Juno Weekend Artist Lineup Takes Shape

02/24/09 12:48pm

Things are coming together for next month's Juno weekend in Vancouver, with lineups in place for JunoFest, Fan Fare, the Juno Cup hockey game and the songwriters' circle.

The Juno Cup will be up for grabs at 7:30 p.m. on March 27 when Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy leads The Rockers shinny team of musicians and Juno nominees against former Vancouver Canuck Cliff Ronning and a squad of former NHLers at UBC Thunderbird Arena. The annual game has raised more than $700,000 for the Canadian Academy Of Recording Arts And Sciences' MusiCounts music education charity, and that total will increase this year.

Coach Ian Thornley will oversee a Rockers roster that includes Cuddy, Aaron Pritchett, Great Big Sea's Alan Doyle and Sean McCann, Barney Bentall and his son Dustin, Creaking Tree String Quartet's Brad Keller and Brian Kobayakawa, State Of Shock's Cam Melnyk and Jesse Wainwright, The Odds' Craig Northey, Eagle & Hawks' Jay Bodner and Vince Fontaine, NQ Arbuckle's John Dinsmore and Peter Kesper, Luke Doucet, Elliott Brood's Mark Sasso, Matthew Barber, The Midway State's Nathan Ferraro, Dearly Beloved's Rob Higgins, Steve Dawson, Acres Of Lions' Tyson Yerex, Barenaked Ladies' Tyler Stewart and two actual ladies (though that may change once they hit the ice), Kathleen Edwards and Allan Waters Humanitarian Award recipient Sarah McLachlan.

Ronning will be joined on the NHL oldtimers team by Bob Probert, Brad Dalgarno, Dave Babych, Mark Napier, Mike Pelyk, Paul Coffey and Russ Courtnall.

Fans will be able to get autographs, listen to interviews and win prizes at Fan Fare the next day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the free street party at the intersection of Granville and Robson. Aaron Pritchett, City And Colour, Crystal Shawanda, Divine Brown, Doc Walker, Elise Estrada, George Canyon, Kreesha Turner, Saint Alvia, Sam Roberts Band, Tara Oram and The Trews will all be on hand.

Hawksley Workman will host the songwriters' circle at noon on Sunday at The Centre In Vancouver For Performing Arts. He'll share songs and stories along with Doc Walker's Chris Thorsteinson and Dave Wasyliw, Cuddy, Ndidi Onukwulu, Sarah Slean and Buffy Sainte-Marie. Rich Terfry (a.k.a. Buck 65) will host a live broadcast of the fundraising event for MusiCounts on CBC Radio 2.

Sunday night's Juno show, broadcast by CTV from General Motors Place, will feature performances by City And Colour, Nickelback, Sarah McLachlan and Simple Plan. More performers will be announced next week, and our fingers are still crossed that Nardwuar The Human Serviette's name will be on the list.

JunoFest will showcase more than 100 acts at clubs around Vancouver from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on March 27 and 28.

Tickets for all the Juno weekend events and $30 JunoFest wristbands that give wearers priority entrance to venues will go on sale through Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. (PST) on Saturday. More details on the weekend's events are available from the Juno Awards website.

Here are the JunoFest performers:

16mm
Acres Of Lions
Adaline
Andrew Allen
Amos Garrett
Bend Sinister
Big Dave McLean
Billy Joe Green
Callahan
Carly Rae Jepsen
Chin
Christer
Current Swell
DJ Brace
Daniel Wesley
Dan Mangan
Dearly Beloved
Deep Dark Woods
Dustin Bentall
Eldorado
Elise Estrada
Elizabeth Shepherd
Elliott Brood
Faber Drive
George Leach
Greg Sczebel
The Gryphon Trio
Hannah Georgas
Hey Ocean!
Hey Rosetta!
Inward Eye
Jason Plumb
Jaydee Bixby
Jessica Beach
Jimmy Zee Band
Jon & Roy
Kill Rhythm
Kinnie Starr
Kuba
Ladies Of The Canyon
Laura Smith
Laurell
Le Groupe Swing
Lindsay Ell
Mad Shadow
Marble Rye
Maryem & Ernie
Tollar
Matthew Barber
Matt Mays & El Torpedo
Maurice
Mobile
Mother Mother
Nat Jay
Ninjaspy
NQ Arbuckle
Pride Tiger
Rich Hope
Royal Wood
Ryan McMahon
Said The Whale
Saint Alvia
Scatterheart
Sex With Strangers
Shawn Hlookoff
Shiloh Lindsey
Shout Out Out Out Out
Spread Eagle
Stand Down
Starfield
Steve Dawson
Suzie Vinnick
The British Columbians
The Dudes
The Fugitives
The Good News
The Manvils
The Painted Birds
The Small Glories (Blue Violets)
The Turn
The Trews
The Whethermen
Times Neue Roman
Tracy Bone
Twilight Hotel
Vince Vaccaro
Wakefield Drive
You Say Party! We Say Die!