March/April Events 2010 Listings for Phog Lounge - UPDATED

March

Friday 19 - Ramona (Toronto) w/ The Heels - 10:30pm - 19+

Saturday 20 - NOTHING BOOKED - NO COVER - COME DRINK

Monday 22 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts - 9pm - 19+
Tuesday 23 - In Review Magazine Launch w/ Marty Gervais

Wednesday 24 - Smash The Glass Publication Launch

Thursday 25 - Jadea Kelly (Toronto) w/ Joshua Gropp  - 9pm - 19+

Friday 26 - Gardening, Not Architecture (Los Angeles) w/ Crazy Diamond (Toronto) and A Welcome Breeze- 10:30pm - 19+
Saturday 27 - Diana Catherine and the Thrusty Tweeters (Toronto) w/ The Eric Welton Band - 10pm - 19+

Monday 29 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts - 9pm - 19+

Tuesday 30 - The Pack AD (Vancouver) w/ Bradley (Vancouver) and The Magic Hall of Mirrors - 9pm - 19+

Wednesday 31 - Citizfaction Election Event

April

Friday 2 - The Wheat Pool (Edmonton) w/ Tom Curry - 10pm - 19+

Saturday 3 - The Peace Leeches (Blenheim) w/ The Details (Winnipeg) and WHYME - 10pm - 19+

Monday 5 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts - 9pm - 19+
Wednesday 7 - Juice Open Mic Poetry - 9pm - ALL AGES
Thursday 8 - Huron (Hamilton) w/ Bend Sinister (Vancouver) and The Eric Welton Band - 9pm -
Friday 9 - The Polymorphines (Ottawa) w/ Krupke (Toronto), The Bulletproof Tiger, and Life in a Vacuum (Kitchener/Waterloo) - 9pm - 19+
Saturday 10 - Graham Playford Trio (Montreal) w/ Shane Murphy Band (Montreal) w/ TBA - 19+
Sunday 11 - Devin Sproule (Charlottesville, Virginia) w/ Mantler (Toronto) and TBA - 9pm -
Monday 12 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts - 9pm - 19+
Tuesday 13 - Leif Vollebekk (Montreal) w/ Giant Hand (Ottawa) and David Dubois - 9pm -
Wednesday 14 - FURS Electronic/Interactive Show - 9pm - 19+
Thursday 15 - Amos The Transparent (Ottawa) w/ The Bad Ideas (London) and The Magic Hall of Mirrors - 9pm -
Friday 16 - Raised By Swans (London) w/ ASK - 10pm - 19+
Saturday 17 - Sean Connery Supergroup w/  - 10pm -
Monday 19 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts - 9pm - 19+
Tuesday 20 - Laura Peek and The Winning Hearts (Halifax) w/ Pat LePoidevin (Sackville) - 9pm -
Friday 23 - The Micronite Filters (Oshawa) w/ Sandman Viper Command (Burlington) and The Archives (Toronto) - 10pm -
Saturday 24 - Young Rival (Hamilton) w/ Muzzin - 10pm -
Monday 26 - Open Mic Surgery with Tara Watts - 9pm - 19+
Thursday 29 - English Words (Charlottetown, PEI) w/ TBA - 9pm -
Friday 30 - Allison Brown CD Release w/ Lonesome Lefty and The Cryin' Shames - 10pm - 19+

Poutine is unleashed at Phog!

Yes.  A new menu exists at Phog.
Frank has been thinking about it for a while, and he has a heap of cheese-curdy, gravy goodness in store.
The first night of release, Tuesday, February 16th, there was a veritable carnival of calories.

Frank was on fire, delivering the currently large menu of poutine combinations.

 

The Classic Poutine and the Phonions (onion rings covered in gravy and cheese curds) were quite popular, with at least one of the Phonions orders going out with BACON!

Kyle Marchand approved of the poutine onion rings!

The poutine named after the CBC, (maybe as a tribute to having the Searchlight contest last year) which stands for "corned beef and coleslaw", smelled better than anything ever has in this building!

The Cheeseburger poutine was love on a plate. It was ordered several times on the opening night.

 

Come on down to Phog Lounge between 5pm and 10pm, Tuesday through Saturday, and make Frank hustle in that kitchen!! 

Here's a look at the current poutine menu:

The Classic 

- cheese curds and gravy - $5.50 plus tax

Porky
- pulled pork and coleslaw - $9 plus tax
CBC
- corned beef and coleslaw - $9 plus tax
Cheeseburger
- ground beef, onion, and tomato - $9 plus tax
Poulet et Pois
- BBQ chicken and peas - $9 plus tax
Hot Lips
- pepperoni, hot peppers, and hot sauce - $8 plus tax
Veggie
- fried onions, mushrooms, and peppers - $8 plus tax
Bacon
- real bacon on poutine - $7.50 plus tax
Phonion
- poutine made with onion rings - $5.50 plus tax

Add a veggie topping to any poutine for $1.50
Add meat topping $2

Just fries or onion rings - $3.50
PS - THE GRAVY IS VEGETARIAN

Take-out available!

