The
      Cadre
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      6
      October
      1998
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Arts
      and
      Entertainment
      15
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mad
      about
      Halifax
      On
      Music
      Ill
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (in
      a
      good
      way)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      KAREN
      RAWLINES
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      third
      installment
      of
     
     
      the
      venerable
      Halifax
      On
     
     
      Music
      festival,
      presented
      by
     
     
      Proper
      Productions,
      survived
     
     
      a
      handful
      of
      big
      name
      fallouts
     
     
      in
      fine
      style
      by
      thriving
      on
      the
     
     
      spirit
      that
      underscores
      one
      of
     
     
      the
      strongest
      independent
      mu-
     
     
      sic
      scenes
      on
      the
      map.
     
    

    
     
      Three
      headlining
      acts
     
     
      booked
      to
      the
      three
      day
      festi-
     
     
      val,
      which
      ran
      from
      Septem-
     
     
      ber,
      balked
      at
      their
      show
      cases.
     
     
      Will
      Oldham
      (Palace
      Music,
     
     
      etc.)
      was
      a
      -no-show.
      Mary
     
     
      Lou
      Lord
      cancelled.
      The
      Brian
     
     
      Jonestown
      Massacre
      was
      ab-
     
     
      sent.
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      the
      odds
      against
     
     
      them,
      Halifax
      On
      Music
      pre-
     
     
      fers
      the
      glass
      half
      full,
      and
     
     
      opted
      to
      amplify
      what
      was
      left
     
     
      of
      their
      still
      savourable
      roster.
     
     
      Organizers
      and
      the
      bevy
      of
     
     
      bands
      on
      site
      rallied
      to
      over-
     
     
      come
      the
      streak
      of
      bad
      luck.
     
    

    
     
      The
      high
      profile
      absen-
     
     
      teeism
      was
      perhaps
      the
      best
     
     
      thing
      thatcould
      happen
      to
      many
     
     
      bands,
      as
      the
      onus
      was
      put
      on
     
     
      show
      goers
      to
      look
      beyond
      the
     
     
      names,
      stylish
      habits
      and
      repu-
     
     
      tations
      of
      famed
      ones,
      and
      to
     
     
      appreciate
      the
      strengths
      of
      the
     
     
      next
      wave
      of
      popular.
     
    

    
     
      The
      pace
      of
      a
      festival
      of
     
     
      this
      calibre
      does
      notallow
      even
     
     
      the
      most
      skilled’
      of
      club-hop-
     
     
      pers
      to
      soak
      in
      all
      of
      the
      sonic
     
     
      condensed
      into
      one
      weekend.
     
     
      Still,
      stand-outs
      got
      their
      just
     
     
      desserts
      with
      appreciation
     
     
      untainted
      by
      brooding
      ticket
     
    
   
   
    
     
      holders
      who
      still
      mourned
      the
     
     
      artists
      that
      were
      playing
     
     
      hooky.
     
     
      Especially
      Impressive
     
     
      status
      goes
      uncontestedly
      to
     
     
      The
      Mooney
      Suzuki
      of
      big,
     
     
      bad
      New
      York
      City.
      Maxi-
     
     
      mum
      rock
      posturing,
      clean
      and
     
     
      0-so-very
      loud
      sound
      made
      this
     
     
      white-turtle-necked/black-
     
     
      jeaned
      four
      piece
      a
      most
     
     
      memorable
      act.
      They
      played
     
     
      a
      table-crushing
      set
      with
      bad
     
     
      PA
      at
      the
      Bike
      Shop;
      an
      ironi-
     
     
      cally
      hard,
      after
      hours
      set
      at
     
     
      the
      divine
      Dio
      Mio
      Gelato;
      then
     
     
      ended
      the
      weekend
      by
      louding
     
     
      their
      way
      into
      the
      hearts
      of
     
     
      festival
      organizers
      to
      win
      a
     
     
      replacement
      top-billing
      at
      the
     
     
      "Grand
      Finalee"
      [a
      typo
      that
     
     
      makes
      sense].
      They
      played
     
     
      their
      mad
      ("in
      a
      good
      way”)
     
     
      hearts
      out
      every
      show,
      and
     
     
      took
      Brian
      Jonestown
      Massa-
     
     
      cre’s
      place
      free
      of
      charge.
     
     
      ond
      shiniest
      show
     
     
      honours
      go
      to
      Cinnamon
      Toast
     
     
      records
      and
      their
      fifth
      annual
     
     
      Cinnamon
      Toast
      Brunch
      at
     
     
      Rye’s
      Deli
      and
      Pub.
      The
      ever
     
     
      inimitable
      Piggy
      offered
      their
     
     
      ebullient
      Maritime
      calypso
      to
     
     
      the
      throngs
      of
      dancing
      admir-
     
     
      ers
      who
      were
      not
      immune
      to
     
     
      their
      striking
      choreography.
     
