519 February 2019

YOUR LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE
519
Celebrating Music, Theatre, Fashion, Arts and Events
Issue 8 - Feb. 2019
FREE
Keeping it ‘Hot Blooded’ on
‘Cold As Ice’ Canadian Nights
MORGAN JAMES | PAUL BRANDT | THE TREWS
DJ REV | JAMES GIBB | ED THE SOCK
Guys and Dolls | No Exit | CKSS’ Newsies | Windsor Express

JAMES GIBB 6
Issue 8
February 2019
Dan Savoie
Publisher / Editor
dan@519magazine.com
April Savoie
General Manager
april@519magazine.com
Matt Cave
Sales Manager
matt@519magazine.com
Kim Cushington
Art Director
Melissa Arditti
Assistant Editor
Writers and Photographers:
Travis Conant
John Liviero
Kirk Harris / Maureen Stewart
341 Parent Ave. , Windsor, ON N9A 2B7
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Office: 519-974-6611
Award of Excellence 2019 & 2018
Canadian Web Awards
519 Magazine is published monthly and
available at various locations around the
Southwestern Ontario region.
Printed in Canada on recycled paper using vegetable oil-based inks.
ISSN 2561-9640 (Print)
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10 THE TREWS MORGAN JAMES 4
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Morgan James Gives The Beatles White Album a Female Touch
By Dan and April Savoie
Morgan James has one of those
voices that you fall in love with right
from the moment you hear it. It’s
almost as if there’s something in her
voice for everyone.
Whether she’s belting out fusions of
pop, funk or R&B or just diving head
first into her heart with a touching
classic, it’s pretty evident why she’s
accumulated more than 75 million
online views.
She hits the 519 this month for
shows in London and Sarnia and she
sat down with us ahead of her winter
tour to chat about music.
You put your own touch on your
cover songs. Is reworking a cover
harder to do than working on
original songs?
I’m not really one of these people
that likes to reinvent a song. If a
song is great and I choose to cover
it, it’s because it’s a great song. So I
definitely don’t want to reinvent the
wheel. I want to pay homage. And
that’s really my first goal - to not try
to say look what I can do better, but
rather say look how great this song is.
I think that writing music is
definitely harder than covering music
and I find that writing music is a great
challenge and I really love the art of
it.
I want to talk a little bit about
The Beatles. Your White Album just
came out in the fall. When did you
know that the Beatles was going to
be your next subject for your next
cover album?
I’ve done four other full album
covers and so it’s become a little bit of
a trademark for me to do. I did Black
Messiah by D’Angelo, Joni Mitchell’s
Blue, Continuum by John Mayer and
Grace by Jeff Buckley. All of them
were made for a specific or special
anniversary. We’re still in the midst of
writing my next album, so it’s not quite
ready to record yet. I thought a cover
of the entire White Album would be
challenging, creative and fun and we
immediately stumbled upon the 50th
anniversary, so we thought we should
do this for that occasion. I know it’s
really, really ambitious. It’s gigantic
and its 30 songs. It was a tremendous
challenge.
The Beatles affect us in so many
different ways. What are the
Beatles to you and how does the
music affect you?
I grew up on my parents music
collection and recommendations and
I am such a devotee of music from
the 50s, 60s and 70s and some of the
first albums I ever got on my own
were Beatles albums. I think John
and Paul’s pursuit for the perfect two
minute pop song is such a study. And
who couldn’t love their incredible
melodies. I love so much of what they
did as solo artists as well. Ironically
the White Album wasn’t my favorite
Beatles album before, but that’s
the beauty of really getting inside
something - you fall in love with it
and you find things about it you didn’t
even know you loved.
I wanted to ask about Call My
Name from your Hunter album.
Did you ever hear from Prince
about your take on his song?
Prince approving that song is the
only reason it got released. I had to
get Prince’s personal approval, which
I did. L.A. Reid sent it to him. It took
many, many years for anybody to
even get it in front of Prince.
That’s the first thing I ever arranged
in my career and I sang it at every
single show. And when it did finally
get in front of Prince, he loved it. He
sent a couple of cryptic messages with
it and ultimately when we got the
approval, we went into overdrive to
release it because it was a favorite of
the staff at Epic and of my fans.
I would say this is a great gift that
I received because knowing that an
artist likes what you’ve done with
their music, I mean there can be no
bigger honor than that.
I heard that you were rejected
by Juilliard, but you never gave up.
You kept going.
I was waitlisted at Juilliard so I
got a taste of both the rejection and
the acceptance and ultimately did go
there. I’m very, very stubborn and
I’m very tenacious and I would have
to be. Everybody has to be in this
business because there’s definitely
more rejection than there is success.
Definitely.
And I tell that to kids all the time
whether they want to pursue theatre
or music. Often people will talk about
that Juilliard experience for me and
how hard that must have been to taste
that.
I’ve tasted so much rejection. It
took me 10 years to get on Broadway.
I can recall it at any moment and it
keeps me very very humble, but it
also drives me. It makes the fortitude
of what I want much stronger and I’m
very driven by proving people wrong
and rising to the next challenge and
all those things.
Somehow you have to get used to
the rejection and the pitfalls of the
business, and if you still love it after
all that, then you know you’re in the
right place.
And I have to say you’re a great
role model for young girls today.
Thanks for saying that. I try. You
know a lot of times it’s hard to see
when you’re inside of it. I feel I still
get very discouraged and I still get
very sad, but sometimes you have to
step back and say: “Look at where
you’ve come from, look at when
you didn’t give up and look at how
strong you can be. That is something
that I hope for all the young women
wanting to be in the business.
Morgan James performs at the
Imperial Theatre in Sarnia on Friday,
Feb. 8 and at London Music Hall on
Sunday, Feb. 10.
For more on Morgan or her albums,
visit morganjamesonline.com.

Cast, Crew and CKSS Teachers Ready For Newsies
By Travis Conant
Christine Baribeau has been a
teacher at Chatham Kent Secondary
School (CKSS) since September 2008
teaching music, instrumental band,
guitar and directing the school’s theatre
productions.
As she gears up for Newsies, the
school’s next production, she took
some time to chat with 519 Magazine.
“I’ve been directing the school
musicals since 2010,” she says. “I’m
also happy to say that I’m not the
only music teacher here. Since joining
the CKSS music program, a second
qualified teacher has also been working
alongside me. Veronika Refern, a horn
player with the Chatham Concert Band,
has been with us since 2015.”
Baribeau found her passion for
music when she was a student at W.D
Lowe High School and honed those
skills at University.
For nearly 40 years CKSS has been
performing musicals. They began
as original productions written by
teachers and meant for the students
to perform in the school’s gym, but
eventually the school raised the bar and
switched venues.
“When Bruce Nelson started
directing Broadway musicals, the
shows went from the gym to the
Kiwanis Theatre,” she added. “Now
the shows are held on the Chatham
DJ Rev Opens Up Heaven’s Ultimate Dance Floor
By Travis Conant
There are some big ideas behind
Club Eternal, Windsor’s only
alternative Christian night club.
Founder David Marton, who goes
by the name DJ Rev, wanted to give the
beat up and broken people in Windsor
a place to call home - a place where
they wouldn’t be judged or compared.
In fact, Club Eternal was actually
founded out of DJ Rev’s own
frustrations from being judged by
churches for not trying to fit into their
molds.
“Just by talking to different people
at different churches I found myself
being judged because they were
saying things like, you shouldn’t be
playing Christian music at bars, it’s
not a place for Christians to be,” Rev
told 519 magazine. “But in all reality
that’s where Jesus would be today if
he was here in human form. He would
be chilling with everyone showing
unconditional love one conversation
at a time. I came across a lot of
judgemental religious minds, but that
made me want to go even further into
the nightlife scene.”
DJ Rev got his start in 1999 at a
rock and bowl in Windsor where he
played his first gig.
Capitol Theatre stage. All of the shows
are produced extracurricularly and
there are many CKSS staff members,
community members, community
musicians and parents who work hard
to help with the shows.”
According to Baribeau, the school’s
music department and annual musical
productions make CKSS stand out in
the crowd.
“The students cast in the shows
get to experience a show that gives
them the opportunity to work with
professionals,” she said. “The bar has
been set high by our longstanding
tradition. Each production is worked
on outside of school hours and is
performed for the community.”
