Mike's Bloggity Blog

Hope you all had a fantastic long weekend!  I’m in Kelowna for a friend’s wedding, it was amazing.  I hope you all had some time to catch up with your friends and family…and maybe even yourself.  (Get your mind out of the gutter.)

This weekend also gave me a chance to get caught up on some video editing!  I’m so happy that last week I got the chance to meet the one and only Rick Mercer.  I didn’t want to gush too much in front of him, but for me, he is IT.  There’s no one like him in Canada and I’d be lying if I said that my work has partially been inspired by what he’s been able to accomplish.

Here’s the interview, hopefully I wasn’t blushing too much.

Look, I don’t need to write a big long intro about this interview, I mean it’s Kelly Ripa.  KELLY RIPA.  But this is what I can tell you, with her, it’s what you see is what you get.  We did this interview literally five minutes after she just finished shooting four episodes of her show in Banff and her energy was boundless.  Kelly is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met and she also happens to be one of the most famous. You and I both know that that is a rare combination.

I hope you enjoy watching the interview, as much as we enjoyed drinking through it.

I will remember this one forever.

Live! has had many different names from Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, Live! with Regis and Live! with Regis and Kelly to its current incarnation, Live! with Kelly. But one thing that has been a constant is the show’s executive producer  Michael Gelman.  Over the years, Gelman has become almost as famous the show’s hosts, which was apparent at Live! with Kelly’s recent tapings when he got the same thunderous applause that Kelly Ripa did.

When Gelman decided to bring the show to Banff, he knew it would have some challenges, so after the four tapings were done, I got to sit down with him backstage and talk about the show’s surprises and what Canadian city might be the next to get a visit from Kelly and her show.

Interviews with Kelly Ripa and Ben Mulroney still to come!

Interviewing was absolutely one of the coolest things that’s ever happened to me.  I’ve been a big fan of the band, ever since they came out over 15 years ago.  Now, five albums later the band is as great as ever.  They are currently playing a practically sold out tour across Canada and are about to release a new album.

They were recently in Calgary and I got the chance to hang out with Taylor, Zac and Isaac in their tour bus.  Even after all these years, these guys still know how to have fun at an interview and only moments later, rock out to a huge crowd.

Check out the interview!

Since starting this blog, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Dallas Green of City and Colour a few times.  He’s one of those kind people that, right before we meet, I have to remind myself that we aren’t actually friends.  But seeing someone familiar, whose career has had so much success in the past few years, it’s hard to not be proud of them, the same you would be of a friend or family member.

Hours before the first of his two sold out shows in Calgary, I got the chance to talk to the singer, but this time it felt different.  I had prepared a series of questions and was looking forward to hearing exciting stories of having a number one album (Little Hell), tales from the road and the how surreal it must be to  a North American tour that is practically sold out. Almost immediately our conversation took a different turn, one that initially got me threw me off, but then I was able to buckle myself in.  Over the span of half an hour, Dallas and I talked about his career and why, for one reason or another, it didn’t seem like enough.  Truth be told, it was shocking to hear him talk about wanting something different then his life right now, since there were people already lined up outside the concert venue, but it seemed like a thought process of anyone, famous musician or not, that nowadays is smart enough to recognize the signs, that even after you achieve all of your goals, it’s okay to feel that maybe there is more to life.

Below is our conversation, unedited.  It was surprising to me how candidly he talked about possibly walking away from his career. In fact, I really struggled with whether or not I even wanted to publish the interview. If his concerns are that he’s sharing too much of his life, why would I then publish an entire interview about that very fear.  But as I went back and listened to it a few times, I found hope in so many of the things he said.  I found it refreshing for someone, who so many people look up, to admit that 31 years old he wanted more than anything to be happy in his life, even if it meant leaving what, up until recently, seemed to be making him the happiest. Just like all of us, there are indeed challenges ahead for Dallas Green, which means that at some point, whenever he’s ready, we’ll be lucky enough to hear about it.

