One of the most interesting voices in the music industry wilderness right now is Bob Lefsetz, former major label consultant and entertainment business lawyer. Lefsetz has a lot to say about what\'s going on in the music industry and he doesn\'t hesitate to say it. He has strong and informed opinions on everything from iTunes to how much Justin Timberlake makes per stadium show. He also doesn\'t hesitate to publish his detractors, routinely sharing his inbox mailbag with his subscribers (including a pretty raunchy disagreement with one very angry Kid Rock back in November).
Anyone interested in reading is casual, lively, and sometimes lengthy musings can subscribe to The Lefsetz Letter.
Here\'s an example of Lefsetz at work in today\'s email about iTunes and Amazon:
"Remember when the labels held back online distribution to protect their brick and mortar retailers? You might ask WHAT brick and mortar retailers. Tower Records is history. Big boxes are shrinking floorspace. And the labels have ignored the indies, fucking them on price even though they\'re the last edifice standing. Look where this backward-looking strategy has gotten them. Endless decreases in sales...
Isabella Rossellini, famed Italian actress and director, will be narrating Guy Maddin’s latest silent film, Brand upon the Brain, at this year’s WSO’s New Music Festival in February.
Maddin wrote this film to be accompanied by a live orchestra with a narrator, hence the lack of voice-over and musical score.
Rosselllini and Maddin have worked together on projects in the past, namely her film, My Dad is 100 Years Old, as well as his infamous The Saddest Music in the World.
Other highlights for this festival include the premier of Symphony No. 3., by Winnipeg composer and pianist Glenn Buhr, featuring Toronto’s Sarah Slean. Jesse Zubot, formerly of Zubot and Dawson, will also be performing a concerto he has written, featuring improvised violin.
The festival has recently received a boost in funding from surgical imaging company IMRIS, who have pledged to contribute $150,000 annually for the next four years. The festival has had trouble in the past with funding as a result of the federal legislation ban on cigarette advertising.
The latest issue of Wired Magazine features two articles by David Byrne on the future of music. The first is an interview with Radiohead\'s Thom Yorke about their experiment in pay-what-you-want digital music distribution. The second is an overview of the current state of music distribution and the new spectrum of options available to artists. Byrne outlines six different kinds of deals that artists can strike with labels, marketing companies, and or live promotion companies. Of course the six categories are generalization, but pretty apt I thought. A concise and cogent snapshot of the current state of the music industry.
It\'s a little joke among my colleagues in the MARIA office that I get a little too excited about copyright. But who could have guessed that 2007 would end with so much buzz about copyright, and already in 2008 copyright stories are back in the media. Here\'s a couple:
iPod Levy - On Thursday, the Canadian court of appeal struck down a Copyright Board of Canada decision to move ahead with a private copying levy on iPods and other digital music storage devices. This levy is akin to the levy that is paid on blank CDs and cassettes and is designed to compensate copyright owners for the copies that consumers make of songs for their own private use. CRIA opposed the new levy, even though it would provide a whole new bundle of cash for its members (record labels) because it felt that the levy was an acknowledgement that people were using these digital devices to make illegal copies of music. CRIA chose to stand on its ideological position, and continue to pursue copyright reform that would allow them to sue music users who make illegal copies of music, rather than be compensated for private copying.
Michael Giest writes about the levy decision, and its demise. Other recent...
Musician and musicologist Sarah Schmalenberger has launched a national study, the Life and Livelihood Study, examing women musicians who\'ve had breast cancer.
"...the experience of musicians who are breast cancer survivors may reveal patterns of changes in their artistic or expressive capacity. Data from this study will contribute to research on breast cancer survivorship, as well as to research in music that seeks to understand and support the musician survivor in their work." - from www.musiciansurvivor.org
The news comes soon after the announcement that Bif Naked has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The rocker, born Beth Torbert, lived in The Pas and Winnipeg before heading west and making her mark on the international music industry with hits like "Nothing Else Matters" and "Lucky." The 36-year-old Torbert will undergo a lumpectomy this week to be followed by chemotherapy.
Read more about the Life and Livelihood Study from the Music Industry News Network.
A short Friday night entry for y\'all. This new site: www.bandandcrew.com looks like it might become a good resource for people looking for....you guessed it: band and crew. It looks Facebookish and is free to join. It seems pretty US-based, but if you\'re needing, uh, band or crew, check it out.
