Back on May 2, 2009, a bunch of us old time Humble and Fred fans got together at a Toronto pub to witness the recording of the 20th Anniversary Podcast of Memories.
And lo and behold, here it is! It's a couple of hours long, and over 100MB, so be gentle. The home page for this podcast, should you want to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or stream the MP3, is http://www.torontomike.com/humbleandfred/.
Enjoy!
Thanks to Acme Pictures for donating the web space and Dan Duran for producing the audio. Oh yeah, and thanks to Humble and Fred for two hours of great radio audio.
If you have any questions or issues playing this audio, leave a comment below and I'll get on it.
I listened to CFNY (Edge 102) throughout the 90s. It was my favourite radio station, not just for the tunes but for the personalities. I can't remember a time at 102 before Martin Streek.
Martin Streek always seemed to be there, hosting the Thursday 30 and live-to-air broadcasts from various Toronto clubs. Now I've learnt from @scroll on Twitter that he's been fired.
The first thing I did when I heard the news was visit his profile page on EDGE.ca. It's been removed. Here's the cached version from Google.
I then shot over to the Wikipedia write-up about Streek, and there's no word there on the firing. Here's what I did find:
Martin Streek is another of the three remaining personalities from the "Spirit of Radio" era. He currently hosts the Thursday 30, a four hour long show that counts down the top 30 songs of the past week (collected via record sales and listener voting), as well as introduces new music (a segment called the "Groundbreakers"), and flashes back to a previous year's countdown, as Streek recalls the top five songs of that week in a certain previous year.
Streek also hosts two live-to-air broadcasts from nightclubs: Saturday nights at the Phoenix and Sunday nights at Velvet Underground, both in downtown Toronto. Both shows run from 9:00 PM until 2:00 AM, and are broadcast without interruption (i.e., commercial-free), except for live ads imploring people to visit the club, after about 10:00 p.m.. Martin is also a huge fan of Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Depeche Mode and The Clash.
Martin has been voted DJ of the year a few times in Now Magazine's year-end public ballot.
Just recently he had to have his appendix removed surgically; he has recovered and is doing well.
Martin Streek, if you're out there, let us know where you're at. You've been a familiar voice over Toronto airwaves for about 20 years and you'll be missed.
Update: I see another name missing from the personalities line-up. Barry Taylor is also missing and his page at Edge.ca has been removed. Can someone shed some light on the disappearance of Barry Taylor and lifelong CFNYer Martin Streek?
Last summer, I attended Edgefest for the first time in five years. Stone Temple Pilots, Linkin Park, Sam Roberts and others offered the motivation. As you'll read in my recap, I had a blast at Downsview Park that July afternoon.
This morning, the gang at Edge 102 unveiled the lineup for this year's Edgefest. Here are the bands performing at Downsview Park on June 20, 2009.
Corus Radio is heavily promoting ExploreMusic, "a new web and radio service dedicated exclusively to music discovery." From the ExploreMusic About page.
By leveraging the success of Canada's top two music documentary radio features - The Ongoing History of New Music and The Legends of Classic Rock - ExploreMusic features the latest music news and opinion, interviews with established and emerging artists, behind-the-scenes information, technology and a host of other music-related topics. We combine the power and reach of radio with the unlimited potential of the internet, connecting rock fans with music and each other.
The host is Alan Cross, former PD at CFNY and longtime host of The Ongoing History of New Music. What I liked about Alan Cross when he was program director for Edge 102 is how responsive he was to my questions and even when I'd call him out on for selling out. The new PD doesn't reply to my emails....
Because I like Alan, and because I like exploring new music, today I decided to explore ExploreMusic. There are good things and things that are less than thrilling.
On the positive side, I like the convergence of radio the web here. You can listen to the show in the Corus Radio Network and hit up the web for additional show notes and to hear the tunes Alan Cross talks about. Radio has to tap into the web in order to survive.
I also like the spirit. There are indie tracks, mainstream tracks, new tracks and old tracks. It's just a bunch of music, interesting facts about the industry and tid-bits any music fan would be interested in.
On the negative side, it seems unfinished. With Corus behind the project, you'd expect more. Instead of a financed branch of a major media company, it feels more like something I'd throw together in a weekend. The blog isn't really a blog, as there's no permalinks, comments or RSS feed, and hearing the tunes requires you click through to MySpace, YouTube or whatever. It just seems awfully home made.