What’s been the biggest change since deciding to leave Alexis on Fire and work solely on City and Colour?
The biggest change is having the focus just mainly on one thing, which has been nice. One of the reasons for leaving Alexis was so that I could focus and give everything I have to City and Colour.  But in doing that, I think I’ve offered up too much to it now.  It’s become what I imagined it could be, or hoped it would be, which is good. But at the same time, it’s almost like…careful what you wish for.

Do you think then that your success came to fast?
No, I don’t think so, because it’s sorta always been bubbling.  I mean, I’ve been doing it a long time.  “Sometimes” came out in 2005, that’s seven years ago now. But I think what happened was that it was building, building and building and then all of a sudden, I was like, “Okay, here I go” and it was like, “Well, here we come too.”  So it’s sorta weird.  The American tour that we just did was really, really crazy, because it was in really big places and we sold out in city’s that I’ve never been and that was really surprising.  I mean, Canada is one thing, I’ve been working at it for a while in Canada and they’ve always welcomed me with open arms.  But anywhere else I go, I feel like I’m going to walk into a room and no one is going to show up.  So that was weird to deal with.

Do you feel like people always want something from you now?
Yeah. I’ve definitely reached that point. Not a day goes by where someone doesn’t come up to me on the street, but thankfully the people that come up to me are usually quite nice.  They’re not like belligerent or rude. Like today, I was at lunch a girl came up to me after I finished and said, “I don’t mean to bother you, but can I have an autograph?”  I said, “Of course.”  On my way here, someone walked by and just said, “Mr. Green.”  Which is nice, but it’s something that is interesting to adapt to, you’re no longer being able to walk around without one person, that you don’t know, coming up to you and talking to you.

By choosing a career in music, do you feel like maybe you asked for it?
Absolutely.  When you’re putting your music out and you’re asking people to buy it, or come see you play, you’re giving yourself to them at some point.  And I’ve always enjoyed talking to be people about it.  I don’t think I’ve ever been one to shoo them away, just because I feel like, without the people coming and listening, then I don’t have anyone to play for.   But I think I’m starting to learn that there has to come a time where I have to separate it at some point.  I think I’m realizing that I’m giving too much of myself to it and when I get home, I have nothing left to give to my family. Emotionally, I’m finding that I’m becoming a little bit disconnected with the people who are truly in my life.

How do you think you can make the separation happen?
I don’t know. I’m just sorta starting to get to this point and then I have to move forward and figure it out. I guess the first step is to realize what that problem is and work towards fixing it.

I guess that’s what happens when your hobby becomes your career.
For me it was never about this, (signals around to the auditorium), as much as I’d hoped that people would listen to my music, it was more about just writing and singing and playing for anybody. So, I’m so thankful and lucky that I’ve gotten to a point like this, but I’m also not a guy who did this so I could do interviews, be in magazines or be on television. I never wanted to be that guy.  But now, I have to learn how to deal with the fact that I am that guy, and how to still maintain a sense of myself and at the same time, becoming this.

Are there examples of people who’ve walked away and then come back, that come to mind?
Look at Leslie (Feist), she was away for four years and just recently put out an album. She was just like, fuck it, I’m going to take my time. Whether it was writer’s block or an emotional feeling or whatever, but I’ve always felt compelled to go and play for people. Especially with the City and Colour happening the way it did. When Alexis on Fire would finish, I felt obligated to go and play for all these people who were showing interest in these songs. And then when I was done that, I would have to go and make another Alexis record. I’ve been putting out records steady every year since 2004 and touring.

You married television host Leah Miller, so your personal life is also public. Does it feel like you can’t get away?
You know, the other day, Leah and I realized that in six years, we have never spent a span of two months together. We never realized it until the other day. The same thing, you just grow accustomed to where your life is. So that’s another thing I’d like to change too, I’d like to have more time trying to be a person. What am I working so hard for?  That’s what I’m trying to figure out.  I have this far off goal, I guess, that I’m trying to reach, by never taking a break.  But I don’t know what that is? Whether it’s that constant of playing or the constant of writing and that’s the goal to be constantly doing that, I don’t know.

