"That's Right Madge, We've Got Dinosaurs..." Shows and New Show Announcements

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.