Please Explain Toronto To Me

Ian Blurton is one of the best guitar players I've ever seen (and heard).  You may know him from past bands Change of Heart, Blurtonia, Bionic, C'mon, and others. He currently plays in and co-fronts Public Animal. He's a Toronto stalwart and he's produced a whole lot of albums, including notable releases from Huron, The Weakerthans, Ron Hawkins, Skydiggers, Amy Millan, Elliott Brood and others. Blurton came through town for the 2nd annual Winterruption, and I took the opportunity to chat with him. We talk about the musical map in his mind, the power of place, the sound of Toronto, left-handedness, Change of Heart's arc, the ways that songs reveal themselves, producing strategies, the genesis of Public Animal, and about two dozen tangents. He didn't sing immediately following the conversation, as is custom, but he took the stage to do Cheap Trick's "Surrender" later on in the night. It was super fun.  Public Animal: https://publicanimal.bandcamp.com/ Ian Blurton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ianblurton The video where he looks like Don Henley (according to me):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-f3tgroXFY

Christian Kongawi is a professional musician and lover of puns who moved to Canada at age 12 from the Congo, into a foster family in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He's also the mastermind behind The Potluck, a series of events that have funded Kongawi's work building schools in the Ubangui region of the DRC. He has played in many bands, including The Rebellion, and now is a musical director on Carnival Cruises. We have a pun-filled conversation about being kicked out of school dances, his early drumming career (including a band called Five Alarm Chili), the skylight view into Amigos, "beats for money", the transformation of The Potluck into a fundraiser, dealing with corruption in the DRC, his education at Musician's Institute in Los Angeles, being at sea during Hurricane Matthew, and his uncanny connection to the Dave Matthews Band.  

This episode also features unsolicited contributions from my cousin, a guy known as J-Pop, and some off-mic shenanigans from Rylan Schultz of The Pistolwhips. Shit gets weird. 

Ubangui Technical Assistance: https://utadrc.wordpress.com/

Bethani Jade is a writer and performer who spearheaded the first alt alt Performance Fest back in January, a two-day festival of "weirdo art" (her words). I sat down with her to chat about it, along with two of the other performers involved: Elise Pallagi, a spoken word poet / roller derby girl, and Linda Cunningham, a Calgary-based spinning artist. We talk about catharsis through art, licorice socks, Colorado gun shops, slow-moving cogs, the wild world of arts grants, Elise's relationship with poetry and roller derby, the poetry of professional wrestling, accessibility in the NHL, the power of intimate collaboration, and a whole lot more. These are 3 guests that really inspire me to believe in my own artistic practice, so it's fitting that they all sing the karaoke "classic" from Journey, "Don't Stop Believin'".

http://www.bethanijade.ca/alt-alt-diy-performance-fest/

https://www.facebook.com/elisepallagispokenword/

http://lasquetipress.blogspot.ca/

I decided the best way to look back at the whole thing that was 2016 was through the eyes of 3 people who did interesting things throughout the year. First up, Trevor McKenzie-Smith - one of the campaign managers (with the illustrious Michelle Beveridge) for past TNWCYL guest Charlie Clark's successful mayoral bid. We talk about that and about the eventful birth of his second child. Next, we're joined by Kehan Fu, the current president of the USSU. We get into the idiosyncrasies of post-secondary student government, and Fu's priorities as president. And we round it out with Zoey Roy - an outspoken Cree-Dene Métis artist who advocates for youth and indigenous rights all over the place. We chat about her Indspire Award, being "blasted" by right-wing radio, meeting the Royal couple, and her massive plans for 2017. 

And after all of that, amazingly, all my guests team up and sing "Eye of the Tiger". 

Yes, I know it's February already. 

Kevin Wesaquate is a writer, spoken word poet, visual artist, and co-founder of the Indigenous Poetry Society in Saskatoon. He does a lot of great work carving out spaces for indigenous artists where there might not otherwise be. We talk about his upbringing and sense of justice, early days in the spoken word and poetry scenes, dealing with dyslexia as a kid, emerging as a painter with the help of SCYAP, Kevin's instagram page (great for radio, I know), incorporating histories like that of mistasiniy into his work, and the indigenous traditions of oral storytelling. The next Indigenous Poetry Society show takes place March 7th at The 220. 

This episode also features anther "mini-sode" of the Podcast Pilot Project. Sit back, relax, and enjoy Pod And Order - back by "popular" demand!

Alison Whelan spent the last few years as General Manager at the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon, and has been instrumental in Girls Rock Saskatoon and Band Swap. She's packing it in to explore other parts of the globe, so it seemed natural to get her to talk about her experiences for posterity. We chat about all of that, plus her days in Carbon Dating Service, the multi-talanted Mairin Loewen, the revisionist history of the origins of Band Swap, the empowerment of failure, accessibility in the music industry, and more. 

This episode also features the 3rd installment of the Podcast Pilot Project with the inaugural CastPod - A Podcast About Different Times We've Needed Casts (featuring special surprise guest Krystle Pederson). 

Right here we've got a rollicking conversation with writer, spoken word performer, and pop culture sponge Deej Siminoff. We chat about her new chapbook Joni Isn't From Here Anymore, the importance of place, Scandinavian long-form crime drama, inspiration as it relates to perspiration (according the film Heavyweights), magic TV studios, my semi-serious childhood interest in Bob Newhart's television empire, the TGIF sitcom universe, a massive life lesson learned through Disney Adventures magazine, onion pants, and more. Also I sing the Smallville theme for a sec. 

This episode also features another installment of the Podcast Pilot Project. This time around, it's For Your Prize Only - a show where there is only one prize and the host can also win the prize. Thanks to Mickeilla and Cass for volunteering. Stay tuned for more bold new podcast pilots!

We're back! I'm calling this Season 2, because that seems to be an idiom that everybody can understand.

This episode features illustrator, designer and filmmaker Huw Evans. We talk about his affinity with microphones, a rural upbringing, the hierarchy of visual art, being published by Mad magazine (and its imitators), Eyecatcher's surprise viral hit, working with his sons, meeting Jack Davis, and sundry other topics. 

This episode also features the first installment of the Podcast Pilot Project - wherein we debut new podcasts within this one - with episode 1 of Guided By Voices of Guided By Voices (featuring Robert Pollard).  Huw's website: http://eyecat.com/

We're back! Well, sort of back. We will be back. In fact, we'll be back next week! New episodes of This Night Will Change Your Life return - regular and everything - starting Wednesday January 11th. Here's a little taste of what's coming up for Season 2. Get stoked! Or don't. If you're not stoked, I can't imagine why you'd be reading this. 

Kenneth T. Williams saw the realities of a broken system first-hand. He is a playwright whose new play, In Care, deals with a mother trying to get her children out of foster care and finding herself trapped within that system. We talk about Child & Family Services, his career as a journalist, the origins of the domesticated hamster, his breakthrough with the play Thunderstick, and the craft of writing (or what Williams considers to be "professional daydreaming"). And then he brings in a ringer (Krystle Pederson) to duet with him.  In care runs October 20th-30th at 7 PM at GTNT.  In Care: http://www.gtnt.ca/our-season/

Tickets: http://www.gtnt.ca/tickets/

Ken's Twitter: https://twitter.com/feralplaywright