519 September 2019

SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO’S ENTERTAINMENT NEWSPAPER
519
Issue 15 - Sept/Oct 2019
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Where the Stars Hang Out in Southwestern Ontario
THE YEAR OF
SPECULATING WITH
BRETT KISSEL | RICK MERCER
SUGAR SUGAR’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY
CARLY THOMAS | RUSSELL DRAGO
POST PRODUCTIONS | CARDINAL MUSIC
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Issue 15
Sept/Oct 2019
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4
Brett Kissel
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3

Brett Kissel Would Like To Bring The CCMA Fan Choice Award to London for a Big Party
By Dan and April Savoie
Regardless of the amount of concerts, albums,
awards and adoring fans he might have, northeastern
Alberta country singer Brett Kissel is still deeply rooted
in family. He has often said that they are the driving
force behind everything he does.
The Canadian country star is returning to
Southwestern Ontario for a show at Park Jam in
London on September 6 ahead of his appearance at the
Canadian Country Music Awards two days later.
Fans have been waiting anxiously for new music
from Kissel, but he’s been tight-lipped about most of
it. He told us he’s expecting a new song to come out
this month and his next album will raise the bar over
everything he’s done in the past.
I have to say it’s been a pretty exciting year for
you so far. You’ve got gold records, you’ve been
touring with Garth Brooks, and you’ve got a Juno,
five CCMA nominations, and a new member to
your family. It can’t get much better
You know what? It can’t. It’s pretty amazing. I
literally cannot believe it’s been as great as it’s been
and I’m very thankful for that. You know what? We
always have goals with what we want to achieve and
the things we want to do and places we want to go, and
I’m so thankful that everything has turned out in this
way and we’ve been able to have the experiences that
we’ve been able to have. It was very, very lucky.
Is it tough being on the road as a new dad? You’ve
played shows pretty much every month this year.
In a lot of ways you would think that it is and I
know that there’s difficulties to it, but you know what? I
think the power of positive thinking always prevails for
myself and for my wife Cecilia and our family.
Number one, we do bring our family out a lot. We
really do. I love having my family out on the road with
us. We’ve been able to travel across Canada to every
province and every territory and now most of the States
together, and that’s very important to us. And then next
is absence makes the heart grow fonder. So we know
that we’ll do a lot of traveling, but I love what I do and
I think it’s important for our children to see the passion
that I have for my career and this great life that we’re
all very lucky to live. And it’s people who work in the
military or work in the RCMP or travel for work, it’s
those jobs that I do believe are really, really tough and
really hard. Whereas for me, I mean, I can’t complain
about a thing.
This new baby is number three for you and your
lovely wife isn’t it?
That’s right. We’ve got three little babies and of
course we can’t forget about our wiener dog, Charlie.
So it’s a pretty complete family here. We’ve got two
daughters and a son.
So is that it for the Kissel’s or are there more
being planned for the future?
I don’t know. To be honest, a lot of it has to do with
my wife Cecilia and I think a lot of it has to do with
where we’re at and what our plans are. I don’t know
if we’re shutting the door on more kids or not, but I
can tell you right now, I mean, when we had our first
daughter, we loved her with all our heart, and our hearts
grew when we had our second daughter, and then our
hearts grew again when we had our son. So I don’t
know if our hearts can get any bigger than they are right
now, but if they do we’ll take it as it comes.
Have your children inspired any new songs?
They always do. And it’s interesting, because it
comes in sometimes the most strange of ways in the
sense of whether or not I write a song specifically
for my kids or about my kids or about being a dad.
Sometimes if I’m writing a party anthem, I’m really
trying to put myself in the moment of what it was like
when I used to party because now as a dad, we’ll go out
on stage, we’ll party on stage and then sometimes I’ll
get the first flight home so that I can get together with
my family.
So all that being said, they’ve been the driving
force behind pretty much everything that I’ve done
in a big way, and I’m very thankful for that because I
feel I’m working harder, I’m writing better songs, I’m
working smarter and all those things because I do have
a family that I want to impress and I want to take care
of and everything like that. So my kids have inspired
everything that I’ve done moving forward.
Awesome. So you see how I did that there? I
wanted to ask about new songs and a new album. Is
there anything in the works?
I think that’s very wise of you. The answer is yes.
I’ve been very, very careful to not talk much about new
music over the past year, just truly to focus as much as I
possibly can on well the good things that are happening
in my life and music outside of creating new stuff.
But I’m ready to tell you that we have been in the
studio a lot this year. We have spent a lot of time writing
songs. I think we have written close to 90 songs for this
new project, and we’ve got a new song that’s coming
out in September. We’ve got a record that’s going to be
coming out either at the end of 2019 or the beginning
part of 2020, and I truly believe that this is going to
raise the bar in a big way from everything that I’ve
done in the past. And I’m so excited for not only my
fans, but for the industry and everybody around to hear
this because I think it’s some extraordinary new music.
Do you find or do you think there’s a specific
characteristic that defines Canadian country music
as a whole?
I think that there’s a different layer of depth to us
and what we sing and how we perform. It doesn’t
make it better, it doesn’t make it worse, it just makes
it unique. I’m obviously a proud Canadian, and I think
the biggest thing is that the way that our songwriters
are made and the way that we craft our songs is
different from the lifestyle that Americans in the south
live. So while they’re talking about kudzu vines and
tall Georgia Pines, we’re talking about the Rocky
Mountains, we’re talking about the Arctic weather and
stuff like that. So it’s a unique way to create and write
songs and something I’m proud of that I get to draw on
my personal experiences being a Canadian.
You’re going to be headed here to London for
Parkjam next month, and the last time you were
in London you won a Juno, so I bet you’re looking
forward to returning to the city.
London has always had a special place in my heart
because when I first started on my national career, I
signed to Warner Music, I had an opportunity to go tour
Bud Gardens and I made a vow then to some of the
people I’d met, but mostly to my family and my team,
that one day I’m going to come back to Bud Gardens
and we’re going to have some great success there. Sure
enough, in 2016 I won Male Artist of the Year at the
Canadian Country Music Awards and in 2019 I won a
Juno. Sure enough, if I don’t come back to Trackside
two years in a row. Sure enough as hell, we now come
back to Parkjam and we get to headline. It’s just an
incredible, incredible city that has had some of the
biggest moments of my career. So, I’m really looking
forward to coming back.
I forgot to talk about our Fans Choice nomination,
and that is something that is so important to me because
that is voted on only by the fans. So let me make
a proclamation that if I’m lucky enough to win that,
I want to tell everybody in London that I’m going to
bring that glass trophy with me at some point in the
future - like it’s the Stanley Cup, and we’re going to
have a big Stanley Cup party. The website to vote is
ccmafanvote.com.

Life After 15 Years of The Rick Mercer Show Still Involves Lots of Travel
By Dan and April Savoie
Canada’s beloved political satirist,
Rick Mercer, will be returning to
Southwestern Ontario with his newest
keynote, Canada Coast to Coast to Coast
in Windsor on Sept. 28 and then hosting
a series of Just For Laughs shows in
London on Oct. 29, Kitchener on Oct.
30 and Hamilton on Nov. 1.
We sat down with the Canadian icon
in an attempt to find out what makes
him tick.
How have things been going with
you?
Things are very good, actually. I’m
having a great summer. I got to spend
some time in Newfoundland and more
time than I normally do. So, post show
I’m enjoying myself.
Obviously, you’ve adapted to life
after The Rick Mercer Show.
I knew I would. I know I wasn’t
going to be the person who would
completely freak out, but it is a big
adjustment because 15 years is a long
time. So you had your work family, for
example, people that you see almost
every day. I was on the road with the
same three guys for 15 years. There was
never a change whom I traveled with,
so we obviously go way back now and
I miss that because we just traveled very
well together.
But that’s part of what the show is that
I’m doing, talks about my adventures
on the road over the 15 years, because
while people who watched the show
saw what I was doing, that was always
just one part of what was happening.
Because there was a lot of stories on the
go that never ever made it on the show.
