Stylus vs. NXNE – Day 5: Patrick Goes Full Circle

By Patrick Michalishyn

So we get these emails every morning giving us the highlights of the day for NXNE. While Iggy Pop was this years’ “headliner” and De La Soul were closing out the night at the big free stage, I heard about show that happens every week in Toronto, a band who takes up a monthly residency at a different bar, playing only covers, some straight ahead, others mutated and mashed up with other known songs. The band’s name is Ancient Chinese Secret.


Ancient Chinese Secret is the latest band featuring the man who started the whole music geek in me running: Mr. Brian Connelly of Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet fame. And this was not your standard show. Brian, the nicest, most modest, fun and self-depricating musician-type that I’ve ever met, he and his band set up at the front of this tiny pub and just play. They don’t really talk until they announce they’re going to take a break between sets. Not looking for anything but to play to whoever’ll listen and have a beer when they rest their hands.

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Stylus vs. NXNE – Day 4: Patrick Takes Heed

By Patrick Michalishyn

I woke up late in the morning (early afternoon) in pain from rocking out too hard at the Astro-man? show last night. Shit, where’s the Robaxacet? No time to write, the only panel I cared to see was starting in two hours, across town at the Hyatt.

The panelists:
Henry Owings of the (in)famous Chunklet mag, Drug Racer Records, graphic designer (and it goes on and on).
Damian Abraham of Fucked Up, new dad, all around nice guy.
Nick Flanagan, moderator, singer of the Brutal Knights, comedian, and recent cripple (a skin-puncturing compound fracture that he got while performing. So punk!!)

The panel: “All of the Other Panels at NXNE Are WRONG.” The purpose: debunk all of the shit that every other panel tells you you need: “Finding a manager,” “The 360 Deal,” “Making a name for yourself,” and other horse-hooey that “the biz” says is a must when you want to start a band. Passion and the want to make music is the most important thing. Everything else you can pretty much do yourself. Yeah, EVERYTHING. Promote yourself, book your own shows, manage your cash, release your own records, get distro deals. EVERYTHING! The message was loud and clear from the get-go, but the three had 55 minutes left to make their point. Well…

Almost immediately, Damian took over moderating duties from Nick. Nick would jump in with random ridiculous comments and Henry would claim that they “knocked that one out of the park.” Three guys who know their shit, know what’s bullshit (almost everything) and aren’t afraid to mince words or take the piss out of anyone/thing that needs it. With a heap of humour. The panel was absolutely hilarious. Essentially three friends riffing off of each other and the list of names of the other panels. Sadly, the idea that was being bounced around before the panel started was that Damian, with wireless microphone, was going to crash other panels and report live from other rooms why they were bullshit. We even tested the range! It all boiled down to what the Big Boys ended their concerts with: “Go start your own band!”

I would’ve gone home and wrote about the previous day and got my reports in on time, but I got the option to go out for food and beer and record shopping with Henry, so I chose that instead. No brainer, right? Big geek, bigger heart, I love that man.

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Stylus vs. NXNE – Day 3: Patrick in the Pit


By Patrick Michalishyn
All right, so I said I’d write for Stylus about my NXNE experience. And I did — eventually. As any reader of this fine publication would understand, when you have the chance to meet, hang out, befriend a musical hero, you take that chance. And on this trip I did. I’ve had some time to collect my thoughts and refine my writing in the “cool off” days following. I hope ya dig! – Patrick

Rumoured shows are wonderful… when they actually happen. There was a rumour that at this house-party/BBQ George Stroumboulopoulos would show up, that Broken Social Scene would all come, and that they’d be dragging along Pavement for a secret set. I decided to check it out. Even if none of that happened, the beer is free.

I make it down, pay my cover and go get a beer. Four bucks! So much for free. Estranged friend Chris Nelson (former “Going Coastal” guy) tells me that Strombo is on a motorcycle down to L.A., and the other two rumours are definitely just that.