Hey Alan, add an RSS feed so I can follow your notes and lists in Google Reader. The "5 Songs Ya Gotta Hear Today" is a cool idea, I just want you to push them to me. And tell CFNY's new PD to reply to my emails!
Last June, I took a closer look at the Edge 102.1 playlist. I was curious how many different songs were in rotation at CFNY. While I was crunching the numbers, I assigned each song a label: New, Recent or Classic Alternative.
New: I labelled a song new if it was new to the playlist in 2008. Yes, I was pretty generous with this label.
Recent: I created this category to cover songs that aren't exactly Classic Alternative but also aren't new. Songs less than five years old were labelled as "recent".
Classic Alternative: This covers the "golden oldies" CFNY likes to play. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, U2, Beastie Boys, STP, etc. Songs older than five years, essentially.
Here are the songs with their assigned labels. After the chart, I'll hit you up with some stats.
2:38 PM
"YELLOW" - COLDPLAY
CLASSIC ALT
2:35 PM
"LOST!" - COLDPLAY
NEW
2:31 PM
"TURN YOUR BACK" - BILLY TALENT FEAT. ANTI-FLAG
NEW
2:27 PM
"TRY HONESTY" - BILLY TALENT
RECENT
2:22 PM
"MAN IN THE BOX" - ALICE IN CHAINS
CLASSIC ALT
2:19 PM
"WOULD" - ALICE IN CHAINS
CLASSIC ALT
2:11 PM
"LITTLE BONES" - THE TRAGICALLY HIP
CLASSIC ALT
2:07 PM
"BLOW AT HIGH DOUGH" - THE TRAGICALLY HIP
CLASSIC ALT
2:03 PM
"COME OUT AND PLAY (KEEP 'EM SEPARATED)" - OFFSPRING
CLASSIC ALT
2:00 PM
"YOU'RE GONNA GO FAR, KID" - OFFSPRING
NEW
1:56 PM
"LOSER" - BECK
CLASSIC ALT
1:53 PM
"ABOVE" - FINGER ELEVEN
CLASSIC ALT
1:48 PM
"SOMETIME AROUND MIDNIGHT" - AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT
NEW
1:43 PM
"SWEET CHILD O' MINE" - GUNS N' ROSES
CLASSIC ALT
1:36 PM
"THE KILLER" - MOBILE
NEW
1:30 PM
"ALIVE" - PEARL JAM
CLASSIC ALT
1:27 PM
"NOT READY TO GO" - TREWS
CLASSIC ALT
1:24 PM
"SEX ON FIRE" - KINGS OF LEON
NEW
1:21 PM
"STILL WAITING" - SUM 41
CLASSIC ALT
1:18 PM
"RE-EDUCATION (THROUGH LABOR)" - RISE AGAINST
NEW
1:11 PM
"GUERRILLA RADIO" - RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
CLASSIC ALT
1:08 PM
"CIVIL TWILIGHT" - WEAKERTHANS
NEW
1:03 PM
"EVERLONG" - FOO FIGHTERS
CLASSIC ALT
1:01 PM
"WANNABE IN LA" - EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
NEW
12:58 PM
"SANTERIA" - SUBLIME
CLASSIC ALT
12:54 PM
"BULLET WITH BUTTERFLY WINGS" - SMASHING PUMPKINS
CLASSIC ALT
12:47 PM
"SHEEP GO TO HEAVEN" - CAKE
CLASSIC ALT
12:42 PM
"BREATHE" - MOIST
CLASSIC ALT
12:38 PM
"NO RAIN" - BLIND MELON
CLASSIC ALT
12:35 PM
"BRAIN STEW" - GREEN DAY
CLASSIC ALT
12:30 PM
"VASOLINE" - STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
CLASSIC ALT
12:26 PM
"WAKE ME" - RUSTY
CLASSIC ALT
12:22 PM
"ASKING FOR IT" - HOLE
CLASSIC ALT
12:18 PM
"LITHIUM" - NIRVANA
CLASSIC ALT
12:11 PM
"THE IMPRESSION THAT I GET" - MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES
CLASSIC ALT
12:05 PM
"YELLOW LEDBETTER" - PEARL JAM
CLASSIC ALT
12:00 PM
"HANG TEN" - EDWIN
CLASSIC ALT
11:56 AM
"THE SHOCK OF THE LIGHTNING" - OASIS
NEW
11:53 AM
"GIRLS" - BEASTIE BOYS
CLASSIC ALT
11:49 AM
"SLEEPING SICKNESS" - CITY AND COLOUR
NEW
11:44 AM
"JEREMY" - PEARL JAM
CLASSIC ALT
11:41 AM
"CATH..." - DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
NEW
11:34 AM
"SO FAR SO GOOD" - THORNLEY
RECENT
11:31 AM
"TROUBLEMAKER" - WEEZER
NEW
11:26 AM
"700 FT. CEILING" - THE TRAGICALLY HIP
CLASSIC ALT
11:23 AM
"YOU'RE GONNA GO FAR, KID" - OFFSPRING
NEW
11:20 AM
"OH, THE BOSS IS COMING!" - ARKELLS
NEW
11:17 AM
"THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE" - RISE AGAINST
NEW
11:11 AM
"WALLS FALL DOWN" - BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH
RECENT
11:07 AM
"IN THE END" - LINKIN PARK
CLASSIC ALT
11:03 AM
"AMERICAN WOMAN" - LENNY KRAVITZ
CLASSIC ALT
10:59 AM
"SEX ON FIRE" - KINGS OF LEON
NEW
10:56 AM
"ABOUT A GIRL" - NIRVANA
CLASSIC ALT
10:53 AM
"PAPER PLANES" - M.I.A.
NEW
10:49 AM
"LEARN TO FLY" - FOO FIGHTERS
CLASSIC ALT
10:44 AM
"STARSEED" - OUR LADY PEACE
CLASSIC ALT
10:40 AM
"HUMAN" - KILLERS
NEW
10:32 AM
"ULYSSES" - FRANZ FERDINAND
NEW
10:29 AM
"ARIEL VS. LOTUS" - LIMBLIFTER
CLASSIC ALT
10:26 AM
"WANNABE IN LA" - EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
NEW (R)
10:23 AM
"HOLLOWPOINT SNIPER HYPERBOLE" - USS
NEW
10:19 AM
"INTERGALACTIC" - BEASTIE BOYS
CLASSIC ALT
10:14 AM
"BEING HERE" - STILLS
NEW
10:09 AM
"GIVE IT AWAY" - RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
CLASSIC ALT
10:05 AM
"WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD PEOPLE GONE" - SAM ROBERTS
RECENT
10:00 AM
"KIDS" - MGMT
NEW
9:46 AM
"IN TOO DEEP" - SUM 41
CLASSIC ALT
9:42 AM
"SLEEPING SICKNESS" - CITY AND COLOUR
NEW (R)
9:25 AM
"EVERYTHING IS AUTOMATIC" - MATTHEW GOOD BAND
CLASSIC ALT
9:21 AM
"VIVA LA VIDA" - COLDPLAY
NEW
9:15 AM
"ONE MORE ASTRONAUT" - I.M.E.
CLASSIC ALT
9:03 AM
"YOU'RE GONNA GO FAR, KID" - OFFSPRING
NEW (R)
8:45 AM
"SEX ON FIRE" - KINGS OF LEON
NEW (R)
8:36 AM
"ANIMAL I HAVE BECOME" - THREE DAYS GRACE
RECENT
8:23 AM
"JUDITH" - A PERFECT CIRCLE
CLASSIC ALT
8:19 AM
"BETTER MAN" - PEARL JAM
CLASSIC ALT
8:03 AM
"WANNABE IN LA" - EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
NEW (R)
7:46 AM
"KIDS" - MGMT
NEW (R)
7:36 AM
"BROTHER DOWN" - SAM ROBERTS
CLASSIC ALT
7:19 AM
"BLEED IT OUT" - LINKIN PARK
RECENT
7:15 AM
"DAUGHTER" - PEARL JAM
CLASSIC ALT
6:59 AM
"SLEEPING SICKNESS" - CITY AND COLOUR
NEW (R)
6:54 AM
"KILLING IN THE NAME" - RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
CLASSIC ALT
6:37 AM
"SEX ON FIRE" - KINGS OF LEON
NEW (R)
6:28 AM
"FAT LIP" - SUM 41
CLASSIC ALT
6:16 AM
"RIVER BELOW" - BILLY TALENT
RECENT
6:12 AM
"RE-EDUCATION (THROUGH LABOR)" - RISE AGAINST
NEW (R)
6:00 AM
"YOU'RE GONNA GO FAR, KID" - OFFSPRING
