TheGoodRev

Oh, also:

I know how much you guys are all dying to see KISS, so here's what you should do next Wednesday night the 15th: 6pm Rogers Stage: Arkells 8pm Hard Rock Cafe Stage: Lee Harvey Osmond 9pm Bank of America Stage: Kiss then 10:30pm Irene's: Sandman Viper Command and Huron Take Thursday off, you'll thank me I promise.

People...we have a preliminary master of the record and I put up three tracks on our myspace. Seriously, jamband folks, go listen to the Big Dig. Do it for me. Do it for a man. I'm not asking, I'm telling. http://www.myspace.com/huronband

Dud/ettes, I'm in a band called Huron, we have been labouring over our first record and are pretty much done. It was produced by none other than Sir Ian Blurton, a venerable Canadian indie-rock legend who has fronted Change of Heart, Blurtonia and C'mon, played guitar in Bionic, and produced everybody from the Rheostatics and Skydiggers to Amy Millan and the Weakerthans. He is a god. The record is a mess of old-school influences; when people ask us what we sound like, my lazy answer is "Big Star meets Black Sabbath". But the truth is there are a lot of other things going on, including a heavy dose of Floyd/Dead-informed psych, Allmans-style guitar harmony, and Band-style vocal harmony. It will be released for your listening pleasure in the fall, and so to gear up and get our chops together after spending months in the studio, we're embarking on an 8-night Southern Ontario run beginning next week. Here are the dates: 08 July Casbah, Hamilton 09 July El Mocambo, Toronto 10 July Black Shire, London 11 July Wally's, Guelph 15 July Irene's, Ottawa (KISS afterparty) 16 July Montreal House, Peterborough 17 July Red Rooster, Burlington 18 July Coach & Horses, Windsor Joining us on all the dates will be a fantastic band from Burlington, Sandman Viper Command (http://www.myspace.com/sandmanvipercommand). Their first record is now out and it's pretty awesome, I call them "Thrush Hermit stuck in a beautiful Abbey Road rut". I would love to see some of you skanks out at the shows. It's worth noting that in Ottawa, I'll be playing an 8pm set with Tom Wilson's new project Lee Harvey Osmond at the Bluesfest Hard Rock Cafe stage. My buddies in Arkells are playing at 6pm over at the Rogers stage. KISS is playing at 9:30 at the Bank of America stage, and Sandman Viper Command will start at Irene's sometime around 10:30, with Huron to follow. Come on out if you can! www.huronmusic.ca

I just came back from a five-night run opening for the Junkies through NY State, Pennsylvania and Virginia. I had never seen them before though I knew their records in passing. I have to say, I find them to be an incredible band! Every night I shook my head and said, "Those folks on the Jambands board don't know what they're missing." The set is totally moody with big, loud moments and trippy, jammy moments; lots of INCREDIBLE playing, particularly on the part of Jeff Bird on mandolin and harmonica. He made a record with Kevin Breit and Harry Manx, I noticed on the merch table. He has a standard 8-string mando, and then a four-string solidbody that he shreds the shit out of, runs it through all kinds of pedals. Also covers a lot of ground with some expressive harp playing. Mike Timmins on guitar also never failed to impress me...and Margo still has an incredible voice. They play a different setlist every night (there are more than a half-dozen records to pick from) and I saw a handful of tapers in every city we played. I think there may be some Ontario/Quebec dates coming in the fall (not 100%) and I can't recommend them highly enough, especially to you folks on this board. Take it from me...

Seriously? No replies? We had a little write-up in Chartattack this week: http://www.chartattack.com/news/70162/arkells-old-band-playing-pepper-jacks-last-show See you all none of you tomorrow night!

Lee Harvey Osmond is really Tom Wilson of Junkhouse and Blackie & The Rodeo Kings. The self-titled record was produced by Michael Timmins of the Cowboy Junkies and features writing from Tom, Mike and also Josh Finlayson of the Skydiggers, and I played on it too Here we are last night at the Market Hall in Peterborough:

Come see me in Lee Harvey Osmond on Wed July 15! We had an unbelievable night at the Black Sheep this past week and almost-unbelievable stops in Toronto, Kingston and Peterborough...it's shaping up to be quite a busy fall for that project too, and we'll be out West at Calgary Folk Fest and Salmon Arm Roots & Blues as well this summer...