When did that broadcasting bug hit
you?
Oh, the broadcasting bug. Cool. I’ve
never heard it called that, but I absolutely
came down with it. It was pretty early
on, when I was about 10 or 11, there
was a TV show in Newfoundland,
called the Wonderful Grand Band. It
was comedy of music. It was about
Newfoundland. It was a regional show
just for Newfoundland.
It went on to have some national
exposure, but essentially it was just for
Newfoundland and it was a monster hit
in Newfoundland. Everyone watched
the show. And so like everyone else, I
watched but I was kind of obsessed with
it. I was enthralled with it. I couldn’t
believe that these people got to... but they
got away with what they were doing and
people loved it so much. I went to the
theater and comedy and performance,
but it was always with the goal of
someday being a broadcaster, someday
being on television. That’s what I
wanted to do. A lot of actors who started
in theater, they end up in television. But
their first love is for theatre. Well I went
to theatre, but my first love was always
television. I just had to do it backwards.
Every generation of politicians,
they have their moments, but I’d have
to say none have been as colorful as
Trudeau and Trump era. They alone
could give you four years of solid
content on their own.
There are always things that happen
that you think, “Oh, I could certainly
talk about that.” Although I would
never wish ill will on my country just
so I would have something to talk about.
I’ve always pined for good, boring,
honest government. That’s what I think
we all want. And I’d be happy with that,
believe me. But I don’t miss that.
Right now I’m enjoying getting
to travel around the country, do this
show, in front of live audiences. That’s
something that I enjoy immensely and
I’m just really enjoying myself and
trying to figure out what’s next. Because
15 years is an incredibly long run in
television, and I just really felt it was
time to hang it up and do something
else. But I knew it would take a while to
figure out what that something else was.
It was very important to me, all along,
everyone who’s in show business always
wants to go out at the right time and
very, very few people do for different
reasons. I was always cognizant of that.
So, I started asking myself at year five
if it was time, year six, if it was time.
Because that’s the length of a television
show. I mean that’s the life expectancy
of a TV show that’s a hit. And, I just felt
after 15 years it was time to go. Also
our numbers spiked again in season 15.
I was very proud that I went out with
healthy numbers.
You’ve traveled across Canada
promoting the country. Two people
come to my mind when I think of
Canadian influencers: Stompin’ Tom
Connors and Rick Mercer.
Oh boy. I wouldn’t have been able
to travel nonstop for 15 years if I didn’t.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve
been in interviews where they’re like,
“What is your favorite place in Canada?”
And I always answer, “St. John’s,
Newfoundland,” because I’m from here
and I’d be killed if I didn’t say that.
But it also is my favorite place. And
then, of course, people want to say,
“Where’s your least favorite place?”
And I would never answer that question
because while I’m not a politician, I
know you don’t answer questions like
that. But the truth is I don’t have one.
There’s no place to me where I’ve gone,
“Ooh, I’m glad I’m never going back
there again.” That’s just never happened
to me. So, yeah, there’s a love of country
there that’s pretty deep.
And I feel it’s pretty influenced
because of the travel. I think most
Canadians want to explore Canada and
it’s a very difficult country to explore
because it’s just so big and there’s so few
of us, it’s prohibitive. And so, I really
feel like I was blessed that it was my
occupation every week, literally every
week, I would get on a plane and I would
go to two completely different places in
the country.
Was there ever a place that you
visited that really surprised you and
that you think is a real hidden gem?
I could start listing places and still
be here if you want to phone this time
tomorrow. That’s why people really
liked the show. I mean, off the top of
my head, when we went to Haida Gwaii,
British Columbia. I mean I’d kind of
heard of Haida Gwaii. I knew it was like
a sort of national park. I assumed I had
seen pictures. Well, when I got there, I
mean my mind was completely blown. It
was one of the most spectacular things
I’ve ever been. And I can go on and on.
My travels being able to stand above the
tree line, being in the Arctic circle, that’s
something that very few people get to
do. But I think Canadians have an innate
interest in the north and they’re proud of
the north.
If you could guess, how much of the
country did you actually visit?
I don’t have the numbers off the top of
my head, but I remember we were kind
of figuring that stuff out near the end
and there were like 460 unique places,
I think. Because obviously some places
I’d visit more than once. No, it was
more than that, I remember at one point
someone in the office wanted to create a
Google map.
You can have Google map load in all
the places you’ve been. So, we thought
that’s a great idea. So, this fellow loaded
in all the places that we’ve been in 15
years and then he hit load and all the
dots appeared and the entire country
disappeared under one big dot. So, we
actually created an RMR Atlas that
allowed us to show all the places we’ve
been. And I was very proud when you
looked at the map of Canada and you
saw the dots.
There are areas in the north that we
didn’t get, but we were right across
the north and in every province, every
territory, and every part of every
province. I mean, sure we’re a big
country, thousands of places left for me
to visit.
With all the years of political
satires, rants and comedy, what
was the biggest news story you ever
tackled?
That’s a tough question. I mean, I’ve
been lucky that I got to cover, and I use
the term loosely, a bunch of elections.
When I wasn’t doing it for the television
show, I would get on MacLean’s and do
it for MacLean’s magazine. And for me,
that was very exciting because growing
up, I only had two interests: comedy
and politics. And the idea of being on
the prime minister’s plane, being on
the leader of the opposition’s plane
and being on leader of the third party’s
plane, like all within a 10 or 12 or 14 day
period, filing pieces every day or two to
a national magazine. It was like a dream
come true for me.
Whereas the natural journalists, they
don’t have the privilege or the luxury of
choosing what subjects they’re going to
talk about. I remember way, way back
in the olden days of 22 Minutes, and we
felt our mandate was to cover the news,
no matter what was happening. We
went into this very dark period where it
was the tainted blood inquiry that was
dominating the news for months on end.
It was just one tragedy after another.
You’re famous for your rants. How
did the Rick Mercer rant come about?
I never faked or feigned outrage and
I felt over the years like I wasn’t always
outraged, but there’s always something
to be baffled by once you cover Canadian
politics.
Is there something that tickles you
lately?
This week, we have the findings of
the ethics commissioner in relation to
the prime minister and SNC-Lavalin. I
mean there’s plenty to rant about here.
Also, this week, in Ontario if you own
a private gas station, the premier of the
province is saying you have to put a
sticker on your gas pump that promotes
his political ideology or he’ll fine you
up to $10,000 a day on your private
property!
I’ve never seen anything like that in
my life. I don’t think I’ve read about
anything like that happening in Canada
or the United States in history books. It’s
patently insane. So, I would certainly be
ranting about that.
You can be against the carbon tax,
which this is what it’s about. But it’s
a sticker. And, of course, the other
irony is, this is Doug Ford’s solution
is a sticker because he’s in the sticker
business. There’s a sticker solution to
every problem. Can we get a sticker
maybe? How are we going to solve
unemployment? Is there a sticker maybe
we could get?
Is there a rant that’s a favorite
rant or one that you felt made a huge
connection or difference with people?
The rants are very much of the time.
There was a rant about young people
being bullied that certainly went all over
the world. And certainly I received far
more feedback that was deeply personal
than I had expected. I mean, I just
thought it was a rant like any other rant.
There have been rants that have gone
viral. There’s been rants that resonated.
There were rants that people got really
upset about because I think people
often think, if you like someone, and
hopefully they liked me, they liked the
show, they kind of all think, “We’re all
on the same page on every issue.”
Then suddenly, they realize I have
kind of a different opinion than they do,
I assume and get really upset. Like it’s
their spouse. Like you look at your wife
or husband and go, “I never knew you
believed that. How would I know that?”
Is there a rant that you regret?
Oh, there have certainly been rants
where I was proven perhaps wrong.
I wouldn’t say regret. There’s a few
rants that have been removed. I publish
the rants and they’re, of course, flying
around the internet. Always have been
and probably always will be. I don’t
have many regrets in the show.
You seem like a very humble
person and this year you got the
Governors General’s Award for
lifetime achievement. If that was me,
I’d be bragging about it.
