Cameron Carpenter – 10 CC – 10 Random Things That Happened

No real theme this week just ten random happenings. Spring is finally in the air and it is nice to break out the shorts and put away the parka.

1. Pat Cardinal

It is really easy to bitch about radio and no radio station is ever going to please everyone. There is some good radio out there if you are willing to look for it. I love the line-up at Indie 88 right now with Raina in the mornings followed by Bookie and then Lana Gay. They play a lot of music I like and all three of them know what they are talking about. There are some very passionate people in the radio business in Canada and unfortunately we lost one of the best this week. Although I knew of him I really didn’t know Pat Cardinal until I started to work with BMG (now Sony) back in the mid-nineties. Our radio guys Larry Macrae and Warren Copnick were very good friends of his and soon I would see him at pretty well every BMG event. It soon became apparent to me that he was very passionate about his job and very knowledgeable about the history of the medium. I followed his career up and down the dial and across the country and was always very curious to know where he was heading next as I knew there would always be someone at that station who would return my call. I’m sure there won’t be a dry eye in the house at CMW this year when Pat is inducted into the Broadcast Hall of Fame. Rest in peace my friend.

(Editor’s Note – Although Pat was best known as a programmer, manager, and driving force. He was equally skilled on the air. This is Pat in the trenches…and why he inspired and won the respect of those he mentored later in his career. Aircheck courtesy of Norm Foster)

Pat Cardinal Aircheck Vancouver 1987

2. Nadine Gelineau

Speaking of the BMG years a rather large group of us got together last Sunday night to say goodbye to our co-worker Nadine Gelineau. Thanks to Jane Tattersall, Melanie Kay and Greg Jarvis for putting the party together and to Darryl Fine and his staff at the Bovine for hosting us on such short notice. For the most part it was a joyous reunion with DJ sets from Kieran Grant, Jonathan Dekel, Linda Noelle Bush and yours truly. There were friends and family from Ottawa, New York and Montreal and it was nice to see Murray and Natalia from The Dears, whom Nadine managed at one point in her connect-the-dots musical career. (Editor’s Note – This is a clip of Nadine at CKCU early in her career.) https://youtu.be/X3ZRaUP33hA?t=284

3. Steve Coady

Record company executives are as easy to take pot shots at as radio execs. I know for a fact that there are scores of executives in Canada who are driven by true passion and Warner Music Canada VP Steve Coady is one of them. I have watched him grow from a PEI drummer to one of the most loved people in the biz. Last week he was named “Label Executive of the Year” at the “Worldwide Radio Summit Industry Awards”. Quite an honour and well deserved. Hats off to Sony’s Warren Copnick as he was also on the final ballot. Good to know the rest of the world appreciates what our little country stands for.

4. Philip Sayce

Last Thursday night Steve Coady was filling me in on the health status of Pat Cardinal and it was then I found out how little time was left in his battle with pancreatic cancer. Coady, along with a lot of Pat’s long-time industry friends, were hoping to get out to the west coast to say goodbye but there was only time to arrange a conference call earlier this week. Steve and I were at the Silver Dollar to see guitar hero Philip Sayce. I don’t know how I missed Philip’s career up until last week. Darryl Hurs at Indie Week is a huge fan and promoted to the Toronto show. I arrived at sound check to make sure everything was cool with the band and met Philip as we loaded in their gear. Warner’s Steve Waxman was already at the venue (and yes he lugged in an amp as well) and he told me how he discovered Philip on one of Slash’s Spotify playlists, and, being totally impressed by his playing and the fact that he was from Toronto, hunted down management and brokered a distribution deal for Warner Music. The place was packed to the rafters and the three-piece band gave us a history lesson on rock’n’roll from their great originals to covers from Alvin Lee, Neil Young and The Beatles. The obvious comparison is to Stevie Ray but my ears heard a lot of the late-great Rory Gallagher. Well worth checking out.

