Vive turns One

Local promotions company Vive turns one this month. That's a measurable accomplishment for Rich Taylor and Phil Greer, who have spent that first year making their presence in Saskatoon's ever growing local music scene known.

The process was a year long learning experience for both. Vive launched in 2008 with the Off the Floor acoustic series in Lydia's Loft, establishing a working relationship that has built upon itself throughout the year, to the benefit of artists, the venue, and the audience. They also built a solid relationship early on with White Whale Records, bringing shows to Saskatoon that may normally have passed us by, such as Octoberman, Mohawk Lodge, Poorfolk, and Eamon McGrath.

Their mandate from the outset was that of altruism within the community, and they've demonstrated an adherence to that from the very beginning. “Our view is that if the music scene is more fully supported and more people go to shows, in general, musicians will benefit, audiences will be better off, and there will be more opportunities for local recording studios and others.”

While Vive's first year focused largely on promotions, they by no means limited themselves. From rooftop shows at the Yard 'n Flagon to travelling to SXSW in Texas to help get the word out about local musicians and spread the gospel on how great our audiences are for touring acts, these guys are prepared to do whatever it takes to see Saskatoon become as musically prosperous as it can. The birthday show reflects this eclectic attitude towards music, with both local and touring acts from a range of genres.

A considerable portion of Phil's year has been spent devoted to managing the Warbrides, a three-piece rock outfit from Moose Jaw. He's been working to “build them a local audience and a web presence, helping to facilitate the production of their debut record without getting in the way of their artistic pursuit, and trying to create for them an environment outside of Saskatoon/Moose Jaw that will make touring easier than it is for most brand new acts.” Their cd release will be happening on May 9th with Edmonton two piece the Famines. Phil expects people to be quite surprised with the new record, and in a good way. “The vibe will be electric.”

The highlights of Rich's year all have something in common; they took pace in somebody's home. Having his friend Gillian Snider's home and piano play host to two of her favourite artists, Bob Wiseman and Geoff Berner, was one such moment. House shows have a host of merits compared to more conventional venues, from every perspective. “We threw the Del Barber house show together in just a few days, and it's cheaper to attend. People can bring their own booze, and all of the door money goes to the artist.” People are also much less likely to interrupt a performance with loud, drunken talking in the cozier confines of a living room.

The culmination of it all was the birthday show on April 3rd, dubbed Vivefest. Quadrant Kahn was one performer, a vetran dj in the Saskatoon music scene. Representing a younger facet of said scene was y2Lhen, a “prolific and fantastic electronic talent” that not enough people have experienced. Azeda Booth, fresh off the free online release of their excellent new EP Tubtrek, brought their ambient techno sound back to the city. Library Voices headlined the event, and definitely did not disappoint. The highlight from their set was an impromptu power outage sing-along that was loved by all.

Vive depends on the support of its community to survive and thrive. If any of this sounds like something you would like to be a part of and help out with, they encourage you to look them up on Facebook and become a “Fan of Vive.” They promise a good time that promises to only get better.

A couple of wise-guys.

A few of years ago I was on my way to my first house concert, and a friend remarked that he thought house concerts would soon emerge as a very common way of taking in music. "Fat chance," was my reaction at the time, and yet here I am, writing a review of the 7th or 8th house concert I've been to in the last year. This particular show featured klezmer songsmith Geoff Burner, and multi-instrumentalist/video editor Bob Wiseman. Both Geoff, and Bob are seasoned road vets. It was a pleasure to take in a show with performers who were completely at home on stage. The night was full of pleasant little mistakes, and witty asides.

Bob Wiseman's music is simultaneously quirky and poignant. He opened the set with a cute song about his wife, accompanied by accordion. Let me tell you, there's something about a guy playing the accordion, and really meaning it,that catches me right off the bat. The rest of Bob's set was accompanied by variously absurd video clips projected above his head. Several of the clips consisted of Bob backing himself up on a number of instruments, from piano to beat boxing to a little beat up casio keyboard. Others were simply clever interludes - such as the mini-documentary on his next album, which he intends to pack with over one hundred instruments, as well as frequencies above and below human hearing. He closed the set with a couple of songs on the house piano, which demonstrated his real virtuosity as a musician. In a genre which can be challenging to hold people’s attention, I was really glad to see a solo performer be so innovative in his relationship with the audience.

This brings us to Geoff Burner, another man-and-an-accordion. Geoff’s music was intelligent, provocative and oh, so irreverent. Whether he was singing about his favourite places to get drunk, or poking fun at the Holocaust, he did it with such poise and humble self-assurance that it was hard not to laugh along. There were a great number of memorable moments in this set, but the one that sticks out immediately is his song written as the theme for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver. This song was a commentary on our priorities as a society. It took note of the fact that in the process of paying for the Olympics, the BC government cut all of the funding to investigate the deaths of over 700 missing children. A rousing climax to the song consisted of the whole room singing along to “The dead, dead babies were worth it… The dead, dead babies were worth it… The Vancouver/Whistler Olympic Games!” Really, how can you argue with that? However, as well as being offensively amusing, Geoff also played a couple of songs that were insightful in a more serious way. One that jumped out for me was “The Clown and Bard”, about a girl that he met in Prague who ended up strung out on speed. Then of course, he closed the whole night with a song punning on the Yiddish word for fan, which sounds a lot like an English word that is rarely mentioned in polite company.

As a devotee of music, there are a few things that I look for in a performance. The funny thing was that these two musicians didn’t possess a whole lot of what I usually consider makes a good performer. What they did have, however, was the uncanny ability simply to be entertaining. So, I must say that I’m happy to have had my horizons broadened by this show. If you get the chance to see Bob Wiseman or Geoff Burner, I can enthusiastically support you in your decision to go.