Based on the real-life Newsboy
Strike of 1899, this new Disney
musical tells the story of Jack Kelly,
a rebellious newsboy who dreams of
a life as an artist away from the big
city. After publishing giant Joseph
Pulitzer raises newspaper prices at
the newsboys’ expense, Kelly and his
fellow newsies take action. With help
from the beautiful female reporter
Katherine Plumber, all of New York
City soon recognizes the power of the
little man.
Featuring the now-classic songs
Carrying the Banner, Seize the Day
and Santa Fe, Newsies is packed with
no-stop thrills and a timeless message,
perfect for the entire family.
“That night we packed out the
whole alley,” DJ Rev added. “We
played Christian music and they shut
all the lights off and had strobe lights
set up,”
Along with his Christian ambitions,
DJ Rev is also a wedding DJ and
his goal is to see mainstream music
lovers and Christian music fans come
together to enjoy both genres of music
and without judgement.
From the ashes of his churchly
objections, Club Eternal was formed.
It’s a Christian night club experience
with Christian and mainstream bands
and music, including Christian, EDM,
hip hop, metal, pop, house, techno,
rave and dance music.
DJ Rev said he doesn’t think his
style of music helps him stand out, he
believes it helps him relate and be on
the same level as other club DJs.
“I’ve seen other mainstream DJs,
and other shows, but everyone is all
about competition,” he noted. “I’m
more about networking with other DJs
and how we can help each other, no
matter what genre of music we play,”
His goal is to help people who are
broken and make sure they do not feel
as though they are being judged when
they go to one of his shows.
DJ Rev pointed to Biblical character
“The story is timeless, Baribeau
added. It encourages us all to stand
up against injustice, even when the
instigator seems to have all of the
power. Newsies is a new classic in the
world of musical theatre and Disney,
once again, brings magic, history and
an inspiring message to the stage. Our
hope is to urge one and all to Seize the
Day.”
Baribeau quickly pointed out that
the show stands out more than some of
their past productions because the main
choreographer for this show is a Grade
Zacchaeus, the chief tax-collector of
Jericho, mentioned only in the Gospel
of Luke. At the time, tax collectors
were despised as traitors and for being
corrupt. Zacchaeus, who was short,
climbed a tree to be able to see Jesus
when he arrived in Jericho. Jesus
pointed to Zacchaeus and asked him
to come to him. He was an example
of Jesus’ personal, earthly mission to
bring salvation to the lost.
“As a Christian, I’ve been judged by
other Christians because of my tattoos
and the dark places I’ll go to bring light
to people in need,” DJ Re said. “No
matter how broken we are, whether
we’ve been judged or not, whatever
our background is or whatever we’ve
been through - flaws and all - Jesus
loves you just the way you are without
any judgement.”
DJ Rev wants everyone to
“Experience Heavens Ultimate Dance
Floor” at Club Eternal.
With the closing of the Windsor
Beer Exchange, DJ Rev and Club
Eternal have moved to Windsor’s
Rockstar Music Hall. The next show is
Feb. 24 at 8 p.m.
For a closer view into who DJ Rev is
and what Club Eternal is visit both of
his Facebook pages: DJ Rev Christian
DJ and DJ Rev WORD On The Street.
12 student.
“Ceiti MacDonald has brought
masterful choreography to Newsies,”
she explains. “The show is one that
demands great dance and Ceiti has
brought the best out of our cast. Along
with Jocelyn Dowdall, the assistant
choreographer, the two students have
worked as professionals with our cast.
I’m very proud to say that the dance
is what makes Newsies a very special
show.”
Baribeau encourages parents and
theatre lovers to come out and see what
the young cast and crew are capable of:
“These kids put on an amazing show
and get rave reviews year after year
and the audiences that keep coming
back are a testament to how good these
shows are.”
Newsies runs at the Chatham
Capitol Theatre from Friday, Feb, 15
to Sunday, Feb. 17. Evening shows
are at 7pm on Friday and Saturday
and 2pm matinees are being staged on
Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at
$16 for Early Bird children’s seats. For
more visit chathamcapitoltheatre.com.
Photo by Kirk Harris (K&M Photography)
5

A Little Bit of Elvis Resides in Harrow
By Dan Savoie
There’s a little bit of Elvis Presley tucked away
in the community of Harrow, located just outside of
Windsor.
Award-winning Elvis tribute artist James Gibb has
been performing an early years version of The King
for more than 13 years in a lively and entertaining
show that has toured around North America, winning
awards at Elvis festivals everywhere he goes.
From the famous sneer, flashy clothes and wild
dance moves, James faithfully recreates the magic of
Elvis in his early years, recreating the shows as they
were actually performed by Elvis himself.
James joins his longtime band The Silvertones for
a special Valentine’s themed version of the show at
Olde Walkerville Theatre on Feb. 9.
We had a chat with James about Elvis and his
original tribute show.
What is it about Elvis that makes you want to
pay tribute to him?
I really think that he was such a different kind of
performer. I really enjoy showing people what he
was like; showing them how different he really was
- especially when he first started out. Nobody was
doing the things he was doing. I don’t want people to
forget how special he really was.
When did you first discover Elvis? Did you ever
see him in concert yourself?
I was 12 years old, it was January 8. I was at home
sick from school watching television and the movie
“Elvis” starring Kurt Russell came on. I had never
seen anybody that cool in my life. Later that evening
the same station ran Elvis - Aloha From Hawaii and
that did it. Elvis drew me in. From that point on, I
pretty much immersed myself in anything Elvis.
Is there a certain Elvis moment that sticks out
for you? (For me, it’s the Comeback Special)
I have to say it’s the 1956-57 television programs
that he was on. He’s just so natural, untamed and
rather primal. You watch that stuff now, 63 years
later, and you still can’t look away from him. He has
that undefinable thing - that charisma x100.
I bet you remember the exact moment when
you heard he passed away?
I sure do. We had been staying with some friends
of my parents at their cottage up north. We were
driving back home and the announcement came
over the radio that he had died. My parents at the
time weren’t big fans of his, just casual fans and I
remember them being in shock hearing the news. I
was only seven at the time, but I can remember that
vividly.
The early years is a pretty iconic look. It must
be hard to capture that vintage and classic look?
Ha!...Yes. It is a very iconic look. But I love that.
I’m pretty sure I was born in the wrong era. I think
I would’ve fit in very well in the 1950s. I actually
try to make sure my look is as authentic as possible,
which is sometimes difficult just because most of
the photos of him in action are in black and white,
and it’s tough to see the colours. For example, in
our upcoming show at the Old Walkerville Theatre
on February 9. I’ll be wearing a sports coat that was
made in 1955 and is exactly the same one he would
wear quite often on and off stage. He wore it on his
first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, and he
also wore it the day he was drafted into the Army.
I bet you had to study The King extensively.
You probably know more about him than most
fans would.
Anybody who knows me Dan..knows that I don’t
brag at all. I hate bragging....but I do know a lot
about Elvis and I’m very proud of that.
It’s always great when you play with a live
band. You don’t always get to play with one, so
you must enjoy the vibe and feel when you join
The Silvertones for a show?
Well if I had my way Dan, all the shows I do
would be with The Silvertones. I think an audience
gets so much more out of a live band show than a
track show. It’s a whole different feeling...a great
one. I was asked to participate in an Elvis Birthday
show in 2006 here in Windsor and the band that was
put together for that was made up of a variety of local
musicians, including Joel Mayville on lead guitar. I’d
like to mention them all: Joel is still on lead Gibson
guitar, his brother Chris Mayville is on rhythm guitar
and vocals, Ryan Fontaine is on bass, Ian Smith is on
keyboard duties, Lex Lambert is my backing vocals
as well as percussion and Adam Thomson drives the
whole train on drums.
It must be fun having a voice like Elvis. Do you
ever tease or surprise people unexpectedly with
it?
Well, I’m not saying I have a voice like Elvis,
but I sure do my best to get there. I think I’m more
surprised by the power of Elvis’ voice than the
audience. I normally don’t like to make people cry,
but if I’m doing a ballad for instance, or a spiritual,
and I look and there and a few of them are crying,
I know I’m doing it right. That’s the power of the
Elvis voice.
Join James and The Silvertones for a Valentine’s
themed version of the show called Loving You, at
Olde Walkerville Theatre on Feb. 9.
Guitarist and producer Robert Berry creates
Swan Song for his friend Keith Emerson
By April Savoie
Three years ago, the world lost legendary
Emerson Lake and Palmer keyboardist Keith
Emerson when he took his own life admist
depression and anxiety. At the time, he was
working on a new album with his friend Robert
Berry.
