Phog Lounge was voted Canada's Best Live Music Venue by CBC Radio 3 listeners in February 2009. Live rock and indie music has a home in Windsor. It's Phog Lounge.Book a show today.phoglounge@gmail.com
I don't know if you remember the OLD Steelback Brewery... The ridiculous ads, the owner trying to be the face of the company...the plastic bottles the beer came in...yikers.
Wipe that slate clean. Things are very different now.
We're carrying the Steelback Red Maple on tap NOW! Gone are the days of cheesy ads and plastic bottles. Phog happily presents the new beer that reminds Tom of Maple Crisp ice cream from Laura Secord. That first scent, the whiff, when you place your nose over the glass, you get the sweet maple scent that makes your mouth water. Then the beer hits the tongue and doesn't disappoint. Sweet, mapley goodness.
Colchester Ridge Estates Winery products at Phog Lounge? Yes. For realsies.
So there's this program called Twitter.
I get teased for using it, making connections, etc. However, it makes some fairly great things happen from time to time. Here's an anecdote of one of those times:
Known as "@Jiimmy" on Twitter, Jim is a sales representative for Colchester Ridge Estates Winery (CREW). I didn't know this for several months. We were communicating on a local level, because we're both people who care about the Windsor/Essex area. We use our blogs to promote good things in the area, and we use our community-cloud of contacts to share links, music, etc. with those who follow us on Twitter.
That said, Jim decided to FINALLY tell me that he was a wine rep. and that he wanted to bring something by Phog for us to taste, and consider carrying in the bar. Being on a strong local kick lately, and having OTHER BUSINESSES knowing that local entrepreneurs are looking to support locals, we're starting to get approached by these other deserving brands.
Jim came in to meet Frank and I, to give us a list and tasting of delicious wines from CREW. Frank decided on carrying the white wine, Gewurztraminer VQA 2007 (pronounced guh-verz-tra-meener): "This is a dry-style Gewurztraminer with clean citrus flavours and a finish that has a touch of spice combined with a hint of rose."
And the red wine, Caberbnet Franc VQA 2006: "The aromas extending upwards are woody and earthy, exhibiting shitake mushroom and a soupcon of tarragon. The taste is satisfying with jamminess in berries and plum, cassis and a tincture of violet. With its good tannins, it promises a good shelf-life and more structure with age." That whole shebang means...it tastes good. The red has been selling like MAD. The white sells better when the weather is hot.
I just figured it was about time I announced that we're selling some new wine. It's great. And you should come and try some.
One of the amazing things I never knew about this winery is that they have a white wine (Riesling VQA 2007) that is the official white wine for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario! HELLO! This is the white wine option at Queen's Park for any official dinner! Holy moly!!
Musicians and artists...I'd like to see you on Monday...MORNING!
This is going to be tough to say in print, so I said it with video. I'm used to asking all of you to come out to a place that requires money. This time it's different. More to follow after the vid.
[caption id="attachment_608" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Morning Flight"][/caption] This is the sculpture we're going to be meeting at, located on the foot of Askin Blvd., on the path along the river.
I think it's crucial that those reading this, and watching this video make their car seats available to those who are willing to attend. We might not have a chance to flex our artistic muscle in the public eye like this again for a WHILE. A peaceful joining of interests. A friendly introduction of art to the City. Be a part of this. My e-mail is phoglounge@gmail.com. If you need a ride, I will do what I can to get you there with myself or someone else. Please, no excuses...if you comment on this post, tell me why you ARE going, not why you're aren't.
See you there!
In addition to this...Pina Ciotoli, of Windsoreats.com posted this tidbit of info for any BUSINESSES interested in showing themselves at the celebration space FOR FREE!!!
"Hi everyone! Just a reminder that the Creative Cities Walk is quickly approaching on Monday, May 18th. If you haven't already done so, please let me know if your organization or group will be participating in this year's walk. We are expecting great media coverage for this event and I would like to include your group if participating.
This is a great opportunity to show your support for arts and culture in this community and it's also the perfect time to showcase an event you may have coming up or fundraise for your group! Can't make it? Send friends or volunteers out to act on behalf of your group.
