confluence, episode 4: Do you like music? Do you like good times?

Do you like music? Do you like good times?

I know I do. That's why I backed this IndieGoGo campaign to get Black Spruce Bog enough $$$ to record an album. While I'm in it for the music, the perks are interesting. Aside from the standard vinyl/t-shirt/house concert offerings, there are seeds (the digital downloads cards are also packets for parsley/oregano/basil), a dinner cooked for you by the band ($175), a video of a band member jumping into the ice-cold Nechako river ($200), and a trip/tour to visit the drummer's Mom in Minnesota for Christmas ($2,000). Check out all the perks and support the band here.

* * *

Here's another YouTube video from some Prince George music guys. It made me laugh.

* * * 

While on the subject of supporting local musicians, here's some new additions to my Bandcamp collection:

• Isaac Smeele - Exovia Part 1: Liquid Sample Destiny 

Smeele is tough to pin down- he's somewhere between EDM, hip-hop, and ambience, although better than that description implies. Name your price.

• Doug Koyama - Hillcrest

Doug is Quesnel-based, and a well-known face at northern festivals both on-stage and as a volunteer helping everything come together. Musically he plays with looping vocals that create ambient spaces I enjoy visiting- he used to do it all improvised, but is now moving more into composing/songwriting. Name your price.

• Rube & Rake - Haunted Brothel Demo

If you were a member of the "scene" or whatever it was in Prince George circa 2007, you probably owned a copy of "Anticipation is our Destination" by the Arbitrarys(that's a MySpace link, so you know it is authentic 2007). Anyways, Josh Sandu was in that band and now he is Newfoundland and has apparently formed a new band and they have banjos and sound nice. Name your price.

* * *

In case you forgot, you can vote for Doug, Isaac and Black Spruce Bog and a host of other deserving independent musicians in CBC Music's Searchlight Contest.

* * *

OK, I know I'm very late to the party on this but I finally watched Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake perform their History of Rap bits. My key takeaway is there are lots of classic hip-hop songs that I haven't listened to in a long time, so I made this Rdio playlist including everything from all five parts. Jump on it.

* * * 

Cats Rule Everything Around Me. via the other ex-half of the Arbitrarys

* * * 

Let's talk some more about CBC and music. There is a campaign underway to get the program Q  to come to Prince George. It has attracted over 1,000 likes, a cool banner, and the attention of Mr. Ghomeshi himself. But my favourite part so far is yet another talented Prince George musician's song "What's your problem Q?" William Kuklis puts together a haunting song full of lyrical Easter eggs for both CBC fans and Prince George residents (example: "We've got a bad rap/Maclean's says that we're sketchy/We've got Mr. PG/Now we want Jian Ghomeshi/Don't want to be outshone by Stuart McLean/So come to Prince George for Canada's Winter Games." Give it a listen.

* * *

Coming up:

• I'm interviewing Chris Hadfield on Friday. Yes, that Chris Hadfield. Yes, this is my job. I know.
• Also Friday: The Two Rivers Art Gallery and the HealthArts program hosts a public forum exploring the links between the arts and health care among indigenous populations. I had the opportunity to speak to some of the people taking part in this, including Dr. Terri Aldred of the Tl'Azt'En Nation who talked about how she uses art with her patients and for herself in order to help avoid burnout that is all too common in the healthcare profession. Starts at 7:30 pm.
• Friday April 18 and Saturday April 19 are going to be great music night. On the 18th, Black Spruce Bog perform with Goodnightmare and Sober Becky at the Westwood Pub, and on the 19th Derek Joyce and Rosewood's Diary are preparing for a joint album release at the ArtSpace. I tell you about this now because I fully anticipate these to be sold out in advance. 

I think I'm going to leave it there for now. Next time: a narwhal.

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confluence, episode 3: every new beginning is some other beginning's end

Yesterday is a day I'm still processing.

