All photos by Alex Ramon
The idea of a three day music festival is just amazing for any concert-goer, but also for the artists as well. So when Shane Bourbonnais, Festival Executive Producer, wanted to bring a European-like festival to Canada, lots of artists jumped on board. Coldplay was the first to sign on, and from there on in, other big name acts wanted to be a part of it as well, such as Nine Inch Nails and Tom Petty. It even got to the point where Shane had to be turning down some acts because, well, they just didn’t have enough room on the bill. Now that they have all the acts, they had to find a place to house all of these talented individuals. They searched from the coast to coast, and luckily for us on the west, they decided to settle in a little small town by the name of Pemberton, BC. Read more »
Earlier last week Ron came down to see me in the basement of the building we work in (suitably referred to as the Joy Division) and told me that in addition to the media passes he had scored for Pemberton, he had also been given the green light to attend the Whistler Music Festival as well. The big question was whether or not I could go with him on the weekend. Considering that The Roots were headlining, and considering my previous declarations to anyone with ears that I would, and I quote, “sell my own grandmother to the circus to see them”, there was only one answer. So with Ron on the camera and me on the notepad, let’s get this review started! Read more »
Well we’re back with another article, but this time it’s a special guest writer. Chris Morrison, a wonderful local photographer and writer, approached me and asked if he could help me out a bit. Well I was more than happy to oblige and here’s his first write-up for Ronatron! Hope you guys all enjoy it!
If you’ve never heard of a band called Kill Hannah, then you need to crawl out from under the fuckin’ rock you’ve been hiding under and Google them. Read more »
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Music Reviews | 1 Comment
Photos courtesy of Dominic Cho
Well this night was very interesting to say the least. I wasn’t 100% sure if I was going to come out to this show at The Biltmore, mainly because I was heading up early in the morning (when I say early… I mean 6 AM!) to cover the Whistler Music Festival. But I’m not a person that worries too much about sleep deprivation, so I ended up going and now you all have an article to read. So this is solely for your reading pleasure and just to let you know, I’m dead tired and still recovering. The things I do for you guys… Read more »
Photo taken by Rena Hood Lundrie
With summer upon us and the patios calling our name, The Arbutus Collective brings that beach music straight from your speakers and into your ears, while leaving you relaxed and wanting summer to never end. Coming straight from Vancouver, B.C., this four-piece band blends everything you love about summer into notes and melodies that just make you want to spend the rest of your life living as a beach bum.
The Arbutus Collective is fronted by vocal, guitar, harmonica, ukulele extraordinaire Brandon Chalmers, Jeremy Rae, who is equally as talented but was absent for the show at The Media Club, Steve Wasstrom on drums, and Jemia Fong on bass. Playing for family and friends, Brandon’s songs soon became campfire favourites and upon meeting up with Jeremy, they soon formed what would be known as The Arbutus Collective. Influenced by such artists like Ben Harper, Simon & Garfunkel, and most noticeably Jack Johnson, Brandon and company provide the perfect atmosphere to just mellow out and enjoy the sunset. After playing open mic nights and other various shows, they were recruited by Josh Bowman of Warehouse Studios to record a demo and are now currently working on a full-length disc set to be released summer 2008. If you can’t find them touring “you may be able to find them at one of your local beaches watching the embers burn down over a good old fashion sandy jam!” Read more »
It’s not often that a band of such high calibre, that’s getting buzz in both Canada and down South, play in such a small and intimate venue like The Media Club. No offence to The Media Club, but they just can’t house a great band like Hey Rosetta! without jamming everyone in and making the place hotter than a metaphorical sauna with three rather obese and hairy men. Unlike that disgusting sauna I just described, I noticed that The Media Club was filled with extremely attractive people so if you were at this show, than kudos to your good lookin’ self. I’m not saying that the show was bad, but rather the complete opposite. With the performance Hey Rosetta! placed on stage, they should have been playing a few blocks away at The Commodore. In a few years, or maybe in a few months at the rate they’re going, they’ll be a household name and the lucky few that got to attend The Media Club show will be bragging to all their friends about catching them before they blew up. Read more »
This could have been the best show review ever, but somebody blew it bigtime and forgot about the release party that happened last Saturday for the first ER Compilation. Gah! And exactly how rad was the show? Brie from Scratch Records posted THIS on my message board the next day: “[The album is] totally out! The release party was last night and I didn’t get home until 7am!” Seven in the morning, babies. That’s a party and a half! C’est la vie, I suppose. So on to the next best thing…the record review! Read more »
The Railway Club – Thursday, June 19, 2008
Hey kids! Remember when MuchMusic used to rule? I know, I’m having a hard time remembering that too, but I vaguely remember flipping back and forth from that channel back in the day. You know, back before they turfed George Stroumboulopoulos and decided not to play music anymore. There’s a lot of mysteries when it comes to that station, but the real melon-scratcher is why they still continue to produce their two most excellent and obscure shows, The Wedge and Going Coastal. Today these are really the only programs worth a damn on Much, and respectively they continue to showcase some of the weirdest and most awesome music this country produces. Like The Wedge and Going Coastal last Thursday’s performance by Halifax’s Rich Aucoin at the Railway not only bolstered my love for alternative and East Coast Canadian music, but reminded me just how good the combination of the two can be. Read more »
I love bands that aren’t very good yet. You know what I mean? Brand spankin’ new bands that have a lot of potential but are still not quite ready to rock nuts. There’s something about them that’s so endearing that I can’t help but have a good time at their shows despite the fact that things are just a little bit disastrous. Last night’s set by Vancouver locals Catamaran was just such a show. Please keep in mind as I rattle off a list of oddities with their performance that I actually do like these kids a lot, okay? Okay. Read more »
Said the Whale CD Release Party
With Special Guests Maurice and Lotus Child
Biltmore Cabaret – Thursday, June 5th, 2008
First up on the bill was my old nemesis Jean-Paul Maurice and his new band, simply called Maurice. I guess I shouldn’t use words like ‘nemesis’ unless I’m talking about idiot bands like Prox, but it would behoove this review to say that I saw our kid open for Sarah Slean in oh-five and to quote the notes I took at the show, his solo performance was the “epicenter of emo-horror”. Regardless, JP and the kids served up a MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT last night on the second-last stop of their mini Spring tour. Read more »
