From Wheatfield Soul to Prairie Punk

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/04/2005 (7673 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FLAT though it may be, Winnipeg is the edgiest place in Canada.

Renowned for its cultural life and reviled for its climate, the city inspires intense love-hate relationships, especially among the many creative people who’ve immortalized it in song.

In this special snapshot of the local music scene, Free Press music writer Bartley Kives says people like Neil Young, Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman and John K. Samson don’t just reflect our culture, they actively construct it.

So, over the next few pages, we offer up an A-Z primer of 100 of the people who make our local scene so vibrant, along with their own thoughts about the city and its music…

THE AFTERBEAT

Mike Reis * Jenn Agnew * Jessica Brown * Denis Gaudry

Leading local ska ensemble and flagship band on Bacteria Buffet Records. 2003’s Balls Out EP has charted nationally on campus radio.

“In Winnipeg, you have to work harder to get a gig, so there’s a strong background of talented musicians. It’s like a positive competition,” says frontman Reis. “But being centrally located can be burdensome. There are times you wish you didn’t have to drive 16 hours to get to your first show.”

BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE

Randy Bachman * Fred Turner * Robbie Bachman * Tim Bachman

The most successful Canadian rock band of the 1970s and archetype for blue-collar guitar rock bands everywhere. Still a going concern with Fred Turner at the helm.

“Winnipeg in the ’60s was like Liverpool, with 80 or 90 bands playing high schools and community centres. We weren’t Chicago or L.A., so we got rock ‘n’ roll a little late. But when it hit, it hit,” says original bandleader Randy Bachman, the local rock and jazz guitar legend who also co-founded the Guess Who and Brave Belt.

“I started on the violin. I was used to playing classical music, where every note was scripted, when I first saw Elvis on TV. I felt this surge of wildness in my veins. The idea of playing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, was a revelation.”

BACTERIA BUFFET RECORDS

Winnipeg record label home to ska and reggae bands such as the Afterbeat, the Barrymores, JFK and the Conspirators and party band the Royal Winnipeg Porn Orchestra.

“I initially began to play music for the simple reason that no matter how crappy you were — and the RWPO were/are crappy — some dude at the Albert would buy you a beer just for getting on stage,” says guitarist and label founder Matt Henderson, who runs Bacteria Buffet with Afterbeat guitarist Mike Reis. Henderson’s personal Winnipeg music highlights include “Mike Ness of Social Distortion giving mad props to Extra Old Stock (beer)” and “telling Greg MacPherson to take off his shirt and then getting dirty looks from the 300 girls that want to be his girlfriend.”

BALANCED RECORDS

Winnipeg record label specializing in downtempo electronic music and soundscapes.

“I think the character of the Winnipeg music scene is based on an artistic diversity and a dedication to produce unique and creative styles. It seems very few people here drift from that or ever want to compromise artistic freedom for the sake of making money,” says co-founder Adam Hannibal.

“Our isolation and climate are so conducive to just hibernating and composing, especially with technology that can make high-quality recordings and production at home.”

STEVE BELL

Winnipeg Christian singer-songwriter and two-time Juno winner with 10 solo albums and sales in excess of 100,000. Former member of Elias, Schritt & Bell. Co-runner of record label Signpost Music, with Dave Zeglinski.

“There is a folksy aspect to our music, not unlike what you get out of the East Coast, and it arises out of a shared experience. There is a sense that you aren’t just representing yourself, you are representing the community.

“My favourite moment in Winnipeg music history is when Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings and the boys performed Takin’ Care of Business at a flood relief benefit concert in May of ’97. It was a devastating time but a crowd of over 40,000 was at The Forks jumping up and down.

“And then suddenly, when they began playing that song, it got quiet and I looked around and saw the tears; people were weeping. There was something about that song and all the work and the fear and the exhaustion we had gone through … it was a real moment.”

ROBIN BLACK

Snow Lake-born, Pinawa-raised leader of Toronto’s Robin Black & The Intergalactic Rockstars.

“When I think of music in Winnipeg, I think of how many entirely different kinds of music are always there. When I lived there, you would go out four nights a week and see eight entirely different bands.

“You would never see one band do well and everybody follow them. There would always be this diversity. I loved playing music there — I loved the sights, the sounds and the smells … ah yes, the smells.”

BLIZZARD BOYS

justrich * phosphor

Winnipeg hardcore DJs and creators of the online Blizzard Radio. The only local recording act to be captured live by legendary BBC radio personality John Peel.

“Winnipeg is one of the few places we’ve seen that has activity in so many areas of music. It may not be a large scene, but the people who are involved are very devoted and love what they are doing with it,” says phosphor, a.k.a. Dan Hood.

“From what we’ve seen, many of the acts that have a good name associated with them, regardless of their genre, seem to start out simply jamming with their friends or other artists in the Winnipeg scene. Winnipeg is of such a size that it’s not too uncommon to know other artists in established groups who encourage and assist their friends, driven by nothing but the love of making music.”

DJ BRACE

Winnipeg turntablist and reigning Canadian DMC champion. Member of Sound Barriers, with rapper Gruf the Druid.

“It’s low-key and you can get your stuff done. I do like the hustle and bustle of a big city, but here you’re not so far removed.

“When I was in Israel and I wanted the new Cypress Hill (record), it would have cost me $65.”

THE BRAT ATTACK

Dave Zegerac * Billy Bigford * Chanelle Birks * Jonny Perrin * Matt Mayor

Political punk band signed to Toronto’s Underground Operations.

“There are so many good bands in Winnipeg, you have to strive to become unique and better at your art,” says frontman Zegerac. “For me, inspiration is all about politics. It’s a good way to reach a better audience, using music as a medium.”

