Indie singer-songwriter Feist capped off a triumphant visit to the hometown of her teenage years by winning three Juno Awards during a live telecast from Calgary's Pengrowth Stadium. Scooping single of the year, pop album of the year and album of the year brought her weekend total to five and shut out major international stars Céline Dion and Avril Lavigne.
The sweep gave the shaggy-haired chanteuse almost as much time in front of the camera as host Russell Peters, who set an irreverent tone for the evening when he joked that Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger, recently convicted of drunk driving, had been assigned as his driver. "They're going to have to change their name from Nickelback to get-your-licence back," the comedian cracked.
Though Peters confessed that he had never actually watched the Junos before, as host he supplied a welcome edge to the proceedings with jokes about his "people." Recent statistics, he said, show that Southeast Asians are the biggest visible minority in the country. "You know what this means, Calgary?" he demanded. "Pretty soon your cowboys are going to be Indians."
Most of last night's musical performances, on the other hand, were fairly pedestrian. The show began with a team of cowboy-hatted country stars, including Aaron Lines, Shane Yellowbird, Paul Brandt and Johnny Reid, singing the entirely predictable Alberta Bound. Other unsurprising choices came from Lavigne, who performed her ubiquitous hit Girlfriend, Finger Eleven, who at least featured some strings on Paralyzer, and Michael Bublé, who could barely keep a straight face on Everything.
Of just seven awards handed out last night, statues also went to Paul Brandt (country recording of the year), Halifax's Wintersleep (new group of the year) and Blue Rodeo, whose members were obviously surprised they took the best-group honours over the likes of Arcade Fire, Finger Eleven and Hedley. It was the veteran band's fifth best-group statue of their career, but the first in 12 years. Their recent disc, Small Miracles, also won the award for best adult-alternative album on Saturday.
Crooner Michael Bublé picked up the Doritos fan choice award, not only thanking the fans who voted for him but also the snack company. "I'd like to thank Doritos for making such tasty treats," he said. "Sometimes my fingers go orange, but it's worth it."
The majority of the awards were distributed at a non-televised gala on Saturday. Of the nominees with roots in the Ottawa area, Belly received an early birthday present in the form of a Juno award for rap recording of the year (he turns 24 today) while Hillcrest grad Jen Gould beat Daniel Cook and the Doodlebops for best children's recording, and Arcade Fire earned the nod for alternative album of the year (three members of the Montreal band attended school in the Ottawa area).
While Anne Murray may have been disappointed she did not win for her Duets: Friends and Legends disc, the silver-haired veteran must have been heartened by the fact that everyone, from rapper Belly to host Peters, showed their respect. Belly said he had been listening to Murray in the limo, while Peters mused that he might have been conceived to her music.
On Feist's first trip to the podium, she crossed paths with fellow Albertan Corb Lund, who presented her with the statue for single of the year for her song, 1234. "I'd just like to say that when I lived in Calgary, my band Placebo used to open for the Smalls," Feist remarked, referring to Lund's former band. She went on to say her thank-yous, reading the names of her management team, agent and label from a list scribbled on her forearm.
The 32-year-old, who sat in the audience with her mother, was teary by her second trip to the podium, picking up the pop album of the year award for last year's disc, The Reminder. At the pre-televised awards on Saturday, she had already been declared artist of the year and songwriter of the year.
And she was downright emotional during her final trip to the stage, receiving the album of the year award from Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor. "I am a soft and sucky person and I wouldn't be very strong if it weren't for my human shield," she said, reciting the names of friends and associates who form her "shield."
Dressed head to toe in white, the singer also gave a riveting on-camera performance of Sealion, her playful reworking of Sea Lion Woman, a chant that Nina Simone put her stamp on years ago. In Feist's version, her electric guitar provided gritty contrast against her sterling voice.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Feist cleans up at Junos
It's official.
The 2008 Juno Awards will forevermore be remembered as the year of Feist, with the alt-pop songstress sweeping the ceremony in front of her hometown Calgary crowd taking home all five of the awards she was nominated for.
At Sunday's televised Juno Awards ceremony in Calgary the expat took home statuettes for pop album and album of the year for her acclaimed recording The Reminder, beating out such music industry powerhouses as Avril Lavigne, Celine Dion, Michael Buble and Anne Murray.
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Singer Feist accepts the Juno Award for Album of the Year at the Juno Awards, the Canadian Music Awards, in Calgary, April 6, 2008.