The project was shelved following Emerson’s
death in March 2016, but Berry would finish the
project himself and release it in 2018 under the
3.2 moniker as The Rules Have Changed. We
spoke with Berry about creating the posthumous
album he started with his close friend.
It must have been hard to dive in and make
the album after his death.
I actually wasn’t going to do it. We had spent
three months working on it and we had the plan
mapped out. We had five of the eight songs
written and I had some of his parts already done.
I just couldn’t really figure a good reason to finish
it up and it wasn’t for about six months that I
sort of left him behind. Then I wondered if his
son Aaron would want to do it with me. He plays
keyboards. So I called Aaron and he said well sing
me a song and I’ll see if I want to do it. That was
my first mistake because I sent him a really hard
song. That was the problem. He called me back
and said “whoa whoa, that’s my dad and I don’t
play like that.”
What was I thinking? Nobody plays like Keith
and so Aaron said no. But that got me to revisit
the material and rekindle the spark of what we had
already laid out. At that point I knew I must get in
and finish it, so I spent another year working on it.
I can’t imagine losing such a close friend
like that and then going back and listening to
an unfinished album. Can you talk about the
emotions and the struggles that it created?
The main thing when it first happened, I not
only lost a good friend, but I lost my most famous
friend. I lost the guy I had a Top 10 single with
and a band that I toured with. These are guys that
I worship when I was younger - Emerson, Lake
and Palmer. I lost so much and he was just a really
great and friendly guy. He was a funny guy, but so
dedicated to the craft,
He always knew that to come up with
something really great, he was going to work on
it until it was perfect. And not everybody in music
does that, but Keith was such a professional.
Was it hard to complete the unfinished
music and trying to keep the context that you
guys originally had in mind for it?
You know it’s funny. I thought it was going to
be very difficult, but because I had the Emerson
bits on the first album we did in 1988, we had
songs we brought to the band.
We were a new band and Keith would arrange
those songs, work on the rehearsal room and we’d
make them into what we thought the band 3 was
going to be. On the new album, Keith and I sort
of laid out the plan of what was going to be on it
and how we wanted every song to go. He fed me
the musical bits and I wrote the songs and around
them. It was the same process almost exactly in
reverse.
So I had that great Emerson stuff, I just had
to glue it all together. I thought it was going to
be difficult, but it actually turned out to be, not
easy, but doable because I had him to launch from
and I knew so much about the way he played.
Sometimes I’m a keyboard player also and I did
play keyboards with him back on tour in 88 at
times.
I knew what I thought he would do and how he
would do it. I have these conversations basically
with myself, but as if Keith was there. I would
work it and work it until I thought he would be
cool with his part of it and then I’d be cool with
my part. It all blended together and it’s hard to
explain how the process really ended the way it
did, but it seemed like the continuity for the whole
album came out much better than the first album.
Progressive rock really is your thing isn’t it?
There are classical influences, rock influences,
some jazz and there’s everything but the kitchen
sink going in progressive rock. The key is to
blend it into something musical that is memorable
and that’s what a lot of progressive rock today
isn’t. Not everybody’s a Yes or a Genesis - you
know the grand-daddies of the progressive rock
stuff - or even ELP and I just think that it’s so
musical and challenging. In a lot of ways, it’s kind
of special.
That’s why I started my first band Hush. It was
a progressive rock cover band doing Yes, Genesis
and ELP covers. Then my career brought me to
places where I was working with people like
Steve Allen of GTR and Keith and Carl from ELP,
and even bands like Ambrosia. It just became part
of my path.

Country Superstar Paul Brandt Looks Back on His Journey with New EPs and Tour
By Dan and April Savoie
Canadian country music superstar,
humanitarian and Canadian Country
Music Hall of Fame inductee Paul
Brandt is on the road with a special tour
to support his dual-EP collection called
The Journey. The first one, YYC: Vol.
1, is a collection of songs about his time
in Calgary and the second, BNA: Vol. 2,
tells of his years in Nashville.
Brandt assumes location identifiers
to ponder over his travels from his
hometown of Calgary to Nashville,
the capital of country music, on “YYC
BNA.” It cleverly uses the airport codes
of those cities (YYC-Calgary, BNA-
Nashville) to tell the stories.
Brandt took some time on the day
before his tour kicked off to give us the
lowdown on where he’s been and what’s
new in his world.
You’ve been all about the journey
lately. Where did the idea of a dual EP
and the concept come from?
I always had this feeling that my
career had sort of two different eras to it
to this point, and I think that spending a
decade in Nashville and then deciding to
make the move back to Alberta is sort of
part A and Part B.
I was taking a road trip with some
friends and we were in some pretty
inspirational settings driving up the
Pacific Coast Highway and just really
enjoying that and I was thinking about
what I was going to write next and I
thought about Alberta Bound and how
so many people have come to know my
artistry through that song. Then I started
thinking more, what if I wrote that song
in reverse, what would happen?
I’ve spent a lot of time going from
Calgary to Nashville. I still have a lot of
friends down there and there’ve been a
lot of great things that have happened
because of my connection to Nashville.
And so that’s sorta the idea for YYC
and BNA was born. I thought it would
be cool if I could put that out in two
different ways to sort of tell the story
about the first era and the second era.
That’s basically where it all came from,
and you know, I don’t think YYC/BNA
will ever necessarily be a single on the
radio, but when we play it live, we get
the same reaction as when I play Albert
Bound. It’s been really cool to see people
make that connection with it.
After 20 years of traveling back and
forth between Calgary and Nashville,
you must have earned a lot of Air
Miles.
Yeah I got a few. We’ve taken some
trips and spent some of those, probably
more in the early days before kids. A lot
of times when I’m touring now we’re
usually traveling by bus. When we were
starting in the early days, Liz was on the
road with me and she was singing in the
band as well. She’s sung on every project
that I’ve done and we were doing 180
shows a year for a good three years or
so. I think I was probably a platinum or
diamond on about three or four different
airlines at that time. We really enjoyed
taking trips to the Caribbean when we
lived in Nashville - that was one of our
favorite things to do. I imagine some of
those Air Miles got spent that way.
How did your family deal with
all that traveling with you at the
beginning?
Yeah, I think this is sort of the grand
experiment phase for us. This and the
previous tour, two and a half years ago
when I was out with Dean Brody, are
really the first tours that I’ve taken where
the family is not with me. It was pretty
tough, but technology makes it a lot
easier than it could be. It’s always tough
for me if I’m playing a song like Rich
Man and someone from the crew holds
up a FaceTime Ipad on the side stage
and I see my two little kids watching me
sing. Here I am singing a song about the
most important things in life and how I
want to be around my family, and they’re
not there - that that can be emotional you
know.
We just try and find time during the
day to keep caught up with each other. If
the tour does swing through the Calgary
area, we always make sure that we spend
that time together if we happen to have
an off-day or if the kids come to the show
with Liz.
One of the funniest things happened
the last time was on the road. We were
about to break into Convoy and we
had this giant 15 foot inflatable rubber
duck that hovers out over the audience.
At that point I’ve got this bright shinny
chrome CB mic and I break into the
song: “breaker one nine this is the rubber
duck” and I look over to the side of the
stage and think my kids are going to
think I am so cool - this is so awesome.
And they’re both on their devices playing
video games like they couldn’t care less.
It was like, really nice Dad, you’re such
a rock star - we’re getting back to our
games now.
One of more special moments, at
least for me, was when I first heard
Small Towns and Big Dreams when I
was living in Weyburn, Saskatchewan.
No one has ever had a song or sung
about Weyburn and I just want to say
thank you.
You know it was so wonderful. When
I think back to that time, I’d left the
record company and for about a year, Liz
and I lived in a rental in Nashville. I had
a back bedroom that sort of served as my
little studio and office and I spent a lot of
time thinking about how I used to have
a record deal and now I didn’t. Does
that mean I’m still an artist? What’s my
identity? Now I’m just this guy sitting
around in Nashville writing songs.
What if I never make another penny
from doing this? What if I had to pay to
do this?
I was asking myself if I would still
do it or not, and the answer was always
yes. I feel so driven to make a connection
through music that I literally would
pay to do this. I love it and I love the
connection that I can make with people.
I remember calling my agent and
saying “look I’ve written this album I’m
gonna do a live acoustic record” and
she’s rolling her eyes at me because radio
never plays live acoustic music.