BREAK BREAD CREW

Gruf the Druid * John Smith * mcenroe * DJ Hunnicutt * Pipi Skid * Yy

Winnipeg-based hip-hop collective, with members from Brandon, Churchill and the city, comprising most of the roster on acclaimed indie hip-hop label Peanuts & Corn Records.

“I like the fact we make music at our own pace and we’re not marketing-savvy,” says DJ Hunnicutt, a.k.a. Tyler Sneesby. “We don’t do things with marketing schedules in mind.

“I’ve never used the term first-quarter, second-quarter or third-quarter in my life.”

JON BULLER

Christian singer-songwriter and organizer of Hear the Music concerts. Nominated for Juno in 1999. Combined CD and DVD sales exceed 30,000 units.

“At my CD release party for Broken Drum a while back, I had a plethora of musicians from the local scene from all backgrounds, all contributing amazing talent and supporting my release concert. Moments like those make me proud to be a Winnipeg musician.

“Primarily, inspiration for me is my faith. I’m not much good at anything else. I love God and I love music, so that’s what I do.”

CHRIS BURKE-GAFFNEY

Former guitarist for Orphan and the Pumps. Now a songwriter, producer and manager whose credits include Driver, Kyle Riabko, Chantal Kreviazuk and Eagle & Hawk.

“I do my thing in a huge space, in a cool building in the Exchange District and it’s a fraction of the price that it would be in Toronto. I love that! I can skate down the river to work in the winter. I love that. I work with amazing, committed people that support Manitoba music. I love that. There is radio and press here that love, support and are proud of local music. I love that.

“Winnipeg is an insular refuge of serenity and creativity, an escape from the turgid, trendy culture of mega cities. I really love that.

“There are people who live here that publicly say that they love the community and privately say it sucks and that they’d rather be in Toronto. I hate that. I wish they would go to Toronto. There are plenty of direct flights there but there are no direct flights to New York City and L.A. … and I really hate that.”

T. PATRICK CARRABRÉ

Brandon-based composer-in-residence at the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

“My favourite (Winnipeg) moment was probably listening to Mood Jga Jga on the roof of the Winnipeg Art Gallery when I was a teenager. To hear Greg Leskiw and that group perform, it just opened up some ideas for me about being a professional musician and the excitement of live performance.

“The Art Gallery was one of the first places I heard really great music. I remember hearing Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté’s string quartet when I was a teenager. Winnipeg was small enough that I could take the bus downtown and do that on my own.

“To be an artist — to create new things — you need to be connected to the rest of the world, but you also need a sense of your own space. You can have that space here, more easily than you can in a big centre where everybody’s like, ‘You’ve got to be like this,’ or ‘This is what’s cool this year.’ In Winnipeg I can do what I want, and everybody goes, ‘Well, Pat’s doing his thing.'”

JASON CHURKO

Multi-instrumentalist and sideman who’s lent his pop chops to acts such as the Paperbacks, Mike Trike and Emm Gryner. Also former frontman for BMG-signed Transistor Sound & Lighting Co.

“Everybody says, ‘Oh, it’s so cold here you just want to hole up inside and write songs,’ but I think it would be just as easy to read books or something,” says Churko, who got his start playing in rock bands Uzi Suzi and Liquid Bone Dance.

“There was a time, just before I came into my own a bit more, when I remember Thursday nights at the Albert being really big, and bands like Elliot and Banned From Atlantis playing. Just discovering that kind of scene was a really big motivator for me, because I’d been involved with the rock circuit before. Seeing these bands doing more original music and people really getting into it really opened my eyes.”

CKUW 95.9 FM

Campus/community radio station at the University of Winnipeg.

“It’s a cheap place to live well. It’s tough to make music if you have to work all the time. Winnipeg is pretty close-knit and a lot of folks get serious support from their family, be it encouragement, lodging or financial support. This doesn’t happen in a place that has a transient artist population,” says station manager Rob Schmidt, who was born in Sundridge, Ont.

“I love seeing people get turned on to music and get creative and crazy. Seeing a local band throw an amazing show puts a grin on my face that lasts a week.”

COMEBACK KID

Scott Wade * Andrew Neufeld * Jeremy Hiebert * Kyle Profeta * Kevin Call

Melodic hardcore band, signed to Smallman Records in Canada and Victory in the U.S.A.

“Sometimes, it seems Winnipeg doesn’t know about its own talent. You have to come out in other places before they notice you,” says Neufeld, one of two guitarists in the Winnipeg quintet whose international album sales exceed 50,000 units. “We’ve been on the radio in Reykjavik, but not in Winnipeg.”

DJ CO-OP

Hip-hop party DJ with a country radio background in Portage la Prairie.

“People have said Winnipeg is the biggest small town in the world. It’s very tight and at the same time not insular. That’s what makes it such a creative and fertile scene,” says Co-op, a.k.a. Tim Hoover. “I remember right when I moved to Winnipeg from Portage la Prairie, I went to this anti-racist show at the West End Cultural Centre with Propagandhi and Farm Fresh. It was the defining moment to me of what goes on in Winnipeg’s music scene, and I decided then that I wanted to be involved.”

CRASH TEST DUMMIES

Brad Roberts * Ellen Reid * Ben Darvill * Dan Roberts * Mitch Dorge

Winnipeg quintet that began life as a Celtic outfit before morphing into the brainy folk-pop quintet that sold six million copies of God Shuffled His Feet in the early ’90s and earned a Grammy nomination.

“The Celtic influence on my music has everything to do with living in Winnipeg, because there is a rich Celtic culture there. My grandparents used to play me old Celtic tunes when we were sitting around in the basement while they had beers after dinner on Sundays,” says singer-lyricist Brad Roberts, now a Manhattan resident.

“When I was growing up, I constantly seemed to run into real music fans You know, real nuts — people who had every record by XTC or whatever band. I don’t know whether or not I would have found that in another city.

