May 30 2012

Late Nights in Halifax with Miss Quincy and The Bitterweed Draw

Photos from the night Miss Quincy & The Showdown and The Bitterweed Draw saw the wrong side of the sunrise together at The Modern Grass house in Halifax, NS.  Excerpt from my notebook:

It’s 4am and I’ve slipped away to airbedlam to clear my camera of photos and head of whiskey.  In the other room I can hear 2 guitars, a banjo, upright bass, fiddle, washboard, and choir a-singin’ Old Crow Medicine Show, Fred Eaglesmith, and The Band.  Sometimes I forget how special the little Canadian music scene is, but in the good & sincere way, not the way that allows you to park in the handicapped stalls outside Wal-Mart.

Miss Quincy & The Showdown on stage with Wayne Garrett (The Bitterweed Draw) at The Carleton.

Loading Miss Quincy’s Vangina and The Bitterweed Draw’s Brown Streak outside The Carleton.

I have no idea what’s happening here.

Late night living room jam factory.

Cathy Billington (The Bitterweed Draw).

Cathy Billington (The Bitterweed Draw).

Alex Hastie.

Shari Rae (Miss Quincy & The Showdown).

Melissa McWilliams (The Bitterweed Draw).

Holly Magnus (Miss Quincy & The Showdown).

The Morning After Bonus Shot: Airbedlam


May 28 2012

Portrait of a Modern Grass Housewife


May 27 2012

The Dog Days of Fredericton

Unfortunately for those of you into scenery, rock n’ roll, or nudity, my entire collection of photos from Fredericton, NB revolves around a large & lovely canine named Benson.

This in Benson.  Benson is a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, which is an ancient breed that spawned the Saint Bernard & Rottweiler, among others.  He’s a rare one – there are only 2 Greater Swiss Mountain Dog breeders in all of Canada.

Miss Q & Benson having a screened-in-porch sleepover.

Mandatory morning snuggles.

Miss Q & Holly supplement their musician income by offering a dog walking service in the suburbs of Fredericton.


May 25 2012

The Road to Moncton

3 days ago I was sure I wasn’t going to be alive long enough to lose my East Coast of Canada virginity.  Last year’s ol’ plane crash in the Yukon really ruined my relationship with flying and I can’t help but feel absolutely certain every plane I board is doomed to go down in a blaze greater than the Tenerife airport disaster of 1977.

Against my irrational fears, my flight on May 22 from Vancouver landed safely in Montreal where Miss Quincy & The Showdown‘s trusty Vangina was waiting with an empty shotgun seat.  From the airport we hit the highway East for an 11 hour drive to Moncton and our new New Brunswick home, Plan B.  Plan B is a bar straight out of the best sitcom you’ve never seen and the folks who run & frequent it are so wonderful we’re stopping by again next week on our way back West.

The Vangina taking a rest at the Motel Express somewhere on outskirts of Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec.

Singing Bob Wayne‘s Love Songs Suck at the Couche-Tard on the Quebec/New Brunswick border.

Outside Plan B, our Moncton home sweet home.

Inside Plan B, our Moncton home sweet home.

Cody, Plan B’s official Lifeguard on duty, updates the chalkboard in between helping patrons drown in beer.

Pre-show Miss Quincy gets down with a little office work before undergoing her miraculous nightly transformation to stage hot.

Miss Quincy & The Showdown kicking raunchy rock n’ roll ass.

Miss Quincy & The Showdown let their inner superheros show.

The ever-rare real bed – Moncton boudoir at Chez Lifeguard Cody.

You know what they say, a band that stretches together stays together.

Shari “Packmaster”  Rae loads the Vangina for the drive to Fredericton.


