Thank-you!

Hello everyone!

Thanks to everyone who pledged on Monday’s funding drive edition of Shindig!. Like other CJSW shows, we had such an incredible two hours. It was so moving to see the outpouring of support from our beloved Calgary community and beyond. (Hello, New York!) I hope to record a few minutes of video footage before the CJSW Funding Drive 2011 is over so you can get an inside look at what’s been hailed as campus/community radio’s leading drive. Your pledges have inspired us (who are also pledging across our friends’ radio shows!) to bring to the table a bigger and better year of radio. It’s never been a better time to be at CJSW or living in Calgary. We have a lot to celebrate!

Huge thanks go out to Forbidden Dimension for being the house band for the funding drive edition of Shindig!. They’ll be rocking the roof off of Dickens on Halloween night. The new album looks beautiful (the rock’n’roll artwork of Tom Bagley can’t be beat!) and The Golden Age of Lasers is the best Forbidden Dimension album yet – ask for it on our request line 403-220-3991!

Again, friends, heartfelt thanks to you – whether you’ve pledged on Shindig! or any other CJSW show. Thanks to the Friends of CJSW businesses for being such vocal supporters. Thanks to anyone who has turned their pals onto CJSW. We are utterly humbled by your generosity and kindness. It’s going to be a sensational year!

Gratefully yours,

Aubrey & the gang

Shindig! Guests - Monday, September 26/11

The Calgary Arts Development Authority (CADA) is Canada’s first municipally-owned arts development authority. This afternoon on Shindig!, you’ll have an opportunity to meet President and CEO Terry Rock. Dr. Rock is coming in to talk about CADA’s newest event – the city’s first annual Arts Champion Congress. Set to happen on Thursday, September 29^th, the Congress will be an opportunity for artists, managers, board members, volunteers, corporate and government supporters, and policy makers to discuss Calgary’s thriving art scene.

Thursday’s sessions will include an ArtsVote panel and interactive discussions on Multi-tenant Spaces as a Tool for Collaboration, Arts Marketing Shared Initiatives, Calgary 2012, and Elevator Pitches (Your Best 25 Seconds on Why You Are an Arts Champion with CJSW's Ramin Eshraghi-Yasdi). The Congress is a full-day event taking place in arts spaces like the Jack Singer, Martha Cohen Theatre lobby, Theatre Junction Grand Studio, #1 Legion and the CADA office. Registration is free and all champions of Calgary arts are invited to attend. Tune in to hear all the details as well as exciting developments for the arts scene in Calgary for 2012.

Also on today’s Shindig!, a reminder to cast your vote for the annual ECHO Songwriting Prize, which recognizes the best in Canadian independent music. There are five artists up for the $5,000 award, including the Arcade Fire. What do you think, Calgary? Should Win Butler take home another prize after last week’s $30,000 Polaris Prize win or is it time to share the love with other Canadian talent like Austra, PS I Love You, Handsome Furs or Katie Moore? You and your friends can vote until Friday. The winner will be announced on October 11^th.

Lastly, if you won tickets to the Calgary International Film Festival on last week's Shindig!, please get in touch with me using the e-mail widget on this page as soon as possible. Thank-you!

Shindig! Guests - Monday, September 19/11

It’s the best time of year for movie lovers in Calgary – popcorn for dinner for a whole week, scuttling between theatres, running into old friends in lineups, and getting a sneak peek of cinematic treasures before they open to the rest of the world. The Calgary International Film Festival kicks off on Friday, September 23rd and there are tons of incredible films to catch. Tune into Shindig! today to hear programmer Brenda Lieberman talk about CIFF’s incredible slate of films, including A Legend of Whitey by Dave Lawrence. Dave Lawrence is an actor, writer, producer and director who cut his teeth at Calgary’s Loose Moose Theatre before going on to star as Terry in the cult classic FUBAR, its sequel and other films. During this year’s CIFF, Lawrence will make his directorial debut with the film, A Legend of Whitey, starring FUBAR alumni Paul Spence and Andy Sparacino. Check out the trailer below and get ready for a fun-packed Shindig! with special guests Brenda & Dave, special giveaways and all the new music your ears can handle.

