While the beast was sleeping over the weekend, the city was overrun by a veritable army of tartan clad, vest-wearing, cheerful and enthusiastic folks. If I didn't know better I'd have thought the Bay City Rollers had reformed and were gigging at the Metro Centre. Luckily, it was only the crowds assembling for the week-long Brier! There's nothing more brutish than a mob of Roller's fans, let me tell you... (thanks to the Shoe Shop's Dave Henry for the photo)

WINNERS!

OK, Just so you folks know, the Carleton Guest List For Observant Readers results will be announced as the shows are imminent. So, the first show on the list was James Keelaghan (Monday, March 8th) and the lucky (although we all know "luck is for rabbits") winners are: Stacey Schwartz, Anne Dobson, Mary (@ Point Rock Concerts), Adriana Afford and Nancy MacDonald... Each of you will be on the list + 1 (as they say in the biz).

For those of you who didn't win - we call you "unfortunates," rather than "losers" - I encourage you to buy tickets because this show is going to be excellent and I'm very much looking forward to seeing this master songwriter and storyteller in our humble room.

CORRECTION!

It was immediately brought to my attention by several eagle-eyed, and non date-impaired, readers that while the dates for Steve Poltz's shows were correct in the body of the piece on Steve in the last newsletter, the dates in the header were wrong. Steve is performing at The Carleton on Sunday, MAY 9th and Monday, MAY 10th - sorry for the goof and, in some cases, unnecessary heart palpitations - mea culpa.

PARTING SHOTS

I'll be announcing the winners for tickets to each of the other shows as the dates draw near. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about... "Winners? Winners!?! What's he on about now?" I suggest you go back to last week's newsletter and, this time, read right to the very end. I'll still accept entries if you're contrite enough. If you've deleted the newsletter, it's just going to have to remain a mystery I guess, hahaha...

Astonishingly, the actual "for real" demolition of the old Chronicle Herald building, across the street from The Carleton is proceeding in a big way. Fittingly, the beast of a machine doing most of the work looks for all the world like a berserk metal dinosaur, ripping through the concrete - rebar and all - like it was hungry. It's actually pretty cool and we'd like to point out that we have some great windows in the front of the joint that are perfect for watching this monster do its work... if you're into that kind of thing, of course!

It's weird, after all this time, to be able to see up the hill where the building used to be. Makes me think about all that sun we'll be getting when winter toddles off to wherever winters go (southern hemisphere, I'm guessing) and summer gets around to showing up. I know, I know, it's only March but a guy can dream, can't he?

Shameless Promotion

The Coast is running their annual Best Of Food edition soon and is now polling its readership to ask what they think. As much as I don't really take polls very seriously, it's always nice to get plaques and whatnot to put up on the walls. If you feel strongly enough about some good food items you've enjoyed at our place, take a second to register your opinion by going HERE. There's a LOT of stuff to vote on but it's fun to exercise one's brain - at least that's what people tell me...

The Brier Is Coming! The Brier is coming!

We are stoked that we'll have a whack of curling freaks descending on us for the next 10 days. Mike and I once did a show from the Brier when it was in Winnipeg - many years ago - and we had an absolute blast. In fact, that episode turned us into lapel pin collectors, I kid you not...

Anyway, we welcome the granite brotherhood to our city and to our place of business. In fact, we're doing a little something we almost never do - live entertainment - on the weekend of March 12th and 13th. We have a cool little band from Ottawa called Graven to entertain all who come through the doors. There is no cover and music will start around 10 PM. The lads are also playing our Absolut Thursday on the 11th so drop in, have a drink or two and just generally enjoy yourself. Hell, talk curling, it'll be fun, fun, fun until someone loses a broom!

Shows!!!

Plaskett sold out, Gordie Johnson sold out - both amazing nights... And we've got some great performances coming up - soon - so don't miss the boat!

