Peaches will bring Rub to life onstage during a stint at Sled Island

Calgary opens wide for iconic artist Peaches’ first appearance in seven years at Sled Island 2016

By Christine Leonard
3 June 2016

An innovative and iconoclastic artist with a heart of gold and the warpaint to match, Peaches was already rocking the boat of Toronto’s club scene when she debuted her first solo outing Fancypants Hoodlum (Accudub Inc), under her given name Merrill Nisker, back in 1995. But it wasn’t until the electro-rocker and rapper was transplanted to German soil in 2000 that her musical career truly began to flourish. Signed to the Kitty-Yo record label after an unforgettable one-night stand, Peaches followed her water-testing Lovertits EP with the release of her breakthrough album The Teaches of Peaches in the fall of 2000. Evidently, she had found a home for her soul and her art in the cultural Mecca and has stayed on to return the city’s embrace.

“Well, I’ve lived here for 16 years and I just think Berlin is still a super cool city,” Peaches says. “It’s very open to nightlife, and music, and art, and performance, and experimentation, and I’ve received a lot of it and met a lot of international, super-talented people that make their way through. Being in Europe you get a little more of that because people float through a little easier and also in terms of funding and collaborations and other things like that.”

A tour de force with Marilyn Manson and Queens of the Stones Age further established Peaches’ reputation as a dynamic on-stage presence with a talent for smashing gender-norms through her glamorously riveting performances. Deemed too racy for Britain’s Top of the Pops, she went on to flaunt a full-beard on the cover of her 2003 album Fatherfucker (XL), which featured Iggy Pop on the single “Kick It.” Continuing to defy the odds and social conventions across borders, her subversive songs were suddenly accessible to a mainstream audience, popping up on the soundtracks for movies like Waiting… and Mean Girls, as well as on television series such as South Park, 30 Rock, True Blood, and The L Word. Meanwhile, everyone from Pink to REM were queuing up to have some of that erotic Peaches magic spread upon their labours.

“I’ve always been mostly interested in performance art, and video, and music – the fashion thing was never really a concern of mine, that just kind of organically grew out of what was happening. I think I’ve just found more likeminded people, not that there weren’t in Canada, but it just seems like a good flow. And, I’ve had a little stint doing different projects in a theatre here and met different people. There’s just a really good conceptual and contemporary art scene. So, I don’t need to push. I just try and do my thing and it just seems to like build organically, which is really, really good.”

After marrying her polti-punk passions to those of Joan Jett, Josh Homme, Beth Ditto, amongst others, for her next LP Impeach My Bush (XL) in 2006, Peaches returned to command the dancefloor in 2009 when she unleashed I Feel Cream (XL). A glittering trans-disco fantasy, teased-out by the show-stopping single “Talk to Me,” the album was buffed to perfection by the skillful ministrations of co-producers Simian Mobile Disco, Soulwax, and Shapemod. The next year in, 2010, Peaches gained the ‘Electronic Artist of the Year’ award at the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards in Toronto, and performed a one-woman version of Jesus Christ Superstar at Berlin’s HAU1, entitled Peaches Christ Superstar. For her latest full-length outing, Rub (I U She Music), featuring Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Peaches tapped into her love of filmmaking to enhance and contextualize each of the album’s carnal capers.

“From the beginning, I used to make a lot of Super-8 movies for the songs, so it was always part of it. I’ve made a movie that I’m in and also directed a lot of the videos that I’ve made throughout the years. I’m also enjoying making videos for every song on Rub. The track “Rub” has its own six-minute video and was made using a deliberately all-women cast and crew of 40 in the desert with me and Lex Vaughn, who spent a lot of time in Canada, and A.L. Steiner, who made the lesbian porn film Community Action. There’s already five videos that have been put out for Rub, including ‘Dick in the Air,’ which is a collaboration featuring me and Margaret Cho.”

