Music: DeCroo Releases Allegheny, BC

Renowned Canadian songwriter Rodney DeCroo is launching his debut collection of poetry, Allegheny, BC (Nightwood Editions, $18.95) in Vancouver at the Little Mountain Gallery on 26 Avenue and Main St. on Saturday, September 22. Doors open at 7:45pm, show starts at 8:15. Rodney's performance will feature poems from the book, as well as his music. He will be joined by Doug Andrews, the Minimalist Jugband, Torsten Muller and Christine Rose. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Allegheny, BC is an unsettling collection in which Rodney DeCroo delivers raw footage of a childhood marred by violence, sudden uprootings and abuse. It is a vividly gritty tour through his troubled past in a small coal town, the bush of northern BC and the bars, strip clubs, seedy hotels and bleak streets of both large Canadian cities and small, isolated towns. Sobering and straightforward, the poems are fiercely potent. DeCroo's raw language and stark vision of reality will stick with you, as will “a nausea-twist in your stomach” and “the smell of/ tobacco, sweat, beer and coal dust.” It is a collection that reveals, with urgent intensity, the shape of a life in an abrasive world.

This book expands upon the lyrics in DeCroo's latest album, Allegheny, and broadens the harrowing narrative of his past. The book and album, together, are a reclamation project, an imaginative remembering through the savaged places of the human heart into a state of beauty and acceptance.

Rodney DeCroo, who is headlining the event, will be performing his poems and songs. The line-up also includes: Doug Andrews from the band, The Circus In Flames, who has shared the stage with everyone from the Ramones to Raffi to Ramblin' Jack Elliott; The Minimalist Jugband—with a look that is part scarecrow, part Johnny Cash, and part hillbilly evangelist—who stares out at the audience with a wild look in his eyes as he plunks a wash tub bass and recites poems about wearing a pair of dead man's pants, his inability to distinguish between a raven and a crow, or anything else that happens to capture his imagination; Torsten Muller, an internationally renowned free music/ jazz improviser and acoustic bassist who has performed concerts all over the world with a diverse array of gifted improvisers; and Christine Rose, whose songs are lyrically driven, aiming for honesty and poetry, and finding the melody on which to hang the words.

For more information about Rodney DeCroo, go to www.rodneydecroo.com

Special Event: Night of the Indies

For the April 15 event, Night at the Indies will be presenting RC Weslowski, a veteran performer and organizer of the Vancouver Slam Poetry scene. RC hosts the Vancouver Poetry Slam at the Café Deux Soleils. He can also be heard on Wednesday afternoons as a host of "Wax Poetic" on CFRO 102.7.
Also featuring will be Janet Panic as the music act this month. Janet is a local singer/song writer and will be coming after her highly successful appearance at the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards in Winnipeg, Manitoba in March. She has released the CD "The Girl Who Passed For Normal" and will be releasing "You Look Good Naked" sometime this summer.
The Short Film Slam will be continuing, where aspiring filmmakers can screen their short films with the audience choosing their favourite which will then screen at next month's Night at the Indies in Toronto. Veteran local independent artist John Pippus and his trio will bring their eclectic mix of musical styles to our stage. "I am really thrilled by the quality of acts that are joining us", local producer David Maidman expressed, "I am also excited to see how the Short Film Slam is playing out." Filmmakers are welcome to bring their short films (under 10 minute) on the third Wednesday with registration beginning at 8:00 p.m. Participation will be on a first come basis.
Night at the Indies was started over two years ago by Gurbeen Bhasin of Meow Films in Toronto, Ontario as a way of bringing together independent artists from various art forms in order to promote their talents and create a supportive community. After Night at the Indies' incredible success in Toronto she joined with David Maidman of Pumpkinhead Productions to bring this concept to the independent arts community in Vancouver.
The event consists of a spoken word act, a film screening and a musical act. "It is really great to see the audiences for the various art forms come together and support one another's efforts", said Gurbeen. "I became involved with Gurbeen when she decided to screen my film "Think Peace: Portrait of a 21st Century Movement" at one of her events and I was excited to see if Night at the Indies would fly in Vancouver", stated David Maidman.Held on the third Wednesday of every month at the Café Deux Soleils, 2096 Commercial Drive, Night at the Indies has featured such diverse talents as poets Stephen Lytton and Leigh Harris from the Downtown Eastside, author Betty Krawczyk, and musical acts such as Maria in the Shower, Mr. M and the Allnighters and Fuzzcat, as well as screening a variety of films. Admission is $5.00 to $10.00 sliding scale at the door and the show starts at 8:30 p.m. Night at the Indies invites anyone who wants to become part of a growing, vibrant community and support the independent arts and artists to come on out.
Contact Information: Dave Maidman
Office: (604) 515-1947
Cell: (778) 996-1944
Email: indiesvancouver@gmail.com
http://www.nightattheindies.com/vancouver.asp