Americana duo Twilight Hotel, a.k.a. Brandy Zdan and Dave Quanbury, has landed a Folk Alliance Music and Business Award nomination for Emerging Artist. The awards will take place in February during this year\'s Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, Tennessee.
The duo has been spending quite a bit of time south of the border lately, touring and recently recording in Nashville with acclaimed producer Colin Linden (Bruce Cockburn, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, Stephen Fearing). The resulting album, Highway Prayer, features guest musicians Stephen Hodges (Tom Waits), Gary Craig (Kathleen Edwards), Dave Roe (Johnny Cash), and the late great Richard Bell (Janis Joplin, The Band) in his final recorded performance. Winnipeg fans can catch the CD release on February 29 at the West End Cultural Centre. The CD goes on sale January 29.
"It is great to be recognized by the folk community," says Brandy Zdan, who handles vocals, guitars, and accordion. "The Folk Alliance organization and its conferences have played a very important part in the development the group. We are honoured to be nominated alongside some wonderful American artists."
HOT 103 is once again bringing listeners the Canadian Radio Star National Songwriting Competition. Fans can vote for their favourites out of five finalists until January 11. The winner on January 14 on the Ace Burpee Show with Chrissy Troy.
The Finalists are: DTyhe, Fenom, Vicki Shae, Sketch Williams, and Lisa Bell.
The finalists will be featured on upcoming editions of Locals Only with Young Mike while the winner will be added to the HOT 103 playlist.
Click here to vote for the Winnipeg edition of the Canadian Radio Star.
Nielsen SoundScan Canada has unveiled its 2007 Canadian year-end sales and airplay monitoring data for 2007 and Celine Dion is the winner. CDs, however, continue to be the loser... ish.
The numbers show a 9.5% decline from 2006 in total album sales as well as a 73% increase in digital track sales over 2006, representing 25 million digital tracks purchased. Meanwhile, digital album sales increased 93%, representing 4.7% of total album sales.
The chain music store juggernaut continues to decline, accounting for 63% of all album sales, compared to 66% in 2006 and 71% in 2005.
Pop diva Celine Dion\'s album sales exceeded 560,000 in 2007 making her the biggest selling artist of the year. Nielson notes that the top two selling artists in Canada are actually Canadians; Dion and Shania Twain. Fellow Canadian, Feist, tops the Top 10 Selling Digital Albums for 2007 with 17,000 units sold. Avril Lavigne topped the Top 10 Artist Airplay numbers with 107,632 detections.
For the last two years, 25% of total album sales happened during the last six weeks of the year: Holiday Season. I got socks and cheese for Christmas. Hrmph.
Electronic artist Solidaze is heading to Cannes, France to showcase at MIDEM, the world\'s largest music industry confrence, says his label Balanced Records. He\'ll perform at 10pm as part of the French PR and events marketing firm Ping Pong event on January 27. Solidaze -- a.k.a. Luis Cardona on laptop and keyboards -- will bring along vocalist Sarah Michaelson, who some may know as DJ Mama Cutsworth. Other performers for the events are from U.K. label Ninja Tune; FINK, Memes, Zero dB, and OOF brothers.
Solidaze is the second Manitoba artist to showcase at the very exclusive MIDEM. Eagle & Hawk showcased in 2006.
Canada\'s oldest independent record label, True North Records, has been bought by Linus Entertainment. Founder and president Bernie Finkelstein will stay on as chair, and will continue to run his management company, which has long guided the career of Bruce Cockburn, and includes singer-songwriter Stephen Fearing and recent additions The Golden Dogs.
Something Awful has posted a suggestion on the future of CD liner notes. No word yet on how either Green Day or the Recording Industry Association of America feel about it.
Some highlights:
"A CD (or Compact Disc), can only be listened to in a CD player - your CD player. Currently, there is no other way to listen to music. In the future, there will be no other way to listen to music."
"Owning a CD and not being arrested can sometimes be difficult."
"Remember, music is a privilege that none of us should really have, especially the consumer."
Trying to break into the Los Angeles market? MARIA is now taking submissions for a MUSEXPO showcase opportunity. Find out how to apply to the showcase, presented by MARIA and MANITOBA FILM & SOUND, here. Deadline is January 17 and the conference gets underway at the end of April.