Other NSFW vignettes for the album include the Peaches-directed “Light in Places” starring U.K. laser-butt-plug aerialist Empress Stah, “Free Drink Ticket” directed by Sara Sachs, and “Close Up” featuring Sled Island 2015 performer, Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth, Body/Head). Directed by friend and collaborator Vice Cooler (who performs alongside Peaches at the 2016 festival), the combative-clip for “Close Up” finds Peaches taking on the role of a pro wrestler.

“I’m glad that they [female martial artists] exist,” the composer of the ultimate walk-out song, “I Don’t Give A …,” confirms. “That video was born out of my relationship with Lucha VaVoom, they’re a Mexican wrestling and burlesque troupe who perform four times a year in L.A. and they’re friends of mine so it was a nice collaboration. We actually found me a stunt-double, a pole-dancer and wrestler who was sort of my build, so that was really cool. The director, Vice Cooler, also co-produced that album with me. I have a little house in L.A. and we spent a year in my garage making the album from scratch there. It’s not so glamorous, it’s just a garage, but it was fun.”

That album, Rub, and its accompanying eye-candy provide a galvanizing glimpse into the marvelous psyche, of an ambihelical performer who channels Prince and Bowie, while embodying the spirit of rebellious artists from history who have refused to choose between sexual identity and self-expression. This assertion is echoed by Peaches appearance on the silver screen in the motion picture Desire Will Set You Free (2015 Amard Bird Films), directed by Yony Leyser and is also Peaches’ selection for Sled Island’s film lineup.

Having called in favours and utilized her impressive network of contacts to assemble an avant-garde dream team of bands and artists to fulfill her role as curator and festival queen diva, Peaches looks forward to bringing a taste of her adopted hometown to Sled Island and the Canadian Prairies.

“A lot of these acts will give people a Berlin experience,” she says. “Hyenaz, Planningtorock, and Born In Flamez will sonically blow people’s minds. Just come as you are and be like you wanna be!”
As for her own flagship concert, the Sled Island headliner Peaches promises to bust out the ultimate Rub experience for her audience when she mounts the stage at Flames Central.

“The first half of 2015 was about finishing the album and getting it ready. It came out in September and I’ve just been touring like a crazy woman since then. It’s been business as usual, which is not business as usual, which is just super exciting and fun as usual. We have done so many shows and so many festivals. Mostly America and Europe, I’ve done Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal, like I usually do, but it’s good to dig a little deeper. The show is Rub-focused for sure, but with some classics thrown in. I’ve only done all the songs from an album in order live once; I’ve played Teaches of Peaches backwards so ‘Fuck the Pain Away’ would be last. This show is pretty true to the new album and working the songs out in their pure form. It’s like a big mess, but in a really good way.”

Peaches performs at Flames Central on June 25th with her curator picks Vice Cooler and Lafawndah.

Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre : a new home for Canadian Jazz

A New Universe awaits at the Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre

By Christine Leonard
19 May 2016 

Jazz is coming out from behind closed doors thanks to the construction of the impressive Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre in the heart of the New West. Ten years in the making, the cutting-edge facility will provide a much-needed growing room for the professional company and dance school, which has been in its current home since 1993. Designed by architect Janice Liebe of the DIALOG design firm and built by CANA Construction, the new structure embodies the kinetic movement of a dancer’s body with its graceful application of glass and steel. While a versatile modern theatre and seven well-appointed dance studios rank highest amongst the new institute’s assets, the abundance of natural light and flowing floor plan are sure to infuse the environment with positive energy.

“It’s a spectacular facility. It’s not just for us, we feel that it’s really a space for Calgary,” says DJD’s artistic director, Kimberley Cooper. “It’s also just such a beautiful, vibrant, glass-filled open place that I think it will add to the landscape of Calgary. You’ll be able to look in and see dancing all the time, which is something we don’t see that often. The beacon at the top of the building is a 10-metre penthouse that’s kind of like a light-box and we’ve just been working with some artist to create a public art piece that’s going to be in there. That will really draw your eye to the building as well. The artists’ names are Hadley+Maxwell. Without giving too much away, they are big on the Canadian art scene and they were here taking images for a beautiful concept that will let people know that is dancing going on in that building.”

