Buddy Guy Live

The man is a legend, who pays respect to fellow legends when he plays live - you had to be there:

Pix link

A Little Light Reading Going Into The Weekend...

Seeing as how I didn't link here to my last column online in The Calgary Herald, I will do that now.

Here it is!

Enjoy!

Later....

JUNO Nominated Singer Songwriter chats about career

Roxanne Potvin

Had the pleasure of chatting over the phone recently with singer/songwriter Roxanne Potvin, who discussed her career, her musical inspirations, and the tour she is currently out on the road for right now. 

She is quite accomplished!

Read the feature from the online Calgary Herald link, and click on the link in there for the full audio interview!

Enjoy!

Later...

Holiday Weekend Roundup - Of Forgotten Linkages :-)

I have been remiss - and at shameless self promotion no less!!

I have failed to drop a few links from my past few published pieces, so here we go:

1) My latest REM (Real Estate Magazine) column:

Read here about my complete lack of a bright future as a real estate advice columnist!

2) Catch my review of Yukon indie roots artist Gordie Tentrees at Ironwood Stage & Grill, along with Oklahoma-based Jaxon Haldane, who is originally from my own hometown of Winnipeg!

3) Surf on over to danstyves.com for the collected preview, interviews and review links for Tom Wilson aka LeE HARVeY OsMOND (Junkhouse, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings), as well as Calgary roots and soul artist Brent Tyler!

4) I had the great pleasure of interviewing the 2014/2015 Arts Commons Blues Artist In Residence, Kat Danser - click here to read our interview! 

That should do it for now - you can always catch every one of my Calgary Herald online features from my direct link!

Later...

A Historic (and fitting) Finale To My Theatre Writing Days

Scene from "Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)" courtesy Workshop Theatre

You really can't make this stuff up. As I have mentioned before, I have been completing a few outstanding theatre company reviews before I shift my focus to music writing. It has been a difficult decision, but as a freelance part-timer, I was under about three feet of water, and there was no end in sight. Plus I was declining even more invites from larger and larger companies, as well as dropping the ball with ones I had committed to. That's no way to be a professional.

Well, the last theatre company that I had the opportunity to wrap things up for was Workshop Theatre, a company near and dear to my heart. Back when my theatre writings were only appearing in this very blog space, they were the second big outfit to bring me in, after many months of Stage West Theatre reviews.

My first review ran back on May 14th, 2010, for play called The Coarse Acting Show. Essentially a farce with less slamming doors and more falling moustaches, I was invited back on and off, before getting regular invites there as well as having the number of companies grow as the reviews moved into The Calgary Herald, online.

My last official theatre review then should have run yesterday, but didn't go live until this morning.

Had it run yesterday, it would have been EXACTLY five years to the day after the first one - go figure...

That means I've been blessed with an amazing five year run (even longer at Stage West, which I will continue for personal reasons), AND that you only have TWO more nights to catch:

Workshop Theatre presents - Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), which is a terrific time based on the award winning play written by female Canadian playwright Ann-Marie MacDonald, which isn't something I typically point out, but is very pertinent to this production.

I certainly hope to continue to support the amazing theatre companies here in Calgary, and truly wish them the best of luck as they continue to produce astounding work.

Later!!

Shifting My Focus (Not My Ford, Just To Be Clear)

Well, I've made a lot of vague statements here over the last little while, and discovered while out at an event this weekend that particularly secretive strategy might not be in my best interests, at least as far as clarity moving forward is concerned.

So, let's clear up a few things, shall we? Shall I?

Yes, I shall...

For all the years I've been doing this blog, I've used the scattergun approach - which has most often produced regular daily blogs, but a complete lack of consistency within those posts. 

One thing that started out as a lark ended up bearing fantastic fruit - my "Nobody Asked Me To, But Here I Go Anyway" entertainment reviews opened doors for a wealth of writing opportunities beyond my personal blogspace.

Long story short, I ended up writing a recurring review column for The Calgary Herald, primarily for Stage West Theatre Restaurant here in Calgary.