“Not only is there a lot of good music there, but there’s a lot of people there very interested in good music. It’s partly the obvious things — like what do you have besides hockey in the wintertime — but it’s the way that town has evolved.”

C-WEED

First Juno-nominated Manitoba country band, led for 30 years by Métis singer-songwriter Errol Ranville.

“I have had a long and wonderful career but I am just as excited these days about working with emerging aboriginal talent,” says Ranville, now aboriginal music co-ordinator for the Manitoba Audio Recording Industry Association.

“There’s a leading-edge, trend-setting aboriginal music scene here in Winnipeg. As part of Juno week we have the opportunity to showcase these artists and promote them.”

TRACY DAHL

Winnipeg-based, internationally acclaimed opera singer and former Juno nominee.

“From a classical point of view, I think there’s been a very rich choral tradition in this city. And I think that has (helped) a lot of our classical musicians — the choirs, be they church or citywide.

“What inspires me, inevitably, is the music. It’s very hard to sing music that isn’t inspiring. So much of the classical

repertoire speaks to your soul; it’s not a cerebral art form.”

KIMBERLEY DAWN

Winnipeg-bred aboriginal singer on Sunshine Records.

“When I was younger, I would have told you everybody has got to move (away from

Winnipeg). Now, with the kind of music Winnipeg is pumping out, this is the place to be recording your music.

“The community here is very tight. We went to Toronto for the Aboriginal Music Awards, and there were 23 of us that went together. You’re a family. We may not be the largest city in Canada, but we’re definitely the closest. And Manitobans come home with the awards.”

DOC WALKER

Chris Thorsteinson * Dave Wasyliw * Marc Branconnier * Murray Pulver * Paul Yee

Portage la Prairie-based country band. Multiple Canadian Country Music Award winner and previous Juno nominee.

“When I was in Grade 7 or 8, Crash Test Dummies sold seven million records. I remember being very proud and I also remember thinking, ‘If they can do this, we can, too,'” says singer-guitarist Thorsteinson.

“I’ve said it many times, but the sound of our band has a lot to do with growing up in Manitoba. We’re not influenced by New York or L.A. or Toronto. We’re left alone to do our thing, and

I think that’s where we get our midwestern-rock sound.”

KEVIN DONNELLY

MTS Centre manager and

longtime concert promoter, formerly with House of Blues in Vancouver and Nite Out Entertainment in Winnipeg. Creator of Winnipeg Juno slogan, “The flatter the land, the harder the rock.”

“Isolation is not just a cliché. What tends to happen here is people practise and practise and develop their skills to a level that’s way beyond that of an artist in another market, where they’d probably get noticed earlier.

“By the time they get the money or the methodology to get to Toronto or L.A., they’re more refined than anyone in the scene. Coming from Winnipeg, you’re two years ahead of the competition.”

THE D. RANGERS

Jaxon Haldane * Aaron Goss * Chris Saywell * Tom Fodey * Don Zueff

Irreverent bluegrass outfit with a rock ‘n’ roll streak. Latest album We Stay High and Lonesome out on Fred Eaglesmith’s AML Records.

“I’m a homeowner and a starving musician. How many places can you juggle those two?” says frontman and banjo player Haldane.

“The Horseshoe Cabaret was kind of where a lot of us cut our teeth as far as playing country was concerned. A bunch of us came out of our dedication to punk rock and started playing country, and the Horseshoe was the only place that would book us.”

The Horseshoe is now a Giant Tiger outlet.

CHRISTIAN DUGAS

Much-in-demand Winnipeg session drummer and member of funk band Rudimental, fusion quartet All the King’s Men and the University of Manitoba Jazz ensemble, among many others.

“Winnipeg is a multicultural city and there’s lots of different types of music played here, which is a cool thing.

“There’s Steve Kirby and all the jazz happening through the University of Manitoba, there’s Papa Mambo with their Afro-Caribbean and Latin sounds, there’s Ukrainian groups. Right now, I’m working on a folk-roots project and with (an) a cappella band. There’s opportunities to learn all kinds of music and I think that’s why musicians here are so versatile.”

THE DUHKS

Leonard Podolak * Jessica Havey * Tania Elizabeth * Jordan McConnell * Scott Senior

Bluegrass and Celtic-influenced Winnipeg roots outfit, nominated for a roots Juno in 2003. New self-titled sophomore album out on North Carolina’s Sugar Hill Records.

“Personally, the Winnipeg Folk Festival had a profound effect,” says banjo player and bandleader Podolak, son of Folk Fest co-founder Mitch Podolak.

“When I think of all the (contemporary) musicians who’ve come out of Winnipeg, they all went to the Festival, and also the Bella Vista and the Albert and the West End. We’re lucky to have such great venues.

“I always say this is a music town, not a music business town.”

EAGLE & HAWK

Vince Fontaine * Jay Bodner * DJ St. Germain * Steve Broadhurst

Winnipeg rock band with aboriginal sounds and themes. Aboriginal music Juno-winner in 2002.

“There’s a musicians’ hockey group that’s been playing since the early ’90s, and it’s still going strong to this day,” says co-founder and lead vocalist Fontaine. “We play Tuesday and Thursday. We’ve had musicians from out of town come and skate with us. So that’s a kind of neat thing.”

EASILY AMUSED

Keith MacPherson * Renee Lamoureux

Spritely folk-pop duo that’s built a career the old-fashioned way — through incessant touring across North America.

“It’s kind of indefinable. Some kind of thing in the stars makes Winnipeg happen,” says MacPherson. “Every time you go onstage, you’re spending time on an almost soul level with everyone that comes.”

JAMES EHNES

Brandon-bred classical violinist, now living in Florida. Winner of three Junos and co-nominated for two more this year.

“Even in New York, there’s a special bond (between musicians). You see someone with a violin case on the subway, and you give them a little nod. Of course, Winnipeg being smaller than that, the relationships are even closer.