I also told her I wanted to play small
towns. I want to go places nobody goes -
only 900 seats or less - and we’re gonna
record this project and see what happens.
I was coming off of selling a million
records at that time on my first project
and we went out and did the small
towns tour and we hit Morden, Yorkton,
Weyburn and all these different places.
I pre-sold the albums too. I said they
can pre-purchase it, I’ll sign it and we’ll
send it to you when it’s done. I was
coming up with a million seller and I
only sold a thousand copies on that tour
and thought to myself, I’m dead, like this
is it, this is my worst nightmare.
Then a bunch of stuff that shouldn’t
have happened, started to happen.
A radio station played it. They never
do that. I got asked to host the Canadian
Country Music Awards that year as an
unsigned artist and that never happens
It was aired in Australia, the United
States and Canada that year. That never
happens. And then as an unsigned artist,
they called my name for Album of the
year at the end of that show and Small
Towns and Big Dreams went on to sell
thousands of copies after that and do
really really well.
The thing that is the most moving for
me is it was the people in those small
towns who packed out those places right
to the rafters and because they knew
what I was risking for it. They knew if
it didn’t work, I was done... and they
showed up.
I get emotional thinking about it. I will
never be able to thank those people for
the support that they’ve given me, and
Weyburn was one of those special places
for me.
Your philanthropy is in full swing.
Tell me a bit about the black hat
campaign. I have to get myself a black
hat on this tour.
I think it might have been my son Joe
who pointed out that I wear a black hat
and it’s always the bad guy who wears
the black hat. So I sat there and said “oh
man, I gotta figure this out.”
We did a partnership with Smithbilt
Hats. For over 100 years they have built
hats. In Calgary they are known as the
official stampede white hat. You know
when people come to Calgary you get
white hated. Those are the people that
wanted to work with me on an official
Paul Brandt signature hat.
We did a straw hat and a black hat and
we called the project the black hat that
does good things. So every year we pick
a different charity to raise awareness for.
The inside of the hats have a liner or a
stamp on the inside of them. Every year
we change that out or give people the
opportunity to choose which cause they
want to support through “The Black
Hat that does good things” and this year
we’re supporting MusiCounts for music
and schools. The year before it was for
concussion awareness and rodeo. We just
identified different causes that we want
to use the black hat to support and it’s
been well received. It’s just a cool thing.
Brandt fans will be able to catch
the country star during his only stop in
Southwestern Ontario when he hits the
Start.ca Performance Stage at Budweiser
Gardens on Feb. 23.
He’ll be joined by multi-CCMA Group
or Duo of the Year winners High Valley
and special guest Jess Moskaluke and
Hunter Brothers.

With over 50 million albums sold,
Stone Temple Pilots roared on to
the scene in 1992 with their raucous
debut, Core. A breakout success, the
album peaked #3 on the Billboard
200 chart, and dominated radio
waves with hits like “Sex Type Thing,”
“Wicked Garden,” and the Grammy-
Award winning, “Plush.”
STP founding members Dean DeLeo,
Robert DeLeo, Eric Kretz, along with
new lead vocalist, Detroit singer Jeff
Gutt, released their seventh studio
Keeping it ‘Hot Blooded’ on
‘Cold As Ice’ Canadian Nights
album, Stone Temple Pilots this year. Detroit in Windsor and around the
Story by Dan area. and April Savoie
After about a year of silence, He loves his hometown and is a big
Jeff officially joined the band in fan of the Detroit Tigers.
November 2017 and played his The band is currently on the road
first concert with the band at the
infamous Troudabour in Los Angeles.
During the year prior to his debut, Jeff
was spending time getting to know
his new role in the band and to write
and record songs for the new album.
Jeff is no stranger to the 519, having
spent some time on the other side of
across Canada with Seether and
Default and will make an appearance
twice in the 519 - Nov. 7 at Budweiser
gardens in London and Nov. 10 in
Kitchener at Centre in the Square.
We spent a little time with Jeff
to chat about his new gig and the
mighty D.
Photo byJohn Liviero
88

Foreigner, the band behind “I Want
To Know What Love Is,” “Cold As
Ice,” “Juke Box Hero,” and so many
others of rock’s most enduring anthems,
are out on the road across Canada this
month with a trip they’re calling the
Winter 2019 Cold As Ice tour.
The legendary rock band will heat up
the cold Canadian nights with a series of
“hot blooded” tour dates, riding high on
the heels of the Toronto world-premiere
of the new musical, “Juke Box Hero” at
the iconic Ed Mirvish Theatre.
The band is also readying for the
DVD and Blu-ray release of the concert
film, Foreigner Live At The Rainbow
‘78, which comes out March 15 on
Eagle Vision.
Forty years after this definitive
performance by the original band, fans
can watch iconic performances as the
band toured on the success of their
debut album.
The band hits its only 519 date of the
tour at Caesars Windsor on March 10.
Bassist Jeff Pilson called the 519
Magazine office ahead of the tour to
chat about the band, his instruments
and some of his favourite records.
Did you think this Foreigner gig
would last all these years?
Absolutely not. Not in the least. In
fact, when I first joined, the plan was
just to do mostly Weekend Warrior
work because I was still doing a lot of
production work with other bands - that
was back when record labels were still
signing bands – although, as well all
know, that was about to end quickly.
But I really didn’t think about it.
I knew Foreigner was great. I knew
Foreigner had a great legacy with great
songs, so I guess in the back of my
mind you always have to entertain the
possibility of something when it’s that
level of quality. But I did not see 15
years later being on the road like this
with these guys.
Around the time you joined,
Kelly Hansen (vocals) also came on
board. You guys must be pretty good
friends?
Well sure. We’re an important part
of the reformation of a Foreigner. Mick
was really the tie in with the past and
we’ve certainly bonded well with each
other – all of us. I think there was a
bond between Mick and Kelly and Tom
Gimbel and I absolutely felt it right
away when I was there. That bond is
still there today
That’s a bit of the nucleus I guess
you could say. I mean everybody’s
really valuable in this band, but that
bond that we formed at the beginning
helped a lot.
We actually struggled together when
we first joined Foreigner. We had to
build it back up and there’s something
that happens to a band when they
experience that together. There’s no
question the first couple of years we
struggled, but it was a struggle with
a lot of enthusiasm behind it and we
were highly motivated and we believed
in it. Very quickly it became apparent
we were a great band when we played
together and so I think that spirit is
really what initially has propelled us to
still be here today. Other than of course
the greatness of the music, which
doesn’t hurt.
How did you originally hook up
with them?
In 2001 I did a movie called Rockstar,
which had Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer
Aniston in it. But from a musical
perspective Jason Bonham was there
and that was a cool thing. Jason and I
played the bass player and drummer of
the fictional band Steel Dragon, so in
the shooting of that movie we actually
recorded the soundtrack together. We
worked musically and we became
friends during that movie and recording
process. So, when Jason started
working with Mick Jones in 2004, they
called me up to see if I wanted to be
involved. They weren’t exactly sure it
was even going to be Foreigner right
away, but we wanted to see if it clicked.
When I went down to play with them
the chemistry was there immediately
and I’ve been there ever since.
When was the first time you saw
Foreigner live?
It was in August of 1978. I saw
them at Memorial Stadium in Seattle
and it’s a funny story because there’s
a device called a Mellotron which
was the electronic keyboard before
synthesizers. It was a device that played
back tapes and it would play tapes of
orchestras or choirs or whatever, and
there’d be a tape for each note so you’d
play the keyboard. When you hit the
keys, the notes you were playing on
the keyboard would simultaneously
play the tapes as you were playing. It
was very primitive, but was a very cool
instrument that became a huge part of
progressive rock – The Beatles, Moody
Blues and the Yes all used it.
Foreigner used them as well back
then. Actually, they used something
else, but when they when they got to
Seattle, I got a call. I just bought one of
these Mellotrons and at the time I was
20 years old, so it was a big deal for
me to buy one. I was making payments
on it and it was still at a music store in
Seattle, but the music store called me
and they said ‘hey that Mellotron that
you have that you’re making payments
on, Foreigner just got into town and
their Mellotron broke so they need one.
You want to rent it to them?’ I said, well
of course I will.
So, they rented my Mellotron that
night and as I’m walking into Memorial
Stadium in Seattle, Cold As Ice is
playing with the Mellotron part going
on in the middle. So here I am I walking
into the stadium hearing my Mellotron.