Located within the new 12-storey Kahanoff Centre on Centre Street and 12th Avenue SE, the accessible space offers a 327 sq. m dance studio, a comfortable 232 sq. m community living room, multiple smaller dance studios (to be available for booking) and will additionally provide storage for the Company’s wardrobes, dressing rooms, media room, library, box office and administrative offices. A home that has been custom-fit to accommodate the present and future needs of an organisation that anticipates great things to come. To accomplish this lifetime goal, DJD worked closely numerous supporters including the philanthropic Kahanoff Foundation, who rents office space to charitable organizations at affordable rates. Construction of the Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre within the context of the burgeoning complex, located at Centre Street and 12th Avenue S.E., means that the first five floors of the new building are inhabited by Decidedly Jazz with the six floors above them being occupied by DJD’s co-residents the Calgary Foundation.

“This building has been a long time coming,” says Cooper. “As the economy has risen and fallen a couple times it’s taken a lot longer than we thought it would. So, there have been many incarnations of what it has now turned out to be. We’ve had really great partners all around. We have had a lot of support from the government and the Kahanoff Foundation, individual donors. You can name a seat in the theatre for $1,000 or donate more and have the building named after you. Everyone from millionaires to the dancer alumnus who are pulling funds together to buy a couple of seats. There are lots of ways you can claim your space within the Centre, which I think is really cool!”

As a member of Calgary’s dance community and DJD’s resident choreographer, Cooper shares her company’s passion for innovation. Aiming to demonstrate that the new facility will consist of more than sprung floors and wires, she is busy rehearsing the first work to be presented in the Centre’s crown jewel studio theatre. Cooper’s latest choreographic work, New Universe, featuring nine dancers and five live musicians performing the music of NYC jazz legend William Parker, is sure to leave a lasting impression as it premieres at the Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre’s Opening Gala on May 27th.

“For me, what I’m really looking forward to is being able to create in the space that the work will be performed in because that is so rare in the dance world. It’s pretty spectacular and that’s where the company will rehearse every day,” says Cooper. “The nice thing about being in this smaller space is that we can run for longer and that’s better for everybody. The artists get to do it more, the work gets stronger, the word of mouth can travel throughout the city and that’s our best ticket seller. I think that all of those things will help to make us more successful.”

A one-of-a-kind place of business that offers a unique forum and launchpad for the performing arts, DJD’s headquarters will undoubtedly make it a cultural focal point as Calgary progresses through a ribbon-cutting Year of Music. Cause for celebration on many fronts, the completion of this new facility marks not only the realization of a dream but denotes the value that citizens continue to attribute to the arts and the ways in which artistic disciplines continue to benefit the community at large.

“We’ve been talking to board for Fluid Festival, we’ve been talking to One Yellow Rabbit, we’ve been talking to the Old Trouts, and Sled Island has approached us about utilising our new spaces. People have already asked to have a wedding on our main floor because it’s gorgeous. And, really, we want to be an arts hub,” Cooper confirms. “Everybody’s excited about it because it has the ability to change the cultural landscape in Calgary. And we’ve had great neighbours; the National Music Centre and Arts Commons are only a few blocks away. We feel like Calgary is building a new arts district right now and it’s really nice to be a part of that.”

DJD’s Opening Weekend Gala that shows off their new studio and performance space takes place May 27 and 28. Then New Universe, DJD’s new work choreographed by Kim Cooper featuring original music composed by New York jazz composer William Parker, who will also lead the live band during performances, runs until June 12.

