Jaimoe

There'd be no place to hang the painting since his (Andre's) walls are still used as shrines to Jerry Garcia and the Habs.

Actually, the Leafs-Canucks game last night was pretty entertaining. The Leafs were the better team, but Lee Stepniak shooting the puck ten feet wide of the net on a break away is symbolic of their overall problem: a pathetic unskilled offence.

Booche wearing an old Canucks jersey? Well, he's been seen in stranger attire.

At least with Fan callers, there is no one whipping boy; the whole team is bad, especially the forwards. Burke is safe and there aren't any whispers about Wilson's future, but a lot of this rides on his role in the upcoming Olympics. McCowan and his roundtable all seem to agree - no shock - that there is no way the team can get out of this hole - now or in the immediate future - since the Leafs don't have any NHL ready prospects and none of their current forwards are first or second liners, other than Kessel. Who can they trade? No one wants to take on Blake's contract or diminished skills. If you want to check in on Bob's 2nd and 3rd hours of his show, it's on every day on Sportsnet.

Michael Wincott can give Ironside a run for his money. His post Night Heat career has been a pleasant surprise. Wincott was good in a small role in the excellent revenge western, Seraphim Falls. Oh, and Stephen McHattie is another excellent Canadian actor bad guy.

I hope they somehow bring back Michael Ironside. Is there a better Canadian bad guy actor? I don't think so.

There's been some bad buzz swirling around the production of the show. However, having a couple of Firefly actors (Alan Tudyk and the very hot Morena Baccarin)in the new V can't hurt, plus I'm a fan of Joel Gretsch from the excellent and underrated The 4400 and Spielberg's great sci-fi mini-series Taken. I wish the new series would bring Jane Badler out of retirement. She was one sexy lizard thing.

No flu shot for me (see AD above), plus I've never had a flu shot.

Downloading still hurts the TV industry, which is similar to burning or illeally downloading music.

Indeed they do. I only go back to their self-titled album because it was their breakthrough.

This is true, however many of the best US network shows are carried on Canadian channels, so you can stream programs on CTV, Global, CBC and even specialty channels such as Space etc...

This may be obvious, but most if not all major networks stream their programs on-line.

Isn't this true with most bands when they unveil a new album and its songs? Fans usually dig the songs they know more than new stuff. For example, most if not all of MMJ's Evil Urges' tunes didn't resonate during the two shows I was at like the stuff off of Z and earlier albums. Actually, a couple of the rocking new Cuff tracks came off best on Friday. The new songs are not inferior. They are just more country-leaning. I thought Friday's show was very good, not as good as the Mod Club from two years ago, but a very good show nonetheless. If I didn't think so, I wouldn't have written a positive mini-review in the first place.

Of course it'll take a year for the new songs to resonate with their fans, especially in concert amongst all their older favourties. No, the new album isn't as rocking as Sidelines, but it may be truer to their original urban country roots.

Great show last night! Cuff played for around 100 minutes or more and were in fine form. Fans packed into the Horseshoe seemed to love the new songs - which are more countrified than stuff off their last album - but the set wasn't new song heavy. The jams weren't as frequent as their were when I saw them two years ago at the Mod Club (in support of their excellent CD, Sidelines of the City), mainly because the news tracks are more structured - but lead guitarist Dale Murray still had lots of killer Crazy Horse-inspired solos. Greg Keelor joined the band to do a new Blue Rodeo song from their forthcoming The Things We Left Behind LP, and then a Byrds cover. I heard the new Blue Rodeo track a few days ago on the CBC and the Cuff/Keelor combo certainly did it justice; it helps that Cuff frontman Wayne Petti is a Jim Cuddy disciple, which suits me just fine. Get out and see Cuff the Duke when they play your town - and they will. You will not be disappointed.

Have you taken her to any Greyhounds games?

She's a keeper then. The Soo and Oshawa means true love from where I'm sitting.

Very cool... Do I have time to explore their entire body of work in a week, except that excellent Tarleks tune?

Where are you living Bob?

I've seen Cuff in Toronto twice and both crowds were excellent and lively. I'll pass on to my friends that they might play a short set tonight. Glad you liked the show. How were the opening bands?

Booche needs to add this to his Iggy-themed collection:

He could he hiding, or he could be dead.

Cuff has tweaked their sound since their great self-titled 2005 country-centric album. These last two efforts have found Wayne and company really embracing guitars without losing focus of producing great songs. Starhead, I think you’ll really like their last album, Sidelines of the City, and the new one. Oh yeah, Dale Murray, Cuff’s lead guitarist and pedal steel player since 2005, is fucking great and has made Petti a better guitarist too – their on-stage interplay is sometimes quite thrilling.

Two nights of Cuff The Duke, but I'm heading to the Friday gig: Tickets are $12.50 (with $1 service charge at Rotate This). It will be a good show - I've seen them twice and Cuff never disappoints. The new album, Way Down Here, was produced by Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor (in his barn) and it sounds fantastic. Not surprisingly, Way Down Here has more of a Blue Rodeo influence, but the Oshawa boys still bring on the gritty Crazy Horse guitars on several tracks. Why Cuff The Duke aren't bigger in this country remains a mystery, but maybe this album will start their breakout. I hope to see you there on Friday!

That reminds me, if anyone has heard from Basher, tell him he owes me two tickets to the Massey Hall show.