Red, White And Country

Side Effect

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Susie Krivak

Hi Everybody,

If you have ever been on any type of chemotherapy, whether it was/is for high blood pressure, anxiety, cancer, or anything else, you know that with these come a fantastic list of side effects. My doctor decided to try something new for a few months. The pain seems to be slowly improving. But the side effects are crazy. Lack of concentration, nervousness, nausea, dizziness sometimes. These are just the worst ones.

Between trying to make this adjustment and some family priorities, I’m a little behind. I promise – I have a couple of great interviews lined up and will probably have more after CCMA week.

Thanks for hanging in there with me. I really appreciate it.

Talk Soon!

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Going To War

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Susie Krivak

Hi Everybody!

I know, I know, it has been a couple of weeks. In my defence, they’ve been busy. I have a busy couple of weeks coming up too.

I FINALLY have a domain!! Frank got me it for my birthday. You can now find the blog at redwhiteandcountry.ca!! It will be easier for people to find me. I am so excited about this. I know – I’m a nerd. Whatevs! I am a nerd with a domain.

Two weekends ago was Craven Country Jamboree in Craven, Saskatchewan. I went, I came back, I survived to tell the tale. So, keeping this in mind, I will not have a country news section this week. Rather I will regale you with tales of Craven and give you a top ten of things you should definitely have with you if you go. Let’s start with that:

Top Ten Things You Should Definitely Have If You Go To Craven:

Rubber boots: I learned my lesson last year by not bringing these. We had a huge storm and the tent area was a mud pit. I lost a great pair of shoes that weekend. This year I brought the boots. Even though it didn’t rain during the festival, there had been quite a bit of rain in the area. While our trailer site was dry, there were some roads that were muddy and area up by the main stage was muddy. You may not think you’ll need them. Trust me….you will.
Sunscreen: No matter how tan you are, you can burn. Last year was scorching hot and I got a bad burn. This year, despite the fact that I had a great tan, I still used some. I did get a burn on my nose because I couldn’t put sunscreen there due to my new nose ring. Even if it doesn’t seem like you’ll get burned, you probably will.
Water, water, water: If you think you’ve packed enough water, you should pack more. Between the heat and the drinking, you are going to need it. There is a potable water truck that comes around but that can vary. There are also ice trucks that come around often. Their last loops are usually around 6 or so.
Close-toed shoes: The main stage area at Craven is all wood chips. I see it a dozen of times a night; some girl trying to look all cute in her flip flops, but she is tripping all over the place because she keeps getting wood chips in them. Plus, soft piles of wood chips are a pain to walk through! You are best served by leaving the flip flops for the camp site.
Hand sanitizer: Let me be real with you. If you plan to camp the whole weekend at Craven, you should know that it isn’t a camp ground. It’s a field. A big, open field. There isn’t a bunch a facilities that are mopped down every day. It’s port-a-potties and one shower trailer that is pay per use. Needless to say it runs out of sanitizer pretty quickly so make sure you have your own.
Toilet paper: See Hand Sanitizer **Something to note, there is a compost toilet bathroom at the end of main street. It can get pretty gross at the end of the day, but there is usually paper and it has sinks. Something else, there is a flush bathroom trailer with sinks at the back of the main stage area. It is usually pretty decent.
Electrolyte drink (e.g. Gatorade, Powerade, etc.): I know this may not be some people’s cup of tea. I would like to point something out. Before you go saying that it is unhealthy for you, please consider the abuse you are about to put your body through over a period of 4 days. Ok. Now please tell me about unhealthy these drinks are? I am sorry but after a long night of drinking, dancing and being in the heat all day, a cold sports drink tastes and feels amazing. And it will help replace all of those electrolytes.
A table: I know it sounds weird, but you will want to bring a table of some type. Remember, this isn’t a campground, it’s a field. If you don’t, you will have nothing to use for food/drink prep.
First aid kit/ Band Aids: Here is the mom in me. Whenever you do any sort of camping, you should bring along a well-stocked first aid kit. Although there are paramedics and police that drive around, you should be prepared for everything from a cut finger to a dislocated shoulder. If it sounds a little extremist, it really isn’t. I’ve seen everything from bad road rash to a knee that got torn open. Be prepared!
Contraception: Now obviously this doesn’t apply to everyone. These festivals are HUGE hook-up places. That’s fine if that’s your thing (no judgement). If you plan to, make sure you are prepared and protected (guys and girls alike; don’t expect the other to have something). Rule out the chance that you may come home with a souvenir you weren’t intending to.

How was the music? For me, this year was a really mixed bag.

The first night I saw Kacey Musgraves and Zac Brown Band. I was a little bit disappointed by both of them. Kacey really didn’t move around a lot. She wasn’t really engaging much with the crowd, although the crowd sang along and danced when she sang. She sounded great which is really important to me she was just a bit boring to watch. Zac Brown Band was fantastic…musically. Because they are a big band, they don’t really move around too much. I can forgive this because they really sound a lot like their recordings. You could, however, tell that they were tired, having just played the Calgary Stampede the night before. There was very little back and forth with the crowd. But I still danced because I love the music.

The second night was a real surprise. I saw Chris Young and Alabama. Chris Young blew me away! Not only is he absolutely adorable, he is fantastic live. He was so involved with the crowd and humble and it was obvious he was having as great a time as we were. His ballads melted the ladies’ hearts as he smiled that perfect smile. I didn’t know what to expect, but he is someone that I would pay to see on his own. He was fantastic. Now I hope I don’t get crucified for say this but Alabama really should have opened for Chris Young. When they played music that people knew, we danced and sang along. In all reality, the first 2 or 3 songs were ones that people knew. As were the last 2. Everything else was ballads and music that no one was familiar with. If you were at the back in the grandstand, the sound wasn’t great either. A lot of people left before the end which is a shame.

Eric Church closed the festival this year. He surprised me. I have always enjoyed his music but he comes across as aloof. He was the TOTAL and complete opposite! I danced the whole show. Everyone danced and sang and it was awesome to see him respond to us. He was so in to the crowd. It was like I was watching a completely different person. Would I pay to see just him? Absolutely!

This year I found that the acts weren’t as exciting as last year. And no, it isn’t just because of Blake Shelton. This isn’t only my opinion. I have spoken to several people about this and they all agree that the performances were really a mixed bag. That aside, I did have a great time! It was nice to see old friends, make new ones, and have a fun and relaxing weekend listening to great music. Will I go again next year? Oh probably I will! Thanks to Ashley, DJ and Patty for some great pics!!

Old Friends and New

COUNTRY MUSIC:

I remember hearing this really peppy song on the radio once. You know, one of those ones that make you bop in your seat a little. Then I heard it a few more times and as I learned the words I would sing along more and more in the car. I finally looked to see who the singer of “Whatcha Wanna Do About It?” was and lo and behold, it was a beautiful young lady named Madeline Merlo. The same young lady who was great enough to have a phone call with me a couple of weeks ago.

You may have heard her single “War Paint” played recently on country music radio. This touching song is one that she had tried to write several times because she wanted it to be encouraging and not just a sad song. “It was actually a song that I had been wanting to write for a long time and I always felt like my album wasn’t completed yet without a song that was this encouraging anthem that was a bit of my story and something that has happened to somebody close to me.” We talked a little about how she wanted it to serve as a reminder that even if you are going through some really tough stuff, there is always someone who will be there to fight in your corner.

We were already talking about emotions and what kind of emotional response she wanted to evoke in the listener. I asked her about her debut album. She released it in April and I asked her what emotions had been invoked in her. “Excited, nervous, exposed.” She replied. “I was really proud of that album and what I created and finally finishing it because it was 2 years in the making.”

Madeline started singing at 6 but she didn’t start playing guitar until she was 16 or 17. She admits, “I am still not really a great guitar player.” She has learned to love the ukulele and it has become her instrument of choice. Madeline was discovered at 17 and she is now 22. Her career has been moving fast, playing big festivals like Boots And Hearts and The Calgary Stampede. I asked her what she would say to her 12 year-old self if she could have a conversation with her. She laughed, “I wish I could tell 12 year-old Madeline all of this was happening.” She had always taken any opportunity she could to perform when she was younger. “I always lost.” She was stressed, sad and discouraged. But only for about 10 minutes. Her mom would say to her, “You have 10 minutes to be sad and then we have to move on”, a quality she is glad that her mother instilled in her. “It’s given me a thick skin.”

It’s obvious that Madeline has this kind of drive. In 2015 she won the CCMA Rising Star Award and the BCCMA Female Artist of the Year Award. Of course it is amazing to win something like this but was this a case of with power comes responsibility? Does this add pressure to her as a songwriter? “It’s inspiring and assuring that people see potential in you but it also comes with a great deal of pressure.” Madeline adds, “Under pressure, diamonds are formed.”