My Tale of Two Cities movie showing AND filmmaker on panel discussion

Phog Lounge has been trying to encourage customers, community members, artists, and more to become involved in the improvement of their city. This pertains to all levels of life such as the block you live or work on, your neighbourhood, or your ward.

A FREE opportunity to see how Pittsburgh changed itself through business and community involvement is coming on Friday, February 26th.
Writer/producer/director of My Tale of Two Cities, Carl Kurlander, will be on site for the showing of the film at The Capitol Theatre.

Filmed in the style of “Super Size Me” and “Roger and Me,” My Tale of Two Cities is a funny and heartfelt movie that tells the comeback story of “St. Elmo’s Fire” screenwriter Carl Kurlander, who moved back to Pittsburgh from Los Angeles - only to find himself and his hometown in mid-life crisis. Kurlander asks his neighbours - from the famous (Steelers Franco Harris and Teresa Heinz Kerry) to his old gym teacher and the girl who inspired “St. Elmo’s Fire”- how this once great industrial giant, which built America with its steel, conquered polio and invented everything from the Big Mac to aluminum, can reinvent itself for a new age. With many in our region wondering the same thing, “My Tale of Two Cities” is a charming, engaging feel-good film that explores home, community and ultimately proves “it’s never too late for a comeback."

Panel discussion afterwards “What Windsor Can Learn from Pittsburgh’s Comeback” featuring writer/producer/director Carl Kurlander and special guests.

This FREE EVENT is presented by the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association as part of our Re:Vision Downtown series. http://www.downtownwindsor.ca

Support for this project from the Windsor International Film Festival

FREE tickets available at:

Coffee Exchange - 266 Ouellette Ave.
Milk Coffee Bar - 68 University Ave. West
Pause Cafe - 74 Chatham St. West
Ray & Kim's Super Convenience - 353 Ouellette Ave.
DWBIA Office - 474 Ouellette Ave. (or call 519-252-5723)

Magnolius (Toronto) and Perilelle at Phog, February 20, 2010

MAGNOLIUS, on their 5-venue tour of Southwestern Ontario brings explosive Hip Hop from Toronto, on stage with Windsor's PERILELLE.  It's your best bet if you're looking for a break from indie rock and crave a show of authentic talent.  MAGNOLIUS incorporates assembly-line style emceeing with lush beats and breaks, while PERILELLE fuses warm trip hop with hard technical rhythms via synthesizer, drum machine and of course, her silvery voice.

When: Saturday, February 20th, 2010

Where: Phog Lounge, 157 University Ave West, Windsor ON.

 

Details: $5, 19+

RSVP via Facebook

What are critics saying about headliners MAGNOLIUS?"The chemistry between the duo, Shan Vincent de Paul & Derek DaCosta... well if you could bottle it, you could sell it back to N-Power and make some tidy wedge. It's angry and aware, yet sharp and has sense of humor" - WHISPERS Mag (UK)

"Best of all is their successful spanning of that sometimes-massive space existing between the disparate sides of tradition and experimentation within hip-hop, moving from one to the other with casual ease." - EXCLAIM! (Toronto) 

Listen to MAGNOLIUS Music on Bandcamp 
Hear trip-hop from PERILELLE

Bonus: You can catch Magnolius twice while they're in the area.  Check them out in Detroit at the 1440 Collective on Friday, February 19th with friends Stryfe, Detroit CYDI, RenCen and more!

 

Visit MAGNOLIUS myspace and find out about the other stops on the tour! 

Queens of The Stone Age member joins Pat and Jackie Robitaille on Valentine's Day at Phog!

www.myspace.com/patrobitaille
www.myspace.com/jackierobitaille
www.myspace.com/minimansionsmusic

Here's how this went.
Pat asked me out of the blue if Valentine's Day was open.
He promptly scooped it up and told me he'd be booking someone else to play with him.
It turned out that it would be his sister Jackie, who has recently released an awesome CD...

But the big surprise for this show came in an e-mail from Queens of the Stone Age bassist, Michael Shuman.

He wanted to get into our place and play with his band, Mini Mansions, as they're going to be in the area for Canadian Music Week (Toronto) and they'd rather play than sit idle...

And Pat, in true "Pat form", when asked if he'd mind the overwhelming company on his bill said, "Yeah man! That'll be great!"

What a guy.
What a show.
See you on Valentine's Day!

CROFOOT CONNECTIONS!!!

One of the most debilitating setbacks facing any community is a lack of connections.
Connecting with like-minded folks is key to expanding your scope outside of your own.

This has been a priority for Phog, and for me personally, with regards to Windsor, and NOW with Detroit.
We wonder how we don't have a pile of Detroit residents, or music fans, or MUSICIANS coming to STUNNING shows in Windsor. I have a guess.

I ask you...how many true FRIENDS do you know that live in Detroit?
Unless you are a major exception to the rule, the numeric answer can fit on one hand.
This is a major contributor to the lack of cross-border cultural traffic (among other complications).