May 24 2012

Back to the Vangina: Summer Tourcation 2012

I’m coming to you with a blueberry beer in one hand from a bar in Fredericton, New Brunswick.  That’s because 2 days ago I flew from Vancouver to Montreal to meet up with Miss Quincy & The Showdown for their 2012 Canada summer tourcation.  This is the 3rd year in a row I’ve spent the warmest months of the year on the road with Miss Quincy & co. and this time around we’ll be taking our filthy & beloved home, the Vangina, from coast to freakin’ coast.  There are 50+ shows (including 7 weekends worth of festivals) with more being added every day, so it’s more than likely we’ll be in your neighbourhood sometime during the next 3 months.  You can check out all the whens & wheres below (seriously, check out a show if you can, I’ve never seen an all-girl band kick so much raunchy rock n’ roll ass) after you look at a couple family portraits of the 4 of us:

May 23 — MONCTON, NB — Plan B
May 24 — FREDERICTON, NB — The Snooty Fox
May 25 — FREDERICTON, NB — Fusion Nightlife
May 28 — HALIFAX, NS — The Carleton
May 29 — MONCTON, NB — Plan B
May 31 — QUEBEC CITY, QC — Pub St. Alexandre

June 01 — MONTREAL, QC — Grumpy’s
June 02 — TORONTO, ON — Slackers Pub
June 03 — TORONTO, ON — Not My Dog
June 05 — SAULT STE. MARIE, ON — LopLops
June 07 — WINNIPEG, MB — Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club
June 08 — MOOSE JAW, SK — Kergano’s
June 09 — BRUNO, SK — Bruno Arts Bank
June 10 — SASKATOON, SK — Gillian Snider’s House
June 11 — REGINA, SK — Bushwakker Brewpub
June 13 — LETHBRIDGE, AB — The Slice
June 14 — CALGARY, AB — The Ironwood Stage and Grill
June 15 — ROLLA, BC — Sweetwater 905 Music Festival
June 16 — ROLLA, BC — Sweetwater 905 Music Festival
June 17 — ROLLA, BC — Sweetwater 905 Music Festival
June 21 — FORT ST. JOHN, BC — North Peace Cultural Centre
June 29 — MOOSE JAW, SK – Freedom Fest
June 30 — MOOSE JAW, SK – Freedom Fest

July 01 — MOOSE JAW, SK – Freedom Fest
July 02 — MOOSE JAW, SK – Freedom Fest
July 06 — CALGARY, AB — Mikey’s Juke Joint
July 07 — CALGARY, AB — Stampede Block Party
July 08 — CALGARY, AB — Below Deck Tavern
July 09 — CALGARY, AB — Below Deck Tavern
July 10 — CALGARY, AB — Below Deck Tavern
July 11 — CALGARY, AB — Broken City
July 13 — HIGH RIVER, AB — Gitter’s Pub
July 14 — OLDS, AB — Tracks Pub
July 15 — HIGH RIVER, AB — George Lane Park
July 17 — TWIN BUTTE, AB — Twin Butte General Store
July 18 — KASLO, BC — Bluebelle Bistro
July 19 — WINLAW, BC — Sleep is for Sissies
July 20 — NELSON, BC — The Royal
July 21 — FORT MACLEOD, AB — South Country Fair
July 22 — FORT MACLEOD, AB — South Country Fair
July 24 — REVELSTOKE, BC — The Last Drop
July 25 — PENTICTON, BC — The Elite
July 26 — HARRISON HOT SPRINGS, BC — Layback Lounge
July 27 — SPENCES BRIDGE, BC — The Packing House
July 28 — LYTTON, BC — Kumsheen Rafting Resort
July 30 — VANCOUVER, BC — Guilt & Co.
July 31 — KELOWNA, BC — Parks! Alive

