What I got for Christmas...

...And where I need to go!

Gear Santa was very nice to us all this year!

A Holiday Gift....

http://jesuitjoe.blogspot.com/2008/03/
worlds-earliest-sound-recording.html

Happy Everything to Everyone!

We hope you are all well and warm, (or lovely and cool for our travellers in Vietnam and the Mexican Riviera this holiday season)!

Had to dig out to get to hockey today, but with unlimited time at the Colosseum on Christmas Eve, well who wouldn't!

We're thinking now that our turkey may be a tad large for 3, being that only one guest has a 4 wheel drive! Oh well, fortunate to have turkey AND a white Christmas, nearly unheard of here on the coast.

Buster is finding it a little difficult...but I know his Christmas supper will cheer him up considerably.

Happy Holidays everyone, from all of us here at Rave On!

Happy Hanukkah!

Something to share from one of our favorite guys...

Jason Wilber is a great guy, and a terrific musician (He played most of the guitar on Melissa's album this past year as well as a lot on Bobby's the year before). I wanted to share this with you all, a nice story and something to think about as the year winds down.


From Cain’s Ballroom To Carnegie Hall (and back)

Happy Holidays and/or Merry Christmas to you. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. I for one am looking forward to some time at home. This past year of shows has gone by so quickly. I started it off with John Prine at Carnegie Hall and finished up this past week in Tulsa, OK just a few blocks from Cain’s Ballroom, where I played my first concert with John almost 13 years ago.

Instead of playing Cain’s Ballroom, this time we played the Brady Center, a very nice theater that looked to have been built back in the ’20’s. It’s been refurbished of course. The night after I played the Brady Center with John, I did a solo show right down the street at a little place called Dwelling Spaces. The show was set up by Scott Aycock, host of the radio show Folk Salad, who also opened the show. As luck would have it there was a small ice storm forecast to hit right at the same time as the concert and we ended up playing for 9 (very appreciative) people to the accompaniment of the falling ice crystals pelting the metal awning of the building. So it goes.

There is something poetic (to me) about starting the year playing with John Prine to a sold out crowd at Carnegie Hall and ending the year in Tulsa playing to 9 people. As my friend Stephen Bruton once explained to me: “A music career doesn’t always progress in a linear fashion.”

www.jasonwilber.com
http://jasonwilber.wordpress.com/

välkomnande Mats!

Hope you enjoy Vancouver! Liam is really excited that you're a Canuck!

Tonight's the Night...

Yep, after tonight the Christmas album events are over and I can breathe again. Thank goodness I have so many great artists and MC's participating! I have my fingers crossed that the Roxy is full of happy, spendy, slightly intoxicated people who are cheering all 7 artists on and buying as many Cd's as they can stuff in their pockets!

While back home on the farm.....Christmas gift wrapping, Juno judging duties and Christmas card making efforts prevail....

*****Note Jan 25th on your calendars - CBC.ca(streaming) or radio 2 at 8pm (across Canada - local time) for Melissa's live Concert!

AND watch your email for the annual Rave On Recipe folder...and if we don't have your email and you would like a copy please let me know! We like to share.

Note to self....

Next year, do not plan three huge events in the week before Christmas without an army of elves to help......two down, one to go and then I can relax....sort of.

Oh happy day...

A great day....even though it's chilly here, I am imagining a time not too far down the road, when Blind God will be playing the stage at the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival next August(14th-16th), and how smoking hot it will be, on and off stage!

Rheal and Judith stopped by today and grabbed a load of cds - thanks guys ~ It sure made Buster happy!

Keith had a great review of the new cd: http://www.bluesundergroundnetwork.com/Keith_Bennett_CD2.html

AND>>I have a found a great resource for bands who like to give a little back.....
http://www.yellowbirdproject.com/
Thanks Thomas....

Rest of the night will be spent finishing up some Rod Stewart, and hopefully getting some guitar tracks down for Melissa's new single, and drums finished on one of Bobby's tunes...I wonder if this is wishful thinking being that it is already midnight...hmmmm.

The days slip by...

It's nearly Christmas and sales are going well, lots of press this week and lots of sales from Ontario, and radio play now in BC, Austin TX, Australia, Japan, Germany and the Netherlands for the Christmas album.

Still work to do for upcoming benefit concerts in between editing gtrs(Bobby) and recording Melissa(Authentic), and planning for next year already (Eddie Warren)!

Also have to get the Journal ready to send off to Finland, and organize some body's books....(hopefully he will bring back enough duty free to keep himself from noticing....)....

But! I am definitely making time this year to enjoy the holidays, I smelled snow the other day and today I even built a wreath. How festive is that!

Thanks Thomas!

http://thetyee.ca/Music/2008/12/04/MelissaEndean/

Another busy and eventful week...

Another busy week, Melissa's website is launched:

www.melissaendean.com

The We Salute site is launched:

www.wesaluteourheroes.com

Plus...planning for Juno week next year, and happy news that something good has come from the Japan Trade Mission ~ Bob emailed saying that Melissa has generated some industry interest in Singapore! Gosh they have good taste over there!

She's also just completed a few print interviews and a PSA as well finishing exams this week!

Christmas CD sales are going well and I know some shops are nearly sold out of their first batch, so that is lovely!

Thomas will be reviewing Melissa in the Tyee tomorrow, and let's see what else...hmmm, oh poor hockey turn out, maybe everyone has the flu - there is a nasty one out there - (feel better Richard! www.richardkleinmusic.com).

I can't believe how on top of it we are this year though, I will actually get to enjoy the holidays...instead of looking up from my desk around February.

Lastly, this is my new favorite picture. Karen Fowlie and the 'Christmas is Tomorrow' gang. Please check out this song and the others at: www.myspace.com/veryvancouverchristmas.com!