James Keelaghan - Monday, March 8th - 9 PM - $25

James is rightly regarded as one of the very best song writers in this country. A consumate performer, this promises to be one of those nights our room was made for. We've still got some decent seats available but I'm not sure for how long. If you like Gordie Sampson, Bruce Guthro, Jimmy Rankin, Lennie Gallant - you'll love James - he's that good. VIDEO

Susan Crowe - Sunday, March 14th - 9 PM - $15

Susan is the principal songwriter in the fabulous Rankin, Church and Crowe collective that sold our place out for two nights last summer. She's got a great new record out, too. VIDEO

Jeff Martin - Monday, March 15th & Tuesday, March 16th - 9 PM - $30

That is correct, this is Jeff Martin from The Tea Party, one of the heaviest (in most senses of the word) bands to ever come out of this country. He's now living in Australia and will only be doing 4 Canadian shows - two of them at our humble venue. If you're a fan, you'd have to be insane to miss this! VIDEO

Po'Girl with special guest JT Nero - Sunday, March 21st & Monday, March 22nd - $20

Without doubt, one of my favourite shows of last year was Po' Girl, maybe because I didn't know what to expect. I was initially surprised it sold out but after seeing them - duh! So, we're doing two shows this time and I can't wait to hear the new album. VIDEO Oh, and they're bringing this killer singer from Chicago with them - JT Nero - who is over-the-top great too! VIDEO

Official Show Announcements

Antoine Dufour & Don Ross - Tuesday, March 23rd - 9 PM - $20

Matthew Barber - Monday, March 29th - 9 PM - $20

Our good friend Matthew Barber has a new album out - called True Believer - and he's now touring the country to promote it. To that end and, more importantly, to entertain his growing legion of fans, he'll be playing The Carleton Music Bar & Grill on Monday, March 29th. Show time is 9 PM and tickets are $20.

Matthew has played our room twice before and sold it out each time; I don't expect this occasion will be any different so you should get your tickets sooner, rather than later.

The new album is a gem but you don't need to take my word. Here are some examples of what people who review records for a living have to say!

Is that a tune in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? I Think You’re Gonna Feel My Love, the opening track to Matthew Barber’s song-strong new album, bounds put of the gates with Traveling Wilburys sociability and a Viagra-sponsored gleam in the eye – what Roy Orbison couldn’t sing with a straight face, Barber can and does.

The Toronto singer-songwriter has made an assured record, one with varying tempos and heartfelt moods that is smartly ordered and marked by the sharp marriage of melody and word – I hear Jackson Browne, Loudon Wainwright III and Liam Finn, I really do. The record’s apex is a swelling, horn-boosted, piano-dappled title song that busts slumps wide open. True belief? I believe Barber means what he sings, at all times. Greg Wheeler - Globe & Mail

While Jill Barber steered her own folk career in a completely new direction with the release of 2008’s over-the-top jazz-pop album, Chances, her brother Matthew has decided to stay steady and true to that thing he does so well – rootsy folk à la Tom Petty and the Band with a heavy side of melancholy.

The Toronto singer/songwriter knows how to knock out classic-sounding tunes that are hummable and familiar, and that’s no easy feat...

...Comeback Baby near the start switches seamlessly between minimal bluesy, spoke-sung verses and full-blown impassioned pop choruses, complete with key change and banjo, and it works splendidly. Hawks On The Highway is like a long-lost Steve Earle track that injects the album with the oomph it craves, while Suddenly is a haunting, sparse closer. Carla Gillis - NOW Magazine

Steve Poltz - Sunday, May 9th & Monday, May 10th - 9 PM - $20

We'll be turning two years old in May and, to celebrate that unsane accomplishment, are bringing in our equally unsane friend Steve Poltz to help us mark the occasion! To make things even cooler - if that's possible - these gigs will double as CD release shows because Steve's new album, Dreamhouse, is coming out at the end of April!! Shows will be on Sunday, May 9th and Monday, May 10th. Show time will be 9 PM and tickets will be $20 (cheap).