Something that she does is ensure that she surrounds herself with people who push her to do better. She has set up a few of her own co-writes but says she is always open to write with anybody. I asked her if she felt that moving to Nashville is a must in this industry because of that fact. She replied, “It raises the bar when you go down there. Everytime I go there, magical, wonderful things happen.” She finds that the city is filled with talented and inspiring people and would like to hang her hat there one day.

Madeline has a busy schedule this summer doing a lot of festivals including The Calgary Stampede and Boots And Hearts. I asked her how she prepares for such a fast-paced summer. “When I think about it I feel very nervous to be honest with you.” She goes on to tell me that festival fans are the best and that they are just out there to have a good time. So if she is feeling under the weather, she gets energy from the crowd to go on. She tries to avoid that by eating well and taking care of her health and body, “I have a lot of remedies to try to cure myself.” I also asked what happened if she just wasn’t feeling up to it? She answered, “I think every day you get to make music is an honour and a privilege and I never really feel like I am not up to something.”

Because I knew of Madeline’s busy schedule I wrapped up our chat by asking what the last photo she took on her phone was. To prove how busy she was, “We just played on Global News. Me and my band took a picture together.”

Thanks Madeline, for taking a few minutes to chat with me! You are truly a delight to talk to. Please check her out online (http://madelinemerlo.com), on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/madelinemerlo), on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/madelinemerlo/?hl=en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/madelinemerlo). IN the meantime, check out this song PLEASE! It is a hauntingly beautiful acoustic version of War Paint by Madeline Merlo:

So THIS Is What It Feels Like

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Susie Krivak

Hey Everybody!

I know I typically don’t publish things back-to-back like this but there is another fantastic talent that is going to be playing at Cavendish Beach this weekend that I REALLY want to tell you about. I have been trying to nail down an interview with him for a while and I finally got my chance. If The Road Hammers didn’t put you over the edge into going, this guy just may do the trick.

Let’s get at ‘er…

COUNTRY NEWS:

Proud American:

In keeping with the fact that it was Canada Day and Independence Day long weekend, I saved this interesting titbit for you.

If you think that Neal McCoy saying the Pledge of Allegiance with Charley Pride was a one-off occurrence, you are surely mistaken. Apparently this is something he does daily. In fact, he even tries to include friends and fellow musicians in the ritual. Not one person has ever said no. McCoy does it every day on Facebook and it has gotten him almost 10 million views.

McCoy has recently released an album of American standards, leaving behind his cowboy hat and jeans for a suit and bowler hat. But at the Taste Of Country Music Festival, he was back in country boy form. Despite the amount of time he has been in the business, McCoy came out and gave an energetic and charismatic performance.

Happy Birthday, Rob:

While on his Ripcord tour, Keith Urban played a 2 night engagement in Gilford, New Hampshire. Rob Joyce was there celebrating his birthday with his girlfriend. Lex (his girlfriend) had a sign that said, “It’s my boyfriend’s birthday”. Rob’s sign said, “I want to play your guitar”. You and I have been there. A fan gets up onstage to sing or play an instrument and it doesn’t go well. Urban decided that night to give Rob his birthday wish and pulled him up onstage. He gave Rob his guitar and prepared for…well…what we all prepare for. Rob NAILED IT! To the point where the rest of the band came back out to play the whole song and Urban just sang along. He even did 2 solos. The look on Urban’s face is priceless. The crowd went nuts. The YouTube video I have attached is Lex’s video. Please take the few minutes to watch it. You will be SO glad you did.

COUNTRY MUSIC:

My mother’s pen pal of 50 years is from Newfoundland. With social media, they were able to start connecting online. They could now share details of their lives in an instant, rather than waiting for Canada Post to deliver them. This is how I found out about Jason Benoit. My mother’s friend told her to check Jason out. Whereupon my mother told me to check him out. I am so glad I did.

I loved what I heard. When I found out he was coming to Winnipeg with Tim Hicks and Cold Creek County, I HAD to get tickets. Not only is he talented, he is also so charismatic on stage. I tried to get an interview with him at that time. It didn’t work out due to scheduling. Later, I was offered the chance to do a phone interview with him and I jumped at it! Finally! A few minutes with Jason Benoit!

My call got put through and I could hear his kids in the background. I laughed. I loved that I was hearing something so real. Something that happens in everyone’s home. Jason is married and a father of 3 children all under 10. It had been Father’s Day, so I asked what he did to celebrate. This lucky guy had a big turkey dinner with his family at his father-in-law’s cabin.

Jason really started pursuing his career in 2013, leaving behind the credit union job he had. He learned how to play the guitar when he was 14. “My brother taught me how to play because he used to play the guitar as well.” When his brother moved away, he continued to learn on his own. I asked him how his family felt about him making the leap. This was something he had always wanted. When it came to signing with JV Records and Sony Music Canada, he had to do it. “Some opportunities you have to take even though it’s a risk. It’s been paying off so far.” Naturally his family couldn’t be happier.

Things have been really picking up for Jason. If you like him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jasonbenoitcountry/?fref=ts) you will see that he has been all over the country lately. I asked him how he is coping with such a busy schedule. “It’s not that bad quite yet,” he said. “I still have time to spend with family.” Spending time with his family is a priority for him. With such a full house though, what does he do to unwind? “It’s tough to relax when you have 3 kids,” he laughed. “After the kids are in bed we kick back and watch a movie.” Since I knew he had been out here in the west while on his travels, I asked him if there was a difference between the crowds out east versus crowds in our neck of the woods. “Oh yeah,” he replied emphatically. “Out west, country is king out there.” He said that there seems to be a higher concentration of country fans out west than there are out east. He was sure to add that they do love their country out east, but there is a bit more diversity musically.

The last 3 years has seen Jason be nominated for the CCMA Rising Star award in 2015 and be the recipient of the CCMA Discovery Atlantic Award. This was the first time that the CCMA had given an award specifically to showcase talent in the Atlantic provinces. I asked him how it felt to have achieved so much in such a short time frame. “It’s amazing. To this day I still count my blessings. I’m very, very lucky to be as far as I am in my career so quickly out of the gate.” He added, “It gives me confirmation that I keep going on this.”

Keeping things rolling is exactly what he is doing. He is releasing his first album this fall. I asked him which is his favourite song to perform live. “I’d say it’s tough to beat the one I released last year that went to the top ten in Canada – Gone Long Gone.” Seeing the crowd sing his songs, songs that he had written, is both humbling and touching for him to see. “It’s something all performers want to see.” Considering co-writing is something that he is just getting in to, most of his songs were written by himself. Being I am a writer too, I was curious to see how he deals with the dreaded “Writer’s Block”. “It’s one of those things you kinda let go.” He went on to say that it is hard to always have good ideas or new ideas and that is something I can completely relate to. What does he suggest? “Take a step back when that happens and go do other things. Listen to other music, try to find other influences.” When speaking about influences, he mentioned, “I started off singing mostly classic country. George Jones is my favourite country hero of all time. That’s the guy there that I keep coming back to.” He also was heavily influenced by the 90’s country singers; Joe Diffie and Mark Chestnutt to name a couple.

This weekend is the Cavendish Beach Music Festival in Prince Edward Island (http://cavendishbeachmusic.com/lineup/) and Jason will be playing there once again. Last year he played on the side stage, of which he said, “That was amazing in itself.” That side stage is also where he was presented the CCMA Discovery Atlantic Award. This year will be a little different. “This year I get to do it again, but I get to do it on the main stage. It’s a dream come true to be able to play on the main stage.

It was truly a pleasure to finally get some time with him. Cavendish starts tomorrow! If you have the means, if you live close, if you think it may be a good idea…GO! It has an insane line-up! Go to the link above to get tickets! If you can’t go, then take the time to look Jason up on Facebook, check out his website (http://www.jasonbenoitcountry.com/) and follow him on Twitter (@JBenoitcountry). Here is something to check out while you do, Jason’s favourite song to perform – Gone Long Gone:

Posted in Country Music, Country News, Uncategorized | Tagged Cavendish Beach Music Festival, COld Creek County, George Jones, Jason Benoit, Joe Diffie, Keith Urban, Mark Chesnutt, Neal McCoy, Rob Joyce, Tim Hicks | Leave a comment

Homegrown

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Susie Krivak

I hope everyone had a great Canada Day/ Independence Day long weekend. Frank and I were out in a beautiful area of the province called Lac du Bonnet. Barbeque, friends, family, fireworks on the water. How can that not be great? I’d like to send a HUGE thanks to our friends Apryl and Kevin for an enjoyable and relaxing weekend! With everything that has been going on, it was much-needed.

