Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Bulldogs North

One of our loosest gigs of the year. Thanks to Bulldogs North for having us back after a long hiatus. God Bless Kyle Hudon. You are as talented a sound man/promoter as you are dreamy.

Here are some photos of the show as well as one big Tornado Alley rock ending to end all endings....

Side Note: Special thanks to the man in the pink polo shirt, creepy moustache, and aviators for dancing up a ridiculous storm front stage all night, as well as the very very VERY drunk women after the show that gave us $100 to play them one more song only to feel up our poor keyboardist in a very unwarranted manner. That was pretty rock and roll. And um.....thanks for the gas money?








Case of the Mondays

I know I know....Its Tuesday and legions of you were all "What the Hell Newton?! I thought you were a blogger? You can't just take Monday off!! Your words are the new religion that guides us through the monotony of our daily lives"

Well, you're right. But yesterday was a day of rest and a day of mourning. Not only did I sleep very little all weekend, but on Monday I awoke cranky as all hell only to find out that two visionaries that helped shape me into the man I am today had passed away.

R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen and Irvin Kershner.

Leslie Nielsen was best known for his hilarious one liners in the Airplane movies, Police Squad television series, Naked Gun movies and most recently, Men with Brooms. He was Canadian, had two stars on walks of fame, and brought people to tears with laughter.

Irvin Kershner directed one of the most important tragedies of all time titled "The Empire Strikes Back" for which we are introduced to Imperial Walkers, Yoda, the betrayal of Lando Calrissian, Han's Carbon Freezing, and the line that kept us hanging in utter suspense for two more years....."I am your Father" followed by a rather dramatic "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Actually I was 2 when the movie came to theaters and apparently according to my own father I peed myself when Darth Vader entered the room to the music of the Imperial March. I also remember having the "Empire Strikes Back" childrens picture book that you read along with to a 7" vinyl record playing in the background and you turned the page when you heard the *chime*

A tribute....

Leslie Nielsen in a nutshell.



Oh the agony in Chewy's crys.....I still tear up.



Side note: Apparently in the carbon freezing scene, when Princess Leia declares her love for Han, the original script called for Han to pronounce is love back to her, but this didn't jive with the director Irvin Kershner and he fought with George Lucus to have it changed to the response that eventually made it to the final cut:

Leia: I love you
Han: I know

Genius.

A full report of the weekend to follow as soon as I can figure out how to connect Emma's camera thingy to this computron thingy.

Friday, November 26, 2010

The Good Life

We have a busy weekend ahead of us full of music, faceshots (the snowy kind), travel, and good times. So busy in fact that I only have time today for one posting before the weekend takes me away to that special place, and if I stare too long, I'd probably break down and cry-ee-i-yee. Oooooooh oh-ou-woah sweet child.....*ahem*.... sorry.

G'N'Fn'R man. Gets me everytime.

So, its Shred Kelly at Bulldogs North tonight, up early for the grand opening of Fernie Alpine Resort, which by the look of things is going to be epic, and then off the Rossland to play the Red Room Lounge.

So as I peace out for a weekend of awesome, I leave you with a bunch of videos of poeple performing already awesome songs in a stoke folk manner. Guns and Roses "Sweet Child of Mine" on fiddle which made me pee a bit because its so awesome. And like the Metal Roses Tour of 1992 which my mom wouldn't let me go to because she thought I would grow horns, no G'N'R fiddle is complete with a little Metallica "One" to sweeten the pie performed with footstompin' greatness. Happy Weekend.



Thursday, November 25, 2010

Stoke Folk

Stoke Folk: Modern fast driven folk music that makes you Stoked!

Our dear Sarah coined the term one humid boozy evening in NFLD and here are some bands that I'd lump into that category and with whom we have either played with, or will be playing with in the near future. Unfortunately I can't name one of them cause its only a rumor/not-in-stone/highly-classified/theydontevenknowyetsoshutyo'mouth kind of thing, but they rhyme with Smelliot Nude.