I don’t even know if I told my mother.
That was incredible. And it was an
incredible night and it’s still, even as
you say it to me on the telephone, I do
kind of think like, “Wow, how did that
happen exactly?”
My entire life I’ve always felt like
I’ve snuck into the wrong room, so in
events like that, I certainly still feel that
to a certain extent.
I bet you were glowing a little bit
more when you were given the key
to Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer
Cove.
That was phenomenal. That was a
great, great afternoon. It was in the local
school, in the gym, primary school and
the Mayor spoke. It wasn’t so much
about me as it was about that era, that
time. Because it was one of those places
where there was a pack of 30 kids
running around in the street at all times.
So a bunch of them were there. It was
just a fantastic event.
Oh, that’s awesome.
No, that completely shocked me.

SPECULATING WITH
By Dan and April Savoie
With their upcoming new album proudly declaring
a War On Everything, Kingston rockers The Glorious
Sons are continuing their domination of the Canadian
and US charts with songs like Panic Attack, Pink Motel
and The Ongoing Speculation Into The Death of Rock
And Roll. With War on Everything set to release on
September 13, the band has only four Canadian tour
stops this month before heading to Europe for a fall
tour. The first is Park Jam in London on Thursday,
September 5.
We sat down with vocalist Brett Emmons to chat
about the new music, being troopers of emotional rock
and a sobering experience early in the band’s career.
It looks like you’re just about ready to declare a
war on everything.
I guess so. Everybody has been kind of saying that
in the press, the way that they’re wording it. I’m not
sure if that was what was intended necessarily, but
sure, yeah.
I was wondering if it was just me or if there was
a little more angst and maybe even some ADHD in
some of the new songs?
I think it could come off as a little more manic
than some of the other tracks that we’ve released in
the past, for sure. Definitely some anger there. I think
that there’s some happiness too. There are some songs
that touch on a form of happiness that I haven’t quite
reached before either, in past songs or songwriting as
well.
I think it’s kind of, it’s very eclectic, manic album,
to be honest. When I listen back to it, and realize what
we did for the last month. I’m pretty proud of it for
that, covered a wide range of emotion and time in my
life. And maybe perhaps, a few issues of, you know,
things going on as well, in the world today.
Is that what sets it apart from your previous
albums?
I don’t know because I think that there was
definitely some anger in our work before as well. You
know, I don’t know if that’s really for me to decide,
to be honest.
It’s hard when you’re in it, you know? We got off
the road and decided to go straight into the studio, and
I’d been writing quite a bit over two years. Sometimes,
a song is just a song. And I’m not really sure how
it’s going to be interpreted or how people are going
to compare it to our other work, but like I said, I’m
very confident in the songs and it definitely is a lot of
emotion and I hope people can relate and feel what I
feel.
I hope it helps, I guess, for lack of a better term, I
hope it helps the world a little bit, helps other people,
I hope that helps people understand me, maybe people
will feel more understood. I don’t know.
Back when Young, Beauties and Fools came
out, you mentioned in some of the interviews that
you wanted to improve your mental and physical
health, I want to know how that battle is going?
It’s going good, actually. I don’t think the problems
that I had two years ago are ever going to completely
go away. I think some of that was an inability to just
kind of accept who I am as a person.
Things are good. I’m happy, I’m productive. I’d
like to spend a little more time at home, to be honest.
I have a lot troubles myself, coming off the road. You
know, when you’ve been on the road for a month, two
months at a time, and two thirds of the year, and you
get home for two weeks at a time, and go back in, it
can be hard to relate with the pace of, I guess, home
life.
Other than that though, I think I’m getting better
at the whole thing, I’m trying to at least. And I don’t
know, it’s going good. I can’t complain really, to be
honest.
I want to talk about Panic Attack. It’s exactly
that. Is that a personal reflection and how did that
song come about?
I’ve dealt with panic attacks for a very long time.
So, I mean, that song is, it was written about, basically
a panic attack. So it’s written about anxiety and maybe
the thought process that one might go through during
a panic attack or just maybe the thought process that
leads somebody to a panic attack.
I tried to make it more universal. I wasn’t trying to
imitate one of my personal panic attacks necessarily as
much as I was trying to make the lyrics a little more,
I mean, they’re not vague at all, but there’s a broad
sense to them, that I think anyone can really relate

with, when trying to tackle that subject.
I wrote it on tour, at least the start of it. It’s been
three for four different songs. The verse turned into
the chorus, sorry, the chorus turned into the verse.
Then, in fact, I’m losing air, I’ve had that for, I don’t
know, four or five years, just because that is a very
specific thing I think that at least a lot of people go
through. I do, when I have a panic attack.
When I brought it to the album to release it, we
want it to be, a really dirty, fast, hard-hitting song
and we knew we wanted to open the album with it as
well. So, I mean, I guess, that’s all I got for that one.
As the frontman of a band and you’re always
the first person that everybody sees, have you ever
had a panic attack while on stage?
No, no. I’ve definitely been angry and been very
nervous and been very dismembered on stage before,
but I’ve never experienced a panic attack on stage,
that would be complete hell. I don’t know how I’d
be able to deal with that. Not a real panic attack, no.
I know a lot of the fans have left comments
under the Panic Attack video and how it helped
them cope with their attacks and how it expresses
their feelings. Did you ever think that song
would’ve been a therapeutic tool like that?
No, I didn’t. The thing is the lyrics that I write
are always kind of like this: They always have to do
with real life themes and have some dark undertones.
They’re meant to make people think. But, when
I was thinking of that song, after writing the lyrics
originally, and getting some of the melody down,
when we were in the studio, we just wanted to make
a barn burner, to be honest.
In hindsight, the lyrics and the music definitely fit
together to create, I guess, an overarching feeling of
panic and chaos, and what that might feel like during
a panic attack. But that was never really the intention
because a lot of the lyrics that I write are like that
anyways.
Whether it’s a fast song, a happy-sounding song, a
slow song, a lot people like to characterize our music,
or are starting to at least characterize our music as
like, sometimes happy-sounding, and melodicsounding
but with very dark undertones.
The next song I want to talk about is Pink
Motel. You know, when I first heard that one I was
like, “Wow, what a beautiful song” and then the
emotional breakdown happened. And you pretty
much said “Fuck it!” to everything at that point.
I was kind of going through a breakup when
we were in the studio. I had Pink Motel for, a year
and a half, two years and the song was about the
distractions that we face to keep us from one another
and how that can really damage a love-life, and take
people away from one another.
The last part is kind of like, not to get too
vulnerable, but it’s kind of like, I just wanted to say, I
put it at the end of this song, we didn’t know that we
were going to record it that way. We knew that the
first part of the song was really good, but we didn’t
necessarily know that that part was going to happen.
I was sitting there with the lyrics, and I’d finished
writing them and then I just started writing the things
that I wanted to say. And it kind of poured out of
me. I guess it’s me trying to have the last word,
selfishly, if you will. But I hope that it also comes off
as helpful. And maybe other people can hear their
own problems, and hear themselves in those lyrics.
The other song I wanted to touch on is The
Ongoing Speculation Into the Death Of Rock and
Roll. You know, it poses the question of “Who
killed rock and roller?”
I think a lot of people are maybe misinterpreting
the message of that song because of the title. I mean,
The Ongoing Speculation Into the Death of Rock
and Roll, it was never really me speculating about
the death of rock and roll.
I’m up on a stage with gigantic amps and electric
guitars, pretty much five nights a week. I believe in
rock and roll, I don’t think it’s dead. I think that if
you go into so many clubs and bars across Canada
and the States, you’ll see kids shouting their heads
off, playing the electric guitar, and kids sweating
their asses off, and cheering as loud as they can, in
cities and towns everywhere.
I don’t think the genre is dead at all. It was more,
the song was a nod of the cap to, people who pursued
lives of “rock and roll”, I guess, in quotations
because, it mentions Marilyn Monroe and Tupac
Shakur as well.
