 The Hard Country Sound of Robbie Fulks Zayne Reeves meets Robbie Fulks and his band for lunch. Mirth, catfish and massive props to Lloyd Green ensue. |
 Goin' Northeast Being There was on the scene at this year's North-by-Northeast Music Festival in Toronto, June 9-11, 2005. Lots of music, a few films, and tropical fruit were had by most!  Plus… North by Northeast Film Festival & White Ribbon Charity Concert. |
 Top 10 Rock 'n' Roll Movies Being There's staff selects their picks for the ten greatest rock 'n' roll documentaries/concert films of all time. A few of the usual suspects, and some you probably wouldn't have thought of! |
 Tune In Your Aerial Adam M. Anklewicz cuts loose with up-and-coming Toronto singer-songwriter Valery Gore for a casual chat about making music, songwriting, and facing a music industry only interested in simple pop. |
 Song of The Siren Laura Cantrell, one of country music's leading ladies, talks with Zayne Reeves about her terrific new album, Humming By The Flowered Vine. |
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North by Northeast:
Film Festival
by Lisa Hood-Anklewicz
Thursday, June 9, 2005 - Opening Night Gala Screening
Heart of the World (short) - directed by Guy Maddin
Maddin was commissioned by the Toronto International Film Festival to make this short, black and white adventure, literally, into the heart of the world. In classic Maddin style, “Heart of the World” is a whirlwind trip of imagery, metaphor and melodrama that centres around one woman, the two men that love her, and the ultimate fate of the earth.
God is So Close Now (animated short) - directed by J.J. Villard
An animated romp through childhood angst and paranoia. Our character tells of pranks pulled in Catholic school, which ultimately ends in an assault upon the Pope, to steal his “hat.” Villard uses a very rough style of sketch drawing in his animation and uses his own voice in the narrative, bringing a very personal touch to the story. Set with the Chambers Brothers song “Time Has Come Today,” this is one that you have to see to believe.
Tragedy: The Story of Queensbridge (feature, Canadian Premiere) - directed by Booker Sim
Queensbridge is a borough located opposite from Manhattan, separated by the Queensborogh Bridge. Queensbridge has two things that will bring it to your attention; the first is that it is the world’s largest housing project, with 96 buildings in just six blocks. The second is that Queensbridge has bloomed with MCs and hip-hop artists, more than any other single community, turning out artists such as The Juice Crew, Cormega, Mobb Deep, and Nas. Sim had the idea of making a film about Queensbridge, and through other connections, found Tragedy. When Sim heard Tragedy’s story, he realized that he had the focus of his film. For the most part, Tragedy is not a well know rapper outside of Queensbridge, but in one way or another he seems to be responsible for the hip-hop legacy that was born there. At the screening, the film was approximately 80% complete, however, the impact of the story was in full force, and the history that lies in that tiny community will only cause a deeper level of appreciation and awe.
www.tragedymovie.com
Friday, June 10, 2005 - Screening Theme: Revelations
Bardot A Go Go (short) - directed by Pink Frankenstein
The piece screened at the festival was a fifteen minute excerpt from a work in progress about the birth of rock ‘n’ roll in France during the 1960s, and the influences that came from the American music scene. An incredibly interesting piece which only left me with the desire to see more. Accompanying the excerpt was “Scopiphone,” an early sample of French music video, truly a revelation in itself.
http://www.bardotagogo.com/proposal/
International Music Video Fest (feature)
IMVF is an organization that essentially gathers independent music videos each year and creates a number of screening selections of the best of the best. NXNE was host to IMVF’s Best of 2005 Spring Sneak Peak which only proved to be a reminder of the potential a music video holds and that the making of one is an artistic process, not simply a promotional tool. The highlight of the screening is the exposure it gives to artists, worldwide, that you may have never heard of. With videos that ranged from a rather enthusiastic man in a bunny suit trying to satisfy his “urges,” to animated robots, space girls, and puppets, the IMVF Sneak Peak is a mind-blowing experience for the music video fan.
http://www.imvf.com/
Saturday, June 11, 2005 - Screening Theme: History Lesson
Lomax: The Song Hunter (feature, Canadian premiere) - directed by Rogier Kappers
With an enthusiastic introduction from York University professor Rob Bowman, “The Song Hunter” is a perfect example of the preservation that is necessary to completely understand the roots of music all over the world today. Kappers travels mostly through the United Kingdom and Spain, following in the footsteps of Alan Lomax, who many years before, made the same travels in an attempt to “record the world.” Lomax worked for the United States Library of Congress, hunting out and recording folk music for the purpose of archival. Tracking down a number of now elderly people that Lomax recorded in their youth, Kappers revisits musics that have been long forgotten to most of the world. As Bowman pointed out during his short discussion of Lomax, to be a fan of modern music means that at some level you have been touched by the work of Alan Lomax, whether you are aware of it or not. Without the unflagging efforts of Lomax, the past that gave birth to music of the present would be lost.
http://www.alan-lomax.com/home.html
Saturday, June 11, 2005 - Screening Theme: Raw Power.
