Wednesday, September 16, 2009

East End Rockabilly Weekend – September 18th-20th, 2009



This weekend, I will be doing a DJ set at the latest edition of the East End Rockabilly Riot. I've written about the EERR before in The Mysterious Vault, and have had a great time participating in these shows over the last year and a half. The upcoming EERR will be the first full weekend event, the East End Rockabilly Weekend, taking place over 3 days. We have expanded the scope of the event to include films, as well as a vintage bike and auto "Show and Shine", and a Sunday matinee Honky Tonk brunch to end off the weekend, in tribute to Hank Williams' birthday (Sept. 17th). Rather than elaborate more, I will just let the press release do the talking. Hope to see you there!

East End Rockabilly Riot presents:

East End Rockabilly Weekend

Friday, September 18th - Sunday, September 20th
at The Dominion on Queen
500 Queen St. E., Toronto


This fall, the East End Rockabilly Riot stages its most ambitious show to date, the East End Rockabilly Weekend. Taking over The Dominion on Queen for three solid days of rockin’ entertainment, the East End Rockabilly Weekend will be the place to be from September 18th–20th. The previous three successful East End Rockabilly Riot nights at the Dominion have set the stage for this exciting weekend event, which features a rock-solid lineup of live rockabilly acts, DJs, and rock ‘n’ roll movies, as well as a vintage car and bike “Show and Shine” and a Honky Tonk Brunch in celebration of Hank Williams’ birthday. The East End Rockabilly Weekend is the only event of this nature happening in Toronto all year, so mark your calendar and make your way down to the Dominion for a stellar weekend of rockin’ and rollin’!

Live music has always been the primary focus of the East End Rockabilly Riot, and for this fourth installment, the band lineup is our best yet, including some returning favourites, and some out-of-town attractions. EERR showcases live rockabilly acts, along with related genres such as psychobilly, instrumental rock, and country, and September’s bill offers a varied cross-section of artists to appeal to a wide range of tastes. Kicking off the weekend on Friday, Sept. 18th will be The Greasemarks, a three-piece group from Guelph who have been causing a stir with their traditional approach to wild rockabilly mayhem. Joining the Greasemarks and headlining Friday night are the Three Blue Teardrops, a Chicago-based trio known for their frantic stage energy, and high-octane mix of rockabilly, psychobilly, and rock ‘n’ roll. This will be The Three Blue Teardrops’ first Canadian appearance in over two years, so catch them at The Dominion!

Saturday, Sept. 19th, the live music begins early with a matinee performance, and continues on deep into the night. Local 4-piece Big Ass Cracker bring their driving rock’n’roll sound to The Dominion as the live matinee band during Saturday afternoon’s vintage car and bike “Show and Shine”, onstage between 3-6pm. The evening’s live triple header of Toronto groups opens with the phenomenal instrumental sounds of Ancient Chinese Secret (featuring Brian Connelly on guitar), providing a set of eclectic covers and a heavy dose of guitar twang guaranteed to please. EERR host band Tennessee Voodoo Coupe follow, bringing their own unique blend of music to the Riot. Fronted by vocalist/guitarist Big Rude Jake, TVC are an offshoot of Toronto’s garage punk rockers Blue Mercury Coupe, and have been making a name for themselves with their “100 proof reckless hillbilly jive”. Toronto’s premier rockabilly combo, The Royal Crowns, headline Saturday night, and are set to shake the joint with their revved-up high-energy live show. The Royal Crowns will be joined by special guest Lori Yates for this show. Finally, to round out the weekend, Sunday afternoon’s Honky Tonk Brunch will be highlighted by a live performance by Hank Williams on the Lost Highway, in honour of Hank Williams’ birthday.

In addition to the action-packed live lineup happened over the weekend, EERR has also booked some red hot rockin’ DJs, and will be screening two rock ‘n’ roll movies to keep things hoppin’. Friday night, DJ Rock’n’Roll Jenny will be in the house to get the crowd movin’ for The Greasemarks and The Three Blue Teardrops. DJ Rock’n’Roll Jenny has gained a following in T.O. as a rockabilly promoter and DJ, and has just returned from spinning at Montreal’s renowned “Red Hot and Blue Rockabilly Weekend”. DJ Rockin’ Dave Faris rocks the joint on Saturday night, and has been the resident DJ at all of the EERR events so far. He has also hosted his monthly “Rock and Roll Riot” DJ night at The Cameron House for over a half decade, playing a wide variety of music from rockabilly to punk, garage, surf, country, blues and more. And on the big screen, EERR has booked two exciting rock ‘n’ roll movies to add a cinematic angle to the weekend’s activities. Friday night, original ‘50s Alan Freed rock ‘n’ roll film Rock, Rock, Rock! (1956) will be shown, including filmed performances by Chuck Berry, Johnny Burnette Trio, The Moonglows, and more. Saturday, we are proud to present an exclusive screening of the film Rockabilly 514, a 2007 documentary directed by Patricia Chica and Mike Wafer, focusing on Montreal’s rockabilly and vintage lifestyle community.

The East End Rockabilly Weekend hits Toronto September 18th–20th at The Dominion on Queen. Advance tickets are now on sale at Penguin Music (256A Queen St. W.), Sunrise Records (Yonge & Dundas/Yonge & Bloor), and at The Dominion on Queen. For Hotel accommodations, contact the Days Inn (1684 Queen St. E.) for a special rate (ask for the “Rockabilly Rate”). Presented by Mill St. Brewery and Exclaim.ca. Don’t miss it!

For more information, contact: eastendrockabillyriot@gmail.com

www.myspace.com/eastendrockabillyriot
www.dominiononqueen.com
www.millstreetbrewery.com
www.exclaim.ca