by Gil Carroll
With the onslaught of promotions and showcases leading up to the Junos, the broadcast of which takes place in Winnipeg on Sunday, March 30 at the MTS Centre, local bands, artists, and labels go on with life as usual. While the Junos are a celebration of Canadian music, there exists an obvious detachment from the underground, DIY, independent labels, scenes and bands. The Junos generally will avoid these scenes at all costs as a band recording and making its own cassettes in a basement is not a very Juno thing to do. Because cassette making in a basement is an independent venture without, in all reality, much money to be made, there is no point for a relationship to exist.
This is not a fault of the Junos. After all, in no way do they pretend to be supportive of or care at all about DIY music culture. The nominees for this year’s Junos clearly reflect this. At the same time, one would think that having the Junos reach out to virtual “unknown” bands and musicians would not necessarily be something that the DIY scene would appreciate. Yet, for one week, local record label Deafwish, with the help of Eat Em Up Records, is optimistic that it will be able to get some face time with some industry big wigs and have an opportunity to share with them at least a glimpse of the unique and sprawling underground music happening in Winnipeg.
Rock Trembath, “Central Victory Officer” at Deafwish, plans to do this through the creation of the O(h) No! Festival. Coinciding with Juno week, the O(h) No! Festival is a collaboration of musicians, comedians and local clubs. Trembath organized the event because he believes strongly in the importance of and the strength of the local music scene.
“Although the Junofest team does their best to highlight local content, we felt that there was a lot of quality music that needed places to be heard during the week,” he told Stylus.
O(h) No! Kicks off Wednesday night at The Windsor Hotel. The show, presented by Eat Em Up Records, features Montreal act Mark Sultan sharing the stage with local bands The High Thunderers, Chicah Boom Boom, and Atomic Don and The Black Sunrise. Thursday night is dedicated to humour and the crowning of the local “comedy king” at the A.N.A.F. 60 in Osborne Village. Friday night’s theme is a Rock’N’Roll Pizza Party and Beerfest taking place at both the Underground Venue (under 333 Garry) and The Garrick Hotel with ten bands performing. Saturday is the O(H) No! Underground Showcase at Underground Venue with rock and roll, hip hop, and hardcore bands sharing the spotlight.
Trembath is excited that the Underground Venue is playing such an important role in the festival. “I grew up going to basement shows so this venue gives me a neat throwback experience,” says a nostalgic Trembath. “I also like the idea of staging the best underground music in a venue that is literally just that,” he adds.
David Dobbs, guitarist and vocalist of Vampires, who will be performing at the Underground Venue on Saturday night, also is excited about the event. He is well aware and appreciative of the commitment, creativity and influence that the underground scene maintains.
“Underground music and performances are breaking new boundaries.” he says. “The venues that house them aren’t really even taking a chance, they’re aware socially and passionately to the unnerving flood and range of complexities that most humans engage in everyday, allowing them to exist just as any other art form.”
Junos, or no Junos, music in Winnipeg is happening all around you, underground, all year round.