April 26, 1999
Mike's new page is now up and running at http://www.planet.eon.net/~mmb/index.htm. The way Mike and I figure, he'll be doing the more current stuff, and this site will become a bit more of an archival site. That doesn't mean this site isn't going to be updated. It will continue to be updated, but when you need the latest news on where Mike's going to be playing, you'll go to his website, and when you want more historical background on Mike and Jr. Gone Wild, this will still be the place to check out. Mike and I have worked together on all this for several years, and we're continuing to do so with the two sites. Oh, yeah... this is the place to learn about the new CD, too.
And in other news... well, I didn't get the go-ahead in time to post advance news here, but the Sidetrack was full anyway, according to reports. Earlier this month, Winnipeg singer-songwriter Ben Sures organized a Tribute to Mike at the Soundtrack. Here's some further info from various sources.
The Mike McDonald Band's own David Shepherd writes:
I first met Mike McDonald about two years ago at his Rose Bowl open stage, and began playing with him about two months later. That makes me very much a newcomer to the Mike McDonald/Jr. Gone Wild legacy. Catching this evening of tribute was therefore, for me, an eye-opening and educational experience in regards to the influence he has had in this town.
As the germinal member of Jr. Gone Wild, Mike grew to be a patriarch of sorts to many young songwriters for whom he was model, mentor, and inspiration. He showed us that real honest and passionate music can be made by a regular guy, and garnered fans across our fair nation, elevating Jr. Gone Wild to cult status in the campus scene of their time. It was the musicians that he shepherded and inspired that came out to pay him tribute at the Sidetrack Cafe.
The evening was emceed by recent Winnipeg ex-patriate Ben Sures, and opened with an energetic set from one of the more recent performers to emerge from the Rose Bowl fold, Ben Spencer. With soulful voice and rhythmic guitar he provided a suitably dark and funky interpretation of "Downtime" from Simple Little Wish, and a countrified version of the classic "I Don't Know About All That" from Too Dumb To Quit. The energy continued as Carolyn Mark (Vinaigrettes, Corn Sisters) took the stage and belted out "Slept All Afternoon" (Less Art More Pop), and "The Chili Song"(upcoming CD). Her pure country voice and old-time arrangements suited Mike's material to a T.
Cory Danyluk (Cactus Gang, Hillbilly Wishbone) was next and provided a scorching blues rendition of "Tin Can" (Too Dumb) with wailing harmonica, and an energetic country reading of "All Talk" (Wish). The backing players (all former Jr. members) then had a chance to shine. Chris Smith (Jr., The Piemyn) provided a tune he co-wrote with Mike, "1000 Miles To Go" (Pull The Goalie), and bassist Dove Brown dragged out the lone punk-edged tune of the night with "Cops, Politicians, & Other Prostitutes" (early demos).
The second set was as good as the first. MC Ben Sures opened with a stripped back reading of "Whatever Is Alright" (upcoming release). Luann Kowalek then took the stage with a pop-rock reading of "Day of the First Snow" (Less Art) which reminded me that the 80's weren't all bad, and a countrified reading of "Bachelor Suite" (Too Dumb). Next came everybody's favorite local bluegrass boys Twang! who took their liberties with "Fifty Dollar Whore" (unreleased) and collaborated with Lance Loree (Jr., The Alien Rebels) for a scorching rendition of "3rd Most Stupidest Guy" (Too Dumb).
Then came one of my favorite parts of the evening. Shuyler Jansen (Old Reliable) and played "a couple of songs about the rain". His version of "Rhythm of the Rain" (Pull the Goalie, Folk You) - a tune actually written by Mike's late brother Pat - sent chills down my spine with it's dark overtones and scorching guitar work from Shuyler himself. I was duly impressed and now look forward to the imminent release of Old Reliable's debut. Chris Smith closed the set with a lovely solo acoustic reading of love song "Try Again" from Pull The Goalie.
The third set opened with a video tribute from the men of Captain Tractor who were unable to attend. They tried their hand at a little sketch comedy mourning the imagined death of Mike McDonald. This was followed by an extremely entertaining set from Joe Bird and Wes Borg of Three Dead Trolls In A Baggie which included "El Mnop" (from their western spoof Fistful of Loonies) and a spirited version of "Just the Other Day" (Goalie). Next was another highlight of the evening - Chris Smith with an intensely rocking performance of "Obituary For A Fugitive" (Too Dumb) with he and Lance Loree trading tasty solo licks in pure pop perfection. Steve Loree batted clean-up with two great guitar rockers, "What's Going On" (Goalie) and "God Is Not My Father" (Less Art, Folk You, & Goalie), the latter being an all out guitar raunch fest with a killer solo from Steve himself. The finale brought out Carolyn Mark with all the evening's performers to lead the crowd in "I Don't Need That Anymore" (Too Dumb) with provided the requisite emotional close to the evenings festivities.
A good time was had by all. The dance floor was hopping for most of the night, the crowd frequently roared with approval at the song choices and Mike wore a big fat grin the whole time. The hat goes off to the backing musicians Larry Shelast, Dove Brown, Chris Smith, and Lance Loree who all provided stellar performances throughout the night. The interpretations were fresh and showed us all yet again that Mike McDonald can write a damn fine tune. Said Luann Kowalek the next day, "There's no one else in town we could have done this for.". It's true and I'm glad they did.
