DevO

I'll be catchin this show in Ottawa. Looking forward to the Spades, haven't seen them in more than a year and a half!

Just saw on the Black Sheep Inn's listings that The Silver Hearts are playing on July 24.. NIce! Couldn't find any other details anywhere else though.

Just finished mine now.

I see it the same way as most of you; weaker lineup than usual, and I will see you there. Here's the ones I could give a damn about: # Andrew Vincent # Arkells # Ben Harper and RELENTLESS7 # Blue Rodeo # Buckwheat Zydeco # Cake # C.R. Avery & the Sojourners # Crystal Castles # David Lindley # Drive-By Truckers # FEMI KUTI & The Positive Force # Girl Talk # Gov’t Mule # Hey Rosetta! # Holy Fuck # Iron and Wine # King Sunny Ade & His African Beats # KISS # Land of Talk # Les Claypool # Neko Case # Okkervil River # Ornette Coleman # Paul Reddick # Rick Fines # Sam Roberts Band # Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings # Steve Earle # Stone Temple Pilots # Sky Diggers # The National # Toots & the Maytals # United Steel Workers of Montreal # and many more will be performing at this year’s Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest.

Will I see any of you there to experience Hamilton's own overweight song and dance man?

I emailed BC Scene to ask about where to get tickets for these free shows and here's the reply I got: Somewhat of a non-answer.

Anybody want to go to a ukelele building workshop (with show)?? Sun May 3 Cdn Museum of Civilization 1pm - workshop ($25) Link 2pm - ukelele talk with James Hill (free) - Link 4pm - James Hill concert (free) - Link

Both look great! Thanks.

Billy Bob's tantrum raises new questions Contrary to what his publicists led him to expect, the American star was actually confronted with ... journalism RUSSELL SMITH From Thursday's Globe and Mail April 15, 2009 at 3:18 PM EDT There is a curious pleasure in seeing American invaders beating a sullen retreat from our cultural shores, having come up against a slightly tougher journalistic culture than what they are used to. So it was for the egomaniac Billy Bob Thornton, a guy I had vaguely heard of as some kind of minor Hollywood character actor, but who is apparently also a creator of the kind of nostalgic bourbon-and-freight-cars rock that CBC Radio in all its channels so sweetly, helplessly adores. I never would have listened to a radio interview with such a guy had the interview not turned out to be so wildly illuminating. If it does nothing else, that interview should strengthen the reputation of Jian Ghomeshi as a serious interlocutor on questions of art, and not a celebrity interviewer like those on the entertainment channels. He really couldn't have handled Thornton's strange aggression any better than he did: He stayed completely calm and unflustered and yet did not back down, just soberly challenged his sulking guest to explain himself. Indeed, Ghomeshi's gentle demolition of the childish star, and the subsequent popular revulsion toward the guy who insulted Canadian audiences, was so discomfiting that Thornton's band cancelled the rest of their Canadian tour. (The band's website claims they got the flu. It's the kind of flu that comes when you're booed and mocked on your opening night. Yikes, that mashed potato was hot!) But the little kerfuffle was also instructive. It can teach us a lot about the uneasy relationship between the arts media and the most popular entertainers. Thornton was obviously under a misconception about the kind of broadcaster he had agreed to work with. He's a guy who is used to dictating terms to the media. His publicists no doubt don't really think of the media as media at all, but as a branch of the marketing department. In fairness, all artists think of the media this way when they have a new product on the market. When my new novel comes out, if Shelagh Rogers wants to interview me, I'm there. The difference with me, though, is that I'm not a celebrity, so I know that it is entirely to my advantage to go on Shelagh Rogers's show, and a favour to me. I am so grateful I will not attempt to impose conditions. (“Absolutely no mention of my career as a stunt-car driver, right?â€) I also know, from a few interviews with slightly critical hosts, that if you go on the CBC you had better be prepared to be challenged at least once. (Ghomeshi once began a question to me, “How do you justify.â€) And that's fine with me. But publicists for stars know that radio and television entertainment shows, especially in the United States, are extremely eager to get stars on their shows, and so their experience tells them they can attach any conditions they want to interviews. They know that the stars are doing the broadcaster a favour, not the other way around. That's why Thornton said with an air of hurt and offence to Ghomeshi, “You received instructions.†The idea of giving instructions to journalists doesn't strike him as at all odd; in fact, he probably didn't realize that he was in the offices of an august national broadcaster with a reputation for journalism. He was no doubt genuinely baffled that they don't take instructions very well at the CBC. But the complicated thing is that, of course, sometimes we all do. We all know that we have to get stars in our newspapers and shows from time to time; it's about ratings. Thornton was not being interviewed because he is an artist of any interest, but because he is a celebrity. Thornton is what we call a “get.†And sometimes we ingratiate ourselves to their publicists for them. So we the arts media sometimes do a little humiliating dance to get what we want. I've done it: Sure, I've said, I'll drive to nowhere to meet X; I'll do the interview in his bathtub; I won't mention the cocaine or the 18-year-old girl. Whatever it takes. We really just need a picture. It's understandable that the PR machinery behind large corporate entertainment successes start to feel that they can get a little bossy. I'm glad they got a little shock this time. But it also makes one wonder, would we really be missing anything huge if the more serious journalistic institutions stopped worrying about the celebrity “getsâ€? People are not interested in celebrities through a desire to understand their art; they want to hear about their relationships. (Thornton himself is more famous for having been married to Angelina Jolie than for anything else he has done. Perhaps that's why he's a little defensive about his bio.) The huge corporate successes are going to be interviewed on every commercial channel anyway. And they're usually not exactly representative of cutting-edge art. Why not leave them to the breathless and pretty red-carpet interviewers of the star-talk entertainment shows, where they can control their PR in any way they like?