I mentioned people who pursued their dreams
in the name of freedom. Freedom for themselves
in their lives and had that kind of taken away from
them, stripped from them, while doing what they
loved. And then doing what they loved and then it
seemed to become more than they anticipated it to be
and I kind of thought, Tupac and Marilyn Monroe,
what’s more rock and roll than people just trying to
be free? That’s how I’ve always kind of interpreted
rock and roll. The lifestyle and the ‘60s.
How do you expect your live show to evolve
with the new material?
It’ll allow us to have a little more room to breathe,
a little more to choose from, in order to give people
more of a dynamic experience every time they come
out to the show. I think that’s definitely going to add.
I don’t see us ever not making the electric guitar
our main thing. We are what we are at this point.
Of course we want to write new things and make
songs unique to the last song we released and we’re
always going to do that. But we’re not going to be a
band that uses tracks and has 50 people on stage and
it’s just not our thing. We’re a rock and roll band.
You’ve opened for Rolling Stones twice. The
last one in North America and in Ontario, no less.
So that must’ve felt really good and probably was
a special moment for you.
It was really, really exciting. We’re gigantic
Stones fans in the first place. I’d seen them three
times before we ever opened for them. And, it’s such
an honor. It was nerve-racking, there was a lot of
people there. But, other than that, it’s not a very long
set. Stones fans are already known to be extremely, I
don’t want to say difficult, but they’re there for The
Stones, so we knew going into the second show, this
might not feel like Glorious Sons’ hometown crowd.
Just being in front of 71,000 people is electric.
There’s not really a word to describe what it’s like to
look out and see the outline of people, slowly blend
together because there’s so many people, and they’re
further away than you’ve ever seen them at a rock
show, that’s just wild.
You’re kicking off the new tour with a handful
of Canadian tour dates next month and the first
one is the opening night at Parkjam in London.
Do you have any memories of playing in London?
London’s a great audience, they’re always pretty
wild there. The last three or four times we’ve been to
London Music Hall.
I remember one of the first times we ever played
London. We were opening for The Balconies. We
got a little bit cocky and it was our first tour ever.
And we started drinking really early in the day and
we forgot to set up our gear. We were five minutes
before we were starting the show and we were
scrambling around trying to get our gear out. We
finally managed to get our gear on stage, and we
were playing after this band called Motorleague. We
got on stage and I said “Give it up for Motorhead!”
And the whole crowd started laughing, and I realized
my mistake, it was Motorleague. It was one of the
most sobering experiences of my life.
Blockparty London Expanded to
7-Night Multi-Genre Music Fest
London’s annual Bud Light London
BlockParty at Harris Park has been expanded
to a seven-night musical celebration. It has
been expanded from two days to Sept. 5-8
and Sept. 13-15 to create Bud Light Parkjam,
featuring music from a variety of genres.
Blockparty was a two-day festival of electronic
dance music. The new festival will
include that but add, rock, pop, hip-hop, rap
and other genres.
“Seven nights, two stages, amazing artists,
games and attractions, chill zones,” said
organizer Demetri Manuel. “There will always
be something to keep you entertained
at Parkjam.”
Rock Night – Sept. 5
Includes performances from The Glorious
Sons, Cold War Kids, The Beaches and Texas
King.
Country Night – Sept. 6
Includes performances from Brett Kissel,
Meghan Patrick, Aaron Goodvin and JoJo
Mason.
Alternative Night – Sept. 7
Includes performances from The Offspring,
MxPx, Reel Big Fish and Seaway.
Pop Throwback Night – Sept. 8
Includes performances from 98°, O-Town,
Aaron Carter and Wannabe: A Spice Girls
Tribute. Hosted by Lance Bass of NSYNC.
Hip Hop Night – Sept. 12
Includes performances from Ice Cube,
Method Man, Redman, Snotty Nose Rez
Kids, Maestro Fresh Wes and Haviah
Mighty.
Blockparty 2019 – Sept. 13 and 14
Includes Deadmaus5, Diplo, AC Slater,
Ookay, Frank Walker, KINGZMN, Sloth-
Bear, Feed Me, Attlas, No Mana, Nofone
and more on the second stage.
For more information or advance tickets
visit parkjamfestival.com.
Ice Cube will perform at Bud Light Parkjam
music festival at Harris Park on Sept. 12.
The practically
perfect musical
November 26
to December 29
Spriet StagE
Disney anD Cameron m a C kintosh’s
MARY POPPINS
grandtheatre.com
box office 519.672.8800
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Contest Winners Prepare to Unleash Laughs and Goosebumps in Post Productions Double-Bill
Post Productions knows that the
Halloween season is supposed to be fun.
What happened to spooky tales that
delivered a good time with a wink and a
nod? We had Scooby Doo as kids. We
watched campy, old-school horror schlock
on late-night TV and read those EC
Comics anthologies that were reprinted for
each generation. On Saturday mornings,
we watched The Hilarious House of
Frightenstein in our pajamas. Well, some
of us did.
The point is, there used to be so many
options for people who wanted a splash
of fright in their entertainment – not too
much! Just a little for spine-tingling flavour
while we laughed at all the jokes and leaned
forward during the exciting parts. Could we
create the feeling of ridiculous old horror
comics on stage – and bring the Halloween
spirit to life in full, glorious, living and
breathing colour?
You bet!
Get ready to relive those experiences
with two spooktacular stories: Autopsy by
Alex Monk, and A Haunting in E Flat by
Joey Ouellette. These new, uniquely bizarre,
one-act plays won the 2018 Windsor-
Essex Playwriting Contest last summer,
coincidentally creating an opportunity for
a double-bill that’s guaranteed to get people
in the mood for Halloween. Each script
embodies a different style of comedy and
a different way of blending in splashes of
drama and creepiness for a fun experience
for audiences ages 12 to 95.
Windsor’s Cardinal Music
Productions is celebrating its 15th year
and 30th production with the 1977 Tony
Awards Best Musical Annie running at
The Green Room Theatre from Sept. 20
to 29.
Annie is a musical based on the
comic of Little Orphan Annie by
American cartoonist Harold Gray. It
follows a girl named Annie who has a
plucky red haired girl, who dreams of
life out of the orphanage. One day a
guy named Oliver Warbucks wants to
spend time with an orphan, so he sends
his assistant to find an orphan to adopt.
Fans will enjoy legacy songs like
Tomorrow and Hard Knock Life.
We had a chat with company owner
Joseph Cardinal and choreographer
Nina Fasullo.
Was Annie specifically chosen for
your 30th show and 15th anniversary
for a reason?
Joseph - I chose Annie because I
knew it would require a large cast with
a mixture of young and old. It reflects
who we are as a company. We like to
give opportunities to everyone and
larger shows let us do this. We also
wanted people to come out to the theatre
and celebrate with us and classics such
as this usually draw a bigger audience.
Looking back on your 15 years
with Cardinal Music Productions,
how do you think those first 15 years
Alex Monk’s Autopsy tells the story
of Gary (David DuChene), a burned-out
coroner who gets the fright of his life when
a corpse, John Doe (Joey Wright), returns to
life just as the autopsy is about to begin. As
Gary struggles to figure out what this means,
John helps him deal with the fussiness of his
assistant, Michael (Drew Beaudoin), and
the frustrations of his boss, Marie-Louise
(Rebecca Mickle).
Marking the long-awaited return of David
DuChene to a Windsor stage, Autopsy is
also the return of his creative partnership
with Joey Wright , which delighted patrons
for several years at Kordazone. The two
have not performed together since Korda’s
Doctor Faustus in 2015.
Joey Ouellette’s A Haunting in E Flat
is about paranormal investigator Thomas
Nett (James Stone) and his psychic niece
Charmaine (Carla Gyemi), who face two
new clients in a single day: an awkward
man, Elliot (Greg Girty) being haunted
by his dead mother, and a woman named
Nancy (Rebecca Mickle) who hears eerie
music in her apartment late at night.
Post Productions and the two playwrights
have been waiting for more than a year to
bring these plays to frightastic life – but of
course everything changes once cast and
crew start adding their own creativity into
the mix! Thankfully, the incredible cast
was firing on all cylinders right out of the
gates – committed, naturally funny, with the
intelligence necessary to continue finding
new laughs, new moments of poignancy,
went?
