History Maker 2012

Over the May long weekend, my youth group went to a youth conference called History Maker. It went from the 18th – 21st. Last time I went to this conference, I was a youth, and it was held in Kamloops, BC. This time, I was a leader, and it was in Abbotsford, BC (just a little closer). There were 20 something youth that went, and we definitely had a great time. We left on Friday at 11am so we would have time to get off the island, check into the hotel, chill out, and make it to the 8pm start of the conference.

History Maker is a youth conference where youth groups from various churches gather to worship and learn more about God. There are general sessions in the morning and evening to start off/end the day. This is where a band leads people into worship and then a Pastor would give a short sermon. In between the morning and evening sessions, there are a whole lot of workshops that people could attend. This year, there were bands like Leeland, Jake Hamilton, Greg Sczebel and Press Play. Speakers like Elijah Waters and Eric Samuel Timm. There’s a lot more bands and speakers, so you could check out the full details at www.historymaker.ca.

Here’s some pics of what happened at the arena during the weekend.

Here we are waiting for the night to begin while people started filling the arena.

Leeland

Jake Hamilton

Familia playing at the outside stage.

More Jake Hamilton

Legacy One

More Leeland

Eric Samuel Timm

Propaganda

John K Samson with Shotgun Jimmie

John K Samson, lead singer of Winnipeg’s folk indie rock band, the Weakerthans decided to put out a solo album on Jan. 24, 2012 called Provincial. He’s currently nearing the end of his tour throughout Canada and the US promoting his newly released album. He made a stop in Vancouver on Mar. 31, 2012 at the Biltmore Cabaret – a small venue that can hold about a couple hundred people. I was fortunate enough to go see him live as I’m a big fan of John K Samson. I also knew he doesn’t come out here that often, so I had no choice but to go.

The house music fades out. More people started arriving at the sold out venue as the curtains pull away. The opening band, Shotgun Jimmie started the night. I didn’t know what to expect from him because I’ve never heard of his stuff before. One of the first things I noticed was his modded Fender guitar (it had a Bigsby vibrato tail piece, which I’ve never seen before) and a suitcase used as a kick drum. His music was interesting as you knew he was up there having fun, and his songs were about random things like girls, love, space, beer, etc. It had an indie rock feel to his music. Really enjoyable. He would add in little guitar riffs here and there, a couple of jazz chords, and some rock and roll. He even admitted that his “drum kit” sounded like cheap electronic drum loops. He definitely warmed up the crowd especially when he played his last song of his set. He invited a drummer and John K Samson to play bass. What a great way to get the crowd pumped.

John K Samson starts off with him alone on stage with an acoustic guitar in hand. He did his welcome thing and starts the set with playing “One Great City!”. A Weakerthans song about a love/hate relationship with Winnipeg. Once he played the first note on his guitar, you knew he had everyone’s attention. He then played “Heart of the Continent” from his solo album, Provincial. He mentioned how they were pretty much the same chords but with different lyrics. The rest of the band came up and joined him for a few more songs along with Shotgun Jimmie on lead guitar. During the performance, a girl blacks out in the crowd and John stops the music to make sure she’s ok before continuing on. Then someone yelled “you’re so Canadian!” and the night went on. He later raised his mug and made a toast by reciting his song “Elegy for Gump Worsley”, a tribute to Gump Worsley, an old goalie for the New York Rangers. He also later promoted a petition saying that Reggie “The Riverton Rifle” Leach should be into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Which lead to the song he wrote about the petition. John played a good balance of songs from his solo album and songs from the Weakerthans which was what everyone was hoping for.

John always had a smile on his face, and you knew he was having a good time on stage. With that combined with his great stories behind the songs, and his amazing songwriting, this is why people were so captivated by him and his music.  I found myself just closing my eyes and embracing the music. One could only hope that the night would last forever, but unfortunately, John’s set had to end. People were wanting more. John ended up doing a few more encore songs, and wrapped up the night by standing at the very front of the stage with his guitar playing and singing (without being plugged into the system) “Virtute The Cat Explains Her Departure”. It was like a good old sing along. What a great end to the night.

I think I’ve said this a few times already, but I’ll say it again. When you have someone that is very genuine, a good story teller, talented musician/songwriter, and a great poet playing at a small intimate venue, you get an amazing concert.

Legacy One @ North Douglas Church

On March 13, Legacy One came back to the Westcoast to do a show and dance workshop at North Douglas Church. They’re a hip hop dance team with a great message. It was good to see them again. They’re an awesome group of people! I decided to see them live again and take some more pictures for them. If you don’t know much about them, you can check out their website http://legacyone.ca/

If you missed my first set of pictures from the first time, you can check them out here.

Rococode with Mike Edel @ Lucky Bar

December 2, 2011. Rococode headlined at Lucky Bar and Mike Edel opened for them. I’ve heard one song from Rococode and I’ve heard about Mike Edel, but never explored much of their music so I had no idea what to expect.

