Jay Funk Dawg

yeah!

That was pretty wild - nice to see you there Trev... i didn't know you had re-branded yourself!!

Hype it! We're in for a great show!

1.5 million is probably a good deal if Ashley could keep himself off the drugs.

The show is happening! I am only stressing that poor advance ticket sales was threatening a cancellation. Looks like things have picked up and WSP is going be ready to rock Toronto. I would say that anyone planning on going should get tickets as soon as possible. jay

I think everyone has a fair point. Live Nation however is the largest concert promoter in Toronto - they are the big guns who decide what concerts happen at Molson Amphitheatre, Kool Haus as well as Sound Academy, Opera House, Massey Hall etc... When interest seems low after putting tickets on sale for a couple of weeks - Live Nation can decide to cancel the show if they feel it will not perform to expectations. As a Widespread Fan I would hate for the show to get canceled if the interest was there - but the audience/fans just hadn't bought tickets until the last minute. I think the poor performance of Phil Lesh and Friends a couple years back at Molson Amphitheatre cause House of Blues (now Live Nation) to reconsider that type of programming. To set the record straight - I am not the promoter on this show - I am however a promotional partner helping to show that there is a market for this music in Toronto. This market doesn't respond to the promotion that Live Nation normally does - i.e. ads in the newspaper and adds on q107 etc... So I am helping bring street and web marketing to the table.

THIS SHIT IS TONIGHT!

Canada Day in Midland! Yes rasta!

I wrote a lengthy reply here - but it didn't load - ( this has happened to me at least 20 times! Argh!) Live Nation the promoters would do more 'Jamband' style shows if only they could anticipate the fans behavior better. This demographic is known mostly for buying tickets at the last minute - and low ticket sales in advance of the show makes them nervous. Rumour was that this show would get canceled - but looks like things are on the up - I suggest everyone who is planning on attending to buy a ticket asap - so that Live Nation gets the message that this is a show that Southern Ontario Fans will support.

Today in Kensington Market! Sunday, June 29th, 2008 PEDESTRIAN SUNDAYS KENSINGTON FESTIVAL www.pskensington.ca www.streetsareforpeople.org Join Chameleon Project www.myspace.com/chameleonproject House of David Gang www.myspace.com/houseofdavidgang DJ Rob Croney from 2 pm to 8 pm in Kensington Market Reggae Stage at Augusta / Denison this is the warm up show for the Queen's of Reggae show on July 5th at El Mocambo.

Everyone should buy their tickets quickly! ps.if you are on facebook confirm your attendance! http://www.facebook.com/editevent.php?eid=18382718061#/event.php?eid=18382718061

On June 29, 2008, tune in to Inside The Music on CBC Radio to hear "Jamaican Echoes". This groundbreaking, hour long documentary traces the spread of dub from an accident in a Jamaican recording studio to the four corners of the Earth. It will be broadcast on Radio 2 at noon and Radio 1 at 8PM Interviews with historians, musicians and engineers explain how dub, once the instrumental counterpart to reggae, has changed popular music around the world. Dub is the heart of remix culture. It has become an international music, yet its descendents continue to be inspired by its Jamaican innovations. Dub isn’t just a musical remix, it’s a social remix. Jamaican Echoes features a continuous mix of music spanning five decades to bring its narrative and interviews to life. Jamaican Echoes is both entertaining and insightful in bringing this underappreciated but widely influential musical concept to a national audience. Featuring interviews with: Adrian Sherwood (On-U Sound - Depeche Mode, Primal Scream) Bill Laswell (Global dub innovator - Fela Kuti, Motorhead, Herbie Hancock) Twilight Circus (M Records - Michael Rose, Big Youth, Queen Ifrica) Clifton Joseph (Dubzzz poet at large - CBC, Dub Poets Collective) Dubmatix (Nu dub from Toronto – new disc features Alton Ellis, Sugar Minott) Leroy Sibbles (All-time reggae legend! Heptones, Studio One bassist) Michael Veal (Author; Dub: Soundscapes And Shattered Songs In Jamaican Reggae) Jamaican Echoes is hosted by Lauren "DJ Chocolate" Speers and written/produced/edited by David Dacks.

I just heard this rumour on www.northernheads.com BNB back in the studio with Big Friendly! have a great show!

this is going to be exciting - I hope you all can make it!