“Winnipeg is a town where people like to have a good time. It’s fantastic how, on a nice day, you could go to the symphony, then you could go to The Forks and hear some band, then you could hear some other band in the warehouse district, or you could go to a jazz club. It’s a place where people love their music.”

ENDEARING RECORDS

Winnipeg-based indie-pop label renowned for its roster of mostly Canadian talent, including Julie Doiron, Paper Moon, Aaron Booth and the Heavy Blinkers.

“Winnipeg audiences can be very precious and attentive. It sometimes creates an atmosphere where the performer gets freaked out on stage, but sometimes it really works,” says label founder Blair Purda.

“We did a Julie Doiron show at the West End Cultural Centre with Destroyer way back when. Everyone hung on every note and every word. It was one of those nights where you could really feel the connection between the performer and the audience.”

THE FARRELL BROS.

Shawn Farrell * Gordie Farrell

Selkirk-based rockabilly band with country twang and punk-rock attitude.

“I just find that whole early ’60s Winnipeg scene — with the Guess Who and their beginnings, and the community centres and Neil Young’s beginnings — really interesting, because I can see that same type of thing going on today with the all-ages shows being put on in community centres,” says singer-guitarist Shawn.

“For our (CKUW) radio show, we’ve tried to find all this early Winnipeg rock ‘n’ roll stuff, and it’s out there. Burton Cummings became such a worldwide success, it’s not even a Winnipeg success story anymore.”

CHRISTINE FELLOWS

Winnipeg singer-pianist. Third album Paper Anniversary due out in June on Warner-distributed Six Shooter Records.

“Winnipeg is cheap to live in, compared to other urban-type centres. And there’s not a lot of distractions. More importantly, the beer vendor’s open until 3. That’s a bonus, don’t you think?

“It’s only open until nine in Toronto. That changes the whole climate. Readily available beer makes it conducive to stay home and write.”

GILLES FOURNIER

Jazz, funk and session bassist.

“What I like best about making music here is probably just the people I’ve been fortunate enough to play with; to be able to make music with people with the same goal to communicate, to say something. The people I gravitate to are the people who listen the most — you latch on to the people you can connect with.”

DAN FRECHETTE

Pinawa-born folksinger-songwriter, formerly with Motel 76.

“(Winnipeg artists) have been ready to explode into the greater world for a long time. Around here, there’s a really strong co-operative musical environment. It’s always easy to get a gig, and it’s always easy to find people to play with. (But) people have discerning taste buds. You have to be good to shine.

“Some of my heroes in the music scene are people like the D. Rangers and Big Dave McLean. I’m a big fan of the ones that stick around and keep on playing.”

FREQ 107 FM

Locally owned, Christian-run modern rock station with more than two dozen tunes from Winnipeg bands in regular rotation.

“I think Winnipeg’s music scene is maybe more mature and sophisticated. With our audience, we’re always amazed at how knowledgeable they are about music,” says program director Tom Hiebert. “Everyone who works here grew up in Winnipeg. We’ve been part of the music scene our whole lives, and we can decide to play it here.”

FRESH I.E.

Winnipeg Christian rapper. Latest album Red Letterz earned a 2004 Grammy nomination and is up for a gospel Juno this year. Followup Truth Has Fallen in the Streets due in weeks.

“You’d think Winnipeg is just a rock town, but there’s a lot of great R&B, soul and hip-hop that’s come out of here,” says Fresh, a.k.a. Rob Wilson. “I think Winnipeg is the centre of music in Canada. Toronto may be the centre of the business, but Winnipeg is the heart.”

BRANDON FRIESEN

Winnipeg producer, owner of Studio 11, president of EMI-distributed Arbor Records and co-creator of Longhouse, nominated this year for an instrumental recording Juno.

“I stay in Winnipeg because there’s an abundance of talent here. (There are) so many good bands and a lot of creativity,” says Friesen, whose favourite Winnipeg music memory is a painful one.

“I saw Maz from Tin Foil Phoenix tear his Achilles tendon performing at SnowJam while I was mixing them in front of 10,000 people.”

MITCH FUNK

Leader of prototypical Winnipeg punk band Personality Crisis in the early ’80s and singer for Honest John throughout the ’90s.

“In Winnipeg, we have basements, which means we always have a place to practise. In San Francisco, bands used to pay $10 an hour for practice space, which means they never got sharp,” says the vocalist and Winnipeg punk-rock patriarch, most recently heard on the Guess Who’s Home tribute album, singing Bus Rider with the Fabulous Kildonans.

“My first basement practice space was in The House of Beep, at 115 Stradbrook. We called it that because we drank a lot of Beep. This was around ’79. It was half-basement, half-mud, with a little crawl space on the end.

“If I ever win the lottery, I’d like to buy that house.”

MICHELLE GRÉGOIRE

Pianist, composer, artistic

director of Canadian Jazz Concerts series.

“Hearing new musicians, not from here, is what inspires me. I have to hear new music. And hearing my music played by really great musicians.

“There is a lot of support here, in terms of grants, for writing my own music. And the open-mindedness of local musicians makes performing easier.”

THE GUESS WHO

Burton Cummings * Randy Bachman * Garry Peterson * Jim Kale.

Most successful Winnipeg rock band ever, and the top-selling recording artists on the planet in 1970. Only Winnipeg band to play the White House. Reformed in 1999 and went on to tour Canada twice, with Donnie McDougall and Bill Wallace replacing Kale.

“I have a charmed life. I have the luxury of being able to fly out and break the winter up for myself. But for people who go to the office every day from nine to five, those winters can get brutally long,” says vocalist Cummings, a three-time Juno host, part-owner of Salisbury House and — along with

Bachman and Neil Young — part of the Winnipeg music Holy Trinity.