Sandra Sperounes of the Edmonton Journal wrote a good article as a preview to the tribute on April 8, the day of the big event. For copyright reasons, I'm only including excerpts.
Thanks for the melodies; Mike McDonald fans gather to pay tribute to veteran cowpunk
Almost 20 years ago, Mike McDonald and his punk band were pelted by fruit and sandwiches during their first high school gig.
The band was Joey Did and the Necrophiliacs, the school Archbishop O'Leary.
"Half of the gym left during our first song and then everybody started throwing anything they had in their lunches. They hated us so bad. It was a terrifying experience," he says.
The band soon changed its name to the Malibu Kens. It didn't help. A few years later, McDonald was attacked by a shower of spit as they performed at Spartans Men Club.
"People were dragging me into the crowd and then all my friends started spitting on me -- Ken Chin (of S.N.F.U.) spit right into my mouth. I almost puked. I tried to wipe my hands off and I had this polyester shirt and it was covered in spit. It was gross," he grimaces.
"And the worst part was they were only spitting at me, they weren't spitting at anyone else in the band."
In a few hours, McDonald, now 35 and slightly battered like his trademark blue cowboy boots, will receive a much better reception -- and he won't even have to pick up his guitar.
Tonight, a group of musicians will honour his contributions to music by performing a selection of his songs at the Sidetrack.
[...]
As the frontman of Jr. Gone Wild and now the Mike McDonald Band, he's created dozens of intricately detailed, angry and hopeful country-punk tunes, including the "minor, minor, minor, minor, minor" hit, I Don't Know About All That from Jr.'s album Too Dumb To Quit.
How does he do it? "I'll carry an idea around in my head for months. I'll try fiddling around with it a little bit and then finally, one day, boom!"
Once that happens, watch out. McDonald wrote "Apres Vous" before his then girlfriend finished doing a crossword.
Juliette McDonald, now his wife, says she's enamoured with his use of metaphor and analogy. She may be the subject of four of his tunes, including "Try Again" and "Whatever's Alright," but her favourite McDonald lyric is about him: "If Bob Dylan taught him to sing, Pete Townsend taught him how to drink," from "The Guy Who Came In From the Cold."
"He's telling a lot about himself in a brief space of time. But the things he says about himself, he says in a way that anybody can apply to themselves," she says.
The entertainment director of the Sidetrack agrees. Kirby says she fell in love with McDonald's songs 10 years ago.
"He has a very keen sense of melody, but his lyrics strike me in a place in my heart. I've had moments where I've felt a certain way and I've heard his songs -- and it's just brought me to my knees," she says.
Some of Kirby's favourite lyrics are found in "Apres Vous," the first song McDonald wrote after giving up booze: "You want it so bad/ You don't know what's right/But you can do it all if you live through the night/Mopping the floor/ With the shadow of you/There's the door, apres vous."
Kirby sighs after reciting those words. "He's a poet."
Local musicians, such as Chris Smith and Ben Sures, agree. They regard McDonald as a songwriter's songwriter. "I like his wordplay, I like his ideas," says Sures, the main organizer of tonight's event.
"He's helped shaped the scene: he's a serious cultural contribution to this town. In history, artists are overlooked until they're long gone. Why not give someone their due in their time?"
McDonald admits he's slightly nervous about tonight's proceedings. "I giggle when I'm nervous," he confesses.
The usually outspoken musician pauses for about 15 seconds before trying to sum up his feelings. "I'm not sure I understand it entirely, but I like it. I'm a paranoid guy, so I think Ben just made this up to cause me anxiety. I got this terrifying thought that no one's going to show up and wouldn't that make me look great?"
That's not going to happen. If anyone deserves their due, it's McDonald. The man in black has travelled a long, bumpy road since tasting Ken Chin's gob in his mouth.
Over 10 years with Jr. Gone Wild, he put out six albums, including Less Art, More Pop, Pull The Goalie and Too Dumb To Quit, and gained a loyal audience from coast to coast. Sures recalls seeing the band for the first time in Winnipeg. "I just remembered it being loud and proud -- the big Alberta flag in the background. It was cool."
[...]
Four years ago, the band broke up, shortly after McDonald kicked a serious alcohol habit. Since then, he's been honing his songsmith craft with the Mike McDonald Band, hosting two open stages a week and working on an album. But he's not banking on any great success.
"I don't anticipate any airplay. I don't anticipate any sales. To get it done is the point," he says. "In fantasy land, it'd be nice if someone said, 'Hey this is great. I want to work with these guys.' But I'm not counting on it."
So, what keeps him going? "I committed myself to this when I was a teenager," he says. That, and the desire to write a lyric as good as Bob Dylan's "If you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose."
Unfortunately, McDonald might be searching for that elusive lyric for the rest of his life.
He's notorious for being a perfectionist and his own worst critic.
"I'm not the latest thing, I'm the later thing," he chuckles, almost delighted with his cleverness. A new lyric perhaps?
"I didn't start off writing good songs and as far as I'm concerned, I haven't written any good songs except maybe for the last five years. Those Jr. things weren't very deliberate, they were expulsions. In terms of my earlier stuff, I'm amazed that people could even listen to it. As a craftsman, I don't understand it because they were all happy accidents back then."
