Bringing it home

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.