“You just don’t see the sun if you’re at work all day during the winter. There’s a brutality from the elements that

produces more adrenaline, more energy, more focus.

It certainly did for us.”

HARLEQUIN

George Belanger * Glen Willows * Ralph James * Gary Golden * David Budzak

Winnipeg rock band responsible for a slew of early ’80s FM radio staples, including Superstitious Feeling, Innocence and Thinking of You.

“Isolation is a real issue. My first road trip was to Birtle, Manitoba. I was 16 at the time and it took four-and-a-half hours. I remember thinking it was taking forever. Little did

I know how long it would get,” says frontman Belanger, now a producer of young bands such as Radio Outlaws.

“Because of our geography, you have to be prepared to tour.

I remember being jealous of bands in Toronto, who could make a living within 50 miles of their home. They thought it was a big deal to go to Kingston. That was nothing to us.”

ROB HOSKIN

Booking agent for 27 years, the past 20 in Winnipeg. Main talent buyer for The Zoo.

“I don’t buy the theory Manitoba produces so much music because there’s nothing to do here. That might have been the case years ago, but now it’s more a case of role models.

“It’s a self-perpetuating process: A lot of music has come out of here, and as a result there are more people here who strive to make a living in music. We also have a great structure, with Manitoba Film & Sound and MARIA.”

INWARD EYE

Dave Erickson * Kyle Erickson * Anders Erickson

Feisty fraternal mod-rock trio, working on debut album with iconic Toronto producer Arnold Lanni.

“I definitely think Winnipeg is a rock ‘n’ roll city. A lot of the music that comes out of Winnipeg is rooted in the past… a lot of the great bands like Novillero, Quinzy, and the Waking Eyes all have that ’60s pop influence,” says guitarist Kyle Erickson. “I think where we are, we have a neat situation where we’re not at the heart of world events, so we can have a non-biased outlook.”

THE HARLOTS

Buck Garinger * Lane Garinger * Lee Garinger * Mark Sawatzky * Winnipeg rock band and flagship act for Osborne Village rock institution The Zoo. Latest album Crawl Spaces released by Universal Music in 2003.

“Here, we can be big fish in a small pond. There are less

distractions here. Not being as much of a mecca as

Vancouver, there’s more likelihood that you’ll get together to rehearse than go to 10 other places instead,” says guitarist Buck Garinger, one of three Saskatchewan-born Garinger brothers in The Harlots.

NATHAN

Keri McTighe * Devin Latimer * Shelley Marshall * Daniel Roy

Roots-pop group signed to Nettwerk Records. Jimson Weed nominated this year for the roots and traditional album by a group Juno.

“After living in both Alberta and B.C., it feels to me that Winnipeg musicians are less egotistical and more eager to share ideas, blend styles and genuinely seem to welcome newcomers such as myself — and people are encouraged to get up on a stage and make fools of themselves,” says Alberta-born vocalist McTighe, whose sweet vocals mask a dark vein of lyrical malice.

“It must be a chemical addiction to the euphoric effect produced by the combination of Standard Lager mixed with perogies, which after simmering in the stomach acids produced by our neurotic artists, makes us feel tingly.”

NCI RADIO

Ray St. Germain, program director * David McLeod, general manager

Non-profit aboriginal radio network broadcasting across Manitoba.

“I get really excited when a local artist comes in with a great record and we can give them some airtime and an interview,” says St. Germain, a celebrated country musician himself. “We get to promote all kinds of music, aboriginal and non-aboriginal, and every genre, from Métis fiddle music to rap.”

“There is a lot of support for local acts in this community. Fans will follow local bands, come out to all their live shows. The fact that our musicians can work a lot in their hometown is a testament to the loyalty of Winnipeg music fans.”

SCOTT NOLAN

Alt-country singer-songwriter and mainstay at roots hangout Bella Vista. Sophomore album due out this year.

“In Vancouver, you can tell just by looking who the musicians are. In Winnipeg, we own houses and cars.

“You can make enough of a living here so that you can live like a normal human being.”

NOVILLERO

Dave Berthiaume * Rod Slaughter * Sean Stevens * Grant Johnson

Tight, bright ’60s-influenced Winnipeg rock band. New album Aim Right for the Holes in Their Lives due out May 3 on Mint Records.

“I went to see a lot of bands and was constantly encouraged when they weren’t that great. I’d say ‘We’re better than that,'” recalls drummer Berthiaume, also a member of mid-’80s band the Avant Gardeners and ’90s group Bullet Proof Nothing.

“The whole series of Corefest show was awesome. That was the first time I realized how many original-music bands there were in Winnipeg. They had 50 bands playing on the weekend (on an outdoor stage at Garbage Hill) and they had 150 apply.”

RON PALEY

Winnipeg pianist, composer, music educator and leader of the Ron Paley Big Band.

“The people and the music scene are very healthy and energetic right now … the joy of music and the joy of working with people are what inspire me. You work with and meet a lot of new people, and it’s a wonderful way to live.”

GILLES PAQUIN

Founder of Paquin Entertainment, a booking agency, artist-management outfit, film and TV production company and planner of events such as Saturday’s Juno Awards gala.

“Because of people like Burton and Randy, there tends to be this (idea) that we have a strong rock scene. But it’s wider than that. I think we’re perceived as being narrower than we are,” he says, citing the opening of the MTS Centre — an event he produced — as an example of the city’s diversity.

“Everybody on stage that night — Chantal, Doc Walker, Randy — all the people we worked with had the greatest feeling of coming together for a cause, and that cause was a celebration.”

PARIS TO KYIV

World-travelling, neo-traditionalist Ukrainian music ensemble led by Alexis Kochan.

“What I do is really obscure. How much is being done in the world? (I have a) deep interest in culture and the places people come from and how they identify themselves by way of that culture.

“(Winnipeg does well) because of the ethnic base. There’s a strong multicultural component, and in that you can find some interesting reflection.”

