Category: Uncategorized

On Sunday we made our way to Jay’s sister’s house in Cochrane, AB, just outside of Calgary. After spending the night and enjoying delicious smoothies for breakfast, we continued on to Calgary, where we set up camp in Jay’s other sister’s basement. His family’s generous accommodations are much appreciated.

Yesterday’s show at the Karma Local Arts House, while sparsely attended, went very well. We barely fit on the stage, but somehow we made it work. Tonight’s show at The Soda presented its own share of challenges, with no monitor speakers to, er, speak of, but a bit more of a crowd. Our opener for both shows, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, is a great performer and one to watch for in the future. He opens up for us once more tomorrow in Lethbridge.

The signs of exploding growth are all over Calgary, with “help wanted” signs on many store windows and suburban communities springing up all over the place. Jay’s sister lives in one called Tuscany, where all the streets have the word Tuscany in them, which made finding the address somewhat difficult.

Attempts to purchase authentic Cowboy getup have been so far unsuccessful. We remain optimistic that Lethbridge is where all the good cowboy shops are hiding.

For another perspective on the tour, check out Jay’s blog.

A somewhat rocky start to the tour. We made it on time for our ferry reservation, but only barely. Our trip from Tsawwassen to the gig was mostly uneventful (except for one wrong turn. Stupid HOV lane that leads you off onto River Road…). Ominously, the first note I played of the first song of our first show of the tour was… wrong. Things progressed somewhat downward from there, with a less than perfect performance due in no small part to some feedback and monitoring problems. Despite all that, the audience seemed pretty receptive. The bar put us up in the adjacent hostel, which is most convenient.

I’m typing this from an internet café across the street from the bar, where Josh and Jay are waiting for Allan to arrive. I just got the call from Jay that Allan has arrived and we’re ready to go. Next stop: Calgary?

Tomorrow, we depart on our great adventure. Wish us luck!

In the meantime, a video.

Oh, and I almost forgot: Jay’s last two albums are now available for purchase on CD Baby.

In case you didn’t know, Jay Dunphy and the Religion is playing a tour kick-off show at The Cambie at The Esquimalt Inn this Saturday. Come out and support, y’all.

Then, starting March 31, we bring the rock to the rest of Canada. 15 shows. 9 cities. 24 days on the road. 4 guys in a van for hours every day. Good times. Go check out the Jay Dunphy and the Religion website or our Myspace page to find out when we’re coming to a city near you! (That is, if you happen to live near Vancouver, Calgary, Lethbridge, St. Albert, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, or Toronto.)

No, not really, I just wanted to say that. Roberta was very friendly as she injected yellow goo into my ears.

If all goes according to plan, I’ll have a pair of custom-molded musician’s earplugs by the end of the month. Hopefully they’ll prevent me from going any more deaf than I already am.

They will arrive too late to defend me from the sonic assault that was Akron/Family, who performed at Lucky Bar on Friday. Think Broken Social Scene setting out to destroy your stereo–squalls of noise punctuated by catchy folk ditties. Unfortunately I was too tired to stick around for their whole set. Himalayan Bear, featuring Ryan Beattie and a couple other members of Chet, opened the show.

Another meme from Joy. This time, it’s a Johari Window.

How well do you think you know me? Or, looked at another way, how well do I know myself?

I got tagged a few days ago. Guess I’d better do something about it.

THE RULES: List five songs that you are currently loving. It doesn’t matter what genre they are from, whether they have words, or even if they’re any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying right now. Post these instructions, the artists, and the songs in your blog, then ‘tag’ five other bloggers/friends to see what they’re listening to.

1. “Hey” – Pixies
2. “A Lack Of Color” – Death Cab For Cutie
3. “The Future Language Of Slaves” – Hawksley Workman
4. “Since I’ve Been Loving You” – Led Zeppelin
5. “Digital Bath” – Deftones

I’m tagging Likalia, Maggie, Jay, Annie, and Zach Braff.