NEW (R)
5:57 AM
"DISCIPLINE" - NINE INCH NAILS
NEW
5:35 AM
"NOTHING ELSE MATTERS" - METALLICA
CLASSIC ALT
5:33 AM
"WANNABE IN LA" - EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
NEW (R)
5:26 AM
"SONG 2" - BLUR
CLASSIC ALT
5:22 AM
"HOLIDAY" - GREEN DAY
CLASSIC ALT
5:19 AM
"ALL EMPIRES FALL" - WAKING EYES
NEW
5:14 AM
"SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY" - U2
CLASSIC ALT
5:08 AM
"CATH..." - DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
NEW
5:06 AM
"FELL IN LOVE WITH A GIRL" - WHITE STRIPES
CLASSIC ALT
5:00 AM
"KIDS" - MGMT
NEW (R)
4:57 AM
"BLEED IT OUT" - LINKIN PARK
RECENT (R)
4:54 AM
"LAST KISS" - PEARL JAM
CLASSIC ALT
4:50 AM
"THE SHOCK OF THE LIGHTNING" - OASIS
NEW (R)
4:46 AM
"BELIEVE IN ME" - SLOAN
NEW
4:42 AM
"LOSE YOURSELF" - EMINEM
CLASSIC ALT
4:36 AM
"SUNDAY MORNING" - K-OS
RECENT
4:33 AM
"TROUBLEMAKER" - WEEZER
NEW
4:29 AM
"SLEEPING SICKNESS" - CITY AND COLOUR
NEW (R)
4:22 AM
"PARADISE CITY" - GUNS N' ROSES
CLASSIC ALT
4:18 AM
"SOMETIME AROUND MIDNIGHT" - AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT
NEW (R)
4:14 AM
"TONIGHT, TONIGHT" - SMASHING PUMPKINS
CLASSIC ALT
4:08 AM
"YOUR ENGLISH IS GOOD" - TOKYO POLICE CLUB
NEW
4:04 AM
"UNDER THE BRIDGE" - RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
CLASSIC ALT
4:01 AM
"SEX ON FIRE" - KINGS OF LEON
NEW (R)
3:56 AM
"HEAD LIKE A HOLE" - NINE INCH NAILS
CLASSIC ALT
3:51 AM
"HUMAN" - KILLERS
NEW (R)
3:46 AM
"SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT!" - NIRVANA
CLASSIC ALT
3:43 AM
"LOST!" - COLDPLAY
NEW (R)
3:39 AM
"INNOCENT" - OUR LADY PEACE
CLASSIC ALT
3:36 AM
"PAPER PLANES" - M.I.A.
NEW (R)
3:30 AM
"ALL THE SMALL THINGS" - BLINK-182
CLASSIC ALT
3:26 AM
"AUDIENCE OF ONE" - RISE AGAINST
NEW
3:23 AM
"YOU'RE GONNA GO FAR, KID" - OFFSPRING
NEW (R)
3:20 AM
"ISLAND IN THE SUN" - WEEZER
CLASSIC ALT
3:17 AM
"HELP I'M ALIVE" - METRIC
NEW
3:13 AM
"LEARN TO FLY" - FOO FIGHTERS
CLASSIC ALT (R)
3:07 AM
"DO IT OR DIE" - DIE MANNEQUIN
NEW
3:05 AM
"WRONG WAY" - SUBLIME
CLASSIC ALT
3:02 AM
"NUMB" - LINKIN PARK
CLASSIC ALT
3:00 AM
"WANNABE IN LA" - EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
NEW (R)
2:56 AM
"VIOLET HILL" - COLDPLAY
NEW
2:50 AM
"FORTY SIX AND 2" - TOOL
CLASSIC ALT
2:46 AM
"EPIC" - FAITH NO MORE
CLASSIC ALT
2:42 AM
"AROUND THE WORLD" - RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
CLASSIC ALT
2:36 AM
"SLEEP NOW IN THE FIRE" - RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
CLASSIC ALT
2:31 AM
"SEMI-CHARMED LIFE" - THIRD EYE BLIND
CLASSIC ALT
2:27 AM
"KIDS" - MGMT
NEW (R)
2:23 AM
"STOP!" - JANE'S ADDICTION
CLASSIC ALT
2:18 AM
"BLOWN WIDE OPEN" - BIG WRECK
CLASSIC ALT
2:14 AM
"MR. BRIGHTSIDE" - KILLERS
CLASSIC ALT
2:08 AM
"NO RAIN" - BLIND MELON
CLASSIC ALT
2:05 AM
"TEMPTATION" - TEA PARTY
CLASSIC ALT
2:01 AM
"SLEEPING SICKNESS" - CITY AND COLOUR
NEW (R)
1:58 AM