REUTERS/Patrick Price
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Font:****She also won single of the year for her mega-hit 1234, a household jingle since it became attached to an all-pervasive marketing campaign for the Apple ipod.
For this honour, Feist again trumped pop-rocker Lavigne and heartthrob crooner Buble, as well as Finger Eleven and Jully Black.
These wins came after the 32-year-old singer scooped songwriter and artist of the year honours at Saturday night's non-televised portion of the Junos.
Presenting Feist with her single of the year nod was Alberta country artist Corb Lund.
"When I lived in Calgary my band Placebo used to open for Corby's band The Smalls," she said. "Let's play cards later," she said, referencing one of Lund's songs.
Feist then proceeded to read her acceptance speech off her arm.
Overall, Sunday night's award show made for a fun bit of TV (despite a few glaring technical glitches early in the broadcast) thanks in large part to the show's host comedian Russell Peters, who took his digs at another super star Alberta act, Hanna hard rockers Nickelback, who were not present at the ceremony.
"The Junos have treated me really well. They've actually given me my own driver - Chad Kroeger," Peters said, referring to the Nickelback frontman's recent drunk driving conviction. "They're gonna have to change the name from Nickelback to get-your-license-back."
Peters also had fun with Avril Lavigne prior to her sugar-pop cheerleader-like performance of the hit Girlfriend, complete with bopping backup dancers and many a colourful costume.
"She's so tiny," said Peters motioning to the star from Napanee, Ontario. "I think I wanna put you in my pocket."
Another Calgarian also took home top honours Sunday when Paul Brandt won country recording of the year for his album Risk. Ian Tyson presented him with the honour.
For this victory, the seventh Juno win of his career, Brandt edged out fellow Alberta country artists Shane Yellowbird, Aaron Lines and Gord Bamford.
It was the second round of kudos for Brandt over the weekend, on Saturday he was presented with the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award for his charity work over the years.
Further awards presented last night went to Blue Rodeo for group of the year. This was sure to raise a few eyebrows as the band beat out internationally adored critical darlings Arcade Fire. Meanwhile, Halifax's Wintersleep was named new group of the year.
Finally, in the Juno Fan Choice category, Burnaby, B.C. boy Buble edged out big sellers Lavigne, Dion and Nelly Furtado as well as Quebec artist Claude Dubois.
Always good for a laugh and ever charming, Buble joked around when accepting his award, which was presented by Doritos.
"I'd like to thank Doritos for making such tasty treats," Buble clowned. "Sometimes when I eat them it makes my fingers go orange but it's worth it."
Later, backstage, Buble nicely summed up the night, dominated as it was by Feist.
"I just keep kicking the crap out of myself for not writing 1234," he joked.
Other highlights of the Juno broadcast included:
* Feist's show-stopping performance, her and her band running through an alt-rock version of Sea Lion Woman, a tune first popularized by Nina Simone.
* Excellent performances from Michael Buble, Jully Black and Finger Eleven. The latter performed its hit Paralyzer with a classical accompaniment courtesy of the Calgary Youth Orchestra.
* Calgary's Jann Arden, who sang a duet with Anne Murray and Sarah Brightman, backed up by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.
* CTV's Ben Mulroney referring to Russell Peters as Russell Simmons (hip-hop mogul) on the red carpet. Ha ha ha! That's a good one, Ben! (Whadda bonehead!)
* The hilarious skit in which Russell Peters meets Jann Arden backstage. Arden, lounging in a bathrobe and getting a foot rub confuses him for Mike Bullard with a tan. Arden convinces him he needs to look like a cowboy to win over the Calgary crowd and Peters shows up onstage in western wear. He then pulls a pair of socks out of the crotch area of his Wranglers.
* Triumph's induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Singers Rik Emmett and Gil Moore looked dapper. Bassist Mike Levine, he of the mighty rawk mustache, looked like Derek Smalls from Spinal Tap. Derek Smalls in a Calgary Flames jersey! How cool is that?
The 2008 Juno Awards will forevermore be remembered as the year of Feist, with the alt-pop songstress sweeping the ceremony in front of her hometown Calgary crowd taking home all five of the awards she was nominated for.
At Sunday's televised Juno Awards ceremony in Calgary the expat took home statuettes for pop album and album of the year for her acclaimed recording The Reminder, beating out such music industry powerhouses as Avril Lavigne, Celine Dion, Michael Buble and Anne Murray.
