January 24, 2006

THE CADRE e 7

ARTS & ENTERTAIN

This One’s For the Children: Local Band Raises $1,000 for Local Wish Foundation Chapter

Kimberley Johnston ACE Editor

Friday, January 6" was rockin’ at the Wave...Rockin’ for Wishes to be exact.

The fund-raiser, which was the brainchild of local band Stride, raised $1,000 for the local chapter of the Children’s Wish Foundation right here in Charlottetown. Stride consists of UPEI Business Graduate Ashley Gorman (vocals and lead guitar), Liam Kearney (drums), and Blaine Jenkins (bass guitar and vocals).

It’s a really great story, but I'll let Gorman tell it.

“(The organization of the event) was pretty much a collaborated effort between Stride (my band), The Wave and Lee Gauthier from Children’s Wish Foundation. The last two were very helpful in promoting ‘{it].”

“This event started when we as a band got together in November and agreed that we would all love to put on a show which was a fundraiser for a charity for Christmas time. We felt that the Children’s Wish Foundation was a good fit for a local charity that we could help out with.”

There was also another reason the band wanted to do something for the children.

“Last year, our bass player Blaine and his wife Carolyn had a stillbirth. Their little boy was to be called Theil, and we definitely wanted to do something for the kids. The Children’s Wish Foundation seemed to be a local organization that we could help, and it just seemed like a really good cause and that’s when we came up with the full title: Rockin’ for Wishes: A Tribute to Theil Jenkins.”

Gorman added getting other local bands to play was not a huge concern for the fundraiser. Those bands included John Connolly, P5, Midnight Auto Supply, Out From Under and Fugato.

“As far as the musicians agreeing to play, pretty much all the musicians I know around this area are also really great people who love to help out whenever they can. I knew if a band couldn’t do it, it was probably because they were already booked somewhere.”

He was right, Out From Under could not play on December 15, but luckily could play on the storm date when the fundraiser was rescheduled.

“Every single act did not hesitate for a second. Out from Under

was a late edition but they approached us when the event was rescheduled from the storm on December 15". They weren’t able to make the first show but when they heard about the re-scheduling, it was something they really wanted to help out with. All the bands were really excited about getting a chance to do this.”

And they really got into it. The lead singer of Midnight Auto Supply, Nick Teter, showed off his Sponge Bob-inspired wardrobe shortly before hitting the stage.

“I brought my Sponge Bob slippers, beanie baby, and a wrist band,” he said, also flashing a matching T-shirt. “It’s for the kids.”

So will there be an encore of this event?

“T felt the fundraiser was fairly successful. With donations outside of the fundraiser that were given to us by people who wanted to attend, and couldn’t make it, combined with what we made, we raised about $1,000"

“We want to make this an annual event, so we can only go up from here. To say the people there had a good time, would be a huge understatement, I think. It was a rocking time without question and we've received a lot of compliments concerning that aspect of it.”

So which is more stressful: playing a show or organizing one?

“Organizing a show like this is way more nerve-racking, for sure. Playing — it’s just what we do and (we, the band) are at the point where we are very comfortable playing with each other. I love the music. But organizing is pretty nerve-racking because you

want to put the best show possible

together.”

But they couldn’t have done it alone, explained Gorman.

“Well, as I said that night, I just want to thank The Wave, and -the Children’s Wish Foundation for allowing us to put this on. Also, to John Connolly, P5, Midnight Auto Supply, Out from Under and Fugato, thank all

‘of you guys so much for blessing us

with your frickin’ unreal genius and time. And most of all thank you to everyone who came out, music lovers, without you guys this night would not have been nearly as successful.”

So where will Stride go from here?

Check them out Saturday, February 4°, at Baba’s Lounge when they open for Out From Under. Friday, February 10", they will play Baba’s again. John Connolly will be opening. The band will probably be very busy ECMA weekend as well.

ANT

Q&A with the Robots

Andy Bulman Reporter

Some bands like to talk music and some bands love it. The Robots, a strong member of the local music scene would prefer to dissect, understand and above all rant about what it is that makes one song great, and another a “giant shitfest”.

The Cadre sat down with bassist Chris Doiron, keyboard player Keith Baglole, drummer Phil Maclsaac and lead vocals/guitar guy Pete Rankin to see what they had to say.

Q. So how long have you guys been playing together?

A. (Pete) Well, Keith and I started playing in grade twelve, but well we weren’t playing good music. We sounded like the Hot Hot Heat.

(Phil) I met Chris through my cousin Kyle “The Snake” Drake, and well he just fit the mold. The image we were going for.

Q. Some people. have called you music snobs, so lets play a game. Pll name a band you tell me what you think.... The Beatles?

A.(Keith) Oh why bother, it would be like saying you hate Shakespeare. Q. Guns and Roses?

A.(Chris) Well here’s the thing...

Q Spoon?

A.(Phil) Oh here we go.

(Pete) How would you describe Spoon? Minimalism to a fault. Sloan without guitars. I don’t think we’re music snobs, and I don’t think we should be lumped into that together. We just know what we like. That being said Keith and I probably hate more bands then these guys. .

(Phil) Keith hates more bands in general but Pete really hates with his heart.

(Pete) Sometimes people don’t understand that music is supposed to be fun. You could argue with someone

about movies but if you say you hate a song that they love, you’ve made an enemy. It’s insane how personal people make it. They forget that music is supposed to be fun.

Q. What do you hate in song writing? And that being said, how do you write a good song?

A. (Keith) jeez.

(Pete) I don’t like when a song tells a story, some people try to do that and just fail so miserably. Bruce Springsteen is great at writing narratives but that’s not what we try to do.

(Phil) That’s why we kind of admire bands like The Wolf Parade, a song is great when it can mean a lot of different things to different people. A song isn’t good when it just has the one in your face message.

Q. So how do write your songs?

A. (Pete) well to me, it’s phonetics and phrases not story lines, I write lyrics but Keith is better at putting chords together, that’s the methodology.

(Phil) We have a horrible relationship with our songs.

(Chris) Open City, is a song of ours that I can listen to without cringing.

(Pete) We go through cycles of creating and purging, it’s hard for us to like one of our own songs for more than six months.

(Phil) We're pretty self-deprecating.

Q. Before we end this interview is there anything you guys would like to promote or endorse?

A. (Keith) Buy “Well Oiled’, it’s a great CD, local artists, you can get it at Back Alley Discs. It’s cheap.

(Phil) We play at the Wave on February 3™, and there is going to be some bands

from Halifax. Should be a fun show.