Blue Rodeo (and Guests) Street Party & Rooftop Show to Launch Album and Tour

I found out originally from Chartattack that Blue Rodeo is hosting a street party and rooftop show at 2:30 on Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 10) at the Diesel Playhouse (55 Blue Jays Way). I've asked around a bit since then and a little bird told me that Blue Rodeo will be joined for that show by Julie Fader and Cuff the Duke's Wayne Petti. So if you're anywhere near downtown Toronto tuesday might be a good day to take a late lunch, or just call in sick and make a day of it. How many more opportunities like this will you get before the snow comes?

The reason, of course, for the show is the new album. According to that Chartattack post:

"Things We Left Behind, out the same day, is Blue Rodeo's 12th studio album and features 16 new tracks spanning two discs. The album will be available in a number of different formats, including two CDs, double vinyl and a special iTunes LP. A digital package will also be available. It will include: interactive album notes, exclusive photos of the band and portraits of their most prized instruments, a song by song commentary from Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor and a special acoustic performance of four new songs from the album."

After Tuesday you can see Blue Rodeo at:

Nov. 5 Montreal, QC @ Le Savoy
Nov. 11 Halifax, NS @ The Carleton
Nov. 13 New York, NY @ City Winery (acoustic)
Nov. 14 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
Nov. 15 Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
Nov. 19 North Tonawanda, NY @ Riviera Theatre
Nov. 20 Chicago, IL @ Martyr's
Nov. 24 Victoria, BC @ Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre
Nov. 26-27 Vancouver, BC @ The Centre In Vancouver For Performing Arts
Nov. 29 Calgary, AB @ McMahon Stadium (Grey Cup)
Dec. 4-5 Stratford, ON @ Festival Theatre
Jan. 5-6 Calgary, AB @ Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Jan. 7-8 Edmonton, AB @ Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Jan. 9 Kamloops, BC @ Interior Savings Centre
Jan. 11 Banff, AB @ Eric Harvie Theatre
Jan. 12 Red Deer, AB @ Enmax Centrium
Jan. 14 Lethbridge, AB @ Enmax Centre
Jan. 15 Saskatoon, SK @ TCU Place
Jan. 16 Regina, SK @ Conexus Arts Centre
Jan. 17 Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
Jan. 18 Thunder Bay, ON @ Community Auditorium
Jan. 20 Kirkland Lake, ON @ Northern College Auditorium
Jan. 23 Saint John, NB @ Harbour Station
Jan. 24 Moncton, NB @ Moncton Coliseum
Jan. 25 Charlottetown, PEI @ Confederation Centre
Jan. 27 Glace Bay, NS @ Savoy Theatre
Jan. 28 Halifax, NS @ Metro Centre
Jan. 30 St. John's, NL @ Mile One Stadium
Feb. 2-3 Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
Feb. 5 Barrie, ON @ Molson Centre
Feb. 14 Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
March 5 Oshawa, ON @ GM Centre
March 6 Kingston, ON @ K-Rock Centre
March 7-8 Belleville, ON @ Empire Theatre
March 10-11 Peterborough, ON @ Showplace Performance Centre
March 12 Hamilton, ON @ Hamilton Place Theatre
March 24 Kitchener, ON @ Centre In The Square
March 25 London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
March 26 Cornwall, ON @ Aultsville Theatre
March 27 Montreal, QC @ Place Des Arts
April 9 Sudbury, ON @ Sudbury Arena
April 10 Sault Ste. Marie, ON @ Essar Centre

More Zygiella: Wade Tyler and Jen talk about Wayne Petti

Wade Tyler and Jen take another whack at goings on in the Toronto Music Scene in the recent past and the recent future, discuss Jen's Wayne Petti issues and play some music by Key Witness, Wayne Petti, DD/MM/YYY, At Odds With Even, Chang-A-Lang and Dog is blue:



Download it Here

You can also download Part II of Jen's adventures in talking to people at NXNE

I got home really late on Wednesday night, but I was keen to get an early afternoon start on the official first day of the festival. I started at the Hyatt Regency, where I picked up my press pass and chatted with Fezz Stenton from Green Go. Then I sat in on the round table discussion featuring a dozen members of the (mainstream) Canadian music industry. I took a breather after that bizarre session to debrief with Leif Vollebekk, Scott Bouwmeester, and Stefan Banjevic. After seeing Dinosaur Bones perform a spirited set at Sunrise Records, I interviewed a couple members of that band, Joe Strutt from Mechanical Forest Sound, and NOW Magazine's Jordan Bimm. Spiral Beach was by then entertaining a good crowd at Yonge-Dundas Square, where I talked to Elvis Mondays' William New and Bo and Brandon from La Casa Muerte. Featuring songs by Green Go ("Brains For Breakfast"), Leif Vollebekk ("Northernmost Eva Maria"), Kids on TV ("Breakdance Hunx"), Parallels ("Reservoir"), Dinosaur Bones ("Life In Trees"), The Swallows ("Glorious"), and La Casa Muerte ("Cut It Out").

