Author Archives: kelownalivemusic

7 Blocks of Busking – Saturday July 5th


Kelowna Cultural District,
Kelowna, BC

Admission – FREE

The Campus-Community Radio Okanagan Society (CIRO) will be hosting ‘7 Blocks of Busking’ Saturday July 5th, 2008 in the Kelowna Cultural District from 10:30 am to 8:00 pm. This free ‘open mike’ styled event will feature over 20 local musical artists and performers.

In support of the festival CIRO will be hosting a 3 day community radio station starting Friday July 4 to Sunday July 6. The station will be broadcasting at 94.5 FM with the studio located on the second floor of the Rotary Centre for the Arts in downtown Kelowna. Musicians can drop by the station or contact CIRO to drop off CDs for play on air. Local business owners, not for profit groups or interested DJs are encouraged to contact CIRO to see how they can be a part of the broadcast.

To sign up as an artist, ask questions or volunteer e-mail ciroradio@shaw.ca. Info has been posted on the CIRO Facebook and Myspace pages.

This festival was made possible through support of the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, the City of Kelowna Cultural Services Office and the Rotary Centre for the Arts. Insurance for the event has been donated by Capri Insurance.

ARTIST INFORMATION

The event will start at 10:30 am outside the Rotary Centre of the Arts (RCA) at 421 Cawston Ave in Downtown Kelowna. A community radio station will be set up in the RCA from July 4-6 at 94.5 FM promoting the event and playing music from local musicians and artists. Contact ciroradio@shaw.ca for questions or to sign up.

The event will take place in the open common areas outside the Rotary Centre for the Arts, Kelowna Community Theatre, the Rotary Art Walk and Kelowna Library. A registration/info desk will be set up. We will supply water and other drinks for performers. Performers can busk all around the Cultural Arts District under the festival for this day. This will be a free festival (no tickets).

This festival is in support of creating a college/community radio station in Kelowna. A 3 day tester station will be set up from July 4-6 at 94.5 FM at the RCA. Drop by any of those days to get us your demos, albums or stop by for a chat.

We will be offering prizes for performers that donate to creating a college/community radio station. People can also donate and say which performer they are supporting. The grand prize is a free studio recording session with local sound engineer Kaylub Burke (approximate value $500 value). Other businesses have also donated a number of gift certificates. All donations over $35 will receive a charitable donation receipt. All performers will receive a ‘CIRO Friends’ card which will allow for discounts at select local merchants and venues.

Kaylub will also be setting up a ‘studio-by-donation’ in the RCA. For a donation, artists will be able to record live demos. The artists will get CD copies and their demo can be played immediately on the radio station. We will also be recording performers and hosting audio mp3s at www.ciro.ca. This will be a super cheap way to record a demo, promote your art plus you get a charitable donation receipt for tax purposes.

10:30 am – 11:00 am – Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony will be performed by a local elder from the West Bank Nation.

11:00 am – 8:00 pm – RCA Lawn (Main Stage)

The lawn between the Art Gallery and the RCA will feature the only powered area for the event. Sound equipment will be set up. We are trying to schedule this area before the event starts so if you have any preference on time we can try and make it work. Openings will be available through out the day for ‘open mike’ performances for those that miss their time, show up on the day or can’t commit.

Drumming and Dance Area (Kelowna Community Theatre)

Through out the day there will be a drumming and dance area set up on the lawn between the Kelowna Community Theatre and the Court House.

Open Busking Area (Rotary Arts Walk and other open areas)

Between the RCA and the Library and any other open area performers will be allowed to busk. We may set up secondary ‘non powered’ performance areas as we develop.

