City Centre is about to put on their latest art show at the Paramount Theatre - this on at the end of November (Nov 28 at 7 PM). They are still looking for artists as well.

Find out more information on the show, EMBER, at http://www.citycentrechurch.com/ember-art-show

One of our Facebook Group members, poet and musician C. Joseph Gurba, sent me this event listing, and it sounds like something worth catching for sure.

From Joseph’s mouth to your ears…

belle etoile events

i will be putting on shows that are partly music performance and partly poetry readings. this is the first. there will be more events to follow but please take a look at this one and see if you can come enjoy some fine music and some fine poetry. if it turns out to be a fine format for music and poetry to coexist i will begin doing these shows monthly.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=31062921333

c.joseph gurba,
belle etoile events

Date: Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Time: 7:30pm - 11:00pm
Location: The Hydeaway
Street: 10209 100 avenue
City/Town: Edmonton, AB

Mat Halton has become a friend of mine, living and volunteering right in the heart of the Alberta Avenue Arts Awakening (how is that for alliteration, hey?)

Mat’s band, Pre/Post, performed on The Carrot stage at the Kaleido Festival a couple weekends ago and I really enjoyed the set. I was happy to read this morning that I’ll soon be hearing more of Pre/Post.

They have a (mini) website up now, where you can hear some samples. Beyond that, just keep your ear to the ground.

http://www.redknotrecords.com/prepost/

Since moving my sound equipment downstairs into a more permanent area, I’ve (surprise) been using it more!

That includes Logic and especially my midi keyboard. I’ve been hammering out some song sketches and debating over which to share here.

Well, here is one with no lyrics yet, but a lyric line in my head which you’ll have to just guess at for now. What I’ve got here for you is just the start of the basic track for this song - I still need to finish writing it.

But, it is something I did this weekend, and it’s creative - so here it is!

when-you-are-up-sketch

PS >> Last weekend I found myself in Barrhead and rural Alberta shooting photos and video all day. While I had a very “Creative Weekend” I didn’t have time to update the site. Oh well, I won’t punish myself if you won’t.

This weekend, in addition to hammering out “When You Are Up”, I took in the pinhole photography workshop at The Carrot. I’ll post my results when I get them back, but for now, let’s just say I had a VERY good time and learned a LOT about how photography works. Just an empty Turtles tin, some electrical tape and a piece of photographic paper my friends - that was my camera. I can’t wait to get the images back.

Enjoy the tune - and let me know what you think. Perhaps I shouldn’t take the time to develop it further? Perhaps I should take a week off and make it my magnum opus?

Well, David Byrne and Brian Eno have teamed up again, after 30 years, to bring us a new collaborative album.

It is available on their website. You can hear the whole thing streamed below - and on their site.

It will be shipping at the end of November, but the digital versions are yours today, exclusively from their site, with no DRM. The album (unlike Radiohead’s experiment) is NOT free. But who ever said it had to be?

Anyways, enjoy the stream, and let me know what you think. I’ve just started streaming it this morning so the jury is still out for me.

By the way, here is an interesting musing about the record from Brian Eno, who refers to it as “electronic gospel”.

“Surrender to His Will,” by Reverend Maceo Woods and The Christian Tabernacle Choir, was the first gospel song I ever really responded to. I heard it on a distant South American radio station whilst in Compass Point, Nassau, working with Talking Heads on the album More Songs about Buildings and Food. Spending time with them, and becoming aware of their musical interests, opened my ears to genres and styles I hadn’t really noticed up to that point, including gospel. So, it’s fitting that the circle should close with this record.

As a foreigner in New York — where I ended up shortly after recording More Songs — I was surprised by how little attention Americans gave to their own great indigenous music. It was even slightly uncool, as though the endorsement of gospel necessarily implied support of its associated religious framework. Thanks to Reverend Woods however, I began to see gospel music as conveying the act of surrender more than the act of worship; and this, of course, intrigued me, and has informed my music ever since.

Brian Eno, from http://www.davidbyrne.com/music/cds/everything_that_happens/index.php

Well, here is a quickie. I just read about this installation piece through “The Heller” blog. David Byrne has wired an old building up to an old organ, and now visitors can literally “play the building”. It would be so cool to sit at that keyboard and hear what immersive sounds come forth from the ceilings, walls, floors, pipes, etc.

Take 3 minutes and watch the video …

My good friend Roland Majeau has released 2 songs for free recently, through his website, www.rolandmajeau.com.

One celebrates Canada, the other celebrates … large vehicles!

