The Vancouver personality, born John Ruskin, is among 80 appointees announced on Wednesday,
Unlike most of them, the 57-year-old will be inducted under his stage name, “Nardwuar, the Human Serviette,” a rare exception for one of Canada’s highest honours that meets the spirit of his off-the-wall personality.
For the uninitiated, Nardwuar might be described as a Canadian enigma who gradually invaded pop culture over several decades, propelled by his interviews, which all finish with his trademark phrase “Doot doola doot doo…doot doo.”
David Friend, Canadian Press
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Nardwuar since his high school days in West Van. He and Craig Northey would be the first to knock on my front door on Halloween. Looking for record handouts instead of candy.
During my years at Much Music as host/producer of MuchWest, great cameraman Jay Mirus and I would always be running into Nardwar.
Usually around the concerts and soundchecks.
Jay and Nard became great friends, and eventually, when I moved on, Jay became the host of MuchWest, and he asked Nardwuar to co-host. That was the first national television exposure for Nard. Now he was on a roll. He became the famous media character the World now knows.
He’s a guy with Nike making a skateboard shoe in his Tartan colour,s and the following week, induction into the Order of Canada.
And he’s not done yet.
Congrats, Nardwuar and a big shout-out to Jay Mirus.
We’ve all been in the right place at the right time.
For me, one of those times was to be hosting and producing MuchWest in Vancouver when Sarah McLachlan moved from Halifax to Vancouver to begin what would become an amazing career.
Sarah ended up on the West Coast because in Halifax, her home, she had opened for a band from Nettwerk Records in Kitsilano.
They wanted to sign her immediately, but Sarah’s parents insisted she finish her schooling.
It felt like she came to Vancouver with songs already written and ready to go. It wasn’t long before Sarah released her debut album Touch.
That’s when I first met and interviewed her. The gift she gave the world were songs cutting deep into memory and self-awareness.
Since 1989, the gift she’s given me was to tell part of the story through our interviews.
That’s one of the reasons why I asked Sarah to come to Thailand and Cambodia with me in 1991 to tell the story of World Vision’s battle with the aids epidemic.
Sarah is on record as saying the journey changed her life. It helped her understand the power of giving back. It also leads directly to her involvement with the Sarah McLachlan School of Music.
Some of our interviews showed up in the Lilith Fair Documentary.
It’s been 11 years since Sarah recorded and released new music.
Her new album is called Better Broken.
We’ll talk about a lot of things. Better Broken, Motherhood, today’s music world and her place in it, the legacy of Lilith, the Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 30th anniversary Tour and Canada – O Canada.
It’s our first-ever Trans Canada Christmas – starring the Trans Canada Highwaymen.
Steven Page – BNLadies and Steven Page Trio
Moe Berg – Pursuit of Happiness
Craig Northey – Odds and Steven Page Trio
Chris Murphy – Sloan
They are great friends, each with his band and career.
What they have in common is a sense of the music they grew up with and a welcome sense of humour.
These Christmas sessions began in the ’70s at CBC Vancouver with Producer Susan Englebert: Shari Ulrich, Valdy, Terry Frewer, Roy Forbes, and several guests.
5-6 years of gathering around a series of microphones, playing Christmas songs and telling Christmas stories. Such fun.
Sadly, we lost our friend Susan to cancer and the Christmas show to time itself.
The concept returned at Roundhouse Radio in Vancouver in 2015 and we enjoyed three years of Christmas in the Round with Barney Bentall and his assorted friends.
We’ve played all three years on past Christmas Stews.
Now comes CKUA’s turn to host the same tradition.
Each Highwayman brings a Christmas song and stories of past Christmas tales.
5 songs in total. Craig Northey’s was co-written with Brent Butt of Corner Gas. Steven’s is about cheese logs. Chris’s is about kids coming home and Moe’s is the Christmas Classic Mistletoe and Holly. They finish with Do they know it’s Christmas.
Thank you to Arianne, Duke, Jasmine, and Bren for their production skills in bringing this show to air. Amazing work. And to Corey Wood for his skills and friendship in the edit and graphic studio here on Vancouver Island.
The Smiling Land is a celebration of Alan’s Newfoundland, in its legendary past and brilliant future.
The music, the bays, towns, villages, and 12-hour ferry rides to get you halfway to where you’re going.
Alan is the tour guide, something he’s actually done!
Besides the reader, along for the drives are his beloved wife and teenage son.
To go camping, they’re pulling a small trailer home behind.
FYI – Alan hates camping and driving.
I swear, many of us will find a way to take the same drive – just once in our lives.
The history, the legends, the forming of the first real settlements in North America. Characters who thought nothing of leaving their homes, sailing the North Atlantic and starting again in a wild new world.
Many towns, bays, lakes, mountains and forests were named after those “characters”. And many a song and story has been handed down.
The complete Alan Doyle Experience can be heard on The Stew this Saturday. Driven by four Doyle Songs, including his latest.
The low and non-alcoholic sector has exploded into a $13-billion-dollar global industry, recording staggering year-over-year growth, with Canadians among its top international consumers.