I still have that very Mellotron to this
day and it’s in my studio.
Mick Jones loves that story. That
was the first time I saw Foreigner.
You’re a multi-instrumentalist, so
is your home filled with instruments?
Yes, (laughter) absolutely filled
with instruments. I love music. I
have a great studio and most of my
instruments stand there. I have a
delightful 1908 Steinway grand piano
in the living room and most of my
guitars and basses, mandolin, a sitar,
my old Mellotron and keyboards all
hang out in or near my studio.
Is it hard to be creative with an
instrument like the bass that’s so
essential providing the backbone of
the music?
Well that’s an interesting question
because part of the challenge of bass is
that you don’t want to be creative at the
expense of the groove. It has to flow in
order to work. My view of the bass is
that its fundamental purpose is to move
and propel the song with the groove to
enhance the overall song.
I think there’s places for creativity
and I do I love it when you hear
somebody do something really
interesting, but for me it’s really about
the groove more than anything else. I
believe that’s the everyday challenge a
bass player faces. And it’s one I really
enjoy.
How is the Foreigner experience
different from say Dokken or Dio?
Well, less than you might think. A lot
of people assume that it’s like apples
and oranges. It’s really not. A band
like Dokken looked up to bands like
Foreigner when we started because,
as you know, the early Foreigner was
hard rock with great melody and big
choruses. That sound was something
we aspired to in Dokken’s formative
years. Songs like Feel Like The First
Time were seminal.
When I play with Foreigner, I’m
kind of approaching it like I always
did as a fan, which is a little bit heavier
than the original version. As a live
band we’re kind of heavier anyways.
Even Mick Jones can let loose. I
always laugh because Mick is a closet
rocker. He really is. When he plays
guitar, he rocks. He does more than
people realize. So yeah, I guess I just
don’t find it all that different.
You had a good run with Dokken
and you reunited with them for a
short tour in 2016. What was it like
getting back into that situation after
all those years?
It was actually very pleasant. We
got along better than expected, which
was nice. Most of the tour was in Japan
where we have a delightful fan base
that was really wonderful. The music
was very comfortable because we all
know each other and all those songs
are a humongous part of our past. What
I was really surprised at was how well
we actually got along and that was a
real positive for me.
There’s a new Dokken CD that’s
out of the shows from that tour.
I believe at this point it’s the latest
recording of Dokken. There was one
new song, It’s Just Another Day, that
we managed to do which was really
a shock and really fun because it’s
probably the most painless recording
Dokken has ever made. And the
reaction to it was so incredibly positive.
Dokken records used to be really
difficult to make. There was a lot of
back and forth and it was a difficult
process when we made all those
albums. This one just flowed. It was
easy and we collaborated nicely
together. It was encouraging.
It’s a live album, but we also have
brand new material on it, which helps
us by keeping it vital and feeling
relevant. Just knowing that a whole
new record just isn’t a practical thing at
this point in time, it was a great release
that captured a fun time for the band.
There’s something else that you
guys are doing that not many bands
can actually say is that you have a
musical.
(Laughter) That’s right, us and
Queen. (Laughter)
Can you tell me about that
Jukebox Hero musical?
I’m actually the music supervisor
on it, so I know a lot about it. It’s just
this wonderful play written by two
very well-known writers Dick and
Ian. That’s all I know them as. They’re
friends of Mick’s and they’ve written a
lot of big stuff and it’s basically about
how rock can save a small town from
the problems that a lot of small towns
are facing today - automation and
employment going out the window
and all this stuff. It’s the classic music
saves the day kind of thing, but it’s
done in a really nice way. There are 23
Foreigner songs in the show and it’s
only Foreigner music in the show. It
opened to amazing reviews in Canada.
It’s just in Canada for the time being.
I know that the plan is to take it
elsewhere perhaps on the road in the
future. We’ll see, but I know that there’s
another opening in Canada coming
very soon. The Canadian promoter is
a guy by the name of Jeff Perry who’s
a big Canadian promoter of music
as well. Jeff has just been absolutely
wonderful in this whole endeavor. He’s
really supportive. He wanted to have
this musical have more integrity than
most musical productions out there.
We wanted the music to be spoton
and the idea was to really make it
as close to the original. You have to
do certain things different when you
have a script and when you have actors
doing the lines in context of a story, but
for the most part the kids are doing an
amazing job.
It’s just been exciting and I know
for Mick Jones, it’s been a real turning
point in his life. What a fabulous thing
for a writer like him to have - a musical
based around his music.
Other than the big three:
Foreigner, Dokken and Dio, is there
an album out there of all the ones
that you’ve recorded that’s your
favorite and why?
I’ve got this record coming out in
March called The End Machine that
I just did recently with George Lynch
and Mick Brown from Dokken and a
singer by the name of Robert Mason
who’s from Warrant. We just put a
video out for Alive Today a few weeks
ago and got a tremendous reception
to it. I’m really proud of that record.
That record is just phenomenal and I’m
very excited about it. You know you’re
always kind of excited about the things
you did, so maybe that’s part of it but it
is I’m really proud of the effort that we
put it on that record and it just really
came out amazing.
I was very proud of the new Dokken
song we came up with It’s Just Another
Day. I was really excited about some of
the stuff that we did on the Foreigner
40 record. We did a version of The
Flame Still Burns, which was a song
that Mick originally wrote for a movie
called Still Crazy, but we revamped
it completely. He changed a lot of the
lyrics, made them better and then we
did a version with this band where we
start off acoustic and then we end up
full on blasting out electric.
I thought the Can’t Slow Down
album we did 10 years ago was a great
record and I wish we could do more for
records, but I understand why we can’t
– it’s just not the same environment
anymore.
You’re bringing the tour Cold As
Ice to Canada in February & March.
I have to say it’s a perfect name for
a tour at the coldest time of the year.
(Laughter) Yeah well if the shoe fits.
Tickets for the Caesars Windsor
show are on sale now starting at $36.

The Trews Ready to Take New Music on the Road
By Dan and April Savoie
The Trews released their sixth full-length
studio album Civilianaires in the fall and the
band is currently on the road bringing these
brand new songs out for a test drive. The tour
will take them across the country, with stops
in the 519 in Waterloo and London later this
month.
Civilianaires is the band’s most fearless
record yet with personal and political lyrics
driven by a refreshing new sound. The Trews
approached Civilianaires the way a contractor
tackles a kitchen reno: tearing things down to
the studs, then building it back up piece by
piece.
We had a chat with guitarist/songwriter
John-Angus MacDonald about the tour, the
new album and the change in sound.
You’re playing out in this area in
Waterloo and London. Do you have
any fond memories of the Southwestern
Ontario area?
We’ve been playing that sort of region like
Kitchener, Cambridge, Waterloo, London
and Windsor. I mean Windsor’s a little far,
but yeah we’ve been playing all over Ontario
for 15, 16 years now. We’ve played what
feels like every nook and cranny
- you know, from the biggest
festivals and arenas down to the
smallest little dive bars - over
the course of our career. So yeah
there’s plenty of fond memories.
I met my wife in Cambridge, that
certainly means something, but
we’ve had lots of good times over
the years, played lots of great shows and
met lots of good people.
Civilianaires is your new album and sixth
overall. It took a little longer than your
average Trews album. What happened?
Part of it was for the reasons I just stated.
We had a lot of shakeups in the ranks,
between Shawn the drummer leaving and we
also parted with the management who we’d
been with for 15 years. We changed the labels
and then we had to hire new management.
And then I had two kids as well, so there
was just a lot of life happening and a lot of
shakeups and a lot of change. So it just took
us a minute. We wrote a lot of songs in that
gap between 2014 and 2018. We probably
have enough songs to do another record
tomorrow. We didn’t find the right team, like
the whole team wasn’t quite right between
management and label. We also had Chris on
drums so we had to make some adjustments
before we were ready to push the button on
the next album.
You merged into a new sound on the
album. Were you a little nervous with the
change?
No, we never really considered it all that
crazy until we started playing it for people.
