Saturday, February 28, 2009

Windsor Detroit Live Music: March Listings

March
2 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts
5 - Oh! C.N.A.P. (Craft Night at Phog) 6:30pm - ? for those who like to meet other crafters while they make cool stuff.
6 - Konqistador (Turkey/Windsor) w/ Dekadens (Bucharest, Romania)
7 - What Seas, What Shores w/ Michael Hargreaves, Leighton Bain (Toronto), & Brian Murphy (Toronto)
8 - International Women's Day Jam with Tara Watts, This Is Me As A Woman, Bree Gaudette, Perilelle, Amour Amour, Erica DiMaio & Nicole Markham
9 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts
13 - Friday Mix Massacre: presented by FAM - (WH)Y.M.E.(??) w/ Vex & TBA
14 - The United Steelworkers of Montreal (Montreal) w/ The Locusts Have No King
15 - Michou w/ Amos The Transparent (Ottawa) & Library Voices (Regina, SK)
16 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts
17 - Generation Magazine Launch 7pm - 9pm
- Beard & Moustache Contest Judging - with PRIZES!
20 - Ford Pier Vengeance Trio (Vancouver) w/ David Dubois
21 - Ron Leary Full Band w/ Jay Clark & The Jones (Toronto)
23 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts
24 - Elias Manyara Poetry Reading and Live Music Accompaniment TBA
26 - Smash The Glass Festival - Lioness (Toronto), A Young Wife (Toronto), This Is Me As A Woman, & Nicole Markham
27 - InsideaMind (Toronto) w/ Magnolius (Toronto)
28 - The Original Lady Eyes w/ Meters To Miles
29 - SAC Songwriters Group
30 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts

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Friday, February 27, 2009

CBC Radio 3 Best Live Music Venue In Canada news links...

I collected a few links to people's blogs, and mainstream media sources with reference to the Windsor celebration of Phog Lounge's CBC Radio 3 recent victory on February 25th.

The Windsor Star
National Post - Ampersand
The Kingston Whig Standard
Jamie Greer's Blog
Heidi's Cafe Blog
ScaleDown Windsor Blog
WAMM Magazine
Exclaim Magazine
Chart Attack
London Free Press
Vegetarian Selectronics Blog
Reubenspot Blog
Wake-Up-Grrl Blog
Photo 404 Blog
Border Culture Blog
Chasing Distractions Blog
MW Music Review Blog
Diana Elizabeth Live Journal
Windsor Visuals Blog
Lethbian Love Blog
AndPop.com

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Unbelievably well-made video of CBC Radio 3 Best Live Music Venue Announcement

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Thursday, February 26, 2009

Phog Lounge: Best Live Music Venue In Canada as voted by CBC Radio 3 fans

Frank and I are still dumbfounded and proud as can be!
Proud of a community of people who responded to the idea of a music venue (community hot spot) being recognized on the national stage.
When this contest began over a month ago, we felt it would be tough to convince people that their "vote mattered", and that the Phog fans from around Canada should go to cbcradio3.com every day and vote. Seeing the other venues on the list was overwhelming. The top 10 was a startling reminder that there are a LOT of other people out there who CARE deeply for Canadian music, CBC Radio 3, and their OWN arts communities.

I truly wish I could visit every one of them.

Today, I think a series of Windsoites and other music venue lovers understand that what you do can and DOES certainly make a difference. Participation in a common goal had our supporters jumping and screaming and breaking things when the announcement was made. They went loony tunes, because they were a part of something. They went to a website every single day because they were getting daily reminders from us, or because they simply remembered and were dedicated, and it happened.

It happened.

When you want something, and you participate in what it takes to make that happen with a mobilized group of inspired individuals, you succeed whether it ends in a victory or defeat paired with a tighter community.

We are so thankful to everyone who cared enough to help.
THANK YOU!