Trivium breaks silence in the snow

Trivium conjures a soulstorm for the ages

by Christine Leonard
Monday 25th, January 2016 

No strangers to the cyclical nature of the music industry, Floridian heavy metal band Trivium have successfully weathered a decade and a half of outrageous fortune, but not without gaining a few battle scars along the way. The fact that the quartet’s latest album, Silence in the Snow, debuted at 19 on The Billboard 200 charts demonstrates not only their ability to resonate with audiences across the heavy metal spectrum but their resolve to achieve ever greater heights. According to bassist and backing vocalist Paolo Gregoletto, the powerfully melodic seventh studio album marks a high point in Trivium’s artistic and technical trajectory.

“Every time you go into making a new record you’re always trying to find a new angle on your band and your music,” says Gregoletto, who joined in 2004 (the same year they were signed to Roadrunner Records).

“It’s funny how one song can change everything. We broke new ground on this record because of the path that ‘Silence in the Snow,’ a song we had had in our books for about eight years, sent us down. It opened up doors to what would gradually become something different. For example, on the tracks ‘Dead and Gone’ and ‘Beneath the Sun’ we used seven-string guitars, which is something we haven’t done for the two previous albums, so it was refreshing to get back to it.”

The already daunting task of following up their wrathful previous release, Vengeance Falls (2013), took a serious turn when Trivium’s lead vocalist-guitarist Matt Heafy damaged his vocal cords while on tour and found himself at a critical crossroads in his career as a thrash-throated singer.

“We were lucky it wasn’t anything serious. It was a culmination of the stress of performing in Canada at Rock on the Range and then enduring a border crossing 12 hours later. The general strain led to him having vocal issues, which were resolved when Matt was turned onto new vocal coach Ron Anderson by Matt [Shadows] from Avenged Sevenfold. Sometimes going through a crisis turns out to be a blessing in disguise. Going into this latest record we were all realizing it was going to be a heavy singing challenge, but having been through that earlier in the year helped strengthen his voice and he learned to scream in a new way that benefited us. Thankfully this record is an accurate reflection of how we are live.”

The atmosphere of discovery on Silence in the Snow was conveyed thanks in part to the production values of Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Slash, The Amity Affliction, Alter Bridge) and master mixer Josh Wilbur (Lamb of God, Gojira), who facilitated their transition to a more sustainable albeit classic metalcore sound.

“It’s cool to see how quickly the new songs have caught on with people after only a few months. I think Shogun (2008) needed time to sit with people, you don’t take it all in on the first listen, yet it became a fan favourite. Silence in the Snow is also very metallic and progressive, but we also made sure there are lot of big hooks and distinctive vocal and drum parts, as on the tracks ‘Until the World Goes Cold,’ ‘Silence in the Snow’ and ‘Blind Leading the Blind.’”

Another contributing factor to Trivium’s ever-shifting tempos has been the turnover of drummers including the departure of Travis Smith (Eternal Exile), Nick Augusto (Maruta), and most recently Matt Madiro. Breaking in the “the new guy,” Paul Wandtke, together with Heafy and long-time guitarist/backing vocalist Corey Beaulieu, gave Gregoletto pause to appreciate his bandmates’ resilience and desire to continue their artistic evolution. Reflecting on a platinum-plated past, the recharged Trivium seems primed to engage whatever surprises the future holds in store.

“The best way for us to honour Trivium’s legacy is by playing the back-catalog perfectly and giving the people what they want to hear. It’s been cool for us to perform songs we haven’t played live in years and we’re having fun pairing up old songs to help introduce the new ones. We’re at the peak of our abilities and we’ve got a pretty big selection of songs. It’s exciting again and it feels like a real breath of fresh air.”

Trivium are performing at Venue in Vancouver on February 8th, the Starlite Room in Edmonton on February 10th, the Marquee in Calgary on February 11th (Every Hour Kills and Shark Infested Daughters are opening), O’Brians in Saskatoon on February 12th, and the Pyramid Cabaret in Winnipeg on February 13th.

By Christine Leonard

Elder: Ancient root, future seed

Elder: Ancient root, future seed

Elder are set to decimate the stage at Arlen’s annual stoner rock birthday bash!