August 3 — WELLS, BC — ArtsWells Festival
August 4 — WELLS, BC — ArtsWells Festival
August 5 — WELLS, BC — ArtsWells Festival
August 6 — WELLS, BC — ArtsWells Festival
August 10 — EAR FALLS, ON — Trout Forest Music Festival
August 11 — EAR FALLS, ON — Trout Forest Music Festival
August 12 — EAR FALLS, ON — Trout Forest Music Festival
August 14 — WINNIPEG, MB — Park Theatre
August 16 — EDMONTON, AB — Wunderbar
August 17 — DUNSTER, BC — Robson Valley Music Festival
August 18 — DUNSTER, BC — Robson Valley Music Festival
August 19 — DUNSTER, BC — Robson Valley Music Festival
August 21 — JASPER, AB — Olive Bistro
August 22 — JASPER, AB — Olive Bistro
August 23 — PRINCE GEORGE, BC — Nancy O’s
August 24 — FORT ST. JAMES, BC — Music on the Mountain Music Festival
August 25 — FORT ST. JAMES, BC — Music on the Mountain Music Festival
August 26 — FORT ST. JAMES, BC — Music on the Mountain Music Festival


May 23 2012

C.R. Avery & The Madison 22 Revue do Calgary and Nelson

Last weekend I hit the road with C.R. Avery & The Madison 22 Revue’s 12 man East Van caravan of poets, rock n’ rollers, and burlesque dancers.

The photos below are from 2 sold out shows at The Ironwood in Calgary, AB and The Royal in Nelson, BC … Featuring Cherry OnTop, Voracious V, Velvet Von Doff, and Kitty Kitty Bang Bang on the sass and The Broken Mirrors on kicking fuckin’ ass.

To see more photos of C.R. Avery & The Madison 22 Revue click here.


May 15 2012

The Broken Mirrors at Armoury Studios

Recently I spent a couple days hanging out in the studio with The Broken Mirrors while they finished recording their debut album at Armoury Studios in Vancouver.

The Armoury is one of the schmanciest studios in the entire city (and not just because of the roof-top patio I spent most of my time there lounging on) — it was originally built by legendary Canadian songwriter Jim Vallance and later served as the home base for rock producer Bruce Fairbairn whose gold & platinum records cover the place in lieu of wallpaper.

The Broken Mirrors’ website lives here: www.thebrokenmirrors.comT

Drew Pellegrin, recording whiz kid extraordinaire.


May 7 2012

The Broken Mirrors Album Fundraiser Show

Days away from going into one of Vancouver’s schmanciest studios to finish recording their debut album, The Broken Mirrors hosted a fundraising soiree at Cafe Deux Soleils featuring the likes of Paul Surjadinata (of Blue Ball Blues, Don’t Drop the Soap in San Quentin, and Buck-A-Slice songwriting fame), Debra-Jean & The Dreams (founding member of Mother Mother and chillingly masterful interpreter of iconic songs), and Pineapple (my current favorite band in Vancouver … But shhhh, don’t tell The Broken Mirrors I said so. Go listen to Pineapple’s songs right now !).

You can listen to The Broken Mirrors’ first 4 tunes from the aforementioned album at this link:  www.thebrokenmirrors.com

You can pre-order the new album via The Broken Mirrors’ Indie GoGo campaign at this link: www.indiegogo.com/thebrokenmirrors

Paul Surjadinata


May 6 2012

C.R. Avery & The Madison 22 Revue @ The Biltmore

C.R. Avery & The Madison 22 Revue is what you get when you mix an outlaw harmonica playing beat-box poet, a rock n’ roll band (The Broken Mirrors), and Vancouver’s most smokin’ burlesque dancers (Lola Frost & Cherry OnTop).

C.R. Avery’s website lives here: www.cravery.com

Photos are from Headwater’s album release bash at The Biltmore in Vancouver, BC.  To check out photos from Headwater’s set click here.


May 6 2012

Headwater @ The Biltmore

Headwater, Vancouver’s most ruggedly handsome folk/roots-turned-pop/rock quartet, celebrated the release of their new album PUSH at a sold out Biltmore bash.

Headwater’s website lives here: www.headwater.ca

To check out photos of C.R. Avery & The Madison 22 Revue getting down rock n’ roll burlesque style click here.