At the end of our walk we will be joining in on the festivities being held for Windsor's 117th birthday party at the Riverfront Festival Plaza. If you are interested in booth space at the Riverfront Festival Plaza, contact Nora Betram Romero at 519-255-6100x6309. Space for a 10x10 booth at the plaza is free, but you must register with Nora before May 15th.
Keep checking in to www.wea-arts.com as we will post the latest information on the site.
If you have any questions, would like to volunteer or have your group participate, please contact me at 519-890-5038.
Plagued by Denial stickers and permanent puke-coloured film, the Phog urinal has had a facelift. Our cleaning lady, Tiny, applied drain cleaner to the wretched smoker's teeth porcelain and destroyed the years of gross that were bothering patrons for years.
CBC Radio 3's New Music Canada - Where is Windsor?
Okay, I have been singing the praises of CBC Radio 3 for a loooong time.
When the DJs at Radio 3 look to play bands or performers from Windsor, they are looking at a very short list.
They can only play bands that are registered on New Music Canada (Radio 3's database of Canadian bands and performers).
When they go to that list, and there's 12 bands, it leads to the conclusion that there is little or nothing happening in Windsor musically. And this is foolish. There are TONS of bands who garner very important exposure through this site, their web radio, and their Sirius Satellite Radio Channel.
This is my request to you, your band in Windsor (or Canada). If you are not yet registered with New Music Canada, go to CBC Radio 3's website, find New Music Canada (NMC) and get the initial application done, for your own sake, and for Windsor's.
Represent this town you have stuck with...by making your music and talent known. No excuses. Just go there and do it. They will only play the music you upload to the site...so give them your best...and make Windsor proud. They're coming here to celebrate with us on July 11th, 2009 and it'd be nice if they had a few new favourite band members to meet.
Windsor/Detroit Live Music: Meatdraw (Victoria) w/ Tara Watts and Joe Catanzaro
Holy crap. Again. Meatdraw is coming to Phog MONDAY MAY 11th!! For many reading this, that means TODAY. They're amazing, which is why I had to usurp open mic night with Tara Watts. Alas, I did not exlude Tara from the proceedings. She fits well with the out-of-towners.
One of the magnificent details of this show, for those who've been coming to Phog for 4+ years, is that Lily Fawn of the famous Hank & Lily is IN MEATDRAW. Many remember her, dressed as a deer-person, drumming while standing up with a wild and bizarre stage show several years ago. She joins this cast of musicians from several well-known bands (who include members of Rantmusic, AAA Soundsystem, Frog Eyes, Hank & Lily, and Hearse). It's going to be amazing. Also joining them will be Joe Catanzaro! A local dude who rarely, if ever, plays shows. He's an incredible instrumentalist who leaves people begging for more after every open mic performance. Literally...they shout at him for more and he just shrugs. I am very happy to take the opportunity to get Joe in for this show.
From Nerve Magazine: "Based in Victoria, BC, but likely to be found wandering any given region of North America, Meatdraw is one of the best carnival exorcism dance bands in the world. The fierce, raging joy with which they transport and delight their audiences is rock music, amplified by horns, saw, accordion, and intricate musicianship. Stomp-gospel dirges, post-apocalyptic crooner ballads, mythic power anthems, and ghostly car-chase jazz suites are channeled through these talented deviants (who include members of Rantmusic, AAA Soundsystem, Frog Eyes, Hank & Lily, and Hearse). The Show begins with seven (or more) wild musicians marching, wailing, and shaking their way through the crowd, up to the stage, and straight into “...stomp-and-holler oompah hoedowns to light a fire in your colon when you’d least expect it.”
Tolan McNeil of Lucky Mouse Studio captured this ferocious live energy and wrangled it into their first release, the self-titled Meatdraw. “Occasionally the album brings to mind something you might hear at a gypsy camp in the Balkans, but more often I’m reminded of a rootsier Flaming Lips, or portions of The Violent Femmes’ Hallowed Ground, albeit - if you can imagine - a little weirder. And that’s a very good thing."- Nerve Magazine
From Eamon McGrath's myspace page: Eamon McGrath never sleeps. He writes, tours, records, repeats: regardless of whether his usual band can join him or not. In Edmonton he plays with The Wild Dogs and The Whiskey Dogs behind him, but on the road sometimes showing up in a city means meeting the band that night.