We were just very excited because we got
with this young producer named Derek
Hoffmann and we went to his home studio
and started churning out these songs and
sounds that we were just really excited by. So
for us as long as the music is happening we’re
in great spirits. His new songs are coming
and it feels effortless and inspired and we’re
The Trews
Waterloo - Feb. 15
London - Feb. 22
just gung ho and when we started playing it
for our label and trusted friends and family,
it’s something that people were like “oh this
is a really different sound for you guys”, and
I guess it is. I would mostly attribute that to
the influence of Derek the producer. He did
two interesting things - like all the guitars,
there’s no guitar amplifiers on the record that
everything is being played through studio
EQ’s that have been blown out. On a lot of
songs, we programmed the drums first and
then went back and we recorded actual drums
over top of them so we took a pretty radical
shift in approach to how we make records.
Normally we would just rehearse and then
go in and play them in the studio and I think
having made five or six albums that way, we
were ready to try something different.
Serena Ryder is on the new album.
Well she’s my brother’s fiancée. You know
Colin the singer of the band. They’ve been
together for about three years. So she’s kind
of part of the family and she’s been out on the
road with us. She’s been in the writing room
with us and she’s been in the studio with us.
So, those kind of collaborations were just
really effortless. I guess the first example was
in the morning on our last album where
she sang the verse and the chorus with
Colin. Then after that I think Colin
and Serena started seeing each
other shortly after that and we’ve
been really tight ever since.
So on Civilianaires the song,
we once again had a song that
started out as something small and
grew into something much larger. On
one writing session it was Colin, Serena
and I working on that tune, and it grew into
something that we were really excited about.
So it ended up on the record and she ends up
as a co-writer on it.
I find that there’s a little bit more politics
kind of creeping into the album than usual.
What politically moves you?
I think we just respond to issues that speak
to us. I mean I’ve never shied away from it.
Our third record which came out 2008 we
had a song called Gun Control which we
took heaps of blowback for. But it was just
in response to the Virginia Tech shooting at
the time.
I mean it’s been you know hundreds since
then. Like literally. So it could be about
any of these insane mass shootings. And so
that’s an issue that got our blood boiling and
we react to it on the new album. That was a
direct blowback to the Trump insanity which
we’re all subjected to 24/7, which is literally
rammed down our throats for the sake of
selling advertising, which is the cynical part
about it. That was a response to that mania
and insanity, and that’s where that came from.
So that’s like any issue that gets under our
skin that we feel we want to say something
about.
You’ve been in Hamilton for quite a
while now. Is there still any of that Nova
Scotia boy still kicking around?
Yeah you know I think it’s in there
somewhere. I’m always excited to get back
out. I haven’t lived in Nova Scotia since
2001. That was the last time I actually lived
there. But my mom, sister and dad is back out
East. So there’s a million reasons to go back
and I do a couple of times a year at least. And
so yeah I miss it, but you know we’re both
firmly rooted where we’re at in Hamilton
and happy with things there too, so it’s one
of those places I hope to have a cottage out
East at some point and then kind of split my
time up between Southern Ontario and Nova
Scotia.
Catch The Trews on tour in Southwestern
Ontario at Maxwell’s Concert & Events in
Waterloo on Feb. 15 and London Music Hall
on Feb. 22.

You Can’t Escape Yourself – Or Your Roommates – in No Exit
By Michael K Potter
Imagine you enter a tiny room only
to discover it will be your new home
– forever. There are no windows.
The door is locked. There’s a bell
you can ring for help, but it doesn’t
work. The lights are always on.
And you have roommates.
They’ve been chosen specifically for
you by the folks in charge, who have
examined your preferences, your
personality, your hopes and fears,
your irritations and everything about
you to make the best choice about
who you’ll live with for eternity.
And what makes them the best
roommates for you is the fact that
they’re your ideal torturers because
you’re in Hell.
That’s the premise of Jean-Paul
Sartre’s No Exit, a simple Odd
Couple premise that wouldn’t be out
of place in a TV sitcom. But this
is Sartre we’re dealing with – the
philosopher, playwright, and novelist
who famously refused to accept the
Nobel Prize for Literature as a matter
of principle. He’s telling a story
that addresses some of our deepest
insecurities, using characters more
monstrous – surely! – than ourselves,
yet perhaps more like us than we care
to admit.
When Cradeau, a journalist, arrives
in the room, one of the first things
he notices is the lack of a mirror.
Another resident, wealthy socialite
Estelle, is practically obsessed with
mirrors – back home she’s set up her
bedroom so she can always see herself
in a mirror, whichever direction
she faces. Only the secretary, Inez,
seems unconcerned about the lack of
a mirror in the room.
Why? The answer has
something to do with how
honest we are with
ourselves, how reliant
we are on the opinions
of others, and whether
we’re secure enough
not to require the
reassurance of our own
gazes looking at our own
faces.
In the age of social media, our egos
have become especially dependent
on the opinions of others – how
they see us, what they say about us,
how vast the gulf is between their
perception of us and our perception
of ourselves. Can you maintain your
own individuality, your own selfimage,
without checking it against
the opinions of others?
What are we willing to do to
convince others to see us the way we
No Exit
Shadowbox Theatre
Windsor
Feb. 1 - 16
Guys and Dolls Bringing
New York City to Kingsville
Considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, Guys and Dolls ran for
1,200 performances when it opened on Broadway in 1950 and became a popular
movie in 1955 with Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra and Vivian
Blaine. Now, the show of shows is making its way to Kingsville’s Migration Hall
for a short run from February 22 to March 3.
Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, Guys and Dolls is an oddball
romantic comedy. Gambler, Nathan Detroit,
tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps
game in town while the authorities breathe
down his neck; meanwhile, his girlfriend and
nightclub performer, Adelaide, laments that
they’ve been engaged for fourteen years. Nathan
turns to fellow gambler, Sky Masterson,
for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing the
straight-laced missionary, Sarah Brown, as a
result. Guys and Dolls takes us from the heart
of Times Square to the cafes of Havana, Cuba,
and even into the sewers of New York City,
but eventually everyone ends up right where
they belong.
“The show has been on the Migration Hall
wish list several times,” says Migration Hall’s Stephanie Allen Santos. “It’s that
Golden Age of Broadway with memorable tunes written by Frank Loesser, funny
storylines with an underlying reality to it all, a large adult cast and a score fit for
a live orchestra. The show selection committee felt it was a good time to offer a
more adult production and with our demographic in Kingsville, ‘Guys and Dolls’
seemed to be the perfect fit.”
Tickets are $25 each, with tables of eight available for $160. For more visit
migrationhall.com.
want to be seen – because we know
the way we want to be seen ... is a lie?
Think of it this way: what makes
someone beautiful? Maybe it’s
something inside us – or maybe it’s
just that other people consider us
beautiful. What makes someone
courageous? Is it based on how you
feel and behave – or is it just that
some people say you’re courageous?
Maybe you just look like the
stereotype of a courageous person.
And if you’re a monster, is
it because other people say
you’re a monster – or do
you know this fact about
yourself so intimately
that the opinions of
others don’t matter at
all?
Maybe the best among
us are the monsters who see
themselves as they truly are.
Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit,
produced by Post Productions, runs
Feb 1, 2, 1, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16 at The
Shadowbox Theatre (103b – 1501
Howard Ave, the corner of Howard
and Shepherd). Doors open at 7:30
and the show begins at 8:00. Tickets
are $20 at postproductionswindsor.
ca – or by cash at the door if seats
remain.

Music & Sports
Collide in New
Concert Series
519 Magazine and the Windsor Express basketball
team are merging music and sport in a new and
exciting way. Together, the two local organizations
are introducing the 519 Premium Concert Series,
featuring eight-exclusive performances held in
the Crown Royal Club Lounge at Windsor’s
WFCU Centre, the city’s premiere sports arena,
before every Windsor Express home game starting
February 6, 2019. A portion of the proceeds will go
to The Downtown Mission of Windsor.
These exclusive ticketed events feature a stellar
line-up of some of the city’s best entertainers,
including pop/soul singer Crissi Cochrane, who
was voted among the Top 10 Best New Artists
nationwide in CBC’s 2014 Searchlight contest,
local teen, Alexa Carroccia who sold out the Crown
Royal Club Lounge last year on her own, the awardwinning
team who perform the music on the annual
Windsor Rum Runners tours and the highly skilled
rap sounds of local recording artists R.Y.O.T with
featured guest – local young teen, Krisalyn Bell.
Unlike many of the “perform-for-free”
opportunities throughout the city, the 519 Premium
Concert Series gives the performers a chance to
get paid for their performances and perform in
the executive lounge of one of the city’s premium
venues.
“We were approached by the Windsor Express
to see if there was any interest in creating an event
that could benefit the team, the artists performing
and make a rarely used premium room at the WFCU
Centre,” says 519 Magazine publisher Dan Savoie.