By Christine Leonard
28 December 2015 

Bostonian heavy rock outfit Elder isn’t the type to shout “Fire!” in a crowded theatre, but the incendiary heat of their saturnine blues-rock meltdowns can be felt from the back of the room. Originally hailing from Fairhaven, Massachusetts, guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Nick DiSalvo, drummer Matt Couto, and bassist Jack Donovan have been making stylistically-charged headbanging music since they were kids. That’s probably why DiSalvo bristles being questioned about when exactly Donovan joined the group, following the departure of Chas Mitchell.

“Jack has more or less been around since the inception,” says DiSalvo. “We’ve all been friends going back to childhood. This was almost not even the same band as before the other guy left. As far as this goes, Jack’s been in the band the entire time.”

The value of loyalty isn’t lost on Elder, and with three full-length albums to look back upon, the wise-beyond-their-years band can be proud of what they’ve accomplished together. From the nascent rumbles of Dead Roots Stirring (2011) to the lofty heights of Spires EP and their cataclysmic live albums, Elder is one group that has continued to redefine their sound time and time again. To accomplish this, DiSalvo and company delved deep into the thrum and thrall psyche of influencers like Swedish rock act Dungen, doom lords Sleep, the almighty Black Sabbath, fuzz worshippers Electric Wizard and, perhaps not surprisingly, Alberta’s own Chron Goblin.

“It’s weird to look back and see the progress we’ve made. To tell you the truth, we’ve been on the road so much none of us has had time to be introspective about all the changes we’ve been through. Thank God there’s been no trauma in our lives, other than the trauma of becoming adults. We started playing music when we were 17 years old. Growing up together the main factor shaping our development was playing with the bands around us. We learned what we liked and emulated it on our way to becoming musicians with our own music. All of those new experiences; seeing new things and traveling to new places had an impact on…. [who and what] we are today. We actually met Devin (Purdy) of Chron Goblin in 2013 while we were playing at the Roadburn Festival in The Netherlands. We enjoyed hanging out and have been talking about playing a joint show ever since. Finally, the timing worked out so we will have a chance to come up to Canada and perform with them.”

Released in February of 2015, Elder’s latest full-length release, Lore (Stickman), aspires to mount an intricate fretwork cathedral over the stone circle of their hard-rock foundation.

“I appreciate the 50-50 split of complexity and grooviness,” says DiSalvo.

“That balance is what really draws people into the music. I think we’ve aged and matured, but I think our ‘Dead Roots’ are even more evident in our songwriting. We wanted to surprise people with the new album. Not for the shock-factor, but as a signal that we are changing as musicians and our style is shifting with us.”

DiSalvo continues, “Lore was chiefly composed and written by me and was a true studio album. The question of paring the songs down to make the album performable live was a real challenge. It made us rethink the way we’re going to write albums in the future. I don’t have three hands, so I can’t replicate all of the layers on the album, but hopefully, the versions of the songs we present on stage are just as complex and vivid.”

While the more brutal aspects of their sludge-metal personality may serve to underscore the beauty of Elder’s symphonic compositions, they certainly don’t subscribe to the doctrine of brutalizing eardrums.

“There is a loudness war going on in production at the moment,” DiSalvo observes. “The actual decibels on recordings have been going up notably throughout time. The same thing is going on with doom bands. We’re not interested in being beyond loud. It doesn’t make sense. It’s been done a million times. Even if you have a PA system that can handle that volume it’s not going to sound as impressive as the simple, classic three-piece set up we use. We’re not a stadium band. Nothing insane. We just want everything to be heard.”

Elder will be performing at Arlen’s Bday Bash on January 9th, 2016 at The Palomino with Chron Goblin and Woodhawk.