Son of Satan (animated short) - directed by J.J. Villard
Based on the autobiographical story by Charles Bukowski, and set to the music of Beethoven and Iggy and the Stooges, Villard takes you on a twisted and disturbing trip of early adolescent angst. As in God Is So Close Now screened earlier in the weekend, Villard again uses his own voice in the narrative, and the same rough sketch style, focusing the attention much more on the story’s content than the visual aspects of the film.
The Ramones & I (short, Canadian Premiere) - directed by Rusty Nails.
This is truly a romp through the memories of one young man who feels a sense of debt to The Ramones and their music for saving his life and keeping him sane. Feeling an outsider in his peer group, Rusty found that The Ramones gave him, and others who felt alienated like him, a voice and a purpose in life. Although this short piece is a touching reminiscence, it is not without its own great sense of humour: “I decided that if I couldn’t beat them, I was going to creep them out.” The film features footage of The Ramones circa 1977 that has never before been seen.
http://neweyefilms.com/
Joey Ramone Tribute (feature, Canadian Premiere) - directed by David Kleijweat and Roel Bentz vanden Berg
This tribute is an episode from the Dutch television show, Lola Da Musica. Featuring interviews with Joey’s mother and brother, an exploration of Joey’s childhood haunts and events lay out a much clearer picture of who Joey Ramone was. While following the development of The Ramones, through their disbandment and Joey’s solo work and personal illnesses, Kleijweat and vanden Berg have opened the window that shows the world what was truly lost on the day that Joey Ramone died. Shots of Joey’s apartment left as it was before his death are a glimpse into a piece of history.
http://www.vpro.nl/programma/
loladamusica/afleveringen/6806498/
North by Northeast:
The White Ribbon Charity Concert
by Adam M. Anklewicz & Lisa Hood-Anklewicz
The White Ribbon Campaign has a simple mandate: to educate about, and ultimately eliminate violence against women. What makes this organization different from so many others is their motto; Men against violence against Women. Formed in 1991 by a group of Canadian men, the White Ribbon Campaign has grown worldwide. Music and charity have had a long running relationship as musicians realized they can use the power of their names for good. Eight years ago, as part of the North by Northeast festivities, a benefit concert was organized for the White Ribbon cause, and has since become an annual part of the festival.
The night was perhaps the oddest I’d ever seen at Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre. Never before had I seen so many people older than 40 in that venue, and never before had I seen chairs in there. Rather than the usual large crowd pushing to get to the front of the stage, there were people in suits sitting in chairs respectfully waiting for a performance for a great cause. Rarely standing, only when overly prompted by The Barenaked Ladies, the audience was the typical Canadian stereotype.
The line up of Canadian musicians contributing to make a difference here was quite staggering. From Emm Gryner to Matt Mays; from Rush’s Alex Lifeson to Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy; from Ron Sexsmith to the legendary Bruce Cockburn, the line up was amazing. A festival tradition has been for the acts to perform covers, and whenever a talented musician in their own right performs a cover, it could be wonderful or disastrous, and the benefit saw both ends of the spectrum. One the wonderful end, I’m surprised to say, was that Sarah Slean was able to perform such a great version of the Joni Mitchell classic, “Woodstock.” Matt Mays was also one of the highlights, performing solo “February Snow” by fellow Haligonian, Al Tuck. On the other hand we had the most surprising of all the disappointments. The Barenaked Ladies usually do a great version of “Lovers In A Dangerous Time” and Bruce Cockburn who wrote the song does it even better. Who would have thought that it would be so terrible with them performing it together? The biggest disappointment however was the all-star finale. Whenever there’s a charity gig, you shouldn’t be surprised by someone saying, “This is a song by John Lennon.” What pleasantly surprised me was that it wasn’t “Imagine.” Instead, the all-star line-up tackled the more appropriate “Woman.” Pleasantly surprised, that is, until Ron Sexsmith finished the first verse and The Barenaked Ladies’ Steven Page ripped the song to pieces, from where it only got worse.
Though the lows were quite low, the highs were absolutely wonderful, including Bruce Cockburn performing “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and Jim Cuddy, Alex Lifeson and John Kastner performing The Beatles’ “Rain,” which was great, though they could have used more bass.
For more information about The White Ribbon Campaign or to donate, please visit whiteribbon.ca
Be There Now:
North by Northeast White Ribbon Charity Concert
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