Those loveable gals from Twin Peaks are at it again! If you missed them at RocKIN the Peace, or at Egan’s Open Mic, or opening for The Navigators at The Lido, catch them when they open for one of Fort St. John’s favourite returning performers and 2012 Juno nominee  – Peter Katz. Heck, even if you’ve been to every single one of those shows, who can get enough of Lindsay Pratt and Naomi Shore?

Still basking in the glow of making the Top 10 of Green Couch Productions and CBC Radio 3’s Tracks on Tracks contest (insert subtle hint to get your Twin Peaks vote in here  http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2012/5/TRACKS-ON-TRACKS-The-Ultimate-Canadian-Rock-n-Rail-Adventure---Top-10-Artists), these ladies are sure to knock your socks off when they make their grand return to The Breakfast Room on Friday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m. opening for the one and only Peter Katz. Advanced tickets are $15, or $20 at the door.

Get yours by clicking this link: http://www.northerngroove.com/stories/2386-peter-katz-at-the-breakfast-room.html

Peter Katz is back!  We are honoured that he's back and are setting him up in the most exciting new music room in Fort St. John -- The Breakfast Room!

Starting the show will be Fort St. John's own Joseph Te Bulte -- a local musician, songwriter, and down-right nice guy.

The show is on Saturday, Nov 5th.  Things will kick off around 8:15

For more details on The Breakfast Room, check this out:
http://www.northerngroove.com/item/1643-new-venue-in-fort-st-john-the-breakfast-room

For more info on Peter Katz and why you should come -- read this full bio below:

Lyric and vocal virtuosity” (Aaron Foster –Chart Attack)

CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award Winner Peter Katz was supposed to make a solo acoustic record… but, when the likes of Academy Award Winner Glen Hansard(The Swell Season, Once), Canadian Folk darlings The Good Lovelies, and steel-town sirenMelissa McClelland agreed to sing along… plans changed.

Nevertheless, ‘First of the Last to Know’ marks the true arrival of Peter Katz, solo artist. Even with the good company on the record, Peter’s voice and acoustic guitar remain the focal point throughout. After years of touring solo while selling a full-on band record, Katz got tired of the same feedback: “We wish you would make a record that sounds like you playing live”.

Katz agrees: “My life is touring, and I’m dedicated to that, but at a certain point your record needs to do some leg-work for you. If the only way you can win someone over is live, then you need to go back to the drawing board and make a better record.”

Working with long-time friend, tour-mate, singer-songwriter and producer Rob Szabo, the two scheduled regular meetings for 4 months, looking at every aspect of Peter’s songs. “There were some definite tense moments, but I knew Rob was right and I had to put my ego aside and learn. We worked and worked and worked, just on the barebones of the songs and of the guitar and vocals, making sure every last word, every note, every groove, every picking pattern, every tempo was exactly where it needed to be. It was an amazing and awful experience,” Katz says with a smile.

When it came time to finally record, they set up shop at the gorgeous Barn Window Studio on the escarpment outside Hamilton. “I didn’t want to be in a booth and then have to try to add vibe using the computer. I wanted the space to inspire, to have its quirks and unique qualities in the moment. There’s no question when I listen to this record, I hear that it was recorded in a big, beautiful barn. I mean, I got to sing while staring out at the night through a huge glass window… You can’t get that in a booth.”

One aspect of Katz’s sound that remains true from his very first demos is his dedication to telling powerful stories. The stunning ‘Oliver’s Tune’ is inspired by a CBC interview with the late Oliver Schroer, a Canadian fiddle player who passed away from Leukemia but decided to play one final concert a month before he died. ‘The Fence’ is a haunting song that imagines the experience of Matthew Shepard, the Laramie, Wyoming student who was tied to a fence and left to die one night because he was gay. And the soaring, cathartic title track, ‘First of the Last to Know,’ explores the story of anyone working to emerge as a fully realized human being.

Expressing both aching sadness and intense joy, Katz’ songs, carried by his passionate, intimate voice, guide us through the gamut of human experience.

And if the record leaves you wanting more, he will be continuing his habit of playing 150+ dates a year. With tours already booked throughout Europe and North America in the first half of 2010, he’s likely coming to a town near you. And if he isn’t, drop him a line, he’s known for making an effort to play wherever there are eager ears.

