Musicians jam en masse for 50th bash

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/08/2012 (5182 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

“IT was a dinner party that blew up!” said Winnipeg’s busiest musician Gerry Atwell, who turned 50 on Monday at midnight surrounded by a group of jamming musicians. They showed up en masse at the Bella Vista bar and restaurant, toting instruments. Atwell and visiting musician Graham Shaw had casually planned a little reunion/birthday dinner with a couple of friends, with reggae band dubadub for jamming later, which includes Atwell, Yuri Korchynski, Rod Hussey, Kevin McKay and Brendan Kinley. But, this is musical Winnipeg, and word got out in the clubs!

It didn’t hurt that Atwell plays keyboards and sings in multiple bands — currently Eagle and Hawk, Rockalypso, Ministers of Cool and Indian City. His styles include pop, rock, reggae, soca, blues, R&B, funk, country, folk, alternative and rap. “I had my first gig at 15 for Sea Cadets and our band was called Blue Fade,” he says. His dream to be a musician solidified after a concert at his school in St. Norbert. “I went home and it was very clear to me that is what I wanted to do.”

Jammers at “the Bella” included Shandra Levreault, with a debut album ready to pop, Rena Semenko and Karaleigh Vincent of Mike and the Eastwood Gang, Nicole Smigelski of My Tragic Sister fame; and DJ St. Germain who’s song Come Home is No.1 on NCI-FM this week. Also on deck were Gary Dindayal, formerly of Winnipeg in town from Trinidad; Glenworth Williams of Rockalypso; Tim Butler and Celia Wren of duo New Vintage, Lawrence “Spatch” Mulhall formerly of Shake Naked and Deadbeat Honeymooners fame, and NAfro Dance drummer/choreographer Casimiro Nhussi. Graham Shaw played harp and joined Tim Elias singing backup. “It was a great night!” said the birthday boy.

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CEO SLEEP-OUT: Winnipeg’s top brass — presidents, CEOs, business owners, plus local celebrities — are busy signing up this month to help raise $150,000 for the homeless by sleeping out on downtown streets on Sept. 27. Last year, the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ initiative Change for the Better raised $100,000 to help homeless people get off the streets and start working in paid positions. They also help organizations such as Siloam Mission with their Mission Off the Streets program.

So, who’s going to be ‘sleeping together’? Health Sciences Centre’s Adam Topp will be there in his warmest tuque, as will Perfume Paradise owner Ari Driver, Winnipeg Goldeyes’ Andrew Collier, Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce chair Brian Bowman, Canadian Footwear’s Brian Scharfstein, and Damon Johnston of the Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg. Winnipeg’s acting deputy mayor, Paula Havixbeck, and city Coun. Jenny Gerbasi have already signed up.

Not surprisingly, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ honcho Stefano Grande, Siloam Mission executive director Floyd Perras and Ian Gerbrandt of the Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council are excited to participate that night. For the list of participants, amounts raised and a way to pledge your support, see www.changeforthebetter.org

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100 MILES OF DELICIOUS DINNER: Tickets just went on sale for the 100 Mile Dinner coming up Sept. 11, and a third of the tickets are gone already. The key to this dinner’s success? The Winnipeg Boys and Girls Club fundraiser supports disadvantaged kids outside of school hours with a variety of sports and social activities to keep them out of trouble, and feel positive about their futures. And the food at this grassroots gala is gourmet, organic and from no further than 100 miles away. It’s cooked by Winnipeg’s celebrity chefs who are on hand to meet and greet the diners. The 2012 top chef lineup includes Diversity Foods’ Ben Kramer, Segovia’s Adam Donnelly, Peasant Cookery’s Tristan Foucault, Deer + Almond’s Mandel Hitzer, Luc Jean from Red River College, The Grove’s Norman Pastorin, Michael Schafer from Sydney’s at The Forks and Rudy’s Eat and Drink, plus Alexander Svenne from Bistro 7 1/4. Emcee for the night is Terry McLeod from CBC.

The problem last year — long lineups for a buffet-style dinner — has been solved with sit-down table service at the Caboto Centre on Wilkes Avenue. Juno Award-winning songwriter Keri Latimer, who co-fronts the band Nathan, is the entertainer. She’s a magical singer who has beaten out fellow nominee Bryan Adams at the Western Canadian Songwriting Awards. That takes some doing. Tickets and information for the dinner can be obtained by calling 982-4940.

 

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