Fringe Journal 2k6: Day 1 - Revenge of Parenthetical Statements!

So, Kow just finished our first performance, and man, was it a performance!

Our first Fringe concert is always a bit of a gamble. We're nervous, ready to see what this year's festival will bring, lost a bit of our tight timing (it takes a few shows for us to get into the groove), etc. Well, I'm happy to announce that this was probably Kow's best Fringe opener!

We had a pretty prime timeslot on the bigger, better stage (9:10 pm), and when we arrived, there was, like, eight people max sitting there waiting for us. Granted, it's the first full day of Fringe, and the sky looks like rain, so who knows what will happen? By the time we finished Fat Bottomed Girls, we had a good crowd of at least 250, so I was relieved.

Our new songs got some good receptions. (Yes, we have new songs. No, I'm not going to tell you, because you're gonna have to COME SEE OUR SHOW to find out.) I was afraid during one or two songs when the audience was dead silent, but the applause that followed showed that we just had them in the palm of Kow's collective hand.

So, yeah, we had a good crowd that enjoyed us to start off our Fringe 2006 experience. Now we just have to remember that 45 minutes is NOT that much time to throw as many songs in there as we wanted to. (We had to cut two songs from the set list while onstage, so people missed the awesomeness that is SuperMariopella. Lesson for the next show!)

During this week's rehearsal on Monday, the phone rang, and I answered it in the middle of us going over a song. It was my friend Shelley, who lives here in town, but who I know from MJ through First Baptist. She asked when our show was on Friday, and I told her. She said, "Great. We'll be there. (Kow singing too loudly for me to hear the phone)'s in town, so we'll come to see you."

Me: "Cool. See you then."

Keep in mind that I didn't actually know who was coming along with Shelley. I thought it would be her sisters, perhaps. So it was a shock when Tanya J. came by after the show. I haven't seen her in a good five, maybe six years, since my trips back home since I started living in Edmonton permanently have consisted of MAYBE a weekend max for family stuff like weddings or deathwatches. But so for Tanya to see Kow was an awesome surprise for me, because, hell, if she could have seen any show we'd done, a good opener's a good one to see. (Just like at my brother Brade's wedding, where a good half of my extended family hasn't seen Kow perform, like, for instance, my brother himself. Also, the family he married into were first time Kowboys and Kowgirls. (That's right. I'm naming our fans that now. Just try to stop me.))

Also, while some banter needed work, I was a huge fan of Dev's and my exchange after one hugely awesome version of At Last (Whoops. I just revealed a new song. Dammit!):

Me: Wow. That was just so SEXY.
Dev: It's a good thing I'm on this side of the stage, then.
Me: Dude, I would totally go through three guys for that. (Laughter from the crowd.) Wait, that came out TOTALLY wrong. (Louder laughter from the crowd.)

So, there's our first day. Hope all of our concerts over the next week are as successful. And if I haven't seen you there, I damn well better before the 28th hits!

Back from hiatus (dot) (dot) (dot) (question mark)

Wow. What a summer it is so far. My bro got married, Dev and I won our NAPW tag titles back after a lengthy non-champ run, I'm back at WEM Lower, I saw the box-office sensation Snakes on A Plane last night, and we all know what time it is now, right? Edmonton Fringe Festival!

But first, an open letter to the guy cruising down Whyte Avenue at 4:45 pm -

Dude, you've gotta know that regardless of your sweet car, the summer air and you and your toned friend's girl-getting moves, I'm not going to take you seriously if your thumping car stereo is playing Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life," right? Right?

So, this being the opening day of Fringe, I'm throwing my hat back into the blogging community. "Sure," you say. "Just like December? Or March? Or June?"

Yes, I've burned you before, with my NAPW writing taking precedence. Maybe I'll just tend to keep my lengthy posts quick and to the point. But I'll start things off with the annual "Jago's Fringe Blog" starting with our concert tonight.

If you haven't seen Dev's or Canton's blogs, or Astro's emails with the times of our marathon showlist this year (16 shows, at least one per day, every day!), here it is once more:

Friday, August 18
9:10 PM Journal Outdoor Stage

Saturday, August 19
1:15 PM TransAlta Power Stage
4:00 PM Journal Outdoor Stage

Sunday, August 20
2:20 PM TransAlta Power Stage
6:40 PM Journal Outdoor Stage

Monday, August 21
6:35 PM TransAlta Power Stage

Tuesday, August 22
10:15 PM Journal Outdoor Stage

Wednesday, August 23
6:40 PM Journal Outdoor Stage

Thursday, August 24
1:20 PM Journal Outdoor Stage
6:20 PM TransAlta Power Stage

Friday, August 25
12:15 PM TransAlta Power Stage
6:15 PM TransAlta Power Stage

Saturday, August 26
4:15 PM Journal Outdoor Stage
9:25 PM TransAlta Power Stage

Sunday, August 27
12:05 PM TransAlta Power Stage

Apocalypse Kow Show!

