, an elderly
couple, some Edmonton Oilers grabbing a coffee on their way to
practice, or some businessmen having a few drinks after work.
Our clientele is a huge variety.”
“The food is always fresh,” continues Kolbuc. “The customer
service is always top notch. The staff is always friendly and the
cafe is always clean. We have good management which allows
this all to be consistent. Another consistency is our standard
menu which we keep to pretty closely, with the exception of our
daily sandwich special. That is always awesome.”
And as anyone can tell you, if a place knows its food and wine, it
must also know its music. And Jeffrey’s humbly does.
“Our Saturday nights we are generally full, as it only takes about
40-50 to pack the place,” Kolbuc says. “The crowd is upbeat
and the music is the best that you will hear in this city... very
vibrant and alive. We have 80 per cent jazz, but also have a bit
of Latin, blues, and country on occasion.”
On Thursday nights you might find a singer/songwriter, or an
indie band. “My favorite is probably Jack Semple, a guitar
master from Saskatchewan,” Kolbuc says. “Our most popular
artist is Canadian music legend Alfie Zappacosta who plays
every few months. He sells out almost immediately. Semple will
be here in May and to see this phenomenal blues guitarist right
in front of you, in an intimate setting is unbeatable.”
5. RED PIANO //For me, the idea of dueling pianos brings to mind a wild western
scene where cowboys tickle the ivories in a life-or-death,
whiskey-fueled battle. But there are many differences between
my vision and the Red Piano Dueling Piano Bar and Bistro.
“We also have probably the nicest rooms in the city,” says
manager Mo Blayways.”We have a certain sophistication and are
little bit more upscale. That is what people have come to expect
from us. We have a classy product they can’t get anywhere else.
We are happy to see that people have proven to us that if you
build a really nice room and staff it with great people they will
come and support you.”
The Red Piano’s uniqueness has been a major factor in its
success. “Nobody is doing what we are,” Blayways explains.
“We’ve taken what some other people have tried to do, with
dueling pianos and made it work. It doesn’t exist anywhere else
in Alberta, if not North America. Typically, dueling piano bars are
in a pub environment, but we’ve built our stage in the middle of
the room and added a technically advanced light show. We put
focus on that. We are also a full service restaurant. A lot of other
places are a one stop shot, or only offer one thing. We have an
upscale casual menu and great entertainment.”
“We definitely evolve our show; we stay pretty contemporary as
we are a request-based business,” says Blayways.”Our players
put emphasis with today’s top forty and keep up with what
people may want. We don’t get repetitious; our nights can be
completely different from one night to then next. We have eight
different players who play for us on a full time basis. They switch
during the night and there at times when they go four of a time
taking a piece. Every night is different and that makes it exciting
to go into work every day.”
4 5
40
EDMONTON’S OWN UTOPIADale Plourde says he got the idea for Edmonton’s newest sum-
mer music festival about 15 years ago.
“I was travelling with my band and we played a festival in
northern B.C.,” Plourde recalls. “There were some young girls
skipping across a field, and they said, ‘Wow, isn’t this awe-
some? Don’t you wish every day could be like this?’ And so
that really resonated with me, and stayed with me for a long
time.”
From that idyllic image, the idea for the Utopia Music Festival
was born. The inaugural Festival will run June 17 and 18 in
Hawrelak Park’s Heritage Amphitheatre. The lineup will feature
a diverse array of local talent, including roots/reggae band
Souljah Fyah, DJ D3VIANT, and 2009 Bounce Showdown
winner Justin Blais. Edmonton’s own will be complemented
by several renowned national and international acts, including
David Usher, Lights and Ani DiFranco.
UTOPIA 2011 SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, JUNE 17: FEATURE CONCERTUtopia opens @ 5:00 PM
(general admission, front row seats on a first come basis)
Headline Concert - ANI DIFRANCO -
with special Guest JANET PANIC
SATURDAY, JUNE 18Utopia opens @ 1:00 PM
(general admission, front row seats on a first come basis)
WESTERN CANADA SHOWCASE All day music 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
JUSTIN BLAIS
MARK SHEPPARD
MATTHEW LINDHOLM
BOY & GURL
DJ’s : D3VIANT & TIANNA J.