Think of it...Windsor, Ontario is home of the best live music venue in Canada. How awesome is that for Windsorites to be able to tell others when they're asked, "Where did you say you were from again?"

We can choose to say, "We're right across from Detroit," or we can say, "We're the home of the best live music venue in Canada...across from Detroit." Hahahaha....

I'll let you know when the big party is happening...
Must go...much to do...
Here's video of the celebration open mic we held last night over live video stream. It was so fun to have a who's who of performers and supporters trickle in all day and night. Remarkable community this independent music environment fosters.

All we can hope for now is that Windsor venues are on the tour stop for more performers who were unaware of the vigor of this town until 24 hours ago.
Cheers to all!

Free live streaming by Ustream

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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Live Streamed Video of Tara Watts presenting Open Mic Surgery

Streaming Video by Ustream.TV

Check it out, it was nuts. There were several unpredictable combos and unusual performers...but ALL AMAZING!
See for yourself.
Wait until you see Julio!

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Sunday, February 22, 2009

Live Streaming Video (recording) of Vultures! at Phog February 21, 2009

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If you missed the show...AND you missed the LIVE STREAM...here's the video of Vultures! playing on Saturday, February 21st.

We will be live-casting Monday and Tuesday night also...
Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts on Monday.
Super Fun Film Society movie and shorts screenings on Tuesday.
AWESOME!!!!

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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Top 10 in Canada's Best Music Venue Search!


So many thanks to all those who have voted daily in this wonderful spotlight event by CBC Radio 3.
Now is the time to bear down, and really commit to getting people to vote for our place. We need to connect with the people who believe in our ability, our space, our vigor, and our quest to be recognized NATIONALLY as Best Live Music Venue in Canada.

It's clearly an honour to be here...but we have some work to do to inform and move people to action.

Windsor! Wake up! Let's go...

Here's the new vote link for the week.
http://radio3.cbc.ca/polls/?pollId=35
7 more votes from each of you.
That's all we ask.
7 more.

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Saturday, February 14, 2009

CBC Radio 3: Searchlight - Best Live Music Club In Canada Love from Friends


And in the world of support, from friends, my very good buddy Dan Misener posted THIS AWESOME POST about the CBC Radio 3 Best Live Music Venue contest. I laughed out loud and read it aloud to the patrons at the bar. Too funny. I can't imagine Frank being so poetic. Oh yes I can.

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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Phog made the Top 20 in the BEST LIVE MUSIC contest for CBC Radio 3/Searchlight!!!


We did it folks.
Bravo!
So proud of you guys for highlighting Phog Lounge as one of the Top 20 Live Music Venues in Canada. Huge!
It's great to see all the other places on the list that we might have otherwise not known before.
I encourage local bands, considering touring, to look closely at these places for future tour stops!

But now, onto business...
It's time to take this to the next level.
Here's the NEW voting link - http://radio3.cbc.ca/polls/?pollId=32
February 18th is the next mile-marker...when the TOP 10 will be announced...and we WANT TO BE ON THAT LIST...so please keep voting daily.
If you wan tto be reminded daily to vote, you can join the Facebook group, "I want to be reminded every day to vote for Phog as Best Live Music Venue" Click HERE!

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Monday, February 09, 2009

Windsor/Detroit Live Music: WAMM Magazine Music Video Contest


Well it's about time. Someone needed to shed some video light on the musicians of Windsor. The film-making community has grown in leaps and bounds, and the videos have been made...but this event showcases them, and challenges filmmakers to get out there and make something happen for a local musician/band.

Just fantastic.
Get involved.
WAMM Magazine is doing something that NO filmmaker interested in music has any excuse not to participate in, if not for the experience alone.
I'm very interested to see how this goes.

The link is HERE...or click the photo above.

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Saturday, February 07, 2009

Windsor/Detroit Live Music: Strummin Through The Smog


Just realized that a friend of Phog (Andrew MacLeod) has a blog up, and if he keeps it up, it will certainly be worth following to know what musical projects he's involved in...