Yes kids, the new album was recorded, mixed and mastered right here in lovely Halifax and was produced by our other favourite Carleton performer - Joel Plaskett. It's a brilliant album and features killer woodburned artwork by Joel's wife, the beautiful and talented Rebecca Kratz.

I'm fully expecting this new record to put Steve on the map in Canada and we're looking forward to the usual, over-the-top Poltz performances. If you've never seen Steve's act, do yourself a favour and get tickets to this show. You can thank me later but make no mistake - you WILL thank me, hahaha...

These shows will be Steve's 11th and 12th at our establishment which makes him far and away our most regular performer, even if the guy does live in San Diego, which also makes him the performer who's come from farthest away to play our place, as unlikely as that is! We love Steve and Steve loves us, 'nuff said...

Almost! Here's the bio I just wrote for Steve, whether he approves of it or not, hahaha..

Steve Poltz is not normal.

He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada) but has lived most of his life in Southern California and those geographic poles are quite likely responsible for his unhinged genius.

Over the course of his life he’s met Elvis Presley (who hugged his sister for far too long), trick or treated at Liberace’s house (each finger had a diamond ring), was Bob Hope’s favorite altar boy (according to him), bravely traveled the world busking before he knew how to do it, famously co-wrote “You Were Meant For Me” with Jewel, pissed off David Cassidy and can count some of the world’s coolest people as fans.

He’s also an ex high school wrestler (98 pound class), an obsessed baseball fan, a yoga practitioner, a hopeless romantic, a smart-ass philosopher and a child-like adventurer/observer with an absurdist’s view of this crazy world and the life-forms that inhabit it.

As a recording artist, he’s fronted the semi-legendary Rugburns and is responsible for a critically acclaimed body of work on his own (One Left Shoe, Chinese Vacation, Traveling, Unraveling), along with some stuff that positively defies categorization (Answering Machine, The Barn). Unlike many artists, Steve simply gets better and better the longer he lives; his shows are the stuff of legend – no two are the same – and can take an unsuspecting audience from laughter to tears and back again in the space of the same song. He is quite possibly the most talented, and engaging, solo performer on the planet.

He’s also one of the most prolific. Any live show aficionado can attest to the fact Steve has a ridiculous amount of fantastic, not-yet-recorded material that deserves to be heard.

Brilliant writer + wealth of killer material = what? This is what…

Steve Poltz’s latest recording project brought him back to Halifax where he collaborated with Joel Plaskett, an award-winning Canadian song-writer, performer, producer and eminently kindred spirit. To the point, Joel is Tim Burton to Steve’s Johnny Depp. The two holed up in Joel’s Scotland Yard studio with a 2 inch, 16 track analog tape machine, a 24 hour work ethic, their comfy clothes, some serious mojo and emerged a few weeks later with “Dreamhouse,” Steve’s most accomplished and focused effort to date.

If Dreamhouse becomes a huge hit, it will no doubt make him happy. If it doesn’t, he’ll be happy anyway and the folks who come to see him at any of the 200+ shows he’ll do to bring the album to the world will be happy too. Guaranteed. If the Padres win the World Series and the Chargers win the Super Bowl this year, ironically, Steve will be happy even if the world ends as a result.

Of course, none of that is “normal” – on THIS planet…

Parting Shots

If you're still reading, thanks. I know there's a lot of competition for your attention and I appreciate your time. So, to reward you for your diligence, I'm going to be forking over some guest list action for all the shows I've mentioned in this newsletter. Just hit me back with the show(s) you'd be interested in seeing and I'll let you know if you're one of the lucky folks in the "winner's" circle!

Happy March.

Howdy,

If you've been downtown lately - and I hope you have - you'll notice that the Chronicle Herald building is finally coming down for real. For awhile there, I thought they were literally going to disassemble it one painstaking brick at a time. No, it's looking like they now mean business. As you can easily imagine, this is going to cause us a little grief but at least someone is telling us what's going on.