"WALLS FALL DOWN" - BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH
RECENT (R)
1:55 AM
"WHEN I COME AROUND" - GREEN DAY
CLASSIC ALT
1:52 AM
"ULYSSES" - FRANZ FERDINAND
NEW (R)
1:46 AM
"REBELLION (LIES)" - ARCADE FIRE
CLASSIC ALT
1:40 AM
"THE DAY THAT NEVER COMES" - METALLICA
NEW
1:33 AM
"DISSIDENT" - PEARL JAM
CLASSIC ALT
1:29 AM
"THE SHOCK OF THE LIGHTNING" - OASIS
NEW (R)
1:25 AM
"SEX ON FIRE" - KINGS OF LEON
NEW (R)
1:21 AM
"LAZY EYE" - SILVERSUN PICKUPS
RECENT
1:18 AM
"THE KILLER" - MOBILE
NEW (R)
1:15 AM
"DISARM" - SMASHING PUMPKINS
CLASSIC ALT
1:08 AM
"DISCIPLINE" - NINE INCH NAILS
NEW (R)
1:07 AM
"NATURE OF THE EXPERIMENT" - TOKYO POLICE CLUB
RECENT
1:03 AM
"TRIPPIN' ON A HOLE IN A PAPER HEART" - STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
CLASSIC ALT
12:59 AM
"YOU'RE GONNA GO FAR, KID" - OFFSPRING
NEW (R)
12:56 AM
"TROUBLEMAKER" - WEEZER
NEW (R)
12:53 AM
"COME AS YOU ARE" - NIRVANA
CLASSIC ALT
12:49 AM
"SOMETIME AROUND MIDNIGHT" - AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT
NEW (R)
12:45 AM
"CIVIL TWILIGHT" - WEAKERTHANS
NEW (R)
12:42 AM
"HITCHIN' A RIDE" - GREEN DAY
CLASSIC ALT
12:36 AM
"HELL SONG" - SUM 41
CLASSIC ALT
12:33 AM
"BLEED IT OUT" - LINKIN PARK
NEW (R)
12:31 AM
"WANNABE IN LA" - EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
NEW (R)
12:26 AM
"DANI CALIFORNIA" - RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
RECENT
12:22 AM
"HUMAN" - KILLERS
NEW (R)
12:18 AM
"KARMA POLICE" - RADIOHEAD
CLASSIC ALT
12:11 AM
"LOVE REMOVAL MACHINE" - CULT
CLASSIC ALT
12:08 AM
"OH, THE BOSS IS COMING!" - ARKELLS
NEW (R)
12:03 AM
"JEREMY" - PEARL JAM
CLASSIC ALT (R)
Here's what we learn from this random spot check of Edge 102's playlist.
# of songs played: 170
# of different songs played: 130 / 76.47%
# of "new" songs: 71 / 41.76%
# of unique "new" songs: 35 / 20.58%
# of "recent" songs: 13 / 7.64%
# of unique "recent" songs: 11 / 6.47%
# of "classic alternative" songs: 87 / 51.17%
# of unique "classic alternative" songs: 85 / 50%
Without a doubt, 102.1 the Edge is playing more classic alternative than ever before. Over 51% of songs played thus far today were older than five years, and if we look at the number of unique classic alternative songs (85) compared to the 130 different songs played, we're looking at a whopping 65.38%.
That's a definite increase since six months ago when that figure was 40.25%. In layman's terms, in case you're having trouble following, if we remove the repeats (they played Eagle's of Death Metal's "Wanna Be In LA" six freakin' times), almost exactly two-thirds of the music played today was older than five years and of the "classic alternative" genre. There's lots of Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice in Chains and the songs you know and love, mainly from the 1990s.
Below are the top 102 songs of 2008, according to 102.1 The Edge.
