The Rambling Roses Revue
Saturday, May 25
At Second Fiddle Books

As the Rambling Roses (Luann Kowalek, Wendy McNeill and Jen Kraatz) split Edmonton for points south last January, they did so with modest expectations. Like all road-trips though, happenstance and circumstance provided many stories, empowering challenges and a friendship that stood the test of going together down many roads.

"It wasn’t just in the van," groans McNeill, "it was the hotel room, the gig, the restaurant…"

Knowing each other only as musical acquaintances previously, the three possess very diverse musical styles and personalities, which made for interesting times. Besides the harmonies they developed as they drove – "Three of us rehearsing them 24 hours a day," says Kraatz – each experienced the other’s peculiarities first-hand.

Kraatz and McNeill agree that Kowalek was indispensable.

"She’s such a sweetie," says Kraatz. "She was the balance between Wendy and I. On the trip she worked so hard. She’s a beautiful woman with a heart of gold."

"Oh how wonderful she is. Beautiful and talented. I didn’t know she was so wise," Kraatz says of McNeill, adding, "I found out that she needs her food. If she doesn’t have her food she goes a little crazy." Which may explain the rationed candy Kraatz had secreted around their vehicle.

The others also did what they could to help develop one of soft-spoken Kraatz’s more, um, endearing traits.

"I said, ‘What?’ more often then I took a u-turn," McNeill says of the whispering one, "and we took a lot of u-turns."

"I learned quite a bit – speaking up, and just speaking period," Kraatz concedes.

Chris Murray
With General Rudie, Operators, Kingpins
Saturday, May 25
Power Plant

If Chris Murray crashes on your couch, he might wake you up recording a new song on his four-track.

Murray can turn any place – the back seat of a car, your couch – into a recording studio. "[On the new album] there’s probably like a dog bark or train noise somewhere," he says. "It’s very faint, but on the first album there’s a helicopter going overhead."

With two solo four-track releases since the evaporation of King Apparatus, Murray has become the master of a device that was cutting-edge studio technology in the days of the Beatles and Lee Perry. His roots-ska songs have won praise for cultivated songwriting and the raw sincerity of their lo-fi production.

Murray’s live performance harkens back to playing acoustic around the campfire. "That’s where I learned to play guitar," he says. "In many ways my act is the same, just getting up on a wooden box or a stage and playing songs and encouraging people to get involved."

Don’t judge Murray by his low-key, lo-fi appearance alone; this guy has done some amazing collaborations. As well as having writing credits on releases by Hepcat, Skavoovie, and Stubborn All-Stars, he’s jammed with ska pioneer Laurel Aitken and 2tone legends the Specials, and right now, he’s partway through a project with the Slackers that might become a full album.

After the fall of the third wave, trad ska has flourished, as demonstrated by Canadian bands like General Rudie and the Operators, who will share the Power Plant stage with Murray. "Whatever you’re getting into, you learn by emulating what’s been done before," he explains. "That old style is very musical, whereas the modern stuff is more power-oriented.

"That type of ska that hit Top 40 and MTV didn’t come out of the ska scene that many hardcore ska fans were in for a really long time," says Murray. "I played with almost every ska band that was active through the ’90s, but I never played a show with Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger or No Doubt. I think that’s what a lot of people were exposed to and told, okay, this is what ska is."

But now that the trendy co-opting of ska has blown over, bands that hopped on the ska bandwagon are long gone, and the people involved before the media attention are still playing it. "It’s positive how many people have stuck it out through hard times," Murray says.

Preshure Point
With Compromise and The.Stars.Wept
Friday, May 24
At Stars

Roused from his bed at the ungodly hour of 11 a.m, guitarist Stu Ross of Preshure Point is barely coherent on the subject of his band’s upcoming eastern Canadian jaunt. And who can blame him? The sleepyhead punk-rocker is banking bedtime hours in anticipation of many restless nights of rock ’n roll debauchery, exhausting drives, and oh so many hardwood floors. Hooking up with buddies Compromise, Preshure Point will for the first time crack the boundaries of Manitoba and head for Ontario, looking to spread the skatepunk/metal gospel of their Farway Records EP The Only Constant is Change. But before this eastward excursion, the band will join forces with Compromise for a warmup show at Stars that Ross notes will have a bit of a twist to it.

"All of the bands on the 24th recorded one song each that we’re putting on a disc, and we’re only putting 100 copies out. And it’s only available at the show." If you happen to miss out on this one-time-only offer, the band will also be supporting Grade at the Likwid Lounge on Monday, May 27. Whichever show you choose, it’s sure to be an action-packed event. Have a heart and help the boys in their effort not to starve for the next few weeks, by purchasing CDs and T-shirts.

Labatt Bluesfest
Aug. 23-25
At the Heritage Amphitheatre
Hawrelak Park

The lineup for the 2002 Labatt Bluesfest has just been announced and the event keeps growing in stature. The roster shows a balance between big-name acts and the blues road-warriors who hone their craft crisscrossing the continent. Friday, Aug. 23, Saskatchewan axe-master Jack Semple kicks off the festivities, followed by Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings and Charlie Musselwhite.

Saturday, Aug. 24 features Cephas and Wiggins, Terry Hanck, Big Jack Johnson and the Oilers, CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band and Marcia Ball.

Sunday, Aug. 25 you can see Rory Block, the Twisters, Kelley Hunt, Sonny Rhodes and, in a booking coup, soul brother Ike Turner and the nine-piece Kings of Rhythm band.

Now how much would you pay? How about $70? Blues International is selling 1,000 earlybird passes for that low figure, after which they’ll release advance weekend passes for $85 which will be available until Aug. 21, at which point you can get tickets at the gate. Friday’s show will run you $30, with Saturday and Sunday passes going for $40 each.

Tickets are available now by calling Ticketmaster (451-8000), or visiting the Chateau Louis Hotel (11727 Kingsway Ave.) or Southside Sound (10362 - 82 Ave.).