It will necessarily mean that there will be street closures (to traffic, NOT pedestrians) but, rest assured, we are - and will be - open for buisness throughout. For your convenience, please find the schedule for those closures below...

Demolition Notice: Former Halifax Herald Building

Dexter Construction Company Ltd. has been contracted to demolish the former Halifax Herald building on Argyle and Grafton Streets. Dexter will require some street closures in order to facilitate this work. Dexter expects the project will take until the end of April to complete. Please note that Dexter intends to allow pedestrian traffic to continue during these closures. The barricades will be signed and supervised during full street closures so that delivery vehicles and emergency vehicles will be allowed access. The goal is to complete this project with as little disruption as possible to traffic and the surrounding neighbours. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dexter Construction directly at 835-3381, or Andy Geldart, HRM, at 476-2243.

The following are streets that will be affected: Grafton Street (between Prince and Sackville), full street closure from Feb. 22 to Feb. 26; Prince Street (between Argyle and Grafton), full street closure from Feb. 24 to Feb. 26: intersection of Prince and Argyle, full street closure from Feb. 27 to March 3, which will result in a closure of Prince from Barrington to Grafton, and Argyle from Carmichael to Sackville; Argyle Street (between Prince and Sackville), full street closure from Feb. 27 to March 5; Grafton, Prince, Argyle and Sackville Streets will all have periodic disruptions throughout the course of this project as work dictates in the form of lane narrowing, parking restrictions and periodic traffic stoppages.

There you have it. We've got a lot of great entertainment coming up in March and I don't want you to think you can't get to us - you most certainly can! And speaking of entertainment, here's what's imminent (cue the trumpet fanfare)...

Gordie Johnson - Wednesday, March 3rd - 9 PM - $20

James Keelaghan - Monday, March 8th - 9 PM - $25

Susan Crowe - Sunday, March 14th - 9 PM - $15

Jeff Martin (from The Tea Party) - Monday, March 14th & Tuesday, March 15th - 9 PM - $30

Po' Girl & J.T. Nero - Sunday, March 21st & Monday, March 22nd - 9 PM - $20

Antoine Dufour & Don Ross - Tuesday, March 23rd - 9 PM - $20

Thor Kristinsson - Wednesday, March 24th - 9 PM - $10 if you get your tickets now!

Matthew Barber - Monday, March 29th - 9 PM - $20

Rachel Faro - Tuesday, March 30th - 9 PM - $15 ($20 includes a CD)

We've got plenty more going on into the spring. Don't be afraid to dial up the Upcoming Performances tab on our website to see for yourself...

That's the nuts and bolts of our immediate talent line-up, so you're up to date on that score. If you'd like to continue reading, please do. What follows is of a more, shall we say, political nature!

Still PIssing About With Parking

I know quite a few of you have been following the efforts of a number of our citizens to get the city (and province) to take another look at how they handle parking issues and ticketing during our winter months. The most pro-active citizen I know - John Wesley Chisholm of Arcadia Entertainment - delivered an on-line-generated petition to City Councel on January 12th. Council agreed to review the winter parking ban within a month's time... and they did...

Sadly, Council charged the Traffic Authority (the branch responsible for the winter parking ban in the first place) with that review. Yes, you're reading this correctly, they had the Traffic Authority review itself - BIG SIGH...

Given that little bit of news, you'll not be surprised to hear that the Traffic Authority thinks it's not only doing a pretty good job, its policy (a blanket parking ban for 25% of the year) cannot be improved upon in any way. Yeah, it's been deemed a perfect system for the winter requirements of this city - the biggest urban centre in the only province in the country where the average temperature in any given month is ABOVE zero.

Council, apparently, has suggested to Mr. Chisholm that the original petition wasn't specific enough in its scope, nor did it have enough signatures to be taken that seriously...