According to NielsenIQ, the overall market grew by more than 35 per cent in 2023, and 120 per cent over the past three years. It’s already scooped up 10 per cent market share in Spain and Germany. Industry research shows that Millennials and Gen-Z consumers are increasingly looking for booze-free alternatives, a trend driven by factors like cost, diet, legal cannabis consumption, and a positive awareness of mental health. Supply is growing to meet this demand in the form of de-alcoholized spirits, mixes, wines and beer that, compared to products of the past, actually taste good. Better distillation and brewing techniques, sophisticated food science, and elegant bottling are creating a new world of beverages: light on calories, high on taste, with no or low alcohol, and zero hangovers.Canadian Geographic March 2024
No/Lo spirits, wine, cider, and beer have been “trending” for many years now. The search for wine and beer replacements has always been there. A number of producers began to find results after they made their wine and beer, then stripped the alcohol out and substituted the taste with other elements. Fruit, tea, spices, etc. Suddenly, some of the replacements tasted even better than the originals.
Kurtis Kolt, sommelier and wine educator, wine judge, and co-founder of Top Drop Vancouver, has organized a second Free Spirit Vancouver.
The first was in January of this year, when he hosted 10 vendors pouring, collectively, just under 20 brands.
Monday, Dec 8, 630-830, Heritage Hall 3102 Main Street Free Spirit Vancouver will have almost 60 producers pouring no/lo.
That, my friends, is called “Trending” with a capital T.
Please check out the free spirit link below to see the producers’ list and to follow along with Kurtis Kolt’s interview.
Be sharp, he motors through a lot of labels and tastes.
How do you celebrate a 40-year music career? If you’re Blue Rodeo, you tour Canada in 40 dates, and the last two are in Massey Hall.
We’re showcasing Blue Rodeo with separate one-on-one interviews with co-founders and co-writers/singers Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy.
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Blue Rodeo and the guys have multiple Junos, Hall of Fame inductions, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Canadian Walk of Fame, Orders of Canada, a really good documentary and just this year, a stamp and a beer.
To me, I hear the sound of Canada in their high harmonies.
They started out as a hot bar band after returning from a disappointing series of months in New York.
New York said, “You can’t have two lead singers and you can’t do country, rock and roots. You must have a clear image of who the audience sees you as”.
Back in Canada. None of that existed.
We loved them just as they were.
The boys knew where they belonged, and it showed up in the joy of their music.
Enjoy this conversation between three music fans who lived those 40 years. And are still friends
The amazing story and success of Winnipeg’s David and Joey Landreth continues with the release of their 9th studio album, Dog Ear.
The brothers join us from home base as they prepare for a full European tour and select key American dates this year.
The new album deals with finding a balance between making music and raising their families. In the music business, with all its touring, it can be really hard on the whole family.
After having a Grammy hit with the Landreth’s Made up Mind, their music hero, Bonnie Raitt, asked the boys to send her songs from their new album.
She came back saying, “I can’t decide which one I want to sing on – so how about two songs?”.
She sang harmony on Knuckles and background on Half Moon Eyes.
David and Joey grew up in a musical family and listened to Bonnie and Little Feat growing up. They can’t begin to describe what it’s like to not only meet your heroes but to play and sing with them!! As you can imagine, it’s out of this world.
Rarely, I hear people say “yeah..i don’t listen to Canadian music! That’s like saying, i really hate breathing. I urge you to take a minute and listen to the brothers and their music.
If you don’t hear the joy and humanity in their songs, it’s ok. Lots of music fans really do. Not just in Canada but all over the World. (check the tour schedule)
www.thebroslandreth.com
NEXT WEEK – Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor – celebrate 40 years of Blue Rodeo.
Following a celebrated national headline tour and a wonderful run supporting the legendary Bonnie Raitt, Dear John sees Royal Wood collaborating with five-time Grammy-winning Mixer Ryan Freeland (Bonnie Raitt, Ray LaMontagne).
Royal describes Dear John as a “letter to a younger Royal”. The album captures both his sincerity and artistry.
Royal Wood’s music continues to resonate worldwide, amassing over 30 million streams.
Royal stepped away from the music business and his strong part in it, to have 2 sons and make the family home much more important than the stage. He and his family also decided to move from Ontario to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He makes music wherever he goes.
His last album, What Tomorrow Brings, received critical acclaim and was considered for “Best Folk Album” at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
Known for translating his recorded work into captivating live performances, Royal Wood has headlined prestigious venues like Massey Hall in Toronto and Paradiso in Amsterdam, and toured extensively with acclaimed artists including Bonnie Raitt and David Gray.
The interview includes 5 tracks from Dear John. Back Home. End of the Road, Killer Love, To be in Love, Fever.
Tour Dates
NOV 07 – Madison, WI – Overture Centre
NOV 14 – Toronto, ON – Koerner Hall – Make Music Matter Event x Matthew Perry House
NOV 28 – Calgary, AB – Dalhousie Community Centre
NOV 29 – Lethbridge, AB – Geomattic Attic
NOV 30 – Lethbridge, AB – Geomattic Attic
DEC 02 – Canmore, AB – ArtsPlace
FEB 04 – East Lansing, MI – Wharton Performing Arts
FEB 05 – Yellow Springs, OH – The Foundry Theater
APR 09 – Truro, NS – Marigold Cultural Centre
APR 10 – East Margaretsville, NS – Evergreen Theatre
APR 11 – Liverpool, NS – The Astor Theatre