View Larger Image
Singer Feist accepts the Juno Award for Album of the Year at the Juno Awards, the Canadian Music Awards, in Calgary, April 6, 2008.
REUTERS/Patrick Price
Email to a friend
Printer friendly
Font:****She also won single of the year for her mega-hit 1234, a household jingle since it became attached to an all-pervasive marketing campaign for the Apple ipod.
For this honour, Feist again trumped pop-rocker Lavigne and heartthrob crooner Buble, as well as Finger Eleven and Jully Black.
These wins came after the 32-year-old singer scooped songwriter and artist of the year honours at Saturday night's non-televised portion of the Junos.
Presenting Feist with her single of the year nod was Alberta country artist Corb Lund.
"When I lived in Calgary my band Placebo used to open for Corby's band The Smalls," she said. "Let's play cards later," she said, referencing one of Lund's songs.
Feist then proceeded to read her acceptance speech off her arm.
Overall, Sunday night's award show made for a fun bit of TV (despite a few glaring technical glitches early in the broadcast) thanks in large part to the show's host comedian Russell Peters, who took his digs at another super star Alberta act, Hanna hard rockers Nickelback, who were not present at the ceremony.
"The Junos have treated me really well. They've actually given me my own driver - Chad Kroeger," Peters said, referring to the Nickelback frontman's recent drunk driving conviction. "They're gonna have to change the name from Nickelback to get-your-license-back."
Peters also had fun with Avril Lavigne prior to her sugar-pop cheerleader-like performance of the hit Girlfriend, complete with bopping backup dancers and many a colourful costume.
"She's so tiny," said Peters motioning to the star from Napanee, Ontario. "I think I wanna put you in my pocket."
Another Calgarian also took home top honours Sunday when Paul Brandt won country recording of the year for his album Risk. Ian Tyson presented him with the honour.
For this victory, the seventh Juno win of his career, Brandt edged out fellow Alberta country artists Shane Yellowbird, Aaron Lines and Gord Bamford.
It was the second round of kudos for Brandt over the weekend, on Saturday he was presented with the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award for his charity work over the years.
Further awards presented last night went to Blue Rodeo for group of the year. This was sure to raise a few eyebrows as the band beat out internationally adored critical darlings Arcade Fire. Meanwhile, Halifax's Wintersleep was named new group of the year.
Finally, in the Juno Fan Choice category, Burnaby, B.C. boy Buble edged out big sellers Lavigne, Dion and Nelly Furtado as well as Quebec artist Claude Dubois.
Always good for a laugh and ever charming, Buble joked around when accepting his award, which was presented by Doritos.
"I'd like to thank Doritos for making such tasty treats," Buble clowned. "Sometimes when I eat them it makes my fingers go orange but it's worth it."
Later, backstage, Buble nicely summed up the night, dominated as it was by Feist.
"I just keep kicking the crap out of myself for not writing 1234," he joked.
Other highlights of the Juno broadcast included:
* Feist's show-stopping performance, her and her band running through an alt-rock version of Sea Lion Woman, a tune first popularized by Nina Simone.
* Excellent performances from Michael Buble, Jully Black and Finger Eleven. The latter performed its hit Paralyzer with a classical accompaniment courtesy of the Calgary Youth Orchestra.
* Calgary's Jann Arden, who sang a duet with Anne Murray and Sarah Brightman, backed up by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.
* CTV's Ben Mulroney referring to Russell Peters as Russell Simmons (hip-hop mogul) on the red carpet. Ha ha ha! That's a good one, Ben! (Whadda bonehead!)
* The hilarious skit in which Russell Peters meets Jann Arden backstage. Arden, lounging in a bathrobe and getting a foot rub confuses him for Mike Bullard with a tan. Arden convinces him he needs to look like a cowboy to win over the Calgary crowd and Peters shows up onstage in western wear. He then pulls a pair of socks out of the crotch area of his Wranglers.
* Triumph's induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Singers Rik Emmett and Gil Moore looked dapper. Bassist Mike Levine, he of the mighty rawk mustache, looked like Derek Smalls from Spinal Tap. Derek Smalls in a Calgary Flames jersey! How cool is that?
Friday, April 11, 2008
New Nickelback date
Nickelback have added another date to their UK tour.