     
      The
      Brunch
      event
      continues
     
     
      to
      bea
      festival
      favourite.
      Fes-
     
     
      tival
      publicist,
      Melissa
      Buote,
     
     
      captures
      the
      essence
      of
      this
     
     
      pure
      moment:
     
     
      “Dancing...eating...wicked.”
     
     
      Other
      notable
      notables
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1:45
      Pm
     
    
   
   
    
     
      were
      featured
      in
      CBC’s
      Brave
     
     
      New
      Waves
      sponsored
      show
     
     
      case,
      including
      Halifax's
      art-
     
     
      drenched
      Soaking
      Up
      Jagged,
     
     
      surprise
      impressionados,
      Do
     
     
      Make
      Say
      Think,
      and
      the
      haunt-
     
     
      ingly
      atmospheric,
      Godspeed
     
     
      You
      Black
      Emperor.
     
    

    
     
      The
      above
      bands
      added
     
     
      to
      one
      of
      the
      most
      conspicuous
     
     
      aspects
      of
      HoM
      III:
      the
      very
     
     
      visibly
      evolved
      independent
     
     
      scene,
      which
      has
      branched
     
     
      considerably
      from
      the
      days
      of
     
     
      yore.
     
    

    
     
      “It's
      moved
      away
      from
     
     
      BOP.
      Buote
      explained.
     
     
      “There's
      a
      branching-off...
     
     
      there
      are
      more
      experimental
     
     
      and
      art
      rock
      bands.
      A
      greater
     
     
      diversity.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      diversity
      was
      obvi-
     
     
      ous,
      with
      bands
      ranging
      from
     
     
      Teen
      Wolf's
      rock
      to
      Five
      Foot
     
     
      Nine’s
      folk,
      and
      from
      Joel
     
     
      Plaskett’s
      country-inspired
     
     
      narratives
      to
      the
      realm
      of
      Hali-
     
     
      fax
      hip
      hop
      or
      North
      of
      Ameri-
     
     
      ca's
      atonal
      melodies,
      and
      be-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      the
      sound
      of
      the
      indie
     
     
      scene
      changes,
      so
      does
      the
     
     
      sound
      featured
      in
      the
      festival.
     
     
      This
      was
      evident
      particularly
     
     
      in
      the
      representation
      of
      the
     
     
      Halifax
      bands.
     
    

    
     
      “This
      is
      the
      first
      year
      the
     
     
      festival
      hasn’t
      had
      the
      com-
     
     
      mercially
      popular
      and
      nation-
     
     
      ally
      affluent
      bands
      like
      Sloan,
     
     
      the
      Super
      Friendz,
      and
      the
     
     
      Inbreds,”
      Buote
      said,
      noting
     
     
      that
      the
      latter
      two
      have
      broken
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Your
      throat’s
      constricting.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      =>
      Medic
      Alert
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1-800-668-1507
     
    
   
   
    
     
      up.
     
     
      “Pop
      hasn't
      disappeared,
      however,”
      Buote
      is
      quick
      to
     
     
      add.
      “It’s
      just
      left
      the
      forefront.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Oth
      phi
      sf
      a
     
     
      and
      Liked
      at
      The
      On
     
     
      Ciao
      Bella
     
     
      B’Ehl
     
     
      Wheat
     
     
      4
      Star
      Movie
     
     
      Joe!
      Plaskett
     
     
      Thrush
      Hermit
     
     
      Piggy's
      shirts
     
     
      Marc
      Bell's
      comics
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dio
      Mio
      Gelatto
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Halifax
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sepa
      2”,
      1998
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      Atlantic
      Film
      Festival
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Word
      On
      The
      Street
     
    

    
     
      book
      festival
     
    

    
     
      featuring
      a
      reading
      by
      UPEI
      English
     
     
      Department's
      charming
      Lesley-Anne
      Bourne
      .
     
    

    
     
      Her
      new
      novel,
      The
      Bubble
      Star,
      is
     
     
      available
      at
      the
      UPEI
      Bookstore.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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