It’s been over 6 years since my first blog post on March 13th, 2005 and this marks my 1,000th post! Looking back to 2005 there has been a number of live music venues around Kelowna that have come and gone, but it’s exciting to see so many venues (restaurants, pubs, halls) supporting local artists. When I update my live music calendar (most weeks) there will often be 10-15 shows around town to choose from on a given Friday/Saturday. Remember shows at The Warehouse back in 2005? Remember when Black Mountain played Duotone Festival after they wrapped up opening for Coldplay on their tour? The BreakOut West Festival in October 2010 was a big highlight for me in the 12 years I’ve lived in Kelowna, and it’s very exciting to see the impact that event had on revitalizing the live music community in Kelowna!
Heading into the fall, there’s bound to be lots of great local artists performing around Kelowna, and lots of touring artists passing through. The Rotary Centre for the Arts has their Fall Series starting soon, and there are some great artists playing the Habitat (with their larger capacity)!
Mark your calendars for Sept. 16th/17th when the Unknown Culprits bring their incredible rock show to O’Flannigans Pub.
Thanks for tuning in… and here’s some upcoming shows this weekend…
Vancouver’s NINJASPY, an eclectic trio of brothers that blend influences of metal, ska, grunge, hardcore, reggae, funk, surf and jazz are proud to announce dates for their upcoming “NO KATA TOUR”, which will see them venture across the Canadian provinces, kicking off the tour in Victoria, BC on August 19th and going east to return west on October 7th for a tour wrap up show in Vancouver, BC.
The band will be releasing their new “NO KATA” EP/ graphic novel in the coming fall, a follow up to their highly praised 2007 album “Pi Nature“, produced by Garth Richardson (Rage Against the Machine, RHCP, Mudvayne) and Ben Kaplan (Atreyu, Haste the Day, Shakira) that has sold over 2500 copies both independently and internationally.
After skipping back and forth between Europe, central Canada and eastern Canada, Snailhouse is now bringing Sentimental Gentlemen to western Canada. The sixth album from Montreal based Snailhouse came out too terrific reviews in Canada on May 24 as a co-release between Forward Music and White Whale. Snailhouse are now ready to head west and are releasing the album’s latest single Every Day to celebrate as well as three new videos.
Every Day MP3 + Media Materials: www.killbeatmusic.com/snailhouse/snailhouse-sentimental_gentleman.mp3
“10 beautiful moments—deceptively simple, equal parts folk and pop with melodies that dance, bob and bow gracefully. Feuerstack’s lyrics, like his vocals, express warmth and tenderness without being banal, their universal quality enhanced by a cynical edge.“ Montreal Mirror
“a thoughtful and understatedly witty collection of songs” Chromewaves
“Sentimental Gentleman cherry picks everything that makes Snailhouse fantastic; quick wit, a traveler’s eye for human observation and efficient melodies that stick to your ribs” Herohill
“On his sixth album, the singer/songwriter and Wooden Sky guitarist continues to display his knack for making subtly complex, soft-hued indie rock with a steady hand. … finely crafted tunes, all delivered in Feuerstack’s down-to-earth alto.” Now Magazine
“songs that stem from the heart and soul, steeped in the everyday, a blue cheered pop-and-roll” Hour
“on his sixth time out, the former Wooden Star has crafted his most direct album to date, proving it’s possible to remain vital and wise in indie rock years into the game.” Chartattack Snailhouse Tour Dates:
September 29 – Calgary, AB: Marquee Room
September 30 – Jasper, AB: Legion
October 01 – Kelowna, BC: Streaming Café
October 02 – Vancouver, BC: Railway Club
October 05 – Duncan, BC: Duncan Garage Showroom
October 07 – Lethbridge, AB: The Owl
October 08 – Edmonton, AB: Haven Social Club
** More Dates To Be Announced Soon **
Last Saturday afternoon I took in the live music at Vibrant Vines Winery. Dave Myers and his sister, Rebecca, provide a great afternoon of acoustic tunes in the vinyard. The Vibrant Vines Winery has been doing this all summer, and you still have until October 15th to catch the entertainment there. You can catch Dave & Rebecca again on Saturday, October 1st. See you there! Checkout the lineup!
Produced by Colin Stewart (Black Mountain, Ladyhawk) the four song follow up to the Kelowna quartet’s Polaris and WCMA award nominated debut LP will be released by Nevado Records (Bahamas, Library Voices) on September 20 and the band is happy to offer up the stick in your head late summer hummer, Fire, for download now. Yukon Blonde will once again take to highways and interstates of North America for over 60 dates throughout the fall of 2011 where fans can purchase a vinyl copy in either fire orange or water blue.