HOUSE OF DAVID GANG www.myspace.com/houseofdavidgang The Explorers Café 1-705-527-9199 345 King Street Midland ON Canada L4R 3M7 2 sets of Roots Rock Reggae 2PM and 4PM

John Scofield and Mike Stern on Friday at Jazz Fest Saturday, Footprints Sunday, PS Kensinton free show in the Market with House of David Gang Monday, Lee Perry and Lee's Palace Tuesday, Midland to play with House of David Gang

i hope this doesn't stop them from coming to Canada!

haven't seen the smooth guy around here in a while... good one hickster!

http://www.livenation.com presents... Widespread Panic http://www.widespreadpanic.com http://www.myspace.com/widespreadpanic Sat, July 5th, 2008 Sound Academy (FORMERLY THE DOCKS) 11 Polson Street Toronto, ON M5A 1A4 Doors: 8:00 pm | Show: 9:00 pm Phone 416.469.5547 Confirm your attendance on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/editevent.php?eid=18382718061#/event.php?eid=18382718061 ALL AGES EVENT GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS:(incl. GST) $25.00 (plus FMF and service charges) BUY TICKETS HERE: http://www.livenation.com/event/getEvent/eventId/327309 http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/100040ADB52C69B1?artistid=736451&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60 Tickets available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Rotate This and Sonic Temple or call 416-870-8000 to charge by phone Fans of the highly renowned touring band, Widespread Panic announce one of their first Canadian tour dates in over a decade – July 5th in Toronto! The tour is in support of their 10th studio album, Free Somehow, and will kick off with Bonnaroo 2008 where the band will headline the four day festival with a closing set. “If I was to pass anything on to other bands, it would be find people you like and trust them†says John Bell (JB). If you’re gonna listen to anyone, it might as well be JB. As lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Widespread Panic he knows what it takes to make a band work. What started as a few friends picking guitars at the University of Georgia has evolved into one of the most successful rock bands in the world. In their 22 years together they’ve sold over 3 million albums and are consistently one of Pollstar’s Top 50 grossing live acts. No relationship that lasts this long is easy, but the path Widespread Panic has traversed has been marked with challenges; none more difficult than the 2002 loss of co-founder and lead guitarist Michael Houser to pancreatic cancer. Great bands overcome tragedy by bonding together and using it to grow. And that's just what Widespread Panic has done. Although the years following Houser’s death were trying, the arrival of guitarist Jimmy Herring in late 2006 signaled the dawn of a new era. It wouldn’t happen overnight, with hundreds of songs in rotation and a completely different show every evening it couldn’t, but as we enter 2008 Herring has mastered the band’s vast repertoire and is pushing Panic to new creative heights. While Herring’s unique vocabulary allows the band to explore fresh possibilities, the euphoric feeling of adventure he has instilled reminds bassist Dave Schools of what has always made Panic so special. “It’s like a stagecoach with a pair of horses that are crazy out of control running down a mountainside,†says Schools, “and somehow, the wheels don’t fall off.†Part of what keeps the wheels glued on is the team Widespread Panic has amassed. Beyond the six men on stage, the band’s crew, dubbed "The Home Team," allows Panic’s rabid fans to experience a unique, world-class concert every night. From famed lighting designer Candace Brightman (who worked with the Grateful Dead for 20 years) to sound engineer Chris Rabold to the folks back in the office, this is a well-oiled machine, each piece working towards the goal of a transcendent performance. “We’re about 25 people on the road, and then another 10 people in the office,†says JB. “So right now, we’re sitting here with 35 people in the unit and everybody is cooking. And even when we have a new intern, if they’re bringing a spark to the thing, it translates all the way out there to the music.†The band’s uncanny ability to adapt and evolve can be seen not only in personnel and sound, but also in the recording process and channels of distribution. Many of Widespread Panic’s fans have never purchased vinyl, some of them have never even seen it, yet the band’s first release, Coconut was pressed as a 45 rpm single. Today we live in a world where Panic’s tenth full-length album, Free Somehow (available February 12, 2008 with a vinyl edition in March), will be downloaded over the Internet. And as formats have changed so has their music. The influence of Herring and the union with producer Terry Manning (Led Zeppelin, Al Green, ZZ Top) has allowed Widespread Panic to craft one of their most sonically adventurous albums to date. “I think it was sort of building on a lot of the work that John Keane had done on Medicine Takes [1999], particularly with horns and background singers,†says Schools. “We really love those kinds of embellishments that have been done on this record. I’m excited. It’s gonna catch a lot of people off guard, but this is what the studio is for.†Not only does Free Somehow build off the foundation laid by John Keane, it brings the band back to the Bahamas to work with Manning at Compass Point Studios, as they did on 2006’s Earth To America. That album was their first project with Manning, a first date of sorts. With Free Somehow, the relationship has advanced along with their trust in Manning, and it shows in the results. “There’s a big difference here because Terry and Widespread Panic knew each other a little better,†says JB. “We were ready to fall off the cliff a little more for each other.†Manning used this trust to add layers of orchestral strings, woodwinds, horns and lush backing vocals, all working to realize a bold vision in the studio for Widespread Panic. This is also Jimmy Herring's first opportunity to write and record with the band. “People should withhold their judgment of Jimmy until they hear this record, because he never had a fair shot to create material,†explains Schools. “He’s got songs that he brought from his idea pool that are part of this record that we all collaborated on.†Another shift we find on Free Somehow is a new approach to writing lyrics. “Some of the songs are more straightforward and less metaphorically cloaked,†says JB. “Although there’s still plenty of that going on.†A prime example of this is “Walk On The Flood.†Perhaps the most direct song the band has written, it deals with current-day issues in a way they’ve rarely approached. In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, JB was overcome with emotion and the song poured out in a single day. “There’s so much stuff coming up right now that it didn’t feel wrong to address it somewhat directly,†reflects JB. “You’re talking about folks that are going through a real thing, right now. Why not cut to the chase and have some lyrics come out of you that are just more matter of fact than they’ve been in the past? So we let that happen.†While the spark for “Walk On The Flood†came from the massacre at Virginia Tech, the imagery stretches to New Orleans. "With Hurricane Katrina and the way the environment has been kind of Indian wrestling us, we need to realize that we’re messing with it, too,†says JB. A new world with new conflicts calls for new types of songs, and Widespread Panic adapts. This is a band that stands behind their principles. Not only are they addressing social concerns on an artistic level, they are committed to affecting change in a tangible manner. In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Panic has joined forces with the Make It Right Project to help rebuild the Lower 9th Ward, donating an entire house as well as offering an advanced MP3 of “Walk On The Flood†through LiveWidespreadPanic.com with proceeds going to Make It Right. Widespread Panic is also dedicated to rebuilding our nation’s dwindling music education. Through their annual Tunes For Tots charity they have raised over $300,000 for the purchase of middle school and high school instruments. In many ways Free Somehow is a new chapter for Widespread Panic. It’s their studio debut with Herring. They’ve cemented their relationship with producer Terry Manning, entered new areas of songwriting and gained a fresh sense of inspiration on stage. “What I’m witnessing now is a really nice feeling of harmony within the group,†says JB. "When you feel that everybody plays a little harder.†They’ve broken free of their past, free of their own expectations, free of themselves. The pieces have fallen into place and Widespread Panic is free somehow. WIDESPREAD PANIC IS: JOHN BELL - guitars, vocals JOHN "JOJO" HERMANN - keyboards, vocals JIMMY HERRING - guitars TODD NANCE - drums, vocals DOMINGO S. ORTIZ - percussion, vocals DAVE SCHOOLS - bass, vocals