5. Logan Brown

As you may now every Thursday night Indie Week showcases acoustic artists at Lou Dawg’s Ryerson. It gives young artists a chance to work out new material and pick up a few bucks in the process. It has also turned into a regular little social gathering with managers, musicians, producers and songwriters just dropping by and hanging out. One of the regular performers is Logan Brown. When I first met him he said he was from Kingston and when I asked if he was from Kingston-proper or the nearby vicinity he admitted he was actually from the small town of Odessa. I asked if he knew the Forbes family and he told me Wendy was his high-school guidance counselor. Wendy is my first cousin, and one, of only two first cousins. Small world.  We had Logan open the show for Philip Sayce and the twenty year old took to the stage at the full capacity club and managed to wow the very middle-aged predominantly male audience with just his acoustic guitar and a pocketful of well-crafted original tunes. He did great. When the show was over we jumped in a cab and raced over to Lou Dawg’s where Logan was to perform his second set of the evening. When we arrived it was apparent that the PA was in a lot of trouble and he might not be able to perform. Instead of a petulant showing or attitude, or jumping in his car and heading back to Odessa, Logan grabbed his guitar, pulled up a bar stool and entertained the crowd for 45 minutes totally acoustic. Other performers from the earlier part of the evening soon grabbed their guitars and before you knew it the whole bar was singing along to Oasis and Phil Collins songs. The kid was born to play and he proved it to me last Thursday night. Keep an ear open for him.

6. The 300 Club/My Drunk Uncle’s Pub

I was sorry to hear that Davy Love couldn’t make a go of it at The Old Laurel. In the short time it was open I did manage a few good memories having DJ’ed one night and having pints with Mike Joyce from The Smiths and a gaggle of good friends. Long-time Rancho owner Donnie Blais has quickly opened the downstairs as “My Drunken Uncle’s Pub” and the upstairs live room is now known as “The 300 Club” (the address is 300 College). I’m sure I will check them both out during CMW in a couple of weeks.

(Editor’s Note – This will be the site of Greg Simpson’s Annual CMW Event, The Simpson Supper. You will want one of everything on Donnie’s new menu.)

7. Peaky Blinders

Just started watching Season Two and the music supervision is just fantastic. From the Nick Cave theme song to the use of the likes of The White Stripes and P.J. Harvey in a 1920’s period piece, the music perfectly fits the mood of every scene. Sometimes history doesn’t need to be accurate to be effective.

8. The Luka State

I fell in love with these kids years ago when they first came to Toronto as The Targets. Although some of the band has changed their sound and enthusiasm have not diminished in the least and they will be back in Southern Ontario at the end of May. Check them out at thelukastate.com and try to make it out to one of their Toronto shows.

9. The smalls – forever is a long time

We did the Toronto premiere of this doc back at the Reel Indie Film Fest last October and now the movie returns to Toronto for a series of screenings at the Yonge-Dundas Cineplex (April 29/30 and May 1/4). I should be able to announce a Halifax screening in next week’s column. Although the band was never that well known in Eastern Canada they were/are rock legends in Western Canada. This is much more than a band movie but more of a look at four very distinct, talented and sometimes troubled musicians. You can take a sneak peak at www.thesmallsmovie.com

10. The Orielles

The first of my “must  see” bands at CMW this year. Have a listen at  https://soundcloud.com/theorielles and check the CMW website for show details (I think they are going to play three shows).

=CC=

Cam’s column appears every Thursday.

Follow Cam on Twitter @CC59, Instagram @Cambo1959 and Spotify @Cambo59

Contact us at: dbawis@rogers.com.

Cameron Carpenter has written for The New Music Magazine, Music Express, The Asylum, The Varsity, The Eye Opener,  The New Edition, Shades, Bomp!, Driven Magazine, FYI Music News, The Daily XY, New Canadian Music, NXNE Magazine and Don’t Believe A Word I Say.