Just the line-up...and set times...for the P.A. Music Festival

Thursday, Sept. 28:
Phog Lounge presents:
Twilight Hotel (10:30pm)
The Golden Hands Before God Conducts Incredible Magic Band And The Spirits (11:30pm)
Wax Mannequin (12:30am)
The Mark Inside (1:30am)

The Avalon Front presents:
The Riderless (10:00pm)
Henri Faberge and The Adorables (11:00pm)
Measured in Angles (12:00am - Midnight)
The Sunparlour Players (1:00am)


Friday, Sept. 29:
Phog Lounge presents:
Dean Drouillard (10:30pm)
Ten Year Drought (11:30pm)
Run With The Kittens (12:30am)
The Ride Theory (1:30am)

The Avalon Front presents:
Portia (10:00pm)
The Locusts Have No King (11:00pm)
Raised By Swans (12:00am - Midnight)
Fjord Rowboat (1:00am)

Saturday, Sept. 30:
Phog Lounge presents:
City Wide Vacuum (10:00pm)
A Northern Chorus (11:00pm)
Lindy (12:00am - Midnight)
The High Strung (1:00am)

The Avalon Front presents:
Friday Morning's Regret (10:30pm)
The Coast (11:30pm)
The Golden Dogs (12:30am)

Cost: $10 per night/$25 for 3-day pass

The Avalon Front Line-Up...

The Avalon Front line-up is enough to entice the meekest of show goers to tie on the closest pair of shoes they can find, and run to buy tickets for this event.
Not only are tickets already selling faster than we anticipated, but the reality of people being left in the cold due to slow response, is closer to happening each day.
The Avalon Front will host:


The Riderless (London) Thursday, 10:00pm @ The Avalon Front
www.theriderless.com
This band rolls into town, rolls into a few beers, rolls onto stage, and then rolls music into your head, and then your eyes roll back, and you realize how much you love atmospheric music...with drums! We love this band, and they have brought their skills to town in the past to impress everyone in the room. See them.


Henri Faberge and The Adorables (Toronto) Thursday, 11:00pm @ The Avalon Front
www.myspace.com/hfab
These fun folks can only have good things about them. Here is a list of comments about this band:
"Imagine a happy family from Saskatchewan who got tired of performing in their living room, and decided to take the show to the Legion in the big city."
Here's another one!
"...the dazzling sounds of Henri Faberge and the Adorables, considered by some to be the most adorable conglomerate of muicians on the indie rock block. Indeed, those some may have been drunk and given to hyperbolic outbursts, but hey, let no man say that drunken hyperbole isn't a valid incentive for getting oneself out of the house." -Torontoist.com


Measured In Angles (Windsor) Thursday, 12:00am (midnight) @ The Avalon Front
Windsor loudness in all of it's experimental, rock/instrumental greatness. You couldn't find a better bunch of musicians to have in your club either. These kids will be slinging riffs and progressions and have loud-hunters asking for more.
-"Density in motion would be a fitting expression for whats coming. No less aggressive, but of a different sort; think of a white rhino or the gaping maw of a black hole."


Sunparlour Players (Toronto) Thursday, 1:00am @ The Avalon Front
www.myspace.com/thesunparlour
Ragtime meets Arcade Fire meets banjos and dobros meets foot-stompin' greatness! This band has two kick drums, xylophone, electric bass, banjo, dobro, tambourine, and only two guys. The passion in the vocals is overwhelming, and the mixture of instruments and changes are dizzying.


Portia (Windsor) Friday, 10:00pm @ The Avalon Front
www.myspace.com/portia
If you don't know how good Portia is, go find something to do with all of that dead part of your brain. You are missing out if you don't own at least one of their CDs. Trip-Hop/Down-Tempo/Rock is a perfect description for this Windsor jewel. I found something written that says it perfectly:
The unlikely combination of Portia's diverse influences is responsible for thier forward sound. By the emotive and engaging percussive stylings of Shane Miersch, the warm perfection on bass played by Eric Arner, the humbled guitar and ethereal, jazzy vocal haunts of Steph Copeland, an inspired new genre is created. Minimalist electronic overtones provide a moody backdrop for the edgy stories found in the lyrics.