Can I just say that writing this blog brings me such joy and happiness and it makes me really excited. And the thought of going to festivals and concerts in this new capacity is thrilling. Thank you for reading this and I hope you keep reading because there is so much more amazing stuff to come.

It doesn’t look like I got media accreditation for Craven this time. That won’t stop me from trying to bring you some great pics and articles from the weekend. Hey, I am barely a year into this and I have gotten pretty far. So, we won’t let this get us down! We will keep plugging away and get ‘em next year!

On that note, let’s get on with it…

COUNTRY NEWS:

Showing Gratitude To Those In Uniform:

Despite the fact that Chris Stapleton has been around for years as a songwriter, last year is when his career really took off. Since then, he has been one busy guy! He had originally planned to take July 4th off, but something came up that he just couldn’t say no to.

Instead of spending the day with his wife and 2 children, Stapleton will be playing for 40,000 troops and their families at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was quoted by People as saying, “I can’t think of a more appropriate thing to do.”

Not only is Stapleton performing for the troops, he is also there to help present a million dollar donation from Budweiser to Folds of Honor; a foundation that provides educational services to the spouses and children of fallen and disabled military members. It sounds this breakout star from the 2015 CMA’s is not only a talented guy but an honourable one at that. As if you needed one more reason to love him.

Chris Stapleton - Height, Weight, Age

GoFund Brad Paisley:

It may seem odd that someone of the status of Brad Paisley would start a GoFundMe page. No he isn’t broke. No his last album didn’t bomb. In fact the money isn’t for him at all. Last week Paisley toured the flood stricken state of West Virginia (from where Paisley hails) with two senators to take a look at the damage. He did it on behalf of the Save the Children relief organization. One of the places he visited was actually one of the most hard hit structures, the Herbert Hoover High School in Clendenin, WV. Paisley said in a press release, “My thoughts and prayers are with the people in my home state of West Virginia. The towns and schools we have visited have been devastated by these floods. I pledge to do all I can to help my fellow West Virginians and have set up a GoFundMe account so others can join me.

The Save the Children organization partners with local schools to serve over 2,000 children, empowering them and their families in the state. They are currently collecting blankets, pop-up cribs and car seats to provide for the families in need.

So, if you are interested in donating to Paisley’s cause, here is the link to his GoFundMe page:

https://www.gofundme.com/westvirginiafloods

COUNTRY MUSIC:

This weekend is the Cavendish Beach Music Festival in Prince Edward Island. The line-up is stunning and includes acts both from Canada and the U.S. Unfortunately, yours truly will not be there this year but someone who will be there is The Road Hammers. This high energy band, lead by singer Jason McCoy, is the epitome of down-home, gritty country. I have been a Jason McCoy fan from the “pre-beard” days so when I was offered the opportunity to chat with him, I obviously took it.

Margaret Malandruccolo Road Hammers

Our call was at 8 a.m. my time. If you know anything about me, you know that for me, getting up before 9 CST is pretty challenging, especially when it was the morning after a Garth Brooks show. I didn’t care. I knew the call would be 100% worth it and I was glad he would take the time to talk to me. I called the number I was given and a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Jason answered the phone. He had just gotten the kids on the school bus and was getting his day rolling. I never would have dreamed I would hear the guy who sings a song about a girl half-naked on a billboard telling me he just shipped his kids off to school. It was almost like I had seen the man behind the curtain or a magician had shown me how to saw a woman in half. “I am all domesticated,” he chuckled. Since the day prior was Father’s Day, I asked what he did (as he has 2 school age children). Well, he just got home from a show in Pilot Butte, Saskatchewan the day before and was showered with gifts and cards that they made for him in school, including a 3D card made of rocks to look like him that said “Dad, you rock” on the front of it.

This seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask about how he manages to get any work/life balance because of such a busy schedule. He was very honest with me. “I haven’t been good at it for the most part. Work supersedes life. But I am getting a little better and I’ve got plans to make it better in the next year coming too.” He, like all of us, tends to get sucked in by social media. He feels like he has been doing less music and doing more business when, as a musician, it should be the other way around. How does someone so busy unwind? Although his family has a place in Nashville, they live in southeastern Ontario on a farm. “I’ve got dirt to move and I play in the dirt with the backhoe. That’s fun for me.” Sometimes the kids get in the action and help dad on the tractors and cut the grass. His daughter loves horses so as a family they are outside a lot. They lived in Nashville until his daughter was 3. I asked him if he felt it was necessary to make the move to Nashville for his career. He replied, “At the time and it could be again.” Jason does go down there when he needs to work on certain projects. If you need to record or work on something right away, everyone and everything is there. He did add, “I don’t know if I need to live there.”

Jason has been involved in music for a long time. He started getting serious at about 12. At the age of 16 he started recording at home and at 17 he went into the studio to make a professional recording. At the time, he was the youngest guy in Canada doing this. He has had an extremely successful solo career, which includes numerous CCMA, Juno, CMA and SOCAN nominations and awards. So why would he be interested in starting a project like The Road Hammers when he was so successful on his own? According to Jason he had just come off of making Sins, Lies and Angels (2003) and was unsure what to do on his next record. He had a discussion with a friend of his at CMT. “I said I think it would be kinda cool to put together a Travelling Wiburys fun concept band and record for just a one shot and have fun with it. And I did. And it was huge. I kinda got lucky and so we decided to do more records and that was it.” He has done some solo projects since The Road Hammers got together. Everything was released in 2011 had a number of hits on it, including the title track. This was a Juno nominated album. He is considering going back into the studio to do a solo album but for now his career is “Hammer focused”.

He and I spoke about The Road Hammers’ music for a little bit. I had seen a YouTube video of their first photo shoot. The narrator asked Jason to describe their music and he said it was “That feeling of your first kiss mixed with the first time you ever fire a gun.” When I told that to him he burst out laughing. So I asked if he felt that this was still true of their sound. He replied, “I think it is probably a little more refined at this point.” He added, “We don’t drag our knuckles as much.” You can see why having this conversation with him was so much fun! While we were discussing the band’s music I was curious to know how they settle creative differences between them. He answered, “I don’t think we have too many creative differences. We are still lucky enough to be in the head space that the input from each other is the strength. Clay is the rock guy. Chris is the blues guy. I’m the country guy. That’s The Hammers’ sound.” One thing he said that stuck with me is “There’s no bad ideas is our motto.” He admitted that they have a pretty “chill” forum for writing music and basically that if the other 2 aren’t hot on an idea it goes to the wayside and they work on something that gets them all excited. “It’s music, not brain surgery!” I did need to have a very serious conversation with him about one of their videos. If you are a Hammers fan, then you know the song Mud and have probably seen the video. As someone with OCD (and I actually HAVE OCD), I had to ask how he could possible be covered in so much mud. I admitted to him that it literally made me cringe as much as I love the song. He laughed and his suggestion (from one person with OCD to another) was to just jump in. I was horrified! Well Jason, Craven is coming up and you can always count on a storm. If I happen to take your advice, I will tweet the evidence to you.

The Road Hammers will be performing at the upcoming Cavendish Beach Music Festival (http://cavendishbeachmusic.com) I asked him what it meant to be playing a festival of that size, as this is a HUGE festival with an extremely impressive line-up. He mentioned that they had a great time playing it a couple of years ago with Taylor Swift. But for him it was even more than that. “They listen to the ticket holders and ticket buyers. To be one of the bands they request is pretty awesome.” He continued, “You can’t force people to like what you do and if they do it’s pretty genuine. The fact that you get to be included in those shows means you are doing something right. It means you’re still relevant and still rockin’ and that’s important.” What is his favourite song to perform on stage? “ There’s a lot! I’m a Road Hammer because it symbolically kicked off what we do and we still get a lot of people requesting it. I love that. We still do Born Again in Dixieland from my solo album. There has never been a time when the crowd doesn’t overpower the band singing it. So we stop and let them sing the chorus. So that has been a career defining song for me.” All that being said, he said that there isn’t too much difference between the festival crowds and the arena crowds as far as acceptance go but doing the small towns is where the difference is. “They live what we sing about.” Where it really hits home for him is when people come up and say things like that song helped me get through this time or that time. He took a moment and said, “It’s pretty humbling.”

What can fans expect to see from The Road Hammers this summer? He commented, “We are actually going to be trying some new music. We are going to get in the studio this fall and we’ve got some really cool tunes we’ve been working on for a while now. Last year we weren’t ready.” He followed slowly with, “It could be dangerous.” as this is something the group has never done before. He said if you are new, people are a little more forgiving so it makes it more nerve-wracking. “People expect a certain thing from us.”