Joseph - All in all I am very happy
with the first 15 years. I have been
able to tackle the shows I have
always wanted to do without placing
restrictions on myself. I have given
many people a chance to perform and
that makes me very happy to be able to
have done that.
Looking back, what was the
hardest show to create and what was
your favourite and why?
Joseph - I honestly believe that
each show has its own unique degree
of difficulty, so for me to say that one
was harder than another is difficult in
itself. I view each one as a learning
experience and an accomplishment.
My favorite show by far and away was
Rent. I love Rent for so many reasons
but mainly because it has so much
heart, it just moves me spiritually.
Why do you think the Annie
character has resonated so well with
generations of fans?
Joseph - Well she is the little girl
who has nothing yet she finds a way
by just being herself to rise above it all.
It’s a rag to riches story and it’s always
great to see the underdog succeed. She
provides a glimmer of hope in a world
of darkness.
What is Annie to you?
Joseph - Annie is inspirational to me
because of the way she is able to roll
By Dan Boshart
new levels of honesty, and new emotional
notes.
As any director knows, talented actors
who really care about their craft are what
truly brings a great script to life. Or UN-life
with the punches. He/she doesn’t ask for
much and winds up with everything yet
still remains grounded. It is refreshing
to see that quality in a person.
The dance routines in Annie are
quite big. What do you have cooked
up for Annie and the gang?
Nina - The kids numbers are all
about them having fun! Never Fully
Dressed has them playing pretend and
getting to goof around with their friends
when, as orphans, they don’t often get
that opportunity.
It’s got to be challenging
choreographing children compared
to adults. What’s this experience
like?
Nina - I’ve taught children dance for
more than 10 years so I’m very aware
of the different ways they learn and
the amount of patience it takes to keep
a room of 7-13 year olds focused at
10pm. Just like choreographing adults
in theatre, there are varying experience
levels. Half of my job is balancing
everyone’s strengths; pushing everyone
to learn and grow while still creating
movement everyone can feel great
doing. The other half is making it look
fantastic!
If a musical you’re choreographing
has a movie version, does that make
it harder to create routines because
the audience will most likely expect
something they remember from the
. . . if you prefer!
The double-bill of Autopsy and A
Haunting in E Flat runs Oct 4, 5, 10,
11, 12 at The Shadowbox Theatre. 8:00
PM; doors open 7:30. Tickets $25 at
film?
Nina - It’s funny, the film has not
crossed my mind once since beginning
this process. Maybe it’s because I
wasn’t one of those kids who watched
it on repeat till the tape broke but I
approach every show, whether there is
a film or not, in the same way. After
listening to the songs, I get a little movie
postproductionswindsor.ca or cash at
the door while supplies last. Directed by
Michael O’Reilly and Fay Lynn. Produced
by Michael K. Potter, Fay Lynn, and
Michael O’Reilly.
Windsor’s Cardinal Music Celebrates 15 Years and 30 Shows with a Huge Family Classic
in my head and from there, depending
on the experience level of the cast, I put
it on its feet. Other versions of the show
don’t affect my process.
Annie runs Friday and Saturday
nights and Sunday afternoons on
September 20 to 29. Tickets are $25 and
available at Cardinal Music at 2569-B,
Jefferson Blvd, Windsor or at the door.

WINDSOR’S PREMIER
POP CULTURE EVENT
CAESARS WINDSOR
SEPTEMBER 21-22, 2019
OFFICIAL 2019
PROGRAM
WELCOME
We are pleased to welcome you to Windsor ComiCon presented by
Cartoon Kingdom. Our team has worked relessly over the past year
to provide you with a memorable 5th anniversary experience. Our
star-studded celebrity guest line-up is loaded with a variety of talent
that is underlined by a core group of world-class comic creators.
We invite you to check out all that the show has to offer including
the Springz Zone, Enchanted Adventure Pares Kids’ Zone,
Brimstone Games Zone and Canada South Science City Discovery Zone
along the Mix 96.7 Promenade. In addion to this, we invite you to
parcipate in our events, panels, programs and workshops.
SPONSORS
Visit the Cartoon Kingdom Exhibitor Floor to pick up a unique collecble
while meeng guests in the Ultra Pro Autograph Pavilion. Along the way, visit
the Farrow Riverside Miracle Park booth to make a donaon and/or bid on
a silent aucon item. One hundred percent of proceeds raised will enable the
development of a fully accessible playground, park and sporng facilies for
individuals in our community and beyond.
On a very special note, we want to personally thank the team at Cartoon Kingdom
led by co-owners Arlen Mifflin and Nat St. Pierre who went above and beyond this
year to ensure that you, the aendees have an exceponal experience.
Last but not least, we want to thank our tremendous sponsors, volunteers and
crew who helped create this event plus you the attendees who kept it going
strong these past 5 years.
THANK YOU FROM WINDSOR COMICON!
WINDSOR COMICON CREW
Colin Douglas – President
Alisa Wills Douglas – Registraon Coordinator
Jeremy Renaud – General Manager
Sylvia Ward – Cosplay Coordinator
David Jacob Duke – Creave Director
Grayson Gaudreault – Floor Coordinator
Rose Marie Halim – Graphic Designer
Michelle Hart – Panel Coordinator
Sandra Poirier – Volunteer Coordinator
Jason Tang – General Manager’s Assistant
Gale Simko-Haield - Assistant Volunteer Coordinator 2005 Soluons – Website Maintenance
Official Beneficiary
WINDSORCOMICON.COM
9

10
TIME SATURDAY PROGRAM SCHEDULE LOCATION
10:00 AM
10:30 AM
11:00 AM
Noon
1:00 PM
Doors Open
519 Magazine Registraon Opens
Cartoon Kingdom Exhibitor Floor Opens
Pop Ficon:
Behind the Business of the Ficon Panel
Q&A with Jake Vedder
& Mess Bucket Comics
Cosplay Pro Photo Ops #1
Q&A with Larry Kenney & Keone Young
Ralinwood Larp Demonstraon
Jake Vedder Pro Photo Ops
Cosplay Meet-Up with Zombae:
Enchanted Adventure Pares Kids’ Zone
Dragon Ball Z Experience
with Ian James Corle
Silver Spoons Experience:
A Date with Kate - Private Event
Derek Mears Pro Photo Ops
Q&A with Darren McCarty
& Mess Bucket Comics
1:30 PM Imperial March: The 501st Legion
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
3:30 PM
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
Q&A with Derek Mears
Seth Gilliam Pro Photo Ops
Q&A with Seth Gilliam
Ian James Corle, Larry Kenney & Keone Young
Pro Photo Ops
Toasty Tournament - Mortal Kombat Challenge
with Zombae at Daniel Pesina’s Booth G14
Star Trek: Discovery Meet & Greet
Private Event
Star Trek: Discovery Panel
Shannon Purser Pro Photo Ops
Cosplay Meet-Up With Zombae:
Star Trek: Discovery Panel
Star Trek: Discovery Pro Photo Ops
Star Wars Panel:
The 501st Legion & The Rebel Legion
Imagine Cinemas Meet & Greet - Private Event
Doors Close - Day 1
Riverdale: An Evening with
Shannon Purser Panel
Cosplay Meet-Up with Zombae: Riverdale Panel
Riverdale: An Evening with Shannon Purser
Experience
Meet & Greet - Private Event
Marvel Trivia Night
with Mack Flash Entertainment
Mix 96.7 Promenade
Cartoon Kingdom
Exhibitor Floor
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Imagine Cinemas VIP Zone
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Mix 96.7 Promenade
Imagine Cinemas VIP Zone
Spago Traoria
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Cartoon Kingdom
Exhibitor Floor
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Cartoon Kingdom
Exhibitor Floor
Imagine Cinemas VIP Zone
Cartoon Kingdom
Auditorium
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Cartoon Kingdom
Auditorium
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Cartoon Kingdom
Auditorium
Imagine Cinemas VIP Zone
Cartoon Kingdom
Exhibitor Floor
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Imagine Cinemas VIP Zone
Cartoon Kingdom
Auditorium
9:00 PM ComiCon Aer Dark Party Cosmos Bar
Visit windsorcomicon.com for any last minute schedule updates.