The Magnificent 7's from Winnipeg (December 3rd in Lethbridge at the Owl Lounge)

Larry and His Flask from Oregon, USA (April 3rd in Fernie at Bulldogs North)

The Wellits from Montreal (opened for them in Montreal last summer)

The Stables from Oshawa, Ontario (opened for them in Fernie)

Matthew Hornell and the Diamond Minds from St. Johns (opened for them in Newfoundland)

Broken Down Suitcase from Golden, BC (future date to be announced)

The Tuques from Rossland, BC (Blizzard Fest Rossland, BC Jan 38 - 30th)

The Harvest Conspiracy from Toronto (opened for us in Toronto)

Do your ears a favour, turn off your Beibers and your Nicklesacks, copy/paste these bands into your search engine and get your stoke folk on. I hear it cures indigestion and rashes. Just check out Larry and His Flask and you might even gyrate off the couch uncontrollably. I think that show is going hurt so good......so so good.

The Daily Grind

I have a lot of time on my hands these days before the Fernie ski hill opens and in between gigs . My job starts at 4 o'clock and its part time. I don't own a TV and so I am developing a serious addiction to coffee and Youtube. In fact I'm getting to know the people of youtube pretty well. We're like THIS.....*fingers crossed on both hands*

Here is my daily pre-work schedule:

7:15 *MEH MEH MEH MEH MEH MEH MEH MEH* (girlfriends alarm clock)
7:20 - 8:30 Breakfast smoothie, check email, facebook, kiss GF goodbye. (she works)
8:30 - 9:30 Micro nap, coffee, scratch self and stare at wall, contemplate
awesome things.
9:30 - 10:30 Check email/facebook again, finish coffee in pot, BLOG!
10:30 - 11:30 Watch Big Bang Theory on internet stream, youtube, more coffee.
11:30 - 12:30 Eat PBJ toast and play banjo, check youtube for cool banjo stuff, demo
sweet reverb pedals on youtube.
12:30 - 4:00 Repeat above cycle of nap, coffee, youtube, banjo, internet TV,
scratching, staring, email/facebooking until GF comes home from a
hard days work shaking head at mess in apartment. Look cute. Kiss.
Go to work.

What's that you say? Lazy?! I think NOT!! Did YOU make youtube friends with a Japanese visionary who makes instruments from FOOD???..........that's what I thought.

Dare to dream people.......dare to dream.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Shred Kelly to play at Blizzard Fest 2011 in Rossland, BC

Wha' chew lookin' at Rossland? What's that? You think my mother is a WHAT?? Ooohh you wanna dance hombre?!! Don't you know I'm LOCO?!! You wanna take this outside??? What's that?? You would but you are too scared of my enormous pecks??!!! Ooohhh you want some of THIS??! What's that?? Blizzard Fest? Oh............why didn't you just say so?

is how it went down in my head.

Shred Kelly has been given the honor of performing at the 2011 Blizzard Fest in Rossland BC taking place from January 28th to the 30th.

From the Tourism Rossland website:

The 4th Annual Blizzard Mountain Music Festival has invited some of Canada’s best live acts to come perform during Rossland’s famous Winter Carnival. Local rock band and Blizzard organizers The Tuques have hand picked over twelve acts to help cool down the alpine city over three days of winter carnival festivities and musical freeze. The Blizzard’s mandate is to promote original Canadian music ranging in styles and instrumentation while providing the audience with an authentic live concert setting. Two stages and multiple acts each night complemented by professional sound and lights provided by one of BC‘s top production company, Hairy Productions.


This is great because a) It is our first winter festival b) Rossland has a sick ski hill which we will shred c) I finally get to meet the mighty Tuques whom are awesome d) an electric banjo playing Sasquatch will be there. It don't get better than that!

Side note: The press release jpeg above is dated 2008 which I can only assume was posted by ski bums who just got dumped on with 80 cms of snow in three days proclaiming "80 cms of fresh! Use the old one dude!! Lets go!!"