MUSEXPO, "the United Nations of music and media," hosts some of the music industry\'s high profile names, from heads of A&R to film and TV music supervisors to publishers, agents, managers and video gaming honchos. This year\'s list of delegates boasts the Dixie Chicks\' manager Simon Renshaw, legendary songwriter Diane Warren, the presidents of Epic and Mercury Records, the woman who broke Brandi Carlile\'s career by placing a few of her songs on Grey\'s Anatomy, and the music directory for famed L.A. radio station KCRW. And that\'s not even all of them.
Last year, MARIA and MFS headed a Manitoba delegation to MUSEXPO that included Sick City, Paper Moon, Keith and Renee, and Losing Focus as well as Jack Shapira of Unison Studios, Jason Smith of Smallman Records, Chris Burke-Gaffney and Jewls Dengl of CBG Artist Development, Brandon Friesen of 441 Studios, songwriter/producer Arun Chaturvedi,...
Now Taking Submissions for a MUSEXPO Showcase Opportunity
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 4pm CST Thursday, January 17, 2008
MARIA and MANITOBA FILM & SOUND are planning an exclusive showcase of Manitoba music at MUSEXPO in Los Angeles April 27 – 30, 2008.
MUSEXPO is a music industry conference with extremely limited showcasing opportunities. The audience is captive and includes some of the highest profile and most powerful people in music and entertainment, including heads of A&R, film and television music supervisors, publishers, booking agents/promoters, managers, online and traditional video gaming, telecommunications, and more. Some of the confirmed speakers and delegates include music managers Simon Renshaw (Dixie Chicks) and Robert Reynolds (The Killers), Paul Tollett (Founder/President, Golden Voice/Coachella Music & Arts Festival), Diane Warren (songwriter), Nick Raphael (President, Epic Records, UK), Bob Lefsetz (Author, Lefsetz Letter), Kathleen Carey (Sr. VP International Sony/ATV Music Publishing), Kevin Lyman (founder, Vans Warped Tour), David Massey (President, Mercury Records), Alexandra Patsavas (Music Supervisor, Grey’s Anatomy, Chuck, Rescue Me), Steve...
The Globe & Mail has offered up American economist and urban studies theorist Richard Florida\'s latest research, which states that vibrant music scenes indicate good urban vitality.
Says Florida: "Music scenes provide a useful lens through which to better understand why innovation and economic activity continue to cluster in today\'s global economy. ... The places where these music scenes flourish have the underlying commercial ecosystem that is open to new ideas and can mobilize real resources around the market opportunities they signal."
Juno-winning roots trio The Wailin’ Jennys kicked off 2007 with the broadcast of their in-studio performance for CMT\'s Studio 330 Sessions in Nashville, taped in October 2006. The online broadcast included live renditions of four of their songs and a few brief interview clips. Past Studio 330 Sessions performers include Dwight Yoakam, Kathleen Edwards, The Road Hammers, Rhonda Vincent, and fellow Manitoba roots act The Duhks.
Later in January, plenty of Manitobans spent a week in Cannes, France for the 41st edition of MIDEM, the world’s biggest music market and conference with over 10,000 international delegates. Manitoba had a strong presence this year, including representatives from Smallman Records, Arbor Records, Balanced Records, C12 Records, and Rising Sun Productions along with folks from MARIA and Manitoba Film & Sound. cafesonique.com, the world\'s first and only 3D global virtual music community, also had a strong presence at MIDEM with one of three Canadian stands at the tradeshow. cafesonique.com also hosted a successful showcase featuring up-and-coming Winnipeg chanteuse Katelyn Dawn as well as several international artists.
Erin Benjamin is leaving the building. Benjamin\'s been Executive Director of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals since 2001 after years as a singer/songwriter and OCFF board member.
"On behalf of the entire Board, staff, and membership, I would like to express profound thanks for the passion, vision, and leadership that Erin brought to the role of Executive Director," wrote OCFF president Aengus Finnan in an press release. "Erin has been a pivotal part of the growth and development of the OCFF over the past decade, extending the welcoming reach, resources, and services that are now a signature part of the OCFF’s programming."
A job posting for the position of Executive Director will be made available January 7.
Sam Baardman, Executive Director of the Manitoba Audio Recording Industry Association (MARIA), will go on a one-year leave effective January 1, 2008.