Accidents or not, they've made thousands of fans happy. Not bad for a guy who started writing songs because his band needed more tunes.
The Journal followed up with a shorter piece a couple days later. A couple of excerpts:
The Sidetrack was packed Thursday night as musicians performed McDonald's songs from his past Jr. Gone Wild days and current repertoire. McDonald, who had no hand in organizing the event, was worried no one would show up.
Ha.
Hundreds of people were on hand to listen to Ben Spencer, Luann Kowalek, Cory Danyluk, Carolyn Mark, Steve Loree, Twang and the Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie play McDonald's tunes.
[...]
If you couldn't make it to the event, you'll be able to hear it on CBC Radio's In The Key of A before the end of the month. But you won't get to see the huge grin that McDonald had on his face for much of the night. Nor will you feel the vibe sparkling about the room.
Unfortunately, that CBC program airs only in Alberta. Well, unfortunately for me and everyone else who doesn't live in Alberta. For those of you in Alberta who missed the event, fortunately, that program airs in Alberta.
SEE magazine also did a recent interview with Mike, at http://www.greatwest.ca/SEE/Issues/1999/0401/mus1.htm.
March 19, 1999
Yes, it's been a long time since the last update, but not for lack of developments. The thing is, there's stuff in the works that isn't necessarily quite ready to be announced. The band has done some recording. There's also something interesting happening at the Sidetrack in early April, but I'm not sure whether that's been publicly announced yet. So keep an eye on this page.
Oh, and the mailbag page has been updated with a bunch of new messages from old friends and strangers, from Edmonton to Ottawa to Sweden.
November 26, 1998
It's almost time for the annual Santas Anonymous Jam at the Rose Bowl! Sunday, December 13! Read this for more info!
September 29, 1998
Mike has written a column for Airtight, the magazine of CJSR, the University of Alberta radio station. Check out Airtight, or go straight to the column, Mike Muses Aloud.
Duane "Bassboy" Elias passed along some news. First, he married Sherri Ziegler on August 22 (congrats to both). The band has played a few gigs around Alberta, and added a new vocalist, Amber Suchy. The current lineup is now Mike McDonald, Duane Elias, Larry Shelast, David Sheppard, and Amber and Steph Suchy.
The Sounds of Mike McDonald page has been updated. Now, instead of just that huge .wav file of the "Wedding Song," there are smaller files. The RealAudio version is half a meg, but it isn't streaming RealAudio; you have to download it. As far as I can tell, GeoCities servers can't serve streaming RealAudio properly, but if anyone would like to send a sneering email saying I'm wrong and here's how to do it, go right ahead. There's also a small .au file that's just a 20-second sample of the song. And a really big file in mp3 format, the trendy sound format these days.
June 29, 1998
Last time it was a bunch of new photos, this time it's our new sound file page. Thanks to free web space from the good people of GeoCities, your humble webslinger (i.e., Steve Roby, i.e., me) and Mike have brought to the web the "Wedding Song" Mike wrote and recorded for his wedding. In addition to the sound file, there's a message from Mike about the song: why he wrote it, who played on it, and so on. Please note that this file is very big (it's a 2.5 Mb .wav file), so I suggest you download it and then play it. I thought about compressing it using WinZip, but that doesn't reduce the size by very much. After all, this is the full song, all 3:58 of it. We're new at this, but we're enthusiastic about the opportunities, so check the Sounds of Mike McDonald Page every so often. We may experiment with other sound formats, like RealAudio, but .wav is all we have for now.
In other news... there's been a line-up change in the Mike McDonald Band, as the drummer has departed. His replacement, however, will be familiar to most of you: it's Larry Shelast, who used to play with a band called Jr. Gone Wild a few years ago.
April 8, 1998
We just got a whole batch of newly scanned photos, and instead of just adding them to the old list of photos there's a scrapbook that's well worth a look, if you can display jpegs. It's a good selection of stuff, too, including the new publicity photo of the band, a couple good photos of Mike, some classic stuff from the Jr. days (including the notorious Sparky the Happy Troll action shot), a couple of early MMB shots, and some official Mike+Juliette wedding photos. Enjoy!
April 2, 1998
Here's the latest mailing from Mike's MMB mailing list. (To be added to the list, email Mike at mmb@planet.eon.net and, well, just ask to be added to the list. Be polite. You're not dealing with one of those automated mailing lists here.)
ATTENTION WORLD!!
MMB IS HAPPY AND RELIEVED TO NOTE THAT OUR MOMENTUM SEEMS TO BE PICKING UP DRAMATICALLY SINCE WE REVEALED OURSELVES TO THE PUBLIC A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. THE RESPONSE FROM YOU GUYS HAS BEEN GREAT AND VERY ENCOURAGING, AND IN CASE I NEVER GET THE CHANCE LET ME THANK YOU NOW FOR ALL THE SUPPORT...ESPECIALLY YOU OLD JR. GONE WILD FANS WHO STILL COME OUT AND MAKE ME FEEL A LOT LESS OLD.