The Locusts Have No King (Windsor) Friday, 11:00pm @ The Avalon Front
www.myspace.com/thelocustshavenoking
This trio of talent has been hard at work, I assume, because their first show in Windsor sounded like their hundredth. Their orignal songs sound too good to be true, to be written here in Windsor. Some of the grit in their music is so genuine, you might think they live in train cars in their spare time. They are fantastic! The Grunge/Folk/Roots genre is owned by these guys. As far as I'm concerned, you never go wrong with Dave Dubois, or a stand-up bass for that matter.


Raised By Swans (London) Friday, 12:00am (midnight) @ The Avalon Front
www.myspace.com/22806563
I, me, Tom, will be trying to catch some of this band at The Avalon. I know it will be hard to run out for a spell, but I might have to. This atmospheric stuff is unreal. Here's some press on the band.
-'beautifully constructed - and decidedly dark - musical visions' - Allan Wigney, The Ottawa Sun
-'i threw [the CD] in and it was a total gem. it was beautiful...driving guitars...ethereal sounding' - Amanda Putz, host of CBC Bandwidth
-'raised by swans know how to write shimmery, sprawling, sensitive epics and producer Andy Magoffin knows how to make them sound just right.' - eye weekly, Toronto


Fjord Rowboat (Toronto) Friday, 1:00am @ The Avalon Front
www.myspace.com/fjordrowboat
Craig Gloster and his project since 2004 is unreal. This Shoegaze/Psychadelic/Indie band will shiver you out of your chair. They sound so damn good, even on their myspace page, that I am sold on this band maybe being the highlight of the festival. Simple.


Friday Morning's Regret (Toronto) Saturday, 10:30pm @ The Avalon Front
www.myspace.com/fridaymorningsregret
These guys, sometimes on thier CDs, sound like a country trio that might actually get together to bake on occasion. But thier live act is nuts. These guys are punk/country in my best description. They rock harder than rock bands, and play passionately enough to have put a hole in the ceiling at Phog. Indie/Folk/Black Metal is their own description. The Black Metal part is what they add to their live show! Listen to their samples on the myspace link provided.


The Coast (Toronto) Saturday, 11:30pm @ The Avalon Front
www.myspace.com/thecoastmusic
I looked these guys up, and as friends of Tony at The Avalon, they are stars. I listen to the samples when I'm at home doing chores and when I'm able to be near my computer. Tony! Set aside a few of their CDs for me! I need to buy whatever they have! Some press they've gotten:
-"Growing up listening to bands like U2 or the Verve has proven to be an excellent spark, and the big, spacious guitar pop sound [The Coast] deliver pays homage to that, but comes across as their own ... The Coast are yet another example of the increasingly talented and seemingly unstoppable Canadian indie music scene" Rob Bolton, Exclaim! Magazine
-upbeat, shimmering pop music that could get folks dancing without a single disco hi-hat.....their EP more than delivers on the promise I saw in the live performance. Sometimes I complain about how slavishly anglophile Toronto can be, but every once in a while it pays off in spades." Frank Yang, Chromewaves.


The Golden Dogs (Toronto) Saturday, 12:30am @ The Avalon Front
www.myspace.com/thegoldendogs
In April's edition of PASTE Magazine, they included 'YEAH' on the CD sampler attached to the mag and also included a review of their album. We love PASTE and whatever they have to say. Here it is:
"O' Canada, you've done it again!
Jumping from rock to punk to pop, The Golden Dogs' debut will have you cranking up the volume in no time. Opening track 'Birdsong' introduces the obvious energy and fierce electric guitar these Canadians employ on their songs, along with spurts of Arcade Fiery harmonies. The band likes its rock messy and loud, and has plenty of character and musical imagination too. 'Parts' might take a few listens to reveal itself, but when it does, you'll understand why these Dogs are golden."
In short, this band kicks ass. They are getting incredible press everywhere.

The P.A. Music Festival Phog Line-Up

Okay,
This is the second time I am posting this, as the first one was dashed into the cyberness of life when my webpage closed without warning.

This is the line-up that I know of for the P.A. Music Festival at Phog and The Avalon Front. The Avalon line-up will be final VERY soon, at which point it will be posted. I am allowed to say that Raised By Swans and Fjord Rowboat will be AMAZING! Tickets are on sale at Phog now. For details about what a ticket costs and the details of the festival, see the last post in this blog.