Rocky Mountain high: Calgary New Music Festival's forward-thinking artistic director Mélanie Léonard

Rocky Mountain high: Calgary New Music Festival delivers a breath of fresh air

by Christine Leonard
11 May 2015

You don’t have to be Philip Glass to wrap your mind around the creative impetus at the core of the Calgary New Music Festival. Clear in her ambition to introduce Calgarians to a new breed of classical musicians, the festival’s forward-thinking artistic director Mélanie Léonard saw a unique opportunity to kick off the New Works Calgary 2014-2015 season with a blast of fresh air.

“The fantastic team of people behind me a NeWorks Calgary was having discussion music about the music scene in Calgary, and it was obvious that we were all passionate about new music. We felt there was a need to bring attention to local ensembles and individual musicians, who are devoted to that repertoire,” Léonard, who also performs with professional chamber music ensemble The Wild West New Music Ensemble, explains. “In partnering with other organizations and venues the city we have been able to come together and present a festival that taps into an established audience while covering a rich spectrum of music that is often difficult to describe.”

Encouraging the Classical Revolution to pass through its door, Café Koi will launch the stage-hopping series of concerts that comprise the two-week-long Calgary New Music Festival’s well-paced schedule. One of the Festival’s most popular acts, The Land’s End Ensemble will attune Festival Hall the following evening. Allowing a day, or two, off between artistic epiphanies, Spiritus Chamber Choir will roost in Knox United Church and the Kensington Sinfonia will illuminate Hope Lutheran Church. Avant-garde Flux Quartet and Evan Ziporyn are to collaborate at the Eckhardt-Gramatte Hall, while MRU’s Wyatt Recital Hall welcome’s the contemporary deconstruction of Neil Cockburn. Another reason to check out the National Music Centre, Luciane Caradassi goes it solo on May 13, and the whole thing rounds-up with the Wild West New Music Ensemble May 16 Inspiration Stage (TELUS Spark).

“I wanted to highlight composers and music more closely related to more traditional, romantic, and post-romantic styles, alongside more challenging forms. New harmonies, new sound and new musical material, these artists are utilizing extended techniques for a new musical era. It’s about presenting what’s being written today in the context of the past 100 years of modern composition since composers have started to break free and evolve.”

Given the vast and uncharted territory that is home to the new music genre, how does one go about making high art accessible to the curious and cultured who wish to glimpse behind the veil of philharmonic genius? The CPO’s former associate conductor, Léonard suggests that the most fundamental of human traits are the key to unlocking the unfathomable depths of the neo-classical movement.

“The important thing to remember is that the music, language, and technique are all just approaches that are used by the composer as carriers of emotion. You can apply that philosophy to all art in general,” she says. “For that reason, live performances are an important form of communication about the human experience. There’s a palpable energy and graceful synergy that comes from being in a shared space together; connecting through live art and live music in the presence of musicians, and sharing a common interest with an audience in those moments of grace. There is a synergy that happens when you leave yourself open to new experiences like that. I hope people surprise themselves by stepping out of the box and exploring the repertoires of these new composers.”

Go to neworkscalgary.com for more information.

AB, Alberta, New Works Calgary, New Works Music Festival

The Electric Revival get their freak on

Calgary rockers The Electric Revival get their freak on for their 4th album 

By Christine Leonard
20 February 2015

1930s film director Tod Browning probably never listened to much heavy music in his day, but he most certainly understood what it meant to stand apart from the crowd. Such was the cinematic bite of his black and white thriller Freaks.

While the three members of The Electric Revival may not have had that cult classic in mind when they named their new album, guitarist-vocalist Ian Dillon, drummer Dallas Lobb and bassist Dan Toews are no strangers to playing the role of disenfranchised misfits who thrive on performing before an awestruck crowd.

“We grew up in Innisfail, about an hour north of Calgary. You could only skateboard four months a year, so there was nothing to do but drink beer and play guitars. It also meant that the garage bands you had to choose from were into either country or metal,” says Dillon. “I met Dallas and Dan in junior high, at age 14, and like most small-town kids we left for the city as soon as we were out of school. We had always been in revolving metal bands over the years, so when we started the group, in 2009, we really wanted to get back to the basics, drums, guitars, amps. We tried to be as primitive as possible and focus on being a solid band.”