WELL, AS THE FAIRY TALE GOES, THE GIGS ARE JUST POURING IN (YEAH RIGHT). SERIOUSLY THOUGH, WE HAVE PICKED UP A COUPLE SHOWS I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT, AND KIND OF URGE YOU TO ATTEND IF YOU CAN. THE NEW DATES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
FRIDAY, APRIL 10~~~RED DEER~~~THE VAT
SATURDAY, APRIL 11~~~EDMONTON~~~NEW CITY LIKWID LOUNGE
WE'RE APPEARING AT THE LIKWID LOUNGE WITH LOCAL "GOOD" C+W AFICIONADOS OLD RELIABLE. YOU MAY KNOW SCHUYLER (ONE OF THEIR SONGWRITERS) FROM OLD E-TOWN FAVORITE THE NAKED AND THE DEAD, AND YOU MAY HAVE BOUGHT RECORDS AT MARK DAVIS' (THEIR OTHER SONGWRITER) BLACKBIRD MUSIC STORE. ANYHOW, I THINK THEY'RE ONE OF THE BETTER NEO-POST-PUNK-COUNTRY ACTS. SCHUYLER AND MARK WRITE GREAT SONGS, AND SOME MAY RECALL A GIG THE PROTOTYPE MMB DID WITH OLD RELIABLE AT THE FUCKING THUNDERDOME OF ALL PLACES. DESPITE THE VENUE IT WAS A GREAT GIG, AND THERE'S NO REASON TO EXPECT ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS NIGHT. YOU BETTER BE THERE!!!
MAY 29,30~~~SASKATOON~~~LYDIA'S
PEOPLE WHO DIG MY SOLO THING CAN COME LOOK AT THAT THIS SATURDAY (APRIL 4) AT THE ROSEBOWL, AND DON'T FORGET THAT MY SIX YEAR OLD SUNDAY JAM IS STILL HAPPENING DESPITE THE PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS THAT HAS DESCENDED UPON US IN THE GUISE OF MANY MANY OTHER OPEN STAGES. WELL, OUR MENU AT THE BOWL HAS NEVER CHANGED: ORNERY CROWD, ORNERY MUSICIANS, AND AS I RECALL, ORNERY BEER.
HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL OUT THERE, AND THANKS FOR HOPPING ON THE MAILING LIST! IF BY CHANCE YOU SHOULD NEED THE ADDRESS OF ANY OF THESE VENUES, SIMPLY E-MAIL ME BACK AND I'LL SET YOU UP. BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL!!!
MIKE McDONALD
And in other news...
We have the text of an article by Karen Liebel about Mike's experiences running the open stage at the Rose Bowl. It originally appeared in Gateway, the University of Alberta student paper. If you've never made it to the Bowl on a Sunday night (and a lot of people outside of Edmonton probably haven't), this article will give you a idea of what you're missing.
SEE Magazine has an article about former JGW guitarist/Greyhound Tragedy leader Steve Loree's new ST2 recording studio. Most of interest to JGW/MMB fans is the following:
A Mike McDonald demo is also in the offing. How will that work? "Mike is one my best friends and we fight like cats and dogs in the studio so it makes for a unique session. I love the man dearly."
No details available yet on when that demo will be recorded.
March 19, 1998
There's a new Word From Mike, and here's an announcement from himself:
ATTENTION WORLD!!!!
A lot of folks have approached me with questions I couldn't answer at the time, and we all know that good promo is a key to success (yeah right). Therefore, in response to the question "Where are you playing next?", and to put the promo theory to the test, I've taken the liberty to send everybody (well, not Dexter) this notice:
HEY!!!
THE MIKE McDONALD BAND
(ROCK N ROLL WITH McDONALD'S FAMOUS "COUNTRY PUNK" EDGE, LYRICS YOU CAN THINK ABOUT (OR NOT, WHATEVER BLOWS YOUR HAIR BACK), THE BEST VOCALS IN TOWN (BETTER THAN GORD STENKE, ANYWAY), AND THE SOLIDEST BAND THIS SIDE OF BADFINGER. MUST BE SEEN TO BE BELIEVED)
WILL PLAY
MONDAY MARCH 23
FROM 9-10 PM
AT
THE SIDETRACK CAFE
NO COVER ON MONDAYS
FOLLOWING MMB'S SET THERE WILL BE THE FAMOUSLY CHAOTIC OPEN STAGE.
ALL SINGER SONGWRITER TYPES AND NEW BANDS OR WHATEVER WELCOME.
WEIRDOS PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
WARNING: IF YOU WANT TO DRUM, YOU GOTTA BRING YOUR OWN DRUMS. ACTUALLY, THATS A GOOD GENERAL RULE FOR LIFE...
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.
your chevalier,
Mike McDonald
February 13, 1998
More gig news! Duane, a.k.a. bassboy, reports:
MMB will play a multi-band extravaganza on March 14th at a location to be announced by the organizers. The event is to protest the Cheviot coal strip-mine approved by the provincial government located a stone's throw from the Jasper National Park boundary. At this point, plans are to play a set at 10:00 PM, but this could change.
February 5, 1998
Gigs! Some news on upcoming events from new MMB bass player Duane Elias: "It seems the Painting Daisies are off on the road (again) , leaving MMB to host the weekly open stage at the Sidetrack in Edmonton. Dates are Feb. 2,9,16, and ah...ah...(16+7 is...ah...ohya) 23. We start at about 930p and play a set each Monday nite. As with the Jan. 9 show, there will be some JGW, some of the stuff off Mad Cows & Englishmen, and some material written for this band. There is also a date ( Mar 1, I think ) opening again for Captain Tractor at the Cocktail Club in Edmonton."
