finally did it.

questionable review v1.3 (words i am not good with. festivalee i am. humble opinions need not nor claim to be accurate/professional/informed. warning: heavy bitching ahead)

on the first day of Werchter,
dio sent to me
5 pints (from a 1-5 rating system, madames et monsieurs) go to: lenny kravitz, mika, the national, vampire weekend and (as i’ve heard due to my terrible freezy nature) to chemical brothers.
an energizing pint of guiness to the r.e.m. blokes with a “this one goes out to the ones i love, but next time a little more lively, mr stipe” tiny card note.

second day of werchter brought heat. pissed chicks cause pete doherty cancelled (is he still in jail?!). but air traffic’s second performance was more than a cool replacement. a big drunk cheers goes to the monza table. jay-z was also in da house. oh, yes. i do like jay-z! i always have. cause he makes me shake it. and because i respect anyone who opens glastonbury with a kick at noel gallagher. didn’t like hot chip. neil young is too….mmm… i don’t know for me. but i saw him. (the country redneck girl in me speaks now, but golly gee wee ain’t it neat when you see live the people on radio?! ). the verve were very …blasé. but it’s been their “thing” for some time. i loved them anyway. and give it up for mooooobyyy yes, baby, this body is a rockin’!

and then came her. cutely with a pinch of rightfully announced naughtyness in her looks, she stepped to her piano. by the time she rampaged the stage with her dickhead she had me orgasmic. her violent screams…oi … kate nash had me clinging to her golden mini skirt. she told me it was her birthday the next day so i sang happy birthday. others happened to be there. following her i got an almost sinful feeling while shouting (i don’t do singing) on kt’s tunes. but chicks owned the third day of werchter. and and and not to forget the hives and editors (their 1000th concert). sigur rós silenced the beasts on the werchter field. iceland is, i guess, one of those by default cool things. kinda like luckies and morning hair.

alas the 4th day played a non-fun panic at the disco. somehow thought these are gonna be fun to watch. not.
next…mmm… how to describe what the lady wakes in me … i was 10 when a dude told another dude that i had the biggest crush on him. i sobbed the whole night, i woke up and i kicked both their asses in school. one for telling, the other one’s just to show off. mda, that sums up michel, sacrifice and nobody’s wife i guess. i love anouk! and she brought her little kid and the little kid played guitar!!! i love anouk!!!
and then the kooks were out along with ol’ strange fellow jack white and his raconteurs and the kickass kaiser chiefs. (and then came the joke…) these guys put the “oo” in cool ta-ram-ta-dam! oh… i am good.
man, beck rules. he bloody rules. even though later on i shall put him in the “a howdy folks wouldn’t have sunk your mojo, man!” group, he just is… pure fucking music. and he had a sunglasses tan el si tipu’ ala din fotbal, cum l-o chema. deus were good. really good. one of the nicest atmosphere. you could feel they’re home. and mark ronson was a hip performance.

ok, za “i’m now a fan of” group of the festival was: (drum roll…) john butler trio. down under jam, man. the guy was funny, he was chilling on the werchter field. give it a listen.
the “we’ve been listening to you for years, i came for you here and you should’ve done the same, leave the i’m too cool for this attitude home, mates” big no-no group: r.e.m. (love you, but…), beck… and the biggest of them all… the great radiohead. which i will not comment on.

that was werchter. and a lot more. next glastonbury.

The Winnipeg Jazz Festival ended on a high note with Romi Mayes Band at the Old Market Square.  This band consistently puts on a good show that gets people up off the grass and on their feet.

Last Thursday evening Maiko Watson sang with Ron Paley in a venue around the old Market Square.  While all the performers were great my hat goes off to drummer Matthews who really let loose with about 15 minutes straight of high powered drumming. He was like the bunny with the coppertop battery, man oh man, he was good.

 Then Maiko Watson received an encore for her stellar performance. She gets better every time she’s on stage with Ron Paley. I think she is a natural jazz singer. She sings with such soul and feeling that she commands silence from the crowd  -  you do not want to miss a thing.  The crowd was really encouraging especially one woman who sat in the seat behind me. I don’t know who she is but most musicians will be happy to have a fan as enthusiastic as her. She was screaming out loud man, her over the top screams brought a smile to Maiko’s face.

    Someone one brought some flowers for Maiko. It’s been a while since she has gotten flowers from a fan but this night she did.