Baardman, who has been in his position for nearly eight years, will continue to work with MARIA as a special program consultant to help create a new multi-year development plan for the Manitoba music industry. Baardman intends to work as a consultant on other projects that will impact on the development of the music industry on a national level.
Baardman has been instrumental in strengthening MARIA, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2007, and diversifying its services and capacity as a strong voice for the Manitoba music industry. He has also been a force for change and cohesion in the national industry, serving as chair of the FACTOR National Advisory Board, president of the Western Canadian Music Alliance, and a director for Folk Alliance Canada during his tenure at MARIA.
“We have achieved nearly everything I could have hoped for when I first sat down in our tiny, cramped office on Arthur Street in May of 2000,” says Baardman, “and I believe that MARIA has become a model for what a great music industry...
Singer, songwriter, storyteller, poet, labour organizer, and all-around legend Utah Phillips has been touring and playing for audiences professionally since the 1970s. Younger fans were more recently introduced to him via Ani Difranco and her release of his work via her label, Righteous Babe Records.
Illness has forced the 72-year-old Phillips off the road and has rendered him unable to pay for medical bills.
Fans and friends have begun a grassroots fundraising campaign, unofficially declared December 2007 "Utah Phillips Month." Benefit concerts are popping up across North America asn the folk music community comes together to help one of their own, one who has done a lot for his community over the years.
Winnipeg will host a benefit concert of its own, organized by the folks at the Walnut Street Music Company and supported by the Winnipeg Folk Festival, May Works, and Audio Works. The stunning line-up includes some of Manitoba best and most recognizable roots acts playing a rare show together on December 15 at the Crescent Fort Rouge United Church.
Utah Phillips Benefit
Saturday, December 15 | 8pm
Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (525 Wardlaw...
Singer, songwriter, storyteller, poet, labour organizer, and all-around legend Utah Phillips has been touring and playing for audiences professionally since the 1970s. Younger fans were more recently introduced to him via Ani Difranco and her release of his work via her label, Righteous Babe Records.
Illness has forced the 72-year-old Phillips off the road and has rendered him unable to pay for medical bills.
Fans and friends have begun a grassroots fundraising campaign, unofficially declared December 2007 "Utah Phillips Month." Benefit concerts are popping up across North America asn the folk music community comes together to help one of their own, one who has done a lot for his community over the years.
Winnipeg will host a benefit concert of its own, organized by the folks at the Walnut Street Music Company and supported by the Winnipeg Folk Festival, May Works, and Audio Works. The stunning line-up includes some of Manitoba best and most recognizable roots acts playing a rare show together on December 15 at the Crescent Fort Rouge United Church.
Utah Phillips Benefit
Saturday, December 15 | 8pm
Crescent Fort Rouge United Church (525 Wardlaw...
PURPOSE
Working on behalf of MARIA’s Board of Directors and in consultation with staff, The Marketing Coordinator will coordinate the delivery of the marketing and events undertaken by MARIA and through MARIA’s programs.
ACCOUNTABILITY
The Marketing Coordinator reports to the Executive Director of MARIA and is responsible to MARIA’s Board of Directors and to its membership.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The responsibilities of the Marketing Coordinator will be as follows:
Events
• Coordinate logistics for Market Development events.
• Coordinate Manitoba presence at music conferences and events, which could include:
• Design, logistics, scheduling and staffing of the Manitoba music booths at trade shows, conferences, and awareness events.
• Logistics coordination for Manitoba music showcases
• Managing the invitation lists for Manitoba music events
• Representing MARIA at various industry functions
• Providing support to Manitoba artists and industry at various events.
• Coordinate logistics for MARIA events, including but not limited to: the Annual General Meeting, the MARIA golf tournament, and other...
PURPOSE
Working on behalf of MARIA’s Board of Directors, the Office Assistant will assist in the day-to-day functioning of the MARIA office.
ACCOUNTABILITY
The Office Assistant reports to the Executive Director of MARIA and is responsible to MARIA’s Board of Directors and its membership.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The responsibilities of the Office Assistant will be as follows:
- Working at the reception area answering phones, directing calls, and answering general inquiries regarding MARIA
- Coordinating information via fax, email, mail, and courier
- Managing office inventory and supplies
- Maintaining office systems (phone, copier, calendar, filing, etc)
- Preparing program materials such as printing and collating of contracts, course materials, marketing materials
- Assisting with marketing initiatives, member services, and research requirements on an as-needed basis
- Acting as host to visitors to the office
- Preparing facilities for meetings, workshops and other events
- Recording and distributing notes and action items during meetings
- Other duties as assigned.