The power adaptor is key for using stuff that is meant for 110V in 220V plugs... Having just come back from France - I noticed that my converter wasn't really set up to deal with the wall plugs they use in Europe... in Canada the connection is right at the surface of the plug- in France - the connection is made deeper inside the wall. My Converter was bulky and i need another adaptor to actually get the converter to connect. here's a picture to describe what I'm talking about: try to find some adapters piece to make sure that you'll be able to connect the converter to the wall plug.

The band is sounding more killer every show - they are on a roll now - check it! Bassist Snappy also wears the funkiest pants you've ever seen!

I'm getting a feeling you don't like me Mr. Rider.

bump - good times ahead! On June 29, 2008, tune in to Inside The Music on CBC Radio to hear "Jamaican Echoes". This groundbreaking, hour long documentary traces the spread of dub from an accident in a Jamaican recording studio to the four corners of the Earth. It will be broadcast on Radio 2 at noon and Radio 1 at 8PM Interviews with historians, musicians and engineers explain how dub, once the instrumental counterpart to reggae, has changed popular music around the world. Dub is the heart of remix culture. It has become an international music, yet its descendents continue to be inspired by its Jamaican innovations. Dub isn’t just a musical remix, it’s a social remix. Jamaican Echoes features a continuous mix of music spanning five decades to bring its narrative and interviews to life. Jamaican Echoes is both entertaining and insightful in bringing this underappreciated but widely influential musical concept to a national audience. Featuring interviews with: Adrian Sherwood (On-U Sound - Depeche Mode, Primal Scream) Bill Laswell (Global dub innovator - Fela Kuti, Motorhead, Herbie Hancock) Twilight Circus (M Records - Michael Rose, Big Youth, Queen Ifrica) Clifton Joseph (Dubzzz poet at large - CBC, Dub Poets Collective) Dubmatix (Nu dub from Toronto – new disc features Alton Ellis, Sugar Minott) Leroy Sibbles (All-time reggae legend! Heptones, Studio One bassist) Michael Veal (Author; Dub: Soundscapes And Shattered Songs In Jamaican Reggae) Jamaican Echoes is hosted by Lauren "DJ Chocolate" Speers and written/produced/edited by David Dacks.

The Stache was pre-France! I ended up spending only $500 in pocket money and $650 for the return flight, another $350 for another flight and train - so 10 days was only $1500 all in. Of course we only stayed in a hotel one day - Hotel Helivatique in Nice, the rest we stayed with Friends and Family in Grasse, Geneva and Paris.

Hey Folks, I had a great trip with my girlfriend in France. Here's some photos! Thanks to all for your suggestions - it helped tremendously! Arrival in Nice - in the Old Town my girlfriend Karen and I overlooking the Nice beach Andy Warhol Artwork at Nice Museum On the Beach in Cannes Visiting the French Alps Small little Craft Town North of Grasse Geneva Water fountain Arc to Triomphe Eiffel Tower Trying to reach the top In Montrematre Metro Hub At the Louvre My Favorite Painting by Delacroix Mona Lisa Karen and I with The Venus De Milo (Goddess of Love) ? Coffee in the Morning in the Basille District Notre Dame At Salvator Dali Museum Thanks!