ECMA Weekend Offered Wide Variety Of Music
Monday February 19, 2007 @ 06:30 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

Jenn Grant

ChartAttack writer Shannon Webb-Campbell hit up the music events that surrounded Sunday's East Coast Music Awards show in Halifax. Here's her report:

Friday afternoon kicked off with an in-store performance by Tanya Davis and Rebekah Higgs at Sam The Record Man. Davis and her band I Turn Pages provided the perfect soundtrack for browsing, as the store was filled with curious listeners and literary fiends. Higgs followed with a dreamy set from her self-titled debut EP.

Down the road at the casino, a live taping of CBC's Mainstreet with Lennie Gallant, Amelia Curran accompanied by Phil Sedore on guitar, David Myles and Jill Barber entertained the crowd nestled into the Schooner Room. Curran, nominated for folk and female solo recording of the year, was celebrating her 29th birthday. She seemed somewhat perplexed when the chorus of well-wishers sang the "Happy Birthday" on air.

"I couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday," she said to Mainstreet host Stan Karew.

Once dusk settled in, the lights went up at the World Trade Centre. Warner Music Canada's showcase featured banjo-plucking wonder Old Man Luedecke. The hardly elderly Chris Luedecke, dressed in a brown wool suit, impressed avid folk appreciators with performances of songs from his ECMA-nominated Hinterland album. Whether musing about quitting his job, the culinary bible The Joy Of Cooking or yodeling, the humble songwriter charmed everyone from grandmothers to children.

Jill Barber, sharply dressed in a flowing, fairy-like gown and boots, swooned the audience with a goosebump-inducing cover of "Moon River," which served as bookends to her set.

The Delta Halifax's Baronet Room was a full-blown boozefest complete with breakdancing, as the Urban Grind Stage was underway. Jesse Dangerously with Uncle Fester, Spesh K, Muzz Marshall, Ghettosocks and Halifax homeboy Classified entertained the rowdy crowd.

Ginger's Tavern showcased a collection of Newfoundland talent, as Ian Foster, Sherry Ryan, The Novaks and Hey Rosetta! performed for the crowd members who were nursing pints of local ale.

The draught taps were flowing at the legendary Seahorse Tavern, as Ryan Cook, Feral Bliss featuring Dammien Alexander, Gypsophilia, Brett Ryan and The Tom Fun Orchestra performed well into last call.

Saturday's events quickly became the talk of the town, as infamous fiddler Ashley MacIssac wed his online sweetheart and violin pupil Andrew Stokes on stage at the Lord Nelson Hotel in front a sold-out gathering of Irish folks, Cape Bretoners and displaced Newfoundlanders. Earlier in the day, CBC's live taping of Definitely Not The Opera showcased frequent flyers In-Flight Safety, Jenn Grant and the Night Painters.

The plush casino carpets were well-treaded upon by the tail end of the weekend, as Sunday's main pre-awards gala events included a double-header of SOCAN songwriters' circles. The first round included Ron Hynes, Charlie A'Court, Steven Blowers, Rose Cousins and Jully Black. This was trumped by round two and a circle of songsters that included Amelia Curran, Bruce Guthro, Mark Bragg, Stephanie Hardy and special guest, petite pop-pixie Sarah Slean.

Sunday's final event creeped up shortly afterwards, as Barber was all smiles when she was awarded female solo recording of the year in the off-air pre-awards show. Ever-expanding Prince Edward Island group Mars Hill and New Brunswick darling Jessica Rhaye warmed the extensively lit stage with her honeyed track, "Running For The Door." Sloan's Chris Murphy causally strolled up to the stage in jeans and a leather jacket to accept the award for rock recording of the year.

During the show, I wedged myself between Shaye and the mother of co-host Mike Smith (who plays Bubbles on Trailer Park Boys), who kept laughing and trumpeting the pride that she held for her son with each wisecrack. The Joel Plaskett Emergency kicked into a fired-up rendition of "Nowhere With You" and, as the crowd sang along, images of the horrific Zellers commercial flooded the minds of fellow faithful Thrush Hermit fans. Barber, accompanied by Cousins and Meaghan Smith on backing vocals, bewitched the audience with a spit-polished version of "Hard Line." With the glistening lights in her eyes, one could almost hear Barber thanking her lucky stars.

Foreign Affairs Minister Peter McKay was booed when he mistook Halifax for Toronto. The sharp-tongued Mary Walsh was quick to rebut his error, calling him a "conservative arse-licker."

A tribute to the late Denny Doherty (The Mamas And The Papas) featured Shaye, George Canyon, Dave Gunning and Doris Mason singing a medley of his hits. Blues great Dutch Mason was posthumously honoured with a vigorous version of "Baby Please Don't Go" by A'Court, Angelo Spinazzola and J.P. LeBlanc.

Bubbles sang his ode to fuzzy felines, "Kitties Are So Nice," accompanied by Ricky and Julian (both holding small cats in their arms), and the vocal harmonies of the Nova Scotia Choir.

"He really loves kittens in real life," said Mrs. Smith. "They are like babies to him. He has people come over and take care of them when he's away."

David Myles, Cousins, Catherine MacLellan and Old Man Luedecke performed a selection of east coast songs, but the music didn't stop there. In-Flight Safety blew in for the tail end of the show with a poignant performance of "Coast Is Clear." Wintersleep guitarist Tim D'Eon and Matt Charlton joined the boys. When towering lead singer/guitarist John Mullane struck the last chord, the evening was officially over. The population of the arena poured out, the stage crew started packing up and the East Coast Music Awards were officially complete for one more year.

—Shannon Webb-Campbell