Building on Fort St. John’s designation as The Music Capitol of Northern BC, Face The Music has been an outstanding success. We’ve have been running the workshops for over 8 months and each one has been a creative playground for both the artists and the community.

This year alone we had the opportunity to expand our reach to songwriters, musicians, classical pianists, blues guitar players, dj’s, and many more. We had Peter Katz, and songwriter from Toronto. We got to learn how to play the blues with Guy Davis from New York City. Harpdog Brown taught us the intricacies of the harmonica. Sarah Hagen explored the classical realm and Fred Eaglesmith told us the reality of what it takes to be a songwriter, really... no really. Ill Gates educated us on how to work with Abelton Live and produce music with total different inspiration. Harry Manx showed us how true life experience will build beautiful music. Harry did put out his first cd out when he was 47.  We all still got time.

All in all Face The Music has been a really great experience for both the artists and the community. Getting the opportunity to explore new ideas, different styles of music, and discover music we may have never heard before will forever leave a legacy of talent in Fort St. John.

If we’re gonna claim to be The Music Capitol of Northern BC, we gotta own it, and show the rest of the world that we can put the music where our mouth is.

Place Quotes around page, use pics from past FTM articles...

"Face the Music workshop were always inspirational, entertaining and a hell of a bargain at $5"
-Nick Baccante

“An initiative like Face The Music solidifies our city’s reputation as The Music Capital of Northern BC. A collaborative effort between city government and the music community, it goes a long way to taking music out to the community, which adds significantly to the quality of life in Fort St. John.”-Bruce Lantz, Mayor, City of Fort St. John

Dear Face the Music people:

I am writing to thank you for your involvement in the Face the Music workshops that the City of Fort Saint John has been sponsoring. I have had the pleasure of taking in a few of them. I really think these are valuable to the local arts and music community. I personally have grown a lot as a musician and song writer by attending these workshops.

The Peter Katz workshop especially was so enlightening for me. When I attended the workshop I was in the middle of a writing dry spell.
In the two weeks after Peter coming I wrote and completed 4 songs, two of which are in the process of being recorded.

I also have a handfull of friends who attended the Guy Davis blues workshop and found it really valuable.
I just want to say thank you again and hope that this can continue on in the future.

Sincerely, Joseph te Bulte

Would you like to expand your songwriting techniques?

Galaxy Award winner Peter Katz is facilitating a songwriting workshop as part of the Face The Music workshop series. Peter's approach to creating songs is based on life and the world around us. He has a compassionate approach to teaching and inspiring other to write great songs. Participants leave with a variety of tools to expand their songwriting.

The "Face The Music" workshop series is an opportunity to connect regional and touring artists with our community. The idea behind this to create a legacy of arts and music. 

Face The Music  is an initiative supported by The City of Fort St. John to create a series of 10 workshops that will combine local and touring musicians hosting workshops that are open to anyone. The goal of this project is to create a fun and relaxed learning environment for the community.

The Details:

Face The Music with Peter Katz

November 14th at 1pm

North Peace Cultural Centre

Cost $5.00

More Info:

For  information contact The North Peace Cultural Centre @ (250) 785-1992

Wan to know about Peter Katz, check out his website @ www.peterkatz.com

Face the Music is a City of Fort St. John sponsored initiative designed to support local and touring artists. The goal is to utilize local, regional, national, and international artists to pass along ideas, information, and knowledge so that the strength of Fort St. John's arts scene thrives for years to come.
 

AN EVENING WITH PETER KATZ

Peter Katz is on tour and we are stoked that he's making a stop in Fort St. John. His only show in FSJ  is at Whole Wheat n' Honey. Come down and check it out. Last time his show sold out so get your tickets early.

Peter's songs and performance grab from the moment he starts playing. His style is one of passionate songs and heartfelt lyrics. Every performance is memorable and this show is going to be another great intimate show at Whole Wheat n' Honey.