   Ron Paley not to be left behind has incorporated a kind of rap to his routine. That always brings a giggle and a smile to his audience, but hey! you’ve got to keep up with the times and he has. Ron’s band is the premiere band of its kind in Winnipeg.

Jazz Winnipeg ,organizer of the annual Jazz Festival is a non-profit organization promoting the art of jazz through concert presentations and community outreach. As producers of the annual jazz festival, as well as concerts and workshops throughout the year, Jazz Winnipeg is a vibrant and essential organization, dedicated to the enrichment of  Winnipeg’s cultural community.

Friday July 4th

10:00 – 10:30 Tate Moore
10:45 – 11:15 Zack Mack Band
11:30 – 12:00 Wendy Garrison
12:15-1:00 Robert Belfour
1:15-2:00 Ralph Waller Band
2:15 – 3:00 Shannon McNally
3:15 – 4:00 Blue Mother Tupelo
4:15 – 5:15 Danny Lancaster & Friends
5:30 – 6:15 Rocket 88
6:30 – 7:15 T-Model Ford
7:30 – 8:15 Bobby Rush
8:30 - 9:15 DuWayne Burnside Band
9:30- 10:30 Burnside Exploration (w/Luther Dickinson)
10:45 – 11:45 Jam With Special Guest

Saturday July 5th

10:00 – 10:30 Ten Cent Hooker
10:40 – 11:10 Shake it Like a Caveman
11:20 - 11:50 Goshen
12:00-12:45 Kent Burnside & the New Generation
1:00-1:45 John Barnett & Band
2:00 – 2:45 Fried Chicken & Gasoline
3:00 – 3:45 Rev. John Wilkins
4:00 – 4:30 Rising Star Fife and Drum Band
4:45 – 5:15 Afrissippi
5:30 – 6:15 Cedric Burnside & Lightin Malcolm
6:25 – 7:10 Blue Mountain
7:20 – 8:00 Dave Kimbrough
8:10 – 8:55 Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory
9:05 - 9:50 Jimbo Mathus &Knockdown South
10:00- 10:45 Hill Country Revue
11:00 – 11:45 Kenny Brown Jam

Musicians - guitar, slide guitar, bass, drums:

Register now to jam with and have individual instruction from the North MS Hill Country Blues Legends

To register, please:
1.  Click on “ticket information” and purchase a workshop ticket.
2.  A registration form will then be emailed to you asking about your level of expertise, instrument, and whether you would like to be placed in a more or less advanced group.

When:  July 3, 2008 from 10:00 AM till 3:00 PM
Where:  Holly Springs, Mississippi
Instructors:   Kenny Brown, DuWayne Burnside, Garry Burnside, Cedric Burnside, Kinney Kimbrough, Dave Kimbrough, Wendy Garrison
Who should attend:  All levels of expertise will be made to feel welcome.  Several breakout sessions will cater to more and less advanced students

After a heavy few days competition, with most participants taking on board at least 5 Tunnocks by this stage, the entrants now make their way to the final stages of the festival where the focus moves away from the Tunnock’s heavyweights to the more delicate fare of Friday’s events. On the menu today are the Tunnocks Snowball and the little known Chocolate Wafer.

Controversy struck the festival yesterday when it was proposed that a head to head between the Tunnocks Snowball and a rival company’s offering should be carried out.
It was with some trepidation that organisers sanctioned a last minute change to the program
to introduce the first non-Tunnocks event to the proceedings - Lee’s Mallow Melee. Let’s Hope it is a success!

Dark Thursday proved to an overwhelming success this year, with a fine selection of Dark Chocolate Caramel Wafers and Teacakes on display. Sophistication was the order of the day as the fine chocolate coating was appreciated by all. Tunnock’s dark chocolate range was a new experience for a number of the
festival goers but the new slant on traditional Tunnocks products went down a treat! It was clear from their reaction that the dark chocolate coating moves the confections from being a playground treat to a tasty end to a sophistacated dinner party. Is it to much to imagine a
slightly slimmed down dark chocolate Teacake as an alternative to the ubiquitous After Eight, or perhaps
a bite sized Teacake supplanting the Ferrero Rocher in the Ambassador’s affections?
Surely a marketing opportunity for Tunnocks to exploit.

Tipping our hat to the US’s Super Tuesday, today marks our very own Dark Thursday where we pay homage to Tunnock’s Dark chocolate confections - the Dark Wafer and the Dark Teacake.