I missed Sebastien Grainger’s new band Bad Tits, but I was told they put on a stellar living room show. I couldn’t tell you who else played though… the bassist from the Constantines has a new band and might’ve mentioned that the ‘Tines have run their course (exclusive!). Eventually we left that off-Vice party and headed for the Horseshoe for the Chunklet show.

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Stylus vs. NXNE, Day 2 – Patrick Sees Thee Oh Sees

By Patrick Michalishyn

I got a Facebook message back from Ralph Alfonso of Bongo Beat that he would be in town for the world premiere of Circa ’77: The Diodes a half-hour doc about the beginnings of the Diodes, as well as their end and the renewed interest and resurgence of this fantastic Toronto punk band. Lots of archival footage of them performing at the Crash & Burn Club (Canada’s first punk venue), interviews from their heyday, and lots of history. This all leads up to a reunion at NXNE a few years ago.

The movie kind of felt like an episode of really great TV, in the way that it packed in so much and covered so much ground in its short (27-minute) runtime. Hopefully it’ll come out with the Action/Reaction reissue (coming soon—hopefully—on Bongo Beat). So not only did I meet Ralph, who I’d been bugging about music stuff since I was 15, but three quarters of the Diodes were there for a Q&A.
Later that night was the Kelp Records Showcase at Clinton’s Bar. Local non-Kelpers Jennifer LFO played opened the show at 8 p.m.—playing to me, the bartender, the NXNE volunteer, and eventually Toronto Liam that I met at Jersey Boys a few nights before. It was a crying shame more people didn’t see them, but they played tight pop-rock with Acid Mothers guitar freakouts and Liz Phair-like duo-femme vocals. Liam an I went hoarse and had raw hands, giving them the volume-recognition they deserved. They thanked me by giving me their drink tickets. Unneccesary, but appreciated!

Near the end of that set, all of the Ottawans finally showed up: Andrew Swan, Jim Bryson, Mr. Kelp Records himself Jon Bartlett, Camp Radio and the man I’ve been listening to since I added “teen” to my age, Chris Page. You know when you meet someone who makes you love music so much that you pick up an instrument and learn to play their stuff? That’s who Chris Page is to me. He went up as soon as he walked through the door and played a half-hour solo set, sprinkled with songs from his four albums, plus a bunch of rarities found on the annual Kelp comps. I grinned like an idiot through the whole set, sang along, called out requests (and got a little tease of a Trapped song).

Then it was time for Camp Radio to take stage. Special surprise, they beefed up the power trio with two more guitarists (Jim Bryson and another guy I talked to for 20 minutes but forgot his name). It was gonna kill. I bought their album as soon as I heard it and couldn’t get enough. Now here, they kicked out more new songs from the forthcoming album than the old ones I’ve memorized and I couldn’t be more excited. They’re like a mix of the Nils and Superchunk, boundless energy, and a very beardy drummer. After they finished, it was hugs all around, and I kinda felt like the cousin who doesn’t get out to visit. I hope I get to see these guys again soon.
With two bands off my bucket list of “Bands to see before I die,” I walked over to the Great Hall to catch Thee Oh Sees. Brigid is more gorgeous than her pictures, Petey’s got that punk/intellect thing down, and the-man-that-never-rests John Dwyer, well he’s one of the coolest cats I’ve ever met. If you’ve never heard of the Oh Sees, here’s a quick overview. They’re from San Fran, their “breakthrough” album was called The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In, and it’s a hell of a lot more frenetic than EVERYTHING that came before. Reverby surfy garagy punkrock’n’roll. They have records coming out every other month and everything sounds wonderful and unique.