SOULJAH FYAH
SATURDAY HEADLINE CONCERTS (immediately following the showcase, 5:00 PM)
5:00 PM: SUZIE MCNEIL
6:00 PM: DAVID USHER
7:00 PM: LIGHTS
with special guest RICH AUCOIN
OTHER ATTRACTIONSBig Rock Beer Garden( quality beer, cider, wine and coolers)
Gourmet food vendors; flavors from all over the world
Roving entertainers (jugglers dancers, street performers)
Kids Zone (fun fantasy area for kids)
Utopia Market tent ; where you can buy artist merchandise,
unique gifts, music and art)
4,000 of the happiest people in Edmonton
“like” us on facebook to receive a free Priority wristband; which
gets you in the best concert seats and express line into the beer
garden www./facebook.com/utopiamusicfestival
Festival closes @ 10:30 PM
David Usher
42 43
Sounds Of SpringSTORY: PAULA E. KIRMAN
Spring brings with it feelings of refreshment and vibrancy. As the
dull whites and grays of winter melt away, new life comes forth
with green foliage, blue skies, and sometimes, a rainbow.
Colours of the season can also be represented in music.
Edmonton’s renowned Kokopelli Choir Association will paint a
landscape with their voices at the Colours of Spring concert.
Colours of Spring takes place Saturday May 14 at 2 p.m.
(featuring Kokopelli and its apprentice choir, Shumayela) and 7
p.m. (featuring its young adult choir Òran and children’s choir
Kikimasu) at McDougall United Church.
“The repertoire for our spring concerts is always a varied
program of music of many styles and periods that are studied
throughout the year,” says Scott Leithead, conductor and
founder of the Kokopelli Choir. “Our choirs perform in many
provincial and national festivals in the spring and much of this
music will be performed at our year end concerts.”
The Kokopelli Choir Association is a group of choirs made up of
young people of different ages and musical experience. Leithead
founded the youth choir in 1996 after leaving his teaching
position at Victoria School of the Arts. Since then, the choirs
have expanded in number from one to four, and from around 45
members to now around 180.
“I have conducted numerous choirs over the years including
provincial and state honour choirs in seven provinces and one
state,” says Leithead. “My interests in choral music started when
I was completing my undergraduate degree in music at Wilfrid
Laurier University. Since that time I have been fortunate to have
travelled the world working with outstanding choral educators
and professional musicians.”
Leithead has many reasons for enjoying his work with Kokopelli.
“I have an amazing team of people in these choirs—from the
talented and hard working staff to the creative and inspired
choristers to the energetic team of volunteers, we are very
lucky to have grown and developed with many outstanding
performance opportunities over the years. It is a joy to make
wonderful music and develop strong community and team
goals throughout each season. We strive for diversity in our
programming and musical skills development and this always
keeps things fresh and interesting,” he says.
“Our goal is to bring the audience into the performance as much
as possible, and we do this using many different means like
movement, instrumentation, and different standing formations,”
says Leithead.
“We have singers introduce pieces as often as possible to help
the audience get to know the many amazing singers we are
privileged to have on stage. Kokopelli also stands for a supportive,
non-competitive environment for nurturing young singers, and
it’s an important aspect of our concerts that our choirs listen to
and enjoy each other as much as possible, and that our younger
groups have the opportunity to be mentored and inspired by their
older counterparts.”
Colours of Spring is not the only major Kokopelli event on the
horizon. “We also have a more informal encore concert on May
29 at 4 p.m., at Sacred Heart Church featuring our two older
ensembles, Kokopelli and Òran,” says Leithead. “We also have
our major fundraiser in June, our Sing-a-Thon for African Projects,
which consists of 24 continuous hours of live local music at the
Bogani Cafe in south Edmonton. All funds donated directly
support our organization’s African Projects Fund, which helps
out our sister choirs in southern Africa and supports our ongoing
chorister exchange program with them.”
