Happy Birthday Walker Theatre (we think)

Maybe for the 25th?

Did you know that March 1, 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of the Walker Theatre as a performing arts venue? In its day, it was pretty damn significant in this town, and still, despite its unfortunate name and long periods of silence, it’s one of the best places to see a show.

And what are they doing to celebrate this notable anniversary? NOTHING! Sigh.

Off the top of my head, some of the amazing shows I’ve seen there:

Blue Rodeo (numerous times)

Colin James

Jeff Healey Band

The Watchmen

Lyle Lovett

John Prine

Dave Matthews Band

Tragically Hip

Barenaked Ladies (with Rheostatics!)

Prince (OK, I didn’t go to that one, but maybe I should have!)

Got any great Walker memories or stories? Know why they’re not doing anything to commemorate? Know why Winnipeg still loves Butch Cummings? Leave a comment! Please!

Juno Nominees are in! Go Del!

We here at Tell the Band to Go Home couldn’t possibly be more excited about the Junos than we are this year, as our 2010 Artist of the Year, local boy, Del Barber is nominated for Roots & Traditional Solo Recording of the Year! He’s up against some tough competition, but even the nomination is huge. Go get ’em Del. Also on the list is our old pal, Ruth Moody, for her divine solo debut, The Garden.

Here are the nominees:
Del Barber – Love Songs for the Last 20 (Independent)
Justin Rutledge – The Early Widows (Six Shooter)
Lynn Miles- Fall For Beauty (True North)
Old Man Luedecke – My Hands Are On Fire and Other Love Songs (Black Hen)
Ruth Moody – The Garden (Red House)

And the other category that matters: Roots & Traditional Group
Chic Gamine – City City (Independent)
Dala – Girls from the North Country- Dala Live in Concert (Campus)
Le Vent du Nord – La part du feu (Borealis)
The Creaking Tree String Quartet – Sundogs (Independent)
The Marigolds – That’s the State I’m In (Independent)

The full list is up at the Juno awards website.

FAR #138

Artist: Album (Label) JR

AoM: Gurf Morlix: Blaze Foley’s 113th Wet Dream (self) JR
2 Carrie Rodriguez & Ben Kyle: We Still Love Our Country (self)
3 Hemingway Corner: Speed of Life (self)
4 The Wailin’ Jennys: Bright Morning Stars (Red House/True North)
5 Twilight Hotel: When The Wolves Go Blind (self)
6 Carrie Elkin: Call It My Garden (Red House)

Sunday, January 30 – No show!

Just a quick, slightly overdue warning that something will surely be missing in your life today. I know I feel a little lost and confused. Tell the Band to Go Home is pre-empted today for a live broadcast of University of Manitoba Bisons Womens’ Hockey. Because after all, the only thing more exciting than amateur women’s hockey is amateur women’s hockey on the radio…

If we’re good (and we’re rarely good), Jared will let us come back next week. In the meantime, what the heck do we do with a Sunday off?

if you’re feeling that void in your life this afternoon, consider heading over to the downloads page and picking a favourite episode from the past, or, God forbid, one you missed and haven’t checked out already. I considered making a new podcast for you today, until I realized that there were literally HUNDREDS for you to choose from already. The iTunes feed (which I realize isn’t entirely up to date, SORRY!) goes back to 2007, and the website has shows dating back to 2002! I’m pretty sure you should be able to find something to listen to with a selection like that.

Episode #376 Sunday, January 23, 2011

This weekend marked the 10th anniversary of one of the most important music venues in town (if not Canada), The Times Change(d), and we relived some of the great musical moments to start off today’s show. Next weekend brings Rufus & Martha’s pappy to town, and we couldn’t let that go by without some classic songs. Loudon’s a bit of a curmudgeon, and that led us to hear a few other crusty classics. We had some great new music, a concert rumour, and whatever else came to mind!

Artist – Song title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – WPG=Winnipeg artist

2:00pm – 2:30pm

Wyckham Porteous – Hungry Heart – 3 a.m. – CDN
Alana Levandoski – Don’t Be Denied – Borrowed Tunes II: A Tribute to Neil Young – CDN – WPG
The New Meanies – Letting Time Pass – Three Seeds – CDN – WPG
Chris Carmichael – Nowhere – Chris Carmichael – CDN – WPG
Loudon Wainwright III – Dead Skunk – Album III

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Loudon Wainwright III – Your Mother & I – Career Moves
Loudon Wainwright III – One Man Guy – One Man Guy
Loudon Wainwright III – Motel Blues – Recovery
Loudon Wainwright III – Daughter – Strange Weirdos: Music From and Inspired by the Film Knocked Up
Ian Tyson – M.C. Horses – All the Good ‘uns – CDN
Stan Rogers – Night Guard – Northwest Passage – CDN
Guy Clark – The Cape – Dublin Blues
Richard Thompson – 1952 Vincent Black Lightning – Live from Austin TX

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Hoyt Axton – Snow Blind Friend – Flashes of Fire: Hoyt’s Very Best 1962-1990
Gurf Morlix – Clay Pigeons – Blaze Foley’s 113th Wet Dream
Carrie Rodriguez & Ban Kyle – If I Needed You – We Still Love Our Country
Carrie Elkin – The Things We’re Afraid Of – Call It My Garden
Twilight Hotel – Frozen Town – When the Wolves Go Blind – CDN – WPG

3:30 – 4:00 pm

NQ Arbuckle & Carolyn Mark – Passing Dream – Let’s Just Stay Here – CDN
Carolyn Mark & NQ Arbuckle – Fireworks – Just Married: An Album of Duets – CDN
NQ Arbuckle – Goodnight Irene on New Year’s Eve – The Last Supper In A Cheap Town – CDN
Buddy & Julie Miller – Love Snuck Up – Love Snuck Up
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson – Wildflower – Rattlin’ Bones
Jess Klein – Cloud Song – Draw Them Near
The Jayhawks – I’d Run Away – Tomorrow The Green Grass

Steel Belted Radio – January 13, 2011

T-Bar’s got some ‘splainin’ to do since he posted his wacky Top 10 list on Steel Belted Radio.com, so we grill him on that and he plays a few to try to defend himself. Luckily, our special guests came in just in time to spare him. And what guests they are, Romi Mayes and Jason Nowicki dropped by in advance of their live album recording at the West End, to play us some new songs and talk about what’s going on.

playlist
part 1
part 2

January 9, 2011

As we prepare to unveil our official favourite songs of 2010, we’ve noticed that there are a whole bunch of great ones that somehow didn’t make the cut. Some years, there’s just too much great stuff, and 2010 seems like one of those years. Much of today’s show is devoted to great releases from 2010 that deserve an honorary mention.

playlist
part 1
part 2

Steel Belted Radio – January 6, 2011

A little bit of old skool alt.country kicks off the show, before we take a listen back to some of our past Best of compilations. Great music from yesterday leads in to a little bit of the best of today.

playlist
part 1
part 2

January 2, 2011

A super-sized, action packed episode, as we close out another year and start up a new one. We play a bunch of the best of 2010. As usual, we can’t let New Year’s Day pass without tributes to Hank & Townes, who both left us on Jan. 1.

playlist
part 1
part 2
part 3
part 4

Steel Belted Radio – December 30, 2010

It’s the end of another calendar year, so time for T-Bar & The Mudge to talk (and argue) about some of the best & worst music of the year. We managed to get along well enough to spin some great tunes from this year (and a few from last year.) We also previewed the most exciting New Year’s Eve bash in recent memory, Del does Springsteen, with some classics from Bruuuuuuuce and some soon-to-be classics from Del.

playlist
part 1
part 2