Download it Here

And, as always, there are Jen's listings of the shows you should check out in Toronto this week.

Sunparlour Player, Wayne Petti Thieves & Del Barber

Having begrudgingly pulled myself away from the Lorrie Matheson show at the Attic I arrived at the eBar in Guelph in time to catch most of Del Barber's opening set. Boy, am I glad I did as he was a treat. Without any prior knowledge of Del or his music I walked in to a young man seated on a chair with an acoustic guitar and a mature folk-singer's voice beyond the age on his face. Throughout his very enjoyable folk-bordering-on-country set Del proved that he is a very capable musician, picking and pounding his guitar while his excellent voice sailed throughout the quickly populating bar. Armed with an excellent cover of Neil Young's Harvest Moon and a handful of amusing anecdotes he thoroughly entertained.

I had heard the second band in the sense that the singer and man at the forefront is also the singer of the alt-country group Cuff the Duke, from Oshawa. Wayne Petti's voice immediately recalls Cuff the Duke classics for me and as much as they may try to differentiate from his primary project it was difficult for me to hear much difference. Granted Wayne Petti and the Thieves (oh I get it, Petty Theives.. ha) do their best at playing melodic rock, but with that voice it still brings up stetson-hat associations. They managed to steer clear of any strong country feel until the first half of a song near the end of the set, however they wiped that away with one of their many crashing instrumental breakdowns. With Wayne wailing on the electric guitar, and his two bandmates watching him (they haven't played together long - 3rd show in fact) they would bring a whole lot of noise and a touch of feedback to the endings of many tunes. Though it's not too markedly different than Cuff the Duke it can only be counted as a positive thing that Wayne is putting his excellent voice to good use wherever he can.

Finally it was time for the show that has become a fan favourite here in Guelph. In dapper dress the Sunparlour Players opened with recently released album Wave North opening track North. The manner in which this song is sung makes me want to coin a new word - "earnestly" (if honesty and earnest are words..) because it would most accurately describe the feeling put into the lyrics while singing this song both live and on album. From there the three-piece band continued their sit down set, though it was sit-down with energy! - beginning with mostly music from the CD for which this show was honouring the release. Included were tracks such as Nuclear, O'Captain, and Point Pelee is the Place to Be, some of which prominently featuring the banjo, and one even saw a xylophone being bowed. The lead single Battle of '77, which included the accordion, got a very strong reception though perhaps the biggest response was deservedly for the track If the Creeks Don't Rise. However I do have a bit of a grievance with a handful of folks in attendance. As much as I am glad that there were enjoying excellent music, I was twice as annoyed by their antics in order to show that enjoyment. Drunkenly spilling, loudly talking, carelessly bumping, disgustingly pashing, stupidly yelling - these people were detrimental to the entire crowd who wanted to see the band equally as much, but managed to enjoy the show in a way that also respected the other patrons. Nevertheless the show continued with the lead 'player', Andrew Penner, standing up from his chair midway through. He got the place jumping even higher by mixing in a handful of older songs including John Had a Bell and Whistle. By the time it came to the finale the crowd was putty in their hands and we stomped and sang along to the appropriately chosen Wave North closer Build It Up. Can't wait for the Hillside set! It was a solid closing to a solid night in which all five bands I saw delivered.

Sunparlour Players to Drop New CD with Hylozoists and Wayne Petti

On Friday, June 26 at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto the Sunparlour Players will drop their new CD 'Wave North' with help from the Hylozoists and Cuff the Duke's Wayne Petti and the Thieves . In terms of pure musicianship you can't get much better than that lineup.

It just so happens that all of these artists appeared on the last season of CBC Radio's amazing (and therefore cancelled) series Fuse and I was planning on linking to the audio from them - however it appears that even that audio is no longer available. = (

Go to the show anyway though. Your ears will thank you!

Sunparlour Players on CBC Radio 3 Sessions:



Download it Here