TIME SUNDAY PROGRAM SCHEDULE LOCATION
10:00 AM
10:30 AM
11:00 AM
Noon
Doors Open
519 Magazine Registraon Opens
Cartoon Kingdom Exhibitor Floor Opens
Buck Rogers Experience - Private Event
Cosplay Pro Photo Ops #2
Crimson Knight:
Klingon Assault Group (KAG) Panel
Buck Rogers 40th Anniversary Panel
Ausn St. John Pro Photo Ops
Q&A with Ausn St. John
Surprise Trivia with Mack Flash Entertainment
Gil Gerard, Felix Silla
& Erin Gray Pro Photo Ops
12:30 PM Imperial March: The 501st Legion
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
Q&A with Dickey Beer
Star Wars Cosplay Meet-Up: Dickey Beer Panel
TBA Guest Pro Photo Ops
Toasty Tournament - Mortal Kombat Challenge
with Zombae at Daniel Pesina’s Booth G14
followed by Mortal Kombat
Cabinet Silent Aucon
Q&A with Comic Legends:
Chris Claremont & Bob McLeod
Dickey Beer Pro Photo Ops
Q&A with Daniel Pesina
Mortal Kombat Panel & Demonstraon
Cosplay Pro Photo Ops #3
Cosplay Panel: World of Cosplay
Prizes: Dream Costumes Worbla and Foam
Supply / Enchanted Adventure Pares
Daniel Pesina Pro Photo Ops
5:00 PM Doors Close - Day 2
WEEKEND
SCHEDULE
Mix 96.7 Promenade
Cartoon Kingdom
Exhibitor Floor
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Imagine Cinemas VIP Zone
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Imagine Cinemas VIP Zone
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Cartoon Kingdom
Exhibitor Floor
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Cartoon Kingdom
Exhibitor Floor
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Cartoon Kingdom Theatre
Photo Ops Room 3rd Floor
Cartoon Kingdom
Exhibitor Floor
CAESARS WINDSOR | SEPTEMBER 21-22, 2019

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Roller Derby
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2ND FLOOR
1001 Cosplay Prop Check
1002 Blackburn Radio Zone
1003 Enchanted Adventure Parties Kids' Zone
1004 Canada South Science City Discovery Zone
1005 Brimstone Games Zone
1006 Springz Zone
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ENTRANCE
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901
801
AutographPAVILION
601 G1-G17
FREIGHT
ELEVATOR
G1 Dickey Beer
G2 Guest TBA
G3 Darren McCarty & Grindtime - Saturday
G4 Jake Vedder & Mess Bucket Comics
G5 Bob McLeod
G6 Chris Claremont
G7 Shannon Purser
G8 Star Trek: Discovery with Doug Jones,
Sara Mitich, Hannah Cheesman
& Ronnie Rowe Jr.
G9 Ian James Corlett
G10 Larry Kenney
G11 Keone Young
G12 Austin St. John
G13 Seth Gilliam
G14 Daniel Pesina
G15 Derek Mears
G16 Jason Fabok - Saturday
David & Meredith Finch - Sunday
G17 Buck Rogers:
Gil Gerard, Felix Silla & Erin Gray
101 HGS
102 Costco Wholesale Windsor
103 Spray Paint Art by Nathan Salmon
104 Dragon's Realm
105 New Blood Entertainment
Demented - Coming Soon!
201 Stylin Online
202 Imagine Cinemas
203 Gizmo's Anime
204 The Angry Collector
205 Toys and Hobbies Cubic Store
206 Festival Geek Guy
301 Gotham Central Comics
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Leamington Chapter
603 Star Wars:
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PHOTO OPS
VIP ZONE
3RD FLOOR
CARTOON KINGDOM
EXHIBITOR FLOOR
701 Tyderium Toys
702 The CG Realm
703 FriendlyFire Collectables
704 The Little Craft
705 The Littlest Gift Boutique
706 The Danjer Zone
801 Rogues Gallery Comics:
McGrath Legacy Collection
901 Farrow Riverside Miracle Park
902 Dream Costumes Worbla & Foam Supply
903 RayGrey & Messiah Complex Cosplay
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906 Ralinworld Underworld Larp
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MEDIA CELEBRITIES
Derek Mears
Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Dickey Beer
Boba Fe
Star Wars: ROTJ
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Ausn St. John
Red Ranger
Power Rangers
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Shannon Purser
Ethel Muggs
Riverdale
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Seth Gilliam
Father Gabriel
The Walking Dead
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Daniel Pesina
Johnny Cage
Mortal Kombat
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Doug Jones
Commander Saru
Star Trek: Discovery
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Sara Mich
Lt. Commander Airiam
Star Trek: Discovery
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Ronnie Rowe Jr.
Lt. R.A. Bryce
Star Trek: Discovery
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Gil Gerard
Buck Rogers
Buck Rogers
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Erin Gray
Wilma Deering
Buck Rogers
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Felix Silla
Twiki
Buck Rogers
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Ian James Corle
Goku
Dragon Ball Z
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Larry Kenney
Lion-O
ThunderCats
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Keone Young
Storm Shadow
G.I.Joe
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Darren McCarty
Stanley Cup Champion
Detroit Red Wings
Appearing
Saturday Only
Jake Vedder
Snowboarder
Team USA
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
More Guests
To Be
Announced
COMIC CREATORS
Chris Claremont
Legendary
X-Men Creator
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Bob McLeod
Iconic
New Mutants Creator
Appearing
Saturday & Sunday
Jason Fabok
Colossal
Comic Illustrator
Appearing
Saturday Only
David Finch
Titanic
Comic Illustrator
Appearing
Sunday Only
Meredith Finch
Disnguished Writer
& Rose Comic Creator
Appearing
Sunday Only
More Guests
To Be
Announced
Rates and Informaon: Please visit windsorcomicon.com or Guests’ booth for autograph pricing, rates and informaon.
12
WINDSORCOMICON.COM

A Little California Dreaming With London Singer Carly Thomas
Story and Photo
by Dan Boshart
Carly Thomas has been calling
London Ontario home for the past
several years, but for most of her early
life, home was wherever her father’s
business took her. Born in Thailand,
raised in Argentina, France and several
places across North America, her broad
cultural experiences have given her
a deep well to draw inspiration from.
Learning guitar as a youngster in
Argentina it was a dean at her school
in Buenos Aries who encouraged her
to put on a show for the school, giving
her the confidence to perform in front of
people. Performing in her teens in Paris
and later at folk clubs in New York,
Thomas gained even more experience
performing and refined her writing
skills, even spending some time taking
creative writing courses at New York’s
The New School University.
Recently Thomas returned from an
extended trip to California and agreed
to talk to 519 about her experience there
and new music in the works.
Tell us about going to California.
I went out there to do a quick sort of
visit and do some writing out there and
then Chris McCready my guitarist came
out there and we decided to do some
shows. That turned into the opportunity
for me to stay out there and that allowed
me to network and set up relationships
that would allow me to keep going back
there and explore the writing world of
L.A. so it was a lot longer than I planned
but it was really amazing. I met some
people that really support, promote and
appreciate singer/songwriters. I made
some connections with people to get out
on the west coast a bit more. I feel like
that’s going to be a good move for me
to start spending a lot more time there.
Were you feeling things were
getting a bit stale at home?
No, not stale, but I think especially
in music for me for my own creativity
and personal growth there’s always the
question of what’s next.
Do you think your upbringing
affected this thinking? Did moving
around a lot growing up make you
more curious and willing to explore?