THE PERPETRATORS

Jason Nowicki * Ryan Menard * Scotty Hills

Blues-rock trio schooled as sidemen but now with two albums of their own, including the new The Gas and the Clutch.

“Because this is the centre of the continent, it’s a hub for a lot of people coming from one place to another,” says Saskatoon-bred drummer Scotty Hills. “You get so many transient people that end up living here, and they’re incredible artists from Vancouver, Newfoundland, Montreal and such. The blues scene and roots scene in Winnipeg is the best (in) the country.”

RANDOLPH PETERS

Prolific Winnipeg-based composer, formerly in residence at the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Currently working on Inanna’s Journey, slated for a 2006 Canadian Opera Company premiere in Toronto.

“What we have unique in Winnipeg is a strong new music, classical scene. The New Music Festival is going into its 15th year now and it’s really unique. The Junos don’t really cover the classical arts, although there are a few people there who have come through our festival. John Estacio is up for something, and he’s good.

“Personally, writing music is a way of exploring the world in a deeper layer of meaning. It’s almost a romantic quest for redemption.”

POWER 97 FM

One of the few commercial rock stations in Canada that regularly adds local, independent bands.

“This is without question the most active indie scene in the country. It’s almost disturbing how many people play in bands,” says program director Lochlin Cross, who started his career in his native British Columbia.

“It’s cool to come into work and have an impact, have our staff talk to bands and help them to get better and become stars.”

PRIVATE EAR RECORDING

Inner-city studio run by Lloyd Peterson, formerly a member of ’80s rock band the Cheer.

“There aren’t very many cities with so much talent per capita. This city has nurtured Grammy-nominated hip-hop artists, country artists, rock, punk, jazz, blues,” says Peterson. “(With) the cheap rent, the long winters, the isolation of being the only medium-sized city for several hundred kilometres in any direction, people focus their ideas here. Just my one studio, in the last 10 years, has worked on over 100 record projects.”

PROJEKTOR

Jahmeel Russell * John Stewart * Darren Achorn * Jeremy Gillespie

Shoegazer band turned modern rock quartet, with two albums out on Endearing Records.

“We’ve had a lot of big bands come out of here that have made a lasting impact, and there’s a lot of hometown support with all the labels here,” says frontman Russell, former bassist for noise-rock outfit Kittens.

PROPAGANDHI

Chris Hannah * Jordan Samolesky * Todd Kowalski

World-renowned, politically disobedient rock band and founder of militantly democratic record label G7 Welcoming Committee. Slated to release fourth full-length studio album this year.

“Bands that go to awards shows are assholes,” says singer-guitarist Hannah, in the entire text of an essay entitled On Winnipeg’s Contribution to Canadian Music.

PYRAMID CABARET

Fort Street club with enviable sightlines, devoted to original music since opening as the Spectrum in 1988.

“It just happens right now Winnipeg has a lot of good musicians. It’s just like hockey — sometimes you might have a lot of good players coming from Alberta, and the next year they might be from Ontario,” says Dave McKeigan, manager of the Pyramid since 1994 and a concert promoter in Winnipeg since 1983.

“I was in getting my hair cut the other day (and I heard) The Duhks. They’ve made so much progress — they sound great.”

LARRY ROY

Jazz guitarist.

“Music is cyclical, but there have been times when Winnipeg has had more venues and opportunities to play jazz, per capita, than anywhere else in Canada. Jazz is doing well now, and there have been times in the last decade when I could play six jazz gigs a week.

“I’ve always been able to play with a lot of musicians from out of town, Canadians and Americans — world-class musicians from anywhere. I’ve studied in major cities, but playing with those world-class musicians keeps me from feeling isolated.”

ROYAL ALBERT ARMS

Wayne Towns, owner * Sam Smith, talent-buyer

Character-drenched punk rock room graced by everyone from Hüsker Dü to Green Day, now a venue for new and developing bands.

“By and large, this is where a lot of bands end up getting their start. Most Winnipeg musicians played their first show in some lousy band at the Albert, and I mean lousy,” says Smith, who also books the Collective Cabaret in Osborne Village.

“The craziest show I can remember was the first time Jesus Lizard played, sometime in the early ’90s, when draft night was still a big deal. The stage was a little lower than it is now and a little smaller, too. I remember waves of people falling into the stage and almost getting their legs taken off. I ended up black and blue the next day.”

DANNY SCHUR

Winnipeg composer and producer whose credits include Chantal Kreviazuk and Tara-Lyn Hart. Also creator of musicals The Bridge and the forthcoming Strike!

“I have a theory that living under a big prairie sky gives Winnipeggers a perennial sense of optimism, and our history of success has had a snowball effect.

“There’s a true melting pot of music here. Winnipeg is a very cosmopolitan place when it comes to influences. Look at me — I am a Ukrainian that started out at a German Folklorama pavilion and I’ve recorded everything from aboriginal albums to a Ukrainian polka. You name the ethnic group and I have recorded them. Winnipeg is a place where you can soak it all up.”

REMY SHAND

Winnipeg soul musician and home-studio wizard. First Canadian to sign to Motown records. Nominated for four Grammy Awards in 2003.

On Americans surprised by a white soul singer from Winnipeg: “They’re like, ‘What planet are you from?’ People think Winnipeg is farmland. I tell them they ought to come up here and check it out.”

JOE SILVA

Electronic producer and occasional house DJ, among the first in his genre to record. Full-length album due out next year.

“I can still remember the first time I heard house music through a big P.A. That was my defining moment. I walked into Happenings and Harry Chan was playing. He was the only person playing this kind of music, as far as I know.

“I had no idea what to expect. It was a gay bar, I was young and I went in there with my girlfriend or my wife. I didn’t know this kind of music could exist, in such a tension-free environment.”