(In Lewiston, NY, for those wondering)

What is the First Baptist Church like? I think Bell Orchestre is playing there soon too.

Nice! Does anyone happen to have any insight as to what Levon is gonna be up to this August? I'm trying to plan a Band pilgrimage trip that would revolve around attending the Midnight Ramble. Ideally we could incorporate the Darien Lake Phish show into the trip.. Unfortunately Levon doesn't have any plans posted past JUne 18th. OUCH!

Was this the show in Washington DC?

That's more like it, kinda.

Haha, well this doesn't completely make up for it but at least we've got BA Johnston this Saturday at Irene's! Bluesfest lineup comes out next week right? That will be interesting. Maybe their funding got cut..? Cake is a good'un too. And Harry Manx.

Is it just me or does 90% of this rumoured lineup completely pale in comparison to every other year post-when it was a real blues festival? I haven't looked at the list today but from what I remember seeing in the list on this thread 2-3 weeks ago, Paul Simon was the only really amazing one for me, with KISS being one of those "I'll go if I've paid for it and will have a blast, but otherwise wouldn't be going". Usually Ottawa Bluesfest is completely stacked.

1. Waylon Jennings- Are You Ready For The Ready 2. The Byrds- Cowgirl in the Sand 3. Ryan Adams and Gillian Welch- Helpless 4. Emmylou Harris- Wrecking Ball 5. The Shins- Harvest 6. Linda Rondstadt- Birds 7. Wilco- Too Far Gone 8. Johnny Cash- Heart of Gold 9. Great Lake Swimmers- Don’t Cry No Tears 10. Trio- After the Gold Rush This comp really kicks ass. Linda Rondstadt doing Birds is just amazing. Not one stinker on here! http://whenyouawake.com/2008/07/10/neil-young-goes-twang-a-when-you-awake-mixtape/

Wow I see it completely differently. To me it seems Ghomeshi has no idea why BBT is being a baby until the Tom Petty thing; and BBT is pissed and not laughing at all; and Ghomeshi doesn't pussy out but confronts him head-on.

Haha! WOW! I had no idea BBT was such a prick and a baby. That was good watchin. I thought Gomeshi did a great job in defending himself in a logical and collected way. Where was this reported in the media? I'd love to see how it was reported.

Ahh I'm only in town this Friday/Saturday for a stag.. There are rumblings of MSTRKRFT, though I don't know if a crowded club is the right setting for a stag really. Anyways, I'm just down the road from Montreal now so definitely hoping to make more trips!

The Imperial Pub, upstairs (The Library they call it). (I think its called The Imperial Pub...) Kanada Kev turned me on to this gem, just around the corner from Massey.

Re: Stillepost Now that is one sweet events listings set-up!

Then what's the setlist Dancingbear posted? The first one (DBs) is an amazing setlist!!

Merde.. Comment dit "listings" en francais?

Thanks guys. I should know better! I did check out Pollstar but just wasn't seeing as much as I expect to see going on in Montreal over any given weekend; hoped maybe there was something out there that provides the thorough listings of the Mirror but in a more long-range form.. akin to the Zoilus Toronto Gig Guide.