What does Jason consider to be the ultimate gig for him? Hosting things like the CMAO Awards this past May. “What I like the most, which is what I like about the solo acoustic shows too is the entertainment.” I don’t fancy myself a guitar player, a singer or a writer. I kinda like to be thought of as an entertainer.” He admits that he likes to interact with the other artists, sing, tell jokes (even though he says his are “lame” – don’t think I didn’t hear that, McCoy) and interact with the press. “At an industry function like that you get to chat with more people.”

I needed to wrap up our conversation. Of course I had to ask what the last photo he took with his phone was at that point? “My son’s gift he made me of the rock dad.” He returned the question. It was the first time anyone had done that! I had to admit that it was a photo from Garth Brooks the night before.

When the call was over I couldn’t believe I had just spoken to him. I remember watching his videos when we were both much younger and really loving his music. It was such an honor for me to get to be the one to “interact” with him that morning. Any time you wish to chat over coffee, give me a shout. It would certainly be my pleasure.

If you live in P.E.I. or close by or have the means to truck out there, check out the link above for the incredible line-up and for tickets for the Cavendish Beach Music Festival. Trust me, I wish I could be there because it promises to be a boot-stompin’ good time! Also make sure you check out The Road Hammers website (http://theroadhammers.com) (I think I hear a new trucker hat calling my name) and like them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/theroadhammers). Ladies and gentlemen…I present to you, the video that made this OCD kid ask “WHY GOD WHY?!” – Mud by The Road Hammers

Posted in Country Music, Country News, Uncategorized | Tagged Brad Paisley, Cavendish Beach Music Festival, Chris Stapleton, CMAO Awards, Jason McCoy, The Road Hammers | Leave a comment

They Are On Fire

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Susie Krivak

Hey gang, sorry I’m a couple of days late on this but when you’re 80 year-old father-in-law takes a tumble and breaks a hip, family obligations take over. He’s had surgery and is recovering. Get well soon, Smiley!

In other exciting news, I will be heading to Craven Country Jamboree this July! I am still waiting to hear if it will be as media or not but I have decided to make the trip with some friends anyway. Watch out for some great coverage and maybe even some Periscope action!

On with the show…

COUNTRY NEWS:

Garth Brooks Winnipeg Concert Review:

Last weekend in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (my hometown), Garth Brooks and wife Trisha Yearwood did a four show, sold-out engagement. I was fortunate enough to be able to catch the Sunday night Show. So rather than do some kind of news bit, I figured I would bring you a review of one of the most incredible concerts I have ever seen.

Brett Kissel opened with an amazing acoustic set, admitting to the crowd “I’m shaking like a leaf up here.” I love Brett! So this concert was like a double down of awesomeness for me. Like most contemporary country singers, Brooks was a huge inspiration for Kissel. I can confidently say (and I’m sure others would agree) that he sounded fantastic. Kissel opened for Brooks Friday and Sunday night but on Saturday he made a quick trip back to his hometown in Alberta to do a homecoming show.

Next up was a short set by Nashville singer/songwriter Karyn Rochelle. Rochelle also happens to be one of the backup singers for Brooks and Yearwood in the group of three that they refer to as the “Wall of Sound”. Singing some of her original music, Rochelle put on a fine performance for everyone attending. Although she is no stranger to the stage, she also admitted to having nerves based on the fact that she rarely performs for crowds of this size. In both the cases of Kissel and Rochelle, I have to say, they looked like old pros who have been performing on this scale for years. Congratulations to them both!

The day after the show, I had an early morning call with a well-known Canadian country singer. Who? Well…that is a surprise of course! I told him I was coming down off a Garth Brooks high and he asked how the show was. In two words – maniacally beautiful. The way the countdown built up the almost 19 years of anticipation was borderline sadistic. The clock hit zero, the house lights go off and there it was – the shadow of the man, the legend. The screens lift and the man who had been absent from Winnipeg for almost 2 decades kicks off in to “Man Against Machine” and immediately rolls into his mega-hit “Rodeo”.

The crowd was electric yet as he spoke, every single one of us was riveted. “I’m just like you,” Brooks started, “When I go to a concert, I like to hear the old stuff. So that’s what we are going to do!” The crowd erupted. Brooks delivered what he promised. Hit after hit, “The Dance”, The River”, “Callin’ Baton Rouge” (his self-proclaimed favourite to perform), every song a sing-a-long and everybody knew every word. Brooks gave 150%, even huffing and puffing, bent over and spouting, “You guys need to remember I am 117!” You would never have guessed that just a few days earlier that the couple had lost a dear friend and band mate to cancer. Brooks was quoted as saying, “It was almost like the crowd knew and they lifted me up.”

During “In Another’s Eyes”, out came Trisha Yearwood. Her voice clear and beautiful. In short, heavenly. On the screens above played outtakes of her show “Trisha’s Southern Kitchen” while she belted “An American Girl”. The true highlight for me was hearing “How Do I Live” in person. It was awe-inspiring. When you hear some 15,000 people hit a note that few can hit while driving alone in their car, it sends chills down your spine, especially when you see the surprise and pleasure on her face when you do. To end her set she called out Karyn Rochelle to help her sing “Georgia Rain”, a song that Rochelle wrote for Yearwood. Brooks came out to complete the harmony. It was breathtaking. As she left, and Rochelle made her way back to “The Wall”, Brooks took the stage once more full of energy and jokes like, “The guitar isn’t plugged in. I just hold it to hide my gut.”

Despite the explosive nature of Brooks’ performance (watching him run around and holler at the top of his lungs is exhausting), my favourite moments were when he would just stand there, eyes closed, face up to the heavens, smile on his face, listening to us sing his music with no accompaniment. They were moments of unadulterated joy, for him and for us.

I’ve seen some fantastic shows in my short 41 years of life. But I can say, without hesitation, that Garth Brooks is unequivocally “The Master”. If you ever have the opportunity to see him live, beg, borrow, beg some more, do what you have to do to see this country music icon in person. On a scale of 1 to 10. I would give it a 25.

COUNTRY MUSIC:

I wrote an article about an incredible band out of Calgary called TwoShine County. If you go back in my archives you will see that they did an email interview for me in September of 2015. Well…At the beginning of the month I had the opportunity to actually sit down and have a face-to-face chat with the super talented Daron Schofield and Dennis Hann IN PERSON!! I happened to be in Calgary and they were gracious enough to take some time for me (thanks so much Brent for hooking that up)!

When you sit down to do a follow-up interview with someone, especially when it hasn’t even been a full year, there are a couple of things you can expect. A new album or single, maybe an award. Perhaps a tour. Not with these two! Dennis said, “You almost measure your years from CCMA to CCMA.” So much has happened for these guys since the release of “I Love This Song” last year, that we had tons to talk about. “It has been a whirlwind of being involved as heavily as we can in the country music community, which is such a fun and amazing community to be a part of.” Daron said, “We’ve been focusing mainly writing and recording, getting a bunch of singles ready for the next bit.” This includes a writing trip to Nashville, a city that both of them love. We talked about being immersed in a place where there is so much music around that even the mall has a recording studio. Dennis said, “It’s just what you do there.” Daron added, “Even the grocery store clerk is a singer.” They have been doing co-writing there and here in Canada. Both of them expressed that the talent pool is just as impressive here as it is in Nashville, something that Dennis wasn’t expecting. “I was expecting it to be so different from Canada and you realize pretty quickly that the writers down there are just like the writers in Canada.”

They took on travelling from coast-to-coast doing radio shows. We joked about our previous interview because it became common knowledge that as far as road trip companions go, Dennis is definitely the sleeper. Daron laughed, “#sleepingdenny is probably the largest campaign we’ve done!” Dennis added that no matter where he goes, people comment that they are impressed to see he is awake. “I can’t go anywhere anymore!”

And as if that wasn’t quite enough to keep them busy, the guys were also a part of the 2016 CCMA Discovery Program in Toronto in April. Knowing what a huge step this is for any artist, I asked them to tell me about their experience. Dennis started, “I think Daron and I had really high expectations going in. I know, at least for myself, my expectations were blown out of the water.” Daron agreed. Dennis continued, “The coolest thing about it is just how genuinely the CCMA and the people who were putting it on, they genuinely want to help who is involved in the program.” Daron went beyond and said, “You’d think these things would be a little bit of competition kind of thing but we really got along with everyone. It was such a family, encouraging and supporting one another.” There were many long days, songwriting circles and interviews. All of it was designed to see if the participants are up to the challenges that they would face in this type of career. One thing that both Dennis and Daron expressed as an interesting part of the week was spending time at the Canadian headquarters of Facebook and Twitter. So much of the job is social media focused now that they were grateful for the workshops that they had with them.

