REFRAIN MUSIC

That’s right to celebrate 25 pure years of East Coast music, Refrain Music is heading back to where it all began.  From March 6-10, 2013, Halifax’s downtown will play host to thousands of musicians, industry people, and a multitudes of fans.  East Coast Music Week starts today…join us on our journey through the biggest celebration of East Coast music!  Look for the new ECMA iPhone and Android app to keep track of all of this weeks goings on in Halifax…more to come!!

Schedule  

www.ecma.com

 This musical trip started off a bit slow due to other commitments, travel time and such but last night we rocked on the Halifax waterfront at the Waterfront Warehouse.  The events seem a bit more spread out this year making it a bit tougher to cover multiple venues in one night (some being way over in Dartmouth unfortunately) so Friday night was spent at the Porter Airlines R&B / Soul stage.  A packed house rocked to the likes of Chris Kirby, Cyndi Cain, Charlie A’Court (who won R&B/Soul Recording of the Year and Blues Recording of the Year for his album Triumph & Disaster), Chris Martin, and more!  (See pics below)  The Waterfront Warehouse is normally a restaurant right on the Halifax waterfront that was converted on this night into a great live entertainment venue.  We had planned to venture to a few other places on Friday night but were getting messages that some of the other smaller venues downtown were at capacity and weren’t even letting in media with passes.  This mattered not as the music was so great at the venue we were in we stayed the whole night, and there was not one act we did not enjoy.

Here we go Saturday…after a late night Friday, we decided to check out the new-ish Halifax Seaport Market on Saturday morning.  There was even music everywhere here, with tastes for everyone, seeing a bass made out of a wash tub, string and a bauer hockey stick (how Canadian) was awesome.  The two floor market is huge, with fresh quality food everywhere and the citizens of Halifax are obviously loving it, as it was packed.

Wandering the city for the afternoon was a great time, on this mild sunny day stopping into various shops, eating in local restaurants, taking pictures, and just enjoying the day.  I was surprised however to see a lack of downtown advertising for the ECMA weekend, I saw one billboard near the Seaport Market, but was stunned not to see more.  In other years, for example in 2012, signage lined the streets letting everyone know that the ECMA’s were in town.  I expected to hear/see much more than I did, particularly with it being the 25th anniversary of the event in the city it started in.

Gearing up for Saturday night I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my surprise to find that several of the acts we wanted to see were in a location far from the rest of the events.  The ‘country’ acts were mostly relegated to a bar located way over in Dartmouth, an almost 20 minute drive away from the event we were at the previous night.  This was poor planning in my opinion and left us with no choice but to stick with the downtown venues both Friday and Saturday, missing the acts at the above mentioned location.

Saturday night started with a trip to Casino Nova Scotia to the UPS Rock Stage where we checked out bands like Carmen Townsend, Motorleague, Gloryhound, and Slowcoaster.  This was definitely and ‘ear plug’ inducing event, it was rocking, and it was loud (almost too loud)!  The highlight for me was Carmen Townsend who is always great live and even did a version of “Sabotage” with the lead singer of Motorleague.  Next up we were off to the Delta for the ‘late night’ stage that started at 12:00am and ran until 3:00am.

Walking in to the Delta ‘late night’ event we were a little confused as to where the actual event was, surrounded by musicians and event goers with no clear direction as to where to go.  Upon asking the desk clerk we travelled to the 8th floor.  When entering the ball room (which was smaller than expected) we were greeted by welcome addition, a young lady selling hot food snacks like chicken souvlaki, fish & chips, hot dogs…score!