Timmy Land

Dear Shreddernauts,

Tim here of Shred Kelly fame. I have been designated to help keep this blog continuous and awesome by sharing my daily thoughts. I mean lets face it. There is only so much a band can write about on a daily basis having to do with themselves. I mean, I know we're awesome, but our awesome can cure cancer and feed the hungry only so much. Sure I sleep, eat and exercise (100 one armed push ups before breakfast per day no big deal) like any other, but lets not get into details. So I officially welcome you to the inner chambers of my mind. This magical place has been described by many as "Timmy Land" or "Banjo Land" Few have entered and returned the same person.

They have been..........changed.....................................with awesome.

I cannot think of a better way to christen the debut of my (soon to be award winning) internet publishing career with a video that raises the serotonin levels in my complex brain to a new level by displaying two things that are nothing short of awesome: Star Wars and Banjo. And while many terrestrial wars rage on around our own planet, I want to thank mrtrainfanatic for reminding us all, as his shirt boldly pronounces, that everyone needs to be a little more of a chillaholic.

Kyle Hamilton is a Rad Photographer


Well he saw the beauty in us anyway, and capturing that on a hungover afternoon would make you a pretty brilliant gent.
Check out our link to the tale of this day in the Fernie fix online
http://www.ferniefix.com/shred-kellys-photo-shoot-kyle-hamilton
Also should you need a photographer to capture your beaut get the the info on Kyle Hamilton at
http://www.kylehamiltonphotography.com/

Monday, November 22, 2010

Winter Tourism Fernie Video features Shred Kelly!

Thank you to Tourism Fernie for incorporating us in their Winter Tourism video. With winter having arrived let this video inspire you to come visit us in Fernie soon.

Fernie Ski Hill Opening Early

Looks like the opening day is going to be this weekend. (But don't miss Shred Kelly at the Northern on the 26th. Boozing the day before the hill opens is the perfect way to celebrate!) It opens Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th. So gear up! Sadly we will be missioning to Rossland Saturday morn. :( So for those of you stickin around, have fun and enjoy the epic powder.
I leave you with these two videos to stoke you up!


Sunday, November 21, 2010

The Arcade Files Music Video

Our favorite ladies of Fernie BC have made a music video and it rocks. Filmed by the wonderful and talented Dennis Schafer, the ladies rocked out and have this to show for it! Featuring guest appearances by other local favorites, it looked like they had an awesome time making it too. Wish I could've been there, sadly my preschool teaching schedule has me on a strict "no partying on Thursday's" rule.
Way to go Jenna, Marcia and Janay!

Broken Down Suitcase and Stellar Radio Choir KILLED IT @ the Central

These gentleman from Golden really impressed in Fernie last night at the Central. After an awesome night of amazing spoken word and musical performances by local artists, these guys tore up the stage, starting off the night with some folk tunes in the Broken Down Suitcase duo. Once the crowd was warmed up the transformed into garage rock trio Stellar Radio Choir. They are amazing. We followed them today to Lethbridge to check out the recording of their new album, and even got to sneak Shred Kelly clapping onto the album. So we are in desperate anticipation for both the Broken Down Suitcase album and Stellar Radio Choir album to be released.
Oh yeah and these little gents, funny as hell. Great people, great music.


http://www.myspace.com/stellarradiochoir

Matthew Hornell and The Diamond Minds Hit Fernie!

Newfoundland band Matt Hornell and the Diamond minds traveled through meters and meters of snow to get to Fernie to play an awesome show on Friday night. They had the Brickhouse packed! It was sweaty and awesome. Being recent winners of the East Coast Music Awards, we were thrilled to have them grace Fernie with their footstompin presence.
It turned into a rowdy night, and after taking them out for a delicious breakfast at the Old Elevator (thank you Paul and Cam for tending to our hungover selves) we sent them on their way.
These talented boys are on a 4 month tour at the moment. Check them out!