The 2010 Calgary/Banff Wordfest wrapped up last week. I hosted the opening night fundraising dinner, and Wordfest blogger Noah Richler said I was 'a delight', even though I forgot to mention five of the featured writers (later corrected), and sold the silent auction fly-anywhere-Westjet-flies package by saying "Go to Mexico. Yes, there have been deterrents lately, but the best restaurant to go to is the one that was shut down last week by the Health Board because you know they've since gone the extra mile to shape up."

At the 'Word of Mouth' event I debuted a new story about our former Ukranian tenants, Jane and Alexander. Here's a snippet from that:

"I am with immigrants and international visitors like a seven year old is with his fifteen year old cousin who has a punk band and a girlfriend. A lifetime of feeling culturally inferior as an Albertan yet also culturally superior to my fellow Albertans has convinced me all foreigners hold an ancient secret that they will share once they realize I am one of them. My credentials are genetic and experience based. Swedish and German parents. Well traveled. I eat smoked mackerel from tins with peel back lids. I prefer dark bread, real butter, bittersweet chocolate, and revolution.
Together we would give this city an injection of sophistication. At the same time I would sell them on our mountain majesties, the stratified mysteries of the badlands and the pink skies. We would talk history, food, art. 'It's here too', I'd reassure them, 'you need to know where to look. I'll show you.'
They would be drinkers."

At the Banff Summit Salon, there were discussion panels that stirred some fine conversation and debate- "Are we living in darkening or enlightening times?" (guess which I gunned for) and "How does one remain artful in digitopolis?", talking about the internet and social networking as an artistic medium beyond a distribution and promotional tool. It got a little off topic when Barry Callaghan told the cyber enthusiasts they were playing into the hands of the fascist dictatorship by offering them our personal information. He suggested we see 'Lives of Others.'

Please check out these artists if you have a chance, either on line or in the book store.

Poet Karen Solie - lively, touching, funny, brilliant poetry
Alexis O Hara www.myspace.com/alexisohara (she's made an igloo out of speakers!)
Miguel Angel Arenas - creator of The World's Longest Poem http://www.miguelangelarenas.com/
Roland Pemberton - Edmonton's poet laureate, also known as rapper Cadence Weapon
Don Gilmour- authour of 'Kanata', excellent historical fiction about the life and work of mapmaker David Thompson

AND

Check out these shows in Calgary and Edmonton in November!

November 19: The Haven Social Club, Edmonton; 8 pm; opening for Bidiniband
November 20: Local 522, Calgary; 8 pm; opening for Bidiniband
November 25: Jack Singer Concert Hall, Calgary; 8pm; opening for Billy Bragg


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The saws, generators, and nail guns at the double monster home construction site next door are okay- it's the classic rock. Goodbye, stranger, it's been nice, I'm hot blooded, check it and see, turn me loose, I just came back to say goodbye. Why do any of those songs ever need to be heard again, anywhere? Makes it hard to concentrate.
Thank Christ sound check is soon.

The Crack Band and I are doing a couple of shows with the wise and sultry and massively talented Wendy Mcneill, tonight, September 24 at the Ironwood in Calgary, and tomorrow September 25 at the Artery in Edmonton. They will be two very fine nights of entertainment.

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Enjoy 'The British Rape Krakow', and 'Cedar's Song', from my solo acoustic recording sessions with Dave Lang at the Lyric Theatre in Swift Current.
The ever kind and hospitable Dave Lang recorded me doing a number of new songs, and some solo versions of previously released tunes, at the old Lyric Theatre in Swift Current. Dave turned the lights down and set up two rows of chairs in front of me, each occupied by a framed photo of one of the old vaudeville stars that had played there in years past (the photos are usually on the wall in the lobby).

'Krakow' was written after a trip to said city with my girlfriend Ellen two summers ago, and the title comes from a headline of a local weekly that was translated for us by a Polish friend. The world economic collapse may have suspended or reversed some of the activity described in the song, but there will always be disparity between nations, and therefore some other foreigner stag party, in some other cheap town, somewhere, always.
'Cedar's Song' was constructed from a couple of hours enjoying the numerical and train related musings of a five year old boy in Leverkusen, Germany named Cedar, the son of good friends Thorsten and Marcia Nesch. The lyrics are 100% Cedar's words, arranged by me to fully capture the wisdom of the babe. Cedar is now 8 and has moved on to the Titanic.
Kris

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You can now purchase 'These United States' here: http://www.kerfmusic.com/vmchk/409krisdemeanorhiscrackband
AND come see Chantal and I this Thursday July 16 at Eau Claire Market in
Calgary, in the site of the old IMAX theatre, between 4-6 pm, playing songwriter in the round style along with Clinton St. John and Foon Yap of Woodpigeon.
AND, I will be doing a solo set on Saturday July 18 at the Auburn Saloon (Calgary) at around 9 pm, followed by the Allison Lynch Quartet.



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Thanks, friends and fans, for two lovely shows in Calgary and Edmonton!
(the above photo is from neither event- it's me and my buddy Mike at the Last Chance Saloon in Wayne a couple of weeks ago)

The releases for 'These United States' were populated with a mix of those young in years and wise in spirit, graduated in years and youthful at heart, the funny, fun, smart, sensitive and strange. Many thanks for supporting the Crack Band, and filling the request box with so man Cactus Mans and One Shoes.
For those who haven't received the 'special edition' copy of the new CD available only at those two shows, the lead off track 'Soul Food' is up on our Myspace. I'll let you know when the full CD is set for sale for download and in stores.
www.myspace.com/kdcrackband

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