SMALLMAN RECORDS

Rob Krause * Jason Smith

Punk label and management team that’s home to Winnipeg’s Comeback Kid, Brampton’s Moneen and Regina’s Ghosts of Modern Man.

“There is no one that I truly fear in Winnipeg’s music industry,” says Krause. “The fact that I know that no one in the industry is going to be put me in a headlock and pull down my pants is a very comforting feeling. It allows me the peace of mind to go out and not be made a fool of by some other rock loser.

“Smallman would probably not have been able to have started anywhere else … Winnipeg is one of the few places in North America where two idiots could start a business based on promoting punk rock music and not be forced to live on their parents’ couches throughout the whole thing.”

AMANDA STOTT

Brandon-born, Winnipeg-based singer-pianist who started out in country before switching to adult-contemporary pop. Second album Chasing the Sky released last month by EMI Music Canada.

“When I was little, I looked up to people like Michelle Wright and Reba McEntire. I remember driving in from Brandon to Winnipeg to see Reba. That was 10 or 15 years ago and it was a very big deal to me.

“I’ve never been to a Juno Weekend before, so I’m excited — both to take part and just be in Winnipeg, because I’ve been on the road for so long.”

STREETHEART

Kenny Shields * Matt Frenette * Spider Sinnaeve * Paul Dean * Darryl Guthiel * John Hannah

Quintessential early ’80s hard-rock band and star of album-oriented radio format.

“What I think we have here is a lack of pretension, more than anything. At least that was the case when Streetheart was around,” says virtuoso bassist Sinnaeve, who currently plays with fusion quartet All the King’s Men, tours with Loverboy and occasionally backs up Tom Cochrane.

“We’d go to Toronto, and it always seemed like bands were trying to catch the latest trend. I think everyone in Winnipeg was aware of outside influences, but just not overwhelmed by them.,”

HARRY STRUB

Artistic director for the University of Winnipeg’s Virtuosi chamber music concert series.

“Here I am in a cushy psychology professor job at a university and I get to play show biz. The University of Winnipeg is now the No. 1 university concert presenter in Canada — and it doesn’t have a music program.

“When I’ve gone to conferences in the past and have been on panels, everybody in the classical world seems to know about the New Music Festival. It’s done a lot to put Winnipeg on the map. Of course, we have some terrific Winnipeg composers, (such as) Randolph Peters.

“On the performance side, we have raised fine performers — who usually leave us, but not always. Henriette Schellenberg and Tracy Dahl continue to live in Winnipeg. They’re really international, world-class performers.”

SUNSHINE RECORDS

Winnipeg record label and champion of Canadian aboriginal music for 25 years.

“We figured that Winnipeg needed a record label to create a base for some of the local talent,” says founder and co-owner Ness Michaels, who also helped propel the careers of Chantal Kreviazuk and McMaster & James.

“We figured if we started up a label, we could create a place for these people to work out of and to launch their careers. And that’s what’s been happening.”

TELEPATHIC BUTTERFLIES

Rejean Ricard * Jacques Dubois * Eric Van Buren

Retro-pop group with a strong affection for the ’60s, formed in St. Norbert. Latest album Songs From a Second Wave out now on New York’s Rainbow Quartz.

“It’s got a big village aspect that keeps it grounded,” says guitarist-singer Ricard of Winnipeg’s appeal, adding that it’s easy to make music here, “because the downhill skiing and surfing are so lousy.”

“Music-making alleviates cabin fever,” agrees bassist Van Buren.

TIMES CHANGE(D) HIGH & LONESOME CLUB

Tiny Main Street club that serves as a blues outpost and an intimate second home to the most besotted city roots musicians.

“It’s scary at first to think of people coming to you for their artistic need to be fulfilled, but once you establish a great relationship with them, maintaining it is a joy,” says self-described janitor/president John Scoles.

“Once, The Flatlanders were here. Joe Ely was standing at the bar and told me it reminded him of the Continental Club in Austin. That made me very happy because that’s exactly what I’m trying to create.”

TIN FOIL PHOENIX

Michael Allen Zirk * Fish * Steven Kray * Paul Robinson * Phil Cholosky

Winnipeg rock band signed to Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger’s 604 Records following regional success of indie single Neopolitan.

“More industry people outside of Winnipeg have noticed the recent surge of high-quality music coming out of here, in all genres,” says drummer Kray.

“For example, I happen to live in the same building as Rusty from the Waking Eyes. We go drinking together. He loves the Beatles, I hate them. I love Soundgarden, he doesn’t know who they are. Our bands couldn’t be any more different, but we come from the same location.”

DR. ROBERT TURNER

Music educator and composer of more than 70 classical works, including Third Symphony, nominated this year for a classical-composition Juno. Order of Canada member and recipient of Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.

“I really enjoyed my time as a teacher,” says Turner, 84, whose career included a 16-year stint at the University of Manitoba. “I really enjoyed working with the faculty and students. Some of my students have gone on to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra or to teach music themselves at universities in Canada and the United States. I’m glad to see them succeed.”

VENETIAN SNARES

Ultra-hardcore electronic producer whose sadistic cut-and-paste creations have a cult following in Europe and the U.S. Latest album: Winnipeg Is A Frozen S***hole.

“I really have no idea about Winnipeg’s music scene, other than the scene that’s going on inside my head,” says Snares, a.k.a. Aaron Funk, younger brother to Personality Crisis/Honest John singer Mitch Funk.

“For me, the local music scene is me, in a room, in my house, surrounded by ice and snow and horrible people outside. At least it’s horrible in the winter.

“In the summer, it’ll be nice and happy.”

THE WAILIN’ JENNYS

Ruth Moody * Nicky Mehta * Annabelle Chvostek

Contemporary folk trio, nominated this year for roots and traditional album by a group. Performing at Juno telecast as part of a tribute to Winnipeg music.