Huron is scheduled for 9:30 but I suspect it'll be more like 10. LHO thereafter. Brad if you wanna come out and tape at the Black Sheep I bet Tom would put you on the list. Lemme know.

Shit man, I'm not 100% sure. I'd bet on it being 8 or 10 bucks...I mean, Tom has a bit of a following what with Blackie & The Rodeo Kings and all so you never know...I'll see if I can find out. Extra-super bonus tonight, though...the band that consumes most of my creative energy, Huron, is opening up the show. We did a record with Ian Blurton that will be out in the fall and we're hoping to hit the road with it. http://www.myspace.com/huronband Hope to see ya Jake...if I can figure out what the cover is before I leave, I'll post it.

I'm playing guitar and pedal steel with Tom Wilson's new project Lee Harvey Osmond. Played on the record last year, which was produced by Michael Timmins of the Cowboy Junkies. Lots of guests on the record including members of the Junkies and the Skydiggers. We're doing a real short micro-tour this week, here are the upcoming dates: Wed Apr 22 - Dakota Tavern, Toronto (tonight!) Thu Apr 23 - Black Sheep Inn, Wakefield (almost Ottawa, right?) Fri Apr 24 - The Living Room, Kingston Sat Apr 25 - Market Hall, Peterborough Fri May 1 - Casbah, Hamilton You should come on out if you live in one of those towns. Samples from the record: http://www.myspace.com/lhosmond. Tom calls it 'acid folk'. Hope to see you!

It has truly been a long time since this cast of characters has been reunited on one stage. Unfortunately our associate Cam Malcolm will not be with us but he sends his blessings for the show to go on. From Arkells: Max Kerman - vocal, piano, guitar Mike DeAngelis - bass Dan Griffin - drums, vocal From Huron: Aaron Goldstein - guitar, pedal steel Adam Melnick - organ Also: Lynn Seward - vocal There's a recording of our first reunion show (July 6, 2007) available for listening here: http://www.archive.org/details/syb2007-07-06.flac16 Please visit www.myspace.com/thesurlyyoungbucks for more information. The rest of the lineup will be announced soon. We look forward to a good old-fashioned drunken hoedown, just like it used to be. Hope to see you there.

My dear friend Julie Fader plays in this band. Their new record is quite something I must say. A great show to catch if they're in your town - and they have been/will be soon. www.myspace.com/greatlakeswimmers

Sometimes when you're an infamous steel guitarist, you also have to have a part-time job at a guitar store. Back in the PA department, we sell mic clips. You know, these things: ...that hold microphones to stands. Today we received a delivery of mic clips in a box... ...and I realized the true magnitude of idiocy over at Apex Electronics, the manufacturer. For, you see, each mic clip is not only held to a cardboard card with a thick molded plastic piece, but then each packaged mic clip is shipped in its own handy little useless plastic bag: ...which amounts to a whole lot of this: ...in order to achieve this: Three things, my friends: - What a waste - I hate people - I love all of you Have a good week!

I saw Bobby Hebert this week...

I'll tell you what, cover is 12 bucks for all complaining hippies, and if you don't like it you can take up the pedal steel and entertain yourself at home. I kid!

HURON http://www.huronmusic.ca CATL http://www.myspace.com/catlmusic CATL article in the Toronto Star this week Not that I expect a single one of you hippies to actually come to the show...for fear you might experience something NEW...

The Pogues tune??

...with HURON...no cover! Come on down you lousy Torontonians, you owe me one! All of ya's! I promise you won't be disappointed. I also promise this will be the last time we play in Toronto for free for a long, long time. www.huronmusic.ca

Hilarious game...at which I obviously rule

http://viewmag.com/viewstory.php?storyid=6728 We're playing on the Arkells/Waking Eyes bill tomorrow night at Pepper Jack's. It's sold out but if any of you Sanctuarians want to go I bet a courteous PM to kc would go a long way...

RIP. Everybody who makes music owes this young man a debt of gratitude. He was a true pioneer in many ways.

mooooose! I'm playing a big old rock show that night at Pepper Jack's, you should totally come. http://www.myspace.com/arkellsmusic http://www.myspace.com/thewakingeyes http://www.myspace.com/huronband <-- this is my new band, fka Jawbone

There's a second blog now, basically re-affirming what he said in the first. Bummer. Apparently this is the disease that's plaguing him, sounds like a bummer. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/balance/meniere.asp