mark tonin

I'll be at the Jomomma show in Kitchener/Waterloo, with dancing shows on. Upstairs at the Lancaster Tavern is a great sounding party room with minimal security.

It is a nice option for those of us looking for a southern Ontario NYE party outside of Toronto.

In spirit, I'll be on the bus ...

Peace, Mark

Yes, it will be funky I'm sure. I checked out Jomomma at Club Abstract in Kitchener last night and they were definitely on. A couple of new tunes and a funky drums & bass start to set two. Also had a chance to talk with Mike Knoll about NYE - it will be a blast.

Will also be at the Jomomma show tonight in Paris (Ontario, that is) ... it will be nice to get out and let it rip without worrying about getting up for work.

Peace, Mark

Here is a partial list ...

Burt Neilson Band Thur. Dec. 20 at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto

Fat Cats Fri. Dec. 28 at the Casbah in Hamilton

Jomomma on NYE upstairs at the Lancaster Tavern in Kitchener

Nero & Grand Theft Bus on NYE in Fredericton, NB

Caution Jam at Grossmans Tavern in Toronto

For links to more info on the above shows visit www.jambands.ca

Peace, Mark

Yes, for the last 2 months the Circus Room has had some amazing bands come through, including nero, Jukejoint, Gnu & The Ragtime Millionaires, Parkside Jones, Jimmy Swift Band, and lots of others. However, the guy responsible for booking all of those great acts (Mike Knoll) is no longer booking for the Circus Room. So it remains to be seen what will be happening at the Circus Room in the future.

... the search for "the place to be" for great live music in Kitchener-Waterloo continues ...

Peace, Mark

Here is mine:

Ted Nugent, August 1994 at Lulu's in Kitchener

Went with a friend of mine who is a huge Nugent fan and I loved the show. Especially loved when Ted walked out onto a stage extension with a bow and arrow and proceded to shoot a Japanese guitar that was mounted to a target on the stage. The guitar blew up and Ted walked back onto the stage and layed into yet another hard rock tune. I thought it was absolutely hilarious and am still laughing as I write this. Love him or hate him, Ted knows how to put on a show. But it is tough to admit that I attended (and really enjoyed) that concert when talking to some of my granola hippie friends.

Anyone else have a story to share?

Peace, Mark

Hey, I'm old, but not that old! I remember a few students at the high school where I used to teach asking me if I had been at Woodstock (the original one). So for Halloween I dressed up as a hippie and carried a sign that read "Peace, Love & Understanding" on one side and "I was 5 when Woodstock happened" on the flip side.

But I did go to a lot of prog rock shows in the early to mid eighties. Didn't even know about the Dead until I went to a Dylan and the Dead show at Rich Stadium in 1987. The whole stadium was pulsating and I immediately understood why everyone was wearing tie dye.

Peace, Mark

Hey Booche,

I've never seen the Warlocks.

Mark

Just to clarify - I loved the Oysterhead show. My comment re: my worst show this year only relates to the opening band.

Here are some of my favourite shows from all time. Hard to remember them all without looking at my concert stubs but here are a few:

King Crimson at Massey Hall 1995 Thrak tour

Grateful Dead Hamilton March 22, 1990

Talking Heads at Canada's Wonderland for the Stop Making Sense tour 1983

Peter Gabriel at Shea's in Buffalo (1982 I think)

Peace, Mark

Best shows for me (so far) this year:

Karl Denson's Tiny Universe at Lee's Palace because I went expecting to hear some danceable funk and was blown away by the high-intensity-kick-ass-dance-like-a-freak funk that I heard.

Moe.'s Toronto show at the Opera House in April - my first moe. show and I was blown away by the intense psychedelic rock they played.

Groovediggas followed by the Burt Neilson Band at the Come Together Music Fest in May at Frontier Town - super high energy show, what a great party that was, one of the best weekends of my life, and met all kinds of wonderful people.

Worst show for me this year:

Hard to think of one other than The Dinner is Ruined opening for Oysterhead.