Thee Oh Sees

I was right at the front of the stage, singing/sweating/dancing. They played a few songs from Master’s, “Block Oof Ice” getting the largest response. “Tidal Wave,” from the 7″ of the same name, got peoplethrashing and yelping. They even played the epic 15-minuter mind-melter “Warm Slime.” Some dude threw about 20 drinks on Dwyer and drummer Mike, and they got him back with one right in the face. The whole concert was absolutely insane. The only disappointment was that they played on the stage. Usually Thee Oh Sees set up in the middle of the floor, or in the bar, or in the lobby, or in the bathroom, and then just let’r rip, fans circling them and singing and playing their instruments. The stage show was still fantastic though, and after the show I got to hang out with them for about 45 minutes. I’m like a kid at Disneyworld right now, nothing’s gonna bring me down. If they ever come through Winnipeg, or if you ever have a chance to see Thee Oh Sees, never EVER pass it up. I’m gonna try and get some sleep now.

Stylus at NXNE, Day 1: Eagles of Death Metal and Small Sins

By Patrick Michalishyn

Hi, I’m Patrick, and I’m writing about my North by North-East experience for Stylus. Originally, I was just flying out to see Man… or Astro-man? perform at the Horseshoe, but my editors suggested I try for a media pass. Well, holy shit, it worked! So my stay was extended, my Toronto cherry was popped, and now I’ve gotta report back daily so I don’t get blacklisted. I hope I don’t bore you.

My basic rules:

TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY
If I’m invited to a show/BBQ/party, I go (unless I have previous plans). Basically, I’m not allowed to wimp out. No “pulling a Patrick.”

AVOID SHITTY BANDS
With over 650 bands playing NXNE, the chances of seeing crap are high. I’m trying to avoid that. So the bands and shows I’ll be reviewing will most likely be positive since it’s all stuff I want to see.

MAKE CONNECTIONS
You never know who’s in the know. Whether it’s Man… or Astro-man?’s secret performance at Sneaky Dee’s, or a healthy rumour of a free Pavement set at an afternoon BBQ, or… shit, was I not supposed to tell?

PLAN AHEAD
Make a list of who you need to see, where they’re playing, and how long you need to get there. Logistics and common sense. If it’s gonna be a huge show, get there early. If two bands you want to see have conflicting schedules, see if one’s playing on another night. Give yourself time for transportation.

PUBLIC TRANSIT IS YOUR FRIEND
Winnipeg: our city planning and transit system suck. Not so much in Toronto. The city is a grid and the transit lines run on time (and frequently!). You just need to know the direction you’re travelling and the name of your stop (if additional help is needed, there are posters everywhere). Buy a pass for the week and keep it with your ID.

I got my media pass and swag bag, and during the long wait for both I ran into Andy Maize (of the Skydiggers, super affable dude), plus local wunderkinds Stephen Carroll (Weakerthans) and Shaun Gibson (Details). I love running into people I know in a place I’ve never been.

The only plan for the day, NXNE-wise, was deciding what kick-off party to attend. The big two were Eagles of Death Metal with Small Sins at the Phoenix or Karen Elson at El Mocambo. The guy at Rotate This said he’d sold out of tickets, and I’d only be interested in seeing if Jack White would be there supporting his wife (stranger things have happened). So I opted for the Eagles.

The show started promptly at 10 p.m. with Toronto’s Small Sins. Apparently this was their first show in a year and a half, but you wouldn’t know it. They were hella tight. Arranged in almost olympic-rings pattern on stage, these guys were kinetic on stage. Lots of dancing and harmonizing and smiles, with extra extra handclapping. Holy hell, there was a lot of handclapping. Musically, they ran the gamut between slower, atmospheric rock ‘n’ roll to super energetic Hall and Oats-like pop. Oh, and lots of good humour. They were the first to call themselves on being mismatched on a lineup with Eagles of Death Metal. Small Sins are a great band and they had people bouncing around, but you could tell the crowd was there for Boots & Co.

And at 11 o’clock, the Devil himself appeared. You know what to expect at an EoDM show: lots of southern-sex boogie-rock ‘n’ roll led by the charismatic-as-fuck preacher Jesse Hughes. I’ve never been disappointed with them. Plumes of pot-smoke filled the front of the Phoenix. The girl beside me took off her pink D-cup bra and hurled it at Hughes. It landed perfectly over the neck of his guitar during a song. He laughed, thanked the ladies in the audience, and hung it on the kick-drum like a trophy. He would pull the girls up onto the stage for a quick kiss and send them off to watch stage-side and soon girls were just climbing on up there on their own. Amazing showmanship every time, they know how to bait an audience. What a party! The only downside with any EoDM show are the meathead douchebags that feel like they’ve gotta flail and crash into everybody around them. Otherwise, kick-off was a success.