“We loved the idea and created an entire series
around the concept. The 519 Premium Concert
Series will give Windsorites a chance to catch a
great local artist in a premium setting and they’ll
also get to enjoy a professional basketball game
right here in the city.”
Tickets for all 519 Premium Concert Series events
are $20 each and can be purchased directly from the
artists themselves. Each ticket includes admission
to the concert and basketball game. A portion of
every ticket sold will go directly to The Downtown
Mission of Windsor.
Dates for the series are:
Wed., Feb 6
Kelcom Revolution IP Presents R.Y.O.T
w/Krisalyn Bell (Hip Hop, Rap)
Wed., Feb 13
Tiffany Taylor, Nikki Knight
& Benjamin Doncom (Pop, Rock and R&B)
Wed, Feb 20
Rum Runners Roaring 20s Musical Review (20s)
Wed., Mar 6
Kaila Delarmente (R&B, Soul and Indie)
Wed., Mar 13
Victoria Yorke (Christian, Gospel)
Fri., Mar 22
Alexa Carroccia (pop)
Sun., Mar 24
DTB with Flower Face (Experimental Music)
Fri., Mar 29
Crissi Cochrane (Pop and Soul)

Ed The Sock Touring Southwestern Ontario in the Name of Sanity
By Dan and April Savoie
Canada’s original mouthpiece Ed The
Sock is back and he’s hitting the road to
help Canada recover its lost salvation,
including shows in London, Brantford,
Waterloo, Windsor and Tillsonburg
Along with his companion Liana,
the duo are hoping to bring back a little
of that old City TV and Much Music
charm of Canada’s early 1990s with a
new online television network called
The FU Network, which has a fun
lineup of classic styled bits from the
glory days of Much Music. The days
when the station really mattered to its
viewers.
We sat down with Ed and Liana for
a chat about where they’ve been and
where they’re going.
Holy Shit Ed and Red are back
and you’re calling your tour The War
on Stupid. Is it really that stupid out
there?
ED Yes we are back because the
public demand for sanity was just
overwhelming. And so we heard the call
of the people and we stepped forward
to once again shine light on reason and
intelligence using humor.
Was there one thing in particular
that pushed you over the edge that
made you realize that Canada needs
Ed and Red again?
LIANA I think it was the other way
around. I think Canada was the one that
said it. This whole thing just kind of
happened. It was sort of - all right, you
want us to come. I think people want to
get back to a place where conversations
FEBRUARY EVENTS IN THE 519
Brantford
Feb – 08 Brantford Music Club presents Young
Artists Recital, Sanderson Centre (7:30pm)
Feb - 11 Karen Thornton, Sanderson Centre (8pm)
Feb - 13 Rumble the Concert, Sanderson Centre
(7pm)
Feb – 15 2019 Heritage Day Workshop, The Sanderson
Centre (8:30am)
Feb-16 National Ballet Theatre of Odessa: P.
Tchaikovsky Swan Lake, Sanderson Centre (7pm)
Feb – 21 Carl Dixon stories and song, Sanderson
Centre (7pm)
Chatham
Feb – 08 The Bombsquad!, Fortresss Tavern
(9:30pm)
Feb – 09 Rob Kirkham and Neon Rain, Fortresss
Tavern (9:30pm)
Feb – 15, 16, 17 Newsies: The Musical, Chatham
Capitol Theatre (7pm)
Feb – 16 Continuum live, Fortresss Tavern (9:30pm)
Kitchener – Waterloo
Feb – 07 Artist Showcase, Maxwell’s Concerts &
Events (7pm)
Feb – 07 Classic Albums Live: Queen, Night at the
Opera, Centre In The Square (8pm)
February 07, 08, 09, 14, 15, 16 Sister Cities, Kitchener-Waterloo
Little Theatre (8pm)
Feb – 11 Aaron Pritchett wsg Kira Isabella, Maxwell’s
Concerts & Events (7:30pm)
Feb – 13 Masters Of Illusion Believe the Impossible,
Centre In The Square (8pm)
Feb – 14 Arkells Rally Cry Tour, The Aud (7:30pm)
Feb – 15, 16 Pictures At An Exhibition, Centre In The
Square (8pm)
Feb – 15 The Trews, Maxwell’s Concerts & Events
(7:30pm)
happen - not online, because it’s very
different. There’s this series of echo
chambers on the Internet and then in
our hyper connected world people lose
sight of the fact that there are other
people out there who have opinions
that aren’t raving lunatics or paranoid
partisans. And I think people are
desperate for that sort of human contact.
Along with London, you’re getting
to other Communities like Bradford,
Waterloo and even Tillsonburg. My
God, somebody must really mean
business hitting Tillsonburg.
LIANA What is it about Tillsonburg
that everybody goes Oh My God. Well
I guess we’ll find out. I used to go to
a cottage outside Tillsonburg and it
wasn’t all that bad, but there must be
something about it that we aren’t seeing.
ED I’m getting this impression
that it’s like that X-Files episode with
that small community where they
had Chico’s chicken where they were
putting out that brand of chicken and
there was a cult. And it didn’t turn out
that well. I don’t want to be a spoiler
to a show that’s been off the air for 20
years, but it turned out they were like
eating people. I’m not sure if that’s
what’s happening, but that would be
cool as long as we get out of town in
time.
It’s been years since you guys have
been in the spotlight. Liana, where
have you been hiding Ed?
LIANA That sounds a bit like
oppression. I have not been hiding him
anywhere. I have not been oppressing
Ed.
Feb - 21, 22, 23, 24 Chelsea’s Story, The Registry
Theatre (2pm, 7:30pm)
Feb – 22 Monster Truck, Maxwell’s Concerts &
Events (7:30pm)
Monster Truck will perform at Maxwell’s Concerts
and Evenets on Feb. 22.
Feb – 26 D’capella, Centre In The Square (7:30pm)
Feb – 27 A Bowie Celebration: The David Bowie
Alumni Tour, Centre In The Square (8pm)
Feb – 28 KW Comedy Festival Opening Gala feat.
Shaun Majumder, Centre In The Square (8pm)
London
Feb - 06, 07, 08, 09, 10 the Nerd by Larry Shue,
Palace Theatre (2pm, 8pm)
Feb – 07, 08, 09, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16 Surrender, Dorothy
by Liz Best, Palace Theatre (2pm,8pm)
Feb – 07 Father & Son Dueling Pianos, The Aeolian
(7pm)
Feb – 08 Andrea Ramolo, The Aeolian (7pm)
Feb – 08 The Longest Road Show, London Music
Hall (6pm)
Feb – 09 Monika Wall, The Pairs and Marty Kolls,
London Music Club (8:30pm)
Feb – 09 The Strictly Hip, The Aeolian (7pm)
Feb – 10 Incase We Crash, Corbin Giroux, Steinbecks
& Molly Roach, Old East 765 (8pm)
Feb – 10 Morgan James, London Music Hall
(6:30pm)
ED I actually went to my mansion in
Anguilla and I sort of became a recluse
writing my memoirs. It turned out a lot
like The Shining. I just kept typing the
same words over and over and realized
it was time to come back. I was doing
stuff online for an American service
because in Canada I was told by one
network that my brand was too strong.
It’s like television is supposed to be
some kind of small myopic group.
Television is a popularity contest. How
can you be too popular and too strong
for a popularity contest doesn’t make
sense?
Liana, you’re big into video games
you’ve mentioned a couple of times.
cosplay and just being sexy. How
does that all fit into the touring show
and the new network.
LIANA It’s really a catch 22
because my attitude is when you’re
an entertainer you use every tool you
have. I don’t think it’s fair that men
are allowed to be as sexy as they want
and their intelligence isn’t necessarily
questioned. Nobody assumes George
Clooney is a dummy just because he
has a lot of charisma and sex appeal.
I think one of the things I am really
trying to change the paradigm with is
how restricted women are regarding
entertainment. How you know a woman
who isn’t afraid to use those tools is
either dismissed with words like sluts
and a whore or we’re just written off as
dumb.
