Show Alert: Good music at the Festival of Good Things

Sat., Aug. 30
Festival of Good Things
Point Lands, Sarnia, Ont.
11 a.m. - 6 p.m. FREE
After 6 p.m.: $40

Didn't make any plans for Labor Day weekend? We just made them for you. Take a drive up to Sarnia for the Festival of Good Things, which includes some good music. Don't have much to spend? Before 6 p.m., these bands are free:

• 11:00   The Silence of Ivory
• 11:55   The Woodlands
• 12:50   KASHKA
• 1:50     Serf Kanata
• 2:50     Lit'l Chicago
• 3:45     Small Town Get Up
• 4:45     Woodshed Orchestra

 After 6 p.m., things get a little pricier. But you also get a lot more for your money:

• 6:15   Craig Cardiff
• 7:10   Library Voices
• 8:15   Molly Thomason
• 9:15   Gord Downie and The Sadies

KASHKA
Kat Burns

LIBRARY VOICES

THE SADIES

Photos: Russ Gordon/N2D Images

Show Alert: Sadies, Sunparlour Players and more

Thurs., Dec. 8
Capitol Theatre, Windsor
w/ The Locusts Have No King and Field Assembly
$15 advance tickets, available at the Phog Lounge and Dr. Disc in Windsor
$20 at the door

Although there are still some good shows coming up in December in the Windsor/Detroit area (see our calendar), in general the season is winding down for the winter as bands take a break from touring. That makes Thursday's lineup at the Capitol one of the last "premium" shows of 2011 stacked with Canadian indie talent. So treat yourself to an early Christmas present and don't miss:

The Sadies (Toronto)-- these alt-country rockers have one of the best reputations around for amazing live performances. Together since 1998, they have six full-length albums in their discography, including 2010's Polaris short-listed Darker Circles. Listen.

Sunparlour Players (Toronto)-- we love this band and Andrew Penner's unique take (and vocals) on alt-folk/rock; Wave North spent a lot of time in our CD players this past year. We're looking forward to hearing old favourites and new songs from their latest album, Us Little Devils (released in October) performed live. Listen.

The Locusts Have No King (Windsor)-- an already great bill got even better when we saw The Locusts on it, as we've been waiting more than a year to finally see them again (no fault of theirs, just kept missing their shows). Show review from Oct. 2010  Listen.

Field Assembly (Windsor)--on his Facebook page, singer/songwriter L. Adam Fox describes Field Assembly as "often dark interpretations on conventional and abstract North American folk music." Listen.

Venue Spotlight: the Crofoot

Where: 1 South Saginaw, Pontiac, Mich.

What: four different venues for shows--the Crofoot Ballroom and Balcony, (capacity 1100); the Eagle Theater (capacity 600); the second floor Pike Room (capacity 250); and the Vernors Room (capacity 75).

We've seen: You Say Party! We Say Die! (now known as You Say Party!) in the Pike Room (two weeks before the untimely death of drummer Devon Clifford); the New Pornographers (Crofoot Ballroom); Dan Mangan (Pike Room).

The Crofoot's talent buyer Greg Baise was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule for a short Q&A with N2DS2W. We wanted to know:

N2DS2W: How long has the Crofoot been bringing independent Canadian bands to Pontiac?

Baise: Since we opened almost three years ago.

N2DS2W: List some of the bands you first brought in. How were they received?

Baise: Some highlights have been our two New Pornographers shows, Neko Case solo, Destroyer, AC Newman, and Stars. Stars was one of our biggest shows when we first opened up. I think this show was huge for a variety of reasons. First of all, right away we earned the reputation for being the best club in the area, for both bands and fans. Our sound system is unmatchable, and the amenities that bands get here are comparable to what one would find in the top European clubs. Another factor is definitely proximity to Canada and Windsor in particular, as well as the commercial alternative stations that originate in Windsor and actually play most of these artists.

N2DS2W: Who are some of your favorite Canadian indie artists?

Baise: I'm a huge fan of the Sadies, Toronto's cosmic country kings, which played here the other night.

N2DS2W: Do you have a “dream” Canadian indie band/performer you’d like to book?

Baise: A surprise Leonard Cohen show would be pretty cool.

Many thanks to the Crofoot for supporting Canadian indie artists. Our next show at the Crofoot is Hey Rosetta!/Hot Hot Heat on Sat., Sept. 11 in the Pike Room.