Hey kids. What’s the secret of great comedy? TIMING.
Just as we were starting to post our latest podcast, this weeks guest Brent Butt posted this message:
Sorry for the Butt Bummer.
However, we have some great news. Brent Butt, star of Corner Gaswill still be the special guest of the MulliganStew Podcast.
After all, this is the comedian, writer, actor who created small town funny for 6 years with Corner Gas. Then the movie and finally the animated version. Brent’s fans stick to him like super glue.
Please Enjoy this audio and video visit from the man himself., Brent Butt.
Click the YouTube tab at the top of the page and you’re magically transported into Brent’s garage.
When you think about the history of popular music – especially Rock & Roll, the names of Elvis Presley and David Bowie are always at the top of the list. Amazingly, they were born on the same day Jan 8 – Elvis in 1935 and David Bowie 1947.
I thought it was time to have a listen to artists influenced by both.
Everyone has a little Elvis in them. From The Clash to Bruce Springsteen. Bowie’s influence wasn’t just with words and music. David showed that you could write and become a character. Then change that character every several years. Elvis stayed Elvis right up to the end. Bowie was constantly changing and bringing his fans along with him.
The feature includes artists influenced by both.
For Elvis – Paul Simon, Ry Cooder, Billy Cowsill, Clapton, Norah Jones (Little Willies), and Bob Dylan.
For David Bowie – Queen, Mott the Hoople, Peter Gabriel, Natalie Merchant, Rickie Lee Jones.
PLUS
And I found a small portion of a much longer interview I did with David Bowie many years ago. (Thanks to Duke for the audio save)
Bowie talks about leaving his characters behind, his first impressions of touring the USA, and whether his fans have followed him through his various personas.
The Mulligan Stew Podcast is Brent Butt…who has hit the stand-up road again.
Jan 20 in Canmore and the 21st at the Arden.
The Zoom recording can be seen on the Mulligan Stew YouTube Channel as well. Click the tab at the top of the page
Sometimes lost in the debate is one of our greatest resources, “Funny”.
We do funny as well as anyone.
Dan Aykroyd. Martin Short. Andrea Martin, John Candy. The people of Schitt’s Creek, Second City, Kids in the Hall, Norm MacDonald, Samantha Bee, Jim Carrey, Lorne Michaels to name just a few. That’s not even counting the writers, directors, and producers who do funny, under the radar.
They all went South to work and became stars in the US. Go for “The Show”
Rick Mercer, our guest this week has created an astounding career and profile. Rick achieved fame making Canadians laugh. At themselves! Rick stayed in Canada and mined comedy gold. He has released his very personal memoir, Rick Mercer. Talking to Canadians.
It’s funny, clever, and revealing from cover to cover.
He first came to fame with Show Me the Button I’ll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die, a one-man show that toured across Canada. He co-created and was a resident performer on CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and was the host of The Rick Mercer Report, CBC’s highest-rated comedy show, for fifteen seasons. Rick is co-chair of the Spread the Net campaign, dedicated to preventing the spread of Malaria in Africa, and has also campaigned for the Canadian AIDS Society’s The Walk for Life project. His many honours include 21 Geminis and the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award. He is from St. John’s and currently resides in Toronto.
That one day, when most of The World pauses for Christmas and the Holidays!
For many, it’s a religious time. For others, it’s a gathering of “the clan”. Family and dear friends. Unfortunately for some, it’s the loneliest day of the year.
So. How to create two hours of music that becomes a warm backdrop to all those listeners. That was the assignment I gave myself.
The first hour features songs that give a sense of time and place. Some aren’t even Christmas songs but they speak to the feelings of the season.
HOUR TWO features a lost episode of Christmas in the Round.
Its from the first Christmas at Roundhouse Radio in Vancouver’s East Side.
It’s a tribute to Christmas specials that Roy Forbes, Shari Ulrich and I did way back in our CBC Radio days.
The “gathering” included road warriors Barney Bentall, Craig Northey (Odds), Jim Byrnes, Shaun Verreault (Wide Mouth Mason) plus originals Roy Forbes and Shari Ulrich.
Trading songs and stories for an entire second hour of this Christmas Stew.
I hope you like this Christmas Day Christmas Stew. I was moved just putting it together.
Now, I’m going to see the one person I know who is alone and let him know he’s loved and surrounded by friends.
Maybe leave him a dram or two.
Is there someone you know is alone this Christmas? I can only hope this music will lift your soul the way it did me.
Have a warm and wonderful Christmas. We will meet again on New Years Day.