The signature hook-heavy arrangements and lush “ooh-wah” harmonies that earned Yukon Blonde critical nods for their self-titled 2009 self-titled debut have certainly soaked into their latest output, but this EP also marks a transition, foreshadowing an evolving sound for the band as they explore new territory in their songwriting and continue to grow as musicians. Written partially while on the road, and partially while off the road at a cottage in the Comox Valley (BC), the band recorded a total of 15 songs over the course of the summer, and will soon be putting the finishing touches on the remaining 11 tracks that will make their way on to their sophomore long player in early 2012.
Yukon Blonde’s career has so far been marked by their on-the-road ethic. The last year and a half has been seen the young B.C. band rack up nonstop tour mileage both in North America, and Europe, including festivals such as SXSW, CMJ Fest, Milwaukee Summerfest, NXNE, CMW, Rifflandia Festival, Hillside Festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, Dawson City Music Festival, Wapiti Bernie Music Festival, Mariposa Folk Festival, and Popkomm Festival in Berlin along the way. They now return to the road this fall with 61 shows in North America between September 28 and December 23.
Come along for the ride.
Yukon Blonde Fire//Water Tour Dates
28 Sept – Nelson, BC @ Hume Hotel
29 Sept – Calgary, AB @ Gateway @ SAIT
30 Sept – Lethbridge, AB @ The Slice
01 Oct – Saskatoon, SK @ Amigo’s
02 Oct – Winnipeg, MB @ WECC
03 Oct – Minneapolis, MN @ Nomad Pub *
04 Oct – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen *
06 Oct – Sarnia, ON @ Paddy Flaherty’s
07 Oct – London, ON @ Fanshawe College
08 Oct –Windsor, ON @ Capital Theatre
10 Oct – Hamilton, ON @ Casbah
11 Oct – St Catharines, ON @ Mansion House
13 Oct – Guelph, ON @ eBar
14 Oct – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
15 Oct – Kingston, ON @ Grad Club
19 Oct – Corner Brook, NL @ Bar Room
21 Oct – St. John’s, NL @ The Ship
25 Oct – Sackville, NB @ George’s Roadhouse
26 Oct – Halifax, NS @ Seahorse Tavern
27 Oct –Charlottetown, PE @ Hunters Ale House
28-Oct – Fredericton, NB @ The Capitol
29 Oct – Quebec City, QC @ Le Scanner
31 Oct – Brooklyn, NY @ Rock Shop *
01 Nov – Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo
02 Nov – Ottawa, ON @ Ritual
03 Nov – Sudbury, ON @ Townehouse Tavern
04 Nov – Sault Ste. Marie, ON @ Lop Lops
05 Nov – Thunder Bay, ON @ Crocks
07 Nov – Edmonton, AB @ Starlite
10 Nov – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore
11 Nov – Victoria, BC @ Sugar
15 Nov -Atlanta, GA @ The Earl *
16 Nov – Nashvile, TN @ 3rd & Lindly *
17 Nov -St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway *
18 Nov – Louisville, KY @ Zanza Bar *
19 Nov – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Café *
21 Nov – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café *
22 Nov -Cleveland, OH @ Beachland *
23 Nov – East Lansing, MI @ Mac’s Bar *
25 Nov – Chicago, IL @ Panchos *
26 Nov -Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club *
28 Nov -Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Ave Entry *
30 Nov – Rockisland, IL @ Huckleberry Pizza *
01 Dec – Ames, IA @ The Maintenance Shop *
02 Dec – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Jr *
03 Dec – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room *
04 Dec – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom – 2nd Stage *
06 Dec – Little Rock, AR @ Juanita’s Cantina *
07 Dec – Dallas, TX @ Double Wide *
08 Dec – Houston, TX @ Fitz Downstairs *
09 Dec – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Inside *
11 Dec – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge *
13 Dec – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
14 Dec -Boise, ID @ Neurolox *
16 Dec – Spokane, WA @ A Club *
17 Dec – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile *
18 Dec – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir *
21 Dec – San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar *
22 Dec – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar *
23 Dec – Los Angeles, CA @ Echo *
Before she heads of to Pop Montreal and the Halifax Pop Explosion, Streaming Cafe in conjunction with the Kelowna Fusion Festival is proud to present Charlotte Cornfield Saturday, August 13th.
Somewhere between the plains of North Dakota and the rocky coast of Vancouver Island, Charlotte Cornfield is counting Joni Mitchell’s “white lines on the freeway” and watching the sun come up from the window of a greyhound bus. Just another night Cornfield will spend on the road on an epic 45-date tour of Canada and the US. She’s crossing the landscape with nothing but a guitar and a backpack, bringing her poetic folk rock tunes to the small clubs, cafes and taverns of America. Barely legal, 20-year old Cornfield doesn’t know what she’s gotten herself in to.