The bands playing Phog will be:
Locals:

The Golden Hands Before God Conducts Incredible Magic Band and The Spirits
Thursday, 11:30pm @ Phog Lounge
www.myspace.com/thegoldenhandsbeforegod
These guys have been money in the bank with past shows, and recently played a furious Wednesday night show that even surprised people who came with high expectations. These kids...I wouldn't wanna play after these kids. Wax Mannequin isn't scared though...


Ten Year Drought (Windsor) Friday, 11:30pm @ Phog Lounge
www.myspace.com/tenyrdrought
This duo has been the most solid roots/rock/indie band that I have seen. Period. Great Lake Swimmers may give them a run, but they have, like, seven members! Seriously though, this band creates an atmosphere of sheer comfort, and the music peels away all the bad music you've been listening to in your car. Incredible performers. Windsor should be proud.


Citywide Vacuum (Windsor) Saturday, 10:00pm @ Phog Lounge
www.myspace.com/citywidevacuum
This kaleidoscope of talent is wicked. The mixture of live drums on top of beats and samples from two wizards behind a table, with a perfectly fitting female vocal...get back Jack. This foursome will set the tone for Saturday night the way no other Windsor band can. And you get to see a drummer wearing headphones. Awesome.

Out-Of-Town:

Twilight Hotel (Winnipeg) Thursday, 10:30pm @ Phog Lounge
www.myspace.com/twilighthotel
This is a duo with the guy who plays his guitar backward better than most play it properly. This non-stop touring mini-squad always owns the crowd at Phog and delivers some incredible mid-Canadian alternative/roots/folk music. Yes, Dave looks like a cross between Anderson of Golden Hands...Kiefer Sutherland, and Neil Helmer, and with all that going for him, he is still in a band with Brandy, who will accordion you to a blissful place every time she's on stage.


Wax Mannequin (Hamilton) Thursday, 12:30am @ Phog Lounge
www.myspace.com/waxmannequin
The President of Indie/Rock. He is the man. Simple. No one puts it out there like him. He is the most intense performer many will ever see. By himself, he will command the attention of all, and he has a new EP available! This guy was just featured on CBC Radio 3's Podcast and was the most requested performer for the All-Request Labour Day Edition of the podcast. He will rock you into oblivion.


The Mark Inside (Toronto) Thursday, 1:30am @ Phog Lounge
www.myspace.com/themarkinside
Speaking of rocking you into oblivion. This band was playing Phog when Despistado was still around. These boys are being asked to play all over the place, and are in the works with a new CD which will be produced in England in October. If you like rock music, at all, you will kiss the ground these guys walk on. They are starlit performers of the highest degree. I love them.


Dean Drouillard (Toronto) Friday, 10:30pm @ Phog Lounge
www.myspace.com/deandrouillard
Please. This Windsor native just had one of his songs chosen as the theme song for the CBC drama 11 Cameras, on top of being one of the most clutch, go-to musicians in all of Toronto. His guitar work will dazzle, and his songwriting will melt you. See him. He is one of our favourites as well.


Run With The Kittens (Toronto) Friday, 12:30am @ Phog Lounge
www.myspace.com/runwiththekittens
I don't even know how to classify these guys. They describe thier style as indie/rock/hip hop on myspace, but they hit even more genres of music in one set than most bands do in multiple-phased careers. They are the most engaging, personable band to ever take the stage at Phog, having conversations between sets, cracking jokes through Phantom of The Opera masks, and making really damn good music. These musicians had other musicians in the crowd with their mouths agape. "How is he playing like that?" seemed to be the most popular question when talking about every single band member.


The Ride Theory (Hamilton) Friday, 1:30am @ Phog Lounge
www.myspace.com/theridetheory
This bunch needs no support from this blurb. 70s-rock meets surf-rock meets upbeat-Beatles. This band starts and doesn't stop, and has forced groups of wayward drinkers to stand up and dance for long periods of time. You will buy their CD, so I hope they bring enough. You can find press about these youngsters anywhere you look. For kids this age to be this good is...scary.


A Northern Chorus (Golden Horseshoe, ON) Saturday, 11:00pm @ Phog Lounge
www.myspace.com/anorthernchorus
I heard that there is a group of people interested in coming to this festival JUST to see this band. They are coming in full-force...six pieces...and will send an ocean of sound through your senses (more than just hearing) so that you will have to go out for a smoke to get some breathing air. They pummel me every time they play with beautiful vocals and cello-led soundscapes. People might watch this through the glass in the front window if they can't get in.