Shindig! Guests - Monday, September 12, 2011

Celebrated as one of the University of Calgary’s Best Teachers, Dr. Philip Langill (Physics & Astronomy) shares his galactic wealth of knowledge with more than Calgary’s university students. During monthly open house nights at the UofC’s Rothney Astrophysical Observatory (the faculty’s outpost in scenic Priddis), Dr. Langill and other astronomers treat nighttime revelers to a mesmerizing night of stargazing. After taking in a presentation and exploring the interpretive centre, guests have the opportunity to gaze through one of the three largest telescopes in Canada. Notably, the RAO is the site of the Baker-Nunn Telescope – the only telescope in Canada dedicated to looking for potential “killer” asteroids. Find out why the RAO open house nights are becoming increasingly popular with Calgarians when Dr. Langill visits Shindig!. http://www.ucalgary.ca/rao/

As the fireball frontman for Brooklyn’s incendiary art-punk quartet, Les Savy Fav, Tim Harrington knows a thing or two about being an unforgettable showman and musician. Fittingly, Vice Media and Marshall Headphones recruited Harrington and the equally fantastic Jesse “Boots Electric” Hughes to co-host a revealing 12-part documentary series, On the Road. Ever wanted to be a fly on the tour bus of your favourite touring band? Instead of reading about it in a crusty autobiography in 20 years, here’s your chance to see it now, Calgary. On Monday’s Shindig!, we’re going to find out more about On the Road and Les Savy Fav’s curation of All Tomorrow’s Parties: Nightmare Before Christmas. Also! Now Harrington can add another hat to his vast collection – a magician’s hat. Thanks to his request, Hot Snakes, will be reuniting for the festival. We’re going to hear from Harrington how he did it and when we can expect the next delicious LP from Les Savy Fav.

Lastly, tune in to hear the radio debut of the Gutterball 12”LP by the sensational artist Chris Millar with vocals by the winsome Samantha Savage Smith. His intensely imaginative and incredibly fun exhibit, Looking Up at Icicles, debuted at Trépanier Baer last Thursday to a full house. His work will be available to view at the gallery until October 1^st. Millar’s limited edition LP is available for listening inside the gallery… and on CJSW 90.9 FM. http://www.trepanierbaer.com

The Primrods play the gig of the year

THE PRIMRODS, Royal Canadian Legion No. 1 (Calgary, AB, Saturday May 14/11)

On Saturday night, one of Canada's most intelligent bands took the stage in a top-secret gig after more than ten years of breaking up. After four short practices, The Primrods threw down a mind-blowing and incendiary show to a full house at the gorgeous Royal Canadian Legion No. 1 in downtown Calgary.

In typical fashion for western Canada's most mysterious band, the show was a closely guarded secret. The gig was a surprise 40th birthday present to the lovely Jenny Falconer (owner of Purr) from her husband Ben Falconer (bassist of The Primrods, owner of Melodiya Records and Phoenix Comics). The show was Calgary's best kept secret for over a month until an online leak inevitably occurred two weeks prior to the gig. Incredibly, the leak did not reach the delighted birthday girl, but managed to connect with all the music obsessives in Calgary and across the country.

Doors were opened at 9pm and, over the course of the night, excited new faces and tons of music scene mainstays trickled through the door. Much like a reunion, there were plenty of hugs, laughter, drinks, homemade birthday treats, and catching up until 11pm when the band took the stage.

Jaws dropped to see an unexpected early incarnation of The Primrods appear on stage: Paul Coutts (vocals), Jon Sawyer (guitar, backup vocals), Ben Falconer (bass) and Mark Igglesden (drums). The last version of The Primrods included Garrett McClure (vocals, guitar) and Chris Faulkner (drums). Both versions were equally impressive, but it was a sweet nostalgic surprise to see Coutts back on a Calgary stage since relocating to Edmonton years ago.

All nostalgia disappeared when the band vigorously tore into their setlist and assailed the audience with blasts of smart, compelling and assertive songs that have seemingly taken a backseat to today's paler indie rock fare. The band performed the discography that they created together — songs from the Encourage Citizen Advocacy cassette (1994), the Canadian classic Kneecappin'! (1995) and others. While the crowd sang along and snapped photos until 1am, the gig was recorded in high definition glory. For those who missed the post-rock bash of the year, there may still be a way to experience or revisit the gig in the future.

The Primrods were art school heroes in the '90s. After an assortment of record label scouts flew to Calgary to see them perform, they were quickly signed to Geffen Records in the late '90s. After a merger between Universal and Polygram, The Primrods and many other bands were lost in the shuffle. Disheartened by the industry, The Primrods disbanded. Despite invitations and unabashed begging, the band did not perform together again until Saturday night. Fortunately, their music lives on and, fingers crossed, perhaps it won't be another ten years before we see them perform again.

To see video from the night, click here.

To purchase Primrods albums, head to Melodiya Records/Phoenix Comics 2523A 17th Avenue SW. Live out of town? Call Melodiya Records at 403-246-8916 or e-mail phoenixcomics@shaw.ca and put "Attn: Ben Falconer, Primrods" in the subject header.