Mike's Lurid Details! If you've been checking out this site regularly, you're already familiar with the Word From Mike section, in which Mike writes about important developments and such. He's decided to do a new related ongoing series called Lurid Details. As he put it, "this stuff would probably only interest people who really want to know. To a casual observer it will come off as self indulgence. It will deal in detail with the things I only mention in passing in the other column. Some people just need to know there was no cd released. Others may want to know why. This new column is for those people." And the first one is, in fact about the MMB CD. It's called Why I Didn't Release the CD.
Web page additions! I've finally done some more work on a couple of my favorite sections of the site. First, there have been some updates made in the JGW alumni page; that's the one in which I try to keep track of what all the people who have been part of the Jr. Gone Wild experience have been up to. Second, I've finally added a few more albums to the Music section. That, of course, is where I provide information on the albums I can find by those same people. Neither of these is likely to be complete any time soon, but tracking down the information and getting the albums is always an entertaining pursuit. There's a lot of great music I might never have heard if not for this Sisyphean task.
December 22, 1997
Mike is still busy these days, but once again SEE comes to the rescue with news about the newly revised Mike McDonald Band. Besides Mike on vocals and guitar, the new MMB includes David Sheppard on keyboards, Duane Elias on bass, John Newton on drums, and Stephanie Suchy and Rhonda Withnell on backing vocals. According to Stew Slater's SEE article, "Getting On With Being McDonald:"
... [F]ormer Jr. Gone Wild frontman Mike McDonald revealed a few things, including some newer songs, an infrequently-heard older tune, and a new band. McDonald's songwriting continues to progress along a fairly predictable road, but those now joining him on stage make for a refreshing change from both Jr. Gone Wild and the more recent incarnation of the Mike McDonald Band.
[...]
"I'm kind of reclaiming my material with this band," McDonald explained. "I've sort of gotten over Jr. Gone Wild now - the emotional strain of it - and I don't feel any compunction any more over doing any of the material that I've written." To facilitate the concentration on McDonald compositions, new and old, the band will still be called The Mike McDonald Band.
But that's not the only article about Mike in what has become one of my most frequently-consulted web magazines. Kirby's Sounding Off column discusses the then-upcoming, now-over latest annual Santas Anonymous Jam at the Rose Bowl. Though Mike isn't listed as a performer, he is the man responsible for the event. This year marks the fifth annual Jam.
December 11, 1997
News at last! The new version of the Mike McDonald Band has appeared in public. The place: the Rose Bowl, in Edmonton. The date: Sunday, November 30. Our correspondent Laurene Simmons (also known as Mike's mom) was there, and said (quite objectively, of course) that they were great. In her words:
Mike says he has finally got the sound that has been going around in his head all these years - and I believe him. The guy on keyboards is fantastic; the 2 female backup vocalists are to die for; and the drummer ain't no slouch either; likewise the bass player. I guess I don't have to say too much about the guitar player/singer...
By now they should have played one or two other gigs around Edmonton. Stand by for more details. (There was a brief mention of the band in Kirby's column in the December 4 issue of SEE.)
Mike also made it into another SEE article last week, this one about another of his Sunday night events at the Bowl. He played an acoustic set, opening for a new duo featuring Greyhound Tragedy singer/guitarist/songwriter (and former Jr. Gone Wild member) Steve Loree and ex-Doughboy Peter Arsenault. Shelli Carder wrote:
Certainly don't discount Mike MacDonald, the opening act and the in-house open stage guy. He put on the usual great show, combining country and pop rhythms with folk sensibility. His set included a wide range of new songs and old Jr. Gone Wild favorites, including The Third Most Stupidest Guy and others. Arguably Mike McDonald is one of Edmonton's contributing forefathers to the alternative scene. Always a treat to watch, he succeeds in getting the crowd warmed up.
Also, if you take the time to listen to his lyrics, they have a poetic quality about them; it's precisely McDonald's way of addressing universal truths that has endeared so many to his music.
Considering Mike's involvement in Edmonton's music scene for the better part of two decades now, I doubt it's necessary to say that Mike is "arguably" a contributing forefather. Just take a look at the name of the highway into Edmonton in the map shown briefly in Hard Core Logo, now out on video (and read the book, too).
November 25, 1997
Whoops. Sorry about that, folks. I didn't realize that much time had gone by. But then, there hasn't been much in the way of new developments. Mike continues to rehearse with his new band. More news as this slowly breaking story develops. (Mike felt rushed by a pledge he'd made to get the Mike McDonald Band playing onstage in a very short time after the breakup of Jr. Gone Wild. This time, he's not holding himself to any arbitrary deadlines.)
In other news, the Painting Daisies CD is out. SEE has a review (you'll have to scroll down a bit for it), and the JAM website has an Edmonton Sun article on the band. Mike produced the album, called Flambescence.
July 16, 1997
Welcome to the first edition of Mike McDonald News, replacing the MMB Latest News page. As before, I'm keeping the old news here and adding the new stuff at the top, so if you haven't been reading regularly you can catch up on what you missed. There's a lot to go through this time.