This event featured an interesting smorgasboard of musical acts from Australian folk, to indie-pop, and beatboxing.  Cole and Van Dijk, exchange musicians from Australia, started the night off with a lighter fare presented on guitar and fiddle.  In complete contrast, up next was The Cauldron Project, that amped up the volume and took those that had arrived so far by surprise.  The group appears more like a ‘metal band’ than a group that raps in the style of groups like Prodigy and Cypress Hill, their final song featured on drums Adam Gould from Moncton (Last year’s President of the ECMA organizing committe).  The next two acts were highlights of the weekend for me, with PEI’s “Coyote” laying out an 80’s infused indie-pop set that had the crowd hopping and had “The Breakfast Club” popping into my head.  Coyote is a fun band that really had the crowd on their feet and wanting more.  Up next was local hip-hop favorites “Three Sheet”, they are hard to classify as they feature a guitar and bass player, a beatboxer that was crazy good, a rapper, and a female vocalist/rapper.  I can see why they are really making a name for themselves being nominated, and winning, awards as these guys are crazy good and highly entertaining.

It’s just been announced the 2014 ECMA’s will be held in Charlottetown, PEI from April 02-06, I encourage anyone close to get out and see even one of the night’s events.  With over two thousand musicians converging on the event every year there is usually something for everyone at one of the locations.  Thanks to the ECMA’s, the city of Halifax, and all the fantastic musicians…keep doing what you do!

 

Congratulations to the 2013 East Coast Music Award Recipients!

Aboriginal Recording of the Year / Enregistrement autochtone de l’année

• Lone Cloud – We Are Medicine People *WINNER*

African-Canadian Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Musique afro-canadienne

• Cam Smith – Ocean Blue 

Album of the Year / Album de l’année

• Matt Mays – Coyote (Producer: Matt Mays)

Blues Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Blues

• Charlie A’Court – Triumph & Disaster

Children’s Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Jeunesse

• Donna & Andy – La vie pour moi

Classical Composition of the Year / Composition classique de l’année

• Derek Charke  – Between the Shore and the Ships

Classical Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Classique

• Helen Pridmore and Wesley Ferriera – Between the Shore and the Ships

Country Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Country

• RyLee Madison – Where Does The Time Go

Electronic Recording of the Year / Enregistrement électronique de l’année

• English Words – Red Potion 

The Chronicle Herald Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year / Artiste de l’année – Choix du public

• The Stanfields

The Chronicle Herald Fan’s Choice Video of the Year / Vidéoclip de l’année  – Choix du public

• George Canyon – Saddle Up (Director: Warren Sonoda)

Folk Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Folk

• Rose Cousins – We Have Made A Spark

Enregistrement francophone de l’année / Francophone Recording of the Year

• Vishtèn – Mōsaïk

Gospel Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Gospel

• Stephanie Mainville – Old Man Winter 

Group Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Groupe

• The Stanfields – Death & Taxes

Jazz Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Jazz

• Joel Miller – Swim

Pop Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Pop

• Jenn Grant – The Beautiful Wild

R&B/Soul Recording of the Year / Enregistrement R&B/Soul de l’année

• Charlie A’Court – Triumph & Disaster

Rap/Hip-Hop Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Rap / hip-hop

• Radio Radio – Havre de Grâce

Rising Star Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Étoiles de demain

• Ben Caplan – In the Time of the Great Remembering

Rock Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Rock

• Joel Plaskett Emergency – Scrappy Happiness

Roots/Traditional Group Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Folklore / traditionnel – Groupe

• The Once – Row Upon Row of the people They Know

Roots/Traditional Solo Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Folklore / traditionnel – Artiste solo

• Tim Chaisson – The Other Side

Solo Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Artiste solo

• Rose Cousins – We Have Made A Spark

Song of the Year / Chanson de l’année

• Dave Gunning – These Hands

Songwriter of the Year / Compositeur ou compositrice de l’année

• Rose Cousins – Go First (Composer: Rose Cousins)

Traditional Instrumental Recording of the Year / Enregistrement instrumental traditionnel de l’année

• Natalie MacMaster – Cape Breton Girl

World Recording of the Year / Enregistrement de l’année – Musiques du monde

• Gypsophilia – Constellation