I think it gives me a unique edge
in terms of being comfortable in a lot
of movement and change, yeah, and
knowing that’s what it’s going to take
in order to reach more people. There’s
nothing really tying me down to one
specific place. I have family that I love
but I’ve sort of created my life in a
way that I can jump at any opportunity
that presents itself. While it was really
nice to stay in one spot for a while and
develop some relationships and work
on my craft, there comes a time where
you have to take it more seriously and
extend your reach a bit.
Do you see yourself moving to
California?
I see myself basing myself more on
the west coast and coming back here to
Ontario a couple times a year and also
focusing on Europe as well. Wherever
it’s more open and I’m appreciated is
where I want to be.
Do you find that the west coast is
more open to your music because of
it’s folk roots?
I do, I find that there’s more
embracing of artists in general,
especially in California. And I think that
once we are able to surround ourselves
with like minded individuals we thrive.
That’s why I’m wanting to be out there
more because it feels like the roots are
getting watered more there than other
places. That’s not to say that it’s bad
here, it’s just different.
Any interesting stories from your
trip?
I was having a day where I was
questioning if I was doing the right thing.
I was wondering who was listening to
my music and if I was reaching anyone.
So I was playing a new song for a
friend from Austin, Texas I had just met
through other friends and she asked me
if I was on Spotify. I said yeah, I’m all
over, so she looked me up and said, “Oh
God, I didn’t put it together, I’ve been
listening to your song “By Your Side”
for the last 10 years since it came out. I
just randomly found it on a playlist and
it’s a song that means a lot to me!” “I
can’t believe this just happened!” She
had no idea it was me singing that song
and it was a super cosmic moment for
both of us. It was a message from the
universe to me that I’m on the right path
and I’m reaching people.
What do you think of streaming
services like Spotify? I heard the
other day that the founder of Spotify,
Daniel Ek is worth 2.2 billion dollars
U.S.
I need to read that article. I was just
talking with a friend the other day who
said that when someone buys a CD at
a show, that’s the equivalent of what I
make in a year from streams. Music is
such an important part of our culture
and our lives, if people don’t buy CDs
or T-shirts at shows, independent artists
like myself can’t survive, so it’s really
important for that support. Spotify
is good for reach and accessibility to
music which is important but it doesn’t
necessarily help the funding of what it
takes to make a living creating music.
You’ve been in the studio, are you
working on your next album?
Yeah, so I’ve been working at the
Sugar Shack here in London with Kyle
Ashbourne and we did a few songs live
off the floor, a few new ones that I’ve
been playing live for a while but I just
hadn’t recorded them, so I wanted to
capture the live element. I have a lot
of stuff in my pocket ready for release
so there’s going to be a lot of new
stuff coming out in the next couple
months. So we did that first and actually
yesterday I was there working on some
vocals for two new tracks that we’re
working on and so far it looks like we’re
going to release them as singles and I’d
really like to follow that up with a full
length album.
For the latest news on show dates
and other info check out facebook.com/
carlythomasmusic.

Alice Cooper
By April Savoie
THE YEAR OF
By Dan and April Savoie
It’s a busy year for Canadian country star Dallas
Smith. His latest single Drop, from the EP
The Fall, is quickly becoming another country
radio hit; he hits the road this month for a country
music celebration with his friends Dean Brody,
Chad Brownlee and MacKenzie Porter; and as the
reigning CCMA Male Artist of the Year, he was
recently announced as a co-host of the Canadian
Country Music Awards (CCMA) with Billy Ray
Cyrus.
And that’s just his September.
The tour with Brody, dubbed “The Friends
Don’t Let Friends Tour Alone” Tour, hits a few
Southwestern Ontario cities including Kitchener
on Sept. 20, London on Oct. 3, Windsor on Oct. 4
and St. Catherine’s on Oct. 5.
The 2019 CCMA Awards will air live on Global
Television from Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome
on Sept. 8 at 9 p.m. Along with his co-hosting
duties, Smith is nominated for four awards
this year (Fans’ Choice, Male Artist of the Year,
Single of the Year and Interactive Artist of the
Year).
We had a quick chat with Smith by telephone
from his recording sessions in Nashville late last
week.
I bet you’re pumped about co-hosting the
CCMA’s with Billy Ray?
Yeah, it should be a lot of fun. I never in a million
years, ever in any part of my life would have
thought anything like that was possible. I was really
surprised, pleasantly surprised that the CCMAs
asked me to do this and to have Billy be the guy
co-hosting with you. I met Billy Ray earlier and
he’s a really nice guy. If I stumble he’ll pick me
up. It’s going to be a great night. He’s been around
for a long, long time. He’s a very kind, witty guy
so I’m excited to spend some more time with him.
And getting 4 nominations is really exciting.
What do the CCMA’s mean to you?
It’s great. I’m excited. It’s been going for six,
seven years now and it’s always a blast. The nominations
are great and stuff. The main thing is just
getting to see a lot of the guys you see in passing.
At the festivals and other artists but actually being
able to spend some time with them. You get to
know everybody a bit more. That’s what I love
about the CCMAs.
Your latest single and video is Drop. How
did that song come about?
It was co-written with Steven Lee Olsen, actually.
He’s recorded it. I was really excited about it.
It wasn’t going to be the single we were going to
release, but we put it up online and the streaming
numbers are telling us that everyone’s really loving
Drop, so it’s time to release that on the radio.
I’m really glad to see the reaction it’s been getting
so far. It’s pretty amazing.
The success you’ve had since becoming a
country singer is unquestionable. Wikipedia
shows more than 20 singles – all of them reaching
the top 10. Why do you think country has
been more successful?
I’ve always felt more at home in this genre. I
think the people can sense, not dishonesty, but
that I come across this genre honestly. I think this
is where I was meant to be. The rock band thing
was just my path to get here.
You hit the road with Dean Brody in September.
You guys really seem to hit it off?
Yeah, he’s a good dude. I met him a few times
at the CCMAs. I just got to know him over the
years, he’s a good dude. I’m a big fan of his music,
so when we were approached with the idea of
doing this tour from our booking agent ... Yeah
I was excited about the idea. We kind of do two
different things but I think we share a lot of the
same sounds. It’s going to be a fun tour.
There’s also Chad Brownlee and MacKenzie
Porter as well. That’s a lot of Canadian country
music fun for one night. That’s a real celebration
of Canadian music.
Of course, yep. Good friends with Chad, they
got that golf tournament out in Langley that we
have together. I know Chad really well. I’m excited
to have him on the tour. He’s had a bit of a
resurrection here, he’s been releasing some really,
really great music lately. Of course, Mackenzie
Porter, she’s extremely, extremely talented. She’s
starting to have a bit of a buzz about her down
here. I’m excited to give her a bit of a platform.
Was it always the plan to have a Canadian
country tour the whole time?
It was just built that way this time. There’s just
a lot of talent in Canada, we had no problem finding
people to help fill those seats. Why not help
out some fellow Canadians.
After the Friends tour wraps, what’s ahead
for you into 2020?
Maybe we’ll go to Australia for a bit. Then we
are going to do some traveling. I think we might
make it over to Italy for the first time, so we are
going to go over and spend a bit of time in Rome
it looks like. Get away from it all for a bit.

Celebrating 50 Years of Sugar Sugar With Canadian Songwriter Andy Kim
By Dan and April Savoie
This month in 1969, Montreal singer/songwriter Andy
Kim’s life changed. A song he wrote for a comic book
band became a #1 hit single. That song, Sugar Sugar,
went on to become the biggest selling single of the year
and was recognized as Billboard’s Record of The Year.
We had a chat with Kim on the eve of the 50th
anniversary of the song hitting the top of the charts.
What do you recall about writing the song? Why
were you so darn happy?
It was basically a moment in time where I felt like
you’re given an opportunity to write for comic book
characters. I never thought about it in any other form.
Usually when you write for a band, or you write for an
artist, you get to know the artist, you get to know them,
you get a feel for their range. You’re writing a song
thinking about how to help their career. This was, I grew
up with, as most of my friends did, with RC Comics
and a whole bunch of comic books. It was a time to
just kind of be free form. You need to understand that
you’re talking to me now 50 years after the fact. When
it really happened, it just happened pretty quick. There
was no thought. I’ve always said I never take a bow for
inspiration, and that was really an incredible moment of
inspiration.