Sure we go see live shows at certain places, but we rarely go WITH Detroit friends. And, the acts we see are huge national acts touring THROUGH Detroit. I think it's imperative that we start connecting in a big way with Detroiters we share a kinship with...a love of music and culture with...an river with...a passion for strong art with...

And this process has more than begun to spring up.
Recently, the general manager of the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac came over for a visit.
For a place with a "ph" where an "f" should be in the name, it was an omen when I learned that the general manager's name was PHREDDY!

The point is, Phreddy and Dan (another key figure in The Crofoot) made a REAL EFFORT to connect with myself and other music supporters in Windsor earlier this month.
They were brethren, to the truest sense, and it felt neglectful on my part for not having found these guys sooner. Class acts. And fun, excited individuals who want to see Windsorites in Pontiac, and Detroit...and who also want to see Detroiters at Windsor shows!

It was a true pleasure to meet these two.

I think they realize that when a band like You Say Party, We Say Die! plays Phog, and then plays their building in the following month...we might have a lot in common.

With that minor teaser of what's to come, here is an e-mail I got from Phreddy tonight, inviting Canadians to a great show at The Crofoot for FREE. Yes. Show your passport and get in free!

A brilliant start. Read below for event information.

"Hello Neighbors!

My name is Phreddy and I am the General Manager of the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac, MI.  This Saturday Feb. 13, 2010 we are hosting an event to celebrate women's contributions to art and culture.  To encourage more creative cross-pollination between the left and right sides of the river, we would like to make the event free for all Canadians.  Anyone that shows a Canadian passport /drivers' license at the door will not have to pay admission.

The night will feature 18 female-led musical acts, over 20 female visual artists, 2 fashion shows, and 4 comediennes plus dozens of crafters and non-profits.  It should be tons of fun and creative networking opportunities will abound. 

Hopefully we can keep doing more events that welcome Canadians warmly to the states and vice versa.  Please keep me in the loop and let us know what we can do for you.

Thanks a million,
Phreddy"

You going?
I'm working.

WCMF (Windsor Canadian Music Festival) is coming! You showing up?

The Windsor Canadian Music Festival is unleashing itself in many locations from now until February 6th.

As described by the WCMF website: 

"The 2010 Windsor Canadian Music Festival looks at music and media, bringing composers, musician and video artists to create gesamtkunstwerk--comprehensive, all-embracing work of art."


Here's the schedule. Plain and simple. This is some unique stuff on display, within and outside of Phog Lounge, and I think it's going to imprint some new ideas to the people who decide to support this great event.

* Free Event       ++ $5 cover at Phog.

† Adults/ Seniors $20; Students (with ID) $10 available at the Chrysler Theatre Box Office. Call (519) 252-6579 to order by phone. Tickets available at the door.

‡ Adults/ Seniors $15; Students (with ID) $5 available in advance by phone at 519-253-3000 ext. 4212.
Tickets available at the door.

Monday, February 1
● Take 4: WCMF Welcome Presentation*
4:00 p.m.
University of Windsor, School of Music Room 139
● Milkmen at MILK*
9:00 p.m.
Milk Coffee Bar & Lounge, 68 University Ave. W.
Tuesday, February 2
● Phog Phunk Phest IV*
9:00 p.m.
Phog Lounge, 157 University Ave. W.
Wednesday, February 3
● Take 4: WCMF Composers’ Roundtable*
4:00 p.m.
University of Windsor School of Music Room 139
● NMW: Romeo Sierra Tango Student Recital*
7:30 p.m.
Windsor Armouries
Thursday, February 4
● in/fuse 10: Five Ideas About the Relation of Sight + Sound with Virgil Moorefield*
7:30 p.m.
Windsor Armouries
Friday, February 5
● Windsor Symphony Orchestra Concert†
7:30 p.m.
Windsor Armouries
Music by composers Robert Lemay, Brent Lee, Jordan Nobles, Robert Rival with video artists.

● DoneFors at Phog++
11:00 p.m.
Phog Lounge, 157 University Ave. W.
Saturday, February 6
● School of Music Faculty Concert‡
7:30 p.m.
Windsor Armouries
Music by composers Robert Lemay, Brent Lee, Jordan Nobles, Robert Rival and Sundar Subramanian performed by faculty musicians and guests.
● Make Me Young! at Phog++
11:00 p.m.
Phog Lounge, 157 University Ave. W.


According to those on the inside of this festival, the show on Thursday at the Armories is going to be unreal. Virgil Moorefield is doing Five Ideas About the Relation of Sight and Sound. This guy has worked with Bill Laswell, Elliot Sharp, Damage, and the Swans.

And the show on Friday with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, video artists will be mixing live while the orchestra plays. According to Shelley Sharpe, "At least one of the pieces has the orchestra split into sections that will be placed in different areas around the Armouries."

Can you imagine a symphony playing AROUND you while video art is being displayed?
INSANE.
Take another look at this schedule, and try to make it to some of these events.
All events are marked as to whether they are free, or if a cover charge is applicable.