Maybe it would be exciting to just try something completely different, maybe Mr. Green is a music teacher now…
Yesterday we were walking to the bus and I said, “I think I’d like to move to the Yukon for a year and work.” Maybe something like that would give me an appreciation, because I’m feeling at this point, I’m starting to resent it or I’m starting to not enjoy it as much as I used to.  It’s like I’m falling out of love with it. And I don’t want that to happen, I don’t want to be the sad successful guy. And I feel like I’m approaching that. I feel like I’m dropping  a lot on you, I apologize.

No, don’t apologize.  I’ve always enjoyed our conversations. Let’s change it up a little bit though, let’s talk about your fashion.  Do you consider yourself fashionable?
Yeah, I do. I don’t consider myself fashionable in the sense that I want to be up on the latest trends, I consider myself fashionable in the sense that I do like to wear a nice shirt and a good pair of pants that fits me, I love men’s fashion. I think the bulk of the interneting I do is men’s fashion blogs.  I shop a lot.  I like clothes, I always have.  I think now that men’s fashion is at a really great point and it’s a little more accessible then it was, say, when I was growing up. The thing is now, I like to dress like a man, if that makes sense. In the early days of Alexis on Fire, I was dressing like a kid, which is fine.  I was wearing tight jeans and t-shirts, dressing like a guy that’s in a band, but now I’m thirty one years old and I’m kinda more inspired by my grandfather more than Motley Crue.

Our grandfathers had amazing style.
This renaissance of Men’s fashion and Americana and its history is interesting, if you look back at old photos of the dudes who threw on a pair of Levis or a pair of Red Wings and a work jacket and then they went to work, they looked great.

No matter the ages of the people in your audience, I think it’s safe to say that you’ve influenced them. Whether it’s to be a musician, or to make a change…
Or grow a beard?

Yes, or grow a beard, or with your fashion.  What does it feel like to be an influencer?
It’s interesting, because I’m definitely influenced by things, I always feel like I’m not worthy to influence people. Like, when I see that someone has a tattoo of my lyrics, I’m always like, “Fuck, why did you do that?” but then, I have tattoos of band’s lyrics, but I look at it separately.  I don’t understand why someone would get what I wrote.  I completely understand getting something that someone wrote, because I have that, but…

But there’s a lot of celebrities and musicians, who would think that people should have those lyrics tattooed on them.
But I’m just not that guy.

But how do you not let any of this affect you?
I just don’t have any faith in myself. That’s it.

Where do you get faith in yourself then?
I don’t. I look for it.  You know, that’s what I write about, I try and write to help me with things like that. I’m constantly unsatisfied, it’s not the happiest way to live, but it keeps me the way I am. And I would rather be unsatisfied and humble, then satisfied and a prick.  And I think there’s just so many people that deserve it and feel like they are owed that fame, but I don’t. I appreciate it more than I feel like I deserve it.  Leah is the same way. We both come from nothing too, which I think helps. We’ve earned what we have accomplished and it helps that we found each other and we’re both the same. I get home from tour and we sit on our couch and we watch our shows.  It helps having someone who doesn’t give a shit who you are, you know? Leah doesn’t care that I’m a musician that play big rooms like this one, she cares more about the person that I am that she knows. Like I tell her, I’d rather her not wear any makeup, she doesn’t have to wear make up and wear high heels to make me like her.

So you seem to be at a pinnacle in your career and life.  Is there something that you think you could have done differently ten years ago, something that would have liked to tell yourself?
No, I don’t think so. Obviously I could say, don’t grow your bangs out long, maybe don’t tattoo your hands and don’t wear that pink shirt. But that’s all a way to get to where you wanna be.  My mom has a photo of the day I got my first haircut and it was the same haircut I have now.  Short on the side, a little bit up top and I was like, that’s how I started and I’m probably going to finish life with this haircut, but in between, I’ve gone through so many different levels, but you have to go through all those things. I think by going through this ten years of straight work and back and forth and figuring out that I really just want to be here, and now getting to a point where I need to start getting to a point where I appreciate it, because I’m either going to become something I hate by turning into that guy that we were just talking about, or I’m going to walk away from it forever. Which I also don’t want to do. I think too, that if I go away for a certain amount of time, people aren’t going to be there when I get back. But I’m starting to realize that most of the people that like my music, like it for the right reasons and they’ll stick with me and wait for me to come back.