Music: Clancy's Angels @ the Wise

Clancy's Angels;
are 20 singers and players who perform BIG rock Anthems (oh ya, and most of them are hot babes! -ed.)


HARMONIZER 3
Clancy's Angels and special guests
Saturday December 13th, 8pm - Midnight
@ the WISE Hall, 1882 Adanac Street @ Victoria Drive

Tickets: $15.00 @ Highlife Records,
1317 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC V5L 3X5
(604) 251-6964

Or contact info@clancysangels.ca

Music Notes: Porteous off to folk awards

Musician also boasts some Stellar Neighbours

Tom Harrison, The Province

Published: Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Wyckham Porteous is garnering some recognition. His Andrew Loog Oldham-produced 3AM, (which is great) earned him three nominations for this year's Canadian Folk Music Awards, which will take place Nov. 23 in St. John's. He's up for contemporary singer, English songwriter and solo artist.

Porteous also is in a new band, the Stellar Band of Neighbours, most of them real neighbours in the Commercial Drive area. They include Steven Drake (ex-Odds, now a producer), Kevin Kane (Grapes of Wrath), Simon Kendall (Doug and the Slugs), Dell Cowsill (Top Drawers) and Johnny Fay (Tragically Hip). CBC Canada Live recorded the group's gig Oct. 3 at Chapel Arts.

Read the full story here>>>

Live on the Drive: Clayton Bowersock

Music: C.R. Avery at the Rio

performing solo, with string quartet
and special guest the sojouners

FRI SEPT 19TH
AT
THE RIO THEATRE
1660 east broadway at commerical drive

http://www.riotheatre.ca/

doors 8:30 show 9:00
tickets at rio box office/ redcat/ zulu / and highlife records.

http://www.myspace.com/cravery

"... blowin' my mind ..." - Tom Waits

"Imagine if Neil Young was inspired by hip-hop, and there you have C.R. Avery." - The Vancouver Sun

"No one plays [harmonica] like him, no one... but I think what people are going to get excited about are the words." - Charlie Musselwhite.

"Raw talent." - Utah Phillips

"Kids In The Hall isn't the only good thing coming out of Canada." - Sage Francis

Live on the Drive: A Weekend Montage

A few shots from the Drive. Fun seeing everyone out and about!

Abruzzo and soccer. A Drive tradition for sure.

Pal Levente, articulating something profound, I'm sure!



Singer, songwriter Rodney DeCroo. Stay tuned for some video of Rodney shot live on the street.
Decroo seen here with the equally talented and better looking, Monica Lee!


Dancer and teacher Michelle Hershey.

The Portuguese Club.


Mandolin player Miles Howe, originally from Ottawa.


When Miles took a breather, he passed the mandolin on to my friend Sharon Priest-Nagata, who played a lovely little piece. Stay tuned for a little video from this shoot.



The interior of Shakti.


The boys from Sumaloo, making beautiful music at the Latin Quarter.


Magpie Magazine Gallery.

Live On The Drive: Mike Swan

A little street performance by Commercial Drive regular Mike Swan.

Live On the Drive: Wyckham Porteous

We brought in the new year in style with Commercial Drive favorite Wyckham Porteous and his Skedaddlers at Chapel Arts. This video was taken just before midnight.



For more Live On The Drive videos check out our playlist on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=478EF0B433DBB8C3



Simon, keyboard wizard for the Skedaddlers.

Me, Natalie Von Rotsburg, and Joel Sliman (photo: Catherine Munn)

Drive fans Bryn Ditmars and Sarah Louise Atkinson.

Me with actress/singer Natalie Von Rotsburg, who blew people away with her version of Black Magic Woman helped out by members of the Skedaddlers.