I threw down my personal top 10 right here. My tunes ranked 72, 62, 25, 10, 19, 67, 40, 36, n/a and 22 respectively. That n/a is for "Inside the Cinema" by Culture Reject which, unfortunately, never got a sniff from CFNY. I'm not sure why as it's an awesome, addictive tune by a Torontonian, and would have been a great add.
Here's the Edge's list...
1. Weezer - Pork And Beans
2. Foo Fighters - Let It Die
3. Queens Of The Stone Age - Make It Wit Chu
4. Nine Inch Nails - Discipline
5. Foo Fighters - Long Road To Ruin
6. Sam Roberts - Them Kids
7. The Bravery - Believe
8. Rise Against - The Good Left Undone
9. Radiohead - Bodysnatchers
10. USS - Hollow Point Sniper Hyperbole
11. Linkin Park - Given Up
12. Coldplay - Violet Hill
13. Against Me! - Stop!
14. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
15. Bedouin Soundclash - St. Andrews
16. The Offspring - You're Gonna Go Far Kid
17. Tokyo Police Club - Tessellate
18. The Offspring - Hammerhead
19. The Raconteurs - Salute Your Solution
20. Oasis - The Shock Of The Lightning
21. Weezer - Troublemaker
22. City And Colour - Sleeping Sickness
23. Rise Against - Re-Education (Through Labor)
24. The Flatliners - This Respirator
25. Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
26. Billy Talent - This Suffering
27. Alexisonfire - To A Friend
28. Serj Tankian - Empty Walls
29. Die Mannequin - Do It Or Die
30. Sloan - Believe in Me
31. Metallica - The Day That Never Comes
32. Neverending White Lights - Always
33. Stars - Take Me To The Riot
34. Disturbed - Inside the Fire
35. Bedouin Soundclash - Until We Burn In The Sun (The Kids Just Want A Love Song)
36. M.I.A. - Paper Planes
37. The Flatliners - Eulogy
38. City And Colour - Waiting
39. Apocalytica ft. Adam Gontier - I Don't Care
40. MGMT - Time To Pretend
41. Jimmy Eat World - Big Casino
42. Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day
43. The Stills - Being Here
44. Spiral Beach - Made Of Stone
45. Chevelle - I Get It
46. Against Me! - Thrash Unreal
47. Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Posess Your Heart
48. The Weakerthans - Civil Twilight
49. The Verve - Love Is Noise
50. Linkin Park - Bleed It Out
51. Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling Into Place
52. Mobile - The Killer
53. Rides Again - Infected
54. Foo Fighters - The Pretender
55. Social Distortion - Far Behind
56. Silversun Pickups - Well Thought Out Twinkles
57. Finger 11 - Talking to the Walls
58. The Killers - Human
59. Serj Tankian - Sky Is Over
60. Wintersleep - Weighty Ghost
61. The Weakerthans - Tournament Of Hearts
62. One Day As A Lion - Wild International
63. Billy Talent - Turn Your Back
64. Die Mannequin - Saved By Strangers
65. Yoav - Club Thing
66. Gob - Underground
67. The Black Keys - Strange Times
68. USS - 2 and 15/16ths
69. The White Stripes - You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You're Told)
70. Tokyo Police Club - Graves
71. Jack Johnson - If I Had Eyes
72. Wintersleep - Oblivion
73. Hot Hot Heat - Harmonicas And Tambourines
74. Ashes Divide - The Stone
75. Foxboro Hot Tubs - Mother Mary
76. Beck - Gamma Ray
77. Death Cab For Cutie - Cath...
78. Attack In Black - Hunger Of Young
79. Staind - Believe
80. Matthew Good - I'm A Window
81. Eddie Vedder - Hard Sun
82. The Kooks - Always Where I Need to Be
83. Stars - Bitches in Tokyo
84. Three Days Grace - Never Too Late
85. Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy
86. The Arkells - Oh, The Boss Is Coming
87. Puscifer - Queen B
88. The Waking Eyes - All Empires Fall
89. Sam Roberts - Detroit '67
90. R.E.M. - Supernatural Superserious
91. Beast - Mr. Hurricane
92. Silverchair - Straight Lines
93. Nine Inch Nails - 1,000,000
94. Oasis - Falling Down
95. Three Days Grace - Riot
96. Vampire Weekend - A-Punk
97. Band Of Horses - Is There A Ghost
98. The Constantines - Hard Feelings
99. MGMT - Kids
100. Black Lungs - Hold Fast (Sink Or Swim)
101. Coldplay - Lost!
102. Goldfinger - One More Time
The Kool Haus provided an intimate setting where I could get super close to the acts without fearing for my life. This is a good thing as I'm no longer the young man I once was. In fact, it's fair to say on this night I was one of the few people over the age of 30.