Come back to stylusmagazine.ca daily for Patrick’s NXNE updates!

Weird Shit with Kent Davies – The Case of Levitt vs. Coward

By Kent Davies

Just in case you missed it, a few months back members of noise bands Teeth Mountain and SHAMS set the internet on fire with their appearance on TV courtroom show Judge Judy. Kate Levitt of Teeth Mountain spun the horrific but nevertheless amusing tale of SHAMS frontman Jonathan Coward drunkenly killing her cat with a TV in front of a less-than-impressed Judge Judy. Although the appearance by Levitt and Coward was brief, the clash between the two weirdo noise artists and the crusty no-nonsense Judge is surreal, hilarious and of course just plain weird. From Judge Judy’s inferred accusations regarding Levitt’s fidgety behaviour to the leather-clad, long-haired Coward refuting the accusations of feline homicide, the show had it all. Even noise-punk Brian Blomerth a.k.a. Narwhalz (Of Sound) makes an appearance as a character witness for Coward, calling the Judge “Mama” and accusing Kate of the crime of leaving her underwear on the counter.

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Jazz Fest Preview – May We Recommend?

Editors’ picks for stuff you should see during the 2010 TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival.

THE ROOTS

They may be a household name now due to their supporting role on American network late night TV, but the Roots could’ve sold out the Pantages long before they became Jimmy Fallon’s house band. Questlove, Black Thought and company have been reshaping hip hop for 20 years, unapologetically injecting jazz and rock into their mix of rhymes and beats. These genre-busting Philadelphians are unparalleled live instrumentalists—as Late Night fans already know. Given how hard they rock from the sideline, you know we’re in for it when they hit centre stage. (Monday, June 28 @ Pantages Playhouse Theatre, 8 p.m., $64.50)

MARTHA WAINWRIGHT

You know about Martha and her uncommon pedigree—daughter of Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III, sister of Rufus. You know about her frank, songwriting and raw vocals. This year at the Jazz Winnipeg Festival, you’ll see another side of this captivating singer. This time, Martha is Edith—Piaf, that is, the legendary French chanteuse. Wainwright recorded Piaf classics for her latest live album, Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, à Paris, and she will recreate those performances for a Winnipeg audience. Opening the show is singer/pianist duo José James and Jef Neve. (Sunday, June 27 @ Pantages Playhouse Theatre, 8 p.m., $41)

ELISAPIE ISAAC

Tri-lingual Elisapie Isaac brings a dazzling and dense range of influences and inspiration to her music. Inuk by birth, she was raised in a northern Quebec Inuit community. She’s been a journalist, a filmmaker and half of the folk duo Taima, but now she’s struck out on her own with a solo record, There Will Be Stars. You’ll have two chances to experience her charming and transporting folk-pop (sung in English, French and Innu) on two occasions during the festival. Don’t miss out. (Sunday, June 27 @ Old Market Square, 7 p.m., free and later @ Aqua Books, 9:30 p.m., $12 adv./$15 door)

DEERHOOF

The record-conscious kids these days agree on just about everything these days—but I guarantee that if you force a group of stubborn people to choose their favourite Deerhoof record, there’s going to be one hell of a knife fight. There’s the absurd Milk Man, which has since been turned into a kids’ play, The Runners Four, their huge double album which is closest they’ll ever come to making pop songs, or the kitchen-sink attitude of Reveille—hell, you could justify any album they’ve made. This San Francisco four-piece has been around for more than 15 years and they’ve released 10 albums that can only be summed up as non-commercial rock and pop. Playing with time signatures, electronics, or harmonies, Deerhoof have done it all—yet they’re still known best for tearing it up onstage as a four-piece band. (Monday, June 28 @ Pyramid Cabaret, 9 p.m., $15 adv./ $18 door)