In September at the CCMA Awards week, they will be performing in a CCMA Discovery Program Showcase, after which a winner will be announced. They both feel, however that the real win was doing that whole week with the other artists. Daron commented, “It’s such a short time. It’s pretty amazing to look back because it seems like a long time ago. Even though it’s only been a couple of years but it seems like a lifetime ago that we started this thing.”

Things are just gearing up for the summer for TwoShine County, especially with Stampede just around the corner. The ball got rolling on June 10th with the release of their latest single “Love On Fire”. Daron said, “Being local it’s fantastic so we are going to be doing a bunch of shows over Stampede.” Dennis furthered that by saying, “Right now our focus is Stampede and a lot of gigs in Alberta and the Western area.” (For those of you in Calgary, you should also know that TwoShine County will be playing Ranchman’s on New Year’s Eve. It SOUNDS far away, but hot tickets are hard to come by.) With so much on their plate, I asked them how they cope with stress. Daron laughed and said, “I don’t think that you do!” Dennis, who is extremely high energy added, “It’s way more difficult to be idle.” That from him, I totally believe.

Both of these guys have no doubt in their minds that they would be doing something music related if they weren’t members of TwoShine County. I found them both to be so grounded and easy-going. Then I was told that while the guys were in Toronto they took some time from their busy schedule to volunteer at a homeless shelter. We talked about that for a while. I find it incredible that in the midst of a career where everything is so calculated, right down to image, that they took time out to help others. They lent a hand and performed for the patrons and it is something that really touched their hearts. So on top of being these down-to-earth nice guys they have giant hearts of gold.

I can’t say enough great things about these two. Please make sure you like them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TwoShineCounty), follow them on Twitter (@TwoShineCounty), go to their site (http://twoshinecounty.com/#hello) and you SURE AS HECK need to check out the latest single “Love on Fire”. Request it, buy it, listen to it. It is such a great song, guys! I have ever steered you wrong?

Posted in Concert Reviews, Country History, Country Music, Country News | Tagged Brent King, Brett Kissel, CCMA, CCMA Discovery Program, Concert Review, Craven Country Music Jamboree, Daron Schofield, Dennis Hann, Garth Brooks, Karyn Rochelle, Trisha Yearwood, TwoShine County | Leave a comment

Girl With A Guitar

Posted on June 18, 2016 by Susie Krivak

Well, hello again. I am back from Calgary and from a great break at the lake for a couple of days. What some of you know and what a lot of you don’t is that I am also a reiki master. So this week, I started doing reiki and tarot out of Sundragon Studios here in Winnipeg. I am really excited about it so I hope you will all come and see me. Have no fear, it is only for a couple of days a week so there will be plenty of time for me to keep on bringing you amazing content. I still have so much to write and I have a TON of great things lined up!

On with the show!

CELEBRITY NEWS:

The last couple of weeks has brought us some very sad and tragic news. I have always said that I wanted to bring you news that showed the good and decent side of humanity. I would, however, like to say that I am aware that these things have happened but that I have consciously chosen NOT to discuss them here. Everyone has different views and opinions on things like these and my purpose is to not start a political/social disagreement. We are all here for the common love of country music so let’s focus on something that brings us together instead of things that could potentially pull us apart. Deal? Deal.

Living The Life:

Last summer there were several celebrities who had marriages that ended. Included in that wave was Reba McEntire and her husband and manager of 26 years, Narvel Blackstock. The divorce wasn’t her idea and she was more than willing to work on it. Because Narvel was also her manager, it forced her hand in to managing her own career, which is something else that she never really planned on.

But don’t worry about Reba. She has been keeping busy and loving life! She was quoted in People as saying, “I’m having a great time traveling and working. I’ve got a great team of people I’m working with who are coming up with new ideas for me to do things that I haven’t done in the past.” She is currently living it up with Brooks and Dunn during their stint at Caesar’s Coliseum in Las Vegas.

It truly looks like Reba has bounced back and is having a blast being single. You go, girl!

A Few Good Friends Of Mine:

If you remember a few weeks back Jason Blaine answered a few questions for me. Well, I just can’t get enough of this guy! Apart from being devilishly handsome, he is extremely sweet and so community minded (which is something we discussed in our email interview). This week was the 3^rd Annual Jason Blaine Celebrity Charity Golf Classic. It is held in Blaine’s hometown of Pembroke, Ontario. The day included a golf tourney as well as a star-studded gala held at the Pembroke Memorial Centre. Attendees were treated to performances by Jason (of course), Dallas Smith, Jason McCoy, Ben Rutz and The River Town Saints (who of course are HILARIOUS).

The event raised $80,000 for its beneficiaries this year which include The Pembroke and Area Boys and Girls Clubs, The Algonquin College Waterfront Campus Campaign (Blaine’s Alma Mater) and the Pembroke Petawawa District Community Foundation (which supports the St. Joseph’s Food Bank, the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen and the local Salvation Army).

In true Jason fashion, he turned the focus off of him and brought the organisers in to the spotlight. He is quoted as saying, “These people right here have the biggest hearts, and they’re so community minded and they’re all tremendously smart and talented and lovely, lovely people. I just love them to death.”

If you needed another reason to adore this guy, I believe I just gave you one.

Photo: http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2016/06/16/jason-blaine-classic-raises-80000

COUNTRY MUSIC:

There are some people who you meet in this world that reaffirm your faith in the human race. They are friendly and kind and, most importantly, genuine. Tianna Woods and her father Bob Woods are a glowing example of these kinds of people.

I met Tianna while I was at the CMAO Conference and Awards at the end of May. Tianna was up for several awards that weekend (Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, and her producer was up for “Bring Your Own Sunshine”). She took some time for me and we had breakfast with her dad. I have never done an artist/parent interview before, but over this weekend I did a couple of them. It is a very interesting perspective to get on the industry, especially since Bob is also her manager.

Originating from Burlington Ontario, Tianna went to the Etobicoke School of the Arts. So while you and I were learning how to make mac and cheese and learning how to hem pants, Tianna was taking musical theatre. She also took music lessons and dance classes. At one point she was taking 11 classes a week! She plays several instruments. She started with the organ when she was young and now plays the piano, the sax, the clarinet, the guitar, the fiddle, the drums and the North American flute. She is learning a couple of new instruments but said she is saving them as a surprise. Sorry gang! I tried to get it out of her and she wouldn’t budge! Her parents had a philosophy, “Do whatever you want, learn whatever you want, take as many lessons as you want, but you can’t quit.” So I asked Bob how he managed to balance a job, a family and carting a kid to 11 lessons a week. “I didn’t! Half the time I didn’t know where I was going!” He mentioned that there would be sometimes that she would be changing in the back seat of the car as they went from one lesson to another. I couldn’t believe that. He added, “Discipline was the big thing and she had lots of discipline.” It was obvious that Tianna was one of those people who if she sets her mind to something, she is going to do it.

One thing I love about Bob is that he is brutally honest about his position as her manager and has no fear of saying, “I’m the boss, this is what I want you to do. Get it done.” Tianna and Bob both admit that it can be challenging making that father/manager separation. But Bob said the hardest part for him is when he is speaking to people in the industry. “They think I am talking to them as her dad.” What they don’t realize is that Bob treats her like any of the band members. If she screws up, he is going to tell her. He has a background in coaching artistic roller skating (and has been a world champion). He records her performances and goes over them with her and critiques it. Tianna takes criticism extremely well. “She takes it as a lesson.” Interestingly, Tianna never picked up the skating bug. “I am a terrible roller skater,” she laughed. Bob added that Tianna was the DJ at the rink they owned. I mentioned to them that I was once in roller derby for a short stint. Bob…I am still holding you to that roller skating date the next time I am out your way!

Our conversation moved over to her music. One thing I love about Tianna is her voice has this crystal clear traditional country sound. It reminds me of Reba or Terri Clark. We started taking about the loss of the traditional country sound, which was a topic that came up a few times during our panel sessions over the weekend. “I don’t try to sound like anyone else.” She is inspired by many different things and enjoys many styles of music. She tends to pick songs based on the feeling she gets from them and the melody has to really grab her. On a personal level, she tries to pick positive songs because she does want to be a positive role model. Because of that comment, I asked her about women in the industry being highly sexualized. I wanted to know her thoughts on that. “They should portray the image they want to portray,” she started, “I like to portray myself as sexy but classy.” Bob was quick to jump in, “Everything she wears has to go past her mom and I. Period.”

