A cornucopia of talent
Why can’t every day be ECMA Day? I mean, other than the need to go to work without a set of headphone tying me to a webcast that lasted just short of four point five hours. Count them: 270 minutes, thanks to Bell Aliant. The times are changing.
When I read that the ECMA show wouldn’t be carried by the national television network, my mutter under my breath track went up in volume. How could they (not)? Sacrilege! Even the offer of a webcast seemed like an invitation to an hour of painful lag, waiting for the hourglass to retire from centre stage. The reality was altogether different.
First of all, no television network would have run such a show, uncut. Especially not on a night where the rest of the world was watching foregone conclusions at the Oscars. New ways allow new freedoms. I will look back on this show (recorded only as a list of artists) and remember that the East Coast doesn’t do second rate. Remember, this was an awards broadcast, with an ongoing procession of trophy recipients… providing punctuation to hours of live music. Check out the guest list.
- Patrick Ledwell (with the jigsaw clock story = SK as a 2×4; also PEI’s favourite question: “Who’s your father?”)
- Rose Cousins & Kinley Dowling
- Two Hours Traffic
- Catherine MacLellan
- Meagan Blanchard
We paused for a selection of mixed videos (60 seconds each)
In Flight Safety – Model Homes
George Canyon – Just Like You
Gary Beals feat Blessed – Jump Off
Erin Martell – Changing
Down With The Butterfly – Tank
Dave Carroll – United Breaks Guitars
Classified – Anybody Listening?
Christina Martin – Two Hearts
Tom Fun Orchestra – Throw Me To The Rats
The Novaks – There Goes The Night
Tara Oram – Go To Bed Angry
Radio Radio – Forme Elliptique
Paper Lions – Queen Charlotte Of The Hyenas
The Motorleague – Hymn For The Newly Departed
Joel Plaskett – Through & Through & Through
Amelia Curran – Scattered And Small
Caledonia – The Plague
Shelter With Thieves – Nursery Crimes
and then the show got “rolling”.
- Sons Of Membertou
- Colin Grant
- Pascal Lejeune
- Mary Jane Lamond & Gordie Sampson
- Ashley MacIsaac, JP Cormier, Hilda Chiasson, Howie MacDonald, Brenda Stubbert, Gillian Boucher, Dave MacIsaac, Chrissy Crowley (Jerry Holland tribute)
- Faith Nolan
- Gypsophilia
- Chris Kirby & The Marquee
- Old Man Luedecke)
- Grass Mountain Hobos
- Madison Violet
- Gordie Johnson & Carla Pilgrim
- The Rankins
- The Once
- Gary Beals
- The Stanfields
- Joel Plaskett Band
- Three Sheet
- Rose Cousins
- Carmen Townshend
- Dave Gunning
- Lennie Gallant
- Kim Wempe, Carmen Townshend and others (Minglewood tribute)
The Rankins, receiving a special award, seemed sad to be relinquishing the stage to a new generation. Joel Plaskett, returning over and over again for trophies, owned the ceremony. The Cape Breton mafia was absent, even if the show originated in Sydney. The rest of us just kept on smiling.
This was a good evening for music.