Tickets for Colours of Spring are available at Tix on the Square
or through any Kokopelli Choir Association chorister or parent.
FESTIVAL SHOWCASES THE VERSATILITY OF JAZZSTORY: TERESA FISHER
Trumpets and trombones aren’t the only things that will serenade
you at Edmonton’s International Jazz Festival. Funky beats, sultry
vocals and big band dance music are just some of the treats that
will be offered up in various venues across the city during the ten-
day festival that runs this year from June 24-July 3.
Edmonton International Jazz Festival showcases talent from
local, provincial, national, and international up-and-coming
artists as well as celebrated acts. As the festival’s tagline
declares, “There is a Jazz for Everyone.”
“The goal of the Festival is to allow people to hear jazz the way
that it’s meant to be heard,” says festival promoter Liz Lepper.
This means that there is going to be a lot more to take in than
just your traditional blues. Cool jazz, bebop, Dixie land, funk/
groove and swing are just a small sample of what can be heard
when you venture out to explore what jazz has to offer.
Headlining this year’s festival are Madeleine Peyroux, as well as
the Jazz at the Lincoln Centre Orchestra featuring trumpeter
Wynton Marsalis. Peyroux is a songstress who is well-known
to her fans for her mellow musical stylings, influenced by
jazz heavyweights like Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith and Louis
Armstrong. She is best known for her 2005 release Careless Love,
which brings her personal and vulnerable take to popular artists
such as Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. Peyroux is performing on
June 26 at the Winspear Centre.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis features
Marsalis, a nine-time Grammy award winner who has more
than thirty recordings under his belt. He is also the artistic
director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, which features
fifteen jazz soloists and ensemble players. The Orchestra
performs in New York, as well as across the US and around
the world, and they play a variety of original compositions as
well as the masterworks of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and
John Coltrane. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performs in
Edmonton on June 28 at the Winspear Centre. Tickets to both
shows can be purchased at the Winspear box office.
Lepper says that there will also be surprises to tantalize jazz
fans. “We are planning some extra treats for those attending the
festival, but in order to find out what those treats are, you’ll just
have to attend the festival,” she says.
However, Lepper does reveal that the Festival is offering a limited
number of Johnny Jazz pass for $99. The Johnny Jazz pass
allows jazz fans to enjoy the whole festival, excluding headlining
acts, for only $9 a day. The Festival is also offering free concerts
in Churchill Square weekdays from noon to 2 p.m., in partnership
with the concurrent Works Art and Design Festival. Bringing local,
national, and international artists and music lovers together; the
folks at the Edmonton International Jazz Festival guarantee to
deliver a jazz for everyone.
By attending the Festival you are not only listening to musical
delights but you are also helping to support the Jazzworks
education outreach programs which benefit from the festival as
well as support the jazz tradition in Edmonton. So why not show
your support for the arts in Edmonton and indulge in the smooth
sounds of jazz that are sure to delight your senses?
44
For the fourth straight year, Rock the Square will
complement the Festival City’s selection of great summer
music. The free, day-long event at Churchill Square will
showcase nine local bands from an eclectic mix of genres.
The event will be headlined by top Canadian blues-man,
Marshall Lawrence. In addition to performances from more
established home-grown talent, Rock the Square will also
feature some of the city’s most talented unknown musicians
found through the Edmonton Undiscovered competition.
Co-founder and organizer, Arek Kozikowski is thrilled as the
festival continues to grow in popularity and quality. “Over the
years we were able to gather valuable experience in organizing
an event of this magnitude,” Kozikowski says. “We’ve met great
musicians and people from the industry. Above all, we have
presented the greatest bands that Edmonton has to offer.”