Edmonton a cappella quintet Apocalypse Kow is recording their first CD, and you're invited to help them out!

On Saturday, June 24th, at the Knox Metropolitan Church, Apocalypse Kow hosts a show that will be recorded for the purposes of making their first album.

Apocalypse Kow has been around since 1997, when all the members met through the University of Alberta Mixed Chorus. Since then, Kow's been seen busking around Edmonton, and they’ve been featured guests in the Carnival of Shrieking Youth, participants in multiple Northern Harmony competitions (Alberta's "Battle of the A Cappella Bands"), and most notably, had their own outdoor stage show in the past three Fringe theatre festivals. Last year, Kow was honoured to be the hosts of the World Masters Games "Party in the Park," where they entertained an audience constisting of athletes from around the world.

Apocalypse Kow has been trying to record an album for quite a few years, now, but technical difficulties keep getting in the way. But this year, they really want to get a CD out for the fans that have been asking for one for the past eight years now. So they decided that a live CD was better than none.

At this concert, Apocalypse Kow has asked John McMillan and Jennifer Kinghorn to participate as well. Aside from being a member of Canada’s premier nose flute ensemble, Jennifer accompanies many choir ensembles, such as Oran, the Brail Tones, Kokopelli, and Operanuova. She recently completed her diploma in Music Composition at MacEwan College, and sings with local a cappella jazz ensemble, Tapas. John McMillan is also a graduate of MacEwan’s Music Composition program, and recently returned from the University of Toronto, where he studied jazz voice. He conducts the FORM vocal jazz ensemble and is the artistic director of “Happnin,” the U of A vocal jazz ensemble. Besides directing choirs, John is in demand as a performer, conductor, composer, arranger, teacher and clinician.

The concert takes place as Knox Metropolitan Church (8307 109 St) at 7:00 pm, doors open at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance and at the door. For more information, call Kyle or Stan at 439-5799.

Concert Alert!

This Saturday, May 20th, come see the choir that Kokopelli managed to bring in from Namibia for a month tour, Mascato!

I've got in my hands 12 tickets, six for the 2 pm show, six for the 7 pm show. Adults go for $16, Students/Seniors are $13, and Children from 6-12 are $8.

You'll see Mascato, which is one awesome chamber choir from Africa, along with Kokopelli and Oran.

The show takes place at West End Christian Reform Church (10015 149 St), and tickets are pretty much sold out.

So, if you can get a hold of me, I can get you some tickets for one sweet show!

And now off to work.

Is anyone doing anything next Wednesday (the 26th)? Does anyone WANT to accompany me to the Small Sins (formerly The Ladies and Gentlemen) concert at the Starlite Room?

Because I'm going. Thom d'Arcy and friends ROCK the JOINT! (Here's the review of the last time I saw them...)

Also, how could I forget about this? Jordan Jose Elek Rivero was born last Monday. I'm a pseudo-uncle! Now if only I knew Astro's Photobucket address so I could link to all the baby pics!

Congrats, Joel and Anita!

Odd Transformations 31... OR IS IT???

So I went home for Easter. It was a very fun time. Loads of food from my parents (Friday: Steak. Saturday: Turkey. Sunday: Steak. Again. Not that I mind. Monday: Homemade hamburgers.), hanging out with Braden and his fiancee, silly pics taken at Mac the Moose for my e-fed friends, and a trip to the set of Corner Gas.

Now, Corner Gas isn't currently filming, but of course, the sets are all up and in some cases, boarded up. And a lot of local Rouleau buildings act as sets, so it's not like they tear THOSE down! Still, once Kow goes to Moose Jaw for Brade's wedding, I'm sure I'll take Canton and others who want to go for a proper tour, when they ARE filming.


Here's me at the actual, boarded up set.













When it comes to my dream, I had one on Monday morning. When I woke up, I realized that I wouldn't be able to post promptly, since my sister was sleeping in the computer room. So I used the whiteboard beside the telephone to make notes and then went back to sleep.

Now, lots of dreams escape in that period where you just wake up, and this was no exception. Good thing I took notes! But my heart dropped when I read the notes:

HORROR FILM

- Demon attacking
- Killed by a possessed Durgrlwrw

Yup, I was sleepy when writing, and I couldn't figure out the last word. It took me five minutes of trying to decipher it! But I remembered, sort of.

Now, I'm not sure if I was killed by a possessed D-word, or if it was the demon. However, the word I had trouble figuring out was "Dagwood."

Yes, something was killed by a possessed Dagwood sandwich. The one that gained fame from the Blondie comic. Yes. A monster sandwich turned, well, monstrous.

* * *

Otherwise, not much going on. Went to Metric last week with Dev, Marky and Dustin. Fun concert, although I'm very happy I managed to finangle earplugs from a security guard. And, as Dev said, the encore is a LITTLE long when they play Dead Disco for 18 minutes.

Now, if only I could get a lead on Death Cab/Franz Ferdinand tickets...