Since we were already there, we started talking about the future of females in country music, another hot topic that came up over the weekend. Tianna replied, “People just want to focus on the men right now.” She is, however, hoping that it is starting to turn around. Bob found himself having to bite his tongue during one of the panels. One of the artist admitted that girls have a hard time in the business. He found himself wanting to ask, “How often do you have a girl open for you? Do ANY of you have women open for you?” Both Tianna and Bob feel that it is their responsibility to help fellow artists, male or female. Tianna added, “Radio people themselves have to change.” Keeping this at top of mind, I asked her how she copes with setbacks. “You just keep going. If you dwell on that, you’re never going to get anywhere.”

Tianna has written in Nashville but has always recorded in Canada. They mentioned to me that they’ve had several offers from labels in Nashville to record down there. They’ve said no every time and kept the recording process here. Bob said, “If we are going to do country music then we can do it the way we do country music. We don’t have to sound like we’re from Nashville.” Because we were talking about the Nashville sound, I asked Tianna’s her thoughts on the “Bro Country” movement. She replied, “I like the music. I like music regardless. I just wish that radio would start accepting female music as well.”

Disability case manager by day, country singing sweetheart by night, I asked Tianna how she manages some type of work-life balance. “You have to be dedicated. Time management is very important.” That’s all great, but what does this girl do for fun? In true manager fashion, Bob piped in, “Practice!” Tianna laughed, “Yes, practice,” she continued by telling me that she likes to go to movies and dinner with friends and enjoys going to see live music.

As we started to wind up our breakfast, I asked Tianna what the strangest thing that has happened at a show has been. She and her dad both burst out laughing. While playing a fall festival in Mitchell, Ontario, the crowd had gone from quiet to a little rowdy after 10 pm. “One guy decided he was going to drop his pants! He literally dropped his pants in front of everybody!” Bob added, “I’ve got the video to prove it!” I was heartbroken to have to finish such a lovely morning with these two. But she had to prepare for the awards show. I couldn’t let her walk away without asking what the last pic she took on her phone was. “Patricia Conroy, while she was playing at the conference yesterday.”

This is an amazing young lady. Her drive and dedication are so inspiring and I believe that she truly is a positive role model for anyone who is moving in to any kind of demanding career. You need to visit her website: (http://www.tiannawoods.com), go like her Facebook page: (https://www.facebook.com/tiannawoodsfanpage) and check out her YouTube channel: (https://www.youtube.com/user/TiannaWoods). Here is a little preview. This is “Bring Your Own Sunshine” by Tianna Woods live at the CMAO 2016 Awards show:

Posted in Country History, Country Music, Country News, Uncategorized | Tagged Ben Rutz, Bob Woods, Brooks and Dunn, Chad Brownlee, Dallas Smith, Jason Blaine, Jason McCoy, Narvel Blackstock, Reba McEntire, River Town Saints, Sundragon Studios, Tianna Woods, Tim Hicks | Leave a comment

Spreading Like Wildfire

Posted on June 10, 2016 by Susie Krivak

I just got home from Calgary, Alberta. I know. Toronto one weekend, Calgary the next. Such a “jet-set” lifestyle. It has been great to have some family time. My nephew and nieces are so much fun…most of the time 😉 Ah, kids will be kids and I love them to bits. We’d love to see them more but having a full province between us doesn’t lend us much opportunity. So when we see them, we make the most of it.

I’ve still got a lot of news and interviews that need to get written up so we should get started!

CELEBRITY NEWS:

A True Country Boy:

After recently switching over to TKO Management, there is news of a biopic and new music being released from Glen Campbell. Campbell’s current manager, Stan Schneider, is very close to Campbell’s tender age of 80. With everyone’s blessing, Campbell made the switch to having TK Kimbrell as his manager. A close friend of his, Kimbrell was quoted as saying “My goal is to make sure that Glen’s musical legacy lives on forever and is passed down for generations to come.” James Keach, who also directed the documentary that took a look at Campbell’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, will be directing the film that will be a biography of the Rhinestone Cowboy’s life. Along with it, an album of new material will be released. According to Kimbrell, “There is a ton of unreleased music and the more you get in to it, the more you find.”

Ain’t Just Whistlin’ Dixie:

God bless the Dixie Chicks and their political agenda. Natalie Maines, lead singer of the group, has taken to Twitter over the last couple of months to make her views on Donald Trump and Ted Cruz well known. In January she tweeted, “As long as Donald Trump’s decisions for America are as solid as his decision about his hair, we’re in good shape.”

While on their 2016 world tour, the all-girl group played in Cincinnati, Ohio (June 1) and showed a giant defaced photo of the republican candidate during the female empowerment anthem “Goodbye Earl”:

The photo has been seen previously on this tour, as it was shown during the European shows.

This isn’t the first time that the Dixie Chicks have made the news regarding their political views. In 2003, Maines made disparaging comments about President George Bush, including the fact that they were ashamed of the fact that he is from Texas (home state to the girls). It almost destroyed the group, causing a loss of airplay, station bans and death threats.

COUNTRY MUSIC:

Despite almost 270.000 hit on You Tube, Corey Norman describes himself as just a regular guy, “born and raised in Alberta”.

My Mom tagged me on a Facebook post that has been going around. It was a video of a song called “Wildfire” by Corey, who is from the Sundry, Alberta area. I reached out to him to learn more about Fort McMurray, the “oil patch” and of course, about him.

Corey started working in the patch at 18. He started out by working on the rigs and eventually became a welder. As the economic climate in Alberta suffers due to the crashing price of oil, thousands of Albertans (including transplanted ones who came specifically to work in the patch) continue to lose their jobs. Unfortunately, Corey was not immune to this either. After several years working in and around Fort McMurray, he found himself back at home. While many of his friends are at home and some have taken to working retail and leaving the patch all together, Corey spends time being an outdoorsman (as he enjoys hunting, fishing, camping and quadding) and playing gigs when he can. He also spends time song writing. He has been in several competitions and has won some of them and placed in others. He usually writes on his own but has co-written which was an experience he enjoyed. He said that his girlfriend is pretty good at being honest with him about the quality of his song which makes it easier for him to write on his own. He has been in the recording studio and plans to go back in. The first time he recorded he said he didn’t really know what to expect. He said that everyone knew he had never done it before and that they were helpful and helped to guide him. Now that he has built a relationship with a producer and a good group of musicians, it makes it easier for him to go in.

I wanted to talk about “Wildfire” specifically. The lyrics are haunting and it really paints an incredible picture of what happened. He heard that people were writing songs about it and felt as though he had something to contribute. “I thought I had a pretty good understanding of what was going on up there because I know the area really well from working there over the years.” We talked about the response that he has had to song, huge number of views aside. I asked him if he had received any messages because of it. “I’ve had a lot of personal messages from people,” he began. “A lot of people from Fort McMurray have told me how much they love the song and how much they appreciate me writing it.” He added that people tell him that the song gives them hope and that they like that “it explains the way things are without sugar-coating it.” This isn’t surprising really. I asked Corey to describe himself in 3 words. He laughed and took a minute to reply. He told me his 3 words were “funny (sometimes), honest and straight-forward” – hence not glossing over the situation.

Corey has been singing for about 10 years. He has been playing guitar for 5 years and song writing for 4 years. I checked out some of his other work on You Tube and he is really talented! There are a few original songs on there so I highly recommend taking a listen! I asked if he ever got nervous before performing. “Not as much as I used to.” he replied. Who would he like to be on stage with if he could up there with anyone? Without hesitation he answered, “Eric Church or Blake Shelton. I think they are the kind of guys that you could sit down with and have a normal conversation.”

Naturally, I finished with my signature question; I asked him what the last photo was that he took with his phone. He laughed, “A dog running with a cast on its leg. It’s a video” He confirmed that the dog was indeed the neighbour’s dog.

Corey will be taking a break for a few weeks to have knee surgery, so we will have to wait a bit to see more from him. But I can guarantee that you will be hearing more from this very nice guy. In the meantime, check out his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/coreynormanmusic) and his You Tube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/coreynormanmusic). Here is the song that started it all; “Wildfire” by Corey Norman:

Posted in Country Music, Country News, Uncategorized | Tagged Corey Norman, Dixie Chicks, Donald Trump, George Bush, Glen Campbell, Natalie Maines, Wildfire | 2 Comments

Bright Lights, Big City: The 2016 CMAO Awards

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Susie Krivak

When I started writing this blog less than a year ago, never in a million years did I think I’d be in the position I was in on Monday night. I didn’t think I would be in the position I was in for the entire weekend. One thing I always wanted to accomplish with this blog is make you feel like you were a part of the action. So this is my attempt at doing that. This post is a little bit different. Usually I write everything up. This time I wanted you to hear the interviews. I felt it really captured the excitement of everything that was going on backstage.