I encourage you to check it out.
Strummin' Through The Smog -
http://strumminthroughthesmog.blogspot.com

To see a recent post ABOUT Phog Lounge...which is how I found his blog, click this link here.

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Friday, February 06, 2009

HOW TO SIGN UP (easily) TO CBCRADIO3.COM to VOTE FOR PHOG

If you don't have an account for cbcradio3.com, you're silly. You should. You have access to live web radio, 24 hours a day, listening to people who are passionate about Canadian music and want to share that info BADLY with the rest of the country. Mostly indie stuff.

If you are a local band and your music is not registered with Radio 3...you really should be, as you cannot imagine what an amazing resource they are...get listed on there first if you are a musician and not on their database.

Okay? Settled?

Here's how to sign up.
Go to cbcradio3.com
You will see this at the bottom of the screen.
Click on "Sign Up"
This will pop up.
You only need to care about this side on the right if you want to vote...
Then sign up with a valid e-mail address and pick a screen name you'll remember...and a password. Click "Sign Up".

Then you have to sign in by going to the top right hand corner of the site -
Type in your username and password you just created, and hit the green button "Log In".

Now you're logged in. You just need to hit the giant ad under the "Log In" area and it will take you to the voting page.
Scroll down until you see Phog Lounge and select Phog (of course) -
And then scroll down to the bottom of the page until you see the vote button -

Then you've helped Phog Lounge become the venue we all know it is, except this way, the rest of the country knows.
Awesome.
Thanks.

After you've done this process, you just need to click one of the many links Phog and Phoggers are posting on Twitter (we are twitter.com/phogtom on twitter.com - if you don't follow us, get with it!) and Facebook, which will take you to voting page. Unless you log out...you will stay logged in, and it's a SUPER SIMPLE process then.
Thanks everyone. Spread the Phog love.

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Monday, February 02, 2009

CBC Radio 3: Searchlight - Best Live Music Club In Canada!!!!!!!


When I asked this group to go forth and let the country know how you feel about Phog Lounge...tell CBC Radio 3 and Searchlight that you love this place...you did, emphatically!

And we're very thankful.
Here's the tricky part.
That was just to get us nominated.

NOW, they have the voting taking place.
It's been running (so we're behind) and it will continue for a few weeks. Each person can vote every 24 hours.
You know how it is. I don't quite agree with this method, but that's how it is being tallied. It calls for great attention from voters. From you.

But I will ask anyway.
Please vote for us on the cbcradio3.com website.
There's a an ad panel (usually on the bottom left) that says, "Vote Now For Your Favourite Music Venue" with a Searchlight logo on it too. It's black with yellow lettering. Click on that, find Phog Lounge in the list, and simply click our name and click the vote button at the bottom.

The more you do this, the more realistic the chances are of us winning.
WE'RE VERY FAR BEHIND. Here's the timeline:
Wednesday, January 28: Searchlight long list announced and voting begins at www.cbcradio3.com
Tuesday, February 3: Top 50 will be announced
Wednesday, February 11: Top 20 will be announced
Wednesday, February 18: Top 10 will be announced
Wednesday, February 25: Final winner will be announced

You see, when you made your voices heard earlier, you shocked the CBC Radio 3 people. Shocked them. And now they're telling me to tell you, THIS is what counts. You want to see Phog win this thing from the cliche behemoths that are always mentioned in live music? Vote now. Vote often.
Maybe I'll try reminding you without being annoying.

Thanks again.

Winners get to SAY they are the best live music venue in Canada, which is pretty outstanding , a live concert will be presented by CBC Radio 3 in the winning venue, a Sirius satellite radio plus subscription gets installed, CBC Radio 3 clothing, etc for staff along with the hardware - a winning plaque and trophy - are delivered.
Please make this happen.

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Sunday, February 01, 2009

Superbowl at Phog Lounge

This is the set-up.
It's still early, as I post this.

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