The idea for Rock the Square was conceived in 2005 when
school teachers Daniel Jancewicz and Alexander Gillis formed
a Saturday School of Rock at St. Basil School. Their students
quickly learned how to play guitar through the instruction of
Kozikowski. Soon after, with the help of supportive parents,
three bands were created.
In 2008, two of the bands performed at Churchill Square on a
summer afternoon in front of onlookers and passers-by. “It was
a great success,” said Kozikowski, “and we decided to try it
again on a bigger scale.” In 2009 Rock the Square was officially
born with nine bands and an endorsement from Mayor Stephen
Mandel, who voiced his support through a pre-festival speech.
The response and attendance over the past few years has
exceeded expectations, and in 2010 over 5000 people attended
the event, with 90 musicians performing.
While the music plays this year, the beer gardens will be flowing,
food vendors will fill Churchill Square and there will be plenty of
fun activities for all ages. According to Kozikowski, the word is
definitely getting out. “In 2010, we were able to attract some
great bands again and rocked the square,” he says. “This year,
I have received applications from 20 bands on the first day the
festival was advertised. If that’s the way it goes, we will consider
extending it to two-day event to accommodate more bands.”
The event is open to any non-profit organization that would like
to be a part of Rock the Square.
The participation of non-profits give the festival a tangible
purpose, beyond the music—last year, with the participation
of OneMatch, concert-goers received bone marrow donor
information for those in need. The focus is obviously the music,
yet it is these opportunities that establish a unifying atmosphere
at Rock the Square. The festival retains its grassroots tradition,
and is able to give more than music back to the city.
“WE’VE MET GREAT MUSICIANS AND PEOPLE FROM THE INDUSTRY. ABOVE ALL, WE HAVE PRESENTED THE GREATEST BANDS THAT EDMONTON HAS TO OFFER.”
Rock the Square takes place June 18 in Churchill Square from
noon until 10 p.m. A new band will take the stage each and
every hour. The “Doctor of the Blues,” Marshall Lawrence plays
a 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. set to finish off the festival in style. Visit
http://www.RockTheSquare.com for more information regarding
band applications, sponsor opportunities and other ways to get
involved. Any non-profit organization looking to participate in the
festival is asked to contact rts2011@telus.net for details.ROCK THE SQUARE TAKES THE STAGE FOR THE FOURTH YEAR
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E V E N T S
BUSINESS
EDMONTON REAL ESTATE FORUM May 3, 2011 // 8:00 AM
Shaw Conference Centre
Informational event focusing on real estate
strategies for 2011.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SPRING 2011 AFTER BUSINESS MIXER
May 4, 2011 // 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Balwin Villa
Networking event for small businesses
Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.
GROWTH BY DIVERSIFICATION BREAKFAST
May 6, 2011 // 7:30 - 9:00 AM
Westin Hotel
Economic diversification in Alberta, in
depth talk with Peter Lougheed.
SOCIAL
TWEET THE ARTS MEETUP
May 5, 2011 // 7:00 PM
The ARTery
Networking event for Edmonton’s arts
scene Tweeters.
OLD STRATHCONA FARMERS’ MARKET
May 7, 14, 21, 28, 2011 // 8:30 AM - 3 PM
10310 - 83rd Ave.
Weekly market featuring local produce,
meat, crafts, etc.
CANADIAN OFF-ROAD EXPO
May 8 - 9, 2011 // 10:00 AM
Northlands
Unique booths and spectator shows.
MOTHERS’ DAY MAGIC
May 8 - 9, 2011 // 12:00AM - 4:00 PM
Valley Zoo
Valley Zoo becomes a relaxing spa for
any mother to enjoy.
PEKING ACROBATS WITH THE ESO
May 9 -10, 2011 // 7:30 PM
Winspear Centre
Chinese acrobats perform, accompanied
by the orchestra.
AGA ART ON THE BLOCK
May 12, 2011 // 7:00 PM
Art Gallery of Alberta
Art Sale, proceeds going to the gallery.