One thing I do know is that I need
to wear pants of some kind - or at least
a skirt. I know that I need to cover my
Feb - 13 Aaron Pritchett w/ Kira Isabella and David
James, London Music Hall (7pm)
Feb – 14 Little Big Town w/ Midland and Ashley
McBryde, Budweiser Gardens (7:30pm)
Feb – 14 The Breakers Tour: Canada, Budweiser
Gardens (7pm)
Feb – 14 Valentine’s Day with Terry Barber, The
Aeolian (7pm)
Feb – 15 Luv, London Music Hall (9pm)
Feb – 15 Rising Phoenix 2, Old East 765 (7pm)
Feb – 15 Uptown Affair, The Aeolian (7pm)
Feb – 16 Emm Gryner , London Music Club
(6:30pm)
Feb – 16 Ed the Sock, London Music Hall (7pm)
Feb – 16 Magoffins Epic Metal Bday Bash, Old East
765 (7pm)
Feb – 16 My Funny Valentine, The Aeolian (7pm)
Feb – 17 Lord Huron, London Music Hall (7pm)
Feb – 20 Don Ross: Louder Than Usual wsg Pipo
Romero , The Aeolian (7pm)
Feb – 21 August Burns Red, London Music Hall
(6:30pm)
Feb – 22 Prime Time Big Band, The Aeolian (8pm)
Feb – 22 The Trews, London Music Hall (7pm)
Feb – 23 A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac and Stevie
Nicks, London Music Club (7:30pm)
Feb – 23 Mother Mother , London Music Hall (7pm)
Feb – 23 Paul Brandt and High Valley, Budweiser
Gardens (7pm)
Feb – 23 The Memphis Jam, The Aeolian (7:30pm)
Feb – 24 Buddy Holly’s Rockin & Dance Party, The
Aeolian (2pm)
Feb – 24 Wiz Khalifa & Curren$y :2009 Tour,
London Music Hall(8pm)
Feb – 28 Donovan Woods and the Opposition,
London Music Hall (7pm)
Feb - 28, March - 01, 02, 03 Disney On Ice 100
Years of Magic, Budweiser Gardens (10:30am, 11am,
1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm)
nether regions. That’s for sure.
ED Why? There’s no law against you
having that uncovered.
LIANA You can go topless, you
can go Mickey Mouse, but not Donald
Duck in the province of Ontario.
ED You can wear underwear - you
don’t have to be fully clothed.
LIANA It’s February Ed, it’s cold.
ED We’re going to places that are
Sarnia
Feb – 08 Morgan James, Imperial Theatre (8pm)
Feb – 09 Holy Cole, Imperial Theatre (8pm)
Feb – 23 International Symphony Orchestra: Night
Dreams and Dances, Imperial Theatre (7:30pm)
Feb – 23 Name that Tune 2.0, Bottoms Up Bar &
Grill (7pm)
Feb – 23 Night Dreams and Dances, Imperial Theatre
(7:30pm)
Feb – 27 Matthew Good, Imperial Theatre (7pm)
Feb – 27 Shoplifters, Imperial Theatre (7:30pm)
Windsor - Essex
Feb – 06 519 Premium Concert Series With RYOT
featuring Krisalyn Bell, WFCU Centre (6pm)
Feb – 06, 13, 20 & 27 Retro Ladies Dance Party
with DJ Josh Powers, The Thirsty Butler (8pm)
Feb – 06, 07, 08, 09, 10 The Penelopiad, University
Players (2pm, 8pm)
Feb – 07 Ian Smith, The Thirsty Butler (7:30pm)
Feb – 08 Bloody Valentine, Rockstar Music Hall
(8pm)
Feb – 08 Jody Rafoul, The Thirsty Butler (8pm)
Feb – 08 Keith Ruff, Haddon’s Comedy Club (9pm)
Feb – 09 British Beat 66, The Thirsty Butler (9pm)
Feb – 09 Stranger Daze, Fire, ABTF, RYOT, Rockstar
Music Hall (8pm)
Feb – 10 Cognitive-Monotheist-The Machinist-Devilz
By Definition, The Back Stage(7pm)
Feb – 10 WSO/SoCA Concert featuring Alumni
Choir, Capitol Theatre Windsor (2:30pm)
Feb – 13 519 Premium Concert Series w/ T Taylor,
N Knight & B Doncom, WFCU Centre (6pm)
Feb – 14 Old Dominion, Caesars Windsor (8pm)
Feb – 14 Tom Hogarth - Kelly Hoppe- Chris Borshuk,
The Thirsty Butler (7:30pm)
Feb -14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 28, March - 01, 02
Cabaret , Kordazone Theatre (2pm, 6pm, 8pm)
Feb -15, 16 The Price Is Right: Live On Stage,
heated. We’re not doing it in an igloo.
LIANA It’s fricken freezing in those
clubs. One person opens the door and
everybody has to zip their coats. No,
I’m wearing pants!
Ed and Liana perform in London on
Feb. 16, Brantford on March8, Waterloo
on March 9, Windsor on March 15 and
Tillsonburg on March 16. For more
visit edthesock.com or funetwork.tv.
SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS AT 519MAGAZINE.COM
Caesars Windsor (8pm)
Feb – 15 Dusty D’Annunzio, The Thirsty Butler
(8pm)
Feb – 15 SPICE Queens: Windsor, Rockstar Music
Hall (8pm)
Feb – 16 Jody Raffoul Band, Rockstar Music Hall
(8pm)
Feb – 16 Ryan Yoker Duo, The Thirsty Butler (8pm)
Feb – 20 519 Premium Concert Series with The
Rum Runners 20s Review, WFCU Centre (6pm)
Feb – 21 Dean Haddad Trio, The Thirsty Butler
(7:30pm)
Feb – 21 Khari Wendell McCelland, Phog Lounge
(8pm)
Feb – 22 Bowie & Prince, The Chrysler Theatre
(8pm)
Feb – 22 Chris D’Elia: Follow The Leader, Caesars
Windsor (9pm)
Feb – 22 Guitar Army, The Thirsty Butler
(8pm)
Feb – 22 Symphony 121: Bowie & Prince, Phog
Lounge (6:30pm)
Feb – 22, 23, 24 Where There’s a Will, Olde Walkerville
Theatre(2pm, 7pm)
Feb – 22, 23, 24, March - 01, 02, 03 Guys and
Dolls, Migration Hall (2pm, 8pm)
Feb – 23 80s GONE WILD, Rockstar Music Hall
(9pm)
Feb – 23 DESTROYER Canada/KISS Tribute, The
Back Stage (10pm)
Feb – 23 Music in the Dark, Capitol Theatre
Windsor(7pm)
Feb – 23 The 519 Band, The Thirsty Butler (8pm)
Feb – 24 Celebrating Black Composers, Capitol
Theatre Windsor (4pm)
Feb – 24 Pete the Cat, The Chrysler Theatre (2pm)
Feb – 28 Jimmy’s Comedy Nights, Jimmy G’s Bar
and Grill (9pm)
Feb – 28 Madeline Doornaert, The Thirsty Butler
(8pm)

10 FUN QUESTIONs with dartis willis sr. from
the windsor express...
Without using the word fun, what’s
your definition of fun?
Having a great time.
What’s the most fun you’ve had in the
last 24 hours?
Working on some exciting projects for
the Express
What is more fun chocolate or
whipped cream?
Whipped cream on chocolate
What was the most fun you’ve ever
had watching a movie?
Watching a movie at the drive-in movie
theatre with my family
When was the last time you were made
Fun of?
All of time. Especially about my height
Have you ever had Fun in church?
Of course! Singing and dancing.
What is more fun a mother in law or
going to the dentist?
Going to the dentist because they make
me smile all day.
What is the most fun you’ve ever had
with your clothes on?
Playing basketball with the students at
the school visits.
In a fun way, what is the most fun
you’ve ever had with your clothes off?
Swimming in the ocean in Florida
Has working with the Windsor
Express made you a more fun person?
I have been having a great time with
the team so far and looking forward to
making more memories with the fans and
the community.
Dartis Willis Sr. is the
President and CEO of the
Windsor Express
professional basketball team.
RESTAURANTS OF THE 519
Nola’s
Vito’s Pizzeria
Motor Burger
Mamo Burger Bar
Spago
The Goat
LA Town Grill
Riccardo’s
Crave Family Grill
Speck’s
Gilligan’s
Bud’s Diner
On The Docks
Drifter’s Inn
Chuckwagon
Vernon’s
Ian’s Wrap Shack
Grove Brew House
Eat What’s Good
Chilled Cork
Hungry Man
Five Guys
Stubby Goat
Bad Dog
Crossroads
Village Teapot
Barracuda
Johnny’s
Bella Jacks