The 2016 CMAO Awards were held on Monday, May 30^th at the Flato Markham Theatre in Markham, Ontario. I was standing there, clearly the “noob” of the group waiting for some of country music’s finest to walk the red carpet. I met a couple of girls and we had placed ourselves to swap off so we each could get that perfect picture. As the stars came out one by one, it was like I was an old pro, jockeying for position to get what I needed:

Kira Isabella

Tim Hicks

Prisoner Jason McCoy

Cold Creek County

The artists moved off the red carpet and went to the media room backstage. When they finished, we were moved back there to join them. It really was a country music fan’s dream; Aaron Pritchett, Madeline Merlo, The Road Hammers, everywhere you turned there was another artist. I looked down at the floor and noticed signs. There were signs to represent each media outlet. I walked down the line and there was mine. “RED, WHITE AND COUNTRY” in all bold capital letters. I wish I had taken a picture of it. I didn’t even think to. I stood on my spot. I had a million thoughts running through my head. They put me right beside the supremely cool Rudy Blair. I would like to give Rudy a HUGE shout out for building my confidence and some amazing tips. Of course we made time for a selfie:

Rudy and I

The show started in the front of the house and we watched in the back on a giant screen. There it was, the first winner of the night; Songwriter(s) Of The Year: Jason Blaine and Deric Ruttan for “Country Side”. The award was accepted by Jason and he made his way on the the red carpet back in the media room. After some photos, he made his way around the media and made a stop for me.

Jason Blaine

(conversation starts at 40 seconds)

Jason Blaine and I

Not only were we in the presence of Canadian country music royalty, there were many up and comers, proving that they are on the way to the top:

Instant Rivalry

Kansas Stone

Lindsay Broughton

My evening started out by speaking to rising star (and presenter that evening), Andrew Hyatt. Hailing from Sudbury, Ontario, Andrew worked in the nickle mines and is referred to as the man with “nickle bones and a Nashville soul”. Make sure to check out his website (http://www.andrewhyattmusic.com)

He has a new single coming out so we chatted about that:

Award after award was being handed out (I will post a complete list at the end). The one award I was really waiting for was Female Artist Of The Year. And the winner is….. my girl Leah Daniels (http://www.leahdaniels.com):

The evening was drawing to a close and there was one more interview I wanted to get. And that was with River Town Saints (http://www.rivertownsaints.com). Originally from Ottawa, they trucked over to Markham to perform at the awards. These guys are a riot. They took sometime to talk to me and we touched on a very sensitive topic:

I can honestly say ladies, getting a group hug from these handsome men is truly heaven!

The evening was exhausting but amazing. It was totally worth all of the work that I went through to get there (expect more perogie sales). Oh yeah…there was an after party at the hotel I was staying in. Sorry guys, I was off the clock. But I CAN promise you that fun was had by one and all!

Make sure to like my Facebook page (the link is on the side) so that you can see all of the photos from the weekend.

Here is a complete list of the winners at the 2016 CMAO Awards. Congratulations to all of you!

SINGLE OF THE YEAR (sponsored by KICX 106): “When the Buzz Wears Off” – Tebey

ALBUM OF THE YEAR (sponsored by hmv Canada): What Love Is All About – Johnny Reid

SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR (sponsored by SOCAN): Jason Blaine, Deric Ruttan – “Country Side” performed by Jason Blaine

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Spring Tree Farm): Leah Daniels

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Havelock Country Jamboree): Jason Blaine

GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR (sponsored by The Remington Group): Cold Creek County

ROOTS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Skelton Truck Lines Ltd.): The Good Family

RISING STAR AWARD (sponsored by Slaight Music): Cold Creek County

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Kylemore Communities): “Country Side” – Jason Blaine

FANS’ CHOICE (sponsored by Ontario Media Development Corporation): Cold Creek County

RECORD PRODUCER(S) OF THE YEAR (sponsored by MetalWorks Studios): Jason Barry – Run Angel Run by Runaway Angel; Now Playing and Sweet Harriet by The Western Swing Authority; Boomerang by Genevieve Fisher; Toes by Scotty James

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (MAJOR MARKET) (sponsored by Canadian Country Spotlight): CHKX-FM (KX 94.7), Hamilton

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (SECONDARY MARKET) (sponsored by Lucknow’s Music in the Fields): CJDL-FM (Country 107.3), Tillsonburg

I would like to thank the gang at Strut Entertainment for including me this weekend. It was incredible! I look forward to (hopefully) seeing you at CCMA’s!!

Posted in Country Music, Country News, Uncategorized | Tagged Aaron Pritchett, Andrew Hyatt, CMAO 2016, CMAO Awards, COld Creek County, Deric Ruttan, Instant Rivalry, Jason Blaine, Jason McCoy, Kansas Stone, Kira Isabella, Leah Daniels, Lindsay Broughton, Madeline Merlo, River Town Saints, Rudy Blair, Strut Entertainment, The Road Hammers, Tim Hicks | Leave a comment

Nothing But A Party

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Susie Krivak

It’s Friday! You are getting back-to-back posts this week because it is….CMAO WEEKEND!!! If you are in the Toronto/Markham area and are interested in seeing the award show or attending the conference (or both, of course), visit www.cmaontario.ca for ticket information. It is going to be a great time!

The first few Red White and Country Items have shipped and have been received.

These are just a few of the items available on the site. With Canada Day coming up, they are a must have! Check out the Merch link above for more information.

Now, on with the show…

CELEBRITY NEWS:

Play Me Some Country Music:

From August 25^th to June 2017, Alabama: Born Country will open at the Country Music Hall of Fame. This exhibition will highlight one of the most successful bands in country music of all time, Alabama. It will feature instruments, awards, performance clothing and personal memorabilia of the band members.

The band, which first formed in 1969 with the name Young Country, has sold over 70 million albums since first signing with RCA in 1980. They were inducted in to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and continue to record and tour. If you are from these parts, you should know that they are one of the head liners at Craven Country Jamboree this year.

The exhibit also showcases the philanthropic work that the band members are involved in. Their June Jam is one of their largest. Located in Fort Payne, Alabama (where the band is from), the June Jam has raised millions of dollars for local charities. As if this wasn’t enough, they are very active supporters of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

The band will be performing on July 6^th at the CMA Theatre for “The Big Gig”, an exclusive members only concert.

Fans of All Ages:

Ok, one more Blake Shelton story. This one melted my heart so I had to share it.

It appears that Blake Shelton truly is a fan to the masses. Joyce Berry is an 89 year-old fan of Shelton’s and her daughter Sandi helped her reach out to her guy and made a video. In it, Joyce asks him to come and visit the Elk City Nursing Center in Elk City, Oklahoma, all the while showing her Blake Shelton picture on her night stand.

So what did Sandi do? She made a campaign to have him come and visit her mother and the other residents. She caught Twitter on fire, so much that Shelton saw the tweet and responded:

https://twitter.com/blakeshelton/status/735583394600353792

There is no word on if he plans to visit Elk City or not. But from what I have seen, he typically does what he says. I’ll follow up on this story and see if he makes the trip.

COUNTRY MUSIC:

If you’ve never had the opportunity to see Cold Creek County live, you are doing yourself a HUGE disservice. They are outgoing, fun and completely engaged with their audience. They will be playing a large number of shows across the country this summer, so please make sure to take them in. Trust me! Everything about this band will have you tapping your toes and ready to get up and dance.

What many may not realize is that Cold Creek is an actual creek. Band members Brandon Scott, Doug Oliver, Josh Lester, Justin Lester, Trevor MacLeod and Jordan Honsinger are all from more rural areas of Ontario and had to cross back and forth across the creek to see each other. The really great thing about being from a small town is that the community is typically very supportive, and this case was no exception. Their debut single “Our Town” has lyrics like “’Cuz this is our town, We roll on down to the place we always go” and “Put ’em tall boys in the air, Let’s show ’em how we do it down here” only proving that this is one group of guys that has much love for where they come from.

I once referred to Cold Creek County as the Florida Georgia Line of the North. That was before I even knew that they were produced by Scott Cooke (assistant engineer for Florida Georgia Line). The band is co-managed by member Doug Oliver, who manages the band along with Chief (the head of Chief Music) who manages Dallas Smith, Chris Lane and….Florida Georgia Line. It must be the ticket to success because they have had many in such a short time.

Something I find extremely interesting about this band is that they formed in 2013 and signed with Sony Music in 2014. That’s right…2 years ago. Between their electric performances and huge social media presence, these guys have shot their way to the top. In 2014, they received the Wire award for Country Group of the Year. Earlier this month they received the award for Best New Group or Solo Artist: Country at the Canadian Radio Music Awards. And just to “show off”, their single “Beer Weather” cracked in to the top 20 in the last week. This weekend at the CMAO Awards, they are nominated for several awards: Single of the Year (“Our Town”), Group or Duo of the Year, Rising Star Award, Fan’s Choice award and Producer of the Year (Scott Cooke for “Our Town”).