Mike and his band stepped on stage. Once they started playing, I was drawn into the music right away. Their folk/pop sound really clicked. There were really good rhythm changes, melody lines, energy, drumming, wicked bass lines, and dynamic. Oh, and also the occasional banjo which adds a really nice touch to the songs. They just gave a really good vibe where you can’t stop bobbing your head to the music.

By the end of their set, it was sad to see them step off stage because you just wanted to hear more of them. But they really did a great job and the bar for the night was set.

The next band, Rococode. I was pretty excited to see what they have up their sleeves. I’ve only heard one of their songs when they were in the 100.5 Peak Performance Project, and my friend Matty has been raving about them, so they must be good! The smoke machine goes on full blast, and the show begins. They definitely have a very unique sound, and this is where I hate classifying music into genres. They had a really good pop/rock/indie sound. They started out strong and continued throughout the whole night. Song after song you’re being blasted by good stage presence, talented musicians, and a big sound. Laura Smith has such a unique voice which blended in perfectly with the band and the style of music. She lead a couple of songs which is also great to see. They were all up there having a great time and were really tight musically.

Definitely a great night. It’s been TOO long since I’ve been to a concert. So it was amazing. If you want to see higher res of the pictures, click on them, or check out my Flickr at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/keither/sets/72157628323629815/with/6473706741/

Or check out Mike Edel: http://www.mikeedel.com/

And Rococode: http://www.rococode.com/

And I’ve said this many times… GO SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS!!!

Legacy One @ North Douglas Church

A few weeks back, Legacy One, a hip hop dance team from Calgary, came to my church’s youth group to do a show. They were gooood! Good dancing, good message, and they’re just a super friendly and positive group of people.

Go check out their website and go see them live if they’re around your area! http://legacyone.ca/

We Are The City @ Jubilee Park

A bunch of us went to the Jam in Jubilee concert series in Abbotsford to check out We Are The City. The whole setting made me feel really old and made me realize why I didn’t check out a lot of these concerts anymore – lots of young kids! So Shannon and I just kinda hung around on the side of the stage instead of being front and centre…

The first band: Cale Stanage.

They played folk/acoustic music. Two guitarists and occasionally a harmonica. I didn’t really get too into them probably because I was super tired that night already. They sang some ridiculous songs, but it was good to see they’re just up there having fun.

During the intermission there were weird dancers. I was pretty confused by it all. I guess this is what happens in these kinda festivals? But anyways, the next performer were The Kodiak Nightlife.

A pop/rock band from Vancouver. I guess this festival showcases local artists. The music started to grab my interest, but it wasn’t quite there yet. They played a bunch of songs. They were enjoyable. They were able to warm up the crowd some more before We Are The City came on stage.

[Intermission.... More weird dancing?? Seriously? And no, I did not take any pictures]

Headling act: We Are The City (Indie rock band)
It’s what everyone’s been waiting for. The sky is dark, the stage is lit up, kids rushing the stage to get front row while us older people linger around the edges.

Once they played their first notes, you knew it was going to be good. They’re such a dynamic group, and they sure know how to put on a show… Lots and lots of energy… And very loud. When a band like this comes along, it’s just really hard to describe their sound. Their sounds from their instruments are really creative, and their energy is just great on stage. They are such a fun band to photograph. Every time I put down the camera, I end up bringing back my camera out to take more pictures! Ok, I’m just going to stop writing and let the pictures tell the story for you

Great night. Great music… You can check out the following bands’ websites here:

Cale Stanage

The Kodiak Nightlife

We Are The City

And if you have time, check out We Are The City’s video series for their latest EP: High School. It’s really well done and I recommend you watching it.

Carli & Julie Kennedy Live At Butchart Gardens

I checked out Carli and Julie’s concert at Butchart Gardens (luckily I have an annual pass there), and they sure know how to put on a show. Or maybe I’m just biased because I know them…

They’re a country/folk/roots band. Carli (guitar) and Julie (violin) were backed up tonight with a drummer and bassist. And I must say, I usually don’t listen to country music (but I’m still open to it!), and I enjoyed every moment of this. So this is saying a lot about how good they are!

The venue is pretty nice. It’s a band shell outside, and it’s a really chill environment. The show gets better as the sky gets darker and lights are more visible.

They played a bunch of originals from their recent EP, Small Town Stories as well as some older songs and a couple of covers such as “Life is a Highway” and “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”. I must say, they did a great job covering the songs especially with their ability to add their own “sound” to the song – I’m always impressed by that.

I’ve always enjoyed watching these two live because they’re always full of energy, and they’re super talented musicians. Through out the set, they would swap instruments such as to bass, mandolin, or banjo (big fan of multi-talented musicians). All this was also accompanied by their perfect harmonies.

Thanks for the great show!! Here’s a few links you should check out:

More pictures of the show on my Flickr account.

and Carli & Julie Kennedy’s website.

Go support local artists!!! They work super hard!