Roland always has a way of tapping into what is going on in culture and speaking to that through song (in a way that is uniquely him). Now, you may not agree with large vehicles being OK, but I think I get the heart of what Roland is trying to say, and it does seem the pendulum has swung far, far away from these sometimes necessary and useful (in the right hands vehicles. The “Ford” song was actually used in a television ad campaign a number of years ago, so you may recognize it.

If you like country/folk a-la James Taylor, I think you will like Roland Majeau.

You can view his site and download the songs at www.rolandmajeau.com.

Free Song - Come Jesus Come (Electric Heaven)

Well, for this weekend’s creative offering, I decided to do a bit of work in Logic on one of my songs.

When I first wrote “Come, Jesus Come”, I envisioned it in two versions. The version I have released already on Bridge Songs: Collective is an accoustic version. The one I worked on today is the opposite. It is an electric version of the song.

I basically took the vocals from the original recording and re did most of the other instrumentation (except the Glockenspiel - you can’t mess with that).

What I came up with in an hour and a bit is not the finished product, but I think it’s good enough to share here (and I can’t give it any more time today!).

So, enjoy this free track!

Free Song - Come Jesus Come (Electric Heaven)

(song © Dave Von Bieker, 2008)

PS >> Anyone else into posting a creation to share?

Catch indie-electronic artists Allosaurus, with opener Dave Von Bieker, at the Velvet Underground.

For any of you fine folk who like folk music, or music festivals in general, PaperCastle will be vending at the North Country Fair June 20 - 22 up near the massive metropolis of Driftpile Alberta… see http://www.lslncca.ca/current for more info.

Apparenlty, come prepared for rain …

“”Once a year God gets all the hippies together in a field and washes them”- Site Manager Ray Willier discussing rain at NCF.

There is a local art explosion brewing, and it is set to blow on June 21st.

Bridge Songs: Collective brings together the artistic talents over over a dozen artists, from singer-songwriters to photographers to painters, poets and more.

The group of artists has emerged from Urban Bridge Church, and once a year they hold this event as a CD release party (for the album of the same name), a way to share art in community and a fundraiser for those affected by HIV/AIDS in Edmonton.

May “Body Creatives” will be showing and playing, including Aaron Vanimere, Cora McLachlan, Dave Von Bieker, TJ McLachlan, Cheryl Muth and many, many more.

Always a night to remember, be sure to book June 21st for this community art experience. And bring a friend or two.

More info available at http://www.bridgesongs.ca.

Event: Rik Leaf and Marie-Josee
“Entertaining Ideas and Show”
What: Concert
Host: Axis Cafe
When: Friday, May 30 at 5:00pm
Where: AXIS Cafe - 10349 Jasper Ave

From the facebook event page …

From 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Axis Café is hosting an interactive forum where Rik will be sharing creative ideas and practical alternatives available to artists and community leaders working for social change. Leaf is a captivating storyteller who encourages people to recognize how their unique gifts and abilities provide unique opportunities to become active participants in improving their lives and those around them.

At 8:00 p.m. Rik Leaf & Marie-Josée Dandeneau will be performing in the Metro Room. The duo’s folk-funk-latin hybrid features Rik on acoustic/electric guitar, piano and indigenous flutes played over a stomp box. Marie-Josée Dandeneau, a Métis multi instrumentalist adds upright and fretless bass, percussion, piano and mandolin.

The Entertaining Ideas discussion begins at 5:00 p.m. with the concert to follow at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $10.00 and available at the door (space is limited). Reservations are recommended. 780.990.0031

Pre/Post is a great new act blending rock, hip hop and soul styles into a unique sound, polished off by Mat Halton’s great vocals. There are two chances to catch them live this weekend.

1) May 15 - Fundraiser for the Heart of the City Festival. A great, free festival in McCauley.

The fundraiser will be held at The ARTery (9635 Jasper) with Martin Kerr & The Revtones. Tix $12 advance, $15 at the door. Tix available at Blackbyrd Myoozik and Earths General store.

2) May 16 - The Carrot - Amazing Not-For-Profit, volunteer run Arts Coffeehouse. With ‘this girl, that boy’. $5 door, ALL AGES.

For more info on the band, and demos, check out www.myspace.com/mathaltonprepost.

Local folk musician (and “Networker”) Cora McLachlan has been adding to her repetoire, both in songs and in band members. She’s also been busy recording a CD that just might be available by this show.

Catch Cora at one of my favorite coffee spots in Edmonton, Cafe LEVA.

Address: 11053 86 Avenue NW