Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Student nurses musical ambitions, records demo

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 08/27/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

MAUREEN SCURFIELD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image

Emma Cloney: record time

Three weeks ago, Emma Cloney, a 26-year-old University of Manitoba nursing student who only wrote and sang her songs "to relax," stepped up to a Winnipeg open mic with a just a few people left in the room and sang. She was shockingly good -- prairie folk roots, Celtic-sounding voice (plays fiddle, piano and violin too.)

Emboldened, she went to Le Garage open mic on a Tuesday and blew the bigger crowd away. People said she was good enough to record. So the very next week, the young wife, mom and horse rancher hauled her guitar and original songs to Jason Gordon's Studio 11 on Henderson Highway and laid down four tracks for a self-titled demo CD. Experienced musicians Dan Frechette (guitar) and Jeremy Rusu (bass) backed her up. Yours truly caught her Wednesday night showing her newly minted CD demo to pals at the Bella Vista after playing a stellar set. No red tape, ridiculous costs or long wait. Only in Winnipeg.

Enlarge Image

J.C. Siwicki: free bones for dogs (MAUREEN SCURFIELD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

-- -- --

INSIDER TIP: On Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. you can drop by the famous Beef and Bones buffet at the Silver Heights Restaurant to pick up packages of juicy bones for your dogs -- the humongous beefy ones and they're free, even if you don't eat there. "Some people just love their dogs so much they're not embarrassed! Anyway we have about 250 bones to give away every Saturday," says J.C. Siwicki, who co-owns the famous restaurant with jokester dad Jimmy, mom Maureen (a glamorous Elvira), and crazy bro Tony. (The brothers are renowned for cooking in costumes with Jon Ljungberg on Breakfast TV.) J.C says his dog Picardy has now picked up two favourite English words: "Beef bones... he just goes nuts!"

-- -- --

RACE-CAR STASH: Yours truly discovered the place where Winnipeg's famous female race-car drivers Tayvia Dorge and Jennifer Carlson stash their vehicles -- R.D. Sales out in Headingley. Carlson's sparkling "sprint" vehicle looks like a silvery Jetsons car that could take flight any time. Dorge drives a souped-up high-performance hot pink truck. Daddy Roger Dorge, a mechanic with his own biz, keeps the vehicles in top condition -- you just don't trust the lives of people you care about to other people.

Dad says the macho guys at Red River Co-op Speedway "just hate it" if a pink vehicle with a woman in it streaks past them to the finish line. This week, the women were getting physically and mentally prepared for the Thursday championship with lightning sprints, street stocks, super trucks, super stocks, modifieds and late models. It's not like you can go and practise on the track beforehand. You just haul your car out the day of a formal event -- and go for it! Next event is the Balcaen Memorial September 8.

-- -- --

LAS VEGAS FISHING TRIP? Two bartenders from Alive in the District who play on their off time as The Blackout City Kids are down in Las Vegas looking for producers for their act. Matt Budoloski (of Leader House fame) and Scotty Johnson, both 30-somethings, use a pre-recorded background over a period of about 10 minutes and then use acoustic guitars and songs with the same beat in front of it ---- for an unusual mix, says Darryl Neufeld. Owner and managing partner of Alive Jason Diamond says, "They've basically taken a bunch of top 40's tunes and made them into 15 minute mash-up songs. It sounds like what a deejay would spin mixing from one song to another. I don't know what all they're doing in Vegas, but it could explode that's for sure.".

Got tips, events, sightings, unusual things going on? Email maureen.scurfield@winnipegfreepress.com or send mail to The Insider c/o The Winnipeg Free Press at 1355 Mountain Ave. Winnipeg R2X 3B6

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 27, 2010 B1

(You must be logged in to post your reaction)

Your reaction?

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.