If you're as pissed about this insane regulation as I am, please take a look at the email John Wesley sent out last week and PLEASE take the couple of minutes required to register your righteous indignation via the new petition. It's totally simple and you'll even get a chance to make suggestions on how to better things, if you have any...

    From:     jwc@arcadiatv.com
    Subject:     Parking Ban Compromise - The Petition Site
    Date:     February 12, 2010 8:37:27 PM AST

We've learned a lot from our first petition: lots of discussion with folks in town, information about how the traffic Authority works, and our experience with government Municipal and Provincial.

Here's a compromise that will save everyone in HRM money, time and trouble.

Please have a look at the deal and if you see your way clear, take a second and click your e-pinion.

And please share this site with anyone you know interested in the Winter Parking Ban. It is going to take a lot of clicks to make a difference.

John Wesley

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/parking-ban-compromise

I promise I won't bother you with this issue again, even I'm getting tired of it (but not as tired as I am of getting dicked around!)...

Once upon a time, not so long ago, the Tea Party was one of the biggest acts in Canada as well as a major international touring force. During their 15 years together they released 8 albums and sold close to two million records... But all good things eventually come to an end and the band broke up in 2005. The driving force behind that band, Jeff Martin, will play The Carleton Music Bar & Grill on Monday, March 15th and Tuesday, March 16th. Show time is 9 PM and tickets are $30. Dinner reservations are recommended, as always, for preferred seating. Tickets will be on sale to recipients of this newsletter on Friday, February 12th. The shows will not be made public until next week. Since the band's demise, Jeff has been a busy boy, releasing Exile and the Kingdom as a solo record in 2006 and then forming The Armada, who's debut album was released in 2008. Along the way there were also a number of live CDs recorded primarily in Ireland and Australia. Jeff still - I think - has a studio in Ireland but currently resides in Perth, Australia with his wife and young son. It's been a long road from Windsor, Ontario to the Carleton stage but I know we'll be in for two stellar nights of music spanning a couple of decades. Here's a cool YouTube clip of Jeff playing some lap slide and here's an old Tea Party favourite performed solo... This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Once upon a time, not so long ago, the Tea Party was one of the biggest acts in Canada as well as a major international touring force. During their 15 years together they released 8 albums and sold close to two million records... But all good things eventually come to an end and the band broke up in 2005.

The driving force behind that band, Jeff Martin, will play The Carleton Music Bar & Grill on Monday, March 15th and Tuesday, March 16th. Show time is 9 PM and tickets are $30. Dinner reservations are recommended, as always, for preferred seating. Tickets will be on sale to recipients of this newsletter on Friday, February 12th. The shows will not be made public until next week.

Since the band's demise, Jeff has been a busy boy, releasing Exile and the Kingdom as a solo record in 2006 and then forming The Armada, who's debut album was released in 2008. Along the way there were also a number of live CDs recorded primarily in Ireland and Australia. Jeff still - I think - has a studio in Ireland but currently resides in Perth, Australia with his wife and young son.

It's been a long road from Windsor, Ontario to the Carleton stage but I know we'll be in for two stellar nights of music spanning a couple of decades.

Here's a cool YouTube clip of Jeff playing some lap slide and here's an old Tea Party favourite performed solo...

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Once upon a time, not so long ago, the Tea Party was one of the biggest acts in Canada as well as a major international touring force. During their 15 years together they released 8 albums and sold close to two million records... But all good things eventually come to an end and the band broke up in 2005.

The driving force behind that band, Jeff Martin, will play The Carleton Music Bar & Grill on Monday, March 15th and Tuesday, March 16th. Show time is 9 PM and tickets are $30. Dinner reservations are recommended, as always, for preferred seating. Tickets will be on sale to recipients of this newsletter on Friday, February 12th. The shows will not be made public until next week.

Since the band's demise, Jeff has been a busy boy, releasing Exile and the Kingdom as a solo record in 2006 and then forming The Armada, who's debut album was released in 2008. Along the way there were also a number of live CDs recorded primarily in Ireland and Australia. Jeff still - I think - has a studio in Ireland but currently resides in Perth, Australia with his wife and young son.

