Dr. J

Say it ain't so. Btw happy after birthday Velvet. Somehow i missed that thread in the post-Christmas haze. Some pre-drunken revelry by some pre-drunken revelers

Happy birthday, Jay! Hope it's a good one.

All the best Caroline. Have yourself a great one! Hope to see you soon.

Wilburys - Cool Dry Place

Out of court. Joe will get some money. Coldplay will carry on. Booche will still be angry. Shit happens.

It's official. Neil's still the man. Great show last night.

You're welcome. Tonight!

Just a reminder that The Spades and Matthew Barber will be doing 5 shows over the next 5 nights: Nov. 4 - Guelph - Club Vinyl Nov. 5 - Hamilton - Pepper Jack's (w/the Rev and Espanola) Nov. 6 - Windsor - Phog Lounge Nov. 7 - Toronto - Horseshoe Nov. 8 - Sudbury - Townhouse Then they make their way to the west coast. For those who missed them recently (lookin' atcha Phorbesie) here's a little dittie picked up by a fan in Kingston on Hallowe'en.

Not sure there's a headliner per se on this one. My understanding is that Matt will do a set backed by the Spades and then the Spades will do their own set being joined at some point by Matt as well. Looking forward to this one. I haven't heard a full set from the Spades since they were at Decuf last April. Seems like a long time ago. Looking forward to seeing some familiar faces again as well.

yeah he's usually good, but I thought he really nailed that one.

Left me speechless....

I believe they will be playing at the Halifax Pop Explosion (Oct. 21 - 25). I assume, if they do, they'll be making some stops on the way down or back. But I don't know for sure. and that's not all I don't know....

Presale here on Thurs. Aug.21

hey cowboy hope your experience is all that you expected and above all that it's a safe one. Enjoy yourself and take care.

Agreed. If you're going don't be late. The Stables lay down some sweet country folk and are well worth catching.

Last summer we were playing cards in the kitchen when we heard a tremendous crack and saw what looked like two or three lightning bolts touch down in rapid succession outside the patio door. Then absolute quiet. The neighbour behind us eventually phoned over to see if we were alright. Over the course of the next few days, we came to discover the extent of the damage - 1 satellite receiver + 2 stereo systems + 1 computer + 1 water softener. All fried. Could have been worse.

Happy birthday KevO. Have yourself a good one!

Well done, Kev! All the best!

Carlin was one of the first to realize that the role of the comedian was to do more than simply make you laugh and he accepted that role without reservation. A true original. A huge loss. RIP

Like Hux, I know from experience that when fund-raising the results seldom match one's expectations, so you learn to adjust as you go. To have provided folks with world class music, a good time and an opportunity to contribute (to the tune of $800) to a worthy cause is an absolutely wonderful endeavour on many levels. Remember....no regrets. Congrats, Heather!

No question things are changing. Still very much a transitional time. Not all middlemen have been eliminated nor should they be. Not all musicians are management people with the time, the skills, the desire etc. to make the contacts, do the legwork etc Right now the best middle people are the ones who see their relationship with the artist as a partnership and who share a common vision with and for that artist and who understand how to use their skills, as well as the new technologies/models, to advance that vision. For example, one effective way for a lesser known band to tour is to open for a well known band. Straightforward – get good, get an opening slot and hit the road. Sounds easy, but difficult for a DIY artist. Generally, most well known artists still have an agent and some form of management. If you know someone in the band that has some leverage with them that may help, but still won’t guarantee a spot on the bill. By bringing on a DIY artist, the agent has effectively reduced his/her fee and although most would like to give new bands a break, they need to make a living. Agents generally choose openers from their own rosters thus drawing a fee from both artists, as well as hoping the investment in the lesser known act eventually pays off. Agents still prefer to work with other agents/venues/managers etc. knowing the favour will be returned, rather than directly with an artist. Just to say, it’s not impossible to be a DIY artist, but it’s still very difficult, even these days.

Cool. Thanks M. Have only read On A Cold Road and quite enjoyed it. His columns are interesting as well, especially the one on "the slippery slope."

Yeah. Forgive me if I've shared this before, but as he often did for young musicians starting out in Peterborough when James went in to record his first CD, Willie came in to help out. You can imagine what it meant to have someone with the stature of Willie P. Bennett in the studio. At one point in the session, Willie stepped out of his shoes, leaned his mandolin against a chair, set his glasses on the seat of the chair and went out for a smoke. While he was out, James took a picture of the empty chair and the shoes etc. (it appears in the liner notes to Restless Soul). At the time, on the back of the photo, James wrote: "Willie was here."

As always, thanks for doing this Brad! You're getting faster and faster! This is the only recorded version of the song Willie's Notes a song I love on so many different levels....even tease a Willie song (One Vessel) at the end.... "O come the day when all our tears Are gathered in one vessel". If for no other reason than the fact that I now have a copy of this song I'd be forever grateful. Thanks.