Jonny had mentioned he considered offering me the MCing duties for the stage or at least one night - and I passed. Why? Because I am an idiot sometimes!

ECMA 2008 Report from the Back Nine by Jonny Stevens

What a weekend. I still don’t feel right.

Thursday Feb 7th, 2008
We hit the road at 7am, bound for the East Coast Music Awards in Fredericton, NB. The chatter in the van was about who we were excited to see and what the crowds would be like on all three nights.

The van arrived and we went directly to our venue, The Back Nine, which was to become my home for the next 3 days. The afternoon was spent putting up signs and posters and prepping the venue for the mayhem to come. Fredericton was buzzing with excitement as musicians and delegates poured in from all over Atlantic Canada and the world.

Our stage started at 9pm with one of my favorite singer/songwriters Kev Corbett. He told stories and sang great tunes with the passion of Billy Bragg and the sensibility of David Francey. The half hour set slipped by far too quickly and Kev was off to perform with one of the many other artists that have the privilege of calling him a bandmate.

Next up was double ECMA nominee Don Brownrigg. Don was on guitar and had Kris Pope accompanying him with the pedal steel. Dons new album “Wander Songs” is a fantastic slice of rootsy folk and has been getting rave reviews since its release in December. Tanya Davis sang/poeticized with Don for one song giving the crowd a small taste of what was to come with her set. The room was full and the crowd receptive to Don Brownriggs music.

Tanya Davis took the stage with a full band which was a treat for me to see as I’ve only ever witnessed her brilliance solo. She is a poet and a singer and is known to break the hearts of the audience with her fragile yet powerful delivery. Davis is an artist to be heard and the room listened intently and hung on every word for the full set. She switched between singing and speaking ever so quietly and performed a track called “Fortress” from her new album.

Fredericton born, Halifax based David Myles took the stage to great applause and anticipation. He owned the room and got the crowd singing and clapping along to his upbeat and stylish brand of roots music. Myles oozed charisma and confidence on stage and had everyone up dancing. His band were incredible with Jeff Arsenault on drums and Tom Easley on the stand up bass. David told jokes and stories about growing up in Fredricton and the audience loved him for it. Davis is set to drop his follow up to “Things Have Changed” in the coming months.

Not to be upstaged banjo slinging troubadour Old Man Luedecke started plucking away. He plays claw hammer style banjo and stomps his foot as he sings his quirky and wonderful tunes like “At The Airport” and “Joy of Cooking”. I watched from the side of the stage as the entire audience fell in love with him at the same time. It was one of the most amazing moments I’ve ever experienced as a fan of music. He sang and stomped and played and stomped some more and he was fantastic.

Ruth Minnikin and Her Bandwagon played next. Ruth has played on over 50 albums and has sung in amazing bands, like the Guthrie’s and the Booming Airplanes. She held the crowd and captivated them with her interesting lineup of instruments including French horn, baritone sax, banjo, bass and guitar.

Last but not least west coast songwriting award winner Ian Sherwood and his rocking trio finished off the night. Ian plays pop driven roots music and had the die hard fans singing along. Sherwood makes frequent trips to Nashville to write and co write and it is paying off for him. Ian Sherwood is poised to gain national recognition and his show is reminicant of Lennie Gallant and James Taylor.

We went back to the Music Nova Scotia suite in room 345 at the Delta to celebrate the evenings success. We talked about dream concerts and how we could make them happen while we listened to Mike Campbells iPOD and caught up with old friends.

It was Music Nova Scotia assistant, Billy McCarvils, first foray into the endurance race that is the ECMA and we decided that we should listen to better judgment and head back to our hotel. When we arrived we were pulled into the bar for a nightcap and found the guys from Wintersleep. We sat and caught up with everyone before hitting the sack for some much needed rest.

Friday, February 8, 2008
The club was at capacity by show time and spooky folksters the Ghost Bees did not disappoint. Sitting down with stuffed rats adorning the stage the sisters Romi strummed and sang their quirky and beautiful folk to the delight of the crowd.

Ryan Cook and Sunny Acres started a bit late but kicked out the jams with their foot stomping, honky tonkin, and rocking brand of Country music. The crowd went wild for the young front man in the 10 gallon hat and they played a short but intense set. The audience was doing a line dance by the end of the 20 minute performance and was hungry for more.

Just in time to fill that hunger was Jon Mckiel who drove across the Maritimes to play the show and left directly afterwards to do another gig in Sydney. These guys were an act I was excited to see as I’ve been listening to their CD but had never seen them live. They were amazing and even covered the Thrush Hermit tune Violent Dreams. War On You was the closing track and my voice went hoarse singing it from the side of the stage.

Speaking of hoarse voices Great Plains singer Sean MacGillvray showed up and used hand signals to communicate while setting up the stage which had me worried that he had lost his voice. As soon as the stage lights came on his mouth opened and he sang wonderfully with all of the passion I have come to expect from this in demand player. They played my favorite track Tantramar Station and finished with the crowd favorite Unnatural. Great Plains are still one of my favorite live bands of all time.

