March
2, 2006
Juno
who’s playin’ JunoFest acts
Musicians ready to shoot, score, meet their fans, and of course,
share their music during JunoFest
By ANDREA NEMETZ Entertainment Reporter, The Chronicle Herald
Lennie
Gallant, left, and JunoFest chairman Mike Campbell read the names
of JunoFest performers at a news conference in Halifax on Wednesday.(Peter
Parsons / Staff)
VETERAN
CANADIAN musicians Alan Doyle and Jim Cuddy will be suiting up
in hockey gear.
Rapper
Kardinal Offishall, Vancouver rockers Theory of A Deadman and
Kalan Porter and Theresa Sokyrka of Canadian Idol fame will be
signing autographs.
Garrett
Mason, Jimmy Rankin, Joel Plaskett, Matt Mays & El Torpedo
and the Trews will play a free concert in the Halifax’s
Grand Parade and Juno-nominated artists like Martha Wainwright,
Ron Sexsmith, Luke Doucet and Tanya Tagaq will take to the stage
alongside local favourites like Lennie Gallant, In-Flight Safety,
Jill Barber and Pilate.
They’re
all part of events that will build excitement in Halifax for an
incredible Juno weekend, said Stuart Jolliff, chair of Halifax
Play Hard, the local host committee for the Juno Awards which
are taking place in Halifax from March 30 to April 2.
The
Juno buzz continued to build on Wednesday with a news conference
at the Waterfront Warehouse to announce the participants in the
annual Juno Cup hockey game on Friday, March 31, the Juno Fan
Fare autograph session on Saturday, April 1, JunoFest 2006 which
will boast 120 performers at 15 venues Friday, March 31 and Saturday,
April 1, the Halifax on Parade concert on Thursday, March 30 and
the month-long Tunes At Noon program.
""We’re
ready to welcome the world," said Jolliffe.
Tunes
at Noon will see 13 Nova Scotia artists showcased on Fridays in
March and daily the week of the Junos, in seven libraries and
four shopping malls. The event begins this Friday with Jordan
Croucher at the Halifax North Memorial Public Library.
The
concert at the Grand Parade, which begins at 5:30 p.m. and runs
till 11 p.m. on March 30 is expected to attract 10,000 people
of all ages, he said, noting the artists presented included Juno-winning
bluesman Mason, Juno-nominated singer songwriter Rankin, Plaskett,
nominated for a 2006 Juno for songwriter of the year, Dartmouth’s
favourite son Mays and the pride of Antigonish and past Juno nominees
The Trews.
"It’s
the first time for a large outdoor concert at the Junos,"
said Melanie Berry, president of CARAS, Canadian Academy of Recording
Arts and Sciences. "Winnipeg had an event featuring local
talent, but this has evolved into a much larger event."
The
puck drops on March 31 at 7:30 p.m. at the Halifax Forum for the
annual celebrity hockey game in which musicians square off against
NHL greats. The proceeds from the non-contact game go to support
MusicCan, the music education program of CARAS.
Cuddy
of Blue Rodeo will captain The Rockers team which will also include
Doyle of Great Big Sea, Brent Fitz, Dave Brenner and Dean Back
of Theory of a Deadman, Jarrett Murphy of Matt Mays and El Torpedo
and Jeremy Taggart of Our Lady Peace.
The
NHL all-stars team, winners of the past two Juno Cups include
Brad Dalgarno, Kirk Muller, Mark Napier, Mike Pelyk, Paul Coffey
and Russ Courtnall.
Additional
players will be announced later.
Juno
nominees Porter, Sokyrka, Kardinal Offishall and Theory of A Deadman
will be among the artists signing autographs at the Juno Fan Fare
at Pavilion 21 at the Seawall from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday,
April 1. More artists will be announced weekly during March. The
event is free but tickets must be obtained through local contests.
And
JunoFest will be the biggest concentration of music ever in Halifax,
said JunoFest chairman Mike Campbell, his voice still rough from
many late nights in Charlottetown at the recent ECMAS.
"I
covered music here for the last 13 or 14 years and I can’t
think of any other festival that has had this much music,"
said the former MuchMusic correspondent. "The ECMAs does
lots of stuff, but the calibre of the entertainers, the number
of Juno nominees involved, there’s nothing that has ever
been here that’s comparable."
The
120 artists, who represent a variety of musical genres include
tons of ECMA winners and acts from Atlantic Canada, says Campbell.
"The
lineup has not yet been finalized, but about 30 to 40 per cent
will be Juno nominees from across Canada and the idea is to fill
the rest of the slots with local acts. Acts will be announced
as they are confirmed.
"Every
province and region in Atlantic Canada will be represented and
there are a lot of Newfoundland acts."
Each
of the 15 venues will have four acts a night from 10 p.m. till
2 a.m. both Friday and Saturday. Admission is $10, but Campbell
expects many fans will pick up wristbands which go on sale on
Saturday. The wristbands are $25 and allow admission to all venues
that are not at capacity.
"People
will bounce from venue to venue. They’ll say I want to see
so and so at 10 p.m. here, so and so at 11 p.m. somewhere else
and I can’t miss so and so at the Marquee. It’s like
any festival pass allowing you to go from venue to venue. But
there are only 3,000 wristbands and when they’re gone, they’re
gone."
Campbell
says there will be several pop stages, blues music, a jazz venue
and he hopes to put a world music night at one of the venues.
He is working with The Pavilion on an all-ages show and there
will also be two venues dedicated to singer-songwriters.
"Martha
Wainwright, Ron Hynes, Ron Sexsmith, Matthew Barber, Jill Barber
that’s not a lineup you’ll find in a room anywhere.
There will be very special pairings," Campbell said.