If you are unable to make the awards show, they will be performing on June 9^th in the Bright Lights, Big Country Concert Series in a fundraiser for Fort McMurray. Joining them will be Tim Hicks, Jason Blaine and Wes Mack to name a few.

Somehow finding time with their insane schedule, member Jordan Honsinger took a few minutes to answer some questions for me:

Q: How do you settle creative differences within the group?

A: I think we always allow for everyone to have a voice and everyone does a good job of recognizing when it is necessary to let go of their idea a little and allow other ideas to take the reigns. Of course if all else fails then we settle it over a paintball battle royale!

Q: You are all from smaller communities. What do you miss about them when you are on the road?

A: What we miss most are family, friends and the familiarity of being home. Home is great to leave, but it’s even better when you get to return!

Q: When you are on tour, what is something you guys do to unwind?

A: Not sure if we should admit this publicly, but we’ve been known to kill an hour or 7 playing Mario Kart against one another.

Q: What are some “must haves” while you are on the road (no electronics or instruments)?

A: Quality beer and a playlist that doesn’t repeat every 25 minutes…

Q: Do you play pranks on each other? Which prank was the most over the top?

A: Well no one has played a specific prank on the road (yet), but certain people have had their picture taken when they had no idea, and those pictures are kept in “the vault” only to be released when we need to blackmail someone!

Q: How has the CMAO contributed to your career?

A: Well it’s a total privilege and honour to be nominated, and we hold that in high regard. Regardless of whether we win it’s great to be recognized among so many great artists!

Q: What’s the last photo you took on your phones?

A: A mugshot requested from our tour manager Josh Cork. He says it’s for a backstage pass at the Calgary Stampede but I’m pretty he’s selling it to someone for a counterfeit passport!

I can honestly say that I laughed out loud at a couple of the responses Jordan wrote! What a great sport.

Well, you need to check these guys out on their website (http://www.coldcreekcounty.com), on Twitter (@coldcreekcounty) and of course Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ColdCreekCounty). They are really active online and so much fun to follow. While you do that, here is “Beer Weather” by Cold Creek County:

Posted in Country Music, Country News | Tagged Alabama, Blake Shelton, CMAO 2016, CMAO Awards, COld Creek County, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Blaine, Red, Tim Hicks, Wes Mack, White and Country Merch | Leave a comment

Shiny Stars

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Susie Krivak

I leave for Toronto tomorrow! I can’t believe it is already here. This is my first CMAO event and I couldn’t be more excited! I am even more excited to be able to share this experience with you…both the awards and this crazy journey I am on. It is incredible and the response to the blog is phenomenal. Be sure to check out the Red, White and Country Merch I have available on Cafe Press. You can click the link at the top and it will take you right there.

My sister pointed out that it has been 5 years since we have been at CMA Fest. That’s a shame isn’t it? Well, there is always next year.

In the meantime….

CELEBRITY NEWS:

Wise-guys:

It has been a while since I have posted anything Blake Shelton related. I know, I know. He is going to think my love for him has died. I promise it’s not true.

Blake Shelton has been named the headliner of the Stars for Second Harvest Benefit Concert. The concert is in its 12^th year and was started by Craig Wiseman. Wiseman is in the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. The concert is to raise funds for the food bank of middle Tennessee and has raised over $900,000 for the charity so far. In meals terms…that is 3.5 million meals.

The show will be in Nashville on June 7^th at the Ryman Theatre and will also feature Chris Lane, Kane Brown, Shane McAnally and Josh Osbourne. If you are in Nashville for CMA week, you may want to check it out and support a great cause at the same time.

Happy Birthday Indeed:

I purposefully stay away from dim and grim news on my blog. I also try to stay away from gossip (e.g. BLAKE AND GWEN EXPECTING TWINS!!!) I prefer to point out that there is still good in the world, even from celebrities. This story is a glowing example of that.

While playing a show in Atlanta, Georgia, Luke Bryan brought a little 5 year-old fan up on stage. This little girl had one birthday wish and it was to hug him. Well, he is the Santa of birthdays because he did so much more. After bringing her up, he knelt down and sang some lines of “Someone Else Calling You Baby”, to which the little girl sang along. She knew every word, and Bryan handed her the microphone. She was shy at first then sang along like an old pro. Afterwards, she got her birthday hug and she jumped back in the audience (to the person who brought her, of course).

To that little girl…BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER!!!

COUNTRY MUSIC:

It was a Sunday morning. Frank was still sleeping and shockingly my neighbourhood was quiet. I was sitting on the couch, going through my phone and I had on CMT Canada. When out of nowhere, there it was – this ethereal sounding country song that I had never heard. I put my phone down and paid attention. God bless PVR! I rewound it several times and then I got Frank up to watch it too. He was mesmerized. THAT was my introduction to Lindi Ortega. The song was “Tin Star”.

Lindi doesn’t look like you would expect a contemporary country singer to look. Her long dark curly hair and her pin-up good looks make you feel like you have been taken back. Then she sings and her voice really takes you back. Back to where country music would be playing on a jukebox in some bar in Nashville back in the 50’s. She is a Patsy, or a Loretta and a little bit Dolly. If you don’t believe the creativity of this girl, I suggest you read her bio on her website. Incredible! One thing she said on it really stuck with me and made me appreciate her even more. “I feel like country music, itself, is all encompassing. There are different facets of it. And I love all of it and I’ve always wanted to explore all sounds country-wise.”

Born of Mexican-Irish decent, Lindi was born and raised in Toronto. She spent a decade as an indie artist, earning the title of “Toronto’s best kept secret” and the nickname “Indie Lindi”. She now makes her home in Nashville. From 2010 to 2011 she was a back-up singer for Brandon Flowers (of The Killers) and was also on tour with Kevin Costner’s country-rock band Modern West. It is when she was on tour with them that she purchased her signature red cowboy boots. Then Lindi signed to Last Gang records in 2011.

In 2012, her album “Cigarettes and Truck Stops” was nominated for the 2012 Polaris Prize. That was just the beginning. In 2013, her single “Tin Star” was nominated for a Juno. She has received several awards and nominations both from the CCMA and CMAO. She received the awards for Roots Artist or Group of the Year in 2014 and 2015 from the CCMA. And this weekend, she is nominated for the 2016 CMAO Roots Artist or Group of the Year.

Despite her busy schedule, Lindi took a few moments to answer some questions for me:

Q: What feelings/emotions did you go through when you performed at the Grand Ole Opry last year?

A: I was very nervous. I was part of a show that hosted so many legendary iconic musicians, and I got to stand where they stood in the mother church of country music. I did two sets; the first set I was an emotional wreck because my folks were in the audience and I felt like I was really making them proud, and also because I was singing the song TIN STAR that I wrote about struggling musicians in Nashville. The second set I was more composed and relished the moment. The musicians I played with were incredible. It will forever be a highlight of my music career for me and I feel it was one of the greatest honours.

Q: How did the CMAO support you in the beginning of your career?

A: They have been nice enough to nominate me a few times. It’s always an honour to be nominated.

Q: Was there any point after you moved to Nashville that you thought, “I’m out”? If so, how did you come back from those feelings?

A: No. I love Nashville.

Q: What is something you must have on the road (No electronics or instruments)?

A: My red cowboy boots

Q: What’s the strangest thing that has ever happened at a show?

A: I played a show in the UK where I suppose someone got tired of standing in the front row and just decided it was appropriate to sit right on the stage while I was performing. It was distracting.

Q: What is your go to comfort food?

A: Deep-fried cheese curds

Q: What’s the last photo you took on the phone?

A: A photo of my cat, with all four paws up in the air looking very chill.

This bird-loving young lady is truly a star. Her website is http://lindiortega.ca and her Twitter handle is @lindiortega. Please follow her and look her up. I am looking forward to seeing her this weekend at the CMAO awards. Best of luck, Lindi. If you are unable to make it Markham to take in the CMAO Awards and the R2I Conference, here is the song that started it all for me – “Tin Star” by Lindi Ortega:

Posted in Country Music, Country News, Uncategorized | Tagged Blake Shelton, Chris Lane, CMA Fest, CMAO 2016, CMAO Awards, CMT Canada, Craig Wiseman, Josh Osborne, Kane Brown, Lindi Ortega, Luke Bryan, Shane McAnally, Stars for Second Harvest | Leave a comment

Red, White And Country

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Going To War

So THIS Is What It Feels Like

Homegrown

They Are On Fire

Girl With A Guitar

Spreading Like Wildfire

Bright Lights, Big City: The 2016 CMAO Awards

Nothing But A Party

Shiny Stars

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