Lindy (Toronto) Saturday, 12:00am (midnight) @ Phog Lounge
www.myspace.com/lindymusic
Lindy is the kindest, gentlest 6-foot-7er who has ever sang a note. His voice is unyielding and he has played for Trudeau for goodness sake! When he was 6! This big guy, with whoever he brings to accompany him, is one of the most enjoyable performers Canada has to offer the world. I mean that. You would have to hate yourself to not want to see him perform. His list of achievements goes on and on. Check google if you don't believe me.


The High Strung (Detroit) Saturday, 1:00am @ Phog Lounge
www.myspace.com/thehighstrung
NPR named The High Strung’s debut album "These Are The Good Times" as one of the Top 10 Rock Records of 2003, and the Washington Post called the title track, “runner up best song of the year.”
A Detroit pop-rock band that makes everyone want to dance as soon as they hear this sometimes-70s punk-rock band destroy all in the area. They are the best band in Detroit as far as Phog is concerned. NPR has given them ringing endorsements, and they opened for Bob Pollard of the hugely successful Guided By Voices! This trio is strong enough to close out the Phog portion of the festival...and that's why they are...and the bass player will make so many eyes bug out that they have to go last so we can clean up the mess afterward.

I get excited just looking at this list of photos!
Come and get your tickets now!
Tom
Phog

The P.A. Music Festival Press Release

The first ever P.A. Music Festival is set to give independent music lovers in the Windsor area a taste of something they've been requesting for years. The Avalon Front and Phog Lounge will be opening their doors, simultaneously, welcoming local, Canadian, and international musicians to fill their stages for the last three days of September. The name P.A. contains the first initial of both venues and also refers to the Public Address system that all bands must tinker with before their sound is just right.

Each venue will host four bands per night with an ascending volume ordering system. The music gets louder as the nights taper off. The musicians that will be making this event worthwhile are each headliner-caliber performers in their own right. Some of the bands attending the event include Toronto bands Fjord Rowboat, The Coast, Friday Morning's Regret, Hamilton's Wax Mannequin and The Ride Theory, A Northern Chorus, and London's Raised By Swans.

Tickets for this event will be $10 per night with the option of buying a pass for all three nights for $25. A pass for any given night entitles you to move freely between Phog and The Avalon so long as there is space at that given venue at that moment. In short, if you can't get into one venue, you certainly have a place saved at the other venue.

Show goers will have to plan their nights according to who they want to see perform, and make their moves from venue-to-venue accordingly. With so much to see in two short blocks of travel distance, both venues are sure to see a lot of traffic moving back and forth. There are two streets to cross to get from one venue to the other, which lends itself to the idea of duality that the festival aims to convey. Partnership, community, cooperation, and more symbolism goes on and on, with the linking between Phog and The Avalon being the paramount achievement of the festival.

Both venue operators expect to see many of the returning students coming out for a show that they won't have the luxury of seeing again for a long time. Also, with the performer line-ups as diverse and strong as they are, both Tony from the Avalon and Tom from Phog expect to see music fans coming from as far away as London or Hamilton.

"Some of the bands coming have big fan bases in their hometowns, but they will not have the chance to see all these bands play so close together where they live. This is a chance for them to see something unique, in a city they likely never knew had such strong musical roots," said Phog Lounge owner Tom Lucier.

Contact:
Tom Lucier at Phog Lounge: 519.253.1605 or phoglounge@gmail.com
Tony at The Avalon Front: 519.254.1316 or avalon@theavalonfront.com

New images...that are old.

I have found that since I got my Mac computer, as opposed to my goofed-up, virus ridden PC, that it is easier to move photos around and post them in this blog or on websites etc.
So you may start to find new post full of old things, like old images from e-mails people sent me or images, like the one below, from magazine articles and newspaper clippings.
This image is of Matt Toth (Gypsy Eyes), who started the whole Slam Poetry thing in Windsor.
I was pretty proud that he chose to wear a shirt that I made him for this photo shoot.
That's all folks.
Oh, and by the way, the Original T-Shirt and Print Art Show is happening in December, so start thinking and creating the things that people are going to want to buy, bid on, and give a Christmas gifts. Yes, this means you can print on paper, or purses or whatever, even though t-shirts is the preferred canvas.