Week 21: Carli And Julie Kennedy Teaser

This week’s HDR picture is a special one. My friends, Carli and Julie Kennedy played at Butchart Gardens tonight at the band shell. They always put on a great show – full of energy, awesome harmonies, and really talented musicians. I told them I’d take some pictures for them. As I was shooting, I thought to myself “I wonder if HDR will work in this kind of scenario?” By the time I got home, I was pretty eager to find out, so I quickly whipped up these two pictures.

15mm, ISO 400, F5

10mm, ISO 400, F5

I think they turned out pretty well. Let me know what you think! More pictures of the concert are on the way!

Check out Carli and Julie’s music and website here and like them on Facebook here. Go support hard working local artists!!

Matthew Poon And Lotta Lundsten Invades Nanaimo And Qualicum Beach

On June 12th, Matthew Poon and Lotta Lundsten had to play two gigs – one in Nanaimo and one in Qualicum Beach. I decided to be their chauffeur for the trip because I like to drive, and it’s a mini road trip!

We got to our first destination – Nanaimo. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and then off to the retirement home where Matt and Lotta were going to perform. The place was called Berwick On The Lake, and I must say, it was a pretty nice place! I decided to take a few HDR pictures there. You can check them out here. The view and everything was pretty awesome!

It was a pretty good turn out! Everyone enjoyed the music. So afterwards, we packed up and hit the road again. Our next destination was Qualicum Beach. We got there really early, so we had a little bit of time to kill. We drove around and checked out the beach, and then we found this amazing restaurant called Beach House Cafe. The iced tea was awesome, the view was awesome, and the food was awesome! Mind you, we didn’t have that much time, so we just got a quick bite, but we’ll be back for sure to try out their main dishes!

We got to the venue, which was The Old School House Art Centre. It was a really cool place. They played in a room filled with paintings. It seated about 70 people? It was nice and intimate. I was a huge fan of the paintings on the wall. It looked awesome! I was able to take a few pictures while they were practicing just before people started coming in, so that was sweet.

Most of the seats were filled at the concert, and once again they played amazingly! Good job you two!!

Here’s a link to my Flickr where there’s a few more pictures to check out.

Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans Rock Victoria!

Sunday. In Vancouver. Went to the Canucks Super Skills at Rogers Arena. 3pm it ends. Skytrain back to Surrey. Grab some food. Rush to the 5pm ferry. Ferry is packed with people. Got into Victoria at 7pm. Left the ferry terminal around 7:20pm. Got to my place at 7:50pm. Doors at 8pm. Picked up my friend Mollie. Arrived at Sugar Nightclub at 8:30pm… What a rushed day!

I was really excited to hear Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans because I love the Weakerthans, and have never seen them live, or have I heard about Jim Bryson. So I thought this would be a really sweet concert to check out. I was thinking about going to the Vancouver show on Saturday night, but decided to go to a Vancouver Giants game instead. I decided to make Sunday super rushed and catch the show in Victoria instead.

Jim Bryson teamed up with The Weakerthans and recorded a CD, The Falcon Lake Incident. And now they’re doing a cross Canada tour.

The night started with a local band called Siskiyou. They’re a four-piece folk rock/indie band from Victoria (well, most of them are from Victoria). I’ve never heard of these guys before, but they sure got my attention. They had a really chill folk sound. The kind of music where you can enjoy while sitting down with a few friends while having a few drinks. There were a couple of songs where they rocked out. They also switched up instruments for a bunch of songs which was really cool such as guitars, drums, vocals, xylophone, banjo, keyboard, melodica, and even a hand saw. It’s always great seeing a band with such diversity in instruments.

Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans, a folk/indie rock band came up on stage. The only person missing was John K Samson (lead singer of the Weakerthans) which was really too bad. But they started their set with “Raised All Wrong” – a very simple, short, guitar song with vocals and harmonies. Once he finished this, I knew it was going to a great night. They were also a very diverse band when it comes to instruments. They had guitars, bass, drums, steel lap guitar, keyboard, and trumpet. They continued to rock the stage with a bunch of upbeat songs – definitely impressed with their stuff. It sounded like The Weakerthans but with a Jim Bryson twist to it which was cool because their sound was almost familiar. They ended their set with Wild Folk where they totally rocked out – lots of energy! What a great set! The lights go dim, but the crowd wanted more. Jim Bryson comes back on stage alone with his Gibson SG guitar. He played a really amazing song which I wish I knew the name of. But it was a real beautiful song. Really chill… The band then came back up on stage, and they played two more songs. They ended on a song called “Freeways In The Frontyard”. That was the only song I’ve actually heard from them. What a great end to the night. It felt complete…

Thanks for the amazing night! The music still lingers in my ears and the CD has been playing over and over again ever since the concert. Songs that stood out: Raised All Wrong, Wild Folk, Freeways In The Frontyard, Up All Night, and Decidedly.

Here’s a clip to Freeways In The Frontyard:

 

For more pics from the concert, you can check out my Flickr page.

Bands’ Websites:
Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans
Siskiyou