Sam Baardman, Executive Director of the Manitoba Audio Recording Industry Association (MARIA), will go on a one-year leave effective January 1, 2008.
Baardman, who has been in his position for nearly eight years, will continue to work with MARIA as a special program consultant to help create a new multi-year development plan for the Manitoba music industry. Baardman intends to work as a consultant on other projects that will impact on the development of the music industry on a national level.
Baardman has been instrumental in strengthening MARIA, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2007, and diversifying its services and capacity as a strong voice for the Manitoba music industry. He has also been a force for change and cohesion in the national industry, serving as chair of the FACTOR National Advisory Board, president of the Western Canadian Music Alliance, and a director for Folk Alliance Canada during his tenure at MARIA.
“We have achieved nearly everything I could have hoped for when I first sat down in our tiny, cramped office on Arthur Street in May of 2000,” says Baardman, “and I believe that MARIA has become a model for what a great music industry...
There are few songwriters who effect change and make history with their music and on December 7, folks in the MARIA office had the opportunity to learn about the process and thought employed by one such person- Buffy Sainte-Marie.
Sainte-Marie’s visit with MARIA included an afternoon songwriting workshop and a discussion about some of her most influential songs in the evening. The first session provided five Aboriginal songwriters with the opportunity to present songs for feedback from the Oscar winning writer. The songwriters were JC Campbell, Tracy Bone, Raine Morin, Rayne DeLaronde and Dominique Reynolds and the group spent three hours working on lyrics, song structure and composition.
The evening session featured a one-hour interview by NCI FM’s Rosanna Deerchild where Sainte-Marie answered questions about her process, the circumstances that informed songs like “Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee,” her experience in the music biz and the time she spent on Sesame Street. The later discussion offered great insight into Sainte-Marie’s approach to educating the world as she explained her reasons for being on the show and her hopes for future generations of North American...
The Canadian Country Music Association announced today that Vancouver, British Columbia will play host to Country Music Week and the CCMA Awards in 2009; which marks the first time the events will take place on the West Coast since 1987.
Today’s announcement was made in Vancouver by the Chair of the CCMA Board of Directors Heather Ostertag, who presented Stan Hagen, Minister of Tourism, Sports and the Arts, with a special award to commemorate Vancouver’s successful bid for Canada’s biggest week in country music. Also on hand for the announcement were honourary Co-Chairs of the Vancouver Host Committee, Lisa Brokop and Steve Darling.
“We are thrilled to be coming to Vancouver in 2009,” said Ostertag. “The support we have received so far, not only from the Bid Committee but also from the Province of British Columbia and the City of Vancouver has been incredible. Vancouver is a beautiful city and we are excited to be bringing Canada’s top country artists to the fans.”
Lynn Robertson, Co-Chair of the Vancouver Bid Committee said, “We were delighted to hear that our bid submission was successful and we look forward to working with the CCMA to put together a memorable...
It was a busy weekend for Manitoba artists, who picked up seven trophies at two separate awards galas in eastern Canada. Six acts won awards at the 2007 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards in Toronto while one hometown act picked up an award at the third annual Canadian Folk Music Awards in Gatineau.
The CAMAs, now in their ninth year, are held in conjunction with the Canadian Aboriginal Festival, which ran November 30 - December 2, 2007 in Toronto. The awards were handed out at the Rogers Centre on November 30. Fiddler Darren Lavallee, whose album Backroads Fiddlin was released by Manitoba label Sunshine Records, picked up Best Fiddle Album; a category dominated by three Manitoba acts. Singer/songwriter Little Hawk, a.k.a. the Blue Bombers’ Troy Westwood, won Best Folk Album for his latest on Manitoba label Arbor Records, Home and Native Land. Another Arbor release, No Lies, won country singer/songwriter Tracy Bone the Best Female Artist award. Bluesman Slidin’ Clyde Roulette and his band won Best Blues Album for Let’s Take a Ride. Hip-hop outfit Da Skelpa Squad nabbed the Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album for A New Beginning. CIMN Network and Chronic Creative won for Best Album Design...