I started out interviewing one of the survivors of Canada's residential school system for CBC. He told me he was sexually and physically abused and that being able to talk about it as part of the Truth and Reconciliation process at one of the hearings was like having a weight lifted, though he still has a lot of healing to do. 

The Truth and Reconciliation process is coming to a close this week. It was established out of a "desire to put the events of the past behind us so we can work towards a stronger and healthier future." It bears witness to a system that was designed to, to use an infamous quote, "take the Indian out of the child."

Starting my day in that context made the second part of my day all the more weighty. I was invited to a Bahl'ats (potlatch) held by the Lheidli T'enneh. Not only was this my first Bahl'ats, it was the first one held be the Lheidli in 69 years- one of a number of cultural practices that were nearly lost as a result of colonization. With help from neighbouring nations and the knowledge of community elders, the Lheidli are hoping to revive the system, and this was the test run. There was a lot of emotion in the room, and a lot of hope about the future of a culture and a history that is experiencing a revival. Having these two events- the Commission and the Bahl'ats- happening in parallel, I can't help but feel like this is some form of turning point in history.

* * *

Speaking of history, I visited George K. Blanis for what was, regrettably, the first time. George's barbershop is one of three businesses shutting down as a result of the pending sale of the Day's Inn. He opened his shop with his father in October 1964 and was preparing for his fiftieth anniversary celebrations when he was told he has three weeks to be out. "It changed my life," he told me. "Unfortunately I know I'm not going to be a barber forever, but I was hoping to get my fiftieth year here, would have been nice to tell everyone in Prince George and all the friends and customers, more or less all the citizens of Prince George, thank them for the years they've supported me."

I put together what I think is a pretty nice story about George, as well as Riley's Pub and Ladles Soup and Sandwich, which you can listen to on the Daybreak North website. I was also gifted also gifted a piece of history for myself from Ladles- the original sign asking people to sign if they think they have the best soup.

* * *

Elsewhere:

• Ending: FutureCents, a youth employment program, is closing its doors after 16 years. I worked with a number of the kids who went through this program at CFUR Radio- lots of people sad to see this go.
• Ending: Riley's is holding its final two concerts tonight and tomorrow. The first is the Final Variety Show with a number of locals including Jamie Bell, who is headed back to Vancouver for work. The second is a fundraiser for the Cambala music festival that happens out at a farm near town- it's the tenth year for this. Speaking of Jamie Bell, Ben Mulroney noticed his story.
• Beginning: hopefully a series of happy birthdays for Jeadan Pacquette. The 11-year-old has autism. As a result, not many people come to his birthday parties. He's turning 12, and his mother decided to invite anyone and everyone to come. The party is tomorrow at the Roll-a-Dome.
• Beginning: A new stage for Foxy De-Rossi. Tomorrow night, Prince George's best-known drag queen Foxy De-Rossi returns to the stage after a four year hiatus to deal with medical issues. De-Rossi has been an advocate for LGBQT culture in northern B.C., a city that just over a decade ago was hesitant to declare Gay Pride anything.

And one more reminder about CBC Music's Searchlight contest to find Canada's best new artist. I have a playlist of every northern B.C. musician entered: some gems in there well worth checking out.

That's it for this morning- hope you enjoy the spring weather. As always, if you have any feedback or anything to say, just hit "reply" or find me on Twitter - @akurjata.

- Andrew

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confluence, episode 2: rivers, fishtanks, and I'm sorry @jamiebell

First of all, thanks so much for subscribing to this. I'm always amazed when people are interested in what I have to say and your willingness to sign up for this without really knowing is gratifying. I have an idea of what this will be, but I find it's best to let these things evolve organically based on what works and what doesn't. If you have any feedback, let me know. If you're in Prince George here's a protip: a walk around Cottonwood Island Park is an excellent idea right now. Most of the riverbed is dry, and the ice is melting in all sorts of cool formations, and you can kick it and it makes interesting sounds. I took lots of pictures, but this is the only one I've uploaded so far:

Another discovery I made this weekend is that the Exploration Place has this cool fish tank now where you can crawl into a little area and go right inside to watch fish, making for photo opportunities like this one. I think it's aimed at kids but life is more fun if you're willing to do things aimed at kids as an adult, I think. Case in point: if you go to the river, you might be able to find this bouncy log.