What do you remember about the recording
session?
The recording session was fun. I love being in the
studio and I love recording sessions. Recording sessions
are different today than they were then. Then they were
in clips of three hours. You were either in from 10 am to
1, from 2 to 5, or 7 to 10. This one here was just kind of ...
it got off to a funky start because nobody really had what
one would call, we weren’t in the pocket yet. It just didn’t
have a groove going to it. The genius of Jeff Barry, who’s
been my song writing mentor and co-writer, he was also
the producer. We kind of looked at each other and took a
break, and I kind of played him what was on my cassette
player. When we wrote the song, I recorded everything.
Everything sounded so great, I had this great cassette
player that made me sound like I was the greatest guitar
player in the world and the best singer in the world. It
had some kind of condenser to it that I just loved the
sound of it.
We took this break and realized, oh yeah, that’s really
... we had captured the sound when we were writing it.
It was just a moment in time of inspiration. Sometimes
when you’re inspired to do something and you do it, I
think, at least for me, you have to now learn it. You’ve
got to take the time to say, oh, that’s how I played this.
That’s how I sang this. We just went back to square one
and we kind of recreated, not so much to demo, because
it just had guitar, vocals, and Jeff playing percussion in
the writing room. But as soon as we went back to the
idea of what the demo sounded like and the spirit of it,
the record came together. And what a record it was. I was
really excited about the song to begin with. To actually
make the record is a different story.
What is it about songs like that that resonate so
well with generations of people?
It’s hard to ask me because I just love the sound of
the words colliding, the melody, just on a personal level.
Here’s the truth. The truth is, on May 24th, 1969, Baby I
Love You, a song that I recorded, hit the charts. On that
same day, May 24th, 1969, Sugar, Sugar was released,
but didn’t make the charts for two months. Radio didn’t
want to play it because it was really the kind of comic
book that came to life on television. I think they were
after songs with a little more meaning, and the fact that
they played The Monkees and then stopped playing
The Monkees because The Monkees started to kind of
break up for a lot of reasons. I think that there was an
issue, especially when you look at what was happening.
We were going to the moon. The Vietnam War was
raging. There was Woodstock. There was the Sharon
Tate murders. There was Beatles breaking up, their last
concert on the roof. There was so many things going on
that were really meaningful, and I think radio thought
that comic book characters would not be meaningful on
the radio. That’s just me thinking, talking to you right
now.
I think about the fact that it took just one spin from
a radio station in San Francisco, and it ignited, I guess
it was just lightning in a bottle. It traveled all over the
world. I think a better answer comes from the people
that I sing the song to in concerts. Everybody sings
the song. I start with the word, “Sugar,” and that’s it.
It becomes an ... I don’t know, just kind of a big, big
choir singing the song. It’s really just filled with love,
happiness, naivety. I think if you did a survey as to why
people really like it, I think they’ll have a better answer
than I have. I didn’t even know if people were going to
like it when it came out.
Do you have any memorabilia, like the acetate or
promo items from Sugar, Sugar?
I used to, but I come from a time when I didn’t think
anything would mean anything. Now I’m trying to find
Andy Kim items that I don’t have. I do have the gold
record for Sugar Sugar and Jingle Jangle, and some stuff.
A lot of that stuff went by the wayside. I wish I’d have
kept the cereal box cutout where you could cut out the 45
and you can play it. That would have been really cool.
Those are just memories now.

Gearing Up for a Great Night of Old School Love:
Windsor Native Russell Drago is Coming Home
By Karen Tinsley
Velvet-voiced baritone Russell Drago and his world class
jazz combo have performed in all of Toronto’s iconic jazz
clubs, at numerous festivals and the renowned Isabel Bader
Centre for the Performing Arts in Kingston. Although born
and bred right here in Windsor, Russell has never played his
hometown—until now. We sat down with Russell to find out
more, before the curtain goes up at Windsor’s historic Olde
Walkerville Theatre in October.
You’re based in Toronto and have been performing
for many years—why Windsor and why now?
For as long as I can remember, Windsor has always had
a rich and vibrant live music scene. But let’s face it, taking
your show on the road presents all kinds of complications
and logistical challenges. All the stars have to be aligned.
I still have family and friends here; they’ve been so
supportive, travelling far and wide to see my shows. I’ve
always dreamed of coming home to perform, and I’m just
thrilled that this dream is about to materialize.
How did you decide on The Olde Walkerville Theatre?
The Olde Walkerville Theatre wasn’t the first venue I
visited, but I knew the minute I walked in that it was the
place. I remembered it had been The Tivoli—I’m sure I saw
a few films there back in the day. It’s “old school”, which
is perfect for my show. Coming home to sing at the Olde
Walkerville Theatre is a full-circle moment for me.
What can we expect when the curtain goes up?
My sound was once described in the media as “velvety
smooth”; that description has followed me around. People
who’ve talked to me after my shows have told me there’s
a warmth and directness that resonates with them; they feel
I’m singing “just to them”. I work hard to prepare for a
show. I sing all 25 songs on my setlist from memory.
This is a great segue to talk about my band--some of the
most versatile jazz musicians anywhere.
Kevin Barrett is both my Musical Director and guitar
god. A multi-genre performer and studio musician, his heart
belongs to jazz. Louis Simão, my keyboard player, was
named 2017 Solo Artist of the Year by the Canadian Folk
Music Awards. His jazz sensibility and diverse skills are in
demand—as a music educator and as a Canada Council for
the Arts juror.
My bassist Clark Johnston performed with the famed
Peter Appleyard and has released three CD’s of original
compositions.
Rakesh Tewari, my drummer, has shared the stage with
Alicia Keys, K’Naan, Rufus Wainwright, KD Lang, Holly
Cole and Nelly Furtado, and many others.
We can never predict how we’ll connect with our
audience—but believe me, when it happens, we know it and
so do they. I have no doubt that Windsor will surprise and
delight us.
We’ve heard that you have a brand new “live” CD,
produced by the legendary Aaron Holmberg.
In March, I performed at the Isabel Bader Centre for the
Performing Arts in Kingston—where Aaron is Technical
Director. He was house engineer at The Tragically Hip’s
iconic Bathouse Studios for years and ran the boards for
The Hip, Bruce Cockburn, The Trews, Sam Roberts and Jill
Barber.
I hired Aaron to do studio mix of the archival recording
the Isabel does for each show. It’s a gamble--you only
have one shot when performing live—there are no second
takes. But I thought, “If I’m not happy, this goes in the sock
drawer.” It turned out to be magical--beautiful hall, beautiful
audience. My band was right and tight. I felt so good when
I walked offstage.
A few weeks later, Aaron sent me a rough studio mix.
Any artist will tell you we’re our own harshest critics when
hearing or watching our own performances.
However, your audience may not hear or care about the
same things you do.
I couldn’t have sung any better. Sure, there were a few
mis-steps, but the recording lived up to the feeling I’d
experienced that night.
We’re working hard to ensure that my new CD, Russell
Drago Live @ The Isabel will be available on October 17.
Tickets are $35 each at The Olde Walkerville Theatre
box office 1564 Wyandotte Street East, 519 253 2929 or visit
info@oldewalkervilletheatre.com/RussellDrago.
Doors open at 7 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m. A meet and
greet with Russell and his band immediately follows the
show.

4 th Windsor International Writers Conference
July 10,11,12, 2020
Welcome all levels of writers from beginner to professional
Agents, Editors, Publishers, Keynote Speakers Galore!
Steven James
Suzette Martinez
Standring
Carol Rehme
… with more to come!
One on Ones with agents & publishers
Writing Contests, Stand-up Comedy Night!
Cost: $399 all inclusive including meals
Early bird special $325 until Dec. 31, 2019
Sign up with a friend - only $300 per person until Dec. 31, 2019
To register: WindsorInternationalWriters.com
for more info. contact Pam Goldstein at 519-730-0315 or email: pamelajeangoldstein@gmail.com
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