"Peter Katz has steadily made a great name for himself in the Canadian music industry. His high energy performances, and well-crafted songs make him one of the best live acts I've had come through my club in years. His music seems to strike a chord in people. Combine that with his strong work ethic and it makes me wonder why no one has snatched this guy up yet. If I had the money, I'd put it into his future."
Chris Loane, Booker for The Rivoli & Tatoo, Toronto, Ontario

Here are the details:

An Evening with Peter Katz

SATURDAY, Nov. 13th
Whole Wheat n' Honey Cafe
10003 100th St
Fort St. John, BC
Doors are at 7pm,
Show Starts at 8pm

Tickets are 15.00 in advance and 20.00 at the door

Sometimes we find ourselves uninspired but desperate to create something new. In our small city with such an abundance of great musicians, there’s no shortage of inspiration. What hinders the creative process for some of us, is that we can’t afford to sound like the great musicians who stir our creative intuitions.


We have to remember that as musicians it should be our desire to create something new and stirring. Sometimes this can be easier to do on a low budget than it can with a fat stack of bills. Recently many of us had the opportunity to enjoy Peter Katz perform in Fort St. John. We all loved watching him use his fancy looper pedal, and I’m sure some of us wish we had one so we could sound just like him.

Remember when we wanted a little megaphone and a melodeon after watching Toby perform a war-esque sounding French song when she was in town? Most of us simply can’t go out and spend a lot on a nice new digitech pedal or even find a megaphone to use. But that’s a good thing. This can inspire us to go out and use something else.


We can find something that we can afford; something that we haven’t seen other people using. Something that will help us possibly write a new song that sounds different from anything than anyone has heard. Something that will leave other people wishing they had one too. Who knows what it might be. There are all kinds of crazy products out there, new and old. You can find them at your local music stores, or even at a flea market or garage sale. Sometimes you can find something cool in your grandpa’s basement.

The point to remember, when we open the door of our local music store or thrift store, is to think about how we can use the things we can afford to your advantage. Ask the staff what cool new or old gadgets they can recommend. Anything that can produce a sound or even change the way something sounds can be used to make music. We shouldn’t want to mimic what other people are doing. Remember we’re creative until we’re craftsmen.

Peter Katz, a touring musician from Toronto, was recently interviewed on the CBC radio program "Fresh Air" by host Mary Ito, on Sat, July 10th, 2010.

In the interview (around 6 minutes in), Mary asks "What is the best place to play in Canada?".  The first place named:  Fort St. John, BC!

Considering Peter Katz's impressive history as a Canadian musician -- we should be truly honored!  (Be sure to checkout Peter's bio) -- http://www.peterkatz.com/bio.html

Thank you Peter for supporting our little music lovin' town!  To listen to the to the interview click "Read More" below:

Peter Katz will be hosting a workshop for aspiring songwriters Sunday April 18th, 2pm - 3:30pm, at Whole Wheat 'n Honey Cafe.

For more information about Peter Katz - visit his website: http://www.peterkatz.com

If people have lyrics they would like to bring that would be great!  We'll be exploring how to turn inspiration into a finished song... how to find inspiration when it seems like there isn't any... exploring subtleties in songs... and turning a good song into a great one!

The cafe will not be serving meals or coffee... it will be a room full of aspiring songwriters only!

You must be 12+ years of age to attend this workshop.

Northern Groove wants to get you, our loyal supporters, readers and audience, in on some fun!  We are currently working on a few contests - with more in the works - and want you all to get involved!

First up ... Peter Katz is coming to town this weekend!  Peter will be playing two shows on April 17 & 18 at Whole Wheat 'n Honey.   Tickets are available at the café or online here at northerngroove.com and eventbrite.com.  Here in the office, we are thrilled about the show and want to help share the excitement by giving away some free stuff!

We will be giving away a copy of Peter's new CD "First of the Last to Know" along with one of his T-shirts (really cool!) and, if you come to the show, we'll take a picture of you with one of Canada's most beloved upcoming singer / songwriters.

How does the contest work?  We're going to send a message out to the Northern Groove Facebook Group asking a few questions about Peter ... Reply to the message with the right answers, and you'll be put into the draw.

If you're part of Facebook, be sure to join the group to receive upcoming show invitations, contests notices, and event reminders so that you are always on-top of what's going on in our community!

If you're not part of Facebook and want to participate in upcoming contests, etc ... there will be more coming soon ... join now!

Regardless of the contest, come out to the Peter Katz show -- It's one you don't want to miss!  Tickets are $20 at the door, and $15 in advance (available at Whole Wheat 'n Honey or Online HERE)