Next up was Dog Day who has recently finished a 60 date tour of Europe and North America in support of their Tom lab released masterpiece Night Group. Dog Day is made up of two married couples who prove that synergy between 4 people can be brought to a new level. They played well and hit every note perfectly, I’ve been sitting with the album for a while now and was excited to finally see them live. I highly recommend that you keep an eye on this band in the future.

Wintersleep have got to be some of the nicest guys I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. By the time they took the stage the crowd was whipped up into a frenzy and there was very little room for the band to move around and set up but they handled it like the pros they are. Their performance was incredible and the crowd gave back every ounce of passion that the band displayed in the 45 minute set. The audience sang in unison during the electric version of Weighty Ghost and rocked out hard during the extended outro on Danse Macabre. With a great mix of tracks from Welcome To The Night Sky and their last sefl titled album they rewarded the fans for waiting in line. Thanks to Wintersleep for playing and partying like true gentleman.

Fresh off the Rock Stage just minutes before, The Tom Fun Orchestra performed their brand of vaudevillian cluster rock to the masses until the show closed at 3 AM. These guys are a crowd favorite every time they play and this weekend was no different. Tom Fun sound kind of like the Pogues mixed with Tom Waits and their cover of Greg Macphersons Company Store brought the house down…or should I say burned it down.

I went back to the Delta after the show to have a quite nightcap and decompress from the intense show and MC’ing duties that night. It was quite for all of 5 minutes before the hoards of musicians and industry folks crowded into our tiny suite singing songs and playing music until the wee hours of the morning. I saw the sun come up over the Saint John River and figured I should make my way back to my hotel for at least an hour of sleep before my day began again.

Saturday was spent in workshops and meetings. I apologize to everyone I saw that had to look at my run ragged appearance and thank you all for your understanding…it is the ECMA after all.
[EDIT: Joi was rather concerned about the state of your appearance I think].

Saturday, February 9th, 2008
The crowd started lining up at 6pm and by 7:30 it was around the block. We opened the doors and the hundreds of excited fans trickled in and got settled in front of the stage. Everyone was excited to see Joel Plaskett Emergency but were in for a special treat from all the other bands playing that night. New Brunswick Premier Graham and his wife were in attendance again after seeing the show on Friday night and showed their support of Nova Scotian music.

First up was Rebekah Higgs alter ego Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees and their electro, punk, funk dance party all wrapped up in gold shirts. I am not a dancer but I have to say I was moving. Rebekah kept the crowd dancing with help from Jason Vauture, Colin Crowell and Sean MacGillvray kicking out the jams. It was the perfect start to an amazing lineup of Nova Scotian talent and the crowd was screaming for a recording by these guys which I’m told is in the works as we speak.

Sultry Chanteuse Jill Barber strummed, sang and filled up the hearts of the attentive audience members. Those that were not paying attention missed a short but beautiful set of new songs with backup provided by Bill Stevenson and Cathy Porter. We are lucky to have this Ontario songstress in Nova Scotia and are proud to call her our own.

Next up on stage was multi nominee R & B sensation Jordan Croucher with his crew Ghetto Child and RS Smooth. Jordan had the crowd dancing and clapping their hands the second he took the stage and had the word STAR written all over him. It was one of the standout performances of the weekend in my opinion and a nicer guy you’d be hard pressed to find. No Dress Code is the name of the album from Jordan Croucher and it is as impressive as his live show. Croucher is spending time in NYC with some heavy producers and our southern neighbors are starting to take notice.

Next up was the band I knew least about, The Sleepless Nights. They recently signed on with New Brunswick company Forward Music Group and have been on the road for the last month touring their new record “Turn Into Vapor”. They are an indie rock orchestra with an all star lineup of players and they rocked so hard I felt it in the pit of my stomach. The Sleepless Nights bass player Pineau broke a string but luckily they have two bass players so no time was lost fixing the problem. The Sleepless Nights were the second band to perform a Thrush Hermit tune with North Dakota (mashed up with Contrived song South Dakota). I was really impressed and can’t wait for their official CD release show at the Marquee on March 1st.

The Joel Plaskett Emergency took the stage with guest players Pete Elkas (a band regular) and Big Sugar/Grady guitar slinger Gordie Johnston and the crowd went bananas. They kicked off the show with drummer Dave Marsh on guitar and Mr. Plaskett holding down the beat on the drum kit and singing Fashionable People. They played songs from the masterpiece concept album Ashtray Rock to the delight of the entire crowd. The Emergency show was incredible with Joel dancing on the monitors and singing with the full power and passion that he is known for. Drummer Dave Marsh attacked the drum kit with more attitude and confidence than I’ve ever seen while bass player Chris Pannell, despite being sick with a brutal cold, played spot on. The addition of singer/songwriter/keyboard player Pete Elkas was awesome to see and having Ashtray Rock Producer Gordie Johnston on guitar and vocals was really great to see. The whole show was filmed by the CBC cameras and will be aired in the hour long special hosted by Steven Page of the Bare Naked Ladies.