“Unlike any other city, the genres mesh a lot more in Winnipeg,” says Mehta, one of three vocalists in the Jennys.

“Obviously, if you’re in the folk scene, you’re not going to know everyone in the hardcore metal scene. But I like the way people guest on each other’s albums. Being on the road a lot, I actually find it frustrating I don’t get to see a lot of the up-and-coming bands.”

THE WAKING EYES

Rusty Matyas * Matt Peters * Steve Senkiw * Joey Penner

Steinbach-born, Winnipeg-based rock band, nominated this year for best new group. Performing at Juno telecast as part of Winnipeg tribute.

“Winnipeg is large enough and small enough, all the musicians know everybody,” says singer-guitarist Matyas. “All the bands do musician-swapping. You get the best bands out of the best players.

“Everyone’s super-supportive of each other’s bands. There’s not like six or seven music scenes, like in Toronto. In Winnipeg, there’s one scene. Whether its folky like Nathan or rocky like Duotang, everybody goes and sees each other’s shows. I think it helps. It makes everybody care a little bit more.”

KEVIN WALTERS

Chair of Winnipeg Juno host committee, in charge of sound programs at arm’s-length government funding agency Manitoba Film & Sound and the most connected behind-the-scenes player in Manitoba’s music industry.

“I was the talent buyer at Nelson McIntyre Collegiate in 1976. I booked the original Harlequin, even before George (Belanger) was in the band. I paid them $300.

“I remember Ralph James walking in with long, black hair and introducing himself. That was a big moment for me.”

THE WATCHMEN

Daniel Greaves * Joe Serlin * Sammy Kohn * Ken Tizzard

Commercial Winnipeg rock band of the 1990s. Sales of five albums exceeded 300,000 copies.

“It’s become a cliché that people hibernate during the winter, but it was definitely true for the Watchmen. During the first four to five years, we rehearsed every night,” recalls Kohn, the band’s original drummer.

“We practised at the McLaren Hotel. I have fond memories of shlepping out there at midnight. It was a good time for live music across Canada and Winnipeg was no exception.”

THE WEAKERTHANS

John K. Samson * Jason Tait * Stephen Carroll

Critically acclaimed Winnipeg-centric indie-rock band. Three-time Juno nominee, slotted into the best video category this year for The Reasons.

“You get the best of both worlds in Winnipeg. You get a tight-knit, supportive community and the room to do whatever you want to do without being devoured,” says singer-lyricist Samson, whose complex relationship with his hometown is epitomized by the “I hate Winnipeg” chorus from One Great City.

“I have fond memories of competing at the Winnipeg Music Festival with various choirs when I was a kid. Something about the Playhouse Theatre full of kids bused in from all over the city to sing on stage for each other — this pure amateur joy of sharing and experiencing melody.

“Seeing Green Day at the Albert was pretty awesome, too, and sort of a similar feeling.”

WEST END CULTURAL CENTRE

Nan Colledge, general manager * Dominic Lloyd, artistic director

Non-profit, inner-city music hall, nationally renowned as a performer-friendly folk-and-roots room.

“One thing I have noticed coming here from elsewhere is there’s more co-operation and better relationships between musicians than in other places,” says Colledge, the West End’s GM for the past three years. “…I’m thinking of Britain, where all bands hate each other.”

BOB WISEMAN

Winnipeg-born pianist, singer-songwriter and experimental composer. Founding member of Blue Rodeo. Earned critical acclaim for subsequent solo career.

“When I was 17, washing dishes at Ruggie’s in the back lane of Osborne Village, I met older Winnipeggers who knew Lenny Breau, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young. I frequently bombarded them with queries about where those famous people played or lived when they were in Winnipeg. My old bank manager at the Bank of Montreal was the drummer in the Squires.

“There was a guy I met once named Clayton Halverson, still probably the most incredible musician I have ever met. Later I heard he works in some capacity with the Winnipeg Symphony. He was the most incredible bass player I ever heard. He could play Birds of Fire by John McLaughlin. His abilities left me feeling very stupid for thinking I was a musician.”

WINNIPEG FOLK FESTIVAL

Four-day, 70-act outdoor music festival that plays a key role in developing new Canadian and international folk and roots artists, as well as energizing the city’s music scene.

“(Winnipeg is) an easy place to get recognized for your artistic contributions. There are only a handful of jobs in talent buying in Winnipeg. In a larger centre, it is easy to get overlooked,” says Chris Frayer, first-year music programmer for the Folk Fest and a former programmer at the Jazz Winnipeg Festival and the West End Cultural Centre.

He also cites “geographical isolation and way above average support from the public funding sector — Manitoba Film and Sound, the Manitoba Arts Council, MARIA and the Winnipeg Arts Council,” as factors in Winnipeg artists’ success.

NEIL YOUNG

Ex-Winnipeg rock, folk and songwriting legend. The Godfather of Grunge. Former member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

“There’s been a lot of rock ‘n’ roll, a lot of music that’s come out of Winnipeg. I think (hosting the Junos) is long overdue. It should have been there 10 years ago.

“It was a long time ago when they asked me to go to Toronto, and I said ‘Hey — if you’d have it in Winnipeg, I’d go.’

“I’d already been to the one in Toronto. They put me in the Hall of Fame 20 years ago or something. It seemed a little early for me. But there I was, wearing my tuxedo.”

THE ZOO

Osborne Village rock and metal club. Longest-running room in Winnipeg devoted to original music.

“In the words of Greg Godovitz, the Zoo is an oasis in the desert,” says 27-year proprietor Chuck Green. “Anybody who comes through here says the same thing: they love the Zoo and want to come back any time.

“When we say we’ll pay a certain amount, we keep our promises. You don’t always see a lot of that in this business. We really like to be involved in the music scene. It gives us a big reason for our job.”