Long snapper cracks a few knee-slappers

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This article was published 24/09/2018 (2853 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The audience at Rumor’s on Tuesday gawked when a group of tall men with big, bulging muscles showed up and squeezed into the tables. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were arriving to cheer on their pal, long snapper Chad Rempel, who was performing that night. Facing an audience can be just as hard as facing down an opposing football team, so his brothers showed. Bomber buddies included Adam Bighill, Pat Neufeld, Andrew Harris, Jermarcus Hardrick, Michael Couture and more.

Rempel started into his Rodney Dangerfield-style “long snappers don’t get any respect” schtick, followed by jokes about his long snapper being a small snapper, some inside jokes from team experience and stories from his life. Rempel finished off his set by pulling on a T-shirt that read “Long Snappers Are People Too,” leaving the stage to wild applause.

RAY ANTYMIS: Yours truly noted the jammed parking lot at Flea Whiskeys and popped in to find more than 50 people from Adventures for Successful Singles playing pool, changing partners so they got to meet everybody in the room by the end of the evening.

“We find you the first partner and all the others,” says club owner Ray Antymis. “Talk about a non-threatening, mixing-and-mingling situation. It’s especially good for the new people.” This was only the third meet of the new fall season for the pool league, which meets at the bar Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. until May.

Mixed curling starts at the Heather Curling Club on Oct. 13. It runs two Saturdays a month, followed by a dance “and we need more people,” Antymis says.

“Our youngest members are in their 30s, and most people are in their 40s and 50s,” Antymis says. “We have one member in his 80s named Robert Wagner (not the movie guy!) who rides a bike to the events and joined the club when it first started in 1984.”

Cost is $150 for a year’s membership and nominal fees for certain activities such as $5 for two hours of pool playing. Many come earlier for happy-hour specials and a bite to eat in the restaurant area. For more information, call 204-775-3484.

STANDING ON THE CORNER: What a gem! As people pulled into the fancy IJL private parking lot for the grand opening of Independent Jewellers Ltd. on Notre Dame and Isabel, one woman was overheard saying in surprise: “Looks like something out of Hollywood!”

IJL is still proudly standing on the corner that’s been their location for decades. Co-owner Jonathan Epp pointed out that Wilderness Supply recently moved in next door “with the same customer base,” adding, “we have a safe place to park and great neighbours — so maybe he gets the kayak and she gets the diamond ring. It’s all good — covers all the bases!”

Wearing a formal suit and a big aqua bow tie, Epp looked quite relaxed. “It’s a great sense of relief tonight, after a year of construction and five-and-a-half years of planning,” he said.

His brother and co-owner Jeremy Epp, busy greeting people at the door, said he was, “Happy, just happy!” Contrary to rumours, he says the store is not going to add another floor, an idea that had been bandied about at one time. “We’re jewellers, that’s what we are, not event planners.”

You could have fooled us, since they put on a big splashy event, held in a huge, sparkling space, with all kinds of glitterati and political, business and charity VIPs nibbling on appies and schmoozing. IJL’s marketing manager Kathy Schwartz buzzed around the room greeting everyone by name.

Spotted: Habitat for Humanity’s Michelle Pereira, Ron Brown of Winnipeg’s Boys & Girls Club, the Honourable Scott Fielding, Minister of Finance; MLA Flor Marcelino; Howard Koks of the Dream Factory; Monique Levesque-Pharoah from HSC Foundation; Free Press sales associates Mark Rolland and Tammy Bradford, and director of advertising sales Karen Buss. Also making the scene: Wendy Galagan from Ronald McDonald House, Trish Taylor of the Misericordia Health Centre Foundation and Rennie Zeglaski from Capitol Commercial Real Estate.

BELGIAN CLUB BLUES JAM: There’s nothing quite like it in Winnipeg for super-successful weekly jams. On Thursday night, despite the pouring rain, the Belgian Club blues/classic rock and jazz jam was still filled with well-known Winnipeg band members — past and present — toting their instruments and ready to play, either listening or playing pool at the back of the renovated room as they waited patiently and enjoyed the friendly party atmosphere.

Host band Beg, Borrow and Steel — composed of Evan Muzychuk, George Walichnowski and drummer Brian (Beaver) Harrisko — kicked it off at 9:30 p.m. They were followed by more than 30 musicians in bands of three to seven people, made up on the fly by “Beav,” who looks like Andy Warhol with white hair and huge black glasses.

One group signed up as Ferdy’s Band, composed of singer/guitarist Ferdinand Goveas, keyboardist Derek Lobo, bass player Keith Mufty, drummer Bill Brandstrom and guitarist Art Chepil, joined by volunteer Richard Malo on sax. Singer Rae Anne Paxton made the scene, as did super guitarist Lukus Nasekapow, drummer Jimbo Houston, guitarist Howard Lavitt and singers Leanne Jayne and Romeo Lamondin. Many more just kept rolling in the door, wet from the rain and smiling. Check it out some Thursday night — always a success!

Got tips? Cool events happening? Been rubbing shoulders with the stars? Email Maureen’s Tips at mscurf@shaw.ca.