It would be three years before the nocturnal trio formally introduced themselves to their audience, raising the curtain on their debut album, Presenting: The Electric Revival, in 2012. The blues-soaked trio decided to keep the ball rolling by releasing a new single every week for 13 weeks that summer. Tightening their grip, The Electric Revival launched their glorious Pirate Radio LP in July of 2013 and followed it up with yet another album, 5 Songs by Electric Revival, four months later. No wonder the band was recently picked up by Cruzer Media. And, achieving international distribution was all the more incentive for Dillon, Dallas, and Dan to dive back into the studio and get their eponymous Freak on.

“The new album was recorded over the course of three weeks, during April of 2014, at Electric Park Studio in Calgary. I produced and engineered the record myself with assistant engineer Jonny Vincent and our pre-production engineer, Steven Lilly. Freaks was recorded live off the floor, together as a band, all in one room using very basic recording techniques… and the best modern digital recording equipment available. We were able to get our hands on a couple of cool synthesizers and used them and the organ a lot on this record, we really like the way it helped fill out the sound.”

Full is an understatement. Freaks kicks off with the explosive howler “My Molly My” a blow-your-hair-back and bury-the-needle joyride that slams into the cerebral cortex like a grasshopper hitting the windshield. Swerving out of the fast lane, the CB heartbreaker “Rolling Stone” postures up for a space truckin’ riff-off that would have Johnny Winter tipping his hat in respect. Southern swelter and soul are grist for the mill on “Wild Child” and “Baby Please (Come Home)”, while the two-edged sword of “Feed My Love” cuts to the drone, scratchin’ for an ‘80s punk fix. Did I just say punk? Yes, it’s in there too!

“The songs are about love, death, freedom, sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, they explore a lot of territory while maintaining The Electric Revival sound. We never want to limit ourselves creatively. We wanted to the extra mile for the new album, so we threw a big party at the studio for about 30 friends. Just like the good old days!”

Available now, Freaks is fated to send epic ripples across The Electric Revival’s smoke-hazed horizons. 

See the Electric Revival on February 21st at the Nite Owl with Mammoth Grove, The Rumble and 7’s Wild.

Jon Dore’s all about the laughs - Just For Laughs

Capital One Just For Laughs Comedy Tour Preview

Jon Dore’s all about the laughs

November 2014By Christine Leonard

Known to many Canadians as the host of HBO’s popular Funny As Hell program and from his starring role in the ABC series How to Live with Your Parents, comedian Jon Dore is no stranger to high-pressure situations. Tapped by Variety Magazine as one of the “10 comics to watch,” the Ottawa-born Dore has grown accustomed to sweating out his frustrations in front of cameras and microphones across the country.

An unconventional and endearing character, Just For Laughs Festival veteran Dore’s simultaneously bold yet indifferent approach makes him the perfect foil for the chuckle-provoking constructs of his current pan-provincial tour mates.

BeatRoute recently caught up with Dore, who will certainly have his work cut out for him when it comes to keeping pace with The Daily Show and Late Night with Conan O’Brien contributor Demetri Martin, Loose Moose Theatre Company’s alt-comedy dynamo Levi MacDougall, and noted Comedy Central alum Todd Glass out of Philadelphia at the upcoming Capital One Just for Laughs Comedy Tour.

BeatRoute: I recall that during an appearance on Elvira Kurt’s television show, you recounted a travel tale that involved chugging a wok-full of deep-fried bat oil in Thailand. What other culinary marvels have you experienced since then?

Jon Dore: There’s zero truth to that story other than, my friend Matt told me his friend legitimately witnessed a man drinking wok-oil laced bat in Thailand. I never believed it, but he insisted. I try and bring it up in conversation whenever I can. Other than that, I ate a meat pie at a Footy match in Australia and when I asked the clerk what kind of meat is in the pie she replied, “It’s just meat.”