The set-up was great, with two stages going so there was minimal wait. It was one band after another with a few awards handed out and some video montages from the Edge personalities, most of whom hit the stage at one point or another. And yes, there was an appearance by Strombo.
I saw seven bands, and here's a bit about each performance.
Die Mannequin
Die Mannequin got to play their big radio hit and then their next radio hit and they did so while mired by technical problems. As the ballsy lead singer chick said, "help us out here, we're string-less". I know it was only two songs, but it was a fun two songs.
USS
I really like these guys. I'm a sucker for the wheels of steel in rock, or the 1's and 2's as I've been told the kids now call them. They cleaned up tonight, winning a couple of awards. Here's a little USS I stole with my dusty old Olympus.
Tokyo Police Club
I dig these guys, too. They actually played three songs, including their smash hit from last year. I grabbed a little video of that.
Neverending White Lights
This guy reminds me way too much of George Michael. I don't know if it's the beard or the hair or the earrings or the voice or all of the above. Without their guest vocalists, this ensemble does nothing for me.
Bedouin Soundclash
I was hard on these guys when they first hit a couple of years ago, but I'm starting to think I had them all wrong. I mean, what's not to like? They played three big radio hits and had me singing along. Here's a little BS for ya.
City and Colour
Yes, I spin the two City and Colour albums constantly. Yes, they are rather melancholy and slow, but I think they're sweet. Here's Dallas Green singing my favourite song from 2008, sans Gord.
Sloan
Sloan are now grandfathers of new Canadian rock. They actually got to perform four songs, and closed with Money city Maniacs, a true Cancon classic. Unfortunately, the battery died on my digicam.
I was listening to a little 102.1 this morning. I know the morning show there is brutal, but for some reason I like hearing Linkin Park's "Given Up" every morning on my way into the office. Judge not lest thee be judged.
So I'm listening to the tunes when the guys come on to talk about Sausage Fest. Jason introduces the plan as a way to celebrate the fact The Dean Blundell Show is the longest running morning show on Toronto radio. There's only one problem with that statement. It's one big fat lie.
The best morning show in the city, in my humble opinion (no pun intended), belongs to the man who currently holds that title. Andy Barrie has hosted CBC Radio 99.1's Metro Morning since 1995. That's about six years longer than The Dean Blundell Show has been on the air.
On edge.ca, they were smart enough not to put that lie in print. Here's what you'll find over there.
We're throwing a party to thank you for all your support, and can’t think of a better way to say thanks than by giving you some sausage.
On August 15th at Polson Pier, it's the first annual Dean Blundell Sausagefest! We’ll be cooking up some delicious, juicy sausages for some lucky Inside Edge winners. We’re hooking you up with some sweet tunes as well; Die Mannequin, The Saint Alvia Cartel, The Flatliners, and The Salads will all be playing live!
So if you want in on a day of fun in the sun, some great bands, and of course some sausage, listen to win or enter now to win access to Dean Blundell's Sausagefest for you and a friend. Brought to you by 102.1 The Edge.
Damn, even typing sausagefest makes me feel like a 14 year old kid.
Yesterday I attended my first Edgefest since 2003. I explain my five year absence in this entry. I'm happy to report it was as much fun as I remember it. It was a 12 hour blast.
Before I delve into the details, here's a photoset of pictures I took. Yes, I snapped some sweet pics of the new Batmobile in addition to every band I saw. I even took a little video of Linkin Park rocking out with "A Place for My Head" Now, on with the recap...
Before
Getting there was pretty slick. At Downsview station an Express bus was waiting for us and it dropped us off right in front of the gate. There was virtually no lineup at 12:45. I brought in a 1.5 litre bottle of water, three bagel sandwiches, some orange juice, a rain poncho, my digital camera and Blackberry. Security gave me no hassles whatsoever.
The first band I wanted to see was USS, but we had a little time before they hit the stage. That meant checking out the new Batmobile and free samples of some chocolate milkshake a small army of attractive young nurses were promoting. I doubt they were certified nurses, but I didn't bother asking to see their credentials.