Music: Creaking Planks Sing For The Season

Local folk phenoms, the Creaking Planks have lent their talents to a Very Vancouver Christmas - Volume 2

The album will have a ton of great original holiday tunes benefitting, the BC-SPCA and the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau.

Other artists include Adrienne Pearce, Larissa Garth, and T Nile.

Know any retailers who would be interested this year, or if you would like one, (or 10!~10$ each, all to charity!), or if you know any musicians who would be interested in participating next year.

Please have a listen at:

www.myspace.com/veryvancouverchristmas

or visit the regular website

www.veryvancouverchristmas.com


Cheers!

Jenn

Music: David Campbell

Born in Guyana, South America, of Arawak Indian and Portuguese ancestry, now a Commercial Drive regular, wsng writer/singer/ guitarist/poet/picture maker/ prose writer/blogger/photographer/maker of videos/ recording artist[29 albums]/

student of life and conscious journeyer, David Campbell has a new video of his beautiful song “Pretty Brown” on YouTube.Check it and his other videos at:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=marakakore

Or go to his website at http://www.davidcampbellarts.com/

Profile: Monica Lee – Musician On the Move

Monica Lee is an Alberta girl, run away to the West Coast to do what she loves most - make music.

She might have started singing from the word go...only her mother knows , but she does say she sang all the time. First piano, then choir, cello, and viola, then no more cello, then clarinet, trumpet, base clarinet and flute, recorder and kazoos too, then a guitar and back to piano ... She loves them all and has made better friends with some. Starting at open mics in Victoria in the early 90's, she made the big move to Vancouver in 1998 and began gigging with her CD, Feeling Fences. Several incarnations of The Monica Lee Band have come and gone, all the while honing her skill as a band leader and song writer. Later, jazz school opened a whole new way of thinking. A new woman , in 2003 Monica started what is today the voice and sound of Monica Lee.

Lee states among her influences Carole King, Veda Hille, Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, Tom Petty and the sound of planes passing by.

Whether she is carrying the audience through a melancholic love song, or bouncing them around the room Calypso-style with her trademark East Van anthem, “Down On the Drive”, Lee is always charming and captivating. Watching her play so many instruments as masterfully as she does, is awe-inspiring.

Producer Marc LEspérance is both drummer and backup vocalist and is producing the band’s first CD. Marc has produced many successful artists’ debut discs, like PoGirls first self-titled CD, The Salteens debut album, several albums with Ray Condo And The Ricochets. Marc has had an enormous impact on the local and national music scene and is excited about Monica Lee's work.

"Monica is one of the most talented singers and songwriters I have ever worked with. Playing her songs every week at the Libra Room is an enormous pleasure!

Late last year she had the honour of having three songs off her Seasons Greetings CD put into a made-for CBC and APTN documentary A Safer Sex Trade, directed by another Drive denizen, Carolyn Allain, about the sex trade in Vancouver, including the haunting tracks, Fall Away, and Judy Lea.

She was then asked to compose original music for the rest of the film.

“I learned a great deal in the process,” Lee said, “and I’ve discovered I truly love working within this medium. I’m looking forward to the next opportunity to do sound for film.”

The film is set to air on CBC Newsworld’s The Lens - Channel 26 on Tuesday Jan 23, at 7pm & 10 pm, Jan 24th at 1am, Saturday, Jan 27th at 12am, 7pm and 10pm PST

Go to the CBC Newsworld schedule go to and check for your time zone.

You can also visit the producer’s website at www.cheapanddirty.ca for show times, cast and crew bios and the film's trailer.

The documentary was also featured recently in the Vancouver Sun.
Catch Monica Lee every Thursday evening at the Libra Room....for more details visit her website or myspace page...addresses below.

email: monica@monicaleemusic.com
website: http://monicaleemusic.com
mypace: http://www.myspace.com/monicaleeband

By the way, there is a rumour going around that the next music in Monica's life will be a wedding march!

Sorry to break it to all you single guys.

Buy her CD anyway!

Upcoming: Veda Hille

The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival has commissioned Veda Hille to write a new set of songs called This Riot Life that are destined for an album release later this year. She will also be presenting a special version of her song cycle Field Study, a collection of songs about the natural world.

January 28 8pm

Vancouver East Cultural Centre