BR: You are coming up on your 40th year of on the planet. Can you share your thoughts on turning 39 and what you’ve accomplished thus far in your life and career?

JD: Good Lord! What a question. Turning 39 is terrible. I’m slowly being marginalized by the media’s narrow view of the world. Life is fleeting and I’ve never been more aware of this fact. I didn’t exist before and soon I won’t exist again. That’s how I feel about turning 39.

BR: How do you decide which material will be used on The Jon Dore Television Show and which jokes or anecdotes are better suited to your live stand-up routine?

JD: I don’t really start by looking at what’s funny like I’m looking at a piece of meat. “OK, time to start chopping up material for stand-up and television.” The Jon Dore TV Show required a room of people pitching ideas for different themes. We were able to construct jokes using other characters. A much more dynamic process. Stand-up jokes usually sneak up on me over the course of the day. Something strikes me as funny and I store it in my head until I can write it down.

BR: What’s your approach to writing jokes that are going to be presented during a massive comedy tour, as opposed to material that you might perform in a smaller more intimate venue?

JD: No differently, really. Theatre shows usually mean I’m towering above the audience below. Sometimes I’ll tell the audience, “I don’t know what you people are doing down there, but up here… we have a hole to dig.” That’s Bruce Willis from Armageddon.

BR: Nice. How do you ensure that you aren’t stepping on any toes, or repeating ideas that your fellow comedians may be using on a joint tour such as this one?

JD: As far as stepping on other comedians’ toes, I just try to look where I’m walking and keep a safe but comfortable distance from others. Repeating ideas… we’ll find out after night one.

BR: The Internet has given today’s audiences access to a plethora of so-called comedic niches and undiscovered pockets of talent. What podcasts, websites and Internet-based comedians are you enjoying or finding inspiration in these days?

JD: I’ve found my favourites and I like to check in on them once in a while. My favourite podcast is called The Big 3 Podcast. However, unless you’ve seen the film Windy City Heat, it’s impossible to describe. I also enjoy listening to and being a part of Stop Podcasting Yourself with Graham Clark and Dave Shumka. I’ll be stopping in to see the lads in Vancouver because I owe them a poetry reading.

BR: What classic motifs, techniques and comedians from the past do you find yourself returning to even as your methods evolve?

JD: Just about everyone. There are some Steve Martin gems online. He visited the Letterman show to show Dave his art collection only to have a herd of goats stampede through the studio. Mr. Show was the most influential comedy show. It changed the way I approached everything. Jim Carrey’s unnatural act is a good one. I will also watch anything Alan Partridge related about every four months.

BR: Can you tell us about your recent role in Blaine Thurier’s movie Teen Lust [released September 2014]?

JD: Teen Lust was a fun film to be a part of. Shot in Winnipeg, I play the father of a boy who is going to be sacrificed as an offering to Satan. My son realizes that he needs to lose his virginity before the morning. It becomes a race against time for him to do that before the church tracks him down.

BR: So, what does the future hold for JD? Will we witness the return of Amy Schumer’s boyfriend, Ted?

JD: I would hate to be the future. It’s always holding stuff. I would be Amy’s boyfriend whenever she needs me to. I’m currently writing a book of poetry called I Wish I Was A Meadow. Should be out early next year.

Jon Dore will be touring on the Western leg of the Capital One Just for Laughs Comedy Tour, which begins November 5. Catch him at the Red Deer Memorial Centre (Red Deer) November 7, Jack Singer Concert Hall (Calgary) November 8 the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (Edmonton) November 9, the Kelowna Community Theatre (Kelowna) November 12, the Orpheum (Vancouver) November 14, the McPherson Playhouse (Victoria) November 15, and the Bell Performing Arts Centre (Surrey) November 16. Also read our chat with fellow touring comedian Demetri Martin here.