I feel like you’re a musician of the people, that when you’re on stage, it feels like you’re just our friend singing songs.
Yeah, I think I am. There’s definitely, nowadays, some people who are here because they heard one song on the radio, or they heard it was the cool thing to do, but I think that 90% of the people that come to these shows are here for the songs, you know?  At least that’s what I hope.

If I can just weigh in, I think this is an exciting time for you because for the first time in ten years, you don’t know what’s next.
I’ve attained way more than I ever thought I could.  There’s people who grew up wanting to be the biggest and the best and never get there. But all I ever wanted to do was play my songs for some people and I’ve done that over and over. And I’ve reached a point where I never thought I could, and I think that’s the problem too, I don’t know what I’m looking for, so I have to figure it out.

I bet you will.
I think I will.  I’ll figure it out.

City and Colour will be touring across the country until February 25th. 

Two weeks into its third season, Republic of Doyle is one of Canada’s biggest shows.  The episodes of both brought in audiences well over a million viewers and shows no sign of slowing down.

So who is behind the blockbuster show?  Well, that would be the one and only Allan Hawco, who I recently got a chance to sit down with and chat about the show’s success, the big guest stars and why, no matter what, he always seems to have his shirt off.

Check out the video above.

Republic of Doyle airs Wednesdays on CBC.

Jill Barber has one of those voices that makes you stop and try to find someone to date almost immediately.  If you’re not single, then her smooth and jazzy voice will have you heading to the flower shop before you know it.

At her recent stop in Calgary, during her 36 city tour, I got the chance to sit down with Jill, as her band warmed up on stage. Tucked in a dimly lit corner of Knox United church, I wanted to know why it was so important for her to go on such an extensive tour and more importantly, where’d she get the energy from!

I also wanted to see if I could get her approval on something. A few weeks ago, Barber found the time to write a piece for The Globe and Mail, listing her favourite places to eat when she’s on the road.  Since she’s such a foodie, I thought I’d ask Jill to try a little dish that I whipped up myself, granted it wasn’t a restaurant quality meal, but you’ll have to see what she thought about it.

Watch the video above to see which Canadian celeb couple Jill and her husband Grant Lawrence thinks they could beat at the Newlywed Game!

Well here we go, it’s time to introduce you to my new project: my first every video blog, or as I’m calling them, Vloggity Vlogs.

For my first vloggity, I wanted to make sure I got someone big, so I was pumped when W. Brett Wilson said that he’d be up for the challenge. So on a sunny Calgary afternoon, I got to hang out in his office, and talk about everything from his three years on Dragon’s Den, his new show Risky Business and if we, as Canadians, could be doing more with our money.

Oh and I tried to guess his first name too.

Take a look and let me know what you think, I’d love to start doing these a little more regularly.  The editing is a little rough, it was kinda my first time with iMovie, but hopefully improvement will come with practice.

Most people know Howie Dorough for being one part of the hugely successful boy group The Backstreet Boys. While AJ and Nick were off busy making headlines and reality shows, Dorough has quietly been cultivating a solid career that goes beyond stadiums filled with screaming fans.   Just a few weeks ago, Howie released his very first solo single and it’s been quickly been moving up the charts, even cracking the Top 30 MuchMure countdown.  If staying on top of two succesful careers and touring wasn’t enough, Howie D also has a management company named 3 Street Management, that has made stars out of Canadian acts like George Nozuka and Neverest.

On his recent trip through Calgary with the NKOTBSB tour, I caught up with Howie backstage to talk about his new single, the upcoming album and why it seems like Canada is his second home.