Over the years, that expanded to an online feature, and eventually my own Calgary Herald blog space. 

That led to an explosion I could not have foreseen in my wildest dreams - requests that grew exponentially from theatre groups, live music, comedy, opera, authors, and more.

In short, a recipe for disaster for a part-time endeavour. 

So, I started a few weeks ago with my vague ramblings here, but I should have just been upfront and clear, and I have been as of the past few weeks. I sent out a notice to the theatre companies that have been so supportive of my work, but as the music and comedy aligns more with my future plans, had to be discontinued.

I will continue to do the reviews and preview interviews for Stage West Calgary, as they opened the door in the first place, and often align with those new priorities. I certainly hope to continue to support those amazing community theatre companies as best as I can, and I wish them much continued success - they perform often at levels above and beyond expectations. 

So, in a nutshell, I am going to be focusing primarily on music, most specifically singer/songwriter folk, roots, blues and indie artists, but there may be a few exceptions - I will be reviewing Micah Barnes new jazz cd New York Stories for example. 

I've got some big ideas I've already pitched, more coming soon, and hope to update you on those as soon as I hear. 

I also hope to update danstyves.com much more regularly, as I revamp that site, my main website, and this blog space over the next little while.

There have been a few casualties - I gave up my daily posting on Twitter, and even daily posts here, despite feeling that I have needed to do that regardless of what I was posting at any given time. I'm actually getting more traffic and new followers than I had been before - go figure!

Thanks for your support if you've stuck with it, even after some drastic changes, and welcome aboard if you're a new follower - there's more change coming, but I hope it all makes for interesting and informative reading!

Later!

Neil Sedaka Pleases The Faithful, Grey Eagle Resort & Casino

Neil Sedaka

Grey Eagle Resort & Casino

May 8, 2015

Neil Sedaka fans apparently span multiple generations, as last night's appearance at Grey Eagle Resort & Casino seemed to prove. While there where many fans from his early days (early 1960's and on), we were sitting beside a much younger gentleman who knew each and every lyric of every song, and was not shy about singing along wholeheartedly. Good on him...

For the entire audience, Mr. Sedaka brought back floods of memories, and melodies that have not begun to waiver even a little as time has passed. Instantly recognizable piano hooks made song introductions completely unnecessary as he worked his way through hit after hit, sometimes standing and dancing at the front of the stage, but most times settled in at his grand piano.

The show opened with a video montage reminder of his influence since he began writing songs, after 11 years as a concert pianist. 

Artists as diverse as The Captain & Tennille, Johnny Mathis, Dame Shirley Bassey, Queen, Frankie Valli, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Carpenters, Tom Jones, Carole King, Neil Diamond, Connie Francis, Bobby Darin, ABBA - even Elvis Presley covered his songs over the years. But he sure can still do a great job himself playing them!

Given the wealth of selections to choose from (over 700 songs), I'd say he did a pretty good job of taking us all back through the years, to his earliest successes (Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Oh Carol) up through his re-invention in the early 1970's with fan and producer Elton John (Laughter In The Rain, The Hungry Years, That's When the Music Takes Me, Solitaire). He didn't perform his duet with Elton John (Bad Blood), but that was included in the earlier montage...

As a mobile DJ in several Western provinces for years, I played so many of those songs to death over the years at weddings and dances. I never did tire of that at the time. Once he made his comeback I played those albums and 45's just about as much. 

Last night, he played some new songs, and they're as good as anything he's done before.

Looks like I'll be visiting iTunes as soon as I finish this review...

Later!

  

My Calgary Herald Review: Stage West Calgary's Spamalot

They may have spelled my name wrong, but click here for my (online and already appeared in the physical paper) Spamalot review, for Stage West Calgary!

Enjoy...

Later...

My Conversation With The Creative Mind Behind LeE HARVeY OsMOND

Tom Wilson

Lee Harvey Osmond

"Beautiful Scars"

Still can't believe I was chatting over the phone with the creative mind (genius) behind Canadian music acts like Junkhouse, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, and LeE HARVeY OsMOND...