Folk, soul and blues music is filtered through a thick, viscous layer of psychedelic punk rock and noisy rock and roll. His music’s been compared to that of both Neil Young and Black Flag; Tom Waits, Robert Johnson, Ryan Adams: a punk rock songwriter, with the smell of Saturday night on his wrists and an amp capable of shaking the rafters on the roof. Or, an acoustic guitar in his hands that’s only loud because the room is holding its breath.
In the world of Eamon McGrath, lost love bashes about with loud amplifiers and broken strings. Old friends disappear and reappear with the rage of a hardcore punk band. The blood on your fingers is a sign that you played your heart out for the beautiful girl with all her kings in the back row.
"At the age of nineteen Eamon McGrath has manifested a vibrant creative momentum that makes the works of so many revered, twenty-something indie-pop try-hards pale in comparison."
- Justin Langille, CokeMachineGlow.com
"The kind of musician that embodies every aspect of the punk rock mentality without needing a mohawk to prove it."
- Francois Marchand, SEE Magazine
"It’s loud and slurs like a stumbling, smelly bar fool yet somehow it pins you to your seat and dares you to listen longer...It doesn’t seem like Wild Dogs should be coming from such a young gun, but it proves that you can hammer out a rugged, heartfelt and mature album no matter your age."
- Amanda Ash, Exclaim!
About The City Streets from their myspace page: ""This group is Alberta's only hope. "Concentrated Living" is their latest album and if their brand of Power Pop is any indication of their live performance, then we have lots of hope for them. (along with their home province)."-CBC Radio 3
“Some Replacements, some early Costello, a bottle of Whiskey, and you’ve got some idea of where these hearts-on-their-sleeves, punk prairie boys are coming from.” –Now Toronto NXNE preview
"Their songs- a tight mix of the hard social message of the Clash and the twang of Wilco- are spectacular."- Vue Weekly cover story
about the new record, Concentrated Living: A melancholy celebration of people and places remembered fondly by a hard drinking band more at home on the road than in their native Alberta, Concentrated Living by Edmonton's City Streets is like suddenly remembering that today is the birthday of someone you fell in love with a long time ago. Like anthems for lonely people, the album chronicles faraway and fleeting love, not just for a person but for an imagined life that continues to slip away. Playing a sort of damaged folk--one tinged with punk's defiance--the City Streets describe a defeated generation that has lost faith in religion, politics, and tradition, and doesn't know what it can grasp onto. Concentrated Living is the perfect album for any morning that follows a night where you had whiskey and cigarettes for dinner and a midnight snack. Trust me. - Bryan Birtles
The City Streets, hailing from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada formed in 2005. They play diverse melodic bliss power pop with the spirit of punk rock always shining a light."
Also playing this night are Windsor's Meters to Miles. They played Phog last month, and pleasantly surprised us with great, up-tempo rock and roll. A fun Mother's Day show ahead.
Windsor/Detroit Live Music: Great Bloomers (Toronto) w/ Doug Hoyer (Edmonton) & Trevor Malcolm Jazz Trio with Chad Howson
Saturday May 9th, we have a feel-good night that I have been looking forward to for weeks. The style of music is certainly unusual, for what we usually have, with each performer.
What do I mean? Read these quotes and click these links and find out.
“Playing rollickin' piano-based country-tinged college rock, Great Bloomers astound with subtlety - delicious hooks, stunning harmonies, expert musicianship, songwriting well beyond their years and a wry sense of humour that says we're good and we know it, but we appreciate you coming, so thanks.” I Heart Music
From CBC Radio 3:
"Doug Hoyer writes quirky pop & rock songs about the simple things in life. Mostly.
Whether by himself or with his backing band, he switches around between guitar, ukulele and sometimes accordion to tell his tales through song.
His first ep was entitled "Tattoo", and charted in many college stations across Canada. The always entertaining Henri "Faberge" Fletcher was kind enough to lend his trumpet and french horn skills to the recording.
His new ep, "Songs from Grand Marquee" will be released April 25th, 2008.
Years ago in the summer of 2003 Doug was a cast member on the CBC reality "rockumentary" called "Rock Camp", a show that featured Joel Plaskett & Ian McGettigan (from Thrush Hermit), as well as many others.