First, the It Happened at the Rosebowl radio show is profiled in SEE. The Man Bites Dog column has a news tidbit about a recent taping featuring Cory Danyluk. Mike tapes a guest's performance at the famed Edmonton hangout (site of a JGW video or two and inspiration for a Captain Tractor song) and distills it to a 15 minute tape for airplay on CJSR, the University of Alberta's radio station. Mike also hosts the 'Bowl's Sunday night open mike event.
Second, Mike was part of the first Edmonton Singer/Songwriter Festival, on July 12, as reported by -- you guessed it -- SEE. Luann Kowalek, Chris Smith, Bill Bourne, and others were also involved.
And finally a few wedding photos.
Click on the above for a larger, clearer jpeg (~80k) photo of Mike and Juliette walking down the aisle after the ceremony. Other pictures: a photo of the former Mike McDonald Band, Sherry, Mike, and Duke, assembled at the reception (~91k), and Mike and Juliette's dance (~37k) (the only time Mike danced that night, to a song he wrote and recorded specifically for this moment). These are not the official wedding photos, but they're not bad. They are, of course, copyrighted by Steve Roby 1997 all rights reserved and so on.
July 10, 1997 Special Update
The Mike McDonald Band is history. As reported in SEE:
McDonald recently broke up the Mike McDonald Band (MMB to those in the know). "I've cancelled my album, I've cancelled my band. The entity of MMB, I've killed it, I'm going underground and will resurface with another act. I've always thought inferior bands should die," maintains McDonald. "After playing North Country Fair I was in love with music all over again. And in MMB it's a slug through the mudfest; I ain't gonna do it no more."
[...]
"It's a big dramatic decision in my little world to not release the album; artistically I don't think I can do it," says McDonald. "Sometimes I think they must put lithium in the water around here, people will accept anything. There's a cone of happiness surrounding the city that if you release a CD or even show up for the gig, they're ready to give you an award. But I believe you shouldn't put out anything you're not proud of . . . what I've got is a brilliant demo, not a great record."
[...]
It was an amazing dichotomy to me when I realized I had no opinion on MMB. My own voice echoed painfully in my brain as I remembered saying 'if you don't think the band you're in is the greatest band in the world, then get out.' So I did," explains McDonald. He laughs, "I'm on a crusade!"
Don't forget to read the rest of the article. Kirby provides some background on Mike and the band, and a few thoughts. As for Steve, your humble MMB web guy, I'm sad that the band broke up and the album won't be released, but I trust Mike's judgment. It's his call. I will say that the one time I saw MMB they put on a ferocious performance. And now, knowing the album won't be released, I'm darn glad to have it on tape, because there are some really good songs on it. For what it's worth, Mike hasn't completely ruled out the possibility of releasing it some day down the road. News on Mike's new band when it exists...
May 29, 1997 Update
On May 18, 1997, at St. Andrew's Church, Mike McDonald and Juliette Laplante got married. Wedding photos and a report or two will be here soon. In the meantime, here's a sample of what Kirby from SEE had to say about it:
This past weekend, many helped McDonald celebrate perhaps the most traditional things he's ever done. He tied the nuptial knot with longtime significant other Juliette Laplante.
It was as colorful a wedding as you might expect, with a speech to the bride and groom from ex-Jr. Gone Wild member Ford Pier that fluctuated between sardonic and heartfelt, yet was always intelligent, loquacious and verbose, to the music of The Alien Rebels.
When it comes to Mike McDonald, no one has ever been ambivalent about the man or his music. McDonald is like licorice or the Grateful Dead. Ya either love him or ya hate him; most love him, all respect him. Congratulations to a local hero who always fights the good fight.
The dinner and reception were a lot of fun, making the trip from Ottawa worthwhile. Seeing the Alien Rebels, the Metronome Cowboys, and the Bodkins in a single evening would be a good time any other time; when it's happening at a wedding reception, it's just that much more entertaining. Anyway, more details soon.
And by the way... here's a jpeg of that MMB album cover. Please note: the album is not yet available. We'll let you know as soon as it is.
May 11, 1997 Update
Lots of news:
The CD should be available in the near future, and the album cover art will be here on the web page shortly.
Mike has another column in SEE, this time nothing less than a review of the recent Kiss reunion concert in Edmonton. If you missed it, read Mike's review. You'll feel like you were there. It's called KISS me deadly ... again.
The Great Western Ballroom CD is in stores now. This is probably the only place you'll hear the original four-person lineup of the Mike McDonald Band, recorded at a very early point in their existence. The song included here, "Magic Powers," sounds substantially different from the version on the upcoming MMB album, so don't base your expectations on the GWB version. The CD also includes songs by Luann Kowalek, Hayden, and plenty more. You can find it probably anywhere in Edmonton, and in Ottawa it's available at Birdman Sound. Check out the GWB page for more information.
There's another CD compilation called Edmonton Rocks, Volume One. No MMB stuff on this one, but it does include a live track by Jr. Gone Wild ("Go On Your Way"), as well as songs by SNFU, the Wheat Chiefs, Deadbeat Backbone, and many more.
Coming in a few weeks, I hope: wedding pix of Mike McDonald and Juliette Laplante.
Finally... many fans of the Mike McDonald Band and Jr. Gone Wild are probably also fans of Greyhound Tragedy, Steve Loree's band. The Greyhound Tragedy home page is now up and running.
April 9, 1997 Update
Mike has had another editorial piece in SEE, this one called Rock is dead? No, it's just in a coma.