The very first time I heard The Bros Landreth my heart jumped “those boys were raised on Little Feat (One of the very best bands to ever step onto a stage. Anywhere)
They were led by the late Lowell George. Lead singer, primary writer, singular guitarist.
When I got to interview Joey and brother David, they spun a story of growing up in Winnipeg. Their father was a well-known working musician and the house was filled with Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Poco records but the most popular were the early 70’s albums by Little Feat. (Little Feat. Sailin’ Shoes. Dixie Chicken. Feats don’t fail me now)
It was a true musical education.
This all leads us to this Podcast featuring Joey Landreth and his new solo album All that you dream.
It’s a tribute to Lowell George and Little Feat. A “thank you” if you will.
Turns out, we’re the ones who should be saying thank you. It’s a beautiful table full of the Little Feat Dixie Chicken. One generation saluting another.
The Bros are headed back to Europe for tour dates (listed here)
Remarkably they are even bigger stars in Europe than here but that imbalance will surely change this year when this killer solo album is joined by the next Bros Landreth album, in the Spring!
In the recently released film Swan Song, Oscar winnerMahershala Ali plays Cameron, an illustrator involved in a happy marriage, father of one with another on the way. He’s also terminally ill. This being the future, a medical procedure exists which allows Cameron to be cloned and have his memories and DNA implanted in the clone. The clone then returns to Cameron’s wife Naomie Harris and family, so that they don’t have to deal with the grief of losing him.
In his first leading role, Mahershala Ali takes on a demanding role. Playing both Cameron and his clone. Taking the stereotypical double role, he shaped it with such an amazing level of sensitivity and genuine craft, that he matched his work in his Oscar-winning Moonlight and The Green Book roles. He’ll very likely be in the middle of the Critics Choice and Oscar races yet again.
Swan Song also stars Glenn Close, Adam Beach, Awkwafina and is written for the screen and directed by our guest this week Academy Award winnerBenjamin Cleary
It’s that seasonal fulcrum when we all start counting the days until Christmas Day.
7-6-5-4-3-2-1.. Comes The Day.
For a child, it’s pure magic!
These two hours are intended for the child in all of us. Embrace the season, remind those you love that you love them. Reconnect with family and friends.
A week from today Christmas Day arrives like an old friend.
This Saturday – the 18th – is two hours of music. Songs and artists were chosen for their passion and honesty.
We start with Ben Harper and the Soweto Gospel Choir singing Coldplay’s Fix You.
Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, Fleet Foxes, Calexico, John Prine, Joni, Emmylou, Alan Doyle, Blue Rodeo, Tom Petty, Aretha, Darlene Love, The Reverend Shawn Amos and the wonderful piano of Bill Sample and many more.
And on Christmas Day ..music to get you through meal prep and the first-ever replay of a 2015 Christmas in the Round. Sharing songs and stories are Barney Bentall, Shari Ulrich, Roy Forbes, Craig Northey, Jim Byrnes, and Shaun Verreault from Wide Mouth Mason. All together in the same room. Singing, playing and remembering past Christmas’.
The New Years Day show will be laying the best tracks of the year plus classics I know you like. The Mulligan Stew Podcaston New Year’s Eve will be Rick Mercer, talking about his memoir Talking to Canadians.
Eric Wright, a founding member of the Juno winning The Fretless, is the guest. Their latest album is called Open House.
The Fretless is Trent Freeman (Fiddle/Viola), Karrnnel Sawitsky (Fiddle/Viola), BenPlotnick(Fiddle/Viola), and Eric Wright (Cello).
Open House is a 10 song vocal collaboration album and the first project that The Fretless feature vocals on all the tracks and in such a prominent role. They teamed up with Dan Mangan for a spin on his single “Troubled Mind“. Up next was Celeigh Cardinal featured on a version of William Prince’s “Earthly Days“, Nuela Charles on a gorgeous rendition of “Stay“. And most recently The Bros. Landreth on a version of their song “Let It Lie” and 6 more artists.
Outreach and inspiring the next generation of string players is very much a part of The Fretless ’ethos. They continue to support numerous fiddle camps, masterclass’ and workshops around the world, not only as instructors but as mentors. Over the past few years, they have connected with notable organizations such as the Calgary Youth Orchestra and the Luxembourg Youth Orchestra, creating and performing full orchestral arrangements of Fretless tunes.
Eric says the Fretless are modern folk. To the ear, they sound like a rock band with violins, violas, and Eric on cello. They happily share their creative space with other artists.