THINK ABOUT LIFE and BONJAY

The Sunday night show of the Club Series is going to be quite the rowdy time. Think About Life, Canada’s finest sampler-and-synth-based band, is always bursting with energy, and singer Martin Cesar has more than enough personality to spare. A quick listen to the killer-catchy songs “Sweet Sixteen” or “Havin’ My Baby” off their latest album Family should be enough to convince that they’re worth seeing. But if that band isn’t enough to tickle your fancy, there is also Bonjay, an electronic Toronto duo steeped in dancehall and R&B. The duo began simply to play parties, but now they’re a full-fledged project, with thousands of followers and recordings to their name, which play out like an even more chill version of Santigold. (Sunday, June 27 @ Pyramid Cabaret, 10 p.m., $15 adv./$18 door)

KID KOALA PRESENTS THE SLEW LIVE

True, true, there’s an awful lot of novelty wrapped up in the premise of this concert—under the name the Slew, Kid Koala and Dynomite D made the soundtrack to a film using nothing but biting rock albums and their sweet turntable skills, only for the film never to be released. Enter Wolfmother’s rhythm section. They dig the Slew’s music, they start playing together and voila, they’re all taking the show on the road. But despite all those pretenses, if the live show delivers anything close to the record that the Slew released, it’ll be one hell of a blow-you-out-of-the-water experience. Most of the songs are driving, in-your-face, and heavy-hitting like Wolfmother’s rock tracks, but it’ll maintain all of the quirk of Kid Koala that you’d expect—not to mention Kid Koala and Dynomite D dueling on not four turntables, but six. (Thursday, July 1 @ Pyramid Cabaret, 10 p.m., $18 adv./ $20 door)

Frog Eyes

by David Nowacki

Carey Mercer is a personal hero of mine and he could be yours, too. He is the owner of an idiosyncratic wail and writer of equally unique songs. You might be listening to a Carey Mercer song if you find yourself wondering how a trombone learned how to sing and also how it got so angry, or if you find a palpable feeling of dirt and despair emanating from the words. You can easily pick him out of any musical project he’s ever been involved with. Even in the formative days of his first group Blue Pine, the aural aesthetic distinctly attributable to Carey Mercer has been evident. And since Frog Eyes’ first album, The Bloody Hand, he has taken that sound and with every album honed it and grown and explored the boundaries of what he could do with it—which, in practice, has proved to be fantastic and interesting and weirdly beautiful. Frog Eyes’ latest album, Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph, marks a more majestic, epic sound and a further step forward in the oeuvre of Mercer. He also (very occasionally) blogs, and writes opinion pieces such as one lambasting a gag clause in the contracts of the musicians who played the Olympic closing ceremonies. I tried to contain my fanboyishness as much as possible as I telephoned him in the faraway land of British Columbia.

Stylus: I’ve been noticing the more recent albums, Paul’s Tomb and Tears of the Valedictorian, you’ve been tending towards longer songs. Why do you think this is?
Carey Mercer:
That’s not something that we set out to do, but I think it’s an after-effect of a general move to explore space a little bit more. So it’s maybe it’s good to think of, like, songs almost like the super-slow movement of an accordion. So on The Folded Palm, or The Golden River or The Bloody Hand, it’s the same songs, they’re just really condensed. It’s like, if we were to take some of those songs and stretch them out and build up the instrumental parts, which is what we’re doing now, you probably actually would end up with nine-minute songs. Maybe even more. There might be actually a lot more ideas in those early songs, I don’t know. [Laughs.]