Most bands would be nervous of playing after an act like The Joel Plaskett Emergency but not the Contact. They took the stage and shocked the sweaty crowd back to life with tracks from their album Canvas Tears. The synth heavy, super professional show was tight and well thought out and tracks like the Black Sea had heads bobbing me singing along. The band has been working in the US with Grammy winning producer Quinlan and the hard work is paying off with Canvas Tears getting rave reviews.

The final act of the entire weekend were the Antigonish natives The Trews who played all over ECMA ’08 just to remind east coast audiences how kick ass their live show is and I for one was reminded with every tune. They played all the hits and a new track from their upcoming album with the single “I Can’t Stop Laughing”. The Trews had their fans standing on the tables, singing along and generally going berserk during the hour long grand finale of the Music Nova Scotia Stage. They finished at 3:10AM but the crowd wanted more and more they got. Joined by Gordie Johnson they played the Big Sugar classic “Diggin a Whole” and blew the roof off the Back Nine Bar finishing closer to 4AM.

It was the most amazing lineup of talent I have ever had the privilege of being involved with and a real testimate to the pool overflowing with Nova Scotian music. Thank you to all the bands, managers, agents, techs, sound engineers, lighting engineers, volunteers, staff and bar managers that made this happen.

I was still buzzing from the music as I attended the awards show on Sunday night and watched as the nominees were read, winners announced and awards accepted. I sat in awe of how lucky we are to live in a place where music and art is held in high regard by government, sponsors and members of the public. In awe of how lucky we are that Fredericton’s residences came out to support our stage and in awe of the media attention that was paid to all the music that happened at the East Coast Music Awards and Conference in 2008.

CBC Radio 3 Review

“FUSE’s Amanda Putz and I finally managed to con our way up a back alley staircase and into what was likely the #1 destination in town: the Music Nova Scotia showcase at the Back Nine Bar in the heart of snowy downtown Fredericton. Shoulder to shoulder with rabid, pitcher-swilling music fans, I was able to combine what I love most about seeing live music: discovering a band that is brand new to my ears, then sitting back and enjoying one of my heroes. I snuck in just as the sonic boom of Sleepless Nights, Yarmouth Nova Scotia’s young lobster fishermen-turned-flailing rockers was ringing the ears of the 400+ stuffed in the club. Sleepless Nights (which contains members of Share and the Superfantastics among others) played a powerful set of layered, loud, gutsy indie rock peppered with awesome guitar solos, near a lost art. Sleepless Nights are definitely my discovery of the weekend so far.

Up next, the king of the party, the master of ceremonies, the leader of the pack, Joel Plaskett and his all-star band the Emergency took to the tiny stage to deafening applause (besides Joel’s regular drummer and bassist, the Emergency was filled out on this night by Peter Elkas and producer/rocker Gordie Johnson). Oddly enough Joel kicked off the concert sitting behind the drum kit for “Fashionable People” while drummer Dave Marsh took over on guitar. Then it was a whirlwind of recent songs from Ashtray Rock, a few other hits like “Million Dollars” (the highlight of the set for me) and a couple of sing-a-longs like “Nowhere With You” and the older classic “Work Out Fine”. The stage and the club may have been way too small for the popularity that Joel has now reached (the very same thing could be set for an earlier set by Jill Barber) but for many it was a treat to see Plaskett in such an intimate environment, harkening back to the ramshackle days of Thrush Hermit.”
~ Grant Lawrence, CBC Radio 3

Chronicle Herald’s Review [Halifax’s only remaining daily newspaper now]

“The hot stage of the evening belonged to Music Nova Scotia at the Back Nine, veering from the Ghost Bees archaic folk harmonies and literate songs to Ryan Cook and Sunny Acres no-nonsense honky tonk.

The King Street sports bar and bistro was filled to capacity for Jon McKiel’s imaginative and sardonic edge (earning bonus points for a cover of Thrush Hermit’s Violent Dreams) and the intensity of Great Plains’ emotional ferocity. You could tell it was a good night as New Brunswick premier Shawn Graham spent much of his Friday evening taking notes up in the VIP lounge.

And the night was still young, as three of the best young live acts the province has to offer, Dog Day, Wintersleep and the Tom Fun Orchestra made the wait worth it for those who braved lining up in the snow in the narrow alleyway outside.”
~ Stephen Cooke, The Chronicle Herald

Music Nova Scotia would like to thank:
Nova Scotia Department of Tourism Culture and Heritage
Alexander Keith’s
Lamb’s Rum
Delta Halifax & Delta Barrington
ECMA
Sound Systems Plus
Musicstop
Bill Appleby
Wayne O’Connor
Steevo Moore
Steve Smith
Cole MacDonald
Volunteers from the Delta Hotels Reservations Centre
The Back Nine Bar staff
Music Nova Scotia staff

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