She has shared stages with the likes of The Sadies, Amy Millan, Dead Prez, Phosphorescent, Pierre de Reeder (of Rilo Kiley), Great Lake Swimmers, and Leif Vollebekk.
The Jessica Stuart Few heads west after headlining at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival and the North By North East (NXNE) Music Conference last month in Toronto. They will be playing in Kelowna on August 11th at The Yellowhouse.
“…Jessica Stuart melds the best of both folk and jazz…, packing the songs full of musical ideas that veer in unexpected directions.” – Spinner Canada/AOL
“A gorgeously light voice… and heavy musicianship chops to match… … Jessica Stuart and her band display incredible technical abilities on Kid Dream, which features complex arrangements and a diverse range of sounds…” –Eye Weekly, Toronto, ON
The Jessica Stuart Few Set to Tour Home Province of BC This August
Bravo! TV adds video for The Jessica Stuart Few “Kid Dream”
TORONTO, ON – The Jessica Stuart Few is returning to tour their home province of British Columbia this summer on a tour that will showcase brand new, never-before-performed material for friends, family and fans at home, before its studio release scheduled for Spring 2012.
The BC-born, jazz-influenced art-pop band will hit the road on a high note, after having the privilege of being the only group to headline both the TD Toronto Jazz Festival and the North By North East (NXNE) Music Conference last month in Toronto. Josh Cole (double bass), Dana Tower (drums) and Stuart are excited to hit the road on their fourth tour this year, where audiences will experience their unique sound and aesthetic, featuring Jessica on the exotic Japanese harp-like “koto”.
This year’s tours have taken the band from sea-to-shining-sea, British Columbia to Prince Edward Island and everywhere in between, and were made possible in part by grants awarded by the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.
*BC’s Best In Summer Tour w/The Jessica Stuart Few*
Aug 4 – White Rock, BC – Beecher Street Café, 7pm
Aug 5 – Vancouver, BC – Goldie’s Pizza, 9:30pm
Aug 6 – Pender Island, BC – Poets Cove Resort, Syrens Lounge, 8pm
Aug 7 – Courtenay, BC – Chill & Grill Festival, Simms Memorial Park, 6pm
Aug 8 – Nanaimo, BC – Jazz Downstairs @The Acme, Acme Food Co., 7:30pm
Aug 10 – Kamloops, BC – Music In The Park, Riverside Park, 7pm Aug 11 – Kelowna, BC – The Yellowhouse, 7pm
Aug 12 – Salt Spring Island, BC – Moby’s Marine Pub, 8pm
Aug 13 – Victoria, BC – Fort Street Café w/Anne Schaefer, 8pm
Aug 14 – Vancouver, BC – The Libra Room, 9pm
The Jessica Stuart Few launched their most ambitious creative project to date online this spring – the music video for the title track of the band’s widely acclaimed album Kid Dream. Picked up by Bravo! TV last month, this whimsical and engaging animated video is based on a highly collaborative technique called Lunamation, which is a form of rotoscope animation using carbon tracings of video stills.
Under the guidance of Jessica and director Evan deRushie who pioneered the technique, over 80 animators participated in a number of “animation parties” at over 2,7000 individual drawings used in the video were created. Many of the animators were children and guitar students of Jessica’s.
About The Jessica Stuart Few & Kid Dream:
The Jessica Stuart Few consists of Jessica (vocals, guitar, koto), Josh Cole (double bass), and Dana Tower (drums). They bring their original sound to life through constantly pushing boundaries and creating material that reflects a modern, melodic, and unique blend of numerous musical genres while featuring the unusual Japanese harp-like koto in a contemporary folk-jazz context.
The group’s album Kid Dream, was co-produced by Mischa Chillak who is well known for his hip hop productions and remixes for Notes To Self (BBE Records), Sweatshop Union, K-OS, and a number of indie film scores. With Mischa’s urban influence and Jessica’s folk/jazz sensibility, they have created an epic pop experiment that brought the band to new heights. Stuart’s inspiration is in part a result of the cultural influences from her time spent abroad in Japan, Israel, and Australia. A uniquely gifted singer, songwriter, guitarist, and koto player, Stuart cites influences such as Stereolab, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, and Joni Mitchell. That pretty much covers the entire spectrum of music genres, which epitomizes Stuart’s vast range of talent.
behind the Delta Grand Okanagan, on the shore of Okanagan Lake
Okanagan Strata Management presents…
6:00 Matt Stanley and the Decoys (4 piece; Alternative/hard rock) – 2010 “K-Comp Finalist”
7:00 Speed Control (4 piece; Alternative rock)
8:00 Trinity’s Tattoo (4 piece; Alternative rock) – 2010 “K-Comp Finalist”
Kelowna Live Music Blog 