Your first solo album Back to Me will be out in November, how was the adjustment in the studio from working with a band, to doing a solo project?
It’s been an awesome journey for me. Each of the Backstreet Boys came from solo backgrounds, so we all had solo aspirations. But with the group, we really took time to work on that and the career of the group itself. But then, as time went on, our fans have been asking us, little by little, to do solo stuff. I’ve been working on mine for the past five years.

Why did you wait so long?
I wanted to make sure I took the time to find the right sound, because it’s all about the first impression. When you step outside of the box, some people might want you to go back to where you were, or other people might be excited and open their arms to you. But really it’s all about the music.

But it was awesome, you know, going into the studio, and now what’s going to be on the CD is really exciting.

How did you choose the songs for the album?
I’m a firm reliever that the cream will rise to the top. With the Backstreet Boys we recorded a lot of songs, because you just don’t know what’s going to be the best, what grows on people. I do listening sessions with my management or my wife, she’s really good at picking stuff. Certain songs will just move you, or linger in your head, so those are the ones that I keep coming back to.

What’s the writing process been like for you?
I didn’t really even start writing music until I was in the group. I was experimenting and it was rubbish. But in time, I was able to work with lots of great writers and I learned like a sponge. I learned from them the things to do, not to do and how not just the normal way of saying things.

How did you come up with the sound for it?
I started off a little more in the latin direction and then I thought about it more and more, I thought about our international fan base, and I didn’t want to zone in just one type of music that maybe isn’t appreciated world wide. So I decided to get back to the roots of Backstreet Boys and the Euro-dance feel, but I’ve always been a positive energy person, so the dance sound just really works with me.

How did you end up working with Canadian producers The Kuya Brothers on the first single “100” ?
I was doing a lot of writing for my own record, and then management had put the call out for people to write songs. I’m a firm believer in a hit song can come from anywhere. I’m not one of those artists that thinks, “I have to write every song myself.” It was one of my favourite songs and I fell in love with it. I do a lot of work in Canada, I’ve really studied the market up here and I’m familiar with things like CANCON and how to get your music heard on the radio. The video is actually directed by a Canadian director named RT. There’s something in the water here, just a lot of Canadian love.

You’ve developed a few Canadian artists with your management company 3 Street Management, what do you look for in Canadian artists?
It’s all about the full package. First of all, the music has to speak for itself. The fact that Neverest and George were self-contained, writing their own music and involved in the production of their sound was great. Neverest won me over when they performed for me acoustically, and it was straight raw vocals. They almost had a little bit of an Eagles vibe, then when I heard them produced with the music and their sound went to a mix of One Republic and The Backstreet Boys. They have different dynamics to their sound.

What sort of advice do you give your artists?
I think that’s there’s a benefit that I can relate so much. When they have questions about their shows or their songs, or audience reactions, they can look at me and tell them what I do myself, as opposed to just a manager who is just straight business and doesn’t know the artistic side. I always encourage them to be very hands on with their contracts, take them to the lawyers if you have to. I know in the early days of the Backstreet Boys, you sign deals that you look back on and wish you had someone go over it with you. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and maybe the mistakes that I made, gave me the chance to learn and help other people make the same mistake.

The Backstreets Boys have sold more than 100 million albums around the world, you still sell out stadiums, growing up, did you envision this sort of life?
I did. I really did. As a little kid, I always looked up to Michael Jackson, Madonna and New Edition and I always envisioned myself performing on the stage with lots of people. I don’t know if I knew exactly what was entailed in the work behind the scenes. A lot of people think it’s just waking up, performing later on in the night, going to the parties, they don’t realize the work that it takes to get to that point on stage and then stay at the level is even harder. There’s sound checks, videos, photo shoots and media. I enjoy all that, it keeps it different for me.

What do you think accounts for the group’s longevity?
I think it all boiled down to making the right choices. We pride ourselves in making good music, music that’s timeless. A lot of the stuff we didn’t write, but we didn’t have egos enough to say “this shouldn’t be on our record.” We made decisions like making sure we had the right team of people that could capture our vision, our sound. Also, we had to evolve, with our music, with our fans.