Last Friday was quite the rollercoaster. Earlier in the week I had seen that Jamie Bell, the actor from Billy Elliot had asked Jamie Bell, the Prince George musician, for his @jamiebell Twitter handle. I thought it might be a fun interview and it was- but I had no idea how much interest it would generate.

Friday's episode of Daybreak had some really nice radio moments for me. Since it was International Day of Forests, International Day for the Elimination of Racism, and World Poet Day, we thought it might be fun to get a poet to write about forestry and racism. Jeremy Stewart rose to the challenge, using a method called "flarf" poetry. Our associate producer Audrey McKinnon set his reading to music, and the results are really enjoyable.

Also from Audrey, a nice story about some of the art on display at the Two Rivers Gallery right now. Larry Parenteau was raised in foster homes and lived on the streets, and used art as a refuge. But with a Mohawk and tattoos, people tended to avoid him as he tried to sell his work on the street. The thing is, Larry isn't really a salesman. Fortunately, his friend is- and there is some great interplay between the artist and the salesman in here. Again, you get something by listening to this that simply reading about it doesn't accomplish.

And finally, a listener sent us this video of orcas chasing down sea lions. Really quite something.

Some things I'm thinking about:

The Bulldozer Rests. In 2005, 43 people died in B.C. forests. In 2011, that number was down to zero, and that was thanks in no small part to MaryAnne Arcand. Born in the Cariboo, and living in Prince George, she was a tireless advocate for worker safety with the Central Interior Logging Association and B.C.'s Forest Safety Council. She succumbed to cancer last week at the age of 59. 

In a documentary on The Sunday Edition titled "The Bulldozer Rests," you hear her passion. "The resignation that's just the cost of doing business... if we'd had 40 soldiers in Afghanistan killed or 40 policemen in the line of duty this year... but oh, well, that's just the cost of business. And that's the part that really makes me sad." To me, her life speaks to the differences that can be made no matter where you are - find a problem that needs solving and don't let anything stop you. Have a listen.

"Rape culture" is bad branding. Denise Balkissoon doesn't disagree that there are huge issues facing women and girls in our society, but fears the language used by advocates isn't helping the cause: "'Rape culture' is insider jargon for those who already agree, an argumentative firework that explodes with sad anger, leaving only an obscuring cloud of smoke. Put another way, 'rape culture' is bad branding." She points to drunk driving campaigns which target friends who let friends drink and drive as an example of where we should go.

I still don't know how I feel about Upworthy. I read this New Yorker article about Upworthy's team and came away with the same sort of mixed feelings I've always had. The common criticism is that they let people feel good about themselves just for clicking "like" but look: those likes have translated into $8 million, money that they are now using to focus on climate change, poverty, and human rights. And they aren't doing it alone- they are using the money to partner with Climate Nexus, Human Rights watch, and a non-profit investigative journalism organization called ProPublica. In this blog post and the New Yorker article they have an attitude of not really caring about the cynical urban media and wanting to focus on spreading good- something they seem to be doing. Even now I'm looking at their website and they are tackling important issues I don't see represented in most media outlets. And yet, the presentation is so cloying I find myself cringing at every headline. I guess it's a "do the ends justify the means" sort of question.

Also:

This should be interesting. Via Vancouver is Awesome:

"An organization called Student Energy has somehow managed to get the president of Northern Gateway, a noted environmentalist as well as the executive director of the Coastal First Nations to debate together, for the first time (I must stress how awesome this is), on the radio tomorrow. On a college radio station, no less."

It airs tonight at 7 pm. Livestream it here.