The Canadian rockers will now play at London's Wembley Arena on September 21 - two days after playing the capital's O2 arena.
The band are also playing three other UK dates - Manchester Arena on September 15, Sheffield Arena on September 16 and the Birmingham NEC on September 18.
Frontman Chad Kroeger is looking forward to flying back over the pond, stating: "We can't wait to get to the UK and give our fans the Nickelback show they deserve!"
The group will be supported by Massachusetts-based band Staind.
Tickets for the new Wembley date are on sale today and can be purchased from www.livenation.co.uk.
The tickets for the tour are priced at £32.50 apart from the London dates, which are £35. All tickets are subject to a booking fee and can also be ordered on the phone on 0844 576 5483.
The Canadian rockers will now play at London's Wembley Arena on September 21 - two days after playing the capital's O2 arena.
The band are also playing three other UK dates - Manchester Arena on September 15, Sheffield Arena on September 16 and the Birmingham NEC on September 18.
Frontman Chad Kroeger is looking forward to flying back over the pond, stating: "We can't wait to get to the UK and give our fans the Nickelback show they deserve!"
The group will be supported by Massachusetts-based band Staind.
Tickets for the new Wembley date are on sale today and can be purchased from www.livenation.co.uk.
The tickets for the tour are priced at £32.50 apart from the London dates, which are £35. All tickets are subject to a booking fee and can also be ordered on the phone on 0844 576 5483.
Nickelback singer Kroeger guilty of drunk driving
VANCOUVER -- Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger has been found guilty of drunk driving.
Kroeger, who lives in Abbotsford, B.C., was arrested in nearby Surrey in June 2006, after being spotted speeding in his red Lamborghini Diablo.
He was convicted of driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit but acquitted of driving while impaired.
Kroeger, whose real name is Chad Robert Turton, is the lead singer for Nickelback, a multi Juno award-winning band originally from Alberta.
During Kroeger's trial on Nov. 21, 2007, and Jan. 8, 2008, his defence lawyer attempted get Kroeger off the charges on three fronts.
He argued that the arresting officer's request that Kroeger blow into his face to determine whether there was alcohol on his breath was a breach of his rights, that the officer waited too long before taking a breath sample and that Kroeger was forced to wait too long before being taken to the Surrey detachment.
The court was told the delay was caused by Kroeger's concern about leaving his $175,000 vehicle on the side of the road. He wanted to wait to make sure it was towed.
Kroeger was described by police as being angry at the thought of leaving his vehicle. However, when he got to the detachment, Kroeger's demeanour changed and he told police humorous tales of his life on the road.
Surrey provincial court Judge Peder Gulbransen agreed that Kroeger's rights were violated but he still permitted the breathalyser tests to be used as evidence. Those tests showed Kroeger's blood-alcohol level to be twice the legal limit.
Kroeger did not attend any of the court hearings but is scheduled to appear for his May 1 sentencing.
His lawyer is expected to appeal the verdict.
Vancouver Province
Kroeger, who lives in Abbotsford, B.C., was arrested in nearby Surrey in June 2006, after being spotted speeding in his red Lamborghini Diablo.
He was convicted of driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit but acquitted of driving while impaired.
Kroeger, whose real name is Chad Robert Turton, is the lead singer for Nickelback, a multi Juno award-winning band originally from Alberta.
During Kroeger's trial on Nov. 21, 2007, and Jan. 8, 2008, his defence lawyer attempted get Kroeger off the charges on three fronts.
He argued that the arresting officer's request that Kroeger blow into his face to determine whether there was alcohol on his breath was a breach of his rights, that the officer waited too long before taking a breath sample and that Kroeger was forced to wait too long before being taken to the Surrey detachment.
The court was told the delay was caused by Kroeger's concern about leaving his $175,000 vehicle on the side of the road. He wanted to wait to make sure it was towed.
Kroeger was described by police as being angry at the thought of leaving his vehicle. However, when he got to the detachment, Kroeger's demeanour changed and he told police humorous tales of his life on the road.
Surrey provincial court Judge Peder Gulbransen agreed that Kroeger's rights were violated but he still permitted the breathalyser tests to be used as evidence. Those tests showed Kroeger's blood-alcohol level to be twice the legal limit.
Kroeger did not attend any of the court hearings but is scheduled to appear for his May 1 sentencing.
His lawyer is expected to appeal the verdict.
Vancouver Province
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