EDMONTON STORY SLAM
May 19, 2011 // 7:30 PM
Haven Social Club
Opportunity to present a short story
to an audience.
UKRAINIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE VILLAGE CELEBRATION OF DANCE
May 23, 2011 // 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
Dance display, sheep shearing, exhibits
and children’s activites.
RAINMAKER RODEO AND EXHIBITION
May 27 - 29, 2011
Exhibition Grounds, St. Albert
Annual Rodeo and Exhibition Rodeo. .
ROYAL BISON ART AND CRAFT FAIR
May 28 - 29, 2011 // 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
8426 Gateway Blvd.
Local art and craft sale.
FUNRAISER
YESS GREAT EXPECTATIONS
May 4, 2011
Delta Edmonton South
Fundraiser for Youth Emergency Shelter
Society.
EPL BOOKS2EAT GALA
May 14, 2011 // 7:30 PM -11 PM
Lois Hole Library
Local chefs showcase their talents
through edible book creations.
ENERFLEX MS WALK
May 15, 2011 // 10:00 AM
Churchill Square
Fundraiser for Multiple Sclerosis Society.
YESS HOMELESS FOR A NIGHT
May 27, 2011 // 6:00 PM - 7:00 AM
Telus Field
Fundraiser for Youth Emergency Shelter
Society.
ZAAC PICK WITH CHANDA COOPER
May 29, 2011 // 7:00 PM
Knox Evangelical Free Church
Raise Funds for restoration the Knox
Church, West coast folk sensation performs.
WIN FORE WIN WOMEN’S GOLF TOURNAMENT
May 30, 2011 // 8:00 AM
Lewis Estates Golf Course
Fundraising event for Win House
women’s shelter.
SPORTS
EDMONTON KEYANO INTERNATIONAL SWIM MEET
May 5 - 8, 2011
Kinsmen Sport Centre
Swim Meet
EDMONTON SPORT AND SOCIAL CLUB INDOOR VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
May 14, 2011 // 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
U of A and West Edmonton Christian
Assembly
Recreational volleyball tournament
OIL CITY ROLLER DERBY ALL-STARS VS. THE RED DEER BELLADONNAS
May 14, 2011 // 7:00 PM
Oil City Grindhouse
GET PUBLISHING 2011:AT THE EDGE OF PRINT
May 6 & 7, 2011
Robbins Health Learning Centre
Writers', Editors' and Publishers'
annual conference.
BOSSY MAMA ANNUAL SPRING BRUNCH
May 15, 2011 // 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Delta Edmonton South
Networking and social event for female
entrepreneurs.
IAABD ANNUAL CONFERENCE: CHALLENGES IN THE ERA OF GLOBALIZATION
May 17- 20, 2011 // 4:00 PM
Robbins Health Learning Centre
International Academy of African Busi-
ness and Development.
2011 MAYOR'S AWARDS
May 25, 2011 // 7:00 - 8:00 PM
City Room, City Hall
Mayor's Awards presentation and
celebrations.
ROLLER DERBY BOUT EDMONTON ENERGY VS. BELLINGHAM SLAM
May 20, 2011 // 7:30 PM
U of A Main Gym
Professional Basketball Game
EDMONTON ENERGY VS. BELLINGHAM SLAM
May 21, 2011 // 1:00 PM
U of A Main Gym
Professional Basketball Game
SUBWAY CORONATION TRIATHLON
May 29, 2011 // 10:00 AM
Hemingway Pool, Groat Road, Mackin-
non Ravine
27th annual Triathlon
SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
MAY // 2011
BU S I N E S S
S O C I A L
F U N D R A I S E R
S P O R T S
HAVE AN AWESOME
UPCOMING EVENT, LET US
KNOW. WE’LL PUBLISH IT IN
PRINTAND IN THE MERGE
ONLINE CALENDAR. FOR
MORE INFORMATION ON
THE FOLLOWING EVENTS
GO TO THE ONLINE
CALENDAR AT:
WWW.MERGEMAG.CA
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