Stylus: Do you think of your music a whole, continuing, ongoing piece, or is each album its own insular little world?
CM:
I would say that each album is its own insular little world. But when I’m done an album, that’s it with that record, and those songs forever live on that record. And it’s kind of weird sometimes to pluck them out of a record. Say, in a live set, you’ll take a song from The Folded Palm and chuck it in to the middle of all these other songs. I don’t know, there’s something kind of odd—it’s not so odd that we don’t do it, but I always have to re-orient myself once the song is done. That’s the nice thing, also, about playing with different people, is that the song changes so much anyways because someone else is playing the bass line, or someone else has taken the piano line and put it up onto electric guitar.

Stylus: Being a Canadian musician—and it doesn’t really matter if you feel terribly connected to the country itself—you’re going to be sort of labeled as a Canadian Musician, in articles and reviews and that sort of thing- do you actually feel any sort of connection to the country you live in? Do you feel like you are a Canadian Artist?
CM:
It’s such a complex question. I was watching the Olympics close, and I just couldn’t understand, I just don’t get it. I don’t even understand what Canada is, you know? Is it health care? Is it Stephen Harper? Is it the sheer geography of the place? But then, it’s so massive. How do you condense that into a single emotion? And this is why I find that kind of like, herd instinct displays of pomp really actually troubling, because it’s this massive outpouring of really, really intense, heartfelt emotion towards essentially meaningless symbols, and when that happens people are put in a place where they can be easily manipulated because they’re feeling so hard, but they don’t even really know what they’re feeling. I feel incredibly connected, in my own life, to where I live. I love it. I love the region that I live in. I mean, Vancouver Island is bigger than Switzerland. So, if you’re from Switzerland, you’re Swiss, and I think in your mind it’s quite easy to sum up what that means. Just as it would be easier for me to say, to talk about Vancouver Island, or you could talk about the Red River area, right? I don’t know anyone who’s from Moncton or Saint John, and I don’t know why if I see someone from Moncton or Saint John or Halifax walking down the street I should put my arm around them, start weeping [laughs], and start singing “O Canada,” you know? It’s a lie. Nationalism is the most pervasive lie, and it’s the one unifying aspect of history. There seems to be at the heart of all of the totalitarian regimes too, Great Mother Russia. Actually, the only thing that really unites Canadian musicians might be something like FACTOR, or SOCAN. That small fact that we are all able to apply on some kind of equal status for some funds. At least there’s that.


Stylus: The Internet: good thing/bad thing? From a musician’s standpoint.
CM:
Good and bad. It’s like saying Planet Earth: good or bad?


Stylus: But for you personally, I mean, I know you’ve gotten into the internet culture a bit, you’ve got your blog, which, albeit, isn’t updated too often, but there is that involvement. Has it benefitted you as a musician, do you think? A lot of artists find detriment in the fact that anyone can get their album for free.
CM:
I can’t answer that question. Truthfully answering it would necessitate being able to see what the world would be like without the Internet. And actually, when I think about it, probably the most rewarding things that we’ve done with Frog Eyes has been, you know, like we went to Tel Aviv, we went to Moscow, and when we played, kids totally knew our music, and there’s no way that they would have known it without the internet. So, in that sense, it’s good. But in the other sense, it’s really too early to break out the party hats. We need to figure out an economic model that works for the Internet.

Stylus: Do you have any statements about the record you’d like to make?
CM:
No. [laughs] Not really. Just, in general, I don’t really like talking about music too much.
Stylus: Your own music, or just music in general?
CM:
Music in general. Its beauty is in its mystery. You just can’t. You just lose every time you try to.

Jazz for Humanity

By Kaeleigh Ayre

Being a co-executive director of an organization is not something every 20-year-old can put on their resume, but Rayannah Kroeker can. The fourth-year University of Manitoba jazz voice student is an up-and-coming presence in the Winnipeg jazz scene. When she’s not in class or participating in world development conferences, she can often be found performing with the Retro Rhythm Review or Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra. Since 2007 she has been putting her all into presenting Jazz for Humanity—an annual concert with a conscience.