"And
the acts, agents are not doing this for the money but to support
CARAS and its various charities as well as trying to keep the
price down for everyone."
Campbell
said JunoFest, just by osmosis, will be good for the Halifax music
scene.
"When
I moved to Halifax, the word was Halifax was the new Seattle and
it didn’t quite stand up. Now we’ve moved into another
cycle with bands. From the rock side of the equation Halifax hasn’t
produced bands like Matt Mays, who is working in the U.S., Joel
Plaskett, who has a release coming out in Australia and the Trews
who have been signed worldwide. For the younger bands on the way
up it’s something to aspire to."
And
he said, for younger musicians, it will create a great confidence
boost to rub shoulders with some of the other artists.
John
Mullane of In-Flight Safety, which played at Wednesday’s
news conference, said it is exciting to be part of the Halifax
contingent for JunoFest.
"It’s
an honour to present the band to the Canadian music scene and
there’s a potential to meet quality people. And a lot of
our favourite bands will be in town and we’ll be checking
them out as music fans."
Visit
www.junoawards.ca
and www.halifaxplayhard.com
for more information.
JUNOFEST
Friday, March 31, Saturday, April 1
Performers:
(120 acts, more TBA)
Air
Traffic Control
Alpha
Yaya Diallo*
Amelia
Curran Band
Andrew
LeDrew Band
Aselin
Debison
Carmen
Townsend & The Shakey Deal
C’mon
Colin
Linden
Elliott
Brood*
Galore
Genticorum*
Glamour
Puss
Heavy
Blinkers
Hey
Rosetta!
Hot
Toddy
Ian
Janes
In-Flight
Safety
Iron
Giant
J.P.
Cormier
Jay
Semko
Jill
Barber
Jill
Porter Band
King
Konqueror
Lennie
Gallant
Liz
Band
Luke
Doucet*
Matt
Mays & El Torpedo
Matthew
Barber
Mark
Bragg & The Black Wedding Band
Martha
Wainwright*
MSTRKRFT
Museum
Pieces
Nathan
Wiley
Patrick
Boyle Quartet
Paul
Reddick*
The
Perpetrators*
Pilate
Rock
Ranger
Ron
Hynes
Ron
Sexsmith*
Sean
Panting Band
Slowcoaster
Steven
Bowers
Stabilo
Tanya
Tagaq*
The
Barra MacNeils
The
Novaks
The
Self Conscious
Theresa
Sokyrka*
Tom
Wilson
Tomi
Swick
Truths
& Rights*
Two
Hours Traffic
*2006
Juno nominee
Venues:
Big Leagues; Gingers Tavern; Hells Kitchen; Pogue Fado; Reflections;
Rodeo Lounge; Stage Nine; Styaner’s Wharf; Schooner Room
at Casino Nova Scotia; The Frigate; The Marquee; The Seahorse;
Tribeca; Waterfront Warehouse and Your Father’s Mustache.
Admission:
$25 wristbands for admission to all venues go on sale on Saturday
at 9 a.m. Available at Ticket Atlantic, 451-1221, www.ticketatlantic.com,
at participating Atlantic Superstore outlets, in person at the
Halifax Metro Centre box office, 1800 Argyle St. Tickets $10 at
the door.
JUNO
CUP
Celebrity hockey game with proceeds to MusiCan March 31, 7:30
p.m.
Halifax
Forum
The
Rockers: Captain Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo); Alan Doyle (Great Big
Sea); Brent Fitz, Dave Brenner and Dean Back (Theory of A Deadman);
Jarrett Murphy (Matt Mays & El Torpedo) and Jeremy Taggart
(Our Lady Peace), others TBA
NHL
All-Stars: Brad Dalgarno; Kirk Muller; Mark Napier; Mike Pelyk;
Paul Coffey and Russ Courtnall; others TBA Admission $15. Tickets
on sale on Saturday at www.ticketatlantic.com, 451-1221, Ticket
Atlantic at Halifax Metro Centre box office, 1800 Argyle St.,
participating Atlantic Superstores.
JUNO
FAN FARE
Juno
Awards nominees autograph session Saturday, April 1, 11 a.m. to
4 p.m. Pavilion 21 at the Seawall
Artists:
Kalan Porter; Kardinal Offishall; Theory of a Deadman; Theresa
Sokyrka and more TBA
Tickets:
Free, available through contests by local media and McDonald’s.
Visit: www.junoawards.ca/junofanfare.
HALIFAX
PLAY HARD
Thursday,
March 30, 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Grand Parade
Performers:
Garrett Mason; Jimmy Rankin; The Joel Plaskett Emergency; Matt
Mays & El Torpedo and The Trews The concert is free.
TUNES AT NOON
Friday:
Jordan Croucher, Halifax North Memorial Public Library
Friday,
March 10: Ian Sherwood, Sunnyside Mall, Bedford
Friday,
March 10: Universal Soul, Dartmouth North Public Library
Friday,
March 17: Ardyth & Jennifer, Mic Mac Mall, Dartmouth
Friday,
March 17: Bob Sutherby, Spring Garden Road Memorial Public Library
Friday,
March 24: Shimon Walt and Jennifer King, Alderney Gate Public
Library
Monday,
March 27: Museum Pieces, Keshen Goodman Public Library, Clayton
Park West
Tuesday,
March 28: Spesh K, Cole Harbour Public Library
Wednesday,
March 29: JD Clarke, Captain William Spry Public Library, Spryfield
Thursday,
March 30: Birch Mountain Bluegrass Band, Scotia Square, Halifax
Thursday,
March 30: King Konqueror, Alderney Landing Theatre, Dartmouth
Friday,
March 31: Troy MacGillivray, Sunnyside Mall, Bedford
On
the web:
www.halifaxplayhard.com