Media Contacts:

Cameron Baughen (sounds like Vaughen)
Phone: (250) 486-6557 E-mail: cabaughe@hotmail.com

July 01 @ Minstrel’s Café – Ann Vriend

Independent Recording Artist From Edmonton
Ann Vriend – “When We Were Spies” CD Release Show

July 01 @ Minstrel’s Café w/ T. Nile

MP3 For “(If We Are Not) Spies” + One Sheet/Photos/Album Cover @ http://www.killbeatmusic.com/annvriend.html

Listen @ http://www.myspace.com/annvriend

Watch The Video For “(If We Are Not) Spies” @ http://workingtitleartists.com/clients/AV/Spies.html

“A class act all the way that invites repeat listens. Recommended” Scene (London)

“Ann Vriend’s sultry pop vocals are wonderful. In the world of build-up songs – the ones that start low then rise to fill the room – her voice and songwriting are fun and difficult. Pure entertainment. Excellent music. Great stuff. Scene and Heard (Toronto)

“Ann Vriend drives me nuts; how can music be this good and she’s not plastered on billboards from L.A. to N.Y.? It can be a little unnerving to receive a second album of an artist you really enjoy, because there is always the idea that the first album was a fantastic fluke, but Vriend manages to show that talent has a great deal of constancy to it. …do your best to support a new and inspiring talent, so that when she does become hugely famous you can say “Ann Vriend, oh yeah, I’ve known about her for years.” AnE Vibe

While listening to the album’s opening track, “(If We Are Not) Spies”, it should become quite apparent to listeners that Vriend has the doubtless potential to become a radio darling. She possesses the swagger and stylistic flair of a star in the making, with “(If We Are Not) Spies” being the most immediate proof of it.” When We Were Spies” is Vriend’s most consistent release yet, with both her fantastic songwriting and vocal ability resulting in her best overall effort to date. If this album does not gain her some serious recognition outside of Canada, I would be absolutely shocked. Obscure Sound

On this, her 3rd album, Ann Vriend is a former spy. She had worked incognito for an undisclosed western European agency, posing as a freelance journalist, when she met someone who was also spy — but for the other side. Against all odds, they fell in love — thus entering an increasingly complicated game of torn loyalties, clandestine passion, and treacherous lies. “When We Were Spies” is the harrowing, passionate tale of these experiences; and the cinematic baroque pop album by Ann Vriend.

Firmly rooted in pop music, Ann Vriend exudes originality and flare, comparable to the likes of Kate Bush, Regina Spektor, and Sarah Slean. Her double-entendre lyrics have had critics liken her to Leonard Cohen and Paul Simon. Her voice is as much Dolly Parton’s as it is like Eva Cassidy’s, making her albums and acclaimed international performances a stunning vocal experience. Ann’s songs are literary, poetic and intelligent; in short, epic, and encompass the feelings of anyone who longs for freedom, love, and meaning.

Ann has sold over 8,000 albums which are distributed in Germany, Australia, and Canada. She tours internationally on a regular basis, including the festival circuit: Port Fairy Folk Festival (AU), International Leonard Cohen Festival (Berlin), Edmonton and Calgary Folk Festivals, among others. She has recorded at Sony Studios and the Hit Factory (NYC), and been featured on national television shows such as, “Mornings With Keri-Anne” (Australia), “Arte” (Germany/France) and “Good Morning Canada”, and radio programs such as “Lionel’s Vinyls” (CBC) and Derek Guile (ABC, Australia). She is endorsed by Yamaha Canada (pianos) and has had full page coverage in national magazines such as Elle and A N E. She won 1st prize in the Sidetrack Cafe / Beta Sound song writing contest, which helped finance her first album and took her to Nashville. In 2006 she was commissioned to write a song for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, AU, and has had a song placed in a DVD release of the hit TV series “Party of Five”.

www.annvriend.com
www.killbeatmusic.com

Busy week of live music around Kelowna

On Tuesday at the East Kelowna Hall we have the Constantines with Kelowna’s Ladyhawk (back from their performance at the Virgin Music Festival). If you want to head out on the town for a third night of live music on Wednesday the Habitat will be rocking with Mother Mother!


Then on Friday June 27th at Doc’s we have the return of Vancouver’s Said the Whale to Kelowna. They opened for Hey Ocean last year at Doc’s and they’ve been gaining a following around town.