Let’s do a BSB Rapid Fire! Who was the last Backsteet Boy to…
Surprise you: Kevin Richardson
Teach you: All of them taught me golf.
Make you laugh: Nick.
Go to your house for dinner: Kevin and Brian.
Encourage your career: AJ
Watch a movie with you: AJ
Borrow your clothes: Brian’s the clepto, he’s the same size as me, so we have to make sure our clothes are separate.

For more on Howie, make sure you check out his website. “100” is available for download on Itunes and Back To Me has a November 22nd release date.

It’s been a long twelve months for fans of Dan For Mayor and its star Fred Ewanuick. Probably most known as the lovable Hank Yarbo on Corner Gas, his new series is about to enter it’s second season when it premieres tonight on CTV.

A lot can happen to a show in a year, and we’re not just talking about the fact that Dan is now the mayor of Wessex, Ontario. Gone are some of last year’s cast and the show will now have a different feel to it.

In my brand new interview with Fred, we talked about the show’s new direction, CTV’s delayed scheduling of the show and of course, the Canucks.

The first season was about Dan wanting to be mayor and now, spoiler alert, he is!  Does the show have a different feel?
Fred: I always felt like the first season was one big 13 episode pilot and now we can tell funnier stories.

For fans of the show’s first season, what can they expect to be different?
Fred: I think the obvious one is that Dan is mayor now.  Unfortunately, we lost a couple of actors because they got other jobs, but in a weird round-about way, it actually benefited the show.  In the sense that it’s now centered around a central group of characters, so the stories are tighter and there’s not so many different story lines going on. So fans can expect it to be funnier!

Dan For Mayor has been off of CTV’s schedule for nearly an entire year.  How have you felt about CTV’s treatment of the show?
Fred: Well I’m not going to lie, it’s frustrating, but I’ve got a pretty good grasp on how things work now, so I understand why it’s happening, the way our industry is in Canada, the Canadian network schedule is dictated by the American network schedule and they want to get that to get that extra advertising dollar.   It makes sense, CTV is a private company, but it doesn’t make it any better, it sorta feels like you are taking the backseat in your own country, which is frustrating, but you can’t really blame them for making money.

Does it help that the same thing has happened to Hiccups?
Fred: It definitely makes it a little easier to swallow when both shows are going through it.  If they picked their favourite and was giving the other show all the attention, then you’d be like…oh okay, I guess I know where we understand.

What are some of the highlights from the upcoming season?  Any scoop?
Fred: What I like that they did in this season is that it’s not just making fun of Dan.  He is actually a proactive mayor and trying to do a good job.  Of course, he is naïve and he doesn’t know what he’s doing and everyone around him keeps getting in the way, so Dan’s always in a little bit of a mess and he’s got to try and get himself out of it. Some things look forward to is a rival mayor’s pet goat, garbage issues and we meet the police chief.  And Claire is trying to get her life in order after moving from Vancouver.

Are any of the story lines from real municipal government life?
Fred: You know what, I don’t know.  That all comes from the writers.  I do know that in the first season, there was a storyline from Edmonton. Funny enough, I don’t read enough news to know for sure, but I should read more.

Both of your most well known characters (Dan and Hank from Corner Gas) are always the underdogs.  What’s the best part about being the underdog?
Fred: Everybody cares for you! Nobody wants to play a character that no one likes, it’s like the Vancouver Canucks!  No one likes the Canucks right now, I guess it’s cause we are the favourites. You always want to see the underdogs, like Boston, do well.   One of the things I love about Dan and Hank is that they are honest guys, I like playing honest characters.

On Corner Gas, you were very much a part of an ensemble, does having the lead load feel like you have more responsibility?
Fred: There’s definitely more responsibility…and a bigger work load.  Dan is definitely the central character, but it doesn’t feel like I’m the lead.  This season especially feels like an ensemble.  Dan being the mayor, is just the situation. Cause as the season goes on, the rest of the characters take up equal amount of time.

Dan For Mayor premiers on CTV Sunday night.