March 18, 1997 Update
Finally! The latest Word From Mike is here! News about the CD, the 1997 North Country Fair, Agent Bumbo, Painting Daisies, and more.
March 14, 1997 News Roundup
Every so often we get email relating to Jr. Gone Wild or the Mike McDonald Band. Sometimes there's a lot of temptation to share those messages with the JGW/MMB community. So now Mike and I announce the Mailbag. There's not much there yet, but I'll be digging through all those old messages and keeping an open eye for the new ones. (That's a hint, folks.)
In other news...
The Great Western Ballroom CD mentioned here a month or so ago should be available any day now, according to a SEE article.
Mike posted the following message to the newsgroup alt.music.canada:
Hi friends! Mike McDonald here to inform you that THIS Saturday, CJSR, The Rosebowl, and I guess myself are presenting the band Gram Parsons would be glad exists: OLD RELIABLE. Remember The Naked and the Dead? Well, Schuyler is in OLD RELIABLE. But that's nothing. There are four other guys as well, and together they define "Honky Tonk" the way I remember it used to mean.
Keep in mind that these monthly concerts are being recorded and edited down to a fifteen minute show to be aired on CJSR. The first episode of "WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ROSEBOWL" will be aired on the following dates:
March 19- between 1-3 pm on Chris Martin's show
March 22- between 12-2 pm on Shannon Taylor' show
If you weren't there or haven't heard, the first show features LUANN KOWALEK.
Folks, here's an inexpensive way to show your support for the Edmonton Independent Music scene. Come on down, show OLD RELIABLE you give a shit...
your road pal,
Mike McDonald
THE ROSEBOWL
10111-117 St.
482-2589
And in the March 13 issue of SEE, there's an article on that very subject. Mike has been working for some time now to create a new radio program that would feature live recordings from Edmonton's Rose Bowl, home of Mike's Sunday night Rose Bowl Jams. And now it's begun. From the article Man Bites Dog: happenin@therosebowl:
Station volunteers have been taping performances at the Rosebowl (10111-117 St.), editing them down to 15-minute segments, and calling them "What happened at the Rosebowl." The first, featuring singer/songwriter Luann Kowalek, will be aired Wednesday, March 19 between 1 and 3 p.m. on Chris Martin's show.
This Saturday, March 15, Edmonton honky-tonkers Old Reliable play the Rosebowl. That show will also be taped and aired Saturday, March 22 between noon and 2 p.m.
February 11, 1997
The Latest News From Edmonton
Steve here, back from a vacation in Edmonton with some news. The Mike McDonald Band album is completely recorded; the only holdup now is CD manufacturing, which may take a little while yet because this will be a completely independent release instead of a Stony Plain release. It's worth waiting for, though, as it features a lot of strong songs and a reinvented style for Mike. It's leaner and more rock-oriented than some Jr. material, and there are no guest musicians and few overdubs. Basically, what you get is Mike, Sherry, and Duke, and that's plenty.
Shortly after the Mike McDonald Band formed, they appeared on a radio program called the Great Western Ballroom. Hosted by Gabino Travassos at CJSR, the University of Alberta's radio station, the show features an hour of music and interviews for each band profiled. If your local campus station carries the show, you may be able to hear the program in full. If not, you may want to buy Gabino's new Great Western Ballroom compilation CD. It'll have an MMB song, Magic Powers, from their GWB session, as well as songs and interview samples from a variety of Canadian indie bands. It's not quite the current MMB sound, because the lineup is different and the band hadn't been together very long when the GWB session was recorded. Still, it's a piece of MMB history.
You can read a partial transcript of the MMB show (frameless version here). Or take a look at the GWB compilation page.
So... while I was in Edmonton I saw MMB live at the Sidetrack Cafe, and I enjoyed the show immensely. As with Jr., Mike's vocals and songwriting are the core of the band, but MMB, live, has less of the country/folk influence associated with Jr. The furious energy that drove so many Jr. live shows is here, as is the variety, ranging from rockers like "Wuthering Heights vs The Guns of Navarone" to surf-tinged instrumental stuff to a Jerry Jerry cover tune. Though I've been doing this home page for about a year, this was my first chance to see MMB live, and I was in no way disappointed. Yeah, I know I'm not an objective observer, but I expect I won't be the only one to enjoy the hell out of the album and future live shows.
In other Mike news, the Blue Bill project has also finished recording and mixing. Mike produced about half of the songs, and he and a number of other familiar names appear on the album, supporting Carolyn "Blue Bill" Mark. The album is much more country-oriented than Carolyn's work with the Vinaigrettes; it's also pretty damn good. Stay tuned for information on the CD's release. Mike's also been doing some production work for Edmonton band Painting Daisies, but that may take a little longer to be released.
Coming soon, if everything goes according to plan: a Greyhound Tragedy web site. Steve Loree, who was a member of Jr. Gone Wild a few years back, is the leader of Greyhound Tragedy, whose current CD, Demi Dog, is well worth a listen. They're on tour, so look for them.
December 17, 1996
Santas Anonymous Reviews
First, here's a review from the impeccably objective Laurene Simmons (also known as Mike's mom).