Keri Latimer has been avoiding the Winnipeg weather lately. The award-winning singer/songwriter, who is most often seen with her acclaimed indie roots quartet Nathan, has been spending some time in New York City collaborating on a film score for indie feature The Frozen River.
Latimer hooked up with American filmmaker Courtney Hunt thanks to Carole Vivier at Manitoba Film & Sound. Vivier, MFS\' CEO and Film Commissioner, gave Hunt a pile of Manitoba music CDs when she was in Manitoba scouting for possible locations. Hunt contacted Latimer over the summer after hearing Nathan\'s work.
"She thought the characters in my songs were similar to the characters in her movie," explains Latimer, who was asked to write a song for the movie. She went on to write a few instrumental pieces for different scenes and ended up involved in the film scoring with composers Peter Golub (Wordplay, The Great Debaters) and Shahzad Ismaily. "I feel really lucky to have been involved in the whole process at all," says Latimer. "I learned so much from working with the two other composers."
This isn\'t the first time Latimer\'s been heard on the screen. Nathan composed some music for CBC Country...
The holiday shopping season is officially here and there are plenty of new Manitoba release ready to be wrapped. This week alone, there are four release parties.
Christine Fellows - Nevertheless
Thursday, November 29 @ West End Cultural Centre
With Baby Eagle and dancer/choreographer Susee Burpee
Right Through - EP
Friday, November 30 @ Crescent Fort Rouge United Church
With The Fo!ps, The Playing Cards
Oldfolks Home - We Are Feeding the Line
Saturday, December 1 @ The Rocker
With Boats and DJs Jamall Knight and Mike B
Lindsay Jane - Lovers Find Reasons
Thursday, December 6 @ Park Theatre
The Mandarins - Tiny Stages
Friday, December 7 @ West End Cultural Centre
You may have missed the parties, but there are plenty of other Manitoba CDs released in November. Click on the artist names for more info:
Cat Jahnke - O Divine Night
Anthem Red - Demos for Germans
Marianne D\'Elia - Stay Another Night
Kim Reimer - Let\'s Get Away
Bambi Rutherford - No Rewind
Sister Dorothy - Kernleider
Sean Brown - Ready Fire Aim
Eagle & Hawk - Sirensong
Suss - I Ride My Bike
Flo - Flo
Vav Jungle - Pap Rock
Mercy Mercy - Fresh Takes, Retakes...
AIDS is redefining the meaning of childhood for millions of children globally. On December 1, Winnipeg audiences will have a chance to help UNICEF make this the last generation to bear the brunt of AIDS. UNICEF Canada (Prairie Region) is hosting a special event, called UNITE, at the Pyramid Cabaret featuring some great local talent.
December 1st is World AIDS Day. Established by the World Health Organization in 1988, World AIDS Day serves to focus global attention on the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Observance of this day provides an opportunity for governments, national AIDS programs, faith organizations, community organizations and individuals to demonstrate the importance of the fight against HIV/AIDS. With an estimated 38.6 million people worldwide living with HIV at the end of 2005, and more than 25 million people having died of AIDS since 1981, December 1st serves to remind everyone that action makes a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Performers for the event include ghettotech act Grand Analog, hip-hopper John Smith, and Dangerous Goods. Funds from this event will specifically go towards Youth Prevention programmes in eight countries...
On November 22, fans of all things local will have something to celebrate. The Loco for Local celebration, taking place at Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain will pair a great music event with a great food event, in support of Growing Up Organic.
The event features a BBQ cook-off, banjo competition and poetry slam between two well-know Winnipeg figures, Winnipeg Folk Festival and West End Cultural Centre founder Mitch Podolak and D.Ranger Jaxon Haldane. By the end of the night, one will be crowned local cooking champ of 2007.
Music fans can catch the live sounds of alt.country act Andrew Neville and the Poor Choices and Georgetown\'s blues/roots band The Undesirables.
Food fans can snag $5 taster plate, including vegetarian and vegan options, of seasonal, local and/or organic fare made by the Yummy Mummies as well as sip from Winnipeg\'s own Totally Organic Beverages and Half Pints Brewery.
All proceeds from Loco for Local will go to support Growing Up Organic, a project of the Organic Food Council of Manitoba, a chapter of Canadian Organic Growers.