Doug has shared the stage with many different bands, of all sorts of genres, but a few of them have been: Wax Mannequin, The Faunts, Mohawk Lodge, Jenny Omnichord, Torngat, Octoberman and Hills Like White Elephants. Doug Hoyer also plays bass in the Edmonton based band 'Illfit Outfit'."
And Trevor Malcolm...geez, what can one say about him? He's not easily found online, to give you samples, but to put it lightly, he is one of the most gifted musicians in this town..EASILY. He will play trumpet, piano, and sometimes both at the same time to get things rolling. Chad Howson will be joining him in this show, as he is celebrating the opening of his art show that was hung earlier this week.
Come out, see some art, hear some art, and make some friends.
Chase Gouin puts on one of the best things EVER in Phog Lounge
Here is some video of Chase Gouin, local flatland bike legend. Darren shot this video, and did a fine job if I do say so myself. Can you even imagine this occurring IN THE BAR? In the front room of Phog Lounge? It was stellar.
I got this message from a friend of Phog named Holly.
I thought I'd continue the chain, passing it on. Let people know that might be interested.
"Hey, Tom. A girlfriend of mine is heading the Aleksander Estate Winery Summer Art Series and she's asking for local talents to display their work free of commission. Here's the copy and paste. She's asked me for my help, so I am just spreading the word. Take care!"
"I am hoping to rope you in for some assistance. We are doing an artist summer series at the winery and looking for local artists. I know you are connected. Can you share this with some peeps. Please note we do not take any commissions. This is about giving artists a local venue to showcase their work.
Aleksander Estate Winery is in the heart of the Lake Erie North Shore Wine Region and conveniently located just off Highway #3 making it easily accessible for all Essex County residents and travellers. In addition to the local market, AEW is a destination stop for tourists from regions such as London, Kitchener/Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa and the U.S. markets of Michigan and Ohio.
This summer, AEW will be introducing a new event to our customers and the community. “Bit of Culture in Viticulture” is a multifaceted arts festival which will be held on site at Aleksander Estate Winery in Ruthven throughout the Summer of 2009. This event will run every Sunday from May 17th to Sunday, August 30th from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and will feature a different artist each week in an outdoor “gallery” set amongst the vines nearest the driveway in which guests will arrive. This area will be tented and a small indoor site is available for extreme weather days.
At this time, AEW is inviting local artists to submit an application to be chosen as one of the artists displaying their work for the 2009 season. The opportunity for the artist includes:
• Free outdoor gallery venue • A targeted demographic audience • Potential to sell their work • Free promotion via the AEW website in the event listing section, our Facebook events group mailout and information sent via our mailing list At AEW our mission is to represent the Quality Local Wine Culture of the Lake Erie North Shore. Through the quality of our 100% local wines to the spirit of wine combined with family, friends, food and art, we believe in the experience of wine culture. It’s the slowing down of the pace of life and taking moments to appreciate this experience. A simplified lifestyle to be shared and savoured. To apply to be one of AEW’s featured artists, please contact Sue Rice via email (sue@aleksanderestate.com)
with the following: • Your name and contact information • A brief description of your art • A link to your website or an attached jpg file of one of your works"
I don't know where to begin. Really. This show is all over the place.
The opener, for instance, is a trio of girls from Halifax, who do not fit the bill AT ALL, but who are HYSTERICAL and AWESOME! The Rhythm Method is a comedic hip-hop group with some songs such as, " I Got A Crush on My Dad" and "MY VJ is Too Small For Y'All". It's going to SLAY everyone in attendance. Their set is short, but they were willing to open for ANYONE, and I was desperate to get them into Phog...rather than miss out on this amazingly fun trio. The opener will set a fun tone for a fun band who I love...Square Root of Margaret! They haven't played Phog in a LONG time. Their psychedelic rock is one of my favourite things to host in our little building. With LOADS of albums under their belts, and more to come, this band of over 15 years struts their stuff each and every time they lace up their showtime shoes. And new to Phog is an energetic band called The Dirty Love Band, from London, who bring a ton of blues/rock awesomeness. The five-piece has some incredible kick, and if you venture to their myspace page, you'll get the full brunt of the expulsion of intensity you're sure to encounter on Friday night.
Location: 157 University Ave. W., downtown Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Live music venue in Windsor Ontario is host to the best in Canadian Indie music. We host the most shows in Windsor, and we pride ourselves as an industry example of how to run a music venue in Canada.
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