1. On Friday night, after rehearsing with your band, go to a party with the lead singer and the drummer. You will find yourself in a house with paints and an easel set up in the middle of the living room and strange artwork hanging on the walls. The eclectic mix of music on the stereo will include Dr. Hook and various 70s soul acts. Drink some beer. You will be invited to paint on a papier-mâché cast of a woman’s breasts. Go ahead, don’t be shy. Your mediocre effort will be somewhat overshadowed by a fairly brilliant creation by the drummer, however. Hang around until you are tired, then go home and go to bed.
2. On Saturday, sleep in until 11 and then veg out in front of the computer for a few hours. The lead singer will call you and let you know he’s sick, so rehearsal will be cancelled for today. Go down to the jam space to pick up your bass amp and guitar, and then go get a haircut. After deciding you’ve got too much money in your bank account, go down to Long and McQuade and order in a pair of microphones.
3. The lead singer for the other band you’re in will ask you to bring over a CD with her promo photos on it, so you’ll do that and end up sticking around to help her set up her new computer. After she heads off to work, her fiancée will invite you to stay for sushi and watch the hockey game with some friends. Drink some beer.
4. When the lead singer returns, follow the group to a party. When you arrive, you will find one of the house’s occupants inviting partygoers to choose an outfit and put it on. Go ahead, don’t be shy. You’ll look a little silly in the halter top and pink sequined mini-skirt, but the velvet robe with the hood will totally suit you. Drink some beer.
5. Pile some people into your car and head off to the next party. On the way there you’ll get stopped at a road check. You’ll get asked to provide a breath sample; you’ll blow well under the legal limit. Your mediocre effort will be somewhat overshadowed by your fellow partiers’ admiration at your courage and nonchalance in the face of such adversity. Arrive at the party and discover, with some relief, that costumes will not be required. Drink some beer. Hang around until you are tired, then go home and go to bed.
6. On Sunday morning, wake up to the alarm you set the night before. Never mind that you’ve only had 6 hours of sleep, you’ve got a breakfast to attend! Go pick up some bacon and head to your friend’s house. The eclectic mix of friends and relations will enjoy some delicious fruit salad, scones, waffles, and the aforementioned bacon. Agree to walk down to the rail yard with your fellow breakfasters and be photographed in front of an abandoned building under a sign that used to say “hard hats required” except the top part has broken off, so now it only says “hats required”. You will all be wearing hats, naturally. Take home the leftover bacon.
7. Get a call from the lead singer of the first band. Meet him at a coffee shop downtown to discuss promotion for your upcoming tour and the lead singer’s desire to hit God in the face in retaliation for all the rain that has fallen lately. You become aware of your own subdued mood, and the fact you still have too much money in your bank account. You attempt to remedy both situations by purchasing a 30GB iPod, which has its intended effect.
8. Work on a blog entry about your weekend. Retrieve the leftover bacon you left in the trunk of your car and promptly forgot about it until writing about it. Consider drinking some beer, then think better of it. Finish up the blog entry, post it, and go to bed.

One of the bands I play bass in, Jay Dunphy and the Religion, is the subject of the Band Profile in the latest issue of The Martlet, UVic’s student newspaper.

Well, there were a few prostitutes, and the cocaine,” he says. “No, no, no there wasn’t. There were a few drunken nights. And it’s not like we were playing to a full crowd, and it’s not like we’ve got little groupies coming up and flashing us or anything, asking us to sign them.”

Dunphy’s serious about touring, if not about the prostitutes. He’s traveled “to the bowels of Alberta and back” and is planning a cross-country tour with his alt-country/folk band Jay Dunphy and The Religion this spring. “It’s the reason I keep on going,” he says.

“Honestly, I’ll play with anyone, [and] I’ll play anywhere.”

Band Profile | Jay Dunphy and the Religion

Via BoingBoing and Slashdot, a story on BBC News about a new licensing scheme for DJs who play copies of their CDs or records from a laptop or MP3 player. Royalty collection agency PPL claims that DJs who play digital copies without paying for a £200 annual license are breaking the law.

There is a similar scheme in place in Canada. AVLA administers licenses for duplication of audio recordings as well as the exhibition and duplication of music videos. If you’re a DJ in Canada and you’re playing music from a hard drive, you’re expected to purchase a Computer Hard Drive License, which will set you back $250 (plus an administrative fee of $25 and GST or HST). Keep in mind this is in addition to the public performance tariff payable to SOCAN. This license is similar to, but separate from, the license which permits you to copy music onto analog tape, audio CD-R or minidisc.

That’s not all. There are certain artists whose works may not be copied, even with this license. The list, which can be found here, includes such artists as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Shania Twain, Nine Inch Nails and Metallica.

To recap: If you want to play music directly from a CD, you don’t need a license. If you copy the music onto your laptop and play it from there, you need a license, even if you own the CD you have copied it from.

No, I don’t get it either.