The truly exciting news is that my cd is now available at retail outlets all throughout Winnipeg.  I know, it doesn’t help those of you who live in other (warmer) parts of the world, but you guys can still buy via the website here!  If you do live in Winnipeg and don’t want to purchase through the website, you can now buy my cd at the following stores:

• McNally Robinson (Polo and Grant Park locations)
• The Light Bookstore  (on Pembina)
• Indigo Bookstore (Kenaston)
• CD Plus (Polo)
• Into The Music
• Music Trader
• Prairie Sky Books
• Mandarin International (at The Forks – Johnston Terminal)
• Chapters (in January)

Typically it’s being stocked in the Easy Listening or Local Music sections, though I did notice that McNally had put a few into Pop (?!?).  I don’t make as much on these consignment sales, but it does help to get the word out about my music, so if you’re looking for a cd, do go down to one of these places and pick it up!  They make excellent christmas gifts.

Also, look for the return of the MSMOTDs in the new year.

Have a happy holiday!

- Mons

Besides here on my website, the cds are starting to be available at retail outlets in Winnipeg and hopefully eventually through Canada and the USA.  I’m working on several distribution options.  I’ll be selling the MP3s from here as well as on iTunes etc.  In Winnipeg, you can now purchase the cd at The Light bookstore (Unit 17, 2077 Pembina, Winnipeg) and hopefully soon at Chapters bookstores. I’ll update as more places start carrying the cd.

I will be at a Christmas Craft Sale on Saturday the 28th of November selling/signing my cd and doing a few performances.  Here’s a bit more information about the sale (it’s at the Winnipeg Centre Vineyard on Main).  Stop by if you have a few minutes and say hello, pick up a cd and check out the other 50 artists and artisans who will be displaying and selling their fantastic work as well.

For more timely updates and information, follow me on twitter, or become a fan on facebook.

Hope to see you all there,

- Mons

Wow, the response to the contest to name “The Unnamed Melody” that I posted last week was much greater than I expected! I got a lot of emails and messages with suggestions along with the comments on the post itself. I’m really happy that the song was able to evoke such differing responses in listeners. So, thank you all for listening to my little song and participating in the contest!

I enjoyed reading all of the ideas, names and images that people conjured up from my music, and many of them were really fantastic. Unfortunately, I can only give the song one name so after a lot of deliberation and playing my song in repeat while reading the entries, I’ve chosen“Sillhouettes” as the new name for the previously unnamed melody.  I liked that it was short and simple, but also carried a lot of emotion behind it.  I also like that it still remains open for personal interpretation, so a listener can hear the song, read the title and still bring forth their own emotions and thoughts on what the song means.  I thought the story behind the name was really lovely too, capturing some of my own inspiration, so thanks Doreen for the great suggestion!  I owe you a theme song!

Due to the wonderful response to the song, I’ve also decided to do a second song for another winner.  I can’t name the song twice, but I can give an award for excellent participation and providing inspiration for future songs!  So, SharaLee, I’ll be doing a little song for you as well.  I’m going to choose one of your many excellent suggestions and use it as inspiration for the tune.

I’ll contact the winners and will post the songs (if they agree) on the site when they’re done!

Thanks again everyone for listening to my music and helping me choose a name.  Getting feedback like this is really inspirational and drives me to write more music.  Check back for more new music in the near future!

- Mons

The first opener was Aussie band the Howling Bells.  Pretty fun band with a lot of energy but not much room to move around as they were pushed to the very edge of the stage by all of Coldplay and Snow Patrol’s gear.  They played a short set and had some fun with the crowd, still straggling in at this point, and then at the end of the set, the very cute singer – Juanita Stein – announced that the drummer was lonely but that she knew the prettiest girls lived in Winnipeg. She then made him give out his number on the mic slowly so that any interested girls could write it down, hahaha.  I wonder how often they pull this trick, and how often it works.

Next up was Snow Patrol!  I just made a post about them yesterday, so go check it out to listen to my favourite songs and see some video clips.  They were really great, with Gary Lightbody pumping the crowd up nicely and giving a wonderful performance of their various hits, though sadly, none of the songs I included in yesterday’s MSMOTD.

Finally, two hours after the show started, Coldplay came on stage holding sparklers, and played the first song “Life in Technicolor” behind a silhouette screen, before blasting off with “Voilet Hill“.  Things just got better from there.  Stage hands ran out with dozens of huge yellow balloons for “Yellow”, which bounced around the audience then mysteriously exploded into golden confetti at the end of the song.  They rocked through all of their hits, with Chris Martin running and flailing around the stage like a marionette faun whose strings have been cut.  The drummer was all over too, alternating behind the drum set, timpani and even an impromptu dance-concert they held on one of the arms of the stage with drum machine and synth.

(I didn’t bring my camera, but thankfully Chris D did)

The best moments came midway through when the crowd was all singing along en-masse, and then the band walked all the way to the other end of the arena to a little tiny stage, surrounded by fans, where they played a little acoustic set, with the drummer switching to guitar and vocals, and Chris Martin on harmonica.  They finished that up by setting up a cell-phone wave around the whole building while they sang “I’m A Believer”.  It was pretty magical.  My favourite moment was when, right at the end, they released a billion colourful paper butterflies which floated down through the air as the band cavorted about during “Lovers in Japan”.  They also threw in a lot of obviously calculated references to Winnipeg, including a little song with custom lyrics about how they’re in the former home of the Jets and such.  They must have a guy who writes all of these for each city, but it was appreciated nonetheless, and drove the crowd wild.

It was a really amazing show.  Even without the excellence of the music (every song was a hit…  how many bands can do that?), they put on a wonderful and intimate spectacle.  I’m so glad I went, despite my horrible seats (I felt more like an anthropologist, observing the entertainment rituals of a distant people than part of the show).  Probably the best show I’ve ever seen overall, and I’ve been to some big name spectacle-oriented shows (Davie Bowie, Judas Priest etc).  Very different from, say, a Dream Theater show which is basically them rocking on on stage with some coloured spotlights for 3 hours straight, haha.

Bottom line: If Coldplay is coming to your city, do whatever it takes to go to the show. WHATEVER IT TAKES.

- Mons