It's been a long road from Windsor, Ontario to the Carleton stage but I know we'll be in for two stellar nights of music spanning a couple of decades.

Here's a cool YouTube clip of Jeff playing some lap slide and here's an old Tea Party favourite performed solo...

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Hi Folks,

Yes, it's now February. I'll start off with some interesting facts about Nova Scotian weather, if you don't mind... Did you know that N.S. is the only province in Canada where the average temperture in any given month is ABOVE zero!?! It's true. Seems odd, right? Southwestern B.C. is pretty warm but don't forget, B.C. is a huge province and most of it is freezing in the winter. Us? The coldest month is this one - February - and the average temp is .2 degrees ABOVE zero. Well... maybe this year will be an exception - either that or we're in for a hell of a warm spell in the next couple of weeks...

That's a long way of saying, "it's awfully cold out there these days!" but at least it's a short month.

Here's a reminder that Andrea Wittgens and Gillian Boucher are playing this coming Sunday night (7th). It's going to be a very "cabaret-like" night with two of the most talented women you're ever going to see on the same stage. Tickets are $15. Show time is 9 PM. Here's some YouTube video from Andrea... If you would like to be on the guest list for this show, email me back and I'll let you know if you've won tickets...

I'd also like to remind you that The Bop Ensemble will be at our joint in a couple of weeks...

Hi Folks,

Yes, it's now February. I'll start off with some interesting facts about Nova Scotian weather, if you don't mind... Did you know that N.S. is the only province in Canada where the average temperture in any given month is ABOVE zero!?! It's true. Seems odd, right? Southwestern B.C. is pretty warm but don't forget, B.C. is a huge province and most of it is freezing in the winter. Us? The coldest month is this one - February - and the average temp is .2 degrees ABOVE zero. Well... maybe this year will be an exception - either that or we're in for a hell of a warm spell in the next couple of weeks...

That's a long way of saying, "it's awfully cold out there these days!" but at least it's a short month.

Here's a reminder that Andrea Wittgens and Gillian Boucher are playing this coming Sunday night (7th). It's going to be a very "cabaret-like" night with two of the most talented women you're ever going to see on the same stage. Tickets are $15. Show time is 9 PM. Here's some YouTube video from Andrea... If you would like to be on the guest list for this show, email me back and I'll let you know if you've won tickets...

I'd also like to remind you that The Bop Ensemble will be at our joint in a couple of weeks...

Joel Plaskett was the first artist to appear at The Carleton Music Bar & Grill (in May, 2008) and, while he's been on our stage a number of times since (with his Emergency band at our annual Boxing Day extravaganzas and also with our mutual friend, Steve Poltz), he hasn't done another headlining show - until now.

We're pleased to announce that Joel will be doing a benefit show for his sister Anna Plaskett's vocation - Music Therapy - on Monday, February 22nd. Show time is 9 PM and tickets are $40.

A large number of tickets to this show have already been reserved for supporters of the cause and for delegates to the Music Therapy conference being held in Halifax that this benefit show coincides with, however, there are a very limited number available to the public. If you'd like to support this very worthwhile cause, you'll have to act NOW. Tickets can be purchased by calling us - with credit card in hand - at 902-422-6335.

Please visit the "Upcoming Shows" section of our website (under the "Music" tab) to see more information on Music Therapy...

ONE MORE THING!

I have no idea what kind of vicious, viral, syndrome has been interfering wtih the neurons controlling the messages my brain has been sending to my fingers but I have been continually screwing up the information I'm trying to convey to you exceedingly patient folks about Gordie Johnson's upcoming Carleton performance... So, once and for all, Gordie Johnson is playing at The Carleton on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3rd - the THIRD - the day after the 2nd, the day before the 4th, NOT the 23rd...

If I mess this up again, I'm just going to cancel the thing... Sorry about that folks. My brain, it is tired...