BeatRoute Magazine Alberta print e-edition - March 2016

EDMONTON EXTRA
WARES
solo act continues to melt faces with brand new 7”
Wares gears up new release ahead of cross-Canada tour this summer.
For some, making music is purely about fun
side projects. For others, like Cassia Hardy of
Wares, the act of creating is as necessary as
air. Without much of a self-described “flair” for
anything other than writing and making music,
Hardy has certainly found her place in the Edmonton
music scene and beyond with impressive riffs,
thoughtful lyrics and a wild live performance.
When BeatRoute recently asked Hardy about her
future dreams, her reply couldn’t have been more
romantic: “I would like to live in one van with a
mattress in the back and a duffel bag in the passenger
seat. I would like to drive around the country
and play my music to people. That is my long term
dream for myself. I don’t really care about the size
of the venue. I care about the engagement of the
audience. I care about writing the best songs I can
and hopefully changing some lives through music.
That would be my ultimate success.”
The simplicity, but tenacity of Hardy as a musician
is absolutely apparent at her live shows. Seeing
Wares perform is like witnessing a perfect explosion.
Stumbling casually into the audience, yelling off
mic and effortlessly wailing are part of a tousled, yet
crisp cocktail only she can serve up. A well-practiced
songwriter and performer, Hardy is sitting on a 7” to
release at the Needle in Edmonton later this month.
Her newest release will mark the beginning of a
new era for Hardy, who has an extensive back catalogue
of songs to draw from. “This one is with a band,
well, the first song anyway, and I wrote both songs in
2015, when it was recorded. I’ve been trying to catch
up with myself because I’ve been writing songs for a
long time, but not performing for a long time. I got
frustrated with me telling myself I needed to put out
the old stuff first. But, why bother with that? Why
don’t I just show people what I’m up to right now?”
With a 7” to tack onto what is an already
rousing live show, Hardy is taking Wares on the
road this summer to see the country. While most
people may find some of the longer stretches of
the road tiresome, Hardy’s inner poet views the
process as enchanting. “A lot of people I talk to
about touring are telling me to brace myself for
the between city drives, but there’s nothing I like
more than seeing Canada and the countryside.
by Brittany Rudyck
Maybe that sounds like a rookie thing to say,
because I haven’t seen it, but my favourite part of
any tour I’ve ever gone on has just been driving,
watching the road happen as you go and the funny
conversations you have with friends and the weird
situations you get into.”
As Wares will always be a solo show (with a few
rare full band occasions, like the release of her 7”),
there have been many opportunities to experience
the ins and outs of “making it” as an artist. A
former panelist for Not Enough Fest, Hardy wants
to see a surge in new musicians in Edmonton.
“Getting into the scene and sending those cold
calls is hard. When I first started, I presented as a
male and I was still clueless. It’s not like it was any
easier in that respect, as far as getting my nose
in the door. It’s just a thing you learn with time.
You’re gonna have to play the Tuesday nights at
the dive bar. It’s not going to be pleasant. Sometimes
there’s going to be four people there and
somebody is going to have some not so nice words
to say, which was very much my experience starting
out. And it sucks, but it you want to get your
name out there and play the good shows, you have
to play the shitty shows first. It’s just a matter of
doing it and it takes a lot of patience sometimes,
and confidence that what you’re doing is good,
and what you’re doing could be better.”
Wares will be headlining her album release party at
the Needle Vinyl Tavern in Edmonton on March 24th
with Thick Lines and Consilience.
EMPRESS COMEDY SHOW 2ND ANNIVERSARY
Edmonton’s most popular comedy night turns two!
The Empress Comedy Night is gearing up to celebrate
two full years of making Edmontonians bust their guts.
Originally started by Clare Belford, one of the city’s
most popular comedy nights was passed on to hosts Carina
Morton and Simon Glassman last September. BeatRoute
chatted with Morton to get the nitty gritty.
range of comedy and comedic styles. Pat Thornton is very unique,
not like what you might be used to on a Netflix special. There’ll
also be musical comedy; we’ve got ladies and gentlemen; a special
guest from out of town, other than Pat; a guest from Comedy
Records and more. It’s a show for everybody. We created it with
that thought in mind, really.
by Brittany Rudyck
BeatRoute: What is so special about the comedy night
happening on March 6th?
Carina Morton: This is our second year anniversary show for the
comedy night. Last year, they decided to make the year anniversary
a special thing as it’s a very popular show. They flew in Mark
Little last year, who is a pretty big deal. This year, we wanted to
keep the tradition up, so we’re flying in Pat Thornton. He has
a sketch on Comedy Central called Hotbox, he’s on a show on
CityTV called Sunnyside, he’s been on Just for Laughs and Royal
Canadian Air Farce, so he is also a pretty big deal. The cool thing
is that it’s independent. We’re just a bar, so people’s tickets are
paying to bring him in basically.
BR: What has your experience been like since beginning
to co-host the comedy nights?
CM: It’s been really fun. It’s an amazing show and the staff is really
supportive. They’re amazing. The audiences are very fun and they
love to be there. The best audience you could ask for.
BR: For the people who are more prone to going to live
music or to see bands, why should people try this comedy
show instead?
CM: The appeal of this show, specifically, is that we’ve got a huge
BR: Piggybacking off my last question, for those of us on
the outside of the comedic community, what is Edmonton’s
comedy scene like on the grander scale?
CM: Edmonton has a very strong scene. The sheer volume of
comics in the scene would surprise a lot of people. There’s at
least one show every night of the week, but usually two. There
are comedy roast battles and so many diverse shows. They’ll
mix comedy and music a ton, there’s improv and so much
more. The scene is amazingly strong. You can pretty much go
to a free comedy show every night of the week and see some
great up and coming comics.
BR: For those who want to get started in comedy, what
would be their first step so they too, can be part of the
Empress Comedy Show one day?
CM: There are tons and tons and tons of open mic nights. If you’re
just starting out, just get on stage. It’s alarmingly simple. Everybody
is extremely welcoming. Everyone wants to see new faces and
once you meet one comic, you’ll meet 55-hundred others. There’s
a lot of togetherness in this community.
The Empress Comedy Night’s Second Anniversary takes place on
March 6th. The hilarity kicks off at 8:30pm.
Comedic oddball Pat Thornton leads a pack of talent feting the Empress.
30 | MARCH 2016 • BEATROUTE ROCKPILE