Catching up and looking ahead...

Wowzers. Totally flaked on keeping on top of things here. There've been five shows since I last wrote a "How It Went Down" so I'll point you in the direction of my showlogs on UMFM's website with a little blurb about each show in a minute.

But first I want to plug this coming Friday's show - it's the 13th of January (inauspicious start to what the Mayans indicated would be our last year). I spoke to Marina Endicott about her novel The Little Shadows - which made the Globe & Mail's Top 100 for 2011 - when she came through town and have yet to find a moment to air it, but I'm finally going to broadcast our feature chat.
Earlier today I spoke with the creators of HBO Canada's Less Than Kind, a show filmed/set here in Winnipeg that enters its third season this Sunday the 15th dealing with the death of its star Maury Chaykin.
And I'll be joined in studio by Lyzie Burt for both an interview and a live performance of material from her new album Cigarettes And You, which gets its release on January 20th at the LO Pub.

Also wanted to give a heads-up that over the next few weeks, my show will be preempted for Bison Hockey broadcasts so there will be no show on January 20th, February 3rd and 10th.

Here's what happened on previous episodes of TGIFR:

Friday December 2nd - my interviews with Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, known collectively as Jay & Silent Bob. Mewes is no stranger to Winnipeg as he films Todd & The Book Of Pure Evil here in town, and Smith - being a huge hockey fan - admitted to considering buying Jets season tickets despite living in LA.


Friday December 9th - all about the live music as I was joined for live sessions by three local acts. Metal band Forged In Fire, retro-rockers The Noble Thiefs and roots-rockers The Magnificent 7s.

Friday December 16th - I sat down with historian (and friend) Richard Brignall to talk about his new book, Forgotten Heroes: Winnipeg's Hockey Heritage, and talked on the phone with Adam Dorn, known to music fans as Mocean Worker.

Friday December 23rd was pretty much all talk as I sat down with John Einarson to discuss his latest (and dream) project, a biography of Ian & Sylvia entitled Four Strong Winds, and I also spoke with the award-winning author Ami McKay who followed up The Birth House with The Virgin Cure.

I didn't do a show on the Friday December 30th as I was under the weather.

Friday January 6th was a real treat as Jenny Berkel came in and blew me away with her amazing voice and songwriting. We discussed her new album Here On A Wire, and then I was joined by the organizers of the Big Fun Festival to talk inspiration and line-ups.