Jazz for Humanity has blossomed into a multi-disciplinary event, but it began with a trip to Rwanda. Kroeker and her classmates were inspired to give back to the community they experienced there. With her friend Katrine Dilay, Kroeker helmed the inaugural Jazz for Humanity concert at Collège St. Boniface in 2007. In the years since, the event has outgrown its location not once, but twice—moving from St. Boniface to Prairie Theatre Exchange, which they sold out in 2009. This year, they’re on the Manitoba Theatre Centre mainstage.

Jazz for Humanity is partnered with Ubuntu Edmonton, a small non-profit organization that helps the widows and orphans of the 1993 Rwandan genocide. All funds raised by the organization through this event go towards helping those that reside within the small community of Kimironko to become self-sufficient. “The benefit of Ubuntu still being so small and mostly unknown is that they require very little overhead costs, and therefore most of the money we raise goes directly into the village,” says Kroeker. This is something that she is very proud of, and something she says doesn’t happen with a lot of the large-scale charities.

The evening is “drastically different than expectations,” Kroeker stresses. “We make a conscious effort to select a wide variety of repertoire. While we focus on world music, we also include elements of R&B as well as rap and hip hop. The audience comes away with a sense that it’s more world music than jazz because they don’t realize jazz sounds like that, that it actually is jazz.”

Unfortunately, she feels there is a stigma that comes with the word “jazz.” “People have an outdated view of the genre,” says Kroeker. “They expect the smooth sound of the ’20s, of dancehalls, Lindy Hop and scatting. They don’t take in to account that there’s been nearly a century of development within the genre, which is why we highly suggest even those that are wary of ‘jazz’ to come out. There is something for everyone to enjoy.”

On top of the fabulous performances to be expected from Kroeker’s sextet comprised of Will Bonness, Curtis Nowosad, Simon Christie, Shannon Kristjanson, Graham Isaak and herself, they are also showcasing several forms of dance. Performing are students from the School of Contemporary Dancers Professional Division, as well as returning guests presenting tango and a dance style from Central Africa. Steve Kirby is among the special guests, as well as other students from the UM music faculty. There will be an art auction and refreshments.

If this line-up alone doesn’t entice music fans, Kroeker hopes the desire to support a cause does. “It’s time to take action and get behind a cause. It’s important to know that all of the money goes straight into Ubuntu. We want to show adults that we care, that we can do things and create change. We’re always watching and evaluating everything around us, including government and business practices. We just ask that people come with an open mind and expecting to have a good time. It’s time to do things differently.”

Jazz for Humanity happens Friday, June 18 at the MTC Mainstage. Visit www.jazzforhumanity.org for ticket info.

Evil Survives – False Metal Slayers

By Kent Davies

Local metal marauders Evil Survives perform old school New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) at its purest commanding form. The band was born out of the uninspired revulsion following a Children of “Boredom” gig at which they sold their souls to save metal and destroy the savage purveyors of false metal evermore. Evoking the authoritative metal supremacy of Priest, Maiden and Mercyful Fate they sought conquer the metal world forever. Combining Adrian Riff and Sean Murray’s double dose of fierce frenzied guitar shredding obliteration, the pulse pounding percussion and rhythmic destruction of Derrick the Butcher and Dr. Wiseman Harrisist and Axe ’n’ Smash Warkentin’s devastating Dickenson-like cries, Evil Survives absolutely annihilates everything else. The band’s recent earth-shattering sophomore album Powerkiller is already a metal classic, featuring six ludicrously loud, larger-than-life-and-death tracks and Ed Repka’s finest cover art in years. The album is guaranteed to blow brains out of any denim ’n’ leather listener. Recently Stylus sought an audience with Evil Survives shredmaster Adrian Riff to discuss Powerkiller, cassette tapes and the new resurgence of NWOBHM.

Stylus: Powerkiller… my god. Powerkiller.
Adrian Riff:
The new album was recorded in a marathon 16-day session in December. I’d like to think it’s the logical second Evil Survives album. We’re not going to alienate any fans. It’s 25 percent less Iron Maiden, 25 percent more Evil Survives. It’s little more of us finding our own sound but mostly pseudo-plagiarising or paying homage to Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Mercyful Fate.

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