Peace, Mark

There is probably little need to say it on this board, as (most of) the people that belong to this forum are very familiar with nero, but if you haven't yet seen nero, do yourself a big favour and check them out!!! I had such a great time in Kitchener on Saturday watching, listening to, and dancing to the sweet sounds played by these 3 talented musicians. It was my 4th time seeing the band and it has gotten better every time. These guys are breaking new musical ground quite regularly, I believe. Jay McConnery and Shane Clark do a commendable job on the drums and bass, and Dave Lauzon is quite simply one of the best guitar players that I have ever seen/heard live.

So Shane, Jay, and Dave - all the best to nero, and I hope to see you again soon. It was a treat listening to you do your thing.

Peace, Mark

Hey there Scottieking and everyone else!

It was so nice to run into you the way that I did at Frontier Town. There is nothing quite like meeting someone in person that you've already met in cyberspace, especially when the meeting is unplanned or unexpected.

Yes, the scene seems to be vibrant and growing. Lots of great people spreading sweet sounds and postive vibes. It seems as if I run into friends and familiar people now every time I go to a show. And I can't see this train slowing down any time soon. I mean really, are all of these cool music lovers going to stop going to shows? Yes, people may find that they have less time for live music depending on their current work and life situation, but I started going to live shows when I was 16 and now I'm 37 and still nothing beats a live music experience, in my opinion. That's my morning ramble.

5 cd's that I'm listening to these days:

The Greyboy Allstars Live

Karl Denson's new one - Dance Mix #2 (I think that's the title)

Oysterhead - The Grand Pecking Order

BNB from the May long weekend at Frontier Town

moe. "L"

Peace, Mark

Wow - did I ever enjoy last night's show. Ended up at the very top of Massey Hall in the gallery, dancing in the aisle behind the last row of seats, which was great as I wasn't confined by my seat or by security. The only drag was the guy beside me who insisted on clapping far too often.

Thoroughly enjoyed all 3 band members and what they did. Les Claypool is a banjo bass playing freak. Loved what he did all night, but especially when he played that banjo bass. Trey did seem "lost" or "spaced" a few times, but when he was on, man did he let loose. Plus the guitar came through loud and clear up high were we were. There were a few times where Trey led a jam that got so intense it "exploded" - kind of like a train picking up so much speed and then flying off the track. Do I ever love it when a band does that!!! Could have used more bass volume but overall a really nice sound mix.

Music highlights for me:

Pseudo Suicide (especially how it followed The Grand Pecking Order)

Polka Dot Rose - my new favourite tune on the cd

Oz Is Ever Floating

Rubberneck Lions - this one brought a huge grin to my face when I heard the line "Three strips of bacon on my toasted head, Two over easy on a roll and I'm fed"

What a treat to be at the show.

I was very disappointed with Dinner Is Ruined. I know Dr. Pee (the keyboard player) really well, and also Dale Morningstar, the guitar player, and so I wanted to like their show. But honestly, it didn't do it for me. The first time I heard the band about a year ago I was really impressed, as they played a lot of rock-oriented music - still way out there, but accessible enough for me to enjoy. Last night they were mostly just trying to be interesting rather than actually playing anything interesting, imo. For a second I thought they were going to lock into something when they broke into "Ray Charles Party" but then they lost it before they really had it. A shame, as there are a lot of Canadian bands that are more deserving of the stage - especially the stage at Massey Hall opening for Oysterhead.

Peace, Mark

Nice to read that you booked the upstairs room at the Lanc in Kitchener, Mike! Really nice sound and a very relaxed atmosphere. An excellent spot for a New Year's party. Especially since it is in town

Peace, Mark

I'm assuming not, or else I think it would be billed as Gord Downie & The Dinner is Ruined.

Mark

Wow, what a wild choice for an opening band. I've seen them twice - once they totally impressed me, and once they were extremely disappointing. These guys experiment and improvise to the extreme. They were the backing band for Gord Downie when he toured this summer.

Peace, Mark