Tom Wilson shared over 20 minutes of thoughts on his career, the music industry and his place in it, as well as his addictively hypnotic new album "Beautiful Scars".

He agreed to the interview ahead of his appearance May 9th at Bragg Creek Performing Arts. 

In addition to Tom, I had the pleasure of meeting Calgary's Brent Tyler over the phone, as he will also be on that bill - as well promoting a brand new album, which I look forward to seeing performed live.

Check out my online Calgary Herald feature, which also links to both those audio interviews, and some videos from each artist.

Enjoy!

Later...

Tasman Jude keeps the reggae real, and current!

I had a terrific chat with the co-founder of Grand Prairie's Tasman Jude, a reggae band that tours relentlessly, and that has paid off in spades for them.

Read all about them here!

Enjoy!

Later...

Madcap Rush Of Interviews

Yikes!

That old gag about being busier than a one-legged man at a butt-kicking contest (apologies to one-legged men, but congrats if you have won your own butt-kicking contest) seems appropriate as I check off my to-do list before I head off on a solo trip to Winnipeg.

I'm conducting and/or editing FIVE interviews, attending a reading, and penning a review before I leave Sunday morning, and as well I'm waiting for my latest Stage West Calgary review to go live.

Looking at what I'm trying to do, and spending time every day since Monday writing notes to Calgary arts organizations I will no longer be able to cover as I set my laser beam on the future has been an exercise in franticness. 

On the plus side, I am improving my math and time management skills by 1000%...

Onward and upward, at least until I collapse!!

Later...

Chicken Scratch - The Final Post...

(posted by weekend/weekday/whenever guest blogger Charles D. Chicken...)

Well folks - that's a wrap.

As Banjo Boy prepares tah reinvent hisself online, this berd is set tah fly tha coop, an settle inta retirement. Ah'm just tryin' ta decide between LilyDale Farms Active Living Centres, or anuther place that sent brochures - Foster Farms Home For Robust Poultry. They both seem like very nice places...

BUK-AAAAWK!!!! 

Well, it's been a heckuva ride, I can say fur sure! 

Seein' as how I wuz often THA HIGHEST RANKED POSTS, I have no idea wut that hairless baboon is gonna do after ah'm gone, but that's hiz problem, not mine...

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Yup, ah'm gonna find me a sweet young chick, and mebbe travul a bit, see that wurld. 

Ah hear Bavaria is nice in Ocktober.....

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

If yews is kurious as tew wit ah been up tew over tha years, just type in "Chicken Scratch in that little box up on tha left.

Otherwise, here are a few highlights, in mah farewell video clip, which is apparently too long ta imbed in this here blog post, so ah had ta save it in the smallest format possable. Way ta save a few bucks, dude...

Watch it with yer magnifrieing glasses.... 

"Adios, Farewell, Bite Me..."

Cluck fer good, hoomans!!

Liffey Players Drama Society Presents: Gardner McKay's "Sea Marks"

Liffey Players Drama Society

presents 

Gardner McKay's "Sea Marks"

I had a chance to catch up by phone with director Bill Torrie, who is at the helm of this latest presentation from Liffey Players Drama Society.

Read the feature in The Calgary Herald, which has a link to the audio interview!

Enjoy...

Later!

The Early Bird (Blog) Review: Stage West Calgary's Production of "Monty Python's Spamalot"

Stage West Calgary presents:

"Monty Python's Spamalot"

The "Early Bird, Before My Official Calgary Herald Review Runs" Reflections On Stage West Calgary's "Spamalot"

(5 out of 5 stars, because it would just be over the top to give it 7...)

"Non-stop Killer Bunny"

"Such a hilarious show!"

"Laughed till I cried"

"Hilarious and great performances"

"Completely on point!"  

"When word gets out about @StageWestCgy's #Spamalot you'll need to buy your tickets from scalpers!"

Those are just a few of the Tweets after the media night showing of the latest production over at Stage West Calgary, "Monty Python's Spamalot". Having done official and unofficial reviews for this facility since about 2009, I can't ever recall a show generating so much enthusiasm after a performance. And this from primarily grizzled, jaded media people!!