Sunday, December 9, 1996 was the 4th Annual Santa's Anonymous Jam at the Rose Bowl. I have helped Mike with this jam since its' inception. We had a great lineup of musicians in attendance - the music was awesome! Lots of good raffle prizes. We ended up raking in about $700 plus a very large bag of toys for Santa's Anonymous. The local musicians are totally awesome when it comes to doing something for those less fortunate. It was a night of the best music you have ever heard. To end the evening, there was a reunion of sorts - yes, Jr. Gone Wild played - to a very adoring crowd, I might add. The lineup was Mike (of course), Larry Shelast on drums, Dove on bass, Chris Smith and Steve Loree on lead guitar and backup vocals. There were quite a lot of tears shed - you know, Jr. didn't really say "goodbye" to Edmonton, so I think a lot of people took this as the final goodbye.
And here are a couple snippets from SEE's article:
Of course, there could be no better leader for the benefit than McDonald, who fronted arguably our city's greatest band, Jr. Gone Wild, through manifold mutations, utter financial failure and eventual demise by refusing to leave Edmonton. It's difficult to overestimate the influence of McDonald, and his perseverance, on our music scene, as evidenced by the number of super-grade acts he was able to gather for the event.
Among those volunteering their time were Lester Quitzau, the integer Edmonton guitar hero, who played a typically remarkable set of blues/Gospel/funk/psychedelia; strong female folk-rockers Painting Daisies; rockabilly gods The Silver Bishops; ebullient Pal Joey; the ubiquitous Chris Smith; and super-group The Bodkins, with their freak show of folly (including a Dyn-o-Mite Tom Jones cover).
Of particular merit, to me, was the set by Ben Spencer, a young singer-songwriter blessed with supple vocals and a sharp lyrical sense who is certainly a star on incline. But of course, the highlight of the night was reserved for Mike McDonald.
First up was his stripped down Mike McDonald Band which ripped through a short set with a vigor and confidence McDonald hasn't surmounted for years. He seems revitalized somehow, and raucous, baby, with granite-edged but still peppy new songs. Now a tight trio, MMB has its sound finely honed and an album on the way. McDonald's continued reinvention and his unwillingness to turn into a punk-era nostalgia act is a testament to his talent and his class.
Then again a little nostalgia never hurt anyone. In fact the on-stage, set-long reunion of Jr. Gone Wild brought the already amiable evening to a tender climax. The crowd danced and sang in unison to songs which had once unified us when we were all much younger, songs which we danced to when we were growing up on the too wide, too cold streets of Edmonton.
December 5, 1996
Time for another Santas Anonymous Jam at the Rose Bowl in Edmonton. From the article in SEE:
This year's event, the fourth annual, features another all-star lineup of Edmonton musicians. Included will be McDonald's own Mike McDonald Band, as well as several acts from that incestuous Marlinspike House/Rosebowl circle: Hookahman offshoot Agent Bumbo, longtime Jr. Gone Wild guitar tech Ken Larsen, side project extraordinaire the Bodkins, and rockabilly band The Silver Bishops.
It's happening Sunday, December 8.
Mike will also be playing the Raven with Jennifer Gibson and Kerry Brundidge on Thursday, Dec. 12.
November 27, 1996
Mike's new column
Mike's first opinion column has appeared in SEE. Links to this and future columns will be maintained on the Words From Mike section of the MMB page.
November 19, 1996
Live show dates!
MMB
Dec. 20 The Vat, Red Deer
New Year's Eve (Dec. 31) Corks Edmonton
Mike solo:
Dec. 7 (afternoon) The Black Dog
Dec. 6,7 (night) The Raven Pub
November 15, 1996
Pictures, we got pictures... from the upcoming CD.
Click on the above picture for a larger picture of the band in jpeg format (56k).
Also available for your viewing pleasure, in jpeg format:
Mike promises a new Word From Mike soon. He's still busy, dealing with getting the CD out.
October 22, 1996
Sorry that it's been so long since the last update, but Mike has been too damn busy recording to do much else. But now we have some dates for live performances.
Nov. 6- Mickey Finn's Edmonton
Nov. 7,8,9- Sidetrack Cafe Edmonton (opening for The Joey Harris Band (yes, of the former Beat Farmers), and a group called Candy Cane)
Nov. 21,22,23- The York Hotel Grande Prairie
Mike promises that as the album is released and the band prepares to tour in support of it, there will be plenty of new info here.
August 19, 1996
At the Edmonton Fringe!
THE LITTLE PRINCE
from Antoine de Saint-Exupery's story
adapted by Rebecca Starr and Joel Finnestad
original music and sound design by Mike McDonald
with:
JOEL FINNESTAD
KENT GALLIE
CRYSTAL HANSEN
MIKE MCDONALD
directed by: REBECCA STARR
VENUE # 5 (Northwestern Utilities Stage)
KING EDWARD SCHOOL
8530-101 St.
Aug. 17, Sat. 5:15 pm
Aug. 19, Mon. 5:15 pm
Aug. 20, Tues. 2:45 pm
Aug. 21, Wed. 7:15 pm
Aug. 22, Thurs. 12:15 pm
Aug. 25, Sun. noon
Notable things: Joel is in Hookahman, and Crystal played Mary in The Messiah.
MMB is at The Black Dog on Aug. 31.
In other news: the Best of Edmonton list, sponsored by the folks at SEE, listed Mike McDonald in the top three musicians/bands as chosen by that publication's readers.