CBC Music has unveiled its Searchlight contest. For your convenience, I made a playlist of all thenorthern B.C. artists entered. There's a few that I already know and am fans of: Black Spruce Bog, crones, Doug Koyama, Isaac Smeele, King Crow and the Ladies From Hell and

Twin Peaks and I'm making some new discoveries such as Supertanker, the Magician, Stretch-9, good nightmare. Have a listen and vote for your favourites.

I know that's a lot of music, but here's three more songs I've had on repeat:

• Jamie Bell & the Cutests Band Ever have an album teaser
• R&B singer Miguel and rapper Wale cover "Bennie and the Jets" and it's way better than you expect
• Converse got Frank Ocean, Diplo, and 50% of the Clash to do a song together

Thanks for listening! I'm really curious about whether this format works for you-- too much information? Not enough? If you have anything you'd like to say, just hit "reply."

- Andrew

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confluence, episode 1: on community

I learned a new word recently. "Psychogeography", as it was explained on this episode of 99% Invisible, is a method of wayfinding using emotions and memories. I immediately Googled it and found alternative definitions that don't resonate with me in the same way, so much like I did with the word "Kiez," I'm creating my own interpretation.

I have on my coffee table the debut issue of a new publication called Dreamland. In his opening note, the publisher and poet Jeremy Stewart asks, "Isn't it good to do community in this way?" Elsewhere I seem to remember him writing that community is a group of people who come together to do something rather than nothing. I have no idea if he actually wrote this, but it's in my head now and it's informing the way I think about the world.

The launch of Dreamland was at Page Boy Books, a new store down on 4th Avenue. It has nice wooden furniture, a big display window, and shelves full of well-kept used books. It wasn't there and now it is. And if it's still there a year from now it will be because it has a community around it. Amazon is fast and cheap but it doesn't open on Friday night to help launch a self-published magazine with poetry readings and tea.

I spent last Saturday walking around a one-block radius of downtown. It took over two hours. Every store I went into was a physical manifestation of a community: coffee-lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, crafters, gamers, and supporters of local food. These places do not exist out of mere function, there is a passion behind them, on both sides of the cash register. They represent what the people of this city value. More importantly, they represent proof that the people of this city still value the people of this city. They want places to come together and more and more I'm seeing stores that don't just sell stuff- they support ideas and put on concerts and host meetings and tournaments and get-togethers before and after hours. 

I'm not sure why I wrote this as an explanation of why I want to start a newsletter, but this is what I've been thinking about and this is what came out. I've always wanted to have something titled "confluence" as a meeting place of people and ideas and as a hat-tip to where we are. So here's another stab and it. We'll see how it goes.

Notes:

• I'm told the Day's Inn is being shut down and turned into something else. In the meantime, Riley's is having its final concerton March 28 before opening in a new, as of yet unknown/undisclosed location, and Ladles is shutting down this coming Wednesday, future unknown. The owner is looking for a buyer, but no one has come forward. (250) 612-1970 is the number if you're interested. There's a community there, too.

• I'm curious about your thoughts on this topic. I've had a few people talk to me about it, and I have a lot of ideas in my head that I hope to get out in the next few days.

• I hope to do another one of these by the end of March, but just in case I'm very much intrigued by this forum on combining health, arts, and indigenous perspectives. The list of speakers is impressive and I hope the ideas are as interesting as they sound.

• If you are at all interested in good storytelling in radio, I highly recommend the newly-launched Radiotopia network. I wish everyone thought of what radio could be in the terms set out by these producers.

• Speaking of radio, if you're interested in getting started in a career in it, CFUR up at UNBC is hiring someone to produce a bi-weekly spoken word program focusing on Aboriginal topics. You can see the posting here.

• I'm not sure how representative this is of what this newsletter will be. More likely it will be a brief note followed by a few more links to other people's ideas, a few to mine, and some neat-o songs and things.

• The picture at the top of this is by Home Sweet Home Grocery, one of the businesses that inspired this post. You can follow them on Instagram.

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