Well, that last comment in quotation marks probably says it best, and not just because that was my own Tweet. This is about as perfect a performance you will see, with a cast that glimmers brighter than King Arthur's chainmail leggings. 

I understand that the director is typically tasked to cast, and in this case, J. Sean Elliott has outdone himself. This production is every bit as good (I think even better) as the version I caught in the Grail Theatre, which you can read about in the preview feature and interview that ran yesterday, with Elliott and choreographer Phil Nero. 

Nero as well has outdone himself with this effort, which speaks volumes given his past work at Stage West (Fiddler On The Roof, and the award-winning Chicago). Musical Director Konrad Pluta even gets some stage time here in this, when he isn't ensuring the exemplary sonic efforts of his house band.  

Katie Beetham, Kieran Martin Murphy
Photos courtesy Stage West Calgary, John Watson

I had better start leaving descriptions and kudos and keen reviewer-ly observations out so that I have something left for my official Calgary Herald review.

Let's just say that the cast is perhaps the best yet, which I know, I say for just about every show here, but this one really is! This time Stage West has set the bar so high that it's like Excalibur has been placed on a rooftop tower above the facility, if you can understand that what I wanted to do there was make a witty comparison between the legendary sword, and a raised bar. 

Perhaps I need to work a bit more on that for the next review...

As reluctant as I am to single out individual actors, the leads (Kieran Martin Murphy as King Arthur, and Katie Beetham as The Lady Of The Lake) are at the top of their games in this outing. But everyone else has brought their own best game as well.

I'll have a link here when the Herald review runs, but for now, it is YOU that had better run, gallop or  sprint over to Stage West Calgary, for this exceptional production of "Monty Python's Spamalot"!

Stage West Calgary Presents Monty Python's "Spamalot"

If you're in the Calgary area, you can look forward to..well, you can always look on the bright side of life, for one thing...

"Spamalot" is here until June, and I chatted with the director and choreographer ahead of Media Night.

Read the feature in my Calgary Herald space online, and there is a link therein to the YouTube channel podcast interview with those fine gentlemen... 

Phil Nero & J. Sean Elliott

Enjoy!

Later

Three Interviews Coming Up!

Busy for the next few days coordinating at least three interviews with either cast, creatives or musicians, plus I just had another request arrive that I'll be working on next week.

That means more theatre and show reviews, at least until my theatre portion winds down with the next few shows - I'm going to be focusing primarily on music, with a bit of an occasional diversion into comedy.

Still have to get the word out on that...

As the world turns....

Later!

Morpheus Theatre's Ruddigore

If you're in the Calgary area, you should definitely check out this show!

Click here for my review!

Later...

Vancouver's Spoon River discusses album, tour

Had a chance to talk by phone with Tavis Triance about his psychedelic rock band Spoon River, and their upcoming swing through Alberta.

Read that feature in my online spot in The Calgary Herald. There's a link to my audio podcast, and a direct embed of their trip music video.

Enjoy!

Later...

Gordie Tentrees, an interview and companion podcast

His new album is almost out in Canada, and will be worldwide in May.

I had a chance to chat with the very genial Gordie Tentrees about some of the surreal life circumstances that informed his latest release, which includes a reflection on the Boston Marathon bombing.

Click here to read that from my Calgary Herald spot online, there are links to his beautiful video for "Somebody's Child", as well as a link to our full podcast feature.

Enjoy!

Later...

GSN's Ben Gleib - Actor, Comic, Host, Writer

GSN

"Idiotest"

Host Ben Gleib

Great fun getting the responses I did for this email interview with comic Ben Gleib, a veteran of over 100 appearances on Chelsea Lately, as well as turns on The Late Late Show, Last Call With Carson Daly, plus numerous other TV and film roles.

In addition to stand-up appearances, Gleib is the host of "Idiotest", on GSN.

Click here to read the feature online in The Calgary Herald.

Enjoy!

Later...