USS - Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker
I had heard two USS tracks on the radio and I loved them both. You really can't miss "Hollowpoint Sniper Hyperbole" on the radio, it's been on super high rotation for a while now, and for good reason. It's a great track.
For a 1:30 band, USS were great. It was a fun set that showed a great deal of promise. I'm a sucker for rock bands who utilize a turntable. This goes back to my impressionable years in the late 80s when I was digging the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy and learning that a dj could be a band. Terminator X spoke with his hands, and USS kept the tradition alive while maintaining the necessary hooks and melody. These guys have a bright future.
Attack in Black
I try to like these guys, but it's not happening. Something is missing... my ears hear Simple Plan... it's as if they're missing a certain rawness, or dare I say, edge? Their big radio hit, "Young Leaves", was left on the SLS cutting room floor. They're just not my cup of team.
Creature
After Attack in Black, it was lunch time, so we crashed to chow down by the small stage. Creature, a band I had never heard of, featured two female vocalists and a funky Blondie-like sound from the late 70s and early 80s. It was funky fun with plenty of cowbell.
Ashes Divide
Ashes Divide sound like Joy Division, The Cure, The Smiths, Depeche Mode and those bands from the 80s. Like Attack in Black, they didn't grab me. They weren't my cup of tea, either.
The Bravery
The Bravery delivered a fantastic set as the sky opened up and I threw on my rain poncho. For most of this set it rained hard and that just seemed to add to the ambiance. I'd say these guys are going to be big, but they've already got the buzz, and they deserve it. I still think "Believe" sounds too much like "Plateau", but that's okay.
Sam Roberts
After The Bravery I joined the lines for the port-o-potty and quickly realized there weren't enough port-o-pottys supplied to meet the demand. I waited in line for over half an hour and missed Sam's first song. He delivered a typical Sam Roberts set which I happen to like, but he does like the lengthy jam songs. That's fine when you're headlining and have 2+ hours, but Sammy was on the clock.
Stone Temple Pilots
Without STP on the bill, I wouldn't have bought a ticket. Core was (and is) one of my favourite albums, and I spun the crap out of Purple, so seeing Scott for a third time sounded awfully appealing. My sked said STP was to hit the stage at 6:55. By 7:30, there was still no sign of them. There was also no 102.1 personality on the stage to introduce the band or explain the delay or reassure us they were coming up soon. Thank goodness I had my Blackberry to visit Scott Weiland's Wikipedia page to ensure he wasn't locked up or deceased.
Once they took the stage, I thought they started off a little shakier than usual, but as the set progressed Scott found his voice. They played just about every single they'd ever released and gave us a full show despite hitting the stage almost an hour late. For "Plush", Scott walked right by us and performed next to the light stand. They closed with "Dead and Bloated". It was a great show.
Linkin Park
I have every Linkin Park album in my collection and I nominate just about every single they release for SLS consideration, but I never really considered myself a big Linkin Park fan. I've always felt a little guilty about enjoying their rock/rap hybrid, but damn they're good live. They started with a soft touch, about three stripped down songs before they started to kick out the jams, but then they never let up. Like STP, it was hit after hit after hit. You have to see these guys live to appreciate how many hits they have in their catalogue.
After
After Linkin Park, my feet were aching, but we had a pretty lengthy walk ahead of us. We decided it would be better to haul our asses to Downsview station rather then wait for one of the Express buses. I can't tell you how good it felt to finally sit down at Downsview station.
It was a full day of great live music. Sure, about 90% of the crowd was under the age of 25, but there were plenty of dudes my age and older enjoying the day. Age truly is a matter of mind. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
Back on May 2, 2009, a bunch of us old time Humble and Fred fans got together at a Toronto pub to witness the recording of the 20th Anniversary Podcast of Memories.
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13 comments
I listened to CFNY (Edge 102) throughout the 90s. It was my favourite radio station, not just for the tunes but for the personalities. I can't remember a time at 102 before Martin Streek.
Last summer, 
Corus Radio is heavily promoting 
Last June, I took 
The Kool Haus provided an intimate setting where I could get super close to the acts without fearing for my life. This is a good thing as I'm no longer the young man I once was. In fact, it's fair to say on this night I was one of the few people over the age of 30.
